Jay Teachers Plead Not Guilty To Charges They Had Relationships With Students
August 27, 2009
Both Jay High School teachers accused of having inappropriate sexual relationships with underage students at the north Santa Rosa County school have pleaded not guilty.
Ashley Elenea Burkett, 31, and April Burford Watson, 33, both of Jay, entered written pleas to Santa Rosa County Judge Gary L. Bergosh.
Both women were released on $50,000 bond each after being booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail August 6 on three counts each of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a second degree felony. Both were released on GPS monitors.
“The investigation was initiated on July 28, 2009 after an anonymous letter was sent to the Santa Rosa County School District alleging sexual relationships between two Jay High School teachers and male juveniles,” Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Sgt. Scott Haines said. The letter was turned over the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office for investigation.
“Interviews were conducted with the alleged victims in the case. Two victims alleged that they were involved in sexual activity with Watson at her residence and the residence of Burkett between the months of July and October 2007. One other victim alleged that he was involved in sexual activity with Burkett at her residence and the residence of Watson between the months of July and October 2007,” Haines said. “Both of the suspects were questioned by investigators and they both admitted to the unlawful sexual activity.”
For more about the case, click here for an August 6 NorthEscambia.com story.
Jobs Returning To Jay Oil Field; Applications Being Accepted Now
August 27, 2009
After laying off dozens of employees earlier this year, a Jay oil company is hiring again.
Quantum Resources of Denver, Colorado, laid off about 70 employees and stopped production in January, citing a large drop in oil prices and the recession
But after a state bill that provides exemptions and tax breaks to the six active oil producing companies in Florida, including Quantum, production is returning to Jay.
The company is hiring for positions like plant operators, safety technician, maintenance mechanic, warehouse coordinator and production operators. Applications are being accepted 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Friday at 5415 Oil Plant Road in Jay
The state is expected to lose $5.2 million in revenue from the oil company tax break bill, but Rep. Greg Evers, co-sponsor of the bill in the Florida House, said it will put people back to work, royalty checks back into the hands of property owners and contractors back on the job.
Company officials have not announced a date for resuming oil production in Jay.
Pictured above: Quantum Resources in Jay. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Still No Word On Pre-K Program At Molino Park
August 27, 2009
There’s still no word on a pre-kindergarten program at Molino Park Elementary School, but school officials are still hopeful the program will start this year.
“Parents in the Molino Park district have long wished for a Pre-K unit at Molino Park,” Principal Alice Woodward said. “The time is right and opportunities may be forth coming.”
Interested parents should call the school at 587-5265 and express their interest in the Pre-K program. Parents should be prepared to give their child’s name and birthday, parent’s name and contact information.
Molino Park needs 10-15 students to open the program, Woodward said.
No Injuries In Molino Wreck
August 27, 2009
The driver of a Honda SUV was not injured in a single vehicle collision about 9 p.m. Wednesday on Brickyard Road just north of Brickton Road. The driver apparently lost control and hit a tree. She was not transported to the hospital.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the crash.
The accident is still under investigation by the FHP. The name of the driver has not been released.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Think You Have Talent? Jam Session Planned In Century
August 27, 2009
If you think you might have musical talent, there is an event coming up in Century that is for you.
The Century Care Center will host a jam session on Friday, September 4 at the facility at Industrial Boulevard and West Highway 4. The time for the jam session will be announced soon.
For more information, or to express your interest in taking part in the jam session, call 256-1450 ext 16.
Playground Equipment Being Installed At New Bratt Park
August 27, 2009
Installation of the playground is underway at the new Bratt Community Park on West Highway 4. The playground and swings are not yet open to the public.
County employees are currently working to install the 8-foot wide, eight-tenths of a mile walking track around the perimeter of the 13-acre park, according to Joy Jones, director of Escambia County’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“We are just getting started, but we are going to keep it going,” Jones said recently of work on the park. The county is still waiting on one permit to be issued, she said, and then the work on other park features like the picnic pavilion will begin.
The park will also include two softball fields, a full basketball court and exercise and rest stations positioned along the track. The softball fields will not be lit for night play; in fact, the park’s hours will follow that of other county parks — sunrise to sunset.
The park is being funded with $200,000 in LOST (local option sales tax) monies set aside for the park’s construction.
Jones expects that park will be completed within six months.
Pictured above and below: Work is underway to install the playground at the Bratt Community Park. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tropical Storm Danny Not Expected To Enter Gulf
August 26, 2009
Tropical Storm Danny could be headed close to the United States by the weekend, but it looks like the storm will not pose any threat to the Gulf Coast.
Danny was located at 27.4 north, 72.1 west, or about 575 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C. The fourth named stormed of the season, Danny was moving toward the northwest near 10 mph with a turn to the north expected on Friday.
Maximum sustained winds were at 60 mph with higher gusts. The storm is forecast to become a category one hurricane by Friday night off the coast of the Carolinas.
Century Discusses Recommended Water And Sewer Rate Increase
August 26, 2009
The Town of Century held a meeting Tuesday morning to discuss recommended water and sewer rate increases for most customers and new fees for future customers.
Under the rate structure recommended in a rate study conducted by the Florida Rural Water Association, a small business could see their water and sewer bill more than double, and that’s something Council President Ann Brooks does not favor.
“I would not have a problem paying for usage, but that is not what is going on here,” Brooks said. She stated her small business, an accounting firm, uses between 600 and 900 gallons of water per month. Under the proposed rate structure, her minimum monthly bill would jump from $21 to $45.45.
“I have a real problem raising our commercial rate over 100 percent for water and sewer,” she said.
“We have a lot of poor people and a lot of people living on a fixed income,” Brooks said of the proposed residential increase and higher minimum bills. “Let people pay for what they use.”
“You need to make a profit,” William Secoy from the Florida Rural Water Association said.
The typical residential water bill for a customer using 3,000 gallons per month would increase from $12.45 to $15.95 if the town followed the recommendations in the study from the Florida Rural Water Association. The new $15.95 minimum charge would include 3,000 gallons; the current minimum water bill is $9 for 1,500 gallons.
Commercial customers would see their minimum jump from $9 for 1,500 gallons to $19.95 for 3,000 gallons.
Both commercial and residential customers would see an increase per 1,000 gallons over the 3,000 minimum to $2.78 to $3.16 per 1,000 gallons. The current additional charge per 1,000 gallons is $2.27. Institutions and churches would pay the residential rate.
Sewage rates would also increase if the water association proposal were to be approved by the town.
The current sewage rate is $13 for the first 6,000 gallons and $3.50 per additional $1,000 gallons for residential and commercial customers. For the first 3,000 gallons, the recommended rate is $12 for residential customers and $25.50 for commercial customers. Each additional 1,000 gallons of sewage would cost $3.
Under the rate proposal, a family using 8,000 gallons of water per month would see their water bill increase from $23.75 to $30.13, and they would see their sewage bill increase from $20 to $27. The total monthly increase for that family would be $13.38, or $160.56 per year.
A business using an average of 8,000 gallons per month would see their water bill jump from $23.75 to $34.13 and a sewage increase from $20 to $40.50. The total annual increase would be $370.56.
Secoy told the council that there should be a yearly review of water and sewer rates, adjusting the rate to maintain a profit while taking increases in the Consumer Price Index into account.
“Customers don’t mind those little rate increases,” he said. “It’s those 30, 40 percent increases they don’t like.”
The Florida Rural Water Association proposal recommends that the town also charge a “capacity” fee for new hookups, in addition to the $125 water connection fee and $1,000 sewage impact fee currently charged. The study does not offer a specific recommendation on the amount of the new fee. Secoy said that a typical capacity fee is from a several hundred to a few thousand dollars.
He said a connection fee should be in the neighborhood of $350 to $750 for a new meter. Customers that were establishing service at a location where a meter is already installed would not pay a connection fee.
Capacity fees could not be waived, but connection fees could be waived as part of a financial incentive package for a new business, Secoy told the council.
The Town of Century has not increased water or sewage rates since 1995. The water association recommends that the town make yearly rate increases based upon the consumer price index.
The council instructed Secoy to take a closer look at different usage levels among the town’s water and sewer customers, especially commercial, and return with a second recommendation. Secoy said he would be able to complete the task in about five days, giving the council time to work any rate increases into their new budget.
Pictured: William Secoy from the Florida Rural Water Association addresses the Century Town Council Tuesday morning. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
No Increases In 2010 For Social Security Checks
August 26, 2009
North Escambia residents on Social Security will not see an increase in their checks next year, the first time in 24 years that there has not been an annual cost of living adjustment increase in the monthly checks.
The Social Security Administration approved cost of living adjustments back in 1975, and there has been an automatic increase in benefits every year since that time. But the SSA says there will be no increase in Social Security checks for the next two years.
The Social Security benefits cannot be reduced by law, but many Americans will see a decrease in their checks next year. That’s because monthly premiums for the Medicare prescription program are about to go up. Those premiums are often deducted from Social Security payments — meaning a lower check for millions of Americans.
The cost of living increase is tied to the rate of inflation, but inflation has actually gone down this year mostly due to lower energy prices.
The average Social Security benefit is $1,153 per month. There was an automatic increase of 5.8 percent added to benefit checks in January, the largest increase since 1982.
Local Man Arrested For Taking Marijuana Into County Jail
August 26, 2009
A Century man arrested on an outstanding warrant is facing more charges for taking marijuana into the Escambia County Jail.
Orlando Dantaus Dixon, 22, was arrested on an outstanding warrant Sunday night by Escambia County Deputy Jason Land and transported to the Escambia County Jail. After arriving at the jail, according to a sheriff’s office report, Dixon told Deputy Land that he had a small bag of marijuana in his front pocket, and the deputy retrieved the bag of marijuana.
“Dixon stated to me that he had no other contraband on his person,” the deputy wrote in his report.
Once inside the jail, a detention deputy found a larger bag containing six small bags individually containing marijuana in one of Dixon’s pockets; the larger bag also contained several smaller empty baggies, according to the report.
Dixon was charged with marijuana possession with intent to sell or distribute, marijuana possession not more than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, and smuggling contraband into a detention facility. He remains in the Escambia County Jail on $12,000 bond.
Dixon made is initial court appearance by video Monday. He is scheduled to be back in court for an arraignment hearing in mid-September.