Final Florida Budgets Approved; Budget Negotiations And Scott Showdown Set
April 8, 2011
Lawmakers voted Thursday to approve budgets slicing education and health care, asking state employees to foot some of the bill for their own retirement and largely staying true to the GOP majority’s promise to avoid tax increases — setting up budget negotiations and a potential showdown with new Gov. Rick Scott.
In the House, members voted for the spending plan along party lines, 78-39. The Senate margin was slightly more bipartisan, with almost half of the Democratic members present joining with Republicans on the 33-6 vote.
There are significant gaps to reconcile. On one key measure — a plan to ask state employees to contribute to their own employment — the House would require workers to kick in 3 percent of their income regardless of their earnings; the Senate plan would set different charges on different levels of income, ranging from 2 percent on the first $25,000 of pay to 6 percent on any pay above $50,000.
Other differences between the two chambers include the House’s plan to sweep $330 million from the State Transportation Trust Fund — a seemingly annual battle with the Senate — and an overall difference of more than $3 billion between the $66.5 billion House blueprint and the Senate’s $69.8 billion measure.
The Senate would also boost the cost of health insurance for some state employees, a proposal that Cannon voice caution about Thursday evening.
“Since I think both the House and Senate plan are fairly aggressive in changing the FRS and the pension side, we have to be very sensitive in what we do with health insurance,” he said.
Both Cannon and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said they expected to agree on budget allocations in time for conference committees to begin meeting late next week.
The negotiations could also prove to be a test of the relationship between Scott and the Republican Legislature. Scott declined to say this week whether he would veto a spending plan that doesn’t include his tax cuts.
“I try not to think about hypotheticals,” Scott said earlier this week. “I’m very comfortable that we’ll get it in there.”
But, aside from a Senate measure reducing the property tax rates charged by water management districts, few of Scott’s proposed reductions are in either chamber’s budget, dramatically reducing the chances that they will be included in the final spending blueprint.
But after Thursday’s session, Cannon wouldn’t take the option of tax cuts off the table.
“I think it’s extremely difficult, but I wouldn’t rule it in, I wouldn’t rule it out,” he said.
The arguments Thursday followed the well-worn lines of the budget debates over the last few years, as slouching state revenues have forced lawmakers to approve tax increases or reduce spending. Democrats slammed the budget for not including new revenues raised by hiking taxes or eliminating exemptions.
“We have not found the middle ground,” said Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston. “We didn’t have to make these decisions. We could have made other decisions. We decided to cause unnecessary pain on a lot of vulnerable people in this state.”
But increased taxes, Republicans countered, would be precisely the wrong prescription as the state tries to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, said there was a good reason the state wasn’t getting additional tax dollars from businesses or residents.
“They don’t have it!” he proclaimed at one point during the House debate. “ . . . The last thing we need to do is to ask them for more, more than they can do. And they’re asking us, ‘Do the best you can with what you have.’”
Democrats also continued to attack the pension changes, with the House minority going so far as asking for the measure to be considered an income tax increase.
“A vote on this bill will always be remember by some, if not many, as a vote on the first income tax in our state’s history,” said Minority Leader Ron Saunders, D-Key West.
Republicans responded that the cuts were necessary, and that state employees were simply being asked to do what has become commonplace in other states and the private sector.
“We’re not balancing the budget on the backs of anyone,” said Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland. “We’re balancing the budget.”
By Brandon Larrabee
By The News Service of Florida
3,000 Apply For New Century Jobs; Company Makes Positive Announcement
April 8, 2011
There was some positive economic news in Century Thursday as the CEO of Century Lumber and Land announced that his company is continuing to move forward toward bringing hundreds of jobs to town.
“Thank you for hanging in with us at Century Lumber and Land,” CEO Jim Craft told a meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce.
“We now own the property,” Craft said of the old Alger-Sullivan Lumber complex that has sat idle for a number of years. “We are going to be moving pretty quick now that we have the ownership.”
Over 3,000 people have already applied for one of just a few hundred jobs expected to be available initially at Century Lumber and Land, according to Catharine Jeter of Workforce Escarosa.
“These are some really good people that have applied,” Jeter said. “They are not flunkies.”
Century Lumber and Land unofficially announced a venture with several other companies September 2, 2010, that Craft said would eventually employee 300 to 500 people within a 36 to 42 month period. A ribbon was cut for the companies in October — before the company actually owned the Alger-Sullivan property.
Century Lumber and Land, LLC plans to join Railmark Holdings and Milton Timber in a total of five ventures slated for Century. The companies will say they will, over the course of time, be in the business of:
- treating railroad crossties
- dry kiln treating domestic lumber for the building industry
- building and selling lumber kilns
- repairing freight railcars, railroad track and maintenance
- processing and marketing Paulownia trees as biomass fuel and wood products
Pictured top: The October 22, 2010, ribbon cutting for Century Lumber and Land. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Three Charged With Park Concession Stand Burglary
April 8, 2011
Three Atmore residents have been charged with burglarizing a park concession stand.
Tyquaiz George and Montez Riley, both 18, and a 17-year old juvenile were charged by the Atmore Police Department with the burglary of a concession stand at Tom Byrne Park on Lindberg Avenue.
“Several food items were stolen from the concession stand during the burglary, which occurred a few minutes before the arrests,” according to Investigator Robby Williams.
Two People Injured In Highway 29 Crash
April 7, 2011
Two people were injured in a two vehicle crash Thursday evening on Highway 29 in Bogia.
A pickup and car collided at the intersection of Highway 29 and Bogia Road about 6:30 p.m. Two people in the car received minor injuries, while the driver of the pickup was not injured. The driver and passenger of the car were transported to a Pensacola hospital for evaluation.
Further details were not available as the crash remained under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the accident.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Nokomis Manhunt Turns Up Empty After Botched Burglary
April 7, 2011
A manhunt for a burglary suspect turned up empty Thursday afternoon in Nokomis, Alabama and Florida..
Deputies from the Escambia County (Ala) Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary in progress call this afternoon in the 600 block of Pineville Road in Nokomis, Alabama, just yards from the Florida line. A woman told deputies she returned to her home to find a burglar inside. The suspect or fled through the front door of the home as the woman entered from the rear.
The woman was able to describe the suspect only as a white male.
K-9 units from Fountain Correctional and the from the Escambia County (Fla.) Road Prison were called into assist in the search, which was called off about 6:10 p.m. Escambia County (Fla.) deputies also assisted in the manhunt.
Alabama authorities believe they tracked the suspect to Jakes Road in Florida where they say he may have gotten into a light colored pickup truck.
According to Mike Lambert, Escambia County (Ala.) chief deputy, the burglar attempted unsuccessfully to steal prescription medication and guns from the residence.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call their local law enforcement agency.
Pictured top: Escambia County (Ala) Sheriff’s Department deputies at a home on Pineville Road in Nokomis, Ala. this afternoon following a burglary in progress interrupted by a homeowner. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Cancer, The Detour: Our View On Allegations That Woman Faked Cancer For Years
April 7, 2011
“How would you feel if you knew Sonja Luker did not have cancer?”
That’s the question an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigator asked us prior to the arrest of Sonja and Chris Luker on fraud charges after she allegedly faked cancer for financial gain. (Read story..)
The answer lies in the photographs and the video you see on this page.
We’ve all been touched by someone with cancer. A friend, a neighbor, a family member. Ourselves. This one hits close to home for all of us. I’m stepping out of the role of publisher and editor to answer that question as one of many touched by someone with cancer.
How did I feel about allegations that a woman I know had faked cancer for her own financial benefit? I fought back the tears until I got back to the office.
Then I cried, thinking of a girl named Ashley.
Meet the young lady on this page. Her name is Ashley. She’s my niece, now a high school senior and soon to be graduate of LaVergne High School outside Nashville. She was a healthy kid, one of those that seemed to have her head on straight. She was a star softball player at her high school with a promising future on a college softball field and a promising future in life. She’s smart and loves to write like her uncle (got to be proud of that one!).
On March 26 of last year, she injured herself playing softball like she loves. Off to the doctor she went, everyone thinking she had a cracked rib. There was a different diagnosis on April 1 — April Fools Day. But it was no joke.
“Stage 4 Ewing’s Sarcoma Cancer” were the words I heard on the phone. I had never heard of it, but Stage 4 sure sounded serious. As my parents talked, I type “Ewing’s Sarcoma” into Google. Malignant. Rare. Less than 2 cases per one million kids around the world.
“Long term survival rate: 10%”
One day you have a healthy niece with a promising life, and the next day you read “Long term survival rate: 10%”. Her life changed in an instant. It was a lot to comprehend. But when reality hit, Ashley, 17, announced that her life was still under construction and this cancer was just a detour along the way.
Ashley was blessed to live in Nashville near some of the nation’s top doctors at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She underwent almost a year of treatments that were literal hell. The tumor was removed, along with ribs and part of her lung. Fourteen rounds of aggressive chemo just ended.
The detour is now over for Ashley. Doctors give her a 98% all clear.
Understand it’s not about my family. It’s about everyone with cancer. There are thousands of Ashleys. A friend, a neighbor, a family member. Maybe you as you read this. This one hits close to home for all of us.
“What they did was a disgrace to the people who died and have fought through the most deadliest thing.” — That was a comment made on our story about the Lukers shortly after it was posted Wednesday night. The person that made the comment chose not to post their real name, and I will respect that need for privacy. But I know that they recently watched a parent stolen from them in just weeks by cancer. This one hits home for all of us.
The allegations that Sonja Luker faked cancer will be a detour for our communities.
It’s more than a woman accused of taking money dishonestly and praying upon the generosity of good people. It will cost more than just the money that’s already alleged to be stolen. The cost and burden will fall upon the legitimate charities like the American Cancer Society that are working to fight the dreadful disease as skeptical people make fewer contributions. Every dollar given to Sonja Luker, if she is guilty of the alleged fraud, was a dollar that could have worked to find a cure for cancer.
Hundreds or thousands of us were victims of this alleged, almost unfathomable fraud to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. It’s no secret that NorthEscambia.com named Sonja Luker as one of our Persons of the Year for 2009. We were among the victims, and we have cooperated fully with law enforcement and their investigation.
Don’t be swayed by the guilt or innocence of Chris or Sonja Luker when it comes to future donations to fight cancer. The courts will decide that one; they are, under our laws, innocent until proven guilty. That’s not the point here.
Cancer continues to sneak into our lives and steal our loved ones away. I ask you to remember the Ashleys and all of the others that are on life’s detour with cancer. Take your anger, your rage, your pain and step up and be heard. Our communities will soon hold Relay for Life events, fully sanctioned and under the watchful eye of the American Cancer Society.
If you did not already, please watch the video at the top of the page and see what research by the American Cancer Society can accomplish.
Donate your time or money to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). You will know that your donation will without a doubt help real cancer victims and will go toward research to one day rid our world of cancer.
Cancer is a detour on the road of life. Do your part to get thousands back on the path.
William Reynolds
Publisher, NorthEscambia.com
Pictured above: Ashley, niece of NorthEscambia.com publisher William Reynolds as she battled cancer. Pictured below: Ashley, declared likely cancer free, back on the pitcher’s mound last Friday at her high school near Nashville. The photo was taken exactly one year after her diagnosis. Photos courtesy Carla Lynn Photography, click to enlarge.
Century Sets Election Dates, Rules For Mayor, Two Council Seats
April 7, 2011
Century has officially set the qualifying and election rules for the office of mayor and two town council seats that will be on the ballot this fall.
Council Seat 1, currently held by Ann Brooks, and Seat 2, currently held by Nadine McCaw, and Mayor Freddie McCall’s post will be on the October 11 ballot. A run-off election, if needed, will be held November 8.
Qualifying for the election will be held from noon, Monday, August 1 until noon, Friday August 5. To qualify for any of the offices, a candidate must be a registered voter in Century. In addition, any candidate for mayor must have been a resident of Century for six months prior to their qualification date. The qualifying fee for mayor is $185.50 and $48 for a council seat.
For the October election, voter registration books will close on September 12, and for the November run-off, voter registration books will closed on October 10.
Click here to read the ordinance that set the official rules for this year’s Century elections as approved by the town council Monday night.
Meth, Not Fish, Found Cooking At Lake; Two Arrested
April 7, 2011
Two people were arrested Wednesday afternoon after deputies discovered a fishing spot at a Century lake where meth, not fish, was being cooked.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered what they said was an active methamphetamine lab in a wooded area on the shore of a gravel lake at the end of Cedar Street, just south of Old Flomaton Road.
Two people were taken into custody after the discovery. According to Escambia County Jail records, Mitchell Herman Dunsford, 25, and Shaunathon Wayne Qualls, 26, were both charged with two felony counts of drug possession and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Dunsford was also charged with marijuana possession. Both remained in the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning; Dunsford with bond set at $47,000 and Qualls with bond set at $46,000.
As deputies discovered the alleged methamphetamine lab, they gave chase to suspects that ran from the scene. A portion of the meth lab — the bottle used in the actual manufacturing process — was tossed into a nearby stream.
Dunsford reportedly ran from deputies, leading to a brief, unsuccessful manhunt. While the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit was working to test and remove the meth lab, Dunsford returned to the scene with a relative.
Along with the drug paraphernalia, deputies also discovered fishing equipment — rods and reels and live bait.
Pictured top: Deputy David Bashore works to remove a bottle that was allegedly part of a meth lab thrown into a stream that feeds a gravel lake in Century. Pictured inset: The alleged active meth lab. Pictured below: Some of the items believed to have been used in connection with meth lab. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Atmore Man Indicted For Manslaughter After 2010 Flomaton Wreck
April 7, 2011
An Atmore man has been indicted for manslaughter for the traffic death of 19-year old Emmanuel Markay Rivers of Atmore last summer near Flomaton.
Cardarryl Delloyd Johnson faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Johnson was driving westbound on a straight stretch of Old Atmore Road about a half mile west of Tulip Street when he lost control and flipped the vehicle over about 3:30 a.m. on June 19, 2010.
Rivers, who state troopers said was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnson, then 21, and another passenger, Trenetra Zakiya White, 19, were transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital in serious condition.
Johnson told authorities at the scene that he swerved to miss a deer. The Crown Victoria flipped twice before coming to rest on its roof, partially in the roadway.
Johnson is set for arraignment on the manslaughter charged in late May.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured above and below: Emmanuel Markay Rivers, 19, of Atmore, was pronounced dead at the scene of this single vehicle accident on Old Atmore Road near Flomaton about 3:30 a.m. on June 19, 2010. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Burglarizing School Twice
April 7, 2011
An Atmore man has been charged with burglarizing Escambia County High School twice last weekend.
Michael Lafrance Williams, 40, was charged with two counts of third-degree burglary by the Atmore Police Department. Investigators said the Atmore school was burglarized two separate times. During the break-ins, an undetermined amount of money was taken from vending machines, and several offices were entered. Police believe Williams was looking for money during both burglaries.
“A search of Williams’ vehicle revealed several items taken during the burglary and used in the burglary,” said Atmore Police Investigator Robby Williams.