FWC Encourages Boaters To Take Online Education Course
April 21, 2015
From April 20-26, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) encourage boaters to “Spring Aboard” by enrolling in a boating education course.
Working in partnership with the states, some providers are offering discounts for students who enroll in or complete a course during the Spring Aboard campaign. It is a unified effort to remind boaters to prepare for boating season.
“An informed and knowledgeable boat operator is more likely to recognize hazardous conditions on the water and avoid a boating mishap,” said NASBLA President Eleanor Mariani. “Classroom courses are offered through local boating safety organizations, such as the Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons. Online courses are also available and provide state-specific information. Completion increases your chances for having fun on the water.”
Florida law requires completion of an approved course, verified by NASBLA as meeting the national boating education standard, for individuals born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, who operate a motorboat of 10 horsepower or greater.
“Florida’s boating accident statistics indicate that 70 to 80 percent of vessel operators involved in fatal accidents never completed a formal boating education,” said FWC Capt. Tom Shipp. “We’re hoping to decrease those numbers across the board.”
For a summary of Florida’s available courses, please visit: http://myfwc.com/boating/safety-education/courses/
Missing Man Found OK
April 21, 2015
A missing man has been found in good condition.
EARLIER STORY:
Escambia Search and Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are currently looking for a missing 57-year old white male in the area of East Johnson Avenue and Airway Drive.
Authorities said Daryl Mickey Staton has salt and pepper hair, is about 5-foot 10 inches, and 190 pounds. He was last seen about 2 p.m wearing a green shirt and blue jeans and is believed to be traveling on foot. He has a medical condition and is considered missing and edangered.
Anyone with information should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or 911.
Cantonment Man Seriously Injured In Muscogee Road Crash
April 21, 2015
A Cantonment man was airlift to the hospital following a crash with a Mack truck Tuesday morning in Cantonment.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 58-year old Daniel Cain of Cantonment was traveling east on Muscogee Road near Beulah Road when a tire fell out of the cargo bed of an eastbound truck driven by 58-year old Clinton Powell of Pensacola. Cain’s 2006 Jeep Wrangler struck the tire and then traveled into the path of an oncoming Mack truck driven by 50-year old Kody D. Davis of Pensacola.
Cain was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in serious condition.
Any charges in the crash are pending.
Driver Strikes, Kills Donkey On Highway 29
April 21, 2015
The driver of a Hyundai Santa Fe escaped injury early Tuesday morning when they hit and killed a donkey on Highway 29 near Cantonment.
The accident happened just after 4 a.m. on Highway 29 near Hazzard Lane. The accident closed southbound Highway 29 for over an hour.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the crash. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details, including the driver’s name, have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Man Facing Additional Charges For Stealing From Employer
April 21, 2015
An Escambia County man previous charged with stealing from his employer and fraudulently using an EBT cards has been arrested in two additional theft and fraud cases.
Barry Paul Fehr, 53, was employed at Highway Specialties, Inc. on Pine Barren Barren Road in McDavid since 2001.
Fehr allegedly billed a contractor using Highway Specialties letterhead after representing himself as owner of the company and using letterhead to prepare quotes and establish contracts to that he would be paid personally for the installation of guardrail components on federal, state and local roadways.
He billed the contractor $6,300 for guardrail installed on I-10 and $500 for a guardrail repair on I-110 at Brent Lane, according to an arrest report. Investigators said he took inventory from Highway Specialties stock and transported it to the job site and performed the installation himself.
In a separate incident, Fehr allegedly negotiated a contract with Biles Construction for guardrail that was installed in Semmes, AL, and billed the company on Highway Specialties letterhead with his name at the top of the invoice. The guardrail used had been purchased by Highway Specialties for a project in Okaloosa County, but was reportedly taken from their inventory by Fehr.
The owner of Biles Construction told investigators that he was asked to pay for the guardrail in cash. When the company refused, Fehr reportedly asked that the $8,550 check be made out to him personally instead of Highway Specialties because he was going through a “nasty divorce”, the arrest report states.
Fehr was charged with multiple felony counts of grand theft and fraud in he two cases.
In January, Fehr was charged with unrelated counts of grand theft and fraud after an investigation found that he sold 30,145 pounds of steel highway guardrail components in 19 transactions to Wise Recycling without the permission of Highway Specialties for a total of $3,428.
The investigation also found Fehr in possession of additional guardrail components owned by Highway Specialties and valued at $2,135, the report states.
Several times, Fehr represented himself in a capacity to complete jobs and accept payment without proper invoicing and receipts, investigators said. Within the past two years, deputies said Fehr and his crew installed 150 feet of guardrail on I-10 and was paid $5,200 outside the scope of Highway Specialties.
Fehr was also accused of paying cash at one-half the face value for an individual’s State of Florida EBT card each month for the past 60 months. He then used the card as his own, fraudulently obtaining about $10,500 worth of benefits, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Fehr was charged with one felony count of a grand theft and one felony count of fraud – unauthorized user of public assistance when arrested in January. Fehr was charged with additional counts of fraud – unauthorized user of public assistance in February.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from his January and February arrests. He has not yet been arraigned on his latest arrests and remains free on bond.
Fair Provides $30K In Educational Grants To Local Students
April 21, 2015
The Pensacola Interstate Fair, Inc. has given out a total of $30,000 for the 2014-2015 John E. Frenkel, Sr. Educational Grants.
This grant provides $1,000 each to 30 recipients, made payable to any accredited college. Since the inception of the grant program in 1983, Pensacola Interstate Fair, Inc. has given over $1 million to local students.
These grants are restricted to graduating High School Seniors of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties who, during their high school years, have participated in or volunteered at the Pensacola Interstate Fair.
The grant recipients for this year are:
- Brandon H. Ingram, Central High School
- Mark A. Reid, Escambia High School
- Amanda S. Tanner, Escambia Virtual Academy
- Sydney J. Ezelle, Gulf Breeze High School
- Makenzie C. Bray, Jay High School
- Kolby L. Copeland, Jay High School
- Clayton T. Fischer, Jay High School
- Tucker C. Harrington, Jay High School
- Jeffery T. Kelley, Jay High School
- Micah J. Kemp, Jay High School
- Colby A. Odom, Jay High School
- Tyler W. Odom, Jay High School
- Alisa B. Roberts, Jay High School
- Emily S. Russell, Jay High School
- Kourtney P. Smith, Jay High School
- Derrill S. Starling, Jay High School
- Donald P. Cunningham, Pace High School
- Elizabeth A. Parra, Pensacola High School (IB)
- Erin B. Fairall, Pine Forest High School
- Carissa J. Carroll, Tate High School
- Tristan W. Fromm, Tate High School
- Samantha Early, Washington High School
- Amy K. Fellgren, Washington High School
- Briahna D. McDavid, Washington High School
- Christopher P. Searcy, Washington High School
- Michaela A Tullius, Washington High School
- Joshua L. McLamb, West Florida High School
- Raleigh E. Nesbitt, West Florida High School
- Hannah E. Power, West Florida High School
- Josephine N. Venable, West Florida High School
Scott, State Workers End Fight Over Drug Tests
April 21, 2015
Ending a four-year legal battle that cost taxpayers at least $675,000, Gov. Rick Scott and lawyers representing a state workers’ union have agreed on the types of Florida government employees who can be forced to undergo suspicionless drug tests.
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which represents the workers, and Scott haggled for more than a year over which employees can be subjected to random drug testing after an appellate court found that Scott’s blanket drug-screening policy violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
Under a settlement agreement filed Monday in federal court, the state agreed to pay the ACLU $375,000 in legal costs for the drawn-out litigation and to limit the drug tests to about 7,000 workers in 157 different job classes, a fraction of the 34,000 employees Scott’s blanket policy was intended to cover. The agreement applies to the union’s collective bargaining units, which include employees who are not dues-paying members, and job applicants.
Scott, whose drug-testing push also included an attempt to require applicants for welfare benefits to submit to urinalyses, issued an executive order requiring all state workers to undergo random drug screens shortly after he took office in 2011.
A federal judge put the policy on hold after the ACLU filed suit that summer, and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Scott could not constitutionally justify drug testing for all types of state employees without a reason, though it said testing could occur for some workers such as those in “safety-sensitive” positions. The appeals court ordered Scott and lawyers for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, to come up with a list of jobs that could be subject to testing.
Scott appealed that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to consider the case.
Monday’s agreement, which still requires court approval, identified more than 100 job classes that Scott can test for drug or alcohol use. Workers in most of the positions deal with vulnerable children or adults, handle heavy equipment or are already required to undergo medical tests for other reasons.
“We are pleased that the settlement will allow Florida to protect families by ensuring state employees working in the most critical areas of safety and security remain drug-free,” Scott spokesman John Tupps said.
In addition to the $375,000 Scott agreed to give the ACLU, the state has paid private lawyer Thomas Bishop at least $180,000 for legal fees associated with the case. The state has also spent nearly $120,000 on a special master to oversee the negotiations with the ACLU.
“It doesn’t seem to have panned out. That’s an understatement. It seems like an enormous waste of money spent on something that was obviously not constitutional to begin with. I’m not sure why (Scott) made that choice and why he decided to pursue it for so long, but we are happy that the courts have recognized the unconstitutionality of this policy and that we can finally bring this very expensive — to the taxpayers and the parties — litigation to a close,” said ACLU lawyer Shalini Goel Agarwal.
The minimum $675,000 tab for the state worker drug-testing lawsuit does not include at least $300,000 Scott also spent on a losing battle to force applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to undergo drug screens. Scott dropped his appeal of the case earlier this year after the same federal appeals court ruled that the state law, pushed by Scott in his first bid for governor, also violated Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. The taxpayers’ bill for the welfare drug-testing lawsuit does not include potentially hefty legal fees for the ACLU, which also represented the plaintiff — a veteran who is a single parent — in that case.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Tate Lady Aggies Win District 1-7A Softball Championship
April 21, 2015
The Tate High School Lady Aggies won the District 1-7A softball championship Monday night 6-4 over Niceville.
In the fifth inning, Tate’s Casey McCrackin hit a three-run homer, followed by a home run from Savannah Rowell. Tate hitters were Casey McCrackin 1-3, 2R, 3 RBI; Savannah Rowell 1-3, R, RBI; Tori Perkins 1-4, 2 RBI; Lauren Brennan R; Hadley Starratt R; Savannah Ulrich R.
The Tate Lady Aggies will play host to Tallahassee Lincoln at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the regional quarterfinals.
Northview Assistant Coach Headed To Tennessee
April 21, 2015
Northview High School assistant football coach Derek Marshman has announced that he’s headed to a new job in Tennessee.
Marshman has been named an assistant coach at Signal Mountain High School just outside Chattanooga. There, he will join the school’s new head coach, Ty Wise. Marshman and Wise were part of the coaching staff that led the Northview Chiefs to a state football championship in 2012. Wise departed in 2013 to take the head coaching job at Graceville.
Marshman will remain at Northview through the end of the school year before moving to Tennessee with his family, including his wife Brittany, a teacher at Byrneville Elementary School.
“It was a great opportunity for my entire family,” Marshman said Monday night. “We visited this past weekend for the first time, and it was just beautiful up there. The entire town just blew us away.”
Marshman said he will miss the Northview Chiefs, which he predicted will do great things this fall.
“There’s a really good group of juniors moving up as leaders. Northview will have a very strong team this fall.”
Pictured top: Northview assistant coach Derek Marksman (center) is resigning and taking a job in Tennessee. Pictured inset: Marshman reacts to the Chiefs falling behind during a home game. Pictured below: Marshman calls a play. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Bell Ice Cream Recalls All Products Over Listeria Concerns
April 21, 2015
Blue Bell Ice Cream has voluntarily recalled all of its products currently on the market made at all of its facilities, including ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbert and frozen snacks, because they have the potential to be contaminated with listeria.
“We’re committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we can be confident that they are all safe,” said Paul Kruse, Blue Bell CEO and president. “We are heartbroken about this situation and apologize to all of our loyal Blue Bell fans and customers. Our entire history has been about making the very best and highest quality ice cream and we intend to fix this problem. We want enjoying our ice cream to be a source of joy and pleasure, never a cause for concern, so we are committed to getting this right.”
The products being recalled are distributed to retail outlets, including food service accounts, convenience stores and supermarkets in several states, including Florida and Alabama.
Blue Bell has now had several positive tests for Listeria in different places and plants and as previously reported five patients were treated in Kansas and three in Texas after testing positive for listeria.
“At every step, we have made decisions in the best interest of our customers based on the evidence we had available at the time,” Kruse said. “At this point, we cannot say with certainty how Listeria was introduced to our facilities and so we have taken this unprecedented step. We continue to work with our team of experts to eliminate this problem.”
Blue Bell is implementing a procedure called “test and hold” for all products made at all of its manufacturing facilities. This means that all products will be tested first and held for release to the market only after the tests show they are safe.
Blue Bell expects to resume distribution soon on a limited basis once it is confident in the safety of its product.
Consumers who have purchased these items are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, a listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.