UWF Professors Offering Free Workshops To Help Parents Support Their Students
February 4, 2021
The Escambia County Public Schools Foundation is partnering with the University of West Florida to offer six workshops beginning next week to help parents support their student and their teachers.
“We are excited to partner with the University of West Florida,” said Kristie Kelly, executive director at the Foundation. “Their faculty will share strategies to support your student’s success in face-to-face, virtual and blended learning environments.
The virtual sessions in this series, entitled “Supporting Your Student,” will be on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in February through April. Each session begins at 5 p.m. with a 30-minute workshop followed by 15 minutes for questions from parents. UWF faculty from the departments of teacher education and educational leadership and instructional design and technology are presenting the workshops.
“As a result of the pandemic, parents have suddenly found themselves thrust in the role of teacher without any formal training,” said Dr. John Pecore, professor and associate chair of teacher education and educational leadership. “It has created a tremendous need that our faculty expertise can support. We are excited to offer this service to the community.”
Preregistration is required. Email foundation@ecsdfl.us for more information and to sign up for one or more workshops.
The dates, topics and presenters are listed below. A ZOOM link will be sent to those who have preregistered. A reminder will also be emailed on the day of each workshop.
Feb. 9 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Communicating Regularly with Teachers
Presenters: Dr. Aneta Walker, Dr. James Dickson and Dr. Amany Habib
Feb. 23 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Setting Clear Expectations and Goals
Presenters: Dr. Elizabeth Bemiss and Dr. Kathleen Heubach
March 9 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Establishing Routines and Systems to Stay Organized
Presenter: Dr. Tim Morse and Dr. Holley Handley
March 23 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Encouraging and Motivating for Success
Presenters: Dr. Nguyen Nguyen and Dr. Jennifer Mesa
April 13 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Creating a Positive Environment for At-home Learning
Presenters: Dr. John Pecore, Dr. Melanie DiLoreto and Dr. Minkyoung Kim
April 27 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Addressing the Unique Challenges of Children with Special Needs
Presenters: Dr. Keri Fogle and Dr. Shim Lew
Two Additional COVID-19 Deaths, 215 New Cases Reported In Escambia
February 4, 2021
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
There were two additional COVID-19 deaths and 215 more cases reported in Escambia County Wednesday by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 31,410 (+215)
Non-Florida residents: 3,269
Recovered: 30,625*
Total deaths: 538 (+2)
Long-term care facility deaths : 232 (+2)
Current hospitalizations: 180 (-1)
Number of tests reported last day: 1,395
Percent positive reported last day: 12.1%
Percent positive reported last week: 15.2%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 23,320 (+164)
Cantonment: 2,857 (+23)
Century: 1,120
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 433 (+1)
McDavid: 186 (+1)
Bellview: 52 (+2)
Walnut Hill: 48
Perdido Key: 21
Gonzalez: 12
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 15,700 (+108)
Non-Florida residents: 203
Total deaths: 217 (+2)
Long-term care facility deaths: 66
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 703*
Number of tests reported last day: 583
Percent positive reported last day: 14.6%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 7,567 (+61)
Navarre: 3,144 (+17)
Gulf Breeze: 2,912 (+21)
Pace: 1,249 (+8)
Jay: 491 (+3)
Bagdad: 31
Florida cases:
Total cases: 1,744,619
Florida residents: 1,712,326
Deaths: 27,019
Hospitalizations: 73,266*
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. Most of these people are longer be hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
**On cases by location, the city is based upon zip code and is not always received as part of the initial notification. There may be a delay in reporting locations, and locations will not total the daily case increase as a result.
***The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals. Escambia County is reporting an approximate recovery number defined as the total cases prior to last month, minus deaths. In other words, anyone that tested positive more than a month ago is presumed to have recovered by Escambia County.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Escambia County Starting Over In Search For Fire Chief, Rejecting Four Finalists
February 3, 2021
Escambia County is starting over in its search for a fire chief, scrapping a list of finalists for the position.
Four finalists were announced in late January, culled from a list of 60 applicants from a nationwide search. They have been notified the search is starting over.
“We will be reposting the Fire Chief position to be open until filled,” Escambia County spokesperson Laura Coale told NorthEscambia.com in an email. “We appreciate the candidates’ time and while we had several good candidates, it’s important to find the right fit for Escambia County.”
During the last week of January, the four finalists were set to meet individually with Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley and the department directors in Public Safety. At that time, Coale said County Administrator Janice Gilley would possibly make a choice and a new fire chief could be on the job by March.
The finalists for Escambia Fire Rescue chief were, in alphabetical order:
- William Beaty, Jr. has served as the fire chief at the Garden City Fire Department in Kansas since December 2019. He previously worked as the program coordinator at Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, Illinois) from 2007 to 2019. He also worked with the Springfield (Illinois) Fire Department from 1996, to 2019, leaving as a captain.
- Roger Burton served in the Ohio Air National Guard from 2010 until 2020, retiring as installation fire chief.
- Clinton Cooke served with the South Monroe County Fire Department in Conroe, Texas, from 2009 to 2020 when he departed as Assistant Fire Chief. On his application he stated he reason for leaving as “agreement between the fire chief and I. Will discuss further in interview”.
- Christopher Hatch has worked with the NAS Pensacola Fire Department since 1986. He was a supervisory firefighter from 1986 to 2005 and has served as assistant fire chief of operations since 2005. He has also volunteered for Escambia Fire Rescue since 1982, serving in positions ranging from volunteer firefighter to assistant district chief and district chief. He is currently district chief of the Bellview Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and serves as president of the Escambia County Volunteer Firefighters Association.
The job has been open for well over a year. Escambia County’s last fire chief, Rusty Nail, was hired in April 2018 and submitted his resignation about a year later.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Sex Offender From Cantonment Charged With Registration Violations
February 3, 2021
A convicted sex offender from Cantonment is facing two felony charges for allegedly failing to follow Florida’s registration laws.
Michael Bernard Ayers, 50, was charged with failing to report a name or residence change and failing to report vacating a permanent residence.
In 1991, Ayers was convicted of rape and sodomy first degree in Morgan County, Alabama, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Ayers, who listed an address of 2963 Junction Drive in Cantonment at the time his arrest, remained in the Escambia County Jail Wednesday morning with bond set at $30,000.
Teen Seriously Injured When Struck By Vehicle In Cantonment
February 3, 2021
A teen was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle Tuesday afternoon in Cantonment.
It happened shortly after 5 p.m. in the area of South Highway 95A and East Kingsfield Road. The 15-year old male was transported to an area hospital as a trauma alert by Escambia County EMS.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released further information.
File photo.
Sheriff Says ‘Crazy And Deadly” Events Led Up To Monday Murder, Four Arrests
February 3, 2021
“We had a crazy and deadly series of events that unfolded in North Escambia.”
That is how Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons describes incidents over several days that ended with the shooting death of a Cantonment man on Monday.
Danny Blackmon, Jr., 35, was shot and killed on Lawson Lane Monday afternoon as his 19-year old girlfriend watched in horror.
The girlfriend’s mother is one of two people charged in his death, and her grandmother was also jailed. Dawn Sluder is charged with principal to first degree murder, and her boyfriend, Jonathon Taylor Hobbs of Cantonment, is charged with first degree premeditated murder.
On Saturday, Sluder reported her 19-year daughter as either a runaway or as being held against her will.
“We made contact with the daughter, and she told us, ‘I am happy where I am at and with my boyfriend’,” Simmons said.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to a call of an armed home invasion at Blackmon’s residence in the days before his death. The girlfriend’s grandmother, 57-year old Holly Marie Sluder, and the grandmother’s boyfriend, 63-year old Charles Burnell Parker, were both charged with first degree armed burglary (pictured left). Parker allegedly pointed a gun at Blackmon while Holly Marie Sluder kept her hand on a holstered weapon as they took two cellphones. Blackmon tracked the phones to an area near their residence, and he phones were located when a search warrant was executed Tuesday on Greymont Lane.
Hobbs allegedly shot Blackmon multiple times Monday afternoon. After Blackmon fell to the ground, Hobbs reportedly leaned over his body and fired at least two more rounds before running away. Blackmon’s girlfriend witnessed the entire incident and attempted to perform CPR until she beaten and pulled away by her hair by Dawn Sluder, an arrest report states.
Hobbs and Dawn Sluder remained are being held without bond. Holly Sluder and Parker were released from the Escambia County Jail Tuesday on $50,000 bond each.
“You read about this kind of craziness in other places or see it on television, but unfortunately this time it happened here,” Simmons said. “It’s just crazy. We have a lady whose boyfriend is dead, and her mother and grandmother are in jail. It was a wild weekend.”
RELATED STORY: Arrest Reports Detail Cantonment Shooting That Left One Dead, Two Jailed
Website, Local Phone Number Launched To Register For COVID-19 Vaccine In Escambia County
February 3, 2021
The statewide preregistration system for COVID-19 appointments is now available to Escambia County residents.
Individuals 65 and older and front line health care workers in Escambia County can call the toll free line at (866) 201-1025 or register online at myvaccine.fl.gov. The state has established a help line at (833) 959-0217 for those who need to make changes to their original preregistration.
The registration system will proactively contact vaccine-eligible individuals to schedule appointments when they are available in the county. On the website, residents can select Escambia County and submit their contact information. Once appointments are available, individuals will be contacted by phone call, text or email and will be assisted in scheduling an appointment.
Vaccine supply remains limited and appointments may not be available for several weeks.
On February 5, FDOH-Escambia will sync the information from the previous online interest form with the new system managed by the Florida Department of Emergency Management. Residents who have completed FDOH-Escambia’s online interest form do not need to call or email to confirm their registration.
FDOH said it is important to note that registering multiple times does not increase your chances of getting an appointment. Attempts to register in multiple counties is not allowed. Duplicate registrations will be removed and the system will keep the most recent county registration for the person with multiple entries.
NAS Pensacola Takes Part In Security Exercise
February 3, 2021
Naval Air Station Pensacola and Whiting Field are taking part in annual force protection exercises through February 12.
As part of Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2021 on Tuesday, Navy Security Forces on NAS Pensacola engaged with a barricaded suspect with a hostage, an active shooter and discovered a suspicious package.
Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain is an annual two-week exercise conducted on all Navy installations in the continental U.S. The exercise is designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security personnel and better prepare Department of the Navy personnel for potential force protection situations. It is a regularly scheduled exercise and is not a response to any specific threat.
Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions within local communities and to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around bases or delays in base access. Area residents may also see or hear security activities associated with the exercise. Advanced coordination has taken place with local law enforcement and first responders
Clear And Cold Tonight; Rain Later In The Week
February 3, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. Calm wind.
Thursday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. South wind around 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 56. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
ECSO: Cantonment Woman Punched And Spit On ‘Frail’ Elderly Woman After Parking Lot Wreck
February 3, 2021
A Cantonment woman is facing charges after allegedly punching a “frail” elderly woman in the face and spitting on her after a minor vehicle collision in a local Dollar General Parking lot.
Allisha Dawn Jarvis, 25, was charged with battery on a person 65 years old or older.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Dollar General at Highway 29 and North Tate School Road to find a 72-year old woman in the parking lot bleeding from her nose. She told deputies she was turning around in the parking lot when she accidently hit a Ford Expedition that was leaving the parking lot.
The victim stated she was still in her vehicle when Jarvis approached and “violently punched” her in the face through a rolled-down window before spitting on her, according to an arrest report.
Jarvis told deputies that she walked up to the victim’s vehicle window and cussed at the elderly woman, but she stated she never punched her in the face, the report states.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy wrote in his report that the victim was “extremely frail” at 5-foot, three-inches tall and weighing only about 90 pounds. Jarvis, the report states, is about the same height and weighs 147 pounds.
The deputy stated the elderly woman had a slight cut on her nose that was bleeding and “you could clearly see dried spit on her collar.”
A witness confirmed the victim’s statements.
Jarvis was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $7,500 bond.