DeSantis Weighs In On School Safety After Report
January 30, 2019
With a state commission saying classroom teachers should be allowed to be armed “guardians,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday backed the possibility of more school employees being able to carry guns — while also calling for other steps to avoid mass shootings.
DeSantis told reporters that his upcoming budget proposal will include money for school security and supported allowing trained school employees to be armed.
“In terms of the arming of personnel, what I’ve said is, if you’re somebody who is working at a school and you are somebody who is trained and has the ability to do it, then you shouldn’t be precluded, if you carrying a concealed firearm could potentially deter people from viewing that as a thing,” he said. “But what I would not do is say, Oh, Miss Jones, you want to teach English? Well, do you have a Glock? No. I mean, we should not force anybody to do that.”
DeSantis was responding to a question about a report issued by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created last year after the mass shooting in Parkland that killed 17 students and faculty members.
A state law allows school districts to hire armed “guardians” — school personnel whose primary job duties are outside the classroom — to supplement school law-enforcement officers.
The commission’s recommendations also included allowing teachers to act as armed guardians, an issue that has been highly controversial.
The issue is expected to be debated during the legislative session that starts March 5. DeSantis said the state also needs to step up efforts to head off potential attackers who show signs by things they say or post on social media.
DeSantis said if you “read that (commission) report, these people who are doing these things, it’s not like this is happening out of the blue. I know that they’ve worked on some stuff since this, but I want to have a real robust operation where if somebody’s posting something on Facebook or somebody’s saying things like this and they have these problems,” they will be detected.
ECSO Identifies Man Shot And Killed By Deputy Inside Highway 97 Home
January 29, 2019
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of a man killed in an officer involved shooting Friday night in Davisville.
Robert C. “Bobby” Martin, 69, was shot inside his home by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a welfare check about 8:35 p.m. at a home in the 10000 block of Highway 97, about one mile south of the Alabama state line. A relative not at the residence told dispatchers that Martin was armed and threatening to kill another family member.
Deputies arrived on scene, and Martin refused commands, Escambia County Chief Deputy Chip Simmons told NorthEscambia.com on the scene Friday night. He then raised his firearm in the direction of the deputy, forcing the deputy to fire his weapon. Martin was struck three times from the weapon fired by a single deputy. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.
There were no law enforcement injuries, and the other family member on scene was not injured.
Per ECSO policy, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer involved shooting. The officer was placed on administrative leave, as is standard procedure, according to Simmons.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Council Elects President Despite Absence Of Two Members
January 29, 2019
The Century Town Council elected its leadership Monday night, three weeks after they first tried and failed and the election was postponed until a full council could make a decision.
But only three of five council members were present Monday night as a vote was taken.
Ann Brooks was reelected as council president on a 2-1 vote with Sandra Jackson voting no, and Ben Boutwell was elected vice president on a 3-0 vote. Council members Luis Gomez and James Smith were not present.
At the January 7 council meeting, Brooks announced that positions would remain the same until all five council members were present to vote.
At that January 7 meeting,, Jackson nominated Boutwell, and Boutwell nominated Brooks. Jackson and Smith voted for Boutwell, while Boutwell and Brooks voted for Brooks, resulting in a tie. Council member Gomez was absent from the meeting. Boutwell renounced his nomination for council president and ceded the nomination to Brooks. The four council members then voted on the remaining nomination for Brooks, but that vote ended in a 2-2 tie with Jackson and Smith voting no.
Monday night’s leadership election did not appear a council agenda emailed last Thursday to members of the council, key staff members and the media, but did appear on an agenda distributed Monday night.
Pictured: (L-R) Century Council president Ann Brooks, Sandra Jackson and Ben Boutwell Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Clouds Clearing, Temperatures Dropping
January 29, 2019
Freezing cold temperatures are in store for Tuesday night, with lows dipping into the middle 20’s. It’s time to take necessary precautions to protect pipes, pets and plants, and check on elderly friends and neighbors [Read more ...]
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 48. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73.
Freezing Weather — Protecting Pets, Plants, Pipes And Other Tips
January 29, 2019
When temperatures fall into the teens and hard freeze warning, it is time to take necessary precautions to protect pipes, pets and plants, and check on elderly friends and neighbors.
For tonight’s latest forecast, click here.
Here are ways to stay safe during this year’s first round of cold temperatures, courtesy of the American Red Cross:
- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing body heat.
- Know the signs of hypothermia — confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. If someone has these symptoms, they should get immediate medical attention.
- Watch for symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy feeling skin.
- Bring the pets indoors. If that’s not possible, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
- Avoid frozen pipes — run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent them from freezing. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night to help avoid freezing pipes.
- Do not use a stove or oven to heat the home.
- Space heaters should sit on a level, hard surface and anything flammable should be kept at least three feet away.
- If using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
- Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
And here are a few extra details and tips from ECUA on protecting pipes against the freeze:
- Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This action guards against the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
- Run a trickle of water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run a thin trickle of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.
- Remember the backflow preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water line are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.
Northview, Jay Weightlifters Take Part In Regional Meet
January 29, 2019
Weightlifters from Northview and Jay high schools took part in the Class 1A Region 1 weightlifting tournament late last week.
Chiefs and Royals placed as follows:
101 lb class
- Ella Nelson, Jay, 5th
- Lynnsey Holzapfel, Northview, 11th
110 lb class
- Destiny Braddick, Northview, 8th
- Bailey Lopez, Jay, 12th
- Alexa Pabo, Jay, 9th
119 lb class
- Carsen Arrant, Jay, 7th
- Alyssa Chaviz, Jay, 12th
129 lb class
- Destiny Cleckner, Northview 11th
119 lb class
- Lexxi Baggett, Northview, 8th
154 lb class
- Carlyn Watson, Jay, 9th
- Haey Grenier, Jay, 12th
169 lb class
- Hailey Harigel, Northview, 6th
- Naudia Carach, Northview 12th
Unlimited class
- Auelua Chanalei, Northview 6th
Regional weight class winners and the top lifters across the state qualify for the state finals. None of the Northview or Jay weightlifters advanced to state.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Robert C. “Bobby” Martin
January 29, 2019
Robert C. “Bobby” Martin, 69, of Davisville, FL, passed away January 25, 2019. He was born on June 19, 1949, in Atmore, AL, to the late Robert J. and Ethel Lee Mooney Martin. He attended the Atmore First Assembly of God Church. He was retired from the Army National Guard and was a retired corrections officer with Escambia County Florida Department of Corrections. He was avid fisherman and outdoorsman, and was known for his excellent cooking skills of fried fish and oysters. His parents preceded him in death.
He was survived by his wife Nancy Etheridge Martin of Davisville, FL; two children Jennifer Beck of Cantonment, FL, and Russell Martin of Tuscaloosa, AL; three brothers Ronnie (Gayle) Martin of Atmore, AL, Harold (JoAnn) Martin of Warren Robbins, GA, and Greg Martin of Atmore, AL; and two grandchildren Lauren and Lindsey Beck of Cantonment.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 31, 2019, at 2 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Don Davis and Bro. Michael Roley officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Timothy Lassiter, Paul Hudson, Earl Bodiford, Chris Smith, Melvin Iutzi, and Jeremy McGhee.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 30, 2019 from 5-7 p.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel.
BP Money Eyed To Help With Hurricane Recovery
January 29, 2019
Calls are growing to use BP oil spill money to bolster Hurricane Michael recovery efforts, potentially reducing the financial burden on local and state budgets.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, last week indicated he could support the idea of pumping settlement money from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster into building and replacing infrastructure in communities reeling from the deadly Oct. 10 hurricane.
“I don’t see why those need to be separated out,” Bradley told reporters at the Capitol. “I don’t think there should be money used only for oil spill and another pot for Hurricane Michael concerns. So, the idea that we would utilize Triumph (Gulf Coast) both for its bonding capacity and real dollars to help address things in the Panhandle, I think that’s a serious discussion we need to have in his building.”
Created by the Legislature, the non-profit agency Triumph Gulf Coast was created to distribute to Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla and Walton counties three-quarters of the $2 billion the state will get over the next 12 years through the BP settlement. As part of its charge from the Legislature, Triumph is expected to direct money to regional projects that have wide impacts rather than directly to individual businesses.
State lawmakers are expected during the legislative session that begins March 5 to consider spending millions of dollars to aid Hurricane Michael recovery efforts, though they have not specified an amount.
The state got some relief when Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week that President Donald Trump’s administration expanded the number of days Florida and local governments would receive full reimbursement for debris cleanup from five to 45.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz has estimated the White House move will save the state and local governments “hundreds of millions of dollars” in cleanup expenses from the Category 4 storm, which created seven to 10 times as much debris as Hurricane Irma in 2017 — though Irma affected more areas of the state.
Bradley’s comment last week followed a similar request from state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who is from the hard-hit Panama City area. Also, Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, has filed a bill (HB 191) that would create the Northwest Florida Rural Inland Affected Counties Recovery Fund, which would receive a portion of money from the BP settlement.
Under Drake’s proposal, the state Department of Economic Opportunity would provide grants for infrastructure and workforce projects in Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty and Washington counties.
“The Legislature recognizes that as a result of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the rural inland affected counties of Northwest Florida continue to face extraordinary challenges in significantly improving their economies, specifically in terms of household income, job creation, average wages, and strong tax bases,” Drake’s bill said. “The Legislature also recognizes that this area is designated as a rural area of opportunity by the governor.”
Patronis urged the Triumph Gulf Coast board to work with the state Division of Bond Finance to assist in establishing loans that local governments could use for rebuilding
“My team has reviewed the law governing Triumph funds, and it seems to provide many allowable uses,” Patronis wrote to the board on Jan. 11. “Specifically, we believe these funds are an appropriate funding source to help rebuilding efforts by making secured loans to local governments.”
The Triumph board is awaiting a report about the economic impacts of the storm.
On Jan. 17, Triumph Chairman Don Gaetz, a former state Senate president from Niceville, advised Patronis that counties in the Triumph region hadn’t asked for any changes to their priority lists or for projects to be substituted because of Michael.
Still, Gaetz wrote there might be a need to use the money for secured loans to cover local governments that may suffer from revenue reductions due to storm-related drops in property values.
“County officials and the members of the Triumph Gulf Coast Board understand that the sustained jobs created by Triumph-funded projects will be even more important in a post-hurricane economy struggling to recover,” Gaetz wrote. “We have, however, received some indication that one or two counties may approach Triumph for assistance in making up reduced ad valorem property tax revenues.”
Triumph Executive Director Susan Skelton has started talks with state bond-finance Director Ben Watkins about possible financing, which is expected to be on the board’s agenda in late February.
Also expected to be on the February agenda will be a discussion of the role of Triumph and the state working with private- sector financial institutions on loans.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Jim Allen Elementary School Students ‘Visit” Canada
January 29, 2019
Students at Jim Allen Elementary School are “traveling” to Canada each day this week to learn about the country during a Global Corner International Learning Center program.
The Global Corner provides opportunities for the children of Northwest Florida to learn about world languages, cultures, and geography through innovative educational programs.
Pictured: The Global Corner program at Jim Allen Elementary School. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Laurel Lee Named Florida Secretary Of State
January 29, 2019
Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Laurel M. Lee was named Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis as Florida secretary of state, replacing Mike Ertel, who abruptly resigned last week after the release of photos showing him wearing blackface more than a decade ago.
Lee, whose duties will include serving as the state’s chief elections officer, has worked as circuit judge since being appointed in 2013 by former Gov. Rick Scott. She is married to state Sen. Tom Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican who served as Senate president in 2005 and 2006.
The new secretary’s resume doesn’t show any direct work in an elections office. The Department of State also includes such things as the Division of Corporations, the Division of Historical Resources and the Division of Library and Information Services.
An announcement from DeSantis’ office pointed to her “extensive judicial and legal experience.”
“It is clear to me that Judge Lee’s background and experience make her an excellent choice to serve as secretary of state for Florida,” DeSantis said in a prepared statement. “She is ready to handle the important elections administration duties and cultural responsibilities accorded to this position with a steady hand and good judgment.”
Lee, in the announcement, said she was “humbled” by the appointment.
The appointment by DeSantis requires confirmation by the state Senate, where Lee’s husband was a member from 1996 to 2006 and has again served since 2012.
On the bench, among Judge Lee’s more-prominent rulings came in 2014 when she refused to grant a couple married in Massachusetts a divorce because Florida law banned same-sex marriages.
In December, Lee removed herself from presiding over a lawsuit challenging a new transit tax after the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority requested she be disqualified because her husband campaigned against the tax.
She previously worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida, after working as an assistant federal public defender in the same district.
A University of Florida law school graduate, she was a law clerk to U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr., the father of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, and practiced law at Carlton, Fields, P.A. in Tampa.
Ashley Moody, a former Hillsborough County circuit judge, issued a statement Monday that noted a long history with Lee.
“We served together as judges in the 13th Judicial Circuit (in Hillsborough County) and have known each other since we attended the University of Florida together,” Ashley Moody said in the statement. “I have full confidence Judge Lee will serve the state of Florida honorably as the next secretary of state.”
Deputy Secretary of State Jennifer Kennedy served as interim secretary after Ertel’s sudden departure.
Ertel was on the job just over two weeks when photos published online Thursday by the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper showed him wearing blackface and red lipstick and clad in a New Orleans Saints bandanna and a purple T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Katrina Victim,” under which he wore falsies.
According to the Democrat, the photos were taken at Halloween in 2005, eight months after Ertel’s appointment as the Seminole County elections supervisor and two months after Hurricane Katrina’s widespread destruction in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.
DeSantis said he accepted the resignation as he didn’t want to “get mired in side controversies.”
“I think it’s unfortunate,” DeSantis said of Ertel on Thursday at an event outside the Jackson County Emergency Operations Complex. “I think he’s done a lot of good work, but at the same time I have got to have an administration that is going to be focused on what matters to Floridians.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida