Friends Of The Library Big Fall Book Sale Was A Big Success
October 2, 2018
The annual Friends of West Florida Public Library’s Big Fall Book Sale was a big success. Organizers said the annual event raised almost $14,000 for the Friends, a non-profit support organization of the West Florida Public Library. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Not Too Late To Enter The Northview Homecoming Parade
October 2, 2018
There are already about 45 entries in Friday’s Northview High School Homecoming Parade, and organizers said it is not too late to sign up to take part.
The parade will line up at 12:30 p.m. and travel from Bratt Elementary School to Northview High. Entries are being accepted now; there is no cost to enter. For a printable entry form, click here.
A homecoming meal to support the Tommy Weaver Memorial Scholarship Fund will be sold for $7. Meals will be served after 10 a.m. on October 5 and will include a barbecue sandwich, chips, dessert and a drink.
Contact Perry Byars at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 or email pbyars@escambia.k12.fl.us for more information or to reserve homecoming meals.
The Northview Chief’s homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 5 against the Jay Royals.
Pictured: The 2017 Northview High Homecoming Parade in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lower Rain Chances, Above Normal Temperatures
October 2, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Columbus Day: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Century Workers To Help With Hurricane Florence Recovery
October 2, 2018
The Town of Century is sending two workers to the Carolinas in the near future to help with Hurricane Florence recovery.
The town council voted Monday night to send the two employees and two trucks to either North or South Carolina for a week. They will be paid for a straight 40-hour week.
Mayor Henry Hawkins said he wanted the town to help because Century has been on the receiving end of assistance in the past following natural disasters.
Robert Bender Wins Escambia Commission Seat After His Opposition Withdraws
October 2, 2018
Robert Bender has been elected to the Escambia County Commission from District 4.
“Write-in candidate Leigh Anne Bell has withdrawn as a candidate for the office of Board of County Commissioners, District 4, resulting in an unopposed candidate race. Although it is too late to remove the contest from the November 6 General Election ballot itself due to the lateness of the withdrawal, a vote cast in the race will not change the outcome as the remaining candidate is deemed by law to be elected. Any votes cast in this contest will not be reported or published,” the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office said Monday.
Blue Wahoos Announce New Affiliation Partnership With Minnesota Twins
October 2, 2018
The Minnesota Twins it is. Going right up to the deadline the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the Minnesota Twins signed a player development contract (PDC) for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The final Double-A affiliation agreements came down to the San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins Organizations and the cities of Pensacola, Fla. and Amarillo, Texas.
“This is a rare time when there are no losers. The Padres and Twins are first class organizations,” said Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith. “One would end up playing in the picturesque downtown Pensacola’s Blue Wahoo Stadium and the other in a brand new 44 million ball park in Amarillo, Texas. Both are great venues in great cities.”
“This was our first time going through this process it was beyond expectations,” added Griffith. “The Padres and Twins were both great. We learned so much during the process on what we can do better based on how they both operate. In an operational area such as speeding up food delivery the Padres still offered to share their processes with us even after learning the decision to sign with the Twins. The Twins, like the Padres, are committed to a partnership that will help the Wahoos continue to get better.”
“We are thrilled to sign a two-year player development contract with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos,” said Director, Minor League Operations Jeremy Zoll. “Their owners and leadership team have a clear commitment to positively impacting the community in Pensacola, and we believe that the values of the Twins and Blue Wahoos could not be better aligned. We are looking forward to being true partners to Pensacola in both business and baseball operations and are excited for our AA players to have the opportunity to call the Pensacola community their home.”
“Both teams’ owners, Ron Fowler of the Padres and Jim Pohlad of the Twins, were very active in the process, which we appreciated,” said Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer. “Both organizations are in a rebuilding process. With the leadership that these owners provide, it is no surprise why they have minor league systems rated in the top five. They both are deeply committed to their respective communities beyond baseball.”
The team will open the new year with exciting news about stadium upgrades. The Blue Wahoos will also announce more details about the community impact of the partnership between the Wahoos and the Twins.
New Budget Year With Property Tax Increase Begins Today For Escambia County, Century
October 1, 2018
Monday marked the first day of the new 2018-2019 budget years for both Escambia County and Century, and a relative increase in property tax rates for residents of both.
Century’s budget is $3.43 million, about $1.17 million lower than the town’s previous budget year. The property tax rate is 7.3 percent higher than the rolled-back rate.
Read: Did Century’s Property Tax Increase Violate The Town Charter.
Escambia County’s budget is $475 million, up from $456 million last fiscal year. Property taxes are 3.17 percent higher than the rolled-back rate.
Read: Citizen’s Guide To Escambia County’s Budget
The roll-back rate is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as approved for the prior year. A millage rate higher than the roll-back rate is defined by the state as a tax increase.
Week Starts With More Scattered Showers, Thunderstorms
October 1, 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 70. Calm wind.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Columbus Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Charges Dropped Against Molino Man Accused Of Drug Trafficking
October 1, 2018
Charges have been dropped against a Molino man arrested for drug trafficking after a traffic stop.
There was insufficient evidence against John Homer Docherty to try him on charges of trafficking methamphetamine and two counts of possession a controlled substance without a prescription, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with a passenger brake light out on W Street in Pensacola. Docherty was a passenger in the car, and a K-9 alerted on the vehicle. Deputies recovered a total of 27.1 grams of meth from under the passenger seat and glove box, according to an arrest report. Deputies also reported finding 1.5 tables of Xanax and two Oxycodone tablets.
The driver was issued a citation for no seat belt.
New Laws – Including PTSD Benefits, Animal Abuse – Take Effect In Florida
October 1, 2018
New laws took effect in Florida Monday that will add benefits for first responders who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and impose harsher penalties on people who abuse animals, along with 19 other measures signed by Gov. Rick Scott after the 2018 legislative session.
The laws range from allowing credit cards to be used for background checks when firearms are purchased to doling out tougher punishment for people who steal bee colonies or trespass at airports.
Most laws crafted during the legislative session, including the state’s $88.7 billion budget, hit the books on July 1. But others had later “effective” dates.
The change for first responders (SB 376) would expand workers’ compensation insurance benefits for firefighters, police officers, paramedics and emergency-medical technicians who suffer from PTSD.
The office of state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who has started running a campaign ad that highlights his support for the law, announced last week the launch of training materials for first responders on PTSD.
“We’ve heard terrible stories about the impact tragedies like Pulse, Parkland and most recently Jacksonville Landing, have on our first responders and their families,” Patronis, whose job includes serving as state fire marshal, said in a statement. “The training is an important step needed to help our first responders.”
According to a 2015 article published in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, 6.6 percent of 4,000 first responders surveyed had attempted suicide, which is more than 10 times the rate in the general population.
Under the new law, first responders who have witnessed the death of a minor or witnessed a death that involved “grievous bodily harm of a nature that shocks the conscience” can file workers’ compensation claims for lost wages.
The new law is expected to increase workers’ compensation costs for cities and counties that employ first responders by upward of $7 million, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance.
Another new law (SB 1576) taking effect next week stems from the beating death last year of a 9-month-old Labrador retriever puppy in Volusia County.
The new law, named “Ponce’s Law” after the puppy, will allows judges to bar people convicted of animal cruelty from owning pets. The legislation also increases the severity ranking of animal-abuse related crimes, making it more likely that offenders would go to jail upon conviction.
Kate MacFall with the Humane Society of the United States hopes the new law will allow judges to make sure people who mistreat animals are not allowed to repeat the cycle of abuse.
“It gives that judge discretion to say they can’t have any contact with animals during their probation,” MacFall said. “It clarifies that and gives the judge the authority to have that as part of the sentencing, so that the criminal cannot have contact with animals during their probation.”
In addition to dealing with animal cruelty, the new law also creates policies and procedures for animal shelters to use following natural disasters, such as hurricanes, to return lost pets to their owners.
“It puts more teeth into it. It stiffens the penalty for people who abuse animals,” MacFall said. “Who wouldn’t support that? This all came from a dog named Ponce, that was beaten to death last year. It was a horrific tragedy.”
Other new laws going into place on Oct. 1:
— HB 55, allows people buying guns to use credit cards to pay for background checks. They have been required in the past to pay with personal checks, money orders or cashier’s checks.
— HB 135, allows deaf people to voluntarily identify themselves as hearing-impaired when they register vehicles. The idea, which came from a Tallahassee police officer whose son is deaf, is intended to prevent communications issues with deaf drivers that could inadvertently lead to confrontations.
— HB 523, increases penalties to a third-degree felony for people who trespass on airport property to injure other people, damage property or impede the operations of aircraft. The bill is in reaction to instances since 2014 of people getting on property at Florida airports, including Orlando International, Tampa International and Miami International.
— HB 961, allows businesses such as bars to receive up to 10 cases of branded glassware — 24 glasses per container — a year from brewers or importers. Supporters of the “beer glass” bill maintained that the change would allow small businesses to save on the cost of glassware. But a number of craft brewers opposed the measure, arguing it would allow a small number of brewers who could afford the costs to flood the market with company-branded glassware.
by Tom Urban and Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida