Florida Dept. Of Education Makes Exception For Local Students After Their ACT Tests Were Lost
September 5, 2019
The Florida Department of Education is working to help students whose ACT tests were lost, and will look at new rules to help any students that might find themselves in the same predicament in future years.
As first reported in an exclusive NorthEscambia.com story on August 19, ACT tests taken by Florida and Alabama students in Atmore were lost, and one local mom believed it may have cost her daughter a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship.
There were 18 students from Florida and Alabama that took the ACT test June 8 at Escambia County High School in Atmore, but those answer sheets were lost by FedEx, according to ACT. That left Florida students without those ACT scores in time to apply for the Bright Futures scholarship program. The program previously had “all or none” policy; everything is complete by the deadline or it’s no chance of a four-year scholarship.
Our story prompted the Florida Department of Escambia to extend Bright Futures application deadline for those students until December 31. The will give the students their choice of three dates to retake the ACT.
“I am definitely grateful that the state will do what is right, not just read the story,” Sen. Doug Broxson told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday afternoon. He said there may be legislation introduced in the upcoming Legislative session to address how to handle lost college prep tests in the future.
“This was a hiccup, but at least it is not a dead issue,” Broxson said.
Ed Colby, senior director of Media and Public Relations at ACT, told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday that the Atmore ACT answer sheets are still missing, last scanned by FedEx at one of their facilities. He again stressed that that Escambia County High School was in no way responsible and properly shipped the test answers back.
“FedEx continues to search for it, however, and we continue to hope that it will be located and sent to us,” Colby said.
For our original August 18 story, we spoke to a local mother that felt her daughter may have missed her chance at Bright Futures Scholarship due to the lost ACT scores.
She is extremely pleased that the Florida Department of Education will give her daughter and other students another shot at the ACT.
“I know she will prepare and do well when she takes it again,” she said.
Her daughter had failed to make the required ACT score on previous attempts, and a good score on the June 8 test was her last hope to meet the qualification deadline for the scholarship.
“We had very high hopes this would be the test with good results. She could had have a four-year college scholarship, but now that the tests are lost, how will we ever know? She could have possibly gone to college on a scholarship,” the student’s mother told NorthEscambia.com. We have independently verified that her student took the June 8 test and other aspects of her story, but she spoke for this report based upon a condition that she and her daughter remain anonymous.
“She had taken the ACT test several times and had improved each time. She was very close to earning Bright Futures,” she said. “She had set a goal and had spent as much time as she could. It was her last shot, give it all you can. She didn’t work at a job; she treated like preparing for the ACT was her job.”
ACT refunded the testing fee to each of the 18 students, and they are allowing each to take the ACT again for free.
ECSO Warning Of IRS Imposter Scam
September 5, 2019
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Investigators are once again warning residents about telephone scammers claiming to be from the IRS.
A recent incident was brought to our attention in which the scammer called the potential victim and claimed to be a with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The scammer claimed to be an employee of the IRS and asked the recipient to send the money owed by gift card.
The ECSO said Wednesday they recently learned of another IRS scam, with the caller claiming to be an IRS employee and asking for payment by gift card. Deputies are asking that anyone receiving such a call report it and not provide money or personal information.
Investigators said there are are multiple variations of this scam, and fraudsters are constantly devising new and innovative ways to take hard-earned money.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office offered several tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:
- Always be suspicious of any threatening calls claiming to be from the IRS or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office or any other business – especially if it is coming from a business that you do not normally patronize.
- A legitimate business will not resort to threats as a first response to a late or missed payment.
- Always be suspicious when asked to send an electronic payment, “Green Dot” card payment, gift card payment, or wire transfer.
- Trust your instincts. If you feel that something “just isn’t right”, call your local law enforcement agency and report it. It is much easier to prevent fraud in the first place than to recover your money after the fact.
Contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 to report fraud.
Traffic Now Flowing Over The New Pensacola Bay Bridge
September 5, 2019
Traffic is now flowing across the new Pensacola Bay Bridge.
Highway 98 eastbound traffic (Pensacola to Gulf Breeze) was shifted to the new span Wednesday evening. Highway 98 westbound traffic (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) will transition to the new bridge on Sunday.
The temporary configuration for the new bridge will provide two lanes of east and two lanes of westbound traffic, along with a center-lane reserved for emergency vehicles. A multiuse path for pedestrians and bicyclists is expected to be operational near the end of 2019.
With all traffic shifted to the new bridge, construction crews will demolish the current bridge, complete the new westbound structure, and reconstruct the 17th Avenue interchange. All work is currently estimated for completion in mid-2021.
Pictured: Eastbound Highway 98 traffic was shifted to the new Pensacola Bay Bridge span Wednesday night.
Fall Into Reading: Book Fair Begins Today
September 5, 2019
The “Fall Into Reading Book Fair” continues through September 12 at Ransom Middle School.
“The fair is packed with great reads, and lots of cool stuff too,” said Crystal Roberts, Ransom innovation specialist. ” We’ll be open during Open House night (Sept. 10), so plan to browse and buy.”
There is “wishing tree” this year with book fair items that Ransom teachers hope to receive for their classrooms.
Ransom Middle School Book Fair hours are 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with an early closure of noon on September 12, the final day. All proceeds will benefit the Ransom Innovation Center.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former Alabama Middle School Assistant Principal Charged With Torture, Willful Child Abuse
September 5, 2019
The former assistant principal at W.S. Neal Middle School in East Brewton has been charged with torture and willful abuse of a child.
Donald Eugene Hardyman Jr., age 56, was indicted by an Escambia County grand jury and booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
The indicted followed an investigation by the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Heath Jackson said his agency was called to the Escambia County (AL) Board of Education to investigate an altercation involving Hardyman and a student. The results of that investigation were then turned over to a grand jury for indictment.
Jackson said the investigation is ongoing.
Hardyman has resigned from W.S. Neal Middle School.
Man Passes Away Following Nokomis Crash; His Dog Uninjured
September 5, 2019
A Bay Minette man has passed away as the result of injuries he suffered in a single vehicle crash last week in extreme northwestern Escambia County just south of the Alabama-Florida state line.
Melvin Leonce Carpenter, 74, was northbound on North Pineville Road through a canopy of trees on August 29 when for an unknown reason he traveled off the southbound shoulder and struck multiple trees, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Carpenter was transported by Escambia County EMS to Atmore Community Hospital, transferred to a medical helicopter and airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital.
He passed away August 30 at Sacred Heart Hospital, Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Robert Cannon told NorthEscambia.com on Wednesday. The FHP ws not immediately notified of Carpenter’s passing, leading to the delayed report.
Carpenter’s dog was also inside the vehicle and was not injured.
Firefighters from Escambia Fire Rescue, the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department and Atmore Fire Department also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Elm Street In Century Closed Due To Collapsed Culvert
September 5, 2019
Elm Street in Century was closed after the collapse of a culvert under the roadway.
Elm is closed from west of Highway 29 to Jeter Lane. Repairs are underway, but an anticipated completion date has not been announced.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Injured When Lawnmower Overturns On Him In Ditch
September 4, 2019
A man was injured Wednesday when a lawnmower overturned on top of him.
It happened on Mozingo Lane off Airway Drive, just south of Nine Mile Road.
The man, who was working for a lawn service, was mowing along the top of a ditch on Mozingo Lane when the mower overturned, trapping him underneath, according to Amber Southard, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Southard said the man was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. At last report, he was in critical condition.
The ditch was estimated to be about six feet deep.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Settles Frontier Communications Phone Bill Due Since 2015
September 4, 2019
Escambia County has settled a billing dispute with local telephone company Frontier Communications involving service at the fire station in Bratt.
Frontier agreed to accept a $9,958.98 full payment on a $15,446.63 bill for the Escambia Fire Rescue Bratt fire substation on Highway 99.
In November 2018, Frontier contacted Escambia Fire Rescue to seeking full payment on a bill that had not been paid since March 2015. It was discovered that the address on the bill had been wrongly changed, and the billing statement were going to an unknown address. In the meantime, monthly charges for two business telephone phones and broadband internet service continued to accrue without payment.
The county attorney’s office said $2,119.19 of the bill was undisputed for authorized services since $2,119, and Frontier countered with an offer of a 90 day credit on the account. The parties settled on the $9,958.98 amount, and the account has billed correctly. Frontier eliminated all charges for broadband internet service.
Pictured: Frontier Communications Bratt central office (foreground) and the Escambia Fire Rescue’s Bratt substation (background). NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Beats Snooks Christian
September 4, 2019
The 2019 Ernest Ward Eagles opened their regular season Tuesday in Walnut Hill with a 36-12 win over Snook Christian Academy of Foley.
Ernest Ward will travel to T.R. Miller on September 10 and Snook on September 24 before their next home game on October 1 against T.R. Miller.
Ernest Ward has the only middle school football team in Escambia County.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
