Saturday Auburn University License Plate Event Expanded To Include Other Specialty License Plates
January 5, 2024
Scott Lunsford, Escambia County Tax Collector, will host an event to issue specialty license plates benefiting local causes on Saturday, January 6, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. until 1 p.m. The event will be held at the Marcus Pointe office located at 6451 North W Street, Pensacola. Appointments are encouraged and may be made at EscambiaTaxCollector.com
The Auburn University license plate is the second license plate to be authorized in Florida for an out-of-state university. Universities must sell 3,000 pre-sale vouchers before a license plate may be manufactured and sold to the public. The University of Georgia became the first to achieve this goal last year. The University of Alabama is working to become the third but needs to sell an additional 780 pre-sale vouchers before the license plate may be issued and made available.
In addition to the Auburn University license plates, attendees may purchase a voucher for the University of Alabama license plate, a University of Georgia license plate, a University of West Florida license plate, or a Blue Angels license plate. The proceeds from these plates benefit local schools or organizations.
Appointments can be made at https://www.jotform.com/build/233536730009048 or by visiting EscambiaTaxCollector.com.
New Executive Director Of The Escambia Children’s Trust Asks For A Pay Increase
January 4, 2024
The new executive director of the Escambia County Children’s Trust is getting a raise before her first day on the job.
Lindsey Cannon asked that her salary be increased by $5,000 to $125,0000 a year plus benefits.
Cannon and Walker Wilson were named the two finalists for the position. Cannon is currently the executive director for the Children’s Home Society of Florida for the western and Emerald Coast region. Wilson is the executive director of the Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board.
The taxpayer-funded salary was advertised at $120,000 a year plus benefits.
The ECT board is set to vote on the raise at their next meeting on January 10.
The first executive director of the taxpayer funded ECT, Tammy Greer, resigned unexpectedly back in August.
Christy Mills Is Tate High School’s Teacher Of The Year
January 4, 2024
Christy Mills has been named the Tate High School Teacher of the Year.
Mills is currently the senior class counselor as well as the guidance department chair.
“Mrs. Mills is a proud graduate of Tate High School and began her teaching career at Tate in 2005. We are extremely proud to have Mrs. Mills represent Tate High School as our Teacher of the Year. Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to our students, parents, faculty and staff,” the school said.
NorthEscambia.com is welcoming 2024 honoring the Teachers of the Year from North Escambia schools over the next several days. Escambia County’s overall Teacher of the Year will be named in February.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Clear And Cold Tonight; Rain Moves In Friday Afternoon
January 4, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 34. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Showers likely after noon. Increasing clouds, with a high near 63. East wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers. Temperature rising to around 62 by 2am. Breezy, with a southeast wind 10 to 20 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. West wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Showers, mainly after noon. High near 63. Windy, with an east wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could be severe. Low around 54. Windy, with an east wind around 25 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Tuesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Breezy.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
So When Do The Kids Go Back To School?
January 4, 2024
We’ve had lots of parents asking when Christmas break ends, so here goes…
Escambia County Public School students will return to class on Monday, January 8.
They will have their next day out of school on Monday, January 15, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Fourth Candidate Prefiles For Escambia School Board District 5
January 4, 2024
A fourth person has prefiled for the District 5 seat on the Escambia County School Board.
Thomas C. Harrell prefiled Wednesday with the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
Jim “Andy” Taylor , Joshua Matthew Luther, and Scott Taylor previously prefiled.
The Escambia County School Board is a nonpartisan office on the 2024 ballot.
Woman Gets Six Years For Defrauding About $400K From Her Employer
January 4, 2024
A woman has been sentenced for stealing from her employer.
Escambia Circuit Judge Nobles sentenced Maria Del Carmen Williams to six years in state prison followed by 10 years of probation with $397,515.92 ordered in restitution for the crime of organized fraud and six counts of illegal use of personal identification information.
From April of 2019 through December 2021, Williams worked as the bookkeeper for Performance Personnel Services, LLC, a staffing company. Prosecutors said she engaged in a scheme to defraud by generating fraudulent payroll statements using the personal identification information of six victims. Shewould generate fake statement of earnings with the victims’ personal identification information indicating payment to workers. The money would instead be deposited into her bank account. Through these misrepresentations Williams was able to obtain just under $400,000 from her employer and hide her fraud for years. The state said she used the fraudulently obtained money to fund a plot of land, a 2011 Jaguar luxury car, shopping, restaurants, and other living expenses.
Century Council Elects President, Vice President
January 4, 2024
The Century Town Council has elected a president and vice president to lead the council for the new year.
Dynette Lewis was reelected as council president for another year, and Alicia Johnson was elected vice president.
Annually, the council reorganizes at their first meeting in January.
Pictured top: Dynette Lewis (left) and Alicia Johnson (right). NorthEscambia.com photos.
Man Killed In Deputy-Involved Crash In Escambia County
January 3, 2024
A 56-year-old Escambia County man is dead and a deputy is seriously injured after a crash early Wednesday morning.
The crash happened about 2:40 a.m. at the intersection of Beverly Parkway and W Street.
Sheriff Chip Simmons said deputy O’Brian Hill was responding with his emergency lights activated on a call to a vehicle theft in progress.
“He was traveling east on Beverly Parkway in the outside lane,” the Florida Highway Patrol said in a release. “As he entered the intersection, with a solid red light, he was struck on the driver’s side by [the van] that was traveling south in the outside lane of W Street.”
The driver of the van was unrestrained and ejected from his vehicle. Both were transported to the hospital where the van driver driver died. Hill was treated and released.
Hill, who has been a deputy for two years, is expected to make a complete recovery. He has been placeed on administrative leave during the investigation.
“We have an obligation to enter an intersection only when it is safe to do so,”Simmons said.. “That is the bottom line. We will cooperate with Florida Highway Patrol, who is conducting a crash investigation. This is a terrible tragedy and we are certainly sorry that it happened. Steps are being taken both internally and with the FHP in the hopes that it never happens again.”
Photos courtesy WEAR3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Secret Deal? Century Mayor to Negotiate No-Bid Anonymous Contract To Sell Town-Owned Land
January 3, 2024
Tuesday night, the Century Town Council approved the mayor’s request to allow him to negotiate an anonymous, no-bid sale of vacant residential land currently owned by the town to a private individual.
“The resident would like to make a no bid offer,” Gomez said, bringing up the item that did not appear in that agenda.
“The reason to put anonymity. It is if the property’s jacked up. It’s just tied up or the boundary lines or not clear. Is he don’t want his name out there,” the mayor said after declining to name the person or the location of the property.
“He don’t want his name out there,” he said again.
Gomez said he would work with the town attorney to draft a sale contract that will come back to the council for final approval. He said the contact, any title searches or subdivisions would take place at no cost to the town but did not identify the individual that would be responsible for the costs.
“Everything is above board with the attorney involved,” Gomez said.
“All that’s got to come back and be approved publicly by the council at a public meeting. You’ll have the name of that person. You’ll have all that information before you. The mayor can’t enter into any agreement without council approval,” interim town manager Howard Brown said.
The mayor’s request was approved 4-1 by the council, with Shelisa Abraham voting no.
Florida law allows anonymous negotiations with potential businesses for the purpose of economic development, but there’s no obvious provision to secretly negotiate with individuals for residential property.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.