Grocery And Cafe Breaks Ground On Nine Mile Road
October 25, 2018
Ever’man Cooperative Grocery & Cafe held a groundbreaking Wednesday for a new location at 1000 East Nine Mile Road.
The store is expected to open by next fall.
Ever’man current operate a location on West Garden Street in downtown Pensacola. Ever’man has been a local staple for more than 40 years, gradually expanding its offerings to include a wealth of wholesome options, including artisanal breads, sustainable meat, dairy and seafood, and a full line of vitamins, herbal remedies and personal care products.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Divisions On Display In Final DeSantis, Gillum Debate
October 25, 2018
The first question in Wednesday’s second and final debate between Florida gubernatorial candidates Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis focused on the divisive nature of the country’s political discourse.
And the opening discussion laid the groundwork for an hour of jugular attacks, with the two men accusing each other of being dishonest and unworthy of leading the state before they exited the stage with a fist bump.
The initial question from moderator Todd McDermott of WPBF-TV came following the news earlier in the day that Democratic leaders — including the Clintons and the Obamas — had been sent pipe bombs.
Gillum, a Democrat who is the mayor of Tallahassee, accused DeSantis, a former congressman whose endorsement by President Donald Trump helped boost him to a Republican primary victory, of running “this race very, very close to the Trump handbook where we call each other names.”
Gillum blasted DeSantis for comments the Republican made the day after the Aug. 28 primary in which DeSantis warned supporters “not to monkey this up,” referring to state success, by electing Gillum.
But DeSantis lashed back by accusing Gillum of supporting the “radical” Dream Defenders group, which the Republican accused of attacking Israel.
“So you want to talk about division. It doesn’t get more divisive than the Dream Defenders,” he said.
That drew a swift rebuke from Gillum, who said DeSantis “lied 21 times” during a nationally televised debate Sunday night.
“And now today makes the 22nd, and we just started the debate,” Gillum said.
The hostile exchange, which came less than two weeks before the Nov. 6 election, set the tone for the entire debate at Broward College in Davie.
During one of the most explosive moments, DeSantis, who was on the attack throughout the night, lost his cool after being questioned by McDermott about the former congressman’s affiliation with conservative author David Horowitz.
“Are you going to play the McCarthy-ite game?” DeSantis interrupted McDermott.
McDermott persisted, saying Horowitz had questioned the oppression of black Americans because there is not an exodus of blacks from the country. DeSantis had praised Horowitz as someone who “shoots straight” and “tells the American people the truth,” McDermott pointed out, sparking an outburst from DeSantis, a former Navy lawyer.
“How the hell am I supposed to know every single statement everybody makes?” he exploded, saying that as a soldier in Iraq “we worked together as a team regardless of race.”
DeSantis said, as a prosecutor, he “stood up for victims of every race, color and creed” and will “represent all the people” as governor.
“Everyone will get a fair shake. But I’m not going to bow down to the altar of political correctness. I’m not going to let the media smear me,” he angrily continued.
DeSantis repeatedly hammered Gillum about recently released documents the Republican contended demonstrate that Gillum lied about who footed the bill for tickets to the smash Broadway hit, “Hamilton,” two years ago during a trip to New York.
The documents were released to the public this week by Christopher Kise, a lawyer representing Adam Corey, a Tallahassee lobbyist and entrepreneur at the heart of a federal corruption probe involving the city of Tallahassee.
Corey and Gillum were longtime friends whose global travels were part of the 150 pages of texts, emails and other documents released by Kise.
Gillum has steadfastly maintained he is innocent of any wrongdoing and has publicly severed ties with Corey. The documents show that Corey told Gillum the Hamilton tickets were provided by “Mike Miller,” an undercover FBI agent who also arranged a boat cruise for Corey, Gillum, and the mayor’s brother, Marcus.
Gillum has said he received the ticket for the wildly popular Broadway show from his brother, and that the Broadway tickets were swapped for a Jay-Z show.
“The problem I have is that I should have asked more questions … to ensure that everything was above board,” Gillum said Wednesday night.
The focus on the documents came as DeSantis tries to paint a picture of corruption around Gillum, a surprise victor in the August Democratic primary who has garnered national support as he tries to make history as the state’s first black governor and the first Democrat to capture the governor’s mansion in two decades.
“Andrew was getting things he shouldn’t have gotten, and they got a $2 million contract from the city of Tallahassee. That is what corruption is. When you get something you shouldn’t have had, and you give something to people who were trying to influence you. That is wrong, and he has not told the truth about any of that,” DeSantis said.
Another tense moment came when DeSantis said Gillum’s immigration proposals would allow convicted child molesters who are illegal immigrants to remain in the state.
“That child molester will reoffend, and someone’s son or daughter will end up paying the price,” DeSantis warned.
Gillum, who tried to maintain his cool but was visibly angered, said that “would never happen,” and blasted DeSantis for distorting his proposals.
When you are running for governor “the first thing you ought to have to do is level honestly with the people,” Gillum scolded.
“You’ve got ads on television that are completely false. … How can we expect you to be honest with the people of the state of Florida if not here on this stage?” Gillum asked, adding “you are disqualified, in my opinion, from the office for governor.”
“Andrew is the one who lied to people of Florida on Sunday night (during their earlier debate) about accepting a gift from an undercover FBI agent. He’s the one who lied about the Costa Rica luxury trip,” DeSantis shot back, referring to a heavily scrutinized trip Gillum took with Corey.
“Shame on you,” Gillum said, as DeSantis noted that the documents contradicted Gillum’s explanation about accepting a Broadway ticket from his brother.
“He’s just apologizing because he got caught. He not apologizing because he did anything wrong,” DeSantis said.
“Unfortunately, the theatrics are on full display,” Gillum responded. “Mr. DeSantis can calm down. We’re not going anywhere.”
The two also tangled about their how they would deal with pollution that has resulted in an outbreak of toxic algae affecting coastal communities in South Florida.
DeSantis said he has a “very strong environmental plan.”
“The water is our lifeblood. We have to protect the environment that Floridians enjoy,” he said.
The former congressman said he proved his leadership on the issue by challenging the sugar industry during the Republican primary.
“I am the only candidate who fought Big Sugar and lived to tell about it,” he said. “They came after me in my primary with millions and millions of dollars, attacking me in every which way.”
But Gillum questioned DeSantis’ environmental credentials, noting the Republican had a low rating from environmental groups while he was in Congress and has expressed doubts about global warming and climate change.
If Gillum is elected, the Democrat said Floridians would “have a governor who believes in science” and would “hold all the major polluters” accountable “so that we can get some real (environmental) standards back into this state and clean up this blue-green algae.”
by Lloyd Dunkelberger and Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Two Motorcyclists Injured In Highway 29 Crash
October 24, 2018
Two motorcyclists were transported to the hospital after an accident with a Mercury Mariner on Highway 29 just north of Kingsfield Road Wednesday afternoon. Their injuries were not considered life threatening. The accident temporarily closed the southbound lanes of Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Brewton Man Dies When He Crashes Pickup Into Century Lake
October 24, 2018
A Brewton man was killed when he crashed in a Century Lake Tuesday night.
Jordan Cooper, 37, was traveling south on Old Flomaton Road when he failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the roadway and collided with a utility pole about 7 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol. His 1999 Chevrolet Silverado traveled down a steep embankment, through a tree line and into a gravel lake.
The vehicle was submerged in about 10-15 feet of water when first responders arrived on scene. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team assisted in the removal of the vehicle from the lake. Cooper was the only occupant of the vehicle.
About 460 Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers from Century to near Jay were without power for several hours due to the wreck.
The Century and McDavid Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
For additional photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Supreme Court Direction May Hinge On Governor’s Race
October 24, 2018
The future of the Florida Supreme Court is intertwined with the outcome of this fall’s race for governor.
At stake are the appointment of replacements for justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who are leaving the seven-member court in early January because they have reached a mandatory retirement age.
After a long-running legal dispute, the Supreme Court ruled this month that the next governor, who takes office in early January, has the authority to make those appointments.
If Republican Ron DeSantis, a former congressman from Ponte Vedra Beach, wins the Nov. 6 election, he has said he will appoint three conservative justices. That would wipe out what is widely viewed as a current 4-3 liberal majority, which includes Pariente, Lewis and Quince.
If Democrat Andrew Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor, is elected, he is likely to try to shift the appointments more to the center or left, although his ability may be hindered by a nominating process that favors the selection of conservative judges.
In any event, both sides agree that the winner of the governor’s race will have a significant impact on the Supreme Court.
“You could see a monumental transformation or shift in the ideology and makeup of the court if Ron DeSantis appoints the three replacements,” said state Sen. Gary Farmer, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat and veteran trial lawyer.
Republican control of the governor’s office and the Legislature for the past 20 years has led to the enactment of “extreme policies,” Farmer said.
“The only thing, frankly, that has kept the balance and protected the little guy and little gal in the state of Florida for the past two decades has been the Florida Supreme Court,” Farmer said.
If DeSantis is elected and has power to appoint the justices, Farmer said it will impact a wide range of issues, including laws involving accident victims, injured workers, medical malpractice, abortion rights, public education and gun control.
“There are all kinds of areas where we need the court to be that sort of balance and make sure that things aren’t tipped too strongly or too far in favor of an extreme ideology,” he said.
If Gillum is elected, Republicans said it will lead to more “judicial activism,” with the court overstepping its role in interpreting constitutional issues and not giving enough deference to its co-equal branches of government: the Legislature and executive branch.
“We’ve had huge problems with the state Supreme Court for over 20 years. They have been judicial activists legislating from the bench, rather than applying the law and Constitution as it is actually written,” DeSantis, a Harvard-educated lawyer, told the Florida Chamber of Commerce last month.
“If the Legislature actually passes a law that conflicts with the Constitution, then it’s your duty to say so. But what you can’t do is simply try to nullify laws passed by the Legislature because you don’t agree with them politically,” DeSantis said. “You can’t use the court to be a super legislature for the Democratic Party, and that is basically what we’ve had with this current court majority.”
DeSantis said he would replace the retiring justices with “solid constitutionalists” and “end judicial activism in Florida for a generation, just like that.”
If a conservative majority emerges on the Supreme Court, the immediate question will be how swiftly the ideological bent is reflected in its decisions. To some extent, the court’s shift will be checked by precedent and past decisions under the legal doctrine of stare decisis.
“You would hope they honor existing precedent and the law and they don’t go making 180-degree changes to established law,” Farmer said. “But judges and justices can often find distinguishing factors or find that something has changed since a prior decision was made and use that for a justification to deviate from it.”
A conservative court would be more likely to uphold laws passed by a Republican-led Legislature.
It was a point made by Tom Feeney, head of Associated Industries of Florida, a business lobbying group, when Gov. Rick Scott appointed Alan Lawson, a conservative justice, to the Supreme Court in December 2016.
“We are anxious for the day that a majority of the Florida Supreme Court can restore respect for the constitutional separation of powers, including legitimate powers of the popularly elected members of the legislative and executive branches,” said Feeney, a former state House speaker and congressman.
If Gillum is elected, the question will become: What can he do to prevent a conservative majority from taking over the court?
Gillum’s efforts could be hamstrung by the fact that Scott has appointed all of the members of the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. The commission, which is going through 59 applicants for the three vacancies, will advance a certified list of court nominees for the next governor to consider for appointment.
Gillum would have to overcome a 2009 Supreme Court decision that stemmed from then-Gov. Charlie Crist’s rejection of a list of nominees for an appellate court vacancy. The Supreme Court ruled the governor does not have “the authority under the Constitution to reject the certified list and request that a new list be certified.”
But Gillum supporters cite a footnote in the decision that said it does not apply when “the selection of the nominees was tainted by impropriety or illegality.” They argue a “tainted process” would give Gillum an opening to reject the list of nominees or even the ability to replace the members of the nominating commission.
If that occurs, the resulting legal dispute will ultimately end up at the Supreme Court — except that, as of Jan. 8, the day the new governor takes over, the court will be down to only four members.
Under the state Constitution, it takes five justices to create a quorum, and it requires a minimum of four justices to concur on an opinion.
Lawyers familiar with the appellate process said there are several options to resolve the diminished court, including a little-used procedure that would temporarily elevate a chief judge from one of the state appellate courts to create a five-member Supreme Court. Another option would be for the three retiring justices to remain on the court in a “senior status” to resolve the dispute.
In any case, Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady would play a role in that decision, since the Constitution gives him “the power to assign justices or judges, including consenting retired justices or judges, to temporary duty in any court for which the judge is qualified.”
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Simpkins Named Northview Teacher Of The Year
October 24, 2018
Northview High School has named Chief Jeffery Simpkins as their Teacher of the Year. Simpkins is a NJROTC instructor. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Strictly Business 10U Wins Going Pink Championship
October 24, 2018
The Cantonment Strictly Business 10U team won the recent 8th Annual Going Pink championship. Strictly Business is 21-0 during regular season and tournament play. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa Deputies Searching For Three Murder Suspects
October 24, 2018
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a murder suspect.
Tyler Lee Howell was shot to death on John Hamm Road Sunday night.
Investigators said they have identified one individual who is considered a suspect. They believe three people were involved in the drug-related shooting. Deputies said they believe the victim knew the suspects.
Authorities are also searching for two vehicles. One is possibly a new model Kia silver or light gray in color. The second is a blue Chevrolet Cruz with Florida tag 059-RUB.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 983-1190 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP. There is a reward of up to $3000 for information leading to an arrest.
Alabama Woman Claims Prize For North Escambia Lottery Ticket
October 24, 2018
The owner of a winning lottery ticket sold last week in North Escambia has claimed her prize.
The Florida Lottery said the October 19 Fantasy 5 ticket worth $38,558.47 was sold to Sharon K. Hare of Thomasville, AL. She purchased the ticket at the Korner Kwik Stop, 10481 Highway 97,. The Quick Pick ticket was one of six winning tickets sold for the drawing.
The 324 tickets matching four numbers won $111 each. Another 10,171 tickets matching three numbers are worth $9.50 each, and 99,458 ticket holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
The Fantasy 5 winning numbers for October 19 were 3-4-10-24-34.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
October 24, 2018
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending October 4 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
No report was submitted for Escambia County.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Jones was on patrol on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area when he saw a vehicle operating recklessly and at excessive speed on a sand trail. When the officer attempted to make contact, the vehicle fled the area. A bulletin was issued for law enforcement to be on the lookout for the vehicle. A Highway Patrol Trooper stopped the vehicle a short while later. After interviewing the driver of the suspect vehicle, the officer issued a citation for careless driving and anotice to appear for being on the Eglin Reservation without the required permit.
Officers Hoomes, Jones, and Roberson were on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area searching for subjects illegally harvesting palmetto berries for commercial purposes. While conducting surveillance, Officer Jones saw a suspicious vehicle approaching his position on a very minimal sand trail. The vehicle was attempting to leave when the officer contacted the two occupants. They were issued notices to appear for not possessing the required Eglin permits. Later in the evening, Officer Hoomes found footprints which he backtracked to a hidden cache of 550 pounds of illegally harvested palmetto berries. The berries were seized, weighed, and disposed of with the help of FWC Wildlife Technician McDonald.
Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr located a baited dove field prior to the opening day of the dove hunting season. On opening day, the officers along with Officer Mullins checked several subjects on the baited field and addressed several violations. Despite ending the hunt early, they determined that one subject was over the bag limit and that others had combined their birds. Twelve subjects were cited for hunting over a baited field and several others were warned for other hunting violations including over the daily bag limit of doves.
Officer Hutchinson located a truck stuck in a ditch in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. The owner had driven back to it on an ATV to try and get it out of the mud. The truck’s tracks indicated that the driver intentionally left the center of the road and drove through the soft mud along the shoulder. The driver was issued a citation for damaging state land with a motor vehicle and littering. The driver was also warned for operating an ATV on a management area.
Lieutenant Lambert checked a duck hunter who was attempting to take waterfowl after legal shooting hours at Salters Lake in Escambia River Wildlife Management Area. Upon inspection, Lieutenant Lambert also found the subject was in possession of lead shot and was hunting with an unplugged shotgun. Lieutenant Lambert addressed the violations with the subject.
Officer Hutchinson and K-9 Zara were on patrol when they saw a light actively being shined from a vehicle into a field in a manner capable of disclosing the presence of deer. While watching the vehicle from a discreet location, Officer Hutchinson saw the truck exit the field and travel away from him. Officer Hutchison followed behind the vehicle and saw two dead deer, one buck and one antlerless deer in the bed of the vehicle. Officer Hutchison conducted a vehicle stop and discovered the two subjects in the vehicle were in possession of a spotlight, a scoped rifle and a shotgun along with the two deer and a freshly killed rabbit. Through his investigation, Officer Hutchison discovered that the two men had shot a third deer in another field nearby. He drove to the field and conducted an area search with his K-9 partner Zara. K-9 Zara located fresh blood and tracked for approximately 100 yards until she discovered the illegally taken deer in thick brush. Both subjects admitted to taking the deer and rabbit using a gun and light. Both subjects were cited for taking deer with the use of a gun and light.
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.