Sheriff’s Office: Do You Know This Man?
November 10, 2015
Do you recognize this man?
Escambia County Sheriff’s investigators are working to identify him. They said he was seen exiting a stolen vehicle on Friday and possibly has connections to other stolen vehicles.
If you have any information about the man in the photos, contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630 or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Photos courtesy Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Scott Budget Boss: State Can Afford Tax Cuts, Incentives
November 10, 2015
The state has more than enough money to cover Gov. Rick Scott’s push for business incentives and tax cuts while funding agency requests, his budget chief said in a memo Monday.
As Scott embarked on a statewide tour to push for his proposed $1 billion in mostly business-friendly tax cuts, Office of Policy & Budget Director Cynthia Kelly wrote that rather than the $635.4 million surplus state economists have predicted for the next fiscal year, “a more appropriate ’surplus’ ” is $1.6 billion.
Kelly’s projection, first reported by the Tampa Bay Times, is based on the state being on track to bring in a record $29.8 billion in general revenue next year, including $1.3 billion in “new” revenue.
“Bottom line, there is more than sufficient revenue to fund all of the state’s mandatory increases, as well as the governor’s priorities for your agencies, the Florida Enterprise Fund and the proposed $1 billion in tax cuts,” Kelly wrote in a memo to Scott’s agency heads.
Kelly also noted that an increase in revenue the past couple of years has come as the state has made about $900 million in tax cuts.
The intent of Kelly’s memo was to reduce fears by agencies leaders that they’ll have to make cuts to accommodate Scott’s requests.
Kelly’s letter was spurred by comments from lawmakers and the media that Scott’s request for tax cuts and $250 million in incentives for the state’s public-private corporate recruitment agency Enterprise Florida would quickly exceed the surplus projected in a long-range financial outlook presented in September by the Legislature’s chief economist.
Economists have noted that about two-thirds of the projected 2016-2017 budget year surplus will come from one-time, non-recurring money. They have also predicted that the surplus will drop to $583.7 million the following year and $222.2 million the year after that, due in part to the continuing cost of recent tax cuts supported by Scott and Republican lawmakers.
After Scott announced his proposed tax-cut package Thursday, Senate President Andy Gardiner told reporters that while many of the governor’s proposals are already moving in bills by members of his chamber, lawmakers will need to see the rest of Scott’s budget proposals before making any commitments.
“At the top of our list is going to be the tax cuts, certainly, but we’ve just got to figure the balance,” Gardiner said Thursday.
Gardiner has said $250 million would be a starting point in discussions on tax cuts when lawmakers return to Tallahassee in January for an earlier-than-usual regular session. That session will include crafting the 2016-17 budget, which will take effect July 1.
The bulk of Scott’s proposed cuts, which would be amassed over a two-year period, involve permanently eliminating the income tax on manufacturing and retail businesses, a cut the governor’s office estimates at $770 million.
Scott’s proposals also would make permanent the elimination of a tax on manufacturing equipment, reduce a commercial lease tax and extend a temporary elimination of sales taxes on college textbooks.
For most Floridians, the cuts will be seen through a pair of sales-tax “holidays,” which total just over $70 million. A 10-day back-to-school “holiday” would lift sales taxes on certain school supplies, clothes and some electronics. A separate nine-day period would be set aside to remove sales taxes on hurricane supplies.
House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, predicted last week that fulfilling Scott’s requests would require spending cuts to areas such as the environment and education.
Scott’s tax-cut tour started Monday with stops in Melbourne, Clearwater and Miami. Additional stops this week will be made in West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Jacksonville and Panama City. He will be in Jupiter with the state Cabinet on Tuesday.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Escambia (FL) EMS To Continue Service To Flomaton
November 10, 2015
Escambia County (FL) has renewed an agreement with an Alabama agency to provide ambulance service for the Flomaton area.
Since 1981, Escambia County (FL) EMS has provided ambulance service to the Flomaton area through an interlocal agreement with the Escambia County (AL) Healthcare Authority. A three year agreement approved in 2010 expired in 2013 and was renewable to two additional one year periods.
Escambia County (AL) Healthcare Authority pays Escambia County EMS for the ambulance service, while Escambia County (FL) EMS then bills patients for services rendered.
A similar agreement is in place between Escambia County (FL) and the privately owned Atmore Ambulance service. Atmore Ambulance provides emergency medical services in the Walnut Hill and Bratt areas. Escambia County (FL) pays Atmore Ambulance a monthly fee, and Atmore Ambulance also directly bills patients for services rendered at an amount not greater than that billed by Escambia County EMS, which provides ambulance service for the rest of the county.The agreement has been in place since 1978.
Pictured: Two ambulances assigned to Escambia County EMS Post 50 in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Set To Pick New Jail Location Thursday
November 10, 2015
The Escambia County Commission will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday to approve one of three proposed sites for the construction of a new Escambia County Jail.
One year ago, the county was looking at 1o possible sites for the new jail, including locations in Molino and Cantonment. Now, the three sites under consideration are the Palafox and Airport Boulevard site, the Brent Lane site, and the Mid-town Commerce site. Facts, along with pros and cons, for each site, are as follows, according to a county consultant:
Pictured: The Central Booking and Detention Center was damaged beyond repair during a natural gas explosion following flooding on April 30. 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Safety, Pedestrian Improvements Begin Along 15-Miles Of Highway 29
November 9, 2015
Construction activities on a multiple safety improvements will begin this week on a 15-mile stretch of Highway 29 in North Escambia.
The $893,000 project consists of guardrail upgrades, sidewalk replacement, pedestrian railing, ditch pavement, and signalized pedestrian crossings at various locations from north of Champion Drive to the Alabama state line in Century.
Most of the pedestrian improvements will be in the town limits of Century.
“Pedestrian feature improvements from the Alabama/Florida state line through Century would include new sidewalk construction in areas where there is currently no sidewalk, removal and replacement of damaged sidewalk, installation of handrails, curb ramps for ADA, detectable warning ramps and replacement of pedestrian signal crossings,” said Tanya Branton of the Florida Department of Transportation.
Work is expected to be completed within 100 working days. All planned construction activities are weather dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Low bidder on the project was Gulf Beach Construction Company at $893,144.74. Other bidders were Hale Contracting, Inc. at $991,819.86 and Bun Construction Company at $1,054,456.36.
Pictured: The intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 4 in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Veterans Day Programs Planned Tuesday In Century, Northview
November 9, 2015
Veteran’s Day programs will be held Tuesday morning at Northview High School and in Century.
Northview High School – Tuesday, November 10
Northview High School will have its annual Veteran’s Day program on Tuesday, November 10 in the school’s theater. There will be two programs with the first program starting at 9:35 am. The second program will start shortly after the completion of the first program at approximately 10:30 am.
The guest speaker will be Captain Carl Mock, United States Navy, retired. Captain Mock served 38 years before retiring in June 2005. During his 38 years of service he rose through the ranks from E-1 to O-6. His final active duty tour was as Commanding Officer, Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, NAS Pensacola . All veterans, their families and community members are invited to attend.
Town of Century, Tuesday, November 10
Century will celebrate veterans on Tuesday, November 10 at 10 a.m with guests Rep. Mike Hill, the Byrneville Elementary School Chorus and the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. The event has been moved indoors to the Century Community Center on West Highway 4 due to wet conditions at the park.
Pictured: The Byrneville Elementary School Chorus perform during last year’s Veteran’s Day program in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Kora Music Tonight At Molino Branch Library
November 9, 2015
The Molino Branch Library will present a concert tonight featuring a unique instrument — the kora.
The kora, a 21 string instrument used extensively in West Africa, resembles the sound of a harp and can even be played to resemble a delta blues guitar.
Tonight’s concert will be y Sean Gaskell of Asheville, N.C, who has performed in the United States, Gambia and Senegal.
Gaskell will perform at three library locations in November.
–Monday, November 9, 6 p.m. – Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A
–Thursday, November 12, 10:30 a.m. – Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Avenue
–Thursday, November 12, 6 p.m. – Pensacola Library, 239 North Spring Street
The event is free.
New Tate High Winter Guard Named
November 9, 2015
New members of the Tate High School Winter Guard have been named.
They are:
Chaparrals
Rifles: Caroline Bruns, Michaela Overby, Brenn Repine, Celina Dyess, Savannah Vonstein
Sabres: Megan Leonard, Katy Luebke, Kelsey Strength, Breanna Langley, Madison Philley
Flag line: Carly Lawrence, Jojo Osteen, Katy Dupre, Kendall Lombardo, Elizabeth Durazo, Makayla Tainter
Cadets
Weapons: Kenzi Ricardy, Virginia Vaughan, Raegan Tainter, Cordia Shaw, Olivia Starnes
Flag line: Jazmyn Quarls Julia Jimenez Sarah Stephens Julie Stanton Kirsten Carter
The Chaparrals are the oldest competitive scholastic winter guard in the nation and former world champions. They begin competing in late January.
Pictured top: The Tate High School Chaparrals. Pictured below: Cadets. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
November 9, 2015
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending November 5 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
K-9 Officer Pineda and Officer Clark were patrolling the Yellow River WMA looking for hunters hunting over illegally baited areas. They came to an area where a vehicle had been parked recently and deployed K-9 Kane to ascertain where the occupants of the vehicle may have gone. K-9 Kane tracked from where the vehicle was parked to two freshly baited areas. One of the spots had a ground blind and the other had a climbing tree stand on it. The officers checked the area several times and two days later observed a vehicle parked in the area. They split up and located two subjects, as well as, a third baited site. The subjects stated that they distributed the bait (corn) out onto the WMA a few days before. They also stated that they had been knowingly hunting over bait at these three spots several times since the opening of archery. Both subjects were charged with hunting/ distributing bait on a WMA.
While on patrol, Officer Miller heard the Florida Highway Patrol was in pursuit of a truck pulling a stolen trailer nearby. Officer Miller noticed on CAD that the suspect vehicle was headed towards the Yellow River WMA and went to assist in the event the suspects fled into the woods. The suspect driver wrecked and then stole a truck and traveled southbound on Highway 87 hitting patrol vehicles on the way. The Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office pursued the suspect south into Navarre and Officer Miller followed behind in case the suspect went into Eglin Air Force Base. Shortly after the Sheriff’s Office ended the pursuit, the suspect rolled the stolen truck and Officer Miller then responded to assist with securing the suspect until he could be removed from the truck. Once the suspect was secured, Officer Miller met Officer Barnard to assist Santa Rosa Crime Unit with locating weapons that were thrown from the suspect vehicle during pursuit. Officers recovered three handguns and a magazine to a fourth weapon. The following morning, Officer Miller and K-9 Officer Pineda returned to the scene to assist again in the search for the fourth weapon. The officers and K-9 located another handgun magazine and other items dropped by the fleeing suspect.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
No information submitted this week for Escambia County.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Weather Becoming More Like Fall
November 9, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Patchy drizzle. Patchy fog after 10pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 73. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 50. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Veterans Day: Sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 67. North wind 5 to 15 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 64.