Citizens Insurance Policy Clearinghouse Set To Begin Monday
January 23, 2014
An electronic clearinghouse system, expected to keep Citizens Property Insurance Corp. from all but the riskiest homeowners’ policies, is set to go live Monday.
The rollout of the system was delayed for three weeks as privacy questions arose regarding applicant information while policies were marketed to private insurers. The delay was also implemented as the state Department of Economic Opportunity continues to work with vendors to fix a number of problems with its new $63 million Connect unemployment assistance website.
“We’ve been quality assurance testing for several weeks,” Citizens spokesman Mike Peltier responded Wednesday in an email. Initially, only new policies will be run through the clearinghouse.
Four companies — Ark Royal, Florida Peninsula, Safe Harbor and United Property & Casualty — will initially be involved with the clearinghouse. By July 13, Citizens hopes to have up to 16 additional companies brought online.
“The clearinghouse offers dual benefits of helping homeowners find better coverage at comparable rates and reducing Citizens’ exposure,” Citizens Chairman Chris Gardner said in a release. Combined with a number of ongoing mass takeouts of policies by private carriers, Citizens should soon be below the 1 million policy mark for the first time since mid-2006. Citizens ended 2013 with 1,021,694 policies.
Through the clearinghouse, if coverage by a private firm is found within 15 percent of Citizens’ premium, the policy would go to the private carrier. For those who now have Citizens coverage, policy renewals will enter the clearinghouse starting July 1. For existing Citizens customers, renewals will have to go to the private market if comparable coverage is found at or below the state-backed insurer’s rates.
The clearinghouse was part a sweeping insurance package approved by legislators during the 2013 session.
Last August, the Citizens board approved a five-year contract with Bolt Solutions, Inc., to design the software for the clearinghouse. The contract, which has an option for an additional five years, could total $44.9 million over the decade.
Bond Revoked For McDavid Burglary Suspect
January 23, 2014
Bond has been revoked for a McDavid man awaiting trial on burglary charges.
In September 2013, 19-year old Haden Brock Howard was charged with felony burglary and grand theft for stealing a generator, chainsaws, a pressure washer and other power tools from a shed on Sandy Hollow Road. Howard allegedly knew the victim’s family and knew that they were out of town during the weekend in which the items were stolen.
The family’s 14-year old son told deputies that he and Howard owed money to Howard’s drug dealer on Cypress Street in Walnut Hill, and the stolen items were traded for spice, marijuana and crack cocaine.
Howard was also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allowing the 14-year old son, another 14-year boy and his 15-year old girlfriend the means to purchase and use crack cocaine, marijuana and spice in his presence, according to an arrest report.
On December 13, 2013, Judge J. Scott Duncan granted the State Attorney’s Office motion to revoke bond; he was arrested Tuesday on the outstanding order.
In a separate case, Howard is facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery by strangulation, and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon after allegedly attacking his mother over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The 42-year old victim told deputies that Howard, her son, had taken her vehicle without permission. She was able to locate it alongside Highway 97. As she was driving home, the victim said Howard suddenly sat up from the backseat, became enraged and put a knife against her right temple and was saying he was going to kill her, according to an arrest report.
The victim pulled off the road in the 7200 block of Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. She told deputies that Howard dropped the knife, then attempted to strangle her before grabbing some sort of handsaw. She escaped the car, with Howard attempting to run over her, an arrest report states, before crashing through a fence and speeding off on Highway 97.
Deputies made contact with Howard by phone and he said he had no idea what was going on and that he had not seen his mother in two or three days. Deputies convinced Howard to exit his grandparents’ home on Green Village Road, at which time he was taken into custody. He continued to insist that he had not had any contact with his mother.
The victim’s car was located in the grandparents’ backyard, with what appeared to be a bloody fixed blade knife inside, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
Howard made a video court appearance Wednesday afternoon. He is scheduled for trial in late February in both cases.
Fire Damages Atmore Apartment
January 23, 2014
A two-story single family apartment in Atmore sustained smoke and water damage during a fire Wednesday afternoon.
Officials said the residents of the apartment in the 100 block of South Trammell Street had left the kitchen with grease on a hot stove, apparently sparking the blaze. There were no injuries reported.
The Atmore and Poarch fire departments responded to the fire, which was reported about 12:30 p.m.
Photos by Ditto Gorme for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
State Report Says Law Against ‘No Fault’ Fraud Is Reducing Rates
January 23, 2014
Auto insurance costs will come down slightly, more than a year after reforms aimed at reducing fraud in the state’s “no-fault” auto insurance system were implemented, according to a preliminary analysis of rates by the state.
The Office of Insurance Regulation announced Wednesday that Personal Injury Protection coverage is projected to drop an average of 13.2 percent based upon on a review of 20 insurers that provide coverage for more than 75 percent of the Florida market.
The result of the decrease would be an overall 1.2 percent reduction in rates, because “no-fault” accounts for a small portion of auto coverage, the state insurance regulatory office stated in a release.
A spokesman for Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, who was a proponent of the 2012 law, called the report a “positive trend” for consumers.
“PIP fraud remains a criminal activity that we are vigilantly fighting, but the positive progress being made suggests that the recent PIP reforms should be allowed to continue working to help improve Florida’s auto insurance market,” Atwater spokesman Chris Cate said in an email.
According to OIR, the drop is in line with the projections from legislation (HB 119) that targeted what officials said had become a $1 billion overall increase in rates due to fraud.
“The estimated average statewide savings reflect a positive trend in comparison to 2011, when 86 percent of auto filings were for proposed increases in ‘no-fault’ premiums — the vast majority for double digit increases,” the study declared.
The report is expected to further temper efforts to dump the requirement that Floridians purchase “no-fault” coverage and instead allow them to carry just bodily injury coverage, which a vast majority of motorists in Florida already purchase.
Senate Banking and Insurance Chairman David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, has been moving towards such legislation, but his effort was slowed after the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee rule on Oct. 23 that a challenge to the 2012 law needed to offer a “factual” motorist who is harmed by the law.
The challenge to the law presented an acupuncturist, a chiropractor, two massage therapists, along with a hypothetical “John Doe” representing health-care providers and a hypothetical “Jane Doe” representing motorists.
The case has been appealed to the Florida Supreme Court.
Donovan Brown, state government relations counsel for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, said the reduction in rates could have been even better, but some insurers may have been unsure how to proceed because of the lawsuit.
“That case causes mass confusion in the marketplace,” Brown said.
Still, Brown expects the debate to continue over the future of “no-fault” as the full impact of the new law may not be known until later this year, when the results of the second round of premium filings take hold.
“When these reforms are fully implemented, then we’ll have a better idea of what the true impact will be from the changes in 2012,” Brown said.
Staff analysis of the 2012 legislation projected a 13.2 percent drop in rates after October 2012 rate filings based upon the new law. The savings are projected to be between 14 percent and 24.6 percent when filings are calculated from the Jan. 1, 2014 filings.
Leading the charge in the rate reductions were Progressive Select Insurance and Progressive American Insurance, with reductions in “no-fault” coverage by 34.6 percent and 32.3 percent, respectively, with overall auto coverage down 15 percent and 11.7 percent.
Geico General Insurance Co., the state second largest auto insurance provider, had a 25 percent drop in “no-fault” coverage, while auto coverage grew 0.6 percent.
The state’s largest auto insurance provider, State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Co., had its “no-fault” coverage down 1.7 percent, while overall auto coverage decreased 3.3 percent.
Not every company submitted decreases in “no-fault.”
A 58.1 percent increase in “no-fault” was filed by 21st Century Centennial Insurance, with overall auto premiums going up 26.9 percent, and Esurance Property & Casualty Insurance has “no-fault” increasing 20.9 percent with overall rates up 17 percent.
In the House, Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, has filed two measures (HB 267 and HB 269) directed at repealing the “Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law” and allowing Floridians to carry only bodily injury coverage.
Neither bill has been reviewed by a committee.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Fire Damages Flomaton Mobile Home
January 23, 2014
Fire damaged a mobile home in Flomaton Wednesday afternoon, but the owner says it’s salvageable and he will rebuild.
The fire was reported about 1:40 p.m. in the 2300 block of Cary Street in Flomaton, just north of the Alabama/Florida line. Smoke was showing from the attic upon arrival, according to Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton.
Firefighters from Flomaton, the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Lambeth Volunteer Fire Department were able to quickly bring the fire under control and save the home.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Judge Rules Teen Incompetent To Stand Trial For Mom’s Murder On Christmas Eve
January 22, 2014
Circuit Judge John Simon ruled this afternoon that William Brandon Aydelott is not competent to stand trial for the first degree premeditated murder of his mother, Sharon Lynn Aydelott, on Christmas Eve.
The judge ordered Aydelott to spend six months in the Florida State Hospital for treatment at which time he will be reevaluated.
Aydelott beat and stabbed his mother to death in her Gulf Breeze home on Christmas Eve, according to prosecutors. He is scheduled to be arraigned on January 23. Investigators said William Aydelott had been arguing with his mother for some period of time before stabbing her several times with kitchen knives and striking her with a baseball bat.
William Aydelott fled the scene and was located by deputies about three hours later at a nearby residence. Deputies surrounded the home, and he surrendered without incident.
Bratt Elementary Releases Second Nine Weeks Honor Roll
January 22, 2014
The following students were named to the second nine weeks honor roll at Bratt Elementary School:
All A’s
- Raegan Abbott
- Anna Adams
- Erich Amerson
- Luke Amerson
- Sarah Bailey
- John Bashore
- Olivia Boatwright
- Lakyn Bodiford
- Luke Bridges
- Conner Byrne
- Emilee Cabral
- Kadence Calvert
- Jakyra Carter
- Abby Coker
- Shelby Cotita
- Sophie Cotita
- Colton Criswell
- Callie Davis
- Kylie Davis
- Savannah Doremus
- Jacee Dortch
- Noah Faulkner
- Aaliyah Fountain
- Makayla Garrett
- David Gilley
- Amber Gilman
- Jamison Gilman
- Emma Gilmore
- Maggie Godwin
- Ava Guganus
- Zane Gurganus
- Tucker Hall
- Leah Hetrick
- Sarah Hetrick
- Mary Catherine Hughes
- Hannah Hughes
- April Johnson
- Laura Laborde
- Aden Lashley
- Kaitlin Lloyd
- Sara Kennedy Long
- Kaya Mason
- Leila Mason
- Elianna Morales
- Alyssa Moya
- Mary Paige Nassar
- Taviana Parker
- Bentley Van Pelt
- Madison Peterson
- Colby Pugh
- Kenna Redmond
- Ally Richardson
- Bryan Romeros
- Maggie Scott
- Madelin Sheedy
- McKenna Simmons
- Zakyla Smith
- Mia Starns
- Aubrey Stuckey
- Autumn Williams
- Clay Wilson
All A’s and B’s
- Rabekah Abbott
- Maggie Amerson
- Ethan Bingham
- Riley Blackwell
- Kyle Blanton
- DeMorris Bowens
- Destiney Bradley
- Jaden Brown
- Gracie Buckhault
- Abbie Buford
- Gabby Burklund
- Jaquorious Burt
- Paris Burt
- Anyis Cabral
- Ashlynn Cabral
- Kayla Campbell
- Landon Chavers
- Tyler Ray Cloud
- Noah Condrey
- Cassandra Davis
- Da’shawn Davis
- Donavon Davis
- Franki Daw
- Payton Daw
- Carsyn Dortch
- Ryan Dove
- Tyteanna Dubose
- Mayson Edwards
- Gage Eicher
- Scotty Elliot
- Ja’Kayla Evans
- Jamyla Feagin
- Jacob Findley
- Zykuria Fountain
- Rachel Franklin
- Caitlyn Gibson
- JP Gilman
- Gracie Godwin
- Shelby Godwin
- Berklee Hall
- Bryce Hall
- Abbie Hardy
- Kara Hawkins
- Joshlynn Helton
- Martina Howard
- Cole Huges
- Gracie James
- Hunter Johnson
- Markavia Johnson
- Allyson Jones
- Leo Kelson
- Crista Kinley
- Derek Kinley
- Justin Kinley
- Trent Knighten
- Gage Lambert
- Taylor Lashley
- Houston Lowry
- Kaleigh Mack
- Kayla McCall
- Reid McCall
- Braeden McGhee
- Megan Mcghee
- Michael McGhee
- Bailie Merchant
- Michael Merchant
- Adannaya Mondaca
- Kai Morton
- Lexi Moya
- Abigail Nelson
- Travis Nelson
- Jaylon North
- Blaize Parrish
- Libby Pugh
- Dallon Rackard
- Shelby Rice
- Kaylee Sawyer
- Angel Schoonover
- Makayla Sells
- Vivyan Smith
- Jacob Spence
- Devon Spencer
- Eli Stephens
- Emily Stillwell
- Jon Stilwell
- Jaimee Taylor
- Cody Thomas
- Ja’Mya Thomas
- Brayden Victor
- Halona Walker
- Shelby Ward
- Summer Waters
- Raycer Watson
- Chris Weber
- Zyonne Wesley
- Addie White
- Jordan Wilson
- Lane Wilson
- Connor Wolfe
- Leonte Wright
Century Residents Offer Ideas For Local Economic Development
January 22, 2014
About 20 Century residents turned out Tuesday night to discuss the good — and the bad — about their town as part of a process to create a future economic development plan.
“We have everything to go forward,” said Robert Mitchell, a Century resident for 59 years. “We always come up short. We always end up with nothing.”
When Century updated its Comprehensive Plan in March 2012, the need for an economic development strategy was identified as one of the critical issues facing the Town.
Last July, Century was awarded a $25,000 a Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The grant provided the Town the opportunity to contract with the University of West Florida’s Haas Center to develop the plan. The public input from Tuesday night will be used in the plan’s development.
“We can’t seem to land anything; they always pack up and leave,” Mitchell added, pointing out Century had lost it schools and there had been (false) rumors of the post office closing. “We can’t stop, we can just plead for everybody to give us a chance here in Century. We always get cut short; the support is not there. We can’t up with the right support to land something in Century.”
“We need to have something here in Century where we can be proud; we deserve the very best,” stated Sandra McMurray-Jackson, town council member.
Jobs in almost any industry sector should be a top priority, said resident James McMurray. And Century needs a motel for a prospective businessperson to stay, according to Rozetta Hamilton.
The public input, along with input gathered last week from business owners and input to be gathered next week from economic development agencies, will be invaluable in preparing a future economic direction and plan for Century, according to Cindy Anderson, recently hired to manage economic development for the Century Area Chamber of Commerce. She said it will be the tool she needs — all the facts and figures – to help market Century.
The group also learned the choosing Century is not always about facts and figures, with several discussion panel member saying they had returned to the town after retirement — some to be closer to relatives, some to open a business and some to care for an aging loved one. And for Robert Lasher, the choice to move to Century was a bit more divine.
The financial consultant and his wife were looking to move somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a change of lifestyle. “We were just generally looking for hte country; God put us in Century,’” said.
Picture top: Robert Mitchell (left) speaks as Century council member Gary Riley (right) listens during an economic development planning meeting Tuesday night. Pictured inset: Resident James McMurray. Pictured below: Lomonica Shoemo and Dorothy Newton listen during the meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Medical Marijuana Signatures Top 540K Of 683K Needed
January 22, 2014
With a surge of petitions before a February 1 deadline, backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana had submitted 542,211 valid signatures to the state as of mid-day Tuesday, according to the Florida Division of Elections website.
People United for Medical Marijuana must reach 683,149 valid signatures by Feb. 1 to get the proposal on the November ballot.
The group also still needs Florida Supreme Court approval of the proposed ballot wording, which has drawn opposition from Attorney General Pam Bondi and Republican legislative leaders. Gov. Rick Scott also maintained his opposition Tuesday to legalization.
“I’ve said all along I’m against illegal drug use,” Scott told reporters after an appearance in Tallahassee. “I’ve watched how it impacts families. The attorney general gave her best advice to the Supreme Court.”
State Says Schools Will Now Follow ‘Florida Standards’
January 22, 2014
State education officials are pushing forward with a plan to rebrand the standards for what students are expected to learn in Florida schools, hoping to tamp down an uproar among conservative activists who view the current standards as part of a federal takeover of local schools.
Almost 100 changes to the “Common Core State Standards” will be considered by the State Board of Education in February, said Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, who outlined some of the changes to board members during a meeting Tuesday.
“At that time, I think that it is completely appropriate for us to call our standards the ‘Florida Standards,’ ” Stewart said.
Supporters of the guidelines have taken to using the term “Florida Standards” in recent months as some conservatives have continued to decry Common Core. Those benchmarks were crafted by a coalition of officials from about four-dozen states, but have come to be seen by grassroots conservative groups as an example of federal overreach.
Earlier this month, a gathering of the Republican Party of Florida’s state committeemen and committeewomen voted to oppose Common Core, though the resolution is not binding on the GOP and is not expected to be taken up by the party’s executive board.
Stewart said the changes — which include 60 new standards, 37 clarifications and two deletions — and the inclusion of standards beyond the reach of Common Core, which only covers English and math courses, justifies the new name.
“I think when we strengthen our standards, make these standards our own, provide clarification of 37 standards — that clearly is saying that Florida is out on our own, making stronger standards and doing so in a very autonomous way,” she said.
About 52 of the new standards would restore calculus to the state guidelines, though some calculus courses would have been offered regardless. Stewart said the deletions were to get rid of redundant material.
“It’s picked up somewhere else, we don’t really need it and there’s no reason to have repetition,” she said.
John Padget, who said he was not aware when the board approved the math standards that they didn’t include calculus, said he was “overjoyed” at the change.
“I think I’m able to say that Florida Standards, with respect to math, are higher than the so-called Common Core,” he told Stewart.
But it’s not at all clear that the effort to rename the standards will calm groups opposing the benchmarks. A message posted Tuesday on the Facebook page “Floridians Against Common Core Education” slammed Stewart’s changes to “the Communist Core.”
“They really believe we are stupid,” the post says. “This re-branding is meant to make us feel they are doing something for our children.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida