Photos: Library Celebrates Christmas With Visit From Santa Claus
December 18, 2009
The Century Branch Library held their annual Christmas event Thursday afternoon. Dozens of children had a chance to enjoy a story, presents for everyone and a visit with Santa Claus.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview NJROTC Attends Military Ball (With Photo Gallery)
December 18, 2009
The Northview High School NJROTC held their annual Military Ball recently at the Naval Aviation Museum aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Over 130 cadets attended the event, a joint fuction with the NJROTC unit from Washington High School. The evening began with a dinner for the Northview cadets at Mesquite Charlie’s Steakhouse. At the museum, cadet leadership from both schools greeted all of the cadets. The evening continued with a POW ceremony, the presentation of seniors from each school as well as the king and queen, and the junior, sophomore and freshman prince and princess from both units as selected by their peers.
Two hours of dancing followed the formal events.
“It was an outstanding gather from both schools,” Captain Charlie Code said.
Click here for more photos from the event.
Pictured: Northview NJROTC Military Ball King and Queen Zach Byers and Miranda Scott. Photo courtesy Stone’s Studio for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Commissioners Shoot Down Valentino’s Plan To Name Interim Administrator
December 17, 2009
Moments after voting to not renew the contract of County Administrator Bob McLaughlin, Commissioner Gene Valentino asked his fellow Escambia County Commissioners to name his recommendation as an interim administrator.
Valentino made the motion this morning that Larry Newsom serve as the new interim county administrator as an at-will employee until a permanent administrator is named. Valentino wanted Newsom to serve as the interim administrator and in his current position of director of transportation concurrently, saving the county $83,000.
“This is a slap in the face as far as I am concerned,” Commissioner Marie Young said, scolding Valentino. “It looks like is preplanned.”
“It is not a slap in the face to anybody…There is no likelihood of getting a good administrator prior to November of 2010,” Valentino said, because of the possitilbity of voters approving a government consolidation plan in November 2010.
Valentino’s motion failed due to a lack of second from any other commissioner. Commissioner will discuss a possible replacement for McLaughlin at their January 7 meeting.
County Administrator Bob McLaughlin Out Of A Job Come February
December 17, 2009
The Escambia County Commission decided this morning that they will not renew the contract of County Administrator McLaughlin.
The motion not to renew the contract was made by Commissioner Grover Robinson and seconded by Commissioner Kevin White. It passed on a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Marie Young casting the negative vote.
“I was Bob’s biggest supporter, I think, when we hired him two years ago,” Robinson said, adding that support among the commission for McLaughlin had dwindled. “I know if we continue to move forward there will continue to be disagreement.”
Robinson said McLaughlin has done all he was asked, except he was unable to “overcome issues, or just the nature of the job”.
“No special interested lobbied me one way or another. My decision was beast on what I perceived as issues,” White said, adding that he has not read emails or taken phone calls about the administrator’s job. “It’s not personal with me, and it is not political.” White said he has personally lost confidence in McLaughlin.
“I find no fault in this man, no fault in this man,” Commissioner Marie Young said. “Bob is is planner. He is an organizer…he is sincere; he is effective…I don’t know what else we want.”
“It is amazing what he does bring to this county,” Young added. “Is he perfect? No. How many of us in this room is perfect?”
“I need to feel certain that the person who is considered administrator of this county does not forget who he…is working for,” Commissioner Gene Valentino said. “Until we get a charter form of government where the administrator is elected .. that person reports to five people.”
“I am compelled to say that we non-renew Mr. McLaughlin’s contract,” Valentino said.
“How can we have an administrator that the five us us cannot get behind?” Robinson asked.
“It is is evident that when you take a year to year contract, this could happen,” Commissioner Wilson Robertson said. “if you are willing to take that contract, you’ve got to be willing to take the consequences.” Robertson said he could not support an administrator that did not have the complete support of his commission.
McLaughlin made no comment about his contract non-renewal following the board’s vote, but he did issue a prepared statement after the meeting: “While I am very disappointed, I work at the pleasure of the Board. The board has decided to go in another direction and they are perfectly within their rights to do so. I will work out the term of my contract and continue to do my job to the best of my ability.”
McLaughlin will continue in his position until midnight on February 6. The commissioner’s will take a final vote at their January 7 meeting to affirm this morning’s decision. McLaughlin previously served as an assistant county administrator in Escambia County. He was promoted to interim administrator George Touart stepped down as administrator after questions were raised about his business practices. McLaughlin was hired as administrator in February 2008.
Pictured above: Escambia Administrator Bob McLaughlin at this morning’s Committee of the Whole meeting. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Atmore Water System Boil Water Notice Lifted
December 17, 2009
A precautionary boil water notice for the City of Atmore Water System has been lifted.
The notice had been issued December 15, 2009, for the residents of Sardis Church Road, Moye Drive, Little George Road, Howard Page Road, Vine Road and others in that area.
Samples show that the water is now safe to drink, according to the water system.
For more information, contact the Utilities Board of the City of Atmore at (251) 368-2207.
Carver/Century Building Declared Surplus, Could Be Sold
December 17, 2009
The former Carver/Century K-8 School has been reclassified as surplus property, and the school district would love to find a buyer for the property.
The Escambia County School Board officially reclassified the property as a “District Ancillary Services Facility” and has approved disposing of the property when it is no longer of value to the district.
“We will canvas and see if there might be someone interested in purchasing the buildings,” Shawn Dennis, assistant superintendent of operations, said. “We don’t anticipate that happening due to the size of the buildings…for now, we will just use it for storage.”
The district has attempted to find a new use for anything of value inside the former K-8 school. A majority of the school’s furnishings were transferred to Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School, the two schools that absorbed Carver/Century’s student population.
A surplus property open house was held at the school in Century, allowing other Escambia district schools to claim items of use. Other furnishings were moved to Pensacola for another inter-district surplus property open house.
“I think the taxpayers of this county would demand that we put the furnishings to use instead of leaving them sitting in an empty building,” he said.
For now, the ancillary services facility designation means the district will use the building as storage for both North Escambia schools and any overflow from the Pensacola area schools. “We have a shortage of storage down here,” Dennis said.
The ancillary classification also removed the available capacity of Carver/Century from the school district’s total number of available student seats, possibly making additional funding available for district capital improvement projects.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Radio Station Owner, Personality Charged With Child Sex Abuse
December 17, 2009
A radio station owner and personality was arrested Wednesday after being indicted on two charges of sexual abuse of a child under 12.
Walter John Bowen, 67, was charged with one count by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and one count by the Robertsdale Police Department. Authorities said Bowen knew the victim, but they were not a relative. One incident was reported to authorities in August, and one incident was reported months before. Bowen was arrested after a Baldwin County Grand Jury returned an indictment against him.
Bowen remains in the Baldwin County Jail on $75,000 bond.
Bowen, owner of WNSI radio, was known to station listeners on the station’s morning show as “Walter Jay”. His arrest came Wednesday morning during that morning show. WNSI-AM is licensed to Robertsdale, while WNSI-FM 105.9 is licensed to Atmore.
State Farm Staying In Florida
December 17, 2009
State Farm has backed out of a plan to leave Florida after reaching an agreement with the state that allows the company to hike rates and cancel higher risk policy holders.
Under terms of a consent order announced Wednesday, State Farm was granted a 14.8 percent rate increase for all homeowners’ and condominium unit owners policies. The consent order concludes a series of events that began with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s denial of State Farm Florida’s ultimate average rate request of 67.1 percent.
The company will also be allowed to rescind discounts previous granted for policyholders that hardened their homes against hurricanes, amounting to as much as 28 percent rate increase for those that had received the discounts.
Under the terms of the Consent Order, State Farm Florida will non-renew no more than 125,000 policies of its 810,416 residential property policies reported as of October 2009. Even after these non-renewals, State Farm Florida will remain the largest private insurer of property insurance risk in the state of Florida.
“This agreement is the product of a long and arduous negotiation process,” said Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty. “The final result is beneficial to the people of the State of Florida, and beneficial to the Florida insurance marketplace. The consent order satisfies the Office’s requirements issued in our Order dated February 13, 2009, and allows State Farm Florida to remain a viable insurer in the Florida market.”
The consent order will allow State Farm’s agents to sell policies from 16 other companies to canceled policyholders. That will help keep the canceled policyholders out of the state-run Citizens insurance company.
“Property policies designated for non-renewal will receive at least six months advance notice and State Farm agents will be able to provide affected residential customers with other insurance options. New rates will go into effect as policies are renewed,” said State Farm Florida President Jim Thompson. “We apologize for any inconvenience or anxiety this process might cause our customers, but this is a necessary step for us as we attempt to stabilize State Farm Florida’s financial condition and serve our remaining customers.”
Project Graduation T-Shirt Design By Northview Students
December 17, 2009
Two Northview High School students were members of the group that created the award winning design for this year’s Project Graduation T-shirt for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The award-winning t-shirt with the design by Parish Kelley and Nathan Taylor will be available in the spring, and the t-shirt will be worn by all of the seniors that participate in this year’s Project Graduation activities on their graduation night.
This was the second time in the school’s history that Northview has had a Project Graduation artwork winner. In 1997, Jennie Gilmore created a winning design that is still displayed in the school’s trophy case.
Barrineau Park Historical Society Celebrates
December 17, 2009
The Barrineau Park Historical Society recently held their annual Christmas dinner and honored two members for their service.
Sara Rickard was presented an award for calendar ad sales, and she was applauded for the “outstanding” cakes that she bakes for each of the monthly music nights.
Tina Tuttle was honored for her work to organize the library at the Barrineau Park Community Center. She also worked with the Honeysuckle Garden Club to landscape the area in front of the community center, and she serves as the coordinator of the annual Community Spring Cleanup.
Guest speaker was Charles Dillard, operations manager of Faith Chapel Funeral Homes. In addition to his 44 years of service to Faith Chapel, Dillard is a former member of the WPFA AM 790 staff and also announced the Tate High School football games. Dillard shared many stories from the area’s past.
Local favorite group Sons of the Pines serenaded the gathering with Christmas carols.
Pictured above left: Nita Berry presents an award to Tina Tuttle (left). Pictured above middle: Berry presents an award to Sara Rickard. Pictured above right: Charles Dillard of Faith Chapel Funeral Home shares stories of the past with the Barrineau Park Historial Society. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.