Century Council Schedules Workshops, Moves July 4 Meeting
June 8, 2016
The Century Town Council has scheduled several public workshops and has rescheduled their July 4 meeting.
The regular first Monday of the month July 4 Century Town Council meeting has been rescheduled for July 11 at 7 p.m.
The council will hold a public meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation on Monday, July 13 at 6 p.m.
And the town council has scheduled budget workshops at 4 p.m. on every Thursday in July and the first Thursday in August.
All meetings are open to the public will be held in the council chamber at the Century Town Hall.
Justices Look At Semantics, ‘Common Sense’ In Slots Fight
June 8, 2016
In a case that could have broad implications for the state’s gambling footprint, a tiny horse track operated by the Poarch Creek Indians of Atmore on Tuesday tried to convince Florida Supreme Court justices that it should have slot machines, even without the express approval of the Legislature.
Marc Dunbar, a lawyer and part-owner of Gretna Racing in Gadsden County, relied on a semantic analysis to try to persuade the justices that a 2009 state law gave the track permission to let voters decide whether slots should be allowed at the pari-mutuel.
The Supreme Court’s ruling will likely affect gambling operations in Gadsden and at least five other counties — Brevard, Hamilton, Lee, Palm Beach and Washington — where voters have also approved referendums authorizing slots at local pari-mutuels.
The Gretna case hinges on the parsing of a 2009 law establishing eligibility for slot machines at pari-mutuels. The 2009 law, which went into effect the following year, was an expansion of a 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment that authorized slot machines at seven existing horse and dog tracks and jai-alai frontons in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
The 2009 change allowed a Hialeah track, which wasn’t operating at the time the amendment was approved, to also operate the lucrative slots. The law in question consists of three clauses, including one that deals with “any licensed pari-mutuel facility in any other county,” outside of Broward and Miami-Dade.
Dunbar insisted that the “third clause” gave permission to counties to hold referendums to allow slots at local pari-mutuels.
“It’s very clear,” Dunbar said. “The Legislature knows the words it uses, and uses them intentionally.”
But Deputy Solicitor General Jonathan Williams, representing the state, argued that lawmakers had no intention of such a massive expansion of gambling when they crafted the statute.
“The Legislature did not intend to legalize slot machines statewide” when it changed the law, Williams argued. The 2009 law allows counties outside Miami-Dade and Broward to legalize slot machines only if the Legislature or a constitutional amendment gives them permission, he said.
But several of the justices were troubled by both explanations of what lawmakers — historically averse to expanding gambling — meant when they crafted the statute.
Dunbar’s interpretation would amount to “a huge turn for the Legislature,” Justice Barbara Pariente said.
“Which is to basically say in 65 other counties, you just have to have a referendum, and you’re fine,” she said. “This would have been a very, very significant expansion of slot machines … and there is nary a mention in the legislative record of this kind of change.”
At the same time, Pariente, along with Justice R. Fred Lewis, seemed perplexed by the state’s suggestion that the lawmakers’ language did not authorize counties to do anything.
“If it’s creating this false sense that other counties can do this, why would it be in there?” Pariente said. “It just seems bizarre that that would be what the Legislature intended.”
Lewis appeared to dismiss the parsing of the statute.
“We can get all wrapped up in all the words and phrases and need an English professor to tell us what these things mean,” Lewis said.
“If we said that it’s an eligible facility, but you can’t get a license, this whole thing makes no sense. Don’t we have to make some common sense with this whole thing that we’re faced with?” Lewis asked.
But the Supreme Court “is the place where words are interpreted,” Dunbar said.
“That’s where policy arguments are made,” he said, pointing toward the Capitol building across the street from the Supreme Court.
Tuesday’s arguments came after the 1st District Court of Appeal overturned itself in October and ruled in a 2-1 decision that the Northwest Florida racetrack cannot have slot machines without the authorization of the Legislature, despite county voters’ approval.
The majority in the October ruling sided with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, which sought a rehearing after a 2-1 ruling last spring in favor of Gretna Racing.
In both decisions, the appellate judges asked the Florida Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue of whether pari-mutuels can have slot machines if local voters approve, or if the games require the express say-so of the Legislature.
“The Legislature obviously was only dealing with Dade and Broward. That’s what they were dealing with. Nobody was standing up and having a debate about 65 other counties. If that had happened, I know a couple of my colleagues’ heads would have exploded,” Dan Gelber, a state senator at the time the law passed, told reporters after the hearing.
Gelber, a lawyer, represents former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that Florida’s Constitution requires a statewide vote for slots outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
The Gretna facility, owned by the Poarch Creek Indians of Atmore and a handful of investors, has been in the spotlight since its inception. Florida officials granted the track the country’s first pari-mutuel license for rodeo-style barrel racing, but a court later decided that gambling regulators erred when they awarded the license.
Gambling regulators in 2014 denied a slots license for the track, built to accommodate slot machines and which also operates a cardroom.
A Supreme Court decision in favor of Gretna would not only affect pari-mutuels in other counties, but could shrink state coffers.
Under a 20-year agreement finalized in 2010 between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state, the tribe has exclusive rights to operate slot machines outside of pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The state reaps about $120 million a year from the revenue-sharing agreement.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Jail Demolition Delayed Pending Settlement
June 8, 2016
The demolition of the Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Facility has been delayed pending litigation and a potential settlement related to the April 30, 2014, natural gas explosion at the facility. The delay comes at the recommendation of the county’s liability carriers, the liability carriers for AE New Jr. Inc. and Caldwell Associates Architects Inc., along with other subcontractors and suppliers who performed the renovation of the basement of the CBD, which housed laundry and kitchen facilities.
The liability carriers, subcontractors and suppliers are proposing a global settlement of all claims with plaintiff inmates who have filed suit and those inmates and correctional personnel who have potential claims for injuries sustained from the gas explosion. Until the settlement becomes final, the CBD cannot be demolished, as parties involved in the pending litigation and those considering litigation must have the opportunity to access the facility to inspect, test and photograph should settlement negotiations terminate or come to an impasse, according to a statement released Tuesday by Escambia County.
It is hoped that a settlement will be reached in the coming months, as all parties are working hard toward that goal, the county said.
Pictured: The Central Booking and Detention Center was damaged beyond repair during a natural gas explosion following flooding on April 30. 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Travel Related Zika Case Reported In Escambia County
June 8, 2016
The Florida Department of Health reported a travel-related case of the Zika virus in Escambia County, and a Declaration of Public Health Emergency was updated to include Escambia County.
The Escambia County case was one of five new travel related cases announced Tuesday, along with cases in Hillsborough, Osceloa, Palm Beach and Seminole counties. A case was previous reported in Santa Rosa County in February.
All Zika cases reported in Florida have been associated with travel. There have been no locally-acquired cases of Zika in Florida.
There have been 171 total cases reported in Florida, 33 of which were pregnant women.
The department urges Floridians to drain standing water weekly, no matter how seemingly small. A couple drops of water in a bottle cap can be a breeding location for mosquitoes. Residents and visitors also need to use repellents when enjoying the Florida outdoors.
Wahoos Remain In First Despite Loss
June 8, 2016
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos continue to struggle on the road going 15-17. Granted they are playing the Jackson Generals, who sit atop the Southern League North Division.
Jackson took a 2-1 lead in the five-game series matching first place teams by scoring four runs in the first two innings to win, 4-1, Tuesday at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Pensacola dropped to 33-24 but Biloxi lost, too, 6-3, to the Montgomery Biscuits to keep the Blue Wahoos a game ahead in the South Division. Jackson, the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, now owns the best record in the Southern League at 38-20.
The Generals jumped on Pensacola right-hander Sal Romano with two runs in the first and two more in the second to go ahead, 4-0.
Romano worked five innings giving up four earned runs on 11 hits and three walks and struck out two. He fell to 1-6 with a 4.90 ERA. Romano was in trouble in every inning except the fourth when he retired the side in order.
Pensacola relievers Evan Mitchell and Kyle McMyne pitched the three scoreless innings, allowing one hit, two walks and striking out three.
Jackson scored when center field Guillermo Heredia walked, went to second on a passed ball by Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth and then scored when shortstop Benji Gonzalez doubled in Heredia for a 1-0 lead. A second run came in when DH Leon Landry singled to left field to score Gonzalez to put the Generals up, 2-0, after the first inning.
The Generals’ Heredia drove a line drive to center that scored catcher Steve Baron in the second inning. Then Jackson right fielder Tyler O’Neill, the May Player of the Month who had a hit in 24 of 28 games, hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored third baseman Brock Hebert.
Jackson’s O’Neill is 1-9 with one run, a walk, an RBI and a strikeout this series.
In the sixth inning, Pensacola finally broke through for a run when left fielder Phillip Ervin doubled in first baseman Brandon Dixon to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 4-1.
Ervin led Pensacola at the plate Tuesday going 3-4 with two doubles and RBI. He’s now hitting .246 on the season.
Dixon earned the Southern League Player of the Week honors but in the two games since is 0-6 with four strikeouts and one RBI. During his six game hitting streak he was 15-24 (.625) with eight homers and 19 RBIs. He got to 10 homers faster than any other Blue Wahoo players in history by reaching that mark in 45 games, 147 at-bats and 162 plate appearances.
Mayor, Two Council Seats Up For Election In Century
June 7, 2016
Two Century council seats and the mayor’s office will be up for grabs in this year’s municipal election in Century.
The town has set qualifying dates for Council Seat 1, currently held by Ann Brooks; Council Seat 2, currently held by Annie Savage; and mayor, currently held by Freddie McCall. Qualifying will be open from noon on Monday, June 20 until noon on Friday, June 24.
Interested candidates can qualify at the Supervisor of Elections Office in Pensacola during the week. In additional, a staff member from the Supervisor of Elections Office will be at the Century Town Hall on Wednesday, June 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to receive qualifying forms.
Council members must be residents of the town, while the town charter requires that the mayor have resided in the town for at least six months.
Primary elections for any municipal office with three or more candidate s will be held August 30. Runoffs and the general election for races where there are only two candidates will be held on November 8.
Pictured: Current Century Mayor Freddie McCall was sworn in during January 2012. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
June 7, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending June 2 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Allgood concentrated his patrols this week in state waters. He issued six notice to appear citations for possession of undersized trigger fish and two for undersized greater amberjack. He also issued several other related warnings.
Lieutenant Lambert observed an individual operating a vessel in violation of the idle speed zone near the Navy Point Boat Ramp. When he stopped the vessel to address the violation, he noticed several signs that indicated the operator was impaired. The operator performed poorly on several sobriety tasks and was arrested for boating under the influence (BUI). The operator was transported to the Escambia County Jail, where he refused to give a breath sample.
Officers Cushing, Manning, Livesay, Ramos, Roberson and Lieutenant Berryman responded at the request of the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) by land and sea to two overdue paddle boarders in the Gulf of Mexico at Pensacola Beach. Approximately 1 ½ hours into the search, the two missing parties were located safely on land by emergency personnel.
Officers Manning, Pettey and Investigator Livesay patrolled offshore in federal waters this weekend conducting fisheries inspections. They documented 15 federal violations for possession of red snapper in a closed season and also documented several other state violation warnings.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Roberson and Lieutenant Berryman were conducting boating safety and fishery inspections at the Navarre Beach Boat Ramp when they observed a vessel come in with improper navigational lights and an expired registration decal displayed. Additionally, the officers observed fishing gear and two open beer cans on the console of the vessel. As the operator retrieved his vehicle to load his boat and while loading his boat onto the trailer, he showed signs of possible impairment. Officer Roberson conducted a boating safety and marine fishery inspection and spoke to the operator about his navigational lights and his expired registration. During this conversation, Officer Roberson became more suspicious that the operator may have been impaired and asked if he would perform field sobriety tasks. The operator agreed to do so and subsequently failed these tasks. He was placed under arrest for operating a vessel while under the influence. He was then transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail where he refused any additional testing.
Officers McHenry, Clark and Hutchinson were patrolling the Intracoastal Waterway near Big Lagoon State Park and observed a vessel travelling towards them in an idle speed zone creating a wake. The vessel was passing other vessels who were obeying the idle speed restriction. The officers stopped the vessel and observed a male subject with four female subjects on board who all appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. While speaking with the male subject who was operating the vessel, they noticed several alcoholic beverages inside of the vessel. After conducting a boating safety inspection and interviewing the operator, it was clear that the subject’s normal faculties were impaired from being under the influence of alcohol. The female subjects had a friend meet them and take possession of the vessel. The subject was arrested for BUI and transported to the Escambia County Jail.
Officer Ramos encountered a man fishing on the beach. A records check revealed that he had three warrants from another state for sexual assault. The man was arrested without incident.
Officers Cushing and Land patrolled both federal and state waters over the Memorial Day weekend conducting marine fisheries inspections. The officers conducted fishery inspections on 45 vessels and found 12 of them to be in violation of marine fishery regulations. The violations included possession of red snapper during the closed season, possession of undersized gray triggerfish, possession of undersized greater amberjack, using reef fish as bait and failure to allow for inspection. All suspects were issued federal citations.
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.
Candlelight Vigil Planned For Fallen Blue Angels Pilot
June 7, 2016
The City of Pensacola along with the Blue Angels Association will hold a candlelight vigil this Thursday for fallen Marine and Blue Angel Pilot, Captain Jeff Kuss.
This Thursday, June 9, a candlelight vigil will be held at Veteran’s Memorial Park to remember Kuss, who was killed in a crash in Smyrna, TN, last week.
The public is invited to gather with candles and American flags to pay tribute to the fallen pilot. Six minutes of silence will be observed as Kuss was the pilot of plane number six.
- Who: City of Pensacola and Blue Angels Association
- What: Candlelight vigil
- When: Thursday, June 9th, 7:30pm
- Where: Veterans Memorial Park, 200 S 9th Ave, Pensacola,
Kuss is survived by his wife and two young children. “We extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the family of Jeff Kuss, and those he served with,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward.
Summer Reading Program Begins This Week At The Library
June 7, 2016
The Summer Reading Club begins this week at the West Florida Public Library and continues through the last week of July.
The summer of free events features a variety of performers, including a balloon artist, musician, gymnastics team, magician, theatre group, reptile handler and juggler. And the more children ages 0-17 read, the more prizes they can earn.
The June schedule for the Summer Reading Club is as follows:
Mr. Bob’s Magic Show
Mr. Bob’s magic show includes mind blowing magic, music and lots of hilarious audience participation.
- Tuesday, June 7, 11 a.m. – Southwest Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 8, 11 a.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 8, 4 p.m. – Pensacola Library
- Thursday, June 9, 11 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
- Thursday, June 9, 4 p.m. – Tryon Branch Library
Musician: Roger Day
Roger Day’s skilled musicianship combines with his wit and wordplay to create a musical experience that parents will enjoy as much as the kids.
- Tuesday, June 14, 11 a.m. – Southwest Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 15, 11 a.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 15, 4 p.m. – Pensacola Library
- Thursday, June 16, 11 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
- Thursday, June 16, 4 p.m. – Tryon Branch Library
Pensacola Gymnastics
Enjoy the Pensacola Gymnastics team as they demonstrate agility, flexibility, self-confidence, teamwork, dedication, and determination.
- Tuesday, June 21, 11 a.m. – Southwest Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 22, 11 a.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 22, 4 p.m. – Pensacola Library
- Thursday, June 23, 11 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
- Thursday, June 23, 4 p.m. – Tryon Branch Library
Dr. Magical Balloons
Enjoy amazing balloon sculptures and original stories as Dr. Magical Balloons captivates and astounds readers of all ages.
- Tuesday, June 28, 11 a.m. – Southwest Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 29, 11 a.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 29, 4 p.m. – Pensacola Library
- Thursday, June 30, 11 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
North Escambia Native Rebekah Bydlak Tops $100K Raised In Congressional Race
June 7, 2016
Congressional candidate Rebekah Johansen Bydlak has announced that she closed out the month of May with over $100,000 in donations from over 200 donors, and over $90,000 cash on hand.
A candidate for Congress in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, Bydlak, 25, would make history if she is successful in the August 30 Republican primary, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and the first female to represent Florida’s 1st District.
“Every day, I talk to people in Northwest Florida who are sick and tired of politics as usual,” Bydlak said, “Our early success is a clear sign that I offer these voters the outsider alternative they are looking for. We need a strong advocate who will cut spending, protect our veterans, and fight for individual liberty and getting the federal government out of our lives. I am that advocate.”
Bydlak, a resident of Cantonment and a McDavid native said her fundraising momentum has continued into the early days of June.
“I am confident that we will continue to raise the funds necessary to support our strong grassroots team that will carry us to victory in August,” she said, “Our many supporters across the First District can be confident that every dollar they have given to my campaign will be spent getting our message to voters as effectively as possible and fighting for the cause that we all share.”
Bydlak is a native of Northwest Florida and a graduate of Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida. She holds a master’s degree in political science and public administration from UWF and spent the last three years advocating for lower spending and debt among the public, elected officials, and candidates across the country as director of outreach for the Coalition to Reduce Spending.
Bydlak is seeking the Congressional seat currently held by Rep. Jeff Miller, who has announced that he will not see reelection.