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One Charged With Escambia County Murder

One person has been arrested for a Friday night fatal shooting in Escambia County.

Both the victim and suspect were associated with the Tres Up gang and the shooting was the result of an altercation over a drug debt, according to a statement released by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Poarch Creeks To Rick Scott: Let Us Open Casino In North Escambia, Or We’ll Start Selling Pot

A single acre of land in North Escambia may be taking center stage in the future of gambling in Florida, or it may just become a one-stop marijuana shop.

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians really want the small parcel in the Nokomis community to be the home of their next gaming facility. They are currently constructing a large metal building that covers a majority of the acre, about five miles west of Highway 97 on Nokomis Road. They are officially calling the structure a “warehouse”, but its true future use remains to be seen.

Nearly a year ago the tribe asked  Gov. Rick Scott for Tribal-State gaming compact that would allow the tribe to operate casino-like gambling on the property.  Such an agreement would allow the tribe “to conduct any Class III gaming activity which is played or may be played in the State of Florida, including, but not limited to, banked card games,” then-Tribal Chairman Buford Rolin wrote in a letter to Scott. Class III gaming in Florida includes table games and slot machines.

So far, Scott has refused to negotiate a compact, saying more recognition is needed first from the federal government.

The one acre in Nokomis has been held in trust since 1984 by the United States government for the Poarch Creek Indians. That, the tribe contends, meets the definition of “Indian lands” and allows the PCI to conduct Class III gaming activities once a compact with Scott is negotiated. The tribe also contends that it has the immediate right to operate Class II gaming in Nokomis, which includes bingo and some types of poker, without any further action by Scott.

If Scott won’t acknowledge the Poarch Creeks’ legal right to conduct Class III gaming operations on the tribal land in Nokomis and other locations in Northwest Florida, tribal officials say they may consider other options such as selling marijuana from the Nokomis warehouse.

The U.S. Justice Department allows Native American tribes to grow or sell marijuana on Indian Lands, as long as they follow the federal laws in place for states where pot is already legal.

Poarch officials have made it clear that marijuana sales are not their first choice, but they want Scott to realize they are serious about exercising their federally protected rights.

“Obviously,  growing marijuana has never been at the top of our list when it comes to the Tribe’s goals as part of our economic development.  Growing marijuana on our land is something that we, as a federally recognized Tribe, can do legally,” Stephanie A. Bryan, Tribal chair, told NorthEscambia.com. “That said, our focus has always been on entering into a compact with the State that would ensure our ability to have gaming operations while not impacting other compacts or revenue sharing agreements already in place.  As a matter of fact, it would generate added revenues for the state and, again, we are considering all options on our land.”

If a gaming compact is negotiated with Scott, the Poarch Creeks also want it to include the Pensacola Greyhound Track, of which they are majority owners, their Creek Entertainment facility along I-10 in Gretna, just outside Tallahassee, and at Jacksonville Greyhound Racing.

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians currently operates the Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, just a few miles north of the Nokomis property, and Wind Creek casinos in Montgomery and Wetumpka, AL.

Currently, only the Seminole tribe has a gambling compact with the State of Florida.  A portion of a 2009 agreement giving the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to conduct card games at seven of its facilities ends in July unless lawmakers and Scott renew the deal. A sweeping gambling proposal crumbled last year when proponents of allowing at least one mega-casino in South Florida put the bill on ice because they lacked the votes for Senate passage. Florida stands to lose about $116 million a year if the portion of the compact giving the Seminoles exclusive rights to table games such as blackjack expires, according to an estimate from state economists.

Pictured above and below: A “warehouse” under construction Friday afternoon on an acre of land owned by the Poarch Creek Indians in the North Escambia community of Nokomis. Pictured bottom inset: The large metal building overshadows a neighboring home. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Prisons Chief To Seek Revamp Of Inmate Health Care Contracts

Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones announced Friday she intends to rebid contracts worth about $1.4 billion with private companies to provide health-care services to the state’s 100,000 inmates.

Jones’ announcement came amid increased scrutiny of Florida’s prison system, the third-largest in the country, after reports of guards abusing inmates, a rising number of unexplained inmate deaths and lawsuits from investigators who claim they were retaliated against after exposing wrongdoing.

Lawmakers have recently focused on problems with medical services provided to inmates by Wexford Health Sources and Corizon Health. The for-profit companies took over prison health care nearly two years ago after a drawn-out court battle over outsourcing ordered by the Legislature in 2011.

Jones has been highly critical of the state’s current five-year deals with the companies and began exploring ways to rebid or cancel the contracts shortly after taking over as head of the department last month.

Under the current agreements, Wexford is being paid $48 million a year until Dec. 20, 2017, to provide health services to about 15,000 inmates at nine prisons in South Florida. Corizon, which provides health care to more than 74,000 inmates in North and Central Florida as well as part of South Florida, receives $229 million per year. The Corizon contract was set to expire on June 30, 2018.

Rebidding the contracts is expected to drive up costs because the department will want more services.

“We are anticipating a cost increase. But we’re also adding electronic health records, liquidated damages and other enhancements to the contract that will help us in the delivery of health care services,” department spokesman McKinley Lewis said.

Senate Criminal Justice Chairman Greg Evers ordered Jones to redo the current contracts after he visited several prisons in his Panhandle district and found they were understaffed by doctors and nurses, a common complaint in other states where Tennessee-based Corizon does business.

Staffing was one of a variety of issues Jones outlined in a news release Friday announcing her intention to open a contracting process known as an invitation to negotiate “prior to the beginning of 2016.”

Jones is seeking “enhanced elements” to the current contracts that will include “the ability to ensure that appropriate staffing is provided by our contractors that enables a proper mix of administrative and institutional-level direct care, the presence of medical staff who possess the proper skills and qualifications to provide quality care to our inmate population and clinical oversight and supervision.”

Jones wants the contractors to perform internal audits of staffing levels, which will also be monitored by the state Correctional Medical Authority and the department’s health-services staff.

She also intends to demand higher penalties for the companies if they fail to meet minimum staffing or standard-of-care levels.

In addition, the secretary is asking companies to use electronic health records “to support decision making and improve provision of comprehensive medical, dental and mental health services while ensuring continuity of care,” she said.

Last year, 346 of the state’s 100,000-plus inmates died behind bars. More than half of those deaths — 176 — were initially unclassified, meaning state investigators had no immediate explanation for the causes of death. According to the Department of Corrections website, 146 inmates died due to heart attacks, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases or other medical problems.

“I am confident in the ability of this department to meet the health care needs of our inmate population through a partnership with private health care providers. Through this procurement process, the department will take steps toward being better able to ensure that the health care services required to be delivered to our inmate population are done so in a professional, expeditious and quality fashion,” Jones said in the news release.

Evers was cautiously optimistic about Jones’ announcement.

“In the past year since the Florida correctional health care has become fully privatized, inmates’ deaths have increased a staggering 10 percent. I’m encouraged to see that FDOC is responding to this health care crisis in our health care system. It’s been a terrible deal for the Florida taxpayers. Floridians deserve better,” Evers, R-Baker, said. “It is my hope and expectation that this time FDOC will rebid these contracts in an open and transparent process that includes proper accountability and oversight. We will be watching this process very closely to make sure that FDOC is not giving us whipped cream and telling us it’s ice cream.”

Both companies have pledged to continue to provide services throughout the rebidding process.

“We are pleased to see Secretary Jones doing exactly what she promised to do when she took over leadership of the Department of Corrections — making whatever changes are necessary to ensure the best outcomes for the state, its taxpayers, and its inmate population. This new procurement process will allow additional flexibility and increased cooperation between the state of Florida and its partners, and we believe we are well-positioned to continue as the state’s principal correctional health provider,” Corizon Health Chief Executive Officer Woodrow Myers, Jr., said in a statement issued Friday.

Corizon, which employs 1,700 workers in Florida, is also “proud of the improvements we’ve made in recent months, for instance enhancing reporting on healthcare metrics and adding more staff at no additional cost to the state,” Myers wrote.

Wexford President Dan Conn said in a statement that his Pittsburgh-based company is committed to working with Jones.

“We are confident Wexford Health has been meeting the many requirements of our contract with the State of Florida and know the overwhelming majority of concerns expressed by the secretary and legislators don’t apply to the inmates under our care in Florida,” Conn wrote. “The opportunity to rebid the contract will give us a chance to take Florida prison health care to the next level and implement additional cost-saving clinical programs not possible under the current contract, such as discounted drug pricing programs and electronic health records. Wexford Health looks forward to continuing our partnership with the Department of Corrections now and into the future.”


The rebidding of the contracts is the latest turn in Florida’s decades-long struggle with inmate health care.

In the mid 1970s, lawyers launched a a nearly 20-year court battle, known as Costello v. Wainwright, over prisoners’ health care, resulting in the appointment of a special master and nearly a decade of federal-court oversight of health services in the Department of Corrections.

The Correctional Medical Authority was created in 1986 as part of the settlement in the Costello case. The state’s prison health system stayed under federal oversight until 1993, when a judge decided that the federal government could relinquish its role as long as Florida remained committed to using monitors, like the authority, to ensure that prisoners’ rights were not being violated.

In the midst of deciding to privatize prison health care in 2011, lawmakers effectively shuttered the authority by eliminating its $717,000 budget. That same year, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a measure that would have eliminated the agency altogether, calling it a “valuable layer of oversight.” The next year, House and Senate leaders allocated $580,000 to revive the agency, shrunk from 12 workers to six with an oversight board of seven governor-appointed members.

Critics of the revived authority say the agency no longer has the power it held when U.S. District Judge Susan Black agreed to end federal oversight.

Disappointment in the current health-care contracts began not long after the privatization was fully implemented in late 2013.

Less than four months before Scott, who pushed for the privatization, was re-elected last year, former Corrections Secretary Michael Crews quietly agreed to pay Wexford and Corizon another $3.2 million to stay on the job for another year.

Two months after he inked the contract amendments, Crews threatened to stop payments to Corizon, saying the company failed to follow through after audits revealed shortcomings in multiple areas, including medical care, nursing and staffing.

The threat of another Costello-like class action lawsuit and federal oversight is an additional incentive for lawmakers to try to rectify prison health-care issues, which one lawyer who represented the inmates said are worse now than when the case was settled.

“Once those bids come in, if the private health care providers can’t do it at a cost we can afford, then it may be cheaper because of the inadequate health care the inmates are receiving. The state may have to look at taking it back over,” Evers said.

Pictured: The medical unit inside the Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

FWC Law Enforcement Report

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending February 19 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr responded to an anonymous complaint of a doe deer hanging in a shed.  They located the suspect’s residence and observed the carcass of a doe deer hanging in plain view.  They also observed an open bathroom window facing an area in the yard where corn had been scattered and rye grass had been planted.  There was a folded towel in the window sill that appeared to be a shooting rest.  They made contact with the people at the residence who called the suspect. When the suspect later arrived, he initially stated the deer was killed in Alabama during the open season.  After examining the suspect’s Alabama hunting license, the officers determined he had not filled in the harvest report.  Examination of the deer carcass showed that the deer was not taken nine days ago, but more recently, as it was not yet decomposing.  K9 Officer Pineda and K9 Kane arrived on scene to assist.  After confronted with the evidence, the suspect admitted to killing the deer in his yard with his rifle five days earlier.  K9 Kane alerted to a small amount of blood in leaves near the corn.  The officers recovered three bags of deer meat and seized a high powered rifle and scope.  The suspect was issued a notice to appear for taking an antlerless deer out of season and driving on a suspended driver’s license.

This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week;however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC. No Escambia County report was submitted.

Former IRS Examiner, Three Other Escambia Residents Indicted For Mail Fraud

Four Escambia County residents, including a former IRS tax examiner, have been indicted for conspiring to file false claims for payment in connection with the 2010 BP oil spill.

Rosa M. Bonner, 52, Ariyanna S. Lampley, 33, Jimmie A. McCorvey, 41, and Marcia D. McCorvey, 42,  are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud for filing false claims with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (“GCCF”) alleging lost income as a result of the  2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  The indictment alleges that between 2010 and 2012, the defendants agreed to have McCorvey file false GCCF claims in their names. Lampley is also alleged to have provided McCorvey with additional identities for filing false GCCF claims.  The indictment alleges that as a result of these false claims, GCCF paid $95,200 to the defendants.

McCorvey, who was an IRS employee at the time, is also charged with conspiring to file false tax returns.  The indictment alleges that between 2009 and 2011, McCorvey prepared and filed approximately 25 fraudulent federal income tax returns, resulting in the issuance of more than $62,000 in tax refund checks.  The indictment further charges McCorvey with aggravated identity theft for fraudulently using other people’s identities in both schemes.

Trial in this case is currently set for April 6, 2015, before Senior United States District Court Judge Roger Vinson. This case resulted from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.

Northview Gets District Win Over Baker

The Northview Chiefs beat Baker Friday night in Bratt 3-2 in a district game. The varsity Chiefs will host Rocky Bayou at 5:00 Monday.

In junior varsity action, Northview beat the Baker Gators 9-0.

NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.

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Sheriff, Woman Shot In Hostage Standoff Settle Lawsuit For $975K

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has settled for just under $1 million with a woman being held hostage who was shot five time by deputies.

Jackie Rosenbloom was taken hostage by Philip Monier, a former boyfriend, in her home in 2010. He used her as a shield when deputies opened fire; she was hit five times in the neck and legs. Monier was not seriously injured, shot only in the hand.

Rosenbloom sued in federal court, claiming excessive force was used and that Morgan failed to provide proper training.

Three deputies were also shot in the incident, including Jeremy Cassady who was critically injured.

Monier was charged with multiple crimes arising from this incident and was convicted by a jury on eight felony counts, including four counts of attempted murder and aggravated kidnapping with a weapon. On January 20, 2012, he was sentenced to life without parole and consecutive additional sentences totaling 20 years in state prison.

The lawsuit was set to go to court in Panama City earlier this month. The Florida Florida Sheriff’s Association-sponsored Risk Management Fund made the business decision to settle the lawsuit for $975,000, of which $10,000 will be paid from Morgan’s budget

According to a statement released Friday by Morgan, the settlement avoided the risk of an adverse jury finding and judgment that would include the requirement to pay the extensive attorney fees incurred by Rosenbloom’s legal team, and also avoided potential costly appellate litigation, possibly to the Supreme Court.

“This was purely a business decision” said Morgan. “This is not a concession of any fault or misconduct by this office or any of the deputies involved, each of whom demonstrated extraordinary bravery by risking, and, in the case of former Deputy Jeremy Cassady, nearly losing their lives in their effort to rescue Ms. Rosenbloom.”

Weekend Gardening: February Tips

Here are gardening tips for the month of February from your local Extension Service:

Flowers

• Re-fertilize cool season flowerbeds, using a liquid or granular form of fertilizer. Be careful not to apply excessive amounts and keep granules away from the base of stems.
• Prepare flowerbeds for spring planting by adding and incorporating soil amendments like mushroom compost, manure or homemade compost. Till or spade the bed to incorporate the amendments with the existing soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Allow the prepared bed to lie undisturbed for 3 to 4 weeks before planting. This provides time for some important biological activity to take place, and new plants are less likely to suffer from stem and root rots as a result. Have a soil test done. Sometimes lime is needed. However, a lime application should be made only if the need is revealed by the test.
• Replenish mulch in flowerbeds.
• Prune rose bushes.

Trees and Shrubs

• February is possible the best month for rejuvenation of old, overgrown shrubs. When pruned now, plants have an entire growing season to recover.
• Prune summer flowering deciduous shrubs such as Althea and Hibiscus. Since they flower on current season’s growth, flowering can actually be enhanced by proper pruning
• Do NOT prune the spring flowering shrubs yet. Azaleas, Spiraeas and Forsythia flower during early spring because buds were formed last summer and fall. Pruning in February would therefore remove most of the flower buds.
• Cold damaged trees and shrubs should NOT be pruned until new growth appears. You want to preserve as much healthy plant material as possible.
• Replenish mulch in shrub beds
• Finish planting ornamental and fruit trees.

Fruits and Nuts

• Fertilize established pecan trees. Use a “special pecan fertilizer” that contains zinc. Use 2 lbs. for every year of age of the tree up to a maximum of 55 lbs. Broadcast the fertilizer evenly beneath the tree.
• Fertilize established peach, plum, pear, persimmon, apple and fig. Apply about 1 ½ lbs of a 10-10-10 (or similar) fertilizer for each year of age of the tree until a maximum of 10 to 15 lbs. per tree is reached.
• Blueberries are very sensitive to nitrogen and can be killed easily, particularly when they are young. Fertilize only if your goal is to increase yield or berry size. An annual application of 2 ounces of a special “azalea/camellia” or “special blueberry” type fertilizer per plant in February is ample fertilizer on 2-year-old plants.
• Prune muscadine grapes between mid-February to mid-March. A standard method is to allow 2 to 4 node spurs spaced every 6 inches of cordon. You may notice that pruning cuts bleed, but there is no evidence that this is injurious to the vine.
• Grapes (bunch and muscadine) should be fertilized at the rate of 1 ½ lbs of 10-10-10 for each year of age with a maximum of 5 lbs per plant applied in late February.
• Last call for planting fruit trees! Most fruit trees such as pecans, plums, persimmons, figs, peaches and nectarines are shipped bare roots and should be planted during the dormant season.
• Apply a spray containing horticultural oils emulsion to dormant fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Follow label directions carefully.

Vegetable Garden

• Several winter vegetables can still be successfully grown by starting them this month. Plant beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collards, endive/escarole, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, parsley, English peas, radish and turnips.
• Plant Irish potatoes. Purchase certified seed potatoes rather than using the grocery store kinds. Use 2-ounce seed pieces with eyes and plant them 3 to 4 inches deep.
• Prepare spring vegetable and herb beds for planting by adding and incorporating soil amendments like mushroom compost, manure or homemade compost. Wait 3 to 4 weeks before planting.

Lawns

• Hold off on fertilizing the lawn. It is still too early for an application of nitrogen containing product. Cold temperatures and lack of plant response would likely result in wasted fertilizer. However, your winter weeds would benefit greatly.

Tate Shuts Out West Florida (With Gallery)

The Tate Lady Aggies shut out the West Florida Jaguars Friday night 4-0.

Tate senior Tori Perkins struck out 14, recorded no walks and allowed only one hit. For the Lady Jags, Farrah Nicholas pitched seven, allowing four runs and striking out nine. For the Lady Aggies, Casey McCrakin went 2-4, with two doubles and two runs; Perkins was 1-4 with a run and an RBI.

The Lady Aggies will host Navarre on Tuesday. JV play begins at 4:30 followed the varsity at 6:30.  West Florida will be at Washington on Thursday.

For more photos, click here.

NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Carnley, click to enlarge.

Lady Chiefs Split Games With Chipley (With Gallery)

The Northview Lady Chiefs lost to Chipley 4-1 Friday night at home in Bratt. Senior pitcher Mallory Ryan struck out 12 and allowed only two walks for the Lady Chiefs.

In junior varsity action,  the JV Lady Chiefs beat Chipley 9-3.

For more photos, click here.

Next week, the Lady Chiefs will be at home Monday night Washington, home Tuesday night against Baker and home Friday night against Baker. Junior varsity games begin at 4:00 with varsity games following at 6:00 each evening.

Photos by Gary Amerson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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