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Farmworkers Fast Outside Publix Headquarters in Lakeland

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LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) —  Florida farmworkers and their supporters are staging a fast outside Publix Super Markets headquarters in Lakeland.

The fast organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers started Monday and will last through Saturday.

The coalition wants Publix to join a program that supports pay increases for tomato pickers and prevents human rights violations against farmworkers.

Whole Foods Market, McDonald’s and other larger corporate buyers of Florida tomatoes have joined the program.

A spokeswoman for Publix says the company is willing to pay the extra money for the tomatoes but that the issue is between farmworkers and growers. Shannon Patten says the super market chain doesn’t get involved in disputes between outside employers and their workers.

But coalition spokesman Marc Rodrigues says Publix wouldn’t be doing that by joining the program.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.



Best Bets For Kosher Food In Tampa

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Eating kosher can be difficult if you don’t know where to find quality markets and restaurants. Fortunately, the Tampa Bay area has a selection of kosher restaurants that are serving up anything your taste buds might desire, whether it’s a Jewish-style breakfast platter, a simple pastrami sandwich or creamy frozen yogurt. Check out some of these popular Tampa Bay favorites and sample some of the kosher creations.
pastramiandrye Best Bets For Kosher Food In Tampa

(credit: Thinkstock)

Jo-El’s Kosher Deli
2619 23rd Avenue N
St. Petersburg FL 33713
(727) 321-3847
www.joelskosher.com

Hours: Mon – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tues to Thurs – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Jo-El’s takes kosher seriously – so seriously that the restaurant is under the supervision of the Vaad Hakashrut of Pinellas County. Half restaurant and half butcher shop, this place knows how to deliver high-quality deli meats. In addition to kosher meats and poultry, Jo-El’s also serves hot dogs and an assortment of seafood favorites, including hand sliced nova, whitefish salad and Norwegian salmon. Round off your meal with some fresh rye bread or New York-style potato salad.

potatolatke Best Bets For Kosher Food In Tampa

(credit: Thinkstock)

Nosh A Rye
23 Avenue of the Flowers
Longboat Key, FL 34228
(941) 387-9300 

Hours: Mon to Sat – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun – 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nosh A Rye is a New York-style deli that doesn’t scrimp on quality or portion sizes. Mounds of kosher meat are piled high on homemade rye bread, soups are made from scratch and breads and pastries are baked in-house. If you want to try something traditional with a bit of a twist, order the Edward G. Robinson sandwich. Corned beef is piled on a hot, split potato latke and served with applesauce or sour cream. Nosh A Rye also offers a children’s menu that features kid-friendly foods like kosher hotdogs and grilled cheese.

nelliesdeli Best Bets For Kosher Food In Tampa

(credit: nelliescatering.com)

Nellie’s Deli & Catering
15 S Beneva Road
Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 924-2705
www.nelliescatering.com

Hours: Mon to Fri – 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sat – 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Nellie’s Deli is an award-winning restaurant and catering service and has won numerous awards since 1991. The restaurant is open for both breakfast and lunch, and guests can choose anything from a rye bagel with butter to a nova platter for breakfast or a pastrami sandwich to a turkey Goldberg sub for lunch. Nellie’s also offers homemade soups, salads, quiche and desserts. For the health-conscious, vegetarian and gluten-free meals are also available.

Related: Tampa’s Best Vegetarian Restaurants 

sunnibunni Best Bets For Kosher Food In Tampa

(credit: sunnibunni.com)

SunniBunni Yogurt & Smoothies
1916 Bay Road
Sarasota, FL 34239
(941) 554-8744
www.sunnibunni.com

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Looking for a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth? SunniBunni operates five stores in the Tampa Bay area, serving up some of the freshest and healthiest frozen yogurt and smoothies around. SunniBunni uses real yogurt that is carefully crafted to maintain high levels of beneficial probiotic cultures, including live acidophilus. Organic, fresh, never-frozen fruit, organic fruit juices and sugar-free soy milk or almond milk are blended together with the yogurt to create a delicious, colorful and healthful meal. Protein powder is also available upon request.

matzohballsoup Best Bets For Kosher Food In Tampa

(credit: Thinkstock)

Kosher at Home

If you don’t feel like going out to eat and you want to whip up your own kosher meals at home, there are a variety of markets that offer kosher items. Kosher Kaddy, Bethlehem Market, Publix, Super Target and Whole Foods Market all keep a variety of items on their shelves for the kosher-conscious. Pick up some matzo, charoset, gefilte fish, and some fresh vegetables and create your own meal at home.

Related: Best Sushi In Tampa

Amanda Mole has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil and cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove. She believes that food provides more than just vital nutrients: it is an irreplaceable part of countless cultural and social activities. As a Tampa Bay resident for the past 21 years, she is well acquainted with the incredibly diverse range of restaurants, bars, and food festivals that the area has to offer. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.



Small Florida City Anxious To Learn Who Won The Jackpot

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ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. (AP) — It could be an anxious wait of up to two months for people in a small Florida city to find out who won the highest Powerball jackpot in history: an estimated $590.5 million.

The lucky ticket was bought sometime Saturday or earlier at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, a city of about 13,000 people best known around the state for its brand of spring water with the same name.

The winner has 60 days to claim the lump-sum cash option, estimated around $376.9 million, at the Florida Lottery’s office in Tallahassee. Under Florida law, lottery winners in the state cannot remain anonymous; their names and city of residence must be made publicly available to anyone who asks, according to the state’s lottery website. No one had come forward as of Sunday afternoon.

“It never happens this quickly,” lottery spokesman David Bishop said. “If they know they won, they’re going to contact their attorney or an accountant first so they can get their affairs in order.”

The winner wasn’t Matthew Bogel. On Sunday, he loaded groceries into his car after shopping at the Publix. He shook his head when asked about the jackpot.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” he said. “That’s so much money.”

It’s an amount too high for many to imagine. Compare it to the budget for the city of Zephyrhills: This year’s figure is just more than $49 million. The winning Powerball jackpot is 12 times that.

Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous said there are a lot of rumors about who won, but the store doesn’t know. “We’re excited for the winner or winners,” she said.

Plenty of people in Zephyrhills are wondering whether it’s someone they know.

Joan Albertson drove to the Publix early Sunday morning with her camera in hand, in case the winner emerged. She said she bought a ticket at a store across the street, and the idea of winning that much money was still something of a shock.

“Oh, there’s so much good that you could do with that amount of money.” Albertson said. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

Zephyrhills is a small city in Pasco County, about 30 miles northeast of downtown Tampa. Once a rural farming town, it’s now known as a hotbed for skydiving activity, and the home to large retiree mobile home parks and the water bottled from the natural springs that surround the area.

And now, one lucky lottery ticket.

“I’m getting text messages and messages from Facebook going, ‘uh, did you win the lottery?’” Sandra Lewis said. “No, I didn’t win, guys. Sorry.”

Sara Jeltis said her parents in Michigan texted her with the news Sunday morning.

“Well, it didn’t click until I came here,” she said, gesturing to the half-dozen TV live trucks humming in the Publix parking lot. “And I’m like, ‘Wow I can’t believe it, it’s shocking!’ Out of the whole country, this Publix, in little Zephyrhills would be the winner.”

With four out of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, lottery executives said Saturday that someone was almost certain to win the game’s highest jackpot, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars — and that’s after taxes.

The winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.

Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at around $600 million. But Powerball’s online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.

The world’s largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012.

Terry Rich, CEO of the Iowa Lottery, initially confirmed that one Florida winning ticket had been sold. He told The Associated Press that following the Florida winner, the Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.

The chances of winning the prize were astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That’s how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimated that about 80 percent of those possible combinations had been purchased recently.

The longshot odds didn’t deter people across Powerball-playing states — 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands — from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday.

Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot — people are interested in the easy investment.

“Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small,” he said. “Two dollars gets you a chance.”

Lewis, who went to the Publix on Sunday to buy water, said she didn’t play — and she isn’t upset about it.

“Life goes on,” she said, shrugging. “I’m good.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


Police: Woman Keys Crude Image Of Male Genitals Into Car, Leaves Explanatory Note

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WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. (CBS Tampa) - A local woman was arrested after police say she carved a crude image of male genitals into another person’s car.

In addition to the damage, the woman – 23-year-old Natasha Myers – left a note explaining her actions during the April 17 vandalism incident.

“”Hey I keyed your car,” the note stated, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “You didn’t stop for pedestrians as is law. Since [there was] no cop to enforce a ticket, this should cover the cost of your fine. Have a good day.”

Myers caused an estimated $1,240.13 in damage, the Times additionally learned.

The note added, “P.S. Don’t be a d—.”

The owner of the car, 63-year-old Debra Streets, went to a local Publix after finding the damage and called 911. Deputies with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office arrived soon after, and after watching the store’s surveillance footage, were reportedly able to identify Myers as the culprit.

Streets denied the allegations on the note regarding yielding to pedestrians.

Myers was subsequently arrested and remanded to the Land O’Lakes jail. As of Wednesday, she was still there in lieu of a $5,000 bail, the paper reported, and is facing a criminal mischief charge.


Woman Who Let Elderly Powerball Winner Cut In Line Doesn’t Regret Nice Gesture

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS Tampa/AP) — When Gloria C. MacKenzie went to a Florida supermarket near Tampa last month to buy a Powerball ticket, another person in line did something nice for the 84-year-old widow.

“While in line at Publix, another lottery player was kind enough to let me go ahead of them in line to purchase the winning Quick Pick ticket,” she said in a statement Wednesday.

The nice gesture turned out to be a life-changing one for MacKenzie and her family. She came forward Wednesday to claim the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history, $590 million.

The good Samaritan turned out to be 34-year-old Mindy Crandell, who was at Publix with her two daughters when she let MacKenzie cut in front of her.

Crandell tells the Tampa Bay Times that she didn’t think much of it when MacKenzie stepped in front of her in line.

“I don’t know that she was intentionally cutting, or maybe she didn’t realize she did it,” Crandell told the Times.

Crandell didn’t realize MacKenzie won until she a friend texted her the woman’s picture.

“Then I got a picture texted from a friend that said, ‘Is this the lady?’ My daughter said, ‘Mom look, it’s the lady that went in front of us,’” Crandell told WFTV.

Crandell says she is happy for MacKenzie and doesn’t regret letting her cut in line.

“I guess it was meant to be for her to be rich,” Crandell told WFTV. “My parents always taught us to have manners and be polite to our elders.”

MacKenzie, a retiree from Maine and a mother of four who lives in a modest, tin-roof house in Zephyrhills, Fla., took her prize in a lump sum of just over $370 million. After federal taxes, she is getting about $278 million, lottery officials said.

Wearing large sunglasses and dressed in a pink sweater and white pants, she clasped her son’s arm after visiting the lottery offices as they made their way to a silver Ford Focus and left quickly. She did not speak to a crowd of reporters outside the building. She was accompanied at the lottery offices by two unidentified attorneys.

MacKenzie bought the winning ticket at a Publix supermarket in the town of about 13,300, which is 30 miles northeast of Tampa. It is best known for the bottled spring water that bears its name — and now, for one of the biggest lottery winners of all time.

The $590 million was the second-largest lottery jackpot in history, behind a $656 million Mega Millions prize in March 2012, but that sum was split, with three winning tickets.

MacKenzie let the lottery computers generate the numbers at random. She said she had previously bought four other tickets for the drawing.

“We are grateful with this blessing of winning the Florida Lottery Powerball jackpot,” she said in a statement read by lottery officials. “We hope that everyone would give us the opportunity to maintain our privacy for our family’s benefit.”

The winner had 60 days to claim the prize. Lottery spokesman David Bishop said MacKenzie, her lawyers and her financial adviser spent about two hours going through the necessary paperwork.

“They had clearly been preparing for this. They took all this time to get everything in order,” Bishop said.

Minutes after the announcement, a dozen reporters in Zephyrhills were camped outside MacKenzie’s gray duplex, which backs up to a dirt alley and is across from a cow pasture.

Neighbors were surprised by her good fortune.

“She didn’t say anything about it. She’s so quiet and secluded. She’s usually in the house,” said James Hill. “I’m very happy for her. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. She was always pleasant and smiling.”

Another neighbor, Don Cecil, joked, “I hope she gets a better place to live.”

MacKenzie’s neighbors offered few details about her life. They said she mostly kept to herself, but they’d seen her take short walks along the street and exchanged pleasantries with her.

Her house, situated among mostly mobile homes and pre-fabricated houses, has a chain-link fence with a sheet-metal roof and an old TV antenna.

MacKenzie retired to Zephyrhills more than a decade ago from rural Maine with her husband, Ralph, who died in 2005.

Back in her hometown of East Millinocket, Maine, relatives and friends were surprised to hear of her good fortune.

Robert MacKenzie, Ralph’s brother, said the couple met just after World War II after Ralph got out of the Navy. He went to work in the town’s paper mill, laboring as a technician for almost four decades.

He said the couple raised four children in East Millinocket, a town of less than 2,000 people in northern Maine. A daughter and son still live in East Millinocket, another son lives in Florida and another daughter lives out of state, possibly in Massachusetts, he said.

Robert MacKenzie said he didn’t know his sister-in-law had won until a reporter called him.

“Holy mackerel,” he said when told of her winnings. He added: “It hasn’t soaked in, but I’m happy for her. That would be great because she’s a widow and she can have a nice home now.”

One of the MacKenzies’ daughters, Melinda “Mindy” MacKenzie, a high school teacher, still lives in the family home in East Millinocket in a quiet middle-class neighborhood of white clapboard houses.

Ralph MacKenzie enjoyed snowmobiling, hunting and fishing, said Andrew Hopkins, a retired high school teacher and assistant principal who taught some of the MacKenzie children.

“They were good people. That’s about all I can tell you,” said Hopkins, who lives across the street.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


Fla. Man Finds Perfectly Round Egg Now Up For Sale

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BRANDON, Fla. (CBS Tampa/AP) — A Brandon man says he plans to sell a perfectly round egg he found inside a carton he had bought at his local supermarket.

The Tampa Tribune reports that 25-year-old Carlos Vilar was making eggs for his daughter recently when he noticed the oddball egg. He says he didn’t check the carton at Publix when he bought them.

“When I saw it the next day, the first thing I did was call everybody I know,” Vilar told The Tampa Tribune. “The second thing I did was take a picture and put it on Facebook.”

Though it’s very uncommon for a chicken to lay a round egg, it’s extremely rare for that egg to land on the shelf of a grocery store. A Publix spokesman says a round egg would be an unprecedented find among the supermarket chain.

Vilar posed Thursday for a newspaper photo with the egg. He says he’s keeping it — for now — until he can sell it.

“I just keep looking at the egg and saying to myself , ‘What is this?’” Vilar shared with the paper.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 


Woman Receives More Than 300 Free Rotisserie Chickens After Taking Advantage Of Store’s Guarantee

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TAMPA, Fla. (CBS Tampa) – The Publix grocery store chain has a customer guarantee that has allowed one woman to receive more than 300 free rotisserie chickens for almost a year.

Janet Feldman explained that she has used the Publix customer guarantee, which allows customers to get an item for free if the scanned price of it exceeds the shelf or advertised price.

The 57-year-old woman drives from store to store searching for underweight rotisserie chickens so that she can get them for free after letting the store manager know.

“I’m known as the Chicken Lady,” she told the Sun Sentinel. “I could pick them blindfolded. I haven’t paid for chicken in almost a year.”

Feldman has used the policy known as the “Publix Promise” for nearly a year now because the chickens’ weight didn’t match what was on the labels.

She doesn’t consume the chicken herself, but instead works with local animal rescue organizations who use the meat to feed cats and dogs. Feldman said she would previously buy up to 30 chickens a week, the Sun Sentinel reported.

Because of the Publix Promise, Feldman received 47 underweight chickens for free from 11 stores across Broward County after she drove from store to store in a single day, she shared with The Tampa Bay Times.

Feldman has complained to managers and officials at the Publix headquarters in Lakeland about the underweight chickens.

“They promised they would do something,” she explained to the Sun Sentinel.

Publix is now going to fix the problem with the labels.

“Publix delis have been informed to weigh rotisserie chickens that seem underweight and price them appropriately, or use those chickens in other deli recipes,” Publix spokeswoman Nicole Krauss said to the Sun Sentinel.

Krauss stated that the chickens have not been weighed usually because they come in from the supplier over 2 pounds always. However, she cited that harsh storms caused the chickens to eat less because they’re cold.

She explained that it was an isolated incident that has been resolved.

Woman Walks Out Of Store With Frozen Lobster Tails Stuffed In Pants

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DELAND, Fla. (AP) — A central Florida woman faces petit theft charges after officials say she stuffed seven frozen lobster tails in her pants and walked out of a Publix supermarket without paying for them.

A loss prevention officer at the DeLand Publix told police he watched 30-year-old Nichole Ann Reed put the lobster tails into her pants on Wednesday evening. He says she walked around the store before leaving.

Police found her about an hour later. Reed told them she went to the store with the intention of stealing the lobster tails, which were valued at $83.99. According to a police report, she said she planned to trade the lobster with a friend to get either a Chinese buffet or the prescription pain medication Dilaudid.

She posted $250 bail. It wasn’t clear whether she’d obtained a lawyer.

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


Police: Mom Admits To Leaving 1-Year-Old Daughter Alone In Car 7 Times

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LEESBURG, Fla. (CBS Tampa) – A mom was arrested for allegedly leaving her infant in a hot car while she went to purchase liquor and cigarettes, and she reportedly has done it several times before.

Shannon Marie Mixer allegedly left her 1-year-old daughter in her car while she went into a Publix store and a liquor store to buy liquor and cigarettes, WESH reported.

A witness who parked next to Mixer’s car saw the child in the car and waited roughly 10 minutes before he called 911. Police explained that the witness stayed at the car for a total of 20 minutes and say she didn’t return to the vehicle in that time frame.

The child was clammy, flushed and sweating, but did not appear to be in distress, police said. They also noted that the car was uncomfortably warm in Mixer’s arrest report.

At the time of the incident, it was above 90 degrees in Lake County. At the scene, the child’s father took custody of the infant.

The 34-year-old woman allegedly told police during an interview that she wanted liquor and cigarettes.

“I wanted to go get me some liquor,” Mixer told police, according to WESH. “So I went to LJ’s and she was sleeping so I ran in. I was in there two to three minutes, ran back out to check on her, she was fine. Then I ran into Publix for some cigarettes.”

The woman also admitted to them that she has left the infant in the car unattended on at least six separate occasions, WESH reported.

Mixer has been charged with child abuse simple neglect.

Truck Containing 36,000 Pounds Of Crisco Stolen

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A truck containing 18 tons of Crisco sticks headed to a grocery store chain distribution center was stolen in a Florida city.

St. Petersburg Police say that a tractor-trailer containing the 36,000 pounds of vegetable shortening was snatched Sunday morning.

The truck was destined for a Publix distribution center in Lakeland. Authorities said the stolen tractor was a 2005 red Volvo, with a Florida tag and had the business name of “NS Express LLC on both sides of the cab. The trailer was a white Hyundai.

Crisco can be used for frying or making delicious baked goods.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

Wegmans, Publix Voted America’s Favorite Grocery Stores

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CBS Local — After dethroning four-time reigning favorite grocery store champion Trader Joe’s, Wegmans has successfully defended its crown. Well, sort of. Wegmans finished in a tie for first with Publix, and Trader Joe’s finished in third, according to a survey taken by more than 12,000 shoppers, handled by Market Force.

The top three only differ by the most granular of margins as first through third is separated by just one percent. Fourth place is H-E-B, trailing third place by seven percent, and fifth is ALDI, trailing third by eight percent.

ALDI did, however, win the category for best value for money, finishing ahead of WinCo Foods and Costco. Trader Joe’s finished atop the cashier courtesy category, followed by Publix and Wegmans.

Publix paced four of the seven categories: finishing first in fast checkouts, availability of items, ease of finding items and store cleanliness.

“When you look at the top brands, I do want to be clear that the top three — Wegmans, Publix, Trader Joe’s — they are very, very competitive,” said Cheryl Fink, Chief Strategy Officer of Market Force, via AOL. “Trader Joe’s has not gone backwards on service.”

Market Force also tested the temperature of the meal kit delivery services, such as Blue Apron, which could threaten some of the grocery stores. They found that only 11% of those surveyed tried it, and about half of them were less than satisfied.

However, this doesn’t mean that the insatiable desire for convenience is out of the picture here. Nearly double the percentage of customers tried choosing groceries online and simply picking them up in the store and an overwhelming 77% were more than satisfied.

Is that the future of the grocery store experience? Possibly.

Deaf Publix Worker Says Shopper Punched Her For Not Hearing Question

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MIDLOTHIAN, VA (CBS Local) – A Virginia supermarket employee, who has gone deaf due to a rare disease, says a woman attacked her for not responding to the shopper’s question.

Liberty Gratz has been working at the Publix in Midlothian, VA since it opened last year. Both Liberty and her twin brother Triton suffer from Usher syndrome; a disease which normally leads to partial or total hearing loss and blindness. Most patients, like Liberty, are born with severe hearing loss and slowly lose both hearing and their sight over time.

According to the young woman, who was communicating through sign language to her mother, an unidentified woman approached her on April 21 while she was stocking a shelf and apparently tried to ask a question. “All of a sudden, I felt some woman hit me in my back,” Jeanette Gratz relayed, via WTKR.

Liberty’s mother says her daughter has already lost some of her vision and had no way of knowing the shopper was nearby and asking a question. “She doesn’t have that peripheral vision, so she’s really focused on her work,” Gratz explained. The 21-year-old communicates with her family using American Sign Language (ASL), but reportedly opts to write her conversations on paper while at work.

Liberty reported the incident to her Publix co-workers; however, surveillance cameras didn’t catch her attacker as the aisle was allegedly blocked from view by a crowd of shoppers. “It was hard for me to really see her face to make sure it was the right person,” Liberty’s mother translated, via CBS17.

Liberty and her mother added that they believe the attacker took out her frustration out on the unsuspecting store worker. “I will continue to pray for them, and I hope that things get better in their life so they can be better to other people,” the family said.

In February, friends of the Gratz family started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for Liberty and Triton to go to Disney before the siblings go blind. The fundraiser has already collected over $6,000 for the twins.

Publix Refuses To Write ‘Summa Cum Laude’ On Graduation Cake

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CHARLESTON, SC (CBS Local) – A South Carolina teen had his graduation cake censored by a local supermarket after the store failed to understand what “summa cum laude” meant.

The Latin phrase commonly used in academic – meaning “with greatest honor” – was requested by Cara Koscinski for her son’s surprise graduation cake she ordered online from Publix. “Publix refused to write the words Summa Cum Laude because I was using ‘profanity!’ They put three dashes instead of the word!” Koscinski wrote in a Facebook post. More specifically, the store’s strict computer algorithm censored “cum” because it mistakenly believed the mother was using a sexually-explicit term.

Although Koscinski left special instructions with Publix, explaining what summa cum laude actually meant, bakers still omitted the middle word and replaced it with the dashes. Koscinski’s husband did not know about the controversy and picked up the cake believing there were no issues.

18-year-old Jacob, who had just finished a Christian-based home school program with a 4.79 GPA, was reportedly “humiliated” by the mistake which had to be explained to the boy’s 70-year-old grandmother during the celebration.

According to The Washington Post, the online ordering system at Publix is still blocking customers from using the academic phrase. The South Carolina store did give Jacob’s mother a refund for the $70 cake as well as a store gift card when the gaffe was taken to a Publix assistant manager.

“Maybe I should have just gotten him his favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream instead,” Koscinski added.

Parkland Shooting Survivor David Hogg Calls For ‘Die-In’ At Publix Supermarkets

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PARKLAND, FL (CBS Local) – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor turned student activist David Hogg is calling for a “die-in” at Publix Super Markets on May 25 to protest the chains political donations to a pro-gun Republican gubernatorial candidate.

Hogg called Publix an “#NRASellOut” in a May 23 tweet.

The Parkland survivor wants all of his 800,000 Twitter followers to “die-in” at Publix stores, which means lie on the ground inside the supermarkets for 12 minutes at 4 p.m. Friday.

Hogg is critical of the Florida-based chain due to its donations to Adam Putnam. The supermarket has reportedly donated $670,000 in the past three years. The former U.S. representative recently described himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and he has a top rating from the group.

Additionally, Hogg wants people to boycott the popular supermarket until the company publicly pulls their endorsement of Putnam.

Publix released a statement promoting the company’s neutral political stance.

“We support bi-partisan, business-friendly candidates, regardless of political affiliation and we remain neutral on issues outside of our core business,” the statement read.

It is not known whether protesters will be forced to leave, or be arrested, if they lie down inside Publix stores.

A May 22 release added, “We regret that some of our political contributions have led to an unintentional customer divide instead of our desire to support a growing economy in Florida. As a result of this situation, we are evaluating our processes to ensure that our giving better reflects our intended desire to support a strong economy and a healthy community.”

[H/T CBS Miami]

Man Loses $1,300 In Supermarket, Good Samaritan Returns It

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CLEARWATER, Fla. (CBS Local) – A good Samaritan in Florida made this year’s Fourth of July celebration unforgettable after returning $1,300 to a man who lost it in a local supermarket.

According to police in Pinellas County, Chris Woods went to a Publix in Clearwater in late June. The shopper reportedly dropped the large sum of cash in the store parking lot while taking his phone out of his pocket.

Although Woods believed the money was gone forever, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shared the surveillance images with the public on July 3 in the hopes someone found the cash and was willing to turn it in.

“This morning, my neighbor from across the street came over beating on the door and said, ‘Chris you were on the news. They found your money,'” Woods told a local Tampa news station.

The good Samaritan’s identity was not revealed, but Woods said he’s very blessed someone that generous found his money. “There’s good people in this world.”


Police: Woman Arrested After Hiding Stolen Meat In Her Pants

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EUSTIS, Fla. (CBS Local) – Police in Florida say a woman’s shopping trip to Publix ended in the meat department after she tried to steal several steaks by hiding them in her pants.

Police in Eustis were called to the supermarket on Aug. 6 when store security spotted Bobbie Talmadge stuffing items into her pants and her purse. The alleged shoplifter reportedly passed the cashier lines and tried to exit the Publix before she was stopped and arrested.

According to WKMG, Talmadge’s stolen junk in the trunk included “two New York strip steaks, a ribeye steak, a Porterhouse steak, T-bone steak cuts, and Publix chicken wings,” which totaled over $120. The woman also reportedly swiped two spray-on deodorants during her shopping trip.

Authorities say the woman gave officers the fake name of “Betty Blanton” before revealing her real identity. Talmadge was charged with theft and providing a false name to police.

It’s not the first time Talmadge has allegedly tried to get a five-finger discount while shopping. Eustis Police say she has been arrested 11 times on theft-related charges. Authorities did not say if those incidents also involved Talmadge’s pants.

Publix Extends Store Hours, Drops Reserved Shopping Times For Seniors & First Responders

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FLORIDA (CBS Dallas Digital – CBS Local) – Publix is expanding its hours. Starting Saturday, May 16, stores will be open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Katie Johnston reports.

 

CDC Investigation Update: Multistate Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Onions

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ATLANTA, Ga. (CW69 News at 10)

PRESS RELEASE:

CDC, several states, and FDA continue to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections linked to onions. More grocery stores and food manufacturers have recalled onions and food containing onions, and 244 more illnesses have been reported in the last week. An update is posted here: https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/newport-07-20/index.html.

Key points:

  1. If you don’t know where your onions are from, don’t eat, serve, or sell them or any food prepared with them.
  2. CDC is advising consumers, restaurants, and retailers not to eat, serve, or sell any onions from Thomson International, Inc., or food made with these onions. This advice applies to red, white, yellow, and sweet onions.
  3. Several companies have recalled onions and foods made with recalled onions, such as chicken salad, macaroni salad, fajita stir-fry, pizza, sub sandwiches, diced raw onions and peppers, and other salads. Check your homes for these recalled products and throw them away. Do not eat them or try to cook the onions or other food to make it safe.
  4. Some of the onions, chopped raw onion mixes, or prepared foods were sold at stores including Walmart, Kroger, Fred Meyer, Publix, Giant Eagle, Food Lion, and H-E-B, under a variety of brand names, including Taylor Farms and Marketside.
  5. Since our last update on July 31, 2020, an additional 244 ill people have been reported in this outbreak, including 15 from 10 new states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and West Virginia.
  6. A total of 640 ill people have now been reported from 43 states. 85 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
  7. Links to recall information for this outbreak are available on the outbreak investigation notice.
  8. You can find a list of all food safety recall notices on www.foodsafety.gov.
  9. This investigation is ongoing. CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.

CDC advises people to take action if they have symptoms of a Salmonella infection:

  1. Talk to your healthcare provider.
  2. Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
  3. Report your illness to the health department. The health department will likely call you for an interview to ask you about foods you ate in the week before you got sick.
  4. Assist public health investigators by answering questions about your illness.

About Salmonella:

  1. Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
  2. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
  3. In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body.
  4. Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.

 

Police: Florida Man Punched Senior Citizen Over Social Distancing Request

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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – A 75-year-old Daytona Beach man who recently had heart surgery was punched in the chest and knocked to the ground after asking a woman to maintain social distancing at a Publix store, police said.

The incident began Sunday evening as the man was checking out, Daytona Beach Shores police Capt. Mike Fowler said.

Read More

 

 

 

New Self-Service Registration Kiosk Installed At Tarpon Mall Publix

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PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) – Citizens renewing vehicle tags in Pinellas County have yet another option to expedite the process. Tarpon Mall Publix has a brand new self-serve kiosk to help you avoid standing in long lines at the Tax Collector’s Office.

Pinellas County Tax Collector Charles W. Thomas announced the addition of the county’s seventh self-service kiosk, located at the Tarpon Mall Publix in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The brand-new kiosk allows customers to pay by credit card and renew their vehicle registration in under two minutes.

L to R: Pinellas County Tax Collector Charles W. Thomas showing Tarpon Springs Mayor Chris Alahouzos how the self-service kiosk works. This kiosk is located at the Tax Collector’s North County branch office.
Photo Credit: Pinellas County Tax Collector

With the addition of this seventh kiosk, self-service options for registration renewals are now evenly distributed throughout the county – at Tax Collector offices and select Publix stores. The ultimate goal behind this kiosk project is to create convenient and sophisticated self-service options for as many Pinellas County residents as possible.

The kiosks can be used to renew personal automobiles, pickup trucks, motorcycles, utility trailers, and camper trailers. Customers are guided through the kiosk process by voice prompts available in English or Spanish. They are quick and easy to use, and there is a nominal 2.3% credit or debit card transaction fee included in the transaction total.

Registration renewal self-service kiosks can be found at the following locations:

Tax Collector Offices:
North County – 29399 US Hwy 19 N, Clearwater, FL 33761
Mid County – 13025 Starkey Rd, Largo, FL 33773
Gulf to Bay – 1663 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33755
South County – 2500 34th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33713

Publix Stores:
Park Boulevard Plaza – 4701 Park Blvd N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781
Bay Pointe Plaza – 5295 34th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Tarpon Mall – 40932 US Highway 19 N., Tarpon Springs 34689

For more information about the kiosks visit taxcollect.com/self-service-kiosks.

©2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ALSO IN PINELLAS COUNTY: Pinellas County Teen Saves His Father’s Life

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