Fire Damages Home Off Pine Forest Road
August 21, 2018
Fire damaged a home Tuesday afternoon on Winston Street off Pine Forest Road.
The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known. There were no reports of any injuries.
Winston Street is just north of West 9 1/2 Mile Road.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
$1.3 Million Contract Awarded For Drainage Improvements In Carver Park Area
August 21, 2018
Escambia County has awarded a nearly $1.3 million contract for drainage improvements in the area surrounding Carver Park in Cantonment.
The project will improve drainage south of Muscogee Road, roughly in a triangular shape area bordered by Louis Street, Booker Street and Washington Street. The project will include the construction of roadside swales, ditch bottom and curb inlets, reinforced concrete and polyethylene storm water transmission pipes and a single dry retention pond to be located east of Ransom Street.
Water mains will also be relocated, and the streets will be milled and resurfaced.
The $1,291,129.48 contract was awarded to B&W Utilities, Inc. Other bids ranged from over $1.5 million to $1.7 million.
NorthEscambia.com graphic, click to enlarge.
Local Firefighters Train With UF’s ShandsCair Medical Helicopter
August 21, 2018
Firefighters from the Walnut Hill and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue attended landing zone safety class Monday evening in Walnut Hill with the University of Florida’s ShandsCair medical helicopter.
ShandsCair’s base lead Jeremy Johnson provided instruction covering the helicopter’s capabilities, emergency procedures, safety around the helicopter, and assistance by fire department personnel in loading and unloading of critical care patients for rapid transport to area hospitals.
UF Health at Shands in Gainesville provides the flight crews in coordination with Sacred Heart Hospital, while the helicopter pilot is provided by MedTrans.
ShandsCair 6 is based at the Peter Prince Airport in Milton. The helicopter transports patients from emergency scenes and as transfers between hospitals for the surrounding areas.
The Bell 407GX helicopter has a crew of three – a pilot, flight nurse and flight paramedic.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
No Lane Closures This Week On Nine Mile Widening Project
August 21, 2018
No lane closures are scheduled this week on the Nine Mile Road widening project from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road. Crews will be working off the roadway.
The speed limit within the work zone is reduced to 45 mph during construction.
Gulf Power Company has recently constructed a new power substation on the south side of Nine Mile Road. The company is now installing new transmission poles and cables along the north side of Nine Mile Road. This work is not associated with the road construction.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Showers And Storms Today, Sunshine And Nicer By Wednesday
August 21, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Light southwest wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Century Eliminates Position To Provide Four Other Employees With Raises
August 21, 2018
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to eliminate a position from their water and sewer department in order to provide raises for four other department employees.
Century Water Superintendent Alicia Jernigan said that after eliminating the vacant position and giving the raises, the town will still save about $25,000 per year in salary and benefit costs.
The four water department employees will receive raises ranging from $1.30 to $2.80 per hour.
Jernigan said the raises bring her department’s salaries in line with other town employees. She said that the department will be able to operate efficiently with one less employee.
Pictured: Century Water Superintendent Alicia Jernigan addresses the town council Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Florida Judge Blocks Education Ballot Proposal
August 21, 2018
A Leon County circuit judge Monday knocked a proposed education constitutional amendment off the November ballot, saying the wording failed to inform voters of its impact on the creation of charter schools.
The proposed amendment, placed on the ballot by the Constitution Revision Commission, would impose eight-year term limits on school board members and would require the promotion of “civic literacy” in public schools.
But the provision that drew a legal challenge from the League of Women Voters of Florida would have allowed the state to operate and control public schools “not established by the school board,” wording that opponents said would have led to the expansion of charter schools. The proposal was aimed at overturning a 2008 appellate court decision that found the Legislature’s creation of a statewide commission to authorize charter schools was unconstitutional.
“The failure to use the term voters would understand, ‘charter schools,’ as well as the use of a phrase that has no established meaning under Florida law, fails to inform voters of the chief purpose and effect of this proposal,” Circuit Judge John Cooper wrote in a 12-page ruling, removing Amendment 8 from the Nov. 6 ballot.
Cooper called the challenged provision “a significant change” that was not explained by the Amendment 8 ballot summary, which is wording that voters would see when the go to the polls.
“The current Constitution and implementing laws provide district school boards the exclusive right to make the initial determination of whether schools, charter or not, are needed and desirable in their counties,” Cooper wrote. “Without understanding the current role of school boards in approving new schools, voters cannot understand the important change they are making to local democratic control of education.”
He also said the ballot measure “incorrectly implies” that it is strengthening or maintaining the school boards’ role “instead of weakening it by removing a power.”
But the legal fight about Amendment 8 could be far from over, with the expectation that Cooper’s ruling will be appealed. Erika Donalds, a Constitution Revision Commission member who was the key proponent of Amendment 8, called the court’s ruling “disappointing.”
Donalds, a Collier County School Board member who leads the group 8isGreat.org, which is promoting the amendment, said the League of Women Voters “fundamentally opposes empowering families to choose the education setting that best fits their child.”
“Despite the speculation and bunk they’ve spread, I hope voters will be able to make their own decision in November,” Donalds said in a statement. “It is disgusting how many misrepresentations the opposition is willing to put forth to block student-centered school choice options.”
Cooper said voters would have had “a clearer choice” if the Constitution Revision Commission had advanced the charter-school provision as “standalone revision,” rather than grouping it with two other constitutional changes. The commission, which meets every 20 years, is not bound by the one-subject mandate that applies to constitutional changes advanced by the Legislature or by voter petition.
“It chose to bundle the three proposals together to increase, in its view, their chances of passage,” Cooper wrote. “But this court can only permit it to do so if it fully and accurately described all three proposals in the ballot title and description. That it failed to do.”
Cooper also found the ballot measure to be “affirmatively misleading,” since the summary talks about giving the state the power to operate and control schools, but it does not mention authority could be given to other entities, including private companies.
He said the measure was “conspicuously silent about who or what” would be responsible for schools not established by local school boards.
“Contrary to the language of the ballot summary, the amendment was intended to permit that power be given to a wide variety of third parties, potentially including private entities,” Cooper wrote.
Opponents of the measure praised Cooper’s decision.
“Amendment 8 would have used the feel-good language of civic education and term limits to lure voters into voting ‘yes,’ while wresting local control of schools,” Patricia Brigham, president of the League of Women Voters, said in a statement. “We were confident that the courts would see through the charade and are thrilled that they agree.”
Along with Cooper’s ruling, Amendment 8 is one of six Constitution Revision Commission ballot proposals facing a separate challenge at the Florida Supreme Court. That lawsuit is asking for the state’s highest court to remove the amendments from the November ballot, arguing that the commission overstepped its authority by combining multiple constitutional changes into single ballot items.
A circuit judge has already ordered the removal of Amendment 13, another commission proposal that would ban commercial greyhound racing in Florida. That decision is now being appealed at the state Supreme Court.
In total, 13 proposed state constitutional amendments were placed on the Nov. 6 ballot, including the eight advanced by the commission and five advanced by the Legislature or through petition drives. Each amendment would require support from at least 60 percent of the voters to be enacted.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
West Florida’s Wiley Commits To Faulkner University
August 21, 2018
West Florida High School senior Kenzi Wiley of Cantonment has committed to further her education and play softball at Faulkner University, a four year NAIA school in Montgomery. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Gets Prison For Burglary Of Pine Forest Road Business
August 21, 2018
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to prison for a Pine Forest Road business burglary.
Justin Chaise Evers, 28, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Stephen Pitre to six years in state prison to be followed by four years of probation. Evers pleaded no contest to burglary of a structure causing damage in excess of $1,000, grand theft, criminal mischief, two counts of burglary of unoccupied conveyance, and grand theft auto.
On Thanksgiving Day 2017, Evers burglarized APS Waste, taking numerous items including a travel trailer, tools, and a vehicle which he used to tow the travel trailer. Surveillance video, as well as a fingerprint from the scene, linked Evers to the crime. He also damaged a warehouse door while attempting to gain access.
He was later caught in Baldwin County in possession of some of the stolen property.
Evers has multiple prior convictions including convictions for burglary of a structure, several grand thefts, possession of a controlled substance and petit theft. Following his prison sentence, Evers will be required to pay restitution to APS Waste.
PTA President Gets Prison Time For Stealing Thousands
August 21, 2018
The former president of a local PTA has been sentenced to prison for stealing thousands of dollars from the organization and her employer.
Sarina Young was sentenced by Judge Jennie Kinsey to 24 months in state prison to be followed by five years of probation. Young pleaded no contest to the charges of organized fraud, uttering a forged instrument, and grand theft.
Between 2013 and 2016, Young was a board member for the Ferry Pass Elementary School PTA. A joint investigation by the Escambia County School District and the State Attorney’s Office discovered that YOung opened an undisclosed account in the PTA’s name which she used to embezzle over $20,000 in funds, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
During this time, Young was employed at JCPenny and falsified returned merchandise records to conceal her theft of over $9,000 in funds from her employer, according to prosecutors.