Jones Swamp Wildfire 100 Percent Contained
June 30, 2011
The Jones Swamp wildfire that has burned in southwest Escambia County since Sunday is now completely contained.
“Some smoke may remain in the area for the next few days but rain and four days of tractor work have provided containment,” said Joe Zwierzchowski, spokesperson for the Florida Division of Forestry.
The Division of Forestry will continue to monitor conditions at the swamp, he said.
The 170-acre wildfire created smoky conditions and rained ash into North Escambia on Sunday, prompting Escambia County officials to issue a health alert for residents will breathing problems.
DCF Hurries To Get Ready To Test New Welfare Applicants
June 30, 2011
Hustling to make a Friday deadline, state social service officials met Wednesday to map out and get last-minute public input on broad policy guidelines as Florida begins drug testing new applicants for welfare benefits.
Following up on legislation passed by lawmakers only a few months ago to require applicants for temporary financial assistance to take drug tests, Department of Children and Families officials said formal procedures would not be ready until mid-July at the earliest but the agency would proceed nonetheless to administer the new law.
“The law is clear that the rulemaking process cannot hold up legislation,” said Herschel Minnis, DCF assistant general counsel. “We’re going forward and we’ll be ready.”
Among a litany of concerns from stakeholders, including Florida Legal Services and the ACLU, were questions of whether applicants who test positive for drugs would be immediately flagged by DCF and risk having their children removed from their custody.
On Wednesday, DCF Program Policy chief Nathan Lewis said that a positive drug test would not automatically result in a knock on the door by DCF investigators, but he also said that substance abuse and child welfare investigators would likely be privy to final test results, which if positive would be referred the Florida Abuse Hotline.
The law is silent on whether a positive drug test would result in the removal of children from the home. Lewis said agency rules, however, would allow other DCF offices to use the data for their own purposes, including determining whether children are safe in the home.
Though specific procedures will be hammered out after a July 12 workshop on those technical issues, the program’s framework is pretty much in place. Under the proposed rules, applicants who have met other conditions for temporary cash assistance – income and asset requirements and citizenship, for example – would be notified that they must also submit to a drug test within 10 days.
If an initial screening, the results of which would be immediately available, turns up positive, applicants will have the option of taking a second test within that 10 day window to refute the initial screen. DCF would not release drug test results to other state offices until after all procedures are complete or applicants drop out of the process.
Numerous details have yet to be worked out, including how confirmation tests will be evaluated and who pays for the additional analyses. Agency staff estimates the cost to applicants for all testing and reviews would be between $28.50 and $40. Initial screens, purchased alone, would cost between $10 and $36.
“We’re asking as you go forward with rulemaking decisions to give some consideration for someone who wants to comply but cannot come up with the upfront costs,” said Valory Greenfield, attorney for Florida Legal Services.
The law makes no provisions for economic hardship, so applicants will be required to pay for the tests themselves. Applicants who test negative will be reimbursed for the cost of the test.
Beginning July 1, applicants who test positive for drugs would be denied benefits for a year. A second failed test would result in a three-year ban. Recipients who complete a drug rehab program can re-apply in six months. Existing recipients of financial assistance would not be required to be tested unless they become ineligible for other reasons and must reapply.
In two parent households, both adults would be tested. Benefits to children could be awarded to a third party recipient, who must also pass a drug screen. The law will not affect the federal food stamp program.
Federal law allows states to screen for drug use under the TANF program, which provides a maximum of $300 a month in cash assistance to needy families. The program, which replaced traditional welfare in the mid 1990s, has a 48-month lifetime cap on benefits.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Former Walnut Hill Businessman Marvin Schneider Passes Away
June 30, 2011
Former Walnut Hill businessman Marvin Schneider passed away Tuesday in Fountain Run, Kentucky. He was 80-years old.
Schneider owned the Walnut Hill Farm Supply from 1984 until it was sold in 1997. He was also an active member of the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department from 1984 until 2001.
Funeral services for Marvin Schneider will be held Saturday, July 2 at 10 a.m. the Walnut Hill Mennonite Church. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 1 at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in Atmore.
Football: NWE, Cantonment Registration
June 30, 2011
Football season is approaching fast, and registration is set for two local leagues.
NWE Football Registration
Registration for Northwest Escambia football will begin July 2 and continue every Saturday through July from 10 a.m. until noon at the Ernest Ward field. Participants are encouraged to sign up early. The first practice for NWE is August 8. For more information, contact Charles at (850) 327-4603.
Cantonment Football Registration
Football and cheerleading registration for the Cantonment Cowboys will be held each Saturday through July 30 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. For more information, call (850) 292-1775.
Tri-County 9-10 All Stars Win; NWE 11-12 Out Of Tournament Play
June 30, 2011
The 9-10 Tri-County All Stars advanced in tournament play Wednesday night, while Northwest Escambia was eliminated.
Niceville Maroon 7 Tri-County 3 (ages 9-10)
The Tri-County 9-10 year olds lost their Florida District 1 Little League playoff game to Niceville Maroon Wednesday night, 7-3. Tri-County remains alive in tournament play in Shalimar, facing Niceville White Thursday at 6 p.m. It will be the second meeting between the two teams; Tri-County defeated Niceville White Monday night, 2-1.
DeFuniak Springs 12 Northwest Escambia 2 (ages 11-12)
Defuniak Springs defeated Northwest Escambia 12-2 Wednesday night in Niceville, eliminating NWE from Florida District 1 Little League 11-12 year old tournament play in Niceville.
Tri-County’s 11-12 year old All Stars remain undefeated in the tournament as they head into a 7:30 p.m. Thursday game against Niceville.
Kids Soak Up Learning At Water Camp
June 30, 2011
About two dozen children took part in a “Water Camp” Wednesday at Lake Stone in Century.
Water Camp featured fun, hands-on activities designed to get kids excited about water resources and healthy lifestyles. There was also plenty of a watermelon, water balloons, water guns, a water slip-n-slide and other water-related activities.
The event was sponsored by Escambia County Extension.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Pictured top: Getting hit by a water balloon a Water Camp Wednesday morning at Lake Stone. Pictured inset: Learning about water flow and erosion. Pictured below: Water Camp participants learn about the necessity of water in life. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tropical Storm Arlene Update
June 29, 2011
Tropical Storm Arlene formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday and hit Mexico Thursday morning.
The latest information on Tropical Storm Arlene is in the graphic above, click to enlrage.
Ax Murderer That ‘Loved Every Swing’ Convicted, Sentenced To Life In Prison
June 29, 2011
An ax murderer that told deputies “I enjoyed it; I loved every friggin’ swing” will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Nathan Gregg Smith, 26, was convicted Wednesday of first degree premeditated murder and sentenced by Judge Paul Rasmussen to life in state prison for the May 19, 2010, murder of Brian Puckett, 34.
Puckett was found dead in a home May 19 on Hollowbrook Circle, a cul-de-sac near Hillcrest Baptist Church off Nine Mile Road. Deputies believe he died after being hit in the head with an ax.
Nathan Smith’s mother, Constance Smith, told investigators that her boyfriend Puckett was dead in the garage. Deputies found Puckett’s body sitting in a chair in the garage. “They immediately noticed a large laceration to the left side of the victim’s head, and it was apparent he was deceased,” Deputy Robert Guy, Jr. wrote in his report. The report states deputies found an ax by the back door of the garage, about 10-15 feet from the victim.
Deputies found Nathan Smith asleep inside the residence. He told them that he had been out with his friend the previous night and had gotten home about midnight. He told deputies that Puckett and Constance Smith were arguing, but he went straight to his room and went to sleep.
The friend told deputies that he and Nathan Smith arrived at the residence about 2:30 a.m. At about 5 a.m., Nathan Smith went to the nearby friend’s house and stated that he had gotten into an altercation with Puckett and ” he thought he hurt him pretty bad”, the Sheriff’s Office report states.
The friend said he later received a phone call from a hysterical Constance Smith stating that Puckett was dead and that she thought her son, Nathan Smith, was in trouble. The friend told deputies that Constance Smith said that Puckett had been hit with an ax.
Nathan Smith, Constance Smith and Puckett all resided in the same house, according to deputies.
No Injuries In McDavid Highway 29 Crash
June 29, 2011
There were no injuries in a single vehicle wreck late this morning on Highway 29 in McDavid.
The driver of a pickup truck pulling a small trailer with a canoe lost control about 11:30 a.m. while northbound on Highway 29 near Black Road. The vehicle came to rest in a wooded area just off the highway. All occupants of the vehicle refused medical treatment.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Woman Charged With Battery On Her Elderly Mom
June 29, 2011
A Flomaton woman remains behind bars, accused of battery on her 74-year old mother as they traveled a Century road.
Sunceree Covan Bledsoe, 46 of Pecan Leaf Lane, was arrested this week on an outstanding warrant for battery on a person 65 years of age or older. She is in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $25,0000.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Bledsoe got into an argument with her mother on June 18. As Bledsoe’s father was driving the two along Highway 4 near North Century Boulevard, Bledsoe allegedly grabbed her mother’s hair and struck her at least two times, including once with her purse against the 74-year old’s face.
The mom and dad put Bledsoe out of the vehicle along Highway 4 and then drove to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Century Precinct to report the incident. Deputies found Bledsoe walking along Highway 4 and transported her to the precinct for questioning.
The 46-year old Bledsoe told deputies that her mother tried to hit her, and she hit her mother as she tried to get her to stop. Bledsoe was placed under arrest. According to the arrest report, Bledsoe then cut herself with small piece of glass that she had on her person as she sat in the back of the deputy’s vehicle. She was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by ambulance for treatment.