Many Teachers Receiving $2042 Bonus
September 8, 2008
Later this month, 908 Escambia County teachers will have a little something extra in their paychecks…$2042 to be exact.
The teachers will receive a merit pay bonus based upon evaluations using district approved standards negotiated by the school district and the teacher’s union. It is a plan that links the bonuses to the professional accomplishments and performance of students, particularly how the teacher’s students perform on the FCAT. Not every eligible teacher receives the bonuses.
The $2.1 million in checks will go out next Monday to the eligible teachers. There are about 3,200 teachers in the Escambia County School District. About 1,850 were eligible for the bonuses, but only 908 will ever see the money for the 2007-2008 school year. The check stubs are due to be mailed next Monday, with the money deposited with regular paychecks at the end of the month.
Of the teacher initially eligible for the bonus, about 500 opted out of the program. Each eligible teacher will receive the same bonus, after FICA deductions.
The district will be paying out $2,094,929 in bonuses to the teachers and 36 school district employees. The money comes from the state.
Escambia County was one of just nine school districts out of the 67 in the state eligible to provide merit bonuses to teachers.
Gorgeous Grandma Day
September 8, 2008
Some of the most beautiful women in North Escambia posed for “glamour shots” recently in Century.
The Century Care Center recently held Gorgeous Grandma Day. The ladies of CCC received the full treatment, from hair to makeup and wardrobe, before posing for their photographs.
To see more photos of the ladies that participated in the event, click here.
NorthEscambia.com Adds Sports Page
September 8, 2008
NorthEscambia.com has added a sports page to our site. You’ll always be able to find the sports page by clicking the “SPORTS” link in the menu bar on the top of the page. While we won’t be able to cover every game from every team in North Escambia, you will find coverage on the sports page over the coming days from many area teams.
Varsity and junior varsity football from Northview, Ernest Ward Middle School football, Flomaton High School varsity and JV football, NWE football’s three teams, Molino Fall Ball, Northview varsity and JV volleyball, Ernest Ward volleyball and more…we’ll have coverage and lots of photos here on NorthEscambia.com.
To have more complete coverage, we need your help. If you are a parent or just a fan that attends most games for a particular team, we would love your help with photos and/or scores. You don’t have to be able to write a complete story…just let us know who won and perhaps email a few photos. If you think you could help with a particular team, let us know by emailing news@northescambia.com.
Also, to make our sports coverage of our local teams possible, we need advertiser support. If you have a business and would like to know how to make advertising on NorthEscambia.com work for you while supporting our local sports teams, email news@northescambia.com.
EREC Sends Lodging Trailers To Louisiana
September 7, 2008
Over a million people in Louisiana are still without power following Hurricane Gustav’s landfall in the state.
One of the biggest challenges facing electric utilities during power restoration after disasters such as hurricanes is lodging.
“It is difficult at best to find housing for hundreds or even thousands of workers in an area whose infrastructure has been devastated. For this purpose, EREC acquired trailers and renovated them into bunk housing,” said Clay Campbell, Escambia River Electric Coopeartive general manager/CEO.
EREC has five trailers which will sleep 33 people each. In addition, they have a shower trailer with 10 showers and sinks. The sleeper trailers have central heat and air, as well as individual lockers for each occupant. Each bunk has overhead lighting and electrical outlets for cell phone charging. The bottom row of bunks has nighttime floor lighting as well.
Two bunk trailers and the shower trailer are being utilized, at a cost-based fee, by Pointe Coupee Electric Cooperative in New Roads, Louisiana, for electric co-op crewmen during power restoration. Pointe Coupee EC has approximately 10,000 members who were all without power following Hurricane Gustav.
NWE Eagles Travel To Navarre
September 7, 2008
The Northwest Escambia Eagle Mini-Mites, Mites and Midgets hit the road Saturday to take on the Raiders of Navarre.
Both the Mini-Mites and Mites lost their games. The NWE Midgets won their game 24-6.
Both teams are members of the Gulf Coast Youth Football Alliance.
The three NWE teams will be in action again next Saturday at the Ernest Ward Middle School football field against the Myrtle Grove Green. The Mini-Mites kickoff at 9:00. The Mites play at 10:30 and the Midgets take the field at noon.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Picture above and below: The NWE Eagles visited the Raiders of Navarre Saturday. Submitted photos by Chad Wiedel for NorthEscambia.com.
No Serious Injuries In Saturday Wreck
September 7, 2008
No one was seriously injured in a two vehicle accident late Saturday morning in Century that left one vehicle upside down.
The accident happend near the intersection of North Century Boulevard and Hilltop Road about 11:30 Saturday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol says the driver of a northbound Chevrolet pickup attempted to turn across traffic into the parking lot of Bondurant Hardware. His pickup was struck by a southbound van when he turned into the van’s path.
The pickup truck came to rest upside down on North Century Boulevard while the driver of the van continued on and pulled onto Hilltop Road.
The driver of the pickup sustained some minor cuts in the accident. No one was transported to the hospital from the accident scene.
In addition to the FHP, Escambia County EMS , Century Volunteer Fire Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call.
Pictured above: The driver of this pickup was not seriously injured in a Saturday wreck on North Century Boulevard. Pictured below: The pickup truck driver pulled in front of this van, according to the FHP. Pictured bottom: The pickup upside down. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Remember What? Ray’s Chapel Youth Hold Back To School Bash
September 7, 2008
The youth at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church held a Youth Back to School Fellowship Saturday night.
The church begins a new church year today, and grades six to college got together last night to kick off the new church year.
The youth played volleyball, raced tricycles and ate. Bro. Nathan Brown, pastor at Ray’s Chapel, gave a devotion with the theme “Remember”, and each youth received a tshirt with the word “Remember”. When someone asks them “Remember what?”, they learned to say “Remember Jesus loves you and has a special plan for your life”.
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church is located in the Bogia community.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Have an event at your church? Let us know about it by emailing news@northescambia.com
Pictured above: Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church youth held a back to school bash Saturday night. Pictured below: They also had a little three-wheel-action on tricycles. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Molino: Registration For Fall Ball Today
September 6, 2008
Signup for Molino Fall Ball will be held today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Molino Ballpark.
For more information, call Wayne Wilson at (850) 698-7014. This is only for t-ball ages, coach pitch and minor baseball.
Relay For Life Planning Underway
September 6, 2008
Century Relay for Life may be many months away, but the planning for the event began this week.
Organizers met late this week to start the planning for the Relay for Life event that will take place the last week of April, 2009. Leadership roles were discussed and appointments will be made in the near future.
Relay for Life is an organization totally run by volunteers that promotes awareness of cancer and raises money to help fight for a cure. Paula Jernigan, Century chairperson and B.J. Davis (pictured left), director of marketing, opened the meeting by allowing attendees to share how cancer had personally touched their lives.
Many of those in attendance at the meeting spoke from the heart on the importance of this event and how they want to increase the number of volunteers. The message at the meeting was to bring in as many volunteers as possible and work hard for a cure. Davis passionately said that he wants everyone “bleeding purple” in the community.
Purple colored favors were also handed out to each one who attended. Purple is the color identifying the Relay for Life organization.
For more information on Relay for Life, visit www.cancer.org.
Pictured top: Lisa Moretz, Sharon Scott and Nikki Faktor attended a Century Relay for Life committee rally at Carver/Century K-8 School. NorthEscambia.com photos by Heather Leonard.
Catholic Downs Northview Chiefs In Season Opener
September 6, 2008
A young Northview High School team lost their season opener 48-0 Friday night at Pensacola Catholic High School.
The Crusaders jumped on the board with 8:11 to go in the first with an Evan Smith run to paydirt, ending an eight play drive. The Chiefs blocked the kick, and Catholic was on the board 6-0.
Then with 4:50 left in the first quarter, Catholic added another touchdown on a 20 yard run by Marquis Sumier. Add in a kick, and Catholic was up 13-0.
Then things got dark…seriously dark when the stadium lights failed with 2:19 to go in the first quarter (pictured left, click to enlarge). About 20 minutes later, the lights were back on. About a minute after that, Crusaders quarterback Shaun White scored on a five yard run into the endzone. The kick was good, and the score was 20-0 with 1:18 in the first.
With about a minute left in the first quarter, Catholic scored again; this time on a 30 yard fumble return by Johnathon Melton. At the end of the first quarter, Catholic was up 27-0.
The second quarter was also dominated by the Crusaders, with a 15 yard pass to Alex Bast for another half dozen points. The kick was good, and Catholic was up 34-0 with 4:56 left in the half.
With 1:23 to go in the first half of play in Pensacola, Catholic score again on a 20 yard dash by Adrian Smiley. A kick through the uprights, and Catholic led 41-0 at halftime.
The Chiefs held their own in the third quarter, with the quarter ending scoreless for both teams.
In the fourth, an 18 yard run by La’Gerrald White and a good kick set the final score at 48-0.
“Obviously, I am very disappointed in the way we played,” Chiefs Head Coach Cody Keene told NorthEscambia.com after the game. “They have a fine football team. Our hats off to them, and we congratulate them on a great victory.
“We are not as bad as we played. We’ve just got a lot of work to do to get better,” Keene said. “We’ve got to stick together and work to get better. We are real young, but we are not as bad as we played.”
Shakel Holmes picked up 18 yards on the night on three carries, and Ka’ Daris Grice had four yards on four carries for the Chiefs.
Brandon Sheets was three of nine in passing for 22 yards. Austin Arrington had 18 yards for Northview on one reception. Josh Dorriety and Aaron Chancery picked up two yards each on receptions for NHS.
On the defensive side, Ka ‘Daris Grice, Luke Killam, Brian Long and Austin Reid had eight tackles each against Catholic. Shakel Holmes and Cole Gandy had seven tackles each.
Austin Reid had an average 38 yeard per punt for NHS.
Northview will be on the road again next week against Chipley, and they will be at home the following week against Walton County. The first district game for the Chiefs is September 26 on the road against Holmes County.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, including the big plays, the band and the cheerleaders, click here.
For video highlights from the game, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
