BP Money Eyed To Help With Hurricane Recovery
January 29, 2019
Calls are growing to use BP oil spill money to bolster Hurricane Michael recovery efforts, potentially reducing the financial burden on local and state budgets.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, last week indicated he could support the idea of pumping settlement money from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster into building and replacing infrastructure in communities reeling from the deadly Oct. 10 hurricane.
“I don’t see why those need to be separated out,” Bradley told reporters at the Capitol. “I don’t think there should be money used only for oil spill and another pot for Hurricane Michael concerns. So, the idea that we would utilize Triumph (Gulf Coast) both for its bonding capacity and real dollars to help address things in the Panhandle, I think that’s a serious discussion we need to have in his building.”
Created by the Legislature, the non-profit agency Triumph Gulf Coast was created to distribute to Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla and Walton counties three-quarters of the $2 billion the state will get over the next 12 years through the BP settlement. As part of its charge from the Legislature, Triumph is expected to direct money to regional projects that have wide impacts rather than directly to individual businesses.
State lawmakers are expected during the legislative session that begins March 5 to consider spending millions of dollars to aid Hurricane Michael recovery efforts, though they have not specified an amount.
The state got some relief when Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week that President Donald Trump’s administration expanded the number of days Florida and local governments would receive full reimbursement for debris cleanup from five to 45.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz has estimated the White House move will save the state and local governments “hundreds of millions of dollars” in cleanup expenses from the Category 4 storm, which created seven to 10 times as much debris as Hurricane Irma in 2017 — though Irma affected more areas of the state.
Bradley’s comment last week followed a similar request from state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who is from the hard-hit Panama City area. Also, Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, has filed a bill (HB 191) that would create the Northwest Florida Rural Inland Affected Counties Recovery Fund, which would receive a portion of money from the BP settlement.
Under Drake’s proposal, the state Department of Economic Opportunity would provide grants for infrastructure and workforce projects in Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty and Washington counties.
“The Legislature recognizes that as a result of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the rural inland affected counties of Northwest Florida continue to face extraordinary challenges in significantly improving their economies, specifically in terms of household income, job creation, average wages, and strong tax bases,” Drake’s bill said. “The Legislature also recognizes that this area is designated as a rural area of opportunity by the governor.”
Patronis urged the Triumph Gulf Coast board to work with the state Division of Bond Finance to assist in establishing loans that local governments could use for rebuilding
“My team has reviewed the law governing Triumph funds, and it seems to provide many allowable uses,” Patronis wrote to the board on Jan. 11. “Specifically, we believe these funds are an appropriate funding source to help rebuilding efforts by making secured loans to local governments.”
The Triumph board is awaiting a report about the economic impacts of the storm.
On Jan. 17, Triumph Chairman Don Gaetz, a former state Senate president from Niceville, advised Patronis that counties in the Triumph region hadn’t asked for any changes to their priority lists or for projects to be substituted because of Michael.
Still, Gaetz wrote there might be a need to use the money for secured loans to cover local governments that may suffer from revenue reductions due to storm-related drops in property values.
“County officials and the members of the Triumph Gulf Coast Board understand that the sustained jobs created by Triumph-funded projects will be even more important in a post-hurricane economy struggling to recover,” Gaetz wrote. “We have, however, received some indication that one or two counties may approach Triumph for assistance in making up reduced ad valorem property tax revenues.”
Triumph Executive Director Susan Skelton has started talks with state bond-finance Director Ben Watkins about possible financing, which is expected to be on the board’s agenda in late February.
Also expected to be on the February agenda will be a discussion of the role of Triumph and the state working with private- sector financial institutions on loans.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Jim Allen Elementary School Students ‘Visit” Canada
January 29, 2019
Students at Jim Allen Elementary School are “traveling” to Canada each day this week to learn about the country during a Global Corner International Learning Center program.
The Global Corner provides opportunities for the children of Northwest Florida to learn about world languages, cultures, and geography through innovative educational programs.
Pictured: The Global Corner program at Jim Allen Elementary School. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Laurel Lee Named Florida Secretary Of State
January 29, 2019
Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Laurel M. Lee was named Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis as Florida secretary of state, replacing Mike Ertel, who abruptly resigned last week after the release of photos showing him wearing blackface more than a decade ago.
Lee, whose duties will include serving as the state’s chief elections officer, has worked as circuit judge since being appointed in 2013 by former Gov. Rick Scott. She is married to state Sen. Tom Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican who served as Senate president in 2005 and 2006.
The new secretary’s resume doesn’t show any direct work in an elections office. The Department of State also includes such things as the Division of Corporations, the Division of Historical Resources and the Division of Library and Information Services.
An announcement from DeSantis’ office pointed to her “extensive judicial and legal experience.”
“It is clear to me that Judge Lee’s background and experience make her an excellent choice to serve as secretary of state for Florida,” DeSantis said in a prepared statement. “She is ready to handle the important elections administration duties and cultural responsibilities accorded to this position with a steady hand and good judgment.”
Lee, in the announcement, said she was “humbled” by the appointment.
The appointment by DeSantis requires confirmation by the state Senate, where Lee’s husband was a member from 1996 to 2006 and has again served since 2012.
On the bench, among Judge Lee’s more-prominent rulings came in 2014 when she refused to grant a couple married in Massachusetts a divorce because Florida law banned same-sex marriages.
In December, Lee removed herself from presiding over a lawsuit challenging a new transit tax after the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority requested she be disqualified because her husband campaigned against the tax.
She previously worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida, after working as an assistant federal public defender in the same district.
A University of Florida law school graduate, she was a law clerk to U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr., the father of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and practiced law at Carlton, Fields, P.A. in Tampa.
Ashley Moody, a former Hillsborough County circuit judge, issued a statement Monday that noted a long history with Lee.
“We served together as judges in the 13th Judicial Circuit (in Hillsborough County) and have known each other since we attended the University of Florida together,” Ashley Moody said in the statement. “I have full confidence Judge Lee will serve the state of Florida honorably as the next secretary of state.”
Deputy Secretary of State Jennifer Kennedy served as interim secretary after Ertel’s sudden departure.
Ertel was on the job just over two weeks when photos published online Thursday by the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper showed him wearing blackface and red lipstick and clad in a New Orleans Saints bandanna and a purple T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Katrina Victim,” under which he wore falsies.
According to the Democrat, the photos were taken at Halloween in 2005, eight months after Ertel’s appointment as the Seminole County elections supervisor and two months after Hurricane Katrina’s widespread destruction in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.
DeSantis said he accepted the resignation as he didn’t want to “get mired in side controversies.”
“I think it’s unfortunate,” DeSantis said of Ertel on Thursday at an event outside the Jackson County Emergency Operations Complex. “I think he’s done a lot of good work, but at the same time I have got to have an administration that is going to be focused on what matters to Floridians.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
$1.58 Million Hanks Road Bridge Replacement Begins Next Week
January 29, 2019
The Florida Department of Transportation has announced the $1.58 million replacement of the Hanks Road Bridge over Breastworks Creek in Bratt.
Work a begin the week of Monday, February 4 to replace the bridge.
The project also includes new guardrail, drainage improvements, milling and resurfacing, and new signs and pavement markings. Hanks Road will be closed during construction. Drivers west of the bridge will be detoured to Highway 99 and Highway 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Hanks Road to Pine Barren Road. The project is anticipated to be complete in the fall.
The current bridge was constructed in 1968.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Cantonment Man Gets Jail Time For Possessing Meth At Probation Office
January 28, 2019
A Cantonment man has been sentenced to time in the county jail for possessing methamphetamine inside a probation office.
Michael T. Goodwin, 48, was charged with possession of a controlled substance. He received 120 days in jail with credit for 25 days served.
Methamphetamine was discovered inside Goodwin’s wallet at the Probation and Parole Office on Davis Highway.
Man Airlifted After Molino Dirt Bike Accident
January 28, 2019
A man was seriously injured in a dirt bike accident at a home in Molino Sunday afternoon.
The 33-year old man was airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to a Pensacola hospital following the accident about 3:35 p.m. on Crabtree Church Road.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
Additional details have not been released.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview High FBLA Members Place At District Competition
January 28, 2019
The Florida Northview High School FBLA members placed in district competition:
Accounting I 2nd place: Justin Cruce
Advertising 5th place: Gabrielle Kline; 4th place: Hunter Moseley
Business Communication 4th place: Raeleigh Woodfin
Business Law 4th place: Hailie Anderson
Computer Problem Solving 1st place: Rebecca Dunn
Economics 5th place: Keegun Johnston
Healthcare Administration 5th place: Bradi Edwards; 3rd place: Kendall Enfinger
Introduction to Business 5th place: Le’Ariel Thomas
Introduction to Business Communication 4th place: Libby Pugh
Introduction to Business Procedure 3rd place: Rylee Husky
Introduction to FBLA 1st place: Abigail Levins
Journalism 5th place: Hannah Likovetz; 4th place: Kayla McKillion
Outstanding FBLA member and Outstanding Senior: Gabrielle Kline
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Names January Students Of The Month
January 28, 2019
Bratt Elementary School has named their January Students of the Month. They are:
Pre-K
Jasiah Barnes
Kayson Southard
Kindergarten
Brantley Sharpless
Shaleigh Wesley
Benji Burkland
Hayden Batson
1st Grade
Emma Southard
Bentley Alexander
Jadon Long
Landon Lee
Linley Dunn
2nd Grade
Olivia Garrett
Na’kiyah Williams
Shawn Andrews
Sophia Ikner
3rd Grade
Alyssa Barber
Anthony Johnson
Tyler McAnally
Hunter Parker
Kasei Barlow
4th Grade
Mikayla McAnally
Anna Sanspree
Kylar Davis
5th Grade
Bryson Orso
Maggie Stewart
Charlee Weaver
Camden Clark
Music
Max Mason
U.S. Postal Service Stamp Prices Have Increased
January 28, 2019
Mailing a letter and some packages will now cost you a little bit more.
The United States Postal Service has increased rates of not only stamps but also flat rate boxes and envelopes and other mail services.
Postage for a one-ounce letter will increase from 50 cents to 55 cents, but the price of each additional ounce has decreased from 21 to 15 cents. The nickel increase for a first-class stamp is the largest percentage hike since a four cent increase in 1991.
For the complete new USPS price list, click here (75 page pdf).
FDOT Weekly Traffic Alerts – This Week’s State Road Slowdowns
January 28, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
- U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) Widening from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road - Construction work will close Beulah Road south of the Nine Mile Road intersection from 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25 through 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 28 and 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1 through 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4. During the weekend closures, crews will remove the existing section of Beulah Road, build up and widen the lanes, pave, and restripe the roadway. Drivers may utilize Rebel Road, Beulah Church Road, and Beulah Road. Variable message boards and signs are in place to direct traffic.
- U.S. 90 (Mobile Highway) and County Road (C.R.) 99 (Beulah Road) Intersection –Intermittent lane restrictions from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 as crews install mast arms for the new traffic signal. There will be no lane closures allowed from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, Feb.3:
- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 through Saturday, Feb. 2.
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new northbound bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drainage and paving operations continue. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures Monday through Saturday.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road– Paving operations continue from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Feb.3.
- State Road (S.R.) 292 (Pace Boulevard) from Romana street to Garden Street – The northbound outside lane between Romana Street and Garden Street will be closed from 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30 to 5 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 as crews construct a new commercial driveway.
- Crary Road Bridge Replacement- Crary Road is closed between Tedder Road and Byrneville Road as crews construct a bridge culvert. Motorists will be detoured via C.R. 4 and Byrneville Road.
- Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road will continue to be closed near Canoe Creek. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road.
- Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek - Construction activities are scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 4, 2019. The roadway will be temporarily closed during construction. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, Feb. 4:
- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard) Routine Bridge Maintenance over Mulatto Bayou – The southbound, outside lane will be closed over Mulatto Bayou, about one mile north of I-10, from 8 p.m. to 12-mignight Thursday, Jan. 31 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance.
- I-10 Routine Bridge Maintenance over S.R. 87 - The eastbound, outside lane over S.R. 87, 9 1/2 miles east of S.R. 281, will be closed from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. Friday, Feb. 1 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance
- S.R. 4 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Cold Water Creek – Drivers will encounter alternating east and westbound lane restrictions over Cold Water Creek, about three miles east of S.R. 89, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 and Monday, Feb. 4 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) – Drivers may encounter intermittent southbound lane closures at the Yellow River bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28 and Tuesday, Jan. 29.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.