Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Haunted Houses?
April 16, 2017
It could seem at times this week like Tallahassee was being visited by the Ghost of Sessions Past. The hope is that the phantom will not bring about the same results as those old meetings.
Once again, a program known as the Low Income Pool, or LIP, was in the headlines because of its potential effects on the budget — something that helped cause a special session in 2015. And once again, lawmakers were putting some hefty policy ideas into the budget process — something that caused the session to nearly collapse in 2011.
But not every sound in Tallahassee was an echo. A crisis of recent vintage — what to do about an Orlando-area prosecutor who refuses to seek the death penalty — was generating headlines of its own. That was less likely to upend the session, but it was part of a battle that could last until after lawmakers have left the Capitol.
LET’S MAKE A DEAL
The chief concern for legislators over the next 2 ½ weeks will be hammering out how to spend somewhere between $81.2 billion and $85.1 billion to run the state for the year beginning July 1. And the first part of that is figuring out where in that $3.9 billion range the final budget will land.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” said House Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, specializing in understatement.
Senate and House budget plans did not prove to be overly controversial on their own. The Senate approved its version unanimously Wednesday, despite some sniping among Republicans. The House followed suit on Thursday, though as a more partisan chamber, it acted on an 89-26 vote that still featured support from members of both parties.
The biggest clashes were destined to be between the chambers, despite an unexpected windfall announced Wednesday by Gov. Rick Scott and the federal government: a total of $1.5 billion for LIP, which provides money to help care for poor and uninsured patients.
That appeared to be about $900 million more than the program will receive in the current year, and Scott was quick to applaud President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican, for the increase.
“Working with the Trump administration to secure a commitment of $1.5 billion in LIP funding for our state will truly improve the quality and access to health care for our most vulnerable populations,” Scott said.
It could also ease (or exacerbate) the budget impasse between the two sides, though by how much is unclear. Federal and local funds are used in LIP, and the details were still being considered as the week ended. In any case, there were already signs that House and Senate leaders might disagree as much on how to use the money as they do on everything else.
Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, welcomed the agreement but said it would take time to figure out how much the funds could help other areas of the budget.
“I think it’s too early to tell exactly how we would do that and what the logistics would be,” Negron said. “But it’s a very positive development for putting our budget together.”
The House, which unlike the Senate did not include any LIP money in its spending plan, didn’t seem eager to use the money to ease some of its proposed budget cuts. Such a move would bring the plan closer to the Senate’s budget.
“We would probably like to use it either (in) tax cuts or put it straight into reserves and shore up some more reserves for the out years,” Trujillo said.
Add that to a list of disagreements about local education property taxes, whether to authorize bonding in future years to build a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee and myriad other issues that usually have to be worked out during budget negotiations.
“Neither side — the House or the Senate — has the right to dictate unilateral terms of surrender to the other side,” Negron said.
It was too early for either side to blink, but it was also getting late in the session for both chambers to be holding their ground. If they hope to end the legislative session on time May 5, lawmakers will have to work out their differences by May 2 because of a legally required cooling-off period for the budget.
THE CONFORMING BILLS STRIKE BACK
Six years ago, the session was almost derailed by cramming broad swaths of policy into “conforming bills” — legislation meant to tweak state law to bring it in line with the budget. Senators rebelled and the session went into overtime, with the whole thing crashing to an end in the predawn hours of a Saturday.
There is not, as of yet, quite as much policy being sent to the negotiating table. And Senate leaders — including Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who has himself been a rebel — indicated no heartburn so far.
Still, there are a few big-ticket items heading to the budget conference, such as a sweeping set of changes to education policy.
The most controversial proposal (HB 5105) would create the “Schools of Hope” program, meant to encourage charter schools to set up near academically troubled traditional schools. The House budget sets aside $200 million for qualifying charter schools, making the issue eligible for the budget talks.
The Senate has yet to take up the “Schools of Hope” proposal in a substantive way, but the House approved it Thursday on a party-line vote, 77-40, after about three hours of debate.
Opponents slammed the legislation as part of a long-running trend toward giving charter-school operators greater influence in the state’s public education system.
“This is not a school of hope,” said Rep. Barbara Watson, D-Miami Gardens. “This is a Band-Aid that has a sore festering underneath it.”
But Republicans argued that Democrats were in the thrall of the state’s main teachers union, the Florida Education Association, and were less interested in looking out for children and parents.
“They want an option,” Rep. Ross Spano, R-Dover, said of parents in the areas affected by the program. “They don’t care what it is. … They just want education for their kids.”
Only slightly less controversial are bills that could lead to local school districts sharing construction dollars raised from local property taxes with charter schools, and an overhaul of the contentious Best and Brightest bonus program for teachers.
It’s possible, and perhaps likely, to see the Senate going along with some version of those education bills. It’s far harder to see the Senate considering a measure that would place new public employees who don’t select a retirement plan into the state’s 401(k)-style investment plan rather than into the traditional pension system.
The House legislation would also bar newly elected officials, including state lawmakers, Cabinet members, judges, county commissioners and school board members, from joining the traditional pension plan after July 1, 2018. They would receive retirement benefits through the investment plan.
Rep. Loranne Ausley, D-Tallahassee, pushed an amendment would have eliminated the controversial revisions while authorizing changes in the annual pension contributions paid by state government, school districts, county governments and other public agencies.
The Senate in past years has rejected attempts to limit the traditional pension plan. The new House bill would tie such revisions to the annual contribution changes that are required to make sure the pension system is fiscally sound for the long term.
Ausley warned that if the House bill is rejected by the Senate, it could hurt the financial stability of the $149 billion pension fund. The Senate version (SB 7022) only has the contribution changes and would bolster the fund by $149.5 million.
“The Florida retirement system is at risk of being underfunded,” Ausley warned. “This (the House approach) is a very risky move.”
Rep. Matt Caldwell, the sponsor of the bill, defended the legislation, said it would protect employees who don’t make a selection by placing them in the investment plan, where they could keep their contributions and investments if they left government jobs.
“The odds are it will be to the benefit of the employee,” said Caldwell, R-North Fort Myers.
SEE YOU IN COURT(S)
Meanwhile, the battle between Scott and Central Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala continued, this time with Ayala filing lawsuits against the governor in federal and state courts over her removal from nearly two-dozen capital cases because of her refusal to seek the death penalty.
Ayala went to federal court and the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging Scott’s authority to strip her office from handling the cases. She argues that prosecutors have broad discretion in deciding whether to seek death for defendants accused of first-degree murder.
One of the challenges accused Scott of “unnecessarily and precipitously” creating confusion regarding criminal prosecutions, and of doing so “just to score political points.”
“It bothers me,” Scott told reporters Tuesday when asked about Ayala’s challenges. “I think every citizen deserves a state attorney who is going to prosecute the cases.”
In the federal case filed in the Middle District of Florida, Ayala’s lawyer Roy Austin argued that Scott’s ouster of Ayala is a violation of the 14th Amendment right to due process and violates the rights of voters who elected Ayala to represent them.
While the Florida Constitution authorizes the death penalty, it does not require state attorneys to choose it, Austin said.
“There is no mandate that any prosecutor in Florida ever seek the death penalty,” he told The News Service of Florida.
But Bernie McCabe, the state attorney in Pasco and Pinellas counties, said prosecutors are obligated to uphold Florida law, even if they are not forced to by the Constitution.
“I think if you’re going to be the state attorney and you’re sworn to uphold the laws of the state of Florida, you’ve got to do all of them,” McCabe said. “If you accept this job, you have to accept that the governor can remove you from a case if he thinks that’s in the best interest of justice. That’s just the way it is.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: The House and Senate approved their respective versions of the state budget, setting the stage for negotiations on a final spending plan.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Privacy is privacy. Remember the old chicken ad, parts is parts? Well, privacy is privacy and it’s very dear to the hearts of women.”—Barbara DeVane, a lobbyist who represents the Florida chapter of the National Organization for Women, urging the Constitution Revision Commission to preserve the Constitution’s privacy clause, which has been used to strike down legislation restricting abortion.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Farm Bureau — Food Prices Down For Easter
April 16, 2017
Lower retail prices for several foods, including eggs, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, chicken breasts and toasted oat cereal resulted in a significant decrease in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Spring Picnic Marketbasket Survey.
“As expected due to lower farm-gate prices, we have seen continued declines in retail prices for livestock products including eggs, beef, chicken, pork and cheese,” said John Newton, AFBF’s director of market intelligence.
The informal survey showed the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $50.03, down $3.25 or about 6 percent compared to a year ago. Of the 16 items surveyed, 11 decreased, four increased and one remained the same in average price.
Egg prices are down sharply from a year ago and also are down slightly from the third quarter of 2016.
“Egg prices continue to move back toward long-run average prices following the bird flu of 2014/15,” said Newton. “The Agriculture Department is currently monitoring bird flu detections in the Southeast U.S. If detections continue, retail poultry prices could feel an impact due to lower exports or changes in supply,” he said.
“As farm-gate prices for livestock products have declined and remained lower, prices in the retail meat case have become more competitive,” Newton said.
Retail price changes from a year ago:
· eggs, down 41percent to $1.32 per dozen
· toasted oat cereal, down 15 percent to $2.83 for a 9-ounce box
· sirloin tip roast, down 13 percent to $4.95 per pound
· ground chuck, down 10 percent to $3.92 per pound
· chicken breast, down 6 percent to $3.17 per pound
· apples, down 6 percent to $1.55 per pound
· flour, down 5 percent to $2.36 for a 5-pound bag
· shredded cheddar cheese, down 4 percent to $4.10 per pound
· deli ham, down 3 percent to $5.42 per pound
· bacon, down 3 percent to $4.65 per pound
· potatoes, down 1 percent to $2.68 for a 5-pound bag
· bagged salad, up 6 percent to $2.34 per pound
· white bread, up 2 percent to $1.72 per 20-ounce loaf
· orange juice, up 1 percent to $3.22 per half-gallon
· whole milk, up 1 percent to $3.27 per gallon
· vegetable oil, no change, $2.55 for a 32-ounce bottle
Price checks of alternative milk and egg choices not included in the overall marketbasket survey average revealed the following: 1/2 gallon whole regular milk, $2.10; 1/2 gallon organic milk, $4.20; and one dozen “cage-free” eggs, $3.48.
The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.
“Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Newton said.
AFBF, the nation’s largest general farm organization, began conducting informal quarterly marketbasket surveys of retail food price trends in 1989. The series includes a spring picnic survey, summer cookout survey, fall harvest survey and Thanksgiving dinner cost survey.
According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 117 shoppers in 31 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in March.
Wahoos Beat Biloxi
April 16, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos third basemen Taylor Sparks said he gets as excited when he walks as when he hits a home run.
Sparks was really excited Saturday when he hit the game-winning homer to right field in the 11th inning at MGM Park against Biloxi Shuckers reliever Taylor Scott. The Sparks homer, his second of the season, gave Pensacola a 2-1 victory Friday over the Shuckers and helped the Blue Wahoos clinch the five-game series with its third win.
Biloxi only got one hit on the night when shortstop Maurico Dubon singled on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Sparks.
Pensacola starter Deck McGuire tossed a one-hitter in his six innings of work and allowed one unearned run, while walking two and striking out seven.
Biloxi went ahead, 1-0, in the first inning when shortstop Maurico Dubon walked and then stole second and third base. Dubon scored when Pensacola catcher Devin Mesoraco was charged with an error trying to throw Dubon out at third. Dubon also stole second and third in the third inning.
But Pensacola pitchers combined after Dubon’s bunt single in the third inning to the 11th inning to retire the last 26 batters that Biloxi sent to the plate.
McGuire, Brennan Bernardino, Ariel Hernandez, Domingo Tapia and Jimmy Herget shut down the Biloxi lineup. Herget struck out the side in the 11th inning to earn his fourth save in four opportunities. Pensacola’s five pitchers struck out 16 Biloxi hitters.
Pensacola tied the game, 1-1, in the eighth inning when Blue Wahoos right fielder Aristides Aquino hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored catcher Devin Mesoraco.
Biloxi pitcher Luis Ortiz threw a no-hitter through five innings, walking four and striking out five. The Shuckers five pitchers combined to strike out 14 Blue Wahoos hitters.
Pensacola left fielder Gabriel Guerrero was 2-5 with two singles for his fifth multi-hit game in nine games. He is batting .351 on the season. Second baseman Josh VanMeter also had two hits in four at bats, and walked. He is now hitting .321 for the Blue Wahoos.
No Injuries In Highway 29, Tate School Road Wreck
April 16, 2017
There were no serious injuries in a traffic accident just before 6 p.m. Saturday at Highway 29 and Tate School Road. Further details not yet released from the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kirsti Barbour, click to enlarge.
Slight Chance Of Rain This Easter Sunday
April 16, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 86.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Indecent Exposure: Century Man Caught With His Pants Down
April 15, 2017
A Century man remains behind bars after allegedly exposing himself to neighbors and deputies.
Isaac Levon Mitchell, 32, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on a charge of indecent exposure with bond set at $5,000.
When Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies answered a complaint call at Mitchell’s residence on Alger Road, they reported finding him standing in his front yard with his pants and underwear down to his knees. When he spotted deputies, he ran inside his residence and then out the back door, according to an arrest report.
He was taken into custody in the back yard with his pants and underwear reportedly still down to his knees. At least two people in addition to deputies were witnesses to the incident, an ECSO report states.
Deputies reported finding a couple of pornographic magazines on a truck where they first saw Mitchell standing.
Local Rolex Theft Investigation Reaches Around The World
April 15, 2017
The long arm of the law is reaching around the world in this investigation as law enforcement officers try to find two Romanian citizens who stole a Rolex watch from a Pensacola business, fled the area and were identified with help from a crime analyst in the United Kingdom.
German Adam, 27, and Constantin Munteanu, 28, are both wanted for grand theft of a Rolex watch from Jewelers Trade Shop, 26 S. Palafox St. The theft occurred November 17, 2016 when the two suspects entered the store and inquired about purchasing the watch, which was valued at $37,550.
The suspects said they would pay half the cost in cash and the remainder via credit card.
One of the suspects asked an employee to ask her supervisor for the best price they could get on the watch and told her they would return with the credit card. The suspects then left the store, and within approximately 10 minutes, the employee noticed the watch was missing. The employee told police that during their encounter, the suspects had constantly distracted her with questions and kept trying to give her cash.
The theft was posted on the Pensacola Police Department’s Face Book page, distributed to media via press release and an intelligence bulletin was sent to law enforcement agencies.
On March 29, Detective Gilbert Galloway Jr. received an email from an analyst for Northumbria Police in England who works with various international law enforcement agencies regarding Romanian nationals who commit sleight of hand distraction thefts.
The group has traveled from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada.
The analyst told Galloway that Adam’s brother, Mircea Adam, was taken into custody March 27 in Nogales, AZ, after he illegally crossed the border from Mexico. Mircea Adam had arrived in Mexico on March 25 on a flight from Madrid. The analyst said Mircea Adam’s cell phone contained an image of an online article related to the watch theft in Pensacola.
As the analyst continued his investigation, he identified the two suspects and with combined information from Galloway, the two men were identified as the ones who stole the watch from Jewelers Trade.
Munteanu is believed to still be in the United States. However, German Adam was deported from Canada on March 4 and returned to Romania, Galloway said. Anyone having information on the incident or who may know Munteanu’s location is asked to contact Detective Gilbert Galloway Jr. at (850) 435-1974, the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900, or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
UWF Awarded $1.3 Million National Science Foundation Grant
April 15, 2017
The National Science Foundation awarded a $1.3 million, five-year grant to support University of West Florida students pursuing teaching careers in STEM fields, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Eighteen STEM majors will become Robert Noyce Scholars and receive funding for the cost of attending UWF during their junior and senior years,” said Dr. John Pecore, the principal investigator. He proposed and will administer the NSF grant. Pecore is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership in UWF’s College of Education and Professional Studies.
To be eligible to become a Noyce Scholar, students must be pursuing a UWF-Teach degree. Through a collaboration between the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering and the College of Education and Professional Studies, UWF-Teach students graduate in four years with a Bachelor of Arts degree in a STEM field and Florida grades six through 12 professional teacher certification. Students complete the content of a regular science or math major along with education coursework and practical teaching experience.
The Noyce Scholarship Grant will fund the participation of the 18 UWF-Teach Noyce Scholars in a citizen-based education research project where they will collaborate with a Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering faculty member and a STEM master mentor to design lessons that elicit middle or high school students to engage in an ongoing UWF faculty research project.
“After graduating, each highly qualified Noyce scholar will work with an average of 150 different students per year for a total of approximately 750 students every five years. Eighteen Noyce Scholars will impact an estimated 13,500 students every five years in high-need school districts,” Pecore said.
Students applying to receive a Noyce Scholarship must maintain a minimum GPA, submit faculty recommendations, write a two-page essay and sit for an interview.
“The goal of the Noyce program is to recruit the best and brightest STEM majors who want to pursue a teaching career in high-needs school districts,” Pecore said.
In addition to funding the studies of juniors and seniors who become Noyce Scholars while pursuing their UWF-Teach degrees, the $1.3 million NSF grant will fund recruitment of students, with a special focus on recruiting underrepresented minorities into the STEM teaching field.
The project supports eligible dual-enrolled freshmen and sophomore STEM students at UWF, Pensacola State College and Northwest Florida State College. Support comes in the form of teaching experience in conjunction with coursework and a summer internship at a middle or high school in a high-needs school district.
“The idea is early and often,” Pecore said. “We want to get STEM majors into the classroom as early in their college career and as often as possible during their four years of study. These field experiences in the school setting are invaluable.”
Besides funding 18 Noyce Scholars and supporting recruitment of STEM majors into the teaching field, the NSF grant is also dedicated to supporting graduates during their first few years of teaching.
Pecore said one of the ways to support new teachers is to provide continual opportunities for professional development.
“By collaborating with school districts, UWF-Teach graduates will receive additional supports to ensure their success as a novice teacher, increasing the likelihood that Noyce scholars will remain in the teaching profession and continue to impact thousands of students,” Pecore said.
In addition to administering the grant during its five-year duration, Pecore will also conduct research associated with it.
“We want to determine what factors encourage STEM majors to consider teaching careers and what factors contribute to their retention in the teaching profession,” he said.
Wildfire Burns Through About 40 Acres In Molino
April 15, 2017
A wildfire burned about 40 acres in Molino Friday afternoon before being brought under control.
The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. But Florida Forest Service personnel and an Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement investigator believe it was caused by a person.
The fire was off Highway 95A and north of Molino Road in Molino in the area of Morgan and Nicholson Drive. The fire was well off the main roads.
The Forest Service and Escambia County Fire Rescue were first called to the area around 7 a.m. Friday as residents reported the smell of smoke. With foggy conditions, the smoke was indistinguishable and no fire was found.
At about 2:30 p.m., while on routine patrol, the Blackwater Forestry Center’s fixed wing aircraft pilot reported seeing smoke and flew the area. There were no authorized burns on record and crews responded with bulldozers and a brush truck to find the fire had burned through about 30 acres at the time suppression began.
Crews were able to establish a fire line around most of the burned area rather quickly but pockets of heat remain along the southern edge of the fire in a creek bottom where access was difficult. Forest firefighters were set to return to the area on Saturday to evaluate the situation.
In addition to the Florida Forest Service, the Molino, McDavid, Century and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue also worked to contain the blaze and protect any threatened structures.
File photo.
Egg Hunts, Sunrise, Special Services Planned
April 15, 2017
Here is a list of Easter activities planned in the North Escambia area today and Sunday, including sunrise services.
SATURDAY
Atmore Easter in the Park
The Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce will hold Easter in the Park Saturday in in Heritage Park on the corner of Main and Craig streets. Free refreshments, arts and crafts and Easter games. The Easter Bunny will arrive at 9:30 am. and the fun continues until 11:30 a.m. Easter photo packages will be offered for sale.
Enon Community Easter Egg Hunt
A Community Easter Egg Hunt will be held at Enon Baptist Church Saturday at 10 a.m. with a light lunch to follow. Children in first through fifth grades are welcome. The church is located at 7121 County Road 97A in Walnut Hill.
Aldersgate Molino Easter Egg Hunt
Aldersgate United Methodist Church will hold an Easter Egg hunt on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. at the church, 6915 Highway 29 in Molino.
Quintette Community Center Easter Egg Hunt
The Quintette Community Center will hold their annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Lots of fun, games and food.
Molino Chapel Egg Hunt
A Community Easter Egg Hunt will be held at Molino Chapel at 6954 Nicholson Road in Molino on Saturday at 2 p.m. There will also be games, gifts and food. The church is located at 6954 Nicholson Road in Molino.
Atmore Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday (The Easter Vigil Mass) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Robert Catholic Church, South Main Street, Atmore.
SUNDAY
Community Sunrise Service — Molino
A Molino Community Sunrise Service will be held at 6:30 a.m. Sunday at Aldersgate United Methodist Church on Highway 29, just south of Highway 97.
Community Sonrise Service — Blue Wahoos Stadium
Marcus Pointe Baptist Church will present the 2017 Community Sonrise Service at the Blue Wahoos Stadium in downtown Pensacola on Sunday at 6 a.m. It is Pensacola’s Easter tradition is a state of the art stadium. PensacolaChurch.org
Trinity Lutheran Church – LCMS
Trinity Lutheran Church at 2385 Highway 297A in Cantonment will hold a 7 a.m. Easter sunrise service, 8 a.m. breakfast and 10 a.m. Festival service. Bring fresh cut flowers to be placed at the cross. Speaker is Rev. Sanford Stanton.
Gonzalez United Methodist Church
Gonzalez United Methodist Church at 2026 Pauline Street in Cantonment will hold a 6:30 a.m. sunrise service at the pond, Easter breakfast at 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m. traditional service in the sanctuary, 10 a.m. contemporary service with praise band in the Community Life Center. Nursery provided for all services. GonzalezMethodist.org
Walnut Hill Baptist Church
Walnut Hill Baptist Church at 5741 Arthur Brown Road will hold a sunrise service at 6 a.m. Praise and worship service at 10:30 a.m. No Sunday School or evening worship service.
Brooks Memorial — Atmore
Brooks Memorial Baptist Church in Atmore will hold a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m., Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. an worship at 10:30 a.m. with a choir cantata.
Atmore Easter Sunday Service
Easter Sunday Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord Sunday at 9 a.m. at St. Robert Catholic Church, South Main Street, Atmore.
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church – McDavid
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church at 170 West Bogia Road in McDavid will hold Easter Sunday morning worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Highland Baptist – Molino
Highland Baptist Church in Molino will hold a Kids Egg Hunt at 9:30 a.m. Sunday and a 10:45 a.m. Easter Worship service.
Bratt Assembly of God
Bratt Assembly of God at 5150 West Highway 4 will present an Easter service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Special music, message, fellowship, dinner on the grounds and an egg hunt.
First Baptist Church of Flomaton
The First Baptist Church of Flomaton will hold an Easter Worship Service at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. No Sunday School, no evening worship.
Enon Baptist Church Easter Cantata
Enon Baptist Church will present their Easter Cantata, “Our God Reigns”, on April 16, at 11 a.m. The church is located at 7121 County Road 97A in Walnut Hill