Christmas Night House Fire Victim Passes Away
December 31, 2018
The victim of a Christmas night fire in Escambia County has passed away.
He was identified by family as Ronnie Owens, according to our news partners at WEAR 3.
Owens suffered burn injuries in the fire about 11:30 p.m. December 25 in the 900 block of Rentz Avenue in Warrington.
Escambia County Emergency Communications received a call at 11:34 p.m. reporting the residential structure fire.
Crews arrived on scene at 11:43 p.m. to find light smoke coming from the residence, with a report of an occupant still inside. Firefighters were able to locate the adult male occupant, who was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in trauma alert condition and later transferred to a burn unit in Mobile.
The fire was called under control at 11:59 p.m., with major damage throughout the home.
Smoke alarms were present in the residence, but it is unknown if they alerted the occupant, according to Escambia Fire Rescue.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECUA Collections One Day Later Than Normal This Week; Christmas Tree Disposal Too
December 31, 2018
All ECUA sanitation collections in Escambia County (garbage, recycling and yard trash) will be made one day later than normal this week due to the New Year’s holiday.
And if you are looking to get rid of a Christmas tree, ECUA customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties may place real wreaths and Christmas trees at the curb with their regular yard waste collection. Customers are asked to remove all tinsel and decorations from their trees before placing them at the curb, and to ensure that trees, or portions thereof, are no more than 6 feet in length. Trees can be placed at the curb with other yard trash and should not be placed in the recycling cans or green garbage containers.
Report Details Growth Of Medical Marijuana In Florida
December 31, 2018
Despite a bumpy rollout that has drawn lawsuits and criticism from legislators, a new report shows the number of Floridians using medical marijuana continues to grow.
In the first nine months of 2018, more than 136,000 patients across the state received certifications from 1,070 physicians to receive medical marijuana.
In all, those patients received 174,254 certifications — some could have received multiple certifications — for a host of medical conditions that qualify them to use marijuana. That included 41,143 certifications, or nearly 24 percent of the overall total, for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The report, issued by the Physician Certification Pattern Review Panel, also shows that physicians in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties accounted for more than 30 percent of the certifications between January and Sept. 30.
The average medical-marijuana dose ordered was 372 milligrams per day, according to the data. But in Highlands County, where 470 patients were certified to receive the drugs, the average dose was 3,956 milligrams.
And in Nassau County, where two patients were reported as being certified, the average dose ordered was 17 milligrams.
While the report provides insight into how Florida physicians are responding to Florida’s burgeoning medical-marijuana market, panel co-chair Sandra Schwemmer, an osteopathic physician in Tavernier, said the information needs to be further analyzed before drawing conclusions.
Moreover, members of the panel agreed that the report doesn’t provide a full picture of Florida’s market because it doesn’t capture information from dispensaries. They have asked the Legislature to authorize the collection of the data.
Thirty-one states allow patients to use medical marijuana, including nine states that also have approved marijuana for recreational purposes.
Florida lawmakers first authorized the limited use of non-euphoric, low-THC marijuana in 2014, but Gov. Rick Scott’s administration drew criticism and legal challenges for the way it implemented the law. Voters in 2016 overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana.
The following year, lawmakers passed legislation to implement the 2016 constitutional amendment, though that law also faces legal challenges.
The law required Florida’s two medical boards to form a joint committee that examines and analyzes the ordering patterns for physicians who certify patients. The panel is required to annually submit a report to the governor and legislative leaders. The new report is the first time such a document has been produced and submitted to the Legislature.
The report must include data by individual physician and information in the aggregate by county and statewide.
Data is taken from two sources: the state’s physician licensure database program and the statewide medical-marijuana use registry, which houses a variety of information about issues such as physician certifications, qualifying medical conditions and average maximum daily doses ordered.
Florida patients who suffer from a variety of ailments can receive medical marijuana. Specific diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease and glaucoma qualify patients. Also, patients who require pain management or suffer from similar conditions to the specific ones listed in the law can qualify if certified by physicians.
While medical-marijuana advocates have long touted the benefits of the substance for cancer patients, the data indicate that less than 10 percent of all medical-marijuana certifications, or 17,133, were for cancer patients.
Broward County led the state in the number of certifications for post-traumatic stress disorder, with 4,597. PTSD accounted for 35 percent of all certifications for medical marijuana in the county, according to the data.
Steven Rosenberg, a West Palm Beach physician who chairs the certifications review panel, said the PTSD certifications caught his attention and that he wanted to make sure nothing was afoul.
“If there are people who are taking advantage of the law by using a broad condition, I have some concern about that,” he said.
by Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida
One Injured In Escambia House Fire; Six People Left Without Home
December 31, 2018
One person was injured in a house fire Sunday night in Escambia County.
One adult female was transported to West Florida Hospital. Four adults and two children were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross following the blaze in the 6900 block of Gulley Lane.
Escambia County Emergency Communications received a call at 7:56 p.m. reporting the residential structure fire. Crews arrived on scene at 7:59 p.m. to find light smoke showing from the front door of a single-story residence. Upon investigation, crews found a working fire in the kitchen. The fire was called under control at approximately 8:07 p.m.
The kitchen received moderate fire damage, and there was smoke damage throughout the home. There were no smoke alarms present.
The fire represents the seventh red bulb on the “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety wreath campaign, an Escambia County collaborative initiative with the city of Pensacola to promote fire safety during the month of December. During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths are on display at 18 county fire stations and five city fire stations, with wreaths also placed outside Escambia County’s Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building downtown, the Escambia County Public Safety Building, Pensacola City Hall and Cordova Mall near the food court entrance. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential home.
If your home does not have a working smoke detector, call Escambia County Fire Rescue at (850) 595-HERO (4376) or (850) 436-5200 in the city of Pensacola.
ECSO: Felon Caught With Loaded Shotgun At Century Apartment Complex
December 30, 2018
A Flomaton man was arrested on a felony weapons charge after a deputy spotted him at a Century apartment complex with a loaded shotgun.
Danny Lamar McCrory, 31, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of operating a motor vehicle without a license and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
As Escambia County deputy was working an off duty security job at Century Woods Apartment on West Highway 4 when he observed McCrory drive into the complex. The deputy reported he immediately recognized McCrory from a traffic stop a few weeks ago. He remembered that McCrory said recently got out of prison and never had a valid driver’s license.
When the deputy approached McCrory’s vehicle, he observed a loaded camouflage shotgun sitting directly beside him between the driver’s seat and center console, according to an arrest report. Additional shotgun shells were located in the vehicle.
McCrory was convicted of felony drug possession in Alabama in 2015.
Road Construction Remains On Hold Through January 2
December 30, 2018
Lane closures associated with normal construction activities along Interstate 10 and major state roads remain suspended until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, January 2 due to holiday travel. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three Percent Tax Discount Ends December 31
December 30, 2018
A three percent discount on payment of real estate and tangible personal property taxes ends Monday, December 31, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford.
To receive the three percent discount, payments must be:
- made online by midnight, CST, December 31, at EscambiaTaxCollector.com;
- mailed with a December postmark;
- left by midnight, December 31, in a 24-hour drop box available at all locations.
Taxpayers are encouraged to visit EscambiaTaxCollector.com to pay online 24 hours a day. Online services allow customers to pay their taxes, search records, print receipts, renew vehicle and vessel registrations and many other services.
To check the status of your taxes, pay online or print a receipt, visit the payment center at EscambiaTaxCollector.com. Taxpayers are encouraged to contact the tax collector’s office by emailectc@EscambiaTaxCollector.com or by phone with any questions.
Tax collector offices are closed January 1 for the New Year’s holiday.
Century Awards Community Emergency Team Contract To BRACE
December 30, 2018
The Town of Century has contracted with the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) to help them be reading the event of a public emergency.
BRACE will implement a Citizens Corps and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program at a cost of $5,000.
The Citizen Corps mission is to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds.
The Community Emergency Response Team program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
BRACE has previously coordinated such efforts in Century. They were the only company or individual to submit a bid proposal.
Ballot Proposal Would Revamp Florida Utility Industry
December 30, 2018
A political committee has spent nearly $400,000 in recent months and submitted 33,863 valid petition signatures as it tries to get a measure on the 2020 ballot that would revamp Florida’s electric utility industry.
The proposal, backed by a committee called Citizens for Energy Choices, calls for wholesale and retail electricity markets to “be fully competitive so that electricity customers are afforded meaningful choices among a wide variety of competing electricity providers.”
It would establish a right for customers to choose electricity providers and would limit the role of investor-owned electric utilities — private companies such as Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric Co. and Gulf Power Co. — to constructing, operating and repairing transmission and distribution systems..
Citizens for Energy Choices registered with the state Division of Elections in late September and had spent $396,515 as of Nov 30, according to state records. It had raised $434,000, all of which came from the organization Coalition for Energy Choice, Inc.
Committees will need to submit hundreds of thousands of valid petition signatures to get proposed constitutional amendments on the 2020 ballot. During the 2018 elections, they needed to submit 766,200 valid signatures.
by The News Service of Florida
2018 Florida Roundup: Politics, Change And Tragedy
December 30, 2018
TALLAHASSEE — As expected in a major election year, it was out with the old and in with the new in Florida politics.
Except the new pretty much resembles the old, with Republicans this year holding the governor’s office, a state Cabinet majority and picking up a U.S. Senate seat after the November elections.
The Democrats came close to reversing their political fortunes. But again, they came up short — with the exception of one Cabinet seat.
The election’s aftermath will also bring a revamped Florida Supreme Court, with the newly elected Republican governor appointing three justices and creating a solid conservative majority on the state’s highest court.
NEW RESIDENT OF THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION
With Gov. Rick Scott facing term limits after eight years, the race to replace him drew a crowded field.
The narrative was similar in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. Establishment favorites led early, only to have their paths to the nominations disrupted by lesser-known outsiders who appealed more strongly to the parties’ most-ardent voters.
For the Republicans, former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis of Ponte Vedra Beach blew by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who was better funded and better known.
DeSantis’ momentum became inevitable with the backing of President Donald Trump, who endorsed DeSantis and personally campaigned for him.
In the Democratic primary, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, the daughter of former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, was the early leader. But she faced well-financed challenges from former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, billionaire investor Jeff Greene and Winter Park businessman Chris King.
Yet, in the end, it was then-Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum who won despite lacking the financial backing of his opponents and facing questions about an ongoing FBI investigation into his city. His charismatic, unapologetically progressive message resonated with Democratic primary voters.
The general election campaign became, as predicted, a “base election” between DeSantis and Gillum. DeSantis appealed to his conservative supporters, including holding rallies with Trump. Gillum played to his progressive base, seeking to energize younger voters, women and urban voters, while raising the prospect of electing Florida’s first African-American governor.
DeSantis prevailed in the narrowest general election for governor in the state’s history, beating Gillum by fewer than 33,000 votes out of the more than 8.2 million votes cast.
The results were confirmed in a recount, and DeSantis will take office on Jan. 8.
A NEW JOB FOR SCOTT
Another incredibly tight election ended the political career of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat who has served more than 40 years in Washington, on the state Cabinet and as a state legislator.
Scott prevailed by 10,033 voters — a 0.12 percent margin — over Nelson, who was seeking re-election to a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
Like his two costly, narrow wins for governor in 2010 and 2014, Scott was helped, in part, by his wealth, contributing more than $64 million of his own money to the race.
His victory means that Florida will be represented by two Republican senators in the U.S. Senate for the first time since the Reconstruction era. Scott will join U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who won re-election to a second term in 2016.
NEW MEMBERS JOIN CABINET
Although they get less attention than the governor, Florida’s three Cabinet members play an important role in the state executive branch. And this year, all three seats were up for election.
Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who was originally appointed to his office by Scott, beat former state Sen. Jeremy Ring to stay on the Cabinet.
Former Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Ashley Moody, a Republican, beat Democratic state Rep. Sean Shaw to succeed term-limited Attorney General Pam Bondi.
And in the closest statewide race in 2018, Fort Lauderdale attorney Nikki Fried beat Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell by 6,753 votes to succeed Putnam as agriculture commissioner.
Fried’s victory carried even more significance because of Nelson’s loss in the Senate race. It will leave her as the only elected Democrat holding a statewide office when she joins the Cabinet on Jan. 8.
A NEW DAY ON SUPREME COURT
Scott repeatedly asserted his right to appoint new Supreme Court justices to replace three justices who are retiring because they have reached a mandatory retirement age.
But the Supreme Court made it clear that DeSantis, as the new governor, has the sole authority to appoint replacements for justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who all leave the court on Jan. 8.
The Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission has advanced 11 nominees, who all have conservative credentials, to replace the three retiring justices. None of the nominees is an African-American, meaning the court will be without a black justice for the first time in 36 years when Quince retires.
The court will have a conservative majority, as Pariente, Lewis and Quince have been part of a liberal bloc. And the judicial shift may be long lasting, as voters in November approved a constitutional amendment that allows judges and justices to serve until the age of 75, up from the prior mandatory retirement age of 70.
NEW ADDITIONS TO CONSTITUTION
Florida voters embraced 11 state constitutional amendments in November, including the restoration of rights for felons who have served their sentences and a ban on greyhound racing.
The only ballot measure that — somewhat surprisingly — failed would have provided a larger homestead property-tax exemption for residents.
The endorsement of the constitutional changes was a win for the Constitution Revision Commission, a panel that only meets every 20 years and has the power to put proposed amendments directly on the ballot. Seven of the commission’s proposals passed, with the only setback being a ballot measure that was rejected by the courts.
ANOTHER TRAGEDY DEVASTATES FLORIDA
The massacre of 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland dominated the first half of the year. The Feb. 14 shooting came in the middle of the legislative session, forcing lawmakers to act quickly on the crisis.
The Republican-dominated Legislature and Republican governor embraced some new gun-control restrictions, including increasing the minimum age to buy firearms to 21; placing a prohibition on “bump stocks,” which enable semiautomatic weapons to be used as automatic weapons; and imposing a three-day waiting period for the purchases of rifles and other long guns. The increase in the minimum age to buy firearms drew a lawsuit from the National Rifle Association.
The legislation also included $400 million in funding to improve school security and to beef up mental health services.
The impact of the high school shooting is still being felt as lawmakers and the new governor await a set of recommendations from a special commission that probed the Broward County tragedy. It will remain a major issue in the 2019 legislative session, which begins in March.
ANOTHER HURRICANE HITS HOME
For the third year in a row, Florida felt the impact of the annual hurricane season.
In 2016, Hurricane Hermine, a Category 1 storm, struck near Tallahassee, while the more-powerful Hurricane Matthew ran along Florida’s East Coast bringing flooding and storm damage.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma impacted most of the state from the Keys to the Florida-Georgia border.
In 2018, Hurricane Michael, a powerful Category 4 storm, caused billions of dollars in damage in parts of the Panhandle, after making landfall Oct. 10 east of Panama City.
The region, which has a large number of rural, low-income communities, may take some time to recover. And the hurricane-recovery efforts will be another issue for lawmakers in the coming year.
STORY OF THE YEAR: A former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland is accused of carrying out an armed assault at the school on Feb. 14, leaving 17 students and staff members dead.
QUOTE OF THE YEAR: “Well, things worked out a little differently than Grace and I had hoped. But let me say, I by no measure feel defeated.” — U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, reflecting on his election loss that ended his lengthy political career.