Escambia, Santa Rosa Tax Burden Below State Average
October 14, 2011
Your tax burden in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties is lower than the state average, according to a report released by Florida TaxWatch.
Santa Rosa County ranks 61st out of 67 Florida counties in terms of total county and city taxes per capita, with 67 being the least taxed in the state. The state average, $1,014 per capita, is more than double Santa Rosa’s $407 per capita tax burden.
Escambia County residents are hit twice as hard, according to the report. The average per capita county and city taxes is $802.27 in Escambia County, still a few hundred dollars below the state average.
Residents’ wallets are hit hardest in Monroe County where the per capita taxes are $2,154.32.
Molino Park Carnival Today (With Auction Item List)
October 14, 2011
The annual Molino Park Elementary School Fall Carnival is Friday, and that means it is time for the carnival’s popular auctions.
The event will take place from 4 until 7:30 p.m. at the school, featuring games, food, entertainment and much more. Everyone is welcome to attend for great family fun.
This year’s auction items will include:
Dental Care Package
1 Sonic Care Toothbrush
Donated by: Sonic Care Representative
The Man Purse
Ryobi Starter Kit
18 Volt
P206 Drill with 2 screwdrivers bits,
P501 Circular Saw with blade and wrench
18 volt Batteries, Charger, Tool Bag, and operators manual
Donated by: Home Depot
Ready for the Hunt
Otis Panoply Cleaning Patches
Otis All Purpose Receiver Brushes
Mike’s Outdoors Camouflage Hat
Ol’ Tom Tri-Air Seat Camouflage
Donated by: Mike’s Outdoors
Skating Party
1 Free Birthday Party
Donated by: Dreamland Skating Center
White Smiles
Professional Whitening Kit
Donated by: Dr. Stavely
Waffle House Gift Basket
Donated by: Waffle House Hwy 29
Diners Delight #1
2 Luncheon Specials plus beverage at Smokey’s
$25 Carrabbas Gift Certificate
$25 Bonefish Grill Gift Certificate
$5 Fran’s Gift Certificate
4 Free Hash browns or beverage at Waffle House
4 Free Waffles at Waffle House
4 Free Spicy Chicken Sandwiches at Chick Fil A
Birthday Party
Free Semi Private Party for 10 children or $175 off any other party package
Donated by: Triple Play
Diners Delight 2
2 Luncheon Specials plus beverage at Smokey’s
$25 Carrabbas Gift Certificate
Chili’s Dinner for 2
$5 Fran’s Gift Certificate
4 Free Hash browns or beverage at Waffle House
4 Free Waffles at Waffle House
4 Free Spicy Chicken Sandwiches at Chick Fil A
Miche Purse
Classic Miche Base Bag with Custom Pensacola Beach Shell
Donated by: Miche Bag Gulf Coast
Cooler
Igloo 150 quart White Cooler
Donated by: Academy Sports
Hunters’ Pride
1 Deer Head Mount
(plaque not included)
Donated by: Vanderpol’s Taxidermy
Resort Package
2 Night Stay in any 1 Bedroom condo of your choice from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Panama City Beach, Florida
Donated by: Resort Quest
Family Fun Pack
4 Mini Golf Package Passes at Batter’s Box
8 Free games of Bowling at Deluna Lanes
4 Frozen drinks tokens at Tom Thumb
4 Free junior Frosty at Wendy’s
Family night out at Dreamland Skate Center which includes 5 regular admissions , 5 regular skate rentals, 12 inch pizza and 5 cokes
10 Free ride tickets at Fast Eddie’s
10 Free Fast Bucks at Fast Eddie’s
Grocery Pack
$100 Grocery Advantage Gift Certificate
Donated by: Grocery Advantage
Pet Package
1 Lupine 6”-9” adjustable collar and leash
Science Diet and Coat Dog Treats
3 Weekend night stay at Molino Pet Lodge with bath
1 Large metal animal waste collector
2 dog and cat toys
Golf Package
2 18 Holes with cart at Champion Golf Course
4 Complimentary rounds of golf at Cypress Lakes Golf Club
Moms Day Out
Shampoo/Cut/Blow Dry at Curl Up and Dye
Mani/Pedi at Curl Up and Dye
$25 Target Gift Card
$10 Blossom’s Gift Certificate
Two Weeks free Tanning at Bronze Connection
Anniversary Package
$25 Cake Shop Gift Certificate
$25 Target Gift Card
$25 Blossom Gift Certificate
1 Manicure and Pedicure at Bronze Connection
Fair Fun Pack
3 VIP Season Pass at Pensacola Interstate Fair
10 One Time free pass entry
Donated by: Pensacola Interstate Fair
Photo Package
1 Free Photo Shoot
Free 8×10
Free Disc of photos from shoot
Donated by: Candy McGahan
Framed Artwork
Auburn National Championship Framed Artwork
Donated by: D & E Custom Framing and Sports Art
Pictured: Scenes from last year’s Fall Carnival at Molino Park Elementary School. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Volleyball: Central At Northview
October 14, 2011
The Northview Lady Chiefs lost to Central Thursday night in varsity high school volleyball action, 24-26, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25.
Misty Doran had eight kills, a block and three digs, and Josie Docuette finished the night with two aces, one kill, one assist, a block and a dig. Junior Morgan Payne had one kill and a five digs, as Shelley Mothershed contributed six aces, five kills, one block and four digs.
In junior varsity action, Northview defeated Central 25-14, 16-25, 15-10.
Danielle Steaham had three aces, one kill, one assist and a block, and junior Hannah Fiellin had three aces, one kill and three assist. Tiffani Pritchett contributed three aces, five assists an a block, while Rebecca Grim posted one ace and six kills.
Monday, the Lady Chiefs will host the Tate Aggies in Bratt, with the JV taking the court at 5 p.m. and the varsity at 6 p.m.
Escambia Man Indicted For September Murder
October 14, 2011
An Escambia County man has been indicted for a murder last month.
A grand jury indicted Thomas Larry Bolds for the first degree premeditated murder of 53-year-old Alvin Merriwell Lewis, Jr.
On September 22, 2011, at about 10:50 p.m., deputies responded to a call of shots fired at the Moorings Apartments on Old Spanish Trail Road. When they arrived they found the victim, 53-year-old Alvin Merriwell Lewis, Jr., dead from multiple gunshot wounds inside the suspect’s apartment, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
A witness stated that Lewis had been demonstrating how he would defend himself by using a knife, but at no time threatened anyone. During Lewis’ demonstration, Bolds picked up a gun and began shooting Lewis. Lewis was shot once in the chest and seven times in the back.
JV Football: Northview Beats West Florida
October 14, 2011
The junior varsity Northview Chiefs ended their season with a 36-32 thriller against West Florida High School Thursday night.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
West Florida jumped out to a 12-6 lead over the Chiefs in the second quarter. Then, with 2:18 in the half, freshman Jaron Myles was in for the Chiefs. A good two point conversion, and Northview held a 14-12 lead. But West Florida managed an 18-14 halftime lead with a touchdown with 1:15 to go in the second.
The Jags increased their lead to 26-14 in the third, then Myles scored again for the Chiefs to narrow the score to 26-22.
The last two minutes of the fourth quarter were worth the price of admission. With 1:41 to go in the game, Myles scored another TD for the Chiefs. Jeffrey Taylor was in on the two point conversion, and Northview held a 25-26 advantage.
West Florida regained the lead with 52.6 seconds to go in the game, 32-30 Jags. Then, with 34.7 seconds on the clock, Northview’s Myles struck again. A missed two point conversion, and Northview took the lead 36-32.
West Florida’s dash for the end zone ended with a Northview interception with 6.2 seconds in the game.
With the win, the JV Northview Chiefs ended their season at 4-1.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured top: Brannon Freeman gains yardage for the Northview Chiefs Thursday night against West Florida High School’s Jaguars. Pictured inset: Jaron Myles heads for a Chiefs touchdown. Pictured below: Kahlil Grice (#63) makes a stop for the Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Meagan Wilburn Funeral Services Announced
October 13, 2011
Funeral arrangements have announced for Meagan Wilburn, the nine-year old Bratt Elementary student who died Tuesday after an ATV accident in Walnut Hill.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 15, at 3 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Ted Bridges officiating. Burial will follow at the Dry Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the funeral home one hour prior to service time.
A fund as been established to help the family with funeral expenses. [Read more...]
For the complete obituary, click here.
Meagan Hope Wilburn
October 13, 2011
Miss Meagan Hope Wilburn, 9, passed away on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, at a Pensacola hospital.
Meagan was a native of Fayetteville, NC, and a resident of Walnut Hill for most of her life. She was a happy and loving child, a straight-A student, and member of the math team at Bratt Elementary School and attended the Walnut Hill Baptist Church.
She is survived by her mother, Rebekah Wilburn of Walnut Hill; her father, James Wilburn of Hot Springs, AR; a brother, Tyler Love of Bedford, TX; a sister, Cailee Wilburn of Walnut Hill; her grandparents, Gordon and Zena Freeman of Walnut Hill, and Deborah Wilburn of Amity, AR; a great-grandmother, Darlynne Bishop of New Hampshire; uncles Michael Wilburn of Hot Springs, AR, Bryan Wilburn of Holland, MI, Clint Freeman of Atlanta and Andrew Freeman of Walnut Hill; and aunts Tammy Wilburn of Hartford, MI, and Tammy Freeman of Atlanta.
Funeral services will be Saturday, October 15, 2011, at 3 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Ted Bridges officiating. Burial will follow at Dry Springs Cemetery.
Visitation will be Saturday, October 15, 2011, from 2 p.m. until funeral time at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Matthew Freeman, Michael Gene Freeman, Hadden Barlow, Jacob McCullough, Andrew Freeman and Elliot Ross.
Shots Fired At Deputies
October 13, 2011
An investigation is underway this morning after Escambia County deputies say they were shot at in an Ensley neighborhood late Wednesday night.
Deputies were in an unmarked vehicle conducting an investigation near Airway Drive and Johnson Avenue when someone reportedly shot out the back window of their vehicle. Deputies surrounded the area looking for a suspect in the incident, which occurred just before 11 p.m. So far, there have been no arrests reported in connection with the shooting. But evidence ,including shell casings, was recovered.
There were no injuries reported.
Scott Pitches More Business Tax Cuts
October 13, 2011
A new drive to reduce the number of businesses paying the corporate income tax and tangible property taxes will headline Gov. Rick Scott’s legislative agenda, even as state lawmakers face a budget shortfall pegged at $1.3 billion and growing.
In a visit to Central Florida to unveil his economic agenda, Scott said he would ask lawmakers to double the corporate income tax exemption to $50,000, dropping 25 percent of the companies that now pay it from the tax roles. After Scott’s original plan to cut the tax rate got nowhere last year, the Legislature instead approved a measure increasing the exemption to $25,000.
Under that change, about half of Florida businesses already pay no taxes.
Scott also proposed a $50,000 exemption from the tangible personal property tax on businesses, allowing 150,000 of the 300,000 companies that now pay the levy to avoid it. That would require a constitutional amendment that would go before voters in 2012.
“One of the most important things Florida can do to attract businesses, and in turn jobs, is to create a tax environment that welcomes business growth and encourages investment in our state,” Scott said, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.
Scott also said he would push to turn Florida’s unemployment system into a “reemployment system” by requiring some workers to undergo job training while receiving benefits. He also touted proposals to tighten oversight of the state’s workforce boards; improvements in the state’s deepwater ports and transportation system; and pushing universities to focus more on degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The last goal has already drawn criticism from educators and others concerned by Scott’s questioning the value of some degrees, but the tax plan could run into resistance as lawmakers try to tackle a budget shortfall in the coming fiscal year that could top $2 billion.
House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, embraced the plan.
“I look forward to working alongside Governor Scott and my colleagues in the Florida Legislature during the upcoming session as we strive to meet our shared goal of reducing the tax burden on Florida families and businesses, eliminating burdensome regulations, and implementing thoughtful public policy reforms that will foster both a business climate ripe for private sector job creation and a skilled workforce ready to meet the needs of a global economy,” Cannon said in a statement following the announcement.
Calling Scott’s plans “ambitious,” Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, was more measured in his response. Haridopolos, who was at times openly skeptical of Scott’s plan to reduce the corporate tax rate last year, made no specific reference to the new tax-cut plan in his reaction to Scott’s plans.
“In the coming months and throughout the 2012 Legislative Session, we will work closely with the Governor in order to implement measures that will continue to provide stability and predictability to our state’s business owners and entrepreneurs, as well as pursue an agenda that is focused on job creation and economic development,” he said.
By Brandon Larrabee
The News Service of Florida
A Silly Little Rhyme: A Mother Remembers Her 9-Year Old Daughter Killed In ATV Crash
October 13, 2011
“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite…I love you momma, good night.”
It was perhaps a silly little rhyme, a nighttime ritual of sorts around the Wilburn household. But it was the way daughter Meagan would tell her mom good night each evening, including Monday night, the very last night of her short nine years.
By Tuesday night, mom Rebekah sat next to Meagan’s lifeless form at Sacred Heart Hospital and said the rhyme on more time.
“Mom loves you Meagan, good night.”
Nine-year old Meagan Wilburn always loved to ride her bicycle around the family home on Occie Phillips Road. The home sits in a wooded area about a quarter mile off the roadway. The driveway is an adventurous child’s dream; it has steep terraces (like little hills) throughout to prevent erosion.
Meagan and two others were on an ATV Tuesday afternoon on the driveway when they lost control within sight of the house. The two others were uninjured. But the ATV overturned and landed on Meagan, a part — most likely the handlebar — piercing her chest.
A panicked Rebekah and her father knew it was a very serious injury and rushed Meagan nine miles to the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue where first responders were waiting.
Rebekah stood outside the ambulance in the parking lot of the fire station, wringing her hands and watching through the back windows as first responders worked on her youngest daughter. She was in the front seat of LifeFlight as Meagan was flown to Sacred Heart Hospital for emergency surgery. After surgery, she was moved to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
“The doctor told me I could go in and see her,” Rebekah said. But it began to seem like a long time, and they did not come out and get me.
“Then they called ‘Code Blue’ to the Pediatric ICU,” she said. “We knew it was her.”
“She was such a fighter; she fought for five hours” mom Rebekah said Wednesday. “She was a fighter, stubborn, hard-headed, crazy crazy tough.”
“She had the most beautiful sky-blue eyes and the cutest freckles…those eyes were so hard to say ‘no’ to.”
Meagan enjoyed gymnastics and loved school. She had a perfect straight-A record at Bratt Elementary School, was a member of the Sunshine Math team and received numerous awards. She had recently decided that she loved the color pink.
“Her casket will be white with a pink trim and the outside will be pink.” she said. “There’s a picture in the top that shows ‘in God’s hands’.”
“I didn’t know what else to do for my baby girl. It wanted it to be beautiful. She was so beautiful. It was like she glowed all the time; she was always so happy.”
Rebekah said the one of the things she will miss most about Meagan is their little nighttime ritual.
“It was every night before bed; it was such a stupid saying,” she said. “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite…I love you momma, good night.”
“I told her that when I left her at the hospital last night…Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite…Mom loves you Meagan, good night.”
Pictured top: Rebekah Wilburn watches through an ambulance window as first responders work to save her 9-year old daughter Meagan Tuesday afternoon following an ATV crash in Walnut Hill. Pictured top inset: Meagan Wilburn’s Bratt Elementary school photo. Pictured bottom inset: Rebekah Wilburn remembers her daughter Wednesday afternoon. Pictured below: Straight-A student Meagan Wilburn received numerous awards at the end of third grade last May at Bratt Elementary School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
