Independent News | February 25, 2016 | Volume 17 | Number 9 | inweekly.net
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winners & losers 4
outtakes 5
news
buzz 8
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Black History Month is a time of celebration and an opportunity to highlight unique African-American contributions to art history.
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cover story
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Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. Š 2015 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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winners & losers
Donald Trump
winners DONALD TRUMP The Republican bil-
lionaire stomped his competition in the South Carolina primary, solidifying his position as the GOP presidential front-runner. The political outsider won over 32 percent of the vote and led his nearest rivals, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, by about 10 percentage points. Trump is set for a strong March.
ESCAMBIA COMMUNITY CLINICS The
National Committee for Quality Assurance recently recognized Escambia Community Clinics, Inc., both its main clinic at 14 W. Jordan Street and its eight satellite medical sites throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, as a Level 2 Patient-Centered Medical Home. The patient-centered medical home model is a way of organizing primary care that emphasizes care coordination and communication to transform primary care into “patient friendly” medical care. During 2015, ECC served over 32,622 individual patients representing 98,960 patient visits.
ECUA & ESCAMBIA COUNTY Two years ago, the two local government entities were battling over recyclables. Earlier this month, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) broke ground on a new materials recovery facility on land adjacent to the Escambia County Perdido Landfill. The Escambia County Waste Services Department and the ECUA are working together toward the achievement of the Florida’s 75 percent recycling initiative and the creation of a long-term recycling solution. The new IMRF will handle 40,000 tons of recyclable materials annually. It is expected to be fully operational by this summer.
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Jeb Bush
losers JEB BUSH Any talk of a Bush family dynasty taking control of the Republican Party died when the South Carolinians cast primary votes. Jeb Bush suspended his campaign after garnering less than 8 percent of the vote. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s endorsement and a $100-million campaign war chest failed to persuade Republicans that a third Bush deserved the White House. The world of politics had changed more than he realized since he was governor of Florida ten years ago. FLORIDA PUBLIC RECORDS LAW The Florida House has passed a bill (HB 1021) that would give judges the discretion in awarding the legal fees for parties that win cases against government agencies that have improperly withheld public records. The Florida Senate’s version (SB 1220) says that judges would be required to award attorney fees if conditions are met. That includes finding that agencies improperly withheld records and that the agencies received at least five days' notice before lawsuits were filed. Let’s hope the Senate version prevails. CITY HALL SECURITY Pensacola City
Hall is the most secure building inside the city limits, other than maybe the federal courthouse. Even council members are banned from certain floors, unless escorted. Across the street, the public can walk the halls of the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building once they get past the security screening. The same is true in the Escambia County Governmental Complex.
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New Listings, New Subdivision in Milton
outtakes
by Rick Outzen
HISTORY REPEATS On Saturday, Feb. 20, I joined the families who lost loved ones in the Escambia County for their silent protest and prayer service, which is the focus of our cover story this week. Walking Leonard Street in front of the jail, I was reminded of another protest ten years earlier. A coalition of civil rights organizations and community activists marched for answers in the "mysterious death" of Robert Boggan. Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Boggan, a 65-year-old long-haul trucker, for becoming disoriented and knocking over boxes at the Dollar Tree store in August 2005. In his confused state, he resisted arrest and was charged with aggravated assault and criminal mischief. Boggan did not do well in the county jail. His mental health spiraled downward. He spat on guards and nurses, refused to eat his meals, banged on his cell door and yelled for help repeatedly. He obviously needed psychiatric help. However, the corrections officers repeatedly used a taser gun on him, pepper sprayed him, wrapped pillowcases and towels around his head, and gave him shots of drugs to turn him into a zombie. After 11 days in the county jail, Boggan was found dead in an infirmary cell, strapped naked to a chair hours after being tasered in the shower. The October 2005 march was peace-
ful, but it wasn’t silent. Nearly 200 people walked past the ECSO administrative building and the jail shouting for justice. Sheriff Ron McNesby’s men photographed and videotaped the crowd. He later tried to use the photos to discredit me and force me to fire my editor Duwayne Escobedo. I refused. When he charged me with being biased against him, I told McNesby to quit killing people and our coverage would change. Two more men died in the 10 months after Boggan’s death. McNesby lost his bid for a third consecutive term two years later. When I marched this past weekend, the old civil rights groups, We the People Action Committee, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Movement for Change, and ACLU were absent. This march was more personal, more somber. The sisters and relatives of Robert Boggan were in the crowd, still looking for answers. A decade after his death, they still were bewildered at how their brother, who was the leader to their family, had died in less than two weeks after being arrested for a minor crime. They still wanted justice. More than a decade separates the deaths of Boggan and Alfred Wesley, who died Jan. 15. Management has changed. New policies implemented. Let’s hope we don’t need another march 10 years from now. {in} rick@inweekly.net
The sisters and relatives of Robert Boggan were in the crowd, still looking for answers.
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QUINT STUDER: LEADING CHANGE “This is for anyone who is dealing with change in their current role, who feels like they want to help their team navigate change better,” she said. “It's going to be a workshop
lot of new material for this on how to introduce change: change personally, change in the community and change in your workplace.” Studer said people tend to take change too personally. “Change is not somebody doing something to us. You can't take it personally. Many times it's the external factors that cause changes, and I think particularly in the workplace, which I'm going to talk most about, is we somehow think our boss is doing it, or the executives are doing it,” he said. “Trust me, most bosses and executives rather not have the changes, but if something changes, you've got to change operations. I think part of it is explaining where the change is coming from.” Changes in the workplace can come from external factors, such as changes in technology, or can be internal, such as a new owner, boss or job description. “The first thing is to identify where the change is coming from,” Studer said. “Then determine why we have to do it, and after that, it's what do we need to change, how do we need to change, who needs to change, when do they need to change and where is the change?” According to Studer, change is neither good nor bad. He said, “I think change is change.” He talked about how the slightest change can create pushback if not explained. “If you're a boss and you haven't, let's say, done a lot of reward recognition, all of a sudden you go up to your employees and start complimenting the heck out them. Their big worry is going to be, they changed his medication here. What the heck's going on?” Transparency is the key. “You've got to tell the employees when there is a change, why you're doing what you're doing. Even good change can concern them,” Studer said, “You’ve got to be transparent, and you've got to explain the change” Change causes discomfort, according to Studer.
“You've got to tell the employees when there is a change, why you're doing what you're doing.” Quint Studer Quint Studer / Courtesy Photo
By Rick Outzen On March 1, Quint Studer kicks off his retirement from the company he founded, Studer Group, with a free community workshop to be held at WSRE’s Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio on the Pensacola State College campus. Rachael Gillette, Director of Professional Development for the Studer Community Institute, appeared on News Talk 1370 WCOA’s “Pensacola Speaks” to discuss the workshop. “The topic is about leading and managing change,” she said. “Everything's changing constantly.” The topic was chosen after surveying local business owners and participants in the institute’s other seminars. “We want to really help small business owners improve, become better, be able to employ more people,” Gillette said. “Change was really one of the top topics that they wanted as a community.” She pointed out that Studer has studied change for years, and the workshop will not only be about the theories of coping with change, but also will provide real-life examples.
that's relevant for everyone, because no matter what stage they're at, they're either dealing with this (now), or they're going to have to deal with it.” Gillette added, “People deal with change in different ways. Some people accept it and are okay with it, but other people really find it difficult. Quint's going to talk about the phases of change and how people deal with it in each particular phase. And then how to communicate throughout the organization what's happening and why it's happening; those kinds of things.” Inweekly also talked with Quint Studer about his first day as a full-time, community volunteer. Why start it with a free workshop? “When Doug Holler (PNJ reporter) asked in 2003 what my long -term goal was, I said I wanted to be part of this community, and be part of making it better, and so we tried to do so,” said Studer. “Some people golf, some people like to fish, and basically I do what I'm passionate about—that's trying to at least present things in a way that help people have better lives.” While with Studer Group, he has spoken extensively about implementing and dealing with change in the healthcare environment. “It’s gotten really good reviews across the country, so I thought why not,” he said. “Instead of talking about healthcare, I'm writing a
“Even high performers don't like change, because when a high performer has to change, they actually perform worse, even though eventually they're going to perform better,” he said. “Companies often think their real high performers are going to just adapt to change really well, and actually they don't, which shakes up the whole organization.” He said his goal for the community workshop is for people to walk away not only being able to better handle change, but to help those around them handle it better, too. “At the Studer Community Institute, we're focusing on kindergarten readiness and on how we can help small businesses grow; we create jobs,” Studer said. “If a small business is more successful and can retain their retain staff, that creates jobs.” He added, “It might sound crazy, but I think when we create better places to work, we can save lives. People who take their work home, they're better fathers, better mothers, better everything, so I'm really excited about this.”{in}
LEADING & MANAGING CHANGE
WHAT: Free workshop focused on increasing the understanding of all aspects of organizational change, as well as effective ways to create as sense of urgency, lead through the process and minimize resistance. WHEN: 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Tuesday, March 1, doors open at 7:30 a.m. WHERE: WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd, Bldg 23 Pensacola State College campus. COST: Free, but need to reserve a seat at studeri.org. DETAILS: This workshop is part of the Studer Community Institute’s ongoing development sessions to help improve the quality of life in Northwest Florida. Visit studeri.org
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KRAHER EAGER TO PLEASE COUNCIL MEMBERS
Don Kraher / Courtesy Photo
By Duwayne Escobedo In his first five months as the Pensacola City Council executive, Don Kraher has learned a few lessons about being effective in the controversial and newlycreated position. His biggest lesson? Learning the ins and outs of Florida’s very liberal Sunshine Law that makes nearly every government comment or report open to the public. For Kraher, it means he cannot serve as a conduit between the council members and must be careful what he places on the agenda for “discussion.”
“The No. 1 lesson I learned is dealing with the Florida Sunshine Law,” the 53-year-old said. “I’m not trying to hide things. I believe in keeping things very transparent. If we talk about anything, it has to be in an open meeting.” His views on public record law is something Mayor Ashton Hayward’s office may want to explore. A simple request for Kraher’s resume to view his qualifications got mired in the city’s online public records system and took more than three weeks to fulfill the request. Kraher said all a reporter has to do is ask him for documents, and he will turn them over. “I’m here to help the media do its job,” Kraher said. “We’re not going to say anything we don’t want the media to know.” Kraher knows he’s in a hot seat. After more than a year of angry threats between the Mayor’s office and City Council, the $100,000 a year position was finally opened. The Mayor had fired a previous city council advisor without city council approval and then installed Rusty Wallace in the position. City Attorney Jim Messer argued the city council didn’t require its own executive under the new Strong Mayor system that voters approved in 2010. But today Kraher, who was approved by the council on a 5-2 vote, said both the executive and legislative sides treat each other “respectfully.”
He comes from DeSoto, Mo., a small town where he served as the assistant city manager and also the director of public safety. City Councilwoman Sherri Myers supports Kraher. She points out that he took a “little” police department from the basement of the town’s courthouse to getting its very own police station built. “This is a job he can do,” Myers said during council debate over his hiring. “I’m very impressed. He has the character, personality and skills to get what the council needs done.” Councilman P.C. Wu disagreed with Myers. “The size of the city is 6, 400,” Wu pointed out. “I’m not saying anything disparaging about small towns. But we have our challenges that are much broader.” It didn’t help that soon after his approval as the council executive that an anonymous letter exposed that Kraher was going through bankruptcy. He said he didn’t bring the issue up because it couldn’t be considered as a determining factor in his hiring. Just to be sure, Kraher said he called up each council member and discussed his bankruptcy openly. He remains tight lipped, though, to the Independent News. ”It’s just one of those things,” said Kraher, who with his wife, Allison, has a 9-year-old daughter, Donovan. “My family and I got ourselves in this situation, and we’re getting ourselves out of it.” Kraher admits his 20-plus years in government have been in the council-manager form of government. “I’ve never seen as strong a mayor as this mayor is,” Kraher said. “It’ll be interesting to see how it changes with a new administration and when new council members come along.”
Kraher said he has not sat down to talk with the Mayor since joining City Hall. “I say, ‘Hi,’ to him whenever I see him,” Kraher said. “The Mayor has been very kind to me. We’ve had absolutely no problems at all. But there will be disagreements at times. My focus is to build bridges across those chasms.” Right now, Kraher is focused on working with the city council to set budget priorities. The council is setting its top goals on spending Local Option Sales Taxes. He said he hopes council members will trust him with more and more work. “The best compliment is that they trust me enough to ask me to do things for them,” he said. Meanwhile, the Kraher family is adjusting to Pensacola. Seven years ago, they first visited the Panhandle with a vacation to Destin and decided it was a place they wanted to live. The transition hasn’t been entirely smooth. They have boxes to still unpack at their new home off Scenic Highway. His wife is coping with the recent death of her sister, Judy, who died of Leukemia. Allison was her stem cell donor. Their daughter transferred from public school and is settling into the fourth grade at St. Paul Catholic School. She recently joined the city’s renowned Pensacola Children’s Chorus. Meanwhile, Kraher is getting used to the Pensacola City Council members and his new job duties. He has earned the support of Charles Bare, who also served in the military and law enforcement and is one of Kraher’s biggest boosters. “He has shown he’s very transparent and responsive,” Bare said. “I’m very impressed with his attitude. Once I met Mr. Kraher and heard him speak, I felt strongly that he should be offered employment. He’s what we need here.” {in}
“The best compliment is that they trust me enough to ask me to do things for them.” Don Kraher
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February 25, 2016
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Pensacola Fire Station No. 1 / Courtesy Photo BROKEN PFD CHAIN OF COMMAND
Public records recently released by the City of Pensacola show that its Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson may have violated the grievance process established by the collective bargaining agreement and the PFD chain of command that has been in place for over 200 years. The documents indicate that most recent changes to the city’s HR Policy
Manual may have been done to justify Sisson’s actions and make it more difficult for the two fire chiefs placed on paid administrative leave to appeal any actions taken against them. In August 2015, Fire Lieutenant Edward Deas named Deputy Fire Joe Glover in a complaint he filed with Fire Chief Matt Schmitt. The complaint involved Glover and others voting him out as president of
the black firefighters’ fraternal organization, Pensacola United Fire Fighters Association (PUFFA), in October 2014. Following the city’s Fire Department policy manual, Schmitt reviewed the complaint and ruled on Sept. 15, 2015 that Deas had used the fire department and the City as a means to retaliate for what he perceived to be unfair treatment on an external issue, meaning PUFFA. Because of what he deemed as the “malicious” acts of the Lieutenant against his superiors, the fire chief demoted Deas to professional firefighter and reduced his pay by 10 percent. Deas’ personnel file had his complaint and the proper forms signed by Schmitt and Deas: PF-501 and PF803CB. Fire lieutenants fall under the collective bargaining agreement that was approved in December 2014. The acknowledgement of the demotion signed by Deas stated: “Because you are a member of a collective bargaining unit, if you choose to appeal or grieve this disciplinary action, your grievance and/or
appellate process must follow the terms of the bargaining agreement. Unless an appeal or grievance is properly made, this disciplinary action stands confirmed without any further action.” However, there are no records that Deas followed the union grievance process. Instead, Sisson did his own investigation without notifying the fire chief. The Chief Human Resources Officer overturned the demotion in December, even though neither the city’s HR manual, Fire Department policy manual, nor the collective bargaining agreement gave him the authority to do so. The Pensacola Police and Fire Departments are paramilitary organizations that have firmly established chains of command. The missions are to serve, protect and save lives. The chain of command and discipline are essential to accomplishing their missions. Sisson’s inference broke the PFD chain of command. Fire Chief Schmitt responded with a written reprimand of his firefighter, dated Dec. 18, 2015, that was placed in Deas’ file.
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There are no notes in the firefighter’s personnel file on the investigation conducted by Sisson; there are no communications with City Administrator Eric Olson or Mayor Ashton Hayward giving him the authorization to overturn the fire chief. However, 10 days later, Sisson sent his HR manager a change to the HR manual. It was to one sentence in the introduction (change in bold): “Updates will be made to the electronic document located on the Human Resource Office’s Internal and External websites.” The change allowed Sisson to make further changes without sending written notification to the department heads and city employees. Again, there are no records that the City Administrator Eric Olson or Mayor Ashton Hayward approved the new policy, or that city staff knew Sisson was making the change. City emails reflected that the changes to the appeals process were done by Sisson on Jan. 8. The changes placed Sisson in the disciplinary process and made the City Administrator the final decision-maker on any appeals. It also abolished the independent personnel board that was to review all appeals, under the old manual. Sisson and Olson would now be in charge of any appeals made by the fire chiefs of any actions taken against them. However, the new HR manual was not uploaded to the city’s website. No emails were released to Inweekly that verified city directors were ever notified of the change. The paper was not given any emails or other documents that showed Olson, City Attorney Lysia Bowling and Mayor Hayward approved the revision. The HR manual with the Appeal Process change was not uploaded until after 2 p.m. on Feb. 2—four hours after the two chiefs were placed on administrative leave.
shutting down the facility found to pollute surrounding residents’ air and water. May pointed out that clean up of the site is estimated at $2.3 million. “I plan on working with the EPA to see if we can get federal assistance,” May said. “We’ve had a good relationship with this administration. We’ll meet with the EPA to see what kind of federal help we can get. This is going to be costly to resolve. We have a long way to go.” May said Rolling Hills operators have been overlooked for decades, allowing environmental racism to persist. “They’ve been unmonitored and unregulated for many years,” May said. “Abiding by our codes is a new and uncomfortable position for Rolling Hills. It’s time to get EPA involved. Our citizens need the opportunity to live in a clean and safe neighborhood.”
“We’ll meet with the EPA to see what kind of federal help we can get. This is going to be costly to resolve. We have a long way to go.” Lumon May
VISIT WITH EPA Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May this week has an appointment with federal Environmental Protection Agency officials in Washington, D.C. He is seeking help in cleaning up and closing the Rolling Hills landfill that towers over the middle-class, mostly minority Wedgewood community. The first-term District 3 commissioner has already worked with Florida’s lawmakers, Department of Environmental Protection officials and state health department regulators. The DEP is in the process of February 25, 2016
PERDIDO KEY MASTER PLAN Doug Underhill promises to seek more public input on the Perdido Key Master Plan between now and the Escambia County commission’s final vote sometime this summer. For now, the first term District 2 commissioner is just happy that the proposed $81 million project to four-lane the barrier island’s beach road is off the table. “Four-laning is as dead as it can get,” Underhill told Inweekly. “The voice of the citizens and the voice of elected leaders were at odds in the past. About 75 to 80 percent of every poll, our citizens absolutely did not want the project.” Also important to Underhill are: 1) more free beach access be made available than the three 50-foot parcels currently available; 2) utilities be moved underground; and 3) the habitat conservation plan governing lighting and other beach construction be sensitive to rare white beach mice, birds and turtles. “We are trying to solve some of the big problems on the island,” Underhill said. “Places like Mayfair, Myrtle Grove and Brownsville need a beachfront that’s very accessible. The beaches are theirs as much as mine.” The plan is expected to go to the county’s Planning and Zoning department in April before going to the board, Underhill said. “I want this plan to outlive my political life,” Underhill said. “I want it to be something everyone’s proud of long after I’m out of office.” {in}
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inweekly.net
by Rick Outzen
Rev. Lonnie Wesley, III is troubled. On Jan. 15, his oldest brother Alfred, age 66, was found unresponsive in his cell after having been taken to a local hospital. “I'm beating myself up a little in an embarrassing way because it took the death of my oldest brother to really wake me up to some of the problems that we're having in our county jail,” the pastor of Greater Little Rock Baptist Church told Inweekly. “When our brother was found dead in the cell on January 15 of this year, that was the catalyst for me,” he said. “That was a personal wake-up call.” The pastor began to read Inweekly’s coverage of the recent rash of suicides and deaths in the Escambia County Jail—seven since Nov. 2, 2014. James Brumley (age 48) died of suicide on that day. In 2015, five more deaths occurred: Chad Day (age 43), Rodney Berry (age 53), Shawn Jordan (age 45), Cedrick Henderson (age 29), and Samuel Devon Averheart (age 21). Nationally, around 80 percent of all local jails have no deaths in a year, according to the February 25, 2016
Bureau of Justice Statistics. Less than seven percent have two or more deaths. If a death happens in a city or county jail in Florida, there is a one-in-ten chance it will happen in Escambia County. Our paper’s coverage of the deaths of Berry and Averheart in November and early December caught the attention of the Escambia Board of County Commissioners, and became a catalyst for substantial changes in jail operations, especially in its infirmary.
BERRY AND AVERHEART
When Rodney Jamel Berry died on May 27, 2015, sources told Inweekly that his death was much more than a corrections officer finding the man unresponsive in his cell. The newspaper was told his death wasn’t peaceful, and infirmary staff had screwed up. However, the newspaper did not get a copy of the investigation report until November. Berry was arrested on Feb. 14 and was awaiting trial for two car burglaries in motel parking lots on Pace Boulevard. In each inci-
dent, he stole tools and other property valued less than $100. His trial was set for June. Records that Inweekly obtained, via a public records request, give the details of Berry’s last hours. The correction officers and his fellow inmates tried to get medical help for Berry, but the infirmary would only place him on a sick call list for later in the day. He died having vomited and defecated on himself repeatedly for nearly seven hours. Inweekly shared the report with Commissioner Lumon May. “My heart hurts for these people and their families,” said May. “Mr. Berry was in jail for stealing less than a hundred dollars of tools. Mr. Jordan was being held for stealing candy, according to what staff told me.” He said, “When I look at this from a position of county commissioner, I look at all six of these deaths, that they have a mother, they have a father, they have a sister, they have a daughter, they deserve to have a full and open investigation. They deserve to have answers.”
Then the family of Samuel Devon Averheart visited Inweekly on a Sunday afternoon. They had few facts about the death of their loved one. Devon wasn’t an angel, but he wasn’t a hardened criminal. He did have a prior felony conviction for marijuana possession in 2014. He was a few months away from finishing his probation and having his sentence adjudicated. Then he screwed up in October. He took items valued less than $15 from a convenience store. Devon was arrested on Oct. 13 for the petty theft and was released without having to post a bond. However, because he was on probation for the marijuana conviction, Devon was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 10, charged with felony violation of probation and not allowed to post a bond. While in jail, Averheart appeared to be incoherent when he had his second video visitation with his mother. When the mother got into the truck after the visit, she told her sister and brother-in-law that something was wrong with Devon. She said that he didn’t act 11
Friends of Devon Averheart protest his death like her son. The aunt tried to find out what was happening with her son but was stonewalled by jail personnel. “First thing on Monday morning, I got on the phone, and I started calling the nurses because he was in an infirmary,” said the aunt. “We wanted to figure out why he would be in an infirmary.” According to the county’s release, the young man was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 17 to be evaluated and treated for a medical condition that has yet to be disclosed. The physician released him, and Averheart was placed in a cell in the jail infirmary. The following day, the mother had a third video visitation scheduled, but she got the runaround from the jail staff and never talked to her son. The next morning, the mother was told her son had been found unresponsive in his cell and had died. It was how the jail staff treated Averheart's family after they were notified that upset several of the county commissioners. “We made it to the jail about seven o’clock,” said the aunt. “They wouldn’t tell us nothing at the jail. They wouldn’t tell us nothing.”
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The family was told that death was under investigation. They would have to walk across the street to the Escambia County Sheriff's Office Administration Building and talk with the investigators, who weren’t in the office yet. They went back to the jail. The aunt told the jail personnel, “Y’all don’t even have the decency. Nobody, the nurses, somebody doesn't have the decency to come out here and tell this woman what happened, apologize and tell her you’re sorry, and you’re looking into it. You’re working on it. All you can say is ‘it’s under investigation.’ That’s all the words that come out of your mouth?”
COUNTY ACTS
On Dec. 4, County Administrator Jack Brown announced that Director of Corrections Michael Tidwell would be relieved of his duties and replaced by Assistant County Administrator Chip Simmons. The change of command took effect immediately. Four of the jail deaths had happened since Tidwell was hired on Jan. 26, 2015 to oversee community corrections, the county jail and the road prison. Two of the suicides occurred before he came
onboard. Brown told the media the continued deaths factored into his decision to fire Tidwell. The next week, the Escambia County Commission met. Brown presented two alternatives to fix the medical care issues at the jail, either contract out jail medical services or hire a medical doctor and keep it in-house. Commissioner Wilson Robertson initially came out in favor of hiring a company to run medical services, believing that such companies have the expertise and depth in staffing to handle the job better than the county. However, the other commissioners felt differently. Commissioners Doug Underhill, Lumon May, and Steven Barry wanted to keep it in-house, which is what Brown recommended. Barry argued that the best solution is some combination of the two alternatives. Assistant County Administrator Chip Simmons reported on the initial changes he had made since Tidwell’s termination. He said he had correctional and medical sides communicating with each other. Simmons assured the commissioners that the inmates would get the medical care they need. He would make himself available to any citizens with family members in the jail. Commissioner Robertson took exception to Inweekly’s articles on the jail deaths, saying that if they are true half the staff at the jail may need to be fired. He asked Simmons and Brown to investigate fully our stories, particularly the one regarding Averheart. They later reported the stories were accurate.
how the in-house medical services at the jail have changed. He said the commission had approved a recommendation from County Administrator Brown to create and hire a full-time medical director over the corrections department. Dr. Paul Henning had been hired to fill that position. “We also had a vacant health service administrator position,” he said. “Corrinne Miller is now the health service administrator effective January 29th.” Simmons said that Henning has served as the interim medical director and would now take over global oversight of not only the jail medical staff but all corrections. “He has hit the ground running. Again, he's been interim the last couple of weeks, and he has already initiated and conducted a lot of training with the nursing staff, with the medical staff. He has reviewed protocols. He has assessed and determined what he thinks where we need to be regarding the input and what he calls the “throughput” of the entire process,” said Simmons. With Hennings’ help, the county has identified two new medical positions. One is a clinical nurse coordinator, and one is a clinical nurse. He said, “We are still working on the rest of the pieces and how that's going to look. What we felt like we needed to do was immediately get him onboard and evaluate pretty much every aspect of medical care. He has been doing that.” Simmons added, “I think we've made a lot of headway with regards to the medical staff. Again, we have a global medical director over corrections, which I'm not aware of we've ever had one; certainly not one with Dr. Henning's experience. He is the medical director of public safety, and he is also an emergency room doctor at Sacred Heart, which is exactly what we need.” When asked about the search for a fulltime replacement for Tidwell, Simmons said that the county administrator and he had agreed to hold off until the changes in medical services have been fully implemented.
“There's only so much medical staff, and we want everyone to play their role in keeping inmates secure and keeping them safe.” Chip Simmons
COUNTY JAIL 2.0
On Jan. 15, Alfred Wesley died while in the care of the Escambia County Jail. Again the county commissioners, public, and media began asking questions about the jail operation. County Administrative Chip Simmons last week visited the Inweekly offices to discuss
inweekly.net
“We don't want to change horses in the middle of the stream here,” he told Inweekly. “We're on a bit of a roll here.” He said the timeline for the search for a new director of corrections would be up to Brown. “We discussed that because we felt like we're making a tremendous amount of progress and even that was a short period of time we're making that progress. We're going to probably keep it as it is right now. The former director Tidwell was actually still employed for 90 days. He's still on the clock.” Simmons said the medical staff maintains a substantially ill list that is based on evaluations done during in-take and while the inmates are incarcerated. “That list goes to the shift commander so they know who on their shift, when they come in, they know who on their shift might need some extra attention,” he said. “There's only so much medical staff, and we want everyone to play their role in keeping inmates secure and keeping them safe. The lists go out to the command staff, to the jail commander.” He said the substantially ill list currently has about 120 people on it, but the sickest, which average between 40 and 50 inmates, are in the infirmary. “They are those that require the more immediate visual checks and that sort of things,” said Simmons. “Some of those are mental patients on suicide watch.” The assistant county administrator said the county and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office had agreed to let the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigate any future deaths in the jail. “We feel that adds to that level of transparency, and there's no perception of bias in one county agency investigating another county agency,” said Simmons. “The sheriff's office has done a great job of investigating. They're comprehensive. I spoke to Sheriff Morgan, spoke to FDLE and told them that from now on our protocol will be to call that outside agency to investigate so that there's that outside look.”
FAMILIES GATHER
After reading the Inweekly articles and visiting with the county commissioners, Rev. Wesley still had to do something. His faith and his loss drove him. “My brother’s death caused me to dig deeper and to ultimately get in touch with as many families who had lost loved ones in the jail as I could to ask them to come together,” he said. “Little did I know that several families were waiting on something. They did not know exactly what they were waiting on, but they wanted to say something. They wanted to be heard. They wanted an ear.” The families met on Sunday, Feb. 14, and the decision was made to hold a silent protest and prayer service in front of the Escambia County Jail on the following Saturday. Wesley said, “We talked and shared and hugged and cried, and talked and shared and hugged and cried again. That's how it all came about.” The pastor said he saw the jail deaths as a community-wide issue. “We're truly in this together. Now when Balloons released at silent protest / Photo by Rick Outzen I'm using the word "we," I mean all of us His message was positive and upbeat. He this have been different? That's what we here in Escambia County,” he said. “The thanked May, Lavoy and Simmons for coming. just have to help each other to get to the need is there to shine as much light on this “We have serious-minded commissioners point of where everyone just feels better problem as possible, not to point fingers.” who want to do the right thing and are open to know that everything was done that He added, “We're way beyond that. We to help and ideas,” he said. “The people in the could've been done.” are way bigger than that. We are way more administration are like-minded.” Over 60 people gathered on Saturday, mature than that. We want really to shine a Wesley added, “I want to thank God Feb. 20 for the service. County Commissioner light on this, call attention to it, so that the that we can come together in a peaceful Lumon May and Assistant County Adminisnecessary changes can be made.” way, a professional way because we’re gotrators Amy Lavoy and Chip Simmons were Wesley said it was difficult listening to ing to get this changed in the boardroom, in attendance. Friends and family members the stories of those who lost loved ones, not a backroom.” wore T-shirts with photos of their loved ones. but he realized that nothing can be done to He said that nothing will bring back his Some carried signs as they walk silently or change yesterday. brother, but change will happen by working whispered to those next to them. Blue and “It's just incumbent upon us all, again, silver balloons filled with helium were released with the commissioners and their adminisall in the community of Escambia county to trators. in memory of their family members. get together, help our county commissioners After the service was finished and the Rev. Wesley greeted everyone. “We are get steered in the right direction to make the families drove off, Inweekly asked Commishere to bring attention to these deaths to help changes that need to be made,” he said. sioner May if he thought the latest changes “We know we cannot stop death. That's make sure we turn this thing around,” he told would make a difference. the crowd, “We are going to work with those not in any human's purview. That's not in He said, “I hope so, but only time will who are just as unhappy as we are to create anyone's hands, but we should ask could tell.” {in} positive changes.”
“We have serious-minded commissioners who want to do the right thing and are open to help and ideas” Rev. Lonnie Wesley, III
Marital and Family Law New Location: 127 Palafox Place Suite 100 Pensacola, Florida | 466-3115 February 25, 2016
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WEEK OF FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 3
Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...
Hey, Hey, Hey: How Cartoons Shaped a Generation by Shelby Smithey
cartoons are national treasures, as “they promoted family values, education, friendwere seen by a generation of children and ship, civic duty, personal responsibility and not only changed the way that black kids sportsmanship in fun, vibrant bursts of anisaw themselves, but the way white kids saw mation," the museum's website said. "Forty them, as well.” years later, the legacy of these cartoons Leader said that to date, the exhibit has pioneered the way for a new generation of been viewed by over 100,000 people to an black animation like "The Proud Family," overwhelmingly positive response and the "Little Bill," "Static Shock," "Fillmore" and family-friendly and interactive exhibit has "Doc McStuffins." broad appeal while remaining culturally From 1900 to 1960, over 600 cartoon and historically relevant. shorts featuring black characters were produced by some of Hollywood’s greatest white animators and biggest film studios. These film shorts portrayed blacks in a racially derogatory and stereotypical manner with exaggerated features and ignorant dialect. In the 1950’s, several of these racist cartoons were shown on television. As a result of the Civil Rights Movement, in the 1960’s the racial content of many of these cartoons was “The nostalgia in this exhibit is particuedited out or the cartoons were pulled larly high,” Leader said. “Viewers will redisfrom television altogether. cover old friends from their Saturday morning It wasn’t until the early 1970’s that Saturday cartoons, and new fans will be created. Visimorning television cartoons started to feature tors will be able to tour 60 pieces of original image-affirming black animated characters animation artwork, view cartoon clips, create with a modern look and positive story lines their own original characters at the ‘animation that delivered culturally-relevant messages. station’ and pose for a photo as one of the For the first time, black people like Bill Jackson 5ive.” Cosby and Berry Gordy led development of Leader said that the cartoons on exanimated television programming featuring hibit paved the way for black characters on black characters, from concept through to television, and it certainly comes through art creation and production. in the exhibit. For the first time, black children saw car“Animation is an engaging and univertoon characters that looked, talked and acted sally-beloved medium,” Leader said. “This more realistically like them, such as Fat Albert exhibit utilizes that draw to highlight a unique and the Cosby Kids. For the first time, black and eye-opening element of black history children had cartoon role models who taught within both art and pop culture.” {in} positive messages. Also for the first time, cartoons featured strong black female characters and multicultural casts. “Black History Month is a time of celebration and an opportunity to highlight unique African-American contributions to art history,” WHAT: An Exhibit from the Museum of UnCut Pensacola Museum of Art Director of Funk Collection Curatorial Affairs Alexis Leader said. WHEN: On display Feb. 23- April 9; Opening “The Museum annually honors these Reception 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26 artistic achievements through exhibiWHERE: Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. tions and exhibition-related programJefferson St. ming. ‘Funky Turns 40’ commemorates COST: $5-$7, Opening Reception is free and the first positive black animation open to public characters in television history.” DETAILS: pensacolamuseum.org A self-professed “star child” of the ‘70s, Thomas said that these
“Viewers will rediscover old friends from their Saturday morning cartoons, and new fans will be created.” Alexis Leader
Fat Albert / Courtesy Photo Growing up in the ‘70s, Loreen Williamson and Pamela Thomas always spent Saturday mornings watching their favorite cartoons—the “Jackson 5ive” and “Josie and the Pussycats.” At that time, those were just two of a small handful of cartoons that featured positive black characters that the girls looked up to. The cartoons they watched as children stayed with them through adulthood, and they both began collecting memorabilia from those beloved shows, including hundreds of drawings and cels used in the animation and filming process. Eventually meeting over shared interests, Williamson and Thomas created the virtual Museum of UnCut Funk in 2007, an online showcase for original animation cels, posters, storyboards and other objects celebrating black culture of the 1970s. That “funk” which inspired the two women so much in their childhood would eventually lead to a traveling exhibition, “Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution,” which opens this week at the Pensacola Museum of Art. The exhibit, co-curated by Williamson and Thomas, will feature memorabilia from 24 animated productions, including Saturday morning and after-school cartoons and animated feature films that featured positive black characters in the ‘70s. February 25, 2016
Who would have thought that a rather large, albeit civic-minded, character on Saturday morning cartoons in the ‘70s would have such an impact today? Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, premiering in 1972 and ending in 1984, was the longest-running positive black cast Saturday morning cartoon series. “Thomas and Williamson are cartoon aficionados, and 'Funky Turns 40' commemorates the 40th anniversaries of popular ‘70s Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive and realistic black characters for the first time in television history," the Museum of Uncut Funk's website said. "Fueled by the civil rights movement and the overwhelming success of black musicians and athletes during the period, television producers began to explore projects with a wide, multicultural appeal." The museum's website said that shows like "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" paved the way for other black characters and shows featuring music icons, sports heroes and multicultural casts such as "The Jackson 5ive," "Josie and the Pussy Cats," "The Harlem Globetrotters" and "I Am The Greatest" featuring Muhammad Ali. Shows like "Hardy Boys" and "Super Friends," which previously had overtly white casts, began to introduce positive black characters who worked side-by-side with their white counterparts. "These shows helped empower a generation of children with cartoon role models who
FUNKY TURNS 40: BLACK CHARACTER REVOLUTION
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FOREVER DIETING?
THURSDAY 2.25
arts & culture
thing new every week at Aragon Wine Market’s regular wine tasting, only a few blocks from downtown. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. aragonwinemarket.com DINNER & AN ARIA 5 & 7:30 p.m. The Pensacola Opera Artists in Residence program, now in its 13th season, continues to provide training and performance experience for young opera professionals. A wonderful opportunity that offers opera to newcomers and enthusiasts alike to have an up-close, personal performance by some remarkable young opera singers. Jackson’s Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox St. jacksonsrestaurant.com THE GINGERBREAD LADY 7:30 p.m. Written by Neil Simon directed by Joe Perna. Panhandle Community Theatre, 4646 Woodbine Rd. Pace, FL. $12. panhandlecommunitytheatre.com
≥Exhibits
WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Try some-
FRIDAY 2.26
WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Out and about
in East Hill on Friday night? Stop by City Grocery for their free weekly wine tasting before settling in or heading out for the night. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. ICE HOCKEY 7:05 p.m. Come out and support Pensacola’s Ice Flyers against Louisiana. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. $15-$29. pensacolabaycenter.com DATE NIGHT DANCING 7:15-8:15 p.m. Learn the basics of several romantic ballroom and country dance styles in a unique group class that keeps partners together. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. 850-5031123. $10. dancecraftfl.com THE GINGERBREAD LADY 7:30 p.m. Written by Neil Simon directed by Joe Perna. Panhandle Community Theatre, 4646 Woodbine Rd. Pace. $15. panhandlecommunitytheatre.com THE COLD HARD CASH SHOW 8 p.m. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $15. vinylmusichall.com THE RIVERS OF NIHIL 8:30 p.m. With Dark Sermon and Black Fast. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. $10. pensacolahandlebar.com
SATURDAY 2.27
SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 8 a.m.-1
p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road, Pace. PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques are just a few of the items offered at the weekly Palafox Market. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com THE GINGERBREAD LADY 7:30 p.m. Written by Neil Simon directed by Joe Perna. Panhandle Community Theatre, 4646 Woodbine Rd. Pace. $15. panhandlecommunitytheatre.com
February 25, 2016
FUNKY TURNS 40
Cold Hard Cash Show LOCAL SHOWCASE 8 p.m. Featuring A Band of Saints, Chain Smoking Hags, Betsy Badwater, and Tripsissippi. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $5. vinylmusichall.com
SUNDAY 2.28
This exhibition commemorates the 40th anniversary of 1970’s Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive black characters for the first time in television history. The exhibition includes original production cells and drawings used to produce these cartoons. On display until April 9. Museum hours and location: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org COLLECTION IN CONTEXT: WOMEN CREATING This
DANCE LESSONS 6:30 p.m. Swing, country, and ballroom. Professional partner dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. 850-5031123. $10. dancecraftfl.com
exhibition presents the diversity and growing strength of the PMA’s Permanent Collection highlighting female modern and postmodern artists through a variety of media. On display until February 27. Museum hours and location: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org
TUESDAY 3.1
≥Call for Art
THE GINGERBREAD LADY 2:30 p.m. Writ-
ten by Neil Simon directed by Joe Perna. Panhandle Community Theatre, 4646 Woodbine Rd. Pace. $15. panhandlecommunitytheatre.com ICE HOCKEY 4:05 p.m. Come out and support Pensacola’s Ice Flyers agains Fayetteville. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. $15-$29. pensacolabaycenter.com
MONDAY 2.29
DANCE LESSONS 6:30 p.m. Country, swing, and ballroom. Professional partner dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. 850-5031123. $10. dancecraftfl.com TUESDAY NIGHT POETRY NIGHT 7 p.m. Free open-mic poetry event every Tuesday. Sluggo’s Vegetarian Restaurant, 101 S. Jefferson St. facebook.com/TNPN COMMON KINGS 7 p.m. With Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds and Heritage. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $15. vinylmusichall.com
WEDNESDAY 3.2
DANCE LESSONS 6:30 p.m. West Coast
Swing. Professional partner dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. 850-503-1123. $10. dancecraftfl.com DANCE PARTY 8-10 p.m. A mix of swing, country, and ballroom music for partner dancing on the best wood dance floor in the area. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. 850-503-1123. $10. dancecraftfl.cm
UPTOWN/DOWNTOWN Artists are
invited to submit their contemporary creations to Artel’s latest exhibit which is themed “Uptown/ Downtown.” Haves/ have-nots, city skyline/deserted slums, dress up/ dress down. Bringing contrasts together visually is the point of the exhibit. As a diptych or contrasting subjects in one work, go to two extremes and come up with the visual vibration that arrives. Submission
is Saturday, March 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, March 6, 1-4 p.m. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.com
≥Classes & Workshops
“MAKE-YOUROWN-GLASS” CLASS
10a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, February 26 and Saturday February 27. Held weekly on Friday and Saturday, First City Art Center offers weekly “Make-Your-OwnGlass” classes, no previous glassblowing skills necessary. The classes are open to anyone age 8 and older and range in price from $25-$45. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required and can be made by calling 429-1222. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org
INTRODUCTION TO POTTERY ON THE WHEEL 6-8:30 p.m.
Monday, February 29. During this weekly workshop held on Monday evenings at First City Art Center, instructor Pearl VanHoove works individually with students to develop consistency in throwing on the wheel. Participants receive an introduction to materials, equipment and throwing techniques. Each session begins with a brief demonstration followed by hands-on time at the wheel. The class is $40 and open to individuals age 14 and up. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required and can be made by calling 4291222. Class is limited to two participants. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org
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DIFFERENCE MAKERS State Selects Local Senior Volunteer the Winner for Region One Florida’s Commissioner of Education announced that Charlie Dickin, who was nominated by Blue Angels Elementary School, has been selected as the Senior Outstanding Volunteer of the Year for Region One. The Outstanding School Volunteer is presented annually to school volunteers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to quality education in Florida. “The service Charlie Dickin provides to Blue Angels Elementary is exceptional. He can always be counted on to help in any way that he is asked whether it is helping with morning traffic, or coordinating the military volunteers from the Air Station,” said Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. “Additionally, he represents the school’s interests with community stakeholders and partners.” “School volunteers are a crucial part of the school community and deserve to be commended for donating their time to making school a great experience for Florida students” said Commissioner Stewart, in her press release. “I am so appreciative of these individuals, and I want to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who is interested in becoming a school volunteer to contact their school district and learn how they can make a difference in local schools.” Mr. Dickin, known on campus as Mr. Charlie, is on campus more days than not. A casual observer would probably think he is part of the school’s staff and he is certainly part of the school’s family. His image is even included in a beautiful mural that greets visitors to their front office. Principal Karen Montgomery explains, “He is what I call a silent soldier. He looks for needs and addresses them. When it rains, he is out front helping in a rain coat. If a teacher needs help, he is there ready to help, and he is all over the campus.” “In all my years in education, I have never met someone quite like Mr. Charlie. He sincerely wants to help make someone else’s day better. One of our teachers even said, if we could peek under his shirt, there certainly must be a set of angel wings.” The Escambia County School District honored Mr. Dickin at a Volunteers’ Appreciation Luncheon held last May, before nominating him to the State Department of Education. As a state selectee, Mr. Charlie will receive a letter and a certificate from Commissioner Stewart. The list of the state winners in all three categories (Youth, Adult and Senior) is posted at http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7755/urlt/0082665-osvolunteer.pdf.
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news of the weird CAT CULTURE Longtime National Symphony cellist David Teie announced in November that his crowdfunding project was hugely successful, freeing him to produce an album of music meaningful to cats. (Cats, for example, relax in response to the earliest sound of their mother's purring, which Teie clocked at 23 harp notes a second.) Teie's work, according to an October Washington Post feature, includes examining waveforms of real-time purrs and creating an organ sound to mimic the opening and closing of a cat's vocal chords. His KickStarter pitch raised so much money that he might also try creating music for bored zoo elephants or stressed-out whales. In tests, cats responded well to Teie's music, according to a 2015 journal article (but with less curiosity at the Washington cat cafe Crumbs & Whiskers). UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT (1) Angel Rivera, 49, was arrested in December in Orlando, Florida, on allegations that he punched a child in the face because the boy was not getting dressed for church fast enough. (The boy was wearing an ankle brace, which slowed him down.) (2) Ryan Dailey, 28, was arrested in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in February on several charges after, police said, he beat his mother by pounding her with a Bible. His explanation, police said, was that when he asked her who her soul belonged to, she repeatedly declined to answer. WHO KNEW? The much-maligned pigeon was recently found by researchers to be as skilled as humans at distinguishing between slides of benign versus malignant human breast tissue. Writing in the journal PLOS ONE, specialists from the University of Iowa and University of California, Davis lauded the birds' processing of color, contrast, brightness and image compression, marveling that pigeons see more wavelengths of light than humans, even though their brains are one-thousandth the size. (Birds are already known to distinguish "hostile" humans in celebrated dive-pecking incidents.)
by Chuck Shepherd
and African buffalo)—most of which require special U.S. and foreign permits, with "conservation" conditions. Some countries endanger their own dwindling herds just to sell the lucrative permits, and South Africa even offers 150 captive lions a year to make trophy kills easier. (Total hunting imports of all animal trophies averaged 345 a day, mostly from Canada and Mexico.) THE LITIGIOUS SOCIETY (FOREIGN) (1) Chandan Kumar Singh told BBC News in February that his recent lawsuit against the Hindu god Ram was provoked by Ram's mistreatment of his wife in spiritual lore. Said Singh, "(W)e cannot talk about respecting women in modern day India when we know that one of our most revered gods did not treat his own wife with respect." Singh thus wants a court to tell the god to acknowledge he was wrong. (2) After news reports of a male Siberian tiger being playful with a male goat (ordinarily, a tiger's meal) in a Russian safari park, lawyer Alexei Krestyanov pressured the local prosecutor in February to embargo further announcements, claiming that such coverage harmed children by provoking "interest in non-traditional sexual relations."
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PEOPLE WITH ISSUES Police in Austin, Texas, said in February they had received several complaints (KEYE-TV reported "dozens") from women about a man who approaches them in public genially, but then turns aggressive and tries to stomp their feet (in one case, telling the woman it was "normal" behavior for him). (The suspect apparently has only little in common with the Arkansas recidivist who holds the record for multiple appearances in News of the Weird—who merely fondles and sucks women's toes, although without their consent and sometimes after forcefully grabbing the foot.)
POLICE REPORT A near-certain robbery of the PNC Bank in Zebulon, North Carolina, on Jan. 28 was prevented, with employees treated to an almost-slapstick scene in which the bank manager kept the suspect outside by winning a tug-of-war for control of the front door. The manager had grabbed the door after noticing an armed, masked man approaching from the parking lot just after the bank opened. (The frustrated perp fled empty-handed, but was at large.)
A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (SEPTEMBER 2011) FUBAR: Retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major Rob Dickerson finally received his Purple Heart this summer (2011), four years after he was seriously wounded in a rocket attack in Iraq and two years after he began a back-and-forth paperwork battle with the Army to "prove" he was injured. Recently, the Army had apologized and mailed him the award, but it arrived C.O.D., leaving Dickerson to pay the $21 fee. (The Army subsequently reimbursed Dickerson, but Dickerson said he hasn't been able to cash the check, in that it was somehow made out to "Roy Dirksen.") {in}
PERSPECTIVE American hunters are so trophy-kill-obsessed that, in the decade ending in 2014 (according to Humane Society figures), they averaged nine imported carcasses a day among the "Big Five" African species (lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos
From Universal Press Syndicate Chuck Shepherd’s News Of The Weird © 2015 Chuck Shepherd
Send your weird news to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to newsoftheweird.com February 25, 2016
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