Tate Aggies Work Out At Florida State
December 4, 2015
The Tate Aggies worked out at Florida State University’s indoor facilities Thursday on their way to Tampa. Photos by Tina Decoux for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Head To Tampa For State Semi-Final Game (With Photo Gallery)
December 4, 2015
The Tate Aggies departed Cantonment Thursday morning bound for the state 6A semi-final game against Armwood Friday night.
The Aggies started their day with a hearty breakfast provided by Gonzalez United Methodist Church, and then departed the school in grand style following an Aggie Sprit Walk through the student body Thursday morning.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The team stopped at Florida State University for a full practice (FSU photos) before continuing to Tampa for the night. The total mileage from Tate to Armwood is about 470 miles.
The Tate Aggies will face Armwood High School in Seffner, FL, with a 7:30 Eastern kickoff. Gates open at 5:30 Easter. Parking is $2, and admission id $9 with no passes.
For those that not able to make the trip, a viewing party will be held at the school beginning at 6:30 p.m. A live video stream will be available for $10 at TateFootballLive.com, and NorthEscambia.com will have live updates on our Facebook page (click here) and @northescambia on Twitter.
Pictured: The Tate Aggies departed the school this morning on their way to the Tampa area. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
‘Stand Your Ground’ Bill Heads To Senate Floor
December 4, 2015
After stalling in the House, a proposal that would shift the burden of proof to the state in cases involving Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law is poised to go to the full Senate.
The Senate Rules Committee on Thursday unanimously passed the measure (SB 344), filed by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, after adopting several amendments.
The “stand your ground” law says people can use deadly force and do not have a duty to retreat if they think it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.
Bradley filed the bill after the Florida Supreme Court ruled in July that people who use the defense have the burden of showing they should be shielded from prosecution. In “stand your ground” cases, pre-trial evidentiary hearings are held to determine whether defendants are immune from prosecution.
Bradley’s measure would place the burden of proof on prosecutors in the evidentiary hearings and would apply retroactively to pending cases.
“Recently the Florida Supreme Court in its decision in ‘Bretherick v. State,’ in my estimation, misinterpreted legislative intent,” he told the committee. “This bill is remedial and is intended to correct the procedure that the courts have been using for self-defense hearings.”
The bill’s easy passage through the Rules Committee keeps alive the issue after it appeared to die in the House last month.
The House version of the bill (HB 169), filed by Rep. Dennis Baxley, R- Ocala, failed on a tie vote in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
Bradley has maintained that the Senate would keep the measure alive. The 2016 legislative session starts Jan. 12.
“The intention and hope right now is that we deal with this bill on the Senate floor in the first or second week of session, send it over in messages to the House — and would like to see the House speaker take it up in the form that it’s sent over there,” he told reporters after the vote.
The measure heading for the floor includes several amendments by Rules Chairman David Simmons, an Altamonte Springs Republican who noted that he’d helped author the original “stand your ground” law in 2005 and was well aware of lawmakers’ intentions in passing it.
One of his amendments, for example, would require prosecutors to provide “clear and convincing evidence” that the defendant should not be immune under the “stand your ground” law.
“Just to be clear: We are going from (a legal standard of) ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ to ‘clear and convincing’ (evidence) with this amendment, with that burden being on the prosecution?” asked Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando.
“That is correct,” Simmons said.
Sen. Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is slated to become Senate president in November 2016, said he would vote for the amendment, but was uncomfortable with the burden of proof being a lesser standard than “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“I think that’s a core principle,” Negron said. “I don’t care what the proceeding is. I don’t care if it’s a traffic ticket.”
Another amendment removed an earlier provision that defendants who successfully claim immunity under “stand your ground” be reimbursed for expenses if the prosecution violates what are known as rules of discovery.
Bradley said prosecutors had been “concerned about the precedent that would be set if we were to go down that road. … At the end of the day, I think that’s a reasonable position for my friends in the state attorney’s office to take, and so we agreed to remove the language.”
Soto and Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, who had voted against the bill in previous committee stops, supported the amended measure.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Keep The Wreath Green: Escambia County Records First December Fire
December 4, 2015
A structure fire on the 7700 block of Breezewood Circle in Pensacola represents the first red bulb on the “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety wreath. Upon arrival of Escambia County Fire Rescue crews, smoke was noted coming from the roof, and a fire was found in the living room on a large chair. The fire was quickly extinguished.
The structure had extensive smoke damage throughout except for one bedroom, with a door that was closed prior to the fire, and the residents of the home have been displaced. The resident had been outside the home before the fire was noticed. The cause of the fire was determined to be an overloaded outlet, which had a multiple outlet plug with a space heater and lamp plugged in. The resident was using the space heater to warm the house. Escambia County Fire Rescue reminds citizens to turn space heaters off when you leave the room or home.
The “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign is a collaborative initiative with City of Pensacola and Santa Rosa County to promote fire safety during the month of December. During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths will be on display at 23 different county fire stations. Every time firefighters respond to a residential fire, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by holiday decorations.
Photo courtesy Escambia Fire Rescue for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Tractor Supply Tool Thief
December 4, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man that allegedly stole tools from Tractor Supply Company on Nine Mile Road.
Deputies said the man stole $570 in Dewalt power tools and caused about $100 in damage to display cages. The incident occurred on Black Friday of last week, the ECSO said Thursday.
Anyone with information on the identity of the man pictured or his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bill Would Allow Students To Take Computer Coding As A Language
December 4, 2015
Move over Spanish, French and Latin. Computer coding could be on the way.
A Senate committee Thursday approved a bill aimed at allowing high-school students to take computer-coding classes as an alternative to learning more-traditional foreign languages.
Bill sponsor Jeremy Ring, a Margate Democrat who is a former Yahoo executive, said the proposal would give Florida students a “true leg up” in the increasingly tech-driven world.
“We’re not replacing foreign language,” Ring told members of the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee. “We’re saying computer language should be in the language initiatives, in the language disciplines.”
The committee voted 8-2 to approve the bill (SB 468), which is filed for the annual legislative session that starts in January. But some committee members, including at least two who voted for the bill, expressed skepticism about making the change. Opposing the bill were Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, and Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth.
Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who doubles as CEO of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, said he was concerned that adding computer coding would lead to schools dropping other programs. He pointed, in part, to limited amount of time in the school day.
“If you add something, something’s going to fall out,” said Montford, a former Leon County schools superintendent.
Sen. Nancy Detert, a Venice Republican and former member of the Sarasota County School Board, called the proposal “forward thinking.” She said, however, she is afraid the state would not fully pay for it, which could force costs onto local school districts.
“I think this just screams unfunded mandate (to the local districts),” she said.
The bill would require school districts to develop plans for computer-coding curriculums and submit them to the state by Jan. 1, 2017. Ultimately, it seeks to allow high-school students to learn computer coding to satisfy two credits of foreign-language instruction.
It remains unclear whether the bill will pass during the upcoming legislative session. A House version (HB 887) was filed Thursday by House K-12 Chairwoman Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, and Ring’s measure would have to be approved by two more committees before it could reach the Senate floor.
But supporters argued, in part, that allowing students to take computer coding would help prepare them for jobs.
“We should be preparing kids to be successful in the world in which they live,” Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, said.
Ring also was adamant that the proposal would not replace traditional foreign-language courses.
“It is not a replacement. It is optional,” he said. “You can take French, and you can take Spanish.”
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
ECUA: Sanitary Sewer Overflow On Highway 297A
December 3, 2015
According to ECUA, a sanitary sewer overflow occurred December 2 on Highway 297A about 100 feet north of County Road 97. The overflow was estimated at 1,800 gallons, of which 675 gallons were recovered and transported to the ECUA Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility for proper disposal and treatment.
ECUA crews repaired the main and the overflow area was then cleaned and disinfected with a biocide agent that abated any contamination concerns, per State protocol. The Escambia County Health Department, the State Warning Point, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection were notified.
Natural Gas Leak Reported At Ernest Ward Middle; Nothing Found
December 3, 2015
Firefighters responded to a reported gas leak at Ernest Ward Middle School Thursday morning, but no leak was found.
The smell of gas between the cafeteria and gym was reported about 8:30 a.m., prior to students arriving on campus for the school day.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and school maintenance personnel were unable to find a leak and determined the temporary smell likely originated with a vent on the gas meter working worked as designed. The school’s natural gas provider, Pensacola Energy, also dispatched a technician to check the meter.
Three confirmed natural gas leaks did occur this week at other Escambia County Schools — one at West Florida High School and two at Brown Barge Middle School — leading to school evacuations.
Firefighters and school personnel evaluate a reported natural gas smell Thursday morning at Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Passenger Rail Service Could Return To Pensacola, Atmore
December 3, 2015
Leaders from four states are pushing for the return of passenger rail service along a New Orleans to Orlando route….including stops in Pensacola and Atmore.
Amtrak’s Sunset Limited passenger train, which included service from New Orleans through Pensacola to Jacksonville, came to an end along the Gulf Coast due to damage from Hurricane Katrina. The new rail service would breathe life back into abandoned train stations in Pensacola and Atmore.
The Atmore train station has appeared in promotional materials for the city and the town’s chamber of commerce, appeared on t-shirts and been the background for many a photograph. It’s a quaint little building, with a single room, a covered area with two benches and a long passenger ramp. To a passerby on Highway 31, it still appears as it did in in the day when the sounds of “All Aboard” echoed above the sounds of the diesel engines of the Sunset Limited and the Gulf Breeze.
But a closer look reveals the stresses of time on the building. The door to the single small room is missing. It’s nothing more than an empty room holding empty brochure racks. Outside, the ramp sits empty most of the time, occasionally playing host to a mom or dad that stops by to show his children the passing freight trains as they rumble by quickly. The passenger ramp shows great age, with many boards cracked or turned upwards on their ends. Walking the ramp’s edge without tripping can prove a challenge.
Friday morning, Atmore Mayor Jim Staff is scheduled to address the quarterly meeting the Southern Rail Commission at the Battle House Renaissance Hotel in Mobile and explain what the return of the service would mean to his town and the surrounding area.
Staff is one of 22 Gulf Coast mayors, including Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward, that have provided letters of support calling for Congress to restore local passenger rail service. The project is also supported by several regional transportation organizations, including the West Florida Regional Planning Council, the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization, the NW Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.
According to the Southern Rail Commission, the return of Gulf Coast passenger rail service:
- Would provide improved accessibility for the more than 2 million residents in the proposed service area between New Orleans and Orlando that includes a growing senior population
- Would boost Gulf Coast economy by connecting the growing population centers and tourist destinations, and supporting diverse jobs, health care, higher education, beaches, casinos and multiple military bases
- Provides critical evacuation route for Gulf Coast cities
- Provides alternate mode of transportation for more than 5 million people annually visiting the beaches of southern Alabama, alone, with similar numbers visiting the beaches of northwest Florida and southern Mississippi
- Would support growing tourism industry which has increased revenue per available room by 27 percent in the Florida Panhandle, 20 percent along the Alabama Gulf Coast, 10 percent throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast and 51 percent in Orleans Parish
- Would serve the workforce of growing industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical, aerospace, shipping and the military
- Would attract additional sales tax revenue from casino patrons, visitors and tourists
- Will serve communities with very high poverty rates with limited access to transportation alternatives
Pictured: The empty train station in Atmore, NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Broxson Offers Support For Fracking Bill As It Gains House Favor
December 3, 2015
House Republicans continued moving forward Wednesday with a bill that would create a new regulatory structure for oil and natural-gas drilling in Florida, with most of the attention focused on the controversial practice known as “fracking.” In a 9-3 party-line vote, the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee approved the measure.
The bill, which passed another House subcommittee last month, has drawn opposition from environmentalists and some local governments. Cities and counties are concerned about part of the bill that would give regulatory authority about oil and gas drilling to the state, effectively taking power away from local governments.
Rodrigues told the House panel Wednesday that sponsors have been negotiating with the Florida Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities about the issue, which is known as state “preemption” of local authority. As they did during the meeting last month, environmentalists and other opponents argued, in part, that fracking could pose dangers to Florida’s water and create health risks.
“Passing this bill would effectively lay out a welcome mat for the fracking industry,” said Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Miami Democrat who voted against the bill.
But Rep. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze, said oil and gas drilling have long taken place in Northwest Florida’s Santa Rosa County and that the bill’s critics are not from there. “The good people of Santa Rosa County are very proud to say that we’ve done our part in adding back to this country domestic production that has saved the lives of men and women who have had to go across the ocean to protect our quality of life,” Broxson said. “And I’m proud to say that we’ve done our part and hopefully Florida will do its part in the future to keep our economy strong.”
The bill needs to clear the House State Affairs Committee before it could go to the full House during the 2016 legislative session, which starts Jan. 12. A Senate version has not been heard in committees.
by The News Service of Florida