27-Year Proprietor Of Mamie’s Restaurant Passes Away
April 26, 2011
Longtime Century and Flomaton restaurateur Mamie E. Rowland passed away Sunday. She was 77.
Rowland owned and operated Mamie’s Restaurant for 27 years. The business began in Century and later moved to Flomaton after fire destroyed the first location.
Funeral services for Mamie E. Rowland will be held Wednesday, April 27 at Jay Funeral Home. For the complete obituary, click here.
Friday Deadline To Pay Escambia Real Estate, Tangible Taxes
April 26, 2011
Over $24 million — about nine percent — of Escambia County’s tax roll remains unpaid, according to Tax Collector Janet Holley.
All 2010 real estate and tangible personal property taxes must be paid and receipted by 5 p.m. Friday, April 29 to prevent being advertised as delinquent, adding advertising costs to the final tax bill. Online or automated phone payments (800‑601‑1055) also must be made by midnight April 30 to prevent advertising.
The delinquent ads will be published and posted on the tax collector’s web site on May 12.
Payments must be processed:
- in person at one of four branch offices by 5:00 p.m. April 29;
- through the service center 850-438-6500 x252 by 5:00 p.m. April 29;
- on the website www.escambiataxcollector.com by midnight April 30; or
- on the automated telephone 800-601-1055 by midnight April 30.
For more information, contact the tax collector’s office at (850) 438-6500, Ext. 252.
West Florida High Criminal Justice Club Takes Part In State Conference
April 26, 2011
West Florida High School of Advanced Technology’s Criminal Justice Club travels to Daytona today for the Florida Public Service Association Conference.
The FPSA is a high school based club for students who are involved in the studies of criminal justice, teacher assisting or firefighter assisting. The organization was founded in 1990 to assist teachers and students studying in these career fields to expand the knowledge of their chosen fields by competing against others from around the state. The competitions are designed by teachers based on the Florida Department of Education curriculum guidelines for each of these career fields.
Three North Escambia residents, Cheyenne Godwin and Kaitlin Howard of Molino and Josh Vihnanek of Walnut Hill, are among those competing this week. During the conference, Godwin will be campaigning for FPSA state historian.
Last year at FPSA Conference, WFHS placed in the following:
- Community Service
- Extemporaneous Open Statement
- Extemporaneous Poster Display
- CPR
- Job Seeking Skills
- Parliamentary Procedures
- Scrapbook
- Mr. Public Service
- Ms. Public Service
- Firearms-Novice
- Firearms-Advanced (1st & 2nd Place)
- Top Gun
- Forensic Investigation
- Accident Report Writing
- Traffic Accident Report Writing
- Defensive Tactics
- Traffic Stop
- 3rd in CJ Top Chapter
Teacher-sponsor for the group is Gerald Russo.
Pictured top: The West Florida High School of Advanced Technology’s Criminal Justice Club at FPSA 2010 in Orlando. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Red Flag Warnings: 65+ Rescues At Area Beaches
April 26, 2011
Headed to the beach for Spring Break? Officials are reminding everyone to pay attention to red and yellow flag warnings.
There were more than 65 rescues by lifeguards from Pensacola Beach to Navarre Beach during last weekend. There were no drownings, but several people were transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Dangerous surf conditions and rip currents are expected to persist this week. For the latest surf advisory for Pensacola Beach and Gulf Islands National Seashore, call (850) 932-SURF.
Pictured top: A lifeguard heads into the Gulf at Pensacola Beach to rescue a swimmer in trouble. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Proposed Amendment Targets Federal Health Overhaul
April 26, 2011
Readying for a ballot fight in 2012, the House Health & Human Services Committee on Monday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that targets a key part of the federal health overhaul.
The proposed amendment says laws or rules “may not compel, directly or indirectly, any person or employer to purchase, obtain or otherwise provide for health care coverage.”
The Senate has already approved its version of the measure, which would seek to allow Floridians to opt out of the “individual mandate” in the health law that President Obama and congressional Democrats passed last year. That mandate will require almost all Americans to have health insurance in 2014. The Health & Human Services Committee voted 8-6 for the proposal, sending it to the full House.
Sponsor Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, said it would allow people to make their own choices about health care. But Rep. Elaine Schwartz, D-Hollywood, said it is one of several attacks by Florida Republicans on the health law.
Weekend Photos: Easter Events
April 25, 2011
This weekend was Easter, and several North Escacmbia area churches submitted photos from their children and youth Easter programs.
- Photos: Highland Baptist Easter
- Photos: Century First Baptist Church Easter
- Photos: Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church ‘Eggstravaganza’
- Photos: Shiloh Free Will Baptist Egg Hunt
- Photos: Bratt Assembly Of God Egg Hunt
- Photos: Century Easter Egg Hunt At Abundant Life Assembly
- Christians Mark Good Friday
If you have photos from events at your church or from your non-profit group, we would love to share them. Email your photos to news@northescambia.com.
Pictured above: An Easter egg hunt Saturday at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church in Bogia. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Trial Begins For Billings Murder Suspect Stallworth
April 25, 2011
Jury selection begin Monday in the second trial of the Brewton man charged in the death of Byrd and Melanie Billings.
Donnie Stallworth is facing two counts of first degree murder in connection with the shooting deaths of the Beulah couple last July — one of seven people charged in the double murder. The former Air Force staff sergeant went on trail last month, but a judge declared a mistrial after a jury could not decide his fate during nine hours of deliberations.
Stallworth’s attorney filed for a change of venue to move the case out of Escambia County, but, so far, there’s no ruling to move the case.
Stallworth was accused of being in the home at time of the murders, armed with a gun. The accusations came from two co-defendants, 16-year old Rakeem Florence and 21-year old Fredrick Thorton. Both pleaded not contest to a lessor second degree murder charge in exchange for their testimony.
Tiny Town Files Suit To Block Giant Landfill
April 25, 2011
The tiny town of Repton, Ala., has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop a mega landfill planned for their backdoor and upstream from the North Escambia area.
Attorneys filed the suit in Conecuh County Circuit Court on behalf of Repton (pop. 280) and Mayor Terri Carter seeking an injunction to block the 5,100 acre Conecuh Woods landfill approved 3-2 last week by the Conecuh County Commission.
Conecuh Woods’ landfill, will include a 1,600 acre “disposal cell” from Range to Repton to near the Big Escambia Creek. Big Escambia Creek flows southward into Escambia County, Alabama, through Flomaton and drains through a North Escambia swamp into the Escambia River and then Escambia Bay.
Many other governments in South Alabama and Northwest Florida have passed resolutions in opposition to Conecuh Woods, including Escambia counties in Alabama and Florida, Century, Atmore and Flomaton.
The lawsuit claims there are “numerous factual errors” in the landfill application and it disregards threatened or endangered species in the area, ignores the water table that can approach withing 25 feet of the surface and numerous other items.
The lawsuit also claims the Conecuh County Commission ignored the public outcry against the facility and that they ignored several potentially negative aspects of the landfill.
Pictured top: Repton, Alabama, Mayor Terri Carter addresses the Century Town Council recently in opposition to a proposed 5,100 acre landfill in Conecuh County, Alabama. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Florida School Districts Grapple With Budget Cuts
April 25, 2011
Completely virtual 7th period classes. Teacher furloughs. Layoffs of hundreds of school employees. Four-day school weeks. Fewer school buses.
Those are just a few of the options schools districts across the state are mulling to close budget gaps that range from $6 million to $144 million. The budget holes are blamed in part on falling property tax revenue, the disappearance of federal stimulus dollars and proposed reductions in state funding for schools of nearly 7 percent per student.
Florida lawmakers want to cut funding to K-12 schools statewide by about $1 billion, one of the largest cuts in recent memory. Though school districts won’t know their final numbers until the governor and Legislature agree on a budget, districts across the state are beginning to craft budgets based on legislative estimates.
For districts, these budget cuts come on top of five years of strict belt-tightening. Already districts have closed schools, eliminated thousands of jobs and in some cases, charged for popular after-school programs like sports.
“We’ve had economic downturns in the past, but they lasted a year, maybe two. They didn’t have such a negative impact that we’re seeing now because schools had reserves and were able to buffer themselves against a state budget cut,” said Florida Education Association spokesman Mark Pudlow.
While most districts have avoided any cuts that impact classrooms so far, such as laying off large numbers of teachers, Pudlow said next budget year schools are examining teacher layoffs and furloughs.
Republican lawmakers in charge of the state education budgets defend these cuts as the product of a tough economic climate and the consequence of losing $1.2 billion in federal stimulus dollars.
“We’ve had to make some tough choices on the state level,” said Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, who is in charge of the House budget committee on education. “I completely understand that the local school board members along with the superintendents will make equally tough choices, but that will be up to them.”
The size of each district’s budget hole varies widely. Some districts chose to levy local tax increases, others didn’t. Some districts used all or most of their federal stimulus dollars, others socked it away.
Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, argued that schools can’t blame the state for their budget problems. He takes into consideration unused federal stimulus dollars and savings from pension reform into his budget calculations.
“Based on the fact that most of the school districts kept their (stimulus dollars), in general there is an almost even funding from last year,” said Simmons, the head of the Senate’s education budget committee.
Still, school boards are preparing for worst-case scenarios. The populous Miami-Dade County Schools are bracing for a $144 million budget cut, on top of $400 million trimmed from the district’s budget in the last four years.
The district has turned to its maintenance and construction departments to close the gap, with a proposal to cut maintenance worker salaries by 20 percent and lay off hundreds of district employees.
In Leon County, where Tallahassee is located, the school board is pondering turning its high school seventh-period classes all virtual. This would save the school district $1 million out of a possible $10 million cut.
District spokesman Chris Petley said 7th period is optional and only about 10 percent of students take classes that period anyway.
In Southwest Florida, the Lee County schools may have to cut the budget by more than $30 million, on top of cuts of $86 million over the last four years. Spokesman Joe Donzelli the district has already cut 700 positions over the last three years. For next year, the school board may choose to eliminate more than 50 “support staff” jobs.
“Our philosophy has been we don’t want to start meddling with the classroom,” said Donzelli said. “But there’s no guarantee we won’t lay off teachers. That is sacrosanct – the last place the board wants to go.”
Meanwhile in Duval County, where Jacksonville is located, the school system is looking at a budget shortfall of $82 million. The district is considering several controversial measures to close the shortfall, including four-day school weeks, furloughs, increasing class sizes and reducing bus transportation to magnet schools.
Most school districts are reluctant to dip too extensively into their reserves for fear of damaging their credit ratings.
In Volusia County, which includes Daytona Beach, school board members had to cut deeply into their budget earlier in the recession.
In the last three years, Volusia County Schools have cut $75 million from the budget. Their budget troubles were compounded by the loss of students. State funds are tied to the number of students a district enrolls.
“We’ve been struggling,” said Volusia County schools spokeswoman Nancy Wait. The school board has already tried the obvious cuts: cutting 1,000 jobs, eliminating some bus routes and closing schools.
But the district also tried more unusual budget-whacking methods. It began charging for high school sports. It now costs $75 a sport and $100 for multiple sports at Volusia County high schools.
Now the district once again has to find a way to plug a $13 million budget shortfall.
“We have done just about everything you can think of,” Wait said.
This year, the district hopes to maintain the roughly 500 jobs funded through federal stimulus dollars.
“The superintendent has gone on the record saying we will do everything we can to, number one, protect the classroom and number two, protect jobs as much as we can,” Wait said.
In Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg is located, the school board is estimating a $60 million shortfall.
The district wants to eliminate roughly 400 jobs, though many of those could be cut through attrition.
“We have taken a real hard look at big ticket items, such as transportation, energy, health insurance and staffing,” said Pinellas County Schools spokeswoman Andrea Zahn. The district has already cut $118 million over five years. “When you cut that much in five years and are targeting $60 million in one year it is drastic.”
By Lilly Rockwell
The News Service of Florida
Sales Tax Funds Paves 2 North Escambia Dirt Roads
April 25, 2011
Crews from Roads, Inc. have almost completed a paving project on Pelt and Seals road in Walnut Hill.
The $310,457.25 project was funded with Local Option Sales Tax monies.
Pelt Road is about a mile in length between Highway 97 and Pine Forest Road in Walnut Hill. Seals Road is a dead end dirt road that runs about a half mile north off Pelt Road. The project includes paving the existing dirt road, removing and replacing existing culverts, driveway replacements and signage.
Pictured top: Pelt Road in Walnut Hill last week and, pictured below, Pelt Road as work began last November. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
