Wahoos Fall To Lookouts
July 29, 2015
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (17-14, 42-57) got off to a hot start but fell to the Chattanooga Lookouts (12-17, 55-42) at AT&T Field Tuesday night.
Wahoos starter Daniel Wright (7-8, 4.66) fell after three consecutive wins on a night in which he gave up seven runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings. Most of the damage came in the decisive fourth inning, when the Lookouts had seven runs on six hits and a pair of walks. He was relieved by Wandy Peralta, newly a member of the bullpen, who went 3.0 and gave up a run on four hits.
Chattanooga’s Brett Lee (1-4, 4.25) earned his first Double-A win in nine tries this season as he went 5.0 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits.
The Wahoos struck first in the second with a three-run inning keyed by a two-RBI double from Seth Mejias-Brean, who lead the Wahoos at the plate as he went 2-4. He would later score on a throwing error to make it 3-0.
After a few frames of quiet baseball, the Lookouts made some noise in the bottom of the fourth as they scored seven runs on six hits, taking a 7-3 lead and chasing Wright out of the game in the process.
The Wahoos attempted to cut into the lead in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases without a hit, but they came up empty as Lee was able to hold strong.
The Lookouts added to their lead as Shannon Wilkerson drove in a run on a double to right field, making the score 8-3.
The Wahoos threatened again in the eighth as Juan Duran’s double and Mejias-Brean’s single put runners at the corners with nobody out. However, the Wahoos came up empty.
RHP Kevin Shackelford did not give up a hit in the eighth inning as he made his 20th appearance since April 25. Since then, he’s gone 1-3 with a 1.50 ERA (four earned runs in 24.0 innings of work) with nine walks and 12 strikeouts.
The Wahoos have now dropped four straight after reaching the top of the division last week at 17-10.
The Blue Wahoos are on a 10-day road trip against the Chattanooga Lookouts and Jacksonville Suns.
Millions Available For RESTORE Projects For Individuals, Businesses, Organizations
July 28, 2015
Individuals, businesses and organizations in Escambia County have the opportunity to submit projects for millions of dollars in RESTORE projects to be funded with civil penalties from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Monday evening, a Distirct 5 pubic workshop was held at the Langley Bell 4-H Center to give residents an opportunity to learn more about using the project portal, answer questions regarding application preparation and submission, and encourage collaboration.
The Escambia County RESTORE Project Application Portal is now open and can be accessed by visiting restore.myescambia.com until September 30.
Submitted projects must:
- Meet at least one of the eligibility criteria outlined in the federal RESTORE Act (see eligible activities)
- Include a project budget
- Address the evaluation criteria which can be found at www.myescambia.com/restore
Once the application portal closes, project proposals will be evaluated by the technical review team consisting of subject matter experts, the RESTORE Act Advisory Committee and the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.
During the review process, applicants may be contacted for more information. Once all projects have been ranked, a list of recommended projects will be posted on www.myescambia.com/restore. The public will have an opportunity to provide comments on the project list. The Board of County Commissioners has the final authority for approval of the project list before it is submitted to the U.S. Department of Treasury for federal level review.
For more information, contact Shelly Marshall, RESTORE coordinator for Escambia County, at (850) 595-5460, email restore@myescambia.com.
One additional public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11 at the Gull Point Community Center at 7000 Spanish Trail Road.
Pictured: A Monday evening District 5 RESTORE project meeting at the Langley Bell 4-H Center in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Court Orders Resentencing For ‘Gravely Ill’ Sex Offender
July 28, 2015
An appeals court Monday ordered a new sentencing hearing for a “gravely ill” Santa Rosa County sex offender who could face nearly five years in prison for failing to report a new address.
The inmate, 50-year old Anthony Paul Childers, sought to have his 57.6-month sentence reduced because of severe medical conditions including cirrhosis of the liver and internal bleeding. His attorneys pointed to part of state law that allows such reductions when inmates have physical disabilities and are “amenable” to treatment.
A Santa Rosa County judge turned down Childers’ request.
But a three-judge panel of the 1st District Court ordered resentencing because it said it was “unable to discern from the record why the trial court rejected (Childers’) request for a downward departure sentence.” The ruling said Childers pleaded no contest to a charge of failing to report or register a change in address. It said a circuit judge should determine whether Childers meets the legal requirements for a reduced sentence and, if so, whether that is the “best sentencing option” for him.
Northview Grad Weeks Inks With Jeff Davis Baseball
July 28, 2015
Northview High School graduate Brett Weeks has signed a full baseball scholarship with Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton. Weeks was part of Northview’s district and regional championship teams and the’s first appearance in the state final four. Pictured: Brett Weeks (center), his mother Julie Weeks, father Ray Weeks (right) and Northview Coach Marty Lister (standing). Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
State, Tribe At Odds On Card Games
July 28, 2015
The Seminole Tribe of Florida is refusing to fold on its push to continue hosting blackjack and baccarat at most of its casinos, but Gov. Rick Scott’s administration is trying to shut down the lucrative “banked” card games.
Letters swapped Monday between the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the tribe indicate that the two sides may be heading toward a showdown later this year over the card games, part of a 20-year gambling “compact” inked in 2010.
Authorization of the card games is set to expire Friday. The compact gives the tribe 90 days to put an end to the card games, which include blackjack, baccarat and chemin de fer.
In a letter sent to tribal chief James Billie, 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.”
Lawson also took note of the state’s “great working relationship” with the tribe in his note to Billie, adding that “I look forward to continuing that good will.”
The tribe quickly responded with a letter to the governor’s office requesting mediation in the dispute.
“The tribe alleges the state has triggered the exception to the sunset provision for banked card games, as well as other compact remedies, by electing to permit other entities in Florida to conduct various types of banked card games,” part of the letter reads.
The 2010 agreement gave the tribe exclusive rights to operate banked card games at five of its seven facilities for five years. In exchange, the Seminoles pledged to pay Florida a minimum of $1 billion over the same time period, an amount the tribe has exceeded.
The tribe and its lawyers contend that the state has allowed other gambling operators to operate banked card games, however, in violation of the exclusivity deal.
Billie sent Scott and state legislative leaders a “notice of commencement of compact dispute resolution procedures” last month outlining what the tribe considers violations of the agreement.
The June 24 letter included a claim the tribe has made for years regarding slot machines that look like blackjack and roulette and are authorized by state gambling regulators at non-tribal pari-mutuels. The slots operate essentially the same as the banked games, Billie wrote, the only difference being that the cards are electronic instead of paper, “a distinction we assert is without a difference.”
The Seminoles also raised a new issue in last month’s letter about whether player-banked card games in which the “bank” is another player instead of “the house” — first authorized by state gambling regulators in 2011and now at play in at least three pari-mutuel facilities — also violate the tribe’s rights to exclusivity. “Banked” card games, such as blackjack, are typically considered those in which players bet against the house instead of each other.
The June request triggered a 30-day period — which ended Sunday — for negotiations that apparently went nowhere.
According to Monday’s letter from the tribe’s lawyers, “the parties met on July 16, 2015, but did not resolve the dispute.”
Federal law gives both sides the right to request mediation if the dispute hasn’t been resolved.
Lawmakers failed to pass a renewal of the compact or a new deal during this spring’s legislative session. But some believed that the 90 days provided to the Seminoles to shut down the games would give enough time to reconsider the issue when the Legislature returns for committee meetings in the fall.
The tribe’s push to keep running the games — and possibly add others, such as craps and roulette — comes as out-of-state casinos continue to seek a foothold in Florida.
But leading GOP senators, who have been on front on the issue, insist that no gambling legislation will be approved unless the compact is resolved first.
If the state refuses to renew the deal, it is almost certain the Seminoles will turn to the courts to resolve the matter.
Monday’s exchanges, however, don’t mean that litigation is a certainty, according to Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano, who headed negotiations with the tribe while a House member in 2010.
“This is similar to the position we were in last time before we were able to enter into a deal. I think the state has significant leverage at this point, and there’s nothing to preclude us from having those negotiations,” Galvano, R-Bradenton, said.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Putnam Fast-Tracks Concealed Weapons Licenses For Military Members, Veterans
July 28, 2015
Florida, which already has the most concealed-weapon licenses in the nation, is now fast-tracking the process for active-duty military members and honorably discharged veterans.
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced Monday that active and retired service members will immediately begin to get top priority when applying for the licenses.
The expedited process is part of the state’s reaction to a shooting rampage in Tennessee in which four Marines and a sailor were killed on July 16.
“The men and women who serve and have served our country deserve all of the support we can provide,” Putnam said in a prepared statement.
The announcement expands upon an executive order issued July 18 by Gov. Rick Scott. The executive order included a requirement that preference be given to members of the Florida National Guard when applying for concealed-weapon licenses.
The order also directed Adjutant Gen. Michael Calhoun to temporarily move National Guard members from six “storefront” recruitment centers to armories and to work with local law-enforcement agencies to arrange regular security checks of armories.
Putnam expanded the license fast-tracking to include all military members.
Active members of the military are advised to include copies of their Common Access Cards or other forms of official military identification with their applications. Veterans have to file copies of their DD 214 long forms with their applications to get fast-tracked.
The state agency hasn’t estimated how many members of the military and veterans will take advantage of the expedited process, said Putnam spokeswoman Jennifer Meale.
Currently, there are more than 1.41 million concealed-weapon licenses issued in Florida, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which administers the program.
The state went over the 1 million mark in December 2012, becoming the first state in the nation to surpass that figure.
Pennsylvania, which does not post its concealed-weapon numbers, has reportedly joined Florida in surpassing the 1 million mark.
According to a 2014 study from the Pennsylvania-based Crime Prevention Research Center, Texas has issued the third most concealed-carry permits among the states.
There were 825,957 concealed-carry permits in Texas as of Dec. 31, 2014, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Meanwhile, Florida lawmakers in 2014 made it more convenient to apply for a concealed-carry licenses by allowing county tax collectors’ offices to accept applications.
So far, 13 offices — Brevard, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, St. Johns and Walton — accept the applications.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Cantonment Drive-By Shooting Under Investigation
July 27, 2015
A drive-by shooting late Sunday night in Cantonment is under investigation.
About 11:20 p.m., Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 200 block of Sheppard Street, between Booker and Washington streets, for a reported drive-by shooting.
A resident was outside locking up his vehicle when he said an older model Jeep drove by his residence.
An unidentified suspect was standing up in the back of the Jeep and began firing at his residence. The victim took cover and the Jeep fled from the area. Neither the victim nor the two occupants located inside of the residence were injured by the gunfire.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Molino Man Charged With DUI After Crash With Deputy
July 27, 2015
A Molino man was jailed for DUI after causing a traffic accident with an Escambia County Sheriff’s sergeant Monday morning in Cantonment.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 24-year old Douglas Joseph Hadley was traveling east on Muscogee Road in a 1996 Ford Windstar van when he made a wide right turn onto Highway 29 and into the path of a marked Escambia County Sheriff’s Office 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe.
Sgt. Marc Dewees received minor injuries in the crash. Hadley was not injured. Both were wearing their seat belts.
Hadley was charged with DUI and possession of a controlled substance by the Florida Highway Patrol and booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $4,000.
A spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Dewees was “doing fine” and that his injuries were not severe.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Early Morning Fire Destroys Century Home
July 27, 2015
A fire that destroyed a home on Jefferson Avenue in Century this morning is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The small wood-frame home was a total loss following the fire, which was reported about 5:35 a.m.
The home’s resident had previously passed away, and most furniture had reportedly been removed from the structure. The house was fully involved in flames when first responders arrived on scene. There were no injuries reported.
The Century, McDavid and Walnut Hill stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the blaze.
The fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview, West Florida High Schools Ranked Among Best In Country
July 27, 2015
Northview and West Florida high schools were ranked among the best in the nation in a report released by U.S. News and World Report. Both received a national bronze medal from the publication.
The U.S. News rankings include data on more than 21,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Schools were awarded based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college. The awards were based upon student-teacher ratios, college readiness, mathematics proficiencies and reading proficiencies.
In Florida, there were 31 high schools with gold medals, 105 with silver medals and 69 with bronze medals.
No other Escambia County high school was awarded a national medal by U.S. News. In Santa Rosa County, Milton High School and the Santa Rosa Virtual Franchise received bronze medals. In Escambia County, AL, both Flomaton and W.S. Neal High School received bronze medals.