NHS Students Receive DCT Awards
December 14, 2011
The Northview High School DCT class recently took part in the District 1 CECF/DCT competition held at the University of West Florida.
Northview winners were:
- DCT Chapter Brochure – Darwin Robinson, 1st
- Color Photography – Wesley Sirmon, 3rd
- Black and White Photography – Christina Donald, 5th
- Customer Service – Jacob Munro, 3rd
- Information Technology – Darwin Robinson, 5th
- Medical Office Procedures – Charla Stark, 2nd; Raylin Spence, 3rd; Savannah Singleton, 4th
- Automotive Technology – Jonathan Moretz, 2nd; Wes Chancery, 3rd; Ryan Walker, 4th; Mason Coleman, 5th
In the DCT class, students work outside the classroom along with taking their core classes. They received the salary from their job, along with school credit for their on the job training. Northview’s DCT coordinator is Tommy Weaver.
Alabama’s First County High School Recognized
December 14, 2011
The first public county high school in the state of Alabama is being recognized. A new historical marker at the Atmore YMCA Community Center marks the site of the original Escambia County High School building.
Plans for the school began in the last 1800’s with the school completed in 1909. That building later burned.
The current 1926 building was acquired by the Atmore Lions Club in 1989 and later dedicated as the Atmore Lions Community Center in 1991. In 2004, the building was donated to the Atmore Area YMCA.
The marker placed by the Escambia County (Ala.) Historical Society; the second marker to be placed in the county by the group. The first marker placed at Pollard Methodist Church, the oldest church building in Escambia County, Ala.
Pictured: The Atmore YMCA Community Center building, constructed in 1926, was the first public high school building in Alabama. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Natural Gas Smell Overpowers Portion Of Atmore
December 13, 2011
A strong smell of natural gas filled the central portion of Atmore early Tuesday evening, prompting a half hour search for the source.
The Atmore Fire Department discovered the smell was originating from a railroad spur near the western end of Ashley Street. Natural gas is routinely used to offload oil from rail cars, according to officials. The process takes place in that location multiple times each week; it was not immediately clear why the smell overpowered residents Tuesday evening.
The smell was reported just after 5 p.m. in an area bounded basically by Highway 31, Williamson Street, Jack Springs Road and Carver Avenue, including a portion of Main Street.
There was reportedly no danger to residents.
Jeter Lane Closed In Century
December 13, 2011
Jeter Lane in Century has been closed for the installation of culverts. The road is open to residents only; all other motorists should use Elm Street.
The road is expected to be opened by no later than Wednesday.
Woman Charged With Arson For Torching Cars, Lawnmower
December 13, 2011
A 47-year old Cantonment woman has been arrested for arson for allegedly torching a vehicle and a lawnmower at her brother’s residence.
Kelly Colleen Lister was charged with arson by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office. She remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $10,000 early Tuesday morning.
Just after 1 a.m. last Friday, Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to a vehicle fire in in the 3000 block of Highway 95A in Cantonment. The fire department found a Ford Bronco fully engulfed in fire. Three other vehicles on the property — a 2000 Ford Excursion , a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro and a 1985 Pontiac — had their gas tank fill doors open. The Camaro had fire damage around the fill door.
The State Fire Marshal reported finding two gas container spouts and a red plastic gas container outside the burned Bronco. The Bronco fire, according to an arrest report, was intentionally set, as was the fire on the Camaro.
The Fire Marshal said a third, separate fire was set, destroying a push lawnmower.
Lister’s brother told investigators that he heard a loud noise and went outside to investigate. He said he found the Bronco ablaze with Lister standing next to it. Lister began cursing at her brother, according to a Florida State Fire Marshal report, and was laughing and yelling that she still “has one more gallon of gas to use”.
Gulf Power Seeks $93 Million Rate Hike, Partially For North Escambia Land Purchases
December 13, 2011
Gulf Power began Monday to try and convince state regulators that customers should pay an additional $93.5 million a year for electricity — partially to fund land purchases in North Escambia that could be for a nuclear power plant.
Attorneys for consumers and business groups criticized the proposal on a series of grounds Monday. For example, they targeted money that the company wants to use for employee bonuses and money that would go toward purchasing 4,000 acres near McDavid for a possible future nuclear-power plant.
While Gulf Power says it is justified in seeking money for the land purchase, state Associate Public Counsel Joe McGlothlin said the company has not taken initial regulatory steps for a nuclear plant.
“In this case, the cart is about a city block in front of the horse,” said McGlothlin, whose office represents consumers in utility issues.
Currently, a Gulf Power residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours a month of electricity pays $127.16. That number will drop slightly to $125.80 in January because of lower fuel and environmental costs. But if the PSC approves Gulf Power’s base-rate proposal, the customer bill would jump to $133.46 in April.
Utilities commonly use 1,000 kilowatt hours as a benchmark, though many customers use more power than that each month. After the hearing this week, the commission could make a decision as early as February about whether to approve Gulf Power’s proposal.
Top executives told the state Public Service Commission that Gulf Power has not received a base-rate increase in nearly a decade and needs to collect more money to continue upgrading its system in Northwest Florida.
“We asked for what we thought we needed,” Gulf Power President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Crosswhite told the commission on the first day of a week-long hearing. ” We didn’t pad it.”
But attorneys for consumers and business groups argued that Gulf Power far overstated the need to raise rates, contending that the utility had only justified a $16.2 million hike.
“Gulf simply doesn’t need any more than that to continue providing safe, reliable and adequate service,” said Robert Scheffel Wright, an attorney for the Florida Retail Federation, which often becomes involved in utility issues.
Gulf Power’s request likely will be the first of three major rate cases that the Public Service Commission will consider during the coming year. Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy Florida in early 2012 are expected to seek increases in base rates — the billions of dollars that flow to utilities each year to cover many of their day-to-day costs.
Base-rate cases involve myriad details of utility financing. But looming over the Gulf case are questions about how much customers should be required to pay amid tough economic times, an issue that was raised during earlier public hearings in the Panhandle.
“One of the themes we seemed to hear (was), ‘This is just bad timing,’ ” Commissioner Lisa Edgar said as she questioned Crosswhite about money-saving steps the utility has taken.
Gulf Power earlier this year proposed a $93.5 million base-rate increase for such needs as power-plant fuel and environmental compliance. That total has increased to about $101 million because of a shift of costs from the environmental-compliance part of customers’ bills. But because it is a shift, Gulf says the bottom-line impact on customers would be $93.5 million.
Perhaps the biggest issue during the hearing will be how much money Gulf should be able to earn through base rates. The company is seeking an 11.7 percent return on equity, a common measure of profitability, but opponents say that number should be limited to 9.25 percent.
Vicki Gordon Kaufman, an attorney for the Florida Industrial Power Users Group, a business group that includes heavy users of electricity, described the 11.7 percent proposal as “pretty shocking.”
But Gulf officials said they need to offer returns that will attract investors to help finance costly improvements in the company’s electric system. Chief Financial Officer Scott Teel said Gulf’s return on equity dropped from 12.75 percent in 2007 to 9.5 percent in 2010 and has continued to sink this year.
Crosswhite said the utility has taken steps to hold down costs and is concerned about financially strapped customers’ ability to pay for electricity. But he said he also has concerns about being able to provide adequate service if the company does not receive a base-rate increase.
“We tried to push this case off as long as we could,” Crosswhite said.
The News Service Florida contributed to this report.
Atmore Reopens Animal Shelter
December 13, 2011
After closing its doors last summer, Atmore’s animal shelter reopened Monday thanks to a joint partnership between the City of Atmore and the Poarch Creek Indians and a generous donor.
The shelter is now known as the “Clifford and Margaret J. Smith Animal Shelter” in honor of the late Margaret Smith. Her family donated $200,000 in her honor that was used to make the shelter re-opening possible.
“Animal control is something that we all recognize that needs to be taken care of,” Atmore Mayor Howard Shell said during a ribbon cutting, “and we want to do it in a way that is dignified.”
The shelter is now open for business, taking in homeless animals and offering dog and cat adoptions.
The shelter was previously operated by the Humane Society of Escambia County, but was closed May 31 after the group lost over 60 percent of their funding when the Neal Trust of Brewton to came to an end.
For more photos from the reopening, click here.
Pictured top: The ribbon is cut for the reopening of the Atmore animal shelter. Pictured inset: One of the dogs available for adoption at the facility. Pictured below: A playful cat awaits adoption. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Arthur Brown Road Resurfacing Project Begins
December 13, 2011
Work began Monday to resurface a portion of Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill.
Only a 2.7 mile portion of roadway will be resurfaced, from Highway 97 to Pine Forest Road. The remaining 4.3 miles of Arthur Brown Road, from Pine Forest Road to Pineville Road, will not be repaved.
The project includes the shoulder work, striping and other routine items. Contractor Roads, Inc. will be required to maintain traffic flow at all times, closing one lane with minimal delays during work hours. The roads will be open to two-way traffic during all non-working hours.
Roads, Inc. of Northwest Florida was the low bidder on the project at $966,769.35 to be paid out of Local Option Sales Tax monies. Four other bids were received — ranging from $1,226,051.90 from Panhandle Grading and Paving to $1,634,740.53 from Anderson Columbia.
The total $966,769.35 project also includes the resurfacing of a portion of Barrineau Park Road, Untriener Avenue in Ensley and Desert Street in Ferry Pass. Additional minor work will also be performed under the contract on Beulah Road, Bridlewood Road, Klondike Road, Eight Mile Creek Road, Leonard Street, Cross Street, and Chemstrand Road.
Pictured above and below: A milling machine is used to remove old asphalt as a construction project got underway Monday on Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Airlifted After Century Crash
December 13, 2011
One person was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital suffering from stab wounds after a single vehicle wreck on Creamer Road west of Century Monday night.
The stab wounds were reportedly self-inflicted at an address on State Line Road, not far from the wreck scene. The adult male reportedly lost consciousness and struck a culvert and small tree.
Further details have not been released; the incident is under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the accident.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECUA’s Recycling Program Sets Records
December 13, 2011
ECUA’s recycling program continues to grow and just recently set a new weekly record.
During the week of November 28, the ECUA Curbside Recycling Program collected a total of 262 tons of recyclable materials. According to Randy Rudd, ECUA acting deputy director of shared services, “This is the highest weekly total since the program’s inception in January 2009; and the program continues to evolve with tremendous success.”
ECUA’s recycling program debuted on January 5, 2009, as part of the regular residential sanitation service. Now, as the program nears its three-year anniversary, 44,857 customers, or 60% of ECUA’s sanitation customers are participating in the program.
For more information on the ECUA Recycling and Sanitation Programs, or to sign-up for the recycling program, visit the ECUA website at www.ecua.fl.gov or call (850) 476-0480.