Century Fire Hosting Benefit Coed Charity Softball Tourney
July 15, 2018
The First Annual Century Firefighter’s Coed Charity Softball Tournament will be held Saturday, July 28 at Showalter Park in Century.
The entry fee is $200 per team. Proceeds will benefit fire victims in the Century and Byrneville areas.
Concessions will be available.
For rules and entry information, call Kevin Bullard at (850) 324-8457 or Shaun Moye at (251) 236-1182
Jackson Announces Candidacy For Escambia (AL) Sheriff
July 15, 2018
Submitted article.
Brewton resident Heath Jackson has announced his Republican candidacy for Sheriff of Escambia County, Alabama. The son of Thomas Wayne and Terry Sherrer Jackson, Heath was born and raised most of his life in Brewton, Alabama. Through them, he learned that hard work and integrity are the cornerstones of success. Upon graduation from T. R. Miller High School in 1999, he began his pursuit of a lifelong dream in law enforcement. He attended the city of
Montgomery’s Advanced Criminal Justice Academy and became a sworn peace officer in the state of Alabama in January 2000.
Heath has an unmatched working knowledge of every community in Escambia County, Alabama and Escambia County, Florida. Jackson began his tenure with the city of Brewton Police Department as a patrol officer, quickly realizing the need for the active and aggressive stand needed with the rising number of drug-related crimes in the county. Increasing the scope of his involvement, Jackson spent six years with the 21stJudicial Circuit Drug Task Force investigating
all types of crimes from drug investigations, burglary and homicide. Serving as a Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for more than four years, Jackson assisted federal law enforcement in the successful arrests and prosecutions of individuals who violated gun and explosive laws. In 2007, Jackson became an investigator for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Pensacola, Florida and was assigned to the Narcotics Division,
spearheading numerous investigations in organized crime, drug trafficking, and prostitution. Broadening the scope of his experiences and abilities, he joined the Homicide Unit in March of 2013. In 2015, Jackson was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to the Uniformed Services Division.
Jackson has proven he has a calm demeanor in any situation based upon the myriad of experiences requiring strategic and tactical planning. He is the Vice President of the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators, committed to the successful resolution of crisis incidents. Locally, he is the Team Leader of the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff Office Crisis/Hostage Negotiation team. As a former Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Public Information Officer, Heath was responsive and professional, acting in full compliance with the Public Records Law and as spokesperson and liaison to the media and public. An avid outdoorsman who enjoys spending time with friends and family, Jackson is an active member of the National Rifle Association and Bama Carry. Heath Jackson fully supports the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights that enshrines American’s right to keep and bear arms, or weapons.
Heath has been blessed with numerous accomplishments and received accolades for his involvement with the youth of the county for supporting the Youth Police Academy at Jefferson Davis Community College and Brewton Police Department Citizens’ Police Academy. He has completed numerous hours of training with U. S. Customs Service, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U. S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. S.
Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and multijurisdictional training. Jackson is also the proud recipient of the FBI LEEDA Trilogy Award for Leadership.
With an honest, forthright and no-nonsense approach to public service, he is committed tobuilding on the successes of those who have served before him and continue to focus on ways toimprove. Actively involved in Republican Party politics for several years, Heath was the Chairman of the Escambia County Republican Party from 2012 to 2014. Giving back to his community and fellow law enforcement officers is a calling that Heath takes very seriously. As a
certified law enforcement instructor, Heath spends much time educating other law enforcement officers, community organizations, and children. Heath has trained hundreds of officers in how to respond to active shooters, mentally ill individuals, firearms safety, death investigations, narcotics investigations, and many other topics.
“I have seen significant changes in the needs and requirements for law enforcement and public safety in the last several years. I believe these needs will continue to grow as the county prospers. Our community deserves the commitment of the sheriff’s office to eradicate crime, change mindsets, restore hope, tear down walls of division, and open doors of opportunity and fairness. This commitment must be demonstrated every day – not just at those strategically placed moments before elections. It is my intention to maintain a professional and courteous office that is prepared to meet any challenge the county may face.”
Jackson knows the importance of conviction, dedication, professionalism, and the strength of genuine effort. He understands today’s issues and has the vision to meet tomorrow’s challenges. As an investment in the future of Escambia County, he will be a driving force in ensuring safety and trusts are restored. By example, he will lead the men and women of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office into a future of unparalleled quality of Service to the community based squarely on Integrity and Respect.
“Please join me in moving the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office forward so we can serve you better. I welcome your thoughts and your questions and can be reached on my cell phone at 205-901-1391 or by email at agentheathjackson@gmail.com. I am here to serve the people, I am here to serve you! I humbly ask for your vote of support and vote of confidence on November 6.”
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Searching For Answers
July 15, 2018
Florida, as the nation’s third-largest state, has more than its share of complex challenges.
And this week underscored that there are no easy or quick solutions for the problems, which in some cases have plagued the state for decades.
Nathaniel “Nat” Reed, an environmental icon, passed away. Reed’s public service dates to the 1960s when he worked as an adviser to Gov. Claude Kirk. Reed went on to advise a half-dozen Florida governors and worked in the U.S. Department of Interior under two presidents.
One of Reed’s main passions over his decades of advocacy and advice was the Florida Everglades and the vast water system that covers South Florida.
In the same week of Reed’s death, coastal communities, including Reed’s home county of Martin and other counties in Southeast and Southwest Florida, were struggling with the reemergence of toxic algae that is the result of polluted water releases from Lake Okeechobee.
It was a reminder of Florida’s ongoing efforts to revive the health of the Everglades and related water bodies at the same time the growing state continues to put pressure on the system through agricultural runoff, septic tanks and other activities.
Meanwhile, in Broward County the 16-member Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission continued its daunting task of probing the Feb. 14 mass shooting at the Parkland school and coming up with recommendations that might prevent future tragedies.
One of the themes in the commission’s work is that what happened in Parkland could happen elsewhere in Florida, as commissioners heard testimony this week about problems in law-enforcement communication systems and with the state’s mental-health network.
LAKE ‘OH, NO’
Gov. Rick Scott issued an emergency order this week following an outbreak of toxic algae that was the result of water discharges from Lake Okeechobee by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
After touring the Caloosahatchee River on Monday morning, Scott issued the order for Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties “to help combat algal blooms” caused by the discharges into nearby waterways.
The declaration allows the Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District to waive various restrictions and regulations to store water in additional areas south of the lake.
“It is my duty to protect Floridians, no matter what it takes,” Scott said. “Since we are facing more harmful algal blooms from federal water releases, the state is taking a multifaceted approach to protect families.”
Scott ordered the Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to spend more staff time on water testing. The governor also told the DEP to set up a grant program to help local governments pay for clean-up services.
Scott also enlisted the aid of a variety of other agencies to address the toxic waters, including directing state health officials to inform Floridians and visitors of the dangers of algal blooms. He also said the state would work with local tourism officials to try to mitigate the impact of the outbreak on their industry.
Scott blamed the federal government, particularly the Corps of Engineers, for the water problems. But Democrats slammed Scott, a Republican who is challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the Democratic incumbent, in the November election.
“Whether it was cutting budgets, laying off scientific staff, just completely dismantled environmental agencies … he’s spent years fighting with the (federal government) over water quality standards,” said Aliki Moncrief, executive director of Florida Conservation Voters.
But a glimmer of a longer-term solution also emerged this week, as the White House backed Florida’s effort to secure federal funding for a reservoir intended to move water away from Lake Okeechobee and reduce discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.
The request by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include funding for the roughly $1.6 billion Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir, approved by the state Legislature last year, now heads to the U.S. Senate. The plan is expected to be included as part of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
The state wants the federal government to pay for half of the reservoir project, which was a priority of Florida Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican.
DECIPHERING A TRAGEDY
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission spent three days in Sunrise examining the circumstances surrounding the February mass shooting that killed 14 students and three staff members.
On Wednesday, the commission explored the confusion sparked by 911 calls from frightened teenagers inside the school, parents seeking information about the disaster and others trying to report the sounds of shots being fired.
Depending on how they were made, the emergency calls were answered by several entities, including Broward County and the cities of Coral Springs and Plantation, as law enforcement officials from various communities responded to the shooting and calls from one call center had to be transferred to another.
But the issue of transferring calls from one law enforcement agency to another during a disaster isn’t isolated, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, the chairman of the commission.
“People here shouldn’t be thinking this is a unique situation or problem to Broward County. It’s not,” Gualtieri said.
On Thursday, the commission heard testimony about Florida’s fractured and overwhelmed mental-health system.
Steve Leifman, a Miami-Dade County judge who is a prominent advocate for improvements in the mental-health system, said of the approximately 200,000 Floridians who were brought for Baker Act examinations last year, just over 1,700 ended up in mental-health facilities. “It’s a fraction,” he said.
He said part of the problem is outdated criteria in the 1971 law, suggesting it should be broadened to adapt to ongoing developments in the science of mental health.
Leifman also said the overall mental-health system remains underfunded, citing data that shows Florida per-capita spending ranks 49th or lower among the states. He said that means roughly one-fifth of residents who need treatment get it, while 80 percent are untreated.
Some commission members were dismayed by testimony that showed although various entities may have known about the emotional and mental problems of Nikolas Cruz, the former student charged with the mass murder, there was little coordination or oversight.
“That’s the cornerstone of what we’re trying to do here because after the fact everybody knew he (Cruz) was going to do it sometime. But none of the dots ever got connected in advance,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a commission member.
“How do we create a process or a system where we can get all of this individual data together and break down silos and make sure they get services and then we are able to follow their ebbs and flows in the process?” Judd asked.
The commission is working on a set of recommendations that will be given to state officials by Jan. 1.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott issued an emergency order for seven Florida counties after the reemergence of a toxic algae outbreak following the release of water from Lake Okeechobee by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Floridians for generations to come are indebted to Nathaniel Reed for protecting our beautiful environment and our Florida Everglades.” — U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., after the death of Reed, a Jupiter Island resident who advised six Florida governors and two presidents on environmental issues.
Escambia Ballots for Military And Oversea Voters On The Way
July 15, 2018
The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office began sending vote-by-mail ballots on Friday, July 13, to eligible military and overseas citizens. Voters will either receive their ballot by mail or electronically, depending on their chosen method of delivery.
Vote-by-mail ballots for all eligible domestic voters will be mailed beginning on Tuesday, July 24. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed for the General Election is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22. To request or track your vote-by-mail ballot for the General Election, visit EscambiaVotes.com and click “Vote by Mail”, or contact the Supervisor of Elections Office at (850) 595-3900.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Drop Second Straight In Extras
July 15, 2018
For the second straight night the Mississippi Braves walked off on the Wahoos in the 10th inning. Just like Friday night, Connor Lien pinch ran at second base as the designated runner and scored the game winner giving the Braves the 2-1 win.
Tyler Neslony scored the game’s first run on a solo home run in the first inning just inside the right field foul pole. The score stayed 1-0 until Pensacola scratched across a run in the eighth. TJ Friedl led the inning off with a pinch-hit double and scored on a throwing error from the shortstop on a Jose Siri infield single.
In extra innings, Chad Sobotka (W, 2-3) struck out all three Blue Wahoos in the top of the 10th, stranding Pensacola’s automatic runner at second base. In the bottom of the inning, Brandon Downes executed a sacrifice bunt to move Lien up to third. With Ray-Patrick Didder batting, Lien drew a back-pick throw to third base that sailed into left field allowing him to dash home with the winning run.
The two starting pitchers were masterful despite neither getting a decision. Daniel Wright’s only mistake was the first inning home run. He pitched seven innings with just five hits allowed with four strikeouts and no walks. Ricardo Sanchez was just as good, if not better. He we seven shut-out innings with just four hits allowed, two walks and six strikeouts for the Braves. Sobotka got the win with two perfect innings and three strikeouts out of the Braves bullpen and Carlos Navas (L, 3-1) suffered the loss pitching the 10th inning for Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos will try to rebound and even the series on Sunday evening with RHP Wyatt Strahan on the mound against M-Braves LHP Bruce Zimmerman.
Go Inside As Agencies Hold Active School Shooter Training (Photo Gallery)
July 14, 2018
“Active shooter at Escambia County Middle School.”
Those are words that no law enforcement officer ever wants to here. But they answered the call Friday morning, converging on the Atmore school for a realistic training exercise.
Smoke from the gunfire filled the hallways as school personnel, playing the part of both students and staff, huddled in classrooms behind barricaded doors. Teams of armed officers entered the building to end the carnage and get the innocent to safety.
“Officer down. All units. We have an officer down,” came across the police radios. An officer fell victim to the school shooter.
Victims were scattered about the hallways as officers cleared the building. Some did not survive.
NorthEscambia.com was the only media inside the active shooter drill. We followed along as officers cleared the building and evacuated the classrooms, and as medics and firemen aided the victims. We can’t reveal exactly what we saw and heard so that tactical details remain secret.
But we can tell you that officers worked to ensure the safety of all involved, and we can take you inside in our photo gallery.
“You can’t learn this in a classroom,” one police officer said. “There’s nothing like being in the middle of it, the shots being fired.”
“When I heard those shots go off, the hair on the back of my neck rose. It kind of gave you sense of what a possible real life situation would be,” Escambia County (AL) Superintendent John Knott said.
Escambia County (AL) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said the training went smoothly, with the realistic scenarios providing a chance to review procedures.
“We identified some weaknesses today that we are going to address and address immediately,” Lambert said.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
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Driver Injured In Highway 29 Rollover
July 14, 2018
One person was injured Friday afternoon in a single vehicle rollover crash on Highway 29.
A pickup truck left the roadway and struck several small trees before overturning on Highway 29 near McDavid. The driver was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Five Questions For AG Hopeful Frank White
July 14, 2018
State Rep. Frank White, a Republican from Pensacola, decided to seek the statewide Cabinet position of attorney general after serving a single term in the Florida Legislature.
White graduated from Southern Methodist University, where he was the 1999-2000 student body president and where he also received his law degree. He is currently the chief financial officer and general counsel for the Sansing Dealer Group, which has stores in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
White is in a primary battle against Ashley Moody, a former Hillsborough County circuit judge, for the Republican nomination. The winner will move on to the November general contest to replace outgoing Attorney General Pam Bondi.
NorthEscambia.com’s state news provider, The News Service, had five questions for Frank White:
Q: What reforms or improvements do you see as needed within the Attorney General’s Office?
WHITE: I think Attorney General Bondi has done a fantastic job. She has done a wonderful job. She’s saved lives, particularly in the opioid crisis. I think there are some areas where we disagree. One I’d point (to) would be the identity of Jane Doe in the NRA’s lawsuit against the state. It’s just a difference of opinion where I think Jane Doe’s identity should remain anonymous. I think it’s really a difference in terms of emphasis. One important part of it (the job) will be government accountability, making sure politicians are held accountable. That’s just one area where I particularly want to focus on immediately.
(Has she not held politicians accountable?)
WHITE: No, that’s just an area of interest, an area that I particularly think is important for us.
Q: What legislation of which you were the primary sponsor, whether it passed or not, are you the most proud, and why?
WHITE: I’ve been in the House for two years and probably passed two or so bills in those two sessions. But one that I’m most proud of is one that didn’t pass. It was attempting to pull public financing of campaigns out of our Constitution. It was an issue that I didn’t know about until I decided to run for attorney general and realized we’ve given millions and millions of dollars to politicians — established politicians — to run political campaigns. I looked at the results of that program and it looked to me like welfare for politicians. It benefited incumbents and established politicians. I filed a bill to try to try to remove it. Pushed it successfully through a couple of committees, getting support of my colleagues. No surprise other politicians killed it. So, I wasn’t able to make it all the way to put it in front of voters. It’s something a majority of voters agree with me, that it’s a scheme. It isn’t right for Florida. In this race it’s relevant, because I’m not taking any taxpayer dollars to run my campaign and my opponent is. She will be financed by several hundred thousand dollars of taxpayer dollars to be spent so much more widely or given back to taxpayers.
Q: How does your work at an auto dealership translate into being attorney general?
WHITE: My career in law started in private practice. So, I had a great foundational training as a young lawyer with a law firm with a diverse practice and then moved into a group of business, a group of car dealerships. We’ve got 600 employees. We’re in three different states. It gave me a real appreciation for the issues facing job creators in the state. … Being part of a business, I realize the risk that small business owners take. I realize the regulatory pressures. The extra costs of compliance with government regulation is massive and excessive. Just the complexity of it, you have to have lawyers and consultants to do just about anything in business. I understand the issues that you face in real time, particularly the cost of change in regulations. Not having a predictable business climate, a predictable market place, it means you’re not going to invest, you’re not going to invest your capital in a way that will create more jobs and create a healthier economy. Also, just working in business, I know what it takes to run a large organization.
Q: Where do you stand on the legality of Gov. Rick Scott’s effort to remove cases from a state attorney who said she would not pursue the death penalty?
WHITE: I absolutely support the governor’s leadership on this issue. It’s a travesty that a state attorney is refusing to pursue the death penalty. I sure wish she had said that to voters during her campaign. They would have been able to weigh in then. So, I support the leadership on the issue.
Q: And finally, the Barbara Walters question. You’ve got to make a meal for three people from anytime in history. Who’s at your dinner table and what are you cooking?
WHITE: Oh wow. My wife is a fantastic cook, so I hope that she is with me in preparing it. If I’m involved, we’re grilling. So, it’s steaks or burgers will be served, with some fantastic sides and desserts, which are her specialty. So, any time in history? I’m going with the big man at (the) top. I’m going with President Trump. I’d love to be able to spend some time and to break bread with him. Next, I would say, Gov. Rick Scott. He’s somebody who has been a fantastic leader in government and public service, somebody with private sector experience who has helped move our state into the future in real positive way. I’d love to hear his experiences, his perspectives. Beyond that, who’d be the third. … I’m a country music fan, I’d pull George Strait. He’s one of my all-time favorites. To be able to meet George Strait. But I don’t know how the conversation would go. I’m trying to mold it to have a good conversation. So, I’m going to take George Strait off. … So I might pull (U.S. Circuit Judge and U.S. Supreme Court nominee) Brett Kavanaugh. He’s somebody who is just an interesting and fascinating legal mind, an intellectual thought leader on the issues of an administrative state, which is a similar intellectual interest, passionate interest, and I’ve had some practical experience of that fourth branch of government that our founders did not intend to govern so much of our lives. So, to be able to talk with him about his judicial philosophy of the administrative state and how it has altered the structure that our founders intended.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Waring Road At Nine Mile To Close Tuesday
July 14, 2018
Waring Road will be closed at Nine Mile Road from 7 a.m. Tuesday through 5 p.m. Friday.
The closure will enable crews to place drainage pipes across the roadway as part of the drainage improvements associated with the Nine Mile Road widening project. Travelers are advised to seek alternative routes.
Detour signs and variable message boards are in place to alert drivers of the temporary road closure and detour routes.
Weekend Gardening: Spots On Your Crape Myrtles Can Be A Problem
July 14, 2018
by UF/IFAS Extension Service
As the heat and humidity increases in Northwest Florida, expect to see some diseases appear in the landscape. One problem that is popping up on crape myrtles is Cercospora leaf spot. While not a deadly problem, it can greatly detract from the beauty of crape myrtles.
The initial symptom on crape myrtles is the appearance of tan to dark brown spots randomly scattered on yellow to red discolored leaves. The spots develop first on the lower leaves and progress upward in the canopy. Spots will continue to develop from mid-summer through fall. The color change is due to the production of a toxin by the fungal pathogen.
Infected leaves will drop prematurely and serve as a source to spread the pathogen causing further disease development. As the summer progresses, many infected trees will have dropped all but the newest leaves.
Older varieties of crape myrtles are more susceptible to this disease than newer varieties. The crape myrtle varieties most tolerant to Cercospora leaf spot are Natchez, Muskogee, Basham’s Party Pink, Sioux and Tonto.
Long term, this disease is not detrimental to a tree, although it will slow down growth on younger plants. Plants growing in conditions that are not ideal will be more affected by the leaf spot disease.
The best control is selecting a planting site with good air circulation so that the foliage will dry quickly. Thinning interior branches will also promote air flow.
The use of fungicides to control this disease has not been very effective because they would have to be applied repeatedly on a regular basis throughout the growing season. If used, fungicide applications should be started in early summer when the spots are first noticed and continued at one to two week intervals when the weather is warm and wet. Consult your local Extension office for fungicide recommendations.
As always, be sure to read and follow all label directions. Fungicides can be classified by how they work on the fungus or how they work on the plant. Products that work in a similar way on fungi have the same mode of action (also referred to as chemical family or class).
Contact fungicides are sprayed onto plants and act as a protective barrier from pathogen infection. They prevent infections from occurring when applied before symptoms are visible, but infections that have already occurred will continue to develop.
Systemic fungicides move into the plant, but movement inside the plant is limited. The vast majority of fungicides only move upward in the plant vasculature, but not down. Some fungicides only move locally into the plant part treated. Some systemic products exhibit curative action, which means the disease is stopped during its development. For managing fungicide resistance, products with different modes of action should be used in rotations.
Since this disease will result in early defoliation or the loss of leaves, it is critical to practice good sanitation. Raking and destroying fallen leaves should be a routine practice in order to prevent the spread of the disease.