Open House Saturday At Roy Hyatt Environmental Center
September 28, 2017
The annual open house will be held Saturday at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment.
Visitors will have the opportunity to stroll through the center’s butterfly garden, hike the many nature trails, climb aboard the bird bus to do some bird watching, visit the resident reptiles, meet beautiful birds of prey with the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, peer at the daytime sky through telescopes with the the Escambia Amateur Astronomy Assoc., and learn about bats with UF/IFAS Escambia County Extension agents.
There will also be a silent auction, and hotdogs, chips, water and baked goods will be available for a smaller donation.
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center is at 1300 Tobias Road, Cantonment. The events and open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (850) 937-2117.
Industry Group Backs Seven Day Limit On Opiod Prescriptions
September 28, 2017
As Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders start to move forward with plans to address the state’s opioid epidemic, a major pharmaceutical-industry group said Wednesday it would support a seven-day limit on initial prescriptions of pain medications.
Scott said Tuesday he will seek a change in state law that would place a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions, though the prescriptions could be up to seven days under some conditions.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s office said the proposal would apply to initial prescriptions of drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin. While not limited to Florida, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America announced Wednesday that it would support seven-day limits on initial supplies of “acute pain” opioid prescriptions, with doctors able to deviate in certain circumstances such as when treating cancer-related pain or when providing hospice care.
“We are taking this step because we believe the worsening opioid epidemic demands additional solutions, with new protections for patients,” Stephen J. Ubl, president & CEO of the industry group, said in a prepared statement. “Too often, individuals receive a 30-day supply of opioid medicines for minor treatments or short-term pain. Overprescribing and dispensing can lead to patients taking opioids longer than necessary or to excess pills falling into the wrong hands.”
The proposals announced Tuesday by Scott, including spending $50 million on programs such as drug treatment, are expected to be debated during the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January.
by The News Service of Florida
Senate Bill Filed To Name Part Of Hwy 4 The “Sen. Greg Evers Memorial Highway”
September 28, 2017
Mirroring a proposal in the House, Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, filed a bill Wednesday that would name a stretch of road in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties as “Senator Greg Evers Memorial Highway.”
The bill, which is filed for the 2018 legislative session, comes after Evers, 62, died Aug. 21 in a single-vehicle accident near his home in Okaloosa County.
Evers, a Republican, served nine years in the Florida House before his election to the Senate in 2010. Evers left his Senate seat last year to make a bid for the U.S. House but lost the Republican primary to U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.
The Latvala bill and the House version filed by Rep. Jayer Williamson, R-Pace (read more…), would provide the memorial designation to part of State Road 4 between Munson Highway and State Road 189 in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
by The News Service of Florida
Hundreds Of Local Students Gather To Pray At The Pole
September 27, 2017
Hundreds of students gathered to pray at their schools across the area Wednesday morning during the annual See You at the Pole event.
Students gathered as school began to pray in the non-denominational event. See You at the Pole is a national student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. Students prayed for their school, friends, teachers, government and the nation.
For a photo gallery from Northview High, Ernest Ward Middle and Byrneville Elementary, click here.
Pictured: See You At the Pole events at Northview High School (above), Ernest Ward Middle School (below) and Byrneville Elementary (bottom). NorthEscambia.com and reader submitted photos, click to enlarge.
County Approves Pay Raises For All; Sheriff Still Not Happy
September 27, 2017
All county employees will receive a pay raise under a budget approved Tuesday night on a 3-2 vote by the Escambia County Commission — including Sheriff’s deputies — but Sheriff David Morgan say he still plans to appeal his budget to Gov. Rick Scott.
The commission approved a $455.8 million 2017-2018 fiscal year budget, up 4.4 percent from last year. The budget included $3.7 million to provide a 3 percent across the board raise for all permanent employees of the Board of County Commissioners, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, the Supervisor of Elections and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, including those employees capped at the top of their pay ranges.
The budget approval cane at the end of a long summer in which Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan fought for pay raises and changes in the pay structure in his department in order to retain deputies.
Even with the pay raise approval, Morgan said that he is going to appeal his budget to the to the governor.
“We’re going to Tallahassee,” Morgan said. “We knew that we would have to go. We’ve been at an impasse for a very, very long time so we look forward to putting this before those who think more rationally and I think we’ll prevail in Tallahassee.”
“Thank you for the pay raise. That doesn’t fix the problem. It only worsens the problem and now to get the compression fixed it’s going to cost more. Every year you kick this can down the road the worse it gets,” Morgan said.
Commissioners Doug Underhill and Grover Robinson voted against the budget, presenting their own options that failed to move forward.
Underhill had proposed to fully fund the Sheriff’s request plus user funds from the commissioners’ discretionary budget and about $400,000 from the Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission. Robinson proposed a middle of the road solution with a 2 percent across the board pay raise plus another $1.25 million for the Sheriff to use as desired for pay raises.
“Tonight completes the fifth budget since Commissioner Lumon May and I were elected, and I’m thrilled that it’s the fifth consecutive year of 3 percent raises for all Escambia County employees, including all constitutional officials’ offices and the Sheriff’s office,” Commissioner Steven Barry said. “As a thoughtful public servant, I believe the budget we’ve approved represents a fair and reasonable allocation of the resources entrusted to the board by all of our constituents.”
Navy CPO Selectees Spruce Up Cantonment Horse Rescue
September 27, 2017
A group of 18 chief petty officer selectees from NAS Pensacola volunteered their time on a recent Saturday to spruce up around Panhandle Equine Rescue in Cantonment.
They completed many needed tasks around the facility, including painting, carpentry and addressing washout areas from torrential summer rainfall.
“We appreciate our military men and women who not only protect and serve our country, but also commit to helping various non-profits in our community,” Panhandle Equine Rescue President Diane Lowery said.
The only horse rescue in Escambia County, PER was founded by a small group of concerned citizens with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate and provide adoption services for abused, neglected and abandoned equines. PER is authorized by the court system to investigate equine cruelty in Escambia County.
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Four Tate Students Named Commended National Merit Scholars
September 27, 2017
Four Tate High School students have been named Commended National Merit Scholars. They are (left to right) Rosemary Smyth, William Jones, Ashlyn Adams and Hannah Huggins, pictured with counselor Renee Willis. National Merit Commended Students are named on the basis on a nationally applied selection index score in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FHP Seeks Man For Illegally Rebuiding, Selling Cars
September 27, 2017
The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for 28-year old Manuel Jacquet of Pensacola on an outstanding warrant for felony title fraud.
According to the FHP, Jacquet sold about 15 vehicles during the past year without obtaining a Florida dealers license. He allegedly purchased salvaged vehicles from Georgia and rebuilt them in Pensacola before reselling them in Mississippi without their rebuilt or salvaged status disclosed on the titles.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Trooper J. Tucker at (850) 316-2474 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Gaetz Wants End To Sports League Tax Exemptions
September 27, 2017
Update: In a Monday press release, Congressman Matt Gaetz stated that the NFL League Office is tax exempt. While still eligible to be tax exempt, they voluntarily relinquished that status in 2015. When questioned by NorthEscambia.com Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for Gaetz made that clarification and issued an updated statement that is below..
Tuesday, Congressman Matt Gaetz became the lead sponsor of a bill that ends the tax-exempt status of professional sports leagues.
The NFL League Office received a special tax carveout from 1966 until it was voluntarily relinquished in 2015. Though individual teams were not tax-exempt, the NFL League Office was. They are responsible for the construction and development of new stadiums, paid for with over 6.5 billion taxpayer dollars. Tax-exempt revenues for professional sports leagues are higher than $2 billion. According to the Internal Revenue Service, businesses that conduct operations for profit on a “cooperative basis” should not qualify for tax-exempt treatment, yet a special exemption is made for professional sports leagues.
“Though the NFL voluntarily relinquished their tax exempt status in 2015, the NHL, PGA, and LPGA remain tax exempt. There is nothing that prevents the NFL from reclaiming its status. My legislation would end this loophole and generate over $150 million in new revenue over 10 years, according to 2016 estimates,” Gaetz said in a clarified statement Wednesday morning.
“Like many Americans, I was dismayed and disgusted to see multimillionaire athletes sitting or kneeling during the national anthem. Standing for the national anthem shows respect for our nation, and for the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms,” Rep. Gaetz said. “Those hard-fought freedoms include freedom of speech, and free speech does include protest. But nowhere in the Constitution does it say that Americans are required to subsidize disrespect for America, or to have their tax dollars wasted on corporate welfare to sports teams. Tax reform is currently the top priority of Congress. We must close this loophole in the tax code, and end taxpayer subsidies for professional athletics. If players want to protest, they have that right — but they should do it on their own time, and on their own dime.”
In 2016, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that this bill would bring in approximately 150 million dollars in new revenue over ten years.
Job Fair: School District Hiring Support Personnel
September 27, 2017
The Escambia County School District will hold a job fair Thursday for educational support personnel (ESPs).
ESP positions include school bus providers (CDL training provided), teacher’s assistants, substitute teacher’s assistants, food service assisstants, maintenance workers and more.
The job fair will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thursday at 30 East Texar Drive in Pensacola.
These jobs are great positions for parents who would like their work schedule to be similar to their child’s schedule because fall break, winter break and spring break dates would match, according to the school district.
Multiple positions are available at schools in the North Escambia area.