Jay, UWF Hold Relay For Life Events (With Photo Gallery)
April 12, 2015
Hundreds of people took part in Relay for Life events this weekend in Jay and and at the University of West Florida.
At the Jay Relay for Life, there were 13 teams and 80 participants registered to take part in the eight hour event. At last count, the event had raised $25,048 for cancer research, exceeding a $25,000 goal. Top teams going into Saturday’s event were Purple Power and Jay United Methodist Church. For a photo gallery from the Jay event, click here.
The UWF Relay For Life was moved inside the University Commons Great Hall. There were 41 teams and 408 participants registered for the event. The top teams as last count were Alpha Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha and Mako CrossFit.
A Luminaria ceremony was held at both events as participants remembered friends and loved ones that have lost the battle against cancer and honored those currently fighting cancer.
Other upcoming area Relay for Life events include the Relay for Life of Greater Escambia at Tate High School with 44 registered teams beginning at 11 a.m.. on April 18, and the Relay for Life of Escambia-Atmore at Hertiage Park. beginning at 6 p.m. on April 17, and the Relay for Life of Pensacola with 51 teams at Washington High School on May 8.
Pictured: Jay Relay for Life. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rainy Week Ahead
April 12, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 65.
Friday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.
Friday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Saturday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Bills Living, Dying And Somewhere In Between
April 12, 2015
On a week when Jimmy Buffett came to the Capitol, one major piece of legislation ended up happily ever after. But others were getting to where they might need to do the desperation samba. As for the fate of other legislation? Only time will tell.
The biggest single bill in education — an overhaul of testing in public schools — is now headed to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk. Lawmakers fought over whether gay couples should be allowed to adopt children and what that might mean for faith-based adoption agencies.
Meanwhile, Scott changed his attitude about Medicaid expansion, opposing something he had once supported, and the standoff over a critical pot of health-care funding continued. With crunch time on the budget approaching and little reason to think that the conflicts were about to end, legislators were already starting to plan for what happens if it all falls down.
TAKE IT BACK
It was something of a surprise two years ago when Scott announced that he would back, at least on a temporary basis, the expansion of Medicaid contemplated under the federal Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. As a private citizen, Scott had fiercely fought the law, but as governor, he would accept funding from one of its core components.
Senators came up with their own alternative, which would tap the federal funding to help lower-income Floridians buy private insurance. That died in 2013, but has been revived by senators this year as part of a plan that also seeks to extend a critical funding program for hospitals called the Low Income Pool, or LIP. Senators and other state officials hope to persuade the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to keep a form of LIP going past the program’s June 30 expiration date.
So is Scott still on board with Medicaid expansion, or at least the Senate alternative? Not so much.
“… Given that the federal government said they would not fund the federal LIP program to the level it is funded today, it would be hard to understand how the state could take on even more federal programs that CMS could scale back or walk away from,” Scott said in a statement.
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, responded with a veiled threat about Scott’s push for record-high public school funding and nearly $675 million in tax cuts.
“The Senate also shares the governor’s commitment to tax relief and record funding for education; however, if our state is forced to make up the difference of $2.2 billion in hospital funding, every area of our budget will be impacted,” Gardiner, R-Orlando, said. “Moving forward the Senate will continue to advance the conservative, Florida-based, free-market solutions we have proposed. We believe these innovative, bipartisan proposals can gain the approval of our federal partners, and we stand ready to meet with the House or Governor Scott at any time to discuss a way forward.”
But there was no sign of any movement from any side on the impasse. Instead, the Senate took a far less subtle shot at the governor on Tuesday, tabling the confirmation of state Surgeon General John Armstrong after questioning him about the coverage-expansion plan.
Armstrong went before the committee for what would ordinarily have been a routine confirmation hearing. But he faced a series of questions from Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, about his views on the expansion plan.
The surgeon general, who is secretary of the Florida Department of Health, appeared to try to deflect the questions, at one point saying he had not “formulated an opinion:” on the Senate plan.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, made a motion to “temporarily postpone” the confirmation hearing — a procedural move that essentially tabled the matter. After the meeting, Galvano pointed to questions that senators asked about the health-care expansion plan.
“There was not an adequate answer, and I think the members were frustrated,” he said.
SCHOOL BOY HEART
The major issue in public education this year has been how to limit the number of tests that public school students are forced to take. After weeks of debate, the House voted overwhelmingly to approve a compromise with the Senate and send the bill (HB 7069) to Scott.
The bill puts a hold on the use of student test data for school grades, teacher evaluations and student promotion to fourth grade until the new Florida Standards Assessments can be independently validated. It also scraps a law requiring school districts to come up with end-of-course tests in classes where the state doesn’t administer such exams; caps the amount of time students can spend on state and school district tests at 45 hours a year; and reduces the portion of a teacher’s evaluation tied to student performance from the current 50 percent to one-third.
The Foundation for Florida’s Future, an organization founded by former Gov. Jeb Bush that plays an influential role in education policy, praised lawmakers for approving the bill.
“They voted to keep education transparent and provide teachers with the information they need to help students learn, while ensuring testing at every level is done thoughtfully,” said Patricia Levesque, executive director of the foundation. “Florida lawmakers have shown it’s possible to achieve fewer, better tests while continuing to measure student success.”
The Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, issued a measured statement of support, but made clear it doesn’t believe the proposal goes far enough.
“We will need to continue to work to educate the public and lawmakers about standardized testing in Florida and be prepared to make further positive adjustments the next time the Legislature meets,” FEA President Andy Ford said.
And the complaints that have long dogged the state’s high-stakes testing regime were almost certain to continue. Hours before the House vote, Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and state Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, rallied against the bill for being too mild.
“We’re taxpaying citizens, and we say, this test is invalid,” Wilson, a former elementary school principal, said in a speech slamming the FSA. “… Somebody’s gotten rich off of all of this testing and I am sick of it.”
For now, though, lawmakers seemed ready to move on to other issues.
BURN THAT BRIDGE
The House also had another vexing issue to deal with this week: a controversial measure that would allow private adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples.
In some ways, the bill was a form of political cover. It came after a conservative backlash about part of a separate bill (HB 7013) the House passed providing cash incentives to state workers who adopt children in foster care — legislation that would also repeal a decades-old law that banned gay adoption in Florida.
The ban essentially ended in 2010, when an appeals court ruled against it, but it remained in law.
Under fire for the first bill, House Republicans proposed a second measure (HB 7111) offering “conscience protection” to private adoption agencies whose “written religious or moral convictions” prevent them from placing children with same-sex couples.
The “conscience protection” bill, sponsored by Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, passed 75-38, mostly along party lines. It would protect private adoption agencies from losing their licenses or state funding if they refuse to facilitate adoptions on religious or moral grounds.
“There is no intent to discriminate,” said Rep. Ross Spano, a Dover Republican who supported the measure. “We should be encouraging these agencies to perform adoptions … not forcing them to choose. Please don’t put them in that position.”
But critics contended that Brodeur’s bill would allow discrimination not only against gays but against single, divorced, Jewish and multi-race parents. Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, said he wasn’t sure “that there aren’t the remnants of homophobia” in Brodeur’s measure.
“What is this really about?” Rouson asked. “Is it truly, sincerely-held religious beliefs that are about to commit an atrocity? Or is it subterfuge, to create a way that government sanctions and condones continued discrimination against our fellow man?”
The Senate also wrested with the issue, taking up the bill that would repeal the old law banning gay adoptions. Senators turned away an effort by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, to keep that law on the books. Like with the “conscience protection” issue, she pointed to concerns about the effect on faith-based adoption agencies if the law is repealed.
“I strongly believe that our faith-based organizations provide a lot of our adoptions, and I think that they should have the religious freedom not to have to put a child in the home of a family that they may not believe holds their religious guidelines,” Stargel said.
But Gaetz, the sponsor of the adoption-subsidies bill in the Senate, led the opposition to Stargel’s amendment, which failed in a voice vote. He warned that Stargel’s amendment could jeopardize the entire adoption-subsidies bill.
“It’s not only an unfriendly amendment, it is a killer amendment,” Gaetz said.
As he often does, Scott tried to avoid anything resembling a direct answer when asked if he’d sign or veto the measure
“We have a great state,” he said. “We’re one of the best melting pots in the world.” Scott noted that many languages are spoken in Florida, more than 100 million tourists are expected this year and 250,000 people moved here last year. “This is a state that people want to move to — we’re doing the right thing,” he said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott reversed his previously held position on Medicaid expansion, further imperiling a Senate proposal that would use federal funds to help lower-income Floridians buy private health insurance.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “What would Skink do? He’d do the right thing,”—Jimmy Buffett, referencing fictional former Florida Gov. Clinton Tyree, who appears as a wild hermit known as Skink in a number of Carl Hiaasen’s novels. Buffett and Hiaasen were in Tallahassee for a rally to encourage lawmakers to buy Everglades land from U.S. Sugar Corp.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Blue Wahoos Lose Third Straight; Time Clock Added To Double-A Baseball
April 12, 2015
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Tim Adleman said he didn’t even notice the two 2-foot by 5-foot clocks on either side of the dugouts.
Third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean had a hard time seeing base balls hit by the Biloxi Shuckers because of the glare off the clocks.
All Double-A teams in the Southern League began using a clock for the first time Saturday to speed up a game that averaged 2 hours, 43 minutes in 2005 and 8 minutes more in 2014.
Last night, that meant the Blue Wahoos dropped their third straight game to the Biloxi Shuckers, 7-2, in 2 hours and 41 minutes.
In some instances, the new time-saving measures that allows 20 seconds between pitches and 2 minutes, 25 seconds between innings, could shave anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes from America’s pastime, baseball experts have said. For the first month, there will be no penalties enforced, such as assessing a pitcher a ball, if he fails to throw his pitch in time.
Adleman said he’s not sure what the effect of a clock will be on a game that’s never had one.
“Will it speed up the game and engage young fans or blow up too much and never work?” asked Adleman, who took the loss after leaving the game behind, 3-1, in the sixth inning. “Honestly, I did not notice (the clocks) at all. I was so focused on hitting my spots and getting out there and getting in a good rhythm.”
The first three games of the opening season series and the Blue Wahoos have managed three runs on 13 hits against Biloxi’s top-flight pitching staff. They are hitting just .153 against the Shuckers.
Pensacola’s Jesse Winker, at least, snapped his 0-7 slump with a single and double in four at bats. However, he was left on third base both times.
Kelly said he’s not worried about Winker or his other hitters in the middle of the lineup.
“I don’t worry about how Winker is hitting ever,” Kelly said. “I feel pretty comfortable with (Marquez Smith, Mejias-Brean and Kyle Skipworth). It didn’t work tonight and hasn’t worked so far this season. But I like my chances with those three guys.”
Adleman entered the game looking for his first Wahoos win as a starter after getting six starts the previous year. He was 0-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 2014.
After a shaky start in which he gave up three runs on seven hits in the first two innings, including muffing a bunt hit right to him that ended up costing him two runs, Adleman settled down. He allowed just three hits over the next four innings, benefitting from two double plays. On the night, Adleman allowed 11 men on base but left the game after six innings with Pensacola trailing, just 3-1.
One of the biggest Shuckers at the plate? Shortstop Orlando Arcia, the Brewers’ No. 2 prospect, has torn up Pensacola pitching, hitting .583, going 7-12 with two doubles, a triple, four runs scored and five runs batted in.
The fourth game of the five-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers is scheduled at 4 p.m. Sunday. LHP Wandy Peralta takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Shuckers RHP Jorge Lopez.
Georgia Murder Suspect Arrested In Escambia County
April 12, 2015
A suspect in a fatal Georgia grocery store shooting was taken into custody in Escambia County.
Shontavious Devoite Chestnut, 25, was taken into custody by a U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.
Chestnut and an accomplice are accusing of a shooting and killing a construction worker outside of an Atlanta Kroger grocery store in an apparent attempt to steal his truck, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
Chestnut remained in the Escambia County jail without bond awaiting extradition to Georgia. He provided an Escambia County address when arrested.
Jimmy Ray Poarch
April 12, 2015
Jimmy Ray Poarch, 61, of Molino, passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.
Jimmy was born to the late William and Betty Poarch on May 26, 1953, in Greenville, SC.
He is survived by his wife, Geri; children, Debra (Will) Manning of Milton, Garreth Lee Poarch of McCormick, SC, and Anita Poarch of McCormick, SC; grandchildren, Sean Henderson of Molino, Nicole Henderson of Pensacola, Frank Henderson and Albert Roberts both of Milton; his brothers, Jeffrey (Felicia) Poarch of North, SC, Aaron (Sue) Poarch of Portland, OR, and David Poarch of Elgin, SC.
Graveside services will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2015, at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Two Injured In Crash That Partially Closed Hwy 29
April 11, 2015
A two vehicle accident on Highway 29 in Molino sent two people to the hospital and partially closed the roadway Friday night.
The accident happened about 8 p.m. on Highway 29 at Molino Road, closing the northbound lanes for about an hour and a half. Two females were transported by Atmore Ambulance to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola with injuries that were not considered severe.
Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Relay Life Events Today At UWF And Jay
April 11, 2015
Hundreds of cancer survivors, caregivers, volunteers, and teams of walkers from schools, companies, places of worship, and more will come together this weekend for the American Cancer Society at the University of West Florida Relay For Life and Jay Relay for Life events.
The Jay Relay for Life will take place at Bray-Hendrick Park from 4-10 p.m. Saturday. In the event of bad weather, it will be moved inside the community center.
The University of West Florida Relay for Life has been moved insider the Commons Great Hall from 7 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday.
A touching Luminaria Ceremony, where candles are lit in honor and memory of locals who have battled cancer, will happen at 9 p.m. at both locations.
Pictured: Relay for Life last year in Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Remember Your Houseplants When Spring Cleaning
April 11, 2015
by UF/IFAS Santa Rosa Extension
Warmer weather signals that spring is here. After months of being cooped up indoors, it’s finally time for gardeners to go dig in the dirt. It’s also time for cooped up house plants to be revitalized.
Locate a shady area for this work. Even if houseplants are to be left out for a short period, after being shut up all winter, leaf damage can occur with only brief exposure to direct sunlight.
First, give the houseplants a bath. Use a soapy solution made of two teaspoons of mild liquid soap mixed with one gallon of water. Wash the leaves and stems, being certain to clean both upper and lower leaf surfaces. Allow the solution to remain on the plants for a few minutes, but rinse it off thoroughly before it is allowed to dry. This not only cleans plants, making them more attractive, but the soap helps to remove aphids, mealybugs and other insects.
Next, see if your plant needs re-potting. Although some plants require being pot-bound in order to flower eventually all plants outgrow their containers and become root- or pot-bound.
Why repot in the spring? Plant roots grow most actively in the spring, which means the plant will be able to quickly overcome the shock associated with re-potting.
When repotting, start with a clean, appropriately sized pot. If you want the plant to grow larger, then you will need to repot it in a larger pot. If you want it to maintain its present size, you’ll have to prune its roots.
In general, the pot size should be increased by only about two inches per re-potting. Therefore, a plant whose root ball is in a six inch pot is normally transplanted to a pot with an eight inch diameter. For some reason, drastic changes in pot size when re-potting seems to be detrimental to some plants.
Watering the plant several hours prior will help you remove the plant more easily. Invert the pot and gently remove the plant by grasping the main stem. Give it a slight tug, and it should slip out of the pot. If it doesn’t, use a butter knife or other flat-bladed tool to loosen the sides of the pot and try again.
Once the plant is free of the pot, take the time to inspect the root system. Look for large, old circular roots which can strangle the plant and prevent much-needed nourishment. Sever or remove these old roots to allow new feeder roots to establish.
To re-pot, first add enough new soil mixture to the bottom of the pot to return the plant to its original depth. After the plant is replaced, fill in the sides with new potting soil.
Use a quality potting mix when re-potting. Gardeners generally rely on commercially available potting soil mixes for growing most types of houseplants. A lot of brands are out there and not all of them are especially good. In particular, avoid heavy, black potting soils. If the bag feels dense and heavy for its size, put it back.
The best potting mixes include vermiculite, bark and perlite in proportions that create a fairly light, loose mix that water penetrates readily but drains rapidly.
If you don’t want to change pots, there is a way of dealing with a pot-bound plant and keeping it in the same size pot. First, remove the plant from the pot and trim off one-quarter to one-third of the lower part of the root ball. Put a layer of fresh potting mix in the bottom of the original container equal to the amount of the root ball removed. Place the plant back in the pot, adding a little more soil around the sides. Water well, and place the plant in a shady location to recover.
House plants would also benefit from fertilization at this time of year. There are many commercial materials available for fertilizing indoor plants. Most are effective and safe if used as directed.
Putnam: Plan To Travel Smart This Summer
April 11, 2015
Summer is just around the corner, and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam reminds consumers to be careful when making vacation plans.
“Consumers are often targeted with mailings, telephone calls or emails that offer vacation deals, and they should be cautious not to fall for travel-related scams,” said Putnam.
Consumers can protect themselves from vacation scams by following these tips:
- Find out if a travel company is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
- Check to see if the company has any complaints, and if so, how they were resolved.
- Read the entire contract before signing. Ask questions before signing.
- Get a copy of the company’s cancellation and refund policies.
- Use a credit card (not a debit card) when making a purchase. If there are issues with the service provided, credit card charges can be disputed.
- Be skeptical of free vacation offers. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. The call center is staffed with trained analysts who can respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview, provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency.