Final Approval For New 22 Lot Subdivision Near Molino
March 10, 2009
Final plans have been approved for a new 22 lot single family private residential subdivision just off Highway 97 north of Molino.
A preliminary plat and construction plans have been approved.
The roads “Sunny Brook Court” and “Sunshine Ridge Court” will be located off Sunny Hill Road in Sunshine Hill Estates. The county says the roads are substantially complete. The roads and their drainage systems will remain private and will create no expense for the county.
The private subdivision will be constructed west of Highway 97 just south of Sunshine Hill Road. It will be about 1.5 miles west of Molino Park Elementary School.
The subdivision is being developed by owner BCK Properties, LLC of Pensacola.
Pictured: This map shows the location of a new 22 lot single family residential subdivision called Sunshine Hill Estates off Highway 97 north of Molino. Click to enlarge.
Northview Baseball Announces Hit-A-Thon Winners
March 10, 2009
The Northview Baseball team held their annual Hit-A-Thon Fundraiser Friday night.
Both the junior varsity and varsity players competed.
The winner in the varsity division was senior Brad Foster. Second place went to junior Heath Burkett, and third place went to Brett Hanks, a senior.
The winner in the junior varsity division was freshman Cole Commander. The runner-up was Taylor Martin, a sophomore.
Chiefs Coach Sid Wheatly pitched seven hits to each player, pitching for nearly two hours straight.
Winners received gift cards from area businesses.
Principals Say Their Schools Are Ready For FCAT
March 10, 2009
Area principals say they are ready for the FCAT tests that get underway today for students grades three through 10.
At Bratt Elementary School, the top rated school in all of Escambia County according to the Florida Department of Education, Principal Sheryl Pomeroy said her students are ready for the FCAT.
“Bratt works everyday to prepare to be our best academically,” Pomeroy said. “Over the past week, we have done a lot of FCAT review with material provided by the state.”
Now that test time is here, the Bratt principal said her students are “encouraged to relax and think positive thoughts”.
At Carver/Century K-8 School, Principal Jeff Garthwaite also feels that the school has worked hard to prepare students for FCAT testing. But he knows that the impending closure of the school and all of the negative discussion about the school’s past low FCAT grades will likely impact the students and teachers.
“We feel positive about the FCAT, but there is a certain measured feeling because of the closure issues,” Garthwaite said. “The closure issue has kind of been on our shoulders all school year.”
But regardless of the impending closure — which will see a final school board vote on March 17 — Garthwaite said his staff has worked hard to prepare and motivate students.
“We can’t get away from the focus of our school, and that is each and every child,” he said.
“We believe in you!” is the word from Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry to her students.
At Ernest Ward, breakfast will be served each FCAT testing day to give students a little extra boost. And students are asked to not checkout prior to noon for any reason.
At Northview High School, Principal Gayle Weaver said her students are more than ready for the FCAT, and she’s hoping for just a little improvement this year to move Northview to “A” status, a level the school barely missed last year.
“The faculty and staff were excited about the progress made last year, and they became immediately dedicated to surpassing those results for this year,” Weaver said. “Northview’s commitment to education has always been to provide the best education possible to each and every student. This has been Northview’s objective, whether it has been for either the FCAT or any other tool of measurement. Students at Northview are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals working to help each and every one of them succeed.”
Weaver is also hoping that students at the other area schools do well on the FCAT. ” To our fellow educators, we wish much success on FCAT 2009,” she said.
Lady Chiefs Pickup Softball Win
March 10, 2009
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat West Florida High 10-0 in five innings Monday afternoon.
Shawna Montgomery had one RBI; Candice Greenwell had three. Aimiee Clark had 2 RBIs; and Miranda Burkett had one RBI.
Burkett pitched five innings for the Chiefs allowing two hits and no runs.
The Lady Chiefs are now 4-6 on the season, 0-1 in the district.
FCAT Round Two Begins Today
March 10, 2009
Round two of this year’s FCAT testing starts this morning morning in schools across North Escambia. Students in grades three through 10 will take the reading and math portions this week. Grades five, eight, and 10 will also take the science portion.
In a recent newsletter sent home to parents, Bratt Elementary offered several tips for parents and students for the all important FCAT test:
- Get a good night’s sleep before the test. Staying up late at night increases anxiety, which interferes with clear thinking.
- Eat for success. A hearty breakfast with seven to ten grams of fiber will keep your child from getting jittery from a sugar high, or later, bottoming out when the insulin goes up.
- Relax. If your child is too nervous, he/she may forget what he/she knows. Stretching and/or breathing deeply helps to focus the mind.
- Wear comfortable clothes. If your child is comfortable, he/she will be less distracted and better able to focus on the tasks given.
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking plenty of water will help keep the body hydrated and alert.
- Don’t forget to give your child a big hug on test days. This will increase his/her sense of well-being and energy.
Students are not permitted to have any electronic device on their person or within reach during the test that reproduces, transmits, calculates or records. Prohibited items include cellphones. Any student who violates this policy will have his FCAT test invalidated.
If a student starts a test and leaves without finishing (for an appointment, illness, etc.), he/she will NOT be allowed to complete the test. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made once the student leaves the school’s campus.
If a student arrives at school after the test begins, he/she will not be admitted to the testing site. The student will be required to sit in the office until testing is finished for the day.
Murder Suspect Commits Suicide Monday
March 9, 2009
The man police say is responsible for the Atmore murder of a 19-year old pregnant woman committed suicide Monday morning in Bay Minette.
Authorities say Ferrell Perdue, 44, of Bay Minette, apparently shot and killed himself in Chevrolet Silverado about 9 a.m. Monday at Dobbins Trailer Park in the Pine Grove community southeast of Bay Minette. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department says Perdue shot himself once in the head with handgun.
A capital murder warrant was obtained Friday against Ferrell Perdue, 44, of Bay Minette, in connection with the murder of 19-year old Marquetta A. Washington in Atmore last Thursday. Washington was pregnant.
Perdue was also charged with shooting Washington’s boyfriend, Tony Hudson, 26. Officials say he was shot in the chest at close range with a shotgun.
After the shooting at McRae Apartments in Atmore, Perdue reportedly drove to Bay Minette to the home of his mother where he told her what had happened. His mother told authorities he left after she said she was calling police.
Atmore Police received a domestic violence report from the apartment on McRae Street at 10:18 Thursday night. When they arrived, they found Washington dead in the bedroom and Hudson seriously injured in the living room/dining room of the ground floor apartment.
The apartment, belonging to Washington’s mother Alice Evans, had a broken front window. Police say broke out the window of the apartment using a child’s bicycle. He then shot Washington and Hudson at close range with the shotgun. Evans, who was at home at the time of the incident, escaped out of the broken window. She was unharmed.
Hudson was transported to Atmore Community Hospital and later transferred to the University of South Alabama Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition.
Atmore Police say the incident may have stemmed from a relationship gone bad between Evans and Perdue. She had tried to end the relationship, police said. Evans had filed a warrant against Perdue on February 23, but that warrant had not been served.
Pictured above: Police say Atmore murder suspect Ferrell Purdue commited suicide Monday morning. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Ernest Ward Holds Penny War To Send Two Local Veterans On Honor Flight
March 9, 2009
The students at Ernest Ward Middle School fought a “Penny War” to raise over $2,200 to send two local veterans on an upcoming Emerald Coast Honor Flight.
The Honor Flights take veterans on a one day trip to Washington, D.C. to see the war memorials that stand in their honor.
“We had a lot of fun doing this,” said Ernest Ward teacher Janna Dickey. “And it was for a really good cause. We were honored to be able to raise money to honor two of our local veterans in this way.”
The 10-day “Penny War” was a competition between the 26 EWMS homerooms to collect the most pennies, but their penny count could be “bombed” with dollars and silver coins. The silver coins essential canceled out the pennies. In other words, a $1 bill dropped in a container with 100 pennies would cancel out the pennies for the class total.
“They had a lot of fun doing this. The collection jars were in the cafeteria, and the teachers would make a really big deal out of bombing the penny jar from another class,” Dickey said. “It really added to the competition.”
Mr. Wark’s homeroom raised the most money at $583.22 and was rewarded with a pizza party. The second highest total was Mrs. Spence’s homeroom with $269.03. The most pennies that counted were collected by Mrs. Dickey’s homeroom. Second was Mr. Gindl’s homeroom.
The next Emerald Coast Honor Flight is April 1. The Ernest Ward Middle sponsored veterans from our local area will be on a future flight to be announced at a later date.
If you are a veteran and would like to take an honor flight to Washington, visit www.emeraldcoasthonorflight.com for an application.
Emerald Coast Honor Flight is a non-profit organization honoring America’s veterans for their sacrifices. The program flies our heroes and their guardians from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Washington and Holmes counties to Washington, DC, to reflect at their memorials for a one day free visit. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – WW II survivors along with those other veterans that may be terminally ill.
The trip for the veterans is free; it is all paid for by sponsors and supporters.
The “Penny War” to support the Emerald Coast Honor Flight was a project of the Ernest Ward Middle School chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.
Pictured above: Bombs away! Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry bombs a class during the school’s Penny Wars to raise money for Emerald Coast Honor Flight. Pictured below: Penny War containers were placed in the cafeteria for 26 homerooms. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Section Of Pineville Road Closing Monday
March 9, 2009
South Pineville Road at Brushy Creek is scheduled to close Monday for two weeks.
DKE Marine Services will replace bridge pilings and make other repairs on the bridge, which is located in an isolated area west of the Enon community.
The bridge is scheduled to be closed until March 24.
Unemployment Soars; 6,299 Jobs Lost In Escambia
March 8, 2009
The numbers are not good. Unemployment across the area continues to soar, with 6,299 people losing their jobs in Escambia County in the past year. Nearly 1 in 10 people in Escambia County’s workforce are now out of a job.
Escambia County’s numbers are the worst in the immediate region, and the rate at which people are losing their jobs is also higher than any surrounding county. The unemployment rate in the county has nearly doubled in the past year.
From December to January, Escambia County’s unemployment rate jumped from 7.9 percent to 9.1 percent. That represents 1,693 Escambia County residents losing their jobs in just one month.
In Santa Rosa County, the unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County is 8.2 percent. There are 5,690 people out of work in Santa Rosa County, up from 3,040 one year ago. In the past month, 703 people have lost their jobs in Santa Rosa County.
In Escambia County, Alabama, there were 1,229 people unemployed as of December. The county’s unemployment rate was at 8.5 percent, up 3.2 from December 2007.
Statewide in Florida, there are about 800,000 people out of work — the highest number since September 1992.
“Governor Crist has emphasized job creation and stimulating Florida’s economy by developing budget priorities that focus on these principles and translate federal stimulus dollars into action,” said Agency For Workforce Innovation Interim Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo. “We are working diligently to ensure federal stimulus funds are distributed quickly to have significant impact on increasing benefits and enhancing our services to Floridians. We are also working diligently to ensure our state and business partners are posting job openings on the Employ Florida Marketplace website.”
The Employ Florida Marketplace, provides employers, job seekers, students, training providers and workforce professionals with workforce services at no cost. Employers can post job openings and job seekers can post resumes at www.employflorida.com. Employ Florida Marketplace currently lists nearly 130,000 job opportunities in Florida.
Locally, job services are available from the Escarosa Career Center at 8120 North Century Boulevard in Century. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. The phone number is 256-6266.
Other locations are the Escarosa Career Centers at 3670-A North L Street in Pensacola and 5723 Highway 90 in Milton.
Pictured above: The most recent unemployment figures from each county across the region. The bottom number on each county represents the percentage increase in the past year. Numbers for Florida counties are from January 2009; numbers for Alabama counties are from December 2008. NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Photo Gallery: Jay Crowns Miss Cotton Bowl 2009
March 8, 2009
The Miss Cotton 2009 pageant was held Saturday night in Jay.
The annual womanless beauty pageant is sponsored by the Jay Medical Center Relay for Life team. Proceeds from the pageant go to the American Cancer Society.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured above: Don Ripley, Century Care Center director, as nurse “Anita Cocktail Smith”. Pictured below: Miss Cotton Boll 2009 is crowned. Submitted photos by Mae Hildreth for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
