Cantonment Insurance Agent Busted For Selling Fraudulent Policies
April 30, 2013
A Cantonment insurance agent has been arrested on several felony charges for allegedly selling hundreds of fraudulent life insurance policies through a fake employment company.
Randall Petersen, 47, was charged with insurance fraud, grand theft and criminal use of personal identification. Investigators contend that Petersen created a fictitious employment company to lure individuals into applying for fraudulent life insurance policies earning him more than $330,000 in bonuses and commissions, according to Florida Department of Financial Services and CFO Jeff Atwater.
Petersen placed an estimated 285 fictitious life insurance policies with American National Insurance Company, which paid him bonuses and commissions of more than $330,000. American National informed the department of the suspected fraud once the policies started canceling for nonpayment.
Petersen was booked into the Escambia County Jail. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison. Pending the outcome of the criminal investigation, administrative action may be taken against his insurance license.
Petersen was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $30,000 bond.
Miracle League Selected For $10,000, Jimmie Johnson’s Helmet of Hope
April 30, 2013
Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has selected the Miracle League of Pensacola to be featured on the 2013 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope. The Miracle League will receive $10,000 and will appear on the helmet Johnson will wear during race weekend activities at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on August 18.
The Miracle League of Pensacola provides a safe, organized baseball league and facilities for Gulf Coast children with mental and/or physical challenges where every player plays, every player hits, every player gets on base, every player scores and every player wins – every inning. Currently they serve nearly 200 players ranging in age from 4 to 64 years young.
Paul Hinson, a volunteer umpire for the organization, nominated The Miracle League of Pensacola for the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope, saying, “We accept all players, regardless of their challenges, there are players confined to wheelchairs, players with Down Syndrome and players with attention and learning disorders.”
The League pairs up an able bodied person with each player, enabling the people of the community to form a bond with the players and also to see the happiness that the players gain by being able to play the game of baseball.
“We are honored to be recognized and will continue to provide a safe and organized baseball league for the Gulf Coast,” Shirley Godwin of the Miracle League said.
Pictured top: Miracle League of Pensacola players, coaches and volunteers offer a special “thanks” to Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Nascar, after their selection to appear on the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope and a $10,000 grant. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
West Florida Libraries To Present Civil War Programs
April 30, 2013
West Florida Public Library has been awarded a grant by the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History to host Civil War programs and scholar‐led discussions. There will be various events for persons of all ages taking place at most library branches during the month of May.
To begin the program, Dave Ehlert, skilled Civil War history performer from Branson, Missouri, will be at the West Florida Genealogy Library, located on the PSC Main Campus at 5:30 pm Wednesday, May 1st. He will portray Lincoln and Twain with historical drama, humor and education in a live production of “Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain & the Civil War.” Light refreshments will be served.
On Thursdays at 5:30, May 2 and May 30th at Southwest and Main libraries respectively, Price Legg will share reenactment history of a civil war soldier. Phil Duryea, volunteer coordinator for the National Naval Aviation Museum, will share artifacts of Civil War memorabilia and authentic maps of the era. Both programs are for families with children ages 7 and older.
Woody Barnes will share his wealth of genealogical knowledge in his presentation “War Between the States Military Records”. He is a member of the Jamestown Society, Society of the War of 1812, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). Participants are encouraged to bring their own family history notes and utilize the library’s computers for online genealogical research after the program. He will appear at the Molino Branch Library on May 9 at 6:30 p.m. and the Main Library at 5:30 p.m. on May 23.
Programs for children will include activities ranging from how to write with a quill pen to the questionably tasty experience of hardtack. Program days and times are Main Library on Wednesday, May 15 at 4 p.m., at Tryon Library on Thursday, May 16 at 4 p.m. , at Westside Library on Saturday, May 18 at 2 p.m. , and at the Molino Library on Monday, May 20 at 4 p.m.
The Civil War 150 Grant is in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War made possible by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in partnership with The Library of America and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Northview Chiefs Receive State Championship Rings (With Photo Gallery)
April 30, 2013
The Northview High School Chiefs received their state championship rings during a ceremony at the school Monday afternoon.
Last December, the Chiefs won the District 1A State Football Championship in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl. It was the first state championship for the school in Bratt, and the only state football championship in Escambia County this year.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“For the first time in school history, you can say you are the state football champions,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said as he addressed the football players and student body. “You will always get to keep that pride knowing that you are part of something very, very special.”
Thomas presented a $1,000 donation toward the cost of the rings. Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry, along with Century Mayor Freddie McCall and Eli and Sarah Miller, presented another combined $1,000 donation.
While every player received their ring Monday, the full bill is not yet paid. Donations are being accepted at the school to provide the rings to students in need.
Also Monday, members of the varsity cheerleading squad were presented with their State Championship Medallions.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Northview Chiefs Kahlil Grice, Ryan Lambert and Justin Halteman react upon seeing their state championship rings for the first time Monday afternoon. Pictured below: The District 1A State Champion Northview Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Won’t Have To Battle The Bulge To Battle Blazes
April 30, 2013
The House rejected an amendment on Monday that would have required firefighters to watch their body mass index if they wanted to keep their job. In a voice vote, the House rejected the amendment that would have required all firefighters to keep their BMI at 25 or under.
Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, proposed firefighters have their BMI tested every four years as an additional requirement to existing physical agility testing.
“Right now we’ve got firefighters who are physically fit, with a BMI of 25 or less, that are being asked to do above and beyond the work of those who are not able to do it,” Adkins said.
But a number of representatives expressed concern about the BMI rating system because it doesn’t calculate fitness of individuals, and can be misleading, particularly with highly muscular people. BMI divides an individual’s weight in pounds by height in inches squared and then multiplied by 703. A rating below 18.5 is deemed underweight, from 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. A 5-foot, 9-inch person is considered overweight when weighing between 169 pounds and 202 pounds.
The amendment was proposed for a measure that refines the duties of the State Fire Marshal, and among other changes would make it a felony to impersonate a volunteer firefighter. No final vote was taken on the underlying bill; that is expected on Tuesday.
By The News Service of Florida
Foul Play Suspected In Atmore Death
April 30, 2013
Foul play is suspected in the death of an Atmore man.
At 6:17 Sunday morning, Atmore Police responded to a reported unconscious person in the 80 block of Brooks Lane. As officers arrived, they observed a man later identified as 50-year old Marvin D. Norman of Atmore, on the ground in a yard. Police said he had injuries consistent with an assault.
Norman was transported by Atmore Ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital. He was later airlifted by LifeFlight to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola where he passed away a short time later.
Investigators said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
The Atmore Police Department is asking for anyone with information on Norman’s death to call them at (251) 368-9141.
Death Penalty Bill Speeds To Scott
April 30, 2013
State lawmakers Monday gave final approval to a proposal aimed at reducing delays in carrying out the death penalty, with supporters saying they want justice for victims’ families — but critics warning about executing innocent people.
Sen. Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who sponsored the measure, said some inmates have been on Death Row for more than 30 years.
“That isn’t justice,” Negron said. “That’s a mockery of the court system.”
But other lawmakers pointed to scientific advances, such as DNA evidence, that have helped clear some inmates who have been imprisoned for long periods.
“I just think this swiftness does not necessarily equate to fairness,” said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.
Senators voted 28-10 on Monday to approve the bill (HB 7083), which passed the House last week. It now goes to Gov. Rick Scott.
The bill focuses, at least in part, on ending delays in what is known as the “post-conviction” legal process, which starts after the Florida Supreme Court upholds death sentences in initial appeals. The post-conviction process can involve appeals about issues such as whether defendants have received ineffective legal representation.
Among other things, the bill seeks to ensure that attorneys have “actual” conflicts of interest before being replaced in death-penalty cases. Replacing attorneys can cause delays.
Also, the bill would take steps to prevent attorneys from representing Death Row inmates if the attorneys have had problems in earlier capital cases. The bill would bar lawyers from working on death-penalty cases for five years if courts have found that they provided deficient representation twice.
As of early March, Florida had 404 inmates on Death Row, with 155 in custody for more than 20 years, according to a House staff analysis. Ten had been on Death Row for more than 35 years.
This month, Florida executed Larry Eugene Mann, who was convicted in 1981 in the abduction and murder of a 10-year girl in Pinellas County.
Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said the bill would not prevent inmates from pursuing legitimate claims of innocence. But he echoed Negron’s argument that some people sitting on Death Row for decades makes a “mockery” of the justice system.
“This bill is about closure for victims’ families,” said Bradley, a former prosecutor.
But a group called Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty said in a news release Monday that 24 wrongfully convicted Death Row prisoners have been exonerated since Florida resumed executions in the 1970s.
“Legislation that speeds executions by limiting appeals will almost certainly lead to the execution of innocent men and women,” said Mark Elliott, the group’s director.
By The News Service of Florida
Missing Santa Rosa Man Found
April 30, 2013
A missing senior citizen from Santa Rosa County has been located.
According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, 87-year old Thomas E. Woodcock left The Blake assisted living facility on Gulf Breeze Parkway and was last seen westbound on Highway 98 in Gulf Breeze about 6:40 p.m. Monday.
The Sheriff’s Office reported early Tuesday morning that Woodcock had been found and canceled a Silver Alert for him.
House Moves To Reduce Impact Of Citizens Property Overhaul
April 30, 2013
Leadership in the state House prefers its changes to Citizens Property Insurance Corp. rather than the more sweeping measure that the Senate has already approved.
Through an amendment, the House on Monday replaced language in a 101-page Senate measure (SB 1770) with the House’s more narrow approach (HB 909), absent vast portions of the bill senators approved on April 25.
Both proposals are aimed at reducing the number of policies in the state-backed insurer.
There are a number of differences – but the bottom line on the bill comes down to what it will mean for homeowners. Citizens rates have been kept artificially low, and changes could mean higher premiums – a fear that has made many coastal lawmakers skittish.
“We’ve made a commitment to not raise rates and we feel the Senate version would raise rates,” said Rep. Doug Holder, R-Venice, a sponsor of the House effort. “The governor has been pretty clear on his message from beginning to end that he’s not going to support anything that has any kind of perceived rate increase and we feel that our product is a product that is suitable in all three bodies of government.”
The House is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday before sending the amended measure back to the Senate.
“The bill that we’ve amended sends it back to the Senate with no provisions that will raise rates,” said Rep. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, a frequent critic of Citizens. “The consumer is protected for another year.”
The Senate bill maintains a 10 percent cap on rate increases for current Citizens policy holders, but new policyholders would have to pay “actuarially sound rates,” which could result in premiums having to double to reach “actuarially sound totals” for coastal areas with wind-only accounts.
Opponents have said that could slow down the housing recovery, making homebuyers unwilling to purchase in coastal areas where they’d be Citizens customers.
The House bill doesn’t move new customers into rates that are considered more actuarially sound.
Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, said he looks forward to negotiating the final bill with the House, but says the Senate bill won’t raise rates for current customers.
“These people who are getting the lower rates are not even paying what the other Citizens policy holders are paying,” Simmons said. “This isn’t some huge increase in rates that exist, this is simply bringing them up to parity if in fact someone was to purchase.”
The House measure would keep also unregulated surplus line carriers out of a new clearinghouse that is intended to take the least risky policies out of Citizens and put them into the private market. The House, in fact, sent a message on that point on Monday, rejecting by a 51-65 vote a separate measure (HB 7093) focused strictly on the creation of the clearinghouse that would have allowed surplus line carriers to participate.
Unlike regulated domestic carriers, surplus line companies are not required to have their rates approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
The House bill also doesn’t give the governor a direct say in the selection of Citizens’ president, and maintains the state-backed company’s exemption from bad faith litigation.
Gov. Rick Scott has pushed for the creation of an inspector general to oversee daily issues within the company, following reports last year of lavish spending by executives. 0
Overall, the House proposal has 19 changes that are in the Senate bill, including the creation of an inspector general position, the clearinghouse, prohibition on coverage for new structures seaward of the coastal construction control line, and a requirement that policy holders sign a statement that acknowledges an understanding of their liability risk.
The bill doesn’t include 36 other provisions that are in the package.
Among the differences: lifting of Citizens’ exemption from bad faith litigation; requiring all non-residential policies to be actuarially sound; reintroducing coverage for screened enclosures and carports on mobile homes with a minimum insured value of $3,000; requiring members of the Citizens board of governors to be confirmed by the Senate; and changing Citizens’ president from a board of governors’ appointment into an executive director position selected by the governor and chief financial officer.
Also, the Senate bill reduces the maximum value of property that could be covered from $1 million to $500,000 by 2019, while the House is proposing the cap be lowered to $700,000 by 2017.
by The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Split Doubleheader To End Road Trip
April 30, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos settled for a split in their doubleheader with the Tennessee Smokies on Monday afternoon, winning game one 3-0 before falling in the second game 3-0 at Smokies Park.
Pensacola jumped on top early in game one, scoring in each of their first three at-bats. In the first, Travis Mattair snapped an 0-for-23 skid with an RBI single to score Ryan LaMarre. Brodie Greene smashed his second homer of the season an inning later to make it 2-0, and LaMarre capped the scoring with an RBI single in the third inning that scored Devin Lohman.
That was more than enough for Pensacola starter Josh Smith (3-2) who extended his personal scoreless streak to 16 innings with five shutout frames. Smith allowed just two hits, struck out four and walked two to win his third consecutive decision. Drew Hayes picked up his first save of the season with two strikeouts in the seventh.
Eric Jokisch (3-1) took his first loss of the season by giving up all three runs on six hits in five innings for Tennessee.
Game two was scoreless headed to the last of the seventh before Jae-Hoon Ha launched a pinch-hit, two-out, three-run homer that gave the Smokies the walk-off victory. The Wahoos appeared to catch a break on the previous batter when Rubi Silva was held at third base on a hard-hit single off the right field wall, but Pensacola wasn’t able to escape before Ha’s blast.
The Wahoos mustered just one hit against game two starter Kyle Hendricks, a sixth-inning single from Lohman. Hendricks struck out eight over six innings but was dealt a no-decision. Marcus Hatley (1-0) picked up the win in relief by tossing the seventh inning.
Wilkin De La Rosa (0-1) took the loss for the Wahoos by giving up the three-run homer in the seventh. Tim Crabbe earned a no-decision despite five shutout frames in which he allowed just three hits and struck out three.
The Wahoos will have an off day on Tuesday before returning home for the first of five on Wednesday with the Montgomery Biscuits at Bayfront Stadium. Chad Rogers gets the start for Pensacola against Montgomery’s Jacob Thompson. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. All fans are encouraged to wear blue as part of the “BLUE OUT” as the Wahoos honor the Blue Angels throughout the night.
story by Kevin Burke