City Fires Back At County Plan To Withhold Library Funding For Rural Branches
October 10, 2012
The City of Pensacola is firing back as the war of words continues between the city and Escambia County over funding for the library system jointly operated by the entities.
After Escambia County cut their contribution to the library system by 5-percent on October 1, the West Florida Library Systems responded by cutting hours at all branches but most drastically at the Century and soon to be open Molino Branch. The county cut all departments and agencies unilaterally by 5-percent, except for the Sheriff’s Office.
County Administrator Randy Oliver said the county will withhold a portion of their funding for the library system in order to hire the city’s library employees to fully staff libraries in the county, reducing the appropriation by the amount necessary to provided staffing to all library branches in the unincorporated areas at the same level as the branch in the city with the greatest operating hours.
“My plan is if the city does not achieve equity in branch hours of operation, the county will hire their library staff part time to fill in the additional hours and deduct the cost from the appropriation,” Oliver said. The Main Library’s hours were cut from 65 to 50 hours per week, while Century and Molino were cut from 40 hours to 24 weekly.
In a letter Tuesday to Oliver, Pensacola City Administrator Bill Reynolds said he found it troubling that some are attempting to make the library funding and reduced hours a “city issue”.
Reynolds claimed that under the joint agreement to operated the library system, Escambia County has actually failed to pay $1,229,663 for library services since 2008.
“We recognize that we must address the hours in which the system is open. This would not be necessary if the county had funded per the agreement, and such actions are solely the
responsibility of the county. Although all facilities Will be affected by the reduced hours, it is hard to explain to ciy residents that their hours should be cut at all, since the city has already inserted an additional $349,700 of their tax dollars to keep services to all users of the system at an acceptable level,” Reynolds wrote.
Reynolds said that Oliver’s plan to adjust library funding to maintain service hours at the rural branches “can only be taken as contemplation by the County to somehow further disrupt the system”.
“The need of your citizens can best be addressed – and in an ultimately cheaper manner – by ensuring that the county properly funds the system per the agreement,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to Oliver. Yet more unilateral deviations from this agreement can only cause more disruption to the citizens of the county, and that is in no one’s best interest.”
Pictured: North Escambia residents rally in support of the Century Branch Library in April after budget problems threatened to close the location. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Human Remains Found At UWF Identified As Missing Man
October 10, 2012
Human bones found last week on a University of West Florida nature trail have been identified as the remains of an Escambia County man missing for over a year.
UWF said the Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the recovered bones are those of William “Billy” Shores. Shores’ vehicle was found abandoned on the UWF main campus in February of 2011. He was not affiliated with the university.
Shores was last seen alive on February 18, 2011, by his mother, Jeanette Shores. She said both were driving and waved as they passed each other.
His 2007 Pontiac Vibe was found by a citizen parked near the Edward Ball Nature Trail at UWF on February 24, 2011. K-9 units from Escambia Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office unsuccessfully searched the area for Shores.
The bones were discovered last week about 25 feet off the nature trail’s boardwalk in an area heavily covered in thick underbrush.
Escambia Woman Pleads In Mentally Disabled Daughter Abuse Case
October 10, 2012
An Escambia County woman has pleaded no contest to charges that she abused her mentally disabled daughter.
DeeAnne Hale, 58, entered a plea of no contest to three counts of felony abuse of a disabled adult, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
On April 12, law enforcement discovered that the woman had been forced to wear a signboard that read “I am a liar and a theif” (sic) around her neck. She was forced to repeatedly walk the perimeter of a backyard pool allegedly as punishment for “stealing” candy from food the family claimed was for the homeless.
The sign was made of two pieces of wet plywood, approximately 3-foot squared, being held around her neck with two heavy metal chains. Deputies asked the girl to kneel down and were able to remove the signs, which were estimated to weigh about 40 pounds. Due to the weight of the signs the chain had slightly embedded into the victim’s neck, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman had also suffered a lacerated scalp which had been stitched closed with a common sewing needle and thread. Further investigation into the woman’s treatment revealed that during the previous 12 months, she had been forced to stay outside 24 hours a day for days on in and deprived of adequate shelter, food and medical attention, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
DeeAnne Hale’s husband, Rondal Hale, was previously convicted of four counts of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Judge Michael Allen scheduled DeeAnne Hale to be sentenced on November 8. Co-defendant Clinton Michael Carr pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated
abuse of a disabled adult and battery; he will also be sentenced on November 8.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Remains Found Cemented In Georgia May Be Former PNJ Reporter
October 10, 2012
Authorities from two states are working to determine if remains found buried in cement behind a Georgia home are those of a former Pensacola News Journal reporter.
Sean Dugas, 30, of Pensacola had not been heard from since August 27 when he talked to a friend by phone.
While investigating the missing person case, the Pensacola Police Department developed leads which led to them to contact police in Winder, Ga., on Monday. Police in Winder then discovered the body encased in concrete and buried in a backyard of a Winder home.
Pensacola Police said Tuesday that they believe there is a connection between the body and the disappearance of Dugas. They are awaiting positive identification of the remains.
Twins from Pensacola, Christopher and William Cormier, 31, have both been charged by Georgia authorities with concealing a death. Both are being held in different jails in Georgia.
On August 27, Dugas and a female friend planned to go lunch , but when she arrived at his house to pick him up, he wasn’t home, said Capt. David Alexander of the Pensacola Police Department. A man who lived at the house told the woman Dugas was scheduled to return at 3 p.m. Alexander said the woman left a note on Dugas’ door asking him to contact her, but he did not.
Alexander said the female friend continued trying unsuccessfully to contact Dugas over the next few days. When she returned to the house September 7 to check on him, the house was empty except for a television. Alexander said the woman asked neighbors if they knew what had happened to him and they said a U-haul truck was there on September 3 and they saw at least one man removing items from the house.
Alexander said neighbors asked him about Dugas, and the man said he’d been beaten and was going to live with him.
Meanwhile, the female friend continued trying to reach Dugas, and when she could not, she contacted police on September 13. Alexander said Dugas’ name was then entered into the National Crime Information Center’s computer database as a missing/endangered person.
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