Free Bird Watching Bingo Activity Kits Back At Century Branch Library
May 28, 2021
Earlier this month, we told you about “Bird Watch Bingo” take home activity kits available for free at the Century Branch Library. Due to popular demand from NorthEscambia.com readers, the kits quickly flew out the door.
But good news…the kits are back in stock. With the bird watching kit, look into the world around you for local birds and check them off your bingo card as you identify different species.
Wahoos Six-Game Win Streak Ends After Loss To Shuckers
May 28, 2021
It looked like it might be a long night for Pensacola starter Brandon Leibrandt (L, 0-2), who had given up two runs to the first three batters of the game. Jamie Westbrook hit a two-run double with nobody out to put Biloxi up 2-0, and it appeared it might be a huge inning against the Wahoos.
However, Leibrandt responded immediately by forcing a couple of groundouts, including an inning-ending double play to escape the first inning with no further damage done.
Pensacola had a response immediately for the Shuckers as they scored in the top of the second against Leo Crawford (W, 1-1). After a leadoff walk by Tristan Pompey, Riley Mahan doubled before Pompey scored on an RBI groundout from Bubba Hollins, which was his first RBI of the season.
Unfortunately for the Blue Wahoos, the offense would end there. Despite finishing the night with seven hits, Pensacola was 0-for-9 as a team with runners in scoring position. The win for Biloxi was their first since Sunday, when they took the series finale against the Smokies 7-3.
Pensacola will try to take control of the series tomorrow when the Wahoos send RHP Jeff Lindgren (2-1, 2.50) to the mound against RHP Luis Contreras (0-1, 5.19).
by Chris Garagiola, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
File photo.
Ready To Stock Up? Florida Disaster Sales Tax Holiday Begins Today
May 28, 2021
The 10-day Florida 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins today. Consumers can purchase qualifying disaster preparedness supplies tax free through Sunday, June 6.
Many items to prepare for hurricane season and other disasters are exempt from sales tax in the state.
“The approach of hurricane season is an excellent reminder to prepare not just for storms, but for all potential disasters,” said Jim Zingale, executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue. “The 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is an excellent opportunity for Floridians to save money while gathering the supplies they need to be safe.”
Qualifying items include:
- $20 or less
- Reusable ice
- $40 or less
- Portable self-powered light source
- $50 or less
- Certain portable radios
- A gas or diesel fuel tank
- Packages of certain battery types
- $60 of less
- A nonelectric food storage cooler
- Portable power banks
- $100 or less
- Tarps
- Ground anchor systems or tie-down kits
- $1,000 or less
- Portable generators for use in a power outage
More details are in the graphic above.
Two Injured In Highway 97 Rollover Wreck
May 28, 2021
Two people were injured in a rollover crash Thursday evening near Walnut Hill.
The wreck happened about 7:15 p.m. on Highway 97 at Pelt Road. The driver of a Chevrolet HHR lost control, ran off the roadway and overturned. The SUV came to rest upright in the ditch.
The driver and a passenger were transported by Escambia County EMS to West Florida Hospital with injuries not considered life threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Walnut Hill and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Nine Mile Road House Fire Under Investigation
May 27, 2021
The cause of a house fire Thursday morning on Nine Mile Road is under investigation.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the home in the 1300 block of West Nine Mile Road, near Ashland Avenue, to find heavy fire. The home was deemed a total loss.
There were no injuries reported.
The Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations is working to determine the cause.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com Investigates: Escambia Employee Makes Anonymous Records Request To Identify Anonymous Citizen (And Why It Won’t Work)
May 27, 2021
An anonymous Escambia County employee has made an anonymous public records request in an apparent effort to potentially reveal the identity of the person that made an anonymous email record requests for documents on retirement plans. And the whole thing may go to the Florida Attorney General to settle a disagreement between the county administrator and the county attorney.
As confusing as all that sounds, NorthEscambia.com obtained the information a county department head won’t release, and we found it won’t work to identify the anonymous citizen.
Here’s What Happened, And What We Found
The county received an email request in late April from an email address with no name — an email that on the surface appears to not identify the sender. The person made an anonymous request for details on a county retirement plan, board minutes regarding the plan and who in county government might qualify for money under a settlement (more on that later).
The anonymous email was received from a VFEmail.net, a company that provides email services. It was sent using a free account, according to the email taglines, but the company promises paid services “to keep your email out of the NSA’s hands.”
Escambia County IT Director Bart Siders was asked by an anonymous county employee to provide the IP address of the citizen who made the public records request, according to a May 19 email from County Administrator Janice Gilley to Attorney General Ashley Moody. Florida’s public records laws allow for anonymous public records requests, including verbal and written or email requests. The actual email or written anonymous public records requests themselves become public records.
An internet IP address can often be used to locate the device that sent an email and possibly reveal the identity of the person using the device, thus potentially unmasking the person behind the anonymous public records request. Every email includes a large section of “headers,” typically hidden by email readers, that detail the path a message took across the internet and may include an identifying IP address of the original sender.
“Chilling Effect” — Is Anonymous Really Anonymous
“The IT Director (Siders) believed it would be unethical, and a violation of the anonymity provisions in Chapter 119 (Florida public records law) as a public entity, to effectively identify that person making the request through providing their IP address. I agreed with his decision,” Gilley wrote.
“This has placed the IT Director, and me as his supervisor, in a precarious position that requires your opinion,” Gilley continued her email to the attorney general. “Do we violate the trust of the citizen who reasonably expected anonymity as provided by Chapter 119? Or do we violate Chapter 119 by not providing this IP address?”
“I fear that allowing this to occur could have a chilling effect on persons making anonymous requests as their anonymity would be compromised,” Gilley wrote.
Escambia County Attorney Alison Rogers disagrees, saying the header containing IP addresses is part of the email and thus public record.
“Under Florida law, a public record must be disclosed unless there is a specific exemption,” Rogers told NorthEscambia.com. “We consulted with the Attorney General’s Office. They found no exemption and advised that it was a public record that must be disclosed.”
Gilley asked the attorney general to render an official opinion, but she was advised that the AG’s office would only issue an opinion on the matter if requested by a majority of the county commission.
In an email to commissioners on Wednesday, Gilley said she will not be present at the June 3 BOCC meeting, but she plans to bring it up for discussion at a later board meeting.
NorthEscambia.com Investigation Obtains IP Addresses, Traces Original Email
Thursday afternoon, NorthEscambia.com obtained the anonymous public records request email, including the headers containing IP addresses that the county’s IT director would not release to the anonymous county employee.
Our staff conducted a technical review of the headers and investigated each and every IP address that appears. We found nothing that could be used to identify the original device that sent the email, or the originating location. We also consulted with an certified international cybersecurity expert who also carefully analyzed the email headers. His analysis echoed our findings.
The headers reveal the anonymous email from the VFEmail user traveled through a VFEmail server in the Netherlands. It was then relayed through a VFEmail.net server in France. The message then went through a server operated by enterprise security company Proofpoint in Kansas before heading out of the Midwest on Level 3 Communications, an internet network provider, before arriving at Escambia County’s server.
In simpler English, the email traveled in a series of hops across Europe and the United States that cannot be traced back to the sender’s device or their identity. The headers and IP addresses appear as if the email originated from VFEmail’s servers, not the original sender.
The email was truly anonymous.
What Exactly Did The Anonymous Email Request?
The original anonymous email public records request is above (click to enlarge).
The VFEmail user asked for a copy of the contract or agreement for management of the county’s 401(a) retirement plan, the board minutes where it was approved, and a list of employees and commissioners that would qualify for a “settlement” presented to the Florida Commission on Ethics along with the amount they might receive.
In March, Commissioner Steven Barry and County Attorney Alison Rogers went before the ethics commission concerning retirement plans. There were no allegations of ethical wrongdoing against Barry, Rogers or anyone else; instead they were seeking permission for the BOCC to vote on the employee benefit issue.
Barry contended that after he was first elected in 2012, the county’s human resources department did not tell him, other commissioners and other eligible county employees about the existence of a 401(a) annuity plan, only the normal Florida Retirement system plan. He did not know about the plan until months into his second term, past a six month eligibility period. He did sign up as his third term started.
Barry asked for a settlement approval from the ethics commission that would allow payments to him, other commissioners and other county employees that were not told about the annuity plan by human resources. The ethics commission agreed that the county commission could vote on paying lost earnings from the 401(a) plan to impacted commissioners and county employees. To date, the BOCC has not voted on the issue, and no payments have been made.
DeSantis: $1,000 Bonuses Coming For Florida Teachers, Principals
May 27, 2021
Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $765 million in funding for Florida’s teachers is on the way, including $1,000 payments directly to most principals and teachers.
Over 3,600 principals and almost 180,000 full-time classroom teachers in grades pre-K through 12th will receive the $1,000 disaster relief payments for a total of $215 million in the state budget, the governor said during a new conference at Destin Elementary School.
There is also $550 million in funding to continue to raise minimum teacher salaries, $50 million more than last year’s budget allocation.
DeSantis said over the past year, minimum pay for Florida’s teachers increased by an average of $6,000 from $40,000 to $46,000.
“While most other states locked down their schools, Florida followed the science and opened our schools for in-person instruction, five days a week,” said DeSantis. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our teachers and school leaders Florida succeeded where so many other states failed. I can’t thank them enough for their hard work and dedication during this school year and these bonuses are a small way to say thank you on behalf of our state.”
In Her Own Words: Flomaton Teacher Remembers Logan Mitchell, 12-Year Old ATV Crash Victim
May 27, 2021
Flomaton Elementary School is remembering the 12-year old student that lost his life in an ATV accident last Sunday.
Funeral services are Thursday for Logan Bryant Mitchell.
Flomaton Elementary teacher Shawna Fillmore shares her heartfelt thoughts about Logan, in her own words:
“If the FES school motto were in the dictionary, I would want Logan’s picture next to it. On the first day of school this sweet kiddo held the door for me, and volunteered for all kinds of tasks that he saw and felt needed to be completed. He was an encourager and a friend to everyone. He was bold to speak about Jesus, he was bold to step out from the crowd, and he was bold in that he was a leader.”
“Every morning he and Sweet Braden were in charge of our homeroom’s breakfast and cleaning up. And every morning Logan never failed to chat and share his latest hunting story. Whether it be that he shot a snake, shot a rabbit, or shot a deer, he would give me alllll of the details, and I mean ALL and I soaked up every minute of it. He was always willing to carry on sarcastic conversations with me, to jump in on spontaneous competitive tasks, and to be sure that we would win field day’s “tug of war”. The impact he has left on my heart is quite large. I am so grateful that God chose me to be a part of his life. He showed me daily what it looked like to love friends and love Jesus. Colossians 1:17 says “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” He is proof that God holds all creation in His hands. And I know he is in sweet Jesus’s hands right now. Oh how I will miss this sweet precious soul of a boy.”
Click or tap here for the complete obituary.
The ATV crash occurred about 5 p.m. Sunday on private property in the area of Upper Creek Road west of the Rock Cemetery, about a half mile from Highway 31. The Flomaton Police Department and the Escambia County Department of Human Resources are continuing their investigation.
Mitchell was the third Flomaton Elementary School student death in the past year. An ATV accident on May 28, 2020, claimed the life of 6-year old Trayton Adams, and 11-year old Jaden James, was killed in an October 3, 2020, vehicle crash in Walnut Hill.
Two Century Residents Charged After Altercation Involving A Samurai Type Sword And A Baseball Bat
May 27, 2021
Two Century residents were charged after an alleged altercation involving a sword and a baseball bat earlier this month.
Mariah Brianna Moore, 29, and Justin Eugene Moore, 22, were both charged with felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. The relationship between the two, if any, was not specified in Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reports.
A male and female were at their mailbox in the 4000 block of Highway 4A when Mariah Moore started a verbal argument before throwing rocks at the male, according to an arrest report. The male victim threw a rock back at Mariah Moore, at which time Justin Moore exited a residence with a bat at hit the male three or four times, the report continues.
Mariah Moore then cut the female victim with what deputies described as a small “samurai style sword”, the report states.
The female victim was transported to Jay Hospital; the male victim was treated on scene by Escambia County EMS.
Deputies noted that other individuals involved in the incident may face charges.
Justin Moore was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $15,000 bond; Mariah Moore was released on a $10,000 bond.
Dedria’s Gift Presents Scholarships To Two Escambia Academy Students
May 27, 2021
Dedria’s Gift presented scholarships to two Escambia Academy students recently.
The scholarship recipients are Austin Washington and Lillian Bonner. Dedria’s Gift honors the memory of Dedria Robinson, who was killed in a 2005 automobile accident at age 11.
Pictured: Nyesha Cottrell presented the scholarships on behalf of Dedria’s parents Reginald and Rita Robinson. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
