Thousands Of Voters Register During Extra Week
October 20, 2016
Florida’s voter rolls may jump by more than 60,000 people due to a federal judge ordering an extra week for registration.
Secretary of State Ken Detzner issued a statement late Tuesday that said 36,823 applications submitted since Oct. 11 had been verified, and another 26,773 were in the verification process. The registration deadline was originally Oct. 11, but U.S. District Judge Mark Walker extended it a week because of Hurricane Matthew.
“All Floridians who submitted a complete voter registration application in person by 5 p.m. today (Tuesday), or postmarked by today (Tuesday), will be verified and registered to vote by the start of mandatory statewide early voting, which begins on October 29,” Detzner said in the statement.
“That means if you registered by today’s (Tuesday’s) deadline, are eligible, and your registration is verified, you will have all available options to exercise your right to vote, which include: vote-by-mail, early voting, and voting at the polls on Election Day.”
Detzner’s release didn’t break down the registration applications by party.
The Florida Democratic Party went to federal court to get the deadline extended after Hurricane Matthew forced evacuations of residents and closed government buildings in the days leading up to the original Oct. 11 deadline. The latest registration numbers came as elections officials reported that 758,420 Floridians had already cast vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 8 general election. Of those, Republicans accounted for the largest number of returned ballots, with 316,400. Democrats had gone slightly ahead earlier in the week, but the latest numbers showed 305,626 Democrats had returned vote-by-mail ballots. Also, ballots had been returned by 20,303 people registered with third parties and by 116,091 independents.
by The News Service of Florida
Motorcyclist Killed In Escambia Interstate Crash
October 20, 2016
An Escambia County man was killed in a motorcycle crash on an I-10 exit ramp to southbound I-110 Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 58-year old Scott Chepan lost control in a curve on the exit ramp, struck a guardrail multiple times and was ejected from his 1991 Harley motorcycle.
Chepan’s friend, who was traveling alongside hime, told the FHP that an unknown gray or silver SUV cut in front of Chepan, causing him to take evasive action.
With the silver or gray sport utility vehicle being in the proximity of the crash, it is being sought as a possible connection to the crash. Anybody with information on the crash or the SUV is asked to call Cpl. Fischer at (850) 484-5000.
Northview Chiefs Name Players Of The Week
October 20, 2016
The Northview Chiefs have named Players of the Week for their game last week against Jay.
OFFENSE
Neikel Robinson — 7 receptions, 204 yards, 2 TD (also had 2 INT on defense)
DEFENSE
Hunter Edwards — 12 total tackles, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble
SPECIAL TEAMS
Seth Killam — 4-5 PAT, 1 tackle on KO; 5 “SPECIAL FORCES POINTS”
Devin Stabler — 1 solo tackle, 1 sack, 1 FF on PAT; 5 “SPECIAL FORCES POINTS”
DOMINATOR
Alston Wiggins — Hit on running back in first quarter for no gain
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Firefighters Quickly Control Brush Fire
October 19, 2016
Firefighters were quickly able to bring a brush fire under control Wednesday afternoon on Elna Road off Williams Ditch Road. The fire, which was threatening a structure, burned less than an acre. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Jacks Branch Road Crash
October 19, 2016
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Wednesday morning on Jacks Branch Road near Pepin Lane. An adult female was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries following the 8 a.m. wreck. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Motorcyclist Killed In Escambia Crash
October 19, 2016
A motorcyclist was killed in a traffic accident Tuesday night in Escambia County.
About 9:40 p.m., David William Hill, age 35 of Pensacola, was traveling eastbound on Sorrento Road on a 2004 Honda motorcycle. He failed to maintain control of the motorcycle, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, and laid the bike down on its side as he fell into the roadway.
Hill was ran over by a 2008 Mazda driven by 46-year old Cynthia Michelle Roberts. Hill was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Any charges are pending the outcome of a traffic homicide investigation, according to the FHP.
Century’s Splash Pad Opening Delayed Again
October 19, 2016
Century’s new splash pad is still not operational, weeks after it was installed.
In early September, the splash pad was operational at times, but it was turned off awaiting the installation of a new part. The replacement part was installed, but did not function properly. Now, another replacement part is on order and is on its way from Israel, Century Mayor Freddie McCall said.
Once the splash pad is up and running, a grand opening and official hours will be announced.
A $50,000 Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant was awarded to the town last October to fund the splash pad. The competitive grant program provides state funds to develop lands for public outdoor recreational use, such as building or renovating sports facilities or playgrounds. Century was the only recipient of the grant last year in Escambia County.
Pictured: Century’s new splash pad was operational for just a short period of time in September, but it failed to operate properly. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bill Clinton To Campaign In Pensacola On Saturday
October 19, 2016
Former President Bill Clinton will campaign in Pensacola and other Florida cities this weekend for his wife, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, her campaign announced Tuesday.
Bill Clinton will start the “Stronger Together” bus tour Friday in Orlando, with public stops planned that day in Jacksonville and on Saturday in Bay County and Pensacola.
The former president “will discuss Hillary Clinton’s plans to build an economy that works for all, not just those at the top, and lay out her vision for an America that is stronger together,” the campaign said, using two frequent descriptions of such visits.
Clinton will be at E.S. Cobb Community Resource Center, 601 E. Mallory St., from 3:45-5 p.m.. Doors will open at 2 p.m.
Clinton was supposed to travel across North Florida on behalf of Hillary last month — but that trip was canceled when Clinton flew to Israel for the funeral of former Israeli President Shimon Peres. North Florida is a reliably Republican area, but Democrats can draw votes in places like Jacksonville and Tallahassee, and Clinton has pushed into red areas nationwide as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s polling numbers have sunk.
Survey Points To Support For Arming School Employees
October 19, 2016
A majority of Floridians believe “trained staff” should be able to carry firearms on school grounds, according to the latest data from the Sunshine State Survey conducted by the University of South Florida and The Nielsen Company.
Among those polled, 56 percent favor some school employees having guns, while 40 percent oppose it. Floridians also overwhelmingly support requiring elementary schools to give students 20 minutes of recess each day; 81 percent said doing so would be a step in the right direction.
The Florida House approved a bill earlier this year with the recess requirement, but the proposal died in the Senate. Support for more school choice earned the support of 58 percent of Floridians, essentially unchanged from the last two years, while 57 percent of those surveyed said the state’s education system is at least “moderately successful” at getting students ready for the economy.
However, 40 percent said it was “not very successful,” an increase of 10 percentage points from a year ago. The survey data released Tuesday also shows that a majority of Floridians, 57 percent, support increasing the smoking age from 18 to 21; 83 percent oppose government funding for sports stadiums for privately-owned teams; and a plurality of 47 percent support accepting federal funding to expand Medicaid.
One of the most popular ideas in the poll was increasing fines for texting while driving, something that 87 percent of those surveyed said would be a step in the right direction. The 2016 Sunshine State Survey interviewed 1,248 Florida residents from Sept. 1 to Sept. 19, with a margin of error of 2.77 percentage points.
The poll results are rolled out over a period of time; the release on education, health care and transportation is the fourth so far. A fifth batch of results, focused on issues like state leadership and trust in government, is set to be released next week.
by The News Service of Florida
Not Funny: Town Bans Clown Costumes For Halloween Event
October 19, 2016
A south Alabama town that had schools on lockdown and arrests stemming from clown threats has banned clown costumes from their annual harvest festival and trick-or-treat event.
Mayala Smith, age 22 of Flomaton, was charged with making a terrorist threat in connection with “Flomo Klown” Facebook pages that prompted the lockdown of multiple schools in Escambia County (AL) in September. Several juveniles were also implicated.
Now, according to public post by the Flomaton Police Department, no clown costumes will be permitted during the Harvest Festival and Trick-or-Treat Around the Block “due to security purposes”. The family friendly event will be held Thursday, October 27 from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. in the downtown streets. Flomaton High School will also hold a pep rally at 7 p.m. at the downtown stage.