One Injured, Utility Pole Snapped In Highway 29 Wreck
August 2, 2018
A utility pole was snapped in a single vehicle wreck that injured one person Thursday morning on Highway 29 at West Roberts Road Tuesday morning.
The injured person was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital.
Gulf Power report eight customers in the immediate area without power after the crash.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Body Of Cantonment Man Recovered From Escambia Bay
August 2, 2018
The body of a 79-year old Cantonment man was recovered Thursday from Escambia Bay.
Donald Helton apparently fell overboard from a 17-foot boat where he was fishing with a teenager. His body was recovered in about eight feet of water.
Escambia Search and Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took part in the search, including an helicopter from FWC.
Helton was a retired Ransom Middle School educator.
His name was released after next of kin were notified.
Escambia Deputies Take Part In Realistic Active Shooter Training
August 2, 2018
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies and school resource officers are continually training to keep schools in the county safe.
An active shooter training was held recently at Tate High School with instructors working to make the scenarios as realistic and stressful as possible.
“It just helps them to become more effective in their initial response. Which ultimately the faster we can get in, the faster we can access and address that threat, the more effect and the more lives we can save,” Sgt. Josh Hendershott said.
Year round active shooter training for Escambia County deputies also includes live fire exercises at their firing range in Cantonment.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Alabama Woman Claims $223K Prize For Walnut Hill Lottery Ticket
August 2, 2018
The owner of a winning ticket sold last week in Walnut Hill has claimed her prize.
The Florida Lottery says the July 28 Fantasy 5 ticket worth $223,639.27 was sold to Georgia M. Callier of Mobile. She purchased the ticket at the Grey Goose at 11330 Highway 97. The Quick Pick ticket was the only winning ticket sold for the drawing.
The 324 tickets matching four numbers won $111 each. Another 10,171 tickets matching three numbers are worth $9.50 each, and 99,458 ticket holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
The winning numbers were 07-12-18-25-34.
Summer Reading Program Wrap Up Party Held At The Library
August 2, 2018
A West Florida Library Summer Reading Program Wrap Up Party was held Wednesday at the Century Branch Library. Participants played games, received prizes, made slime, painted rocks and more to celebrate the end of the summer reading program.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Driver Stops Just Short Of Plunging Pickup Into West Kingsfield Ravine
August 2, 2018
A driver barely missed plunging into a deep ravine on West Kingsfield Road Wednesday.
The driver failed to property negotiate one of several curves on West Kingsfield between South Highway 97 and Beulah Road, with his pickup truck coming just short of the ravine. Area residents estimated that the ravine is about 15-feet deep.
There were no injuries reported in Wednesday’s crash.
Photos by Elizabeth Westmark for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Ballpark Hosting Softball Clinic
August 2, 2018
The Molino Ballpark hold a softball clinic August 3 and 4 at the Don Sutton Ballpark.
Clinic times are:
- 8U – Friday, August 3 from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.
- 10U – Saturday, August 4 from 9 a.m. until noon
- 12U & 16U – Saturday, August 4 from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m.
The clinic will be limited to a maximum of 30 players per time slot.
The clinic will be led by trainer and coach Tim Dunsford. He is an ASA certified fast pitch coach, owner of a fast pitch training company, and has trained and coached over 50 players who have played or are currently playing in college.
For more information, contact Natalie Parsons at (850) 516-3821 or parsonsgn@gmail.com.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Register Today For Northview Baseball Coed Softball Tournament
August 2, 2018
The Northview High School baseball team will hold a coed softball tournament Saturday at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
Registration is $200 per team with a three girl minimum using modified USSSA rules.
For more information, call Coach Greenwell at (850) 712-6354 or Coach Lowery at (850) 232-3205.
The tournament was rescheduled from July 21.
File photo.
Judge Blocks Proposed Ban On Greyhound Racing
August 2, 2018
A circuit judge on Wednesday knocked a greyhound-racing ban off the November ballot, calling the proposed constitutional amendment misleading and “outright trickeration.”
“Contrary to the words presented for consideration by the voters, the amendment would not end dog racing, nor would it eliminate wagering on dog racing,” Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers wrote in her order.
“In short, proposed Amendment 13 is misleading and inaccurate and incomplete, while adding up to a ‘hide the ball,’ ‘fly a false flag’ and outright ‘trickeration,’ ” she wrote.
Supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment quickly said they will appeal the ruling.
The amendment was one of eight ballot measures placed on the Nov. 6 general-election ballot by the state Constitution Revision Commission, which meets every 20 years and has the unique authority to present proposed constitutional changes directly to voters.
The proposal sought to ban commercial greyhound racing in the state after Dec. 31, 2020. It was sponsored by Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, a member of the constitutional panel.
But Gievers said the ballot title and summary for the amendment were “clearly and conclusively defective.”
Gievers said the ballot information failed to inform voters that the actual amendment language would establish the “humane treatment of animals” as a “fundamental value” in the Constitution. She also said the language failed to describe the amendment’s impact on existing constitutional provisions that allowed slot machines at dog tracks in Broward and Miami-Dade counties contingent on live racing at the facilities.
“If the CRC (Constitution Revision Commission) wanted Florida voters to be able to rethink the relationship between live animal racing and the operation of slot machines, or to be able to adopt as a constitutional fundamental value the humane treatment of animals, the CRC could have included the appropriate language in the ballot and summary,” the judge wrote.
Gievers’ order also supported an argument raised by the Florida Greyhound Association, a group that represents dog owners, breeders and trainers, that the amendment would not actually ban dog-race wagering since it would allow betting at Florida tracks on races broadcast from outside the state.
Supporters of Amendment 13 quickly organized a conference call with reporters, saying they intend to appeal Gievers’ ruling and that they might try to get an expedited hearing from the Florida Supreme Court.
“We want the people to finally make a judgment on this cruel activity, and that’s why we are confident that this misguided judgment will not stand,” Christine Dorchak, president and general counsel of Grey2K USA, said.
Dorchak called the judge’s ruling “defective.”
Gievers’ finding that the amendment does not inform voters that dog racing would continue outside of Florida is “completely nonsensical,” Dorchak said.
“Clearly voters of Florida can only vote on what happens in their own state,” she said.
She also rejected the judge’s contention that the ballot title and summary “hides the ball” regarding the full language of the proposal.
Supporters of the amendment also pointed out that Gievers’ rulings in other high-profile cases have frequently been overturned.
“I don’t think anyone’s here to throw stones, but this is really a nearly 30-page diatribe. It’s not the kind of ruling we would expect to see from a court in Florida,” Dorchak said.
Dorchak also said the language put on the ballot by the Constitution Revision Commission “was written to be clear and neutral.”
“The judge is saying that’s not good enough, we had to add more language that I think probably would confuse voters,” she said.
Wednesday’s legal blow came on the heels of an announcement last week that the Doris Day Animal League was donating $1.5 million to the campaign to end dog racing in Florida.
“We’re confident we will succeed in November and get this passed for the dogs,” said Kate MacFall, co-chairwoman of the Committee to Protect Dogs, a group backing Amendment 13.
The proposed dog-racing ban was one of 13 state constitutional amendments on the Nov. 6 ballot. Eight of the amendments were advanced by the Constitution Revision Commission, with four of those measures, including the racing ban, being contested in court.
To be enacted, each amendment must win support from at least 60 percent of the voters.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
New Fitness Center Opens, Brings Davisville Commercial Space Back To Life
August 2, 2018
A grand opening ribbon cutting was held Wednesday for a new fitness center in Davisville, bringing a long-empty commercial space back to life.
Owners Cyndi Keenan and Brandon Overstreet, a certified personal trainer, opened State-Line Fitness on Highway 97 just south of the Alabama-Florida state line. The building was vacant for several years after Keenan closed a daycare.
“State-Line Fitness is not filled with machines for people to workout alone. We offer classes and personal instruction by our certified personal trainer,” Keenan said. The center offers high intensity training and boot camp classes.
For more information, call (850) 327-4799.
Pictured: The grand opening of State-Line Fitness in Davisville on Wednesday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
