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USDA Accepting Tornado Recovery Applications In Century Today

USDA Rural Development will be at the Century Town Hall today from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. to meet with applicants interested in information about USDA’s Single Family Housing Loan Program for new construction, repair, renovation or purchase of a home or the Single Family Housing Repair Loan/Grant Program for minor repairs.

Staff will be on hand to accept applications, meet with clients, gather information, and provide advice and services. Income limits apply and the property must be owner occupied to receive assistance.

For more information, call the USDA Rural Development Crestview Area Office at (850) 682-2416.

The Century Town Hall is located at 7995 North Century Boulevard.

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Cantonment Man Wanted By ECSO, ATF On Drug, Weapons Charges

A Cantonment man is wanted by local and federal authorities on drug and weapons charges.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Gun Crimes Response Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are attempting to locate 30-year old Keith Prim. According to jail records, Prim recently listed his address as being in the 2400 block of Stacey Road in Cantonment.

Prim has active federal warrants for possession of a firearm by a felon and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Anyone with information on Prim’s whereabouts is asked toe call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.

Rubio Drops Out After Trump Wins Florida

Real-estate magnate Donald Trump won a crushing victory in the Florida Republican presidential primary Tuesday night, turning what was originally expected to be a race between two of the state’s favorite sons into the death knell for the last Florida candidate standing.

As unofficial results showed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio handily losing his home state, the onetime Tea Party hero who became the establishment’s best hope in 2016 told supporters in Miami that he was suspending his presidential campaign. His exit came less than a month after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush dropped his presidential bid.

With more than 97 percent of precincts reporting, Trump had almost 46 percent of the vote to Rubio’s 27 percent — a difference of more than 430,000 votes out 2.3 million cast. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas came in third with 17 percent of vote, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich was a distant fourth with less than 7 percent. The win gives Trump all 99 of Florida’s elected delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer.

On the Democratic side, 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.

Rubio left the race continuing to question whether Trump, who has a showman’s flair and a knack for causing uproars with heated and sometimes outlandish comments, was the best representative for the Republican Party in November.

“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.”

In victory remarks at Mar-a-Lago, a Palm Beach estate owned by his business organization, Trump applauded Rubio.

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

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Blaise Ingoglia, who doubles as a state representative, praised Rubio in a statement issued by the party.

“He contributed mindful, substance based arguments and articulated conservative ideals since the start of his presidential bid,” Ingoglia said. “His optimistic message and commitment to American exceptionalism has helped keep conservative values in focus for 2016.”

In a statement issued less than an hour earlier, Ingoglia devoted one sentence to congratulating Trump before pivoting to a Republican vow to beat Clinton in the general election.

Florida Democrats didn’t even bother to conceal their glee at the end of Rubio’s presidential bid.

“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.

It was a stunning downfall for a young, charming figure who rose from relative obscurity to become speaker of the Florida House and then U.S. senator before he was 40 years old. In 2010, Rubio stared down essentially the entire GOP establishment to drive then-Gov. Charlie Crist out of the party; he beat Crist and then-Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek in a three-man Senate race that November.

Rubio also crafted several different and at times seemingly contradictory images for himself. In his U.S. Senate campaign, he cast himself as a leader of the tea party movement angry at both the Democratic and Republican establishments.

After the Republicans lost a second straight presidential election in 2012, he took on comprehensive immigration reform — a priority of the GOP establishment, and one Rubio was forced to abandon during his presidential run.

Over the last several months, he still continued to be seeking a durable template for his campaign. Rubio started as the optimistic, young face of the party; then, as February wore on, he became sharply and often personally critical of Trump. At one point, Rubio implied that a sensitive part of Trump’s anatomy was small — a comment Rubio later said he regretted.

Meanwhile, Trump surged to the front of the Republican pack while savaging Bush, who started the race as a favorite, but never figured out how to deal with Trump and dropped out of the race after disappointing showings in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

In a move apparently aimed at boosting either Bush or Rubio, the Republican Party of Florida decided to make its primary winner-take-all, giving whoever carried the state a sizable chunk of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the GOP presidential nomination. Some saw the vote as the decisive battle between the fresh-faced Rubio and Bush, his political mentor.

Instead, with Bush out and Rubio faltering, Florida shaped up a battle for survival for the state’s junior senator. It was a battle he lost Tuesday.

by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida

Voter Turnout At 48.75%; Almost Half Of Voters Skipped Local Precinct

The overall turnout for Tuesday’s Presidential Preference Primary in Escambia County was 48.75 percent. Among Republicans, the turnout was 56.43 percent. Among Democrats, the  turnout was 38.97 percent.

Almost half of all voters skipped the polls on Election Day in Escambia County. Of all voters, 55.3 percent voted on Tuesday, 26.3 percent voted by mail, and 18.3 percent voted early.

Police Chase Ends With Shots Fired, Man In Custody

A police chase north of Atmore ended with shots fired and Mississippi man in custody tonight.

An Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped with a pickup truck that sitting along Highway 21 north of Fountain Prison to see if the driver needed assistance. After deputies determined the truck had been reported stolen in Mobile, the driver  –  later identified as  Winston David Howell of Lucedale, MS — fled in the vehicle.

The deputy gave chase south toward Atmore. Upon reaching the city limits, the driver turned back north on Highway 21. He eventually turned onto Wayside Road, about five miles north of I-65, and ran off the the roadway a few hundred feet into an open field. The deputy fired at the truck in order to disable it, according to Chief Deputy Mile Lambert.

There were no injuries, and no one was struck by the gunfire.

Howell was taken into custody and charged with felony fleeing and eluding. He will also be charged on the outstanding motor vehicle theft warrant from Mobile, as well  as outstanding warrants from Mississippi and additional local charges stemming from the chase. He was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center without bond.

Lambert said a weapon and drugs were found inside the pickup truck.

The Poarch Creek Police Department assisted in the incident.

Pictured above and bottom: A police chase ended with shots fired in this field north of Atmore Tuesday night. Pictured below: Winston David Howell of Lucedale, MS, was taken into custody at the scene. He is pictured being questioned by Escambia County (AL) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert. NorthEcambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Ex-Senate President Rules Out Congressional Run For Miller’s Seat

State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, ruled out the possibility Tuesday that he will run for a Northwest Florida congressional seat that opened last week when Republican incumbent Jeff Miller said he would not seek re-election.

Gaetz, a former Senate president who will leave the Legislature this fall because of term limits, said in an email that he had been encouraged to run for Congress but will not.

“It has never been my goal to be in Washington, D.C.,” Gaetz wrote. “It has been my honor to be Northwest Florida’s senator in Tallahassee. And we’ve had a pretty good run. But my home and my heart are in Northwest Florida. Gratified as I am by the many offers of support, I will not be a candidate for Congress.”

Gaetz’s son, state Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, is seeking to replace him in the Senate.

by The News Service of Florida

Aggie Classic: Tate Wins Again

Tate 6 , Muskogee, OK  0

The Tate Aggies picked up another win in their Aggie Classic Tuesday night with a 6-0 shut out of Muskogee, OK.

WP – Jared Hatch (5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 3 K)

Tate hitters – Mason Land 2-3, run; Branden Fryman 2-3, RBI, run; Jake Davis 2-4, double, 2 RBIs; Hunter NeSmith 1-4, RBI; Kolby Sprague 1-1; Hunter McLean 1-3; AJ Gordon 1-1

OTHER TUESDAY AGGIE CLASSIC SCORES

Shawnee, OK 3, Christ Presbyterian, TN 2

Scott To Veto $256 Million From New Budget

In a surprise move, Gov. Rick Scott announced Tuesday that he would sign the largest budget in state history while using his line-item veto relatively sparingly, defusing a potential showdown with state lawmakers.

Scott said he would sign the previously $82.3 billion spending plan for the year that begins July 1 while slicing a little more than $256.1 million in local projects and other spending initiatives. The announcement, which came on the same day as the state’s presidential primary elections, was unexpected. Scott generally doesn’t announce specific intentions on the budget until lawmakers officially send it to him for his approval — something that hasn’t happened.

By tipping his hand early, though, Scott dispelled speculation that he would veto a raft of projects in retribution for lawmakers gutting his main priorities during the legislative session, which ended last week. That essentially ended talk that House and Senate leaders would return to Tallahassee to override his decisions.

“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.

However, legislators largely rejected much of what Scott wanted in a tax-cut package, though he used the numbers to declare victory on his 2014 re-election campaign promise to cut taxes by $1 billion over his first two years in office. Scott’s request for a $250 million “Florida Enterprise Fund” of business incentives was zeroed out.

That led some lawmakers to fear the worst. Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, said Scott’s vetoes added up to about half of what Lee had expected. The budget chief noted that “a substantial increase in city and county projects” have been worked into the state budget.

“The governor is right to go after a lot of those line items where there is no compelling state interest,” he said. “I feel like there’s a real role for the governor in this process, and it sounds like, just from a first glance, that he has been very measured.”

Among Scott’s line-item vetoes were $55 million swept from an economic-development trust fund and used to pay for other items that will still be funded. That means he removed about $201 million in spending authority from the plan.

Still, that economic development money could not be spent for its original purpose unless lawmakers approve a budget amendment.

In fact, the amount of money vetoed from the budget falls in the lower half of yearly erasures in Scott’s term. The governor cut more than he did in 2012 or 2014, but less than he did in 2011, 2013 or 2015.

House leaders were also pleased with the announcement. Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, and his expected successor — House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes — issued statements applauding Scott.

“Although I do not agree with every decision he has made, the governor’s vetoes provide an important check on the budget process. … I look forward to working with Governor Scott over the next two years, and I know that together we will continue to produce better, smarter and leaner budgets,” Corcoran said.

Crisafulli said Scott “has used his veto in a prudent and fair manner.”

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.

But several small-bore projects were also whacked from the plan. The vetoes included items like $3 million for the Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse parking structure; $1 million for the St. Johns River Ferry; $200,000 for youth crime prevention programs in West Park; and $25,000 for college prep and science, technology, engineering and math — or “STEM” — programs for girls.

As part of his message, Scott — who has pushed for colleges and universities in particular to focus on STEM education — listed the STEM project among several items he vetoed because “there is no identifiable statewide impact and school districts have the ability through historic funding ($7,178 per pupil) to implement these programs.”

While he appeared to leave bond funding for education construction projects standing, Scott slashed several of the Legislature’s specific proposals. In addition to the cuts at Eastern Florida State College and Pasco-Hernando State College, Scott removed $8 million to help Florida International University buy land and $8.3 million for the University of Central Florida that was to go to the Interdisciplinary Research and Incubator Facility and towards the renovation of its engineering building.

But Scott left in place $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.

Scott cut almost $8.4 million in projects that lawmakers added to the spending plan at the last minute. The so-called sprinkle lists contained about $123.1 million in funding — but Scott’s vetoes of those projects were larger proportionally than his other cuts to the spending plan.

The governor also let at least one proposal that he had previously vetoed stand: a pay increase for some state firefighters, one of several priorities for Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.

“With the support of the Florida Legislature and the governor, we are increasing pay for our wildland firefighters, supporting Florida citrus, protecting and growing Florida’s water supply, preserving Florida’s precious landscapes, promoting and defending Florida agriculture, protecting Floridians and much more,” Putnam said, in one of a string of statements from officials indicating the intrigue over the 2016 budget is over.

by Brandon Larrabee and Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Baseball And Softball Recap: Northview, Tate, Jay

BASEBALL

Baker 4, Northview 3

The Bakers Gators defeated Northview Tuesday night 4-3.

Baker score one run in the first; two in the fifth and one in the seventh for the win. Northview’s three runs cam in the final inning.

Northview hitters: Quentin Sampson 1-1, R; Seth Killam 1-3, RBI; Neese 1-3.

The Chiefs will travel to Chipley on Friday with the JV playing at 4:30 followed by the varsity at 6:30.

Baker 8, Northview 3 (JV)

SOFTBALL

Northview 5, Monroe County 1

The Northview Chiefs defeated the Monroe County Tigers Tuesday night at Northview 5-1. Tori Herrington pitched the win for the Chiefs in 7 innings striking out 10 while only allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits by the Tigers.

Northview hitters – Laurie Purdy 2-4, 1R, 2RBI. Aubree Love: 2-4, 1R, 1RBI. Alana Brown: 1-2, 1R. Daphne Young: 1-2, 1BB. Jamia Newton: 0-2, Sac Bunt, 1RBI. Kendall Enfinger: 1-3, 1R, 1BB. Tori Herrington: 0-2, 1R, 2BB.

The Chiefs travel to Chipley Wednesday for a double header due to rescheduling. First game will be at 4:00 with the second at 6:00.

Tate 18, Washington 1

The Tate Aggies beat Washington 18-1 Tuesday night.

The Aggies scored four in the first, one in the second, four in the third, six in the fourth and three more in the fifth for the win. Hannah Brown struck out 10 batters, allowing four hits and one run, while going 4-4 at the plate with a couple of triples, three RBIs and four runs.

Tate hitters – Hannah Brown 4-4, 2 triples, 3 RBIs, 4 runs; Syndi Solliday 3-3, double, RBI, 2 runs; Savannah Rowell 4-5, double, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Savannah Ullrich 3-5, double, 2 triples, 3 RBIs, run

Jay 8, W.S. Neal 0

The Jay Royals rolled past W.S. Neal 8-0 in Brewton Tuesday night.

Jay hitters: Samantha Steadham 4-5 1R, 2B, 2 RBI; Michaela Stewart 1-3 2 R, 3 RBI Avery Jackson 1-3 1R… Mattie Holt 1-1 RBI.

WP — Harley Tagert 7 IP 0 R, 4 H, 3 K, 0 BB.

Pictured top: Northview JV at Baker. Photo by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

William (Bill) Thomas Bramlett

William (Bill) Thomas Bramlett, 63, gained his angel wings while surrounded by family on March 12, 2016. Bill was born on March 6, 1953, in Ft. Benning, Georgia. On December 1, 1974, he married the love of his life, Debra Mitchell Bramlett. Bill served our country from 1972-1984.

Bill was preceded in death by Nathan and Dorothy Bramlett.

He is survived by his wife, Debra; two sons, Thomas Bramlett, and Nathan Bramlett; one brother, Donny Bramlett, and one granddaughter, Olivia Bramlett.

Bill was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend to all.

A celebration of his life was held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

In lieu of flowers, Bill would want you to make a donation in his name to The Wounded Warrior Project.

Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.

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