Another Chance To Take Census Test
February 24, 2010
There is another opportunity this week in Jay for area residents to take the test to qualify for local U.S. Census Bureau jobs that pay up to $15 per hour.
The Census Bureau is currently hiring temporary employees to assist with this year’s census. Jobs will include census takers, crew leaders, crew leader assistant and census clerks.
Pay generally begins at $12.50 an hour, and can range up to $15 an hour, for up to a 40 hour week.
A valid driver’s license is required for most positions. Additionally, the potential Census Bureau employee must be 18 or older, pass a background check, be a U.S. citizen, pass a written test of basic skills and have a valid social security number.
The Census Bureau hires locally because local residents are knowledgeable about their neighborhood and familiar with the community, its residents, and its local customs, according to their web site.
Persons taking one of the North Escambia census tests must have their valid driver’s license and social security card. Census tests will be given in the North Escambia area for Florida residents as follows:
- Thursday, February 25, 6 p.m.: Jay Public Library
Residents of areas outside of northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties should call (866) 861-2010 for information about testing locations in their area.
For more information on north Escambia and Santa Rosa census jobs, click here or call Tebyl Presley at (251) 253-0622. Churches or other organization that would like to host a census job testing site should call the same number.
Bratt Church Joins FBC Cantonment In Buckets Of Hope Program
February 24, 2010
A Bratt church has joined the Buckets of Hope Program — an earthquake relief effort that is providing hope to the families of Haiti on 5-gallon bucket of food at a time.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt serving as a collection point for the north end of Escambia County, according to FBC Bratt Student Pastor Tim Hawsey. In the Cantonment and central portions of Escambia County, the buckets are still be collected by the First Baptist Church of Cantonment.
The deadline to drop off the filled buckets at the First Baptist Church of Bratt is Sunday, March 14. More information is available from through the student ministry of the church.
The deadline to drop off the filled buckets at the First Baptist Church of Cantonment is Monday, March 15.
More information on the program is in the February 2 NorthEscambia.com article reprinted below. below.
A Cantonment church is spearheading a countywide project that will provide hope to the families of Haiti, one white 5-gallon bucket of food at a time.
It’s called “Buckets of Hope”, a program of the Florida Baptist Convention’s Florida Disaster Relief program. The concept is simple — fill a clean 5-gallon bucket with beans, rice, sugar, flour, cooking oil and other essentials. It’s enough to feed a family of four for about a week, plus they have the bucket to reuse to haul water, store food items or even move rubble in the earthquake stricken land.
For less than $30, the bucket and food items can be purchased, according to Drayton Smith, associate pastor at the First Baptist Church of Cantonment.
“This is something anyone can do and know they are helping a family in Haiti,” Smith said. He hopes that other churches, schools, business and community groups will become involved in the bucket program.
You don’t have to be a Christian to be involved in this,” said Ronnie Gilmore, a First Baptist Church member. “You just have to have a caring heart.”
Florida Baptists are committed to helping Haiti in both the short and long term, Smith said, with help provided in over 800 locations across the country.
As Region 1 chaplain coordinator for Florida Disaster Relief, Smith learned of the program at a training session recently in Orlando. When he learned of the Buckets of Hope program, he knew he was ready to become involved.
“The Bible tells us to do that and help others,” he said. “We have a passion for the world, and we love people. We just want to share the love.”
The filled Buckets of Hope must be returned to the First Baptist Church of Cantonment by March 15. They are also being collected at Gilmore Services at 31 East Fairfield Drive in Pensacola.
Smith said financial donations, or donations of any of the bucket items, can also be given in lieu of a full bucket. He said 100 percent of material and financial donations go straight to Haiti; none of the money is use for administration or other fees. Florida Disaster Relief does ask that persons donating buckets also donate $10, if possible, to offset the cost of shipping the bucket to Haiti.
Every bucket must be exactly alike with a specific list of items inside. Detailed instructions must be followed exactly to ensure that every bucket quickly passes through customs and into the hands of the Haitian people.
For a complete list of food items and instructions on how to pack the bucket, click here (pdf).
Pictured top: First Baptist Church of Cantonment Associate Pastor Drayton Smith explains the Buckets of Hope program. Pictured inset: Church members Barbara Reynolds explains how to pack a Bucket of Hope. Pictured below: The bucket and food items can be purchased for less than $30. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Rescue Woman From Submerged Vehicle After It Plummets Off Bridge
February 23, 2010
Two volunteer firefighters from Cantonment are being called heroes this morning after jumping into the cold waters of Jacks Branch to save a woman from a submerged vehicle late Monday night.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue was dispatched to a possible accident on a bridge over Jacks Branch on Jacks Branch Road about 11:45 Monday night. When firefighters A. Fails, Shay McCarro and Coy McKenna arrived just minutes later, they found that a vehicle had gone through the guardrail, over the bridge and fallen about 25 feet to the water below. The vehicle was completely submerged in the branch, the tail lights barely visible.
A woman who was unable to swim had climbed out of the vehicle and was calling for help.
“We came out of our gear and went in after her,” McKenna said. “It was just instinct.”
After McCarro and McKenna swam back to shore with the woman, they discovered she had survived the crash without injuries.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Denise Ann Holden, 47, of Cantonment, was southbound on Jacks Branch Road when she lost control on the bridge and crashed through the guardrail. Her vehicle, a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer, was submerged standing almost on end in an estimated 12-15 feet of water.
Holden was not impaired at the time of the crash and will not face any charges, according to the FHP. She told the FHP that she was headed to Winn Dixie in Cantonment for coffee creamer and “hit a slick spot” on the bridge.
She was evaluated on the scene by Escambia County EMS but not transported to the hospital.
Firefighters credited a nearby resident for calling 911 after hearing what they thought might be an accident on the bridge.
Pictured above: A Cantonment driver crashed through the guardrail on this bridge over Jacks Branch late Monday night, crashing about 25 feet into the water below. Pictured below: In this digitally enhanced photo, the tail lights and outline of the vehicle are barely visible in an estimated 12-15 feet of water. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Consolidation Plan Fails, Likely Dead
February 23, 2010
The Escambia County legislative delegation failed to pass the plan created by the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission to consolidate the government of Century, Escambia County and Pensacola.
Meeting Monday night in Pensacola, the delegation did not pass a motion that would have sent the plan to the Legislature and then to a public referendum in 2010, and a motion to delay any possible vote to 2012 also failed.
“The local consolidation bill needs the support of the delegation,” Rep. Dave Murzin (pictured left) said. “It is pretty much dead for 2010.”
“I just had some issues that they (the consolidation committee) were not willing to work on to make it be a better bill,” Rep. Greg Evers told NorthEscambia.com after the vote. “I could not support taxation without representation, and I was afraid that this bill did that to the north end.”
A motion by Sen. Don Gaetz to send the consolidation study commission plan to the Legislature died without a second. Then Rep. Greg Evers made a motion to give the Consolidation Study Commission until November 2011 –if half the meetings were held outside of Pensacola and 25 percent were held north of Nine Mile Road. Ken Bell, who chaired the consolidation committee, then told the legislators that he felt the members of the now dissolved committee would not be willing to reconvene.Evers’ motion was seconded for discussion purposes, but failed 2-2 with Evers and Rep. Clay Ford for and Gaetz and Rep. Dave Murzin against.
Evers’ stipulation that any future consolidation meetings be held across Escambia County came over concern that the Consolidation Study Commission had not held throughout the county. As NorthEscambia.com reported Monday morning, 84 of 85 consolidation related meetings were held south of Ten Mile Road.
“I felt like if we were going to have consolidation, the meetings needed to be across the county,” Evers (pictured left) said. “The folks in the northern end needed to have the same input as the folks in the urban areas.”
Gaetz reintroduced his motion to send the plan to the Legislature this session, but it failed 2-2 with Gaetz and Ford for, and Evers and Murzin against. Legislative delegation member Sen. Durell Peaden was not Monday night’s meeting due a legislative meeting in Tallahassee.
“The local delegation did not need to be involved in this process at all,” Murzin said late Monday night. “In order to create a consolidation proposal, the group did not need the legislative delegation’s blessings…they (consolidation supporters) came to the delegation because they wanted us to show support.”
Evers said he introduced the bill last year in the Florida Legislature that empowered the Consolidation Study Commission only because he was chairperson of the legislative delegation. “If you are chair, you work for the other members; if a bill passes the delegation, you carry that bill to the Legislature.”
Murzin said he would reconsider supporting a consolidation bill if Century, Pensacola and Escambia County were to create the plan and present it to the delegation.
But the plan created by the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission did not have the support of any of the governmental bodies in the county. Century pulled all support before the committee was even formed. Pensacola failed to support the plan, and Escambia County asked that any public referendum be delayed until at least 2012.
“I went into this with an open mind,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said Monday night, one of about dozen people to address Monday night’s legislative delegation meeting. “I am not for it because it was rushed, and we need more time.”
Pictured below: The only Escambia Consolidation Study Commission meeting held north of Ten Mile Road was held in Century last October. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Sex Offender Living In Davisville Busted For Failing To Update Address
February 23, 2010
A convicted sex offender that was living in the Davisville area is in jail for failing to report his current address to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Michael J. Lassiter, 58, was convicted of molesting a juvenile in November, 1998, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He was released from a Louisiana prison and reported his address to be 4699 Highway 168, Walnut Hill and had used 5701 Highway 168, Century.
When the FDLE was unable to make contact by mail with Lassiter at either address in January and April of 2009, they sent Escambia County deputies to look for him. Deputies discovered the 5701 Highway 168 address does not exist; there are no address numbers that high on Highway 168.
Authorities then met with the property owner at the address at 4699 Highway 168. The property owner said Lassiter had been given permission to stay in a shed at the address. They found an empty refrigerator and bed rails in the shed, but no obvious indications that anyone was still living there.
In September, 2009, the FDLE met with a female that said she had allowed Lassiter to stay at her address at 9981 Highway 97 in Davisville. Lassiter, according to the FDLE, never registered the address as required by law.
A few days later, Lassiter was spotted at the 4699 Highway 168 address.
FDLE obtained a warrant for Lassiter’s arrest. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail on the warrant and remains in jail on $2,500 awaiting his first court appearance on Thursday.
Ernest Ward Students Compete In Bandmasters District Event
February 23, 2010
Several Ernest Ward Middle School students participated in the Florida Bandmasters Association District Solo and Ensemble held this past weekend at Gulf Breeze High School.
EWMS students that placed and their solo and or ensemble are:
- Flute Solo – Annie Bobo, rated Excellent
- Trumpet Solo – Taylor Brook, rated Superior
- Clarinet Solo – Julie Hester, rated Excellent
- Trombone Solo – Kent Smith, rated Good
- Flute Duet – Annie Bobo and Jerah Parker, rated Good
- Trumpet Trio – Taylor Brook, Will Owen and Josh Vihnanek, rated Excellent
Pictured top: (L-R): Julie Hester, Jerah Parker, Annie Bobo and Kent Smith. Pictured below: (L-R) Josh Vihnanek, Taylor Brook and Will Owen. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Man Arrested For Theft Of Computer With 8,000 Medical Records
February 23, 2010
A man suspected of stealing a computer that contained thousands of medical records in December has been arrested.
Joseph A. Bodovetz, 59, of 1245 Grand Ridge Circle, Gulf Breeze, turned himself in to the Pensacola Police Department Monday. He was charged with burglary and grand theft of emergency medical equipment. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bond.
The computer was stolen December 19 from Cardiology Consultants, and the group said they become aware of the theft on December 21 and and immediately began a thorough investigation with authorities.
The computer contained the first and last names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, exam dates and in some cases, the reason for the ultrasound for about 8,000 patients — including many in the North Escambia area.
Pensacola Police Detective Chad Willhite said video surveillance shows a man using a security coded keypad to enter the office area on Dec19. The man, who was pushing a large gray rolling container, can be seen leaving the office after about 1 ½ to two minutes. A short time later he is seen removing an item from the container and placing it into the trunk of a car.
Bodovetz was identified by Cardiology Consultant employees who recognized him on surveillance video. The employees told Willhite the suspect was an employee of Crown Health Care Laundry Service, which handles linen for the company.
Willhite said the computer has not been recovered. It also has not yet been determined if Bodovetz accessed personal information contained on the computer.
Pictured above: The suspect in the theft of a computer containing medical records of about 8,000 people. Pictured inset: Joseph A. Bodovetz was arrested Monday for the crime. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Register Now For Coed Softball Tourney
February 23, 2010
There will be a coed softball tournament fundraiser for the NWE 14-U USSSA baseball team on Saturday, February 27 at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill. Interested teams should contact Bodie Tullis at (850) 327-6788 or cell (850) 390-3945.
Century Convenience Store Burglary Investigated
February 23, 2010
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the burglary of a Century convenience store.
Deputies responded to Moye’s Stateline in the 9000 block of North Century Boulevard just before 3 a.m. Sunday. Deputies found that a brick or other object had been thrown through the glass front door of the business.
The burglars took an undisclosed amount of cash and lottery tickets, according to the sheriff’s office report. No arrests have been made in the case.
The incident is still under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Further information was not available due to the ongoing investigation.
Want To Run For Office? Learn More At Candidate Workshop
February 23, 2010
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford and his staff will conduct a candidate workshop on Wednesday.
The session is open to candidates, treasurers, committees, those interested in running for office, and any other interested parties. Topics will include: the petition process, qualifying for office, campaign reports, the election code, as well as resources available to candidates.
The workshop will be held in the Escambia County Commission chamber at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24. For more information or to register, please call the candidate qualifying department at 595-3908 or email at qualify@escambiavotes.com.