Wahoos Take Doubleheader Over Mississippi Braves
August 20, 2016
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos swept a doubleheader Friday against first place Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park.
The Blue Wahoos won the first game, 1-0, and then took the second game, 2-1, of the doubleheader Saturday against the Braves.
Pensacola improved to 27-26 and is in third place in the Southern League South Division, pulling within 5.5 games of division leader Mississippi, which is in first place at 32-20 in the second half.
In the second game, Pensacola swept the doubleheader Friday in extra innings on a double by Blue Wahoos right fielder Sebastian Elizalde that drove in center fielder Phillip Ervin in the ninth inning, giving Pensacola a 1-0 lead. Pensacola scored a second run in the ninth when Elizalde scored on a passed ball by Mississippi catcher Willians Astudillo to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead.
The Braves scored one run in the bottom of the ninth inning when pinch hitter Johan Camargo doubled to drive in first baseman Joey Meneses but the game ended, 2-1, in the Blue Wahoos’ favor.
In the first game, Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Barrett Astin pitched six scoreless innings in his ninth spot star for Pensacola. Astin struck out a career-high eight batters in the game. He is now 8-3 with a 2.43 ERA.
Blue Wahoos closer Alejandro Chacin earned his Southern League-leading 24th save in the first game and lowered his earned-run average to 1.67 this season.
In the second game, five Blue Wahoos pitchers combined to pitch nine innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and five walks, while striking out 10 batters. Carlos Gonzalez earned the win and is 5-3 with a 3.76 ERA. Meanwhile, Pensacola starter El’Hajj Muhammad struck out seven hitters in 3.2 innings to start the game.
In the first game, second baseman Brandon Dixon led the Blue Wahoos on offense in a 2-3 night with a double for his 22nd multi-hit game of the season.
In the second game, left fielder Phillip Ervin went 2-3 with a run scored. He has 20 multi-hit games this season.
Tate Beats PHS 17-6
August 20, 2016
The Tate Aggies beat Pensacola High 17-6 in the varsity half of a preseason classic.
Tate jumped out to a 3-0 before Tomacrus Moorer scored on a 16-yard run with 2:01 to go in the third. The Tigers scored with 6:53 to go in the fourth, missing their extra point attempt. And Ladarryl Paige had a 30-yard touchdown run for the Aggies with 5:24 to go in the game.
In the first quarter, the Tate Freshmen beat PHS 7-0, while the Tate and PHS junior varsity played the second quarter to a 0-0 end.
The Aggies hit I-10 next week to travel to Biloxi, MS, for their season opener.
Extension Service To Hold Irrigation And Crop Management Field Day
August 19, 2016
Escambia County Extension Services will host an Irrigation and Crop Management Field Day on Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sam and Scott Walker’s Farm located at the intersection of Highway 99 and Melvin Road in Oak Grove.
Topics for the Field Day include:
- Interpretation of Soil Moisture Sensor Data
- Showcasing On-Farm Soil Moisture Sensors
- Mobile Irrigation Lab Demonstrations
- Irrigation Best Management Practices
- PeanutFARM Irrigation and Harvest decision support
- Sesame (SesameFARM)
- Electronic Scanning of Peanuts for Maturity Determination
To register for lunch, contact Libbie Johnson at (850) 475-5230, Kimberly Wilkins at (251) 937-7176 or John Atkins at (850) 675-3107
Citizens Pitches Rate Hike As Water Claims Rise
August 19, 2016
State-backed Citizens Property Insurance urged regulators Thursday to back a request for an average 6.8 percent rate hike to cover a surge in water-damage claims.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, which held a two-hour hearing on the proposal, is expected to rule in early September.
Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier said after the hearing that regulators will take their time “vetting the issue.”
“There are indications in the filing that the spike in water claims is going to cause, in order to be able to make sure that reserves are sufficient to pay for that, you need to collect more premium dollars,” Altmaier said. “So, that’s what the increased indication would seem to suggest.”
The requested change, if approved, would go into effect Feb. 1.
For customers, changes would vary by policy and location.
For example, rates would go up an average of 6.3 percent for inland homeowners who have multi-peril policies, which include coverage for water damage, according to Citizens. Multi-peril policies for coastal homeowners would see an average increase of 8.6 percent.
Wind-only policies for personal-lines customers also would go up an average of 8.3 percent, under the proposal.
Officials from Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, requested that a rate hike on wind-storm policies in their county be delayed for up to three years.
Key West resident Joe Walsh, representing the group Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe County, read regulators a list of Keys residents who said they may have to move out of the county due to rising premiums.
“We have some significant community challenges to having an affordable place to live,” Walsh said. “When on top of that we add multiple years of 7-, 8-, 9 percent wind-storm rate increases, then we create a massive problem trying to retain the backbone of the community, the people that work for a living … the teachers, the cooks in restaurants, firefighters, police officers, the people who coach sports teams. These are the people that are most significantly impacted by the rate increase before you and the rate increases over the past dozen years.”
Altmaier called it “troubling” if anyone has to consider moving because of insurance rates.
Citizens President & CEO Barry Gilway said after the hearing that the regulators were “very, very fair” in their questioning.
The driving factor for the requested hike remains an increase in water-damage claims — initially concentrated in Southeast Florida but now appearing statewide — and a related, politically charged issue known as “assignment of benefits.”
When homeowners need repairs for problems such as water damage, they sometimes sign over benefits to contractors, who ultimately pursue payments from insurance companies.
Citizens and other insurers have lobbied in the Legislature for restrictions on assignment of benefits, contending the practice leads to fraud and litigation. But plaintiffs’ attorneys and contractors argue, in part, the practice helps homeowners hire contractors quickly to repair damage and also can help force insurers to properly pay claims.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers and contractors — none appeared at Thursday’s hearing — also contend assignment of benefits can help prevent consumers from having to fend for themselves in insurance disputes.
Earlier this year, the Office of Insurance Regulation reported the state had seen a 46 percent increase in water-damage claims and a 28 percent increase in costs since 2010.
Unable to get legislation passed, Citizens has made a number of policy changes intended to rein in the water-damage claims.
Since July 1, policyholders need to get company approval for emergency measures that exceed $3,000 or 1 percent of what is known as the “Coverage A” limit, which reflects the cost to rebuild a policyholder’s home.
To receive coverage for permanent repairs, the loss must be inspected by Citizens or the work approved by the company. But if the company does not conduct an inspection or approve the work within 72 hours after a claim is made, the customer would be able to start permanent repairs.
Insurance Consumer Advocate Sha’Ron James said after the hearing on Thursday she awaits responses from Citizens as she continues to review the proposal.
“The questions relate to clarification on some reinsurance issues, clarifications on their water-loss trends,” James said.
The Office of Insurance Regulation will continue to take public comments through Sept. 1.
A year ago, Citizens got rate increases for 2016 after regulators made a few tweaks — dropping a wind-only policy average from 9 percent to 8.3 percent and increasing residential multi-peril accounts from 1.3 percent to 1.8 percent — that spread the additional costs to policyholders in coastal areas.
Citizens, which has reduced its policy count by more than 70 percent since 2012, had 490,862 policies as of July 31.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Judge Blocks Florida Abortion Law
August 19, 2016
A federal judge Thursday issued a permanent injunction against a new Florida abortion law that would have led to increased inspections of clinic records and prevented abortion providers from receiving public money for other health services.
The ruling made permanent a preliminary injunction that U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued June 30.
Planned Parenthood filed the lawsuit after the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott approved the controversial law early this year. Hinkle blocked part of the law that would have required state health officials to inspect half of all abortion patients’ records. He also ruled against perhaps the law’s most-controversial provision, which sought to prevent public funds from going to abortion providers.
Clinics already cannot receive tax dollars to pay for abortions, but the new law also would have cut off funding that providers receive to offer other women’s health services.
“The defendants must not terminate any grant, contract, or other funding device based on the enjoined provisions and must not fail to renew any grant, contract, or other funding device that, but for the enjoined provisions, would have been renewed or would be renewed,” Hinkle wrote Thursday.
Lawyers for the state argued that the ban on using public funds for other services was permissible because it did not impose an “undue burden” on a women’s right to an abortion. After Hinkle issued the preliminary injunction in June, Senate bill sponsor Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, called his ruling “a clear infringement on both the Legislature’s constitutional authority to appropriate taxpayer dollars, and our responsibility to properly regulate medical facilities.”
But Planned Parenthood argued that the law, in part, would prevent women from getting needed health services, such as cancer screenings and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
In a statement released Thursday evening, Barbara A. Zdravecky, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, called Hinkle’s ruling a “victory” for people who rely on Planned Parenthood for services. “For many people, Planned Parenthood is the only place they can turn to,” she said in the statement. “We may be the only place they can go in their community, or the only place that offers the screening or birth control method they need.”
by The News Service of Florida
Tate Showband Car Wash Saturday In Five Locations
August 19, 2016
- Aaron’s on Hwy. 29
- Advanced Auto Parts on Hwy. 29
- Auto Zone on Pensacola Blvd.
- Pizza Hut on 9 Mile Rd.
- Tractor Supply on 9 Mile Rd.
Northview High Volleyball Preseason Classic Results
August 19, 2016
Northview High School hosted a preseason classic Thursday. Teams attending were NHS, Central, Jay, Escambia Academy, PCA, and Excel.
Results were as follows:
Jay vs Escambia Academy 25-15, 25-15 with Jay winning
PCA vs Central 25-13, 25-19 with Central winning
NHS vs Escambia High FL 22-25, 24-26, 8-15 with NHS winning
Excel vs Jay 21-25, 18-25 with Jay winning
NHS vs Central 18-25, 4-25 with Central winning
Central vs Jay 25-20, 25-22 with Central winning
State Attorney Charges Four Members Of Century Board With Sunshine Law Violation
August 18, 2016
State Attorney Bill Eddins announced Thursday that four members of the Citizens Advisory Task Force, an advisory board to the Town of Century City Council, have been charged with noncriminal violations of the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law.
Alfonzie Cottrell, Helen Mincy, Sylvia Godwin, and Robert Mitchell have been charged for having a public meeting that was not properly advertised. On July 26, 2016, a meeting was advertised to begin at 4:00 p.m. The meeting was actually held at 2:00 p.m. preventing the public from attending. In addition, a letter has been sent to the Town of Century recommending changes to their procedures to prevent this from happening in the future.
This case is set for arraignment on September 7. At that hearing, the four will have a chance to enter a plea or move forward with a trial in front of a judge, most likely in one to three weeks after the arraignment. They face a maximum penalty of a $500 fine, according to Eddins.
The State Attorney’s Office investigation began after a July 27 article on NorthEscambia.com “Century Holds Meeting In Apparent Violation Of State Sunshine Law“. NorthEscambia.com arrived the previous day for the 4 p.m. meeting to find the front doors of the Century Hall locked and the parking lot empty. We later learned that the meeting had been held at 2 p.m. The town provided a public notice on Wednesday, July 27 and re-held the meeting on Thursday, July 28.
To read the documents associated with this case, click here (pdf).
A letter from Eddins to Century Mayor Freddie McCall spells out the allegations and recommended actions. The letter reads:
“This office has completed its review of allegations that members of the Citizens Advisory Task Force violated the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law by holding a public meeting at a time other than what was advertised in the public notice. Based upon our review, we have determined that a Sunshine Law violation has occurred. As a result of that decision, we have filed noncriminal infraction charges against the members of that task force. We have also determined that the Town of Century bears considerable responsibility in this matter.
“In this case, public notices were advertised on NorthEscambia.com and in the Tri-City Ledger that the Citizens Advisory Task Force would hold a public meeting on July 26, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. The time listed on the notice was incorrect and should have stated 2:00 p.m. The meeting was held at 2:00 p.m. and concluded before 4:00 p.m. As a result, this meeting was held outside the Sunshine and without proper notice to the public. It is unclear if the problem with the erroneous time was ever discussed at the meeting. To avoid this issue occurring in the future, we recommend that at the beginning of all public meetings, the advertised notice be clearly reviewed on the record to determine that the meeting has been properly advertised.
“It is also apparent that the members of the Citizens Advisory Task Force were not sufficiently educated as to their responsibilities under the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law. We recommend that the Town of Century immediately establish training programs for all individuals serving on Sunshine boards or committees. We recommend that an outside agency such as the First Amendment Foundation be used for the training.
“Finally, concerns have been raised that the Town of Century has not adequately advertised the dates and times of public meetings. We recommend that the Town follow the suggestions of the Attorney General’s Office regarding public notices. These recommendations indicated that all meetings, with the exception of emergency or special meetings, should be advertised at least seven days prior to the meeting. Special meetings should be given notice of no less than 24 hours but preferably at least 72 hours notice should be given to the public. Emergency meetings should be afforded the most appropriate and effective notice under the circumstances. This notice should contain the date, time, and place of the meeting, as well as a copy of the agenda or statement of the general subject matter to be considered.”
Pictured top: CATF members Helen Mincy, Robert Mitchell and Sylvia Godwin during a CATF meeting on Thursday, July 28. Alfonzie Cottrell was not present at the July 28 meeting. Pictured inset and below: The Century Town Hall was locked and the parking lot empty at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July, the time of a publicly noticed town task force meeting.
OB Services, Pregnancy Program Now Available In Century
August 18, 2016
Obstetrics and a new pregnancy program are now available in Century with Dr. Julie DeCesare of Sacred Hearth Hospital.
The centering program follows the recommended 10 prenatal visits, but each visit is 90 minutes long with the doctor. Moms engage in their own care by taking their own weight and blood pressure, and recording their own health data. They also receive private time with Dr. DeCesare, who brings a handheld ultrasound device to check the baby in the womb.
The programs are held every three week at the Health Start office on Church Street in Century. Both Florida and Alabama residents are accepted.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (850) 619-1469.
Peace Out: Century Health And Rehab Celebrates National Hippie Day
August 18, 2016
The residents at the Century Health and Rehabilitation Center recently celebrated “National Hippie Day”. Residents event tie-dyed their own shirts. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.