More Help Needed To Count Local Homeless
January 19, 2011
More volunteers are needed by the EscaRosa Coalition on the Homeless to count the homeless in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties later this month.
The organization needs at least 100 volunteers to help with the annual Escambia/Santa Rosa Point-in-Time Count and Homeless Survey to be conducted January 26 and 27. Volunteers are needed throughout the two counties, including the northern areas like North Escambia.
Some of the volunteers will help persons in homeless shelters complete the annual survey forms, while other volunteers will seek out the homeless in other areas, including the outdoors.
For more information, or to sign up to help, visit www.ecoh.org.
The complete count is used by area officials to obtain government and private foundation money to aid the homeless.
Groups Want To Eliminate Hurricane Surcharges From Insurance Bills
January 19, 2011
Several groups are seeking to eliminate assessments on your insurance bills for the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Citizens Property Insurance.
Associated Industries of Florida is teaming up with the Florida Wildlife Federation and other non-profit groups in urging Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers to eliminate assessments levied on all property, casualty and automobile policyholders in the event of deficits to fund and Citizens, the state’s largest property insurer with 1.3 million policies in place.
In a letter to the newly elected governor, the group urged Scott to use his influence to reduce or eliminate the use of assessments to bail out both funds in the event a severe hurricane.
“It is inexcusable for Florida to continue to require our businesses and charities as well as other Floridians – even those who are not Citizens policyholders – to subsidize many of the state’s most fortunate living in expensive homes on the coast, the group wrote.
“Remarkably, this system results in charities subsidizing the owners of $3 million vacation homes.”
Other non-profits to sign on to the letter include United Way of Florida, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Big Bend, the Heartand Institute and the Florida Afterschool Network, a coalition of afterschool providers.
The insurance industry generally agrees that assessments should be reduced as much as possible or eliminated.
“Citizens can be much smaller if it once again covers only homeowners unable to get insurance on the private market,” the Florida Insurance Council said in a statement.
“This would reduce Citizens assessments following a major hurricane. Cat Fund premiums should be high enough to cash surplus in non-hurricane years. It should not compete with the private reinsurance market unnecessarily, as the Legislature instructed it to do following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. All of this will reduce the Cat Fund’s need for bonding and assessments.”
Council On Aging Caregiver Meeting Thursday
January 19, 2011
The Council on Aging of West Florida will host a Century Caregiver Support Group Meeting at 6:00 Thursday evening.
There is no cost and the public is invited. Reservations are not required. The meeting will be held at Century Care Center at 6020 Industrial Blvd. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month at the same time and location. County residency is not required to attend.
The support group is part of Council on Aging of West Florida programs designed to reduce stress, increase coping skills, provide strategies for effective management of care giving tasks and enable caregivers to provide high quality care in the home. The programs are sponsored by Council on Aging of West Florida, the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging. For more information, call (850) 432-1475.
One Injured In Hwy 95A Rollover Crash
January 19, 2011
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Tuesday night in Cantonment.
The accident was reported about 5:45 p.m. at Archer Road and Highway 95A. One person was transported to a Pensacola hospital by ambulance. Their condition was not available. The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released.
The Cantonment and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.
Pictured: One person was injured in this crash Tuesday night in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
6 More States Joining Health Care Lawsuit
January 19, 2011
Six states are seeking to join Florida and 19 other states as plaintiffs challenging the federal health care law in federal court in Pensacola, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday.
Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Maine are seeking to join the suit. Ohio and Kansas have newly elected Republican attorneys general, while Wisconsin’s Republican attorney general just won a second term. Iowa’s Attorney General, Tom Miller, is a Democrat, as is Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg.
The National Federation of Independent Business is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit, which is pending in federal court. The suit challenges the constitutionality of the requirement that individuals purchase health insurance or face a penalty, and the requirement that states pay for expanded coverage through Medicaid.
“The addition of six new states to Florida’s federal healthcare lawsuit speaks volumes about the detrimental impact of ObamaCare at both the state and national level,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday afternoon. “Not only does ObamaCare threaten our freedom, it will mandate an expansion of Medicaid that threatens Florida’s fiscal well-being.”
Northview And Jay Split Boys, Girls Basketball
January 19, 2011
The Northview Chiefs boys beat the Jay Royals Tuesday, while the Royals girls defeated Northview in Jay.
Northview 69 Jay 50 (Boys)
The Northview Chiefs were led by Colton Sims with 25 in their defeat of the Royals.
Northview — Colton Sims 25, Lance Bushaw 17, Ladarrian White 11, Roderick Woods 6, Derrick Portis 5, Austin Arrington 5.
Jay — Tyler Prescott 17, Connor Weekes 15, Tate Upton 10, Trent Sweeney 2, Tyler Prescott 17, Keith Lisonbee 6.
Northview 17 13 22 17-69
Jay 13 14 10 13 -50
Jay 50 Northview 40 (Girls)
Tessa Hendricks paced the Jay Royals girls with 16.
Jay — Tessa Hendricks 16, Becca Calloway 10, Olivia Wright 1, Hillary Hendricks 10, Lauren Steadham 2, Danielle Skaggs 5, Taylor Moore 6. Next: Monday at Central.
Northview 8 9 8 15-40
Jay 13 13 15 9-50
Atmore Man Shot Trying To Stop Argument
January 18, 2011
An Atmore man is in critical condition after being shot with shotgun during an argument.
According to the Atmore Police Department, Joe Jones, 48, of Atmore, got into an argument about 2 p.m. with an unnamed subject on Montgomery Street. The shooting victim, Ronald McFadden, 39, of Atmore, stepped in between the two in an attempt to keep the verbal argument from escalating. That’s when police say Jones fire a shotgun, striking McFadden in the abdomen.
McFadden was transported by private vehicle to Atmore Community Hospital before being transported by LifeFlight to the USA Medical Center in Mobile where he was listed in critical condition.
Jones was charged with assault first degree and for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton.
Pictured: Joe Jones.
Escambia Teen Dies As A Result Of A December Crash
January 18, 2011
An Escambia County teenager passed away Monday night as the result of injuries he received in a December 30 crash on Pine Forest Road.
Matthew Kyle Johnson, 17, was pronounced deceased about 7 p.m. Monday. He was the driver of a motorcycle that was hit by a car making a u-turn.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Sean A. Blackmon, 22, was southbound on Pine Forest Road at Longleaf Drive when he attempted to make an improper U-turn. He was unable to complete the U-turn and backed into the path of Johnson’s northbound Honda Shadow. Johnson was pinned under Blackmon’s Ford Taurus following the crash.
Johnson’s passenger, David Michael Estes, 19, was seriously injured in the crash.
Charges against Blackmon are pending, according to the FHP.
Civil Rights In Her Words: People Were Ready To Die
January 18, 2011
People weren’t playing.
People were ready to kill.
But people were ready to die so we could so we could go where we want to go today.
So we could sit where we want to sit today.
Profound words for a young Century girl that dreamed a dream of people overcoming.
Born and raised in Century — a product of the segregated Carver High School and Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church — there was a fire inside Mercy E. Moore.
At 17 she would ride with other youth in the back of an ambulance from Morris Funeral Home to the sit-ins at Woolworth’s Lunch Counter in Pensacola.
“They put mustard and ketchup on our heads and on our back and write notes…’N***** Stew’,” she said of the hours standing for equality at that lunch counter. “We just sat there…We were praying quietly.”
Now 72 and a retired attorney, Moore reflected on her experiences during a Martin Luther King, Jr. service in Century Monday morning.
Her story is in the video below, in her own words…
(If you do not see the video above, it is because your firewall
or filtering software is blocking YouTube videos.)
Remembering The Dream: Residents Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 18, 2011
Residents across the area gathered Monday to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with parades, motorcades and uplifting programs.
In Century, residents gathered at a program sponsored by the Century-Flomaton Improvement Association where guest speaker Mercy E. Moore, a Century native, told the attendees to dream the dream but to also take the opportunity to move forward.
“I want you to wake up and run. We need to run because we are still behind,” Moore, a retired Fort Lauderdale attorney said. “When one is behind he has to arrive early and stay late.”
Moore graduated as salutatorian of the 1955 class at Carver High School in Century and valedictorian from Washington Junior College of Pensacola. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida A & M University and graduate and post graduate degrees from Atlanta University and Nova Southeastern School of Law. Moore was also worked as a professor at Broward Community College and Nova Southeastern School of Law.
“Each of you use your talent to make your street, to make your church, to make your school a better place,” she said.
Similar events, parades and motorcades were held across the area Monday, including Flomaton, Atmore and Pensacola.
For a photo gallery from the event in Century, click here.
Pictured above: Century gathered Monday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pictured below: A choir from Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church performs during the celebration. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
