Scott In State Of State Address: Let’s Keep Working
March 5, 2014
With a difficult battle for re-election looming, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday used the final State of the State address of his first term to frame the campaign and the role of his personal biography in it.
The half-hour speech, delivered before a joint meeting of the Legislature, plowed little to no new ground on the policies the governor will tout during the 60-day session that opened Tuesday. But Scott used the speech to connect his family’s financial troubles when he was young to his quest to bring more jobs to the state, and to introduce what seems to be his theme for the fall: “Let’s Keep Working.”
Scott also used the occasion to flay the administration of former Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican predecessor now running for governor as a Democrat.
“Four years ago, people were down on Florida: high unemployment, shrinking home values,” Scott said. “Florida was in retreat. … But now, we are on the rise. Jobs are coming back, career opportunities are growing, home values are improving, and there is simply no reason that Florida cannot be the number one state in the country to find a good job, raise a family and achieve the American dream.”
The speech comes as Scott continues to trail Crist in the polls and has slimmed his legislative agenda to focus on one politically popular major issue: $500 million in tax and fee cuts.
Scott also spent much of his time Tuesday highlighting the stories of Floridians who had found work in the last few years, as well as recognizing Florida State head football coach Jimbo Fisher for the Seminoles’ national championship.
Democrats saw politics at play in the governor’s remarks, saying the speech was more focused on the campaign than the issues lawmakers will confront in the legislative session.
“Floridians heard clearly that Rick Scott only cares about his own re-election,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in response to the address. “This speech wasn’t about the state of Florida. It was about the state of Rick Scott’s campaign, and he is desperate.”
Republicans pushed back against that idea.
“I thought it was a speech that reflected on the last three years and where we had come, and I think it reflects where we need to go in the state of Florida,” said Sen. John Thrasher, the St. Augustine Republican who doubles as Scott’s campaign chairman. “To me, I don’t think it was a campaign speech as much as I thought it was a roadmap to what we need to do to continue to be successful in our state.”
But while he pointed out that Crist was never mentioned by name in the speech, Thrasher slammed the former governor nonetheless.
“Charlie Crist left this state in a disastrous situation,” Thrasher said. “He did. He was more interested in promoting his own personal interest in running for vice president and then running for United States Senate than he was trying to help fix the problems of the state of Florida.”
Crist, who himself faced allegations that he sometimes used the State of the State to boost his campaign, slammed Scott’s speech and the governor’s polices over the last three years.
“With the blessing of the people, next year I will deliver a State of the State that puts people first,” he said.
Scott’s speech followed remarks by House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who highlighted their priorities for the session. The two leaders have unveiled a joint House-Senate “Work Plan” meant to guide the chambers through the next two months.
“My friends, we’re on the shot clock,” Gaetz said.
Gaetz then spent about 20 minutes highlighting work-plan items like toughening laws dealing with sexual predators, approving a proposal aimed at helping soldiers and veterans, expanding school vouchers, requiring elected officials to live in their districts and overhauling the pension system for public employees.
The erudite Gaetz wrapped up by quoting Theodore Roosevelt.
“Some say that the second year of a presiding officer’s term is not supposed to be ambitious,” Gaetz said. “I commend to you instead the advice of Theodore Roosevelt who said that each of us is given his ‘crowded hour’ to do great things even when risking failure, but to never be ‘with those poor spirits who live in the gray twilight of fear and indecision that knows neither victory nor defeat.’ Starting now we have 60 days. Sixty days. Let’s fill them with crowded hours.”
Gaetz’s speech was at times overshadowed by the chants of members of the Dream Defenders gathered in the fourth floor outside the chamber doors. The organization held a sit-in outside Scott’s office for a month this summer to call for changes to Florida’s self-defense laws and school discipline policies.
For his part, Weatherford presented the work plan as an anti-poverty initiative. Democrats nationwide have signaled that they are prepared to try to use the issue of income inequality to bludgeon Republicans in the fall, but Weatherford said small-government policies will help lower-income Floridians.
“I believe that strong families, a quality education and a good paying job are the only ways to disrupt poverty in this state and this country — particularly when they’re generational,” he said.
The speaker also reiterated his call to provide in-state tuition at state colleges and universities for students who are living in Florida illegally after being brought to the state by their parents.
“We invest tens of thousands of dollars to educate them through the 12th grade,” he said. “And then we shut the door on their future. And we no longer treat them as if they’re Floridians. It makes no sense fiscally, it makes no sense economically, and it makes no sense morally — because we should never punish a child for the mistake of their parents.”
But that proposal is not included in the work plan and could run into trouble in the Senate.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: Gov. Rick Scott delivers his State of the State address Tuesday. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Phone Service Restored In Byrneville After 4 Day Outage
March 5, 2014
A four-day outage for some Byrneville residents and businesses has been resolved. An unknown number of AT&T land line customers in Byrneville lost phone service last Thursday.
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Due to a water-damaged cable, some AT&T customers in Byrneville may have experienced issues with their wireline services. Technicians worked around the clock to repair the damage and service is currently running normally. We apologize for this inconvenience,” Rosie Montalvo, a spokesperson for AT&T said Tuesday.
Those without phone service including Byrneville Elementary School and Central Water Works.
Darlene Dickey Of Molino Pre-files For County Court Judge
March 5, 2014
Darlene Dickey of Molino pre-filed Tuesday for County Court Judge, Group 5 in the 2014 Election.
Dickey, 43, was appointed an Escambia County judge by Gov. Rick Scott in April 2012 to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge John F. Simon to the First Judicial Circuit. She had served as the general counsel for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office since 2006. Previously, she practiced with Bozeman, Jenkins and Matthews P.A. from 2003 to 2005 after three years as an assistant state attorney with the First Judicial Circuit.
After completing a bachelor’s degree, she served five years as a law enforcement officer, first with the University of West Florida Police Department, and later as a field training officer with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Dickey received a bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida and a law degree from Florida State University.
Deputies Nab Car Burglary Suspects
March 5, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two people they say are responsible for a series of vehicle burglaries in the 300 and 500 blocks of East Nine Mile Road, the 60 block of East Olive Road and the 7800 block of North Davis Highway.
In at least two instances, witnesses observed a white van in the areas at the time of the burglaries. A deputy spotted a van matching the description and located stolen items inside.
Tyler Ray Payne, 17, and William Chad Hurley, 32, were arrested and charged with burglary of a vehicle, possession of burglary tools, damage to property criminal mischief and larceny.
Free Hunter Safety Class Offered In Escambia County
March 5, 2014
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety course in Escambia County.
The class will be held at Booker T. Washington High School, 6000 College Parkway, Pensacola. Instruction is from 6-9 p.m. March 11, 13, 25 and 27. The range portion of the class is March 29 from 7 to 10 a.m.
An adult must accompany children under the age of 16 at all times. Students should bring a pencil and paper with them to take notes.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
People interested in attending this course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling Hunter Safety Coordinator George Warthen at the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at (850) 265-3676.
Peggy Gibson Fowler
March 5, 2014
Mrs. Peggy Gibson Fowler, 74, passed away on Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in Pensacola.
Mrs. Fowler was a native of Walnut Hill and a resident of Bratt since 1962. Mrs. Fowler was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She attended the Bratt First Baptist Church. Two sons, Pat Fowler and Tim Fowler, parents, O.D. and Ruby Gibson and one brother, Otis Gibson, precede her in death.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Dewey Fowler of Brat; one son, Harvey (Marie) Fowler of Monroeville, AL; one daughter, Tammy Fowler (Jeremy) Raybon of Excel, AL; daughter-in-law, Sue Kitzinger (Mike) of Camden, AL; four brothers, Leo (Janice) Gibson of Caldwell, OH, Billy (Sue) Gibson of Pace, Leon Gibson of McCullough, AL and Gary Gibson of McCullough, AL; five sisters, Audrey (Joe) Ward of Gonzalez, Nola (James) Burnham of Mossey Head, FL, Linda (Ronnie) Hickman of Caldwell, OH, Julia Foster of McCullough, AL and Joyce Neuss of Huntsville, AL; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Friday, March 7, 2014 at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. C.L. Langford officiating.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 6, 2014, from 6-9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Tim Wyatt, Sam Stewart, Dewayne Glick, Wayne Harrison, Todd Wiggins, Jeremy “Bobo” Fowler and Sean Bayles.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Joseph Colvin Davis
March 5, 2014
Joseph Colvin Davis, 79 of Bratt, passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in Pensacola. He retired from Monsanto-Solutia as a fireman. He loved farming, was an avid hunter fisherman and was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Bratt. He was born in Atmore on October 03, 1934, to the late Joseph Lee and Agnes Myrtle Merritt Davis.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Elton Davis.
He is survived his wife of 59 yrs, Lavelle Faircloth Davis of Bratt; daughter, Debbie Hester of Bratt; son, Tommy (Maria) Davis of Enon; three grandsons, Hunter (Mandy) Davis, Chase (Kelly) Davis and Cory Hester; great-grandson, Hudson Davis; sister, Carolyn (Aaron) Steele; and many nieces and nephews, church family and friends.
Family will receive friends Thursday, March 6, 2014, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be held Friday, March 7, 2013, at 10 a.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Delbert Redditt and Rev. Tim Hawsey officiating.
Burial will follow in Godwin Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Edward Gilman, James Amerson, Romeo Coleman, Fred Moore, Robert Gilman, and Terry Blanton.
Honorary pallbearers will be Jessie Wood, Howard Hanks, Jim Bolerjack, Leroy White, Clark Ziglar, Jerry Haynie and John (Junior) Spence.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in charge of all arrangements.
Possible Attempted Kidnapping At Bus Stop Under Investigation
March 5, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday afternoon that they are investigating a possible attempted kidnapping at a bus stop that occurred last Thursday. The incident occurred on Champion Oaks Drive in the Bellview area.
The 10-year old female victim told investigators that she had gotten off of her school bus and started walking towards her home when she noticed a gray car drive past her. She said the car stopped ahead of her, and a white male got out and started walking towards the rear of his car. The victim said she stopped and started walking backwards away from him. She said the man began running towards her and she turned and ran to her friend’s house for help.
The suspect has been described as a man in his 50’s with a thin build and short, and salt and pepper colored hair. At the time of the incident, the suspect was wearing a white t-shirt, light-colored blue jeans and black boots or high-top tennis shoes. He had no visible tattoos or distinguishing facial features.
The vehicle was a 1980’s LTD Crown Victoria in very good condition, medium to dark gray in color, four-doors, bearing a regular Florida tag. The mirrors on both doors and the antenna were missing. The passenger-side headlight was broken. Additionally, the vehicle had very dark, tinted windows and regular-sized, silver rims.
Anyone with information on the man or the vehicle should contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9426 or (850) 436-9620.
Samuel Carl Turk
March 5, 2014
Mr. Samuel Carl Turk, age 79, of Hurley, MS passed away on Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at George County Regional Hospital in Lucedale, MS.
Mr. Turk was a native of Flomaton, but had been a resident of Hurley for the past seven years coming from Gautier, MS. He is preceded in death by his grandson, Trevor Kitchens of Hurley, MS; and daughter, Judy Smith of Flomaton.
He is survived by his sons, John L. Turk of Hurley, MS, Jesse L. Turk of Flomaton and Jimmy L. (Tessa) Turk of Van Cleave, MS; daughter, Joana Turk of Hurley, MS; 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Magnolia Cemetery in the Stanley Cross Roads Community with Rev. Carl Wilson officiating.
Flomaton Funeral Home is directing.
Four Arrested In Home Invasion Near 10 Mile Road
March 4, 2014
Four people were arrested in a home invasion robbery just off 10 Mile Road Monday night.
About 5 p.m., deputies responded to the 1000 block of Senegal Drive where the victims reported several males kicked in their front door and pointed guns at them. One victim was hit with a stick. The suspects fled the scene prior to the arrival of deputies.
Deputies observed several individuals running north on nearby railroad tracks. One was taken into custody by a deputy. His backpack contained a large quantity of marijuana, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. A stolen firearm was found in a trash can along the path the suspect took during their escape. The other three were soon captured by deputies.