Scott Touting Teacher Pay Raise In Letter To Board Of Ed
February 19, 2013
Gov. Rick Scott is sending a message to the state Board of Education about the importance of his proposed pay raise teachers.
Scott sent a letter to the board’s chairman, Gary Chartrand, that is expected to be presented to board members at Monday’s board meeting in Orlando, that emphasizes the governor’s backing of a $2,500 pay raise for classroom teachers.
“The hard choices we made to get our economy back on track over the last two years have positioned us to strategically invest in statewide priorities that will encourage job creation for generations to come,” Scott said in the letter.
Scott has proposed spending $480 million on the across-the-board pay raises. He’s also recommending increasing spending on school supplies by $14 million. Scott’s proposal has received a lukewarm reception in the Legislature, where many lawmakers want to focus on merit pay for teachers.
But Scott said the state’s teachers overall earned the highest national grade for quality on a national review and its test scores and graduation rates are on the rise, which would appear to show the state’s teachers are doing a good job, generally. He also noted that the state already has removed tenure, and that performance pay will go into effect in 2014 above and beyond any across-the-board raise, and that he was committed to that, too.
“Investments in education will continue to drive economic growth in our state,” Scott said in the letter. “Our teachers are the cornerstone of educational success.”
By The News Service of Florida
Excel Tops Northview In Chiefs’ Season Opener
February 19, 2013
The Northview Chiefs opened their 2013 varsity baseball season with a loss Monday.
The Chiefs lost to Excel 5-4 at W.S. Neal. Northview will be in action again Friday night at 6 p.m. against Opp at W.S. Neal. Northview will play their first home game of the season this Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Bratt as the Chiefs host Pensacola High.
Pictured: Northview takes on Excel Monday in East Brewton. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Decisions Could Be Nearing On The Affordable Care Act
February 19, 2013
A Senate select committee could make recommendations March 4 about key parts of the federal Affordable Care Act, including whether Florida should move forward with a major expansion of the Medicaid program.
Sen. Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is chairman of the select committee, said Monday he expects an opportunity to hear “closing arguments” during a meeting March 4 — a day before the start of the annual legislative session. Negron said his goal has always been to make recommendations during the first week of session.
A House select committee also appears to be on a similar schedule. That panel has scheduled a meeting Feb. 28, an off week for the Legislature, and probably will meet at least twice during the first week of session, said Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes.
“We’re trying to keep pace with the Senate,” Corcoran said after his committee heard more than three hours of presentations Monday.
Lawmakers face a series of decisions during the upcoming session about the Affordable Care Act, with the potential Medicaid expansion the most controversial. The Senate select committee Monday rejected any remaining possibility that Florida would run a health-insurance exchange in 2014, another issue that has drawn heavy attention.
Legislative leaders have said for weeks that they expected the federal government to run the state’s exchange, which will serve as an online marketplace for people to shop for health-insurance coverage. Republicans and Democrats on the Senate panel agreed Monday to formally recommend that the Obama administration run the exchange, a move that came after Florida had missed deadlines for notifying the federal government of plans to operate a state exchange.
“I’m still looking for a valid reason why we would ever want to start our own exchange,” said Senate Health Policy Chairman Aaron Bean, a Fernandina Beach Republican who serves on the select committee.
Other lawmakers said Florida could operate an exchange in later years if it decided to do so. Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, said questions remain unanswered about the exchanges and that Florida should let the federal government “show us the way.”
“If there are going to be mistakes made, we can learn from their mistakes,” Simmons said.
The select committees have been listening to testimony and gathering information for weeks, and their positions could be an important indicator as the full Legislature gets ready to tackle the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, lawmakers will have to resolve complicated insurance-regulatory issues and a question about expanding the state’s health-insurance program to offer coverage to many temporary employees.
But the Medicaid issue — and particularly its potential costs for the state — has drawn the most scrutiny. As an example, supporters of the Medicaid expansion accused Republican Gov. Rick Scott earlier this year of inflating the estimated costs of such an expansion. Scott has been a longtime critic of the federal law, which President Obama and congressional Democrats approved in 2010.
Also, groups such as the hospital industry are lobbying heavily for the expansion. Three hospital executives told the House select committee Monday that enrolling more people in Medicaid would reduce the amount of uncompensated care they have to provide when uninsured people show up in emergency rooms.
But Corcoran said after the meeting that the executives lacked data to show how their hospitals would be affected.
The Affordable Care Act says Washington will pay 100 percent of the costs of expanding Medicaid eligibility during the first three years and 90 percent of the costs later. The expansion could provide coverage to hundreds of thousands of people in Florida, primarily childless adults who don’t currently qualify for Medicaid.
Amy Baker, coordinator of the state Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said state analysts will meet March 1 to revise cost estimates. That information then will go to the select committees, which will hold a joint meeting during the morning of March 4 before holding separate meetings later in the day.
The analysts will have to wade through issues such as projecting how many newly-eligible Medicaid beneficiaries would actually enroll in the program and trying to figure out how much it would cost to provide coverage to them. While the federal government would pay most of the costs in the coming years, the state would eventually have to pick up part of the tab.
Analysts also will grapple with estimates for people who are currently eligible for Medicaid but have not enrolled in the program. Baker said there is wide-ranging agreement that some of those people will enroll in Medicaid as the Affordable Care Act takes effect.
By The News Service of Florida
Four Homeless After Fire Damages Century Home
February 18, 2013
A resident managed to escape an afternoon house fire in Century Monday that left four people homeless.
The fire was reported about 2:45 at the corner of North Century Boulevard and Hattie Boulevard. The resident was reportedly asleep inside the home when the fire broke out and managed to escape without injuries due to individuals banging on the door of the home.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
There were no injuries reported in the blaze that left four adults homeless. The American Red Cross is assisting the four with temporary shelter.
The Century, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Flomaton Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the blaze.
Pictured above and below: Fire heavily damaged this Century home Monday afternoon, displacing four residents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
County Names Finalists For Library Board Of Governance
February 18, 2013
The Escambia County Commission will choose three applications from a list of ten to serve on the new West Florida Public Library Board of Governance. Two of the individuals will serve an initial three-year term, effective March 1, 2013, through April 30, 2016, and one individual to serve for an initial two-year term, effective March 1, 2013, through April 30, 2015:
- Alexa Canady-Davis, M.D.
- David J. Bryant
- Frances Yeo
- Grant Erbach
- Joe Vinson
- Lynne C. Tobin
- Rodney P. Guttmann, Ph.D.
- Rodney L. Kendig
- Steve Marvin
- Tristessa C. Osborne — Declared ineligible as a non-resident of Escambia County
The Library Board of Governance was established to oversee the management of the West Florida Public Library System and to make recommendations to the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners regarding the library annual budget.
The Library Board of Governance will be composed of five voting members – three members appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, one member appointed by the Pensacola City Council, and one member appointed by the mayor of Pensacola.
The Escambia County Commission will pick their three Library Board of Governance members on February 21.
Healthier Schools Donate French Fries To Non-Profits
February 18, 2013
The Escambia County School Board has voted to donate 138 cases of shoestring French fries to three area non-profits. In a push for healthier eating, the county’s school cafeterias are no longer frying foods, making the french fries unusable to to the school district.
The surplus frozen fries, valued at $2,310.12 were donated to the Escambia County Waterfront Rescue Mission, the Escambia County Salvation Army and Manna Food Pantries.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
February 18, 2013
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month from January. They are (left to right) Lexxi Baggett, 6th grade; Jessica Stacey, 8th grade; and Cody Kite, 7th grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Food For America: Northview FFA Officers Share With Elementary Students
February 18, 2013
Members of the Northview High School FFA officer team recently visited several area elementary schools to read ag-related books to students.
The FFA officers visited Bratt, Jim Allen and Molino Park elementary schools. Reading to the students and sharing information about food-related agriculture is part of the events leading up to Northview’s award-winning Food for America program in March.
Northview’s Food for America program has been name the best in the state . Each year, the program gives hundreds of elementary school students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more as they visit displays on the Northview campus.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man’s Medical Problem Causes I-10 Crash
February 18, 2013
Three people were injured, two of them seriously, in a morning accident that backed up traffic on I-10.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 34-year old Gerald Dominque James of Cantonment was eastbound on I-10 near the Davis Highway exit about 5:50 a.m. when he drove across the center median into oncoming westbound traffic due to an unknown medical condition. His 2004 Nissan Altima collided with a 2007 Honda Accord driven by 55-year old Billy Johnston of Gordon, Ala.
James’ Altima was then struck by a 1996 Ford F150 driven by 74-year old Henry Matowitz of Milton who then continued off the roadway and struck a tree.
James and Johnston were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition. Matowitz suffered minor injuries and was transported to West Florida Hospital.
All westbound lanes of I-10 at the 13 mile maker were blocked by the wreck, according to the FHP. The roadway has since reopened.
No charges were filed in connection with the accident.
Pictured: Three people were injured in this accident early Monday morning on I-10 near the Davis Highway exit. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Leads Nation In Foreclosures For 5th Month
February 18, 2013
Move over California. Florida led the nation in January in the percentage and total number of properties in foreclosure, according to monthly figures released by RealtyTrac,
For the fifth month in a row, Florida had the highest rate of foreclosures in the nation, with one in every 300 Florida housing units under some type of foreclosure filing. That’s more than twice the national average and 20 percent higher than a year earlier.
Florida also had the dubious honor of bypassing California for the total number of foreclosure filings for the month, marking the first time that California has been out of the top spot since 2007.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties accounted for the bulk of homes under foreclosure. But Ocala held the top spot among metropolitan areas, with one in 223 homes involved in foreclosures during the month.
Nationally, the number of foreclosures dropped 28 percent in January from the year before.
By The News Service of Florida