CVS Pharmacies To Stop Selling Tobacco Products
February 6, 2014
CVS has announced that it will stop selling all cigarettes and tobacco products by October 1.
The CVS Caremark chain, with more than 7,100 stores, said Wednesday that cigarettes and tobacco products have no place in its outlets as it seeks to focus more on its role as a health-care provider. The chain, with $56 billion in annual sales, said ending tobacco sales will cost it $2 billion in annual revenue. CVS the first national pharmacy chain to take this step in support of the health and well-being of its patients and customers.
“Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS/pharmacy is the right thing for us to do for our customers and our company to help people on their path to better health,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Caremark. “Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose.”
Studies show that nearly 44 million U.S. adults, about one-fifth of the adult population, smoke regularly. That figure is lower than in many other countries, but has remained mostly unchanged despite years of government campaigns against smoking.
U.S. officials say cigarette smoking accounts for more than 440,000 deaths annually in the country.
Pictured: The CVS/pharmacy store in Century. Courtesy image for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Town Hall Meeting To Discuss Changes At Escambia Animal Shelter
February 6, 2014
The Escambia County Animal Services and Target Zero Institute (TZI) will hold a special town hall meeting Monday, February 10, at the Escambia County Public Safety Building, 6575 North W Street, room 523, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Participants will hear from TZI and learn how community collaboration has helped drastically reduce public animal shelter intake, euthanasia and how public-private partnerships are now being duplicated across the country.
For more information, contact Sara Pizano, Target Zero Institute, (954) 401-8785
Panel Passes ‘Common Sense’ Tweak To School Gun Policies
February 6, 2014
A bill backed by the National Rifle Association that lawmakers said would add “common sense” to zero-tolerance policies for s in public schools sailed through a House education panel on Wednesday.
The measure (PCB KTS 14-02) by House Judiciary Chairman Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, would prevent children from being disciplined for simulating a gun while playing or wearing clothes that depict firearms.
Baxley called the measure “the pop-tart bill” — a reference to a widely reported news story about a Maryland 7-year-old who was suspended from school last year for chewing his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun.
“Obviously we don’t want firearms brought to school in a backpack,” Baxley said. “But we were definitely having some over-reactions.”
According to national news reports, incidents have included punishing students for drawing a picture of a gun, using a finger as an imaginary gun while making the sound of a gun, owning a miniature gun on a keychain, owning a gun made of Legos and wearing a National Rifle Association T-shirt to school.
In Florida, Fox News reported, an 8-year-old boy was suspended from Harmony Community School in the Central Florida community of Harmony after using his finger as a gun while playing cops and robbers with friends. Jordan Bennett was suspended for a day after school administrators said the gesture was an act of violence.
The stories didn’t sound far-fetched to members of the House K-12 Subcommittee, who added their own.
Rep. Carl Zimmermann, a Palm Harbor Democrat and high-school journalism teacher, recalled a student who — weeks before her graduation — was found to have a pink water pistol in the back seat of her car and “wasn’t allowed to walk to graduation” as a result.
Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, a Maitland Democrat and a public-school teacher, said the zero-tolerance policies often prevent administrators from using their common sense “because their hands are tied. I support the bill so that people will be able to have that flexibility.”
Florida law requires district school boards to adopt policies of zero tolerance for crime and victimization, requiring, among other things, that students found in possession of firearms or weapons at school, at school functions or on school transportation be expelled for a minimum of one year and referred to the criminal-justice or juvenile-justice system.
Critics have called the zero-tolerance policy the “school-to-prison pipeline” for criminalizing childish or adolescent behavior. The American Civil Liberties Union called the policy “a disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal-justice systems. Many of these children have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse or neglect. …Students of color are especially vulnerable to push-out trends and the discriminatory application of discipline.”
Rep. Ronald Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach, said the bill would give guidance to school boards and school officials that they should “take a step back, take a breath and realize that decisions they’re making are really affecting our students.”
Rep. Gwyn Clarke-Reed, a Deerfield Beach Democrat and a retired educator, asked Baxley whether the problems he was trying to address could have been handled internally within the school districts.
“I suppose there’s always a way things can be handled,” Baxley replied. “But this is the way a legislator can handle it.”
The K-12 Subcommittee passed the measure 13-0.
After the vote, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer said the bill isn’t about guns.
“This bill is about children, and stopping children from being traumatized when adults lack good common sense or the capacity to make rational judgments,” she said. “Zero tolerance should not mean zero common sense. Unfortunately, it seems to.”
The Oklahoma Legislature is considering a similar measure, called the Common Sense Zero Tolerance Act.
Escambia County To Try Again Next Month To Name Adminstrator
February 6, 2014
Escambia County will try again in March to hold interviews and name a county administrator.
The Escambia County Commission was set to hold one-on-one job interviews with each of the five finalists for the county administrator position the last week of January, but a freak winter storm literally iced those plans.
On March 13 each finalist will meet separately with individual commissioners in their offices prior to public interviews with the full board at 1:oo in the afternoon. A second special board meeting will be held on March 14 at 9 a.m. to pick a new top boss for the county if one is not named on March 13.
The five finalists for Escambia County administrator, as recommended by a citizens advisory committee, are:
- Jack Brown — Perry, FL. County Administrator, Taylor County BOCC.
- Ted Lakey — Graceville, FL. County Administrator, Jackson County BOCC.
- Albert Penska — Gettysburg, PA. County Manager, Adams County.
- William Reynolds — Pensacola. Former City Administrator, City of Pensacola.
- John Weaver — Murrells Inlet, SC. Attorney, Thomas & Brittain
Due to the administrator interviews, a Committee of the Whole Workshop scheduled for Thursday, March 13, has been canceled.
Frances Kee Morgan
February 6, 2014
Frances Kee Morgan, 82, of Cantonment, passed away on Tuesday, February 4, 2014, at home surrounded by her loving family. Mrs. Morgan’s favorite hobby was reading. After she lost her eyesight she listened to audio books. She also loved to surf fish, especially with her husband. For many years she attended Aldersgate Methodist Church and Allen Memorial Methodist Church. She enjoyed eating at area restaurants.The joy of her life was her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Clarence H. Morgan, Jr.
She is survived by her daughters, Jackie Nicholson (Donnie), Mona Ward and Janet Morgan; son, Clarence (Teet) Morgan III (Lesa); eight grandchilden, 15 great-grandchildren and many friends.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 7, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Reverend Rian Kegerreis officiating.
Interment will follow at Aldersgate Cemetery.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with the arrangements.
Olvie Chaney Beech
February 6, 2014
Olvie Chaney Beech 74, of Goodway, Ala., passed away at her residence after a long illness with Parkinson’s disease on February 3, 2014. She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 38 years William Mack Beech of Huxford; and her parents, Earnest F. and Corell Morris (Hall) Chaney. Mrs. Beech worked 15 years with Vanity Fair and then later became a homemaker. She loved flowers, gardening, painted art, cooking, baking cakes and she had a license to fly. She and her late husband Mack Beech lived on Orange Beach for a few years, overseen shrimp boats and shrimped. They later traveled from coast to coast in their “bus” with blue bird groups and saw the world.
She is also preceded in death by brothers, Wiley, Riley, and Stinson Hall; sisters, Luverne Veveen, Arlie Yohn, Carlie Morris, Gladys Hall; and three nephews and three nieces.
She is survived by her two daughters, Julie (Jeff) Fillmore of Atmore, Carol House (late husband Ralph) Robinson of Huxford; son, James L. (Shelia) House of Goodway; four grandchildren David James (Amber) House, Haley House (Kyle) Albritton , Forrest Fillmore and Justin Fillmore; five great-grandchildren, James Curtis, Payton, Jailynn, Trenton, and Blaze House; loving and devoted sister, Olivia (Larry) Carroll; and brother, Ira (Inez) Hall both of Hattiesburg, MS; 10 nieces and seven nephews; beloved and devoted friend and caregiver, Ophia Millender of Monroeville; and her beloved dog of six years “J.R. Beech.”
Special thanks to Debbie Albritton and Mary Asera of Care Hospice, Dr. Sage Smith and Dr. Nacey McCloud.
Funeral Services were held Thursday, February 6, 2014, from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. C. L. Langford officiating.
Burial was in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Forrest Fillmore, Justin Fillmore, Britten Ikner, John Murry Ikner, Kyle Albritton and D.J. House.
Honorary pallbearers were Larry Carroll, J.C. Morris, Ladon Hall, Mike Smith and Tommy Hall.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Lee Hadley
February 6, 2014
Mr. Lee Hadley, 58, passed away on Tuesday, February 4, 2014, in Bay Minette.
Mr. Hadley was a native of Rabun and a resident of Nokomis, Alabama for the past 15 years. Mr. Hadley worked as a truck driver. A wife, Bonnie Sue Hadley, precedes him in death.
He is survived by his wife, Donna S. Hadley of Bay Minette; one daughter, Jena Hadley Capps of Bay Minette; three step-daughters, Linda K. Myers of Perdido, Betty Hearne of Houston, TX and Jamie Williams of Bay Minette; one brother, Luke Mitchem of Stillwood, MO; two sisters, Maxine Hall of Elberta and Lorraine Gray of Nokomis, Ala; six grandchildren; a number of nieces and nephews and a special caregiver, Darlene Bordelon of Nokomis, Ala.
Funeral services will be Friday, February 7, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Sister Helen Stewart officiating.
Burial will follow at the Lottie Methodist Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Kenneth Evans, Codie Evans, Ray Weaver, John Mangrum, John Ray Hearne and John Pipkins.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Alabama Man Dies In Olive Road Wreck
February 5, 2014
An Alabama man was killed in an early morning traffic accident in Escambia County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 22-year old Jamie Nichols of Foley was traveling east on Olive Road near Ackerman Drive when he lost control, ran off the roadway and struck a tree. He was pronounced deceased on the scene by Escambia County EMS.
Nichols was wearing the seat belt in his 2000 Jeep Cherokee at the time of the crash, the FHP said.
FDLE Arrests Local Crime Lab Chemist
February 5, 2014
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents arrested former Pensacola crime-lab chemist Joseph Graves Tuesday evening, three days after announcing he might have compromised hundreds of state drug cases, the agency said.
Graves was arrested at the Escambia County Jail, and he was released a short time later on a $290,000 bond. Graves is charged with grand theft, 12 counts of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and nine counts of trafficking in illegal drugs. Additional charges are possible.
Investigators believe that Graves, while processing drug cases, replaced prescription pain pills with over-the-counter medications.
“The actions of Joseph Graves are disgraceful,” FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said in a statement. “FDLE is working with state attorneys’ offices statewide to ensure he is held accountable for his actions.”
FDLE began the investigation last month, collaborating with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and State Attorney Bill Eddins, after prescription pain pills from the evidence room at the sheriff’s office went missing. Investigators determined that each case involving missing drugs had been analyzed by Graves, who was relieved of duty Friday. He had been a crime lab analyst in Pensacola since December 2005, and was promoted to supervisor in July 2009.
FDLE teams are inspecting evidence from all cases handled by Graves to determine which of the cases could be compromised. He handled nearly 2,600 cases for 80 law enforcement agencies spanning 35 counties and 12 judicial circuits. Eddins will prosecute the case; the investigation is ongoing.
House Panel Backs Ban On Insurers Discriminating Against Gun Owners
February 5, 2014
Insurance companies could face tougher penalties if they impose higher rates, refuse to issue or cancel auto or homeowner policies due to gun ownership, under a measure backed by a House committee Tuesday.
Florida law already prohibits such action, but Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said his proposal (HB 255) would provide a remedy other than with the state Office of Insurance Regulation by allowing a policyholder to sue if an insurer took such an action.
“It just gives greater access to courts,” Gaetz said. “It’s unlawful now, but the only entity that has the ability to enforce it right now is OIR.”
A staff analysis of the bill notes that “an issue with the current law is that it lacks specific authority to take action against any insurers which violate the proscribed behavior.”
Gaetz added that while such actions by insurers haven’t been seen in Florida, cases have been tracked in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
“In Florida that has not been a circumstance, but this is a prophylactic in the event that events we’ve seen in other parts of the country proliferate here,” Gaetz said.
Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach, an insurance agent, cast the lone vote on the Insurance and Banking Subcommittee against the measure. He called the measure “unnecessary.”
“If an insurance company wants to exclude assault-type weapons, it seems to me that it is good to exclude if they desire to,” Rader said. “Certainly I know on animal exclusions they exclude Doberman pinschers and rottweilers.”
Gaetz said insurance companies wouldn’t be prohibited from asking potential policy holders about gun ownership, nor would they face state scrutiny if they lowered rates for a gun owner based on an actuarial determination that gun ownership reduced the risk of burglaries.
Insurers also wouldn’t be prohibited from charging a supplemental premium, as long as it’s not deemed unfairly discriminatory, to insure a firearm or firearm collection.
National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said the issue was raise due as Citizens Property Insurance Corp. had included a question in its new policy clearinghouse regarding gun ownership.
“The only reason for insurance companies to start asking you about what guns you want is so they can discriminate against gun owners,” Hammer said. “They have no right to ask those questions.”
A spokesman for Citizens said the question is no longer a part of the clearinghouse questionnaire.
The question was included in early testing of the site, as one of the four private companies currently set up to potentially receive new policies, United Property & Casualty Insurance Co., has been allowed by OIR since 2005 to consider firearms when underwriting policies.
Sandra Starnes, OIR director of property and casualty product review, said United is allowed to exclude homeowners if they are “in possession of dangerous firearms.”
Assault and rapid fire weapons could be classified as “dangerous,” but game hunting rifles and shot guns would be excluded from the prohibition, she said.
The measure must still get through the Civil Justice Subcommittee and Regulatory Affairs Committee.
The Senate companion (SB 424) has already been backed by the Banking and Insurance and the Criminal Justice committees, and has only to clear the Appropriations Committee before reaching the Senate floor.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida