Weak Cold Front Brings Better Weather
May 22, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia are forecast:
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Sunday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Memorial Day
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind around 10 mph.
Monday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86.
Tuesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86.
Wednesday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Thursday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87.
Escambia Man Gets 25 Years For Molesting Child
May 22, 2015
An Escambia County man was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in state prison for lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 12. He was convicted by a jury last month.
he incident occurred while the victim was spending the night at a relative’s house. The victim immediately disclosed the incident.
Operation Works To Clean Up Cottage Hill
May 22, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office held a Clean Sweep operation Thursday morning in the Cottage Hill area.
The focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” was to work with the Cottage Hill Neighborhood Watch group, residents, churches and business owners to control and prevent the damaging effects of criminal activity, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers also worked throughout the day to clean trash and debris from alongside neighborhoods streets.
During Thursday’s event, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office issued 16 traffic citations, and a dozen sex offender addresses were verified. There were 10 code violations cited, and 20 tons of debris was removed. There were no arrests reported.
The event was hosted by the Cottage Hill Neighborhood Watch. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office plans their next Clean Sweep for June 18 in the Maxwell Street area.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Tate, Pine Forest, Northview And Jay In Spring Football Games Tonight
May 22, 2015
Tonight is spring football for several area teams;
The Tate Aggies will travel to Pine Forest for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The Northview Chiefs will host Jay at 7 p.m. Admission is $6. Northview and Jay fans should take note of the following information released by NHS:
Visitors to the Northview High School campus for Friday night’s Spring Game are to be advised that there is construction in the stadium area. There are concrete sidewalks being poured, beginning at the entrance all the way by the concession stand. Each visitor is advised to remain alert to obstacles along pathways. Caution tape will be used to alert visitors to dangerous areas. In addition, all possible lighting will be utilized. The ticket booth at baseball will not be open, due to construction.
Parking for the handicapped is available along the fence south of the football practice field. In addition, a driver for a handicapped person may enter the asphalt parking area adjacent to the new weight room, proceed toward the ticket booth, unload any passenger who has difficulty walking, turn around, exit, and park in the regular parking area. The turn-around area is for handicapped only, not for the general public.
Parking in the concession stand area is reserved for concession stand workers, press box workers, chain gang workers, and officials.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Scott Signs Bills On Carrying Guns, Bolstering Child Protection
May 22, 2015
.Gov. Rick Scott signed 44 bills into law Thursday, including a measure that will allow Floridians without concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns during mandatory emergency evacuations.
He also signed bills aimed at improving the state’s child-protection and juvenile-justice systems, banning job discrimination based on pregnancy and creating tax-free savings accounts for people with disabilities.
The new gun law (SB 290) went into effect as soon as Scott signed it. Backers say the measure will allow people to bring their weapons when forced to leave home because of hurricanes and other disasters.
“It’s really a no-brainer,” National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said. “When people are forced to leave their homes, they have a right to carry their possessions with them — including their firearms to protect their property.”
A similar measure died in the Senate last year amid concerns by the Florida Sheriffs Association and senators on both sides of the aisle. Some were apprehensive about increasing the number of armed people on the streets without concealed-weapons licenses during emergencies.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, addressed those concerns this year by limiting the amount of time people can carry guns without concealed-weapons licenses to 48 hours, which can be extended by the governor.
Meanwhile, the child-protection law (SB 7078) began as what’s known as a glitch bill, expanding aspects of a sweeping reform measure that passed last year. The new law will increase reporting of medical neglect and will expand the role of the state’s Critical Incident Rapid Response Team, which the secretary of the Department of Children and Families can dispatch to investigate child deaths.
It will also require services to be “evidence-based and trauma-informed” — a recommendation of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, which was created as part of last year’s law. Children’s services must be based on the idea that abused kids can recover from trauma by addressing the painful experiences they’ve endured, such as violent or addicted parents.
Additionally, an amendment to the bill caused battles in the House and Senate. That provision, which passed, will require employees and volunteers of certain membership organizations — such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts — to meet background screening requirements through the Department of Children and Families.
“Florida’s children now have greater protection against the evildoers in our society,” said Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Chairwoman Eleanor Sobel, a Hollywood Democrat who sponsored the bill and the controversial amendment.
The governor also signed a bill (SB 378) that will increase the number of times law-enforcement officers may issue civil citations to non-violent juvenile offenders.
Sponsored by Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, the measure will eliminate part of state law that limits juvenile-diversion programs to first-time misdemeanor offenders. That would allow civil-citation and other diversion programs to be used in second or subsequent offenses.
The bill will allow officers the choice of issuing simple warnings or informing children’s parents or guardians about misdemeanor offenses. Under the measure, juveniles could be assigned up to 50 hours of community service or required to participate in intervention programs, such as family counseling and substance-abuse and mental-health treatment.
Rep. Gwyn Clarke-Reed, a Deerfield Beach Democrat who sponsored the House version of the bill, said she was “delighted” Scott signed the measure into law.
“This new law gives important discretion to officers on the streets, critical opportunity to youthful offenders and more productive use of taxpayers’ money,” Clarke-Reed said in a prepared statement. “We should, when we can, offer kids who find themselves in trouble a path to productivity rather than a pipeline to jail.”
Over the past four years, the use of civil citations in Florida has increased from seven to 59 of the state’s 67 counties.
Both the child-protection and civil-citation laws go into effect on Oct .1.
Among the other bills Scott signed Thursday was a measure (SB 642) that will create the Florida ABLE program so that people with disabilities can save money in tax-free savings accounts for future services without losing their eligibility for state and federal benefits. Also, he signed a bill (SB 982) that bans discrimination based on pregnancy in employment, public lodging and food service establishments.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Kendal Cobb Named Miss Northview High
May 22, 2015
Senior Kendal Cobb has been named Miss Northview High School 2015.
She is the daughter of Jamie and Becky Cobb. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Northview on May 20, she plans to attend a local community college and major in nursing.
Rather than a traditional pageant, Miss Northview High School was selected this year by a portfolio, poster, resume, an interview with judges, teacher recommendations and a vote of the student body.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lower LIP Funding Sets Stage For Session Debate
May 22, 2015
Florida can anticipate about $1 billion in funding for a health-care program at the center of a state budget standoff, a high-ranking federal official wrote in a letter Thursday, giving lawmakers a better idea of what to expect when they begin a special session next month.
The estimate provided in the letter from Vikki Wachino, director of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, would mark a reduction of about $1.2 billion in the program, which is known as the Low Income Pool, during the budget year that begins July 1. Funding for LIP would then likely fall to about $600 million in later years, Wachino wrote.
The letter also provides a list of options Florida could use to offset the drop in LIP, which sends money to hospitals and other medical providers that care for large numbers of low-income patients. Wachino suggested that the state boost the rates it pays hospitals for treating Medicaid patients.
“We note that this ($1 billion) level of funding for the LIP, coupled with the options the state may elect at its discretion described in this letter, would enable Florida to retain Medicaid investment in the state at or above the current $2.16 billion level of LIP funding,” she wrote.
The federal decision on LIP would extend the program past its current June 30 expiration date and could provide the Legislature with a way out of the budget impasse. Lawmakers are expected to begin a special session June 1 to resolve the spending plan.
But cutting funding for the program could also harden some divisions at the Capitol. Senate leaders have pushed for the state to offset the loss of LIP funds by using federal Medicaid expansion money to help lower-income Floridians purchase private insurance — an idea adamantly opposed by House Republican leaders and Gov. Rick Scott.
If the state has to instead offset the loss by backfilling the hole with tax revenues, that could eat into funding for other priorities, like public education and tax cuts.
“I think it confirms the magnitude of the potential backfill number to make the system whole, and I think it sends a very strong message about the expiration of LIP over time,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, said of the federal letter.
Lee and Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, argued that the size of the cut in LIP backs the chamber’s insistence on expanding health-care coverage.
“While the letter from CMS outlines a number of policy alternatives, none of these options will allow Florida to maximize both state and federal taxpayer dollars in a more effective manner than by reducing the number of uninsured Floridians seeking basic health care in hospital emergency rooms,” Gardiner wrote in a memo to senators. “Clearly, a conservative free-market expansion of health care coverage is the most fiscally responsible approach.”
But Scott and the House have opposed expanding Medicaid in any form. The disagreement between the House and Senate on the issue in part caused the impasse that saw lawmakers adjourn the regular annual session without a budget in place.
House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, told his members in a memo that the House was still reviewing Wachino’s letter and would provide a more thorough response later.
“Until then, I believe the clear indication before the special session is Florida will receive a significant level of LIP funds, which will help us in our efforts to finish the budget by the July 1 deadline,” he wrote.
House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, indicated late Thursday he favored a plan that would use state money to make the hospitals whole. The House had pitched a similar idea near the end of the regular session, when lawmakers were unsure what the final size of the LIP program might be.
“Now, the great news is that we’re able to do that with finality,” Corcoran said.
Speaking to reporters at Taylor County’s Perry Primary School, where he was visiting, Scott seemed to once again rule out the idea of a state Medicaid expansion plan.
“The Senate’s plan would cost our taxpayers $5 billion over the first 10 years,” Scott said. “If you look at history, health-care programs in almost every case cost way more than what people thought in the beginning.”
Scott also said he hadn’t decided whether to drop a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to bar the agency from considering whether the state has expanded Medicaid while weighing a decision on LIP.
Attorneys for the two sides agreed Thursday to extend until June 1 a deadline for federal officials to respond to Scott’s request for an injunction in the lawsuit.
In her letter, Wachino tried to emphasize that while LIP and a coverage expansion are related, whether Florida expanded Medicaid wasn’t a factor in the federal government’s decision.
“Regardless of whether a state expands, uncompensated care pool funding should not pay for costs that would be covered in a Medicaid expansion,” she wrote. “Therefore, the state’s expansion decision does not affect the size of the LIP itself.”
House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, applauded the agency for its decision in the face of the lawsuit.
“Despite Gov. Scott’s lack of planning, hostile public relations campaign and frivolous litigation, CMS has acted in the best interests of taxpayers and the people of Florida,” Pafford said.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
West Florida’s Hicks Signs With Huntingdon College
May 22, 2015
Former Cantonment Cowboy and now West Florida High School senior Brandon Hicks has signed with Huntingdon College in Montgomery. Pictured: Brandon Hicks (in tie), his mother and father David and Kelli Hicks, sister Cheyenne Hicks and (standing) Coach Harry Lees and and West Florida Principal Eric Smith. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weather Cancels Subway All Star Baseball And Softball Games
May 22, 2015
The Subway High School All-Star 2014-15 Series baseball and softball games at the University of West Florida were called Thursday evening due to threatening weather.
The East baseball team and West softball team were each up 1-0 as the games ended.
The games will not be rescheduled due to it being at the end of the school.
Team members were:
WEST SOFTBALL
Catholic – Keaton Covan – LF/SS
Escambia – Rebecca Rudd – OF
Escambia – Sara Spears – OF/1B
Northview – Addy Lee – 2B
Northview – Mallory Ryan – Pitcher/ 1B
Northview – Angel Lathan – Catcher/ CF
Pensacola – Tanogela Brown – RF
Pensacola – N’Dya Tolbert – CF
Pine Forest – Brooke Lauter – P/ 1B
Pine Forest – Tiana Alevedo – SS/ 2B
Tate – Izzy Werdann – C/3B
Tate – Tori Perkins – P/1B/3B
Tate – Sam Burks – OF
Tate – Casey McCrackin – SS
Tate – Rachel Wright – 2B/OF
Tate – Lauren Brennan – OF
Washington – Callan Burkett – 3B
Washington – Lauren Douber – CF
West Florida – Kayla Miller – 2B/SS/OF
West Florida – Kristin Gunter – SS/3B/1B
EAST SOFTBALL
Baker – Tori Foster – CF/IF/C
Baker – Alexis Mitchem – P/IF
Central – Makayla Simmons – 1B/OF
Central – Courtney Arnaud – C
Central – Brittney Amey – SS
Choctaw – Macie Gray – C
Choctaw – Sydney Oliver – CF
Crestview – Taylor Henderson – 2B/ SS/ RF
Fort Walton – Braya Enriquez – OF/C
Gulf Breeze – Gena Ramos – RF
Gulf Breeze – Sydney Ezelle – SS
Gulf Breeze – Paige VanTassel – 3B
Jay – Dana Blackmon – P/1B
Jay – Emily Dobson – 1B
Laurel Hill – Ashley Hatfield – C/ OF
Milton – Hannah Wakeman – 3B/P
Milton – Whitney Dowell – C/SS/3B/Athlete
Navarre – Shana Pearl – CF
Niceville – Haley Baker – Catcher
Niceville – Jaci Hodskins – OF/ IF
Niceville – Graysen Gladden – CF
Pace – Tristen Pearson – SS/OF
Pace – Payton Carpenter – P/DH
WEST BASEBALL
Catholic – David Rosen – P
Catholic – Brandon Lockridge – SS
Catholic – Jawan Purifoy – OF
Catholic – Evans Bozeman – IB- P
Catholic – Harrison Carroll – RF
East Hill – Joshua Farina – P/SS/3B
Escambia – Anthony Stoeter – CF
Escambia – Jessie Gunter – P
Northview – Chase Freeman – SS
Northview – Aaron McDonald – OF
PCA – Spencer Wass – P/SS/C/CF
PCA – Brennan Roberts – Catcher
PHS – Chris Welt – P
Pine Forest – Chris Byrd – 2B/P
Pine Forest – Brent Bodree – Catcher
Pine Forest – Nick Williams – P/1B/3B
Tate – Hunter Worley – 3B/C
Tate – Jacob Saulnier – 1B/OF
Tate – Mark Miller – 1B/LHP
Washington – Dylan Morgan – LH Pitcher
Washington – Thomas Strange – Pitcher/ OF
Washington – Rylan Hendricks – OF
Washington – Branch Robinson – OF
West Florida – Mikey Jones – P/INF
West Florida – RJ Lewis – SS/P
West Florida – Kyle Harrison – Catcher
EAST BASEBALL
Baker – Austin Hicks – P/SS/C
Central – Reid Grant – OF/IF
Central – Justin Abel – P/OF/1B
Choctaw – Zach Jowers – SS
Choctaw – Hayden Bludworth – P
Choctaw – Nate Gilmore – C
Crestview – Nathan Gerard – Catcher
FWB – Jake Smith – P
FWB – Joe Guidry – C
FWB – Darren Hasch – 3B
Gulf Breeze – Jacob Kubik – SS
Jay – Taylor Kelley – P/LF
Laurel Hill – Max Smith – OF
Milton – Taylor Ford – Catcher
Milton – Micah McGaha – Pitcher
Milton – Bryton Melvin – 3B/ Pitcher
Milton – Brenden Blevins – Outfield
Navarre – Billy Unterbrink – 2B
Niceville – Drew Frederic – SS
Niceville – Chance Riley – P
Niceville – Tyler Head – C/IF
Niceville – Trevor Eubanks – P
Pace – Chase Lambert – P
Pace – Tyler Sharp – SS
Rocky Bayou – Zackary Payne – Catcher/ OF
Pictured top: Subway All-Stars from Northview High (L-R) Addy Lee, Chasen Freeman, Angel Lathan, Aaron McDonald and Mallory Ryan. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
64 Arrested In Warrant Sweep
May 22, 2015
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office warrant sweep resulted in 64 arrests and 136 warrants being served. The sweep targeted those who had outstanding warrants for sex crimes, fraud and stolen property.
For a list of those arrested, charges and mugshots, click here (pdf file).