Who’s On My Ballot? Find Out Here
August 30, 2016
Who is on your ballot today in Escambia County? Find out in this helpful graphic, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
August 30, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending August 25 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers Allgood, Cushing, Roberson, Manning, Miller and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Pensacola worked commercial shrimp boats in Pensacola Bay for several nights. Multiple net and safety violations were documented with warnings and citations. A total of four oversized shrimp nets were seized. One of the nets measured more than 900 square feet, almost twice the legal size.
Officers Allgood, Cushing and McHenry worked offshore onboard the FinCat. During an inspection of a commercial reef fish vessel, Officer Allgood discovered a grossly undersized greater amberjack in an ice box. One of the crew members stated that he was going to use it for bait. A federal citation was issued for the violation. While approaching a different vessel during the patrol, the FWC crew noticed a red snapper floating in the water behind it. During the inspection, Officer Allgood located several undersized Spanish mackerel. While alongside, the FWC crew members observed several large red snapper scales on the transom of the vessel. After speaking with the subjects on board, Officer Allgood was directed to a bag of red snapper fillets. Federal citations were issued for the violations.
While approaching a recreational vessel, the FinCat crew observed one subject on board move to the rear of the vessel and throw something out of the vessel. The FWC crew observed a one-gallon bag full of fish fillets floating on the water. During the subsequent vessel inspection, Officers Allgood and McHenry discovered several more bags of fillets including gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, red snapper and another 50‑pound greater amberjack in whole condition. Federal citations were issued for the violations.
Lieutenant Hahr was patrolling in the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) when he observed a car pull into an area where nighttime access is prohibited. He made contact with the driver and observed signs of impairment. After field alcohol tasks were performed, he arrested the driver for driving under the influence (DUI). She was transported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office where she provided a breath sample of .099 almost 2 ½ hours after the stop. She was booked for driving with a breath alcohol level of .08 or above.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers Jones, Roberson, Barnard, Rockwell and Trueblood and the USCG responded to a missing boater in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Navarre Causeway. It was reported by fire rescue that two people were on board a small sailing boat when one of them fell overboard. Rescue units worked through the night searching for the missing person. The following morning the missing person was found alive and well at a family member’s residence. The investigation is ongoing.
Officers Ramos and Lewis taught the laws portion of the Hunter Safety Course at Avalon Middle School and Jay High School. As hunting season nears, FWC reminds hunters that anyone over the age of 16 and born on or after June 1, 1975, is required to complete the Hunter Safety Course unless using the Hunter Safety mentoring exemption and hunting under the supervision of a qualified hunter.
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.
Both Sides Urge Justices To Resolve Credit Card Law
August 30, 2016
A group of Florida businesses agrees the U.S. Supreme Court should resolve questions about the constitutionality of a state law that has barred merchants from imposing surcharges on customers who pay with credit cards — but the answer might ultimately come in a case from New York.
Attorney General Pam Bondi in June asked the Supreme Court to take up the dispute, after a federal appeals court ruled that the law violated the First Amendment. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the law allows businesses to offer discounts to customers who pay with cash but does not allow surcharges for credit-card purchases — a situation the ruling likened to “distinctions in search of a difference.”
Lawyers for four Florida businesses that challenged the law filed a document this month agreeing that the case is worthy of a Supreme Court decision. But they urged justices to resolve the issues through a New York case, which involves a similar law and was filed earlier.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a New York law blocking businesses from imposing surcharges for credit-card purchases. That conflicts with the ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the Florida case — a conflict that could serve as potential grounds for the Supreme Court to decide to take up the case.
“None of this is to say that this (Florida) case would be a poor vehicle. It would not be,” said the document filed this month in the Florida case. “But there is nothing to suggest that it would be a better vehicle than (the New York case). If anything, the robust record of enforcement in (the New York case) makes that case a superior vehicle. That record includes a criminal prosecution and numerous detailed and uncontested declarations from merchants targeted by the New York attorney general in recent years for violating the law.”
A petition filed in May at the Supreme Court in the New York case said 10 states have laws regulating how businesses can communicate price differences when customers pay with credit cards or cash.
Florida has allowed businesses to offer discounts to customers who pay with cash but has not allowed price differences to be construed as surcharges for credit-card users.
The challenge to the Florida law was filed in 2014 by businesses that had received “cease-and-desist” letters from the state related to alleged violations of the credit-card surcharge law, according to court documents. The businesses were Dana’s Railroad Supply in Spring Hill, TM Jewelry LLC in Key West, Tallahassee Discount Furniture in Tallahassee and Cook’s Sportland in Venice. The law says violators can face second-degree misdemeanor charges.
The businesses argued, and a majority of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, that the law violates free-speech rights. In the document filed this month at the Supreme Court, for example, the businesses’ lawyers wrote that Dana’s Railroad Supply wanted to “disclose the true cost of accepting credit cards” to customers of the model-railroad hobby shop.
“They want to put their sign back up without fearing criminal prosecution,” the document, posted on the website SCOTUSblog said. “They would like to truthfully tell their customers — ‘both at the entrance to (the) store and at the register so that there will be no surprise’ — that the store ‘will add a small fee onto the sale if they choose to pay by credit card, and that there will be no fee if they choose to pay with cash or debit.’ The other respondents (businesses) want to say the same.”
But in the June petition to the Supreme Court, Bondi’s office argued that the law deals with a “pricing practice” and is not a free-speech issue.
“This (Supreme) Court’s intervention is necessary to correct the 11th Circuit’s contravention of a well-established axiom of First Amendment law: Regulations of economic conduct do not implicate the First Amendment,” the petition said. “The surcharge statute, by prohibiting a particular pricing practice, is just such a regulation. If allowed to remain, the 11th Circuit’s holding to the contrary will obscure the bright line that this (Supreme) Court has drawn between speech and economic conduct and … will cast a First Amendment cloud over a variety of economic regulations.”
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Volleyball: PHS Downs Northview
August 30, 2016
The Northview High School varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams fell to Pensacola High School on Monday in Bratt.
The Northview Lady Chiefs will travel to Central on Tuesday for junior varsity at 5:00 and varsity at 6:00. The Chiefs will host Laurel Hill on Thursday, JV at 4:00, varsity at 5:00.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville
August 30, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Barrett Astin threw in relief and as a starter in college with the Arkansas Razorbacks and in his four seasons in professional baseball.
The 24-year-old freely admits he prefers the bullpen but you wouldn’t know it from his 11 starts with Pensacola this season.
Astin started his third straight game for Pensacola and threw a season-high seven scoreless innings to lead the Blue Wahoos to its fourth consecutive win, 4-0, Monday over the Jacksonville Suns at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The victory clinched the Blue Wahoos fourth straight series win and they are 13-5 heading down the stretch. It puts them just a half game behind the Mississippi Braves who are on a 3-10 slide, including a seven game losing streak, since the Atlanta Braves called up Mississippi shortstop Dansby Swanson on Aug. 17.
Pensacola, the first half Southern League South Division champion, is 34-29 in the second half and has its best overall record in franchise history at 75-58, while Mississippi is 34-28 and 68-63.
Astin said he feels comfortable in either role. Last year, he started all 14 games he pitched for Pensacola and 11 of the 16 games he played at High-A Daytona Tortugas to start the 2015 season. He was 8-9 overall with a 3.98 ERA.
“Really I’ve been starting and relieving my whole career,” said Astin, who reached the College World Series in 2012 as the Arkansas closer. “I prefer being a reliever. But right now this is what the (Cincinnati) Reds want.”
They may want more of right-handed starter Astin who ended up tossing seven innings, allowing five hits, no walks and striking out seven. He is the second Pensacola pitcher after Rookie Davis, who got called up to the Triple-A Louisville Bats, to win nine games (9-3) and Astin now has a 2.29 ERA and a WHIP under 1.00.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said he believes Astin has benefitted from returning to the Blue Wahoos this season. Astin was 1-4 in his last seven starts last year in Double-A for the first time with Pensacola and saw his ERA balloon from 3.48 to 5.63.
“He has shown confidence and been aggressive, coming right after the hitters,” Kelly said. “Repeating this league has been good for him.”
Astin agrees that a second year of seasoning has helped him develop as a pitcher. He throws a fastball, slider, curveball, changeup and cutter. Last night, he threw all of them over the plate throwing 59 of 84 pitches for strikes.
“I had five (Monday) tonight and threw them all for strikes, which helps a lot,” he said. “It gives me a lot of confidence getting ready for the playoffs. You want to go in clicking on all cylinders.”
Kelly said that Mississippi misses Swanson, who even though he was hitting .261, provided the leadership and defense the Braves needed.
“That’s a huge part of it,” said Kelly about Swanson’s promotion to Atlanta. “At this level one player, one batter can improve your lineup or really hurt it. He was only hitting in the .260s but he played solid steady defense for them.”
Jacksonville Suns pitcher Luis Castillo quickly showed his 99-mph fastball, striking out Pensacola second baseman and leadoff hitter Alex Blandino, in the first inning. Still, both Blandino and left fielder Phillip Ervin hit his main pitch out of the park just foul down the left field line.
Despite Castillo’s velocity in only his second start for Jacksonville, center fielder Brandon Dixon crushed a pitch into left-center over Suns left fielder Austin Dean’s head that drove in Ervin, who drew a walk, for a 1-0 Blue Wahoos lead.
Castillo was replaced after 3.2 innings giving up three runs on two hits and four walks, while striking out five. He earned the loss and now 0-1 with a 1.86 ERA. He had an impressive Double-A debut last week against the Chattanooga Lookouts, allowing one earned run in six innings.
Dixon led Pensacola at the plate, going 2-4, with his 22nd double of the season and driving in his 63rd RBI. He now has hit in nine straight games and is batting .462 (18-39) with one homer and nine RBIs.
Meanwhile, Pensacola right fielder Sebastian Elizalde had his hit streak end at 13 games, going 0-4 and striking out twice. He fell one game short of his career-high 14 game hitting streak for High-A Daytona last year.
James “Mike” Odom
August 30, 2016
Mr. James “Mike” Odom, 62, passed away on Sunday, August 28, 2016 in Pensacola, Florida.
Mr. Odom was a native of Atmore, AL and a resident of Century, FL for most of his life. Mr. Odom was a member of the American Legion, self employed brick mason and was of the Baptist Faith. He is preceded in death by his Father, James Calvin Odom and a Brother, James Odom.
He is survived by his Mother, Lena Mae Odom of Bratt, FL; Wife, Danette Odom of Century, FL; three Daughters, Margie Odom of Century, FL, Megan Odom of Century, FL and Marissa (Greg) Apple of Germantown, OH; one Brother, Jerry Nicholas of Pascagoula, MS and one Sister, Joyce (Mike) Gunn of Bratt, FL.
Funeral services will be Thursday, September 1, 2016 at 3:00 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Bro. Keith Lisenby officiating.
Burial will follow at the Flomaton Cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, September 1, 2016 from 1:00 PM until service time at 3:00 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Charlie Brown, Johnny Bush, JR Bush, Daniel Johnson, Doug Norsworthy and Don Norsworthy.
One Killed During Major Explosion At Cantonment Airgas Plant
August 29, 2016
One person was killed as a major explosion ripped through the Airgas facility next to the Ascend Performance Materials plant on Old Chemstrand Road in Cantonment just after noon Sunday. There were no other injuries or fatalities.
About 12:15 p.m., multiple agencies from across Escambia County responded to the Airgas facility. First responders reported a major explosion with an area of significant structural collapse. The area was described a “mini-war zone”.
The gas that exploded was nitrous oxide, some of which was released into the atmosphere but did not pose any threat to the public. There were no gasses or chemicals released outside the industrial facility. There were no evacuations or shelter in place orders issued for residents living near the plant.
The Ascend plant supplies a mixture of gases to the Airgas plant, which Airgas uses to make nitrous oxide.
“Ascend personnel and contractors are all safe and accounted for at this time. Ascend’s site operations continue to operate safety,” Ascend said in a written statement. “Ascend is currently working with local authorities and first responders…Ascend’s facilities located near the event may have sustained some damage, which Ascend will assess after the completion of all necessary emergency response procedures.”
As emergency workers, assisted by an Ascend response team, secured the area made sure there was no risk of an additional explosions, it was determined that one Airgas employee was missing. After an extensive search, his body was recovered after 6 p.m. His name has not yet been released.
Residents across the area reported feeling the blast, including Amy Hayes.
“My property borders the plant, the closest one to it. I was outside when I felt the blast… it was like a movie, feeling the heat blast/wave that literally pushes into your body. It blew the wooden frames off our windows. The plume was immediate and after not knowing what the smell was … confirming that it was nitrous of some sort and could be dangerous,” Hayes said, adding that she evacuated with her children and dogs. “It was a major explosion and I never want to feel that again.”
The investigation is under the lead of the Florida State Marshal’s Office. Other agencies that responded to the scene included Escambia County Fire Rescue, Escambia County Emergency Management, Escambia County EMS, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia Search and Rescue, the ATF, Florida Highway Patrol, the Trauma Intervention Program on Northwest Florida, and K-9 teams from the Century Correctional Institution.
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Reader photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Residents Urged To Monitor Tropics, Check Storm Preparations
August 29, 2016
Escambia County Emergency Management is closely monitoring the tropics. Residents are urged to do the same by monitoring local media, including NorthEscambia.com, for the most up-to-date forecasts daily, as the track is currently very uncertain. While this storm may not or may not impact our area, residents are encouraged to take the time now double check their storm supplies and began basic storm preparations.
The key to reducing the stress and impact on your family is to prepare by having a plan, getting a kit and staying informed:
- Review or make a family plan. This includes:
- Knowing your evacuation zone. Check online at http://maps2.roktech.net/escambia_searchbar/results.html
- Know where you will go. If you live in an evacuation zone, know where you will go and how you will get there. Will you go to a friend or relative’s home, a hotel, or as a last resort, a public shelter? It is always easier to go tens of miles, not hundreds.
- Have a communication plan. Plan now how you will contact one another and where you will meet.
- Plan for those with special needs. Make arrangements in advance to accommodate those in your family with special needs like the elderly, children and pets. Always have at least an extra three day supply of medical supplies, medication and any other special items you may need.
- Understand Watch vs. Warning, the hurricane cone and what steps you need to take when. Learn more at myescambia.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/escambia-county-disaster-guide-2016.pdf#page=20
- Get a Kit - Your disaster kit should have at least three days of nonperishable food and three gallons of water for each person and pet in your home, along with other supplies. See myescambia.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/escambia-county-disaster-guide-2016.pdf#page=46
- Stay Informed – A tropical system can develop very quickly. Be sure you take time every day to monitor the local media.
Nine Mile Widening Begins Soon From Beulah To Hwy 29; Public Info Meeting Set
August 29, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting for work beginning on Nine Mile Road between Beulah Road and Highway 29 in Escambia County. The meeting will be held Thursday, September 8 at Plainview Baptist Church, 1101 West Nine Mile Road, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
“We’ve been working for 20 years to fix the traffic and gridlock in the Beulah community, as well as bring good-paying jobs and growth, and these improvements will ensure our success,” District 1 Commissioner Wilson Robertson said. “The core growth and the traffic going to Navy Federal and the new OLF-8 Park is going to be well accommodated by widening Nine Mile Road to four lanes.”
The $46 million project includes widening Nine Mile Road between Beulah Road and U.S. 29 from two to four travel lanes. Additional improvements include constructing a new bridge over Eleven Mile Creek, new sidewalks and stormwater retention ponds, signalization improvements and drainage enhancements. FDOT representatives will be available to provide information about planned construction work and potential impacts.
Work is scheduled to begin in September and will require nighttime lane closures and speed limit reductions on Nine Mile Road. Weather permitting, the entire corridor is slated for completion in early 2019.
Winning Fantasy 5 Tickets Sold In Molino and Pensacola
August 29, 2016
Two people are over $88,000 richer after purchasing winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 tickets in Molino and Pensacola.
A ticket sold at the Molino First Stop at, 6530 Highway 95A and another ticket sold at the Tom Thumb, 5695 Pensacola Boulevard were the only two tickets in the state to match all of Sunday night’s winning numbers. The two winners will receive a top prize of $88,852.35.
The 239 tickets matching four numbers won $119.50 each. Another 6,879 tickets matching three numbers are worth $11.50 each, and 66,910 ticket holders won a free Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
Sun day’s winning numbers were 20-23-30-33-35