Fourth Zika Case Reported In Escambia County
November 19, 2016
Friday, A fourth travel-related case of the Zika virus was reported in Escambia County by the Florida Department of Health
The Escambia County case was one of 11 new cases identified, bringing the state total to 1,188 cases. Six of the new cases involved people who were infected while traveling outside of Florida. Two of those cases were found in Miami-Dade County and two were in Volusia County, while Escambia and St. Lucie counties each had one of the cases.
Also, there were four cases in which Zika was transmitted in Florida, including three cases involving Miami-Dade County residents and one involving a non-Florida resident who traveled to Miami. The other new case involved a Florida resident who traveled to Miami but also to an area outside of Florida where Zika is prevalent, leading the state Department of Health to label the origin of the infection as undetermined.
The health department urges Floridians to drain standing water weekly, no matter how seemingly small. A couple of drops of water in a bottle cap can be a breeding location for mosquitoes. Residents and visitors also need to use repellents when enjoying the Florida outdoors.
Friday Night Playoff Final Scores
November 19, 2016
Here are Friday night playoff finals scores from around the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
Navarre 60, Tate 28
Tallahassee Rickards 33, West Florida 30
Baker 21, Graceville 14
ALABAMA
Autauga 28, Escambia Academy 21
Forest Service Warns Against All Outdoor Burning
November 19, 2016
Over two months have passed since most of the area has seen significant rainfall and officials are warning of an increased fire danger level.
With a dry cold front predicted to pass through the area this weekend and humidity levels slated to drop into the 20 percent range, the Florida Forest Service is urging residents to hold off on burning any yard debris and be cautious with any other outdoor burning.
With these conditions in mind, the Blackwater Forestry Center has increased its Fire Readiness Level to a 3 through November 27 and will not issue burn authorizations through this weekend. Fire Readiness Levels are set by the district based on current predicted weather as well as potential fire behavior and severity.
At FRL3, all wildfires require two FFS firefighting crews (tractor/plow units) and an afternoon aerial patrol. Fire Readiness Levels range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest.
It has been 72 days since the last significant rainfall (more than .25 inches) in much of the area and the current Keetch-Byram Drought Index shows Blackwater’s mean rating at 626 which is in the Severe Drought category. Normal for this time of year is 241-420.
While there are no burn bans in place for Escambia, Santa Rosa or Okaloosa counties, the FFS is urging residents to not burn any yard debris until we receive a significant amount of rain or conditions improve. Burn bans typically are issued by individual counties.
A complete burn ban is in effect for the entire state of Alabama.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Out Of The Fying Pan, Into The Fire
November 19, 2016
Elections have consequences, they say, and if the previous week featured the elections, then this week featured the consequences.
Many of the more sweeping consequences emerged from Trump Tower, where the unexpected president-elect began working his way through the process of constructing an administration. But even in Florida, there was work to do.
The Legislature began working its way through the process of preparing for the spring session, bringing in new members to learn as many of the ropes that can be learned beforehand, while veterans hammered out arcane rules that could set the stage for future fights. House Republican leaders also tried to draft guidelines to put off one potentially divisive fight for at least a year.
Meanwhile, considerations began for those who are eying other offices in 2018. Republican Gov. Rick Scott surprised roughly no one when he acknowledged that he is thinking about challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, in 2018. Democratic mega-donor John Morgan, fresh off a successful campaign to give the green light to medical marijuana in Florida, began mulling whether to run for Scott’s post, which will be open in two years thanks to term limits.
Elections, consequences and then back to elections. Somewhere in between, some governing gets done, as it did this week. The process of selecting a new Florida Supreme Court justice began in earnest, and an unlikely state agency began worrying about the risk of a Chinese threat off Florida’s shores.
FINDING THE BATHROOMS
Like freshmen getting ready to begin their first semester of college, dozens of new lawmakers converged on the Capitol this week for orientation. The metaphor was more familiar to some — like Rep. Amber Mariano, a 21-year-old political science major at the University of Central Florida.
Mariano, R-Hudson, said the experience filling out employment and benefits paperwork and learning the rules of the $29,000-a-year job “is a little bit better” than the start of college.
“I was a (legislative) page back in middle school, and ever since then I’ve known that I wanted to serve in the Florida House,” she said. “It’s surreal that it’s happened so quickly in my life.”
Technically, the new members are already in office under the terms of the Florida Constitution. But they’ll be formally sworn in Tuesday during an organization session, which will also involve the usual housekeeping tasks like passing the rules for the House and Senate.
Led by incoming Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, the House is considering high-profile changes in its rules. But the Senate released its draft rules this week, and they include none of the broad-based restrictions on lobbying and budget measures that will be imposed by the House, instead settling for tweaks and smaller changes.
Under the Senate proposal, members would be required to undergo four hours of ethics training every other year, up from one hour. Restrictions on lobbyists who are temporarily allowed on the Senate floor would be tightened to curtail attempts to use the access to influence senators.
That’s a long way from what the House has planned. Its rules would bar lobbyists from texting lawmakers during committee meetings or floor sessions, require lobbyists to disclose specific issues that they are working on and ban House members from flying on planes provided by lobbyists or their clients.
Perhaps most significantly for the ability of the two chambers to come together on a state budget, the House intends to require members to file separate bills for proposed spending projects. There is no counterpart to that process in the Senate rules released Tuesday.
But shortly before releasing the Senate draft, incoming Senate President Joe Negron told reporters he also wanted a budget process that was less opaque.
“I’m very committed to having an open, transparent budget process,” said Negron, a Stuart Republican who will formally become president during the organization session. “When I was the appropriations chair in the Senate under President (Don) Gaetz, we always had an opportunity for public comment at our (House-Senate) conference meetings, which had not been a traditional process.”
The House GOP also released party rules this week, with an eye on cutting off the distraction of an early battle for who will be the speaker after the 2022 elections. That’s right, 2022. Assuming the House GOP still has power. And that person hasn’t lost a bid for re-election. And, for that matter, the state of Florida still exists.
The proposal, offered by Corcoran, would address a practice of would-be speakers trying to line up support for the powerful position before they have even served in the House.
In an interview Monday with The News Service of Florida, Corcoran said the proposal would prevent would-be speakers who don’t have to deal with contested primaries or general elections in their districts from getting an unfair advantage.
“If we’re going to have a 100-yard dash … everybody should start from the starting line at the same time at the same place,” he said. “There’s nothing fair about having someone start at the 50-yard mark.”
The rules would bar House members who want to be speakers from campaigning for support from their colleagues until after they had served together. Support couldn’t be rounded up until after a full class of lawmakers had gone through its first session.
2018 IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER — REALLY
Critics and even some fans would say that Scott has been running for U.S. Senate since he won re-election to the governor’s office in 2014. But he made it sort of kind of quasi-official this week, telling reporters at a meeting of GOP governors in Orlando that he was considering a bid.
And while Scott met with President-elect Donald Trump later in the week, he told Fox News that he wasn’t looking for an appointment to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a potential fit for the former hospital executive.
“I’m interested in doing whatever I can to help him rewrite Obamacare, redesign the government and help him work with the 33 Republican governors who have great ideas to help (Trump) be successful,” Scott said. “If he’s successful, Florida will be successful.”
Slightly less predictable was the news that John Morgan, perhaps most famous for his law firm’s commercials tagged “For the People,” is thinking about jumping into the race to succeed Scott. Morgan, a Democrat, spent heavily from his personal wealth to get a recent constitutional amendment on medical marijuana approved and was also a strong supporter of former Gov. Charlie Crist’s unsuccessful gubernatorial comeback attempt in 2014.
“Before I go down this road any further I need a lot of time to think about it,” Morgan wrote in an online post. “There are obvious drawbacks and hurdles. But the initial response in the form of phone calls, emails and social media postings has been overwhelming. It is humbling. I must weigh that response against the personal and the practical.”
Much of the talk started Monday when Ben Pollara, who managed the medical-marijuana campaign, sent out an email with the subject line, “TELL JOHN MORGAN: Run for Governor in 2018!”
The email included a link to a website — www.forthegovernor.com — that calls for drafting Morgan to run.
In his own way, Morgan might be a liberal, Florida version of Trump — a bombastic wealthy guy who has never run for office and could attempt to present himself as an outsider. But other Democrats, like outgoing Congresswoman Gwen Graham, have already begun positioning themselves for a campaign, meaning Morgan could have to spend even more of his money just to lock up his party’s nomination.
THE PEOPLE’S BUSINESS
Despite the political machinations, some work was getting done this week. The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission decided to interview all 11 applicants vying to replace Justice James E.C. Perry, whose forced retirement due to age is giving Scott his first opportunity to make an imprint on the state’s high court.
The nine-member nominating commission unanimously decided Monday to interview all the applicants for the post on Nov. 28. The panel plans to provide Scott a short list of six names that night or the following day, giving the governor plenty of time to make a decision before Perry’s resignation goes into effect Dec. 30, according to commission chairman Jason Unger.
“We wanted to do it a little expeditiously to give him enough time to do his full vetting,” Unger told The News Service of Florida in an interview Monday. “In an ideal situation, there’ll be no vacancy time. The governor will have his appointee ready to go, and actually start meeting with the court and the court processes, before the vacancy actually hits.”
Perry is among five jurists who make up a liberal-leaning majority of the seven-member court, which has drawn the wrath of the Republican governor and the GOP-dominated Legislature.
In a more bizarre bit of governing news, Florida wildlife officials expressed concern that the government of the Bahamas is in talks with China to split fishing rights in waters east of Florida.
State Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Nick Wiley said the potential deal, as reported, could impact Florida’s commercial and sport-fishing industries.
“China, their interests in this, would get exclusive access to fisheries in Bahamian waters,” Wiley said. “A lot of people may not realize this, but the boundary between the United States waters and Bahamian waters is still in dispute. It’s still not been clarified, so that further makes this an issue.”
Wiley said the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has reached out to the government of the Bahamas for additional details.
“It’s something we really need to figure out what is going on. We really don’t understand it yet,” said Commissioner Robert Spottswood, the president of a Key West real-estate development company. “But the potential impact for us in the Keys, in Florida and for the U.S., of the Chinese government getting involved in fishing in the Bahamas could certainly affect the balance of what is going on in fisheries in South Florida.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: Lawmakers began returning to Tallahassee and figuring out the rules of the road ahead of Tuesday’s organization session, which will set the stage for the spring meeting of the Legislature.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I don’t mean this literally, but he’s going to blow the place up. And I mean that in a good way.”—Former lawmaker Mike Fasano, Pasco County tax collector, on incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Sheriff’s Office Conducts ‘Clean Sweep’ In Molino
November 18, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office conducted an “Operation Clean Sweep” event Thursday in Molino.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” is to work with neighborhood watch groups, residents, churches and business owners to control and prevent the damaging effects of crime. The Operation Task Force works closely with Escambia County Animal Control, environmental law enforcement, the military, Escambia County Roads and Bridges and neighborhood watch groups to clean up neighborhoods and educate citizens on preventive measures that could be implemented to minimize crime.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Wins $1,000 Wellness Challenge For Second Year
November 18, 2016
For the second consecutive year, Bratt Elementary School has been named the winner of Escambia Superintendent Malcolm Thomas’ Choose Wellness Challenge. The school was presented a $1,000 prize at Tuesday’s meeting of the Escambia County School Board.
The challenge was to see which school or major department could achieve the highest level of participation in the challenge by the end of the school year. Participants completed four steps to promote health and wellness, potentially reducing the district’s health care and lost work time costs.
Thomas said he expected the winner to come from a school that was located near the district’s health and wellness center. But he was wrong…again.
“This year’s winner, for the second straight year, is a school that is located the furtherest away,” Thomas said, “which makes it quite evident that mileage and inconvenience is not a factor when it comes to choosing wellness.
The $1,000 prize is expected to be used in some manner to promote wellness among the school’s staff. All of the funds were from private donations; no taxpayer dollars were used.
Ferry Pass Elementary School received a $500 prize as winner of the “Improvement Challenge”.
Deputies Searching For ‘Armed And Dangerous’ Drug Dealer
November 18, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for 43-year old Jeffrey Mason Baisch. He is wanted for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine into Escambia County and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to investigators.
The Sheriff’s Office said he should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Baisch is asked to call 911 or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630.
Amtrak Service Could Return; Senator Wants Your Opinion
November 18, 2016
Amtrak passenger rail service restoration could be possible in the future for the Gulf Coast.
The Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group was established by the FAST Act in December 2015 to evaluate the restoration of rail passenger service between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Orlando, Florida. The previously-existing passenger rail service was stopped prior to Hurricane Katrina. Damage to the route has been repaired and freight service was restored, but the passenger rail service has not been restored.
The group evaluating the possible restoration of passenger rail service includes members from the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, CSX, Southern Rail Commission, West Florida Regional Planning Council, and other stakeholders along the Gulf Coast. The group has been convening to discuss details for the possible restoration, including funding and prioritization of actions to be taken should the restoration be approved. The result of these meetings will be a full report submitted by the group to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
The Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group encourages community input regarding the project. Senator Bill Nelson is a ranking member of the Senate Committee that will review the final report provided by the Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group. Community members are asked to send an email stating their position on the project to one of the following contacts at Senator Bill Nelson’s office by the end of the year:
Devon Barnhart – Devon_Barnhart@commerce.senate.gov
Mary Louise Hester - marylouise_hester@billnelson.senate.gov
Pictured top and inset: An Amtrak inspection train rolls in Atmore in February 2016. Pictured below: The train arrives in Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Very, Very Slight Chance Of Overnight Rain, Turning Colder
November 18, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 65. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 35. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 61. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 30. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 67. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 37. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 71. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 75.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 71.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
ECUA Elects Board Officers
November 18, 2016
The ECUA Organizational Board Meeting for 2016-2017 was held Thursday. Officers were unanimously elected among the Board members to fill the positions of chairman and vice-chairman of the Board.
Lois Benson, District 2, was re-elected to serve as board chairman, and Dale Perkins, District 4, was re-elected to the vice-chairmanship.
Also unanimously re-elected to the following positions were:
- Vicki Campbell, District 1, to the chairmanship of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee and Larry N. Walker, District 5, to serve as the vice-chairman.
- Deborah Benn, Chuck Kimball, Catherine Booker, Josh Womack, Michael Steltenkamp, Randy Ponson, and Louise Ritz, were unanimously appointed to serve as members of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee.