Panhandler Developer Guilty In Presidential Campaign Finance Case
February 13, 2013
Panhandle developer Jay Odom could face up to five years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday in a scheme to funnel campaign contributions through employees or their family members, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Odom, 56, of Destin, entered the plea to one count of causing a presidential campaign committee to make a false statement to the Federal Election Commission.
Odom, who has been a large Republican donor in the past, was accused of soliciting employees and their family members in 2007 to make maximum contributions to the campaign of a presidential candidate and then reimbursing them for the contributions.
The news release indicates the scheme involved $23,000, through it does not name the presidential candidate. Odom, who entered the plea before Senior U.S. District Judge Lacey A. Collier, is scheduled for sentencing April 23.
Odom also was a prominent player in an airplane-hanger controversy that led to the exodus of former House Speaker Ray Sansom from the Legislature in 2009.
Let The Good Times Roll: Seniors Celebrate Mardi Gras
February 13, 2013
Residents at the Century Care Center celebrated Mardi Gras Tuesday in grand style with both a parade and a party.
The parade featured lots of throws, including Mardi Gras beads and other trinkets. Residents in Mardi Gras costumes paraded and rolled through the hallways in their wheelchairs to the delight of other residents watching the parade.
Pictured: Celebrating Mardi Gras Tuesday at the Century Care Center. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Highway Technician Hit By Car Passes Away
February 13, 2013
A highway technician passed away Tuesday from injuries he received after being hit by a car Monday morning on Nine Mile Road.
Brian Steinbeck, an employee of HSA Consulting Group, was assisting in the placement of a traffic counter across East Nine Mile Road at Scenic Hills Drive. Brigitte Keith, age 42 of Cantonment, applied the brakes on her 1999 Honda as she approached other traffic slowed for the contractors. She lost control and rotated into the median where she struck an unoccupied GMC truck and hit Steinbeck.
Steinbeck, 25, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. He passed away from his injuries on Tuesday, according to the FHP.
Keith was not injured
Charges against Keith are pending, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Area Champ Flomaton Lady Canes Advance To Sub-Regionals
February 13, 2013
The Flomaton Lady Hurricanes have won their fourth consecutive Class 2A Area 1 Championship by beating Leroy 51-44.
Leading the Canes were Dezeray Wesley, with 15 points, 9 rebounds; Hannah Fillmore 14 points , 5 rebounds, 5 steals; Jocelyn Wiggins, 13 points, 10 rebounds; Aleiha Emmons with five points; and Mercedes Butler with 4 points and 7 rebounds.
The Flomaton Lady Hurricanes advance to the Sub-regionals at home Thursday night at 7:00 versus Zion Chapel.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Learn About Antique Roses At Upcoming Program
February 13, 2013
Master Gardeners will present an upcoming program about antique roses.
During the “Mondays in the Gardens” free gardening program offered at the UF/IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center Gardens, Sally Menk will deliver a presentation, “Antique Roses – Their History and Care” in the shade garden classroom on Monday, February 18th at 10 a.m.
Menk is a Consulting Rosarian for the American Rose Society in Santa Rosa County. In addition, she has been a Santa Rosa Master Gardener for 24 years.
The UF/IFAS WFREC Gardens are located on the Pensacola State College, Milton campus. Visitors can follow the signs on campus to find the gardens.
The gardens are free and open to the public from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Both self-guided and guided tours are available. Changing seasonal gardens feature a multitude of horticultural displays including shade, formal, children’s and water gardens, bulbs, roses, shrubs, trees and perennials.
For more information please contact Mary Derrick, Residential Horticulture Extension Agent, at (850) 623-3868 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Century Preps For Disasters With New Shelter, Transportation, Supplies
February 12, 2013
With the help of BRACE — the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies — Century is getting disaster ready with a new designated shelter, transportation plans, free preparation supplies and more.
The American Red Cross has certified the Ag Building on West Highway 4 in Century for use as shelter for emergencies not including hurricanes. A power generator is being installed at the building for $6,000, almost completely funded with $5,500 in grant money, according to Mayor Freddie McCall. The building does not meet structural requirements for use as a hurricane shelter.
For hurricanes, the closest available shelter for Century residents will still be Northview High School. But many Century residents have complained for years that many without transportation would be unable to reach the shelter if they chose to evacuate their homes.
Greg Strader, founder of BRACE, said arrangements have been made with ECAT to transport Century residents to Northview, about eight miles away, in the event of a hurricane evacuation.
“They will deploy transportation assets as needed,” he said, “even pickup up residents at their homes.”
Bucket filled with a tarp, flashlight, radio and other supplies, known as “72-hour to go” kits, will also be made available to homebound Century residents through BRACE.
BRACE will also represent Century in the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center in the event of an activation during emergencies such has a hurricane, acting as liaison between the county and the town.
And coming up this summer, BRACE will offer Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training at the Carver Community Center. CERT training includes basic disaster response skills like fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Over two dozen adult Century residents complete CERT training in 2011.
Pictured top: Greg Strader, founder of BRACE, addresses the Century Town Council as members Jacke Johnston (left) and Annie Savage (right) listen. Pictured inset: A “72-hour to go” kit for homebound residents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Citizens To Shed Wind Policies
February 12, 2013
Trying to shed some major financial risks, state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. moved forward Monday with a plan to shift thousands of coastal hurricane policies to a private insurer.
The plan, which will play out during the next few months, will lead to Weston Insurance Co. taking over wind-only policies from Citizens — including a first-of-its-kind removal of policies for condominium buildings in coastal areas.
“We have the opportunity to get this hurricane risk off the books,” Sharon Binnun, Citizens chief financial officer, said during a conference call of the Citizens board.
Citizens, which is Florida’s largest property insurer with about 1.3 million policies, has long tried to move policies into the private sector through a process known as “depopulation.” Citizens said it expects Weston to assume 23,000 wind-only homeowners’ policies, 3,000 condominium-complex policies and 5,000 commercial non-residential policies, all of which are in coastal areas.
Under the plan, Weston would agree to retain the policies for at least three years and also continue limits placed on Citizens’ premium increases. Those limits, set in state law, allow Citizens’ rates to increase 10 percent a year.
While Citizens has had success during the past year in getting insurers to take other types of policies, wind-only coverage has been trickier because of the financial risks involved.
Locke Burt, president and chairman of Security First Insurance Co., told a Senate committee last week that Citizens should stop writing wind-only policies as a way to increase depopulation opportunities. Burt, a former senator, said private insurers would be more likely to take over policies that are “multi-peril,” including not only wind but more profitable types of coverage such as burglary and fire.
The Citizens board Monday approved a key first step in the Weston plan. That step, which Citizens officials described as a “bridge,” involves Citizens paying premiums to Weston for reinsurance coverage through May 31. During that period, Weston will provide coverage for claims stemming from the wind-only policies that it is taking out of Citizens.
The arrangement will allow Weston to build up premiums in advance of hurricane season, while Citizens will reduce its exposure to wind damage through May 31 because Weston will provide reinsurance. After the transition period, Weston will provide coverage for the policies.
By The News Service of Florida
Northview Names Students Of The Month
February 12, 2013
Northview High School has named their Students of the Month from January. They are Courtney Peebles and Dustin Parker. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former Republican Party Chair Pleads Guilty To Criminal Counts
February 12, 2013
Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer pleaded guilty Monday to five criminal counts in connection with his fundraising activities during his time in office, ending a two-year legal odyssey that had threatened to unearth secrets of the state GOP and former Gov. Charlie Crist.
The guilty plea set off a round of political finger-pointing in Tallahassee, with Republicans laying the blame for the debacle on Crist, a newly-minted Democrat who could challenge current GOP Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. Democrats, meanwhile, tried to tag the RPOF with Greer’s ethical baggage.
Greer pleaded guilty to four counts of grand theft and one count of money laundering; prosecutors will ask for 42 months in prison.
The case against Greer centers on allegations that he used his position as party chairman to steer business to Victory Strategies, his fundraising company. Greer said party leaders knew what he was doing, and that a secret severance agreement between himself and party leaders should have protected him from any criminal liability.
Greer sued the RPOF, former Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Sen. John Thrasher, who succeeded Greer as party chief, for the $123,000 he was offered in the severance agreement and $5 million in damages. Greer will drop that suit following the plea deal, his attorney said.
Damon Chase, who had fiercely represented Greer during the long-running and multifaceted legal battle, said in an interview Monday that he still believed Greer would have won at trial.
“The evidence was overwhelmingly in our favor, but I guess Greer got an offer that he couldn’t refuse,” Chase told the News Service.
Chase wouldn’t elaborate on any terms of Greer’s agreement to plead guilty, saying it was confidential.
“Knowing the deal he got, I don’t blame him one bit for taking it,” Chase said.
The case had promised to be a statewide legal and political spectacle, with Greer threatening to drag the RPOF’s dirty laundry into open court. Also potentially on the firing line was Crist, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat who is widely believed to be plotting a political comeback.
In fact, RPOF Executive Director Mike Grissom referred to Greer as “the man Charlie Crist personally picked to lead the Republican Party of Florida” in a statement regarding the plea deal.
“For the past three years, Jim Greer has tried to damage the reputation of the Republican Party and its leaders, but the truth is now known that Jim Greer broke the law, stole from RPOF and our donors, and then said and did everything he could to cover up and distract attention from his crimes,” Grissom said. “Everything Jim Greer has said and done over these past few years should be considered in that light.”
Democrats, meanwhile, tried to keep Republicans from ducking blame.
“Republicans in Tallahassee breathed a collective sigh of relief this morning, but they have nothing to feel good about,” said Florida Democratic Party spokeswoman Brannon Jordan. “The former chair of their party admitted to four counts of grand theft before a national audience.”
Greer will be sentenced next month.
Greer faced few problems when Charlie Crist’s star was on the rise after a sweeping victory in the gubernatorial elections of 2006, a year that saw historic gains by Democrats nationwide. But after Crist’s controversial embrace of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package in 2009 — a move that would begin Crist’s eventual move away from the party — Greer became more controversial among conservative critics.
Greer had maintained that it was that discontent on the right and his ties to Crist, rather than any concerns about his fundraising, that precipitated his resignation from the party in early 2010.
But for whatever reason, and with whomever to blame, Greer decided Monday not to take that battle to its last stage.
By The News Service of Florida
New Computers For Tate High
February 12, 2013
Over five dozen new computers are set to be purchased for Tate High School.
The news Dell computers include two basic staff desktops, 11 basic student desktops, two laptop carts and 50 Latitude 2120 netbook computers with Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2013 software. All of the computers will have a three year warranty.
The total cost for the new technology is $44,850.87. The Escambia County School Board is expected to approve the purchase at their February 19 meeting.