Escambia Health Department Warns About Dangers Of H1N1 Swine Flu In Schools
August 26, 2009
Anticipating an increase in flu-like illnesses as students return to classes, Escambia County Health Department officials remind residents of the steps they can take to prevent the spread of flu-like illnesses such as novel H1N1 flu. Parents are asked to look for letters going home during the first week of school on preventing novel H1N1 flu. Residents can get detailed information — including how to take care of a sick child at home – from the health department’s website at www.EscambiaHealth.com.
“Federal and state health officials tell us that outbreaks of flu-like illnesses including novel H1N1 flu are likely when children return to school,” said Escambia County Health Department Director Dr. John Lanza. “Fortunately, most people who have become ill with this new virus recover without medical treatment. The most important step that we can take is to stay home when we are sick.”
Businesses, colleges and universities now have similar resources available to them through the CDC’s Preparing for the flu: A communication toolkit for business and Preparing for the flu: A communication toolkit for higher education. Both are available at www.EscambiaHealth.com and www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools. The health department has provided these resources to Pensacola-area colleges and universities.
Most people who have become ill with this new virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment. However, the virus can be more serious for individuals who are at higher risk of complications from seasonal influenza. Those at higher risk include children younger than five years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions including pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease.
The health department recommends that parents and teachers explain to students the importance of the following basic preventive hygiene measures:
o Stay home when sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever without the use of fever reducing medicine.
o Make it a routine to wash your hands often with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands.
o Cough into your sleeve or into a tissue, not into your hands.
o Avoid contact with those who are coughing or otherwise appear ill.
o Get your seasonal flu shot. When the novel H1N1 flu vaccine becomes available in late October, pregnant women and school-age children are a priority group for receiving the vaccine.
“We’ve been working closely with the school district to ensure that we keep our children safe,” said Dr. Lanza. “Parents are our partners in this effort. Keeping sick children home is best.”
Symptoms of the novel H1N1 flu are similar to the seasonal flu. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.
If a child becomes sick with flu-like symptoms, including fever, sore throat or cough, their parents or caregiver may want to contact their physician, particularly if they are worried about the child’s symptoms. Contact the physician by phone before going to the office or clinic so that the child does not needlessly expose others in the waiting room. Each person’s physician will determine their appropriate care including staying home from school if they are sick.
For additional information about taking care of a sick person in your home, and CDC guidance for specific groups, visit www.EscambiaHealth.com or www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.
Still Time To Enroll In After School Care At Molino Park
August 26, 2009
Molino Park Elementary School has a new after school child care provider, and it is not too late to sign up for the program.
Creative School Age Child Care is hosting after school care this year at Molino Park, offering thematic programs, homework club, activity centers, outside sports and games, academic play centers, special interest programs, nutritious snacks, low adult to child ratio, direct supervision at all times, and a program division by grade level groups.
All staff members are background-screened and trained in developmentally appropriate practices, first aid and CPR.
Registration is required. Scholarships and subsidized child care are available.
Parents can register their child by visiting the Creative School Age Child Care office at 9510 Chandler Street or by calling 479-7814. For more information, visit csacc.com
Chance For Horse Owners To Take Part In Short Course
August 26, 2009
An upcoming short course will offer horse owners the chance to learn more about caring for their equines.
The University of Florida, IFAS Northwest Florida Livestock Extension agents will be offering a short course on horse management in four sessions. The sessions will be held on Mondays — September 14 and 28, October 12 and 26 from 6:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m. each night. This program is being offered at 14 sites in Florida and three in Alabama. The course will be offered as a live interactive video conference.
The registration fee for the course is $40 per farm (one set of reference books) and $10 each additional person. The registration deadline is Monday, September 7.
The course will cover: Signs of a Healthy Horse, Preventive Health Care, Forage That Works Well In Horse Pastures, Nutritional Requirements, Poisonous Weed Control, Weed I.D. in Pastures and Safety For Horses, Equine Emergencies, First Aid, Fencing and Layout of Barns.
Click here for more info, including other course locations and course descriptions.
Call the Santa Rosa County Extension Office at 850-675-6654 for more details and a registration form.
Flomaton Fire Names Poster Contest Winners
August 26, 2009
Flomaton Fire and Rescue recently held their second annual poster contest at Flomaton Elementary School, naming a brother and sisters as co-winners.
The halls at Flomaton Elementary were filled with posters reflecting all of the students’ hard work. Members of Flomaton Fire and Rescue were hand and had the hard job of judging and picking the winner. When they were done, there was a two-way tie for the winner. And the winners turned out to be siblings.
Madison Wright, a second grader in Mrs. Luttrell’s class and her brother Jake Wright, a fourth grader in Mitzi Smith’s class, had the winning posters. The two posters will be combined and turned into artwork for t-shirts.
When told about being double winner’s of the poster contest and that they actually had tied for first place, the two siblings, almost in unison, asked the question, “Well who gets to ride in the fire truck?”. Much to both of their delights, they were told they would both be allowed to ride on a Flomaton fire truck during this year’s Flomaton High School Homecoming Parade.
The poster contest was held in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Forestry. The Flomaton fire department was awarded a $4,500 grant to educate the community about preventing wildfires. Flomaton Fire and Rescue was the only volunteer fire department in Escambia County to receive the grant.
The grant will be used to purchase t-shirts to be passed out in Flomaton featuring the winning poster contest artwork from the Wright siblings. Each of the Wrights will also receive a certificate and plaque from the fire department, and a t-shirt for themselves and their entire family. Jake and Madison’s entire classes will also receive a t-shirt, and a t-shirt will be given to each student that entered the poster contest.
The t-shirts are being printed, and when completed, Fire Chief Steve Stanton will make the presentation to the winners and all the recipients of the t-shirts at the school. Madison and Jake will also receive their certificates and plaques at that time.
Pictured above: Flomaton Fire and Rescue poster contest winners Madison and Jake Wright with their winning posters. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Man Arrested For Assaulting Girlfriend After Dog Poops On Bed
August 25, 2009
A Century man was arrested on domestic violence and aggravated assault charges after he got into a fight with his girlfriend after their dog defecated on a bed.
William Mel Lowery, 51, was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and felony battery by strangulation in a domestic violence situation.
Escambia County Deputy James Gilman responded to a domestic violence call in the 9500 block of Ivey Street at 1:05 Sunday morning. The victim told Deputy Gilman that Lowery “entered the bedroom and observed that their dog had defecated on the bed sheets”. That is when, according to the sheriff’s office report, Lowery became angry and woke up the female victim. The two got into an argument over the dog using the bed sheets, according to the report.
Lowery grabbed a golf club next to the bed and verbally threatened the victim, according to the report. The victim tried to grab the golf club, and the two fell back onto the bed. Then Lowery held the victim down with the golf club and tried to choke her, the report says. She managed to get free and ran out the door.
The victim told Deputy Gilman that Lowery had ran to a nearby residence on Cottage Street. When located at the Cottage Street address, Lowery told deputies that he had argued with the victim about the dog defecating on the bed, but Lowery said the female had come after him with the golf club. Deputy Gilman arrested Lowery based upon scratches on the victim’s neck.
Lowery remained in the Escambia County Jail early Tuesday morning. He is being held on $20,000 bond.
Ransom Middle Evacuated Due To Burning Smell From Water Fountain
August 25, 2009
Students at Ransom Middle School were evacuated about 2:30 Tuesday afternoon due a burning smell.
School officials reported an electrical burning smell in the special education wing near the front of the school on West Kingsfield Road. Firefighters discovered the source of the smell — motor in a water fountain.
Fire stations from Cantonment, Beulah and Ensley were among those dispatched to investigate. There were no injuries.
Principals: First Day Of School Was Near Perfect
August 25, 2009
The first day of school in North Escambia went well, according to students and administrators alike.
“You couldn’t have asked for a better day,” Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry said. “It was the smoothest opening day we have ever had.”
Getting ready for the first day at Ernest Ward and Bratt Elementary was no easy task with nearly 200 new students from the closure and consolidation of Carver/Century K-8. Both schools received new modular buildings and an entire wing at Bratt received a million dollar makeover during the summer. And then there was the transportation — figuring out how to get 200 new students bussed to school on time.
“We did have just a minor transportation hiccup that delayed our assembly by only about 10 minutes,” Northview High School Principal Gayle Weaver said. “But we had no real snafus, and our kids were great.”
“There are normally bumps in the road,” Perry said. “But other than just the minor ordinary problems you expect on the first day, it was perfect. Everything went just as we planned. We are into a great, great year.”
At Molino Park Elementary, Principal Alice Woodward also said it was a great first day.
“It was a really good day with no problems,” Woodward said. She attributed a smooth first day to a large turnout for the school’s orientation sessions and the effort her teachers put into making one-on-one phone calls to every parent before the first day.
Bratt Elementary Principal Sheryl Pomeroy did not return our phone call seeking comment for this story.
Pictured top: Students in work in Kathy Smith’s third grade class at Bratt Elementary School on the first day of school. Pictured: Students at Bratt were met with renovated hallways. Photos by WEAR for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cameras Detail Billings Murders Second By Second
August 25, 2009
Security cameras in an around the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings provide a second by second record of what happened the night the couple was murdered in their Beulah home. The entire incident took less than five minutes from start to finish.
Information released Monday by the the State Attorney’s Office provides details of what is in the video captured by several of the 16 cameras mounted inside and outside of the Billings’ home.
According to the information from the State Attorney’s Office, here is what happened the night of July 9:
- 7:05:42 –Red van is visible entering driveway
- 7:05:58 — Offenders exit van
- 7:06:13 — Two offenders exit wooded area on north side of residence and approach house
- 7:06:16 — Byrd Billings looks toward front door and raises his hands
- 7:06:22 — Byrd Billings is shot in leg, escorted to bedroom; Melanie Billings remains in living room with child and offender
- 7:07:34 — Byrd Billings visible back in living room
- 7:07:42 — Both victims exit living room toward master bedroom area
- 7:07:55 — Offender carrying a bag visible going from back of van toward house
- 7:09:52 — Offenders return to van
- 7:10:16 — Van departs yard
- 7:10:27 — Last view leaving driveway
- 7:26:36 — First deputies arrive on scene
There were no cameras located in the Billings’ bedroom, according to investigators.
For a detailed account of what was recorded by each camera at the Billings home, click here (pdf).
A judge has ruled that there will be no copies distributed of the video and crime scene photographs from the Billings home. But the media will have the chance to review the videos and about 2,000 crime scene photographs on Thursday. The public will be able to view the photos and evidence beginning Friday.
Confusion Over Afternoon Buses At Ernest Ward Middle School
August 25, 2009
There was a little confusion Monday afternoon when some students headed to the buses at Ernest Ward Middle School.
There are 36 buses running the routes in North Escambia for middle and high school students, according to Ernest Ward Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry. All middle and high school students are transported together to Northview High School. That’s where many of the students transfer to one of 13 “shuttle” buses that run from Northview to Ernest Ward.
And that’s where the confusion came in Monday afternoon, Perry said. Many students that transfer to a morning shuttle bus did not know if they should ride the bus with the shuttle number or the bus the bus that picked them up early in the morning.
Perry said that, in the afternoons, EWMS students should board the bus number that picks them up in the mornings, not the shuttle bus number. Ernest Ward students do not ride a shuttle bus in the afternoon.
Century Purchases Helicopter Technology Building At Foreclosure Sale; No Other Bidders
August 25, 2009
The Town of Century purchased the former Helicopter Technology building in the town’s Industrial Park at public auction Monday morning — for less than $1 out of pocket.
Century Mayor Freddie McCall said the town was the only bidder on the building. It was being sold at public auction following the town’s foreclosure judgment against the now defunct Helicopter Technology.
McCall said that the entire process took less than three minutes, and the town’s only out of pocket expense in purchasing the building, besides legal fees, was 70-cents in document stamps to the court clerk. The town’s attorney, Matt Dannheisser had been authorized to bid up to $785,000 for the property, but with no other bids, the town easily won the building at the auction.
“I hope to put a business in there right away,” McCall said. “It will be up to the town council to put it on the market or put a business in there; or sell it, and refinance it to make more money off of it and bring us some jobs.”