Inweeky Jan. 17 2019 Issue

Independent News | January 17, 2019 | Volume 20 | Number 3

FREE â–¶

winners & losers

outtakes

4

5

news 6, 8

But I honestly don’t think the world is any more absurd now than it ever has been.

cover feature

a&e

13

17

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Sarah Mc Wilson, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp, Sydney Robinson

contact us info@inweekly.net

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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. © 2018 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Adoption • Paternity • Dependency/DCF Hearings Prenuptial Agreements • Postnuptial Agreements Divorce • Child Custody and Timesharing Child Support • Child Support Modifications Alimony • Collaborative Divorce • Divorce Mediation • Pre-Suit Family Law Mediation

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January 17, 2019

3

winners & losers

winners

SAENGER THEATRE TripAdvisor honored

MARY BETH JACKSON Governor Ron

BILL VILONA The Pensacola Blue Wa-

SENATE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Despite concerns from the Florida

the Saenger Theatre, which is managed for the city by SMG, with its Certificate of Excellence Award for the fifth consecutive year.

Certificate of Excellence recipients include attractions, restaurants and accommodations located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.

To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

pensacolalittletheatre.com 850-432-2042

losers

hoos and Studer/55 have added the recently retired News Journal sportswriter to their staff s. During his 32-year career with the PNJ, Vilona covered MLB All-Star Weekend, FIFA World Cup, Olympics, Super Bowl, fi ve Masters tournaments, NCAA Final Four, NCAA Football National Championship, Atlanta Braves spring training, Florida State football and every season of Pensacola Pelicans and Blue Wahoos baseball. He is a member of the Pensacola Sports and the University of West Florida halls of fame.

SALTMARSH, CLEAVELAND & GUND

One of the largest CPA-led business advisory firms in the Southeast announced plans for a year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary in 2019. Founded by Thomas Saltmarsh, Harold Cleaveland and Charles Gund with only a handful of employees, the firm has grown.

Today, the firm has more than 150 employees and offices in Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Nashville.

DeSantis last Friday suspended the Okaloosa County School Superintendent. DeSantis said "scathing" grand jury reports alleged "dereliction of duty" by Jackson, and Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran recommended the suspension. The announcement came on the same day DeSantis traveled to South Florida, where he announced the suspension of Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who faced heavy criticism because of his agency's handling of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

League of Cities, the Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill that would largely prevent local governments from regulating homeowners' vegetable gardens. The proposal stems from a legal dispute about an ordinance in Miami Shores that banned front yard vegetable gardens. Once again, lawmakers want to preempt local elected councils and commissions.

FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT The Congres-

sional Budget Office estimates the federal budget deficit was $317 billion for the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, which is $92 billion more than the deficit recorded during the same period last year. The U.S. federal budget deficit is on track to reach $1 trillion by the end of the fiscal year. In President Obama's first year, the deficit rose to $1.4 trillion as he brought the economy out of a recession. His administration whittled down the deficit to $585 billion in FY 2016. Once upon a time, Republicans wanted to reduce the federal deficit.

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417 E ZARRAGOSSA ST. outtakes

By Rick Outzen

PENSACOLA RENAISSANCE Under Mayor Grover Robinson, city government and civic engagement are going through a renaissance as citizens are given unprecedented access with city officials and leaders to discuss how they want their city run.

His predecessor, Ashton Hayward, introduced "Taking City Hall to the Citizens" town halls during his first term. For three years, he held meetings in each city district that let citizens share their concerns directly with the mayor, city council and department heads. The 22 town halls were well attended, and Hayward touted them in his "State of City" addresses and annual budget messages.

Then, he abruptly stopped them in December 2013. A year later, the Pensacola City Council replaced its committee of the whole meetings with agenda reviews that limited public discussion of items and cut its regular meetings to one a month.

Only two council members, Sherri Myers and Jewel Cannada-Wynn, continued to hold town halls. The mayor and the rest of the council showed little interest in the citizens' views.

Mayor Robinson campaigned on reinstituting the town halls. He has established a transition team that is reviewing all city departments and services in the open.

The team will deliver its report in March.

By that time, the transition team will have held more public meetings than Hayward's aborted town hall initiative.

After five years of being shut out of city government, the citizens are responding and relishing the opportunity to be heard. The individual public input meetings on such subjects as walkability, education, environment and economic development have been well attended, and, most importantly, ideas are beginning exchanged. The city officials and the transition team are listening.

We know that when government officials shut out the public, bad things happen. We have recycling programs discontinued while the citizens continue to separate their trash for pickup. We have fights over a fish hatchery and the future of Bruce Beach. We have the budget of a community center nearly double. We have a city administrator attempt to get the president of a neighborhood association fired by her employer. We have a radio tower erected in a conservation district. We see pettiness and self-interest overrule common sense and public service.

Mayor Robinson has attended most of the transition team meetings. He plans to build on their transparency and public input with monthly town halls. His first town hall is 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24, in the Woodland Heights Community Resource Center, 111 Berkley Drive.

I encourage our readers to attend and let the mayor know your issues and opinions. We need the renaissance of our city government to continue. Your voices will make it happen. {in} rick@inweekly.net

We need the renaissance of our city government to continue.

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5

HELPING THE PARALYZED WALK Mark Daniel / Courtesy Photo

By Duwayne Escobedo It sounds like something straight out of a Hollywood sci-fi thriller—an exoskeleton that gives people with lower limb paralysis the ability to walk upright.

The Institute of Human Machine & Cognition (IHMC) version gave pilot Mark Daniel the ability to walk the Limmat River promenade in the picturesque historical downtown in ZĂźrich, Switzerland. The stroll brought tears to the eyes of Daniel, who earned a silver medal in the 2016 Cybathlon international competition.

"I fell in love with it right off the bat," said Daniels, whose first introduction happened in 2002, "just the ability to get up and move around like that. It's exciting coming this far with them."

However, IHMC senior research scientist Dr. Peter Neuhaus predicted the powered exoskeleton that he has tinkered with for eight years would take decades to improve the speed, locomotion and stability of the technology.

"We've increased the capabilities and comforts over the years," said Neuhaus, an MIT and U.C. Berkeley graduate. Right now, he would like to eliminate the crutches by upping side-to-side balance in the hips.

So far, his exoskeleton has undergone three prototypes. Now, the Mobility Unlimited Chal-

66

lenge has chosen IHMC as one of five hightech institutes across the world to bring one to market for consumers to buy. For the $4 million challenge, IHMC plans to team with MYOLYN, a medical technology company based in Gainesville that specializes in functional electrical stimulation. It has led the company to develop the MyoCycle, which provides a cycling workout for people with paralysis.

The Toyota Mobility Foundation and Nesta's Challenge Prize Center recently announced innovative teams from the United States, Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom would each receive $500,000 to develop their ideas further, which range from exoskeletons to powered wheelchairs. The best-developed one will receive $1 million in Tokyo in 2020. The five finalists were selected from more than 80 entries from 28 countries.

Millions of people around the globe live with lower-limb paralysis, commonly caused by strokes, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis. While no statistics exist on paralysis worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates 250,000 to 500,000 new cases of spinal cord injury across the globe every year.

Dr. Eric Krotkov, chief science officer at Toyota Research Institute and one of the judges of the Mobility Unlimited Challenge, said he would be very interested to see the final technologies developed.

"There are so many technological opportunities to explore approaches to alleviate challenges stemming from lowerlimb paralysis," Krotkov said. "A competition like the Mobility Unlimited Challenge gets innovators to focus on the same problem to identify something of great common interest that serves society. I look forward to seeing how they will take these devices out of their conceptual stage to help our end users."

Neuhaus said he and his team want to prove people wrong who criticize the rate of improvement to devices to increase the mobility of those with lower-limb paralysis.

"In the business world, developing technologies for people with lower-limb paralysis

has been extraordinarily hard," Neuhaus said.

"We've constantly struggled against people saying the market is too small, and because of that, people aren't putting in the effort, research or investment this field deserves, meaning there hasn't been enough advancement."

The IHMC researcher acknowledges most technologies today undergo use in rehabilitation. But Neuhaus said he expects commercially-viable exoskeletons to one day be available to people for $30,000 to $50,000.

"People might say, 'Wow! That sounds like a lot,'" Neuhaus said. "It's kind of like buying an amazing car with tons of sensors. It may be expensive, but the side effect may be savings in health costs. It remains to be seen what the economies of scale look like. But we shouldn't stop progress on these technologies."

The current state of IHMC's assistive device requires crutches to help with balance by the user. The pilot must wear a backpack-looking device that powers the exoskeleton and its sensors, which, for instance, control front-toback balance. Real world use has pointed out the exoskeleton's limitations to researchers, such as walking up stairs to enter a church.

More research and solutions are needed, IHMC scientists admit before its product will be safe for those with lower body paralysis and enable greater independence.

Daniel will join IHMC as a pilot again as the Pensacola researchers gear up to enhance their current exoskeleton and eliminate some of its drawbacks. In the Cybathlon, Daniel walked up steps, ramps and took steps on oval markers set on the ground, among other things. He trained about eight hours a day, four to five days a week leading up to that competition.

"We're glad to have him," Neuhaus said.

"He is really valuable to this development.

He understands what we're trying to do and has suggested improvements to interfaces, designs and fabrications."

A year from now, Pensacola and the rest of the world will find out just what the fourth exoskeleton prototype by IHMC and MYOLYN can do. {in}

MOBILITY UNLIMITED CHALLENGE FINALISTS The Evowalk: Evolution Devices (United States): A smart wearable leg sleeve that helps people with partial lower limb paralysis regain their mobility. The EvoWalk AI system uses sensors to predict the user's walking motion and stimulates the right muscles at the right time to help them walk better.

Moby: Italdesign (Italy): An integrated network of wheel-on powered devices, allowing users of manual wheelchairs the convenience and benefits of a powered chair, accessible via an app-based share scheme.

Phoenix Ai Ultralight Wheelchair: Phoenix Instinct (United Kingdom): An ultra-lightweight, self-balancing, intelligent wheelchair which eliminates painful vibrations.

Qolo (Quality of Life with Locomotion): Team Qolo, University of Tsukuba (Japan): A mobile exoskeleton on wheels, allowing users to sit or stand with ease.

Quix: IHMC & MYOLYN (United States): A robotic, powered exoskeleton with motors at the hips, knees and ankles, as well as additional actuators offering someone with lower-limb paralysis fast, stable and agile upright mobility. Utilizing modular actuation, perception technology from autonomous vehicles and control algorithms for balancing autonomous humanoid robots, this device will deliver the mobility, safety and independence that current exoskeletons cannot. The device will improve accessibility in society, especially at home and work.

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SOCCER COMPLEX CONUNDRUM

By Jeremy Morrison On any given Saturday morning in the fall or spring, Pensacola's athletic fields near the Roger Scott Complex is a youth sports bonanza. Spread across a collection of fields and crammed into a finite parking lot, parents and kids from three different sports descend for the weekend games.

"It was just insane at Roger Scott," says Pensacola Parks and Recreations Director Brian Cooper.

Although there aren't technically any dedicated soccer fields at the complex, a lot of the activity was driven by the sport. In 2012, the city saw 300 kids playing soccer during a single season, whereas currently, more than 800 take to a collection of redrawn baseball and football fields each fall and then again in the spring.

"When we were playing with 300 kids in the outfield in the fall, it was no big deal because we could get the fields recovered," explained Cooper.

The city has been on the lookout for a while now for an area to place a dedicated soccer complex to accommodate the sport's growth. In November, the Pensacola City Council gave the go-ahead for discussions concerning a potential deal with the YMCA on Langley Avenue that would provide the city with some needed land near Hitzman Park and give the Y some space at the Vickery Center near Roger Scott.

But Scenic Heights neighbors near the proposed project are voicing some concerns, contending that the area can't handle the uptick in traffic and doesn't want changes made at the park.

"We're totally for a soccer complex, and there's a need for it," said Eric Dickinson, "just not there."

'JUST NOT THERE'

On a crisp Sunday morning in Hitzman Park, a couple walks their dogs. Some kids enjoy a birthday party beneath the pavilion, and Renaissance-types begin setting up

for what nearby resident Sharon Dickinson described as "jousting."

"They come out every Saturday and Sunday," she said.

Dickinson is among those Scenic Heights neighbors concerned about the city's plans to put a soccer complex at the park. Since her son, Eric, alerted her to the issue, she's gone door to door telling her neighbors about plans and collecting signatures for a petition against the effort.

"The traffic, it's very busy," Dickinson said. "That is our biggest concern."

One of the people Dickinson told about the soccer complex was nearby resident Krista Hobgood.

"I'm not saying there's not a need," Hobgood said. "I just think that they need to look at some place bigger."

Dickinson also spoke with Melissa McKnight, who thinks the city will eventually want to expand the complex to the point of pushing out the current park, cutting down trees and removing playground equipment.

"So, this is just the beginning," she said.

These neighborhood residents are only recently learning of the city's plans. They didn't attend November's city council meeting, during which a chamber full of youth soccer proponents spoke in favor of the project.

"Everybody got up and talked about rah-rah soccer," Hobgood said. "If we would have known about it, we would have shown up with bells on."

These residents are concerned about not only the traffic increase on a route already impacted by the nearby addition of the ST Engineering Aerospace facility at the airport but also about the loss of the YMCA facility and services and the effect on nearby residents of things like field lighting.

"It's more of a neighborhood, and I think this would just overwhelm the neighborhood," said Eric Dickinson. "I don't feel like Cordova Park or East Hill. We're fighting to put a complex in their neighborhood."

Dickinson suggested the city look else-

where, perhaps outside city limits, maybe even at somewhere like Osceola Golf Course.

"Look at Osceola Golf Course. That's a big piece of land," he said. "Again, everybody's for soccer. Everybody's for a soccer complex. But why is this smaller piece of land being considered instead of a large piece of land?"

Critics of locating the city's soccer complex off of Langley Avenue plan to take their concerns to officials. They'll be showing up at city council meetings and urging reconsideration.

"I don't see it as an asset for Scenic Heights," Dickinson said.

GAME ON?

When considering a place to put the city's proposed soccer complex, Cooper originally settled on the Mallory Heights Park off of Goya Drive. The city budgeted $1.2 million for the project for the past two years.

However, Mallory Heights wasn't big enough to accommodate the three fields and associated amenities like parking, restrooms and concessions. And the city's available inventory of large swaths of land is limited.

"I'm looking all over, thinking, 'Where can I get these fields put in?'" Cooper recalled.

The parks and rec director explored several options. One interesting dead end was a space at the Port of Pensacola.

"It was a long shot, and Mayor Hayward told me I wasn't gonna get it," Cooper said.

"But I still wanted to take a look."

Then, Cooper talked to the YMCA. Its aging facility sits next to Hitzman Park, and the organization already conducts games on the fields.

"The next thing I knew, we're talking about, 'Hey, what if we work a deal for the land next to Hitzman for y'all?' And I was like, 'Yeah,'" Cooper said.

This deal would involve the city getting the YMCA's property and fields, enabling the creation of a three-field complex next to Hitzman, and the city would lease the YMCA space in the Vickery Center. The YMCA would also take over some of the city's recreational offerings at the site.

Though still in the discussion stage, the deal, in addition to the geography swap, would likely include a change to the local youth sports landscape. Currently, both the city and the Y offer sports like soccer. Perhaps, said Cooper, they will consider reducing such overlap.

"We talked about, 'Hey, what are we doing that's a duplication?'" Cooper said. "Their programs and our programs will shift a little bit.

All that hasn't been ironed out yet."

Cooper has heard from the neighbors concerned about the complex's impact on the area. He plans to speak to them at upcoming neighborhood meetings.

"They think we're tearing out all the trees and we're tearing out the disc golf course, and we're gonna clog Langley Avenue with traffic," he said, assuring that information was inaccurate. "That's the narrative that's being created.

But it's just because I haven't gotten out and talked to them yet."

Cooper feels that the Y's property off Langley represents the best opportunity for the city to realize a much-needed facility for youth soccer. He believes the city can address the concerns of nearby residents, concerns about traffic, safety and changes in their neighborhood park.

"These will be their concerns," Cooper said.

"Well, those are my concerns."

City Councilman P.C. Wu, whose district includes Hitzman Park and who lives nearby, has also heard from neighbors concerned about the soccer complex. He cautions that the city hasn't made any final decision yet and the council's vote in November simply allowed the city to pursue discussions with the YMCA. "It's almost like everybody is up in arms like it's a done deal, but all we did was say, 'Let's take a look at it,'" Wu said.

The councilman said that he'd have to "see what the city brings us" before making any decision on moving forward with the project but also noted that the park might be the best available option.

"I'm only a couple of blocks from Langley myself," Wu said. "I wouldn't be shooting myself in the foot." {in}

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9

INSIDE FLORIDA INAUGURATIONS

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried made history when she was sworn into office on Tuesday, Jan. 8.

"As the first Jewish woman elected statewide in Florida and an unapologetic Florida Gator, I could not be more honored to be sworn in with the first Hebrew Bible printed in the United States from University of Florida's Judaica Library," said Fried in a press release.

"The symbolism of these firsts represent some of the greatest honors of my life."

Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey canceled the traditional inauguration parade to hold a baptism ceremony for their son, Mason, in the Governor's Mansion. Mason, born last March, was to be baptized with water taken from the Sea of Galilee in Israel.

UWF CYBERSECURITY EARNS NATIONAL HONOR The University of West

Florida was recognized for creating a "Center of Excellence in Cyber Defense Education," a distinction as one of the best cybersecurity programs in the nation, from the National Security Agency and Homeland Security during a three-day event in Washington, D.C. UWF and 14 other universities attended the Cybersecurity Centers of Academic Excellence Grant Showcase on Capitol Hill where NSA, DHS and industry leaders honored the post-secondary programs and primarily discussed the cyber future.

A shortage of 250,000 cybersecurity professionals by 2020 is projected. They are critical to protecting sensitive national, state and local entities from hacking by foreign governments and groups.

Eman El-Sheikh, the university's Cybersecurity Center director, said she was honored to be chosen to participate. She pointed out the UWF program incorporates cybersecurity courses in all of its degrees involving computers, such as Information Technology and Computer Science.

"We highlight preparedness and resiliency in all the programs we offer," El-Sheikh said.

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz also attended the showcase and heaped praise on the UWF

cybersecurity efforts, especially since the Department of Defense elevated Cybercom to a unified combatant command.

"Cyberwarfare poses a real danger to America," Florida's 1st Congressional District Republican said. "But schools like UWF's Center for Cybersecurity show that we can and will overcome any cyber threats we face.

From protecting America's most sensitive information to ensuring the seamless functionality of e-commerce platforms, cybersecurity experts play a critical role in America's high-tech information economy."

NO ONE'S FOOLS On Monday, the Pen-

sacola City Council held a workshop to discuss its meeting schedule for 2019. The members offered several suggestions, including returning to a second regular meeting each month, adding a committee of the whole meeting to better vet ideas and merely changing the agenda review to a committee of the whole.

In the course of the discussion, Councilman P.C. Wu offered his insights into why the council meetings during the Hayward administration seemed to be dysfunctional at times. He pointed out that Council Executive Don Kraher was never invited in on any of the discussion, any of the planning, on anything that was being done by the administration.

"That's like having a football team and a coach not inviting one of the coaches when you go over the game plan and what you're going to do," said Wu. "Mr. Kraher was in a disadvantage if he's not invited to the meeting," said the councilman. "And I'm going to get in a lot of trouble once some people see this—but the reality is if you don't give him information, he doesn't have any information to pass to us."

He continued, "We go to an agenda conference, and all we're doing there is pushing the item on. Next thing you know, we're here on Thursday. And I hate to say this—a lot of times we look like fools because we're trying to build a house without blueprints, without guidelines. We've no idea where we're supposed to be going."

CRA PUBLIC INPUT Pensacola Finance Director Dick Barker told the public at the mayoral transition team public input on the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, "I believe in CRAs; I believe they're successful, and it's money we wouldn't have."

A Community Redevelopment Agency is an area set aside by a municipality or county with the intention of using the property taxes generated within the area to help reduce blight and generally improve the area economically.

Pensacola's CRA started downtown with the Urban Core district in 1984; then expanded eastward in 2006 and westward in 2008.

During the input session—hosted by Bruce Vredenburg, the transition team member digging into the city's budgetary issues—Barker and CRA Administrator Helen Gibson outlined the various projects on which the money generated was spent.

Gibson pointed to the Urban Core CRA, the city's oldest, as an excellent example of a successful CRA. "It was essentially closed down," Gibson reflected on downtown's state in the mid-'80s.

"It was boarded up; it was essentially a red light district. It was greatly in need."

Since being designated as a CRA, the tax revenue generated within the area has fluctuated. In recent history, revenues were down during the recession years but have now rebounded to a projected peak of nearly $6 million in 2019, up 12 percent from the previous year.

Most of the collections have been committed. A little over $4 million each year until 2040 covers the 2009 redevelopment bonds that funded the development of Maritime Park, and over a million each year until 2027 pays for the ECUA for the relocation of its sewage treatment property. The remaining funds are spent on things like holiday lights, landscaping and sidewalk repairs.

The Eastside and Westside TIF districts are much newer affairs, with much smaller numbers. The TIF revenue generated in the Eastside district is projected to be $159,236 in 2019. In the Westside, it's anticipated to be $432,179. In the Eastside, money has been used

to fund improvements to the Chappie James Museum and create overflow parking. In the Westside, it's been used for land acquisitions and stormwater projects and to address affordable housing issues.

A SAFE SCENIC HIGHWAY At a mayoral

transition team public input meeting on walkability and neighborhoods, Gina Buchanan, president of the Scenic Highway Foundation (SHF), said she would like to see concerns met about safety issues for walkers and bikers along Scenic Highway. She suggested the creation of a walking/biking path.

"Casual bicycle riders and walkers do not use Scenic Highway very much," Buchanan said, "and I think it would be wonderful for the community if we had a bicycle-pedestrian path."

Robin Rowan, another SHF member, agreed. She'd like to see a path at the bottom of the Bluffs as opposed to along the highway.

This could be accomplished, she said, if CSX didn't need the existing rail line along the bottom of the bluffs, "And, oh my gosh, that would open up another can of worms, wouldn't it?"

"We're thinking about this walking/biking trail at the bottom of the bluff," Rowan said.

"People just drive up and down it and say, 'Oh, yeah, nice view, nice bay.' But no one ever sees the Bluffs. Scenic Highway is such a unique place. We would love to see more done with it."

GAETZ REPORT CARD On New Year's Eve,

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz posted a video report card touting the accomplishments of his first Congressional terms. During the 55-second video that he posted on Twitter, Gaetz listed his 277 television appearances, 65 Open Gaetz Day events, 18 town halls, 29 roundtables, nearly 500 "favorable turnouts" for constituents in more 2,500 instances of interceding on their behalf and 2,662 tweets, which included one Trump tweet praising him.

The video ended with the congressman toasting the viewers with a Fox News coffee mug and saying, "My New Year's resolution is to drink more caffeine, so I never get tired of winning."

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WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Last week, BP announced a $1.3 billion expansion at the Atlantis field in the Gulf of Mexico.

Atlantis Phase 3 will include the construction of a new subsea production system from eight new wells that will be tied into the current platform 150 miles south of New Orleans.

The approval for this latest development comes after recent BP breakthroughs in advanced seismic imaging and reservoir characterization revealed an additional 400 million barrels of oil in place at the Atlantis field and an additional 1 billion in the nearby Thunder Horse field.

"BP's Gulf of Mexico business is key to our strategy of growing production of advantaged high-margin oil. We are building on our worldclass position, upgrading the resources at our fields through technology, productivity and exploration success," said Bernard Looney, BP's Upstream chief executive in a press release.

Over the last five years, BP has become the top oil producer in the Gulf of Mexico. Its net production in the Gulf has increased by more than 60 percent, rising from less than 200,000 barrel of oil equivalents per day in 2013 to more than 300,000 currently.

TOWN HALLS RETURN Mayor Grover Robinson will hold his first town hall meeting on Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the Woodland Heights Resource Center, 111 Berkley Drive.

"I'm looking forward to having my first town hall in District 5," Robinson said during a press conference earlier this month. "We'll rotate to a different district next month, but I'm excited to start there."

Mayor Robinson has been working with Councilman Gerald Wingate to plan the first event. Councilman Wingate serves District 5, where the Woodland Heights Resource Center resides.

"I'd like to see citizens come to this town hall to meet Mayor Robinson and myself to let us know what they want out of their community," Councilman Wingate said.

OPEN HOUSE Lighthouse Health Plan will host an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, at its new headquarters, 700 E. Gregory St. "Lighthouse is excited to begin servicing Northwest Florida starting in February," said Christie Spencer, CEO of Lighthouse Health Plan. "In anticipation of our official launch, we're hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at our new building on Jan. 22. Following the ceremony, we will be opening our doors to the community to introduce our Lighthouse team and convey our aspirations and goals during an open house."

Lighthouse Health Plan is a communitybased health insurance plan created and run by doctors. Lighthouse will begin providing Medicaid coverage to beneficiaries starting Feb. 1.

This coverage is provided through a Managed Medical Assistance plan run by the Agency for Health Care Administration.

January 17, 2019

NEW PEDIATRIC CLINIC OPENS Community Health Northwest Florida has opened a new Pediatric Convenient Care clinic at 5375 N. 9th Ave., on the Sacred Heart Hospital campus next to Marble Slab Creamery.

This clinic provides same-day pediatric sick child care without an appointment.

The clinic serves children and young adults, ages newborn to 18, and is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Led by pediatricians Matthew Southwick, MD, FAAP and Kimberly Massey, MD, FAAP, the Pediatric Convenient Care team treats minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, fevers, ear infections and sore throats as well as minor injuries, rashes, burns and scrapes.

Pediatric Convenient Care accepts Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care plans including Lighthouse Health Plan and Humana as well as most commercial insurances. Community Health Northwest Florida also provides a sliding fee scale plan for uninsured patients.

TREE CELEBRATION Keep Pensacola Beautiful celebrated its 40th anniversary by planting 40 trees in Escambia County parks, one for each year of service to the community. Volunteers and sponsors are invited to attend and participate in the planting of these trees.

On Saturday, Jan. 19, Keep Pensacola Beautiful will plant trees at Lincoln Park at 10 a.m., Old Ensley Park at noon and Englewood Park at 2 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at Englewood Park at 3:30 p.m. as the culmination of the plantings and to formally announce Englewood Park as the site of a future KPB project, Harmony Parks Pensacola.

UPCOMING MAYORAL TRANSITION MEETINGS

Topic: Internal/Governance, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 18, in Hagler Mason Conference Room, 2nd floor of Pensacola City Hall.

Topic: Finance/Pensacola Energy, 3-4 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 22, at Hancock Whitney, 940 Creighton Road.

Topic: Economic Development, 5:30-7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 22, at Vickery Community Center, 2130 Summit Blvd.

Topic: Internal/Governance 9-10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25, in Hagler Mason Conference Room, 2nd floor of Pensacola City Hall.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Mississippi Blues Trail Marker unveiled 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at the intersection of Belmont and DeVilliers streets.

District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh will host his next Coffee with the Commissioner 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at McDonald's, 5 S. Blue Angel Pkwy. {in} 11

THE ARCADIAN WILD

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6:00 p.m.

Doors 5:00 p.m.

Broadcast LIVE on 88.1 FM

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The World, Wide Open When you broaden her horizon, you open more than her mind— you open doors.

At The Global Corner, we’re on a mission to bring the world to the classroom. Through our immersive Passport Program, we transport kids in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties across borders and around the globe—without ever leaving the classroom.

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212 1

inweekly.net

During last fall's midterm election, we saw an unprecedented number of women elected to congress, and several statewide and local races were claimed by women—a few for the first time ever. This week, we decided to celebrate those victories by talking to the women who ran and a few key behindthe-scenes players too.

January 17, 2019

Why this week you ask?

Because Pensacola is gearing up to host its 3rd annual Women's March this Saturday. And despite the controversies that keep Women's March Inc. in the headlines, it's hard to deny that the spirit and energy that made the inaugural march the largest single day protest in U.S. history helped shape the current political landscape for the better.

13

Female Representation in Florida Politics

By Sydney Robinson

Representation—it's a term often used in viewpoints and articles about elected officials and the people who vote for them. But outside of statistics and polling results, the word carries a deeper, more emotional meaning for those who find themselves without it.

Even though women make up more than half of the United States population—97 men to 100 women—female representation in political offices is still lacking nationally, statewide and locally.

While Northwest Florida has a long way to go to represent the true diversity of the area, the successes of women in the 2018 midterm election are noteworthy.

WOMEN LEADERSHIP INCUBATOR

The change in electoral representation in Northwest Florida is due, at least in some part, to the formation and growth of the Institute for Women in Politics of Northwest Florida (IWP NWF), a local nonprofit aimed at mentoring women for political office.

Twenty-three IWP NWF members ran for public office in 2018, 14 of which were women and nine were men. Eleven of those members were elected, providing the organization with a 48-percent success rate.

Inweekly sat down with the institute's founding president and current treasurer Diane Mack and discussed the mission of the organization and where she envisions women in politics can go.

"We have a very sharp laser focus—to get more women in office," Mack said. The organization wants to see the representation of women equal that of the population.

"We feel our job will have been done when every single elected body is half women," said Mack. "And we're not looking for more than that because any community needs the workings of the diverse group, and the diverse group includes men."

Mack served on the Pensacola City Council from 2009-2011. She believes adding a representative number of women to any organization or political body can elevate the atmosphere.

"The real value of being representative of a population is that a critical mass of women in any group brings a calming, collegial, sane atmosphere to whatever happens," she said.

"When you've got enough women in the group, the conversation is more polite."

Beyond that, Mack said that having women involved means that issues like childcare, elderly care and other issues that affect society as a whole are brought to the table.

"Women know what it's like to struggle with childcare, with elderly parents, with all of those social issues," she said. "We are the ones who are going to remind everyone that these are important issues for government to look at. They're societal issues, they're family issues, they're community issues."

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The IWP NWF was established in 2013 and has grown from seven founding members to 107 members. The organization has increased its influence as well as numbers, and many candidates for office— men included—have joined to show support for women in politics and learn from the women on the board.

During the 2018 election cycle, Grover Robinson (now mayor), Jared Moore (now District 4 city councilman) and Alex Andrade (District 2 state representative) joined the IWP NWFL and remain members today.

old niece, Ella. Part of why I ran was to serve as an example to Ella—and girls and young women like her—that there are no barriers they cannot break and nothing they cannot do."

In 2018, women played vital roles in other successful campaigns. Francine Moore handled most of the nitty-gritty, organizational details that kept her husband Jared's Pensacola city council campaign running smoothly.

"Women do bring a lot of value in local politics," Francine explained, "and in national politics because they have a different perspective; because they think differently."

WOMEN WINNERS REFLECT

MILTON MILESTONE

Ann Hill, who was elected to the Pensacola City Council District 6 seat in November, is also a member of IWP NWF and expressed her gratitude to the women who helped her win.

"So many local women leaders have inspired me through their integrity, intelligence and hard work," she said.

Among those Hill credited for her success were Mack, community activist Dianne Krumel, 2018 congressional candidate Dr. Jennifer Zimmerman, and her daughter and campaign volunteer Teresa Hill.

"The future of Pensacola and Escambia County continues to have great women leaders, and I appreciate that the voters of Pensacola City Council District 6 have allowed me to represent their interests," Hill told Inweekly.

Jewel Cannada-Wynn has served on the city council in District 7 since 2012 and served as District 6 council member from 2004-2010. While on the council, she has also served as deputy mayor, council president and council vice president.

She discussed her perspective on the evolving climate for women in politics.

"I think it's growing; it's improving a lot. It's so important that politics be diversified and inclusive. Women bring so much to the table [in the way of] decision-making," she said.

Cannada-Wynn made sure to note that Northwest Florida still has a ways to go.

"We have some mayors [in the area] that have been elected, but I would like to see a female mayor in Pensacola," said CannadaWynn. "Also, it's been years since we've elected a woman to the state house from our area. I think we are weak in that area."

Miami native Nikki Fried was elected as Florida's 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, becoming the first woman elected to that position.

"I'm humbled and honored to serve as Florida's next Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services—and to be the first woman ever to be elected to this position," Fried told Inweekly in a telephone interview.

She continued, "Every day on the campaign trail, I thought about my nine-year-

The city of Milton saw an upset in the November general election. Attorney Heather Lindsey defeated incumbent Mayor Wesley Meiss by 276 votes.

Lindsay, an established attorney of more than two decades who had served as the city's attorney, became Milton's first female mayor when she was sworn into office in December.

Reflecting on her victory, Lindsay said she was above all extremely grateful for the overwhelming support she received from residents of Milton.

"I was so overwhelmed with gratitude at the numbers supporting me and [offering] help," she told Inweekly. "It just feels very gratifying and humbling. I had no way of anticipating that this would be how 2018 ended."

Mayor Lindsay discussed the women in her life that had encouraged her to think beyond traditional gender roles.

"I have throughout my life been encouraged by amazing women to reach my full potential, so it's very gratifying to look back," she said. "I wish some of those women were still alive today to thank them for their encouragement."

She said that she, like many women, had to work to get past the stereotypes about how women should be, where they belonged and where they didn't.

The mayor said, "You grow up thinking women have certain roles until someone tells you that you don't have to think that way."

She talked about how young girls think about politics has changed as they have seen women in leadership positions on the national stage.

"My teenage daughter was six when Hillary (Clinton) first attempted the nomination for president," said Mayor Lindsay.

"Children grow up seeing only men as president, so they think that is what's expected.

It has been interesting to watch her reactions to see what it's like for women to try to be elected to different positions."

She appreciates that she has also become a leadership role model for her daughter.

Mayor Lindsay said, 'It is gratifying to me to be able to show her that in Milton, women can be the mayor." {in} inweekly.net

House Party

By Sammi Sontag Nothing says "new year" more than change, and the 116th Congress embodies just that.

In case you missed the headlines, a record number of women—127—were sworn in earlier this month. These history-making numbers are courtesy of a political trend some call the "pink wave" that took shape during the 2018 midterm elections.

With a breakdown of 106 Democrats and 21 Republicans among these new female leaders, Inweekly reached out to someone who helped elect Democrats for more insight on the record-setting trend.

"I can speak to some of the women we elected through D-trip (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee)," Rebecca Drago, former deputy press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said. "They're veterans, they're young, they're moms, they're small business owners."

"They served our country in a variety of different ways, maybe as a prosecutor or in the Navy, and then they felt, again, compelled to serve by running for Congress," she continued.

Demographic change was the logical next step for America, Drago said. 21 percent of House Democratic challengers nationwide were women in 2014 compared to 33 percent in 2018, according to Brookings Institute.

Not only did the 2018 election cycle defy gender barriers; it simultaneously challenged the minority curve. 47 of the 127 women elected are of color, according to the Center for American Women in Politics.

"What I think is so incredible is this freshmen class is so diverse in age, gender and race, obviously," Drago said. "You can just tell by looking at a photo comparing the Republican freshmen to the Democratic freshmen—the Democratic freshmen look how America looks."

The DCCC's job is to elect Democrats to the House. The foundation raises money, recruits candidates and plans races in districts that are known to have close elections.

"It's the campaign arm of the House Democrats, so it's primarily focused on Republican seats, so flipping seats from red to blue," Drago said, "and then protecting vulnerable blue seats."

To date, the DCCC overturned 40 House seats in 2018. There is still potential for a 41st.

North Carolina's 9th Congressional District has not been called due to election fraud allegations, Drago said.

"If I were to isolate one of the major themes of this election cycle, it would definitely be 'a call to service,'" she said.

"When you asked a lot of these candidates why they were running, their responses were that these women felt a 'call to serve in Congress.'"

As barriers continue to fall, the DCCC wants to keep the female empowerment movement going. In a previous interview, the DCCC's new chairwoman Cheri Bustos said she won't stop until half of Congress is female.

"I think that Congress should reflect the country," Drago said, "And there are a lot of women in the country. And, yes, there are more women in Congress now, but they're still not equal."

Gearing up for the 2020 election cycle, it's obvious the "pink wave" will still be on the radar. Drago expressed the importance of increasing women's presence in all sectors of government.

"I think as many people should run as possible," she said. "Hilary Clinton's job in 2008 was kind of to break that glass barrier, to prove that a woman could do just as good of a job as a man. People had concerns such as, 'Could a woman be commander and chief?' Then in 2018, people agreed that women could do the job.

People saw their gender less as something they need to overcome and instead as an advantage. I think so much progress has happened within the last two years in terms of our attitudes about women."

Political participation was another important piece of the 2018 election cycle and will be integral in 2020, Drago said.

"Look at your school board," she said.

"Who's on your City Council? There are all of these offices and so many ways to get involved, and I think that if you don't like what's happening in your town or your community, step up; get involved."

She added, "It's easier than ever to run.

People think the barrier to entry is higher than it is. And if you don't want to run, find a campaign and or a candidate you love and participate. Everyone has a place in politics, and if you feel like you don't, it probably means your opinion is more important."

"It has been an honor just to see these women up close," she said. "I'm excited to give them a chance to lead and legislate, and I can't wait to see what they do." {in}

March On

The 2019 Women's March will begin at 10 a.m. at City Hall and will conclude with a rally and speakers at Seville Square.

The speakers will include Michelle Yabui, Dr. Cassandra Curbelo, Regina Ray, Shelby Shoup and Lily Bell. Local grassroots organizations will also have information tables set up, plus tables showcasing local artists.

The theme is "Truth to Power" and anyone who supports the organizers' "vision of liberation for all women, especially for the marginalized among us—women of color, transgender women and non binary femmes, migrant and houseless women, etc." is welcome.

January 17, 2019

2019 PENSACOLA WOMEN'S MARCH WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 WHERE: Pensacola City Hall, 22 W. Main St. DETAILS: facebook.com/ pensacolawomensmarch

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inweekly.net

1/7/19 11:52 AM

WEEK OF JANUARY 17-23

Arts & Entertainment Fake News Comes to Pensacola art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...

By Jeremy Morrison

"Oh, this is what works best." And to play it really straight. We were pretty wacky in the first few years.

INWEEKLY: When you look for people to write for The Onion, are you looking for journalists or comedians?

DIKKERS: I don't want comedians or journalists. I want complete losers because these are people who are bitter and angry and frustrated, and give those people a soapbox and pretty soon you're getting some really solid comedy. So, everybody we've ever hired at The Onion has had no experience really doing anything. Like, dishwashers and, you know, janitorial people, these are the best people, people who've given up on life.

Scott Dikkers / Courtesy Photo It was a simpler, quaint-in-hindsight time.

News was news and fake news was fake news.

And the latter was supposed to be funny, not a depressing weaponized political barb.

It was 1988 in Madison, Wis., and Scott Dikkers thought it might be fun to write fake news. Beyond that, there was no grand plan.

"There were no investors; there was no plan," Dikkers recalled recently. "It was just one of these things, you just start doing it and people like it and you make money at it, so you keep doing it and it's fun and it ends up being a thing."

That thing was The Onion, a satirical news forerunner that preceded generational staples like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" and, in a way, foreshadowed the current Trumpian-flavored fake-news era.

"Clearly, it's had a lot of influence on the comedy landscape and comedy history and perhaps even the culture." Scott Dikkers "Clearly, it's had a lot of influence on the comedy landscape and comedy history and perhaps even the culture," Dikkers said. "I had no clue that any of this would happen."

January 17, 2019

Dikkers will visit the Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio on the campus of Pensacola State College Thursday, Jan. 24, to speak about his work over the years with The Onion as well as a host of other topics.

Looking ahead to his local engagement, Dikkers took a few minutes to speak with Inweekly about The Onion's influence and writing fake news in the era of fake news.

INWEEKLY: What were your thoughts behind launching The Onion?

DIKKERS: I met up with some people who were starting up this newspaper, and I got involved and, you know, it just sort of happened. Life is kind of a snowball like that.

So, it wasn't necessarily a thing where I sat and planned, "I want to create a fake newspaper, and it'll turn into a fake website, and I'll make a lot of money doing fake news."

INWEEKLY: What were you thinking doing comedy as news, or news as comedy, however you want to look at that?

DIKKERS: At first, we did all kinds of wacky, like, tabloid news parody and stuff like that. And it took a few years to really zero in on the straight AP-style parody that The Onion is known for today. We did a little bit of it early on, but it was kind of a slow process to develop that and figure out,

INWEEKLY: That's interesting.

DIKKERS: Yeah, they write absolutely the best comedy. And I never wanted to hire anybody that was a professional because then they would have all these bad habits and they'd be, like, hacks. And I wanted to train people from the start.

"And I never wanted to hire anybody that was a professional because then they would have all these bad habits and they'd be, like, hacks." Dikkers

people say, back in the 2016 election and all this, they were putting themselves out there as satire, like they used that term, even though they were literally just trying to fool people with fake stories. So, when these people put out these lies on Facebook or whatever and they labeled it satire, they were just using the term incorrectly.

And it has nothing to do with what The Onion does because The Onion is there to entertain people and make them laugh.

And if they're ever fooled by it, that's just a happy accident. And they learn that they were punked, and everybody gets a good laugh. But the other stuff is out there to genuinely trick people, so it's completely different. And wrong.

"And it has nothing to do with what The Onion does because The Onion is there to entertain people and make them laugh. " Dikkers INWEEKLY: If we live in a more absurd world, is it more difficult to write absurd fake news?

DIKKERS: Only slightly. I think it's pretty great when reality is crazy and funny and absurd because no matter how funny a comedian is, reality is always funnier. Like, you just can't compete with reality. So, the fact that it's getting close is kind of exciting to me. Like, I like that. But I honestly don't think the world is any more absurd now than it ever has been. {in}

INWEEKLY: What are your thoughts on the day and age we live and "fake news" in general?

For the complete interview, in which Dikkers DIKKERS: Yeah, so I hate that. And part of discusses The Onion's influence on "The Daily me wants to say, "It's not my fault and I had Show" and "Colbert Report" as well as his nothing to do with it," but the other part post-Onion projects, visit inweekly.net. of me is like, "Well, that's totally my fault," that people are putting out propaganda on Facebook or whatever, like literally fake news stories that are meant to fool people and give wrong information, which is where that term first WHAT: A lecture with the founding editor came from. Obviously, now, the term of The Onion is only used pretty much by Donald WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 Trump and his supporters whenever WHERE: WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Perfora legitimate news organization says mance Studio, 1000 College Blvd., Bldg. 23 something unkind about him, which COST: $7-11 is pretty silly.

DETAILS: lyceum.pensacolastate.edu But the original propaganda that

SCOTT DIKKERS

17

calendar THURSDAY 1.17

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Commu-

nity Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com BAPTIST HEALTH CARE STROKE PROGRAM PRESENTS COOKING WITH CRUZ Noon-2 p.m.

Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org "CRAZY RICH ASIANS" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash only). Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com "FREE SOLO" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash only).

Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com 40 TREES FOR 40 YEARS TREE PLANTING 1 p.m.

Treasure Hills Park, 12839 Beckstrom Road. keeppensacolabeautiful.org VETERANS' MEETING 4 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL HONORS 5 p.m. Discussion with blues historian Jim O'Neal. Voices of Pensacola, 117 E. Government St. LATIN DANCE CLASSES 6:30-9 p.m. $10. Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha and more. Professional dance instruction for all skill levels. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. facebook.com/ aragonwine

818 1

END OF THE LINE THURSDAY DINNER 6-9

p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com AARON WATSON 7 p.m. $15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com THIRD THURSDAY INSPIRATIONS 7:15 p.m.

Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org EVITA 7:30 p.m. $58 and up. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

FRIDAY 1.18

ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 10 a.m. Pensacola

Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com

"SHOPLIFTING" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash

only). Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com "TEA WITH THE DAMES" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash only). Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL HONORS 4 p.m.

Intersection of Belmont and DeVilliers streets.

HAPPY HOUR COOKOUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com GALLERY NIGHT 5-9 p.m. Afterparty from 9-11 p.m. Celebrate Lunar New Year. South Palafox. gallerynightpensacola.org EVER'MAN COOKS: MARDI GRAS PREP WITH CHEF CHRIS KIMBER 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org EVOLVE N' THRIVE 6-9 p.m. $69. Event con-

tinues through Sunday. Pensacola Grand Hotel, 620 Dye St. evolventhrive.com DATE NIGHT DANCE CLASSES 6:30-8 p.m. $8. Learn several romantic ballroom dance styles in unique group classes. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com THE STEELDRIVERS 7 p.m. $30-$45. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin THE DREAMERS AND DOERS: PROCLAMATIONS AND AFFIRMATIONS 7-11 p.m. Henny

LEAPS 10 a.m. Free. Ever'man Educational

Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

40 TREES FOR 40 YEARS TREE PLANTING 10

a.m. Lincoln Park, 7600 Kershaw St. Other tree plantings to follow at various locations. keeppensacolabeautiful.org COMPUTER BASICS Noon. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTION EVENT Noon-6:30 p.m. PetSmart,

6251 N. Davis Highway. fixcats.org

"SHOPLIFTING" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash

Penny's Patisserie, 4412 W. Jackson. facebook.com/hennypennyspatisserie THE CEMETERY CLUB 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com

only). Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com "TEA WITH THE DAMES" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash only). Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com

SATURDAY 1.19

BEETHOVEN AND BLUE JEANS DRESS REHEARSAL 1:30 p.m. $5. Saenger Theatre, 118

PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh

produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. 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 SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road.

OCEAN HOUR CLEAN-UPS 9-10 a.m. Pensacola Visitor Center at 1401 E. Gregory St. and Bartram Memorial Park at 211 Bayfront Parkway. oceanhourfl.com

S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

PUBLIC ICE SKATE 1:30, 3 & 4 p.m. $9-$12.

Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com RAY OF HOPE AUTHOR DISCUSSION AND BOOK SIGNING 2-4 p.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us MAIDEN IMMORTAL: TRIBUTE TO IRON MAIDEN 7 p.m. $5-$15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2

S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

DANCE PARTY 7 p.m.-midnight. $10 for

inweekly.net

calendar part, $10 for workshop. One-hour workshop followed by a mix of swing, country and ballroom music. No partner required.

DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com BEETHOVEN AND BLUE JEANS DISCUSSION

6:30 p.m. Free. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

CULTURES COOK: FILIPINO FEAST ATI ATIHAN: CELEBRATING INFANT JESUS 7 p.m.

$39. Pensacola Cooks, 3670 Barrancas Ave. pensacolacooks.rezclick.com THE CEMETERY CLUB 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com BEETHOVEN AND BLUE JEANS 7:30 p.m. $23 and up. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

SUNDAY 1.20

WAKE UP HIKE 7 a.m. Meet at Bay Bluffs Park, Scenic Highway at Summit Ave., for a brisk one to two-hour walk with brunch to follow at an area restaurant.

BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook. com/cafesinglefin TRANSMISSION GROUP WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION 10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org VEGAN BRUNCH 11 a.m.-2 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com SUNDAY BRUNCH AT H20 11 a.m. $28.95 for adults. Free valet parking and 15 percent off with local ID. H20 Hilton, 12 Via de Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach WHEN QUEENS LINK UP: A SISTERHOOD BRUNCH TO CELEBRATE QUEENDOM 12-3 p.m.

Free. Henny Penny's Patisserie, 4412 W. Jackson. facebook.com/hennypennyspatisserie ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTION EVENT Noon-5:30 p.m. PetSmart,

6251 N. Davis Highway. fixcats.org CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY 1-5 p.m.

Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco FAMILY-FRIENDLY IMPROV CLASS 2:30 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com THE CEMETERY CLUB 3 p.m. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com PUBLIC ICE SKATE 3 & 4 p.m. $9-$12.

Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com TRANSGENDER ALLIANCE 4 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org VEGAN AND VINO SUNDAYS 4-7 p.m.

Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox SWING DANCE CLASSES 4-7 p.m. $10. Professional West Coast swing instruction for all levels. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com

MONDAY 1.21

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARADE 11 a.m. Downtown Pensacola.

RESUME HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com January 17, 2019

ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTION EVENT 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PetSmart,

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PILATES MAT 1:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS' RESTAURANT WEEK 5 p.m. All locations.

Three-course, fixed price dinners for $33. greatsouthernrestaurants.com SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 5:30 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com HANDS-ON COOKING: PAD THAI 6-8 p.m. $64.50. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com CROHN'S AND COLITIS 6:30 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org LAKE STREET DIVE 7 p.m. $30. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylymusichall.com SEINFELD AND SCRUBS TRIVIA NIGHT 7-9 p.m.

Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco HIP-HOP & CONTEMPORARY DANCE CLASSES 8-9 p.m. $5. Learn amazing moves from

professional instructors. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com

TUESDAY 1.22

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTION EVENT 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. PetSmart,

6251 N. Davis Highway. fixcats.org

"SHOPLIFTING" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash

only). Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com "TEA WITH THE DAMES" SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash only). Pensacola Cinema Art, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS' RESTAURANT WEEK 5 p.m. All locations.

Three-course, fixed price dinners for $33. greatsouthernrestaurants.com POP-UP OPERA 1:45 p.m. Pensacola Visitor Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m.

So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us COUNTRY DANCE CLASSES 6:30 p.m. $10.

Country two-step, East Coast swing, competition choreography and more. No partner required. World championship dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com COMEDY NIGHT 7 p.m. Swan Neck Meadery, 2115 W. Nine Mile Road. swanneckwinery.com

WEDNESDAY 1.23

ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP Noon. Molino

Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com

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music

By Savannah Evanoff

Deep Dive

Photo by Shervin Lainez Lake Street Dive has music down to a science—especially in the way Bridget Kearney describes it.

The band is a diverse confection of genres—pop, jazz, folk rock—but not concocted without precision. The group, featuring lead vocalist Rachael Price, was born in the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

"We're huge music nerds," Kearney said.

"That's how we met. We were in classes together studying harmony and rhythmic concepts. That's the foundation of what we do together. It's all sprinkling that on top of a base of just really great grooves and music that makes you dance and makes you feel good."

Upright bassist and vocalist Kearney doesn't hesitate to reveal her inner music nerd when talking to Inweekly.

"I'm always excited about music that combines the easygoing, feel-good side of things that makes me want to dance and have a good time," Kearney said, "but also contain some of these more technical elements of advanced harmony—the kind of stuff I learned in music school that makes my brain excited. If the music can excite my body and my mind, that's firing on all cylinders for me."

Kearney makes every song sound like a science experiment. It makes sense because Lake Street Dive's latest full album, "Free Yourself Up," featured more co-writing than ever. Kearney co-wrote "Hang On" with guitarist Mike "McDuck" Olson.

She has evidence of the band's songwriting chemistry. The "Free Yourself Up" album tour was the first time the band played all of the songs from an album in the show—a testament to how much they be020 2

lieve in the songs on this particular record, she said.

"That was an exciting discovery on this record for us because we were able to combine our powers in a way that we hadn't really done before," Kearney said. "We've been together a long time, so it's nice to look for opportunities to mix it up."

"That was an exciting discovery on this record for us because we were able to combine our powers in a way that we hadn't really done before." Bridget Kearney "Free Yourself Up" isn't only the album title and a song lyric but also the band's approach to the record and current motto.

"That was something we were all looking to do on the record in terms of what styles and lyrics we were willing to embrace," Kearney said. "We wanted to push ourselves beyond our normal habits, free ourselves up to try new things. That was something we thought could be a good stamp for the record and also a good mantra, words to live by."

The band also recently released the fivesong EP "Freak Yourself Out," which came from the same sessions. It's a different spin on the same concept, Kearney said.

One song from their latest record is statistically proven to energize the audience, "Good Kisser."

"That's one that, needle drop, once the first couple of words come out of Rachael's mouth, the whole audience erupts and

Despite its experimentation, they have starts dancing," Kearney said. "People like a foundation of the pop music they grew up to sing along to that song, too. I think it's on—the music our parents listened to, Kearjust a fun lyric to sing, 'Tell 'em I'm a good ney said, citing The Beatles and Paul Simon. kisser.' Everyone likes to scream that at the Because of those influences, the band's aestop of their lungs. It's fun." thetic is undeniably vintage inspired.

The track "Shame, Shame, Shame" especially resonates with Kearney. The songwriting content is outside of the band's wheelhouse, she said.

"It's less about a romantic situation and more about things that are going on in the world and trying to make the world a better place," Kearney said. "The major lyric is 'Change is coming, oh yeah' … It's been really powerful to be in a big room with a bunch of people and everyone is singing and embracing this message of positive change in the world."

It seems to be no coincidence the song "Music of that era is something that is also her most challenging. Kearney is unis deeply, deeply ingrained in all of us," doubtedly a musical scientist—sans lab coat.

Kearney said. "But, we're pretty clear with "It has a very active bass part, but I'm one another that we don't simply want to also the harmony singer on that song," Kebe recreating something of the past. We alarney said. "There are these two separate ways want to be breathing new life into that roles I'm trying to execute at the same and bringing in new influences, whether it time, simultaneously trying to make it feel be current pop music, music from different good and feel relaxed and natural. It defiparts of the world or classical music. nitely took some hours of wood-shedding, "I think that's how we end up with this as they say, on that to make those parts feel un-nameable combination of things that is natural together." the sound of our band." {in} The band is drawn toward musical challenges. Each record has new ingredients.

"Always what we're listening to at the time is something that makes its WHAT: Lake Street Dive with Mikaela Davis way into our writing," Kearney said.

WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21 "On this record, we've been into WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox more modern pop and R&B COST: $30 music than in the past, when we DETAILS: vinylmusichall.com were listening to more retro throwback music."

"We always want to be breathing new life into that and bringing in new influences, whether it be current pop music, music from different parts of the world or classical music." Kearney

LAKE STREET DIVE

inweekly.net

DIFFERENCE MAKERS DETECTIVE MARK NORMAN NAMED PENSACOLA POLICE DEPARTMENT’S OFFICER OF THE YEAR

Detective Mark Norman has been named the Pensacola Police Department’s Officer of the Year for his persistence, patience and tenacity of a complex narcotics trafficking case that resulted in four federal indictments.

In 2015, Detective Norman was a new officer with Pensacola Police Department and assigned a cocaine trafficking case. He spent three years and countless hours of home and social media surveillance associated with the suspects. Detective Norman was the one to discover that the suspects had money laundering operations out of state. The United States Postal Inspector’s Office was able to use Detective Norman’s police work to research large sums of money sent in parcels. During the execution of search warrants, more than $300,000 in cash and $300,000 worth of jewelry and high-end clothing were discovered.

Detective Norman was nominated for Officer of the Year by his sergeant because he was the turning point in the investigation that tied all aspects of the case together.

Aaron Booker, Joseph Booker, Kaishawndra Lyons and Uy Nguyen all received federal indictments and pleaded guilty to the charges.

Congratulations and great work, Detective Norman.

SEMIFINALISTS FOR SANTA ROSA TEACHER OF THE YEAR The Santa Rosa Education Foundation has announced the five semifinalists selected from 33 school nominees for Santa Rosa Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to Myra Anderson, East Milton Elementary; Charles Phan, Gulf Breeze High; Stacey Dell, Milton High; Caroline Buechner, Navarre High; Kristin Ardis, Woodlawn Beach Middle.

The SREF Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, which consists of administrators, business and community leaders, parents, and previous Santa Rosa Teachers of the Year, will observe the semifinalists in their classrooms and conduct interviews before selecting three finalists.

The Santa Rosa Teacher of the Year will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 24. Nominees will be recognized at Santa Rosa’s Golden Apple Awards celebrating all Santa Rosa teachers on March 1. For more information, visit SantaRosaEducationFoundation.org.

Sponsored by The Studer Family January 17, 2019

21

free will astrology ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): We might initially be inclined to ridicule Stuart Kettell, a British man who spent four days pushing a Brussels sprout up 3,560-foothigh Mount Snowden with his nose. But perhaps our opinion would become more expansive once we knew that he engaged in this stunt to raise money for a charity that supports people with cancer. In any case, the coming weeks would be a favorable time for you, too, to engage in extravagant, extreme or even outlandish behavior on behalf of a good or holy cause.

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TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): The Taurus guitar wizard known as Buckethead is surely among the most imaginative and prolific musicians who has ever lived. Since producing his first album in late 2005, he has released 306 other albums that span a wide variety of musical genres—an average of 23 per year. I propose that we make him your patron saint for the next six weeks.

While it's unlikely you can achieve such a gaudy level of creative self-expression, you could very well exceed your previous personal best in your own sphere.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Novelist Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, a fictional character who personifies the power of logic and rational thinking. And yet Doyle was also a devout spiritualist who pursued interests in telepathy, the occult and psychic phenomena.

It's no surprise that he was a Gemini, an astrological tribe renowned for its ability to embody apparent opposites. Sometimes that quality is a liability for you folks and sometimes an asset. In the coming weeks, I believe it'll be a highly useful skill. Your knack for holding paradoxical views and expressing seemingly contradictory powers will attract and generate good fortune.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): In 2006, a 176-year-old tortoise named Harriet died in an Australian zoo owned by "Crocodile Hunter" and TV personality Steve Irwin.

Harriet was far from her original home in the Galapagos Islands. By some accounts, evolutionary superstar Charles Darwin picked her up and carried her away during his visit there in 1835. I propose that you choose the long-lived tortoise as your power creature for the coming weeks. With her as inspiration, meditate on questions like these: 1. What would I do differently if I knew I'd live to a very old age? 2. What influence that was important to me when I was young do I want to be important to me when I'm old? 3. In what specific ways can my future benefit from my past? 4. Is there a blessing or gift from an ancestor I have not yet claimed? 5. Is there anything I can do that I am not yet doing to remain in good health into my old age?

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): John Lennon claimed that he generated the Beatles' song "Because" by rendering Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" backwards. Even if

By Rob Brezsny

that's true, I don't think it detracts from the beauty of "Because." May I suggest you adopt a comparable strategy for your own use in the coming weeks, Leo? What could you do in reverse so as to create an interesting novelty? What approach might you invert in order to instigate fresh ways of doing things? Is there an idea you could turn upside-down or inside-out, thereby awakening yourself to a new perspective?

Is there an idea you could turn upside-down or inside-out, thereby awakening yourself to a new perspective?

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): The Tsonga language is spoken by more than 15 million people in southern Africa. The literal meaning of the Tsonga phrase "I malebvu ya nghala" is "It's a lion's beard," and its meaning is "something that's not as scary as it looks." According to my astrological analysis, this will be a useful concept for you to be alert for in the coming weeks.

Don't necessarily trust first impressions or initial apprehensions. Be open to probing deeper than your instincts might influence you to do.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): The old Latin verb "crescere" meant "to come forth, spring up, grow, thrive, swell, increase in numbers or strength." We see its presence in the modern English, French and Italian word "crescendo." In accordance with astrological omens, I have selected "crescere" and its present participle "crescentum" to be your words of power for the next four weeks. May they help mobilize you to seize all emerging opportunities to come forth, spring up, grow, thrive, swell and increase in numbers or strength.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) : When

animals hibernate, their metabolism slows down. They may grow more underfur or feathers, and some add extra fat. To conserve heat, they may huddle together with each other. In the coming weeks, I don't think you'll have to do what they do. But I do suspect it will be a good time to engage in behaviors that have a resemblance to hibernation—slowing down your mind and body; thinking deep thoughts and feeling deep feelings; seeking extra hugs and cuddles; getting lots of rich, warm, satisfying food and sleep. What else might appeal to your need to drop out of your fast-paced rhythm and supercharge your psychic batteries?

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

When people tell me they don't have time to read the books I've written, I advise them to place the books under their pillows and soak up my words in their dreams. I don't suggest that they actually eat the pages, although there is historical

precedent for that. The Bible describes the prophet Ezekiel as literally chewing and swallowing a book. And there are accounts of 16th-century Austrian soldiers devouring books they acquired during their conquests, hoping to absorb the contents of the texts.

But in accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest that in the next four weeks you acquire the wisdom stored in books by actually reading them or listening to them on audio recordings. In my astrological opinion, you really do need, for the sake of your psychospiritual health, to absorb writing that requires extended concentration.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19):

Among the top "how to" search inquiries on Google are how to buy Bitcoin, how to lose belly fat fast, how to cook spaghetti in a microwave and how to make slime. While I do think that the coming weeks will be prime time for you to formulate and launch many "how to" investigations, I will encourage you to put more important questions at the top of your priority list. How to get richer quicker would be a good one, as would how to follow through on good beginnings and how to enhance your value and how to identify what resources and allies will be most important in 2019.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): A motivational speaker and author named Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs, although he has two small, unusually-shaped feet. These facts didn't stop him from getting married, raising a family of four children and writing eight books. One book is entitled "Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life." He's a positive guy who has faith in the possibility of miracles. In fact, he says he keeps a pair of shoes in his closet just in case God decides to bless him with a marvelous surprise. In accordance with current astrological omens, Aquarius, I suggest you make a similar gesture. Create or acquire a symbol of an amazing transformation you would love to attract into your life.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): About 11 percent of the Philippines' population is comprised of Muslims who call themselves the Bangsamoro. Many resist being part of the Philippines and want their own sovereign nation. They have a lot of experience struggling for independence, as they've spent 400 years rebelling against occupation by foreign powers, including Spain, the United States and Japan. I admire their tenacity in seeking total freedom to be themselves and rule themselves. May they inspire your efforts to do the same on a personal level in the coming year. {in} THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Write yourself a nice long love letter full of praise and appreciation.

Send a copy to me if you'd like at freewillastrology.com

inweekly.net

news of the weird PEOPLE WITH ISSUES KION TV reported on Jan. 7 that a Salinas, California, family's Ring doorbell camera captured video of a man licking the doorbell for more than three hours.

The homeowners were out of town during the encounter, which took place around 5 a.m., but their children were inside. Sylvia Dungan, who was alerted to the activity at her front door on her phone, said, "I thought, boy there's a lot of traffic. ... Who the heck is that?"

Salinas police identified the man as Roberto Daniel Arroyo, 33. Arroyo also relieved himself in the front yard and visited a neighbor's house. "You kind of laugh about it afterwards because technically he didn't do anything," Dungan said, although police later charged him with petty theft and prowling.

SUPER FAN Dale Sourbeck, 49, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, had football on his mind after his arresting start to 2019. In the early morning hours of Jan. 3, he used a hammer to break into the Rock Street Music store and helped himself to two guitars—to start with, reported WNEP TV. Presumably realizing he was being watched by surveillance cameras, Sourbeck left and returned to the store wearing a mask and grabbed three more guitars. Police tracked Sourbeck down using the surveillance camera shot of his license plate and found the stolen guitars in his home. Upon his arrest, the only statement he made was "Go Eagles."

SPECIAL DELIVERY Veterinarian Molly Kreuze of Springfield, Virginia, is planning to purchase an artificial Christmas tree next year after her natural one came with something extra: more than 100 praying mantises. Kreuze told WJLA-TV the leggy insects emerged from an egg sac under the tree's branches and were "crawling on the walls, crawling on the ceiling, crawling on the windows." Kreuze captured as many as she could and was hoping to find a new home for them, as it seems "people really like" the bugs. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture advised that people who find the egg sacs on their Christmas trees should clip the branch and take it outside. Otherwise, without their regular source of food, the newly hatched insects will start to eat each other.

OH, FLORIDA Heather Carpenter, 42, was charged with damaging property and criminal mischief in Sarasota County, Florida, after expressing in a particularly gross way her dissatisfaction with the principal of the school where Carpenter was substitute teaching.

Phillippi Shores Elementary School Principal Allison Foster had been helping Carpenter with a professional issue, but Carpenter was unhappy with the way it was going, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. So on Dec. 1, in a park where Foster was hosting a birthday party for her daughter later in the day, Carpenter—whose own daughter was invited to the party—arrived with human feces, according to a witness, which she spread on the grill and picnic tables. Carpenter pleaded not

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

guilty, but the Sheriff's Office report stated that she admitted she "intentionally placed human waste and fecal matter on the tables at Urfer Park with the intent of disrupting the birthday party planned by Foster."

SOCIAL MEDIA FAIL Game Warden Cannon Harrison, 24, is well known around his area in Oklahoma, so when he filled out a profile for the dating app Bumble, he didn't include his profession. But when he "matched" with a woman nearby in December, he was surprised when she messaged him that she had just bagged "a bigo buck." "I thought ... it was someone who was messing with me because they knew who I was," Harrison told The Washington Post. Deer season had ended, although hunting with a crossbow was still legal, so he decided to play along. He wrote back, "Hell yeah, get em with a bow?" When the unnamed huntress demurred, he asked her if she had been "spotlighting"—an illegal technique that involves shining a light into the animal's eyes to stun it before shooting it, and she replied, "Yeahhhh." Next she sent Harrison a photo of herself with her trophy, and Harrison went to work. He tracked her down on social media, and the following morning, game wardens appeared at her door. The woman paid a fine and will avoid jail time—and probably a date with Warden Harrison.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL An unidentified 39-year-old wannabe carjacker hit a bump in the road on Jan. 7 when he approached the driver of a Chevrolet Volt in San Diego, reported The San Diego Union-Tribune. The thief demanded the driver's keys and mobile phone around 6 a.m., according to San Diego police, and tried to drive off in the vehicle. But he couldn't figure out how to operate the hybrid car, and in frustration he ran away, discarding the phone and keys. Police located the carjacker a short distance away and arrested him on suspicion of carjacking and robbery.

SMOOTH REACTION A female jogger on the Goldenrod Trail in Oakland, California, used pepper spray on a dog that attacked her on the morning of Jan. 3, angering the dog's owner, Alma Cadwalader, 19. According to KPIX-TV, police said Cadwalader retaliated by tackling and punching the jogger multiple times, and finally biting the victim on the forearm, causing significant wounds. Police posted a surveillance camera photograph of Cadwalader and asked for the public's help in identifying her; she was arrested on Jan. 4. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2019 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com January 17, 2019

23

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Independent News | January 17, 2019 | inweekly.net