Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: The Ripple Effect
May 28, 2017
The end of the legislative session each spring is rarely the end of the story. The ripples from the fall of the final gavel keep traveling for weeks, either in the form of bills that make their way to the governor’s desk, or things left undone.
Both of those kinds of consequences led to disappointment or confusion in two substance-related industries that backers paint as trying to move forward. Big-box retailers that supported the right to sell liquor alongside groceries saw their efforts rebuffed by Gov. Rick Scott, who vetoed a hard-fought measure aimed at tearing down the state’s “liquor wall.”
Meanwhile, disputes continued over the state’s medical-marijuana market, a reminder that the system of nurseries is just as much of a business as corner drug stores, even if the legal footing for the latter is firmer in the eyes of federal officials.
And with plenty of uncertainty about just how final the Legislature’s decision on the state’s annual spending plan will be, one departing state official announced he would stay on the job a bit longer — even as the churn of agency heads continued.
POUR ONE OUT FOR THE LIQUOR WALL BILL
After hours of debate and House approval that rested on a dubious one-vote margin, there was no final victory toast for those who supported getting rid of a decades-old law requiring hard spirits to be sold in separate facilities from groceries and other retail goods. Scott might be a Republican, but he saw no reason to tear down this wall.
In typical Scott fashion, he attributed the decision to one thing: jobs, and specifically those that small-business owners said would be lost if the bill was approved. The veto was a victory for independent liquor-store owners, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Publix Super Markets, which fought the bill during the legislative session that ended May 8.
“I carefully reviewed this bill and I have met with stakeholders on both sides,” Scott said. “I listened closely to what they had to say and I understand that both positions have merit. Nevertheless, I have heard concerns as to how this bill could affect many small businesses across Florida. I was a small business owner and many locally owned businesses have told me how this bill will impact their families and their ability to create jobs.”
Left to cry in their beers — which, along with wine, can already be sold in big-box stores — were supporters of the proposal (SB 106) like Target, Costco and Walmart. They had banked on a free-market and convenience argument that came up short, even as the bill got closer to becoming law than it has in earlier attempts.
“We have made tremendous progress in the last four years, and there is a clear momentum in Florida for this common-sense approach to liquor sales,” said Michael Williams, a spokesman for the group Floridians for Fair Business Practices, which supported the repeal. “While Governor Scott ultimately chose to veto Senate Bill 106, we look forward to working with state leaders in the future to finally put an end to this outdated, Prohibition-era law.”
It was Scott’s first veto of the year, but if the Tallahassee rumor and speculation mill is to be believed, it probably won’t be his last.
The governor also gave approval to some big-ticket or even medium-sized items this week. He signed a tax-cut package that was much smaller than the one he requested but includes some consumer-friendly items like tax-free holidays for back-to-school shopping and hurricane gear and a repeal of the “tampon tax.”
“Since I’ve been in office, I’ve fought to cut taxes and reduce burdensome regulations to help boost Florida’s economy and ensure our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to succeed in our great state,” Scott said in a prepared statement. “Every time we cut taxes, we are encouraging businesses of all sizes to create opportunities for families across the state, and more money is put back in taxpayers’ pockets.”
The savings are projected to reach $180 million over two years due to some permanent cuts. Scott had requested $618.4 million in cuts before the legislative session, and an initial House package approached $300 million. But the package was scaled back substantially as the House and Senate negotiated a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Business groups also got some goodies, including a reduction in the commercial lease tax from 6 percent to 5.8 percent. That’s projected to save businesses $25.4 million next fiscal year, with that total growing to $61 million when the cut is in effect for a full year.
Business groups have long argued that the state should repeal the tax, and Scott had asked for the lease tax to be dropped to 4.5 percent.
“The most significant steps are often the first ones we take on an issue, and this cut opens the door for future reductions of this burdensome tax,” said Maria Wells, Florida Realtors president, in a release following the signing of the tax-cut package.
Scott also signed a bill establishing state criminal charges for engaging in or supporting terrorism or terrorist activities that result in death or injuries, and legislation authorizing the payment of $3.75 million in the child-abuse case that resulted in the death of Nubia Barahona.
Lawmakers said the Florida Department of Children and Families failed to prevent abuse of Nubia and her twin brother, Victor. Nubia Barahona’s decomposing body was found in February 2011 in the bed of her adoptive father’s pickup truck. Victor Barahona was convulsing in the truck, as both children had been doused with toxic chemicals, authorities said.
MONEY-JUANA
Lawmakers might not have passed a measure during the session to implement the constitutional amendment allowing full-fledged medical marijuana that voters approved last year, but the nascent ganja industry keeps rolling.
In a long-awaited decision, an administrative law judge Tuesday called for the state to issue two new licenses to medical marijuana operators, saying competing businesses — which lost out to another operator selected by Florida health officials in 2015 — were virtually tied.
Administrative Law Judge John Van Laningham’s recommended order came months after a hearing in the matter and long after he decided that the winning licensee, Alpha Foliage, known as Surterra Therapeutics, should have been ineligible to apply for a license because of changes in ownership.
Van Laningham’s order could boost from seven to nine the number of operators licensed by the state to grow, process and distribute marijuana and derivative products to patients. Licenses have been awarded in five different regions of the state.
On Tuesday, Van Laningham recommended that the Department of Health issue new licenses to Tornello Landscape, also known as “3 Boys Farm,” and Plants of Ruskin. The two nurseries, both based in Ruskin, challenged health officials’ decision to issue a “dispensing organization” license in the Southwest Florida region to Surterra.
Under administrative law, Van Laningham’s recommended order will have to go back to the department for final action. If the agency decides not to authorize two licenses, then 3 Boys should win because it received the highest score, “if only by a mathematically insignificant margin,” Van Laningham wrote.
Whether the agency will issue two new licenses is questionable; state officials have maintained in the past that current state law restricts the Department of Health to granting only one new license in each of the state’s five regions, based on administrative or court rulings.
The challenges are rooted in a 2014 law that initially called for one license to be awarded in each region of the state for nurseries to grow, process and distribute medical marijuana. That law allowed limited types of non-euphoric cannabis for some patients and was expanded last year to allow full-strength pot for people who are terminally ill.
But the already coveted licenses are even more desirable after the passage in November of a constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana for a broad swath of patients with debilitating conditions. Under every scenario envisioned thus far, the current license holders will automatically be eligible to grow and sell pot products for an exponentially larger patient base in Florida, which experts predict could quickly become one of the nation’s biggest markets.
SOMEONE OLD, SOMEONE NEW
Departing Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater knows what he’s going to do next. When he’s going to do it is still up in the air.
When he originally announced that he would step down to take a job at Florida Atlantic University, Atwater said he would leave at the end of the legislative session, which came on May 8. The week before that, he released a farewell letter. But Atwater said this week he’s waiting until action on the budget wraps up.
“We had a responsibility, when we said to finish session, maybe I should have been more clear about that, that all the work is completed, and not put it in the hands of someone who will be coming in for just a couple of days, to try to learn the systems and get it uploaded to start the fiscal year,” Atwater said. “Hopefully, it comes in for a landing soon.”
Atwater said Florida Atlantic University officials are “being very patient” and made clear he expects to switch jobs before the start of the school year.
“Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, absolutely,” he said.
Atwater was on hand for the meeting Tuesday of Scott and the Cabinet, where Noah Valenstein was named as Florida’s next environmental secretary.
Valenstein, a former Scott aide who is executive director of the Suwannee River Water Management District, will take over at the Department of Environmental Protection on June 5. Unlike most agency heads who answer only to the governor, the secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection falls under Scott and the Cabinet.
Valenstein said after the meeting he wants to bring the “philosophy I’ve had at Suwannee River” to the state department.
“The issues are the same everywhere,” said Valenstein, who grew up in Alachua County. “All Floridians care about the environment, it’s the underpinning of what makes the state such a great place to live.”
Environmental groups, who haven’t always seen eye-to-eye with Scott and other Republicans, seemed optimistic. Anna Upton, outside general counsel for the Everglades Foundation, said she expects Valenstein to do well because of his background with environmental law and the inner workings of state agencies.
“He understands that people come to the state of Florida for our beaches, for our springs, for our national parks, our state parks, and of course the Everglades,” Upton said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott vetoed hard-fought legislation that would have torn down the state’s “liquor wall,” a defeat for retailers that had hoped to sell hard spirits alongside groceries and other goods.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Walmart has a competitive edge. They buy in such large quantities, that there is no way the person with two or three liquor stores can compete with them price-wise.”— Mike Doolan, a manager at Market Square Liquors in Tallahassee, arguing against the “liquor wall” repeal.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Top Mississippi Braves 4-2 To Take Series
May 28, 2017
Led by Alex Blandino’s bat and another quality start from Deck McGuire, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos topped the Mississippi Braves, 4-2, at Trustmark Park to clinch the series and extend its first place lead in the Southern League South Division by three games.
The Blue Wahoos got on the board first with a two-run inning in the second inning. Blandino hit a two-run home run to left field to bring home Aristides Aquino, who got on base with a double to right-center.
In the top of the sixth, Aquino got on base again, this time with a single to left-center. Blandino, once again, knocked in Aquino with his 12th double of the season. Blake Trahan drove home Blandino with a single to give the Blue Wahoos a 4-1 lead.
After a slow start in Mississippi going 1-for-8, Blandino has hit a home run in back-to-back games for the first time since 2015 when he was with the Daytona Tortugas. Blandino is now 3-for-6 the past two games in Pearl and finished Saturday’s game 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs with a walk.
After giving up only one run in his past three starts, McGuire held Mississippi’s lineup to four hits and two runs with a season-high nine strikeouts. McGuire gave up his third homer of the year, and last since April 20th, when Mississippi’s Kade Scivicque hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third.
McGuire has now won each of his last four decisions and has only allowed three runs in his last 25 innings pitched.
The Pensacola bullpen once again shut down the competition as Domingo Tapia threw two hitless innings with three strikeouts while Geoff Broussard picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect inning of work.
RHP Keury Mella (1-4, 5.06) takes the mound for Pensacola against LHP Michael Mader (3-2, 2.16) Sunday for the final game of the series.
Video: Replay School Graduations
May 27, 2017
A replay stream of Northview High School’s graduation is above. This is a stream provided by the Escambia County School District. If the video does not work for you, chose the link below.
Replays of all other Escambia District graduations are below:
To watch a replay of Northview’s graduation, click here.
To watch Friday night’s Tate High graduation, click here.
Northview High School (Saturday 4pm)
Drunk Driver Hits Deputy Vehicle, Two Troopers And Pedestrian
May 27, 2017
A Pompano Beach man is facing multiple charges after slamming into a deputy’s vehicle and two troopers and another pedestrian early Saturday morning on Highway 29 in Escambia County,
About 3 a.m., Florida Highway Patrol trooper Sebastian Vo observed a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Highway 29 just south of Brent Lane. Trooper Vo initiated a traffic stop and pulled the suspect vehicle over. Trooper Chad Lynch and an Escambia County deputy arrive on scene to assist.
Trooper Vo and Trooper Lynch initiated a DUI investigation on the wrong way driver, later identified as 29-year old Osman Fuentez Hernandez of Pensacola.
The unoccupied marked ECSO patrol car with emergency lights activated was occupying the center lane of Highway 29 when it was struck by a 2013 Chrysler 300 driven by John Vincent Pluas of Pompano Beach. The ESCO vehicle was pushed into an FHP vehicle where Trooper Vo was working in the front seat. Trooper Lynch had just removed Hernandez from his vehicle when both were hit the ECSO vehicle.
Trooper Lynch and Trooper Vo were transported by EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital, where both troopers were treated and later released.
Pluas was treated and released from Sacred Heart Hospital. He was arrested and booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of felony DUI with serious bodily injuries, felony driving while license suspended, reckless driving, no proof of insurance, failure to register vehicle and DUI property damage.
Hernandez, the wrong way driver, was hospitalized and is currently under investigation for DUI.
Pictured: John Vincent Pluas.
Tate High School Class Of 2017 Graduates (With Photo Gallery)
May 27, 2017
The Tate High School Class of 2017 graduated Friday night at the Pensacola Bay Center.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“Never settle for the path of least resistance. Challenge yourselves. Have faith in knowing what you are capable of,” Salutatorian Taylor Bay Best said. “If you set your mind to something and put in the work, you will accomplish you goals. You will have to do the work, and it’s not going to be easy. Nothing good in life ever came easy. But at the same time, don’t be afraid of failing.
Valedictorian Samantha Elizabeth Brown reminisced about four years as a member of the Aggie family, including all the fun times at football games and Whataburger.
“We laughed together, we cried together while the bonds between us grew stronger. I am so, so proud to be a member of the Aggie family. Tate High is having friends that we keep for the rest of our lives. I guess that means we really are all in this together, because once an Aggie, always an Aggie,” Brown said.
There were 88 graduates that earned a final weighted GPA of 4.0 or above, and the class collectively earned about $5 million in scholarship money, according to Superintendent Malcolm Thomas.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Graduates in the Tate High School Class of 2017 were:
*** With Highest Honors; ** With High Honors; * With Honors
Erin Noel Adams **
Hayden Michael Aiken ***
Sara Marie Alarcon *
Kirsten Alexis Albeck *
Jovina Annabella Alderman
Evan Lee Allen
Haleigh Andrea Allen ***
Hannah Nicole Allen
Nyla Deavion Allen
Jordan Sueann Alley ***
Mahmood Mohammed Alselwadi ***
Dalal Nader Al-Selwady
James-Carl Edward Anderson, Jr.
Anthony William Andrews
Ki’era La’shaie Armour **
Hanna Gabrielle Ashcraft
Jacob Tyler Atkins ***
Kendall Morgan Attaway
McKenzie Rae Austin
Sarah Marie Baker
Adam Edwin Ballenger
Jack Gregory Barker
Brittney Adelaide Barlow
Joshua Adam Barnes
Blake Thomas Barrow *
Samanthe Ann Barton
Amy Grace Baucum
Markus James Baxley
Delaney Isabella Beal ***
Destiny Salena Beasley
Chance Riley Head Bellflower ***
Joshua Bruce Belt ***
Talesurea Lashay Benjamin
Briné Deborah Bennett ***
Katherine Nicole Benoit
Peyton Andrew Benson
Taylor Bay Best ***
Jared Christopher Bethea
Marcus Cameren Bethel
Logan Gregory Blackmon ***
Latravius Domineque Blanton
Richard Devin Blocker
Julianne Nicole Bonifay
Dashawn Leon Bonner
Jade Alyssa Bourgeois
Nikolaas Gabriel Bowers-Mimms
Tenisha Nicole Boyde *
Tyler Jewel Bradley
Jazmine Amber Brandt
Paul Michael Bray *
Michael Joseph Brennan, Jr. ***
Amber Claire Brock
Elliott Wayne Brown
Hayley Noel Brown ***
Reese Anthony Brown
Samantha Elizabeth Brown ***
Abigail Rose Bruner ***
Charles William Bryan
Alexis Ann Burleigh
Madison Holly Burmeister
Calista Meridian Burt
Alayna Leigh Campbell
Caleb James Campbell
Marrisa Lanae Campbell
Madeline Rose Caranci ***
Morgan Ray Carnley
Tristan Hunter Carr **
John Wayne Cartwright III
Christian Bernard Cass
Cameron Daniel Caulder
Sarah Ann Cavanaugh ***
Dezurea Jocelyn Chadwick
Julia Nickole Chamberlain
Venkatesh Velagaleti Charya ***
Taylor Cheyenne Chavers
Catalina Beatrice Chiappardi
Joshua Allen Chism
Hélèna Jeannine Rosa Ciappina
Bishod Quamente’ Bernard Clark
Marie Jeanine Clark
Rokendric Darnell Clay
Asia Nichole Cochran
Trevor McClain Coffin
Cody Tyler Colasanti
Kaleb Elijah Cole
Keyondria Lashon Coleman
Zion Ja’von Antonio Coleman
Tori Lynn Comans
Zachary Alexander Comeau
Brittnie Taylor Comley
Kylie Grace Conkling *
Logan Anthony Cook
Tristyn Rene Cook
Kyle Randall Cooper ***
Valensia Marie Corceone
Leona Kristin Courtney
Darby Maureen Cowart ***
Jasmine Marie Crabtree ***
Daylon James Crayton
Alexa Raven Cross *
Cade Emanuel Culotta **
Marissa Savannah Cummings
Kyle Alexander Damiani-Smith
Bycari Tyerel Davis
Jakira Ashley Davis ***
Brian Neal Day, Jr.
Katherine Shaelyn Demuth ***
Micheal Lee Dennis
Courtney Paige DeWall
Jesse Tyler Diamond
Jett Thomas Diamond
Olivia Jean Diemel
Troy James Dodson
Uriel Sanchez Dominguez
Chase Alan Doten
Ariel Kellie Dubuisson
Teddi Elizabeth Dudak
Mason Alexander Duffy
Amber Leighanne Dunlap
Kaylei Deeann Dunn
Te’Marqus Deshon Dunnigan
Kathryn Frances Dupré ***
Celina Christina Dyess *
Kylie Sherree Dykes
Abigail Elizabeth Edgar ***
Savannah Dawn Edmondson *
Hannah Renee Edmonson
Kara Leigh Ellington ***
James Wendell Elliott
Caleb John Michael Ellis *
Emily Ann Endsley
Joe Ed Estes IV ***
Brittney Renae Faberman
Alexis Makayla Farsolas
Nathan Alexander Feagin
Riley May Figueroa
McKenzie Kaylyn Fleming *
Jillian Shelby Flowers **
Krista Marie Floyd
Zachary Hunter Fontenot
Haley Amber Forst
Angel Lynn Forsyth
Ashlyn Brooke Fowler *
Matthew John Fowler ***
Dylan Wesley Foxhall
Kodie Marie Francis
John Daniel Franklin ***
Raymond Andrew Freeman ***
Skylee Ann-Hope Friedl
Nathan Alexander Gainey
Hannah Elizabeth Galloway
Olivia Christine Gardner
Santiago Isidro Garza
Scott Alan George, Jr.
Julia Claire Gibson
Molly Ann Gierz
Ashleigh Nicole Gill
Brittany Allyson Gipson
Brandon Sean Golden
Regan Elayne Gonzalez *
Ryan William Gonzalez *
ShyAnne Moon Goodale
Hannah Lorraine Goodnight
Antanesha Marquel Gould
Tristian Ray Greeson
Jakob Bailey Griffis
Jemeni Lucianne Guillory
William Frederick Gullahorn
Megan Elizabeth Gulsby ***
Ashlyn Nicole Gunsley
Olivia Noel Guntner ***
Paola Carranza Gutierrez
Wilamena Artasia Hadnot
Taylor Sue Hagle
Gabrielle Toni Hall
Jacob Edward Hall ***
Devon Sean Haney
Austin Michael Harberson *
Shania Kiera Harris ***
David Allan Harrison *
Gage Radford Hart
Deanna Lynn Hathaway
Navilyn Summer Hawkins
Richard Samuel Hawkins II
Tanner John Helton
Savanna Nicole Hemby
Marque Anthony Hendrix III
Jake Austin Henry *
David Michael Henschen
Sadie Nicole Hernandez
Drake Aylor Herrington
Devon Keith High
Darlenzo Renard Hines Jr.
Katie Ann Hirn
Logan Lane Hodges *
Arielle Brendae Holmes
Kaylie Anna Holstein ***
Brittany Jane Houston
Jim Billy Houston IV
Morgan Kayla Houston ***
Darcie Samantha Howard
Jordan Nicole Hoyle
Alyssa Nichole Hudgens
Dakota Wayne Hull
Marina Lynne Hutchens
Jacob Wesley Hutson
Brennan Steven Infinger ***
Kyle Louis Irps *
Jacob Herrington Ishee ***
Zyreshia Akey-Kapri Jackson ***
Lillian Elizabeth Jensen *
Daley Sharon Johnson
Jaylen De’shon Johnson
Jordyn Marie Johnson
Kayla Denise Johnson ***
Kelsey Marie Johnson
Travis Corbin Johnson **
Zykia Samone Johnson
Evan Michael Jones ***
Gloria Brinelle Jones
Kayleigh Breann Jordan *
Gabriel Benjamin Judd-Wentz ***
Brinnan Leilani Kahiapo
Krislyn Anne Kayworth ***
Tyler Thomas Michael Kelly
Savanna Collette Kervin
Hannah Lee Killam
Jacob Allen King ***
Jeffrey Miller King
Skye Madison King ***
Seth Walter Kirksey
Catherine Mariah Kitchin
Savannah Nicole Knutson
Hunter William Kramer
Cody Camren LaCoste
Stephanie Breanna Langley *
Cameron Hunter Wesley Lathem
Tristan Alexander Lau
Daichunique Sherrie Lavender
Brandy Nicole Lawson
Cameron Ramon Ledesma
Tachiana Yvonne Lee
Evan Jon Legassey *
Megan Denise Leonard *
Alicia Nicole Lewis
Joshua Aaron Lewis
Katherine Hayden Lindsay *
Quaderius Tyrell Lindsey-Wallace
Dylan Michael Livingston
Tristan Jacob Livingston
Dawn Margaret Looney ***
Cierra Karen Lowry
Katherine Claire Luebke ***
Katelyn Nicole Lynch
William Maurice Mallion, Jr.
Eli Samuel Marron *
Chasity Gail Marshall
Brennan Chase Martin
Joseph Ross Martin
Alexander Martina Mason ***
David Lee Mason III
Savanna Alexandria Mauer ***
Sheridian Alexandria Mauldin
Avery Kate McCammon **
Noah Timothy McCarty
Gabriella Marie McCowan
Carmen Elizabeth McCrackin ***
Mykia De’Asia McCray
Eileen Jo McCulley
Allison Taylor McGraw *
Logan Tyler McGuffey
Davion Tyquan McIntyre
Craig William McKenney, Jr.
Joshua Wayne McKinley
Raeann Mahalia McLaughlan
Olivia Ashlyn McNair
Dave Josh McPherson
Logan Odell Merritt
Jacob Cale Meyer ***
Orlando James Milhouse
Alexander Joseph Miller ***
Jordan Brianna Mills *
Hunter Shane Milsted
Ryan William Mims ***
Sadé Nikole Mobley
Samantha Nicole Monasterio ***
Sharon Elise Monie
Tara Nichole Moore
Tomarcus Corey Moorer II
Ashley Nicole Morits
Shawn Jacob Chase Morris
Shacorey Jayshaun Moss
Brittany Nicole Mott
Timothy Lee Moulton II *
Ikeria O’Neshia Moultrie
Emma Ruth Mudge *
Katherine Carol Murphy
Jordan Michelle Myers
Sean Allan Myers ***
Cara Ann Myrick
Jacob Ryan William Neales
Shayna Marie Neidlinger
Kyndal Elizabeth Nelson
Mallory Drew Nelson
Hunter Gregory Nesmith
Madison Louise Nodhturft
Trinity Leigh Norton
Philip Anthony O’Brien
David Wayne Oglesby, Jr. ***
Ryan Anthony O’Hara
Abbey Nicole Opalenik
Destiny Louise Orf
Kathryn Rilla Orren ***
Alicia Ortiz
Gabrielle Josephine O’Steen
Angeliyah Anne Osuna
Kenneth Charles Overholt *
Jade Elizabeth Owen
Alexis Makena Pack
Mallory Brooke Parker ***
Russel Edward Parsley II
Evon’ Lanai Parsons **
Morgan Danielle Pasley *
Brianna Marie Payne ***
Alexis Danielle Peters
Amber Brooke Peterson
Rebekah Katherine Phifer ***
Madison Paige Philley **
Kayli Marie Pinter
Joseph Adrian Pippin
Brian Hayden Pitts
Morgan Cass Pope ***
Matthew Scott Prevatte
Bobby Jerome Purify
Morgan Alyssa Quimby
Andrew Michael Rafferty ***
Jeffrey Edward Rafuse
Kefla Rashond Randall
Kera Deshonda Randall
Brittney Charise Rankins
Ashlyn Dawn Rawls *
Matthew Edward Ray
Chyann Alexis Redman
Ethan-Magnus Redning-Hubbard ***
Fisher Leslie Rendell
Hannah Marie Rice
Ashley Elizabeth Richard
Caty Simone Richardson
Seth James Riddell ***
Brady Alan Rising
Bradley Michael Ritchie
Wesley Mehdi Rivazfar
Casey Allen Robbirds
Michael Jerome Roberts II ***
Brooke Ashley Robertson ***
Mark Andrew Rohan
Janais Anttonette Burgos Roman
Madison Rose Rondeau ***
Caelan William Ross
Taylor Seth Ross
Logan Nicole Royer *
Kira Luna Rudd
Ian Michael Ruiz
Robert Deschanel Rush *
Jordan Kathryn Rynders ***
Kyle Reese Safe
Kaitlyn Joy Sainata *
Kaylee Bryann Salgado
Maryna Seliz Sanchez *
Miguel Angel Sanchez-Morales
Hannah Marie Saulnier ***
Austin Gerald Scharer
Kristen Elaine Schultz ***
Hunter Ray Sellers
Naomi Elaine Semaan ***
Payton Ashley Serwack
Lindsay Marie Sharp
Madelyn Mary Lizabeth Sica
Nicholas Paul Simmons *
Ansley Geneva Slingsby *
Danae McKenzie Smith ***
McKenna Leigh Smith ***
Rebekah Aleen Smith
Rodriguez Antonio Smith
Taija Atlantis Smith
JoAnna Deveda Snow ***
Morgan Leanne Snow ***
Anthony Scott Sorrels
Kayla Brianne Southern
Alyssa Baye Spencer ***
Shakia Onay Spires
Katelyn Nicole Stafford
Kaila Danielle Stalnaker *
Krista Jane Stanford *
Felisha Ann Stanton
Rusty Travis Stanton
Meghan Elizabeth Starratt *
Mallory Skyler Stephens **
Noah Elisha Stepherson
Angelica Renee Stier
Sheradan Maclean Stillwell ***
Glory Renee Stone
Demiyah Shanell Stonewall
Joshua Steven Straut
Kylie Renee Stroud
Ethan Charles Sutley ***
Kayli Lyn Talbot ***
Colt Austin Tanner
Alexis Brennielle Taylor
Jesse Garrett Thames ***
Gaige Christian Thomas
Landon Wiley Thomas
Brandon Lee Thompson
Shaylyn Marie Caroline Thompson ***
Trey Edward Thompson
Patrick Michael Thornton
Tristan Ty Thrower
Kendall Dwayne Townley
Denzel Michael Trimble
Joshua Dillen Tucker
Topanga Adelle Tucker **
Deandre Anthony Turner ***
Giselle Magdalena Ubeda *
Kayla Nicole Underwood ***
Matthew Ryan Urbanavage
Carlos Andres Valencia *
Christian Lee VanDyke
Sally Jane Van Raemdonck ***
Clay Warren Vaughan
Mathew Codey Velaski
Savannah Dawn Von Stein *
Jazmin Kristina Walker
Preston Layne Walker
Emma Marie Wallace
Drew Allen Walsh
Jay Macalah Ward
Kirstin Anna Marie Warlick
Alexandria Jules Warren
Miranda Cheyenne Watts
Julia Grace Weaver **
Alexis Brook Weiser
Courtney Michelle Welch
Alexis Renea Westerfield
Ryleigh Shae Westmoreland ***
Treay Cameron Whatley
Bailey Shae Wilmot
Alexis Nicole Wilson ***
Danielle Nicole Wilson
Darnesha De’shay Wilson
Mark Gregory Wilson
Brittany Rochelle Wingard
Samantha Marie Wojtysiak ***
Tristan Alexander Wood
Brandon Tyler Yasurek
Adam Alexander Young
Corben Zachary Young ***
Haleigh Irene Young
Laara Samer Yousef *
McKenzie Samantha Zam
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Slight Chance Of Rain For Sunday
May 27, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Memorial Day: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85.
Bidding Now Open On County Tax Certificate Sale
May 27, 2017
The tax certificate sale for 2016 delinquent real estate taxes in Escambia County will be held June 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at BidEscambia.com.
Property taxes unpaid as of 4:30 p.m. on May 31 will be eligible for purchase. To prevent a certificate from being sold, property owners with delinquent taxes must make their payment by 4:30 p.m. May 31 either through the website, here, or in person at any of our four convenient tax collector offices. All late payments will be returned for additional fees.
Registration for the sale is open at BidEscambia.com and will continue until the sale ends June 1. The sale is a reverse auction, with interest rates on individual certificates starting at 18 percent. Bidders compete for the lowest rate, and certificates are awarded to those with the lowest bid. All unsold certificates will be issued to Escambia County at 18 percent annual interest.
The tax certificate sale is an annual online auction where bidders can purchase a delinquent taxpayer’s debt in exchange for an annual interest rate, ensuring the majority of unpaid taxes are collected and distributed to taxing authorities. Last year, more than 6,900 certificates were sold for a total of over $8.4 million, recovering 97 percent of delinquent taxes. Delinquent real estate accounts are published online at BidEscambia.com.
Two Injured When ATV Slams Into Swimming Pool
May 27, 2017
Two people were injured when their ATV crashed into a swimming pool Friday night near Allentown in northern Santa Rosa County.
Jack Jernigan, 62,was driving the ATV across a yard in the 5500 block of Allentown Road with passenger Sissy Jernigan, 8, sitting in front of him. Sissy Jernigan grabbed the throttle, causing the ATV to accelerate. Jack Jernigan tried to veer around an above-ground pool, but he struck the pool, causing the ATV to overturn. The occupants fell off the ATV, and ATV landed on top of them.
Jack Jernigan was airlifted by helicopter to Baptist Hospital, while Sissy Jernigan was transported by LifeGuard EMS ambulance to Baptist.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Motorcyclist Injured In Cantonment Crash
May 27, 2017
A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a Cantonment crash late Friday afternoon.
The collision between the Harley Davidson motorcycle and a car happened about 5:40 at Pine Forest and East Kingsfield Road.
Further detail have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Photos by Sean Bullington for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
Florida Taxwatch: Fewer Turkeys, Less Transparency
May 27, 2017
Reforms to the way the Legislature puts its budget together lowered the number of “turkeys” wedged into the spending plan, but there are still some items Gov. Rick Scott should consider vetoing, a Tallahassee-based think tank said Friday.
Florida TaxWatch included $177.8 million worth of spending in its annual “Turkey Watch” report — aimed at identifying projects that were added to the $82.4 billion spending plan under processes the business-backed organization objects to on the grounds of transparency or accountability.
Overall, lawmakers approved several pieces of legislation that would spend $83.1 billion on state government over the year that begins July 1, but some of that spending was outside of the actual budget plan.
TaxWatch flagged 111 budget items as turkeys, though the organization stresses that it isn’t making a value judgment on the projects, generally shepherded through the process by individual House and Senate members.
Instead, the concerns the group raises are about process, such as whether the line item overrode projects given a priority by state agencies, whether it was added in House-Senate negotiations over the budget, or whether it tripped a few other procedural questions.
Kurt Wenner, the organization’s vice president for research, said budget reforms spearheaded by House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, helped hold down the number of projects that appeared in the spending plan during the negotiations despite not being in either the House or Senate’s initial draft.
Corcoran insisted that any projects be filed as individual bills to be considered for the House budget, and the Senate required requests to be formally put on paper as well.
That limited the number of things that ended up in the budget during the “conference” process where differences between the House and Senate are hammered out, Wenner said.
“Even though they didn’t meet the goal of ‘no conference adds,’ they came fairly close,” Wenner said. “That’s a significant improvement because of the numbers that they usually put in there.”
Among the largest turkeys identified are a $15 million interchange for I-75 in Pasco County, where Corcoran lives; nearly $11.9 million for bridge and tunnel construction in Miami Gardens; and $10 million for Citrus Grove Road in Lake County. Almost $141.1 million of the turkeys this year were transportation projects.
At the same time that there was some progress, TaxWatch said, there were also issues with the way state spending was negotiated.
For example, Wenner said the organization had qualms about how much of the discussion between House and Senate leaders wasn’t public, and he indicated the group was also uneasy with the process that produced a massive education bill (HB 7069) that includes almost $419 million in spending outside the budget.
“Although member projects were more transparent and accountable, I think it’s certainly hard to say that the budget process as a whole was more transparent and accountable than it had been,” Wenner said.
For their part, lawmakers have insisted the process was transparent. Corcoran in particular was fond of touting the project improvements as a sign of the openness.
“Every single thing that you’re seeing in the budget — for the first time since the ‘68 (state) constitution, we now see it all,” he told reporters late in the session. “There was nothing that came in late, nothing that came in on the back of a napkin.”
Neither Corcoran nor Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, responded through spokespeople to requests for comment on the TaxWatch list.
But large swaths of the budget were still negotiated behind closed doors. Several education groups have called on Scott to veto the education bill both because of some of the policy inside the measure and because of the process used to put it together.
And while the process for projects led to fewer turkeys this year, TaxWatch said the overall number of those projects — about 700 of them, valued at more than $600 million — was unusual.
“For member projects, I would say that there are at least as many as there have been in any year lately, and probably more so than in the last couple,” Wenner said.
Scott has not said what he will do with the budget, which has not been sent to him yet. Once the Legislature presents him with the bill, he will have 15 days to decide whether to sign it, veto it or strike individual items with his line-item veto.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida