Forestry Field Day Scheduled
September 18, 2011
The Escambia County Extension Service will host a Forestry Field Day on Tuesday, September 20 at Krul Lake in the Blackwater Forest.
The program begins at 9:00 a.m. and will include identification and use of desirable native plants, overview of right-of-way/forestry herbicide equipment, invasive identification, wetland plant identification, and other topics. The program will conclude with a sponsored lunch.
For more information, contact Escambia County Extension Agent Libbie Johnson at (850) 475-5230, or by email at libbiej@ufl.edu. Continuing education units will be offered for
forestry, right-of-way and natural areas.
Weaver, Caum To Wed
September 18, 2011
Archie and Cheryl Weaver of Molino announce the upcoming marriage of their daughter, Meridith Lynn Weaver, to Marshall Keith Caum, son of Richard and Amy Caum.
Meridith is the granddaughter of W.A. and June Weaver and Charles and Barbara Hendrix. She is a 2007 graduate of Northview High School and is currently attending Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy Mobile Campus. She is pursuing her Doctorate of Pharmacy.
Marshall is the grandson of Richard and Patricia Caum and O.M. and Frances Hanks. He is a 2006 graduate of Northview High School. He graduated from University of South Alabama in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and currently works for Premier Engineering Group in Pensacola.
The couple will be united in marriage on Saturday, October 1 at 3:30 p.m. at Highland Baptist Church, 6240 Highway 95A North in Molino. A reception will follow at Palafox Wharf, 617 Palafox Street in Pensacola. All friends and relatives are invited and welcome to attend.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Hearings, Primaries, Budgets
September 18, 2011
Despite the return of summer temperatures, fall was definitely in the air this week with thoughts turning to upcoming committee hearings, presidential primaries and new budgets as agency heads prepared for yet another tight-fisted session.
Florida’s economy continues to sputter, and it was reported this week that the state’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in August. And the Legislature’s top economist warned of future revenue shortfalls.
Florida Republican leaders this week named members to a committee that will begin meeting next week to decide when to hold Florida’s 2012 presidential primary. Deliberations will likely spark national attention again as the swing state tries to make its case for prominence in the 2012 presidential race.
Also this week, Florida teachers took their fight over merit pay to the courts, while a federal judge in Miami put a cork in a National Rifle Association-backed law preventing physicians and other health care providers from asking their patients if they own guns.
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. customers meanwhile took their battle to Tampa in an effort to prevent sinkhole rate increases that could cost some homeowners thousands of dollars a year.
ECONOMY IDLES, REVENUE PICTURE DARKENS:
Florida’s unemployment rate held steady in August at 10.7 percent. While still 0.9 percentage points lower than a year earlier, the persistence of joblessness seem to underscore repeated warnings from economists that Florida’s recovery would be a prolonged affair.
Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said Wednesday that earlier projections of general-revenue growth this year and during the 2012-13 fiscal year will drop “fairly significantly.”
That means more difficult budget choices for lawmakers when they start the 2012 legislative session in January — though Baker said things won’t be as bad as during last spring’s session, when lawmakers faced a $3.6 billion shortfall. Analysts, including Baker and representatives of the governor’s office, House and Senate, are scheduled to meet Oct. 11 to revise general-revenue estimates.
“I believe that you will be looking at another tight session,” she concluded.
Tight budgets were also on the minds of agency heads who this week turned in their wish lists for the coming fiscal year. Some are already making their pitch for increasingly scarce funds. Department of Children and Families officials, for example, are asking lawmakers next year to bolster child-protective investigations.
An agency budget proposal submitted this week seeks tens of millions of dollars to add and retain child-protective investigators, improve technology and better coordinate efforts with local law enforcement.
The budget documents outline problems with high turnover among investigators, large caseloads and low pay. The proposal, which would need legislative approval next year, comes seven months after the death of 10-year-old Nubia Barahona showed the need for improvements.
Part of the proposal seeks $15.8 million to improve technology in the child-protection program, such as equipping investigators with mobile technology that would allow them to get case information remotely and also enter notes and details. DCF also wants to shift nearly $25.3 million into the child-protection program, including adding investigators, improving pay and providing money to local law enforcement to better coordinate in child-protection probes.
FLORIDA TEACHERS HEAD TO COURT
The Florida Education Association, meanwhile, went to court in Tallahassee to try to shoot down a merit pay law that ties the salaries of teachers and other school employees to student performance. The union says the new law is unlawful because it violates a right to collectively bargain for wages, contracts and promotions that is guaranteed in the state constitution.
“This sweeping change totally changed the teaching profession in Florida,” said FEA President Andy Ford during a press conference Wednesday.
The lawsuit sets the stage for another legal battle for the powerful teacher’s union with the Republican-controlled Legislature and conservative Gov. Rick Scott, both of whom were big supporters of not only the teacher merit pay law, but championed other laws that were opposed by unions and public employees.
“It is unfortunate that the labor union claiming to represent teachers has resisted every meaningful education reform for more than a decade,” responded Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson.
MEDICAID MANAGED CARE WALTZ CONTINUES
Federal Medicaid officials said this week they want changes to improve patient care and increase requirements on HMOs. One change would require the state to spend millions of dollars to bolster primary-care programs, while 20 hospitals would have to come up with projects to bolster the health of low-income people. The feds are also seeking to ensure that HMOs in the pilot program spend at least 85 percent of the money they receive on patient care.
On another insurance related front, five HMOs reached agreement with the state on an overhaul of the state-employee health insurance program. United Healthcare of Florida, meanwhile, continues to battle the changes in court. The agreements would tinker with a plan by the Florida Department of Management Services to offer only one HMO in each county to state employees. That plan touched off a legal battle, as United and two other HMOs stood to lose thousands of customers. Under the agreements, six counties — including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — would be served by two HMOs.
CITIZENS BOARD APPROVES RATE CAPT. WILL OIR FOLLOW?
Responding to pressure from homeowners, lawmakers and some high ranking state officials, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board members on Monday voted to cap proposed sinkhole rate hikes at 50 percent for the coming year as they try to make the state-backed program financially sound.
What remains to be seen is if state regulators will allow even those capped rates to go forward as they weigh the need for actuarially sound premiums against what the company has proposed.
In the backdrop is the economic distress and political backlash of increasing insurance premiums for people who when opening their bills don’t really think that much about whether the company is solvent and can pay claims.
Anticipating a proverbial angry mob at a public hearing scheduled in Tampa, Citizens’ board of governors voted to phase in premiums approved in July. By capping next year’s increase to 50 percent, board members hoped to cushion the blow to thousand of homeowners in sinkhole prone regions of the state.
The Office of Insurance Regulation has until Monday to approve those sinkhole premium hikes, averaging 428 percent statewide. During public testimony in Tampa, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty and other OIR officials outlined a long list of concerns over proposed hikes that would eventually raise annual sinkhole premiums in some regions by thousands of dollars a year.
“Without concrete data you are asking residents in some counties to pay $5,000 more,” McCarty said to the applause of several hundred “Sinkhole Alley” residents in attendance.
2012 HERE WE COME:
Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders announced the nine members of a committee that will select the state’s presidential primary date, bringing Florida closer to what seems like an inevitable confrontation with the national political parties.
Scott tapped former Gov. Bob Martinez; Jenn Ungru, Scott’s deputy chief of staff who oversees the Department of State; and former state Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee. Senate President Mike Haridopolos picked Sens. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine; Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah; and Gary Siplin, D-Orlando. House Speaker Dean Cannon appointed House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, and Reps. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland and Cynthia Stafford, D-Miami.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Citizen Property Insurance Corp. board approves a cap on sinkhole premium increases, an attempt to offset rate hikes that is some cases would surpass 2,000 percent. Meanwhile, state insurance regulators say they have concerns about the proposed rate hikes. They will weigh in Monday.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “There’s a lot that you haven’t heard. Contemporaneous with being the bad boy, he’s always been a real good guy when it comes to youth athletics.” Attorney Michael Carney comments on former 2 Live Crew rapper and freedom of expression advocate Luther Campbell, who is seeking approval to become a certified Florida teacher despite a gun violation and putting on shows involving minimally-clad women back in the day.
Group Receives $123K Grant To Reduce Juvenile Crime
September 18, 2011
The Escambia County (Ala.) Children’s Policy Council has received a $123,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Youth Services to reduce juvenile crime, provide treatment and to work to increase probation completion.
The grant was awarded to the children’s group in conjunction with the Escambia County (Ala.) Juvenile Probation Office.
Pictured: Judge David Jordan receives a $123,000 grant to the Children’s Police Council from Walter Wood, director of the Alabama Department of Youth Services. (L-R) Allen Peaton, deputy director of DYS, Turner Sims, DYS, Walter Wood, Judge David Jordan, Rep. Alan Baker, Liletta Jenkins, Alabama Department of Children’s Services, John Fountain, Escambia County Juvenile Probation Officer and Misty Kelly, CPC. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Langford Celebrates 90th Birthday
September 18, 2011
Helen Langford of the Poplar Dell Community recently celebrated her 90th birthday. Helen and her family were joined in the celebration at the Poplar Dell Baptist Church by husband George T. Langford, her only living sibling Winston Gilmore, and other friends and family. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Emory D Brown
September 18, 2011
Emory D Brown, age 86 of Cantonment, passed away on September 16, 2011.
Mr. Brown retired from Armstrong World after 41 years of service. He was preceded in death by his daughter Charlene Andrews.
Emory is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sadie I. Brown; son, Edward (fiancé Tracey) Brown; son-in-law, Steve (Jana) Andrews; 11 grandchildren, Sherry Beson, Dennis Beson, Cindy Stull, Jacob Stull, Ronnie Andrews, Amber Daniel, Maigan Brown, Chase Bradley, Casey Bradley, Steven Bradley and Dillon Stevens; four great grandchildren, Victory Beson, Tyler Swauger, Hanna Swauger and Trenton Bradley.
In lieu of flowers the family asks for memorials to be made to The Joyce Goldenberg Hospice Inpatient Residence.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, September 20, 2011, from 5:00 pm till 8:00 pm at Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home. Funeral services will be on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, at 11:00 am at Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home with burial at Pensacola Memorial Gardens where the Mason’s will be pallbearers.
Arrangements under the direction of Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home.
Elderly Woman Airlifted After Dirt Road Crash
September 17, 2011
An elderly female was seriously injured in a dirt road crash Saturday morning.
The woman lost control of her car just before 11 a.m. on South Pine Barren Road about a mile and a half from South Century Boulevard in McDavid and struck several small trees. The Chrysler 300 came to rest upside just along the edge of the roadway.
The driver was airlifted by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. There were no passengers in the vehicle.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Escambia County EMS and the McDavid and Molino Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the crash.
Pictured above and inset: An elderly female was injured in this single vehicle wreck Saturday morning on South Pine Barren Road. Pictured below: The driver was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Local Unemployment Numbers Down Slightly
September 17, 2011
The latest job numbers released Friday showed a little good news for the three counties in the North Escambia area.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate decreased slightly from July to August, 10.5 to 10.4 percent. There were just 363 jobs gained during the period, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 14,650 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 12.4 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment also decreased— from 10.2 percent in July to 10.0 percent in August. Santa Rosa County gained 244 jobs during the period, with a total of 7,269 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 10.4 percent.
Escambia County, Alabama, had a half percentage point drop in unemployment — from 11.9 percent in July to 11.4 percent in August. Escambia, Alabama gained 63 jobs during the month-long period, with 1,709 people out of work. The year-go unemployment rate was 11.0 percent.
Florida
Reinforcing the predictions of Florida economists who said the state’s road to recovery would be long and arduous, Florida’s jobless rate remained at 10.7 percent in August, unchanged from July but lower than a year ago.
The jobless rate last month in Florida also remained higher than the national average of 9.1 percent as the state continued to deal with a near dormant construction sector and a drop in government employment, the Agency for Workforce Innovation reported Friday.
“While the unemployment rate remains unchanged at 10.7 percent, Florida continues to grow private sector jobs,” said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “Florida added nearly 10,000 new jobs last month and is on pace to add over 100,000 by the end of the year.”
Alabama
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 9.9 percent in August, was down from July’s rate of 10.0 percent and was above the year-ago rate of 9.1 percent.
Escambia Parents, Students Can Now Check Grades Online
September 17, 2011
There’s no more waiting for a progress report or report card — grades are just a click away for parents and students in Escambia County now that the “Focus Gradebook Parent Portal” is up and running.
“Parents and students will now have a tool in which to monitor success and will also be able to see where there needs to be improvement,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said Friday.
According to the Escambia County School District:
Parents will see two links on the district web site under Parent Portal on the school district website (www.escambia.k12.fl.us). One link allows parents to register for the portal (note that all parents must register to the new gradebook; it is a different site than last was used last year.).
Parents will click on the link that reads “Focus Parent Portal Registration”, then select “I do not have an account ….”. Parents will be asked to provide the parent’s name and email address. Once this information is submitted, the parent will be asked to provide the following student information: the last four digits of the student’s social security number, the six digit student identification number as assigned by the school district, and the student’s birth date.
After registration is complete, a password will be assigned and can be changed after the initial login. The username will be the parent’s email address. Also, parents will be able to link multiple children in the household to their account.
The Focus Gradebook Parent Portal may then be accessed by providing the username (email address) and the password/passcode (as determined by the parent during the registration sign-in). Parents will then be able to view their child’s class schedule, grades, and assignments for each class.
For more information, parents and students are asked to contact their school.
Sneads Beats Jay 33-7
September 17, 2011
The Jay Royals fell to 1-2 on the season after a 33-7 loss on the road to the Sneads Pirates Friday night.
By halftime, the the lone score for the Royals came on a 45-yard by Tate Upton in the fourth quarter.
The Jay Royals will travel to Flomaton next Friday at 7 p.m. to take on the Hurricanes. The Royals will celebrate Homecoming the following week as they host South Walton.