Meet The Democratic Candidates Saturday At Fish Fry
July 19, 2008
Saturday is your chance to meet the Democratic candidates for local offices at a North Escambia fish fry.
The Democratic Party of Escambia County invites you to meet their candidates this afternoon.
The two democratic candidates for sheriff, Samuel Lucas and Larry Scapecchi are expected to attend. District 5 Escambia County Commission candidates Jim Barnett and John Hartman plant to attend, as does Tony Henderson, candidate for public defender.
The fish fry will be held at the Wiggins Lake Pavilion at 5140 Wiggins Lake Road in Walnut Hill from 4:00 until dusk.
There is a $6.00 suggested donation for the fish plate with all the trimmings. The public is invited. For more info, call the Democratic Party of Escambia County office at 475-9755.
Two Churches To Hold Men’s Breakfast Meetings
July 19, 2008
Two Molino churches will hold their monthly men’s breakfast meetings this Sunday morning.
Aldersgate United Methodist Men will meet for breakfast Sunday morning at 7:15. All the men of the community are invited to attend for a hearty breakfast and great fellowship. The meeting is in the Aldersgate Cafe at 6915 Highway 29 North, Molino.
Highland Baptist Church Brotherhood will have their monthly Breakfast Sunday morning at 7:00 in the church fellowship hall. You are invited to hear Rev. James Hughes give his testimony and enjoy a great breakfast. The church is located at 6240 North Highway 95A in Molino.
Have an announcement for your church or civic organization? Let us know about it by sending an email to news@northescambia.com
Commissioner Almost Loses His Cool With County Fire Chief At Meeting
July 18, 2008
The process of consolidating the county’s volunteer and paid firefighters is continuing, but not without contention between one commissioner and the county’s fire chief.
Escambia County Fire Chief Ken Perkins (pictured left) was giving his monthly report to commissioners on the consolidation process when District 5 Commissioner Kevin White asked about a rumor.
“We have indentified and are going to be reducing some of our excessive resources, mainly in our rolling stock and fleet,” Perkins said. “Reducing our staff vehicles by approximately 30 percent. Also taking some of our older apparatus out of service and pulling some of the others back into a reserve status which will hopefully save us on maintenance cost.”
“Is there any truth to the rumor that it’s going to be two (staff vehicles) per station?” District 5 Commissioner Kevin White asked.
“Two per station.” Perkins responded.
“In every station?” White asked.
“Every station,” Perkins replied.
“I’ll talk to y’all later. I’ve got to go. I’m going to get ticked here in a minute,” White said. “Completely different from what we talked about that day in my office because some stations it wasn’t a one size fit all plan.”
“Correct,” Perkins said.
“But you are going to do it across the board?” White asked.
“That is the starting point. Two at this point. And that could be cut even more as we move along,” Perkins said.
“I’m done,” White (pictured left) said. “I don’t think I could go any farther without losing my cool.”
Other changes moving toward the consolidation identified by Perkins included centralizing vehicle and apparatus maintenance programs, processes for disciplinary action and termination of volunteer firefighters, standardized communications methods, personnel evaluations, standardized record keeping through firehouse software, a new way of doing annual department budgets and standardized mutual aid agreements.
Volunteers will also processed through the county’s human resources department, including background checks, driving records checks and physicals.
“At this point I feel very, very confident we may end up bringing a total package to you earlier than September if we continue at this pace, Perkins said.
School District Rejects County Offer To Purchase Old Molino School, County To Make Another Offer
July 18, 2008
Escambia County’s $2 million offer to purchase the old Molino Elementary School and the old Wedgewood Middle School property in Pensacola was shot down by the school district.
County Administrator Bob McLaughlin told commissioners Thursday that he met with School Superintendent Jim Paul Monday afternoon to formally make the $2 million offer to acquire the two properties.
“With some discussion, Mr. Paul made a counter offer of $3.3 million for the pieces of property,” McLaughlin said.
The $3.3 million was broken down as $2.9 million for the Wedgewood property and $400,000 for the old Molino School property.
McLaughlin said he did not have a current appraisal on the Wedgewood property, so the commission granted him permission to obtain that appraisal so he could return to Paul’s office with another offer.
“Mr. Paul is trying to sell the surplus properties that he has to try to build a high school somewhere on the westside,” said McLaughlin.
The school board’s appraisal of the Molino property is $400,000 to $600,000, and $3.3 million on the Wedgewood property.
“If there’s (county owned) properties somewhere near where he would like to build the new school on the west side, then we may have additional leverage,” McLaughlin. “But he was not able to give a specific location or a general area that I could take a look at and see what we had available.”
Last month, the commission was set to discuss the purchase the old Wedgewood Middle property for a one-stop county facility. The Escambia County School Board’s asking price for the property located off Highway 29 north of W Street was $4 million.The commission decided to offer $2 million for that property and the old Molino Elementary on Highway 95A in Molino. The school board’s asking price for the Molino property was $400,000.
Plans call for the old Molino school to become a community hub, possibly including a 5,000 square foot library, a museum highlighting Molino history, a small health clinic, a business incubator, renovation of the gym and one additional building for community events and private party rental along with other uses.
The Molino school closed in 2003 when the new Molino Park Elementary School consolidated Molino Elementary and Barrineau Park Elementary.
The school, which sits on nine acres along County Road 95A, first opened in 1939.
Natural Gas Fire Rages Near Atmore Grocery Store
July 18, 2008
Flames shot several feet into the air near Winn Dixie in Atmore early Thursday afternoon as a natural gas fire burned from a hole in the street.
A contractor actually went into the hole with the fire to turn a shutoff valve and extinguish the fire.
For the complete story and a photo gallery, visit AtmoreNews.com.
Photo courtesy Atmore News.
Free Movie Tonight: “Facing The Giants”
July 18, 2008
A free community movie night will be held tonight in Century.
The Century Blue Ribbon Committee will present “Facing the Giants” tonight at 6:30 at the New Life Baptist Church in the old Century High School on Hecker Road.
Facing the Giants is an action-packed drama about a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure.
In six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never led his Shiloh Eagles to a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly organizing to have him dismissed as head coach.
Devastated by his circumstances, he cries out to God in desperation. When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field.
When faced with unbelievable odds, the Eagles must step up to their greatest test of strength and courage. What transpires is a dynamic story of the fight between faith and fear. Facing the Giants is a powerful experience for the whole family inspiring viewers to live with faith, hope, and love.
The movie “A Walk To Remember” will be shown next Friday night at 6:30.
County Gives First Nod To Pet Friendly Hurricane Shelter
July 18, 2008
The county commission gave a preliminary go-ahead for Escambia County’s first pet-friendly hurricane evacuation shelter Thursday morning.
The pet-friendly shelter of last resort would be located at Molino Park Elementary School.
“I think it is good,” Commissioner Grover Robinson said. “We have got a lot of people that have pets.”
The county is currently conducting a pet-friendly shelter needs survey. So far, 574 pet owners have take the survey. You can take the survey by clicking here.
While there are over 1,500 local hotel and motel rooms that will accept pets, the county has determined the need for a pet-friendly shelter as a last resort for those unable to evacuate their pets elsewhere or simply will not evacuate without their pets.The pets would be housed in the 3,158 square foot area of the school’s gym. The county says that will house between 148 to 350 pets in pet carriers or cages.
“I wish we could do more. Right now, 250 is better than zero,” Robinson said.
The shelter would be for household cats and dogs only, with no other pets or animals allowed. Pet owners would be responsible for providing their own food, water, medicine and cleanup supplies.
Owners would not be allowed to shelter with their pets in the pet area, nor would pets be allowed in the people shelter area of the school.
A contractor will be used to sanitize the school and spray for fleas before students are allowed to return.
Produce Truck Overturns On Highway 29 In Molino; Driver Charged
July 17, 2008
No one was injured when a truck overturned on Highway 29 in Molino this morning, but the driver now faces charges.
The truck was hauling fresh produce for Adams Produce in Birmingham. The driver, Robert T. Cade, 51 of Birmingham, was southbound on Highway 29 in the inside lane when he ran off the road into the median, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The FHP says he then over corrected, ran back across Highway 29 and overturned. The truck landed with the trailer blocking in the outside southbound land of Highway 29 and the truck on the grassy side of the road.
Cade was not injured. He was charged with possession of a narcotic without a prescription and careless driving, according to the crash report from the FHP.
The truck came to rest on its side partially off the highway. One southbound lane was blocked, but traffic continued to flow until being stopped for the wrecker to right the truck.
The accident happened just south of Molino Road just before 8:00. The truck was still blocking traffic at 1:00 Wednesday afternoon..
The Molino Volunteer Fire Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene.
Pictured: This truck hauling produce overturned Wednesday morning in Molino. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Century To Foreclose On Helicopter Technologies, Take Back Lots
July 17, 2008
The Town of Century has decided to begin foreclosure proceedings against Helicopter Technologies.
After Wednesday afternoon meeting with Matt Dannheisser, the town’s attorney, the town council voted to begin the emergency foreclosure proceedings.
The company’s building in the Century Industrial Park was financed by the Town of Century in 1991 for $420,000 according to filed documents. The company currently owes the town $449,000, according to Mayor Freddie McCall.
At the council’s last meeting on July 7, the mayor told the council that Georges Van Nevel of Helicopter Technologies told him that the building would be sold to a Pensacola buyer by July 11. NorthEscambia.com learned on July 10 that the sale was off and the buyer was backing out.
McCall said that a clause in Helicopter Technologies’ contract with the town gave the town the option to “take back” three lots around the building, and he said the town would take possession of those lots.
Before the foreclosure papers are filed in the courts, the mayor said the council had authorized Dannheisser to explore a few other options. One would be an offer by Van Nevel to give the building back to the town in exchange for the town forgiving the amount he owes.
For recent stories:
Click here to read No Sale: Helicopter Technologies Building Buyer Backs Out
Click here to read Helicopter Technologies Building Might Be Sold; Town Considers Filing Emergency Foreclosure
10 Years In The Making: A Solution To Backwoods Water Woes
July 17, 2008
After waiting a decade, the residents of Backwoods Road in Century will finally see a solution to their water woes.
The Century Town Council voted in a special meeting Wednesday afternoon to rework a $1.4 million USDA loan to include water line improvements on Backwoods Road.
Back on May 22, the town received a symbolic $1,755,000 check for a USDA Rural Development Loan to improve water service in the area of Backwoods Road, but the council never voted to finalize the loan.
Since that time, about $300,000 was shaved from the project by decreasing the size of a new elevated storage tank near the intersection of Henry Street and Academy Street. The project was to also include generators for water wells and a new six inch water main from Shady Lane and State Line Road, west along State Line Road to Highway 4A, and then south on Highway 4A past Backwoods Road.
The council had planned to “buy down the loan” by about $300,000, mostly from funds to be received from the state from back billing for gas service at the Century Correctional Institute. With that $300,000, the monthly loan payment would be about $64,000…with that money coming from increased payments of around $90,000 a month from the prison system.
McCall said it would be several months before the loan was finalized, and he said he did not know at this point if the town would be still be able to buy down the loan by the $300,000 with the added expense of improving water service on Backwoods Road.
The next major hurdle, one that has been a problem for years, will be obtaining the right of way agreements necessary to install the new water line next to Backwoods Road.