Things To Do In SW Florida

An executive at Teva Pharmaceuticals flagged Publix Super Markets in October 2015 after detecting what he called in an email “serious red flags” with the grocery chain’s orders of powerful opioids.

The share of high-strength oxycodone orders was well above normal for a chain of grocery store pharmacies, and the total number of pills sent to Publix stores was “significantly above their peers,” Teva’s head of federal compliance wrote in the email to his supervisors, according to court records in a federal lawsuit pending in Ohio against Publix and other companies.

“This is high-strength oxycodone ultimately going to Florida, a well-established hot spot for oxycodone abuse in the U.S.,” wrote the compliance officer, Joseph Tomkiewicz, in the email explaining why he halted Teva-manufactured prescription opioids to Florida’s Publix pharmacies.

The volume of prescription opioids dispensed in Florida fell 56% from 2011 to 2019 as the pharmaceutical industry was hit by lawsuits for its role in the national opioid crisis, according to a Tampa Bay Times analysis of Drug Enforcement Administration data recently released by a federal court. But while national pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens were dispensing fewer of the highly addictive drugs, Publix’s sales were soaring. read more

Downtown Sanford has turned into a popular destination for visitors to enjoy a meal or grab a cold one, after the city dedicated millions of dollars toward attracting new restaurants, craft breweries and events.

But the vibrant downtown has come with another cost: Frustrated motorists trying to find a parking spot, with some resorting to parking illegally or even creating their own spaces on the sidewalks.

Now, Sanford officials plan to look at how other Central Florida municipalities have grappled with the common urban conundrum of keeping their downtowns lively but providing enough spots for vehicles.

“I’m not an expert on parking, but I know that there is a problem, and we need to form a solution,” said city Commissioner Sheena Britton, whose district includes the downtown commercial and historic areas. She brought up the concern at Monday’s commission meeting.

The parking woes are especially troublesome, Britton noted, along Palmetto, Magnolia and Sanford avenues, at the intersections of Second, Third and Fourth streets. The area is a mix of historic homes, restaurants, breweries, shops and the Ritz Theatre. read more