Gastrointestinal Infections On The Rise In Escambia County
March 22, 2013
Wash your hands — that’s the word from the Escambia County Health Department, which is reporting an increase in the number of contagious gastrointestinal infections in the county.
According to the health department:
Gastrointestinal infections can be highly contagious and are usually spread through contaminated food or drinking water, person to person contact with an infected person, or contact with contaminated surfaces. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and headache.
Most gastrointestinal infections can be prevented with proper hygiene practices, clean drinking water, and safe food preparation. The best way to avoid contracting or spreading these infections is to take the following precautions:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom, handling diapers, and before preparing or eating food.
Use proper hand washing practices by rubbing soapy water on hands and under fingernails for 15-20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
Cook foods properly and wash fruits and vegetables before serving. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for preparing meats or fish and vegetables or fruits.
If you become ill, stay home. If your child becomes ill, keep him/her out of school or childcare until free from symptoms for 48 hours.
If you are sick with vomiting or diarrhea, do not prepare food for other people.
Thoroughly disinfect contaminated surfaces by using a bleach-based household cleaner.
Immediately remove and wash possibly contaminated clothing or linens after an episode of diarrhea or vomiting.
Treatment for gastrointestinal illnesses includes drinking plenty of clear fluids and getting plenty of rest. Dehydration is a serious concern, especially among elderly adults and young children, so it is important to maintain proper fluid replacement. If symptoms are severe, such as bloody stool or high fever, it is recommended that you contact your doctor.
Trial Date Set In Lottery Store Murder, Robbery
March 22, 2013
The Alabama men that allegedly robbed and shot a Davisville lottery store owner last November were in court this week.
Malcolm McGhee Jr., 24, and Brent Dewayne Lambeth, 20, are charged with first degree murder and robbery with a firearm for the shooting death of 74-year old Thomas “Tommy” Kroll during a robbery on November 6, 2012 at the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97.
Judge Linda Nobles set a May 28th date for trial to begin for both men. In the meantime, both McGhee and Lambeth will remain in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Investigators said McGhee and Lambeth targeted Kroll’s business because they had previous purchased “Spice” there and the duo intended on robbing the store of more of the synthetic marijuana.
Pictured top and bottom: The scene outside the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97 following the murder of store owner Thomas Kroll on November 6, 2012. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Monster Truck ‘Bigfoot’ Visits Local Transmission Supplier
March 22, 2013
Bigfoot — one of the true giants in the monster truck world — made a stop at sponsor Alto Products in Atmore Thursday afternoon. Bigfoot is a world famous 4-wheel drive behemoth that achieves its superior power from Atmore-made Alto Red Eagle clutches. Alto has provided the transmission clutch plates for Bigfoot for the past 13 years.
Alto now supplies their Red Eagle racing clutches to over a dozen monster truck teams including Gravedigger, Black Stallion and Big Dawg.
NorhtEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Senate Health Plan Starts Moving, Faces Questions In House
March 22, 2013
As the Senate began moving forward Thursday with a plan to offer health insurance to hundreds of thousands of low-income Floridians, it faces House resistance to relying on federal money to pay for the program.
Rep. Richard Corcoran, a Land O’ Lakes Republican who is chairman of a House select committee studying the federal Affordable Care Act, said many concepts of the Senate plan are “easily bridgeable” with House ideas about helping people get health coverage. But he said the House does not agree with the Senate plan’s use of federal funds.
“The biggest difference is certainly funding,” Corcoran said.
Republicans in both chambers this month rejected a major expansion of the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act, but they have said they want to find other ways to help offer coverage.
The Senate Appropriations Committee took the first formal step Thursday when it introduced a bill that would create a program called Healthy Florida, which would use a longstanding state program — the Florida Healthy Kids Corp. — as a vehicle to offer private health insurance. The program would target the same group of people who would otherwise be eligible for the Medicaid expansion and would rely heavily on federal money to pay for the coverage.
The plan, which Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron first outlined last week, has quickly received backing from groups ranging from the hospital and managed-care industries to the left-leaning Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy. Also, Gov. Rick Scott has expressed support.
Negron, R-Stuart, has tried to draw a distinction between the Healthy Florida bill and expanding Medicaid, describing his plan as “premium assistance for people who go to work every day.”
“We’re not putting one more citizen of Florida into the current Medicaid program,” he said.
The issue is tricky for many Republicans, however, because they spent more than three years fighting the federal Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, has repeatedly expressed skepticism about accepting billions of dollars in federal money to pay for expanding Medicaid — money that effectively would be used to pay for Healthy Florida.
But Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said he thinks a “gap” in people having health coverage will develop as the Affordable Care Act fully takes effect next year. While many people will continue to receive Medicaid coverage and others will face penalties if they don’t buy private insurance, some people would fall into the gap and remain uninsured, he said.
“What do we do as a state?” he asked. “Do we just throw our hands up and say, well we’re not going to accept any federal dollars?”
The Healthy Florida plan would be offered to people whose incomes are up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, a move that likely would have its greatest impact on childless adults who are largely shut out of Medicaid. People would choose among private health insurance plans and make at least small co-payments when they visit doctors or hospitals.
The federal government would have to approve the Healthy Florida plan before it could take effect. Negron said people could start signing up Oct. 1, with coverage possibly beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
But the more-immediate issue is whether the House and Senate can agree on Healthy Florida — or some other type of plan. Corcoran said he is working on a proposal but that it would probably rely on state money, not the federal funds.
Also, Corcoran indicated the House likely would target people who are below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, which for a family of two is $15,510, according to federal numbers. People with higher incomes than that could get subsidized coverage through a health-insurance exchange, a type of online insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. Florida is not involved in running the exchange.
Corcoran said the House and the Senate share the concept of offering private-market options to people. He said that could involve using Florida Healthy Kids or a long-planned program, Florida Health Choices, which is expected to serve as another type of online health marketplace.
It remains unclear, however, when the House might present a detailed proposal.
“Our goal is ASAP, as soon as possible,” Corcoran said. “But there’s not a date.”
By The News Service of Florida
Washington Wins Aggie Classic
March 22, 2013
The Washington Wildcats won the 20th Annual Tate Aggie Classic Thursday night, 201 over the Edmond North (OK) Wildcats.
Here’s a look at final scores from Thursday:
At Tate High
• Hueytown, AL 8, Goodpasture, TN 6
• McAdory, AL 4, Tate 2
At Escambia High
• Overton, TN 9, Jay, OK 7
• Westmoore, OK, 13, Escambia 5
At Washington High
• Navarre 1 vs. Pryor, OK, 11
At West Florida High
• Milton 15, Tahlequah, OK 5
• Washington, OK, 3, West Florida 1
At Pensacola State
•Greenwood, AR 5, Grove, OK 1
•Claremore, OK 8, Hume-Fogg, TN 1
Blue Wahoos Stadium
Third-Place Game
• Jacksonville Arlington Country Day vs. Norman North, OK ***
*** Double forfeit after six innings due to a bench clearing brawl.
Championship
• Washington 2, Edmond North, OK 1
Florida House Remembers Clay Ford
March 22, 2013
The Florida House paid tribute Thursday to Rep. Clay Ford, who died Monday at age 74 from cancer. Speakers remembered the local Republican with personal stories about Ford and his wife Carol.
Speaker Will Weatherford called Ford the “consummate gentleman,” and talked about Ford’s love for his wife and his concern for people who are less fortunate. He also praised Ford for his courage in his fight against cancer. The House also played a slide show of photos of Ford.
“Clay Ford’s a member of our family and we’ll always remember him,” said Weatherford.
Pictured top: Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, dabs his eyes Thursday after delivering remarks about the late Rep. Clay Ford, R-Gulf Breeze, who died Monday. Pictured inset: A memorial on Ford’s desk in the House chambers. Photos by Brandon Larrabee for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Impact 100 Reaches Historic High, Will Give $836,000 To Non-Profits
March 22, 2013
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a local women’s philanthropy group, has concluded its annual membership drive with 836 members — meaning $836,000 for local non-profits. The organization will give back to the community by awarding eight grants of $104,500 each to winning non-profit agencies in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, making it once again the largest IMPACT 100 in the nation.
This will be the 10th year that IMPACT 100 will award grants to local non-profit agencies. Since the inception of IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area in 2004, the organization has awarded 39 grants to 34 different non-profit agencies for a total of $4.315 million.
“We are thrilled to have such an amazing response from our community and we can’t wait to see what fantastic projects the non-profit agencies submit this year,” said Holly Jurnovoy, president of IMPACT 100. “Thanks to every one of our members, the Pensacola Bay Area shines once again as the largest IMPACT 100 organization in the country.”
One grant will be awarded in each of the following five focus areas: Arts and Culture; Education; Environment Recreation and Preservation; Family; and Health and Wellness. Three additional grants will be awarded to nonprofits in the categories with the most votes.
Non-profit organizations interested in applying for a grant are invited to attend this year’s not for profit seminar: “Give Your Grant… Impact!” The free seminar will be held April 23rd from 8 a.m. until noon at Gulf Power headquarters. All non-profit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are invited to attend to learn about the grant process, get tips to writing a more successful grant, be inspired to dream big and create a winning project. Letters of intent to apply for a grant are due April 30th.
Who Do You Call When Your Train Overheats? Not AAA, But ECFR
March 21, 2013
AAA can’t help you when you train locomotive overheats, but you can call Escambia County Fire Rescue.
Engine 419 from the Cantonment Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to Highway 95A near Jim Allen Elementary School Thursday morning to assist CSX after a train locomotive engine overheated. There was no fire, just a need for water to cool the engine.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deputy’s Condition Upgraded; Two Arrested In Shooting
March 21, 2013
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering today after was shot in the leg Wednesday night in the Scenic Hills neighborhood.
Keenan Ross Finkelstein, 23, was charged with attempted murder of a police officer in connection with the shooting of Sgt. Shedrick Johnson.
Johnson responded to a house in the 8800 block of Burning Tree Road in the Scenic Hills area off Nine Mile Road in an attempt to locate a robbery suspect, later identified as Jonathan Brett Chappell, 24.
Chappell had robbed an individual at gunpoint at the Tom Thumb on Pensacola Boulevard near W Street earlier in the evening and retreated to the Scenic Hills home where his acquaintance, Finkelstein, awaited.
According to both the victim and the suspect, the robbery occurred after the two had met to make a drug deal.
As deputies approached the house Finkelstein came out of the garage.Johnson identified himself as law enforcement and instructed him to show his hands. At that time Finkelstein raised a handgun and shots were fired. In the exchange of gunfire, Johnson was wounded in the leg and retreated across the street. He was then transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he remains.
According to hospital officials, Johnson’s condition has been upgraded to fair. Finkelstein was located a short distance away and arrested by Pensacola Police officer. Shortly afterwards, Chappell exited the garage and was arrested. He was charged with armed robbery with a firearm, grand theft of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance.
Finkelstein is being held without bond, while Chappell’s bond is set at $110,000.
Wrecked Vehicle Found In Highway 97 Wooded Area
March 21, 2013
There were no known injuries in a single vehicle wreck near Walnut Hill Thursday morning.
A passerby spotted the wrecked Ford Expedition about 7:15 a.m. in a wooded area on Highway 97 just north of Tungoil Road. There was no one around the vehicle; the wreck had apparently happened sometime overnight.
The driver was apparently northbound on Highway 97 when they missed a curve and ran off the roadway. The vehicle continued at a high rate of speed about 175 feet across one driveway, airborne over a second driveway and into a wooded area. The SUV struck several trees before coming to rest in the woods.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured: There was no one around this wrecked SUV found Thursday morning on Highway 97 near Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
