Molino Park Students Collect Over A Half Million Pop Tabs
May 21, 2013
Molino Park Elementary School students collected over a half million pop tabs — those little pull tabs off the tops of aluminum drink cans — to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Florida.
MPES students collected 377 pounds of the pop tabs this year that have been delivered to the Ronald McDonald House. The money from recycling the tabs are used by the facility to help pay their utility bills for the 26-bedroom house on Bayou Boulevard.
Ronald McDonald House Volunteer Services Manager Ariana Murray and Director of Marketing Susan Brady presented the pop tab trophy for the medium size school category Monday afternoon at Molino Park. Molino Park’s 377 pounds of pop tabs were more than were collected by any of the other 64 schools that participated.
During the presentation, Brady invited students and faculty that had stayed at any Ronald McDonald house to join her on the stage. Three staff members and eight students said they had an experience with the Ronald McDonald house in Pensacola and other cities due to premature babies, spinal issues, brain tumors and open heart surgery.
According to the Ronald McDonald House, there are 1,430 tabs per pound — meaning Molino Park’s 377 pound donation would contain an estimated 539,110 tabs. Monday, Molino Park Principal Alice Woodward challenged each of the students to collect a pound of pop tabs over the summer for an early start on earning next year’s trophy.
Pictured top: Ariana Murray from the Ronald McDonald House and Principal Alice Woodward with a group of Molino Park Elementary School students and staff personal touched by Ronald McDonald House. Pictured inset: April Pawless (left) and Melanie Dix delivered 377 pounds of pop tabs from Molino Park Elementary to the Ronald McDonald House recently. Pictured below: Molino Park’s 1st place pop tab trophy. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Carjacker Runs Away Because He Can’t Drive A Stick Shift
May 21, 2013
Deputies say a carjacking in Escambia County came to a quick end because the suspects were unable to drive a stick.
The incident happened near the intersection of North 50th Avenue and Carey Street. The victim said she was driving through the area when she was flagged down by three young white females who were looking for a ride.
The victim stated that as she got out of her vehicle to offer help, an unknown black male approached her from the side and pointed what appeared to be a gun at her. The suspect then told her that this was their vehicle now and jumped into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. The victim ran away and contacted the Sheriff’s Office.
Another individual on a bicycle told the victim that her car was still sitting on Carey Street. The victim later stated that she believes the suspects did not take her vehicle because they could not drive a stick shift.
Arriving deputies soon located two of the females on foot in the area of 49th Avenue and Jackson Street. One of the juveniles told deputies they had jumped into the car with the black male suspect, known by the street name of “Chief Keef”, but that he didn’t know how to drive a stick so he ordered everybody out of the vehicle at which time they fled on foot.
“Chief Keef” is described as a black male with medium length dreads, approximately 5’9” to 6’ tall with a stocky build and a gap between his two front teeth. He is believed to have also been involved in a previous vehicle theft that had taken place near Jackson and “W” Street.
The juveniles were released to the custody of their parents with possible charges forthcoming. Anyone with any information on the identity or whereabouts of “Chief Keef” should contact Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Woman Accidentally Shot By Father In Century
May 21, 2013
A 38-year old woman was accidentally shot by her father Monday in Century.
Witnesses told deputies that the father had .22 caliber weapon inside the house and was headed outside to shoot “a varmit” in the family’s yard. The woman reportedly tried to take the weapon from her father, believing it was not loaded, when it fired accidentally inside the home, striking her in the lower chest or upper abdomen. Her injury was not believed to be life threatening.
The woman was transported by ambulance to the Escambia County EMS Post in Century and then airlifted to a Pensacola hospital by LifeFlight.
The shooting is under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. No charges are expected to be filed.
Pictured top and bottom: A woman was accidentally shot in this home on Backwoods Road in Century early Monday evening. Pictured inset: The woman was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital by LifeFlight. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
After A Century Start, Special Olympics Torch Run Ends In Orlando
May 21, 2013
The annual Special Olympics Florida’s Summer Games were held over the weekend in Orlando, marking the end of the 2013 Law Enforcement Torch Run that started in Century in March.
The state run began at the Florida/Alabama state line back on Monday, March 25. Employees from Century Correctional Institution and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office escorted the torch down Highway 29 through Century. The run continued over 1500 miles in segments across the state, ending in Orlando.
At the Special Olympics in Orlando, deputies Jeff Cutaio and Jeremiah Weeks represented the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in the opening ceremonies.
Pictured top and bottom. The 2013 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Florida Special Olympics began March 25 in Century. Pictured inset: The run ended at the Summer Games in Orlando this weekend, with Deputies Jeff Cutaio (left) and Jeremiah Weeks representing the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. NorthEscambia.com and courtesy photo, click to enlarge.
Florida Dept Of Corrections Faces $45 Million Deficit
May 21, 2013
The Florida Department of Corrections will enter the 2013-14 fiscal year with a budget deficit, after lawmakers did not fully cover a shortfall from the current year, Gov. Rick Scott said in a written budget message Monday.
Scott said the department will have to use “upwards of $45 million” in 2013-14 funds to cover the 2012-13 deficit.
“This unfortunate reality will require strong fiscal management during the next year,” Scott’s message said. Scott took issue with budget fine print, known as proviso language, that seeks to make sure public work squads will be maintained during the fiscal year that starts July 1.
He wrote that the “ability of the department to reduce expenditures and responsibly manage its budget is severely limited by this proviso language.”
by The News Service of Florida
Walnut Hill Man Charged With Burglary
May 21, 2013
A Walnut Hill man is facing multiple felony charges after burglarizing an Enon residence twice.
William Arbon Gilly, age 20 of South Pineville Road was charged with armed burglary of a dwelling, unarmed burglary of unoccupied structure, two counts of grand theft, and three counts of grand theft of a firearm. He was booked into the Escambia County jail Friday before being released on a $18,000 bond.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Gilly drove to a single family home on Dan Hall Road twice over a three day period in March where he entered the residence without permission. He is accused of taking firearms, jewelery, coins and electronics valued at approximately $6,000.
After the burglaries, Gilley utilized numerous online methods to sell the stolen items, deputies said. When interviewed by deputies, “Gilly admitted to taking all of the property and indicated he needed money bad and was sorry for what he did,” according to an arrest report.
Gilly cooperated with deputies, the report states, allowing Sheriff’s investigators to recover almost all of the property that was stolen.
Tate’s Heather Thomason Awarded Scholarship
May 21, 2013
Heather Thomason Tate High School has received an Academic Excellence Scholarship from Alabama Southern Community College in Monroeville, Ala. She is the daughter of Pat and Kim Thomason.
To date, the college has awarded more than $2.2 million in scholarships to this year’s high school seniors within the ASCC community.
Century Presents Donation To Cancer Society
May 21, 2013
Monday night, Century Mayor Freddie McCall presented the town’s Relay for Life donation to Sally Cary of the American Cancer Society. The town council voted earlier this year to donate $1,000 to the Cancer Society. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Scott Slashes Turkeys, Signs $74.1 Billion Budget
May 21, 2013
Gov. Rick Scott on Monday sliced a rafter of turkeys and plenty of other projects out of the formerly $74.5 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, bringing an end to speculation about what the governor would do with the heftiest spending plan in state history.
In all, Scott cut just shy of $368 million in funding from the budget (SB 1500), bringing its overall total down to $74.1 billion. That’s still the largest that Florida lawmakers have ever approved, but the governor’s office says it’s one of the smallest since 2000 when population and inflation are factored in.
“We made strategic investments in this budget, while holding the line on spending that does not give Florida taxpayers a positive return on investment,” Scott wrote in a letter accompanying his vetoes. “In order to ensure all taxpayer funds are well spent, I have vetoed special legislative projects totaling $368 million.”
Scott announced by email that he had signed the budget and followed up with a brief press conference outside the Florida Department of Emergency Management’s headquarters in Tallahassee. It marked another striking contrast with Scott’s history — his first budget signing, in The Villages, resembled a political rally, while he spoke about his decisions last year at an elementary school in St. Johns County.
Scott also signed 16 budget-related bills, among them an economic development bill (SB 406) that includes a sales-tax holiday for clothing and school supplies from Aug. 2 through Aug. 4.
The largest item vetoed by Scott was a $50 million trail for bikers and pedestrians cutting across the state from St. Petersburg to Titusville, filling in gaps in existing paths. While pointing out that he and Budget Director Jerry McDaniel like to ride bikes, Scott told reporters that he felt state agencies should handle which projects get funded through normal channels.
“We’re doing projects like that out of the Department of Transportation,” Scott said. “That’s the way we should be doing that, rather than have a project like that.”
The governor also vetoed a 3 percent tuition increase at state colleges and universities, removing $26.4 million in funding for colleges and almost $18.5 million for universities, as well as $1.2 million for workforce education programs.
Scott, who has for months pressed for lower higher education costs, brushed away suggestions that he was meddling in universities for political reasons.
“This is not a political decision; this is the decision for Florida families,” he said. “Tuition cannot continue to go up the way it’s been going up.”
The proposed tuition increases were in budget fine print known as proviso language. While vetoing the proviso language could be legally dubious, Scott said he didn’t expect a court challenge.
“But if there is [one], we’re going to fight it,” he said.
Scott also slashed a $14 million building for science, technology, engineering and math at Gulf Coast State College, a project in the district of Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, that ballooned in size during budget negotiations between the House and Senate. Scott listed that and several other projects among those that weren’t on the list of construction projects requested by the Florida College System.
Gaetz was not alone; some projects in Pasco County, home to House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, also got the ax. Scott suggested he wasn’t overly concerned about nixing items that were close to home for legislative leaders.
“I’m responsible for 19.2 million people,” he said. “I’m not responsible for one region by itself. I want to take care of all Floridians.”
Scott’s vetoes in many instances tracked with the list of budget “turkeys” issued last week by Florida TaxWatch. The organization said Monday that more than two-thirds of the items it highlighted were sliced by Scott.
“It is clear from the high number of vetoed projects that the governor carefully scrutinized all of the budget turkeys TaxWatch identified, which is the intent of the Turkey Watch Report,” said Dominic Calabro, president and CEO of TaxWatch.
Reaction to the vetoes broke down largely along party lines. Gaetz, who had blasted TaxWatch’s list of turkeys on Thursday, was far more mild in his reaction to Scott’s decision to actual veto the items.
“While many will disagree with some of Governor Scott’s line item vetoes, that is his constitutional role as chief executive,” Gaetz said.
But Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, flayed Scott’s vetoes.
“His targets reveal a basic misunderstanding of the critical role local communities, and local community projects play in Florida,” Smith said. “Our economy hinges on many facets, and this funding was intended to infuse the areas that contribute to its struggling rebound.”
Baybears Clinch Series Over Wahoos
May 21, 2013
Mobile outfielder Keon Broxton blasted two two-out, two-run home runs and lead the BayBears past the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4-2 on Monday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. The win clinched the series for Mobile, who has won seven of the nine meetings between the two teams this season.
Broxton’s first homer came in the second inning against Josh Smith. It scored Brent Clevlen, who had reached on an error with one out. Both runs ended up being unearned as a result.
Two innings later, Raywilly Gomez walked with two outs and Broxton laced another one over the left field fence for his second homer of the contest, and third of the season.
Both round-trippers came off of Smith, who fell to 3-4 on the year. Despite the loss, it was one of the best outings of the year for Smith, who went seven innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on five base hits while striking out five.
Pensacola scored both of its runs in the last of the sixth. With runners at second and third and one out, Joe Mather brought home a run on a ground ball out while Travis Mattair followed with a single up the middle to halve the BayBears lead. The Wahoos had other chances to score in the game, but ground into three double plays, stranded seven runners, and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Devin Lohman saw his 16-game on-base streak come to an end with a 0-4 performance.
Michael Bolsinger picked up the win for Mobile in his first start since May 4. Bolsinger gave up two runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings.
Tuesday’s series finale wraps up the 10-game homestand for Pensacola.
story by Kevin Burke