Overturned Vehicle Found In Century Later Reported Stolen From Alabama
July 31, 2015
A vehicle found overturned in Century during the early morning hours of Wednesday was reported stolen a few hours later in Alabama.
The overturned SUV was reported in the 8400 block of North Century Boulevard, near Burger King, about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday. First responders and law enforcement were unable to locate the driver of the vehicle following the crash.
Several hours later, the vehicle’s owner awoke to find it gone and reported it stolen to the Flomaton Police Department, according to Flomaton Police Chief Bryan Davis.
Anyone with information on the stolen vehicle is asked to contact the Flomaton Police Department at (251) 296-5811 or the Florida Highway Patrol at (850) 484-5000.
Blood Centers Announce Merger
July 31, 2015
OneBlood, Inc. which includes the local area blood bank, is merging effective July 31 with The Blood Alliance, Inc.
The newly formed organization will distribute more than one million blood products annually, serve over 210 hospitals throughout most of Florida, parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina and employ more than 2,400 people.
“The landscape of the blood industry is rapidly changing and it demands that we continue to evolve and diversify to meet the needs of our hospital partners and their patients,” said Don Doddridge, President and Chief Executive Officer of OneBlood. “We are confident that the merger will have a positive impact in further defining the new template for the future of our industry and ensuring our communities have a progressive, forward-thinking local blood center that is here to serve for years to come,” said Doddridge.
More stringent transfusion protocols, health care reform and advances in medical science are all helping shape a new era of blood banking.
“Bringing the two organizations together is the right thing to do for our communities,” said Dr. Marsha Bertholf, Medical Director of The Blood Alliance. “We can no longer rely on the business models of the past to take us where we need to go in the future. Hospitals want larger scale blood centers to serve their multiple locations and the merger will allow us to accommodate their needs and still keep the hometown connection,” said Bertholf.
In addition to mitigating cost to hospitals and patients, the merger is expected to bring additional operational efficiencies and further stabilize the blood supply, especially in times of natural disasters such as hurricanes and enhance donor outreach initiatives.
OneBlood CEO, Don Doddridge, who began his blood banking career in Jacksonville, will lead the newly merged organization and an 11 member board of directors will provide oversight, governance and guidance.
Integration of the two organizations will begin immediately. In addition, The Blood Alliance will undergo a rebranding phase in the coming months and transition to the OneBlood brand.
OneBlood is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) community asset responsible for providing safe, available and affordable blood to more than 200 hospital partners and their patients throughout most of Florida and into parts of southern Georgia and Alabama.
OneBlood was established on January 27, 2012 when three of Florida’s independent, not-for-profit blood centers merged, including the Northwest Florida Blood Center. Together, OneBlood brings more than 100 years of lifesaving experience to the community. OneBlood distributes nearly one million blood products annually, employs more than 2,000 people, operates more than 70 donor centers and deploys nearly 200 of its signature Big Red Buses throughout its service area for blood drives. T
Pictured: The OneBlood “Big Red Bus” at the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Fall In Pitcher’s Duel
July 31, 2015
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (18-15, 43-57) were stymied at the plate in a 3-0 loss to the Chattanooga Lookouts (13-18, 56-43) Thursday night at AT&T Field.
Wahoos starter Josh Smith (5-4) earned the loss despite a solid effort at the mound, throwing all eight innings and allowing three runs on eight hits.
The game would be won by Chattanooga’s Jason Wheeler (2-2), who threw 8.0 shutout innings while only allowing three hits. J.T. Chargois would relieve him in the ninth to earn his eighth save of the season.
Yovan Gonzalez, a player known more for his behind-the-plate prowess than his offensive ability, led Pensacola at the dish. He went 2-3 and was the only Wahoo with multiple hits on the evening.
The Wahoos threatened in the top of the third as Juan Perez and Yovan Gonzalez opened the frame with a pair of singles. However, Wheeler retired three straight batters to keep avoid damage.
The Lookouts got the scoring started in the bottom of the third as Aderlin Mejia was brought to the plate on a sacrifice fly from Heiker Meneses. They added another run on a solo blast over the right field wall from Max Kepler to make it 2-0.
The Wahoos would load the bases with three consecutive two-out singles from Gonzalez, Amaral and Zach Vincej, but they were unable to capitalize as a grounder ended the frame. Before those hits, Wheeler had retired 17 straight Wahoo batters.
Chattanooga added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with another solo home run for Kepler, this time on a line drive for his sixth of the season. Smith had retired 10 straight before the homer.
In the ninth, the Wahoos put two men on with a Marquez Smith walk and a Sean Buckley single, but the Wahoos came up empty once again.
The scoreless effort marked the first time that the Wahoos had been shut out since a 1-0 defeat in Mississippi on June 26th.
Seth Mejias-Brean did not reach base for the Wahoos, bringing an end to a streak of 23 consecutive road games.
The Blue Wahoos are on a 10-day road trip against the Chattanooga Lookouts and Jacksonville Suns
Roof Fire At Nine Mile Road Chili’s Restaurant
July 30, 2015
Chili’s on Nine Mile Road was evacuated Wednesday afternoon after the roof caught fire. Firefighters said there was a roofing crew working on the building when the fire started. There were no injuries. There was no word on the extent of the damage, but the restaurant was already reopen. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Rep. Jeff Miller Won’t Seek Rubio’s Senate Seat
July 30, 2015
Rep. Jeff Miller of Chumuckla said Wednesday he won’t seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Marco Rubio.
“Yesterday, my VA Accountability Act passed the House of Representatives under the shadow of a veto threat from the President. It became clear to me that this Administration is not committed to reforming the VA. My personal commitment to the veterans of this country is greater than my desire to seek higher office.
“I have made the determination that I can best serve veterans as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and the member from the First District of Florida. I have decided to forgo my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2016 and instead continue my efforts to reform the toxic culture within the VA.
“Vicki and I have prayed about this for weeks, and we feel that we have come to the best decision. We appreciate the outpouring of support from our family, friends, and supporters from all across the great State of Florida and throughout the Nation.”
Rubio is stepping down from the Senate seat to run for president.
Pictured: Rep. Jeff Miller addresses a group in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Century Suffers Water Meter Woes After Company Goes Bankrupt
July 30, 2015
The Town of Century has been forced back to manually reading water meters, abandoning the automated reading capability of nearly 1,000 meters.
In 2010, Century purchased 941 water meters and associated software and equipment from Datamatic, Ltd. for $137,386. Company officials said the town was provided with $140,000 in discounts because a previously installed system sold by the company did not work as promised.
In a meeting with town officials, the company touted the accuracy of the new system, which they said would result in the town recouping most of the purchase price in additional billings due to increased meter efficiency.
Datamatic has now filed for bankruptcy, according to Mayor Freddie McCall, leaving Century with an automated meter system that does not work properly, and leaving Century without 40 meters that were at the company for repair.
McCall said that by returning to manually readings on the meters mistakes in the automated system have been eliminated, actually resulting in an increased profit for the water system.
Republicans Prepare To Run In The Panhandle
July 30, 2015
Niceville Republican Armand Izzo opened a campaign account last week to run for a House seat that will be vacated next year by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, according to the state Division of Elections website. Izzo joins Crestview Republican Wayne Harris in running in Okaloosa County’s House District 4. Gaetz is running in 2016 to try to succeed his father, Niceville Republican Don Gaetz, in a Senate seat. Also, earlier this month, Pensacola Republican Jantzen Craine opened a campaign account to try to succeed Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, in 2018 in Senate District 2, which includes Escambia, Santa Rosa and part of Okaloosa counties. Craine is the only candidate with an open campaign account for the race.
by The News Service of Florida
Free School Supplies, Groceries, Haircuts And More Saturday In Molino
July 30, 2015
Free school supplies, groceries and even a back to school haircut will be available Saturday in Molino.
A free Day of Hope will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Victory Assembly of God at 1895 Victory Road, just south of Barrineau Park Road on Highway 29. The event will offer free groceries, haircuts, backpacks, school supplies, a kids zone and a hot lunch. Items are available while supplies last, rain or shine. No identification is required, but children must be present to receive school supplies.
For more information, call Victory Assembly of God at (850) 5587-2295.
Pictured top: A young lady receives a back to school haircut during last year’s Day of Hope at Victory Assembly of God. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Teen Charged With Burning Home In Attempt To Kill Her Family
July 30, 2015
A 17-year old Escambia County, AL, teen is charged as an adult after authorities say she set fire to the family’s mobile home with four relatives inside.
Love Freedom Rutledge of Brewton is charged with four counts of attempted murder and one court of first degree arson. She remained in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center Wednesday with bond set at $200,000.
The Appleton Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fully involved mobile home fire on McGougin Road northeast of Brewton about 1:00 Sunday morning. The mobile home was a total loss.
A man was transported to the University of South Alabama Medical Center Burn Center in Mobile, while three family members received injuries that were not serious.
After realizing Rutledge was missing, K-9 units, including one from the Century Correctional Institution, were called to the scene. Rutledge was located in a wooded area a short distance away.
Authorities have not released a motive or other details in the incident as their investigation continues.
Gambling Regulators Make Concession Impacting Poarch Creek’s Gretna Racing
July 30, 2015
Gambling regulators have backed down on a number of proposed changes to the state’s pari-mutuel rules after a legislative oversight panel and industry representatives challenged the Department of Business and Professional Regulations’ authority to issue the mandates.
The agency’s Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering on Tuesday published the latest modifications, which deal with issues such as jockey requirements and track sizes. The division folded on a number of issues raised by industry operators at a hearing last week.
But the proposal may not go far enough to prevent legal challenges.
The proposed rule changes were originally published last month, but the revised version includes a number of concessions to the controversial barrel-racing industry. Gambling regulators in 2011 granted a pari-mutuel license to Gretna Racing in Gadsden County for the rodeo-style matches, which, in turn, allowed the facility open a more lucrative card room. An appeals court later ruled that the state erred in granting the barrel-racing license — the first of its kind in the nation. The state and Gretna Racing entered a settlement agreement authorizing “flag drop” races in which two riders compete against each other but without any obstacles in the arena.
Gretna is managed and operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Atmore..
Tuesday’s changes do away with a requirement in the original proposed rule that would have forced all tracks to have starting gates, an expensive addition that Donna Blanton, a lawyer for the association representing the barrel racers, at last week’s meeting said was too cumbersome.
The proposed rule would still ban obstacles, including barrels, on race courses.
Regulators also scrapped a proposed regulation that would have limited jockeys to 135 pounds, which also would have had an adverse impact on the rhinestone-studded barrel racers. Instead, Tuesday’s revised plan would require that jockey weights take into account “the humane treatment of the racing animal” and be published in the racing program.
The revision also eliminates a proposed requirement for “secured wagering” areas, which also could have affected the Gretna facility, where workers take bets from the window of a trailer located near the arena’s bleachers.
The latest version of the proposed rule also would make changes to the required lengths of horse tracks and lower the minimum number of entrants in a race from six to five, still more than the two riders that historically participated in the Gretna races.
And the new proposal also drops a potential requirement that tracks have “break-away rails,” something nearly all operators complained would be too costly and possibly dangerous for horses and jockeys.
Regulators also appear to have taken into consideration some of the objections regarding the publishing of horses’ qualifications.
The original proposal would have required that at least three published past performances were available to the public prior to a race.
That wouldn’t give bettors enough information, Tom Ventura, president of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company, said last week. Tracks or owners can “pick and choose” the data they want published, he said.
Tuesday’s amended proposal would require the track’s racing secretary to make available to the public a horse’s three most-recent published outings, whether in races or workouts, and include at least one from within the past 45 days.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida