Niceville Tops Tate
September 24, 2016
The last time the Tate Aggies played Niceville, it ended with a 21-20 Aggie win that put Tate in the Final Four. But Friday night was a different story, as Niceville powered to a surprising 39-3 win over Tate.
Tate’s only score of the night came on a 40-yard field goal from with 1:30 to go in the first to make it 14-3.
Next Friday night, the Aggies head to Washington High School at 7:30 p.m.
A photo gallery will be posted by Monday.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Pleads Guilty In Federal ISIS Investigation
September 24, 2016
An Escambia County man has pleaded guilty to federal investigators in an ISIS related investigation.
Robert Blake Jackson, 31, of Pensacola, pleaded guilty Friday to making materially false statements in a federal investigation.
In October 2014, Jackson’s Facebook profile contained comments, photos, and videos expressing support for extremist terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). In January 2015, a Pensacola telemarketing corporation reported they recently fired Jackson for viewing ISIL-related and other terrorist-related websites and videos on his work computer.
In June 2015, during an interview with the FBI, Jackson stated that he never posted any pro-ISIL or violent content and that he only used the internet at work to search news sites. At his plea hearing, Jackson admitted that these statements were false.
Jackson faces a maximum of five years in prison. Jackson is currently in federal custody at the Santa Rosa County Jail. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 12 at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the other members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
High School Football Finals
September 24, 2016
Here’s a look at Friday night’s high school football final scores:
FLORIDA
Northview 25, VanCleave MS 3
Niceville 39, Tate 3
Graceville 50, Jay 7
West Florida 42, Gulf Breeze 33
Pine Forest 23, Milton 20 OT
Catholic 35, PHS 34
L.C. Columbia 40, Escambia 20
Navarre 48, Fort Walton Beach 6
Bay 28, Washington 12
Baker 56 Rocky Bayou 6
ALABAMA
Resurrection Catholic MS 21, Escambia Academy 20 OT
Escambia County (Atmore) 34, Hillcrest Evergreen 14
T.R. Miller 34, Tallassee 27
Carroll 21, W.S. Neal 0
Flomaton – OFF
Boil Water Notice Lifted For East Nine Mile Road, Holsberry Road Area
September 23, 2016
The affected area included:
- E. Nine Mile Road, from Palafox St. to Chemstrand Road
- Holsberry Road
- Nims Ln.,
- Holsberry Ln.,
- Tulsa Dr.,
- Sprague Dr.,
- Craft St.,
- Saleta St.,
- Strandview Dr.
- Holsberry Pl.
- Edith Ln.
- Allison Ln.
Results of two independent bacteriological samples have both returned as clear. PBWNs are issued as a part of the standard protocol following any loss of water pressure, whether as a result of planned maintenance activities or unscheduled repairs.Pediatric Dental Clinic Opens Next Month In Century
September 23, 2016
Pediatric dental services will be available in Century beginning next month.
Escambia Community Clinics will open their new ECC Century Pediatric Dental Clinic at 501 Church Street on October 10.
The clinic will provide important oral health care services for children 0 to 20 years of age, and will provide dental exams, dental x-rays, dental cleanings/dental hygiene, dental extractions, fillings and tooth restorations, dental sealants and fluoride varnish, and oral health education.
The ECC Century Pediatric Dental Clinic is now accepting calls for appointments Monday through Friday during business hours at (850) 724-4054. The child-friendly clinic will be open every Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Once open, same day appointments may be available, depending on clinic schedule.
ECC said all children should see the dentist for a dental exam by the time they are 1 year old to help them start off a lifetime of healthy teeth, and tooth brushing should begin by the time the first baby tooth erupts.
ECC Century Pediatric Dental Clinic accepts children covered by Florida Medicaid ages 0-20, children with DentaQuest dental insurance, children with no insurance (parents must complete ECC financial eligibility paperwork and receive approval for ECC charity/sliding fee program), and the clinic also accepts some private dental insurances.
Organizers said Escambia Community Clinics plans to add a medical clinic at the same Century location in early 2017 as well as a pediatric medical site in the old Winn Dixie in Cantonment.
Since 1992, the mission of Escambia Community Clinics has been to provide comprehensive primary and preventive health care to the citizens of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties and surrounding areas, with a special focus on access to care for the under-insured, uninsured, working poor and medically needy. ECC currently provides a wide range of services for both children and adults at eleven locations in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. During 2015, ECC provided over 98,500 patient visits to 32,622 individuals.
ECC locations include a satellite medical location at 748 Highway 29 in Cantonment.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Supreme Court Clears Hunter On Muzzleloader Charge
September 23, 2016
Christopher Weeks donned camouflage and an orange vest and went hunting in February 2012 with a muzzleloader rifle that had been a Christmas gift from his wife.
Then the problems started: A state wildlife officer saw Weeks’ pickup truck parked along a road in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area in Santa Rosa County. And it turned out that Weeks had been convicted of a felony in the past, which led the officer to charge him with violating a law that bars convicted felons from possessing guns.
But more than four years later, the Florida Supreme Court gave Weeks a reprieve Thursday.
In a 5-2 decision, justices cleared Weeks on the gun-possession charge because state law treats antique firearms — and their replicas — different from other guns. The ruling said lawmakers exempted firearms manufactured in or before 1918 and their replicas from the prohibition on felons possessing guns.
The majority opinion, written by Justice Barbara Pariente, delved into the details about what could be considered a replica weapon and, in a key issue, rejected arguments that Weeks’ rifle didn’t qualify because it also included a scope.
“In this case, Weeks wanted to go hunting and, with his wife and his father, researched the law and determined that sections (of state law) allowed him to possess a replica of a 1918 black powder muzzleloader rifle with a percussion cap ignition system. … His rifle was modified only with respect to the attached scope,” said Pariente’s opinion, joined fully by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and justices Ricky Polston and James E.C. Perry. “When the felon-in-possession statute is construed in the light most favorable to the defendant, Weeks’ rifle’s attached scope did not remove his firearm from the statutory exemption.”
Justice Charles Canady wrote a concurring opinion that was joined by Labarga and Polston.
But Justice R. Fred Lewis, in a dissenting opinion joined by Justice Peggy Quince, wrote that scope disqualified the rifle from being considered a replica.
“Although the firearm may have relied upon an ignition mechanism used by similar firearms before 1918, it also featured a scope that was not found on weapons that were available in 1918,” Lewis wrote. “In my view, such a firearm cannot constitute an antique firearm as defined by Florida law.”
Weeks, whose father is a retired law-enforcement firearms instructor, pleaded no contest to the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to three years of probation, the majority opinion said. Despite the plea, he appealed based on arguments that the part of the law dealing with replica firearms was unconstitutionally vague.
The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled in Weeks’ favor on the constitutional issue, spurring prosecutors to take the case to the Supreme Court. In her opinion Thursday, Pariente said it was unnecessary to rule on the constitutional issue because the case could be decided by interpreting the definitions and wording in state law.
In a brief filed last year, Weeks’ attorney wrote that the muzzleloader, which was purchased at a Bass Pro Shop, was similar to a gun from the Civil War era.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Fire Departments Train At Future Beulah Middle School Site
September 23, 2016
Thanks to an agreement with the school board, Escambia County firefighters have some extra training this month.
The Escambia County School District purchased the former Coastal Airport on Nine Mile Road in Beulah to construct a new Beulah Middle School. The school board has allowed the Beulah Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, along with firefighters from across the county, to use the buildings on the property for training purposes.
A groundbreaking is planned at the site at 9 a.m. on October 28 for the new Beulah Middle School.
Pictured: Firefighters train on abandoned building at the Coastal Airport Property on Nine Mile Road. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Winning $66K Fantasy Five Ticket Sold In North Escambia
September 23, 2016
Someone is over $66,000 richer this morning after purchasing a winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket in Davisville.
The ticket sold at the State Line Gift Shop, 11208 Highway 97, was one of three winning tickets sold for Thursday night’s drawing worth $66,188.82. Other winning tickets matching all five numbers was sold in Crystal River and Poinciana.
The 298 tickets matching four numbers won $107 each. Another 8,958 tickets matching three numbers are worth $10 each, and 87,885 tickets holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
Thursday’s winning numbers were 05-11-18-28-36.
Volleyball Photo Gallery: Central Tops Northview
September 23, 2016
The Northview Chiefs fell to Central Thursday in high school volleyball action.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Chiefs travel to Laurel Hill on Tuesday before hosting Jay next Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lawsuit Settled Over Florida Inmate Health Care
September 23, 2016
The Florida Department of Corrections and former prison health-care provider Corizon have agreed to pay about $2.1 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that the state agency and the company denied hernia operations to inmates to save money.
Under the settlement, Corizon agreed to pay $1.7 million to current and former inmates. The Department of Corrections agreed to pay $150,000 for legal fees and costs. Corizon would have to pay the rest of the legal fees and costs, which are capped at $385,000.
Florida Justice Institute Executive Director Randall Berg filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of about 2,000 inmates, months before Corizon walked away from a five-year, $1.2 billion contract with the state three years early.
According to a consent order given preliminary approval Thursday by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, the state and Corizon “continue to vigorously deny all allegations contained in the complaint,” but agreed to the settlement “to avoid costly and protracted litigation.”
The three inmates who filed the lawsuit — Tracy Copeland, Archie Green and Amado Parra — will each receive payments of $5,000, plus attorneys’ fees and costs. An estimated 311 current or former inmates who sought treatment for hernias at prisons where Corizon handled health care will receive $2,733.12, and another 1,637 will receive $519.24.
The lawsuit detailed numerous inmates’ years-long struggles to get hernia operations.
The lawsuit alleged that inmates were repeatedly denied consultations with surgeons or were not allowed to have surgery once doctors decided it was necessary.
The consent order approved by Hinkle also will require the corrections agency to change its health-care policy regarding hernias to ensure that prisoners are referred to surgeons for consultations and that the surgeons’ recommendations are carried out.
“This settlement is one step toward the overall improvement of medical care for all incarcerated people in Florida,” Berg said in a prepared statement.
by The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com file photos.