Century Care Center Beauty Takes Part In Pageant
April 10, 2009
Ms. Katherine Rutherford competed in the annual Ms. Northwest Florida Senior Pageant Thursday morning.
Ms. Rutherford represented Century Care Center in the pageant.
“She didn’t win the pageant, but she sure scared them all,” said Mae Hildreth, Century Care Center’s activities director. ” She was, in my opinion, the most beautiful one there. She did great.”
The Ms. Northwest Florida Senior Pageant is sponsored by the District XII Florida Health Care Association, and they invite each Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility (ALF) in the area to send a contestant.
Sue Straughn, news anchor for WEAR, was the mistress of ceremonies for the event at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola.
Click here for more pictures from the pageant.
Pictured above: Sue Straughn interviews Ms. Katherine Rutherford during the Ms. Northwest Florida Senior Pageant Thursday morning. Pictured left: Ms. Rutherford with Century Care Center Director Don Ripley. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Looks To Bring Ice Hockey Back
April 10, 2009
Escambia County could once again be home to a hockey team after a vote Thursday morning by the Escambia County Commission.
The commission voted 3-0 to explore lease options with the Southern Professional Hockey League to bring hockey back to the Pensacola Civic Center, which was known as the “Hanger” for 12 years while it hosted the Pensacola Ice Pilots. Commissioners Kevin White and Grover Robinson were out of town for Thursday’s meeting of the commission’s Committee of the Whole.
The return of ice hockey to the Pensacola Civic Center is not without a price tag; it will cost at least $247,244 to upgrade Civic Center equipment for ice hockey.
The majority owner of the team would be former winger for the Philadelphia Flyers Tim Kerr. Kerr owned the Ice Pilots for two years before it was sold in 2005. Kerr says he will write a $1 million check to get the team started.
Kerr wants a lease on the Civic Center at $2,000 per game, considerably less than the $3,500 paid by the Ice Pilots per game. He also wants 15 percent of the concession receipts; the Ice Pilots got nothing off concessions.
The new team would pay 30 games instead of the 38 played by the Ice Pilots, and an extra $1 would be added to each ticket for the team.
Under the commission’s direction, County Administrator Bob McLaughlin is to negotiate a lease with the SPHL for board approval by May 1.
Flood Warning For Escambia River Finally Over
April 10, 2009
Nearly two weeks after flooding rains hit North Escambia, the flood warning for the Escambia River has been canceled.
The Escambia River near Century fell to 17 feet Thursday night and is expected to continue falling. Flood stage for the river is 17 feet. Some minor flooding of lowlands will continue until the river falls below 13 feet.
Century’s 108th Birthday Bash
April 9, 2009
Molino Responds To Brush Fire
April 9, 2009
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue was dispatched a brush fire near Jacks Branch Road and South Highway 99 about 7:00 Thursday evening.
When they arrived, they discovered a small fire on the Alabama side of the Perdido River. The fire was quickly extinguished.
The Gateswood Volunteer Fire Department from Baldwin County, Ala., was also dispatched to the fire.
Century May Take State To Court Over Prison Water Bills
April 9, 2009
The Town of Century may be taking the Florida Department of Corrections to court to collect for utility service the town says is owed for Century Correctional Institute.
The town is looking to collect almost $300,000 from the Florida Department of Corrections for water bills the town says the state owes. The town has asked the prison system to pay up, but so far it looks like the billing will end up in court, according to Mayor Freddie McCall.
“It looks like we are going to have to enter a court proceeding,” McCall said.
Under the town’s contract to provide water for the Century Correctional Institute, there is an added charge for water usage above 6 million gallons per month.
McCall said ongoing high water consumption by the prison was somehow overlooked, and now the town wants the prison system to pay up a grand total of $298,751.54 in overusage charges dating back to January 2000.
The state did pay over usage charges on recent bills, McCall said, but they failed to pay the town’s bill for charges from January 2000 to May 2008.
“They’ve done admitted guilt because they sent me those checks,” McCall said of the four payments received from the state.
Gas Problems Settled
The Town of Century was successful in recovering over $300,000 for prison system natural gas usage. The town received a $302,488.40 check in late October to cover back gas billings for the Century Correctional Institute.
The dispute stemmed from billing practices that dated back to 2000. Under the town’s agreement with the DOC and Century Correctional Institute, the prison was to pay for natural gas at the rate of 120 percent of the town’s actual cost. The town’s billing system would generate a bill at the normal rate, then town employees would re-rate the bill and send a new bill about 10 days later at the 120 percent rate. That adjustment was originally done twice a year based upon the rate from nine months earlier.
But in 2000, there was spike in natural gas prices, Matt Dannheisser, the town’s attorney said recently, and the town went back to the DOC that agreed to pay 100 percent of the town’s cost on a monthly basis. But they did not agree to pay the 20 percent profit margin until a new agreement was reached.
Town Accountant Robert Hudson had reported to the council several months ago that the DOC owed about $569,000 in back payments for natural gas. But that amount included $127,000 in interest that Dannheisser said the DOC was not willing to pay, and the DOC disputed some of the billing amounts.
The check received in October was deposited into the town’s gas fund, McCall said, with the town council to make the eventual decision what to do with the funds.
Popular Atmore Teacher Continues To Recover After North Escambia Accident
April 9, 2009
A popular Atmore teacher continues to recover following a Monday night accident near McDavid.
Escambia County (Ala.) Middle School teacher Robert Smith was seriously injured in the single vehicle rollover accident on Highway 29 north of South Pine Barren Road about 8:15 Monday night.
Smith was released from the hospital Tuesday is is recovering at home.
Witnesses told authorities that Smith swerved while passing another vehicle and lost control of his vehicle. Smith’s pickup then left the roadway, struck a concrete culvert and overturned. The truck landed on the driver’s side, trapping Smith inside.
Firefighters were forced to break out the pickup’s windshield in order to free Smith. Once out of the truck, he was able to stand on his own power as firefighters prepared him for transport by LifeFlight to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.
The McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire-Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded to the crash. The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
After NorthEscambia.com first reported this story Tuesday morning, several dozen Escambia County Middle School students, faculty and friends turned the comments section of the story into a get well sounding board with messages to Smith and his family.
Pictured above: A popular Atmore teacher was seriously injured in this single vehicle accident near McDavid Monday night. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo, click to enlarge.
Pensacola, North Escambia In Recesssion According To Report
April 9, 2009
The Pensacola metro area, including North Escambia, is in a recession according to data published on MSNBC.com.
MSNBC and Moody’s Economy.com publish a monthly Adversity Index that measures the economic health of every state and 381 metro areas in the United States. Areas are ranked as being in recession, at risk of recession, recovering from a recession or as being in growth period.
The Moody’s data shows North Escambia and the Pensacola metro area to have entered a period of recession in August of last year. The area had been ranked as being in a period of growth as recently as August 2008.
In January, the numbers for the metro area show employment down 2.53%, industrial production down 10.27% and single family housing starts down to 1,048. The housing start numbers are down from 2,356 in January 2007 and 3,898 in January 2006.
Lady Chiefs Beat Catholic 2-0
April 9, 2009
The Northview Lady Chiefs picked up another win Wednesday, shutting out Catholic 2-0.
Sophomore Miranda Burkett pitched the shutout, never allowing Catholic on the board. She allowed seven hits and no runs.
The game against Catholic in Pensacola was a make up game for one recently rained out.
Morgan Talks Budget Cuts, Still Not Speaking To County Administrator
April 9, 2009
Escambia Sheriff David Morgan held a press conference Wednesday to explain $4 million in cuts to his budget. Even though it is a five percent reduction, it is still short of the $6.5 million the county commission wants him to cut.
With $4 million in cuts, the sheriff said he can continue to operate his department without impacting public safety, but if more money were to be cut, the public safety would be impacted.
“We can operate the sheriff’s office on the par that we are with a $4 million dollar cut,” he said. “A reduction of 4 million dollars, folks, that’s a lot of money.”
While Morgan may take his budget needs to the commission, he says he will do so without talking to County Administrator Bob McLaughlin. Morgan cut off communications with Morgan a few weeks ago, accusing McLaughlin of miscommunicating his intentions to the county’s five commissioners.
“What I can not deal with, OK, is somebody playing poker with me,” Morgan said. “We are not in a poker match here. We are all in this problem together. So we must deal openly, honestly and transparently with each other.”
Morgan detailed his plans as first published on NorthEscambia.com back on April 1 and explained organization changes within his department.
Morgan has already grounded the department’s air unit for an $800,000 annual savings.
Now, he wants to eliminate the jail’s health services contract with an outside firm, providing jail health services in house for a $1.8 million savings.
To save more money, some of Morgan’s other plans include:
- renegotiate the jail’s food services contact to save $100,000
- eliminate up to $816,000 in salaries through retirements
- cut another $450,000 in contracted positions and streamline administration
- drop a mediation contract for $45,000
- drop county commissioner insurance paid by the ECSO for $25,000
Morgan’s budget stands at $78.7 million; his total savings as proposed would be up to $4,036,000.
Morgan has restructured the organization chart for the department, cutting 10 directors down to three commanders.
Additional changes are underway in the department to reduce costs and put more deputies on the street. Morgan has frozen promotions, and he expects that retirements will lead to the elimination of several positions. The sheriff expects that he can replace each position with a deputy on the streets and still save money. Those retirement eliminated positions include a major, three captains, five lieutenants, four sergeants, four master deputies, one senior deputy and 10 support and administrative positions.
Morgan says the department needs to add 66 deputies to reach the state average number of deputies per 1,000 people in the county. The state average is 1.7 deputies for every 1,000 people; the ECSO is currently at 1.56. By comparison, the Pensacola Police Department stands at 2.8 officers per thousand people.
Escambia County currently has 309 detention deputies at the jail, 276 patrol deputies, 53 in investigations, 30 in court security and 42 other sworn personnel such as internal affairs and civil officers.
Morgan’s final budget requests are due to the Escambia County Commission by May 1.