Inweekly July 11 2024 Issue

winners losers

SHAWN HALL Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida awarded Hall the 2024 Escambia County Big of the Year Award for his unwavering dedication to mentorship and exceptional commitment has profoundly impacted his Little Brother, Eddie. With a remarkable 30-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Hall seamlessly transitioned from military service to mentorship. Eddie's Florida Power & Light two-year prepaid scholarship underscores the positive influence his Big has had on his life. Eddie said, "Shawn has shown me what it means to be a man of integrity."

DONALD TRUMP The Supreme Court ruled last week that the former President is entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts—those "within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority"—and "presumptive immunity" for other official acts but "no immunity for unofficial acts," according to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who wrote the opinion for the majority. The vote was 6-3, dividing along partisan lines. The Chief Justice wrote broad immunity for official conduct is needed to protect "an energetic, independent executive." In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, "The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law."

ASCENSION SACRED HEART Fortune and PINC AI named Ascension Sacred Heart among the nation's top 15 health systems for 2024, marking the first time it has made the distinguished list. Sacred Heart is the only hospital system in the area and one of only two in Florida to earn a spot. The other Florida system in the top 15 is Sacred Heart's sister Ascension Florida system, St. Vincent's in the Jacksonville area. Sacred Heart's footprint spans Northwest Florida, including hospitals in Pensacola, Miramar Beach, Panama City and Port St. Joe. Over 350 health systems in the United States were assessed for the top-15 list, which involved an analysis of eight performance indicators, including data on inpatient deaths, patient complications, healthcare-associated infections, operational efficiency and patient experience.

PAM CHILDERS The Escambia County Clerk of Courts took charge of helping her husband Bruce file his Form 6 so he would qualify to run across one of her proclaimed nemeses, Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender. She failed at the task and tried to convince the public, elections office staff and a circuit judge that a photo of one page of the form displayed on a laptop screen met the Florida Constitution's requirement of full and public disclosure of her husband's financial interests. I might've played well in Beach Haven but not in the courthouse. Try again in four years.

RUDY GIULIANI A Manhattan appeals court disbarred the former New York City mayor, federal prosecutor and legal adviser to Donald Trump after finding he "flagrantly misused" his position and "baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country's electoral process." Giuliani had his New York law license suspended in 2021 for making false statements around the election. The latest ruling means he can no longer practice law in the state, effective immediately. The court wrote last week when it issued its decision, "(Guiliani) not only deliberately violated some of the most fundamental tenets of the legal profession, but he also actively contributed to the national strife that has followed the 2020 Presidential election, for which he is entirely unrepentant."

EATONVILLE The oldest Black-incorporated municipality in the U.S., Eatonville, wanted to be home to Florida's Black History Museum. Incorporated in 1887, it is the first town successfully established by African American freedmen. However, the task force picking the site chose St. Augustine, a city that played a significant role in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and had lined up private donors to build the museum. The vote was tight, 5-4. Eatonville supporters protested that Rep. Kiyan Michael, R-Jacksonville, had given St. Johns a perfect score and ranked Eatonville 32 points lower than any other committee member. Michael claimed she did not "act deliberately" to affect the scoring.

Pam Childers / Courtesy of escambiaclerk.com

Shawn Hall and Eddie / Photo Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

AN IMPROBABLE ANNIVERSARY

Monday, July 1, marked 25 years since we published our first issue. Collier Merrill, Ray Russenberger and Chuck Emiling invested in the weekly newspaper we hoped would challenge the Gannett-owned newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal, enough that the media giant would buy us out for millions of dollars.

Needless to say, the 9/11 attack, Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis and Katrina, a recession, the BP oil spill, the shrinking of daily newspaper chains and countless other unforeseen disasters derailed our delusion of a big payday.

Collier and I agree if we had known the nearly impossible task we undertook 25 years ago, we would not have started the Pensacola Independent Weekly—later renamed the Independent Florida Sun, Independent Sun, Independent News and Inweekly.

"I can tell you I sure wouldn't have done it if I knew what I do now," Collier said in an interview on WCOA's "Real News with Rick Outzen. "But I'm glad we didn't know because we just wouldn't have done it, I don't think. It was a much bigger adventure than we thought it would be. A lot of struggles, which you are dealing with every day."

My stubbornness caused numerous problems in the early years. I refused to let anyone other than my staff and me determine our newspaper's editorial. We needed to challenge the status quo and the area's political power structure to move Pensacola ahead. When someone got upset with our writing, I could not let them go to Collier or any investor or advertiser to get us to back off. If I ever allowed that to happen, no one would've taken our newspaper seriously. But I also knew my obstinance caused problems for friends and family.

"Every week, I would get up to see if the paper's still out because I didn't know if you could pull off one more. Had we closed yet?" Collier recalled. "Every week was a struggle to keep that thing going. And just when things would seem we might've made the hump, you would have to go and do something really stupid."

Something stupid would be challenging the

$2,800,000 • 7.8 acres

New wetland survey April 2023!

3283 Gulf Breeze Pkwy by Publix at Tiger Point and Tiger Point Park Drive. Access from Hwy 98 and Tiger

sheriff over deaths in the jail or reporting on late-night land deals made by a county commission led by the powerful W.D. Childers or Rebuild Northwest Florida's finances or mocking the daily newspaper with billboards proclaiming, "The Independent News-a good newspaper for a town that needs one."

Collier said, "Our friends would blow up again, and you would say, 'Don't worry. We're going to be this great newspaper. We're writing good articles.'"

And, of course, we would double down on our reporting when someone complained, digging deeper into the issue. This led to more calls to Collier until he finally had to tell them that if he called, things would get worse. He developed a strategy to deal with the complaints.

"Somebody would call and say, 'Did you see what Outzen said?' I stopped looking at the paper until a week later so I could tell them that I didn't know what you wrote," Collier said.

I was willing to take the hits, but the newspaper has never been all me. We've been blessed with a cadre of an extremely talented, dedicated team of editors, reporters, graphic artists, sales reps, columnists, interns and other believers in a free press and the need for an independent watchdog. My role was to protect and shield them from attacks and take on all the criticism—an imperfect publisher who let detractors deride him, not the reporters.

It took us a while to gain our voice and prove to elected officials, powerbrokers and our readers that we deserved their attention. Our investigative reporting moved people to question those in power and gained statewide and national attention. Our positions on issues, elections and referendums began to matter. The blog gave us a daily presence that further enhanced our image and influence, and the radio shows and podcasts have become creative ways to share stories as they develop.

Who would've thought we would have lasted this long? Thank you for your support and patience. We aren't stopping any time soon. {in} rick@inweekly.net

SF / $25 PSF (Annual) Downtown Pensacola Waterfront on Palafox with Parking! 2 story building available. Deck on Palafox Marina (dock not included). Excellent condition. Ready for occupancy.

FACELIFT FOR FIGHTING HOMELESSNESS

By Tom St. Myer

New charter. New council. New hope.

Local efforts in the fight against homelessness are undergoing a much-needed facelift of the Continuum of Care (CoC). Opening Doors Northwest Florida is enacting the changes, starting with the adoption of a new governance charter on July 23.

The overhaul of the charter came as a recommendation from Joe Savage, a regional adviser for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. At the invitation of Mayor D.C. Reeves, Savage visited Northwest Florida in May 2023 and spoke at CivicCon. He found that Opening Doors failed to meet some federal regulations in managing the area's CoC program.

Opening Doors serves as the lead agency of the CoC in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The CoC is a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program designed to promote a community-wide commitment to ending homelessness. HUD provides funding for efforts by nonprofit providers and state and local governments to address homeless individuals and families.

THE HOMELESS CRISIS

Homelessness is rampant in the coverage area. Walter Arrington, an unhoused care and CORE social worker at Community Health Northwest Florida, estimates four to six homeless individuals for every available shelter bed.

"A fair estimate of the static constant homeless population is in the neighborhood of 3,0004,000 with fluctuations, and in our CoC coverage area, we have 9,000-12,000 cycling in and out of homelessness," Arrington said.

What attributes to the high homeless population in our area? Arrington cites a few factors, namely the warm climate and high cost of living.

The median listing home price in Escambia County is about $320,000, and in Santa Rosa County, it is more than $380,000. Rent is just as expensive. The average cost to rent an apartment in Pensacola tops $1,500 per month.

"You're doing lots of mediation with landlords to see if you can talk them down on rent cost." Martika Baker

"At the end of the day, where are they going to live?" said Serene Keiek, Opening Doors interim executive director.

The median household income barely tops $60,000 in Escambia. The last estimate by Data USA reported that 15% of the county's population lives below the poverty line, but that percentage is undoubtedly higher. Martika Baker, director of operations for Opening Doors, said because of the high inflation rates, the average household needs to net about $73,000 just to break even.

Arrington estimates that for every affordable unit in the area, eight to 10 people vie for that resi-

dence. Landlords of those units can be selective in who they take on as tenants.

Homeless individuals with poor or no credit lose out in the bidding process. Other turn-offs for landlords include a higher percentage of the homeless population reporting a serious mental illness (31%) or conditions related to chronic substance abuse (24%). All of those factors leave service providers at the mercy of landlords.

"Service providers are having to leverage bonuses to cover things such as damage costs and landlord benefits, and that's on top of a first month, last month security deposit," Arrington said.

Grants cover some of the expenses for service providers, but only some of the grants take into account fair market rent increases. The minimum threshold for other grants has remained stagnant and does not cover the cost of housing in this market.

"It's an uphill battle," Baker said. "You're doing lots of mediation with landlords to see if you can talk them down on rent cost."

COC 2.0

A shortage of affordable housing is one of the primary challenges for the CoC in its efforts to reduce homelessness. In its mission and guiding principles, the CoC states the agency "works as a collective body to ensure everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to live."

According to the draft charter, an affordable housing director or provider will serve as an elected member of the leadership council. Council members will be determined after the charter is approved. The council includes diverse representation from community members and sectors. Members will include individuals with lived experience of homelessness, service providers, the business community, funders, faith communities, housing providers and government representatives.

"It really puts it back into the hands of the community," said Chandra Smiley, CEO of Community Health.

The inclusion of individuals who have experienced homelessness is positive, Arrington said. They will provide valuable insight into the challenges homeless individuals face daily, he said.

The council's responsibilities include establishing the strategic direction and priorities for responding to homelessness, expanding partnerships across industries to address homelessness and providing oversight to ensure the lead agency and funded agencies apply for available funding.

An ad hoc committee of 27 members devoted eight months to putting together the charter draft. Baker said three HUD officials provided guidance throughout the process and shared examples of other communities' charters.

The draft written by the ad hoc committee states how the CoC will meet federally defined responsibilities of operating a HUD Continuum of Care, directing the CoC lead agency, and promoting partnership and accountability among the various leaders.

One way the draft ensures accountability

is by separating the leadership council from the Opening Doors board of directors. Savage cited that conflict of interest when vying for grants and recommended separating the two entities.

The CoC will function with a leadership council and general membership. Membership is open to any individual or organization residing, working or serving residents in the two counties. To be eligible, an organization member must have attended at least one CoC membership meeting and completed a membership application. Organizations include faith-based organizations, nonprofits, government partners and for-profit partners.

Each application will be reviewed and confirmed by the CoC Lead Agency. At the time of membership application, the organization will select one primary voting member and one alternate if they are unable to vote.

An individual voting member is an individual who is not currently working for or representing an organization that is presently a CoC member. An individual voting member has one vote.

Members will collaborate to develop and

CURRENT COC MEMBERSHIP STATUS

If you do not see your individual name or organization on this list, please try registering again. For questions about registration, email serenek@openingdoorsnwfl.org.

ORGANIZATIONS MEMBERS:

•AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Jennifer Carrancejie

•BEmpowered Inc., Tangee Coleman

•Bright Bridge Ministries, Robin Noble

•Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, Inc., Matthew Knee

•Children in Crisis, Inc., Joshua Bugby

•Community Success Inc., Sharon Reed

•Florida Department of Children and Families, Melissa Sidoti

•Ecomfort, Inc., Sylvia Tisdale

•Epilepsy Alliance Florida, Laurie Michele Lamar-Acuff

•Escambia County BOCC, Elizabeth Kissel

•Escambia County School District, Casandra Manis

•EscaRosa Suicide Prevention Coalition, Rachelle Burns

•Extra Mile Club Str8 Up, Evelyn Deterville

•FavorHouse of Northwest Florida, Inc., Tracie Hodson

•Fearless Community Inc., Nathaniel Bass

•Good Hope AME Church, Savella Murphy

•Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce, Brian Wyer

•Help Me Grow Escambia-The Arc Gateway, Shirley Kelley

•NAMI Emerald Coast, Linda Finkelstein

•Northwest Unit NASW Florida, Walter Arrington

implement strategies to prevent and end homelessness in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Responsibilities include electing a governance council, serving on committees and work groups and taking action in response to homelessness. Baker cautions that membership is timeconsuming but rewarding. She said successfully fighting homelessness is contingent on community buy-in and multifaceted approaches, from no-barrier, low-barrier, and high-barrier shelters to transitional, supportive, and nontraditional housing.

"We have to have a kid in a candy store approach with options to help people get on their feet," Baker said. "I don't lean into saying we'll never end homelessness. The question is what will we do to come up with every solution possible to help the person right in front of us?"

The deadline to apply for membership is Sunday, June 16. The application is online at openingdoorsnwfl.org/getinvolved/membership. To read the draft governance charter, visit bit.ly/4cqmx3c. {in}

•Overflow Health Alliance Inc., Marcus Harden-Givens

•Pensacola Dream Center, Dotty Gilbreath

•Pensacola Police Department, Brittany Harris

•Reentry Alliance Pensacola, Inc., Richard Lynch

•Santa Rosa Bridges Inc., Phyllis Gonzalez

•Share Your Heart, William "Bill" Wright

•Spaires Inc., Steve Brown

•Sparks A Change for Veterans, Tami Sparks

•The Hope Center-Brownsville, Inc., Valerie May

•The Secret Place, Brittney Toles

•United Ministries, Ashley Wilkinson Meyer

•United Way of West Florida, Laura Gilliam

•Volunteers of America, Rogeric Coleman

•Waterfront Rescue Mission, Jason Grizzard

•Women Against Rape & Domestic Violence Inc., Edna Sanders

INDIVIDUAL VOTING MEMBERS:

•Alex Steelman

•Angela Hatcher

•Avalon Mallory

•Dana Winans

•Denise Scott

•Gerald Waters

•Heather White

•Jasmine Simms

•Jeannie Gliemann

•Latasha Collins

•Lila Davidson

•Lon Roberts

•Melanie Collins

•Michael Goodman

•Miriam Kelly

•Noah Simpson

•Sami Knutson

•Shantor Moultrie

•Stacey Clemons

•Terrance White

•Terry Pate

•Zariah White

UWF EXCELLENCE The University of West Florida (UWF) earned some of its highest marks in school history and landed in the top three in the metrics measuring retention, median wages upon graduation and high-impact practices in the Florida Board of Governors' 2023-2024 performance-based funding model.

"The University of West Florida has distinguished itself as an institution where students can earn a high-quality education in a state that is ranked No.1 in the country for higher education and land a competitive job upon graduation," said Martha Saunders, UWF President. "We have worked hard to advance student success, and our efforts are paying off."

UWF achieved its highest academic progress rate ever. Metric 5 measures the second-year retention rate with a GPA above 2.0. UWF's progress rate improved by 3.3 percentage points, totaling 86.8%.

"The hardest needles to move on any university are the progress-retention and graduation rates," Dr. Saunders said. "We have been quite intentional in finding the right best practices to make it easy for our students to study hard, learn a lot, but stay in college."

Measuring retention has been a recent metric for universities, but she believes it makes sense to do so. "When you think about it, the state of Florida and the taxpayers subsidize our higher education system, and they need to get a return on the money," Dr. Saunders said. "And if students are coming, sometimes incurring debt, and then not graduating and benefiting from the degree, nobody is well served. It is an important metric and one that I completely endorse."

Metric 2 measures the median wages of bachelor's degree-earning graduates employed fulltime one year after graduation. UWF graduates' median salary is higher than almost all metricparticipating Florida institutions, trailing only

Florida Polytechnic University and the University of Florida. More than 79% of bachelor's graduates are employed or furthering their education one year after graduation.

Dr. Saunders said, "That, to me, is a quality metric because it tells me people want our graduates. I'm glad our students are getting hired and moving out of their parents' homes."

Metric 10 measures the percentage of baccalaureate graduates completing two or more high-impact practices, such as internships or undergraduate research. UWF increased to 60.6%, well above the 51% benchmark for excellence.

"We have set as a goal that every graduate will have at least two high-impact practices," Dr. Saunders said. "There's a strong correlation between our success in students who graduate with those high-impact practices and whether they're getting hired because they're having these out-of-classroom experiences that make them more attractive to employers."

Under the performance-based funding model, the Board of Governors scores each of Florida's 12 public universities based on 10 metrics designed to incentivize university excellence and improvement. For more information about UWF's ranking, visit uwf.edu/bogmetrics.

DENIED On July 2, Circuit Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz released the order denying Bruce Childers' emergency motion to get on the August primary ballot. Childers wanted to run against incumbent Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender.

At the June 28 hearing of the case, the judge found that elections staff had assumed Clerk of Courts Pam Childers, the candidate's wife, would email the full Form 6, so they marked him as qualified. However, Childers never emailed the form. The omission was not discovered until after the June 14 deadline. Childers complained he

would've done it if he hadn't read he had qualified in the News Journal and other places.

In her order, Judge Frydrychowicz said the onus for filing full and public disclosure of financial interests is on the candidate, who signs a sworn statement when qualifying. She found the "law is clear and unambiguous as to the candidate's requirements." Any complaints about the requirements should be directed to the Florida Legislature.

Childers was not certified as a qualified candidate to the Division of Elections, and thus, the issue before the Court was not whether to put him back on the ballot but to unilaterally place him on the ballot.

Judge Frydrychowicz wrote, "This Court is bound by the law as it is written, and no authority has been provided that would enable the Court to grant such drastic relief."

Childers had already posted on Facebook he would not appeal the judge's ruling. He wrote, "I don't wish to continue to keep stirring the pot, so to speak, when it will only cause more people to doubt the integrity of their government and their elected officials. I think people need to believe in their government."

FOLLOWING THE LAW On WCOA's "Real News with Rick Outzen" on July 1, Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender spoke publicly for the first time since Bruce Childers filed his motion.

"The thing I hate most about this is that the integrity of the office was questioned, and the judge denied the motion because she saw that we followed the law," Bender said. "It didn't make the decision any easier. I didn't celebrate any this weekend. As a candidate, it's not how I want to win. As a supervisor of elections, it's not how I want my office to be a part of controversy."

He explained why he refused to give interviews about the Childers' motions before the hearing. "We just didn't want to get into a 'he said, she said.' They had put their side of the story out. It differed from ours. But again, I couldn't speak of it firsthand. I wasn't there. We wanted to let the judge and the court hear our side and make a decision from there."

Bender has changed office procedures to avoid opportunities for confusion when candidates file and qualify to run.

"No longer will the first check happen with a candidate being right there at the front counter," he said. "Someone will check the paperwork in, maybe give it a cursory overview to see if there's anything that needs to be done. But the first check and second check will happen away from the front counter, where you can focus on what's going on. Things won't be checked until they're in their hands."

Bender pushed Attorney Ed Fleming's insinuation that Bruce Childers was found not qualified to run, because the Supervisor of Elections sought revenge for Clerk of Court Pam Childers winning a lawsuit that found the 401(a) pension plan was illegal.

He said, "I know they want to attack me on the 401(a), but I filled out a form that FRS gave

our HR department that they gave me. When I found out that it wasn't the same amount that HR told me, I called payroll and said, 'Hey, this is more than what they were saying.' And I was told that the board had voted on it in 2016. I never voted for it."

Bender added, "Instead of trying to change the amount, we heard it was illegal. And that was why I fought it—I didn't think it was illegal because the process had been in place since the '90s. But when the ruling came out, we turned it back. We didn't appeal; we gave it back. My integrity shouldn't be questioned because I feel I've done the right thing every time."

The Supervisor of Elections doesn't expect an apology from Bruce and Pam Childers, and he hopes the Clerk's office will work with his office professionally.

"I want to see us come together and work for the citizens of Escambia County," Bender said. "Our office had been going into jury duty every Monday morning, and that was cut off over a month ago. We need to get back to serving the citizens of Escambia County."

To learn more about local elections, visit escambiavotes.com.

SACKLER RULING Last week, by a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the bankruptcy settlement involving Purdue Pharma, maker of the addictive opioid OxyContin, and its owners, the Sackler family. The settlement has been valued at between $6 billion and $10 billion.

According to the settlement, Sackler family members agreed to pay $6 billion into the compensation pot. In exchange, the family would have been shielded from personal liability.

The U.S. Justice Department argued the deal would have violated victims' constitutional rights to due process because it prevented them from filing lawsuits. Writing for the dissenters, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said, "Today's decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families."

Levin Papantonio partner Peter Mougey has been involved in some of the nation's most significant mass tort cases concerning opioids. He served as one of the key negotiators in the nearly $60 billion settlements with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and the "Big Three" drug distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson, and national pharmacy claims. He believes the Supreme Court decision may turn out to be a good one.

"The Sackler family would walk away with billions of dollars, which is sad," he said. "It is the epitome of trading corporate profit for human lives. And you don't have to look far in any community to see the destruction the Sacklers are causing—150 deaths a day. Should the Sacklers get a pass and walk away with billions of dollars? Of course not."

Mougey explained many cities, counties and states have favored the bankruptcy deal. "The difficulty is going to be that the Sacklers have been taking money out of Purdue just like you would any corporation for decades. And the money's all

Martha Saunders with UWF Students / Photo Courtesy of uwf.edu

over the world and trying to get to the money is going to be difficult."

Because of the ruling, Purdue Pharma owners could face a "gazillion lawsuits" unless they find a remedy. Mougey said, "They shouldn't be able to walk away scot-free after paying out a small portion of their global net worth, enjoy their billions of dollars and ride off into the sunset."

To learn more about Levin Papantonio, visit levinlaw.com.

READING IMPROVES On July 1, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr., announced the results of Florida's second year of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) progress monitoring assessments. Escambia County public schools showed an improvement in English Language Arts (ELA) compared to the 2022-2023 school year.

Grades 3-5 scored five percentage points higher than in 2023, while grades 6-8 were three points higher and grades 9-10 were five points higher.

Students are expected to score three or above on the ELA assessment test. Students are tested three times during the school year to monitor improvement. Performance improved by 20 points statewide, while Escambia showed an 18-point improvement. Escambia's grades 4-5 improved better than the state averages, while grade 3 was on par, and grades 6-9 did slightly worse. Grade 10 was 10 points below the state average.

The Escambia third graders with the highest percentage scoring a three or above on the ELA assessment were taught at Pensacola Beach (94%), N.B. Cook (91%), Cordova Park (79%) and Hellen Caro (67%). The lowest performing third grades were at Oakcrest (15%), Achieve Academy (17), Ensley (25) and Warrington (27).

The Community Partnership School, C.A. Weis, had 34% of its third graders, 21% of its fourth graders and 39% of its fifth graders earning a three or above on the ELA test.

Four schools participated in the YMCA Reads after-school program, which the Escambia Children's Trust funded. Global Learning had 29% of its third graders, 32% of its fourth graders and 34% of its fifth graders earn a three or above on the ELA test. Ferry Pass had 55% of its third graders, 49% of its fourth graders and 43% of its fifth graders. Sherwood 51% of its third graders, 30% of its fourth graders and 41% of its fifth graders, and West Pensacola 38% of its third graders, 41% of its fourth graders and 42% of its fifth graders.

To learn more about the assessment results, visit bit.ly/4eqIkkx.

DESANTIS DELIVERS GRANTS At a press conference at Pensacola State College last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded funds for workforce development and infrastructure improvements through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund and the Defense Infrastructure Grant. Awards were made to Pensacola State College and Santa Rosa County for projects that will support the military and the aviation, aerospace industry and defense industries.

"Today's awards will help bring high demand,

high wage jobs and businesses to Northwest Florida," DeSantis said.

Pensacola State College received $4,410,000 from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to establish a new Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics program at Pensacola International Airport. This project will support the construction of a new hanger, training equipment and operating costs for the education program. To learn more, visit pensacolastate.edu.

Santa Rosa County received a $500,000 Defense Infrastructure Grant for the Security Fence Project at the Whiting Aviation Park. The fence project is a secure, double-entry gate system connecting NAS Whiting Aviation Park. This will allow aircraft to move safely and efficiently between the base and maintenance area, enhancing security and maintenance operations. A new electronic gate will also speed up emergency response and provide a secure route for personnel and equipment. To learn more, visit whitingaviationpark.com.

FIRST

LOCAL

NIL

Gulf Breeze High School

junior Presley Moseley has signed a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreement with Autumn Beck Blackledge PLLC, a local law firm.

Why this matters: This partnership marks a significant milestone in supporting local talent. It is one of the first NIL contracts involving a high school athlete in Florida since the recent changes in NIL legislation.

"We are thrilled to partner with Presley Moseley, a remarkable young student-athlete whose dedication and spirit truly align with our firm's values," Autumn Beck Blackledge said. "This collaboration is not just about promoting our services and our goal to support healthy families; it's about investing in the potential of young individuals in our community and supporting their growth."

The future is bright for Moseley, who stands at 6 feet and 3 inches tall and weighs in at 210 lbs. His primary positions are pitcher, first base and third base. Moseley has been awarded countless all-tournament teams, tournament MVPs and tournament pitcher MVPs. Perfect Game named Presley Pre-Season All-American for 2024.

Off the field, Moseley volunteers at Miracle League, is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.86, and has been on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. He volunteers at Tim Tebow's Night to Shine and the Special Olympics, where his sister has participated for a long time.

"Presley is very committed to the projects that he's doing. He believes in them," Blackledge said. "All the things he does outside of baseball are very personal to him."

Autumn Beck Blackledge PLLC practices family law. She said, "Healthy families are the cornerstone of a community, and in every case I take involving children, it's always kids first. I think that people look at us as a leader and putting out the messages of what's healthy and what's good. Presley will help us get some of that messaging that's so important to kids his age."

To learn more, visit autumnobeck.com. {in}

to Save Big Safe Ways

Make your money work harder with accounts that fit your needs.

1 Free High-Yield Checking Earn with your debit card.

D Earn 4.0% APY1

D Get paid up to 2 days early2

D Access to 85,000+ free nationwide ATMs

D No minimum balance or service fee

2 Rate-Bump CD Stop chasing rates. Lock it in now, bump it up later!

D Bump up your rate if our rates increase during your term.

D Withdraw once during term with no penalty

D 12-month term option

D Traditional 7-month CD Special also available.

Visit a branch or find us online to open your account today.

Go

3 Money Market Flex your savings potential.

D Tiered dividend rates reward

D Unlimited account transfers 3

D

Got a big meeting? Catching a cruise? Looking for some adventure? Enjoy Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale with time to spare. Fly nonstop from PNS on Silver and Spirit Airways.

Playing Matchmaker at Pensacola Vintage Fest

By Savannah Evanoff

after scoring a specific item at the right price.

But for vintage clothing resellers, there's an additional gratification. It's not only finding the right piece, but also connecting it with the right person.

"For example, I might not be into the Atlanta Falcons, but if I find an old Falcons jersey, there's somebody out there who wants that," said Ryan Smith, owner of vintage shop Obsolete Heat. "When you're able to connect those dots, that's what, as a small business, gets you fired up."

"When you go to sell somebody something that's like, 'Oh my gosh, my dad went to that school, or my mom was at this concert and it's gonna mean the world to them.' Or, 'I grew up in this tiny little hometown in Nebraska, how do you have this shirt?' And I'm like, 'I don't know, I thought it was cool, and now I found the right person who it needs to go to,'" Smith continued.

Smith, who's also the founder of Pensacola Vintage Collective, will undoubtedly help create dozens of these serendipitous secondhand exchanges at Pensacola Vintage Fest this weekend. He suspects with its 70 or so vendors, it'll mark the largest vintage clothing event on the Gulf Coast.

DOING THE WORK

With Obsolete Heat (@obsoleteheat)

Smith has been into old T-shirts for 30-something years, and he's been thrifting for that long or longer. For him, it's a matter of standing out.

"I always felt like I never wanted to look, have the same thing, wear the same thing as everybody else," Smith said. "So once I started thrifting and finding like, 'Oh my gosh, I can have a shirt from some random swim meet from 1982 that nobody else will ever have.' So it's an individualized style type thing."

"Being able to wear that T-shirt in my mind puts you in that mind frame. 'Oh, wow, that was

It wasn't until the last five years, though, Smith realized others shared his perspective on old threads. And he knows for a fact Pensacola has a huge vintage clothing scene, because people are traveling from Georgia, Alabama and Central and South Florida to attend Pensacola Vintage Fest, he said.

Smith thinks a lot of the hype has to do with today's cheaply manufactured clothes; many pieces are not high-quality or sustainable. They fall apart, he said.

"Everything that's in fashion now is a throwback to something that has already come out, so people are getting hip to like, 'Why would I go buy a cheap knockoff when I can still get an original that has some character and value that's still affordable?'" Smith said. "Shopping vintage gives people a chance to absolutely come up with any unique clothing idea that they want, and it's all out there. Events like this are able to connect those people where you're not just looking for one needle in the haystack. It's the whole pin cushion of needles all in one place."

Since Smith started Pensacola Vintage Collective, he's put together various vintage clothing events in Pensacola. The vintage clothing scene moves mostly through Instagram these days; as a vendor, your profile is your resume, he said.

And vendors are providing a valuable service, Smith explained.

"They are going out in the field and digging and looking under every rock and crack that there is and then taking that collection and offering it to the people," Smith said. "It's like the Uber Eats of clothing. So for the consumer, you don't have to go out and do all the work. All the vendors are doing the hard work. You just got to show up and pay for it."

Smith's shop Obsolete Heat has two locations inside antique malls—Blue Moon Antique Mall and Bo's Local Finds. And while he won't have a booth at Pensacola Vintage Fest (he'll

customer was an original pair of Levi's 501 jeans from the 1950s.

Smith looks forward to experiencing the enthusiasm of other vendors secondhand.

"There's so many people who clothing isn't on the register as something that moves them, but when you find the people who are—or sometimes those people, they don't even know that's them until they run across it," Smith said. "You'll see them flipping through a rack and they're just like, 'OK, whatever. Oh my gosh, how do you have this?' It completely changes their life. I've seen that so many times. It never gets old."

TREASURE HUNTING

With Recycled Trendz (@recycled.trendz)

Like Smith, Ashley Orr (who goes by AK) loves connecting people to their dream items through her shop Recycled Trendz. In fact, the Georgia native takes requests.

"What I do is truly a passion," AK said. "And if people are really interested in vintage or any kind of specific clothing, I am more than happy to go in and find that for them. I consider myself a treasure hunter. I'll go dig for anything. A lot of people don't want to go and do that, and I get a thrill in that. So I'd be more than happy to look for anything anyone's searching for."

She's good at it, too.

"I have a friend that her mom recently passed away, and since then, she has seen hummingbirds," AK said. "So I've recently picked up a vintage nature tee that had hummingbirds on it, so I'm actually gifting that to her."

AK has always toyed with the idea of reselling vintage; she grew up going to auctions with her family as a kid, she said. As a full-time emergency room nurse in Pensacola, her coworkers were the ones who made her realize it could be a reality.

"They're probably my biggest clientele, and

because when they want to buy stuff, I can just package it up and take it to work with me. They think it's very cool … It's pretty nice as an escape from the ER and it's a whole 'nother world in the vintage recycling clothes business."

AK asks her clientele and followers what they want specifically, and she spots trends to build her vintage clothing inventory. Oftentimes, people want what she's wearing, she said.

"I'm actually into vintage surf wear, personally," AK said. "I love Hawaii stuff. But I like the boxy cropped tees and the jorts and the skater jeans. It depends; it rotates. I'll go through one phase of Looney Tunes stuff, and then Betty Boop, and then it'll transition to NASCAR or something like that."

AK's house is a Hawaiian surf scene, too, with surfboards on the wall. While she's not an active surfer, she did once take lessons in Hawaii.

AK primarily sells through her Instagram (she ships everywhere), but she's actively seeking a space in a vendor mall. Pensacola Vintage Fest will mark her fourth event.

"In the vintage world, you have your categories of T-shirts," AK said. "Some people look for destination tees, specifically Jesus tees, just like certain graphic tees, NASCAR, cartoons—I'm gonna have a variety of all those things."

AK is excited to participate. She loves to attend Pensacola Vintage Collective's events, even just as a supporter of local vendors, she said.

"I'm not in it just for reselling and making money, because to be honest, I don't make a whole lot," AK said. "I do it because it's just a huge passion of mine. I want to be able to recycle those vintage items, because a lot of things will have a certain date on it, and that date really means something to somebody. I feel like those vintage clothes, certain pieces, they just have a lot of life left in them and it's kind of cool that you come across a 30 or 40-year-old shirt and then you can continue the life of it.

Photos by Natalie Allgyer (@nallgyer)

Hopefully I have something that somebody's really drawn to."

PERSONAL SHOPPING

With OffRipThrift (@offripthrift)

Darrell Howard used to hate thrifting. The owner of OffRipThrift remembers being dragged to thrift stores with his mother while growing up in the Ensley area.

"Eventually when I started going even more and more with her, I caught a little feeling for the thrift store," Howard said. "I started looking for rap shirts, or any shirts that caught my eye, like cartoons or TV shows. So after I started getting the hang of finding stuff I actually liked, I would probably say around college is when I started actually diving into thrifting."

Even though he was born in 1993, Howard considers himself "a '90s baby" with a passion for '90s essentials, he said.

And in all honesty, he shops for himself. He only started reselling a few years ago.

"Most of the stuff I try to find, I want for me personally," Howard said. "But I also shop to catch people's eyes, if that makes sense. I usually go for cartoon stuff, like '90s cartoons like Dexter's Laboratory or Samurai Jack, or probably even SpongeBob."

Howard also looks for animal and nature themed T-shirts. He typically resells on Depop or eBay, but he always tries to participate in Pensacola Vintage Collective's events. Smith is a legend, he said.

"For the most part, I'm going to be more diverse when it comes to what I'm going to bring to Pensacola Vintage Fest," Howard said. "I'm probably going to bring a lot of cartoon T-shirts, animal T shirts, band T-shirts from the '80s up to the mid-'90s, a lot of sportswear. I'll probably bring some personal pieces, the ones I am willing to get rid of—like some rap T-shirts or some Black history stuff."

Like other vendors, he loves matching pieces to the right people.

"I recently found a 1989 Def Leppard shirt," Howard said. "I sold it to a guy that told me he went to the concert back when he was a kid. He followed up on one of my Instagram stories, and he had messaged me and said he was interested in it. So I sold it to him, and he gave me a whole backstory of how he used to go to the concerts and used to listen to all the music and have all the posters. I thought that was really, really cool."

What Howard thinks sets his business apart from other resellers is price, he said. He wants to be fair, because he sees how vintage clothing prices have skyrocketed.

"Honestly, I do it because I like the nostalgic feel of going back to your childhood," Howard said. "It just gives that spark to where you remember certain stuff once you find that piece. I would probably say back in the day, my favorite cartoon was Samurai Jack, so if I found a shirt at the thrift, that feeling of finding that shirt is crazy. It brings back so many memories."

And Howard's parents are supportive of his side hustle, he said. They often attend his events.

"They support it all the way," Howard said. "They try to get people to buy my stuff all the time." {in}

Pensacola

Vintage Fest

WHAT: The Gulf Coast's largest vintage clothing event featuring more than 70 vendors

WHEN: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 14

WHERE: Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway

COST: $5 in advance, $10 at the event.

There's also a limited number of early bird tickets for sale for $15 that will get you into the show one hour early (at 10 a.m.).

DETAILS: pensacolavintage.com, @pensacolavintagecollective

Leadership in Action: Clark Partington Attorneys in Service to The Florida Bar

Douglas A. Bates | Bankruptcy / Creditors’ Rights

» Executive Council & Past Chair, Business Law Section

» Long Range Planning Committee, Business Law Section

» View from the Bench, Steering Committee

Jeremy C. Branning | Litigation / Trial Lawyer

» Board of Governors, 4th term

» Executive Council, Trial Lawyers Section

» BOG Liaison, Trial Lawyers Section

» BOG Liaison, Florida Bar Standing Committee on Advertising

Bailey Howard | Appellate

» Chair, CLE Committee, Appellate Practice Section

» Secretary, Appellate Court Rules Committee

| Destin | Tallahassee | Santa Rosa Beach

» Co-Chair, Practicing Before the Supreme Court of Florida CLE, a joint APS-Government Lawyers Section seminar Committed. Collaborative. Responsive. Proven. Serving Northwest Florida and beyond since 1976. (850) 434-9200 | clarkpartington.com

Bruce D. Partington | Construction Litigation

» Vice-Chair, Construction Law Committee, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section

» Executive Council, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section

Richard N. Sherrill | Wills, Trusts & Estates; Tax Law

» Chair, Estate and Trust Tax Planning Committee, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section

» Executive Council, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section

Clark Partington is proud to recognize these attorneys for their leadership and service on boards, sections and committees of The Florida Bar, and for their commitment to legal excellence and leadership in the community at large.

Pensacola

a&e happenings

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

ARC GATEWAY CRAB CRAB COOK-OFF

The annual Arc Gateway Crab Cake Cook-off is 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 17 at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Visit sevillequarter.com for details.

ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA BINGO Animal

Allies Florida hosts bingo twice monthly at Scenic Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road. The cost is 10 rounds of bingo for $10, with cash prizes for winners. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. The full bar and restaurant offer special adult beverages just for bingo nights. You must be 18 to play. For more information, visit facebook.com/animalalliesflorida.

ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN

ADOPTION Visit Pet Supermarket 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every first and third Saturday of the month at 6857 N. Ninth Ave. to meet your furever friend. Visit aaflorida.org for details.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD

DRIVE The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Ministry is attached to the Historic St. Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. The ministry feeds the homeless at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. The ministry's food pantry opens at 10 a.m. and has clothing. Food donations needed are pop-top canned goods, Beanie Weenies, Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women as well as sweatshirts and new underwear for men in sizes small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at (850) 723-3390 for details.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

PENSACOLA BEACH AIR SHOW Watch the world-famous Blue Angels perform over Santa Rosa Island. The full practice show is 2 p.m. Thursday, July 11, a dress rehearsal is 2 p.m. Friday, July 12, and the official air show is Saturday, July 13 with civilian acts beginning at noon and the Blue Angels at 2 p.m. For a list of events, check out visitpensacolabeach.com.

FREE Z TUESDAYS WITH ZARZAUR LAW

Stop by the corner of Palafox and Romana streets for free snow cones by Sneaky Tiki Shaved Ice courtesy of Zarzaur Law, P.A. 2-4 p.m. Tuesdays through July 31. One Free Z per person, no refills.

JOE ZARZAUR TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS

GIVEAWAY Zarzaur Law, P.A.'s second of three on-location Swiftie-themed events as part of its five-month "The Eras Giveaway" is 6-9 p.m. Thursday, July 11 at The 5 Barrel, 121 S. Palafox St. Taylor Swift fans will once again have a chance to enter to win during the "Taylor Swift Trivia Night" complete with photo booth, friendship bracelet wall, hair tinsel station, music, karaoke, giveaways, special Swift-inspired cocktails, Taylor Swift trivia contest and a chance to win two VIP suite tickets to see Taylor Swift's "The Eras" tour concert Saturday, Oct. 19 in Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium. Visit zarzaurswiftgiveaway.com for complete contest rules, event details and more information.

CALL TO ARTISTS

2024 POP SHOW & EXHIBIT The Wide Angle Photo Club has opened registration for the 2024 Power of Photography show in November. All amateur and professional photographers are welcome to participate and compete for cash prizes and sponsor merchandise. Photographers may enter unlimited photos online. Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Aug. 18. The early entry is through July 15 with a $10 cost, and late entry is July 16-Aug. 18 with a fee of $15. For details, visit wideanglephotoclub.org/contest.

ARTS & CULTURE

OPEN MIC AT THE GORDON Share your talent on The Gordon stage 7-10 p.m. Thursday, July 11 at 306 N. DeVilliers St.

BLUES BEACHSIDE BAZAAR Enjoy this outdoor market featuring more than 15 food and craft vendors. The market is 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13 located near show center east of the Gulfside Pavilion. For more information, visit pensacolabeachchamber.com.

MARK NORMAND: YA DON'T SAY TOUR

Comedian Mark Normand will perform 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13 at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Tickets are available at pensacolasaenger.com.

PENSACOLA CINEMA ART SCREENING

"Thelma" is playing 1 p.m. Saturday, July 13 and Sunday, July 14 at Pensacola Cinema Art, 220 W. Garden St. Tickets are $10. Details are at pensacolacinemaart.com.

PENSACOLA VINTAGE FEST Vintage vendors will fill the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway, for one of the biggest vintage events on the Gulf Coast. Event is 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 14. Details are at facebook. com/penascolavintagecollective.

PENSACOLA OPERA AT THE LIBRARY

Pensacola Opera's soprano Bizhou Chang, soprano Sheila Dunn, baritone Jack Chandler, accompanied by Cody Martin on keyboard, will perform 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at the West Florida Public Library, 239 N. Spring St. The concert is free and open to the public. Details are at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

GALLERY NIGHT The next Gallery Night is 5-9 p.m. Friday, July 19 with artists and restaurants taking over downtown Pensacola on South Palafox. The theme is Palafox Chalk Walk. For details visit gallerynightpensacola.org.

DISNEY'S DESCENDANTS MUSICAL

Pensacola Little Theatre Treehouse Production is 7:30 p.m. Fridays July 19, 26 and Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, July 20, 27 and Aug. 3, 2:30 p.m. Sundays, July 21, 28 and Aug. 4. A 7:30 p.m. performance is Thursdays, July 25 and Aug. 1— when tickets are half price. A sensory-friendly performance is 1 p.m. Saturday, July 27. Tickets are $15-$20 with discounts for seniors, military and students. PLT is located at 400 S. Jefferson St. Details are at pensacolalittletheatre.com.

PENSACOLA MESS HALL TO HOST MOON LANDING CELEBRATION The Pensacola MESS Hall is hosting a 21 and older celebration of the first landing of people on the moon 6 p.m. July 18. Enjoy cheese platters and charcuterie boards, along with wine and Moonwalk cocktails. Tickets are $30 and include all activities and refreshments. More information and tickets are available at pensacolamesshall.org/nationalmoon-landing-celebration/.

CELEBRATING 70: A HISTORY OF COLLECTING A new Pensacola Museum of Art exhibit runs through Sept. 29 featuring highlights of PMA's permanent collection at 407 S. Jefferson St. Details are available at pensacolamuseum.org.

SILENT BOOK CLUB AT BODACIOUS Sundays are for quietly reading at Bodacious

Bookstore & Café, 110 E. Intendencia St. Join the Silent Book Club 10-11 a.m. Sundays. Details are at facebook.com/bodaciousbookstore.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL This exhibit is on view through July 15 at Quayside Gallery, 17 E. Zaragoza St.

PENSACOLA ROSE SOCIETY Monthly meetings are normally 6 p.m. the second Monday of the month at the Pensacola Garden Center, 1850 N. Ninth Ave. Visit pensacolarosesociety.org for more information.

BTB COMEDY Watch live standup comedy in open mic style 7 p.m. Mondays at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox. Follow BTB Comedy on Facebook for updates.

KINGS AND QUEENS OPEN MIC COMEDY

The floor is open for standups 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Tuesdays at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

COMEDY SHOWCASE AT SUBCULTURE

BTB Comedy presents a comedy showcase the first Thursday monthly at Subculture Art Gallery, 701 N. V St. Follow facebook.com/pensacolasubculture for updates.

SCRIPTEASERS Join writers at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St., for Scripteasers every month. Visit pensacolalittletheatre.com for details.

PALAFOX MARKET Enjoy Palafox Market 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. The event features local farmers, artists and crafters on North and South Palafox Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza and Plaza Ferdinand. For updates, visit facebook. com/downtownpensacola.

CABARET DRAG SHOWCASE AT AMERICAN LEGION POST #193 Don't miss Cabaret Drag Showcase every second and fourth Saturday at the American Legion Post #193, 2708 N. 12th Ave. Doors open at 8 p.m. Showtime is 10 p.m. For more information, contact show director Taize Sinclair-Santi at taizesinclairsanti@ gmail.com.

SPIRITS OF SEVILLE QUARTER GHOST TOUR AND LUNCHEON Dine inside Pen -

a&e happenings

sacola's oldest and most haunted restaurant and investigate the spirits with actual paranormal equipment at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $12 and include a voucher toward Seville Quarter's menu. Tours are held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 2-4 p.m. Sundays. Make an appointment by calling (850) 941-4321.

AFTER

DARK: SEVILLE QUARTER GHOSTS, MURDER, MAYHEM AND MYSTERY TOUR AND DINNER After Dark Paranormal Investigation and Dinner happens inside one of Pensacola's most haunted restaurants with actual ghost-hunting equipment 6-8 p.m. Sundays. Listen as your guide weaves tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities, history and more related to Seville Quarter and downtown Historic Pensacola. Following your ghost tour, enjoy dinner at Seville Quarter Palace Café, 130 E. Government St. Reservations are required. Call (850) 941-4321. Tickets are available at pensacolaghostevents.com.

BODY, MIND, SPIRIT MARKET AT EVER'MAN

Local vendors, artisans, holistic practitioners, speakers and more come together 10 a.m.-4 p.m. the first Saturday of the month at Ever'man Downtown, 315 W. Garden St. This is a free indoor and outdoor event with door prizes, entertainment and children's activities. For a vendor table, call (850) 941-4321 or go to empowermentschoolhouse.com.

FOOD + DRINKS

VIVA LA FRANCE WINE AND FOOD EVENT

A Bastille Day wine and food tasting is 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 14 at Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox St. Cost is $75 a person and includes four wines and five courses. Seating is limited. Reserve your spot by calling (850) 469-9898 or visiting jacksonsrestaurant.com.

BREAKFAST AT WIMBELDON Seville Quarter invites all its tennis-loving friends to celebrate "Breakfast at Wimbledon" and watch the oldest tennis tournament in the world 8 a.m. Sunday, July 14 ay Lilli Marlenes at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Visit sevillequarter.com for details.

COOKING WITH CHEF IRV MILLER This class will feature dishes inspired by Florida regional ingredients and small farmers. Classes are 5 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17 at Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox St. Cost is $55 a person. Reservations are required. Make yours by emailing jessica@goodgrits.com or calling (850) 686-3149.

BIERGARTEN LUAU Tropical beverages, Hula dancers, Hawaiian food plates and limbo is 4-10 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. Details are at facebook.com/ garysbrew.

O'RILEY'S IRISH PUB 11TH ANNIVERSARY Celebrate 11 years of O'Riley's Irish Pub on Saturday, July 20 at 321 S. Palafox St. There will be

drink specials, a live DJ from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and a balloon drop at 11 p.m. Event is open to people 21 years and older. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

GREEN THUMB WINE TASTINGS Join Green Thumb Wines for a wine tasting 6-8 p.m. every first Friday of the month at 9 E. Gregory St. Cost is $15, which can be applied to a bottle purchase of your choice. For more information and tickets, visit greenthumbwines.com/collections/events.

MEN'S NIGHT AT WISTERIA From 3 p.m. to close Mondays, guys can play free darts and enjoy $6 craft tallboys. There are more than 150 craft beers to choose from. Wisteria is located at 3803 N. 12th Ave. Visit wisteriatavern.com for details.

FIGHTER GAME NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S Gamers unite 5 p.m.-close Mondays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

SIN NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S SIN Night is 11 p.m. to close Mondays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

TRIVIA NIGHT AND SIN Trivia is 9-10:30 p.m. Mondays, and SIN is 11 p.m.-3 a.m. at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar. com for details.

BINGO NIGHT AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS Play a game (or two) of Bingo 6-8 p.m. Mondays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670

Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

DOUBLE MONDAYS Enjoy Double Mondays 8 p.m. to midnight and SIN Night 11 p.m. to close at O'Riley's Tavern, 3728 Creighton Road. Details are at orileystavern.com.

75 CENT OYSTERS AT ATLAS Enjoy 75-cent oysters 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays at Atlas Oyster House, 600 S. Barracks St. For more information, visit greatsouthernrestaurants.com.

MUSIC BINGO Test your music knowledge 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at Wisteria, 3808 N. 12th Ave. Take part in half-price bottles of wine and $5 canned cocktails. Visit wisteriatavern.com for details.

POKER NIGHT AND BINGO AT O'RILEY'S Visit O'Riley's Irish Pub for poker starting at 6:30 p.m. and bar bingo 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays at 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

LUNCH AT THE DISTRICT The District Steakhouse, 130 E. Government St., is open for special lunch seatings on the third Friday of the month. Enjoy a $5 martini or house wine. Seatings are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations are accepted but not necessary. Details are available at districtsteaks.com.

DOLLAR NIGHT Enjoy Dollar Night 8 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays, at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar.com for details.

a&e happenings

SECOND TUESDAY THEMED TRIVIA Visit

Perfect Plain Brewing Co. for themed trivia nights 7-9 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at 50 E. Garden St. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for details.

DOLLAR NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S Dollar Night is 8 p.m. to midnight Wednesdays at O'Riley's Tavern, 3728 Creighton Road. Details are at orileystavern.com.

TRIVIA AT O'RILEY'S Test your trivia knowledge 8-10 p.m. Wednesdays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

TRIVIA AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS

Take part in trivia nights 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

SIPPIN' IN SUNDRESSES LADIES' NIGHT

AT FELIX'S Pop-up shops, pink drink specials and live music is 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar, 400 Quietwater Beach Drive.

PITCHERS AND TAVERN TRIVIA Get deals on pitchers 8 p.m. to midnight at O'Riley's Tavern. Trivia is 9 -11 p.m. Thursdays at 3728 Creighton Road. Visit orileystavern.com for details.

DOLLAR NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S Dollar Night with a DJ starts 8 p.m. Thursdays at O'Riley's

Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

TRIVIA UNDER THE TREES Trivia is 6 p.m. Thursdays at Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave. Visit wisteriatavern.com for details.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT

Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back by popular demand 7-9 p.m. Thursdays at 208 Newman Ave. Test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

TRIVIA AT SIR RICHARD'S Flex your trivia knowledge 8-10 p.m. Fridays at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

POKER NIGHT AT SIR RICHARDS'S Poker

Night is 6 p.m. Saturdays at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E Cervantes St. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

WEEKLY SATURDAY BRUNCH Brunch is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

SHAMROCK SATURDAY Shamrock Saturday is 9 p.m. Saturdays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

FREE POOL AND BAR BINGO AT O'RILEY'S TAVERN Enjoy free pool all day and play bar

bingo 9-11 p.m. Sundays at O'Riley's Tavern, 3728 Creighton Road. Details are at orileystavern.com.

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT CAFÉ SINGLE FIN

Partake in brunch specials, full café menu, espressos and bottomless mimosas until 1 p.m. Sundays at Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. Live music begins at 10 a.m. Visit cafesinglefin. com for details.

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT ATLAS OYSTER

HOUSE Sunday Brunch is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays at Atlas Oyster House, 600 S. Barracks St. View menus at atlasoysterhouse.com.

LIVE MUSIC

BANDS ON THE BEACH Weekly concert series is 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. July 16 is On the Rox and July 23 is Stormfolk. For details, visit visitpensacolabeach. com/whats-happening-bands-on-beach.

LIVE MUSIC AT FIVE SISTER'S Five Sisters

Blues Café is located at 421 W. Belmont St.

•John Wheeler 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 11

•The Flavors 6-10 p.m. Friday, July 12

•Glen Parker 6-10 p.m. Saturday, July 13

•Curt Bol 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, July 14

•John Wheeler 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 16

•John Wheeler 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 18

ABOUT TO SWEAT Show is 7 p.m. Friday, July 12 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $10 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

FREAKY, MORBEATO, NOXIOUS, SILENTSYN, AND V-TRAIN Show is 8 p.m. Saturday, July 13 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets are at thehandlebar850.com.

DANNY WORSNOP WITH JERICHO ROSE Show is 6 p.m. Sunday, July 14 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $20-$25 and available at thehandlebar850.com

THE MOSS Show is 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $23$26 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

THE VOMIT SPOTS Show is 7 p.m. Thursday, July 18 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $10 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

BEN LOFTIN'S BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT

Enjoy Ben Loftin's Birthday Blowout with Tyler Livingston & The Absolutes, Jordan Chase and Golden Hours. Event is 7 p.m. Friday, July 19 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $15-$20 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

GLORY OF THIS Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $20 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

THE M-80S EXPLOSIVE '80S ROCK Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Cost is $20. Tickets available at vinylmusichall.com.

a&e happenings

BOYS LIKE GIRLS Show is 7 p.m. Sunday, July 21 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Cost is $35. Tickets are available at vinylmusichall.com.

PENSACOLA PICK NIGHT AT ODD COLONY

Music pickers of all levels are invited to play 7-9 p.m. every last Monday of the month at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Bring your acoustic instrument and jam. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for details.

TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUAR-

TER Enjoy smooth jazz with Melodious Allen and The Funk Heads on Tuesday nights at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Visit sevillequarter. com for more information.

KARAOKE AT O'RILEY'S UPTOWN Sing your heart out 8 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays at O'Riley's Uptown, 3728 Creighton Road. Visit orileystavern.com for details.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT GARY'S BREWERY

Open mic night is hosted by Renee Amelia 6 p.m. every other Wednesday at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave. Visit facebook.com/ garysbrew for details.

KARAOKE AT THE HANDLEBAR Karaoke is 9 p.m. Wednesdays at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Visit thehandlebar850.com for details.

KARAOKE AT WISTERIA Wisteria Tavern hosts karaoke 7 p.m. Wednesdays at 3808 N. 12th Ave. Details are at wisteriatavern.com.

WHISKEY WEDNESDAY KARAOKE Karaoke starts 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar.com for details.

KARAOKE NIGHTS AT SIR RICHARD'S

Bring your singing talents Monday and Thursday nights at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Festivities are 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

HAPPY HOUR LIVE MUSIC AT O'RILEY'S Drink specials and live music are 4-7 p.m. Fridays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

LIVE MUSIC ON THE PATIO AT SIR RICHARD'S Enjoy live music outside 8-11 p.m. Fridays at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

SUNDAY KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS

Karaoke starts 9 p.m. Sunday at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar.com for details.

KARAOKE NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S IRISH PUB

Karaoke is 8 p.m.-midnight Sundays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Details are at orileyspub.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT CALVERT'S Listen to live music 5-8 p.m. Sundays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. Visit facebook.com/calvertsintheheights for details.

FITNESS + RECREATION

BLUE WAHOOS GAMES Take in a baseball game at the Blue Wahoos stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. For single, group or VIP tickets, visit bluewahoos.com.

Upcoming home games:

•6:05 p.m. Friday, July 19

•6:05 p.m. Saturday, July 20

•4:05 p.m. Sunday, July 21

BIKE NIGHT Bike Pensacola's next Bike Night is 6 p.m. Thursday, July 11 with a community bike ride leaving from Emerald Republic Brewing, 1414 W. Government St. After the ride, bikers can convene for socialization and beer. Information is at facebook.com/bikepensacola.

DOYLE SHREDFEST Skateboarding jam and contest is noon-4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11 at Blake Doyle Skatepark, 501 N. Hayne St. All proceeds go to Kick Flips for a Cure and Skateistan.

RUNNING OF THE BULLS The 13th annual Running of the Bulls is 9 a.m. Saturday, July 20 at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. This year's event benefits West Florida Roller Derby. More information is available at facebook.com/ bullrunpensacola.

MONSTER JAM Monster Jam is the weekend of July 20-21 at Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. Tickets are available at pensacolabaycenter.com.

OCEAN HOUR WEEKLY CLEANUPS

Ocean Hour Pensacola hosts weekly cleanups 7:45-9 a.m. Saturdays. On July 13, the locations are Chimney Park and Sanders Beach. Follow Ocean Hour at facebook.com/oceanhourfl for more details and locations.

YOGA UNCORKED AT 5ELEVEN Yoga classes are 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at 5eleven, 511 S. Palafox St., with Disko Lemonade running the yoga class. Register for the class at diskolemonade.com.

YOGA WITH MARNI AT HA-YA Visit Ha-Ya Wellness for integrative yoga with Marni 10 a.m. the first and third Saturday of the month at 4301 Spanish Trail Road. Visit facebook.com/asherandbeeapothecary for more information.

SIP AND STRETCH YOGA Yoga class for all levels Sundays through 2024 at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. Class starts at 11:45 a.m. Cost is $18 for a one-hour class followed by a complimentary beverage. Visit facebook.com/ garysbrew for details.

HOOK, LINE & SINKER MONTHLY FISHING SEMINAR SERIES Hot Spots

Charters hosts a monthly free fishing seminar the first Monday every month at Flounder's Chowder House, 800 Quietwater Beach Road on Pensacola Beach. A free fish dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. with the seminar at 7 p.m. and typically lasting about an hour. Visit facebook.com/ hlsseminar for details.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

free will astrology

WEEK OF JULY 11

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): I trust your intuition has been guiding you to slow down and disappear from the frenzied, agitated bustle everyone seems addicted to. I hope you have afforded yourself the luxury and privilege of exulting in the thrill of doing absolutely nothing. Have you been taking long breaks to gaze lovingly up at the sky and listen to music that moves you to tears? Have you been studying the children and animals in your life to learn more about how to thrive on non-goal-oriented fun? Have you given your imagination permission to fantasize with abandon about wild possibilities? Homework: Name three more ways to fuel your self-renewal.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Actor Carrie Fisher put a strong priority on being both amusing and amused. For her, almost everything that happened was tolerable, even welcome, as long as it was entertaining. She said, "If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true, and that's unacceptable." I recommend you experiment with those principles, Taurus. Be resourceful as you make your life as humorously interesting as possible. If you do, life will conspire to assist you in being extra amused and amusing.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): As you charge into the upcoming period of self-reinvention, don't abandon and forget about your past completely. Some of your old emotional baggage might prove useful and soulful. A few of your challenging memories may serve as robust motivators. On the other hand, it will be healthy to leave behind as much oppressive baggage and as many burdensome memories as possible. You are launching the next chapter of your life story. Travel as lightly as you can.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Even though you and I were both born under the sign of Cancer the Crab, I have a taboo against advising you to be like me. I love my life, but I'm not so naïve or arrogant as to think what has worked for me will also work for you. Now, however, I will make a temporary exception to my policy. Amazingly, the astrological omens suggest you will flourish in the coming weeks by being at least somewhat like me. Therefore, I invite you to experiment with being kind and sensitive, but also cheerfully irreverent

By Rob Brezsny

and tenderly wild. Be on the lookout for marvels and miracles, but treasure critical thinking and rational analysis. Don't take things too personally or too seriously, and regard the whole world as a holy gift. Be gratefully and humbly in awe as you tune into how beautiful and wonderful you are.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Over 3,700 years ago, a craftsperson living in what's now Israel fashioned a comb from an elephant's tusk. It was a luxury item with two sides, one used to smooth hair tangles and the other to remove lice. On the handle of the ivory tool is an inscription: "May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard." This is the oldest known sentence ever written in Canaanite, a language that created the world's first alphabet. In some ways, then, this comb is a precious object. It is unspeakably ancient evidence of a major human innovation. In another way, it's mundane and prosaic. I'm nominating the comb to be a symbol for your story in the coming weeks: a blend of monumental and ordinary. Drama may emerge from the routine. Breakthroughs may happen amid daily matters.

which makes its own magic; but we can enchant ourselves by paying deep attention." I'm telling you this, dear Libra, because you now have exceptional power to pay deep attention and behold far more than usual of the world's magic. It's the season of enchantment for you. I invite you to be daring and imaginative as you probe for the delightful amazements that are often hidden just below the surface of things. Imagine you have the superpower of X-ray vision.

they haven't been able to give themselves or get anywhere else. Please be aware this may not always be a smooth and simple exchange. Some folks might be demanding. Others may absorb and integrate your effects in ways that are different from your intentions. But I still think it's worthwhile for you to offer your best efforts. You could be a force for healing and benevolence.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Some astrologers assert Virgos are modest, humble and reluctant to shine. But a Virgo New Yorker named Ashrita Furman provides contrary evidence. His main activity in life is to break records. He holds the Guinness world record for having broken the most Guinness world records. His first came in 1979, when he did 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then, he has set hundreds of records, including the fastest time running on stilts, longest time juggling objects underwater and most times jumping rope on a pogo stick. I propose to make him your spirit creature for the coming weeks. What acts of bold self-expression are you ready to make, Virgo? What records are you primed to break?

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Libran author Diane Ackerman said, "We can't enchant the world,

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): If I'm reading the astrological omens correctly, you are amid major expansion. You are reaching further, opening wider and dreaming bigger. You are exploring frontiers, entertaining novel possibilities and daring to transcend your limitations and expectations. And I am cheering you on as you grow beyond your previous boundaries. One bit of advice: Some people in your life may find it challenging to follow you freely into your new territory. They may be afraid you're leaving them behind, or they may not be able to adjust as fast as you wish. I suggest you give them some slack. Allow them to take the time they need to get accustomed to your growth.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sagittarian actor Jeff Bridges has wise words for you to heed: "If you wait to get all the information you think you need before you act, you'll never act because there's an infinite amount of information out there." I think this advice is especially apropos for you right now. Why? Because you will thrive on making strong, crisp decisions and undertaking strong, crisp actions. The time for pondering possibilities must give way to implementing possibilities.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): People may be attracted to you in the coming weeks because they unconsciously or not-so-unconsciously want to be influenced, stirred up and even changed by your presence. They hope you will be the catalyst or medicine they need. Or maybe they want you to provide them with help

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Sometimes when gifts arrive in our lives, they're not recognized as gifts. We may even mistake them for obstacles. In a worst-case scenario, we reject and refuse them. I am keen on helping you avoid this behavior in the coming weeks, Aquarius. In the oracle you're now reading, I hope to convince you to expand your definition of what gifts look like. I will also ask you to widen the range of where you search for gifts and to enlarge your expectations of what blessings you deserve. Now please meditate on the following riddles: 1. a shadow that reveals the hidden light; 2. a twist that heals; 3. a secret that no longer wants to be secret; 4. a shy ally who will reward your encouragement; 5. a boon that's barely buried and just needs you to scrape away the deceptive surface.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Lake Baikal in Russia is the world's deepest, oldest and largest lake by volume. It contains more than 22% of the fresh surface water on the planet. I propose we make this natural marvel your prime symbol for the next 11 months. At your best, you, too, will be deep, fresh and enduring. And like Lake Baikal, you will be exceptionally clear. Its underwater visibility reaches 120 feet. P.S. Thousands of plant and animal species thrive in this vital hub. I expect you will also be a source of richly diverse life, dear Pisces.

HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: Enjoy free articles and audios from my new book: https://bit.ly/ lovelifegifts {in}

freewillastrology.com newsletter.freewillastrology.com freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com © 2024 Rob Brezsny

news of the weird

SAW THAT COMING Rolling Stone reported on July 2 that prolific baby daddy and host of "The Masked Singer" Nick Cannon has recently insured his "most valuable assets" for $10 million. "You hear about, like, all these different celebrities insuring their legs ... so I was like, 'Hey, well, I got to insure my most valuable body part,'" Cannon said. Even better, the "Ball-to-Ball" policy was taken out with Dr. Squatch, a men's grooming company that invites users to find the "value of their balls." The father of 12 (with five different mamas) said he's "doubling down on ... my future kids."

RECENT ALARMING HEADLINE A sinkhole 100 feet wide and 100 feet deep opened up on June 26, smack-dab in the middle of a soccer complex in Alton, Illinois, The Telegraph reported. The fields are built over an operating limestone mine; the field collapsed above the ceiling of the mine, which is 40 to 50 feet thick. Alton Parks and Recreation Director Michael Haynes said the fields were empty and no one was injured in the collapse, including miners. Along with the artificial turf, the hole sucked up benches and a light pole on the field.

NEWS THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE On June 24 in a federal by-election in Toronto, Canada, candidate Felix-Antoine Hamel, 45, made history: He received zero votes. The CBC reported that Hamel was approached by a friend to add his name to the ballot, one of the longest in Canadian history, as part of a protest against Canada's electoral system. "Well, I am the true unity candidate," Hamel said. "Everyone agrees not to vote for me." Hamel couldn't even vote for himself, as he is from Montreal, not Toronto. "I'm one of the last people that would be expected to make Canadian history in any way," the musician said.

•Jillian Uygun, 22, of Seminole, Florida, just wanted a cuddle from her boyfriend on June 29, The Smoking Gun reported. But when he refused her, they argued about the "victim's disinterest," police said. The next morning, Uygun repeatedly tried to snuggle with the boyfriend—then allegedly took it up a notch, grabbing his chest hair, scratching his face, biting him on the forehead and breaking his phone. She was arrested for domestic battery, and a judge ordered her to have no contact with her cuddle-resistant boyfriend.

EWWWWW! Residents of Pomfret, Connecticut, ended their day on a crappy note on June 25, WVIT-TV reported. That evening, a manure truck rolled over in an intersection, hitting another car and spilling its stinky load. "It was literally a waterfall of brown," said Ann Bedard, whose house lies at the intersection where the crash occurred. "It just flooded down our property." Workers cleaned up the several inches of manure; the truck also spilled fuel and hydraulic fluid, but the fire department declared no immediate safety threat and said the water was safe to use.

NEW WORLD ORDER A two-person crew from DroneUp, a commercial drone services company

By

Editors at Andrews McMeel

that is partnering with Walmart in Florida, was demonstrating the delivery service on June 26 in The Overlook at Lake Louisa in Lake County, Florida, when they heard a loud pop, ClickOrlando reported. They believed what they heard was a gunshot, so the crew and the drone high-tailed it back to Walmart, where deputies met them. The drone had a bullet hole in its payload area; officers returned to the neighborhood, where they discovered 72-year-old Dennis Winn. Winn told them he had been working on his swimming pool pump when the drone flew over; he shot it with a 9mm handgun because he suspected drones had been surveilling him in the past. As he was arrested, he shouted to a neighbor that he was being taken into custody for shooting a drone. Winn faces multiple charges; the drone sustained about $2,500 in damage.

CRIME REPORT Outside the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Queens, New York, on June 30, surveillance video captured an SUV taxi driving up, parking and disgorging the driver around 5:30 a.m., the New York Post reported. The man was then seen removing a shoe and using it to batter statues of Mary and Joseph, which were unharmed, before turning his footwear on a child Jesus statue and decapitating it. The vandal returned to his car, shoe in hand, and drove away. Father Sean Suckiel said the statue, which "holds special meaning to many in our parish," had stood at the church for 42 years, and repairing it will cost $20,000.

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION The 8th House District in Eugene, Oregon, held a primary election in late June, with two contenders, Lisa Fragala and Doyle Canning, receiving the same number of votes (seven), the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. Both are Democrats, but since there was no Republican candidate in the race, one of them could have claimed the Republican nomination—theoretically. State law requires that a tie be broken by a roll of the dice or a coin toss, so the deputy election director, Luke Belant, prepared to flip the coin. Canning won the toss, but strangely, she is ineligible under the state's "sore-loser law"; because she lost the Democratic primary, she was unable to accept the nomination of any other party. Therefore, Fragala will be the only person on the ballot in November unless the Republican Party chooses a candidate. "The lesson here for any political party is to field a candidate," Canning said.

LOW EXPECTATIONS On July 29, Michael Patrick Fleming, 41, entered the Chase bank branch in Lady Lake, Florida, and handed the teller a withdrawal slip, The Smoking Gun reported. Fleming did not have an account at the bank and requested just 1 cent; he later told officers his plan was to get the penny, then "sit in the chair and wait for law enforcement." His goal was to be arrested—and it worked. Fleming was charged with felony robbery and held on $5,000 bond. {in}