Molino Family Photographs Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee
June 6, 2012
[VOA] England’s Queen Elizabeth led a carriage procession through the streets of London Tuesday, the last day of Diamond Jubilee celebrations to mark her 60-year reign, and the public poured out to view the spectacle.
A Molino family living in England was there with photos for NorthEscambia.com. To view the photo gallery, click here.
In a rare speech Tuesday broadcast in Britain and the Commonwealth, the queen said the events she attended to mark her 60 years on the throne have been a “humbling experience.” She said she was touched “deeply” to see thousands of families, neighbors and friends celebrating in such a “happy atmosphere.”
She also said her husband of 64 years, Prince Philip, is very grateful to the organizers.
On Tuesday, cheering crowds lined the avenue toward Buckingham Palace for the grand finale to the celebrations.
The 86-year-old monarch and her family waved to thousands of flag-waving Londoners from the palace balcony, as Royal Air Force aircraft conducted a fly-past overhead. Prince Philip was absent after being hospitalized Monday with a bladder infection.
Earlier in the day, Queen Elizabeth attended a solemn service of thanksgiving in St. Paul’s Cathedral, joining her son and heir-to-the-throne, Prince Charles, her grandsons William and Harry, and other members of the royal family. She then led a horse-drawn carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, while military bands played and a 60-gun salute was fired.
In his thanksgiving sermon, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said Queen Elizabeth had shown “a quality of joy in the happiness of others” during her 60 years on the throne.
In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a personal tribute to the queen, saying he hopes she will continue to “reign supreme for many years to come.” In a video posted on the White House website , Mr. Obama called her a “living witness” to the enduring “special relationship” between Britain and the United States, a bond that he said remains indispensable to their two countries and the world.
Elizabeth succeeded her father, King George, after his death in 1952 and was coronated the following year.
She was crowned queen of seven Commonwealth countries — the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka.
Along with Britain, the monarch is the head of state of 16 other nations, known as realms. Her role is purely ceremonial. She is also head of the Commonwealth, an organization that rose from the British empire. Most of its 53 member countries are former colonies.
Pictured top: (L-R) Camilla, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince William and Kate, and Prince Harry on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Pictured top inset: Queen Elizabeth rides an open-air carriage through the streets of London Tuesday. Pictured bottom inset: Looking toward Buckingham Palace. Pictured below: Prince William and Kate, and Prince Harry in an open-air carriage near Buckingham Palace. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Be A Star: Summer Reading Series Begins At Century Library
June 6, 2012
The Summer Reading Series for kids and teens began Tuesday afternoon at the Century Branch Library.
Kathleen Gibson, an award winning family entertainer, song writer, producer and recording artist shared her special program “Whoever You Are, Be a Star!! Dream Big!”. Children had the chance to make their own guitars, sing, color and dance.
The Summer Reading Series will continue on Tuesdays at noon at the Century Branch Library as follows:
June 12 — Magic with Dr. Gee & Daffodil the Clown. The zany performers will need the audience’s help as they perform fantastical magic acts and bring stories to life.
June 19 — Storytelling with Pat Nease. She will share some witty, wiley and wicked tales.
June 26 — Cartooning with Mike Artell. The award-winning cartoonist and illustrator will present an exciting time of cool and creepy facts about a variety of subjects. Mike gets the audience excited about reading, writing, drawing and creative thinking.
July 3 — No program.
July 10 — Drums with Mark Seymour. Explore the world of drums, drum styles and sounds.
The Century Branch Library also offers a preschool story time each Tuesday in June at 10:30 a.m. for children birth to five-years old.
For more information, call the library at (850) 256-6217.
Memorial Dedicated In Memory Of Fallen Firefighter Killed In 1962
June 6, 2012
A fallen firefighter, the grandfather of two Northview High School graduates, was memorialized Tuesday.
A new monument at Seville Square honors Pensacola Firefighter Vista Spencer Lowe, 23, who died in the line of duty while responding to a house fire on Zarragossa Street. After arriving at the scene, Lowe stepped from the rear tailboard of the firetruck on which he was riding. He tripped and fell to the ground. Unaware of Lowe’s location, the pumper’s driver began backing up the firetruck, crushing Lowe.
Lauren and Jennifer Lowe, 2010 Northview High graduates, took part in the monument’s dedication Tuesday morning, reading “The Fireman’s Prayer”. Their grandfather’s fireman boots were next to them; the boots are the only personal memento they have left from their grandfather. He was killed when their father, Mark Lowe, was just six months old.
“It gives everybody a chance to see that firefighters dedicate their lives in really big way,” Jennifer Lowe said. “My grandpa passed away trying to help people.”
Lowe’s death caused fire departments to change operating procedures, requiring that no apparatus be backed up without a department member watching and directing.
“The monument not only celebrates what he did, but how his death is contributing to the safety of firefighters these days,” Jennifer Lowe said.
Pictured top: Family members of fallen firefighter Vista Spencer Lowe with a memorial unveiled Tuesday in his honor at Seville Square. Pictured inset: Northview graduates Lauren (left) and Jennifer Lowe read “The Fireman’s Prayer” Tuesday morning as a memorial was dedicated to their grandfather. The boots he was wearing the night of his demise are seen on the left of the podium (courtesy P.C. Wu). Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hundreds Line Up To Apply For Just 20 Jobs
June 6, 2012
Hundreds of people turned out in Walnut Hill Tuesday to apply for one of just 20 jobs available coming to the small community when a new crude oil transfer stations opens.
People began lining up at the Walnut Hill Community Center as early as daybreak Tuesday as Workforce Escarosa assisted Genesis Rail Services and their partner, Rail Solutions of Florida, with the recruitment and hiring of rail car unloading operators. The positions will pay from $16 to $20 per hour with benefits.
As the doors opened at 10 a.m., estimates of as many as 800 people were in line for applications. The line, two or three people deep, snaked around the community center property and alongside Highway 97 for about about a quarter mile. Parked vehicles lined both sides of Highway 97 for about a mile, from Arthur Brown Road to Wiggins Lake Road.
Many eventually gave up after spending hours in the sweltering heat. Periodically, it was announced that those would without their driver’s license and social security card, or those with felony convictions, need not apply. That announcement, along with word of a required drug test if hired, would send dozens of people back to their vehicles at a time.
Genesis’ Senior Vice President of Business Development, Paul Davis, said the company will be creating about 30 new jobs at the Walnut Hill facility over the next couple of years.
Coming up Wednesday morning on NorthEscambia.com, we’ll meet a few of the hundreds of people that were in line and learn their stories.
Pictured top: Hundreds line up for job applications in Walnut Hill Tuesday morning (note that the line in the stop photo snakes all the way around the top of the photo along with wooded area). Pictured inset: A few of the hundreds of applicants for rail car unloading operator jobs. Pictured below: Just a small portion of hundreds of people in line. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Park 2nd, 3rd, 4th Grade Awards List
June 6, 2012
Award days were recently held at Molino Park Elementary School.
The following awards were presented to second, third and fourth grade students at Molino Park.
For Pre-K to first grade awards, click here for a previous story.
Fifth grade awards will be published in an upcoming story.
SECOND GRADE
A Honor Roll
- Reagan Daniels
- Aden Fennell
- Jaden Lewis
- Kileigh Lundy
- Melody Patterson
- Sarah Sconiers
A/B Honor Roll
- Divine Abrams
- Matthew Barrow
- Kay-Lee Bradley
- Devin Creamer
- Melanie Danforth
- Josiah Delarosa
- Grayson Grondin
- Jonathan Janes
- Michayla Kent
- Lindsey Kimmons
- Clay Kittrell
- Chelsi Lashley
- Madelyn McAnnally
- James Perz
- Makayla Ramsey
- Brystal Rhodes
- Micheal Roloph
- MacKenzie Sims
- Shayle Slay
- Kailyn Watson
- Trevor Wood
Perfect Attendance
- Dylan Green
- Wesley Johnson
- Nyrobi Lee
- Hannah Ratcliff
- Sarah Sconiers
Citizenship
- Divine Abrams
- Robert Baggett
- Kay-Lee Bradley
- Rachel Byers
- Brook Cook
- Louis Crabtree
- Melanie Danforth
- Reagan Daniels
- Josiah Delarosa
- Aden Fennell
- Dylan Green
- Grayson Grondin
- Jonathon Janes
- Wesley Johnson
- Michayla Kent
- Lindsey Kimmons
- Chelsi Lashley
- Jaden Lewis
- Kileigh Lundy
- Madelyn McAnnally
- Melody Patterson
- James Perz
- Makayla Ramsey
- Hannah Ratcliff
- Brystal Rhodes
- Michael Roloph
- McKenzie Rudd
- Sarah Sconiers
- MacKenzie Sims
- Shayle Slay
- Logan Thompson
- Kailyn Watson
- Jordan Wilson
- Trevor Wood
Most Improved
- Zacheriah Chavers
Outstanding Effort
- Hannah Hassebrock
- Bryson Love
- Shelby Prince
AR Award
- Chelsi Lashley
THIRD GRADE
Citizenship
- Teagan Andress
- Tayler Bridges
- Kaelin Brinker
- Kenley Brown
- Jessica Conti
- Joshua Coonrod
- Nathan Danforth
- Abeni Diggs
- Torrie Edmonson
- Jadon Fryman
- Brentley Garrett
- Hailey Harigel
- Bryce Korinchak
- Kaley Lashley
- Marianna Martinez
- Justin Miller
- Lainey Pace
- Kellie Parsons
- Ashleigh Ratcliff
- Clay Smith
- Morgan Taylor
- Ariel Ward
- Ben Ward
- Caden Woodward
Perfect Attendance
- Jessica Conti
- Harley Crumbley
- Parker Hassebrock
- Julie Ann Keith
- Connor McQuaid
- Jeremiah Morris
- Damion Payne
A Honor Roll
- Kaelin Brinker
- Joshua Coonrod
- Brentley Garrett
- Brayden Mickel
- Clay Smith
- Caden Woodward
A/B Honor Roll
- Tayler Bridges
- Jessica Conti
- Nathan Danforth
- Jadon Fryman
- Hailey Harigel
- Wesley Hart
- Parker Hassebrock
- Bryce Korinchak
- Justin Miller
- Lainey Pace
- Kellie Parsons
- Natalie St. Cyr
- Morgan Taylor
- Ariel Ward
Extra Effort Reading
- Larry Allie
- Scott Skidmore
Most Improved Reading
- Kaley Lashley
Most Improved Math
- Damion Payne
FOURTH GRADE
Perfect Attendance
- Roger Gill
- Hannah Macks
- MacKenzie McCrory
- Kayla McKillion
- Ronald Plenkers
- Logan Wise
- Raeleigh Woodfin
- Stewart Woodfin
Citizenship Awards
- Emily Boutwell
- William “Eli” Boyd
- Caleb Eddins
- Alexander Floyd
- Jordan Godwin
- John Gulledge
- Gracie Johnson
- McKinzi Kent
- Tyler Peacock
- Dellie Roberts
- Brandon Sheldt
- Sarah Woodfin
A/B Honor Roll
- Braden Boutwell
- Emily Boutwell
- Micah Calhoun
- Ben Cantrell
- Jayda Crabtree
- David Green
- Jameisha Gross
- Jacob Hawkins
- Gracie Johnson
- McKenzie McCrory
- Kayla McKillion
- Alexa Schlobohm
- Kamren Simpkins
- Brianna White
- Logan Wise
Most Improved – Math
- Dean Hatcher
- McKinzi Kent
- Dellie Roberts
- Keaton Solmonson
Most Improved – Overall
- Jaden Bellamy
- Caleb Eddins
- Kody Gresh
- Tyler Simmons
Most Improved – Reading
- Gabriel Hamm
Disney to Eliminate Junk Food Ads from Radio, TV, Web
June 6, 2012
[VOA] The Walt Disney Company will become the first U.S. media giant to ban junk food advertising on its radio and television networks, and on its Internet website.
The company announced Tuesday that starting in 2015, it will eliminate commercials for candy, salty snacks and sugary cereals. Instead, Disney programming will promote diets rich in fruits and vegetables, and limit calories, fat and sugar.
Menus at Disney theme parks will feature “Mickey Checks” — pictures of Mickey Mouse that will highlight healthy foods.
First lady Michelle Obama, who is leading a national crusade against childhood obesity, calls Disney’s new policy a “game changer” for the health of American children.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of children in the United States are obese — triple the rate of a generation ago — in part, because they consume too much junk-food.
Two Arrested For Flomaton Robbery
June 6, 2012
Two Flomaton residents have been arrested in connection with the weekend armed robbery at a Flomaton convenience store.
Levi Sadderwhite, 18, and Eric Mathis, 16, are both charged with robbery first degree for the robbery of the Kangaroo Express on Sidney Manning Boulevard about 10:30 Saturday night. Authorities said Mathis has been adjudicated as an adult.
The incident, which was captured on the store’s surveillance video, shows two white males entering the store wearing black ski masks. One of the suspects was armed with a pistol, Flomaton Police Chief Daniel Thompson. After the robbery, the duo fled on foot, leading to a unsuccessful man hunt that lasted for several hours.
Pictured above and below: These reader submitted cell phone images show police on the scene of an armed robbery Saturday night in Flomaton. Submitted photos by Anthony Stinson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott: State “Working On” Response to DOJ On Voter Purge
June 6, 2012
Florida is “working on a response” to the U.S. Department of Justice’s questions about its efforts to remove ineligible voters from the rolls and hopes to be able to respond by today’s deadline, Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday morning.
Federal officials have asked the state to tell Washington by today whether it intends to continue notifying some voters that they have been flagged as potentially ineligible because their names match names on a separate state database of possible non-citizens.
The effort has come in for criticism, including from local elected elections supervisors, because a number of the people flagged for possible removal have been able to prove their right to vote, showing they either are natural-born or naturalized citizens.
Scott also said Wednesday that no one who is eligible to vote has been removed from the rolls, because letters have gone out first warning people before they are removed. People who don’t respond are supposed to be removed, but many supervisors have balked at that, fearing the prospect that they may actually be eligible.
“Not a single eligible voter as far, as I know, has been removed from the voter rolls,” Scott said in an interview with WNDB radio in Daytona Beach, where Scott was Wednesday. “Not one. And we’re working to keep it that way.”
Scott again defended the process as necessary to protect the impact of legitimate voters’ choices.
“Their vote should not be diluted by people who don’t have the right to vote,” Scott said. “We need to be reviewing our voter rolls and making sure only those individuals who have the right to vote … are voting.”
WNDB also asked Scott about a concern raised by Volusia County Elections Supervisor Ann McFall, who questioned recently why Scott didn’t order the check and purge of voter rolls last year, rather than waiting until less than 90 days before the August primary election. That’s one of the major concerns of the Department of Justice – federal standards generally require that regular, systematic cleaning of voter rolls, which generally occur in an ongoing fashion, stop 90 days before an election and resume after the vote.
Scott didn’t directly answer why the state was doing the purge now, saying that he would have liked it to happen sooner, and that state officials had hoped to get access to a federal Homeland Security database to better check the names, but hadn’t been granted that access. Why state officials decided to go forward with the purge while still waiting on Homeland Security, Scott hasn’t said.
“We don’t want people that don’t have a right to participate in elections,” Scott said. As to the Justice Department’s request for information on what the state plans to do now, Scott said it’s in the works.
“We’re working on a response. Hopefully we’ll be able to respond today,” Scott said before changing the subject. “But you know the most important thing? It’s jobs.”
The Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections has suggested to local supervisors of elections – who don’t officially answer to Scott because they’re independently elected – that they hold off on actually removing voters they can’t contact because of the Justice Department’s concerns, and those of several supervisors.
In addition to the 90-day issue, the federal government also is concerned that major changes in election law are supposed to be approved by Washington before being made in five Florida counties with a history of discrimination. No such federal approval for voter purges was sought for the current effort, though that may be less of an issue because supervisors routinely cull people from voter rolls when they’re found to be ineligible, such as when they’ve died, or moved out of state.
By The News Service of Florida
Child Advocates Blast Meeting Delay On Youth Detention Standards
June 6, 2012
Child advocates on Tuesday blasted the last-minute postponement of a meeting that had been scheduled to take up proposed revisions to the standards by which underage offenders are detained in Florida’s county jails.
The scheduled meeting of the Florida Model Jail Standards Committee, a subcommittee of the Florida Sheriffs Association, was canceled at the urging of Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, whose top lawyer linked the proposed revisions to a Southern Poverty Law Center lawsuit claiming that Judd’s agency “abuse[s] children in his care.”
“Many of the proposed changes that SPLC is requesting are at the heart of our contested litigation,” wrote Anne Gibson, director of legal affairs for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, to the standards subcommittee on May 30. “As such, we respectfully request that the Subcommittee continue consideration of the proposed amendment until after the federal court has had an opportunity to at least rule on the injunction component of the lawsuit, which should occur in July.”
Judd’s legal office argued that the agency would “be in the impossible position of either prematurely revealing our litigation strategy through our expert witnesses prior to the federal court hearing or not providing the Subcommittee the necessary expert testimony it needs.”
The standards review panel responded by moving the two-day meeting to August 1-2, drawing a sharp rebuke from the SPLC.
“The plaintiff-minors and their guardians…allege a systemic pattern and practice of Polk County’s unconstitutional use of pepper spray and unconstitutional failure to protect children from harm due to inadequate staffing, training and supervision,” wrote SPLC’s policy director, David Utter, to Marion County Sheriff Ed Dean, chair of the model standards subcommittee.
The Florida Sheriff’s Association declined to intervene.
“That’s not the FSA’s place,” said spokeswoman Nanette Schimpf. “That’s up to the Florida Model Jail Standards Committee…Even if we had been asked to weigh in, we would not have. It’s not under our jurisdiction.”
Schimpf said each sheriff’s office in Florida has the right to decide what method of restraint to use.
The debate over model standards is based on a measure (SB 2112) passed by the 2011 Legislature allowing counties to place youth charged as juveniles in adult jails governed by the Florida Model Jail Standards – rather than by the state Department of Juvenile Justice standards, which were designed to address the unique needs of children and youth, such as schooling.
Child advocates throughout Florida have asked the Florida Sheriffs Association to adopt revised standards to better protect juvenile offenders and ensure better outcomes. These include:
-Prohibiting restraints with handcuffs and shackles when children and youth are confined within the jail’s secure area, including when going to and from school within a jail.
-Prohibiting the use of force except under the policies and practices established for children by DJJ.
-Prohibiting the use of chemical restraints such as pepper spray and mace by staff except in rare circumstances and under no circumstances allowing electronic restraints (tasers) to be used on children.
In February, the standards review subcommittee invited the public to present testimony on these and other issues on Tuesday. Now the SPLC is urging the subcommittee to reschedule the meeting as soon as possible.
“With children in some counties already being held in adult jails and other counties considering moving to this model, it is of the utmost importance that this group meet and act as soon as possible,” Tania Galloni, managing attorney for the SPLC’s Florida office, said in a statement.
“The lawsuit against Sheriff Grady Judd is based on systemic violations of the United States Constitution – not the model jail standards,” Galloni said. “It’s ridiculous that any sheriff facing allegations of wrong-doing would try to delay a statewide effort to improve the treatment of children in county jails.”
By The News Service of Florida
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Top Suns 9-2 To Even Series
June 6, 2012
Blue Wahoos starter J.C. Sulbaran struck out ten batters in and gave up just two earned runs, while Pensacola scored nine runs on 14 hits to defeat the Jacksonville Suns 9-2 and even the series at 2-2 on Tuesday night in Pensacola’s Bayfront Stadium.
With the win, the Fish now own a 27-32 record in 2012, while the Suns dropped to 27-32 this season.
For the second straight night, Pensacola struck first with two tallies in the first frame. OF Ryan LaMarre began the frame with a home run to left, his second longball of the season, while SS Didi Gregorius doubled before he came home on 2B Brodie Greene’s RBI base knock to center.
The Blue Wahoos would then plate four scores in the fourth frame to add to the margin. 1B Joel Guzman and 3B David Vidal started the inning with back-to-back hits prior to a run-scoring base knock from RF Andrew Means brought home Guzman, while Vidal scored on a fielding miscue on the play. Means got to third thanks to a single from C Chris Berset and got home on a safety squeeze from starting pitcher J.C. Sulbaran, while Berset came home on CF Ryan LaMarre’s run-scoring base knock to move the lead to 6-0.
Pensacola added two additional insurance runs in the subsequent frame courtesy of an RBI triple by Greene and a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Vidal, in addition to a final tally in the eighth. The Suns struck for their two runs in the seventh with RBI doubles by LF Ryan Patterson and CF Donnie Webb.
Sulbaran (6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 SO) earned his fourth victory of the year after yielding just two earned runs on seven hits while recording his ten punchouts, while Suns LHP Graham Taylor (4.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 3-5. Pensacola relievers Wilkin De La Rosa (1.2 IP, 1 H, 4 SO) and Clayton Tanner (1.0 IP) teamed up for the final 2.2 frames, allowing just one hit over that span.
Vidal (3-3, 2 R, 1 RBI) and Means (3-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) led the club with three base hits, while LaMarre (2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI), Gregorius (2-4, 2 R, 1 2B) and Greene (2-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI) also collected multiple knocks in the contest. Webb (2-4, 1 RBI) and Dominguez (2-4) each tallied multi-hit efforts. Gregorius extended his hit streak to eight consecutive games, and has now compiled a .419 average (13-31) dating back to May 27.
Pensacola and Jacksonville will square off Wednesday night for the rubber match in the series, with first pitch set for 7:00 pm. RHP Daniel Corcino is slated to take the mound for the Blue Wahoos , while the Suns are expected to give the ball to RHP Matthew Neil.
By Andrew Green
Pictured: J.C. Sulbaran struck out ten & earned his fourth win in the Wahoo’s 9-2 win Tuesday night in Pensacola. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.