Deputies Stumble Across Potted Pot Plants
May 24, 2013
Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies literally stumbled across a couple of potted pot plants Thursday afternoon in Century.
As deputies were involved in a manhunt near the intersection of Gilford Avenue and Bonwell Street, they spotted a couple of a small marijuana plants behind a home growing in pots that were labeled as previously containing hybrid tomato plants.
The plants were uprooted and seized as evidence, while the pots were returned to a Bonwell Street resident.
No charges were filed in the incident.
Pictured top and below: Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies stumbled across a couple of potted pot plants during a manhunt Thursday afternoon in Century. Pictured inset: One of the small plants seized as evidence. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Repeal Of Florida’s Ethanol Law Fuels Debate
May 24, 2013
A bio-energy company on the Treasure Coast is calling for Gov. Rick Scott to veto a measure that would repeal the state law requiring most gasoline sold in the state to include nearly 10 percent ethanol.
But based upon the relative ease in which the bill (HB 4001) moved through the Legislature, and a stack of emails sent to the governor’s office in support of the measure, Vero Beach-based INEOS New Planet BioEnergy has a hard road ahead.
“The production of ethanol costs more than the production of gasoline, takes huge amounts of corn out of the food system thus raising the cost of food and causes severe damage to internal combustion engines,” Linda Skidmore of Holiday emailed Scott.
Skidmore’s request for Scott to sign the bill was among the more than 1,000 emails sent to the governor this month in favor of repeal.
Still, regardless of how Scott acts, David Mica, executive director of Florida Petroleum Council, said the legislation may be mostly symbolic because of federal mandates that gasoline be mixed with ethanol or other biofuels.
The bill was sent to Scott on Monday. He has until June 4 to make a decision.
Scott joined several other governors in October in asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration to suspend the requirement for putting a certain amount of ethanol into America’s gas tanks, saying it was causing a shortage of cattle feed for Florida ranchers.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Scott said he is reviewing the proposed legislation.
INEOS Bio CEO Peter Williams urged supporters on Wednesday to contact Scott against the bill.
“Repeal of the state’s renewable fuels standard would send a clear signal to companies like ours and other investors that Florida is unfriendly to advanced biofuels, investing in new technology and jobs it creates or to building a clean energy economy,” Williams said in an email.
The bill is intended to repeal the 2008 Florida Renewable Fuel Standard Act, which requires most gas sold in the state to include nearly 10 percent ethanol.
During debate on the proposed repeal, House sponsor Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, called the law a “flawed business model” for government to require people to buy products. “Do we believe in free markets or not?” Gaetz asked.
Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, argued to keep the law in place, saying the repeal “does nothing but hurt the businesses that are here in Florida, and it hurts an industry that we are wanting to move to the state of Florida.”
INEOS Bio received a $50 million grant in December 2009 from the U.S. Department of Energy to build the first full commercial bio-refining facility in the nation. The grant was considered part of a move to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and create new clean technology jobs.
The company is part of Switzerland-based INEOS, which is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products.
The Vero Beach plant, which is using yard and vegetative waste to produce its advance bioethanol, started to produce electricity in October. Eventually the plant is expected to provide enough energy to power its own facility and 1,400 homes in the Vero Beach area.
Despite Williams’ call for support of the law, the emails have remained overwhelming in favor of repeal.
Most of the email sent to Scott this past week, appearing under the subject line “Please Sign HB 4001, Repeal the Florida Ethanol Mandate,” is a form letter, while others that feature a more simple “HB 4001″ subject line, offered impassioned comments to end the state law.
“I own an antique car, and it has screwed up my fuel system,” wrote GR Dornfeld of The Villages. “The Ethanol attracts water, and when my car sits for long periods, rust occurs. Also, the substance deteriorates all the rubber parts in the fuel system. I have had to replace the fuel tank, steel tube to deliver fuel forward from the tank, the fuel pump and carburetor on my 1939 Ford.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
West All-Stars Win In Softball, Baseball
May 24, 2013
The West beat the East Thursday night in the Subway All-Star Softball Game at the University of West Florida, 4-3. It was the first time in many years that high school seniors of the West, representing Escambia County, beat the East girls from Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Jessica Brigg of West Florida High School was named the West MVP. The West was coached by Amy Holland of the Northview Chiefs.
In the Subway All-Star Baseball game, the West of Escambia County beat the east 13-6 for the West’s first win in seven years.
Pictured top: West All-Star Coach Amy Holland (second from right) with Northiew All-Star players (L-R) Shaquanna Jones, Ariel Holland, Misty Doran and Morgan Payne. Pictured below: The 2013 Subway West All-Star Softball team. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NOAA Predicts Active 2013 Hurricane Season
May 24, 2013
In its 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook issued Thursday, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting an active or extremely active season this year.
For the six-month hurricane season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook says there is a 70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 7 to 11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).
These ranges are well above the seasonal average of 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.
“With the devastation of Sandy fresh in our minds, and another active season predicted, everyone at NOAA is committed to providing life-saving forecasts in the face of these storms and ensuring that Americans are prepared and ready ahead of time.” said Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D., NOAA acting administrator. “As we saw first-hand with Sandy, it’s important to remember that tropical storm and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far from where the storm first makes landfall.”
Cleaning Fluid Causes Massachusetts Avenue Hazmat Scare
May 24, 2013
A large drum of a cleaning solution caused a hazardous materials scare Thursday on Massachusetts Avenue, about a block from Montclair Elementary School.
The orange 55-gallon drum was believed to have fallen off a truck just before noon, landing near some railroad tracks. About a half dozen homes were evacuated as a precaution as officials worked to determine exactly what was in the leaking drum. Some residents reported a strong chemical odor.
There were no injuries reported.
The hazmat scene closed down roads in the area for a couple of hours. An investigation is now underway by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Pictured top: An Escambia County Fire Rescue Hazmat team on scene of a chemical spill Thursday afternoon on Massachusetts Avenue. Pictured below: A decontamination area is set up in the parking of University Auto Recyclers. Reader submitted photos by Edwin Schaff for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Alabama’s Jo Bonner Resigns From Congress
May 24, 2013
Alabama Congressman Jo Bonner announced Thursday that he is retiring effect August 15 in order to take a newly-created position at the University of Alabama System. Bonner has held his congressional seat since 2003.
“I trust you know that serving as your congressman this past decade has truly been one of the highest honors of my life,” Bonner said. “While I had every intention of completing this term, sometimes opportunities come along that are so rare – and so special – that it forces you to alter even your best-made plans.”
Bonner will serve as the vice chancellor for government relations and economic development with the college system, reporting directly to UA System Chancellor Robert Witt. He is a 1982 Alabama graduate, and Judy Bonner, his older sister, was named presented of the university last November.
Bonner’s 1st Congressional District includes Mobile, Baldwin, Monroe, Jackson, Clarke and Escambia counties in Alabama. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley will set a date for a special election to replace Bonner.
“Jo is one of the hardest working legislators and a close friend for whom I have a great deal of respect. Over the last decade I have had the privilege of working closely with him on a bevy of issues that affect the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast,” Florida Congressman Jeff Miller said Thursday afternoon, applauding Bonner’s work on issues including Hurricane Ivan recovery, the BP oil spill and new Airbus facility in Mobile.
“Jo has been a friend not only to me, but to the many people whose lives he has touched across the State of Alabama and the entire Gulf Coast. I will miss his commonsense approach to legislating and his unquestionable integrity. My wife Vicki and I wish Jo and Janée all the best in this new chapter in their lives,” Miller said.
Pictured: Alabama Congressman Jo Bonner during a town hall meeting last year in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lookouts Come Back For 5-3 Win Over Wahoos
May 24, 2013
The Chattanooga Lookouts scored four runs in the eighth inning to down the Blue Wahoos 5-3 in the series opener at AT&T Field in Chattanooga on Thursday night. Pensacola scored a run in top of the inning to claim a brief one-run advantage before the Lookouts responded in the bottom of the frame.
Chattanooga struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Miguel Rojas scored from second on an RBI single by Blake Smith. An error by first baseman Joe Mather on a throw from third kept the inning alive resulting in the run being ruled unearned.
Pensacola answered with run in the top of the second when Brodie Greene singled home Devin Lohman from second base to tie the game at one. The game stayed tied until Bryson Smith delivered a bases loaded two-out single scoring Tucker Barnhart from third.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Lookouts tied the game when Rojas scored from second on a base hit by Yasiel Puig. After an intential walk loaded the bases, C.J. Retherford drove home two with a double to the right field corner putting the Lookouts up for good. Their final run scored from third on a caught stealing by J.T. Wise.
Travis Mattair provided a solo home run in the top of the ninth, but that was all the Wahoos would get before the Dodgers rehabbing reliever Scott Elbert retired the side to close out the game and earn the save.
Pensacola collected a season-high 14 hits, 12 of which were singles. Ryan LaMarre’s third inning double was the other in addition to Mattair’s home run. The Blue Wahoos matched a season-high with 12 runners left on base. Pensacola has also tied a season-high with five straight losses.
Despite pitching six innings and allowing just one unearned run, Chad Rogers took a no-decision. He struck out three, walked one and allowed just three hits. Loek Van Mil (L, 0-2) was charged with all four Lookout runs in the eighth to take the loss. Hector Nelo earned the win out of the Lookouts bullpen despite pitching just one out.
The two teams continue the series on Friday night. The Blue Wahoos will send LHP Ryan Dennick to the mound against Lookouts LHP Chris Reed. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m.
story by Kevin Burke
Our View: Century Council Shouldn’t Be Firing Squad
May 24, 2013
The Century Town Council was forced to seat itself as a “firing squad” of sorts Thursday afternoon, terminating a lower level employee with an attendance problem.
The employee, even by his own accounts, was repeatedly late for work in the mornings and late returning from lunch, and numerous times over recent weeks he simply failed to show for work without calling his supervisors. The employee agreed with Mayor Freddie McCall that his termination after over four years of employment was justified after he had already received fair warnings and reprimands.
Under Century’s own employment rules and regulations, the mayor is the town’s top boss, but the mayor can’t fire an employee without a vote of the town council. And, under those same town rules, the Mayor can’t make his termination recommendation known until a special meeting of the firing squad — the town council — begins.
Florida’s Sunshine Laws stipulate that public notice be given prior to all special council meetings, which, of course, draws the local media. Now the afternoon show with the employee in the cross hairs of the firing squad has turned into a public spectacle.
We understand and appreciate that employment records in Florida, for the most part, are public record. The employee’s termination is, and should be, public record. But should a public circus be made over firing a town laborer?
We think not, and the council apparently agrees. The mayor and the council discussed Thursday afternoon the need to look at the employment regulations of nearby governmental bodies and find a model that allows for lower level employee terminations to take place without a full-blown public meeting. Employee files would remain, as required by law, public record, so everything would remain above board and still “in the sunshine” as required by the Sunshine Law.
Does the Escambia County Commission call a special meeting to terminate a janitor, a secretary or a dump truck driver? Does the City of Pensacola assemble a special council meeting to terminate a maintenance man or a receptionist? No….those terminations are handled in the chain of command in place in the city or county. And as Century’s top boss, we believe the mayor should be able to terminate a laborer for documented poor work attendance.
Employees that serve at the pleasure of the council and are hired by the council — department heads and the town clerk — should still face a termination hearing before the council if the need arises. And in the case of any alleged employee wrongdoing or mishandling of money or property, the council, and thus the media and the public, should be involved.
As for the employee terminated Thursday, he performed a quality job for the town at a very minimal salary for years, except for the recent attendance issues. The mayor says he’ll give the employee a positive review, and the employee had an amazingly positive attitude for someone who had just received his pink slip.
The name of the fired Century employee is public record, as are the names of the janitors, official personnel, laborers and other non-management employees that have been terminated in recent years by Escambia County or the City of Pensacola. The media and the public have the right to obtain those names and employee files.
But local media outlets, NorthEscambia.com included, did not report on the terminations of those low level Pensacola and Escambia County employees because their firings were in the course of ordinary business. So in this case, we choose not to report the name of a laborer so publicly lined up before a firing squad Thursday. If the town had not been forced, by its own regulations, to call a public meeting, we would not have been involved in this employee issue at all.
You, as a member of the public, have a right to make a public records request for the man’s name, or for that matter the name of the last secretarial employee terminated by the county. And we support your right.
Rest assured, we will always report on the termination of government employees accused of wrongdoing, or upper level employees, department heads or managers that are terminated by the board or council they serve.
We call for the Century Town Council, again as they expressed they already wish to do, to quickly revisit town employment regulations to avoid such public firing squads as assembled Thursday.
Pictured top: The Century Town Council sits as a “firing squad” during a special meeting to terminate an employee Thursday afternoon. Pictured inset: Mayor Freddie McCall address the council. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
DOJ Report: Escambia Jail Unsafe, Understaffed
May 23, 2013
A report released by the U.S. Justice Department has found that conditions inside the Escambia County Jail routinely violate the constitutional rights of prisoners.
The DOJ concluded that known systemic deficiencies at the jail, mainly due to staffing shortages, continue to subject prisoners to excessive risk of assault by other prisoners and to “clearly inadequate” mental health care.
The five-year investigation also found that until recently, the jail had an informal policy and practice of designating some of its housing units as only for African-American prisoners. By segregating some of its prisoners on the basis of race, the jail not only stigmatized and discriminated against many of its African-American prisoners, it also fanned combustible racial tensions within the jail.
Escambia County Sheriff’ David Morgan has warned the Escambia County Commission about the woeful conditions in the facility, which houses roughly 1,300 prisoners. His recently submitted 2013-2014 budget request to the commission includes a request for an $18.8 million increase. A portion of the increase was specifically requested to hire 83 additional detention deputies along with 12 detention assistants for $6.3 million.
The beginning of the DOJ investigation coincided with Morgan taking office, and the report praised his efforts to improve conditions.
“We commend Sheriff Morgan for his willingness to work aggressively to remedy many of the problems brought to his attention during the course of our investigation,” said Roy L. Austin Jr., Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division.
Some of Morgan’s improvements included the implementation of a formal prisoner classification system, improvements in monitoring the use of force, development of a prisoner grievance process, increase use of surveillance cameras, retrofitting cells to decrease suicide risk, improvements to female housing, addressing the needs of prisoners with physical disabilities and improved medical procedures.
But the DOJ’s report still found numerous issues, many related to inadequate staffing.
The report found:
- Prisoner on prisoner assaults are a common occurrence at the jail, making the facility unsafe for prisoners.
- A March 2011 study gave county officials insight to the severe staffing problems at the facility.
- Jail leadership fails to appropriately monitor and track prisoner on prisoner violence and the use of force by staff on prisoners.
- The decades-long practice of housing some prisoners in black-only pods was discriminatory, fanned racial tensions and contributed to prisoner perceptions that the jail favors white prisoners over black prisoners. The practice ended in 2012.
- The jail does not provide adequate and timely access to appropriately skilled mental health professionals, routinely fails to provide appropriate mental health medications, and provides inadequate housing and observation for prisoners with serious mental illness. The report found about one prisoner per month is sent to the hospital after self-injury as a result of a clearly inadequate mental health program.
“Without an adequate complement of security personnel, (the) Escambia County Jail cannot possibly keep its prisoners safe,” the report found.”Until the Jail addresses staffing shortages, the Jail will remain unsafe.”
Additionally, staffing shortages have crippled the jail’s ability to conduct a sufficient number of cell searches to protect both prisoners and staff from serious harm due to contraband and potentially dangerous items. According to the DOJ, only 41 cell searches were conducted across the entire facility during a one year period.
The sheriff and county have 49 days to reach an agreement with the Department of Justice on how they plan to correct the staffing and additional issues at the jail. If no agreement is reached by the deadline, the Attorney General may file a federal lawsuit.
Escambia County Names New Lake Stone Caretaker
May 23, 2013
The Escambia County Commission has named a new caretaker for the Lake Stone Campground near Century.
Since the inception of the Lake Stone Campground, the county has entered into an agreement for on-site caretaker and management services at the facility. Mervyn Simmons, who has served as the caretaker since February 2009, has submitted his resignation.
He will be replaced by Dennis Keith Cole under the same contract terms. Cole will be compensated at $850 per month with housing and utilities provided.