Bratt Elementary Art On Display At School District Headquarters
February 13, 2015
3-D art from Bratt Elementary School is currently on display in the Escambia County School District headquarters in the Vernon McDaniel Building on Pace Boulevard. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Military Housing Tax Exemption Gets Support
February 13, 2015
County property appraisers would be prohibited from seeking property taxes on housing improvements at U.S. military bases in Florida, under a proposal that easily marched through its first House appearance Thursday.
The House Finance & Tax Committee unanimously backed a proposal by Rep. Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, aimed at recognizing that housing under a program known as the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, on land owned by the federal government, is exempt from ad valorem taxation.
Initiative developments can be found at several bases, including Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The Military Housing Privatization Initiative involves the military entering agreements with private developers to own and operate military-family housing.
Trumbull’s bill is in reaction to a 2012 attempt by the Monroe County property appraiser to subject such housing at Naval Air Station Key West to local property taxes. Similar efforts are underway in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, Trumbull said.
The Monroe County property appraiser contended the non-governmental title holder on the housing improvements at the Navy facility shouldn’t be exempt from the taxes. However, a circuit judge blocked the attempt, declaring that the U.S. Navy is the equitable owner of the property, according to a legislative analysis. The case has been appealed to the 3rd District Court of Appeal. “At a time when Florida is spending a significant amount of money to maintain a military presence in Florida, these actions send a terrible message,” Trumbull told the committee.
by The News Service of Florida
West Florida Lady Jags Get District Win (With Gallery); Tate Now 4-0
February 13, 2015
The defending state champion West Florida Lady Jaguars are off to a 2-1 start this season.
The Lady Jags opened their season with an eight-inning 10-9 win over the Escambia Gators, a loss to Gulf Breeze and a district win Thursday 7-2 over the Marianna Bulldogs. Mogan Freeman hit a homer for the Lady Jags, while Farrah Nicholas struck out eight.
For photo highlights from the first three WFGS games, click here.
SOFTBALL
Tate 10, Navarre 0
Tori Perkins earned the win for Tate, striking out eight and allowing four hits in five innings. Casey McCracking had two runs, two RBIs; Perkins was 2-3 with an RBI; Rachel Wright was 2-4 with 3 RBIs; and Hayden Lindsay had a run and two RBIs for the Lady Aggies.
Tate is now 4-0, 3-0 in the district.
Photos by Gary Carnley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Royal Classic Winterguard and Percussion Competition Saturday In Jay
February 13, 2015
The Royal Classic Winterguard and Percussion Competition will be held Saturday at Jay High School.
The competition beings at 4:30 with scoring to be announced at 9:15. Admission is $10; full concessions will be available during the entire event.
Over 20 groups are scheduled to perform
Navy Helicopter Suffers ‘Training Mishap’ In Pace
February 12, 2015
A training wing helicopter suffered a “training mishap” this afternoon at Naval Air Station Whiting Field’s Navy Outlying Landing Field Spencer in Pace.
Initial reports from the scene indicate that the helicopter rolled on its right side while landing, and the two pilots exited the helicopter on their own accord. The pilots were evaluated by NAS Whiting Field EMS personnel and weretransported to Santa Rosa Medical for a routine evaluation.
The incident is still being investigated and further details will be released as they become available, according to a statement from the Naval Air Station Whiting Field Public Affairs Office.
Four People Injured In Cantonment Crash
February 12, 2015
Four people were injured in a two vehicle crash in Cantonment this morning.
One vehicle came to rest on its roof following the accident on Highway 95A just north of East Roberts Road this morning. In addition to the four injuries that were transported to area hospitals by ambulance, one other person involved in the 5:50 a.m. crash refused medical treatment.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Three Winning Tickets In $564 Million Powerball Drawing
February 12, 2015
There were three winning tickets sold in North Carolina, Texas and Puerto Rico in Wednesday night’s $564 million Powerball lottery drawing — one of the country’s largest prizes in history. The tickets matched the winning numbers 11, 13, 25, 39, 54 with a Powerball of 19.
The odds at winning with a single ticket were estimated at 175 million to one.
The Powerball is played in 44 states, but Alabama does not participate. That led to a steady stream of hopeful winners at lottery retailers on Highway 97 south of Atmore Wednesday afternoon and into the evening.
Pictured: A billboard just a few feet into Florida teases a $500 million jackpot to those driving into Florida early Wednesday afternoon on Highway 97 from Atmore, AL. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Atmore’s Traffic Nightmare: Most Railroad Crossings Closed For Another Week
February 12, 2015
Traffic has been a nightmare in Atmore for the past several days, and the delays are set to continue as most of the city’s railroad crossings remain closed.
CSX is currently upgrading and repairing railroad crossings in Atmore, with six of eight crossings closed. According to the Atmore Police Department, railroad crossings are closed at Industrial Drive, Swift Street, Wilson Avenue, Trammell Street, Presley Street and Martin Luther King Drive.
The only crossings currently open are Main Street and Second Avenue, which are slated to close February 18 if all other crossing repairs are completed by that date.
Thursday morning about 8:00 a.m., a three block trip across the tracks at the Main Street intersection took our photographer about 25 minutes. And drivers — or even emergency vehicles — can’t even think about hopping across the tracks at one of the closed crossings because they are physically blocked by piles of asphalt.
NorthEscambia.com has contacted CSX for comment on this story, and we are awaiting a response.
Pictured top and inset: Approaching the Main Street crossing in Atmore Thursday morning, and even waiting on a slow moving train (top). Pictured below: Crossings, like this one at Industrial Drive, are closed and blocked by piles of asphalt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge
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Lawsuit Filed Over Florida Dept. Of Corrections Gag Order
February 12, 2015
Six whistleblowers are suing the Florida Department of Corrections over a “gag order” issued by Secretary Julie Jones that they say violates state and federal law.
The legal challenge was filed Tuesday, one day before Jones told a Florida House panel the directive was necessary to shut down gossip and protect investigators.
Last week, Jones issued a staff “confidentiality agreement” barring inspectors from disclosing information about investigations to anyone except “those who have a need to know and only in connection with the official business of the Office of the Inspector General.” Violation of the policy could result in immediate firing.
The lawsuit was filed by six investigators who work for the agency’s inspector general, an official who answers to Gov. Rick Scott’s inspector general, Melinda Miguel. Miguel refused to grant four of the investigators whistleblower status last year, which prompted them to file a separate legal challenge claiming they were being retaliated against after exposing cover-ups involving the death of an inmate at a Panhandle prison.
On Wednesday, Jones defended her directive after being questioned about it during an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee.
Jones said she met with Department of Corrections Inspector General Jeffery Beasley in December prior to taking over her post and asked him if he had whistleblower complaints and if the whistleblowers claimed they were being retaliated against. His answer to both questions was yes, she said. She also said Beasley told her he did not have confidentiality agreements with the inspectors.
Jones, a veteran law-enforcement officer who previously headed the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and came out of retirement at Scott’s behest to take over the embattled corrections agency last month, said that such agreements are the norm in other agencies. The ban on disclosing information about investigations helps protect inspectors who may be pressured by more senior staff, she indicated.
“You have an inspector that has no specific rank is investigating presumed wrongdoing inside the institution. Someone of rank walks up and asks, ‘So what are you doing? What’s going on? Who are you investigating?’ And that individual needs to go look back and rely on a confidentiality agreement to say, ‘I can’t talk to you about that’ and feel real good about it,” she said. “Even in situations that are unfounded, you don’t want gossip. You don’t want water-cooler talk. You don’t want anyone talking, ‘I investigated so-and-so. Guess what they were accused of doing.’ It’s not professional … .”
But she conceded at least one misstep regarding the issuance of the directive, which came just two days after a Senate panel grilled Beasley.
“The timing was terrible. I just decided it’s just time to rip the Band-aid off and go forward. It was not intended as a gag order. It does not keep those investigators from collaborating on information,” Jones told the House panel on Wednesday, adding that the agreement also does not prohibit investigators from speaking to lawmakers. “So it was more or less, I think a good housekeeping piece toward how do you guarantee someone’s safety and their integrity when they come forward with concerns and keep that information confidential.”
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, the inspectors’ lawyer, Steven Andrews, argued that Jones exceeded her authority by requiring the confidentiality agreement because Florida law requires that inspectors general offices be independent of agency oversight or control.
Andrews in the lawsuit also accused Jones of, among other things, misusing her position by trying to keep the inspectors from exposing wrongdoing at Florida prisons. One of the inspectors in the lawsuit described the directive as a “virtual gag order.”
“It is clear that the Staff Member Confidentiality Agreement was enacted to confer a special benefit or privilege on Inspector General’s such that they are prohibited from reporting misconduct outside of the agency including staffing of institutions below critical needs standards and ongoing prisoner abuse,” Andrews wrote.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Gulf Power Turning To Oklahoma Wind For Power
February 12, 2015
Gulf Power Company is turning to the Oklahoma wind as a power source for Northwest Florida.
Wednesday, Gulf Power filed a petition asking the Florida Public Service Commission to approve an agreement that would make the utility a leading purchaser of wind generation among Florida utilities. The agreement would be the first of its kind in the state.
The project, called Kingfisher Wind, would be sited in Piedmont, OK, where conditions are favorable for wind energy.
“Kingfisher Wind will help Gulf Power add renewable generation that makes environmental and economic sense,” said Jeff Rogers, Corporate Communications manager. “Smart renewables, like Kingfisher Wind, are cost-effective for customers.”
With FPSC approval, the projected commercial operation date of Kingfisher Wind would be by December 31. The project includes 89 wind turbines and could supply 180 megawatts — enough energy to power approximately 50,700 homes per year.
“Kingfisher Wind, if approved, would represent approximately 5 percent of our projected energy mix,” said Rogers. “Wind power helps diversify the power supply and Kingfisher Wind is projected to provide lower overall energy costs.”
This wind project would be Gulf Power’s fifth renewable energy project following the Perdido Landfill Gas-to-Energy Facility, which has produced more than 100 million kilowatt hours of electricity since 2010, and three solar energy projects that will begin construction in February 2016 if approved by the FPSC.
Gulf Power announced in January that the utility is partnering with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to build solar energy farms at three different facilities across Northwest Florida.
If approved by the FPSC, the solar energy farms will be constructed at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach (30 megawatts), Holley Field in Navarre (40 megawatts) and Saufley Field in Pensacola (50 megawatts) and could be in service as early as December 2016.
“Adding alternative energy facilities to our energy portfolio mix takes a large amount of careful planning to ensure we provide our customers with what they want and need — renewable energy that diversifies our power supply while remaining cost-effective,” Rogers said.
Pictured: Turbines representative of the type that will be constructed for the Kingfisher Wind project if approved by the FPSC. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.