Carver/Century Closure To Be Discussed Today, But No Official Recommendation Today
June 26, 2008
The closure of Carver/Century K-8 School could be discussed at a workshop meeting of the Escambia County School Board this afternoon.
But Superintendent Jim Paul’s expected recommendation to close the school will not officially take place today, Associate Superintendent Ronnie Arnold told NorthEscambia.com
“The meeting…has been advertised as a workshop rather than an official meeting, so no action will be taken,” Arnold said. “It is possible that it will be discussed, but by law no vote can be taken at a workshop.”
Paul announced in a press release on June 17 that he would recommend the closure at the June 26 meeting. But at that time, Paul was under the impression that the June 26 meeting would be a regular advertised meeting at which action could be taken, Arnold said.
This afternoon’s school board workshop will take place at 4:00 in Room 160 at the J.E. Hall Center at 30 East Texar Drive in Pensacola. The meeting is open to the public.
The Sensational Tones Of Joy Perform At Century Care Center
June 26, 2008
The Sensational Tones of Joy brought a little joy to the residents of Century Care Center Wednesday morning.
The group, comprised of area men that work shift work and get together whenever they can, perform every chance they get at Century Care.
Pictured above are front (L-R): Group Manager Marvin “Gator” Johnson, Mikyle Dees and Johnny Dees. Back (L-R) Norris Grooms, Melvin Johnson Jr., Willie Holmes, Johnathan Hall and Melvin Johnson, Sr. Pictured below: More scenes from the Sensational Tones of Joy at the Century Care Center on Wednesday. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Gulf Power Praised By Governor For New EarthCents Program
June 26, 2008
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist praised plans by Gulf Power Company to roll out a comprehensive energy conservation program aimed at reducing greenhouse gases while saving customers money.
The electric utility has been working with the governor’s office to launch a new energy conservation initiative called EarthCents – a comprehensive menu of programs and educational efforts to reduce residential and commercial electricity purchases.
“Energy technologies here in the Sunshine State can propel us as a leader in the industry,” Crist said, speaking from his Serve to Preserve Global Climate Change Summit in Miami on Wednesday. “I applaud Gulf Power Company for being energy and industry leaders. With innovative thinking and a commitment to excellence, they have created initiatives that conserve energy, save money and promote the use of renewable energy.”
The EarthCents effort – a combination of new and existing efficiency and conservation programs – will include a new pilot program providing customers a $1,000 incentive to install a solar water heating system and incentives for geothermal heating and cooling systems.
“Gulf Power applauds Governor Crist’s leadership in protecting the environment while at the same time helping Floridians reduce their energy costs,” Susan Story, Gulf Power president and CEO said. “Our EarthCents program, which combines numerous energy saving programs using leading edge technology, is truly a win-win for everyone. Customers could save up to 50 percent on their energy bills by participating in several of the EarthCents programs.”
The next step for the utility, which serves more than 425,000 customers in Northwest Florida, is to gain approval from the Florida Public Service Commission for the new programs and promotions which the company hopes to accomplish by the end of the year.
Other EarthCents programs will include home energy management systems with interactive thermostats and smart meters, free energy surveys, energy efficiency programs for homebuilders and a comprehensive public education program on energy conservation.
“These EarthCents programs will encourage customers to learn more about energy conservation and give them the tools to make earth-friendly decisions every day,” Story said. “We have already reduced power plant emissions by more than 70 percent and this program will give customers the opportunity to further reduce their impact on the environment through these EarthCents programs.”
Gulf Power is also participating in several demonstration projects to help provide needed research into new energy technologies. Those projects include:
- A solar water heating system for a low-income, multi-family housing complex
- The BEST house – a project at the University of West Florida to build a home with the most up to date sustainable “green” design techniques
- Commercial geothermal projects for several customers, including a hotel and a fast food restaurant.
Besides reducing greenhouse gases, Gulf Power expects the EarthCents programs will delay the need for building new peaking power plants in the future as Florida continues to grow.
“Meeting future energy demands, while reducing the total impact on the environment is our goal,” Story said. “We believe EarthCents gets more customers directly involved in improving the environment through their everyday actions.”
Funeral Services Held For Byrneville Accident Victim
June 25, 2008
Funeral services were held this morning at 10:00 for Cody Gafford, 16, who died in a one vehicle accident Saturday afternoon in Byrneville.
Services took place at at the Petty Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Tony Richburg and Bro. Brandon Barlow officiating. Burial followed in Pineview Cemetery.
Cody was a native and lifelong resident of Flomaton. He was a member of the Flomaton High School band and a youth counselor and member of the Liberty Baptist Church of Pineview.
Survivors include, his father, Tony Gafford of Century, Fla.; his mother, Phyllis Brooks of Flomaton; a brother, Mikey Burkett of Flomaton; a sister, Tara Gafford of Flomaton and his grandparents, Jamie Eilleen Gafford of Century, and Annette and Curly Brooks of Century.
Pallbearers were Greg Hagan, Rusty Carden, Jay Dawsey, Gary Hollinger, Frank Carter and Bob Gumapac. Honorary pallbearers were the Liberty Baptist Youth Group.
Visitation was held last night at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
A Long Weekend: Four Killed, 13 Injured In North Escambia Area
June 25, 2008
The first weekend of summer will not be one that emergency responders in the area soon forget. In the span of less than 72 hours, four people died and at least 13 were injured in vehicle accidents and a structure fire in the North Escambia area.
The incidents are listed below in chronological order. Click any of the headings to read the latest NorthEscambia.com story about the incident.
Friday: Deputy Injured In Bratt
Escambia County Deputy David Ingram was injured when his cruiser hit a power pole in Bratt after he collided with a pickup truck driven by a local teen. He was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Saturday: Early Morning Fire Kills Molino Man
A Molino man died in an early morning fire Saturday, unable to escape from his burning travel trailer.
The fire destroyed the small travel trailer about 2:00 Saturday morning on McKinnonville Street.
The victim was identified by neighbors as James White, who lived alone in the travel trailer.
Saturday: Flomaton Teen Dies In Byrneville Fiery Byrneville Wreck
A Flomaton teen died Saturday in a fiery single vehicle accident in Byrneville.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Cody Ray Gafford, 16, of Flomaton died in the crash (pictured top of page) about 12:45 Saturday afternoon.
Troopers say Gafford was traveling south on Byrneville Road at a high rate of speed when he ran off the road and began to spin. His1998 Ford Explorer rotated across the road and began to overturn. That’s when the driver’s side of the Explorer struck a large tree and flipped upside down. The vehicle then caught fire.
Gafford was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.
Saturday: Three Injured In Jay Accident
Three Jay residents were injured in a two vehicle accident at Highway 89 and Escambia Avenue in Jay Saturday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Seth Raught, 18 and Jeremy Raught, 18, of Jay attempted to make a U-turn from the shoulder of Highway 89 when the 1999 Dodge driven by Seth Raught pulled into the path of an oncoming vehicle. That vehicle, a 2000 Dodge SUV, was driven by Dwayne Reaves, 45, of Jay. Reaves was unable to avoid hitting Raught’s vehicle in the driver’s side, the FHP says.
Seth Raught was taken by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where he was listed in critical condition.
Seth Raught was not wearing his seat belt according to the FHP report. The other two parties were. Jeremy Raught received minor injuries in the incident and was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital. The FHP report does not specify the extent of the injuries to Reaves, but it does state that he was transported to Jay Hospital.
Saturday: Cantonment Man Dies In Motorcycle Wreck, One Injured
A Cantonment man died in a one vehicle, one motorcycle accident Saturday night in Cantonment.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Robert P. McDonald, 49, of Cantonment died in the accident about 8:45 Saturday night at the intersection of Pine Forest Road and Graham Road.
Troopers say a 2004 Hyundai driven by Gabrielle N. Taite, 18, of Pensacola was traveling north on Pine Forest Road when she traveled into McDonald’s path. McDonald attempted to take evasive action, causing his motorcycle to overturn and strike Taite’s Hyundai.
McDonald was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger on the motorcycle, Carol E. McDonald, 50, of Cantonment, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition.
Sunday: Five, Including Two Children, Injured In Davisville Accident
Five people were injured, including two young children, in a two vehicle wreck just before 10:00 Sunday morning in Davisville.
The two children and two adults were in a small pickup truck that collided with another small pickup in front of the Family Dollar on Highway 97, just south of the Alabama state line. The second pickup overturned on its side. One person was trapped in that truck for about 15 minutes while firemen used the Jaws of Life to free her.
None of the injuries were believed to be life threatening, according to emergency personnel on the scene.
Monday: One Killed, Two Injured In Highway 29 Crash
The Florida Highway Patrol says Carolyn Hightower, 60, of Pensacola died just before 8:00 Monday night from injuries she received earlier in the day in a North Escambia accident.
The FHP said Richard D. Hightower, 63, and his passenger Carolyn Hightower, 60, of Pensacola were northbound on Highway 29 at Bluff Springs Road in the outside lane when a pickup truck driven by Floyd D. Calloway, 65, of Century pulled from Byrneville Road into their path about 8:20 Monday morning.
Calloway’s truck hit the rear of Hightower’s Chevrolet Blazer, causing it to rotate. Hightower was unable to control the SUV, and it rolled several times before coming to a stop upside in the northbound lanes of Highway 29 (pictured below), according to the highway patrol crash report.
Carolyn Hightower was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where she later died. Richard Hightower was transported by a second LifeFlight helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition. Calloway was transported by ambulance to Jay Hospital with minor injuries. All three people were wearing their seatbelts.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
A Rabbit In A Hat, And Other Magic At Library
June 25, 2008
Tuesday was a magical day at the Century Library as magician Sammy Smith brought his bag of tricks…and his rabbit in a hat to delight children and adults of all ages.
From coins magically appear behind ears, to sleepy bunnies, to magic rings and ropes to disappearing wedding rings, Smith kept the audience guessing how he performed his tricks.
He told them that he learned magic by checking books out of his local library, and he encouraged the children to read during the summer.
The next installment of the Summer Reading Series at the Century Branch Library will be at noon on Tuesday, July 1 as the library celebrates the Fourth of July in grand style. There will be a watermelon eating contest, a watermelon seed spitting contest, apple pies, pigs in a blanket, a hula hoop contest,, Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, George Washington, and more. The program is for children of all ages and is free. For more information, call the library at 256-6217.
For more photos from the magic show at the library, click here.
Pictured above: Magician Sammy Smith performs at the Century Branch Library Tuesday with a little help for an audience member. Pictured below: Children clap for a magic trick. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Farmers May Now Sign Up For Quality Loss Crop Disaster Program
June 25, 2008
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Teresa Lasseter announced that eligible farmers who suffered quality losses to their crops in recent years can enroll in the Crop Disaster Program 2005-2007 (CDP) at local FSA service centers starting June 23, 2008, including the Molino FSA Center at 151 Highway 97 in Molino.
“We have been conducting sign up since last fall for quantity losses for the 2005-2007 crops, and now we are ready to conduct sign up for quality losses,” said Lasseter. “We have already paid producers more than $1.8 billion for quantity losses and over $274 million for livestock losses. Now we can get the final piece of the disaster programs implemented,” Lasseter said.
The CDP provides benefits to farmers who suffered losses to their 2005-2007 crops from natural disasters and related conditions. Producers who incurred qualifying quantity or quality losses in 2005, 2006 or 2007 may receive benefits for only one of these years. However, producers may apply for benefits for losses to multiple crops as long as the losses occurred in the same crop year.
Only producers who obtained crop insurance coverage or coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the year of loss will be eligible for CDP benefits. Producers must have suffered quality losses of at least 25 percent to be eligible for CDP Quality Loss. The payment rate is set at 65 percent of the amount of the affected crop multiplied by 42 percent of the per-unit average market value in the year in which the loss occurred. Producers may receive assistance for both quantity and quality losses. However, the total quantity and quality assistance, together with any crop insurance or NAP payment received for the same crop and the value of the crop production not lost, must not exceed 95 percent of the total value of the crop absent the disaster.
For more information, click here for a pdf fact sheet.
For more information about CDP and other disaster programs implemented by FSA, visit: http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov
Voting Precinct Moves To Quintette Community Center
June 25, 2008
Escambia County is moving a voting precinct location from Cantonment to the Quintette Community Center.
Precinct 36 will move from the Cantonment Fire Department to the Quintette Community Center for both the August 26 primary and the November 4 general election.
The move was made to better accomodate the growing number of voters in the district. There are 2,529 registered voters in the district, according to the Escambia Supervisor of Elections office.
Each registered voter in the district will be mailed a letter of explanation, a map of the new location and a new Voter Indentification Card with the updated polling location.
Pensacola Woman Dies Hours After North Escambia Accident On Hwy. 29
June 24, 2008
The Florida Highway Patrol says Carolyn Hightower, 60, of Pensacola died just before 8:00 Monday night from injuries she received earlier in the day in a North Escambia accident.
The FHP said Richard D. Hightower, 63, and his passenger Carolyn Hightower, 60, of Pensacola were northbound on Highway 29 at Bluff Springs Road in the outside lane when a pickup truck driven by Floyd D. Calloway, 65, of Century pulled from Byrneville Road into their path about 8:20 Monday morning.
Calloway’s truck hit the rear of Hightower’s Chevrolet Blazer, causing it to rotate. Hightower was unable to control the SUV, and it rolled several times before coming to a stop upside in the northbound lanes of Highway 29, according to the highway patrol crash report.
Carolyn Hightower was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where she later died. Richard Hightower was transported by a second LifeFlight helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition. Calloway was transported by ambulance to Jay Hospital with minor injuries. All three people were wearing their seatbelts.
Alcohol was not a factor in the accident according to the FHP.
The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol, and the FHP says charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.
Both the north and southbound lanes of Highway 29 were closed for over an hour while authorities worked at the scene.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured above: Two people were critically injured in this SUV Monday morning near Bluff Springs. Pictured below: The white pickup that collided with the SUV at Bluff Springs Road and Highway 29. Pictured below: One LifeFlight helicopter sits on Highway 29 as one lifts off with an accident victim. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Hit And Run Between Bicycles Sends Cantonment Man To Hospital
June 24, 2008
A two bicycle hit and run accident in Pensacola left a Cantonment man with serious injuries Monday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Jacob D. Hawkins, 30, of Cantonment was riding his bicycle west on the shoulder of Nine Mile Road about 9:41 p.m. Monday when he was hit by another bicycle heading east. Hawkins was ejected from his bicycle, the FHP says, and the other bicyclist fled the scene.
Hawkins was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by ambulance where he was admitted in serious condition. The FHP is searching for the second bicyclist.