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by Inweekly
JESSICA SIMPSON The Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce has hired the local native as its new vice president of Membership Services. In previous roles, Simpson has worked as the executive director of the Health and Hope Clinic of Pensacola and executive director of the Pensacola chapter of the American Cancer Society. Through these roles, Simpson gained skills in fundraising for large and small corporate events, grant writing, nonprofit management, volunteer recruitment and event planning. Simpson currently serves as a board member of the nonprofit Crowned for Ashes.
LEROY WILLIAMS The Brownsville Community Center coordinator is launching a new performing arts club beginning Tuesday, March 28. The club is open to youth ages 8-18, and participants will learn voice and dance movements, acting techniques, improvisation and musical theatre basics. The club will also perform several complete productions for the public. Pre-registration is open now-March 28. An accomplished playwright, Williams said, "Our mission is to promote an appreciation and understanding of the performing arts by producing various forms of entertainment for our community and, most importantly, have fun doing it."
JOSEPH LADAPO The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want DeSantis' surgeon general to stop disproportionately focusing on the few examples of adverse effects from the COVID vaccine. They urge him to recognize that more than 13 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given around the world "with little evidence of widespread adverse events." In a letter to Ladapo, the federal agencies wrote his claims about an increase in risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines were "incorrect, misleading and could be harmful to the American public." They also reminded him that reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination do not mean that a vaccine caused the event.
TAMMY NICHOLS Last month, the Idaho state senator introduced a bill banning mRNA vaccines that prevent COVID but introduced last week a nearly identical bill to allow farmers to use it for their livestock. Nichols wants to jail doctors, not veterinarians.
MILITARY ACADEMIES
The Northwest Florida chapter of the National Association of Social Workers named Mike Kimberl its Public Citizen of the Year; IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area its Organization of the Year; Jacqueline Garrick, LCSW its Social Worker of the Year; and Honor Mosley Bell III its Student Social Worker of the Year.
SOCIAL WORKER AWARDS
MISS ROSE DYNASTY PAGEANT The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts forced the drag pageant to relocate to a Kissimmee resort at the last minute over a surprise age restriction, and the event raised more money than ever for the nonprofit it funds, according to organizers. The state had threatened the downtown Orlando arts center's liquor license over complaints that minors, although accompanied by adults, were permitted to watch the show. The drag show raised over $28,000 for the Rose Dynasty Foundation, which offers mentorship and support to LGBTQ youths.
The Pentagon's biannual report on sexual assault at U.S. military academies found reports of unwanted sexual contact increased 18% for the 2021-22 school year, a dramatic increase from previous years. One in five female students self-identified unwanted sexual contact in the last year—an increase from 16% in 2018 to 21.4%—while reports from male students almost doubled. The data is particularly troubling given that most instances of sexual assault go underreported.
CALIFORNIA MIGRATION
In his speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California earlier this month, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that Californians were flocking to the Sunshine State. He declared, "If you look over the last four years, we've witnessed a great American exodus from states governed by leftist politicians imposing leftist ideology and delivering poor results." However, only about 29,000 California residents, not even one-tenth of 1% of the state's population, moved to Florida in 2021 and 2022. Our governor needs to understand that fact-checking gets more rigorous when he travels out of Florida.
