Century Man Sentenced In Drugs, Weapons Case
August 13, 2015
A Century man has been sentenced to probation in a case in which a search warrant served at his home turned up a variety of drugs and firearms back in January.
Kinte Hassan Franklin, 37, was charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Inside the home, deputies reported that they found crack cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, a .22 caliber handgun, a 20 gauge shotgun, two bags of shotgun shells and a variety of drug paraphernalia. Investigators reported Franklin was the only person inside the residence as the search was conducted.
Franklin pleaded no contest to the charges against him. He was sentenced to 36 months supervised probation and 100 hours community service by Judge Ross Goodman. He was also ordered to pay $783 in costs and fines.
A Blessed School Year: Prayer Walk Held At Molino Park Elementary
August 13, 2015
The annual back to school Prayer Walk was held Wednesday evening at Molino Park Elementary School. Students and adults from Highland Baptist Church prayed for the Lord’s blessings on the upcoming school year.
Prior to the prayer walk, volunteers worked to clean up the school grounds.
Pictured: A prayer walk Wednesday evening at Molino Park Elementary School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Register For Escambia School District After-School Care
August 13, 2015
The first day of school is Monday. As parents get ready to return to their children to school, it’s time to make arrangements for after-school child car. Some Escambia schools offer their own program on-site while many others work with local program..
“Our mission is to assist families by providing affordable, high quality child care on-site,” explained Aisha Adkison the ECSD School-Age child care coordinator. “Our schools’ points of contact, as well as the other agencies who work with us on our campuses, will be available to help families with the registration process starting next week. We all urge parents to make contact as early as possible, to help everyone plan for a smooth transition on the first day of school.”
Escambia County School District School-Age Child Care Registration Information
Locations and contacts (including both district programs and on-site community programs):
- Bellview Elementary School: School Phone: 941-6060, School-Age Child Care: 941-6064
- Bratt Elementary School: School Phone: 327-6137, School-Age Child Care: 327-4879
- Ensley Elementary School: School Phone: 494-5600, School-Age Child Care: 474-5336
- Global Learning Academy, School Phone: 430-7560, School-Age Child Care: 430-7561 ext. 7583
- McArthur Elementary School: School Phone: 494-5625, School-Age Child Care: 494-5628
CAMPFIRE BOYS AND GIRLS 476-1760 Longleaf Elementary School
CHILDHOOD DREAMS 572-1131 Navy Point Elementary School, Pleasant Grove Elementary School, and Myrtle Grove Elementary School.
CREATIVE LEARNING SCHOOL-AGE CHILD CARE 479-7814 Jim Allen Elementary School, Molino Park Elementary School, Cordova Park Elementary School. Beulah Elementary School, Lipscomb Elementary School, Blue Angels Elementary School, Pine Meadow Elementary School, Hellen Caro Elementary School, A.K. Suter Elementary School, and Scenic Heights Elementary School.
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YMCA) 478-1222 Holm Elementary School, Sherwood Elementary School, West Pensacola, Ferry Pass Elementary School, N.B. Cook Elementary School, Brentwood Elementary School, Brown Barge Middle School, Bellview Middle School, Ferry Pass Middle School, Woodham Middle School, and Workman Middle School.
Wu Name NW Florida League Of Cities Municipal Officer Of The Year
August 13, 2015
Pensacola council member P.C. Wu has been named the Municipal Officer of the Year by the Northwest Florida League of Cities. Wu has served as the Pensacola director on for the NWFLC for 10 yeares. He served as the Legislative Chair beginning in 2007 and moved up the executive committee ranks to become president of the NWFLC in 2009. He also served on the Florida League of Cities, including a term as president in 2013. He also services on the National League of Cities board of directors. Photo courtesy City of Pensacola for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Citizens Policies Eyed For Private Market
August 13, 2015
Seven private insurers have been approved to pick up what would amount to nearly half the remaining policies held by the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
Just don’t expect a mass exit from Citizens when the “takeout” period arrives in October.
The Office of Insurance Regulation announced Wednesday that up to 280,857 polices have been approved to move to the private insurance industry in late October.
“The number of policies that will ultimately leave Citizens will be substantially lower than the number of policies OIR has approved for takeout,” Citizen spokesman Michael Peltier noted in an email Wednesday. “That has always been the case but has become more noticeable over the past few takeouts.”
Citizens had 598,646 policies as of June 30.
The overall Citizens policy count is a considerable drop from a high of 1.5 million policies in 2012, when Gov. Rick Scott pushed to scale back the agency by putting more homeowners under private firms. The push was an attempt to reduce risk for policyholders across the state who could get with get hit with assessments to pay off Citizens claims after major hurricanes.
Citizens was created as the insurer of last resort, and President and Chief Executive Officer Barry Gilway has projected that “depopulation” steps by Citizens, which includes the takeout process, should eventually lower the agency’s policy count to about 450,000 of the least-insurable policies.
Before this week’s announcement, the state had made 713,336 policies available through the takeout process in 2015. So far, 128,133 policies have been removed from Citizens through the process.
A reason for the low turnover is that private insurers typically select the least-risky policies. Also, policyholders are allowed to reject takeout offers.
In October, a total of 279,357 personal-residential policies and 1,500 commercial-residential policies will be offered to Anchor Property & Casualty, Cypress Property & Casualty, Heritage Property & Casualty, Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty, Olympus Insurance, Safepoint Insurance and United Property & Casualty Insurance.
Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty, a wholly-owned insurance subsidiary of HCI Group, Inc., was approved for up to 51,666 policies, but noted in a release Tuesday that it will target just about 17,500 wind-only policies.
“Based on the current opportunity within Citizens, we anticipate the focus of this takeout will be wind-only policies,” Paresh Patel, HCI Group’s chief executive officer, said in the release. “Selecting only those policies from Citizens that meet our strict underwriting criteria allows us to minimize our underwriting risk.”
Peltier also noted that the pace of the depopulation efforts may temporarily slow if Citizens rates proposed for 2016 are approved. That is because Citizens least-risky customers could see rate decreases, which might give them little incentive to move to the private market.
The Citizens Board of Governors has proposed a plan that would lead to an average 3.2 percent increase in rates next year for many homeowners. The rates would fluctuate depending on location, home and type of policy.
Under the plan, which will be heard by state regulators on Aug. 25, premiums would increase an average of 8.6 percent on coastal “multi-peril” policies, which provide full coverage to homeowners. Citizens’ customers who live in inland areas, however, would fare better under the rate plan. Homeowners in those areas would see average 1 percent rate decreases.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Winkler Homers, Wahoos Lose To Biloxi
August 13, 2015
Jesse Winker hit his second solo home run in two games but it lead off the ninth inning and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped the opener of its five-game series, 4-1, with the Biloxi Shuckers.
It was the first time the Blue Wahoos played in the Shuckers new MGM Park in downtown Biloxi near the Gulf of Mexico and Beau Rivage Casino.
Pensacola entered the game in first place in the second half but the loss dropped them to 26-20 in and one game behind the Mississippi Braves in the South Division of the Southern League. Biloxi, the first half winner, improved to 22-23 and is in fourth place in the second half.
The game was a far cry from the Blue Wahoos offensive explosion Tuesday against the Birmingham Barons when it scored 13 runs on a season-high 19 hits.
Wednesday night, Pensacola managed just one run on five hits. Winker, the Cincinnati Reds top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was the only hitter to manage two hits, going 2-4 and reaching 40 RBIs on his solo blast to left field. He now hitting .303 in the second half with seven home runs and 23 RBIs.
Biloxi pitcher Jorge Lopez, the Milwaukee Brewers No. 9 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits, two walks and striking out eight. He improved to 11-5 with a 2.45 ERA on the year.
Center fielder Brett Phillips knocked in Biloxi’s first run in the second inning with a two-out double that scored catcher Adam Weisenburger for a 1-0 lead.
Biloxi added two more in the third when first baseman Nick Ramirez doubled in second baseman Nathan Orf and Weisenburger singled in Ramirez to go ahead, 3-0.
Biloxi scored its last run in the fourth inning when left fielder Victor Roache singled in Phillips to go up, 4-0.
One Injured In Highway 29 Rollover Accident; Driver Cited
August 12, 2015
A Brewton woman was injured in a single-vehicle rollover accident Wednesday morning in McDavid.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 29-year old Charity Andrews Minton was traveling southbound on Highway 29 near Champion Drive about 11:11 a.m. She told troopers that a semi-truck changed lanes into her lane, and she took evasive action. Her 2010 Chevrolet 2500 HD pickup left the paved portion of the roadway and entered the southbound shoulder. She attempted to steer back onto the roadway and lost control, with the pickup truck overturning. The rear of the truck struck at least two trees and overturned into the edge of a wooded area. The accident was spotted after it occurred by a passing Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy.
Minton was transported by ambulance to the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and then airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Minton was cited for driving with a suspended license by the FHP
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the accident.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
McDavid Sex Offender Headed Back To State Prison
August 12, 2015
A McDavid sex offender is headed to prison for failing to register as required.
Joseph Matthew Trump, age 39 of 2131 South Century Boulevard, was arrested and charged with the felony registration violation back in January. On Monday, he pleaded guilty in Escambia County Circuit Court.
He was sentenced by Judge Michael Jones to two years in state prison, followed by three years supervised probation. He will also still be required to register as a sex offender.
Trump was convicted in Escambia County of a lewd or lascivious act on a child under 16 in October of 1999 and previously served a five year, 10 month sentence in prison, according to FDLE and Department of Corrections records.
Escambia County School Orientations Set For Thursday
August 12, 2015
School orientations, schedule pickups and elementary “meet the teacher” events are scheduled for Thursday at most Escambia County Schools. The complete schedule is below.
HIGH SCHOOLS
- Northview – Thursday, August 13 New Student Orientation: 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. (Theater); Monday, August 17 — Returning students pick up schedules. (Gym -First day of school); For more Northview specific information, click here.
- Tate — Thursday, August 13 — Returning students pick up schedules: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. for seniors; 2:00-3:00 p.m. for underclassmen (Cafeteria)
- West Florida — Thursday, August 13 — Returning students pick up schedules: (Gym) Sophomores: 10:30 a.m.; Juniors: 1:00 p.m.; Seniors: 6:00 p.m. (Senior meeting and schedule pickup)
- Pine Forest – Thursday, August 13 — Returning students pick up schedules: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Cafeteria)
- Escambia — Thursday, August 13 — Returning Students: 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Gym) Returning students will receive their new schedules and parking permits, and pick up forms and other important documents for the start of school.
- Washington – Thursday, August 13 — Returning Seniors/Juniors pick up schedules: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Atrium); Friday, August 14 — Returning Freshmen/Sophomores pick up schedules: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Atrium)
- Pensacola — August 13 — Freshman Orientation: 1:00 p.m. (Auditorium); Junior and Sophomore schedule pickup: 9:00 a.m. (Auditorium)
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
All middle school orientations will be held on Thursday, August 13 as listed below:
- Bailey Middle — 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Bellview Middle — 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Brown Barge Middle — 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Ferry Pass Middle — 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- Ransom Middle — 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- Ernest Ward Middle — Click here for EWMS specific information.
- Warrington Middle Thursday,August 13 10:00 – 12:00 p.m.
- Woodham Middle — 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Workman Middle — 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
All elementary school “meet and greets” will be held Thursday, August 13.
- Bratt — Pre-K 9:30-11:00 a.m.; K-5 8:30-10:30 a.m.
- Molino Park — 10:00-11:00 a.m.
- Jim Allen — Pre-K 8:30-9:00 a.m.; K-5 -9:00-10:30 a.m.
- Beulah — 9:00-11:00 a.m.
For elementary schools not listed, click here.
Bill Could Boost Autism Screenings In Florida
August 12, 2015
A House Democrat on Tuesday filed a bill that could place new requirements on health insurers in the screening of children for autism spectrum disorder. The bill (HB 49), filed by Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, will be considered during the 2016 legislative session. Under the bill, physicians would screen children if parents suspect the possibility of autism spectrum disorder.
When they deem it “medically necessary,” physicians would refer children to specialists for diagnosis. But when physicians find that such a referral is not necessary, parents would be advised that they may have access to evaluation from the state’s Early Steps program or from specialists without referral.
Starting in 2017, the bill would require health plans to cover a minimum of three visits a year to specialists for evaluation of possible autism-spectrum disorder in cases without referrals.
by The News Service of Florida