Work Begins Next Week To Replace Arthur Brown Road Bridge
June 16, 2017
Construction activities will begin next week to replace the Arthur Brown Road bridge over Boggy Creek, near the Walnut Hill Baptist Church.
The existing bridge, built in 1969, will be replaced with a new, modern structure with 11-foot travel lanes, six foot shoulders, and solid concrete a barrier railing. Traffic will be diverted to a temporary onsite road and bridge. The speed limit will be reduced to 30 mph.
Construction is estimated to take eight months, weather and schedule permitting, with an estimated completion date in early 2018.
The cost of the Florida Department of Transportation project is $2,384,550.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Graduate Robitzsch Completes From Basic Military Training
June 16, 2017
U.S. Air Force Airman Reed E. Robitzsch graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Robitzsch is the son of Richard E. Robitzsch of Cantonment, and Robin M. Robitzsch of Pensacola, brother of Reese W. Robitzsch of Pensacola, and husband of Amber K. Robitzsch of Cantonment.
He is a 2010 graduate of Tate High School, Cantonment, Fla.
Scott Signs Fiercely Debated Education Bill
June 16, 2017
Gov. Rick Scott signed a controversial and wide-ranging education bill Thursday, brushing aside nearly unanimous opposition from the state’s major education organizations.
The 278-page measure (HB 7069), which didn’t emerge in final form until the final days of the regular legislative session, deals with everything from school testing to recess.
It sets aside $419 million that will be used to encourage charter schools to locate near struggling traditional public schools, provide extra services for students at struggling schools, provide teacher bonuses and help parents pay for education services for children with disabilities.
The legislation also scales back standardized testing, requires daily recess for elementary students and helps charter schools get access to school construction funding generated by local property taxes.
Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran, the main force behind the legislation, touted the benefits of the bill and a $100 increase in per-student school funding — approved separately in a special session this month — at a signing ceremony in Orlando.
“The historic funding we’ve secured, along with more choices for students, will give every family in Florida the ability to receive a quality education, no matter what ZIP code they live in,” Scott said during the event at the Morning Star Catholic School.
The Florida Democratic Party said Scott and the GOP had “declared war on our public schools.”
Virtually the entire education establishment, as well as some parents’ groups, had urged Scott to veto the bill. They argued that it would move Florida closer to a privatized education system. While charter schools are public schools, they are often operated by private organizations.
Opponents also criticized the closed-door negotiations that decided which of a slate of education bills would be combined to create the final product, and what the details of those policies would be.
Joanne McCall, president of the Florida Education Association teachers union, said the legislation “will do harm to our schools and to our most vulnerable students.”
“Blindly jumping into this so-called ‘fundamental transformation’ of how we educate our children is based almost entirely on ideology,” she said. “At best this is malpractice. This is no way to build a high quality public education system.”
The Florida School Boards Association, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and a coalition of conservative and liberal groups focused on education, known as Common Ground, also called for Scott to veto the bill.
Supporters included the Florida Coalition of School Board Members, a conservative counterweight to the Florida School Boards Association, and school-choice groups.
“This is great news for families — Hispanics and others — seeking better educational opportunities for their kids,” said Cesar Grajales, Florida coalitions director for The LIBRE Initiative, a conservative Hispanic group with ties to the Koch brothers. “To many Florida parents, nothing is more important than ensuring their kids have access to a quality education, so they’re prepared to succeed in life and to build their own American Dream.”
The battle over HB 7069 spurred a deluge of tens of thousands of phone calls, emails, letters and petition signatures delivered to Scott. While many of those messages opposed the bill early on, supporters eventually closed the gap in the final weeks of the governor’s deliberations.
After being unyielding in his push for the legislation during the session, Corcoran told reporters in Orlando on Thursday that he would be willing to listen to the concerns of opponents.
“We’re going to continue to work with them, and to the extent that these things can get better or be improved, we’re absolutely going to go down that path,” said Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes.
The signing came just one day after Scott vetoed a higher-education bill (SB 374) that was a key priority of Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart.
HB 7069 barely passed the Senate, clearing the upper chamber in a 20-18 vote last month. Senate Republicans didn’t issue statements of support for the bill Thursday, while Democrats ripped into the measure.
“HB 7069 aims an arrow straight at the heart of public education in Florida, a system that is struggling to stay alive despite repeated overhauls, starvation, and mandates under the latest standardized tests-du-jour,” said Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens. “And it sets up a guarantee for the profitability of the charter school industry in this state by delivering public schools we’ve purposely ignored to corporate managers we’ve deliberately positioned for success.”
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, anticipating a Scott challenge to incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson next year, also criticized the bill, as did Democratic candidates for governor in 2018.
“This bill is another massive step toward turning Florida’s public school system into a public school industry designed to benefit corporations and powerful interests at the expense of our kids and schools,” said former Democratic Congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham.
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, another Democratic gubernatorial candidate, called the signing “another deeply painful decision by our state’s leaders giving tax dollars away to for-profit charter school executives — instead of to our students.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Pictured top: Gov. Rick Scott signs that states $419 million education budget Thursday in Orlando. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville 1-0 In Rain Shortened Game
June 16, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Keury Mella gave up one hit in five scoreless innings of a rain-shortened game, plus the 23-year-old knocked in the only run of the game.
Pensacola defeated the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 1-0, Thursday at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The Blue Wahoos’ ninth shutout win of the year was called in the top of the sixth with one out — a strikeout by Pensacola catcher Adrian Nieto.
Mella gave up his only walk in the top of the first inning to leadoff hitter Jeremias Pineda. The only hit Mella allowed came in the top of the second inning when Jacksonville first baseman Taylor Ard knocked a single to left field to leadoff the inning. Ard was also the only Jumbo Shrimp batter to reach second base.
Mella, who is in his first season in Double-A, then retired the next 11 of 12 batters he faced. He improved to 2-4 with a 4.35 ERA.
Plus, Mella, who is ranked the 19th best prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, hit a first pitch ground ball that deflected off the third baseman and continued into left field. The two-out single drove in Pensacola catcher Adrian Nieto for a 1-0 lead.
Blue Wahoos left fielder Tyler Goeddel led the Blue Wahoos lineup going 3-3 with a double. Goeddel’s three hits were half of Pensacola’s six total hits.
Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero also earned a hit, going 1-3, and second baseman Alex Blandino got the other hit for the Blue Wahoos, hitting 1-2 with a walk.
The Blue Wahoos improved to 39-27 and can clinch the Southern League South Division crown with a win in Friday’s scheduled doubleheader or with a loss by the Biloxi Shuckers. Pensacola is vying to join the Tennessee Smokies, who won four consecutive halves from 2009 to 2011.
Pensacola and Jacksonville will try again Friday to play a seven-inning doubleheader to make up for the rain out of the second game Thursday.
Century Tornado Debris Burn Is Complete
June 16, 2017
Here’s an update on the Town of Century’s efforts to burn vegetative tornado debris in the town industrial park.
The town burned the first of numerous piles on March 14, with town employees burning the piles under permits issued on available burn days from the Florida Forest Service. As early this month, the town had burned all of the 800 dump truck loads of trees and other vegetative debris from the February 15, 2016, EF-3 tornado.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Heavy Rains Cause Minor Flooding
June 15, 2017
Heavy rainfall cause minor flooding across the North Escambia area Thursday afternoon. The flooding included the “normal” areas around Presley Street in Atmore (pictured). Reader photos by Eric Hare for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Have weather photos to share? Email news@northescambia.com
Police Searching For Bank Robbery Suspect
June 15, 2017
A man escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash after he robbed an Escambia County bank Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred around 12:40 p.m. at Sun Trust Bank, 6700 North Davis Highway, when the suspect entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash. Detective Ozzy Teeters said the suspect did not display a weapon but indicated he had one.
The suspect was described as a thin white male about 5-feet 4-inches, to 5-feet 5-inches wearing a tan long-sleeved shirt, baggy blue sweat pants and possibly red socks. He was balding on top and had a scar or injury on the right side of his head.
The suspect is believed to have gotten into the passenger side of a light blue SUV and left the area.
Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Ozzy Teeters at (850) 435- 1976, Detective Chad Willhite at (850) 435- 1972 or the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.
Cantonment Man Charged With Battery On His Elderly Mother
June 15, 2017
A Cantonment man has been charged with battery on his elderly mother after an argument about her iPhone.
William Ladon Stacey, 56, was charged with first degree felony battery on a person 65-year of age of older.
Stacey’s 77-year old mother told deputies that she had just her returned from the store when she noticed that her iPhone was missing from her purse. She asked Stacey about the phone, starting an argument, she said.
She said Stacey pushed her, causing her to fall off a porch and onto the ground. She landed on her left thumb, breaking it, and hitting her head causing a small cut. She was evaluated and treated by Escambia County EMS.
William Stacey remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday with bond set at $50,000.
Overall Crime Rate Falls In Escambia County
June 15, 2017
The crime rate in Escambia County is down over the past year, according to data released Wednesday in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Uniform Crime Report.
Overall violent crime was down 14.2 percent from 2015 to 2016, with 2,057 fewer crimes reported. The numbers include crimes reported by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Pensacola Police Department, University of West Florida Police Department, Pensacola State College Police and other agencies operating in the county.
Between 2016 and 2015, the number of murders in Escambia County decreased from 24 to 19, rapes from 197 to 188, robberies from 404 to 373 and aggravated assaults from 1,439 to 1,400. Over the period, burglaries were down 2,628 in 2015 to 1,978 in 2016, larcenies were down 9,101 to 7,767 and motor vehicle thefts increase slightly from 644 to 655.
The crime rate per 100,000 population was 3,993, down 15.1 percent. Overall, law enforcement cleared 32.9 percent of cases in Escambia County.
Florida’s crime rate is now at a 46-year low. In 2016, there were 18,146 fewer crimes than in 2015, which is a 2.8 percent decrease. The crime rate has dropped 4.4 percent since 2015.
Escambia Man Gets 20 Years For Auto Theft, Burglary
June 15, 2017
An Escambia County man has been sentenced as a habitual felony offender on burglary and grand theft auto related charges.
Michael Aaron Kistler, 34, was sentenced by Circuit Judge John Miller to 20 years in state prison on charges of armed burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felony, grand theft of a firearm, three counts of grand theft auto and grand theft.
Prosecutors said Kistler went to Center Florida Auto Sales on Olive Road pretending to be interested in buying a vehicle on July 30, 2016. He spoke with the owner regarding a couple of the vehicles and left the premises. A short-time later, he returned to the car lot and attempted to steal the owner’s vehicle. The owner observed Kistler in his vehicle and attempted to stop him.
Kistler then grabbed the owner’s firearm located in the door of the vehicle, pointed it at the owner, and fled the scene on foot.
Later that day, Kistler stole a work vehicle belonging to Beasley’s Pest Control located on Olive Road. Kistler was arrested the following day with the work vehicle in his possession. Further investigation revealed that Kistler had previously stolen a vehicle on July 3, 2016.