Danceworks Registration Tonight
August 20, 2009
Student registration will be held tonight for the return of Heather Leonard’s Danceworks.
Before announcing her retirement, Leonard taught dance for 14 years to hundreds of girls from North Escambia and surrounding areas. The business is reopening and classes will begin September 9, under the Heather Leonard’s Danceworks name. Leonard will serve as the administrator and adviser, while Chelsea Sims will teach the dance classes.
“I always wanted to teach dance,” Sims said. “I felt like this was where God was leading me. I’m very excited.”
“I’m so glad it worked out this way,” Leonard said. “There were so many girls that had put so much into dance; I wanted them to have a chance to continue.”
Sims (pictured left) is a 2009 graudate of Northview High School, where she was a majorette for two years and a varsity cheerleader for two years. She was named Miss NHS 2008, was a homecoming maid as a freshman and sophomore and was homecoming queen her senior year. She was one of Leonard’s dance students for 14 years.
Tonight’s registration and the dance classes will be held at the Byrneville Community Center. Registration is from 6:00 to 7:30 tonight. For more information on Heather Leonard’s Danceworks, call (850) 256-0948.
Council On Aging Caregiver Support Group Meets
August 20, 2009
The Council on Aging of West Florida will host a Century Caregiver Support Group meeting at 6:00 tonight.
There is no cost and the public is invited. Reservations are not required. The meeting will be held at New Life Baptist Church at 700 East Hecker Road. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month at the same time and location. County residency is not required to attend.
The support group is part of new Council on Aging of West Florida programs designed to reduce stress, increase coping skills, provide strategies for effective management of care giving tasks and enable caregivers to provide high quality care in the home. The programs are sponsored by Council on Aging of West Florida, the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging. For more information, call 432-1475.
Orientation Thursday At Ernest Ward, Northview
August 20, 2009
Orientation for incoming sixth graders and new students will be held Thursday morning at Ernest Ward Middle School, while Northview will hold orientation for freshmen and new students.
Ernest Ward
The orientation begins in the school’s gym at 10:00 and will continue until about noon. After an introductory program in the gym, there will be a complete school tour.
Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry said parents are encouraged to attend the orientation too; she said the program is as much or more for parents as it is for students.
For more information, call Ernest Ward Middle School at (850) 327-4283.
Northview High
Freshman and new student registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the theater.
Students will be issued schedules, lockers, and textbooks as part of the orientation process. They will also receive information about some of the many opportunities that are available to Northview students. There will also be a brief tour of the Northview campus.
The entire process should take approximately 90 minutes; parents are asked to be prompt in picking up their students at the breezeway after the conclusion of this activity. A
Pelicans Lose To Captains Tuesday Night, 3-2
August 19, 2009
The Captains defeated the Pelicans 3-2 on Tuesday in a game that saw Pensacola score first. Jimmy Heard earned the win for Shreveport-Bossier while Randy Beam was tagged for the loss.
The Pelicans earned the game’s first run in the top of the third. Lou Palmisano led off the inning with a walk and moved up to second on Dallas Christison’s sacrifice bunt. Kevin Reynolds drove Palmisano in with a double and the Pelicans were on top 1-0.
The Captains rallied back for three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Angelo Fermin walked to start, stole second and third, and scored on Bryan Sabatella’s double. After Chris Garcia walked, Andres Rodriguez scored both runners with a double of his own and the Captains had a two-run advantage.
The Pelicans rallied for a run in the seventh, but left a man at third base. Marcos Rodriguez started the inning with a base hit. After Rodriguez advanced to second on a wild pitch, Chase Burch flied out to centerfield, allowing Rodriguez to tag and move to third. Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch to pull the Pelicans within one. With two out, Lou Palmisano doubled and moved to third on a passed ball. Dallas Christison succeeded him and lined a ball up the middle, but second baseman Luis Guance stabbed the ball in a diving catch to the end the inning and the threat.
Starter Randy Beam pitched six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks, striking out eight. The Pelicans brought in Francisco Butto to pitch the seventh. With one out, White singled, Garcia walked, and Rodriguez singled. The bases were loaded, but Butto induced Alavarez to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam.
The Pelicans threatened again in the top of the ninth, when Chase Burch hit a double with one out. Adam Darby singled, but Burch held at third. A strikeout and fly out later the ballgame was over and the Captains won. With the win, Shreveport-Bossier pulls into a tie for second place with the Grand Prairie Air Hogs, three games behind the first place Pelicans.
The Captains will look for the sweep tomorrow, as Drew Coffey pitches for Shreveport-Bossier against the Pelicans’ Aaron Jackson. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 with all the action live on NewsRadio 1620 and online via SportsJuice.com.
New Start And Dismissal Times This Year For All North Escambia Schools
August 19, 2009
There will be a change in school start and dismissal times when students return to Escambia County Schools next week, with some North Escambia schools following a different schedule than the rest of the county.
At the elementary level, the earliest drop time for students will be 7:20. School will begin at 7:45 and will dismiss at 2:00. The North Escambia area elementary schools — Bratt, Byrneville, Molino Park and Jim Allen — will all follow this schedule. The 7:45 to 2:00 day is the standard elementary day for 33 schools in Escambia County.
At the middle school level, Ernest Ward will begin the school day at 9:05 and dismiss at 3:45. The earliest students can be dropped off at school will be 8:55. This represents a start and dismissal time 35 minutes later than the previous year. Ransom Middle School will follow the standard 9:20 to 4:00 school day.
Northview High School will begin an hour later this year and have the latest start and dismissal times of any school in the school district. Northview will have an 8:30 drop time, and an 8:45 to 3:20 school day. Northview’s day started at 7:45 last year. Tate High School will have an 8:30 to 3:05 day.
North Escambia school times are different because of the long transport distances in the rural area and a two-tier system where middle and high school students will ride the bus together.
The school times were changed last year, most drastically outside of North Escambia, to save money. By taking over two dozen buses off the road, the school district saved an estimated $1.2 million this year.
School officials stressed that some times may be adjusted on a school by school basis to accommodate transportation difficulties. The early drop time at the elementary level is for breakfast.
School begins Monday in Escambia County.
Editor’s note: Most Bratt Elementary School parents received a postcard in the mail Tuesday that had different start and dismissal times listed. Those times were tentative and changed after the postcards were printed. Bratt will follow the 7:45 to 2:00 schedule as stated in the article above.
Driver Named In Semi-Truck Crash
August 19, 2009
The driver of a tractor-trailer that was killed Tuesday morning when his truck crashed near the intersection of I-10 and I-110 in Pensacola has been identified.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Paul Joseph Korach, 55, of Pensacola was headed north on I-110 toward I-10 when he plowed over a concrete retaining wall on a flyover bridge, sending his truck crashing down on the David Highway exit off I-10. The impact ejected Korach, tore apart to semi’s cab and split open a tanker hauling 5,600 gallons of hot tar used in the road making process.
Korach was pronounced dead at the scene.
Emergency responders worked to quickly contain the flowing liquid asphalt, working to keep it out of the drainage system to avoid any groundwater contamination. Crews from the Florida Department of Transportation worked into the night to repair the Davis Highway exit off I-10 eastbound.
The 1995 Kenwood truck, operated by Materials, Inc. of Luverne, Ala., was traveling from Pensacola to Tallahassee.
The accident is still under investigation by the FHP.
Pictured above and below: A Tuesday morning accident at I-10 and I-110 killed the driver of this semi-truck. Photos courtesy WEAR TV 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Heavily Damages Meadows Road Home
August 19, 2009
Fire heavily damaged an unoccupied home on Meadows Road near Davisville Tuesday night.
When firefighters arrived on scene just after 8:30 p.m., they reported smoke coming from the home.
Authorities said that no one currently lives in the residence, but the electricity in the home was still on. A preliminary investigation determined the fire started in the attic of the house. It was believed to be electrical in nature, possibly related to lightning earlier in the day. The fire was contained mostly to the attic and rear of the home, but the home did suffer smoke damage throughout.
There were no injuries in the blaze.
Click here for a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid, Molino and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue; the Atmore Fire Department and Atmore Ambulance responded to the call.
Pictured above and below: Fire heavily damage a home on Meadows Road Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Work At Bratt, Ernest Ward Totals $1.99 Million; $66,000 More Than Planned
August 19, 2009
Building renovations and new modular classrooms at Bratt Elementary School and modular classrooms at Ernest Ward Middle School are costing the Escambia County School District over $66,000 more than anticipated. That put the total costs for the three projects at $1.99 million.
Tuesday evening, the school board approved an additional $33,753.69 in change orders for the new modular classrooms installed this summer at Bratt Elementary. That put the total cost to date on the modulars at $473,759.69.
The changes and additions included $13,992.97 for an additional covered sidewalk to the main building; permit fees for required inspections, $1,496.45; sod for erosion control, $2,130.87; additional concrete decking for building access, $2,333.10; engineering for required fire hydrants, $1,961.93; and $11,838.36 for fire hydrants required by the fire marshal.
The Escambia County School Board has approved an additional $8,201.06 of additions to the renovation of the front building at Bratt Elementary School. The new total expenditure for the renovation is $970,435.79.
The project was originally set to cost $946,407.00, but an additional $15,827.73 in changes were previously added to address issues that were found during the renovation.
The new additions to the renovation contract include: remove worn out carpet in five rooms, $646.40; additional painting after removal of conduit, $1,357,45; rough-in electrical in wall of north wing classrooms, $5,551,21, fire caulking and patch drywall in stage area, $646.00.
The board also approved an additional $9,062.83 of additions to the contract to install modular classrooms at Ernest Ward Middle School. That put the total cost of that projet at $552,453.83.
Additional costs at Ernest Ward included $13,362.31 for a covered canopy to the building; $1,749.83 for a sidewalk; $2,574.58 for sod; $1,484.70 for sitework for drainag; $1,961.93 for fire hydrant engineering; and $$11,838.36 for fire hydrants required by the fire marshal. The costs were offset bya $25,286.36 credit for concrete, awnings and rails that were not installed.
Five classrooms with included restrooms, five sinks and two closets were installed at Bratt Elementary. Ernest Ward Middle received five classrooms, two closets, and one 24 by 36 foot restroom facility. The expansions were to accommodate additional students from the now-closed Carver/Century K-8 School. The total modular cost to date for both schools was $1,026,213.52.
The $970,435.79 renovations at Bratt included a central heating and cooling system, new restroom fixtures, new lights, new ceilings and various smaller projects in the front or “north” building, which was constructed in 1980.
Pictured top: New modular buildings at Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEcambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Deputies Find Meth Lab, Stolen Property In North Santa Rosa
August 19, 2009
Authorities in north Santa Rosa County uncovered a large amount of stolen property and a meth lab, an operation that could be one of the largest of its kind in the county.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a stolen property complaint on Green Road near Munson. When they arrived, they found a large number of stolen items across the property including vehicles, portable buildings, tools, lawn equipment, farm equipment, guns and more. The property was stolen from both northwest Florida and south Alabama.
Deputies also discovered two large methamphetamine lab operations, one inside a portable building and one inside a construction trailer. One of the meth labs was a large scale operation, according to investigators.
Authorities said the stolen property was likely amassed over a period of several years. They believe the property owners were trading meth for the stolen property.
Three people were arrested Tuesday by Santa Rosa deputies. One was identified as Joe Danny King. Deputies did not immediately identify the other two individuals that were arrested.
New CT Scan Unit Available At Jay Hospital
August 19, 2009
Resident of north Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and surrounding areas now have access to a new, quality imaging care for area with a new 16-slice computed tomography (CT) technology unit.
A CT scan is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images of the body. Patient benefits of the new CT technology include fast, painless and comfortable tests that deliver quality images. CT produces precise images of orthopedic conditions as well as chest pain, stroke and cardiovascular disease. The new CT can perform multiple exams at once.
A product of GE, the BrightSpeed CT quickly provides exceptional images so that treatment and healing can begin as soon as possible.
An affiliate of Baptist Health Care, Jay Hospital provides inpatient care as well as many services that do not require a hospital stay, including Andrews Institute Rehabilitation, outpatient surgery and laboratory and diagnostic imaging services. The hospital also offers convenient access to specialty physicians who travel to the north Santa Rosa County facility so patients can get the care they need in the community where they live.