Teachers across the state of Florida are losing their jobs as a result of the recently revised Florida Teacher Certification Exam. That’s a licensing exam mandated by the state that new or temporary teachers must pass to become certified. Existing teachers are required to pass the test every five years. Teachers are tested in reading,…… MORE
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MOTION TO SUPPRESS CONFESSION
The 39-year-old Alabama sex offender accused of murdering 12-year-old Pensacola girl Naomi Jones wants his confession suppressed at trial because it was coerced. Robert Howard, of Brewton, Alabama, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the girl’s death. Her remains were recovered from a creek on June 5th. The Public Defender who is representing Howard…… MORE
ESCAMBIA BAY BODY RECOVERY
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the body of a 70-year-old Cantonment man was recovered around 9:30 yesterday morning in Escambia Bay. Donald Helton was fishing with a 15-year-old passenger in a 17-foot boat when he fell off and could not be found. An FWC aviation unit spotted Helton’s body near the Escambia…… MORE
CRESTVIEW OFFICER CLEARED IN SHOOTING
The State Attorney’s Office says a Crestview police officer who shot a homeowner has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Last April, Crestview Police were notified a front door was wide open at a house in the middle of the night. Responding police – including officer Christopher Roll – announced their presence in the home several…… MORE
BACK TO SCHOOL TAX HOLIDAY
Florida’s back-to-school sales tax holiday starts today and runs through Sunday and will allow shoppers to avoid paying state and local sales taxes on most clothes and footwear costing $60 or less and school supplies that cost $15 or less. However, for the second time in six years electronics are excluded. The state has offered…… MORE
ARTS CENTER DIRECTOR CHANGES PLEA
Vicki Dwyer Middlemas, the former director of Panama City’s Visual Arts Center, has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges. The 48-year-old Middlemas changed her plea from not guilty to guilty to four counts of wire fraud and one count of federal tax fraud. She had faced 24 federal criminal charges for allegedly using the Arts…… MORE
MEDICAL MARIJUANA FIRING
The city of Valparaiso’s employee of the year for 2016 has been fired for refusing to stop using medical marijuana. Jonathan Smith – a cable technician for the city-owned cable company – said he received the marijuana prescription for pain and was informed that he had tested positive for drug use during a random screening.…… MORE
MILTON ETHICS VIOLATIONS
A former Milton City Councilman has been cleared of ethics violations filed against him two years ago. Paul Kilmartin, who served on the Milton City Council from 2008-2012 and continues to serve on the planning board, was accused of seven different state statute violations by Bagdad resident Cassandra Sharp, who is also a Milton business…… MORE
POSTHUMOUS MEDAL OF HONOR
An Air Force Special Tactics airman who was part of the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor later this month in Washington, D.C. President Trump will make the presentation to the widow and family of Technical Sergeant John Chapman on August 22nd at the White…… MORE
GREYHOUND RACING AMENDMENT
Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers has ruled that a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that would ban greyhound-racing after December 31st, 2020, is misleading, inaccurate and incomplete and should not appear on the November ballot. Judge Gievers said that contrary to the language of amendment 13 it would not end dog racing, nor…… MORE
