Sawmill Pageant Winners Announced
April 9, 2015
Results from the 2015 Miss Sawmill Pageant held recently in Century have been announced. Winners were as follows:
Overall Winner for Middle School and High School: Ansley LaSala
Overall Winner for 6 to 11 Years Old: Andrea LaSala
Overall Winner 0-5 Years Old: Allison Grant
Miss Congeniality: Elsa Faulk and Madelyn Faulk
Individual Category Winners
Tiny Baby Miss 0-12 Months
Queen: Kensley Therrell
1st Runner-up: Emma Odom
2nd Runner-up:Brooklyn Cox
3rd Runner-up: Gracelynn Grant
Photogenic Winner: Emma Odom
Casual Wear Winner: Kensley Therrell
Baby Miss 13-23 Months
Queen: Kenley Welch
1st Runner-up: Mallory Marn
2nd Runner-up: Jenna Pritchett
3rd Runner-up: Jillian Kate Sanders
Photogenic Winner:Jillian Kate Sanders
Casual Wear Winner: McKinley Sapp
Toddler Miss 2-3 Years
Queen: Madelyn Faulk
1st Runner-up: Aiyana Cole
2nd Runner-up: Laurel Wadkins
3rd Runner-up:Abigail Hawthorne
Photogenic Winner: Laurel Wadkins
Casual Wear Winner: Aiyana Cole
Little Miss 4-5 Years
Queen: Layla Schoonover
1st Runner-up: Khloe Hamilton
2nd Runner-up: Chloe Johnson
3rd Runner-up: Jozalyn Coy
Photogenic Winner: Peyton Lee
Casual Wear Winner: Khloe Hamilton
Little Miss 6 Years
Queen: Lanie Stephens
1st Runner-up: Emilee-Grace Braswell
2nd Runner-up: Kailee Herndon
3rd Runner-up: Jacie Himes
Photogenic Winner: Emilee-Grace Braswell
Casual Wear Winner: Lanie Stephens
Junior Miss 7-8
Queen: Andrea LaSala
1st Runner-up: Jaci Jackson
2nd Runner-up: Natalie Hendricks
3rd Runner-up: Bailey Fillingim
Photogenic Winner: Andrea LaSala
Casual Wear Winner: Andrea LaSala
Junior Miss 9-11
Queen: Anna Marie Reaves
1st Runner-up: Bentley Glover
2nd Runner-up: Kenzie Garrick
3rd Runner-up: Nevaeh Brown
Photogenic Winner:Anna Marie Reaves
Casual Wear Winner: Anna Marie Reaves
Middle School Miss
Queen: Abigail Bell
1st Runner-up: Skylar Crawford
2nd Runner-up: Ansley LaSala
3rd Runner-up: Jillian Thornton
Photogenic Winner: Ansley LaSala
Casual Wear Winner: Ansley LaSala
Miss Sawmill- High School
Queen: Kassidy Adams
1st Runner-up: Heather Hilton
2nd Runner-up: Janna Johnson
3rd Runner-up: Jerni Crabtree
Photogenic Winner: Kassidy Adams
Casual Wear Winner: Kassidy Adams
Photos courtesy Photos by Fischer for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Senators Double Down On Gambling Bill
April 9, 2015
A proposed one-year extension of a deal giving the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to banked card games such as blackjack morphed into a much broader gambling measure Wednesday, prompting Senate Regulated Industries Chairman Rob Bradley to vote against his own bill.
While Bradley’s bill blossomed, House Majority Leader Dana Young dramatically scaled back her wide-ranging gambling proposal that would have allowed two Las Vegas-style casinos to open in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Bradley had wanted solely to give the tribe and the state another year to negotiate the agreement set to expire on July 1, but, as is generally the case with any gambling legislation, his proposal (SB 7088) became a vehicle for issues seemingly unrelated to the five-year card deal.
Before his committee’s nearly two-hour meeting on the measure ended, senators had tacked on amendments that could do away with dog racing but allow greyhound-track operators to continue operating slot machines or card rooms; permit tracks and frontons in Miami-Dade and Broward to stop racing horses and holding jai-alai matches; and allow dog tracks in Lee and Palm Beach counties to add slots to their facilities.
The greyhound “decoupling” proposed by Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, would allow dog tracks to eliminate racing but keep other, more lucrative operations like poker rooms and slots.
Sen. Oscar Braynon surprised many gambling operators and lobbyists in the audience Wednesday with an amendment that would allow any pari-mutuels with slot machines to also do away with races or games if any other facility with slots stopped racing. The measure would apply to jai-alai frontons and horse tracks in Broward and Miami-Dade counties if any greyhound tracks stopped dog races.
“This is what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. … If we’re doing it for one, we should do it for all,” Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, said. The amendment passed by a 7-5 vote.
And Sen. Joe Abruzzo, D-Boynton Beach, pushed an amendment that would allow dog tracks in Palm Beach and Lee counties — where voters have approved slots — to add slot machines. A portion of the money from the slots revenues would go toward purses, or the money paid out to owners of horses, at Tampa Bay Downs. Abruzzo’s effort garnered the support of Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican whose district includes the horse track, whose operators have pushed for slot machines to better compete with tracks that have slots in Broward and Miami-Dade.
Abruzzo laughed as he struggled to defend his proposal, saying it “would not expand gambling” because gambling already exists at the two dog tracks.
Bradley, on the losing side of a 7-5 vote on the overall bill, indicated that the measure was likely to undergo more changes before it reaches the Senate floor for a full vote, if that even happens before the legislative session ends May 1.
“I would suspect that if we have a gaming bill come out of the Senate that it will look probably a bit different than what you saw come out of this committee today. What you see is a few elements that continue to be in play,” Bradley, R-Fleming Island, told reporters after the meeting.”We’ve got a ways to go.”
Young’s proposal, up for its first vote in a House committee on Thursday, includes the dog racing “decoupling” and a proposal about greyhound injury reporting, which passed the full Senate as a separate bill on the first day of session. Her revamped proposal (HB 1233) would also do away with dormant pari-mutuel permits, end “portability” of permits by requiring cardrooms and slots to stay at the locations where they were originally authorized and impose a moratorium on any new pari-mutuel permits.
Amendments expected to be filed related to Young’s bill would add back the destination resorts, but only if Broward or Miami-Dade voters or county commissions approve the casinos. The amendments had not been filed early Wednesday evening.
Young said she pared back her original proposal after polling members of the House Regulatory Affairs Committee, which will hear the revised proposal on Thursday.
“I took notes and went through with the chairman and the speaker and said, ‘These are the things that people care about.’ There are certain things that people care less about,” Young, R-Tampa, told The News Service of Florida.
The two bills’ current status reflects where lawmakers may end up if any gambling legislation is approved this year, an effort that has repeatedly failed even after the Legislature spent $800,000 for a study on the issue two years ago.
“What you see with where the House is headed and what you see today is sort of a general, rough outline of some comfort levels on both sides. Obviously there are some things that people are not comfortable with, like destination casinos. … So we’re moving towards a goal, slowly but surely. I continue to say this all begins with what do with the (Seminole) compact,” Bradley said.
Bradley said he recommended the one-year extension of the current card deal because the Seminoles, who have launched a publicity campaign including four television ads urging support for the compact, and the state have been unable to agree on a new accord.
“We’re going to continue to talk to the tribe to see if there’s some common ground. But right now it’s just a bridge too far between the tribe and the state. Are we going to close that bridge before the end of session? We now have in play a vehicle to make sure the relationship continues if we don’t meet the distance between the parties before the end of session,” he said.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com Publisher Named One Of Area’s Most Influential People
April 9, 2015
The Pensacola Independent News has released their 2015 IN Power List — their ranking of the most the most powerful and influential people in the Escambia and Santa Rosa county areas.
Only two people that work primarily in the North Escambia area were named to the list — NorthEscambia.com publisher William Reynolds of Walnut Hill at number 64 and Escambia County Commission Chairman Steven Barry of Cantonment at number 27.
Topping this year’s list was Stan Connally, Jr, president and CEO of Gulf Power.
To read this year’s Inweekly Power List edition, click here.
Pictured: Gulf Power President/CEO Stan Connally, Jr., who topped the 2015 Power List. Courtesy image from InWeekly.com.
Citizens Targets 45.5K Policies For ‘Takeout’
April 9, 2015
Another 45,500 policies have been approved to move to the private insurance industry from the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
The Office of Insurance Regulation this week approved the latest round of private-insurer “takeouts” by two companies — Heritage Property & Casualty and Mount Beacon. The takeouts are scheduled to occur in June.
Based upon prior takeouts, not all the targeted residential and commercial-residential policies will change hands. Policyholders are allowed to reject the takeout offers. Citizens reported that it had 631,879 policies as of January 31, a vast decline from a high of 1.5 million policies in 2012.
Deputy Arrested On Additional Charge
April 8, 2015
A former Escambia County senior deputy has been arrested on an additional charge.
Mark Smith was arrested last month and charged with felony sexual assault and misdemeanor battery. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that an additional victim was identified, and Smith was arrested on an additional charge of battery.
Deputy Walter Michael Thomas, Jr., was also arrested last month and charged with felony sexual assault.
Douglas Albert Manning, 47, and Leah Giannotti Manning, 40, (pictured left) were arrested and charged on outstanding warrants for sexual battery and child neglect.
The original case, investigators said, involved sexual offenses with subjects under the age of 18.
Package Thief Arrested
April 8, 2015
An Escambia County man has been charged with stealing packages from doorsteps after they were dropped off by a delivery man.
John Clifford Wilson IV was charged with grand theft and multiple burglary counts.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators obtained surveillance video from two of these thefts that showed a dark blue SUV pulling up to the residence and two males removing packages that was posted on social media. Another citizen recognized the vehicle driving through his neighborhood, captured the vehicle on video and wrote down the tag number before contacting deputies. Wilson was identified from the information and arrested
Additional arrests are expected, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Careless Driving Causes Four Vehicle Crash Involving Two Semi Trucks, Dump Truck
April 8, 2015
There were no serious injuries in a four vehicle accident Wednesday morning at Highway 97 and Meadows Road.
The accident involved two semi-trucks, a dump truck and a pickup truck. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 31-year old Brian K. Smith of Bay Minette was northbound on Highway 97 in a 2014 Kenworth tractor-trailer approaching Greenland Road when he failed to stop behind a northbound 2007 dump truck waiting to turn left.
Smith swerved, with the left wheels and front of his trailer striking the dump truck driven by 59-year old David Chavers of Cantonment. The dump truck was pushed into a northbound Ford F350 driven by 59-year old David Forbes of Uriah, AL.
Meanwhile, 42-year old Christopher G. Robbins of McDavid swerved his northbound 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer, striking the right side of dump truck.
The four vehicles involved in the crash came to rest mostly off Highway 97 in three corners of the intersection. Both Meadows and Greenland Roads were blocked by the crash, while Highway 97 remained opened.
Chavers and Forbes received minor injures but refused transport to the hospital. Smith and and Robbins were uninjured.
Smith was cited by the FHP for careless driving.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Museum In Molino To Be Renamed In Honor Of Lillian King
April 8, 2015
The Escambia County Commission is set to rename Molino’s museum after Lillian Fillingim King.
Lillian King was instrumental in the establishment of the Molino Community Complex — housing the Molino Mid-County Historical Society Museum, the Molino Branch of the West Florida Public Library, multiple meeting rooms, and an auditorium — in the former Molino Elementary School.
She also established the Molino Mid-County Historical Society in 1999, of which she served as president from the museum’s inception in 2013 until her passing in 2015.
On April 9, the Escambia County Commission is expected to approve a resolution official renaming the Molino Mid-County Historical Society Museum as the “Lillian F. King Museum”.
King passed away February 27, 2015, at the age of 73.
Pictured top: Lil King holds ribbon for the ribbon cutting of the Molino Community Complex in October 2012. Pictured below: West FLorida Library Administrator Darlene Howell presents a certificate of appreciation to Lil King and the Molino Mid County Historical Society for the groups efforts at the Molino Branch Library in April 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Woman Charged In School Bus Hit And Run
April 8, 2015
A Cantonment woman is facing multiple charges for fleeing the scene of a school bus crash on Mobile Highway Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 18-year old Danielle Jocelyn Lee was charged with third degree felony leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, and cited for failure to exhibit a driver’s license on demand, no proof of registration, no insurance and violation of right of way.
Lee is accused of turning her blue Volkswagen left in front of a school bus driven by 43-year old Angela Jordan at Bellview Avenue and Mobile Highway. Following the crash, troopers said Lee fled the scene, later telling them that she was afraid. Lee was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $5,000.
There were 28 children on the bus at the time of the crash. Two reported minor injuries, one transported to the hospital by EMS and the second removed from the scene by parents.
Senate Looks To Policies On Police Body Cameras Like Those In Pensacola
April 8, 2015
A Senate panel on Tuesday approved a bill that would require law-enforcement agencies to establish policies for the proper use of body cameras if the agencies allow officers to wear the devices. The City of Pensacola is one of just 13 Florida police departments currently using the cameras, with nine other departments testing their use.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee unanimously passed the measure (SPB 7080), which would require law-enforcement agencies to establish policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance and storage of body cameras and the data they record.
That includes training officers who use the cameras and performing “a periodic review of actual agency body-camera practices to ensure conformity with the agency’s policies and procedures.”
Currently, Florida law does not require police agencies to have policies governing the use of such technology.
“We’re saying to law enforcement: ‘OK, if you want to use ‘em, this is what they have to be,’ ” committee chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker, said.
But senators also emphasized their concern that the measure should not violate part of state law that makes it a third-degree felony to “intercept an oral communication.” Under the bill, that provision would not apply to police wearing body cameras.
“If I stop to get a cup of coffee as a law-enforcement officer and I capture other conversations that are occurring behind me or in front of me … we’re essentially listening in on conversations that are occurring in public,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg. “And there is no consent provided for listening in on those conversations.”
But Evers said the recordings would only be used when officers are performing their duties.
“It’s only for law-enforcement activities,” he said after the meeting. “If by chance they happened to overhear another conversation … it’s erased, there’s no record of it, and it didn’t happen. Because there is a privacy concern that’s located in the bill and located here in this chamber that will see that that’s the way it is.”
Evers predicted the Senate would back the committee bill, which does not have a House companion.
Supporters of the measure include the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the Florida Public Defender Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
There could be additional funding for such programs. In December, President Obama proposed a three-year, $263 million legislative package to increase the use of body-worn cameras and expand such training for law-enforcement agencies. Part of the federal initiative would provide a 50 percent match to states and local entities that purchase body-worn cameras and requisite storage.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida