Tammie’s Cuttin Loose Salon Relocates
July 17, 2011
Tammie’s Cuttin Loose in Atmore has relocated.
Tammie’s is now located inside Jean Daniel’s Salon at 1901 South Main Street in Atmore, right on the Alabama/Florida line.
Walk-ins are welcome for any of the shop’s services, including cuts, perms, foils and color. For more information or an appointment, call Tammie’s Cuttin Loose at (251) 446-7386.
Florida Weekly Gov’t Roundup: Scott’s Popularity, Citizen’s Insurance
July 17, 2011
In a number of not-so-surprising revelations this week, Citizen’s Property Insurance Corp. is too big, Panhandle business owners are frustrated over the pace of BP payments and Gov. Rick Scott remains unpopular, despite recent efforts to get his message out in a flurry of radio interviews around the state.
But even as Floridians continued to be unimpressed with Scott – they, and the governor, learned this week that policies the state has undertaken to reduce spending and pump up reserves are having a positive effect on the state’s creditworthiness. Standard & Poor’s this week upgraded its credit outlook for Florida, citing Republican belt tightening and the frugal budget Scott signed into law.
While Scott and his GOP cohorts may not have much desire to borrow money – they’re preaching staying within our means, after all – it was still positive acknowledgment from an independent source that reducing spending has an upside.
But with 10 percent of Florida residents still out of work and a governor focused almost entirely on that, Scott has had a hard time getting people to like him.
Meanwhile, financial disclosures filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics show that despite tough economic times, many lawmakers remain millionaires, though some have been caught in the real estate downturn that leaves them, on paper at least, underwater just like many of their constituents.
On the national level, Florida events continue to influence the agenda. The Congress this week took a vote to water down federal clean water standards that have stymied and enraged Florida businesses and environmental officials. And following through on Florida efforts following a much-watched trial, at least 20 states have filed versions of Caylee’s Law in response to the recent acquittal of an Orlando mother, Casey Anthony, in the death of her two-year-old daughter.
Also this week, lawmakers traveled the state to get input on upcoming efforts to redraw political boundaries, holding a series of public hearings in preparation for the once-a-decade redistricting effort made more contentious by the addition of two congressional seats and a pair of untested constitutional amendments aimed at reducing the political shenanigans inherent in the process.
Panhandle business owners, meanwhile, continue to cry foul as they battle BP over payments they say are due them from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that on Friday marked the first anniversary of the well being capped, after spewing 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf.
CITIZENS’ RANKS SWELLING, IS SELL-OFF AN OPTION?
With the state-backed property insurer expected to eclipse 1.4 million policyholders within the next few weeks, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. chairman Jim Malone gave a parting shot this week, saying the insurer should consider selling off a large chunk of its business to private interests to reduce its exposure while continuing to cover the state’s riskiest property.
Critics questioned whether there would be any companies willing to take most of the policies Citizens wants to shed – because they’re still risky.
Up to 900,000 Citizens policies are likely uninsurable in the private market because they cover older homes, mobile homes, and residences along the coast. But Malone estimated that the remaining policies could be marketed to some private entity because they involve billions of dollars in assets and a widely dispersed premium base, envisioning a return to Citizens’ roots as the true insurer of last resort.
“That has a value someplace in this open market,” Malone said. “The state of Florida needs money and this could be turned into an asset that had a value that people were willing to purchase in the private sector.”
Created as the insurer only for those who couldn’t get policies from private companies, Citizens has gone beyond that role to become the largest property insurer in the state. Malone laid that development squarely at the feet of lawmakers who despite warnings from insurance experts lacked the political courage to make the tough call. After the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, when Floridians were complaining about major increases in premiums, lawmakers decided to artificially reduce rates, against the advice of actuaries.
“If the right decision had been made politically, let’s say five years ago… we wouldn’t have this exposure,” Malone said. “We could have (had) a huge event and everybody in this state could feel comfortable that resources were available to take care of the loss.”
Malone made the comments at the second to last board of governors meeting before all board members are removed from office July 31. After Aug. 1 a new governing board will be seated.
While Citizens’ sees its popularity soar, Florida’s elected officials do not share such fortune. A Sunshine State News poll released Thursday shows former Gov. Charlie Crist as the only big-name politician in Florida with a favorable rating over 40 percent. The former governor has a 42 percent favorable rating, despite having quit the Republican Party in an near the end of his term – angering many GOP faithful.
Crist’s approval rating is higher than that of Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who has a 38 percent favorable rating, Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who has only a 32 percent approval rating, and Gov. Rick Scott, whose favorable rating is 27 percent, according to the poll conducted July 5-7 by Voter Survey Service.
Dogged by low approval ratings in multiple polls, Scott has hit to the road to take his jobs message to the people in local talk radio interviews.
MANY FLORIDA LAWMAKERS DOING ALL RIGHT.
The Florida Legislature is home to more than 50 millionaires, according to a News Service review of financial disclosures filed by legislators for 2010. The 160-member Legislature tends to attract wealthy individuals due, in part, to its heavy time commitment and low salary. Legislators receive $29,697 a year, with presiding officers making $41,181 a year.
The Legislature meets once a year for two months for its regular session, but lawmakers are often called in for committee weeks or special sessions – and they also have to spend a lot of time campaigning and fundraising.
“It’s a difficult position if you are working a nine-to-five job to say ‘Hey, I’m going to give up my clients for four months,’ and then come back to that world for six months,” said Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, one of the wealthiest legislators, who is worth $11.8 million. “Most people can’t do that
Freshman Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, has the distinction of having the lowest net worth in the Legislature. Caldwell, 29, is a real estate appraiser who purchased his home at the height of the housing boom. He watched as the value of his $144,000 investment shrank to about $25,000 as hard-hit Lehigh Acres became the epicenter of the national housing bust.
“I tell people I’m nothing special, I’ve experienced the same types of challenges that many other people have gone through,” said Caldwell, whose net worth as of Dec. 31 was negative $125,000.
Florida’s part-time legislators next year must redraw their district boundaries, and those of Congress, and lawmakers are beginning to come face to face with restrictions imposed by recently approved constitutional amendments aimed at reducing gerrymandering.
During hearings held this week at The Villages, residents worried publicly that Amendment 5 and 6 will make it difficult for the sprawling development that straddles county boundaries to be represented by a single representative.
The Villages has ballooned since the early 2000s, growing from an octogenarian outpost of 22,000 to a teeming community of 84,000 that will continue to grow by 25,000 by 2020.
Concerns by Villages’ residents have been echoed by others, but lawmakers said their ability to match the requests could be made problematic under the Fair Districts amendments overwhelmingly approved by voters last November.
Also this week, Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine, said Florida needs to accelerate tuition increases at a few of the state’s 11 public universities.
Proctor, who chairs the House Education Committee and is Chancellor of Flagler College, said in an interview with the News Service of Florida that shrinking state revenues have made universities rely more heavily on tuition dollars. But with a 15 percent annual cap on how much tuition can go up, universities are finding it hard to get close to the national average.
Without bigger tuition increases, Florida risks losing ground in higher education, with faculty abandoning state universities for higher-paid positions elsewhere in the country, Proctor said.
ENVIRONMENT: WATER WAR CONTINUES:
The U.S. House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to require tougher water-quality standards. U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Florida, was a key sponsor of the measure, which passed 239-184. Mica and other supporters said the EPA has overstepped its authority in Clean Water Act disputes with states.
The Obama administration has signaled the bill likely will be vetoed if it gets to the White House.
Water-quality standards have been a major issue in Florida during the past couple of years, as business groups and many state and local leaders have fought EPA efforts to impose strict standards through what are known as “numeric nutrient criteria.”
Opponents contend that the criteria would force costly upgrades of facilities such as sewage-treatment plants, which discharge water into rivers and streams. But supporters say the standards would help clean up the state’s waterways, preventing harmful algal blooms and other health and environmental problems.
STORY OF THE WEEK:
Gov. Scott continues to be plagued by low approval ratings – lower even than the former governor who was disgraced in the eyes of his own party just a year ago – even as he got the news that the state’s efforts to reduce spending are music to the ears of outside analysts.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Oh, that’s good. That is great.” Gov. Rick Scott reacting to Standard & Poor’s upgrading the state’s credit outlook at the end of a 24-hour cycle during which the other major Tallahassee story was about how unpopular he has become.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Interested In Santa Rosa County’s Budget?
July 17, 2011
The budget workshops for Santa Rosa County Constitutional Officers and the Board of County Commission departments for the fiscal year 2011/2012 are scheduled for Tuesday, July 26. The workshop for the constitutional officers will begin at 9 a.m. with the workshop for the commission departments following at 1:30 p.m.
Both meetings will be held in the Santa Rosa County Commission Meeting Room, 6495 Caroline Street in Milton. The public is invited to attend or view the meeting live online at www.santarosa.fl.gov/bocc/meetings.html. The meeting replay will also be available at the same link by the next business day.
A public hearing on the tentative FY 2011/2012 budget is scheduled for Tuesday, September 6 at 6 p.m. The final public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on Monday, September 19 at 6 p.m. The public hearings will also be held in the Santa Rosa County Commission Meeting Room in Milton and available online during and after the meetings.
According to Santa Rosa County Administrator Hunter Walker’s budget message, the total operating budget is $100,179,644; a reduction of $142,489 from the overall FY 2010/2011 budget. The tentative budget uses no reserves to balance the operating budget and proposes no increase in the millage rate. The county administrator’s full budget message and proposed budgets can be found online at http://www.santarosa.fl.gov/budget/index.html.
Birth: Ruby Cheyenne Lovely
July 17, 2011
Michael and Caitlin Lovely of Bratt are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Ruby Cheyenne Lovely.
Ruby came into the world on July 6, 2011 at 8:18 p.m. She weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces.
Man Busted For Burglary One Day After Getting Probation For Previous Burglary
July 16, 2011
An 18-year old Pensacola man was charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into a Cantonment home on Thursday — just one day after being sentenced to probation for another burglary.
Antonio Demetris Grace has been charged with felony armed burglary, grand theft, grand theft of a firearm and criminal mischief. He remained in the Escambia County Jail early Saturday morning with bond set at $86,000.
A homeowner reported a burglary in progress about 3:30 p.m. Thursday on Stefani Road near Twilight Drive. Arriving deputies nabbed Grace as he tried to run to a nearby SUV parked in a driveway. He told deputies that he had an accomplice named “Slim”, but a search with a K-9 did not result in the arrest of any other suspects.
According to Escambia County Clerk of the Court records, Grace was sentenced on Wednesday to one year probation after being convicted on burglary and petty theft charges in another case from January of this year. He pleaded guilty to the charges and received the sentence of probation from Judge Nicholas Geeker.
Pictured above: Deputies investigate after a reported burglary in progress Thursday afternoon in Cantonment. Photo courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Woman Charged With DUI After Deputies Chase Her The Wrong Way On Highway 29 For Miles
July 16, 2011
A 61-year old Cantonment woman is charged with leading deputies on a drunken chase on the wrong side of Highway 29 for miles late Friday night.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy began chasing Elizabeth Ann Dawson north on Highway 29 in Molino. She continued driving into oncoming traffic, headed north in the southbound lane until deputies were able to block her in and stop her south of Highway 164 in McDavid about 11:10 p.m.
Deputies from the Century area responded south on Highway 29 during the chase, attempting to stop southbound traffic to avoid a collision.
There were no crashes. and no injuries reported.
Dawson was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding police.
District 5 Commissioner White Schedules Town Hall Meeting
July 16, 2011
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Kevin White will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, August 2
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Escambia County Extension Office Auditorium at 3740 Stefani Road.
The meeting will begin with comments from the commissioner and proceed into an open forum. The public is encouraged to attend for the opportunity to ask questions and share comments.
Pesticide Applicator Training Course Offered
July 16, 2011
Escambia County Extension and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) will present a restricted use pesticide training course for those individuals wishing to obtain or renew their pesticide applicator license.
The course includes topics on the principles of pest control, pesticide labeling and formulations, harmful effects and emergency response, worker protection standards, application equipment, calibration, formulation, area calculations, Florida Law and Regulations, etc. This course counts for continuing education units.
Two sessions will be offered as follows:
- General Standards CORE: Tuesday, July 19, 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.
- Private Applicator Agricuture Pest Control: Wednesday, July 20, 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The course will be offered at the Escambia County Extension Office located at 3740 Stefani Road in Cantonment. A $10 fee, payable at the door, covers lunch and materials.
For more information, or to register, please contact Libbie Johnson, Escambia County Agriculture Extension agent, at (850) 475-5230, or email libbiej@ufl.edu.
July Gardening Tips
July 16, 2011
The heat, humidity and frequent rains of July are great for tropical plants. Gardeners, however, take a bit of a beating. Remember to keep the sunscreen, insect repellant and iced tea handy as you venture out into your garden to perform some needed summer maintenance.
A midsummer application of fertilizer is usually required, especially on annual flowers, lawns, shrub beds and vegetable gardens. This is a supplemental application, so don’t overdo it. A 15-0-15 slow-release fertilizer is a good general purpose landscape fertilizer for most plants.
Major pruning jobs should have been done earlier, but there is still some maintenance pruning that should be done. Deadhead, or clip old flowers, from summer flowering shrubs as soon as they fade to help insure an extended season of bloom. Crape myrtles, hibiscus, hydrangeas and althea are examples of shrubs that will bloom repeatedly if light, selective pruning is done.
Flowering annuals also respond well to deadheading. Snip off old flowers and flower spikes before they have an opportunity to form seed. Allowing annual flowers to set seed can shorten their blooming season considerably.
Inspect your lawn and shrub plantings frequently in order to identify pest problems as early as possible. The most severe damage from pest insects normally begins in July. Be on the lookout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass; spittlebugs in centipede grass; sod webworm in all lawns-especially new ones; lacebug and caterpillars on azaleas; whiteflies on gardenia and spider mites on lots of different types of shrubs.
Sod webworms often attack lawns in the summer. They eat the grass blades producing areas that look as if they have been mowed too short. Close inspection will reveal that the blades have not been cleanly cut as with a mower blade but have been chewed along their edges and tips. These caterpillars feed at night and rest during the day down among the runners and in the thatch.
Once an insect pest is found, evaluate the damage and determine if control is necessary. If it is, choose the least toxic option. If only a few caterpillars are found, hand picking might be the choice. Aphids and spider mites can often be controlled by spraying with an insecticidal soap solution. Chemical insecticides are sometimes required. Before choosing one be sure that the insect pest has been properly identified and that the insecticide is labeled for that purpose For vegetable gardeners that have problems with nematodes, soil borne diseases and extensive weed problems, July is a great time to try soil solarization.
Prepare the soil as you normally would for a vegetable garden including adding organic matter. Moisten the area and cover with clear plastic, not black plastic. Clear plastic will produce the highest temperatures. Be sure to weigh down the edges of the plastic so that it doesn’t blow up. Allow the soil to bake in the sun for four to six weeks. The sun will raise the soil temperature high enough to kill many soil borne problems.
Tip of the Week: The nice thing about tomatoes is that you have the option of harvesting when the fruit is green if needed. Tomatoes will ripen indoors at room temperature. To ensure even ripening, place the tomato with the stem up. The ideal time to harvest tomatoes is when they are fully colored but still firm.
In general, it is best to harvest vegetables early in the mornings while the moisture content is higher. The overall quality will quickly diminish as vegetables are exposed to hotter temperatures later in the day.
For more information, contact Theresa Friday at 850-623-3868 or email tlfriday@ufl.edu. Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
‘A Terribly Sad Day In Pensacola’: Toddler Killed, Man Injured In Shooting
July 15, 2011
A 19-month old toddler was shot and killed Friday afternoon in Pensacola in an incident that also left a 21-year old man in the hospital with a gunshot wound.
“It’s a terribly sad day in Pensacola when the actions of some people result in the death of an innocent child,” Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons said.
Police said 19 month-old Tyquaris Moultrie was killed and his uncle, 21 year-old Vincent Dennis, was injured in the shooting just after 2 p.m. at Pensacola Village. The police chief said an altercation over drugs is believed to have led to multiple shots being fired into an apartment.
Witnesses said three to four males ran from the scene after the shooting. Simmons said officers are pursuing leads on suspects.
“We have all available manpower working on this case, and are not going to rest until we take those who are responsible into custody,” said Simmons.
Moultrie was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital where he died a short time later. Dennis also was taken to a local hospital for treatment.