• Home
• News
• Events
• Features
• Sports
• About
• Contact
• Advertise

Free Classifieds | Obituaries |

Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: No Rest For The Weary

The week after the legislative session is usually a quiet one. Lawmakers, lobbyists and reporters take some time to catch up on sleep, reacquaint themselves with life outside the Capitol, and generally begin the recuperation after a 60-day sprint.

This year, there was no time for rest. On Monday, presidential candidates and surrogates — some of them lawmakers — crisscrossed the state to try and get voters motivated ahead of the Tuesday primaries. And if voting for the leader of the free world wasn’t enough news on Tuesday itself, Gov. Rick Scott also announced his intentions on the state budget in an unusual move.

By midweek, things had started to slow down a bit and return to the normal post-session lull. The quiet probably won’t last for long. Primaries for state offices will start soon enough — all 160 legislative seats will be up for grabs — and the presidential campaign seems to once again be a race to see who can win Ohio and Florida. Catch your breath while you can.

RUBIO FOLDS HIS HAND

When the Republican Party of Florida decided to award all 99 of its Republican National Convention delegates to the winner of the state’s March 15 presidential primary, it seemed to be an attempt to boost former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or current U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Party leaders repeatedly denied that helping out the state’s favorite sons was the objective, but few believed them.

But Bush’s campaign never made it to Florida, and Rubio ended his White House bid Tuesday after real-estate mogul Donald Trump walloped him by nearly 20 points. Trump carried almost 46 percent of the vote, to 27 percent for Rubio, according to unofficial returns. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich came in a distant third and a more-distant fourth.

Things were even more lopsided on the Democratic side, where former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton routed U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Clinton had more than 64 percent of the vote, to 33 percent for Sanders.

Bowing out of the race, Rubio still questioned Trump’s bona fides as the best leader for the Republican Party. But he stayed away from the kind of jokes about Trump’s manhood that for a time knocked Rubio off his message in the weeks leading up to Florida.

“America needs a vibrant conservative movement, but one that’s built on principles and on ideas, not on fear, not on anger, not on preying on people’s frustrations,” Rubio said. ” … But after tonight it is clear that while we are on the right side, this year, we will not be on the winning side.”

Trump, for his part, greeted Rubio’s departure with remarks that could be called gracious — something not normally associated with the bombastic billionaire.

“He’s tough, he’s smart, and he’s got a great future,” Trump said.

Rubio’s Democratic critics weren’t so kind.

“Florida Democrats knew that once Americans got to know Marco, they would see what those of us in the Sunshine State have known all along: Rubio is nothing more than a self-centered career-politician heavy on ambition and light on substance,” party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a statement issued after the result became clear.

But other politicos agreed with the sentiment Trump voiced about Rubio’s future in the Republican Party, even if they disagree with Trump on almost everything else.

“If you know Marco, you know this is a guy who is young and still wants to be a meaningful force and positive force in American political life,” said Rick Wilson, a Republican political consultant who worked for independent efforts backing Rubio.

How that will manifest itself, though, was unclear. By the end of Thursday, Rubio had already ruled out running for vice president, governor or senator — something that seemed to leave open only the possibility of another presidential bid in 2020 should this year’s GOP nominee falter.

FALSE ALARM

In the closing days of the legislative session, predictions about a messy end to the budget showdown between Scott and lawmakers were rampant — and dire. Scott would use his line-item veto to devastate House and Senate priorities; Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, told reporters that the governor might hack $500 million from a spending plan that totaled $82.3 billion when passed.

That wasn’t even the wildest idea. Scott might veto the entire budget, something almost never done. And whether he nixed the entire budget or just a hefty portion of it, the relationship between the governor and the Legislature had deteriorated to the point that there was open talk of veto overrides — another unusual step.

Scott’s office offered few clear answers, and the governor almost always plays his cards close to the vest when asked about whether he will sign or veto legislation. Then, out of the blue, Scott announced Tuesday that he would sign the budget while trimming just $256 million from the spending plan — a modest amount for a governor known for using his veto pen like a Ginsu when it suits him.

By releasing his budget announcement on the same day when many political journalists would be focused on the presidential primaries, Scott seemed to be aiming for minimal coverage. While he has worked to portray the spending plan as a victory, the governor got very little of what he wanted from the Legislature.

“Before I came into office, Florida was raising taxes and fees and there is no doubt that I will always want more tax cuts and more jobs,” Scott said in a statement released by his office Tuesday. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to find more ways next year to return money back to families all across Florida.”

The budget bumps up per-student spending on public schools by 1 percent, moving it to a record amount. It spends more than $713.5 million on education construction projects and funds $151 million for restoration of the Everglades and an area lawmakers are calling the Northern Everglades.

House and Senate leaders indicated that the veto list was reasonable enough to distance themselves from any talk of overrides or open confrontation. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, said Scott “has used his veto in a prudent and fair manner.”

It helped that few of the lines struck from the budget were big-ticket items. The biggest cut was nearly $15 million for construction of the Center of Innovation Technology Education at Eastern Florida State College.

The only other vetoes of $10 million or more were the elimination of $11 million to build a performing arts center at Pasco-Hernando State College, and the removal of $10 million for “quiet zone” improvements near railway lines.

Scott also left in place some of the things most important to legislative leaders, like $20 million to pay for the state share of a downtown Orlando campus for the University of Central Florida, a top priority of outgoing Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.

The happy talk was a relief for those involved in the political process for another reason: Barring a court decision or other unforeseen issue, there will be no special session in 2016, a break from last year’s three additional gatherings in Tallahassee.

On Thursday, the Legislature finally sent the budget to Scott. He signed it and vetoed the projects he said he would.

LEGISLATIVE FALLOUT

Even with the budget out of the way, some officials were feeling the effects of what lawmakers did or didn’t do in the session that ended in March — and even what happened further in the past.

Barry Gilway, the president and CEO of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance, said inaction by lawmakers to address a spike in water-damage claims could reverse years of work to shrink the company.

Gilway warned the company’s board that policyholders can expect to see annual rate hikes that approach 10 percent in South Florida, where water-damage claims have been the most prevalent.

Gilway told the board that the company will need to do a better job making lawmakers aware of the potential damage to the insurance industry in Florida unless restrictions are placed on a controversial insurance practice known as “assignment of benefits.”

“I just don’t believe that we got the story across that this is a crisis, this is going to reverse all the improvement we’re seeing in the overall marketplace over the last two to three years,” Gilway said.

Assignments of benefits often arise when homeowners need repairs for problems such as water damage. Homeowners sign over benefits to contractors, who ultimately pursue payments from insurance companies.

Meanwhile, the Florida Board of Governors — which oversees the state’s university system — was facing up to the news that Florida Polytechnic University wouldn’t meet accreditation by its original deadline. Under a 2012 bill establishing Florida Poly, it was supposed to get the OK from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools by December.

The university is hoping to get a final decision on its “candidacy” — the first step in accreditation — this June, following a visit by SACS officials last week. Florida Poly then wanted the association to visit again in the fall, in hopes of completing the process at the end of the year.

But SACS informed the university that it couldn’t do both site visits in the same calendar year, President Randy Avent said. Board of Governors members were not pleased.

“I just have to tell you we all sat up here fat and happy thinking that this was going just the way we should, and I for one am disappointed to hear it this way. … Maybe you ought to go back and look at the people you have working on this to make sure that you’re being fully informed and that we’re being fully informed,” board member Norman Tripp said.

A bill Scott signed along with the budget, though, extends the deadline for accreditation until December 2017.

STORY OF THE WEEK: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio suspends his presidential campaign, ending the hopes of the only remaining full-time Floridian in the race and giving another boost to businessman Donald Trump.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The Senate president, exercising his privilege as a caucus of one, decided to shut things down. That is the unequivocal truth.”—Marc Dunbar, a partner with the Jones Walker law firm and a lobbyist who represents the owner of Gulfstream Park Racing in Broward County, on the failure of a major gambling bill in the 2016 session. Gardiner denies that he blocked the measure from reaching the floor.

by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida

Communications Services Restored To Most County Offices

Email, internet and phone services have now been restored to all Escambia County offices except the Marcus Pointe Tax Collector’s Office.

The Marcus Pointe office is closed for the remainder of today. Agents are able to assist customers at the downtown, Warrington and Molino offices.

The outage was caused by a damaged fiber optic line on Olive Road.

Escambia County Purchases AED’s For Community Centers, Ballparks

Between football games last September, a youth league coach fell onto the field at Northview High School in full cardiac arrest.

In the moments that followed, the pieces of a lifesaving puzzle quickly fell into place.  Husband and wife medics, a doctor and other football fans trained in CPR rushed to the field, literally taking turns performing chest compression on the beloved coach. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was retrieved from a nearby building, an ambulance arrived, and prayers were said.

The coach was revived and has since made a full recovery.

The incident led to a vote Thursday night by the Escambia County Commission to place 32 AED’s at ballparks and community centers with athletic programs throughout the county. The purchase includes 32 fully automatic AED’s with voice prompts, wall cabinets, adapter kits to make each AED usable on children and four years of service and onside preventative maintenance. The LifePak CR PLus AED’s are the same model used on Escambia County EMS ambulances.

The $54,681.29 bid was awarded to CPR Savers and First Aid Supply, LLC. Low bidder was Second Chance Medical Products, but the company’s bid did not include on-site preventive maintenance nor did they have a service representative within a 50-mile radius as requested in the invitation to bid.

“This was a case where EMS could take a relatively small amount of a money and invest it in making the community safer,” Escambia County Public Safety Director Mike Weaver said. He said that community and sports group members will be provided AED training, and CPR training will be made available for the public.

The county will also allow churches and non-profit groups to purchase the same model AED’s at the county’s contract price, with advance payment.

For last September’s story about the coach, click here.

NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Showers, Heavy Rain Today; Cooler Next Week

Here is your official NorthEscambia area forecast:

Friday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 75. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 41. North wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 37. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind around 5 mph.

Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 68. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.

Tate Wins The Aggie Classic

Tate 5, Milton 0

The Tate Aggies won their own Aggie Classic Thursday night with a 5-0 shutout of Milton.

The Aggies jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer over the right-field wall from Cole Halfacre.

Tate hitters — Mason Land 1-3, run; Branden Fryman 3-4, RBI, run; Cole Halfacre 1-3, 3 RBIs, run, HR; Hunter NeSmith 1-3; Jake Davis 2-3, RBI, HR; Hunter McLean 1-2; Josh Kea 1-2, run.

WP – Logan McGuffey (6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 8 K, 1 BB)

For more photos, click to enlarge.

(Other Thursday scores are below photos, scroll down.)

Pictured: A night of celebrations for the Tate Aggies. Pictured top: Celebrating the Aggie Classic championship. Pictured inset: Cole Halfacres pops a three run home over the fence. Pictured below: Three run homer  from Halfacre and a homer from Jake Davis. NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer  Repine, click to enlarge.

Other scores:

Chiles 19, Edmond North 5

Second Baptist 11, Washington 1

Jenks 7, Next Level 2

Stillwater 5, Gulf Breeze 1

Christ Presby. vs. Union (rainout)

Escambia vs. Shawnee (rainout)

Reno 7, Coweta 5

West Florida 4, Piedmont 3

Leon 5, Pryor 0

Emery 8, Morris 4

Help Manna Feed ‘SomeBunny” At Food Drive Today

A “Let’s Feed Somebunny” food drive will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. today.

People are invited to fill the Easter float with non-perishable food items for Manna Food Pantries at the Baptist Medical Park at the corner of 9 Mile Road and University Parkway. The annual event is sponsored by Harvester’s Federal Credit Union.

Levins Named Century Chamber’s Student Of The Year

Northview High School senior Trevor Levins has been named the Century Chamber of Commerce’s Student of the Year. The annual selection is based upon a student’s well-rounded involvement in school activities, community service and more. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

The Way We Worked: Smithsonian Exhibition Opens Saturday In Molino

West Florida Public Libraries and the Molino Mid-County Historical Society will host “The Way We Worked,” a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition from Saturday, March 19 to Saturday, April 30. This exhibition, which celebrates the history of American workers, will be on display at the Lillian F. King Museum located in the Molino Community Complex, 6450 Highway 95A North in Molino. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition to the traveling exhibition, the Library and the Molino Mid-County, Alger-Sullivan, and Barrineau Park historical societies, have partnered to create six weeks of interesting related events showcasing the unique work history of North Escambia. Join us for a look back in time to the way we worked in North Escambia.

“The Way We Worked” has been made possible in Molino by the Florida Humanities Council. “The Way We Worked”, an exhibition created by the National Archives, is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

Schedule of Events

Discover The Way We Worked in North Escambia: A Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit

“The Way We Worked” in North Escambia, the Exhibit

• March 19 – April 30, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Molino Community Complex

The Smithsonian Institution is here. Come see this interactive exhibit designed to engage all ages which spotlights the role of work in our communities. Visit the exhibit and join us for six weeks of events and activities which celebrate the way we worked in North Escambia.

“The Way We Worked” traces America’s rich work history. With their hands and minds hard at work and sweats on their brows, American workers perform a diverse array of jobs to power our society. Whether we work for our own professional satisfaction & personal growth or to ensure the well-being of ourselves and our families, work is a part of nearly every American’s life.”

“The Way We Worked”: Kick-Off Event

• Saturday, March 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p. m. – Molino Community Complex, Molino Branch Library

Join us for a look back in time to the way we worked in North Escambia. Explore the Smithsonian exhibit, enjoy live entertainment, watch a potter, a flintknapper and more. Take a look at the line-up below.

• 10 a.m. – Opening Ceremony

Ribbon cutting performed by Commissioner Barry

• 10:15 a.m. – Smithsonian Exhibit Opens

Take a stroll through the museum to learn how work impacts our lives and communities.

• 10:30 a.m. – Southern Revival Band

Hear the “Molino Florida Song” performed by local musicians, Caleb Dennis and the Southern Revival Band.

• 11:30 a.m – Mission San Joseph de Escambe

Dr. John E. Worth, U.W.F. Anthropology professor, will speak about his archaeological work at this 250-year-old site on private land in Molino.

• 12:45 p.m. – Dogwood Dulcimers

Enjoy the down-home sounds of this stringed folk band.

• 1:45 p.m. – Panhandle Cloggers

Tap your toes along with the Panhandle Cloggers’ percussive folk dances.

• 2:30 p.m – The Change Gang                         .

Listen to traditional work songs performed by teens from the Pensacola Branch NAACP Youth Council and Allen Chapel AME Church Young People’s Department.

“The Way We Worked”: Molino History

• Thursday, March 31, 6 p.m. – Molino Branch Library, Auditorium

Enjoy video-graphic stories of long-time residents who recount memories of growing up in rural Escambia. Several of the interviewees will be present for a question and answer session.

“The Way We Worked”: Agriculture in North Escambia

• Saturday, April 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Barrineau Park Community Center

Join Barrineau Park Historical Society for a day of farming fun featuring a presentation from Extension Services at 1 p.m. Come learn how farming fed us all.

“The Way We Worked”: Farm Fabric – Feed Sacks

• Thursday, April 7, 6 p.m. – Molino Branch Library, Auditorium

Coletta Stejskal Bailey, Textile Coordinator at the Baldwin County Heritage Museum, will discuss the cotton bag’s origin from the late 1840s to its impact during the Depression and World War II.

“The Way We Worked”: A New Beginning for Old Industry: History and Archaeology of Molino Mills

• Thursday, April 14, 6 p.m. – Molino Branch Library, Auditorium

Join UWF graduate student, Melissa Maynard for insights into Molino Mills, a lumber mill which operated from 1865-1884 that helped develop a community and an industry.

“The Way We Worked”: From Can’t See to Can’t See

• Saturday, April 16, 1 p.m. – Pensacola Library, Meeting Room A
• Thursday, April 28, 6 p.m. – Molino Branch Library, Auditorium

Up before dawn and home after dark describes Teniadé Broughton’s talk on African American work experiences in rural Escambia County. The event also features the “Change Gang” performing historical work songs.

“The Way We Worked”: Escambia County Railroads, 1830s – 1950s

• Saturday, April 23, 1 p.m. – Alger-Sullivan Historical Society, Century

All aboard, at the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society Museum with Jerry Fischer and Russell Brown. Come learn about the county’s early railroads. Climb aboard Old 100, a sawmill transport steam engine, and tour the museum.

“The Way We Worked”: Colonial Work Story Times

• Saturday, April 9, 1 p.m. – Molino Branch Library, Auditorium
• Thursday, April 14, 6 p.m. – Pensacola Library
• Saturday, April 16, 1 p.m. – Tryon Branch Library
• Thursday, April 21, 6 p.m. – Century Branch Library

Join Sandra Pettis, retired Ferry Pass Elementary Librarian and a costumed member of the UWF Historic Trust for a story, demonstrations and hands-on activities about the way we worked in Colonial times.

“The Way We Worked”: Displays in Escambia County

• March and April – Tryon Branch Library

View a fascinating collection of antiques from the area belonging to Mr. Charlie Booher of Pensacola.

• March and April – Southwest Branch Library

This library features a collection of work-related items from the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society located in Century.

• March and April – Molino Branch Library

In addition to housing the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition, The Way We Worked, this facility also spotlights artifacts belonging to UWF Collections from Mission Escambe and the Molino Mills archaeological dig sites in Molino.

• March and April – Century Branch Library

This display houses a small collection of memorabilia from the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company once located in Century.

Three Northview Lifters Qualify For Regional Weightlifting Meet

Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Available In Century Next Week

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Copyright © 2007-2019 NorthEscambia.com · P.O. Box 1207 · Century, FL 32535 · All Rights Reserved.