James Thomas “Morris” Luker
February 17, 2015
James Thomas “Morris” Luker, age 96, was born and raised around Atmore and passed away Monday, February 16, 2015, in Aberdeen, MS. He was born on June 1, 1918.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Arcola Luker; and siblings, Perry,Robert, Gladys, O’Neal, George, Melvin, Freddie, and Lillian.
He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be Thursday, February 19, 2015, at 1 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. C.L. Langford officiating.
Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
His nephews will be pallbearers.
Family will receive friends, Wednesday, February 18, 2015, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Lawmaker Unhappy Escambia, Other Counties Withholding Juvenile Detention Costs
February 16, 2015
Florida’s long-running conflict between the state and counties, including Escambia, over how to share juvenile-detention costs is flaring again — and a powerful lawmaker is unhappy about what is happening.
With tens of millions of dollars hanging in the balance, an administrative law judge is expected to rule in the dispute next month. And after the failure of a legislative compromise last year, some counties are withholding their share of the costs from the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, was critical this week when he learned that 17 of the 35 counties who are subject to bills are remitting either partial payments or none at all. Other counties do not have to pay because of their financial conditions.
“If the counties are going to be unreasonable, and we come to the conclusion they’re shortchanging the state $65 million, believe me, I can find $65 million in the budget going to counties that aren’t cooperating … and we’ll just make reductions where we need to make reductions,” Negron warned.
Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Christy Daly told the panel that six counties — Charlotte, Escambia, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia — are not paying any juvenile-detention costs this year. As a result, she said, the department faces a $15.7 million shortfall and wants legislative approval for a loan to cover it.
“This is ridiculous that you’re borrowing,” Negron said during a meeting Tuesday of his subcommittee. “It’s like running bake sales to fund an essential function of government. … In fairness, the counties in the past have probably been billed for things they shouldn’t have had to pay, but we need to get our accounting house in order (and) come up with a system where you’re not relying on intermittent payments from our local government partners.”
The conflict centers on the department’s handling of a 2004 law that requires the counties to pay the “pre-disposition” costs associated with juveniles waiting for their cases to be resolved in court. The state pays the cost of detaining juveniles “post-disposition” — that is, after their cases have been decided — but the two sides have long disagreed on how to define those terms.
So far, the courts have backed the counties. In 2013, the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld an administrative law judge’s ruling that the department had shifted a larger share of the costs to the counties than the law required. Until that ruling, the counties had been obliged to pay 75 percent of all juvenile-detention costs, while the department said the Legislature intended for counties to pay 89 percent.
Last year, in the wake of the 1st DCA ruling, lawmakers took up a bill that would have created a 50-50 split between the state and the counties. But it died on the last day of the legislative session, when the counties insisted on being reimbursed $140 million for past overcharges. At that point, Gov. Rick Scott’s office and the Department of Juvenile Justice decided to use a formula by which the counties would pay 57 percent of detention costs, while the state would pay 43 percent.
That’s the formula Daly used when she told Negron’s committee that DJJ had billed the counties $51.7 million for their share of detention costs for this fiscal year.
Counties say the latest formula doesn’t take into account the appeals-court and administrative-law judge rulings. That — and the department’s latest attempt at rule-making in the dispute — led the Florida Association of Counties and a number of individual counties to return to the Division of Administrative Hearings for relief.
“There are some counties that have said, ‘We’re not seeing any recourse in the Legislature, DJJ isn’t acting on the judge’s ruling (but) just changing the rules yet again, and so they’ve taken the position that these dollars need to come back home,” said Florida Association of Counties spokeswoman Cragin Mosteller. “We certainly understand their frustration, but want to work with the Legislature moving forward to create a deal that works for everybody, most importantly the taxpayers and the juveniles we’re serving.”
Negron agreed, and asked Sen. Rob Bradley, who previously chaired the justice appropriations panel, to craft a compromise.
“People of good faith can disagree as to what that percentage should be, but every county understands that they have an obligation to pay for a portion of juvenile detention,” Bradley, R-Fleming Island, told The News Service of Florida. “So when a county takes the position that they’re going to pay zero, that to me is not reflective of good-faith actions.”
by The News Service of Florida
Rain Becoming Likely
February 16, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Washington’s Birthday
Showers, mainly after noon. High near 67. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday Night
Showers before midnight, then a chance of rain after midnight. Low around 39. South wind around 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 49. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 23. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 46. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
Friday
A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Friday Night
A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Saturday
A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
Escambia’s Bergosh To Head New Statewide School Board Member Association
February 16, 2015
Jeff Bergosh, a member of the Escambia County School Board, will head a new statewide association of school board members.
The Florida Coalition of School Board Members was formed due to frustration with the a lawsuit brought by the Florida teachers union, the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) and others regarding Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
The Coalition’s concerns include:
- Lack of a cost-effective, student-focused member association that provides relevant professional development and counsel for Florida school board members.
- Concern over litigation to eradicate the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
- Waning influence of school boards on education issues at the State Capitol.
Founding members of the coalition include Bergosh, coalition president, Escambia County School Board; Shawn Frost, Indian River County School Board; Bridget Ziegler, Sarasota County School Board; and Erika Donalds, Collier County School Board.
Photobomb: Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Newest K-9 Zurki
February 16, 2015
These are the newest members of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Team — Deputy Doug Burgett and K-9 Zurki.
Burgett and Zurki recently completed a 480-hour, Florida Department of Law Enforcement approved K-9 training course. The course consisted of searches, apprehensions and obedience. In order to complete the course, each deputy was required to demonstrate proficiency in these areas along with passing a final examination.
Burgett transferred to the K-9 team after being the patrol unit after being selected for the position last year.
Photo courtesy SRSO for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDOT Bringing Out The Snow Plows For Tuesday
February 16, 2015
The Florida Department of Transportation is bringing out the snow plows for Tuesday — but it’s just an exercise.
FDOT will conduct a winder weather exercise on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Motorists may notice an increased number of FDOT vehicles on state routes during the drill as FDOT field maintenance and operations department staff simulate a winter storm. FDOT crews will react to simulated icy weather conditions and deploy snow plows, chemical spreaders and various ice and snow removal equipment throughout the area.
The training exercise is designed to deal with snow and ice removal during inclement weather, coordinate FDOT personnel and equipment and monitor safety and efficiency of operations in the event of winter storm. FDOT’s winter weather plan is being developed to keep Florida’s highway system safe and operational in all types of weather conditions.
All planned activities are weather dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather, according to FDOT.
Pictured: An impassable Highway 29 south of Century littered with jack-knifed 18-wheelers following an ice storm in January 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia County President’s Day Closures
February 16, 2015
Below is a listing of Escambia County offices and departments closed on Monday, February 16, for the President’s Day holiday. Normal operations resume on Tuesday, February 17.
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
- West Florida Public Library System
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Tax Collector
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
Exceptions:
- 911 Dispatch, EMS and Fire Services will all be open
- Perdido Landfill, excluding the administrative offices, will be open
- Escambia County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller:
- Only Official Records and the Finance Offices of the Clerk and Comptroller, will be closed
- All other Clerk of Court offices and operations will be open
- Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT):
- Administrative offices closed
- UWF Trolleys will run regular weekday service
- Buses will run modified holiday
- Route 59A and 64 Beach Jumper – No Service
- Route 58 – last bus departs downtown at 3:30 p.m.
- Routes 2, 42, 50 and 55 – last bus departs ECAT at 4 p.m.
- Route 59 Express- last bus departs NATTC at 5:15 p.m.
- Route 60 Century will run weekday service and departs ECAT at 5 p.m.
Lady Aggies Improve To 5-0 With Win Over Tally Lincoln
February 16, 2015
The Tate High School Lady Aggies improved to 5-0 Saturday as they traveled to Niceville Saturday to take on Tallahasee Lincoln. The Aggies won 11-1 on a 10-run rule decision.
Tate was led by pitcher Tori Perkins, who pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts, Casey McCrackin (3-3, HR), Rachel Wright (2-3, walk off HR), Lauren Brennan (2-3) and Izzy Werdann (2-3).
The Tate Lady Aggies will travel to West Florida to take on their cross-town rival Jaguars at 6:30 Friday night.
One Injured In Highway 29 Rollover Accident
February 16, 2015
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover crash on Highway 29 near Power Line Boulevard in Cantonment Sunday night. The vehicle came to rest upright, partially blocking the roadway. The female driver suffered an ankle injury and refused medical treatment from first responders, opting instead to go to the hospital in a private vehicle following the 7 p.m. crash. Reader submitted photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Beats Washington
February 16, 2015
The Tate Aggies shut out Washington 7-0 in their season opener Fri night. Tate scored four runs, led by third baseman Hunter Worley, who slammed a single and double to drive in three runs. Junior Sawyer Smith had a single and a triple for the other RBI.
Branden Fryman and Mark Miller each hit .500 to help Tate’s efforts. Junior pitcher Trace Penton took the win for Tate, with Jessie Gunter and Sawyer Smith making appearances on the mound.
Washington had three hits.
“Tate baseball has a rich tradition in Escambia County, and we look forward to the 2015 season in our newly renovated facility carrying on that proud legacy. We invite the community to come see what’s going on at the new field and to support our players, school, and community,” said Tate Head Coach Greg Blackmon.
Tate’s next games are February 18 at Escambia High and at home on February 19 against the West Florida Jaguars, both starting at 6:30 p.m. Junior Varsity games begin at 4:00 on both dates.
Pictured: Senior third baseman Hunter Worley led the Tate Aggies to a 4-0 victory over Washington in their season opener Friday night. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.