Man Murdered; Police Looking For Grandson
April 11, 2010
The Pensacola Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a person of interest in the city’s third murder of the year.
Pensacola Police have identified and are searching for Kurtlin Davalt (pictured) for questioning regarding the death of a man whose body was found inside his home Saturday afternoon.
Police were dispatched to the home in the 1300 block of East Fisher Street around 12:30 p.m. today after receiving a call from Escambia County Emergency Medical Services that someone had found Vincent Davalt, 74, deceased inside the house.
Lt. Gary Cutler said details on the suspected cause of death are not being released. An autopsy will be done to determine the exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, police need help in finding the victim’s grandson, Kurtlin Davalt, 33, also of the 1300 block of East Fisher Street. He may be driving a black 1995 Mercedes Benz station wagon with a luggage rack on top and a specialized FAMU license tag with the plate number M04SQ. Cutler said the vehicle is registered to Vincent Davalt.
This is the third homicide this year within city limits.
Anyone having information on the incident or on Kurtlin Davalt’s location is asked to contact Detective Jonathan Thacker at (850) 435-1975 or the Pensacola Police Department at 435-1900.
Relay For Life Yard Sale Today
April 10, 2010
There is an opportunity today to get some great bargains and help Relay for Life at the same time.
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church will hold a yard sale to benefit Relay for Life from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The yard sale will not be at the church; it will be at Curve’s in Cantonment at the intersection of Highway 29 and Archer Road.
Cheerleader Registration Begins Today For NWE Football
April 10, 2010
Cheerleader registration begins today for the fall season of Northwest Escambia football.
Registration will be held each Saturday through June 12 at the Ernest Ward Middle School football field for ages 5-14. New uniforms will be ordered this year.
For more information, contact Ronnel at (850) 327-3031.
Perfect Weekend Weather
April 10, 2010
We are in for a perfect weekend in the North Escambia area.
There is a Red Flag Warning in effect. Outdoor burning is discouraged due to low humidity increasing wildfire danger.
Here is your official forecast:
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 78. East wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 77. East wind around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. East wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. East wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. East wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Your Forecast: Cooler Tonight
April 8, 2010
A few scattered showers are still possible this afternoon, but most of use will see a little sun. By tonight, it will be a bit cooler.Here is your official North Escambia area forecast for Thursday:
- Today: Cloudy, with a slight chance of a shower. A high of 71.
- Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 46. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming north between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Calm wind.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming east between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 76. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51. South wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Several ‘Sweeping Change’ Education Bills Up For A Vote Today
April 8, 2010
Several bills that could usher in sweeping changes to the state’s education landscape are up for a final vote in the House on Thursday, the last stop before the governor’s desk.
Class sizes could grow, more kids could go to private schools on the taxpayers, the FCAT could be phased out at the high school level and teachers could see their pay raises based on their students’ achievement. The bills have been part of a highly politicized, partisan process that has divided the education community.
HB 7189/SB 6
The most controversial measure before the Legislature this year would strip away tenure from public school teachers, instead basing their salary, in part, on student performance.
A measure filed in the Senate on the first day of session would partly base teacher pay raises on the results of their students on standardized exams. But the Department of Education has yet to determine exactly how student learning gains would be measured and will outline those proposals throughout the summer if it becomes law.
The Florida Education Association has come out swinging against the legislation with teachers flooding lawmakers’ offices with emails, letters and phone calls. A House committee also scheduled eight hours to hear the measure earlier this week and 120 people signed up to speak on the legislation. It has also gained national attention with a representative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce testifying at a committee meeting along with a representative of an education think tank in North Carolina.
Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, stressed that the students aren’t being required to hit a certain mark on exams, they just need to show gains from the previous year.
“The focus is not on the end performance, it focuses on a learning gain,” she said.
Democrats proposed several amendments to the legislation, all of which were knocked down by the Republican majority in a session that went late into the night on Wednesday. The amendments included a measure to remove penalties from schools who reward teachers based on years of service, a proposal to include external factors such as a child’s socioeconomic status in their progress, and an exemption for military personnel from having their teaching certificates revoked.
“This bill is a slap in the face to every teacher out there,” said Rep. Mia Jones, D-Jacksonville.
The House gave the bill preliminary approval on Wednesday night setting it up for a vote on Thursday.
HJR 7039/SJR 2
The House will also vote on whether ask the voters to knock down a class size provision in the state constitution.
In 2002, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment that would cap class sizes at 18 students for kindergarten through third grade, 22 in fourth through eighth grade, and 25 in high school. Smaller classes have been phased in since 2002, but at the start of the 2010 school year, every classroom would have to meet those hard caps.
The joint resolution would roll back the requirement so that class size would be calculated at a grade-level average, not an individual classroom cap. Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, the House sponsor, said this was a school flexibility measure. “We are not repealing the class size amendment,” he said on the House floor Wednesday.
The measure requires a three-fifths vote to make it to the November 2010 ballot where it requires 60 percent voter approval to pass.
HB 1009/SB 2126
Included in the package of bills is a measure to massively expand the state’s voucher program, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, so more low income students could choose to attend private school. The program, established in 2001, gives companies a tax credit in exchange for contributing to the program.
The bill would add revenue sources and expand the cap on how much in scholarship money can be awarded from $118 million to $140 million and increase the individual award over time from the current level of $3,950 to 80 percent of the per pupil spending awarded by the state to public schools. Currently, the state spends about $6,900 per public school student.
HB 7053
The FCAT would be phased out at the high school level under HB 7053. The legislation would implement end-of-course exams in algebra, geometry and biology, phasing out the ninth and 10th grade FCAT in mathematics and the high school science FCAT.
Learn About Florida KidCare Insurance Today In Bratt
April 8, 2010
If your children are uninsured or are on the Medicaid share of cost program, there is an easy opportunity today to get Florida KidCare insurance for your children.
A Florida KidCare outreach advocate will be at Bratt Elementary School from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. today. Anyone with children is welcome to attend and sign up, not just those with children at Bratt.
This is a direct computer application process, but the advocate will be on hand to answer questions and provide assistance.
In order to apply for Florida KidCare for your children, you will need to bring:
- Picture Identification
- Social Security numbers for the children
- Pay stubs from past four weeks (or), 2009 W-2 form (or) Most recent tax return
- Proof of child support, Social Security and or unemployment benefits
- Information on cost to add child to parent’s health insurance through employer
For more information, contact Sara Knighten, RN at (850) 327-6137 ext. 249, click here for a printable information sheet, or visit floridakidcare.org for information and eligibility requirements
Powder-Puff Football Tonight
April 8, 2010
Girls from Escambia Academy will take on girls from Escambia County High School this afternoon in a benefit Powder-Puff football game.
The event is a fundraiser for a Youth Leadership Atmore Class of 2010 service project to purchase books for Atmore area elementary schools. The game will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Escambia County High School football stadium.
Admission is $3 at the gate. Concessions will be available.
Three Injured In Century Crash
April 7, 2010
Three people were injured in a two vehicle crash on North Century Boulevard at State Line Road this afternoon.
Reports indicated that a Toyota Prius and a Nissa Titus collided in the accident about 5:30 p.m. near the Piggly Wiggly. A 49-year old male, a 24-year old female and an infant were sustained non-life threatening injuries in the collision. The 8-month old was reportedly properly restrained in a car seat; the baby’s injuries were not immediately considered severe.
The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Atmore Ambulance, the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the collision,.
Rain Forecast By Early Morning, Cooler Air Moving In
April 7, 2010
We are in for another warm, sunny day, but big changes are in store.
There is some rain in overnight and Thursday morning forecast. By the end of the week, our overnight lows will dip down to near 42.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 71. South wind around 10 mph becoming northwest. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Thursday Night: Isolated showers before 1am. Cloudy during the early evening, then clearing, with a low around 45. North wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72. North wind around 5 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 75. East wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming east between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.