Today’s Northview School Advisory Council Meeting Canceled
March 17, 2009
The Northview High School School Advisory Council meeting scheduled for this afternoon has been canceled.
The next meeting of the Northview SAC will be April 20 at 3 p.m. in the media center.
School advisory council meetings are open to the public.
Escambia River Flood Warning Canceled
March 17, 2009
The National Weather Service has canceled a flood warning for the Escambia River at Century.
At 10 this morning, the river was at 14.6 feet. Flood stage is 17 feet.
Deputies Bust Major North Escambia Burglary Ring
March 17, 2009
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department has busted up a major burglary ring operating in the North Escambia area, arresting three people and recovering perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise.
Three people — a female and two males — were arrested Monday by deputies after an attempted burglary on Clymil Drive, just south of Williams Ditch Road in the Cottage Hill area. Deputies say at least two more people are expected to be arrested in connection with the burglaries. In all, the suspects are believed to be responsible for about 25 burglaries in the area.
“We recovered a lot of merchandise,” Lt. Tony Jordan of the Escambia Sheriff’s Department told NorthEscambia.com. Property recovered from an apartment complex on Olive Road in Pensacola included a long list of big screen TVs, jewelry, games systems, DVDs, computers and more.
The arrests came Monday after the Clymil Drive resident came home to find a vehicle backed to his home and called for help. Deputies located the vehicle and made their arrests, but not before the female suspect reported that she had been carjacked, Jordan said.
The persons arrest Monday are possibly linked to 25 similar burglaries across the area this year, according to the Sheriff’s Department. In the typical burglary, one suspect would knock on the front door of the home. If no one answered the door, the suspects would back their car up to the home and kick in the backdoor, Jordan said. Most of the took place in isolated areas, often at homes where trees or shrubbery block the view of the home from the road.
In an incident last week, a man returned to his home in the 4000 block of Chestnut Road in Molino to find one of the burglars inside his home.
Most of the burglaries took place in the Cantonment and Molino areas, Jordan said. Deputies have not been able to determine if an incident late last week on Morgan Road in Walnut Hill was related. In that incident, the resident told deputies that he arrived at his home to find two black males in a white work-type truck in his backyard. They told the resident that they were there to fix a refrigerator.
The names of the suspects taken into custody Monday were not released by deputies due to the ongoing investigation and pending arrests.
More details on this story when they become available.
Century To Join Activist Group To Seek Court Injunction To Stop Carver/Century Closure
March 17, 2009
The Century Town Council has voted to join forces with the Pensacola activist group Movement for Change in seeking a court order to block the closure of Carver/Century K-8 School.
The Escambia County School Board is expected to vote tonight to close the school at the end of this school year. Leroy Byrd, president of the group, told the Century Town Council Monday night that the courts were their only hope of saving the town’s only school.
“The school district has already made a decision without announcing that decision. The outcome is already known,” he said. “You will have to file a legal challenge; it will not make a difference what you say.”
During his presentation to the council, Boyd never specified on what grounds the group would seek the injunction, other than to mention that the school district has “no compassion for poverty”.
When NorthEscambia.com asked what the basis for the injunction would be, Boyd simply replied that, “It won’t be race.”
He estimated that it would cost the council $7,500 to $8,000 in legal fees to hire attorney Jeffery Toney to file the injunction, and he cautioned the council that there could be additional appeals filed regardless of which side prevailed in court that would result in additional costs.
After making his case to the council, Boyd left the meeting and was not present for the council’s discussion or vote.
“The only way we could have a possible chance is to file that injunction,” said council member Gary Riley. “I feel it is worth it.”
“Whatever we can do to save our school, I’m all for it,” council member Sharon Scott said. “We’ve got to do everything,” council member Nadine McCaw added.
“The injunction should get us out of this dog fight altogether,” council member Henry Hawkins said. But without support and programs for the school, he said “we are going to have the same fight next year.”
The council voted 5-0 in favor of joining Movement for Change to seek the injunction to block the closure of Carver/Century.
When Boyd began his presentation to the council on behalf of Movement for Change, he told the council that he wanted 100 percent support from the town to save the school.
“There are some in this community who do not want to save Century,” he said. “We think to save Century, you have to have a school.”
“We want to see one Century come together to save Century,” Boyd added. “Not a racial divide, but one Century.”
Century Mayor Freddie McCall acknowledged that a small group of people in the town may want to acquire a charter school, but the group is a very small minority working contrary to the efforts of the town and its Blue Ribbon Committee that was formed to look at ways to save Carver/Century. The town has not even discussed opening a charter school, the mayor said, and they will not until the school board has actually voted for the closure.
McCall said the small minority wanted a charter school in Century for “handicap school or something”, and “I wasn’t part of it.”
“The majority of Century is on board to save our school,” the mayor said.
Pictured above: Leroy Boyd from Movement for Change addresses the Century Town Council Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Carver/Century Closure Expected To Become Final Tonight
March 17, 2009
The Escambia County School Board holds the keys to Carver/Century K-8 School in their hands, and tonight they are expected to vote lock the doors at the end of this school year.
The board is expected to vote tonight to rezone Carver/Century K-8 School students to Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School.
“The effect of these changes is to close Carver/Century K8,” the board’s detailed agenda for tonight says.
Want to go? Tonight’s meeting of the Escambia County School Board will be held at the J.E. Hall at 30 E. Texar Drive. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.
Join Relay For Life; Team Captain Meeting Tonight
March 17, 2009
A Century Relay for Life team captain’s meeting will be held this evening, and event organizers want you to know there is still time to form a team.
Teams are needed now, not just from Century, but from areas like Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino, McDavid and Flomaton.
The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life raises fund for out community that go towards research, prevention, treatment, education, advocacy and patient services.
“This is a way to CELEBRATE those who have fought cancer and won. This is a way to REMEMBER those who have fought cancer and lost. This is a way to FIGHT BACK against a disease that has touched all of us in one way or another,” a Relay for Life release reads.
You can help with Relay by creating a team to raise funds, buy a track marker with your message, purchase a luminaria in honor or memory of someone, or just come out to the event and have fun.
The team captain’s meeting will be held at 6:30 this evening in the cafeteria at Carver/Century K-8 School.
For more information, contact Paula Jernigan, event chair, at 256-3842, or B.J. Davis at 475-0850 ext. 2280. Or, you can visit centuryrelay.com
Century’s Relay for Life will begin April 25.
8th Graders Check Out Northview High School
March 17, 2009
Eighth graders from Carver/Century K-8 and Ernest Ward Middle School had the chance to learn more about Northview High School, and they had a little fun doing it.
Freshmen Orientation for incoming Northview High School freshmen was held Monday evening at the school.
A quiz show game “Are You Ready To Be A Northview Chief” gave participants and the Northview students and their families on the importance of reading and high school success.
The quiz show was comprised of two teams — the Garnet and the Gold — that answered questions with a little help from the audience.
Students and their parents also had the opportunity to tour the school and learn more about classes and programs that are offered. The sports teams and clubs from the school also provided information. Teachers were on hands to answer questions from the incoming freshmen.
Click here for a photo gallery.
Pictured above and below: “Are You Ready To Be A Northview Chief” gave incoming freshmen a fun look at what high school has to offer during an orientation Monday night at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lucky 7: Chiefs Work To Keep Winning Streak Alive
March 17, 2009
The Northview High School varsity baseball team has been on a huge winning streak, winning their last seven.
“Our hitting and run production was not very good at the start of the season. Generally, hitting is ahead of the pitching early,” said Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley. “Recently though, I feel like we’ve been seeing the ball better and having better swings at the plate. It has helped us to produce more runs. We’ve also been aggressive on the bases and have been able to get some bunts down.”
Four Northview players having batting averages of .333 or better — junior Dakota Stuckey, sophomore Dabney Langhorne and senior Scooter Hamilton.
The Chiefs, now 7-2, are only about two-thirds of the way through the season. Seven straight wins is a good thing, but Wheatley realizes his team has more work to do to keep the wins rolling in.
“I’m pleased at what we’ve done so far, but I also realize we have a lot to work on and improve on. The players realize this, as well. We’re not satisfied with what we’ve done so far, we realize there is much more that we need to improve on,” Wheatley said.
Northview batting averages after nine games:
Dakota Stuckey .348
Dabney Langhorne .333
Scooter Hamilton .333
Austin Reid .310
Austin Arrington .286
Pictured above: Sophomore Austin Arrington at bat for the Chiefs. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Ending: Flood Warning For Escambia River; Dense Fog Tonight
March 16, 2009
(Updated 5:15 p.m.)The weather service says there is slight chance of more rain in North Escambia and surrounding areas this evening. A flood warning for the Escambia River has been issued. And, after the rain clears overnight, there is a dense fog advisory through tomorrow morning.
A flood warning has been issued for the Escambia River near Century. Earlier today, the flood state was at 10.4 feet. Flood state is 17 feet. The river is forecast to rise above flood stage by Thursday morning and continue to rise to near 17.4 feet by Friday morning, with a further rise possible by the weekend. At 17.5 feet some flooding of lowlands in the area will continue until the river level drops below 13 feet.
The rain will end tonight, with just a 30 percent chance of an overnight shower. There is dense fog advisory in effect from 10 tonight to 10 tomorrow morning. A cold front will move across the area. The cooler air, when combined with the moisture on the ground from the rain will produce widespread dense fog. The overnight low will be about 53.Tuesday through Saturday are forecast to be sunny with daytime highs in the mid to upper 70’s and overnight lows in the 40’s.
In Depth: Possible Nuclear Plant In North Escambia
March 16, 2009
On Saturday, NorthEscambia.com broke the exclusive story that Gulf Power was purchasing property in North Escambia for a potential power plant — one that might be nuclear — in the Cox and Roach road areas between McDavid and Bratt.
Gulf Power Manager of Public Affairs Sandy Sims told us that the plant could be nuclear, natural gas powered or even an advanced technology like wind or solar. “We really can’t rule out any possibility right now.”
Today, we are going to take a closer look at some possibilities.
Nuclear Power Plant?
In 2007, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist issued an executive order calling for electric utilities to use renewable energy sources to generate electricity and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In August of last year, CEO Susan Story told the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce that nuclear energy and biomass — items such as wood waste, wood, municipal waste and other forms of waste — would become viable options, according to a report in the Panama City News Herald. That article also said Story commented that once Gulf Power picked a site, it could be 2020 before a nuclear plant would begin producing electricity.
Story told the newspaper that Gulf Power was looking at potential nuclear power sites in Northwest Florida “as we speak”.
At Gulf Power’s annual economic symposium in the fall of 2007, Story said “Nuclear may not be a critical option, it may be the only option.” She added that the earliest a nuclear plant could happen would be 2020.
New applications for nuclear power plants increased in 2008, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
During 2007, there were five new applications for eight new reactors. Two of those sites were new; the other six reactors were to be expansions of existing nuclear power plants.
In 2008, the number of applications more than doubled to 12, for a total of 18 new reactors. Four of those reactors were to be located at two brand new nuclear power plants; the rest were to be located at current plants.
The NRC says that at this time, there are three known applications for five reactors expected to be filed in 2009. Additional applications could be filed during year.
The nearest nuclear reactors to North Escambia is outside Dothan, Ala. The Farley Nuclear Plant is about 130 miles from North Escambia.
Is The Land Area Large Enough For A Nuclear Plant?
It would appear from the reports of area residents that Gulf Power is looking to purchase a very large area of land.
The Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan sits on 1,850 acres. That is about 2.9 square miles.
Residents near the intersection of Cox Road and Bratt Road have reported that they were contacted by a Gulf Power representative seeking to purchase their property. Those homes are about 2.8 miles from the land already purchased by Gulf Power on Roach Road.
Sims would not confirm how many acres the utility was looking to purchase, but she did confirm that the company’s land acquisition department did make contact with one of the residents we spoke with near the intersection of Cox Road and Bratt Road — 2.8 miles away.
Natural Gas?
It becomes interesting to note that there is a natural gas pipeline about one mile north-northwest of the property purchased by Gulf Power on Roach Road. The pipeline is situated almost in the middle of the area between Gulf Power’s property and the residents contacted by the utility 2.8 miles away. The pipeline is indicated by the red line on the map at the top of the page.
Natural gas would not be considered a renewable energy source.
Other Possibilities
Wood and wood product were one of the biomass, renewable energy possibilities mentioned by Story. North Escambia is, obviously, surrounded by wood products industries.
Online date from the U.S. Forest Service indicates that if Gulf Power were to attempt to replace the 945 megawatt generating capacity of their Crist Plant in Pensacola with wood fuel, the plant would need over 10 million tons of wood fuel per year.
Pictured top of page: These graphics show the location of the property that has been purchased by Gulf Power. Resident as far away as Cox Road and Bratt Road have reportedly been contacted by the utility. Pictured middle: A small house sits on the Gulf Power property. Pictured bottom: A pipeline runs through the area. NorthEscambia.com graphics/photos, click to enlarge.