District 5 School Board Candidates Raise Little Money
January 15, 2008
The two candidates for the District 5 seat on the Escambia County School Board had very little campaign money by the end of 2007.
Incumbent Pete Gindhl reported that by December 31 he had raised nothing and spent nothing on his campaign. Gindhl qualified for the nonpartisan office on September 7 of last year.
His challenger, Tom Harrell, reported that by year’s end he had raised just $1,186.33. A full $1,000 of that amount came from the candidate. He had only spent $50, with that amount paid to the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office. Harrell has been a declared candidate for the school board seat since January 29, 2007.
District 5 Candidates Report Campaign Donations
January 15, 2008
Escambia County District 5 incumbent Kevin White continues to lead the fund-raising pack as of the latest financial reports filed by the four candidates for the seat.
As of December 31, White had raised $34,155.00 in contributions, loans and in-kind donations for his campaign. He had spent $431.70. That amount included a $200 donation to the Pensacola Civitan Club, printing and miscellaneous office related expenses. Click here to view White’s campaign finance reports in pdf format.
Chris Washler reports that he had raised $2,569.45 by the last day of December. He had spent $388.25 on his campaign, mostly on printing, a logo and bank charges. Click here to view Washler’s campaign finance reports in pdf format.
John Hartman, the lone Democrat in the race, reported that he had $1,180.00 come into his campaign fund by the end of 2007. He had spent $243.64, mostly on signs and office supplies. Click here to view Hartman’s campaign finance reports in pdf format.
Randall McCrackin reported that he had no campaign income or expenses by December 31. Click here to view McCrackin’s campaign finance reports in pdf format.
The primary election is scheduled for August 26, 2008. The prefile deadline for local offices is noon on May, 19, 2008.
Clicking on any of the pdf links above with load the candidates actual campaign finance report. You can see the name and address of each contributor and the name and address for each expense.
NorthEscambia.com will have complete local election coverage over the coming months.
Area Gas Prices Still Above $3 Gallon; Pcola Cheaper
January 14, 2008
Area gas prices continued to run over $3 a gallon on Sunday, with a variation as much as 20 cents per gallon between stations in Pensacola and some in North Escambia.
The lowest price per gallon for regular unleaded NorthEscambia.com found in Escambia County on Sunday was $2.96 at Sam’s Club on Airport Boulevard. Many other Pensacola area stations were at about $2.99, including the Tom Thumb on Highway 29 in Cantonment.
Ten miles north would cost you another 10 cents per gallon Sunday; the Tom Thumb at the corner of Highway 29 and Highway 97 was selling a gallon of regular unleaded for $3.09 per gallon (pictured left).
Another 19 miles up Highway 29 would cost you yet another couple of cents per gallon Sunday, with a BP station at the corner of Highway 29 and Highway 4 selling a gallon of regular unleaded for $3.11 per gallon (pictured above).
A spot check of other stations around the area found a high of $3.16 per gallon at another station in Century.
The national average Sunday was $3.07 per gallon. That’s about 75 cents per gallon higher than the same time last year. Experts say not to expect any more significant jumps at the pump in the next few weeks until the winter driving season hits its mid-point, unless there is some major international incident.
Catholic Downs Northview Boys And Girls Saturday
January 12, 2008
Catholic High School defeated both the Northview boys and girls Saturday afternoon in Bratt.
The Catholic boys edged past the Chiefs 59-56. Nakita Mytles racked up 27 points on the board for Northview and Tarus Thomas scored 12. Other points: Jocqus Lett 8, Jay Jackson 4, James Lewis 3 and Cordayl Lowery 2.
The Chiefs enter the fourth period down 40-32. They rallied in the final period for 24 points, but still fell shy of the win.
The Catholic girls defeated the Northview girls 55-42. Melissa Garrett downed downed 18 for the Chiefs and Gabe Wesley hit 12. Other points: Timeka Marshall 8, Angela Rodriquez 2 and Brittney Thompson 2.
The Chiefs are next on the road, Thursday in Jay and Friday in South Walton Beach.
Fire Departments Respond To Century Care Center
January 12, 2008
Several area fire departments responded to the Century Care Century early Saturday morning following the report of a fire.
Units from Century, Flomaton and McDavid responded to the call. Reports from the scene reported some smoke in one room from a faulty heater.
Listen To Jim Paul’s Exclusive Interview With NorthEscambia.com
January 11, 2008
Shortly after releasing a statement to the media and employees of the Escambia County Schools, Superintendent Jim Paul conducted an exclusive telephone interview with NorthEscambia.com. You can here that interview in its entirety buy clicking the play button below.
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For the complete story about Paul’s arrest, click here.
Pictured: Jim Paul speaks to NorthEscambia.com from his office Friday afternoon.
Paul Grants Exclusive Interview To NorthEscambia.com
January 11, 2008
Escambia County School Superintendent Jim Paul was arrest and charged with DUI in Pinellas County, Florida early Thursday morning.
Friday afternoon, he granted an exclusive interview with NorthEscambia.com. To here the interview in its entirety, click the play symbol below.
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For the complete story on Paul’s arrest, click here.
School Superintendent Jim Paul Won’t Resign After DUI Arrest; NorthEscambia.com Gets Exclusive Interview
January 11, 2008
Escambia County School Superintendent Jim Paul told NorthEscambia.com that he will not resign after being arrested in Pinellas County, Florida, Thursday morning and charged with DUI. In an exclusive NorthEscambia.com interview, Paul said he made a mistake, and he will be punished for that mistake.
To hear Jim Paul’s exclusive interview with NorthEscambia.com, click here.
In his exclusive interview with NorthEscambia.com, Paul said was at a technology conference funded by Apple Computer. He said he was unable to sleep Wednesday night and decided to play the slot machines at the Hard Rock Casino. He said he had two glasses of wine about 10:30, and then went to his car about 12:30.
“You know, you’ve had a couple of drinks,” he said he told himself at his car. “You don’t need to be driving. That’s the last thing I’ll need for goodness sakes is to be pulled over…so I just sat there…and just read some emails on my Blackberry. And tried to doze for a couple of hours and I would drive back.”
He said a drunk rapped on his car window about 1:30 or 2:00 that morning. “It was kind of a drunk; then I felt silly,” he said. “What I a doing here for goodness sake?”
That’s when he started driving back, and was eventually stopped by Pinellas County deputies.
“I didn’t feel in anyway that I was unable to drive,” he told NorthEscambia.com. “But I’m sure everybody says that who’s had drinks and gets behind the wheel of a car.”
Paul released a statement to school district employees Friday morning. In that statement, he issued an apology to the employees and students of the district and to the community.
“I have strived for the past seven years as superintendent of our school district to exhibit the highest personal standards of conduct as an example to all district stakeholders and have expected the same of our employees and students,” Paul’s statement said..“Obviously, my recent actions have fallen far short of that example and I quite frankly find it difficult to find the appropriate words to relate my remorse for the shame and embarrassment I have brought to my position as the school district’s chief executive and to the school district itself.”
You can read Paul’s statement in its entirety by clicking here (pdf format).
According to a Pinellas County report obtained by NorthEscambia.com, Pinellas County deputies say the incident began when they observed a rented white 2007 Chevrolet Impala speeding and weaving dramatically on the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Clearwater. A sergeant assigned to the DUI Enforcement Unit stopped the vehicle and while speaking with the driver, 60-year-old James Roy Paul of Pensacola, became concerned that he was impaired.
A DUI investigation was initiated and after it was determined that Paul was impaired, he was arrested on one count of misdemeanor driving under the influence. Following his arrest, Paul was transported to the Pinellas County Jail where he was booked at 4:45 a.m. Eastern time. He was allowed to post a $500 bond at 2:34 Eastern time, after spending more than nine hours behind bars.
He submitted to a breath test which measured his breath alcohol level at 0.128. The legal limit in Florida is 0.08. During the investigation Paul was cooperative and identified himself as the Superintendent of the Escambia County School District.
Click here to see the officer’s charge report obtained by NorthEscambia.com.
A court date of February 6, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. has been set in Penellas County for Paul.
Paul was in the Tampa area with Paul Fetsko, an assistant superintendent, and Don Maderson, the district’s technology director, for a technology conference. Paul was alone in the car at the time of his arrest.
The 60 year old Paul was first elected superintendent in 2000 and and re-elected in 2004. His office is up for re-election this year. He qualified as Republican candidate in that election on July 19 of last year. Once other candidate, Democrat Myra L. Simmons of Pensacola has also qualified to run in that race.
Pictured above: Escambia County School Superintendent Jim Paul’s booking photograph from Thursday morning in Pinellas County obtained by NorthEscambia.com.
Blog: Mr. Paul, Let’s Talk: My Kids Have Questions
January 11, 2008
As first reported here at NorthEscambia.com Thursday morning, Escambia County Superintendent of Schools Jim Paul was arrested for DUI in South Florida early Thursday morning.
Mr. Paul…let’s talk. My kids have questions.
Both of my girls are students in your school district. One is a bouncy first grader, age six. The other is a maturing young lady in the fourth grade, age 10.
They got off the school bus Thursday afternoon as they do every day. Ran down the driveway and bounded in the door. The oldest one is pretty smart for her age. She’s loves to read. She loves to write. She’s taken a great interest in what I do on NorthEscambia.com everyday, and often goes with me to cover some of the feature stories here.
When the girls got home Thursday afternoon, the oldest asked me what I had written about during the day. I had to tell her first about you, Mr. Paul. Like I said, she’s a bright kid, and she had an idea who you are.
DUI, I told her. She’s been taught about alcohol, and she knows that it’s a bad thing. And she knows that you can’t drink and drive.
“Isn’t he Mrs. Pomeroy’s boss,” she asked. Mrs. Pomeroy is her principal at Bratt Elementary. I told her yes.
“Isn’t he suppose to tell her what to do,” she asked. Again, I told her yes.
“If he was drinking that stuff and driving around,” said my youngest daughter, “is my teacher going to do that? I don’t want my teacher to do that. That’s bad.” Let me remind you that she’s just six.
Mr. Paul, I want you to read that last paragraph again. Think about it and try to understand it with the mind of a little child.
I’m going to repeat it for you. “If he was drinking that stuff and driving around is my teacher going to do that? I don’t want my teacher to do that. That’s bad.”
At six, she loves her teacher. She looks up to her, and looks up to the example she sets. She understands, Mr. Paul, that you are in a position of responsibility over her principal and over her teacher…her hero. She understands that adults are to set examples for children.
This is not about politics. This is not about whether or not you should resign. It’s not about any of that you’ve certainly heard and read in the media the past day.
This is about the simple thought process of a child. The teachers in our county are our children’s heros, mentors and friends. My six year old does not get politics. She gets the fact that you did something very wrong as her teacher’s boss.
This is about my children. This is about the thousands of children in our district. Sure, the middle school and high school students are going to understand what you did. They are going to get it.
But my six year old does not get it. I want you to explain it to her.
We are all listening.
UPDATE: Mr. Paul did respond to these questions in an exclusive interview with NorthEscambia.com Friday afternoon. To hear that interview in its entirety, click here.
No Serious Injuries In Hwy 29 School Bus Crash
January 11, 2008
There were no serious injuries when a school bus and car collided at the intersection of Highway 29 and Well Line Road in Cantonment Friday afternoon.
There were no children on the bus at the time of the 1:03 p.m. crash. Florida Highway Patrol troopers say the bus, driven by Judy Pierce of Cantonment, pulled in front of a 1993 Chevrolet driven by Kevin Folse of Pensacola. Folse sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Pierce was charged with violation of the right of way at an intersection, according to the FHP report.