Northview, Jay Both Lose In Region 1-2A Quarterfinals (With Photo Gallery)
April 28, 2011
The Northview Chiefs and the Jay Royals are both out of the Region 1-2A tournament after disappointing losses Wednesday.
The Northview Lady Chiefs (15-10) lost to the Sneads Pirates 6-2 in a Bratt quarterfinal game. Sophomore Misty Doran pitched all seven innings for Northview, allowing seven hits, six runs and striking out three. Northview hitters included Shawna Montgomery 2-4 with a double and RBI, Doran and Ashley Digmon who was 3-4.
On the road in Bonifay, the Jay Lady Royals lost to Holmes County 8-6.
Sneads and Holmes County will battle it out Friday night for the regional championship.
For a photo gallery from the Northview vs. Sneads game, click here.
Pictured top: Senior Shawna Montgomery at bat for the Lady Chiefs. Pictured inset: Senior Ashely Digmon make a catch for an out Thursday evening in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
House Balking At Higher Fla. Medicaid Reimbursements
April 28, 2011
The Senate’s top health-budget writer fired back Wednesday night at House opposition to a plan that would funnel more money to physicians who treat Medicaid patients. Senate budget negotiators released a revised proposal to increase Medicaid rates by $243.7 million for primary-care physicians.
That was lower than a $338 million Senate proposal earlier in the day.
But House negotiators balked at increasing the payment rates, linking the issue to the House’s refusal to carry out last year’s federal health-care overhaul. That federal law calls for similar physician-rate increases in 2013 and 2014.
Negron, however, said many doctors do not want to treat Medicaid patients because of low rates. He said the Senate has long wanted increases — regardless of the federal law.
“We’ve been talking about this for a long time before that,’’ Negron said. The physician issue is one of several major differences between the House and Senate as they try to agree on a health and human-services budget. Senate negotiators tinkered Wednesday night with one of those issues — slightly reducing a proposal to slash funding for adult mental-health programs.
But House Health Care Appropriations Chairman Matt Hudson, R-Naples, made clear that negotiating teams might not be able to resolve the major differences. If that is the case, top House and Senate leaders would have to negotiate the issues, which also include cutting nursing-home and hospital Medicaid rates and potentially cutting the Medically Needy program.
“I’m not sure, quite honestly, where we’re going to get on some of these big substantive items,” Hudson said.
By The News Service Of Florida
Senate Pres: Budget Will Have Tax Cuts, But Probably Not Scott’s
April 28, 2011
Gov. Rick Scott once again said Wednesday that he was confident that lawmakers would eventually approve his plan to begin phasing out the corporate income tax before they leave Tallahassee next week. Legislative leaders once again all but said Scott wouldn’t get it.
In what is shaping up as one of the more intriguing back-and-forths between the new governor and the Legislature, Scott continued what has been a daily refrain that, despite all signs to the contrary, his proposals would find new life soon enough.
“We have a great speaker. We have a great Senate president,” Scott said. “They believe the same way I do that tax cuts are important to get our economy going again. So I’m convinced that we’ll have them.”
Still, no such move appeared forthcoming as lawmakers began to huddle in House-Senate conference committee aimed at banging out agreements between the two chambers’ versions of the spending plan.
Sen. Don Gaetz, the Niceville Republican who chairs the conference committee handling tax issues, compared Scott’s drive for the tax cuts with one of his personal goals.
“I continue to express confidence that I will lose 20 pounds,” he said after the committee’s original meeting.
Asked what that might mean about the realism of the governor’s hopes, Gaetz said: “I had a salad for dinner last night.”
The agreement on the broad contours of a budget deal reached earlier this week by House and Senate leaders call for $136.1 million for economic development and tax cuts, but only $30 million of that is recurring.
Senate President Mike Haridopolos (pictured) said he did expect tax relief and perhaps a rollback of some of the fee increases lawmakers approved in 2009. But the corporate income plan was notably missing from his list of possible targets: driver’s license fees, research and development tax cuts and a back-to-school sales tax holiday.
“I’ve had very few people in my career come to me and say the reason why they did not come to the state of Florida is because of the corporate tax rate,” he said. “But the governor, again, is an equal partner, and we want to try to help him along in his process with his priorities.”
Lawmakers were close to a deal on some of the tax-cut provisions after an evening meeting of the committee handling those issues.
Haridopolos said that the size of the relief offered by lawmakers would likely be more than $30 million in recurring money, though he didn’t specify how much. He noted that lawmakers were initially skeptical about their ability to do any tax cuts in the session, focusing instead on closing a $3.75 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes.
“If we can get to some tax relief, we’d be very pleased with our progress,” Haridopolos said.
But the Senate president said that even without a deal on the business tax, which was one of the central planks of Scott’s economic plan in his 2010 campaign, the governor could consider his first session a success when it came to gaining ground on his campaign pledges: To set Florida apart from other mega-states like California and Texas in terms of its economic development climate.
“I think his No. 1 campaign promise is to be seen as the most business friendly state in the country,” Haridopolos said.
By Brandon Larrabee
The News Service Florida
Century Mayor: Loss Of A Hospital Can Devastate A Town
April 28, 2011
As a public meeting is planned for tonight in Jay to addresses rumored changes to the lease on the town’s non-profit hospital, Century Mayor Freddie McCall said he can sympathize with Jay’s concerns.
When Century’s hospital was closed several years ago, it was a prelude to the downfall of the community and the eventual closure of the town’s schools, McCall said.
“We’ve been there; I know what it’s going to do to their town if they lose the hospital,” McCall said. “It’s going to be a disaster.”
Any major changes at Jay Hospital will only serve to hurt Century, McCall said.
“Jay Hospital is very, very important to us in Century and the surrounding area,” he said. “People without transportation already have to hire someone to take them from Century eight miles to Jay. If that hospital closes, it’s going to be a sad thing.”
For more about possible changes at Jay Hospital and a planned public meeting, click here.
Pictured top: Century’s former hospital. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
House, Senate Panels Approved Judicial Review For Hospital Sales, Leases
April 28, 2011
As residents of Jay and surrounding areas meet tonight to discuss a rumored sale or lease change for Jay Hospital (more…), Florida House and Senate committees have approved bills that would create new barriers to selling or leasing public hospitals.
The issue has touched off a fierce lobbying battle, with for-profit hospitals pushing the measures and public hospitals and the Florida Hospital Association opposing them.
The bills (HB 619 and SB 1448) would lead to circuit judges having to sign off on sales or leases of public hospitals. Supporters say the proposals would make such deals more transparent and ensure they are fair.
“All I’m trying to do is protect the taxpayers, simple as that,’’ said Senate sponsor Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah.
But opponents say the state already has a law that protects taxpayers. They also said public-hospital boards of directors — rather than judges — should make the decisions about the taxpayer-funded facilities.
“Public trustees, we believe, will make the best decisions for their community, because they’re there,’’ said Rich Rasmussen, a lobbyist for the Florida Hospital Association.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5-2 Monday to approve its version of the bill, while the House Health & Human Services Committee voted 11-5 to approve its proposal.
HB 619 is ready to go to the full House, while SB 1448 is assigned to two more committees — a potential problem with less than two weeks left in the legislative session.
The bills would set criteria for judges to review hospital sales or leases, such as whether the deals are at “fair market value.” If a deal is not at fair-market value, the judge would have to consider whether the “public interest will be served.’’
The Senate version also raises the possibility that proposed sales or leases could go to voter referendums instead of court reviews. But that proposal drew little attention Monday, as debate focused on potential judicial review.
House sponsor, Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said his version could affect as many as 23 hospitals. Eight publicly-owned hospitals would be exempt because they have not been supported by property taxes or other local tax dollars within the past five years.
For-profit hospital companies, including Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Health Management Associates, have expressed support for the bills during committee meetings.
Tenet lobbyist Steve Uhlfelder said the bill would make sure investor-owned companies have an opportunity to compete if public hospitals will be sold or leased.
“We want fairness in the process,’’ Uhlfelder said.
But Mark Delegal, a lobbyist for the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, which includes public hospitals, said he thinks for-profit companies have two possible motives.
Delegal said for-profit companies might want to thwart the sales of public hospitals, which could put those public hospitals at a competitive disadvantage. On the other extreme, he said another possibility is that for-profit companies are trying to set the stage to buy public hospitals.
A central part of the debate has been a proposed merger between the public Bert Fish Medical Center in Volusia County and the private Adventist Health System. The deal died after it was revealed that the Bert Fish board violated the state’s Sunshine Law by repeatedly holding closed-door meetings about the issue.
Health Management Associates, which is based in Naples, also sought to reach a deal with Bert Fish, according to reports in The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Barney Bishop, president of Associated Industries of Florida, a business group that includes for-profit hospitals, used the Bert Fish situation to rebut arguments that local hospital boards should be trusted.
“Are you kidding me? … Absolutely not,” Bishop told the House committee.
But Ron Book, a lobbyist for the North and South Broward hospital districts and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, said Bert Fish’s violation of the open-government law shouldn’t be used to impugn other hospital boards across the state. He said that is “simply wrong.’’
Near Mistrial In Stallworth Trial
April 28, 2011
There was nearly a mistrial Wednesday in the trial of Billings murder suspect Donnie Stallworth when a star witness almost refused to testify.
Donnie Stallworth is facing two counts of first degree murder in connection with the shooting deaths of the Beulah couple in July 2009 — one of seven people charged in the double murder. The former Air Force staff sergeant went on trail last month, but a judge declared a mistrial after a jury could not decide his fate during nine hours of deliberations.
Tuesday, co-defendant Rakeem Florence testified against the Brewton man in his second trial, claiming that Stallworth picked up a gun while inside the Billings home. Florence pleaded to a lesser charge of second degree murder under an agreement to testify against other defendants, including Stallworth.
But Wednesday, Florence did not want to testify, telling prosecutors that he wanted to withdraw his plea. Florence’s attorney was called, who in turn called Florence’s mother. A couple of hours later, Florence was back on the witness stand.
As Stallworth’s trial continues Thursday, co-defendant Freddy Thornton is expected to testify against Stallworth.
Main Street Sewage Plant Shuts Down, Sending Everything To Cantonment
April 28, 2011
Today is the last day for the old Main Street sewage plant in downtown Pensacola as all of ECUA’s wastewater will finally be processed in Cantonment.
The 70-year old plant has been operating partially since ECUA opened the new $316-million Central Water Reclamation Facility15 miles north in Cantonment last August. But beginning Monday, ECUA plans to begin shutting down the old downtown plant that locals affectionately refer to as “Old Stinky”.
The new plant sits on 2,000 acres of land adjacent to Ascend Performance Materials (formerly Solutia) on Old Chemstrand Road near Cantonment. A full 15 miles north of the existing Main Street Treatment Plant, the facility is well above the flood plain and is built to resist hurricane-force winds. Redundant power and storage systems help to ensure that the facility can remain operational during conditions that crippled the Main Street plant during Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Reclaimed water from the Cantonment facility is provided to Gulf Power and International Paper for use at their facilities.
Originally designed and constructed in 1937, the Main Street plant underwent numerous expansions in the 1970’s and mid-1990’s. According to projected plans, the anticipated time frame for dismantling the old facility is about 9-12 months once the ECUA awards the contract to a bidder sometime this spring.
Pictured top: The Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia’s Murder Rate Highest In The State
April 28, 2011
Escambia County had the highest murder rate in Florida during 2010, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement statistics.
There were more murders per 100,000 people in Escambia County than any other county last year — including Duval and Miami-Dade counties. There were 29 murders in Escambia County last year, 11 more than 2009 and almost three times more than 2005 and 2006.
Of the 29 murders in 2010, 16 involved a firearm, five involved a knife or other cutting instrument, three involved hands or fists and five were classified as “other”. Just four were considered to be domestic violence incidents.
Byrneville Elementary Honors Three Outstanding Students
April 28, 2011
Byrneville Elementary School is honoring three outstanding students. They are (L-R) Byrneville Elementary’s Student of the Year Shellie Harrelson, Cox Inspirational Hero Award winner Anna Belle Barberree, and the fourth grade’s Shining Star award winner Peyton Newsome. Also pictured is Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan. Submitted photo by Candice Thornton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Good Samaritan Victim Of Robbery, Kidnapping And Theft
April 27, 2011
A Good Samaritan act earlier today led to a carjacking, kidnapping and theft.
Brenda Bartley, 50, was working at Pine Summit Baptist Church in the 2000 block of Bellview Avenue around 8:30 a.m., when she unlocked the doors for a local homeless man. She told deputies that the man, known only to her as J.R., was a regular visitor of the church and she often provided him with food.
Once inside the church, the man told Bartley that he had a gun and pointed something at her and demanded her car keys. The man, after asking Bartley where she banked, forced her to drive him to Harvester’s Credit Union, at the intersection of Highway 98 and Blue Angel Parkway, where he made her withdraw money from her bank account.
Bartley was then forced to drive to the Tom Thumb, located at the intersection of Lillian Highway and Bauer Road, where she was told to fill her vehicle up with gas.
Bartley then drove to the dead end of South Fairfield Drive where she was released. Bartley walked to the Circle K at Fairfield Drive and Gulf Beach Highway and called the Sheriff’s Office at 9:43 a.m.
The suspect has been described as a white male in his fifties, 5-foot 9-inches tall with a thin build. He is said to have a mustache and sandy blonde or gray hair.
The victim’s car is a gray, 4-door Honda Accord with a Florida license plate.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.