FWC Law Enforcement Report
April 26, 2014
Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekend ending April 24:
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Investigator Hughes was contacted by Blackwater River State Park Ranger Hatfield regarding the Blackwater River State Park sign adjacent to the entrance of the park having been vandalized by graffiti. Upon arrival, Investigator Hughes observed that the park sign had been hit with white and light green paint. Further investigation revealed two broken beer bottles with traces of green paint which appeared to have been thrown at the sign and busted upon impact. The two sections of the broken bottles found on the ground underneath the sign had electrical tape around the top of the bottles. An attempt to take latent fingerprints from the partial pieces of broken bottles was conducted with no success. A possible suspect has been identified, but not located.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Miller was on patrol at East River Boat Ramp when two subjects pulled up asking for help. One of the subjects had several medical issues and was lying in the bottom of the vessel. They had been fishing on East River when they both fell out the boat and over exerted themselves trying to get back into the vessel. Officer Miller called for EMS while assisting the subject up from the bottom of the vessel. The subject who was lying in the bottom of the vessel was taken by EMS to get a medical attention. Officer Miller then assisted with loading the vessel for the other subject.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
(No Escambia report issued.)
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week;however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Scott And The Shadows
April 26, 2014
The Capitol crowd blended a flair for fashion into the mix of the session’s penultimate week, creating a bright and cheery impression as more sober discussions about pot, immigration and state finances intensified.
Lawmakers drew and erased lines in the sand about the two chambers’ spending plans and a variety of other issues, handing off the thorniest subjects to the budget chiefs, Rep. Seth McKeel and Sen. Joe Negron.
And, as the session clock seemed to wind down more rapidly, Gov. Rick Scott waded into the fray on two high-profile issues — medical marijuana and in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.
Legislators, lobbyists and staffers wound up a week of sartorial sidetracks with a nod to Southern elegance on Friday in the guise of “Seersucker Day,” an annual celebration of the puckered cotton cloth evocative of Tennessee Williams that felt — and looked — oh-so-comfy as the humidity began to climb. Two days earlier, the Capitol burst into bloom as those with the most refined tastes paid homage to the late Palm Beach fashionista, Lilly Pulitzer, in pastel shades of green and pink. Sandwiched in between on Thursday, the more rebel-minded slipped on ostrich, alligator or plain old cowhide to kick some boot on yet another tailor-made legislative “day.”
SCOTT STEPS OUT FROM THE SHADOWS
Scott’s support for in-state tuition rates for students who don’t have authorization to be in the country is a major turnaround from the Republican who promised to bring an Arizona-style immigration law to Florida in his first bid for governor.
The proposal, a top priority of House Speaker Will Weatherford, is stuck in the Senate, where Negron, the appropriations chairman, refused to slate it for a committee hearing this week. Early in the session, Democrats joined moderate and Weatherford-faithful House Republicans to pass the measure, a higher-ed hodgepodge that also would scale back from 15 to 6 percent the annual amount universities can hike tuition without the Legislature’s approval.
Scott had been mum until recently on the part of the bill that would allow undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state tuition rates as long as they attend four years of secondary school in the state. Instead, the governor had focused on lowering tuition for all students, something he has pushed by asking colleges to provide four-year degrees for $10,000 and by telling universities to forego tuition increases.
But on Tuesday, Scott’s office arranged a hastily called press conference after a move to get the issue onto the floor stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“For Florida’s students, it’s extremely disappointing,” Scott told reporters outside his office. “We have 21 Senate sponsors, we have four other senators that have voted for this in committee assignments — this needs to get to the floor of the Senate.”
Children brought to this country by their parents deserve “the same opportunities of all children,” Scott said. “Whatever country you were born in — whatever family or ZIP code — you ought to have the chance to live the dream.”
Senate bill sponsor Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, has insisted he has enough votes to pass the measure — half the members of the Senate have formally signed on as co-sponsors — if he could get it to the floor. Late in the week, Latvala said he believes the bill will come up for a vote during the last week of session.
A separate immigration-related issue popped up in the Senate, telegraphing the popularity of Latvala’s proposal in the chamber.
With a 25-12 vote Friday, the Senate passed a measure (HB 755) that would allow certain undocumented immigrants to gain admission to The Florida Bar. The vote count likely mirrors a Senate floor vote on the in-state tuition proposal.
The bill is aimed at helping Jose Godinez-Samperio, who came to the United States at age 9 from Mexico, graduated from law school at Florida State University and passed the Bar exam more than two years ago.
Last month, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that undocumented immigrants like Godinez-Samperio cannot be admitted to The Florida Bar and called on the Legislature to change state law to allow so-called “Dreamers” to become attorneys.
The bill approved Friday would give the Supreme Court the ability to admit Bar applicants who were brought to the state as minors and have been residents of Florida for more than 10 years.
Weatherford said late Thursday he supports the measure and that “there is plenty of time left” for the issue to be resolved and sent to Scott, who did not directly answer when asked whether he backs the bill.
“This case demonstrates how broken our federal immigration laws are. Stories like this are why I am fighting to keep tuition low for every Florida student who wants to follow their dreams right here in our state,” Scott said in a statement.
SCOTT COMES OUT OF THE SHADOWS, SORT OF
The governor this week also staked out a position on a hybrid of marijuana known as “Charlotte’s Web” that many believe can dramatically reduce life-threatening seizures in children with a rare form of epilepsy.
Parents of the children, some in wheelchairs, have repeatedly made tearful pleas during committee hearings and in private meetings with lawmakers while recounting the drama of the form of the disease that does not respond to other treatments and can cause hundreds of seizures per day.
The issue has become one of the hottest topics of the 2014 session. Many at-first reluctant GOP lawmakers have rallied around the substance after hearing emotionally charged testimony from parents whose children suffer hundreds of seizures per month. But other Republicans are concerned that the proposals en route to the chamber floors could wrongly give the public the idea that the lawmakers support a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would allow doctors to order “traditional” marijuana for severely ill patients.
The House and Senate have been working toward common ground on making available a form of marijuana that is high in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
On Monday, the House Judiciary Committee approved a plan that includes language proposed by Scott, who wants to limit the use of the drug to clinical trials.
The bill (HB 843) would create an “Office of Compassionate Use” within the Department of Health that would “enhance access to investigational new drugs for Florida patients through approved clinical treatment plans or studies.” Studies on “investigational new drugs” are the first step in the Food and Drug Administration approval process. Under Scott’s plan, the “Office of Compassionate Use” could create a network of state universities and medical centers and apply to the FDA or a drug manufacturer for a study. The House measure also includes $1 million for the clinical studies.
“As a father and a grandfather, I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a family member suffering. We want to make sure those suffering get access to treatments in the fastest possible way. And that is why we have proposed language to ensure the safety of our children and have been working with the Legislature to see it included in the final bill,” Scott said in an e-mail Tuesday.
The House sponsor balked at the restrictions proposed by Scott. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, wanted a more free-market approach but bowed to the Senate’s preference for a “vertical” distribution system where growers would also serve as manufacturers and distributors. The two chambers still haven’t ironed out all the kinks, however.
“The governor’s suggestions are good. We’ve taken those suggestions but we’re thinking a little bolder,” Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said Monday evening. “I would like to do that and have little kids who can’t get into a clinical trial still have their lives saved.”
The Senate is slated to take up its approach to medical marijuana (SB 1030) on Monday.
TAG — YOU’RE IT!
With the budget conference process compressed into little more than a week this year, a furious series of subcommittee meetings took place between Monday evening and Wednesday evening, when all unresolved issues were “bumped” to McKeel and Negron. Lawmakers were just getting back from their Easter and Passover break when a deal on big-picture allocations was announced. Those allocations are a key step to negotiating the nitty-gritty details of the budget.
“I hope everybody’s rested up and had a good week off,” Weatherford said during a meeting to kick off the negotiating sessions. “We’ve got a lot to do in the next two weeks.”
Some subcommittees were more successful than others. The criminal justice panel worked out the vast majority of issues, bumping up a few relatively minor items. The education committee, on the other hand, ended with the Senate rescinding one of its offers after the House didn’t agree to a series of strings that the Senate had attached to the offer. (Negron later said that he and McKeel had resolved questions about what had been bumped from the education talks, but didn’t elaborate.)
Many of the big issues were relatively predictable even before the subcommittees got to work. Either Negron and McKeel — or Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz — will take care of how to spend performance funding for state universities and technology funds for public schools. Also, they will have to address Negron’s plan to spend tens of millions of dollars on restoration and protection efforts at Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee and a series of projects like a $10 million line item for a 1,000-foot-high business and amusement feature that would dominate Miami’s skyline.
The back-and-forth causing the most-emotional response outside the Capitol, though, might be the $13 million (or more) the Senate is earmarking to break up the joint College of Engineering now shared by Florida State University and Florida A&M University. Supporters of FSU say the university needs its own school to enter an elite group of public universities. Backers of FAMU fear that a stand-alone engineering college at the state’s historically-black university would get less funding and attention than its counterpart.
Weatherford called for the Board of Governors, which supervises Florida’s public universities, to get involved.
“They are kind of the regulatory oversight body of the higher education system, and I think that their voice should matter quite a bit in this conversation,” he said.
Negron signaled that the Senate wasn’t standing pat at $13 million.
“I’m not only going to include the funding for the FSU College of Engineering in the budget, we’re going to increase the funding,” he said.
But neither side ruled out the other side’s recommendation, meaning that a deal could be found to satisfy FSU alum and influential Senate Rules Chairman John Thrasher, a St. Augustine Republican pushing the idea.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott calls for the Senate to vote on a bill that would offer in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “This session will not end peacefully if that bill does not get a vote on the Senate floor. I don’t think anyone’s operating under any alternative illusion. So they can posture and dream in Technicolor all they want, but this issue will come up on the Senate floor or this session will melt down.” — Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, discussing the in-state tuition issue.
by Dara Kam and Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
West Florida Recycling Closes For Now, Won’t Impact ECUA Customers
April 26, 2014
West Florida Recycling — the company that processes recyclables for ECUA, the City of Pensacola and Santa Rosa County — has temporarily closed due to heavy rains and standing water. The company recently filed for bankruptcy.
“We notified all of our clients, including Santa Rosa County, that we could not accept material until the water receded, and invoked the clause in our contract that allows service to stop in situations like this. It was not an easy decision to make but for the safety of our clients, their trucks and equipment, and that of our own employees, we had to suspend our operations until the flooding recedes,” said Larry Hoover, CEO of West Florida Recycling.
That means no more recycling for now in Santa Rosa County or Pensacola, but for now, ECUA says it has a temporary alternative plan in place. ECUA will load recyclables onto an 18-wheeler that can hold the loads of eight smaller ECUA trucks and send the materials to Georgia for processing. The process, according to ECUA, won’t cost the utility or customers any more money.
“Overall it’s pretty much a break-even situation as opposed to the alternative which would be to take these recyclables to the landfill,” said Natalie Bowers, ECUA spokesperson.
For now, Pensacola will haul recyclables to the landfill, and Santa Rosa County is in the processing of removing 21 recycling drop-off sites.
Hoover that as of Friday, there is still standing water at the facility even with a week of no rain.
“We hope to resume operations as soon as the weather and flooding will allow, and we apologize for this inconvenience. Our struggles with flooding at our current leased facility have been well-documented, and every time we have to stop operations because of flooding means we aren’t able to generate revenue by re-selling recycled materials and we aren’t able to put our people to work,” Hoover said.
Pictured: Images provided by West Florida Recycling that show flooding at their facility.
Atmore Relays For Life (With Photo Gallery)
April 26, 2014
The annual Relay for Life of Atmore was held Friday evening at Tom Byrne Park in Atmore.
The event began with a special lap around the park for survivors and caregivers, and the evening included a Luminaria Ceremony to to remember people lost to cancer, to support people who are currently battling the disease, and to honor those who have won their battle.
For a photo gallery, click here.
There were eight registered teams that had raised just over $22,600 for the American Cancer Society before Friday night’s relay, which ended at midnight.
Pictured: The Atmore Relay for Life gets underway Friday evening. NorthEscambia.com photos by Bethany Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Ransom Chess Team Competing In National Tournament This Weekend
April 26, 2014
The Ransom Middle School Chess Club is competing in the 2014 National Junior High Chess Championship this weekend.
Middle school students from across the country are participating in the tournament held at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta through Sunday. Last year, Ransom Middle School students placed third in their division.
Wahoos Club Four Home Run On Way To 5-1 Win Over Braves
April 26, 2014
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos defeated the Mississippi Braves 5-1 in front of a sold-out crowd at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. The Wahoos (9-13) crushed four home runs to extend the team’s league-leading total to 25. Wahoos pitching held the Braves (8-14) to just six hits on the night.
RHP Daniel Corcino had his longest outing of the season for the Wahoos; he allowed 1 R/ER and gave up three hits in 6.2 innings of work. Drew Hayes came on and pitched 1.0 innings of relief behind Corcino. Hayes gave up no runs and just one hit out of the bullpen. RHP Shane Dyer finished the game for the Wahoos and earned the save. Dyer pitched 1.1 innings in relief and struck out three batters.
Catcher Bryan Anderson had a huge night at the plate for the Wahoos; he went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI. Anderson now has five home runs on the season, which ties him with teammates Rey Navarro and Donald Lutz for the league lead. Travis Mattair continued his hot-streak going 2-for-4 with his third home run of the season. Juan Silverio joined the home run party and hit his second of the year, a solo shot in the fifth inning. The Wahoos scored at least five runs so use the promo code WAHOOS and receive 50% off your entire order Saturday at PapaJohns.com
Major League pitcher Mike Minor made his final rehab start for the Braves. Minor gave up 5 R/ER and 10 hits to the Wahoos. The left-hander added two strikeouts to his ledger. James Hoyt pitched 1.0 inning in relief and struck out two Wahoo batters.
Left fielder Mycal Jones led off the game with a home run and went 2-for-4 in the contest. Third baseman Kyle Kubitza smashed a double to the right-center field gap and went 1-for-3.
The Reds’ top prospect Robert Stephenson (2-1, 4.41) will start for the Wahoos on Saturday night. The Braves will send their fourth best prospect, Jason Hursh (1-2, 2.95), to the bump in opposition of Stephenson.
by Tommy Thrall
Pictured: The Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Mississippi Braves 5-1 Friday. Photos by Michael Spooneybarger/ Pensacola Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Martez Gilmore Dortch
April 26, 2014
Martez Gilmore Dortch, age 82, of Bratt, passed away Thursday, April 24, 2014, in Atmore. She was a homemaker, born in McDavid on September 03, 1931, to the late Fred and Carol Ray Gilmore. Ms. Martez was a dedicated mother, grandmother and homemaker. She was an accomplished seamstress and active community volunteer for many years. Ms. Dortch was a member of the Bratt First Baptist Church.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, J.C. Dortch; siblings, Gerald Gilmore, Lillian Shaw, Roy Gilmore, Glen Gilmore, Louise Green, and Johnny Gilmore.
Survivors are her children, June & Roberto Valenzuela of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Randy and Sue Dortch of Bratt, Billy and JoAnn Dortch of Cantonment, Mark and Sheila Dortch of Bratt, Tim and Gabby Dortch of Nokomis (Fla) and Kristie and Steve Gibson of Bratt; 18 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
Services will be Monday, April 28, 2014, at 10 a.m. from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Delbert Redditt and Bro. Tim Hawsey officiating.
Interment will follow in Godwin Cemetery.
Family will receive friends Sunday, April 27, 2014, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Donations may be made to Bratt First Baptist Family Life Center, 4570 Hwy. 4, Century FL 32535.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
EREC’s 75th Annual Meeting Saturday At Northview High School
April 25, 2014
Escambia River Electric Cooperative’s 75th Annual Meeting will be held Saturday at Northview High School.
Registration and voting for three trustee seats begins at 11:00 a.m., with the business meeting at 1:00 p.m.
The event also includes a health fair, entertainment by Highway Home, lunch plates available from the Northview High School FFA, gifts for every member, and door prizes, including a grand prize of a $500 credit on the member’s electric bill.
For the kids, there will also be an appearance by Bubbles the Clown, plus games and prizes.
Friends Of The Library Books Sale Continues
April 25, 2014
The Friends of West Florida Public Library will hold its Big Spring Book Sale and Silent Auction this weekend at the Main Library at 239 North Spring Street.
Thousands of hardcover, paperback, and collectible books will be available for purchase, plus a variety of DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and other items. All profits are used to fund programs and enhancements at WFPL branches.
On Saturday, the Book Sale will be open from 9 a.m until 5 p.m., with free admission for all shoppers and reduced prices.
Sunday is the final day of the Book Sale, with free admission and the popular $5 Bag Sale from noon to 3 p.m.
Book Sale items include thousands of generous donations from the public and some library books retired from circulation, many of them now out-of-print. Novels and mysteries are sorted by author or into genres like science fiction and westerns. Other book categories include arts and entertainment, children’s, cookbooks, history, holidays, home and hobbies, literature, foreign language, military, modern living, nature and gardening, religion, science, sports, technical, and travel. Most prices range from $0.50 for paperbacks to $2 for hardcover. There are also recorded books, magazines, and other media for sale.
The Collector’s Corner will feature an assortment of signed books, pre-1950s books, books by local and Florida authors, and other special books that are great for gifts. These items are priced as marked and must be checked out separately.
Payment by cash or check is preferred. Credit cards are accepted for sales of $20 or more.
For more information about the Book Sale or to become a Friends member, visit friendsofwfpl.org.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Fourth Suspect Arrested In Cantonment Animal Cruelty Case
April 25, 2014
A fourth person has been charged in connection with a Cantonment animal cruelty case.
George Edward Kenneth Ahl, 23, was arrested Thursday night on charges of causing the cruel death, pain and suffering of animals, and unlawful confinement of animals. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $21,000.
Earlier this month, Casey Tyler Ahl, 19, Frances Rebecca Ahl, 72, and Randolph Hewell Rigby, 43, were arrested on similar charges. The charges against the four were brought directly by the State Attorney’s Office. Authorities said an arrest warrant is outstanding on one additional person in the case.
According to case documents, multiple horses, donkeys and goats were seized from the 400 block of Crowndale Court, while several other animals were found dead on the property.
Escambia County Animal Control officers began their investigation last December. A 17-page document released by the State Attorney’s office details the investigation and provides numerous graphic examples of abuse investigators said they found.
Officers reported finding one horse that was dead and apparently stuck in a fence. Several horses were so malnourished that their bones were protruding, while other had hair loss and marks consistent with a condition called rain rot fungus. Many of the animals had numerous sores and wounds, according to the report. Most were malnourished, and one horse had resorted to eating feces. There was little food available for the animals.
Animal Control also located eight poodles, a doberman and five cats on the property.
One of the malnourished horses, a black Tennessee Walker named Ebony, was taken to Panhandle Equine Rescue for rehabilitation. When officers found Ebony on the property, her bones were showing, her stomach was distended and distended, and she suffered from rain rot.
Over the next several weeks, PER and volunteers worked to save Ebony. She was the subject of several NorthEscambia.com articles as PER and volunteers kept watch over her and raised funds for a sling to help her to her feet. Now, she’s able to walk and run on her own and has gained several pounds.
As of late Friday night, Casey Ahl remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $16,000. Frances Ahl was released from jail on a $16,000 bond, and Randolph Rigby was free on a $21,000 bond. They are due to make their first court appearance May 1. In the meantime, they have been ordered, if released on bond, to not possess any animals.
Pictured above: Escambia County Animal Control, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Fire Rescue’s Cantonment Station and volunteers use a makeshift sling to lift Ebony, a horse seized from Crowndale Court in Cantonment.. Pictured below: Ebony, was unable to get on her feet in her stall about a week after she was seized. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
