Judge Rejects State Rule Allowing More Methadone Center Applications
April 27, 2018
Pointing to an arbitrary process that “ignores substance in favor of blind luck,” an administrative law judge Thursday rejected a state emergency rule drawn up to help license more methadone-treatment centers across Florida.
Judge R. Bruce McKibben, in a 44-page order, hammered a process in which the Department of Children and Families accepted applications for the licenses on a first-come, first-served basis. The News Service of Florida reported in December that the process led to applicants camping out at the department’s headquarters to be first in line.
The process led to only a handful of providers getting applications accepted, while others were shut out — resulting in the legal challenge.
“The system for accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis is arbitrary,” McKibben wrote. “It is illogical to assume that the first applications filed, containing scant information, are equal or superior to later filed applications. This scheme contravenes the basic expectation of law for reasoned agency decision making.”
The Department of Children and Families issued the emergency rule last year as officials looked to increase the number of methadone clinics in the state as part of a $27 million federal grant aimed at curbing opioid addiction and overdoses. In all, the department on Oct. 2 accepted 49 applications for clinics in 48 counties, with the successful applicants then able to seek licensure, according to McKibben’s order.
But 20 of the applications were approved for one provider, Psychological Addiction Services, LLC, while another 19 were approved for Colonial Management Group, L.P., and eight were approved for Relax Mental Health Care. Two other applicants each received one approval.
Dacco Behavioral Health, Inc., Operation Par, Inc., and Aspire Health Partners, Inc., challenged the emergency rule, with other organizations also intervening in the case.
McKibben’s order focused heavily on what he described as the first-in-line “scheme” as being arbitrary. He said the department acknowledged that “if the first person in line had filed applications for all 49 new clinics, all the other applicants would have been denied the right to seek licensure.”
“The department felt that allowing applications to be submitted via email would potentially crash its email system, so email submission was not allowed,” he wrote. “The applications received first by the department were to be approved, notwithstanding any substantive shortcomings or comparative failings of those applications as compared to applications received later. No other criteria were considered; first was deemed best. What is fair about approving competing applications based on who filed first rather than on substantive differences in the services being proposed?”
McKibben also wrote that the process could slow down the opening of clinics because of the logistics and expense involved in opening multiple facilities.
“It is more likely that a single entity receiving approval for multiple new clinics might ‘bank’ the approvals, expending time and money for only a few at a time, at best,” he wrote. “If so, that could result in far fewer new clinics coming on line than the 49 projected by the department under the emergency rule. As the applications contained no requirement to provide financial information, it is impossible for the department to determine whether the approved entities, which received multiple approvals, could successfully — and timely — complete their projects. There is no specific time frame for which a granted applicant must commence operations once approved.”
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Lose To Jacksonville
April 27, 2018
For the second night in a row, the Wahoos offense produced plenty runs to win. However, an exhausted bullpen was overmatched Thursday night and Jacksonville came from behind to win the series opener 10-9.
Both teams came out swinging to start the ball game. Pensacola batted around the lineup to open the game against Jumbo Shrimp starter Brandon Barker. Gabriel Guerrero doubled home two runs and then scored on Aristides Aquino’s RBI-single to make it 3-0 after a half inning of play. Jacksonville quickly countered thanks to Monte Harrison’s solo home run and John Norwood’s run-scoring single to cut the lead down to 3-2.
Pensacola went right back to work and scored once in the top of the second, but the Jumbo Shrimp immediately responded by scoring three more runs off Pensacola starter Daniel Wright in the bottom of the inning. The theme continued in the third inning, and by the time the dust settled in the fourth inning, the game was tied 4-4 and both starters were out of the game.
Pensacola manager Jody Davis hoped that his reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week would deliver a lengthy start to rest his exhausted bullpen from the previous series; however, Wright was chased from the game with two outs in the third after allowing seven runs on 11 hits.
For the second night in a row, Davis used four different pitchers in relief. The bullpen battled throughout the night, and only allowed three runs over the game’s remaining six innings. After the Wahoos tied the game in the top of the ninth on a Taylor Sparks triple and a wild pitch Jeff Kinley (W, 1-0), to tie the game at nine. Sparks finished the night going 3-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
In the bottom of the ninth with Sharif Othman on second, Kyle Barrett doubled off Alex Powers (L, 0-1), which gave the Shrimp a dramatic 10-9 win.
Pregnant Woman Flips Car Trying To Avoid Ducks Crossing The Road
April 26, 2018
A young pregnant woman escaped serious injury Thursday when her vehicle overturned.
The accident happened on Rockaway Creek Road north of Nokomis Road. The driver reportedly stated that she was attempting to avoid ducks that were crossing the road on their way to a nearby pond. She lost control and ran off the roadway, with her vehicle flipping over in a ditch and coming to rest upside down.
The woman refused medical transport by Escambia County EMS and headed to the hospital in a private vehicle.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sheriff, Commission Reach New Budget Deal
April 26, 2018
The Escambia County Commission and Sheriff David Morgan have reach a new budget mediation agreement that will mean an extra $9 million over the next four years for staff pay raises.
“We are pleased that we can start the process to pay our deputies and employees what they were worth all along. We’d like to thank the citizens who stood behind the Sheriff’s Office through the appeal process. We are hopeful that the BOCC will begin a plan to properly fix compensation for their own first responders and employees as well as develop a way to ensure the County never again gets this far behind in proper compensation for the employees it is responsible to fund,” Morgan said.
The $9 million is broken down as:
- $1 million in fiscal year 2018
- $2.5 million in fiscal year 2019
- $2.6 million in fiscal year 2020
- $2.9 million in fiscal year 2021
The agreement will also create a Sheriff’s Mediated Reserve (SMR) to be used in fiscal year 2020 or after for workers compensation, pension and health care costs. The county and the sheriff will contribute a total of $2.5 million to the reserve fund — $500,000 in fiscal year 2019, $1 million in fiscal year 2020 and $1 million in fiscal year 2021.
The SMR can only be used by the sheriff if the BOCC increases their budget allocation for health care costs for each employee by more than $10,000, if there is a net increase to the amount the sheriff contributes to the Florida Retirement System, or if the sheriff has a worker’s compensation premium increase in fiscal year 2020 or 2021.
Once an interlocal agreement is signed by both parties, the sheriff agrees to drop his budget appeal to the governor’s office. The BOCC has retained the right to seek to enforce a previous mediation agreement in the event an interlocal agreement is not signed.
Unlike a previous agreement, the new terms to not require the BOCC to use commissioners’ discretionary funding for outside agencies or Law Enforcement Trust Fund money as a funding source.
The new agreement will prevent the sheriff’s from appealing future budgets to the governor, allow him to request funding for additional positions in fiscal years 2020 and 2021, and the sheriff will be allowed to require additional operational or capital funding.
Pictured: Gov. Rick Scott and Escambia County David Morgan during a meeting October 5, 2017, at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center concerning then Tropical Storm Nate. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mayor Selects Godwin As New Century Town Clerk
April 26, 2018
Mayor Henry Hawkins will recommend Kim Godwin as the Century’s town clerk.
“She’s the best fit, and she’s my recommendation,” Hawkins said Wednesday afternoon.
Godwin was named interim clerk in March after the resignation of Leslie Howimgton. She transitioned into the clerk position from gas superintendent for the town’s utility department. Godwin’s previous experience with the town includes deputy clerk of utilities and communication, and senior citizens services specialist. She also worked as a secretary specialist for the colonel at Century Correctional Institution.
Godwin is an active member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, is seeking official certification as a municipal clerk, is a member of the Florida Gas Utilities Board of Directors; a former secretary for the Century Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; and a former member of the Twin Cities Volunteers (previously Rotary Club) Board of Directors.
Hawkins will officially announce his selection to the Century Town Council at their next regular meeting on Monday, May 7.
Two other applicants interviewed for the job [click for previous story].
Pictured top: Kim Godwin records minutes during a previous meeting of the Century Town Council. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Mostly Sunny This Afternoon
April 26, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
This Afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. West wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Calm wind.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 79. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 52. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Byrneville Elementary Hires Architect To ‘Pre-Design’ New Building
April 26, 2018
The Byrneville Elementary School Board of Directors voted Wednesday to hire a local architectural firm to take the first big step toward the construction of a new building.
Sam Marshall Architects will provide pre-design services for the proposed additions and modifications, including a 10 or 12 classroom addition, a new cafetorium and perhaps the conversion of the existing cafetorium into a library and an upgrade to the air conditioning system. The services will include preparing educational specifications required by state standards.
The company will meet with the school to set goals and hold a followup meeting to present the final report. The final report is expected to take about two months to complete and will include anticipated costs for the overall project.
Sam Marshall Architects will charge $4,000 for educational specifications, $3,000 for food service specifications and $2,000 for the statement on anticipated construction costs.
Local educational projects completed by Sam Marshall Architects include the new Ernest Ward Middle School, Northview High School and Bellview Middle School.
The board received one other proposal from Bullock Tice Associates for $12,500.
Wednesday’s vote does not commit the charter school to actually build the facility – that will take additional steps including the arrangement of financing and a final design.
The largest building on the current Byrneville campus was build in 1941 and contains five classrooms, plus offices and a cafeteria. Several classrooms and the school library are located in old wooden portable buildings.
Pictured top: Byrneville Elementary Principa lDee Wolfe-Sullivan and board members Melanie Killam, Brandy Carter, Jeremy Hawsey, Cheryl Boutwell and Chris Hawkins review proposal for architectural services Wednesday afternoon. Pictured below: The current main building at Byrneville Elementary was constructed in 1941. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friends Of The Library Big Spring Book Sale Is This Weekend
April 26, 2018
The annual Friends of the West Florida Public Library Spring Book Sale is this Friday through Sunday at the downtown Main Library, 239 North Spring Street. Thousands of hardcover, paperback, and collectible books will be available for purchase, plus a variety of DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and other items. Proceeds are used to fund programs and enhancements at WFPL branches including Century and Molino.
Friday is the Friends Advance Sale from 3-7 p.m. with first choice on the best selection of books. General admission is $5 at the door, and Friends of the Library members are admitted free. Memberships can be purchased at the door.
Saturday is the regular book sale from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. with free admission.
Sunday is the Bag Sale from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Friends will provide a brown paper bag, and all the books that fit inside the bag are just $5. There is no limit on the number of bags that can be purchased.
Book sale items include thousands of generous donations from the public and some library books retired from circulation, many of them now out-of-print. Novels and mysteries are sorted by author or into genres like science fiction and westerns. Other book categories include arts and entertainment, children’s, cookbooks, history, holidays, home and hobbies, literature, foreign language, military, modern living, nature and gardening, religion, science, sports, technical, and travel. Most prices range from 50 cents for paperbacks to $2 for hardcover. There are also recorded books, magazines, and other media for sale.
The Collector’s Corner will feature an assortment of signed books, pre-1950s books, books by local and Florida authors, and other special books that are great for gifts. These items are priced as marked and must be checked out separately, so shoppers paying by check should bring at least two checks.
Payment by cash or check is preferred, but credit cards are welcome.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
New Arthur Brown Road Bridge To Open Friday
April 26, 2018
Traffic on Arthur Brown Road (County Road 99A) over Boggy Creek in Walnut Hill will be transitioned to the newly a constructed bridge on Friday .
Motorists may encounter minor delays as crews make final preparations to switch traffic, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Once traffic has been moved, crews will begin disassembling the temporary bridge and completing miscellaneous work items. The entire project, which is near the Walnut Hill Baptist Church, is anticipated to be complete in June, weather permitting.
The new bridge encompasses 11-foot travel lanes, 6-foot shoulders and a solid concrete barrier railing. The bridge approaches have also been replaced.
Pictured below: Beams for a new bridge on Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill were hoisted into place in February. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Free Self Defense Class In Century This Saturday
April 26, 2018
The Town of Century will present a free women’s self defense class Saturday.
The free event is open to the public ages 14 and up. Attendees will learn simple but effective techniques that can be used against an attacker in multiple situations. Water and snacks will be provided.
The class will be held from 10 a.m. until noon at the Century Community Center on West Highway 4. For more information, call (850) 256-3208.