Road To The Crown: Miss Northview High 2012 Contestants
January 24, 2012
Join NorthEscambia.com this week for our annual multi-part series “the road to the crown”.
We will follow 24 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2012. We’ll introduce you to each girl and go behind the scenes with exclusive photos for a look at the annual Northview High School pageant.
A new installment of “the road to the crown” will be posted each morning this week. Then on Sunday morning, we’ll introduce you to the new Miss Northview High School.
The annual Miss Northview High School Pageant will be held on Saturday, January 28 at 7:00 in the school auditorium. The pageant is sponsored by the Northview High Varsity Cheerleaders.
Today, we begin with a group photo of all the young ladies participating. Their names are listed below.
Pictured top: Participants in this year’s Miss Northview High School 2012 are: (front, L-R) Charleigh McPherson, Danielle Scott, Courtney Weaver, Lauren McCall, Katelynne Calloway, Logan Wainwright, Melissa Moretz, (middle row) Cheyanne Garnett, Morgan Digmon, Ashley Mooney, Ariel Holland, Ashley Cunningham, Erica Wiggins, Brittany Thompson, Tiffani Pritchett, (back row) Misty Doran, Ali Martin, Hannah Gibson, Rebekah Sepulveda, Anna Fischer, Abby Odom, Kendal Cobb, Ashlynn McCall, Morgan Ward. Front: Miss NHS 2011 Haley Simpson. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century To Use $250K Line Of Credit, $116K In Reserve Funds For Grant Expenses
January 24, 2012
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to allow the mayor to open $250,000 line of credit and use $116,000 in reserve funds to pay reimbursable grant expenses.
The town currently has grant projects of over $1 million in the works, and the town is required to pay out of pocket for various grant projects before receiving guaranteed reimbursements. That, according to Mayor Freddie McCall, has left the town shuffling money between town accounts to pay the grant-related bills.
The council gave McCall permission to open the quarter million dollar line of credit back in November; Monday night’s vote was to affirm that decision and accept the 3.25 percent interest rate offered by United Bank. The motion to open the line of credit passed 4-1 with council member Sandra McMurray Jackson voting against.
McCall will first use the $116,000 in reserve funds to pay reimbursable grant related expenses prior to using the line of credit.
Santa Rosa Schools Ranked No. 2 In Florida; Escambia At No. 44
January 24, 2012
The Santa Rosa County School District was ranked No. 2 in the state while the Escambia County School District was ranked No. 44 in student performance in rankings released Monday by the Florida Department of Education.
Santa Rosa County was one of 30 districts in the state that received an A from the state, while Escambia County was one of 23 to receive a B.
Thirty-five percent of the students in Escambia County taking the FCAT read below grade level (Level 3), 32% percent are below grade level in math and 52% are below grade level in science. In Santa Rosa County, 20 percent were below grade level in reading, 17% below grade level in math and 38% below grade level in science.
“Education is our highest priority,” said Santa Rosa County Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick. “As educators, we see ourselves as servant leaders who demand excellence and put kids first. We have tremendous support from our community and our partners. They understand that quality of life and high quality education are tied together.”
Wyrosdick said that the district uses data-driven progress monitoring with teachers reviewing data daily so they can identify where they may need to intervene with students early in the year to help them improve.
The numerical ranking is based on each school’s total points derived from FCAT scores. The total is the sum of scores for reading, math, science and writing; learning gains in reading and math; and scores for learning gains in reading and math among the lowest 25 percent of students in each school. The school district ranking is determined by the school grade points they earned based on the assessment scores of all students in the district that were enrolled for the full year.
“Santa Rosa County deserves congratulations for this accomplishment,” said Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. “Ranking in the top ten takes commitment, hard work and collaboration not only from those within the educational setting; it takes the support of the entire community.”
Wednesday Final Day To Request Primary Absentee Ballot By Mail
January 24, 2012
Voters who wish to be mailed an absentee ballot for the January 31 Presidential Preference Primary Election must request their ballot by close of business on Wednesday, according to Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford.
Voters can make their request by contacting the Supervisor of Elections by mail, phone at (850) 595-3900, email (absentee@escambiavotes.com), fax at (850) 595-3914, or by using the online form at EscambiaVotes.com. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and address. Absentee voters may track the status of their ballot by clicking Track My Ballot at EscambiaVotes.com.
After Wednesday, a voter may still pick up an absentee ballot in person from the Elections Office. Voted absentee ballots must be received in the Elections Office (not at a polling location) no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, January 31.
In addition to absentee voting, early voting is being offered from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily through Saturday at four area locations:
- Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor
- Supervisor of Elections Annex, 292 Muscogee Road, Cantonment
- Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Avenue
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
A third option for voters is to cast a ballot at their precinct on Election Day – polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Voters must present a photo and signature ID at the polls, or they must vote a provisional ballot. A touchscreen is also available at each polling place and early voting site for persons with disabilities.
Evers’ Farm Land Agritourism Bill Gets Committee Nod
January 24, 2012
Despite objections from cities and counties, the Senate Agriculture Committee on Monday approved a bill that would prevent local regulation of “agritourism” on farm land.
The Senate Agriculture Committee voted 6-1 to approve the measure sponsored by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker. Agritourism can involve a variety of activities, such as farms offering tours and educational activities.
But Stephen James, a lobbyist for the Florida Association of Counties, said his group is concerned that the bill is overly broad. For example, he said some farm land is close to densely populated areas and that problems could arise if owners wanted to hold festivals that could affect such things as parking.
Pictured: An bill sponsored by Sen. Greg Evers would prevent local regulation of agritourism on farm land, such as the Jay Peanut Festival. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Authorities Looking For DCF Impersonator
January 24, 2012
Authorities are looking for a man they say is pretending to be a Department of Children and Families employee.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said a white male identifying himself as DCF employee Craig Johnson entered a home, claiming to be conducting an investigation of child neglect. DCF said the agency does not have an employee of that name, nor are they conducting an investigation of the family in question.
The white male was described as being approximately 5’10” tall, 170 pounds, dirty blond hair, full goatee, wearing khaki pants and white dress shirt. He was described as being approximately 30-35 years of age and was driving a white 2011 model Chevy Malibu.
Investigators encourage anyone who has information to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or CrimeStoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured: An sketch artist rendering of a DCF impersonator. Courtesy Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
It’s Celebrate Literacy Week At Jim Allen, Bratt, Byrneville, Molino Park
January 23, 2012
It’s “Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!”, and North Escambia elementary schools will celebrate will a variety of activities this week.
The goal of the week is to promote literacy by raising awareness of programs and projects offered by the Florida Department of Education and partner groups, and to promote the enjoyment of reading for adults and children of all ages.
The following events are planned at North Escambia elementary schools this week:
Jim Allen Elementary
- All students will read for an additional 20 minutes each day as part of the Million Minute Marathon.
Bratt Elementary
- All students will read as part of the Million Minute Marathon.
- Students will create story character puppets from the Jan Brett books The Mitten and The Hat.
- On Wednesday, it’s Buddy Reading as students from the upper level grades read to students in the lower grades.
- Thursday is book character dress up day.
- During the week, book report posters will be presented by fourth grade students. Mrs. Cassady’s fifth grade students will present shoe box reports.
- Daily announcements will include information about Sunshine State readers each day.
Byrneville Elementary
- Students will read as part of the Million Minute Marathon.
- On Tuesday, upper grade students will read to younger students.
- Wednesday is Teacher Swap Day — teachers will read to a different class than the one they teach.
- Thursday is Parent Literacy Day with programs at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Guest readers will read to students on Friday.
Molino Park Elementary
- “Reading, Writing and Rover” presentation on Monday.
- Additional activities and reading throughout the week.
Town Of Century Honors Northview Chiefs Football Team
January 23, 2012
During their regular meeting Monday night, the Century Town Council officially recognized the Northview High School football team with the reading of a proclamation.
Mayor Freddie McCall issued the proclamation honoring the regional championship team. The proclamation was presented to Chiefs Head Coach Sid Wheatley during the team’s annual banquet last week.
To read the full proclamation, click the image.
Jeff Miller: We Need The Jobs, It’s That Simple
January 23, 2012
In his latest newsletter, U.S. Rep Jeff Miller discusses the jobs and the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The following was submitted by Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla for NorthEscambia.com:
Last week, President Obama took the extraordinary action of denying the application for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. In a move that would cost thousands of jobs by any measure, this Administration’s decision to block the pipeline shows they are out of touch with the message Americans have been delivering for more than a year – where are the jobs?
The Keystone XL project is a proposed 1,700 mile extension of an existing energy pipeline. It would provide a critical link from abundant petroleum supplies in Canada to U.S. refineries. When finished, Keystone is estimated to carry 1.4 million barrels of petroleum every day, significantly expanding the refining capacity of North American energy companies.
However, Keystone XL is more than an energy issue. It is a jobs issue. The Keystone XL Pipeline project is estimated to inject $20 billion of private sector investment into our economy. It would create 20,000 direct jobs and 118,000 more jobs from increased economic activity. These are not Republican talking points – these numbers were provided by 22 members of the President’s own party in an October 19, 2011 letter to the President asking him to approve the pipeline. It is undisputed the Keystone XL Pipeline would create jobs. For a President who mentions the importance of American jobs in almost every speech he gives, I am astounded that his words are not followed by action.
The President was clear about his reasons for denying the Keystone XL permit. He tried to put the blame on Republicans for rushing his decision. However, the Keystone XL project has already undergone an extensive, three-year review led by the State Department. A multi-agency process, the review studied the pipeline’s environmental, economic, and energy impacts. More than 25 meetings were held with interested parties on both sides of the issue. The State Department’s own Environmental Impact Statement found that Keystone XL would have no significant impact on the environment. So why would the President push his decision on the pipeline until 2013 and after the November 2012 election?
The Administration should not play politics with job creation and economic recovery. So, as part of the end of the year discussion on the payroll tax holiday, House Republicans were successful in passing legislation that required the President to make a decision on Keystone XL within 60 days. Three years is too long to wait for this important project, and pushing the decision off for more than a year is unacceptable. On Wednesday, the President made his decision. Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision.
The Administration had an opportunity to create jobs – not through trillion-dollar government stimulus, but through private sector investment. They had an opportunity to increase American energy independence. They had an opportunity to show they were willing to put economic recovery above politics. But they rejected it. The Administration is no longer just failing to act on job creation, it is actively preventing it. Incredibly, the President said during debate over Keystone XL that extending unemployment benefits would create more jobs than the pipeline project. Jobless benefits creating jobs? I don’t think so.
The President would be wise to listen to the advice given by the citizens who would be affected by construction of Keystone XL, advice highlighted in Democrats’ October letter: “We need the jobs, it’s that simple.”
Book Fair This Week At EWMS; Parents Shop Tuesday Night
January 23, 2012
A Book Fair will be held this week at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Students will visit the event during pre-scheduled times during the week. Students will also have the opportunity to shop before school and during lunch.
Parents and students can shop the Book Fair from 6-8 p.m on Tuesday. In compliance with school policy, only cash will be accepted.