Weekly News (Sept. 16, 2019)

Cigar News

• A.J. Fernández Distributing Viva La Vida
• Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper Ships
• Altadis U.S.A.’s Romeo y Julieta Adding Nicaragua Connecticut
• Black Label Trading Co. Releases Event-Only Black Works Studio NBK Lizard King
• Black Works Studio Hawaii KATO Heading to R. Field Wine Co.
• Bugatti Group Names Rick Ardito New National Sales Director
• C.Gars Ltd.’s September Auction Now Live
• E.P. Carrillo Ships INCH Limitada
• Fratello Names Justin Harris Director of Operations
• H. Upmann Propios Edición Limitada 2018 Released
• Habanos S.A.’s Co-President Doesn’t Expect Helms-Burton Lawsuits
• HVC Celebrates Havana’s 500th Birthday With New Cigar
• HVC Cigars Creates Exclusive for Privada Cigar Club
• Montecristo Cincuenta Ships
• Quai d’Orsay Senadores Edición Limitada 2019 to Launch Thursday in Paris
• Room101 & Cigar Dojo’s [untitled] Collaboration Returns
• Villiger Ships La Flor de Ynclan Toro

Legislation

• Trump Administration Plans Flavored E-Cigarette Ban, Flavored Cigars Untouched

• California State Assembly Approves Beaches and Parks Smoking Ban
• Florida Representative to Pursue Tobacco Purchasing Age Increase
• Michigan Legislators Introduce Beach Smoking Ban Bills

• Albany County, N.Y. Removes Premium Cigars from Flavored Tobacco Ban Proposal
• Arden Hills, Minn. Tobacco Shop Sues City Over Flavored Tobacco Ban — via KSTP.com
• Braham, Minn. Raises Tobacco Purchase and Possession Age to 21
• Clatsop County, Ore. Passes First Vote of Tobacco Retailer Licensing and Inspection Proposal — via DailyAstorian.com
• Crawfordsville, Ind. Bans Smoking in Parks
• Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Raises Tobacco Purchasing Age to 21
• Glenview, Ill. Approves Tobacco Retailer Regulations — via ChicagoTribune.com
• Hibbing, Minn. Debates Raising Tobacco Purchasing Age to 21 — via HibbingMN.com
• Lewiston, Idaho to Consider Parks Smoking Ban on Sept. 17 — via PressHerald.com
• Livermore, Calif. Voters Will Decide Flavored Tobacco Ban
• Marshfield, Wis. Committee Approves Tobacco Ban for Parks, Sends to City Council — via MarshfieldNewsHerald.com
• Michigan Legislators Introduce Beach Smoking Ban Bills
• Mounds View, Minn. Increases Minimum Tobacco Purchasing Age to 21
• New Britain, Conn. Bans Smoking in Parks and City-Owned Properties
• Pine Bluff, Ark. Councilman Launches Ballot Drive to Ban Smoking in Casino — via Fox16.com
• San Jose, Calif. Councilwoman to Pursue Restrictions on Flavored Tobacco Products — via SFGate.com
• Tucson and Pima County, Ariz. to Discuss Tobacco Purchasing Age Increases at Council Meetings This Week — via GVNews.com
• Twin Falls, Idaho Council Supports Parks Smoking Ban, Directs Staff to Draft Ordinances — via MagicValley.com
• Waupaca, Wisc. to Consider Parks Smoking Ban — via WaupacaNow.com

Colleges and Universities

• St. John Fisher College (N.Y.) Banning Tobacco Products and E-Cigarettes as of Jan. 1, 2020 — via 13WHAM.com

Deals From Our Sponsors

• Atlantic Cigar Co. — New World by AJ Fernandez Virrey Gordo (Box of 21, $87.15)
• Cigar Hustler — Mi Querida Triqui Traca 552 (Box of 20, $194.40)
• Corona Cigar Co. — Guardian Of The Farm Nightwatch Orpheus (Box of 20, $206.95)
• Famous Smoke Shop — Free Shipping (CODE: SEPTFREESHIP)
• Gotham Cigars — H. Upmann Hispaniola By Jose Mendez Toro (Box of 20, $159.95)
• JR Cigars — Montecristo Cincuenta No. 2 (Humidor of 100, $10,800)
• STOGIES World Class Cigars — WingDing 2019 ($195)

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.