Flomaton Football Star Tony Ellis Appears In Court
March 3, 2009
The Flomaton High School football star arrested on multiple sexual abuse charges involving a minor has asked to be tried as a youthful offender.
Tony Ellis, 18, was indicted by an Escambia County (Ala.) grand jury for enticing a minor into a vehicle for immoral purposes, sodomy II, and sexual abuse. The alleged victim is 12-years old.
Ellis asked an Escambia County (Ala.) court for youthful offender status. His arraignment has been delayed until the court decides if he will receive that youthful offender status or if he will tried as an adult.
Ellis is currently free on bond posted a volunteer coach that coached Ellis at one time in youth baseball.
Authorities have said Ellis picked up the 12-year old girl, a girl they say he knew, on December 15 from Pollard-McCall School and attempted to have sexual relations with her.
School officials say Ellis was suspended from his classes at Flomaton High School, including all extracurricular activities, and is attending the county’s alternative school.
His high school career included at least 1,500 rushing yards per year for each of the last three years at Flomaton. Ellis, who is 5-foot-9, had over 5,000 rushing yards in his high school career with the Canes.
Students Make Wacky Photos Of Teacher
March 3, 2009
Northview High School celebrated National FBLA week with several contests, including a typing contest and a wacky photo contest.
In the fastest typing contest, Joshua King won a $20 gift card to Walmart for being the FBLA’s best. He typed 84 net words a minute for three minutes.
The students also took part in the wacky photo contest. They were given a photo of business technology teacher Donna Smith (left) and told to make it “wacky”.
Eric Ickeringill’s rendition of Mrs. Smith as a PBS star Bob Ross from the “Joy of Painting” won. He also received a $20 gift card.
In the wacky photo contest, students were told use “Photoshop, Paint, or whatever software program you wise, enhance Mrs. Smith’s photo. For example, you can give her a halo, horns, mustache, etc. Be creative!”.
To see other entries in the wacky photo contest, click here..
Pictured top: Eric Ickeringill’s wacky photo of Northview business technology teacher Donna Smith. Pictured middle: The original photo. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
NHS Softball Player’s Leg Healing; 8-12 Weeks To Play Again
March 3, 2009
Northview High School softball player Amber McMillan — the girl in the photo that shows her leg being broken — was at the Andrews Institute Monday afternoon to find out more about how bad her leg is.
Mom Donna McMillan says that it will be 8 to 12 weeks before there is any chance for Amber to play softball again.
The doctor said Monday that the original surgeon did a great job, Donna said. Amber still has a rod in her leg that begins just below the knee and ends near her ankle. It will be about six months before doctors know if the rod will need to be removed.
Now, Donna said, Amber will being physical therapy four times a week. She will be able to return to Northview as soon as she can put weight on her leg and the swelling decreases.
NorthEscambia.com ran a story about Amber last Friday and the amazing photo that shows her leg at the moment it was broken. Click here for that story.
Pictured above: Northview softball player Amber McMillan’s left leg is broken in tournament game in Dothan. Her Submitted photo by Scott Harris, www.scottharrisphotos.com for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Chiefs Beat Mobile Christian (Updated With Stats)
March 3, 2009
The NHS Chiefs beat Mobile Christian on the road Monday night, 6-4 in eight innings.
Northview scored one in the third, one in the fifth, two in the 7th, and two in the 8th.
Mobile Christian picked up two runs in the 4th, and added two in the 7th.
Brad Lowery pitched 6 innings and gave up two runs on five hits, walked four and struck out eight. Brett Hanks pitched the final two innings and got the win. He allowed two runs on no hits, and struck out four.
Northview hitters:
Brad Foster 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI.
Dabney Langhorne 1 single
Austin Lowery 1 single
Luke Killam 1 single
Dakota Stuckey 1 single
The Chiefs are now 3-2 on the season.
Have Frontier Telephone Voice Mail? It Changes Today
March 3, 2009
If you have voice mail service from Frontier, there have been changes made to your service with an all-new voice mail system.
The new voice mail system includes several state of the art features not available with the company’s former system.
Some of the new features available with the new Frontier voice mail include the ability to check voice mail online, forward messages to an email address and even received faxes. Some of the new features may cost an additional $1 to $2 depending on your current service package.
In order to use the new voice mail service, you will be required to access the new mailbox, choose a new PIN pass code and record a new greeting.
All Frontier customers received a letter in the mail explaining the new voice mail system and options.
A copy of that letter is available clicking here.
For a sheet with voice mail instructions click here.
In our area, Frontier provides local telephone service in the Walnut Hill, Bratt and Davisville 327 exchange, the Molino 587 exchange and the Atmore 368 exchange.
Ordinary Business For Century Council
March 3, 2009
The Monday night meeting of the Century Town Council was very ordinary and usually short.
The council approved minutes from their last two meetings with a few changes, and they approved paying the town’s bills.
Council member Gary Riley reported that no decisions had been made yet on a location for a cold weather shelter for the town.
Council member Henry Hawkins questioned potential problems from forgiving water bills for Backwoods Road residents while they wait for water improvements.
Council member Nadine McCaw referenced an article on NorthEscambia.com Sunday morning that warned area residents to be wary of scam letters that have been sent to several North Escambia residents. Read the story here.
“Our citizens need to be very careful,” McCaw said.
Century Mayor Freddie McCall was not at Monday night’s meeting. He is recovered from surgery last week. Council member Sharon Scott was also not at the meeting.
Another Local Family Heads Off On ‘Snow Quest’
March 3, 2009
We published a blog Monday morning on NorthEscambia.com about a “Snow Chaser” trip Sunday from North Escambia to Montgomery to see snow.
It turns out that the NorthEscambia.com family was not the only family to hit the highways Sunday.
The Diamond family of Jay did the same, heading all the way to Calloway Gardens in Georgia. They took some incredible pictures along the way, and wanted to share.
In response to our Monday blog, Ashley Burkett wrote:
My family did the same thing! My parents decided that since the grandkids had asked Santa for snow this year that when they heard there would be snow, we loaded up. Papa, Grammy, Aunt Ashley (to two kids, Momma to the other 2) and all 4 grandkids… We went to Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. We usually go there twice a year; once during the summer and once for the Christmas lights so who says we can’t go at the drop of a hat… We named it the 2009 Diamond’s Great Snow Quest…. It was awesome and unbelievable. When we called Calloway Gardens to make reservations, they told us that the snow probably wouldn’t stick… boy did we show that lady! We got stuck in the snow and then unstuck and still played for hours and hours yesterday and this morning before heading back to Jay, Florida!! We had an amazing time, kids and adults!!!!
For a look at their pictures, click here.
Pictured above: A Jay family took this photo after heading to Georgia to see snow over the weekend. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Byrneville Principal Takes Issue With Comments In PNJ; Says School Is Not Racial Biased
March 2, 2009
The principal of Byrneville Elementary School is speaking out after a Sunday article in the Pensacola News Journal that includes terms like “white flight” to describe the predominantly white school.
The article quotes Sandra Edwards, director of the county’s school choice office as say that white children in the Carver/Century K-8 School attendance zone would “find a reason” to transfer to Byrneville or Bratt.
About 12 percent of Byrneville’s students are minorities; at Bratt, that number is 21 percent. The PNJ articles states that of the 130 students in the Carver/Century zone that attend Byrneville, only four are black.
“Sandra Edwards’ remarks about the pending closing of Carver Century School, quoted in the article in the Pensacola News-Journal March 1 edition, imply that Byrneville Elementary School, Inc., a charter school, is racially biased. That is false,” Byrneville Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan told NorthEscambia.com Sunday evening.
Wolfe-Sullivan points out that figures that state 130 students are leaving Carver/Century to attend Byrneville are misleading. When the district voted to close Byrneville, it became a charter school ran by a board of directors rather than directly by the Escambia County School Board. The former Byrneville district was eliminated; students that lived near Byrneville Elementary suddenly were with the Carver/Century zone.
“Edwards’ statement that 130 of our students are in the Carver Century zone is misleading. The zone for Carver Century was expanded by the District to include the old Byrneville zone the same year the District closed Byrneville and we opened as a charter school. Our students never left the Byrneville zone to attend Carver Century,” Wolfe-Sullivan said.
NorthEscambia.com was unable to reach Edwards for comment Sunday night due to the school district office being closed.
Wolfe-Sullivan stressed that Byrneville is not a racially biased school in any manner.
“Since we opened as a charter school we have admitted the children who came to us, black, Native American, Latino, Asian, and white,” she said.
What Will Happen To Byrneville Elementary?
In an exclusive story on January 22, NorthEscambia.com explored how Byrneville might be impacted by the closure of Carver/Century K-8 School. That closure is expected to be finalized at a March 17 meeting of the Escambia County School Board.
The facts are simple: Only about 44 percent of the students in the Carver/Century district actually attend the school. On the elementary level, 126 attend Carver/Century, 130 attend Byrneville Elementary and 32 attend Bratt Elementary. But where will the 126 elementary children at Carver/Century end up next year?
The official answer is Bratt Elementary, because Century will become part of Bratt’s district.
But Dee Wolfe–Sullivan, principal at Byrneville, feels like many parents and guardians may choose to send their children to her school rather than having them bused to Bratt. Byrneville Elementary is a charter school ran under district guidelines but under its own set of rules; those rules would allow Byrneville to accept Carver students.
“Some of those parents will want to enroll their children here,” Wolfe-Sullivan said. “But the issue becomes if we have room or not.”
There are currently 166 students at Byrneville, and the school only has a capacity of about 200.
“It is possible that applications may exceed our capacity next year if Carver Century is closed. We will continue to follow our own board’s admissions preference policy, which does not regard race or minority status. That policy gives first preference to students who live in the original (District system) zone; then dependents of staff and board members; then siblings of students; and then any Florida student,” she said.
In our January 22 story, NorthEscambia.com presented a “what if” scenario to Wolfe-Sullivan. “What if the school board closed Carver/Century and then offered the Carver/Century facility to Byrneville Elementary?” we asked.
“We have not discussed the Carver/Century building, so I would have no comment at the present time,” she said.
“If parents want to send their child to Byrneville, we certainly welcome them,” Wolfe-Sullivan added. “We are a small school. Every teacher knows every child, and they know most of the families. It is a great atmosphere.”
Pictured top: Byrneville Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan at lunch with a group of students. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Mayor Says Something Must Change After Century Loses Car Plant
March 2, 2009
Century Mayor Freddie McCall knows it won’t be easy to find another company willing to invest millions in his town and provide a 1,000 good jobs.
When LHS EV found out last week that they were not getting a $2.5 million state grant, they promptly announced that they were no longer considering Century for their electric car assembly plant.
Company officials announced that they were still considering an Alabama location for the plant, and that did not surprise McCall.
“We all know that Alabama is more free with money for industry than Florida,” the mayor said. “Something has got to change if Florida is going to compete with Alabama.”
McCall said he is disappointed that the town lost LHS EV and their promised jobs. But taking the roll of the eternal optimist, the first-term mayor is not yet waiving the white flag of defeat.
“We are still willing to work with them (LHS), but I understand if it does not work out,” McCall said. “But we are not going to give up. We are going to look for somebody else to bring jobs to Century.”
While he would not mention specifics, McCall said there was another company considering Century.
“We are going to keep our fingers crossed right now on another company,” he said.
Cutoff Date Approaching For Three Farm Bill Programs
March 2, 2009
The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced March 13, 2009, as the cutoff date for three Farm Bill conservation programs.
All applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) will be accepted until close of business on March 13, 2009.
EQIP and WHIP offer financial and technical assistance to install structural and management practices on eligible non-federal lands to address natural resource concerns and wildlife habitat restoration. Conservation treatment activities for EQIP and WHIP are carried out in accordance to a conservation plan that is developed with the landowner or manager.
State-wide priorities for EQIP include erosion control, water quality, water quantity, animal / plant health and confined livestock operations. Priorities for WHIP include habitat restoration on scrubby flatwoods, pine rocklands, tropical hammocks, and native grasslands for bobwhite quail. Individual county priorities may vary slightly due to locally established objectives.
The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is a voluntary program that provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners and Tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands in exchange for retiring eligible land from agriculture.
For additional details on these Farm Bill programs and for specific eligibility requirements to participate, contact the Escambia County, FL USDA NRCS office at (850) 587-5404 ext. 3. Or stop by 151 Highway 97, Molino (Escambia County Farm Bureau Building).