Lay, Freeman Defense Fund Topped $70,000
September 19, 2009
Over $70,000 donated to the legal defense fund for Frank Lay and Robert Freemen will first be used to pay their legal fees, then the excess will be donated to the Liberty Council.
Friday, U.S. Judge Casey Rogers found that Lay and Freemen were not guilty contempt of court for violating her order against prayer in Santa Rosa County Schools. The $71,148 donated to their legal defense fund will pay their lawyers. The Liberty Counsel is a non-profit organization that provides legal services and actively fights the ACLU.
The Liberty Counsel has filed a motion to intervene in the case in order to have the prayer order overturned; a hearing is scheduled for December.
“I want to personally thank everyone for all the hard work and financial sacrifices,” Robert Smith said. Smith is a Santa Rosa County insurance agent that organized the defense fund. “A lot of people have worked tirelessly for many weeks in this effort.”
Today: Century Care Center Afternoon Of Memories
September 19, 2009
An “Afternoon of Memories” will be held Saturday at Century Care Center.
Past Century Care Center residents will be remembered and all current residents will be honored during the program. Residents and their families will have the opportunity to make memory boxes together following the program. Cake and punch will also be served.
The Afternoon of Memories is sponsored by Century Care Center, Covenant Hospice and Century United Methodist Church. The event begins at 2:30 Saturday afternoon.
To RSVP, or for more information, call Mae at (850) 256-1540.
Arrr, Matey! Shiver Me Timbers! Talk Like A Pirate Day
September 19, 2009
The residents at Century Care Center celebrated Talk Like a Pirate Day on Friday.
Residents donned eye patches and pirate ships roamed the hallways as the residents celebrated the international fun day that was created in 1995.
Click here for more photos from Talk Like a Pirate Day at Century Care Center.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Big Rig Driver Thinks She Hit A Pedestrian In Molino
September 18, 2009
An 18-wheeler driver thought she hit a pedestrian in Molino early Friday morning, but she later discovered that she did not.
The driver of the big rig told authorities she thought she had ran over a black male walking in the roadway near Highway 29 and Highway 97 about 5:30 a.m.
Firefighters from Escambia County Fire Rescue’s Molino Station found the man at the Tom Thumb. Authorities said it appeared he was drunk or high on drugs, but it did not appear that he had been struck by a vehicle. The man, who thought he was walking near or toward Ozark, Ala., complained of swollen feet.
He was transported to Jay Hospital by Escambia County EMS.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the call.
Pictured above: First responders were called to the Tom Thumb in Molino about 5:30 Friday morning after the driver of an 18-wheeler thought she hit a pedestrian. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Commissioner Questions If Century Courthouse Closure Could Fund African American Chamber
September 18, 2009
County Commissioner Gene Valentino questioned Thursday night if the the Clerk of the Courts Office in the Century Courthouse could be closed in order to provide $40,000 in funding to the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce.
At Thursday night’s Escambia County Commission budget hearing, the chamber approached the commission and asked for the $40,000 not in the budget so the group could work on economic development and work to make sure that the county does more business with minorities.
After Commissioner Marie Young said she supporting funding the chamber, Valentino questioned if the money could come from the courthouse closure.
District 5 Commissioner Kevin White was visibly upset by the District 2 commissioner’s suggestion, pointing his finger and saying, “So you want to do that? Is tha what you are saying?”
“I’m just bringing the thought out,” Valentino replied. “You were interesting in seeing it closed at one point.”
“When did you ever hear me say that?” White said.
“I did not hear you say it, but I saw it in the paper,” Valentino said. “I’m just coming up with an idea. I shouldn’t be scolded for trying to think out of the box about trying to find a way to solve problems around here.”
“Oh, but you are going to go in something in my district, and I am not going to scold you? Please.” White said.
“I understand from staff that it’s not a big deal. There’s a few appointments per day or per week up there,” Valentino said.
“I believe it is just a matter of saying ‘yes” here,” Young said about the funding for the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce. “I’m not interested in going into Kevin’s district (where the Century courthouse is located) to try to remove anything.”
“This is suppose to be a state function,” Commissioner Grover Robinson told his fellow commissioners. Escambia Clerk of Courts Ernie Lee Magaha’s budget is provided by the state court system. Robinson said that increased court fees on the local level, as mandated by the state, will not stay in Escambia County but go into the state’s budget. “That really upsets me.”
“I don’t think it is fair for Escambia County citizens to pay additional fees, get their services cut and have that money go to somewhere else,” Robinson said. He said that while he was originally against keep the courthouse open in Century, but now he is supporting keeping clerk of the court services in Century.
After Robinson’s remarks, Commissioner Chairperson Young turned the discussion back to the chamber, ending discussion on the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. It was at that point that White walked out of the meeting for a brief time.
Last year, the Century courthouse cost the county $19,300 for maintenance and $34,000 for utilities including the phone system. That was for both sides of the building — the side occupied by the clerk of the courts and tax collector and the side occupied by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office precinct.
The $65,000 needed by the court clerk to keep his office open was cut from the first budget proposal considered by the commission earlier this month. The $65,000 was returned to the budget considered Thursday night by the commission, but the commission failed to ratify that budget. The BOCC will consider the budget again next Thursday night.
Pictured: Commissioner Gene Valentino at Thursday night’s Escambia County Commission budget hearing.
Commissioners Unable To Pass Budget That One Called “Crap”
September 18, 2009
The Escambia County Commission hit an impasse and was unable to approve a proposed $367,489,211 budget for the next fiscal year.
Commissioner Kevin White called the budget “ludicrous” and “crap” because it requires millions in one-time revenue to be balanced. White and fellow commissioner Gene Valentino made the sudden recommendation that the county cut $3 million in funding to the City of Pensacola for libraries that are located in the city.The commissioners proposed that the county still contribute $500,000 to the library system for libraries that are located in the county.
The proposal was prompted by White’s desire to cut $3 million in one-time revenue from the budget and because, they said, the City of Pensacola contributes nothing to Escambia County Area Transit that also serves the city.
The motion to cut the library funding was withdrawn after it became clear it would fail on a 2-2 vote with Commissioner Wilson Robertson not at the meeting for medical reasons.
The actual budget also failed to pass 2-2. Board Attorney Allison Rogers told commissioners that they were required to approve a budget before adjourning their meeting. The commissioners voted to continue their meeting next Thursday at 5:01 p.m. In the event commissioners are unable to approve the final budget draft, the county will be forced to follow the preliminary budget approved two weeks ago.
That preliminary budget, among other differences, cut the funding needed to keep the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century open.
Funeral Services Scheduled For Man Killed By Falling Tree
September 18, 2009
Funeral services have been scheduled for Coy Otis Rhea, the man killed Tuesday by a falling tree in Century.
Visitation will be held from 5 until 8 p.m. at the Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Howard’s View Church in Sevierville, Tennessee. Visitation will be held from noon until service time on Sunday.
Survivors include his wife, Estherline B. Rhea, his children Tarri Lynn Crockett, Rhonda Rhea Marchand, Micahel David Rhea, Tywona Crockett, Kathy Brady, Rhonda Pollits; siblings Christine Rhea Cambell, DaLee Rhea McMahn, and Ronald Reha; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
For Mr. Rhea’s complete obituary, click here.
For a story about his death, click here.
Northview Gets First District Volleyball Win
September 18, 2009
The Northview Lady Chiefs picked up their first district volleyball win Thursday night 3-1 over Pensacola Christian.
Northview def. PCA – Varsity
15-25, 25-20, 25-9, 25-19
Shawna Montgomery, 11th grade: Kills-17, Aces-5, Block-3, Assists-1
Caitlin Hall, 12th: Assists–12, Aces-7, Block-3, Kills-3
Angela Rodriguez, 12th: Kills-8, Aces-2
Katie Wieborg, 11th: Kills-7, Aces-6
Record: Overall – 3 -4; District 1 -2
Northview def. PCA — JV
25-9, 25-18
Trestine Dean, 11th grade: Aces-3, Digs-2
Morgan Payne, 9th: Kills–4, Aces-8, Digs-1, Assists-1
Josie Doucette, 10th: Kills-1, Aces-2, Digs-3, Blocks-1
Brittiane Poston, 11th: Kills-1, Aces-1
Pictured above: The Northview High School varsity volleyball team. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sheriff Fires Back Over Taxpayer’s Association News Journal Story
September 18, 2009
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan fired back Thursday night over a published report in the Pensacola News Journal.
The report said, the Escambia County Taxpayers’ Association, led by attorney Bob Kerrigan, was “blasting” Morgan for a union contract “that contains pay raises no longer available to county employees”.
Morgan’s comments came during an Escambia County Commission budget hearing Thursday night. The commission has already approved a $74 million budget for the Sheriff’s Office, a decrease of just over $4 million from last year. The commission turned down another $2 million to provide a three percent employee raise.
The News Journal report claimed that commission was unaware that employees would receive a raise anyway in the form of longevity pay that increases from two percent at five years up to 10 percent at 25 years. In the PNJ report, Kerrigan spoke out against the sheriff and his budget.
“One of the things I will not tolerate is being misled,” Morgan said Thursday night about Kerrigan and Tax Watch. He said he sat down with Tax Watch and came to an agreement as to how much the sheriff’s office could reasonably cut from their budget.
That report published in the Pensacola News Journal, the sheriff said, was “completely contrary” to his Tax Watch meetings. That report, he said, stated that his department could cut $12 to $27 million in additional cuts. Morgan filed a response which “was sadly not printed in the Pensacola News Journal”. NorthEscambia.com did publish an article about the sheriff’s disagreement with Tax Watch, and we also provided a the full text of Morgan’s response to Tax Watch. Read that story from August 13 by clicking here.
Morgan told commissioners that Tax Watch had agreed to support his budget request, less a three percent requested raise for deputies.
“Then imagine my surprise…when once again we get a full spread in the Pensacola News Journal that bore no resemblance, no resemblance to the meetings that we had held with Tax Watch,” Morgan said. “To tell you that I am angry about that, is an understatement.”
“Tonight I thought I would come in blazing with both guns at the county commission. But something I learned during my military career is target identification,” the sheriff said. “The right target is an unelected self appointed board that is determined that they can run the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office better than I.”
Morgan said that for the county commission to consider any Tax Watch recommendation would be a “disservice to the citizens of Escambia County”.
“When you attack the men and women of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, you attack me,” he said. “And I take personal offense at the statement made by Mr. Kerrigan about the fine men and women of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.”
Commissioner Gene Valentino praised Morgan’s efforts to cut $4 million from his budget, but he said the question asked by some is how much more could have been cut.
“We’ve cut all that we can,” Morgan replied.
Pictured: Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan expresses his anger Thursday night over a story in the Pensacola News Journal.
Monroe County Defeats Ernest Ward 30-16
September 18, 2009
The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles fell to the Monroe County Tigers 30-16 Thursday night in Monroeville.
Dalton Daniels put the Ernest Ward on the board with an Eagle touchdown in the first half. Layne Purvis caught an Eagle pass for two point conversion.
Jaron “Run Run” Myles made the second touchdown for EWMS during the last two minutes of the fourth. Another two point pass was good for the Eagles, this time to Jaylen Parker.
Ernest Ward picked up two conversions during the night, recovering Tiger fumbles.
The Ernest Ward Eagles will be home on October 1 against W.S. Neal.