Driver Walks Away From Cantonment Rollover Crash
June 2, 2019
A driver was able to walk away without serious injuries from a rollover crash in Cantonment Saturday evening.
The crash happened on Jacks Branch Road near Old Bridge Road about 7 p.m. The adult female driver lost control of her SUV and overturned into the woodline. She driver was able to get out of the vehicle on her own and refused medical transport to the hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. Escambia County EMS and the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Woman Charged With Throwing Drink At Congressman Matt Gaetz Outside Town Hall Event
June 2, 2019
A woman was arrested Saturday after alltedly throwing her drink at Congressman Matt Gaetz as he was leaving his “We Won’t Back Down” town hall event at a Pensacola restaurant.
Pensacola Police say a female protester threw a drink at Gaetz, hitting him in the back as he was making his way to his waiting car outside the main entrance of the Brew Ha Ha Restaurant.
Police say 35-year old Amanda L. Kondrat’Yev was quickly taken into custody and charged with battery. She was released from the Escambia County Jail Saturday night on a $1,000 bond.
Kondrat’yev ran against Gaetz for his Congressional seat in 2016, along with Cris Dosev and Mark Wichern. She is also the lead plaintiff in the Bayview Cross case against the City of Pensacola.
Pedestrian Struck And Killed
June 2, 2019
An Escambia County pedestrian was struck and killed late Friday night on Scenic Highway.
The Florida Highway Patrol say 56-year old Glenn Burnett of Pensacola was traveling north in the southbound lane of Scenic hear Barranca Lora when he was struck by a Toyota Tundra driven by 42-year old Leonora Gomes of Gulf Breeze. Troopers said Gomes tried to avoid the collision.
Burnett was pronounced deceased on the scene.
No charges were filed.
Poarch Creek Indian Tribal Council Election Results Announced
June 2, 2019
Results of the 2019 Poarch Creek Indian Tribal Council election held Saturday have been announced.
Charlotte Meckel won the secretary position with 703 vote to 688 for Candace Fayard.
For treasurer, a runoff will be held August 1 between Amy Bryan, who received 575 votes, and Sandy Fretwell Hollinger who had 507 votes Saturday. Eddie Leon Tullis received 317 votes and was eliminated from the running.
In a field of seven candidates, Dewitt Carter received 494 votes to be elected to an at-large tribal council seat. The next two top vote getters were Megan Young with 319 and John O’Barr with 243.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview 4-H Volunteers At Panhandle Equine Rescue
June 2, 2019
The Northview 4-H Club recently volunteered at Panhandle Equine Rescue. Nine students and four adults did various barn chores around the equire rescue as a community service project. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Employees Could See Higher Minimum Wage By Fall
June 1, 2019
An Escambia County administrator has proposed increasing the minimum starting wage to $13 per hour this year with a goal of topping $15 per hour in 2024.
The proposal was made Interim Assistant County Administrator Chips Kirschenfeld after recent budget meetings with department directors.
“It became very apparent that most directors are having trouble recruiting new employees and retaining current employees at our lowest hourly salaries. Many private businesses, local governments and states are phasing in a $15 per hour minimum ‘livable’ wage ($31,200) over several years,” Kirschenfeld said.
He suggested a starting minimum pay for full time of $13 an hour. With the county’s traditional 3 percent cost of living raises for all employees, the minimum hourly pay would reach $15.06 per hour in 2024.
There are 177 full time county employees that earn less than $13 per hour now. The are mostly custodial workers, equipment operators, emergency medical specialists, maintenance workers, detention assistants, animal control officers, library clerks, and office support assistants.
The cost to implement the $13 per hour salary this fiscal year is estimated to $378,258.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Mike Sherrill Named New Northview High School Principal
June 1, 2019
Mike Sherrill has been named the next principal of Northview High School.
Sherrill served as Northview’s assistant principal from 2004-2010 before spending a year as assistant principal at Pine Forest High School. He was principal of Escambia High School from 2011-2015, and has worked as the assistant principal at George Stone Technical College from 2015 until the present.
Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said he is happy to see Sherrill return to Northview. His first official day on the job will be July 1, but he will spend time at the school during June.
Sherrill replaces Gayle Weaver, who retired in January 2019. Weaver was named principal of the new Northview High School in 1994, and she was the only person to serve as principal since the school opened in 1995.
Gerry Pippins will remain the assistant principal at Northview.
Fire Burns Hay Baler, Hay Field Near Jay
June 1, 2019
The Jay and Berrydale volunteer departments battled a farm equipment and field fire Friday on Pinhook Road northeast of Jay.
A hay baler, hayfield and numerous bales of hay burned.
There were no injuries and no structure damage reported.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSD Names School Age Child Care Director of the Year From McArthur Elementary
June 1, 2019
Angela James, McArthur Elementary School’s school age child care director has been recognized as Escambia School District’s Outstanding Child Care Director of the Year.
“This was my first year that I had some of my kindergartners go into the fifth grade and leave,” James (pictured above in blue) explained. “Getting down to the last couple of weeks, I said, ‘Wow, you were with me when I first came here and now you are getting ready to leave me,’ and it was very emotional because I have watched them go from kindergarten to fifth grade. It’s hard to see them go.”
Last year, James started a summer program on McArthur’s campus because she listened to the parents and heard a need. “I scouted out this area for affordable childcare, and there wasn’t a program.” So, she took her proposal to Aisha Adkison, ECSD Workforce Education’s School-Age Child Care Administrator.
James praises the ECSD Workforce Department for allowing them to start the summer program, and her staff for their integral part in the success of the program. “They love the kids just like I do and all I can say is, I have been blessed with a staff that will go above and beyond with me.”
Summer participant, McKynleigh Montano will tell you that all of the staff members are, “really nice. We go outside a lot and we go outside on Fridays for water days, and that’s really fun.” When asked about the award presented to James, Montano said, “I am really happy for her and I’m shocked because she does the best!. And I never knew that this day would come. She is nice to all of us and I am just so happy to have her.”
A bonus staff member is Jason Lewis. Jason attended McArthur Elementary School and he was one of James’ after-school kids. Now, he is about to start high school and this summer he is back helping the staff in a variety of ways. When asked what he is learning from this experience, he explained that he is “learning how to take care of things, to be like them (indicating the staff), and leadership.”
The staff plans indoor and outdoor activities including crafts. This year they are adding field trips to go bowling, skating, to a bounce house and the park.
And, James did her homework. She found out that if she and her staff completed annual training with Feeding the Gulf Coast, her students could get lunch and an afternoon snack.
“It is awesome that we can provide this here,” said James. The program operates Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. She currently has room for ten more students. During the summer, they are not restricted to McArthur students the way they are during the school year.
“James works with her principal, district staff, PTA and community organizations to achieve this feat,” explained Adkison. “Angela and her staff members go above and beyond to ensure her children at McArthur experience a high-quality child care program during the school year, as well as this summer program.”
Additional attributes that her supervisors praise James for are, her outstanding record keeping, inspirational leadership abilities, and for following all process requirements.
“Even better than all of that is that she can do all of that and also be so loved by the students and their parents,” Adkison added.
Jeff Bergosh Guest View: Learn from History-Don’t Erase It
June 1, 2019
Guest editorial by Jeff Bergosh
In 2021, the $427 Million replacement bridge now under construction over Pensacola Bay will be completed. Current FDOT policy and practice dictates replacement structure(s) carry the same designations as the original structure(s) replaced-absent any new legislative action.
In this instance and by an act of the Florida legislature in 1961-the bridge connecting Pensacola with Gulf Breeze is officially recognized as the “Philip D. Beall Sr. Memorial Bridge”—although most locals call it the “3-Mile Bridge.” (Sen. Philip D. Beall was a State Senator from Pensacola from 1935 until 1943.)
But some folks now insist we give this replacement structure a new name—stripping the Beall family name and re-naming it the Daniel R. “Chappie” James bridge. (Chappie James was a decorated combat aviator, the first black man to become a 4-star general in the U.S. Military.)
I believe a better tribute for a great man like Chappie would be for us to rename Pensacola’s airport in his honor—after all, Chappie was an aviator! If Louisville Kentucky can rename their city’s airport for their favorite son, Mohammad Ali, then why can’t Pensacola do this same thing for Chappie James?
Beall’s descendants have suggested a fair compromise amidst all this rancorous debate—a dual designation of the bridge, honoring both men.
Unfortunately- this magnanimous, common-sense gesture was rebuked.
Our legislative delegation, meanwhile, has signaled its willingness to introduce legislation to change the bridge’s official designation– if this is the will of the four interested communities.
Pensacola and Santa Rosa County have already taken formal votes on this.
Escambia County and the city of Gulf Breeze, however, have wisely moved forward with a committee approach for considering this issue–allowing individual citizens a voice in this decision. (citizens may send their thoughts to: namethebridge@myescambia.com )
I’m hopeful this committee will listen to all sides of this matter with open minds.
Because sadly–some folks that are supportive of changing the bridge’s name have now resorted to denigrating a family’s legacy by calling Sen. Beall a “racist”- an insidious claim that has no basis in fact!
This negative turn in the discussion has been devastating to Beall’s descendants.
Senator Beall’s daughter sat in my office going through memorabilia recently—and emotionally asked me this: “Why do they want to erase my family’s history-our family wasn’t racist?”
Nevertheless– individuals pushing to tear Beall’s name from the bridge continue assaulting his legacy, pointing to legislation the senator sponsored in 1935 that made Democratic primaries statewide “white only.”
But these primaries were ubiquitous in the 1930s south; the Supreme Court decision in Grovey v. Townsend ruled that such primaries were lawful and didn’t deprive citizens of their 14th or 15th Amendment rights. It was about party politics of that time, not race.
Meanwhile– every racist injustice committed by Andrew Jackson, FDR, Robert Byrd, and other historic figures that have monuments locally and nationwide—apparently, these are a non-issue. (Jackson owned slaves, FDR force-segregated black troops and illegally interred American Citizens of Japanese descent. Byrd was in the Ku Klux Klan—yet all these guys’ monuments stand proudly?)
It’s rank hypocrisy that’s borderline delusional.
Allowing ANY angry mob to become the de facto “monument police,” re-writing our history to suit their agenda and ideology, condemning selected historical figures while ignoring historical realities, acting as judge, jury and executioner to erase history—this is wrong!
I don’t– and we shouldn’t—countenance the sanitizing of history by condoning the forceful destruction of statues, the removal of monuments, and/or the stealing of families’ memorial designations—-on the orders of ANY angry mob.
Jeff Bergosh is an Escambia County Commissioner representing District 1.