U.S. Supreme Court Turns Down W.D. Childers Appeal
March 25, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up an appeal by former Escambia County Commissioner and Florida Senate President W.D. Childers in a bribery case that has bounced around the legal system for years. Justices did not give any explanation for the decision.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in November ruled against Childers on a question about whether he received a fair trial before getting convicted on bribery and unlawful compensation charges.
Childers, who represented the Pensacola area in the Senate for three decades, was convicted in 2003 for actions while serving on the Escambia County Commission after leaving the Legislature.
The appeals-court decision stemmed from arguments that Childers was not able to fully cross-examine a key witness in the case — another county commissioner — and whether Florida courts properly dealt with claims that Childers’ constitutional rights had been violated. Childers, 80, who was in the Senate from 1970 to 2000, has already served a prison term.
Childers was convicted of bribery and accepting unlawful compensation for official acts in connection with a Highway 29 soccer complex scandal in 2002 while he served as an Escambia County Commissioner.
The soccer complex scandal eventually resulted in charges against four Escambia Commissioners — Childers, Willie Junior, Terry Smith and Mike Bass. Junior was later found dead under a house, committing suicide the day before he was to be sentenced.
Childers, once known as “The Banty Rooster” for bringing home the bacon for Northwest Florida, was released from state prison on June 17, 2009, having served almost three years of a 42-month sentence on the charges related to the $3.9 million soccer complex purchase. Junior testified that he received a collard green pot full of cash in exchange for his vote to purchase the soccer complex.
Childers was also the first man in Florida jailed for violating the open-meeting portion of the Sunshine Law for a phone call he and Smith made to then Supervisor of Elections Bonnie Jones. Childers served about a month in jail before being released.
Most notably for North Escambia, Childers was the man responsible for securing the funding to four-lane Highway 29 to the Alabama state line.
Century Donates $1,200 To Little League For New Concession Stand
March 25, 2014
The Town of Century has donated $1,200 to Century Little League for a portable concession stand.
The league was in need of a concession stand that could be moved closer to outlying fields on game days. The town council voted to up their usual $1,000 per year donation to $1,200 to cover the cost.
Bondurant Lumber in Century will provide the materials and building the concession stand.
Lawmakers Could Be Setting Up Framework For Medical Marijuana
March 25, 2014
As much as they dislike a ballot question that would let doctors write prescriptions for marijuana, Republican lawmakers are laying the groundwork to implement the proposal, should voters approve it in November.
Legislation opening the door for a strain of marijuana that doesn’t get users high but can dramatically reduce life-threatening seizures in children with epilepsy could also create the framework for regulation of the more traditional medical marijuana on the ballot in November.
“It would be naïve to suggest that what we’re doing now would have no effect on what a regulatory scheme would look like if the constitutional amendment were passed. As this process goes forward, you’ll see more discussion of long-term implications of what we’re doing,” said Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican and former prosecutor who is co-sponsoring the Senate’s plan to legalize the non-euphoric cannabis.
GOP leaders in both chambers are backing proposals that would make available a strain of cannabis that is low in tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component in marijuana, but high in the derivative cannabidiol, or CBD. They’ve lined up against the constitutional amendment, backed by Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan, even though many polls show that the ballot measure is widely popular among nearly all voting blocs.
The House and Senate are split on how much — if any — regulation the state should impose on growers and distributors of the substance, sometimes referred to by the most widely known strain, “Charlotte’s Web,” named after a Colorado girl with a rare form of epilepsy.
Meanwhile, Florida investors, nurserymen and growers across the state are lining up to get in on the ground floor of the medical marijuana movement in Florida, but with an eye on the constitutional proposal on the November ballot. They’re hoping that any legislative proposal approved this year would give them some idea of what to expect should the amendment receive the 60 percent approval required for passage.
“They are looking at the larger marketplace and the longer play. We’re soon to be the third-largest state in the nation. Realistically, we have a diversity of illnesses in this state that seemingly could benefit from a larger application,” said Louis Rotundo, a lobbyist representing the Florida Medical Cannabis Association, a recently formed non-profit organization whose board of directors includes investors and landowners.
The Senate’s proposal would create a statewide “compassionate use” registry of individuals deemed by their physicians to be eligible for “low-THC” treatment and would allow state health officials to authorize from one to four dispensaries to distribute the substance, which could contain no more than .5 percent of THC and at least 15 percent CBD.
The House plan (HB 843), in its current form, would allow for cannabis with .8 percent or less of THC and more than 10 percent of CBDs, which supporters believe could be used to treat a wider range of neurological and medical disorders than the Senate measure (SB 1030). The House plan would give growers, distributers, and users an “affirmative defense” if they are arrested or charged with crimes but lacks the regulatory structure included in the Senate version.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said he is working with Bradley to address concerns raised during a House Appropriations Committee last week from members who “wanted to see more oversight and regulation and control over any form of marijuana, even non-euphoric forms of marijuana.” Gaetz said his bill will likely not be heard this week as previously scheduled by the Judiciary Committee, whose chairman Dennis Baxley has expressed concerns about the proposal, while he works out the details.
“Our plan is not to influence the outcome of the constitutional amendment or the implementation of the constitutional amendment one way or the other. We’re trying to pass a bill this year to get some medical cannabis to people as soon as possible,” Gaetz said Monday.
When asked if the regulation of the low-THC, high-CBD marijuana could be used to implement the amendment if it passes, Gaetz said, “I really don’t care.”
But Baxley acknowledged that whatever lawmakers do this year could be used as a template next year. The constitutional amendment gives the Legislature nine months to implement the proposal.
“Everything we’re doing could be preparation for what kind of enabling legislation would you start with should it pass,” Baxley, R-Ocala, said. “But I don’t want whatever we do on this to be the first step off the sled of just going after open marijuana chaos that we see in Colorado and California.”
Bradley’s proposal, co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, received just one “no” vote from the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Monday. Sen. Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, said he voted against the measure because he believes more scientific testing is needed on the substance, which does not have FDA approval.
Colorado’s medical marijuana industry generated $263 million in sales last year, according to one estimate. Rotundo said the members of his group are paying close attention to how the Legislature handles Charlotte’s Web even though most won’t manufacture the substance and are more interested in the estimated 1.5 million people who could be eligible for medical marijuana if the amendment passes.
“Businesses like regulatory certainty. I would hope that the Legislature would strongly consider an iterative approach and, if they’re going to do this now, that the next phase will not be a radical departure from that,” Rotundo said.
by Dara Kim, The News Service of Florida
NHS Downs Randolph; JV Jags Over Chiefs
March 25, 2014
The varsity Northview Chiefs defeated Randolph School Monday night 3-2, while the JV Chiefs fell to West Florida 2-1.
The Chiefs will host Holmes County in a varsity district game at 6:00 Tuesday. The junior varsity game has been canceled.
Pictured: Action between the junior varsity West Florida Jaguars and Northview Chiefs Monday afternoon in Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Warns Of Telephone Scam
March 25, 2014
In a recent scam, area businesses received calls from a person claiming to represent Gulf Power Company and demanding payment — or their electric service would be cut off.
Gulf Power continues to work with law enforcement in reporting these incidents, however the company has received an escalated amount of calls from customers reporting fraudulent calls in recent months. Customers are being told their electric bill is past due and that their electricity will be cut off if the customer does not provide a credit card payment or other forms of immediate payment.
Gulf Power advises customers that:
- Gulf Power employees will never call a customer at home seeking any personal information, including credit card numbers.
- Gulf Power representatives will never ask a customer for money when they visit a residence.
- All Gulf Power representatives carry badges with picture identification that includes the employee’s name and the company’s name and logo.
Customers should call Gulf Power at 1-800-225-5797 if they have any questions about the identity of anyone representing Gulf Power.
Gulf Power is working with local law enforcement agencies to identify the perpetrators. If anyone has been victimized by one of these schemes, or has any information about suspects, they are asked to call local law enforcement and Gulf Power at 1-800-225-5797.
School Grade Accountability Bill Headed To The House Floor
March 25, 2014
After years of confusion, a measure that would overhaul Florida’s school grading system and get schools ready for new tests is headed to the House floor after receiving overwhelming approval at its final committee stop.
The House Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved the proposal (HB 7117) with a bipartisan, 11-2 vote on Monday. Modeled on a proposal by Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, the bill would streamline school grades and suspend punishment for school grades for one year while a new state assessment is rolled out.
The proposed changes come against the backdrop of years of disorder within the school grading system, including repeated steps by the State Board of Education to prevent school districts from dropping more than one letter grade in the wake of changes to the school report card formula.
The plan adopted Monday would alter the grading formula and do away with penalties schools could currently receive for the grades assigned in the 2014-15 school year. That move is in part an effort to make up for the state switching from the FCAT, now in use, to an exam crafted by the American Institutes for Research.
But some Democrats and educators have argued that a one year break is not long enough, especially since Stewart only selected AIR as the developer of the new test last week. Critics say a break of at least three years is needed.
“I think a one-year pause is still not going to be enough time… If we want this to be successful, we should not be rushing it,” said Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, a Maitland Democrat who voted against the plan.
The Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, also calls for a longer phase-in, although President Andy Ford was largely conciliatory during remarks to the panel.
“A one-year hiatus is a good move,” Ford said. “We don’t think it’s long enough, but it is a step in the right direction, and we appreciate it.”
But Rep. Janet Adkins, the Fernandina Beach Republican who sponsored the bill, pushed back against a three-year transition.
“There’s always this kind of desire by the institution to have a greater period (of) transition time,” she said. “… I think what’s in the best interest of our students is creating that sense of urgency. Now, we want to hold our schools harmless. We want to make sure that we’ve got a smooth transition period.”
The Senate version (SB 1642) is scheduled for its last stop at the Appropriations Committee on Thursday before heading to the floor, if approved as expected.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Northview At Escambia Academy Softball Canceled
March 25, 2014
Tuesday’s scheduled Northview Chiefs at Escambia Academy softball game in Poarch, AL, has been canceled by EA.
The Lady Chiefs will host Jay on Friday, with junior varsity playing at 4:00 and the varsity taking the field at 6:00 in Bratt.
House Throttles Back On Red Light Camera Bill
March 25, 2014
The key House proponent of eliminating red-light cameras ended his effort Monday to prohibit the installation of new cameras across the state.
However, a senator seeking to ban the traffic-enforcement technology isn’t ready to put the brakes on his bill.
Members of the House Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously approved an amendment by Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, as they backed his measure (HB 7005). The bill now would allow new cameras at intersections but only if their use is justified through traffic engineering studies.
Meanwhile, Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, said he intends to keep the Senate “on our current path” to repeal the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act of 2010, the state’s red-light camera law.
“I think ultimately what is going to happen is that the House is going to do what they’re going to do, and the Senate is going to come up with its own plan,” Brandes said after the House subcommittee voted. “And I think we will then enter into negotiations about what the overall policy of the Legislature will be.”
Brandes added that he may eventually have to make some concessions to other senators to get the measure to the floor.
Artiles’ amendment also would mandate that 70 percent of the local government revenue from the cameras go into safety measures and would require jurisdictions to shut off their cameras if they fail to provide annual camera-enforcement reports to the state.
“I just want to do something substantive that is going to help Floridians this year,” Artiles said.
In early February, Artiles and Brandes held a press conference in the Capitol to highlight a report from the Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability, the Legislature’s non-partisan policy office. The report found there were fewer fatalities but more crashes at electronically monitored intersections and that fines issued due to the technology cost motorists nearly $119 million last year.
Artiles said the state study didn’t provide a full picture of the impact of the cameras because numbers were not available from every area that uses the technology.
The Senate measure (SB 144) by Brandes, who contends the law hasn’t improved safety and that local governments are using the program to fuel their budgets, is expected to go before the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday.
Artiles had initially proposed that the state ban new red-light cameras while reducing the fine from $158 to $83, eliminating the money local governments could collect.
South Pasadena Republican Rep. Kathleen Peters, while voting for the measure, questioned the state mandating how local governments could spend revenue from the cameras, noting state lawmakers decry whenever the federal government imposes such requirements on Florida.
But Artiles said the outcry from local governments over his initial proposal to eliminate the money demonstrated that the issue is strictly about money.
“It’s about revenue, it’s not about safety,” Artiles said. “What good is it for cities and counties and the state to collect this revenue and not implement it for safety purposes?”
Safety measure could range from adding LED lighting in traffic signals, extending yellow-light times in the signals and even hiring additional law enforcement, Artiles said.
Across Florida, at least 77 county and city governments operate red-light camera programs. However, some governments have been revisiting the cameras. For example, the St. Petersburg City Council has decided to end its program by the end of September.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Breezy Today, Freeze Warning Tonight
March 25, 2014
There is a freeze warning in effect for tonight. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 31. Blustery, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
- Wednesday Patchy frost before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 60. North wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
- Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South wind around 5 mph.
- Thursday A 40 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph.
- Thursday Night Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Friday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 63. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Friday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east after midnight.
- Saturday A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
- Sunday Sunny, with a high near 76.
- Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
- Monday Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.
- Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
- Tuesday Partly sunny, with a high near 77.
Florida Special Olympics Torch Run Begins In Century (With Gallery)
March 24, 2014
The 2014 Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Florida Special Olympics began in Century Monday morning.
The torch run started at the Florida/Alabama state line in the Food Giant parking lot about 7:40 a.m. Monday. Employees from Century Correctional Institution and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office escorted the torch down Highway 29 through Century.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an event to raise awareness and support for the Special Olympics.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Law enforcement officers from over 300 Florida agencies (police departments, sheriff’s offices, Florida Department of Corrections, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs, Air Force Police and Marine Patrol) all participate in the state-wide torch run to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Florida. Each year, over 5,000 officers carry the torch on a 1500-mile relay through 66 counties in Florida.
Pictured: The 2014 Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Florida Special Olympics begins in Century Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
