Tate Graduate Henschen Completes Basic Military Training
September 24, 2017
U.S. Air Force Airman David M. Henschen graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Henschen is the son of Gregg and Corrina Ferguson, brother of Chris Henschen of Denver, CO, and Ashley Henschen of Pensacola, and grandson of Mary J. Oliver of Pensacola.
Henschen is a 2017 graduate of J.M. Tate High School.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: The Aftermath Of Hurricane Irma
September 24, 2017
More than 10 days after Hurricane Irma crashed through the state, thousands of Floridians were still in the dark as estimates of damage in nearly all parts of the peninsula continued to escalate.
Also intensifying was tension between Gov. Rick Scott and a Broward County nursing home that turned into a hotbox after the massive storm wiped out the facility’s air conditioning. Ten seniors who had been residents of The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills have died, and state and local law enforcement agencies are investigating the deaths. The facility pushed back by filing a lawsuit against the state for cutting off admissions and funding.
The public and private sectors’ response to Irma spurred House Speaker Richard Corcoran to set up a select committee to explore ways to make the state more disaster-ready in the future.
As the blue tarps go up, fallout from the storm — both literally and figuratively — prompted national officials, including U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, to witness the damage and pledge to deliver aid to the Sunshine State.
“More is going to occur. More is coming,” said Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican who told reporters he spent his “youth” fishing off Islamorada and whose mother lives in Broward County. “We want the people of Florida to know that we are in it with you, that the federal response will be complete and that we have more work to do and that’s why we’re here, to assess this.”
NURSING HOME DEATHS SPAWN BLAME GAME
Health officials Wednesday issued an emergency suspension of the license of The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, a day after the facility filed a lawsuit against the Scott administration for effectively shutting it down.
The license suspension was another step after the state Agency for Health Care Administration last week placed a moratorium on admissions to the nursing home and suspended it from the Medicaid program. The nursing home’s lawsuit, filed late Tuesday, challenged the admissions moratorium and the Medicaid cutoff.
Eight of the residents died Sept. 13, three days after Hurricane Irma shut down the nursing home’s air-conditioning system. The license suspension alleged that four of the residents had body temperatures of at least 107 degrees when they arrived at a nearby hospital or when they died. Two other elderly residents died this week.
“Respondent (the nursing home) failed to maintain safe conditions in its facility; failed to timely evacuate its facility once conditions were no longer safe for residents; and failed to timely contact `911′ during a medical emergency,” said the emergency suspension order, signed by Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior.
But the nursing home pushed back, saying caregivers repeatedly reached out by calling a cell phone number given to the industry by Scott himself and calling state emergency officials and Florida Power & Light.
Kirsten K. Ullman, co-counsel for the nursing home, released a statement Wednesday night that said caregivers “continuously monitored their residents, offered them hydration, and implemented efforts to keep the facility temperatures as comfortable as possible.” The statement, in part, also took issue with the assertions that residents suffered from body temperatures of 107 degrees or more.
“It is not known specifically for how long, nor is it known when the AHCA cited temperatures were taken, where they were taken, by whom they were taken, or to which residents they are attributed to. However, before the evacuation, only two of the residents who passed away had elevated temperatures, neither of which were in the critical range,” Ullman said.
The deaths of the nursing-home residents have drawn national attention and a criminal investigation. The Scott administration and the nursing home also have released timelines of the events leading up to the deaths, as the two sides try to bolster their arguments.
On Thursday, the Hollywood Police Department, which is investigating the deaths, reported that a 10th resident had died.
But Ullman implied that the death of 93-year-old Martha Murray wasn’t the nursing home’s fault.
“Hollywood Hills cares for residents, including residents in hospice care in terminal condition. There has been a report of a resident who was discharged from Hollywood Hills one week ago who has passed away. Hollywood Hills has not been provided any information regarding this former resident’s passing. Hollywood Hills sends deepest condolences to the family at this time of loss,” Ullman said in a statement Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Florida Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes, and LeadingAge Florida held a summit Friday to address an emergency rule aimed at requiring nursing homes to have generators to power air-conditioning.
DEPARTMENT OF LESSONS LEARNED
Corcoran’s newly created select committee will explore a number of ways to better prepare Florida for major storms like Irma, from creating a state gasoline reserve to protecting vulnerable seniors in nursing homes.
“With any event of this magnitude, lessons can be learned,” Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, said Tuesday in a memo to House members, announcing the 21-member Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness. “We must move quickly to assess our recent experience and pinpoint tangible, meaningful ways to improve Florida’s hurricane readiness and response capabilities.”
Corcoran told reporters that the impact of Irma, the first major hurricane to hit Florida since 2005, has changed the agenda for the 2018 legislative session, saying over the last decade the absence of storms has resulted in the state not being “as aggressive as we could or should be” in preparing for hurricanes.
“Gas wasn’t readily accessible,” Corcoran, who is mulling a run for governor next year, said. “Having a committee that looks at why does a state, in the richest country in the world, the third largest (state), why don’t we have a significant gas reserve in the central part of the state so that’s not an issue moving forward for our citizens?”
Also Tuesday, state Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, called on Scott to create a state commission to review how Florida handled Irma and the aftermath, including recovery efforts.
“We should learn from the experiences of this effort, while those lessons are fresh in our minds in order to positively impact future preparedness,” Brandes said in a letter to Scott.
DEPARTMENT OF NON-STORM NEWS
Apparently learning from previous mistakes, state health officials released a highly anticipated process for businesses to vie for five new medical marijuana licenses.
The new rule, published Wednesday and going into effect immediately, outsources the evaluation of the applications to “subject matter experts,” requires “blind testing” of the applications, and includes a detailed application form — all departures from the Department of Health’s previous medical-marijuana regulations that spawned a series of legal and administrative challenges.
After voters last fall approved a constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana for potentially hundreds of thousands of patients with debilitating conditions, the Florida Legislature passed a law during a June special session requiring health officials to issue 10 new “medical marijuana treatment center” licenses.
The law gave health officials until Aug. 3 to issue some of the new licenses, and until Oct. 3 to select five more. Additional licenses must be issued once the number of patients in a statewide registry — now at 37,830 — reaches 100,000.
Whether the agency will meet next month’s deadline is questionable.
“The goal is still Oct. 3,” Department of Health spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said in an email.
But industry insiders remained skeptical.
“It’s not just unlikely. It is literally impossible,” Ben Pollara, who was instrumental in the passage of the constitutional amendment and who represents a coalition of medical marijuana businesses, told The News Service of Florida on Wednesday.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The finger pointing escalated between Gov. Rick Scott’s administration and a Hollywood nursing home as deaths continued to increase of seniors who had been residents of the facility.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “We want the people of Florida to know that we are in it with you, that the federal response will be complete and that we have more work to do and that’s why we’re here, to assess this.” — U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, after touring damage from Hurricane Irma in Jacksonville and the Florida Keys.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Teen Struck By Hit And Run Driver On Beulah Road
September 23, 2017
The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for a hit and run driver that hit a teenager walking along Beulah Road Friday night.
According to the FHP, 17-year old Ryan Babe was walking on the shoulder of Beulah Road toward the Escambia County Equestrian Center. Babe told troopers all he remembered was being hit from behind by an unknown vehicle. The vehicle left the scene before Babe was able to see it. No witnesses have come forward according to the FHP.
Babe was transported in serious condition to Sacred Heart Hospital.
File photo.
Inmate Reportedly Stabbed At Century Correctional
September 23, 2017
An inmate was reportedly stabbed Friday night at the Century Correctional Institution.
Escambia County EMS responded to the prison on Tedder Road just before 11 p.m. The inmate’s condition was not available.
The incident is under investigation by the Florida Department of Corrections. Further details have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Gulf Power Crews Continue To Support Irma Restoration
September 23, 2017
Crews from Gulf Power are continuing to help restore power after Hurricane Irma. Gulf Power’s storm teams worked Friday in North Fort Myers , Arcadia and Punta Gorda in support of Florida Power & Light’s restoration. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Morgan: Fewer ECSO Deputies For Low Crime Areas
September 23, 2017
Escambia County residents in low crime areas will soon have fewer deputies patrolling, while patrols will be stepped up in high crime areas, according to a video posted by Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan. The move is in response to a dwindling number of deputies and recruitment problems due to low starting pay that Morgan blames on the Escambia County Commission.
“We will be pulling officers from lower crime areas and reemphasizing and placing them in higher crime areas. The theory here is to prevent the spread of crime from the high crime areas to the lower crime areas,” the sheriff said.
The sheriff said department leaders will look at the crime maps of Escambia County to determine where deputies will be cut.
“Some districts in Escambia County will see a lessening of patrol coverage and patrol visibility because those officers will be reassigned,” Morgan said. “This will be statistically; it will be done very methodically. It’s the only response that we can make.”
The sheriff decline to name which areas will see future deputies as to not tip off criminals.
He said the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office lost 62 officers last year, and blames a problem recruiting new officers on the lack of a good starting salary.
“That’s another obvious fact that we can’t seem to get the county commission to understand,” he said.
Morgan has already cut the school resource program almost in half, dropped funeral escorts as of next month, cut court security and stopped the targeted “Clean Sweep” operations due low salaries leading to a lack of manpower.
Tate Gets Homecoming Win Over Milton
September 23, 2017
It was very happy Aggie homecoming Friday night in Cantonment as the Tate Aggies powered past the Milton Panthers 28-6.
Tate was first on the board with 6:28 to go in the first period at Pete Gindl Stadium on a quarterback keeper from Hunter Rigdon from six yards out, 7-0 Aggies.
With 4:22 to go in the second quarter, junior shemRiggan found Patrick Palmer on a 27-yard touchdown pass, 14-0. The Aggies repeated their Riggan to Palmer combination with 15.9 seconds in the half for another touchdown pass, this one 14 yards, to go ahead 21-0.
Rigdon gained over 60 yards on a keeper before senior Shemari Jones was in to seal another Tate touchdown, 28-6, with 9:08 in the third.
The Milton Panthers scored late in the third on a short pass. With a missed point after attempt, the score was 28-6 headed into a scoreless fourth quarter in Cantonment.
The Panthers fell to 2-2, while the Tate Aggies are 3-1 on the season.
Next week, Washington will visit the Tate Aggies at 7 p.m.
During Friday night’s game, Logan Hamlin was named homecoming queen.
We will post photo galleries with more football action photos, homecoming court, parade and more on Sunday or Monday.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Century CI, Fountain Place In Southeastern States Manhunt Field Trials
September 23, 2017
The winners of 2017 Southeastern States Manhunt Field Trials were named at the event’s closing ceremony Firdayday. Twenty-one K-9 Teams from Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas competed in the three-day event hosted by the Escambia County Road Prison.
Single Leash Division
- First place – Apalachee Correctional Institution, average time 16:33
- Second place – Jefferson Correctional Institution, average time 18:51.5
- Third place – Rayburn Correctional Center, average time 19:45
- Fourth place – Century Correctional Institution, average time 23:28
Multi-Leash Division
- First place – Jackson Correctional Institution, average time 11:16.6
- Second place – Fountain Correctional Facility, average time 11:50.5
- Third place- Wakulla Correctional Institution, average time 12:45
- Fourth place – Holmes Correctional Institution, average time 14:36
The annual event was held in the Blackwater State Forest. Teams competed in one day and one night event, on tracks that are 1.5 miles long and two hours old. A combined average time was used to determine the winner. Single leash and multi-leash dog teams competed. Multiple tracks were laid for each day’s sessions, and the teams draw numbers for which track they would compete. Teams had an hour and a half to complete the course, collecting up to four flags along the way. Each flag collected removed one minute from the final time, and each flag missed added one minute.
Pictured top: The K-9 team from Century Correctional Institution. Pictured below: The K-9 team from Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Friday Night’s High School Football Scores
September 23, 2017
Here are scores from tonight’s high school football games in the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Holmes County 42, Northview 13
- Tate 28, Milton 6
- Escambia Academy 49, Jay 23
- Crestview 38, West Florida 20
- Navarre 27, Pine Forest 14
- Catholic 28, Pensacola 14
- Choctaw 49, Pace 21
- Gulf Breeze 38, Washington 19
ALABAMA
- Andalusia 45, Escambia County 0
- Escambia Academy 49, Jay 23
- Flomaton 20, Cottage Hill Christian 7
- W.S. Neal 67, Calhoun 0
- Mobile Christian 35, T.R. Miller 21
NorthEscambia.com photo.
‘Severe Meth Addict’ Charged With ‘Viciously Beating’ Small Dog
September 22, 2017
A Cantonment woman has been arrested for allegedly “viciously beating” a small dog while it “cried out in pain”.
Heidie Creamer, 35, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on a felony animal cruelty charged.
She “intentionally and repeatedly” inflicted “unnecessary pain and suffering on a one-year old, five pound Chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) dog by picking the dog up by its back leg, raising it in the air, then viciously beating the animal while it screamed out in pain and suffering,” according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
Creamer and her boyfriend had been living in a tent on a woman’s property on Frank Ard Road. The woman said Creamer is a “severe meth addict” and her drug abuse had grown out of hand, according to the report The woman told deputies that Creamer walked over the dog and snatched it up as as it was peacefully sleeping in the shade. After the alleged beating, she carried the dog upside down by one leg about 50 feet back to her tent. The woman said Creamer had beat the dog four or five times in the past month.
Several witnesses provided deputies with a similar account of the incident.
In their report, deputies describer Creamer’s tent and living area as “utterly filthy” with a strong body odor. The report also states Creamer was covered all over her body with festering sores and she appeared to be high on some substance.
The deputy reported that when Creamer stepped out of the tent, the Chiweenie and a Yorkie appeared to cower away and try to move away from her as if in great fear.
Creamer remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday with bond set at $5,000.