Fire Dept. Provides Flomaton Field Day Cool Down
May 12, 2018
Friday was Field Day at Flomaton Elementary School, and the weather was hot. The Flomaton Fire Department provided a wet cool down, with fireman Dylan Emmons and furture fireman Noah Patterson manning the hose. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Birmingham In Series Finale
May 12, 2018
It looked like a long night was in store for Wyatt Strahan (W, 4-2) after the Barons scored four runs in the first two innings of the game. Instead, Strahan turned in one of his best starts of the year as the Wahoos came from behind to win Friday’s finale 6-4 at Regions Field.
The Barons’ start to the game was a microcosm of the entire series between these two teams. In the first inning, the Barons jumped ahead on a two-run home run from Zack Collins, and immediately doubled their lead in the second when Keon Barnum launched a two-run shot of his own. That marked Birmingham’s 21st home run against the Wahoos throughout the 10 games, which is exactly half of the total home runs allowed by Blue Wahoos pitching this season (42.)
But after those two innings, Strahan slammed the door shut on the hosts for the rest of his outing. The USC graduate retired 17 of the final 18 Barons before he was lifted, having completed seven strong innings for his longest outing of the season. He also did not walk a batter for the first time this season and struck out four.
After Taylor Sparks chipped in a solo home run in the second inning to put the Pensacola on the board, the Wahoos scored three runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4.
After an error and a walk, Shed Long laced a two-run triple off Barons starter Ian Clarkin (L, 3-4), and then scored on Luis Gonzalez’s RBI groundout. In the following inning, Gavin LaValley walked and then scored after Aristides Aquino crushed his third home run of the season to give the Wahoos a 6-4 lead. Pensacola tacked on a precious insurance run in the ninth inning after C.J. McElroy singled, stole a base, advanced on a passed ball, and scored on Gonzalez’s infield single to short.
The bullpen had to withstand some late-inning pressure from the Barons but held on to close out the win for the visitors. Carlos Navas hurled a scoreless eighth inning, which extended his team-best scoreless-inning streak to 9.2 innings. Alex Powers then entered the game in the ninth but was chased from the game after loading the bases and allowing a two-out single to Ryan Brett, which cut the Wahoos lead down to 7-6. Jody Davis then brought in Rafael De Paula (S, 2) to secure the final out, and after De Paula walked Collins to load the bases, he got Chicago White Sox top prospect, Eloy Jimenez to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
Pensacola will continue their road trip with a five-game series against the first-place Biloxi Shuckers. Last season the Wahoos won 11 of their 20 matchups against the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate; however, the Shuckers will enter play 11 games above .500. Daniel Wright (2-1, 6.42) will take the hill for the Blue Wahoos in search of his first win since April 16th. He will be opposed by Thomas Jankins (5-1, 3.63), who suffered his first loss of the year in his last outing.
Collyer Drake Grider
May 12, 2018
Today we said goodbye to our loving mother, friend and trusted confidante. Without reservation, we can say that we have lost one of the last, true southern belles of her time. Her deep faith in Jesus Christ and her life practice of all things “southern proper” was ingrained not only in her speech, dress and behavior but in the committed belief that one should always love and respect themselves and all those they encounter. She will be remembered for her beautiful signature hats, gloves, and sitting demurely, ankles crossed, representing the grace, poise and gentility of her generation.
After living in Pensacola many years, she still called Alabama home. Born there, she was raised on a farm and later married Allen Grider, a young US Marine and raised a family. She leaves behind two devoted daughters, Mary (Tommy) Knight and Cylinda (Rab) Nelson; six grandchildren, Joshua (Rachel) Nettles, Jessica (Ben) Smith, Claudia Robbins, Sawyer Nelson, Colton Knight and Shelby Knight; and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by one sister, Ollie Jo (Harold) Meeks and numerous loving nieces and nephews.
A burial graveside service was held at Rose Hill Cemetary (Rose Hill, Alabama) on Friday, May 11, 2018.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with the arrangements.
Small Aircraft Crashes In Escambia, AL; Pilot Seriously Injured
May 11, 2018
A pilot was seriously injured in an ultralight crash in Escambia County, AL, on Friday.
The pilot was identified as Matthew Scott Newton of Pensacola. He was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where he was listed in stable condition with a badly injured leg.
The plane crashed on Darryl Dawe Lane about a mile from the Robinsonville Baptist Church, and about 4.5 miles from the Alabama/Florida state line. The plane lost power, clipped a tree and power line before crashing into a yard.
The crash is under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The aircraft is listed as experimental by the FAA.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Nine Mile Road Starbucks Stores Burglarized
May 11, 2018
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man that burglarized two Starbucks on Nine Mile Road early Friday morning.
Investigators said the white male “disabled the front door locks” to enter the businesses at 1701 East Nine Mile Road and 2200 West Nine Mile Road. He is described as about six feet tall and was wearing blue jeans,a green jacket, black shoes and a scarf covering his face.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers (850) 433-STOP.
Images courtesy Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Couple Charged After Child Found Living In Deplorable Conditions
May 11, 2018
A family was discovered living in a deplorable conditions after an Escambia County deputy responded to a report of two people passed out at a gas station.
Keith Daniels, 37, and Lindsay Ann Mason, 35, were both charged with child neglect after failing to provide a child “with the appropriate care of supervision to maintain his physical health,” according to an arrest report.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a gas station in the area of Guidy Lane and Ten Mile Road for a report of a man and woman who were passed out in their vehicle with a small child inside. The caller said couple then left the gas station and were swerving into oncoming traffic before pulling into a trailer park on Grace Drive.
Daniels opened the door when the deputy knocked at the trailer, and he appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance, the report states. The deputy said he smelled marijuana coming from the interior.
In his report, the responding deputy wrote, “While inside the trailer I observed trash in the living room, marijuana roaches in the. trashcan, marijuana shake on the kitchen table, moldy dirty dishes filling the sink, cockroaches in the kitchen, the covering for the air conditioning unit to be missing with rusty metal accessible to the child, a homemade pipe which appeared to be used for ingesting narcotics in the bedroom on the dresser which was accessible to the child and the floor vent cover to be missing from the vent in the living room which left a large opening in the center of the floor. I observed in what appeared to be (the victim’s) toys and clothes strewn about the floor which made it impossible to walk in the bedroom due to the items being piled so high. I also observed in a mattress which was laying up on its side and it did not appear as though there was a place for the child to sleep. I observed the bathroom to be messy with urine still in the toilet. The temperature in the trailer was extremely hot due to the air conditioning being inoperable.”
The cabinets and refrigerator contained a few breakfast items and a small number of canned goods, the deputy wrote. The trailer had no working air conditioner.
Daniels told the deputy that he had worked numerous hours in the past 30 days and was unable to clean and the trailer. Mason said she had not been home for two days and unable clean the trailer as she normally does on daily basis. The deputy wrote that it would have taken more than two days for the trailer to end up in the poor state he observed.
The Department of Children and Family Services was called. Mason agreed to allow the child to stay with her mother.
Mason was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $5,000 bond; Daniels was released on a $2,500 bond.
New Traffic Signal Equipment Installed At 16 Escambia County Intersectons
May 11, 2018
Escambia County recently implemented Advanced Traffic Management System signalization equipment at 16 signalized intersections, adding capabilities to help improve signal and timing and traffic flow.
Those intersections are:
- North Palafox Street and Kingsfield Road
- North Palafox Street and Ten Mile Road
- North Palafox Street and Hood Drive
- North Palafox Street and Ensley Road
- North Palafox Street and Detroit Boulevard/Johnson Avenue
- North Palafox Street and Olive Road
- North Palafox Street and Burgess Road
- North Palafox Street and Hancock Lane
- W Street and Marcus Pointe Boulevard
- W Street and Airport Boulevard
- W Street and Massachusetts Avenue
- W Street and Scott Street
- W Street and Avery Street
- W Street and Jackson Street
- Olive Road and Cody Lane
- Olive Road and Whitmire Dive
The ATMS capabilities, funded by Local Option Sales Tax, include real-time interface with the intersections (ability to remotely manipulate the signal timings), immediate data collection for developing timing plans to improve traffic flow, and intersection health reporting.
In addition to the 16 new intersections, the county has 35 additional intersections with ATMS capabilities. The county plans to expand ATMS capabilities to all signalized intersections within the county as resources permit.
Cox Recognizes Student Heroes In Escambia County
May 11, 2018
Over 450 people laughed, cried and were inspired at Cox Communications’ annual Inspirational Student Hero Awards. Cox recognized 51 students from Escambia County who have overcome extreme challenges in life to serve as an inspiration to their teachers, administrators and fellow students.
The students were chosen by a committee of leaders at their school. During the event, Cox presented the students with an engraved medal and certificates of honor from Cox, Congressman Matt Gaetz and State Senator Doug Broxson.
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This year’s award recipients were:
A.K. Suter Elementary – Aiden Medley
Bellview Elementary – Dominic Gill
Bellview Middle – Tran Nguyen
Beulah Elementary – Cameron Cross
Blue Angels Elementary – Camron Weatherford
Bratt Elementary – Landon Hawthorne
Brentwood Elementary – Colby Beasley
Brown Barge Middle – Isabella McMurray
Byrneville Elementary – Zachary Herndon
Cordova Park Elementary – Srinidhi Rao
Ensley Elementary – Alexis Walker
Ernest Ward Middle – Dajanique Williams
Escambia High – Austan Sexson
Ferry Pass Elementary – Ruby Risenhoover
Ferry Pass Middle – Kaleb Harp
Global Learning Academy – Mariyah Rich
Hellen Caro Elementary – Izzy Pilong
Holm Elementary – Logan Beasley
Jim Allen Elementary – Austin Wise
Jim Bailey Middle – Jasmine Allison
Lincoln Park Primary – Amare Legrant
Lipscomb Elementary – Jeffery Carnley
Longleaf Elementary – Christian Dawson
McArthur Elementary – Tristan Johnson
Molino Park Elementary – Olivia Franks
Montclair Elementary – Nevaeh Jenkins
Myrtle Grove Elementary – Elba Bautista
N.B. Cook Elementary – Kishora Goldsmith
Navy Point Elementary – Frieda Turbeville
Northview High – Sarah Perritt
O.J. Semms Elementary – Caulee White-Wiggins
Oakcrest Elementary – Tristan Raines
PACE Center for Girls – Yana Jenkins
Pensacola Beach Elementary – Jason Cerone
Pensacola High – LiAna Patterson
Pine Forest High – Brittany Williams
Pine Meadow Elementary – O’Rion Evans
Pleasant Grove Elementary – Kayla Gross
Ransom Middle – Da’vina Bettis
Scenic Heights Elementary – Michael Griffin
Day Support at Lakeview – Jessica Jones
Sherwood Elementary – Zacharias Thomas
Tate High – Nina Ventura
Warrington Elementary – Caleb Stanfield
Warrington Middle – Kiana Burgos
Washington High – Taylor Delorme
Weis Elementary – Noah Williams
West Florida High – Joshua Bazinet
West Pensacola Elementary – Moinee Rochelle
Woodham Middle – Dwayne Janigen
Workman Middle – Sol Tripp IV
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Key Law Makers Says No Plans To Fill Florida Prison Budget
May 11, 2018
Despite warnings that cuts to substance-abuse programs and transition services could result in more prisoners behind bars, the Senate appropriations chairman said Thursday lawmakers aren’t planning to plug a $28 million budget gap at the Florida Department of Corrections until next year.
But budget chief Rob Bradley indicated corrections health-care problems may spur lawmakers to consider criminal-justice reforms that have failed to gain traction in previous years.
Corrections Secretary Julie Jones announced last week she is slashing contracts with nearly three dozen substance-abuse and re-entry providers — programs considered integral to reducing recidivism and helping inmates transition back into society — by at least 40 percent because the money is needed to cover the cost of a contract for prison health services.
Lawmakers will begin working after the November elections to prepare for the 2019 legislative session.
“What I would encourage our partners who are facing these cuts to do is to double-down on their efforts to find efficiencies and understand that, when we return in November, this is going to be something that many of us are eager to address,” Bradley, R-Fleming Island, told The News Service of Florida on Thursday.
Jones said the cuts, which are already being implemented in time for the July 1 start of the new fiscal year, were necessary because lawmakers did not fully fund the corrections agency, which is running about $80 million in the red.
The reductions were announced as Jones finalizes negotiations on a renewed contract with prison health-care company Centurion, hired by the secretary in 2016 in an emergency, no-bid agreement after one private vendor quit years before its contract was up and before she fired another vendor.
Contractors that provide substance-abuse and re-entry services to the prison system had hoped the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, a panel of House and Senate members with the power to make funding decisions when the Legislature is not in session, would steer additional funds to the Department of Corrections to avoid the program cuts.
“We’re looking at all that stuff right now,” House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, told reporters Wednesday when asked about the cuts.
Corcoran blamed the Senate for the corrections agency’s financial woes, saying the House had proposed higher funding but agreed to the Senate position as part of budget negotiations. It’s not unusual for the two chambers’ early budget proposals to differ, and both the House and Senate eventually signed off on the final budget.
“It’s got to be fixed and it will be fixed,” Corcoran said of the Department of Corrections funding problems.
But contradicting Corcoran, Bradley said the corrections department — and the affected contractors — will have to live within the $2.4 billion budget lawmakers approved for the agency in March during the regular legislative session.
An appropriation of $437 million was about $55 million short of what corrections officials estimated they will need for inmate health care, which includes pharmaceuticals, according to documents distributed by the agency last week.
“I think the budget that passed off the floor and was signed by the governor in March is the budget that’s going to hold through the next fiscal year,” Bradley said.
After the session ended, Jones and Centurion negotiated a 12-month agreement “that resulted in the DOC having to spend an extra $28 million on health care,” he said.
Jones is trying to finalize a deal with Centurion, the only company that responded to an invitation to negotiate with the state for inmate health services. Former prison health-care vendors — such as Corizon Health, which in late 2015 notified the state that it was walking away three years early from a five-year, $1.2 billion deal — have complained that they lost money on the contracts.
After ordering the cuts to the substance-abuse and reentry programs, Jones is shifting funds within the agency, something she is authorized to do when the Legislature is not in session.
That will ensure that the agency has the money for a new contract with Centurion, department spokeswoman Michelle Glady told the News Service.
Because Jones intends to award the health-services contract later this month, “we need to continue moving forward with our plan to move the funding from the contracted-services category to the health-services category,” Glady said.
“We need to show that funding is there before we award a contract,” she said.
Bradley, a lawyer who formerly chaired the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, defended Jones’s decision to cut the services, saying she runs the risk of federal intervention if the agency fails to fulfill its “constitutional duty to provide health care services” to inmates.
“That is an unacceptable outcome. The secretary is doing what she believes is necessary to comply with this constitutional mandate,” he said.
Regarding next year’s budget, Bradley said he is “confident that that we will be able to not only meet all of our health care needs but also be aggressive in our funding of substance abuse and reentry programs in the Department of Corrections.”
But Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association Executive Director Mark Fontaine said workers whose jobs are on the line — and affected clients — can’t wait that long.
By Fontaine’s estimate, about 600 people will lose their jobs due to the program cuts, and providers whose contracts aren’t eliminated will lose up to 45 percent of their capacity.
“So at that point, each provider will have to make a decision about what they can do to continue to provide these services,” said Fontaine, whose association represents providers.
The 43 percent reduction in community substance-abuse beds means that drug courts will have restricted access to diversion programs considered good alternatives to prison, according to Fontaine.
Some of those courts “certainly will send those offenders to prison, and that will increase the population,” he predicted.
Jones is also slashing treatment to inmates inside prison by up to 48 percent, “which means that more people will be getting out without the substance-abuse treatment that they need,” Fontaine said.
Other inmates getting released from prison won’t have access to therapeutic programs designed to aid their transition to the community. Advocates maintain the programs have been shown to reduce recidivism.
The annual savings from the reduction or elimination of the 33 affected contracts range from as little as $38,000 to more than $3 million, according to documents provided by the Department of Corrections, and total $28 million.
“The contracted substance-abuse funding is only 1.5 percent of the department’s $2.4 billion budget. Hard to believe there aren’t other options available,” Fontaine said.
The dust-up over the health-care budget may spur lawmakers to reconsider hard-line positions on issues such as criminal sentencing. Florida has one of the largest prison systems in the nation but has been slow to adopt some cost-saving criminal justice changes enacted by other states such as Texas and Georgia.
Advocates for reform have pushed the state to reduce mandatory-minimum sentence requirements for non-violent offenses, such as those involving drugs, and to do away with a requirement that all prisoners serve 85 percent of their sentences before being considered for early release.
According to Bradley, Florida’s corrections system is designed to serve between 80,000 and 85,000 inmates but is home to about 97,000 prisoners.
“That is not a sustainable system,” he said. “If we were to cut 10,000-15,000 inmates from the system, I think we would be right-sized. To me, that’s the reality and has been the reality for a long time and is something that many of us have been preaching for a long time.”
Bradley said he intends to lead the crusade to do away with mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes.
“It’s insane that judges’ hands are tied when they are confronted with an individual who is an obvious addict, who is not a drug kingpin and the judge is required to sentence that individual to three, 10 or 15 years, when that individual has the ability, if they receive proper treatment, to be a member of society. That is insane,” said Bradley, a former prosecutor. “It doesn’t work and it’s contributed to the fact that we have too many people incarcerated in the state of Florida.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Saturday Is ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Food Drive
May 11, 2018
Escambia and Santa Rosa Letter Carriers will join forces Saturday to help Stamp Out Hunger in our community. The nnual food drive is the largest national single-day effort that benefits millions of Americans who struggle to put food on the table.
Residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag of non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 12.