Youth Football Scores: NWE Chiefs, Century Blackcats
September 30, 2018
Here are Saturday scores from the NWE Chiefs and the Century Blackcats:
Northwest Escambia Chiefs
Freshman
NWE 20, Baker 7
Sophomores
NWE 32, Baker 0
Juniors
Baker 34, NWE 8
Seniors
NWE 25 Baker 20
Century Blackcats
Mighty Mites (4-7 year olds)
Repton (2-1) 12, Century (1-2) 8
Tiny Mites (8-10 year olds)
Repton (3-0) 20, Century (1-2) 6
Pee Wees (11-13 year olds)
Repton (3-0) 18, Century (0-3) 0
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Florida’s ‘Supreme’ Controversy
September 30, 2018
While the nation was fixated on the drama surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Floridians were reminded this week that they have their own Supreme Court controversy in triplicate.
Gov. Rick Scott reasserted his claim in court that he has the power, before he leaves office in January, to appoint replacements for three Florida Supreme Court justices who have reached a mandatory retirement age. Opponents contend the next governor, who takes office on Jan. 8, has that right.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, the Republican nominee for governor, told the Florida Chamber of Commerce this week that he intends to appoint the new justices.
“It’s important that we have a governor who understands that we have to appoint solid constitutionalists to our state courts, including our state Supreme Court,” he told the chamber members, who were meeting in Orlando.
“The next governor probably, and I know there’s a little bit of controversy about when these appointments happen, but I’m presuming that I get elected governor and get sworn in, that I will have three appointments to the state Supreme Court,” DeSantis said.
It’s not the first time DeSantis has asserted his right to make the court appointments. It became an issue in his final debate with Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Republican gubernatorial primary.
“They’re not your appointments. They’re Gov. Scott’s appointments,” Putnam told him, saying DeSantis was aligning himself with groups like the League of Women Voters of Florida, who is challenging Scott on the court appointments.
For his part, Scott, who expects to get a list of potential court appointees by Nov. 8, has said he will work on the appointments with the winner of the Nov. 6 election.
Reaching an accommodation with DeSantis, who shares a similar conservative philosophy with Scott, seems possible. But if Democrat Andrew Gillum prevails, Floridians can expect the appointment controversy to intensify.
WHO’S GOT THE POWER
Scott’s lawyers on Wednesday argued the governor has the authority to appoint the replacements for justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, who are all leaving the court in early January because they have reached the mandatory retirement age.
The lawsuit, filed by the League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause, has asked the Supreme Court to block Scott’s action, through a procedure known as a “writ of quo warranto,” arguing the new governor who takes office on Jan. 8 should have that appointment power.
But in a 33-page response, Scott’s lawyers said he is following the precedent of beginning the appointment process before the vacancies actually occur, noting numerous justices have been appointed using this procedure in order to avoid prolonged vacancies on the court.
“The petitioners’ interpretation of the applicable constitutional provision is contrary to its plain language, the longstanding historical practice of the judicial nominating commissions for the Supreme Court and district courts of appeal, and the clearly articulated public policy underlying Article V of the Florida Constitution: avoiding extended vacancies in judicial office,” the lawyers wrote.
Earlier this month, Scott directed the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission to begin accepting and reviewing applications for the court appointments. The commission has set an Oct. 8 deadline for the applications, followed by a Nov. 8 deadline — two days after the general election — for submitting names of potential justices to the governor.
Scott, a Republican who is running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, said he has the “expectation” that he and the incoming governor could reach an agreement on the appointments.
Underscoring the legal challenge is the fact that the new appointments are likely to reshape the seven-member Supreme Court for years, if not decades. Pariente, Lewis and Quince are part of a liberal bloc, which now holds a slim 4-3 majority, that has thwarted Scott and the Republican-dominated Legislature on numerous occasions since the governor took office in 2011.
SEX AND THE SENATE
In another Florida parallel to the Kavanaugh controversy, where the nominee has been accused of sexually harassing women while in high school or college, a sexual discrimination case involving the Florida Senate advanced this week.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and four high-ranking senators — including President Joe Negron — are among the witnesses being asked to testify in a discrimination case filed by legislative aide Rachel Perrin Rogers, who accuses the Senate of retaliation after she filed a sexual harassment complaint last year against former Sen. Jack Latvala.
Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who held the powerful post of Senate budget chief and was a candidate for governor when Perrin Rogers’ allegations against him first came out, resigned from the Senate shortly before the legislative session began in January. He has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing.
Latvala is among the witnesses Tiffany Cruz, a lawyer who represents Perrin Rogers, is asking to appear at a Jan. 14 federal administrative-court hearing in Tampa, according to court documents first reported Wednesday by Politico Florida.
The list of witnesses gives just a glimpse into the allegations made by Perrin Rogers, who filed the discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in January.
One of the witnesses is Jean Seawright, who was hired by the Senate to conduct an investigation into Perrin Rogers after the aide filed the complaint against Latvala, according to court documents. Senate Special Master Ronald Swanson, who investigated Perrin Rogers’ allegations against Latvala, is also on the witness list.
Negron, a Stuart Republican who is leaving office after the November elections, “has knowledge that complainant suffered retaliation for making a report of sexual harassment,” Cruz wrote in a four-page list of witnesses submitted Tuesday to U.S. Administrative Law Judge Alexander Fernández.
The Senate president denied anyone punished Perrin Rogers, a high-ranking aide who works for Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson, after she complained about Latvala.
“The complaint of sexual harassment in this case was immediately and fully investigated. At all times the Senate has acted appropriately and there has been no retaliation,” Negron said in a text message Wednesday.
But Cruz told The News Service of Florida on Wednesday that “there has been constant retaliation” against Perrin Rogers since she first complained about Latvala last fall. And the retaliation got worse after Swanson’s report was completed and the Senate aide filed her discrimination complaint, Cruz said.
“Instead, what we’ve seen happen here is the Senate has taken almost no action as the employer to protect Rachel when the retaliation was happening, and then subsequent to the investigation, they’ve actively taken steps to treat her differently as a result of her complaint,” she said.
The investigation into Latvala came amid a national spotlight on revelations of sexual harassment lodged against powerful men in Hollywood, business and politics that led to the demise of entertainment-industry titans such as Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose and Les Moonves.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott reasserted his right to appoint three new justices to the Florida Supreme Court before he leaves office in early January.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The message that women are receiving, to me, is you become a pariah for saying something about any type of misconduct that’s happening to you by a man, especially by a man of power. If you say something too late, you get attacked for that. If you say something right away, you get attacked for that. So essentially the message is, be silent, or these are the consequences.” — Tiffany Cruz, a lawyer who is representing legislative aide Rachel Perrin Rogers, who is suing the Florida Senate in a discrimination case.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Ascend Cares Unveils New Playground At Escambia Westgate School
September 29, 2018
A new sensory playground and learning garden were dedicated Friday at Escambia West Gate School.
The Ascend Cares Foundation partnered with Escambia Westgate to fund and install the playground and garden.
“This is the largest single Ascend Cares project in the history of the foundation. It is fitting that it relates to two of our focus areas: children and education,” said Rachell Gold, director of the Ascend Cares Foundation. “The purchase and installation of the new playground was funded by foundation donations and our company matching program.”
Employees of Ascend Performance Materials’ Pensacola site worked as volunteers to dismantle the previous playground and prepare the site for the installation of the new sensory playground.
“Our previous playground did not meet the needs of the majority of our students,” said Jobenna Sellers, principal at Escambia Westgate School. “The new sensory playground is now fully accessible and will enhance our students’ functional and social development by providing increased exercise and outdoor activity.”
“I am so proud of the impact this project will have on the students’ lives, their school and their community,” said Sharhonda Owens, senior quality specialist for Ascend’s Pensacola site and the Ascend Cares playground project coordinator. “The playground was designed to meet the needs of every student at Escambia Westgate School. It has wheelchair-accessible swings, a sensory tunnel with cutouts and musical equipment.”
Ascend Cares has partnered with Escambia Westgate for the past six years. The school is dedicated to teaching children with physical and intellectual disabilities from grades K-12.
The previous playground equipment at Escambia Westgate was donated to another school.
Pictured: The dedication of a new playground at Escambia Westgate School Friday. Pictured bottom at the ribbon cutting are: (L-R) Sharhonda Owens, Ascend Performance Material; CEO Phil McDivitt,Ascend Performance Materials; Superintendent Malcolm Thomas, Escambia County School District; Principal Jobenna Sellers, Escambia Westgate School; and Rep. Clay Ingram. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Man Arrested For Terrorism
September 29, 2018
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested an Escambia County man for terrorism.
Kelyton Maxwell, 32, was arrested Friday for terrorism, a charge of threat to throw, project, place or discharge any destructive device, and a charge of false reports concerning planting a bomb, explosive, or weapon of mass destruction in, or committing arson against, state-owned property, or concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner.
In May, FDLE agents began to investigate multiple telephone calls to the Escambia County Courthouse, the county’s 911 call centers and the Pensacola Police Department threatening the detonation of explosive devices inside and outside the building. A call was also received regarding a threat to conduct a mass shooting at an elementary school in Escambia County. The investigation revealed that Maxwell had placed all of the telephone threats, according to FDLE.
Maxwell was booked into the Escambia County Jail where he was being held with bond set $150,000.
Cristofoletti Named Molino Park Teacher Of The Year
September 29, 2018
Helen Cristofoletti has been named the Molino Park Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Cristofoletti teacher kindergarten at Molino Park. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EPA Approves $292 Million Restore Act Funding For Escambia County
September 29, 2018
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, serving as Chair of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, approved the Florida State Expenditure Plan Thursday, Sept. 27, to the State of Florida and the Florida Gulf Consortium, which will direct $292 million in Component 3 Restore Act funds to 69 diverse environmental and economic projects and programs in 23 Florida Gulf of Mexico counties, including Escambia County.
This allows the Gulf Consortium to begin submitting project applications for the 69 projects identified in the plan. Escambia County has one project in the plan, the implementation of the Bayou Chico Contaminated Sediment Remediation Project. Funding from the plan was divided equally between the 23 counties.
The approval is based on findings that the SEP is complete and meets all requirements contained in the Restore Act, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s implementing regulations, and the council’s SEP Guidelines.
Escambia County District 4 Commissioner Grover Robinson, who serves as the Gulf Consortium’s Chairman, remarked on the importance of yesterday’s events by saying, “We are very excited about the approval of the Florida State Expenditure plan. This is a culmination of five years of work and cooperation with and between federal, state and local governments. The ambitious plan implements environmental restoration projects across 23 counties from the Perdido River in my county of Escambia to Key West in Monroe County. I am incredibly proud of the work that has been done and the goals that will be accomplished to make Florida better. I’d like to thank everyone who participated in this endeavor, which will benefit all Floridians.”
The Gulf Consortium is a public entity created in October 2012 by Inter-local Agreement among Florida’s 23 Gulf Coast counties, from Escambia County to Monroe County. The counties formed the consortium to meet requirements of the Restore Act to develop a State Expenditure Plan for economic and environmental recovery following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Tate Powers To District Win Over Washington (With Photo Gallery)
September 29, 2018
The Tate Aggies knocked off the Washington Wildcats 30-27 in an all important District 1-6A game Friday night.
The Aggies were on the board first with a 40-yard field goal from junior Matthew Johnson with 3:20 remaining in the first.
Senior Julian Robinson was in for the Wildcats with a 79-yard touchdown run to put WHS up 7-3. Robinson was in again from 14 yards out in the second to make it 14-3.
After a Patrick Palmer touchdown, the Aggies were back on top 14-13 at the half.
In the third, Robinson found the goal line again to send the Wildcats back to the top 20-14.
Following an Aggie Field goal, Palmer was in from across midfield to give Tate the lead once again, 23-20. Tate stretched their lead to 30-20. before Johnson scored again to set the final score at 30-27.
The Aggies (2-4, 1-0) are open next Friday night and will host Escambia (4-1, 0-1) on October 12.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos by Jennifer Repine for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Friday Night Football Finals
September 29, 2018
Here are North Escambia area high school football scores:
FLORIDA
- Tate 30, Washington 27 [Read more...]
- Baker 35, Jay 0
- Pine Forest 29, Escambia 14
- Pensacola 39, Panama City Bay 7
- American Heritage 34, Pensacola Catholic 30
- Navarre 49, Pace 23
- Gulf Breeze 38, Milton 14
- Northview – OPEN
- West Florida -OPEN
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 28, Escambia County (Atmore) 14
- Bessemer Academy 31, Escambia Academy 7
- T.R. Miller 14, Hillcrest Evergreen 0
Photo by Jennifer Repine for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mary Rice Guilty On All Charges, Including First Degree Murder
September 28, 2018
Mary Rice has been found guilty on all charges against her in her crime spree with Bill Boyette, Jr., including murder and accessory after the fact. She was sentenced to life in prison on a charge of first degree murder, plus consecutive 30 years terms for accessory after the fact in two other homicides.
She was convicted of first degree murder for the death of Kayla Crocker in Beulah and accessory after the fact for the homicides of Alicia Greer and Jacqueline Moore at the Emerald Sands Inn in Santa Rosa County. Crocker, a 2006 Tate High School graduate, was found by her mother on February 6, 2017, with a gunshot wound to her head.
Rice was arrested after surrendering peacefully at Georgia hotel. She was an accomplice of quadruple murder suspect William “Billy” Boyette, who took his own life in Georgia rather than surrendering to authorities.
Rice also faces a capital murder charge from Baldwin County for the murder of Peggy Broz.
Pictured top: Mary Rice in court, courtesy Jason Robbins, WEAR 3. Pictured below: The scene at the home of Kayla Crocker in Beulah shortly after her 2017 murder. NorthEscambia.com photos.
ECUA Raises Water And Sewer Rates; Garbage Rates Are Next
September 28, 2018
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board voted to raise rates for water and sewer customers Thursday, and they took the first step toward a sanitation rate increase.
Water and Sewer Rate Increase
ECUA water and sewer rates will increase by 4 percent effective Monday. That translates to $1.02 per month for the average water customer consuming 6,000 gallons per month. The proposed increase of four percent would equate to an increase of $1.31 per month at the average 4,600 gallons level of sewer usage. The current average ECUA user pays $26.58 for water and $32.93 for sewage.
Sanitation Rate Increase
On a motion by District 5 representative Larry Walker, the ECUA board reversed course on a sanitation rate increase. They voted against such a raise in July, but after learning sanitation reserves are depleted the board voted 3-2 to raise garbage collection rates by 5 percent and add a $1.50 per month capital improvement fee to each customer’s bill. That will raise a residential customer’s sanitation bill by 87 cents, plus the $1.50 fee, for a total monthly cost of $24.75, while the average commercial customers will see a $3.42 increase, plus the $1.50 capital improvement fee.
The capital improvement fee will be used in a plan to replace 10 aging collection trucks per year over the next eight years.
ECUA does offer a reduced senior citizens lifeline rates for garbage collection in a smaller 40-gallon container. The program’s $10.66 monthly cost will increase to $12.50 per month with the rate hike.
The sanitation rate increase will heard back to the board for a public hearing and final vote on October 25.
Both rate increase proposals passed on a 3-2 vote, with Dale Perkins and Vicki Campbell casting the dissenting votes.