Scott’s Jobs Chief Leaving In January
December 7, 2015
Jesse Panuccio, Gov. Rick Scott’s jobs chief who was expected to face intense scrutiny during upcoming Senate confirmation hearings, announced Friday he is stepping down.
The governor’s office said Panuccio is seeking “new opportunities” and that his replacement will be named in the coming weeks.
Panuccio, who has been with Scott since shortly after the governor took office in 2011, said in a resignation letter that his last day as executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will be Jan. 8.
Panuccio, who is paid $141,000 a year, didn’t say in the letter what he will do next.
“This is a bittersweet decision for me, as it has been a joy and honor to serve the people of Florida,” Panuccio wrote in the letter to Scott. “Nonetheless, it is time for me to begin a new chapter in my career and life.”
Scott released a statement calling Panuccio “a loyal and trusted advisor.”
“While at DEO, so much has been accomplished under his leadership,” Scott said in the release. “He has helped grow jobs by streamlining the economic development process and has protected taxpayer money by instituting new accountability measures. Jesse has made fighting fraud in the unemployment system a top priority, and the agency has stopped tens of thousands of fraudulent claims.”
Panuccio has been one of Scott’s biggest cheerleaders, sending out monthly employment numbers and other releases that praise Scott’s policies for growth in jobs across the state.
The praise was also in the resignation letter.
“It has been my great privilege to help implement your pro-growth policies, which have fostered Florida’s economic resurgence,” Panuccio wrote to Scott.
Panuccio was one of 16 agency heads who failed to be confirmed by the Senate during the 2015 legislative session, which was dominated by health-care fights in which Scott often sided with the House.
All 16 were quickly reappointed by Scott. But to retain their jobs for longer one year, the appointees must again go through the Senate confirmation process.
Senate President Andy Gardiner said Friday that all of Scott’s appointees up for confirmation in the 2016 session will receive a “fair hearing.” But Gardiner added that the Senate will not be “rubber stamping” the appointees.
“We have indicated to the governor’s office … there will be pointed questions to these secretaries,” Gardiner said in an interview with The News Service of Florida. “Everybody needs to be fully prepared for that and not surprised by that.”
Gardiner, who called Panuccio “a good guy,” added he hasn’t heard about any moves to block appointees.
“A lot of these you just kind of have to let them work through the process,” Gardiner said.
Panuccio was among a number of appointees who faced particularly rough hearings earlier this year.
He has also continued to field questions from lawmakers about problems with the state’s 2-year-old, $77 million unemployment benefits website known as Connect.
In October, Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, admonished Panuccio for displaying a “sense of entitlement” when Panuccio dismissed Florida AFL-CIO lobbyist Rich Templin’s assertion that Florida may be purposely last in the nation in paying unemployment claims.
“I frankly don’t like your attitude,” Latvala told Panuccio. “I think that there is an arrogance in the way you present this that’s a sense of entitlement. And I just think it’s wrong.”
Panuccio has also been criticized by some lawmakers for a lack of communication.
On Tuesday, when Scott made a rare appearance before the House Finance & Tax Committee to pitch a request for $1 billion in tax cuts, Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, used the opportunity to say he’s received “zero input” from Panuccio in close to four months of trying to set up a meeting on economic development.
Scott replied that Panuccio would call.
Panuccio, a Harvard Law School graduate, joined Scott as a deputy general counsel in January 2011.
The next year, Panuccio became Scott’s general counsel before being named to replace Hunting Deutsch, who left the top job at the Department of Economic Opportunity amid scrutiny over acceptance of unemployment compensation when he was downsized out of a bank job.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Molino Holds Annual Christmas Parade (With Photo Gallery)
December 6, 2015
The annual Molino Christmas Parade was held Saturday morning on Crabtree Church Road. After the parade, Santa Claus met with lots of good boys and girls at the Molino Ballpark.
Sponsored by the Molino Recreation Association, proceeds from the parade are used to benefit needy children in the Molino area during the Christmas season.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: The annual Molino Christmas Parade Saturday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
IRS Phone Scam Reported In North Escambia Area
December 6, 2015
The Better Business Bureau, and local residents, are warning that an IRS scam is taking place in the North Escambia area.
“Someone called me today and told me this is my last notice, and if I didn’t call a specified number and make arrangements to pay, my wages would be garnished,” a NorthEscambia.com reader in Cantonment wrote in an email to our newsroom. That particular call from a 318 area code in Louisiana.
The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams in recent months as scam artists threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things. The IRS reminds taxpayers to guard against all sorts of con games.
“If someone calls unexpectedly claiming to be from the IRS with aggressive threats if you don’t pay immediately, it’s a scam artist calling,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The first IRS contact with taxpayers is usually through the mail. Taxpayers have rights, and this is not how we do business.”
Phone scams have been a persistent and pervasive problem for many taxpayers for many months. Scammers are able to alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS badge numbers. They often leave “urgent” callback requests. They prey on the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly, newly arrived immigrants and those whose first language is not English. Scammers have been known to impersonate agents from IRS Criminal Investigation as well.
“These criminals try to scare and shock you into providing personal financial information on the spot while you are off guard,” Koskinen said. “Don’t be taken in and don’t engage these people over the phone.”
The IRS will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
- If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS workers can help you with a payment issue.
- If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to the TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484 or at www.tigta.gov.
- If you’ve been targeted by this scam, also contact the Federal Trade Commission and use their “FTC Complaint Assistant” at FTC.gov. Please add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments of your complaint.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
December 6, 2015
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending December 3 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Lieutenant Lambert stopped a vehicle after observing the driver shining for deer. The driver of the vehicle was suspected of killing a 9‑point buck with a gun and light several days prior to the stop. After interviewing the suspect and his brother, a confession was obtained. The brother admitted to killing the 9‑point on October 15 using a gun and light. The velvet buck head and a rifle were seized and charges were filed on the suspect for taking a deer at night with a gun and light.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson was on foot patrol in the Blackwater State Forest. He located an area that had been baited with corn to attract deer. While scouting the baited area, he observed a hunter sitting in a tree stand approximately ten yards away from the corn and a feeder filled with corn. Officer Hutchinson made contact with the hunter and asked him about the bait. The hunter admitted to placing the bait on the ground and as well as the feeder. He was charged with hunting over bait in a management area.
Officer Hutchinson and Lieutenant Hahr were patrolling in the Escambia River WMA and checked an area that had been baited earlier in the year. As they approached the area, they observed a man crouching on the ground wearing a ghillie suit near the baited area. The man admitted to placing soured corn out for hogs. He was charged with hunting over bait in a management area.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Is Your Church Or Community Group Holding A Christmas Event?
December 6, 2015
Is your church or non-profit community group hold a special event or service during the Christmas season?
If you are in our “North Escambia” area, email the details to news@northescambia.com or fill out our contact form. We would love to include your event or special service on our Events page, and perhaps feature the event in an upcoming front page news story. These listings are free for churches or non-profit groups in the North Escambia area (within our guidelines).
If you event is “high profile” and expected to draw a large crowd, let us know. Additional no-cost opportunities are available for additional promotion.
(Churches — don’t forget to send us details on all of your special Christmas services, cantatas, children’s plays, etc.)
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
December 6, 2015
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties this week as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Nine Mile Road from west of I-10 to Heritage Oaks Drive, Escambia County – Eastbound lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Wednesday, Dec.9 as crews place the structural course on the eastbound shoulder and lanes of Nine Mile Road.
State Road 289 (9th Avenue), Escambia County- Crews will pave between Bayou Boulevard and Creighton Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for approximately two to three weeks. Motorists traveling between Bayou Boulevard and Cervantes Street will also encounter intermittent and alternating daytime lane closures as crews adjust manholes and valves.
I-110 Bridge Painting, Escambia County – Drivers may encounter intermittent daytime restrictions on city streets under I-110 between Maxwell and Garden Streets as crews clean the bridges. The $2.6 million rehabilitation project is anticipated to be complete summer 2016.
I-10 Escambia Bay Bridge- Intermittent westbound lane closures on the Escambia Bay Bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7 through Thursday, Dec. 10 as crews perform a routine bridge inspection.
I-110 at Texar Drive Overpass- Southbound lane restrictions at the Texar Drive Overpass Tuesday, Dec. 8 and Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews repair finger joints on the bridge.
Pensacola Bay Bridge, Escambia/Santa Rosa- Intermittent lane closures on the east and westbound outside lanes from 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10 to 5 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11 as crews repair highway lighting on the bridge.
U.S. 98 Resurfacing, Santa Rosa County – U.S. 98 between Live Oaks Village shopping center and the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Santa Rosa County. Alternating lane closures from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. will continue through the end of the 2015 as crews complete paving operations and work list items.
I-10 Six Lane, Santa Rosa County – Alternating lane closures will continue through the end of 2015 on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 Interchange in Santa Rosa County. Lane restrictions will be in effect Sunday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews begin bridge work.
I-10 Six Lane, Santa Rosa County – Alternating lane closures also continue along the section of I-10 for east and westbound traffic between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/ Exit 22). Lane restrictions will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights until the end of 2015.
I-10 between Santa Rosa County line to east of County Road 189 (Holt Exit/45), Santa Rosa County- East and westbound inside, outside and shoulder lane closures Sunday, Dec. 6 through Thursday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists are reminded the speed limit within an active lane closure is reduced to 60 MPH and speeding fines double in work zones.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone. All planned construction activities are weather dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.
A Seasonable, Sunny Sunday
December 6, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 69. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: It’s Closing Time In Tally
December 6, 2015
With the legislative committee weeks coming to a close, and the end of the year in sight, there were plenty of finales showing up in Tallahassee this week.
One phase of a nearly four-year-long legal battle over the state’s congressional districts reached its conclusion. A race for the Senate presidency that at times threatened to tear the chamber apart was finally, definitively set aside. And the head of Gov. Rick Scott’s economic development agency bowed out.
Meanwhile, Scott’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year got a rough reception from the Legislature — which is never eager to just rubber stamp any governor’s spending plan. It might be too early to say it’s over for Scott’s blueprint, but the end could be in sight for that as well.
‘A REALLY POWERFUL PRECEDENT’
Even lawmakers say that, in retrospect, they’re not surprised that the Florida Supreme Court decided to go with a set of congressional districts proposed by voting-rights organizations. In the long line of court fights that have followed the 2012 redistricting process, the House and Senate have lost far more often than they’ve won.
“It’s not a mystery as to where the Supreme Court has been throughout this litigation,” said Senate Reapportionment Chairman Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton.
The justices, who approved the map on a 5-2 vote, were upholding an earlier ruling by Leon County Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis. The voting-rights organizations, which included the League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause Florida, were thrilled.
“The court has set a really powerful precedent which is sure to forever change the practice of drawing congressional district lines that favor incumbents and whichever political party happens to be in the majority,” said Peter Butzin, chairman of Common Cause Florida, one of the groups that challenged a congressional redistricting plan approved in 2012 and tweaked in 2014.
Redistricting in Florida has no doubt been changed since voters added the anti-gerrymandering “Fair Districts” standards to the state Constitution in 2010. But federal law hasn’t changed, and that’s where some opponents of the map approved by the court were already looking.
Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown promised to keep up her court challenge. Brown has expressed outrage that her district, which once ran from Jacksonville to Orlando, now has an east-west orientation and goes from Jacksonville to the Tallahassee area.
Under the new plan, African-American voters could not elect a candidate of their choice, Brown says, even though President Barack Obama carried the revamped district by more than 28 points in 2012.
“Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court of the state of Florida is just what I expected because the entire process has been tainted from the very beginning,” said Brown, who is black. “Beyond a doubt, today’s ruling and the proposed congressional map is a direct attack on minority voters and a clear example of voter retrogression and disenfranchisement.”
Already, Brown was facing the possibility of a primary challenge from Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, whose camp sent a coy statement to reporters Friday.
“People are reaching out to Mayor Gillum because Washington desperately needs the type of energy and focus he brings every day as Mayor, creating new jobs and opportunities to get ahead,” said Kevin Cate, an adviser. “He’s listening and will make his decision on how he can best continue creating new jobs and opportunities, while also being a great husband and father.”
TROUBLE FOR SCOTT’S BUDGET?
Governors’ budgets are often regarded by the Legislature as little more than a suggestion, carrying some ideas that lawmakers could use and some that they would just as soon discard. And that appears to be no different this year.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, was among those already casting doubt on two of Scott’s key spending initiatives: $1 billion in tax cuts and a $250 million “Florida Enterprise Fund” to give the state another tool to draw economic development projects.
Lee raised questions about the need for those initiatives for the same reason that Scott now says they are affordable: an economic recovery that has boosted state revenues and pushed the unemployment rate down to 5.1 percent.
“There are going to be diminishing returns to some of the tax cuts and some of the incentive programs that we implement,” Lee said. “And, moreover, it might make some sense as we work through this as a legislature to perhaps get more selective and more targeted in terms of what we’re trying to attract to our state.”
Scott’s allies were already rallying the troops, but Lee was hardly alone. Democrats hammered the plan for tax cuts that were friendly to businesses — a reduction to the corporate-income tax would cost $770 million — alongside increased property tax bills for owners who saw the value of their property rise.
The growth in property tax revenue, which would come even though the rate of the tax remains the same, forms the backbone of Scott’s increased education funding.
“How do I go back to my district if the governor’s budget is passed the way it is and rationalize those extra dollars from that local base…offsetting the budget and providing an ability to provide corporate welfare, in my opinion, to these large corporations?” asked House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach.
The governor himself got into the act of selling his ideas, making a rare appearance before the House Finance and Tax Committee to pitch his plan.
“We want to diversify our economy so we can survive the next recession,” Scott said.
Committee Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, prompted Scott on Tuesday by asking if another round of tax cuts could improve the economy of what is now the nation’s third most-populated state. Scott responded, “Absolutely.”
“We’ve got to figure out how to continue to have productive citizens move to the state, which is happening,” Scott said.
As the governor pushed his plans for keeping the state’s economy going, it turned out his jobs chief was already heading for the exit. Jesse Panuccio announced Friday that he was stepping down. He was expected to face intense scrutiny during upcoming Senate confirmation hearings.
The governor’s office said Panuccio is seeking “new opportunities” and that his replacement will be named in the coming weeks.
Panuccio, who has been with Scott since shortly after the governor took office in 2011, said in a resignation letter that his last day as executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will be Jan. 8.
“This is a bittersweet decision for me, as it has been a joy and honor to serve the people of Florida,” Panuccio wrote in the letter to Scott. “Nonetheless, it is time for me to begin a new chapter in my career and life.”
NO MORE FIGHTING
It was all love in the Senate chamber Wednesday, as Stuart Republican Joe Negron was designated the chamber’s next president after one of the more contentious and expensive leadership battles in recent memory.
There were no signs of the bitter back-and-forth between Negron and Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who recently threw his support behind Negron in exchange for being named chairman of the powerful, budget-writing Senate Appropriations Committee.
Instead, members of the Republican caucus praised Negron’s “matter-of-fact style” and watched a video message about leadership from former Atlanta Braves star Dale Murphy. The vote for Negron was unanimous.
“Today brings unity to the Senate Republican caucus,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican who has shared a home in Tallahassee with Negron since the pair served together in the House.
The wonky Negron, a 54-year-old attorney who has become a champion for South Florida water issues, said he intends to make priorities of state university affordability and juvenile-justice reform.
“My vision is for our universities in Florida, which are good, to go to the next level, to become national elite destination universities like the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin,” Negron said. “Just as students in Florida apply to these universities and many times attend them, imagine a time when students from around the country will apply to Florida universities to come to Florida to get a great education at a national destination.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: Hoping to bring closure to a yearslong legal battle, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed a plan for the state’s 27 congressional districts. But federal challenges to the new plan loomed.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The efforts to paint this process as partisan or invoke the antebellum period are an unjustified attack on the integrity of our judicial system…Originally, the right to vote was limited to white male landowners. Others had to fight and die for the privilege to be extended to them. It is an insult to their struggle for politicians to now use that sacrifice for personal benefit.”—Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry, one of two African Americans on the court, in a thinly-veiled shot at Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown. Brown had compared changes to her district, order by the Supreme Court, to slavery during a press conference last month.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Roxanne Michele Ward
December 6, 2015
Roxanne was a 50 year old beloved mother of three and a grandmother “Mimi “of three, as well as a dear friend to many.
She was born in Pascagoula, MS, but resided in Molino.
She was a former cosmetologist and registered nurse, who had a burning passion for taking care of people and working hard. She was an active Christian who lived for the Lord. She was an extremely selfless, caring person who loved her children, grandchildren, family, and friends more than anything.
Everyone knew her for the sweet, strong-willed person she was, who never let anyone go hungry or without feeling loved. She always knew how to make everyone laugh or smile and brought joy into every room she entered. She never had self-pity and put up her best fight until the very end. She will be forever missed.
Roxanne is preceded in death by her father, Buford Wade; husband, James Ward; and grandparents, Tommy and Marie “Mamaw Ree” Rigdon.
She is survived by her two daughters, Brandy Ishee and Carly Ward; son, Jacob Ward; mother, Betty Wade; sister, Deirdre (Steve) Everett; two aunts, Becky (Mike) McLemore and Marjorie Manushaw; three grandchildren, Hagen, Johnathan and Yazmin; cousin, Cinnamon Walters; two nieces, Bailey and Brooke Everett; and longtime friend (sister ) Jamie Shaw.
Terry Jerome Blanton
December 6, 2015
Mr. Terry Jerome Blanton, 61, passed away on Saturday, December 5, 2015, in Monroeville, AL.
Mr. Blanton was a native of Bratt and a resident of Atmore for the past 11 years, and former resident of Walnut Hill. Mr. Blanton was a member of the Bratt First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and senior Men’s Sunday school class teacher.
Mr. Blanton is preceded in death by his parents, Elwood and Marjorie Blanton and grandparents, Grover and Edna Blanton.
Survivors include his wife, Joan Blanton of Atmore; one son, Nicholas and Jennifer Blanton of Tampa; step mother Ginger Blanton of Bratt; eight brothers and sisters; uncles and aunts Ellyn and Carolyn Blanton of Atmore; Mike and Renee Godwin of Davisville; Ouida Wiggins of Bratt; Glenn Harold of Titusville, FL; Amaryllis and Bobby Davis of Atmore; two grandchildren Ian Gabriel Blanton and Ethan Jackson Blanton.
Funeral Services for Mr. Blanton will be at Bratt First Baptist Church Wednesday, December 9t at 2 p.m. Rev Lance Blackburn, and Rev. Delbert Redditt conducting service. Burial will follow service at Godwin Cemetery with military honors.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.