Football All Star Game To Feature Area Seniors
December 15, 2010
The Pensacola Sports Association has announced the rosters for the 2010 Subway High School All-Star Football Game Presented by the Andrews Institute. The 7th Annual All-star Game is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. at the Woodham Middle School Stadium.
This year’s game features some of the best seniors from Okaloosa and Santa Rosa Counties (East) playing against the seniors from Escambia County (West). Choctaw Head Coach Greg Thomas is the head coach of the East team while Greg Seibert from Catholic will lead the West team.
Several North Escambia area players will be taking part. Participating on the West All-Star Team from Northview will be: Austin Arrington, SS; Taylor Martin, LB; Lonnie Gardner, DT. Team members from Tate will be DJ Johnson, DB; Bruce Hemphill, LB/SS; and Tyler Tymbes, OL.
On the East All-Star Team, Trent Sweeney of Jay (WB) will take part.
Tickets for the game will be $7, or $6 with a canned good to support Manna Food Bank.
Deputies Warn Checks Are Being Stolen From Mailboxes
December 15, 2010
Several Escambia County businesses have had checks stolen from mailboxes and counterfeited, and deputies are warning residents and businesses alike to be careful.
Names have been changed on the stolen checks in an attempt to cash them at area banks, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Both businesses and individual citizens should take care to ensure that checks are not stolen by hand delivering them to the post office or giving them directly to a postal worker, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Anyone with information on the stolen check fraud cases should call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Photos: Ernest Ward Holds Womanless Beauty Pageant
December 15, 2010
Aaron “Amanda” McDonald was named Junior Mr. Miss Ernest Ward Middle School in a womanless beauty pageant Tuesday night. First runner up was Austin “Autina” Cunningham; second runner-up was Tristan “Trista” Portwood; and third runner-up was Jacob “Joselyn” Weaver. Tristan “Trista” Portwood was named Miss Congeniality, while Austin “Autina” Cunningham received the Physical Fitness Award. The Poise and Appearance Award was presented to Aaron “Amanda” McDonald, and the People’s Choice Award went to Tristan “Trista” Portwood. The womanless pageant was the school’s first ever, with proceeds benefiting the school’s cheerleaders. For a photo gallery with all of the contestants, click here. Pictured top: Contestants in a womanless beauty pageant Tuesday night at Ernest Ward Middle School. Picture inset: Junior Mr. Miss Ernest Ward Middle School Aaron “Amanda” McDonald. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Former Deputy Gets 30 Years For Child Sex Abuse
December 15, 2010
A former Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to 30 years in prison on child sex abuse charges.
John Mitchell Tomlinson, 46, was sentenced to 30 years state prison on each of three counts of sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority. All three sentences were to run concurrent. He also was designated a sexual predator for life.
Charges stem from allegations of abuse from his adopted daughter who lived with the defendant for several years, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins.
Tomlinson was a 23-year veteran with the Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office; he was assigned to the Santa Rosa County Courthouse at the time of his arrest. The defendant still faces additional charges of capital sexual battery in another case stemming from allegations made by a child who was a neighbor to the defendant in the late 1990’s.
Pen Air Branches Donates To Toys For Tots
December 15, 2010
Pen Air Federal Credit Union presented a truckload of toys and $500 to the Toys for Tots Foundation. The toys were collected at Pen Air offices across the area, including Century.
“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Toys for Tots Coordinator for Marine Aviation Training Support Group-24 MGySgt. Roberto Rivera said. “We couldn’t do it without your support.”
“Pen Air FCU has supported Toys for Tots for several years now,” Pen Air FCU President and Chief Executive Officer Ron Fields said. “I am extremely proud of the continued outpouring of generosity from all of our employees and member-owners to help underprivileged children.”
The Marine Corps spent countless hours setting up drop box locations, conducting fundraisers, and spreading the word about the Toys for Tots Foundation and how the foundation benefits underprivileged children in the community.
Pictured: Pen Air Federal Credit Union Vice President of Marketing Patty Veal (left) and Military Liaison Officer John Ochs (second from right) presented Marine Aviation Training Support Group-24 Toys for Tots coordinator MGySgt. Roberto Rivera (center) a $500 check and an estimated $2,000 in toys for local underprivileged children Tuesday aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Retailers Ask For BP To Pay For Local Sales Tax Holidays
December 15, 2010
Florida retailers on Tuesday said they are asking BP to spend $25 million to reimburse the state for a series of sales tax holidays beginning in February to help lure shoppers to the local Northwest Florida area that took a $454 million hit following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Citing a Florida TaxWatch study on lost retail revenue, Florida Retail Federation president and CEO Rick McAllister said the group is negotiating with BP to pay for three-day sales tax holidays beginning in February to help the lure tourists back to the five-county region after many canceled travel plans last summer because of the spill.
“This is not about claims for losses,” McAllister said. “This is about how we move forward. How do we return Northwest Florida to where it needs to be?”
McAllister said he expects to announce a deal within the next few weeks. The tentative proposal calls for a state sales tax holiday to run once a month between February and August. The proposal would limit the tax-free status to items under $200. BP would pay the sales tax that would have been levied. Marketing campaigns and incentives would piggyback on promotional programs coordinated through the lodging and tourism efforts. The holidays would run Friday through Sunday in Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties.
McAllister said Tuesday the holidays could be put in place without having to ask the Legislature for approval as long as the taxes were paid on time to the Department of Revenue. Agency spokesman Rene Watters said Tuesday that the details of the proposal were still being reviewed.
A study by Florida TaxWatch estimated retailers in a five county region — including Escambia and Santa Rosa — saw sales fall $454 million between May and September, including $239 million in taxable sales. The downturn translates into $14.3 million in lost state sales tax revenue and another $1.1 million in local tax collections.
Prior to the spill, the region was experiencing year-to-year revenue gains that outpaced the statewide average, a trend that reversed itself following the April 20 explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig. Tourism related taxable sales over the critical summer period fell 7.1 percent n the region compared to a 2.8 percent gain statewide.
“June 2010 broke a streak of 17 consecutive months where Northwest Florida was doing better than the state as a whole,” said Kurt Wenner, TaxWatch vice president for tax research. “Then all of a sudden, it fell off the table. ”
Laurie Olshefsky, who with her husband owns four Panhandle businesses, said the summer sales were off by 30 percent, a considerable drop after seeing double digit growth leading up to the spill. Like other retailers in the region, she relies on the summer tourism season for a large portion of her annual sales.
“When the oil spill hit, people stopped coming and they went other places where they were guaranteed to have a good time with their families.”Olshefsky said. “We were blessed that we were not hit by the oil spill, but we were damaged financially. ”
Retailers are worried tourists who cancelled plans to visit the Panhandle last summer and went elsewhere, will not return this summer. Other summer destinations benefited by the bad publicity that cast a shroud over the entire gulf region and prompted financially pinched tourists to look elsewhere for summer fun.
“What keeps me awake at night in regard to Northwest Florida is all those people who went to Myrtle Beach last year instead of going to Destin or Panama City Beach or Pensacola. Did they find something there that they enjoyed so they are going to try it one more year?” McAllister said.
By Michael Peltier, The News Service Florida
Pictured top: Kurt Wenner, president of tax research for Florida TaxWatch, briefs reporters on the freefall of retail sales in the Florida Panhandle. Florida Retail Federal President Rick McAllister (left) said the organization has asked BP to pay for series of sales tax holidays to boost sales in the region. Photo by Michael Peltier for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
School Board Meeting Canceled
December 14, 2010
The regular meeting of the Escambia County School Board scheduled for Tuesday night was canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances”, according to a school district release.
The new meeting date and time will be Tuesday, January 4 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 160 of the J. E. Hall Education Center.
FHSAA Announces New Districts For Area Schools In All Sports
December 14, 2010
The Florida High School Athletic Association has new classifications and district assignments for the 2011-12 and 2012-2013 school years, including the new Rural Division and a Pensacola powerhouse football district.
Class 1A-Rural
The new 1A Rural division includes 36 schools for football — 47 for other sports — among rural schools with a student population of 44 to 600. The football district aligns just four schools — Northview, Jay, Freeport and Baker — in District 1-1A Rural.
Northview, Jay, Holmes County, Freeport, Chipley and Baker will be grouped in District 3-1A Rural for baseball, basketball and softball. In volleyball, Northview, Jay, Laurel Hills, Freeport, Central and Baker will comprise District 1-1A Rural.
6A Pensacola Area Schools
In Pensacola, there will be lots of football competition in District 1-6A with all of the local big school powerhouse teams — Tate, Escambia, Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Pine Forest and Washington.
In baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball, the Tate Aggies will be the only Pensacola area team in District 1-6A, joining Choctawhatchee, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville. Escambia, Milton, Navarre, Pace, Pensacola, Pine Forest and Washington will be grouped in District 2-6A in the non-football sports.
Appeals
Schools will have the opportunity to appeal their classification and district assignments. The appeals must be filed with the Florida High School Athletic Association by January 7, 2011.
FOOTBALL
Class 1A Rural
District 1
Baker
Freeport
Jay
Northview (Bratt)
Class 6A
District 1
Escambia (Pensacola)
Milton
Pace
Pensacola
Pine Forest (Pensacola)
Tate (Cantonment)
Washington (Pensacola)
BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL, VOLLEYBALL
Class 1A Rural
District 3
Baker
Chipley
Freeport
Holmes County (Bonifay)
Jay
Northview (Bratt)
Class 6A
District 1
Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach)
Crestview
Fort Walton Beach
Niceville
Tate (Cantonment)
District 2
Escambia (Pensacola)
Milton
Navarre
Pace
Pensacola
Pine Forest (Pensacola)
Washington (Pensacola)
Dozen Fires So Far This Month In Escambia, Santa Rosa
December 14, 2010
With two fires on Monday, a total of a dozen residential fires have been reported during the month of December and fire safety campaigns in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. None of the fires have been in the northernmost portion of the two counties.
Escambia County — Eighth Red Bulb In “Keep the Wreath Green” Safety Campaign
A kitchen fire at 12:38 p.m. Monday in the 9300 block of Silcox Lane was the eighth red bulb in the Escambia County “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign.
The fire, declared out at 12:51 p.m., caused moderate damage to the kitchen and minor smoke damage in other parts of the home. The cause of the fire was determined to have been from a burner that had been accidentally turned on and subsequently overheated a pan of oil, causing it to catch fire. Firefighters from Beulah, Ensley, Osceola and Bellview responded to the scene.
Santa Rosa County — Fourth Candle Extinguished On Fire Safety Tree
A residential fire on Monday night in the 5600 block of Milligan Ford Road in Pace represents the fourth candle to be extinguished on the “Keep Your Holidays Bright” fire safety tree in Santa Rosa County. A resident of the home reported the fire at 8:40 p.m., and crews arrived on scene at 8:58 p.m. Pace, Avalon, Allentown, Cantonment and Ferry Pass fire departments responded to the fire that displaced a family of four. There were no injuries reported and the residents are staying with family and friends.
Pace Fire and Rescue Chief Donnie Wadkins estimated the fire damaged approximately 25 percent of the home. The fire is believed to have started in a hole or crack in fireplace chimney flue.
Health Care Law Struck Down; Fight Continues In Pensacola
December 14, 2010
Florida’s lawsuit in Escambia County against the new federal health care law isn’t any less important in light of a ruling Monday by a federal judge in Virginia invalidating a key component of the law, backers of the Florida challenge said.
In statement released shortly after Monday’s ruling, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said the state will proceed to make arguments Thursday in Pensacola asking U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson to go further than the Virginia ruling by invalidating the expansion of Medicaid to nearly 2 million anticipated additional recipients whose care would be partially paid by the state under the new law.
“The implementation of this law could add more than 1.9 million Floridians to the Medicaid program, a tremendous financial burden on our state at a time when our budget has no room for extra expenses, McCollum said. “As our lawsuit heads to oral argument this Thursday, I am hopeful we will obtain a favorable decision that will strike down the individual mandate and also halt the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars required to be spent by states to implement the Affordable Care Act.”
Ultimately, the issue is likely to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the Virginia case, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson struck down a provision of the health care insurance act that requires individuals to carry insurance whether they want to or not. The Minimum Essential Coverage Provision is critical to finance the other components of the plan.
“The unchecked expansion of congressional power to the limits suggested by the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision would invite unbridled exercise of federal police powers,” Hudson wrote. “At its core, this dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance – or crafting a scheme of universal health insurance coverage – it’s about an individual’s right to choose to participate.”
While Florida’s lawsuit also challenges congressional abiity to require coverage, the lawsuit additionally claims the sweeping reform of the $2.5 trillion U.S. health care system violates state government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on already hard-pressed state legislatures.
The new health care law is a cornerstone of Obama’s domestic agenda and aims to expand health insurance for millions more Americans while curbing costs. White House officials have insisted it is constitutional and necessary to stem huge projected increases in health care expenses by providing coverage for those who don’t have it, whose care is paid for by everyone else.
The Florida case has been joined by 19 other states. Plaintiffs also include the National Federation of Independent Business.
Vinson has scheduled testimony for Thursday in Pensacola to determine whether to make a summary judgment in the case, which most observers say will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. In September, Vinson refused to dismiss portions of the case as requested by Department of Justice attorneys.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service Florida