Company Grading FCAT Gets Failing Grade; State Wants Cash
June 28, 2010
The Florida Department of Education is giving a failing grade to the contractor that is late in reporting the results of the state’s FCAT standardized exam. The DOE is seeking test results for parents and more than $3 million in damages for contractor NCS Pearson.
“I fully realize that assessing these damages does not completely make up for the significant inconveniences being felt by students and their families, teachers and school administrators, but it does show very clearly that we are holding Pearson accountable for their failure to uphold the terms of the contract,” state education commissioner Eric Smith said in a release Thursday.
The FCAT is administered to students in grades 3 through 11, with reading and math tested in most grades and science and writing tested in some of them. NCS Pearson signed a $250 million contract with the state in 2009 to provide scoring of the exam until 2013. Harcourt Assessment, acquired by Pearson in 2007, had provided similar services related to the FCAT since 2000.
Scores from the writing exam were to be released in April, with scores from most reading, math and science exams following a few weeks after. Most of the results came several weeks late and some have yet to be delivered.
The delays, attributed to technical glitches, sparked outrage from the department, school districts and lawmakers. School officials have said that the delays cause problems in staffing because grade promotion for students is based on the exams.
Pearson has publicly taken responsibility for the situation and a spokesman said Thursday “we intend to fulfill all our obligations to the state.”
“We will continue to work with the DOE to work out the details on damages, but right now are focused on getting the test results delivered,” said spokesman Adam Gaber.
The Department of Education said it had not heard back directly from Pearson about the state’s intent to seek damages and Smith said in a statement that once all of the results have been delivered he may seek additional damages that are “consistent with all other missed delivery dates.”
Kathleen Haughney, The News Service Florida, contributed to this report.
Portion Of Nokomis Road Closing
June 28, 2010
A short section of Nokomis Road was scheduled to be closed for two weeks beginning Monday, creating travel problems for residents in the Nokomis area.
The Escambia County Road Department will close Nokomis Road from Meadows Lane to Rockaway Creek Road from 6:00 a.m. Monday until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 9. A crossover pipe will be replaced by road crews during the closure.
Escambia Health Advisory Rescinded
June 28, 2010
The health advisory for Escambia County beaches has been rescinded. Currently, there are no beaches in Escambia County under a health advisory.
Effective immediately, the Escambia County (FL) Health Department is rescinding the health advisory issued on June 23, 2010 for the following beach waters in Escambia County, Florida, that were affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill:
- Gulf Islands National Seashore (both Ft. Pickens and Johnson Beach areas)
“This is a highly dynamic situation varying by tide, current, and wind changes/direction,” said health department director Dr. John Lanza. ”We expect to frequently give and rescind advisories along our beaches.”
The health department is rescinding its health advisory now that government officials verify that there is no oil sheen or oil slick observed in the water from the high water mark out to 100 yards from shore. Officials continue to recommend that beachgoers avoid contact with tar balls. However, if an individual’s skin comes into contact with tar:
- Wash with soap and large amounts of water. Health officials discourage the use of gasoline, kerosene or other solvents to clean oil from skin.
- If tar is not removed with soap and water, scrape off the excess tar from your skin and apply a grease removing agent – such as a liquid grease-cutting dish detergent — or mineral oil. Rinse your skin with large amounts of fresh water.
- Remove contaminated clothing.
- If symptoms or irritation occur, call a physician.
Government officials continue to monitor the water for impact from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
For more information contact:
- Escambia County Health Department at (850)595-6700 and www.EscambiaHealth.com
- Escambia County Citizen’s Information Line at 471-6600 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CDT (Monday – Sunday) or www.escambiadisasterresponse.com
- Florida Oil Spill Information Line at (888)337-3569
Federal Agents Interview Tax Service Clients
June 27, 2010
Federal agents have reportedly spent part of the past week questioning some former clients of a tax service raided by FBI and IRS back in March.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service served a federal search warrant March at the Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC on Ridgely Street in Atmore, as well as locations of the business in Monroeville and Thomasville, Alabama, and the Monroeville home of Alice Preyear Mobley. According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, Mobley is the owner of the tax and check cashing business.
During the last week, federal agents have interviewed some of the tax service’s former clients across the area. The FBI nor the IRS would publicly comment, saying that the investigation is ongoing.
Recently unsealed federal court documents show that FBI and IRS agents seized over $300,000, boxes of tax documents, computers, vehicles and even a stuffed teddy bear when they raided the three locations of a tax and check cashing business and the home of the business owners.
The exact reason the U.S. government sought the search warrants is still secret; a federal judge sealed the search warrant applications and reasons for obtaining them. But other unsealed documents in the case reveal that the government was seeking “business, bank and accounting records, documents and proceeds related to fraud against the government, tax fraud and money laundering, U.S. currency, property that constitutes evidence of the commission of a criminal offense and contraband, fruits of a crime or other things criminally possessed therein.”
Alice Preyear Mobley, Lloyd Preyear and Preyear Tax and Check Cashing Services, LLC have requested that the government return property from the home and business locations in Atmore and Monroeville. The defendants claim that the search warrants were missing a necessary attachment in order to be valid.
Items seized during the execution of the search warrants included $263,000 in $100 bills from the defendants’ house, many boxes of tax records and other documents and even a “stuffed white bear”.
At the time of the search, spokesperson for both the IRS and the FBI would only confirm that they executed the search warrants, with an IRS spokesperson saying “we were there on official business”. Otherwise, the government has not provided any public information about the search warrants.
Pictured above: A federal agent enters Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC in Atmore March 4. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
NWE Downs Tri-County In 9-10 Year Old All-Star Tourney
June 27, 2010
The 9-10 year old Little League All-Star Tournament is taking place in DeFuniak Springs. In Saturday’s action, Northwest Escambia got past Tri-County 9-8.
NWE plays DeFuniak Springs on Monday at 5:30, and Tri-County will play again Tuesday at 7:30.
Members of the NWE 9-10 year old All-Stars include:
Dawson Brown, Jason Fischer, Chase Gifford, Trey Holder, Adrian King, Daniel Mascaro, Preston Milstead, Teddy Nelson, Hunter Spence and Samuel Stott. The team is coached by PJ Gifford and Cameron Horning.
For more photos from the game, click here.
Are you going to the tournament? Share your photos with our readers! Email your pictures to news@northescambia.com
Submitted photos by Ramona Fischer for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tri-County 11-12 Year Olds Fall To Defuniak
June 27, 2010
The 11-12 year old Tri-County All-Stars fell to Defuniak Springs Saturday in Panama City.
Tri-County will be in action again Tuesday at 5:30 against Niceville. With a win, they will play again Wednesday at 7:30.
Are you going to the tournament? Share your photos with our readers! Email your pictures to news@northescambia.com
Pictured: The 11-12 year old Tri-County All-Stars. Submitted photo by Neisa Terrell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Defuniak Beats Tri-County In 11-12 Softball
June 27, 2010
The Florida District 1 All Star Tournament for 11-12 year old girls is underway this week at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
In Saturday’s action, DeFuniak Springs beat Tri-County 26-8. DeFuniak advances to a 7:30 p.m. Monday games against Northwest Escambia. Tri-County will play Destin Monday at 5:30 p.m.
In another game Saturday at NWE, Niceville beat Destin 16-0. Niceville will face the winner of Monday’s DeFuniak Springs versus Northwest Escambia game.
Are you going to the tournament? Share your photos with our readers! Email your pictures to news@northescambia.com
McGhee, Cobb To Wed
June 27, 2010
Mr. and Mrs. Harold McGhee of Brewton are pleased to announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Amanda Janette McGhee, to Jonathan Patrick Cobb, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cobb of Opp.
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. Carl McGhee and the late Mrs. Atrebe McGhee of Walnut Hill, Fla., and Ms. Lois Ford and the late Mr. William Ford of Phil Campbell, Ala.
She is a 2002 graduate of Flomaton High School and a 2006 graduate of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She is currently in her fourth year at the University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Optometry.
The prospective groom is the grandson of Ms. Ruth Holmes and the late Mr. Kernest Holmes of Opp and the late Mr. Guy Cobb and Mrs. Thadie Cobb of Andalusia.
He is a 2003 graduate of Straughn High School and a 2007 graduate of Troy University. He is currently in his fourth year at the University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Optometry.
The ceremony will take place on the afternoon of July 31, 2010, in Andalusia.
Hometown Recipe: Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie
June 27, 2010
We get a lot of requests for recipes at NorthEscambia.com, so over the coming weeks, we are going to give you a chance to sample a few different recipe columns.
Today, we have the “Just a Pinch” column from Janet Tharpe. Janet features the best in hometown recipes from across the country. Today, its a Browned Butter Cookie, a chocolate chip cookie that is not your average dessert. You can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
If you like the idea of weekly recipes here on NorthEscambia.com please let us know. Email news@northescambia.com or enter a comment at the bottom of the page.
Alex Moves Across Mexico, Headed For Gulf And Hurricane Status
June 27, 2010
Tropical Storm Alex, the first tropical system of the Atlantic hurricane season, made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico Saturday night and headed for the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday night. The storm is expected to gain hurricane status by Tuesday.
Click map above to enlarge for latest information including coordinates.
If the storm approaches the Deepwater Horizon oil spill location, workers will be forced to abandon efforts to contain the leak and clean up the existing surface oil.
Officials are in the process of replacing the current, rigid well containment and oil collection system with another that is more flexible. Though that will allow them to collect more oil, it does not help in the event of bad weather. In the event of a storm, the recovery vessels and their crews will have to detach themselves from the collection system, leaving the oil free to spew into the gulf again.