License Free Freshwater Fishing This Weekend
April 4, 2015
Free fishing days provide an excellent opportunity for parents who don’t yet have licenses to take youth fishing, or avid anglers to introduce a friend to fishing without having to purchase a license. On these days, the fishing license requirement is waived for all recreational anglers (residents and non-residents).
All other rules (e.g., seasons, bag and size limits) apply.
License-free freshwater days for 2015 and beyond
- First Saturday and Sunday in April
- Second Saturday and Sunday in June
License-free saltwater days for 2015 and beyond
- First Saturday and Sunday in June
- First Saturday in September
- Saturday following Thanksgiving
The saltwater waiver applies to any recreational harvest requiring a saltwater fishing license (e.g., crabbing, lobstering, scalloping, etc.) as well as fishing from shore or a boat. A snook or spiny lobster permit are not required on these days.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Two Homes Destroyed By Fire Friday Morning
April 3, 2015
Two homes were destroyed by fire Friday morning in unrelated incidents.
Four people escaped uninjured from a fire in the 10000 block of Fox Run, just off Nine Mile Road, about 7:11 a.m. The home was fully involved in fire when the first firefighters arrived on scene.
No one was at home at the time of a fire at 5:11 a.m. in the 8200 block of Caminitti Lane near Olive Road in Ferry Pass. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found the house fully involved.
The cause of both fires is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Pictured top, inset and immediately below: The first firefighters from the Beulah Station of Escambia Fire Rescue arrive at a Friday morning on Fox Run and begin fighting the blaze. Pictured below: More photos from the scene. Photos by Dalton Young for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Killed In I-10 Crash
April 3, 2015
An Escambia County man was killed in a traffic accident Thursday night on I-10 east of the Pine Forest Road exit.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 23-year old Trenton Evan Demonte was westbound on I-10 approaching Pine Forest about 10:10 p.m. His 2003 Dodge Ram crossed over the center grassy median into the eastbound lanes and was struck nearly head-on by a semi-truck driven by 34-year old Orlando Hernandez of Lake Worth.
Demonte was pronounced deceased on the scene. His passenger, 24-year old Kassie Marie Klein of Pensacola, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. Hernandez and a passenger in the semi, 37-year old Angel Omar Reyes Roman of Riverview, FL, were not injured.
One Dead, Many Injured In Fiery 9-Vehicle Wreck On I-65
April 3, 2015
For an update to this story, click here.
One person was killed and several others were injured in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on I-65 near Flomaton that first responders described as nothing less than horrific.
The accident involved three northbound 18-wheelers and six passenger vehicles at the 69 mile marker, with two of the 18-wheelers catching fire and burning into an almost unrecognizable pile of mangled metal. The female driver of a passenger car died in a vehicle that was nearly totally destroyed before catching fire in the crash.
One 18-wheeler was hauling lumber, one was hauling salt, and the cargo of the third, while not hazardous, was not known.
“It was the worst accident I’ve seen in 38 years of being a firefighter,” Flomaton Fire Department Chief Steve Stanton said from the scene.
Stanton said no less than 15 fire departments from Alabama and Florida responded to the crash, including departments from Century and McDavid. Multiple ambulances from both states and three helicopters were used to transport the victims to hospitals. Officials were not immediately sure how many people were injured, but state troopers said they believed it to be around five.
I-65 was closed between Flomaton and Atmore for hours, with traffic diverted through Atmore and Flomaton along Highway 31. Traffic backed up for miles and miles in both directions, often at a complete standstill.
Alabama State Troopers are continuing their investigation. Names and details on how the crash happened have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive and reader submitted photos, click to enlarge.
Good Friday Holiday Closures
April 3, 2015
Escambia County offices and departments closed for the Good Friday holiday are below. Normal operations resume on Monday, April 6.
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
- West Florida Public Library System, also closed on Sunday, April 5
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Tax Collector
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
- Escambia County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller
Escambia County Exceptions:
- 911 Dispatch, EMS and Fire Services will all be open
- Perdido Landfill, excluding the administrative offices, will be open
- Oak Grove Convenience Center, excluding the administrative offices, will be open
- Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT):
- Administrative offices closed
- ECAT Buses will run regular service
- No service will be available on Sunday, April 5
- UWF Trolleys will run regular weekday service
- For more information visit, goecat.com
Town of Century — all offices and departments will be closed on Friday.
Santa Rosa County -
The following offices and departments are closed Friday, April 3 in observance of Good Friday. Regular hours of operation resume Monday, April 6.
- Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners, with the following exceptions:
- The animal shelter is closed Friday, April 3 and open Saturday, April 4
- The library system is closed Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4
- The Central Landfill is open Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4
- Santa Rosa County Clerk of the Court
- Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser
- Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections
- Santa Rosa County Tax Collector
Poor Man’s Truck: Greg Evers And The Daily Show With Jon Stewart?
April 3, 2015
by The News Service of Florida
The conversation may not attract national attention, but Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, can imagine his Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee once again being late-night fodder.
On March 25, “The Daily Show,” hosted by Jon Stewart, featured a piece on Gov. Rick Scott’s reported prohibition against the word “climate change.” The piece included an exchange from the previous week in which Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, tried to get state Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon to utter the phrase “climate change.”
The piece was punctuated by Latvala onscreen turning off his microphone as he laughed at the end of the Koon-Clemens exchange.
“Wait, wait. Don’t laugh,” Stewart told his audience with the frame frozen on Latvala as he laughed. “That one guy needs the Heimlich. He’s our first climate-change casualty. ‘Why did I eat shrimp while listening to the speech.’ ”
But the latest potential fodder doesn’t have anything to do with climate change. This time, the topic Thursday was a proposal by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, to reduce an annual registration fee on trucks modified to haul melons directly from the field to market.
“We haven’t been on the Stewart show yet this week, so I think this is the next one coming,” Latvala said before the subcommittee he chairs voted to advance the proposal.
Evers, who hails from the northwest corner of the state and has one of the deepest Southern drawls in the Legislature, wants to reduce the fee on school buses that have their tops cut off so farmers can load them quickly with watermelons.
“This is virtually a poor man’s truck,” Evers said.
As other senators asked if the bill would discriminate against other types of modified vehicles, or farmers hauling different crops, Evers said he’d welcome amendments at future stops that even specified “grapes” or “cannabis” as long as he gets his bill approved.
“You can put them in the back of a pick ‘em up truck,” Evers said.
One Airlifted To Hospital Following Molino ATV Crash
April 3, 2015
One person was airlifted to a local hospital following an ATV accident Thursday afternoon on Molino Road.
The male victim was transported from the scene by LifeGuard helicopter after the 4:12 p.m. crash in the 900 block of Molino Road near Nicholson Drive. The ATV apparently flipped over in a ditch. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Further details, including the name of the victim, have not been released.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
House Passes Budget As Lip Squabble Continues
April 3, 2015
The House on Thursday approved a $76.2 billion budget plan, clearing the way for negotiations with the Senate as federal and state officials continued a feud over whether they are discussing $2.2 billion in health-care funding that plays a major role in budget deliberations.
A handful of Democrats joined Republicans to approve the House version of the spending plan in an 86-29 vote. The measure would cover the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The budget is significantly smaller than the Senate version, which would spend $80.4 billion. The Senate wants to spend $5 billion for a critical hospital-funding program, known as the Low Income Pool, and for an alternative to Medicaid expansion. The House has ruled out the Senate’s expansion plan and says it will only include the $2.2 billion in Low Income Pool, or LIP, funding once the federal government agrees to extend the program.
The LIP program, which is currently set to expire June 30, funnels additional money to hospitals and other health providers that serve large numbers of poor and uninsured patients. A large chunk of the money for the program comes from Washington.
The future of that funding has been thrown into question after state officials announced late Wednesday that the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services suspended negotiations for at least two weeks. On Thursday, CMS flatly denied that.
“CMS remains in contact with state officials and continues to share information,” said Aaron Albright, a spokesman for the agency, in a statement sent to reporters. “Senior officials from CMS will continue conversations with state officials about our shared goal of securing access to high quality health care coverage for low income Floridians.”
Questions swirled about whether the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration knew that the lead federal negotiator, Eliot Fishman, was due to take what is reportedly a long-planned trip to Israel in connection with Passover. But AHCA Secretary Liz Dudek issued a statement late Thursday standing by the state’s version of events.
“After months of discussions we found out that negotiators would not be available to continue to further discuss the LIP program. At this time, no date has been set for a future meeting,” she said.
The back-and-forth could make it difficult for lawmakers to finish the budget by the May 1 deadline for ending the legislative session on time. The last time legislators were forced into overtime to handle the state budget was in 2009, when the economic collapse sparked by a financial crisis forced the state to accept billions of dollars in temporary funding from the federal government.
Meanwhile, the House debate over the budget Thursday focused largely on the unwillingness of Republicans to accept a $2.8 billion Senate proposal to use Medicaid expansion money from the federal Affordable Health Care Act, better known as Obamacare, to help an estimated 800,000 lower-income Floridians purchase private insurance.
Democrats argued that Republicans were letting their partisan hatred of President Obama prevent them from doing the right thing.
“The refusal is solely based on whose idea it was. … We’re walking hand-in-hand with 800,000 souls to the altar of fringe politics,” said Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach.
Republicans responded by highlighting budget priorities like a record amount of funding for public education on a per-student level and other politically popular aspects.
“At some point, you’ve got to vote for what’s in the budget and not what’s not in the budget,” said Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples.
House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, used militant language to criticize the Senate proposal.
“The great enemy is the power of the status quo,” he said.
Corcoran said the powers-that-be in the Capitol want Medicaid expansion, and the Senate can’t force the House to take up the issue.
“It takes two to tango,” Corcoran said, adding that his message to the Senate is “we’re not dancing.”
News Service of Florida executive editor Jim Saunders contributed to this report by Brandon Larrabee.
Easter Bunny Visits Molino
April 3, 2015
The Easter Bunny paid a special visit Thursday evening to the Molino Branch Library. Children enjoyed a pajama story time and had a chance to pose for photos with the Easter Bunny during the event. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Campus Gun Bill Headed Toward House Floor Showdown
April 3, 2015
A House bill that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on the campuses of Florida colleges and universities passed its final committee Thursday and is headed to the House floor.
The House Judiciary Committee voted 12-3 to approve the measure (HB 4005) by Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota. In the Senate, an identical bill (SB 176), by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, has passed two committees and faces two more.
Lawmakers are moving forward with the proposal despite opposition from officials in the higher-education system. The debate follows a shooting incident in November at Florida State University that left three people wounded.
Much of the discussion during Thursday’s meeting focused on whether the measure would make campuses more or less safe.
National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer, for instance, contended that potential victims of rape and other crimes can’t wait for law enforcement to arrive.
“The plain truth is, campuses are not safe,” Hammer said. “They are gun-free zones where murderers and rapists may commit their crimes without fear of being harmed by the victims. Police do the best job they can, but the reality is they are not there when the attack occurs.”
Other supporters, like gun-rights proponent Eric Friday, said people with concealed-weapons licenses are not to be feared — but criminals are.
“Nobody will tell you that rules or laws keep guns off campus,” Friday said. “A person who is willing to murder another human being does not care about any rule or any law. They do what they want to do.”
“It’s not us you need to worry about,” added Rebekah Hargrove, another supporter. “Criminals are going to be criminals.”
But Kaitlyn Hamby, a sophomore at Florida State University, pointed out that the police chiefs of the state’s 12 public universities oppose the bill.
“If they are the people who dedicate their lives to protecting us, why are we trying to go against them?” Hamby asked. “You may be arming the victims, but you’ll also be arming the perpetrators.”
Marshall Ogletree, interim executive director of the United Faculty of Florida, disagreed with a staff analysis that indicated the bill was cost-neutral. He said it would cost “$45 million out the gate … $1.6 million per institution in our system to ramp up training, personnel and equipment needs.”
Ogletree also said that “the vast majority of women on campus are under 21″ and thus ineligible for concealed-weapons permits. “If we want to protect women, why not allow the use of tasers?” he asked.
“As families, we understand why schools would decide that guns have no place in a college or university classroom, or anywhere on campus,” said Steve Downey of the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. “We picture our own children surrounded by guns on campus, and we know what the dangers are.”
In a closing statement, Steube argued that in order to qualify for a concealed-weapons license, Floridians must have clean records and meet a host of qualifications.
“We’re not handing out guns to every college student,” he said. “Gun-free zones didn’t stop the shooter at Virginia Tech. … It didn’t stop the shooter at Sandy Hook. It only stops law-abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves.”
The committee also passed another Steube-sponsored bill (HB 19) which would give school superintendents the ability to appoint employees or volunteers to carry weapons at schools. But the bill’s Senate companion (SB 180) is stalled in an education committee.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida