2013 Persons Of The Year: Shelby Godwin
January 6, 2014
NorthEscambia.com is naming several Persons of the Year for 2013. An additional honoree will be named on Tuesday.
Shelby Godwin of Bratt has been named one of our North Escambia persons of the Year.
At 10, Shelby is by far the youngest person we’ve ever named one of our persons of the year. At just 10, she exhibited a heart of gold and a love for her fellow man that touched thousands across the area as she touched the heart of a young man she’d never met.
Shelby had never met Wyatt Johnson, a 17-month old from Century who is suffering from a chronic liver disease. But she saw a fundraising flyer at CVS with Wyatt’s picture and was so emotionally touched by the young man that she wanted to do something to help him.
Her idea? A fresh orange juice stand along East Highway 4 in Bratt, under the shade trees last September in front of her house. The 10-year old used her own money to purchase the oranges and supplies for her little business venture and borrowed an old fashioned juicer from a friend of her mom. All the proceeds went to Wyatt’s cause.
When Shelby had the chance to meet Wyatt in October, hugs, smiles and happy tears filled the Bratt Elementary School Library. There was already a special bond between the two, a little boy in need of all the help the world will give him and a young lady with an unselfish heart.
Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas was on hand to recognize Shelby, and the Town of Century issued a proclamation in her honor. And the nationally syndicated John Boy and Bill Show got wind of a NorthEscambia.com story and named Shelby as one of their heroes.
But the greatest honor of all for Shelby was the giant smile on Wyatt’s face.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Reschedules Tonight’s Council Meeting Due To BCS Game
January 6, 2014
The Town of Century has rescheduled their regular first Monday of the month council meeting from tonight to tomorrow, Tuesday, January 7 at 7 p.m.
The meeting was rescheduled to encourage public participation and attendance — the regular Monday night meeting conflicted with the BCS National Championship Game between Auburn and Florida State.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
2013 In Photos: November
January 6, 2014
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2013. Today, we are featuring photos from November.
Four people were left homeless by this November fire near Century.
A Georgia church provided Thanksgiving dinner for Century residents. As part of their “Compel Century” outreach event, Rivertown Church of Columbus provided the free meal.
Students from several northern Santa Rosa County schools put in a hard day’s work to help make sure hundreds of families have a good Thanksgiving dinner.
Hunting and fishing licenses are now available at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century.
Citrus canker was discovered in Santa Rosa County.
Century residents protested against a new barnyard animal ordinance.
Fans react as the Northview Chiefs lose to Cottondale.
Northview’s Keondrae Lett reacts emotionally after the Chief’s regional final loss in Cottondale.
Firefighters from Alabama and Florida battled a train engine fire near the state line.
A wreck involving a semi-truck and a car claimed one life at the intersection of Highway 29 and Muscogee Road in Cantonment.
Two brand new Escambia County EMS units were delivered to Century.
A biker group built a ramp for an injured motorcycle rider in Molino.
An item suspected to be a possible pipe bomb found alongside Highway 29 in Cantonment turned out to be harmless.
Northview High School held their annual Veteran’s Day program.
A driver that allegedly fell asleep on Highway 97 late took a wild ride that ended with his SUV heavily damaging a house.
The Tate Aggies ended their best regular season in 10 years at 8-2.
Ernest Ward Middle School held their annual Veteran’s Program.
A unique roadside bee hive in Walnut Hill on Highway 99, just off Highway 97.
Southwest Airlines first flight to arrive in Pensacola.
Fire destroyed this home on Bradberry Road in Bratt.
The Northview High School FFA chapter was awarded one of the highest national honors presented by the National FFA in November. Northview’s FFA received the Three Star Chapter award on live national television during the National FFA Convention & Expo in Louisville, KY.
State Appeals Court Tosses Jay Man’s Murder Conviction
January 5, 2014
A Florida appeals court has thrown out the second degree murder conviction of a Jay man that was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the shooting death of a Brewton teen at a 2010 party.
In a ruling Friday, the 1st District Court of Appeals ruled Friday said the Santa Rosa County jury that convicted Robert Franklin Floyd was given conflicting instructions about the self defense and “stand your ground law”.
During a bonfire party on February 27, 2010, a vehicle occupied by four people — 18-year old Getyron Lopez Benjamin of Brewton, Gerald Banton, Timothy Smith and Tiffanie Pate — arrived Floyd’s home on Country Mill Road. The four people exited the vehicle and got into a verbal altercation with Floyd. The four refused to leave, at which time Floyd pushed one the males and told them to leave. The male pulled out a handgun, and Floyd retrieved a .243 caliber rifle from his truck. Floyd said he heard gunshots and saw a muzzle flash coming from the vehicle before he fired.
There were two shots that hit the vehicle, one striking Benjamin in the back seat. He was driven to D.W. McMillan Hospital in Brewton where he was pronounced dead.
Floyd’s only defense at trial was self defense.
Under Florida law, “a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have the duty to retreat if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony”.
In Floyd’s case, the 1st District Court of Appeals found that “the trial court instructed the jurors that Floyd both did and did not have a duty to retreat”.
The court reverse Floyd’s convictions, vacated his sentences and ordered a new trial on both original counts against him — second degree murder and discharging a firearm into a moving vehicle. A new trial date has not been set.
Firefighters Respond To Kitchen Fire At Apartment Complex
January 5, 2014
Firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at a Gonzalez apartment complex early Sunday morning.
The fire was out when the first firefighters arrived on scene just after 2 a.m. at the Grantwood Apartments on Batson Lane, just off Highway 95A. There was no major damage, and no injuries were reported.
Hard Freeze Warning: Super Cold Monday And Tuesday
January 5, 2014
- Sunday: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
- Sunday Night: A chance of showers before 9pm, then a chance of rain between 9pm and midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Wind chill values between 15 and 20. Blustery, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 36. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 14. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 37. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 17. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 50. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. East wind around 5 mph.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46.
- Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64.
- Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
- Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 69.
Vehicle Fees Rollback Gets Hearing
January 5, 2014
A closely-watched measure to reduce vehicle-registration fees will get its first hearing since Gov. Rick Scott threw his support behind a similar idea as part of his legislative agenda.
The Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee is set to take up the proposal next Thursday.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, would roll back about half the unpopular 2009 hike in the fees. The decrease in fees would cost almost $182 million in the budget year that begins July 1, and $233 million a year after that. But Scott has endorsed doing away with the whole increase, something that would bring the price tag up to $401 million. Lawmakers could amend Scott’s plan onto the bill, though no amendments have been filed yet.
Negron’s measure unanimously passed the Senate Transportation Committee in October, more than a month before Scott announced his support.
Century Care Center Changes Name
January 5, 2014
The Century Care Center has a new name — the Century Health and Rehabilitation Center.
“The new name more accurately represents who we are and the wide range of services available at our facility,” the five-star facility said in a newsletter. “Our therapy department offers an excellent program designed to achieve the highest level of rehabilitation. We offer inpatient and outpatient services.If long term care is what you need, it’s all here.”
The Century Health and Rehabilitation Center is located at 6020 Industrial Boulevard, at the corner of West Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard.
The name change was effective with the start of the new year.
2013 Persons Of The Year: Richard Freisinger
January 5, 2014
NorthEscambia.com is naming several Persons of the Year for 2013. More honorees will be named on Monday.
Richard Freisinger of Molino has been named one of our North Escambia persons of the Year.
Freisinger, a Tate High School graduate, has dedicated decades of service to the Molino community.
Freisinger was a charter member of the Molino Ruritan Club—a rural service organization—giving back to the community through its efforts of supporting the schools, the fire department, scholarships, and residential fires through fundraisers to meet these needs. Freisinger was employed in 1954 in the research laboratory with Monsanto Textiles and later the analytical research laboratory working 29 years until an early retirement in 1985. He currently operates a small tree farm after row cropping corn and soybeans for many years.
Freisinger and his wife, Jacqueline, saw the need for a rural, central water system for the Molino community and in 1965 after many hours of door-to-door contacts Molino Utilities was founded with over 200 users (members). This system followed the first system of this type located in Walnut Hill. Today this utility has over 2,000 members and has been extended to the Barrineau Park, Dogwood Park, and the Pine Barren communities. He served as a director for over 40 years.
He was involved with others in the community with the formation of the Molino Volunteer Fire Department and served as a volunteer firefighter for 10 years.
In 2001, Freisinger was appointed to the board of the Escambia Soil and Water Conservation. He served for 12 year, including six years as chairman, before retiring this year. He served on the board of Three Rivers RC&D for 29 years to the present time. In 2006 he received appreciation from the Board for ‘Outstanding Efforts on the Big Escambia Restoration Project.’ This was the culmination of a long-time effort to remove the log jam on the Escambia River.
Freisinger is active in his church and has been recognized by the Escambia County Commission.
Pictured top: Sheriff David Morgan talks with Molino residents Jacqueline and Richard Freisinger following a town hall meeting at Fran’s Diner. Pictured inset: Richard Freisinger. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlrage.
14 Of 14: What Will Have Florida’s Attention This Year
January 5, 2014
As 2014 kicks off, here’s a look at some of the key issues that could dominate the Florida political landscape in the year ahead.
GOVERNOR VS. GOVERNOR FOR GOVERNOR: The most closely-watched race in Florida this year will be the battle between Gov. Rick Scott and his immediate predecessor, former Gov. Charlie Crist, for the state’s top job. The psychodrama in the race adds a dimension to what would already be a tough contest for commander-in-chief of a critical swing state. Crist is a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat running against his old party, at times taking shots at policies he once supported while accusing the GOP of wandering too far to the right. Scott, meanwhile, has plans to spend up to $100 million to trash Crist and tout an economic record that he says has earned him a second term. Crist is also up against the troubled record of his new party, which hasn’t won a gubernatorial election in Florida in 20 years. And he still has to fight off a primary challenge from former Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston.
IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID: Providing a backdrop for the gubernatorial contest will be the state of the economy, which has continued to slowly emerge from the shadow of the recession. Already, Florida’s unemployment rate shrank to 6.4 percent in November, down from 6.7 percent in October, according to the state Department of Economic Opportunity. That marks the lowest rate in Florida since July 2008 — during Crist’s tenure. Scott has already begun touting the fact that jobs lost under Crist have been replaced while he was in office. At the same time, the good economic news has provided additional tax revenue for Scott to use to boost spending on public education and to propose tax cuts — two things he’ll be certain to remind voters about in the fall, especially if things continue to improve as expected.
FLORIDA, FLORIDA, FLORIDA: The nation’s capital will also be focused on Florida. With Democrats heavy underdogs to retake control of the U.S. House, the biggest swing state in the country will be one of the places they look to cut into the GOP majority. Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is already running in the special election to replace the late Republican Congressman C.W. Bill Young; her GOP opponent is yet to be decided. Gwen Graham, the daughter of former governor and U.S. Sen. Bill Graham, is mounting a Democratic campaign against incumbent GOP Congressman Steve Southerland in a Northwest Florida seat. Southwest Florida Congressman Trey Radel, also a Republican, was arrested for purchasing $250 of cocaine during an undercover sting in October in Washington, D.C. But Radel’s district is heavily Republican, and his biggest threats might come from within the party.
SENATE PRESIDENCY: There’s no real drama in the race for control of the Legislature this year. Democrats are hoping instead to diminish the GOP’s hefty majority in both chambers. The more intriguing fight might be in the Senate, where the presidency following the 2016 elections is still very much in play. On one side is Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, a wonkish legislator who serves as the chamber’s budget chief. On the other side is Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, a gruff Senate veteran on his second stint in the chamber. Much of the battle could be decided during the primaries but general election contests could shape the fight as well.
SEARCH FOR A LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Florida is nearing the end of its 10th month without a formal No. 2 for Scott since Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll resigned in March. Carroll co-owned a company that provided consulting services to St. Augustine-based Allied Veterans of the World while she was a member of the House, which became problematic when Allied Veterans became ensnared in a racketeering investigation. Carroll was never charged with a crime. Since then, Scott hasn’t rushed to fill the position. The governor could wait until after the legislative session and then name a running mate who could strengthen his hand in the general election. Until then, Attorney General Pam Bondi would take over for Scott if he was unable to carry out his duties.
ROLLING BACK CAR FEES: Scott’s signature legislative issue is his promise to reduce taxes and fees by $500 million, most of which — $401 million — would come from a proposed cut in vehicle-registration fees. Scott has endorsed doing away with an increase approved during tough budget times in 2009. But Scott and Negron — who first pitched the idea of a decrease — say the conditions that led to the increase have receded. The fee decrease carries the added political bonus for Scott of blaming Crist, who was governor when the fees went into effect, for the price hike. The former governor has already taken steps to inoculate himself, arguing that he never intended the increase to be permanent and that it has been in place longer under Scott than it was under Crist.
GAMBLING: Undeterred by the long odds facing any hot-button legislation in an election year, gambling supporters are expected to ante up and try to get something through the Legislature. There’s already talk of a sweeping bill that could include a rewrite of the state’s gambling laws and regulations, the creation of a gambling commission and, possibly, a kitchen-sink of elements sought after by existing race tracks and frontons as well as destination resorts coveted by out-of-state casino operators. But other proposals are also emerging, including the idea of a constitutional amendment to decide issues such as whether the state opens the door to Las Vegas-style casinos, an idea floated by House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.
PENSION PLANS: Weatherford is also expected to make another run at overhauling the pension plan for public workers. Ideas range from the speaker’s proposal last year, which would require new employees to enter a 401(k)-style retirement plan, to offering a “cash balance” plan, which allows employees to take their pension either as a lump sum or as an annuity. An overhaul of state pensions died last year in the Senate, when a maverick group of Republicans teamed with Democrats to block Weatherford’s plan. But Weatherford continues to send signs that he’s not abandoning the issue. “The time for pension reform has come. RT if you agree!” Weatherford tweeted on Friday.
VOTING PURGE: Secretary of State Ken Detzner’s office is expected to soon begin forwarding the names of suspected non-citizens on the voter rolls to local elections officials. The state has been working to finalize a procedure for using a federal list to vet registered voters since 2012, when it first struck a deal with the Department of Homeland Security over the use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, database. That would replace a process using a state database that ran into resistance from county elections chiefs because of problematic scrub lists. The renewed program could still face legal challenges from voting-rights organizations, who have argued that it amounts to an attempt to purge minority voters — who tend to support Democratic candidates — from the rolls.
REDISTRICTING LAWSUITS: The legal fight is expected to continue over the districts that lawmakers approved in 2012 for Florida’s congressional delegation and the state Senate, dragging it into a third year. Critics of the maps contend that they were drawn to aid Republicans and incumbents in violation of the anti-gerrymandering “Fair District” amendments that voters added to the constitution in 2010. The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the state Senate maps can be the subject of a civil lawsuit, despite receiving preliminary approval from the high court in 2012. And Supreme Court decided that lawmakers can be forced to testify about the redistricting process even though legislators generally enjoy a privilege shielding them from speaking in court about their official duties.
HEALTH CARE FIGHTS: Florida’s participation in the federally-backed expansion of Medicaid, a key part of the Affordable Care Act approved by Congress in 2010, appears to be off the table for good. Scott had thrown his support behind it last year, but the idea was ultimately rejected by legislative leaders, who offered their own plans but which all failed to pass. GOP lawmakers are unlikely to reconsider the issue again in 2014, but Democrats will push it anyway. Candidates could keep an eye on the once-troubled rollout of the federal exchange where some consumers are signing up for and buying insurance. A resurgence of technical flaws could pose political problems for the law’s supporters, mostly Democrats.
NEW PRESIDING OFFICERS: After the November elections, new leaders will take the helm in both the House and the Senate. If Republicans hold onto the House as expected, Rep. Steve Crisafulli would become speaker. Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, was something of an enigma in the Capitol when he was quickly chosen to take over for former Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, who lost his 2012 bid for re-election. Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, has been on track for his chamber’s presidency for years despite an attempted palace coup in 2012. Both will bring their own issues to the table, and could begin exerting their influence in the 2014 session as they get ready to assume their new roles.
TROUBLES AT DCF: The embattled Department of Children and Families could also face continuing changes. Scott could choose a long-term replacement for agency Secretary David Wilkins, who resigned in July. Interim Secretary Esther Jacobo announced she will stay on the job until 2014 legislative session ends in May. Meanwhile, Jacobo has asked Scott and the Legislature for funding to slash caseloads for frontline staff and other proposals aimed at keeping children more safe. Lawmakers are also determined to strengthen laws dealing with sexual predators in the wake of reports by the South Florida Sun Sentinel that found that nearly 600 sexual predators had been released only to be convicted of new sex offenses — including more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.
COMMON CORE CONTROVERSY: State education officials are also expected to make a series of key decisions about Florida’s educational guidelines, currently based on the Common Core standards. Those benchmarks, which were developed by officials from Florida and other states, have drawn anger from conservative critics who say they could increase federal involvement in the state’s public schools. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart has said changes to the standards could go before the State Board of Education as early as February.