FDOT: Molino Intersection Is Dangerous, New Traffic Light Can Cut Crashes
June 10, 2015
The intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino is dangerous and needs the traffic signal that was activated Thursday to cut injury crashes, according to state officials.
A Florida Department of Transportation study found that there were 37 documented crashes at the intersection during the 2008 to 2013 period, and the FDOT said 22 of the reported crashes could have been prevented by a traffic signal.
Of the 37 total crashes, one or more people were transported to the hospital as the result of 10 accidents.
In the last three years, the number of reported crashes at the intersection was significantly greater than the statistical average of similar roadway facilities in FDOT’s District 3, which is made up of the 16 westernmost counties in the Panhandle.
Crash statistics for 2014 and 2015 have not been released, but there were numerous additional serious crashes at the intersection, including one that claimed the life of a 16-year old high school student.
Led by District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, the Escambia County Commission agreed to fund the signal installation. Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Clay Ingram, Rep. Doug Broxson, Rep. Mike Hill, Rep. Matt Gaetz and Senate President Don Gaetz all advocated for FDOT to make safety improvements at the intersection.
The new signal at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97 was activated Thursday.
Pictured: Traffic crashes at the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Bumped Budget Issues Include Key Hospital Program
June 10, 2015
Dozens of budget issues — including the one that threw lawmakers into a special session to finish work on the state budget — moved up the legislative ladder Tuesday, starting the next round of talks aimed at resolving differences between the House and Senate spending plans.
One of the largest issues “bumped” from lower-level negotiators to the House and Senate budget chiefs was how to structure payments from the state’s Low Income Pool program to hospitals and other health-care providers that care for large numbers of low-income patients. A dispute over the so-called “LIP” program — as well as a plan to provide insurance coverage to poor Floridians — helped derail the regular session this spring.
The issue will now be handled by Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, and House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, in the next phase of budget negotiations, which are set to begin Wednesday. If Lee and Corcoran can’t agree, the issues will be directly negotiated by Senate President Andy Gardiner, an Orlando Republican and hospital executive, and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island.
“We just ran out of time, to be honest with you,” said Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairman Rene Garcia, a Hialeah Republican who led Senate negotiators on the health-care budget.
Lawmakers are trying to come up with a model for LIP that will soften the blow from the federal government’s decision to reduce the program from nearly $2.2 billion in the current budget year, which ends June 30, to $1 billion next year. Lawmakers are also pouring $400 million in state tax dollars into an increase in Medicaid reimbursements for hospitals — drawing down almost $610.9 million in federal matching money — to offset the loss.
“I’d much rather make sure that it’s right than to rush through it and to be worried about a deadline for what time we need to bump or any of those kinds of things,” said House Health Care Appropriations Chairman Matt Hudson, a Naples Republican and the lead House negotiator. “We pushed it and we got an awful lot of agreement, and we’re very close. But taking another day to make sure that we’re appropriately handling in excess of a billion dollars, I think, is appropriate.”
The Legislature is racing a June 30 deadline to get a budget agreement or face the prospect of a government shutdown.
Meanwhile, the federal government asked a judge Tuesday to reject Gov. Rick Scott’s request for court-ordered mediation in a lawsuit about health-care funding. Scott filed the lawsuit this spring arguing that the Obama administration was trying to unconstitutionally link continuation of the Low Income Pool program with expansion of Medicaid.
The lawsuit has continued after the federal agency that oversees Medicaid told state officials they can tentatively expect $1 billion in state and local funds next year for LIP, followed by $600 million the year after that.
“There is no basis for mediation as to the core issue alleged in plaintiffs’ (the state’s) complaint because the secretary (of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) has already stated definitively that she will not deny a LIP extension based on the state’s failure to expand its Medicaid program and has already preliminarily concluded that a LIP can be approved for the next two years,” the filing said.
Scott’s office responded Tuesday by blasting the federal government.
“Sadly, the Obama administration continues to delay any final agreement on funding for the Low Income Pool,” Scott spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said in a statement. “The state is continuing to request this issue be immediately resolved by any means possible.”
Lawmakers have been moving ahead with the $1 billion number and seem content to do so while letting the lawsuit play out.
“I’ve focused entirely on our process,” Hudson said. “What might be going on in the courts and what-not, I don’t want to even ponder, frankly, when the outcome of that may or may not be relative to our special session timeframe.”
Other budget issues were “bumped” across the board Tuesday. Many of them are projects and other spending items sought by lawmakers for local constituencies back home.
But there were some agreements reached Tuesday. The House and Senate struck a deal to modify the performance funding system for state universities. The Senate had wanted to plow $200 million of state money into the system while having universities put $200 million of their current budget at risk; instead, the state will pay $150 million while universities contribute $250 million to the plan.
The Senate also dropped a demand to use a budget-related bill to place limits on new four-year degrees at state colleges in exchange for other concessions from the House. But several other pieces of education policy, including broader eligibility for personal learning scholarship accounts for students with disabilities, remain unresolved.
Negotiators, though, focused primarily on a 3 percent increase in per-student funding for education. While the new number is short of a record on a per-pupil basis, the total amount of funding sent to schools will be the largest ever. Sen. Don Gaetz, who oversees his chamber’s education budget, said some had seen that as unlikely given the state’s budget situation.
“And in fact, I think we can turn in a report showing that education in many cases in many ways will have its best year in Florida history,” said Gaetz, R-Niceville.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Florida House Takes Aims At Hospital Regulations
June 10, 2015
With supporters saying a free-market approach would spur more competition and more choices for patients, a House panel Tuesday approved a proposal that would eliminate key regulations on building hospitals.
The bill (HB 31A), approved in a party-line vote, is part of a series of proposals that House Republican leaders have pushed to make changes in the health-care industry. The measure would eliminate what is known as the hospital “certificate of need” process, which requires state review and approval of building new hospitals, replacing hospitals and offering certain complex, costly medical services such as organ transplants.
House Health & Human Services Chairman Jason Brodeur, a Sanford Republican who is sponsoring the bill, argued that eliminating the regulations would spur more innovation in the hospital industry and competition for patients.
“This bill … removes a regulatory barrier that hinders competition and disincentives the innovation that we see happening in other industries,” Brodeur said. “It creates a free market with more competition and, ultimately, more options for those seeking health care.”
But critics said they are concerned, in part, that the bill would lead to new hospitals that would focus on attracting patients with health insurance, leaving behind uninsured patients at already-existing hospitals. Opponents included the Florida Hospital Association, the state’s largest hospital-industry group.
“No one wants to compete with us for uncompensated patients,” said Bill Bell, the hospital association’s general counsel. “They only want to treat the paying patients, and that’s why they would siphon off those paying patients, increase our costs, and we would have to shift those costs back to our paying patients and businesses.”
With lawmakers in the middle of a special legislative session called to pass a budget, it remains unclear whether the House certificate-of-need proposal has any chance of passing. The Senate has not filed a similar bill for the special session, though the Senate Health Policy Committee is slated to discuss the issue Wednesday during a workshop.
Nevertheless, the debate during the special session could be a step toward House Republican leaders pushing to eliminate hospital certificates of need in the future. The House Health Innovation Subcommittee voted 9-3 to approve Brodeur’s bill, with all of the panel’s Republicans supporting it.
The certificate-of-need process has long been controversial and can lead to legal battles within the industry.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
FHSAA Creates New Baseball, Softball Classification, Keeping 1A As ‘Rural’
June 10, 2015
In the final meeting of the 2014-2015 school year, the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Board of Directors approved a proposal that will add a ninth classification for baseball and softball for the 2015-16 campaign.
The ninth classification for baseball and softball in the upcoming 2015-16 season, using a format similar to what is currently in place for football. In this model, schools will be ranked by student population and divided into nine classifications—the highest two-thirds by population would be divided as evenly as possible into Class 5A through Class 9A and the remaining one-third will be divided as evenly as possible into Class 1A through Class 4A, keeping Class 1A designated as rural.
This model is designed to alleviate concerns about the large enrollment gaps that existed primarily in the lower classifications that were thought to affect competitive balance and this model is scheduled to be implemented for boys and girls basketball and girls volleyball in the 2016-17 school year.
Sustainability Summer Day Camp Planned In Cantonment
June 10, 2015
The Environmental Education Coordination Team will host a week-long summer day camp for children entering 1st through 5th grades, July 20 through 24, at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center, 1300 Tobias Road in Cantonment. Children will learn the importance of sustainable practices used to protect and preserve our valuable natural resources through hands-on lessons and activities.
Registration is $150, $75 for each additional child, and includes materials for activities, plus mid-morning and afternoon snacks. Camp hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Click here to RSVP.
To make payment or for more information contact Traci Goodhart, (850) 332-7976 Ext. 222 or traci.goodhart@wfrpc.org.
Pictured: John, the Eastern screech owl at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center, just one of the species children will learn about at an upcoming day camp. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jacksonville Wins Fourth In A Row Over Blue Wahoos
June 10, 2015
With a fastball that can reach 100, a knee-buckling curveball and deceptive changeup, Robert Stephenson has Southern League hitters under his spell.
The Blue Wahoos pitcher threw his fourth straight dominating game with eight strike outs and three hits in seven innings but lost the one run game, 2-1, to in-state rival Jacksonville Suns in front of 3,481 at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said with “consistency” Stephenson can pitch at any level.
“I saw him his last year coming out of high school and thought this was what he was going to do,” Kelly said. “To me, if you can throw three pitches like that over the plate you can pitch anywhere. It’s just a matter of consistency.”
Stephenson, the Cincinnati Reds top prospect for the second year in a row, has now struck out 71 batters this season, which is third in the Southern League. At one point Tuesday, he struck out five of six batters he faced.
Stephenson is second in the league with 10.46 strikeouts per nine innings and third in opponents’ batting average against him at .191.
Tuesday’s game also marked the first time in his career, that the 22-year-old has thrown at least seven innings three games in a row. He’d like to go nine, he said.
“I’ve been struggling a lot and it’s good to turn things around,” he said. “You’d like to get all your struggling done in the minor leagues so by the time you get up there, you are ready to go.”
His strikeouts mostly came on off-speed pitches ranging from 77 mph to 88 mph. But he did strike out Jacksonville catcher Chadd Krist on a 99 mph fastball.
“Everything is pretty much mechanically locked in,” Stephenson said. “I’m confident now I could get hitters out at the Triple-A or big league level.”
The loss to Jacksonville dropped the Blue Wahoos to 22-35 and last place in the Southern League South Division. The Suns improved to 26-32 to remain in fourth place in the division.
Pensacola has the Southern League’s worst record in one-run games at 6-17 for a .240 winning percentage. They’ve lost 10 of their last 11 games.
Center fielder Kenny Wilson singled and stole second base to lead off the sixth inning. He then scored on a two-out double by first baseman Viosergy Ross, who had struck out in his first two at bats, to take the lead for good, 2-1.
Pensacola knotted the game, 1-1, in the fifth inning when center fielder Beau Amaral, who went 2-3 and is batting .291 in 16 games since May 20, singled sharply up the middle to score catcher Cam Maron, who had doubled to the left center gap.
Jacksonville right fielder Carlos Lopez got the first hit of the game for the Suns on a double in the fourth inning off of Stephenson, moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored the first run, 1-0, on a ground out to shortstop by left fielder Ryan Rieger.
Authorities: Don’t Fall For Power Company Scam
June 10, 2015
Business and residential customers should stay alert for telephone scams
In a continuing scam, area businesses received calls from a person claiming to represent Gulf Power and demanding payment — or their electric service will be cut off.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that, in a recent version of the scam, callers request that payment be made by a Reloadit card or a Green Dot card from Walmart, but the utility does not request payment by those methods.
Gulf Power continues to work with law enforcement in reporting these incidents, but the company has received an escalated amount of calls from customers reporting fraudulent calls recently. Customers are being told their electric bill is past due and that their electricity will be cut off if the customer does not provide a credit card payment or other forms of immediate payment.
Gulf Power advises customers that:
• Gulf Power employees will never call a customer at home seeking any personal information, including credit card numbers.
• Gulf Power representatives will never ask a customer for money when they visit a residence.
• All Gulf Power representatives carry badges with picture identification that includes the employee’s name and the company’s name and logo.
Customers should call Gulf Power at 1-800-225-5797 if they have any questions about the identity of anyone representing Gulf Power.
Gulf Power is working with local law enforcement agencies to identify the perpetrators. If anyone has been victimized by one of these schemes, or has any information about suspects, they are asked to call local law enforcement and to contact Gulf Power at 1-800-225-5797.
Melvin Perry Johnson
June 9, 2015
Melvin Perry Johnson passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on June 5, 2015. He was born February 20, 1933, the son of Perry and Bertha Johnson of Jay.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Harvey Johnson and his parents Perry and Bertha Johnson.
Melvin is survived by his wife of 58 years, Emily Johnson; four children, Ray (Susan) Johnson, David (Debbie) Johnson, Jeff (Chris) Johnson and Jennifer (Chuck) Mooney. He also had nine grandchildren; Jared, Joshua, Stephanie, David II, Brittany, Jonathan, Candace, Amanda, Grace and one step-grandson Chad. He had 17 great-grandchildren and a special niece Melissa. He is also survived by one brother, Michael (Darlene) Johnson; and sister-in-law, Margie Johnson.
Melvin was a devoted servant of God for 50 years and served in various ministries including Sunday School Superintendant, deacon, prison ministry, and men’s ministry. His passions were accompanying the music team with his guitar and teaching Sunday School. Melvin cherished the times of hunting, fishing, and gardening. He loved mullet fishing in the bays and tight-line fishing in the rivers with his children and friends. He was also a devoted family man and loved spending time with family and friends.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 9, 2015, at the Beulah Chapel Assembly of God with Rev. Jim Lassiter, Rev. Eric Bryan and Rev. Shelton Kindig officiating.
Burial was at the Beulah Chapel Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Jared Johnson, Joshua Johnson, David (Bo) Johnson, Jonathan Johnson, Wayne Johnson, Gary Johnson.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Jay Elementary Math Teams Place At Pensacola High Tourney
June 9, 2015
Recently, students from Jay Elementary School brought home several awards from a math tournament held at Pensacola High School.
- 4th Grade Results for Individual Round – Avery Mitchem and Jody Godwin received Honorable Mention. Emerson Walters placed tenth overall.
- 4th Grade Results for Team Round – third place overall
- 5th Grade Results for Individual Round – Shawn Thompson received honorable mMention. Megan Bethea placed first overall.
- 6th Grade Results for Individual Round – Katelyn Mayo placed eighth overall, Brody Johnson placed fourth overall, and Carson Walters placed second overall.
With the combined scores the fourth and fifth grades, Jay Elementary walked away with a second place overall sweepstakes trophy.
Pictured are Jay Elementary fourth and fifth grade math team members (L-R) Andrew Diamond, Kristin Archer, Megan Bethea, Emerson Walters, Hope Lashley, Avery Mitchem, Jody Godwin, Dylan Bradley, Preston Smith and Shawn Thompson. Picturd below: Jay Elementary sixth grade team members Katelyn Mayo, Emma Knowles, Brody Johnson, Bray Watson and Carson Walters. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
House, Senate Agree On Solution To Juvenile Detention Dispute With Escambia, Santa Rosa, Other Counties
June 9, 2015
House and Senate budget writers have agreed on a potential solution to a long-running dispute between the state and27 counties — including Escambia and Santa Rosa — about who pays to lock up juvenile offenders.
The counties and the state Department of Juvenile Justice have repeatedly battled about how to split the tab under a 2004 law that requires counties to pay “pre-disposition” costs associated with juvenile offenders who are waiting for their cases to be resolved in court.
Now, lawmakers from both chambers are united behind a 57-43 split — the counties would pay 57 percent, the state 43 percent — with no back payments for money that counties contend they overpaid in the past.
That’s a long way from the 50-50 split the counties almost got in 2014. During this year’s budget talks, counties still hoped for that split and wanted reimbursement for past years.
But Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican and one of the key negotiators in the dispute, said a recent decision by an administrative law judge “confirmed that the 57-43 split was consistent with statute.”
“I think we had a pretty good idea that that was the fair split,” agreed House Justice Appropriations Chairman Larry Metz, R-Yalaha.
The counties have long argued that their costs for juvenile detention amounted to an unfunded mandate. While the 2004 law requires counties to pay “pre-disposition” costs, the department pays the costs of detaining youths whose cases have been decided — known as “post-disposition.” But counties and the state have never agreed on what those terms meant.
For several years, the rulings favored the counties. In 2012, Administrative Law Judge W. David Watkins ruled against the state, and the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld his decision the following year.
Following those rulings, the 2014 Legislature considered a bill that would have created a 50-50 split. But the measure died when the counties insisted on recouping $140 million for past overpayments.
In April, Watkins issued another ruling in the dispute, with both sides claiming victory. Watkins found that some parts of a rule proposed by the Department of Juvenile Justice to carry out the law were improper. But he also found in favor of the department on a key issue involving who should pay detention costs when juvenile offenders commit probation violations.
Now, that ruling is driving the Legislature’s efforts to come up with a solution.
“Our desire is to bring finality to this issue,” Bradley said.
“At this time we just want to continue working with the leaders of the House and Senate to see if we can reach a true partnership,” said Florida Association of Counties spokeswoman Cragin Mosteller.
Also, a budget-related bill that is still being negotiated contains language that could force some counties to make back payments to the state. It “requires the Department of Revenue to review county juvenile-detention payments to the Department of Juvenile Justice to ensure that counties are fulfilling their financial responsibilities. If the Department of Revenue determines that a county has not met its obligations, it must deduct the amount owed to the Department of Juvenile Justice from shared revenue funds provided to the county.”
But Bradley also noted that lawmakers had reinstated language in the so-called budget “implementing” bill that would suspend for one year a requirement that counties spend 1.5 percent more on county-funded court system obligations.
“They are our partners, and that was a show of good faith to them that we are hearing their concerns,” he said.
Mosteller agreed that the court language “is a big help to counties. Counties invest as they need to for court infrastructure, and to have it mandated is really just another unfunded mandate. So we really appreciate the language that would allow counties to make that choice.”
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida