Tate High School Aggies Beat Niceville To Advance To State Semi-Final Game
November 28, 2015
Every Aggie fan knew in their heart Friday that Tate was going on to state, but the win was not without a few chest pains in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Tate High School Aggies defeated the Niceville Eagles 21-20 for the 6A Regional 1 championship.
The Aggies took an early lead, just 14 seconds into the game, on the first play from scrimmage as Alondo Thompkins scored on an 80-yard touchdown run.
Quarterback Sawyer Smith found Reginald Payne for a 58 yard gain, setting up a two-yard touchdown run by Smith with 10:17 to go in the second quarter. And also in the second quarter, Smith hit Jake Henry for a 66-yard touchdown. The Aggies were up a comfortable 21-0 over a Niceville team that has outscored Tate 140-48 in their past five outings.
Heading into the third quarter the Aggies were up 21-0. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Aggies were up 21-0. But it’s not over until it’s over, as Niceville closed the score to within three points. at 21-18.
With 10 second left on the clock, the Aggies took the unusual move of purposely scoring a safety for the Eagles after Tate was unable to advance beyond their own 10 yard line. That move ran the clock down to five seconds…just enough time for a kickoff.
But after a bunch of Niceville laterals, and a sea of flags, the Aggies were forced to kick off again for an un-timed down. Aggie fans could breathe again…and start making travel plans.
The Tate Aggies (10-2) advance to play the Armwood Hawks in Seffner, near Tampa, next Friday night in the state semi-finals, just one game away from a state championship game in Orlando.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Keith Garrison, click to enlarge.
Sunny And Warm Weekend
November 28, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 53. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. South wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 58.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Cantonment Soldier Among Four Killed In Texas Black Hawk Crash
November 28, 2015
A local soldier was among four U.S. service members killed in a helicopter accident earlier this week on Fort Hood in Texas.
Their Black Hawk helicopter crashed Monday about 6 p.m. in the northeast portion of the base about 60 miles north of Austin. The Army said late Saturday that the crash killed Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen B. Cooley, 40, a Cantonment native; Sgt. 1st Class Toby A. Childers, 40, a Hays, KS, native; Sgt.1st Class Jason M. Smith, 35, a Destrehan, LA, native; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael F. Tharp, 40, a Katy, TX, native.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Army Combat Readiness Center based in Fort Rucker, AL.
Pictured: Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen B. Cooley of Cantonment was killed in a Black Hawh helicopter crash Monday, the Army announced late Friday. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lawmakers Poised To Dig Into Scott Budget Plan
November 28, 2015
With Gov. Rick Scott proposing a $79.3 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, House and Senate committees next week will start looking at details of the plan.
Numerous legislative panels will receive presentations about Scott’s proposal, which is an initial step as lawmakers prepare to draw up a budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to receive a presentation at noon Tuesday from Scott’s budget chief, Cynthia Kelly, and the Senate Appropriations Committee will receive a presentation at 10 a.m. next Wednesday, according to calendars posted online.
Also, subcommittees will receive a series of presentations, starting Tuesday with the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee and the House Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
Meanwhile, the House Finance & Tax Committee on Tuesday is expected to hear about Scott’s proposed $1 billion tax-cut package.
Five Senate budget subcommittees are slated to receive presentations next Thursday.
Escambia Parks And Rec Takes Over Davisville Community Center
November 28, 2015
Escambia County Parks and Recreation has now taken over the rental responsibilities of the county-owned Davisville Community Center.
The rentals were previously handled by a small community association; however, county officials say that organization became very inactive the past few years.
The facility rents for $35 per day plus tax ($37.63 total) for the dining room using kitchen appliances, $35 per day plus tax ($37.63 total) for the front multi-purpose room, plus a $25 cleaning and damage deposit. For more information, contact Escambia County Parks and Recreation at (850) 475-5220.
Pictured above: The Davisville Community Center on Highway 97. Pictured below: The smaller room next to the kitchen inside the facility. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pot Back In Political Spotlight In Florida
November 28, 2015
Voters next November will almost certainly have the chance to again decide whether Florida should legalize medical marijuana, after narrowly rejecting an almost-identical proposal a year ago.
A Quinnipiac University poll last month found that nearly 90 percent of Florida voters support allowing adults to use medical marijuana. Numerous other surveys in Florida and across the country consistently show that a majority of voters endorse medical marijuana for sick and dying patients.
And voters aren’t the only ones who’ve warmed up to the once-sticky issue.
The state’s Republican-dominated Legislature also appears to have evolved, perhaps more because of politics than pot.
With such broad public support, “there’s very few people that are going to die on that hill anymore,” Florida-based GOP strategist Rick Wilson told The News Service of Florida.
“They’ve just basically decided this isn’t a threat at the level that justifies having a massive political ground war over,” he said.
Florida lawmakers last year legalized types of cannabis that purportedly don’t get users high but are believed to reduce life-threatening seizures in children with severe forms of epilepsy.
But before the seeds of the state’s new marijuana industry have sprouted, legislators began moving forward with an effort to legalize full-strength marijuana for terminally ill patients. A measure sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican who was instrumental in the passage of the 2014 low-THC law, would expand another law — known as the “Right to Try” law — to include marijuana for dying patients. The bill is slated for a second committee vetting next week, and a House version also is filed for the 2016 legislative session.
A separate proposal, backed by Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg, would legalize medical marijuana for a broad swath of patients and set up a regulatory system different from the one now in place for the non-euphoric cannabis.
The Legislature’s focus on medical marijuana comes after lawmakers for years ignored the issue, brought to the forefront with the 2014 ballot initiative bankrolled by Orlando trial lawyer John Morgan.
“There’ve been some minds that have been changed. More than anything else, people are kind of sick of it,” said Ben Pollara, campaign manager for a political committee, commonly known as United for Care, backing the “Use of Marijuana for Debilitating Medical Conditions” ballot initiative.
Whatever the Legislature does — or doesn’t do — likely won’t have much impact on voters anyway, according to some experts.
Next year’s legislative session wraps up in March, two months earlier than usual and nearly eight months before the 2016 elections.
By then, voters may have forgotten whatever steps lawmakers have taken, if any, to help sick patients. And, even if they haven’t, it won’t affect their attitudes towards the ballot item, said Tallahassee-based political consultant Steve Vancore.
One of legislators’ primary arguments against the ballot initiative is that complicated matters like medical marijuana are best handled through state statutes rather than in more permanent constitutional changes.
“Voters don’t think like that. They don’t think, ‘I really like this, but I’d rather have it as a law, not in the constitution,’ ” Vancore said. “Very, very ,very, very few voters view the process in that way. They read the language and they think, ‘Is this a good idea or a bad idea,’ and vote for it accordingly.”
Unlike last year’s midterm elections, the 2016 political scene in Florida will be dominated by a slew of legislative races, an open U.S. Senate seat and a presidential election in a swing state considered a necessary win for Republicans if they want to recapture the White House.
“Anybody who has a dollar to spend and says where am I going to put my dollar, I think opposing medical marijuana is the last place I’m going to put my money. There are so many other places to put it,” Vancore said.
Next year’s election is a long way off, but — so far at least — some of the proposal’s loudest detractors have remained on the sidelines while the Florida Supreme Court weighs whether the initiative meets the requirements to make it onto the November 2016 ballot.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was one of the leading voices against it last year, opted not to oppose the wording of the revised ballot measure, prompting the court to scrap oral arguments on the initiative. If the court signs off, the Morgan-backed group will need to submit a total of 683,149 valid petition signatures to the state; it had submitted 365,577 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Florida sheriffs, who vigorously campaigned against the 2014 initiative, haven’t taken a position on the proposal yet, according to Florida Sheriffs Association spokeswoman Nanette Schimpf.
“We plan to review all the various legislation at our winter conference that takes place in early January,” Schimpf said.
A political committee funded largely last year by Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and affiliated with St. Petersburg-based Drug Free America Foundation will likely continue its effort to kill the proposal, however.
“We do have great concern about a constitutional amendment that would not only make it easier to get marijuana but would also commercialize it and promote it in our communities,” said Calvina Fay, the foundation’s executive director.
After the amendment failed last year, Adelson — who contributed at least $5.5 million to the political committee — pledged to continue the crusade if the proposal made it onto the ballot again.
On the other side, proponents of the initiative are likely to take a different approach leading up to the election.
Morgan, the brash trial lawyer, became a flashpoint in the debate over the measure. Morgan, former Gov. Charlie Crist’s boss, was accused of maneuvering the amendment onto the ballot to propel then-Democratic gubernatorial candidate Crist’s chances for victory.
Morgan insists that he threw his support behind the measure because of his father, who suffered from cancer and emphysema, and his brother Tim, who was partially paralyzed due to injuries sustained as a teenage lifeguard when he dove into concrete pylons while trying to rescue a swimmer. Joining his brother in promoting the proposal, the wheelchair-bound Tim Morgan openly spoke about his use of marijuana to curb the pain and muscle spasms caused by his injuries.
In one of many appearances across the state, John Morgan was caught on tape delivering a boozy, expletive-laced monologue to what appears to be a crowd of young supporters at a bar after a rally in the Lakeland area. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd was one of the law enforcement officials who led the charge against the amendment.
Morgan has already dumped at least $1.8 million of his own money into the 2016 effort, but he may not play as high a profile this time around.
“Are we going to do the John Morgan bus tour again, this time around? Probably not,” Pollara said. “I don’t think John did anything to harm the campaign. He’s the only reason the campaign existed and exists, but could he have done more to help it by presenting himself less or in a different way? Maybe.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Road Construction Projects Suspended Until Monday
November 28, 2015
State transportation departments in Florida and Alabama said most road construction and lane closures will be suspended for the long Thanksgiving weekend.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Three office is suspending highway construction projects on major roadways across Northwest Florida. There will be no work on state roads requiring lane restrictions from through Sunday, December 1. All major roads will be open to normal traffic.
Although no construction closures are scheduled over the holiday weekend, existing state highway work zones will remain in effect. Motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through work zones around barricades and equipment.
FDOT is encouraging drivers to allow extra travel time and to use extra caution in existing work zones along state highways. Drivers are urged to make sure they buckle up, along with their passengers. FDOT and other safety agencies also ask drivers to obey speed limits, get adequate rest before traveling, avoid distractions and never drink and drive.
Drivers also are urged to be prepared for unscheduled highway closures due to accidents, disabled vehicles or other events. Motorists should be alert to changing weather conditions while traveling.
The Alabama Department of Transportation said there will be no temporary lane closures on Alabama interstates after noon through midnight on Sunday, December 1.
Photos: The Faces Of Thanksgiving At Waterfront Rescue Mission
November 27, 2015
About 160 volunteers spent their Thanksgiving working to feed the less fortunate at the Waterfront Rescue Mission. Turkey, dressing, gravy — all the fixings and dessert were served to about 1,000 people in need.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jay Christmas Parade Set For This Saturday
November 27, 2015
The Christmas season gets into full swing Saturday with the annual Jay Christmas Parade.
The parade will line-up at Bray-Hendricks Park at 9 a.m. and will roll at 10 a.m.
There is no entry fee, so groups and organizations are welcome to enter anything that meets theme of “Christmas”. There are prizes for the top three floats — $300 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third. There will also be local school groups, bands, twirlers, beauty queens, the Shriners and much more.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Thanksgiving Gas Prices Lowest In Seven Years
November 27, 2015
That Thanksgiving weekend trip to grandma’s or at that shopping trip is a little easier on the wallet this year for gas.
About 42 million Americans are expected to take a road trip this long weekend, and drivers should pay the lowest pump prices for the Thanksgiving holiday since 2008. Retail averages have fallen for 17 consecutive days for a total savings of 15 cents per gallon, and the national average remains poised to fall below the $2 per gallon benchmark by the Christmas holiday. Already, more than half of U.S. stations are selling gas for less than $2 per gallon.
The national average is at $2.05, down 75 cents when compared to last year.
The current average price per gallon, as of Thursday, was $1.96 in the Escambia County area, down from $2.67 on year ago.
In Century, gas was $1.99 per gallon at Highway 29 and Highway 4, while in Molino and Cantonment several stations were at $1.90 on Thursday. Several station in the Pensacola area were at $1.87 per gallon.
Pictured: Gas headed into the Thanksgiving weekend was $1.99 per gallon in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.