Regional Economic Development Alliance Names Executive Director
January 9, 2011
The Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance has named a new executive director.
Jim Searcy was named director by the five county partnership that seeks to market and promote Escambia, Conecuh, Monroe, Choctaw and Clarke counties in Alabama. Searcy will be responsible for implementing programs for new business attraction, business retention and expansion, and investor relations.
The director works closely with local economic developers, elected officials, chambers of commerce, and industrial boards across the five county region.
Dr. John Johnson, Vice-Chairman of CGEDA, stated that the Board is extremely pleased to bring Searcy on board. “Jim brings over 20 years of economic development experience to the Alliance. Members of the CGEDA Board of Directors are extremely pleased at being able to attract one of the state’s top economic development officials,” said Johnson.
“The Coastal Gateway Executive Director position was very appealing. This region has tremendous potential. An excellent workforce, dedicated education partners, and effective community leadership are important assets in the economic development process,” Searcy said. “This region is fortunate to have those and many other essential attributes. I intend for the CGEDA to be a catalyst in this process. The CGEDA Board is enthusiastic and I look forward to translating that enthusiasm into results.”
Searcy currently serves as Vice President of Business and Industry Retention at the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA). Before the 2009 merger of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board into the BBA, Searcy served at the Metropolitan Development Board for 13 years as the Vice President of Marketing.
Prior the Metropolitan Development Board, Searcy worked for the Alabama Development Office (ADO) for seven years as a Senior Project Manager.
Searcy is a past board member at the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA). He holds a achelors Degree in Public Administration from Auburn University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Auburn University Montgomery.
Clean Out Your Closets For Children’s Hospital Kids
January 9, 2011
The holidays have come and gone, and January is the perfect time to clean out your closets to benefit a great cause.
On Saturday, January 22, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital will host ”Clean Out Your Closets 4 Kids Day” from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Greenhut Auditorium at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
Area kids and their parents are asked to go through their closets and bring new and gently used items to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and other area children’s charities.
Items needed include DVDs, video games, books, gently-used plastic toys and board games, winter coats, and art supplies.
Once the donations have been brought in, volunteers will sort through the items and designate them for a variety of pediatric departments at Sacred Heart, including the Autism Center, Miracle Camp, Child Life, Pediatric Rehabilitation, and the Pediatric Care Center. Donations will also be given to other area child charity organizations and area Escambia County elementary schools.
For a complete list of needs, click here.
For more information on how to get involved, please call Cat Ellis at (850) 416-1156.
Billy, Lois Ward To Celebrate 65th Anniversary
January 9, 2011
Billy and Lois Ward of Walnut Hill, Fla. will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Sunday, January 30.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend a reception held in their honor at the Walnut Hill Community Center, from 3 until 5 p.m.
Mr. Ward is a retired county judge and Mrs. Ward is a homemaker.
The couple has two sons and daughters-in-law, Roy and Jackie Ward of Bratt, Fla., and Russ and Allison Ward of Birmingham, Ala. They have four grandchildren, Jordana Ward of Bratt, Jocelyn Drew of Atmore, and Hope and Seth Ward of Birmingham.
Community Mourns Loss Of Dorothy ‘Dot’ Cunningham
January 9, 2011
Dorothy “Dot” Cunningham of Molino passed away unexpectedly Friday. She was 68.
Dot was president of the Escambia County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, a member of the Red Hats and a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church.
Dot graduated from Erskine College, Due West. SC, and she received a Masters Degree from Florida State. She moved to Pensacola in 1966 after accepting a position with the University of Florida Extension Service. Dot began working with Escambia County School System in 1980 where she taught at Ransom Middle School for 20 years.
As president of the Escambia County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, Dot worked tirelessly to promote the group’s efforts, including educating the public on the importance of agriculture during the annual Farm-City Week each November and Food Check-Out Week, the week into the new year where the average household will have earned enough to pay for its food for a year. She always supported the committee’s other projects, such as an underwear drive for Gulf Coast Kid’s House.
She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Jimmy Cunningham; a son, Scott Cunningham a stepson, Lewe “Chip” Cunningham and numerous other relatives.
Funeral services for Dorothy “Dot” Cunningham will be held Tuesday, January 11 at 10 a.m. at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino with burial to follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. Monday, January 10, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home in Cantonment.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Pictured: Dorothy “Dot” Cunningham receives a Farm-City Week proclamation on behalf of the Escambia County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee from the Escambia County Commission. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Featured Recipe: Irish Nachos
January 9, 2011
This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is “Irish Nachos”, a satisfying take on traditional nachos that will fill up even the hungriest sports fan. Control the heat by adding or adjusting the jalapenos.
To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
Photo Gallery: Firefighters Battle Quintette Brush Fire
January 8, 2011
Firefighters battled a brush fire Saturday afternoon on Quintette Lane near Quintette Park. The fire did not threaten any structures, and it was contained after two tractors from the Florida Division of Forestry plowed a fire line around the area. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. The Cantonment, Molino, Ensley and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue also battled the afternoon fire.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Be Forced To Refund $3.1 Million In Condo Taxes
January 8, 2011
Escambia County taxpayers may be forced to refund $3.1 million to property owners in the Portofino Towers on Pensacola Beach.
A recent ruling by Judge Frank Bell found that property appraisals were too high during the five year period from 2004 to 2009, and, as a result, some Portofino unit owners overpaid.
Escambia County and the Escambia County School District could owe refunds of about $1.5 million each, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley.
Holley and Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones have appealed Bell’s ruling. If Bell rules in favor of the appeal and should the property appraiser’s assessments be upheld, an additional $9.2 million would be owed to the tax authorities, according to Holley.
Cold Weather Means Big Power Bills; Help Available
January 8, 2011
Cold weather in December and January is putting high power bills into the hands of North Escambia area residents. And for many households, those high power bills mean financial difficulties.
Gulf Power customers are enjoying a 2.8 decrease on their bills, while EREC customers have seen the “purchased power cost adjustment” decrease $36 on an average bill of 1,000 kilowatt hours.
For those that need more help, both companies participate in several programs to help customers save money on their energy bills, make their homes more energy efficient or help them get direct assistance.
Levelized/Budget Billing
- Gulf Power offers a bill payment option called Budget Billing. Budget Billing can “levelize” monthly payments so customers can know approximately how much their bill will be each month and avoid high cost fluctuations caused by increased energy purchases during very cold or hot periods. To find out more about payment assistance, call our Customer Care Center at 1-800-225-5797 anytime, day or night.
- EREC offers levelized billing to help minimize variances in electric bills each month. A member’s account over the past 12 months is averaged and they are billed that amount. Each new month, the oldest month is dropped and the latest month is added which is averaged for the current bill. Members can contact EREC at (850) 675-4521 if they would like to participate in this program.
Project Share/Share One With Your Neighbor
- Gulf Power participates with the Salvation Army in Project Share, a program that provides emergency assistance to those who need help with energy bills. Project Share and other non-profit programs assist the elderly, the disabled, the sick, and others experiencing financial hardship. Eligible customers can apply for Project SHARE assistance at The Salvation Army office in their county. Eligibility requirements for Project SHARE recipients are set by The Salvation Army. Gulf Power customers can donate to the program by indicating so on their power bill.
- Share One With Your Neighbor is an EREC program designed to help your neighbors who, due to temporary hardship or misfortune, may need financial assistance with their electric bills. Through this program, EREC members can choose to SHARE ONE dollar each month if they wish. EREC will then add one dollar, or the amount specified, to their electric bill each month. These contributions are placed in a special account which allows funds to be available in voucher form for those most needy. The Salvation Army will screen and recommend needy recipients, after which time the recipients will present the voucher receipts to ESCAMBIA RIVER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. and the amounts will be applied to their current bills. Members should contact the Salvation Army directly to request assistance through this program at (850) 432-1501.
Direct Assistance
Direct assistance is available to the most needy through several programs in Escambia County:
- Community Action (850) 438-4021
- Tri-County (850) 981-0036
- Salvation Army (850) 432-1501
- Catholic Charities (850) 436-6425
- United Ministries (850) 433-2333
- First Call For Help (850) 595-5905
- NW FL Area Agency on Aging (60 or older) (850) 494-7100
Florida Low Income Energy Assistance Programs
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP & WAP-LIHEAP) annually provides grant funds to community action agencies, local governments, Indian tribes and non-profit agencies to provide specific program services for low-income families of Florida. The assistance includes: repair or replace inefficient heating and cooling units, air-infiltration/weather stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor wall, ceiling and floor repairs, window and door replacement, attic insulation, repair or replace water heaters, install solar screens, apply solar reflective coating to manufactured homes, and attic ventilation.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides grants to local governments and non-profit agencies to assist eligible low-income households in meeting the costs of home heating and cooling. Assistance includes utility bill payment, crisis and emergency assistance (bill payment, utility deposits, fees for restoring power, fans, repair or replacement of heating or cooling equipment, blankets and other items as needed, other items specific to the emergency).
These programs receive funding from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The extent of services to be provided depends on available funding. The LIHEAP program also is funded each year by the federal Department of Energy.
Inmate Charged With Jail Death
January 8, 2011
Investigators with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office have charged an Escambia County Jail inmate with manslaughter in connection with the death of another prisoner last month.
A warrant for manslaughter and battery-by person detained in jail was served Friday afternoon against Brandon Ryan Switzer, 32, in the December 17 death of inmate Jon Gipson.
Investigators say that Switzer (pictured) took food from Gipson and punched him in the face causing him to fall backwards onto the floor. Gipson subsequently died from his injuries suffered during the altercation.
An autopsy performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Gipson died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Switzer was already being held at the jail on a revoked bond for previous charges of battery, kidnapping, vehicle theft, failure to appear and numerous traffic offenses. The charges stemmed from a December 1, 2010, altercation with his girlfriend. Switzer was accused of battery on his girlfriend before stealing her vehicle, which was occupied by the woman’s infant. Switzer later wrecked the car and abandoned the infant.
The bond for the manslaughter and battery charges was set at $260,000.
Pictured: Brandon Ryan Switzer.
Sheriff’s Office Plans Neighborhood ‘Clean Sweeps’ Including Cantonment
January 8, 2011
The Sheriff’s Office and several county agencies will conduct “Operation Clean Sweep” events in the coming months, including one in Cantonment.
The focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” is to work with Neighborhood Watch groups, residents, churches and business owners to control and prevent the damaging effects of criminal activity through “Eradication, Enforcement and Education”. The Operation Task Force works closely with Escambia County Animal Control, Environmental Law Enforcement, the United States Military, Escambia County Roads and Bridges and Neighborhood Watch groups to clean up neighborhoods and educate citizens on preventive measures that could be implemented to minimize possible crimes.
Operation Clean Sweep events will be held as follows:
- Warrington January 20, 2011
- Lincoln Park February 17, 2011
- Cantonment March 24, 2011
- Brownsville April 28, 2011
- Bellview May 19, 2011
For more information on future clean ups, or to volunteer, contact P.O.C. 1st Lt Tharp (850) 554-1384 or Deputy Wiggins (850) 554-1362. For more information on starting a Neighborhood Watch in your community, or to join an existing group, call David Craig (850) 436-9281 visit escambiaso.com.