Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Turbulent Times
August 20, 2017
It’s been more than 150 years since Florida Gov. John Milton killed himself, a week before Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered in one of the final battles of the Civil War.
Suicide was a better option than joining a nation in which the North and the South were united, Milton decided.
“Death would be preferable to reunion,” Milton reportedly said before taking his own life in 1865.
The Florida governor’s reaction to the end of the Civil War is a stark representation of multi-generation divisions in the Sunshine State, which sanctioned slavery in 1822. Less than three decades later, slaves comprised an estimated 44 percent of Florida’s population.
While the Civil War ended slavery, Florida operated under Jim Crow laws and other racially divisive measures until the 1960s.
How the nation — and the state — copes with its at-times shameful history has dominated the week’s news.
The burgeoning civil war over the Civil War and its icons is deepening the schism between the right and the left in what could be one of modern history’s most divided political eras.
But the Florida history lesson provides some context for the ongoing clashes over Confederate monuments, as well as for the right to talk about the underlying racial and ethnic tensions still roiling the nation.
In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu centuries ago laid down some advice that might be useful in today’s Twitter-dominated times.
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists,” the philosopher advised. “Of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, `We did this ourselves.’ “
SPEECH ON TRIAL
White nationalists denied the opportunity to speak at the University of Florida are pledging to sue.
Citing “serious concerns” about safety in the aftermath of a deadly weekend clash in Charlottesville, Va., university officials nixed a speech by white nationalist leader Richard Spencer, who wanted to appear on the Gainesville campus next month.
In a message to staff Wednesday morning, university President Kent Fuchs said the decision to deny the National Policy Institute’s request to rent space on campus came “after assessing potential risks” with campus, state, local and federal law enforcement officials.
Continued calls “online and in social media for similar violence in Gainesville such as those decreeing: `The Next Battlefield is Florida’ ” also played a role in the decision, Fuchs said.
But Cameron Padgett, a Georgia resident coordinating the event with Spencer, told The News Service of Florida they are working with attorneys and plan to file a lawsuit challenging Fuchs’ decision.
Spencer is a leader in the “alt-right” movement, blamed for a deadly outburst following a “Unite the Right” rally Saturday in Charlottesville. One person died when a car plowed into a group of counter-protesters, and two Virginia state troopers died in a helicopter crash while monitoring the situation.
“I find the racist rhetoric of Richard Spencer and white nationalism repugnant and counter to everything the university and this nation stands for,” Fuchs wrote. “That said, the University of Florida remains unwaveringly dedicated to free speech and the spirit of public discourse. However, the First Amendment does not require a public institution to risk imminent violence to students and others. The likelihood of violence and potential injury — not the words or ideas — has caused us to take this action.”
DECRYING RACISM, PUNTING ON TRUMP
Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi, both strong supporters of President Donald Trump, decried racism and groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis this week but tap-danced away from criticizing the president as reverberations mounted following the deadly weekend in Virginia.
“I served in the Navy. My dad served in the Second World War,” Scott said. “I didn’t serve to defend neo-Nazis.”
Bondi, meanwhile, expressed support for the University of Florida president’s decision to ban Spencer from appearing on campus.
“Of course, we all believe in the First Amendment, but his priority as president of the University of Florida is to protect the students that go to that school,” Bondi said. “That’s why I think that’s very important.”
Scott and Bondi, however, kept their distance from a controversy about statements Trump made after white nationalists rallied in Charlottesville, leading to clashes with counter-protesters.
The governor said he was disgusted by what took place in Charlottesville and said a white supremacist “murdered” a woman by driving a car into a crowd of counter-protesters. Scott noted that the woman, Heather Heyer, 32, was about the same age as one of his daughters.
“There is no place in our country for racism, bigotry, the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists,” Scott said. He added: “There is no moral equivalence between the two sides.”
But Scott did not directly criticize Trump who has said “both sides” were to blame for the weekend violence in Virginia.
“You can ask President Trump what he said. I’ve been clear,” Scott told reporters in Tallahassee.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE
Scott on Thursday had lunch with Trump at a New Jersey golf resort, even as the president continued to draw criticism for comments about the white nationalist rally.
Scott’s lunch with the president at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., was scheduled at the request of Trump last week, according to the governor’s aides, who were quick to provide context for the meeting.
“Gov. Scott was solely there to promote Florida,” John Tupps, a spokesman for Scott, said in a statement. “They discussed a wide range of topics including the president’s commitment to partner with Florida on needed repairs to the federally operated Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee.”
Tupps said Scott “wants to do all he can to protect Florida’s environment and President Trump is very supportive to help.”
“Additionally, they discussed the terror attack (Thursday) in Barcelona and the efforts President Trump is taking to keep America safe,” Tupps said.
But with Trump embroiled in controversy about the Charlottesville comments, the lunch meeting drew criticism from Democrats.
“Instead of condemning President Trump’s heinous remarks, Rick Scott did what he always does: put his own political ambitions and self-interest ahead of what’s right for Florida,” said David Bergstein, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Instead of sitting down to eat with President Trump, Scott should have stood up to him.”
GOING OLD SCHOOL
With a cavorting dolphin as an eye-popping prop, state Sen. Jack Latvala made a pitch to hometown supporters Wednesday as an “old-school Republican” with the blend of government and private-sector experience that makes him the right fit to be the state’s next governor.
Latvala, a blunt-speaking legislator called a “cheerful curmudgeon” by one supporter, highlighted his strengths and his weaknesses during a gubernatorial campaign kickoff event held in sweltering heat at the waterfront Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
“I may not be the best-looking candidate for governor. I may not be the most physically fit candidate for governor. I may not even be the smartest candidate,” he said, drawing groans from the crowd.
“But you can depend on me to do what I’ve always done, and that is (a), tell you the truth, (b), do what I say I’m going to do, and (c), work as hard as I can every single day for you,” he concluded, receiving cheers.
Latvala, who opened a campaign account last week, joined state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in what could be a crowded GOP primary in the race to replace the term-limited Scott. House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Congressman Ron DeSantis also are considering bids for the governor’s mansion.
STORY OF THE WEEK: University of Florida officials rejected a request from white nationalist leader Richard Spencer to speak on campus next month. Organizers say they intend to sue the university over the decision.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Just don’t be Trump’s mini-me, a simple rule,” Republican strategist Rick Wilson, a leading critic of President Donald Trump, offering advice to GOP candidates during an appearance at the Capital Tiger Bay Club.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Lose 4-0 To Mississippi
August 20, 2017
During its past six games, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos averaged 8.5 runs a game, scoring 11 twice, and hit .294 as a team.
But its five game winning streak ended Saturday, thanks to Mississippi Braves right-hander Touki Toussaint, who shut them out over seven innings allowing just two hits, walking two and striking out nine. The former first round pick in 2014 by the Arizona Diamondbacks led Mississippi to a, 4-0, victory Saturday over Pensacola at Trustmark Park.
It was the 13th game that the Blue Wahoos were shutout this season.
Pensacola was 3-29 at the plate in the game against Mississippi, with shortstop Blake Trahan smacking a double and third baseman Nick Senzel and catcher Chad Tromp each hitting singles. It was the 13th game that the Blue Wahoos were shutout this season.
Toussaint earned his first Double-A win and is 1-3 in four starts with a 2.05 ERA. The Atlanta Braves No. 15 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and benefitted from a double play.
Trahan was the only Blue Wahoos hitter that Toussaint allowed to reach second base in the game when he hit his 15th double of the year to lead off the sixth inning.
Pensacola had already beaten Mississippi’s Kolby Allard, the No. 3 pitching prospect, and Mike Soroka, the No. 5 pitching prospect in the Braves organization
Mississippi scored three runs in the third inning to go ahead, 3-0, with two of those knocked in by catcher Alex Jackson when his single to left field drove in both left fielder Tyler Neslony and shortstop Dylan Moore. Right fielder Connor Joe then drove in third baseman Austin Riley on a line drive single to Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero, who gunned down Jackson at the plate.
Moore crushed a homer to centerfield, his sixth of the year, in the seventh inning to give the Braves a 4-0 lead.
Pensacola starter Jesus Reyes was replaced after three innings, giving up three runs on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts. He fell to 1-3 with a 3.22 ERA.
Pensacola fell to 26-28 in the second half in the Southern Division and the first half champions are 66-58 overall on the season. Meanwhile, Mississippi improved to 15-37 in the second half and 49-73 overall.
No Injuries In Highway 29 Rollover Accident
August 19, 2017
There were no injuries when a driver lost control and ran off the roadway Saturday morning north of Molino.
The 36-year old female driver of a Ford Explorer refused medical treatment. The vehicle came to rest on its side in the edge of a wooded area on Highway 29 near Barth Lane about 5:30 a.m..
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Friday Night Football Finals
August 19, 2017
Here are final scores from the varsity portion of play from off classics in Florida last, plus one Alabama AISA score:
FLORIDA
- Vernon 21, Northview 6
- Tate 27, Pensacola High 3
- West Florida 18, Pine Forest 6
- Washington 10, Crestview 10
- Escambia 14, Catholic 13
- Baker 28 Jay 7 Varsity
ALABAMA
- Escambia Academy 39, Abbeville 18
Stolen Corvette Recovered, Driver Arrested In Cantonment
August 19, 2017
A stolen Chevy Corvette was recovered in Cantonment Friday night and the driver arrested on multiple charges.
Thomas Carey Boswell, age 52 of Nancy Lane in Molino, allegedly took the vehicle out on a test drive from a Sandy Sansing dealership in Pensacola. When he failed to return the vehicle, it was traced by the OnStar service to Cantonment. The vehicle was stopped on Tate School Road, and Boswell was taken into custody by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
There was reportedly a female passenger in the vehicle that Boswell refused to allow to exit during his ride north.
Boswell was charged with vehicle theft, kidnapping/false imprisonment, resisting an officer, fleeing or eluding police and distribution of methamphetamine. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $31,000.
Pictured: A stolen corvette was recovered and the driver arrested Friday night on Tate School Road in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 20 Years For Arson
August 19, 2017
An Escambia County man was sentenced to two decades in state prison on arson and criminal mischief charges.
Nathan Stafford was sentenced as a habitual felony offender by Circuit Judge Thomas Dannheisser to 20 years in state prison after he entered a plea of no contest. The 20 year sentence will run consecutively with a five year sentence Stafford previously received for a violation of probation conviction.
On May 30, 2016, Stafford consumed several medications, spread gasoline through his apartment and set it on fire in an attempt to take his own life. Prior to the medication taking effect, Stafford left the apartment. The fire caused an estimated $20,000 in damages to the apartment. When contacted by law enforcement, Stafford admitted to setting the fire.
All Florida Prisons On Lockdown, Visitations Canceled
August 19, 2017
All Florida prisons — including Century and Santa Rosa Correctional institutions — are on partial lockdown this weekend, and all visitations are canceled.
The lockdowns are due to an abundance of caution, according to the Florida Department of Corrections, after intelligence was received about planned disruptions.
“In response to credible intelligence indicating that small groups of inmates at several institutions may attempt to disrupt FDC operations and impact safety and security, FDC has, in an abundance of caution and in the best interest of staff, inmate and public safety, cancelled all visitation statewide,” a FDOC statement said.
“FDC looks forward to resuming normal visitation as soon as possible,” officials said.
Reports say state probation officers have been brought int to assist corrections officers at some facilities to help maintain order and look for contraband such as weapons and phones.
The visitation cancellations include all major institutions, work camps and annex facilities.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Florida Red Light Camera Debate To Return
August 19, 2017
Florida’s long-running debate about red-light cameras is coming back to the Legislature in 2018. Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, and Rep. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah, said Friday they have filed bills to repeal parts of state law that allow local governments to use red-light cameras.
Lawmakers have repeatedly considered similar bills in recent years, but the measures have failed to pass. Supporters say the cameras help improve traffic safety, but critics contend they are used as a revenue source for local governments and private contractors.
“Red-light cameras have failed to achieve their initial purpose, improving traffic safety, and there is available data to support this,” Avila said in a prepared statement Friday. “The only beneficiaries of red-light cameras are the companies that make them and the local governments that use them as a backdoor tax.”
The 2018 legislative session starts in January.
by The News Service of Florida
Weekend Gardening: August To Do List
August 19, 2017
Here are gardening tips for the month of August from the UF/IFAS Extension program:
What to Plant
- Bedding Plants: The hottest days of summer limit planting now to heat tolerant vinca, gaillardia, bulbine, and coleus.
- Bulbs:Aztec lily, butterfly lily, walking iris, and spider lily can be planted any time of the year, even late summer.
- Herbs: Herbs that can be planted from plants (not seeds) include bay laurel, ginger,Mexican tarragon, and rosemary.
- Vegetables: This month starts the fall planting season. Many cool season crops can be planted now, including a final crop of warm-season vegetables such as pepper. Tomato can be planted for the fall garden.
- Lawn problems: Damaged areas can be the result of insects, disease, or irrigation problems. Be sure to determine the cause so the proper remedy is used. Use a sharp mower blade and only remove 1/3 of grass blade to reduce stress on the lawn.
- Palms: If older fronds are yellowing, you may have a magnesium or potassium deficiency. Apply an appropriate palm fertilizer.
- Poinsettias: Pinch back poinsettias and mums before the end of the month to allow time for buds to form for winter bloom.
- Ornamental Plants: Rapid growth and leaching rains may result in nutrient deficiencies in some plants. Fertilize those plants that show signs of deficiencies.
- Bedding Plants: Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize flowering annuals and perennials to extend the bloom season into the fall months.
- Adjust irrigation based on rainfall.
- Deadhead flowers to encourage new blooms.
- Monitor the garden for insects and disease.
- Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials and water until established.
FHP Takes Part In ‘Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over’ Campaign
August 19, 2017
As part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over safety campaign, the Florida Highway Patrol will concentrate enforcement efforts on impaired driving now through the Labor Day holiday. FHP joins law enforcement and highway safety agencies across the nation to remove impaired drivers from roadways and save lives.
To Arrive Alive, the FHP says always:
- Drive sober; never drive impaired.
- Buckle up, ever time.
- If you do drink, plan ahead. Designate a sober driver or use a ride service.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, call *FHP (*347). This could save a life.