Weekly News (Dec. 3, 2018)

Cigar News

• Crowned Heads Adding Headley Grange Black Lab LE 2018
• Davidoff Superior Goes on Sale on Thursday
• Fratello Ships D.M.V
• Isabela Releases Limited Edition Shape-Shifter
• Mombacho Cigars S.A. Shipping Casa Favilli Next Week
• Oscar Habano Winter Edition Heads to Retailers
• PDR Cigars Announces AR Cigar Collective
• Plasencia Adding Robusto to Alma Fuerte Line
• Rocky Patel Ships Hamlet 25th Year Salomon
• Roy MacLaren Joins Bahama Mamas, LLC
• Viaje Adds Exclusivo Nicaragua Leaded, WLP Thanksgiving Leftovers

Legislation

• Philippines Gets Closer to Tobacco Tax Increase — via PTVNews.ph
• United Arab Emirates to Digitally Track Tobacco Products as of Jan. 1, 2019 — via GulfNews.com

• California Legislators Announce Bill to Ban Flavored Tobacco, Restrict Online Tobacco Sales
• Illinois House Won’t Override Governor’s Veto on Tobacco 21 Bill
• Wyoming Native American Tribes Could Start Collecting Tobacco Taxes — via OilCityWYO.com

• Barberton, Ohio Rejects Tobacco 21 Proposal
• Beltrami County, Minn. Considers Raising Tobacco Age to 21 — via WCTrib.com
• Bridgeport, Conn. Moves Tobacco 21 Proposal to City Council — via CTPost.com
• Brook Park, Ohio Contemplates Smoking Ban in City Parks, Playgrounds — via Cleveland.com
• Cedar Rapids, Iowa Considering Limited Parks Smoking Ban — via KCRG.com
• Decatur, Texas Considering Parks Smoking Ban — via WCMessenger.com
• Erie County, N.Y. Proposes New Smoking Ban — via WKBW.com
• Lake Zurich, Ill. to Vote Monday on Tobacco 21 Proposal — via DailyHerald.com
• Rome, Ga. to Consider Business District Smoking Ban — via The Polk County Standard Journal
• Solvang, Calif. Approves City Smoking Ban — via Noozhawk.com
• Vernon Hills, Ill. Rejects Increase Tobacco Possession Age to 21 — via ChicagoTribune.com

Deals From Our Sponsors

• Atlantic Cigar Co. — AVO Limited Edition Improvisation LE 2017 (Box of 16, $169.95)
• Cigars.com — Dunhill Heritage Robusto Collection (Box of 12, $89.95)
• Corona Cigar Co. — La Flor Dominicana “Oro” The Golden Anniversary TAA 2018 (Box of 20, $431.95)
• Famous Smoke Shop — Buy 2 Boxes, Get 1 Free
• JR Cigar — Iberian Express Muricas Especial (Box of 25, $84.50)
• Lighter USA — Colibri Apex ($59)
• Serious Cigars — Warped Gran Reserva 1988 (Box of 25, $225)
• Thompson Cigar — La Aurora Barrel-Aged Robusto (Box of 20, $49.95)

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.