Tons Of Food Collected During Annual ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Drive
May 14, 2017
Escambia and Santa Rosa Letter Carriers joined forces Saturday to help Stamp Out Hunger in our community. In its 25th year, the annual food drive has grown to the largest national single-day effort that benefits millions of Americans who struggle to put food on the table.
“This is the single most important food drive in the two counties and will largely determine how well providers will meet the needs of the hungry in the coming months,” said DeDe Flounlacker, Manna Food Pantries’ executive director.
Letter carriers will collected food donations for local food banks including: Manna Food Pantries, Warrington Emergency Aid Center, Feeding the Gulf Coast in Pace and Milton, ACTS Ministry of Holley Assembly of God in Gulf Breeze, and We Care Ministries of Navarre United Methodist Church. Last year, the organizations received a total of 72,367 pounds of food from the drive. An exact total from Saturday has not been announced.
Pictured: Volunteers unload food as it arrives at the Cantonment Post Office. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Siu Graduates From Basic Training
May 14, 2017
U.S. Air Force Airman Dylan J. Siu recently 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.
Siu is the son of Andrew Siu of Saint Petersburg. He is a 2016 graduate of Northview High School in Bratt.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
May 14, 2017
Drivers will encounter traffic variations on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
· State Road (S.R.) 4 Resurfacing from U.S. 29 to the Escambia River Bridge- S.R. 4 from U.S. 29 to Jefferson Avenue will be closed and traffic detoured through Monday, May 15 as crews from CSX Railroad reconstruct the rail crossing in Century. Westbound traffic on S.R. 4 will utilize Jefferson Avenue and Pond Street to access U.S. 29. North and southbound U.S. 29 traffic seeking access to S.R. 4 will utilize the same detour route from Pond Street to Jefferson Avenue.
· Interstate 10 (I-10)/U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I- Intermittent lane closures on I-10 and U.S. 29 near the interchange (Exits 10A and 10B) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, May 14 through Thursday, May 18 as crews perform survey work.
· I-10 Widening from Davis Highway to the Escambia Bay Bridge- Alternating westbound lane closures continue between Davis Highway (S.R. 291/Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (U.S. 90/Exit 17) from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, May 14 through Thursday, May 18 as crews perform paving work.
· Bayou Boulevard ( S.R. 296) Resurfacing from Basiden Road to U.S. 90- Monday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 16 traffic on Bayou Boulevard can expect intermittent lane closures between Lakeview Drive and Conway Drive as workers restripe the roadway to shift traffic and install a low profile barrier wall to allow crews to continue working on drainage improvements. The traffic shift will be in place through the end of May.
· 9th Avenue (S.R. 289) Routine Maintenance just past I-10- Southbound lane closure just past Interstate 10 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, May 15 as crews repair damaged guardrail.
· Century Boulevard (U.S. 29) Routine Maintenance- Southbound outside lane will be closed Monday, May 15 from 8 p.m. to midnight as crews perform routine maintenance along the roadway.
· East Fairfield Drive (S.R. 295) Underground Utility Maintenance from Davis Highway to 12th Avenue- Intermittent and alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, May 15 to Friday, May 19 as crews clean and inspect ECUA sewer lines.
· U.S. 29 (S.R. 95) Widening from I-10 to Nine Mile Road- Alternating lane closures continue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road and on Nine Mile Road near the U.S. 29/ Nine Mile Road overpass as crews perform drainage and bridge operations.
· Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29- Alternating lane closures continue on Untreiner Avenue as crews perform jack and bore operations.
· Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road- The right turn lane from Pine Cone Drive southbound to Pine Forest Road westbound will be closed from 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 16 to 6 a.m. Wednesday, May 17. Additionally, there will be alternating lane closures on 8 Mile Creek Road from 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 17 to 6 a.m. Thursday, May 18 as crews relocate utilities. Traffic flaggers will be on site to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
· Creighton Road (S.R. 742) Construction Improvement Project from east of Davis Highway to Scenic Highway- Alternating lane closures at the intersection of Creighton Road and 9th Avenue from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Thursday, May 18, through Saturday, May 20, Monday, May 22 through Saturday, May 27, and Monday, May 29 through Wednesday, May 31 as crews remove and replace curb for the widening at Creighton Road and 9th Avenue.
Santa Rosa County
· I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard- Alternating lane closures from the Escambia Bay Bridge to just east of S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, May 14 through Thursday, May 18 as crews continue widening work.
· U.S. 98 Sidewalk Removal and Replacement between Northcliffe Drive and Live Oak Street in Gulf Breeze- The westbound outside lane will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, May 15 through Thursday, May 18 as crews remove and replace sidewalk.
· S.R. 87 over Coldwater Creek Routine Bridge Inspection- Thursday, May 18 northbound lane restrictions, eight miles south of S.R. 4, as crews perform a routine bridge inspection. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the construction zone, and to pay attention for workers and equipment entering and exiting the work area. All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Jackson Blanks Wahoos 3-0
May 14, 2017
The Jackson Generals hit three home runs to defeat the Pensacola Blue s in the first game of the five-game series Saturday at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Jackson went ahead, 1-0, in the second inning when left fielder Rudy Flores led off with a homer to center field. In the eighth inning, both Dawel Lugo and Kevin Cron hit home runs in the eighth inning and the Generals went on to win, 3-0, Saturday over Pensacola.
Pensacola dropped to 19-17 on the season but remain tied with the Biloxi Shuckers atop the Southern League South Division. Jackson improved to 21-14 to remain in first in the North Division with the best record in the Southern League.
It was the third time this season that the Blue Wahoos have been shut out in a game. Pensacola was blanked despite having eight hits to Jackson’s seven. The Blue Wahoos left 14 runners on base and hit 0-9 with runners in scoring position.
Pensacola ace Tyler Mahle lost his first game of the season to drop to 5-1, despite allowing only one run in seven innings and giving up five hits and two walks and striking out six.
Reliever Geoff Broussard (2-0, 2.08 ERA) gave up the other two solo home runs in relief in the eighth inning.
Meanwhile, Jackson starter Brad Keller improved to 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA. Keller worked six scoreless innings, scattering five hits and five walks, and striking out three.
Daniel Gibson, Joey Krehbiel and Gabriel Moya, who earned his sixth save, combined for three innings of scoreless relief and struck out three.
Leading Pensacola at the plate were third baseman Josh VanMeter who was 2-4 with a walk and catcher Joe Hudson who got on base all four at bats going 2-2 and walking twice.
Escambia 4-H Council Provides Ronald McDonald House Breakfast
May 14, 2017
The Escambia County 4-H County Council officer team got an early start Saturday morning. They cooked breakfast for the families of the Ronald McDonald House. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Updating Land Development Code
May 13, 2017
The Town of Century will hold a public hearing Monday night to consider final updates to about half of its Land Development Code.
The town received a $25,000 Division of Community Development’s Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to update their LDC, which was adopted on April 29, 1991. The work is being done by Peggy Fowler and Associates, which submitted the only proposal.
The Land Development Code (LDC) essentially specifies what can be built where and how it can be used within the town limits.
The majority of the LDC has not been revised since it was adopted in 1991. It, according to Fowler, must be updated to ensure compliance with changes in state and federal laws and the goals and objectives of the Town Century Comprehensive Plan 2025. The updates will also address any inconsistencies or duplication in the document, plus make the LDC more user-friendly and easier to understand with minor reorganization and the addition of tables and simple illustrations.
To read the complete Century Land Development Code revisions, click here (126 page pdf).
The public hearing is at 6:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers at the Century Town Hall, 7995 North Century Boulevard. The public is encouraged to attend.
Pictured: A Century Land Development Code public workshop in late April. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Weekend Detour For Highway 4
May 13, 2017
A big detour is set this weekend for Highway 4 in Century.
On Saturday and Sunday, State Road 4 is scheduled be closed from Highway 29 to Jefferson Avenue so that crews from CSX Railroad can reconstruct the Highway 4 rail crossing. Highway 4 traffic, including commercial trucks, will be detoured around using Jefferson Avenue and Pond Street.
The crossing work is part of an overall project to resurface Highway 4 from Highway 29 to the Escambia River Bridge. Originally, plans called for traffic to use a temporary railroad crossing — called an onside diversion in technical terms — directly adjacent to the current crossing. But those plans did not work out.
“The onsite diversion depicted in the original plans did not allow CSX adequate room to perform the railroad upgrade, therefore an alternate detour for State Road 4 traffic was developed,” Tanya Branton, public information specialist for the Florida Department of Transportation, said.
Mayor Henry Hawkins acknowledged that citizens living on and near Jefferson Avenue and Pone Street will be inconvenienced by the detour through the neighborhood, but the decision was that of the state, not the town. He said FDOT may temporarily widen some curves on Pond and Jefferson to allow for larger trucks.
Any damage to town streets will be repaired by FDOT or their contractor, Hawkins said.
Law enforcement will be on had along the detour route to help traffic flowing.
Pictured above and below: In March, Highway 4 was resurfaced near the railroad track and a temporary crossing was constructed. Now, CSX says the temporary crossing is inadequate. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview FFA Holds Annual Banquet (With Photo Gallery)
May 13, 2017
The Northview High School FFA held their annual banquet Friday night.
The event included a somber retirement ceremony for three of the chapter’s graduating senior officers as they slowly removed their signature FFA blue jackets for the last time.
The night also included many awards for Northview FFA members and supporters. The Northview High School FFA has been continuously honored as a top chapter in Florida and the nation.
Awards and honors presented included:
Glynn Key Ruritan Scholarship – Mitchell Singleton
Jamie Hall Memorial Scholarship – Mitchell Singleton
Northview FFA Alumni Scholarship — Brandon Korinchak, Mitchell Singleton
Agriscience FFA Honor Cords – Brandon Korinchak, Mitchell Singleton
Retiring Officers
Mitchell Singleton
Brandon Korinchak
Tabitha Chavers
Honorary Members
Mr. Charles and Ruth Chavers
Courtney Solari
Eddie and Barbara Korinchak
Steven Barry
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Headed To Pensacola Beach? Traffic Changes Begin
May 13, 2017
Beginning Saturday, May 13 access into and exiting the Casino Beach parking lot along Via De Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road will be modified.
The only entrance into the parking lot will now be at the existing access along Via De Luna Drive, located next to Sidelines Sports Bar & Restaurant and across the street from Flounder’s Chowder House. The only exit from the parking lot will be from the existing access along Fort Pickens Road near the public restrooms/Public Safety Building. The parking lot will function in a circular configuration in order to improve traffic movements within the lot.
Although the traffic flow will change starting Saturday, construction of a new traffic signal will not be completed until next week. In the meantime, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies will direct traffic in the area during peak times. The new signal will be installed along Via De Luna Drive in order to effectively control traffic movements into the Casino Beach parking lot. The signal will provide a new westbound left turn into the lot, and it will include a pedestrian push button signal. The new traffic signal and push button signal will be coordinated with the existing traffic signal at the intersection of Via De Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: A Return Ticket?
May 13, 2017
Almost from the moment the gavel fell on the regular legislative session Monday night, there were already calls for a special session.
The regular session was grinding and filled with squabbling — and ended three days late — and some members wanted to do it all over again.
Only not really “all.” Most of the proposals considered by lawmakers this spring died during the final full week of the session; only the budget and related bills passed Monday. And the call for a special session was confined to medical marijuana, one of several must-pass bills during the regular session that ended up being not quite so must-pass.
As lawmakers sought consensus on whether to get together again in Tallahassee, something historic was happening halfway across North Florida: Corrine Brown, a former Democratic congresswoman who was a fixture on the Jacksonville political scene for decades, was found guilty in a federal corruption trial.
Meanwhile, some officials were trying to make sure they returned to Tallahassee in different roles, as campaign season in special elections and the 2018 regular election got underway.
YOU SAID GOODBYE, I SAID GOOD NIGHT
It wouldn’t be a real “sine die” without a little bit of drama, and Monday’s slightly delayed ending to the 2017 session was no exception.
The suspense this time surrounded a sprawling education package (HB 7069), a House priority that narrowly escaped death in the Senate. It passed on a 20-18 margin — a 19-19 tie would have killed it. Even Senate education budget chief David Simmons, the Altamonte Springs Republican whose job it was to present the bill to the Senate, voted against it.
That was a few hours after Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, essentially apologized for letting a budget-related bill turn into a 278-page measure covering charter schools, teacher bonuses, sunscreen at school and much more.
“If there’s fault to be had for one of these bills that has gotten a little bit out of control, just understand that we won’t do this again under my watch on this committee,” Latvala said. “I promise you.”
But the approval of that bill, and a few others, cleared the way for lawmakers to approve a budget that weighs in at $82.4 billion and an overall spending package (when the other measures are included) of $83.1 billion for the year that begins July 1.
With Gov. Rick Scott openly talking about the possibility of vetoing the entire spending plan, a rarity in a state where the governor can strike individual items he doesn’t like, the budget was approved by veto-proof margins in the House and Senate.
“I think there’s a lot in the budget that the governor’s going to like,” said Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart.
There are also things Scott certainly won’t like — foremost among them the elimination of economic-development incentives and the paring back of tourism-marketing dollars. But even Democrats who seemed to relish the prospect of an intraparty GOP feud set off by a Scott veto admitted that the most likely result would be a quick override.
“I don’t think that it would change the outcome,” said House Minority Leader Janet Cruz, D-Tampa. “It would just send a message.”
But another reason for holding a special session seemed to be growing ever more likely. Lawmakers failed to pass legislation this year carrying out the medical-marijuana constitutional amendment approved by voters in November, leaving implementation to a state health agency that neither lawmakers nor those in the industry trust all that much.
By Thursday, Negron was asking members who were likely still unpacking their bags whether they had any ideas for how to break a logjam between the House and Senate on the pot legislation.
While the Senate favored a cap of up to 15 dispensaries for each operator during the session, the House — which originally backed an infinite number of retail outlets — ultimately settled on a limit of 100 per operator.
House Speaker Richard Corcoran predicted legislators will return to the Capitol and pass a comprehensive measure that eluded them during the two-month regular session.
“I believe there should be a special session, and there will be a special session,” said Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes. “I’m confident that we can get to a resolution.”
If Corcoran and Negron can agree to a deal, a special session would most likely take place soon, Negron indicated.
“In my general experience in the process, the longer it takes from the conclusion of a regular session to set a special session, the less likely it is that a special session will occur,” he said. “So there’s a certain window that exists to realistically be able to try to resolve these differences.”
DO NOT GO GENTLE
For years, it was almost impossible to imagine Jacksonville politics without Brown, a pugnacious congresswoman who fought off every attempt to challenge her base and defended a winding district that elected her to the U.S. House 12 times.
Her fortunes began unwinding two years ago, when state courts approved a redistricting map as part of a long-running legal battle that tore apart a district linking her twin power bases in Jacksonville and Orlando. That and a federal indictment for her role in a sham charity led to a primary defeat in 2016.
The fall continued Thursday, as a jury found Brown guilty on 18 of the 22 counts she faced after prosecutors said she and two associates used the One Door for Education-Amy Anderson Scholarship Fund at least in part to finance their own expenses while working with other people to solicit more than $800,000 for the charity.
“Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown violated the public trust, the honor of her position, and the integrity of the American system of government when she abused one of the most powerful positions in the nation for her own personal gain,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco said in a statement issued after the ruling.
But Brown’s attorney, James Smith, told reporters outside the Jacksonville courtroom that Brown would ask for a new trial. He declined to say on what grounds.
“She wants to let her supporters know that she is still strong and resolute,” Smith said. “She still maintains her innocence, and she thanks everyone for their prayers and their support.”
OFF TO THE RACES
The most immediate election in Florida’s future is one to replace former Sen. Frank Artiles, a Miami Republican whose political career imploded after he directed a racially charged outburst at a fellow senator in a members-only club near the Capitol. But contenders are already lining up for other races as well.
Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, a Republican who lives in unincorporated Miami-Dade, said Tuesday he intends to run for Artiles’ Senate District 40 seat, as did Democrat Annette Taddeo, who was her party’s unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014.
Both parties could have brutal primaries. Taddeo will face state Rep. Daisy Baez, a Coral Gables health-care executive who announced her candidacy for the seat last week.
On the GOP side, former Republican Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla also has opened a campaign account for the Artiles seat.
The Miami political world is also dealing with the retirement of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a moderate Republican who has owned her district for decades. Democratic state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Harvard-educated lawyer, said he intends to run for that seat when it comes up next year.
Rep. Jay Fant, R-Jacksonville, announced he would set his sights on a statewide office in 2018: attorney general. For now, he was sticking to time-honored Republican ideas.
“Big government leads to big problems,” said Fant, the first candidate to file paperwork to run to replace Pam Bondi, who is stepping down because of term limits.
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam had already announced that he would run for governor in 2018 — and there hadn’t been much doubt in the past eight years that the state’s top post was Putnam’s ultimate goal.
But the fresh-from-Florida front-runner held his official kickoff Wednesday in Bartow, standing in front of a century-old county courthouse with orange crates on the steps and a huge state flag hanging from the building.
“We have to put Florida first so that we are more than a prize for a life well-lived someplace else,” Putnam said. “We can make Florida the launch pad for the American dream.”
By far the favorite, Putnam will still face contests in the race. Corcoran and Latvala are among the Republicans musing about a bid. And the Democratic side already has former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Winter Park businessman Chris King lining up, with more potential candidates in the offing.
Tallahassee is a popular destination nowadays. Even if you just left.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Lawmakers (finally) approved a state budget and ended the 2017 legislative session.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “That wasn’t a Republican district. That was an Ileana district.”—Democratic strategist Steve Schale, on the race to replace retiring Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida