Scott Weighs In On Local Use Of BP Money
July 13, 2017
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday advised a non-profit organization that will help administer BP oil-spill settlement money to use the funds in a “transparent” manner that has the best return on investment for Florida.
“In reviewing proposals, I ask that you prioritize projects that create good jobs for families in Northwest Florida, diversify the economy, and have measurable performance standards to determine the projects’ success over time,” Scott wrote to Triumph Gulf Coast board Chairman Allan Bense, a former state House speaker from Panama City.
Lawmakers this spring grappled with how to use money from the settlement that stems from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Bills signed into law (HB 7077, HB 7079) directed that $300 million of the $400 million already received by the state go to eight Panhandle counties heavily impacted by the disaster. The legislation eventually will steer, through the Triumph Gulf Coast organization, three-fourths of the $2 billion the state is slated to receive over the next 13 years to Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla and Walton counties.
The legislation set minimums for how much each county will receive and expanded the Triumph Gulf Coast board from five to seven members, with the goal of providing more representation to less-populated counties.
In his letter, Scott outlined that the money can be used in the eight counties for property tax-rate reductions; local match requirements with the Rural Infrastructure Fund; workforce training; and local government grants. Money can also go to public infrastructure projects shown to do such things as “enhance economic recovery,” Scott wrote.
by The News Service of Florida
New Indictments Related To Newpoint Charter School
July 13, 2017
An Escambia County grand jury has indicted Newpoint Education Partners, LLC; School Warehouse, Inc.; and Red Ignition, Inc., the same business entities previously charged in 2016, with additional, similar crimes allegedly committed in Escambia County and other Florida counties.
The indictments charge Newpoint Education Partners, LLC (“Newpoint”), which formerly managed charter schools in Escambia, Bay, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Pinellas vounties; and School Warehouse and Red Ignition, which were vendors used by Newpoint, with thefts of hundreds of thousands of dollars of public funds in connection with fraudulently billing charter schools for computers, furniture, equipment, and curriculum services and then laundering the proceeds of the thefts through multiple bank accounts to conceal the alleged crimes.
The latest indictments follow the announcement by the State Attorney that the dtate brought racketeering and organized fraud charges against Marcus May, the principal owner of Newpoint, and Steven Kunkemoeller, the principal owner of School Warehouse and Red Ignition, for the same alleged crimes.
The indictments resulted from a joint investigation by the Office of State Attorney and the School District of Escambia County.
No Serious Injuries In Four Vehicle Wreck
July 13, 2017
There were no serious injuries in a four vehicle accident Wednesday night at Chemstrand Road and East 10 Mile. One person was transported to a Pensacola hospital by ambulance following the 8:20 p.m. crash. Five others involved in the crash refused transport to the hospital. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Takes On Large Scale Rechargeable Battery Tech
July 13, 2017
Gulf Power and its parent, Southern Company, Wednesday officially launched the latest battery storage research project in Southern Company’s operating territory. The project represents another important milestone in the work to build the future of energy.
The two-year McCrary Battery Energy Storage Demonstration will demonstrate the capabilities and requirements of an energy storage system designed to help industrial and commercial customers store and use energy on demand, while improving resiliency and potentially helping customers save on energy costs in the future.
Located in Pensacola, at Gulf Power’s Douglas L. McCrary Training and Storm Center on Pine Forest Road, the new research project will test and evaluate a 250 kilowatt/1 megawatt-hour Tesla Powerpack lithium-ion industrial energy storage system. Insights gained from the Gulf Power demonstration are expected to accelerate the development of battery storage technology across the Southern Company system. The lithium-ion technology under evaluation is the same battery chemistry used in electric vehicles and consumer electronics such as laptops.
Company executives and experts hosted a commissioning and ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the project’s opening.
“Gulf Power is proud to be involved in this battery energy storage demonstration at the McCrary Training and Storm Center and to be in the forefront of evaluating innovative energy technologies,” said Stan Connally, Gulf Power Chairman, President, and CEO. “Throughout our history, we have been host to the development of energy solutions that have resulted in greater energy efficiency, cleaner energy production, and value for our customers – and this commissioning event signals our on-going commitment to build a better energy future.”
“At Southern Company, we are constantly broadening our industry-leading expertise to harness new technologies that can deliver clean, safe, reliable, affordable energy to customers,” said Southern Company Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kimberly S. Greene. “This collaborative research project with Gulf Power will deepen our understanding of battery energy storage systems and the value they can provide.”
The McCrary Battery Energy Storage Demonstration was developed by Southern Company research and development in partnership with Gulf Power and with support from the Electric Power Research Institute and Tesla.
Specifically, the project aims to further the understanding of the siting, installation and operational requirements of commercial- and industrial-scale energy storage systems. It will provide information on the advantages battery storage can offer customers and energy providers through peak shaving, demand management, ancillary services, energy arbitrage and backup power.
Prior to the McCrary Center battery energy storage project, the energy company launched a Powerwall home battery system in partnership with SolarEdge and Tesla for several applications including rooftop solar energy storing, maximizing the impact of time-of-use rates by charging directly from the grid, and for studying the technology to see the benefits of power grid reliability and efficiency.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Even Without Announcement, Scott Runs For U.S. Senate
July 13, 2017
Calling Gov. Rick Scott’s likely bid for the U.S. Senate an “open secret” would be a misnomer — there’s no secret there, open or otherwise.
Scott continues to sprint across the state for official events that easily double as campaign swings — this week alone, he’s done a pair of ceremonial bill signings and two events to highlight law-enforcement pay raises he signed into law last month.
The only mystery is when the governor will make his 2018 plans official. Observers say there’s no hurry.
“Because he’s potentially the biggest name in that race on the Republican side, he can take his time, really,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida.
Scott has repeatedly brushed off questions about when he might run, saying the public is “tired of long campaigns.”
He also has personal experience to draw on: Scott announced his first run for governor as a virtual unknown in April 2010 before beating Attorney General Bill McCollum in an August GOP primary and Democrat Alex Sink in the general election that November.
This time, Scott would probably need to start a little bit sooner.
“He can probably push it into late in the fall. Obviously, he is running already,” said Rick Wilson, a Republican strategist.
The governor began laying the groundwork for a possible campaign months ago. He has kept intact his first fundraising committee, “Let’s Get to Work,” which has raised more than $11.5 million since Scott won re-election in 2014.
At the federal level, Scott has announced he would chair the “New Republican” super PAC, saying the goal of the committee “is to make the Republican Party Great Again” — part of an overall Scott theme of tying himself closely to President Donald Trump.
In addition to trips across the state, Scott has traveled to Washington, D.C., and continues to raise his profile on national issues.
On Monday, Scott held a “Venezuelan Freedom Rally” in Miami to slam the authoritarian regime of President Nicolas Maduro.
“Today, as hundreds of people rallied together, a clear message was sent to Maduro and his gang of thugs: the movement will not be silenced — freedom and democracy will thrive in Venezuela,” Scott said in a statement released by his office Monday.
“Basically, his actions and his words have made it pretty clear that he intends to run, and his bank account makes it clear that he intends to run,” Jewett said.
Democrats have also shown they have no doubt that Scott is running. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has hammered the governor repeatedly over the past few months. On Wednesday, they slammed “Self-Serving Scott’s self-promotional press tour” on law-enforcement pay raises, saying Florida officers still make less than many counterparts in other states.
“Rick Scott’s self-serving agenda has taken Florida to the bottom of the nation in household income and wages — and under Scott even Florida’s brave law enforcement officers make less than almost anywhere else in the country,” said David Bergstein, a spokesman for the committee.
U.S. Bill Nelson, the Democratic incumbent who Scott would face next year, has also taken a few subtle and not-so-subtle jabs at the governor.
Still, no formal announcement seems to be in the works.
After being governor since January 2011, Scott also lacks one of the key reasons for an early announcement — making sure voters, and particularly campaign contributors, know a candidate’s name.
“He’s already run statewide twice,” Wilson said. “He’s already got a lot of name ID.”
Scott has held off longer than his predecessor, former Gov. Charlie Crist, who announced in May 2009 that he would seek a U.S. Senate seat the following year.
But Crist also faced something Scott does not, so far: a credible primary challenger. In the 2010 U.S. Senate race, former state House Speaker Marco Rubio drummed Crist out of the Republican Party and then went on to win a three-way general election campaign.
For now, no other high-profile Republican has made serious noise about challenging Scott for the Senate nomination if he wants it.
“I don’t know that him announcing earlier is going to scare anyone off who’s not already scared off,” Jewett said.
Still, Wilson said, even Scott can’t wait forever.
“You have to put your toe in the water at some point,” he said, “or you attract other people into the game.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Chattanooga Beats The Pensacola Blue Wahoos In 12 Innings
July 13, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly sees the positive side of his team’s matchup against the Chattanooga Lookouts.
The Blue Wahoos have taken three of the last five games from the Lookouts, although they lost Wednesday’s game, 5-3, in front of 4,423 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. In the three head-to-head series, Pensacola is 3-11 against Chattanooga, which is the first half North Division champions and own the best record in the Southern League.
“Every game we play against Chattanooga is like this,” Kelly said. “They seem to find the holes and we don’t. We can play head-to-head with them. We beat them three of the last five times.”
Pensacola left fielder Tyler Goeddel smoked a line drive over the left field wall to tie the score, 3-3, to lead off the seventh inning. It was his fifth homer of the season for the Blue Wahoos. Goeddel also played the hero in Tuesday’s game, drilling a bases-loaded double to left field to propel Pensacola over Chattanooga.
But the Lookouts scored two runs in the top of the 12th inning when DH Andy Wilkins hit a line drive double down the left field line to score shortstop Nick Gordon to put Chattanooga up, 4-3. First baseman Jonathan Rodriguez then scored on a sacrifice fly by Max Murphy that made it a 5-3 game.
Pensacola dropped to 1-6 in extra-inning games and are 10-10 in the second half. The South Division champions in the first half are 50-40 overall. Meanwhile, Chattanooga improved to 15-5 in the second half and 57-33 overall.
Chattanooga went up, 3-2, in the fifth inning on a controversial call. The Lookouts started a two-out rally when second baseman Alex Perez hit a double on a fly ball down the left field line that was ruled a fair ball. Perez then scored when Gordon, the Minnesota Twins top prospect, singled to center field with two outs. Lookouts left fielder LaMonte Wade, the Twins No. 12 prospect, then hit a soft liner to left field that drove in both catcher Dan Rohlfing and Gordon.
Kelly said the call changed the momentum of the game. He also expressed dissatisfaction that the No. 9 hitter batting .141 followed with a walk.
“It didn’t have to be a three-run inning,” Kelly said.
Pensacola right fielder Gabriel Guerrero lead off the fourth inning with a double off the left field wall and then scored on a chopper by catcher Chad Tromp to make the score, 2-0. Chattanooga third baseman T.J. White looked Guerrero back to the bag and then threw to second baseman Alex Perez for a force out. Perez saw Guerrero sprinting home and threw it on the mark but Guerrero slid wide of the plate for the run. Guerrero was 2-6 with two doubles off the wall in left center field for his team-leading 26th multi-hit game of the year.
Pensacola scored in the first inning to go ahead, 1-0, when third baseman Nick Senzel smacked a two-out grounder up the middle to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. First baseman Gavin LaValley earned a walk and then Blue Wahoos left fielder Nick Longhi blasted a single to center field that drove in Senzel from second base.
Senzel, the Cincinnati Reds top prospect, was 3-6 with a run scored and now has five multi-hit games this season. He is hitting .318 for Pensacola since being called up June 22 from the High-A Daytona Tortugas.
Chattanooga right-hander Felix Jorge was starting in his first game back with the Lookouts after making two starts with the Minnesota Twins. Jorge, the Twins eighth-ranked prospect, made his Major League debut July 1 and earned the win.
Against Pensacola, he worked six innings, giving up two runs, one earned on five hits and three walks, while striking out three. He is 8-1 on the season with a 3.14 ERA.
Pensacola had a chance to win its third straight game against Chattanooga in the eighth when it loaded the bases with one out against Lookout relievers Raul Fernandez and Todd Van Steensel. The Blue Wahoos loaded the bases when catcher Chad Tromp was hit in the head with an 84-mph breaking ball, knocking him flat on his back.
But Aristides Aquino came in to pinch hit after that and struck out and then Goeddel hit a chopper to third base that allowed the Lookout’s White to make the force out at second to end the scoring threat.
Kelly reported after the game that Tromp passed all the concussion tests but said he would probably hold him out of the next two or three games.
Alabama Triple Murder Suspect Commits Suicide At Navy Federal
July 12, 2017
Update - Alabama triple murder suspect Kenneth Dion Lever committed suicide Wednesday afternoon in a parking lot at Navy Federal Credit Union’s call center on West Nine Mile Road near I-10, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He took his own life after deputies caught up with him on Nine Mile Road. He pulled into a parking lot, got out of the car and shot himself.
“We have confirmation from the US Marshals Office in Escambia Co. FL that Kenneth Lever committed suicide,” Gardendale Police released.
Lever was awaiting trial on two Pennsylvania child sexual assault cases, including charges of corruption of a minor, indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old and deviate sexual intercourse with a child.
Previous story:
The hunt for a triple murder suspect from Alabama has extended into Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Three people — an adult male and two adult women — were found shot to death at a mobile home park in Gardendale, AL, just north of Birmingham. Police have said they believe the shooting to be domestic related,. The victims have been identified as Dana Reeves, 50, of Gardendale; Bonnie Reeves Foshee, 65, of Fultondale; and Don Austin Foshee, 69 of Fultondale.
The Gardendale Police Department has named 51-year old Kenneth Dion Lever, 51, as their suspect. He is described as being 5-foot, 10-inches tall, 220 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a camouflage t-shirt.
Authorities believe Lever could be headed to Escambia or Santa Rosa counties. He has lived in Santa Rosa County before — the Santa Rosa County Jail list an address on Lancaster Gate Drive in Pace as of an arrest there in 2015. Authorities also believe he has connections to an address in the Pensacola area.
Police believe he may be driving a 2017 red Nissan Sentra Georgia tag# RGC6858. An actual photo of the vehicle is at the top of the page.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
Woman Charged With Attempted Murder After Hitting Deputy, Woman And House
July 12, 2017
An Escambia County woman has been charged with attempted murder after hitting a house, an Escambia County deputy and another woman Tuesday afternoon.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office had responded to another call on Wildflower Lane when 26-year old Star Perkins veered off the roadway and struck Deputy Timyron Young and Brenda Gonzalez before hitting a house where debris struck Dickson Gonzalez who was walking to the front door. Her vehicle came to final rest with its front portion inside the house. Perkins also struck a couple of parked vehicles.
Perkins was arrested Tuesday night by the Florida Highway Patrol and charged with attempted murder on a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, driving under the influence with serious bodily injury and driving under the influence with property damage. She was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Deputy Young was treated for a leg injury and is in serious condition, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Gonzalez was in critical condition.
Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
CSX: Return Of Gulf Coast Passenger Train Is Not Workable
July 12, 2017
A top CSX executive has told a Louisiana newspaper that the return of passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast — including cities like Atmore and Pensacola — is not workable due to federal on-time standards.
Amtrak’s Sunset Limited passenger train, which included service from New Orleans through Pensacola to Jacksonville along CSX tracks, came to an end along the Gulf Coast due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.
For the past couple of years, the Gulf Coast Rail Service Working Group, the Federal Rail Administration and the Southern Rail Commission have worked on studying the feasibility of the service return. The FRA is expected to soon report the findings to Congress.
The study included the roll of an Amtrak inspection train across the coast in early 2016, packed with Amtrak officials, local officials and VIPs and the media to gauge the reaction to the possible return of rail service to the Gulf Coast. The train arrived former Sunset Limited stops such as Mobile, Atmore and Pensacola with tremendous fanfare as local government have supported the service restoration.
At least 22 Gulf Coast mayors, including Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and Atmore Mayor Jim Staff, provided letters of support calling for Congress to restore local passenger rail service. The project is also supported by several regional transportation organizations, including the West Florida Regional Planning Council, the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization, the NW Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission.
But not so fast, says David Dech, assistant vice president for passenger operations for CSX. In a letter to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, he said CSX has a genuine interest in the communities of the Gulf Coast, but new legal requirements now stand in the way of new Gulf Coast passenger rail service.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Sunset Limited rain on time only seven percent of the time in the year leading up to Katrina. But new federal regulations took effect in 2016 requiring that passenger trains run on schedule at least 80 percent of the time at each station.
And there’s no workaround, he said, because there are 17 drawbridge on the New Orleans to Florida route where priority is given to essential maritime traffic.
There is also a requirement effective in 2008 that requires passenger rail lines to be equipped with what’s know as a Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system. There’s no proposal from the Gulf Coast Working Group for such a system on the Gulf Coast to prevent accidents such as train to train collisions and derailments from excessive speed. Instead, the group is seeking a waiver.
“CSX is proud to support safe, reliable passenger rail transportation. We also must keep faith with the traveling public, comply with the law and preserve our ability to serve area businesses by moving freight safely and reliably. Two years of shared and committed study, including ideas that involve dramatic spending commitments, still have not yielded a single proposal that would come close to addressing these issues,” Dech wrote in his letter to Louisiana newspaper.
Pictured: An Amtrak inspection train rolls in Atmore (top and bottom) and Pensacola (inset) in February 2016. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
All Students At Many North Escambia Schools To Receive Free Lunch This Year
July 12, 2017
All students at many North Escambia schools will receive free breakfast and lunch this year, thanks to the expansion of a two-year old Escambia County School District program.
Bratt, Byrneville, Molino Park, Ernest Ward and Northview are among the 17 new schools added through the district’s participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
Free breakfast and lunch will begin on the first day of school at the following locations in Escambia County (new schools are in bold):
Elementary Schools: Bellview Elementary, Bratt Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, C.A. Weis Elementary, Ensley Elementary, Ferry Pass Elementary, Global Learning Academy, Holm Elementary, Jim Allen Elementary, Lincoln Park Elementary, Lipscomb Elementary, Longleaf Elementary, McArthur Elementary, Molino Park Elementary, Montclair Elementary, Myrtle Grove Elementary, Navy Point Elementary, Oakcrest Elementary, Pine Meadow Elementary, Pleasant Grove Elementary, Scenic Heights Elementary, O.J. Semmes Elementary, Sherwood Elementary, Warrington Elementary, and West Pensacola Elementary
Middle Schools: Bellview Middle, Ernest Ward Middle, Ferry Pass Middle, Jim Bailey Middle, Warrington Middle, Woodham Middle, and Workman Middle
High Schools: Escambia High School, Northview High School, Pensacola High School, Pine Forest High School, Booker T. Washington High School
Special Centers: Camelot, Lakeview Center, Judy Andrews, McMillian PreK Center, and Escambia Westgate Center
Alternative Education/Charters: Byrneville Charter, Capstone, Escambia Charter, and Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy
Vocational School: George Stone Technical (Phoenix Initiative Program)
Parents of the students at these schools are not required to submit an application for the free and reduced Lunch program at that school — all meals are free.
Families with students attending other ECSD schools are encouraged to apply for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Applications will be sent home or parents and guardians to complete and return to their student’s school.
Pictured top: Sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and crackers on the lunch menu at Jim Allen Elementary School. Pictured below: Lunch at Bratt Elementary and Ransom Middle School. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
