Molino Library Patron Quilts Throws For Enon Nursing Home Residents
December 22, 2015
Molino Branch Library patron June Weaver quilted these throws for the residents of Enon Country Manor near Walnut Hill. They were to be delivered to Enon Country Manor residents along with their new West Florida Public Library cards. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sheriff’s Office Seeks Shoplifters
December 22, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the identity of three women wanted for shoplifting at Target on Nine Mile Road. The women entered the store on November 30 and stole merchandise from the store, the ECSO said Monday. Anyone with information on their whereabouts or identities is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Lawmakers, CFO Look At Pulling Plug On PIP Insurance
December 22, 2015
The state’s personal-injury protection auto insurance system, known as “no-fault,” would end in 2019 under proposals ready to go before lawmakers.
Rep. Bill Hager, R-Delray Beach, filed a proposal (HB 997) last week, two months after Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty tossed out the idea of, “Let’s just repeal PIP and do nothing,” as a way to further reduce fraud in the personal-injury protection system.
The repeal idea also appears to have backing from state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.
Atwater, who along with Gov. Rick Scott championed 2012 changes intended to fight fraud in the no-fault system, had maintained as recently as October that time was needed to see the impact of the legislative changes.
On Monday, a spokeswoman for Atwater said that the “time has now passed.”
“Ultimately, it’s a policy decision for the Legislature to make, but two years after the passage of the PIP legislation, it’s time for the insurance industry to bring forward evidence that shows whether or not rates are going to come down,” Atwater spokeswoman Ashley Carr said in an email. “If consumers aren’t going to get the relief the legislation intended, then the time to repeal has arrived.”
Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, filed the Senate version (SB 1112) of Hager’s proposal on Dec. 11. The identical measures would require motorists to have a minimum of property-damage and bodily-injury liability coverage.
Under the decades-old no-fault system, intended to make insurance claims less adversarial than lawsuits, motorists are required to carry personal-injury protection coverage that includes $10,000 in medical benefits.
However, questions have grown over the limits of $10,000 in medical coverage, while efforts to remove fraud from the no-fault system have resulted in more coverage restrictions.
With lawmakers estimating that the average Florida motorist was paying $180 a year for the personal-injury protection portion of their auto coverage, a 2012 law set benchmarks for insurers to lower rates on the coverage. The law also required people involved in crashes to seek treatment within 14 days and allowed up to $10,000 in benefits for emergency medical conditions, while putting a $2,500 cap on non-emergency conditions.
State officials maintained the changes were showing signs of working.
In January, the Office of Insurance Regulation estimated the average no-fault annual payment was about $125.
The state agency also reported at that time that the average medical cost paid through PIP claims dropped 14 percent statewide from 2011 to the first three quarters of 2014, with the average payment down 28.7 percent in South Florida in the same time. But the numbers were still considered too preliminary to show the full impact of the law.
The changes also drew legal challenges.
A Leon County circuit judge in 2013 ruled the law illegally prevented injured people from using PIP coverage to pay for treatment by acupuncturists and massage therapists and limited the services from chiropractors. The ruling was eventually overturned. Still, some lawmakers believe the law will eventually fail a court challenge and have suggested the state replace PIP with bodily-injury coverage.
McCarty said at a Florida Chamber of Commerce insurance event in October that most motorists already have bodily-injury coverage. As a result, lawmakers might not have to do anything to replace PIP, which is also commonly known as no-fault.
“I’m not so sure that I’m ready to move to a more litigious auto system, but I think one thing to consider, particularly if we get an adverse decision on PIP, let’s fix it or flush it,” McCarty said. “We have done everything to fix PIP you could have possibly have done. We’ve had seven sessions on PIP. … A $10,000 benefit, really. Is it worth this amount?”
McCarty added that ending no-fault wouldn’t impact many motorists, as “only a handful of people” buy just the minimum coverage, while those engaged in fraud would look for other outlets.
“We talk about the whack-a-mole. Fraud is rampant in this state,” McCarty said. “Fraud looks for its weakest link. And if you eliminate (PIP), even if for just two years, in two years you would cut the pipeline off of PIP. You’d cut the supply of capital going into PIP.”
It remains to be determined how much attention the legislation will get once the 2016 session begins in January.
by The News Service of Florida
Burglar Gets 15 Years
December 22, 2015
Anthony Tedarian Walker, II, age 18, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Michael Jones to 15 years in state prison to be followed by 10 years of probation.
Walker pleaded guilty on November 10 burglary of dwelling while armed with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted delinquent under 24 years of age, burglary of unoccupied dwelling, two counts of burglary of unoccupied conveyance, eight counts of grand theft of a firearm, one count of grand theft auto, three counts of grand theft, resisting officer without violence, petit theft, and criminal mischief.
The two dwelling burglaries occurred over a four-day time span beginning March 30. During the first burglary, Walker was captured on home surveillance cameras, removing eight firearms, including an assault rifle, and assorted jewelry.
Police recovered six of the eight firearms.
During the second burglary, Walker entered the victim’s home through an open garage, taking the keys to her vehicle which he stole and later wrecked and abandoned. The victim was in the backyard of the home cutting the grass while the burglary took place. Walker was arrested after fleeing from the wrecked vehicle and was caught by Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputies after a foot chase.
Both car burglaries occurred in October 2013 near the Marcus Bayou Townhomes in Pensacola. Walker was linked to those burglaries when found by law enforcement to be in possession of some of the property that was stolen.
No Injuries In Highway 29 Rollover Crash
December 21, 2015
There were no injuries in a rollover accident on Highway 29 in Cantonment Monday morning.
The collision between a log truck and a SUV occurred at Tree Street and Highway 29, at the entrance to International Paper. The SUV came to rest on its roof on Highway 29.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Atmore Man Charged With Attacking Elderly Victim In Shopping Center
December 21, 2015
An Atmore man has been charged with attacking an elderly man in a vehicle in the parking lot of a Pensacola shopping center.
Thomas Matthew Nall, 30, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on a charge of felony aggravated battery on a person 65-years of age or older. He was released from jail on $2,000 bond.
Numerous witnesses told the Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies that they observed Nall, a passenger in a pickup truck, punching the driver repeatedly while the truck was stopped in the Academy Sports parking lot on North Davis Highway. Witnesses pulled Nall out of the pickup truck as they awaited the arrival of deputies.
According to an arrest report, Nall said the victim is controlling and ordered him to place the packages the two had just purchased at Academy Sport into the pickup truck in a certain order. Nall said the victim controls his finances.
Then, according to the ECSO report, Nall began to speak about satanic organizations and that his family is responsible for numerous murders.
The victim refused treatment on the scene from Escambia County EMS. The arrest report does not specify the relationship between Nall and the victim.
Escambia Motorcyclist Killed In Pensacola Beach Wreck
December 21, 2015
An Escambia County man was killed in a Sunday afternoon wreck on Pensacola Beach.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 26-year old Steven Alberto Vasquez Cintron was eastbound on Fort Pickens Road at Sabine Drive when he attempted to improperly pass traffic at a high rate of speed on his 2006 Suzuki motorcycle . He collided with a 2012 Subaru SUV driven by 50-year old Linda Dunbar Thompson of Gulf Breeze.
Clinton was killed in the accident; Thompson was not seriously injured.
Any charges in the crash are pending, according to the FHP.
Baseball, Softball Returning To Cantonment
December 21, 2015
Baseball and softball are returning to Cantonment this spring.
It’s been about three years since organized baseball or softball was played at the county-owned Cantonment Sportsplex on Well Line Road, but baseball and softball will be back in 2016.
In-person registration dates will be every Saturday in January and the first two Saturdays in February from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Details with other registration dates and online registration information will be released soon.
Teams will be available for ages 3-14. The registration fee will be $85.
Donations of new and gently-used equipment will be accepted on registration Saturdays.
More details will be shared on NorthEscambia.com as registration begins and the seasons nears.
Pictured: Volunteers were hard at work this weekend cleaning up the facilities at the Cantonment Sportsplex in anticipation of the return of baseball and softball in 2016. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Claus Visits Cantonment Senior Center (With Gallery)
December 21, 2015
Santa, also known as Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas, visited the Cantonment Senior Center on Wednesday. He passed out gifts and took photos with the seniors.
Pictured: Santa Claus visited the Cantonment Senior Center Wednesday. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘Time Traveling’ Man Crashes Into Building
December 21, 2015
A man that told police he just wanted to “time travel” crashed his vehicle into a building Sunday morning.
The crash occurred about 10:50 a.m. at Advanced Tax Services in the 3800 block of North Davis Highway.
Pensacola Police Sgt. Martez Lawrence said no one was in the building at the time. The man, who was driving a Dodge Challenger, was not injured.
The man was taken to a local facility for evaluation; charges have not yet been filed.
Photo courtesy WEAR-TV3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.