Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Debates From Nasty To Nice
June 17, 2018
Two debates, two days apart — between the same candidates — may have left many viewers wondering what happened.
On Saturday night, four feisty Democrats vying to replace Gov. Rick Scott tore into each other’s records, hammering on a range of issues that included the minimum wage, coal-fired power plants, and Syrian refugees.
But 48 hours later, the boxing gloves were on the shelf and the kid gloves were back on.
Former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Orlando-area entrepreneur Chris King barely even grazed one another at the third of four planned debates before the Aug. 28 primary election, showing little separation on nearly every issue important to base Democrats.
While it may have made for boring viewing for political insiders, Florida Atlantic University political science professor Kevin Wagner said the lack of fireworks between the Democrats isn’t a surprise.
“There are so many undecided at this point that I don’t think anyone wants to alienate potential voters,” Wagner said in a recent interview. “The energy in the Democratic Party is the progressive base, and that’s typically not an audience that likes to hear negative campaigning.”
The Dems are taking a departure from the Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots-style attacks lobbed by U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam on the GOP side of the race.
DeSantis shredded Putnam following a report of a year-long lapse in background screenings for concealed-weapons licenses that resulted in revocation of 291 of the licenses. The two men are in a heated Republican primary for governor.
“Republican primary voters are more supportive of candidates that are principled and stand their ground rather than ‘compromise’ candidates,” Wagner said. “At the end of the day, the argument goes that the one who’s going to compromise is the weak one.”
GUN SNAFU KEEPS PUTNAM IN THE CROSSHAIRS
A week after the Tampa Bay Times reported that a former employee of Putnam’s department failed for a year to conduct screenings of applicants for concealed-weapons licenses, the lapse continued to dog the agriculture commissioner.
Putnam, the frontrunner in the GOP primary, maintains that he ordered an inspector-general investigation into the issue, fired the employee who neglected to do her job and initiated new procedures to prevent a similar problem from occurring again.
He spent 20 minutes fielding reporters’ questions on Saturday and again faced the television cameras and notepads following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Although his department issued concealed-weapons licenses to 291 applicants who should have been disqualified, Putnam reiterated the breakdown has been corrected and there was no threat to Floridians.
“Public safety was not at risk,” Putnam told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. “Two-hundred and ninety-one people who should not have gotten a license to carry a concealed weapon did so, but they were revoked as a result of the processes that we put in place.”
Democrats have targeted Putnam on the issue, calling for him to resign and drop his gubernatorial bid.
Putnam — who’s facing off against DeSantis, a darling of the far-right and President Donald Trump — took to social media to blast Dems’ demands as well as press coverage of the issue, calling it “fake news.”
“The liberal media is pushing a fake narrative and not presenting the facts that disagree with their agenda. Thank you @FoxEbenBrown for letting me set the record straight,” Putnam tweeted, referring to a Fox News radio host on whose show he appeared.
But DeSantis, hardly a member of the liberal media, also hit Putnam on the issue.
“Adam has spent years campaigning for governor, basically, in this position and the report was very concerning because it seemed like he wasn’t minding the store when we needed him to be there,” DeSantis said.
The issue began in February 2016 when a Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services employee stopped logging into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to see if applicants seeking state licenses to carry concealed weapons or firearms should be “flagged” for issues like drug abuse, involuntary mental confinements, dishonorable military discharges or undocumented immigrant status.
The problem wasn’t discovered until March 2017 when an investigation began that revealed 365 applications merited further review, leading the department to revoke the 291 licenses. The employee who failed to carry out the background reviews was fired.
Putnam said there is no indication that any of the disqualified people who received concealed-weapons licenses were involved in criminal activity while they had the permits.
“Any time that anyone who has a concealed weapon license is arrested we are made aware of that. That reporting occurs on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, depending on the arresting agency,” Putnam said.
Although information is slower coming from arrests made outside of Florida, Putnam said there were “no flags” on the people who should not have been licensed. “We have not received information on any of the 291,” he said.
SIMPLY ‘HORRIBLE’
Levine and other critics have accused Putnam of throwing the former worker under the bus regarding the background checks, and the former mayor of Miami Beach also blamed the agriculture commissioner for the citrus industry’s collapse.
But Mother Nature certainly played the major role in the latest round of devastating news: Florida’s embattled citrus industry experienced its worst growing season since World War II as the hurricane-battered harvest is now essentially complete.
The latest forecast numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed no change in the past month for orange production, which is off 34.7 percent from the prior growing season. Meanwhile, grapefruit production has fallen another 1.8 percent from a May forecast, coming in at half of what was picked in the prior growing season and at its lowest level in nearly a century.
Putnam called the season, which included devastation from Hurricane Irma and continued battles with deadly citrus greening disease, “horrible.”
“It’s important to remember that the industry is still recovering from Hurricane Irma’s unprecedented damage last year,” Putnam said in a statement.
Irma, which tore through the Sunshine State in September, also wreaked havoc to the tune of nearly $10 billion in insured losses, according to the latest estimates from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
The insurance loss estimates hit $9.7 billion, up by more than $1 billion since April, and the number of claims has reached nearly 1 million, an increase of more than 54,000 from the last update in April.
Officials said they expected claims to be made for more than a year after the storm, as property owners are able to get complete assessments of the damages.
But the latest figures also contained some bright news.
Erin VanSickle, deputy chief of staff at the Office of Insurance Regulation, said that, as far as the agency knows, no insurer has indicated difficulty with paying claims.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, a Republican running for governor in a heated primary against U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, continued to defend his agency’s handling of a year-long lapse in background checks on applications for concealed-weapons licenses.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “It was the dumbest thing in the world. It happens to anybody with a computer. She emailed IT (information technology) and said my password isn’t working. And they emailed her back with instructions on how to fix the problem.” — Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, explaining how a lapse in the background checks occurred.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Woman Faces 50 Years For Stealing From Woman, Defrauding A Veteran
June 17, 2018
A woman is facing up to 50 years in prison after stealing a checkbook and credit cards from a woman and defrauding a veteran in Escambia County.
Javon Lasha Harris, 35, pleaded no contest before the court to two counts of grand theft, four counts of uttering forged bills, three counts of forging bank bills, checks, drafts,or promissory note, three counts of theft of a credit card, and one count of petit theft.
In March, a victim was sitting on her porch when she was approached by Harris. She told a victim that she had just been released from the hospital and needed money to buy her prescription medicine. The victim told Harris that she did not have any money but she had a prescription discount card that she could use. When the victim went inside to retrieve the card, the defendant asked to use the restroom. When Harris returned from the restroom, she stated she needed to turn her car off because she didn’t have much gas. Instead, the defendant drove off. The victim checked her purse and realized the defendant had stolen her checkbook and credit cards.
In April, Harris used the checks to pay for court fees for her boyfriend and dental work. She also defrauded a retired veteran by giving him two checks, totaling $500 and two used $50 gift cards.
Harris faces a maximum of 50 years in state prison when she is sentenced at a later date from Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh.
BayBears Sink Wahoos 4-1
June 17, 2018
Pensacola fell short of completing their first four-game winning streak of the season as the BayBears won Saturday night’s sellout at Blue Wahoos Stadium 4-1.
The Wahoos pitchers all struggled to settle into the game during their outings. Victor Payano, Jose Rafael De Paula and Alejandro Chacin (L, 0-1) totaled seven walks, six hits, and despite 11 strikeouts, allowed four runs over the course of the game. Jesus Reyes pitched only one inning in the top of the ninth and did not allow the BayBears to do any more damage.
The BayBears struck gold in the first inning on a Zach Houchins sac fly to center fielder Narciso Crook that scored Luis Rengifo to give Mobile the early 1-0 lead. With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning, Rengifo doubled in the right-center alley, which scored Zach Gibbons and Riley Unroe. That gave Mobile a 3-1 lead. Bo Way tripled on a line drive to right field, which allowed Gibbons to score another run that increased the lead to 4-1.
Joe Gatto had an impressive outing for Mobile as he pitched 4.1 innings with one run on seven hits, and no walks with six strikeouts. Tyler Stevens (S, 3) is credited with the save as he retired the side in the ninth inning, which secured the victory for the BayBears.
Aristides Aquino scored the only run for the Wahoos with a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, which was his ninth home run of the season.
The Wahoos will look to bounce back in Sunday afternoon’s first-half finale. Pensacola right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez (3-8, 5.86) will open the game for the Blue Wahoos will take the mound, and right-hander Jesus Castillo (4-4, 5.23) will take the hill for the BayBears.
Reaching To God: I Thought You Would Call Me ‘Father’
June 17, 2018
Today, NorthEscambia.com is introducing a new weekly column entitled “Reaching to God,” by R.A. Mathews. The Rev. Mathews is an attorney, columnist, and the author of “Reaching to God: Great Truths from the Bible.” The column runs in several large newspapers. NorthEscambia.com is the first online-only newspaper to publish the popular column.
I’m about to blow your socks off. If you want to hold onto your britches, pull them up tightly.
Here we go: God is all-powerful and all-knowing, but God doesn’t have everything He wants.
This is a great truth.
What God longs for most eludes Him—it has since the beginning of time. You see it in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and you see it today.
What is that?
Let me tell you a story. Two parents lost their boy somewhere in a crowded city. For three days and two nights they searched for him, obviously frantic.
Mary and Joseph finally find Jesus in the temple. Remember what Jesus says to them: “Didn’t you know I’d be in My Father’s house?”
And what do they say? “Ah, yes, we should have known.”
No, they don’t. Scripture says they don’t understand Jesus. Luke 2:51
Isn’t that odd? Mary and Joseph knew Jesus was conceived by God. On top of that, hadn’t the angels announced to them that Jesus was the Son of God?
Well, let’s look.
Joseph had four dreams about Jesus. In one, Jesus is referred to as God’s son. When Gabriel speaks to Mary, he says it twice: Jesus will be the “Son of God” and “Son of the Most High.”
So Mary and Joseph not only had the virgin birth, but also angelic pronouncements that God is the Father of Jesus. Apparently that’s not enough because they don’t understand their 12-year-old son when He says, “Didn’t you know I’d be in my Father’s house?”
Here’s why—for a Jew to refer to God as “my Father” was blasphemy. In fact, two decades later those words will get Jesus into big trouble. The Jews will burn with anger, seeking to kill Jesus for saying “my Father.” They’ll say He’s making “Himself equal with God.” John 5:18
Honestly, the first time I saw this blasphemy charge, I immediately turned to the Old Testament.
It didn’t make sense. Clearly Jews from Abraham to Jeremiah had called God “Father.” Right?
Wow—get ready for this.
According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, “Father” is used for God only 15 times in the Old Testament. You can count them on your fingers and toes.
Even worse, generally those passages are talking about God’s nature—only one person in the Old Testament actually speaks to God calling him, “Father.” That’s Isaiah, and he only does it twice.
I was surprised.
Obviously, this is not good and God knows it. Listen to His words as the Old Testament marches to a close. I’ll warn you, these words are painful. God says, “I thought you would call me ‘Father.’”Jeremiah 3:19
That verse always moves me deeply. It’s the yearning of a parent for the love of a child. The all-powerful, all-knowing God longs for His children, wants them to know Him intimately, to call Him “Father.”
Now do you see what I mean? Some 2,000 years have passed from Abraham to the birth of Christ, and God doesn’t have what He wants most.
So the New Testament opens, God becomes flesh, and the Gospels proclaim Jesus. But before that, I’m certain Father God in heaven spoke with Jesus.
“Make sure they know me,” God must have told Jesus. “Make sure they call me ‘Father.’”
What then happens?
Oh-ho. Jesus knocks that ball out of the park—Jesus calls God “Father” over 165 times!
See how important this is to God?
And I wish I could say Jesus settled the matter. But, no—to this day God longs to be called “Father”; He will forever want His children more than anything, seeking those who walk away, knowing
many will never love Him.
God doesn’t have what He wants most. And He never will.
This Father’s Day, pray with your children. Lead them to know God intimately, to call Him “Father.”
© 2017, 2018 R.A. Mathews The Rev. Mathews is an attorney, columnist, and the author of “Reaching to God: Great Truths from the Bible.”
Contract Worker Killed In Accident At Ascend Plant In Cantonment
June 16, 2018
A worker was killed in an industrial accident at Ascend Performance Materials in Cantonment.
“We are aware of an incident at our facility in Cantonment,” Alison Jahn, senior director of Global Communications for Ascend, told NorthEscambia.com Friday night. “The incident involved a contract employee working for a company called KTN. We are currently working with local authorities to investigate the incident and will provide additional details as we have them.”
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Henley said the death appears to be an accident.
Something reportedly fell on the victim. An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigator and a crime scene unit responded to the plant about 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Further details, including the name of the victim, have not been released. There were no other injuries reported to Escambia County EMS.
Pictured: Ascend Performance Materials. File photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NTSB Releases Report On Plane Crash Outside Atmore
June 16, 2018
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued their preliminary report on a plane crash May 11 outside Atmore.
The pilot, identified by FAA records as Matthew Scott Newton of Flomaton, was seriously injured. The plane crashed on Darryl Dawe Lane about a mile from the Robinsonville Baptist Church, and about 4.5 miles from the Alabama/Florida state line.
The plane was an experimental amateur-built Kolb Firestar 2was registered to the pilot about one year before the accident, but he was not the builder, according to the FAA. The plane came to rest inverted on the lawn of a private residence, and the tail boom and right wing were substantially damaged. There was no apparent pre-impact damage, and the plane still had fuel.
Search Continues For Baldwin County Man Missing For A Month
June 16, 2018
The search is continuing a month after a Baldwin County man was reported missing.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued a Missing Senior Alert for Steve Keszthelyi.
Keszthelyi is a 79-year old white male and may be suffering from a condition that may impair his judgement. He was last seen wearing red shorts , white t-shirt and a red hat at his residence in Elberta on May 16. Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Steve Keszthelyi is asked to contact the Elberta Police Department at (251) 986-5300 or call 911.
The search has included areas in Escambia County, FL.
This Hydrangea Loves A Sunny Landscape
June 16, 2018
Love hydrangeas but have a sunny landscape? There is a beautiful hydrangea that will work in sunnier locations, according to Escambia Extension.
Limelight hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) is a large deciduous shrub that is a show piece in the summer garden. Large light green flowers form on new wood and cover the shrub.
But if there is not enough room for this hydrangea that gets 8-feet tall and wide, consider ‘Little Lime’ which grows about 4-feet tall and wide. Both can be purchased in local nurseries.
Images courtesy Escambia Extension for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Teen Pleads No Contest To Threatening To Shoot Teachers, Bringing Gun To School
June 16, 2018
An Escambia County teen has pleaded no contest to charges that he brought a a gun to school after he threatened shoot school staff.
Terrance Anton Harris, Jr.,16, entered a plea of no contest to possession of a weapon on school property, carrying a concealed firearm, and possession of a firearm by a minor.
On November 30, 2017, Harris threatened to shoot multiple staff members at the Camelot Academy if he saw them outside of school grounds. He was subsequently expelled from the academy and then was accepted into George Stone Technical Center.
On January 25, 2018, Harris was sent to the guidance office at George Stone when he was disrupting class. When Harris’ belongings were asked to be sent to the office, the classroom teacher opened the backpack to confirm it belonged to Harris. She then found a loaded .38 calibur firearm in the backpack.
Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh scheduled sentencing for August 10. Terrance Harris faces a maximum of 10 years in state prison.
Karen Powell Named Escambia Sheriff’s Volunteer Of The Year
June 16, 2018
Karen Powell of Cantonment has been named the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer of the Year.
Powell has volunteered three years with the Escambia County Mounted Posse and has helped with the Citizens Law Enforcement Academy, Neighborhood Watch Academy and Camp Friendship.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
