Brewton Elects New Mayor; Council Members Elected In Atmore, Brewton
October 10, 2012
Run-off elections were held Tuesday in Escambia County, Ala., with Brewton electing a new mayor and councilman, and Atmore electing two new council members.
Atmore elected two new members to the city council. Susan Smith was elected to the council seat formerly held by John Garrard who did not run for re-election. Chris Harrison was elected to the seat that was held by Jim Staff who ran a successful campaign for mayor.
Complete but unofficial results were as follows:
Atmore Council District 4
- Susan Smith – 226
- Larry Houck – 165
Atmore Council District 5
- Chris Harrison – 119
- Michael Arnold – 65
Brewton elected a new mayor in Tuesday’s run-off election with Yank Lovelace defeating Frank Nalty. For the city council Seat 3, Bill Littles came out on top over Butch McKenzie.
Brewton Mayor
- Yank Lovelace – 925
- Frank Nalty – 762
Brewton Council District 3
- Bill Littles – 169
- Butch McKenzie – 100
Council On Aging To Host Support Group
October 10, 2012
Council on Aging of West Florida will host a Century Caregiver Support Group meeting on Thursday, October 18 at 6 p.m.
The support group is designed to reduce stress, increase coping skills, provide strategies for effective management of care giving tasks and enable caregivers to provide high quality care in the home. The programs are sponsored by Council on Aging of West Florida, the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging.
There is no cost and the public is invited. Reservations are not required. The meeting will be held at Century Care Center located at 6020 Industrial Blvd. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month at the same time and location. County residency is not required to attend.
For more information, call 432-1475.
Cross Country: Jay, Northview, Tate, Ernest Ward (Updated With Complete Results)
October 10, 2012
Pensacola Christian and Jay took the top spots in a cross country meet Tuesday afternoon at Northview High School.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Here complete results from the meet:
GIRLS
- Jay 41
- TR Miller 49
- Pensacola Christian Academy 63
- Central 91
- Northview 112
- Tate 112
- Ernest Ward 227
Fastest Girl – Allie Nelson from TR Miller 19:36
Jay Top 5
- Jessica Thornton 20:51
- Jorja Agrait 21:32
- Savannah Brown 23:01
- Carsen Arrant 23:11
- Jenna Thornton 24:52
TR Miller Top 5
- Allie Nelson 19:36
- Katie Nelson 20:33
- Lindsey Norton 22:48
- Payton Baxton 23;59
PCA Top 5
- Lauren Cochran 21:27
- Sarah Jacob 22:05
- Meghan Henderson 23:44
- Monica Smith 25:30
- Mikayla Gagen 26:59
Central Top 5
- Beth Hopkins 23:45
- Beth Smith 24:36
- Erica Waters 24:54
- Cameron Dilliard 25:20
- Kennedy Fuller 26:39
Northview Top 5
- Georgia Goetter 23:08
- Zaccara Davis 25:35
- Moriah McGahan 25:43
- Jazzlyn Franklin 25:44
- Mason Solchenberger 27:50
Tate Top 5
- Dacotah Leabetter 24:55
- Hauah Philips 25:21
- Emily Doran 25:45
- Tinal Blackely 25:46
- Jessica Whaley 25:54
EWMS Top 5
- Victoria Amerson 27:22
- Lydia Smith 27:37
- Lexxi Baggett 30:11
- Cailee Wilburn 31:38
- Rebekah Amerson 34:24
BOYS
- Pensacola Christian Academy 29
- Tate 74
- TR Miller 90
- Central 163
- Jay 205
- Northview 282
- Ernest Ward 318
Tate Top 5
- Conner Reed 17:49
- Dave Nolen 18:48
- Chris Love 18:59
- Daniel Keely 19:57
- Chris Porah 20:02
TR Miller Top 5
- Rob Stokes 16:58
- Christian Carlson 18:11
- Carten Frezell 19:36
- John West 20:19
- Dillan Simmons 21:23
Central Top 5
- Kyle Fuller 19:27
- Josh Strength 20:38
- Keiffer Boyette 21:31
- Morgan Givins 21:34
- Nick Pooley 22:05
Jay Top 5
- Micah Kemp 17:21
- Mark foley 20:50
- Austin Gonzalez 22:54
- Joey Belanzer 23:54
- Noah Goodson 26:43
Northview Top 5
- Nick Lambert 21:21
- Joshua Borrelli 22:50
- Jonathan Moretz 26:37
- Zack Calloway 26:17
- Dakota Craft 27:58
EWMS Top 5
- Heath Sheldt 22:26
- Jimi Brooks 25:21
- Aaron Dees 26:18
- Logan Purvis 28:45
- Logan Calloway
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Volleyball: Chiefs Down Central
October 10, 2012
The Northview Lady Chiefs defeated Central High in varsity and junior varsity volleyball Tuesday.
The Northview varsity beat Central in five, 23-25, 28-26, 25-19, 14-25, 15-11. Danielle Steadham had one ace, four kills and five digs for the Lady Chiefs, and Misty Doran added one ace, 10 kills and seven blocks.
In JV action, Northview downed Central 25-19, 19-25, 15-12. Hope Coggins had one ace and seven assists, and Kyndall Hall had four kills and five assists.
On Thursday, Northview will host the Baker Gators. The junior varsity takes the court at 4:30 followed by the varsity at 5:30. Thursday was scheduled to be Senior Night, but that event has been postponed until October 18.
Northview Schedules Homecoming Parade; Entries Accepted Now
October 10, 2012
The fourth annual Northview High School Homecoming Parade has been scheduled for Friday, October 26.
The parade will line up at 12:30 p.m. and travel from Bratt Elementary School to Northview High. Entries are being accepted now; there is no cost to enter. For a printable entry form, click here.
Contact Perry Byars at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 for more information.
The Northview Chief’s homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 26 against the Vernon Yellow Jackets.
Pictured: A float in the 2011 Northview High Homecoming Parade in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Cost For iPads For Every Florida Student? $441 Million
October 10, 2012
The State Board of Education has put a price tag on the state’s share of a transition to digital learning materials for public school students across Florida — $441 million — while signaling that it also supports school districts having more freedom to select their textbooks.
The digital learning figure is part of the State Department of Education’s $15.2 billion budget request to the Legislature, which would mark a 4.4 percent increase in the department’s spending plan above the current fiscal year. The board approved the request Tuesday.
Lawmakers are expected to potentially have a $71.3 million surplus to work with for the budget year that begins July 1, but even some budget-writers are cautious of that figure.
Lawmakers have helped drive the state toward more reliance on digital learning materials, passing a bill two years ago requiring schools to adopt digital-only textbooks by the 2015-16 school year and spend at least half their textbook budget on electronic materials.
The budget proposal from the department focuses more on the nuts-and-bolts approach to making that happen: Setting up schools with the capability to make iPads and Kindles useful and making sure that students actually have the devices.
The plan would devote almost $239 million to equipping schools with wireless Internet capabilities, something that 1,616 schools in Florida — almost half the total — currently lack. It would take another $151 million to make sure that every school in the state has access to quality broadband Internet access; 263 schools in Florida have no broadband access at all.
The final $51.7 million would be spent to defray some of the costs of increasing the number of computing devices that students could use — such as iPads, though the department would not require districts to use a certain brand or device. The proposal accounts for leasing each of the devices for three years at $170 a year.
“That’s a great price,” said David Stokes, chief information officer for the State Department of Florida. “Well, how are we going to do that? It’s going to be extremely challenging.”
Stokes said he believed that the state could get the deal by working with vendors.
At the same time, board members are preparing to challenge the textbook adoption process. Districts have to use the state list created by the process for some, but not all, of their textbook purchases. But several board members voiced support for getting rid of textbook adoption, freeing districts to use whatever materials they want for the classroom.
Roberto Martinez, the vice chairman of the board, said the move would allow school districts more flexibility to reach goals set by the state.
“If they want to use textbooks, let them use textbooks,” he said. “If they want to use primary-source material, fine. Digital, fine. Whatever it is. But I think we’re at that stage where we can give them that kind of freedom to accomplish the outcomes that we want.”
A textbook flexibility bill included in the department’s priorities would begin to move the state away from the process. Instead, officials envision a system where the department will offer to vet materials for districts that might not have the resources to review the materials on their own.
Okaloosa County Superintendent Alexis Tibbetts, president of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, enthusiastically supported the change.
“That’s going to be the answer to prayer,” she said. But board members and supporters of the move warned that any effort to get rid of the policy will likely face a fierce fight in the Legislature by publishers.
Indeed, Jay Diskey, executive director of the school division of the Association of American Publishers, said in an interview that the state should preserve textbook adoption.
“The process in Florida has been a way for Florida to ensure that its school standards appear in the curriculum,” Diskey said. He also noted that Florida is one of nearly 40 states that are preparing to move toward a more standardized curriculum.
“It’s probably the worst possible time for Florida to walk away from this process,” he said.
By The News Service of Florida
Scott To Propose Teacher Training Money
October 10, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott said teachers want to be respected and get the professional training they need and that he’ll propose $2 million to make more training available.
“One of the things that will be in my budget this year will be a…matching grant program to work with the school districts, to work with foundations, work with companies to do more professional development for our teachers,” Scott said Tuesday.
“My experience in business has been that if you hope your employees to get better you’ve got to make sure you put them in a position that they can do a good job on the development of whatever their skills are, so I’ll have $2 million in my budget this year to … do a matching grant program.”
By The News Service of Florida
Cemetery Vandalism Under Investigation
October 10, 2012
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects in the vandalism of an area cemetery.
Tuesday, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputies discovered that gravesites had been vandalized at the Coon Hill Cemetary off Lee Morris Road in Chumuckla. Deputies found that 13 headstones had been knocked over, breaking one.
The cemetery has the been the target of numerous acts of vandalism in the past, deputies said.
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 983-1190 or Santa Rosa Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP.
Pictured: Vandalism at the Coon Hill Cemetery near Chumuckla. Submitted photos by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Week Six: Prep Football Standings
October 10, 2012
Leaders are beginning to emerge, but district titles are not yet set in local high school football action.
In District 1-6A, Pace remains undefeated, while Milton and Escambia are 2-1. The Patriots and the Gators will meet this Friday night at Escambia.
West Florida is unbeaten in District 1-5A after handing Gulf Breeze their first district loss last Friday night.
The Northview Chiefs and the Baker Gators are 1-0 in District 1-1A, while Freeport and Jay each have a district loss.
Woman Credits Fireman For Saving Her Life Following Wreck
October 9, 2012
A woman is crediting a Flomaton fireman for saving her following a wreck Saturday in Gonzalez.
Rosa Bertolla said she though she was going to die after the crash Saturday afternoon at Old Chemstrand Road and Highway 29. The Florida Highway Patrol said 55-year old Terry Mack Smith lost the brakes on his motorhome, sideswiped one car and then slammed into Bertolla’s van.
Bertolla said her van began to fill with smoke, but she was unable to get out. Then she said off-duty Flomaton volunteer fireman Chance Hawthorne pulled her of her van. He had stopped nearby with his wife, on their way home from Pensacola.
“The instinct just kicked in to do what I was trained to do. And I’ve been doing this for five years and this is what I love,” Hawthorne said.
Smith was charged with careless driving in connection with the accident.
Pictured: Rosa Bertolla said her van was filling with smoke when she was pulled to safety by an off-duty Flomaton volunteer fireman Saturday afternoon in Gonzalez. Pictured inset: Bertolli met fireman chance Hawthorne Monday. Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.