Tate And Jay Fall In District Championship Games
April 27, 2012
Pace 4 — Tate 2
The Tate High School Aggies dropped to Pace 4-2 Thursday night in the district championship game
Tate hitters included: Hunter Black 1-3, 2B, run, RBI; Austin Quina 1-3, 2B, RBI; David Moorhead 1-3; Cody Palmer 1-3, 2B.
The Aggies (22-5) will advance as runner-ups in a Region 1-6A semifinal game next Thursday at 7 p.m. on the road against Panama City Mosley.
Holmes County 8 — Jay 5
Holmes county claimed the District 2-1A championship Thursday night with 8-5 win over the Jay Royals (9-13)
Sammy James took the loss on the mound for the Royals. Jay hitters included: Sammy James 1-3, 1 2B, 3 RBI; Conner Weeks 2-3, 1 3B, 1 RBI; Hunter Vaughn 1-3, Chandler Burgess 1-3, 1 3B.
Tate FFA Rodeo Next Weekend
April 27, 2012
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The 21st Annual Tate FFA Alumni Foundation Rodeo will be held next weekend.
The rodeo will be held at the Escambia County Equestrian Center at 7750 Mobile Highway in Beulah on May 4 and 5 at 7:30 nightly. Advance tickets are available at Hill Kelly Dodge and Farm and Nursery Mart. Advanced tickets are $8 for adults, $3 for children. At the gates, tickets will be $10 for adults and $5 for children.
A free hands-on rodeo will be held for special needs persons Saturday morning, May 5 beginning with breakfast at 7:00 followed by safe rodeo events about 8:00. There will be bull (barrel) riding, barrel racing (stick horses), calf roping (hay bales with cow head), photos with rodeo queens, a petting zoo, wagon rides, beanie bag toss and more.
Scott Random Drug Testing For State Employees Ruled Unconstitutional
April 27, 2012
A Miami federal judge has ruled that Gov. Rick Scott’s attempt to require random drug testing for tens of thousands of state workers is unconstitutional, saying Scott did not show a “compelling need” for the controversial plan.
After U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro’s ruling became public Thursday, Scott immediately said he would appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ungaro’s 37-page ruling found that Scott’s issuance last year of an executive order requiring drug tests violates the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects against unreasonable searches. The judge also wrote that Scott did not justify a need for the tests.
“In the present case, the court searches in vain for any … compelling need for testing,” said the ruling, which was dated Wednesday. “The (executive order) does not identify a concrete danger that must be addressed by suspicionless drug testing of state employees, and the governor shows no evidence of a drug use problem at the covered agencies.”
Scott issued a written statement reiterating his longstanding position that drug tests will improve the state workforce, and he compared the situation to private employers who have more freedom to require such tests.
“As I have repeatedly explained, I believe that drug testing state employees is a common-sense means of ensuring a safe, efficient and productive workforce,” Scott said. “That is why so many private employers drug test and why the public and Florida’s taxpayers overwhelmingly support this policy.”
But the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — a state-worker union that was the plaintiff in the case — said Ungaro’s ruling protects the privacy and constitutional rights of employees.
“The governor can’t order the state to search people’s bodily fluids for no reason – the Constitution prohibits that sort of government intrusion,” said Howard Simon, the ACLU’s executive director. “And the governor can’t demand that people surrender their constitutional rights for the privilege of working for the state or receiving some other government benefit.”
Scott issued the executive order last year to require drug testing at agencies under his control, though the plan was placed on hold because of the legal challenge, except for some workers at the Department of Corrections. Ungaro’s ruling said the Scott-controlled agencies include about 85,000 employees, or 77 percent of the state workforce.
Despite the legal uncertainty, lawmakers and Scott this year approved a bill that would allow drug testing of employees. The bill would allow, but not require, agencies to conduct random testing every three months.
But a day after signing the bill in March, Scott’s administration said it would delay moving forward with the tests until the legal battle about last year’s executive order is resolved.
While Ungaro’s ruling blocks drug testing for current state employees, she did not rule on whether tests could be required for potential new hires. She sided with an argument by Scott that AFSCME could not sue on behalf of potential state employees who do not belong to the union.
The ACLU’s Simon, however, made clear Thursday that the state would face another legal challenge if it tries to require drug testing of job applicants.
Ungaro’s ruling said the U.S. Supreme Court has differentiated between drug testing by government and private employers. She wrote that government searches “must be based on individualized suspicion of wrongdoing,” unless the government can show a special need.
“The Supreme Court maintains that the government, unlike private employers, can test its employees for illegal drug use only when the testing is consistent with the Fourth Amendment,” wrote Ungaro, who has served as federal judge since 1992 after being nominated by former President George H.W. Bush.
The ruling said Scott cited potential benefits of drug testing, such as increasing workplace health and safety, promoting greater productivity by employees and saving tax dollars. But she wrote that the governor’s office used studies that had a “high level of generality” and lacked specific evidence about issues such as drug use among state employees.
“All of the upheld drug-testing policies (in Supreme Court cases) were tailored to address a specific, serious problem,” Ungaro wrote. “In contrast, the rationale for the Governor’s policy consists of broad prognostications concerning taxpayer savings, improved public service, and reductions in health and safety risks that result from a drug-free workplace.”
By The News Service Florida
Early Morning Fire Damages Cantonment Home
April 27, 2012
Fire damaged an unoccupied wood frame home in Cantonment early Friday morning.
A passerby reported smoke and flames from the home on corner of Ellington and Lincoln streets about 12:30 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find smoke pouring from three sides of the home and flames in a front room.
According to neighbors, no one was currently living in the home. Many of the home’s exterior windows were covered by plywood.
Firefighter were unable to find anyone inside the home. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
Multiple fire stations including Cantonment, Molino, Ensley, Beulah and Ferry Pass responded to the blaze, along with Escambia County EMS.
Blue Wahoos Bounce Back With 9-3 Win Over Jacksonville
April 27, 2012
The Blue Wahoos got the bats going on Thursday night pounding out 12 hits in the 9-3 win over the Jacksonville Suns to even the five-game set at a game apiece at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Pensacola struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Henry Rodriguez, one of four hits for the Blue Wahoos third baseman on the night. Joel Guzman followed with the Blue Wahoos only extra-base hit of the game, an RBI double, to put Pensacola up 2-0.
With a 2-1 Pensacola advantage, the Suns got to Wahoos starter Tim Gusafson for a pair of runs in the third. Gustafson walked two in the inning, and both came home on Russell Mitchell’s two-out double to put Jacksonville in front 3-2. The Wahoos quickly responded with their biggest inning of the night, a three-run fourth. Josh Fellhauer, Mark Fleury and Mark Serrano all scored in the inning on individual plays to put Pensacola in front for good. They went on to add a pair of runs in each the sixth and seventh innings on their way to victory.
Rodriguez and Guzman led the offensive charge with four hits each. Gustafson didn’t get a decision after working just three innings. Serrano (W, 2-0) earned the win out of the bullpen after going three innings and striking out a season-high six batters. Four fish pitchers combined to allowed just four hits in the game.
Suns starter Bryan Evans (L, 0-2) took the loss for Jacksonville. He was tagged for five runs, two earned, on five hits over 3.2 innings.
The two teams continue the series on Friday night. Right-hander Daniel Corcino (0-1, 4.12) will go to the mound for Pensacola against Suns lefty Zach Neal (2-1, 1.42). First pitch is set for 6:05 CT from the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
By Tommy Thrall
Pictured: Joel Guzman collected four hits, including the Blue Wahoos only extra-base hit, Thursday night at Jacksonville. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Citizens Insurance Backs Off Proposed Premium Hikes
April 27, 2012
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will explore charging new customers potentially much higher rates but backed away from final approval Thursday following pushback from consumers, lawmakers and state officials.
Following debate and public testimony, Citizens’ board of governors, meeting in Tampa, directed staff to work up a package of proposed rates for 2013 that includes allowing the state-backed insurer to charge new customer premiums that more closely meet actuarially sound rates.
The board had initially been slated to vote on a proposal to allow the company after Jan. 1 to charge new customers rates that were more than 10 percent higher than existing rates that in some cases.
Under whatever scenario the company moves forward, existing policyholders will continue to be protected by a 10 percent cap on premium increases.
But new policies should be higher, the company says.
“In plain language, a new policy is not subject to the cap,” said Citizens Chairman Carlos Lacasa.
Dan Sumner, Citizens general counsel, defended the insurer’s proposal, saying the Legislature’s underlying intent was for Citizens to become less a player in the property insurance market, which cannot happen as long as the rates remain artificially low – because industry officials say private insurers are less willing to enter the market.
Sumner said residential rates are 43 percent of what they should be. Commercial rates are even less adequate, falling about 75 percent short.
“The threshold guidance from the Legislature is that Citizens is to have actually sound rates,” Sumner said. “There is, in fact, what we call the glide path, a specified exception to the mandate for actuarially sound rates.”
Critics contend the state-backed insurer is “the only game in town” for its nearly 1.5 million policyholders.
To subject new customers to potentially much higher rates would not only hurt new home buyers but existing homeowners who get cancelled by their private insurer.
“You can get all the rhetoric that you want, but the private companies are not coming back to some areas of this state, they’re just not,” said Sen. Mike Fasano said, R-New Port Richey. “Study or no study, if this is pushed or approved you will hurt our economy.”
Lawmakers in 2006 froze Citizens rates following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, which prompted a surge in claims and led some companies to leave the state, pushing more customers into Citizens.
In 2010, the Legislature, under the leadership of Senate President Jeff Atwater, agreed to cap premium hikes at 10 percent, a level far below what industry officials said was necessary to bring the rates up to private competitors.
In a letter to the board, Atwater said the recommendation went beyond the scope of the 2010 legislation. OIR also said it would look closely at any request, but has yet to see a formal rate request.
Thursday’s action brought applause from Sean Shaw, a former Florida insurance consumer advocate who now works with a law firm that represents homeowners.
“Citizens thought they could slide this outrageous rate hike through without policyholders or lawmakers noticing – and they were wrong,” Shaw said.
By The News Service of Florida
Traffic Stop Uncovers Arsenal Of Weapons And Cash; Men Headed To An Escambia Middle School
April 26, 2012
A traffic stop at the Alabama/Florida line Wednesday afternoon turned up an arsenal of a weapons and thousands of dollars in cash with two men that said they were simply tutors headed to a Pensacola middle school.
An officer with the Flomaton Police Department conducted a routine traffic stop about 5 p.m. after observing the driver of a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban make an improper lane change on Highway 29. He stopped the vehicle just over the bridge between Flomaton and Century, still inside Alabama but only a few yards from Florida.
For more photos from the traffic stop, click here.
Update: The vehicle in this story was stopped again Thursday morning on New Warrington Road in Pensacola. Click here for the update.
After finding several guns in the vehicle, the Flomaton officer immediately called for backup from the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office.
A search of the vehicle by the Flomaton Police Department uncovered multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing and hoodies. Officers also located a paper bag containing $8,400 in $100 bills inside the vehicle.
The vehicle was also searched for drugs by an Escambia County (Fla.) K-9, but no illegal drugs were located.
The driver and passenger, both adult males, said they were on their way from the Birmingham area to tutor students Thursday at Warrington Middle School. One of the men was dressed in a t-shirt with a tutoring company’s logo on the front and the words “Free Tutoring” on the back. They produced business cards and other items from a tutoring company in New Jersey.
The men said they had the arsenal of weapons for their own protection because they sometimes tutor students in “bad areas”.
Officers spent about two hours searching the vehicle, questioning the men as they stood handcuffed by a police car and running various computer records checks on the vehicle, the firearms and the men. All of the weapons were legally possessed, according to officers.
Both men were released without any criminal charges or traffic citations. Their names were not released since they were not charged with any crime.
Officers said all school resource officers in the Escambia County, Florida, area would be alerted to the situation prior to the start of school on Thursday as a precaution.
Escambia Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said security would be stepped up today. For his reaction and more about the tutoring company, click here.
For more photos from the traffic stop, click here.
Pictured top: Guns, ammunition and $8,400 in cash discovered during a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon on the Alabama/Florida state line. Pictured bottom inset: Officers from Alabama and Florida took part in a two-hour investigation. Pictured below: The driver and passenger were questioned. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Editor’s note: The identity of the driver and passenger has been obscured in these photographs because they released without being charged with any crime.
Hundreds Spend Wednesday Night In The Dark After Accident
April 26, 2012
About 200 Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers near Walnut Hill were without power over three hours Wednesday night after an 18-wheeler pulled down a power pole and lines.
The accident happened about 6:30 p.m. on South Highway 99 at Tungoil Road when an auger on a piece of farm equipment being hauled by a truck was left extended too high and pulled down a service line and broke a pole. The downed lines then sparked a small brush fire.
According to EREC, crews worked from about 6:30 until 10 p.m. to rebuild the lines and restore power.
There were no injuries. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
Pictured: A collision with farm equipment being hauled by an 18-wheeler downed power lines in Walnut Hill Wednesday evening, leaving about 200 customers without power. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Three Northview Players Sign Football Scholarships
April 26, 2012
Three Northview High School Chiefs signed football scholarships Wednesday during a ceremony at the school.
Sean Knight signed with Tyler Junior College in Tyler, TX; while Austin Albritton signed with Birmingham Southern. Brian Ross signed with Furman University in Greenville, SC.
Sean Knight recorded 122 tackles at Northview, with 33.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. He was named first team all-state by the Associated Press and named to several all-star teams. Knight chose Tyler Junior College over offers from Southern Mississippi, Western Michagan, FIU, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio) and others.
Brian Ross had 54 total tackles in just one year as a Northview Chief, including 15.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. He was named second team all-state by the Associated Press and to a local all-star team. Ross also received offers from Mercer, Carson Newman, Millsaps and Birmingham Southern.
Austin Albritton had total 27 tackles for Northview, including four tackles for a loss and two interceptions. He also had 11 receptions for 262 yards and five touchdowns for the Chiefs. He was named second team all-state by the Associated Press and to a local all-star team. He also received offers from Millsaps and Louisiana College.
Pictured top: Northview Chiefs Sean Knight, Brian Ross and Austin Albritton signed college football scholarships Wednesday afternoon during a ceremony at the school. Pictured below: The three scholarship recipients with their families and NHS Coach Sid Wheatley. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Police Warn Of Lottery Scams
April 26, 2012
Authorities are warning the public to be aware of fraudulent lottery and fraudulent lottery and inheritance claims after complaints were received by the Pensacola Police Department.
“As with other scams, people are being mailed a check and a letter promising them more money if they cash the check and send money to a specific address,” said Pensacola Police Chief Chip W. Simmons.
Simmons said legitimate letters from companies, attorneys or other sources will not ask people to provide money before they receive winnings and/or inheritances. Scams such as this occur throughout the year, and people need to be wary of requests for money they receive in the mail, over the internet or by telephone, he said.
“This is especially true for people who haven’t entered a particular contest or lottery,” Simmons added.
If someone receives that they believe to be a fraudulent letter, they are asked to contact their local law enforcement agency.