DeSantis Signs Smokable Medical Marijuana Bill
March 19, 2019
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into a law a legislative appeal of Florida’s ban on smoking medical marijuana on Monday.
But the smokable medical marijuana won’t be available right away because there must be rules written to govern its use.
“Over 70 percent of Florida voters approved medical marijuana in 2016,” DeSantis said in statement.
“I thank my colleagues in the Legislature for working with me to ensure the will of the voters is upheld. Now that we have honored our duty to find a legislative solution, I have honored my commitment and filed a joint motion to dismiss the state’s appeal and to vacate the lower court decision which had held the prior law to be unconstitutional.”
Under the law, a “35-day supply of marijuana in a form for smoking” will be allowed, as long as it is not more than 2.5 ounces unless an exception is approved by the Florida Department of Health. The medical marijuana cannot be smoked in public and must be purchased from a licensed provider.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried called the bill a landmark victory.
“It’s a triumph owed to the relentless advocacy of Floridians who refused to be silenced. Our state must not disregard the voice of its people – when the people’s will is nullified by those with authority, liberty cannot survive,” Fried said. “Patients should be able to access medicine in the form their doctor determines best for them. Whether it’s smoking medical marijuana or other delivery mechanisms, treatment decisions should be made by physicians, not politicians.”
Driver Downs Utility Pole In Highway 95A Crash
March 19, 2019
There were no injuries when a driver crashed into a utility pole Monday night on Highway 95A south of East Kingfield Road.
The wreck caused a power outage in the area and closed Highway 95A during repairs.
The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Krist Barbour, click to enlarge.
Tate Opens With Aggie Classic Win; Miller Tops Northview; Pine Forest Over Baker
March 19, 2019
Tate 6, Nolensville (TN) 3
The Tate Aggies beat Nolensville (TN) Monday 6-3 on day one of the Aggie Classic.
Jordan Jarman earned the victory on the hill for Tate Aggies Varsity. He surrendered no uns on one hit over four innings, striking out three and recording no walks. Sam Shackle opened on the mound for Tate, giving up three run and one hit in two innings.
Mason Land led Tate at 3-4 at bat with two runs and three RBIs. Also for Tate: Hunter McLean 1-3; Raymond Lafleur 2-4; Chase Tolbert 1-3, R: Jadon Fryman 2-3, R; Trevor Norton 1-1, R, RBI.
The Aggies will face Washington (OK) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Tate High School.
In other games Monday (not part of the Aggie Classic):
T.R. Miller 7, Northview 6
T.R. Miller and the Northview Chiefs were tied 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday night when Miller scored on a single for the win.
Jacob Bryant opened the game for the Chiefs, giving up four runs on three hits two innings, striking out two. Nick Venable threw four and a third innings in relief out of the bullpen.
Jackson Moore homered in the seventh inning as he went 1-4 with a run and two RBIs. Venable, Billy Rolin, Adam Aliff, Seth Killam, Bryant and Ben Wilson also had hits for the Chiefs.
Pine Forest 4, Baker 3
The Pine Forest Eagles beat the Baker Gators 4-3 Monday night.
Jared Riddell pitched the win for Pine Forest. He went two innings, allowing no runs on two hits, striking out one and walking none.
Timmy Williams, John Pinette, Nolan Rigby, and Josh Roberts each collected one hit to lead Pine Forest.
Century’s Water, Wastewater Boss Resigns; Council And Mayor Disagree Again Over Hiring Process
March 19, 2019
Century’s mayor and council once again disagreed over their hiring process during a Monday night meeting.
Water and Wastewater Superintendent Alicia Jernigan has resigned her position effective March 22. Mayor Henry Hawkins recommend that assistant Heath Burkett, who holds state certifications, be promoted into the position. He also recommended that a new desk clerk be hired from a recent pool of applicants for a billing clerk position.
But Council President Ann Brooks told the mayor he could not hire anyone without advertising the positions, and the council took no action of the recommendation for Burkett.
The council and mayor were an impasse for several weeks earlier this year over the hiring of a billing clerk. Hawkins wanted to promote from within for the position, but the council deadlocked over the promotion.
The town attorney said the council essentially has veto power to disapprove of the mayor’ choice, but the council could not direct the hiring of a person not recommended by the mayor. The council eventually interviewed the mayor’s choice and hired her as clerk.
Escambia County Selected For New Workforce Initiative
March 19, 2019
FloridaWest today announced that Escambia County is one of five communities joining the Inclusive Development Network (IDN), an ambitious new initiative designed to advance inclusive workforce development within the selected regions through a focus on reaching underserved populations. Cleveland, Ohio; Corpus Christi, Texas; Coweta, Oklahoma; Spokane, Washington; and Pensacola, Florida, were selected from more than 35 applications for the Network’s first cohort of communities.
“Escambia County and Greater Pensacola are looking forward to a great future and we need that prosperity to include all of our citizens, “ said FloridaWest CEO, Scott Luth, “By participating in this innovative network, we can build a greater future for all of us.”
An initiative of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), the Inclusive Development Network will work to identify and implement strategies that reduce equity gaps in local workforce development. Participating communities were selected based on their geography and size, as well as their existing and proposed reach with underserved populations.
FloridaWest EDA will assemble a leadership team in partnership with Achieve Escambia and Careersource Escarosa that includes representatives from business and industry, education, government, and the community. Through a specialized planning process facilitated by CAEL, the leadership teams from the selected communities will hone inclusive workforce development strategies to create education, job and career opportunities for residents of all demographics.
Backed by grants from ECMC Foundation and JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Inclusive Development Network will be supported by partnerships with national experts.
Cleveland, OH; Corpus Christi, TX; Coweta, OK; and Spokane, WA were selected along with Pensacola from more than 35 applications for the Network’s first cohort of communities.
Flames Seen At Highway 95A Propane Facility Are Normal
March 18, 2019
If you see flames coming from a propane facility on Highway 95A just north of West Roberts Road, it’s not a problem. Officials said the company is “flaring” propane from the tank in a controlled environment.
“We are performing required maintenance to our bulk tank to remain compliant to our safety and regulatory standards,” said Samantha Nelson, spokesperson for Blossman Gas. “We are removing the gas from the tank and burning out the vapor.”
Nelson said the process should be completed on Monday.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to at least one call reporting the fire on Sunday, and the flare continued to burn Monday afternoon.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Fire Heavily Damages Cantonment Mobile Home
March 18, 2019
Fire heavily damaged a mobile home in Cantonment Monday afternoon.
The double-wide mobile home fire was reported about 12:20 p.m. in the 900 block of Booker Street.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, and there were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment, Molino, Ensley and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS were among the responding units.
Photos by Kristi Barbour for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three Years After Tornado, Damaged Sawmill Still Looms Over Century Neighborhood
March 18, 2019
Century has mostly recovered from the EF-3 tornado that ripped through the town just over three years ago. But there’s still on giant problem looming over the town.
The destruction of the Alger Sullivan Lumber Mill is easy to spot behind the neat row of houses that have been repaired on the historic Front Street.
It appears the property is owned by a company that ceased to exist a decade ago. Escambia County has piled fines and fees onto the company, with new fines added with each passing day.
The 38-acre abandoned industrial property was heavily damaged and has sat mostly untouched since 150 mph tornado winds the afternoon of February 15, 2016.
The property owner — listed in county records as DMT Holdings LLC in Navarre –was cited years ago by Escambia County Code Enforcement. The limited liability company was dissolved in 2008.
With no response from the owners. a special magistrate for Escambia County issued an order against the property at One Lumber Road on October 4, 2016, giving the owners until November 1, 2016, to clean up the property. The county provides code enforcement services under an interlocal agreement within the town limits of Century.
Failing to comply, the property owners were assessed costs of $1,100, and fines of $50 per day have been accruing ever since. To date, the property owners, if they exist, owe fines of about $45,000.
Escambia County crews entered the property in 2018 and performed some cutting and trimming, cleaned around a concrete ditch, removed four 30-yard dumpsters of debris and replaced 80-feet of chain link fence that was down. The Mosquito Control Division was also on site to inspect and treat any areas that were favorable for mosquito breeding. The cleanup area was concentrated on the portion of the property behind residences on Front Street.
The cleanup cost assessed by the county was $5,450 — $2,589.29 for 150 hours of labor, $2,613.75 in equipment costs and $246.96 in material costs. Certified mail from the county to the listed owners was returned by the post office as invalid with no forwarding address.
Escambia County received three bids for the demolition and cleanup of the mill last year, but the low bid was $800,000 — far in excess of the county’s entire cleanup budget of about $463,425. Property records show entire value of the property was $802,189 before the tornado, but the most recent assessment show what remains is worth $226,535.
Seizing the property under legal channels has also been problematic due to an outstanding mortgage and back taxes. A current tax bill of $19,520.84 is outstanding. Tax certificates have been sold on outstanding taxes for several other years.
The property is located within a Community Development Area established by the Town of Century. Discussions have been held around the Century council table about the sawmill, but no actions have been taken. The town has been powerless with no apparent legal standing to do cleanup or seize the property.
NorthEscambia.com and courtesy file photos, click to enlarge.
Dash And Dot Robot Fun At The Molino Library Tuesday
March 18, 2019
Dash and Dot with STEAM at the Molino Branch Library will be held Tuesday.
Dash and Dot are robots. Children will have the opportunity to learn about coding through hands-on activities and puzzles using Dash and Dot.
The program will be held at 6 p.m.
New ‘Blessing Box’ Offers Food To Those In Need In Flomaton, Century
March 18, 2019
A new community project is lending a help hand to anyone in need of food in the Century and Flomaton area.
A “Blessing Box” filled with non-perishable food was installed Saturday in downtown Flomaton.
“We wanted to do something to help people in our community who need a little extra help putting food on the table. This box is also a way that those same people can give back when they are able,” said Pastor Ricky Hart of Vision Church in Flomaton.
Anyone that needs a little extra help can take food from the box, and anyone is welcome to restock it.
“Jesus commands us to be His hands and feet and this is a small way we can do just that,” Hart said.
The Blessing Box is located near Church Street in Flomaton. It’s located behind the community stage (the public library side of the stage), just west of the Church and Palafox intersection.
Pictured: A new “Blessing Box” was installed Saturday to serve the Flomaton and Century areas. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
