Friday Night Playoff Finals
November 11, 2017
Here are Friday night playoff final scores from across the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA — Quarterfinals
Region 1- Class 6A
St. Augustine 49, Tate 14
Crestview 38, Gulf Breeze 35
Escambia 28, Pine Forest 0
Navarre 49, Niceville 47
Region 1-5A
West Florida 42 Rickards 19
Region 1-1A
Baker 42, Jay 6
Chipley 30 Holmes County 29 OT
ALABAMA
AISA 2A Semifinals
Escambia Academy 50, Macon East 13
Pictured: Escambia Academy at Macon East. NorthEscambia.com photo by Ditto Gorme, click to enlarge.
Florida State Parks Offering Free Admission For Veterans Day
November 11, 2017
Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida State Parks will be offering free admission for all families and visitors on Veterans Day, November 11th, to honor all who have served and are currently serving in our U.S. military. Florida State Parks offer year-round discounts on Annual Entrance Passes to those who currently serve or have served in the U.S. military, veterans with service related disabilities and surviving spouses of members of the U.S. military who have fallen in combat.
Governor Scott said, “As a Navy veteran myself, I am proud to honor our veterans by offering free entry to the best state park system in the nation. Our award-winning state parks offer countless of opportunities for families and friends to enjoy Florida’s natural treasures. This Veterans Day, I encourage all Florida residents and visitors to visit a state park and to recognize our military heroes for their selfless sacrifices.”
DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein said, “It is an honor to offer free entry to Florida’s outstanding state parks for all visitors as a sign of appreciation for our veterans. Florida State Parks are home to some of the most special places in the country, and we invite everyone to come out and enjoy these prized natural resources.”
Pictured: Big Lagoon State Park in Escambia County. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Rollover Crash Near Byrneville
November 10, 2017
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover crash just before sunrise Friday near Byrneville.
The driver of a Ford Explorer was eastbound on West Highway 4 near Dora Lee Killam Road when she lost control, left the roadway, struck a culvert and overturned. The vehicle came to rest upright on the shoulder of the road.
The female driver was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries following the 5:30 a.m. crash.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Woman Injured In Highway 29 Rollover Crash
November 10, 2017
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover accident on Highway 29 early Friday morning.
The accident happened just after 1 a.m. on Highway 29 near West Quintette Road, with the vehicle come to rest on its roof. The driver was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Facing Weapons, Battery Charges
November 10, 2017
A Cantonment man is facing multiple felony charges after a fight with his girlfriend.
William Dean Meincke, 41, was charged with domestic battery by strangulation, possess of a short barrelled shotgun, five counts of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. and four counts of a possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Meincke allegedly became involved in an argument with his live-in girlfriend at his home on on Brookhills Drive in Cantonment because she caught him on his phone talking to another woman. He denied ever touching the victim.
The victim claimed she caught him looking at a pornographic website on his phone, leading to the argument. The victim said Meincke picked up her phone and hid it from her after she began to dial her mother’s phone number. She said the argument escalated, with Meincke grabbing her by her neck, throwing her down and holding her for several minutes. She told deputies she felt her airway closing up during the incident.
The victim allegedly told Meincke that she was calling the Sheriff’s Office, causing him to push her. She said she stumbled backwards, injuring her foot as it went through an air vent.
Deputes reported finding multiple weapons in Meincke’s bedroom, including a 12-guage short barrelled shotgun, a .22 mag pocket pistol with two .22 mag cartridge, a Smith & Wesson SD40 with a fully loaded 13-round magazine, a 9mm gun with a fully loaded 17-round magazine and a .22 pistol. Meincke, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is a a convicted felon not allowed to possess firearms.
Meincke remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday morning with bond set at $110,000.
Florida Supreme Court Tosses Out Medical Malpractice Changes In Local Case
November 10, 2017
Saying that changes approved by lawmakers “have gashed Florida’s constitutional right to privacy,” a sharply divided Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected parts of a controversial 2013 medical-malpractice law.
The ruling, which overturned a decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal, came in an Escambia County case. The plaintiff, North Escambia resident Gayle Weaver , contemplated filing a medical-malpractice lawsuit against physician Stephen Myers but was concerned about the constitutionality of the ex-parte change, according to court documents. Weaver was the wife of the late Thomas E. Weaver, whose care was at issue in the malpractice allegations. Justices, in a 4-3 decision, said the 2013 law — which involved an issue known as “ex parte” communications between doctors and defense attorneys — could lead to the disclosure of patients’ private health information that is unrelated to malpractice cases.
The law dealt with the process in which defense attorneys gather information in medical-malpractice disputes and their conversations with doctors who treat plaintiffs for reasons unrelated to the alleged malpractice. The 2013 law would allow such conversations, at least in certain circumstances, to occur outside the presence of the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
Opponents of the law argued that such “ex parte” communications could lead to violations of patient privacy.
“Even the possibility that a person’s extremely sensitive private medical information will be exposed is the type of governmental intrusion that the Florida Constitution protects against because it is impossible to know if an inadvertent disclosure occurred when the meetings are not only ex parte and without a judge, but also secret without a record,” Justice R. Fred Lewis wrote in Thursday’s 50-page majority opinion striking down the parts of the law. “In the case of protected medical information, the danger is uniquely and unconstitutionally great because once the bell has been rung, it cannot be unrung.”
Lewis was joined in the majority by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and justices Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince.
But Justice Charles Canady, in a dissent joined by justices Ricky Polston and Alan Lawson, disagreed that the 2013 changes violated the constitutional right to privacy and described the majority opinion as an “unwarranted interference with the Legislature’s authority.” Canady also said nothing in the law allowed disclosure of irrelevant medical information during ex parte conversations.
“In short, medical malpractice claimants waive whatever constitutional privacy rights they may have in relevant medical information,” Canady wrote. “Because the 2013 amendments do not in any way authorize the discussion of irrelevant medical information, medical malpractice claimants have no constitutional right to prevent the ex parte meetings.”
The 2013 law was part of a years-long political fight between groups such as doctors and plaintiffs’ attorneys about the medical-malpractice system. Supporters of the law argued, in part, that allowing ex parte communications could lead to more information about malpractice claims and help resolve cases before they go to trial.
As part of the ruling, Lewis also wrote that the majority was making clear that the privacy rights of people who have died are protected.
“Death does not retroactively abolish the constitutional protections for privacy that existed at the moment of death,” Lewis wrote. “To hold otherwise would be ironic because it would afford greater privacy rights to plaintiffs who survived alleged medical malpractice while depriving plaintiffs of the same protections where the alleged medical malpractice was egregious enough to end the lives of those plaintiffs.”
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Century Honors Veterans (With Photo Gallery)
November 10, 2017
The Town of Century held a program to honor veterans Thursday afternoon at the Century Community Center. The program featured patriotic music from the Byrneville Elementary School choir, the presentation of the colors and an American flag folding demonstration by the Northview High School Naval JROTC. Guest speaker was Century resident Sgt. Major Hal Carnley who retired with 31-years military service.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Let’s Sing America: Bratt Elementary Veterans Day Program (With Gallery)
November 10, 2017
Bratt Elementary School presented “Let’s Sing America”, a special Veterans Day program, Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Veterans Day Closures
November 10, 2017
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Below is a listing of Escambia County offices and departments closed on Friday, Nov. 10 in observance of the Veterans Day holiday. Normal operations resume on Monday, Nov. 13 unless otherwise noted.
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Tax Collector
- Escambia County Area Transit administrative offices
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office
- Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s office
- Escambia County Animal Shelter
- West Florida Public Libraries
Exceptions:
- ECAT will run regular service Friday, Nov. 10, but UWF Trolleys will not run. On Saturday, Nov. 11, ECAT bus and UWF Trolley routes will not run. Regular ECAT service will resume Sunday, Nov. 12. For more information about ECAT schedules, click here.
- Animal Control will be responding to emergency calls only.
- The Perdido Landfill will be open for normal business hours.
TOWN OF CENTURY
All offices closed on Friday, Nov. 10.
ECUA
ECUA business offices, facilities, and the drive-thru payment lane at the Ellyson Industrial Park Campus will be open on Friday, November 10, however, the Customer Service office and walk-in payment area will be closed in observance of the Veteran’s Day holiday.
All residential sanitation, recycling, yard trash collections and commercial sanitation collections will remain on their usual schedules and will not be affected by the holiday.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northview Holds Veterans Program (With Photo Gallery)
November 10, 2017
Northview High School honored veterans Thursday with their annual Veterans Day program.
The guest speaker was Captain Chuck Kicker USN (ret) who served for 30 years as a Navy Surface Warfare Officer. He has continued his service to our country as a federal civil service employee and is currently the Executive Director of the Center of Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), training future Sailors and Marines.
The event also included essay readings, a flag folding detail by the Northview NJROTC and special recognition of veterans.
For more more photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.