Sheriff’s Copters Will Be Grounded
January 22, 2009
New Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan will ground the department’s helicopter program as of March 1.
Citing budget problems, Morgan announced Wednesday that he would deactivate the air unit that has been in existence since 2001. The unit currently employees three pilots, three tactical flight officers, and an aviation logistics specialist. The three tactical flight officers are sworn deputies that will be rolled back into patrol units as manpower needs dictate.
Morgan has said that closing the department’s air unit will save his department about $800,000 per year. That includes salaries and costs like maintenance and fuel.
The air unit’s two military surplus OH-58 helicopters will be stored temporarily until futher budget determinations can be made.
The helicopter unit has been used numerous times in the North Escambia area over the past year. The helicopter has been used to search for robbery suspects, missing people and even used to track down a horse running wild and posing a traffic hazard in Century.
Northview NJROTC Holds Military Ball
January 22, 2009
The Northview High School NJROTC held their annual Military Ball recently at the National Museum of Naval Aviation about NAS Pensacola.
It was a joint event with the Washington High School NJROTC unit and the first time any NJROTC unit had held their ball at this unique location. Over 110 cadets and their dates attended the evening. Kings and queens, princes and princesses were selected by their peers.
The King and Queen were Dalton Cummings and Kayla Brewer (pictured top). The Junior/Sophomore Prince and Princess were Elliott Ross and Tyler Hunter (pictured below). The Freshman Prince and Princess were Cardean Smith and Kayla Miles (pictured bottom).
Click here for more photos from the Military Ball.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
the road to the crown Part Three
January 22, 2009
Today, it’s part three of our five part series “the road to the crown”. We are following 32 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2009.
We’ve posted more photos today from Wednesday afternoon’s dress rehearsal. They are in black and white so we can show them to you without spoiling the excitement of seeing the gowns in their colorful splendor Saturday night. Plus we thought the black and white was just cool looking in a retro old-newspaper kind of way. See the photo gallery by clicking here.
All of the tickets for Saturday night’s pageant have been sold. The final practice is over. Our series “the road to the crown” will continue Friday and Saturday morning. We will introduce you to each girl and learn more about their accomplishments with a complete biography for all 32 contestants. The pageant is Saturday night at 7:00, and NorthEscambia.com will have the new Miss Northview High School and all the photos here Sunday morning.
Click here to read part one of “the road to the crown”.
Click here to read part two of “the road to the crown”.
Driver Walks Away Uninjured In Highway 97 Wreck
January 22, 2009
The driver of a car involved in a single vehicle accident south of Walnut Hill Wednesday night walked away uninjured.
The accident happened about 6:20 p.m. on Highway 97 about a mile and a half north of White Ash Road. The driver of a Chevrolet Malibu lost control while headed northbound on Highway 97, crossed the center line, struck a culvert and became airborne. The vehicle landed on the driver’s side just off the pavement.
The female was driver was standing outside the vehicle when units from the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue arrived on the scene. She refused transport to the hospital by Atmore Ambulance.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured above and below: The driver of this car walked away uninjured in this Highway 97 accident Wednesday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Hard Freeze Warning For Tonight
January 21, 2009
A hard freeze warning has been issued for tonight by the National Weather Service for North Escambia and surrounding areas with a low forecast to be in the low 20’s.
The official forecast for tonight calls for a low of 22 with light wind. Thursday will be sunny and not as cool, with a high of 62. Thursday night will be considerably warmer, with a low near 40.
Friday will be sunny and warm, with a forecast high of 73.
The National Weather Service issued the following statement:
…Hard freeze warning in effect from 11 PM this evening to 8 am
CST Wednesday…
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a hard freeze
warning…which is in effect from 11 PM this evening to 8 am CST
Wednesday. The hard freeze watch is no longer in effect.
Temperatures will drop below freezing this evening then bottom out
in the upper teens well inland to the mid twenties closer to the
coast. Temperatures will return above freezing during the mid morning
hours.
A hard freeze warning means temperatures falling below 26 degrees
for five or more hours are expected late tonight into Wednesday
morning. These conditions will likely kill crops and other cold
sensitive vegetation. Temperatures such as these can cause exposed
water pipes to burst.
Action should now be completed to ensure adequate warmth for
outdoor pets as well as freeze sensitive outdoor plants and
equipment. Check on the elderly to ensure they have proper
warmth. Those who have gas heat should make sure Carbon monoxide
detectors are in good working order. Make sure portable space
heaters are in good working order and placed well away from
flammable materials such as bedding and curtains.
Bratt Second Graders Delayed
January 21, 2009
Bratt Elementary School second graders that attended a field trip today did not arrive back at the school in time to ride their regular bus home.
The students were put on later buses and transported home.
We are told that the bus transporting the students broke down in Pensacola.
Suspect Impersonates Deputy; Pulls Over Teen Female
January 21, 2009
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department is searching for a man who was impersonating a law enforcement officer last night near Beulah.
Deputies are seeking a man who pulled over a 16-year old female about 5:30 last night in the area of West Nine Mile Road and Beulah Road. The female told deputies that when she saw flashing lights behind her vehicle, she pulled over to the side of the road.
The victim described the suspect as a white male about 6-foot 2-inches tall with dark, bushy hair, stocky build and a mole under his left eye. She described him as being in his late twenties to early thirties. The suspect approached the victim’s vehicle, and he asked her to stop out of the vehicle.
Because the suspect did not appear to be a law enforcement officer and refused to identify himself, the teen refused to exit her vehicle.
“The victim asked why she was being pulled over at which time she stated the suspect was almost laughing while speaking with her,” according to a press release from Escambia Sheriff’s Department Spokesman Sgt. Ted Roy. “After a few more questions the suspect walked to the rear of her vehicle as if to look at the tag, walked back to her vehicle and stated, ‘You’re free to go. Somebody must have been playing a prank on you’.”
The suspect was seen leaving in what was described as a possible late model Toyota Camry, white in color with blue/purple dash lights and the word “Sheriff” in small green letters on the driver’s door.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with any information on this suspect to call the Sheriff’s Office at 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at 433-STOP.
Impersonating a police officer is a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison, and using blue lights is a misdemeanor of the first degree, according to Roy.
$1 Million In Improvements On The Way For Bratt, Ernest Ward
January 21, 2009
Almost $1 million in expansions are in the works for Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle schools.
With the impending closure of Carver/Century K-8 School, the Escambia County School Board is moving forward with plans to install modular classrooms at the two schools to provide extra space for the Carver/Century students that will be redistricted to the schools.
Plans call for five classrooms with included restrooms, five sinks and two closets to be installed at Bratt Elementary at a total cost of $440,006.
Ernest Ward Middle will receive five classrooms, two closets, and one 24 by 36 foot restroom facility at a total cost of $543,391.
The modular classrooms would be installed prior to the start of the 2009-2010 school year.
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said he realizes that some people will not understand how he could recommend closure of Carver/Century to save $600,000 to $1 million per year and then spend nearly $1 million on the modular classrooms to house the students at other schools.
“You have realize that these modulars are a one time expense, while the losses at Carver/Century are a recurring expense year after year,” Thomas said. “If I overspend $1 million every year, that’s the kind of money that can be put into teacher salaries. The modulars are a one-time expense.”
Thomas said the modulars are not the “portables” that many adults remember from their days in school. Rather, he said, they are high quality near permanent type construction.
Inauguration Diary: Reporters Can’t Get In, Even With Tickets
January 21, 2009
NorthEscambia.com was scheduled to have updates from Washington and the Barack Obama Inauguration on Tuesday. Two million people got into the festivities, while 4,000 people with official tickets did not.
In cooperation with the Pensacola Independent News, we were to have reports during the day from IN staff members Sean Boone and Joani Delzen from the streets of the Washington. But Boone and Delzen made history as part of the 4,000 ticket holders that did not get in.
No One Shows Up For Escambia All For One Meeting
January 21, 2009
No one from the local community showed up for an Escambia All for One public meeting Tuesday night in Walnut Hill.
The group pushing for a consolidated government in Escambia County called the meeting at the Walnut Hill Community Center. They even announced that District 5 Escambia Commissioner Kevin White would attend the meeting.
But when meeting time arrived, the community center was still locked. All for One Co-Chair Jason Crawford, three All for One members/supporters and our NorthEscambia.com reporter were the only ones at an impromptu meeting held outside the community center.
White said he was made aware of the meeting late last week, but he was unable to attend due to concerns about Florida’s Sunshine Law that requires public notice be given prior to commissioners attending public forums. Such forums and meetings, White said, usually appear in a legal notice but there was no time to include the All for One meeting in the weekly legal notice printed in the daily newspaper.
Another informational meeting will be held Wednesday evening at 5:30 at New World Landing in Pensacola. The legislative delegation meeting will be held at 6:00 Friday night at the WSRE Amos Theatre on the campus of Pensacola Junior College. Both meetings are open to the public.
The Northwest Florida legislative delegation will meet Friday night to discuss the latest draft of the legislation support by All for One. That legislation would create a commission to draft a consolidated government plan to be presented to the county’s voters in 2010.
The group has made a list of supporters available. Click here to download the All for One supporter list (pdf).
Escambia County, the City of Pensacola and the Town of Century all passed resolutions in favor of the consolidation. But the Town of Century later backed out and rescinded their support, with town officials saying that they were misled by All for One.
“We think consolidated government would bring a number of benefits to the community, including a reduction in duplication of services, lower taxes and job creation,” said Jason Crawford, co-chairman of All for One. “The purpose of these meetings is to talk about the benefits of consolidation and to hear from the public.”