Deer Hunters: QDMA Escambia Field Day Program Set For Saturday
July 22, 2018
The Quality Deer Management Association Escambia Branch Field Day will be held Saturday, July 28 in near Walnut Hill.
The free event will feature multiple speakers and demonstrations from experts. Lunch will be available for purchase.
For more information, click the image to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: The Hunt For The Governor’s Mansion
July 22, 2018
Florida continues to heat up, despite daily rains that have renewed discharges from polluted Lake Okeechobee into algae-filled waters on both coasts.
But the rising temperatures are more the verbal kind, as political candidates and organizations try to scorch their opponents.
A little more than a month remains until the Aug. 28 primary elections, but voters will begin casting mail-in ballots long before then, which is why candidates are ratcheting up efforts — at times with over-the-top disparaging hyperbole — to differentiate themselves from other, mostly like-minded candidates.
Democrats gubernatorial candidates once again took the stage this week for a debate, while one of President Donald Trump’s sons made an appearance on the campaign trail for Republican candidate Ron DeSantis.
Off the trail, state transportation officials, playing catch-up in processing tolls over the past month, have halted payments to a company upgrading the SunPass toll-collection system as they continue to address the problem-plagued $287 million project.
In the courts this week, a lawyer for Gov. Rick Scott asked a state appellate court to block a lawsuit seeking to force the governor to disclose more of his financial assets. Also, the League of Women Voters of Florida told a federal judge the state incorrectly blocked on-campus early voting sites, and a federal appeals court cleared the way for considering whether two teens can remain anonymous in a National Rifle Association challenge to a new Florida gun law.
Meanwhile, legislative leaders were back in Tallahassee adding dollars to the budget for election security, citrus-farmer hurricane relief, homeless programs and the Office of Medical Marijuana Use, all less than a month after the fiscal year got underway.
THE HUNT FOR THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION
Floridians are watching two competitive gubernatorial primaries that are being conducted in different manners.
On the Republican side, DeSantis is hoping to complete a Scott-2010-style upset of the establishment favorite, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. That would be similar to what Scott did to former Attorney General Bill McCollum.
DeSantis has tried to paint his opponent as a career politician and has been aided as Putnam faces widespread scrutiny for his agency’s handling of the state’s concealed-weapons licensing process. However, potentially the biggest difference in the race was on display this week.
DeSantis held a campaign event and a fundraiser in the Orlando area with Donald Trump Jr., while avoiding a potential joint appearance with Putnam in the GOP stronghold of The Villages.
Putnam has fought back by slamming DeSantis, a frequent guest on Fox News, for campaigning from a TV studio in Washington. But momentum has appeared to swing toward DeSantis, who has already pocketed potentially the biggest get in the primary battle: the endorsement of Donald Trump Jr’s father.
Meanwhile, the Democratic candidates debated Wednesday at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers and showcased few major policy differences. Instead, they relied on issues of gender, race and degrees of opposition to President Trump — oh, and for some, lots and lots of money — to ingratiate themselves to their party’s base.
Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham appeared in a hot-pink blazer to offer a striking contrast to her dark-suited male opponents, called herself a “mom” who once worked for a school district and emphasized her strength as a mediator in a Republican-dominated Congress.
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum used African-American icons Martin Luther King Jr. and former President Barack Obama to set the stage for a history-making victory that would make him Florida’s first black governor.
Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine boasted of accomplishments as an elected official, where he dealt with climate change, passed an ordinance to raise the minimum wage, created inroads for the LGBTQ community and reformed the police department.
“I’m not somebody that just talks about things. I actually get them done,” Levine said.
And Orlando-area entrepreneur Chris King continued to portray himself as a progressive vying for a new generation of voters among candidates who “have to win the contest of ideas.”
One of the biggest differences from prior Democratic debates was that the event included Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, who entered the contest after a second debate had already been set up last month.
Greene, who lives next door to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, made a point of noting he hasn’t been afraid to take on his island neighbor when asked how he would work with the president.
“The problem is we haven’t had anyone who can get the message out and to fight these Republicans dollar-for-dollar, toe-for-toe-for-toe,” Greene said. “I am committed to do that. I will put up my own money to get out there and fight these Republicans and I will back up the down-ticket races that will turn Florida blue.”
Greene in recent weeks has dumped at least $9.6 million of his own money into the contest.
Of course, Greene’s self-funding has a long way to reach the $13.5 million Scott has put up for his U.S. Senate campaign, which means the governor has spent nearly $100 million of his own money for three statewide contests starting in 2010.
ON THE MOVE AT FSU
Florida State University joined a number of communities across the state in revisiting its past and not liking all that it found.
On Tuesday, FSU President John Thrasher announced that a statue of Francis Eppes, a grandson of founding father Thomas Jefferson, would be relocated from the university’s Legacy Walk, where it has been since 2002. Thursday night, the move took place.
“Our history is not without its flaws, nor were some of the people who contributed to the growth of this pre-eminent institution,” Thrasher wrote in a letter to the FSU community. “How we choose to acknowledge that truth is important.”
Eppes has drawn criticism as a former slave owner and justice of the peace who helped capture escaped slaves. Thrasher’s decision came after a 15-member committee created last fall called for the statue’s relocation from its prominent position near the eastern entrance to the campus next to the main administration building.
The committee noted Eppes’ role in developing the institution that later became FSU. However, the committee said that describing him as the school’s “founder” was overstated.
However, Thrasher went against the committee’s recommendation to remove Eppes’ name from a century-old building that houses the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Instead, Thrasher decided to add a marker at the building to more fully explain Eppes’ biography. The building was the fifth erected on the campus of the then-Florida State College of Women.
Thrasher also decided to ask the Legislature to remove former state Supreme Court Justice B.K. Roberts’ name from a law-school building.
Thrasher, a former House speaker and lawyer, cited Roberts’ role as a member of the Florida Supreme Court in backing pro-segregation opinions in the 1950s, including a decision defying a U.S. Supreme Court order to admit a black student to the University of Florida law school.
“To keep the name of B.K. Roberts on the law school building would continue to honor someone whose decisions and actions do not reflect Florida State University’s values or the rule of law,” Thrasher wrote.
The committee was created to review campus building names, statues and other memorials and to review the process of naming future buildings.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The five Democratic candidates for governor squared off in the next-to-last debate before the Aug. 28 primary election.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I think many of us, on a bipartisan basis, are frustrated by the pace that the law has been implemented. The law itself works and is a solid piece of legislation. The implementation has not proceeded as quickly as many of us would like.” — Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, discussing problems in the state’s handling of the medical-marijuana industry.
Nine Mile Road Lane Closure At I-10 Overpass
July 22, 2018
The eastbound, outside lane on Nine Mile Road will be closed for approximately one-half-mile on either side of the I-10 overpass beginning the week of Monday, July 23 as crews construct overpass column improvements. There are no impacts to the I-10 on-and-off ramp configuration at this time. The lane restriction is expected to remain in place until work is complete.
All construction activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Firefighters Respond To Smoke Inside Enon Residence
July 21, 2018
Firefighters responded to a report of smoke inside a home in Enon early Saturday morning.
The call came in just before 3 a.m. from Highway 97A near Enon School Road, about 11 miles south of Walnut Hill.
Escambia Fire Rescue arrived to find a light haze of smoke inside the residence. The source of the smoke was traced to the air handler in the HVAC system.
There was no other damage reported.
File photo.
Area Unemployment Rate Slips Slightly
July 21, 2018
The Escambia County area unemployment rate was 3.9 percent, down 0.4 percentage point from one year ago, according to the latest numbers announced Friday.
The industries with the highest growth over the year in Pensacola were construction, and leisure and hospitality each with 1,000 new jobs. The Pensacola area had 4,543 job openings, including 1,180 openings for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations.
Florida’s unemployment rate remained at a low of 3.8 percent, a drop of 7 percentage points since December 2010; this drop is faster than the national decline of 5.3 percentage points. In the past year, 130,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 1.3 percent, which is greater than the national labor force growth rate of 1.2 percent.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
Alabama’s Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Is This Weekend, First Year For Atmore
July 21, 2018
Alabama’s annual back to school sales tax holiday is underway, giving giving shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain school supplies, computers, books and clothing tax free. And for the first time in the 13-year history of the sales tax holiday, the City of Atmore is taking part.
Tax exempt items across Alabama include:
- clothing priced at $100 or less per article of clothing;
- school supplies valued at $50 or less per item;
- books that cost $30 or less per book; and
- tablets, laptops, computers and printers with a selling price of $750 or less.
Waring Road Closure At Nine Mile Extended
July 21, 2018
The Waring Road closure and detour that began on Tuesday, July 17 has been extended until Monday, July 23 due to an unforeseen drainage conflict.
Waring Road between West Nine Mile Road and Bush Street will be closed to through traffic. Traffic will be detoured along Pine Forest Road and Nine Mile Road. Construction will consist of the upgrading of the existing storm drainage system.
Every effort will be made to expedite construction efforts to reopen the road on or before Monday, July 23.
If other lane or roadway closures are necess
Weekend Gardening: Caterpillars Can Devour Your Azaleas
July 21, 2018
by Beth Bolles, Escambia County Extension, for NorthEscambia.com
Azalea caterpillars have made their presence known this summer and are devouring the foliage of one of our favorite evergreen plants.
The brown moths will lay large numbers of eggs on azaleas throughout the spring and then young emerging caterpillars feed in groups, eating entire leaves. As the caterpillars grow in size, they become more brightly colored with yellow bodies and black stripes. They also have bright red legs and a head. If you touch a mature caterpillar, it will often raise it’s head and ‘tail’ in response. These are not stinging caterpillars so that is only a defensive response.
The feeding damage of the caterpillars results in a very unattractive azalea. Some leaves with damage will also turn brown making the damage more noticeable. The good news is that even through plants look terrible, a relatively heathy azalea will grow new leaves during the season.
If you do have an infestation of azalea caterpillars, you may want to consider a treatment. Remember that it is easier to manage young caterpillar so if you have caterpillars that are already two inches in length, your chemical treatment may not be as successful.
One option for management is to physically remove the caterpillars if you only have a small number on your plants. If you choose to use an insecticide, choose an organic product like B.t (Bacillus thuringiensis) or spinosad. These are safe for many beneficial insects that are also helping in the management of the caterpillars. Both products will be available at our local nurseries.
Pictured: An azalea caterpillar on a bush in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Volunteers Sought For The Northwest Florida Health Council
July 21, 2018
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking Escambia County residents interested in volunteering to be considered for appointments to the Northwest Florida Health Council, also known as the Northwest Florida Big Bend Health Council.
Escambia County residents interested in serving on the Northwest Florida Health Council are asked to submit a resume and letter indicating their desire to serve by the close of business on Friday, Aug. 3. Resumes should be submitted to Judy Witterstaeter, Program Coordinator; Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box 1591, Pensacola, FL 32502, or emailed to jhwitter@myescambia.com.
The local health council was established in accordance with the Health Facilities and Services Development Act as a private nonprofit organization serving Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties. The council serves to assist the state of Florida with planning for health facilities and services, providing a health data repository and helping counties and local communities to obtain better health care. Based on a rotating formula, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners appoints six members to the council.
Local health councils develop district health plans containing data, develop hospital and nursing home utilization reports for the Agency for Health Care Administration, and provide analysis and recommendations that relate to health care status and needs in the community. The recommendations are designed to improve access to health care, reduce disparities in health status, assist state and local governments in the development of sound and rational health care policies and advocate on behalf of the underserved.
The council meets once per quarter or at the call of the president and chief operating officer. Meetings typically begin at 12:15 p.m. and last 1 to 1.5 hours.
Wahoos Shutout Shrimp 3-0
July 21, 2018
After scoring 17 runs through the first two games of the series, the Blue Wahoos only needed one to clip past the Jumbo Shrimp, 3-0, on Friday. Tony Santillan (W, 2-0) turned in six shutout innings and TJ Friedl paced the offense with three hits in the Wahoos victory in front of a capacity crowd to capture their fourth straight win.
Despite not scoring many, the Wahoos offense got off to a quick start behind Santillan. After a one-out single by Friedl, he advanced to second on a wild pitch, and after moving to third on a groundout, he scored on Rodrigo Vigil’s eight passed ball of the season to make it 1-0.
On Friday, a one-run lead was plenty for Santillan. He retired eight of the first nine Jumbo Shrimp that came to the plate and only twice to did Jacksonville have runners in scoring position. For the first since joining the Wahoos, the 2015 second-round pick looked dominant as he struck out six without walking a batter on 80 pitches.
Pensacola doubled their lead thanks to a defensive miscue by the Shrimp. With Friedl on first, Mitch Nay hit into what looked like a double play ball to first. After Jagielo stepped on first base, his throw towards second sailed by the shortstop Joe Dunand and into left field. Shed Long followed with a single to right field, which brought home Friedl to give the Wahoos a 2-0 edge. Long would plate home a third run with a solo home run on the second pitch he saw from Miguel Del Pozo in the eighth inning.
Despite his starter having thrown only 80 pitches, Jody Davis turned the game over to his bullpen in the seventh inning. He wound up using three different relievers to secure the game’s last nine outs. Jacksonville’s best chance at a late comeback came in the ninth when Monte Harrison led off the inning and reached on Long’s 10th error of the season. However, Alex Powers (S, 10) remained unphased and retired the next three batters in order for the save.
Robert Dugger (L, 2-4) was strong for Jacksonville despite taking the loss. He allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits over his six innings of work. The right-hander walked two and tied his season-high with seven punchouts.
Having earned a series win, Pensacola will look to make it five wins in a row when they take on the Jumbo Shrimp Saturday night. RHP Daniel Wright (4-6, 4.20) will toe the rubber for Pensacola against RHP Merandy Gonzalez (1-4, 5.10).