District Baseball Tourney Brackets Set
April 24, 2011
District baseball tournament brackets have been set for three North Escambia area teams — Northview, Jay and Tate.
District 1-2A at Jay
GAME 1: No. 5 Ponce De Leon vs. No. 4 Freeport, 4 p.m. Monday
GAME 2: No. 6 Pensacola Christian vs. No. 3 Baker, 7 p.m. Monday
GAME 3: Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 Northview, 4 p.m. Tuesday
GAME 4: Game 2 winner vs. No. 2 Jay, 7 p.m. Tuesday
CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 3winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m. Thursday
District 1-5A at Escambia
GAME 1: No. 3 Milton vs. No. 6 Pine Forest, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
GAME 2: No. 4 Navarre vs. No. 5 Escambia, 7 p.m. Tuesday
GAME 3: Game 1 winner vs. No. 2 Tate, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday
GAME 4: Game 2 winner vs. No. 1 Pace, 7 p.m. Wednesday
CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m. Thursday.
Entire Area Officially In A Severe Drought
April 24, 2011
The North Escambia area is now officially in a severe drought, with no significant rainfall in weeks.
The U.S. Drought Monitor map published this week shows all of Escambia County, Florida and most of Santa Rosa County and Escambia County, Alabama as being in a severe drought, while nearby areas are in a moderate drought.
Our warm, dry spring weather will continue into next week. There is a slight 20-30 percent chance of rain by Tuesday and Wednesday as a cold front approaches the area.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is published by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln using a variety of climatic data.
NorthEscambia.com/U.S. Drought Monitor graphic, click to enlarge.
Jay Pro Rodeo Next Weekend
April 24, 2011
The 9th Annual Jay Pro Rodeo is coming up next weekend.
Rodeo events including pro bull riding, calf and team roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and more will take place next Friday and Saturday nights, April 29-30 beginning at 8:00.
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. Parking is free, and concessions will be available. All proceeds benefit area youth programs and the Jay Relay for Life. The event is sponsored by the Jay High School Quarterback Club and Ted May Arena, and sanctioned by the Tri-State Rodeo Association.
Ted May arena is a half mile east of the red light on Highway 4 in Jay. For more information, contact Fredrick Barrow at (850) 675-1646.
Photos: Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church ‘Eggstravaganza’
April 24, 2011
Dozens of area children took part in the annual “Eggstravaganza” Saturday at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church in Bogia.
Over 400 eggs were hidden from children ages pre-school to fifth grade. While the adults hid the eggs, the children stayed inside and played jelly bean Easter bingo and other games. After the egg hunt, the children enjoyed refreshments including cupcakes.
Organizers said a great time was had by all.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Do you have photos of an event at your church? Email them news@northescambia.com
Submitted photos by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Shiloh Free Will Baptist Egg Hunt
April 24, 2011
Shiloh Free Will Baptist Church in Bratt held an Easter egg hunt Saturday.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Do you have photos of an event at your church? Email them news@northescambia.com
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Bratt Assembly Of God Egg Hunt
April 24, 2011
Bratt Assembly of God recently held an Easter egg hunt. Children were also treated to arts and crafts, a bounce house and more.
Do you have photos of an event at your church? Email them news@northescambia.com
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Rate Increase Boosts State Farm Insurance Outlook
April 24, 2011
A premium increase granted by Florida is putting State Farm and other insurers in a better credit light, Moody’s said this week.
In its “Weekly Credit Report,” the rating agency said that several personal-lines insurers have had volatility in earnings despite the recent quiet hurricane seasons.
In Florida, insurers complain that sinkhole claims have gone up beyond what is a reasonable assumption for how many actual sinkholes should have occurred, and those claims have replaced hurricanes in terms of the biggest problems for the companies here in the last couple years.
The Office of Insurance Regulation’s approval of an 18.8 percent rate increase for State Farm “allows the company to remain in a market where its non-catastrophe losses increased by 94 percent over the past three years, primarily from increased sinkhole claims,” Moody’s said, even though the increase was below the 28 percent sought by State Farm.
Save The Children Benefit: 13,000 Mile Canoe Trip Begins In North Escambia
April 23, 2011
An Oklahoma couple began a 13,000 mile canoe trip called “Paddle-to-the-Sea” in North Escambia Saturday to support the non-profit group Save The Children.
Jim Neal, 67, started his journey at Becks Fish Camp in Cantonment and will continue for about three years as his wife Jean. 69, follows as closely as possible in a support vehicle.
She will carry extra gear, provide re-provisioning of food and supplies, and be available to help with any emergency situations. Jim will carry a SPOT satellite beacon to provide on going track of his position. The boat being used is a decked solo canoe called a Superior Expedition, built by Scott Smith, of Lyons, Michigan. At first look, it has some similarity with a kayak, but has more internal volume, a larger cockpit, and is noted for its seaworthiness. The boat’s name is Ibi (pron. EYE-be), the Timuquan Indian word for water.
Jim and Jean may seem to be an unlikely expedition team, being in their latter 60’s, but Jim hopes if he can put out the effort to drive the canoe through challenging waters, currents, tides, adverse weather, and to some pretty wild camping areas, perhaps he can inspire others to get involved and cheer him on through support for Save The Children.
Save The Children was founded in Appalachia 75 years ago in response to the Great Depression to address children’s needs for food, medical care, education, and other effects of poverty and disaster. Their efforts expanded onto the national stage to advocate for the creation of the School Lunch Program and fight illiteracy.
“Jean and I have been involved in children’s programs often over the years, and I thought my fundraising days were over, but then the Japan disaster came along. When the four-month-old baby girl was pulled from the wreckage after being buried alive for four days after the tsunami, I began to think about the likelihood that she was now alone in the world without any parents or other family,” Jim said. “When I checked to see what organizations were active in dealing with the catastrophe, Save The Children seemed to be the logical answer for the children suffering after the disaster, and a natural fit for us.”
Paddle-to-the-Sea will serve as a vehicle to raise donor funds to support Save The Children’s ongoing programs. Paddle-to-the-Sea first came about from a 1941 children’s book of that name, written by H. C. Holling. It was about a young native boy from Lake Nipigon who carved a wooden Native American in a canoe with the intent that he could float it through each of the Great Lakes and down the St. Lawrence Seaway to the sea.
Paddle-to-the-Sea was expanded by Verlen Kruger of Michigan as a 13,000 mile canoe expedition. He passed away from cancer before being able to accomplish this daunting feat of circumnavigating the Eastern United States via the Mississippi River, Gulf Coast, East Coast, the Hudson River, St. Lawrence Seaway, Canadian Maritimes, and circumnavigating each of the five Great Lakes.
Jim and Jean Neal then decided to pick up the journey themselves to benefit Save The Children. The entire 13,000 mile journey is expected to end sometime in 2014 back at Beck’s Fish Camp on the Escambia River.
Follow the adventure on Jim’s blog: logofibi.blogspot.com.
Pictured top: Jim Neal, 67, plans to paddle 13,000 miles in this canoe named Ibi. Pictured inset: Ibi arrives at Becks Lake in Cantonment. Pictured below: The journey begins here at Becks Fish Camp. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Century Easter Egg Hunt At Abundant Life Assembly
April 23, 2011
Abundant Life Assembly of God hosted an Easter Egg Hunt Friday morning at the church in Century. The event featured an egg hunt, plenty of games and lunch for dozens of children.
Do you have photos of an event at your church? Email them news@northescambia.com
Pictured: Children enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt Friday morning at Abundant Life Assembly of God in Century. Submitted photos by Cassie Cufr for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Weekly Government Roundup
April 23, 2011
With their Senate colleagues taking the week off to observe Passover and Easter, House members this week did some heavy lifting as the Republican-led chamber pushed through controversial measures on growth management and elections over a cacophony of dissent from Democrats who could do little but pound their chests.
Championing it as an anti-fraud measure, House leadership placed tighter restrictions on get-out-the vote groups and made it tougher for voters who have moved to cast ballots that count. Democrats said the elections bill was a thinly veiled attempt to say “No You Can’t” to the re-election of President Barack Obama.
While clamping down on the elections process, the chamber also voted along party lines to ease growth restrictions on local governments by allowing city and county officials more flexibility in determining what their communities will look and rolling back state oversight that has come under fire.
But despite their considerable clout, legislative leaders have been unable to come to agreement on the dimensions of the budget playing field, a disconnect that has stalled negotiations again and prompted even the most optimistic leader to warn lawmakers not to make too many plans for the month of May.
Gov. Rick Scott, Florida’s marketer in chief, brought his message of hope to the Panhandle this week, dining on seafood, slathering on sunscreen and strolling on sugar sand beaches all the while urging tourists to return a year after a fire, explosion and 87-day spill from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig shut down the region at a cost of more than $1 billion in tourism related revenue alone.
ELECTIONS
The 157-page election bill (HB 1355) cleared the House on a 79-37 vote after hours of questions and spirited debate over two days. It still needs Senate approval.
Republican backers say the measure is a continuation of efforts dating back a decade to improve the state’s election process and guarantee registered voters- and only registered voters – can cast their ballots and have them count.
“Don’t you understand the damage you’ve done to everybody’s vote when you don’t guard the system?” asked Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who sponsored the measure.
But Democrats continued to slam the bill as little more than an attempt to undermine Obama’s re-election effort in 2012 by making it more difficult for the demographic that elected him – particularly young people in college – to cast their ballots in what is expected to again be a crucial swing state.
“It is my sincere hope that my former colleagues in the Senate reject this assault on Florida’s democratic process and defeat this effort to suppress the voting rights of all Floridians,” Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith said.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
The House passed a bill Thursday on a largely party-line vote that overhauls the state’s 25-year-old growth management laws. Republicans have complained for several years that that has slowed growth in the state. A similar growth bill passed in 2009 but has been tied up in court.
Under the bill (HB 7129), which still needs Senate approval, growth issues are largely left up to counties and cities, including whether to require developers to pay for roads, schools, parks and other infrastructure improvements. Backers say the current state oversight is “unnecessary and burdensome” at a time when the state’s economy is sputtering.
The bill also eliminates a state-mandated review of all changes to comprehensive plans. The Senate version (SB 1122) which makes similar changes, is now awaiting action in the Senate Budget Committee.
Many House Democrats fear the bill will spawn congestion and postpone needed public services by reducing state oversight of growth planning decisions. They argue that growth hasn’t been slowed by the state, but by the economy.
“We’ve never had a lot of complaints until the last couple of years when, because of the economy, all of the developments stopped,” said Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Key West. “Here we are, overreacting to the economy by trying to wipe out state oversight for growth management.”
BUDGET TALKS STALL
The House may have made short work of some controversial issues this week but not all sledding was good. House and Senate negotiators still have no agreement on funding allocations for specific parts of the budget.
The House has made an offer to the Senate on how much each part of the budget – education, health and human services and so on – should get. But so far, they’re not in agreement on those broad category amounts, with two weeks and two weekends to go before the scheduled end of the session.
“Today, I think we’re still where we were yesterday, which is we’re making some progress, but progress is sort of in the eye of the beholder,” a usually optimistic House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, told reporters on Thursday. “I still am confident that we’ll get done on time, but I’m not guaranteeing that we’ll get done on time.”
Among the biggest bones of contention between the two spending plans is how deeply to cut Medicaid spending. The Senate has taken deeper cuts and proposes changes to Medically Needy, an optional program, by cutting hospital and pharmaceutical benefits. The Senate is also proposing deeper cuts to hospital rates.
Waiting in the wings is Gov. Rick Scott, who said repeatedly this week that he still expects some type of corporate income tax cut to emerge from budget talks. Legislative leaders have said such cuts may not be in the cards, but this week an amendment emerged that would cut the corporate tax rate. The proposal, part of a tax bill (SB 1236) slated to be heard in two committees this week, could provide the governor the tax break he wants.
In other action, the Florida House overwhelmingly approved a plan Thursday to curb prescription-drug abuse, after offering a glimpse of how the “epidemic” is hitting their communities and families.
Reps. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, and Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, told House colleagues they have family members who have abused prescription drugs.
“I will tell you it’s devastating on everyone who comes in contact with it,” said Glorioso.
The House voted 116-1 to approve HB 7095, with only Rep. John Tobia, R-Melbourne, opposing it. The full Senate is ready to take up a bill (SB 818) that includes significant differences, and both chambers will have to agree on a final version.
UNIONS PUSHES BACK ON BARGAINING VOTE
Stung by a series of bills on employee pensions and the collection of union dues, a coalition of unions representing 20,000 employees pushed back this week. Union leaders representing workings in Orange, Volusia and Seminole Counties said they will withdraw union funds from banks that have aligned themselves with the Florida Chamber of Commerce in the fight to limit or prevent unions from being able to automatically deduct dues from public employee paychecks.
The Chamber aired television ads this week calling for passage of the measures (SB 830 and HB 1021.) The unions have targeted Bank of America, PNC Bank, Regions Bank, SunTrust and Wachovia, whose executives sit on the Chamber’s board of directors. They have urged their members to do the same with their personal accounts.
“We are all under attack and will respond by choosing to take our business elsewhere,” said Chris Sherburne, president of the Orange County firefighters union.
The Florida Chamber shrugged off the threat.
“While the latest union stunt may grab headlines, it fundamentally demonstrates the union leadership’s lack of understanding of how the economy works and how private sector jobs are created,” said Mark Williams, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber.
“THE FISH TASTE GOOD”
Putting on his barker hat, Gov. Rick Scott spent two days in the Florida Panhandle this week, marking the first anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster by eating seafood and walking along Florida’s Panhandle beaches in the hopes of luring visitors back to the region that relies on tourists and lost more than $1 billion in tourism business alone following the disaster.
Signs of life are returning to the region, which should benefit from an infusion of an additional $30 million in marketing money released by BP last week to bring new visitors and coax back the faithful who last summer went somewhere else and liked what they saw.
“The positive is, if you talked to people, bookings are up and our beaches are spotless. The fishing is good and the seafood tastes great,” Scott said Wednesday during a stop in Destin. “We were on a trajectory last year before the oil spill. We want to get back to that point.”
State officials also announced an additional $1 billion BP-backed effort to restore beaches, wetlands and other coastal ecosystems in all five Gulf states damaged or destroyed by the spill. Florida will get $100 million up front and be eligible for millions more under the agreement reached between the company and environmental officials from the states and the federal government.
But not all is rosy along the sun-backed coastline. Businesses and individuals are still awaiting payment from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which was set up to pay benefits to folks who lost businesses and their livelihoods due to the spill. Claims administrator Ken Feinberg has paid out nearly $4 billion in claims from the $20 billion fund, but many business owners say they’ve yet to see a check.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida