FCAT Writing Scores Released: North Escambia Schools Get Good News
April 30, 2009
The Florida Department of Education released writing scores from the FCAT test Thursday morning, and the scores were good news for North Escambia schools.
The writing FCAT is administered to fourth, eighth and tenth grade students.
“I am proud of all of our teachers, students, and administrators,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said. “And I am particularly pleased with those at the elementary level for what they have achieved this year. We look forward to building on this success.”
At Bratt Elementary, 87 percent of fourth graders scored at level three or above on the writing FCAT. Last year, it was 85 percent.
Byrneville Elementary fourth graders students held steady at 71 percent at level three plus.
Carver/Century K-8 fourth grade students posted their best score in three years, raising last year’s percentage scoring at three or above from 20 to 65 percent this year. Of the eighth grade students at Carver/Century, 40 percent scored a grade level three or above on the writing FCAT. That was about the same as last year’s 40 percent.
Molino Park fourth graders improved from 75 percent last year to 86 percent at level three or above this year.
At Ernest Ward Middle, 91 percent of the eighth graders scored at level three or above on the Writing FCAT, the exact same percentage as last year.
Northview High School had 83 percent of tenth graders scoring level three or greater, down slightly from last year’s 86 percent.
Across the Escambia School District, the percentage of fourth grade students scoring a grade level three or above went from 68 last year to 81 percent this year. Eighth grade students held steady at 85 percent, and the tenth grade numbers decreased slightly from 81 to 77 percent.
Highway 97 Turn Lane Completed
April 30, 2009
Workers from Gulf Coast Traffic Engineers painted the highway markings for a new turn lane from southbound Highway 97 to Highway 4 in Davisville Wednesday afternoon. The process created some minor traffic delays. The entire project was due to be finished by the first part of April, but was delayed by heavy rains. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
NHS Quarterback Club Elects Officers
April 30, 2009
The Northview High School Quarterback Club has elected officers for the next school year. They are:
- Joey McCall, president,
- David Bell, vice president
- Edie Jackson, treasurer
- Lisa Albritton, secretary
- Randy Albritton, public relations.
Eddie Jackson, Roy White, Jr., David Arrington, Mark Digmon, and Toney Simpson were elected as board members.
Also, the following committees were established, and they are listed with their respective chairperson and mission:
- Spirit Committee — Ramona Bell (Implement ideas that build school, team, and fan spirit)
- Fundraising Committee — Rebecca Presnall (Propose and organize fundraising ideas)
- Concession Coordination — Carla Randolph (Work with Concession Manager and develop schedules)
- Hospitality Committee — Deborah Arrington (Oraganize pre and post game meals, organize banquet and referee hospitality)
- Game Support Committee — Toney Simpson (Chain gang, Press Box crew, Statistics, and field prep assistance)
- Audio-Visual Committee — Randy Albritton (Sound system, game films, end of season video and highlights)
The following was submitted by Randy Albritton on behalf of the Quarterback Club:
One of our goals is to increase participation in the Quarterback Club. Twenty members attended this past meeting, and as you can see from the committees established above, there is plenty of help needed and required. Our main goal is to attempt to provide every student and athlete at Northview now and in the future, with a positive, memorable high-school experience through our sports programs.
We do that by working diligently and faithfully in the committees listed above. I believe that every parent shares this goal with the Northview Quarterback Club. So we encourage you to talk with members about the exciting things coming up for the next school year and please attend our next meeting on Tuesday, May 19th, at 7 p.m., at the gymnasium. During the summer, we will meet the first Tuesday of every month.
Don’t forget the Garnet and Gold intrasquad game will be Friday, May 22nd, at 7 p.m. There will be a hot dog supper for $6 available for all attendees. Come out and cheer for the Chiefs!!!
Escambia Deputy Involved In Crash Near Jay
April 30, 2009
An off-duty Escambia County Deputy was in a two vehicle accident Wednesday night in Santa Rosa County.
Deputy Scott Rivkin was westbound on Highway 4 near Oil Well Road just outside Jay when he collided with a pickup truck pulling a large trailer. The driver of the truck was reportedly stopped at the bottom of long hill, turning across traffic. The truck driver reportedly had no lights or signals on the trailer.
Rivkin was not injured in the 6 p.m. accident. A two-year old girl in the truck was transported to the hospital by ambulance with what authorities described as superficial facial cuts. There was at least one more small child in the truck that was not transported to the hospital. The truck had no obvious signs of any type of child restraint device.
Rivkin was headed to work in Escambia County from Jay.
Click here for a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. We will post more details when they become available.
Pictured above and below: An Escambia County Deputy was involved in this accident Wednesday evening near Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Entire Staff At Escambia Middle School Is Removed
April 30, 2009
One Escambia County middle school will have a totally new staff next school year after Superintendent Malcolm Thomas cleaned house Wednesday.
Thomas is replacing the entire staff at Warrington Middle School — the principal, assistant principal, counselors and teachers. The 75 employees are not necessarily out of a job. They may be shuffled to other schools, or they may reapply for their jobs at Warrington.
The move comes after the school failed once again to make adequate yearly progress and being taken over by the state. It’s a fate that Carver/Century K-8 School would have faced if the school’s FCAT scores had not been weighted due to a low student population to make a “B”. The Escambia School Board voted to close Carver/Century at the end of this school year.
Extra stimulus funds will go into Warrington to make it a pilot school, all in hopes of bringing the school’s grade up to a “C”.
If the school district had not reorganized the school, the state would have taken a similar action prior to next school year.
Victim’s Advocate Recognized By Governor, Attorney General
April 30, 2009
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Victim’s Advocate Mary Rebber was honored Wednesday with a special tribute award by Gov. Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum.
The award recognized Rebber’s dedicated service to Florida’s crime victims. The award was presented during a ceremony at the state capitol to recognize National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and the 25th anniversary of the Federal Victims of Crime Act.
An employee of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office since 1982, Rebber has worked tirelessly to institute an awareness of victim advocacy, dedicating her time and energy to assisting, counseling and supporting crime victims, helping them recover their composure, assurance, self-worth, personal safety, and whenever possible, recovery of financial losses resulting from the victimization.
In addition, Rebber has worked with the Rape Crisis Center, Naval Air Station Pensacola’s Family Service Center and served at Ground Zero in 2001, working as a victim’s advocate to the vast amount of emotionally and physically scarred survivors of 9/11.
Sheriff David Morgan said of Rebber, “Ms. Rebber epitomizes professionalism, both as an employee and longtime volunteer. She set the standard for this program at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. We are proud that her efforts are being recognized today.”
Bill Passes That Could Pump Life Back Into Jay
April 30, 2009
A bill has passed the Florida legislature that could pump life back into Jay and North Santa Rosa County.
On Wednesday, the Florida Senate passed a bill that will provide exemptions and tax breaks to the six active oil producing companies in Florida. One of those producers is Quantum Resources in Jay.
The state is expected to lose $5.2 million in revenue, but Rep. Greg Evers, co-sponsor of the bill in the House, said it willput people back to work, royalty checks back into the hands of property owners and contractors back on the job.
Evers said the bill will “would provide economic incentives, including temporary oil and gas production tax relief, for small field producers such as Quantum”.
“It is my hope that this small energy production investment incentive and tax relief package will help in creating and saving much-needed local Northwest Florida investment and jobs during these very challenging and difficult economic times,” Evers said.
About 70 people were left without a job when Quantum shutdown the Jay Oil Field.
Jay Field was purchased from Exxon and ConocoPhillips in 2007 for about $200 million. When oil prices soared earlier this year, company officials were quoted as being pleased with their return on the investment, even though they sold 75 percent of their rights in a bet against falling prices. The Jay Oil Field’s first crude flowed back in 1970 and was estimated to contain 100 million barrels, making it one of the largest discoveries in the history of U.S.
In the 1970’s royalties up to $32,000 per month flowed into the Town of Jay’s band account. That amount fell to as little as $1,000 per month at one time. Last year, total oil and gas revenues for the Town of Jay were at $70,000.
The bill passed the Florida Senate on a 116-1 vote last Thursday and the Florida house on a 39-1 vote Wednesday morning.
Pictured above: Quantum Resources in Jay. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Simply Amazing: Did You See It?
April 30, 2009
(Updated With New Photos) Amazing. That’s the word the National Weather Service office in Mobile used when they looked at the above photograph. This rare cloud formation moved across North Escambia and South Alabama about 7:00 Wednesday morning.
Forecasters at the NWS did not know exactly what to call the cloud formation, settling on calling it just an “arc cloud”. They say the cloud would have been formed by a rapid surge of warm moist air. Forecasters told NorthEscambia.com that they had never actually seen anything exactly like it before.
Reviewing high resolution visable satellite data, the weather service tells us that the cloud actually stretched from near Gulf Shores to Butler County, Alabama, for a brief period.
If you have photos of the rare cloud formation, email them to news@northescambia.com. Let us know where the photo was taken.
Pictured above: Walt Butler took this photo on Greenland Road in Davisville Wednesday morning. Pictured below, top: The cloud almost looks like a mountain behind the barn in this Walt Bulter photo also from Greenland Road. Pictured below: Two photos from Amy Akins of the clouds near Perdido, Ala. Pictured bottom in photos submitted by Marlene Rubi: The cloud rolls into Atmore and a photo as the cloud passes over Walnut Hill. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flomaton, Davisville Convenience Store Burglars On The Loose (With Suspect Photos)
April 29, 2009
Authorities in three counties are investigating a rash of smash and grab burglaries at convenience stores in Davisville, Flomaton and Uriah — all targeting cigarettes.
Two convenience stores in Flomaton where burglarized in the early morning hours within just seven minutes of each other. At about 1:50 a.m., the suspects broke the side window out of the Norwood BP Station at 1021 Sidney Manning Boulevard in Flomaton, according to Flomaton Police Chief Tim Hardage, and stole numerous items, mostly cigarettes.
About seven minutes later, a similar smash-and-grab burglary occurred at the Norwood BP store at 22685 Highway 31 in Flomaton. Again, a windows was busted and numerous items, mostly cigarettes, were taken.
Police are looking for three men, two white and one black, appearing to be between 18 and 21 years old. They were possibly driving a white four-door car.
Hardage said that a similar incident happened at the Davisville BP on Highway 97 Monday night. Investigator Frank Way with the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’ Department said the burglars took mostly cigarettes in that incident as well. Hardage said a similar crime occurred at a convenience store in Uriah in Monroe County, Alabama.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call the Flomaton Police Department at (251) 296-5811 or the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Department at (850) 436-9620.
Pictured above: One of the burglary suspects in a recent rash of convenience store burglaries in three counties. Pictured below: Another view of the suspect. Picture bottom: The suspect removes items stolen from a convenience store in a garbage bag. Submitted photos from the Flomaton Police Department for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Editor’s Note: NorthEscambia.com has digitally enhanced the photos provided by the Flomaton Police Department to make the suspect easier to see.
Molino Highway 29 Wreck Causes Injuries Wednesday Afternoon
April 29, 2009
A two vehicle accident on Highway 29 in Molino sent at least one person to the hospital Wednesday afternoon.
The accident happened just before 1:00 at Highway 29 and Barrineau Park Road when two cars collided. One car stopped in the median of Highway 29, while another came to rest on the shoulder of Barrineau Park Road. One person in the car by Barrineau Park Road had to be extricated by emergency workers. That person was transported to a Pensacola hospital by ambulance.
Northbound traffic on Highway 29 was delayed, and at times stopped, while emergency personnel worked at the scene.
The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured above: One person in this car had to be extricated by firemen after an accident Wednesday afternoon at Highway 29 and Barrineau Park Road in Molino. Pictured below: The second car involved in the accident. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
