Don Gaetz Makes Bid To Become UWF President
August 16, 2016
State Sen. Don Gaetz is among more than 70 applicants seeking to become the next president of the University of West Florida.
Gaetz, 68, a Niceville Republican who led the Florida Senate as its president from 2012 to 2014, said Monday that he informed the consulting firm handling the search that he would like to be considered after he was nominated by several people.
A presidential search committee will meet Tuesday at the university’s Pensacola campus to go through the applications and decide which candidates will be asked for formal interviews.
After the interviews are conducted later this month and in September, the search committee is expected to forward three names to the university’s Board of Trustees, which is scheduled to pick the next president at a Sept. 15 meeting.
The overwhelming majority of applicants to replace President Judy Bense, who is retiring at the end of the year, have an academic background and include University of West Florida Provost and Executive Vice President Martha Saunders, who is a former president of the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Gaetz, a former health-care executive, said he is “not a looking for a job.”
“I’m not on the career path from dean to provost to president. I don’t believe I’m due any reward for past services. And I’m not interested in any other job in education,” Gaetz said.
But he said the University of West Florida was “my university,” citing his longtime association with the school, which serves about 13,000 students. Over the past 15 years, Gaetz said he has worked closely with faculty, administrators and trustees to create career technical and STEM education programs.
He said he has helped the school secure some $90 million in campus projects, improve its endowment opportunities and create an economic development fund that has helped generate about 7,000 jobs.
“I even served on a presidential search committee at UWF a couple of presidents ago,” Gaetz said. “I have a long history with the university.”
Gaetz’s bid for the job is not unusual in Florida. The state historically has picked a mix of university presidents that have academic, political or business backgrounds.
Florida State University President John Thrasher is a former state House speaker. University of North Florida President John Delaney is a former Jacksonville mayor.
In an interview last week, state university system Chancellor Marshall Criser III, who came to the academic world after being a corporate executive, cited several characteristics that make a successful university leader.
“They ought to be a dynamic personality who can communicate well with their stakeholders,” he said. “They need to understand how to run and operate a complex organization. And they need to be sensitive as to how an academic enterprise functions and what some of the relationships are that are embedded in academics.”
Although Gaetz knows or has personal relationships with members of the search committee and the school’s board of trustees, including Lewis Bear Jr., the trustees’ chairman, Gaetz said he has neither lobbied nor asked anyone to nominate him, saying it would be “unseemly.”
But Gaetz said people who approached him about the job told him “this university, my university, is poised for a major turn, which could be a turn for greatness.”
The key for improvement, Gaetz said, will be linking the university’s improvement to a series of measures, like student graduation rates and job placement, that will result in more public and private funding.
“What I’m being told is that my background in education, business and government in leading and managing according to performance measurements and doing so somewhat successfully may make me a good fit for the university’s needs now,” he said. “Of course that’s up to the selection committee and the board of trustees.”
Gaetz served six years on the Okaloosa County School Board and then six years as the county’s schools superintendent before getting elected to the Senate. He faces term limits in November but currently chairs the Senate’s budget subcommittee on education, which includes funding for universities, state colleges and public schools.
He sponsored legislation that set performance standards for Florida’s 12 universities as well as creating a category of “emerging pre-eminence” for the schools. Currently, the University of West Florida does not meet any of the pre-eminence standards and was second to last on the performance goals.
“There’s room for growth, room for improvement,” Gaetz said.
With a decade in the state Senate and as one of Florida’s top Republican leaders, Gaetz also has experience as a major fund-raiser, which is an asset for a university president.
“There are many disadvantages to having been in public office,” Gaetz said. “One advantage is that I have been asking people for money for a very long time, not just for political causes but charitable ones as well, including education causes.”
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Smokies Snap Blue Wahoos Streak
August 16, 2016
The Tennessee Smokies took four games of frustration out on the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Monday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos were trying to sweep their second five-game series in its five-year history on Monday. Pensacola’s last won all five games when it beat the Montgomery Biscuits in July 2015.
However, Tennessee starter Zach Hedges threw his third straight scoreless game and the Smokies added 15 hits to roll to a 9-4 victory over Pensacola.
In front of 3,518 Blue Wahoos fans Monday, including Walt Jocketty, president of baseball operations, and other Cincinnati Reds executives who watched the entire homestand, Tennessee also snapped Pensacola’s five-game winning streak. It was the Blue Wahoos longest winning streak of the season.
“Every time we had a good count, we hung the pitch and they didn’t miss that’s for sure,” Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said. “The eighth inning got interesting and we definitely had our chances. Better than getting shutout that’s for sure.”
Hedges, who was pitching in his fifth game for the Smokies, has now thrown 19 scoreless innings in the past three games. He is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA.
Tyler Mahle threw two perfect innings in the rain shortened opening game against Tennessee Thursday night, but he struggled coming back to start the fifth game against the Smokies. The 21-year-old gave up five runs on seven hits, one walk and hit one batter in three innings, while striking out four. He got the loss in the game and is now 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA.
Kelly said it was tough for Mahle to come back after three days’ rest.
“I’m sure he hasn’t done that before,” Kelly said. “He just didn’t look comfortable out there.”
It was all Tennessee at the plate with all nine starters getting a base hit, including 23-year-old pitcher Hedges whose first professional hit down the first base line drove in two runs in the fourth inning.
Leading the way for the Smokies was Lane Adams, who was picked up by the Chicago Cubs Aug. 3 after the New York Yankees released him July 28. In his 10th game with Tennessee he got on base four times and smacked his first home run—a two-run shot in the seventh—and knocked in three runs, which were his first RBIs for the Cubs affiliate. Going 3-4 Monday jumped Adams average from .167 entering the game to .225.
Pensacola avoided being shut out by scoring four runs in the eighth inning off of Tennessee relievers Stephen Perakslis and David Garner.
“The biggest thing to me is the way we swung the bats,” Kelly said, reflecting on the series. “We don’t have to score a ton of runs, we just got to get them (Pensacola pitchers) some.”
The first run came when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde stroked a line drive into right field to score pinch hitter Ronald Bueno to make the score 9-1. Blue Wahoos second baseman Brandon Dixon singled up the middle when the second baseman failed to field his ground cleanly, allowing center fielder Jeff Gelalich to score from second base to trail the Smokies, 9-2.
Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej then smacked a high fly ball to left field and Smokies left fielder Kelly Dugan fell down chasing the ball. It was ruled a double—his 23rd of the season—and drove in both Elizalde and Dixon to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 9-4.
Elizalde went 3-4 with an RBI for his 25th multi-hit game and fifth three-hit game. He has two more hits in seven of his last 10 games and is hitting .269 on the season.
The Blue Wahoos, who were the first half champions, fell to 25-25 in the second half. They will start a five-game series at the Mississippi Braves ballpark on Wednesday.
No Injuries In Nine Mile Road Crash
August 16, 2016
There were no injuries in a two vehicle crash Monday afternoon on Nine Mile Road at Pine Forest Road, in front of Publix. Everyone involved in the accident refused medical transport to the hospital. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
One Airlifted After Four Vehicle Cantonment Crash
August 15, 2016
One person was airlifted to an area hospital after a four-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 297A and West Kingsfield Road Monday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 35-year old Dwane Hendley of Montgomery was southbound in an AT&T cargo van on Highway 297A when he ran a stop sign at Kingsfield Road and hit a 2007 Kia Sportage driven by 54-year old Angela Miller of Pensacola and a 2000 Toyota Sienna driven by 60-year old Thomas Starks of Cantonment. Starks’ Sienna was forced back into a Toyota Camry driven by 33-year old Aprill Christopher of Cantonment.
Miller was trapper in her vehicle for about half an hour while firefighters worked to free her. She was airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition.
Hendley, Miller’s 11-year old passenger, Starks and Christopher received minor injuries.
Hendley was cited for the violation of a traffic control device.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Highway 29, North Tate School Road Crash
August 15, 2016
One person was injured in a two vehicle rollover crash on Highway 29 at Tate School Road Monday afternoon.
The injured person was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered to be life threatening. Two other people involved in the crash refused medical transport.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
August 15, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending August 11 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Lieutenant Hahr was patrolling in the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) when he observed four adults smoking a cannabis cigarette. A search of their belongings revealed a bag of cannabis and a cannabis roach. They were each charged with possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Lewis was on forest patrol in Blackwater River State Forest at a primitive campsite when he observed a man and a woman sitting in a creek sharing what appeared to be a cannabis cigarette. Officer Lewis also observed them drinking beer from glass bottles. Alcoholic beverages and glass containers are prohibited in the area they were in. Officer Lewis observed the adult male toss what they were smoking into the water and immediately approached the subjects. He explained to them that alcoholic beverages and glass bottles were prohibited in the area they were in. He also explained to them that they appeared to be smoking cannabis. The female subject said that the male subject passed her a cigarette to smoke. Officer Lewis thought that was odd because she was almost finished smoking a cigarette as he spoke with her. He asked where the female’s cigarettes were and she retrieved a small bag from a larger bag. She gave Officer Lewis permission to search the bag and he found two smoked cannabis cigarettes. Officer Lewis searched the large bag the small bag was in and found various paraphernalia items containing methamphetamine. The female subject voluntarily stated all the illegal drugs belonged to her. Officer Lewis arrested the female subject and booked her into the Sarasota County Jail for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of cannabis not more than 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Officer Lewis received a complaint in Blackwater River State Forest in reference to dumped garbage on a forest road. Officer Lewis met the complainant at the dump site and the complainant gave him an article with a name and address on it that was found in the garbage. Officer Lewis was able to ascertain who dumped the garbage, and cited them for littering not more than 15 pounds.
Officer Lewis received a complaint about two Jeeps tearing up the road in the Hutton Unit WMA. Officer Lewis entered the WMA and was met by two Jeeps fitting the description of the complaint. Officer Lewis stopped the Jeeps, and explained to the drivers that there was a complaint about Jeeps tearing up the roads in the area. One of the drivers said that they were doing donuts because they did not think it would be a problem. The driver showed Officer Lewis where they were tearing up the roadway. The complainant identified the drivers of the Jeeps and gave Officer Lewis a written statement. Officer Lewis charged the drivers with destruction of public lands by motor vehicles.
Lieutenant Hahr checked a fisherman returning from fishing with six largemouth bass. The man admitted to catching all of them and was charged with taking over the bag limit of bass.
Officer Land witnessed an individual fishing by himself at the Oriole Beach Boat Ramp during an evening patrol in Gulf Breeze, and approached the individual to inspect his catch. There were multiple fishing poles with lines in the water, a crab net, and a five-gallon bucket. Officer Land asked the man if he had caught anything, and he replied that he had not. The officer then looked into the bucket beside the fisherman, and saw blue crab and stone crab in whole condition. The man stated that the crabs were not his and he was not fishing. The illegal stone crab was photographed and the man was issued a notice to appear. After signing for his citation, the man loaded the fishing poles, crab net, and bucket into his vehicle and left the area. The stone crab was still alive and released back to the water.
While on patrol in Blackwater Bay, Officers Land and Lewis conducted a fisheries inspection of a vessel they saw actively fishing. There were two men on board and when asked about their catch, the captain of the vessel said they had caught some mullet and a sandbar shark. Upon inspection, the officers located the head of a small bull shark. All sharks must be landed in whole condition, and bull sharks must measure at least 54 inches to the fork of their tail. The captain of the vessel was issued a notice to appear for the violation.
Officers Jones, Roberson, and Hughes responded to a complaint from Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) officials of a group who were in possession of large sacks of palmetto berries. The officers arrived to find six males in a pickup truck loaded with freshly picked palmetto berries. They had no permit to harvest and no required permits to be on Eglin AFB lands. All claimed they did not speak English and only the driver produced identification. An investigation ensued which included assistance from a trooper who spoke Spanish and a trooper with rapid identification capability. One individual, the driver and apparent head of the group, was charged with removing vegetation from the Eglin WMA and for having no permit to be on Eglin AFB lands. One member of the group was arrested on an outstanding warrant and transported to Santa Rosa County Jail.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Incumbents Lead Campaign Fundraising In District 5
August 15, 2016
Incumbent Escambia Commission member Steven Barry and incumbent ECUA board member Larry Walker are leading the campaign fundraising in District 5. Here are the latest numbers reported by the candidates, as of reports that were due at midnight last Friday:
Escambia Commission, District 5
Steven Barry had received $26,486 in contributions, including $15,500 of his own money. Barry received $2,582 of in-kind contributions. He had spent $14,100.08, resulting in a campaign account balance of $12,385.92. His largest expenditures to date were for t-shirts and signs.
Daniel J. Smillie received $9,650.00 in contributions, including $6,000 of his own money. He also received $176.61 of in-kind contributions. As of the last report, Smillie had spent $7,675.98. His largest expenditures were for signs and magnets, and $2,600 for a video on BLAB-TV. He had a campaign fund balance of $1,974.02
ECUA, District 5
Larry Walker reported $14,041.43 in contributions, including $5,000 of his own money. He also had $1,581 of in-kind contributions and $10,565.11 of expenditures. His campaign had a balance of $3,476.32.
Jim Taylor reported $8,745 in contributions including $1,500 of his own money. He also received $725 of in-kind contributions and had expenditures of $8,124.40 for a balance of $620.60.
James Hunt reported a campaign loan to himself of $50 and $14.98 in expenditures for promotion cards, for a balance of $35.02
William Fink has reported no contributions and no expenditures.
One other District 5 candidate, Bill Slayton, is unopposed in his re-election bid to the Escambia County School Board.
Busy Highways Keep Flomaton Police Busy With Drug Arrests
August 15, 2016
Flomaton may be a small town with less than 1,500 residents, but it has a big time problem with drugs transported though the town on major thoroughfares, according to Police Chief Bryan Davis.
“It’s everywhere. With Flomaton having Highway 31, Highway 29, Highway 113 — which all are major four lane highways coming into Flomaton – we see it more. The issue that we face is having the time to properly work it. Flomaton sees an average between 13,000 to 17,000 vehicles per day. This brings the drugs,” Davis said.
The Flomaton Police Department made several drug busts over the weekend, including one local man. Calem Shane Robinson (pictured top), 32, of Flomaton was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance methamphetamine and DUI controlled substance.
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Two people from Georgia were arrested on drug charge Friday. John William Reeves (above right) was charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance – methamphetamines, DUI controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and no seat belt. Brittany Marie Walton (above left) was also charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
And Flomaton Police also arrested Theautry W Cooper (pictured left), 36, of Eldridge, IA, for unlawful possession of a controlled substance oxycodone, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, carry concealed weapon, DUI and driving while license revoked.
Items seized from Cooper’s traffic stop are pictured below.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘We Back The Blue’
August 15, 2016
“We Back The Blue” yard signs are appearing across the North Escambia area to show support for local law enforcement. This sign is on Mayo Street near Hecker Road in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
State Says Abortion Waiting Period Does Not Infringe On Rights
August 15, 2016
Trying to move forward with a requirement that women wait 24 hours before having abortions, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office has filed a brief at the Florida Supreme Court saying such a waiting period “does not significantly burden the right to privacy.”
The brief is part of a more than year-long legal dispute about a 2015 law that would require 24-hour waiting periods.
A Leon County circuit judge last year approved an injunction that blocked the state from carrying out the law, but the 1st District Court of Appeal in February overturned that ruling. The Supreme Court agreed in May to take up the case after earlier issuing a stay that at least temporarily halted the waiting-period requirement.
In a 49-page brief, Bondi’s office argued that 1st District Court of Appeal had ruled correctly when it rejected the “faulty injunction” by the lower-court judge. The brief also said the law does not restrict abortion rights or women’s privacy rights.
“The new law justifiably protects pregnant women from undergoing serious procedures without some minimal private time to reflect on the risks and consequences of the abortion. … The abortion decision involves deeply personal considerations, and a brief reflection period is a reasonable and minimally intrusive means of ensuring that informed consent to abortion is knowing and voluntary,” the brief said.
But in a brief filed in May, abortion-rights advocates asked the Supreme Court to block the law, saying in part that the waiting-period requirement “only imposes greater burden, stigma, and delay — and communicates the state’s condescending message that a woman seeking an abortion, alone among patients, is unable to decide for herself when she is ready to make an informed decision about her medical care.”
Justices have not scheduled arguments in the case.