Florida Prison Health Plan To Go Before Appeals Court
March 20, 2013
The 1st District Court of Appeal has scheduled arguments May 14 in a long-running legal battle about privatizing prison health services in much of the state. A Leon County circuit judge in December ruled that lawmakers did not properly approve a plan that would have led to Corizon, Inc., receiving a contract to provide prison health services in central and north Florida.
The decision did not affect a Department of Corrections plan to contract with another firm in the southern part of the state.
Weightlifting: Four Chiefs Advance To Sectional Meet
March 20, 2013
Four Northview Chiefs qualified Tuesday to advance toward the state weightlifting finals.
La’Mikal Kyles (183-pound class), Arkelle Elliott (199), Luke McDaniel (238) and Laderious Franklin (238) all placed Tuesday at the District 1 qualifier weightlifting meet at Baker. All four advance to sectional meet on April 1st at Panama City Arnold.
Kyles placed first in his class with a 515 pound total; Elliott was second in his class with a 565 total. McDaniel was second with a 525 total, and Franklin finished third with a 485 pound total.
Justin Kite finished fourth in the 219 pound class with a 450 total and is an alternate for the sectionals.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs complete in the District 1 qualifier weightlifting meet at Baker on Tuesday. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park 4-H Students Advance To District Event
March 20, 2013
Three members of the Barrineau Park 4-H Club placed with blue ribbons at recent county competitions.
Izzy Kent, junior divison; Dillon Conti, intermediate division; and Jessica Conti, junior division, will present their Animal Science Demonstrations/Illustrated Talks at the 4-H District event this Saturday at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at 1394 East Nine Mile Road between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For more information on the Barrineau Park 4-H Club, call Tena Gindl at (850) 698-3441.
Pictured top: Izzy Kent, Jessica Conti and Dillon Conti advanced to 4-H District events. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lady Chiefs Beat Holmes County; JV Jags Over NHS
March 20, 2013
The Northview Lady Chiefs picked up varsity and JV wins Tuesday over Holmes County, while the WFHS JV Jags defeated the JV Chiefs in baseball.
SOFTBALL
Northview 5, Holmes County 3
The Northview Lady Chiefs varsity softball team continued their undefeated season with another win Tuesday night in Bratt. The Lady Chiefs defeated Holmes County 5-3 in seven innings. With the win, Northview’s varsity softball team is now 9-0.
The varsity Chiefs will be in action again on Friday as they host Chipley at 5:00.
Northview 11, Holmes County 1 (JV)
The junior varsity Northview Chiefs softball team beast Holmes County 11-1 Tuesday afternoon in Bratt. The JV Chiefs softball team will be off until after Spring Break, with their next game April 1 in Flomaton.
BASEBALL
West Florida 10, Northview 7
The JV West Florida High School Jaguars beat the Northview Chiefs Tuesday evening at Northview.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Aggie Classic Day Two
March 20, 2013
Here’s a look at Aggie Classic scores from Tuesday followed by Wednesday’s schedule in the 22-team tournament.
Cardinal Pool
Edmond North (OK) 3, Navarre 1
Hueytown (AL) 8, Jay (OK) 1
Tahlequah (OK) 9, Overton 6
Tate 9, Washington (OK) 6
Escambia 13, Hume-Fogg (TN) 2
Washington 5, Grove (OK) 1
Grey Pool
McAdory (Ala.) 6, Claremore (OK) 1
Jacksonville Arlington Country Day 10, Westmoore (OK) 2
Pryor (OK) 8, West Florida 5
Goodpasture (TN) 6, Milton 1
Norman North (OK) 8, Greenwood (AR) 1
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
At Tate High
• Greenwood vs. Pryor, 4 p.m.
• Tate vs. Grove, 7 p.m.
At Escambia High
• Good Pasture vs. Westmoore, 4 p.m.
• Escambia vs. Tahlequah, 7 p.m.
At Washington High
• Jay vs. Washington, 4 p.m.
• Edmond North vs. Hueytown, 7 p.m.
At West Florida High
• Overton vs. Washington (OK), 4 p.m.
• McAdory vs. West Florida, 7 p.m.
At Pensacola State
• Norman North vs. Milton, 4 p.m.
• Arlington Co. Day vs. Claremore, 7 p.m.
At Woodham Middle
• Hume-Fogg vs. Navarre, 7 p.m.
Armed And Dangerous Robbery Suspect Surrenders
March 20, 2013
A man the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office called armed and dangerous is off the streets.
Donald Donita McBride turned himself in Tuesday morning. He was wanted in connection with an armed robbery which occurred shortly before 1 p.m. Monday on Teakwood Circle in West Pensacola. McBride allegedly held a gun to the victim’s head and demanded that he had over prescription narcotics.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said the media’s coverage was essential on locating McBride.
Deputies: 52 More Charges Await Burglary Suspect Trio
March 19, 2013
A trio arrested last week in Escambia County in connection with 37 burglaries will face another 52 charges in Santa Rosa County.
Charles Dylan Williams, age 19 of Walnut Hill, Richard Kevin Craig, age 21 of Pensacola, and Kevin Randall Bell, age 26 of Pensacola, were each charged with multiple counts of burglary, larceny, vehicle theft and fraudulent use of credit cards in Escambia County, and now 52 warrants have been issued for their arrests by Santa Rosa County.
The Santa Rosa County cases center around vehicle burglaries that begin January 28 in the Woodbine Springs and Autumn Run North subdivisions in Pace. Victims advised their cars were ransacked and items were stolen.
“Investigators were able to put the pieces of the puzzle together which lead them not only to the arrest of the three suspects, but also the recovery of the stolen items,” Deputy Rich Aloy, spokesman for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
The trio will be transferred to Santa Rosa County after they face the Escambia County charges.
In Escambia County, a rash of burglaries were reported January 25 from Beulah to Cantonment, including the theft of credit cards and a set of car keys. The suspects later returned to attempt to steal the vehicle. Deputies said they abandoned the vehicle when spotted, but a witness was able to give a good description of the trio.
Evidence against the men include surveillance video of the suspects and the vehicle as they used stolen credit cards at a Red Box video machine. Based on this information, investigators were able to locate the vehicle at a home in the 9000 block of Bridlewood Road.
During a search of the vehicle and home, the suspects confessed to multiple burglaries. According to the suspects they had been using the stolen credit cards for gas, fast food and “Magic” gaming cards at Walmart.
As of Monday afternoon all three men remained in the Escambia County Jail. Bond was set at $292,500 for Craig, $129,500 for Bell and $239,000 for Williams.
Leadership Pensacola Breaks Ground On New Trail
March 19, 2013
The Greater Pensacola Chamber and Leadership Pensacola’s (LeaP) Class of 2013 broke ground Tuesday morning on the LEAP Trail, the group’s official class project.
The LEAP Trail, located near the City’s Roger Scott Athletic Complex, will be an inclusive activity space, providing leisure, exercise, activity, and play opportunities for the entire community. Among the trail’s amenities will be a three-mile Innisfree Hotels Track, which will begin at the new Hyatt Place Hotel at Pensacola International Airport and run south down 12th Avenue, then through Roger Scott, down Summit Boulevard, and up Jerry Maygarden Road. The trail will also feature an inclusive playground accessible for children and adults of all physical abilities, as well as six workout stations placed along the trail.
“This project is a great example of what we can accomplish through community-driven initiatives and public-private partnerships,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “As we continue to make Pensacola a better place and improve our city’s quality of life, the LEAP Trail is going to be an incredible asset for our community.”
Construction on the LEAP Trail is expected to be completed in May.
Pictured top: A Monday groundbreaking for the LEAP Trail in Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida House, Senate Release Budget Allocations, No Major Cuts Evident
March 19, 2013
House and Senate leaders unveiled plans Monday for how they would direct billions of dollars in state spending over the coming fiscal year, with both chambers apparently savoring the prospect of a budget that won’t be dominated by deep cuts in state services.
The most expansive plan was released by the House, which outlined more than $26.9 billion in spending from general revenue — well shy of the $28.5 billion that will be available — and billions more from state trust funds.
In a statement to members, House Speaker Will Weatherford said cuts weren’t necessary to make the allocations, though committee chairmen might still look for “meritorious efficiencies.”
“I remain committed to the disciplined fiscal principles that led us to where we are today but also recognize that state programs and services had been limited given the crisis we faced,” wrote Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. “Now there is an opportunity to appropriately provide additional funding for state priorities.”
Weatherford promised the first across-the-board pay increase for state workers in six years, though he didn’t say how much salaries would rise, and more than $1 billion more for public education. Colleges and universities would reclaim a $300 million one-time cut from last year, and the state would keep $1.2 billion in reserves.
The House would also “[p]rovide for the funding of our state’s transportation needs without sweeping the State Transportation Trust Fund” Weatherford said, but $309 million would be taken from dedicated funds throughout the budget. That would include $182.7 million from trust funds in the transportation and economic development area.
A spokesman for Weatherford said it was too soon to tell which other funds in that area of the budget would be swept if the road-building fund is protected.
The House plan does not specifically spell out how it would handle teacher pay raises. Gov. Rick Scott has called for an across-the-board raise of $2,500 for public school teachers, but lawmakers have indicated they would prefer any increase be based on merit.
While comparisons of the allocations are sometimes inexact, and Senate leaders did not spell out how they would use money from an array of trust funds, the upper chamber appears to have allocated slightly less than the House. The Senate plan outlines about $26.8 billion in general revenue spending.
Senate leaders were not quite as forthcoming in exactly how the money would be spent, but Senate Budget Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said that the combined area of the budget containing public and higher education would receive “the largest increase in available general revenue.”
The Senate allocation for schools and colleges appears to be in line with or perhaps slightly higher than the House’s set-aside.
In a statement, Negron took pains to say that the Senate was being cautious with its spending, noting that across-the-board federal budget cuts and the implementation of the new federal health-care law could cause a drag on the state’s economy or increase costs.
“Florida’s fiscal situation is improving however, the outlook for the 2013-14 fiscal year continues to reflect the challenges of a slow economic recovery and the uncertainty caused by instability in Washington. … This uncertainty, caused by a lack of leadership in Washington, highlights Florida’s need to plan ahead and be cautious,” he said.
By The News Service of Florida
Escambia County Seeks Board Of Adjustment Member
March 19, 2013
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking qualified residents of Escambia County to serve on the Board of Adjustment in an “At Large” position for Escambia County.
Established by the Board of County Commissioners, the Escambia County Board of Adjustment conducts any required quasi-judicial public hearings to grant, grant with conditions, or deny applications for the following processes: Administrative Appeal, Conditional Use, Site Plan Approval Extension and Variance.
If interested in serving on the board, forward a current resume to the Development Services Department, Attn: Carla Cathey, 3363 West Park Place, Pensacola, Florida 32505, or email cgcathey@myescambia.com or adholmer@myescambia.com to submit your resume. All resumes must be submitted no later than Wednesday, April 3. A financial disclosure and W-9 forms are required to serve on this board.