Tallahassee Democrat from Tallahassee, Florida • A1

Earth Fare in Tallahassee the orga- nic grocery 20th location and in Florida is included in a compa- nywide liquidation that will close all of its 50 stores. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Earth Fare announced its plans in a press release Monday and said its em- ployees were of impending closure of the stores and cor- porate Fare has been proud to serve the natural and organic grocery market, and the decision to begin the process of closing our stores was not entered into the company said in a state- ment. like to thank our Team Members for their commitment and de- dication to serving our customers, and our vendors and suppliers for their part- In 2010, the local Earth Fare opened Earth Fare is the third grocery chain to close or seek a buyer in recent weeks, The Wall Street Journal has reported. J. MILES SENTINEL Earth Fare closing in companywide liquidation the latest grocery store struggle in capital city TaMaryn Waters Tallahassee Democrat USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA See EARTH FARE, Page 4A TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TALLAHASSEE.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK KC is capable of being next dynasty Sports, 1B Volume 115 No.

35 Home delivery pricing inside Subscribe 800-999-2271 $2.50 Promoting democracy since 1905 Get headlines delivered to your inbox by visiting Tallahassee.com/newsletters Closing arguments in impeachment trial aimed at voters, posterity. 7A Weather High Low Mostly cloudy. Forecast, 8B QBCEAJ-01050u The Florida Commission on Ethics took a rare step in changing an admin- istrative law recommended $1 in favor of $1,500 against a former Midway mayor who voted to appoint her cousin to step into her role whenever she perform her du- ties. If the purpose of a is deter future disobedience of the the commission ruled in its decision, made public last week, then issu- ance of a merely nominal penalty is not The decision wraps up an ethics case that began with complaints by residents of Midway against their former mayor, Wanda Range, in 2017 and 2018. had it happen two or three times when they changed the said Mark Herron, a Tallahassee attor- ney who represented Range.

up to the governor at the end of the day to accept this or Speaking for the higher Com- missioner Willie Meggs the former longtime state attorney for the Big 2nd Judicial Circuit, which in- cludes Midway said the city of 3,000 about 15 miles west of Tallahassee has always had problems. can assure you that if you are not on the city commission today, you will be on it Meggs said, adding there is constant, constant up- heaval in the city of Midway. You can win over there with your family members in one election very easily, so I could see this (kind of) case coming back to us in the near The commission last April found probable cause meaning it is more likely than not that a violation oc- curred that Range violated the anti-nepotism law. She voted to appoint her cousin Sam Stevens, already a council mem- ber, as mayor pro tem. The title means he takes over whenever out of town, for instance.

The residents of Midway elect the From $1 to $1,500: Cost of alleged nepotism goes up Wanda Range accused of misconduct Jeffrey Schweers Tallahassee Democrat USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA See MIDWAY, Page 4A Gary Fitzgerald spent 40 years building handcrafted log homes in the forested rural towns of Minnesota. So, when Hurricane Michael battered Pan- ama City Beach, where he and his wife, Mar- ianne, have been snowbirds for the past 15 years, the 77-year-old knew he had to lend a hand cutting through storm debris. Gary has spent days using his chain saw to split uprooted trees blocking homes and top- pled upon roofs. The recovery group for which he volunteered, Mission850, estimates Gary has spent 300 hours lending a hand last win- ter and this one combined. Besides the Bay County enclaves of Lynn Haven and Youngstown, Gary headed to Mar- ianna, Blountstown and Wewahitchka, where Mission850 matched him with homeowners still struggling to clean debris from their yards.

damage all over. a Gary said. Marianne, 76, who gets to know the fam- ilies while Gary works in the yard, called the lingering damage such a need. Still, a need to listen to she said. still need to talk about what going She recalled a newly engaged woman try- ing to clear the lot of her mobile home, where she had planned to move after getting mar- ried.

whole thing was just one big snarl of Marianne recalled. that lady, even though she had health problems, she came out and worked with Gary without his own injuries. these trees down and cutting them up in blocks near as easy as cutting a cabin log or because in Florida, you have vines and some of them have thorns on he said. got really scratched and cut up from these miserable vines. easy to fall, Recently, he hurt his arm while working in Marianna so, taking the week But he plans to keep going.

To escape the harsh winters and feet of damage all over. a See HELP, Page 4A Gary Fitzgerald pictured with his chain saw in front of the condominium complex in Panama City Beach where he stays during the winter. PATTI CITY NEWS HERALD Florida snowbird on a mission after Michael Nada Hassanein Tallahassee Democrat USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA Marianne, who gets to know the families while Gary works in the yard, called the lingering damage.