School Board Approves Tobacco-Free Hiring Policy, Amends Student Drug Testing Plan
June 22, 2011
The Escambia County School Board voted Tuesday night to implement a tobacco-free hiring policy and make a change to the upcoming random student drug testing policy.
The new tobacco-free policy will not allow anyone to be hired that has used tobacco products within the last six months. Along with the standard drug test currently administered, new employees will also be tested for tobacco use. The newly hired employees will be required to remain tobacco free as a condition of employment.
The school board believes the new policy will not only mean healthier employees, but also lower costs associated with health insurance costs and lost days at work.
The policy defines tobacco as any product that includes tobacco intended or expected for human use or consumption, including lighted or unlighted cigarettes, cigars, pipes or any other smoking product, chewing tobacco or snuff. The policy applies to tobacco in any form, including lozenges, strips and pouches. Similar policies have been adopted by other large local employers, including Escambia County, ECUA, Sacred Heart Hospital and Baptist Health Care.
Student Drug Testing
The school board also amended a random student drug testing program set to begin in the fall for middle and high school students that participate in extracurricular activities, athletics or park on campus.
The original policy approved in February stated after an initial positive test, students would be required to contact a district-approved laboratory for another test within 24 hours. The amended policy states that the initial non-negative screening will be maintained under an appropriate chain of custody and sent to a professional lab for additional testing and review by a medical review officer. The district pays for the retest if it’s negative; the parent pays if it is positive.
The amendment must first be advertised prior to final approval by the school board. A public hearing on the change will take place at 5:30 p.m. on July 21.
Under the testing policy, a signed parental consent form will be required of students subject to the testing policy. The consent will be valid during the entire school year, not just for the duration of the athletic season or extracurricular activity period.
Students whose parents do not consent to the tests would not be allowed to participate in the activities — including any practice, tryout, rehearsal or even sit with the team, club or organization at a game or pep rally.
The drug tests will be conducted by the school health nurse or technician under the plan. If a student refuses to participate in a random drug test, it will be considered a positive result.
A positive result will result in the student being removed from all extracurricular and athletic activities, including practices, for at least 30 days and would be suspended from driving on the school campus. The student will be referred to a District-approved drug assessment and rehabilitation program.
A student with a positive drug test result will be required to pass a second drug test before participation in future activities at the expense of their parents. They will be subject to additional random drug tests, and they would remain on probation for the rest of their school years in the Escambia County School District. The student will not be allowed to return to any leadership position — such as captain of a squad, club officer or class officer — for the remainder of the school year.
A second positive result will prohibit a student from participation in all athletics and extracurricular activities and from parking on campus for one full calendar year.
Escambia, Perdido Rivers Approaching Historic Lows
June 22, 2011
With our extreme drought, river levels in North Escambia area are approaching historic lows.
At Century, the Escambia River was at 2.89 feet at 10 p.m. Tuesday; the all-time record low level was 1.30 feet in 1954. The Perdido River at Barrineau Park was at 1.24 feet Tuesday night. Low water records for the Perdido River are not available.
Pictured above and below: The Escambia River is approaching record low levels, with a pier to nowhere and a boat ramp that does not reach the water as seen Tuesday at the Molino Boat Ramp on Fairgrounds Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
County Road 97 Closure Extended Until June 30
June 22, 2011
A road closure on County Road 97 has been extended by a few days.
County Road 97 was closed June 7 from the intersection of Highway 297-A westward to Devine Farms Road as a large pipe is installed under the roadway for International Paper’s water quality improvement project.
The road was scheduled to reopen on June 27, but now that date has been extended to June 30.
Escambia County suggests that motorists use Kingsfield Road to detour around the work area rather than using some of the residential streets in the area.
Fight Between Homeless Men Over Liquor Ends With Stabbing
June 22, 2011
A fight over liquor between two homeless men ended with a stabbing near a popular restaurant Tuesday afternoon.
Deputies responded to a cutting victim about 12:10 p.m. at the intersection of North Davis Highway and Northcross Lane near La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant.
Numerous witnesses told deputies that they witnessed 55-year-old Luther Banks (pictured) cut 38-year-old Dwayne Lee Jensen with a pocket knife.
Deputies believe the altercation became violent while the two were arguing over liquor.
“This senseless act of violence took place near a very busy intersection, putting innocent people in harm,” said sheriff’s office spokesman Deputy Chris Welborn. “We are very grateful for the assistance of several witnesses. The information they provided about the suspect helped us make such a quick arrest.”
Jensen was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital for a severe cut to his upper left chest. His condition was not available.
Banks was arrested and charged with aggravated battery. He was being held at the Escambia County Jail on a $15,000 bond.
PNJ Columnist Mark O’Brien Part Of Gannett Layoffs
June 22, 2011
Popular longtime Pensacola News Journal columnist Mark O’Brien was laid off Tuesday.
About 700 employees were laid off nationwide Tuesday by Gannett Co., the parent company of the PNJ. The Pensacola News Journal reported Wednesday morning that five of their staffers lost their jobs Tuesday.
O’Brien, who once wrote in his column “for news north of Nine Mile Road, www.northescambia.com is must-reading”, had been at the PNJ for about 20 years.
“Don’t weep for me, Pensacola. I just took a dip in the swimming pool and now am open to a new career,” O’Brien wrote Tuesday afternoon on his Facebook page. “Any ideas? markobrien5001@gmail.com”
Two K-9’s Purchased With Community Donations
June 22, 2011
Residents and businesses in Santa Rosa County have stepped up and help their Sheriff’s Office purchase two near K-9’s. In late March, NortheEscambia.com and other media outlets published a request from the Sheriff’s Office for help in replacing aging K-9’s.
“The community participation was astounding,” said Sgt. Scott Haines, public information officer. Donations totaled about $31,000 in just six weeks.
Two K-9’s were purchased to replace “Gero” and “Banja”. Gero” suffered a career ending injury in March that required him to be retired at nine years old. “Banja” was required to be retired for health related issues at eight years old.
The new K-9’s are:
“Rocky” (assigned to Deputy Roman Jackson) replaced K-9 “Banja”
“Rocky” is a three-year old Belgian Malinois. Rocky is “titled”, meaning he has had extensive training prior to coming to the SRSO. Rocky was imported to the United States from Belgium. Prior to coming to the SRSO, Rocky was a police service dog in Kure Beach, North Carolina. He was also certified in patrol work, narcotics, and tracking by the United States Police Canine Association. Rocky was the 2010 Region 2 USPCA Champion.
“Kaz” (assigned to Deputy Andy Magdalany) replaced K9 “Gero”
“Kaz” is a 14-month old German Shepherd. Kaz was imported from Belgium. He is considered a “green” dog with no prior training, but has all of the genetic “drives” or superb qualities to be an excellent candidate for police work, according to the SRSO.
Both dogs are taking the 400 hour FDLE K-9 course to become ready to patrol the streets of Santa Rosa County.
Two Forestry Firefighters Killed
June 22, 2011
Two Division of Forestry firefighters were killed on Monday while fighting the Blue Ribbon Fire in Hamilton County, the Department of Agriculture said.
Forest Rangers Josh Burch of Lake City and Brett Fulton of White Springs were killed Monday while battling the blaze — the first Florida firefighters in 26 years to be overcome while battling a wildfire.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the two courageous men who sacrificed their lives for the safety of others,” said Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. “We can rebuild the structures and restore the land, but the lives of these two heroes can never be replaced.”
Two other Forestry firefighters were injured fighting the blaze, which started last week. According to the Division of Forestry, more than 200,000 acres across the state have burned this year, making it already one of the busiest wildfire seasons in years.
State May Begin Self-Insuring Workers In HMOs
June 22, 2011
Looking at potentially tens of millions of dollars in savings, Florida lawmakers this week could move toward restructuring part of the health insurance program for state employees.
A joint House and Senate budget committee Friday will consider setting aside more than $19 million that could be used to begin self-insuring HMO coverage. That amount would be a down payment toward what could turn into far-larger savings.
Under the concept, the state would take on the financial risks of insuring workers, while contracting with HMOs to administer many of the day-to-day operations of the program. Currently, HMOs get paid to take on the financial risks, along with handling the operations.
The key: A consultants’ report early this year said the state could save as much as $109 million over a two-year period by self-insuring. It said the move would reduce HMO costs built into the current system and also give the state more flexibility in running the program.
“The state group insurance program insures a large and stable workforce with relatively predictable expenses,” John P. “Jack” Miles, secretary of the state Department of Management Services, said in a letter to legislative leaders early this year after the report was finished. “As such, self-insuring appears to be a sensible solution to manage the cost of providing health care to our employees.”
The joint Legislative Budget Commission will take up the issue Friday, as it considers a proposal to set aside $19.7 million in reserves.
If okayed by the LBC, the ultimate decision about whether to self-insure would depend on the result of negotiations between the Department of Management Services and HMO contractors, and the savings those talks produce.
House Appropriations Chairwoman Denise Grimsley, a Sebring Republican who also chairs the Legislative Budget Commission, said in an e-mail that the proposal is “predicated on the assurance of ultimate savings, a concept which I support.”
Of the $19.7 million, all but about $600,000 is estimated to be needed to pay HMO contractors, which would do such things as handle claims and oversee provider networks. The move to self-insurance could occur in 2012.
Michael Garner, president of the Florida Association of Health Plans, said his HMO industry group has not taken a position on self-insuring the program. He said the group has members with different stances on the issue.
The concept of self-insuring is nothing new: The state insurance system offers HMO and preferred-provider organization coverage to workers and has long self-insured the PPO portion. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has a contract to administer the PPO plan.
Also, similar self-insurance plans are relatively common for large private corporations.
A potential downside to self-insuring is that the state would be liable for large, unexpected health costs. But Buck Consultants, which helped put together the report that went to legislative leaders early this year, said the benefits of self-insuring far outweigh potential costs.
“For a group the size of the state of Florida Employee Group Health Insurance Plan, there is no compelling financial advantage to maintaining fully insured HMO plans,” the consultants wrote.
By Jim Saunders
The News Service of Florida
Internet Outage For Frontier DSL, Dialup Customers
June 21, 2011
Frontier Communications DSL and dialup customers in the Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino and Atmore areas were without internet service for about five hours today.
The outage appeared to be a problem with one of the companies that provides the internet connection to Frontier, not an actual Frontier problem, according to Stephanie Schifano, a corporate spokesperson for Frontier.
The outage began about 2 p.m. and was restored by just after 7 p.m.
Expert: McDavid Mystery Steamboat Appears To Be From 1800’s
June 21, 2011
We are learning a little more about the possible steamboat pulled from the Escambia River near McDavid over the weekend.
“It does look like a late 1800’s steam launch,” Dr. Della Scott-Ireton, director of the Northwest Region of the Florida Public Archaeology Network said after viewing the photographs on NorthEscambia.com. (Click here for our weekend story.)
She said it appears to have a been a screw-driven vessel, powered by steam, not a paddle-wheel boat, as evidenced by the photos. For a photo gallery from the discovery, click here.
“This appears to be a locally significant find,” she said. “We don’t have preserved examples of these in Florida, but we know they existed from photographs in the state archives.” None of those photographs are of steam launches on the Escambia or other rivers in the area.
Archeologists were make plans Monday to document and preserve the vessel that now sits on a sandbar near a McDavid boat launch. The vessel was discovered and pulled from the river Saturday by a local family — a move Scott-Ireton advises against.
“If you find something, let the experts document it,” she said, adding that removing historical artifacts from Florida’s rivers may be a felony despite good intentions. However, no one is expected to face any charges whatsoever in connection with the McDavid find.
The boat has since been returned to the water awaiting investigation by archeologists.
Pictured top: A hole for a steam-powered screw can been seen in this photo. Pictured inset: Another look at the vessel. (NorthEscambia.com photos.)/ Pictured below: Examples of other steam launches in Florida — the first photo show a typical steam launch in the 1880’s in Tarpon Springs, Florida; the second photo shows the steam launch “Princess” between 1880 and 1890 on Rice Creek near Gainesville. (Courtesy the State Archives of Florida).
