Three Candidates Qualify For Soil And Water Board
March 19, 2008
Three candidates have qualifed for the Escambia County Soil and Water Conservation Board recently.
Incumbent Anne Bennett of Pensacola has prefiled for the District 1 seat. Incumbent Richard Freisinger prefiled for the District 3 seat, and political newcomer Dillon Powell has qualified for the District 5 seat.
Powell, an 18 year old college student, had prefiled for the District 1 seat, but withdrew and is now running for the District 5 seat.
The positions are nonpartisan.
Tate High School Mock Trial Team Wins Circuit Competition
March 18, 2008
Tate High School’s Mock Trial Team won the Mock Trial Competition in last week’s Circuit I Championship. Circuit I includes Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Escambia counties. Team members are Kelly Hawthorne, Collin Metcalf, Nikki Guntner, John Barlow, Brittany Nunnelee, and Brittany Hammock.
The Florida Law Related Education Association gives each competing school the mock trial problem and it is the individual school’s job to present the case as the prosecution and as the defense in the way they believe is most effective. The team has to perform each side depending on the round. The students learn objections, questioning techniques and how to perform opening statements and closing arguments. Kelly Krostag and Jonathan Blackburn coach the team, and attorney Stephen Hogan also volunteers as a coach. Blackburn is a former member of the Mock Trial Team.
The team represented the School District of Escambia County in this Circuit I level of competition, and competed against teams from Navarre High School and Catholic High School. The students argued their case in front of the Honorable Judge Goodman and Honorable Judge Rogers, and other attorneys from Pensacola served as judges and volunteered to judge
the local tournament. The tournament was sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division, and Antonio Bruni from the law firm of McConnaughhay, Duffy, Coonrod, Pope, and Weaver organized the event.
The Mock Trial Team will next compete in the state level competition to be held in Orlando in April. This is the fourth time that the Tate team has won the Circuit I championship, and in 2001 the team was state champions and national finalists.
Watch Video Of Tate Band In Ireland
March 18, 2008
The Tate High School Showband of the South took part in Ireland’s national St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin Monday, and NorthEscambia.com has the video from Ireland.
About 100 students, 40 parents and a bunch of instruments headed across the Big Pond to Ireland. Over five days, 4000 performers and one million people celebrated Ireland with the big finale being Monday’s parade. Sixteen bands from Ireland, Italy, Japan and the United States took part in the parade.
Tate’s Showband of the South is no stranger to travel, having performed in the Orange, Fiesta and Rose Bowl parades. They’ve played the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and national celebrations at Pearl Harbor.
Two Injured In Highway 97 Rollover Accident Early Tuesday Morning
March 18, 2008
Updated 9:45 am
Two people were seriously injured in a single vehicle rollover accident on Highway 97 early Tuesday morning. The accident happen about 4:08 Tuesday morning just south of Howell Road.
Eddie Leslie Mooney, 32, of Atmore and Matthew Stancil, 33, of Atmore were ejected from the rolled over pickup truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. They were transported from the scene by ambulance. They were later transferred to LifeFlight at the Molino Volunteer Fire Department station and flown from Molino to Sacred Heart Hospital. Both were listed as being in serious condition by the FHP.
The 2005 Ford F150, driven by Mooney, was northbound on Highway 97 at a high rate of speed, the FHP report says, when Mooney lost control and over-corrected. The pickup truck left Highway 97 and struck several small pine trees before landing upside down on the northbound shoulder of the road.
The crash was alcohol related and charges are pending, according to the FHP.
The Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department, Molino Volunteer Fire Department and Atmore Ambulance responded to the scene.
Pictured above: Two people appeared to have been ejected from this pickup truck early Tuesday morning on Highway 97 just south of Howell Road. Pictured below (scroll down to see all pictures): More photos from the scene, including the small pine trees the truck initially hit. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Updated 9:45 am, first posted 5:30 am.
Century Changes $265 Million Finance Agreement, Sells Surplus Vehicles
March 18, 2008
The Town of Century voted to change financial terms on agreement with the City of Gulf Breeze, and the council sold four old town vehicles at their Monday night meeting.
On the recommendation of Town Attorney Matt Dannheisser, the council voted to make changes to its agreement with the City of Gulf Breeze and the Capital Trust Agency for bonds issued under the Atlantic Housing Foundation, Inc.
Century entered into the Capital Trust Agency with Gulf Breeze in 1999. It is an independent public body for the purpose of financing or otherwise accomplishing development programs.
The specific ordinance approved by Century Monday night involves “approving a plan of finance for the cost of financing or refinancing certain multi-family rental housing facilities; approving the issuance of not exceeding $225 million Capital Trust Agency housing revenue refunding bonds and $40 million housing revenue refunding bonds…for Atlantic Housing Foundation, Inc.”
Capital Trust Agency provides financing for Atlantic Housing Foundation in Southlake, Texas. Atlantic Housing’s mission is to “promote and preserve quality affordable housing opportunities and related services for low income and moderate income families,” according to the company.
Dannheisser, who is also listed as the Gulf Breeze city attorney, told the council that the new bonds would be backed by the federal Fannie Mae program. He said the previous financing was based upon the mortgage market, and loan rates had risen from 3.7 to about 7 percent with the current mortgage crisis. With the Fannie Mae backing, the new rate would fall to about 4 percent, he said, making the change “somewhat of a no-brainer”.
Mayor Freddie McCall said the town acts a “second signature” on docuements for the trust agency, and that the town had profited about $451 thousand since 2002 on the arrangement with Gulf Breeze and the Capital Trust Agency.
The council also opened bids on four old vehicles that were advertised for sale, netting the town $1,204.55 total. High bidders and vehicles were:
- A 1989 Chevrolet sold to Melvin Lowery for $200. Next high bid was $156.50.
- A 1991 Ford F150 sold to Neil Wigen for $176.50. Next high bid was $150.00.
- A 1994 Ford F250 sold to Neil Wigen $477.55. Next high bid as $300.00.
- A 1991 Ford Crown Victoria sold to Jason Stone for $350. Next high bid was $126.50.
Pictured above: Council President Anne Brooks opens bids on surplus vehicles at Monday night’s Town of Century Council meeting.
Century Council Proclaims”National Public Works Week”, Conducts Ordinary Business
March 18, 2008
The Town of Century has proclaimed the week of May 18-24 as “National Public Works Week” in the town.
The town council approved the proclamation at their Monday night meeting at the request of Mayor Freddie McCall.
The proclamation honors those that work with the town’s water, sewer, streets, public buildings and solid waste collection, as well as those the serve with law enforcement, the fire department and other emergency medical services in the town, McCall said.
“The health, safety and comfort of this community greatly depends on these facilities and services,” the proclamation reads. To read the actual proclamation in its entirety, click the image to the left to enlarge.
In other business, the council approved a variance request to place a used 10 foot by 40 foot mobile home on a lot located at 67 Jackson Street. The motion by Council Member Nadine McCaww passed 3-1, with Council Member Gary Riley voting against the motion and Council President Anne Brooks abstaining. The mobile home will replace one previously located on the lot, according to McCall. The variance was needed because the town’s current land use ordinances requires mobile homes to be at least 14 feet wide. McCall noted that power, water and sewer services were already available to the home’s owner because a mobile home was previously located on the lot.
The council also heard request from individual council members:
Riley noted that many streets around the town needed to have traffic markings repainted because they are difficult to see, especially when it is dark and raining. The mayor said he would look into the situation.
Council Member Henry Hawkins asked the mayor about street lights in the town, saying that at least six lights were out in the Hudson Hill area along North Century Boulevard. and that others were out on Mayo Storeet. McCall said he and a Gulf Power employee had looked in the situation about a month ago and had found five lights that were out along North Century Boulevard.. Those lights were replaced, the mayor said, and he will look into the others that are now not functioning.
Council Member Sharon Scott asked that “Children At Play” signs be placed near the Marie McMurray Ballpark and the Carver Community Center. She also asked that the town look at cleaning out ditches along Pleasant Hill Road, and that a “Deaf Child” sign be placed in a neighborhood where a deaf child resides.
Monday’s short council meeting was unusual in that no member of the public signed up to address the council during their “public forum” part of the meeting.
Power Outage In Century
March 17, 2008
Power was reported out in a portion of Century Monday night. The outage, which was attributed to a blown transformer, was reported just before 10:30 p.m. The number of customers without power was not immediately available from Gulf Power Company.
The outage included the area of Front Street and Church Street.
Highway 97 Resurfacing Project Is Now Entering Early Design Phase
March 17, 2008
The scheduled resurfacing project of Highway 97 in North Escambia has entered the design phase that should see the first new asphalt on the highway by the end of 2009.
The $1.78 million survey and design phase of the project is ongoing, said Tommie Speights, Public Information Director for District 3 of the Florida Department of Transportation. The survey work and preliminary engineering is being conducted by Volkert and Associates of Mobile. The survey is mostly complete, and the project is now entering the design phase.
“The project is scheduled to let for contract in late August 2009,” Tommie Speights, Public Information Director for District 3 of the Florida Department of Transportation, told NorthEscambia.com. “It would then take three to four months to begin actual resurfacing, so work would begin in about December of 2009.”
Budget figures show that the resurfacing project is expected to cost $17,105,652 and be completed in 2010. The entire roadway is be repaved from Country Road 95 in Molino across Highway 29 to the Alabama state line, a distance of about 23 miles. No major drainage changes are expected to the route’s 55 cross drains under the highway, with the exception of some possible changes near the intersection of Highway 97 and Crabtree Church Road.
Existing 12 foot wide travel lanes and five foot paved shoulders will be milled and resurfaced. This project does not include the four-laning of Highway 97. A four lane highway is not in any of the state’s current plans for Highway 97.
Pictured above: Survey crews work recently on Highway 97 near County Road 99 in north Escambia County. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Submit Your Church Easter Service Details For An Upcoming Story
March 17, 2008
Next week, NorthEscambia.com will run a listing of Easter services across the North Escambia area. Please submit the dates, times and location of Easter services at your church to news@northescambia.com or use our contact form.
Tate High Band Performs In Dublin Ireland Parade
March 17, 2008
The Tate High School Showband of the South took part in Ireland’s national St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin today.
About 100 students, 40 parents and a bunch of instruments headed across the Big Pond to Ireland. Over five days, 4000 performers and one million people celebrated Ireland with the big finale being Monday’s parade. Sixteen bands from Ireland, Italy, Japan and the United States took part in the parade.
A re-run of the parade can be viewed over the internet by clicking here beginning at 3:30 local time Monday morning.
“The preparation for Ireland has been completed and it is going to be a wonderful rip. A trip of this length and distance takes so many hours of work and great ttention to detail,” said Band Director Joe Hooton.
Assitant Band Director Travis Coakley did not travel to Ireland with the band. He and his wife celebrated the birth of twin girls, Sarah and Alice, on February 11, and the proud father remained stateside with his girls.
“Although I will not be traveling with the Showband, I can assure you that you are ll going to have a wonderful trip. The people of Ireland, the music of Ireland, the istory and the scenery of Ireland you will always remember once you’ve had the opportunity to experience them,” Coakley wrote in a recent band newsletter. “Have a wonderful time in Ireland and represent the “Showband of the South”, ate High School, and the United States of America proudly!”
Tate’s Showband of the South is no stranger to travel, having performed in the Orange, Fiesta and Rose Bowl parades. They’ve played the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and national celebrations at Pearl Harbor.