State Turns Dozier School Over To County
December 5, 2018
Jackson County officials hope to revitalize their community’s economy and image through restoration of land that for more than a century housed what became a notorious state reform school.
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved proposals to transfer state-owned property at the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna to Jackson County.
Clint Pate, chairman of the Jackson County Commission, said the county is prepared to move government offices into the site, while working to attract private businesses to the land north of Interstate 10.
“What’s happened before, it’s kind of given a dark cloud to the county,” Pate said. “But we’re going to do what we’re supposed to and try to create new jobs.”
In 2017, the Florida Senate and House passed resolutions formally apologizing for the abuse of juveniles sent to Dozier and a related facility in Okeechobee.
The resolutions acknowledged that treatment of boys sent to the facilities was cruel, unjust and “a violation of human decency.” More than 500 former students have alleged brutal beatings, mental abuse and sexual abuse at the Dozier school, which closed in 2011 after 111 years of operation.
Tuesday’s action by Scott and the Cabinet — Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis — was an outgrowth of a 2017 state law that accompanied the apologies.
The law required the state to turn over about 360 acres, containing the Dozier site’s North Campus, South Campus and Boot Hill Cemetery, to Jackson County. The law required memorializing the cemetery and what was known as the “White House” on the campus.
Scott and the Cabinet also approved the transfer, at no cost, of another 919 acres that the county wants for economic-development efforts.
Former state Rep. Marti Coley, a Marianna Republican, said Tuesday it is essential to have local control of the land, which stands as a gateway to the Northwest Florida community.
“It’s been a difficult thing for the community,” Coley said. “To have this back under local control and to look at repurposing that property to bring jobs to the community is very, very crucial.”
In October, Scott awarded Jackson County $5.8 million from the state’s Job Growth Grant Fund to redevelop the Dozier campus into a regional distribution and manufacturing center. The state money also will be used for a center that will provide vocational and academic education for young people with autism.
“There are a whole lot of possibilities there, when you start bringing in companies,” Pate said. “There will be restaurants and filling stations.”
Also, Tuesday, Scott and the Cabinet agreed to spent $6.4 million to purchase what is known as a “conservation easement” on nearly 20,000 acres of timber land near the Suwannee River and Gulf of Mexico in Dixie County.
Under a conservation easement, the land would be protected from development, but the owner, Lyme Cross City Forest Company, LLC, would be able to continue timber operations.
In making the deal, the state is banking on a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. The foundation received $2.544 billion in 2013 as part of federal plea agreements with BP and Transocean stemming from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill.
The grant is expected to cover all but $1 million of the state’s cost of the Dixie County deal, according to information provided to the Cabinet.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Farm Hill Utilities Issues Boil Water Notice For Large Part Of System
December 4, 2018
Farm Hill Utilities in Cantonment has issued a boil water notice for a large portion of their water system due to a water main break.
As a precaution, the utility is advising that all water using for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes be boiled at a rolling boil for at least one minute. As an alternative bottled water may be used.
This “Precautionary Boil Water Notice” will remain in effect until the problem has been corrected and bacteriological survey shows that the water is safe to drink.
The areas impacted are: South County Road 97 south of West Kingsfield Road, West Kingsfield Road and all side roads south of Kingsfield including Pinebrook and Carmody Hill.
Injuries In Morning Highway 29 Wreck
December 4, 2018
At least two people were injured in a wreck Tuesday morning on Highway 29 at Highway 196. The crash involved a Ford Escape and a utility truck. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating; additional information has not been released. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
County Considers Contract For $24.5K Century Market Analysis
December 4, 2018
At their Thursday meeting, the Escambia County Commission will consider the final contract approval for a $24,500 market study for Century.
The market analysis will assess the feasibility of mixed use commercial and residential development in reference to various parcels and buildings within the town, according to the proposal. “The analysis will help define community needs, a profile of customers, potential for profitability and growth, as well as consider both competition and barriers to development onto the market,” it states.
The funds will come from a $95,000 economic development funding pool for the Century area that includes $55,000 from last fiscal year that was never spent, plus $50,000 from the current fiscal year. The Haas Center had proposed four additional projects that would have used the full $95,000 balance.
The marketing analysis will assess the feasibility of mixed use commercial and residential development in reference to various parcels and buildings within the town, according to the proposal.
The funds will come from a $95,000 funding pool that includes $55,000 from last fiscal year that was never spent, plus $50,000 from the current fiscal year. The Haas Center had proposed four additional projects that would have used the full $95,000 balance.
Work will begin when the agreement is reached, with a draft report due March 1. Community feedback will be solicited by April 30, and the final market analysis report will be due June 30. The agreement is between the University of West Florida and the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners and does not directly involve the Town of Century
Previously, the Haas Center presented the 2014 Six Pillar Community Economic Development Strategic Plan to the Town of Century after a successful completion of a DEO Technical Assistance Grant. The strategic plan was presented at the end of a yearlong collaboration between the Haas Center and the town.
The plan ultimately outlined a series of goals, objectives and tactics that could help facilitate change for the Town of Century. The vision was outlined as: “The Town of Century will be the model for rural economic redevelopment, excelling in cultivating its workforce, facilitating the growth of regional industry, and enhancing the quality of life for its residents and the surrounding communities.”
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary School Names November Students Of The Month
December 4, 2018
Bratt Elementary School has named students of the month for November. They are:
Pre-K
Brantley Cummings
Hendrix Ward
Kindergarten
Tiffin Hubbard
Cameron Parmer
Cory Stetson
Emma Norton
1st Grade
Carrie Emmons
Bailey Campbell
Bentley Lowey
Ryan Johnson
Zoe Jantz
2nd Grade
Kimmora Thomas
Alexa Hardy
Lane Lisenby
Addison Carpenter
3rd Grade
Makinzi Roley
Jack Carpenter
Eli Franklin
Wyatt Spence
Cassie Stillwell
4th Grade
Zachary Weaver
Avery Stuckey
Annberly Dunn
5th Grade
Talaysha Curry
Emily Jarvis
Alexis White
Mya Wilson
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
December 4, 2018
Here is the latest report from the Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Ramos represented FWC at Escambia High school at their annual Law Enforcement Career day where local and federal police agencies were on-hand to discuss law enforcement careers with interested students. Students enjoyed the many static displays including an opportunity to tour a FWC patrol truck and patrol vessel. Officer Ramos spoke with many curious students and explained the unique roles and responsibilities that conservation law enforcement officers serve across the state.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Lewis received a complaint about a baited blind in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA.) He located the baited blind and observed that it was covered with freshly cut pine trees from the surrounding area. Officer Lewis encountered a subject on a road near the baited blind carrying the blind’s storage bag. The subject admitted to cutting the trees used to cover the blind. Officer Lewis explained to the subject that cutting trees in a WMA was a criminal offense and issued the subject a notice to appear for cutting trees in a WMA.
Officers Mullins and Roberson received a complaint about the harvest of a short-horned buck in Blackwater State Forest. The officers visited a subject’s residence to speak about the illegal deer. After investigation, the subject admitted that he hid the horns in the back of a vehicle at another location. The officers located and measured the horns’ main beams which were 8 inches on both sides. The suspect admitted he harvested the illegal deer in Blackwater State Forest and was charged with the taking of the illegal deer.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
High School Hoops: Chipley Tops Northview
December 4, 2018
The Northview Chiefs lost were defeated by Chipley 70-53 Tuesday night in Bratt, while the Lady Chiefs lost to Chipley 41-22. Northview will host Laurel Hill on Tuesday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Court Questions If Felons’ Voting Rights Fight Is Moot
December 4, 2018
After Floridians passed a constitutional amendment in the Nov. 6 election, a federal appeals court is questioning whether it needs to rule in a high-profile case about how Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet have handled requests to restore felons’ voting rights.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held a hearing in July in a long-running legal battle about whether the state’s rights-restoration process has violated the federal Constitution. But the Atlanta-based appeals court has not ruled in the case, which was filed on behalf of several felons who served their sentences but have not been able to vote.
In the Nov. 6 election, however, Floridians approved an amendment to the state Constitution that requires the state to restore voting rights to most felons who have completed terms of their sentences, including probation or parole. The only exceptions to the automatic restoration are for felons convicted of murder or sexual offenses.
After passage of the amendment, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week issued a memo directing attorneys for the plaintiffs and the state to file arguments about whether the federal lawsuit is now moot. The memo was issued Nov. 20 and gave the attorneys 15 days to respond.
The memo requested that attorneys answer whether “any of the plaintiffs in this case, as a result of their prior felony convictions, will continue to be disqualified from voting after the recently adopted amendment to … Florida’s Constitution goes into effect.” Also, it requested that they provide arguments about, “whether this case is moot under current law” if the plaintiffs are not disqualified from voting after the amendment takes effect.
But Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, told The News Service of Florida he does not think the lawsuit is moot for a variety of reasons.
First, the constitutional amendment only addressed the restoration of voting rights, Simon said. It does not affect felons’ ability to serve on juries or be granted state occupational licenses.
Also, felons convicted of murder or sex offenses are excluded from the amendment.
“So whether or not it’s voting rights, or even the restoration of all of their civil rights, those people can only have their voting rights restored by a case-by-case vote by the clemency vote,” said Simon, whose organization was a key supporter of the Nov. 6 ballot measure.
“Whatever rights it involves, whoever it involves, there’s got to be some rational standards, and it can’t be arbitrary. And until that is addressed by the courts, this case is far from moot,” he said.
The lawsuit was initially filed in March 2017 and came after years of political and legal debates about restoration of felons’ rights. A major part of that debate has centered on a process that Scott and the Cabinet put in place in 2011, making it harder for felons to get rights restored. Under the process, the state has required felons to wait five or seven years to apply for rights restoration — and years after that to complete the process.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker this spring found the process was arbitrary and violated the federal Constitution. Walker ordered the state clemency board — made up of Scott and the Cabinet — to come up with a set of “specific, neutral criteria” upon which to base their decisions.
But a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in April blocked a Walker order that would have required state officials to quickly overhaul Florida’s process of restoring felons’ rights. That panel decided 2-1 that “binding precedent” gives the governor “broad discretion to grant and deny clemency, even when the applicable regime lacks any standards.”
The April ruling, however, did not end the state’s appeal of Walker’s ruling that the restoration process was unconstitutional, prompting the July hearing before a separate three-judge panel of the court.
The legal wrangling came as backers of the ballot proposal, known as Amendment 4, campaigned to build public support for changing the process. The automatic-restoration proposal received support from 64.55 percent of the voters in the Nov. 6 election, easily topping the 60 percent needed for passage.
by Dara Kam and Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Three Injured in Semi, SUV Crash On Nine Mile Road
December 3, 2018
Three people were in injured a crash involving a semi-truck early Monday morning on Nine Mile Road just west of Pine Forest Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 41-year old Aisha Westbrooks of Pensacola was westbound on Nine Mile Road in a 2017 Infiniti when she crossed the center line and collided head-on with a semi truck driven by 60-year old William Goodwin of Pensacola.
Westbrooks, her 4-year old passenger, and Goodwin were all transported with minor injuries to Sacred Heart Hospital by Escambia County EMS following the 12:45 a.m. accident.
The truck driver’s dog suffered no apparent injuries and was picked up by family members.
Nine Mile Road was closed until 5:48 a.m. due to the crash and a fuel spill that covered a large area.
Westbrooks was cited for failure to drive in a single lane.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Judge Orders Teen To Write Apology Letter For High School Bomb Threat
December 3, 2018
A teenager who made a bomb threat against Northview High School has been ordered to write an apology essay.
Judge Gary Bergosh ordered Gavin Lee Barlow, 19, to “write sincere letter of apology to Northview High School at least 250 to 300 words” within 90 days. He was also ordered to pay $273 in court costs.
The incident occured on May 18, 2018. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office completed a search and cleared the campus shortly after the threat was made, and deputies were able to quickly develop Barlow as a suspect thanks to video evidence.
At 2:30 p.m., the school resource officer was made aware that Barlow sent a profanity-laced video through the Snapchat app to a student at the school who had just been suspended for the rest of the year, according to the Sheriff’s Office. In the video, Barlow said, “I hate that (profanity) school, I hate that (profanity), I hate Mrs. Weaver. I wish that (profanity) would blow the (profanity) up at 3:20. (Profanity) I’m gonna set a bomb off in that (profanity). I’m gonna get Russia to blow that (profanity) up.”
Barlow was not a student at the school.
Principal Gayle Weaver was informed of the threat, and a decision was made to dismiss faculty, staff and students early at 3:11 p.m., rather than the normal dismissal time of 3:20 p.m.
“The threat was time specific for 3:20,” Weaver said in a recorded photo call to parents.
After contact was made with Barlow, he met deputies at a house on Pine Barren Road (pictured above), just outside the Northview campus, and Barlow was placed under arrest without incident at 4:45 p.m.
A charge of making a bomb threat was dropped by prosecutors, and adjudication was withheld on two counts of interfering with a school function.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.