No Injuries In Highway 29 Rollover Crash
January 16, 2016
There were no injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident late Friday afternoon near Bluff Springs.
The driver of a Jeep was southbound on Highway 29 when she lost control just south of Bluff Springs Road, crossed the median and the northbound lanes of Highway 29 before overturning into the woodline. She refused transport to the hospital.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released. The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: And They’re Off
January 16, 2016
Usually, legislative sessions start out slowly, with the first week focused on catching up with colleagues and friends at the Capitol. There are some speeches, including the governor’s annual State of the State address, and committees that haven’t gotten serious about their work thus far begin to do so.
But, because of — and perhaps to make up for — the disastrous meltdown of the 2015 session, this year’s first week was different. Top priorities for Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, are already headed to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk.
For his part, the governor spent his week trying to sell a $1 billion tax cut and other policies he says will allow the state to continue growing its population and workforce. In committee meetings, behind podiums and on the road, Scott touted the tax reductions and changes to the structure of the state’s economic-development incentives.
Meanwhile, forces from outside Tallahassee threatened to upend lawmakers’ plans. The U.S. Supreme Court added to the Legislature’s to-do list by striking down the state’s method for imposing the death penalty. But if the House and Senate keep up the pace set in the first week, they could have time left over to deal with some additions to the agenda.
LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1
The bills House and Senate leaders most want to pass are usually held up until the session’s last week, when they can be more useful as chits in budget negotiations and other aspects of the final “deal” between the two chambers.
However, after the implosion of the 2015 legislative session ended up killing some of Gardiner’s and Crisafulli’s pet projects last year, lawmakers decided to change the order of the proceedings. Crisafulli got a water-policy bill of the type he has sought for years, and Gardiner pushed through legislation helping people with developmental disabilities.
The business-backed water bill (SB 552), which environmentalists say they will seek to make stronger in the future, was sent to Scott after the House approved it Thursday on a 110-2 vote. That came a day after the Senate unanimously supported the bill, which lawmakers have been trying to advance for more than two years.
“A comprehensive approach to water will result in our ability to protect our state’s most precious resource from crisis,” said House State Affairs Chairman Matt Caldwell, a North Fort Myers Republican and sponsor of the measure.
Scott made it clear he would sign the measure.
The developmental disabilities legislation (SB 672) was named after Gardiner, whose son has Down syndrome. It would make permanent an expansion of a program known as the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program, which provides money to parents of children with disabilities to help meet educational needs, such as buying instructional materials and receiving specialized services.
The bill also includes another initiative aimed at increasing access to college and university programs for students with disabilities.
Another measure (HB 7003) dealing with job opportunities and financial independence for people with disabilities, passed the House and Senate unanimously and also heads to the governor for his signature or veto.
Crisafulli used his speech on the opening day of session to add another priority to the list: Eliminating a five-year waiting period for children of legal immigrants to be eligible for the state’s KidCare health-insurance program.
KidCare is a subsidized program that serves children from low- and moderate-income families. Children of lawfully-residing immigrants currently have to wait five years before they can become eligible. The proposed bills lifting the waiting period and would not apply to undocumented immigrants.
“I believe the time has come,” Crisafulli said. “These children and their parents have followed our laws and should be able to access the same services many Florida families can.”
It was reminiscent of when former Speaker Will Weatherford, Crisafulli’s immediate predecessor, used his office to push for allowing some undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. It took Weatherford working on the legislation for two sessions to get it approved, though, and Crisafulli doesn’t have that kind of time.
BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A BILLION?
In his State of the State speech to open the session on Tuesday, Scott wedged a repeated call for his economic priorities into a speech that seemed more concerned with anecdotes about Floridians who manufacture lacrosse equipment and a call to kill terrorists affiliated with the so-called Islamic State group.
One day earlier, he took his pitch to the Senate Finance and Tax Committee, hoping to get the upper chamber to sign onto $1 billion in tax cuts.
“I think these are going to help continue to grow the economy, help get people jobs,” Scott said. “The way to do that is to grow the economy, and the way to grow the economy is to get more companies to want to do business here.”
The governor also wants to set aside $250 million for a “Florida Enterprise Fund” that would be used to lure companies to continue the growth of the Sunshine State.
Scott is also using his bully pulpit to push the ideas, setting off on his “Million Miles for a Million Jobs” bus tour to mark the state crossing the seven-figure mark in the number of jobs added since the governor took office in 2011.
That approach appears to be working in the House, though Crisafulli is suggesting that his chamber will focus more on one-time tax cuts, to avoid weakening the state’s revenue picture in future years. Legislative leaders have expressed concern that providing too many tax cuts that continue year after year could create shortfalls down the road.
“We obviously have a lot of commitments, whether it be education or other issues in the state that we obviously have to make sure that we take care of, but at the end of the day, a $1 billion total number is what we have in mind,” Crisafulli told reporters.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE…
If the U.S. Supreme Court was going to invalidate the way people in Florida are sentenced to death, it chose the time when lawmakers might have the best chance to fix any defects. Almost exactly as the gavels were falling down to being the House and Senate meetings on Tuesday, the justices released their opinion.
The 8-1 ruling says juries — not judges— should be responsible for imposing the death penalty. The ruling focused on what are known as “aggravating” circumstances that must be found before defendants can be sentenced to death. A 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, in a case known as Ring v. Arizona, requires that determination of such aggravating circumstances be made by juries, not judges.
Florida requires juries to make recommendations to judges regarding the death penalty after considering aggravating and mitigating circumstances, with judges ultimately imposing the sentences.
But Florida’s unique law giving judges the power to decide whether defendants should face death equates to an unconstitutional violation of the Sixth Amendment right to a trial by jury, Justice Sonya Sotomayor write in the majority opinion.
Lawmakers quickly vowed to fix the problem.
“This is something that we have to do,” House Judiciary Chairman Charles McBurney, R-Jacksonville, said. “We will be addressing the issue which was raised specifically by the Supreme Court in that decision, and then looking beyond the narrow decision to see how it affects other aspects of the death penalty statute to ensure its future constitutionality as well.”
What seemed less likely was approval for legislation that would require a jury vote to impose the death penalty be unanimous. Only two other states don’t require unanimity. And two other Florida cases that deal with the unanimity issue are now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
That’s led to concern that doing the minimum to conform Florida law with the high court ruling is problematic.
“My hope is that the Legislature goes far enough to require unanimity in both the decision that somebody is death eligible and that somebody will get the death penalty. And if they don’t do that, they’re only inviting more litigation and waiting for the next shoe to drop. They may fix it temporarily, but they’re not going to fix it permanently,” said Florida International University law professor Stephen Harper, who runs the school’s Death Penalty Clinic. “They’re only going to put a Band-aid on a much bigger problem.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: Lawmakers returned to the Capitol for the 2016 legislative session and quickly got down to business, sending legislation dealing with water and developmental disabilities to Gov. Rick Scott.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “We do a lot of things in Tallahassee that you find out in a mail piece later that maybe you regret. But I can tell you, each of us, Republican, Democrat, things like this is why you come up here.”— Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, on a bill dealing with developmental disabilities that was named after him.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Nine Mile Road Area Bank Robbed
January 15, 2016
A bank robbery just off Nine Mile Road Friday afternoon remains under investigation this afternoon.
The Coastal Bank and Trust on University Parkway was robbed just after 3:30 p.m. At last report, a search for the suspect was underway in the area.
No suspect description has been released by authorities.
There were no injuries reported.
Escambia Administrator Jack Brown Injured In Motorcycle Crash
January 15, 2016
Escambia County Administrator Jack Brown was injured in a motorcycle crash in Ensley Friday morning, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Brown was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital with cuts and a bruises, all considered minor injuries, according to a county spokesperson.
His motorcycle and a SUV collided about 7:40 a.m. on Pensacola Boulevard near Johnson Avenue. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Large Shed
January 15, 2016
Fire destroyed large storage shed Friday morning in Bratt.
The fire in the 3000 block of York Road, off Pine Barren Road at Northview High School, was reported about 6:45 a.m. The approximately 400 square foot shed was fully involved before firefighters arrived on scene. The exact cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
An adjacent mobile home was not damaged. There were no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department and the Atmore Fire Department were dispatched to the scene, along with Escambia County EMS.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century To Consider Forming CRA To Improve Community
January 15, 2016
The The Town of Century held a special workshop Thursday to learn more about the possibility of forming a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).
Upon declaration of an area as blighted, the CRA works to improve conditions. As property tax values rise, most of the increase is funneled back into the redevelopment area for further improvements. Additional tax incentive and redevelopment funds are available within a CRA.
Essentially, CRAs use redevelopment funds within a deteriorating area to transform it into one that again contributes to the overall health of a community.
CRA funds can be used for a variety of public purposes, including items specified in the agency’s redevelopment plan, planning and surveys, acquisition of real property, affordable housing development and community policing innovations.
Century council members did not make any decision on forming a CRA at Thursday’s meeting. Instead, they decided to seek more information and invite area CRA experts to a future meeting for input.
There are currently eight other redevelopment districts in Escambia County — Barrancas, Brownsville, Cantonment, Englewood, Ensley, Oakfield, Palafox and Warrington — and three within the City of Pensacola.
Pictured top: Century Council members Ben Boutwell, Sandra McMurray Jackson and Ann Brooks watch a Powerpoint presentation on CRAs. Pictured below: A slide from the presentation. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fog For Tonight
January 15, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Patchy dense fog after 8pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Saturday: Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly between 9pm and 3am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 40. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 56. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. North wind around 5 mph.
M.L.King Day: Sunny, with a high near 50. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 28. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 61.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
Tate, Northview FFA Members Place In Career Development Event
January 15, 2016
Tate and Northview High School FFA members excelled at a FFA Career Development Event Thursday.
The Tate High School FFA placed first in the Parliamentary Procedure event. Northview FFA member Haylee Weaver placed first in Extemporaneous Public Speaking; and Northview FFA member Mitchell Singleton placed second in Prepared Public Speaking.
A first place finished equates to a student being among the top 12 in the state.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Church, Forest Service Celebrate Arbor Day With Food And Trees For Needy
January 15, 2016
The Florida Forest Services teamed up with the Abundant Life Assembly of God Church in Century to provide free fruit trees to needy families.
Abundant Life holds a food distribution each Thursday for those in need in the community. During Thursday’s event, the Florida Forest Service provided food recipients with their choice of a free pear, plum, peach or loquat tree in celebration of Arbor Day.
The church food distribution serves about 400 needy families in the Century community each month. Food distributions are held weekly on Thursday with recipients allowed to receive food once per month.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Teachers Take Aim At State Education Policies
January 15, 2016
About 2,000 teachers and other public-school employees rallied Thursday at the Capitol, calling on lawmakers to place more emphasis on classroom learning and less focus on standardized tests.
Educators from across the state, including Escambia County, held a several-block march to the Capitol courtyard, where they said Florida has too many high-stakes tests and teachers are not paid enough. Also, they pointed to a perception that traditional public schools are not treated fairly compared to charter schools.
“Our children are being cheated out of a high-quality education by policymakers and their education reforms that are designed to meet the needs of adults rather than students,” said Joanne McCall, president of the Florida Education Association teachers union. Vicki Rodriguez, president of the St. Lucie Classroom Teachers Association, said about 50 of her colleagues left St. Lucie County at 3 p.m. Thursday to attend the rally.
Rodriguez said teachers are not respected by many lawmakers.
“The pay is poor,” Rodriguez said. “Morale is terrible. That affects kids. So we need to get our profession in this state to be able to do the job that we were actually trained to do, which is teach kids … not give tests.”
The rally came on the third day of the annual legislative session. Lawmakers are considering numerous education issues, including proposals dealing with standardized testing and charter schools.
by The News Service of Florida