Senate Panel Approves Virtual School Overhaul
April 6, 2011
A wide-ranging bill that revamps Florida’s virtual education programs was unanimously approved by a Senate education committee on Tuesday.
The bill removes a mandate that school districts offer virtual instruction programs and allows them to contract with other districts or virtual school providers approved by the Department of Education.
Students in public and private schools as well as home-schooled children could enroll, a change from current law which only permits public school students to enroll. The funding formula used to pay districts for virtual students is also revamped so that it is based primarily on “seat time” versus course completion.
Students beginning in school year 2011-12 would be required to take at least one online course in order to meet high school graduation requirements.
“This bill creates equity and clarity in our current system,” said Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami. “We need to give access to all Florida students to take as many online classes as wanted.”
But Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, said after the meeting he had concerns about shifting control of virtual schools programming away from school districts.
“We’ve got to make sure the school districts themselves retain control over any program that goes on in their district…you can’t just farm that out,” Montford said. There is no identical measure in the House.
School Prayer Bill Shelved
April 6, 2011
A proposal to permit school prayers at sporting events and graduation ceremonies was blasted Tuesday by critics for oppressing minority religions at a Senate education committee.
Critics said the measure would require schools to police school prayer, which might violate federal law. Even by using the word “prayer,” the bill raises red flags because it indicates support for one religion, critics said.
“In order to protect religious freedoms of all students, including those of minority religious faiths, we must guard against promotion or endorsement of one set of religious beliefs over another,” said Danielle Prendergast, the public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, authorizes school boards to adopt resolutions regarding the use of prayers or inspirational messages. It permits prayers led by students and requires that prayers be nonsectarian. It also prohibits school faculty or staff from participating or influencing prayers.
But after the Anti-Defamation League and the ACLU said the bill could violate federal and state constitutional prohibitions of the endorsement of religion by schools, the bill was temporarily postponed on Tuesday.
Critics of the bill said they have no objection to students praying among themselves, or laws that allow for “moments of silence.” But when it becomes a public school policy to allow school prayer it could violate long-established federal and state laws that prohibit taxpayer-funded institutions from endorsing any religion.
Siplin said the intent is not to promote one religion over another. “Over 36 states have this kind of language,” Siplin said. He said the bill explicitly states the prayer must be non-sectarian.
But an attorney with the Anti-Defamation League said by putting parameters around what students can say puts school districts in the position of policing school prayers. “When a school is getting involved, when a message becomes school-sponsored or school-endorsed, that is when you cross the constitutional threshold,” said David Barkey, an attorney with the Anti-Defamation League.
“This bill is fundamentally unfair to school districts,” Barkey said. “It will set them up for costly litigation.”
In 2008, the Santa Rosa School District was sued by the ACLU for allowing school-sponsored prayers.
The next year, the district agreed to an order that prohibited school officials from promoting, organizing or endorsing religious services or promoting their personal beliefs.
Siplin’s bill has a House companion that has not been heard in any committees. With the halfway mark of the session nearing, it becomes increasingly difficult for bills that have not been heard in committees to become law.
Last year lawmakers passed a bill that prohibits school boards or school officials from taking steps to infringe upon First Amendment rights of employees or students unless those rights are waived.
Pictured: The Northview High School Class of 2009 Baccalaureate service at a Bratt church. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
By Lilly Rockwell
The News Service of Florida
Extension Service Gathers Community Input
April 6, 2011
About two dozen people took part in an Escambia County Extension Service public meeting Tuesday evening in Century. Extension officials gathered input as they develop a community vision for their programs in Escambia County. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fire Damages Brush Cutter
April 5, 2011
Fire damaged a brush cutter in Enon Tuesday afternoon.
The fire was reported in a wooded area along Dan Hall Road just north of Highway 97A about 3:30. The fire was mostly out by the time firefighters from the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue arrived. There were no injuries.
Pictured above: Fire damaged a brush cutter in Enon Tuesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Inmates Seize Dorm At Holman Prison After Cell Phone Dispute
April 5, 2011
Inmates took control of a dorm Tuesday morning at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore after a dispute between and office and an inmate over a contraband cell phone.
At about 7:30 a.m., inmates took control of A-dorm at Holman, a maximum security prison, according to Brian Corbett, spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Corrections.
“For safety reasons, Holman supervisors ordered officers out of the dorm and into the hallway. No initial injuries or destruction of property were reported. The dorm houses approximately 115 inmates, not all of whom participated in the standoff,” according to Corbett.
Equipped with riot gear, the ADOC’s Correctional Emergency Response Team arrived and was met with continued inmate disobedience. Initial attempts at compliance were refused. At approximately 11:15 a.m., CERT, under the direction of Institutional Coordinator Grantt Culliver, entered and regained control of the dorm with no injury to staff. There were few minor injuries to inmates who refused lawful orders, none requiring off-site medical treatment.
Staff from both Holman and Fountain correctional facilities, the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Department, and the Atmore Police Department responded to the situation.
“Quick and decisive actions by the CERT team, our staff, and local law enforcement authorities help to resolve this issue, ” said Kim Thomas, ADOC Commissioner. “Everyone involved has my personal thanks for such a professional response and handling of this situation.”
The cause of the disturbance remains under investigation.
Minor Injuries: Motorized Power Chair Hit By Pickup
April 5, 2011
A man on motorized power chair was struck by a pickup truck late Tuesday morning in Century.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Charles Jarman, 70, of Flomaton was traveling in the roadway when his Jazzy power chair was struck by a pickup truck driven by Jerry Fischer, 71, of Century at the intersection of Bradley Street and Hecker Road about 11:05 a.m.
Jarman was transported by Escambia County EMS to Jay Hospital with minor injuries. Fischer was not injured.
Charges are pending the accident, according to the FHP, as their investigation continues.
Pictured above: The man on this motorized power chair was struck by a pickup Tuesday morning in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Storms Cause Power Outages, Down Trees, Damage Homes
April 5, 2011
A line of storms that moved through the North Escambia area Monday night caused minor damage — including downed trees and power outages.
Hundreds were left without power across the area, with outages reported in Molino, Century, Cantonment, Walnut Hill, Atmore and Flomaton. Many were still without power at daybreak Tuesday.
In Walnut Hill, a large portion of an oak tree crashed into the roof of a mobile home on Juniper Street, just north of Arthur Brown Road. There were little damage to the home, and there were no injuries. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue assisted the residents in removing the tree from the home.
Trees and power lines were reported down near Jacks Branch and Muscogee Roads in the Cantonment area. One tree was reported to be on fire. Power lines were reported down on Country Road 97 near West Kingsfield Road about 10:45 p.m. The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded.
Dime to penny size hail was reported in Chumuckla in Santa Rosa County.
In Escambia County, Alabama, numerous trees were reported down north of Brewton in the Appleton community.
A trained weather spotter reported a wind gust of 55 mph on Creighton Road in Pensacola. A tree was reported down in the area. An official wind gust of 53 mph was reported by the National Weather Service.
On Diamond Street in Pace, a tree was reported down on a mobile home. Eight people were evacuated from the residence and assisted by the American Red Cross.
Pictured top and inset: A large portion of an oak tree crashed into a Juniper Street mobile home as storms moved through Walnut Hill Monday night. Pictured below: Volunteers from the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue evaluate the scene. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Judge Finds Bank Robbery Suspect Competent To Stand Trial
April 5, 2011
A federal judge has ruled that an Atmore bank robbery suspect previously found incompetent is now competent to stand trial.
Chad Floyd Jeter was indicted on charges of bank robbery with a weapon and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime in violence in connection with the May 19, 2009, armed robbery of the First National Bank & Trust in downtown Atmore.
In May 2010, a government psychiatric evaluation determined Jeter was paranoid schizophrenic and not competent to stand trial. He was admitted to the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina for treatment and evaluation, with the examination determining recently that he was once again competent to stand trial.
An independent psychiatric exam was then arranged by Jeter’s attorney in February. Late last week, Chief U.S. District Judge William H. Steele ruled that Jeter is competent to stand trail and scheduled an arraignment hearing for later this week.
Jeter allegedly robbed the Atmore bank using a .22 caliber rifle, taking about $6,289. He was arrested a few days after the robbery after a manhunt in Levy County, Florida, following an attack on a Levy County officer with a “ninja throwing star”. Charges in Levy County were dropped after a psychological evaluation there found him to be incompetent to stand trial.
No Seat Belt Leads To Drug Charges
April 5, 2011
Driving without a seat belt landed a Century man in jail after deputies discovered he had cocaine in his vehicle and no valid driver’s license.
Donald Ray Black, 54, of Hecker Road, was charged with possession of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license after a traffic stop Saturday night at Alger and Hecker road in Century.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Deputy Walt Shiver observed Black driving with a seat belt and initiated a traffic stop. Shiver, according to the report, located crack cocaine, a crack pipe and $3 cash in the center console of Black’s pickup truck.
Black remained in the Escambia County Jail Monday night with bond set at $1,750.
Bond Set For SWAT Standoff Suspect
April 5, 2011
Bond has been set a $51,000 for the man involved in an eight-hour standoff with deputies last week in Cantonment.
Brett Justin Salter remained in the Escambia County Jail early Tuesday morning, charged with battery, kidnapping, criminal mischief, burglary and larceny.
The standoff began about 3:30 last Thursday morning when a 22-year old female called 911 from a Circle K in the 2200 block of Highway 29 to report that she was a battery victim. She told deputies that she went to Salter’s home to get her puppy. That’s when, she reported, Salter choked her, slammed her into a wall and attacked her vehicle as she tried to leave the home.
Deputies responded to the suspect’s home on Pauline Street, where Salter refused to exit the resident. The SWAT team was called to the residence about 7 a.m. During a five-hour standoff with SWAT, multiple rounds of tear gas where fired into the home.
With the video feed from a robot named WALL-E, deputies were able to determine that Salter was not on the ground level of the home. They determined that he was hiding in the attic. Salter quickly surrendered after tear gas was fired into the attic.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured top and bottom: A Cantonment man refused to exit his Pauline Street home for over eight hours last Thursday, eventually surrendering after SWAT fire tear gas into his attack hiding place. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
