Area Regional Final Scores, Pairings For 1-A Semis
November 27, 2010
Here are regional final scores from around the Pensacola area Friday night:
- Region 1-A — Northview 21 Freeport 12 [Read more...]
- Region 1-4A — Navaree 20 Pine Forest 18
- Region 1-3A — Pensacola High 25 Choctawhatchee 7
- Region 1-2b — Catholic 14 Taylor County 7
Here are the final scores and pairings for next week in the Florida High School Association’s 1-A:
1-A Regionals
- Northview 21 Freeport 12 [Read more...]
- Trinity Christian 42 Providence 41 (3-OT)
- Fort Meade Middle-Senior 35 Berkley Preparatory 14
- American Heritage School of Boca/Delray 33 King’s Academy 14
Next Friday 1-A
- Northview at Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonsville)
- Fort Meade Middle-Senior at American Heritage School of Boca/Delray
Fans Welcome Their Region 1A Champion Chiefs
November 27, 2010
A crowd of Northview Chiefs fans gathered early Saturday morning to welcome the Region 1-A Champions back to Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
EA Cougars Win Thanksgiving Tournament
November 27, 2010
Escambia Academy opened their season by winning the Lowndes Academy Thanksgiving Tournament in Lowndesboro, Ala.
The EA Cougars (2-0, 0-0) won their first games against Evergreen’s Sparta Academy Warriors 57-54. The Cougars took the championship game 41-40 over the Longhorns of Marengo Academy from Linden, Ala.
Escambia Academy’s Darron McGhee finished as the Lowndes Academy Thanksgiving Tournament MVP. McGhee, Tanner Kirk and Keaton Maher were named to the All-Tournament team.
Pictured top: The Escambia Academy Cougars (front, L-R) Brandon Goddard, Jaylen Henry, Dillon Anderson, (back row) Tanner Boatwright, Tanner Kirk, Blake Quimby, Chris Macks, Keaton Maher, Jordan Sasser, Darren McGhee, coach Kevin Woods. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Gov’s Cuts To Corrections Budget Raises Concerns
November 26, 2010
For many in the North Escambia area, there are concerns that privatization or budget cuts could mean closures at prisons like Century Correctional Institution.
When Governor-elect Rick Scott unveiled his economic plan on the campaign trail this summer, there was a portion that caught law enforcement professionals by surprise, a proposed $1 billion cut to the state’s corrections’ budget.
Scott’s plan for the corrections system is setting up a potentially heated political fight between his new administration, coming in looking to make drastic cuts in what Scott believes is a bloated budget and on the other side law enforcement officials who say his plan is unrealistic and lawmakers who don’t want to be soft on crime.
Scott has maintained that Florida’s per-prisoner costs can be reduced and that he wants to work with the Department of Corrections in looking for ways to bring costs down. And he’s not ruling out any options.
“For those costs that remain out of line, we will look at all available options, including privatization, but the first option is to work with DOC,” said Scott transition spokesman Trey Stapleton.
The potential for a privatization plan don’t sit well with at least one major player who has a role in the development of the criminal justice budget. State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who was recently appointed chairman of the Senate’s Criminal Justice Appropriations committee, isn’t on board with additional prison privatization.
“I don’t have a problem at government looking at privatization in certain areas, but it should never be in public safety. Never,” Fasano said.
Fasano predicted privatization will be a major discussion point for his committee, though, as legislative committee meetings begin next month and continue into the spring as the 2011 legislative session begins. He said so far, he has not gotten any direction or pressure from Senate President Mike Haridopolos or his other colleagues on the issue.
Haridopolos has not yet assigned other senators to the criminal justice appropriations committee and House Speaker Dean Cannon has not yet named a chair for his subcommittee on criminal justice appropriations. Scott has also not named Corrections secretary.
The governor-elect has, however, appointed an extensive transition team to help him navigate law enforcement issues. The chair of the law enforcement committee for his transition team is Pasco County Sheriff Bob White, who rather than proposing budget cuts, actually asked for more tax dollars, appealing the issue to Gov. Charlie Crist.
Scott has mentioned a few ideas for cutting $1 billion, including using inmate labor to grow prison food and competitively bidding health care contracts, though that is already done to some extent.
The Florida Police Benevolent Association, which backed Scott’s opponent Alex Sink in the election, has noted that even privatizing the system might not result in a $1 billion cut to the budget. The only way to get that big of a savings, said PBA executive director David Murrell, would be to cut personnel or release prisoners early.
“The Department of Corrections has been cut and cut and cut and they’re to a point where it’s a safety issue,” Murrell said. “Mark my words, one of these days there’s going to be a bad incident. It’s gotten to that point where it’s that critical.”
Though the PBA supported Sink, it has fluctuated in its support of Democratic and Republican candidates. But Murrell said he doesn’t believe anyone in the Republican leadership is going to support a budget that will significantly cut criminal justice funding.
“What will really be interesting is if he [Scott] persists into wanting to cut that kind of money and that would fly in the face of the general Republican philosophy of being tough on crime,” Murrell said. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a Republican who wants to look soft on crime.”
Stapleton said that to his knowledge Scott has not had any discussions yet with legislative leadership over the prisons’ budget.
The News Service Florida contributed to this report.
Pictured: A guard tower rises above Century Correctional Institution. Pictured bottom inset: Razor wire lines a fence at Century Correctional Institute. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Girl’s ATV Hit By Drunk Driver
November 26, 2010
A 12-year old Century girl continues to recover after her ATV was hit by an alleged drunk driver’s pickup last weekend.
Beverly Blackmon was transported by LifeFlight to a Pensacola hospital following the weekend accident on Smallwood Lane north of Brewton, Ala.
The driver of the pickup fled the accident scene. He was later identified as Archie Lee Tanner, Jr. 38. He was charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and booked into the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center. Tanner was not injured in the crash.
Black Friday Sales
November 26, 2010
The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday — the crazy-hour traditional start to the holiday shopping season. Pictured above: These teens were camped out for a flat screen Friday morning at the Walmart in Brewton. Submitted photo by Eric Hare. Pictured left: The checkout line circles the store twice at Target in Pensacola. Submitted photo by Janalyn Pomeroy. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Greg Evers Named To 5 Senate Committees
November 26, 2010
Republican Greg Evers, the Florida senator representing the North Escambia area, was named to several Florida Senate committees Tuesday by Senate President Mike Haridopolos.
Evers was named to the following committees:
- Criminal Justice, chair
- Transportation, vice chair
- Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities
- Subcommittee on Ethics and Elections
- Reapportionment
Most of the committees named Tueday have overwhelming Republican majorities, reflective of the body as a whole, though there are a few that are close.
The Agriculture Committee, which is one of two committees chaired by a Democrat, Gary Siplin, has a slim 4-3 Republican majority, and the high profile Education Pre-K-12 Committee has just three Republicans and two Democrats. Similarly, Children, Families and Elder Affairs has a 3-2 GOP majority, as does Criminal Justice. Military Affairs has a 4-3 GOP majority. In contrast, probably the most politically charged committee, Reapportionment, is the most lopsided, with 16 Republicans and 7 Democrats.
“We are all elected representatives of the citizens of this great state so I believe we should all have the opportunity to serve on committees that interest each of us and best serve the voters,” said Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, in a memo to members. “It is clear that the selections are a reflection of what your constituents are interested in and as well as what each of you individually can bring in the way of insight, experience and in many cases real world expertise.”
A Bank Divided By The Iron Bowl
November 26, 2010
The rivalry of the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn literally divided an area bank. At the FNB&Trust main office in Atmore, employees decorated one end of the bank’s lobby for Auburn, the other for Alabama. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Keep The Wreath Green Campaign Kicks Off Next Week In Escambia
November 26, 2010
Escambia County Fire-Rescue and the City of Pensacola Fire Department are participating in “Keep the Wreath Green,” a holiday safety program designed to promote fire safety during the month of December. With this program, officials hope to reduce the number of fires during a time of serious fire danger with simple, life saving tips.
This year, the seventh year of the campaign, five-foot wreaths will be on display at 30 different locations throughout the holiday season. These sites are the Old Escambia County Courthouse on Palafox Place, the Public Safety Building on W Street, the Central Office Complex on West Park Place, all 18 primary county fire stations, seven stations within the City of Pensacola, Cordova Mall and one mobile display. Every time firefighters respond to a residential fire a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by holiday decorations.
To help citizens stay safe and “keep the wreath green,” officials are providing a holiday safety tip for each day of the month; visit www.keepthewreathgreen.com for a complete list.
A kick-off event for the campaign will be held on Tuesday.
Pictured above: The wreath at the Century fire station. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Thankful: Officers Save Woman
November 25, 2010
This Thanksgiving, Escambia resident Helen Clark, 55, has a lot to be thankful for, and she’s thanking local law enforcement officers for the gift of life.
About 7:30 Tuesday evening, Deputies Jason Comans and Ryan Robinson joined Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Josh Tucker and Corporal Michael Tucker for a meal break at Smokey’s Restaurant located on Pensacola Blvd.
Their meal was quickly interrupted when they noticed a female, later identified as Clark, pass out and fall to the floor.
As the deputies and troopers rushed over to administer first aid, they noticed that Clark was not breathing and didn’t have a pulse. Deputy Comans and Trooper Tucker immediately began CPR while Deputy Robinson rushed out to his patrol vehicle and retrieved an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
An AED is a small, lightweight device used to assess a person’s heart rhythm. If necessary, it administers an electric shock to restore a normal rhythm in victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Built-in computers assess the patient’s heart rhythm, judge whether defibrillation is needed, and administer an appropriate level of shock. Audible and/or visual prompts guide the user through the process.
Deputy Robinson applied the AED to Clark’s chest and was prompted to continue CPR. Deputy Robinson gave Clark rescue breaths while Trooper Tucker performed chest compressions. A shock was then administered by the AED. The officers continued CPR and by the time Escambia County EMS arrived, Clark had a pulse and was breathing on her own.
Clark, now conscious and alert, was able to thank these officers before being transported to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment.
“Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies are trained yearly in First Aid, CPR and the use of AED’s. The time and expense it takes to train all our deputies paid off,” said Chris Welborn, public information officer for the ECSO. “Sheriff (David) Morgan is very proud of the deputies involved in this incident and hopes Helen Clark fully recovers and enjoys this holiday season with her family and friends.”