Northview, Byrneville Dance Groups Perform At Arts Festival
November 9, 2014
Members of the Northview High School Dance Team and groups from Heather Leonard’s Danceworks based in Byrneville performed Saturday afternoon at the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival in Pensacola. Photos by April Maholovich for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: The Election Is Finally Over
November 9, 2014
The national clock-cleaning that Republicans administered to Democrats in this week’s midterm elections reached into Florida, helping carry Gov. Rick Scott to victory over former Gov. Charlie Crist, his Democratic challenger, and strengthening the GOP’s hand in the Legislature.
Crist, a former Republican, failed in his attempted political comeback. Democrats lost six seats in the state House, giving the GOP a two-thirds majority and making the minority party largely irrelevant. The composition of the state’s congressional delegation didn’t change — one Democrat and one Republican lost — but that was about the only bright spot for Democrats.
The fallout: The GOP once again has total control of state government. House Democrats are once again ensnared in a fight over who will lead them for the 2015 legislative session. And Florida is once again primed to be one of the central states in the 2016 presidential election.
The campaign is over. Let the campaign begin.
SCOTT 2.0
In March 2013, it looked for all the world like Crist would be able to walk into the Governor’s Mansion. Scott was trailing his predecessor by 16 percentage points, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll, which showed Crist with a 50-34 lead that included leads in essentially every demographic category.
They don’t hold elections in the spring of odd-numbered years, though, and Scott used an avalanche of negative ads and a stronger ground game than Republicans have run recently to hold onto his seat for four more years. It was one of the more improbable comebacks in the state’s political history.
It came after a bitterly personal and extraordinarily expensive race — one that eventually lightened Scott’s wallet to the tune of $12.8 million, the amount he and his wife pumped into the Republican Party of Florida in October to ensure victory.
“They’re going to announce at 8 o’clock that we are going to kick Charlie’s rear. And he deserves it. Because he doesn’t worry about our families,” Scott said Monday during a rally in The Villages, a retirement community that is ruby-red Republican.
It wasn’t 8 p.m. when Scott claimed victory Tuesday. In fact, it was closer to midnight. It came after an unsuccessful legal effort by Crist’s campaign to keep the polls open in Broward County — no Florida election would be complete without a court fight — and a margin that started out strong in Scott’s favor and narrowed but never closed.
In the end, unofficial results showed Scott carrying about 48.2 percent of the vote, with Crist picking up almost 47.1 percent. There was no talk of kicking anyone’s rear in Scott’s victory speech.
“It’s time to put all the division behind us and come together,” Scott told cheering supporters at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs. “Forget about all the partisanship. Florida is on a mission. And that mission is to keep growing, and to become the very best place in the world to get a job, to raise a family, and live the American dream.”
Crist took the stage in a nearly empty ballroom at the Vinoy Renaissance resort in St. Petersburg to make a similar case. He was interrupted when he said he had called Scott and congratulated him. “Demand a recount!” a supporter cried out.
“We need to come together. We really do,” Crist said.
WAVE GOODBYE TO DEMOCRATS
The wave didn’t just hurt Crist, of course. It ravaged Democratic chances up and down the ballot. The only truly high-profile challenger to a Republican Cabinet official was George Sheldon, who ran against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
But Bondi crushed Sheldon, beating him by 13 points while Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer garnered just 3 percent of the vote.
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater also easily won re-election. And House Democrats, trying to hold onto at least 41 seats to either sustain Crist’s potential vetoes or cause trouble for the Republican majority, instead lost six seats to fall to 39 and yield a supermajority to the GOP. Republicans can now essentially run the House as they see fit.
Outgoing House Speaker Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, called the Tuesday night results a “validation of the policies we’ve been fighting for the last several years.”
“This is a great Republican night across the board,” Weatherford said.
The bad night for Democrats prompted a challenge to incoming House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach. Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach, said he would run against Pafford at a caucus meeting set for Nov. 17. The meeting had been expected to result in a pro forma vote to elevate Pafford to the position.
“Moving forward, we don’t have the time to take a chance on what else (Pafford) might not be able to do,” Taylor said.
Pafford indicated that Democrats were hurt by the national climate and the Republicans’ strong fundraising advantage.
“There was never any guarantee that we would come back with all of our members,” Pafford said.
Also, an amendment that would have allowed for the broader use of medical marijuana, supported by many Democrats, narrowly failed to get the 60 percent approval from voters necessary to take effect.
There were two bright spots for Democrats: In South Florida, Congressman Patrick Murphy managed to hold onto his Treasure Coast area seat, fighting off Republican challenger Carl Domino, a former state House member.
And in one of the few Democratic pickups anywhere in the nation Tuesday night, Gwen Graham — daughter of former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham — ousted two-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, a Panama City Republican who was elected in the tea-party wave of 2010.
A QUICK PROMOTION
The path from senator to president usually takes at least a couple of years, but Sen. John Thrasher made it happen in just 48 hours. On Thursday, two days after he was re-elected to his Northeast Florida Senate seat, Thrasher was officially approved as the president of Florida State University by the state university system’s Board of Governors.
Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, won approval alongside Kent Fuchs, the provost of Cornell University who will now lead the University of Florida.
“I have no doubt both universities will thrive under these leaders,” university system Chancellor Marshall Criser said.
Thrasher resigned from the Senate, effective at midnight Sunday, sparking the need for a special election to fill his seat. Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, and Rep. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, quickly moved to run for Thrasher’s seat, saying they would resign from the House a day before the special election.
Thrasher’s selection was contentious as it played out across the summer in Tallahassee. But Thrasher, who was Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign chairman when the FSU search began, was the front-runner for the job throughout the process.
Thrasher acknowledged he may have had a hand in state schools not being as adequately funded the past few years as some board members would want. But, he added, that in order to achieve higher standards at the university he wants to quickly prepare the school for the legislative session, focus on the university’s ongoing $1 billion capital campaign and look into increasing faculty pay.
“If we’re going to get in the top 25, we’ve got to be realistic about the salaries we pay,” Thrasher said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott beat former Gov. Charlie Crist to win re-election after one of the most expensive and bitter races in Florida history.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “If the campaign hadn’t built the ship and raised the sail, that last little bit of wind wouldn’t have moved us.”—Rick Wilson, a Republican political operative, on the effect of the national Republican victory on Scott’s re-election.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Burger King In Cantonment Damaged By Fire
November 8, 2014
Fire caused significant damage to Burger King in Cantonment Friday night.
The fire was reported about 7:10 p.m. after workers begin to smell smoke in the restaurant on Highway 29 at Old Chemstrand Road. Firefighters arrived to find the front of the building filled with smoke.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office was called into determine the cause of the fire.
The restaurant will be closed for repairs for an unknown amount of time.
Photos by Kristi Price, Holly Boureaux and Jennifer Day for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Attorney General’s Office Arrests Escambia Assisted Living Facility Administrator
November 8, 2014
Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit arrested an Escambia County assisted living facility administrator, 43-year-old Adrienne Taylor, for allegedly tampering with or harassing a witness, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and giving false information to a law enforcement officer.
According to the investigation, Taylor withheld evidence, created false reports, and had others provide false statements during an investigation into her employer, Kipling Manor. Taylor could receive 31 years in prison and fines. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, William “Bill” Eddins, in the First Judicial Circuit.
Taylor was also arrested in July, along with Belie Brock Williams, for allegedly refusing psychological nursing caregivers entrance into the Kipling Manor facility to assist mental health residents resulting in residents without care for two to three weeks. Taylor allegedly failed caregiver responsibilities to protect the residents from the abuse and did not ensure residents received prescribed nursing services. Investigators received information regarding the alleged abuse and neglect from the Northwest Florida Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Office.
The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes fraud involving providers that intentionally defraud the state’s Medicaid program through fraudulent billing practices. Medicaid fraud essentially steals from Florida’s taxpayers. From Jan. 2011 to Aug. 2014, Attorney General Bondi’s MFCU has obtained more than $460 million in settlements and judgments. Additionally, the MFCU investigates allegations of patient abuse, neglect, and exploitation in facilities receiving payments under the Medicaid program.
Former Band Director Gets Three Years For Sex Acts With Students
November 8, 2014
Friday, a former band director at T.R. Miller High School in Brewton was sentenced to three years in the county jail for sexual contact with multiple students.
Jeffrey Lance Ganious pleaded guilty to one felony count of a teacher having a sexual act with a student, and two counts of sexual contact with a student. Circuit Judge Jeff White handed down a 20 years suspended sentence. Ganious will serve three years in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton, rather than state prison, to be followed by five years supervised probation. If he should violate his probation, he’ll be sent to state prison for the remainder of his sentence.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Gainous was arrested in August for sexual contact with several girls ages 14 to 18. The contact ranged from sexting – sending explicit text messages — with at least a half dozen girls, to tying up girls and using various bondage devices during sexual contact. The incidents, authorities said, occurred at both his former Brewton home and inside the T.R. Miller High School band room.
Century Honors Veterans
November 8, 2014
The Town of Century held a special Veterans Day observance Friday to honor their local veterans.
“Hero — we throw that term around a lot, but they really are the superheroes of this world that keep us safe and allow us to enjoy the freedoms that God intended us to have,” guest speaker Rep. Clay Ingram told the small crowd at Century’s Nadine McCaw Park.
The event included other speakers and patriotic music from Byrneville Elementary School fourth and fifth grade students.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Beats Escambia
November 8, 2014
In a battle of local powerhouses, the Tate High School Aggies beat the Escambia Gators 27-24 Friday night in Cantonment.
The Aggies took a sizable 20-0 lead, beginning with 70-yard touchdown run with 7:53 on the clock in the first quarter.
The Aggies hit the road next Friday night for the first round of the state playoffs against Lincoln High School in Tallahassee.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Keith Garrison, click to enlarge.
Chiefs Drop Non-District Game To Blountstown (With Photo Gallery)
November 8, 2014
The Northview Chiefs finished out their regular season with a non-district 28-27 loss to the Blountstown Tigers Friday night at Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium in Bratt.
The loss was, simply, due to too many mistakes, said Northview head coach Sid Wheatley
“We just had too many mistakes down the stretch. Two different times, we had a two possession lead. That’s when you’ve got to go finish things off, and we didn’t do it,” said Wheatley. “And that absolutely killed it.”
The Chiefs took an early 7-0 lead with 9:31 to go in the first quarter on an eight-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gavin Grant to Cameron Newsome in the end zone. Blountstown tied it up early in the second with the Chiefs making it 13-7 with 8:19 to go in the second with a 25-yard Nick Lambert touchdown.
Lambert scored again for the Chiefs with 7:57 to go in the third. And the final score of the cold night in Bratt come from Grant with a 60-yard quarterback keeper.
The Chiefs are looking to move on quickly, putting the loss behind them and looking forward to next week and round one of the 1A state playoffs.
“We’ve got to get better and our minds have to get better, because our second season begins now,” Wheatley said. “This game tonight has no bearing on what’s going to take place in the future.”
Next up in the future of the Chiefs are the Vernon Yellowjackets next Friday night on the road.
Wheatley said the team was looking toward a really good week of practice, “we are going to prepare them hard”, and we are going to on the road and get things done at Vernon.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
Senior Night, band and cheerleaders photos will be published in upcoming stories.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
BBB Warns Of Asphalt Paving Scam
November 8, 2014
The Better Business Bureau serving Northwest Florida is warning local consumers to watch out for unethical asphalt paving contractors. Numerous consumers have alerted BBB of an individual soliciting paving work door-to-door, the organization said.
According to the BBB, a local couple hired the individual and paid $3,000 before any work was done. Unfortunately, the check was cashed and the worker never returned. The consumers are now working with local police to track down the individual. Watch for these common signs of an asphalt scam:
- They claim to have leftover asphalt from another job. Be aware of paving companies that approach your home, stating that they are “in the area” and have extra asphalt or concrete to repair your driveway for a minimal cost. Professional asphalt contractors know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material.
- High pressure sales. Never hire someone on the spot. Trustworthy contractors provide a written estimate that will be valid for days or weeks. Ask for local references and verify that the contractor is in compliance, current and up-to-date with all local licensing, bonding and insuring requirements.
- Deals that seem too good to be true. If the quoted price seems very low, chances are the quality of work will also be quite low. Many times the company will quote a low price for their work and upon completion overcharge the customer.
- No contract is offered. Insist on a written estimate specifying in detail the work to be performed and the agreed total price, not just price per square foot. Then get at least two more quotes before hiring a contractor.
- Unmarked trucks. Often the trucks they travel in are unmarked or they have an out-of-town license plate, address and phone number. A little research will reveal that they have no permanent address and the phone number is often an answering machine or answering service.
High School Football Scoreboard
November 8, 2014
Here are scores from the final week of the regular season in Florida and the first round of the playoffs in Alabama
FLORIDA
- Blountstown
- Tate 27, Escambia 24
- West Florida 28, Washington 6
- OPEN: Pace, Milton, Pine Forest, Jay
ALABAMA – PLAYOFF GAMES
- T.R. Miller 35, Greensboro 6
- W.S. Neal 51, Northside (Tuscaloosa) 34
- Flomaton 35, Pickens County 20
- Escambia Academy 54, Glenwood 0