Volunteers Honored On National Service Recognition Day
April 3, 2019
Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson was joined Tuesday by Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender, Century Mayor Henry Hawkins and WEAR’s Sue Straughn in declaring April 2 as National Service Recognition Day. Volunteers were recognized for their contributions to the community.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hawkins Reimburses Century For Airline Tickets, But Still Won’t Say Who Traveled
April 2, 2019
Century’s mayor has reimbursed the town for airline tickets and hotel rooms, but he still won’t say who traveled to town last October.
Hawkins provided town council members with a copy of a PenAir cashier’s check for $1,751.70, along with a written statement.
“The Town of Century will never move forward as long as we’re stuck on what’s not being doing [sic] with other’s approval. I am repaying the Town for airline tickets and hotel fees for two gentlemen that I brought to the Town to discuss economic development,” Hawkins wrote. “This is not an admission of guilt but a gesture of good faith in moving Century forward. It seems that there are those that do not want our Town to prosper. We grown [sic] when businesses come into the Town and our citizens are given a chance for better paying jobs. When we don’t strive for economic development then we all lose.”
In December, the town council approved payment of $1,751.70 to Expedia and three airlines on a bill list. As part of a public records request on January 8, NorthEscambia.com asked for the “airline invoices or receipts that have been discussed and appeared on the bill list at recent meetings, along with reservation information for such.”
That request was ignored by the town until it was mentioned at a March 4 council meeting when Hawkins told us and council president Ann Brooks that he would provide the receipts, but he would “black them out.” He refused to answer questions about the legal justification for the proposed redactions.
The following day, a town staffer emailed documents to NorthEscambia.com and Brooks. On each page from Expedia, the name of the traveler was redacted, marked out by hand. No justification for the redactions was provided as required by Florida statute.
No explanation was given as to why it took nearly two months to produce the redacted documents. Florida’s Sunshine Law dictates that records must be produced in a reasonable time, and the only delay permitted “is the limited reasonable time allowed the custodian to retrieve the record and delete those portions of the record the custodian asserts are exempt.”
When pressed Monday night as to why the complete public records request as not fulfilled, Hawkins said, “I’ve paid it back, so I’m not obligated.”
The documents included two itineraries and one sheet labeled as a receipt. The “receipt” from Expedia did not indicate the purchaser, but it did show the last four digits of a Visa card used for payment.
In March, the town provided:
- An Expedia itinerary showing a cost of $560.92 for an American Airlines flight departing October 28 from Los Angeles to Pensacola, and a room with double beds for one adult for two nights at the LaQuinta Inn on Davis Highway in Pensacola. The traveler’s name is redacted.
- An Expedia itinerary showing a cost of $689.38 for a Delta flight departing October 29 from Los Angeles to Pensacola, a return flight on Frontier Airlines on October 31, and a room with double beds for one adult for one night at the LaQuinta Inn on Davis Highway in Pensacola. The traveler’s name is redacted.
- An Expedia receipt for $501.40 for a one-way flight from Pensacola to Eugene, Oregon, on October 31. The receipt does not specify the airline, and the traveler’s name is redacted.
The items provided in early March by the town total $1,751.70.
The December town bill list showed payments were made for charges incurred in October as follows:
- American Airlines $501.40
- Delta $366.90
- Expedia $668.50
- Frontier Airlines $214.90
The items total $1,751.70, equal to the itineraries and receipt provided but the payee entries listed differ.
Under the town’s charter, Hawkins is required to seek advance council approval for purchases in excess of $200. The council did not approve the airline ticket purchases.
Hawkins repeatedly contended that Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry promised to reimburse the costs with county economic development, but Barry has denied even communicating with Hawkins about travel expenses. During a public council meeting, Hawkins called Barry “a lie.” ”
ECSO: Cantonment Taxi Driver Threatens To Kill Ex-girlfriend Via Facebook, Put Gun In Her Face
April 2, 2019
A taxi driver from Cantonment has been charged after allegedly threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and pulling a gun on her.
Eric Emmanuel Fray, Jr., was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, transmitting electronic communication of threats to do bodily harm, possession of a weapon while engaged in a criminal offense, and possession of a concealed firearm.
The victim told deputies that Fray, 25, was upset because she gave their now 5-month old child away to an adoption agency. She reported that Fray sent her Facebook messages from his account telling her to step outside so he could do bodily harm to her, and if not he would “shoot her car up,” an arrest report states.
Fray’s ex-girlfriend attempted to leave her residence, but her vehicle was cut off by taxi cab driven by Fray. He walked over brandishing a firearm that he pointed directly in face, according to the report, while threatening to kill her and her family. Fray then drove away in the taxi.
The victim reported that she began to receive additional Facebook messages from Fray threatening to kill her and her family. The victim stated Fay said “she was lucky he still cared about her a little or he would have left her dead in the car when he saw her,” the arrest report states.
With the victim’s permission, an Escambia County deputy use her phone to send a Facebook message to Fray’s Facebook account.
“And did you really have to pull a gun on me? We could have talked like adults without your gun,” the deputy wrote.
The reply stated: “I was gonna shoot yo [expletive] car up yes I had to pull my gun you think im just talking.”
The cab company told deputies that GPS in the taxi driven by Fray had traveled around the victim’s residence numerous times and was in the area for over an hour despite having no taxi pick ups in the area.
Using GPS data provided by the cab company, deputies located Fray several miles away with a firearm in his possession.
Fray remained in the Escambia County Jail Monday with bond set at $45,000.
Escambia County Celebrates NOLF-8 Land Exchange
April 2, 2019
Escambia County marked the land transfer and future of Naval Outlying Landing Field Site 8 with a ceremony on Monday in Beulah.
County residents received approximately 635 acres of prime property to utilize for improvements in the heart of the growing Beulah community while the Navy received a new training field in Santa Rosa County.
The National Defense Authorization Act in 2015 that authorize the land exchange. In 2016, the land exchange agreement was formalized with the intention to transfer the property at NOLF Site 8 to Escambia County, in exchange for a suitable replacement.
Escambia County purchased land in Santa Rosa County and began construction in 2016 on what is now called OLF-X. Naval Facilities Southeast Region in Jacksonville, Navy Installations Command and Whiting Field coordinated with Escambia County to ensure requirements for the training mission at NAS Whiting Field were met for the new outlying field. On January 29, the deeds were exchanged, finalizing the transfer. NAS Whiting Field opened Naval Outlying Landing Field-X for flight training operations on January 30.
NOLF Site 8 was originally constructed in 1940 as an auxiliary airfield for Pensacola NAS. At approximately 635 acres, Site 8, along with NOLFs Spencer and Pace, was one of the oldest NOLFs still in use until the land transfer with Escambia County in 2019.
Site 8 was initially used as a fixed wing training field. The field had undergone several changes and was temporarily closed in the mid to late 1950s. In 1964, the NOLF was brought back into service as an NOLF to support NAS Whiting Field’s rotary-pilot training mission. The NOLF was used as a primary tactical training asset by TRAWING 5. The field provided facilities to support training in rotary tactics, confined area landings, platform landings, external loads missions, hot refueling and was tentatively studied to support night vision training.
Northview Softball Sweeps Excel; Tate Freshmen Baseball Beats Gulf Breeze
April 2, 2019
SOFTBALL
Northview 10, Excel 5
Northview 12, Excel 0 (JV)
The Northview Chiefs swept two from Excel, AL, Monday in Bratt.
The varsity Chiefs defeated Excel 10-5.
Tori Herrington earned the win with 10 strikeouts.
At the plate for Northview: Ashley Ragsdale 2-2, RBI; Heather Knowles 1-2, 3B; Aubree Love 3-4, 2RBI; 2B; Kailyn Watson 1-3, Kendall Enfinger 1-4; Lydia Smith 1-1; Payton Gilchrist 1-3, RBI; Kaitlyn Gafford 1-2, RBI; Rylee Huskey 1-1.
In junior varsity action, the Northview Chiefs beat Excel 12-0 after an explosive second inning.
For a photo gallery from Northview vs. Excel junior varsity play, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
BASEBALL
Tate 11, Gulf Breeze 1 (Freshmen)
The freshmen Tate Aggies beat Gulf Breeze 11-1 Monday.
Conner Wright pitched the win on the mound for the Aggies. He lasted four innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out four and walking one. Chase Lombardo threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Paul Whitson and Kirk Mosley went 2-2 at the plate for the freshmen Aggies. Warren Henke, Dagan Guy, Jaxson Stafford, Brent Vinson, Josiah Glodfelter, Tucker Griffin and Wiley Griffin all had one hit each for Tate.
Pictured: Northview’s junior varsity defeated Excel Tuesday afternoon in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sacred Heart Celebrates New $85 Million Children’s Hospital
April 2, 2019
Sacred Heart marked 50 years as Northwest Florida’s only children’s hospital by hosting a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony Monday for its new four-story, $85 million facility. With 126 beds, the Studer Family Children’s Hospital will increase access to specialized pediatric care and put multiple services in one location on Sacred Heart’s Pensacola campus. Patient care at the facility is scheduled to begin in May.
The new children’s hospital includes a pediatric emergency department, 72-bed neonatal intensive care unit, medical/surgical beds, observation beds, a pediatric imaging department, pharmacy, inpatient rehabilitation gym, child life playrooms, outpatient lab services and a new family-friendly dining venue. The facility encompasses more than 150,000 square feet, with an additional 28,000 square feet of shell space to allow for future expansion.
The children’s hospital also includes a Ronald McDonald Family Room that offers a shower room, laundry room, full kitchen, dining room, and large and open living room. Three bedrooms will provide overnight accommodations in emergency situations when families need to be seconds away from children in critical condition. Ascension Sacred Heart’s Pensacola campus also is home to a Ronald McDonald House, where families can stay while their children are hospitalized.
“Ascension Sacred Heart has spent the past 50 years building our expertise in the care of children, thanks to our innovative founders, our dedicated care team and the support of our community,” said Henry Stovall, president and CEO of Ascension Sacred Heart Health System. “Today, just like the children and families we serve, the Studer Family Children’s Hospital continues to grow to meet the needs of Northwest Florida families. This new phase of our journey is going to help bring the caliber of each child’s hospital experience to an exceptional level.”
The new children’s hospital is the single largest investment Sacred Heart has made in its 104-year history and the largest community-funded capital campaign of any healthcare organization in Pensacola. The faith-based health system committed $55 million toward the project. The project has received significant community support as well, with $29 million raised to date of the $30 million goal from local community members and organizations.
“This is an extraordinarily exciting day for Ascension Sacred Heart Health System and for our statewide health ministry of Ascension Florida. The new Studer Family Children’s Hospital gives us the opportunity to provide an even more sophisticated, clinically advanced level of care to the children and families of this community in an environment of care and healing that’s exclusively designed with the unique needs of children and families in mind,” said Tom VanOsdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida. “Generations of families have entrusted Sacred Heart with their care, especially with the specialized and personalized care of their children, and our new, state-of-the-art facility will ensure that Sacred Heart continues to be the best choice for all they care they need, right here at home.”
“Ascension is privileged to serve Northwest Florida with the region’s only hospital solely dedicated to the care of babies and children,” said Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA, president and chief operating officer of Ascension. “This care reflects our Mission, calling us to care for all, especially those most in need. The new children’s hospital will offer a wide range of services under one roof – all available regardless of a parent’s ability to pay.”
Monday’s ribbon-cutting coincided with the children’s hospital’s 50th anniversary. At the time of the hospital’s founding, no single local facility had all the specialized equipment or nursing personnel needed to care for children. A group of local pediatricians agreed that children’s care should be centralized in one location to enable the investment in pediatric equipment and specialized nurses. The doctors approached Sacred Heart with a proposal to convert a dormitory for the old Sacred Heart nursing school into a children’s hospital. After only two weeks’ deliberation, the Daughters of Charity announced plans to create the area’s first facility dedicated solely to the care of infants and children. Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital opened on April 1, 1969.
Pictured top: The new Studer Family Children’s Hospital. Pictured below: Tom VanOsdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida, speaking at the dedication of the hospital. Pictured bottom: Bishop Bill Wack of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, who blessed the new Children’s Hospital with holy water. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Names UF Doctor, Pensacola Pediatric Chair As Surgeon General
April 2, 2019
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has named a University of Florida doctor and professor that is pediatric chair at a Pensacola hospital as the state’s next surgeon general.
Monday, DeSantis announced the appointment Dr. Scott A. Rivkees as Florida surgeon General and secretary of the Florida Department of Health.
A practicing pediatric endocrinologist,Rivkees is a professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine and physician-in-chief of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, part of UF Health, the university’s academic health center. He also serves as academic chair of pediatrics at Orlando Health and pediatric chair at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. During his distinguished career, Dr. Rivkees has served as associate chair of pediatrics for research at the Yale University School of Medicine and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Rivkees as Florida Surgeon General, one of the most important appointments of my administration,” said DeSantis. “Dr. Rivkees brings a wealth of experience and excellent credentials that fit glove-in-hand with Florida’s needs. I look forward to working with Dr. Rivkees, whose leadership will be indispensable in addressing the opioid crisis facing our state and responsible implementation of medical marijuana now that a legislative solution is in place, among other important issues.”
“I am deeply honored to accept the appointment of Florida Surgeon General, a position that has the responsibility to ensure Florida’s 21 million citizens have access to affordable, safe and quality healthcare,” said Rivkees. “It is the duty of the Department of Health to ensure the health and prosperity of our citizens and visitors, young and old, healthy and infirmed. Medication safety, the opioid crisis, and the rising cost of prescription drugs are demanding issues facing Florida today and I am confident that under the leadership of Governor DeSantis and Lt. Governor Nuñez, Florida will lead the nation in innovative medical and healthcare solutions.”
Police Chase Ends With Four Fatalities
April 1, 2019
I-10 westbound was closed in Baldwin County Monday between the Beach Express and Loxley due to a traffic crash with four fatalities.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office says the crash resulted from a wrong-way driver being chased by deputies. According to a statement released by the Baldwin Sheriff’s Office:
A Baldwin County deputy attempted to stop a newer model sedan eastbound on I-10 near the 49 mile marker after the deputy witnessed a moving violation. The suspect accelerated in an attempt to outrun the deputy. The vehicle exited I-10 at the Wilcox exit and re-entered the interstate westbound.
The vehicle then exited the interstate and went southbound on the Baldwin Beach Express. The vehicle did a U-turn on the Baldwin Beach Express and reentered the interstate westbound.
The deputy continued to try and stop the vehicle as it continued westbound. The suspect’s vehicle did a U-turn on the interstate and drove eastbound in the westbound lane at a high rate of speed. The deputy lost sight of the suspect’s vehicle as it continued to drive into oncoming traffic. The suspect impacted a vehicle head on that was traveling westbound. The impact killed a passenger and severely injured the driver of the westbound vehicle.
The suspect vehicle rolled over the guard rail and caught fire in the outside median of the interstate. Three subjects inside the fleeing vehicle were also killed.
The driver of the west bound vehicle was airlifted to University Hospital in Mobile. The driver’s condition is unknown.
The identities of all those involved are unknown at this time. Alabama State Troopers are working the case as a traffic homicide.
No Serious Injuries In Highway 29 Crash At Paper Mill
April 1, 2019
There were no serious injuries reported in a two-vehicle crash Monday afternoon on Highway 29 at Tree Street in Cantonment, in front of International Paper. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Amended Complaint Filed In Apartment Developer’s Lawsuit Against Century Over Water, Sewer Fees
April 1, 2019
A lawsuit filed against the Town Century by an apartment developer over the amount they were charged to connect water and sewer service remains active.
In October 2018 Century filed a motion to dismiss the suit by The Paces Foundation and Century Park Apartments, and the plaintiffs recently filed an amended complaint.
In February 2018, Paces submitted a $165,180 check to the town for water and wastewater tap fees along with a protest letter from attorney William J. Dunaway of the Clark Partington law firm in Pensacola. The letter informed the town that the payment was made in full, but the amount remained in dispute.
In their amended complaint, Paces is seeking a declaration that they owed the town $63,750 for full payment and an additional $101,430 deposit charged was invalid, and “any further appropriate supplemental relief.” The plaintiffs have withdrawn a request for “unjust enrichment.”
The lower fee of $63,750, according to Paces, was decided upon during a 2015 meeting with then-Mayor Freddie McCall and Town Planner Debbie Nickles. The only written agreement to come out of that meeting was a handwritten page showing calculations that Paces said were based upon the 2015 rates as published online in the town’s municipal code. The handwritten document also included a proposed fee for natural gas; however, the developer later opted to go all-electric.
In 2017, the town council passed two resolutions increasing the water and sewer tap fees and charged Paces based upon 50 connections. The apartment complex, according to the lawsuit, has only one master meter that serves all 50 units.
Paces contends they relied upon the lower payment quote in determining their financial options with the apartment development. They contend they were forced to submit the higher fee in order to obtain utility services and obtain a certificate of occupancy for the apartments.
McCall and Nickles did not deny the meeting, nor did they deny the agreement or the approximate $63,000 tap fee. “The town made a commitment to them. To me, they should do the right thing and honor that commitment,” Nickles said during a March town council meeting also attended by McCall.
“Paces responded to the Town of Century’s request that they come in and invest in the Community with an affordable housing plan. Paces relied on the word of Mayor Freddie McCall and the Town Planner, Debbie Nickles, when they negotiated the impact fee for water and sewer for the $10 Million dollar apartment complex. It was wrong for the new Mayor not to honor the deal made with Mayor McCall and Paces believes that the Court will agree,” Dunaway, the attorney for Paces, told NorthEscambia.com shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
The town claimed they are immune to the lawsuit under sovereign immunity.
The town claims that Florida law does not allow a party to attempt to enforce an oral agreement against a governmental entity such as Century. Citing a 1984 Florida Supreme Court case, the town says there is not written agreement with Paces; therefore, they have no claim.
The town also asserts that alleged agreement is unenforceable because it is not written or signed.
The town’s motion to dismiss is pending and has not yet been set for a hearing.
On October 15, 2018, Mayor Henry Hawkins told the town council that Century’s response to the lawsuit would be “getting them on technicalities” [read previous story ...]. He said subpoenas were incorrectly served on Town Clerk Kim Godwin but still listed a former town clerk’s name. Hawkins said that he should have been served as the “highest ranking person” in town government, and “if they are going to serve anybody else, they have to serve them between 11 a.m. and noon.”
None of the issues raised by Hawkins were in the motion to dismiss filed in Escambia County Circuit Court.
Pictured top: Century Park Apartments. Pictured top inset: A check submitted under protest to the town by the Paces Foundation. Pictured bottom inset: The handwritten document Paces contends demonstrated a lower water and sewer tap fee as authorized by town code. Pictured below: Century’s justification for the $165,180 tap fee charged to the developer. NorthEscambia.com photo and images, click to enlarge.
