Prayer Vigil Held For Jay Native Injured By Suicide Bomber In Afghanistan
November 5, 2010
The Jay community gathered Thursday night to pray for a native son injured during a suicide bombing earlier this week in Afghanistan.
Miles Baker of Jay was severely injured by a suicide bomber Monday in Afghanistan. Shrapnel was removed from the left arm and stomach of the Army infantryman. His wife, Brittany, was able to talk to him for the first time Thursday, just a few hours before the candlelight prayer vigil at the Jay City Park.
Thank you everyone for the prayers,” she said. “You have no idea what it means to me. Please continue to pray. They are not sending him home right now.”
Miles Baker joined the Army right after graduating from Jay High School. He and wife Brittany have one child, Zaiden, age two months. Miles Baker will celebrate his 20th birthday on November 17.
Gulf Coast Showcase Of Champions Marching Band Competition Saturday At Tate
November 5, 2010
Tate High School will host the Ninth Annual Gulf Coast Showcase of Champions Marching Band Competition on Saturday.
Preliminaries begin at noon and finals begin at 6 p.m. Eleven bands from around the Southeast will perform, including the Northview Tribal Beat at noon.
The Tate “Showband of the South” will perform an exhibition after the preliminaries and also after the finals. The University of Mobile’s RamCorps will perform at 3:30.
Admission is $7 for the preliminary competition and $10 for the final competition.
One Injured In Highway 4 Crash; Driver Charged
November 4, 2010
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash this afternoon east of Northview High School.
The accident happened about 12:45 p.m. on West Highway 4 near Vaughn Road when Scott Mahoney, 26, of Pace, attempted to turn his 2010 Ford exterminator company truck into a driveway. He turned into the path of 2004 Toyota Camry driven by Selena Hutton, 34, of Walnut Hill. The Toyota came to rest in the westbound lane of Highway 4, while the pickup truck came to rest in a ditch.
Hutton was transported by ambulance to Jay Hospital with minor injuries. Mahoney refused transport to the hospital at the scene. There were no passengers in either vehicle.
The Florida Highway Patrol cited Mahoney for violation of right of way.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the crash.
Pictured above and below: A two vehicle accident Thursday afternoon on West Highway 4 near Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Seeks Advice Before Moving Forward On $30 Million Biofuel Plant
November 4, 2010
The Town of Century may be taking a cautious step toward luring a $30 million biofuel plant after plans to located in Jay failed to materialize without the backing of the Town of Jay and Santa Rosa County.
Integrated Energy Partners asked the Town of Century to sign off on a memorandum to back the issuance of revenue bonds to finance the facility — essentially using the town’s name to obtain a credit rating with obligation to the town.
The council approved sending the IEP request to the town’s attorney, Matt Dannheisser, for review prior to taking any action on the bond agent request.
“Mr. Matt did not agree to get involved with it whatsoever as it was,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said of Dannheisser’s recommendation. The attorney recommended that IEP front $5,000 to hire a financial advisor recommended by Dannheisser to “walk the city through” a decision.
McCall indicated that IEP’s Jeff Ates had indicated that he was willing to provide the funds for the financial advisor.
“We don’t have anything to lose; we are not losing a dime,” McCall said. “We will be using this man’s money.”
Integrated Energy Partners had asked the Santa Rosa County Commission to back the issuance of revenue bonds to finance the facility in the Jay Industrial Park. Since the county’s name would be used to obtain financing for the company, Commission Chairman Gordon Goodwin told a company official at a July meeting that he wanted more information before making a decision about a project using the county’s name. Weeks later, Santa Rosa County still had not received the additional IEP financial information.
The Integrated Energy Partners (IEP), Inc. facility would use agricultural products to create biodiesel fuel, kerosene, propane and electricity. The plant would provide about 30 jobs and eventually employee about 50 people in five years.
McCall said IEP would potentially join Century Lumber and Land, LLC, Railmark Holdings and Milton Timber in the old Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company complex. After two delays in financing, Century Lumber and Land, LLC is cut the a ceremonial ribbon and began making improvements at the old lumber facility last month.
According to documentation provided by Integrated Energy Partners to the Santa Rosa County Commission, the company would use seeds from the Camelina plant in the winter and other traditional year-round crops, including cotton seed, to produce their biofuels. In addition, municipal and other waste products would be used as fuel.
The company said it has secured purchase agreements with farmers involving about 10,000 acres in the Florida Panhandle and has an “in principle” agreement with a municipality for their waste.
The company is not dependent on local farmers; instead, “IEP can exist in any industrial park that has adequate and infrastructure,” according to the company. IEP emphasizes the word “offering” in their presentation to the commission about a potential relationship with local farmers by offering a market for their production under a U.S Department of Agriculture.
The company also said that there will not be any permitting problems in locating the plant because they will not need an air discharge, wastewater discharge or wastewater treatment system permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
At startup, the IEP planned to have a 5-12 megawatt electricity generation capacity. They would be able to produce, according to documents provided to the commission, a yearly output of 3 million gallons of biodiesel, 9 million gallons of kerosene, 353 thousand gallons of cellulosic alcohol, 437 thousand gallons of propane and 47.8 MWH of electricity.
IEP stated in documents presented to the Santa Rosa commission that federal law stipulates that a local utility must purchase electricity offered by an independent power producer. The company states that a local utility is “ready to purchase all of our power production”. IEP is also in negotiations to sell their liquid fuel to wholesalers.
Freeze Watch In Effect
November 4, 2010
A freeze watch has been issued for Friday night and early Saturday morning with a light freeze forecast in some parts of North Escambia.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 60. Northwest wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 31. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming north between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 31. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 35. Calm wind.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. Calm wind.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 74.
- Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 46.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 77.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51.
- Veterans Day: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Kids Vote: Area Students Take Part In Mock Election (With Results)
November 4, 2010
Students in Escambia County’s public middle and high schools on Tuesday cast a secure, online ballot in a simulated election through the Kids Voting “DoubleClick Democracy” initiative.
The students chose Republican Rick Scott as governor over Democratic Alex Sink. And, much like the real world results, it was a close race with about 2-percent more favoring Scott. Among North Escambia schools, Scott was victorious at Ernest Ward Middle, Ransom Middle, Northview High and Tate High.
The students made a different choice for U.S. Senator than adults in Florida, with Kendrick Meek receiving the most votes in the Kids Voting program. Marco Rubio, the actual winner on Tuesday, was the second choice among the middle and high school students in Escambia County.
Amendment 8, the class-size amendment, did not pass among the students, with 54.77 percent voting yes. A 60-percent approval was required for passage.
To see complete results from Escambia County’s schools, click here.
The Kids Voting “DoubleClick Democracy” program combines civic learning in the classroom with an authentic voting experience which includes a ballot that mirrors their local precinct ballot, according to Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford.
The program also offers teachers diverse interactive curriculum that meets Florida Sunshine State Standards, and has at its center an interactive website for all grade levels K-12 that includes activities and discussion topics for students, as well as a site specifically designed for students. The curriculum is civics-based, and geared toward encouraging young voter participation and deepening students’ knowledge of how democracy works in America. Materials are made available via the website to all teachers interested in utilizing the curriculum.
On Tuesday, many schools conducted mock elections throughout Escambia County. Students in Escambia County’s public middle and high schools had an opportunity to cast a secure, online ballot as part of the initiative. Students were issued a unique number to enter online to cast their ballot; to ensure that students vote only once, the number became invalid after it was used. Students’ ballots were specific to their district and they cast votes for U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor & Lt Governor, Attorney General and local races.
Escambia County’s Kids Voting “DoubleClick Democracy” is used at no cost in a partnership with several Florida counties, including the originator of the program, KidsVoting Tampa Bay, as well as the Escambia County school system.
Gulf And Alabama Power Companies Report Increased Quarterly Earnings
November 4, 2010
Southern Company — the parent company of Gulf Power and Alabama Power – reported increased third quarter profits due to a hot summer.
The Atlanta-based company reported third quarter earnings of $817.2 million, or 98 cents a share, compared with $790.0 million, or 99 cents a share, for the same period a year ago.
For the nine months ended Sept. 30, Southern Company’s earnings were $1.82 billion, or $2.20 a share, compared with $1.39 billion, or $1.77 a share, for the same period a year ago.
Revenues for the third quarter were $5.32 billion, compared with $4.68 billion for the same period a year ago, a 13.6 percent increase. For the first nine months of the year, revenues totaled $13.68 billion, compared with $12.23 billion for the same period a year ago, an increase of 11.9 percent.
Warmer-than-normal weather for the period and a stronger-than-expected recovery in the industrial sector positively influenced third quarter earnings, as evidenced by increases in electricity usage and sales. Industrial sales benefited from an increase in exports, with those sales performing at 94 percent of pre-recession levels during the third quarter of 2010.
“While our residential and commercial customers continue to face challenges, the growing strength of our industrial base confirms the Southeast as one of the strongest economies in the U.S.,” said Southern Company Chief Executive Officer David M. Ratcliffe. “As the region begins to make slow strides toward recovery, we will continue our emphasis on exceptional service, industry-leading reliability and prices below the national average.”
Fla. Governor-Elect Rick Scott: Let’s Get To Work
November 4, 2010
The Republican outsider largely unknown a year ago overcame a past tied to a massive health care fraud case with personal wealth that allowed him to run the most expensive gubernatorial campaign in state history, and on Wednesday won with the help of a national conservative tide.
Scott, whose catchy signature phrase of “Let’s Get to Work,” ran ubiquitously on television thanks to the $73 million he spent, convinced just a tiny bit over half those who voted that he has the best plan for putting the state back to work as unemployment continues to hamper Florida’s recovery.
But he had to wait a day to claim victory over Democrat Alex Sink as votes trickled in overnight with the candidates nearly deadlocked. It finished as the closest governor’s race in state history after Sink conceded early Wednesday, saying the voters weren’t going to be there.
In a 10-minute victory speech, Scott was relatively conciliatory toward Democratic supporters of the vanquished Sink, who he had lashed to President Obama throughout the campaign.
He also indirectly acknowledged that his razor-thin win – on a night when most other Republicans breezed to victory – was far from a clear mandate.
“To everyone watching who voted for my opponent, I know I have some work to do to earn your support,” Scott said at the Fort Lauderdale waterside hotel where he’d encamped since Election Night.
But he assured, “Starting today, I work for every Floridian. And today is the end of politics as usual in Tallahassee.”
Winning his first bid for elected office, Scott, 57, will likely get little time to begin making good on his promises to create jobs, freeze state regulations, lower property-taxes and launch another round of lawsuit-limiting civil justice changes.
In a state with unemployment near 12 percent and the state’s foreclosure rate among the nation’s highest, Republicans say they know they have to embrace Scott’s “let’s get to work” campaign theme.
Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, said Tuesday’s elections made it plain that Floridians want changes – fast.
“People have given us the keys to the car,” Richter said. “They want it put in drive. If we leave it in park, they’re going to come back and say, `give us the keys back.’”
Scott also tried to reach out to those voters Wednesday.
“As I’ve traveled this state, I’ve talked to so many people who have lost their jobs, who have lost their homes, and many who’ve just lost all hope,” Scott said. “Some are beginning to wonder if anyone in Tallahassee can turn things around.
“To them, and to thousands of Floridians who are hurting, I say, `Don’t give up.’ I give you my word, better days are coming,” Scott said.
Voter turnout statewide on Tuesday was 48 percent, about the same as the last governor’s race in 2006.
Of the 5.2 million votes cast,, Scott got 49 percent, and Sink 48 percent.
The keys to Scott’s victory on Election Day were in lower than usual voter turnout in traditionally Demcoratic Broward County – where Sink won by a nearly 2-1 margin but didn’t get enough overall votes there – and in Sink’s home county of Hillsborough, which she barely won.
Sink got just 50.07 percent of the vote in Hillsborough County, to 46.7 percent for Scott, whose hometown is relatively remote Naples, a small Republican enclave in southwest Florida.
Democrats said they just couldn’t excite voters in a year in which national pundits have been saying for months that conservatives would sweep the November elections. The ebbing popularity of President Obama didn’t help either.
Scott’s showing in her hometown and low turnout in Broward cancelled out the fact that Sink won easily in populous Miami-Dade County, 56 percent to 42 percent. The county’s heavy Hispanic population generally is reliably Republican, but Scott may have had trouble with Hispanic voters because of his strong rhetoric on immigation enforcement. Sink also won Osceola County, which has a large Hispanic population and easily won Orange County, which includes Orlando, and has a large Puerto Rican population.
Voters also apparently weren’t overly concerned about Scott’s past – which was a major theme of the Sink campaign. Scott was the CEO of hospital chain Columbia/HCA, which paid $1.7 billion in fraud fines and settlements three years after he left. Another company in which he is an investor, Solantic, has also been under investigation.
Scott is expected to return to his Naples home Wednesday night, but by Thursday plans to be back in Fort Lauderdale, where he is setting up his transition office. Advisors say he plans to reach out to private sector executives and government leaders in other states to fill the dozens of agency and administration posts he’ll be filling in the weeks leading to his January inauguration.
Some members of his campaign staff expected to join state government. Jen Baker, who led his communications team until departing for maternity leave around the time Scott won the Republican primary, is likely to serve a similar role with the new administration.
Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, acknowledged that he’s interested in working in the new administration – possibly in a role with the state’s Transportation Department, although he said he’s had no such discussions with Scott.
“I think a lot of us share the same thinking when it comes to improving state government,” Glorioso said.
The $73 million that Scott spent to blanket the airwaves in an effort to bypass traditional news media and appeal directly to voters was too much to overcome, Sink acknowledged Wednesday.
“We lost because of forces beyond our control,” Sink said. “Between the money and the mood of the country, those were the two forces beyond our control.”
Scott made light for the first time of the massive amount of money he spent on the race on Wednesday when he introduced daughters Allison and Jordan to the crowd watching his victory speech.
“They might have lost a little bit of their inheritance,” Scott said, drawing the speech’s biggest laugh and applause.
By John Kennedy and David Royse
The News Service Florida
Pictured top: Rick Scott addresses supporters last Friday in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Police Department Cruiser Back On The Road
November 4, 2010
A Century Police Department cruiser is back on the road, thanks to the handiwork of a North Escambia man.
Jason Stein of Cantonment purchased the inoperable 1991 Ford LTD cruiser for $300 from the Town of Century, and he has restored it to be a near-replica of the original, complete with a Century Police door decal and the original blue flashing lights.
When the Century Police Department was disbanded in the early 1990’s, the car and law enforcement duties were turned over to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office repainted the car and used it until about 1994, Stein said, before giving it back to the town where it was used as an administrative vehicle. By the time Stein purchased the car in 2008, it had been sitting for four or five years.
“I am very pleased with the results so far, but it’s not complete,” he said. “I have really enjoyed working on it.”
The number “26″ on the car is the original Century Police Department fleet number, and the door shield logo is as correct as possible he said. The blue lights are original and restored.
The blue light bar is removable, he said, while the police department markings on the car are removable magnetic signs to keep the car street legal.
Stein, who is a law enforcement dispatcher at Pensacola NAS, recently displayed the car in the Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle Show, and it will be on display this Saturday at a car show at the Marcus Pointe Baptist Church in Pensacola. In addition, Stein is a member of Panhandle Cruisers and participates in their car show most Saturday nights from 7 until 9 at the Burger King at Nine Mile and Chemstrand roads.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Byrneville Elementary Release First Nine Weeks Honor Roll
November 4, 2010
The following students were named to the first nine weeks honor roll at Byrneville Elementary School:
First Grade: Mrs. Rogers
A’s:
Tessa Flowers
A’s and B’s:
Cody Adams
Hunter Borelli
Nevaeh Brown
Kaleb Ellis
Dalton Hanks
Alyssa Jordan
Julianna Moore
First Grade: Mrs. Thornton
A’s:
Shelby Cotita
Taylor Levins
Dillon Spears
A’s and B’s:
Grace Blackmon
Bama Coburn
Kaitlyn Gafford
Lillie McCall
Torka Mills
Second Grade: Mrs. Lambeth
A’s:
Luke Watson
A’s and B’s:
Logan Bryan
Sophia Cotita
Maggie Mae Cufr
Maille Kilcrease
Tyler Merchant
Ty Rolin
David Wiggins
Third Grade: Mrs. Dunsford
A’s and B’s:
Skyler Busbee
Hannah Merchant
Waylon Milstead
Lea Nall
Cloe Smith
Third Grade: Mrs. Weaver
A’s:
Alex Glidewell
Nicholas Trump
A’s and B’s:
Madicyn Bell
Jacob Coleman
Valorie Padilla
Savannah Steadham
Olivia Watson
Fourth Grade: Mrs. Gilmore
A’s:
Kris Baxter
Seth Killam
Tanner Levins
Destiny Payne
A’s and B’s
Austin Adams
Olivia Porter
Faith Watters
4th grade: Ms. Levins
A’s
Courtney Payne
A’s and B’s
Jacob Borelli
Matthew Caine
Rebecca Diamond
Colby Graham
Paige Killam
Sarah Nelson
5th grade: Mrs. Johnston
A’s
Anna Belle Barberree
Kayla Galvan
Abby Hammond
Shellie Harrelson
Beau Henderson
Bailee Hinote
Alaina Rolin
Jayda Warner
A’s and B’s
Jenna Black
Cole Hassebrock
Tori Lee
Jessica Muse
Patience Newsome
Meagan Reid
Destiny Watson