Poarch Creek Indians Open Revamped, Expanded Montgomery Casino
December 2, 2015
Wind Creek Montgomery, a dramatically revamped expansion of the former Creek Casino Montgomery, opened Tuesday.
“I cannot adequately express how proud I feel today, when big plans and big dreams have finally come to fruition,” said Stephanie Bryan, Tribal chair/CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which owns Wind Creek Montgomery, Wind Creek Wetumpka and Wind Creek Atmore. “The brick and mortar before us is certainly a milestone for the Poarch Creek Indians, but it also represents a team of people – both Tribal and non-Tribal – who worked together hand-in-hand to reach a common goal.”
The property represents a $65 million investment and includes a new 65,000-foot gaming floor, three restaurants with 10,000 feet of dining space, a deluxe swimming pool, a salon and barbershop, and a soon-to-be opened hotel with 123 luxury rooms on 5 floors.
“Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Montgomery is another win for our tribe and our state,” said Tim Martin, president and CEO of Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority, that oversaw development of the property. “It brings to the Montgomery market family-friendly entertainment that features the best of the South and celebrates our past while embracing the future.”
“Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Montgomery is another win for our Tribe and our State,” said Tim Martin, President and CEO of Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority, that oversaw development of the property. “It brings to the Montgomery market family-friendly entertainment that features the best of the South and celebrates our past while embracing the future,” Martin noted.
Pictured: The Poarch Creek Indians opened the revamped Wind Creek Montgomery on Tuesday. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Prison Health Firm’s Exit Leaves State Looking For Answers
December 2, 2015
Florida prisons chief Julie Jones is considering hiring temp agencies to fill in the gap after Corizon Health officials decided to walk away from the largest prison health-care contract in the country.
Officials from Tennessee-based Corizon put Jones on notice Monday they intend to leave Florida — and a five year, $1.2 billion contract — as of May 31 because the agreement is “too constraining.”
And, even though the company is fleeing the state years ahead of schedule, Corizon hasn’t done anything that would keep it from participating in the forthcoming invitation to negotiate, or ITN, for a new contract, Jones told The News Service of Florida on Tuesday.
“What they have done in exercising a legal element in their existing contract, that does not preclude them from trying to re-bid on parts of the new ITN. It just depends on how they score out against other vendors,” she said.
The possibility that the private provider — which cares for about three-fourths of the state’s 100,000 inmates — could be in the running for another deal left top Republican lawmakers who oversee prisons incredulous.
“If you drop out on a contract, and you’re telling me that you’re not man enough to honor the contract that you entered into and now you want the state of Florida to turn around and allow you to bid again? No. Personally, for me, that dog don’t run,” said Senate Criminal Justice Chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker.
Corizon, which hasn’t ruled out responding to the ITN, should be barred from participating, said House Criminal Justice Chairman Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami.
“Absolutely. We had a contractual agreement with them and they chose to opt out and move in a different direction. Given their quality outcomes, I just don’t think they’re a good partner for the state,” Trujillo, R-Miami, said.
The ITN, which is a relatively common contracting method in state government, is expected to be released before the end of the month, but new contracts won’t go into effect until mid-2017, according to Jones. That will leave the Department of Corrections with a gap in providing health services after Corizon leaves.
Jones intends to use health-care companies that provide temporary services for hospitals and other parts of the health-care industry to bridge the gap. The department will “have a third party gather up as many of the current Corizon employees as possible,” she said.
“So it’s important, not only for me to get a seamless supply of adequate health care for these inmates, but it’s also important to me to make sure that we keep all of these folks employed,” Jones said. “Because they used to be our employees prior to Corizon coming.”
Corizon has been under fire from lawmakers and attorneys representing inmates who accuse the company of routinely providing inadequate care since taking over services in most of the prisons in the central and northern portions of the state two years ago.
Lawyers for Florida inmates in September filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Corrections and Corizon, alleging that the state agency and the company were denying hernia operations to save money.
Less than four months before Gov. Rick Scott was re-elected in 2014, former Corrections Secretary Michael Crews quietly agreed to pay Corizon and another prison health-care firm, Wexford Health Sources, an additional $3.2 million to stay on the job for another year. Scott had pushed for privatization of the prison health-care services.
Two months after he inked the contract amendments, Crews threatened to stop payments to Corizon, saying the company failed to follow through after audits revealed shortcomings in multiple areas, including medical care, nursing and staffing.
The corrections department has fined Corizon nearly $70,000 in liquidated damages so far this year, according to agency spokesman McKinley Lewis.
What could have ultimately been the final straw for Corizon was whether the company’s payments should be adjusted annually according to changes in the Consumer Price Index. While its contract made allowances for such hikes, any increases would have to be approved by the Legislature, which has been inconsistent in authorizing partial increases for Corizon and never approved a full Consumer Price Index hike — as much as 4 percent — since the contract went into effect.
The failure to get the increase was “distressing” to Corizon, Jones said.
“Their concern was that their escalating costs for personnel and for drugs was increasing and they were not being compensated for it,” she said. “Now, that’s on them. I told them from day one that you agreed to this and there was no agreement that you were going to get CPI. But a significant driving force in terminating the contract with Florida was no CPI.”
Jones said Corizon executives initially told her they were losing at least $1 million per month on the contract.
“I told them weeks ago that going forward, if they were going to continue with us, that I would go and ask (the Legislature) for the money to cover their costs, basically,” she said. “I asked them how much are you losing. The original figure they gave me was $1 million. But in the meeting yesterday afternoon, they said it was much more than that a month and that’s why they finally just threw in the towel. They didn’t want to wait to see if the Legislature was going to give them the extra funding. It was a business decision, pure and simple.”
Jones described her relationship with Corizon executives, who met with her on a weekly basis, as “collegial,” and spoke of the company’s decision to exit the state without animosity.
Jones said she met in her office on Monday with Corizon executives, who told her of their intent to terminate the contract early. The company’s board of directors made the decision to pull out of Florida during a meeting less than two weeks ago.
She acknowledged that its contract with Florida may not have reaped the benefits Corizon anticipated.
“I do believe that they were losing money. Now, how much money, I have no way of knowing. And level of profit … I don’t know how much profit they’ve made on this contract and I don’t know what their expectations were,” she said. “But a private company like this, they have investors. I think those were the people that were making those decisions.”
A spokeswoman for Corizon would not respond directly to questions about the company’s finances or if it was losing money on the deal.
“We just made a decision to exercise the 180 days clause that’s allowed in the contract,” spokeswoman Martha Harbin said Tuesday.
Critics of the current system say that it is time for the state to resume providing health care for inmates.
“I think privatization in this particular area has just been a disaster. I think it will continue to be a disaster as long as they attempt to contract with private companies like Corizon,” said Florida Justice Institute Executive Director Randall Berg, who is representing inmates on the class-action lawsuit related to hernia care.
It’s not the first time Florida has been left holding the bag.
In 2006, Prison Health Services — which later merged with a company that became Corizon — gave the state 90 days notice that it was quitting a contract for inmate health care less than eight month after the job started. The company said it was terminating the contract because of unexpected costs after the state refused to increase its payments, according to a legislative analysis written in 2010.
Florida lawmakers outsourced health care for inmates throughout the state in 2011 as part of the language in the state budget. Lawsuits kept the privatization switch on hold until 2013, when Corizon took over health care for the majority of the state’s prisoners. Wexford is being paid about $240 million to handle the rest of the inmates.
A month after taking over the helm of the Department of Corrections in January, Jones announced that she would re-bid prison health contracts with Wexford and Corizon through the procurement process known as an invitation to negotiate. Through that process, the department indicated it wanted to address issues such as staffing, mental-health services and the use of electronic health records.
Jones said Tuesday she is uncertain whether she will grant a contract to a single provider or parcel out the services.
“We are going to allow vendors to bid on a part of the state or a service or the entire state. That’s the beauty of the ITN process. It really puts the vendor in the driver’s seat as to what their specialty is, rather than having a company come in and try to backfill on something that is so big and then not be able to accommodate all of the services, which is pretty much what happened with Corizon,” Jones said. “We’re going to look very carefully at these vendors and see what their capabilities are and make sure that they don’t stretch beyond their capabilities.”
Pictured: Inmate medical facilities inside the Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Florida Supreme Court To Decide On Poarch Creek Horse Track Slot Machines
December 2, 2015
The Florida Supreme Court will decide whether a Gadsden County racetrack owned by the Poarch Creek Indians of Atmore should be allowed to have slot machines without the express permission of the Legislature, in a case with widespread implications for gambling throughout the state.
The court on Tuesday accepted jurisdiction in the Gretna Racing case after a split appellate court reversed itself on the issue in October.
In the October 2 decision, the 1st District Court of Appeal ruled that the Northwest Florida racetrack cannot have slot machines without the authorization of the Legislature, even though voters in the county approved the lucrative slots.
A majority of a three-judge panel sided with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, which sought a rehearing after a 2-1 ruling this 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 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.
State regulators have denied applications for slots in four counties, and the Palm Beach Kennel Club has an appeal pending. Tracks in Lee and Brevard counties were expected to appeal as well.
In Tuesday’s order, the Supreme Court gave Gretna Racing’s lawyers until Dec. 21 to file initial briefs in the case. The state must file its response within 20 days, and Gretna has another 20 days after that to reply. Tuesday’s order also said the court would schedule oral arguments separately.
Most industry insiders expected the Supreme Court to take up the case.
“I would have been surprised if they had denied it,” said Phil Padovano, a lawyer who retired from the 1st District Court of Appeal earlier this year. Padovano may represent one of the interested parties in the Gretna case in the future.
“Here you have a 2-1 (appellate) decision with a very strong dissent, a very well-reasoned dissent. I’m not saying that the court’s going to agree with that, but it doesn’t surprise me that the court would want to take a look at this and answer the question,” he said.
The rare reversal in the Gretna case came after Judge Nikki Ann Clark, who joined Judge Robert T. Benton in May’s majority opinion, retired while the request for rehearing was pending. The May ruling would have given the small Gadsden County facility permission to add slot machines.
The appellate court decided against granting Bondi’s request for an “en banc,” or hearing before the full appeals court, in favor of a rehearing before a three-judge panel with a new member. Judge Ross L. Bilbrey in October joined the 32-page majority opinion authored by Judge Scott Makar, who wrote a scathing dissent in May.
The unusual procedural history of the case probably had little impact on the justices’ decision to consider the broader question, Padovano said.
“I don’t think it’s a very positive thing for the 1st District to be reversing itself by nothing more than a change in court personnel. But I don’t think that really had a lot to do with it. It seems to me, and this is just my opinion, but if the court thought that this was clearly the right decision, they might have been more inclined to simply deny review. I’m not saying that they won’t ultimately think it’s the right decision. They might. But the decision to accept review basically just says that they think there’s a serious enough question there to be investigated and to be decided in the Supreme Court,” he said.
The Gretna facility, owned by the Poarch Creek Indians and a handful of investors, has been mired in controversy 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.
The Gretna case hinges on a semantic analysis 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 counties outside of Broward and Miami-Dade.
State regulators last year denied the Gretna racetrack a slots license, arguing the Department of Business and Professional Regulation was “not authorized to issue a slot machine license to a pari-mutuel facility in a county which … holds a countywide referendum to approve such machines, absent a statutory or constitutional provision enacted after July 1, 2010, authorizing such a referendum.” The agency justified its decision with a non-binding opinion by Bondi.
Lawyers for Gretna argued that the statute does not include the word “enacted,” and other counties do not need prior authorization from the Legislature to get the requisite voter approval for slots.
“We are obviously pleased and are looking forward to discussing the rules of English grammar and stare decisis with the Supreme Court soon,” Marc Dunbar, a lawyer representing the Gretna racetrack who is also one of its owners, said in an email Tuesday. “Stare decisis” is a legal term referring to the policy of courts to abide by principles established by precedent.
In the October ruling, Makar wrote that Bondi’s interpretation of the law was “spot on.”
“The alternative view, which would restructure the statute and change its meaning to allow slot machines to be deployed on a statewide basis without any clear authority to do so, is inconsistent with principles of statutory and constitutional construction, legislative intent, and the history of laws prohibiting slot machines in the state of Florida,” he wrote.
But in a strongly-worded dissent, Judge Robert T. Benton — who authored the May opinion that would have granted slots to the Gretna facility — argued that gambling regulators’ interpretation of the law “would render superfluous the entire third clause” of the statute that deals with “any licensed pari-mutuel facility in any other county.”
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.
“That’s the big elephant in the room,” said Wilbur Brewton, a veteran lobbyist whose clients include Calder Race Course. “It’s going to be really interesting if the Supremes rule that you could have referendums throughout the state … but if they do, then that’s where we’ll go.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Lawmakers Get First Crack At Scott Budget
December 2, 2015
Lawmakers got their first crack at Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $79.3 billion budget — and the attached $1 billion tax cut — on Tuesday, with critics zeroing in on the source of a large chunk of record education funding.
Most of the carping came from Democrats, who have relatively little power in either chamber to shape the broad contours of the spending plan. But there was also some griping from Republicans, notably about the absence of a permanent pay raise for state employees.
Scott has touted his new budget as an opportunity to slash taxes, mostly for businesses, and boost per-student spending on K-12 education to the highest level in state history. But some lawmakers highlighted Tuesday that the majority of the increased funding for education would come from local property tax dollars that are a part of the state’s school-spending formula.
Of $507.3 million, only $80 million would come from the state. Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, said during a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee that the numbers showed Scott’s attempt to take credit for the increase “a bit of a charade.” And she pointed out that it meant local taxpayers would be shelling out more, though the Scott administration has taken great lengths to avoid calling it a tax hike.
“At what point is an increase on your property-tax bill not considered a property-tax increase?” Cruz asked.
House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, contrasted the way property taxes were being treated with Scott’s proposal to cut millions of dollars in revenue elsewhere, including a reduction to the corporate-income tax that would cost $770 million when fully phased in.
“How do I go back to my district if the governor’s budget is passed the way it is and rationalize those extra dollars from that local base … offsetting the budget and providing an ability to provide corporate welfare, in my opinion, to these large corporations?” he asked.
Speaking to reporters after a separate meeting of the House Finance & Tax Committee — where Scott made a rare appearance to promote his tax-cut ideas — the governor defended his proposals. Scott stressed that the millage rate for property taxes would remain flat, though rising home values would increase the bills property owners have to pay.
“For a long time, we’ve left the millage rate where it is,” Scott said. “When prices go up, that’s a positive. People like to see their home prices go up.”
Finance & Tax Chairman Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican who has proposed getting rid of property taxes, also defended the governor.
“If you look at home values, when home values rise, that means people are doing better in Florida, so there’s more of a capacity then to have those dollars allocated to education,” Gaetz said.
Republicans were largely quiet about any complaints they had about Scott’s budget — particularly in the House, where the governor’s proposals generally get a slightly warmer welcome than in the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee will take its first look at the plan on Wednesday.
But a couple of GOP members of the House Appropriations Committee appeared to struggle with Scott’s decision to leave out a permanent pay increase for state workers, opting instead for a bonus system that could award employees up to $1,500. Scott also left out a pay raise for state firefighters, which has been a priority of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
“I’m not saying we have to go out and sell the farm, but if you don’t have cost-of-living increases, you’re really giving your employees less purchasing power,” said Rep. George Moraitis, R-Fort Lauderdale.
Scott’s budget director, Cynthia Kelly, said the governor thought the bonus plan would help with government efficiency and that he was looking to add it to state law so it would remain in place after the current budget.
“The governor has strong feelings in this area and believes that the performance-based pay adjustments are preferred rather than an across-the-board pay increase,” Kelly said.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Northview To Present Christmas Program Friday Night
December 2, 2015
The annual Northview High School Christmas Program will be held this Friday at 7 p.m. in the school theater. The program will include the Concert Band, Beginner Theater, Advance Theater and special vocal performances. Admission is free of charge.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
RESTORE Advisory Meetings Scheduled
December 2, 2015
The Escambia County RESTORE Advisory Committee will meet during the following dates listed below at 4 p.m. in the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building Board Chambers, located at 221 Palafox Place in Pesnacola:
- Wednesday, Dec. 9
- Monday, Dec. 21
- Monday, Jan. 11
- Monday, Jan. 25
Meetings can be viewed live on MyEscambia.com/ectv, on channel 98 for Bright House, Cox Cable and Mediacom (Pensacola Beach) subscribers and channel 99 for AT&T U-verse subscribers and are available on ECTV On Demand.
Escambia County’s Keep The Wreath Green Fire Safety Campaign Begins
December 1, 2015
Escambia County Fire Rescue, in collaboration with City of Pensacola and Santa Rosa County, will be launching its annual “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign beginning Tuesday, December 1. This initiative was designed to promote fire safety during the month of December, with officials hoping to reduce the number of fires during a time of serious fire danger with simple, life-saving tips.
During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths will be on display at 23 different county fire stations. Each 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.
There were nine fires reported in Escambia County during the 2014 Keep the Wreath Green campaign.
Escambia County offers the following safety tips, one for each day of the month:
Dec. 1 - Prior to buying a live tree, test its freshness by pulling along a small branch. If the needles fall away in your hand, the tree is already too dry.
Dec. 2 - Prior to buying an artificial tree, make sure the tree bears a UL label of approval and be certain the tree is made of fire retardant materials.
Dec. 3 - To keep a live tree fresh, cut 1-2 inches from the bottom to expose fresh wood and place it in water. Make sure your tree stand can hold water. Check the water level every day, and add water as needed. Do not place trees near sources of heat like radiators, space heaters or heating ducts.
Dec. 4 - Use candles with care. Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Burn candles inside a 1-foot circle of safety, free of anything that can ignite. Use sturdy candleholders that will not tip over. Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Dec. 5 - Make sure all holiday lights are UL labeled and inspect them prior to use. If possible, use LED lights since they burn cooler. Check each set of lights for broken or crushed sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard all damaged lights.
Dec. 6 - When hanging holiday lights, either on your tree or outside, make sure you follow the manufactures guidelines on how many strands can be connected together. Usually it is not more than 3. Make sure you do not overload electrical outlets or circuits. Do not run power cords underneath rugs or carpets.
Dec. 7 - When decorating, remember not to block stairways, doors or windows. Remember to always unplug lights and extinguish candles before leaving the house or going to bed.
Dec. 8 - Have a plan in case you have a fire: Step 1– Design a plan for your home and your family. Make sure every one understands exactly what to do and where to go in an emergency. Also, make sure you have enough smoke alarms.
Dec. 9 - Have a plan in case you have a fire: Step 2 – Know two ways out of every room and practice them to make sure you can do it.
Dec. 10 - Have a plan in case you have a fire: Step 3 – Make sure you crawl low under smoke and feel closed doors for heat. If you come to a door that is warm, find another way out.
Dec. 11 - Have a plan in case you have a fire: Step 4 – If you become trapped, close doors and stuff the door cracks to keep smoke out. Try to call 911 and let them know exactly where you are and signal for help from a window.
Dec. 12 - Have a plan in case you have a fire: Step 5 – Pay special attention to young children, elderly people and the disabled. Be sure to include them in your plan.
Dec. 13 - Have a plan in case you have a fire: Step 6 – Get out as fast as you can and stay out. Never go back inside. Once you’re safely outside have someone go to a neighbor’s house and call 911.
Dec. 14 - Remember, matches and lighters are tools for adults. Store them in a safe place above the reach of children. Also teach youngsters to never touch them, instead tell a grownup.
Dec. 15 - Have a fire extinguisher readily available in your home and make sure it is fully charged. Know how to use your fire extinguisher. Remember the PASS system:
- Pull the pin
- Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
- Squeeze the trigger lever
- Sweep the stream side-to-side at the base of the fire
Dec. 16 - Have your chimney and fireplace inspected by a professional to make sure it’s clean and free of obstructions. Never burn paper or trash in the fireplace.
Dec. 17 - Be sure your fireplace is covered with a metal screen or glass doors to prevent the spread of sparks and fire.
Dec. 18 - Make sure to have a working smoke alarm outside of every bedroom and on every level of your house. Make sure to test monthly and change batteries every time you change your clocks.
Dec. 19 - With children out of school, people doing yard work, dry vegetation, high-winds and low-humidity, remember that wildfires can happen quickly.
Dec. 20 - If you are enjoying the great outdoors during the holidays, don’t leave campfires or warming fires unattended – make sure they are completely out!
Dec. 21 - Never leave cooking food unattended. Handles on stovetop pots should be turned away from the front, so they won’t be accidentally tipped or knocked over.
Dec. 22 - Before you cook that holiday dinner be sure that the oven and stovetop are clean, free of grease, and are in good working order.
Dec. 23 - Keep cooking areas clean and free of grease and other combustibles (e.g. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging), which can catch fire easily.
Dec. 24 - Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace because of the high flammability, dangerous sparks and possibility of flash fires.
Dec. 25 - Remember to be safety conscious and have a happy holiday.
Dec. 26 - When purchasing a space heater look for heaters that have safety features such as cut-off switches that turn the heater off if they accidentally tip over or overheat.
Dec. 27 - Space heaters need space. Make sure they are at least 3 feet away from combustible materials such as draperies, furniture, bedding, clothing and decorations. Also teach youngsters to keep away from them.
Dec. 28 - Use only UL labeled space heaters and follow the manufactured instructions. Never use stoves, ovens or other cooking appliances to warm your home.
Dec. 29 - Turn space heaters off when you leave the room. Also, remember to constantly supervise children and pets when space heaters are in use.
Dec. 30 - Don’t cut up and burn your tree in the fireplace. Burning evergreens give off tar and creosol, which can ignite and cause a chimney fire. Dispose of your tree by following the instructions of your local trash disposal service.
Dec. 31 - Don’t drink and drive, have a designated driver or call a friend
Pictured: A December 1, 2014, mobile home fire on Pine Forest Road. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Jay Elementary Teacher Named Discovery Education Program Champion
December 1, 2015
Jay Elementary School teacher Kristen Davis has been named a Discovery Education Program Champion for this school year.
Chosen through a competitive application process, Davis was selected based on her passion for science and exemplary use of Discovery Education’s programs. Davis joins 13 fellow Program Champions who will represent specific topic areas – including STEM, health and wellness, and social studies. These educators will share various resources and supporting programs – available at no cost from Discovery Education and its partners – with their colleagues and peers around the world. Champions will also represent Discovery Education and its partners at education events and virtual conferences, and help shape the development and implementation of future Discovery Education programs, to ensure optimal efficacy and classroom relevance. To kickoff this new initiative, Davis and the other Program Champions recently attended a two-day launch event at Discovery Education’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Md.
Davis will share her passion with others on the topic of science. Specifically, Davis will share information on The Good Egg Project: Education Station, an online destination offered by the American Egg Board and Discovery Education that teaches elementary and middle school students about the production process of fresh foods as well as sustainability concepts used on a working farm.
“Discovery Education’s programs have given my students many learning opportunities that they wouldn’t have had the chance to get otherwise,” said Davis. “I am so excited to share these resources with other educators in my district and I’m so thankful to be selected as a Program Champion!”
Scott Appoints Two Judges To First Judicial Circuit Court
December 1, 2015
Monday, Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointments of two judges to the First Judicial Circuit Court.
Judge Darlene Dickey, 45, of Molino, has served as an Escambia County Court judge since 2012. She previously served as the general counsel of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office from 2006-2012. She also practiced with Bozemann, Jenkins & Mathews, P.A. from 2003-2005. Dickey began her legal career as an assistant state attorney for the First Judicial Circuit in 2000. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida and her law degree from Florida State University. Dickey fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Judge T. Michael Jones.
“Judge Dickey has a thorough understanding of the law and I am confident she will continue to serve honorably on the First Judicial Circuit,” Scott said.
Judge Thomas Dannheisser, 59, of Pensacola, has served as an Escambia County Court judge since 2010. He previously served as the Santa Rosa county attorney from 1986-2010, and as an assistant county attorney at the Escambia County Attorney’s Office from 1983-1986. Dannheisser also served as an assistant state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit from 1982-1983, and as an assistant state attorney for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit from 1981-1982. He received his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Florida. Dannheisser fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Terry D. Terrell.
Five Tips For Charitable Giving During the Holidays
December 1, 2015
This Giving Tuesday, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam offers five tips that consumers should consider before making a charitable contribution. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services helps Floridians make the most of their charitable contributions by providing detailed information, like how contributions are spent, on charities registered in Florida. You can find out more at FreshFromFlorida.com or by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA.
“Today and during the holiday season, many generous Floridians contribute their hard-earned money to support important causes,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “But before giving, I encourage Floridians to follow a few simple steps to make sure they make the most of their contributions.”
Floridians should take the following simple steps when preparing to make a charitable contribution:
- Give with a Plan: Find a cause that is meaningful to you and your family, do some research and set priorities. Most effective donations are not spur-of-the-moment.
- Know Who You Are Giving To: Most charities in Florida are required to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and provide financial information about how contributions are spent. Check a charity’s status online at FreshFromFlorida.com or by phone at 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, at 1-800-FL-AYUDA (1-800-352-9832).
- Maximize Your Gift: When deciding to make a gift, find out if an employer will match charitable contribution to maximize its value.
- Keep Track of the Work Your Donation Supports: Once a gift has been made, mark a calendar with important dates of the charity’s meetings and key events for the year.
- Understand the Tax Benefits: Most charitable donations are tax-deductible. Make sure to get the proper documentation to deduct at tax time. Keep a record of donations and make sure a receipt is provided from the organization. Don’t rely on a cancelled check to count as a receipt.
For more information about individual charities, you can also check out our Gift Giver’s Guide online.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. The call center is staffed with trained analysts who can respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview, provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency.
Consumers who believe fraud has taken place can contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).