Unemployment Rate Up In Escambia, Santa Rosa

August 21, 2010

For the second month, the two-county employment rate in the Florida North Escambia area increased, while the news was much better in Escambia County, Ala., according to data released Friday.

Escambia County’s unemployment rate increased two-tenths of percent— up from 10.8 percent in June to 11 percent in July. That represented 305 jobs lost in a month for a total county unemployment of 15,715 people.

Santa Rosa County also recorded an increase in unemployment — from 9.7 in June to 10.8 percent in July. Santa Rosa County lost 776 jobs during the period, with a total of 7,880 persons unemployed.

The unemployment rate in Escambia County, Ala., fell over a full percentage point, from 12 percent in June to 10.9 percent in July. That represented a gain of 149 jobs, with 1,564 still unemployed.

Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 9.7 percent in July, declined from June’s rate of 10.3 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 10.5 percent.

Florida’s unemployment rate hit 11.5 percent in July, ending three straight months of decline even as annual job growth showed its first gain since 2007, state officials reported Friday.

With the economy widely seen as weakening again nationally, Florida was among 14 states where unemployment inched upward last month. Florida’s 11.5 percent jobless rate – up 0.1 percent from June – remains well above the national 9.5 percent unemployment level.

Slightly more than 1 million Floridians are out-of-work, the Agency for Workforce Innovation reported.

“As always is true in the trough of a recession, we get mixed messages,” said Rebecca Rust, AWI’s chief economist.

Even as unemployment climbed, the number of existing jobs in Florida showed its first annual increase since June 2007. The 7.2 million jobs in the state represented a boost of 2,700 jobs compared to a year earlier.

Florida’s job growth is better than what’s been seen nationally, with 52,000 jobs lost over the past year. Last month also was the first time since the recession kicked-in three years ago that Florida’s job growth levels surpassed those nationally.

University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith said Friday it’s unlikely the country will slip into a second recession. But he projects growth will be slower through the first half of 2011 unless the federal government begins to focus on creating rather than saving jobs.

Snaith said the latest climb in jobless claims and Florida’s unemployment rate reflects widespread uncertainty over the financial effects of the federal health care overhaul and what may happen to federal stimulus efforts and tax cuts facing possible reinstatement.

“The mystique surrounding the recovery may have had companies on the fence about laying off employees, but the underlying weakness of this recovery has finally been realized,” he said.

State economists last month projected that Florida’s economy has hit bottom but appears likely to continue scraping along as the development industry and housing market still represents an anchor dragging down the state’s economy. With construction dried up, the state also has been staggered by what economists said was roughly 50,000 foreclosures a month combined with tightening credit markets.

Until last month, unemployment had been improving after hitting a 12.3 percent peak jobless rate in March. The federal government, health care industry, and membership associations and organizations continue to report increased hiring but construction, manufacturing, and financial and information services continue to shed positions.

“Even though we’ve had a loss of momentum over the past couple of months, the consensus for most forecasters is that this is a lull, but it won’t be a double-dip recession,” Rust said.

Indeed, there are some signs of life. State forecasters earlier this month increased the forecast of anticipated tax collections by $229 million for the current budget year – and another $260 million for next year, as stronger than expected corporate tax collections reflected rising profits and higher hospital fee collections offset still-slumping real estate revenue.

In Friday’s findings, AWI officials also pointed out that eight metropolitan areas in Florida have seen over-the-year job gains, including Gainesville, Bradenton-Sarasota, Pensacola and Tallahassee.

John Kennedy, The News Service Florida, contributed to this report

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Century Care Center: Jamaican Party Mon! (With Photo Gallery)

August 21, 2010

The residents at Century Care Center enjoyed a Jamaican Party Friday afternoon. Caribbean food, tropical drinks, party music and a limbo contest highlighted the afternoon’s events.

For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the party, click here.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News

Last Minute School Shopping? Here Are The Supply Lists You Need

August 21, 2010

School starts Monday in Escambia County. Here are the school supply lists from each elementary school in the county, plus Ernest Ward and Ransom middle schools.

(High schools typically do not have a general supply list. Students are advised of their supply needs in each class.)

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Sunny Days: Growing Sunflowers

August 21, 2010

Sunflowers not only make the garden beautiful but can also be used to bring the beauty of outdoors inside.

It may be towards the end of summer, but you can still plant sunflowers and enjoy them during the fall. In north Florida, try to complete sunflower planting by the third week in August. Depending on the variety, sunflowers will bloom about 55 to 75 days after planting – 60 days is a good average. Some sunflowers are sensitive to day length and may yield shorter plants and earlier bloom when planted in late summer. This corresponds to the reduction in daylight hours as summer progresses toward autumn.

To begin, choose cultivars that fit your landscape. There are now more sunflowers than just the seed bearing giants that many gardeners are familiar with. Just take a look at the gardening catalogs.

Sunflowers can be broadly divided into two types: those grown for production of edible seeds and those grown as ornamentals and cut flowers. Most gardeners will be interested in the ornamental sunflowers, also known as Helianthus annuus.

Sunflowers come in heights ranging from less than one foot to ten feet and also come in a wide range of flower colors. While brilliant yellow will always be popular, you can also choose from creamy white, bronze, mahogany, rusty red, burgundy and orange. Some types produce flowers with more than one color. The center disk of the sunflower also adds to the display and goes through color changes as the flower matures and seeds form.

Sunbright, Sunrich Lemon, Sunrich Orange, Soraya and Moulin Rouge are some that are recommended for Florida.

For best bouquet results, choose cultivars that are pollen-less to prevent pollen from shedding onto a tablecloth or other flowers in an arrangement.

If you want to grow sunflowers for the delicious, nutritious seeds, make sure you choose varieties bred for seed production, such as Mammoth Russian – also known as Mammoth, Russian Giant and Gray Stripe. These tall-growing sunflowers produce a single enormous flower at the top of the plant. To grow a really big seed head, apply general-purpose fertilizer when the flower head begins to appear. Just be sure to place them so that you can stake them if necessary.

Sunflowers are true to their name, they need to be grown in full sun. Prepare a sunflower bed as you would for planting most vegetables. They tolerate heat and dry conditions and almost any soil type. The pH preference is 6.5 to 7.5 and the addition of composted organic matter is beneficial.

Plant seeds about one-quarter inch deep directly into a prepared garden bed. It’s common to plant sunflowers into landscape beds, and many gardeners include a row of sunflowers in spring and fall vegetable gardens. After sowing the seeds, water the bed well and thesun water it as needed to keep the soil moist – even lightly every day if the weather is dry.

Sunflowers should be harvested in early morning before 10:00 a.m. It is best to cut the stems and place them in warm water right away for best results.

The versatility and variety of today’s sunflowers offer something for almost every garden and gardener. If you haven’t tried this plant lately, give it another look.

Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News

EA Pounds Sparta; Heaton’s Blue Devils Have Mixed Night

August 21, 2010

In Friday night Alabama football action, Escambia Academy trounced Sparta, and Escambia County High School had a mixed preseason opener.

Escambia Academy 39 Sparta 0

The Escambia Academy Cougars shut out the Sparta Warriors 39-0 Friday night in the Cougar’s AISA season opener.

The Cougars’ Wesley Steadham had two touchdowns — from 12 and 34 yards out — and 115 yards on 10 carries. Jaylen Henry picked up 124 yards on 15 carries, including an 8-yard touchdown dash. EA had a 4-yard touchdown run from Clayton Dees, and Jacob Fields had a Cougar end zone recovery on a Warrior fumble. Another Sparta fumble was picked off by Robert Whatley who headed straight for the end zone.

Coach Heath Gibson’s Cougars will be on the road next week against Clarke Prep at 7 p.m.

Linden 21
Escambia County High 6
Escambia County 6 Hillcrest-Evergreen 0

The Escambia County High School preseason coaching debut for Mark Heaton was mixed. The Blue Devils fell to Linden and beat Hillcrest-Evergreen 6-0. Heaton is the former Northview High School offensive coordinator. Last season, he was head coach for J.U. Blacksher in Uriah, Alabama.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports

Viewpoint: ‘Twas The Week Before The Primaries

August 21, 2010

‘Twas the week before the primaries, when all through the state, every creature was stirring, especially candidates.

There was stirring in the polls too, though which direction they were going changed from day to day – and poll to poll. One showed Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum and Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Kendrick Meek, two familiar faces in Florida politics, could be stirring in their tougher-than-expected primaries with new-to-the-scene opponents who have spent millions of dollars to wrest the respective nominations away from them.

A Quinnipiac University poll showed both men surging to leads over their largely self-financed opponents, with McCollum leading former Columbia Healthcare/HCA CEO Rick Scott by a 44 percent to 35 percent margin, and Meek leading by 35 percent to 28 percent over Jeff Greene. Less than three weeks ago, McCollum trailed Scott by nine points and Meek was behind real estate mogul Greene by 10 points.

Momentum changes all the time. But the same day, a Sunshine State News poll showed Scott still holding a narrow edge on McCollum, 44 to 42 percent. Explain that.

While you’re at it, explain last week, when a Mason-Dixon poll showed McCollum leading Scott 34 percent to 30 percent in the GOP gubernatorial primary, with a five percent margin of error. Or days later, when a St. Petersburg Times poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs had Scott ahead by a 42 percent to 32 percent tally, with the margin of error at 5.9 percent. A Florida Medical Association poll by The Tarrance Group had McCollum up 44-40.

For those keeping score, in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Mason-Dixon showed Meek ahead by 14 points against self-funded Greene while the Ipsos Poll had Greene up by 4.

By week’s end, no one was sure which numbers were most accurate as the candidates head into the home stretch. The cause for the disparity was likely that some polls were surveying registered voters; some polls were counting only “likely” voters.

Convention wisdom says likely voter surveys are typically more accurate, unless of course, an unlikely number of voters show up at the polls. Put another way, your guess is as good as your favorite pollster’s.

There was little doubt however that the hotly contest primaries could have unintended beneficiaries, however. Independent Senate candidate Charlie Crist and presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink maintained leads of all their possible opponents.

Quinnipiac University’s survey of general election matchups showed Sink, who once trailed McCollum by double-digits, now leading 31-29 percent in that hypothetical matchup – within the poll’s 3 percentage point margin of error. If Scott becomes the GOP nominee, Sink holds a 33-29 percent advantage, with independent Bud Chiles drawing support from 12 percent of voters.

Looking ahead to the November Senate race, Crist led former House Speaker Marco Rubio 39-32 percent, with Meek gaining 16 percent. If Greene wins next week’s Democratic primary, Crist gets 40 percent to Rubio’s 32 percent and Greene’s 15 percent.

Crist’s numbers were buoyed by a stunning level of support from Democratic voters. Crist, who broke with the Republican Party in April, pulled more support among Democrats – 45 percent – than either Meek or Greene, who drew 36 and 31 percent respectively. But that’s probably not a surprise to anyone who witnessed lawmakers’ reactions to his last few State of the State addresses, when the loudest cheers came from the back of the room.

SINK’S NOT WAITING FOR THE RESULTS

Like the rest of us, Alex Sink will find out Tuesday who she will be running against in the fall. But she did not wait this week to get started campaigning for the Governor’s Mansion, naming her running mate earlier than expected and launching her first television commercial.

Sink tapped former state Sen. Rod Smith to join her on the ticket, hoping the tough-edged, ex-prosecutor from Gainesville would help her courting conservative voters. Sink had been expected to wait until after the primaries were over to make her choice, but she said this week she wanted voters being inundated with television commercials to know they had “a choice” in the governor’s race.

And hoping to make that choice clear for them, Sink released an ad attacking both McCollum and Scott for the harsh GOP primary, with impersonators of Scott and McCollum arguing in a classroom to illustrate the point.

“Don’t know about you, but I’ve had just about enough of politicians attacking each other,” Sink said over the argument in the commercial. “I’m Alex Sink, and I’m ready to attack Florida’s challenges.” After detailing a few of her campaign promises, Sink closes the ad by saying “the fight I’ll be having as governor is for you.”

However, the state Republican Party signaled this week it’s just as ready to pick a fight with Sink. Republican Party of Florida Executive Director Ronnie Whitaker criticized Sink for appearing at a Miami fundraiser with President Barack Obama, but not taking pictures with him.

By contrast, Meek’s campaign, which has sought for weeks to show that Obama’s administration was not quietly supporting Gov. Crist in the Senate race, couldn’t wait to show pictures of the Miami Congressman with Obama. Just in case anyone missed the news that the president and Meek stopped for sandwiches after the fundraiser, Meek’s campaign E-mailed pictures to supporters.

Elsewhere in politics, a couple of high-profile national Republicans got involved in the decidedly low-profile attorney general’s race. Former Alaska Gov. and Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin endorsed former Hillsborough prosecutor Pam Bondi on her Facebook page, which carries more weight than when most people click the site’s “like” button. Former Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Holly Benson quickly countered with an endorsement from former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is speculated to be considering a run for president like Palin.

The odd man out, Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, must be waiting to hear back from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

CANNON GOES TO BAT FOR REDISTRICTING

In non-political news – that is still very political – House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon took to the Supreme Court to defend the Legislature’s attempt to blunt a pair of ballot measures that could threaten the Republican Party’s grip on the Legislature and congressional delegation.

In a rare move by an elected official, Cannon, who is also a lawyer, appeared before justices to argue in favor of keeping proposed constitutional Amendment 7 on the November ballot. He said the measure is needed to assure minorities can maintain representation in the Legislature and Congress when voting district boundaries are redrawn in 2012.

The high court seemed divided on the issue though. Newly installed Chief Justice Charles Canady noted that there was no law that banned a constitutional provision that might be vague or confusing and questioned whether the court even had the authority to prohibit the people from considering an amendment because it is ambiguous.

But Justice Peggy Quince voiced concerns throughout the argument that voters might not know the relationship between the amendments, specifically that Amendment 7 was meant to either counter or add to the other two proposals.

“They’re going to read 5 and 6,” she said. “They’re going to read 7. And my goodness, will have no idea that 7 really is there to negate or explain or do something about 5 and 6. And it just seems to me that we really do the public a disservice if we put these kinds of amendments on the ballot that don’t even make reference to the fact that there is something else that’s there that is related to them.”

Elsewhere, new Public Service Commissioner Ronald Brisé was publicly sworn-in to the panel and Gov. Crist got seven names to replace two other commissioners whose applications for re-appointment were denied by a panel of lawmakers. The PSC Nominating Council selected a term-limited senator who was overlooked for two recent openings, Sen. Lee Constantine, and the former executive director of the panel, Mary Bane, who was in charge when PSC staffers sent off-the-record cell phone messages to utility employees during rate increase hearings.

Other finalists included former Missouri Public Service Commissioner Connie Murray, Senate Communications, Energy & Utilities Committee legislative analyst Kevin Wiehle, West Palm Beach assistant city administrator Eduardo Balbis, former Tampa assistant city attorney Julie I. Brown and James S. Baumstark, an engineer who previously worked for Progress Energy.

STORY OF THE WEEK: The candidates – and the polls – were all over the place in this final full week of campaigning before Tuesday’s primaries, and a candidate for governor who has the luxury of not having serious primary opposition kicked off the general election in earnest.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Likely voters are usually a more accurate gauge, unless you have a lot of people who come to the polls who normally don’t vote,” Lance deHaven Smith, Florida State University professor who studies polling and public policy, summing up the ambivalence of the week’s polling.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

FHP: Jay Wreck Causes Minor Injuries

August 21, 2010

A Friday afternoon wreck in Jay left two people with only minor injuries.

The Florida Highway Patrol said Roy D. Kelley, 66, of Brewton turned into the path of a 1999 Ford driven by Durlyn Y. Farish, 59, of Jay. Kelley, who was northbound, was attempting to turn across traffic onto Alabama Street, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Kelley and Farish received only minor injuries in the crash. Kelly was charged with an improper turn, according to the FHP.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Church Seeks Copy Paper Donations For Molino Park

August 21, 2010

Highland Baptist Church is collecting paper for Molino Park Elementary School.

The church, a Molino Park Elementary Partner in Education, is accepting donations of reams of white copy paper.

“Due to budget cuts, they are in great need of donations,” said Pastor Brian Calhoun. The church will also hold a special worship service at 10:45 a.m., Sunday, August 22 to pray for school staff members and students as they prepare for the new school year.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Early Voting Continues Through Saturday

August 20, 2010

Early voting ends Saturday in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties for the August primaries.

There have been 4,847 early voters as of Thursday in Escambia County, while 3,529 had voted in Santa Rosa County.

There are four early voting locations in Escambia County:

Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place 2nd Floor
Supervisor of Elections Annex, 292 Muscogee Road, Cantonment
Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
West Florida Genealogy Library (former Tryon Branch Library), 5740 North 9th Avenue

And there are two early voting locations for Santa Rosa County residents:

Elections Office (behind McDonalds on U.S. 90, Milton), 6495 Caroline St., Suite F
South Service Center (one block east of the zoo on U.S. 98), 5841 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze.

Early voting hours are 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. in both counties on Saturday.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

Two Injured In Highway 4 Crash; One Airlifted

August 20, 2010

Two people were injured in a single vehicle accident east of Jay Friday morning.

Regina Bradshaw, 30, of Milton, was westbound on Highway 4 about 7:25 a.m. when she fell asleep and lost control near Pitnic Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Her vehicle left the roadway, clipped a utility pole, hit a culvert, and traveled over a driveway before striking a ditch embankment. The distance from where she left the roadway to where her 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe came to rest was almost 400 feet, according to the FHP. Troopers said the vehicle overturned two complete times, ejecting Bradshaw.

Bradshaw was airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola in serious condition. Her passenger, Kevin Nelson, 19. of Pace, was transported to the hospital by ambulance with serious injuries.

The accident is still under investigation by the FHP. Troopers said charges area pending against Bradshaw.

Pictured above and below: Two people were injured in this single vehicle accident east of Jay Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News

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