Coughlin Named Escambia County Assistant County Administrator
June 26, 2017
Matthew Coughlin has been selected to fill the vacant Escambia County assistant county administrator position. His duties will include oversight of departments and their strategic plans, along with development of clear performance benchmarks to meet the commission’s objectives.
Coughlin joins current Assistant County Administrator Amy Lovoy, as the two most senior positions under County Administrator Jack Brown. Coughlin’s first day with the county will be Monday, July 24.
The opportunity to serve the community and impact the area’s quality of life was one of Coughlin’s main motivating factors for applying for the position.
“It is an honor to be selected,” Coughlin said. “I hope that my experience and enthusiasm to serve can help advance the county’s mission to enhance the quality of life for all its citizenry.”
When asked about what he brings to the position, he said he hopes one area where he will stand out is the importance he places on working together toward a common goal.
“I hope to focus on strengthening our community by reinforcing current relationships, finding common ground where no collaboration exists. Forming new partnerships is key to advocating and working successfully for the people of the county,” he said.
Currently the assistant director of the Pensacola International Airport, Coughlin is responsible for the daily management of the Small Hub FAA part 139 certified airport, with a $26 million budget. Prior to his time with the city, he had a successful 24-year career as a Naval officer and aviator.
His final tour was as Naval Air Station Whiting Field’s base commanding officer from 2011 to 2014. While there, he was well-known for his community involvement and support while successfully fulfilling a mission that included overseeing a workforce of more than 3,000 personnel, managing an infrastructure that encompasses over 13,000 acres of property and 4,500 nautical square miles of airspace and airfields that equated to 14 percent of all Naval flight hours flown worldwide. Additionally, NAS Whiting Field volunteered more than 60,000 hours in the local community under his leadership.
A native of Greenfield, Massachusetts, Coughlin holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Western New England University, a Master of Science in management from the Naval Post Graduate School and a Master of Science in national resource strategy from the National Defense University.
Over 250 applications for the assistant county administrator position were received, and 10 people were interviewed. Coughlin was the unanimous choice of the selection committee.
Pensacola Traffic Crash Claims One Life
June 26, 2017
A Pensacola man was killed in a single vehicle crash Sunday night.
Officer Ronald Boutin said the crash occurred just before 11 p.m. near the intersection of Bayou Boulevard and Inverness Drive.
Boutin said a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche driven by 38-year old Scott Baehr was northbound on Bayou Boulevard when he lost control in the curve near Inverness, over corrected and left the road. The truck then struck a parked excavator and rolled over.
Baehr, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was partially ejected and died at the scene, Boutin said.
Escambia 4-H Offering Tailgating, Sewing And CSI Day Camps
June 26, 2017
Escambia County 4-H is offering summer programs designed to give your child the opportunity to develop character, valuable life skills, make new friends and discover new interests.
A “Beginner Sewing Day Camp” and a “Breakfast Day Camp” have already been held.
The day camps are open to youth ages 8 (as of Sept. 1, 2016) to 18, unless otherwise noted. Still to come are:
Tailgate Day Camp
July 5-6; 9 a.m.- 3.p.m.
Ages: 11+, Limit 20 Youth; $10
This camp will allow youth the opportunity to learn about all aspects of meat, grilling, and food preparation. Youth will use a 14 inch charcoal grill to cook beef, pork, poultry, and seafood in an outdoor setting.
Intermediate Sewing Day Camp
July 18 and 20; 9 a.m.- 3.p.m.
Ages: 12+, Limit 15 Youth; $10
This intermediate level camp will allow youth to become proficient using a sewing machine. Youth will have the opportunity to make pillowcases, tote bags, and much more!
CSI Day Camp
July 17 9 a.m.- 3.p.m. or July 19; 9 a.m.- 3.p.m.
Ages: 11+, Limit 12 Youth per Day; $10
This camp will focus on crime scene investigation techniques, including using UV light, chromatography, fingerprint and handwriting ID, and much more. The same information will be presented both days.
Registration forms are available online at escambia.ifas.ufl.edu/4h/day-camps. Please note that space is limited and is offered on a first come, first served basis. Registration should be completed at least one week before the camp begins including payment of any fees. For more information, please contact Belinda Spann at 850-475-5230 or bspann@ufl.edu.
For more Sewing and Breakfast day camp photos, click here.
Pictured top: A Sewing Day Camp and (pictured inset) A Breakfast Day Camp held previously this summer by Escambia County 4-H. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Year Later: No More Century Semi Rollover Accidents
June 26, 2017
It has been just over a year since there has been a semi-truck rollover on North Century Boulevard at Jackson Street, perhaps thanks in part to temporary fixes by the Florida Department of Transportation.
On June 13 of last year, a semi truck hauling logs overturned in the area, taking out a utility pole. The truck driver was cited for careless driving. Eight days later, another semi-truck overturned in the same location. The driver of the truck, which was hauling cotton, was also cited for careless driving. Similar accidents of the past several years have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to utilities, including power and a sewage lift station.
Then-mayor Freddie McCall met onsite with Florida Department of Transportation engineers last June. The engineers agreed that the slope and design of the roadway in the curve is such that trucks in the outer lane have a difficult time navigating the curve at the posted speed limit.
The engineer recommended flashing beacon signs warning trucks of the tipping hazard and instructing them to use the inner-lane. Those signs were installed by last October.
Virgie Bowen of the Florida Department of Transportation recently told the Century Town Council that the safety issues are still being addressed, but she could not provide a timetable for work to change the road elevation. She any long term solutions are still being studied.
Pictured above and below: Previous semi truck rollovers on Highway 29 at Jackson Street in Century. Pictured bottom: This photo demonstrates that amount of lean on a semi truck passing through the area just below the speed limit. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
How Much Did It Rain Last Week? Radar Map Shows Estimates
June 26, 2017
Radar rainfall totals are in for Tropical Storm Cindy last week.
Most of northern Escambia County north of Molino received 6-8 inches of rain, including areas around Molino, McDavid, Century and Walnut Hill. The radar estimated that areas Cantonment south in Escambia County received 8-10 inches of rain. A few isolated areas in Escambia County, including parts of Cantonment, received between 10-15 inches of rain.
Some 10-15 inches of rain fell apart a large portion western Santa Rosa County in Florida and southern Mississippi. A few areas in coastal Mississippi had 15-20 inches of rain.
Isolated areas may have received significantly more rainfall that displayed by the radar estimate.
Report Shows University Grads In Florida Are Getting Jobs
June 26, 2017
A new study that followed the outcomes of Florida university students who earned bachelor’s degrees in 2015 shows that more than 90 percent of students were working within one year of graduation, with full-time employees earning a median salary of $39,100.
The report, which will be reviewed by the state university system’s Board of Governors next week, was able to match 60,333 graduates of the class of 2015 against employment and education databases, showing outcomes for 53,490 students, or 89 percent of the class.
The employment and education outcomes for the remaining 11 percent of the class, 6,843 graduates, could not be determined.
Of the 53,490 graduates, 70 percent were working, 23 percent were working and continuing their educations and 8 percent were attending school within one year of graduation.
Of the working graduates, 71 percent had full-time jobs and 29 percent had part-time employment.
“Pursuing a baccalaureate degree does increase life chances,” said Jan Ignash, the Board of Governors’ vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. “That’s why people go to school. And I think what this tells is the good news is that they get jobs and lot of them go on for further education.”
This is the third survey of Florida baccalaureate graduates, following a pilot report and an assessment of 2014 graduates. It has become an annual review helping the Board of Governors develop system-wide strategies based on the employment and education outcomes.
Christy England, the associate vice chancellor for academic policy and research who conducted the study, said the data is also aimed at individual universities and the students.
England said the salary data can help students “understand the value of that degree when they get their first job and they don’t know if they are being offered a fair wage or not.”
“They could potentially use it for negotiating,” England said.
The most popular majors for the Class of 2015 included business and marketing,19 percent; health professions, 12 percent; social sciences, 9 percent; psychology, 8 percent; biological sciences, 7 percent; and engineering, 6 percent, the study showed.
Although the median salary for the 2015 graduates working full-time was $39,100, it ranged from $58,600 for engineering graduates to $29,500 for biological sciences graduates. Other salaries included: computer sciences, $53,200; business, $42,100; journalism, $34,100; agriculture, $33,500; and performing arts, $31,300.
Although the employment trends were positive, the new report showed significant racial and gender gaps for the 2015 graduates’ salaries.
The median salary for African-American students working full-time was $35,600, $3,500 below the median for all students. The largest gap, $8,500, was for students employed in health professions, while African-American graduates earned $500 above the median in education jobs, the survey showed.
There was not a significant gap in overall salaries for Hispanic graduates.
But there was a $5,500 gap between salaries for women who earned a bachelor’s degree and male graduates, who had a median salary of $42,500 and were working full-time. In the business professions, which attracted the largest number of female graduates in 2015, males earned $4,200 more than the median salary of the women, which was $40,000.
England said the Board of Governors will need more long-term data before drawing more solid conclusions on the trends.
“The gaps are pretty substantial, particularly for African-Americans compared to all other students,” she said. “But again, it’s only two years of data, so we want to keep an eye on it.”
The wage gap between women and men may provide more incentive for women graduates to bargain harder for higher initial salaries, she said.
“This might be a way to empower them to go out and say, `I’m worth more gosh darn it and you should pay me more,’ ” England said.
Comparing the 2014 baccalaureate graduates with the Class of 2015 showed the median salary for all graduates working full-time rose 8 percent from the prior year. The median salaries increased for all subgroups including African-Americans, 7 percent; Hispanics, 6 percent; and females, 7 percent.
But the median salaries for males increased 9 percent and the wage gap with females increased by $1,100 between the two years, the survey showed.
Ignash said the annual assessments of the baccalaureate graduates will be enhanced by surveys looking at the individual classes five years after graduation and nine years after graduation, providing more long-term data.
“In some of these majors, you don’t expect students to be fully launched into their careers at a year out. They’re on a path,” Ignash said. “In four or five years when we go back and look at this, I think the data is going to round out the story.”
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Northview Chiefs Attend Down and Dirty Lineman Camp
June 26, 2017
This past weekend, the linemen from the Northvew High School Chiefs competed at the Down and Dirty Lineman Camp, one of the most prestigious linemen camps in the country.
The athletes practiced seven times in three days at Webber International University in Lake Wales, FL. Over 300 athletes participated in the camp from over 30 Florida schools, ranging from 1A-8A.
Northview rising senior Justin Helton was named the Down and Dirty Lineman Camp MVP.
On the way to the linemen camp, the Chiefs stopped in Gainesville to visit Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, commonly known as “The Swamp”, the football stadium for the Florida Gators.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NWE Football, Cheer To Host Registration Event Monday
June 26, 2017
NWE Football and Cheer will have a registration event on Monday, June 26th from 5:30 until 7 p.m. at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
Cheerleaders who need new uniforms will be fitted by our cheer uniform representative. Due to uniform turnaround time, this will be the last day to register for cheerleaders who need new uniforms.
Cheerleader registration plus new uniform package is $150. Cheerleader registration (if you have a uniform) is $25.
Football registration is $50. NWE provides helmet, shoulder pads and game uniforms. NWE Football Players can now also register online at www.nwechiefsfootball.com.
Wahoos Drop Doubleheader To Chattanooga
June 26, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lost a doubleheader Sunday to the Chattanooga Lookouts and have yet to beat them this season.
The Blue Wahoos dropped both seven-inning games, 6-0, and are now 0-9 against the Lookouts in the teams’ two five-game series. The Blue Wahoos have now been blanked nine times this season, while the Chattanooga pitching staff has recorded nine shutout wins this year.
Pensacola dropped the first game of the seven-inning doubleheader to Chattanooga, 6-0, Sunday, thanks to 25-year-old Dereck Rodriguez, who was pitching in just his second Double-A game.
Rodriquez allowed just two hits and two walks over six scoreless innings, striking out six for his first win for Chattanooga. Rodriguez earned his first Double-A victory and is now 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA.
Meanwhile, Pensacola starter Jose Lopez gave up four runs on nine hits and four walks over five innings and struck out four. Lopez gave up a home run in the top of the second inning to Chattanooga left fielder Travis Harrison, his first of the season. He fell to 2-1 on the year with a 3.57 ERA for the Blue Wahoos.
Also leading the Chattanooga offense in game one of the doubleheader was center fielder LaMonte Wade, who was 2-3, scored and knocked in two runs, and Andy Wilkins, who hit 3-4, with a double, scored a run and drove in 2 RBIs.
Pensacola’s offense was less productive, managing just three hits in both games. The Blue Wahoos dropped the second game, 6-0, as well, with Fernando Romero tossing seven scoreless innings. He also gave up three walks and struck out six to improve to 7-5 with a 2.97 ERA. The 22-year-old Romero now has 76 Ks in 78.2 innings.
Pensacola starter Domingo Tapia gave up four runs on six hits and two walks in three innings of work to pick up the loss to drop to 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA.
Blue Wahoos first baseman Gavin LaValley was 1-3 in both games and now is 5-14 (.357) hitting in all four games since being called up from the High-A Daytona Tortugas Thursday. The 22-year-old was the only Pensacola batter to get hits in both games and now has two doubles a homerun and three RBIs against Chattanooga.
Pensacola, the Southern League first half South Division champion, will try to avoid being swept in the five-game series by Chattanooga, the first half North Division champion, for the second time this season at 6:15 p.m. Monday.
Schedule: This Week’s Escambia County Government Meetings
June 25, 2017
Here is a schedule of Escambia County meetings for the upcoming week:
Monday, June 26
Library Board of Governance, 239 N. Spring St., 4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 27
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate, Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, 1:30 p.m. (Agenda)
Escambia County Health Facilities Authority, 1019 N. 12th Ave., 4 p.m.
Wednesday, June 28
June Coffee with the Commissioner – Jeff Bergosh, District 1, Denny’s Restaurant, 4625 Mobile Highway, 6:30 a.m.
Development Review Committee, Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, 1 p.m.
Santa Rosa Island Authority Committee Meeting, 1 Via De Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach, 5 p.m. (Agenda)
Santa Rosa Island Authority Budget Workshop, 1 Via De Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach, 5:05 p.m. (Agenda)
Santa Rosa Island Authority Special Board Meeting, 1 Via De Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach, 5:10 p.m. (Agenda)
