Fire Truck Pull Benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities
October 13, 2013
Ronald McDonald House Charities’ Annual Fire Truck Pull was held in downtown Pensacola Saturday. Thirty-two teams competed to see who could pull a fire truck 50 feet in the fastest time.
This year, a new tournament style had teams advancing through the brackets to determine an undisputed champion. Each team had 15 people.
All proceeds benefited the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida, allowing the organization to provide a home away from home for families of children who travel to Pensacola to receive medical treatment.
Pictured top: The Ronald McDonald House Fire Truck Pull Saturday in Pensacola. Winners were: 1st place – Southeaster Dog Hunter’s Association (pictured below in pink); 2nd place – Naval Hospital Pensacola (pictured bottom); 3rd place – NAS Whiting Field Crash and Rescue (pictured inset). Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Thompson, Wiggins To Wed
October 13, 2013
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Wiggins and Mr. Charles Thompson are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter, Chastity Alita, to Scotty Dewayne, son of Mr. and Mrs. Buford Wiggins. The wedding will be held at Lake Stone in Century on Saturday, October 26, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. Reception to follow.
Friday Night Finals
October 12, 2013
Here is a look at Friday night football scores from across the area:
FLORIDA
- Graceville 44, Jay 14 [Read more...]
- Tate 43, Washington 10 [Read more...]
- West Florida 66, Rutherford 27
- Catholic 28, Milton 6
- Niceville 26, Navarre 0
- Crestview 22, Pine Forest 14
- Mosley 13, Gulf Breeze 7
- Pace 31, Fort Walton Beach 17
- Escambia 62, Leon 34
- Baker 42, North Bay Haven 0
- OPEN: Northview, PHS
ALABAMA
- Southern Choctaw 30, Flomaton 22
- Escambia County 34, Monroe County 22
- T.R. Miller 54, Southside Selma 14
- Bayside 34, W.S. Neal 26
- Escambia Academy 44, South Choctaw 10
Volunteers Lend A Hand In Day Of Caring
October 12, 2013
About 1,350 volunteers were hard at work Friday in Escambia County as part of the United Way’s 21st Annual Day of Caring.
The one-day community events put volunteers from area businesses and the military to work across the county to help nonprofit organizations and schools with lawn maintenance, painting, cooking meals and more.
In the North Escambia area, a volunteer group from the University of West Florida helped with landscaping and pressure washing at Tate High School. At Jim Allen Elementary School, volunteers from retailer T.J. Maxx worked to organize workbook pages.
Meanwhile, volunteers from manufacturer Pall Corporation worked across the campus, reading to students, cleaned the grounds, pressure washed and more. Volunteers from the NAS Community Outreach worked with Pathways for Change to set up the race course for the Pensacola Mud Run 5K on Highway 95A.
And volunteers from Ascend Performance Materials helped clean up and repair the nature trail at Escambia Westgate School.
It was estimated that volunteers donated more than a quarter million dollars worth of time and services Friday at 109 sites across Escambia County.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Move To Ditch ‘No Fault’ Insurance Coming In Florida Senate
October 12, 2013
Legislation is being drafted to scrap the state’s no-fault auto insurance coverage, as a landmark 2012 effort to remove fraud from the system remains tied up in court.
Insurance industry representatives say they have already been told the measure could come before a committee in November, and they’re just waiting to see what is in the package.
Senate Banking and Insurance Chairman David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, said he’s advancing the measure at the request of a number of insurance officials who don’t expect reforms to the state’s decade-old Personal Injury Protection (PIP) auto insurance system to fully take hold.
“I’ve had several of our major insurance companies come to me and say that they are ready to move on, and that’s irrespective of a 1st District Court of Appeal ruling,” Simmons said. “They’re saying that the system is broke, we acknowledge it’s broken, it’s difficult to fix the unfixable.”
An appeals court ruling is pending in a challenge by a group of acupuncturists, massage therapists and chiropractors over a reduction of individual medical coverage and the contention that the law reduces access to courts.
The ruling is expected to be taken to the state Supreme Court, regardless of the outcome.
The 2012 law signed by Gov. Rick Scott requires those involved in motor vehicle crashes to seek treatment within 14 days, allows up to $10,000 in benefits for emergency medical conditions and $2,500 for non-emergency conditions.
Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis ruled March 20 the law illegally prevents accident patients from using PIP claims to pay for treatment by acupuncturists and massage therapists and limits the services from chiropractors. He also found fault with the law’s lower limit on how much will be paid for non-emergency medical care.
Backed by Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, the law was considered a last-ditch effort to maintain the no-fault, or PIP, system that requires motorists to carry $10,000 in medical coverage. Scott and Atwater contended that fraud involving no-fault claims collectively has hit motorists by as much as $1 billion a year through the increased costs of coverage.
Simmons said for most motorists moving to bodily injury coverage wouldn’t require much change to existing policies.
The state Office of Insurance Regulation has estimated that more than 70 percent of motorists already have some bodily injury coverage.
At the end of the 2013 session, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee voted in support of replacing PIP with bodily injury coverage in a similar measure (SB 7152). But the proposal failed to advance.
Sam Miller, executive vice president of the Florida Insurance Council, said his members are waiting to see what is included in Simmons’ proposal, with keen interest on what would be considered an appropriate level of costs for bodily injury coverage and if there is any medical pay coverage.
“It’s not as simple as do you support repealing PIP or do you not, our support of a bill repealing PIP and replacing it with a new system would be contingent on the details of the new system,” Miller said. “Our health insurers are concerned that if you replace PIP with only mandatory BI that there will be a shifting of costs to health insurance and an increase in health insurance premiums.”
Questions have also been raised that without no-fault, the shift in medical coverage could also put more cases into the courts as injured parties seek to recoup expenses from at-fault motorists.
Simmons said that the draft was still in progress.
Florida Insurance Council members have a series of conference calls planned next week to discuss the potential changes.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Weekend Gardening: Time To Plant Strawberries
October 12, 2013
In many parts of the country, strawberries are a summer crop, but here in Florida they grow best during the cooler months of the year. Plant yours between October 15 and November 15 to enjoy tasty berries in the spring.
Temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees F and less than 14 hours of daylight are required for the development of flowers and fruit on most strawberry varieties. This combination of day length and temperature exists for much of the fall, winter and spring in Northwest Florida.
Strawberry plants are perennial; they can live for several years. However, because of their susceptibility to diseases, we normally grow them as annuals here in Florida. To be successful with strawberries, it’s important to plant the right variety, protect the flowers from freezing weather and manage pests.
The first step in successful strawberry production is choosing adapted varieties. Currently, the University of Florida suggests three varieties for the Florida home garden: ‘Camarosa’, ‘Sweet Charlie’, and ‘Festival’. All three varieties produce attractive, flavorful berries suitable for eating fresh or for freezing.
‘Camarosa’ has been the most productive variety in North Florida. It produces a blocky, dark red berry.
‘Festival’ is the number one variety in Florida. It has good red color and is a firm, conical shape berry with medium sweetness. It is an excellent choice for eating.
‘Sweet Charlie’ is a University of Florida variety. Although it is an older variety, consumers still like it. Its soft sweet fruit is an orange red color.
Strawberries grow best in a location receiving at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day. If a full sun location is not available, try to choose a spot that is sunny during the morning and early afternoon. The soil should be well drained and slightly acidic with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
Strawberries can also be planted in growing boxes, strawberry pots, barrels and other containers. For best results, fill your container with a high-quality potting media—do not use garden soil.
Strawberry flowers and fruit can be injured by air temperatures below 32 degrees F. However, if properly planted, the plant itself will not be damaged unless the temperature falls to the low 20’s. If a frost or freeze is predicted, cover the plants with a lightweight blanket. This will help prevent the flowers or fruits from getting damaged.
The key to successful pest management is to begin with healthy, disease-free transplants. If problems do arise, be sure to contact your local Extension Agent for advice and recommendations. Additional advice is available in an online publication located at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs403.
The first berries should be ready to pick roughly 90 to 110 days after planting. The harvest season usually stretches through May with fruit yield peaking around March.
Pick berries when at least three-fourths of their surface has turned red. The fruit quickly deteriorate once it becomes totally red. So, it is best to harvest regularly—every two to four days.
Once picked, the berries will not sweeten any further. Freshly picked strawberries generally keep for only a few days, so be sure to eat them soon after harvest. If you have a surplus of berries, you may freeze them.
Theresa Friday was the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Hundreds Enjoy Annual Molino Park Elementary Fall Carnival (With Gallery)
October 12, 2013
Hundreds attended the annual Molino Park Elementary School Fall Carnival Friday evening at the school. The event featured games, food, entertainment and lots of great family fun
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: A young man reacts to a critical skee ball toss Friday afternoon at the Molino Park Elementary School Fall Carnival. Pictured inset: Ping pong toss for goldfish coupons. Pictured below: Texting and driving, Molino style. Pictured bottom: A package auctioned off from the Milwaukee Brewers’ Caleb Gindl of Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Comes Back To Tame The Wildcats
October 12, 2013
by Darryl Singleton
It was homecoming night for Washington High School and they were looking to upset the favored Tate Aggies as part of their festivities. But Tate easily spoiled those plans by beating Washington 43-10.
The first offensive series was not what Tate planned with quarterback Sawyer Smith throwing a interception, and the Wildcats capitalized on the turnover. The Wildcats continued to drive the field with long passes but had to settle for a field goal.
It would be almost all Tate Aggies from then on.
Smith made up for the early mistake by leading the offense down the field and then scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run for a score of 7-3 Tate. Tate’s Marquis Cass intercepted a tipped Washington pass on the Wildcat’s 25yard line. Later Jalen Cunningham ran the ball in from the 11-yard line. Tate went for yep and Jessie Fernandez ran it in to make the score 15-3 Tate with 1:01 remaining in the 1st quarter.
The second quarter was just underway when the Aggies’ Brian Davis scored on a 4-yard run to make the score 22-3 Tate. Tate had everything going for them and then Tate’s Jesse Fernandez intercepted Washington’s pass and ran it all the way to Washington’s 1yard line. Jalen Cunningham ran the ball in for another Tate touchdown. Dylan Mancuso’s extra point kick made the score 29-3 at the half.
In the third, Tate’s Smith threw a pass to receiver Stephen Pederson and he sprinted down the sideline and raced past all of the Wildcat’s defenders for a 50-yard Aggie touchdown. Tate increased their lead to 36-3. Washington did score one more time on a busted defensive play that left a Wildcat receiver uncovered for a 55-yard touchdown pass play. Tate would score late in the fourth on a 10-yard touchdown run by Smith to make the final score Tate 43, Washington 10.
Tate coach Ronnie Douglas said he was “real pleased all week with the team’s preparation for the game. They have all worked really hard all week”. He said that running back Tia Samuel was “banged up and he was glad that they didn’t have to use him, but he was there if we need him. We are going to need him next week against Crestview”.
Tate plays their last district game next Friday night at 7:00 as they travel to Crestview. The winner of that game clinches a playoff spot.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Graceville Tigers Down The Jay Royals
October 12, 2013
The Graceville Tigers handed the Jay Royals their third straight loss Friday night, 44-14.
The Tiger were up 37-0 in the third quarter before Jay’s play of the night from Braden Cross. After a Graceville score, Cross fielded the ensuing kickoff at the five-yard line, returning it 95-yard for a Royals touchdown, 37-7.
But Graceville answered with a quick scoring drive, 44-7.
The Royals got into the double digits with a touchdown from quarterback Tate Upton, 44-14.
Upton was negative 26 yards on the ground against Graceville and complete 3-of-12 passes for just 39 yards. Cross had 134 yards on 17 carries for the Royals.
The Graceville Tigers are under the leadership of first year head coach and athletic director Ty Wise. Last year, Wise left the Northview Chiefs as offensive coordinator, having led a Chiefs offense that accumulated over 1,000 points during the his last two seasons and a Class 1A state championship win this past season.
The Jay Royals (3-3, 0-1) will be back in district action next Friday night as they travel to Baker to take on the Gators (6-0, 1-0).
Pictured: The Jay Royals traveled to Graceville Friday night. NorthEscambia.com photos by Michele Gibbs, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Dems Look To Chip Away At GOP
October 12, 2013
Even as Republicans continue to flex their fund-raising muscles and hammer away at President Barack Obama ahead of the 2014 midterm elections, there are a few scant rays of hope poking through the clouds for Florida Democrats.
Sure, the GOP is seen as the favorite to hold onto its majority in the U.S. House — but the decision by Congressman C.W. Bill Young to step aside gives the Democrats a chance for a pickup. And, yes, the Republican majority in the Legislature is also firmly entrenched — but a western Pasco County House seat gives the Democrats a chance to get one step closer to the day that majority ends.
That said, the Republican Party and its elected officials showed this week that they still have the edge in one very important aspect of the political game: Money. As campaign-finance reports came flooding in during the week, the biggest reports still belonged to those with an “R” behind their names.
So even with complications cropping up for Gov. Rick Scott’s past and present legislative priorities, the GOP still seems to have the upper hand.
THE EXPECTED SURPRISE
Guessing when Young would finally call it quits had become something of a parlor game among the state’s political elite. Young, currently in the middle of his 22nd term, is the longest-serving member of Congress from Florida and is 82 years “young.”
Whoever had Oct. 9, 2013, in the pool should collect their prize. That’s when Young told the Tampa Bay Times that he won’t seek re-election in 2014. Young, currently recovering from a back injury, told the Times there were a variety of factors that contributed to his decision to step aside.
“I don’t know that I would pick out one thing,” he said. “It’s a lot of things. My family, my job, my rehabilitation from my back.”
Young, who was once the Senate minority leader in Florida because he was the sole Republican in the upper chamber, had become seen as something of a moderate after the GOP drifted right. Now, Republicans face the task of trying to keep a district that has progressively become a bit more purple in recent years.
The GOP still holds a slight registration edge over Democrats, but independents make up nearly a quarter of voters in the Pinellas County district, and national handicappers have marked it as the only true toss-up among the open seats so far this year.
“It will be harder in that district than probably any other district in Florida to elect a Republican where there has been a long-time Republican in place. It will be a difficult run for whoever tries,” said Tom Slade, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida who helped Young early in his political career.
Young was considered unbeatable in part because of an ability to relentlessly bring home the bacon in his district.
“Everybody there has gone to schools in some Bill Young something or other,” said Steve Schale, a Democratic strategist.
It’s not yet clear who will get the next chance to have the schools in that district named after them. The only declared Democrat in the race so far is Jessica Ehrlich, who challenged Young last time around but could find the field more crowded now that Young is out.
Two lawmakers floated as possible successors essentially ruled themselves out.
Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, took a shot at Congress’s low approval numbers in a Facebook post suggesting he would take a pass. “And besides who wants to be in a job that is rated less favorably that a cockroach?!” he quipped.
For different reasons, Sen. Jeff Brandes also quashed talk of a congressional run. Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, has three children under the age of five, including one who is little more than two weeks old.
“I’ve seen the kind of life that this demands,” Brandes said. “I’m not saying I’m ruling it out forever.”
As long as the next representative doesn’t serve for 22 terms, of course — that’s basically forever in politics.
Meanwhile, a special election was set for another Tampa Bay-area seat, this one in Pasco County. Republican Bill Gunter, a pastor, entered the race as a favorite, but Democrat Amanda Murphy, a financial adviser, claims the endorsement former GOP Rep. Mike Fasano. That election is Tuesday.
REPUBLICAN$ $TILL TOP$ IN CA$H
Lest Democrats get too giddy about their chances for success in Florida, fund-raising reports this week brought a sharp reminder of the political realities in the state. The Republican Party of Florida raked in $5.1 million between July 1 and Sept. 30. The Florida Democratic Party’s haul? $1.44 million.
And that wasn’t all. The three Republicans on the Cabinet — Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam — combined to raise around $1 million in the last three months.
Republican lawmakers also enjoyed big quarters. Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquiso, R-Fort Myers, pulled down $208,462 over the quarter. House Majority Leader Steve Crisafulli, a Merritt Island Republican slated to become speaker after the 2014 elections, raised $155,183.
And while Scott has yet to formally declare for re-election and has not set up a campaign account yet, the “Let’s Get to Work” political committee that is closely aligned with the governor pulled in $4.4 million. Scott, who depended largely on his private fortune to bankroll his 2010 campaign, looks like he’ll have a lot more help this time around.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR SCOTT
But Scott also needs a little help pushing through and implementing the agenda he’s expected to run on in 2014. And even last year’s items are proving to be a little bit tricky.
A survey presented to lawmakers Wednesday showed that only about 19 percent of Florida school districts have reached agreements with local unions clearing the way for them to dole out Scott’s much-touted teacher pay raises. The $480 million will still make its way to teachers’ pockets — eventually.
“While we were trying to respect the collective bargaining process, it is disappointing that not every teacher has gotten their pay raise,” Scott spokeswoman Melissa Sellers said. “We expect districts to do everything they can to get pay raises done as soon as possible.”
This year, the governor has focused his attention on securing $500 million in cuts to the state’s taxes and fees. A key House Republican in that effort indicated that he was working with that number in mind — but that lawmakers could settle on a different figure.
“I appreciate what the governor put out there,” said House Finance and Tax Chairman Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne. “I think he’s got a good round number. But we could see a tax break bigger than that, or, depending on what’s available when the final numbers come out, it may very well be smaller.”
Those final numbers were the size of the state surplus — which could be affected by the federal shutdown and the threat of a potentially catastrophic government default. Scott has hammered Obama for being unable to come to an agreement on those issues with congressional Republicans, part of an emerging political strategy by the governor to blast Obama.
Scott did it again Wednesday, saying Obama needs to delay pending rate increases confronting Florida homeowners who are subsidized through the National Flood Insurance Program.
“The president signed the bill. He can have an impact by stopping this,” Scott said when asked about the possibility of the state getting in the flood-insurance business.
Scott and the Cabinet escalated the fight Thursday, saying Florida would file a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Department of Insurance aimed at delaying rate increases in the federal law, known as the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act.
“We’re going to have families lose their homes because their insurance rates are going to go up because the president signed a bill that didn’t make any sense,” Scott said.
In the lawsuit, the Mississippi insurance department contends that the rates shouldn’t go up until FEMA provides Congress with a required affordability study on the increases.
Addressing a U.S. Senate Banking subcommittee Sept.18, FEMA Director Craig Fugate acknowledged that the study may take about two years, but added that Congress would have to fix the law.
“I need help. I have not found a way to delay…without some additional legislative support,” Fugate, a former Florida emergency-management director, told the subcommittee members. “There is no provision for affordability in this law.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: Congressman C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla., announced his retirement, capping off a career in Florida politics that lasted more than five decades.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “This is not beauty pageant economics. [If] you’re at the top of the list, you’re at the top of the list. … We’re never going to beat Alaska in their ability to have a unique tax structure of benefit to them.”–Bill Herrle, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business/Florida, on a study by the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation ranking Florida’s business tax climate as fifth-based in the nation.