Tragic Tractor Accident Claims Life Of 4-Year Old In Molino
September 26, 2018
A tragic accident in Molino claimed the life of a four-year child Wednesday afternoon.
A male child was struck by a tractor at a residence near the 600 block of a Highway 196. He was pronounced deceased on scene by Escambia County EMS.
Further information has not been released.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Local Students Gather For ‘See You At The Pole’
September 26, 2018
Students gathered to pray at their schools across the area Wednesday morning during the annual See You at the Pole event.
Students gathered as school began to pray in the non-denominational event. See You at the Pole is a national student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. Students prayed for their school, friends, teachers, government and the nation.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: See You at the Pole Wednesday morning at Northview High School (top) and (in descending order below) Bratt Elementary School, Ernest Ward Middle School, Ransom Middle School, Molino Park Elementary School and Tate High School. NorthEscambia.com and reader photos, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Three Vehicle Wreck On Highway 29
September 26, 2018
One person was injured in a three-vehicle accident Wednesday morning on Highway 29 near International Paper. Three other people involved in the crash were not injured. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Nine Mile And Scenic Crash Claims One Life
September 26, 2018
An early morning wreck claimed one life in Escambia County.
Michael Scott Rhatigan, 49, was pronounced deceased after the 12:49 a.m. crash at Scenic Highway and Nine Mile Road. He was northbound on Scenic Highway when he crashed into a concrete center divider and a pole, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Captured On Video: Shots Fired After Davis Highway Wreck
September 26, 2018
Shots were fired at a busy intersection Tuesday afternoon following a traffic crash, and it was captured on video.
The incident happened on northbound Davis Highway at I-10. The driver of a Toyota Tacoma rear-ended a Ford Escape driven by a 67-year old Ernest M. Merritt of Castleberry, AL. The Tacoma driver, described by troopers as an older Hispanic male, started an unprovoked physical altercation with the driver he rear-ended, according toe the Florida Highway Patrol. A passerby stopped to assist the the driver of the Ford Escape in an attempt to subdue the Hispanic male.
The Hispanic male then pulled a gun and fired numerous rounds at the scene, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, before fleeing the scene and causing another minor traffic crash.
No one was struck by the gunfire and no other injuries were reported.
A video uploaded to the NorthEscambia.com Facebook page shows shows an older male and the Hispanic male in a physical altercation. The Hispanic male holds his hands behind his head as the white male repeatedly strikes him with a lug wrench. He continues to walk around the highway with his hands behind his head after the physical altercation ends.
The Hispanic male gets back in his pickup truck and accelerates into another vehicle. The truck’s tires spin and smoke. After exiting the truck, the Hispanic male walks around in the roadway, firing a handgun into the air.
The FHP is investigating the traffic crashes, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Beulah Road At Nine Mile Closure Delayed Until Sunday
September 26, 2018
The Beulah Road closure scheduled to begin today has been rescheduled for Sunday from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. Monday.
The intersection of Beulah Road and West Nine Mile Road will experience a night detour and closure. Traffic will be detoured from West Nine Mile Road to Rebel Road onto Beulah Church Road.
Every effort will be made to expedite construction to reopen the road before Monday, Oct. 1 at 6 a.m. Construction will consist of upgrading and installing new pipe.
If other lane or roadway closures are necessary beyond the anticipated time periods, another notice will be issued.
Viewpoint: Bergosh – Disagreeing Isn’t Attacking
September 26, 2018
From Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh
A one-sided opinion piece was published very recently about Escambia County’s project to acquire the property in Beulah Known as OLF 8. The publisher would not allow me a written rebuttal.
Here are the key facts missing from that piece:
— The jobs-generating project at OLF 8 was the #1 economic development project selected by the County’s Restore Act Committee
–The jobs-generating project for OLF 8 was conceived, voted upon, and financial commitments were made long before I was elected to the Board.
—Our triumph gulf coast application, for which we stand to receive $30 Million dollars, creates at least 1,000 good-paying jobs with the OLF 8 property including quality of life improvements, biking trails, restaurants and retail amenities—all of which benefit Beulah and the region.
— I support this project because we must be good financial stewards with this soon-to-be county-owned resource; staying in the running for our $30 Million-dollar grant while intelligently developing OLF 8 is how we demonstrate this.
–The county expended $17.3 million dollars to acquire OLF 8 to create jobs–not for building “town-centers” or for sourcing land to benefit residential developers.
—I made the motion to sell 100 acres to NFCU for a market price plus the commitment of 300 jobs–so we only need to create a minimum of 700 more good jobs at OLF 8 to stay in the running for the $30 Million triumph grant!
— I made the motion to have staff create an RFP for master planning OLF 8 that: 1.) listens to residents, 2.) captures the maximum amount of value for this land, and 3.) stays within the guidelines of our Triumph grant request.
These are the facts missing from Sunday’s editorial.
I’ve attacked nobody in my disagreement amid concerns over what is being planned for OLF 8— despite this baseless claim being printed about me.
I simply feel residential development is inappropriate at this site—not because I have any dislike of residential development, but because more than 1200 apartments, condos, and homes are currently under construction within walking distance from NFCU’s campus already. The area in and around the proposed Beulah Interchange now has roughly 7,000 residential units recently completed, currently in construction, in planning, or going through development review…
Our roads and infrastructure simply cannot handle any more of this residential development! This is what my constituents are telling me, and I am hearing them loud and clear!
A final pressing concern that I have heard in listening to my constituents is this:
While there are many progressive, urban, mixed-used developments and town center concepts put out as examples of what could be built out on OLF 8–not all those concepts are necessarily applicable to Beulah.
Beulah is a rural, suburban bedroom community desperately trying to retain its rural charm and character despite the growth that is engulfing it rapidly. (I am working to help with this via a citizens’ committee and a regional master plan.)
Many constituents simply DO NOT want a big-city styled Mall-development with apartments and condos built on OLF 8 making traffic worse—And I agree with these constituents!
To agree with my constituents that do not want to build a “mini-city” on Beulah’s OLF 8 isn’t an attack.
Far from attacking anyone or insulting citizens (which I don’t do), I’m doing my job, listening to measured voices of reason from constituents like me that live right across the street from OLF 8.
I’m taking the county-wide, broad-view perspective on this issue.
Jeff Bergosh
Chairman,
Escambia Board of County Commissioners
Click image to enlarge.
Facing A Navy Commander: NJROTC Students Undergo Inspection
September 26, 2018
Northview High School’s NJROTC Annual Inspection was held Tuesday at the school, with cadets undergoing face to face scrutiny with a retired Navy commander.
Commander Merlin Ladner, USN (Ret) conducted the inspection. The day’s events began with a personnel inspection, drill demonstration and a pass-in-review in the school gym. The commander also conducted a financial record review, briefings, administrative inspections, supply inspections and more.
One by one, Cmdr. Ladner went face to face with each cadet, asking them questions about their NJROTC experience and conducting a complete inspection of their uniform.
“Yes, sir,” the cadets answered as they faced the questions about their NJROTC service, their ribbons, their uniforms and some less than expected questions about every day life that left some cadets trying not to crack a smile.
“Who pressed your uniform?” Ladner asked one cadet.
“Sir?” She responded.
“Your mom? You didn’t take it to a dry cleaner did you? he asked. “It looks good.”
Several cadets were promoted and received awards or ribbons.
Petty Officer Third Class:
Cadet John Bashore
Cadet Sarius Davis
Cadet Ethan Kilburn
Cadet Dallon Rackard
Exemplary Personal Appearance award/ribbon:
Cadet John Bashore
Cadet Jasmine Benjamin
Cadet Grace Johnson (not pictured/identified by the Inspecting officer following the awards ceremony)
Cadet Julie Keith
Cadet Colby Morris
Cadet Dallon Rackard
Cadet Adrianne Shanks
Cadet Melissa Sunday
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cross Country: Northview, Flomaton, PCA, Central
September 26, 2018
Northview, Pensacola Christian, Flomaton and Central took part in a cross country meet on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at Northview High School in Bratt.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Girls
1st — Pensacola Christian
2nd — Northview
Boys
1st — Pensacola Christian
2nd — Northview
3rd — Flomaton
No girls from Flomaton took part. Century ran individual male and female athletes but did not field full teams.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Big Money Backs Gambling, Dog Racing And Other Florida Ballot Measures
September 26, 2018
Florida voters this fall could decide the fate of 12 ballot proposals that deal with issues ranging from limiting taxes to banning greyhound racing.
Behind the scenes, businesses and organizations have already spent tens of millions of dollars as they try to pass — or defeat — some of the proposed constitutional amendments.
Here are snapshots of five ballot proposals that are drawing big chunks of money:
MARSY’S LAW: Part of a national movement to boost crime victims’ rights, Amendment 6 on the November ballot had already drawn $30.37 million as of Sept. 14.
The amendment, put on the ballot by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, is dubbed “Marsy’s Law” and is rooted in the 1983 death of a California woman, Marsy Nicholas, who was stalked and killed by an ex-boyfriend. Marsy Nicholas’ brother, Henry, is the co-founder of Broadcom Corp. and has spearheaded the Marsy’s Law movement.
Almost all of the money backing the Florida measure, $30.045 million, has come from the national Marsy’s Law for All Foundation, according to the state Division of Elections website. Another $325,000 has come from Henry Nicholas.
GAMBLING BATTLE: Amendment 3, which is designed to make it harder to expand gambling in the state, has drawn millions of dollars from supporters and opponents. Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. and the Seminole Tribe of Florida have combined to contribute $26.43 million to the political committee Voters In Charge, which led a petition drive to get the measure on the ballot and is steering efforts to pass it.
Disney is a longtime opponent of casino gambling, while the Seminole Tribe already operates lucrative casinos in Florida. The ballot proposal would change the Florida Constitution and give voters the “exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling” in the state. If approved, it would require voter approval of casino-style games in the future and effectively reduce the power of the Legislature and governor to decide gambling-related issues.
The gambling industry, however, has started funneling money to at least two political committees to fight the ballot proposal. One of those committees, known as Citizens for the Truth About Amendment 3, had raised $3.52 million as of Sept. 14, while another, known as Vote NO on 3, had raised $650,000.
FELONS VOTING: Restoring the voting rights of felons has long been a contentious legal and political issue in Florida.
But buoyed by money from the American Civil Liberties Union and a series of other large donors, the political committee Floridians for a Fair Democracy is seeking to pass a proposed constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 4, that would automatically restore the rights of most felons after they serve their sentences, complete parole or probation and pay restitution. The amendment would not apply to people convicted of murder or sexual offenses.
Floridians for a Fair Democracy had raised $14.4 million as of Sept. 14 to get the measure on the ballot and to try to pass it. The ACLU had contributed $3.8 million in cash and had made hundreds of thousands of dollars in in-kind contributions.
TAX CAP CONTINUATION: Voters in 2008 approved a constitutional amendment that placed a 10 percent cap on annual increases in assessed values of non-homestead properties, such as commercial properties. But the limit will expire Jan. 1 unless it is extended by voters in November through the passage of Amendment 2.
Lawmakers placed Amendment 2 on the ballot, along with two other measures — Amendment 1 and Amendment 5 — aimed at cutting or holding down taxes.
The industry group Florida Realtors is trying to make sure Amendment 2 passes. As of Sept. 14, the group had contributed $5.56 million to a political committee known as Amendment 2 is for Everybody, according to the Division of Election website.
GREYHOUND RACING: Animal-rights groups have tried for years to convince lawmakers to stop greyhound racing in Florida.
But unable to get legislation passed, they enlisted the support of the Constitution Revision Commission, which approved placing a measure on the ballot designed to ban dog racing at pari-mutuel facilities.
An effort known as the Committee to Protect Dogs had raised about $2.3 million as of Sept. 14 to bolster efforts to pass the amendment, with $1.5 million coming from the Doris Day Animal League. The group Grey2K USA had added more than $480,000.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida