Century Looks For $100K To Balance Budget, Considers Cuts
September 7, 2018
The Century Town Council held their final budget workshop of the year Thursday afternoon, aiming to find $100,000 to balance their annual budget for the next fiscal year.
The town’s gas department can’t account of 58 percent of the natural gas it purchases for resale, and those gas department losses left the council maneuvering for savings.
The town has allocated an immediate $100,000 this budget year to purchase new gas meters for residential and commercial customers and about $4,000 for a new “gate station” meter to measure the quantity of gas purchased to verify the amount billed by their supplier.
The new gas meters are expected to increase revenue substantially due to improved accuracy.
At a previous meeting, the town council decided to leave their estimated gas fund revenue at $400,000 in next fiscal year ’s budget, based upon current income levels in order to easily see increased revenues. Accountant Robert Hudson instead Thursday recommending raising that income projection to $500,000.
“You are still going to see it (any revenue increase),” Hudson said. “We raised it to balance the budget.”
“But you’re still just making up a number,” Council President Ann Brooks said. “I think it is disguising the fact that we need to cut (expenses) somewhere.”
“One we get them in the ground, we should start seeing a change almost immediately,” Mayor Henry Hawkins said of the new meters and additional revenue. He said most of the current gas meters are about 26 years old.
Town Clerk Kim Godwin, who previously served as gas superintendent, said the meters were damaged and accuracy dropped several years ago when automatic reporting devices were added to them.
The town will also remove old meters from longtime inactive addresses, work to improve billing accuracy and conduct a self-audit of accounts to make sure residents are being properly billed.
“If you have been getting gas or water for free, it’s about to end,” council member Luis Gomez said.
Rather than increasing the projected gas department revenue by $100,000, the council increased it by $50,000 and began to look for other ways to save the money and balance the budget.
After discussions that including cutting back on the employer health insurance contribution, dropping an annual Independence Day Fireworks Show and slashing donations to non-profits, community service organizations and local school groups, the council instead turned their focus to other line items.
They decided to delay the purchase of a $15,000 side-by-side vehicle for the gas department and postpone employee merit raises for a $30,000 savings. Employees will still receive a cost of living increase.
And the council upped anticipated revenue for acting as a second signature on bond issues by the Capital Trust Agency by $75,000 in final budget balancing maneuver.
The first of two public hearings to consider the fiscal year 2018-2019 budget will be held Monday at 5:01 p.m. A regular council meeting will follow at 7 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Woman Charged With Bribery Of Escambia Sheriff’s Deputy
September 7, 2018
A Century woman was charged with allegedly bribing a sheriff’s deputy with cash so he would not take her to jail for trespassing.
Valene Alaine Walker, 33, was charged with misdemeanor trespassing and felony bribery.
Walker’s ex-boyfriend called the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to the 6000 block of North Century Boulevard after Walker was allegedly banging on the window of his residence. An arriving deputy reported that he observed Walker on the property causing a disturbance as she walked from the backdoor to the front yard of the home. Walker was previous trespass-warned from the property by the ECSO.
While Walker was being transported to the Escambia County Jail on the trespassing charge, she tried to bribe the deputy, according to an arrest report, by offering to give him the bond money in her possession so he would let her go. The report notes that audio and video were captured on the deputy’s in-car camera.
Tate Showband Holding Car Washes At Six Locations Saturday
September 7, 2018
The Tate High School Showband of the South will hold car washes Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at six locations:
- Advance Auto Parts – Hwy. 29
- Express Oil – 9 Mile Rd.
- O’Reilly Auto Parts – Hwy. 29
- O’Reilly Auto Parts – Pine Forest Rd.
- Pizza Hut – 9 Mile Rd.
- Tractor Supply- 9 Mile Rd.
Pictured: Last year’s Tate Showband of the South Car Wash. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scattered Showers
September 7, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Calm wind.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
It’s Official: Escambia Primary Election Results Certified
September 7, 2018
Escambia County Primary Election results from August 28 have now been certified and are official.
There were no changes for vote totals posted on election night, according to Deputy Supervisor of Elections Sonya Daniel.
Pictured top: Escambia County Canvassing Board members watch election results on Primary Election night. Picture are (L-R) Escambia Count Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz, Supervisor of Elections David Stafford and Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Taps Nunez As GOP Running Mate
September 7, 2018
State Rep. Jeanette Nunez, a Miami Republican who publicly criticized President Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign, was formally announced Thursday as the running mate for gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis, as the GOP’s statewide election slate held a display of unity.
DeSantis, a congressman with close ties to Trump, dismissed talk of Nunez’ initial preference in the 2016 presidential race as he described his lieutenant-governor selection as an “accomplished” mother of three who is someone his daughter could admire.
“This is the type of person that I think is a role model for everybody, but particularly young women,” DeSantis said after the unity event put on by Gov. Rick Scott’s U.S. Senate campaign at the Ace Cafe in Orlando.
The Nunez selection could help DeSantis, who will face Democrat Andrew Gillum in the November election, as Republicans try to attract women and Hispanic voters. Gillum on Thursday named Winter Park businessman Chris King, who lost in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, as his running mate.
Nunez, 46, is a Cuban-American born in Miami who has served as a top lieutenant to House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, during the past two years.
Nunez, who was first elected to the House in 2010 and faces term limits this year, said she was “honored” by her selection as DeSantis’ running mate.
“We’re going to see from our end what we stand for, the ideals and principles that we stand strong in, the conservative values making sure Florida remains the prosperous state that it continues to be,” Nunez said. “I’m eager to get on the trail and explain what the differences are.”
Nunez was a sponsor in 2014 of legislation to help “Dreamers,” or children who are in the country illegally, qualify for in-state tuition rates at Florida colleges and universities. In 2018, she oversaw the House’s response to Hurricane Irma and was appointed by Corcoran to the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets every 20 years to consider changes to the state Constitution.
Among her proposals while serving on the commission was a measure that would have eliminated a constitutional requirement that 30 percent of tobacco-education and prevention funding go to an anti-smoking campaign. That proposal ultimately did not pass.
State Sen. Debbie Mayfield, a Rockledge Republican who was also on DeSantis’ short list of potential running mates and attended Thursday’s event, said Nunez will bring a strong “women’s voice” to the ticket and office.
“We all knew that we really needed to balance the ticket out,” said Mayfield, who previously served in the House with Nunez. “Ron’s going to be a tremendous governor. He’s going to continue on the same path that Gov. Scott has. But I also think he’s going to be focused a lot on education and health care. Jeanette brings a lot to the table with her experience with health care and education.”
Before being elected to the Legislature, Nunez was a lobbyist for Jackson Memorial Hospital. She later joined Hospital Corporation of America as a vice president of community affairs in South Florida.
Ed Moore, president of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and a veteran Republican pundit, said Nunez “enables DeSantis to have a different look to the ticket.”
“Jeanette Nunez is a very experienced legislator, very well-known in Miami-Dade County, a Hispanic female,” he said. “So, if you’re checking off a lot of boxes, she checks a lot of boxes.”
Moore added that the selection of the lieutenant governor gives the top-of-the-ticket candidate “an immediate three-day pop” that can illustrate “the decision-making quality of the campaign.”
“But then after that, it’s all ground game and whether the lieutenant governor has an organization or not. Most of them don’t,” Moore said. “They’re very regional in nature. … It’s just not that big of a deal.”
Even before the lieutenant-governor selection was formally announced, Democrats criticized the DeSantis-Nunez ticket. They described such a Republican administration as a potential “disaster for Florida women and working families.”
“DeSantis has selected a lobbyist who supports his agenda of denying health care to hundreds of thousands, destroying public schools and taking away women’s health freedom,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terri Rizzo said in a prepared statement Wednesday night.
Democrats also highlighted a March 3, 2016 tweet by Nunez, who supported U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in that year’s GOP presidential primary. In the tweet, she expressed strong criticism of Trump, who went on to win the Republican nomination and the presidency.
“Wake up Florida voters, Trump is the biggest con-man there is. #nosubstance #anti-Israel #supportsKKK #nevertrump VOTE @marcorubio #RUBIO,” Nunez tweeted.
DeSantis and Nunez downplayed her initial support for Rubio in 2016.
“We’re here talking about moving Florida forward,” Nunez said after the Ace Cafe event. “It’s no secret that I was a strong Marco Rubio supporter. But that election is done, and I’m looking forward to this election.”
DeSantis agreed to look forward.
“To support Marco Rubio, a favorite son from Miami, Cuban-American, with a historic run, if I was in her shoes I would have probably been supporting Marco as well,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis defeated state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Aug. 28 Republican gubernatorial primary. Putnam was at Thursday’s event and described Nunez as an “exceptionally good pick” who knows policy, as they have worked together on energy issues.
“She’s someone I’ve been a big fan of for a long time,” said Putnam, who said he hasn’t given much thought to what he’ll do when his term as agriculture commissioner expires in January.
Joining Scott, DeSantis, Putnam and Nunez at the event were outgoing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Cabinet candidates Jimmy Patronis, who is running for a full term as state chief financial officer; former Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Ashley Moody, who is running for attorney general; and state Rep. Matt Caldwell, who is running for agriculture commissioner.
In describing the statewide ticket, Scott, who is trying to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, said the choice is between “job growth,” “low unemployment,” “secure borders” and “lower taxes,” against the Democrats’ “radical, left-wing policy that led to what we’re seeing today in places like Venezuela and Cuba.”
by The News Service of Florida
Gillum Picks King As Democratic Running Mate
September 7, 2018
Doubling down on his appeal to progressive voters, Andrew Gillum on Thursday picked former primary rival Chris King as his running mate on the Democratic ticket for governor.
Gillum and his wife, R. Jai, joined King and his wife, Kristen, to make the announcement in a live session on Facebook.
Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, said his first criteria in picking Chris King, who is a Winter Park businessman, was selecting a running mate who could step in as governor if necessary.
“But we also talked about the fact that this is a difficult journey. It’s hard. It’s difficult work at times. And what we want to do not only in this race, but when we win the race for governor, is have a partner in helping to lead this state,” Gillum said.
The Gillum-King partnership is founded on a lot of similarities. Both candidates ran as outspoken progressives in the Aug. 28 Democratic primary, embracing such issues as the expansion of Medicaid, the legalization of marijuana, gun control, criminal justice reform and a $15-an-hour minimum wage.
Gillum, the first African-American nominated for governor by a major party in Florida, was the surprise victor in the primary, winning the race with 34.4 percent of the vote. King, making his first bid for elected office, finished in fifth place with 2.5 percent.
After campaigning for nearly a year and half against him, King said he developed a friendship with Gillum.
“This is not a political marriage. This is not a marriage of convenience,” King said. “I came to admire him. His gifts, his talents and most importantly his vision for the state of Florida, to lift up families all across the state who have not had a champion like Mayor Gillum, who have not had someone who has spoken up to issues that the current leadership just doesn’t care about.”
In addition to their politics, the two Democrats mirror each other in other ways. Both are 39 years old. They each have families with three children. Their wives have played key roles in their campaigns.
“When we met Chris and Kristen, we saw that they had those same values, partnership, more importantly, your family, your faith, things that are really important to us as well. I’m just so excited,” R. Jai Gillum said.
One difference between the two candidates is their personal finances. During the primary, Gillum often remarked he was the only “non-millionaire” in the race. King reported a net worth of $17 million in June and spent more than $4 million of his own money during the election.
King’s prosperity is a result of a company, Elevation Financial Group, that he started and has developed affordable-housing projects, an issue important to both candidates.
“We have to do everything that we can to ensure access to accessible and affordable housing for more people in this state,” Gillum said.
Gillum’s decision to join forces with King, rather than some of his more centrist primary rivals, like Gwen Graham or Philip Levine, is another sign that his unprecedented campaign remains committed to trying to energize the progressive base of the party.
Gary Yordon, a Tallahassee-based Democratic political consultant who supported Graham in the primary, called Gillum’s selection of King a surprise.
“It’s surprising because everybody keeps thinking Andrew’s going to pivot more towards the center, and he’s just not,” Yordon, who did some work for Gillum more than a decade ago, told The News Service of Florida on Thursday.
Adding King to the ticket “solidifies where he is as a progressive,” Yordon said of Gillum.
“I think it is another brick in that foundation. This is the campaign it’s going to be, and he’s all in. I think the Chris King pick just says, yep, this is where we are,” he said. “To me, it’s a little bit refreshing to find someone who didn’t try and be something he’s not for a campaign.”
But Gillum’s embrace of the progressive wing of his party is opening up attacks from Republicans, who are characterizing him as too liberal for mainstream Florida voters.
“Andrew Gillum’s choice of Chris King is being heralded by national media outlets as ‘the most liberal in state history,’ and we agree,” said state Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.
Ingoglia also contrasted the Democratic ticket with Republican nominee Ron DeSantis’ decision to pick state Rep. Jeanette Nunez, a Cuban-American lawmaker from Miami, as his running mate.
“This socialist-progressive ‘dream team of bad ideas’ has a total of zero legislative experience, and it shows,” Ingoglia said about Gillum and King.
by The News Service of Florida
Flood Warning In Effect For Perdido River
September 7, 2018
A flood warning is in effect for the Perdido River near Barrineau Park until Sunday morning.
The river was at 17.9 feet and is expected to fall below flood stage of 13 feet early Sunday.
At 17.5 feet, water reaches the first floor of the Adventures Unlimited.
Pictured: Flooding on River Annex Road in Cantonment, near the Perdido River, Thursday. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gutierrez Powers Wahoos To 4-1 Win In Game 2
September 7, 2018
In the biggest game of the Wahoos season, one of the Reds best pitching prospects turned in his best performance of the season. Vladimir Gutierrez (W, 1-0) turned in seven strong innings and drove in two as the Wahoos defeated the Shuckers 4-1 Thursday night to even the Southern League South Division Series.
Before Gutierrez ever toed the rubber, the Wahoos had the lead. Jose Siri doubled off the first pitch from Thomas Jankins (L, 0-1) and after a bunt single from TJ Friedl, Mitch Nay delivered an RBI groundout to put the Wahoos up 1-0. After a single from Gavin LaValley, the Wahoos doubled their lead behind Shed Long’s sac fly to make it 2-0.
Irrespective of Pensacola’s quick start, Thursday was all about Gutierrez. Corey Ray led off the home half of the first with a shallow fly ball to center field that escaped past a diving Siri. Instead of taking the double, Ray tried to take third base but was thrown out after a beautiful relay throw by Taylor Featherston for the first out. After that play, Gutierrez retired 19 of the next 20 Shuckers that came to the plate, including 12 straight.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Wahoos manufactured a pair of runs thanks to solid execution and a little bit of good fortune. With Miguel Sanchez in the game and LaValley down in the count 0-2, the Wahoos first baseman managed to draw a leadoff walk. After a wild pitch moved LaValley to second, Taylor Featherston struck out but reached after the pitch escaped catcher Tyler Heineman for another wild pitch. After Chris Okey struck out for the first, Featherston advanced to second on Sanchez’s third wild pitch of the inning. Gutierrez hit for himself and laced a double to right-center for his first professional RBI’s to give the Wahoos a 4-1 lead.
After picking up two quick outs in the bottom of the inning, Troy Stokes Jr singled and stole second base. He later scored on a double from Lucas Erceg to cut Pensacola’s lead down to 4-1. However, Biloxi would get no closer in game two. After finding the first out in the eighth, Jody Davis went to the bullpen and brought in Carlos Navas (S, 1), who retired the final five outs of the game to give Pensacola a critical win in the series. The victory snaps a six-game losing streak to the Shuckers and it is Pensacola’s first ever playoff win in four tries against Biloxi.
Game three of the South Division Series will begin Friday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium at 6:35. Because Biloxi won both halves, this is the only game in the series that will be played in Pensacola. RHP Tony Santillan will have the chance to give the Wahoos a 2-1 series lead and he will be opposed by RHP Trey Supak.
Man Charged With Stealing Guns, Later Captured After Manhunt
September 6, 2018
A Walnut Hill man is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing several firearms from a home near McDavid and later running from deputies.
Christopher Occie McCullough, 34, was charged with armed burglary, six counts of grand theft of a firearm, criminal mischief, loitering and prowling, and resisting.
McCullough allegedly forced his way into a home in the 500 block of West Bogia Road and stole 11 firearms and a gold men’s wedding band with a total value of $6,000 on July 24.
On August 7, the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Alabama authorities after a tip from a woman led the Monroeville County (AL) Sheriff’s Office to eight firearms hidden in a tool storage box in the attic of an old abandoned house in Franklin, AL. The guns were later positively identified as belonging to the Bogia Road victim.
On August 13, the 21st Judicial Task Force conducted an operation at the Greenlawn Motel in Atmore. The suspect completed a sworn written statement indicating she had firsthand knowledge of an armed burglary that occurred in McDavid on July 24. The female suspect was charged with multiple drug offenses and carrying a concealed weapon.
When Escambia County (FL) investigators interviewed her at the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, she stated that she met with the burglary victim at the CVS in Century and borrowed money. She said for about six months, the man had been soliciting her to have sex with him and she had turned him down, according to an arrest report. She said the victim stated that someone had burglarized his home, stealing guns and other property.
She told investigators that she borrowed $200 from the man on July 17. The suspect told him that she was going to his house that evening and would have sex with him, but she said she was not actually going to follow through, the report states. Instead, she and another woman had planned to make him get on the bed and take his clothes off before a third person would enter the home and burglarize it. They backed out after realizing the victim would be able to identify them.
The suspect’s phone contained text messages from the Bogia Road man asking if she was on her way, according to the Sheriff’s Office. She told investigators that she felt like she had been cut out of any money that might have been made from selling the stolen property obtained through her contact with the man.
On August 22, deputies were dispatched to the area of Lambert Bridge Road and Highway 164 in reference to a suspicious person pacing in a backyard. The resident told deputies that he confronted McCullough, who then fled. The resident provided photos that showed McCullough in their yard.
An arriving deputy reported seeing McCullough walk toward him through a neighboring yard, but he ran when instructed to walk toward the deputy.
A K-9 team from Century Correctional Institution tracked McCullough in the woods off Lambert Bridge Road. He was found floating under a logging road bridge that was just inches above the surface of a creek. Deputies were unable to determine if he had a weapon. When he refused multiple commands to surrender, he was tased, according to an agency report.
McCullough remained in the Escambia County (FL) Jail where he was being held without bond.