Escambia County Waives Permit, Inspection Fees for Freeze-Related Pipe Damage
January 6, 2018
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners has temporarily waived permitting and inspection fees for damages to plumbing piping related to the recent hard freezes in the area.
Fees will be waived for 14 days beginning Thursday, Jan. 4 and ending at close of business Thursday, Jan. 18. The waiver is not retroactive, and refunds will not be issued for fees incurred prior to Jan. 4.
Please note that this waiver only applies to permit and inspection fees. Permits are still required as usual.
The waived fees were proposed by the Escambia County Building Services Department and the Building Services Inspection Fund Advisory Board in an effort to lessen the hardship or cost to the consumer for freeze-related pipe damages. Once the consumer obtains a plumbing contractor to make the appropriate repairs, they will obtain the permitting with the waived fees reflected.
For more information, please contact Building Services at 850-595-3550 or buildinginspections@myescambia.com.
Pete Shinnick Named D2 National Coach of the Year
January 6, 2018
University of West Florida head football coach Pete Shinnick was named the D2Football.com National Coach of the Year, while standouts Marvin Conley and John Williamson were recognized as part of the organization’s All-America Team.
Shinnick led the Argonauts to an 11-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game in their second season of competition. UWF went 5-3 in the ultra-competitive Gulf South Conference to finish tied for second. The Argonauts won a school record six-consecutive games which included five against nationally ranked teams en route to the title game appearance.
The Argos had the nation’s 20th-ranked defense and were in the top 20 in sacks, turnovers gained, interceptions, fumbles recovered, fourth down defense and defensive touchdowns. Much of that was due to first-year defensive coordinator Darian Dulin’s group, including Conley and Williamson.
Conley was one of the top defensive backs in the country, finishing with a team-high 104 tackles, four interceptions, six pass break ups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. The junior from Tampa had at least five tackles in 11 of 15 games this season, in addition to a pair of interception returns for a touchdown.
Williamson had 70 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks. He established a new Gulf South Conference single-season record for sacks as well. The junior from Stockton, Alabama had at least one sack in each of the last seven games with 12 total over that time frame.
Both players were voted onto the honorable mention list after earning second team All-America accolades last month from the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association.
Man Wanted For Burglaries in Escambia County And Bay Minette
January 6, 2018
Authorities are searching for an Escambia County man wanted on burglary charges in two states.
Stevie Lamar Williams is a suspect in numerous residential burglaries at homes and churches in the Bay Minette area. The Bay Minette Police Department has active burglary warrants for Williams’ arrest as does Escambia County, FL.
Williams’ last known address in Bay Minette was a residence located on Moran Street, but Bay Minette Police said Williams is from the Pensacola area and maybe hiding from law enforcement with Florida relatives. Anyone with information related to Williams whereabouts is asked call the Bay Minette Police Department at (251) 580-2559 or their local law enforcement agency.
By The Numbers: Nine Mile Road Checkpoint
January 6, 2018
The Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) partnered to conduct a roadside checkpoint on Nine Mile Road near Kohls on December 29.
During the operation, vehicles were stopped to check for driver impairment with roadside sobriety testing performed on site.
Officials said this week that approximately 470 vehicles were stopped to check for driver impairment. A total of 68 tickets, one DUI citation, and five criminal citations were issued.
The checkpoint was part of a nationwide campaign to prevent people from drinking and driving through the holiday season.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Drill Baby – Elsewhere
January 6, 2018
Bipartisanship is hard to come by these days.
But President Donald Trump found a way to bring together Florida Republicans and Democrats this week when his administration proposed allowing offshore oil and gas drilling in areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico that have been off-limits.
The proposal drew howls of protest from Republican and Democratic leaders in Florida, where offshore drilling is something of a third-rail political issue.
Meanwhile, the race to replace Gov. Rick Scott got a little more interesting Friday, when Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis formally entered the race. DeSantis’ announcement wasn’t a surprise, but the GOP primary is looking more and more like a big-money slugfest.
OIL RIGS AND TOURIST-FILLED BEACHES
If Scott challenges U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., in this year’s election, it will be a nasty race. That much is almost assured.
But Scott and Nelson rushed Thursday to criticize the Trump administration’s announcement that nearly all of the nation’s outer continental shelf — a jurisdictional term describing submerged lands 10.36 statutory miles off Florida’s west coast and 3 nautical miles off the east coast — will be considered for drilling.
“Based on media reports, it is likely that the Department of the Interior will consider Florida as a potential state for offshore oil drilling — which is something I oppose in Florida,” Scott said in a prepared statement shortly before Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke unveiled the drilling proposal. “I have already asked to immediately meet with Secretary Zinke to discuss the concerns I have with this plan and the crucial need to remove Florida from consideration.”
Nelson described the plan as “an assault on Florida’s economy, our national security, the will of the public and the environment.”
“This proposal defies all common sense, and I will do everything I can to defeat it,” he said.
Pointing to the state’s all-important tourism industry and fears of oil washing up on beaches, Florida politicians have long railed against the idea of expanded offshore drilling. Drilling opponents raised the specter Thursday of a Deepwater Horizon-type disaster.
“As the state with the longest coastlines in the continental United States, Florida is especially vulnerable to oil spills,” U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., said. “Have we forgotten so soon the devastating damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010?”
But David Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, said the Trump administration proposal would benefit consumers and the economy.
“Allowing us to explore our offshore energy will boost our state economy and spur investment — all while safely coexisting with our agriculture, tourism and fishing industries as well as U.S. military operations,” Mica said in a statement. “The administration has recognized that the ability to access our abundant offshore resources in a safe and environmentally responsible way will help our nation meet our energy needs well into the future.”
GETTING READY TO RUMBLE
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has long looked like the front-runner in this year’s race to replace Scott. Putnam has been elected statewide twice, can raise piles of cash and knows how the levers of power work in Tallahassee.
But DeSantis’ formal entrance into the race Friday sets up a battle for the Republican nomination — a battle that could grow more intense if House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, gets in the race.
DeSantis has been publicly praised by Trump and has lined up some heavy hitters as financial supporters, including Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, Republican mega-donor Rebekah Mercer and Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus.
DeSantis, of Palm Coast, has served in Congress since 2013 and is a former Navy lawyer who received a history degree from Yale University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
“As somebody who is a military officer, an Iraq veteran, a proven conservative, and then with the support of the president, I’m in a position to exercise the leadership that can build on the great work that Gov. Rick Scott has done to advance economic opportunity, reform education and to drain the swamp in Tallahassee, which needs to be drained just like Washington,” DeSantis said during an appearance Friday on the Fox News show “Fox & Friends.”
But the Putnam campaign immediately went on the attack.
“Floridians need a Florida first conservative like Adam Putnam to serve them as their next governor, not a Washington D.C. insider,” Putnam spokeswoman Amanda Bevis said in a statement. “In true Washington insider fashion, Congressman Ron DeSantis announced his latest campaign from an empty TV studio to broadcasters in New York. DeSantis is a typical Washington politician who is focused on nothing more than his next promotion.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Trump administration announced a proposal for expanded oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, drawing opposition from Florida leaders.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Our goal certainly isn’t to cross Gov. Scott. Just because we may differ on issues from time to time doesn’t mean that we can’t have an incredibly strong and good relationship.” — Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on the drilling issue.
by Jim Saunders and Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Fire Sparked In Heating System At Century Whataburger
January 5, 2018
A heating system fire forced the temporary closure of the Whataburger restaurant on North Century Boulevard Friday morning.
The 6:35 a.m. blaze was reportedly confined to a HVAC unit on the roof of the rear of the building.
The restaurant was evacuated the the electricity cut off as a result of the 6:30 a.m. fire.
There were no injuries reported.
The restaurant has since reopened with no structural or interior damage.
The Century, McDavid and Walnut Hill stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department, Atmore Fire Department and the Jay Fire Department were all dispatched to the call, along with Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
BOCC Approves Tax Breaks For Company Looking To Relocate 35 Jobs To Cantonment
January 5, 2018
The Escambia County Commission Thursday night voted to approve a tax break and incentive package for a small manufacturing company looking to relocate 35 jobs to the Central Commerce Park off Highway 29 in Cantonment.
The name of company and their product has not yet been revealed as economic development negotiations continue….they are currently known publicly only as “Project Fisher”.
“They are manufacturers; they manufacture a product…that is very unique and it’s a very niche market. And they are developing a second product,” Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh said. “There’s growth potential in the second product for which here has been a patent applied for and granted. And it fits within the Florida type lifestyle.”
The commission approved an Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption (EDATE) of 69.23 percent on real estate taxes per year for 10 years, and a total incentive of $105,000 based upon 35 jobs at $3,000 each. The incentive will be redeemed at $10,500 per year for 10 years. The company will be audited annual for a decade to ensure they are providing the promised jobs.
While it is known that the company will relocate some executives to Escambia County, the county commission is requesting that they have a local hiring preference for the remaining positions.
If the company accepts the EDATE and incentives, they will go back before the commission for final tax break and incentive approvals, at which time the company’s name and product will be revealed.
“They are good fit for Escambia County and District 5,” Commissioner Steven Barry said following the commission meeting. “These are real jobs on property that has been empty for years in the commerce park.” He said Project Fisher, presented to the commission by the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, has been property vetted.
The company has been in operation elsewhere in the country for 50 years. Their new location in Cantonment will serve as their primary corporate and manufacturing location to produce the company’s specialized products. The business has committed to 35 jobs with an average annual wage of $50,000. They are expected to invest about $7 million for their new 70,000 square foot facility in the Central Commerce Park.
Commissioner Douglas Underhill voted against both the incentive and EDATE.
“I have no idea who this company is, or what they are actually willing to bring to the table,” Underhill said. “It says they are going to build a $7 million facility. OK, but when they build their $7 million facility, they will then have a $7 million asset. To use that term that they are investing that money in Escambia isn’t entirely accurate.”
“I don’t think we are giving a whole lot if we get a manufacturing type firm that comes in here, takes root, they do what they say they are going to do — they generate jobs. It’s all about jobs. Manufacturing jobs, that’s a targeted sector we are trying to grow in this area….We need a manufacturing sector,” Bergosh said.
Pictured: The Escambia County Commission Thursday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Woman Charged With Stealing Over $64K From Her Employer
January 5, 2018
An Escambia County woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $64,000 from her employer over a two year period.
Linda Lee Hanford, 51, was charged with felony grand theft and felony scheme to defraud for diverting the money from internet sales to her personal account.
Handford was hired to run an internet site selling electric golf cart accessories by Lender Services, owned by automotive dealer Eddie Mercer. As a contract employee, she was paid $13.50 per hour to take orders, pass the orders to a vendor for delivery to customers and transfer the customer’s payment into a Lender Services bank account.
She would sell products at or below cost and keep the entire cost of the product for herself, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
At the time Hanford was hired by Lender Services she was, and remains, on probation for a local felony theft conviction in 2005. In 2006, she was ordered to have “no job receiving funds or paying out funds”.
Once Hanford was contacted by a Sheriff’s Office investigator and her probation officer, she sent several rambling text messages to Mercer, begging his forgiveness, blaming her actions on jealousy and depression and stating she was undergoing treatment for a “severe compulsive disorder”, according to an arrest report.
Hanford was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
Charity’s Plans Revealed For House For Families Displaced By Fire
January 5, 2018
The Escambia County Professional Firefighters Charity has released details on a house they plan to serve as temporary refuge for families displaced by residential fires in Escambia County.
The house, located just off Creighton Road, will serve as a temporary home for fire victims for up to two weeks at no cost,” said Ian Ian Sumner, charity coordinator. “We don’t want to them to worry about paying for anything while they are here, down to meals.”
When a family is displaced by a fire that damages their home, the American Red Cross usually provides them with up to two nights in a local hotel. Sumner hopes the charity’s home will be able to provide an immediate place for fire victims to stay for a couple of weeks.
“It will provide them a place to stay and get back on with their lives,” he said.
Sumner said the process of recovering after a fire can be a daunting task, with or without insurance.
“There is a lot that has to be done, from replacing things even to getting emergency refills of prescriptions that were destroyed in the fire,” he said. The Firefighter’s Charity plans to work with the families that stay in home to help them connect with any community service organizations that may able to assist them.
As for the house, it currently belongs to Potential Church and is need of a complete remodel “from the roof down”. Sumner said.
The Escambia County Professional Firefighters Charity is reaching out to the public for help in getting the home ready — from donations of time, money or materials. They plan to start work on the house in February and hope to have it ready for fire victims within a year.
The chair will hold their annual fundraiser, the “Fire and Ice Gala” on Saturday, March 10 at the Hilton Pensacola Beach from 6 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are $60 for the event, which will feature dinner, a silent auction and door prizes. Sponsorship opportunities are also available from $100 to $5,000 for the Fire and Ice Gala.
For information on how to donate, sponsor the Fire and Ice Gala or to learn more information, contact Ian Sumner at (850) 698-3105.
Pictured top: An rendering of the future look new Escambia County Professional Firefighters Charity house. Pictured below: A current photo of the house. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Scott, Nelson Take Aim At Trump Offshore Drilling Plan
January 5, 2018
Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, widely expected to battle this year for Nelson’s Senate seat, said Thursday they both intend to fight a Trump administration plan to open previously protected parts of the Atlantic Ocean and eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling.
Scott said he has requested a meeting with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to discuss opposition to President Donald Trump’s effort to expand domestic energy production.
“Based on media reports, it is likely that the Department of the Interior will consider Florida as a potential state for offshore oil drilling — which is something I oppose in Florida,” Scott said in a prepared statement shortly before Zinke unveiled the drilling proposal Thursday. “I have already asked to immediately meet with Secretary Zinke to discuss the concerns I have with this plan and the crucial need to remove Florida from consideration.”
Scott was not the only Florida Republican criticizing the proposal.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Longboat Key, called the proposal “reckless, misguided and potentially catastrophic to Florida.”
“As the state with the longest coastlines in the continental United States, Florida is especially vulnerable to oil spills,” Buchanan said. “Have we forgotten so soon the devastating damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010?”
But the Florida Petroleum Council, an industry group, hailed the Trump administration move as a way to benefit Florida consumers by potentially creating jobs and additional government revenue while strengthening national security.
“Allowing us to explore our offshore energy will boost our state economy and spur investment — all while safely coexisting with our agriculture, tourism and fishing industries as well as U.S. military operations,” council Executive Director David Mica said in a statement. “The administration has recognized that the ability to access our abundant offshore resources in a safe and environmentally responsible way will help our nation meet our energy needs well into the future.”
Mica said Florida relies on natural gas for nearly 70 percent of its electricity and that the industry is “constantly developing and improving safety standards, programs, new technologies, and best practices to protect our workers, the environment and marine life.”
Floridians will get a chance to comment on the proposal Feb. 8 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Tallahassee. The hearing is one of 23 that will be hosted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management across the nation between Jan. 16 and Feb. 28.
Aliki Moncrief, of the Florida Conservation Voters, described the proposal as “reckless” and added that “it’s refreshing to see (Scott) catching up with what Sen. Nelson has been saying for years.”
The topic of oil drilling did not come up Sunday when Scott had lunch with Trump in Palm Beach County, Scott spokesman John Tupps said.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday said the administration will continue to work with Scott.
“Our goal certainly isn’t to cross Gov. Scott,” she said during a daily press briefing. “Just because we may differ on issues from time to time doesn’t mean that we can’t have an incredibly strong and good relationship.”
In the announcement Thursday, Zinke said nearly all of the nation’s outer continental shelf — a jurisdictional term describing submerged lands 10.36 statutory miles off Florida’s west coast and 3 nautical miles off the east coast — will be considered for drilling.
In 2017, Trump signed an executive order asking Zinke to consider opening the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic to drilling.
Under Zinke’s proposal, which must still go through a public comment period and potential revisions before being finalized, 90 percent of the nation’s offshore reserves would be open to leasing between 2019 and 2024. Money raised from the leases would go toward improving national parks.
Nelson, a Democrat, panned the plan as “an assault on Florida’s economy, our national security, the will of the public and the environment.”
“This proposal defies all common sense, and I will do everything I can to defeat it,” Nelson said in a statement.
In 2006, Nelson and then-U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., brokered a deal to ban drilling off Florida’s Gulf Coast through 2022.
Nelson has long maintained that oil rigs being “too close” to Florida’s shoreline could impact the state’s tourism-driven economy and military training areas in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Environmental groups expressed a similar view Thursday.
“The plan proposes to expand offshore oil drilling everywhere, including in our most sensitive waters,” Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen said in a statement. “It puts irreplaceable wildlife and coastal communities at risk for the sole benefit of big oil, and it takes us in exactly the wrong direction on the urgently needed transition to a clean energy future.”
Nelson’s statement on Thursday came a day after he announced plans to invoke a procedural rule known as the Congressional Review Act to try to block efforts to roll back safety standards the Obama administration put in place after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.
The issue of offshore drilling also could confront state lawmakers during the annual legislative session, which starts Tuesday.
Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze, and Rep. Mel Ponder, R-Destin, have proposed a resolution (SR 550 and HR 319) seeking to maintain a decades-long moratorium against oil drilling in an area of the eastern Gulf of Mexico used by the military for air and sea training.
The resolution, introduced last month, asks Congress to maintain the moratorium, which is in place from east of the Military Mission Line, which runs south of Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County, to Key West. The moratorium is set to expire in 2022.
“The military missions require day and night access to the airspace, from the surface up to 60,000 feet, for high-speed flying and maneuvering, as well as day and night access to the seaspace, from the sea surface to the subsurface areas, for use by ships and submarines,” the resolution says.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida