Northview, Jay Runners Place At District Cross Country Meet
October 29, 2017
The top cross country runners in District 1-1A competed Saturday at Pace High School with individuals from Northview and Jay qualifiying to advance to the regionals in Lake City.
Northview’s Tanner Levins placed sixth with a personal record time of 19:08:02 to advance.
Jillian Thornton from Jay placed as the third individual runner with a time of 21:59.06 and Hannah Whitlock of Jay finished fourth with a time of 22:07.98. Both will advance to Lake City.
Jay’s boys team finished third in the district, whole Northview was fifth. In girls team action, Jay took third place.
Results were as follows:
BOYS 1A
Individual finishers
- Hailey Myddleton (Paxton) – 17:28.68
- Dalton Lewis (Central HS) – 18:48.98
- Daniel Griswold (Central HS) – 18:52.26
- Celeb Wibbing (Paxton) – 18:53.34
- Eugene Hall (Paxton) – 19:01.84
- Tanner Levins (Northview) – 19:08.02
- Carstan Cochran (Pensacola Christian) – 19:18.27
- Shawn White (Paxton) – 19:19.78
- Gregory Chaitha (Baker) – 19:20.76
- Jonathan Tutton (Pensacola Christian) – 19:28.34
Team finishers
- Paxton – 21 points
- Pensacola Christian – 53
- Jay – 92
- Freeport – 105
- Northview – 130
- Baker – 141
- Rocky Bayou – 156
GIRLS 1A
Individual finishers
- Maya Espinosa (Baker) – 21:01.30
- Gabriela Espinosa (Baker) – 21:43.63
- Jillian Thornton (Jay) – 21:59.06
- Hannah Whitlock (Jay) – 22:07.98
- Madelinde Arthur (Freeport) – 22:14.05
- Emily Butts (Paxton) – 22:30.62
- Camellia Strickland (Freeport) – 22:41.91
- Eliana Butler (Baker) – 22:46.73
- Layne Burkart (Rocky Bayou) – 22:54.73
- Julia Knight (Baker) – 23:12.77
Team finishers
- Baker – 38 points
- Rocky Bayou – 77
- Jay – 85
- Pensacola Christian – 90
- Paxton – 106
- Freeport – 113
For additional photos, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Football Drops First Road Game of the Season
October 29, 2017
No. 23 West Alabama used a tough ground attack and intercepted West Florida twice in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 35-18 win at Tiger Stadium Saturday.
UWF (5-3, 3-3 Gulf South) penetrated deep into UWA territory seven times but scored just one touchdown and four field goals while ending with 371 yards of total offense. The Argonauts totaled 100 yards on the ground with Leroy Wilson rushing for 64 on seven carries, including a 31-yarder in the third quarter.
Mike Beaudry finished with 271 yards passing on 27-of-51 with a touchdown and two interceptions. Antoine Griffin had eight receptions for 90 yards and Rodney Coates finished with 70 yards on four balls.
For the third time this season, Austin Williams tied his school record with four field goals. He now leads the GSC with 16 on the year.
UWA (7-2, 6-1) accumulated 410 yards of offense, with 220 on the ground. Lakendric Thomas had 106 yards on 18 carries, with a 26-yard touchdown run that came immediately following a Beaudry interception early in the fourth quarter.
Harry Satterwhite was 19-for-28 for 190 yards and three touchdowns, while also running six times for 24 yards.
After a scoreless first quarter, UWA got on the board first when Satterwhite converted a soft floater on third-and-goal to Donta Hightower from the 9-yard line for a 7-0 lead. UWF drew to within one with field goals of 22 and 39 yards from Austin Williams.
The Tigers extended their lead to 14-6 when Satterwhite connected with Tra Fletcher for a 15-yard scoring play with 54 seconds left in the half. Beaudry worked the hurry-up offense to perfection, marching the Argos 39 yards to the UWA 22 where Williams ended the period with a 39-yard field goal as time expired, pulling the visitors to within 14-9.
UWF got a fourth field goal from Williams – this one from 25 yards – late in the third for a 14-12 deficit.
UWA answered with scores on its next two possessions. The first was a Satterwhite to Corey Davis pass from five yards and the other was the Thomas 26-yarder that stretched their lead to 28-12 with just over 12 minutes to play.
Beaudry led the Argos down the field for their only touchdown of the contest, capping a 10-play, 56-yard drive with an 8-yard pass to Caleb Robinson. The Argos trailed 28-18 after the 2-point conversion attempt was no good.
Following an on-side kick attempt by the Argos that was recovered by the Tigers, the home squad needed just eight plays to score on the short field and provide the final margin. UWA converted a fourth-and-one and third-and-eight on the drive.
Josh Smiley was credited with 11 tackles and a pass break-up to lead the UWF defense.
The loss was the first on the road for the Argos, who moved to 3-1 away from Pensacola in 2017.
UWF will return to action next Saturday when it plays host to North Alabama (4-4, 4-2).
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Dealing With Drugs
October 29, 2017
As states like Florida struggle to combat a drug-addiction blight, President Donald Trump this week said he was doing his part by declaring a long-awaited public health emergency.
The declaration, which frees up some federal resources and loosens some regulations, doesn’t include funding to fight the opioid epidemic responsible for skyrocketing numbers of overdose deaths in Florida and elsewhere.
Trump wants Congress to foot an unspecified amount of money for the opioid epidemic, arguing that the country spends beaucoup amounts on far less-important matters.
“We give away billions and billions of dollars a year, and we’re going to be spending lots of money on coming up with a non-addictive solution,” he said Thursday.
The president also revealed that his brother, Fred, engaged in a lifelong struggle with alcoholism. His brother’s affliction prompted Trump to eschew alcohol, he said.
“To this day, I’ve never had a drink,” Trump said.
Gov. Rick Scott also declared a public health emergency in Florida this summer because of opioids.
Scott’s a loyal Trump supporter and a regular on the White House guest list.
The Florida governor has also used his own brother’s lifelong battle with booze and drugs to illustrate empathy for families coping with similar circumstances. Scott’s made opioids one of his chief legislative priorities for the 2018 legislative session.
Perhaps the Republican leaders’ revelations will help shed the shame of addiction keeping addicts, and their families, in the shadows. The stigma is one of the biggest barriers to treatment on both a societal and personal level, according to experts.
Or maybe such a notion is grandiose, and, as a culture, people will become inured to the deaths of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and children as lives get converted into statistics.
It’s not the first time the country has undertaken a massive campaign to fight what Trump this week called a national “scourge.”
Remember the anti-drug “Just Say No” program? The Reagan-era effort was eventually dropped after researchers found it had little effect.
But right now, Americans have to “confront reality, right smack in the face, that millions of our fellow citizens are already addicted” and need help, according to Trump. “That’s the reality,” he said.
WHERE’S THE WEED?
At the same time they’re grappling with the opioid pandemic, Florida lawmakers are sifting through snags in the state’s nascent medical-marijuana industry.
Christian Bax, Florida’s pot czar, got an earful this week from disgruntled senators who complained about his office’s failure to issue new medical-marijuana licenses. Lawmakers also criticized lengthy delays encountered by patients applying for state-issued medical-marijuana ID cards.
Bax blamed the licensing holdup on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of part of a new law that required health officials to issue 10 new marijuana licenses by Oct. 3.
The lawsuit cited by Bax deals with a portion of the law that reopened the application process and ordered the Department of Health to grant five licenses by Oct. 3, after it approved five other new licenses in August. One of the licenses in the second batch must go to a grower who had been part of settled lawsuits, known as the “Pigford” cases, about discrimination against black farmers by the federal government.
Columbus Smith, a black farmer from Panama City, is asking a Tallahassee judge to stop the Department of Health from moving forward with the application process, something Bax said has prevented him from obeying the Legislature’s directive.
“The prospect of moving forward of accepting licenses with the injunctive hearing looming creates both a logistical and legal problem,” Bax, a lawyer, told the Senate Health Policy Committee on Tuesday.
But committee Chairwoman Dana Young, R-Tampa, wasn’t satisfied with Bax’s justification.
“I hear what you’re saying, but doesn’t it seem a bit complacent for you to simply throw your hands up and say, `Oh, we cannot issue. We’ve been sued. Oh no.’ You all get sued all the time,” an exasperated Young, also a lawyer, said. “You have a duty under our state laws to issue these licenses, regardless of whether some plaintiff files a lawsuit.”
Bax also came under fire for the time it’s taking his staff to process applications for medical-marijuana ID cards, which are necessary for patients to purchase the marijuana treatments.
He pledged that the ID process would be expedited as soon as a private company took over, as required in the new law. Bax told the Senate panel Tuesday that his office would be entering a contract with a vendor within a few days.
Actually, the Department of Health had already issued an intent to award the contract to Jacksonville-based Veritec LLC. But on Thursday, rejected bidder Automated Health Solutions Inc. told the state it planned to protest the decision.
The protest will postpone the privatization of the ID cards until February, adding to lawmakers’ frustrations.
Bax has maintained that his office processes applications for the cards within 30 days, if the applications are complete.
But Sen. Lauren Book contradicted Bax this week, saying she personally applied for a card, and it took more than three months before she received it.
Bax’s staff “is not processing patient ID cards in the way that they’re representing,” Book said in a telephone interview.
“I know that they’re not. I’ve done it myself,” the Plantation Democrat said.
HEFTY IRMA PRICE TAG GETTING HEAVIER
Potential insurance losses caused by Hurricane Irma have topped the $5 billion mark, the storm is estimated to have leveled a $2 billion wallop to the Florida’s agriculture industry, and now the state’s largest utility wants to recoup $1.3 billion from customers for costs associated with the storm.
Florida Power & Light will ask state regulators to approve the request. If the Public Service Commission signs off on the plan, costs would start showing up in customers’ bills in March — just as they get done paying off costs from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
“FPL’s storm reserve fund was fully depleted by hurricanes Hermine and Matthew last year, and as with most states across the U.S., the costs of responding to major natural disasters are not covered by the regular rates paid by electric customers in Florida,” FPL spokesman David McDermitt said in an email Thursday. “We understand that no one wants to pay more for energy or any other service, and we plan to request permission from the Florida Public Service Commission to recover Hurricane Irma recovery costs over the next few years to keep the impact on electric rates more manageable for FPL customers.”
Irma was significantly more expensive for FPL — which drew heat for the length of time it took to restore power to customers in the Miami area — than Hurricane Matthew, which hammered parts of the East Coast in 2016, though it never made landfall in the state.
The PSC in February approved a request from FPL to recover $318.5 million in costs related to Matthew.
FPL began collecting the Matthew costs in March and is expected to finish in February 2018. For a residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month, Matthew has added $3.36 to monthly bills.
Under the new proposal, that same FPL customer would start paying $4 a month in Irma charges in March 2018 — effectively seeing a 64-cent increase because of the end of the Matthew charges in February, according to the utility. The monthly amount would increase to about $5.50 in 2019, with the storm costs expected to be paid off by the end of 2020.
STORY OF THE WEEK: A Senate panel grilled state pot czar Christian Bax about delays in licensing new medical marijuana operators and processing applications for patient identification cards.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I’m not buying that just because there’s litigation out there you can’t fulfill your statutory duty to issue these additional licenses.” Senate Health Policy Chairwoman Dana Young, R-Tampa, scolding Office of Medical Marijuana Use Executive Director Christian Bax about his failure to issue new legislatively mandated marijuana operator licenses.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
One Injured In McDavid Highway 29 Rollover Crash
October 28, 2017
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover accident Saturday morning in McDavid.
The accident happened about 8:15 a.m. on Highway 29 at Driver Road. The female driver of a Dodge Stratus lost control while southbound on Highway 29 when she left the roadway, struck a utility pole and large bush before overturning in a resident’s yard.
The adult female driver was transported by Escambia County EMS to Jay Hospital with injuries that were not considered serious.
The official cause of the accident is under investigation, but officials believed a small spare tire on the rear of the vehicle may have contributed.
The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Peanut Butter Challenge: Your Chance To Battle Local Hunger
October 28, 2017
The UF/IFAS Extension Annual Peanut Butter Challenge is in full swing to help feed the hungry.
In an effort to boost the supply of the most requested food pantry item, peanut butter, UF IFAS Escambia County Extension is teaming up again with the Florida Peanut Producers Association to help “Take a Bite out of Hunger” by participating in a local peanut butter drive.
Residents are asked to help meet the challenge of collecting the versatile food by donating unopened jars of peanut butter at one of five locations now through November 22. All peanut butter collected will be donated to local food pantries in December.
Drop-off locations:
- Escambia County Administration, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor
- Escambia County Extension Office, 3740 Stefani Road
- Escambia County Farm Bureau,153 Highway 97, Molino
- Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 North W Street
- Gilmore Services, 31 East Fairfield Drive
Since 2012, the volunteers and UF/IFAS Extension faculty have collected jars of peanut butter from residents, volunteer groups and businesses in 16 Northwest Florida counties. Last year, UF/IFAS Extension county offices received 3,236 jars of peanut butter, said Libbie Johnson, agricultural agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County and co-organizer of the challenge.
In addition to these donations, the Florida Peanut Producers Association also contributes, supplying more than 3,000 jars each challenge, Johnson said. They hope to surpass that total this year, and citizens of Escambia County are asked to help.
“The Peanut Butter Challenge not only raises awareness about the important contribution of North Florida’s peanut growers to the state peanut industry, but also helps provide a healthy, locally produced product to food-insecure families in northwest Florida,” Johnson said.
Tate Beats Pine Forest (With Photo Gallery)
October 28, 2017
The Tate Aggies held on to beat the Pine Forest Eagles 34-27 Friday night in Cantonment.
Pine Forest took a 7-0 lead with 7:37 to go in the first quarter, but the Aggies answered less than 30 second later. Tate made it 7-7 on a 75-yard run from junior Hunter Riggan .
By the third quarter, it was tied at 20-all when the Aggies took the lead 27-20 Shemari Jones took it to the house on a long run. Jones was in again after Tate recovered an on-side kick to make it 34-20 at the end of the third.
Tate improved to 5-3, 2-1 in the district while Pine Forest fell to 3-5, 1-2.
The Tate Aggies will wrap up their regular season with a long Alabama road trip to Smiths Station (0-9) next Friday night.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Man Gets 50 Years In Sexual Battery Case
October 28, 2017
Sammie Lee Smith, IV, age 20, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Edward P. Nickinson to 50 years in state prison. This sentence is a minimum mandatory sentence that must be served day for day; he will not be released until the full 50 years have been served. Smith was also designated as a sexual offender.
An Escambia County Jury convicted Smith of one count of sexual battery with a deadly weapon or force likely to cause serious personal injury, kidnapping, domestic battery by strangulation, and two counts of battery.
On June 9, 2016, the victim was standing outside with a co-worker at her place of employment when Smith showed up unexpectedly. Smith took her cell phone and retreated to his vehicle. The victim followed him into the vehicle to retrieve her phone. Once inside the vehicle, the defendant demanded the password to her phone. When she refused to give it to him, he started hitting her. She then attempted to get out of the vehicle. Smith grabbed the victim and locked the doors to the vehicle.
He then drove to an isolated area where he began to beat the victim, strangled her to the point of breathlessness, and sexually battered her. Eventually, Smith allowed the victim to leave the car. The victim returned to work and law enforcement was called.
Smith was arrested several days later in Ft. Pierce, FL, his place of residence.
Baker Tops Northview (With Photo Gallery)
October 28, 2017
The Northview Chiefs last beat Baker Gators in 2012 on their way to the schools first and only state championship.
The Gators came out on top Friday night, 42-25 in Bratt. It was the closest any team has come to beating the top-ranked Gators this year, except for Chipley.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“I thought it was a good football game for four quarters; that’s a heck of a football times,” Northview head coach Derek Marshman said. “The played for a state championship last year and they returned everybody.”
“Our kids left everything on the field, there’s no doubt about that. We played for four quarters,” he said.
Baker took an early 7-0 lead over the Chiefs with 10:45 to go in the first quarter. The Chiefs answered with a Seth Killam field goal at 3:28 in the first quarter, before the Gators bit back with another first quarter touchdown seconds later.
The Chiefs opened the second quarter with a 30-yard touchdown run from Killam to make it a 13-10 ballgame. With 1:39 in the second, the Chiefs took a 17-13 lead after a turnover when Trent Peebles powered in from one yard out.
But the Gators scored two touchdowns in the final 95 seconds of the first half to give them a 28-17 lead heading to the lockers.
The Chiefs score on more touchdown on a long run Tim Bush in the second half as Baker went on for the win.
“I thought Seth Killam played a heck of a game at quarterback; he was real tough. Trent Peebles played good — the whole offensive line was good. Baker really prides themselves on being tougher up front, but we were tough up front tonight. I thought they had a little more skilled athletes than us. They made some plays when were not able to cover the passes well. Defensively, I thought Lance McLaughlin had a great game. Daniel Merit played good after a couple of mishaps. Our defensive front played great as well,” Marshman said.
With the loss, the Chiefs fell to 1-8 while Baker improved to 9-0. Next week, the Chiefs will wrap up their season as they host Snook Christian Academy (4-4) of Foley.
“We are going to keep working. We are going to keep trying to get better. Baker was probably the best team we’ve played, and we found we can rise up to the occasion. We are going to work to finish this season strong. We are going to focus everything on Snook Christian.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Steve Nodine, Former Mobile Commissioner, Arrested In Atmore
October 28, 2017
A former Mobile County Commissioner is free on bond after turning himself in on an Atmore arrest warrant.
The misdemeanor warrant was issued for Stephen Nodine after he allegedly contacted a woman there in a harassing manner via several text messages earlier this month.
The third degree domestic harassment complaint will be heard in Atmore Municipal Court.
A “petition for protection from abuse”, was also filed in Escambia County (AL) Circuit Court by the female victim who claimed she had been in a date relationship with Nodine and she was now fearful that she would become the victim of abuse.
“Defendant texted me on several different occasions to let me know ‘I’m in Atmore’ after contacting several of my friends disparaging me. He has in the past been accused of murder of his ex-girlfriend Angel Downs. I am fearful of what he can do,” she wrote on the petition. She listed Nodine’s address as being in Jupiter, FL, on the paperwork.
In May 2010, Nodine resigned his post as a Mobile county commissioner after the shooting death of his girlfriend, Angel Downs. He was arrested for her murder, but his trial ended with hung jury. Nodine did serve about three years total in prison after pleading no contact to perjury and gun charges.
Turning Colder – Lows In The 30’s Tonight
October 28, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 49 by 5pm. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 45. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 78.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 79.