Bay Minette Man Killed In Wreck Near Atmore Prison
May 16, 2012
A Bay Minette man was killed in a two vehicle accident near Fountain Prison north of Atmore this morning.
Kenneth Moore, 41, was pronounced deceased at the scene of the 6 a.m. wreck. Moore was reportedly a corrections officer, only about a half mile from arriving at his morning shift.
Moore’s Dodge Avenger and a Ford pickup driven by William Henry Wiggins of Perdido collided nearly head-on. Wiggins was not seriously injured.
The accident remains under investigation by Alabama State Troopers. Further details have not been released.
Fire Destroys House In Atmore
May 16, 2012
An early morning fire destroyed a house in Atmore.
The fire was reported just after 2:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Third Street. The house was fully involved when the first firefighters arrived on scene.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The American Red Cross was called to assist the residents left homeless by the blaze.
The Atmore Fire Department, Poarch Creek Fire Department, Atmore Ambulance and Atmore Police Department responded to the call.
Northview, Tate, Jay Release Football Schedules
May 16, 2012
Northview, Tate and Jay high schools have released their 2012 football schedules, and all three teams will have spring games this month.
Northview will have a full 11-game season this year, including seven home games. The Northview Spring Game will be this Thursday at 7 p.m. as the Chiefs host the Jaguars of West Florida High School. General admission is $6.
The Tate Aggies will begin their season at home against Pensacola High School on August 24. Tate will have a Crimson and Gray intersquad game at home this Friday at 6:30 p.m. and will travel to Washington High for a Spring Game on May 28 at 7 p.m.
The Jay Royals will travel just over half of the 2012 season, with their first three games on the road. The Royals will host Rocky Bayou Christian School in a Spring Game on May 24 at 6 p.m.
Schedules for the Northview Chiefs, Tate Aggies and Jay Royals are below.
Man Charged With Shooting, Killing Two Horses
May 16, 2012
An Escambia County man was arrested Tuesday for shooting and killing two of his horses.
Richard Wayne Owen was charged after deputies responded to his property on Baronne Street in West Pensacola where Animal Control and Code Enforcement had discovered two dead horses that appeared to have been shot in the head. The skeletal remains of a third horse were also discovered.
Owen arrived on scene and was questioned by deputies about the dead horses. After taking witness statements and physical evidence, deputies arrested Owen.
Owen was charged with two counts of animal cruelty and carrying a concealed firearm. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $11,000.
BOE Lowers FCAT Writing Test Passing Score
May 16, 2012
To avoid a steep drop in student scores the Florida Board of Education on Tuesday lowered the passing grade on a statewide writing test in an effort to insulate schools from a decline that would affect school funding.
Meeting in an emergency session, the board agreed to lower the passing grade from 4.0 to 3.0 on the FCAT writing assessment for the current school year after statewide numbers showed the passing rate fell through the floor, dropping in fourth grade from 81 percent to 27 percent.
Eighth and 10th graders experienced similar drops in writing grades.
The emergency rule will be in effect for 90 days. The board will address permanent rules within that time
But even with the lower standards, more students this year will not receive a satisfactory score, a drop in success that state education officials say is prompted by tougher testing criteria and the fact that each test was scored by two people.
The Department of Education took some responsibility for the drop, saying it did not adequately prepare schools and teachers for more rigorous standards that were put in place this year, which included an increased focus on grammar and punctuation.
Instead the new standard appears to have been rushed, which led to the dramatic increase in unsatisfactory scores.
“This conversation should have come up earlier,” DOE Secretary Gerard Robinson acknowledged. “We’ll do better going forward.”
School specific writing scores will not be out until at least the end of the week, leaving many districts in limbo as they wait to see if their schools will garner the necessary scores to keep the overall school grade from dropping, which has financial implications for already cash-strapped districts.
Passing scores on the FCAT writing assessment for fourth graders plummeted from 81 percent to 27 percent. Passing scores in eighth grade fell from 82 percent to 33 percent.
Tenth graders taking the test saw a similar drop in success. While 80 percent passed the test last year, only 38 percent scored a 4 or above on a 6-point scale this time around.
At the 3.0 threshold, 81 percent of fourth graders, 77 percent of eighth graders and 84 percent of 10th graders passed the test.
Some board members reluctantly supported the lower standards, but made it clear they would not continue to do so. School scores are expected to be out by the end of the week.
“The change from 4.0 to 3.0 looks like we are lowering standards,” said John Padget. “I’m only voting on this so we can hold (schools) harmless for this year only:”
Other board members, however, said the lower scores are not a reflection of student aptitude, but a change in scoring that has raised the bar.
“This is absolutely not a retreat,” said vice chairman Roberto Martinez. “It is maintaining the equivalence with last year, we’re just using a much more rigorous application of the scoring rubric.”
The test score drop became the vehicle for parents, teachers and local administrators to vent on the FCAT writing test and testing in general. The board took numerous calls from parents who said the high stakes tests are stressing out their kids.
Teachers said they were not given an adequate heads up on what the new criteria would mean.
“We literally didn’t receive much information at all,” said Holly Wallace, a writing teacher. “We were a little out of touch as far as what exactly the expectations were.”
Leon County Superintendent Jackie Pons, worried that contrary to the board’s assertion that school districts would not be penalized by the new standards, many school districts would still see their school grades fall based on the results of the writing assessment.
Despite the lower standard, some districts will still be adversely affected. School grades are partially determined by FCAT scores. Schools that perform poorly must divert resources to fixing the problem, which takes funds away from other areas.
The low scores brought concern from the top as well. Gov. Rick Scott, in a sharply worded statement Monday, said the lower scores were of great concern.
“The significant contrast in this year’s writing scores is an obvious indication that the Department of Education needs to review the issue and recommend an action plan so that our schools, parents, teachers and students have a clear understanding of the results,” Scott said.
Critics of FCAT testing also used the opportunity to take their shots.
“Florida’s overemphasis on testing is insane,” said former state Sen. Dan Gelber. “We have become a school system whose entire purpose seems to be to prepare kids for minimal competence tests.”
The Board plans to get updates at it June meeting.
Former Century Vol. Fire Chief, Charter Member Passes Away
May 16, 2012
A former chief of the Century Volunteer Fire Department has passed away. Charles Sansom, Sr., died Wednesday, May 9 at his home in Pensacola. He was 72.
Samsom was a charter member of the Century VFD. His family moved to Century in 1954 where he met his future wife of 51 years, Ruth, and graduated from Century High School.
He also served at the Monsanto Fire Department and was a member of Escambia Search and Rescue.
A visitation for Charles Herman Sansom, Sr. will be held Saturday, May 19 from 10-11 a.m. at St. Luke United Methodist Church on Nine Mile Road with a funeral service to follow.
For his complete obituary, click here.
Deputies To Begin Click It Or Ticket Seat Belt Campaign
May 16, 2012
Monday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office began a two-week “Click It or Ticket” crackdown designed to increase seat belt use and decrease motor vehicle fatalities across the county. The campaign will run day and night.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2010 nationally, 61 percent of the 10,647 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes overnight (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash, compared to 42 percent during the daytime hours.
“That’s why Escambia County deputies are joining state and local law enforcement agencies and highway safety groups in supporting an aggressive national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign from May 21 through June 3″, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.
Molino Woman Charged With Pawning Grandma’s Ring
May 16, 2012
A Molino woman has been charged with allegedly selling a stolen family heirloom ring at a Pensacola pawnshop.
Ashley Jogan was charged with dealing in stolen property, a second degree felony. She remained in the Escambia County Jail Wednesday morning with bond set at $10,000.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, she pawned a stolen lady’s gold ring with eight red stones surrounding one dark center stone at the Cash America Pawn on Fairfield Drive.
The ring allegedly belonged to Jogan’s grandmother.
LCpl Travis Nelson Scholarship 5K Trail Run Is Saturday
May 16, 2012
The Winged Warrior Centennial 5K this Saturday will benefit the LCpl Travis Nelson Scholarship Fund.
The United States Marine Corps and the University of West Florida Semper Fi Society will present the trail run to celebrate 100 years of Marine Corps Aviation. The run will take place at 7:30 a.m. Saturday on the University of West Florida nature trails. The race starts at the Multipurpose Field on the UWF campus.
Race proceeds benefit the LCpl Travis Nelson Scholarship Fund, named in honor of LCpl Travis Nelson of Bratt, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 19, 2011. The scholarship is presented to outstanding seniors in the Northview or Pace high school ROTC programs or outstanding students in the Young Marines of Pensacola.
Registration is $22. To register, click here.
Tate Senior Chase Carroll Honored By Escambia School Board
May 16, 2012
Tate High School senior Chase Carroll was recognized Tuesday night by the Escambia County School Board.
Carroll was honored for winning the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state 2A weightlifting championship in his weight class, as well as numerous academic achievements.
In April, Carroll’s total lift was at 655 pounds with a best bench of 380 and a best clean & jerk of 275. Carroll’s total lift was 20 pounds greater than the second place finisher in the state finals.
It was the third trip to the FHSAA finals for Carroll, who also excels off the bench. He has a 3.7 GPA, and is in the National Honor Society, BETA Club, Rho Kappa, FFA, is FCA president and has participated in football and track.
Pictured above: Tate Senior Chase Carroll is honored Tuesday by the Escambia County School Board. Pictured below: School Board members (L-R) Gerald Boone, Patty Hightower, Jeff Bergosh and Bill Slayton; Chase Carroll and Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
