Boom Heard Saturday Night Was From Exploding Target
January 8, 2017
Numerous residents across a portion of the North Escambia area reported hearing and feeling a strong “explosion” Saturday night that, in some instances, shook their homes.
Residents from Walnut Hill, to Molino and even into Baldwin County reported the explosion.
Through a trusted source familiar with the incident, NorthEscambia.com traced the source of the “boom” to an unknown size Tannerite target that was exploded in the Morgan Road area of Walnut Hill. There were no injuries reported and no word of any property damage.
Tannerite is a system used as a shot indicator during long-distance target practice. Tannerite consists of two powders – ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder – that when mixed together create an explosion triggered by the impact of a high-speed bullet. The product is legally sold over the counter at sporting goods stores.
Bondi Says She’s Happy As AG ‘Right Now’
January 8, 2017
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has repeated she’s happy in her current job amid renewed speculation that she will soon take a White House post in the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
“I’m very happy being the attorney general of the state of Florida right now,” Bondi said in response to questions during a press conference on human trafficking at Tampa International Airport.
“I am a member of the (Trump) transition team. And I can tell you I talked to the president (elect) last week for half an hour,” Bondi said. “We talk frequently, as well as with members of his family and the transition team on many issues that don’t involve me. But he is committed to fighting human trafficking in our country.”
Bondi declined to discuss if she had been offered a job or who she would recommend as her replacement if she left for Washington.
“You already have me replaced and I’m still here?” Bondi said.
On Thursday, Bloomberg Politics reported that Bondi, an early backer of Trump’s presidential bid, would soon be offered an unspecified White House job. Bondi has been rumored as a possible candidate to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position informally known as the drug czar.
Flood Leaves Behind Large Logjam At Barrineau Park Bridge
January 8, 2017
Flooding along the Perdido River at Barrineau Park has subsided, but a much larger than normal logjam against the bridge was left behind. We’re told that Escambia County hauled away over a dozen loads of logs on Friday and will return to the bridge on Monday. These photos were taken Saturday from the Barrineau Park Road Bridge on the Florida/Alabama state line. Reader submitted photos by Brian Hall for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Youth, Volunteers Brave Cold For Livestock Weigh-in
January 8, 2017
Youth and volunteers braved freezing temperatures Saturday morning in Molino as the Gulf Coast Agricultural and Natural Resources Youth Organization held a mandatory weigh-in.
The event at the 4-H facilities on South Highway 99 was a precursor to the 2017 GCA/NRYO Spring Livestock show which will be held on April 1. The day included preliminary swine, market goat and market lamb weigh-ins.
The GCA/NRYO Spring Livestock is open to all FFA and 4-H members in southwest Alabama and Northwest Florida.
For more photos, click to enlarge.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Consumers Tips For New Gym Memberships
January 8, 2017
Many Floridians want to kick-off healthier habits in the new year with memberships to health clubs. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today provided tips to educate consumers on what to look for when signing a new membership.
“January is an extremely popular time for consumers to join gyms, and I encourage Floridians to do their homework to ensure they get the most out of their memberships,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.
Commissioner Putnam urges consumers to consider the following before signing a membership:
· Search the “Business/Complaint Lookup” at FreshFromFlorida.com or call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) to check if complaints were filed about the studio and how they were resolved.
· Don’t join the first time you visit. Use the gym first to make sure it meets your needs, then take the contract home and read it thoroughly before signing. Be sure to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something.
· It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid long contracts. Shop around to make sure you know what’s included in the membership.
· Service fees, such as registration fees, processing or start-up fees, may be required. However, it must be considered a “reasonable and fair service fee,” meaning no more than 10 percent of the contract price.
· Use a credit card, debit card or check to pay each month. Setting up an automatic withdrawal from checking accounts may result in problems if there is ever a dispute.
· The contract should include a provision for penalty-free cancellation in writing within three days, exclusive of holidays and weekends, of signing a contract.
Under Florida’s Health Studio Act, health studios are required to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and to provide a bond or other financial security to protect consumers’ funds if the gym expectantly moves or closes. Additionally, if a gym closes or moves its facilities more than five miles away, it must provide access to an alternate facility of equal quality within five miles of its original location at no additional cost.
For additional information on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to verify a health studio’s registration status or to file a complaint, contact the department at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352)
One Injured In Crash With Tree
January 7, 2017
One person was injured when their vehicle struck a tree this morning on Pauline Street near Old Chemstrand Road. The driver of the Ford vehicle was transported to an area hospital by ambulance following the 9:20 a.m. crash. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Atmore Sailor Who Died In Pearl Harbor Attack Laid To Rest In Pensacola
January 7, 2017
A World War II sailor from Atmore that was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago was laid to rest Friday with full military honors in Pensacola.
Navy Water Tender 1st Class Walter H. Sollie was 37-years old on December 7, 1941. He was assigned to the USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft.
The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Sollie. No single vessel at Pearl Harbor, with the exception of the USS Arizona, suffered as many fatalities.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu cemeteries in Hawaii.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time.
The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Sollie.
In April 2015, the Deputy Secretary of Defense issued a policy memorandum directing the disinterment of unknowns associated with the USS Oklahoma. On June 15, 2015, DPAA personnel began exhuming the remains from the NMCP for analysis.
To identify Sollie’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched two great nieces, as well as circumstantial evidence and laboratory analysis, to include dental comparisons, which matched Sollie’s records.
On November 23, 1904, Sollie was the first born child of Frederick Ernest and Florence Vallie McCrary in Myrtlewood, AL. The family lived in the Myrtlewood area until they moved to Atmore in the late 1920’s.
Pictured top: Walter Sollie, who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor, is laid to final rest Friday at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured inset and below: Sollie as seen during his time of service. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
9 Mile Shooting Victim Identified; Suspects On The Run
January 7, 2017
[Updated] The victim of a fatal shooting Friday night on East 9 Mile road has been identified, as the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office continues to search for two suspects.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Allen Ray Elliott was the victim of a shooting that happened in the 100 block of East 9 Mile Road near Holsberry. Authorities have determined that a drug deal turned sour when Elliott was shot. He died from his injuries on the way to the hospital.
Deputies responded about 5:45 p.m. to the 100 block of East Nine Mile Road near Holsberry Road where they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in an area behind Vannoy’s Tires.
Deputies were reportedly searching for two black male suspects last seen fleeing the scene in a dark-colored vehicle. Any further descriptions have not been released.
Pictured top: The scene of a shooting on East 9 Mile Road Friday night. Pictured below: Deputies escort an ambulance from the scene. Pictured bottom: More scene photos. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
‘Mass Confusion’ As Florida Pot Law Goes Into Effect
January 7, 2017
Even as the state prepares to carry out a constitutional amendment authorizing medical marijuana, a lack of guidance from health officials could create a “very murky and dangerous legal area” for patients and doctors.
Authors of the amendment, industry insiders and legislative leaders have called on the Department of Health to clarify what doctors and dispensing organizations can legally do under existing state laws and the voter-approved amendment that went into effect on Tuesday.
To date, the health agency has remained mum, referring only to the language of the constitutional amendment overwhelmingly approved by voters in November and to state laws approved in 2014 and 2016.
Health officials have repeatedly refused requests for an interview with Office of Compassionate Use Director Christian Bax, who has been at the helm since the state’s first pot purveyors started cultivating this year.
Recent questions center on whether doctors are allowed to add to an existing state database patients who qualify under the constitutional amendment, which includes a host of diseases not previously authorized for cannabis treatment.
Medical industry officials and a state lawmaker instrumental in the passage of current laws regulating medical marijuana advised doctors to be cautious.
“If you are suffering from one of the conditions that is listed in the constitutional amendment and you sought medical cannabis for those treatments, you would be working and dealing in a very murky and dangerous legal area,” state Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, told The News Service of Florida Tuesday.
A Department of Health spokeswoman provided little insight Tuesday when asked whether physicians are allowed to add patients eligible under so-called Amendment 2 to the existing database.
“Doctors should probably consult their legal representation to ask that question,” agency spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said in a telephone interview.
Under current laws, doctors may order non-euphoric marijuana for patients with chronic muscle spasms or cancer, or full-strength marijuana for terminally ill patients.
But some doctors have started to add patients who meet the requirements of the broader Amendment 2 to the state-run “compassionate use registry,” even before health officials have crafted rules governing the newly approved amendment.
“I’m leaning toward telling any physician out there to be extremely careful,” Florida Medical Association General Counsel Jeff Scott told The News Service on Tuesday. “I certainly wouldn’t proceed to order medical marijuana under the expanded category of conditions pursuant to Amendment 2 until there’s been legislative or rule-making action by the department.”
Bradley said he plans to shepherd a bill laying out guidelines for the constitutional amendment during the legislative session that begins in March.
In the meantime, proponents of Amendment 2 as well as some marijuana operators are demanding that the department provide adequate guidance to the industry about the proposal approved by more than 70 percent of Floridians in November.
The amendment, heavily bankrolled by Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan, legalized marijuana for patients with a host of illnesses, including cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or other debilitating medical conditions of the same kind or class enumerated by the amendment.
Ben Pollara, campaign manager of the political committee that led the drive to pass the amendment, accused the department of failing to provide clarity to doctors and patients about the impact of the constitutional amendment.
“And until the department issues some serious clarifications, there’s a state of mass confusions with patients and physicians,” Pollara said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It’s creating some undue chaos that needs to be alleviated sooner rather than later.”
Privately, industry operators complained fiercely about the department’s silence on the issue.
The agency has a brief message about the amendment posted on its website, advising that the initiative would become effective Tuesday. The current Florida law “remains in effect and the Florida Department of Health, physicians, dispensing organizations, and patients remain bound by existing law and rule,” the website reads. “Following Amendment 2’s effective date, the Department is directed to promulgate rules to implement Amendment 2 within 6 months, and to implement those regulations within 9 months.”
Another unanswered question is whether the dispensing organizations — licensed by the state to grow, process and distribute medical marijuana — will be in trouble for providing cannabis to patients who are registered in the state database but do not meet eligibility criteria under the 2014 and 2016 laws.
Currently, a patient must have a 90-day relationship with a doctor, who has to certify that the patient meets the requirements for the non-euphoric marijuana or, if terminally ill, for full-strength marijuana. The doctor then must enter the patient and treatment delivery orders into a state-run database.
State law makes it a crime for doctors to enter patients into the database if the patients do not meet the current statutory criteria for marijuana treatment.
Under Amendment 2, patients do not have to be entered into the statewide registry. Instead, doctors recommend the marijuana treatment, patients are then given identification cards — issued by the health department — and “medical marijuana treatment centers” fill orders for the cannabis treatment.
The amendment gives the state six months to craft rules related to the medical marijuana treatment centers, and nine months to start issuing patient ID cards.
“If there is confusion as to who is allowed to be on the registry or not, then that puts the dispensing organizations in the position of potentially selling to someone who is not legally authorized to make a purchase,” Pollara said.
But the head of at least one dispensing organization believes companies like hers do not have to wait for the amendment to be implemented, as long as doctors have ordered the treatment.
“There is definitely some confusion,” Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said in an interview. “I can lose my license if I’m dispensing to someone who’s not on the registry. If I am dispensing to someone on the registry, following all of our protocols, I do not believe that our license is at risk.”
The industry remains divided on the issue.
“Given the significant public interest regarding Amendment 2, it’s not unexpected that there are divergent opinions as to the implementation of the amendment in this highly regulated industry,” lawyer John Lockwood said. “But I would hope that we will not play politics regarding this issue and will instead work to ensure that the will of the voters is respected.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Freezing Cold — Pets, Plants, Pipes And Other Tips
January 7, 2017
When temperatures fall into the 20’s, it is time to take necessary precautions to protect pipes, pets and plants, and check on elderly friends and neighbors.
For tonight’s latest forecast, click here.
Here are ways to stay safe during this year’s first round of cold temperatures, courtesy of the American Red Cross:
- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing body heat.
- Know the signs of hypothermia – confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. If someone has these symptoms, they should get immediate medical attention.
- Watch for symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy feeling skin.
- Bring the pets indoors. If that’s not possible, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
- Avoid frozen pipes – run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent them from freezing. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night to help avoid freezing pipes.
- Do not use a stove or oven to heat the home.
- Space heaters should sit on a level, hard surface and anything flammable should be kept at least three feet away.
- If using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
- Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
And here are a few extra details and tips from ECUA on protecting pipes against the freeze:
- Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This action guards against the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
- Run a trickle of water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run a thin trickle of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.
- Remember the backflow preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water line are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.