Flomaton Hurricanes Receive State Championship Rings
March 4, 2019
The Flomaton Hurricanes football team received their state championship rings Saturday night during a ceremony at the school.
In December, the Flomaton Hurricanes beat Piedmont 23-12 to win the Class 3A state championship in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was the first trip to the state championship in the 94-year history of the Flomaton football program.
To relive the win, click here for a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Barn, RV, Two Tractors And A Truck
March 3, 2019
Fire destroyed a large pole barn along with a recreational vehicle, two tractors and a truck inside the barn Sunday morning in McDavid.
The fire was reported about 8:20 a.m. in the 2300 block of South Pine Barren Road near Bogia Road.
The fire was believed to have been caused by the RV, which had been parked in the barn a short time before the fire.
There were no injuries reported.
The McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill, Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Flomaton Fire Department were dispatched to the fire.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Lady Aggies 3-1 In Florida USA Challenge
March 3, 2019
The Tate Lady Aggies went 3-1 Friday and Saturday in the Florida USA Challenge in Panama City Beach.
The Aggies open with a 4-3 win over Lincoln and beat Daphne 2-1 on Friday.
On Saturday, Tate beat Dale County 6-3 and suffered a 2-0 loss to Marianna.
Bad Weather Risk Passes, Turning Colder
March 3, 2019
All severe weather watches and warnings have been canceled for the North Escambia area. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then a slight chance of showers between 9pm and midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 52. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 28. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 55. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 75.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 62.
Sunday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
Air Force Special Tactics 830-Mile Memorial March Passing Through Escambia County
March 3, 2019
Two Special Tactics Airmen trekked across Escambia County Sunday in the name of their fallen brethren killed in combat.
They are among 20 airmen rucking from Medina Annex at Lackland Air Force Base, TX, to Hurlburt Field to pay tribute to Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin, a Special Tactics combat controller, who was killed in Afghanistan on Nov. 27, 2018, and in honor of the other 19 Special Tactics Airmen who have been killed in action since 9/11.
Elchin, along with U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Ross and U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Emond, were killed in action when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan, Nov. 27, 2018, while deployed in support of OPERATION Freedom’s Sentinel. U.S. Army Sgt. Jason McClary died later as a result of injuries sustained from the IED.
Another of the fallen includes Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley of Pensacola, Special Tactics Combat Controller, killed on August 26, 2015. Sibley, 31, was one of two special tactics airmen deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel near Camp Antonik, Afghanistan. They were at a vehicle checkpoint when two individuals wearing Afghan National Defense and Security Forces uniforms opened fire on them. NATO service members returned fire and killed the shooters.
The Special Tactics Airmen departed Texas on February 22 and are scheduled to arrive at Hurlburt Field, March 4 at 1:00 p.m.
Monday at 3 a.m., they will depart the Gulf Islands National Seashore. For live tracking, click here.
What most people won’t see, is the Individual Duty Medical Technicians putting moleskin on painful blisters, or the communication Airman ensuring the operators are following the correct route, or supply Airmen servicing safety vehicles and the list goes on.
A support force of 19 Air Commandos from nine different career specialties are working around-the-clock, 24/7, behind the scenes of Air Force Special Operations Command’s Special Tactics Memorial March, as 10 two-man teams ruck 830 miles to Hurlburt Field.
“Mission support is the foundation that Special Tactics combat capability is built on,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Guilmain, command chief of the 24th Special Operations Wing and participant in the march. “As always, they have been pivotal in the accomplishment of this 830-mile, five state movement. My hat is off to all involved in the complex planning and execution of this incredible event.”
The 19 mission support Airmen consist of: IDMTs, a Special Operations Surgical Team emergency services physician, a vehicle maintenance technician, combat arms specialist, client systems technician, weather officer, office of special investigations representative, protocol and public affairs.
“I’m both incredibly humbled and fortunate to be a part of the team. It’s keeping guys in the fight, something small that we can give back to the community to show our support across the force.” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Billy Norad, the medical operations superintendent with the 24th SOW and an IDMT on the ruck. “The ruckers know that we’re here to make sure they succeed and they respect and rely on a level of expertise to help make that happen.”
When the support Airmen are not working their primary responsibilities, they can be found right alongside the 20 ST ruckers — turning steps into miles and honoring their teammates.
“There are two shifts of support folks, each on the road 12 hours a day,” said retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Steve Haggett, chief of protocol with the 24th SOW. “All the support teams, every day, are putting rucks on and rucking with the teams on the road.”
Special Tactics Airmen begin their training at Medina Annex, together, and become combat ready upon graduation of the Special Tactics Training Squadron at Hurlburt Field, thus the march route mimics the training passage our Airmen endure. The journey takes the Airmen across five states and 830 miles.
Historically, Air Force Special Tactics plans a memorial march when a member is killed in action. This is the 5th Special Tactics Memorial March since 2009 and since it originated as the “Tim Davis Memorial March.” The march was renamed to honor all fallen Special Tactics Airmen in 2011 to the “Special Tactics Memorial March.”
A memorial baton inscribed with each of the fallen Special Tactics Airman’s names will be carried throughout the way to honor the fallen.
Today, there are about 1,000 Special Tactics operators who combine the core skills of special operations forces with the tactical integration of the world’s greatest airpower, working to find unique solutions to ground problems. They are the most decorated community in the Air Force since the end of the Vietnam War, with one Medal of Honor, ten Air Force Crosses, and 44 Silver Stars.
Special Tactics is U.S. Special Operation Command’s tactical air and ground integration force, and the Air Force’s special operations ground force, leading Global Access, Precision Strike, Personnel Recovery and Battlefield Surgery operations on the battlefield.
A disciplined special operations force of hand-selected Airmen leading joint operations, Special Tactics Airmen are deliberate in their thoughts and actions to deliver solutions to the nation’s most complex military challenges. They conduct global air, space, and cyber-enabled special operations across the spectrum of conflict to prepare for, fight, and win our nation’s wars.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Starla Weaver Named Miss NHS 2019 (With Photo Gallery)
March 3, 2019
Starla Weaver was crowned Miss NHS 2019 Saturday night at Northview High School..
Amber Gilman was named first runner-up, while Olivia Seals was named second runner-up from among nine contestants. Other members of the Top 5 were Gabrielle Kline and Madyson Moye.
Other awards were presented as follows:
- Miss Congeniality – Chloe Smith
- Miss Hospitality – Madyson Moye
- Miss Physical Fitness – Starla Weaver
- Miss Poise and Appearance – Olivia Seals
For a pageant photo gallery, click here.
Weaver, a senior, is the daughter of John and Lisa Weaver.
Pictured top: First runner-up Amber Gilman, Miss NHS 2019 Starla Weaver and second runner-up Olivia Seals. Pictured below: Weaver reacts to winning, the Top 5 contestants and the contestants open the “Enchanted Beauty” pageant. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Applying For Matching Grant For Cantonment, Century, Molino Bus Route
March 3, 2019
Escambia County will apply for a 50 percent match grant to fund the current Escambia County Area Transit bus route that serves Cantonment, Molino and Century.
The Section 5311 Non-Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program provides federal operating or capital assistance for the operation of public transportation service in non-urbanized areas.
The schedule for the Route 60 bus is below.
Pictured: The ECAT bus stop at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Youth Can Apply Now For Escambia Youth Employment Program Jobs
March 3, 2019
Escambia County is seeking youth ages 16-24 who are interested in an opportunity to get paid work experience this summer through the Escambia County Youth Employment Program. Applications are due Friday, March 8.
Qualified youth who are accepted into ECYEP will be able to work up to 30 hours a week at $8.46 per hour, with positions available in various county departments along with the Escambia County School District, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector’s Office and Supervisor of Elections Office. Participants will also receive job readiness training prior to job placement as well as post-employment briefings.
Last summer, 76 youth participated in the program, working in county departments including Public Works, Public Safety, Escambia County Area Transit, West Florida Public Libraries and more.
Limited positions are available. Requirements for the program are as follows:
- Must be age 16-24
- Must live in Escambia County, Florida
Click here to download an application. Applications can also be picked up during normal business hours at 221 S. Palafox Place, 4th floor reception desk. Incomplete application packets will not be accepted.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Google Street View Car Spotted In North Escambia
March 3, 2019
The Google Street View car was spotted in Molino and the Quintette community on Saturday.
The real magic is mounted above the car taking 360 degrees of photos. It has motion sensors to track its position. Three lasers are used to create 3D maps of the surroundings.
GPS sensors, along with sensors that measure speed and direction are used to make sure the images are placed in the right place on the Google Maps and in Google Earth. The sensors even provide enough information to tilt and align the images with hilly terrain.
Google uses face and license plate blurring technology to make sure that people and vehicles captured in the images can’t be identified.
There’s no word when the new images from North Escambia will be available on Google Street View.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Damage Control Before Day One
March 3, 2019
The 2019 legislative session hasn’t even begun, but the mea culpas are already rolling in.
House Speaker José Oliva sparked a firestorm in a discussion with South Florida TV journalist Jim DeFede that went viral Thursday.
Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, repeatedly referred to pregnant women as “host bodies” when asked about the perennially controversial topic of abortion.
The conservative lawmaker is a fierce small-government proponent who believes people should be able to make their own decisions, he told DeFede, a veteran Miami reporter who works for the station CBS4.
But when asked about a slew of bills backed by anti-abortion legislators, the House leader said abortion is a more complicated issue because “there are two lives involved.”
“It’s a complex issue because one has to think, well there’s a host body and that host body has to have a certain amount of rights because at the end of the day, it is that body that that carries this entire other body to term. But there is an additional life there,” said Oliva, who used the term “host body” five times during the interview.
Asked if the term was demeaning to women, Oliva said he was using a “technical” term to be accurate.
But the Republican leader’s comments quickly went viral, drawing rebukes from critics including Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo, who blasted out a statement calling his words “hurtful, dehumanizing, and misogynistic.”
“You’d expect to hear this offensive language in the Handmaid’s Tale — not from the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. With the start of the legislative session just days away, Speaker Oliva has insulted Florida women — and made clear he will not be their champion in Tallahassee,” she said.
Friday morning, Oliva issued an apology elaborating on his parlance and acknowledging he made a mistake.
“It was an attempt to use terminology found in medical ethics writings with the purpose of keeping the discussion dispassionate. The reaction undoubtedly shows it had the exact opposite effect. I apologize for having caused offense, my aim was the contrary,” he said in a statement.
Abortion is society’s “greatest challenge,” he said, adding, “both mother and child have rights and the extent and balance of those rights remain in question.” Oliva again apologized and said he regretted that his words had become a distraction.
But the speaker’s concession wasn’t enough for abortion-rights supporters.
“Access to a popularly supported and constitutionally guaranteed form of health care is hardly our society’s greatest challenge; perhaps climate change or gun violence, but to characterize access to abortion as our greatest challenge is yet another reason why people don’t want politicians interfering in the first place,” Amy Weintraub, reproductive rights program director for Progress Florida, said.
WELCOME TO THE FOLD
The kerfuffle over Oliva’s remarks came just days before the advent of the 60-day legislative session Tuesday.
The Sunshine State has undergone a lot of changes in the prolonged break since the last time House and Senate leaders dropped the white hanky signifying the end of the 2018 session.
At the top of the list is a new chief executive, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will deliver his first State of the State address on opening day and who’s already set himself apart from his predecessor, former governor-turned-U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.
DeSantis is poised to test his influence with an extensive agenda heavily focused on the environment and expanding school choice.
Many people expected DeSantis to govern as the staunch conservative who parlayed his close ties to President Donald Trump into a November victory. But two months into his term, some of the governor’s proposals have drawn bipartisan praise.
The Republican governor has assembled an administration with former powerful lawmakers in key posts that could help some of his policy priorities.
Former House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who now serves as education commissioner, will advocate for the governor’s education agenda, which includes a $422 million teacher-bonus package, changes to a state scholarship program for bullied students and creating a new voucher program that would allow low-income students to use taxpayer-funded scholarships to go to private schools.
Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, a former high-ranking House member, also will be a powerful voice in the administration, and DeSantis has appointed former Rep. Halsey Beshears to run the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and former Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, to head the Division of Emergency Management.
“DeSantis seems to value legislators and our input more than his predecessor. … There’s just a general good faith and good will,” Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said.
But don’t expect the Legislature to roll over for DeSantis, Galvano said.
“What the governor does is not going to be rubber-stamped here in the Senate, and vice versa,” he said. “It is a check and balance.”
CLOUDS CLEAR FOR POT PATIENTS
Florida policymakers readily admit they’ve taken baby steps when it comes to dealing with pot, both before and after voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana.
Even a new governor — and with him, an administration that’s no longer hostile to the concept of cannabis as a cure — might not change that, at least during the legislative session that begins next week.
The Republican-dominated Legislature, however, is on target to make one high-profile expansion to the state’s cannabis laws.
Responding to an ultimatum issued by DeSantis, lawmakers are almost certain to repeal Florida’s ban on smoking medical marijuana. If they don’t act by March 15, the Republican governor has threatened to drop the state’s appeal of a court ruling that said the ban runs afoul of the 2016 constitutional amendment.
Over the past month, House and Senate leaders have drawn closer to reaching consensus on a repeal, but two differences remain.
The House proposal (HB 7015) would allow dispensaries to sell pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, but smoking would be off-limits to patients under age 18.
Unlike the House version, the Senate measure (SB 182) would require marijuana operators to sell at least one type of pre-rolled cigarette and would allow them to sell other whole-flower products. It would also let patients buy smoking equipment at other retail outlets, such as smoke shops. The Senate plan would let minors smoke medical marijuana if the patients get a second opinion from a pediatrician.
The House and Senate bills are headed to the chamber floors for votes after the session begins.
DeSantis told reporters he’s “talked about some broad strokes with folks” but hasn’t seen the legislation yet. He said he’s “willing to sign things if I can have good faith that it’s implementing the will of the voters” fairly.
“It may not mean I agree philosophically on every little nook and cranny, but we’ve got to meet the constitutional threshold. So if their bill does that, then I’ll look at it. So we’ll see how it shakes out, but both leaders know my position on that,” DeSantis, a Harvard Law School graduate, told reporters Tuesday.
Galvano and Oliva, whose fortune was made in the cigar business but who has been reluctant to repeal the ban, have deferred to DeSantis, setting aside objections about a paucity of research and concerns about the ill effects of smoking.
“I want to be able to say this is not going to be something that the courts are going to overturn. People voted. We’re going to implement. And then we’re going to move on,” DeSantis said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Granting a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Supreme Court on Monday impaneled a statewide grand jury to investigate whether school districts are complying with mandatory safety requirements following last February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I regret my wording has distracted from the issue. My apologies to all.” — House Speaker José Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, apologizing for referring to pregnant women as “host bodies” during a discussion about abortion.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida