Evers Files New Bill To Allow Guns On Campuses
August 4, 2015
Two Republican lawmakers Monday filed proposals that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on college and university campuses, setting the stage for a renewed debate about the controversial issue.
Senate Criminal Justice Chairman Greg , R-Baker, and Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, filed the bills (SB 68 and HB 4001) for lawmakers to consider during the 2016 legislative session, which starts in January.
The proposal drew heavy debate during the 2015 legislative session, with gun-rights advocates supporting the idea and many university-system leaders opposing it. The issue ultimately stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee. But National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer immediately made clear that supporters would seek to bring back the proposal in 2016.
Supporters of the proposal argue, at least in part, that it would allow people to defend themselves if attacked on campuses, including in cases of sexual assault. But opponents, including university presidents and police chiefs, contend that guns could combine with such things as alcohol and drug use on campuses to create safety problems.
The new versions of the bills were posted online Monday morning as a flurry of bills emerged for the 2016 session.
Also among the newly filed bills was another controversial measure (SB 72) that would allow designated employees or volunteers to carry concealed weapons at public schools and other educational facilities. The bill, filed by Evers, is virtually identical to a proposal that failed to pass during the 2015 session.
Under the bill, school superintendents could designate trained people to carry weapons on school grounds. Those people could be honorably discharged military veterans, active-duty members of the military, National Guard or reserves or active-duty or former law-enforcement officers. The measure would not require school superintendents to make such appointments.
Other potentially high-profile bills filed Monday morning included a proposal (HB 1), filed by Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola Beach, that would place an additional requirement on physicians who perform abortions. Under the bill, such physicians would be required to have admitting privileges at hospitals within 30 miles of where abortions are performed.
Also, Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, filed a measure (HB 21) that would create an independent commission to draw up future redistricting plans that would be considered by the Legislature. Jenne’s bill comes as lawmakers prepare for special sessions this month and in October to redraw congressional and Senate districts.
by Jim Sanders, The News Service of Florida
Mike Hill Files Proposal To Change ‘Bad Faith’ Law
August 4, 2015
Renewing efforts to pass a plan backed by business groups, a local Republican on Monday filed a bill that would change the state’s “bad faith” insurance laws.
The bill , filed by Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola Beach, will be debated during the 2016 legislative session. In bad-faith cases, insurers are typically accused of not properly settling claims, which can affect their policyholders or other parties. The bill, in part, would provide a 45-day window for insurers to make payment offers and not be considered potentially liable for bad faith.
Business groups have long sought changes in bad-faith laws, but bills got bottled up in House and Senate committees during the 2015 session. Plaintiffs’ attorneys have fought the proposals.
by The News Service of Florida
Northview Mini-Cheerleader Camp Begins Thursday
August 4, 2015
The Northview High School cheerleaders will host their annual Mini-Cheer Camp beginning this Thursday.
The camp will be held from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 3:30 until 5:30 p.m. next Tuesday, August 11 at the Bratt First Baptist Church. This is for age 3 through the eighth grade.
The cost is $25 for camp or $35 for camp and a t-shirt. The mini-cheerleaders will cheer at an upcoming Northview Chiefs football game.
Pictured: Northview mini-cheerleaders perform during a football last season. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
School Orientations Begin This Week (With Complete Schedules)
August 4, 2015
School orientations, schedule pickups and elementary “meet the teacher” events begin this week in Escambia County. The first day of school is Monday, August 17.
HIGH SCHOOLS
Tate High School
- Thursday, August 6 — Freshman and new student orientation: 9:00 a.m. Schedules will be handed out. (New Gym)
- 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)
Northview High School
- Northview Thursday, August 13 — New Student Orientation: 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. (Theater)
- Monday, August 17 (first day of school) — Returning students pick up schedules. (Gym)
- For more Northview specific information, click here.
West Florida High School
- Saturday, August 8 — For all incoming freshmen: 9:00-11:00. (Gym)
- 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)
For high schools not listed, click here.
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.
Man Wanted On Attempted Murder Charges
August 4, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has named a suspect in shooting early last Friday moring at the Moreno Court Apartmenets.
Anthony Tyrone Brock, 23, is wanted on multiple charges for the shooting of 34-year old Lesean Washington who told deputies he was shot during a drug transaction. Washington was transported to a local hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Brock is wanted on charges of attempted homicide, robbery, possession of a firearm with intent to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Florida Forest Service Sends Crews To Battle California Wildfires
August 4, 2015
The Florida Forest Service is sending a crew of 20 wildland firefighters to assist wildfire suppression efforts in northern California., state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Monday. Wildland firefighters are currently battling more than a dozen large wildfires in northern California, including the quickly-growing 60,000 acre Rocky Fire, west of Sacramento.
“Throughout the years, many out-of-state wildland firefighters have aided our efforts in Florida when our state has been overwhelmed by many large uncontrolled wildfires. Today’s brave Florida Forest Service wildland firefighters are proud to return the favor to help protect life, property and natural resources in California,” Putname said.
The Florida Forest Service’s initial-attack hand crew will join other crews in northern California, where they will receive assignment to the highest priority wildfire. The crews will battle mountainous wildfires in northern California using hand tools like shovels, axes and rakes to manually create a fire break or fire line around the wildfire perimeter.
“Due to the extreme terrain out West, wildfires can be extremely intense and often erratic. Wildland firefighting is an inherently dangerous career, so we have equipped our firefighters with the best training possible to help them fight wildfires aggressively and safely at home and abroad.” said State Forester Jim Karels.
Twenty-nine additional Florida Forest Service fire personnel are currently deployed and assisting in various wildland firefighting and management positions throughout the western United States.
Over 1,000 Florida Hunters Bag Permits For Bear Hunt
August 4, 2015
More than 1,00 permits to hunt bears this fall were sold by Tuesday morning, the first time in more than two decades that such licenses have been available in Florida.
The sale of the special-use permits — available throughout the state at tax collectors’ offices, online and at sporting-goods stores that sell hunting and fishing supplies — began despite a lawsuit that was filed Friday against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to try to halt the hunt.
“I do know the permits are being sold and being sold successfully,” Diane Eggeman, director of the commission’s Division of Hunting and Game Management, said Monday morning.
The state hasn’t estimated how many permits — which cost $100 for Florida residents and $300 for non-residents — will be bought by Oct. 23, the day before the hunt begins.
The hunt is slated to last from two to seven days, depending on the number of bears killed.
Laura Bevan, southern regional director for the Humane Society of the United States, said people seeking permits are only doing so to get trophies, and she doesn’t believe the state is doing enough to limit the number of bears that will be killed.
“All the hunters will go into the woods at the same time. We’re really worried that it’s going to be a slaughterhouse,” Bevan said. “This is a (bear) population that only came off the threatened list 2 1/2 years ago. This is a population that’s under pressure from development, from poaching, from all kinds of things, and now we’re going to open up a hunt.”
The Humane Society supports but isn’t a party to the lawsuit seeking to stop the bear hunt. The lawsuit was filed in Leon County circuit court by the Seminole County-based environmental group Speak Up Wekiva.
“Even if we feel that the hunt is unethical and unscientific there may not be a legal way to stop it,” Bevan said.
The permits went on sale at 5 a.m. Monday. All but six of the first bear permits sold were to Florida hunters.
The state is seeking a 20 percent reduction in the bear population, which is estimated around 3,000. That percentage reduction includes bears dying naturally or getting killed by vehicles, as well as those killed in the hunt.
“We want to reach that minimum number, that harvest objective, so we can reach the stabilization of the populations,” Eggeman said.
The state hasn’t put a limit on the number of special-use bear permits that will be sold, but each hunter will be limited to killing a single bear during the week.
Eggeman said officials don’t expect the hunt to exceed bear-hunting quotas that will be set for each of the four regions of the state where hunting will be allowed — the eastern Panhandle, Northeast Florida, east-central Florida and South Florida.
The commission will set the final quota numbers for each region in September.
Other than to say they are confident a judge will support the commission’s approval of the bear hunt, state officials aren’t discussing the merits of the lawsuit.
The lawsuit contends the rules for the hunt go against a 1998 voter-approved constitutional amendment that created the commission as an independent body “to conduct management, preservation and conservation decision-making based upon sound science.” The complaint also claims the bear hunt is not based upon sound science and won’t reduce growing conflicts between bears and humans.
The lawsuit didn’t ask a judge to halt the commission from offering the permits.
But supporters of the lawsuit contend the permitting should wait until the courts rule on the lawsuit to reduce the risk of having to refund money to people who have paid.
Opponents of the hunt have argued that Florida’s increased human population is expanding into wildlife habitat and that the state should further implement non-lethal rules, such as bear-proofing trash containers, prohibiting people from feeding wild bears and cracking down on the illegal harvesting of saw palmetto berries, which is a staple of a bear’s diet.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Wahoos And Suns Suspended
August 4, 2015
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (20-16, 45-59) and the Jacksonville Suns (13-23, 42-63) were suspended due to rain in the third inning Monday night at Bragan Field. Pensacola holds a 3-0 lead and the game will be resumed Tuesday at 4:35 p.m. CT. The third game of the series will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
The Blue Wahoos got on board in the first inning as Alex Blandino doubled in his first Double-A at bat and then scored on a double by Seth Mejias-Brean. Mejias-Brean’s double also scored Jesse Winker who got on base after being walked by Ivan Pineyro.
Also making his Double-A debut was starting pitcher Sal Romano. Romano, the Reds No. 17 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, struck out his first two batters. In two innings of work, he did not give up a hit or walk.
In the second inning, Romano had a RBI sacrifice fly to score Sean Buckley and make the game 3-0.
RHP Jacob Johnson will resume the game for the Blue Wahoos while RHP Casey McCarthy will come in for the Suns. The game will be nine innings while the second game will be seven.
LHP Wandy Peralta (6-7, 5.71) will take the mound for the Blue Wahoos while the Suns will send out Matt Tomshaw (5-8, 4.25) for the final game of the night.
The Blue Wahoos are taking on the Jacksonville Suns through Thursday.
Man Injured In Crash With Deputy; ECSO Says It Was Intentional
August 3, 2015
Two people were injured when a driver collided with an Escambia County deputy Monday morning in what the Sheriff’s Office said was an intentional act.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol 22-year old Richard A. Holsendorff of Niceville was traveling south on Scenic Highway when his 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo crossed the center line and traveled into the path of Deputy Terry Hammock. Hammock who was northbound in a fully-marked Escambia County Sheriff’s Office 2013 Chevrolet Impala. Holsendorff’s Monte Carlo overturned as a result of the collision. Both drivers received minor injuries in the crash.
In a separate news release, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said. “Holsendorff stated that he intentionally collided head-on with Deputy Hammock in an attempt to commit suicide.”
The ESCO said Hammock was involved in a vehicle escort at the time of the crash.
Charges against Holsendorff are pending, according to the FHP.
Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Too Hot For Watermelon: Festival Moved To November
August 3, 2015
The towns of Century and Flomaton held the Twin Cities First Annual Watermelon Festival last summer with hundreds of people in attendance. The event was successful, according to organizers, but the heat and humidity were just too much to bear for an outdoor arts, crafts and musical festival.
The watermelon festival was not held this summer due to the summer weather; it’s been replaced by an upcoming Twin Cities Fall Craft Festival from on November 7 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Showalter Park in Century. The festival will include family fun, craft booths, food, entertainment and more (but no watermelon).
Vendors and entertainers are needed; click here for an application.
Interested entertainers or anyone needing more information should call Kim Godwin at Century Town Hall at (850) 256-3208 or email kgodwin@centuryflorida.us.
The Twin Cities Fall Craft Festival is sponsored in party by NorthEscambia.com.
Pictured: Last year’s Twin Cities First Annual Watermelon Festival. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
