More Rain Tonight
September 21, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A chance of showers. Low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. North wind around 5 mph.
- Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
- Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
One Seriously Injured When Semi Hits Peanut Combine
September 21, 2013
A Jay man was seriously injured when his tractor and peanut combine were hit by a semi truck and trailer Friday night.
Michael D. Hunter, 46, was on a 1967 John Deere tractor pulling a peanut combine traveling north on Highway 87 near Edna Lane. An approaching semi truck and trailer, driven by 70-year old Aloma B. Carlile of Pensacola, struck the combine about 8:35 p.m. and forced it into the rear of the tractor, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The impact caused Hunter to be ejected from the tractor and onto the roadway.
The tractor broke loose from the peanut combine and and the tractor traveled on its own power on the east shoulder of the road for three-quarters of mile before coming to stop in a nearby field.
Hunter was transported to Santa Rosa Medical Center with serious injures; Carlile received minor injuries and was also transported to SRMC.
The circumstances surrounding the accident are still under investigation, according to the FHP, and charges are pending.
Friday Night Football Finals
September 21, 2013
Here are final football scores from around the area Friday night:
FLORIDA
Tate 35, West Gadsden 0 [Read more...]
West Florida 59, Mosley 20
Pace 46, Washington 0
Escambia 24, Pine Forest 7
PHS 28, Milton 14
Navarre 17, Crestview 14
Blountstown 48, South Walton 14
Niceville 56, Choctaw 3
OPEN: Northview, Jay, Gulf Breeze
ALABAMA
Mobile Christian 42, Flomaton 28
UMS Wright 35, ECHS (Atmore) 14
T.R. Miller 43, Bayside 40
W.S. Neal 43, Southside Selma 14
Escambia Academy 35, Sparta 3
Burk Named Tate Homecoming Queen (With Homecoming Photo Gallery)
September 21, 2013
The Tate High School Aggies celebrated Homecoming 2013 Friday night.
Bailey Burk was crowned homecoming queen during an evening that included the annual homecoming parade. The Aggies honored their 1962 state baseball championship team, including Major League Hall of Fame member Don Sutton. The graduation classes of 1963 and 2003 were also recognized.
For a photo gallery, click here.
For a game action story and photos, click here.
Pictured top: Bailey Burk was named Tate High School’s homecoming queen Friday night. Pictured inset: Major League Hall of Fame member Don Sutton. Pictured below: Homecoming parade. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kaliegh Blackmon and Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Two For Questioning In 14 Year Old’s Murder
September 21, 2013
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is seeking two people for questioning in connection with the Thursday night shooting death of 14-year old Kenteyonna Anderson on West Maxwell Street.
Investigators are looking for 23-year old Jaquest Norris and 21-year-old Juvonte Tyrell Huff for questioning only. They are not currently considered suspects in the murder, according to a press release issued just before midnight Friday.
Huff is also wanted as a suspect in an aggravated battery that occurred Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Investigators were seeking a third person, 28-year old Quentin Gholston, but they said Saturday afternoon that they were no longer looking for him.
Anderson, 14, was outside with friends when a fight erupted nearby and shots rang out, according family members. She was reportedly struck multiple times in the chest. She was transported by ambulance to Baptist Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any of the individuals is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Hunter Jumper Horse Show This Weekend
September 21, 2013
The James C. Robinson Escambia County Equestrian Center will host the Pensacola Hunter Jumper Association Horse Show Sunday, September 22. Classes begin each day at 8 a.m. and run until everyone competes.
As Pensacola’s only Hunter Jumper club, 200 participants are expected to compete in the show and travel to Escambia County from surrounding states. This event is free to spectators and there is a full service concession stand on site.
The James C. Robinson Escambia County Equestrian Facility is a multi-use facility that hosts horse and dog shows, rodeos, concerts, festivals and more. The facility is located at 7750 Mobile Highway, Pensacola.
Three In A Row: Tate Celebrates Homecoming With Shutout
September 21, 2013
The Tate Aggies celebrated homecoming with their third win in a row, a 35-0 shutout of West Gadsden in front of packed house Friday night.
The Aggies didn’t take long before pleasing the crowd. The Aggies scored on a 17- yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sawyer Smith to receiver Shane Tindall with 5:32 remaining in the first quarter. With time running out in the first, Jesse Fernadez powered up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown run. Tate held the lead at the end of first quarter, 14-0.
To begin the 2nd quarter, Tate blocked the Panthers’ punt to get the ball on the Panthers’ 10-yard line. Two plays later. Lavontia Samuel ran it in for a 8-yard touchdown with 11:00 to go in the second quarter for a 21-0 Tate lead. In the middle of the second quarter, Tate’s Trace Penton intercepted the Panthers’ pass to set up a 2- yard touchdown run by Samuel for a 28-0 Tate advantage.
It was in the fourth quarter before Tate was able to score again; this time on a 17-yard TD pass from q Smith to De-Vekyo Lewis. Kicker Dylan Mancuso was perfect for the night on extra points to make the score 35-0. West Gadsden was threatening with time running out, but Tate’s defense was able to hold them off to get the shutout.
After the game, Tate Coach Ronnie Douglas stated that it “was great for the defense to get a shutout”. He said that “they did their job all night and it paid off”.
Tate (3-1) faces Pine Forest (0-4) at Tate’s Pete Gindl Stadium at 7:30 next Friday.
story by Darryl Singleton
For a homecoming activity photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Tate defeated West Gadsden 35-0 Friday night in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Area Job Numbers Improve In Escambia And Santa Rosa Counties
September 21, 2013
The latest job numbers released Friday showed a declining unemployment level in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, while the news was not as good in Escambia County, Ala.
Escambia County’s unemployment dropped to 6.7 percent in August, down from7.1 percent in July. There were 639 fewer people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 8.4 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment fell from 6.8 percent in July to 6.2 percent in August. Santa Rosa County had a total of 4,656 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 7.8 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment increased from 7.7 percent in July to 8.2 percent in August. That represented 1,198 people unemployed in the county during the month.
Florida’s jobless rate dropped slightly in August after three months standing pat, even though the overall number of Floridians with jobs has decreased.
The August 7.0 percent unemployment mark, announced Friday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity, is down from 7.1 percent in July and represents the lowest rate since Florida was at 7.0 percent in September 2008.
Politicians wasted little time putting their spin on the figures.
Gov. Rick Scott credited his tax and regulation-reduction policies for the latest unemployment rate, which represents 656,000 jobless from a current statewide workforce of 9.4 million. “This is evidence that our pro-growth and business friendly policies are working,” Scott said in a prepared statement.
Florida Democrats questioned the praise Scott and other Republicans heaped on the latest numbers, noting that in August there were 4,700 fewer workers than in July.
“No matter how the governor and his GOP allies try to spin this, the reality is that Florida’s economy is stuck in neutral thanks to Rick Scott,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a release.
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry criticized Tant for ignoring “all the facts” and said that in terms of job creation and lowering unemployment Scott has “outperformed the rest of the nation.”
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.3 percent in August, was up from July’s rate of 6.2 percent, but below the year-ago rate of 7.5 percent.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Running (Or Not) In Place
September 21, 2013
If there was a theme to the final full week of summer in Florida politics, it was staying put.
Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, whose potential match-up against former Gov. Charlie Crist in a Democratic gubernatorial primary was the source of endless speculation, decided to stay put as a private citizen. Interim Education Commissioner Pam Stewart got the go-ahead from the State Board of Education to stay in the position on a more-permanent basis.
And the week even included a cameo by the Dream Defenders, who know nothing if not how to stay put. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in fact, unveiled a policy aimed at making sure no one would stay put quite so well in the future.
But the week also included a hint of transition, as the Capitol awaited the return of lawmakers for the first committee meetings in preparation for the 2014 legislative session.
SINKING OUT OF THE RACE
Aside from the even more far-fetched speculation that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson might jump into the Democratic primary, or a belief that former state Sen. Nan Rich’s campaign could catch fire, Sink seemed like the only formidable obstacle to Crist sewing up the party’s nomination to take on Gov. Rick Scott.
Sink’s decision not to run was the latest step in what has become the Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat’s now seemingly inevitable march to the nomination. Crist is now the odds-on favorite to wrap up the party’s 2014 nod should he jump into the race, something almost everyone expects to happen as soon as next month.
In deciding against a bid, Sink — who lost to Scott in 2010 in one of the narrowest gubernatorial elections in Florida history — said she plans to focus on the non-profit foundation she created to help young entrepreneurs.
“After careful consideration, I have decided that the best way for me to make a positive and lasting impact on our state is to continue the work we’ve started together,” she said in an e-mail. “I plan to continue my involvement with the Florida Next Foundation, working to build a state of innovation and inspiring the next generation of young Florida leaders. And of course I am going to be supporting candidates who I believe share my vision that Florida can be a state of opportunity for all of its citizens.”
Crist issued a statement with the grace of a front-runner being careful not to annoy a liberal base that still views him with suspicion.
“I loved working with Alex on the Florida Cabinet and I’m sure it won’t be the last time we work together,” he said in an email. “Florida needs Alex Sink and I’m excited about what’s happening at her Florida Next Foundation.”
And Rich, whose quixotic campaign has drawn little attention to its effort to provide a more orthodox Democratic alternative to Crist, quickly made a play to try to draw some of Sink’s support. Rich said the narrowing field sharpens the differences between her and both Scott and Crist.
“It will give Florida voters a clear choice between someone who has life-long core Democratic values and a commitment to working families and the middle class versus either one of them,” Rich said.
THE SOMEWHAT PERMANENT EDUCATION COMMISSIONER
No campaign was necessary for Pam Stewart to drop the “interim” from her title as education commissioner. After taking over the job as a placeholder for the second time in about a year, Stewart was tapped by the State Board of Education to make the position her own.
“Sometimes, timing is everything, and the time seems to be right now for Pam,” board member Barbara Feingold said at the meeting where Stewart was appointed.
She takes the job amid jockeying over the future of education in Florida and signs that Scott will soon issue an executive order aimed at quieting conservative fears over the state’s participation in the “Common Core Standards,” education benchmarks developed by a group of governors and education officials.
“I appreciate the support of the board and I can assure you I am cognizant of the times we are in and the critical nature of the work,” Stewart said in a statement released after the vote. “I’ve spent 32 years in public education and I remain fully committed to the students of Florida. This is the time to look forward and get this critical work right for our students.”
How “permanent” the new job is for Stewart remains to be seen. She is the fourth non-interim commissioner to serve under Scott since he took office in 2011.
Scott pushed out Commissioner Eric Smith, who was on the job when the governor assumed office, and backed the appointment of Gerard Robinson, only to see Robinson undermined by the botched rollout of school grades.
Tony Bennett — Robinson’s successor — avoided problems with the release of Florida school grades. But he was tripped up by reports indicating he pushed through changes to the grading system in Indiana that benefited a contributor’s school when Bennett was the elected superintendent of public instruction in that state.
Tensions about Common Core between supporters of former Gov. Jeb Bush and those supporting Scott appear to be growing. State Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan ripped into Scott on Tuesday morning for skipping an education summit he called recently and for failing to consult board members on the executive order.
“He should have sent a recommendation to the state board for action,” Shanahan said. She added that Scott’s actions were “embarrassing for him.”
MS. SOBEL GOES TO WASHINGTON (AS DOES MR. HUDSON)
Florida made its presence felt in the debate over the federal health-care law this week, with two lawmakers traveling to D.C. to debate the measure before Congress and the Obama Administration making moves addressing some of the concerns that Scott and the state Cabinet have raised about the law, commonly known as Obamacare.
State Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, and state Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, appeared before a joint meeting of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements and the U.S. House Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs to offer different assessments of the law.
Sobel, who serves as vice-chairwoman of the Senate committee tasked with managing Florida’s reaction to the law, highlighted the Legislature’s decision to forgo Medicaid expansion despite the 25.3 percent of Florida residents who are uninsured. And she noted Scott’s decision to ban outreach counselors known as “navigators” from the grounds of county health departments.
“This is a desperate attempt to prevent access for those who need health insurance the most,” Sobel said.
Hudson, Sobel’s House counterpart, saw things differently.
“Medicaid expansion is wrong for patients and taxpayers,” he said. “Medicaid is already a problem across the nation. Access is limited, and outcomes are poor. The only randomized control trial of Medicaid ever conducted found no improvements in health when compared to the uninsured.”
Meanwhile, administration officials announced the strengthening of security measures for data submitted to the “navigators” by people seeking insurance under the law. Attorney General Eric Holder, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Federal Trade Commission chairwoman Edith Ramirez met with senior White House officials and several state officials Wednesday before unveiling the new plans.
“Today, we are sending a clear message that we will not tolerate anyone seeking to defraud consumers in the Health Insurance Marketplace,” Sebelius said in a statement Wednesday.
Scott quickly took credit for the Obama administration’s attention to the security issues, which Scott raised in a letter to congressional leaders on Monday.
“Whenever the federal government forces a brand new program this big to move this fast, mistakes are made — just as we saw last week in Minnesota,” Scott said in statement Wednesday. An employee of the state health exchange in Minnesota mistakenly sent an e-mail containing about 2,400 insurance agents’ personal data to a man applying to become a navigator.
But White House officials insisted the security measures were part of the plan all along.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced she will not run for governor in 2014, possibly paving the way for former Gov. Charlie Crist to win the Democratic nomination.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Although Mr. Brooks’ wish to obtain treatment for the ailing feline is understandable, the elements of the defense and the plain language of the jury instruction compel us to the conclusion that a claim of necessity is not available as a defense to a DUI charge in Florida when the asserted emergency involves the threat of harm to an animal instead of a person.”–Appeals Court Judge Douglas Wallace, in an opinion on the case of Christopher Brooks. Brooks had raised a necessity defense to the DUI charge, arguing that his friend’s cat was fatally ill and he was attempting to get it to a veterinary clinic.
Dr. James Ralph Holmes
September 21, 2013
Dr. James Ralph Holmes (“Jim”), passed away Tuesday, September 17, 2013. He built his life around making a difference in the lives of others. He earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, and served as the Director of the Counseling Center at the University of West Florida for 27 years. There, he changed the lives of countless students and was devoted to training a wealth of good therapists. He was an integral part of the Society for Descriptive Psychology and worked to bring a new understanding of persons and their behavior to everyone he could. He continued to engage in consulting and training following his retirement from UWF.
He was a husband, father, teacher, and therapist, and was described by a friend as a true “gentle” man. He loved his family, and was as dedicated to them as he was to helping others. He enjoyed traveling, especially in Colorado, and was always on a quest to learn something new. Just before his death, he fulfilled a lifelong dream of writing a book to help people suffering from depression.
He is survived by his wife, Garnet; five children; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren who will miss their Papa. “The beauty of a life so well lived is never lost. The memories of Jim live in all of us.”
Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., Saturday, September 28, 2013, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with funeral services to begin at 11 a.m.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with the arrangements.