Area Job Numbers Improve In Escambia And Santa Rosa Counties
September 21, 2013
The latest job numbers released Friday showed a declining unemployment level in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, while the news was not as good in Escambia County, Ala.
Escambia County’s unemployment dropped to 6.7 percent in August, down from7.1 percent in July. There were 639 fewer people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 8.4 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment fell from 6.8 percent in July to 6.2 percent in August. Santa Rosa County had a total of 4,656 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 7.8 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment increased from 7.7 percent in July to 8.2 percent in August. That represented 1,198 people unemployed in the county during the month.
Florida’s jobless rate dropped slightly in August after three months standing pat, even though the overall number of Floridians with jobs has decreased.
The August 7.0 percent unemployment mark, announced Friday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity, is down from 7.1 percent in July and represents the lowest rate since Florida was at 7.0 percent in September 2008.
Politicians wasted little time putting their spin on the figures.
Gov. Rick Scott credited his tax and regulation-reduction policies for the latest unemployment rate, which represents 656,000 jobless from a current statewide workforce of 9.4 million. “This is evidence that our pro-growth and business friendly policies are working,” Scott said in a prepared statement.
Florida Democrats questioned the praise Scott and other Republicans heaped on the latest numbers, noting that in August there were 4,700 fewer workers than in July.
“No matter how the governor and his GOP allies try to spin this, the reality is that Florida’s economy is stuck in neutral thanks to Rick Scott,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a release.
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry criticized Tant for ignoring “all the facts” and said that in terms of job creation and lowering unemployment Scott has “outperformed the rest of the nation.”
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.3 percent in August, was up from July’s rate of 6.2 percent, but below the year-ago rate of 7.5 percent.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Running (Or Not) In Place
September 21, 2013
If there was a theme to the final full week of summer in Florida politics, it was staying put.
Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, whose potential match-up against former Gov. Charlie Crist in a Democratic gubernatorial primary was the source of endless speculation, decided to stay put as a private citizen. Interim Education Commissioner Pam Stewart got the go-ahead from the State Board of Education to stay in the position on a more-permanent basis.
And the week even included a cameo by the Dream Defenders, who know nothing if not how to stay put. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in fact, unveiled a policy aimed at making sure no one would stay put quite so well in the future.
But the week also included a hint of transition, as the Capitol awaited the return of lawmakers for the first committee meetings in preparation for the 2014 legislative session.
SINKING OUT OF THE RACE
Aside from the even more far-fetched speculation that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson might jump into the Democratic primary, or a belief that former state Sen. Nan Rich’s campaign could catch fire, Sink seemed like the only formidable obstacle to Crist sewing up the party’s nomination to take on Gov. Rick Scott.
Sink’s decision not to run was the latest step in what has become the Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat’s now seemingly inevitable march to the nomination. Crist is now the odds-on favorite to wrap up the party’s 2014 nod should he jump into the race, something almost everyone expects to happen as soon as next month.
In deciding against a bid, Sink — who lost to Scott in 2010 in one of the narrowest gubernatorial elections in Florida history — said she plans to focus on the non-profit foundation she created to help young entrepreneurs.
“After careful consideration, I have decided that the best way for me to make a positive and lasting impact on our state is to continue the work we’ve started together,” she said in an e-mail. “I plan to continue my involvement with the Florida Next Foundation, working to build a state of innovation and inspiring the next generation of young Florida leaders. And of course I am going to be supporting candidates who I believe share my vision that Florida can be a state of opportunity for all of its citizens.”
Crist issued a statement with the grace of a front-runner being careful not to annoy a liberal base that still views him with suspicion.
“I loved working with Alex on the Florida Cabinet and I’m sure it won’t be the last time we work together,” he said in an email. “Florida needs Alex Sink and I’m excited about what’s happening at her Florida Next Foundation.”
And Rich, whose quixotic campaign has drawn little attention to its effort to provide a more orthodox Democratic alternative to Crist, quickly made a play to try to draw some of Sink’s support. Rich said the narrowing field sharpens the differences between her and both Scott and Crist.
“It will give Florida voters a clear choice between someone who has life-long core Democratic values and a commitment to working families and the middle class versus either one of them,” Rich said.
THE SOMEWHAT PERMANENT EDUCATION COMMISSIONER
No campaign was necessary for Pam Stewart to drop the “interim” from her title as education commissioner. After taking over the job as a placeholder for the second time in about a year, Stewart was tapped by the State Board of Education to make the position her own.
“Sometimes, timing is everything, and the time seems to be right now for Pam,” board member Barbara Feingold said at the meeting where Stewart was appointed.
She takes the job amid jockeying over the future of education in Florida and signs that Scott will soon issue an executive order aimed at quieting conservative fears over the state’s participation in the “Common Core Standards,” education benchmarks developed by a group of governors and education officials.
“I appreciate the support of the board and I can assure you I am cognizant of the times we are in and the critical nature of the work,” Stewart said in a statement released after the vote. “I’ve spent 32 years in public education and I remain fully committed to the students of Florida. This is the time to look forward and get this critical work right for our students.”
How “permanent” the new job is for Stewart remains to be seen. She is the fourth non-interim commissioner to serve under Scott since he took office in 2011.
Scott pushed out Commissioner Eric Smith, who was on the job when the governor assumed office, and backed the appointment of Gerard Robinson, only to see Robinson undermined by the botched rollout of school grades.
Tony Bennett — Robinson’s successor — avoided problems with the release of Florida school grades. But he was tripped up by reports indicating he pushed through changes to the grading system in Indiana that benefited a contributor’s school when Bennett was the elected superintendent of public instruction in that state.
Tensions about Common Core between supporters of former Gov. Jeb Bush and those supporting Scott appear to be growing. State Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan ripped into Scott on Tuesday morning for skipping an education summit he called recently and for failing to consult board members on the executive order.
“He should have sent a recommendation to the state board for action,” Shanahan said. She added that Scott’s actions were “embarrassing for him.”
MS. SOBEL GOES TO WASHINGTON (AS DOES MR. HUDSON)
Florida made its presence felt in the debate over the federal health-care law this week, with two lawmakers traveling to D.C. to debate the measure before Congress and the Obama Administration making moves addressing some of the concerns that Scott and the state Cabinet have raised about the law, commonly known as Obamacare.
State Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, and state Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, appeared before a joint meeting of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements and the U.S. House Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs to offer different assessments of the law.
Sobel, who serves as vice-chairwoman of the Senate committee tasked with managing Florida’s reaction to the law, highlighted the Legislature’s decision to forgo Medicaid expansion despite the 25.3 percent of Florida residents who are uninsured. And she noted Scott’s decision to ban outreach counselors known as “navigators” from the grounds of county health departments.
“This is a desperate attempt to prevent access for those who need health insurance the most,” Sobel said.
Hudson, Sobel’s House counterpart, saw things differently.
“Medicaid expansion is wrong for patients and taxpayers,” he said. “Medicaid is already a problem across the nation. Access is limited, and outcomes are poor. The only randomized control trial of Medicaid ever conducted found no improvements in health when compared to the uninsured.”
Meanwhile, administration officials announced the strengthening of security measures for data submitted to the “navigators” by people seeking insurance under the law. Attorney General Eric Holder, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Federal Trade Commission chairwoman Edith Ramirez met with senior White House officials and several state officials Wednesday before unveiling the new plans.
“Today, we are sending a clear message that we will not tolerate anyone seeking to defraud consumers in the Health Insurance Marketplace,” Sebelius said in a statement Wednesday.
Scott quickly took credit for the Obama administration’s attention to the security issues, which Scott raised in a letter to congressional leaders on Monday.
“Whenever the federal government forces a brand new program this big to move this fast, mistakes are made — just as we saw last week in Minnesota,” Scott said in statement Wednesday. An employee of the state health exchange in Minnesota mistakenly sent an e-mail containing about 2,400 insurance agents’ personal data to a man applying to become a navigator.
But White House officials insisted the security measures were part of the plan all along.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced she will not run for governor in 2014, possibly paving the way for former Gov. Charlie Crist to win the Democratic nomination.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Although Mr. Brooks’ wish to obtain treatment for the ailing feline is understandable, the elements of the defense and the plain language of the jury instruction compel us to the conclusion that a claim of necessity is not available as a defense to a DUI charge in Florida when the asserted emergency involves the threat of harm to an animal instead of a person.”–Appeals Court Judge Douglas Wallace, in an opinion on the case of Christopher Brooks. Brooks had raised a necessity defense to the DUI charge, arguing that his friend’s cat was fatally ill and he was attempting to get it to a veterinary clinic.
Man Charged With Animal Cruelty For Malnourished Horses
September 20, 2013
An Escambia County man has been arrested in connection with two malnourished horses recently rescued by the Cantonment-based Panhandle Equine Rescue. We first reported about the horses last Friday.
And now 41-year old Marcus James McCreary is facing two animal cruelty charges. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail Thursday afternoon and later released on a $7,500 bond.
PER received a report that a very thin horse was down in McCreary’s yard on Bowman Avenue, just off Nine Mile Road. PER and Escambia County Animal Control responded and found two Tennessee Walking Horses in poor condition. One was unable to get up on her own.
The owner voluntarily signed ownership of the horses over to PER. The horses, mares named Capona and Sweet Mary, are mother and daughter, according to PER President Diane Lowery. PER reports both horses are continuing to improve, gaining over 20 pounds each. They are expected to be back to full health in about three months.
Pictured: Sweet Mary and Capona shortly after they were rescued from a home on Bowman Avenue. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Impact 100 Announces 2013 Finalists For Eight $104,500 Grants
September 20, 2013
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a local women’s philanthropy group, announced the 15 grant finalists selected for 2013 Thursday morning. Eight of these 15 finalists will be selected to receive a grant of $104,500 at the IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 20.
The 15 finalists selected by IMPACT 100’s Focus Area Committees are:
ARTS & CULTURE
- Ballet Pensacola, Inc. – Project: A New Nutcracker
- The Santa Rosa County Creek Indian Tribe, Inc.- Project: Infrastructure Development of Tribal Grounds to Host Tribal Public Functions
- Santa Rosa Historical Society, Inc. Project: Light Up The Imogene
EDUCATION
- The Arc Santa Rosa, Inc. – Project: The Arc Santa Rosa ADT Transportation Proposal-2013
- Independence for the Blind of West Florida, Inc. – Project: IMPACT 100 Windows to the World for the Blind Technology Center
- Lutheran Services Florida, Inc. – Project: Teen Time…a place for you to be you!
ENVIRONMENT, RECREATION & PRESERVATION
- Friends of St. John’s Foundation, Inc. – Project: Conservation and Preservation of Historic Grave Sites at St. John’s Cemetery
- Humane Society of Pensacola, Inc. – Project: Humane Society of Pensacola Spay and Neuter Clinic
- Pensacola Museum of Art, Inc. – Project: Jail for Art
FAMILY
- Community Organizations Active in Disaster, Inc. dba Be Ready Alliance - Coordinating for Emergencies (Brace) & Brace, L.L.C. – Project: Center of IMPACT
- Council on Aging of West Florida, Inc. - Project: Moving Safely
- Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, Inc. – Project: Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative
HEALTH & WELLNESS
- FavorHouse of Northwest Florida, Inc.- Project: Safe haven for People and Paws
- Gulf Coast Kid’s House- Project: Expanding the Foundation of Care
- Holley Navarre Seniors Association, Inc.- Project 2013 Improvements to HNSA Facilities
This is the 10th year IMPACT 100 has awarded grants to local non-profits. The total amount awarded to date is $4,315,000 since 2004. This year’s awards will bring the total funds awarded in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to $5,151,000.
Teenage Girl Shot And Killed
September 20, 2013
A teenage girl was shot and killed in Escambia County Thursday night.
The shooting was reported about 9 p.m. on West Maxwell Street at North E Street, about a block from Pensacola High School.
Kenteyonna Anderson, 14, was outside with friends when a fight erupted nearby and shot rang out, according family members. She was reportedly struck multiple times in the chest. She was transported by ambulance to Baptist Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Further details have not been released by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. There were no arrests reported.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Anything For A Buck Defendant Gets 25 Years Prison Term
September 20, 2013
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to the minimum mandatory for drug trafficking.
Erick Anthony Fluker was sentenced to 25 years in state prison for trafficking in hydrocodone. He was arrested as part of the “Operation Anything for A Buck”, an eight month undercover operation between the ATF, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the First Circuit State Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies.
The operation recovered over 270 firearms, as well as drugs and stolen property ranging from jewelry, tools, cameras, and other electronic devices. A total of 75 people were arrested in connection with the operation.
Fluker also pleaded guilty to four other trafficking cases that were in connection Anything for a Buck. He received additional prison sentences to be served concurrently with the 25-year sentence.
On July 22, 2011, Erick Fluker went into the undercover storefront and sold the undercover officers a trafficking amount of hydrocodone pills, according to prosecutors.
New Escambia School District Website Now Online
September 20, 2013
The Escambia County School District’s main website has a new look.
The new site is located at www.escambiaschools.org, but the old address of www.escambia.k12.fl.us should be automatically redirected to the new page.
Changes to the site were made based on recommendations from the district’s Web Site Task Force, which is composed of 13 representatives from district departments and schools as well as the community. One of the goals of the Task Force was to make the district’s web site more user-friendly. As the school district migrates content to the new design, visitors to the web site will see five main improvements:
- New design with common menus on all of the main district web site pages to enable easy navigation
- Expanded, alphabetical listing of resources for Students, Families, Staff, and Community
- Quick Links highlighting the most important information based on site usage statistics and input from district leadership
- Social media (beginning with Facebook and Google Calendar) to expand access to news and events
- Faster access to school web sites and consistent placement of common elements on all school web sites for ease of use
Pictured top: A screenshot of the new Escambia County School District website. The site features rotating photos, including this NorthEscambia.com photo of the recent groundbreaking at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Clean Sweep Targets East Kingsfield, Chemstrand Road Area
September 20, 2013
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and several other agencies conducted an “Operation Clean Sweep” Thursday morning in the Ashland Park area. The sweep was conducted around East Kingsfield Road from Chemstrand Road to Rodney Street.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reported four arrests, four state probation warrants served, 10 code violations cited, 21 addresses verified by the Sex Crimes Unit and 2.5 tons of debris collected.
The focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” is to work with Neighborhood Watch groups, residents, churches and business owners to control and prevent the damaging effects of criminal activity, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Pictured top: Volunteers from the U.S. Navy pick up trash in the Ashland Park area Thursday morning as part of an Operation Clean Sweep in the area. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century T-ball Coach Sentenced On Federal Weapons Charges
September 19, 2013
A Century man arrested on federal weapons charges while coaching t-ball is headed to federal prison.
Joshua Duane Griffis, age 26 of North Century Boulevard, was sentenced by Senior Judge Lacey Collier to seven years in federal prison followed by three years supervised released after his conviction on charges of unlawful transport of firearms and transport of stolen firearms.
ATF Special Agent George Bruno testified that in September 2012 Griffis went to the home of a person known to him on Green Village Road near Walnut Hill and advised the resident that he needed to retrieve a cell phone charger from a bedroom. The resident complied.
Later that evening, the resident discovered his .22 caliber revolver was missing. The victim’s wife confronted Griffis. According to an arrest report, and he said that he had let a friend working offshore borrow the gun but it would be returned soon. Agent Bruno testified that Griffis instead pawned the firearm at State Line Pawn in Atmore on September 27, 2012.
Court documents show Griffis has prior adult felony convictions for grand theft, fraudulent use of credit cards, two counts of burglary of a dwelling, two counts of concealing information to obtain a prescription and receiving stolen property. His record also includes 13 misdemeanor convictions for worthless checks, two counts of petit theft, two counts of driving while license suspended and domestic violence third degree assault.
Just eight days before the firearm was pawned, Griffis was sentenced to two years probation and a suspended year in jail for receiving stolen property and domestic violence offenses. Court documents also reflect that Griffis has substance abuse issues.
Griffis was taken into custody without incident as he coached a little league t-ball game at a Century ballpark last May. He was escorted off the field by deputies and handcuffed out of sight of children, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). A federal magistrate ruled that Griffis posed a danger to the community and ordered him held without bond until his trial.
Alligator Mystery: Gator Apparently Hit By Vehicle On Highway 97
September 19, 2013
A five-foot alligator was found dead on the shoulder of Highway 97 in Walnut Hill Wednesday, apparently struck and killed by a vehicle. But exactly how the alligator got there is a bit of a mystery that’s now under investigation by state law enforcement.
The gator, found just south of North Highway 99 and the Walnut Hill Mennonite Church, had injuries that were consistent with being hit by a vehicle, likely while it was still alive. There were no injuries that would firmly indicate the alligator fell out of a moving vehicle.
While it is currently alligator harvest season in Florida, the gator did not appear to have a harvest tag attached as required by law. But the alligator did have rope tied to at least two legs.
Could the alligator have come from a Walnut Hill waterway?
The nearest body of water, Little Pine Barren Creek, is about 1,000 yards from where the gator was found.
Stan Kirkland, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it would be unlikely, but entirely possible, that alligators could live in the small creek. Bill Eubanks of Walnut Hill, who owns nearby property along the creek, said he has seen an alligator in the Little Pine Creek, but that sighting was many years ago.
Around midday or early afternoon Wednesday, the alligator’s carcass was removed from the Highway 97 shoulder by an unknown individual.
FWC Lt. Brian Lambert said possessing the untagged alligator carcass is illegal, even for the person that removed the carcass.
Anyone with information about the alligator is asked to call the Florida FWC’s Wildlife Alert Reward Program at 888-404-3922. Callers may be eligible for a cash reward.
Pictured top and inset: This alligator was found dead, apparently hit by a vehicle, alongside Highway 97 in Walnut Hill Wednesday. Pictured below. The highlighted areas show rope tied to two of the gator’s legs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
