No Suspect, Motive Unclear In Cyberattack On School Tests
September 17, 2015
An investigation into a cyberattack launched earlier this year against the state’s computer-testing platform for public schools has ended with no suspects and no apparent motive, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
State officials emphasized that the March incident was what is known as a Distributed Denial of Service, or DDoS, attack — which occurs when someone bombards a server with requests to overload it and make it unable to handle legitimate traffic.
“Most importantly, I want to reassure our state’s students, parents and educators that, because of the nature of the cyberattack, no student information was accessed and the content of the assessment was not compromised,” Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said in a statement issued Wednesday.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said 29,000 IP addresses were used in the cyberattack. IP addresses are meant to identify computers on the Internet, though they can be hijacked or spoofed.
“While some of the IP addresses used in this attack were based in the United States, most were believed to be in foreign countries,” the agency said. “FDLE did not identify a suspect or a motive for the DDoS attacks.”
The investigation appears to close out a stormy chapter in the history of the state’s new test, known as the Florida Standards Assessment.
The attack was part of a series of embarrassing technological snags that hampered the spring rollout of the assessment, the latest standardized tests for the state’s public schools. The attacks hit the testing platform operated by American Institutes for Research, a non-profit group that signed a six-year, $220 million deal to design the test.
While the attacks were blamed for some of the trouble that students had accessing the test, there were also widespread delays before the computer assault began. The state is pursuing sanctions against the group for the glitches.
As a result of the snafus and a general public uproar about over-testing, lawmakers scaled back tests and required a third-party review of the test before it could be used for accountability measures like school grades and teacher evaluations.
The Florida Department of Education announced earlier this month that the review found the test to be valid.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Prison System, Health Care Contractor Accused Of Denying Inmate Surgeries
September 17, 2015
Lawyers for Florida inmates have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Corrections and prison health-care provider Corizon, alleging that the state agency and the company are denying hernia operations to save money.
The complaint was filed Wednesday in federal court in Tallahassee on behalf of three inmates. Two of the inmates, Amado Parra and Archie Green, suffer from hernias but have been denied the opportunity to consult with a surgeon, the lawsuit says. A third inmate, Tracy Copeland, was seen by a surgeon who twice recommended a hernia operation, but state corrections officials denied the procedure both times.
The lawsuit, filed by Florida Justice Institute Executive Director Randall Berg, details numerous inmates’ years-long struggles to get hernia operations. It says they were repeatedly denied consultation with surgeons or were not allowed to have surgery once doctors decided it was necessary.
“It’s a pattern and practice of denial of medical care on the basis of saving money and maximizing profits,” Berg said in a telephone interview. “This is surgery that the taxpayers of the state of Florida have already paid for. Corizon is under contract with the state of Florida to provide medical care to inmates that need medical care, and they’re simply not providing it.”
But Corizon issued a statement Wednesday saying it does not have policies limiting or preventing hernia surgeries or other medically necessary procedures. Corizon had not been served with the lawsuit, but company spokeswoman Martha Harbin said “what makes good business sense and good medical sense is excellent preventive care.”
“We are first and foremost health-care providers. Our mission is to deliver safe, effective and efficient health-care services using best practices and evidence-based medicine,” Harbin said in the statement.
The treatment of inmates with hernias is the latest in a litany of complaints about privatization of the prison system’s health-care services.
Tennessee-based Corizon and Wexford Health Services took over prison health care about two years ago after a drawn-out battle over outsourcing ordered by the Legislature in 2011.
The state awarded Corizon a $1.1 billion, five-year contract to provide health care for about three-quarters of the state’s 100,000 inmates. Wexford Health Services is responsible for the rest of the prisoners.
Less than four months before Gov. Rick Scott, who pushed for the privatization, was re-elected in 2014, former Corrections Secretary Michael Crews quietly agreed to pay Wexford and Corizon an additional $3.2 million to stay on the job for another year.
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.
So far this year, the corrections department has fined Corizon $67,500 in liquidated damages, according to agency spokesman McKinley Lewis.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday accuses the agency and Corizon of violating the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments.
Inguinal hernias cause severe pain, which typically worsens with activity or exertion, and can cause serious complications, including death, if left untreated, Berg wrote in the 45-page complaint. The medical standard of care for hernia patients is surgery — one of the most common surgeries in the country — as soon as it is detected, he wrote.
But since Corizon took over in October 2013, physicians have refused to submit consult requests or such requests for surgery are is denied, the lawsuit alleges.
Pictured: The medical unit inside the Century Correctional Institution. None of the inmates involved in the lawsuits over medical care are inmates in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
“Defendants have enforced this policy, practice and custom despite knowing that failing to provide these surgeries will lead to prisoners being left in excruciating pain, limited in their activities, and at risk for serious complications or death,” Berg wrote.
Copeland, who has suffered from a hernia for more than two years and was twice denied surgery despite the recommendations of a surgeon, “feels like his insides are falling out of his body” and “has been reduced to lying in his bunk most of the day,” Berg wrote.
Seeking class-action status, Berg said at least 62 prisoners have experienced the same problems and as many as 10,000 inmates — or 10 percent of the prison population — could be affected, based on the rate of hernias in the general population.
Corizon receives a fixed, per-inmate fee for health services and must also pay the corrections department $250 each time it transports an inmate over 50 miles roundtrip for medical services, with some exceptions, Berg wrote.
“Thus, Corizon has a financial incentive to avoid providing medical care and treatment, especially when that care involves sending prisoners to outside specialists,” he wrote.
Berg also represented Daniel Plotnick, an inmate who sued the state and Corizon last year after being repeatedly denied a hernia consultation. At a hearing last September before U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, who is also presiding over the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Corizon officials agreed to allow Plotnick to see a surgeon. Shortly afterward, the inmate received two hernia surgeries. Plotnick settled his case against the state, Corizon and a doctor for $90,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Impact 100 Announces Finalists For $1.06 Million Grants
September 17, 2015
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a local, philanthropy group, announced Wednesday the 15 grant finalists selected for 2015. Ten of these 15 finalists will receive s grant of $106,000 at the IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area’s Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 18.
The 15 finalists selected by IMPACT 100’s Focus Committees are as follows:
ARTS & CULTURE
Ballet Pensacola, Inc.
Project: Elevate – 21st Century Productions for Ballet Pensacola
Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society, Inc.
Project: Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Historical Center
Pensacola Museum of Art, Inc
Project: Expanding and Protecting the Vaults for PMA’s Fine Art Collections
EDUCATION
AMIkids Pensacola, Inc.
Project: AMIkids Careers
Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, Inc.
Project: Field Trip Fun at IHMC
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida, Inc.
Project: Public Awareness Campaign – The Most Powerful Organization That Nobody’s Heard Of
ENVIRONMENT, RECREATION & PRESERVATION
Coast Watch Alliance, Inc.
Project: “Research to Restaurant”, Affecting a Sustainable Seafood Resource by Taming Lionfish
University of West Florida Foundation, Inc.
Project: Identity and Dignity: Preserving Pensacola’s Historic African American Cemeteries
Veterans Memorial Park Foundation of Pensacola, Inc.
Project: VMP Venue Enhancements and Infrastructure Improvements
FAMILY
Be Ready Alliance Coordinating For Emergencies (BRACE) & BRACE LLC
Project: Family IMPACT Center
Children’s Home Society of Florida, Inc. collaborating with Escambia Community Clinics, Inc.
Project: Weis Community School Family Playground
Lutheran Services Florida, Inc.
Project: Transportation to Healing, Hope and Help
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Bay Area Food Bank
Project: Northwest Florida Healthy Food Distribution and Milton Warehouse Expansion Project
Escambia Search and Rescue, Inc.
Project: Enhancement of Search and Rescue Response for Marine Emergencies in the Florida Panhandle
Re-Entry Alliance Pensacola, Inc.
Project: REAP’s Second Chance Re-Entry Program
Incumbent Larry Walker Pre-files For ECUA Board Seat
September 17, 2015
Incumbent Larry Walker has pre-filed for the ECUA District 5 seat as a Republican for the 2016 election cycle.
Walker has served six terms on the ECUA board after being first election in 1988. He ran unsuccessfully for county commission in 2000.
Northview High Warns Parents Of Water Issue, Potential Health Concerns
September 16, 2015
Northview High School and the Escambia County School District are warning parents about a potential health problem resulting from a water supply issue Wednesday.
According to Principal Gayle Weaver, a contractor had injected chemicals into the water supply for testing purposes. An item known as a “backflow preventer” is supposed to prevent the chemicals from releasing into the main water supply.
”This system failed,” Weaver said. “The indication of the release was a very slight pink discoloration of the water.”
The chemical in the main supply was in a very diluted state, but as a precaution students were prevented from having skin contact with water. They were allowed to use the restroom, but were required to use hand sanitizer instead of water to wash their hands.
Northview was in constant contact with the offices of the superintendent and other officials in order to obtain the necessary manpower and resources to quickly address the situation. The school also compiled a list of students that may have consumed water from water fountains prior to the discover of the situation.
“No students visited the clinic or sought assistance for any symptoms associated with the chemical,” the principal said.
Weaver said any student that has symptoms such as rash or irritation of the skin should seek medical attention. The student’s physician can call (850) 327-4894 or (334) 248-1275 for an emailed copy of the MSDS sheets on the chemical.
“(Thursday) and Friday mornings, the health department will do tests on the water to determine water safety. We will know Monday morning, if all is clear, for there must be two consecutive negative test results for clearance,” she said. “In the meantime, we will have district-furnished hand sanitizer and bottled water for all needs. In addition the lunchroom will not be using the school water for food preparation.”
School will not be canceled and will be in session as usual.
Escambia Students To Take 60 Fewer Tests This Year
September 16, 2015
Escambia County students will face over 60 fewer tests and assessments this school years under an assessment calendar approved by the Escambia County School Board.
“Tests cannot go away completely. They serve an important purpose by allowing teachers to track and understand what students have learned and what they still need to learn”, said Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. All of the tests administered last year were reviewed and categorized as “Required” or “Optional,” and then examined to determine which could be eliminated.
The calendar presented to the school board includes a range of dates for schools to administer over 30 exams that are required by the state. These tests and exams include the Florida Standards Assessments (FSAs) for reading, math and writing in various grades and the FCAT exam for science for fifth and eighth grade students. It also includes the seventh grade civics exam required by the state for all seventh graders in Florida. The district also chose to continue some English/language arts and Math Discovery Education assessments for students in kindergarten through third grade.
We are also keeping some quarterly exams but they have been designated as “Optional.” Those exams cover quarterly assessments for fifth grade science and seventh grade civics, as well as two Discovery Education exams for third grade Math, added Thomas.
Students will have other tests, as they have always had, but they will be selected or created by their teachers.
“Mini-assessments that can be given at the end of a lesson or a chapter allow teachers to find out which facts, operations, or concepts need to be retaught and to know that information quickly, which allows them to use the results for lesson planning,” Thomas said. “The difference is those exams can be scheduled by the teacher and given in class. Schools do not have to completely reorganize their schedule for a quiz or a chapter test.”
The testing calendar has windows with ranges of dates assigned, which does not mean the test will be given every day in that window. Generally the test will be given in the first couple of days in the window with other days scheduled for make-up exams. Having windows of time allows for flexibility in scheduling, especially when the tests are computer based or if the weather causes a disruption in the school schedule.
The calendar also includes the registration deadlines and test dates for the ACT and SAT exams.
“All high school students are encouraged to take the ACT or SAT early so there will be time to take them again should the student wish to try to increase their score,” Thomas encouraged. “If students or their parents have any questions about these exams and their importance, they should schedule an appointment with their guidance counselors.”
The calendar can be downloaded from http://ese.escambia.k12.fl.us/eval/WebDocs/Testing_Calendar_(General).pdf.
FDOT State Line Landscaping Project Begins On Highway 97
September 16, 2015
Work is underway on a gateway landscaping project on Highway 97 at the Alabama/Florida state line. The $163,900 project includes state line landscaping on both Highway 97 and on Highway 90 by contractor Pine Grove Nursery and Landscaping. The landscaping is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation.
Pictured: A landscaping project got underway Tuesday morning at the Alabama/Florida state line on Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Sex Offender Gets 20 Years For Child Porn
September 16, 2015
A registered sex offender from Escambia County has been sentenced to federal prison.
Shawn P. Caldwell, 36, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for receipt of child pornography.
During an undercover operation, law enforcement officers discovered Caldwell was in possession of 76 child pornography files at his Pensacola residence. At his plea hearing on June 24, 2015, Caldwell admitted that, between April 2011 and April 2015, he received child pornography images and videos from the internet, which he downloaded from several peer-to-peer programs. A forensic review of Caldwell’s electronic devices revealed approximately 263 videos and more than 1,000 images of child pornography, including images of children under the age of 12.
The charges were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pensacola Police Department.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
September 16, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School has named students of the month for August. They are (L-R) Anna Adams, sixth grade; David Lamb, seventh grade; and Keaton Solmonson. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barry Holds Walnut Hill Town Hall Meeting
September 16, 2015
Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry held what was to be an open forum town hall meeting Tuesday evening in Walnut Hill.
But due to an error by the county, the public was not notified about the town hall until just a few hours before it started, As a result, attendance was limited to just a handful of people.
Those attendees were able to have face-to-face time with Barry, County Administrator Jack Brown and other top county staffers.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
