New School Board Member Association Details Plans
February 17, 2015
Four local school board members announced Monday they were establishing a conservative counterweight to the Florida School Boards Association, as that organization backs a lawsuit challenging the state’s de facto school-voucher program.
The Florida Coalition of School Board Members — currently consisting of Jeff Bergosh of Escambia County, Erika Donalds of Collier County, Shawn Frost of Indian River County and Bridget Ziegler of Sarasota County — hopes to quickly sign up 40 to 50 like-minded colleagues. But Bergosh said the coalition isn’t trying to usurp the Florida School Boards Association. School board members can be part of both groups.
“We’re not out to replace the current organization,” Bergosh said. “We want to make certain all viewpoints are represented, including the conservative viewpoints.”
Members of the new organization said the Florida School Boards Association’s involvement in a lawsuit against the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that pay for children to go to private schools, was just one factor in their decision to organize the new group.
The coalition also hopes to offer training programs at a lower cost and says the Florida School Boards Association is losing influence with the Legislature. “We feel that the FSBA has kind of lost touch with the citizens whose tax dollars fund their existence,” Donalds said.
by The News Service of Florida
Campus Gun Bill Gets Approval In Senate Committee
February 17, 2015
People with concealed-firearms licenses could carry guns at state colleges and universities, under a proposal narrowly approved Monday by a Senate committee.
Meanwhile, people without concealed-firearms licenses could carry weapons during emergency evacuation orders, under a separate measure backed by the committee.
The guns-on-campus bill (SB 176) was approved in a 3-2 party line vote by the Republican-controlled Senate Criminal Justice Committee. It would lift a longstanding ban on carrying concealed weapons on campuses.
Committee Chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker, the sponsor of the proposal, displayed a map of sexual offenders living near the Florida State University campus as he called the bill a safety issue.
“The problem is that in gun-free zones, that we have on college campuses right now, those gun-free zones are just an incubator for folks that won’t follow the law,” Evers said.
But Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, argued that the proposal would allow “mini-militias” to form on the state’s campuses.
“I believe it sends the wrong message to not only our students within the state of Florida, but people who may intend to come to Florida for college,” Gibson said. “It certainly sends the wrong message to their parents.”
Proponents, however, said the measure is needed.
Steven Landgraf, an economics student at Florida State University, said allowing people with concealed-weapons licenses to keep their weapons won’t create “a wild west on campus.”
National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said people with the licenses shouldn’t have their “constitutional rights violated” by stepping onto a campus. And she warned committee members that campuses are already dangerous places.
“The plain truth is that campuses are not safe,” Hammer said. “They are gun-free zones where murderers, rapists, terrorists, crazies may commit crime without fear of being harmed by their victims.”
The campus gun proposal advanced despite opposition announced last week by the university system’s Board of Governors, university police chiefs and the 12 public universities.
A number of college faculty members, mostly from Florida State University, spoke Monday in opposition to the measure.
Marjorie Sanfilippo, a professor of psychology at Eckerd College, called the bill dangerous.
“It is mere speculation and ignorance of statistical probability to assert that armed students are the reason why shootings don’t happen on campuses,” Sanfilippo told the committee. “Proponents will tell you that allowing conceal carry will protect female students from sexual assault. I will point out the obvious; you’ll be arming the assailants, too.”
Evers contends that allowing people with concealed-weapons licenses to arm themselves would have reduced injuries in a November shooting at Florida State University that left three people wounded.
The gunman in the incident, an FSU graduate, was killed by police. However, Evers said that wouldn’t always be the case, as it takes three to five minutes typically for law enforcement to respond to the first call of a shooting.
“There’s a lot of death that could occur in three minutes and having someone that has a concealed carry, that has their gun on them, could prevent that from happening,” Evers said before Monday’s meeting.
Evers also dismissed concerns that increasing the number of armed people would further add confusion for law enforcement arriving on the scene.
“By the time law enforcement gets there, the incident would be well under control,” Evers said. “When law enforcement says, ‘Put down your guns and get down on your knees,’ the law abiding citizens are going to do this.”
The Senate guns-on-campus bill must clear three additional committees to reach the floor. The House version of the guns-on-campus proposal (HB 4005) was supported last month by the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on a party-line vote, with Democrats opposed.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Monday also voted 4-1, with Gibson opposed, on a measure (SB 290) that would allow gun owners without concealed-weapons licenses to legally carry their guns when an emergency evacuation order is given.
Last year, a similar measure failed to pass after heavy floor debate on the second-to-last day of the legislative session. However, this time the proposal has the support of the Florida Sheriffs Association, which opposed the 2014 version.
The change in the sheriffs association’s position came as Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who is sponsoring the bill, added a timeline Monday to this year’s proposal. The timeline would set a 48-hour window for individuals to carry weapons while they get away from an evacuation zone once the order is given.
The governor could extend the order by an additional 48 hours, under the proposal.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Recap With Galleries: Northview Two Games Into Young Softball Season
February 17, 2015
The Northview High School junior varsity and varsity Lady Chiefs are off to a mixed start two games into the season.
In junior varsity play, the Lady Chiefs have lost to Pace 14-0 and defeated Chipley 18-2. In varsity action, the Northview Lady Chiefs have lost to Pace 7-4 and lost to Chipley 10-0.
The varsity Chiefs will host Catholic Tuesday at 5:00. The JV will travel to Pace on Thursday for a 4:30 game, followed by the varsity at 6:30. The varsity and JV will be at home against Chipley on Friday, with games at 4:00 and 6:00.
For a submitted photo gallery from Northview (mostly JV) at Pace and Chipley, click here.
For a previously published NorthEscambia.com gallery from Pace at Northview, click here.
Submitted photos by Gary Amerson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Sees Record Number Of Tourists
February 17, 2015
Florida attracted a record number of tourists in 2014, inching closer to an annual goal sought by Gov. Rick Scott.
An estimated 97.3 million visitors came to Florida in 2014, a 3.9 percent increase from the year before, according to information released Monday by Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing arm.
Scott, who has asked lawmakers to increase tourism-marketing funding from $74 million in the current fiscal year to $85 million during the budget year that begins July 1, has been pushing for Florida to surpass 100 million visitors a year.
The latest figure represents the state’s fourth consecutive year with an all-time high in tourism.
“Not only are visitors coming to our state at record levels, but there are also a record number of Floridians employed in our tourism industry,” Scott said in the release.
The state Department of Economic Opportunity estimates that of the 9.1 million people currently employed in Florida, 1.1 million have jobs tied to the tourism industry.
The increase in visitors also means additional revenue for the state.
Visit Florida President and Chief Executive Officer Will Seccombe told legislators last week that approximately 12 percent of all state sales-tax revenue comes from people who don’t live in Florida.
Tourism officials think they can boost the number of visitors with additional money for marketing and by getting people to also consider Florida for ecotourism and more off-the-beaten path trips.
The marketing agency hopes to attract wealthier international travelers, who will spend more, and to entice people to consider Florida for bicycle trips and small-downtown shopping in addition to Disney World and the beaches. Seccombe outlined the marketing plan during an appearance before a Senate budget panel last week.
“With all the marketing in the world we couldn’t put a whole lot more people down into the Florida Keys today,” Seccombe said. “They’re running 92-, 95-percent occupancy in the Keys. But there are areas that don’t have that high occupancy. We’re working very hard in our strategic planning process to identify the need areas of the state.”
But some senators last week raised questions about the return on investment if they increase funding for Visit Florida to $85 million during the upcoming fiscal year. Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, said it appears the increase in tourism numbers has gone up at a slower rate than the state’s spending.
“To me, potentially, we’re getting to a situation where maybe we’ve spent or are spending what we need,” Latvala said during last week’s meeting of his panel.
Seccombe estimated that about 50 million visitors each year would come to Florida regardless of advertising, due to family, friends and other personal interests.
But competition has grown as other states realize the economic impact of tourism, he said.
Nationally, only two other states — also traditional vacation locations — spend more on self-marketing: California at $100 million and Hawaii at about $80 million.
The majority of Florida’s 2014 visitors came through domestic travel, with Visit Florida giving a ballpark figure of 11.5 million for those traveling from overseas. Another 3.8 million were from Canada.
The 97.3 million visitor total doesn’t include the approximately 20.2 million in-state “pleasure trips” taken by Floridians.
For the fourth quarter, the state estimated 22.4 million visitors, a 2.8 percent jump from the same period in 2013.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: A February day on Pensacola Beach. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cyrus Winfred Morgan
February 17, 2015
Mr. Cyrus Winfred Morgan, age 80 of Flomaton, passed away on Monday, February 16, 2015, at West Florida Hospital in Pensacola.
Mr. Morgan was a native of Barth and a member of the Flomaton community for 58 years coming from Byrneville. He was a veteran of the United States Army and during his working years, he worked for Monsanto as an electrician. Mr. Morgan was a member of Little Escambia Baptist Church where he served as deacon and held several positions in the church.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Dorothy Beasley Morgan of Flomaton; sons, Jonathan Darryl (Helen) Morgan of Flomaton and Jeffrey Vincent (Kelly) Morgan of Atmore; daughters, Deborah (Glenn) Fountain of Atmore; brothers, Glen (Hazel) Morgan of New Hebron, MS, Homer Morgan of Gulf Shores, and Donald (Helen) Morgan of Byrneville; sisters, Shirley (Eddie) Irvin of Bay Minette, Jo Ann (James) Roley of Atmore, Linda Sue (Larry) Carlton of Flomaton, Betty (Jimmy) Brockett of Saraland, and Darlene Brock of Pace; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, at Little Escambia Baptist Church from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2015, at Little Escambia Baptist Church at 3 p.m. with Rev. Doug Hogg and Dr. Larry Patterson officiating.
Interment will follow in Little Escambia Baptist Church Cemetery in Flomaton.
Pallbearers will be Nicholas Morgan, Aaron Fountain, Jerry Watley, Junior Jordan, Eddie Irvin, Dusty Godwin.
Honorary pallbearers will be Deacons of the church.
Flomaton Funeral Home directing.
Teresa Marie Jordan
February 17, 2015
Mrs. Teresa Marie Jordan, age 56 of Century, passed away on Tuesday, February 17, 2015, at her home.
Mrs. Jordan was born in Atmore but was a lifetime resident of the Byrneville and Century communities where she was a homemaker and a member of Byrneville United Methodist Church. She is preceded in death by her husband, Lemuel Lloyd Jordan and her brother, James Micheal Wilson.
Mrs. Jordan is survived by her parents, James and Barbara Covan Wilson of Byrneville; son, James ‘Nick’ Jordan of Byrneville; daughters, Lindsey (Jeremiah) Wilson of Byrneville and Kasey (Dustin) Carnley of Flomaton; sisters, Sharon Denise Odom of Century, Mary Kathryn Black of Flomaton, and Beth Beck of Orlando; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Friday, February 20, 2015, at Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel beginning at 1 p.m. until a 2 p.m. service time with Rev. Eric Bryan officiating.
Interment will be in Flomaton Cemetery in Flomaton.
Flomaton Funeral Home directing.
James Thomas “Morris” Luker
February 17, 2015
James Thomas “Morris” Luker, age 96, was born and raised around Atmore and passed away Monday, February 16, 2015, in Aberdeen, MS. He was born on June 1, 1918.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Arcola Luker; and siblings, Perry,Robert, Gladys, O’Neal, George, Melvin, Freddie, and Lillian.
He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be Thursday, February 19, 2015, at 1 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. C.L. Langford officiating.
Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
His nephews will be pallbearers.
Family will receive friends, Wednesday, February 18, 2015, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Lawmaker Unhappy Escambia, Other Counties Withholding Juvenile Detention Costs
February 16, 2015
Florida’s long-running conflict between the state and counties, including Escambia, over how to share juvenile-detention costs is flaring again — and a powerful lawmaker is unhappy about what is happening.
With tens of millions of dollars hanging in the balance, an administrative law judge is expected to rule in the dispute next month. And after the failure of a legislative compromise last year, some counties are withholding their share of the costs from the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, was critical this week when he learned that 17 of the 35 counties who are subject to bills are remitting either partial payments or none at all. Other counties do not have to pay because of their financial conditions.
“If the counties are going to be unreasonable, and we come to the conclusion they’re shortchanging the state $65 million, believe me, I can find $65 million in the budget going to counties that aren’t cooperating … and we’ll just make reductions where we need to make reductions,” Negron warned.
Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Christy Daly told the panel that six counties — Charlotte, Escambia, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia — are not paying any juvenile-detention costs this year. As a result, she said, the department faces a $15.7 million shortfall and wants legislative approval for a loan to cover it.
“This is ridiculous that you’re borrowing,” Negron said during a meeting Tuesday of his subcommittee. “It’s like running bake sales to fund an essential function of government. … In fairness, the counties in the past have probably been billed for things they shouldn’t have had to pay, but we need to get our accounting house in order (and) come up with a system where you’re not relying on intermittent payments from our local government partners.”
The conflict centers on the department’s handling of a 2004 law that requires the counties to pay the “pre-disposition” costs associated with juveniles waiting for their cases to be resolved in court. The state pays the cost of detaining juveniles “post-disposition” — that is, after their cases have been decided — but the two sides have long disagreed on how to define those terms.
So far, the courts have backed the counties. In 2013, the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld an administrative law judge’s ruling that the department had shifted a larger share of the costs to the counties than the law required. Until that ruling, the counties had been obliged to pay 75 percent of all juvenile-detention costs, while the department said the Legislature intended for counties to pay 89 percent.
Last year, in the wake of the 1st DCA ruling, lawmakers took up a bill that would have created a 50-50 split between the state and the counties. But it died on the last day of the legislative session, when the counties insisted on being reimbursed $140 million for past overcharges. At that point, Gov. Rick Scott’s office and the Department of Juvenile Justice decided to use a formula by which the counties would pay 57 percent of detention costs, while the state would pay 43 percent.
That’s the formula Daly used when she told Negron’s committee that DJJ had billed the counties $51.7 million for their share of detention costs for this fiscal year.
Counties say the latest formula doesn’t take into account the appeals-court and administrative-law judge rulings. That — and the department’s latest attempt at rule-making in the dispute — led the Florida Association of Counties and a number of individual counties to return to the Division of Administrative Hearings for relief.
“There are some counties that have said, ‘We’re not seeing any recourse in the Legislature, DJJ isn’t acting on the judge’s ruling (but) just changing the rules yet again, and so they’ve taken the position that these dollars need to come back home,” said Florida Association of Counties spokeswoman Cragin Mosteller. “We certainly understand their frustration, but want to work with the Legislature moving forward to create a deal that works for everybody, most importantly the taxpayers and the juveniles we’re serving.”
Negron agreed, and asked Sen. Rob Bradley, who previously chaired the justice appropriations panel, to craft a compromise.
“People of good faith can disagree as to what that percentage should be, but every county understands that they have an obligation to pay for a portion of juvenile detention,” Bradley, R-Fleming Island, told The News Service of Florida. “So when a county takes the position that they’re going to pay zero, that to me is not reflective of good-faith actions.”
by The News Service of Florida
Rain Becoming Likely
February 16, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Washington’s Birthday
Showers, mainly after noon. High near 67. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday Night
Showers before midnight, then a chance of rain after midnight. Low around 39. South wind around 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 49. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 23. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 46. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
Friday
A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Friday Night
A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Saturday
A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
Escambia’s Bergosh To Head New Statewide School Board Member Association
February 16, 2015
Jeff Bergosh, a member of the Escambia County School Board, will head a new statewide association of school board members.
The Florida Coalition of School Board Members was formed due to frustration with the a lawsuit brought by the Florida teachers union, the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) and others regarding Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
The Coalition’s concerns include:
- Lack of a cost-effective, student-focused member association that provides relevant professional development and counsel for Florida school board members.
- Concern over litigation to eradicate the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
- Waning influence of school boards on education issues at the State Capitol.
Founding members of the coalition include Bergosh, coalition president, Escambia County School Board; Shawn Frost, Indian River County School Board; Bridget Ziegler, Sarasota County School Board; and Erika Donalds, Collier County School Board.