Busy Highways Keep Flomaton Police Busy With Drug Arrests
August 15, 2016
Flomaton may be a small town with less than 1,500 residents, but it has a big time problem with drugs transported though the town on major thoroughfares, according to Police Chief Bryan Davis.
“It’s everywhere. With Flomaton having Highway 31, Highway 29, Highway 113 — which all are major four lane highways coming into Flomaton – we see it more. The issue that we face is having the time to properly work it. Flomaton sees an average between 13,000 to 17,000 vehicles per day. This brings the drugs,” Davis said.
The Flomaton Police Department made several drug busts over the weekend, including one local man. Calem Shane Robinson (pictured top), 32, of Flomaton was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance methamphetamine and DUI controlled substance.
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Two people from Georgia were arrested on drug charge Friday. John William Reeves (above right) was charged with unlawful possession of controlled substance – methamphetamines, DUI controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and no seat belt. Brittany Marie Walton (above left) was also charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
And Flomaton Police also arrested Theautry W Cooper (pictured left), 36, of Eldridge, IA, for unlawful possession of a controlled substance oxycodone, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, carry concealed weapon, DUI and driving while license revoked.
Items seized from Cooper’s traffic stop are pictured below.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘We Back The Blue’
August 15, 2016
“We Back The Blue” yard signs are appearing across the North Escambia area to show support for local law enforcement. This sign is on Mayo Street near Hecker Road in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
State Says Abortion Waiting Period Does Not Infringe On Rights
August 15, 2016
Trying to move forward with a requirement that women wait 24 hours before having abortions, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office has filed a brief at the Florida Supreme Court saying such a waiting period “does not significantly burden the right to privacy.”
The brief is part of a more than year-long legal dispute about a 2015 law that would require 24-hour waiting periods.
A Leon County circuit judge last year approved an injunction that blocked the state from carrying out the law, but the 1st District Court of Appeal in February overturned that ruling. The Supreme Court agreed in May to take up the case after earlier issuing a stay that at least temporarily halted the waiting-period requirement.
In a 49-page brief, Bondi’s office argued that 1st District Court of Appeal had ruled correctly when it rejected the “faulty injunction” by the lower-court judge. The brief also said the law does not restrict abortion rights or women’s privacy rights.
“The new law justifiably protects pregnant women from undergoing serious procedures without some minimal private time to reflect on the risks and consequences of the abortion. … The abortion decision involves deeply personal considerations, and a brief reflection period is a reasonable and minimally intrusive means of ensuring that informed consent to abortion is knowing and voluntary,” the brief said.
But in a brief filed in May, abortion-rights advocates asked the Supreme Court to block the law, saying in part that the waiting-period requirement “only imposes greater burden, stigma, and delay — and communicates the state’s condescending message that a woman seeking an abortion, alone among patients, is unable to decide for herself when she is ready to make an informed decision about her medical care.”
Justices have not scheduled arguments in the case.
Wahoos Win 10-7 Over Tenn.
August 15, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos center fielder Jeff Gelalich was facing his old UCLA buddy and Tennessee Smokies reliever David Berg in the seventh inning when he hit his second triple of the game Sunday off the left center field wall and drove in two runs.
Gelalich’s had a career night at the plate with three extra base hits, including two triples in a game for the first time and he also smacked a double.
His 3-5 night with three runs scored and two RBIs helped the Blue Wahoos win its fifth straight game—its longest winning streak of the season—with a 10-7 victory over Tennessee in front of 4,295 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“My buddy was the pitcher and my buddy in college,” Gelalich said. “Now I can go see him after the game and not hear about it.”
Gelalich, who joined the Cincinnati Reds with as the 57th pick overall in 2012 had a lot of hoopla surrounding him when he started his professional career, said he is now “something like 2-20 off of him.”
Gelalich recalled that Berg, a submariner pitcher, was “All-World” in the Pac-12 for the Bruins.
“He’s still a good pitcher,” Gelalich said. “He just had a rough night (Sunday).”
Now, it’s Gelalich who is living up to his potential, working his way into becoming an everyday player for the Blue Wahoos, hitting .270 with five triples, 10 doubles and 16 RBIs in 59 games. He has batted first in the Pensacola lineup in 20 of those games.
“I love it,” he said about leading off. “At the beginning of my career, I was trying to be what everyone wanted me to be. Now, I’m enjoying it and having fun. I’m not taking any of this for granted.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said the 24-year-old Gelalich seems more relaxed.
“He’s never really had that break out year,” Kelly said. “Now that there are no expectations, he is earning his hits.”
After taking the first four games of the five game series from Tennessee, Pensacola could sweep the Smokies with a win Monday. The Blue Wahoos, who were the first half champions, have improved to 25-24 in the second half.
“They took four out of five at their place,” Kelly said. “Obviously, there’s a little payback. We have a chance at winning the fifth game of the series and we’ll try and do that tomorrow (Monday).”
The Blue Wahoos have swept only one other series in its five-year history, when it beat the Montgomery Biscuits in July 2015.
Tennessee jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, as Pensacola starter Nick Travieso gave up a walk, single, triple and double to the first four batters he faced.
Smokies catcher Victor Caratini hit a triple off the wall in right center to score both center fielder Trey Martin and second baseman Ian Happ to put Tennessee up, 2-0. David Freitas doubled in Caratini for a 3-0 Smokies lead. Frietas moved to third on a wild pitch and then scored on third baseman Jason Vosler’s deep sacrifice fly to left field to make it, 4-0.
But then Travieso, who was making his second start after going on the DL for three starts with a shoulder injury, retired 11 of the next 12 batters and only allowed three more hits over the next four innings.
When Travieso left the game after five innings, Pensacola had gone ahead, 6-4. After working 3.1 innings in his first start back and throwing 58 pitches, Travieso threw 76 pitches Sunday. He allowed six hits, two walks and struck out one, while giving up four runs.
“Obviously that first inning put us behind the eight ball,” Kelly said. “But he got us through five innings. He feels good. It’s just a matter of building his pitch count up. I wasn’t so sure after the first inning that we would be able to do that.”
While Travieso settled down on the mound, the Blue Wahoos settled in at the plate. Pensacola scored its 10 runs on 15 hits Sunday, after getting just four runs on three hits in Saturday’s victory.
Pensacola scored three runs in the third and fourth innings to go ahead, 6-4. The Blue Wahoos sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning and center fielder Jeff Gelalich doubled and scored, second baseman Blandino singled and scored and right fielder Sebastian Elizalde singled and scored.
Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej singled with the bases loaded and is now 2-6 with three RBIs in that situation. Vincej was 3-5 with a double and two RBIs Sunday and now has 22 multi-hit games.
Three more Blue Wahoos scored in the fourth with Gelalich hitting a triple and scoring, Blandino singling and scoring and Elizalde singling and scoring to give Pensacola a 6-4 lead.
However, Tennessee tied it in the sixth inning when right fielder Lane Adams singled on a tap back to the pitcher and advanced to second on a throwing error. He scored on shortstop Carlos Penalver’s ground out to shortstop. Smokies left fielder Kelly Dugan tied it up, 6-6, when he scored on a hard hit single by pinch hitter Chesney Young.
Before Pensacola won five in a row, it’s longest win streak was four games this season, which they’ve done six times.
Florida Voter Rolls Grow
August 15, 2016
More than 12.37 million Floridians are registered to vote in the Aug. 30 primary elections, up more than 300,000 from the presidential primaries in March, according to numbers released Friday by the state Division of Elections.
Democrats make up 4,690,721 of the registered voters, while 4,431,400 are Republicans and 2,913,948 have no party affiliation. Other voters are scatted among smaller parties.
Residents had to register by Aug. 1 to participate in the Aug. 30 primaries.
The number of unaffiliated voters has grown from 2,572,901 for the 2012 general election and 2,778,547 for the 2014 gubernatorial election year. Since the March presidential primaries, Republicans have added 155,296 registered voters, Democrats have added 120,933 and the no-party numbers have increased by 35,480. The overall number of registered voters is up from 11,931,533 million in 2014.
The totals also show a narrowing between registered Republicans and Democrats. Two years ago, for the gubernatorial contest, the state recorded 4,172,232 Republicans and 4,628,178 Democrats.
Suspicious Cantonment Vehicle Fire Under Investigation
August 14, 2016
An investigation is underway into a suspicious vehicle fire in Cantonment early Sunday morning.
Firefighters arrived to find the vehicle fully involved in a wooded area on River Annex Road north of Muscogee Road and the railroad tracks just after 4 a.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The vehicle was a total loss; there were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the blaze.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Broxson, Hill Senate Race Turns Nasty
August 14, 2016
Four months ago, state Reps. Doug Broxson and Mike Hill said they were friends who intended to run a “civil” race for our local Senate seat.
But weeks before the Aug. 30 primary that will almost certainly determine the winner of the Senate District 1 seat, the gloves are off in a brutal battle to replace outgoing Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker.
The Senate district, which includes Santa Rosa, Escambia and portions of Okaloosa counties, abuts the Alabama border in one of the most conservative regions of the state.
Hill, 58, joined the Florida House in a special election in 2013. Broxson, 67, of Gulf Breeze, was elected to the House in 2010.
As with most Republican candidates in the Panhandle, Broxson and Hill are closely aligned on the issues. They’re both pro-guns and anti-abortion. They favor tax cuts and oppose the president’s health care overhaul known as “Obamacare.” They’re against illegal immigration and Common Core.
Professionally, the lawmakers are also connected: They’re both in the insurance business. And both men even attended the same church at one point.
But with absentee ballots already in the mail and early voting starting Monday in Santa Rosa County, the race has taken a nasty tone.
Hill is painting Broxson as a “liberal” who is “colluding with Tallahassee special interests” in his election effort.
Broxson’s campaign is accusing Hill of fraud regarding a homestead exemption he claims on a home in Pensacola.
In recent interviews, both men blamed each other for the mudslinging.
“When someone carelessly paints you different than you are, and knows that his voting record is almost identical to yours, it takes time and energy to kind of unravel that image. That’s what we’re doing. It’s unfortunate,” Broxson said.
Hill has branded Broxson as a liberal for supporting a $250 million economic incentives package — one of Gov. Rick Scott’s top priorities — that died in the Legislature during the session that ended in March. Broxson was also targeted by the Koch brothers-backed group Americans for Prosperity for voting for the incentives package.
Broxson joined Scott, who is overwhelmingly popular with voters in the area, in Gulf Breeze earlier this month at a jobs-related press conference. At the event, Scott, who hasn’t endorsed either candidate, praised Broxson for his efforts in helping to create jobs.
Broxson, who has outraised Hill by about a 2-to-1 margin, has the support of the Florida Chamber of Commerce — which gave both legislators an “A” grade for the 2016 session — and a political committee that has paid for mailers, radio and television ads critical of Hill’s opposition to the economic incentives package.
Hill, a veteran whose grandfather and father also served in the military and whose son is a Marine, is a tea party activist who is black but who quickly corrects anyone — including MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, who hails from Pensacola — who refers to him as “African-American.”
“I’m not African-American. I’m an American,” Hill says.
Broxson’s campaign has raised questions about Hill’s residence. Hill receives a homestead exemption for a home in Pensacola, but is registered to vote at a Pensacola Beach condo, which is also the address used on his financial disclosure form, according to documents provided by Broxson’s campaign.
When asked about the homestead exemption issue, Hill responded with a text message accusing “Dirty Doug Broxson” and his supporters of stopping “at nothing to try to destroy my conservative values.”
“I don’t know what that means. How can you destroy someone’s conservative values? I’m not out to destroy anybody. What is he talking about? He’s running an ad that says I’m a liberal,” Broxson said.
Hill also said in the text message that he has not been notified of any complaint from the property appraiser, “but will review it” if it should arise.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
August 14, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Widening – The inside lane of I-10 east and westbound, between Davis Highway (Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (Exit 17), will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the week of Monday, Aug. 15 as crews place barrier wall.
- State Road 95- Intermittent lane restrictions between Cross Street and Lurton Street Monday, Aug. 15 through Friday, Aug. 19. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. as crews perform routine utility maintenance work.
- Perry Avenue- Southbound lane closure at the intersection of Gonzales Street from 8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 18 to 6 a.m., Friday, Aug. 19 as crews perform underground utility work.
- Texar Drive (S.R. 752) Pedestrian Overpass– Access to the pedestrian bridge is closed for approximately one month. Eastbound ECAT bus stops located at the pedestrian bridge will be temporarily relocated during construction to just west of N Miller Street.
- Airport Road (S.R. 750) Resurfacing- Intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews perform paving operations between U.S. 29 and County Road 95A (North Palafox Street).
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Widening - Alternating lane closures, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), Sunday, Aug. 14 through Thursday, Aug. 18 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews continue widening work. In addition, there will be alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange for bridge work.
- U.S. 98- Intermittent and alternating lane closures and slow moving operations between Bayshore Road and the Okaloosa County line from Sunday, Aug. 14 continuing through Wednesday, Aug. 3. Work will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m as crews perform striping operations.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Green Slime; No Swatting This Problem
August 14, 2016
In Joe Negron’s proverbial backyard, green slime is a big issue.
And as the incoming Florida Senate president, Negron might have the power to do something about it.
Negron, R-Stuart, rolled out an ambitious proposal this week to buy 60,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee to try to help tackle the problem of toxic algae blooms in waterways east and west of the lake. But it also became quickly apparent that the idea of buying land used for sugar farming could spark a political battle.
Meanwhile, a little further south, Miami continued to draw heavy attention because mosquitoes have infected more than two-dozen people with the Zika virus. Gov. Rick Scott’s administration maintained that local transmissions of the disease were only occurring in one area of Miami. But the number of travel-related cases — involving people who were infected elsewhere and brought the virus into Florida — has steadily increased throughout the state.
SWINGING FOR THE FENCES
Negron won’t take over as Senate president until after the November elections, but he has already made clear he has some big ideas. First came a bus tour to drum up support for higher-education changes. And now, the potential land buy.
The senator’s Treasure Coast district has been plagued by algae blooms caused, at least in part, by nutrient-laden water being released from Lake Okeechobee. The general idea of Negron’s plan is to buy land south of the lake that could be used to store and clean water, reducing discharges from the lake into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.
But the plan has a hefty price tag — $2.4 billion, which Negron said would be shared by the state and federal governments. The state would bond $100 million annually from documentary-stamp tax revenue in the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2014 to set aside money in the trust fund for 20 years to finance the purchase and preservation of state lands.
“For too long, our community has been plagued by tremendous environmental and economic impacts as hundreds of millions of gallons of water are released from Lake Okeechobee each year,” Negron said in a prepared statement. “Permanent storage south of Lake Okeechobee is unquestionably needed as part of the overall plan to solve this catastrophic problem, particularly given the very devastating effects the current toxic algal blooms are causing in both our estuaries and the Everglades.”
Negron outlined two potential parcels within what is known as the Everglades Agricultural Area. The sugar giant Florida Crystals is the largest landowner in the targeted parcels, though U.S. Sugar Corp and Kings Ranch also own land in those areas.
The proposal has the support of groups such as the Everglades Foundation and Audubon, but it quickly drew objections from some people whose communities rely on sugar farms.
Hendry County Commissioner Janet Taylor, a Democrat, said the proposal could hurt the economy in her agricultural community, which has one of the state’s highest unemployment rates.
“Taking 60,000 additional acres would shut down another sugar mill,” Taylor said in a prepared statement. “Not only would it threaten our economy, but it also isn’t supported by science. It’s disappointing that Sen. Negron has allowed the priorities of radical activists to become part of his plans as Senate president.”
Also, the plan drew objections from two lawmakers and a county commissioner in Northwest Florida — hundreds of miles away. State Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, state Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola Beach, and Santa Rosa County Commissioner Bob Cole announced plans to build a coalition against what they see as a potential shift of money away from protecting waters in North Florida.
“Water issues are critical to Florida’s future,” Evers said in a prepared statement. “We need plans that address our entire state’s water issue and not just one area. Sen. Negron’s proposal is shortsighted; it will cost billions of dollars, take decades, and still not fix South Florida’s problem. It will, however, put the rest of the state’s conservation dollars at risk.”
Negron acknowledged in releasing his proposal that getting approval for the money won’t be easy.
“There are problems in Biscayne Bay. There are problems in Apalachicola Bay,” Negron said. “There are problems in Tampa. The springs in the central part of our state. And I care about those things too.”
“We are in a competition. Money that is spent to build this reservoir can’t be spent twice,” Negron added. “So the money that it’s going to cost to do this, it’s going to come from the limited funds that we have.”
NO SWATTING AWAY THIS PROBLEM
Each afternoon, the Florida Department of Health posts online updated information about the Zika virus. And day after day, the number of infections continues to grow.
As of Friday afternoon, the state had 28 homegrown cases of Zika, with health officials saying they believe people contracted the virus through mosquito bites in Miami. But the department also reported 413 travel-related infections and 58 infections involving pregnant women.
Travel-related cases have been found literally from one end of the state to the other end — from Monroe County to Escambia County. And they are increasing by double digits: 10 new cases Friday, 21 new cases Thursday, 14 new cases Wednesday.
The virus is particularly dangerous for pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. Scott has authorized state health departments across Florida to provide assessments and testing for pregnant women who request it. Also, the state has set aside $5 million for testing pregnant women.
But a large part of the state’s effort to combat the disease has focused on trying to prevent mosquito bites that can spread it.
With school starting this week in many districts, Scott and Education Commissioner Pam Stewart on Thursday briefed school superintendents on the state’s efforts. Stewart said as part of a “spill the water campaign,” classroom materials were being distributed to teachers and administrators across the state so that they can encourage students “to take simple steps in order to help prevent Zika,” including removing standing water, using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing.
Stewart also said public schools, state colleges and universities in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and Monroe counties were informed that the state would provide each campus with mosquito repellent. She said the South Florida region was targeted because it remains at “the greatest risk” for the local transmission of the mosquito-borne disease.
Meanwhile, Republican and Democratic politicians expressed continued frustration that Congress has not passed a broad funding package to help address Zika in Florida and other states.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Thursday said she has authorized shifting some $81 million in her agency to keep research moving forward on a Zika vaccine. Of that total, $34 million will go to the National Institutes of Health, while another $47 million will go to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which works with private companies on vaccine development.
“The failure to pass a Zika emergency supplemental (appropriation) has forced the administration to choose between delaying critical vaccine development work and raiding other worthy government programs to avoid these delays,” Burwell said in a letter to Congress.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a statement that the Zika funding impasse “never should have gotten to this point.”
“As soon as Congress reconvenes, we should resolve this issue once and for all,” Rubio said. “This public health crisis is no place for politics.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: Zika cases continue to steadily increase in Florida.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “At this stage of the campaign, Republican U.S. Senate candidates may be running against their own presidential nominee, Donald Trump, as much as they are against their Democratic opponents.” — Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll, as a new survey showed a tight Senate race in Florida.
by Brandon Larrabee, The New Service of Florida
Escambia County Man Killed In I-65 Crash In Alabama
August 14, 2016
A single vehicle wreck in Alabama claimed the life of an Escambia County man, according to Alabama State Troopers.
According to Alabama State Troopers, 25-year old Brian Keith Cantwell of Pensacola was killed when the 2006 Ford F-250 he was driving left the roadway and struck a tree. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The crash happened about 3:05 p.m. Friday on I-65 at the 115 mile marker, about one mile north of Georgiana.
The accident remains under investigation by Alabama State Troopers.