DeSantis Signs Alzheimer’s Education Bill
June 26, 2022
Gov. Ron DeSantis highlighted record funding for Alzheimer’s disease as he signed a senate bill to establish the Ramping up Education of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia for You (READY) Act.
Additionally, the Governor announced that the final pillar of the five-part Dementia Action Plan, created in 2019, has been fulfilled with the establishment of the Florida Alzheimer’s Center for Excellence.
The Florida House version of the READY Act was filed by District 1 Rep. Michelle Salzman.
“My legislation will require community health clinics across the state to educate their patients on the signs and symptoms of early onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s as well as provide them with assistance in finding resources for treatment and care. It is a known fact that the sooner you are diagnosed, the better your future as well as the more prepared your family is to help provide the care, ” Salzman said.
“Supporting Floridians suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia is an important part of supporting our seniors,” said DeSantis. “We are working to make sure that any Floridian suffering from this terrible disease can access resources while also supporting innovative technologies that will open up doors for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients in the future.”
The Freedom First budget recently signed by DeSantis includes $52.3 million for the Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative Program, an increase of $12 million over the previous year. Additionally, $91.7 million is included for the Community Care for the Elderly Program, an increase of $9 million over the previous year. This program assists functionally impaired seniors to remain in the least restrictive, most suitable environment for their needs.
The bill signing took place in Fort Lauderdale.
Pictured: Florida House District 1 Rep. Michelle Salzman, left, watches as Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the Ramping up Education of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia for You (READY) Act during a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Youth Football Camp Is Monday And Tuesday
June 26, 2022
The Tate High School kids football camp is coming up Monday and Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. each day.
Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. Monday, and the fee is $40 paid by check, cash or card. No experience is needed in this camp for kids 8-13 years old.
The camp will be directed by the Tate coaching staff, assisted by Tate football players. This is an opportunity to work on fundamentals, practice agility, run through drills and learn about being part of a team.
Participants are not required to live in the Tate district.
Pictured: The 2021 Tate football camp. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Weather Late Biloxi Rally In 8-7 Win
June 26, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos withstood a furious late-inning rally on Saturday night, holding on to beat the Biloxi Shuckers 8-7 despite allowing the final five runs of the game.
Jeff Lindgren (W, 2-1) was dependable as always, recording his sixth quality start in eight Double-A appearances this year with 6.0 innings of two-run ball.
The Blue Wahoos had only one hit through the first six innings, but turned a Thomas Jones double into the game’s first run in the third inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Troy Johnston.
Thomas Dillard, Friday’s walk-off hero for Biloxi, evened the score with an RBI single in the bottom of the third, but Lindgren quickly settled into a groove. The righty allowed a career-high nine hits, but all were singles as the game remained tied 1-1 going to the seventh.
Pensacola put up four runs in the top of the seventh against Luis Contreras (L, 1-2) to take a 5-1 lead. Jones brought home Bubba Hollins from first base with his second double of the game, and scored on a J.D. Orr single past a drawn-in infield. Ray-Patrick Didder walked before Orr scampered to third on a wild pitch and scored on a subsequent throwing error. Johnston capped the rally by scoring Didder from third on his second sacrifice fly of the night.
Lindgren departed after allowing a pair of baserunners in the seventh, but Eli Villalobos worked out of the jam with only one inherited run allowed. Villalobos was handed three more runs of support in the eighth thanks to a three-run homer from Norel González, but gave two back in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer from Biloxi’s Nick Kahle.
In the ninth, Dylan Bice surrendered a leadoff homer to Felix Valerio before walking back-to-back batters. Colton Hock (S, 7) entered in a save situation, allowing an RBI double to Cam Devanney and an RBI single to Yeison Coca, but stranded the tying run at third as he worked out of the crisis to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up the first half against the Shuckers on Sunday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
DeSantis Signs ECUA Term Limits Bill
June 25, 2022
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Friday that establishes term limits for Emerald Coast Utility Authority (ECUA) board members.
“Any person elected to two consecutive full terms as a member of the Board subsequent to July 1, 2021, is not eligible for election to the Board for the next succeeding term,” the bill states. That means in the future, no one can run for more than two consecutive terms on the board.
“The ECUA bill was one of my passion projects from my campaign trail. After knocking 14,000 doors accountability was one of the biggest concerns of constituents,” Rep. Michelle Salzman, bill sponsor, told NorthEscambia.com Friday evening. “Creating a more collaborative relationship with all government agencies was a goal of mine that I knew would address a majority of the issues I heard from folks.
A 2018 grand jury report, which was not made public until September 2020, recommended term limits for ECUA. The grand jury found that a lack of term limits “has created a sense of complacency and has fostered an overreliance on the executive director and attorneys”.
“The grand jury report was a guide to the other actionable steps — which included the suggestion of term limits. Having spoken to thousands of voters, I knew that they wanted term limits as well,” she said.
The bill also creates a faster process for filling any vacant seats on the ECUA board.
On January 20, 2019, District 3 board member Elvin McCorvey passed away at age 74. DeSantis did not appoint anyone until late November 2019 when he named Cedric Alexander to the seat.
Under the bill signed Friday, if the governor fails to make an appointment within 90 days of the vacancy, the chair of the ECUA board will nominate two people from the district with the vacancy as potential replacements. The remaining members, excluding the chair, will select one of the nominees by majority vote.
“We used the opportunity to review many components of the law and were able to update other key components of the bill to help create a more efficient process for things such as filling vacant seats on the board,” Salzman added.
Escambia Sheriff’s Office Unveils Corvette, Compliments Of A Local Felon
June 25, 2022
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office showed off their newest ride Friday afternoon — compliments of a local felon.
The 2016 Corvette Z06 C7 was a felony seizure from local drug dealers, and the nonprofit Escambia County Sheriff Foundation paid for the redesign and vehicle wrap. The Foundation funds community engagement and outreach projects for the ECSO without using taxpayer dollars.
“Zero cost to taxpayers,” Simmons said. “The car itself was seized and then the Escambia County Sheriff Foundation paid for the wrap.”
The wrap includes iconic local scenes, including the landing of Don Tristan de Luna and the Blue Angels at Pensacola Beach.
“We are going to use it for public engagement, and again, it cost zero taxpayer dollars,” the sheriff said. “It did not cost a dime o taxpayer dollars.”
The Corvette was unveiled during a Foundation fundraiser at Beef O’Brady’s on Nine Mile Road.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Pickup Crashes At Kingsfield Road Bridge
June 25, 2022
The driver of a pickup truck ran through a guardrail and crashed at the East Kingfield Road bridge over Eleven Mile Creek Friday afternoon.
It appeared the driver struck a guardrail and continued almost to the creek below the bridge, which is about a half mile east of Highway 297A.
The driver was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Woman Wanted For Questioning About Shooting Death Located By ECSO
June 25, 2022
UPDATE: Lajoyce Patrice Miles has been located
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a woman for questioning in connection with a homicide Thursday.
Deputies responded to the 3700 block of James Street where a man was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
ECSO said Friday that Lajoyce Patrice Miles is wanted for questioning only.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts or the homicide is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Miles is seen in a 2018 mugshot following misdemeanor drug arrest.
Baseball Players From Tate, Catholic And Pace Play In State Coaches’ All-Star Game
June 25, 2022
Three area high school baseball players were recently invited to take part in a state coaches’ association all-star game.
Josiah Glodfelter from Tate High, Jackson Hiatt from Catholic High, and Boc Parmer from Pace, played in the 43rd Annual Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Baseball Classic in Lakeland.
Photos by Laura Glodfelter for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Biloxi Gets 5-4 Walk-Off Win Over The Wahoos
June 25, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos held another late lead on Friday night, but a pair of rallies gave the Biloxi Shuckers a 5-4 comeback win in walk-off fashion.
With the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Zack Leban (L, 0-1) just missed the zone on a 3-2 pitch to give Thomas Dillard a walk-off walk.
One night after clinching a South Division First Half title, the Blue Wahoos jumped out to an early lead thanks to an unexpected power surge. Thomas Jones blasted his fourth home run of the year out to left field in the second inning, giving the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead, and J.D. Orr sent a liner over the left field wall in the third for his first professional homer.
J.D. Osborne hustled a misplayed liner into an RBI triple after the Orr long ball, giving the Blue Wahoos their fourth and final run of the night. Bryan Mitchell turned in a quality start for Pensacola, allowing three runs over 6.0 innings, but a two-run double from Dillard in the bottom of the third drew the Shuckers to within a run at 4-3.
Pensacola’s one-run lead would hold until the eighth, when Josh Simpson allowed a game-tying RBI single to Dillard. Brady Puckett escaped the eighth without further damage, but the Blue Wahoos couldn’t do anything against Nash Walters (W, 3-1) in the top of the ninth. Leban walked a man and hit two before walking Dillard, giving the first baseman his fourth RBI of the night and sending the Blue Wahoos to their third walk-off loss of the year.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Saturday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Man Charged With Stealing SUV, Guns In Cantonment; Vehicle Breaks Down In Louisiana Police Chase
June 24, 2022
A Cantonment man is accused of stealing a vehicle and guns in Escambia County before breaking down during a police chase in Louisiana.
Wyatt Titus Dudley, 20, was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and grand theft of a firearm.
Dudley allegedly stole a Chevy Suburban from a relative on Williams Ditch Lane. Deputies observed Dudley driving the vehicle in the area of Highway 29 and Muscogee Road on the way to take the stolen vehicle report, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and an arrest warrant was issued.
Dudley was arrested by the Richland Parrish Police Department in Louisiana for driving a stolen vehicle following a pursuit that lasted for several miles, according to the ECSO. He was taken into custody after the vehicle broke down. Six of a dozen firearms reported to be stolen by Dudley on Deerfoot Lane in Cantonment were in the vehicle, according to an arrest report.
Dudley was extradited to Escambia County, where he remained in jail Friday morning with bond set at $6,000.