Monday Was Report Card Day, Carver-Century Parents Must Pickup Report Cards At The School
January 28, 2008
Today was report card day for students in Escambia County public schools. Report cards were sent home with students across North Escambia, except for Carver/Century K-8 School students.
Carver/Century principal Jeff Garthwaite said report cards were available for parents to pick up at the school from 4:00 until 6:00 Monday afternoon. Parents also had the opportunity for a brief meeting with their child’s teachers.
Dinner was served to participating students and parents. A short FCAT parent presentation was made during dinner, and parents received an easy to understand report for their child from last year’s FCAT.
Blog: Political Calls Are Driving Me Nuts
January 28, 2008
If you are registered voter in Escambia County, I bet your phone has been ringing more than you’d like with prerecorded candidate calls. They have been about to drive me nuts the past few days.
You can register for the national Do Not Call Registry and even pay to be on the state’s do-not-call list, but it’s not going to stop the political calls. Do you think politicians are going to regulate their ability to call you? Nope. They are as legal as they can be.
As of Sunday night, the McCain campaign has placed the most calls to me. Recorded calls from smooth announcer voices, recorded calls in McCain’s voice and even recorded calls from his wife. I’m guessing that by the time Tuesday rolls around, it would not surprise me to get a call from his dog or his third cousin Mark’s second cousin twice removed.
There have been the live calls too. Some candidates are actually signing up regular folks to call a list of number from their homes and pitch the candidate.
“Do you want to take a survey about your political preferences?” one caller Saturday wanted to know. Yes, I do. My preference is to hang up now. After all, it’s my phone, my time and my biscuit getting cold on the table.
I’d like to think that if you are reading this far into this blog posting that you are an informed adult, perfectly capable of making decisions now swayed by a phone call at supper. You read NorthEscambia.com, you watch the evening news and read a newspaper or two. Is the recorded call from the candidate’s wife going to change your mind in the 11th hour?
I heard one voter say he had narrowed his choice down to two candidates in his party for Tuesday. Both had been calling his house. The one that called the most will lose his vote. Oops. That political strategy backfired a bit.
When one of the candidates decides to call me in person, I’ll listen. Until then, I’ll get up from the table and answer the phone and grumble a bit that my biscuit is getting cold. I don’t like cold biscuits, and taking me away from a hot meal equals a bad idea.
Got to go answer the phone now. The caller id says “P. Call 000-000-0000″. Nothing like a candidate that tries to block their caller id. I think I’ll let my six year old answer and talk to them.
This is going to be fun.
–William
Huckabee At Escambia Church Sunday Night, Public Meeting Monday
January 28, 2008
Mike Huckabee joined the list of presidential candidates visiting Escambia County prior to Tuesday’s primary election. The former Republican Arkansas governor was the guest speaker at East Brent Baptist Church Sunday night in Pensacola.
Huckabee will appear at an 8:00 a.m. rally Monday at The Fish House in downtown Pensacola.
Huckabee is Republican candidate number four to campaign in Escambia County, joining a list that includes Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain.
The Fish House rally is free and open to the public.
Walnut Hill Precinct Voting Location Moves From Ernest Ward Middle
January 28, 2008
The Walnut Hill precinct will have a new place to vote beginning with Tuesday’s election. The voting location for the precinct will move to the Walnut Hill Community Center (also known as the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club).
In previous elections, voters in the precinct voted in the gym at Ernest Ward Middle School. But that was changed to the community center to avoid conflict with school activities.
Precinct 11, the Walnut Hill precinct, has 1,284 registered voters. They are almost exactly split along party lines, with 568 registered Democrats and 575 registered Republicans. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.
The Walnut Hill Community Center is located at 7850 Highway 97, just north of the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department.
For more information on Tuesday’s election, including sample ballots, click here.
One Killed In Sunday Escambia County, Alabama Plane Crash
January 27, 2008
One person was killed in the crash of an ultralight plane crash in Escambia County, Alabama, north of Atmore.
The Atmore News is reporting that Chris Vanree, 21, died Sunday night from injuries sustained in the plane crash in an open field just north of the McCullough crossroads according to Mary Jane Sells, assistant fire chief of the McCullough Volunteer Fire Department.
Baptist Hospital’s LifeFlight responded from Evergreen and transported one victim from the scene. Paramedics with Atmore Ambulance Service worked with the victim until LifeFlight arrived.
The plane was completely burned. A large area around the aircraft was cordoned off to protect the scattered wreckage. The Poarch Fire Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department also responded. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
For more details and a complete photo gallery, visit AtmoreNews.com.
(Photos and story courtesy Sherry Digmon, The Atmore News)
Coming This Week: Complete Voting Information For North Escambia
January 27, 2008
Visit us Monday here at NorthEscambia.com for a complete look at Tuesday’s vote. We’ll have sample ballots for each party, information on Amendment One, information on a local voting location change and much more. Then on Tuesday, join us for a complete look at voting around the North Escambia area. We’ll have reports from local precincts, reaction for local voters and more. Then, on Wednesday, join us for a complete look at the Florida Presidential Primary with detailed results.
Local Man Recommended For County Administrator Job
January 26, 2008
The Escambia County Commission voted 5-0 Saturday to recommend Interim County Administrator Bob McLaughlin for the county’s top job. The vote on the county administrator will take place at the commission’s meeting on February 7.
The county’s five commissioners spent over six hours interviewing the six top applicants for the position in a public meeting downtown Saturday. Individual commissioners had the opportunity to meet privately with each applicant on Friday. There were originally 38 candidates. That list was narrowed to seven, with one person dropping out before the interview process.
McLaughlin has been an assistant county administrator since 2002. He went to work for the county in 1996 as deputy public works director after 23 years with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Willie Taylor, a current Assistant County Administrator, was the other local finalist. He has been with Escambia County since 2006.
Other finalist were Betty M. Baker, Administrative Services Director, Alachua County, Florida; Pamela Brangaccio, former County Administrator, Broward County, Florida; Dennis W. Kelly, Deputy City Manager, City of North Miami, Florida; and Charles R. Oliver, City Manager, City of Peoria, Illinois.
Pictured above: Bob McLaughlin
Little League Registration In Molino
January 26, 2008
Registration for softball, baseball and tee ball was held this Saturday for the Molino Recreation Association. Registration will be held again next Saturday from 11-1 at the Don Sutton Park in Molino for the Molino Recreation Association.
Registration for the Northwest Escambia League that plays at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill will be held in February.
Talisa Jackson Crowned Miss Carver/Century
January 26, 2008
Eighth grader Talisa Jackson was crowned Miss Carver/Century Friday night. First Runner Up was Takeya Williams, a fifth grader.
Kindergarten student Brelynn Harris was named Little Miss Carver Century. First Runner Up was Vanessa Ovando, a second grader.
Every girl in the pageant received a trophy.
The money raised by the pageant will be put toward field trip to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery on April 24. The fifth through eight grades will be attending a performance of the “Count of Monte Cristo”.
Funds were also raised with a cake auction, with $108 contributed. One red velvet cake sold for $40.
Last Chance To See Alice In Wonderland Sunday In Brewton
January 26, 2008
The Brewton (AL) Community Theatre will present “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” one final time this weekend at Jefferson Davis Community College.
The Sunday show will be at 2:00. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger. Tickets will be available at the door.
A few area residents are in the production. Angel Mitchell from Century is cast in the play as The Rose. She is a student at Ernest Ward Middle School. The Mad Hatter is played by Perry Jones from Atmore, and the Cheshire Cat is played by Emily Moore of Atmore.
The first public performance was held Friday night, with another performance held Saturday night.
Photos courtesy The Brewton Standard.
