Century Gives Final Approval — With No Details — To Charter Changes For The November Ballot
September 18, 2024
The Century Town Council Tuesday night gave final approval to three charter amendments for the November 5, 2024, general election ballot.
As we reported early this week, the town submitted the charter questions to be placed on the ballot without a final approval, and the ballots were printed.
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender and Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections Sonya Daniel attended the council meeting Tuesday night and sat quietly in the back of the room.
Bender said they attended the meeting to answer any questions. However, the county’s top two elections officials were never even verbally acknowledged during the meeting by Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. or the town council.
When the town council gave first approval in July to the three ordinances to place the items on the ballot, they contained the ballot language and details on the exact changes to be made if voters approve. By the second approval Tuesday night, details on the charter changes to be made had disappeared from the ordinances.
Bender said following the meeting that he has required signed copies of the approved charter change ordinances for review. He said he expects any decisions regarding the ballot changes to come quickly because vote-by-mail ballots have upcoming statutory deadlines.
The Century town charter is the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town. In recent years, the town sat a charter review committee to create a new draft charter, and the town council set about reviewing those changes. There were several snaps along the way, from the pandemic to wrong documents, which delayed the process.
What are the three chanter questions on the ballot?
The exact ballot questions for voters were not actually approved Tuesday night.
The ballot questions that were submitted without final approval were as follows:
Question 1:
TOWN CHARTER AMENDMENT PROVIDING FOR TOWN PURCHASING TO BE GOVERNED BY COUNCIL-APPROVED PURCHASING POLICIES
Amending the Town of Century Charter to remove specific bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditure requirements and procedures from the Charter, and provide that Town bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditures will be governed by Town ordinances, policies, and procedures adopted by the Town Council. Shall the above-described amendment be adopted?
Question 2:
TOWN CHARTER AMENDMENT CONCERNING MAYOR’S EMPLOYMENT AUTHORITY
Amending the Town of Century Charter to expand the Mayor’s powers to select, appoint, suspend, and remove town employees and appointive administrative officers, by limiting the requirement for Council approval of such actions solely to the selection, appointment, suspension, or removal of the Town Clerk, Town Attorney, and Town Manager. Shall the above-described amendment be adopted?
Question 3:
TOWN CHARTER CLEANUP AMENDMENT
Amending the Town of Century Charter to correct scriveners and codification errors, and to conform charter provisions to the requirements of the Florida Election Code. Shall the above-described amendment be adopted?
NorthEscambia.com will provide more coverage before the election on the specifics of each ballot questions.
Pictured: Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender and Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections Sonya Daniel sit quietly in the back of the room at a Tuesday night Century Town Council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle School Names Students Of The Month
September 18, 2024
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for August. They are: Sophia Ikner, eighth grade; Riverly Heathcock, seventh grade; and 6th grade Titus Bruley, sixth grade. They are pictured with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
SEC Soccer Tournament Returning To Ashton Brosnaham Park; Tickets Now On Sale
September 18, 2024
Twelve nationally ranked Southeastern Conference soccer teams will be competing for the SEC Championship title from Sunday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 10, at Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex off East 10 Mile Road.
Tickets are now one sale at pensacolasports.org. All-tournament passes are $45. Individual session tickets for the first round, quarterfinals and semifinals are $12 for adults and $7 for students/military. Tickets for the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 10, are $17 for adults and $12 for students/military. Taxes and service fees are included in the listed ticket prices. Kids 12 and under wearing a soccer jersey get in free with a paying adult on Sunday, Nov. 3 and on Tuesday, Nov. 5. A clear bag policy is in effect for this event. Admission is free for children 5 and under at all games.
This is the third year that Pensacola will host the tournament. Pensacola first hosted the tournament in 2022 and set SEC records for attendance.
“I’m so excited to host all of our friends from the SEC again this fall at the beautiful Ashton Brosnaham facility. I ask all sports fans in Escambia County to come to at least one game while the SEC tournament is here and see the elite play from these extremely talented student athletes,” Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said.
“The Pensacola community has embraced and welcomed our staff, the teams and the players over the last two years,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The SEC Soccer Tournament is an outstanding experience for SEC soccer fans from across the region and will provide our student-athletes with lasting memories.”
On championship game day, Nov. 10, there will be a free Fan Fest from 11:30 a.m. until the start of championship game. There will be music, food trucks and interactive activities for all ages to enjoy.
Over the last seven years, the SEC has earned 52 NCAA Tournament bids – an average of more than seven per year – with all 14 member institutions making at least two appearances during that span. Eight different SEC teams have advanced to the Round of 16 since 2013 and the league has placed teams in the NCAA quarterfinals in nine of the last 10 seasons.
Pictured: The first record-setting SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament at Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in October 2022. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Four Tate Students Achieve Perfect Scores On End-Of-Course Exams
September 18, 2024
Four Tate High School students are being honored for achieving perfect scores on their Spring 2024 End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments.
Sofie Domulot, Estelle Lentini, and Victoria Roberts all earned perfect scores on the Biology 1 EOC, while Emmanuel Hurry excelled with a perfect score on the FAA U.S. History EOC.
“This is an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects their hard work, dedication, and academic excellence. We are incredibly proud of these students and look forward to seeing their continued success,” Tate High Principal Laura Touchstone said.
Pictured: (L-R) Sofie Domulot, Estelle Lentini, Victoria Roberts and Emmanuel Hurry. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pickup Truck Driver Injured In Head-on Crash Into A Tree In Walnut Hill
September 18, 2024
One person was injured when they crashed their pickup truck into a tree in Walnut Hill Wednesday night.
The adult female was traveling east on Morgan Road when she failed to negotiate a 90-degree curve and crashed her Chevrolet Colorado head-on into a tree.
She was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Walnut Hill and Molino stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Additional Escambia County Children Arrested For School Threats
September 17, 2024
Monday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrested two more Escambia County children for allegedly making school threats.
The ECOS said a 12-year-old student from McArthur Elementary was charged for threats made during a FaceTime conversation with other students. “He threatened to bring a firearm to school and kill one of the students,” the Sheriff’s Office said. The student has been charged with written or electronic threats with intent to kill or cause bodily harm to another.
Additionally, a 15-year-old homeschooled juvenile who allegedly posted threats on Snapchat has been arrested for written or electric threats with intent to kill or cause bodily harm to another. Investigators said he posted that he was going to shoot the schools up in the Snapchat post.
“We have been very clear about school threats. If you make such a threat, you will be arrested. Parents, PLEASE explain this to your children,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said in a statement released Monday night.
Two threats last week with one arrest
An 11-year-old Bellview Middle School student was arrested in connection with a Friday social media threat against schools in Escambia County.
The female student, whose name has not been released, was charged with written or electronic threats to conduct a mass shooting, a second degree felony, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest came after a joint investigation involving the ECSO, FBI and the Escambia County School District.
Investigators said the investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests may be forthcoming.
“Safety of our students is a top priority,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said. He said the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office takes all threats seriously.
“We are grateful to our students and staff for remaining calm and professional during what was a stressful morning. To the parents who entrust us with their children every day, thank you, as well,” the school district said in a statement Friday afternoon.
“Be certain, we will use every tool at our disposal to be sure the person or persons responsible for today’s disruption never has the opportunity to do something like this again. We will work with our partners in law enforcement as they investigate further and we will pursue charges. We want to send the message that this behavior will not be tolerated in any of our schools. To those who seek to promote chaos by knowingly spreading harmful and disruptive disinformation, we will pursue you with every legal means available.”
The safety and well-being of our students, employees and community at-large is, and will remain, your school district’s number one priority. We will not waver,” the district statement concluded.
Friday morning, the district said they were investigating a potential threat against several area schools. The district did not provide any additional details, and no specific schools were identified.
Numerous parents provided NorthEscambia.com with a copy of the alleged photo and threat that were posted online. A search indicated that photo was posted first a year ago and it was altered with additional text.
Friday’s threat was the second in Escambia County this week. A social media threat Monday (pictured below) against Ernest Ward Middle School was deemed unfounded by the district. Escambia County Schools Superintendent Keith Leonard said the alleged threat was discussed on social media and was believed to be “internal” involving students at the school in Walnut Hill.
NorthEscambia.com graphic and image, click to enlarge.
Five Escambia County Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
September 17, 2024
Five Escambia County students have been named semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
They are:
- Pensacola Catholic High School: Emma Thompson
- Pensacola High School: Annabelle A. Apel, Charles B. Benson, and Isabelle R. Jenkins.
- Washington High School: Sophie B. Thompson
These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.
National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 280 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Tate High AJROTC Honors 9/11 Victims
September 17, 2024
submitted by Cadet Major Jayce Latzer
On September 11, the J.M. Tate High School Army JROTC staff held their third annual 911 Ceremony to honor the victims of the tragic events of 2001 and the heroes who lost or risked their lives in its aftermath. The staff arrived at school at 6 a.m. to prepare the courtyard. The ceremony began at 8 a.m. with a moving story from Coach David Bonucchi, who shared his experience from that day.
Throughout the day, the AJROTC staff performed a solemn march on a black mat, guarding the 911 wreath. Each cadet followed a precise sequence: marching 21 steps, halting for 21 seconds, turning, halting again for another 21 seconds, then marching 21 steps once more. The staff members took shifts of roughly 25 minutes throughout the day. Cadet Major Jayce Latzer led as the guard commander, overseeing each change of the guard ceremony. Before each new guard took their post, Cadet Latzer meticulously inspected their uniform. The staff continued this honorable duty from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., enduring wind and rains.
Tate AJROTIC c/LTC Olivia Allgyer, c/MAJ Jayce Latzer, c/MAJ Braydon Stringer, c/CPT Daisa Vickers, c/CPT Ryan Gates, c/CPT Brandon Davis, and c/2LT Zachary Colston were among those that took part in the ceremony.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Fall Short In Five Sets To Escambia Gators
September 17, 2024
The Northview High School Lady Chiefs battled the Escambia High School Gators in a five-set volleyball match on Tuesday night at Northview High School in Bratt.
The Lady Chiefs ultimately fell short 3-2, losing the match by scores of 25-23, 25-18, 18-25, 22-25, and 15-6.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The match was a back-and-forth affair from start to finish. The Gators took the first two sets, but the Lady Chiefs roared back to win the third and fourth sets, forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, the momentum shifted back in favor of Escambia, as they pulled away to secure the victory.
The Lady Chiefs will look to bounce back as they host Blacksher Bulldogs from Uriah, Alabama, Thursday at 5 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Food Truck Court Proposed For Highway 29, Archer Road
September 17, 2024
A food truck court could be coming to the corner of Highway 29 and Archer Road.
A proposal for the “Archer Road Food Truck Court” was filed by Environmental Engineer Services with Escambia County for 0.81 acres on two parcels at the northeast corner of the intersection by Environmental Engineering in Pensacola. Plans state that here is currently a mobile on one of the parcels, which are both owned by DKJ Real Properties, LLC. A small coffee and soda shop has been operating on the front parcel closest to Highway 29. Plans apparently indicate that the coffee shop will remain.
Submitted plans show access to a driveway through the food court on Archer Road with spots for two additional food trucks, a 204 square foot restroom facility, picnic tables and a sidewalk.
The proposal is currently in the initial application status with Escambia County Development Review Committee. A public meeting has not yet been set.
A conditional use to allow restaurant (including food trucks) use on the property was granted in August.
NothEscambia.com images, click to enlarge.
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