North Escambia Men Honored As Fathers Of The Year
May 1, 2009
Two North Escambia men where honored Thursday night as Fathers of the Year.
Gary Killam was named Father of the Year in the 9th-12th grade division of the Pensacola Fatherhood Initiative’s 10th annual Father of the Year essay contest. An essay about Killam was submitted by his daugther, Northview High School tenth grade student Sara Killam.
Allen Stacey was named Father Figure of the Year in the 3rd-5th grade category. An essay about Stacey was submitted by his great-nephew Tristan Qualls, a third grade student at Byrneville Elementary School.
There were other nominees from North Escambia, including third grader Jarrid Davidson of Carver/Century K-8 School who wrote about his father Sherman Davison. In the grandfather category, Michael Jones, also a third grader, wrote about Michael Jones, Sr. From Byrneville Elementary, first grade student Skyler Busbee wrote about his deceased father Johnny Busbee.
The awards were presented at a banquet Thursday night at New World Landing in Pensacola.
Ice Hockey To Return To Escambia County — Maybe
May 1, 2009
The Escambia County Commission approved a deal in a special meeting Thursday to return hockey to the civic center — but there is one little catch.
For the agreement to continue, hockey organizers must sell 1,250 season tickets in a 90 day period beginning May 15. Without the advance season ticket sales, the commission says the deal is off.
Under the agreement approved unanimously by commissioners Thursday, the Southern Professional Hockey League will bring hockey back to the Pensacola Civic Center, which was known as the “Hanger” for 12 years while it hosted the Pensacola Ice Pilots.
The majority owner of the team would be former winger for the Philadelphia Flyers Tim Kerr. Kerr owned the Ice Pilots for two years before it was sold in 2005. Kerr says he will write a $1 million check to get the team started.
Each time less than 2,500 fans attend a game, the Civic Center will get $1. In addition, the franchise owner will pay $2,000 for each game, considerably less than the $3,500 paid by the Ice Pilots per game.
The return of ice hockey to the Pensacola Civic Center is not without a price tag for the county; it will cost about $250,000 to upgrade Civic Center equipment for ice hockey.
Florida Sports To Continue; Alabama Games Canceled Over Swine Flu Fears
May 1, 2009
The Alabama High School Athletic Association has suspended all high school sports, including playoff games, over swine flu fears. In Florida, the Florida High School Athletic Associations says that high school sports will continue for now.
The AHSAA canceled all high school sporting events until at least Tuesday after two swine flu cases were found in North Alabama and a third was identified in Montgomery.
The FHSAA says that games will go on since there are no confirmed swine flu cases in Florida.
“The Association is in contact with the state health department, and will address the issue if/when a case(s) are confirmed,” according to FHSAA. “The FHSAA understands the severity of the situation and wants to keep the student-athletes, coaches, officials and spectators safe.”
Northview FFA’s Food For America Program Named One Of Florida’s Best
May 1, 2009
The Northview High FFA was named Thursday as one of ten finalists for Florida’s best Food For America program.
The local Food for America Program, sponsored the National FFA Organization and conducted by the Northview FFA in March, gave the students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand as they got up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more. About 800 elementary school students and 200 volunteers took part in the program.
The program is designed to encourage FFA members to participate in Agricultural Literacy and Awareness projects on the local level. The overall program winner will be awarded on stage during the 6th General Session of the 81st Florida FFA State Convention on Thursday, June 11.
The Northview FFA has participated in the program for 14 years, placing second in the state two years ago. Northview has placed in the top five in the state for the last ten years.
Pictured above: Students from Jay Elementary School learn about grinding corn meal at Northview High School’s FFA Food for America program. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Morgan Discusses Hot Topics At Molino Town Hall Meeting
May 1, 2009
From budget differences with county commissioners, to the the number of deputies on the roads in North Escambia to the improper use of turn signals, Escambia Sheriff David Morgan fielded questions at a town hall meeting in Molino Thursday evening.
Morgan told about 50 people gathered at Fran’s Diner that five new deputies will be added in North Escambia soon. Three will be assigned to Molino and two will be assigned to Century as soon as they graduate from the academy. Overall, the sheriff said his department has gone from 238 to about 260 sworn deputies on the county’s roads.
Also in North Escambia, Morgan said people have noticed an increase in traffic patrols by the Sheriff’s Department. In December 2008, the month prior to Morgan taking office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department wrote just 29 traffic citations. Morgan’s deputies have written nearly 4,000 since he took office in January.
While that might sound like the ECSO is running speed traps to fund the department, Escambia’s top cop said that is not the case. He said just $2 from every ticket goes into a state law enforcement trust fund. Otherwise, Morgan said his department does not receive any funds from traffic tickets that they write.
Crime in the Molino area, the sheriff said, has remained at a steady level over the past year with no increases like have been seen in some areas. The low crime rate in the Molino area Morgan attributed to Sgt. Kevin Vickrey, Lt. Tony Jordan and the other deputies that patrol Molino.
“You have some of the best,” Morgan said of the deputies that work in and around Molino.
A handful of residents at the meeting at Fran’s Diner Thursday evening expressed displeasure with the way Transfield Services, a contractor hired by the Florida Department of Transportation, handled events the morning of Molino’s floods in late March. Chief Deputy Bill Chavers said he would investigate the allegations of mistreatment of the public by Transfield employees.
The Escambia County Commission wanted Morgan to cut another $4 million from his budget before it is submitted to the BOCC for approval, but the sheriff says he has cut all that he intends to cut. And if the commission does not approve his budget, Morgan says he is taking it to the governor.
On the subject of his impasse with County Administrator Bob McLaughlin, Morgan told the Molino town hall meeting Thursday night that he’s still not speaking to McLaughlin.
“I will deal with all of the other constitutional officers,” Morgan said. “Bob McLaughlin does not work for me, and I most certainly don’t work for Bob McLaughlin. I work for the people and the governor.”
Pictured above: Sheriff David Morgan (left) talks with Molino residents Jacqueline and Richard Freisinger following a town hall meeting Thursday evening at Fran’s Diner in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Southern Family Markets To Purchase Food World, Bruno’s Stores
May 1, 2009
Southern Family Markets, with area stores in Atmore and Brewton, has made a bid to purchase bankrupt Food World and Bruno’s stores, including three in Pensacola.
Southern Family has bid on 31 stores in South Alabama and Northwest Florida. C&S Wholesale Grocers, the owners of Southern Family, would close many of the stores.
Food World locations on Davis Highway, Lillian Highway and Pine Forest Road in Pensacola would be among the 31 stores to remain open. About 25 stores would be closed, including the Food World in Monroeville, Ala. and and the Bruno’s in Gulf Breeze.
The C&S purchase of the bankrupt Bruno’s and Food World stores would have no impact on the Southern Family stores in Atmore or Brewton.
FCAT Writing Scores Released: North Escambia Schools Get Good News
April 30, 2009
The Florida Department of Education released writing scores from the FCAT test Thursday morning, and the scores were good news for North Escambia schools.
The writing FCAT is administered to fourth, eighth and tenth grade students.
“I am proud of all of our teachers, students, and administrators,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said. “And I am particularly pleased with those at the elementary level for what they have achieved this year. We look forward to building on this success.”
At Bratt Elementary, 87 percent of fourth graders scored at level three or above on the writing FCAT. Last year, it was 85 percent.
Byrneville Elementary fourth graders students held steady at 71 percent at level three plus.
Carver/Century K-8 fourth grade students posted their best score in three years, raising last year’s percentage scoring at three or above from 20 to 65 percent this year. Of the eighth grade students at Carver/Century, 40 percent scored a grade level three or above on the writing FCAT. That was about the same as last year’s 40 percent.
Molino Park fourth graders improved from 75 percent last year to 86 percent at level three or above this year.
At Ernest Ward Middle, 91 percent of the eighth graders scored at level three or above on the Writing FCAT, the exact same percentage as last year.
Northview High School had 83 percent of tenth graders scoring level three or greater, down slightly from last year’s 86 percent.
Across the Escambia School District, the percentage of fourth grade students scoring a grade level three or above went from 68 last year to 81 percent this year. Eighth grade students held steady at 85 percent, and the tenth grade numbers decreased slightly from 81 to 77 percent.
Highway 97 Turn Lane Completed
April 30, 2009
Workers from Gulf Coast Traffic Engineers painted the highway markings for a new turn lane from southbound Highway 97 to Highway 4 in Davisville Wednesday afternoon. The process created some minor traffic delays. The entire project was due to be finished by the first part of April, but was delayed by heavy rains. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
NHS Quarterback Club Elects Officers
April 30, 2009
The Northview High School Quarterback Club has elected officers for the next school year. They are:
- Joey McCall, president,
- David Bell, vice president
- Edie Jackson, treasurer
- Lisa Albritton, secretary
- Randy Albritton, public relations.
Eddie Jackson, Roy White, Jr., David Arrington, Mark Digmon, and Toney Simpson were elected as board members.
Also, the following committees were established, and they are listed with their respective chairperson and mission:
- Spirit Committee — Ramona Bell (Implement ideas that build school, team, and fan spirit)
- Fundraising Committee — Rebecca Presnall (Propose and organize fundraising ideas)
- Concession Coordination — Carla Randolph (Work with Concession Manager and develop schedules)
- Hospitality Committee — Deborah Arrington (Oraganize pre and post game meals, organize banquet and referee hospitality)
- Game Support Committee — Toney Simpson (Chain gang, Press Box crew, Statistics, and field prep assistance)
- Audio-Visual Committee — Randy Albritton (Sound system, game films, end of season video and highlights)
The following was submitted by Randy Albritton on behalf of the Quarterback Club:
One of our goals is to increase participation in the Quarterback Club. Twenty members attended this past meeting, and as you can see from the committees established above, there is plenty of help needed and required. Our main goal is to attempt to provide every student and athlete at Northview now and in the future, with a positive, memorable high-school experience through our sports programs.
We do that by working diligently and faithfully in the committees listed above. I believe that every parent shares this goal with the Northview Quarterback Club. So we encourage you to talk with members about the exciting things coming up for the next school year and please attend our next meeting on Tuesday, May 19th, at 7 p.m., at the gymnasium. During the summer, we will meet the first Tuesday of every month.
Don’t forget the Garnet and Gold intrasquad game will be Friday, May 22nd, at 7 p.m. There will be a hot dog supper for $6 available for all attendees. Come out and cheer for the Chiefs!!!
Escambia Deputy Involved In Crash Near Jay
April 30, 2009
An off-duty Escambia County Deputy was in a two vehicle accident Wednesday night in Santa Rosa County.
Deputy Scott Rivkin was westbound on Highway 4 near Oil Well Road just outside Jay when he collided with a pickup truck pulling a large trailer. The driver of the truck was reportedly stopped at the bottom of long hill, turning across traffic. The truck driver reportedly had no lights or signals on the trailer.
Rivkin was not injured in the 6 p.m. accident. A two-year old girl in the truck was transported to the hospital by ambulance with what authorities described as superficial facial cuts. There was at least one more small child in the truck that was not transported to the hospital. The truck had no obvious signs of any type of child restraint device.
Rivkin was headed to work in Escambia County from Jay.
Click here for a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. We will post more details when they become available.
Pictured above and below: An Escambia County Deputy was involved in this accident Wednesday evening near Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
