More Rain Possible Tonight
July 24, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 76. Calm wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 95. Light east wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 76. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
BOE Approves College Performance Funding; Pensacola State On Underperforming List
July 24, 2015
Pensacola State College is among five schools in Florida that have some of their existing funding held back until they show improvement.
A new performance-funding system for state colleges was approved Thursday by the State Board of Education, the latest step in Florida officials’ drive to tie money for higher education to how well institutions and their students do.
Board members unanimously approved the model, but some did so hesitantly, discouraged by standards that were left out of the model under legislative instructions or did not feature as prominently in the scores colleges receive because of a scarcity of data.
The performance system will control how the state divvies up a total of $40 million, including $20 million of new funding for colleges and $20 million in money that colleges were already receiving. In that respect, it resembles a larger performance plan for state universities that started last year.
Colleges will be scored based on four categories: Completion rates for students, retention rates for students, job placement and continuing education for graduates and the entry-level wages for graduates. At least initially, completion and retention rates will be weighed more heavily than job placement and wages.
That bothered some board members, who noted that Gov. Rick Scott and other state officials have pushed for colleges and universities to put more emphasis on the prospects of those with college degrees to find work. But Christopher Mullin, executive vice chancellor of the Division of Florida Colleges, said the state isn’t able to get the information it needs from some states where students are likely to move.
Both of Florida’s closest neighbors — Alabama and Georgia — aren’t part of a multistate agreement that would allow Florida to get accurate information about jobs and wages, Mullin said.
“What we have is a number of colleges along the I-10 corridor whose students might live or work right across the border. … We’re working really hard to get Georgia and Alabama to join in as well, where we won’t have to worry about this issue moving forward,” Mullin said.
Board Chairwoman Marva Johnson said the department should try to find other routes to get the information it needs regardless of what happens with the data-sharing agreement.
“I don’t want to have to wait on them to get to 50 (states),” she said. “I really would love for us to try to find a way to get, maybe it won’t be perfect data, but as close as we can to the best data, so that we can properly value job placement and wages in the metric system.”
Meanwhile, board member Rebecca Lipsey said she was disappointed that lawmakers set aside a recommendation from Education Commissioner Pam Stewart that the performance formula include a measurement focused specifically on students who received federal need-based financial aid. In all, lawmakers dropped five metrics that Stewart had proposed.
“By removing that, we’re no longer, when thinking about performance funding for our college system, finding a way to incentivize and reward colleges for specifically ensuring that their low-income students are having great outcomes,” Lipsey said.
According to information provided to the board, seven colleges will receive their existing funding back and a higher share of the new money: Santa Fe College; Valencia College; Tallahassee Community College; Lake-Sumter State College; Gulf Coast State College; State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota; and Florida SouthWestern State College. Five schools — Pasco-Hernando State College, the College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Northwest Florida State College and Pensacola State College — will not receive new funding and will have some of their existing funding held back until they show improvement.
The other 16 colleges will receive their existing funding and some performance funding, though not as much as the seven highest-scoring schools.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service Of Florida
Century Man Charged With Burglary
July 24, 2015
A Century man is facing felony charges for allegedly burglarizing a shed and selling items at a scrap dealer.
Travis Leigh Carroll, 23, was charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure, third degree larceny and criminal mischief with property damage. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $75,000.
Carroll is accused of burglarizing the shed in the 100 block of East Highway 4 and stealing shock absorbers, an aluminum ladder and copper wire. He also allegedly damaged the shed door and electrical service panel. He then allegedly sold the property, valued at $550 for $80 at a recycling business in Flomaton.
The property owner provided deputies with a security camera image that reportedly shows Carroll on the property.
Escambia Schools Summer Class Of 2015 Graduates (With List)
July 24, 2015
The Escambia County School District held their Summer Commencement Exercises today for 47 members of the Class of 2015.
They were commended by Superintendent Malcolm Thomas for their determination to “hang in there and not give up until you could walk out of here with a diploma in your hand.”
Thomas spoke to the graduates about Walt Disney and Elvis Presley who were each told they didn’t have what it would take to be successful. But they didn’t give up. Thomas also thanked everyone in the room who had supported the students in their efforts to complete high school and reminded the students that “none of those people control your next step. You made the choice to be here today. There is always a way to find success, if you don’t give up.”
Summer Graduates Class of 2015:
Tate High School
- Logan Taylor Ahl
- Sheldon Wayne Biggs
- Emmalie Desirae Earnest
- Dalton Ray Flowers
- Ashton Daniel Hand
- Samuel Vernon Henke
- Johnnie Randall Jarman
- Keith Michael Maresca
- Tara Grace Maresca
- Savannah Graye Marron
- Jacob Bryce Marsh
- Quintin Dante McGhee
- Dominick Anthony Mondello
- Cory James Walker
- Arkisha Lashae Williams
District Extended Program
- Demondo Weathers
Pine Forest High School
- Tatiana Janae Andrews
- Stephen Brent Bodree
- Amie Marie Bradley
- Christopher Peter Jaycub Byrd
- Nicholas Ryan Coon
- Devin Austin Cushing
- Rolence Dubois
- Marcus Jermon Ephfrom
- Samuel Miguel Fast
- Wesley Shane Gainey
- Paul Tyler Jesus Garcia
- Michael Guadulupe Gonzalez Clark
- Arthur Edward Hampton
- Creay Tonetta Howard
- Bruce Edward Lindsey
- Cassandra Maxine Mayon
- Dylan Ross McFadyen
- Shaunderrick Ja’Marcus Jerome Purifoy
- Christopher Jordan Rape
- Steven Chappell Smith
- Tanner G. Ward
Escambia High School
- Matthew Budzinsky
- Amanda Gelano
- Ethan Griffith
- Xavier Pope
Booker T. Washington High School
- Cameron David Carr
- Melody Chen
- Robert Wade Fretland
- Qudarius Timothy Sanders
- Jacob Morgan Vincent
- Logan Dakota Yancy
Escambia Virtual School
- Kenthea Davis
Millionaires Make Up Nearly One-Third Of Florida Legislature
July 24, 2015
Nearly a third of state lawmakers are millionaires, with two members of the Senate having net worths that top $20 million, according to newly filed disclosure reports.
Almost half of the Senate is in the millionaires club, and more than two dozen senators saw their net worths grow in the past year. Some reports remain to be filed, but so far no senator sits in the red financially, according to the reports posted on the Florida Commission on Ethics website.
In the House, about one-fourth of the 120 members have net worths stretching to seven figures. Twenty-five House members — including seven of the millionaires — reported their net worths dropped in the past year. Another nine representatives have negative net worths, including six who each have negative net worths of more than $100,000, mostly because of student or home loans.
The reports, which reflect 2014 finances, were due July 1, but not everyone has filed their paperwork. Rules set by lawmakers mean late paperwork doesn’t become an issue until September.
The Senate has some of the wealthiest legislators, topped again by Sen. Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican who co-founded VITAS Healthcare Corp. and reported a net worth of $26.99 million.
The next highest net worths belonged to Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, at $21.2 million, and Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, at $14.5 million.
Brandes, who made money in real estate, is also a shareholder in Bay Cities Bank in Tampa and Green Bench Brewery in St. Petersburg. Simpson is involved with the family-owned Simpson Environmental Services and Simpson Farms.
Simpson, along with Sen. David Simmons, a Republican attorney from Altamonte Springs, and Sen. Jeremy Ring, a Margate Democrat who is a former executive at Yahoo, each reported incomes topping $1 million in the past year.
At the other end of the fiscal spectrum is freshman Rep. Victor Torres, D-Orlando. The retired New York City Transit Police detective added a residential mortgage to his portfolio in 2014, raising his negative net worth from $28,017 in 2013 to $354,165 last year.
Other House members who have liabilities exceeding assets by more than $100,000 include Republican Danny Burgess of San Antonio and Democrats Katie Edwards of Plantation, Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg, Edwin Narain of Tampa and Bobby DuBose of Fort Lauderdale.
That’s not to say your typical elected representative, with a state salary of $29,697 a year, plus food, lodging and travel expenses, is struggling.
The average net worth of House members — based on the disclosure reports now available for 2014 — is $1.27 million. The average grows to $1.386 million if the 2013 totals are added for nine House members who have yet to submit disclosure reports for 2014.
In 2013, before 24 seats were turned over due to term limits and elections, the average net worth of House members stood at $1.374 million.
Democrats in the House who have filed their 2014 papers had an average net worth of $792,019, while the average net worth of the Republicans was $1,721,145.
Last year’s wealthiest House member, Miami Republican Michael Bileca, who reported a net worth of $14.2 million for 2013, is among those yet to file. Bileca, who co-founded the Towncare Dental Partnership firm now located throughout Central and South Florida, has requested an extension until Aug. 15.
Ben Wilcox, with the watchdog group Integrity Florida, said state lawmakers have made strides in recent years to improve the financial-disclosure reports, but the information remains vastly incomplete.
“The Commission on Ethics should be given the authority to do random audits of a sample of public officials’ financial disclosure reports each year,” Wilcox said. “It is a concern that assets can be hidden or moved, thus giving the public an inaccurate picture of an official’s assets.
Among the problems with the reports, according to Integrity Florida, is that assets can be easily hidden under a spouse’s name, and lawmakers don’t have to reveal if firms they own or work for have business before the Legislature or state government. Also, Integrity Florida contends that with the requirement that numbers be based on a single day rather than the full year lawmakers can “secretly engage in major transactions throughout the year undetected.”
The July 1 deadline is also a misnomer, Wilcox noted. Besides the ease in which lawmaker can get extensions, late fines of $25 a day — up to a maximum of $1,500 — don’t begin until Sept. 1.
“The grace period is too long and sends a message that it is not important to meet the July 1 deadline. Ideally the deadline should be the deadline,” Wilcox said.
Even without immediate penalties, the majority of lawmakers got their paperwork in on time.
The average net worth of a sitting senator, based upon the 2014 filings, stands at $4.5 million. Last year, the Senate average was $3.59 million, with a total net worth of $143.7 million. Those who have already filed this year reported a combined $144.6 million net worth.
Democrats in the Senate average $3.25 million, while Republicans have a $5.2 million average. The Senate includes 17 millionaires in the 2014 records recently submitted.
Two other senators, Brandon Republican Tom Lee and Bradenton Republican Bill Galvano, have both been above the seven-figure mark in the past, but have requested extensions until Aug. 15 to file the new disclosure forms.
The Senate so far is showing everyone in the black.
Sen. Darren Soto, an Orlando Democrat and attorney who has been steadily paying down home loans, recorded a positive net worth of $28,346 for 2014, an improvement upon a negative $6,663 in 2013 and a $32,351 negative figure a year earlier.
Meanwhile, Sen. Thad Altman, a Rockledge Republican who received $169,891 in 2014 as president and CEO of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, joined the ranks of millionaires in the past year. Altman reported a net worth of $1,003,878 in 2014, up from $899,676 a year earlier.
Also, the Senate’s newest member, Elkton Republican Travis Hutson, posted a net worth of $6.99 million. Hutson, a former House member, joined the Senate this spring after winning a special election in a Northeast Florida district.
Among the most-recent figures for the 40 senators, Orlando Democrat Geraldine Thompson’s $828,099 net worth hugs the median among her colleagues, slightly above the $815,179 reported by Stuart Republican Joe Negron.
In the House, freshman Rep. Mike Miller, R-Winter Park, stands at the median among his colleagues. Miller’s $480,000 is just above the net worth of $478,248 reported by House Speaker Steve Crisafulli. Crisafulli, a Republican from Merritt Island, is involved in the family-owned Crisafulli Builders Inc. Crisafulli’s net worth grew $24,259 from year to year.
House members who as of Friday morning had yet to file their financial-disclosure paperwork were Fort Walton Beach Republican Matt Gaetz, Delray Beach Republican Bill Hager, Orlando Democrat Bruce Antone, Orlando Democrat Randolph Bracy, Jacksonville Democrat Reggie Fullwood, West Park Democrat Shevrin Jones, Coral Springs Democrat Jared Moskowitz and Alachua Democrat Clovis Watson.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Century Budget Meeting Postponed
July 24, 2015
The Century Town Council was scheduled to hold a final budget workshop Thursday afternoon, but that meetng was rescheduled. The council will now hold final budget talks on Thursday, August 6. Pictured: Century Town Hall. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Storm 12U Team Wins Global World Series
July 24, 2015
The Pensacola Storm 12-year old Majors team recently won the Global World Series in Orange Beach, competing against 35 other 12U teams from across the county. They went 8-0 in tournament play, scoring a total of 56 runs while allowing just 16 runs. The Storm finished their season at 48-11, ranked 42nd in the nation out of 4,687 teams in 12U.
Pictured are Pensacola Storm 12U Majors team members (front, L-R) Damarius McGhee, Josh Turner, Aaron Noack, Tanner Rouchon, Ian Ladieu, (back) Jordan Jarman, Jordan McCants, Tyler Michanowicz, Hunter Pierson and Brady Garcia.
Della Godwin
July 24, 2015
Mrs. Della Godwin, 103, passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2015, in Century.
Mrs. Godwin was a native of Jay and a resident of Century for most of her life. Mrs. Godwin worked (retired) at St. Regis Paper Company in the Bag Plant Department and she worked as a babysitter. She is preceded in death by her parents, W.D. & Annie Griffis; husband, William L. Godwin; son, William S. Godwin; seven brothers and two sisters.
Survivors include her son, Ronnie (Jeanne) Griffis of Mississippi; two sisters, Veda Mae Welch of Pineview and Jean Clark of Bluff Springs ; six grandchildren; four great grandchildren and special nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Sunday, July 26, 2015, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. James Peacock officiating.
Burial will follow at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Jay.
Visitation will be Saturday, July 25, 2015, from 6-9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Blue Wahoos Win 11th Straight Home Game
July 24, 2015
In his last three starts — all wins — Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Daniel Wright has used his mix of four pitches to keep the opposing batters off balance.
Wright won his third straight start over the Biloxi Shuckers, 2-1, Thursday in front of 4,533 at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Pensacola narrowly escaped when second baseman Juan Perez ended the game on a perfect one-hop relay throw from shallow center field to catcher Kyle Skipworth to nail Biloxi pinch runner Brent Suter, who stumbled rounding third base.
The Pensacola dugout went from “a low to high moment really quick,” said Wright, who improved to 7-7 with a 4.32 ERA.
The Blue Wahoos won its fourth straight game and 11th straight home game. Pensacola improved to 17-10 (42-53) and sole possession of first place in the Southern League South Division. For the first time in franchise history since 2012, Pensacola improved to seven games above .500.
Mobile BayBears defeated the Mississippi Braves Thursday to propel the Blue Wahoos into first.
With his dad, Paul, and Little League manager Steve Knott traveling from Memphis to look on, Wright threw eight innings, allowing just one run on four hits with a walk and struck out five. After allowing Biloxi’s only run in the sixth when center fielder Michael Reed doubled in third baseman Nate Orf to cut Pensacola’s lead, 2-1, Wright retired the next seven hitters.
Wright has a 1.17 ERA, allowing one run in each of his last three starts covering 23 innings. In five of his last six starts, Wright has allowed one run or less. His second half ERA is 1.74, giving up eight earned runs in 41.3 innings.
He said having his dad and coach look on was no distraction.
“I waved to them before the game but once the game starts, you’re just thinking about the next pitch,” Wright said. “As the game went on, I got a little bit sharper.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said he was worried Wright would run out of gas after scoring from first base in the fifth inning on Bryson Smith’s triple over the center fielder’s head. His score put Pensacola up, 2-1.
The Blue Wahoos went up, 1-0, in the fourth inning when right fielder Juan Duran singled in center fielder Bryson Smith.
“Daniel (Wright) was outstanding again,” Kelly said. “That’s the way he threw for me in Bakersfield.”
Last year, Wright led the Cincinnati Reds’ minor league pitchers with 14 wins (first) and 141 strikeouts (second) pitching for Low-A Dayton Dragons and High-A Bakersfield Blaze.
Bryson Smith went 2-3 with a triple, scored a run and drove in another. Smith is now hitting .381 (8-21) with one homer and three RBIs in six games with Pensacola.
Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej also went 2-3 and has hits in 14 of his last 15 games. He’s batting 22-53 or .415 during that span. He’s hitting .362 in the second half and has raised his season average to .267.
The third game of the five-game series is scheduled at 6:35 p.m. Friday with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers. RHP Tim Adleman (6-7, 2.36) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by Shuckers RHP Tyler Wagner (6-5, 2.53).
Five Century Families Receiving New Homes Thanks To Grant
July 23, 2015
Five Century families are receiving brand new home homes thanks to a Community Development Block Grant received by the town.
Three mobile homes, one added-on trailer and one traditional built home will be demolished and replaced with new homes. Each of the homes being replaced are substandard — some so bad with mold and missing floors that residents have already been moved out, according to Robin Phillips, the town consultant that is administering the program.
Each of the new homes will be fully funded by the grant with residents required to pay nothing.
The homes being replaced are (with address, owner name, bid winner and construction amount):
- 6890 Jefferson Avenue, Mary Ann Bradley, Bill Walther Construction $81,900
- 6800 Gilford Avenue, Annie Mims, Parker Construction, $85,725
- 121 Mincy Court, Ethel Brown, Walther Construction $86,000
- 6845 Jefferson, David and Betty Washington, Motes Construction, $84,800
- 7024 Hartley Lane, Ruby and Olivia Fleeton, Motes Construction, $85,600
Construction work will begin as soon as contract documents are executed and approved.
Pictured: Three of the five homes being replaced with new grant-funded homes in Century. The home at top is at 6890 Jefferson Avenue, below is 121 Mincy Court and at bottom is 6845 Jefferson Avenue. Photos courtesy Escambia County Tax Collector for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
