Gas Prices Hold Steady, But Set To Rise
March 11, 2019
Gas prices have held relatively steady during the past week, but drivers may soon see another round of rising prices at the gas pump.
Gasoline supplies are beginning to tighten as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance and switch to summer-blend gasoline,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Wholesale gasoline prices rose 10 cents late last week. The state average will likely rise 5-10 cents this week, as a result.”
Drivers in Florida are paying an average price of $2.47 per gallon for regular unleaded. Sunday’s state average is 1-cent less than a week ago, yet 22 cents more than last month. Gas prices in Florida remain 3 cents less than the state average this time last year ($2.50).
Escambia County has the lowest metro market gas prices in Florida with a $2.41 a gallon average, while drivers in West Palm Beach are paying an average of $2.58.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Firefighters Battle Vehicle Fire In Cantonment
March 10, 2019
Cantonment firefighters responded to a vehicle fire Sunday morning at the Shell gas station in the 700 block of North Highway 29. They quickly extinguished the fire, which originated in the engine compartment.
There were no injuries reported.
Pictured top: A vehicle fire Sunday morning at a Highway 29 gas station in Cantonment (photo by Cynthia Bowers). Pictured below: Firefighters were able to put out of the fire quickly. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Tate High Graduate Martin Completes Basic Training
March 10, 2019
U.S. Air Force Airman Joshua L. Marlin graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Marlin is the son of Kenneth Marlin of Pensacola.
He is a 2013 graduate of Tate High School.
Contract Worker Killed In Bulldozer Accident During ECUA Controlled Burn
March 10, 2019
A worker was killed when he was struck by a bulldozer Saturday during a controlled burn in Cantonment.
The accident was reported about 5:20 p.m. deep in a wooded area south of Becks Lake Road. The adult male was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Investigators believe the man was the operator of the bulldozer, but the exact cause of the accident was still under investigation Saturday night, according to Maj. Andrew Hobbs of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
According to an Emerald Coast Utilities Authority spokesperson, the man was a contractor working on a prescribed burn on ECUA property. Approximately 900 acres were set to be burned during a three day period ending Saturday.
The victim’s identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
Pictured: LifeFlight on standby at a bulldozer accident Saturday in Cantonment. The accident occurred deep in the woods, south of the pictured location. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Five People Escape Serious Injuries In Molino Wreck
March 10, 2019
Five people escaped serious injury in a single vehicle crash near Molino early Sunday morning.
The driver of a pickup truck lost control and struck a tree about 12:30 a.m. on Highway 196 west of Highway 99, near the Florida-Alabama state line.
Escambia County EMS, the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Florida Highway Patrol responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Play Ball! Opening Day For Molino Ballpark (With Photo Gallery)
March 10, 2019
Saturday was Opening Day for Molino Recreation Association and the Molino Ballpark.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cops And Kids Have Fun At Spring Picnic
March 10, 2019
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office will hosted their Cops & Kids Spring Festival Saturday at Ashton Brosnaham Park.
There were games and prizes, an obstacle course and free food, along with a chance to meet K-9, SWAT, Mounted Posse and their horses, Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, ESAR and more.
The ECSO DUI Unit had a course for adults and teens to learn the effects of driving while impaired by wearing impaired goggles while driving a pedal cart.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Northview High School Runners Place In Recent Track Meet
March 10, 2019
Results for Northview High School track last week at T.R. Miller:
Girls:
100 meter hurdles-4th Karlee Criswell
100 meter dash-4th Nene Findley
4×100-3rd, Nene Findley, Crystal Douglas, Lexi Broadhead, Karelis Morales
300 meter hurdles-4th Karlee Criswell
800 meters-2nd Karlee Criswell
200 meters-3rd Crystal Douglas
4×400-3rd Nene Findley, Taylor Lashley, Marissa Rothrock, Crystal Douglas
High Jump-1st Karlee Criswell
Boys:
4×800-4th place John Bashore, David Lamb, Garret Bodiker, Colby Morris
4×100 1st place Jarius Moorer, Keyshawn Breedlove, Daniel Merrit, Quay Thomas
800 meters-4th place Colby Morris
200 meters-2nd place Daniel Merrit
Triple Jump-4th place Chris Nordman
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Self Wins ARCA Pensacola 200 At Five Flags
March 10, 2019
After a short night in the season opener at Daytona, Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) rebounded in the second race of the ARCA Menards Series season with a dominant win in the ARCA Pensacola 200 at Five Flags Speedway.
Self led 39 laps midway through the race and retook the lead from Kaden Honeycutt (No. 38 Kaden Honeycutt Racing Ford) with 29 laps remaining to score his fourth career series win and his first ever series short track victory.
“This is a big deal for me,” Self said. “A short track in ARCA has eluded me. Even though I don’t think I am a great short track racer, I have had some success in the K&N Series on short tracks. For some reason is just hasn’t translated over here. Maybe this will kick start it.
“I had a lot of confidence in our car. The Venturini Motorsports team as a whole is really good. Whenever we go to one of these short tracks the rest of the year we should be in good shape. I wouldn’t want to be racing against them right now because I am not sure I would be able to beat them.”
Self finished ahead of Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy/ORCA Coolers/Advance Auto Parts Toyota), who finished second in his ARCA Menards Series debut. He passed Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) for the second position in the final turn of the final lap.
“I am really happy with finishing second in my first race, but I really think we had the car to beat,” Gibbs said. “I let the car roll off the jack a little on the last stop and it cost us a little time on pit road. I think that cost us the race, but we learned a lot and I am ready to get to the next race at Salem.”
Eckes held on for third, albeit with damage to the nose of his racecar.
“It happened early in the race and I didn’t think it really effected the way the car ran then, but looking at it now I am not so sure,” Eckes said. “It would have been nice to hold Ty off for second but we’ll take third. I think we come out of here with the points lead so it’s a great night for the Venturini team.”
Chandler Smith (No. 20 Craftsman/828 Logistics Toyota) led the first 38 laps after starting from the General Tire Pole. He crossed the line in fourth, just in front of Corey Heim (No. 22 Speedway Children’s Charities Ford) who finished fifth in his series debut.
The race was only slowed twice by caution flags, each for debris. The race took just one hour, 12 minutes, and 23 seconds and was completed at an average speed of 82.802 miles per hour, a record pace for a 200-lap race at Five Flags. The previous record, 75.205 miles per hour, was set by Gary Bradberry in 1994.
Self’s official margin of victory was 1.506 seconds over Gibbs.
Unoffically, Eckes leads the ARCA Menards Series championship standings with 435 points. Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Healthcare/Liberty Village Ford), who finished tenth, sits second at 370, sixth place finisher Bret Holmes (No. 23 Holmes II Excavation/Southern States Bank Chevrolet) is third with 340, Self is fourth with 315, and eleventh-place finisher Joe Graf, Jr. (No. 77 EatSleepRace.com Ford) is fifth with 300.
The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway on April 14.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: And They’re Off
March 10, 2019
The days run away like wild horses over the hills.
Perhaps it’s more than a tad misogynistic to invoke poet Charles Bukowski on International Women’s Day to capture the essence of this week’s kickoff of the 2019 legislative session.
But for many Capitol insiders, by Friday morning, the flowers and pageantry of Tuesday’s opening-day ceremonies already were forgotten and the 60-day countdown to the session’s conclusion had commenced.
Apart from the pomp and circumstance, opening day also set the stage for Gov. Ron DeSantis to make his debut State of the State speech to the House and Senate, as well as to the citizens of Florida.
First Lady Casey DeSantis, a former television news-show host, looked on from the fifth-floor gallery as her hubbie made his remarks from the podium in the House chamber.
In a departure from her predecessors, the First Lady has played a major role in the DeSantis administration since the governor was sworn into office in January.
And DeSantis took note of his other half’s contribution during his 34-minute talk on Tuesday.
“She has been by my side as we have toured the state and has also blazed her own trail on issues like education, disaster relief and freedom for the people of Venezuela. She has worked so hard and I think one thing is clear: the state of Florida has a great First Lady,” he said, as his wife patted the area near her heart. “I’m convinced this whole governor thing for me is just a way for the people of Florida to have Casey as their First Lady.”
Legislative leaders largely congratulated the governor on his premiere legislative oratory, in which he repeatedly used the word “bold” to describe his agenda and to urge lawmakers to follow his lead.
But DeSantis drew some pushback from Senate President Bill Galvano, who repeated what he’s said before: Don’t expect the Senate to be a “rubber stamp” for the governor.
BE BOLD
DeSantis focused heavily on now-familiar priorities such as the environment and education during Tuesday’s time at the podium.
The governor touted issues that he has discussed during appearances across the state since taking office Jan. 8. They included efforts to improve water quality, expand school choice and prevent so-called sanctuary cities.
“Let’s fight the good fight, let’s finish the race, let’s keep the faith so that when Floridians look back on the fruits of this session, they will see it as one of our state’s finest hours,” he said in the address, the traditional start to the legislative session.
Some of DeSantis’ actions, such as an initiative to improve water quality, have generally received bipartisan support. That initiative came after parts of Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida were plagued by red tide and toxic algae last year. DeSantis quickly focused on the environmental efforts during the State of the State.
“Florida is blessed with some of the nation’s finest natural resources,” he said. “We’re the fishing and boating capital of the United States. Our beaches bring millions of tourists to our state each and every year. The state’s unique natural environment is central to our economy, our quality of life and our identity as Floridians. I’m proud to have taken swift and bold action to protect our natural resources and improve Florida’s water quality.”
DeSantis also used part of his speech to tout his decision to suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who was harshly criticized for how his office handled the deadly mass shooting last year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. DeSantis replaced Israel with Gregory Tony, but Israel has appealed his suspension to the Senate, which has the power to reinstate or remove elected officials, and is fighting the ouster in court.
DeSantis noted that Israel’s suspension will come before the Senate soon.
“Why any senator would want to thumb his nose at the Parkland families and to eject Sheriff Tony, who is doing a great job and has made history as the first African-American sheriff in Broward history, is beyond me,” the governor said.
But Galvano, who appointed former Rep. Dudley Goodlette as a special master to oversee Israel’s appeal and to make recommendations, wasn’t comfortable with the governor’s comment about the Israel case.
“Look, he has every right to suspend him and has his reasons for doing so. But the Senate also has a role, and we’re going to do it right. We’re going to have due process and we’re going to vet through the suspension and we’ll make a decision,” Galvano said, adding he’s asked senators “not to prejudge” Israel’s case. “I’ve said this before. We’re not just going to be a rubber stamp for the governor.”
PUT IT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT
The Senate might not give DeSantis an automatic seal of approval on every issue, but the upper chamber bowed to the governor two days after the session began, overwhelmingly approving a measure that would allow patients to smoke medical marijuana if doctors deem it the proper treatment. The House is expected to take up the bill (SB 182) on Wednesday.
Under the proposal, patients could buy up to 2.5 ounces of medical pot during a 35-day period and would be able to possess up to 4 ounces of cannabis at any given time. Smoking of medical cannabis — which would have to be purchased from state-authorized operators — would be banned in public places. And patients under age 18 would be allowed to smoke the treatment only if they are terminally ill and have a second opinion from a board-certified pediatrician.
The quick legislative action comes in response to an ultimatum delivered by DeSantis days after he moved into the governor’s mansion. DeSantis gave the Legislature until March 15 to address the smoking ban. If they don’t act, DeSantis threatened to drop the state’s appeal of a court decision that found the prohibition violates a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana.
The smoking ban was included in a 2017 law aimed at carrying out the amendment, approved by more than 71 percent of voters in 2016.
Several Republican lawmakers, however, bristled at the idea of legalizing smokable pot. Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, said that doing away with the ban defies common sense because of the well-known negative health effects of smoking.
But Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican who has been instrumental in passage of the state’s medical marijuana laws, argued the legislation erects “reasonable guiderails” that would be lacking if the governor drops the court appeal.
“It’s time to move this discussion from Tallahassee to doctors’ offices around the state of Florida,” he said.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF RELIEF
Northwest Florida lawmakers Thursday promoted a $315 million proposal that would make loans available to local governments still reeling from Hurricane Michael and would set up a task force to determine additional state assistance for the storm-battered region.
The wide-ranging Senate bill (SB 1610) came after numerous other proposals have been filed in the House and Senate to provide relief following the deadly Oct. 10 storm that left a path of devastation after making landfall in Mexico Beach and roaring north into Georgia.
Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who represents some of the hardest-hit areas, said the intent is to make sure the region is “not forgotten.” So far, about $1.2 billion has been spent by the state to help with cleanup efforts, and local communities have burned through their budgets.
“The people of North Florida are self-sufficient, they’re independent, but there comes a time when government, rightfully so, should step in and help those who work hard,” Montford said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Florida’s 60-day legislative session kicked off Tuesday, with the usual flowers, pageantry and speeches.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Make sure when you make your decisions with your patients that you do so in their health, in their best interest, and not turn this into some kind of joke.” — Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, speaking about a move to allow patients to smoke medical marijuana if their doctors deem the treatment is necessary.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida