Man Killed In Escambia County Crash
February 17, 2019
A 55-year old Pensacola man was killed in a traffic crash in Escambia County.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 22-year old Darby Paddie of Pensacola failed to yield when he turned from Blue Angel Park onto Dog Track Road and into the path of a 1995 Acura driven by Fredrick Earl Bethune
Bethune was pronounced deceased at Baptist Hospital following the crash just before 8 p.m. Friday. Paddie received minor injuries.
Any charges are pending the outcome a traffic homicide investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
FWC: Truth About Florida’s Deer Rut; Gun Season Ends, But There’s A Week Left To Hunt
February 17, 2019
There are a lot of theories and differing opinions on what causes the white-tailed deer rut. Hours of daylight decreasing, geographic latitude, genetics, climate, evolution and moon phase are many factors that hunters and deer enthusiasts have debated over the years. To get to the science behind it and learn the facts about what impacts the rut, I asked the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) white-tailed deer research biologist Elina Garrison.
“As winter approaches, decreased daylight triggers does to come into estrus,” Garrison said. “Latitude therefore plays a part as seasonal day length varies with geographic latitude.”
Some hunters believe deer from other states released in Florida years ago is one of the reasons why the deer rut here is the widest ranging of any state – from July in extreme south Florida to early March in extreme northwest Florida and the Green Swamp Basin.
“While it seems unlikely that genetics due to restocking is the only explanation for the variation in Florida’s breeding dates, there is some research that suggests it may play a part,” Garrison said. “Florida, as were many other southeastern states, was part of restocking efforts in the 1940s through the ’60s when deer were introduced, mostly from Wisconsin, Texas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. The main stocking source for the Green Swamp Basin was from Louisiana. South of there, deer from Texas were mainly used, and north Florida received mainly Wisconsin deer.”
Garrison said climate is a factor, but it really only plays a part in northern, colder states, where the timing of the rut occurs so fawns are born in the spring after the late winter storms and when the most food is available. But they must be born early enough to put on suitable weight and fat to survive the following winter. That’s why there’s such a short window for when breeding must occur in northern states.
The reason the rut varies so much in Florida is because it can, Garrison said. Florida’s relatively mild climate and long growing season allows fawns to be born at various times of the year.
“As far as I know, there are no other states where breeding occurs as early as July and August like it does in extreme south Florida,” she said. “And although difficult to prove, it seems likely it is driven by the hydrological cycles down there. The rut is timed so fawns are born during the driest time of the year, giving them the greatest chance of survival and allowing them to grow to an adequate size before the beginning of the wet season in June.”
Although it is a popular theory among hunters, Garrison says several research projects have proven there is no relationship between the rut and the moon phase. Another interesting fact is the average time a doe stays in heat is about 24 hours.
“The breeding chronology study we did shows that conception dates within an area vary as much as from nine to 110 days, with an average of 45 days, and most does breed within 60 days, meaning rutting activity can occur over a two-month period,” Garrison said.
If a doe is not bred during her first heat, she will come back into estrus again in about 26-28 days, Garrison says. If the doe doesn’t conceive, this cycle can be repeated but normally not more than a few times unless there are not enough bucks to breed all the does. In which case, an area could experience a second or even third peak rut.
If any of this deer talk is getting you fired up to continue hunting this season, then grab your favorite primitive method of take and follow the rut up to the Panhandle and take advantage of Zone D’s late muzzleloader season.
Zone D’s late muzzleloader season
General gun season ends Feb. 17 in Zone D, but if you’d like to keep hunting deer, Zone Dhas a late muzzleloading gun season that extends deer hunting opportunities by a week and runs Feb. 18-24 on private lands. The season was established to give hunters an opportunity to continue hunting northwest Florida’s late rut, which runs mid-January through February.
On private land, a $5 muzzleloading gun season permit is required along with a hunting license and $5 deer permit (if hunting deer) to hunt during this season, and hunters have the choice of using a muzzleloader, bow or crossbow. But the only muzzleloaders allowed are those fired by wheel lock, flintlock, percussion cap or centerfire primer (including 209 primers) that cannot be loaded from the breech. For hunting deer, muzzleloading rifles must be at least .40-caliber, and muzzleloading shotguns must be 20-gauge or larger.
Public hunting opportunities
There are 14 wildlife management areas in Zone D that have a late season in February, but it’s referred to as the archery/muzzleloading gun season. Those areas are Apalachicola, Apalachicola River, Beaverdam Creek, Blackwater, Chipola River, Choctawhatchee River, Econfina Creek, Eglin AFB, Escambia River, Escribano Point, Perdido River, Point Washington, Tate’s Hell and Yellow River. Season dates vary by WMA, so be sure to check the brochure for the area you want to hunt.
Hunters may use bows or muzzleloaders, but no crossbows – unless they possess a Persons with Disabilities Crossbow Permit. Besides a hunting license, $26 management area permit and deer permit (if hunting deer), hunters who choose to hunt with a bow must have a $5 archery season permit, and those using a muzzleloader need a $5 muzzleloading gun season permit.
All the licenses and permits you’ll need can be obtained at most retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing supplies, Florida tax collector offices, by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA or at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
Legal to take; bag limits
Deer and wild hogs are most commonly hunted during this season. Only legal bucks may be taken (even if using a bow). South of Interstate 10 in Deer Management Unit D1, one antler must have at least two points. North of I-10 in DMU D2, all bucks must have at least three points on one side or have a main beam of at least 10 inches long to be legal to take.
On private land, the daily bag limit is two. Bag limits for deer on WMAs differ, so consult the area brochure before you go.
Hunting regulations
During the late muzzleloader season on private lands and archery/muzzleloading gun season on WMAs, dogs may not be used to hunt deer. However, you may use a leashed dog for tracking purposes. You’re allowed to take deer and hogs over feeding stations on private land, but it is illegal to use such feed on WMAs. And it’s important to know that turkeys are not legal game during this season.
Happy hunting!
The 2018-2019 fall/winter hunting seasons may be winding down, however, there are still great opportunities to get out there. This February, catch the hunting excitement of the late rut that occurs during Zone D’s late muzzleloader season.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Prayers, Tears And Flowers
February 17, 2019
Alyssa Alhadeff. Scott Beigel. Martin Duque Anguiano. Nicholas Dworet. Aaron Feis. Jaime Guttenberg. Chris Hixon. Luke Hoyer. Cara Loughran. Gina Montalto. Joaquin Oliver. Alaina Petty. Meadow Pollack. Helena Ramsay. Alex Schachter. Carmen Schentrup. Peter Wang.
With heavy hearts, Florida paid homage Thursday to the 17 victims of the state’s deadliest school shooting with candlelight vigils, music and art to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Florida’s Old Capitol all week was bathed in a glow of orange, to serve as a “token of hope and a pledge that the Parkland 17 will not be forgotten,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said last month when she asked Gov. Ron DeSantis and her Cabinet colleagues to support the colorful tribute.
The governor and First Lady Casey DeSantis joined Fried, Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, House Speaker José Oliva, Senate President Bill Galvano and dozens of legislators for a somber ceremony Thursday morning, as a National Guard member rang a bell 17 times.
The DeSantises later laid flowers at the Parkland school and attended a vigil at a nearby park where hundreds of other mourners prayed, wept and sang.
“On this solemn day, our state mourns the lives of the 17 souls lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School one year ago. Since that tragic day, the Parkland community has demonstrated tremendous courage and resiliency, reminding us just how strong and united Floridians can be in the face of such devastating loss,” DeSantis said in a statement. “We will never forget the heroes who risked and sacrificed their lives to protect others, nor the actions taken that day by first responders. Casey and I continue to keep the families and loved ones of the innocents who were lost in our prayers as we honor their memory today in a moment of silence.”
Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was among the slain students, stood behind DeSantis as the bell tolled in the Capitol courtyard.
For the grieving father, this Valentine’s Day didn’t carry any greater significance than any other day since the unthinkable happened.
“This is everyday life, for every parent who loses a kid like I did. We live it every single day,” Pollack told reporters.
SCHOOL SAFETY PROBE ORDERED
On the eve of the shooting anniversary, DeSantis — flanked by numerous family members of the Parkland victims — asked the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate whether school districts are complying with mandatory safety measures designed to protect students.
DeSantis called the statewide grand jury “something real,” and said he intends the state to heed “whatever recommendations they have for us.”
Since taking office last month, DeSantis has taken a number of high-profile actions to address the horrific Parkland shooting.
On his first week on the job, DeSantis suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, accusing the law enforcement official of “neglect of duty” and “incompetence” related to the shooting. Israel is appealing the suspension, but a recently released report by a state commission found fault with the sheriff’s office’s handling of the attack by confessed gunman Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the school with a long history of mental health problems.
Angry parents and other critics, including Pollack, also called on DeSantis to oust Broward County Superintendent of Schools Robert Runcie. But the governor said he does not have the authority to remove the schools chief because Runcie is an appointed official.
A statewide grand jury is “the best tool that we have” to explore possible wrongdoing by school districts throughout the state, DeSantis, a Harvard Law School graduate, said Wednesday. The probe will be at least the third statewide investigation into the Parkland shooting, which is also the subject of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement inquiry.
The governor asked the statewide grand jury to explore “whether refusal or failure to follow the mandates of school-related safety laws … results in unnecessary and avoidable risk to students across the state;” whether public officials committed — and continue to commit — fraud and deceit” by accepting state money conditioned on implementation of certain safety measures; whether public officials committed fraud by “mismanaging, failing to use, and diverting funds from multi-million-dollar bonds specifically solicited for school safety initiatives;” and whether school officials violated state law by “systematically underreporting incidents of criminal activity” to the state Department of Education.
Lawmakers last year created the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which spent months investigating the shooting and issued a report in January.
But unlike that commission, the grand-jury investigation won’t be limited to Broward County or the events surrounding the mass shooting, the governor said.
“It is multi-jurisdictional. But I think it’s something that is warranted. I think it’s something that may lead to potential accountability measures by a grand jury. But it could also lead to, and I think it will, lead to recommendations about what some of the various school districts could do better. They can provide information to the state of Florida, and we can then take action,” he told reporters.
‘GUARDIAN’ PROGRAM COULD EXPAND
A Florida Senate panel responsible for shaping statewide education policies advanced a sweeping school-security package on Tuesday that would make it easier for districts to participate in a controversial “guardian” program and would allow classroom teachers to be armed.
The Senate Education Committee approved the proposal (SPB 7030) on a 5-3, party-line vote. The vote came after the panel agreed to amend the measure to allow law-enforcement officers to serve as school safety specialists instead of requiring school district employees to fill that role. The revised bill also would put school superintendents in charge of appointing “guardians.”
The school guardian program, part of a law passed in response to the Parkland shooting, allows school personnel whose primary duties are outside the classroom to carry concealed weapons after going through extensive training.
Under current law, county sheriffs must sign off on the guardian program for school districts to implement it. The Senate measure approved Tuesday would give school districts the authority to implement the program.
While most of Tuesday’s two-hour debate focused on the contentious guardian program, the proposed package includes an overhaul of other school-safety measures.
Senate Education Chairman Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, called the proposal “monumental” and said it was crafted to include most of the recommendations made in a 458-page report by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.
The commission overwhelmingly favored expanding the “guardian” program and recommended strengthening school requirements to report crimes and other safety-related incidents, as well as sanctions for superintendents who under-report such incidents.
“One year ago this week, we made a commitment to the students and families of Parkland that we would do everything in our power to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. … So I am very pleased this critical school safety legislation gets to the heart of the commission recommendations,” Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said in a statement.
But Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who is chief executive officer of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, questioned the policy of allowing armed teachers.
“We’re at the verge of considering a monumental change in public education,” Montford said. “We are shifting the mission of public education from being one of teaching to being one of teaching and law enforcement.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the many mourners who participated in memorials marking Thursday’s one-year anniversary of the state’s deadliest school shooting in which 17 students and staff members were slain and 17 other victims were injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “For today to be any different, it’s not. Every day is the same pain, from when you wake up until when you go to sleep.” — Andrew Pollack, whose 18-year-old daughter, Meadow, was among the 14 students killed last Valentine’s Day during a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Two Wanted In Connection With Escambia County Homicide
February 16, 2019
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has released the names of two people wanted in connection with a homicide on Valentine’s Day.
Cordarin Simmons and Jesse Dontase Square are both wanted in connection to the murder of Willie Wilson.
Wilson was severely beaten at his home on Spink Lane Thursday morning, and his home was ransacked. He died a short time later at a local hospital.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Square or Simmons is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers (850) 433-STOP.
Child Involved In Tuesday 10 Mile Road Crash Passes Away
February 16, 2019
A 7-year old involved in a crash on 10 Mile Road Tuesday afternoon has passed away.
Saturday, the Florida Highway Patrol said Lillian Burdeaux succumbed to her injuries at Sacred Heart Hospital. Her mother, 38-year old Kelsey Burdeaux of Lillian, AL, and sister, 10-year old Elisabeth Burdeaux, were critically injured in the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Kelsey Burdeaux of Lillian, AL, pulled her Toyota Camry from a stop sign on 10 Mile Road into the path of a box truck driven by 36-year old Fredrick Powell of Mobile that was traveling north of Stefani Road.
Powell did not have a stop sign in his direction of travel. He was not injured.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. No charges have been filed as the investigation continues.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Choking His Wife
February 16, 2019
A Cantonment man is facing charges after allegedly attacking his wife.
Cedric Terell Gray, 22, was charged with battery and felony domestic battery by strangulation.
Gray became angry because his wife “was not doing what he told her to do,” according to an arrest report. He allegedly choked her before throwing her to the ground.
Gray told deputies that he was upset at his wife, but denied the accusation of violence. He was released from the Escambia County Jail Friday night.
Northview High Graduate Creamer Completes Basic Training
February 16, 2019
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Tristen Creamer 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.
Creamer is the son of Tonya Gevedon of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, grandson of Lois Creamer of Century and husband of MacKenzie Creamer of Murfreesboro.
The airman is a 2018 graduate of Northview High School.
Century Tree Giveaway, Tree Planting Mark Tornado Anniversary
February 16, 2019
An Arbor Day Celebration and Tornado Remembrance was held in Century on Friday.
Free live oak, dogwood and maple trees were available. A “Purple Magic” crape myrtle was planted to mark the day in front of the Century Ag Building on West Highway 4.
Friday marked three years since an EF-3 tornado struck Century.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Alabama Man Passes Away From Injuries Received In Motorcycle Crash
February 16, 2019
An Escambia County (AL) man has passed away from injuries he received earlier this month in a motorcycle crash.
Michael Lynn Kite, 52, was critically injured when the 2003 Honda VTX1800 he was riding left the roadway and struck an embankment at 4:08 p.m. on February 3. Kite was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where he died Friday from the injuries he sustained in the crash. The crash occurred on Alabama 41 at the 13.7 mile marker, about four miles north of Brewton.
Further information has not been released as Alabama State Troopers continue their investigation.
Tate Aggies Win District Championship
February 16, 2019
The Tate Aggies defeated Niceville 50-41 for the District District 1-8A championship Friday night in Niceville. It was the first district championship for the Aggies since 2010.
Tate advances to host Tallahassee Chiles in the Region 1-8A quarterfinals Thursday at 7 p.m.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.