Pen Air Donates To Toys For Tots
December 28, 2011
Pen Air FCU teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corps and Department of Defense to provide toys to underprivileged children in the community for the holidays. Each Pen Air FCU branch served as a drop-off location for donations, accumulating more than $5,000 worth of toys that were distributed prior to Christmas. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Moves Forward With No-Bid $11,450 Website, Marketing Plan
December 27, 2011
Century will unveil a new $11,450 website and accompanying marketing plan in the new year developed under a no-bid contract by a Pensacola company.
Mayor Freddie McCall said that the town’s attorney, Matt Dannheisser, advised that the town could enter into the contract without a bid since it was for professional services and under the cost limit per contract.
The Century Town Council voted 4-0 in late November, with council member Annie Savage absent, to purchase the package from Ideawörks, contingent upon the attorney’s approval. The town council was not presented with any other bids or proposals.
The $11,450 package includes $4,200 for a “basic website design”, $1,750 for a content management system (CMS) to allow town employees to update the site, and $5,500 for a five-year comprehensive marketing strategy to include “grant identification, development, PR plan, five-year marketing plan and budget”. After the initial services are provided, an hourly rate of $75 to $95 will apply for additional services.
Caron Sjöberg, president of Ideawörks, told the council in November that her company has created over 200 websites, including the current site for the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, the Three Rivers Resource Conservation & Development Council and the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce.
Sjöberg said the brand will be created for Century with a goal of economic development on the website with a “simple” homepage, contact page, staff page, history, a photo album, business information, chamber information and town news.
To read the complete Ideawörks proposal accepted by the Town of Century, click here.
Pictured: Caron Sjöberg, president of Ideawörks, pitches her company’s website and marketing plan to the Century Town Council Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Now’s The Time To Check Your Voter Registration
December 27, 2011
Voters have just a few more days to update their registration information for the January 31, 2012 Presidential Preference Primary. January 3 is the last day to register to vote or to change party affiliation.
New registration must be completed on or before January 3 at 5 p.m. to be effective for the first election of 2012.
To check registration status, visit EscambiaVotes.com and click Am I Registered?.
Now is also the time for voters to request an absentee ballot and update record sand signatures. For an absentee ballot, visit EscambiaVotes.com and complete the online request form, or call or email the elections office. Early voting begins January 21 at four locations throughout Escambia County. While only Republicans will be eligible to vote in that party’s Presidential Preference Primary, all voters, regardless of party affiliation, will be able to vote on the countywide referendum that will appear on the ballot.
Escambia County citizens have several ways to register or update their records:
Online/By Mail: Visit EscambiaVotes.com and complete, print, and sign the online application. Be sure to include a valid Florida Driver’s License number, a valid Florida ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number in the appropriate space. Mail the completed application no later than January 3 to Escambia County Supervisor of Elections, P.O. Box 12601, Pensacola, FL 32591-2601. Or, take the completed application to the Elections Office at 213 Palafox Place, second floor, in downtown Pensacola. Or, call 850-595-3900 or email the Elections Office, soe@escambiavotes.com, to have a form mailed to you.
In Person: You can register at the Elections Office at 213 Palafox Place, second floor, in downtown Pensacola, at any Florida Driver’s License Office, and several other governmental offices and public assistance centers. Registration forms are also available at many locations throughout the county. For a complete list of locations throughout Escambia County, visit EscambiaVotes.com, call or email the Elections Office.
ECUA Purchasing 50 New Natural Gas Trucks; Buying Fuel From ESP
December 27, 2011
ECUA is purchasing 50 new natural gas trash trucks and partnering with Energy Service of Pensacola to provide fuel to run them.
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority recently finalized a 10-year compressed natural gas (CNG) agreement with Energy Services of Pensacola (ESP).
As part of the agreement, ESP will construct a fast-fill CNG station on ECUA property located at 3050 Godwin Lane, with station access on Pine Forest Road.
“Design and permitting will begin immediately, and construction is expected to be completed in July 2012. ESP will provide CNG to the ECUA at a fee based on the New York commodity rate. ESP will operate and maintain the station, which will be open to the public and third-party fleets,” Steve Sorrell, ECUA Executive director, said.
Sorrell said ECUA is projecting an annual maintenance cost savings in excess of $350,000 and over $1 million in annual fuel costs.
“While there are up-front capital costs in buying or converting to a natural gas fleet, the fuel costs are considerably lower, making NGVs much more affordable over the long run,” he said.
ECUA ordered the 50 new CNG-fueled refuse collection trucks in November with delivery expected in July 2012.
Chet Truett Named Ernest Ward Teacher Of The Year
December 27, 2011
Eighth grade science teacher Chet Truett has been named the Ernest Ward Middle School Teacher of the Year.
Teachers of the year are chosen by the faculty and staff at each school in the county. The Escambia County Teacher of the Year will be announced at the annual Golden Apple Awards Dinner in February 2012.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDOT Giving Drivers A Break From Road Construction
December 27, 2011
Christmas may be over, but Florida drivers will continue to get a break from road construction during the next week.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has suspended highway construction projects on major roadways across Northwest Florida during the holiday period from Saturday, December 24 through, Monday, January 2.
Although no construction closures are scheduled through this extended period, existing state highway work zones will remain in effect.
Holiday traffic is expected to be at its peak on Monday, January 2 so FDOT is encouraging drivers to allow extra travel time and to use extra caution in existing work zones along state highways.
Drivers are urged to make sure they buckle up, along with their passengers. FDOT and other safety agencies also ask drivers to obey speed limits, get adequate rest before traveling, avoid distractions and never drink and drive.
Drivers also are urged to be prepared for unscheduled highway closures due to accidents, disabled vehicles or other events. Motorists should be alert to changing weather conditions while traveling.
2011 In Photos: March
December 27, 2011
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2011. Today, we are featuring photos from March.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team prepares to enter a Cantonment home to end a domestic violence standoff. The 32-year old suspect was taken into custody without any injuries.
Molino Sandy Sansing’s Lauren Carnley missed a catch at third as the ball grazes the helmet of Northwest Escambia Alto’s Liberty Peebles during opening day games in Molino.
Teamwork: Members of the Ernest Ward Middle School track team compete in their season opening meet at Woodham Middle School.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Operation Clean Sweep was held in Cottage Hill.
A missing Escambia County, Ala., dog found 900 miles away in Texas was flown home.
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Kevin White, County Administrator Randy Oliver and Century Mayor Freddie McCall discuss the future of Century while outside Century’s business incubator in March.
Open Day ceremonies were held in March at Northwest Escambia in Walnut Hill.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy stopped this truck with the bumper sticker “Buckle Up! Or Pay Up!” on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. The driver was stopped because he was not wearing a seat belt.
Three people were arrested for firing shots into this Molino home.
A tornado hit McDavid in early March.
A National Weather Service team determined that a tornado that slammed McDavid was an EF1 with 105 mph winds.
A double shooting prompted Century to set new rules for community center rentals in the town.
One person was killed and two were injured in an Atmore Police Department pursuit near the Atmore City Hall.
Grammy award winner Marty Raybon performed in March at the Northview FFA Alumni Blue Jacket Jamboree in Bratt.
Spring flowers: Purple henbit covers a Walnut Hill field.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
House Democrat: Raise Taxes On Smokers, Lower Driver Fees
December 27, 2011
A South Florida lawmaker wants to increase cigarette taxes by $1 a pack and is offering a political sweetener to try to get it passed: Use the money to roll back fees on motorists under a bill filed by Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek.
Lawmakers in 2009 also approved a $1-a-pack increase in cigarette taxes — or a “surcharge” as supporters called it — as they grappled with budget problems.
Waldman said the state has seen decreases in cigarette smoking, and he hopes the additional taxes will further reduce tobacco use by young people.
“This is a health care bill, plain and simple, to stop the youth from smoking,” he said Monday.
With the Republican-dominated Legislature opposed to tax hikes, Waldman said he would offset the higher cigarette surcharges by rolling back a series of unpopular fee increases that lawmakers also approved in 2009. Those fee increases caused motorists to pay more for such things as vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses.
It is too early to know whether Waldman can get lawmakers to go along with his proposal, which he said would bring in roughly $900 million a year in additional cigarette taxes. No Senate version has been filed.
Florida currently collects $1.34 in taxes on a standard pack of cigarettes, with $1 of that coming from the 2009 surcharge. Money from that surcharge goes into a trust fund to help pay for health-care services.
By The News Service of Florida
FHP Identifies Pedestrian Killed Last Week On Nine Mile
December 27, 2011
Monday, the Florida Highway Patrol released the name of a pedestrian hit and killed last Thursday night on Nine Mile Road.
The FHP says 29-year old Benjamin Joseph Imperiale of Reed Springs, Missouri, stepped into the path of a 1997 Jeep Cherokee driven by 19-year old Victoria N. Oliver of Pensacola on Nine Mile Road near Fowler Avenue about 6:18 p.m on December 22.
Imperiale was wearing dark clothing, and Oliver was unable to see him in time to stop, according to the FHP.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Homicide Unit. No charges have been filed at this time.
Fallen Marine Travis Nelson’s Family Gives Back For Christmas
December 26, 2011
Scott and Beckie Nelson of Bratt just could not stand the thought of their first Christmas without their son LCpl. Travis M. Nelson who was killed in action in Afghanistan back in August. To take their minds off a Christmas without Travis in the house, they decided to give back to the communities that had supported them so much following his death.
The Nelson family, along with a small army of volunteers, prepared and delivered about 125 Christmas meals Sunday for elderly, shut-in and needy people in the Bratt, Atmore and surrounding areas.
“We wanted to do something to give back and wanted take our minds off Travis not being here,” Beckie said as she worked on getting the flavor just right on a sweet potato casserole. “We thought about volunteering at the Waterfront Rescue Mission. Then Scott said we should try to put back into this community and see if there was enough need.”
They initially planned to find about 70 individuals that needed Christmas lunch. But, before it was over, about 125 were on the list. For Beckie, it was her first time cooking a big Christmas lunch.
“We usually go to my mother-in-laws’ for Christmas lunch,” she said.
The recipients of the Nelson’s generosity ranged from the elderly to a family of 13, including eight children, that would have otherwise done without a traditional Christmas lunch.
Plans are already in the works to repeat the Christmas lunches next year in a program they are calling “Operation Enduring Loss”.
“We are continuing to endure the loss of Travis,” Beckie said. “For 19 years, he was here with us opening presents on Christmas. But he’s not coming home this time,” she said, pausing. “Or the next time. That chapter in our lives is closed.”
That’s been tough for the Nelson family, she said, where Christmas always meant family time and presents around the Christmas tree. The family put up a tree this year, but this time it’s a real tree with all brand new ornaments.
“I just couldn’t bear to open the box of our other ornaments,” she said. “There are so many special ornaments in there that belonged to Travis. It’s just never going to be the same.”
Pictured top: Beckie Nelson (left) and volunteer Sandy Brown work on a sweet potato casserole. Pictured inset: Beckie Nelson with a finished sweet potato casserole, one of many used in 125 Christmas lunches. Pictured below: Travis Nelson’s sister Anna Nelson (left) and friend McShane Ingalls prepare fresh string beans. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
