Book Fair Underway At EWMS
February 11, 2014
A Scholastic Book Fair is underway this week at Ernest Ward Middle School. Students are allowed to shop during scheduled time periods and during lunch.
The Book Fair is open from 9:30 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. daily through Friday. Sales are cash only.
Tate High Mock Trial Team Wins Circuit 1 Competition
February 11, 2014
The Tate High School Mock Trial team recently won first place in the Circuit 1 Competition.
Senior Chance Sturup and sophomore Sarah Cagle also won the “most effective attorney” awards in the competition. The team is coached by their debate teacher Emily Cordon, and attorney coaches Travis Johnson of the Meador & Johnson Law Firm, and Brian Kirkland of the Kirkland & McGhee firm.
The team will travel to the state competition in March in Orlando. Sponsors are currently needed….email ECordon@escambia.k12.fl.us.
Pictured: (front, L-R) Caroline Pierce, Madie Nelson, (middle row) Ryan Monson, Jessi Merritt, Tori VanScyoc, Aubreona Moffet, Sarah Cagle, Lauren Kirkland, Katie Woods, Eric Esselburn, teacher Emily Cordon, and (back) Chance Sturup. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘One More Special Adoption Day’ Thursday At The Animal Shelter
February 11, 2014
“One More Special Adoption Day,” a public animal adoption day in Escambia County, has been rescheduled due to inclement weather and will take place on Thursday, February 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Escambia County Animal Shelter, 200 West Fairfield Drive, Pensacola.
Additionally, the Escambia County Animal Shelter will honor “Manager’s Special” rates tomorrow, February 11, and the day of the event, Thursday, February 13. Manager’s Special rates are $55 for dogs 3 years old or younger and $35 for dogs older than 3. Cats 3 years old or younger will be available for $30 and $20 for cats younger than 3.
Hosted by Animal Services Advisory Committee (ASAC), One More Special Adoption Day will be held in an effort to assist in the adoption of local animals to loving homes by offering reduced adoption rates and gift bags to the first 100 pet adoptees.
During the event, the Escambia County Animal Shelter will host a food drive for cats and dogs of all ages. Escambia County Animal Control, Escambia County Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sherriff’s office will be on hand during the event for meet and greet opportunities and pet owner safety tips.
Workforce Escarosa Changes Name To CareerSource Escarosa
February 11, 2014
Local nonprofit employment and training agency Workforce Escarosa rebranded Monday as CareerSource Escarosa as part of a new universal identity to better align Florida’s nationally recognized workforce system. The change is part of a statewide initiative to improve organizational awareness and access to services for job seekers and businesses.
The new state brand, CareerSource Florida, is a result of extensive market research and input from local leaders, employers, job seekers, workforce professionals and community partners throughout Florida. Across the state today, all 24 regional workforce organizations and the nearly 100 career centers they direct, along with the state workforce board, began operating with their newly adopted brand identities.
CareerSource Escarosa remains committed to providing outstanding customer service. There will be no changes to the programs/services offered at their three career centers in Pensacola, Century and Milton.
Pictured: The sign change at the main Careersource Escarosa Center in Pensacola, formerly known as Workforce Escarosa. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Storm Team To Assist In North Georgia
February 11, 2014
A Gulf Power storm team of more than 80 line personnel and support staff hit the road Monday afternoon to assist sister company Georgia Power. They traveled to north Georgia in advance of a winter storm expected leave an inch of ice and several inches of snow behind by late Tuesday.
“Storm trips like this keep our crews sharp and we bring new skills back that help us right here at home,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power Corporate Communications manager. “Our crews were in Texas following a winter storm to help restore power this past December — and that experience paid off when it came to restoring power in our own Northwest Florida ice storm.”
Pictured: A Gulf Power storm team readies to depart for north Georgia Monday. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Jacks Branch Road Wreck
February 10, 2014
There were no injuries in a two vehicle wreck involving a cable company van and a Chevrolet Impala Monday morning on Jacks Branch Road. The wreck was reported just after 8:35 a.m. just near Vantage Road. All patients refused transport to the hospital. The cause of the accident has not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol as they continue their investigation. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century To Seek Unpaid License Fees From Insurance Companies
February 10, 2014
The Town of Century is turning to a Florida League of Cities program to collect local business taxes from insurance agencies.
Under the Delinquent Local Business Tax Collection Program created in 1951, the League .researches and initiates collection procedures for unpaid local business taxes from insurance companies.
Program participants receive 50 percent of the collection. They can add these companies to their current list in order to receive 100 percent of future collections
Teen Gets 10 Years For Violent Attack During Molino Burglary
February 10, 2014
A 16-year old teen accused of a violent attack against a woman during a Molino residential burglary has been sentenced to decade in prison.
Judge Linda Nobles sentenced Aquanis Javon Brown of Richardson Road to 10 years in state prison, with credit for nearly a year served in the county jail. He was tried as an adult for burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon.
As a juvenile, he was also charged with battery by strangulation and attempted sexual assault with a weapon at the time of his October 2012 arrest.
The 54-year old victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that she returned alone to her home were she found Brown, then just 15-years old, standing in a bedroom wearing gloves. Brown physically attacked her, punching her in the face and body with his fists, according to an arrest report, before attempting to remove the victim’s pants. He then began to strangle the victim to the point she told deputies she believed she was going to die. She fought back, clawing at Brown’s face.
Brown grabbed a pair of scissors, the report states, and began stabbing at the victim, stabbing her in the hand. Brown continued to attempt to remove the victim’s pants before walking out and going through things in other rooms of the home. She then closed the bedroom door, barricaded it with furniture and waited for deputies to arrive.
Deputies found the victim with several injuries. She told them that she was absolutely certain that Brown was her attacker; she said she has known him all of his life. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Sheriff’s deputies located Brown suffering from multiple fresh lacerations to his face and neck. He told deputies that he had cut himself shaving. He was arrested and delivered to the Department of Youth Services.
According to court documents, Brown is accused of stealing needles, medications, baking powder and other household items from the victim’s home.
Ernest Ward Students Explore Past With National History Day Projects
February 10, 2014
History came alive through the eyes of students at Ernest Ward Middle School recently as they displayed weeks of work on projects for National History Day.
The History Fair in the school’s gym capped off a project in which EWMS students were required to do research into a topic. The research was presented in exhibit form, much like the typical science fair, or as a drama or web presentation. Students complete projects either individually or in teams.
This was the fifth year Ernest Ward has participated in the national program, with the top projects from Ernest Ward headed next to a district competition. Winners included:
Individual Exhibits
- Cameron Long
- Bailey Seibert
- Dalton Hamilton
- Bailee Hinote
Group Exhibits
- Ashlan Harigel, Anna King, Bailey Van Pelt
- Lexi Broadhead, Karlee Criswell, Jessie McCall
- Celeste North, Kayla Galvan
- Colby Morris, Logan Wise
Web Design
- Triston Long
- Ashtyn Carnley, Delaney Reynolds
Performance
- Nikoal Creamer, Seth Parker, Chris Johnson
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Senate Fast Tracks State Run Tech Agency
February 10, 2014
The Senate is once again trying to upload an information-technology agency to oversee large computer projects and set tech policy for the state government.
But, unlike in past years, the House is also backing the concept of a technology oversight agency. The Senate proposal comes against the backdrop of on-going troubles with Florida’s $63 million unemployment system and security breaches at giant retails such as Target.
The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday, with little comment, unanimously supported a measure (SPB 7024) to create the Agency for State Technologies which would cost $5 million in the first year and add nine new government positions.
The Senate last year unanimously passed last year a similar measure that died in the budget conference process with the House.
Although no companion bill has yet been introduced in the House, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, included development of a state government information technology strategy in their 2014 legislative work plan released late last month.
“The Speaker believes Florida should not be the only state in the nation without a Chief Information Officer,” Weatherford’s spokesman Ryan Duffy said in an email.
Sen. Jeremy Ring, a Margate Democrat who sponsored the bill, has pushed for the creation of the agency for the past three sessions. He said he expects the House to look more favorably on the tech oversight agency because of high costs and high-profile difficulties associated with some of the state’s latest tech systems. The Department of Financial Services’ Florida Accounting Information Resource (FLAIR) system, now in development, could top $100 million. The Department of Economic Opportunity’s $63 million Connect system for jobless claims has been plagued with problems.
Since Dec. 20, the state has imposed a $15,000-per-business-day penalty and withheld a $3 million payment to Minnesota-based Deloitte Consulting until the Connect system it helped create is deemed “fully functional.”
The glitches have delayed the disbursement of thousands of unemployment checks since the system went live on Oct. 15.
Ring also warned that Floridians remain vulnerable due to a Target Corp. data breach in which information from 70 million credit cards was stolen late last year. The lack of any centralized oversight of the state’s computer systems and websites put Florida “at risk of significant security breaches,” said Ring, a former Yahoo.com executive.
“There is no question that when you have a $70 billion business, and you don’t have a chief information officer, you can see how flawed that really is and how illogical that really is,” Ring said. “We should have done this a couple of years ago.”
More importantly, he said, it’s difficult to “wrap our arms around how much money we spend on IT.”
The agency would be located within the Department of Management Services and run by a chief information officer appointed by the governor.
“It’s imperative we have an agency head that can actually speak the same language as the person on the other side of the table,” Ring said.
The agency would not have oversight of Cabinet agencies such as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Lottery, Florida Housing Corp., and the Department of Legal Affairs. But those departments would have to follow guidelines set up by the new agency and any new programs or software costing more than $50 million would have to undergo a review.
The agency, which would require $2.1 million in start-up costs as part of the first year expenses, would consolidate 226 positions from state data centers and the former Agency for Enterprise Information Technology, according to a Senate press release. The nine new positions would include the governor-appointed CIO.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida