Race To The Top: Escambia Schools Awarded $8.37 Million
January 21, 2011
The Escambia County School District was notified Thursday that it will receive $8,373,647 in Race to Top funds.
Escambia County was one of five districts to be awarded Thursday, bringing the total number of districts receiving full approval of their Race to the Top grant to 35, with the combined amount of funding awarded now at more than $142 million.
In August 2010, Florida won $700 million in funding through the federal Race to the Top competition. Half of the funds will be distributed to approved school districts to carry out locally developed education reform plans.
The other half of the funding is being used by the state to develop a broad array of programs and strategies that will directly aid all school districts in areas that include improving their lowest performing schools; recognizing and rewarding their highly effective teachers; and increasing the academic achievement of all students.
Hwy 99 Bridge Reopened After 6 Week Closure
January 21, 2011
There’s some good news for many North Escambia drivers — a North Highway 99 bridge opened Friday after being closed for six weeks.
The 55-year old bridge over North Pine Barren Creek, just north of the Oak Grove Park, was closed for emergency repairs on December 9 after a routine inspection revealed a deterioration of concrete at the southern end of the bridge. A portion of the repair included the installation of steel piers and a steel truss (pictured above) to support that end of the bridge.
The project was delayed because it was too cold for the contractor to pour concrete and too cold to apply the necessary joint sealants. Repairs to the wood and concrete bridge were done by DKE Marine under an emergency Escambia County purchase order not to exceed $100,000.
The roadway is heavily traveled and is a primary route for school traffic to and from Bratt Elementary, Ernest Ward Middle and Northview High schools.
Pictured: A new steel truss supports part of the Pine Barren Creek Bridge on North Highway 99 in Oak Grove. Pictured below: The bridge was once again open to traffic Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Clean Out Your Closets For Children’s Hospital Kids
January 21, 2011
There is still time to clean out your closets to benefit a great cause.
Saturday, 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.
Ernest Ward Students Explore Past With National History Day Projects
January 21, 2011
History came alive through the eyes of students at Ernest Ward Middle School Thursday evening as they displayed weeks of work on projects for National History Day.
The History Fair in the school’s gym capped off a project in which EWMS students were required to do research into a topic. The research was presented in exhibit form, much like the typical science fair, or as a drama or web presentation. Students complete projects either individually or in teams.
For a photo gallery of projects, click here.
This was the second year Ernest Ward has participated in the national program, with the top projects from Ernest Ward headed next to a district competition. Those winners were:
GROUP
- Samantha Sharpless and Tamara Wise — Women’s Rights
- Hannah Gibson and Morgan Ward — Poarch Creek Indians
- Jason Perritt and Tyler Houston — Atomic Bomb
- Amy Murph and Jessica McCullough — 9/11 Debate
INDIVIDUAL
- Tristan Barrett — Cuban Missile Crisis
- Ben Linam — Iran Hostages
- Logan Lee — Atomic Bomb
- Tristan Brown — Ping-Pong Diplomacy
PERFORMANCE
- Abbie Johnson, Harmoni Till and Brittney Ward — Holocaust Drama
WEB
- Kelton Wooten and Jaylen Parker — Iran Hostage Crisis
- Shania Ward and Julie Hester — Women’s Suffrage
- Danielle Suggs and Penny Banda — Lincoln-Douglas Debates
- Joshua Borrelli and Murphy Bryan — Atomic Bomb
National Junior Honor Society At Ernest Ward Middle Adds New Members, Officers
January 21, 2011
About 40 students were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society Thursday night at Ernest Ward Middle School.
The NJHS is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle school students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character.
Students must have and maintain a 3.5 GPA for honor society membership.
For a photo gallery from the induction ceremony, click here.
New seventh grade National Junior Honor Society Members at Ernest Ward are: Kaitlyn Abbott, Jadlyn Agerton, Tristan Barrett, Katelyn Born, Haley Brown, William Brown , Hunter Connell, Nathan Donald, Jacob Dunsford, Amber Freeman, Nathan Galvan, Hanna Ging, Christopher Grant, Dariane Guy, Jordan Helmken, Abbie Johnson, Tonie Johnson, Kendral Langford, Trevor Levins, Thomas Moore, Jason Ogle, Brianna Parker, Liberty Peebles, Ben Preston, Bethany Reynolds, Savanna Roux, Jamilia Smiley-Knight, Jordan Taylor, David Thorpe, Harmoni Till, Bradley Van Pelt, Brittney Ward, Haylee Weaver, and Courtney Weekley.
New eighth grade members inducted Thursday night are: Autumn Ates, Annie Bobo, Kristen Byrd, Kendal Cobb, Christian Gould, Jessica McCullough and Tristan Portwood.
New officers were also installed. They are: Tamara Wise, president; Samantha Sharpless, vice president; Danielle Suggs, secretary; Austin Cunningham, treasurer; Ben Linam, reporter; Kelton Wooten, parliamentarian; and Jaylen Parker, historian.
Other eight grade members of the National Junior Honor Society Members at Ernest Ward are: Penny Banda, Megan Bryan, Tiffani Cruce, Leann Fillingim, Hannah Gibson, Kyndall Hall, Auden Lassitter, Aaron McDonald, Madison McGhee, Amy Murph, Mallory Ryan, Chelsea Turner and Morgan Ward.
Pictured: About 40 students were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society Thursday night at Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Ink Softball Scholarships
January 21, 2011
Two Tate High School seniors signed softball scholarships Thursday afternoon.
Shelby Myers committed to Northwest Florida State College, and Maleah McCombs signed with Pensacola State College.
Pictured top: (L-R) NWF Coach Taryn Gray, Michelle Myers, PSC Coach Horn, Maleah McCombs, and PSC Coach Brenda Pena. Pictured below: (L-R) Mitchell Myers, Shelby Myers, Matt Holland, NWF Coach Taryn Gray, and signing Shelby Myers. Pictured bottom: PSC Coach Brenda Pena, Roger McCombs, Debbie McCaskill and Maleah McCombs. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Takes On Northview In Girl’s Weightlifting
January 21, 2011
The Tate Aggies defeated the Northview Chiefs in girl’s weightlifting 42 to 30.
The following girls placed in their weight category:
- Georgia Goetter -1st Northview
- L. Chavers -2nd Tate
- Burk -1st Tate
- Kasie Braun -2nd Northview
- Raven McGhee -1st Tate
- Madalyn Coon -2nd Northview
- Jordan McGowan -1st Tate
- Laneica Gomez -2nd Northview
- Sarah Killam -1st Northview
- Misty Doran -2nd Northview
- Myers 1st Tate
- Cheyenne Garnett -2nd Northview
- O. Newsome -1st Tate
- J. Paige -2nd Tate
- B. Barnes -1st Tate
- Naomi Cooler-2nd Northview
- J. Ujuari -1st Tate
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Septic Tank Inspection Program Delayed
January 20, 2011
A new law went into effect January 1 in Florida requiring that septic tanks be inspected every five years, but now that law has been put on hold. Gov. Rick Scott let a bill providing for the delay become law this week without his signature, undoing the controversial mandate.
The bill, which was passed during a veto override special session last November, targets a provision in a wide-ranging springs protection bill that the requirement was included in last year.
Scott had 15 days from receiving the bill (SB 2A) to sign it or let it become law anyway. The bill had been on Scott’s desk since he took office January 4.
Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, called Scott’s inaction on the bill “a decisive step” which “postpones the implementation of septic tank inspection regulations, enabling lawmakers to analyze whether or not such a mandate is necessary and saving taxpayer dollars in the mean time.”
SB 2A is sponsored in part by Greg Evers, who represents the North Escambia area.
“The septic tank regulations are especially close to home for Northwest Florida residents, and Senators Evers, Dean and Gaetz have been instrumental in addressing concerns and preparing legislation that offers more time to assess such impactful regulation,” Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner said. “This provides us with time to thoroughly vet options and gain feedback from constituents in order to make the most well-informed decisions.”
“It doesn’t make any sense to me, and I want it repealed. Why is the state government involved in that? It makes no sense,” Scott told NorthEscambia.com about the septic tank inspection requirement during an exclusive campaign trail interview last November.
Schools Could Face $31 Million In Fines For Missing Class Size Goals
January 20, 2011
School districts in Florida — including Santa Rosa County — could share in $31 million in fines for failing to comply with the state’s class size law.
House Speaker Dean Cannon told reporters Wednesday that the House Education Committee will likely examine the fines that schools must pay if they do not comply with the state’s class size law.
Escambia County was among 32 of Florida’s 67 school districts that met the mandate that dictates how many students can be in certain classes at each grade level, but Santa Rosa County had a total of 393 classes not in compliance, according to a state report.
In 2002, voters approved a constitutional amendment that capped classroom sizes at 18 students in a classroom in lower grades, 22 in the middle grades and no more than the current cap of 25 students in a high school classroom. The caps were phased in over the last few years, but this was the first school year where schools had to fully comply with a hard cap on a per classroom basis.
About 5 percent of the state’s schools could not meet the caps, according to the Department of Education.
The State Board of Education this week recommended $31 million in fines for districts across the states, which will now go before the legislative budget commission for final approval.
Cannon said Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine, who chairs the House Education Committee, is looking at that issue and it will probably be one of many education issues on the legislative agenda this spring. There is no set form on how the issue will proceed though.
“And again, it depends I think in large part to degree, to the extent that most districts worked very, very hard to come close to compliance,” Cannon said. “I think they should get credit for that. But it may have to be done on a case by case basis.”
To The Editor: Nadine McCaw Thanks Community For Support
January 20, 2011
I wanted to write a letter to the editor to express all the appreciation that we have to you and everyone that reads your online news source for the north end of Escambia County. You have published every event fundraiser to help build awareness of my Clear Cell Renal Carcenoma (Kidney Cancer)and the struggles we have faced since my insurance has dropped my coverage. I was able to find some help through some of your readers with the medical bills that have come in so far.
I have a few good days but more bad than good. I have a LONG fight ahead and will be on chemo for at least 6-8 more months to fight the cancer that has spread to my lungs and lymph node system. This has been very trying on me and my whole family, emotionally, physically and financially. The prayers and the support the community have given to me has been more than I could have ever asked for. You have helped me to keep my faith strong to fight the fight of this horrible disease.
I have found many angels that walk about the streets of Century, and I hope that they continue to touch the lives of the different people of our town. The food that had been brought, the donations to help with the medical bills that have been piling up, the benefits that have been held and the participants that helped out during those functions has been more than I ever expected to receive. I pray that God blesses each and every one in the way that I have been blessed.
Nadine McCaw
Century, Florida
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