Group Pushing City School System In Atmore Claims Civil Rights, Public Records Law Violations
December 31, 2019
The group pushing for the formation of a city school system in Atmore is claiming civil rights and public records law violations by the Escambia County (AL) Board of Education.
Atmore Citizens for Change (ACC) has spearheaded the drive to split Atmore’s schools away from the Escambia County (AL) Board of Education as they push for an end to a racial divide and failing schools.
Atmore Citizens for Change President Loumeek White said Monday that the group has submitted a formal complaint to the Alabama Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights “on behalf of their children, the students who attend public schools in the City of Atmore, Alabama regarding violations of their civil rights and their education in the Escambia County Public School District”.
The group is also requesting that the Alabama Department of Education “force” the Escambia County Board of Education to release “all public documents that were requested” under the Alabama Open Records Act in March 2019 after the Atmore City Council voted in favor of a feasibility student into the city school system.
In an email to State Superintendent Eric Mackey, White said that the Escambia County superintendent and “most” board members “have refused to meet with the public”, and allows only Brewton and Flomaton students access to the Escambia County Career Technical Center, a notion county officials have denied.
“Students in Atmore have been denied access to educational programs and newly built facilities,” White said.
In his email to the state, White claimed Escambia County Superintendent John Knott “has continuously tried to stop parents and stakeholders from having a voice about the detriment of the city’s school system and the lack of student achievement. In February 2019, it was reported that Knott held secret meetings with two Atmore city council members and Atmore’s mayor. The four made a deal not to vote on the city school formation.”
“We are requesting that the State of Alabama, Department of Education and the Federal Department of Justice conduct an investigation on the Escambia County Public School System, its Board, and its current central office administrative staff,” White said.
He also said the ACC will file action in circuit court to seek the public records requested if they are not otherwise received in 10 days.
In an email provided by ACC, State Superintendent Mackey told White “it would inappropriate for me to respond to that matter” in reference to a civil rights complaint. Mackey said he will invite Knott and other parties to follow up with him “at their convenience to work any differences necessary to acquire andy publicly available information”.
During a March 2019 meeting with the Atmore City Council, White said many of the “smart kids” no longer attend school in Atmore. Instead, they travel to Northview High School in Escambia County, FL, to Escambia Academy, or schools in Flomaton (also part of the Escambia, AL, system), he said, adding it has created an obvious racial divide.
“The white kids are going to Flomaton and Northview,” he told the Atmore council and a crowd of about 75 that attended the March meeting. “You’ve got to see the separation.” According to the Alabama Department of Education at that time, 322 of the 368 students at Escambia County High School in Atmore are black or African American.
The council voted unanimously in March to begin the process to find a consultant to study the feasibility of operating a city system, with a particular look at if it would be affordable. That study has not been completed.
Pictured above and inset: Atmore Citizens for Change President Loumeek White (left) and Atmore Mayor Jim Staff discuss a city school system during an Atmore City Council meeting in March 2019. Pictured bottom: City officials, council members and audience members held hands and prayed after the March meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Names Students Of The Month
December 31, 2019
Bratt Elementary School has named Students of the Month for November. They are:
NOVEMBER
Pre-K
- Treveil Henderson
- Lane Stuart
Kindergarten
- Emory Taylor
- Amahal Atallah
- Genesis Williams
- Jasiah Barnes
First Grade
- Ajalon Spates
- Conner Fretwell
- KayLeigh Morris
- Noah Vause
Second Grade
- Addi Lowery
- Sarah Classen
- Ella Grace Diller
- Jonah Carter
Third Grade
- Eric Anthony
- Jerrilynn Barlow
- Abigail Brown
- Parker Marsh
- Jeremy Lisenby
Fourth Grade
- Kaylee Wilson
- Logan Diller
- Parker Tutton
- Mya Pettway
Fifth Grade
- Michael Griffis
- Hunter Griffis
- Amara Campbell
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three More Red Bulbs Mark 12 Total Residential Fires This Month In Escambia County
December 31, 2019
Three more red bulbs have been placed on Escambia County’s “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety wreath, now representing a dozen residential structure fires during the month of December.
The tenth fire occurred in the 8700 block of Rebel Acres Lane on Friday, Dec. 27. Escambia County Emergency Communications received a call at 4:32 p.m. about a mobile home fire. ECFR units arrived on scene to find flames and smoke showing. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire by 4:52 p.m. Their rapid response time prevented unrepairable damage from occurring to the structure. The mobile home was vacant. The Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations is investigating the cause and origin of the fire.
The eleventh fire occurred in the 5200 block of Plateau Road on Sunday, Dec. 29. Escambia County Emergency Communications received a call at 4:33 p.m. regarding a second mobile home fire. Upon arrival, ECFR units saw fire showing from the front of the structure. They had the fire under control by 5 p.m., but unfortunately, the structure appeared to be a total loss.
The twelfth fire occurred in the 8600 block of Grimsley Street on Monday, Dec. 30. Firefighters were dispatched at 6:46 a.m. Upon arrival, they saw smoke and flames showing from a single-story residential structure. Smoke alarms quickly alerted residents when the fire started, which helped them escape uninjured. Although firefighters arrived quickly, performed an aggressive fire attack and rescued a cat, the home still sustained damage. ECFR and the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations found that a clothes dryer malfunctioned and apparently caused the fire.
Pictured: A mobile home fire on Rebel Acres Lane in Beulah. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Century Native Shot And Killed In Alabama Monday
December 31, 2019
A Century native was shot and killed in rural Alabama about 20 miles south of Auburn Monday.
Randolph Cannon, 63, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on the side of Shady Grove Lane, a lonely, rural dirt road in Hurtsboro, Alabama. His body was discovered by a family member after he left to walk his dog and did not return. His home is the only one on the road.
Russell County (AL) Sheriff Heath Taylor said Cannon likely knew the person that shot him.
Family members tell NorthEscambia.com that Cannon is a native of Century and lived in Bogia for several years. He attended Century HIgh School.
The investigation into his death is continuing.
Tate Soccer Players Attend Disney College Showcase
December 31, 2019
Five Tate High School Aggie soccer players competed in the Disney College Showcase in Orlando. The event gives college coaches a chance to see prospective student athletes. Tate players attending (pictured above) were: #9 Nathan Bailey, #6 Chase Mills, #4 Logan Tyree, #00 Caleb Thompson and #23 Owen Jacobs. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Threatening His Father With A Box Cutter
December 30, 2019
A Cantonment man is facing a felony charge after allegedly threatening to cut his father with a box cutter.
Chazz Logan Morris, 22, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Morris had been kicked out of his grandmother’s house and was spending one night with his parents on Stacey Road, an arrest report states.
When the father confronted him about leaving, Morris allegedly threatened to break all of their vehicle windows. The father told him he would call the police, and Morris pulled a box cutter on him and stated, “if you call the police, they better come quick because I will cut you”, according to the report.
Morris was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $5,000.
Update: Missing Escambia County Senior Found Safe
December 30, 2019
UPDATE: Missing Escambia County Senior Found Safe
This missing senior was found safe early Monday morning.
A silver alert has been issued for an elderly missing Escambia County man.
Geronimo Somer Divina was last seen in the 6400 block of Birkhead Drive in Myrtle Grove just before 6:30 p.m. Sunday. He was driving a 2003 silver Cadillac with Florida tag #ID20AK.
He is described as a 90-year old asian male.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630 or 911.
Escambia County Corrections Recognizes GED Graduates
December 30, 2019
The Escambia County Corrections Department recognized four Jail GED Program graduates with a ceremony recently at the Escambia County Jail.
Davander Travis, Ronald Lundy, Ashton Mancill and Vanessa Montgomery earned their GED diplomas through the program while incarcerated.
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During 2019, there have been 31 high school graduates from the Escambia County Corrections GED Program. The Escambia County Corrections Department has offered a GED program for many years, becoming a certified testing center through the Florida Department of Education in 2014.
The GED pass rate for the Escambia County Corrections Detention Division was 86% in 2018-2019.
No Lane Closures On State Roads Through January 2
December 30, 2019
There will be no lane closures on state roads through Thursday, January 2. The lane closure restrictions include both construction and maintenance activities, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Gas Prices Trend Upward For The Week
December 30, 2019
Florida gas prices are back on the rise. The state average increased 4 cents last week. Drivers are now paying an average price of $2.46 per gallon at the pump, an increase of nearly 30 cents per gallon from what drivers paid this time last year.
In Escambia County, the average price per gallon Sunday night was $2.48 a gallon. That’s a dime higher than one week ago, and 33 cents more than one year ago. Two Cantonment stations were at $2.42 per gallon Sunday night.
“Gas prices could be dragged even higher this week,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “The state average could soon exceed $2.50 per gallon, based on the current level of wholesale gasoline. Crude prices rose last week after U.S. crude supplies dropped more than expected. The fuel market also remains bullish over optimism of a possible US-China trade agreement. These factors have gas prices going opposite of their usual downturn this time of year. Even still, gas prices are hovering within the same range they’ve been in since August.”
“Looking forward, gas prices in 2020 are likely to follow a similar trend as in 2019; with price hikes in the spring, then a steady decline through the fall,” Jenkins continued. “Looking at futures prices, Florida gasoline could average around $2.50 per gallon in the first quarter, then jump 20-30 cents in the spring as refiners conduct seasonal maintenance and switch to summer gasoline. From there, gas prices decline slowly from July-September, then more rapidly through the end of the year. Based on current projections, Florida’s state average could finish 2020 in the $2.30 price range.”