More Rain Possible Tonight
February 1, 2012
Locally heavy rainfall is possible Wednesday along the Gulf Coast. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a slight chance of showers. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
- Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 71. East wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind around 5 mph becoming west.
- Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. North wind around 10 mph.
- Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 67.
Molino’s Travis Fryman, Former MLB Player, To Speak At Northview
February 1, 2012
Molino resident Travis Fryman, former third baseman for the Cleveland Indians, will be the guest speaker Thursday morning at a meeting of the Northview High Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
The FCA meeting will take place at 8 a.m. in the Northview theater. The public is invited to attend as Fryman shares his testimony.
Fryman was a starting third baseman with the Detroit Tigers from 1990 to 1997. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1997 and was traded two weeks later to the Cleveland Indians. He played for the Indians from 1998 to 2002.
He made a total of five trips to the annual All Star Game and won a Gold Glove Award with a 60-game errorless streak.
School Prayer Vote Could Come Today
February 1, 2012
The Senate is set to vote as early as Wednesday on a measure that deeply divides the chamber, allowing school districts to let students lead prayers at public school graduations, football games and other assemblies, as long as adults aren’t involved.
The version of the bill (SB 98) set for a floor vote doesn’t set out any limits on the inspirational message – messages that are sectarian, and those that are proselytizing in nature would be OK, drawing the opposition of some Jewish members of the Senate.
And, in deference to constitutional prohibitions on establishing a religion, just about anything would have to be fair game.
“Any inspirational message they want to do,” Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, the sponsor of the bill, said during discussion of the measure on the floor Tuesday.
Presumably, if a district were to approve a policy, and a student wanted to take the P.A. system at a football game and offer a prayer to the Goddess of the Earth or to Allah or a Wiccan deity, they would have to be allowed to do so under the bill.
“Suppose a first grader wants to do an inspirational message to Buddha, to Allah? ….Who decides who says what?” asked Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood.
As long as it is “inspirational,” and being voluntarily delivered by the student, it would have to be allowed, Siplin said. The bill doesn’t define “inspirational,” nor does it let school districts do that. In fact, it clearly prevents school districts from choosing what students are allowed to say or not say, spelling out that school district personnel “may not monitor or otherwise review the content of a student volunteer’s inspirational message.”
“So the inspirational message my little children would be hearing would not be up to the family….? asked Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach.
That is correct, Siplin replied. It would be up to the students at her children’s school.
And if she doesn’t want her children to hear any “inspirational messages” at school functions, what should she do? Sachs asked.
“Since school boards are elected you can vote against them next time,” Siplin responded.
The measure, which changed between the time it was heard in early committees and its arrival on the Senate floor, has a House companion (HB 317), but it has yet to get a committee hearing there. Some of the changes also alarmed opponents. Originally the bill was aimed only at secondary schools, but it was changed before reaching the floor to include elementary school students.
Another change opened up the prayers to any school event – originally it would have made it clear that prayers could only be offered at events students aren’t required to attend. Now the bill would allow prayer at any school event.
Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, said she couldn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want students to hear inspirational messages at the start of an assembly.
“Do you suppose opponents want, instead of to inspire little first graders, maybe they want to demoralize them?” asked Storms.
By The News Service of Florida
FFA Students Complete At Districts, Advance To State
February 1, 2012
Local FFA chapters recently participated in the Florida FFA Association District 1 competition in Pensacola.
Ernest Ward Middle School received first place in Middle School Parliamentary Procedure and will advance to the state competition in June in Orlando.
Tate High School also advanced to state in the High School Parliamentary Procedure division. West Florida High School took home first place in Safe Tractor Operations for a trip to the state competition.
Northview High School had two teams to take the Farm Business Management and Agriculture Mechanics tests. Scores will be determined at a later date.
Jay High School’s Harley Tagert won the Prepared Speaking Middle School Division with her speech on hydroponics. She will also advance to state.
Pictured top: Members of the Ernest Ward Middle School FFA. Pictured below. Members of the Northview High School FFA. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Prison Privatization Bill Slows
February 1, 2012
The Legislature’s push to shed more than two dozen South Florida prisons and turn them over to the private sector slowed on Tuesday in the Senate and cracks in Republican support that may endanger the idea began to show.
While GOP leadership in the Senate is driving the proposal – which they say will save the state at least $16 million a year – a few Senate Republicans, mostly those with large state-run prisons in their districts, made it clear on Tuesday that they oppose the idea. Others, while less clear, sent signals in their questions of backers that they’re skeptical.
After several questions on the floor, discussion of the proposal (SB 2038) was put on hold until at least Wednesday when it became clear that the Senate wouldn’t have time to work through questions on proposed amendments that have been filed.
But the bill, from a procedural standpoint, remains on “second reading,” unavailable for a final vote without the approval of two-thirds of the chamber’s membership. It’s not clear that backers of the proposal have enough votes to bring it up for a final vote on Wednesday even if they do get through the amendments, which would further slow the proposal down.
There remains plenty of time to get it through both chambers with the legislative session not yet at the halfway point, but the tone of the queries, and the number of Republicans who questioned their leadership’s assertions about the need for the bill raised questions about how solid the support is.
Senate President Mike Haridopolos said the measure is crucial because of the state’s economic situation. The potential for at least $16.5 million in savings claimed by supporters of the bill is too precious to pass up at a time when lawmakers are considering potentially hurtful budget cuts. Because of that, he promised an all-out effort to get the bill passed.
“I’m going to fight like hell to try to find some savings, it’s serious,” said a testy Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, after the floor session. Haridopolos met earlier in the day with foster kids, and noted that a state subsidy for kids aging out of foster care is on the chopping block in this tight budget year.
“Imagine what we could do with $18 million for those kids,” said Haridopolos.
Much of the questioning on the Senate floor Tuesday was about the projected cost savings from privatizing all the prisons in the Department of Corrections region that covers South Florida, 18 counties roughly from Orlando and Tampa Bay south.
Estimates on the cost savings have been broad, and have moved. But one of the bill’s main backers, Sen. JD Alexander, the chief budget writer in the Senate, said at a minimum, costs for operating the prisons will go down 7 percent – because the bill requires it.
“That’s about $16-and-a-half million in savings,” Alexander said. “If we don’t achieve that then we won’t go forward with privatization.”
He believes that it will far exceed that.
“It’s my understanding and belief that it would probably double the 7 percent, or about $32 million annually,” said Alexander, R-Lake Wales.
Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, asked Alexander if it was really worth saving $18 million considering how many corrections officers might lose their jobs.
“I don’t know, are 300 teachers maintained in our schools worthwhile,” asked Alexander. “I think so.”
There was also continued discussion Tuesday about the net savings – after accrued sick leave and other benefits are paid to those prison workers who leave the state’s employ, either to work for a private prison operator or because they’ve quit altogether.
Several members appeared agitated at the inability to pin an exact number down for how much that might be, in part because it’s not clear how many corrections officers would leave, and what the mix will be in terms of how many are veteran officers with lots of accrued benefits owed to them versus younger officers.
The Senate bill would require private contractors to pick up $8 million of the cost of paying out those benefits, a number supporters say will cover those payouts to the roughly 2,700 employees that would be expected to leave the state’s employment.
While Alexander and Haridopolos insisted that the effort to privatize prisons is being driven entirely by the chance to save money in the tight budget year, other backers of the bill also made it clear that the measure and a companion bill that more generally addresses privatization are also aimed in part at making it clear that lawmakers can privatize functions of government if they choose to.
The Legislature passed largely the same prison privatization proposal last year, but it was thrown out by Leon Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford, who said lawmakers violated the constitution in doing it in the fine print of the budget, rather than passing a bill.
Several backers of the bill said making it abundantly clear in law that the Legislature has the prerogative to take on such a proposal without approval from a judge was important as well.
“We wouldn’t even be here today if we hadn’t had a local Leon County Circuit court tell us what we did was incorrect,” said Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine. “I don’t think anybody in this room wants to let a court tell us how to do our budget.”
By The News Service of Florida
Crystal Cherie Owens
February 1, 2012
Crystal Cherie Owens, age 30 of Pensacola, passed away on January 27, 2012.
She loved life and people. Crystal was a people person who had a big heart and would do anything to help, whether right or wrong.
Crystal was preceded in death by her aunt, Cindy Macon and her grandparents, Romaine and Walter Spivey.
She is survived by her children, Daniel Fine and Daelyn Fine; long-time companion, Shawn Fine; mother, Rochelle Dannelly; father, Richard Owens; sisters and brothers, Chris Shiver, Kelly Grim (Anthony), Richard, Jacob and Patrick Owens; grandmother, Anna Scruggs (Carl); aunts and uncles, Lynn Cruz, Joanne Mullins, John Owens, Dorothy Issac, Roxanne Bonifay, and Rhonda Pulley (Ronnie); nieces and nephews, Rebecca & Courtney Grim and McKenzie and Chase Shiver; and many cousins.
There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, in the Parkview Baptist Church at Rosalyn Way and Cary Memorial Blvd (Brent Lane and Palafox area). Fellowship gathering immediately following service in Church Hall. In place of any food being brought to the house, friends are encouraged to bring to the church to share.
Crystal was a loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Romney Projected Winner Of Florida Republican Primary
January 31, 2012
Moments after the polls closed across Florida the major television networks all projected that Mitt Romney had won today’s Florida Republican Primary.
Fox News, CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS all project Romney as the winner before the first ballots were counted in Northwest Florida. Because of the time zone difference, 51 percent of the state’s precincts were reporting at the time of the predictions. Romney held a 48 percent lead, followed by Gingrich with 31 percent, Rick Santorum with 13 percent and Ron Paul with 7 percent.
Deputies Release Identities Of Double Shooting Victims
January 31, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has released the names of two men that were shot Monday afternoon, as the man charged in the double shooting remains behind bars.
The victims were identified as 22-year old Chris Eric Chapman and 30-year old Chez Everett, both of Pensacola. They were shot outside of a residence in the 2500 block of Truman Avenue.
Derrow Peterson, 22, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond for the shooting.
Both Chatman and Everett were shot multiple times by Peterson as they drove up to a residence where Peterson was located, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Both victims sustained serious injuries and are still hospitalized at a local hospital. Their official condition is unknown at this time.
Deputies said Chatman has an active warrant for a shooting that occurred on December 21, 2011, at America’s Best Value Inn on Plantation Road. In that incident, Chatman shot into an occupied vehicle which was reported stolen with the Pensacola Police Department. No one was injured in that incident.
Water Outage: Bay Springs, South Highway 99
January 31, 2012
Due to water line repairs, water service will be off in the Bay Springs and South Highway 99 area until about noon today, according to provider Escambia River Electric Cooperative.
Florida Primary Underway
January 31, 2012
Months after its date became an issue and 10 days after it turned the state into the center of the political world, Florida’s presidential primary is underway today as voters the polls are open until 7 p.m.
And Republican leaders are saying that the contest could ultimately decide which one of the candidates wins the nomination — just what legislators wanted when they set up a committee last year that upended the GOP’s plans for a carefully orchestrated voting calendar.
As the candidates sprinted across the state Monday in their last chance to sway those voters who haven’t already cast a ballot, polls showed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney opening up a double-digit lead against former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who has all but ignored Florida in pursuit of later states, were even farther behind.
Romney used two strong debate performances and an onslaught of ads in Florida to try to counter Gingrich’s momentum after the speaker shook up the race by thumping Romney in South Carolina. By Monday, Gingrich supporters were already trying to downplay expectations for Gingrich, who vowed to press on no matter what happens today.
“If he has a respectable showing, I think he’s still a viable candidate,” said Sen. Thad Altman, a Melbourne Republican who supports Gingrich. “I think it’s important that he has a good showing here, but I don’t think he has to win.”
A respectable showing, Altman said, would be one that put the former speaker within 10 points of Romney — though Gingrich wasn’t out of the race for Florida even with the daunting margin, Altman said.
“If look you at the polls of the past primaries, Newt’s run stronger than the polls indicated and Romney ran a lot weaker,” he said.
Romney supporters were also looking to tamp down any emerging story lines that the onetime front-runner needed a big win in Florida after a long list of polls showed him putting ever more distance between himself and the rest of the pack.
“Any win is a win, okay?” said Sen. Steve Wise, a Republican from Jacksonville, a Romney stronghold.
Following a debate in Jacksonville Thursday night, in which Romney was seen as the winner, adviser Eric Fehrnstrom also tried to quiet talk that a win in Florida could prove to be a knockout punch for Romney, who has already won in New Hampshire and is the best-funded candidate in the race.
“The nomination process doesn’t end on the 31st of January,” he said. “It keeps going.”
Florida Republicans coming off a bruising battle to put the state in the limelight were eager to paint a different narrative. Last year, facing the prospect of sanctions from the national Republican Party for the Jan. 31 primary date, GOP lawmakers cobbled together a committee to establish the date of the presidential primary. The panel decided to go with Jan. 31 anyway.
That prompted the national party to strip Republicans of half of their delegates to the GOP convention, set to be held in Tampa.
“No one can argue that that has not concentrated extraordinary focus, emphasis and potentially … decisiveness in terms of the impact of Floridian voters’ voices,” said state House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park. Cannon has remained neutral since his first choice, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, dropped out of the race.
Lenny Curry, chairman of the state Republican Party, was more reserved.
“I’d rather that we didn’t lose half of our delegates, but this is where we are, and it is all about Florida,” he said. “So some will argue that it was worth it.”
By The News Service of Florida