Sunny, About 80 Today
March 24, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph.
Sunday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind 5 to 15 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms. Low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71.
Scott Signs Year Round Daylight Saving Time Bill, 73 Others
March 24, 2018
Gov. Rick Scott signed 74 bills into law on Friday, including a tax-cut package, a measure that declares the Legislature’s intent to observe daylight-saving time year-round and a bill that prevents most minors from getting married.
The tax package (HB 7087), which totals about $171 million in tax and fee cuts, authorizes a three-day tax “holiday” in early August that will allow back-to-school shoppers to buy clothes and school supplies without paying sales taxes. Also, the bill will lead to a similar seven-day “holiday” in early June for residents to buy tax-free hurricane supplies.
The bill also includes tax breaks for farmers and ranchers who suffered damage in Hurricane Irma and trims a commercial-lease tax paid by many businesses. Other parts of the package include a property-tax break for homeowners displaced by Hurricane Irma and a break for nursing homes and assisted living facilities that purchase electric generators.
Scott’s office released the list of 74 bills early Friday evening. The measures were passed during the legislative session that ended March 11. About two-dozen of the measures were what are known as “local” bills, which involve issues in individual communities across the state.
The daylight-saving time bill (HB 1013) drew widespread attention during the legislative session. It expresses the Legislature’s support for keeping Florida on daylight-saving time throughout the year.
While the Legislature and Scott agree on the issue, such a change would ultimately require congressional approval. To that end, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has filed legislation to begin the process of making the change.
Scott on Friday also approved a measure (SB 140) that bars people under age 18 from getting marriage licenses. The bill includes an exception, though, for 17-year-olds who have written consent from their parents or guardians. Also, the 17-year-olds could not marry people who are more than two years older than them.
The Legislature passed 195 bills during this year’s session, and Scott has signed 154 into law. To date, he hasn’t vetoed any bills.
Scott, however, issued a signing letter Friday with a bill (HB 7043) that would allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to assume administration of a federal wetland-permitting program. Scott’s letter said the bill gives the department authority to “undertake rulemaking to explore whether the state should issue” permits now administered by the federal government.
“The Department of Environmental Protection’s rulemaking process is done with public input and scrutiny,” Scott wrote. “Also, the Department of Environmental Protection must demonstrate that their permitting program’s standards are just as stringent, if not more stringent, than what is in place currently with the federal government.”
This Is Awesome: Students Give Gift Of Sight To Legally Blind Classmate
March 23, 2018
“This is awesome.”
Beulah Academy of Science Middle School gave eighth grader Noah Anderson an awesome gift Thursday afternoon — the gift of sight.
Noah was born with albinism which causes loss of eyesight. He is now legally blind.
So Noah’s classmates raised nearly $10,000 in just a few weeks to purchase a special pair of eSight glasses to allow him too see clearly again. The life-changing technology uses a high quality camera to projects a live feed onto two small screens in front of the wearer’s eyes.
As time came to try the glasses for the very first time, Noah showed obvious excitement.
“Here we go!” he exclaimed. As the glasses “booted up”, he read from the video screens inside the glasses.
“Esight is not for driving or other potentially dangerous,” he said to a room full of laughter.
But then for just a moment, Noah was silent as his mouth dropped open.
“I see faces!” he screamed, looking around the room.
Then he turned to his mom. “Hey baby,” she said as he looked into her eyes clearly for the first time.
“You look so cool….this is awesome,” Noah said as his mom erupted into tears of joy.
He was able to turn around and tell the time of a wall clock. “This is awesome!”
“Mom, I can see your face,” he said as he looked at his mom again, bringing even more tears to her eyes.”
“Thank you everyone. I appreciate it. I truly do. I truly do. This is so awesome! I just think it is amazing,”
Noah then set out to tour his school and see his classmates. Classroom after classroom cheered and offered Noah high fives.
“This is awww-some, he said before stopping to read something . Across the hallway, he went to another class of eighth graders. You guessed it. “This is awecome, this is so awesome!”
Back in the hallway, he turned around and immediately saw his mother.
“Oh hey mom, this is awesome!”
He might as well have been a rock star…as crowds of students gather to give him more high fives in the hallway.
“I need eSight so I can again begin living life the way it was meant to be lived. I just want to be able to experience the things we all take for granted. To watch a movie with my family and friends, read a book, see the faces of all of you amazing people reading this and thinking about contributing, or to just see my own smile again,” Noah wrote on the eSight fundraising page for the glasses. “All I want it to see the world as it sees me.”
And on Thursday people at Beulah Academy of Science Middle school saw Noah Anderson as awesome. And Noah Anderson saw them.
And that was truly awesome.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunny Skies Through The Weekend
March 23, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 78. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. East wind around 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 78.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
Can You Drop An Egg Three Stories Without Breaking It? These Bratt Elementary Kids Can
March 23, 2018
Do you think you could design a container using common items to protect an egg dropped 35 feet from a utility truck bucket?
Most second graders at Bratt Elementary School can.
Thursday, the students took part in egg drop with the help of Escambia River Electric Cooperative. The protective containers were created using things like paper towel roll, straws, bags and coffee filter parachutes. Most of the students were successful with their eggs surviving the three story drop without cracking.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Parole Denied For Local Cop Killer, Release Date Extended
March 23, 2018
At a parole hearing this week, a convicted cop killer will stay in prison
The Florida Commission on Offender Review voted to extend Cliff Jackson’s presumptive release date by three years to June 8, 2085. His eligibility for parole will not be reviewed by the commission again for seven years.
Jackson and co-defendant, Clarence Hill, held up the Freedom Savings and Loan in downtown Pensacola on October 19, 1982. As law enforcement attempted to apprehend Jackson and Hill, Pensacola Police officers, Stephen Taylor and Larry Bailey were shot. Taylor, 26 years old, died after being shot in the head and abdomen.
Bailey recovered from a gunshot wound to the neck.
Jackson and Hill were arrested following a shootout with law enforcement near Freedom Savings and Loan.
Jackson entered a plea to charges of murder, attempted murder and armed robbery and was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 25 years. Although defendants who receive life sentences in Florida today must serve life without the possibility of parole, Jackson’s crimes occurred before the law changed. As a result, he is entitled to be considered for parole.
Hill was convicted of the murder of Stephen Taylor and was sentenced to death. Hill was executed in September 2006.
At Jackson’s parole hearing ths week, a prosecutor from the State Attorney’s Office, argued that Jackson’s presumptive release date should be extended based upon his unsatisfactory institutional conduct and failure to participate in any of Florida Department of Corrections programs.
State Attorney Bill Eddins stated that an assistant State Attorney attends almost all parole hearings that involve murder. It is the policy of the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit that the office opposes parole for any defendant convicted of killing a law enforcement officer.
Early Morning Fire Destroys Molino Mobile Home
March 23, 2018
Fire destroyed a mobile home early Friday morning in Molino.
Firefighters were called to a reported outside fire about 2 a.m. but arrived to find the 1969 model 12 x 16 mobile home on Brickyard Road already burned to the ground.
It was not immediately known if anyone was at home at the time of the fire.
The mobile home was next door to a shack or other structure that burned to the ground late on the night of March 8.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office. Further details have not been released.
The Molino, Cantonment and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded to the blaze.
Pictured top and below: Firefighters battle a mobile home fire in Molino early Friday morning. Pictured bottom: The fire (on right) was next door to a structure that burned on March 8 (seen to the left of the tree). NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Jay Man Facing Weapons, Burglary, Theft Charges
March 23, 2018
A Jay man is facing property crime charges in Alabama and a weapons charge in Florida.
Matthew Craig Bauldree, 48, was allegedly in possession of a sawed-off shotgun when he was arrested by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office He is in the Santa Rosa County Jail on charges of possession of a short barreled gun and possessing an altered firearm.
Santa Rosa County deputies were arresting Bauldree on charges out of Escambia County, AL, where he allegedly burglarized a building and stole a 2003 Yamaha ATV from a hunting camp on Bethel Road, just north of the state line east of Brewton.
Despite no vehicle identification number on the ATV, investigators with the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office were able to track the ATV to Santa Rosa County. Further investigation and witness interviews led to Alabama authorities issuing a warrant for Bauldree’s arrest.
Bauldree will be extradited back to Escambia County, AL, to face burglary and theft charges.
Dental Job Fair Next Week In Century
March 23, 2018
A “Dental Job Fair” will be held next Wednesday in Century.
Open positions include dentist, dental assistant and dental receptionist. Interviews are by appointment only and will take place on March 28 at 501 Church Street in Century.
Email a resume to drichardson@healthcarewithinreach.org to be considered for one of the positions.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Tate Takes Third In Aggie Classic, Union Redskins Win Tourney
March 23, 2018
That Tate Aggies took third place in 25th Annual Aggie Classic, while the Union Redskins of Oklahoma beat Mustang for first place.
The Aggies beat Casica Hall 8-5 after taking a late lead in the sixth inning.
Tate is 7-3 on the season and went 3-0 in the tournament, but due to a tiebreaker based on runs during the tournament was not in the running for first place. The Tate Aggies won the Aggie Classic for the past two years.