Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Silly Season Turns Toxic
August 12, 2018
Slinging possums, eating corn dogs and navigating putrid waters — all in the dog days of summer — are just a few of the extremes Florida candidates are going to as they try to emerge victorious at the ballot box.
The weeks leading up to elections are sometimes known as the “silly season,” but on numerous fronts in the Sunshine State, “the nasty season” seems a more fitting label.
In their final debate before the Aug. 28 Republican gubernatorial primary, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis jabbed early and often in an hour-long exchange Wednesday.
Putnam, the “establishment candidate” whose ascension to the governor’s office not long ago was considered inevitable, pulled out a pocketful of one-liners during the debate, often tweaking DeSantis for President Donald Trump’s endorsement of the Northeast Florida congressman.
“You’re running on an endorsement,” scoffed Putnam, who also derided DeSantis as “the Seinfeld candidate.” DeSantis, who has ridden Trump’s endorsement to a commanding lead in the race, accused Putnam of being “the errand boy for U.S. Sugar,” among other barbs.
Things got even uglier this week in the matchup between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, and supporters of Gov. Rick Scott, the Republican trying to oust the long-serving senator.
In a news release titled “Bill Nelson Tragically Forced to Admit His Memory Is Failing,” the Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, on Wednesday attacked Nelson for saying a day earlier that he couldn’t recall a 2010 letter he wrote about delaying the implementation of water-quality standards.
“It’s time for Bill Nelson’s caretakers to keep better tabs on the Senator’s whereabouts and public statements so that he is not embarrassed into admitting he’s no longer dealing from a full deck,” Senate Leadership Fund spokesman Chris Pack said in a news release.
Nelson’s campaign didn’t directly respond to the accusations about senility but instead blamed Scott for toxic algae blooms spreading on both sides of the Florida peninsula, calling the news release “a desperate attempt to distract from Rick Scott’s record of cuts and deregulation that helped create this toxic algae crisis.”
A day earlier, the 75-year-old Nelson bowed up when asked about the not-so-subtle inferences from his 65-year-old opponent’s campaign that the senator is past his sell-by date.
“Any time he wants to have a contest about push-ups or pull-ups, and we’ll see who is not up to it,” Nelson challenged Scott.
Down ticket on the Democratic side, relations for the most part had been relatively cordial, until the advent of Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene. Greene, who made his fortune as a developer, is spewing venom at former Congresswoman Gwen Graham over her family’s involvement in the “American Dream” mega-mall project, which is opposed by environmentalists, in South Florida.
Graham’s father, Bob Graham, earned the admiration of enviros and Floridians during his tenures as governor and U.S. senator for his work to protect Florida’s natural resources.
Gwen Graham, the frontrunner in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, released an ad accusing an unnamed “billionaire opponent” of “attacking me personally, even falsely attacking my dad, Bob Graham.”
Responding to the ad, Greene retorted: “Gwen Graham is no Bob Graham.”
Then, late Thursday, CBS Miami’s Jim DeFede dropped what some considered a bombshell. DeFede reported that Greene once slapped a former waitress on the arm because the music was playing too loud at Greene’s Omphoy Beach Resort, now called Tideline Ocean Resort and Spa.
According to a police report filed a few weeks after the Dec. 28, 2012, incident, waitress Lisa Ann Thomas complained that Greene “smacked me on the arm” and asked her to turn down the music. She told police she was “very offended” by Greene’s behavior and subsequently quit her job, but Thomas didn’t press charges.
“As can be read in the police report, this is simply a case of an employee having a bad day,” Greene spokeswoman Claire VanSusteren said in a press release.
The news of the 5-year-old incident — and Greene’s response — quickly sparked outrage among some supporters of Graham, the only woman in the crowded Democratic field. The National Organization for Women, which hasn’t endorsed Graham, issued a statement demanding that Greene step out of the race.
“This type of assault is rooted in power imbalance, and so it’s unfortunately not surprising that a billionaire like Jeff Greene victimized a female employee. It was incredibly brave of her to report the assault, and we stand with her,” NOW Florida president Terry Sanders said.
VanSusteren blasted back with a statement accusing NOW of choosing to “play politics with the critically important #MeToo movement” and accusing Sanders of retaliating against Greene for criticizing Graham’s environmental record.
WHO WOULD KRAMER SUPPORT?
Putnam, a two-term Cabinet member and former member of Congress, accused DeSantis, a three-term member of Congress, of running a campaign light on Florida issues.
Putnam mocked DeSantis — who has appeared frequently on Fox News — for relying heavily on his endorsement from Trump, likening the congressman’s campaign to the “Seinfeld” sit-com.
“The campaign is being run out of studio. They have a smattering of celebrity guest appearances. And at the end of the day, it’s all about nothing. But unlike Seinfeld, it’s not funny,” Putnam said. “Floridians deserved better than a candidate who makes it all about himself and not about the future of Florida.”
But DeSantis struck back at Putnam, noting the agriculture commissioner has spent his entire adulthood in political office and had accused Trump of being “vile” and “obscene” for sexual comments reported during the 2016 presidential campaign. He also noted Putnam did not campaign for Trump.
“No one knew where he was during the campaign. Now he acts like he is this big supporter?” DeSantis said. “This is inauthentic. This is a career politician trying to tell you what you want to see, not coming from the heart. He’s already proven he will say and do anything in terms of millions of dollars in fake ads to get elected. It’s not working. But that’s what he’s willing to do.”
Putnam shot back that DeSantis has run for three offices — an abandoned U.S. Senate bid, a congressional election and governor — since 2015.
“He’s run for three offices in three years. That’s a career politician with ADD,” Putnam said.
NO MORE REEFER MADNESS
There’ve been plenty of developments on the pot front recently, including the announcement that William “Beau” Wrigley, the heir to the chewing gum dynasty, led a $65 million investment in Surterra Wellness, one of Florida’s 14 licensed medical marijuana operators.
Meanwhile, a Tallahassee judge found a law limiting the number of medical marijuana operators in Florida runs afoul of a constitutional amendment approved by voters two years ago.
A cap on the number of “medical marijuana treatment centers,” as they are known in Florida law, “directly contradicts the amendment,” Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled in an eight-page order.
“Such limits directly undermine the clear intent of the amendment, which by its language seeks to prevent arbitrary restriction on the number of MMTCs authorized to conduct business in the state. The amendment mandates the availability and safe use of medical marijuana by qualifying patients,” Dodson wrote.
Dodson’s ruling, however, isn’t likely to have an immediate impact on the state’s medical marijuana industry as health officials move forward with a planned workshop Aug. 17 to take input on the process to award five new licenses.
In a separate blow to state health officials, an administrative law judge sided with an orchid grower that wants to get into the medical-marijuana business, rejecting a proposed state rule that was designed to help award up to two potentially lucrative marijuana licenses.
STORY OF THE WEEK: U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Republicans vying to succeed Gov. Rick Scott, faced off in their second and final debate before the Aug. 28 primary election.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “We know that it wasn’t an amazing year. We know that it wasn’t the best year for Broward schools.” — April Schentrup, whose 16-year-old daughter, Carmen, was among the 14 students and 3 faculty members slain at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14. Schentrup was responding to Broward County School Board member Donna Korn, who called the 2017-2018 academic year “one of the best for the county.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Mobile Slugs Past Pensacola 14-2
August 12, 2018
After a promising start by the Wahoos, the BayBears slugged their way past the Wahoos with an 14-2 win at Hank Aaron Stadium on Saturday.
On a night celebrating former BayBear and longtime Major League pitcher, Jake Peavy, it was the visiting Wahoos who looked to spoil the party. TJ Friedl opened the game with an infield single and advanced on a throwing error by Riley Unroe. He later scored on a wild pitch from Jason Alexander (W, 1-5) to make the score 1-0.
However, Mobile came roaring back in the bottom of the first when the first three batters doubled off Wahoos starter Daniel Wright (L, 6-8). The BayBears sent all nine men to the plate in the first and eventually scored four runs on five hits. Wright—who was hit hard at Hank Aaron Stadium on Opening Day—suffered his eighth defeat of the season after he was charged with eight runs on 10 hits over 5.1 innings. Mobile eventually finished the night 14 runs on 18 hits with nine of those hits going for extra bases.
Daniel Sweet had a standout performance offensively for Pensacola. Filling in for the suspended Jose Siri, Sweet recorded his first career Double-A home run in his first at-bat and then doubled in the fifth inning off Alexander. He finished the night 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Battle of the Bay series concludes tomorrow night as the Wahoos hope to earn a series win in the rubber match. RHP Wyatt Strahan (6-9, 7.23) is looking for a bounce back performance. He will be opposed by RHP Jesus Castillo (7-4, 4.77).
Two Charged With Stealing TVs From New Kingsfield Elementary
August 11, 2018
Two men have been charged with stealing televisions from the new Kingsfield Elementary School.
Sean DeJuan Battles and Steve Franklin Endress were seen on surveillance video leaving the school with three televisions on August 4, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. They were both charged with grand theft, burglary and criminal mischief property damage.
Battles worked for a company that was installing doors at the school; he was later arrested on the job at the school. Deputies found two of the television at Endress’ home address. Battles told a deputy that the third TV had been thrown in a dumpster, but the dumpster was empty when deputies checked.
Both men were released from the Escambia County Jail on bonds of $2,500 each.
Sample Ballots Are On The Way
August 11, 2018
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David H. Stafford has announced that sample ballots for the August 28 Primary Election are being mailed to Escambia County voters. The sample ballot includes a ballot image, the voter’s polling location and information on the three ways to vote: early, vote-by-mail, and on Election Day. A sample ballot is also available at EscambiaVotes.com.
Voters have three different ways to cast their ballot:
By Mail: Voters may vote by mail using a vote-by-mail ballot, which can be requested through the online form at EscambiaVotes.com, or by contacting the Supervisor of Elections by mail, phone (850) 595-3900, e-mail (votebymail@escambiavotes.com), or fax (850) 595-3914. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and the address, and must be received no later than Wednesday, August 22. Voted ballots must be received in the Elections Office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day and may not be returned to a polling location. Vote-by-mail voters may track the status of their ballot at EscambiaVotes.com by clicking Track My Ballot.
Early Voting: Early voting will be available Saturday, August 18 through Saturday, August 25 at eight different locations. Early voters will cast paper ballots through our digital scanners.
Early voting will be held at the following locations and times:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Main Library, 239 Spring Street, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 B, 9th Avenue, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Mobile Hwy/Pine Forest Rd Early Voting Center, 6675 Pine Forest Road, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto Street, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
At Your Precinct: The third option for voters is to cast a paper ballot at their precinct on Election Day, August 28. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. An ExpressVote ballot marking device is also available at each polling place and early voting site for persons with disabilities.
As a reminder, Florida holds closed primary elections. In partisan primary elections, you are only eligible to vote in primary contests for the party in which you are registered, unless it is a universal primary or nonpartisan contest.
Fall Veggies Are Cool To Grow
August 11, 2018
by UF/IFAS Extension Service
In Northwest Florida, vegetable lovers can enjoy harvests from their backyard gardens throughout the year. However, to ensure a productive and enjoyable vegetable garden, you must understand and abide by planting times.
In general, vegetable crops can be grouped into warm-season and cool-season varieties. Warm-season crops do not grow well at temperatures below 50 degrees F and are killed by frost. Cool-season crops are those that grow at lower temperatures, are not injured by light frost, but can’t take the heat.
In late summer and early fall, North Florida gardeners experience a unique opportunity. You can still plant another round of warm-season crops and/or start your cool-season vegetables.
Planting of warm-season vegetables gets to be more critical with the fall garden because we have an end point—frost and freezes. When planted too late, plants will grow, but may not provide enough of a harvest to make the effort worthwhile. Examples are peppers, eggplants and tomatoes. These vegetables can easily take up to two months from transplanting to producing the first fruit. All the time, the fall is getting shorter in day length and cooler in temperatures. That’s really tough on “warm-loving,” full-sun plants.
Since timing is so important with the fall crop, choose warm-season crops that will produce well within a short time. Look for fast-maturing and determinant or bush-type cultivars to ensure a good yield before frost.
Crops to plant outdoors in August include bush and lima beans, cauliflower, collards, cucumbers, onions, southern peas, peppers, squash, tomato and turnips.
In September, you can set out beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, endive, kale, kohlrabi, mustard and radish.
The cooler temperatures of October are better for planting Chinese cabbage, lettuce and spinach.
To find specific recommendations on when to plant vegetables in Florida, read the UF/IFAS “Vegetable Gardening Guide”. It’s online at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021
The leafy crops excel in the fall. Some of the more popular leafy crops are Swiss chard, collards, spinach, mustard, turnip greens and lettuce. Endive, escarole, kale, arugula and the greens of mesclun mix also do very well during the cooler months.
Garden lettuces can be divided into three classes based on habit of growth – leaf or loose-leaf types, semi-heading types (such as butterhead and romaine) and heading or crisp-head types.
Crisp-head lettuces, such as the iceberg types available in supermarkets, are more of a challenge to grow here, so its recommend you stay with the leaf and semi-heading varieties. Other than generally avoiding the heading types, feel free to try just about any variety that strikes your fancy.
Leaf lettuces are the most decorative and least-demanding. They also are among the most heat-tolerant lettuces. This type of lettuce grows in a loose rosette of foliage, and the leaves can be smooth or crinkled, pointed, lobed, curled or ruffled. Foliage color runs from deep ruby red to dark green to pale greenish yellow, with just about every combination in between.
Collards will withstand wide ranges of temperatures if properly conditioned. They may be direct seeded and or plants can be transplanted. Collards may be harvested by cutting the whole plant or by “cropping” individual leaves.
Onions are generally grown from sets or plants. Sets and plants will require about six to eight weeks to reach eating size. Bulbing onions will not be ready to harvest until spring.
Radishes are fast growers and fun for the kids. Many are ready to harvest 25 to 30 days after planting.
So take the leap and “fall” into vegetable gardening.
Century Meeting Canceled Due To No Shows; Public Notice Questioned
August 11, 2018
An citizen’s advisory committee meeting in Century Friday morning was canceled after four of five members were no-shows. Public notice for the meeting was also questioned.
The Town of Century’s Community Development Block Grant Citizen’s Advisory Task Force (CATF) meeting was scheduled for 11 a.m. and was canceled by 11:15 a.m. with only one member in attendance. No members of the public were present, other than a NorthEscambia.com reporter.
The meeting had been scheduled to discuss the town’s Community Development Block Grant housing rehabilitation program.
A public notice for the meeting was published on NorthEscambia.com and in the Tri-City Ledger and letters were mailed to task force members.
No public notice was posted at town hall, as recommended in the 2018 edition of the Government in the Sunshine Manual published by the Florida Attorney General’s Office.
“While the attorney general’s office cannot specify the type of notice which must be given in all cases, the following notice guidelines are suggested….The notice should be prominently displayed in the area in the agency’s offices set aside for that purpose, e.g., for cities, in city hall, and on the agency’s website, if there is one,” the Sunshine Manual states.
Total Cuteness Alert: Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office Names New K-9 Pups
August 11, 2018
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has named their two newest K-9 pups — meet Copper and Zinc.
The department held a naming contest on social media that ended Friday that receive about 2,000 entries.
The two bloodhounds were donated to the department SRSO Capt. Jim Cotton and Maj. Randy Tifft. Once Copper and Zinc are trained, the new deputies will be used for tracking.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Central Water Works Rescinds Boil Water Notice For 340 Customers
August 11, 2018
Central Water Works has rescinded a boil water notice issued August 3 for about 340 customers.
The utility said they have repaired a water main break at the intersection of Byrneville Road and Highway 20 and satisfactorily complete bacteriological sampling showing the water is safe.
The boil water notice was in effect for:: Bluff Springs Road, Brown Road, Byrneville Road from 30 to 860, Church Road, Commalander Road, Courtney Road, Cox Road, Crary Road, Curly Brooks Road, Dawson Road, Elsie Davis Road, Glover Road, Greenwell Road, Gunner Road, Honeybee Lane, McClammy Road, McNeil Road, N. Canoe, E. Roach Road, W. Roach Road, Sigler Road, Tedder Road, Thompson Road, Highway 29 From Tedder Road to Cox Road and Whirlpool Road.
Center Water Works has instituted an automated public alert system to contact customers. Central said if customers did not receive a direct notice of this precautionary boil water notice, it is because the customer has not provided current contact information.
For more information, call (850) 2256-3849 or email centralwaterworks@gmail.com.
BayBears Beat The Wahoos
August 11, 2018
The Blue Wahoos opened a 6-0 lead in the fourth inning but couldn’t hold on as the Mobile BayBears rallied for an 8-6 win over Pensacola Friday night at Hank Aaron Stadium.
Jose Siri started the game with a triple to the left-center field ally and scored on a wild pitch to put Pensacola up 1-0 right out of the gate.
With one out in the fourth inning, Aristides Aquino hit his first of two singles on the night, which sparked a five-run rally. Following a Shed Long walk, Mitch Nay ripped a double which scored both Aquino and Long. Narciso Crook singled behind Nay setting the table for Gavin LaValley. He belted a three-run home run over the left field fence to stretch the Wahoos lead to 6-0.
The BayBears were quick to answer. Jose Rojas hit a one-out home run to get the BayBears on the board. After a two-out walk and single, Mitch Ghelfi pulled Mobile within two with his first home run of the season.
Mobile took the lead in the seventh. Only trailing by one, Roberto Baldoquin singled home the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs to give the BayBears their first lead of the game at 7-6.
Pensacola threatened again in the eighth inning, but Crook flew out to the center fielder with the bases loaded on a deep fly ball to end the inning. The BayBears added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap the 8-6 win.
Tony Santillan started for the Blue Wahoos and was charged with five runs on six hits over 4.2 innings, his shortest outing since joining the Blue Wahoos. He added seven strikeouts against three walks. Carlos Navas (L, 4-3) worked the final 3.1 innings and took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits. Despite surrendering the lead, he struck out six without a walk in the extended bullpen effort.
The Blue Wahoos scored all six of their runs off Mobile starter Jose Rodriguez. He exited after five innings with one walks and a season-high 11 strikeouts. Alex Klonowski (W, 9-2) picked up the win in relief with four shutout innings.
With LaValley’s three RBI in Friday’s game, he now has nine RBI for the series. Wahoos manager Jody Davis was ejected in the third inning as was Siri. David got kicked out during Chris Okey’s at bat for arguing from the dugout. Siri was tossed following his strikeout a batter later.
With a win on Saturday, Pensacola can lock up the series win. RHP Daniel Wright (6-7, 3.70) gets the start for the Blue Wahoos against BayBears RHP Jason Alexander (0-5, 4.05).
Judge Upholds Ballot Measure On County Offices
August 11, 2018
Florida voters have the right to decide whether all local constitutional officers, including sheriffs and tax collectors, should be elected, a Leon County judge ruled.
Circuit Judge James Shelfer on Thursday rejected a challenge from Volusia and Broward counties that sought to have what is known as Amendment 10 removed from the Nov. 6 general-election ballot. The challenge argued the ballot language and summary were misleading.
The amendment, which was placed on the ballot by the Constitution Revision Commission, would make the five constitutional offices — sheriff, tax collector, supervisor of elections, clerk of the court and property appraiser — mandatory and require elections for the offices in all 67 counties. It would also prohibit charter counties from abolishing or modifying those offices.
In his ruling, Shelfer said “an average Florida voter should easily understand” the chief purpose of the amendment. He also rejected an argument from the challengers that the constitutional-officer provisions were unfairly sandwiched between “feel good” proposals in the ballot measure related to military veterans and counter-terrorism.
He acknowledged the amendment was unclear on whether its impact would be “prospective or retrospective.” But he said “that is a question for another case and another day.”
Shelfer also noted his order was “the first stop in a journey to the Florida Supreme Court whose decision will determine if the amendment makes it onto the ballot.”
Volusia, Broward and other charter counties have opposed the amendment, arguing that local voters through the charter process should have the power to decide how constitutional offices are structured and whether they should be elected positions.
Carolyn Timmann, the Martin County clerk of court who helped craft the amendment while serving on the Constitution Revision Commission, said the ballot measure “protects the people’s right to vote” for constitutional officers. She said she was “happy that the people of Florida will have the opportunity to vote on this, along with other measures important to protecting our veterans, families and tax dollars.”
In addition to the constitutional-officer provisions, Amendment 10 would allow the Legislature to begin its annual session in January in even-numbered years. It would create an Office of Domestic Security and Counterterrorism in the Department of Law Enforcement. And it would revise the constitutional authority for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
The Constitution Revision Commission meets every 20 years and has unique power to place proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. Amendment 10 is one of four ballot measures approved by the commission that are being challenged in court.
Other measures under litigation include ballot proposals to ban greyhound racing (Amendment 13), to expand the use of charter schools and impose school-board term limits (Amendment 
and to establish victims’ rights in the state Constitution (Amendment 6).
In total, 13 constitutional amendments have been slated for the November ballot, including eight measures passed by the commission. To be enacted, each amendment must be approved by at least 60 percent of the voters.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida