Repairs Begin On Chestnut Road Bridge In Molino
August 24, 2015
The Chestnut Road bridge at Dry Creek, located in Molino, is undergoing repairs and maintenance.
The bridge on Chestnut Road is one-eighth of a mile north of Molino Road.
Project duration for repairs and maintenance is estimated to last 30 days, weather permitting. During construction, there will be single-lane closures with flagman present. The current posted load for this bridge is five tons.
NJROTC Cadets Attend Leadership Training Camps
August 24, 2015
Navy Junior ROTC Cadets from seven Escambia and Santa Rosa county schools attended two camps before school started at Naval Air Station Pensacola — a Leadership Academy and a Basic Leadership Training camp.
The NJROTC cadets and instructors from Northview, Escambia, Pine Forest, Washington, Navarre, Milton and Pace high schools took part in the camps with their days staring at 5 a.m. and continuing until 9:30 p.m. The cadets also had to stand barracks watches throughout the night.
Each camp included academics, orienteering and first aid, drills, a physical fitness test and daily fitness training, personnel inspections, daily room and locker inspections and tours of the various active duty training facilities.
The 53 cadets attending the Leadership Academy also had the opportunity to participate in a Leadership Reaction Course and a Marine Corps obstacle course. The 50 cadets in the Basic Leadership Training camp were able to observe demonstrations of aviation fire fighting training, rescue swimmer training, and participate in the USMC circuit course.
Both camps competed in a Jeopardy style academic brain brawl that covered topics covered in the NJROTC curriculum.
Cadets graduating from the camps received a certificate of completion and ribbon, while those completing the Leadership Academy also earned a silver cord that is worn with their uniform.
Northview cadets that successfully completed Leadership Academy were (with awarded medals listed):
- Moriah McGahan — Distinguished Cadet (Top Cadet for the camp, 2nd Sit-ups, 3rd Push-ups, 1st Mile run, 3rd Room Inspection, 1st Overall Physical Fitness Test)
- Katie Cmehil — 1st in Sit-ups
- Sara McCreary — 1st in Knockout competition
- Ureil Codrington
- James White — 4th Overall in the Male Physical Fitness test
Northview cadets that successfully completed Basic Leadership Training Camp were:
- Wyatt Morris — 3rd in Sit-ups
- Oreblis Rodriguez — 2nd in Push-ups
- Hunter Witt
- Zachary Sheldon
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
U.S. Attorney Resigning
August 24, 2015
The top federal prosecutor in much of North Florida announced Thursday she is resigning after five years in the job. U.S. Attorney Pamela Marsh, who oversees cases in 23 counties stretching from Escambia to Alachua, will leave the post effective September 4, according to a news release from her office. The news release did not detail Marsh’s reasons for the resignation or what she plans to do next.
An appointee of President Barack Obama, Marsh was the first woman to hold the top prosecutor’s job in the Northern District of Florida. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher P. Canova will serve as acting U.S. attorney after Marsh leaves.
Pensacola Falls To Mississippi
August 24, 2015
It was Princess Night at the ballpark and all the Pensacola Blue Wahoos wished for was its first dance at the ball – the playoffs that is.
In its first game in franchise history with post season implications, Pensacola didn’t get its fairytale ending Monday.
Despite Phillip Ervin slugging his second home run in two games, the Mississippi Braves held on in the opener of the five-game series for a 3-1 win in front of 4,357 fans, including several little “Frozen” princesses, at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Mississippi took back first place in the South Division over Pensacola by a half game in the second half of the Southern League season. The Braves, who have recorded a better second-half record than first-half record the past seven seasons, are now 31-24 and Pensacola is 31-25.
Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly said with 14 games left this season and Pensacola playing both Mississippi and the Mobile BayBears at home, he knows the Blue Wahoos can qualify for the playoffs.
“We just have to win every series,” he said. “It’s a pretty simple formula.”
Mississippi starter Lucas Sims was coming off a 1-0 victory in which he threw 5.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball against the Birmingham Barons.
Throwing a steady stream of 90-plus mph fastballs against Pensacola, Sims allowed just three hits and recorded a season-high 10 strike outs against the Blue Wahoos. His only run was on Ervin’s solo blast.
The Braves’ Sims improved to 3-2 this season with a 4.19 ERA and now has allowed just two runs in his last 17.1 innings for a 1.06 earned-run average.
“Sims pitched a helluva game,” Kelly said. “He had really good stuff.”
Meanwhile, Pensacola starter Daniel Wright also gave the Blue Wahoos a strong outing, throwing seven innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits, while striking out seven Braves batters. The right-hander retired the first seven Mississippi batters he faced, striking out four, all on off-speed pitches.
“He pitched seven innings for us and allowed us to rest our bullpen a bit,” Kelly said. “That was good. He did a great job, he just had that little hiccup there in the fourth inning.”
Mississippi scored first getting three in the fourth. Braves second baseman Levi Hyams scored on a ground out and third baseman Rio Ruiz hit a two-out, two-run line drive over the left field wall to put Mississippi ahead, 3-0.
Ervin, the Cincinnati Reds No. 9 prospect according to MLB, hit two of Pensacola’s three hits off Sims. He went 2-3 with a double and solo blast to left field in the fourth inning Sunday that pulled Pensacola within, 3-1, of Mississippi.
He had four hits in a row between his third and fourth games in Double-A – two of them home runs. Ervin has 14 home runs and 66 RBIs this season counting his numbers for the High-A Daytona Tortugas.
Ervin said he’s relaxing more at the plate after going 0-5 in his first two games and 4-7 with a double, two homers and three RBIs in the last two.
“I like it right now,” Ervin said, chuckling, about Double-A pitching. “I was putting pressure on myself to get that first hit. Once I got it, I’ve been able to relax and have a little more fun.”
Area Unemployment Rates Steady Or Slightly Increasing
August 23, 2015
The latest job numbers released Friday show the unemployment level holding steady to slightly increasing in the three county North Escambia area.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate was steady from June to July at 5.7 percent. There were 7,984 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 6.8 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment increased, from 4.9 to 5.0 percent from June to July. Santa Rosa County had a total of 3,7530 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 6 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment increased from 8.0 percent in June to 8.1 percent in July. That represente 1,182 people unemployed in the county during the month. One year ago, the unemployment rate in Escambia County, Alabama, was 8.9 percent.
Florida’s unemployment rate for July stood at 5.4 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from revised June numbers. The latest monthly unemployment mark represents 517,000 jobless Floridians from a workforce of 9.5 million, according to the state Department of Economic Opportunity. In June, there were an estimated 532,000 Floridians out of work with the workforce standing at 9.55 million.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.2 percent in July, was up from June’s rate of 6.1 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 6.6 percent.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
August 23, 2015
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending August 20 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Cushing was dispatched to a search and rescue late Saturday night in Perdido Bay. It was reported that two inexperienced adults (Father and Son) launched a 17’ Hobie Cat from a vacant lot on the north side of Perdido Bay around 1700 and had not returned. Officer Cushing drove his patrol boat approximately twenty miles to get to the area. Within seconds of his patrol boat settling in the water Officer Cushing could hear persons yelling for help. Officer Cushing moved toward the voices and found both subjects in good condition sitting on top of the capsized vessel in the middle of Perdido Bay, approximately 200 yards from where he began his search.
Officer Cushing was working in Bayou Texar in the early hours of Sunday morning. He conducted a marine fisheries inspection at Bayou Texar Boat Ramp of a vessel returning from a fishing a trip. When asked if the subject had any fish he stated that he had some “trout” and “red fish”. Officer Cushing asked him how many he had and he stated that he had yesterdays and todays bag limit. The subject was in possession of five red fish and one speckled trout. He was issued a citation for being over the bag limit.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Barnard wrapped up an investigation regarding a boat that was dumped in the Yellow River. The boat turned up just down river from a primitive boat launch near Log Lake Landing. The registration numbers were removed, but Officer Barnard was able to determine them from the adhesive. He located the last registered owner just a few miles away. The owner had the trailer in his yard, but claimed that he gave the boat to a scrapper. The man could not provide any valid contact information for the man, and witness accounts did not match his story. The man removed the boat from the river, but claimed that the scrap man he gave the boat to must have dumped it. However, all of the motor and stern drive, along with various other pieces of aluminum and stainless steel were still attached to the boat. Officer Barnard obtained a warrant and the man was booked on the charge of littering.
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.
Man Sentenced To 15 Years For Burglary, Grand Theft
August 23, 2015
An Escambia County man convicted on burglary related charges will spend the next 15 years in state prison.
Anthony McPherson was sentenced by Circuit Judge Linda Nobles to five years in state prison for violating his probation on previous charges of burglary and grand theft, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Michael Jones to 10 years in prison to run consecutive to the violation of probation sentence. McPherson had previously pled guilty to burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft auto, theft from a person 65 years of age or older, criminal mischief, trespass and resisting officer without violence.
On January 4, McPherson and his co-defendant, Trenton Fails, knocked on the door of an 87-year old woman and briefly spoke with her before forcing their way into the residence. The defendants took her purse, along with cash and her car keys, before stealing her car.
When deputies spotted the vehicle on Belmont Street, they attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle by initiating their lights and siren. A brief chase ensued before McPherson and Fails abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. A K-9 track led deputies to a residence on Frisco Road where McPherson and Fails were apprehended.
Fails is scheduled to appear in court on September 16.
The investigation was conducted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Jeremiah Monahan prosecuted the case.
Gambling Negotiations With Seminoles Back On Track
August 23, 2015
A stalemate between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida about the tribe’s right to offer blackjack and other games at its casinos appears to have thawed, according to a top Senate negotiator.
The renewed talks signal the possibility of a new deal before an October deadline. Without a deal, the state contends the tribe would be forced to shut down banked card games, including blackjack. The Seminoles maintain they have the right to keep the cards going even without an agreement, known as a “compact,” with the state.
Senate Regulated Industries Chairman Rob Bradley told The News Service of Florida on Friday that he, his House counterpart and Gov. Rick Scott’s top lawyer met with the tribe on the issue as recently as this week.
The latest discussions could be a significant turnaround from the standoff over the banked cards, part of a $1 billion deal inked five years ago by then-Gov. Charlie Crist. According to the 2010 agreement, the Seminoles have 90 days after the compact expired on July 31 to continue operating the banked card games. Both sides hope to finalize a new pact before that time period runs out. But legislative leaders have likened the complicated gambling deal — which also affects the state’s pari-mutuel industry, especially in Southeast Florida and the Tampa Bay area — to a “three-dimensional game of chess.”
Talks broke down during this spring’s regular legislative session and languished, prompting the tribe late last month to request mediation in the dispute. Also last month, Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Ken Lawson asked the tribe “to discuss your plan and proposed timeline for the closure of banked card games at your tribal facilities.”
In the recent détente, Scott’s general counsel Tim Cerio, House Regulatory Affairs Chairman Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, and Bradley have held meetings with tribal representatives over the past three weeks, Bradley said. Scott’s administration confirmed that negotiations are ongoing.
“We are making progress in discussions with the tribe. I’m hopeful that we can reach a point where we have something to offer to the membership to consider and debate,” Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said Friday.
Relying on agents from both chambers and the governor’s office “is a good model,” Bradley said.
“If we’re going to find a solution here, that’s the way to do it,” he said.
Before the original compact was finalized, the Legislature sued Crist for entering an agreement with the Seminoles without lawmakers’ approval. The Florida Supreme Court later ruled that any deal between the state and the tribe requires the Legislature’s blessing.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano, who, as a House member was the Legislature’s chief negotiator on the original compact five years ago, has maintained that Scott could enter an agreement with the tribe prior to the banked card-game deadline. Lawmakers could authorize the agreement when they return for the regular session in January, thus allowing the tribe to keep the games running without a legislative special session to ratify the compact, according to Galvano, R-Bradenton.
Specifics of the current talks remain under wraps, but the Seminoles have expressed an interest in adding roulette and craps and expanding the number of casinos — now limited to five of their seven facilities — where they can offer banked cards. In exchange, the state would want more than the $250 million minimum annual payment now guaranteed by the tribe. Any agreement, however, would have to include some sort of “exclusivity” for the tribe, and would have to be approved by the federal government.
“The tribe obviously wants to have as much exclusivity as possible. But you also have the political realities of finding a majority of votes in both houses and you have to get the governor satisfied,” Bradley said.
The Seminoles did not comment on the negotiations.
The looming fall deadline boosts the odds for an accord, Bradley said.
“The closer we get to the deadline, the more pressure is put upon the parties to find a resolution. Deadlines are very useful in that way. I would anticipate that if a deal is to be had, it would be done within the deadlines contained in the agreements,” he said.
New West Florida Library Director On The Job
August 23, 2015
The new director of the West Florida Public Library system is settling in after a few weeks on the job.
Todd J. Humble spent 13 years at the library supervisor at the Northview Richland Hills Library near Fort Worth. With more than 30 years experience, Humble was worked as library director for a county library in Garden City, KS, a middle and high school library specialist in Michigan, an adult education teacher and he provided computer consulting for small businesses. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in computer science and history from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters of library and information science from Wayne State University.
As library director in Escambia County, Humble is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the West Florida Public LIbrary, and is responsible for the administration, supervision, management, and coordination of all branch libraries and personnel. As director of library services, Humble also administers the library’s youth, circulation, computer, outreach, reference and support services.
The West Florida Library system includes the following locations:
- Main Library, 239 North Spring Street
- Tyron Branch Library, 1200 Langley Avenue
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Century Branch Library, 7991 North Century Boulevard
- Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A
- Westside Branch Library, 1301 West Gregory Street
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 North 9th Avenue
Pictured: New West Florida Library Director Todd J. Humble at a welcome breakfast with the Friends of the West Florida Public Library breakfast. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Dysfunction Prevails
August 23, 2015
A hurricane named Danny was churning in the Atlantic. Another storm named Trump is spinning through the Republican presidential field. Florida’s governor, who continues to wage his own health care battles, is stirring the pot with a quest for more public money to lure businesses to the Sunshine State.
But in Tallahassee on Friday, the thundercloud eclipsing the House and Senate — who concluded the special session without passing a congressional map — overshadowed everything else.
The blast of the sweltering Tallahassee heat met upon stepping out of the Capitol on Friday was quite refreshing after the legislative theatrics that resulted in the GOP-dominated Legislature’s second meltdown of the year — so far.
MISMATCHING MAPS
In April, a number of senators were downright indignant when the House ended its regular legislative session more than three days ahead of schedule.
The Senate even got a majority of the Florida Supreme Court to declare that House leaders violated the state constitution when they called it quits early because of an impasse over the budget.
On Friday, it was the Senate’s turn to pull the walkout routine.
Led by Senate Redistricting Chairman Bill Galvano, a group of senators stood up and exited a committee meeting, leaving Galvano’s counterpart, House Redistricting Chairman Jose Oliva, in the lurch just hours before the two-week special session’s noon deadline.
For most of the week, the Senate had refused to budge from an amendment prodded by Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon. The proposal would have altered the staff-drawn base map (HB 1B) by consolidating eastern Hillsborough County into a single congressional district.
House members expressed concern that the “parochial natural” of the proposed Hillsborough County lines, and the impact the change would have on districts in and around Orange County, would violate the anti-gerrymandering “Fair Districts” constitutional requirements approved by voters in 2010.
On Friday, Oliva — who characterized the current state of the Legislature as “dysfunctional” just before Galvano and his entourage exited — argued that the Senate map wouldn’t meet Supreme Court muster.
“These amendments have put upon us an insurmountable obstacle,” Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, said. “My concern is the interpretation of the court. The court has shown its tendency to use circumstantial evidence and place the burden upon this Legislature. And that is what I’m trying to free us of.”
The special session was called when the court tossed eight of the state’s congressional districts, saying they violated the new constitutional requirements.
Galvano maintained that the Senate has followed the dictates of the court in its amended map.
“That’s why we recorded our meetings,” Galvano, R-Bradenton, said. “That’s why we had open discussion in committee. That’s why we made sure that everything we did along the process was corroborated and so the genesis of ideas and amendments was known.”
Oliva then resisted Galvano’s request to have the two chambers “conference” over the issue, something usually reserved for budget negotiations.
“Chairman, I think at this point I’m going to respectfully reiterate the Senate’s request for conference and leave it at that. Thank you,” Galvano said.
Before Oliva could reply, Galvano and his cohorts were on their way out.
“Well, certainly, members of the House, I think that probably speaks a little bit to the nature that this has taken,” Oliva said. “Up until now, these meetings were held in a very courteous fashion. What you see here is probably what should concern all of you, and certainly anybody out in the public, about the function of their government.”
The House later rejected two attempts by the Senate to extend the session until Tuesday evening.
The matter will now probably have to be resolved by the Supreme Court, which House Speaker Steve Crisafulli said will have to decide “whether or not they want to redraw a map, take a plaintiff map or take one of the maps produced here through the House or Senate.”
Lawmakers are scheduled to return in October to redraw Senate districts. At least the weather should be a tad less hot.
SCOTT V. PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Three Planned Parenthood clinics filed and then withdrew a lawsuit against the Agency for Health Care Administration this week, but the dispute with Gov. Rick Scott’s administration lingers.
Amid news reports that AHCA had backed down due to the lawsuit, the state agency released a letter from its top lawyer reiterating that the clinics were still under investigation and had broken the law.
The agency wanted it known that, while the clinics could continue to operate, state officials didn’t give in, contrary to some of the news reports’ headlines.
“Your client, Planned Parenthood, continues to misrepresent to the media that AHCA has changed its position, and Planned Parenthood clinics in Florida may now provide unauthorized second trimester abortions. This is false,” AHCA General Counsel Stuart Williams wrote to the clinics’ lawyer, Julie Gallagher, on Wednesday.
The agency targeted the clinics after Gov. Rick Scott ordered health officials in July to investigate 16 Planned Parenthood clinics in the wake of a national firestorm over a series of undercover videos by the pro-life group Center for Medical Progress. The secretly taped footage included a senior Planned Parenthood doctor discussing the procurement and sale of fetal tissue from aborted fetuses.
AHCA accused three Planned Parenthood clinics in Naples, St. Petersburg and Fort Myers last week of unlawfully performing second-trimester abortions while the clinics are licensed only to perform first-trimester procedures.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, Gallagher pointed to a nearly-decade old agency rule that allows first-trimester abortions during the 14 weeks after a woman’s last normal menstrual period. The lawsuit sought an emergency injunction and a declaratory statement to clarify whether the clinics could continue to operate.
But the lawsuit was dropped two days later after both sides agreed on the 14-week period.
Barbara Zdravecky, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, called that a “concession,” but the agency wasn’t willing to let it go at that.
State officials maintained that Planned Parenthood may be relying on a different interpretation of when pregnancy actually begins. Or the disagreement could simply be a reporting error, they said.
MONEY, IT’S WHAT SCOTT WANTS
Minutes before he was scheduled to appear before the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors on Thursday morning, Scott’s staff worked the phones to make sure reporters were aware that their boss would be giving an important address.
The message from Florida’s fiscally conservative standard-bearer was that lawmakers short-changed the agency this year. Scott vowed to pressure the Legislature to ensure that millions of dollars are added to the economic-development till to woo out-of-state businesses.
“We’re on a roll. There is no place like Florida. There is nobody that can compete with us,” Scott declared at the meeting. “We can win everywhere. However, we do have to fund it. So this year our Legislature didn’t fully fund our tool kit and it’s pretty frustrating.”
Scott said the public-private agency has only $9 million left this year for recruitment efforts, while companies such as Connecticut-based General Electric are being courted by a number of states, including Florida.
“When was the last time you ever heard a Fortune 500 company publicly say they’re thinking about moving from a state?” Scott, who went to Connecticut in June on a business-recruitment mission, said. “GE did that. We have a shot at getting companies like GE. But we can’t get companies like GE if we don’t have any money.”
Earlier this year, Scott asked lawmakers to set aside $85 million for business incentives. The final budget for the fiscal year that started July 1 included $53 million for Enterprise Florida, which included $43 million for incentives and $10 million for marketing.
Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, argued in June against Scott’s request. He said the agency should use more private money for incentives and that marketing dollars should come from $86 million that Enterprise Florida already has in an escrow account.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The failure of the Legislature to complete on time a Supreme Court-ordered redraw of congressional districts.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “They should be ashamed, but they’re not. Just the other day, senators were crying on the Senate floor about conversations having to be recorded. What’s the big secret? If there is nothing to hide, who cares if the conservations are being recorded?” — Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Coral Springs, referring to the Florida Senate’s refusal to pass the House’s proposed congressional map.