Bill To Legalize Fireworks, Keep Money In Florida Set For Hearing
December 28, 2013
House and Senate committees will start 2014 with a bang. The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee and the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee are scheduled Jan. 8 to take up bills that would lift a fireworks ban in Florida. Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, are sponsoring the measures.
“We’re pushing economic activity out of our state with a regulation that’s relatively meaningless because people get fireworks elsewhere and just bring them down and shoot them off here,” Gaetz said after filing his bill. “We’d rather keep those dollars in Florida.”
State law limits sales to relatively innocuous devices such as sparklers, while banning sales of such things as bottle rockets. But a loophole also has allowed the sale of fireworks to people who sign a statement saying they have an exemption to the law.
Gaetz said the idea for the bill came from a Marianna High School student, who said it was silly for people to cross state lines to buy fireworks and then bring them back to Florida.
By The News Service of Florida
Pictured: A Flomaton, Ala., fireworks stand, just north of the Florida/Alabama state line. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: What To Do With Those Holiday Plants
December 28, 2013
People often give and receive decorative plants during the Christmas season. Many of these plants can last long past the holidays, but only if you care for them properly.
Use the following tips to keep Christmas cactus, poinsettia, amaryllis, kalanchoe, and cyclamen healthy and vibrant long after the holidays are over.
Light & Water Conditions
Keep your holiday plants in bright, indirect light, such as a sunny window. You can also put plants under incandescent or fluorescent lamps if a room is too dim.
Keep the room temperature cool. The ideal temperature ranges are 65º to 75ºF during the day and 50º to 60ºF at night.
Make sure the plants are watered enough to stay evenly moist, but do not overwater. Even Christmas cactuses need to be regularly watered since they are not true cactuses.
Flowering
Most plants are already flowering when you give or receive them. Eventually the flowers will fade and you should remove them.
You can prepare some plants for next season’s flowering. Remember that plants like poinsettia and Christmas cactus need to be kept away from artificial light at night to stimulate flowering, usually beginning around October.
Amaryllis
Since amaryllis is a bulb, it easily flowers if you force the bulb. After the last flower fades, remove the bloom stalk, but let the leaves continue to grow. Keep amaryllis under bright light and fertilize it regularly.
In late summer, the leaves will die and the bulb will go into a resting stage. Reduce the amount of water it receives and store the bulb in a cool, dry place for two to three months.
Begin watering again and the bulb should reflower in four to six weeks.
Poinsettia
Poinsettias are hard for home gardeners to force to reflower.
When the poinsettia begins to drop its leaves, this signals the start of its resting stage. At this time, only water the poinsettia often enough to keep the stems and roots from drying out.
In April, prune the stems to six inches high, resume a regular watering and fertilization schedule, and place it where it will receive bright light that is not direct.
Planting
Most holiday plants are cold-sensitive, so only people in the southern part of Florida can consider planting their holiday plants outdoors without too much worry. Residents in northern parts of Florida can try growing their plant outdoors, but will most likely need to pay attention to weather reports and have some way of protecting plants from the cold.
Select the plants that have remained healthy and lush, and plant them after the chance of frost is past.
Poinsettias
Plant your poinsettia in a sunny spot that will not receive artificial light at night. The soil should be well drained.
Cut off fading bracts, leaving four to six inches of stem on the branches. Mulch around the plant, and keep it well watered during establishment.
Fertilize monthly from May to September.
Prune regularly during the growing season to keep the poinsettia from looking “leggy.” Stop pruning in September and flower buds will form in October.
If the plant was damaged by cold, cut it back to 12 to 18 inches of the ground or to living tissue in the spring after the chance of frost is passed.
Talks Underway To Outsource Trails Sponsorship Program
December 28, 2013
The state is negotiating with a private company to take over a park sponsorship program after failing to get any businesses to pay for advertisements along some of Florida’s prime trails — including the Blackwater Heritage Trail.
New York-based Bikepath Country has offered to give the state 30 percent of any revenue over 15 years in exchange for making signs and seeking corporate sponsors for the controversial program, which went into effect more than a year ago.
Bikepath Country was the only entity to submit a proposal regarding the trail signs after a Department of Environmental Protection conference call with potential sponsors this summer. The company reportedly runs similar programs in parts of New York, Tennessee, Arizona and Texas.
DEP, in talks with Bikepath Country since August, held an internal meeting Dec. 18 on the proposal but the deal remains in limbo, according to DEP spokesman Patrick Gillespie.
“We are currently negotiating with the company and the current proposal is being reviewed internally,” Gillespie said in an email. “I won’t have more information on the terms until those negotiations conclude.”
Bikepath is proposing trailhead signs up to 16-square-feet and 13 access point signs up to 4-square-feet at seven parks at “no proposed cost” to the state.
On its webpage, the company claims to design “attractive and non-obtrusive” eco-friendly signs.
The Legislature’s first attempt at approving the park trail advertisements died in 2011 after opponents objected that the ads would become an intrusive distraction for those visiting pristine state lands.
But proponents claimed awarding naming rights and allowing the commercial displays could help cover or replace some of the estimated $1 million a year the state spends annually to upkeep public trails, and Gov. Rick Scott signed “The John Anthony Wilson Bicycle Safety Act” into law in 2012. The law limits the wording on the signs, which can depict a corporate logo and can say the business “proudly sponsors the costs of maintaining” the trail but cannot include a company’s slogan.
The law only allows the advertisements at seven trails: Blackwater Heritage Trail, Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail, Nature Coast State Trail, Withlacoochee State Trail, General James A. Van Fleet State Trail and the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail.
Under the law, 85 percent of the proceeds from the concessions agreement must be put into trust funds for greenway and trail management. The remaining 15 percent is slated for Department of Transportation safety programs.
Pictured: The Blackwater Heritage Trail near Milton. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Appeals Court Overturns Escambia Man’s Conviction In Gun Replica Case
December 27, 2013
An appeals court Thursday sided with an Escambia County man arrested for possessing a gun as a convicted felon, finding that a state law related to replicas of antique guns is unconstitutionally vague.
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal overturned the conviction of Christopher Douglas Weeks, who was arrested in February 2012 in Santa Rosa County by the Florida Fish and & Wildlife Conservation Commission on charges including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Weeks pleaded no contest to the gun-possession charge after a judge denied arguments that it should be dismissed.
But the appeals court agreed with Weeks’ arguments, which focused on a legal definition of “firearm” that excluded antique firearms manufactured in 1918 or earlier and replicas of such antiques.
“Weeks possessed a black powder muzzle loader rifle with a percussion cap firing system,” said Thursday’s ruling, written by appeals-court Judge William Van Nortwick. “It is undisputed that this type of firing system is of ancient vintage. His firearm also had a scope. Given the type of firing system, his firearm was arguably a replica of an antique, regardless of the scope.”
Prosecutors argued that the gun was not an antique replica because of the scope. But the appeals court ruled that the law banning possessions of guns by convicted felons was unconstitutionally vague as it related to the meaning of a firearm.
The court said the legal definition “does not give adequate notice of what type of firearm may be lawfully carried by a convicted felon and, because of the imprecision, may invite arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.”
Three Injured When Car Slams Into Ditch On State Line
December 27, 2013
Three people, including two children, were injured in a single vehicle accident Thursday night on the Florida/Alabama line.
The driver of a Kia Sorento told first responders they swerved to avoid three deer on State Line Road, just west of Highway 99 in Bratt. The vehicle came to rest in a deep ditch along the north side of the roadway — literally on the state line.
The adult and two children were transported by Atmore Ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital with injuries that were not considered severe following the accident.
The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Struck, Killed By Vehicle
December 27, 2013
A 61-year old Atmore man died Thursday night after being struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle.
Charles “Charlie” Warren Phillips was struck by the vehicle just after 6 p.m. on Highway 31 near James Road in Nokomis, Ala. He was airlifted to the USA Medical Center in Mobile where he passed away a short time later.
Phillips was struck by a 1996 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by 46-year old Rodney Brooks of Atmore, according to Alabama State Troopers.
The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation by state troopers.
One Injured In Hwy 29 Bluff Springs Crash
December 27, 2013
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Thursday afternoon on Highway 29.
The t-bone type wreck happened about 3:30 on Highway 29 at Bluff Springs Road. One person was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with non-life threatening injures.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released. The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
BBB: Use Caution When Purchasing BCS National Championship Game Tickets
December 27, 2013
For many football fans in Northwest Florida, a ticket to the BCS National Championship might be at the top of their wish list. Between now and the National Championship game on January 6, 2014, thousands of tickets will be listed on classifieds websites, offering buyers little protection from dishonest sellers. The Better Business Bureau serving Northwest Florida is warning consumers to be on the lookout for phony game tickets.
“The reason tickets are expensive is because they’re hard to get and the chances of you getting lucky and finding a deal are slim. If an offer sounds much better than it should, such as someone selling tickets for much less than offered elsewhere, it’s probably not on the level,” says Norman Wright, president and CEO of the BBB serving Northwest Florida.
To help insure that you don’t get ripped off buying event tickets, your BBB recommends the following:
- Be careful buying tickets from someone on the street. When you get to the gate and find out your tickets aren’t real, the seller will be long gone.
- Before buying from an online ticket broker, check out the broker’s BBB Business Review at bbb.org. Make sure the website has a secure payment processing system, usually denoted by “https://” at the start of its website address or URL or a small closed lock icon at the bottom of the screen.
- If you buy tickets through an online auction site, choose a seller with a long history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure the seller has recently sold other tickets.
- Ticket buyers also should be wary of sellers who try to lure buyers from a legitimate site to another site for a “private” transaction. Scammers often want to conduct their business on sites with names that mimic well-known companies but actually are fakes.
- If you are buying tickets through an online classified ad site, never pay the seller by wire transfer. You will have no way to get your money back if the tickets do not arrive or are counterfeit.
Christmas Day Fire Heavily Damages Bratt Home
December 26, 2013
A Christmas afternoon fire heavily damaged a home in Bratt, displacing one adult.
The 1:55 p.m. fire was mostly contained to the attic of the small wood frame home in the 5100 block of West Highway 4, near the Bratt Assembly of God Church. The home suffered heavy smoke and water damage throughout.
Preliminary information pointed to a wood burning heater and a chimney as the cause of the fire. There were no injuries.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance responded to the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting the adult resident of the home.
Pictured: A Christmas Day fire caused heavy smoke and water damage in a Bratt home. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Updated 5 p.m. — Only one adult was displaced by the fire; one adult and two children had recently moved, according to new information provided.
It’s Easy To Recycle Your Wrapping Paper, Boxes In North Escambia
December 26, 2013
You can “go green” with those piles of Christmas wrapping paper and boxes by recycling them at one of several drop-off locations around North Escambia or in your weekly ECUA pickup.
Christmas wrapping paper, along with other household paper, plastics, steel and aluminum can be placed in your recycling container on your normal ECUA pickup day. For complete information on the ECUA recycling program, click here.
The Escambia County Division of Solid Waste Management has drop-off recycling locations in or near each of the larger communities in North Escambia. North of Nine Mile Road, recycling bins are located at:
- Ashton Brosnaham Park, 10370 Ashton Brosnaham Drive
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 North Century Blvd., Century
- Escambia County Extension Service, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- John R. Jones Athletic Park, 555 E. Nine Mile Road
- Molino Fire Department, 1459 Molino Road (behind fire station)
- Oak Grove Citizen’s Convenience Center, 745 North Highway 99
- Perdido Landfill, 13009 Beulah Road, Cantonment
- UWF, John Martin Hall, 11000 University
- UWF, ParkwayParking Lot #10, Campus Dr.
Items eligible for recycling at the drop-off locations are aluminum cans, steel cans, glass food and beverage containers, plastic containers (#1-#7), cardboard, junk mail (including Christmas wrapping paper), paper, magazines, and newspapers.
For more information on drop-off recycling in North Escambia, visit EscambiaRecycles.com.