Task Force Tours Potential 4-H Locations, Set To Issue Report Soon
April 29, 2013
A task force on a fact-finding mission about potential future land for Escambia County 4-H is just a few weeks away from issuing a preliminary report to a University of Florida dean.
After reviewing the report, UF/IFAS Extension Dean Nick Place could choose to act on the task force’s findings or ask the group to continue its fact-finding research. The task force was created following the sale of the 240-acre Langley Bell 4-H Center to Navy Federal Credit Union for $3.6 million. From the sale proceeds, $2 million was placed in an endowment fund with interest used to support Escambia County 4-H, and $1.6 million was reserved for 4-H use under the guidance of UF/IFAS.
“I look forward to studying the task force report and reviewing some well researched options that will serve 4-H needs,” Place said.
Saturday, task force members and other interested parties toured potential properties which might be used or purchased by Escambia County 4-H for animal science, outdoor and environmental educational activities:
- Escambia County Equestrian Center, 7750 Mobile Hwy, Pensacola
- Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds ,6655 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
- Roy Hyatt Environmental Center, 1300 Tobias Road, Cantonment
- Beck’s Lake Road Property, Cantonment
- Cottage Hill State Forest, McKenzie Rd, Cantonment
- Bayer Crop Science Facility, 2996 Crabtree Church Road, Molino
- Proposed 4H Site, 5000 block of N Hwy. 29,Molino
- Proposed 4H Site, 4000 block of Barrineau Park Road, Molino
- Proposed 4H Site,1700 block of Jacks Branch Road, Cantonment
Escambia County commissioners have also agreed to spend $1.5 million in local option sales tax money to build a new 4-H center on Stefani Road, next to the current Escambia County Extension Service.
Pictured: Two of the buildings located on the Bayer Crop Science Facility in Molino, one of the properties being considered by a task force for Escambia County 4-H. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Lawmakers Finish Up Budget Deal
April 29, 2013
Lawmakers sealed an agreement on a $74 billion budget deal late Sunday for the fiscal year that begins July 1, locking down language on $480 million in teacher pay raises, a new formula for paying hospitals under the Medicaid program and a few projects for key lawmakers’ districts.
The agreement came well ahead of a Tuesday deadline for hammering out the final budget bill — something lawmakers highlighted — and after days of negotiations that included 30 public meetings, according to the counting of Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart.
Lawmakers still have to hammer out compromises on a handful of budget-related “conforming” bills.
It was also the first time in years that state revenues kept lawmakers from considering deep cuts into programs like education and health care.
“Even though our budget picture is brighter than it has been before, we didn’t go on a spending spree,” Negron said.
Under the deal on teacher pay raises, one of Gov. Rick Scott’s top two priorities, teachers rated as “effective” would receive a raise of at least $2,500, while those rated “highly effective” would get $3,500. The raises wouldn’t be paid out, though, until June 2014.
Scott, who had pushed for a $2,500 across-the-board raise, still hailed the agreement in a statement late Sunday. His office said the proposal could pave the way for every teacher to get a raise of at least $2,000.
“I want to thank the House and the Senate for ensuring that we build on our work to implement performance pay, while also allowing school districts the flexibility to use the $480 million in new funding to give every Florida teacher a pay raise,” Scott said. “Our teachers are some of the best in the nation and they deserve to be rewarded for their great work.”
Scott’s initial plan — which was also set at $480 million — had called for the pay raise to be split among classroom teachers. While the House and Senate proposal applies to a wider array of school workers, lawmakers said they were confident that the funding would cover the raises.
Florida Education Association President Andy Ford, also quoted in Scott’s release, also applauded the agreement.
“Through the collective bargaining process, FEA remains committed to working with local school districts to develop fair, valid, reliable and transparent processes to reward the success of Florida’s teaching force,” Ford said.
The fine print of the budget agreed to Sunday night also sets a new formula for hospital reimbursements for services provided to Medicaid patients. The details of that formula — known as diagnosis related groups, or DRGs — were closely watched, though safety-net hospitals had already secured enough funding in earlier talks to be comfortable with the change.
During the conference meeting, Negron also laced into the “turkey list” released annually by TaxWatch, a nonprofit organization whose annual report logs so-called budget turkeys. Negron called out the group’s tendency to zero in on projects that were added in the conference process or weren’t recommended by agencies.
“If you check the Florida Constitution, it’s the responsibility of the Legislature to write the state budget,” Negron said.
His statement came as questions were raised about a project at Gulf Coast State College, in the district of Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. The project went from $300,000 in the Senate budget to $17.5 million in the Senate’s initial offer on education construction projects Saturday; it was dropped back to $14 million through a change approved Sunday.
The $14 million amount for the project, which was initially entitled “Advanced Technology Center” but is now set to be listed as “construct STEM building” — for science, technology, engineering and mathematics — still amounts to an increase of nearly 4,567 percent from the amount in the first Senate budget.
Gaetz’s spokeswoman confirmed that the Senate president selected the projects that would appear in the Senate education construction budget. The Gulf Coast State College project was not included in the list of priorities submitted by the Department of Education.
“The DOE’s not in charge of writing the state budget,” Negron said when asked about that on Sunday.
By The News Service of Florida
Passenger In Olive Road Crash Dies
April 29, 2013
One person has died as result of injuries received in wreck following a traffic crash Sunday on Olive Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol said at 2:18 a.m. 25-year old Candace McArthur was closely following another vehicle westbound on Olive Road. Troopers said McArthur had been involved in an altercation with the other unidentified driver earlier in the evening.
The driver of the other vehicle switched into the opposite lane and braked to avoid McArthur’s 2002 Chevrolet Impala. McArthur lost control and over-corrected. The Impala slid across Olive Road and onto the shoulder before hitting tree.
McArthur was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital with serious injuries. Her passenger, 19-year old Cassidy Dunaway was transported to Sacred Heart in critical condition and was pronounced deceased Monday.
Traffic homicide charges are pending, according to FHP.
House District 2 Absentee Ballots On The Way
April 29, 2013
The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office has mailed more than 8,000 absentee ballots for the Florida House District 2 Republican Primary, according to Supervisor of Elections David Stafford. Of those, more than 2,000 were sent to military personnel and civilians oversees.
Registered voters in District 2 may still request a ballot by mail in the following ways:
- By email: absentee@EscambiaVotes.com
- On the website at EscambiaVotes.com
- By phone: (850) 595‐3900 or fax (850) 595‐3914
- In person: 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, Pensacola, FL 32502
- By mail: PO Box 12601, Pensacola, FL 32591‐2601
Voters should receive their ballot within the next week, and can visit EscambiaVotes.com and click on “track my ballot” to monitor the status of their request. The deadline for voters to request a ballot to be delivered by mail is Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. After that date, voters may pick up a mail ballot at the Supervisor of Elections office.
Ballots must be received in the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Ballots can be dropped off at the Elections Office during regular business hours or mailed back in the official ballot envelope provided. Be sure to include first class postage ($0.46) on your return envelope. Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at polling locations on Election Day.
The May 14 primary election is only open to registered Republican voters in Florida House District 2. All registered voters in House District 2 are eligible to participate in the
June 11 general election, regardless of party affiliation. For more information, visit EscambiaVotes.com or call (850) 595‐3900.
Blood Drive Thursday In Walnut Hill
April 29, 2013
A blood drive will be held Thursday from 8 a.m. until noon at the Walnut Hill Fire Station on Highway 97.
“Please donate if you are in general good health and encourage others for the need is always real,” said Sarah Noel, blood center community relations coordinator. “Help save lives by donating it could be the life of your loved one, neighbor or your own.”
Noel pointed out that diabetes and many medications will not prevent someone from donating blood.
Dortch Road Bridge To Re-Open; Highway 164 Bridge Remains Closed
April 29, 2013
Work is wrapping up on one North Escambia bridge, while a second bridge is set to be closed for about another month.
Highway 164 from Velor Road to Pine Barren Road was closed to traffic March 1 after an inspection revealed structural deficiencies with a 55-year old bridge between Walnut Hill and McDavid. Work is continuing on the bridge, and it is expected to take about another 30 days to complete, depending on weather, according to Escambia County spokesman Bill Pearson.
The Dortch Road Bridge, located off Highway 4 west of Bratt, was closed in late February for repairs. Work is coming to a close on the bridge, and it is expected to re-open to traffic this week. The bridge was first constructed over Beaver Dam Creek in 1965.
Pictured top: This bridge on Highway 164 is expected to remain closed about another month. Pictured below: This bridge on Dortch Road is expected to open this week. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos, Smokies Washed Out – Again
April 29, 2013
As a result of two straight rainy days in Kodak, Tenn., Sunday’s doubleheader between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the Tennessee Smokies has been postponed. One of the games will be lost on the two teams’ schedules because they do not play each other the rest of the season, but they will play a doubleheader on Monday beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT.
Both games will be seven inning contests. The pitching matchups for Monday’s games have not been announced at the time of the postponement.
After an off day on Tuesday, the Blue Wahoos return home to open a five-game series with Montgomery. Wednesday will be a Blue-Out in honor of the Blue Angels. All fans are encouraged to wear blue as a show of support for the Pensacola-based flight demonstration team.
Student SkillsUSA Competition To Have $3 Million Local Impact
April 29, 2013
Starting Monday, more than 3,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students and 2,500 high-school and college students from throughout the state will be displaying their technical talents and leadership abilities through competitions during the 2013 Florida SkillsUSA State Competition at the Pensacola Bay Center.
SkillsUSA is a national job readiness organization that assists high-school and college students who are preparing for careers in the trade, technical and health industry sectors. With more than 300,000 members nationwide, SkillsUSA serves as a partnership between students, teachers and industry leaders working together to ensure the United States has a skilled workforce.
The event is expect to have more than a $3 million impact on the local economy.
“The Florida SkillsUSA State Competition showcases some of our finest students from around the state,” said Pensacola Chamber President and CEO Jim Hizer, CCE, CEcD. “These talented students are the future of Florida’s workforce, and events like these help to prepare them to be successful in the key industries that will most impact our economy.”
Argos Win Pace Tournament
April 29, 2013
The 11-year old travel ball team the Argos took home first place in the recent Spring Slam in Pace. Pictured are the undefeated Argos (bottom, L-R) Cole Mullins, John Pinette, Nathan Brewton, Christian Munoz, Jacob Bryant, (top, L-R) Trevor Norton, Chase Barcus, TJ McCants, Cameron Bailey and Sam Shackle. Coaches are Mike Norton, Levy Bryant and Matt Faust, all of Cantonment. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
United Way Recognizes Campaign Contributors, Including Northview, Ransom
April 29, 2013
United Way of Escambia County is celebrating the results of this year’s annual workplace campaign, which raised $2,397,518 to impact those in need in the area.
“I never cease to be amazed at our community’s generosity,” says Andrea Krieger, United Way’s President/CEO. “Escambia residents who chose to live united will change the world for many of our community’s most vulnerable citizens.”
Two North Escambia schools — Northview High and Ransom Middle — were among those recognized for their successful United Way campaigns. Northview’s giving was up 52-percent over last year, while Ransom’s giving increased by 60-percent.
Last year’s campaign enabled United Way to partner with 35 agencies and nearly 2,000 volunteers to help serve more than 200,000 people. With increased donations, United Way hopes to serve even more this year.
For their contributions to the 2013 United Way workplace campaign, the following individuals and organizations were recognized:
CAMPAIGN COORDINATORS OF THE YEAR
Agency Division
Margaret Jerauld, Council on Aging
Small Business Division
Leslie Saam, McMahon Hadder Insurance
Education Division
Jennifer McSherdon, Virginia College
Financial Division
Cindy Fell, Hancock Bank
Government Division
Janine Clackley, City of Pensacola
Professional Division
Eric Krause, IMS ExpertServices
Retail Division
Nathan Pooley, Buffalo Rock
Health Care Division
Janet Speranzi-Cannon, Florida Blue
Corporation Division
Krista Ebbert, ExxonMobil
SCHOOL SPIRIT OF GIVING AWARDS
Elementary
Oakcrest Elementary
Middle
Ransom Middle School
High
Northview High School
Department
Professional Learning Department
Center
George Stone Technical Center
BUSINESS RECOGNITION BY COMPANY SIZE
1-39 Employees
Pensacola Shipyard Marine Complex
40-99 Employees
Hatch Mott MacDonald
100-399 Employees
United Parcel Service
400+ Employees
Gulf Power Company
Pictured top: (L-R) United Way Board Chair David Jones, Northview Assistant Principal Gerry Pippins, United Way President/CEO Andrea Krieger, and 2012-2013 Campaign Chair David Peaden. Pictured below: United Way Board Chair David Jones, Ransom Campaign Coordinator John Lowe , United Way President/CEO Andrea Krieger, and 2012-2013 Campaign Chair David Peaden. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
