Weekly News (Aug. 21, 2017)

Cigar News

• Alec Bradley Black Market Illicit Gets Widespread Launch
• Casa de Montecristo/JR Cigar Get Exclusive Herrera Estelí & Undercrown Sizes
• Drew Estate Picks STG Canada for Canadian Distribution
• Hit & Run Ships
• Jas Sum Kral Releasing Rudy’s Limited Edition 2017

Legislation

• Court Delays Health Groups Motion to be Included in Cigar Lawsuit
• FDA, Cigar Groups Respond to Motion to Intervene by Health Groups
• Health Groups Respond in FDA Cigar Lawsuit

• Pennsylvania Legislator Working on Drafting Tobacco 21 Bill — via ReadingEagle.com

• Jamestown, N.D. Approves First Reading of Parks Smoking Ban — via JamestownSun.com
• Manchester, N.H. Parks Get Six-Month Smoking Ban
• Mankato, Minn. Delays Vote on Raising Tobacco Purchasing Age — via MankatoFreePress.com
• Salisbury, Md. Police Chief Requests Parks Smoking Ban — via WMDT.com
• San Benito, Texas Passes Smoking Ban
• Silverton, Ore. Working on Parks Smoking Ban Ordinances for Fall Votes — via StatesmanJournal.com
• Umatilla County, Ore. Moves Toward Tobacco Retailer Licensing Program — via EastOregonian.com
• Vietnam’s Finance Ministry Proposes Tax Increase on Tobacco — via VietnamNews.vn

Colleges and Universities

• Alaska Pacific University is Tobacco-Free as of Aug. 14 — via ADN.com
• Cal State Bakersfield Goes Tobacco-Free as of Sept. 1 — via KernGoldenEmpire.com
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Goes Tobacco-Free as of Sept. 1 — via KSBY.com
• Cedar Crest College (Pa.) to be Tobacco-Free as of Aug. 28 via WFMZ.com
• College of Idaho Goes Tobacco-Free as of Fall 2017 — via MagicValley.com
• Southeast Missouri State University Tobacco Free Now Tobacco Free — via SoutheastArrow.com
• Univ. of New Mexico is Tobacco-Free as of Aug. 15 — via USNews.com
• Western Nevada College Goes Tobacco-Free as of Aug. 14 — via NevadaAppeal.com

Deals From Our Sponsors

• Atlantic Cigar Co. — AVO Limited Edition Classic Covers 90th Volume 3 2016 Toro ($5.95)
• Cigar Hustler — Nat Sherman Timeless 555 (Box of 5, $42.46)
• Corona Cigar Co. — Davidoff Exclusive Tampa FSG (Box of 10, $224.95)
• Elite Cigar Cafe — Plano, Texas Location is Now Open
• JR Cigar — H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Robusto (Box of 20, $130.60)
• Payless Cigars & Pipes — XIKAR Executive ($22.99)
• Smoke Inn — L’Atelier Identite Melange Special No. 1 (Box of 20, $162)
• STOGIES World Class Cigars — H-Town 10-Count Sampler ($89.95)

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.