Century Man Critically Injured In Pensacola Wreck
June 29, 2012
A Century man was critically injured Thursday evening when he slammed his 2012 Nissan SUV into a billboard in Pensacola.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 24-year old Darryl Thomas Frazier was traveling east on Fairfield Drive approaching Fernwood Avenue. Frazier failed to negotiate a curve and continued straight onto the grass shoulder and across Fernwood Avenue where he struck a round metal billboard pole.
Frazier was transported to Baptist Hospital in critical condition.
Troopers said the crash may have been caused by a medical condition.
Baldwin County High Speed Chase Ends At Atmore Business, Suspect Tased
June 29, 2012
A man was tased in the parking lot of an Atmore business at the end of a high speed chase across parts of two counties Thursday afternoon — with his three children in the vehicle.
Chris Edward Lambeth, age 34 of Bay Minette, was charged with possession of a chemical compound/salvia, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, attempting to elude, three counts of reckless endangerment, and multiple traffic offenses. He remained in the Baldwin County Jail early Friday with bond set at $10,500.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy was running radar on County Road 61 in Perdido when a red van passed the deputy’s patrol car at 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. The deputy initiated a traffic stop, but then Lambeth gained speed and a chase began.
Lambeth crossed into Escambia County (Ala.) and continued on James Road until he was blocked by a train. At that point, he turned into a field and backtracked his van to Highway 31 where he ran a stop sign and was almost hit by traffic, according to Major Antony Lowery, spokesperson for the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies from Escambia County (Ala.) also joined in the chase.
The chase continued along Highway 31 into Atmore at speeds up to 100 mph. Lambeth then turned on Industrial Drive in Atmore where he turned into the parking lot of the ESCOFAB manufacturing company. The three children in the van then ran inside the business where their mother worked.
Lowery and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said Lambeth resisted arrest and was tased. Lambeth told deputies several times that he was trying to kill himself and that he did not want to go back to jail, Lowery said.
Lambeth also had outstanding warrants in Baldwin County on additional charges.
Lambeth will likely face more charges related to the high speed chase in Escambia County, Ala., Lambert said.
Pictured top and bottom inset: A police chase from Baldwin County that reached speeds of 100 mph came to an end in the parking lot of ESCOFAB in Atmore Thursday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview FFA Food For America Named Best In Florida
June 29, 2012
The Northview High School FFA’s Food For America program was named the best in Florida Thursday during the 84th Florida FFA State Convention in Orlando.
The Northview Food for America Program gave hundreds of elementary school students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more. About 800 elementary school students and about 100 volunteers took part in the program that featured over two dozen off-campus exhibitors.
The 2012 Food For America program was dedicated to Tommy Weaver, a beloved Northview teacher who passed away during the last school year.
The Food for America award is sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the March event, click here.
Pictured above and below: The Northview High School FFA Food for America program was named the best in Florida Thursday afternoon in Orlando. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Majors Head To State Tourney, Holding Car Wash Saturday
June 29, 2012
The Molino Majors baseball team will head to Brooksville, Fla., on July 13 for the Florida Dixie Youth Baseball Tournament.
The team will hold a car wash and yard sale at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino on Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon with a minimize $5 donation.
Pictured: The Molino Majors baseball team (front, L-R) Heath Sheldt, Joey Nielsen, Leo Salas, Aaron Dees, Nicholas Venable, Carson Daniels, Henry Langford, Timothy Isaacs, (back, L-R) Eli Deese, Austin Cody, Tanner Deese, and Tyler Comans. Team coaches (not pictured) are Jerry Venable, Randy Cody and Ken Daniel, and Charity Sheldt serves at team mom. Photo courtesy Eye Candy Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Busted Inside Davisville House, Charged With Burglary
June 29, 2012
Two Illinois residents were jailed after Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies caught them inside an empty house on Highway 97 in Davisville.
Margaret H. Tripamer, age 45 of Oak Lawn, IL, and Lonny R. Gray, age 44 of Ingleside, IL, were both charged with burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief property damage. Both remained in the Escambia County Jail early Friday with bond set at $5,500 each.
The owner of the home in the 11000 block of Highway 97 — the first house south of the Alabama state line — called deputies after he stopped by and saw two people inside the house which is up for sale.
Deputies arrived with the male and female still inside and ordered the pair outside. Gray told deputes that he and Tripamer were interested in purchasing the home. He said he attempted unsuccessfully to contact the realtor, and the duo decided to enter the home and spend the night due to their level of interest in purchasing the house, the arrest report states. He told deputies he thought it would be acceptable since he found the front door open.
Tripamer refused to speak to deputies without talking to a lawyer.
The realtor, Patty Davis of Atmore, told deputies that she had never spoken to either Tripamer or Gray and had no voice messages from either one.
Deputies reported that a backdoor latch was off the hinges and the door had obviously been kicked in. They also found clothing and personal items belonging to the suspects inside the home, according to the report.
Pictured top: Two Illinois residents are charged with burglarizing this home on Highway 97 just south of the Alabama state line. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Florida Looks To Medicaid Expansion As Part Of Health Care Ruling
June 29, 2012
While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Congress was within its taxing power when it required Americans to buy health insurance, the sharply divided court also said that if Florida and other states don’t want to dramatically expand Medicaid, there’s not much Washington can do about it.
The 5-4 ruling on the final day of the court’s term is still seen as a rebuke to Florida, which led 25 other states in suing to overturn the Affordable Health Care Act. Former Attorney General Bill McCollum initially filed the lawsuit and Gov. Rick Scott has been one of the most vocal opponents of the law, which is the signature act of the Obama administration.
McCollum and current Attorney General Pam Bondi focused mainly on the individual mandate. But for Florida lawmakers, the more practical issue — and perhaps the larger one — is going to be how to deal with the part of the law that requires states to expand their Medicaid programs, which pay for health care for the poor.
The law requires states to extend Medicaid coverage to people under age 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level, or just under $30,000 a year for a family of four. Such an expansion could eventually cost the state billions
The federal government will initially pick up all the additional costs, but eventually the states would be on the hook for about 10 percent of the tab – and Florida is already strapped for cash in part because of high Medicaid costs.
As written, the government could have withheld Medicaid money for states declining to expand their Medicaid coverage, but the court said Washington couldn’t coerce states that way. That ruling became a rallying cry for critics of the federal plan.
“I’m pleased with that part of the decision,” said Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart. “….In terms of the practical effect, really the main way the law gets an increased number of people insured is through expanding Medicaid.”
Seven of the court’s justices agreed that the federal government can’t coerce the states to expand their Medicaid rolls by taking away part of what they already get to fund Medicaid. That means, essentially, that Florida could decide not to participate in the part of the law that would cover more people through the Medicaid system.
Whether or not to adopt that portion of the ACA is now likely to be among the most heavily debated in Florida in the coming year.
“We have a tough decision ahead of us: do we accept additional federal funds?” said Negron, the Senate health care budget chairman who has been vocal about the need to reduce health care spending in Florida, “It’s probably too early to tell. I’m generally cautious in signing up for new federal government programs … eventually that’s going to become a state obligation.”
Incoming Senate President Don Gaetz said in a statement that “foremost” among difficult decisions arising out of Thursday’s opinion would be “the choice the court appears to have given the states regarding participating in the mammoth Medicaid expansion authorized by federal law…
“Medicaid enrollment will double in the next few years; the state’s discretion in program design will be further curtailed; and even with a temporary enhancement of federal funds, the state’s financial burden for Medicaid will increase significantly,” Gaetz said.
Florida’s attorney general said the state’s apparent ability to opt out of the expansion was a huge victory.
“Seven justices agreed with our position that Congress could not force the states to make the unacceptable choice between losing all our Medicaid benefits or accepting a massive, unaffordable expansion of the Medicaid program,” Bondi said after the ruling. “That part is very good for us. … That’s what we’ve always wanted – each state will have the choice to decide … whether we decide to accept that.”
Currently, Florida covers pregnant women and infants above the 133 percent of poverty income level, but the law would require Florida to cover many more people in families with older children and some childless adults – increasing the rolls by about a third, or more than a million people – during the first decade of the ACA.
Estimates for the increased cost to Florida have varied, but the state Medicaid agency put it at $5.7 billion over six years.
Some advocacy groups say the number is inflated, and backers of the law said Florida wouldn’t be wise to pass up the cash – nine times what the state would be on the hook for.
“Although the governor and Legislature could try to avoid extending coverage to more than a million uninsured, low-income Floridians, the fact is that there is no possible justification for doing so,” the group Florida CHAIN said in a statement. “Federal funds cover 100 percent of the cost of expansion through 2016 and no less than 90 percent of that cost ever.
“Over the next decade, expanding Medicaid would increase total state spending on Medicaid by just 2 percent while creating tens of billions of dollars in additional economic impact,” the group said.
Medicaid currently covers about 3.2 million people in Florida, at a cost of about $20 billion a year in state dollars.
Most of the immediate reaction to Thursday’s ruling, however, was not on the Medicaid portion of the law, but the decision to keep the federal mandate alive.
Gaetz said it was a “vast, melancholy expansion of federal power unprecedented in our lifetimes, and it is the largest tax increase in our nation’s history.”
Scott, who led an organization that opposed the health care law before he was governor, said it ultimately will devastate the economy.
“Probably more importantly it is going to be devastating to patients,” Scott said shortly after the ruling. “If you look at every government program in the world, they overpromise, they run out of money, they underpay providers, and that rations care. On top of that, as bad as it is for patients it’s going to be just as bad for taxpayers. We’re not going to be able to afford this.”
The Scott administration has so far declined federal money to put in place a state-run insurance exchange that would allow consumers to buy insurance. The state must now do so.
Many Republicans immediately made the court opinion a call to action for the coming election.
“Constitutional issues aside, the final judgment on the wisdom of this law rests with the American people,” Bondi said. “The American people have a say in November and I’m confident they will join me in rejecting a law that is harmful to individual liberty, our economy, and to the welfare of our people.”
But the decision was expected to solidify the president’s legacy, regardless of the outcome in November.
“When we talk about Obama 20 or 30 years from now, this is likely to be the bill we talk about,” Princeton presidential historian Julian Zelizer told Bloomberg this week.
By The News Service of Florida
Florida Business Groups On Health Care Fight: It Ain’t Over
June 29, 2012
Business groups and health care providers were quick to express concern and outright disappointment Thursday as the U.S. Supreme Court upheld major portions of the federal health care package, known by opponents as “Obamacare.”
Following the court’s 5-4 decision upholding a federal mandate on insurance coverage, business interests critical of the health care reform said the battle will now turn from the judiciary to the political arena.
“The court’s decision today is a loss for American competitiveness,” said Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.”So from a worldwide perspective, it just got more expensive to do business in the United States. We will do whatever we have to over the next several years to undo these expensive mandates on small business.”
Florida business groups had led the charge against the federal Affordable Care Act, calling it a mandate that will fall on the shoulders of businesses still struggling to recover and facing more competition from the Internet, nearby states and foreign suppliers. The National Federation of Independent Business was a plaintiff in the case, along with Florida and 25 other states.
Many also bristled that court’s opinion reinforces criticism that the initiative, despite backers’ claims, represents yet another tax.
“Florida hoteliers and restaurateurs are faced with a myriad of taxes and regulations to sustain their business,” said Carol Dover, president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “This additional tax on health care services is the wrong decision at the wrong time.”
The high court’s decision to give states some say in whether they will participate in one part of the law requiring an expansion of Medicaid brought some solace, with some business groups saying attentions can now return to crafting health care legislation to improve access without putting businesses at risk. Much of that discussion has been muzzled as all sides waited for the court’s decision.
“We got into this case so we could stop what we thought was an ill-advised approach to health care reform,” said Bill Herrle, executive director of NFIB/Florida. “Now that the Supreme Court opinion is in, we remain where we have been always, advocates for market-based reform and opponents of the mandate.
“The good news out of this ruling is that that now we can get back to the work of making public policy,” Herrle said.
The nearly 200 page ruling, with its myriad concurring opinions, dissents and shifting support, will become fodder for legislatures around the country as individual states wrangle with an evolving set of requirements and inevitable challenges.
“Today’s decision left unresolved many critical questions about the legal and regulatory frameworks for the future of health care in Florida,” said Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida.”Now more than ever, Florida needs the smartest and most capable policy minds preparing for our state’s health care future.” AIF recently announced it would undertake a major health care effort in the upcoming legislative year.
The focus now turns to the how the federal law will be put in place.
“It’s going to be weeks, maybe months, before people really understand the implications of what the court did today,” Wilson said. “I’m not talking about the legal implications, but the implications of how does this actually work on Main Street.
By The News Service of Florida
Supreme Court OKs Obama’s Health Care Plan (With Romney Reaction)
June 29, 2012
[VOA] The U.S. Supreme Court handed President Barack Obama a major victory Thursday, upholding the key part of his controversial health care plan in a 5-4 decision.
The so-called “individual mandate” requires Americans to have health insurance or face a financial penalty. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court’s more liberal justices, writing in his majority opinion that “because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not [the court's] role to forbid it, or to pass [decide] upon its wisdom or fairness.”
Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor voted with Roberts to uphold the law.
President Barack Obama hailed the ruling as a victory “for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold it.” He also said the court decision reaffirmed that in the United States, the wealthiest nation on Earth, no illness or accident should lead any family to financial ruin.
“Whatever the politics, today’s decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold it,” said President Obama.
Meanwhile, presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney promised to repeal the law on his first day in office, if elected. He said “Obamacare was bad policy yesterday. It’s bad policy today,” and warned the law will cause up to 20 million Americans to lose health care coverage they like or want to keep while also killing badly needed jobs.
“What the court did today was say that Obamacare did not violate the Constitution,” said Romney. “What they did not do is say that Obamacare was good law or that it’s good policy. Obamacare was bad policy yesterday. It’s bad policy today.”
The Obama administration had argued the “individual mandate” is valid under the U.S. Constitution because all Americans will need medical care at some point in their lives, and there is no practical alternative to insurance.
Twenty-six states filed suit against the reform law, contending that individuals cannot be forced to buy insurance, a product they may neither want nor need.
Republican lawmakers were quick to respond to the court decision, using it to launch a renewed effort to repeal the law in its entirety.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, told reporters the court’s ruling underscored the urgency to act.
He said, “There’s a lot of resolve amongst our colleagues and amongst the American people to stop a law that’s hurting our economy, driving up the cost of health care and making it more difficult for employers to hire new workers.”
U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also lashed out at the law, saying it “made the problems it was meant to solve even worse – the supposed cure has proven to be worse than the disease.”
Pictured top: President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Solicitor General Donald Verrilli in the Oval Office after learning of the Supreme Court’s ruling on his health care plan. Pictured top inset: Obama delivers a speech on the health care plan late Thursday morning. Pictured bottom inset: Republican Mitt Romne responds to the Supreme Court ruling, vowing to repeal ‘Obamacare’ plan if elected. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Grad At U.S. Supreme Court For Health Care Decision
June 29, 2012
A Byrneville resident was on hand at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Thursday when the landmark decision upholding the Affordable Health Care Act was announced.
Luke Killam, the Northview High School Class of 2009 valedictorian, was outside as the health insurance decision was announced inside the court. The scene outside was described by Killam as “insane”.
He said the area was packed with supporters in one area, those in opposition in another area, and a large turnout by supporters of the Tea Party. It appeared to be a much larger event in person that it appeared on television news reports, he said.
“When the decision was announced inside the court, people ran outside. You could hear people screaming but you did not know what the court ruled,” he said.
“Cell service, at least on my Blackberry was busy or jammed,” Killam said, “so I did not actually know the decision for a while.”
Pictured: The scene outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington Thursday just before a decision was announced on the legality of the Affordable Health Care Act. Photos by Luke Killam for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Generals Top Wahoos 6-0
June 29, 2012
Jackson starting pitcher Anthony Fernandez fired his second complete game in as many starts at the Double-A level and gave up just two hits, while third baseman Nate Tenbrink and second baseman Stefen Romero each homered as the Generals topped the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 6-0 in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038 on Thursday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The Generals now own a 47-31 record this season, including a 5-3 mark in the second half, while the Fish have compiled a 38-39 clip, in addition to a 4-4 mark since the Southern League All-Star break. The capacity crowd was the 24th the Blue Wahoos have hosted in 2012 in their 37th home date.
The 22-year-old Fernandez (9.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 SO) improved to 2-0 in his second career Double-A start, fanning eight batters while yielding just two hits and a walk in his nine solid frames. After giving up a ground-rule double to SS Didi Gregorius in the first frame, the southpaw allowed just two base runners from that point until the ninth inning, when 3B Miguel Rojas reached on an infield hit.
The lefty totaled 97 pitches in his gem, with 70 of those offerings strikes. In his Generals debut on June 23 against Huntsville, the left-hander earned the win after allowing only a lone earned run on just four hits in his complete game effort against the Stars.
Pensacola starter Kyle Lotzkar (4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 8 SO) suffered the defeat after surrendering six earned runs on seven hits, while punching out eight in 4.2 innings of work. Blue Wahoos relievers Drew Hayes (1.1 IP, 2 BB, 3 SO) and Wirfin Obispo (3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO) were strong in support of Lotzkar, combining to yield just one hit in the final 4.1 shutout frames.
The Generals got all the scoring they would need in the third thanks to the longball. After SS Gabriel Noriega was hit by a pitch, Tenbrink followed with his two-run blast to left, his second homer of the season and series. The infielder in the first game of the series accumulated four hits, including a roundtripper to right.
Jackson would tally four more insurance runs in the fifth partly thanks to a second homer. DH Joe Dunigan and C Ralph Henriquez began the frame with back-to-back singles prior to an RBI single, which plated Dunigan to raise the margin to 3-0. Romero then followed with a three-run big fly to left that struck the foul pole to move the Generals ahead 6-0.
Pettit (2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI) and Henriquez (2-4, 1 R) each collected two base knocks for Jackson in the contest, while no Blue Wahoos batters tallied a multi-hit effort. Pensacola C Brian Peacock did not record a hit in the contest, snapping his ten-game hit streak that dated back to April 25. The stretch was paused twice due to stints with Triple-A Louisville.
With the Generals leading the series 2-1, the two teams will meet again Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 pm. RHP Daniel Corcino is slated to take the mound for the Fish, while Jackson is expected to counter with RHP Brandon Maurer.
By Andrew Green