Christmas Parade Schedules
December 1, 2012
Here is a list of Christmas parades to be held this year around the North Escambia area:
December 7 — Poarch
The Poarch Creek Christmas Parade will be Friday, December 7 at 5:30 p.m. The parade will begin on the Poarch Creek Reservation at the Wellness Center (gym) and end at the PCI Health Department Building.
December 7 — Milton Boat Parade
The Riverwalk Milton Holiday Lighted Boat Parade will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, December 7.
December 8 — Chumuckla
The Chumuckla Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 8. Floats will line up on Mineral Springs Road at 11 a.m. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. from the cotton gin, travel Highway 182, cross Chumuckla Highway and end at Salter Road.
December 8 – Brewton
The Brewton Christmas Parade will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 8. The parade will travel from Forrest Avenue in East Brewton, across the Mildred Street Bridge to St. Joseph Street to Belleville Avenue.
December 8 — Atmore
The Atmore 2012 Twilight Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, December 8 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The parade will follow its traditional route from the Atmore City Hall, down Main Street, to Lindberg Avenue and ending at Escambia County High School. Over two dozen floats are entered, along with several bands and numerous other groups. Parade participants should be at the Atmore City Hall by 4 p.m.
December 8 — Pensacola
The Pensacola Christmas Parade will be held at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 8 in downtown Pensacola. Featuring local bands and the Blue Angels.
December 15 — Molino
The annual Molino Christmas Parade on Crabtree Church Road will be Saturday, December 15 at 11 a.m., ending with Santa Claus at the Molino Ballpark. To enter the parade, stop by Fran’s Diner on Highway 29 for information and to sign up.
Pictured: A float in last year’s Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Active 2012 Hurricane Season Comes To A Close
December 1, 2012
Friday marked the end of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane season, one that produced 19 named storms, of which 10 became hurricanes and one became a major hurricane. The number of named storms was well above the average of 12. The number of hurricanes was also above the average of six, but the number of major hurricanes was below the average of three.
Based on the combined number, intensity, and duration of all tropical storms and hurricanes, NOAA classified the season as above-normal. 2012 was an active year, but not exceptionally so as there were 10 busier years in the last three decades.
This season marked the second consecutive year that the mid-Atlantic and Northeast suffered devastating impacts from a named storm. Sandy, and Irene last year, caused fatalities, injuries, and tremendous destruction from coastal storm surge, heavy rainfall, inland flooding, and wind. Storms struck many parts of the country this year, including tropical storms Beryl and Debby in Florida, Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana, and Post-tropical Cyclone Sandy in New Jersey.
“This year proved that it’s wrong to think that only major hurricanes can ruin lives and impact local economies,” said Laura Furgione, acting director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “We are hopeful that after the 2012 hurricane season, more families and businesses all along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts become more “weather ready” by understanding the risks associated with living near the coastline. Each storm carries a unique set of threats that can be deadly and destructive. Mother Nature reminded us again this year of how important it is to be prepared and vigilant.”
NOAA will release its pre-season outlook for the 2013 hurricane season in May.
Scott, Panel Call For Florida Property Insurance Reform
December 1, 2012
Several Florida lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott said Friday they will push to “educate” Floridians on the hidden costs associated with property insurance and a “house of cards” that will blow down if a major storm hits.
Speaking at the Florida Chamber of Commerce insurance summit at Disney, Scott said a concerted effort needs to be made to inform insurance policyholders that state efforts to shore up the market in some of the most hurricane prone regions of the state, will likely trigger across-the-board assessments when the state-backed insurer can’t pay claims.
Scott’s comments came shortly after a Chamber political consultant released survey results showing 80 percent of policyholders are not aware that they will be charged assessments if Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund are unable to pay claims in the event of a serious storm.
Scott said Citizens, the state-backed insurer, needs to continue efforts to get the word out about the potential for what he called a “hurricane tax.” Citizens has gone from the insurer of last resort to the state’s largest property insurer, with nearly 1.5 million policyholders.
“To make the dream of home ownership available we must reduce the size of Citizens,” Scott said. “It cannot be the insurer of first resort.”
Any fundamental change to Citizens role will be difficult, a subsequent panel of lawmakers said. Political considerations have – and will continue to – butt heads with the economic realities of insuring property in a state where about 80 percent of the population lives near the coastline, they said.
Balancing the actuarial soundness of insurers, including Citizens, with the clamor of the coastal population for affordable insurance has been something Florida policymakers have wrestled with for years.
Following the destructive 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, the Legislature placed caps on Citizens premium increases as Floridians complained loudly about spiraling rates. With private companies unable or unwilling to write policies in many areas that a number of homeowners consider affordable, Citizens has stepped in to insure more and more property.
To shore up the market, the CAT fund and Citizens play an increasingly critical role, but are themselves funded in part by potential assessments on policyholders of all companies if they can’t pay losses.
“Most families have no idea they are subject to this tax,” Scott said.
Any proposal to raise those rates beyond the 10-percent cap approved by lawmakers faces intense political pressure from coastal voters, who disproportionately make up Citizens policy base. But Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, said coastal lawmakers may have to make unpopular choices to strengthen the overall insurance market across the state.
“It’s a pretty big balancing act,” said Soto, who was just elected to the Senate after serving in the House. “A big issue going into session is whether we can convince those folks who represent people along the coast to sign on to it.”
By The News Service of Florida
Three Dozen Students Uninjured In Pine Forest Road School Bus Crash
November 30, 2012
There were no serious injuries reported in a three vehicle accident involving a school bus this morning on Pine Forest Road near Mandeville Lane, just north Longleaf Drive.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a school bus with 38 students on board was stopped at 7:05 a.m. with red signals flashing to load passengers. A 2009 Mercury driven by 48-year old Tammy P. Franko of Pensacola was properly stopped behind the bus. Marshall C. Fundaburk, age 23 of Pensacola, was operating his vehicle above the posted speed limit and “failing to maintain awareness of the roadway,” according to a FHP report, when he slammed his 2003 Chevrolet car under the back of Franko’s vehicle and pushed it under the bus.
School district officials contacted the parents of the involved students and arranged for a second bus to transport the students to Beulah Elementary School.
Fundaburk was charged with failure to use due care, according to the FHP.
Pictured: There were no serious injuries reported in this three vehicle crash involving a school bus Friday morning on Pine Forest Road. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former Marine Guilty In Murder Of Escambia Teen
November 30, 2012
A former Marine was found guilty Thursday of the December 2011 murder of an Escambia County teen.
Michael Palmer Davis, 26, was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter; he had been charged with second degree murder for the shooting death of Alonzo Dewayne Knight.
Deputies responded to the 7100 block of Princess Lane near Fairfield Drive and Patricia Drive during the early morning hours of December 2, 2011. Upon arrival, Knight was
pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound.
Authorities said a friend of Davis got into argument with several teenagers. During the argument, Davis fired a shot from 142 feet away, striking and killing Knight. Davis’ attorney argued that he was trying to break up the situation and did not actually intend to shoot anyone. As a trained Marine, the defense argued, he thought the shot was properly fired and he never thought a shot fired at the ground would hit someone.
Davis faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in January.
Despite Outcry, Molino Farm Services Office Closes
November 30, 2012
Despite a public and local government outcry, the USDA Farm Services Agency Office in Molino is now closed.
The Molino FSA Office administered farm commodities, crop insurance, credit, environmental conservation and emergency assistance for farmers and ranchers in Escambia County. With the closure of the office, farmers will be forced to drive to another office like Milton or Brewton for FSA services.
On May 29 the Florida Farm Service Agency received approval from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to proceed with the implementation of county office consolidation plan, including closure of six agency offices.
In February, farmers and producers from across Escambia County met in Molino with Tim Manning, FSA state executive director, with pleas to keep the office open.
Manning (pictured) said that offices with two or less employees and offices that were located within 20 miles of another office were targeted for closure. Manning said that on December 23, 2011, the day chosen as a “snapshot” of the Molino office, it met both criteria for closure.
But multiple farmers and producers were quick to point out that it is more than 20 miles to drive from Molino, or areas like Walnut Hill or Nokomis, to the FSA office in Milton because of limited routes across the Escambia River. And the criteria for two or fewer employees, many producers said, was met only because a third employee in the office had recently retired.
“We all understand that government must be a good steward of our tax money,” Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones said at the February meeting. Jones, a timber producer in Escambia County, pointed out that the Escambia County FSA office was the third busiest payment office in the state. “Sometimes you have to weigh those dollars against those that fund it…to put the human factor in it.”
“We are the last in Florida, the last county,” Jones said, “and sometimes we get left out of a lot of things.”
Mike Godwin of Walnut Hill suggested during the meeting that perhaps instead of closing the Molino office, the Farm Service Agency should use it as a nationwide model of doing more with less since the number of payments processed per employee is now the highest in the state.
The major savings from closing the Molino Farm Service Agency will be about $16,000 per year in rent to the Escambia County Farm Bureau for office space along with telephone service. All other utilities are included in the monthly rent.
“The federal government is broke; we all know this,” Walnut Hill farmer Brett Ward (pictured) said at the public meeting. “But we in ag are willing to do our share. But let’s make smart cuts.This is my opinion, in our opinion, is not a smart…Our job to feed and clothe this nation is hard enough.”
Ward, speaking on behalf of the Farm Bureau Board, told state FSA directors in February that the it’s no secret at the Farm Bureau wanted to keep the $16,000 in annual rent flowing. He said the money is returned to the community each year through a variety of community organizations — most dealing with children — like the Northview and Ernest Ward FFA chapters, the Escambia County Extension Service for children’s projects, the Molino Park Elementary PTA and Bratt Elementary School.
The Escambia County Commission also took a stance against the closure, passing a resolution forwarded to FSA officials and members of the local Congressional delegation.
“The Escambia County FSA office is a vital resource to address the claims and concerns of citizens in Escambia County,” the county’s resolution stated.
“Over the past three years, FSA has faced a variety of budget-related challenges,” said Bruce Nelson, Administrator of the Farm Service Agency in a news release distributed Thursday. “Although we recognize that change is never easy, we strongly believe that taking this action now is critical to ensuring FSA can continue to serve its customers as it adjusts to budget constraints. FSA can only achieve the high level of service expected through consolidation of our human, financial and technical resources.”
Beginning today, all FSA program services for Escambia County will be provided by the Santa Rosa County FSA office unless a producer has requested their records transferred to another county.
The Santa Rosa County FSA office is located at 6277 Dogwood Drive in Milton, and the phone number is (850) 623-2411.
Pictured top: Dozens of farmers and producers packed a meeting about the Molino FSA Office in February at Highland Baptist Church in Molino. Pictured below: The Farm Service Agency rented office space in this, the Farm Bureau Building on Highway 97 in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Man Busted In ‘Anything For A Buck’ Operation Gets 25 Years
November 30, 2012
An Escambia County man arrested as part of the undercover operation “Anything for a Buck” was sentenced to a minimum mandatory 25 years in state prison.
Jeffrey Lovell Stanton, 43, was found guilty of trafficking in illegal drugs and sentenced by Judge Terry Terrell.
Stanton was arrested as part of the “Anything for a Buck” storefront operation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and other law enforcement agencies as well as the First Circuit State Attorneys Office.
The operation recovered over 270 firearms, as well as drugs and stolen property ranging from jewelry, tools, cameras, and other electronic devices. A total of 75 people were arrested in connection with the undercover operation.
On September 14, 2011, Jeffrey Stanton went into the undercover storefront and sold the undercover officers a trafficking amount of hydrocodone pills.
Jeffrey Stanton has 10 more cases pending in connection with this operation. Of the pending cases, he faces a one 25-year minimum mandatory sentence and multiple 15-year minimum mandatory sentences for drug trafficking charges.
Stolen Checks Land Molino Felon Back Behind Bars
November 30, 2012
A Molino man recently released from prison is facing multiple felony charges for writing checks that were reported stolen in Santa Rosa County.
Brandon David Edmonson, 32, was charged with three felony counts of dealing in stolen property and three felony counts of uttering a forged instrument. He remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $30,000.
The checks were reported October 25 as being stolen during a residential burglary in Santa Rosa County.
Edmonson allegedly wrote three of the checks totaling $725 to a Cedartown Road resident for “driving him around”. The victim cashed the checks at her credit union, took out the amount owed to her for gas, and returned the remainder in cash to Edmonson, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Three additional checks were made payable to a bar in Milton, and a fourth was made payable to a second individual.
According to Department of Corrections records, Edmonson was released from state prison in April after serving a year and a day for petit theft third conviction.
Board Of ED Leader: Scotts $10,000 Degree Is ‘Gimmick’
November 30, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott’s effort to get colleges to offer $10,000 bachelor’s degrees “is not a serious policy” and will be “perceived as a gimmick,” the vice president of the state Board of Education wrote in a letter to Scott.
“Respectfully, I think that you have been provided with very poor advice on this portion of you plan,” Roberto Martinez wrote to Scott, asking him to work with the board on an alternative idea for making college more affordable – and to consider providing more state help.
“With the deep budget cuts over the last five years, it is difficult to conceive cutting the cost of instruction even further while maintaining a quality education,” Martinez wrote. “The cost of a Bachelor’s Degree at many of our colleges cost the students on average approximately $12,000. Reducing this further, to create a cheap four-year degree, will undermine the quality and value of the education, hurting our students’ chances to compete successfully in our 21st Century economy.”
Scott has challenged the state colleges – formerly known as community colleges but many of which now offer four-year degrees – to come up with ways to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree for under $10,000.
More than half of the 28 state colleges have said they will at least consider the idea.
By The News Service of Florida
Citizens Insurance To Work Harder To Move Policies To Private Companies
November 30, 2012
As it writes 8,000 new policies every week, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will soon do a better job of funneling policies into the private market, the state-backed insurer’s president promised Florida business leaders Thursday.
Speaking at a Florida Chamber of Commerce insurance summit, Citizens President Barry Gilway said he will brief Citizens’ board of governors in December about an effort that would require Citizens to try to place policies with private carriers before issuing policies itself.
Gilway said the company needs to be more aggressive in brokering policies because most Citizens policyholders are not aware that their lower monthly premiums are offset by assessments that will be levied on their policies in the event of a major storm.
“I think there is a way … to come up with an overall concept and approach that basically makes sure that every single policy gets shopped to every interested company before it enters the system,” Gilway said.
Regardless of those efforts, Gilway acknowledged that as long as Citizens’ rates remain lower than private carriers, the market will continue to drive customers to the company, even if Citizens’ coverage is not as good as most of its competitors.
As the state’s largest private insurer, with nearly 1.5 million policies, Citizens has been under increasing pressure from lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott to reduce its role. In response, the insurer has rolled back coverage protections and reduced discounts to homeowners who make hurricane improvements.
“We’ve got the worst coverage in the marketplace,” Gilway said. “That’s by design. Is that stopping 8,000 policies a week coming through our front door? It’s not.”
The brokering program is the latest in a series of steps being taken by the agency to limit its exposure.
For example, the company’s underwriting committee rejected a proposal to reinstate coverage that was discontinued for secondary structures such as screened porches and detached buildings. Some policyholders have complained that the lack of coverage is preventing them locating their mobile homes in certain communities.
By The News Service of Florida