Century Care Center Receives High Marks
February 25, 2011
There was cause for a big celebration at Century Care Center Thursday as staff learned the facility received high marks in a major survey.
American Health Care Association (AHCA) completed it’s annual state and federal liscensure and recertification survey on Thursday. For the second time in five years, Century Care Center received a deficiency-free survey.
“You should have heard the screams when we got the report,” said Mae Hildreth, Century Care Center activities director.
Waterfront Rescue Opening Bargain Center In Cantonment
February 25, 2011
The Waterfront Rescue Mission will open its sixth bargain center March 5 in Cantonment.
The store is located at 732 North Highway 29 in the shopping center with Grocery Advantage. It will offer a variety of items, including clothing, furniture, household appliances, electronics, lawn furniture, tools, collectibles, new mattresses and more.
The bargain centers provide funds for Waterfront Rescue shelters and drug and alcohol recovery programs.
The grand opening celebration is planned for 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. There will be hot dogs, drinks and other goodies from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., or while supplies last.
Pictured: The interior and exterior of the new Waterfront Rescue Center Bargain Center that will open in Cantonment on March 5. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Retailers Push For 2011 Back-To-School Tax Holiday
February 25, 2011
Pushing for a back-to-school sales tax holiday in August 2011, Florida retailers Thursday hailed a new study showing that last year’s three-day relief period actually put $7 million extra into state coffers.
The Washington Economics Group reported that during the Aug. 13-15 holiday during which sales taxes weren’t collected on certain school-related items, people bought a whole lot of other things not covered by the tax holiday.
During the period, the study found that sales of other taxable items were $115 million higher than taxable sales during the same weekend the previous year, which had no holiday. The extra taxes collected on those sales, after factoring in lost revenue for the tax holiday, still left the state with $7 million more than it otherwise expected to have.
In 2008 and 2009, the back-to-school tax break was suspended, with lawmakers citing lost tax revenue as the reason, despite claims at the time by retailers that such tax holidays would actually boost revenue.
Rick McAllister, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said the WEG report “puts hard data on a fact that retailers have known for some time.” WEG found that sales projections for August 2010 were surpassed by $289 million.
“It’s not only great for Florida’s families,” said McAllister, “but for Florida’s bottom line.”
Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, and Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, are sponsoring bills to hold the holiday again this August. Although McAllister noted that state revenues would be greater if the holiday were ten days instead of three, Bogdanoff said that wasn’t likely to happen.
Senator: Five Percent State Pension Too High
February 25, 2011
Rank and file government workers, police, firefighters and other emergency responders would be required to contribute 2 percent toward their pensions under a Senate proposal aired Thursday.
Focusing on the Senate’s pension reform plan (SB 1130), the chamber’s Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee took nearly two hours of public testimony as it discussed amendments that will be considered when the committee meets again after the legislative session begins next month. Lawmakers are looking to have government workers contribute to their pensions – which they currently don’t do – in part because they say it’s fair, and in part because they say the current system is too expensive to sustain over the long haul.
Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, introduced a series of amendments that would blunt the impact of an earlier proposed plan, which would have had workers put in 5 percent of their paychecks. Latvala on Thursday proposed a 2 percent maximum contribution for rank and file employees covered by the Florida Retirement System, which now has more than 650,000 state, county , school district and local employees.
“I feel strongly that there are many people who work for government for the pension they are going to get,” Latvala said. “It’s important to keep that path open for them.”
Unlike rank and file workers, senior managers and elected officials would have to contribute 4 percent of their salaries toward their pensions under amendments Latvala distributed Thursday and will likely formally introduce at the committee’s next hearing.
Other proposed amendments would allow new employees first hired at salaries of $75,000 or below to choose a traditional pension plan that guarantees retirement benefits or opt for a 401 (k) plan similar to those increasingly offered by private businesses. Senior managers and employees hired at more than $75,000 would be required to go into a 401 (k).
Gov. Rick Scott has proposed doing away with the traditional retirement plan in favor of a having employees contribute 5 percent to what amounts to an individual retirement account. Scott wants all new hires to be placed in the 401 (k)-style plans.
While he would prefer no employee buy-in, Latvala said the writing is on the wall and the Senate needs to offer a plan that is less expensive for employees, many of whom have not seen raises in the past several years.
“What we’re trying to do is craft something meaningful out of this committee that may have a little longer shelf life,” he said.
Committee members heard from a procession of union representatives, teachers, firefighters, and university officials echoing the sentiment that public employees in their respective fields trade higher salaries in the private sector for the retirement benefits available from the state.
They also argued that Florida’s system has operated in a surplus for much of the past 15 years. Like most investments, the fund took a hit in the most recent recession but is climbing its way back toward fully funded status.
Andrew McMullian, former director of the state’s retirement system, said lawmakers must tread lightly and not scrap something that has become the envy of others.
“You cannot improve on the system, but you can destroy the system,” McMullian said. “…You are putting employees at risk with the ebb and flow of the stock market.”
Escambia Man Gets 30 Years For Lounge Killing
February 25, 2011
An Escambia County man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in state prison for a lounge shooting in October, 2009.
Brandon Davis pleaded guilty to second degree murder and robbery with a firearm. Judge Michael Allen sentenced Davis to 30 years in state prison with a 20 year minimum mandatory.
On October 23, 2009, Jared Ortiz, was seated at the Oakcrest Lounge when Marvin Jamel Smith and Brandon Davis entered. Smith fired a shot as they entered that struck Ortiz in the back of the head, killing him instantly, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins.
Davis could have received life in prison, but cooperated with prosecutors and testified as a witness against Smith. Smith was found guilty of killing Ortiz in January and sentenced to life in prison.
Ernest Ward Celebrates FFA Week With Breakfast
February 25, 2011
FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School did their part to celebrate National FFA Week with a Thursday morning breakfast for faculty and staff.
Students cooked a breakfast of eggs, grits, biscuits, bacon, sausage and more for the EWMS faculty and staff.
Click here for a photo gallery from the breakfast.
This year’s National FFA Week theme was “Infinite Potential” with members encouraged to envision, discover and achieve their potential within their communities.
Pictured: FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School provide breakfast for the school’s faculty and staff Thursday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Alabama 2010 Census Numbers Released, Atmore Grows 37 Percent
February 25, 2011
The U.S. Census Bureau released 2010 population data for Alabama Thursday.
In the local area, Atmore showed a huge population gain of 37.3 percent over the 10 year period from 2000 to 2010, gaining 2,767 residents. But about 2,250 of those new residents were behind bars. In 2008, Atmore annexed 19.33 square miles into the city limits, including Holman and Fountain prisons. Since they were located in the city during the 2010 count, the inmate population was added to Atmore’s total.
Escambia County (Ala.) experienced a slight population decline (0.3%), while the population also fell in Brewton (1.6%) and East Brewton (0.7%).
The other two towns in Escambia County, Pollard and Riverview, experienced double digit population growth. Due to their small size the percentage increased were skewed while they gained relatively few persons.
Florida’s 2010 population data by county has not yet been released.
Investigation Continues In Escambia Murder
February 24, 2011
The investigation is continuing into the murder of an Escambia County woman whose body was found Wednesday in a shallow grave.
Sheriff’s investigators are following a number of promising leads in hopes of gathering enough evidence to make an arrest in the recent death of a local woman.
The body of Catherine Angelica Lindsey, 22, was discovered at around 2:25 p.m. Wednesday in the wooded area behind the Twin Oaks Villas Apartments.
Lindsey’s family notified the Sheriff’s Office and reported her missing on February 18.
Wednesday, deputies said they interviewed a “person of interest” in the case, but no arrests were made.
While investigators assigned to the case searched the wooded area for evidence in that missing person case, they discovered her body in a shallow grave.
Investigators have classified Lindsey’s death as a homicide, but they are awaiting the results of an autopsy to know the exact cause of death.
“I’m unable to speak to the specifics of this case,” said Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Chris Welborn, “but our investigators are making promising progress towards making an arrest.”
Teams of investigators have remained busy interviewing a number of people including a “person of interest”, Welborn said.
Bad News For Gulf Coast: Tanker Contract To Boeing
February 24, 2011
The Air Force has awarded a $35 billion contract to build air tankers to Boeing — meaning that thousands of jobs will not be coming to Mobile and surrounding areas on the Gulf Coast.
“Sometimes you just do the best you can do,” Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said Thursday afternoon.
The competition to build the tanker was between the European company EADS — which would have built the aircraft in Mobile — and Boeing of Chicago.
An EADS announcement would have meant thousands of jobs for the Gulf Coast, including tens of thousands of anticipated potential spinoff jobs in Pensacola and the North Escambia area
The first aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2017.
Century’s Only Shelter Is Officially Closed; Evacuees To Be Bused To Bratt
February 24, 2011
Century’s only hurricane shelter has now officially been closed, and a plan has been created to bus any Century hurricane evacuees nine miles away to Northview High School.
Carvery/Century K-8 School closed as an educational facility in May, 2009, but has remained available as an evacuation shelter until this month.
The Escambia County School District will no longer keep kitchen facilities, emergency food commodities and janitorial supplies available at the Century shelter, according to John Dosh, Escambia County Emergency Management director.
“Up until now, the building has been available as a shelter,” Dosh said Wednesday. “But without food and supplies, it is no longer a viable shelter and feeding space.”
Dosh said the American Red Cross, which provides logistic support for the shelter, is unable to support the Century shelter without supplies stored at the facility. He said that the shelter is “so far removed” that it could be impossible for the Red Cross to serve the shelter with a mobile feeding unit after a major storm.
“Century residents needing shelter will be encouraged to use Northview High School in the future,” Dosh said. A plan has been formulated for Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) to provide buses that might need transportation from Century to Northview High School in Bratt.
Northview’s shelter has food, supplies and cooking facilities available on site when it is opened for evacuees seeking refuge from hurricanes or other emergencies.