Tate Volleyball’s Talbert Signs With University Of Texas
December 10, 2018
In His Own Words: Flomaton Football Coach Doug Vickery On 3A Championship
December 10, 2018
Flomaton High School football coach Doug Vickery, in his own words, on the Hurricanes’ historic 3A State Championship:
“Words can’t express how happy I am for these boys. I get a little emotional talking about it because we spent because we spend so much time, blood, sweat and tears with these guys. A lot of hard work goes into this.’
God’s in control. He has has His hand on this team the whole year. He’s blessed us. We’ve had a few ups and downs. In the middle the season we had a couple of valleys. The guys never quit, just keep battling back.”
“We lost one of of our cheerleaders the last week of the season. We lost that game.”
“We’ve had a lot of emotion go into this. I told them when we beat Thomasville 43-42 — it was an unbelievable game — I told them we will be in Auburn. Each week I told them we would be in Auburn, and they believed it. We’ve been in Auburn, and we won it.
“Wow, you can’t put words on it to 0 express how I am and proud for the community and fans.”
“Especially the players. I have been here 13 years. There have been a lot of people that said you can’t win a state championship in Flomaton. Matter of fact when I went there, somebody said I didn’t need to go there and take the job. And our principal Scott Hammond took a chance on me. Hopefully we’ve made him happy today…He seemed pretty happy.”
“There’s even been people in out community say you could’t win a state championship in Flomaton. I am I just so proud for the people that believed in us, proud for these boys.”
For game details and a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Flomaton Hurricane football coach Doug Vickery. Photo for NorthEscambia.com by Trent Penny/Anniston Star, click to enlarge.
This Week’s Traffic Delays
December 10, 2018
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur Sunday, Dec. 9 through Saturday, Dec. 15. Work requiring lane restrictions will take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new northbound bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drainage and paving operations continue. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures Monday through Saturday.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Construction activities continue. Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 16.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road – Paving operations continue from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 16.
- · U.S. 98 (East Chase Street) Resurfacing from North Palafox Street to Bayfront Parkway – There will be paving operations from Palafox Street to the I-110 ramps from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 10 through Sunday, Dec. 16.
- · Crary Road Bridge Replacement - Crary Road will be temporarily closed between Tedder Road and Byrneville Road as crews construct a bridge culvert. Motorists will be detoured via County Road (C.R.) 4 and Byrneville Road.
- · Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road will continue to be closed near Canoe Creek during construction. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road.
- · S.R. 727 (Fairfield Drive) Drainage Improvements from south of Usher Circle to north of Hestia Place- The south entrance to Usher Circle from Fairfield Drive will be closed to traffic from Tuesday. Dec. 11 through Friday, Dec. 14 as crews install pipe across the roadway. Those seeking access to Usher Circle may utilize the north entrance off Fairfield Drive.
Santa Rosa County:
- · U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Construction activities continue. Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 16.
- I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – The following construction related traffic impacts are planned for Interstate 10 and Avalon Boulevard the week of Sunday, Dec. 9 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.:
- Drivers may encounter alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange from Monday through Thursday.
- Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of S.R. 281, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday as crews work to widen the roadway.
- Drivers will encounter new traffic pattern(s) on I-10 east and westbound as crews reconstruct the inside and outside shoulders. This work will continue through spring 2019.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) –Traffic between Hickory Hammock Road and the Eglin AFB boundary will continue to be restricted to loads less than 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place until the project is completed.
- S.R. 4 over East Relief and Wilson’s Branch Bridge Maintenance – Drivers will encounter alternating, east and westbound lane restrictions over Wilson’s Branch and East Relief, about three miles east of U.S. 29, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10 through Thursday, Dec. 13 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance activities.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Changes On The Horizon For Florida’s Medical Marijuana Industry
December 10, 2018
The advent of a new administration with Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis at the helm could bring a sharp turnaround in how Florida officials approach the state’s highly regulated medical marijuana industry.
And one of the first reversals might come on the legal front.
DeSantis, a Republican who will take office on Jan. 8, is unwilling to continue some of the court battles now being waged by outgoing Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, according to Lt. Gov.-elect Jeanette Nuñez.
When asked where the DeSantis administration stands on the caps on medical marijuana licenses imposed by the state Legislature and whether the new governor plans to continue the appeals launched by Scott, Nuñez told The News Service of Florida Wednesday that DeSantis “has said he’s not interested in continuing that fight.”
“I think he has a different perspective than Gov. Scott. I think he wants the will of the voters to be implemented,” Nuñez, a former state representative from Miami, said.
Nuñez was referring to the 2016 constitutional amendment, approved by 71.3 percent of Florida voters, broadly legalizing medical marijuana.
A Tallahassee judge recently ruled that a 2017 law, aimed at implementing the amendment, was unconstitutional. Earlier this year, Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ordered state health officials to begin registering new medical-marijuana operators after deciding the law, passed during a special legislative session last year, failed to properly carry out the amendment.
The circuit judge found fault with parts of the law that, among other things, capped the number of marijuana licenses and created a “vertical integration” system that requires marijuana operators to grow, and process cannabis and distribute related products. Already-licensed operators worried that the ruling could create uncertainty in the fast-growing industry — while also allowing more companies to receive licenses.
Dodson’s decision came in a challenge filed by Tampa-based Florigrown LLC, which was denied a license by the state and is owned in part by strip-club owner Joe Redner.
Scott’s administration quickly appealed the ruling, and the judge’s order regarding the new licenses is on hold.
The Florigrown case is just one of a number of marijuana-related legal challenges Scott’s administration is appealing. The most high-profile lawsuit is a challenge to the state’s ban on smoking medical marijuana. The plaintiffs in the case include John Morgan, the Orlando trial lawyer who largely bankrolled the 2016 amendment, known as Amendment 2.
It was unclear immediately which legal fights the DeSantis administration might abandon after the former congressman and Nuñez take office on Jan. 8.
“The governor-elect is considering a variety of options on this matter, along with a number of other important issues, and will be discussing these further as we move forward with our transition and administration,” DeSantis transition spokesman Dave Vasquez said in an email when asked to clarify which litigation Nuñez was referring to.
But, like many others, DeSantis has expressed frustration with delays in the roll-out of the amendment. Nuñez reiterated that frustration this week.
“In our discussions, in our involvement in transition, I think he has noted that, sort of the slow pace is something that could potentially be a problem. He wants to make sure that that’s addressed. But I know publicly he has stated he is not interested in continuing the lawsuit,” she said.
One of DeSantis’ top transition advisors is U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Panhandle Republican who was a fierce supporter of medical marijuana when he was in the state House and has continued his advocacy following his election to Congress in 2016.
DeSantis will “faithfully execute the will of the people on medical marijuana,” Gaetz said in a text Friday morning.
“As the author of Florida’s first medical marijuana laws, I’m comforted to know conditions will improve for patients under a governor fully committed to this objective. The governor-elect and I have discussed a variety of strategies. I suspect specifics will be refined in consultation with the health care advisory committee to the transition and Gov.-elect Desantis’s selections for surgeon general and general counsel,” Gaetz said.
When asked whether DeSantis plans to drop the appeal in the Florigrown case, Gaetz said the issue is “one of the specifics that I’m sure our new governor will take under advisement.”
According to Nuñez, who also said she couldn’t answer specific questions related to the licensing caps or the smoking ban, DeSantis believes most issues could be fixed by the Legislature, which begins its 2019 session on March 5.
The new administration — which, under the amendment, is responsible for implementation of the amendment and oversight of the marijuana industry — will play a major role, Nuñez indicated.
“Certainly, whoever is heading up that agency has a responsibility to implement. I think he views whoever heads up that agency, whoever is in charge of that particular area, has a responsibility to do so efficiently and effectively without sort of delaying the process, whether it’s how quickly you can get your ID cards, to ensuring that people have access,” she said.
The Office of Compassionate Use has come under harsh criticism, publicly and privately, by lawmakers, patients and would-be marijuana operators, who accuse the agency, a division of the Department of Health, of dragging its feet to craft regulations related to the marijuana industry.
At one point, patients waited for months before receiving state-issued identification cards showing they were eligible for the marijuana treatment. The approval is required for patients to purchase marijuana products.
Agriculture Commissioner-elect Nikki Fried, a Democrat who was once a medical-marijuana lobbyist, called Nuñez’s comments “encouraging” and said she looks forward to speaking with DeSantis “about how we can correctly implement the Constitution as approved by 71 percent of Floridians.”
Fried, a lawyer, played a role in the crafting of the state’s marijuana laws.
“If DeSantis is serious about moving patient access forward, I welcome that wholeheartedly and would love to work with him in any way to get sick and suffering residents of our state the medicine they need,” she said in a statement.
The many investors and prospective operators seeking entry into Florida’s restricted medical marijuana industry also are likely to welcome a shift in state officials’ attitude toward pot.
“Actions speak louder than words but what they’re saying so far seems to indicate that they’re willing to move away from the obstructionist position of the Scott administration and move toward fulfilling the will of more than 71 percent of Floridians and hopefully doing the right thing to implement the amendment,” Ben Pollara, who is a plaintiff in the smoking-ban lawsuit, told the News Service. Pollara was a senior adviser to Fried’s campaign and is co-chairman of her inaugural committee.
But operators already doing business in the state, where licenses have sold for upwards of $70 million, may be more cautious.
“I believe change is coming. This is an evolving industry, and we look forward to working with the Legislature and the new administration,” said Ron Watson, a lobbyist who represents operators currently doing business in the state and others who want to gain entry.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Woman’s Body Found In Escambia River
December 9, 2018
The body of a female was found Sunday on the Escambia River.
The body was found in Santa Rosa County about a mile south of the Terrell’s Landing boat ramp off Oil Plant Road, upriver from Fischer Landing in Century.
Rich Aloy, spokesperson for the Santa Rosa County Sherrif’s Office, said further details will be released as the investigation progresses. Her identity is not yet known.
More information will be posted when it becomes available.
Fire Chief Struck On I-10 By Vehicle Traveling In Reverse
December 9, 2018
An Escambia County Fire Rescue battalion chief’s vehicle was struck by a vehicle traveling in reverse on I-10 about 9:15 Saturday night.
The driver was traveling eastbound in reverse on I-10 westbound near Highway 29 as the fire chief approached.
The battalion chief was not injured, and the driver was not seriously injured.
The crash remained under investigation late Saturday night by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details were not yet released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Holiday Shopping: Plan To Prevent Porch Pirates
December 9, 2018
The Christmas shopping season is in full swing, and it is the time to plan ahead to prevent package thefts by “porch pirates”. Deputies urge residents to think ahead about how their packages will be delivered before making online purchases this holiday season.
Throughout the year, law enforcement agencies receive reports of thefts of delivered items, often snagged from a mailbox or front porch. But with a higher volume of deliveries during the holiday shopping season, the potential for thefts goes up.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chip Simmons said that preventing package theft begins when the purchase is made.
“It starts with awareness whether you are shopping in the store or expect to have delivered to your home,” he said. “It’s awareness knowing where your packing is going to be and when it will be delivered.”
Here are some tips you can follow to keep your packages safe from porch pirates:
- Track your package online and arrange a specific date and time for delivery when you will be home to receive it. Many of the large carriers offer this option.
- If possible, have packages delivered to your workplace instead of your home.
- Have your packages delivered to someone who can receive them in person, like a trusted neighbor or a relative.
- Request that the shipper hold your packages at its delivery distribution center for pickup.
- If shopping with a large retailer, choose in-store pickup.
- Install a security camera on your porch, put thieves on the defense by recording their every move
- Keep an eye on your neighborhood and report suspicious persons and vehicles sitting or cruising the area
- Request a signature delivery option, if available.
- If you do not receive your shipment on time, check with the company of origin and confirm the delivery. If the item was delivered and you did not receive it, then report the theft or loss to the original company, the shipping company, and law enforcement.
Suspicious activity can be reported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Let The Tate Band Help With Your Gift Wrapping
December 9, 2018
The Tate Band Showband of the South will be wrapping gifts for donations at Walmart on Highway 29 in Ensley through Christmas Eve. Look for the big white tent near the entrance.
Tate Band Gift Wrap Schedule:
Friday, Dec. 14th – 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 15th – 8 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 16th – 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 18th – 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 19th – 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 20th – 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 22nd – 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 23rd – 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 24th – 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Pictured. Tate band moms wrapping gifts outside Walmart in Ensley on Saturday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Cheerleaders Participate In Disney Spirit Spectacular
December 9, 2018
Five area high school cheerleaders took part in the recent Varsity Spirit Spectacular at Disney World in Orlando. They were Gabrielle Kline from Northview High School and Katelyn Starosta, Carly Willis, Jaeci Cooley and Catrina Crandall from Jay High School. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
This Week’s Escambia County Meeting Schedule
December 9, 2018
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Monday, Dec. 10
Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization – Technical Coordinating Committee – 8:30 a.m., Pensacola City Hall, 160 Governmental Center
Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization – Citizens Advisory Committee – 10:30 a.m., Pensacola City Hall, 160 Governmental Center
Library Board of Governance – 4 p.m., 239 N. Spring St.
Tuesday, Dec. 11
Special Board of County Commissioners Committee of the Whole – County Administrator Search Discussion – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Emergency Medical Services Specialist Interviews – 9 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. W St.
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
Escambia County Housing Finance Authority – 5 p.m., 700 S. Palafox St., Suite 310
Merit System Protection Board – 5 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor Training Room
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee – 5:30 p.m., 420 W. Chase St.
Wednesday, Dec. 12
Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization – 9 a.m., 1370 Tiger Point Lane, Gulf Breeze
Internal Affairs Investigator Interviews – 1 p.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. W St.
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance Board of Directors – 1:30 p.m., 418 W. Garden St.
Benefits Committee – 2 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Human Resources Training Room
Escambia County Health Facilities Authority – 4 p.m., 1019 N. 12th Ave.
Santa Rosa Island Authority Board and Committee – 5 p.m., 1 Via De Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach
Thursday, Dec. 13
Special BCC Meeting on PEDC – 8:59 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
BCC Committee of the Whole – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Friday, Dec. 14
Amalgamated Transit Union 1395 Bargaining Session – 9:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
Saturday, Dec. 15
Pensacola Beach Lifeguards Tryout – 1 p.m., University of West Florida Aquatic Center, 11000 University Parkway, Building 72