MLILY Mattresses in Brunswick, GA

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Brunswick, GA— A Georgia jury today cleared three drug distributors of responsibility for the fallout from opioid abuse that 21 family members of abusers suffered, wrapping the nation’s first state court, private-plaintiff trial over the opioid epidemic. Poppell, et al. v. Cardinal Health, et al., CE19-00472.

The Glynn County Superior Court jury deliberated across two days before reaching its verdict, clearing Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation, and J M Smith Corporation against claims that they violated Georgia's Drug Dealer Liability Act and the state’s RICO statute when supplying pharmacies with opioids.

Plaintiffs, the parents, children, and siblings of opioid abusers, claim the defendants improperly distributed opioids to pharmacies, leading to abuse of the drugs and the fallout that abuse brought with it. And the month-long trial centered largely on the defendants' performance of their role in the distribution chain - receiving opioids from manufacturers and supplying them to pharmacies - and whether that led to abuse of the drugs.

During closings Monday, the plaintiffs’ attorney, Griffin Durham Tanner & Clarkson’s James Durham, told jurors evidence showed the distributors failed to establish sufficient controls in supplying the drugs. He added they ignored DEA warnings and assorted red flags that showed pharmacies filling “pill mill” and other improper prescriptions, ultimately causing a “flood” of opioids into the area and the drug abuse in the relatives of the 21 plaintiffs.

“They picked this community to dump and to flood their drugs. Durham said. “They found willing pharmacies and they turned on the faucets. Why? Because there were millions of dollars of sales to be had.”

While Durham acknowledged other players in the opioid distribution chain may be partially responsible, he argued the three distributors bore the lion’s share of the blame in this case.

“Because these three had the spigots wide open… the overwhelming, the majority of fault in this case, should be tagged to these three distributors,” Durham said.

In his closing rebuttal Tuesday, Durham suggested jurors award between roughly $8 million and $62 million in compensatory damages for each defendant and find that punitives were warranted.

But the distributors argued that they merely served to fulfill orders and that they established sufficient controls within the limitations they had. On Monday, Covington & Burling’s Andrew Stanner, representing McKesson, walked jurors through evidence he said showed the limitations on McKesson and other distributors’ roles in supplying opioids. Stanner noted distributors were unable to view individual prescriptions to distinguish between valid and suspicious orders.

“The amount of pills that get distributed, that’s a function of how many pills get prescribed by doctors,” Stanner said. “So to say it’s distributors who are responsible for the flood is contradicted by the evidence.”

Fox Rothschild’s Nicholas Salter, representing J M Smith, agreed, noting that an overall increase in opioid prescriptions had been largely driven by a changing medical standard of care that focused more on opioid use in the early part of the century. That standard of care, Salter said, stemmed from the medical community and opioid manufacturers, and made it difficult to flag potentially improper orders.

“That standard of care is what masked the problem, what made it difficult to identify, at least from where a wholesale distributor sits, the bad doctors and the doctors who were caught up in this new medical standard of care,” Salter said.

And Williams & Connolly’s F. Lane Heard III, representing Cardinal Health, reminded jurors of evidence that plaintiffs’ relatives used and abused drugs before and separate from their opioid abuse.

“They weren’t dabbling. They were living the drug life, long before they ever started using opioids,” Heard said.

The trial was the nation’s first involving private plaintiffs asserting claims for damages stemming from the opioid epidemic. Prior trials around the country involved claims by municipal and state governments.

Opioid manufacturers and distributors face thousands of claims nationwide from both public and private plaintiffs. Over the last four years, CVN has covered several opioid trials brought by government plaintiffs, including in Oklahoma, Florida, New York, and California courts. Claims brought by state governments have led to a range of results. In Oklahoma for example, a judgment for the state was ultimately thrown out by the Oklahoma State Supreme Court. A New York proceeding led to a jury verdict in favor of the state's Attorney General, while proceedings in Florida and elsewhere have ended in mid-trial settlements.

In a statement emailed to CVN after the verdict, Cardinal Health expressed its satisfaction with the verdict. "We are pleased with the jury’s decision, which confirms that a law meant to apply to street dealers of illegal drugs cannot be used in a misguided attack on DEA-registered wholesale distributors of FDA-approved medications," the Cardinal statement said. "While today’s verdict serves as the latest recognition that we did not cause the opioid crisis, we remain committed to being part of the solution."

And a McKesson statement post-verdict noted that the company is concerned about the impact of the opioid crisis. "McKesson maintains—and continuously enhances—strong programs designed to detect and prevent opioid diversion within the pharmaceutical supply chain. We only distribute controlled substances, including opioids, to DEA-registered and state-licensed pharmacies."

Those sentiments were echoed in J M Smith's statement, which noted that "it takes its duty to comply with all state and federal laws very seriously, and supports efforts by federal, state, and local agencies to prevent medication misuse and diversion." The statement concluded the company was "pleased by the jury’s verdict in Glynn County, Georgia and... will continue to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent illegal diversion while safeguarding access of prescription medication for patients with a legitimate need."

Email Arlin Crisco at acrisco@cvn.com.

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Topics: Poppell, et al. v. Cardinal Health, et al.

There's a pretty good chance Pitt will sit out the NCAA tournament if it loses to the Florida State-Georgia Tech winner on Wednesday afternoon in its first ACC tournament game. The bracketologists have made it clear they have little respect for Pitt's body of work or the ACC's in general. ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Pitt as a No. 10 seed, getting one of the last four byes into the field, after its losses last week at Notre Dame and Miami. At best, it would appear, another loss on Wednesday would put it in Dayton in one of the play-in games for the NCAAs.

It doesn't seem right.

It's true a loss to Florida State or Georgia Tech would be an unsightly blemish. Neither team is very good, although Florida State did beat Pitt at Petersen Events Center on Jan. 21, the game before Pitt went on a roll and won six in a row and eight of nine.

It's also true the loss at Notre Dame on Wednesday night was hurtful, even though the timing of the game was unfortunate for Pitt because it was the final home game for Notre Dame's all-time winningest coach, Mike Brey. Notre Dame was 2-16 in the ACC at the time and was crushed at Clemson in its final regular season game on Saturday.

But Pitt's performance in the loss at Miami on Saturday was impressive even though it was outrebounded, 42-20. It trailed by seven points with 30 seconds left and roared back, coming within a 40-foot desperation heave at the buzzer by Blake Hinson of winning the game, finishing with a share of the ACC regular- season championship and getting the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament.

No matter what happens against Florida State or Georgia Tech, I find it unfathomable that the NCAA tournament selection committee won't look at Pitt as worthy of one of the 36 at-large bids.

But even if Pitt fails to get in, this 21-win season should be remembered as a smashing success. In some ways, I would rank it as one of the best in school history. The program is no longer an embarrassment the way it had been since Jamie Dixon left as coach seven years ago. It is back to being relevant in this discerning sports city. It is an amazing story.

I'll admit, I didn't see it coming after Pitt lost by 25 points to West Virginia at home and by 31 to Michigan in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn in consecutive games in November. Credit goes to Jeff Capel for keeping things together and blending his team into a winner despite losing one of his top players, John Hugley, to a mental-and-physical break in mid-January. Capel should be recognized as ACC Coach of the Year when the conference hands out its awards this week.

Maybe you were at that West Virginia home game or watched it on television. It also had to be difficult for you, at that point, to imagine sellout crowds at Petersen Events Center later in the season. But Pitt did sell out its game against Miami on Jan. 28 and rewarded the crowd by scoring the final 11 points in a 71-68 win. Pitt also sold out the Syracuse game on Feb. 25 and blew out Jim Boeheim and his Orange, 99-82.

I go back to the Ben Howland/Dixon glory days of Pitt basketball. They were wonderful times. The best crowd I ever saw at Petersen Events Center was on the final Big East regular season Saturday of the 2008-09 season when Pitt beat No. 1 Connecticut. The place absolutely rocked. I would put the scene for the Syracuse game right there with it.

It's enough to make you hope this Pitt season doesn't end anytime soon, that it continues into the NCAA tournament.

It's nice to think it won't take a win against Florida State or Georgia Tech to ensure that happening.

Southeast Georgia Health System is pleased to welcome Timothy R. Owens, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon, to Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Neurosurgery and to the Brunswick Campus medical staff.

As a neurosurgeon, Owens treats disorders of the brain and spine. “In the brain, I treat tumors, bleeds and trauma. In the spine, I treat spinal tumors and degenerative spine disease, but a large part of it is treating patients for pain or spinal cord compression,” he explains.

According to Owens, his approach to patient care is simple. “When I have a patient before me, I try to picture the advice I would give to my own family member and that is how I treat each of my patients,” he says.

What brings Owens satisfaction is being able to help people have a better quality of life. “The best part of my job is when the treatment I have provided has alleviated my patient’s pain, or a tumor I have removed hasn’t grown back, therefore extending their ability to enjoy life.”

Owens’ pathway to neurosurgery was a bit unusual. “I studied philosophy of the mind as an undergraduate which led to learning more about the brain,” says Owens. “Concurrently, I grew up working with tools with my father. When I put those two together, I chose neurosurgery when I decided to pursue medicine.”

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, Owens earned his master’s degree in biomedical science at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. Then he received his doctorate at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Following that, he completed a neurosurgery residency at Duke University Medical Center as well as a fellowship in adult reconstructive spinal surgery.

Prior to joining the Health System, Owens worked for St. Vincent Spine and Brain Institute in Jacksonville, Florida. He has served on several committees throughout his career and has extensively researched and written several medical journal articles, abstracts and a book chapter.

In his free time, Owens enjoys spending time with his family and watching college football. An interesting fact about Owens is that he was an exchange student to Russia when he was in high school. “I taught English classes at the same school where famous Russian author, Anton Chekhov, went to school,” says Owens.

Owens’ services include surgical treatment for patients with spine problems, spinal cord injuries and disorders, and peripheral nerve and brain conditions. Appointments are available with a physician’s referral. For more information, call Southeast Georgia Physician Associates-Neurosurgery at 912-466-5443 or visit sghs.org/neurosurgery.

Primary Content

Credit: The Current

Mary Landers, The Current

Home to four Superfund sites, the Brunswick area has a long history of environmental contamination from local industry. The region’s dolphins have been studied and found to carry a heavy load of toxic chemicals, including Aroclor 1268, a mixture of PCBs used only at the Brunswick LCP site. But there has never been a study of Brunswick residents to determine if the environmental contaminants have entered people’s bodies.

Until now.

Emory University researchers in partnership with Rebuilding Together Glynn County and other local organizations are recruiting participants to learn if residents have been exposed to potentially harmful chemicals at a level that is higher than in other places.

“This study is particularly about exposure,” explained Noah Scovronick, assistant professor in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a co-leader of the study. “So “We’re not attempting in this pilot study to discover how people are being exposed, necessarily, or whether the exposure is associated with any health problems. It’s really just to try to identify that people have blood levels of certain contaminants that are higher than what’s found in the general population of the United States.”

Some of the contaminants researchers will be looking for are known to be associated with some of the sites in and around Brunswick, like mercury, PCBs, and certain pesticides. They’re also screening for some other commonly investigated contaminants like lead and other heavy metals.

Participants will complete a short questionnaire to collect demographic information, as well as information on possible routes of exposure, such as diet and employment at any of the industrial sites. They’ll also provide a blood sample for analysis. In return they’ll receive a $50 Walmart gift card, their individual test results of pollutants measured in their blood sample, an invitation to meetings that will report the overall findings plus a packet of materials on how to reduce their exposure to chemicals.

Participants must be at least 18, live in the Brunswick area now and have lived there at least 10 years total.

“We are pleased that we can respond to community concerns about environmental pollution in Brunswick” said Glynn County Commissioner and The Community First Planning Commission Board Member Allen Booker in a press release announcing the study. “Local organizations designed this study in partnership with Emory scientists, and we are hopeful that the study will provide residents with some of the information they are looking for.”

The researchers have gotten robust response to their initial efforts to recruit participants, Scovronick said, with many area residents expressing that they knew they grew up in the shadow of industrial facilities, and have long wondered if it’s the reason that they have family members who’ve gotten sick. Many of the neighborhoods closest to the Superfund sites are predominantly Black and the researchers want participation from people who are living or have historically lived there.

Scovronick and research partner Dana Barr, also of Emory, are aiming for 50-100 participants. The first round of testing is planned for mid-March. If they get enough people, including a good balance of people from different backgrounds, ages and neighborhoods, the first round of testing may be sufficient. If there are no unforeseen delays, results should be available by the end of the summer, Scovronick said.

This study is funded by the Emory University Exposome Research Center through a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). For more information or to apply visit bit.ly/912health or email brunswickexposure@emory.edu or call 404-727-0250.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with The Current.

Mary Landers covers Coastal Georgia’s environment for The Current, a topic she covered for nearly 24 years at the Savannah Morning News, where she began and ended her time there writing about health, including most recently focusing on the pandemic. She’s adept at telling the stories of everyone from jellyfish fishers to pipeline protesters. Mary is a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, where she taught environmental science at Lake Malawi National Park. As a reporter in Georgia, she’s won numerous investigative reporting awards as well as the Larry Peterson Investigative Journalism Award.

The state of Georgia is constitutionally obligated to provide a free public education. It does this by allocating money to local public schools, primarily according to their student enrollment.

But the state does not pay public schools for children they haven’t enrolled. That would be ridiculous, right? What I mean is the state doesn’t send tax dollars to a county school district for children in the county who are homeschooled or who attend a local private school. It doesn’t educate them, so it doesn’t get paid for them. For that matter, the state also does not keep paying a district year after year for not educating children who used to live there but moved away. Obviously.

But wait, Captain Obvious has more.

While the state allocates funding for every student enrolled in public schools, it does not allocate all of its funding to public schools. For example, this year legislators will dedicate about $10.7 billion of state funds to K-12 education, and almost $22 billion to other uses. The $10.7 billion going to K-12 education includes all the funds owed to public schools based on their enrollment. But the schools surely have no claim on the other $22 billion — which goes to roads, healthcare, prisons and everything else lawmakers decide to pay for. Agreed?

Good. So, why do some people act like neither of those things is true whenever there’s a proposal to give families more education options?

Consider Senate Bill 233, which would grant $6,000 scholarships to students who leave the public school system. They could use the money to pay for private school tuition, curricula, tutoring or other education expenses. Despite what bill opponents claim, that money is not taken away from public schools. We just established that a few paragraphs ago.

School districts get state funding for every enrolled student; no more, no less. SB 233 would change absolutely nothing about that. It simply provides financial assistance for some students who choose to leave. Thousands of families already make this choice, for various reasons. And as we’ve already established, no serious person argues the state should pay public schools for not educating those children.

Everyone acknowledges instead that school districts can and should adjust their budgets accordingly. It certainly helps that they get to keep their locally raised funds and most of their federal funds — making public schools the only service provider that keeps getting paid even partially when their “customers” leave.

To oppose a measure like SB 233 because of funding is like arguing for school districts to receive state money for all of the local children who aren’t enrolled in their schools.

And when we think about all state spending, we need to understand that any money spent because of the passage of SB 233 would come not from the $10.7 billion spent on K-12 education, but from the $22 billion spent on other things. Why? Because every single child enrolled in public schools would still be funded. That’s the $10.7 billion. The amount rises or falls every year based on enrollment, but any child not enrolled, as we’ve seen, isn’t funded.

The fact that some of the $22 billion would go toward their education, as opposed to their healthcare, is irrelevant. After all, the $22 billion already includes other money for education: about $3.2 billion for universities, half a billion for technical colleges and another half a billion for pre-K students. No one argues funding for universities “takes away from” our K-12 public schools. Why should it be different for other students who, like college students, are not enrolled in K-12 public schools?

Perhaps unwittingly, opponents of SB 233 essentially argue schools should be funded for children they don’t teach, taking as much of the state’s tax dollars as they wish. No one is trying to take from public schools anything they are owed. But the focus should be not on what schools don’t have, but on what children need.

Traveling to Augusta for the first team this Region 2-6A soccer season, Glynn Academy (8-0, 5-0) was able to battle the wind to stay perfect on its season.

Scoring four first-half goals, Glynn coach Bobby Brockman said he experienced the windiest game of his coaching career. That statement stood as a benefit and a problem throughout the game.

“We scored all four of our goals with the wind, they scored three goals in the second half with the wind,” Brockman said. “We hit a penalty kick on the fifth goal: seven goals with the wind and one with a PK. It was unbelievable how strong the wind was.”

Scoring five goals on the night with five different goal scorers -- Luke O’Connor, Thomas Mitchell, Jonas Coyle, Chandler Owens, and Keller Lopez (PK) -- Brockman said the wind impacted how both of the teams played.

“We were having a hard time getting goal kicks to advance past 30 yards,” Brockman said. “It was unbelievable and even clearing the ball or heading the ball, everything was really hard to judge. Both teams struggled with it.”

Able to come away with the win in its first trip up to the Augusta schools, Brockman said he enjoys the group he has as they like to have fun before taking care of business when needed.

“I like my guys a lot, and spending 14 and a half hours with them consecutively makes me like them even more,” Brockman said. “They are a lot of fun. Going up there and going home is one of those things that you will have to do three times a season. Might as well turn the radio up and sing some songs and have a good time.”

Taking care of business, the full focus is now on a big region game with South Effingham (7-0-1, 5-0) tonight at Glynn County Stadium as both teams enter the game unbeaten in the early portion of the season.

“We are looking forward to that game,” Brockman said of tonight’s game. “Both teams are undefeated and somebody is taking a loss (Tuesday) night. They have a good team and I think we have a good team. It ought to be a great atmosphere. Their coach has done a great job with that team this year, so it will be exciting.”

The Schofield Lithium Project is adjacent to Brunswick Exploration’s Lowther Pegmatite Project

With 17 pegmatite outcrops mapped on the Project and preferred geological environment, the Schofield Lithium Project shows potential for LCT-type mineralization

Highlights:

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vital Battery Metals Inc. (“Vital” or the “Company”) (CSE: VBAM |OTC: VBAMF | FRA: C0O), is pleased to announce it has entered the Lithium market by acquiring, for the cost of staking, the Schofield Lithium Project (“Schofield” or the “Project”). The Project consists of 416 single-cell mining claims covering approximately 8,824 hectares and is located approximately 60km south of Hearst, Ontario. The Project is easily accessible by logging road networks and is directly south of the Brunswick Exploration’s Hurst Lithium project. The Project was staked based on preferred geological environments and historical mapping of pegmatite outcrops.

Adrian Lamoureux, Chief Executive Officer and President of Vital, commented “Our management team has a strong history in the lithium sector, evident in our work with Patriot Battery Metals and its acquisition of the Corvette property. We strongly believe the Northern Ontario Region is underexplored and this Project acquisition brings a low-risk opportunity to drive value to the Company. With our Schofield Lithium Project in Ontario Canada, our Sting Copper Project in Newfoundland, Canada and our Vent Copper-Gold project in British Columbia, we believe we are building a portfolio of strong properties that will continue to deliver shareholder value. We will continue to build a robust and diverse critical minerals portfolio of projects.”

Figure 1: Vital Battery Metals Schofield Lithium Project Map

Schofield Project Geology

Historical mapping indicates that there are 17 pegmatite outcrops on the Project¹. These range in size from decimetre veins to ~1600m x ~500m. Although the mapping indicates there are pegmatites present on the Project, the company has yet to confirm the dimensions, extent, or any mineralization that may be present on the Project. The Project area has been under-explored but has seen sporadic exploration for gold, base, metals and more recently diamonds from 1960 to 2001. No work completed on the Project has been focused on the economic potential of the pegmatites present.¹²

The Project is located within the Quetico Subprovince and contains a variety of evolved S-type granitoids and pegmatites hosted by metamorphosed sediments (paragneisses) and metavolcanics. The Quetico Subprovince is host to several pegmatite swarms such as Georgia Lake, Lowther and Wisa Lake. The pegmatites in the Quetico Subprovince are hosted by medium-grade unmigmatized metawacke with subordinate interbedded metapelite (e.g., spodumene-subtype Wisa Lake pegmatite and albite spodumene-type Georgia Lake pegmatites) and by their parent granite (e.g. petalite-subtype MNW pegmatite and lepidolite-subtype Lowther Township pegmatite) (Pye 1965; Breaks, Selway and Tindle 2003a, 2003b).¹²

Figure 2: Schofield Lithium Project Claim Map

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Garry Clark, P.Geo., a “Qualified Person” as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The reader is cautioned that the mineralization on nearby or adjacent properties does not necessarily indicate that any mineral resources may be discovered on the Schofield Lithium Project, or if discovered, that such resources would be economically recoverable.

About Vital Battery Metals Inc.

Vital Battery Metals Inc. (CSE: VBAM |OTC: VBAMF | FRA: C0O) is a mineral exploration company dedicated to the development of strategic projects comprising battery, base and precious metals in stable jurisdictions. The Company is working to advance its Schofield Lithium, Sting Copper and its Vent Copper-Gold Projects.

The Schofield Lithium Project covers 8,824 hectares and is adjacent to Brunswick Exploration’s Hearst Lithium Project. With 17 pegmatite outcrops mapped on the Project and preferred geological environment, the Schofield Lithium Project shows potential for LCT-type mineralization. The Project is located ~60km south of Hearst, Ontario.

The Sting Project covers approximately 12,700 hectares and hosts multiple historic Newfoundland and Labrador Government documented mineral occurrences and is located within a 50 km corridor known for significant volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS), copper quartz vein lode and low sulphation epithermal gold showings. The Vent Copper-Gold project covers 1,562 hectares in British Columbia. Vital continues to evaluate value-add assets to bolster its project portfolio.

For more information, visit www.vitalbatterymetals.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Adrian LamoureuxChief Executive Officer, Director+1 (604) 229-9772info@vitalbatterymetals.com

References:1 - Berger, B.R., MacMillan, D.W., and P.L. Roy 1986: Precambrian Geology of Caithness, and Parts of Schofield, Pellitier, and Doherty Townships, Hearst-Kapuskasing Area, Algoma and Cochrane Districts; Ontario Geological Survey, Geological Series – Preliminary Map P.2961. Scale 1:31,680. Geology 1985.

2 - Breaks, F.W., Selway, J.B., and Tindle, A.G., 2003, Fertile peraluminuous granites andrelated rare-element pegmatite mineralization, Superior Province, northwest and northeast Ontario: Operation Treasure Hunt, Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 6099, 179 pp.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the Project acquisition bringing a low-risk opportunity to drive significant value to the Company, the Company building a portfolio of strong properties that will continue to deliver shareholder value and the Company continuing to build a robust and diverse critical minerals portfolio of projects are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Project and its mineralization potential; the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans with respect to the Project; the commencement of drilling or exploration programs in the future. These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1120289d-c3c3-468c-b5e3-e4676759a54e

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c58e2bc-0b96-4a6d-b0bf-220c2285dbeb

Mar. 1—Forward Brunswick is looking to revamp the farmers market in Mary Ross Waterfront Park by bringing in "Real Food, Real Farmers."

That's the tagline for the program, which will feature curated local producers every second and fourth Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A small fee paid by vendors will cover the cost of a paid market staffer who will help people pay with SNAP and EBT benefits.

"We are working with local places," said Foster Hayes, Forward Brunswick spokesman. "Each one will be within Brunswick or the surrounding areas — Brantley County, Waycross, along those lines. ... Our mission is to bring in local farmers bringing in local food they themselves are growing."

Everything is managed by Forward Brunswick, which aims to coordinate businesses, government agencies and other groups in the city to perform revitalization projects and promote economic development.

Hayes said the organization will work to make sure the market offers a wide variety of food as well.

"Mainly veggies, but we are working with a meat vendor as well," he said. "We partner with Schroeder's Market, so any excess food they're going to buy back. Anything that's there will get sold one way or another. Nothing will be wasted."

The initiative came about because larger companies were overshadowing local farmers, Hayes said. Because of the disorganized nature of the market, he said the program allows for someone to check in and take payment from people using benefits to pay for produce.

"Since we're taking SNAP and EBT somebody has to check them in and provide them the coins that will be their payment when they're there," Hayes said.

Forward Brunswick has three objectives with the new market, Hayes said: increasing the availability of fresh, local food to help eliminate food deserts and hunger; supporting local farmers and food producers; and making downtown Brunswick a Saturday shopping destination for visitors and residents.

"Forward Brunswick is excited to help bring this market to our community," said executive director Lance Sabbe. "Partnering with the city of Brunswick Downtown Development Authority and the Highway 17 Georgia Grown trail, this project will be a great added amenity to everyone in our area. I look forward to seeing everyone getting to know where their food is coming from in Southeast Georgia."

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As a rule, John Calipari downplays the annual SEC men’s basketball tournament. Deems it unnecessary. Claims it rarely changes seeding for the Big Dance. Says it’s primarily for the fans. The Kentucky coach always says his team will try to bring home the trophy, of course, but if it loses, no big deal. The important stuff comes next.

This year might be a bit different, however. This year, as the No. 3 seed in this week’s gathering at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., the Cats might have something to prove, not just to the NCAA Tournament selection committee, or the public at large, but to themselves.

We know what this team is capable of doing. We saw it again Saturday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Playing without a traditional point guard in a hostile environment against a team in the top 20 in the NCAA NET rankings, Kentucky took apart the Arkansas Razorbacks in impressive fashion 88-79.

Now here’s the trick: Can they keep it up? Can they be consistent? Game after game. Half after half. Possession after possession. Now that we are in the win-or-go-home section of the season, can this Kentucky team string enough wins together, be it in Nashville this week or sites thereafter, to make some noise?

With its back to the wall, this team responds. After suffering an embarrassing home loss to South Carolina, it defeated No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville to kick-start a four-game win streak. After losing on the road at lowly Georgia, it ripped off four straight wins, including the completion of a sweep of Tennessee and a 32-point win over Auburn. After stubbing its toe against Vanderbilt, it rolled the Razorbacks.

As you might have heard, it did so without point guards Cason Wallace and Sahvir Wheeler. The former suffered a leg injury early in the second half against Vandy. The latter hasn’t played since Feb. 4. With both missing, Kentucky returned to the positionless basketball Calipari has talked about in the past. Players who didn’t normally handle the basketball had to handle it a lot. Players who didn’t normally get many minutes got many more minutes.

Best of all, Antonio Reeves delivered a peak performance. The Illinois State transfer followed an unusually poor shooting performance against Vanderbilt with a razor sharp one against Arkansas. Reeves was 12 of 17 from the floor, 2 of 4 from three-point range and a perfect 11 of 11 at the foul line. His 37 points were a career high, topping a 34-point effort he produced as a Redbird.

Reeves didn’t go it alone. Toppin scored 21 points. Oscar Tshiebwe traded elbows with different Razorbacks on the way to 12 points and 13 rebounds. With Wallace out, Adou Thiero played a season-high 24 minutes. Lance Ware played 17. Despite being “banged up,” according to Calipari, CJ Fredrick contributed 15.

Not just the outcome, but Kentucky’s level of play Saturday should give the team a confidence boost heading to Music City. Then again, we’ve been fooled before. Just when it looks like these Cats have it all figured out, along comes a clunker to make us question what we thought about this team in the first place.

That’s what makes Nashville important. Victories count, of course. Level of play might count more. Look at last year. After closing the regular season with a win at Florida, the Cats had to scrap to hold off a 17-15 Vanderbilt team in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, then lost to Tennessee 69-62 in the semifinals. Five days later came Saint Peter’s.

Wallace’s health is an obvious concern. As is his way, Calipari claimed Saturday not to know the freshman’s availability this week. From the coach’s previous statements, it appears unlikely that Wheeler will be on the floor in Nashville. The Cats proved Saturday they can go on the road and beat a good team without those two players.

Ah, but there’s more to prove at a time when proof is all that matters. We’ve seen what this Kentucky basketball team can do. Can the Cats prove they can do it consistently?