Century Man Arrested For Failure To Appear In Bad Check Case
May 11, 2009
A Century man was arrested Saturday for failing to appear in court on a case involving 11 bad check charges dating back nearly two years.
Samuel Donald Ewing, 50, was arrested on 11 counts of failure of a defendant on bail to appear and booked into the Escambia County Jail. Ewing remained in the jail Monday morning without bond.
Ewing was originally arrested May 15, 2007, for 11 bad checks totaling $324.01 written to Piggly Wiggly. The checks ranged from $24.99 to $41.03 each. He was found guilty on all bad check charges and ordered to pay restitution to Piggly Wiggly plus $200 in court courts.
Ewing failed to pay the court costs and restitution. He was sentenced to 60 days and assigned to the work release program, but he failed to comply with that order.
Need A Job? Job Fair In Atmore Today
May 11, 2009
Americatel will hold a job fair in Atmore today as the company looks to fill about 60 Telecom call center and and management positions.
The jobs are being created by the relocation of overseas positions to the Matrix Telecom facility on Brookwood Road in Atmore.
“We are looking for people who are hardworking, enthusiastic and committed to providing great customer service; much like those already working for Matrix in this location,” said Johnna McCooey, director of human resources for both Matrix and Americatel. “We welcome applicants from all parts of Alabama and Florida, from Mobile to Pensacola, and have current employees in the call center from those communities today.”
Americatel, based in Rockville, MD, provides international telecom services to immigrant and Hispanics in the United States and Canada. The ability to speak Spanish is not a requirement for the positions, McCooey said.
“We’ll offer good pay, benefits and flexible work shifts to people who enjoy a structured work environment and who enjoy solving problems” said Stephen Wagner, executive vice president of customer operations at Matrix. “While multi-lingual skills are not required, we are particularly interested in hiring customer service professionals who have that knowledge”.
Americatel will hold conclude two day job fair today from noon to 7 p.m. at the Matrix/Trinsic building at 201 Brookwood Road in Atmore (near Huddle House).
Your 2 Cents Worth: Postage Goes Up
May 11, 2009
The price of a first-class stamp increased by 2 cents on Monday, rising from 42 to 44 cents.e.
The increase is due to rising costs and inflation, according to the USPS. The rate increase was announced in February and that the U.S. Postal Service now regulates prices incrementally each year, as opposed to rising prices every few years.
According to the new prices, it will also cost a penny more to buy a postcard stamp, bringing the total to 28 cents. Costs for the first ounce of a large envelope and the first ounce of a parcel both increased by 5 cents, bringing the totals to 88 cents and $1.22 each.
The post office will still accept Forever Stamps and that an additional ounce of first-class mail will remain at 17 cents.
Earlier this month, the USPS announced that it had ended its second quarter with a net loss of $1.9 billion.
Pictured: The Simpsons are honored a new 44 cent stamp.
Spring Band Concert Tonight
May 11, 2009
The Northview High and Ernest Ward Middle schools will hold their annual Spring Band Concert tonight at Northview High School.
The event begins at 6:30. The NHS Alumni Band, made up of former Northview, Ernest Ward and Century high band members, will also perform.
JB The Donkey Mother’s Day Update
May 10, 2009
Here’s the latest update on J.B., the orphaned baby donkey, from his adoptive mother Lindley Barden (well, actually from J.B. himself, sort of):
Hello Friends:
JB here! Since it is Mother’s Day, I decided to do the news report myself . . . sorry it’s so late, but typing with one finger is mighty slow-going!
Last night marked my “first” birthday: I am officially one week old. And so far, it has been the roughest week of my life! I got off to a pretty bad start, as you all know . . . besides losing my Mom, I’ve had to ride in a trailer, get stuck with big needles, and drink from a bottle! But I did get a new Mom, and have been living in a nice quiet area with a really big bed. Many people have called and written to wish me well, and I’ve even been on TV and the Internet. Although things have really been changing fast for me, I am very happy and feel very loved.
And I’m changing every day, too! I’m up to 45 pounds now–that means I’ve gained a pound a day! (Mom doesn’t seem very happy when SHE does that, but she thinks it’s great for ME!) And my beautiful blue eyes have turned a beautiful brown. I’m incredibly nosy, and getting braver by the day . . . I can go up and down steps, drink from a bucket, play in the dirt, and do a perfect sliding stop. I love to jump up and down on my hospital mattress, and can snatch Mom’s blanket off of her as she’s trying to sleep . . . I guess my next trick will be learning to eat grass!
Well, Mom is calling me . . . she’s saying something about my first BATH . . .something about the fact that I’m supposed to be WHITE . . . (?)
Happy Mother’s Day,
JB
Molino Park Students Tops In County Sunshine Math Competition
May 10, 2009
Two fifth grade Molino Park Elementary School students took top honors in Escambia County in Sunshine Math.
Willis Fletcher took first place in the county, and Tristan Barrett won second place in Saturday’s competition.
Overall, Molino Park Elementary took six teams with 22 third to fifth grade students to the tournament.
Other students in the competition from Molino Park included:
- Third grade: Hunter Rogers, Devin Abrams, Sabra Stewart, Sarah Perritt, Trevor Singleton, Jacob White and Carsen Lowery.
- Fourth Grade: Mitchell Singleton, Savanna Calhoun, Ashlyn Fowler, Ian Schneider, Caeley Barrett and Lauren Carnley.
- Fifth Grade: Willis Fletcher, Harmoni Till, Moriah McGahan, Allison Woodfin, Tristan Barrett, Jason Ogle, Kendral Langford and Haley Brown.
Pictured above: Molino Park Elementary School fifth grade students took top honors in the district Sunshine Math tournament Saturday. Tristan Barrett (left) won second place and Willis Fletcher (right) won first place. Pictured below: Another photo from Saturday’s competition. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Head-on Cantonment Crash Causes Serious Injuries Saturday Night
May 10, 2009
Three people were seriously injured in a head-on collision in Cantonment Saturday night.
The accident happened just before 10:00 at the intersection of Highway 29 and Muscogee Road. Witnesses say the driver of a Hyundai Elantra ran a red light, colliding head on with a Dodge Ram truck.
Both male drivers were transported to Pensacola hospitals by ambulance. A young passenger in the Elantra, believed to be 4-5 years old, was transported from the scene by LifeFlight.
The driver of the Elantra, who was trapped in the wreckage for a brief time, and his young passenger were reportedly unrestrained.
The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured above: The driver of this Hyundai and his young passenger were seriously injured in a two vehicle accident in Cantonment Saturday night. Pictured below: The driver of this truck was also seriously injured in the head-on collision. Submitted photos by Tina Pendleton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Time To Register For 5K Race For The Blueberries
May 10, 2009
The Blueberry Jamboree 5K Race for the Blueberries will take place on Saturday, June 13 in Barrineau Park.
The race begins at 8 a.m. at the Barrineau Park Community Center & Historical Society at 6055 Barrineau Park School Road and ends at Touchablue Berry Farm at 7100 Molino Road.
Wheelchairs will start just before 8 a.m. and walkers will start just after 8:00. Transportation will be provided for participants back to the starting point.
Pre-Registration is available by filling out and turning in the 5K Race for the Blueberries entry form. Registrations must be postmarked by Friday June 5. Registration will also be available on the day of the race, from 6:30-7:30am.
The event is hosted by Escambia County Neighborhoods and Community Services Bureau and UF/IFAS Extension. The Blueberry Jamboree is sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
Cow/Calf Best Management Practices Program Kickoff Dinner
May 10, 2009
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in cooperation with the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, and the University of Florida-IFAS, have scheduled a kickoff video conference to formally introduce the recently adopted Cow/Calf Best Management Practices (BMP) manual on May 14. This will be the official launch of the industry’s BMP program.
The meeting will provide producers with key information on the use of the manual, enrollment process, soil testing, and forage production as it relates to water quality protection. This is a very important program, given the vast number of acres of rangeland in Florida. Producers are encouraged to make every effort to attend.
The seminar will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Jay Community Center, 5259 Booker Lane in Jay. This meeting will held in conjunction with the Northwest Florida Cattlemen’s Association meeting. Dinner will be served to those who call to reserve a place for the meeting. To RSVP, call (850) 475-5230 or (850) 675-3107.
Retired North Escambia Educator Releases Second Book
May 10, 2009
Former North Escambia educator Mary Alice Thomas has released her second publication, a new collection of poetry called “A Forgotten People”. It follows last year’s release of “Battle of the Soul”, a collection of religious poetry.
“It’s not hard to find inspiration and a need to write when working with young minds,” Thomas claims. “As an educator I found that my students always wanted more than they found in the textbooks. Realizing that they were gifts from God placed in my care for only a short time, I wanted to feed their hunger for knowledge. I took the responsibility to give to them the best of what I had. My students wanted fresh material for programs and celebrations. It took hours of research; yet, those inquisitive minds and searching eyes, with ears willing to listen and learn made me write poems and speeches from biographical historical facts of a forgotten people, a real people to them, so that they could have a stepping stone for history as these students tried to connect. Little did I know that one day this would become a publication that I felt was worthy of sharing.”
Thomas, who has taught at Northview High School, the former Ernest Ward and Century schools and Carver/Century K-8 School, said “I ask that you share with your classmates from my heart to yours: You are not a forgotten people, for you are still an inspiration to me even though time has had its own will and has gotten away from us, and changes for all of us have crept through the earth as the sun awakens each day. Yet, as I meet you on the byways of life, my heart leaps. You are still that part of me that makes life worth living. You inspired me to write this book. It’s for all of us.”
According to Thomas, this publication has been designed to reach back into the subconscious mind to restore the value for all humanity.
“I have chosen people from all walks of life because it has taken Jews, Blacks, Whites, Native Americans, and all other races and experiences to give this country such a rich history. As I began my research for this publication, I ultimately hearkened to the voice within. I began to drink from knowledge that could only come from the intoxication of wisdom,” she said.
Each piece of material included in this selection carries aphorisms giving a general truth about life. The theme of these works is love for humanity and pain for injustice. In Thomas’ book, “A Forgotten People”, the reader will meet those who opened their ears to the cries of the innocent, like a mother identifying the hunger pains of her young when awakened in the night and refusing to let sleep handcuff her to her bed.
Too often the Civil Rights Movement produces a picture of the African American struggle, where the streets are painted in red with blood of color, and police dogs are forcing black power to its knees while listening to the voice of racism seeking a prey in the night; however, my students of the past and I worked hard to prove that the Civil Rights Movement embraced unity for all American life — regardless of race, creed or color. “Perhaps the greatest indication of this acknowledgment of worth in all humanity is the recent presidential election, realizing that my students had a vision built on Christian love that sprung up from a seed that would not die,” Thomas said.
In the book “A Forgotten People”, the reader will meet some who paid the ultimate price, yet we all enjoy the gift that their lives granted to American citizens. Blood, when mixed with sweat and tears and mingled with God-given love, cannot be called black or white, yellow or red. Yet, society fails to realize that a child who hears God’s voice will answer His call, totally oblivious to color. “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples because you have love one for another.”
“A Forgotten People” is available for purchase through iuniverse.com by clicking on “Bookstore,” and then typing in the author’s name or book title. It will also be available at a book signing which will be held at Carver Century School in the Media Center on Tuesday, May 12 at 1 p.m. A supplemental question and answer booklet is additionally available for educators by contacting the author at hannahraya@yahoo.com.