More Than 1.5 Million Would Be Eligible For Medical Marijuana In Florida
October 23, 2013
Nearly half a million Floridians could be getting a legitimate high if voters approve a constitutional amendment making medical marijuana legal.
In the first of three estimating conferences dealing with the financial impact of the medical marijuana amendment, state economists on Monday learned that more than 1.6 million Floridians would be eligible for the treatment, according to state health officials. But just a fraction of those — between 175,000 and 450,000 — would probably pursue the legal pot to cope with a variety of diseases, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.
Department of Health officials estimated it would cost more than $900,000 to regulate in the first year, if voters sign off on the ballot measure in November 2014. Those costs would go down after the start-up year, and would be offset by fees charged to medical marijuana treatment centers. Economists haven’t figured out yet how much money, if any, the state could garner if it taxes the medical marijuana, which would have to be grown or produced by the treatment centers. The economists face a variety of unknowns as they grapple with the issue, including whether the pot would be an over-the-counter type drug which would be tax exempt.
Prominent Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan is chairman of the organization backing the proposed amendment. People United for Medical Marijuana is far from reaching the 683,149 signatures needed to get the amendment on the ballot, but the group has obtained more than 100,000 signatures, enough to prompt the estimating conferences. The proposal would allow doctors to certify that their patients meet the criteria for medical marijuana treatment.
Only treatment centers authorized by the state could distribute the drug. The Department of Health would have to create a registry of patients and authorized care-givers and issue cards to the
by The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
District Volleyball: Freeport Tops Northview; Niceville Over Tate
October 23, 2013
The Northview High School Lady Chiefs fell to the Freeport Bulldogs in display play Tuesday night.
Northview lost to Freeport in four, 25-21, 13-25, 19-25, 12-25.
For a Northview-Freeport photo gallery click here.
Also Tuesday night, Niceville knocked the Tate Lady Aggies out of the District 1-7A semifinals. Niceville beat tate in three straight, 25-21, 25-17, 25-9.
For the Aggies — Carissa Carroll 3 digs; Lexi Windham 3 digs, kill; Jordan White 4 digs, 7 kills; Hope Tourney 2 digs; Lauren Merts 3 digs, 18 assists; Julie McKinley 5 digs, 3 kills; Regine Simmons 4 kills, 3 blocks; Kayli Kirklin 2 kills, block; Sydney Roberson 2 blocks.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Workforce Escarosa To Be Rebranded
October 23, 2013
Workforce Escarosa will soon be rebranded with a new name, including one-stop service centers in Pensacola, Century and Milton.
The state’s 24 regional workforce boards and nearly 100 one-stop career centers will be renamed under the statewide title of CareerSource. As part of the new brand, each region will continue to retain its own identifier — Workforce Escarosa for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will become CareerSource Escarosa.
The changeover, slated to officially occur during the first quarter of 2014, is part of a rebranding of Workforce Florida that is intended to boost awareness and improve access to the employment agency.
“By creating a single, distinctive identity for Florida’s workforce system, CareerSource Florida will eliminate confusion caused by the many different brand names across the state. With this new brand, our organizations, with their shared mission, will now share a name,” Workforce Florida President/CEO Chris Hart IV said Monday.
Workforce Florida hired the Orlando-based marketing firm IDEAS for nearly $500,000 to oversee the rebranding, which was authorized as part of the Regional Workforce Boards Accountability Act of 2012. The state will also assist each regional agency to offset the costs to convert websites and brochures to the new brand.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Ernest Ward Beats T.R. Miller (With Photo Gallery)
October 23, 2013
The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles wrapped up their season Tuesday night with a big win over T.R. Miller. The EWMS Eagles beat the Tigers 44-24.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
West Florida, Northview Place In District 1-2A Cross Country Meet
October 23, 2013
The District 1-2A Cross Country Meet was held Tuesday afternoon at Panama City. Team results were as follows:
District 1-2A Boys Meet
Team scores: 1. West Florida High 27, 2. Catholic 33, 3. South Walton 97, 4. Rutherford 122, 5. Arnold 128, 6. Bay 166, 7. Northview 187, 8. Walton 202.
District 1-2A Girls Meet
Team scores: 1. West Florida 28; 2. Catholic 51; 3. Rutherford 90; 4. Arnold 112; 5. South Walton 115; 6. Northview 176; 7. Walton 178; 8. Bay 183.
The top four teams and the top 15 individuals advance to regionals.
Scott To Try To Boost Business With Japan
October 23, 2013
Gov. Rick Scott met this week with a consul general of Japan, as the governor tunes up for a trip to Japan that is part of an effort to increase trade with Asian countries.
Without elaborating on details of the visit Monday in the Capitol, Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said the governor and Shinji Nagashima, consul general for the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami, discussed the upcoming trip.
A spokeswoman for the Consulate-General simply described the meeting as a “courtesy visit,” as Nagashima was appointed to the Miami post in September.
Scott and a delegation from Enterprise Florida, a public-private partnership that serves as the state’s business-development arm, are expected to travel with a small group of business leaders to Toyko and Osaka from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9. The trip will be the first for a sitting Florida governor to Japan since former Gov. Lawton Chiles went to Japan and South Korea in 1997.
Enterprise Florida spokesman Sean Helton said the tour is part of an expanding strategy to grow markets that haven’t historically been as active trading partners for the state as some markets in Latin American and the Caribbean.
“With the expansion of the Panama Canal and increased access to the state, Florida’s foreign direct investment from those Asian markets stands to increase significantly,” Helton said in email.
While historically not as active as Brazil or Colombia, Japan is eighth among nations as a merchandise trading partner with Florida, according to Enterprise Florida figures.
Cars and other passenger vehicles are easily the state’s top imports from Japan, while fertilizer, civilian aircraft and aircraft parts, and citrus are among the primary items shipped from the Sunshine State to Japan.
The state estimates there are at least 119 Japanese companies that have operations in Florida, accounting for 20,400 jobs.
An estimated 278,000 Japanese tourists visited Florida last year, according to VisitFlorida.com.
The trip will be Scott’s 10th trade-related trip to a foreign nation.
Scott has taken more foreign trips than his predecessor Charlie Crist, then a Republican, did during four years in the governor’s office. Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who served eight years, went on 16 business-related missions to other countries.
Helton said the Japan trip won’t feature massive trade-show components that have been featured in trade missions headed by Scott to Paris, England, Brazil and Colombia.
“The Japan mission will allow the governor, (Secretary of Commerce) Gray (Swoope) and others to talk with Japanese business leaders, share Florida’s business story and promote the state as a foreign direct investment partner,” Helton said in an email Monday.
A final agenda has yet to be set for the trip, and a list of delegates has not been released.
The November trip is one of two upcoming trade-related outings linked to Japan that will include Scott.
Scott is expected to lead a delegation of business leaders to a joint meeting of the Southeast U.S./Japan Association and the Tokyo-based Japan-U.S. Southeast Association, in Biloxi, Miss., from Nov. 17 to Nov. 19.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Alleged Trigger Man Arrested In Shooting Death Of 14 Year Old
October 22, 2013
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested a Pensacola man this morning who is the alleged trigger man in the in the September 19 drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of a 14 year-old girl.
Zachary Antonio Brooks was arrested at 9 a.m. by the at a home on the 800 Block of Lavon Drive just off of Gulf Beach Highway.
According to police reports, the shooting was retaliation of a dispute earlier in the evening on the same night at Maxwell and H Streets. The argument was supposedly started between two children then escalated when adults became involved. According to reports, Brooks aimed a gun out of a car and fired it toward Maxwell Street Apartments, where the body of Kenteyonnya Anderson was found when sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene.
Brooks, 22, was arrested without incident and brought to the Escambia County Jail and booked without a bond. Brooks is being charged with homicide, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
The U.S. Marshals were assisted by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Patrol and K-9 units as well as Task Force members from Escambia, Santa Rosa and Walton County Sheriff’s Offices and FDLE.
Two Arrested For One Pot Meth Lab
October 22, 2013
Two Escambia County resident were arrested for a “one pot” meth lab in a vehicle outside a Nine Mile Road business.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Monday deputies responded to the 1000 block of East Nine Mile Road in reference to a narcotics violation. A one pot meth lab was located in a vehicle in the parking lot of a business.
The vehicle’s driver, Troy Michael Clark, 26 and Sheena Beth Stinnett, 28, were arrested and charged with production of methamphetamine, possession of a listed chemical, trafficking methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both remained in the Escambia County Jail Tuesday afternoon with bond set at $121,000 each.
Residents Report Sound Of Explosion In Molino
October 22, 2013
Multiple residents reported the sound of an explosion in the Molino area just after 8:00 this morning.
Escambia County’s 911 dispatch only received one phone call from a resident in the 5000 block of Schaag Road reporting the sound, but additional residents on Highway 95A told firefighters that they heard the sound.
Emergency personnel were able to determine the explosive sound probably originated in a wooded area between Schaag Road and Highway 95A, nearly a mile north of Barrineau Park Road.
Firefighters were unable to locate any damage to structures in the area, and they were unable to pinpoint the exact cause or location of the explosive sound.
The Molino and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue took part in the investigation.
Century Postpones Barnyard Animal Ordinance To Consider Options
October 22, 2013
The Century Town Council has put a proposed new barnyard animal control ordinance out to pasture while new options are explored.
Monday night, the council considered an ordinance that would make it illegal to keep any horse, mule, donkey, goat, sheep or cattle within the town limits, except on property zoned as agricultural. There are only three parcels of land in the town currently zoned agricultural.
“It is a bother and there is a problem with neglect and abuse,” Century resident and horse owner Maggie Waters told the council. “We need to enforce the laws in place…why should we suffer because there are others that can’t follow the existing law?”
Mayor Freddie McCall said those that already have barnyard animals could be grandfathered under a new ordinance, or could be required to apply for variance. Variances could be issued on an case by case basis, town consultant Debbie Nickles added.
Resident Helen Mincy questioned if there would be any specific lot sizes that might be grandfathered or rezoned agricultural under a barnyard animal ordinance. “I don’t want cattle next to me,” she said. “I don’t want to smell manure.”
“A lot of the threat is based upon if you are that neighbor and you are having to deal with it,” Nickles said.
Council President Ann Brooks said any barnyard animal ordinance should include provisions for minimum acreage and fencing.
Nickles will research options and return with a new ordinance at the council’s next meeting on November 4.
McCall said the need for an ordinance was raised after an individual purchased five acres zoned residential on Hudson Hill Road with the intent to bring in goats and chickens on the property. “We don’t have an ordinance to take care of that.”
Pictured: The Century Town Council meets Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click toe enlarge.