State Attorney, FBI Launch Probe Into Nonprofit
October 21, 2011
Search warrants have been executed and an investigation has been launched into the Three Rivers Resource Conservation Council, Inc. — a not for profit organization based in Milton comprised of representatives from the county commissions, Soil and Water Conservation Districts and members-at-large from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Washington and Holmes counties.
The State Attorney’s Office together with the Florida Office of Fiscal Integrity and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are investigating complaints of theft and misappropriation of public monies, equipment and funds provided to Three Rivers from federal and state grants intended for conservation projects, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins.
Law enforcement officers from the State Attorney’s Office, Office of Fiscal Integrity and FBI, supported by Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, Milton Police Department, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney Office for the 14th Circuit, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, executed six search warrants at the Three Rivers offices in Milton and offices of entities doing business with Three Rivers at various locations in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Washington counties.
Law enforcement officers also questioned several persons employed by or associated with Three Rivers regarding these allegations. This investigation is ongoing at this time, according to Eddins, and further details have not been released.
No Major Damage After Home Furnace Fire Reported
October 20, 2011
No major damage was reported after a possible furnace fire early Thursday morning in Cantonment.
Area fire departments responded to the 1900 block of Stacey Road just after 5 a.m. Thursday after a resident reported flames coming from out of the their furnace after turning on their heat.
The first firefighter on scene reported no flames or smoke visible from outside the home upon arrival. There were no injuries reported.
Man Gets 20 Years For Molino DUI Death
October 20, 2011
A man has been sentenced to the maximum prison term for a 2010 drunk driving accident that killed his passenger.
Terry Eugene Lee was sentenced by Judge Linda Nobles to 20 years in state prison.
On September 7, Lee pleaded no contest to DUI manslaughter, felony driving on a suspended license and DUI causing property damage.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Lee was traveling on Omega Drive about 6:15 p.m. November 10, 2010, when his Toyota car left the roadway, traveled through a wooden fence and across a pasture before hitting another fence and a tree. Lee’s passenger, Brandee N. Scott, 49, of Pensacola, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. She was impaled by a wooden board from the fence.
According to State Attorney Bill Eddins, Lee was driving with a blood alcohol level of .26/.27.
Lee, who was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital following the crash, first told Florida Highway Patrol troopers that he was not involved in the crash.
For more photos from the scene, click here.
Pictured: A Navarre man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for this November 2010 DUI crash in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Century Nets $100,000 Grant For Housing Rehabilitation
October 20, 2011
The Town of Century has been awarded a $100,000 grant to rehabilitate about 20 homes.
The USDA Rural Development Housing Preservation Grant will provide up to $5,000 per house to make repairs or improvements such as roof repairs, plumbing repairs, handicap and accessibility ramps.
According to Debbie Nickles, the town’s consultant for the grant, homes to be rehabilitated will first be chosen from a waiting list of applicants for a previous grant program.
The money will be available to the town once paperwork is completed, Nickles said.
C
Murder Victim Identified; Deputies Seek Woman
October 20, 2011
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has identified a man who was found dead in the middle of a street early Tuesday morning, and they are looking for information about a woman seen with him shortly before his death.
The body of 47-year old Randolph Erroll Elce was found in the middle of Fitzgerald Street south of Jackson Street. Preliminary reports indicate trauma to the head was the cause of
death, according to deputies.
Investigators are now trying to identify and locate a black female (pictured top) that was seen with Elce shortly before his death. Elce was with the unknown female in a local convenience store, deputies said.
Anyone with information on the case can call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
3 Injured In Crash At Cantonment Church
October 20, 2011
Three people receive minor injuries in a two vehicle wreck Wednesday night on Highway 297A in Cantonment. The injured were transported by ambulance to local hospitals following the wreck about 8 p.m. in front of Heritage Baptist Church.
The Florida Highway Patrol says 18-year old Joseph Franklin Collins on Cantonment was northbound on Highway 297A when he crossed over the southbound lane while attempting to turn into the church parking lot. Collins’ 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse was hit near;y head-on by a 1979 Chevrolet Caprice driven by 28-year old Charles Raymond Pugh of Pensacola.
Collins told troopers he did not see the other vehicle before making his turn. He was charged with an improper left turn, according to the FHP.
Collins, Pugh and a passenger in Pugh’s vehicle, 36-year old Herman Jermain Dillard of Pensacola, all received minor injuries.
The Cantonment and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the call.
Pictured: At least two people were injured in this accident Wednesday night in front of Heritage Baptist Church in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Escambia Health Dept. Fees Changing For Some Medical Services, Other Permits
October 20, 2011
The cost is headed up for several services at the Escambia County Health Department, including some health services and permitting for septic tanks.
The fee changes by the Escambia County Health Department are consistent with fees imposed by surrounding counties and will generate additional revenue to offset the loss of discontinued fees and increased operational expenses for the period, according to the county.
The most notable changes in fees for health services are:
- Intestinal parasite test increase from $15 to $18
- HIV test cost will be cut from $26 to $18
- Sports and INS physicals increase from $90 to $111
Several permitting and inspection fees are also changing, including:
- New septic tank fee will increase from $505 to $550.
- Abandonment permit for a septic tank will increase from $90 to $100
- Repair permit fee for septic tanks will increase from $225 to $350
- The permit for a body piercing facility will decrease from $200 to $150.
- Environmental health permits and inspections for pools will increase — for greater than 25,000 gallons from $328 to 418, and for less than 25,000 gallons from $154 to $204.
For a complete fee schedule, click here.
Florida Files Race To The Top Application
October 20, 2011
Florida on Wednesday filed its nearly 300-page Race to the Top application for a $100 million early learning grant designed to improve its voluntary pre-kindergarten program.
The competitive federal grant, for which dozens of other states will also be vying, would be used to bolster Florida’s voluntary pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds.
But Gov. Rick Scott said the state would only accept the federal grant if it requires no future expenditures from the state. “To be clear, Florida will only accept these grant dollars if the award comes back with no strings attached,” Scott said in a statement.
Using the grant will be optional, the governor’s office stated. “No child care business in the state of Florida will be forced to participate in this process,” Scott’s office said in a statement. Instead, providers will be eligible for mini-block grants.
A voluntary pre-kindergarten program can be offered by public or private schools, churches and day care centers.
The application says the state says wants to use the $100 million to ensure better professional development, target at-risk children and help implement systems that will better track student progress.
Many of the same principles touted in the K-12 system, such as the emphasis on data and accountability, were used in the Race to the Top early learning application.
Florida previously won $700 million in a Race to the Top grant for K-12 schools that is being used to implement parts of the new teacher merit pay plan that links teacher salaries to student test scores.
Some proponents of early childhood education say the state should more closely examine which VPK providers are best preparing students for kindergarten and stop funding those that consistently under-perform.
The state spent $385 million on voluntary pre-kindergarten this fiscal year for over 165,000 students, which was a reduction from the year before. (The grant application instead notes that VPK funding has gone up over five years by $41 million.)
Florida already has a system for assessing how well-prepared VPK students are for kindergarten, known as the kindergarten readiness test. Student performance on that test is linked back to VPK providers. But David Lawrence, a proponent of early learning programs, said students need to be tested before and after they start a VPK program.
Though not explicitly addressing Lawrence’s suggestion, the application says Florida will build upon its existing assessment programs by using technology and data to understand whether students are equipped for kindergarten.
“The state will reform its assessment and data systems to better monitor children’s progress,” the application said.
The state says it will use the grant to help implement a “comprehensive” system of assessing student progress.
“At the heart of Florida’s work in this area is the goal of ensuring that all assessment information collected on children, and the teachers and the programs that serve them, is accurate and has a clear purpose and use,” the application says.
By Lilly Rockwell
The News Service of Florida
Perfect Score: Lady Royals Sweep Cross Country Meet With Tate, Northview, EWMS
October 20, 2011
The Jay High School Lady Royals achieved a perfect score in a recent cross country meet at Simms Middle School in Pace — capturing the top five places in a field of over 70 runners from eight schools, including Northview and Tate. It was the first perfect score for the Lady Royals since the mid-1990’s.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
“When the Lady Royals started the season they assumed it would be a rebuilding year because the Royals had lost three of their top five runners,” said Coach Stan Blackman.
Robin Blackman had led the Royals last season and went on to run at Troy University. Leely Trevino now attends FSU and helped to lead the Royals to state last year where they become Florida’s top public school in class 1A.
“But this season has turned out to be anything but average,” Blackman said.
Top runners for the Lady Royals were:
1st place Jorja Agrait — 21:53
2nd place Allison Blair — 22:12
3Rd place Jessica Thornton — 22:15
4th place Savannah Brown — 23:03
5th place Jenna Thornton — 23:05
9th Place Ally Settle
12th Place Kristen Pike
Northview, Tate, Central, Milton, Pace, and Rocky Bayou also took part in the meet at Simms Middle. Scores and stats were not available Wednesday from host school Pace High School.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured top: The Northview High School and Ernest Ward Middle School boys begin a cross country meet at Simms Middle School in Pace. Pictured inset: Jorja Agrait was the top female runner. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Senate Looks At Limiting Landowner Liability For Hunting, Fishing
October 20, 2011
A Senate committee Wednesday began moving forward with a bill that would limit the legal liability of landowners who allow people to use their property for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.
Supporters said the bill, which is part of a package of legislative proposals by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, could help encourage more people to enjoy the outdoors.
“One of the things that keeps people from opening up their lands is they’re afraid of being sued,” said Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville.
But the proposal also faced questions from some lawmakers and the Florida Justice Association, which represents trial lawyers.
Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, questioned whether guests on the land would also have liability protections for damage they might unintentionally cause. “You just can’t have one side give up their rights and not the other side,” she said.
The Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee introduced the bill and will have to bring it up again before voting.
By The News Service of Florida