State Offer Apologies, But Future Of Marianna’s Dozier School Remains Unclear
January 22, 2016
State leaders Thursday apologized for the past as university researchers released their final study on long-buried bodies unearthed from the shuttered Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Northwest Florida.
Now, the state must figure out what to do with remains that have yet to be identified and with the 1,400-site in Jackson County, about 70 miles west of Tallahassee. The site had been put for sale before excavation was ordered due to questions about whether boys were left in unmarked graves after suffering abuse and death at the reform school.
After saying he was “sorry” for the generations of boys who endured whatever hardships may have occurred as wards of the state, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said the state must find a use for the Dozier site, whether it be recreational, educational or even for veterans’ services.
“The status quo is just not an option,” Putnam said. “It would make it worse for it to turn into a caricature of itself, some haunted juvenile prison that just breeds more rumors and mythology.”
The state might even consider some way to memorialize the site, which served as a reform school from 1900 to 2011 and is now locked behind a high chain-link fence. But Gov. Rick Scott and members of the Cabinet did not give direction Thursday after being presented with the University of South Florida researchers’ 168-page report, which doesn’t verify any students were killed by Dozier staff.
One holdup may be the need for a chemical analysis of the site, as researchers located asbestos and other potentially hazardous materials in some of the older buildings and where a dorm fire in 1914 claimed the lives of eight boys and two employees.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the research findings should help the state and community “put these atrocities behind us.”
Scott said “people want to do the right thing.”
There may be additional unmarked burial sites on the property where researchers, starting in 2013, looked for remains. But USF anthropology professor Erin Kimmerle said that unless new information is advanced, “We feel our field work is done.”
Researchers reported unearthing 51 sets of remains from an area known as the Boot Hill Burial Ground. Seven of the bodies have been identified through DNA testing, of which four have been turned over to relatives and buried in family cemeteries.
The rest of the remains are housed at the Tampa university.
Former students at the school, who have told researchers of boys being beaten to death, said any unidentified remains should be laid to rest outside Jackson County, which includes Marianna.
“Do not return the remains to that area,” said Jerry Cooper, a ward of Dozier in the 1960s. “A lot of these children were not buried in a proper Christian manner.”
Dale Landry, president of the NAACP’s Tallahassee branch, favored using a mausoleum at the Dozier site to allow researchers in the future easier access to remains if identification can be made.
The report doesn’t fully verify the atrocities alleged by former students at the facility, which was segregated until 1968 and housed minors for crimes such as theft and murder, along with relatively minor offenses such as “incorrigibility,” “truancy,” or “dependency.”
Researchers found records for nearly 100 deaths among boys ages 6 to 18 between 1900 and 1973. Only 44 death certificates were issued, according to the report. At least 45 people were reportedly buried on the school grounds between 1914 and 1952, another 31 bodies were shipped to other locations for burial, and 22 deaths did not include burial locations.
Marianna City Manager James “Jim” Dean said local leaders want to work with the state to close what is a dark chapter in the community’s history.
The site is on the south side of Marianna, just north of Interstate 10. Putnam once described the site as the “gateway to Marianna.”
Elmore Bryant, a former Marianna mayor, asked if the local community could take control of the land.
“We will make you proud of what we do with that land,” Bryant said. “As Martin Luther King said, ‘It’s never too late to make a wrong right.’ I want to do that.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Pictured top: A trench dug in the search for human remains at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna. Pictured inset: The remains of George Owen Smith were positively identified. NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Scott Signs ‘Unique Abilities’, Water Policy Bills
January 22, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday signed a trio of legislative leadership-backed bills that set statewide water policy and offer more educational and job opportunities to people with developmental disabilities.
Scott signed the bills in his office, ignoring calls by a number of environmental groups and former Gov. Bob Graham to veto the water measure.
“This is a great start to session,” Scott said while flanked by lawmakers including House Speaker Steve Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner. “We’ve started with things that are very important to the president, speaker and other members of the House and Senate. Everybody knows my priorities.”
All three bills, which go into effect July 1, were approved by the Legislature last week during the opening days of the 2016 legislative session.
The water policy measure (SB 552), a priority of Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, calls for establishing water-flow levels for springs and setting guidelines in central and south Florida
The measures focused on people with developmental disabilities have been championed by Gardiner, an Orlando Republican whose son has Down syndrome. One bill (HB 7003) is intended to provide job opportunities and financial independence for people with disabilities. The second bill (SB 672) includes programs that provide educational aid and higher-education opportunities to families whose children have developmental disabilities — or, as Gardiner calls them, “unique abilities.”
Pictured: Thursday, Governor Rick Scott was joined by Senate President Andy Gardiner, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, their families, and other members of the Florida legislature to sign HB 7003 (Relating to Individuals with Disabilities), SB 672 (Educational Options) and SB 552 (Environmental Resources). Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jeep, Gasoline Tanker Collide In Cantonment (Updated Details)
January 21, 2016
[Update 7 pm] A crash between an 18-wheel tanker truck hauling gasoline and a Jeep caused traffic delays in Cantonment Thursday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 35-year old Michael Jason Crabtree of Pensacola was northbound on Highway 29 and lowered his rate of speed and activated his turn signals to turn the tanker truck into a gas station. Troopers said 32-year old William Todd Barlow of Molino was northbound on Highway 29 in 2004 Jeep Wrangler collided with the truck’s trailer about 2:10 p.m.
The Jeep became lodged under the partially loaded tanker trailer. There were no injuries and no leaks. However, there was concern that the accident might have damaged a valve on the tank that would lead to gasoline leak when the vehicles were separated. At about 3:55 p.m., the vehicles were separated with no further fuel leakage.
Barlow was cited with careless driving, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
ECUA Begins Work On Recycling Facility; Recyclables Currently Being Dumped
January 21, 2016
Recyclables from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are continuing to be dumped in landfills with regular trash, but ECUA officials say they are working feverishly to establish process their own recyclables.
Work is now underway at the Perdido Landfill to construct a recycling plant with the plant expected to be complete by mid 2016, according to ECUA spokesperson Nathalie Bowers, providing a permanent solution to recycling woes. An official groundbreaking ceremony on the new facility is expected to occur in February.
“We are committed to recycling and will have this facility ready to go as soon as possible,” she said. In the meantime, ECUA customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are continuing to receive recycling pickups as usual.
“We want customers to remain in the habit of separating their recyclables,” Bowers said.
After the flooding, closure and bankruptcy of West Florida Recycling in Pensacola, ECUA entered into a two year agreement with the Infinitus Energy Park (IREP) in Montgomery. Even with transportation costs, ECUA was making a net profit of a few dollars per ton off the deal.
After the center abruptly closed in October 2015, ECUA began transporting recyclable materials to Tarpon Paper Co. in Loxley, AL.
ECUA stopped transporting recyclables to Tarpon in December when they implemented a $12.50 per-ton tipping fee.
For now, all recyclables collected in Escambia County are being dumped in the Perdido Landfill, and the Santa Rosa County Landfill is receiving materials collected in that county.
“But we will be back soon with our own facility,” Bower said. “We can’t stress that enough as we encourage customers to continue to stay in the habit of separating their recyclables.”
No Serious Injuries In Highway 29, Molino Road Wreck
January 21, 2016
There were no serious injuries reported in a two-vehicle collision Wednesday night at the intersection of Highway 29 and Molino Road in Molino. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Molino Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Tate Names Students Of The Month
January 21, 2016
Tate High School has named Students of the Month for December. They are Brandon Pheabus and Grace Mills, pictured with Principal Rick Shackle. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Senators Raise Questions On Florida Gambling Deal
January 21, 2016
An aide to Gov. Rick Scott got a bipartisan grilling about a proposed $3 billion gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe, but the head of a Senate committee said Wednesday that the agreement may not get a vote before the 2016 legislative session ends in March.
Wednesday’s Senate Regulated Industries Committee meeting was the first public vetting of the deal, called a “compact,” since Scott and tribal leader James Billie signed it on Dec. 7.
The compact would allow the Seminoles to add craps and roulette to their casino operations in exchange for $3 billion in guaranteed payments to the state over seven years.
The compact also would permit, but does not authorize, slot machines in Palm Beach County and at a new facility in Miami-Dade County, limited blackjack at pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade counties and possibly doing away with horse and dog racing altogether while allowing pari-mutuels to maintain cardroom or slot-machine operations, a concept known as “decoupling.”
House and Senate leaders have said that the compact would have to be tweaked to get needed approval from the Legislature, which was evidenced by pointed questions from several members of the Regulated Industries Committee on Wednesday.
Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, raised concerns about the expansion of slot machines in Palm Beach County, one of six counties where voters have approved slots at local pari-mutuels. Latvala wanted to know why the other five counties were ignored.
“So regardless of the fact that Lee, Gadsden, Washington, Hamilton and Brevard have voted to allow slot machines, basically this compact you’ve negotiated said no, we don’t care. You’ve taken care of Palm Beach, but you haven’t taken care of the other counties, is that correct?” Latvala asked Jeff Woodburn, Scott’s policy director.
Pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, just south of Palm Beach, already have slots, something a current deal with the Seminoles allows. Federal law requires that tribes have “exclusivity” regarding some aspect of gambling in order to justify revenue-sharing agreements with states.
“The market already has the competition in that county area” and there is currently no exclusivity in South Florida, Woodburn said.
The Seminoles don’t want to allow slots outside of the two South Florida counties but agreed to add Palm Beach County at the state’s insistence, Seminole Gaming Chief Executive Officer Jim Allen told the committee.
“It’s not to say that one particular county is right or wrong,” Allen said. “When you address this question, we have to … understand the economics that go with a $3 billion guarantee.”
Adding too many exceptions to the tribe’s exclusive rights to operate slot machines could cause the U.S. Department of the Interior to reject the agreement, Allen said.
“When will they say we have crossed the line where we no longer have exclusivity and are paying a $3 billion revenue share?” he said.
Scott’s aides negotiated the new compact with the tribe after a portion of a 2010 deal giving the Seminoles exclusive rights to operate banked card games, such as blackjack, expired. The Seminoles have sued over the card games, accusing the state of acting in “bad faith” about negotiations on a new gambling deal. They’ve asked a judge to allow the tribe to keep offering the card games. The state also filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the games.
The tribe is also alleging that Florida violated the 2010 compact by allowing certain types of card games at the state’s pari-mutuels. The tribe would drop the lawsuit if the compact is passed, Allen said.
Two Miami-Dade County lawmakers were skeptical about elements permitted by the proposed compact.
Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, objected to allowing the county’s pari-mutuels to add blackjack if voters approve the card games through a referendum. She pointed out that voters rejected slots in the county twice before finally voting in favor of the games.
She also rejected Woodburn’s contention that the compact would limit gambling in the state “when you offer a new license and the tribe is going to increase (gambling) by huge amounts.”
Unlike the current compact, the new deal would cap the number of slot machines, table games and live games — like craps and roulette — at the Seminole’s seven casinos, Woodburn said.
“Maybe it’s a cap, but it’s not limiting,” Flores said.
Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami, said she was “disturbed” that the compact would allow another gambling operation in her county.
“This is a place that doesn’t need it,” she said. “You can’t move in traffic now and you can’t find a hotel room.”
Regulated Industries Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, joked that “we’ve got two ‘no’s” after Margolis and Flores were through.
“I would hate to dispute the chairman, but three,” Latvala retorted.
Scott’s deal with the Seminoles would deliver an additional $200 million to $413 million annually over eight years — up from the roughly $126 million a year the state receives under the 2010 agreement.
Wednesday’s hearing on the compact came a day after economists slashed next year’s overall projected state revenues by about $400 million. In response, Scott’s spokeswoman turned to the compact to help underwrite the governor’s priorities — $1 billion in tax cuts — although the extra money from the Seminoles wouldn’t be available until 2017.
Scott “remains confident” in his tax cut package despite the projected reduction in revenue because “recent estimates also show that if the Legislature chooses to adopt the Seminole compact the governor signed, it would bring in $2.3 billion over eight years,” his spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said in a statement Tuesday. The $2.3 billion number represents the increase over the amount raised through the expired compact.
Schutz’s comments weren’t lost on Bradley, the chairman of the Regulated Industries Committee, dubbed “Thunderdome” in homage to the on-screen arena for post-apocalyptic steel-cage brawls.
Bradley told reporters after the meeting that he hasn’t decided yet whether to put the compact into bill form yet.
Its future may rest in Scott’s hands, Bradley indicated.
Scott’s “involvement in this process is necessary if this is in fact going to become a reality,” he said.
The economic forecast Tuesday showing lower-than-expected state tax revenues may broaden the compact’s appeal for lawmakers as they craft the state’s budget, Bradley said.
“…Anything that can be impactful on the revenue side of the ledger, such as adding money from revenue sharing with the tribe, is a very important part of the discussion,” he said. “This all should be viewed through the lens of making the budget balance. I think that, as the revenue projections go down, it certainly does ratchet up pressure to take a serious look about whether we need these dollars in order to provide basic services.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Florida Sheriffs Association Pitches Alternative To Open Carry
January 21, 2016
Florida sheriffs Wednesday proposed an alternative to a controversial bill that would let people with concealed-weapons licenses openly display firearms in public, but the proposal quickly drew opposition from Second Amendment advocates.
The Florida Sheriffs Association, which has opposed the open-carry measure, outlined proposed steps that would provide immunity to people who inadvertently or accidentally display firearms. However, a release from the association noted the proposal “stops short of Florida becoming a complete open-carry state.”
The Senate version of the bill (SB 300) has not been heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. But committee Chairman Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, said Tuesday he’s likely to schedule the bill for a vote, saying, “I heard there may be some good amendments.”
On Wednesday, Diaz de la Portilla said he was still reviewing the sheriffs’ proposal, which the association said would protect permit holders from arrest for unintentionally displaying weapons in violation of state law.
The proposal would require that people intentionally and deliberately violate the law before they could be arrested. Also, it would take steps such as establish a presumption that concealed-weapons license holders are lawfully carrying guns; prohibit people from being convicted if they aren’t given a chance to explain possible violations of the law; and allow the expungement of arrest records under the law if people are found not guilty or charges are dismissed.
“Our proposal protects those who responsibly carry concealed and creates certainty in the law to prevent any unnecessary arrest and prosecution of gun owners who are otherwise following the law,” Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, the association’s president, said in a prepared statement.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, the association’s legislative chairman, added that the proposal “is a solid alternative to opening the door to full-blown open carry, which creates significant public safety challenges for law enforcement.”
But National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer quickly expressed disapproval with the proposed changes.
“My reaction to the sheriffs’ proposal is not only no, but hell no,” Hammer said. “They’ve had five years to do this, to correct problems they knew exist.”
A similar proposal was offered in 2011, and Hammer said her legal counsel advised her not to accept it because it wouldn’t stop abuse of people with concealed-carry licenses from being arrested for accidentally exposing guns.
“My attorney said don’t take that amendment because it won’t work,” Hammer said. “People have a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The Constitution doesn’t say that the sheriffs get to say how.”
The release from the sheriffs association said the proposal seeks to address concerns expressed in committee meetings by Hammer and others about people with concealed-carry licenses being arrested for accidentally and unintentionally allowing guns to become visible.
“In announcing the proposal, the FSA (Florida Sheriffs Association) is asking the Legislature to consider an alternative proposal that closes the loopholes but balances public safety concerns,” the sheriffs’ release said.
Sean Caranna, executive director of the gun-rights organization Florida Carry Inc., described the sheriffs’ proposal as “woefully insufficient.”
“The FSA’s predictions of ’significant public safety challenges for law enforcement’ echo the cries of law enforcement in Texas and Oklahoma before licensed open carry went into effect in those states and in Mississippi when it became the 30th unlicensed open carry state,” Caranna said in an email. “After open carry became legal in those states, law enforcement officials have universally admitted that their fears about open carry passing was all much ado about nothing.”
The House’s open-carry proposal (HB 163) has already cleared the committee process and awaits a floor vote.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Jay’s Stewart Inks Softball Scholarship With University Of Mobile
January 21, 2016
Jay High School’s Michaela Stewart has signed a softball scholarship with the University of Mobile. Pictured with Stewart are the Rams’ coach and her father, Casey Stewart. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Trump Takes Commanding Lead In Florida Poll
January 21, 2016
Donald Trump is “crushing” his Republican opponents in the Sunshine State, according to a new poll of likely Florida voters released Wednesday.
The poll, released by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative, showed Trump drawing the support of more than 47 percent of GOP voters, giving him a 32-point lead over the next-closest candidate, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. The survey also gave Trump a 12 percentage-point boost from an FAU poll in September.
The new poll also showed Democrat Hillary Clinton leading U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders by 36 percentage points and gaining in match-ups against the Republican candidates. The poll was conducted between Friday and Monday, immediately following the last two debates.
On the GOP side, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida came in third with 11 percent, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with 9.5 percent. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s third-place position in a November poll dropped to fifth, down from 14.5 percent to 3.3 percent in the latest poll.
In the GOP primary, Cruz gained six percentage points since November, while Rubio dropped seven points. Bush essentially remained even, with a gain of less than one percentage point.
Although the presidential preference survey had a relatively high margin of error of 4.9 percentage points, Trump’s lead was well outside of that.
With 70 percent of GOP voters viewing the part-time Palm Beach County resident favorably, Trump is “crushing” the opposition in Florida, said FAU political science professor Kevin Wagner.
“The mood of the electorate is very anti-establishment. That’s clear. In a lot of ways, Donald Trump is probably one of the most reassuring candidates to people who are frustrated with the state of American politics,” Wagner, a research fellow at the initiative that conducted the survey, said in a telephone interview.
Trump speaks about “simple solutions” and “gives a commanding sense” that he can accomplish them, Wagner said.
“There aren’t a lot of details in it but, for Americans that are worried about the state of the country and the state of the world, his campaign is sort of the direct answer to that. I’ll fix everything and I’ll make everything the way you want it to be. That kind of message has a strong appeal,” he said.
While Clinton has closed the gap with Republican frontrunners in potential match-ups, Trump and Bush would still defeat the former secretary of state if the election were held today, the poll found.
Clinton has a 5 percentage-point lead over Cruz, up from a three-point deficit in November, and is even with Rubio after trailing the former Florida House speaker by seven points two months ago. She also gained six percentage points on Trump but still trails him, with 47 percent of those surveyed saying they’d vote for Trump, compared to 44 percent for Clinton. With a 3.5 percentage-point advantage, Bush holds the largest lead over Clinton.
Florida’s presidential primaries will be held March 15. Later this year, the state also will have high-stakes races for a U.S. Senate seat that Rubio plans to vacate.
The poll found that nearly half of Florida voters remain undecided in the U.S. Senate race. That survey had a margin of error of 5 percentage points for Democrats and 5.2 percentage points for Republicans.
In the Democratic primary, Congressman Alan Grayson holds a seven-point lead — 27 to 20 percent — over U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. David Jolly has a 20-point lead over Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis.
But 45 percent of Democrats and 50 percent of Republicans remain undecided about the race, the survey found.
Rubio’s decision to leave the Senate opens the door for Democrats to possibly retake the seat. But Florida voters appear focused instead on the presidential race, Wagner said.
“The space for a Senate campaign in a presidential year is going to be very small” in Florida, Wagner said. “It’s possible that the presidential race will dominate the Senate race to the extent that the winner of the presidential race will carry the senator with him into office.”
Pictured: Donald Trump campaigns last week in Pensacola.