Lawyer Says Big Money Lined Up For Medical Marijuana Campaign
July 15, 2014
Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan said he has pledges of up to $6 million — not including his own substantial checkbook — to back a proposed constitutional amendment going before voters in November that would allow doctors to order marijuana for patients with debilitating illnesses.
Morgan, who largely bankrolled the petition effort that put Amendment 2 on the ballot, said Monday he is prepared to again unfold his own wallet to convince voters to support the proposal which, like all constitutional questions, requires 60 percent approval for passage.
“We’ve got people coming from all over America to help us,” Morgan said in a telephone interview from New Hampshire. “I’ve got at least $6 million committed as of today, without more money from me. I believe we’re going to be able to do it.”
Renewed support from Morgan — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist’s boss and close friend — comes as opponents of the measure, aided by Sheldon Adelson, a Las Vegas casino magnate and supporter of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, double down on efforts to kill it.
Adelson, whose son Mitchell reportedly died of a drug overdose in 2005 and whose wife Miriam is a physician specializing in substance-abuse treatment, contributed $2.5 million to the “Drug Free Florida Committee,” one of two organizations lining up against the proposal.
Morgan has contributed at least $3.75 million to People United for Medical Marijuana, a political committee supporting the amendment that has spent more than $5 million so far. Supporters of the amendment recently set up a new federal 501(c)4 committee that can keep its donors secret. But “Florida for Care” organizers say the group is focused on creating a regulatory framework for the amendment if it is approved.
Debate is heating up over Amendment 2, which would allow physicians to order medical marijuana for patients they decide are suitable for the treatment. The debate comes as the state grapples with creating an infrastructure for a type of cannabis that purportedly does not get users high but can eliminate or dramatically reduce life-threatening seizures in children with a severe form of epilepsy. Lawmakers approved that type of cannabis this spring.
Scott, who has said he opposes the constitutional amendment, signed into law the measure authorizing strains of marijuana that are low in euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and high in cannabadiol, or CBD. The law also allows patients who suffer from severe muscle spasms or cancer to be put on a “compassionate use registry” for the low-THC product as long as their doctors approve. Under the law, five growers who meet certain criteria, including having been in business as nurseries in Florida for at least 30 years, will be authorized by the state to manufacture, process and distribute the product — usually sold in paste or oil form — to patients put on the “compassionate use registry.”
“Ganjapreneurs” from around the world are flocking to Florida — the first state to implement a law in which growers will also process and distribute the low-THC, high-CBD product — in hopes of getting in on the ground floor of the cannabis industry.
“There is going to be money made and whether you’re selling beer in a convenience store or topless dances in Ybor City, you’re going to have people who want to make money. That’s just who we are,” Morgan said.
The state’s newest regulated industry has attracted “charlatans” who are likely interested in the more lucrative possibilities traditional medical marijuana holds should Amendment 2 pass, Morgan said.
“It looks like a bunch of cockroaches that just got sprayed with Raid. They’re spinning around going nowhere fast,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who think this is their way to get out of their coat and tie and walk around in their Jimmy Buffet outfit all day long. I believe that right now I could make millions of dollars if I could set up a lemonade stand saying I’m the marijuana guru, call me for information. You can’t imagine how many people are calling me thinking I’m going to be the way and the light.”
Polls have consistently showed widespread support for the medical marijuana amendment but that was before what is developing into an all-out attack on the measure, including opposition from law enforcement groups like the Florida Sheriffs Association.
Critics have accused Morgan of putting the medical marijuana amendment on the ballot to increase turnout among left-leaning voters who typically stay home during mid-term elections and who may be more likely to support Crist.
But Morgan predicted fighting the amendment could backfire against Republican candidates like Attorney General Pam Bondi and Scott, who both oppose the measure.
“It’s like if you told African Americans we’re going to shut down voting times or voting days, they said, ‘The hell you are,’ and came out and voted in record numbers,” Morgan said.
But Sarah Bascom, a spokeswoman for what is known as the “Vote No on 2″ campaign, accused Morgan of using the amendment to gin up support for Crist.
“Mr. Morgan’s comments are further proof that he’s not doing this ‘for the people,’ but as part of his own political agenda. This preoccupation with politics probably explains why the loophole ridden amendment was written so poorly,” she said.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Girl, 11, Called A Hero For Saving Younger Sisters From House Fire
July 15, 2014
An 11-year old Atmore girls is being called a hero today for saving her two younger sisters from a house fire early Saturday night.
Rubye Nix was in the living room with her sisters when it’s believed lightning struck outside the home, causing sparks to fly from a window air conditioner and start a fire. She was playing on an iPad when the fire started and she immediately went into action.
“My one-year-old sister was asleep and my four-year-old sister was on my lap. I smelled something burning and saw a small fire, so I grabbed my baby sisters and ran them out of the house,” she said Monday as her mother Toni Capers and stepfather Jerry Capers were searching through the charred ruble for anything that could be salvaged.
Jerry was home with the kids Saturday night as Toni was at work. The power went out, so he went two doors down to check and see if a neighbor had also lost electricity. It was in those few minutes that the lightning struck, sparking the fire. As Jerry returned home and saw smoke, he rushed back into the house thinking the three girls were still inside. He suffered first, second and third degree burns on his hands as he searched through the burning home for his family.
Rubye said she had learned from her parents and her school teachers about how to get out in the case of fire.
“You teach them what to do,” Toni said, “but you hope they never have to do it.”
“I was thinking, ‘okay, there’s a fire, I’m getting out’,” Rubye said.
“Nothing makes me more proud than to know that you grabbed them and ran,” mom Toni told Rubye Monday as they stood in the debris. “Because I can get through this.”
The home on Forest Avenue was a complete loss from the fire. The American Red Cross temporarily put the family up into a hotel through Tuesday night. Beyond that, the family said they don’t have a place to go.
Picturd top: Rubye Nix, 11, and her mom Toni Capers. Pictured top inset: Rubye’s stepfather Jerry Capers suffered burns on his hands after he entered the burning home looking for his three girls. Pictured bottom inset: Rubye and her mother search though the rubble looking for salvageable items Monday. Pictured below: The family’s home was destroyed by the fire. Photos by Anthony Pura/WEAR 3, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photo: Rainbow Over Cantonment Fire Station
July 15, 2014
Pictured: A rainbow Monday afternoon over Escambia County Fire Rescue Station 4 in Cantonment. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Summer Reading Required For Ernest Ward, Ransom Middle Students
July 15, 2014
Students attending Ernest Ward or Ransom Middle schools in the fall have a summer reading assignment. The students are assigned to read one novel from a reading list for each grade before the first day of school on August 18.
The Ransom Middle School library will be August 5 from noon until 4 p.m. for students to check out books that are due by August 19.
Novels can be purchased at area book stores, online or checked out from a school or West Florida Regional Library branch. They can be purchased and read on an e-reader such as the Kindle, Nook or iPad.
Projects focusing on the students’ understanding of basic literature terms and comprehension of the novel will be assigned by language arts teachers once the school year begins.
The Ernest Ward and Ransom Middle reading lists are as follows:
Incoming 6th grade:
- A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story, Linda Sue Park
- A Long Way from Chicago, Richard Peck
- Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson (***Ransom only)
- Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, Jordan Sonnenblick (***Ernest Ward only)
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick
- Mockingbird, Kathryn Erkine
- Old Yeller, Fred Gipson
- Slob, Ellen Potter
- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi
- The Trumpet of the Swan, E.B. White
- The View from Saturday, E.L Konigsburg
Incoming 7th grade:
- Any Which Wall , Laurel Snyder
- Breaking Stalin’s Nose, Eugene Yelchin
- Dragonwings, Laurence Yep
- Eragon, Christopher Paolini
- Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini, Sid Fleischman
- Heart of a Samurai, Margi Preus
- Lost in the River of Grass, Ginny Rorby
- Moon over Manifest, Clare Vanderpool
- One Crazy Summer, Rita Williams-Garcia
- The Anybodies, N.E. Bode
- After Ever After, Jordon Sonnenblick (***Ernest Ward only)
Incoming 8th grade:
- Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
- Carver: a Life in Poems, Marilyn Nelson
- Dead End in Norvelt, Jack Gantos
- Fire from the Rock, Sharon Draper
- Football Genius, Tim Green
- Lockdown, Walter Dean Myers
- Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
- Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood , Ibtisam Barakat
- The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt
- Wild Things, Clay Carmichael
For more information, contact your child’s school.
Northview, Tate, West Florida, Ernest Ward FFA Members Attend State Convention
July 15, 2014
About 40 Escambia County middle and high school students attended the 86th Florida FFA Convention earlier this month in Orlando. Escambia County was represented by FFA chapters from Northview, Tate and West Florida high schools, and Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured top: Escambia County’s FFA members at the state convention in Orlando. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Montgomery Biscuits Take Series With 4-3 Win Over The Wahoos
July 15, 2014
In his last three starts, Mikey O’Brien has pitched in High-A Bakersfield, Calif., Triple-A Louisville, Ky., and then returned to Double-A Pensacola.
But O’Brien said Monday all the travel didn’t bother him as he went up against Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson and held his own, leaving after seven innings with a 3-2 lead.
However, the Montgomery Biscuits came from behind in the eighth inning with two runs to win the game, 4-3, and to take the series, 3-2, in front of 4,050 fans at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
O’Brien pitched his longest outing of the season, going seven strong innings. He retired the last 12 batters he faced and 15 of the last 16. O’Brien allowed four hits, two earned runs, one walk and struck out three.
“I don’t mind traveling as long as I have a job and I am out on the mound every fifth day,” O’Brien said. “For the most part, I felt locked in and in a groove.”
Blue Wahoos manager Delino DeShields said it was one of O’Brien’s best outings for Pensacola.
“He ran into a little trouble in the third but outside of that he was in total control out there,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hellickson, who made his season debut Tuesday in Tampa Bay against the Kansas City Royals, got in six innings of work. He had arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow in January. Hellickson looked just fine Monday, striking out 11 Wahoos, including seven of the last eight batters he faced. He walked none, while giving up just one run.
“I was just treating tonight like it was a real game,” said Hellickson, a righty who is 39-31 with a 3.69 ERA in five seasons with Tampa Bay. “It’s the best I’ve felt command wise and with my changeup. I was pretty happy with how my day went.”
O’Brien said he found Hellickson’s work on the mound fun to watch.
“I’ve enjoyed watching him pitch for the last couple of years,” O’Brien said. “He showed tonight why he’s a Major Leaguer.”
Hellickson is scheduled to start for High-A Charlotte on Sunday. He rejoins Tampa Bay’s rotation at the start of its first post-All-Star break homestand, a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox from July 25-27.
“I’m looking forward to it quite a bit,” said Hellickson about his second start for the Rays, after allowing one run and six hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 4.1 innings against the Royals.
Pensacola took the lead, 3-2, in the seventh inning on an opposite field solo home run by Kyle Waldrop and a line drive shot over the left field wall by Juan Duran. Duran’s solo homer tied him with the second most homers in Blue Wahoos history in a season with 11. Travis Mattair holds the single-season record, hitting 13 dingers last season.
The Blue Wahoos are off Tuesday during the Major League All-Star Game. They start a five-game series on the road at Miami Marlins Double-A affiliate the Jacksonville Suns that gets underway at 6:05 p.m EST Wednesday. RHP Daniel Corcino (8-7, 4.40) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Suns LHP Chipper Smith (3-3, 4.02).
by Tommy Thrall
Escambia Man Gets Two Life Sentences For Two Robberies
July 15, 2014
An Escambia County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for two robberies last year.
Zethaniah Alexander Faulk was sentenced Monday by Circuit Judge Terry Terrell to Life without parole in state prison on a charge of robbery while armed with a firearm. He was also sentenced to an additional life sentence without parole on a second count of robbery while armed with a firearm. In addition, Faulk was sentenced to 40 years in prison on two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm Faulk was sentenced as a habitual felony offender and as a prison releasee reoffender on each count and all prison sentences are to be served consecutively.
The charges stemmed from two Circle K robberies which occurred approximately one hour apart on May 15, 2013. Faulk was masked and carried a firearm during both robberies. He utilized the firearm to batter the clerks from each store before stealing money and other items. He was identified with the help of a Crime Stoppers tip and the fact that a distinctive tattoo was matched to his person, according to prosecutors.
Faulk has an extensive prior criminal history which dates back to 1993. Previous convictions include robbery, aggravated battery.burglary, and numerous other charges.
Weekend Shooting Under Investigation; Investigators Seek Man For Questioning
July 14, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a weekend shooting on Cross Street, and they have named a man they want to find for questioning in the case.
About 8:30 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to an armed disturbance in the 3000 block of Cross Street. They found a black male suffering from multiple gunshot woulds under a carport. He was transported to a local hospital. An updated on his condition was not provided Monday. The incident appears to be drug related, according to a news release from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators are looking for Christopher Germaine Gill for questioning only because they believe he may have information in the case, according to a news release. Gill, 36, has an active arrest warrant in another case.
Anyone with information on the shooting or Gill’s whereabouts is asked to call Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Century Woman Sentenced For Thefts, Burglaries
July 14, 2014
A Century woman has been sentenced to 30 months in state prison on multiple theft and burglary related charges.
Sunceree Covan Bledsoe, 49, was accused by her mother in December 2013 of stealing two checks and antique silver coins with a face value of $298 that were worth an estimated $1,o00. Bledsoe allegedly sold some of the coins to a Jefferson Avenue resident for $10 cash. Bledsoe then allegedly redeemed additional coins at a coin to cash machine at the Century Food Giant, receiving $28.09 . She was convicted of grand theft and felony dealing in stolen property charges.
Bledsoe was also convicted in a second case of burglary, grand theft, larceny of a credit card and fraudulent use of credit cards to obtain goods.
According to court records, Bledsoe had multiple previous convictions in Escambia County including grand theft, burglary, drug charges, battery on a person 65 or older and prostitution.
Chumuckla Camping Trips Leads To Child Molestation Conviction
July 14, 2014
A man has been convicted on multiple child molestation charges after a weekend camping trip in Chumuckla.
Ramon Wade Renfro of Pace was convicted by a Santa Rosa County jury of lewd or lascivious battery, lewd or lascivious molestation, unlawful sexual activity with minors, contributing to the delinquency of a child and tattooing a minor.
The 40-year old Renfro was supervising a group of teenagers on a weekend camping trip to Webb Landing in Chumuckla in February 2013. During the camping trip, Renfro fondled and had sexual relations with several of the girls who were between 14 and 16 years old.
He gave the teens vodka, whiskey and beer to get them drunk before molesting them. Renfro used tools he brought with him to give one of the girls two tattoos in private locations. One of the girls disclosed the activity to her parents after returning from the trip. They notified the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Investigator Alvin Bicasan conducted an investigation, which led to Renfro’s arrest on May 24, 2013.
When questioned by Investigator Bicasan, Renfro denied engaging in any sexual acts or inappropriate touching. He further denied providing or bringing alcohol on the camping trip. Renfro claimed that he had not given the girls tattoos; however, during the trial prosecutor Stephanie Pace introduced photographic evidence of the tattoos. Witnesses testified that they had seen Renfro giving the tattoos and engaging in sexual acts with the girls.
Circuit Judge John Simon also found Renfro guilty of violating his felony probation. Renfro had been placed on three years probation on February 10, 2011 for failure to redeliver hired or leased property. Simon set sentencing for August 13.
Renfro faces a sentence of up to 50 years in state prison.