Thousands Of Students Attend SkillsUSA Events
May 2, 2012
More than 5,000 students are gathering this week in Pensacola for the 2012 Worlds of Possibilities Career Expo and Florida SkillsUSA State Competition.
Florida SkillsUSA competitors will face off to showcase their technical trade talents and leadership abilities at the Florida SkillsUSA State Competition, which will be held conjunction with the Worlds of Possibilities Career Expo. The event started Sunday and continues through today.
The Worlds of Possibilities Career Expo is showcasing businesses and vendors in technical and vocational career fields by engaging more than 3,000 local seventh- and eighth-grade students, and more than 2,000 high school and college students from throughout the state of Florida. Many of the students are from the North Escambia area.
The expo is featuring exciting hands-on and interactive experiences in 16 “worlds” and “industry sectors” ranging from the “World of Energy” to the “World of Finance.”
“We are so excited to participate in the ‘World of Energy’ again this year,” said Jennifer Grove, Gulf Power’s Workforce Development coordinator. “We’re hopeful this expo will help spark the interest of many students to carefully consider their education so they can begin preparing for a career.”
The four-day event is estimated to have a $2.5 million economic impact on the local community,
Lt. Gov: Stand Your Ground Task Force Will Be Unbiased
May 2, 2012
Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, chair of a public safety task force charged with reviewing Florida’s “stand your ground” law, moved quickly at the group’s first meeting Tuesday to dispel criticism that it was stacked with pro-gun members.
Critics have charged that the panel – appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to review the law that has figured prominently in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin – includes members who helped pass the law in 2005, but no known opponents.
“Before the task force had even convened its first meeting, the press had already speculated what we will and will not do,” Carroll said. “They have already discounted this task force as politically unbalanced.”
She said that aside from four current or former lawmakers who voted for “stand your ground” – Carroll, House sponsor Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland and a co-sponsor, and Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando – she had no idea how the other 15 members of the Citizen Safety and Protection Task Force felt about the controversial statute.
“So it’s a mischaracterization to assume that this task force is not balanced,” Carroll said.
She asked members to approach their task “with an unbiased mind.”
Scott formed the panel after the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, 28, attracted national attention, including sparking marches as far away as New York and California. Zimmerman claimed he shot the unarmed Martin, an African American, in self-defense and cited the “stand your ground” law allowing individuals to use deadly force if they feel threatened.
Most of the panel’s first meeting was devoted to housekeeping – introductions, a review of Florida’s Sunshine Law, the history of the “stand your ground” law and the development of a mission statement and work plan.
The panel will take public testimony at future meetings. The next will be June 12 in Sanford.
Other dates and locations: July 10 in Desoto County; Sept. 12 in Miami, with an effort to meet in Martin’s hometown of Miami Gardens; and Sept. 13 in Palm Beach County. The panel agreed to hold its October meeting in Pensacola and its November meeting in Jacksonville, but did not set specific dates.
Carroll said no changes could be made to a meeting agenda once that meeting had been publicly noticed. She said that was why she had declined Sen. Chris Smith’s April 26 request to speak to the task force at its inaugural meeting.
Smith, who was in the audience, released the recommendations of his own “stand your ground” task force on Monday. It was started, he said, because the governor had waited too long to convene the public safety panel, and its recommendations included revisions to the law but not its outright repeal.
Despite his concerns, Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, said he had confidence in the “legal minds” on Scott’s panel, particularly Katherine Fernandez Rundle of Miami, the state attorney for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
“They have some political appointees on there, and people that may have a political agenda,” he said. “But I hope that they take a legal agenda and really look at the law from a legal standpoint and how it’s being used and misused in the state of Florida.”
Smith will present his panel’s recommendations at the next meeting in Sanford.
On Tuesday, the task force spent most of its time debating its mission, work plan and meeting locations.
Baxley, referring to himself as “the father of the Castle Doctrine” on which the “stand your ground” law is based, argued against a mission statement narrowly focused on revising that statute.
“I understood the task to be much broader,” Baxley said. “We’re not talking about one case. This is about the safety of our citizens.”
Carroll responded that with more than 170 public safety laws in Florida, the panel doesn’t have time to examine them all.
“Other public safety laws may pop up,” she said. “It may be beyond our scope, but it’s our responsibility to bring to the Legislature any recommendations” about other laws to examine.
As the work plan unfolded, it became clear that the task force likely would meet until the 2013 legislative session starts in March – although Smith has been calling for a special session to revise “stand your ground.”
“We’re not going to rush this process,” said Rev. R.B. Holmes, the vice chair. “We laid out a clear road map to get us to March to bring before the governor. With all due respect to my good friend Sen. Smith, this is not a South Florida task force. This is a state of Florida task force that is very, very inclusive.”
Smith said he wanted a special session as soon as possible due to continued misunderstanding of the law.
“I think it’s still urgent,” he said. “Because of the Trayvon Martin case and all the publicity it’s gotten, you’ve got people around the state that still believe that they have the right to have a gun and go out and kill someone, and then you stand your ground, be the aggressor, or patrol your neighborhoods and confront anyone and use this.”
The public is encouraged to email the task force at CitizenSafety@eog.myflorida.com. John Konkus, Carroll’s chief of staff, said 700 emails had already come in. The meetings will be streamed live on the site, and minutes will be posted there as well.
By The News Service of Florida
Traffic Delays: Work Begins On Highway 97 To Highway 29 Turn Lane
May 1, 2012
A construction project is now underway to add new turn lane at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 29 in Molino.
Anderson Columbia will construct a right turn lane from southbound Highway 97 to southbound Highway 29. For the next three months, drivers can expect delays, intermittent lane shifts and closures, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. However, no lane closures will be permitted between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
“Drivers are reminded to pay attention to the speed limit when traveling through the construction area, and to use caution, especially at night when driving in work zones,” according to Tanya Sanders Branton, public information specialist for FDOT.
Pictured top: A right turn lane will be constructed here from Highway 97 to southbound Highway 29 in Molino. Pictured below: A contractor unloads drainage pipe for the project Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Employee Fired For Mishandling Cash
May 1, 2012
A Town of Century employee was fired Monday after allegedly mishandling cash.
Angel Mitchell, who had worked for the town about six years as an office assistant, was terminated during a special meeting of the Century Town Council. Mitchell was not accused of stealing any funds whatsoever. Rather, she was accused of not properly crediting and depositing customer payments, instead keeping hundreds of dollars that could not immediately be accounted for in her cash drawer.
“Even though there is not any money missing or stolen,” council member Gary Riley said, “it was not where it was suppose to be over a period of time.”
Town officials discovered Mitchell had retained over $900 in cash and checks in her cash drawer that was not deposited over a period of several days or even weeks. The funds included water deposits and customer payments to the town’s gas and water departments. According to Mayor Freddie McCall, Mitchell should have deposited the funds on a daily basis.
On April 13, 2012, town officials discovered undeposited items that included a check dated November 25, 2011; a handwritten receipt for $41.77 dated October 27, 2011, but cash from the transaction was not deposited until December 7, 2011; a March 5, 2012, meter deposit of $50 cash; and several other items that, according to town procedures, should have deposited on a daily basis.
“We had lots of irritated people coming in here after us cutting them off when they had paid their bill,” McCall said. “This is a critical business. We are suppose to be good stewards of money.”
McCall said Mitchell had been advised of town procedures for handling money, including in a written July, 2011 memo following a similar incident.
A few town residents spoke out at Monday’s special council meeting against firing Mitchell, including resident Alfonzie Cottrell. “Why does this punishment have to be so hard?” he asked.
“Can we find 60 more days?”, resident Leola Robinson asked. “I believe we can work with her and bring her around..I personally will work with her.”
“Regardless of how we feel about a person personally, this is a business thing,” Riley said.
McCall said the town had recently offered Mitchell a $1 an hour raise to move to a vacant position in the back office which would require only limited customer contact. He said Mitchell did not accept the position, instead advising that she was looking to leave the town’s employ.
Despite the termination, McCall said he would provide a positive employment reference for Mitchell, if asked.
Mitchell did not attend Monday’s special council meeting on her termination.
Pictured top: Century Mayor Freddie McCall (left) explains why he recommended the termination of employee Angel Mitchell as council member Gary Riley and Ann Brooks listen. Pictured inset: A memorandum from Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez to Mayor Freddie McCall spells out the allegations against Mitchell. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Portion Of Jakes Road Closed
May 1, 2012
A portion of Jakes Road in Nokomis was set to be closed Tuesday morning.
Jakes Road will be closed between Jones Road and Reynolds Road for the replacement of a crossover pipe. The road is expected to be reopened on Friday.
The section of Jakes Road to be closed is a low-traffic dirt road just south of, and parallel, to the Alabama/Florida state line. There are no residences on the section of roadway.
Pedestrian Dies After Being Hit By Semi, SUV
May 1, 2012
A 51-year old Escambia County man died after being hit by two vehicles early Monday morning on Fairfield Drive.
Bobby Joe Nobles died as a result of the injuries he received in the 5:40 a.m. accident at Fairfield Drive and “L” Street. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Nobles was running north across Fairfield Drive when he ran into the path of a 2013 Peterbuilt 18-wheeler driven by Michael R. Shamblin, 46, of Palm Court. The trailer of the semi struck Nobles and threw him into the path of a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado driven by James E. Pittan, 50, of Milton. Pittman’s vehicle then ran over Nobles.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. There’s no word yet on any charges in the crash.
No Injuries When SUV Slams Into Mobile Home
May 1, 2012
There were no injuries when a SUV plowed into a mobile home in Cantonment Monday evening.
The Florida highway Patrol is investigating exactly what caused the driver of a Chevrolet Blazer to strike the mobile home on Madrid Road near Well Line Road about 6 p.m.
Further details have not yet been released.
Pictured: A Chevrolet Blazer struck a mobile home on Madrid Road Monday. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Judge Allows Congressional Maps To Stand
May 1, 2012
A Leon County judge declined to set aside the state’s new congressional maps Monday, saying opponents of the plans had not proven that the Legislature violated new anti-gerrymandering standards in the once-a-decade redistricting process.
It was the latest in a string of significant victories for GOP leaders in the politically-charged battle over the future of the state. The Florida Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Legislature’s second attempt at drawing a map for the state Senate, after justices had tossed an earlier draft, and the U.S. Justice Department told the state Monday that all of its maps had gained preclearance under the Voting Rights Act.
The ruling by Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis did not fully settle the issues in the case. His ruling only dealt with a request by lawyers for a coalition of voting rights groups and a group of voters backed by the Florida Democratic Party to throw out the maps based on undisputed facts. But Lewis said many of the facts are still in dispute.
And he rejected a request by critics of the maps to issue an injunction that would prevent the state from using the new lines until he could rule on the merits of the case.
“Without a finding that the map as draw is unconstitutional, I do not have the authority to replace it with another map while the case is pending,” Lewis wrote.
He also noted that simply going back to the 2002 redistricting map, which both critics and supporters of the state’s new plan say was politically gerrymandered, would present problems of its own.
The case is the first ruling on congressional map under the Fair Districts constitutional amendments approved by the voters in November 2010. It is separate from the Supreme Court’s consideration of the legislative maps, though the justices could be asked to review Lewis’ ruling and any final decision on the redistricting plan if a trial goes forward.
In one of the most-watched districts of the congressional case — the sprawling Northeast Florida district represented by Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown — Lewis did concede that the lines do not gel with many of the standards set out in the Fair Districts standards.
‘It is visually not compact, bizarrely shaped, and does not follow traditional political boundaries as it winds from Jacksonville to Orlando,” Lewis wrote.
But he said opponents had not yet made the case that the district could have been redrawn to better respect those standards while still providing black voters in the area the opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.
In all, Lewis brushed aside challenges that could have affected more than 20 districts across the state, often saying that he was convinced that the facts about whether those lines violated the law were still in dispute.
In a statement issued late Monday, Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Arceneaux said Democrats were considering their next steps.
“We remain concerned about elements of the map and we will continue to evaluate our legal options moving forward,” Arceneaux said.
By The News Service of Florida
FDLE: Overall Crime Up In Escambia, Santa Rosa
May 1, 2012
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement released their 2011 Annual Uniform Crime Report Monday, showing an increase in crime in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
In Escambia County, the overall crime index was up 3.7 percent. Murders, forcible rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults were all down. Burglaries, larceny and motor vehicle theft were up. The overall crime rate jumped 7.9 percent while the percent of crimes cleared dropped by 2.5 percent.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, which provides law enforcement in North Escambia, had a crime index increase of 1 percent, while the Pensacola Police Department reported an 13.2 percent increase in the crime rate. The overall crime rate increased 4.9 percent for the area served by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, while the crime rate jumped 18.5 percent in the Pensacola Police Department’s jurisdiction. The Escambia Sheriff’s Office cleared 20.6 percent of crimes, while the Pensacola PD cleared 38.3 percent of crimes.
In Santa Rosa County, the total crime index was up 16.5 percent. Murders, forcible rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults decreased. Burglaries, larceny and motor vehicle theft were up. The overall rate increased 9.9 percent, while the percent of crimes cleared fell by 1.9 percent.
Pictured top: Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies look for a suspect following the December 2011 robbery of a store manager in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Smith Calls For Stand Your Ground Reform On Eve Of Scott Task Force
May 1, 2012
As a task force formed by Gov. Rick Scott to review the “stand your ground” law prepares for its first meeting on Tuesday, a rival panel convened by Democratic state Sen. Chris Smith found that the law needs significant revision.
“We took an adult look at ’stand your ground,’ and we had adult discussions – not political,” Smith said Monday. “And I think we’re giving good direction to the Legislature on what should be done.”
Some panelists called for an outright appeal of “stand your ground,” but Smith said there wasn’t enough support to make that recommendation.
The recommendations call for lawmakers to require a grand jury review of “stand your ground” cases and to let law enforcement officers detain those who claim the law as a defense while an investigation is conducted.
“That’s what we mean by ambiguity – and a little bit of the absurdity of this law,” Smith said. “If you’re standing there and someone’s dead, to have police have to wonder, ‘Can I detain this person?’ is a concern.”
Smith said he started his own task force on April 5 after tiring of waiting for Scott to act on the Feb. 26 shooting of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin and the delay in arresting acknowledged shooter George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer.
Since then, special prosecutor Angela Corey has charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder, and Scott has named a panel chaired by Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who voted for the 2005 “stand your ground” law while serving in the Legislature.
Meanwhile Smith, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, convened an 18-member panel of lawyers, judges and law professors, and on Monday released their report.
He’s also pushing for a special session of the Legislature to review and amend the law.
“I think it’s still a public safety concern,” he said.
Smith said he will give the recommendations to Scott, Carroll, the members of the governor’s task force and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island.
Critics of the Scott panel say it’s top-heavy with supporters of the National Rifle Association, which spearheaded the effort to make Florida the first state in the nation to adopt the “stand your ground” legislation.
Last week state Rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, asked Scott to change the composition of his task force by removing at least one of the legislators who backed the law. That could be House sponsor Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, or Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, who co-sponsored the law.
Smith, Bullard, Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa and other black lawmakers say they have tried to become members of the Scott panel, to no avail.
“We have tapped a diverse and qualified group to carefully review our laws and our policies,” Scott said on April 19, announcing his selections. None of his appointees are lawmakers who favor gun control.
Smith said he’d requested the opportunity to give the recommendations directly to the panel Tuesday, but was told no public comment would be part of the inaugural meeting.
His panel’s recommendations are broken down into unanimous, consensus and minority findings.
These findings of the Smith task force were unanimous:
-Cases should be presented to a grand jury to allow for a cross section of society to determine what a reasonable person would do in that case.-Educate the public and law enforcement.-Create a system to track self-defense claims in Florida.-Add language requiring an “imminent” danger provision throughout the statute.-Change the “Defense of Others” wording in the law’s title to “Defense of Property.”-Allow law enforcement to detain someone who uses the Stand Your Ground defense while they investigate.
Consensus findings included eliminating the presumption of reasonable fear and clarifying the role of provocation in the law’s application.
By The News Service of Florida