Gillum, DeSantis Bash Each Other In First Debate

October 22, 2018

Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis shredded each other Sunday night during a nationally televised debate, as the gubernatorial candidates appeared in their first face-to-face showdown little more than two weeks before the Nov. 6 general election.

The hour-long CNN debate in Tampa, hosted by Jake Tapper, is evidence of the attention garnered by the race between Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who’s trying to make history as Florida’s first black governor and who’s backed by prominent progressives across the country, and DeSantis, a former congressman whose pedigree boasts of a Harvard law degree and a stint as a Navy attorney.

The two men couldn’t be farther apart on the political spectrum, or on their stances on issues, sniping throughout the debate about the environment, health care, and, of course, President Donald Trump, whose support helped boost DeSantis to a GOP primary victory in August.

Tapper questioned DeSantis about his opposition to a sweeping state law, passed after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. The law raised the age from 18 to 21 to purchase all guns and banned the sale of “bump stocks,” devices that can be placed on semi-automatic firearms to make them fire more rapidly.

“The congressman was against the piece of legislation because he’s wholly owned by the NRA,” Gillum said. “He’s not going to stand up to the National Rifle Association. That’s why they’re running all these ads against me, because they want the man that they bought.”

But DeSantis, who resigned from Congress last month to devote his efforts full-time to running to replace outgoing Gov. Rick Scott, countered by raising the issue of Tallahassee’s crime rate, a point he hammered throughout the match-up.

“His record as mayor is one presiding over a city that’s out of control in terms of crime,” DeSantis said, citing a report that found Tallahassee had a historically high murder rate last year.

“All right, well, Ron is being Don. And that’s Donald Trump, neglecting all sense of reason and facts,” Gillum retorted, insisting that Tallahassee is experiencing a five-year low in crime.

Tapper also brought up a tongue-in-cheek television ad that featured the Republican candidate “schooling” his two young children about Trump. The CNN host asked DeSantis if he thinks the president is “a good role model for the children of Florida.”

DeSantis said he and his wife, Casey “were poking a little fun at ourselves” with the ad, then launched into praise of Trump for relocating the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump followed through on a campaign promise to move the embassy, the former congressman said.

“To me, when you give your word, and you follow through with it as an elected official, that is the model that we’re supposed to do. He was right to move the embassy to Jerusalem,” DeSantis said. “I know Andrew didn’t support that … but to me that was true leadership.”

Gillum gave a more direct answer to the question about Trump being a good role model.

“No, he’s not. Donald Trump is weak. And he performs as all weak people do: They become bullies. And Mr. DeSantis is his acolyte,” Gillum, who was a surprise victor in August’s Democratic primary, defeating four other opponents, including former Congresswoman Gwen Graham.

But DeSantis said his relationship with Trump would help Florida, which relies on federal support for water projects, transportation funding and military installations.

“You need to be able to work with the administration to be able to get the dollars we deserve,” said DeSantis, who repeatedly referred to Gillum as “Andrew” throughout the debate.

“Andrew can’t do that. He wants to impeach Trump. He’s always saying bad things about him. I’m not going to be involved in the Washington food fight anymore. I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt. But I think I will be better positioned to advance Florida’s priorities because I have a productive relationship with the administration,” DeSantis said.

But Gillum, who has harshly criticized Trump and has in fact called for the president to be impeached, disagreed.

“This is not Russia. You should not have to kiss the ring of the president of the United States for the president to see to the good will of the third-largest state in all of America. This is a democracy. We can dissent. We can disagree. And when it comes to working together, we can do that, too,” the Democrat said.

To illustrate his point, Gillum said he and Scott, a Republican trying to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, worked together as they dealt with the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Michael, which caused massive damage this month in the Panhandle and the Big Bend region.

DeSantis also hammered Gillum about an FBI probe into public corruption in Tallahassee. Lobbyist Adam Corey, a longtime friend of Gillum with whom the mayor says he has severed ties, appears to be at the center of the investigation. A trip to Costa Rica in which Gillum’s campaign said he paid cash for his portion of a rental house shared with Corey and others, has made the mayor a subject of scrutiny, but Gillum insists he is not the target of the FBI investigation.

“He’s used the office to benefit himself,” DeSantis said.

But Gillum lashed back, accusing DeSantis of spending $145,000 on taxpayer-funded trips before he resigned from Congress and refusing to provide the receipts for the travel.

“I don’t take free trips from anybody. I’m a hardworking person. I know that may not fit your description of what people like me do,” Gillum said.

Tapper also raised the specter of racism, asking DeSantis about a donor “who called Obama the N-word” and about the phrase “monkey this up,” which DeSantis said when referring to Gillum the day after the Aug. 28 primary.

DeSantis pointed to his past work as a prosecutor and said the race of victims was irrelevant.

“Floridians can know that I’ll be a governor for all Floridians. If we disagree tomorrow, maybe two weeks later we’ll find some common ground,” he said.

But Gillum pushed back, saying DeSantis “let us know exactly where he was going to take this race the day after the election” with the “monkey up” comment.

“The truth is I’m black. I’ve been black all my life. So far as I know I will die black,” he said, adding that “the only color people care about is the blue-green algae” and red tide contaminating Florida waterways.

Health care was another flashpoint early in the debate, as DeSantis challenged Gillum over his support for “Medicare for all,” or a single payer health-care system. After Gillum supported the proposal, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont progressive leader, endorsed the mayor in the crowded Democratic primary.

DeSantis said the Medicare proposal would fold funding for existing programs — such as the military’s TRICARE, Medicaid and Medicare — into a new program.

“It dumps all those people against their will, regardless of if they want to stay in their current plans, it dumps on a single-payer government system,”’ DeSantis said. “Taxes will go through the roof.”

Gillum did not directly address the criticism, saying instead that he supports expanding Medicaid eligibility and that DeSantis repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act while in Congress. The federal health-care law encourages states to expand Medicaid and requires insurers to cover people even if they have pre-existing conditions prior to obtaining coverage.

“We can build Florida’s economy simply by extending access to health care and guess what?” Gillum said. “It’s not only good for those 800,000 people who would get access, but it’s also good for folks like small businesses who right now can’t afford to get access to health care.”

by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida. Image courtesy CNN.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Ransom Middle Academic Teams Competes In Tournament

October 22, 2018

The Ransom Middle School Academic Team took part in the 12th Annual Academic Tournament at the Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville on Saturday.

Team A, with a record of a 4-1. was ranked number eight in the morning rounds among a field of 28 mostly high school teams. Ransom’s Team A and Team B completed against each other in the playoff rounds. Team A then played top team from Fort Walton Beach High School. Despite an impressive score, they did not win.

Team leaders said it was great training, helping the Ransom Academic Team prepare for the middle school level tournaments in November and January. Those tourneys are qualifiers for the national tournament in Chicago.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News

Byrneville Students Raise $3.6K In ‘Change Wars’ For Childhood Cancer

October 22, 2018

Byrneville Elementary set out to raise $500 for childhood cancer a few nickels, dimes and quarters at a time. When the “change wars” fundraiser ended, the Byrneville Braves had raised many times more.

Friday morning, the students presented a check for $3,618.18 to Sacred Heart Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

They raised $1,609.09 in the change wars fundraiser, and the PTO matched. Then they had another $400 donation from a parent who sponsored a “Go Gold” shirt drive.

There are just under 200 students in Byrneville Elementary.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Escambia County Weekly Meeting Schedule

October 22, 2018

Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:

Monday, Oct. 22

Value Adjustment Board Hearings – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Library Board of Governance – 4 p.m., Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St.
District 5 Town Hall Meeting with Commissioner Steven Barry – 5:30 p.m., Pinewoods Presbyterian Church, 2198 County Road 297A

Tuesday, Oct. 23

Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
Escambia County Health Facilities Authority – 4 p.m., 1019 N. 12th Ave.
Bob-O-Link, Gorham & Cruzat Project Public Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Bob-O-Link/Gorham Road intersection.

Wednesday, Oct. 24

Design Standard Manual Professional Advisory Committee – 8:30 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Santa Rosa Island Authority Board – 5 p.m., 1 Via De Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach
Santa Rosa Island Authority Committee – 5:05 p.m., 1 Via De Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach

Thursday, Oct. 25

Attorney-Client Session: Allen, Clarke, et al. v. A.E. New, Jr., Inc., Caldwell and Associates, Inc., Escambia County, et al. – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Big Win: Pensacola State, Coastal Alabama Face Off In Century Classic

October 21, 2018

Pensacola State College and Coastal Alabama Community College in the “Century Classic” faced off in both softball and baseball Saturday Showalter Park. And organizers are calling it a big win.

In softball, Pensacola State blanked Coastal Alabama 6-0, and in baseball the Warhawks of Coastal Alabama beat the PSC Pirates 7-5.

For a photo gallery, click here.

Century council member Ben Boutwell, who is an assistant baseball coast at Coastal Alabama, said the day was a great opportunity for residents from across the North Escambia area to see the teams close to home.

“It’s a win-win for us,” Boutwell said. “It was a beautiful day, and the fields turned out gorgeous. We just thank everybody for their hard work.” Volunteers from the Pensacola Blue Wahoos recently spent time bringing the fields up to spec.

Boutwell said plans are already in the works to bring the Century Classic back next year.

“We are trying to make it an annual event,” he said. “This is a benchmark, and it can only get better.”

Boutwell, a Century High School graduate, played on first Jefferson Davis Community College baseball team in 1982. Jeff Davis later became Coastal Alabama.

“I just love baseball,” he said.

Former PSC and Major League Baseball players Bill Sadler and Greg Litton, along with Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry and Kazoo, the Wahoo’s mascot, were special guests.

Sadler pitched for the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros during his MLB career. A 2000 Catholic High School graduate, he played at Pensacola Junior College in 2001 and 2002, before transferring to Louisiana State University in 2003.

Litton, a utility player, was drafted in the first round by the San Francisco Giants in 1984. He later played for the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox. In 1983 and 1984, Litton was on the PSC Pirates squad before signing to play at Mississippi State University. However, he was drafted before joining the Mississippi State team.

Proceeds will from the event benefit the Buck Showalter Scholarship fund for GED students from the Century area. The Century Classic was sponsored by the Town of Century, Century Little League, Pensacola State College, Coastal Alabama Warhawks and Pensacola Sports Association.

For a photo gallery, click here.

Pictured above and below: Action as Pensacola State and Coastal Alabama faced off in softball and baseball Saturday in Century. Pictured page bottom: Century residents Gary Killam (left) and Ben Boutwell were on the first Jefferson Davis Community College baseball team in 1982. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports

New EREC Crew Members Help With Michael Power Restoration

October 21, 2018

Escambia River Electric Cooperative is continuing to assist Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative with power restoration following Hurricane Michael.

The first EREC crews sent to assist have returned home, and additional crews have arrived in Wewahitchka to work. Those EREC crew members are Jason Bedsole, Clint Hudson, Kent Calloway, Wesley Clark, Scott Blackmon, Tyler Prescott and Tony Moody.

Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Roy Hyatt Environmental Center To Use Impact Grant For Hands-On Learning Expansion

October 21, 2018

Visitors had a chance to check out the Escambia County School District’s Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment during an open house on Saturday. The center was recently named as a recipient of an IMPACT 100 grant for $100,300.

The RHEC will use the grant to enhance hands-on science education with three major additions. The grant will fund construction materials to transform an existing space into a “beach” classroom which will submerge students into an undersea world. They will “swim” with creatures found in habitats along the Gulf Coast while learning about amazing animals. The grant will also fund the purchase of an inflatable portable planetarium which will allow 60 students at a time to crawl into the dome launching them into a new world. As they blast off they will learn all about the mystery of outer space. The third part of the grant will fund construction materials to renovate an existing greenhouse into a “butterfly house” allowing students to “fly” with butterflies and immersing them into the butterfly’s fascinating environment. While fluttering alongside butterflies, students will explore and observe the life cycle of the insects.

Annually, over 80 percent of the elementary schools in the district visit RHEC each year, along with home school groups, senior groups, garden clubs and more. Last school year, nearly 7,000 people visited.

For a photo gallery, click here.

Pictured: An open house event Saturday at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News

Escambia Jail Central Booking Facility To Be Demolished, Four Years After Explosion

October 21, 2018

The Escambia County Commission has awarded a contract for the demolition of the Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Facility, which has sat empty since a April 30, 2014, natural gas explosion at the facility.

Jobe’s Dirt Works of Baker was the low bidder at $476,900. Five other bids were received, with the next lowest at $574,250. The other bids were in excess of $1 million.

Two people killed and over 100 were injured in the explosion. The explosion occurred after gas clothes dryers pulled away from a wall in the basement of the building, filling the basement with natural gas. A spark from an unknown source ignited the natural gas causing an explosion.

NorthEscambia.com photos.