Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
April 9, 2018
Jim Allen Elementary School has name students of the month. They are Macey Echols and Carson Jordan. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Commission To Hold Closed Door Meeting To Discuss Sheriff’s Budget Appeal
April 9, 2018
The Escambia County Commission will hold a closed-door meeting with its attorneys Thursday to discuss the Sheriff David Morgan’s pending budget appeal to Gov. Rick Scott.
Such private meetings to discuss pending litigation are allowable under Florida law, and a court reporter’s record become public upon conclusion of the litigation..
The county and the Sheriff’s Office have been battling it out over funding for most of the last year, with the parties signing a mediation agreement on March 9. After the mediation agreement was announced, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan announced a few days later that the agreement was unsuccessful, citing issue over workers compensation, unemployment compensation, retirement and health care issues.
BayBears Sweep Blue Wahoos In Sunday Doubleheaders
April 9, 2018
The Blue Wahoos dropped the opening series of the season after getting swept in Sunday’s doubleheader in Mobile.
Pensacola played well enough to win game two, but their late-game rally fell just short.
Shed Long turned in a monster 2-for-4 performance with all hits going for doubles. He would’ve been 3-for-4, except after hitting what seemed like a first inning double, was instead ruled an out after Long did not touch first base.
Blue Wahoos starter Jesus Reyes (L, 0-1) ran into trouble in the third inning when the BayBears sent nine men to the plate. Taylor Ward had a two-out, two-RBI double that made it 3-2 before Wade Wass’s single made it 4-2.
Pensacola rallied in the fifth when CJ McElroy reached on an error and then scored on Long’s would-be third double of the game to make 4-3.
In the sixth, Nick Longi led off the inning with a single off Greg Mahle (W, 1-0), but with Aristides Auino at the dish, Longhi was picked off by the lefty’s deceptive move to first. Aquino then singled, but the rally never came to fruition.
Jake Jewell (S,1) pitched a perfect seventh inning to seal the sweep.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, the Blue Wahoos again fell victim to a big inning.
In the fourth inning, starter Vladimir Gutierrez (L, 0-1) began to struggle with his command. Hutton Moyer led off the inning with a four-pitch walk and promptly stole second base. After a Michael Bearish single, Connor Justus walked and Moyer scored on a wild pitch to put Mobile up 2-0. Gutierrez then induced Jose Rojas to hit into a double-play.
With two outs the inning it appeared Gutierrez worked out of trouble when Brendon Sanger grounded out to the pitcher; however, Chad Tromp was dinged for catcher’s interference and that error allowed the inning to continue.
Carlos Navas replaced Gutierrez with the bases loaded and promptly surrendered a bases-clearing double to Matt Thaiss, which broke the game open at 6-0. Moyer capped the scoring with a two-run homer in his second at-bat of the inning to make it 9-0. By the time inning came to a close the BayBears sent 11 men to the plate and scored eight runs in an inning for the first time since May of 2014.
BayBears starter Jose Rodriguez (W, 1-0) was excellent in his Double-A debut earning the win by holding Pensacola to a pair of hits over five innings.
Longhi has a nine-game hitting streak (.423, 11-for-26) dating back to last season and has a hit in every game of his Pensacola career except his Blue Wahoos debut on July 7 (10 games).
The Blue Wahoos bullpen has already pitched 15.2 innings in relief and have held the BayBears to a total of five runs (2.87 ERA).
Had Shed Long not been ruled out for not stepping on first base it would have been the first time in his career that he had three doubles in a game.
The Blue Wahoos will close out the series tomorrow night when Double-A newcomer Wyatt Strahan goes head-to-head with Mobile’s Dylan Unsworth.
Highway 29 And Nine Mile Closure Canceled
April 9, 2018
This closure has been canceled. No further information is available.
Highway 29 and Nine Mile Road will be closed at the Highway 29 overpass from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday as crews pour the center portion of the new bridge deck. Traffic control officers will be on site to help direct traffic.
- Highway 29 north and southbound will be reduced to one lane and detoured onto the Nine Mile Road on and off-ramps.
- Eastbound Nine Mile Road traffic will be reduced to one lane, detoured to Highway 29 southbound, and U-turn at West Hood Drive to return to Nine Mile Road. Westbound traffic will perform the same operation at West 9 1/2 Mile Road.
- Highway 29 traffic between Interstate 10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
Construction activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers should use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the work zone, and watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway, according to FDOT.
Man Ejected In I-10 Rollover Crash
April 8, 2018
A 19-year old Pensacola man is recovering after being ejected in an early morning crash on I-10.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Christopher Gallardoabreu was traveling east in the inside lane on I-10 east of Nine Mile Road in a 2007 Nissan Altima. Tyler Goodwin, 33, of Pensacola, was also eastbound but in the outside lane. Gallardoabreu entered Goodwin’s lane and struck his Dodge Caravan about 1:40 a.m.
Gallardoabreu’s Altima overturned, ejecting him as the vehicle came to rest upside down on I-10. One lane of I-10 was closed for about 30 minutes until a wrecker could remove the vehicle. There was no traffic back up during the lane restriction.
Gallardoabreu suffered only minor injuries and was cited for careless driving and no seat belt by the FHP. Goodwin was not injured.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Traffic Signal, Other Improvements Coming To Highway 297A, Kingsfield Intersection
April 8, 2018
A traffic signal and other improvements are coming to the intersection of Highway 297A and Kingsfield Road in Cantonment.
The project will include roadway improvements, including the addition of left and right turn lanes on each approach, a traffic signal, signage and pavement markings, pedestrian safety enhancements, drainage modifications and storm water management.
The Escambia County Commission has awarded a $1,010,138 contract to low bidder Roads, Inc. of Northwest Florida for the work. Other bidders were Midsouth Paving, Inc. at $1,398,721 and Gulf Atlantic Constructors, Inc. at $1,432,224.
Pictured: One person was airlifted following a serious four vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 297A and Kingsfield Road in 2016. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Diamond Divas Take Second In Backing The Blue Tournament
April 8, 2018
The Northwest Escambia Diamond Divas softball team recently took second in the Backing the Blue tournament. Proceeds from the second annual tournament benefited the family of Officer Justin Billa of the Mobile Police Department was killed in the line of duty. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunday Alcohol Sales Now Legal In Atmore
April 8, 2018
Sunday alcohol sales are now legal in Atmore.
In January, the Atmore City Council unanimously approved a resolution to allow Sunday alcohol sales after 10 a.m. After the resolution passed, the Alabama Legislature approved a bill to allow the Sunday sales in Atmore, and it went into effect March 25.
Across the state line in Florida, Sunday retail alcohol sales begin at 1 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Florida GOP Says It can Fend Off ‘Blue Wave’
April 8, 2018
Florida Republican leaders who gathered this weekend in Tampa believe they can hold back a Democratic wave in November to keep the “Trump agenda alive.”
But to retain congressional and legislative majorities and to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, that means ramping up messaging about economic growth, boosting turnout, particularly among voters who request absentee ballots, and countering what the GOP describes as “mainstream media” narratives of looming Democratic victories.
It also means allowing Democrats to celebrate some high-profile special election victories across the nation as speculation continues that Democrats will capitalize on a traditional mid-term surge by the party out of the White House.
“It’s going to be very hard for them to keep that energy up,” Republican Party of Florida Chairman Blaise Ingoglia said during a party quarterly meeting at a DoubleTree hotel.
Ingoglia also said Democrats will have to spread resources to campaigns across the country, unlike during their recent special-election victories for a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama and a congressional seat in Pennsylvania.
“They’re very good at winning one race at a time,” Ingoglia, a state House member from Spring Hill, said.
Peter Feaman, a member of the Republican National Committee, called GOP candidates who will be on the ballot this year “proxies for keeping the Trump agenda alive,” with the agenda exemplified by tax cuts and secure borders.
“You know the other side is as enthused as we were two years ago,” Feaman said, referring to the 2016 elections, when Trump defeated Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. “So, the enthusiasm gap has been reversed. And now it’s us that has to get back into the game.”
The Republican Party of Florida has 56 paid employees scattered across the state. But Democrats are using the phrase “blue wave” to symbolize efforts to capture the governor’s mansion and Republican seats in Congress and the state Legislature.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham said in a news release this week that women standing up to gun violence and as part of the #MeToo movement “are the driving force behind the 2018 blue wave.”
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Obscure But Powerful Constitution Revision Commission
April 8, 2018
TALLAHASSEE — It’s almost showtime for the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a somewhat-obscure but powerful group that can have a major impact on the state’s future.
The commission is obscure in the sense that it meets only every 20 years. But it is very powerful in its unique authority to place proposed constitutional changes before voters on the November ballot.
This week, the commission’s Style and Drafting Committee endorsed a package of a dozen ballot proposals that embody 24 potential changes to the Florida Constitution. If the measures win support from at least 22 of the 37 commission members, they will be placed on the Nov. 6 general-election ballot.
Six of the ballot measures include two or more potential constitutional changes. In all, those measures represent 18 proposed changes that were initially advanced by the commission.
For instance, one measure (PCP 6003) combines three major education issues, including proposed eight-year term limits for school board members, a requirement to teach “civic literacy” in schools and a measure that could make it easier to approve charter schools.
Another measure (PCP 6004) combines a proposed ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in state waters with a ban on vaping or electronic cigarettes in workplaces.
Six other ballot proposals have single topics, including a proposed ban on greyhound racing, new ethics standards for public officials, a requirement for a worker-verification process and a revision that could open more primary elections to all voters.
Beginning April 16 in the Florida Senate chamber, the commission will make final decisions about which of those proposals will be placed on the November ballot. In addition to approving or rejecting the measures, the commission could modify the proposals.
If the commission approves all 12 of the ballot proposals advanced by the Style and Drafting Committee, they would join five constitutional revisions already on the 2018 ballot. Those include measures on gambling, homestead tax breaks, restoration of felons’ rights and a requirement for a supermajority vote by the Legislature on future tax and fee increases.
The potential for 17 ballot proposals raises the specter of voter “fatigue” when Floridians go to the polls. Voters could face a long list of decisions in addition to the host of political races that will be before them, including races for a U.S. Senate seat, governor and the state Cabinet.
Commission members are aware of the history of the two previous panels.
In 1978, the commission advanced eight ballot proposals, which were all rejected by voters along with a citizens’ initiative on casino gambling.
In 1998, the commission put nine proposals on the ballot, and eight were approved by voters along with four constitutional changes that had been advanced by the Legislature.
An added twist this year is that the proposals will be the first commission measures subject to a requirement that they receive support from at least 60 percent of the voters. The 1978 and 1998 ballot packages were subject to majority votes.
VOTING RIGHTS BATTLE
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet are not backing down in their legal fight with a federal judge over the state’s controversial process for restoring ex-felons’ voting rights.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker has ordered state officials to come up with a new rights-restoration process by April 26 after finding the current process gives Scott and the Cabinet members, who sit on the Board of Executive Clemency, “unfettered discretion” in deciding whether former felons should have their rights restored after completing sentences.
Scott and the Cabinet members on Wednesday filed an appeal of Walker’s ruling with the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, while also requesting a stay of the requirement to quickly revamp the process. Walker quickly denied the stay.
″(The) injunction in this case does not just prevent the state from effectuating state law,” the state’s motion said. “It also directs four of the state’s highest-ranking executive officers to revamp a 150-year-old vote-restoration scheme in 30 days. A federal court order requiring state officials to come up with new state policies impinges on the sovereignty and autonomy of the state.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose office is handling the appeal, also criticized Walker’s decision as she talked with reporters on Thursday.
“We have been following the law,” Bondi said. “We firmly believe that it is the law in the state of Florida. We plan on enforcing the laws. That’s what I do as the chief legal officer of the state of the Florida. So, yes, we are appealing it. We will appeal it to the highest court.”
Restoration of voting rights has long been a controversial legal and political issue in Florida. After taking office in 2011, Scott and Bondi played key roles in changing the process to effectively make it harder for felons to get their rights restored.
Under the current process, ex-felons must wait five or seven years after their sentences are complete to apply to have rights restored. After applications are filed, the process can take years to complete.
Florida voters will get to weigh in on the issue in November with a ballot initiative, Amendment 4, that would automatically restore voting rights to felons who have served their sentences, completed parole or probation and paid restitution. Murderers and sex offenders would be excluded under the measure, which must win support from at least 60 percent of the voters to be enacted.
MAGNETIC ATTRACTION
Florida took another step this week in its effort to move beyond a state best known as a tourist destination, as the National Science Foundation announced it has renewed support for the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, with an investment of $184 million over the next five years.
The announcement was anticipated, but nonetheless it reaffirms that Florida, with the main MagLab facility at Florida State University, will also be a place where cutting-edge scientific research is conducted.
The new award, which is 10 percent higher than the previous five-year award, brings the National Science Foundation’s total funding for the MagLab and related facilities to $867 million.
The MagLab boasts the strongest research magnets in the world, including a continuous high-field magnet at 45 teslas and a pulsed magnet that can provide a magnetic field of 100 teslas, some 2 million times stronger than the earth’s magnetic field. For comparison, a refrigerator magnet has about .01 teslas.
“This one-of-a-kind facility is an important part of Florida State University and the entire Florida economy,” FSU Vice President for Research Gary Ostrander said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Florida Constitution Revision Commission will consider a dozen ballot proposals that embody 24 potential changes to the state Constitution. The commission’s Style and Drafting Committee on Thursday approved the ballot package, which will be debated by the full commission beginning April 16 and, if approved, would be placed before voters in the November general election.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “They remind me of disobedient children who whine about being punished for doing something they knew was wrong and were warned about the consequences.” — National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer, responding to a lawsuit from 10 South Florida cities challenging the constitutionality of a 2011 state law that provides penalties for local government officials if they try to impose gun-control regulations that exceed a statewide standard.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida