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.
ECSO: Man Shot In Cantonment During Drug Deal Gone Bad
March 13, 2018
One person was shot in Cantonment Tuesday afternoon during what the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said was a drug deal gone bad.
An adult male was shot about 3:45 p.m. at a home in the 400 block of Well Line Road, near Lakeview Avenue.
“It appears he was involved is some type of drug transaction,” Major Andrew Hobbs of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said shortly after the shooting. “Deputies on scene were working to determine a possible suspect.”
The victim was transported by ambulance to a Pensacola hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
Pictured above: One man was shot at a home on Well Line Road in Cantonment Tuesday afternoon. Pictured below: Deputies and K-9 search for a suspected near the Harvester Home Park, located just behind the shooting location. There were no apparent arrests at this location. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
No Injuries As Fire Destroys Atmore Home
March 13, 2018
A Tuesday morning fire destroyed a home in Atmore.
Working smoke detectors are being credited for allowing the homeowner to escape the home on 12th Avenue without injuries. The exact cause of the 7:15 a.m. fire has not been released
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Dead, Multiple Injuries When Charter Bus Crashes Into I-10 Ravine
March 13, 2018
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo.
A bus driver was killed early Tuesday morning when a charter bus loaded with high school students from Texas plunged about 60-feet into an Alabama ravine on I-10 between Wilcox Road and the Florida state line.
About 45 band members and adults from the Channelview High School Falcon Band from northeast Houston were on the bus, returning from a trip to Disney World in Orlando. A second bus with band students was not involved.
It’s not yet known whey the bus traveled into the median and crashed into the ravine near a creek about 5:30 a.m.. Rescue efforts were completed about three hours later. Multiple people were transported by ambulances and helicopters to about 10 hospitals from Pensacola to Mobile. Multiple people were taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. The last victim airlifted to the hospital just before 9 a.m.
Bus driver Harry Caligone was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was a longtime employee of First Class Tours.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: The scene of an early morning bus wreck on I-10 early Tuesday morning. Pictured bottom: The Channelview High School Falcon Band at Disney on Monday. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos by Kristi Barbour, and photos by Jesus Tejeda and others for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo.
Fire Destroys Beulah Home
March 13, 2018
A Tuesday morning fire destroyed a home in Beulah.
The fire in the 9000 block of Windy Hill Drive off Frank Reeder Road was reported just before 8:30 a.m. The home was fully involved in flames as firefighters arrived just minutes later.
There was no immediate report of any injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Beulah, Bellview, Ensley, Cantonment and Ferry Pass stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Navy Fire and Escambia County EMS responded to the call.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
