State Farm Ordered To Provide $120 Million In Discounts To Current, Former Customers
September 10, 2008
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty announced Tuesday that he has ordered State Farm Florida to issue credits or refunds totaling $120 million to current and former policyholders who did not apply for or who did not receive the Windstorm Loss Reduction Rating Plan discount for making their homes more resistant to wind damage.
In addition, State Farm must pay a $1 million penalty to the Florida Insurance Regulatory Trust Fund.
“I am very pleased that State Farm policyholders will now be getting the appropriate monetary credit for the important wind mitigation devices they put on their homes,” said Commissioner McCarty. “Taking steps to fortify our homes against wind damage is very important. Everything Florida consumers can do to reduce storm damage helps to keep property insurance costs down.”
The order follows a July notice to State Farm of an investigation by the Office into whether the company was properly implementing the mitigation discount program. As the result of an internal review, State Farm identified about 98,000 current or former policyholders to whom it will provide credits or refunds.
State Farm policyholders, who are entitled to the refunds will receive a notice from the company. They include policyholders who currently have, or did have, a homeowners, renters, condominium unit owners, apartment or condominium association policy.
Refunds will be credited to the renewal premium for all renewing policyholders entitled to the refund; or the company will issue a check. Former policyholders or those to whom State Farm has sent a nonrenewal notice prior to today will receive a check within 180 days. In addition, the refund must include 7 percent interest on the amount due to each policyholder until paid.
State Farm has 90 days to prepare the credit or refund process and 365 days for all credits or refunds to be issued. The company must then provide a signed certification, by a company officer, within 30 days of the date the last credit or refund is issued. The Office of Insurance Regulation will conduct a follow-up compliance audit in 12 months.
Two Different Single Vehicle Accidents In North Escambia Tuesday
September 10, 2008
Authorities responded to a one vehicle accident on Highway 97 in Davisville Tuesday afternoon, but the driver of the car was no where to be found.
The accident happened about 4:25 p.m. on Highway 97 just south of Meadows Road. The vehicle left the roadway, struck a culvert and became airborne before landing back on the side of Highway 97.
When Atmore Ambulance the the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Department arrived on scene, the driver of the vehicle could not be located.
In a separate incident, one person was injured in a single vehicle accident on Rockaway Creek Road about 6:00 Tuesday morning.
The driver of a Hyundai Tucson lost control and struck a tree on Rockaway Creek Road just south of Circle Road. That is about a mile south of the Alabama state line in the Nokomis community.
The driver was transported from the scene with non-life threatening injuries by Atmore Ambulance.
The Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the call.
Both accidents are under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured above: The driver of this car could not be immediately located after an accident on Highway 97 in Davisville Tuesday afternoon. Pictured below: One person was injured in this single vehicle accident on Nokomis Road Tuesday morning. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
EWMS Beats T.R. Miller On The Volleyball Court
September 10, 2008
Ernest Ward Middle School’s volleyball team upped their season record to 5-0 Tuesday afternoon with a win over T.R. Miller.
Tuesday’s win on the road was the first for the Eagles against Brewton’s T.R. Miller in several years.
The Eagles are now 5-0 on the season with just two games remaining.
West Nile Case Reported In Escambia County
September 10, 2008
The Escambia County Health Department has issued a Health Alert for West Nile virus following the report of the first adult case of West Nile Virus since 2006. Residents and visitors are urged to take the necessary precautions to avoid being bitten by an infected mosquito.
The infected person in an elderly male that lives south of Interstate 10. But with the risk of West Nile, residents in North Escambia should follow the “5 D’s of Prevention” as well.
Mobile County (AL) authorities announced on Tuesday one confirmed and two suspected cases of West Nile.
The 5 D’s of Prevention
• Dusk and Dawn: Do not go outdoors when mosquitoes are seeking blood during the
twilight hours of dusk and at dawn.
• Dress: Wear clothing that covers most of your skin.
• DEET: When the potential exists for exposure to mosquitoes, repellents containing
DEET are recommended. Check labels before using a product on infants and children. If
an infant is too young to wear repellent and must be outdoors, a parent should place
mosquito netting over the infant’s carrier. Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are other
repellent options for individuals who cannot wear DEET.
• Drainage: Check around your home to rid the area of standing water, which is where
mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Elimination of breeding sites is one of the keys to
prevention.
• Screens: Make sure window and door screens are in good condition, without any tears
or holes that allow mosquitoes to enter your home. Place screens on open windows.
Eliminate Mosquito Breeding Sites
• Clean out eaves, troughs and gutters.
• Remove old tires or drill holes in those used in playgrounds to drain.
• Turn over or remove empty plastic pots.
• Pick up all beverage containers and cups.
• Check tarps on boats or other equipment that may collect water.
• Pump out bilges on boats.
• Replace water in birdbaths and pet or other animal feeding dishes at least once a week.
• Change water in plant trays, including hanging plants, at least once a week.
• Remove vegetation or obstructions in drainage ditches that prevent the flow of water.
What is West Nile Virus?
• West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness – about one in 150 people infected with
WNV will develop severe illness.
• The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor,
disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness
and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may
be permanent.
• Mild Symptoms in Some: Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have
symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes
swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last
for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several
weeks.
• No Symptoms in Most People: Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5)
who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.
The Dewey Decimals Do Balloons
September 10, 2008
The office (that word by the way, stems from the Latin officium), of the person highly trained in the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs at the Century Branch Library was filled with He, a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert monatomic chemical element that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table and whose atomic number is 2.
In other words, it was Century Library Librarian Pat Rigel’s birthday today, and her office was filled with balloons by her coworkers. The balloons were filled with He…helium.
She said this was birthday number 29, again.
And, by the way, if you did not understand all that in the first paragraph, those definitions are just one of the many things you can learn at the Century Branch Library.
One Injured In Nokomis Accident
September 9, 2008
One person was injured in a single vehicle accident on Rockaway Creek Road about 6:00 this morning.
The driver of a Hyundai Tucson lost control and struck a tree on Rockaway Creek Road just south of Circle Road. That is about a mile south of the Alabama state line in the Nokomis community.
The driver was transported from the scene with non-life threatening injuries by Atmore Ambulance.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the call.
Century Council To Discuss And Approve Budget Today
September 9, 2008
The Town of Century will hold a budget workshop and special meeting this afternoon to finalize next year’s budget.
The budget workshop will being at 5:15 and the special meeting will follow at approximately 6:00. Both the workshop and meeting are open to the public.
The town’s accountant, Robert Hudson, told the town council last week that they need to approve a budget early next week in order to hold a public hearing on that budget by September 11.
The budget for the next fiscal year has a $255,000 deficit, according to Council president Ann Brooks. “We have a much larger shortfall than we’ve been having,” she said at the council’s meeting.
The $255,000 shortfall assumes the council chooses a cheaper health plan for town employees. The town currently pays about $161,000 a year for health benefits, but that number would rise to $212,000 if they council did not make a health benefit change. Brooks said one plan being considered would cost the town about $150,000 per year.
At this afternoon’s workshop meeting, the council is to finalize their choice of health insurance plans, and to insert numbers they are getting from quotes for workman’s comp, liability and life insurance into the budget.
A first public hearing on the budget will be held at 5:01 p.m. on Thursday, September 11 for public input on the budget.
Volleyball: NHS Varsity Girls Down Flomaton; Flomaton JV Wins
September 9, 2008
Northview’s Chiefs downed the Flomaton Hurricanes in varsity girl’s volleyball Monday night.
Northview took three out of five: 25-17, 25-22 and 16-14. Flomaton took two: 25-22 and 25-20.
For Northview, Angela Rodriguez had two kills and five aces. Sophomore Shawna Montgomery had one dig, three blocks, eight aces and a couple of kills against Flomaton.
Senior Brittney Thompson had four block and nine kills. Candice Greenwell had five aces, and junior Caitlin Hall had one block, four aces and 11 blocks.
The Northview and Flomaton JV teams also played Monday night with Flomaton winning.
Click here for a complete photo gallery from Flomaton at Northview volleyball.
Pictured above and below: Nothview seniors Angela Rodriguez (#24) and Brittney Thompson (#5) go up for a block against Flomaton Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
County Leaders Talk Fire Unification Plan With Local Volunteer Firefighters
September 9, 2008
Top county leaders brought their message of a unified county fire department to firefighters in Walnut Hill Monday night. The unification of Escambia County’s volunteer fire departments is on schedule to be completed by October 1.
Last week, county leaders explained the new consolidated fire department to the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club (click here to read that story). Monday night, they presented that same message to the Walnut Hil Volunteer Fire Department, where volunteers questioned what their role in the new county department would be.
“It’’s been a lot of work and we’ve beat some issues for weeks, but we have hammered out the agreement for the benefit of all,” Escambia Fire Chief Ken Perkins said.
“The biggest issue is saying we are one organization,” he said. “There was a need to further define the organization.”
Some of the volunteer firefighters at the Monday meeting at the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department questioned what their role would be in the unified department.
“I just want to alleviate those feelings that the volunteers are going to be left out of the organization,” Perkins told the volunteers. “You guys know how to do business and should be applauded for that.”
“It is not a cookie cutter approach,” Mike Hardin, the county’s public safety bureau chief, said. “Fire suppression is as different in Walnut Hill as it is in Pensacola Beach. We understand it is different in the north end.”
“This is evolutionary, not revolutionary,” County Administrator Bob McLaughlin told the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department. “The bottom line is that we are here to protect people’s lives and property.”
Just as he told the Ruritan Club last Thursday night, Perkins told the volunteers of the benefits that he believes will come as a result of the fire department unification plan in Escambia County.
From the cost savings and improved efficiency of a centralized warehouse and purchasing system, to improved communications, to physical exams and background checks for firefighters, Perkins discussed the benefits of the new system.
Improved training was another thing Perkins said the fire department consolidation plan will bring. He assured the firefighters in Walnut Hill Monday night that there would be training classes held in North Escambia for firefighters from Walnut Hill, Century, McDavid and Molino.
He also said paid firefighters that are currently stationed weekdays at Century and Molino would be allowed to work flex time and participate in night training with the volunteers in North Escambia.
Another issue Perkins discussed is the reduction of departments to staff vehicles. Currently, several officers from the volunteer departments are provided with fire vehicles to take home or wherever they may be. This allows them a faster response time because they do not have to return to a fire station to get a truck. Under the consolidation plan, departments would be limited to two staff vehicles.
Perkins said those vehicles would be rotated among officers able to respond to calls.
“The intent is to share vehicles,” he said. “You very seldom have three staff vehicles running calls. We do think we can use them more efficiently.”
Under the unification plan, the following vehicle change will occur at North Escambia volunteer fire departments:
- Cantonment: Reduce to two staff vehicles. Retire 1986 GMC mini pumper.
- Century: Reduce to two staff vehicles. Change 1995 Tele-Squirt to reserve status. Change 1997 Spartan Pumper to reserve status.
- McDavid: Reduce to two staff vehicles.
- Molino: Reduce to two staff vehicles.
- Walnut Hill: Reduce to two staff vehicles. Retire 1981 rescue truck.
The unification also comes with tougher standards for volunteer firefighters, including dozens of hours of training and the ability to pass a doctor’s physical exam at the county’s expense. The requirements also specify that a firefighter will hold a high school diploma or a GED certificate.
Those tougher training requirements would not apply to support personnel volunteers, such as those that volunteer around fire stations doing tasks like paperwork and washing trucks.
The unification plan must still be approved by the Escambia County Commission before it becomes final.
Click here to read the entire unification plan. (63 pages, 3.73 Mb pdf)
North Escambia Residents Slowly Ordering DTV Coupons; HD News Here
September 8, 2008
Residents in the North Escambia area are slowly jumping on the bandwagon and ordered their free $40 coupons for the upcoming switch to digital television in February 2009. The deadline to switch to digital TV is fast approaching, and it became a bit closer last night when WEAR-TV 3 became the first in the market to product a high definition newscast.
In Century’s 32535 zip code, 649 coupons had been requested as of last week. That’s up from 189 coupons had been requested as of the first week of May.
In the McDavid/Walnut Hill 32568 zip, 587 coupons had been requested as of last week, up 215 the first week of May.
A total of 587 coupons had been requested in the Molino 32577 zip by the end of last week. There had been 244 requested by the first week of May in the Molino zip.
WEAR-TV 3 became the first station in the market to broadcast a newscast in high definition last night at 10:00 when they introduced their new set. It features a modern design, 30 high-def monitors and an anchor desk that can be rotated 180 degrees.
The government is handing out $40 coupons to anyone that asks to help purchase the converter box, but so far the number of people requesting the coupons in North Escambia is relatively low. Each person is allowed to request up to two coupons. The coupon supply is limited. When the coupon allotment is exhausted, those that have not requested coupons will not receive the $40 savings. The deadline to switch to digital TV is February 17. After that date, viewers on a regular analog TV will just see “snow”.
While those watching satellite or cable television, or those with digital tuner TV will not be required to connect a converter box in order to continue watching their favorite broadcast stations, a converter box would be required in order to watch TV when the satellite or cable system was not working.
If you do have cable or satellite television, having a DTV converter box may open up programs that you are unable to watch on local stations. WKRG channel 5 is currently running their weather radar 24 hours a day on their station 5-2. Channel 15, WPMI, is running a weather station “WeatherPlus” on station 15-2. If you like public television, a converter box will get you not only the normal public TV stations 23 and 42, but also five additonal public TV stations on the subchannels for WSRE and WEIQ. (Each digital station may have more than one channel. For instance, WSRE 23 on a normal analog TV become three stations…23-1, 23-2 and 23-3… with different programming on a digital box).
In to order a $40 converter box coupon from the government, visit dtv2009.org or call 1-888-DTV-2009. The boxes sell at retail from about $40 to $70.
Here is more information from the dtv2009 web site:
On February 17, 2009, all full-powered television stations will begin broadcasting only in digital, as required by law. To assist U.S. households with this historic transition, the National Telecommunication and Information Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program to help Americans continue receiving over-the-air television after February 17, 2009.
Why is television going from analog broadcasting to digital?
The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires broadcasters to broadcast only in digital after February 17, 2009. Digital television promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up some of the nation’s airwaves for use by emergency responders.
What is the significance of the February 17, 2009 digital TV transition date?
If households receive television programs over-the-air using “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna, they must take action to continue using their analog TVs after February 17, 2009. Consumers have three options, which include 1) buying a converter box that will plug into their current analog TV, 2) buying a TV with a digital tuner or 3) connecting their analog TV to cable, satellite or other pay service.
How can the public obtain a $40 coupon toward purchasing an eligible converter box?
From now through March 31, 2009, all U.S. households are able to request, on a first-come, first-served basis, up to two, $40 coupons to help pay for the cost of a certified converter box. Converter boxes are expected to cost between $40 and $70, however, it is a one-time cost with no monthly service charges. Coupons will expire 90 days after they are mailed and cannot be replaced.
For more information about the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, or to apply for coupons, visit www.DTV2009.gov or call toll free 1-888-388-2009 (1-888-DTV-2009). The hearing impaired may call the TTY number 1-877-530-2634 for information in English, and for information in Spanish, consumers can call TTY number 1-866-495-1161. Consumers can also request and submit a coupon application by mailing PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208 or by faxing 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632).
Where can the public buy a coupon-eligible converter?
Coupon-eligible converter boxes are only available at certified stores and online retailers where televisions and other consumer electronics are sold, as well as by mail-order. When the coupon is mailed to you, it will include an insert with a list of nearby, participating retailers. You can also go online at www.DTV2009.gov, enter your zip code, and locate participating retailers on a map.
What can the public do to plan for the transition?
Now is the time to identify whether any TV in your home is analog and receives over-the-air programming through “rabbit ears” or a rooftop antenna. Television viewers with these sets that are not connected to a pay TV service will need to take action before February 17, 2009, to ensure their TV sets continue to work. It is important to know your options and make sure your family, friends and neighbors are aware of whether they need to take action before the transition date. The important thing is that no one is left in the dark on February 17, 2009.