Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Citizens Insurance, Voter Registration Closes
October 14, 2012
Here’s a look at some of the top stories making news in Florida this week:
CITIZENS’ BOARD SLOWS DOWN LOAN PROGRAM.
Prompted by concerns from wary lawmakers and the state’s consumer advocate, Citizens Property Insurance Corp will hire an outside firm to take a second look at a $350 million loan program its governing board approved just last month.
The goal of the program was take more than 300,000 policies out of Citizens by offering private companies low interest loans to sweeten the deal.
Quickly assembled by a new Citizens president from the private sector, the plan has raised concerns among key lawmakers wary over the idea itself and the speed by which it has come together.
On Tuesday, Citizens’ depopulation committee recommended that the insurer hire Goldman Sachs, or another major investment firm, to review the surplus notes program, which would provide up to $50 million in 20-year, low-interest loans to individual companies willing to take Citizens policies for at least 10 years.
Citizens President and CEO Barry Gilway acknowledged the desire for additional information, but stood firm in his belief that the program would work as intended, reducing Citizens maximum loss by $2 billion and saving policyholders an estimated $1.7 billion in assessments during the 10 years in which the take out companies would be required to hold the policies.
“Instead of trying to depopulate Citizens by coverage elimination, reductions and restrictions, which have not played well in the marketplace … this program, on the other hand, clearly benefits the policyholder,” Gilway said.
But Robin Westcott, Florida’s insurance consumer advocate, applauded the board’s decision to take a closer look.
“Sometimes when we are in the middle of doing that, it helps to have a third party to come in and take a look,” she said.
BOOK CLOSES ON FLORIDA VOTER REGISTRATION
Florida election officials on Tuesday closed the door on new registrations for people wanting to vote in this year’s general election.
The final count of registered voters brings, for now, to a close months of wrangling over new voter registration laws that, for a time, curtailed third-party voter registration.
Though book-closing results won’t be available for several days, state Democratic Party officials have been on a roll, having registered 18,063 more voters than Republicans, a 16-percentage point spread, in September. It was more of the same for Democrats, who have beaten the GOP in signing up new voters in each of the last eight months.
Hispanics are a big part of the equation: Democrats now have a roughly 30 percentage point advantage in Hispanics in a state where Latino registration used to be more likely to be Republican. Hispanic Democrats not only outnumber Hispanic Republicans but there are also more Hispanic independents than Hispanic Republicans.
As of August, the state had about 4.6 million registered Democrats to 4.1 million registered Republicans. Another 2.4 million are registered with no party affiliation and about 328,000 are in minor parties.
MCKEEL TO BECOME BUDGET CHAIR:
Weatherford filled one of the most powerful positions in the state legislative leadership team this week by tapping McKeel to take over the House Appropriation Committee as the chamber begins drafting its roughly $70 billion budget proposal for next year.
McKeel, R-Lakeland, has been in the House since 2006 and served on the Appropriations Committee. He has been chairman of the State Affairs Committee in the most recent two years and was deputy majority leader in 2009-2010.
McKeel, 37, is vice president of Lakeland Properties and Management, his family’s real estate management company.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Citizens Property Insurance Corp. slows down to take another look at $350 million loan program.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I’m not going to let people hide behind their office if they are involved in a case,” Circuit Judge Frank Sheffield on whether to allow lawyers to depose Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll in a case pending before his court involving the illegal release of an audio recording of an office conversation.
By The Nes Service of Florida
Photos: Open House At Roy Hyatt Environmental Center
October 14, 2012
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center’s annual Open House was held Saturday in Cantonment.
Visitors had a chance to meet the center’s resident reptiles, Eastern screech owls, hop aboard the one of a kind bird bus for a bird watching experience and take a stroll in the butterfly garden.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The open house also included the chance to hike though 120 acres of nature trails, visit a one room school replica and a dog trot house. And there were plenty activities for the children.
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center on Tobias Road is part of the Escambia County School District. The instructional program currently includes field trips for second and fifth graders.
Pictured top: A visitor gets up close and personal with a snake during the annual Open House Saturday at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment. Pictured: Inside a dog trot house at the Center. Pictured below: Visitors learn about screech owls. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Vehicle On Highway 97
October 13, 2012
There were no injuries in a vehicle fire on Highway 97 south of Highway 4 Saturday morning in Walnut Hill. The Chrysler Sebring was a total loss.
The vehicle was full involved when the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue arrived on scene.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Highway 29 Truck Crash In Ensley
October 13, 2012
One person was injured when a truck overturned on Highway 29 at Hood Drive in Ensley Saturday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 49-year old Craig Benner of Pensacola failed to stop in time at the intersection, tried avoid a vehicle, lost control and overturned.
Benner was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. He was cited for careless driving.
The Ensley Station Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
Submitted photo by Dorreen Allen for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Human Remains Discovery Renews Interest In Danielle Bell Case
October 13, 2012
The discover Thursday of human remains in a wooded area in Cantonment ignited renewed interest in the case of Danielle Bell, a Tate High student missing for 11 years.
Escambia County Sheriff’s investigators and the medical examiner are still working to identify the remains located by land surveyors off Well Line Road…not far from where Bell was last seen in 2001, but they say they are not Bell.
“Investigators are fairly confident that the remains found are not those of missing Danielle Bell,” Deputy Matt Baxter, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
“We were first hoping that it might be her when we found out the remains had been found,” Bonnie Bell, older sister of Danielle Bell, said early Friday evening. “We are hoping for closure. We gave up hope a long time ago that she would be found alive.”
The Bell family is working hard to take advantage of the sudden renewed interest in Danielle’s case. They will canvas the Well Line Road area Saturday, putting up and passing out new missing persons fliers featuring Danielle’s information.
“We are taking this opportunity to let everyone know that we still care, and we are putting the pressure on the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to keep working on the case,” Bonnie Bell said. “I want to find out where is my sister’s body.”
Danielle Arion Bell, 14, was last seen at a party in September 2001 in the 500 block of Cedar Tree Lane, between Highway 29 and Highway 95A in Cantonment.
Witnesses told authorities that Bell left a party with a man that was in his mid-twenties at the time. Escambia County deputies later questioned that man and searched his home, but he was never charged in connection with the case.
During the summer of 2007, Alfredo Gomez Sanchez, Jr. was charged with providing law enforcement with false information about his whereabouts at the time Bell disappeared. He was not implicated in her disappearance.
In October 2010, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit served a search warrant at the home. As part of that search warrant, a septic tank behind the residence was pumped out, and dogs from Escambia County Search and Rescue were also used to search the area. Investigators said nothing was found, and they would not say what new information might have led to the search.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Danielle has a scar on her right forearm and blue eyes. She had brown hair at the time of her disappearance. She would now be 24 years old. Danielle, whose nickname was “Dani”, was a member of the Tate Aggies cheerleading squad. The popular teen enjoyed dancing and drawing.
Anyone with information about Bell is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (850) 436-9580 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured top: Human remans were discovered Thursday in this wooded area off Well Line Road in Cantonment. (Courtesy Amber Southard, WEAR). Pictured below: Investigators pumped and searched a septic tank at this home on Cedar Tree Lane in Cantonment in October 2010 in the case of missing teen Danielle Arion Bell. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Concrete-Encased Body Positively Identified As Former PNJ Reporter
October 13, 2012
The body found encased in concrete in Georgia has been positively identified as a former Pensacola News Journal reporter.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Friday the body found Monday in Winder, GA, was that of 30-year old Sean Dugas of Pensacola. The GBI said Dugas died about a month ago from blunt force trauma to the head.
Dugas had not been heard from since August 27 when he talked to a friend by phone.
While investigating the missing person case, the Pensacola Police Department developed leads which led to them to contact police in Winder, Ga., on Monday. Police in Winder then discovered the body encased in concrete and buried in a backyard of a Winder home.
Twins from Pensacola, Christopher and William Cormier, 31, have both been charged by Georgia authorities. An investigation is continuing to determine exactly where Dugas died.
On August 27, Dugas and a female friend planned to go lunch , but when she arrived at his house to pick him up, he wasn’t home, said Capt. David Alexander of the Pensacola Police Department. A man who lived at the house told the woman Dugas was scheduled to return at 3 p.m. Alexander said the woman left a note on Dugas’ door asking him to contact her, but he did not.
Alexander said the female friend continued trying unsuccessfully to contact Dugas over the next few days. When she returned to the house September 7 to check on him, the house was empty except for a television. Alexander said the woman asked neighbors if they knew what had happened to him and they said a U-haul truck was there on September 3 and they saw at least one man removing items from the house.
Alexander said neighbors asked him about Dugas, and the man said he’d been beaten and was going to live with him.
Meanwhile, the female friend continued trying to reach Dugas, and when she could not, she contacted police on September 13. Alexander said Dugas’ name was then entered into the National Crime Information Center’s computer database as a missing/endangered person.
Dugas was employed by the Pensacola News Journal from 2005 to 2010.
From The Coast To Byrneville: 1,300 Volunteer For Day Of Caring
October 13, 2012
Over 1,300 volunteers fanned out across Escambia County Friday to help with over 100 projects at 60 agencies and schools as part of the United Way’s 20th Annual Day of Caring.
“Day of Caring not only gave us the opportunity to give back to the community, it was a great team-building experience for us,” said Jon Neely of Buffalo Rock. His team helped clear the debris from YMCA of Northwest Florida’s fence line. “We don’t get face-to-face time with each other every day at work. By volunteering as a group, we were able to get to know each other better.”
At Byrneville Elementary School, volunteers from Pall Corporation volunteered to clean up the school grounds.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“We really appreciate all that they did for us at Byrneville,” Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan said.
“We are blown away by the generosity and dedication of these volunteers,” said Andrea Krieger, President/CEO of United Way of Escambia County. “Their willingness to step away from their jobs for a day and invest time and resources through volunteerism will have an invaluable impact on our community.”
During a morning kickoff celebration, United Way also announced the kick-off of the 2012-2013 annual fundraising campaign. Last year, more than 10,000 caring individuals contributed to a successful campaign that raised support for over 140 agencies. These agencies received direct designations of $351,750 and another $1.1 million was awarded from the community chest to 45 programs at 34 agencies.
Pictured: United Way Day of Caring volunteers from Pall Corporation hard at work Friday at Byrneville Elementary School. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Slight Chance Of Showers Sunday
October 13, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
- Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 55. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
- Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Photos: Hundreds Attend Molino Park Fall Carnival
October 13, 2012
Hundreds attended the annual Molino Park Elementary School Fall Carnival Friday evening at the school. The event featured games, food, entertainment and lots of great family fun.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Homecoming Win: ECHS Beats Monroe County
October 13, 2012
The Escambia County Blue Devils defeated Monroe County 36-18 Friday night in Atmore.
Coming up Monday morning on NorthEscambia.com, we will have a photo gallery from the Escambia County High School homecoming court, plus Friday afternoon’s parade.
Pictured: The Escambia County Blue Devils beat Monroe County Friday night in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos by Marcella Wilson, click to enlarge.
