Prison Health Care Privatization Contract Signed
January 4, 2013
The state’s efforts to privatize prison health care services across roughly the southern third of Florida is moving ahead, a Department of Corrections spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.
Agency spokeswoman Ann Howard said DOC and Wexford Health Services, Inc., signed a $48 million contract on Dec. 18 and hope for a 90-day transition period, allowing the company to finish taking over operations some time in March.
The state expects to save about $12 million a year with the privatization. Employees are being notified of the change and are guaranteed an interview with Wexford, Howard said.
An initiative to turn over health-care services in other parts of the state to Corizon, Inc., is currently tangled up in court after a Leon County judge struck down a decision by the Legislative Budget Commission to authorize that transfer. The judge ruled that the 14-member commission overstepped its authority by allowing the privatization to go forward in areas where the full Legislature had not authorized it.
The state has appealed that decision.
By The News Service of Florida
Woman Charged After Toddler Found Wandering Street
January 3, 2013
An Escambia County woman was arrested early Thursday morning after leaving her three young children at home alone.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 600 block of Prichard Avenue in Ensley just after midnight after callers reported a small child running down the street wearing only a shirt and diaper.
Deputies were able to determine where the 2-year old lived, and they discovered two other children, ages 4 and 6, inside and unattended.
About an hour later, the mother of the children, identified as Amanda Lynette Wiggins, returned home. She told deputies that she had left home just prior to the babysitter, known to Wiggins only as Christie, arriving. Deputies were unable to verify Wiggins’ story.
Wiggins was charged with three counts of child neglect and jailed without bond.
The children were no injured. The Department of Children and Families was called and made arrangements for the children.
Two Arrested After Cantonment Manhunt
January 3, 2013
A man that was the subject of a New Year’s Eve manhunt in Cantonment remains in the Escambia County Jail, and a woman was charged with obstructing deputies in finding him.
Several Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 310 Booth Avenue in an attempt to arrest 40-year old Michael Anthony Hare on outstanding warrants. Deputies were unable to immediately enter the fenced yard at the residence due to two large dogs. Deputies reported seeing Hare and and a female, later identified as 27-year old Regan Nichole Daniel, run out the back door of residence.
A seven-year old child that lived in the home approached deputies and told them that Hare had been in the home all day, an arrest report states.
Daniel later exited the house, denied that Hare had been there and refused to allow deputies to enter the home or yard. She later took control of the dogs, and deputies unsuccessfully searched the residence for Hare.
Deputies established a perimeter around the area and began a K-9 search that lasted for a couple of a hours. Hare was eventually located hiding in an attached garage at the Booth Avenue residence and taken into custody.
Hare was booked into the Escambia County jail without bond on two outstanding probation violation warrants, resisting an officer/obstruction of justice and contempt of court on an domestic violence injunction that forbid him from contact with Daniel. Hare was on probation on stalking charges, according to an arrest report.
Daniel was charged with obstructing justice/resisting an officer and later released from jail on a $500 bond.
Pictured and below: Deputies searched for hours for 40-year old Michael Anthony Hare Monday in Cantonment. Reader submitted photo by Paula Butler for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Arrested For New Year’s Eve Party Stabbing Near Munson
January 3, 2013
A Santa Rosa County man was arrested Wednesday night in connection with a stabbing at a New Year’s Eve party in Munson.
Camrin Bass, 19, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and remains in the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.
Bass reportedly became upset at a comment 23-year old Dillan Fretwell made at a female at the party at 12299 Munson Highway. Bass then stabbed Fretwell multiple times, deputies said, including one stab wound that barely missed Fretwell’s heart. Bass had fled the scene before deputies arrived.
Fretwell was stabbed a total of four times — one in the chest and three times in his back. He was driven by private vehicle to Jay Hospital for treatment.
Pictured: Camrin Bass, 19, was arrested Wednesday night in connection with a New Year’s Eve party stabbing in Munson. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Century Residents Arrested On Multiple Drug Charges
January 3, 2013
Two Century residents were arrested on a drug charges after Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to serve an outstanding arrest warrant.
When deputies responded to a mobile home on Grimes Road outside Century to serve the warrant, they reported observing Christopher Borders, Bethany Shell Carter and an unidentified male inside. They reported Carter appeared to be rolling a marijuana cigarette, and watched as Borders and the other male light and smoke a white rock-like substance inside a glass vial. The unidentified male fled the mobile home before deputies could make contact with him.
Inside the mobile home, deputies also reported finding a bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. In a purse belonging to Carter, deputies located methamphetamine, a partially burnt marijuana cigarette and Lortab pills not in a prescription container.
Carter was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $6,000 bond.
Borders was charged with two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. He was later released from jail on a $2,000 bond.
Tate Aggies Name New Head Football Coach
January 3, 2013
Tate High School has named Ronnie Douglas as the Aggies’ new head football coach.
Douglas has previously served as an offensive line coach at Pace High School and was a Tate assistant coach under Ed Ribgy for three years. In 2011, he led Pleasant Home High School near Andalusia to an 8-4 finish and the school’s first ever appearance in the playoffs.
Douglas was one of 46 applicants for the position vacated after the November termination of Brad Naggatz as head coach.
Escambia Legislative Delegation To Hold Public Hearing
January 3, 2013
The Escambia County Legislative Delegation will hold a public hearing on Thursday, January 10.
The delegation — consisting of Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Clay Ingram and Rep. Clay Ford – will hear public comments on local proposals for the 2013 regular Legislative session.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for the 6-8 p.m. meeting on Thursday, January 10 at the Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio on the Pensacola State College campus at 1000 College Boulevard. To be placed on the agenda, all interested parties should contact Rep. Clay Ford’s office at (850) 595-5550 or email brittany.bezick@myfloridahouse.gov by 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 3.
Deal Extends Farm Bill; Stops Milk Prices From Doubling
January 3, 2013
The deal between the White House and Congress narrowly approved Tuesday evening by the House to avoid going over the fiscal cliff would extend a 2008 farm law through September 2013.
That will keep milk prices from doubling but leaves other major issues unresolved.
Florida advocates have been worried about the farm bill, in part because of milk prices, but also because of its affect on food aid to the poor.
The extension would ignore comprehensive packages by the agriculture committees of both chambers, including provisions for dairy industry reform, disaster relief and cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.
In June, the full Senate had passed a five-year reauthorization of the 2008 law, but House Speaker John Boehner refused to allow a floor vote on the measure approved by the House Agriculture Committee in July. The farm bill then got caught up in fiscal cliff negotiations, mainly because without reauthorization by Jan. 1, a 1949 law would have kicked in, requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy up dairy products at double the current price.
The agriculture committees had agreed to include a new dairy support program, the Dairy Security Act, in the reauthorization package, along with $850 million in disaster aid. But these provisions were excluded from Tuesday’s deal.
“The Senate’s vote on a nine-month extension of current farm policy is a devastating blow to the nation’s dairy farmers,” said Jerry Kozak, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “After months of inaction, the plan that passed … as part of the fiscal cliff package amounts to shoving farmers over the dairy cliff without providing any safety net below.”
The nine-month extension maintains food aid at current levels until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2013. The Senate bill would have cut SNAP by $4.5 billion, the House bill by $16 billion.
The House late Tuesday passed the bill to avert the fiscal cliff by a 257-167 vote, sending the measure to President Obama, who plans to sign it. The measure will allow tax rates on upper income Americans to go up, but makes middle class tax cuts permanent, avoiding a spike in taxes for most people that had been set to go into place.
The measure also extends unemployment benefits and makes other changes to tax and spending laws. It had passed the Senate earlier in the morning on Tuesday.
By Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Bonfire Party Altercation Ends With Man Severely Burned
January 3, 2013
A Santa Rosa County man was charged after a New Year’s Eve bonfire party ended with an altercation and a severely burned victim.
Just after 2013 began, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 7000 block of Springhill Road where they determined 24-year old Devin Lee Bass had punched the victim, 26-year old Cody Healy, in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. Healy fell into the bonfire, causing severe burns to his face, neck and chest. Deputies said Healy was in the fire for several seconds before bystanders pulled him out. Bass allegedly also punched another person in the face as they attempted to help Healy out of the fire.
The second victim lost two teeth and suffered a laceration to his face. Healey was transported to USA Medical Center Burn Unit in Mobile were he was listed in serious but stable condition.
Bass was charged with two counts of aggravated battery and resisting an officer. He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail with bond set at $6,000.
2012 In Photos: October
January 3, 2013
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2012. Today, we are featuring photos from October.
Fire destroyed this vehicle alongside Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
A grand opening ribbon cutting was held for the new Molino Community Complex.
A Century convenience store was robbed at gunpoint. A suspect was arrested a few days later.
Mitt Romney campaigned in Pensacola in October, along with Sen. Marco Rubio and Connie Mack.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office uncovered this indoor marijuana grow operation at a home on Wesley Circle in Molino.
Hundreds of area residents attended Flomaton’s annual Fall Festival in October.
Over 14,000 took part in the 10th annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Pensacola.
Northview High celebrated Homecoming with their annual parade through Bratt.
Ashley Cunningham was crowned Northview High School’s homecoming queen.
A BMX bicycle team presented high flying tricks and an anti-drug message at Rachel Patterson Elementary School in Atmore.
The Century Branch Library held their seventh annual Halloween program.
A small number of homes were evacuated after a gas leak in the Milestone subdivision off West Nine Mile Road.
Four people were injured in crash involving an ambulance in Century.
The 23rd annual crosstown rivalry between two inner city Pensacola youth sports leagues — the Soul Bowl — was held at the Maritime Park, with a little help from some youngsters from Jay.
A fall tradition is the annual Allen Memorial United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch.
A longstanding tradition of electing two homecoming queens — one African-American and one not — came to an end at Escambia County High School in Atmore under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Looking like Fall — bright yellow goldenrods lined the highways of North Escambia is October.
A visitor gets up close and personal with a snake during the annual Open House at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment.
Hundreds attended the annual Fall Festival at Molino Park Elementary School.
Numerous schools took part in several cross country meets at Northview High School.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Bomb Squad deposed of a military anti-personnel mine found at a home in Bratt.
Over 100 runners and walkers took part in the third annual Chief Challenge at Northview High School in October.
One person was stabbed inside a Century bar in October.
Hundreds of people attended a community-wide Fall Festival in Molino sponsored by four area churches.