Florida Gambling Bill Remains A Long Shot
April 22, 2015
Despite narrow approval by a House committee Tuesday, odds remain long that lawmakers will sign off on a gambling proposal that could do away with dog racing, pave the way for Las Vegas-style casinos in South Florida and open the door for slot machines in Lee and Palm Beach counties.
The House Finance & Tax Committee signed off on the measure with a 10-8 vote after committee Chairman Matt Gaetz asked House Speaker Steve Crisafulli to help ensure approval by appointing to the panel an extra Republican member who was a guaranteed “yes” vote.
The measure, sponsored by House Majority Leader Dana Young, centers around “decoupling” greyhound racing at dog tracks. Young’s plan would allow greyhound tracks to keep more lucrative gambling activities, such as slots and poker rooms, but allow the tracks to end greyhound racing altogether.
An attempt to amend the measure to allow horse tracks and jai alai frontons with slot machines in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to also stop racing or holding matches failed Tuesday.
But a revamped version of the bill (HB 1233) released late Monday included a last-minute carve-out for a Northwest Florida racetrack: to allow rodeo-style barrel racing as a pari-mutuel activity. A court ruled last year that gambling regulators erred when they granted a controversial license to Gretna Racing, located in Gadsden County, that authorized the rodeo-style racing. The license allowed the track’s operators, who hope to add slot machines, to open a lucrative card room.
South Florida “racinos” — pari-mutuel facilities that also have slot machines and poker rooms — are split on Young’s greyhound decoupling plan, opposed by horse breeders and owners.
Requiring horse tracks to keep racing “would allow certain operators to have legislative competitive advantages over other operators,” said Donn Mitchell, chief administrative officer for Isle of Capri, which owns Pompano Park Race Course and Casino.
“It is a bad business principle and a bad precedent to put forth,” Mitchell said, speaking on behalf of two other South Florida tracks.
But Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Coral Springs Democrat who held a meeting attended by pari-mutuel lobbyists late Monday evening, argued that the plan would be a humane way to finally put an end to an activity whose heyday has faded.
In visits to dog tracks, “I saw dogs running for their life with nobody watching,” Moskowitz said. “There’s a dozen people in the stands built for 5,000.”
The proposal, which has the support of animal rights groups, would also include requiring tracks to report injuries to greyhounds to the state.
Moskowitz called dissension over the gambling bill “a battle of morals,” referring to House Republicans’ opposition to any gambling measure. That was highlighted by Tuesday’s vote, which required Democrats’ support to get the bill through the GOP-dominated committee.
“I get it. … And for me the moral is that I don’t think the government indirectly and unintentionally should mandate animal cruelty, because that’s what’s happening,” he said.
Tuesday’s close vote could also telegraph trouble getting full support from the House for the bill, now headed to the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by conservative future Speaker Richard Corcoran. Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, has opposed gambling legislation in the past, and, with no more committee meetings scheduled, the powerful GOP leader would have to hold a special meeting to hear the bill. Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, could also have the bill sent directly to the floor, but it is questionable if supporters have enough Republican votes for passage.
A Senate gambling bill, which was approved by one committee before being tabled, is also unlikely to pass, according to Regulated Industries Chairman Rob Bradley. Bradley has insisted that the state needs to first decide what to do about a deal giving the Seminole Tribe of Florida exclusive rights to banked card games such as blackjack, set to expire on June 30.
Bradley proposed an extension of the agreement for another year after negotiations with the tribe came to a standstill earlier this month.
“Nothing’s changed as far as the Senate’s position is concerned. We think that the first thing we need to deal with is the compact. And, until we have some resolution of the compact, then it is premature to turn to these other issues,” Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Northview Beats Jay In District 3-1A Semifinals
April 22, 2015
The Northview Chiefs are headed to the District 3-1A championship game Thursday after a 4-3 over Jay Tuesday in Bonifay.
The game-winning RBI came on a sacrifice fly by Brody Amos that sent Roman Manning across the plate in the bottom of the sixth.
Northview hitters: Thomas More 2-2, double; Quentin Sampson 1-4, run; Chasen Freeman 1-3, run, SB; Aaron McDonald 0-2, RBI; Brian Cantrelle 1-3, run; Roman Manning 1-3, run; Zach Payne 1-2, triple, RBI; Brody Amos RBI. Freeman took the win for Northview with just over two innings on the mound, allowing no runs, one hit and striking out two.
The Chiefs (16-2) will face Chipley at 7 p.m. Thursday in Bonifay for the district title.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs beat Jay 4-3 in the District 3-1A semifinals in Bonifay Tuesday. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Aggies Fall In First Round Of 1-7A Championships
April 22, 2015
The baseball season came to an end Tuesday for the Tate Aggies as they lost 12-11 to Crestview in round one of the District 1-7A championship series.
Hitting for Tate: Cole Halfacre 2-3, RBI; Jacob Saulnier 2-4, 2R, RBI; Trace Penton 2-5, 3 RBI; Mark Miller 2-4, RBI; Sawyer Smith 2-4, RBI; A.J. Gordon 2R; Branden Fryman 1-5.
The Aggies started their season with a 13-0 run and finished at 21-5.
House Adds Exceptions For Rape, Incest To Abortion Bill
April 22, 2015
The Florida House on Tuesday joined the Senate in moving forward with a bill that would require a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions.
The full House is expected to vote Wednesday on the measure (HB 633), while the Senate version (SB 724) is poised to go to the Senate floor Thursday.
Like the Senate bill, which passed the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee on Monday, the House bill was amended to include exceptions for women who are victims of rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking.
Those exceptions could be granted only if women have police reports, restraining orders, medical records or other documentation to show why they should not have to make two trips to have abortions.
“You can’t just walk in and say you were raped,” said Rep. Rene Plasencia, an Orlando Republican and sponsor of the House amendment. “You have to have the documentation.”
House bill sponsor Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, accepted the amendment, saying that 98 percent of women seeking abortions would still have a 24-hour waiting period to ponder the decision.
“There is a lot of information to take into account, of what the outcome of that procedure will be for the rest of their life,” Sullivan said. “Therefore, the reason why I proposed the bill is that they would have time to reflect on that.”
House Democrats posed a long series of questions to Sullivan, suggesting that since the bill would require two trips to abortion clinics, it would work a hardship on poor women and those who live at significant distances.
But Sullivan repeated an earlier claim that “Florida is actually known as an abortion destination” because it has 65 clinics that perform the procedure.
She also said the two visits to an abortion provider “would not be an undue burden” on women seeking the procedure.
Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, asked Sullivan how many Florida counties do not have abortion providers, and Sullivan promised to find out.
“Right now they are all accessible within a 100-mile radius,” Sullivan said.
Rep. Kristin Jacobs, D-Coconut Creek, asked Sullivan if she’d be willing to allow an online consultation to substitute for the initial meetings between physicians and women seeking abortions.
“Not at this time,” Sullivan replied.
Additionally, House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, contended that the overwhelming majority of women don’t report sexual assaults and thus lack the paperwork necessary to waive the waiting period.
But Rep. Dave Kerner, D-Lake Worth, praised Sullivan for accepting a compromise on the exemptions.
“Even on the issue of abortion, we can come together and agree that maybe victims of rape, maybe victims of domestic violence and human trafficking and incest, ought to be treated differently under the law,” he said.
Kerner also noted that as a former police officer, he’d dealt with a number of rape victims and understood why many choose not to report the crime, adding that he doesn’t believe documentation should be required.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Blue Wahoos Drop To Barons
April 22, 2015
Despite a pair of home runs from Seth Mejias-Brean and Jesse Winker, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (3-7) fell to the Birmingham Barons (5-6) Tuesday night at Regions Field 8-4. RHP Tim Adleman threw five scoreless innings until giving up five hits and four runs in the sixth.
Pensacola was unable to capitalize on 11 hits in the tilt as nine runners were left on base.
In the first inning, Ryan Wright hit his second triple of the year and scored off of Jesse Winker’s ground ball to right field. The Wahoos had four hits in the second inning. Seth Mejias-Brean scored off of a single by Wright to give the Wahoos a 2-0 lead. The Wahoos had scored in six straight innings at that point, but did not score in the third inning to extend the streak.
Mejias-Brean started the sixth inning with a home run to left field. This was his first home run since August 8, 2014 when Pensacola beat Jackson 5-1.
Until the sixth inning, Adleman had thrown 14.1 scoreless innings in three starts. The Barons started the fourth inning with two singles, two doubles and three runs. At that point, RHP Chad Rogers began to warm-up in the bullpen. Adleman got two more batters out but then allowed another run. Rogers came into the game with two on and two outs and halted the Barons’ bats as Joey DeMichele flew out to right field.
Rogers went back in the seventh inning and got all three batters out. In four appearances, he has allowed two hits and no runs in 3.2 innings of work.
RHP Kevin Shackelford came into the game in the eighth inning and gave up four earned runs, three hits and two walks in only 0.1 innings of work. RHP Drew Hayes came into the game with bases loaded. Adrian Nieto scored on Tim Anderson’s one-run singles but the run was charged to Shackelford.
Winker, the Reds No. 2 prospect, hit his first home run of the year in the ninth inning to make the final score 8-4.
J.B. Wendelken got the win for the Barons and Nolan Sanburn got his second save of the year. Adleman got his second loss of the year despite a 0-2 record and a 2.70 ERA in three starts.
The two teams will square off Wednesday in Birmingham.
Missing Man Found OK
April 21, 2015
A missing man has been found in good condition.
EARLIER STORY:
Escambia Search and Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are currently looking for a missing 57-year old white male in the area of East Johnson Avenue and Airway Drive.
Authorities said Daryl Mickey Staton has salt and pepper hair, is about 5-foot 10 inches, and 190 pounds. He was last seen about 2 p.m wearing a green shirt and blue jeans and is believed to be traveling on foot. He has a medical condition and is considered missing and edangered.
Anyone with information should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or 911.
Cantonment Man Seriously Injured In Muscogee Road Crash
April 21, 2015
A Cantonment man was airlift to the hospital following a crash with a Mack truck Tuesday morning in Cantonment.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 58-year old Daniel Cain of Cantonment was traveling east on Muscogee Road near Beulah Road when a tire fell out of the cargo bed of an eastbound truck driven by 58-year old Clinton Powell of Pensacola. Cain’s 2006 Jeep Wrangler struck the tire and then traveled into the path of an oncoming Mack truck driven by 50-year old Kody D. Davis of Pensacola.
Cain was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in serious condition.
Any charges in the crash are pending.
Driver Strikes, Kills Donkey On Highway 29
April 21, 2015
The driver of a Hyundai Santa Fe escaped injury early Tuesday morning when they hit and killed a donkey on Highway 29 near Cantonment.
The accident happened just after 4 a.m. on Highway 29 near Hazzard Lane. The accident closed southbound Highway 29 for over an hour.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the crash. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details, including the driver’s name, have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Man Facing Additional Charges For Stealing From Employer
April 21, 2015
An Escambia County man previous charged with stealing from his employer and fraudulently using an EBT cards has been arrested in two additional theft and fraud cases.
Barry Paul Fehr, 53, was employed at Highway Specialties, Inc. on Pine Barren Barren Road in McDavid since 2001.
Fehr allegedly billed a contractor using Highway Specialties letterhead after representing himself as owner of the company and using letterhead to prepare quotes and establish contracts to that he would be paid personally for the installation of guardrail components on federal, state and local roadways.
He billed the contractor $6,300 for guardrail installed on I-10 and $500 for a guardrail repair on I-110 at Brent Lane, according to an arrest report. Investigators said he took inventory from Highway Specialties stock and transported it to the job site and performed the installation himself.
In a separate incident, Fehr allegedly negotiated a contract with Biles Construction for guardrail that was installed in Semmes, AL, and billed the company on Highway Specialties letterhead with his name at the top of the invoice. The guardrail used had been purchased by Highway Specialties for a project in Okaloosa County, but was reportedly taken from their inventory by Fehr.
The owner of Biles Construction told investigators that he was asked to pay for the guardrail in cash. When the company refused, Fehr reportedly asked that the $8,550 check be made out to him personally instead of Highway Specialties because he was going through a “nasty divorce”, the arrest report states.
Fehr was charged with multiple felony counts of grand theft and fraud in he two cases.
In January, Fehr was charged with unrelated counts of grand theft and fraud after an investigation found that he sold 30,145 pounds of steel highway guardrail components in 19 transactions to Wise Recycling without the permission of Highway Specialties for a total of $3,428.
The investigation also found Fehr in possession of additional guardrail components owned by Highway Specialties and valued at $2,135, the report states.
Several times, Fehr represented himself in a capacity to complete jobs and accept payment without proper invoicing and receipts, investigators said. Within the past two years, deputies said Fehr and his crew installed 150 feet of guardrail on I-10 and was paid $5,200 outside the scope of Highway Specialties.
Fehr was also accused of paying cash at one-half the face value for an individual’s State of Florida EBT card each month for the past 60 months. He then used the card as his own, fraudulently obtaining about $10,500 worth of benefits, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Fehr was charged with one felony count of a grand theft and one felony count of fraud – unauthorized user of public assistance when arrested in January. Fehr was charged with additional counts of fraud – unauthorized user of public assistance in February.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from his January and February arrests. He has not yet been arraigned on his latest arrests and remains free on bond.
Fair Provides $30K In Educational Grants To Local Students
April 21, 2015
The Pensacola Interstate Fair, Inc. has given out a total of $30,000 for the 2014-2015 John E. Frenkel, Sr. Educational Grants.
This grant provides $1,000 each to 30 recipients, made payable to any accredited college. Since the inception of the grant program in 1983, Pensacola Interstate Fair, Inc. has given over $1 million to local students.
These grants are restricted to graduating High School Seniors of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties who, during their high school years, have participated in or volunteered at the Pensacola Interstate Fair.
The grant recipients for this year are:
- Brandon H. Ingram, Central High School
- Mark A. Reid, Escambia High School
- Amanda S. Tanner, Escambia Virtual Academy
- Sydney J. Ezelle, Gulf Breeze High School
- Makenzie C. Bray, Jay High School
- Kolby L. Copeland, Jay High School
- Clayton T. Fischer, Jay High School
- Tucker C. Harrington, Jay High School
- Jeffery T. Kelley, Jay High School
- Micah J. Kemp, Jay High School
- Colby A. Odom, Jay High School
- Tyler W. Odom, Jay High School
- Alisa B. Roberts, Jay High School
- Emily S. Russell, Jay High School
- Kourtney P. Smith, Jay High School
- Derrill S. Starling, Jay High School
- Donald P. Cunningham, Pace High School
- Elizabeth A. Parra, Pensacola High School (IB)
- Erin B. Fairall, Pine Forest High School
- Carissa J. Carroll, Tate High School
- Tristan W. Fromm, Tate High School
- Samantha Early, Washington High School
- Amy K. Fellgren, Washington High School
- Briahna D. McDavid, Washington High School
- Christopher P. Searcy, Washington High School
- Michaela A Tullius, Washington High School
- Joshua L. McLamb, West Florida High School
- Raleigh E. Nesbitt, West Florida High School
- Hannah E. Power, West Florida High School
- Josephine N. Venable, West Florida High School