Escambia Charter School Closing
May 16, 2018
Escambia Charter School in Gonzalez is closing after 22 years.
“Over the last six years, student enrollment has been low and it has been a struggle financially for the school. Due to this continued low enrollment, it is not fiscally responsible to keep the school open,” the school said in a press release.
Escambia Charter was designed for high school students who have excessive referrals or have a case for expulsion. The program provided high school students the opportunity to complete their academic work and receive counseling services as well as other interventions, according to the Escambia County School District.
The school district will assist in the placement of current students.
“Escambia Charter School will be missed not only by the students and parents, but by the faculty and stakeholders that have worked so hard to educate the students that have come through the doors. It has not always been easy, but it was always worth it,” the school news release said.
The graduation for the 2017-2018 school year will be held on May 22 in the University of West Florida’s Conference Center, Building 22.
Taxwatch: Property Taxes Could Rise $700 Million In Voters Reject Amendment
May 16, 2018
Florida TaxWatch released a study Tuesday projecting property taxes could increase by more than $700 million on non-homestead properties like businesses, apartments and second homes. According to the group, the increase would happen if voters reject a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
Known as Amendment 2, the proposal would extend a current 10 percent cap on annual increases in assessed values of non-homestead properties, a cap that voters approved in 2008.
TaxWatch Vice President Kurt Wenner said many Floridians are not aware of how much taxes could go up if the cap is lifted. “If Amendment 2 fails to pass, it doesn’t mean that the cap is just no longer going to be in effect going forward,” Wenner said during a media event at the Florida Press Center.
“It means that all of this property will suddenly be assessed at full value. This can be quite a big sticker shock when some people get their tax bills.” Wenner said he expects potential tax increases would be passed along to renters and business customers, making the issue important whether someone owns property or not.
Supporters of the amendment say it is currently polling at just under 60 percent, which is the threshold for amendments to pass.
The Legislature in 2017 decided to put Amendment 2 on this year’s ballot. Senator Tom Lee, a Thonotosassa Republican who sponsored the proposal in 2017, estimated at the time that failure to extend the cap would effectively lead to a $688 million tax increase. In all, the November ballot will include 13 proposed constitutional amendments.
Florida Sues Drug Manufacturers, Distributors
May 16, 2018
Declaring that she “wasn’t scared to take them on,” Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a civil suit Tuesday accusing five of the nation’s largest opioid manufacturers and four distributors of causing the opioid crisis that is killing an average 15 Floridians daily.
“We are very proud because we have just filed one of the most comprehensive lawsuits in the country on behalf of the state of Florida regarding the opioid crisis,” Bondi, standing in the lunchroom of a recovery center in Tampa, said.
Bondi, who is seeking to recover “all measure of damages allowable,” predicted a settlement with the defendants could be in the “billions.”
Five other states on Tuesday also filed lawsuits against drug maker Purdue Pharma, but Bondi called Florida’s challenge “one of the most comprehensive suits in the country.”
The lawsuit alleges that manufacturers Purdue; Endo Pharmaceuticals; Janssen Pharmaceuticals; Cephalon, Inc.; and Allergan plc — and their related companies — and distributors AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation; McKesson Corporation; Cardinal Health, Inc.; and Mallinckrod LLC violated the state’s unfair and deceptive practices laws and Florida’s criminal racketeering laws.
The manufacturers “promoted misrepresentations about the use of opioids to physicians, other prescribers, and consumers that were designed to increase opioid prescriptions and opioid use,” the 54-page complaint, filed in Pasco County, reads.
The lawsuit also accuses the manufacturing companies of using “front organizations” to promote opioids and of paying alleged medical experts, called “key opinion leaders,” to publish articles that promoted the use of opioids to treat pain but omitted information regarding the risks.
Other alleged misconduct includes misleading veterans about the dangers of mixing opioids with benzodiazepine, a drug commonly prescribed for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Distributors are accused of filling suspicious orders and failing to properly assess customers before filling the orders, among other things.
“These dangerous acts and practices have devastating consequences as you all know,” Bondi said. “It’s time the defendants paid for the pain and the destruction they have caused.”
As the opioid crisis has worsened, hundreds of local governments around the country have already sued drug manufacturers.
After trying to work out a settlement, a federal judge in Ohio last month announced plans to move ahead with three trials in 2019.
Bondi, noting that Florida is the third largest state, said she wanted to pursue separate litigation.
A bevy of law enforcement officials, as well as Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, among others, joined Bondi for Tuesday’s announcement regarding the legal action.
Putnam, the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate, said he supports the lawsuit and credited Bondi’s efforts to eradicate prescription drug abuse.
Putnam said he has discovered “a sad recurring theme” in his travels around the state.
“In every community, they’ve had to add staff to the medical examiner’s office and add space to the morgue. That’s how serious the opioid crisis is,” he said, adding that proceeds from the lawsuit can be used to help fund treatment.
But state Rep. Sean Shaw criticized Bondi, who has served for attorney general for eight years, for waiting too long to challenge the drug makers and distributers.
Shaw, a Tampa Democrat who is running to succeed Bondi as attorney general, called the lawsuit “too little too late for the families in our state who have been devastated by a preventable epidemic had action been take years ago before we reached this tipping point.”
In 2016, heroin caused 952 deaths in Florida, fentanyl caused 1,390 deaths, oxycodone caused 723 deaths, and hydrocodone caused 245 deaths, according to a legislative staff analysis of a measure aimed at combatting opioid addiction. More than 4,000 babies were born addicted to opioids in Florida in 2016, an increase of over 1,000 percent from a decade ago, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Those statistics led Gov. Rick Scott last year to declare a public health emergency due to opioids.
Earlier this year, lawmakers passed a bill that, among other things, places limits on prescriptions that doctors can write for treatment of acute pain. Doctors in many cases are limited to writing prescriptions for three-day supplies, though they can prescribe up to seven-day supplies of controlled substances if “medically necessary.” Cancer patients, people who are terminally ill, palliative care patients and those who suffer from major trauma are exempt from the limits.
In the complaint filed Tuesday, Bondi enlisted assistance from five different law firms, including two Panhandle firms — Santa Rosa Beach-based Drake Martin Law Firm and Panama City-based Harrison, Rivard, Duncan & Buzzett — she worked with on a lawsuit filed in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The litigation resulted in a $2 billion settlement.
by Kristine Sexton, The News Service of Florida. Image courtesy The Florida Channel.
Results: Escambia Schools Battle Of The Books
May 16, 2018
Battle of the Books is an annual competition that challenges students to read a set of books designated as Sunshine State Readers for grades 3-8 or Florida Teen Reads for grades 9-12.
Teams are formed at each grade level to compete and see who remembers the most facts, or who can make the best comparisons and connections between the books. Team members have been reading these books all year and they have been quizzing each other and practicing for the battle for months. They must work together and quickly to get all of the questions answered within a 12 minute time limit. This year, 95 teams, comprised of 429 students from K-12 schools in Escambia County, competed in the Battle.
Winnders were:
Third Grade:
- Beulah Elementary School
- Bellview Elementary School
- Oakcrest Elementary School
Fourth Grade:
- Pleasant Grove Elementary School
- Lipscomb Elementary School
- Hellen Caro Elementary School
Fifth Grade:
- Pleasant Grove Elementary School
- Beulah Elementary School
- Ferry Pass & Hellen Caro Elementary schools (tie)
Middle School:
- Brown Barge Middle School (Team A)
- Brown Barge Middle School (Team C)
- Bailey Middle School (Team A)
High School:
- Booker T. Washington High School
- Tate High School (Team A)
- Escambia High School (Team A)
Bond Denied For Man Charged With DUI Death Of Sisters
May 16, 2018
Tuesday afternoon, a judge ordered a man accused of two counts of DUI manslaughter held without bond as he awaits trial for the death of two girls in Pace.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 35-year old Kailen Kelly of Pace, was traveling at a high rate of speed when he crossed into another lane on Woodbine Road and slammed his 2008 Ford pickup head-on into a 2010 Buick driven by 39-year old Melanie Harrell of Pace. . Stormie P. Harrell, 7, and Michaela D. Sidney, 17, were killed. Melanie Harrell and 18-year old McKenzie Murphy were hospitalized but have been released.
Kelly will remain in jail until his trial begins in July.
Testimony Tuesday morning indicted Kelly’s license was suspended until April 2018 — reinstated just days before the crash — after he refused to submit to a DUI test in Okaloosa County in 2017. His past includes threatening a person with a firearm and discharging a firearm in Escambia County and two prior DUI convictions.
He had a blood alcohol level of .149, had marijuana in his system and refused a breath test after the double fatal crash May 6, according to testimony. He showed no remorse, and a 12 pack of beer was found in his truck.
Kelly is facing charges of two counts of DUI-vehicular manslaughter, DUI with serious bodily injury to another, refusing to submit to a DUI test after license suspension, reckless driving, fleeing/eluding police and other traffic offenses.
Pictured top: Kelly’s vehicle following a double fatal crash. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pace Gets Regional Semifinal Win Over The Tate Aggies
May 16, 2018
The Pace Patriots defeated the Tate Aggies in the 7A regional semifinal Tuesday night in Pace.
Tate held a 4-1 run lead at the end of the first. Pace added five for the lead in the sixth, with Tate answering with two to tie it in the top of the seventh.
Raymond Lafleur hit a home run in top of the first with a line drive to right field, scoring Michael Potts for a 4-0 Aggie lead. Ryan Greene homered on a line drive to right field in the top of the seventh, scoring Darrien McDowell to tie it up 6-6.
The Patriots advance to the regional final on May 22.
Schools Win Smarter Lunchroom Awards
May 16, 2018
Rachael Terrin, of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, attended the may Escambia County School Board meeting Tuesday to present the Healthier U.S. School Challenge Smarter Lunchrooms Awards.
The award recognizes schools for their efforts in improving food and beverage offerings, teaching kids about nutritious food choices and being physically active, providing opportunities for physical activity, and having supportive school wellness policies.
Bronze Awards were earned by: A.K. Suter Elementary School, Beulah Elementary School, Blue Angels Elementary School, Bratt Elementary School, Cordova Park Elementary School, Hellen Caro Elementary School, Lipscomb Elementary School, N.B. Cook Elementary School, Pine Meadow Elementary School, and Scenic Heights Elementary School.
Silver Awards were presented to: Bellview Elementary School, Brentwood Elementary School, Ensley Elementary School, Global Learning Academy, Jim Allen Elementary School, Lincoln Park Elementary School, Longleaf Elementary School, McArthur Elementary School, Montclair Elementary School, Navy Point Elementary School, Oakcrest Elementary School, Pleasant Grove Elementary School, Sherwood Elementary School, Warrington Elementary School, and West Pensacola Elementary School.
(District 5/North Escambia schools are in bold.)
Wahoos Beat The Shuckers
May 16, 2018
Aristides Aquino belted a pair of home runs to help the Blue Wahoos even the series against the Biloxi Shuckers with a 10-8 win.
Pensacola and Biloxi traded runs in the first inning and Aquino put the Blue Wahoos back in front with a solo home run on the first pitch of the second inning. The Blue Wahoos rallied for three runs in the third to go up 5-1. The first three hitters reached with singles before Brian O’Grady ripped an RBI double down the right field line. Daniel Sweet scored the third run of the frame on a ground out from Nick Longhi.
After the Shuckers cut the score to 5-4, the Blue Wahoos rallied again with four runs in the top of the sixth. Aquino struck again with a two-run shot after Longhi led off with a single. After Shed Long singled home Chris Okey, Luis Gonzalez belted a ground rule double to score Long and cap the four-run sixth and stretch the lead to 9-4.
Pensacola picked up a valuable insurance run in the eighth inning to briefly make it 10-5 before Biloxi responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. The Shuckers got a run and brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Carlos Navas got Jake Hager to fly out in foul territory down the right field line to end the game.
Vladimir Gutierrez pitched 4.1 innings in the start for Pensacola. He allowed four runs on six hits with a season-high eight strikeouts. Gutierrez took a no-decision with Rafael De Paula (W, 1-3) getting the win with two innings pitched in relief. Adrian Houser (L, 0-1) gave up five runs (4 ER) on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Pensacola looks for its third series win of the season. RHP Wyatt Strahan (4-2, 6.75) will get the start for the Blue Wahoos against Shuckers LHP Kodi Medeiros (3-1, 3.34).
One Injured In Highway 95A Cantonment Crash
May 15, 2018
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Tuesday about 6:20 p.m. on Highway 95A near Tate School Road. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Highway 29, Well Line Road Wreck
May 15, 2018
There were no injuries in a crash about 4:00 Tuesday afternoon at Highway 29 and Well Line Road in Cantonment. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
