Have Something To Buy, Sell Or Trade? Try Our Free Classifieds
June 12, 2008
Don’t forget…NorthEscambia.com has added a classified ad page, and, best of all, personal ads are FREE!
Ads for individuals are free, up to 60 words. They must include a phone number or email address. Items for sale, items to give away, items wanted, pets, cars, trucks, real estate, you name it…you can list it for free on our classifieds page. Ads will run for 10 days, at which time they can be renewed…for FREE!
And for limited time, business ads on our classifieds page are also FREE! Business ads are free until June 16 and will run for one week. Limit two ads per business under the free offer. All ads are subject to approval. After June 16, business ads will be available on the NorthEscambia.com Classifieds for a small charge.
To visit the NorthEscambia.com Classifieds, click here.
Lightning Sparks Water Works Fire
June 11, 2008
An apparent lighting strike sparked an electrical fire Wednesday afternoon at a well house belonging to the Walnut Hill Water Works. The fire, in the 8000 block of Highway 97 just north of Wiggins Lake Road, was reported just after 3:00 by a passerby.
The fire was confined to the power meter and electrical boxes on the outside of the building.
NorthEscambia.com will have a complete story and more pictures posted on Thursday morning.
FCAT Results Released Today Are Mixed For Carver/Century
June 10, 2008
The latest round of FCAT scores were released today by the Florida Deparment of Education, and they show mixed results for Carver/Century K-8 School.
Superintendent Jim Paul cited previously released low FCAT scores at Carver/Century as a factor in his upcoming decision whether or not to close Carver/Century.
On the Reading FCAT grades 4-10 released today, Carver/Century improved at every grade level except eighth grade. Some increases were only slight, while some were dramatic percentage wise.
On the Reading FCAT, the fourth grade score improved from 33 to 35 percent scoring a 3.0 or above. The percent at grade level in the fifth grade increased from 29 to 41 percent. In the sixth grade, the percent at grade level increased from 26 to 57 percent. In the seventh grade, the percent at grade level increased slightly from 22 to 26 percent. At the eighth grade level, the percent scoring 3.0 or greater fell from 36 to 18 percent.
On the Science FCAT, the percentage of Carver/Century students at 3.0 grade level or above improved in the fifth grade, at 22 percent, up from 18 percent last year.
On the eighth grade Science FCAT, the percentage of Carver/Century students at grade level or above fell from 29 percent to 11 percent.
NorthEscambia.com will have complete FCAT results for all North Escambia schools posted tomorrow.
Public Meeting To Discuss Carver/Century Tonight
June 10, 2008
The public will get the chance to let a Century committee know their thoughts about the closing of Carver/Century K-8 School tonight.
The town’s blue ribbon committee to save the school will hold a public meeting in the school cafeteria at 6:30 tonight.
Parents and community members will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and their ideas for saving the school.
The committee met behind closed doors with Escambia School Superintendent Jim Paul on May 30. NorthEscambia.com was the only media at that meeting.
Paul began that May 30 meeting by telling the Carver/Century supporters that “this is not a decision making meeting,” and said again at the end of the meeting that his mind about a recommendation to close Carver/Century is not made up.
“I want to do what is right for the children of Century, Paul told Century Mayor Freddie Mcall; Blue Ribbon Committee members Laura Nelson, Rev. Willie Carter, Rev. Irvin Stallworth and Brenda Spencer; and Century resident Lina Showalter.
Facing millions in budget cuts, Paul said that the district must look at efficiency and the cost per student at every school. He said that with a principal, assistant principal, a curriculum coordinator and a declining enrollment, Carver/Century is expensive to operate.
“I’ve always been reluctant to close Carver/Century even though the numbers said to close it,” Paul said on May 30. “I continued to keep Carver/Century off the closure list. But when the first grades came out about a month ago, it now became a matter of what is best for the children.” Carver/Century’s FCAT Writing+ score released about a month ago were the worst in the county.
“There are members on the school board that feel strongly that the school should close,” he said. “The school board cannot shut down a school without my recommendation. My staff is recommending that I recommend that the school close. I am here to hear what you have to say before I decide.”
Pictured above: A prayer service for Carver/Century K-8 School was held May 3. Pictured below (L-R): Blue Ribbon Committee members Century Mayor Freddie McCall, Brenda Spencer, Lina Showalter and Rev. Willie Carter listen to Escambia School Superintendent Jim Paul at recent meeting at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Bloodmobile Is At Walnut Hill Farm Supply This Afternoon
June 9, 2008
A community blood drive is going on this morning at the Walnut Hill Farm Supply.
The Northwest Florida Blood Services Bloodmobile will be at the store at the intersection of Highway 97 and South Highway 99 until 12:30 p.m.
There is a great need for blood donors of all types according to Sarah Noel from the blood center.
“The need for blood continues to increase as the ability to save and prolong lives increases,” she said. “At the same time the number of donors has not kept pace with the need for blood. Blood cannot be stockpiled. It must be constantly be replenished.”
“We have to ask and ask and ask because the need is very real. Please donate blood for it is the gift of life,” Noel added.
Donors must be in generally good health. Other requirements include:
- At least 17 years of age
- Must bring picture ID
- Weigh at least 110 lb
- Free of infection, fever or flu symptoms, for 3 days
- No cancer within the last 5 years
- No antibiotics within the last 48 hours
- No tattoos within the past 12 months
- No chest pain, heart disease, heart surgery (Requires written physician release with diagnosis)
- No history of viral hepatitis
- Cannot have lived in France for 5 years or more between 1980 and the present
- Cannot have lived or visited in the UK for a total of 3 months or more from 1980 to 1996
- Cannot have received a blood transfusion in the UK between 1980 and the present
- Military personnel (current and former), and their dependents, who spent time in military bases in northern Europe during 1980-1990, or southern Europe during 1980-1996, for 6 months or more
- All military personnel (active & reserve) that are returning from Iraq, are deferred for a period of 1 year after the last date on location in that country.
Riding For Rhonda
June 7, 2008
A benefit motorcycle ride, “Riding for Rhonda”, will take place today at the Byrneville Community Center. The event, beginning at 9:00, will raise funds for Rhonda McKindley Wright who needs a pancreas transplant.
Donations of $20 per bike will be accepted. $5 plates with pulled pork or chicken, potato salad, baked beans, bread, dessert and tea will be available beginning at 11:00. More info: (850) 572-0396 or (850) 554-2301.
Whitehead Out As Commission Chair
June 5, 2008
Mike Whitehead stepped down as chairman of the Escambia County Commission tonight. District 5 Commissioner Kevin White was prepared to call for Whitehead’s removal at the commission’s meeting, but Whitehead stepped aside before White had a chance. Whitehead remains on the commission as the District 1 representative.
Gene Valentino was named the new commission chair.
We will have the complete story Friday morning here on NorthEscambia.com.
Last Day To Register To Win Tickets To Beth Moore Women’s Retreat
June 1, 2008
NorthEscambia.com is giving you the chance to win tickets to “Loving Well”, a one day women’s retreat by Beth Moore at the Walnut Hill Baptist Church, and Sunday is your last day to register to win.
The retreat will be held June 21 from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The cost is $20 and includes a breakfast, catered lunch, tote bag, journal and other goodies. The retreat includes four video sessions from Beth Moore and live music from Leah Taylor and her band. To purchase tickets, or for more information, contact Somer at 327-6469. Registration deadline is June 7.
NorthEscambia.com will draw for two prizes of one free ticket each. The ticket will include your breakfast, catered lunch, tote bag, Beth Moore journal and admission to all the day’s events. To register to win, send your name and phone number to bethmoorecontest@northescambia.com with the subject line “Beth Moore” by midnight Sunday, June 1.
No purchase necessary. Contact NorthEscambia.com for complete rules. One ticket will be mailed to each of two different winners by the Walnut Hill Baptist Church.
ECUA Board Member To Continue Crusade Against Allied Waste
May 29, 2008
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board member Larry Walker will continue his personal crusade against Allied Waste at an ECUA board meeting this afternoon.
He is slated to present “Lid List 7″, the seventh list of defective Allied cans he has located in North Escambia. The list contains 89 addresses with defective cans.
“This information has to do with the quality of service provided, with the acquiescence of the ECUA board, by the second-largest solid-waste corporation in the world,” Walker said in a memo to be presented to the board this afternoon.
“Allied’s service to many customers, by failing to provide them with sound containers, fails to meet industry standards. Allied’s abuse of its customers has been and remains unacceptable—except to the ECUA board,” Walker wrote in the memo obtained by NorthEscambia.com ” I am embarrassed by Allied’s poor service to many residents of my district, and I offer my personal apology to those residents for the ECUA board’s failure to protect them.”
The total number of addresses with defective cans presented to the board stands at 183 as of this afternoon. During that time, he said, he observed just two defective ECUA cans that were promptly replaced and none in the City of Pensacola. He also said he took a 26 mile trip through Lexington, Kentucky, over two days and spotted no defective containers.
Allied Waste holds the solid waste collection franchise until 2010 for North Escambia, except for inside the Town of Century, from ECUA. Allied does pickup trash in Century, but it is under an agreement with the town.
Walker has repeatedly called for ECUA to revoke that franchise. The board has purchased 11,000 residential waste containers and trucks to possibly take over the franchise, but it has failed to vote to do so.
Walker represents North Escambia as the District 5 representative on the ECUA board.
ECUA meets at 3:00 this afternoon in the ECUA board room, 9250 Hamman Street in the Ellyson Industrial Park in Pensacola.
Farmers, Forest Owners Can Learn To Profit From Carbon Credits
May 27, 2008
North Escambia farmers, ranchers and private forest owners will have the opportunity tonight to learn how to make additional profit off their land by selling carbon credits to green thinking companies across the country.
Some may be able to capitalize on a new partnership between the state’s largest general agricultural organization and the nation’s leading supplier of carbon credit aggregation services to agriculture.
There will be a special meeting open to all those interested in carbon trading in the Molino Park Elementary School cafeteria tonight. The meeting is sponsored in part by the Escambia County Extension Services Department and will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The Florida Farm Bureau Federation and AgraGate Climate Credits Corp. have agreed to partner in providing carbon credits services to farmers, ranchers and private forest owners. Producers with continuously no-tilled fields and newly established grasslands, managed reforestation or new plantings on forested land and on-farm methane digesters can earn credits based on the amount of carbon sequestered by their agricultural practices. Producers can then sell these carbon credits, also called offsets, to utilities, manufacturing companies and others who want to offset their carbon emissions.
As a contract facilitator, the Florida Farm Bureau will assist landowners in registering eligible properties and practices for carbon credits. AgraGate, a subsidiary of the Iowa Farm Bureau, collects credits from individual farmers and ranchers and combines the credits into sizable pools. The carbon credits are sold on the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), with the proceeds returned to the agricultural producers.
“We’re pleased that the Florida Farm Bureau Federation has agreed to work with us as we aggregate carbon credits from farmers and ranchers in the state,” said Dave Krog, chief executive of AgraGate “The market for carbon credits offers farmers, ranchers and private forest owners a brand new revenue opportunity. It’s important to partner with people who have significant experience in the state so they can help explain both the opportunities and the risks involved in the program.”
According to Scheffer, “Farm Bureau is always looking for new ways to help keep Florida’s agricultural producers profitable. Giving them access to a voluntary market that will compensate them for their environmentally friendly practices is clearly a good thing, and it is something we are proud to be promoting.” There will continue to be opportunities for Florida agriculture to produce alternative energy and provide additional environmental benefits. We look forward to working with AgraGate, the CCX and the University of Florida-IFAS to identify other innovative projects for Florida’s agricultural producers.”
“Farm Bureau has taken the lead on this project”, said Scheffer, “because this could be a huge benefit to local farmers and ranchers”.
Carbon Sequestration Basics:
Sequestering, or holding, carbon in the soil helps reduce carbon dioxide, one of several greenhouse gases that contribute to the warming of the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide can be stored in the soil through no-till planting, restoring wetlands, converting cropland to permanent grass or trees, planting conservation buffers and using cover crops.
The carbon stored in the soil creates an offset, or credit, that can be sold on the CCX. Not only is this good for the soil and the environment, it can also help facilitate the adoption of carbon emission reductions by companies. Companies have made commitments to reduce their carbon footprint and pay farmers, ranchers and foresters for these credits.
CCX-approved third parties must verify aggregated offsets before they can be registered and sold through the CCX. More information is available at the AgraGate web site: www.agragate.com, and at the Chicago Climate Exchange site, www.chicagoclimatex.com.
AgraGate, a subsidiary of the Iowa Farm Bureau, is the leading aggregator of carbon credits from agriculture. On behalf of farmers, ranchers and private forest owners, the company has marketed carbon credits from more than 2.1 million acres in 26 states on the Chicago Climate Exchange.