Morning Fire Destroys Home In Cantonment, Cause Under Investigation
March 14, 2018
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating after fire destroyed a home in Cantonment Wednesday morning.
The brick home on the 1500 block of Twins Pine Circle off Muscogee Road was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene about 11:40 a.m. There were no injuries reported.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
For a photo gallery, click here.
More details and photos will be posted later this afternoon.
Pictured top: Firefigthers prepare to make entry into a burning home on Twin Pines Circle in Cantonment Wednesday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Stolen Restaurant Lunch Leads To Jail Time For Century Man
March 14, 2018
A Century man has been sentenced to time in the county jail after failing to pay for a lunch from a local restaurant.
Na’Keetric Devonte Davison, 25, was received a total of 270 days in jail for possession of cocaine, carrying a concealed weapon and petit theft. He was given credit for 130 days service while awaiting trial.
The Southern Panhandle restaurant reported last October that Davison left the restaurant without paying for his $21.48 lunch and was walking north on North Century Boulevard. Responding Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies caught up with Davison near Zion Street.
After being instructed to keep his hands out of his pockets, Davison reached back into his pockets, prompting a deputy to draw his weapon and order Davison to remove his hands, according to an arrest report. After he was placed in handcuffs, deputies reported finding a restaurant steak knife in his pocket. When it was removed, a small plastic bag containing what was later identified as crack cocaine fell to the ground.
A restaurant staff member was able to positively identify Davison as the person who did not pay for lunch and identify the steak knife as belonging to the business.
Reimagine Century Community Outreach To Return In May, Planning Meeting Next Week
March 14, 2018
Reimagine Century will return in 2018 as the faithful will reach out to touch the hearts, souls and lives of area residents in need.
Reimagine Century will be held Saturday, May 5. Interested volunteers are invited to attend a planning meeting on Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. in the Century Community Center on West Highway 4.
The last Reimagine Century event was held in May 2016 with a wide variety of activities, including a 15,000 pound food giveaway, health screenings, youth and teen activities, free haircuts, baby diaper giveaway, live music, free lunch, manicures, hearing tests, motorcycle rides and much more. There were also children’s activities including inflatables, face painting, popcorn and games. All items, activities and events were free.
Doers of the Word Ministry held a Reimagine event in Milton last Saturday, and additonal Reimagine events are set for the Montclair neighborhood in Pensacola on September 22, and Brownsville on November 3.
Reimagine Century 2018 is sponsored by numerous organizations, including NorthEscambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Waring Road Closed Until Monday
March 14, 2018
Waring Road between Nine Mile Road and Bush Street will experience road closures and detours effective until Monday, March 19. Construction will consist of water and sanitary sewer system upgrades.
Waring Road between Nine Mile Road and Bush Street will be closed to through traffic. Traffic will be detoured along Pine Forest Road, Bush Street and West Detroit Blvd. The closures/detours are expected to remain in effect for approximately one week. Escambia County officials said efford will be made to expedite construction efforts to reopen the road earlier.
If other lane or roadway closures are necessary beyond the anticipated time period, another notice will be issued.
Northview Beats Jay To Give Lady Chiefs District Lead
March 14, 2018
Northview 3, Jay 2
The Northview Chiefs beat the Jay Royals in district softball Tuesday night in Bratt, 3-2. At 10-0 overall and 5-0 in the district, the Chiefs are at first place in the district.
Tori Herrington earned the win on the plate for the Chiefs with 13 strikeouts. She was 2-3 at bat.
Also for the Chiefs: Ashley Ragdale 1-3, BB, 2RBI; Aubree Love 2-3, BB; Valen Shelley 1-3, BB; Anna Sullivan 1-3; Rylee Huskey 1-2, BB.
The Chiefs will host Chipley on Thursday before traveling to Escambia Academy (Canoe, Ala.) on Friday.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Jay 16, Northview 1
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Lady Aggies Take Two From Pace
March 14, 2018
Tate 14, Pace 3
The Tate Aggies varsity softball team defeated the Pace Patriots Tuesday night in Pace 14-3. Brown pitched the win in seven inning for the Lady Aggies.
Tate 12, Pace 0 (JV)
The Tate Aggies junior varsity softball team defeated Pace 12-0 Tuesday in Pace
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Poll: Florida Voters Back School Board Term Limits
March 14, 2018
A proposed constitutional amendment that would impose eight-year term limits on members of county school boards would pass comfortably if it goes on the November ballot, according to a new poll.
The poll, released Tuesday by the Tallahassee-based firm Clearview Research, shows that 68 percent of voters support limiting school-board members to two four-year terms. The Florida Constitution Revision Commission is looking at placing the issue on this year’s general-election ballot.
“The eight-year term limits (proposal) for school board members begins in relatively safe territory for two reasons. First, it begins with 68 percent support and second it is an easy and clear concept for voters to understand,” Steve Vancore, president of Clearview Research, said in comments accompanying the poll results.
The Constitution Revision Commission meets every 20 years and has the power to directly place proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot. Vancore’s firm polled 750 likely voters on a series of issues being considered by the commission, which is expected to finalize a list of ballot proposals this spring.
The proposal to place term limits on school-board members, offered by Constitution Revision Commission member Erika Donalds, has drawn widespread attention — and objections from groups such as the Florida School Boards Association and the League of Women Voters of Florida.
“This proposal would apply to only one group among several similar groups of local elected officials,” the school boards association said in a document on its website. “It seems discriminatory and punitive to single out one group to be subjected to these conditions and limitations that are not applied equally to all similar groups.”
Nevertheless, term limits — which were approved in 1992 for members of the state Legislature — have been popular with voters. The poll results released Tuesday indicate that 68 percent of voters would “definitely” or “probably” vote for school-board term limits, while only 25 percent would “definitely” or “probably” vote no.
Constitutional amendments require 60 percent approval to pass.
Clearview Research conducted the poll from March 1 through last Wednesday, with the results having a margin of error of 3.58 percentage points. The firm on Tuesday released the results of three questions about proposed constitutional amendments.
While the term-limits proposal received broad support, voters appear unlikely to approve another high-profile proposal that would lift a ban on state money being used to support churches and other religious groups — what is commonly known as the “no aid” provision of the Constitution.
The no-aid provision, for example, has become an issue in debates about school vouchers. The 1st District Court of Appeal in 2004 cited the provision in striking down a voucher program that paid for children to go to religious schools, though the Florida Supreme Court later found the program unconstitutional on other grounds.
The poll indicated only 41 percent of voters said they “definitely” or “probably” would support a proposed constitutional amendment to remove the no-aid provision from the Constitution, while 51 percent said they definitely or probably would not.
Vancore acknowledged difficulty in wording the poll question to come up with a “neutral and accurate” description of the proposal and consulted with an election attorney, Glenn Burhans, about wording issues. But Vancore said the firm decided to stick closely with the way the proposed constitutional amendment is worded.
“With that we are comfortable with the language as it accurately describes the actual impact and, as such, (the proposal) begins in a very poor position with a majority (51 percent) voting ‘no’ and only 41 percent indicating a ‘yes’ vote,” Vancore said in the written comments. “As worded, this item would have virtually no chance of attaining the 60 percent threshold.”
The other results released Tuesday dealt with a proposed constitutional amendment to change the state’s primary-election system and end what is widely described as the “write-in loophole.”
Under current law, all voters, regardless of affiliation, are able to vote in primaries if the candidates are from one party. For example, if a race draws only two Republican candidates, the primary would be open to Democratic and unaffiliated voters.
But when a write-in candidate enters the race, it closes the primary. For example, two Republicans and a write-in candidate in a race would mean that only Republican voters can cast ballots in the primary, effectively shutting out Democrats and unaffiliated voters.
The proposed constitutional amendment would end the ability of write-in candidates to close primaries. The poll found that 58 percent of voters support the idea, while 26 percent oppose it. Vancore pointed, however, to the complex language of the ballot proposal and said that whether it would pass is “anyone’s guess at this time.”
by Jim Sanders, The News Service of Florida
FCA Spirit Of Champions Awards Presented For Cheerleading, Dance
March 14, 2018
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes “Spirit of Champions” awards for cheerleading and dance were presented this week.
Winners were:
Kendall McLeod-Central High (Cheerleading)
Lauren Bonderant-East Hill Christian (Cheerleading)
Kaia Richmond-Gulf Breeze High (Cheerleading)
Jaeci Cooley-Jay High (Cheerleading)
Brittany Kalfus-Milton High (Cheerleading)
Cloe Smith-Northview High (Cheerleading)
Kassidi Covan-Pensacola Catholic High (Cheerleading)
Myra LeMay-West Florida Tech High (Cheerleading)
Jillian Kurtts-Pensacola Catholic High (Dance)
Courtesy for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ten Big Issues In The 2018 Florida Legislative Session
March 14, 2018
The Florida House and Senate ended the 2018 legislative session Sunday by passing a budget and a tax-cut package for the upcoming year. The session became dominated in February by the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. That led to a massive debate about how to improve school safety and whether to revamp the state’s gun laws.
Here is a recap of 10 big issues from the 2018 session:
BUDGET: Lawmakers passed an $88.7 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, though they were forced to extend the session by two days to finish the spending plan. The budget includes increased funding for education, with per-student spending in the kindergarten through 12th-grade system going up $101.50. The Senate also pushed through increased funding for nursing homes, while the House blocked a Senate attempt to change the way some Medicaid money is distributed to hospitals.
HEALTH CARE: After years of legal battles in the hospital industry, lawmakers approved a plan to revamp the approval of new trauma centers. They also approved a long-discussed proposal that could lead to the use of “direct primary care” agreements, which involve patients and doctors contracting directly for primary care, reducing the role of insurers. The House, however, was unable to convince the Senate to go along with eliminating the controversial “certificate of need” regulatory process for hospitals.
HIGHER EDUCATION: Throughout his term as Senate president, Stuart Republican Joe Negron has made a top priority of revamping the higher-education system. Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday signed a wide-ranging bill that includes permanently expanding Bright Future scholarships. The bill also calls for expanding some need-based aid programs and would require the state university system to use a four-year graduation rate as part of its performance-funding formula, instead of the current six-year measure.
HURRICANE IRMA: Lawmakers came into the session still grappling with the effects of Hurricane Irma, which slammed into the state in September and caused billions of dollars in damage. The House and Senate took steps such as ratifying rules for nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have backup generators and fuel supplies to help keep the facilities cool. Scott’s administration issued the rules after residents of a sweltering Broward County nursing home died after Irma knocked out the building’s air-conditioning system.
INSURANCE: The two highest-profile insurance issues of the session involved proposals to eliminate the no-fault auto insurance system and revamp a controversial practice known as “assignment of benefits.” In the end, however, both issues died. The House approved repealing no-fault, which includes a requirement that motorists carry personal-injury protection, or PIP, coverage. But the proposal couldn’t get through Senate committees. Similarly, the Senate did not approve changes sought by insurers in assignment of benefits.
K-12 EDUCATION: House Speaker Richard Corcoran and other school-choice supporters got a victory Sunday when Scott signed a controversial bill that will expand voucher-like scholarship programs. The bill includes creating the “hope scholarships” program, which will help pay for children who have been bullied in public schools to transfer to private schools. The bill also includes a heavily debated change that targets teachers’ unions whose membership falls below 50 percent of the employees they represent.
OPIOID EPIDEMIC: In one of the final issues decided during the session, lawmakers late Friday approved a bill to stem the opioid epidemic that has caused a surge in overdoses across the state. A key part of the bill calls for placing limits on prescriptions for opioids. In most cases, the bill would place three- or seven-day limits on prescriptions, though it includes exemptions for people who are terminally ill, need palliative care or suffer from major trauma. The idea behind the limits is to prevent patients from getting addicted to painkillers.
PARKLAND AFTERMATH: The Feb. 14 shooting deaths of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland forced lawmakers to quickly deal with school-safety issues and spurred a contentious debate about gun laws. Scott on Friday signed a $400 million package that includes improving mental-health services and allowing trained employees to bring guns to schools. The package also raises the minimum age to 21 and imposes a three-day waiting period for people buying rifles and other long guns. The National Rifle Association quickly filed a federal lawsuit challenging the age restriction.
TAX CUTS: Getting ready to hit the campaign trail, lawmakers Sunday approved a bill that includes about $170 million in tax breaks. The measure includes holding a three-day tax “holiday” in early August to allow back-to-school shoppers to buy clothes and school supplies without paying sales taxes. A similar seven-day “holiday” will be held in early June for residents to buy hurricane supplies. The bill also includes tax breaks for farmers and ranchers who suffered damage in Hurricane Irma and would trim a lease tax paid by many businesses.
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING: With support from Corcoran, it appeared lawmakers this year could approve a long-discussed idea to toughen Florida’s ban on texting while driving. But the proposal did not make it through the Senate, at least in part because of concerns about racial profiling of minority drivers. Currently, texting while driving is a “secondary” offense, meaning motorists can only be cited if they are pulled over for other reasons. The proposal would have made it a primary offense, with police able to pull over motorists for texting behind the wheel.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report: Baiting Deer, Shooting A Gray Fox
March 14, 2018
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement recently reported the following activity during the period ending March 1 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
No report was submitted for Escambia County.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Jones issued a citation to a subject for the charges of entering a closed area and attempting to take deer over bait on a management area on the Eglin Wildlife Management Area. Lieutenant Berryman and Officer Mullins assisted Officer Jones in the investigation which led to the charges.
FWC Dispatch received multiple complaints regarding a subject who shot a gray fox. Several officers began working the case and gathering information including Officers Mullins, Hoomes, Roberson and Jones. Officer Mullins contacted the subject and met with him about the fox. The subject admitted to Officers Mullins and Jones that he shot the fox. The officers went back with the subject to where the carcass had been discarded and located the fox, as well as the spent buckshot casing. After reviewing the evidence, charges were filed on the subject by Officer Mullins for killing a gray fox.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.