Wahoos Earn Series Opening 5-2 Win Over Birmingham
June 8, 2012
The Blue Wahoos used a five-run sixth inning to roll to a 5-2 win over the Birmingham Barons in the first game of the five-game set from Regions Park in Birmingham on Thursday night.
With the Wahoos trailing 1-0, Joel Guzman hit a ground ball to third with the bases loaded, the ball was bobbled and the tying run scored without an out getting recorded on the play. With the bases still loaded, the next batter, David Vidal, was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Yordanys Perez cleared the bases on the very next pitch with a double in the right-centerfield alley scoring all three runners and putting the Wahoos in front 5-1.
Tim Crabbe (3-2) pitched well for the Blue Wahoos by allowing just two hits over five-plus innings. He struck out six and was charged with two runs in earning his third win of the season. Donnie Joseph retired the final four Birmingham batters to earn his league-leading 13th save of the season. Simon Castro (5-3) was pegged with the loss. He was charged with all five Wahoos runs, only four were earned, over six innings.
The Wahoos have now won three of their last four and look for their second-straight win on Friday night. Lefty Tony Cingrani (0-0, 2.70) will oppose right-hander Cameron Bayne (5-4, 6.10). First pitch is set for 7:05 at Regions Park.
By Tommy Thrall
Pictured top: Tim Crabbe allowed just two hits over five-plus innings in the winning effort Thursday as the Blue Wahoos beat the Birmingham Barons. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Business Owners Busted For Spice
June 8, 2012
The owners of two specialty “smoke shops” in Santa Rosa County have been arrested for selling illegal bath salts and spice.
Michael D. Johnson, owner of Stackhouse Records in Milton, was arrested on six separate warrants after undercover officers made numerous bath salt and spice purchases from his establishment this year.
Johnson was also charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance for a small amount of “spice” that was located in his establishment during a search warrant executed on April 3. Johnson was also charged with three counts of sale of amphetamine, eight counts of sale of a hallucinogen, one count of sale of a synthetic narcotic, and one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.
Rachael Hartsell, owner of Showcase Smoke Shop in Milton was arrested on charges stemming from the execution of a search warrant at her business on April 3. Deputies said Hartsell was found to be in possession over 1,000 packages and 16 different brands of “spice”. She was also charged with selling spice to an undercover officer. She was released from jail on a $85,000 bond.
““We will continue to arrest those responsible for this type of activity. As with all illegal narcotics, they have no place in this county. We will continue to do our very best in shutting down any establishment that disregards the laws that are in place to keep our community safe and drug free,” Sheriff Wendell Hall said.
No Injuries In McDavid Rollover Accident
June 7, 2012
There were no injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident Thursday afternoon in McDavid.
The driver of a southbound car apparently lost control in a curve on Highway 29 near Cox Road just before 3 p.m., over-corrected, ran off onto the shoulder of the road and overturned. The vehicle came to rest upside down.
One person involved in the accident, 40-year old Brandon Link Austin, first told authorities that he was the passenger in the vehicle and not the driver. He was not injured in the crash. The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation into the crash is continuing as they work to determine the driver of the vehicle.
Escambia County EMS, the McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the call.
Pictured: There were no injuries in this single vehicle crash Thursday afternoon in McDavid. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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Cantonment Tax Office Closing Monday; Molino Office Opens July 2
June 7, 2012
The Escambia County Tax Collector’s Cantonment office will close next Monday, June 11, as it is moved permanently to a new location in Molino. A newly constructed 7,000 square foot building for the tax collector and property appraiser will open in Molino on Monday, July 2.
The Molino service center on Highway 95A will process motor vehicle and vessel registrations and titles, hunting and fishing licenses, property taxes, and business tax receipts. Limited driver license and ID card services will be available by appointment only. The new office will continue to offer drive thru service and a 24-hour drop box. Office hours will remain the same — Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The Molino office is opening ahead of schedule, according to Tax Collector Janet Holley, as construction continues next door to covert the old Molino School into a 15,600 square foot library, community center and museum by November.
“We could not move during tax season,” Holley said, “so we are glad to be moving in now.” By October, the office is busy preparing tax bills.
The county currently leases the Cantonment service center location in the old Winn Dixie Shopping Center for about $60,000 per year. That money, Holley said, will likely be saved and returned by her office to the county’s coffers at the end of the fiscal year.
The current employees at the Cantonment location will be transferred to the tax collector’s Marcus Pointe office during the move, and then moved to Molino on July 2.
“The new Molino office really looks great; we are pleased,” Holley said.
The new Molino tax collector and property appraiser office will also house a polling station for early voting and elections.
Other Escambia County Tax Collector offices are located as follows:
Marcus Pointe
6451 North W Street
Pensacola, Florida 32505
Warrington
507 North Navy Boulevard
Pensacola, Florida 32507
Downtown
213 Palafox Place
Pensacola, Florida 32502
All offices are open 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Pictured: The new Escambia County tax collector and property appraiser office in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Sorry I Hit Your Car: No Money, No Driver’s License, No Insurance
June 7, 2012
When Flomaton resident Ashley Kirk finished her shopping at Century’s Food Giant, she was surprised to find that someone had hit the side of her 2000 Nissan Maxima and driven away. But she was even more surprised at the note left behind by someone that apparently had a load on their conscience.
“Apparently someone either backed out and hit me or just went down the side of my car with theirs. Not really sure, but when I read the note I couldn’t help but to bust out laughing,” Kirk said.
“Sorry I hit your car no money no driver lisense and no insurense but had to get of my cheste. Sorry agin,” the note riddled with spelling errors said.
“Well at least they were honest,” she said “Kind of felt sorry for them. My vehicle has been hit before and the person left, but never has this happened before. I got a good laugh out of it.”
Kirk does have full coverage insurance that will pay for her repairs.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Feds Dismiss County Claims About Poarch Creek Land, Casinos
June 7, 2012
A federal official has notified the Escambia County (Ala.) Commission that the land where the Wind Creek Casino sits is protected tribal land, shooting down the commission’s claims that a Supreme Court decision says the contrary.
In April, the commission said it wanted the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to start paying property and other other taxes on tribal lands in Atmore — including the Wind Creek Casino — because they don’t legally qualify to operate tax free. The commission fired off a letter to the U.S. Department of Interior claiming the lands should fall under local and state jurisdiction.
The county’s claims were denied in a two-paragraph letter from Donald Laverdure, acting assistant secretary of Indian affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“The Department of the Interior can confirm that the land referenced in your letter was acquired in trust by the United States in 1984 and proclaimed to be a reservation in 1985,” Laverdure’s letter states. “The (Poarch Band of Creek Indian’s) reservation, including the portion of the reservation that is situated within the geographical boundary of Escambia County, Alabama, is held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the band. As such, the band enjoys all rights and privileges associated with having its reservation held in trust by the United States under federal law.”
The Escambia (Ala.) Commission had claimed in its letter that a 2009 Supreme Court ruling that said essentially that under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the federal government had no right to create land trusts with tribes that were not recognized by 1934 — 50 years before the Poarch Creeks were recognized.
Laverdure’s letter did not directly respond to the claims about that 2009 Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.
The Escambia County (Ala.) commissioner that represents the Atmore area, Brandon Smith, publicly expressed his opposition to the commission’s claims and letter to the Department of the Interior.
Jacksonville Edges The Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2-1 To Take Series
June 7, 2012
Jacksonville starting pitcher Matthew Neil shutout Pensacola over six shutout frames, while center fielder Donnie Webb totaled three hits and fell a double short of the cycle as the Suns topped the Blue Wahoos 2-1 on Wednesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The win gives Jacksonville a 3-2 series victory and improves their season’s record to 28-32, while Pensacola fell to 27-33 on the year. It was the third time in four series this season that the final game decided a series between the two teams.
The Suns got on the board with single scores in the third and fifth frames. Webb led off the third with a triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly to center, while Webb would increase the advantage to 2-0 with a solo homer to right in the fifth.
The Blue Wahoos cut the deficit in half in the eighth when CF Ryan LaMarre started the frame with a base knock and advanced to second and third on a Jacksonville fielding miscue, before he came home on RF Josh Fellhauer’s sacrifice fly to right.
Neil (6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 SO)earned his first victory at the Double-A level after being promoted to Jacksonville on May 18, tossing six shutout frames and yielding just five hits while fanning six. Suns relievers James Leverton (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 SO) and Evan Reed (1.1 IP, 1 BB, 3 SO) followed Neil by combining to give up the lone unearned run on only one hit in the last three innings. Neil received his first hold of the year, while Reed notched his 12th save of the year to tie him for the Southern League lead.
Pensacola starter Daniel Corcino (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 2-4 despite allowing just two earned runs on five hits in five innings of work. Chris Manno (2.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 SO) and Drew Hayes (2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 SO) were outstanding in support of Corcino, surrendering just one hit and a walk in the final four scoreless frames.
Webb (3-4, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and LaMarre (3-4, 1 R) each recorded three hits for their respective clubs, with each collecting half of their team’s six base knocks in the game. Blue Wahoos SS Didi Gregorius and 3B David Vidal each tallied a base knock in the contest to extend their hit streaks to nine and six respectively.
Pensacola will now travel to Birmingham to face the Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, with the first pitch of the series scheduled for Thursday night at 7:05 pm. RHP Tim Crabbe is expected to get the nod for the Fish, while Birmingham is slated to send RHP Simon Castro to the hill.
By Andrew Green
Pictured: OF Ryan LaMarre tallied three hits in the Fish’s 2-1 loss Wednesday night. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bad Golfers, Bad Timing and Bad Economy Lead To Century Park Changes
June 7, 2012
There are three changes coming to all of Century’s parks — one caused by bad golfers, another caused by bad timing and a third due to the bad economy.
Mayor Freddie McCall said the parks will soon have “No Golfing” signs erected because bad golfers are breaking out lights. “People are knocking out the big globes when they don’t get a good chip shot,” he said.
Late night music is leading to a loud music and noise curfew in the town’s parks of 8 p.m. McCall said the town and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has received reports of loud music at parks late at night.
And the bad economy and rising electric rates has forced the town to up the cost for using field lights The town has charged everyone but non-profits $10 per hour to use lights at ball fields for numerous years. Now, the town had voted to up that rate to $15 per hour. That’s still cheaper than the neighboring town of Jay, McCall said, which is at $25 per hour.
Brickyard Road Bridge To Close
June 7, 2012
Beginning Friday, the bridge at the south end of Brickyard Road in the Molino area will be closed until further notice due to bridge construction.
State Defends Voter Purge, Accuses Feds Of Breaking Law
June 7, 2012
The Scott administration disagrees with the federal Department of Justice’s interpretation of elections law, saying the state’s efforts to clear its voter rolls of non-citizens are not only legal but necessary to ensure eligible voters’ choices aren’t diluted.
In a letter Wednesday to the DOJ, Secretary of State Ken Detzner defended the state’s voter purge effort, echoing Gov. Rick Scott’s assertion that it wouldn’t disenfranchise any legal voters and that the only people removed would be those who are truly ineligible to vote.
Detzner also turned the allegations of illegality back on the Obama Administration, arguing it has improperly denied Florida access to a key federal database that would help the state root out ineligible voters.
Civil rights groups and Democrats have criticized the state’s purge effort as too broad-brushed and have raised the prospect that it could capture legal voters – who may not respond to a warning from local officials that they are about to be removed from the rolls unless they can prove they’re legal citizens.
That won’t happen, Detzner said.
“Pursuant to Florida law, no person has been or will be removed from the voter rolls without the fundamentals of due process: notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a determination by the county supervisor of elections that a preponderance of the evidence shows the voter is ineligible,” Detzner, a Scott appointee, wrote.
The letter, sent to DOJ elections lawyer T. Christian Herren, was in response to one sent by Herren last week to the state. The Herren letter raised the possibility that Florida could be violating federal voting laws with the purge, primarily by continuing to remove voters less than 90 days before an election. Herren’s letter also suggested that the state could be violating federal requirements for getting prior approval for major changes in election procedures in certain jurisdictions.
Detzner said the preclearance requirement isn’t an issue in the five Florida counties normally required to get such approvals, because a Florida statute spelling out the process for cleaning up the voter rolls, which supervisors are following, has already been cleared by the Justice Department.
The 90-day requirement for stopping certain voter roll clean-up efforts, which is part of the federal National Voter Registration Act, simply can’t apply in this case, Detzner argued. The purpose of that law was to ensure “accurate and current voter registration,” he noted. And if it did apply, it wouldn’t be constitutional, he argued.
“If the effect of the NVRA is to force a state to allow never-eligible non-citizens the opportunity to vote, then the statute might violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, which guarantees that the right to vote cannot be denied by a dilution of the weight of a citizen’s vote,” Detzner wrote.
Even if the 90-day requirement were valid the only reason Florida has started trying to remove voters now is that it was prevented from beginning the process earlier by the federal government, Detzner charged.
That’s because the Department of Homeland Security has “repeatedly ignored or rebuffed” the state’s efforts to get access to a federal DHS database, known as SAVE, that would help Florida in identifying non-citizens for removal from the rolls.
“By denying Florida access to the SAVE database, DHS appears to have violated federal law, which provides that states may use the SAVE database ‘for any legal purpose such as … voter registration,’” Detzner alleged. The federal law also requires DHS to turn over that database when asked, he said.
“In sum, the practice DOJ now appears to be endorsing is as follows,” he wrote. “The federal Department of Homeland Security may, for months, violate federal law and deny Florida and other states access to the SAVE database so that the federal Department of Justice may then assert that the resulting delays in a state’s election-integrity efforts violate the time periods established in another federal law. This hardly seems like an approach earnestly designed to protect the integrity of elections and to ensure that eligible voters have their votes counted.”
The Scott administration also turned around the Justice Department’s demand for information on the purge process with a demand for answers to questions that Detzer has. He asked the DOJ to respond by June 11 to four questions:
-Whether DOJ agrees Homeland Security should provide access to the SAVE database.
-Whether DOJ’s position is that federal law prohibits Florida from removing non-citizens from voter rolls between now and the November election.
-If not, what DOJ thinks Florida should do to remove non-citizens between now and then.
-And if so, whether Florida could even identify non-citizens for later removal from the rolls after the election.
Scott came under fire shortly after asking local elections supervisors – who are independently elected and don’t technically answer to Tallahassee – to use a list generated by the state that was pulled from a driver’s license database to identify potentially ineligible voters for removal.
But in recent days, Scott and his supporters have pushed back hard. The Republican Party has taken up the issue, sending out regular messages about the logic of clearing the voter rolls of non-citizens.
And in what was clearly a coordinated effort, Scott this week began getting encouragement emails, after weeks of not getting any email on the subject.
Hundreds of similar emails from supporters began showing up in the last two days in Scott’s inbox, which is open to the public and media to view.
“I encourage, implore, and demand that you do not give into the pressure and demands of the federal government,” an emailer named Troy French wrote to Scott. An emailer from Arizona sent a similar note urging Scott to clean up the Florida voter rolls and another emailer told Scott it is easy for poll officials to “create additional votes” from non-citizens.
Detzner’s letter in defense of Florida’s practice also closely tracked an opinion piece written in the National Review Online by Republican lawyer Hans von Spakovsky. A fellow at the Heritage Foundation, von Spakovsky was counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Justice Department in the Bush administration, where he was in charge of enforcement of the voting rights laws DOJ cited in its questions to Florida. The state’s response to DOJ was essentially von Spakovsky’s argument.
Local supervisors of elections had been advised by their association’s legal counsel to hold off on actually removing voters from the rolls pending the state’s response to DOJ on its questions. A lawyer for the supervisors’ association told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel late Wednesday that that recommendation wouldn’t immediately change.
Liberal opponents of the purge effort redoubled their criticism on Wednesday after Detzner’s response.
“The fact that Gov. Scott is using the nearly nonexistent threat of voter fraud as an excuse to continue his dragnet voter purge reveals his true intention to rig the 2012 election,” said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of the liberal advocacy group Progress Florida.
Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich of Weston, who is so far the only Democrat who has announced a challenge to Scott in the 2014 election, also criticized the governor.
“Gov. Scott needs to pay more attention to the affairs of our struggling economy rather than trying to stack the outcome of an election,” she said.
By The News Service of Florida