Escambia Fire Special Ops, Ascend Hold Joint Training
January 10, 2019
The Escambia County Fire Rescue Special Operations Team held a confined space rescue drill this week with Ascend Performance Materials.
The training is both mentally and physically challenging and requires a specialized skill set. Every member of the special operations teams is required to obtain an additional 200 or more hours of training. As with most technical rescue operations, confined space operations requires refresher training on a continual basis.
The training provided a chance for both agencies to work and learn together and prepare for any future emergency.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Makes Supreme Court Justice Pick
January 10, 2019
In one of his first acts after taking office, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday made a historic appointment to the Florida Supreme Court, naming appellate Judge Barbara Lagoa as the high court’s first Cuban-American female justice.
DeSantis’ selection of Lagoa, the daughter of Cuban émigrés, was the first of three Supreme Court appointments the new governor will make, following the mandatory retirement of three justices who comprised what had been the court’s more liberal-leaning bloc.
Lagoa’s addition will cement a conservative majority that will include Chief Justice Charles Canady and justices Alan Lawson and Ricky Polston, all of whom Lagoa cited as references in her application for the post. It also will keep DeSantis’ pledge to purge the Supreme Court of “activist” jurists.
DeSantis, a Harvard Law School graduate who served as a judge advocate in the Navy and who was sworn into office on Tuesday, hailed Lagoa as “the essence of what a judge should be.”
Lagoa, 51, grew up in Miami and attended New York’s Columbia Law School, where she edited the prestigious law review. A onetime federal prosecutor in Florida’s Southern District, Lagoa had experience in criminal and civil litigation before former Gov. Jeb Bush appointed her to the 3rd District Court of Appeal in 2006, where she has served for more than 12 years.
Recently, Lagoa has been chief judge of the appellate court, which hears cases from Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
In addition to her legal bona fides, Lagoa has a “great personal history,” DeSantis said, pointing to the location of Wednesday’s announcement, the Freedom Tower in Miami, as symbolic of his choice.
“I thought it was fitting, given that her parents came to Florida as Cuban exiles,” DeSantis, 40, said. “She understands the rule of law, how important that is to a society.”
Because of Lagoa’s family’s history, “she understands that, in Cuba, the rule of law doesn’t mean anything,” DeSantis said.
“The Cuban people do not know what laws apply to them or whether they will receive a fair trial after arbitrarily being accused of political crimes,” he said.
In her remarks, Lagoa, accompanied by her parents, husband and three daughters, left little doubt that she will fulfill DeSantis’ expectations.
The Florida Supreme Court is “tasked with the protections of the people’s liberties under law,” Lagoa said.
“And in that regard, I am particularly mindful of the fact that, under our constitutional system, it is for the Legislature and not the courts to make the law. It is the role of judges to apply, not to alter, the work of the people’s representatives. And it is the role of judges to interpret our Constitution and statutes as they are written,” she said.
Lagoa contrasted the experiences of people in her parents’ homeland with those of people in their adopted country and indicated that helped shape her legal views.
“In the country my parents fled, the whim of a single individual could mean the difference between food or hunger, liberty or prison, life or death. In our great country and our great state, we are governed by the rule of law, the consistent and equal application of the law to all litigations regardless of a judge’s personal preferences,” she said. “Unlike the country my parents fled, we are a nation of laws, not of men.”
DeSantis’ replacements for the three justices who were required to retire this week — R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince — will reshape a court that for years has been a thorn in the side to the Republican-dominated Legislature and former Gov. Rick Scott.
Over the past decade, the court overturned a number of policies important to GOP leaders, wrangled with lawmakers over congressional and Senate maps and, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, ordered the Legislature to require unanimous jury recommendations for the death penalty to be imposed.
During his inaugural speech Tuesday, DeSantis blasted the court for expanding its powers “beyond constitutional bounds” and substituting “legislative will for dispassionate legal judgment.”
“To my fellow Floridians, I say to you: judicial activism ends, right here and right now,” DeSantis said during the speech. “I will only appoint judges who understand the proper role of the courts is to apply the law and Constitution as written, not to legislate from the bench. The Constitution, not the judiciary, is supreme.”
Senate President Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican who played a major role in drafting legislative districts rejected by the Supreme Court, echoed DeSantis’ critique of the court while praising the governor’s choice.
“I share the governor’s concern that in recent years the power of the judicial branch has extended beyond its limited constitutional responsibility, in many cases eroding the authority of the legislative branch. I believe democracy is at its best when each branch of government exercises both authority and restraint at the appropriate time. That concept was certainly at the heart of … many of the comments we heard from the governor yesterday, and echoed again this morning with the appointment of Justice Lagoa,” Galvano said in a statement Wednesday.
Lagoa’s selection also drew praise from the business-backed Florida Justice Reform Institute, which, in a statement, called DeSantis’ appointment “the first step towards fulfilling his promise to appoint judges who will interpret the law and not legislate from the bench.”
Speaking at the Freedom Tower, Lagoa recounted her life as an only child growing up in Hialeah, where she “rode my bike” and “roller-skated down the streets and the sidewalks … under the watchful eye of my grandmother while my parents worked long hours.”
“Mami and papi, your hard work, your belief in the value of education, your love for what this country represents, your unparalleled work ethic, have made me what I am today,” Lagoa said.
DeSantis’ office said Lagoa will be the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Former Justice Rosemary Barkett was born in Mexico, but because her parents were of Syrian descent, she has credited former justice Raoul Cantero with being Florida’s first justice of Hispanic descent. Cantero and current Justice Jorge Labarga are Cuban-Americans.
Lagoa will serve as a role model to young women, said DeSantis, who was also accompanied by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez on Wednesday.
The governor recalled that, when he announced Nuñez as his running-mate last year, he said “Jeanette’s life, what she’s done, was really an inspiration to a lot of young women.”
“I think the same of Barbara,” he said Wednesday. “I think people look at what she’s done, as a professional, as a wife, as a mother. This is really the way it should be done. I’m real excited about being able to put her on the court. “
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Arrest Made In Armed Robbery Of Century Convenience Store
January 9, 2019
An arrest has been made in connection with the armed robbery of a convenience store last summer in Century.
Devante Aaron Knight, 27, was charged with robbery with a firearm and grand theft for the July 2, 2018, robbery of the Century Kwik Stop at 8130 North Century Boulevard.
Knight pointed a gun at the clerk and ordered him to empty the register, according to an arrest report. He fled the store with $1,800.
Knight was booked into the Escambia County Jail Tuesday night. His bond was set at just over a quarter million dollars.
ECAT To Launch Expanded Local North Escambia Service Next Month
January 9, 2019
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) will soon roll out an expanded local service in North Escambia on February 20.
Smaller 9-10 passenger vehicles will be used to run an “on demand” service serving the area north of Quintette Road, including Century, Bratt, McDavid, Walnut Hill and Molino.
Riders will call ECAT a day in advance to schedule a ride in the area with pickup at the their home or other location and local transport within the area. Riders must live within the service boundaries and will be asked to complete a one-time form with their address. Rides are expected to cost between $1 and $2 each direction.
Rides will be available for residents of Century, Molino and McDavid on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The bus will be available for Walnut Hill, Davisville and Bratt residents on Tuesday and Thursday each week.
The vehicles will not run fixed-stop routes and will operate 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
ECAT Transit Division Manager Tonya Ellis said local system will connect to current fixed route ECAT service to Pensacola. The current route between Century and Pensacola arrives and departs outside the daily scheduled ECAT bus to Pensacola, but Ellis said changes will be considered.
ECAT is planning a series of public meeting to provide additional information and receive public input. Meeting dates and locations will be published on NorthEscambia.com.
The service will be funded by a $50,000 grant and an additional $16,000 Community Development Block Grant.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Indecent Exposure After Traffic Crash
January 9, 2019
A Cantonment man has been charged with indecent exposure after an alleged incident in the back of an Escambia County EMS ambulance.
On August 2, 2018, Justin Ray Landers, 26, was involved in a rollover accident on Highway 29 near Kingsfield Road.
After the vehicle was located without a driver, Landers tried to report his mother’s vehicle as stolen, but the Florida Highway Patrol determined he was the driver, an arrest report states. When deputies responded to his address on Eden Lane, they called Escambia County EMS due to the severity of the crash. With one wrist in handcuffs, he was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Before transport, the deputy noted that he was very aggressive toward EMS and repeatedly called a medic an offensive term. On the way to the hospital, Landers intentionally exposed himself to the medic and made a lewd comment, according to an arrest report.
Because he was admitted to the hospital, a warrant was issued for Landers’ arrest. He was taken into custody Saturday night, January 5. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
Landers was cited for careless driving by the FHP, and his license was suspended last month.
NorthEscambia.com file photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Ceremony To Mark Central Booking Facility Demolition, Honor Victims
January 9, 2019
The community is invited to attend a ceremony to mark the demolition of the former Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Facility Wednesday, January 16 at 11 a.m. outside the facility’s east gate/sally port entrance located near the intersection of North “H” and Baars streets.
The brief program will include the history of the building, plans for the site, a moment of silence and prayers for the approximately 600 inmates and staff who were in the building when an explosion in the basement laundry room occurred during the April 2014 flooding event. The explosion killed two and injured 184.
Parking for the ceremony is available at Escambia County Video Visitation, 1190 West Leonard Street. or in the parking lot just south of the central booking facility.
New Molino Food Truck Gets Rave Reviews
January 9, 2019
Social media has been abuzz with rave reviews for a new food truck that has set up in Molino.
Tacos Estilo Jalisco is at 29 Tire & Auto on Highway 29. The authentic menu includes a variety of tacos, fajitas, burritos, quesadillas and more.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wanted Florida Felon Caught In Alabama, Assaults Two Officers
January 9, 2019
A wanted felon from Escambia County, FL, was taken into custody in Flomaton, but not before he allegedly assaulted two police officers.
The Flomaton Police Department caught up with 43-year old Brian Terrell Ward on Highway 113.
According to police, they had been alerted that Ward made threats to kill any law enforcement officer that he saw. Flomaton Police said they conducted a “high risk” traffic stop, and Ward resisted officers.
He was charged with two count of second degree assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest and obstructing a government operation. Ward is wanted by the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police said.
The officers involved in the Flomaton traffic stop were not seriously injured and did not need medical attention.
DeSantis Calls For Stronger, Cleaner, Safer Future (With Inauguration Day Photo Gallery)
January 9, 2019
Ronald Dion DeSantis became Florida’s 46th governor on Tuesday, promising to lead the state for the next four years with “a full heart, my best judgment and the courage of my convictions.”
The 40-year-old Republican from Ponte Vedra Beach did not break any new ground in his inauguration speech but used the 16-minute address to broadly outline his agenda. He pledged to keep Florida a low-tax state, to improve water quality and to end “judicial activism.”
For an Inauguration Day photo gallery, click here.
There was no mention of President Donald Trump, whose full-throated endorsement provided the political momentum that lifted the former congressman into the state’s highest executive post.
But DeSantis, a Harvard-educated lawyer and U.S. Navy veteran, praised outgoing Gov. Rick Scott, who won a U.S. Senate seat in November, for leaving “a strong foundation,” including a growing economy.
“It now falls to me to build upon the foundation that has been laid, navigate the challenges — economic, environmental, constitutional — that lie ahead, and steer Florida to a stronger, cleaner and safer future,” DeSantis told a crowd of more than 2,000 supporters, lawmakers and state officials who gathered on the east side of the Old Capitol building for the ceremony.
In some of his first acts as governor, DeSantis will appoint three justices to the Florida Supreme Court, beginning with an appointment on Wednesday morning in Miami. He said the court in recent years has expanded its power “beyond constitutional bounds” and has substituted “legislative will for dispassionate legal judgment.”
“To my fellow Floridians, I say to you: judicial activism ends, right here and right now,” DeSantis said in his speech. “I will only appoint judges who understand the proper role of the courts is to apply the law and Constitution as written, not to legislate from the bench. The Constitution, not the judiciary, is supreme.”
Following a campaign promise, DeSantis is also expected to quickly announce a plan to deal with water-quality problems that have included an outbreak of toxic algae in some rivers and red tide along state coastlines.
He said water quality is “foundational” to the state’s prosperity.
“It doesn’t just drive tourism. It affects property values, anchors many local economies and is central to our quality of life,” DeSantis said. “The water is part and parcel of Florida’s DNA. Protecting it is the smart thing to do. It’s also the right thing to do.”
DeSantis also promised to maintain the state’s “favorable tax climate.”
“Let’s promote a virtuous cycle whereby low taxes, a reasonable regulatory climate, a sensible legal system and a healthy environment attract jobs, business and investment — particularly in the areas of technology, manufacturing and finance,” he said.
On schools, DeSantis said he would support the creation of more education “opportunities,” a reference to the likely expansion of charter schools, publicly funded scholarships for private-school students and other “choice” programs.
“One size does not fit all. No family should be denied the opportunity for their child to succeed due to insufficient income or to living in the wrong ZIP code,” DeSantis said.
For an Inauguration Day photo gallery, click here.
He also reiterated a campaign pledge to improve civics education in Florida schools.
In a more partisan vein, DeSantis said he would not allow any “sanctuary cities,” which do not currently exist in Florida.
“And we will stop incentivizing illegal immigration, which is unfair to our legal immigrants, promotes lawlessness and reduces wages for our blue-collar workers,” he said.
DeSantis also promised to improve Florida’s reputation for conducting elections, saying the state should not be “further tarnished by the repeated failure of a small number of counties” to properly conduct elections.
“A generation of botched elections is enough,” he said.
DeSantis said he would remove officials if they are “neglectful of required duties.” That could include suspending Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who has been criticized for the performance of his agency during the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year.
DeSantis and his lieutenant governor, former state Rep. Jeanette Nuñez, R-Miami, participated in the traditional swearing-in ceremony shortly before noon Tuesday. But both actually took office just after midnight Monday, having filed their official oaths of office in December with the Secretary of State’s Office.
Nuñez, who succeeds Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in state history with her new post.
On Tuesday, DeSantis and Nuñez also continued establishing a cordial relationship with the Republican-led Legislature, hosting a luncheon in the Capitol with the 40 state senators and 120 House members after the inauguration ceremony.
DeSantis repeated his philosophy about the importance of the Legislature in the government process.
“I’m somebody who thinks our government is better when the legislative branch is exercising the authority that it was granted under the Constitution. I think that is true in the federal government and I think that is true here,” DeSantis said, drawing applause from the lawmakers.
DeSantis was accompanied by his wife, Casey Black DeSantis, at the inaugural ceremony and at the legislative luncheon. The couple were also scheduled to host an inaugural ball Tuesday night.
State records show DeSantis is Florida’s youngest governor on Inauguration Day since Park Trammell took the oath of office on Jan. 7, 1913, as a 36-year-old former attorney general.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Updated: FDC Announces $1,000 Hiring Bonuses
January 9, 2019
UPDATE: The Florida Department of Corrections erroneously listed Century Correctional Institution as being eligible for the hiring bonuses in a press release. Century CI was removed from this story after a correction was received from FDC Wednesday afternoon.
The Florida Department of Corrections has announced $1,000 hiring bonuses at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton.
Applicants who complete their correctional officer certification through either FDC or certain state colleges will be eligible for the bonus. Paid training is available.
For more information regarding a career with the Florida Department of Corrections, visit FLDOCjobs.com
Pictured: Inside the Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.