Budget, School Changes Pass As Florida Lawmakers Head Home
May 9, 2017
The Florida Legislature overwhelmingly approved a state budget and ended the annual session Monday, after narrowly avoiding a meltdown over a controversial measure that makes sweeping changes to the state’s education system.
The $82.4 billion budget for the year that begins July 1 passed the House on a 98-14 vote, and the Senate on a 34-4 vote. All told, when combined with other legislation approved Monday, the House and Senate approved about $83.1 billion in spending.
The budget package includes a modest increase in per-student spending through the state’s main education formula, $521 million in Medicaid cuts for hospitals and far-reaching changes to education across the board.
There was little drama over the budget vote in either chamber. In both cases, lawmakers gave the bills more than enough support to overcome the possibility of a veto by Gov. Rick Scott.
Republican lawmakers tried after the session to downplay any talk of Scott taking that step, which would be extraordinarily rare.
“I think there’s a lot in the budget that the governor’s going to like,” said Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart.
Instead, the biggest challenge lawmakers faced was getting approval for a delicate, tit-for-tat agreement on budget-related bills that moved through the House and Senate in quick succession Monday night: a House education bill for a Senate higher education bill, a package on economic-development funding for a bill on state employees’ pay and benefits.
The closest showdown came on a 278-page education bill, favored by the House, that emerged from budget negotiations Friday evening. That measure covered everything from charter schools and teacher bonuses to school uniforms and designating September as “American Founders’ Month.”
The most notable parts of the legislation (HB 7069) were a proposal known as “schools of hope,” which would encourage charter schools to locate near academically struggling public schools, and an expansion of the “Best and Brightest” teacher bonus program.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, continued Monday night to call the legislation “the greatest educational K-12 policy that we’ve passed in the history of the state.”
But several senators rebelled against the sprawling bill and the process that produced it. Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who also serves as head of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, slammed the bill as an attempt to push otherwise unpopular education proposals through the Senate.
“Most of these issues have been around for years,” Montford, a former Leon County schools superintendent, said. “Some of them have been before this body. They’ve just never been accepted. And the reason they weren’t accepted was because this body came to the conclusion that it was not good for students.”
Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens, said the bill would undermine the Senate’s reputation for independence and bipartisan collegiality.
“I love this Senate too much for me to support this bill or the concept of bills that do this,” he said.
Even Senate leaders seemed wary of the legislation. Sen. David Simmons, who chairs the chamber’s education budget subcommittee, voted against the bill after presenting it to the Senate.
In an unusual opening to the day’s session, Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, essentially apologized for the bill.
“If there’s fault to be had for one of these bills that has gotten a little bit out of control, just understand that we won’t do this again under my watch on this committee,” Latvala said. “I promise you.”
But senators who reluctantly backed the bill also made no secret of the stakes: If it were rejected by the Senate, the House would essentially shut down the budget votes Monday and force the Legislature into a special session.
“This is really more than a vote on this bill,” said Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze. “It’s a vote to come back here in special session. If we vote this down, we will be back here in a few weeks. There’s no question about it.”
In the end, the legislation passed the Senate, 20-18. A tie on the legislation would have killed it.
That the budget and related bills did not pass until Monday was already a sign that, in some ways, the budget process had broken down. Lawmakers were scheduled to end the session last week, but failed to approve a compromise on the budget in time to allow for a constitutionally required 72-hour “cooling off” period before Friday night.
There were other measures tied up in the budget process that also attracted controversy — including a bill (SB 7022) that gives pay raises to state workers but also includes changes to retirement and health-care benefits that some Democrats found hard to stomach.
“On the cover it says pay increases,” said Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee. “But inside the book it says something else.”
Attention quickly shifted Monday night to Scott, who has openly mused about the possibility of vetoing the entire spending package, after lawmakers ignored his push for economic-development incentives, increased funding for tourism marketing and improvements to the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee.
House Minority Leader Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, said she planned to spend the entire summer “at least a couple-hour plane ride away,” in case she needed to return to Tallahassee following a veto.
But even she conceded that with the lopsided margins for the budget in both chambers, a veto by Scott would be unlikely to have much of an effect.
“I don’t think that it would change the outcome,” she said. “It would just send a message.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Bennett Named Tate FFA Alumni Rodeo Queen
May 9, 2017
The Tate High School FFA Alumni Association recently named Jordyn Bennett (pictured right) as 2017 J.M. Tate FFA Alumni Rodeo Queen. Ashley Henderson (left) was named first runner up. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Top Barons Ending Five Game Losing Streak
May 9, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos have struggled since Tyler Mahle threw a perfect game against the Mobile BayBears April 22.
The Blue Wahoos have won just two games and lost 12 since then, including its last five games to the Chattanooga Lookouts.
The antidote? Playing a home series against the Birmingham Barons with the worst record (11-20), worst ERA (4.52) and tied for the worst in hitting (.210) in the Southern League.
But it didn’t get easy Monday until the fifth inning when Pensacola batted around to score five runs on its way to a 6-2 victory in front of 3,647 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Both catcher Joe Hudson and left fielder Tyler Goeddel came up with clutch two-out singles that drove in pairs of runs.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly joked that the team scored more than five runs for the first time since April 20 because they left their bat bags in Chattanooga.
“The last 15 games we’ve had to scramble to score two runs,” Kelly said. “I talked to them in Chattanooga. I said, ‘I’m not going to chew you out but we have to take advantage of the opportunities we get.’ To me it wasn’t a lack of effort. We were trying to get them to relax.”
Hudson ripped a single into the left center gap that drove in both first baseman Angelo Gumbs and DH Eric Jagielo for a, 3-1, Blue Wahoos lead. Goeddel, who spent 2016 with the Philadelphia Phillies, hit a chopper that made it into center field and scored Hudson and center fielder Brian O’Grady to put Pensacola up, 6-1.
Goeddel got on base four out of his five times at the plate, with a double and two RBIs. The 24-year-old has provided a spark to Pensacola’s lineup in his six games with the club going 8-21, or .381 with four RBIs.
Hudson hit a two-out double in the fourth inning to drive in second baseman Alex Blandino to tie the game, 1-1. Hudson was 2-4 with a double, run scored and three RBIs.
For Hudson, the difference at the plate was changing his walk up song to “Believer” by Imagine Dragons released earlier this year. He heard it on the radio on his way to Monday’s game.
“I was listening to that song on my way to the field today,” Hudson said. “I thought, ‘What do I have to lose?’ Baseball is a really odd game. Changing your walk-up song can get you thinking a different way.”
The star of the game, though, had time to sign a baseball and take a photo with wheel-chair bound Bernice Crain, who turned 85 today, after attending her first Blue Wahoos baseball game.
Although, Hudson is batting .212 this season, Hudson’s on-base percentage is .333.
“Those are two huge situations,” Kelly said. “That’s how you win ball games.”
Birmingham scored first to go up, 1-0, in the first inning when DH Cameron Seltzer hit a weak fly ball off the handle into short left field to drive in second baseman Jake Peter, who doubled into the right field corner.
“They got that cheap run in the first inning,” Kelly said. “But (Mahle) kept pitching.”
Meanwhile, Mahle enjoyed getting the most run support in his seven starts from the Blue Wahoos offense.
The 22-year-old right-hander worked six innings, allowed five hits, two runs, a walk and struck out seven. He now leads the Southern League in wins at 5-0 and strikeouts with 48 in 43.2 innings pitched.
Mahle’s only blemish was giving up his second home run of the season to Birmingham first baseman Keon Barnum. He pulled a solo homer – his seventh of the year that ties for first in the Southern League – over the right field fence just above the glove of a leaping Gabriel Guerrero.
Pensacola relievers Ariel Hernandez and Geoff Broussard who pitched a final three scoreless innings combining for four Ks and one hit.
Pensacola remains tied with the Mississippi Braves for first place in the South Division with a 16-15 record.
Kelly is thankful the team won a franchise record eight games to start the season.
“One of the advantages of winning eight straight is you can absorb a streak like the games we’ve been through,” he said.
Missing Pensacola Man Found Dead
May 8, 2017
UPDATED: The body of an elderly man who left his home to get a prescription filled on Friday has been found.
Joseph John Sodomka, 84, who lived near Scenic Heights Elementary School, was found around 2:45 p.m. Sunday in a clay pit area in the 1900 block of Blossom Trail, Pensacola.
Sodomka was last seen by his wife around 9:30 a.m. Friday when he left home to take a prescription to the Navy Hospital to be filled. He was told the prescription would be ready by 4 p.m., but he did not return to get it. Sodomka was on numerous medications and had memory problems.
It is believed he became disoriented and was unable to find his way home. Foul play is not suspected at this time.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation into his death.
Big Detour For Highway 4 — Big Problems To Come For Century?
May 8, 2017
A big detour is going to mean big traffic for ordinarily quiet Century neighborhoods next weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, State Road 4 will be closed from Highway 29 to Jefferson Avenue so that crews from CSX Railroad can construct the Highway 4 rail crossing. Highway 4 traffic, including commercial trucks, will be detoured around using Jefferson Avenue and Pond Street.
The crossing work is part of an overall project to resurface Highway 4 from Highway 29 to the Escambia River Bridge. Originally, plans called for traffic to use a temporary railroad crossing — called an onside diversion in technical terms — directly adjacent to the current crossing. But those plans did not work out.
“The onsite diversion depicted in the original plans did not allow CSX adequate room to perform the railroad upgrade, therefore an alternate detour for State Road 4 traffic was developed,” Tanya Branton, public information specialist for the Florida Department of Transportation, said.
Mayor Henry Hawkins acknowledged that citizens living on and near Jefferson Avenue and Pone Street will be inconvenienced by the detour through the neighborhood, but the decision was that of the state, not the town. He said FDOT may temporarily widen some curves on Pond and Jefferson to allow for larger trucks.
Any damage to town streets will be repaired by FDOT or their contractor, Hawkins said.
Law enforcement will be on had along the detour route to help traffic flowing.
Pictured above and below: In March, Highway 4 was resurfaced near the railroad track and a temporary crossing was constructed. Now, CSX says the temporary crossing is inadequate. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Week Begins Sunny And Warm
May 8, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 86. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 55. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Tate High Jazz Band To Present ‘A Night Of Jazz’ On Tuesday
May 8, 2017
The Tate High School Jazz Band will present “A Night of Jazz” on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the school courtyard.
The band will present jazz music, plus grilled food and concessions will be available. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
In the event of rain, the event will be moved to the cafeteria.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
May 8, 2017
Drivers will encounter traffic variations on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
Bayfront Parkway (State Road (S.R.) 196) at Bayfront Drive Road Closure, 5K- Bayfront Parkway will be closed at Bayfront Drive from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6 for the Brain Tumor run for Research 5K. Local law enforcement will be on site to assist with traffic control.
Creighton Road (S.R. 742) Construction Improvement Project, from east of Davis Highway to Scenic Highway -Work begins the week of May 8 on Creighton Road from east of Davis Highway (S.R. 291/Exit 13) to Scenic Highway (S.R. 10A). Lane closures will only be allowed between 8:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
Interstate 10 (I-10) Routine Maintenance, from U.S. 29 to Davis Highway- East and westbound alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, May 10 and Thursday, May 11 as crews replace overhead and sign lights.
I-10/U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I – Alternating lane closures continue on I-10 near U.S. 29 (Exits 10A and 10B) from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday as crews perform pipe repair and survey work. In addition, intermittent lane closures on the on-and-off ramps at the I-10/U.S. 29 interchange.
I-10 Widening, from Davis Highway to the Escambia Bay Bridge – Alternating lane closures continue on I-10 westbound, between Davis Highway (S.R. 291/Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (U.S. 90/Exit 17), from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday as crews perform paving work.
U.S. 29 (S.R. 95) Widening, from I-10 to Nine Mile Road- Alternating lane closures continue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road and on Nine Mile Road near the U.S. 29/ Nine Mile Road overpass as crews perform drainage and bridge operations.
Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening, from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29- Alternating lane closures on 8 Mile Creek Road from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, May 8 and Wednesday, May 10. Additionally, alternating lane closures on Pine Cone Drive from 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 9 to 6 a.m. Wednesday, May 10 as crews relocate utilities. Traffic flaggers will be on site to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
Navy Boulevard (S.R. 295) Soil Density Testing at Gulf Beach Highway (S.R. 292) – Intermittent and alternating lane closures from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday, May 11 and Friday, May 12 as crews perform soil testing operations.
S.R. 4 Resurfacing, from U.S. 29 to the Escambia River Bridge – S.R. 4 from U.S. 29 to Jefferson Avenue will be closed and traffic detoured Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14 as crews from CSX Railroad reconstruct the rail crossing in Century. Westbound traffic on S.R. 4 will utilize Jefferson Avenue and Pond Street to access U.S. 29. North and southbound U.S. 29 traffic seeking access to S.R. 4 will utilize the same detour route from Pond Street to Jefferson Avenue.
Striping work will take place on S.R. 292 (Sorrento Road) near Ford Drive, Monday, May 8and Tuesday May 9. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
State Road 30 (U.S. 98) Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – The right lane of U.S. 98 east and westbound on the Pensacola Bay Bridge will be closed from 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 to 6 a.m. Thursday, May 11 as crews install traffic monitoring devices.
Santa Rosa County:
I-10 Widening, from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – Eastbound traffic has been shifted to the new inside travel lanes. Crews will now begin reconstructing the outside portion of the Avalon Boulevard overpass and the outside travel lanes.
S.R. 87 Widening, from Eglin Air Force Base Boundary to 2 Miles South of the Yellow River Bridge – Traffic on State Road (S.R.) 87, between County Road (C.R.) 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) and the Eglin AFB boundary, is restricted to loads under 11 feet wide. The restriction will extend through the completion of the S.R. 87 widening project.
State Road 30 (U.S. 98) Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – The right lane of U.S. 98 east and westbound on the Pensacola Bay Bridge will be closed from 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 to 6 a.m. Thursday, May 11 as crews install traffic monitoring devices.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the construction zone, and to pay attention for workers and equipment entering and exiting the work area. All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Pen Wheels Disabled Fishing Rodeo Held In Walnut Hill
May 8, 2017
The 43rd annual Pen Wheels Fishing Rodeo was held Saturday in Walnut Hill.
Over the history of the fishing rodeo, it has been held at locations ranging from Ft. Pickens to the Three Mile Bridge in Pensacola. Since 2001, it has been held at Jantz’s Catfish Pond on South Highway 99, just off Highway 97.
Dozens of volunteers stood ready Saturday to help the disabled. They baited hooks, tossed a line and offered words of friendly encouragement, while dozens of disabled people were registered in Saturday’s fishing rodeo. They were from around the area, including Pensacola and Century.
The Pen Wheels Fishing Rodeo is provided to the disabled for free as a project of the Pensacola Fiesta of Five Flags organization.
Pictured: The Pen Wheel Fishing Rodeo for the disabled Saturday in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Pickup Truck Found Wrecked In Walnut Hill Wooded Area
May 8, 2017
A wrecked pickup truck was found abandoned in the woods in Walnut Hill Sunday afternoon.
A passerby spotted the pickup in a small wooded area about 4:00 p.m. on Pine Forest Road, just northeast of Pelt Road. The driver was no longer around the vehicle, and it was apparent that the accident had happened earlier.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
