FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
March 25, 2017
Drivers will encounter traffic variations on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
· Nine Mile Road (State Road (S.R.) 10/U.S. 90A) from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road Widening – Alternating lane closures between Interstate 10 (I-10) and the Navy Federal Credit Union from midnight Sunday, March 26 to 6 a.m. Monday, March 27 and from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, March 27 and Tuesday, March 28 as crews install drainage. Traffic will be allowed in one direction at a time with traffic flaggers on hand to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
· Interstate 10 (I-10)/ U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I – Drivers will encounter the following traffic impacts 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, March 27 through Thursday, March 30 as crews mill and resurfacing the roadway.
o Alternating lane closures on I-10 westbound near U.S. 29 (Exits 10A and 10B).
o The U.S. 29 north to I-10 westbound ramp will be closed. Traffic will be detoured north to make a U-turn at Broad Street to access I-10 westbound.
o Intermittent lane closures on the I-10 westbound to U.S. 29 north ramp (Exit 10B). Traffic will be detoured to Exit 10A for access U.S. 29.
· I-10 Widening from Davis Highway to the Escambia Bay Bridge - The right lane and shoulder of I-10 eastbound, between Scenic Highway (Exit 17) and Davis Highway (Exit 13), will be closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, March 27 through Friday, March 31 as crews pave the right lane and shoulder. Scenic Highway (U.S. 90) southbound travel lanes, south of I-10, will be slightly shifted Wednesday, March 29 and Thursday, March 30 as crews apply pavement markings.
· Bayfront Parkway (S.R. 196) 2017 Ciclovia Bike Event- Temporary closure from Spring Street to Cervantes Street , Cervantes Street to Scenic Highway, and Chipley Street to Summit Boulevard from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25 for festivities. Traffic will be detoured and local law enforcement on site to assist with traffic control.
· U.S. 29 at North Tate School Road Turn lane construction in Gonzales - The northbound, outside lane will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 27 through Thursday, March 30
as crews extend the southbound (left) turn lane, install a new northbound (right) turn lane, and construct a new driveway at Arby’s.
· Perdido Key Drive (S.R. 292) Resurfacing from the Alabama State line to the ICWW (Theo Baars Bridge) – Drivers can expect minor delays Monday, March 27 through Friday, March 31 as crews stripe the roadway and complete miscellaneous construction activities on the project. Drivers can expect delays.
· Lillian Highway ( S.R. 298) over Mill View Bayou Bridge Maintenance- North and southbound lane restrictions from 8 p.m. Monday, March 27 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, March 28 as crews perform joint repair work on the bridge. Drivers are reminded to watch for traffic flaggers.
· Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10) south of Scenic Hills Drive Turn Lane Construction- Eastbound lane closure from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, March 27 through Thursday, March 30 as crews construction right turn lanes for the Wal-Mark Market just east of Westside Drive.
· New Warrington Spur (S.R. 727) over West Fairfield Drive (S.R. 295) Bridge Maintenance- Eastbound outside, right lane will be closed from 10 p.m. until midnight Monday, March 27 as crews perform joint repair work on the bridge.
· Barrancas Avenue (S.R. 292) over Bayou Chico Routine Bridge Maintenance- East and westbound lane closures from 12 a.m. until 5 a.m. Monday, March 27 as crews clean bridge joints.
· U.S. 29 (S.R. 95) Widening from I-10 to Nine Mile Road- Alternating lane closures continue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road and on Nine Mile Road near the U.S. 29/ Nine Mile Road overpass as crews perform drainage and bridge operations.
· Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29- Alternating lane closures continue on Untreiner Avenue as crews perform jack and bore operations.
· Fairfield Drive (S.R. 295) over the Railroad Tracks Routine Bridge Maintenance- East and westbound alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Tuesday, March 28 and Wednesday, March 29 as crews replace bridge joints.
· I-10 Escambia Bay Bridge Routine Maintenance- Eastbound lane closures from 8 p.m. Thursday, March 30 to 5 a.m. Friday, March 31 as crews perform routine maintenance on the bridge.
Santa Rosa County:
· I-10 Resurfacing from S.R. 87 to the Okaloosa County Line- Intermittent and alternating lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Monday, March 27 through Friday, March 31 as crews perform construction activities.
· I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – Alternating lane closures on I-10 east and westbound near Avalon Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the week of Monday, March 27 as crews remove barrier wall.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the construction zone, and to pay attention for workers and equipment entering and exiting the work area.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: A Third Of The Way There (Maybe)
March 25, 2017
One-third of the way through this year’s legislative session — assuming that it wraps up on time — some of the debates that will define the next six weeks are beginning to take shape. But there still seems to be a bit of haziness on where things are going.
There was movement on some of the more high-profile initiatives of the session, whether tearing down the “liquor wall” or overhauling the state’s higher education system. At the same time, there were few signs of movement on the budget, the one thing lawmakers must get done every year, and the thing that some have pegged as a reason the session could head to overtime.
At the same time, a longer-term project got underway, as the once-every-20-years Constitution Revision Commission held its first meeting — and promptly got into a scrape with House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, about when the next few get-togethers should be held.
There were also issues of crime and justice to emerge, including the ongoing battle over an Orlando prosecutor’s decision not to seek the death penalty in capital punishment cases and one House Republican’s own brush with the law as he made his way home from the Capitol.
The skirmish over the Constitutional Revision Commission has its roots in a stinging defeat of Carlos Beruff, now the panel’s chairman. Beruff months ago lost his attempt to win the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in a bare-knuckles battle against U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.
By Monday, Beruff had undertaken another project that could have long-lasting effects on the state: chairing the panel empowered to recommend constitutional amendments directly to the voters, who will decide whether to adopt those changes in November 2018.
Beruff, a Sarasota homebuilder and close political ally of Gov. Rick Scott, is the first chairman of a Constitution Revision Commission selected by a Republican. He pledged an open process as the 37-member body got down to work in a ceremonial meeting.
“Every member of the CRC will have the opportunity to be heard and have the chance to fight for the issues they believe are important to this state,” he said. “Most importantly, though, we need to listen to the citizens.”
Complaints from various corners accused Beruff of having no apparent experience in constitutional law, and also raised questions about his closeness with Scott. But even some Democratic members of the GOP-dominated commission seemed less than concerned.
In fact, one of the first flashpoints around Beruff’s leadership of the commission came from Corcoran, a Republican whose relationship with Scott has become increasingly strained over the last several months.
Of the four men allowed to pick members of the commission — Scott, Corcoran, Senate President Joe Negron and Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga — the House speaker was the only one to place current legislators on the panel. Corcoran appointed five members.
So when the first four public hearings were announced — all of them to be held outside of Tallahassee, and during the ongoing legislative session — Corcoran was not pleased.
“Obviously … especially when you have such a once-in-20-year august body dealing with something that is of the highest impact, which is our Constitution, and you only have a limited number of members, 37, and immediately the first action is to disenfranchise one-sixth, I don’t think that’s a good start,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the commission responded Friday, noting that videos of the meetings would be available online and more meetings will be held.
“As a commission which meets just once every 20 years, commissioners have a responsibility to be accountable to the people of Florida and accomplish as much as we can in the short time we have,” said Meredith Beatrice. “The work before this commission is incredibly important. We will be working with all commissioners on additional public hearings to ensure the best possible outcome for families in our state.”
TEAR DOWN THE WALL
The nation’s most prominent Republican might be devoted to building a wall, but in Florida, some members of the Senate GOP were part of a push to tear one down.
The so-called “liquor wall” — a Depression-era ban on liquor being sold alongside groceries — took a hit when the Senate narrowly approved a measure (SB 106) to get rid of the prohibition.
The chamber voted 21-17 to approve the bill, as members argued over whether it might kill someone. And as two of the Senate’s more prominent Republican members got into a public fight on the floor.
The issue has led to repeated legislative battles in recent years, pitting Walmart and Target, which want to stock liquor on shelves near other goods, against Publix and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, which have stand-alone liquor stores as part of their corporate blueprints.
In asking lawmakers to reject the proposal, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, said “large corporate citizens want us to do it (approve the bill) for their own economic purposes.”
That prompted Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, to fire back in a speech that ended with him dropping a live microphone on his desk.
“We talk about who is pushing it, but we know who is pushing against it too, Sen. Latvala. We know who’s pushing against it real hard,” Lee said.
On the other end of the Capitol, House committees began moving forward with two marquee issues. First, they approved the latest version of legislation in the years-long battle over what comes next for the state’s gambling industry.
The House Ways and Means Committee voted 11-7 to approve the proposal (HB 7037), aimed at creating a new agreement with the Seminole Tribe, even if a tribe representative recently called the proposal a “non-starter.”
The bill would continue to allow the tribe to have exclusive rights to operate “banked” card games, such as blackjack, at five of its casinos. In exchange, the Seminoles would have to guarantee $3 billion in payments to the state — earmarked mainly for education — over seven years.
But critics objected that the proposal gives short shrift to pari-mutuels. The measure would, among other things, ban popular and lucrative “designated player” poker-style games operated by numerous cardrooms throughout the state.
“The pari-mutuel industry has been a friend to this state. They’ve helped provide a lot of dollars for a lot of things to happen. They by-and-large are getting treated less well than they deserve for the service they’ve rendered the state,” Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura, said.
Sen. Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican shepherding the upper chamber’s proposal, was optimistic.
“It’s only week three (of the 60-day legislative session) and at this point I am more focused on the fact that gaming bills are moving than the differences,” Galvano, who is slated to take over as Senate president in November 2018, said in a text message late Tuesday.
On the education front, a House committee approved its version of a higher-ed reform bill, one that includes expanding Bright Futures scholarships and requiring state universities to begin using “block” tuition, some of the earliest movement on a priority of Negron, R-Stuart.
Both bills would expand the top-level Bright Futures award for “academic scholars” to cover full tuition and fees for those students who qualify for the merit-based aid. But while the Senate would expand the scholarship for “academic scholars” to the summer semester, the House wants to expand summer support to all Bright Future recipients.
There are also differences over the details of the tuition plan, which would replace the current per-credit hour charge with a flat per-semester fee.
PUNISHMENT AND CRIME
Outside the walls of the Capitol, the firestorm started by a Central Florida state attorney who says she won’t seek the death penalty continued to play out.
Aramis Ayala, whose decision not to ask for capital punishment for alleged cop-killer Markeith Loyd started the dispute, accused Scott this week of abusing his authority by handing the case to another state attorney.
Ayala, state attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit in Orange and Osceola counties, asked a judge Monday to put a hold on proceedings in the case of Loyd, accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, and the execution-style killing of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton.
In a five-page filing, Ayala argued that Scott lacks the power to strip her of her role as prosecutor. If a court interpreted state law to allow Scott’s action, Ayala wrote, the governor could supersede a prosecutor in any given case.
“Giving the governor the tremendous and unfettered discretion to interfere in that decision making, would be unprecedented and could undermine the entire justice system in Florida,” she wrote.
Scott defended his decision to appoint a different prosecutor.
“So the first thing I did was I asked her to recuse herself. She said she wasn’t going to, so I moved the case to Brad King. Last week, she said she was fine with that. Today she’s changed her position. So the case has been assigned to Brad King, and that was the right decision,” the governor said.
By the end of the week, another potential criminal case had grabbed attention.
With a blood-alcohol level nearly double the legal limit, state Rep. Cary Pigman was charged with drunken driving after a traffic stop on Florida’s Turnpike several hours after a House session Thursday, according to a police report.
Pigman, R-Avon Park, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. Calls to his legislative offices went to voice mail.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Constitution Revision Commission held its first meeting as it embarks on the once-every-20-years task of recommending changes to the state’s basic law.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “This is Florida’s version of `To Kill a Mockingbird.’ And I appreciate the committee supporting this resolution so that these families can get some closure.”—Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, on a proposal (SCR 920) that would apologize to families of the “Groveland Four,” a quartet of African-American men convicted under dubious circumstances of raping a white woman in 1949. Two of the men were killed in the aftermath of the alleged crime and two others served lengthy prison sentences.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Woman Convicted Of Stealing $300K From Disabled WWII Veteran
March 25, 2017
An Escambia County woman could spend the rest of her life in prison for stealing hundreds of thousand of dollars from a disabled veteran.
Kelly Lynn Knotts was convicted of theft from a person 65 years of age or older, 38 counts of exploitation of an elderly person and two counts of money laundering.
Knotts was arrested on the charges in October 2015 after a lengthy investigation conducted by the State Attorney’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The elderly victim is a disabled World War II veteran, with whom Knotts stood in a position of trust and confidence as his bookkeeper and caregiver. Knotts exploited the elderly victim over a two year period of time by committing multiple thefts. The amount stolen exceeded $300,000.
Knotts faces up to 230 years in state prison. She is currently incarcerated awaiting sentencing on May 10.
No Injuries In Highway 29 Semi, Car Wreck
March 24, 2017
There were no injuries in a two vehicle crash involving a semi-truck and car this morning south of Molino. The accident was reported about 6:10 a.m. on Highway 29 at Highway 196. The semi came to a stop slightly south of the accident scene at Victory Road. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com reader photos, click to enlarge.
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Escambia County March 29 Committee Of The Whole Rescheduled
March 24, 2017
The Board of County Commissioners Committee of the Whole Workshop originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 29 at 9 a.m. has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 25. The board will hold an Economic Development Summit beginning at 9 a.m., followed by discussions concerning the Brownsville Resource Center and Safe Neighborhoods.
The meeting will take place in the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, at 221 Palafox Place.
All Commission meetings can be viewed live on MyEscambia.com/ectv, channel 98 for Bright House, Cox Cable and Mediacom (Pensacola Beach) subscribers and channel 99 for AT&T U-verse subscribers and are available on ECTV On Demand.
Century Man Charged With Assaulting Disabled Son’s Caretaker
March 24, 2017
A Century man has been charged with assaulting a caretaker working with his disabled son.
The victim, who was employed by an agency that cares for disabled persons, told deputies she was working as a caretaker inside a home on York Road when Marvin Anthony Haynie, father of the disabled person, entered the kitchen and held her against a freezer. She reported that Haynie then tried to kiss her and asked her to show him a private body area during the November 2016 incident.
Haynie was arrested this week for felony battery. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday morning with bond set at $7,500.
Tate Grad To Depart On Unique College ‘Dorm Tour’ Concert Series
March 24, 2017
From day one Tate High School graduate Paul Vinson has had big dreams and on Monday his biggest dream yet becomes a reality.
At 18-years old Vinson has planned, organized, and booked an entire concert tour over the course of 18 days, 13 shows, and 3,500 miles of driving. Vinson will go as far north as New York City and as far west as Hattiesburg, Miss.. But here’s the catch — all of the shows are free and in college dorm rooms.
Vinson has been writing and performing his music all over the greater Pensacola area at places like Gallery Night and other local establishments. After graduating from Tate High School in 2016, Vinson decided that the route of college wasn’t for him in his pursuit of a music career. And now he will be playing shows in college dorms all across the east coast and will be documenting the whole thing for his YouTube channel.
“I had this idea about a year ago now, I thought it was awesome, slightly ironic and I knew it had never been done before. That inspired me to go through with it and to document everything, but all of this dreaming doesn’t come without a cost,” he said. “I figure most of my friends in college are broke and to make this work I couldn’t charge for shows.”
In about a week, a GoFundMe drive raised Vinson’s goal of $1,500 to fund his tour — mostly for the gas for his Kia Soul.
Vinson’s “The Dorm Tour” starts Monday at Troy University and ends April 14 at Florida State University. Along the way, tour stops include concerts at Southern Miss, University of Florida, the University of Alabama, Mississippi State and more.
Vinson will be debuting all of the songs on his upcoming EP “Leaving Home” which releases early this summer and will also be daily vlogging the experience on YouTube.
Pictured top: Paul Vinson at his Dorm Tour promo show January 11 at the University of West Florida’s Martin Hall.
Divided Senate Backs Ending ‘Liquor Wall’
March 24, 2017
A heavily lobbied proposal to knock down a Depression-era ban on liquor being sold alongside groceries narrowly survived the Senate on Thursday, after a passionate debate that included some opponents warning the change could make alcohol more accessible to — or even “kill” — children.
The so-called “liquor wall” measure (SB 106), which must still get House approval, was approved in a 21-17 vote. Sponsor Anitere Flores, R-Miami, defend her bill at one point by saying, “this is not going to kill anybody. No one is going to die if this bill passes or not.”
The issue has led to repeated legislative battles in recent years, pitting Walmart and Target, which want to stock liquor on shelves near other goods, against Publix and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, which have stand-alone liquor stores as part of their corporate blueprints.
Flores called the law requiring stand-alone liquor stores “antiquated.”
Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said the 1934 law doesn’t reflect “contemporary life” in which people can order home delivery of liquor through apps on their phones.
Walmart and Target lobbyists say the change is needed to meet customers’ demands and convenience.
In asking lawmakers to reject the proposal, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, said “large corporate citizens want us to do it (approve the bill) for their own economic purposes.”
Latvala’s comment caused Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, to fire back — in a speech that ended with him dropping a live microphone on his desk — by saying, “We talk about who is pushing it, but we know who is pushing against it too, Sen. Latvala. We know who’s pushing against it real hard.”
Opponents argue the change will impact small liquor stores, eliminate jobs, result in a greater ability for minors to get liquor and lead to more impulse-buying of alcohol.
Sen. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, argued that she couldn’t support “a bill that is going to kill my own youngsters.”
“How can I do this, to come here and vote for a bill where children or the high school students, going to the store when they have a break to eat lunch, and (they’re) going to buy alcohol,” Campbell said. And “while they’re driving back to school and they die or they get arrested for DUI.”
The proposal would stagger the repeal of the law over several years; prohibit new package stores from being licensed within 1,000 feet of schools; and require that small bottles, 6.8 ounces or less, be displayed only behind the counter.
Also, the measure would require checkout clerks under the age of 18 to be supervised by someone 18 or older when alcohol is being purchased and prohibit the state from issuing liquor licenses to gas stations that are not linked with locations providing more than 10,000 square-feet of retail space.
Sen. Frank Artiles, a Miami Republican who called the measure “the Walmart bill,” argued that it would hurt small businesses.
The proposal doesn’t “just stack the deck against small businesses; they ensure they don’t get a fair hand,” Artiles said. “If this bill becomes law, it will decimate the family-owned small businesses, and unfortunately a lot of Floridians will lose their jobs.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: A separate liquor store next to the Publix in University Town Center on West Nine Mile Road. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
House Signs Off On BP Settlement Bills For Escambia, Santa Rosa
March 24, 2017
Northwest Florida counties moved closer Thursday to getting money the state received last year from the multibillion-dollar BP settlement tied to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The House unanimously voted for a pair of measures that would create a trust fund from which the BP settlement money would be available to the non-profit organization Triumph Gulf Coast and set a framework for how the counties most impacted by the disaster can use dollars.
However, the House and Senate must still agree on those uses.
“I think it’s pretty close,” said Rep. Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican sponsoring the bills. “There are obviously some significant differences — the Senate version does have economic incentives. But we’ve done a lot of things that mirror the Senate’s version.”
Both chambers have proposed measures to allocate $300 million of the $400 million received last year to eight Gulf Coast counties — Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla and Walton — hit most severely by the disaster. The proposals would also send to those counties three-fourths of the remainder of the $2 billion the state is expected to receive for economic damages associated with the disaster, which dumped millions of gallons of oil less than 100 miles off the Florida coast.
However, the House proposals go further than a Senate measure (SB 364) by imposing additional guidelines on how the money can be used to market Northwest Florida and to support broad economic-development projects.
Those issues reflect ongoing, larger philosophical differences between the House and Senate on business-recruitment and tourism-marketing issues.
Sen. George Gainer, a Panama City Republican who is a co-sponsor of the Senate proposal, on Thursday said the differences were minor.
“I think we’re like-minded as far as taking care of North Florida,” Gainer said. “As long as we have that common denominator, I think we’re going to be fine.”
by The News Service of Florida
Century Council Members Get Tablets; Agendas Going Electronic
March 24, 2017
New Samsung tablets have been distributed to each of the five members of the Century Town Council.
The tablets will be used to electrfonically distribute council agendas and backup materials prior to meetings, according to Mayor Henry Hawkins. Previously, town staffers have physically delivered agenda packets to council members’ homes, usually on the Friday prior to a Monday meeting.
Hawkins said the tablets from AT&T cost “about $2″ due to reworking the town’s contract with the telecommunications company.
Council members were told that the tablets come with very limited amounts of data on the AT&T network. Instead of using cellular data, council members were told to use the tablets only on wi-fi networks.