Underhill Returning To Escambia Commission; Robinson Wins Pensacola Mayor
November 7, 2018
Incumbent Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill was reelected to his position Tuesday with 56.31 percent of the vote to 43.69 percent for Democrat Scott Trotter.
Current Escambia Commissioner Grover Robinson won his bid to be Pensacola’s mayor with 55.78 percent to 44.22 percent for Brian Spencer.
Escambia Voters Chose Appointed School Superintendent
November 7, 2018
The next school superintendent in Escambia County will be appointed by the school board, not elected by the voters.
Escambia County voters narrowly approved a referendum Tuesday in favor of an appointed superintendent 50.36 percent to 49.64 percent according to complete, but unofficial, totals from the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
This was the sixth time voters had considered the idea of an appointed superintendent in the county. Current Superintendent Malcolm Thomas will serve the remainder of his term ending in 2020.
Not So Fast: Scott-Nelson Senate Race Could Require Recount
November 7, 2018
After Gov. Rick Scott declared victory late Tuesday in his race for a U.S. Senate seat, numbers posted Wednesday morning on the Florida Division of Elections website indicate a recount could be needed.
The updated numbers showed Scott with 4,074,001 votes, or 50.21 percent, while Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson had 4,039,498 votes, or 49.79 percent. Under state law, a recount is triggered when the margin is 0.5 percent or less.
Such a recount would involve running ballots through tabulating machines to determine the accuracy of the vote totals, according to state law
As of midnight, Scott led by about 56,000 votes out of more than 8 million cast, or a margin of 50.35 percent to 49.65 percent.
Nelson did not make a public statement. Shortly before midnight, Scott, flanked by his family, addressed supporters in Naples.He acknowledged the combative nature of the race, in which Scott and his supporters repeatedly characterized Nelson, 76, as verging on senility.
Campaigns are “divisive” and “tough,” Scott said.
“And they’re really actually way too nasty,” he said. “But you know what? We’ve done this for over 200 years, and after these campaigns, we come together.”
by The News Service of Florida
No Serious Injuries In Highway 29 Morning Wreck
November 6, 2018
There were no serious injuries in a morning commute crash on Highway 29 at Roberts Road in Cantonment. Minor passengers in the crash were reportedly properly restrained in safety seats. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Libbie Johnson Named UF/IFAS Extension Professional Of The Year
November 6, 2018
Libbie Johnson, agricultural agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County, has named the Extension Professional of the Year. The award was presented at the Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.
The Extension Professional of the Year Award recognizes an Extension Agent who has contributed to the Farm Bureau mission and vision, assisted with crop and/or animal production, completed notable work toward improving Florida agriculture and provided superior customer serving when working with county Farm Bureaus statewide.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
Highway 29 Crash Claims One Life
November 6, 2018
A single vehicle accident on Highway 29 in Cantonment claimed the life of a Pensacola man Monday night.
Patrick Owen Henry, 58, was pronounced deceased following the 6 p.m. crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Henry was traveling south on Highway 29 near Success Drive when his 2013 Dodge Challenger left the roadway and entered the grassy shoulder. The vehicle traveled about 60 feet on the shoulder before colliding with a cluster of small bushes and a large pine tree.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Century Unveils New Website
November 6, 2018
The Town of Century has official unveiled a new website.
The site was built and is hosted by Municode, a Tallahassee based firm. Century currently contracts with the company to make their code of ordinances available online..
Municode submitted a base bid of $4,000 for design, development and implementation of a new website and $1,500 for annual hosting, maintenance and customer support. An interest-free four year payment plan was offered. Municode has been in business for 66 years and works with over 4,200 government agencies across the country.
Townofcenturyflorida.com was to be constructed using content management system (CMS) that will allow town employees to keep the site updated.
The town’s previous website was last updated in 2015. That website was developed by an area marketing firm in 2012 for $5,950, part of a $11,450 package that also included a five year comprehensive marketing strategy.
Escambia Man Gets Three Life Sentences For Shooting At Deputies
November 6, 2018
An Escambia County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for shooting at Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies.
Russell Lee Enfinger was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences on three counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder. These life sentences are mandatory without any possibility of parole.
On November 24, 2017, deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Holly Street in reference to an anonymous phone call about a subject with an outstanding warrant. The homeowner gave the deputies permission to search that location and they encountered Enfinger sleeping in a back storage area.
After the deputies spoke with Enfinger, he pulled a handgun and pointed it at them. The deputies exited the shed and ran for cover in the backyard, seeking refuge behind a cabinet. Enfinger exited the shed and fired numerous shots at two of the deputies, striking the cabinet multiple times and narrowly missing the deputies.The deputies briefly returned fire before retreating to seek cover.
Enfinger fled the scene by jumping a fence that led into an alleyway where he was ordered to stop by another deputy. Enfinger fired one round at the deputy before his gun jammed and fled over another fence.
He was later found hiding behind a dumpster at a nearby Taco Bell where he was discovered to still be in possession of the firearm. Enfinger suffered a single gunshot wound andwas taken into custody without further incident.
Pictured: The scene at a Taco Bell on Nine Mile Road following deputy involved shooting last November. File photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Pins Hopes On GOP Turnout
November 6, 2018
In his final push in the campaign for governor, former Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis told supporters on Monday that he can win the race if the GOP dominates election-day voting.
“I think if Republicans vote and vote in big numbers on Tuesday, we will win all of these races,” he said at a rally outside the Freedom Pharmacy on the east side of Orlando.
He was joined by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., state Rep. Matt Caldwell, the Republican candidate for agriculture commissioner, and Ashley Moody, a former judge who is the GOP nominee for attorney general.
DeSantis told reporters that he is entering election day “roughly at parity” with Democrat Andrew Gillum after the early voting period, which gave the Democrats a slight edge based on calculations through Monday.
But DeSantis, who stepped down from his Northeast Florida congressional seat in September, said “a lot of our super voters have yet to vote,” referring to loyal Republicans who have voted in the last three or four elections.
“We just have a lot of our voters who want to vote on election day. That’s just the way they are. We’re definitely going to win election day, so I’m looking forward to that,” DeSantis said.
Rubio sounded a similar theme in his remarks.
“This sounds like an oxymoron, but hear me out. This election is going to be decided on election day, not just by the counting of the (votes) but by who votes,” Rubio said. “I know a lot of people are waiting until tomorrow. But we have to make sure they vote.”
Another theme struck by DeSantis and his supporters on Monday was an appeal to Hispanic voters. His rally was held in Orange County, which has the third largest bloc of GOP Hispanic voters in the state, although its 28,000 voters are overshadowed by 275,000 Hispanic Republicans in Miami-Dade County.
DeSantis said his economic message of low taxes and limited government will appeal to many voters, including Hispanics, in contrast to his Democratic opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who wants to raise corporate income taxes by $1 billion to pay for teacher raises.
DeSantis called Gillum a “committed leftist ideologue.”
“That’s just who he is. If he gets in there, Florida’ trajectory is going to change dramatically. I don’t think we want to stop our economic momentum,” DeSantis said.
Rep. Jeanette Nunez, a Miami Republican who is running for lieutenant governor with DeSantis, slammed Gillum for Tallahassee’s crime rate, which is above the state average based on population.
“We understand that a good economy is important, but if your communities are not safe, all of that is for naught. That is something our opponent has a terrible track record in,” Nunez said. “If he can’t keep the city of Tallahassee safe, he can’t keep the citizens of the state of Florida safe.”
The Orlando rally was one of five campaign stops scheduled for DeSantis on Monday, with similar appearances in Jacksonville, Vero Beach, Pinellas County and Fort Walton Beach.
He was joined at two of the rallies by Lara Trump, a daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump. The president himself held two campaign rallies in support of DeSantis in the last week, including a Saturday night event in Pensacola.
DeSantis used Trump’s backing to make the case that if he is elected, the state will be in a better position to receive support from Washington, D.C., in contrast to Gillum who has called for the impeachment of the president.
“You should have a governor who can work constructively with the administration in Washington to make sure Florida is getting what it needs,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis along with his wife, Casey DeSantis, a Jacksonville television personality, will vote Tuesday morning in Ponte Vedra Beach. They will watch the election results at a campaign party Tuesday night in Orlando.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Florida First Round Football Playoff Tickets Available Online
November 6, 2018
FHSAA playoff tickets are on sale for first round football games through GoFan, the official ticketing partner of the FHSAA. Mobile ticketing allows fans to use their mobile device as their game ticket, providing a faster and more convenient entry.
Tickets are $8 each, the same as the gate price. A convenience fee is added to each online purchase.
CLASS 1A
CLASS 5A
CLASS 6A
Click here and select game from list
Other Classes
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