Educators Name February Students Of the Month
March 9, 2009
Students of the Month have been named in Escambia County for February.
The awards presented to two students from each participating school by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education to spotlight outstanding students.
Students of the month at North Escambia area schools are:
Jim Allen Elementary: Jonas A. Johnson, kindergarten; Kiauna A. Watson, kindergarten;
Molino Park Elementary: Joshua M. Coonrod, kindergarten; Tayler L. Bridges, kindergarten.
Ernest Ward Middle: Anna E. Fischer, seventh grade; Hannah E. Ziglar, eighth grade.Ransom Middle: Naiya R. Valdes, eighth grade; Audrey L. Freeman, eighth grade.
Northview High: Olivia M. Nolen, 11th grade; Patrick R. Garrison, 11th grade.Pictured above: Northview’s Students of the Month for February Patrick R. Garrison and Olivia Nolen. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Ernest Ward Holds Penny War To Send Two Local Veterans On Honor Flight
March 9, 2009
The students at Ernest Ward Middle School fought a “Penny War” to raise over $2,200 to send two local veterans on an upcoming Emerald Coast Honor Flight.
The Honor Flights take veterans on a one day trip to Washington, D.C. to see the war memorials that stand in their honor.
“We had a lot of fun doing this,” said Ernest Ward teacher Janna Dickey. “And it was for a really good cause. We were honored to be able to raise money to honor two of our local veterans in this way.”
The 10-day “Penny War” was a competition between the 26 EWMS homerooms to collect the most pennies, but their penny count could be “bombed” with dollars and silver coins. The silver coins essential canceled out the pennies. In other words, a $1 bill dropped in a container with 100 pennies would cancel out the pennies for the class total.
“They had a lot of fun doing this. The collection jars were in the cafeteria, and the teachers would make a really big deal out of bombing the penny jar from another class,” Dickey said. “It really added to the competition.”
Mr. Wark’s homeroom raised the most money at $583.22 and was rewarded with a pizza party. The second highest total was Mrs. Spence’s homeroom with $269.03. The most pennies that counted were collected by Mrs. Dickey’s homeroom. Second was Mr. Gindl’s homeroom.
The next Emerald Coast Honor Flight is April 1. The Ernest Ward Middle sponsored veterans from our local area will be on a future flight to be announced at a later date.
If you are a veteran and would like to take an honor flight to Washington, visit www.emeraldcoasthonorflight.com for an application.
Emerald Coast Honor Flight is a non-profit organization honoring America’s veterans for their sacrifices. The program flies our heroes and their guardians from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Washington and Holmes counties to Washington, DC, to reflect at their memorials for a one day free visit. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – WW II survivors along with those other veterans that may be terminally ill.
The trip for the veterans is free; it is all paid for by sponsors and supporters.
The “Penny War” to support the Emerald Coast Honor Flight was a project of the Ernest Ward Middle School chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.
Pictured above: Bombs away! Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry bombs a class during the school’s Penny Wars to raise money for Emerald Coast Honor Flight. Pictured below: Penny War containers were placed in the cafeteria for 26 homerooms. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Need A Job? Census Bureau Needs North Escambia Employees; Learn More Tonight
March 9, 2009
The U.S. Census Bureau will hold a recruitment meeting at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino at 7 p.m. today.
The Census Bureau is currently hiring temporary employees to assist with next year’s census, but work will begin later this year.
Pay generally begins at $11 an hour for up to a 40 hour week.
A valid driver’s license is required for most positions. Additionally, the potential Census Bureau employee must pass a background check, be a U.S. citizen, pass a written test of basic skills and have a valid social security number.
Census Bureau hires locally because local residents are knowledgeable about their neighborhood and familiar with the community, its residents, and its local customs, according to their web site.
Tonight’s meeting will take place in the Aldersgate Café.
If you are unable to attend tonight’s meeting, don’t worry. A second meeting will be held on March 23 at 7 p.m. also at Aldersgate.
Workshop Tonight To Address North Escambia Growth
March 9, 2009
If you want to help to plan the growth of a portion of the North Escambia area, there’s a meeting Monday night for you.
The Escambia County Long Range Planning Division will hold an Optional Sector Plan Overlay District workshop Monday night at 6:30 at Ransom Middle School, 1000 W. Kingsfield Road.
The Optional Sector Plan encompasses approximately 15,000 acres of land north of Interstate 10, south of Barrineau Park Road and west of Highway 29. It is a long-term conceptual planning project that will incorporate road networks, schools, parks, and commercial and residential projects. Representatives will be on hand to discuss any issues, answer questions, and receive ideas for creating a unified sector plan.
For more information, please visit the Planning and Zoning web pages at www.myescambia.com or contact Eva Peterson, project manager at (850) 595-3475.
Section Of Pineville Road Closing Monday
March 9, 2009
South Pineville Road at Brushy Creek is scheduled to close Monday for two weeks.
DKE Marine Services will replace bridge pilings and make other repairs on the bridge, which is located in an isolated area west of the Enon community.
The bridge is scheduled to be closed until March 24.
Unemployment Soars; 6,299 Jobs Lost In Escambia
March 8, 2009
The numbers are not good. Unemployment across the area continues to soar, with 6,299 people losing their jobs in Escambia County in the past year. Nearly 1 in 10 people in Escambia County’s workforce are now out of a job.
Escambia County’s numbers are the worst in the immediate region, and the rate at which people are losing their jobs is also higher than any surrounding county. The unemployment rate in the county has nearly doubled in the past year.
From December to January, Escambia County’s unemployment rate jumped from 7.9 percent to 9.1 percent. That represents 1,693 Escambia County residents losing their jobs in just one month.
In Santa Rosa County, the unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County is 8.2 percent. There are 5,690 people out of work in Santa Rosa County, up from 3,040 one year ago. In the past month, 703 people have lost their jobs in Santa Rosa County.
In Escambia County, Alabama, there were 1,229 people unemployed as of December. The county’s unemployment rate was at 8.5 percent, up 3.2 from December 2007.
Statewide in Florida, there are about 800,000 people out of work — the highest number since September 1992.
“Governor Crist has emphasized job creation and stimulating Florida’s economy by developing budget priorities that focus on these principles and translate federal stimulus dollars into action,” said Agency For Workforce Innovation Interim Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo. “We are working diligently to ensure federal stimulus funds are distributed quickly to have significant impact on increasing benefits and enhancing our services to Floridians. We are also working diligently to ensure our state and business partners are posting job openings on the Employ Florida Marketplace website.”
The Employ Florida Marketplace, provides employers, job seekers, students, training providers and workforce professionals with workforce services at no cost. Employers can post job openings and job seekers can post resumes at www.employflorida.com. Employ Florida Marketplace currently lists nearly 130,000 job opportunities in Florida.
Locally, job services are available from the Escarosa Career Center at 8120 North Century Boulevard in Century. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. The phone number is 256-6266.
Other locations are the Escarosa Career Centers at 3670-A North L Street in Pensacola and 5723 Highway 90 in Milton.
Pictured above: The most recent unemployment figures from each county across the region. The bottom number on each county represents the percentage increase in the past year. Numbers for Florida counties are from January 2009; numbers for Alabama counties are from December 2008. NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Photo Gallery: Jay Crowns Miss Cotton Bowl 2009
March 8, 2009
The Miss Cotton 2009 pageant was held Saturday night in Jay.
The annual womanless beauty pageant is sponsored by the Jay Medical Center Relay for Life team. Proceeds from the pageant go to the American Cancer Society.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured above: Don Ripley, Century Care Center director, as nurse “Anita Cocktail Smith”. Pictured below: Miss Cotton Boll 2009 is crowned. Submitted photos by Mae Hildreth for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Area Bank To Open New Branch
March 8, 2009
A bank with an Atmore location will break ground next week on a new location in Brewton.
Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union will hold an official groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m. Tuesday in front of the Super Wal-Mart in Brewton.
Gulf Winds’ board of directors, management and area officials will attend the short groundbreaking ceremony. The new branch in Brewton is expected to open in late-2009.
The Brewton branch will be the tenth for Gulf Winds and the second in Alabama. Atmore was the first. The new branch will be a full-service financial institution complete with a drive through lane, drive-up night deposit, an ATM and numerous technology upgrades that save time and add convenience.
Spring Forward; Change Battery In Your Fire Alarms?
March 8, 2009
As you “spring forward” with the change to daylight-saving time today, Escambia County Fire Rescue wants to remind residents to make another change that could save their lives — changing the batteries in their smoke alarms.
Officials say the peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. Children and senior citizens are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely.
Fire officials also recommend residents test smoke alarms by pushing the test button, planning “two ways out” and practicing escape routes with the entire family. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries.
Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. An average of three children per day die in home fires and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries.
Tragically, fire can kill selectively. Those most at risk include:
- Children — Approximately 1,000 children under the age of 20 die each year in home fires. Children under age five are at twice the risk of dying in a home fire. Eighty percent of fatal home fire victims who were children were killed in homes without working smoke alarms.
- Seniors — Adults over age 75 are three times more likely to die in home fires than the rest of the population; those over 85 are 4.5 times more likely to die in a home fire. Many seniors are unable to escape quickly.
- Low-Income Households — Many low-income families are unable to afford batteries for their smoke alarms. These same households often rely on poorly installed, maintained or misused portable or area heating equipment — a main cause of fatal home fires.
Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing your smoke alarms every ten years.
For more information about fire safety, call Escambia County Fire Rescue at 850-475-5530 or visit our web site at www.myescambia.com
For information about obtaining a free home smoke alarm call 850-595-HERO (4376).
Large Brush Fire Destroys Area Mobile Home
March 8, 2009
What firefighters believe began as a brush fire in the Quintette area Saturday afternoon destroyed a mobile home.
The mobile home had been completely destroyed by fire when the first firefighters arrived on scene. The mobile home had been empty since it was damaged by Hurricane Ivan.
Firefighters from multiple departments responded to the fire about noon Saturday off Rocky Branch Road, north of Quintette Road.
The mobile home was located on a dirt road about two miles off Quintette Road in a very isolated area.
The fire also burned several vehicles and about 15 acres of wooded area. Trains on a nearby track were also stopped for a short time due to the fire.
Fire units from Molino, Cantonment, Ensley, Beulah and Pace responded to the fire along with Escambia County EMS, the State Fire Marshal and the Florida Division of Forestry.
There were no injuries reported.
Most fire units were complete by 2:30 Saturday afternoon.
Click here for more photos from the scene.
Pictured above and below: What apparently started as a brush fire destroyed this unoccupied mobile home in the Quintette area Saturday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.