Lady Chiefs Beat Catholic 2-0
April 9, 2009
The Northview Lady Chiefs picked up another win Wednesday, shutting out Catholic 2-0.
Sophomore Miranda Burkett pitched the shutout, never allowing Catholic on the board. She allowed seven hits and no runs.
The game against Catholic in Pensacola was a make up game for one recently rained out.
Morgan Talks Budget Cuts, Still Not Speaking To County Administrator
April 9, 2009
Escambia Sheriff David Morgan held a press conference Wednesday to explain $4 million in cuts to his budget. Even though it is a five percent reduction, it is still short of the $6.5 million the county commission wants him to cut.
With $4 million in cuts, the sheriff said he can continue to operate his department without impacting public safety, but if more money were to be cut, the public safety would be impacted.
“We can operate the sheriff’s office on the par that we are with a $4 million dollar cut,” he said. “A reduction of 4 million dollars, folks, that’s a lot of money.”
While Morgan may take his budget needs to the commission, he says he will do so without talking to County Administrator Bob McLaughlin. Morgan cut off communications with Morgan a few weeks ago, accusing McLaughlin of miscommunicating his intentions to the county’s five commissioners.
“What I can not deal with, OK, is somebody playing poker with me,” Morgan said. “We are not in a poker match here. We are all in this problem together. So we must deal openly, honestly and transparently with each other.”
Morgan detailed his plans as first published on NorthEscambia.com back on April 1 and explained organization changes within his department.
Morgan has already grounded the department’s air unit for an $800,000 annual savings.
Now, he wants to eliminate the jail’s health services contract with an outside firm, providing jail health services in house for a $1.8 million savings.
To save more money, some of Morgan’s other plans include:
- renegotiate the jail’s food services contact to save $100,000
- eliminate up to $816,000 in salaries through retirements
- cut another $450,000 in contracted positions and streamline administration
- drop a mediation contract for $45,000
- drop county commissioner insurance paid by the ECSO for $25,000
Morgan’s budget stands at $78.7 million; his total savings as proposed would be up to $4,036,000.
Morgan has restructured the organization chart for the department, cutting 10 directors down to three commanders.
Additional changes are underway in the department to reduce costs and put more deputies on the street. Morgan has frozen promotions, and he expects that retirements will lead to the elimination of several positions. The sheriff expects that he can replace each position with a deputy on the streets and still save money. Those retirement eliminated positions include a major, three captains, five lieutenants, four sergeants, four master deputies, one senior deputy and 10 support and administrative positions.
Morgan says the department needs to add 66 deputies to reach the state average number of deputies per 1,000 people in the county. The state average is 1.7 deputies for every 1,000 people; the ECSO is currently at 1.56. By comparison, the Pensacola Police Department stands at 2.8 officers per thousand people.
Escambia County currently has 309 detention deputies at the jail, 276 patrol deputies, 53 in investigations, 30 in court security and 42 other sworn personnel such as internal affairs and civil officers.
Morgan’s final budget requests are due to the Escambia County Commission by May 1.
Fire Damages Jordan Road Home
April 8, 2009
Fire heavily damaged a Flomaton mobile home, leaving a family homeless about 7:30 Wednesday morning.
The first fire units on scene reported smoke coming from both ends of single wide mobile home on Jordan Road, just northeast of Flomaton. The occupants of the home were able to escape the fire. One, an adult male, suffered a cut arm when he busted out the window of the mobile home, according to Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton. The man refused to be transported to the hospital.
Stanton said the fire appeared to be accidental, starting from a clothes dryer.
Fire units from Flomaton, Century, Friendship and Lambeth were among the departments responding. Escambia County (Fla.) EMS also responded to the call.
North Escambia Chase Ends In Pensacola
April 8, 2009
A sheriff’s department chase that began in North Escambia late Tuesday night ended without incident in Pensacola.
Sgt. Steve Smith attempted to “Baker Act” an individual near South Pine Barren Road and Highway 29 when the person refused to stop. The Baker Act allows officers to take an individual into custody for an involuntary mental examination when it is believed they are a danger to themselves or others.
Officers followed the 1999 Ford Focus south on Highway 29 to 9 Mile Road in Pensacola, often at “very slow speeds”, according to Sgt. Ted Roy, spokesman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department. He said the suspect did fail to stop at several traffic signals.
The chase ended when the victim drove to his home in the 7400 block of Viver Nell Lane , Roy said. Viver Nell Lane is located east of Pine Forest Road, just south of Interstate 10. The suspect was taken into custody without incident, and there was no damage to any of the vehicles involved in the sometimes slow speed chase, Roy said.
Names of individuals involved in Baker Act proceedings are not released.
Century Residents Writing Letters To The President To Save School
April 8, 2009
About 200 people have taken part in a letter writing campaign to President Barack Obama to save Carver-Century K-8 School, but one local woman has questioned the idea to the town council.
“We have composed a letter, (by popular demand) from an idea brought to us by a long time Century resident who wrote a passionate letter to the President asking for help to save Carver Century School,” Jack Moran of Century Pharmacy wrote in an email. “If you are not good at writing letters, you can simply fill in your name at the top, then sign and print your name and address at the bottom of the letter. Also there is space at the bottom for you to write a short comment if you desire.”
Century resident Dorothy Newton told the Century Town Council that she was presented the letter at her church, asked to sign it and give it back. But she said that seemed a like a bad idea to her.
“What committee should we follow?” Newton asked the council. The town had formed a Blue Ribbon Committee charged with attempting to save the school some months ago, but that committee is no longer active.
Mayor Freddie McCall told Newton that the letter to the president campaign was a project of the local business, not a town project.
“Perhaps this will help us to keep our school,” Moran wrote in an email to NorthEscambia.com. “Remember, it isn’t over till its over…and it isn’t over till we give up!”
“We are a poor little town on Hwy 29 with nearly 1,800 souls. We have lost our high school, our middle school, and now we are losing our elementary school. Closing our school is not the answer to the districts financial problems; it is just making matters worse for everyone,” the form letter to the president says. “The nearest elementary school is 15 miles away, and the nearest middle school is more than 20 miles away. We need time to find other solutions, like a charter school a private school or a charter school.”
“Can you help us to keep our school open for two or three more years until we can work things out with a better solution than closing our only school?” the letter concludes.
The letter has blanks for the sender’s name, address and signature. Moran said that copies of the letter can be picked up at the Century Pharmacy on Mayo Street and returned to the same location. The pharmacy will place each signed letter in an individual, stamped envelope and mail it to Washington.
The Escambia County School Board voted recently to close the school at the of this school year to save an estimated $600,000 annually.
Flooding: When Does The Escambia River Flood Century, McDavid And Molino?
April 8, 2009
We have all heard and read the reports about flooding on the Escambia River after our recent heavy rainfall. But what do those reports mean for residents of Century, McDavid and Molino? What would happen in those areas if the river had continued to rise? Would it be a cause for concern?
Perhaps…the Great Flood of 1929 caused major problems as the areas around Flomaton, Century, McDavid and Molino were flooded. But since then, the Escambia River has failed to reach the level that the National Weather Service terms “moderate” flood stage.
Flood stage on the Escambia River is 17 feet, and moderate flood stage is 25 feet — a number the river level has only reached once in recorded history.
On March 15, 1929, the Escambia River reached its record level of 37.8 feet. Otherwise, the river has never reached that moderate flood stage level, according to records from the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. It has come close, reaching 24.24 feet on March 18, 1990. There have been three other Escambia River crests over 23 feet — two in 1998 and once in 1975.
Here is a complete look at what happens along the Escambia River in North Escambia at various water levels:
- 17.0 — considerable flooding of lowlands will occur.
- 17.5 — some flooding of lowlands in the area will continue until the river level drops below 13 feet.
- 19.0 — low lying pastures will flood and cattle should be moved to higher ground.
- 19.5 — flooding of farm and pasture lands will gradually subside as the river level drops…but some flooding will continue the next several days.
- 23.0 — widespread flooding of pasture and farm lands in the area will continue. water begins to reach Mystic Springs Road, Worley Road, Bamer Holley Lane and River
- Bend Road. Approximately five homes become isolated in the Mcdavid and Molino areas. Public boat ramps at Mystic Springs and Fairground Road are submerged.
- 23.7 — second highest flood of record. Approximately eight homes become isolated and sections of Mystic Springs Road, River Ben Road and Fairground Road are impassable. water from the river flows into ponds at B&L Catfish Farm on Mystic Springs Road.
- 24.2 — flood of record (3/18/90). Up to one foot of water enters several homes on Worley Road, Daffin Road, and Rairground Road.
- 34.0 — some flooding in the eastern sections of Century will occur.
- 37.0 — severe flooding in most of Century will occur.
- 37.5 — severe flooding in Century will gradually subside as the river level falls below 37 feet. Flooding of farm and pasture lands will continue the next several days.
- 37.8 — pre-official record flood (3/15/29). There is no modern history available for levels of flooding above 24.2 feet.
Pictured above: A look at the Escamia River at Fairgrounds Park. The park’s boardwalk and boat launch are under the flooded river. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Federal Court Rules Poarch Creek Indians Can Operate Their Own Water System
April 8, 2009
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians can operate their own water system.
The tribe was sued by the Freemanville Water System, a rural water authority that operates a water system that supplies various parts of Escambia County around the tribe’s territory.
Having decided that supplying its own water would be the best way to meet its needs, the Poarch Band began developing its own water facilities in the spring of 2007. To ensure that it has what it terms a “dependable and economic source of water for residential and commercial use on tribal lands,” the Poarch Band wants to construct a distribution facility that would deliver water to all of those lands.
Because its tribal lands are not all contiguous, some of the water system’s infrastructure will be situated on non-tribal land within Freemanville’s service area.
Freemanville filed a federal lawsuit in September 2007 asserting that the Poarch Band’s “planned construction of a water system on or between tribal lands will curtail or limit Freemanville’s service” in violation of a 1961 law that governs water authorities that are funded with federal loans.
The Poarch Band filed a motion to dismiss asserting that the district court lacked jurisdiction due to tribal sovereign immunity.
The federal district court sided with the tribe, agreeing that tribe’s sovereign immunity extended even to the water lines running on non-tribal land. The Supreme Court has “sustained tribal immunity from suit without drawing a distinction based on where the tribal activities occurred,” according to court documents in the suit.
“Being bound to follow the Supreme Court’s decision, we cannot draw a distinction based on where the tribal activity of providing water service to all of its lands occurs,” the court concluded.
Barrineau Park Historical Society Makes Newsletter Available
April 8, 2009
The Barrineau Park Historical Society has published their spring newsletter, and they have made it available for the public to read.
The spring newsletter contains a look back at the group’s Christmas party, highlights of many activities at the Barrineau Park Community Center and takes a look forward at many upcoming community events.
The newsletter was produced by club members Jan and Phil Shelby. The group is experimenting with producing the newsletter electronically to save postage.
To read the spring edition of the Barrineau Park Historical Society newslette, click here for the pdf.
Flood Warning Continues For Escambia River
April 8, 2009
The flood warning continues for the Escambia River at Century with the river expected to remain above flood stage until Friday evening.
Wedesday night, the Escambia River was at 18.3 feet; flood state is 17 feet. Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast as the river continues to fall.
Free Vendor Spaces At Upcoming Event
April 8, 2009
The Alger-Sullivan Historical Society is looking for vendors to display and sell their wares at Century’s 108th Birthday Bash on Saturday, April 18.
Vendor spaces are free to businesses, those that wish to display old items and those with a product to sell.
“As long as it’s not illegal or immoral it might just be okay to promote,” joked Jerry Fischer from the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society. “We have a good slate of folks lined up as it is, but the more the merrier.”
The historical society is also looking at entertainment acts for the the event. Whether you’re a picker, singer, dancer, reenactor….there is a space for you at the annual birthday bash.
For more information, contact Fischer at 256-3980.
The Alger-Sullivan Historical Society’s 108th Birthday Bash for Century will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18 at the historical park on Jefferson Avenue.