Flood Warning For Escambia River
February 13, 2013
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a flood warning for the Escambia River near Century until further notice.
At 11 9.m. Tuesday, the river stage was at 15.63 feet; flood stage is 17 feet. No flooding is currently occurring. However, the river is expected to rise above flood stage Wednesday and could rise to 18.67 feet by early Friday morning.
The forecast currently calls for minor flooding in low lying areas and pastures along the river. No residential or transportation infrastructure impacts are expected at this time.
James Wilkinson Parkinson
February 13, 2013
Mr. James Wilkinson Parkinson, age 78, of Old Highway 31 in Brewton, passed away Sunday, February 10, 2013, in a Century health care facility.
Mr. Parkinson was born in Jefferson County, AL and had been a prior resident of Brewton before moving to Tallassee, AL a number of years ago. He and his wife returned to the Brewton area one year ago. He worked as manager of the Loachapoka Water Authority. He was the first chief and member of the McCall Fire Department. Mr. Parkinson was a member of Catawba Springs Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Bobbie Louise Parkinson of Brewton; two sons, James E. (Teri) Parkinson of Brewton, and Stanley W. (Peggy) Parkinson of Andalusia; one brother, Robert T. Parkinson of Gardendale, AL; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 from the Chapel of Craver’s Funeral Home with Rev. Jeff Edwards officiating. Interment was in Catawba Springs Cemetery.
Century Preps For Disasters With New Shelter, Transportation, Supplies
February 12, 2013
With the help of BRACE — the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies — Century is getting disaster ready with a new designated shelter, transportation plans, free preparation supplies and more.
The American Red Cross has certified the Ag Building on West Highway 4 in Century for use as shelter for emergencies not including hurricanes. A power generator is being installed at the building for $6,000, almost completely funded with $5,500 in grant money, according to Mayor Freddie McCall. The building does not meet structural requirements for use as a hurricane shelter.
For hurricanes, the closest available shelter for Century residents will still be Northview High School. But many Century residents have complained for years that many without transportation would be unable to reach the shelter if they chose to evacuate their homes.
Greg Strader, founder of BRACE, said arrangements have been made with ECAT to transport Century residents to Northview, about eight miles away, in the event of a hurricane evacuation.
“They will deploy transportation assets as needed,” he said, “even pickup up residents at their homes.”
Bucket filled with a tarp, flashlight, radio and other supplies, known as “72-hour to go” kits, will also be made available to homebound Century residents through BRACE.
BRACE will also represent Century in the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center in the event of an activation during emergencies such has a hurricane, acting as liaison between the county and the town.
And coming up this summer, BRACE will offer Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training at the Carver Community Center. CERT training includes basic disaster response skills like fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Over two dozen adult Century residents complete CERT training in 2011.
Pictured top: Greg Strader, founder of BRACE, addresses the Century Town Council as members Jacke Johnston (left) and Annie Savage (right) listen. Pictured inset: A “72-hour to go” kit for homebound residents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Citizens To Shed Wind Policies
February 12, 2013
Trying to shed some major financial risks, state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. moved forward Monday with a plan to shift thousands of coastal hurricane policies to a private insurer.
The plan, which will play out during the next few months, will lead to Weston Insurance Co. taking over wind-only policies from Citizens — including a first-of-its-kind removal of policies for condominium buildings in coastal areas.
“We have the opportunity to get this hurricane risk off the books,” Sharon Binnun, Citizens chief financial officer, said during a conference call of the Citizens board.
Citizens, which is Florida’s largest property insurer with about 1.3 million policies, has long tried to move policies into the private sector through a process known as “depopulation.” Citizens said it expects Weston to assume 23,000 wind-only homeowners’ policies, 3,000 condominium-complex policies and 5,000 commercial non-residential policies, all of which are in coastal areas.
Under the plan, Weston would agree to retain the policies for at least three years and also continue limits placed on Citizens’ premium increases. Those limits, set in state law, allow Citizens’ rates to increase 10 percent a year.
While Citizens has had success during the past year in getting insurers to take other types of policies, wind-only coverage has been trickier because of the financial risks involved.
Locke Burt, president and chairman of Security First Insurance Co., told a Senate committee last week that Citizens should stop writing wind-only policies as a way to increase depopulation opportunities. Burt, a former senator, said private insurers would be more likely to take over policies that are “multi-peril,” including not only wind but more profitable types of coverage such as burglary and fire.
The Citizens board Monday approved a key first step in the Weston plan. That step, which Citizens officials described as a “bridge,” involves Citizens paying premiums to Weston for reinsurance coverage through May 31. During that period, Weston will provide coverage for claims stemming from the wind-only policies that it is taking out of Citizens.
The arrangement will allow Weston to build up premiums in advance of hurricane season, while Citizens will reduce its exposure to wind damage through May 31 because Weston will provide reinsurance. After the transition period, Weston will provide coverage for the policies.
By The News Service of Florida
Escambia District 5 Town Hall Meeting Planned
February 12, 2013
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry will hold his first town hall meeting since taking office later this month in Molino.
The public meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, February 25, at the Molino Community Center at 6450 Highway 95A North.
Northview Names Students Of The Month
February 12, 2013
Northview High School has named their Students of the Month from January. They are Courtney Peebles and Dustin Parker. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former Republican Party Chair Pleads Guilty To Criminal Counts
February 12, 2013
Former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer pleaded guilty Monday to five criminal counts in connection with his fundraising activities during his time in office, ending a two-year legal odyssey that had threatened to unearth secrets of the state GOP and former Gov. Charlie Crist.
The guilty plea set off a round of political finger-pointing in Tallahassee, with Republicans laying the blame for the debacle on Crist, a newly-minted Democrat who could challenge current GOP Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. Democrats, meanwhile, tried to tag the RPOF with Greer’s ethical baggage.
Greer pleaded guilty to four counts of grand theft and one count of money laundering; prosecutors will ask for 42 months in prison.
The case against Greer centers on allegations that he used his position as party chairman to steer business to Victory Strategies, his fundraising company. Greer said party leaders knew what he was doing, and that a secret severance agreement between himself and party leaders should have protected him from any criminal liability.
Greer sued the RPOF, former Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Sen. John Thrasher, who succeeded Greer as party chief, for the $123,000 he was offered in the severance agreement and $5 million in damages. Greer will drop that suit following the plea deal, his attorney said.
Damon Chase, who had fiercely represented Greer during the long-running and multifaceted legal battle, said in an interview Monday that he still believed Greer would have won at trial.
“The evidence was overwhelmingly in our favor, but I guess Greer got an offer that he couldn’t refuse,” Chase told the News Service.
Chase wouldn’t elaborate on any terms of Greer’s agreement to plead guilty, saying it was confidential.
“Knowing the deal he got, I don’t blame him one bit for taking it,” Chase said.
The case had promised to be a statewide legal and political spectacle, with Greer threatening to drag the RPOF’s dirty laundry into open court. Also potentially on the firing line was Crist, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat who is widely believed to be plotting a political comeback.
In fact, RPOF Executive Director Mike Grissom referred to Greer as “the man Charlie Crist personally picked to lead the Republican Party of Florida” in a statement regarding the plea deal.
“For the past three years, Jim Greer has tried to damage the reputation of the Republican Party and its leaders, but the truth is now known that Jim Greer broke the law, stole from RPOF and our donors, and then said and did everything he could to cover up and distract attention from his crimes,” Grissom said. “Everything Jim Greer has said and done over these past few years should be considered in that light.”
Democrats, meanwhile, tried to keep Republicans from ducking blame.
“Republicans in Tallahassee breathed a collective sigh of relief this morning, but they have nothing to feel good about,” said Florida Democratic Party spokeswoman Brannon Jordan. “The former chair of their party admitted to four counts of grand theft before a national audience.”
Greer will be sentenced next month.
Greer faced few problems when Charlie Crist’s star was on the rise after a sweeping victory in the gubernatorial elections of 2006, a year that saw historic gains by Democrats nationwide. But after Crist’s controversial embrace of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package in 2009 — a move that would begin Crist’s eventual move away from the party — Greer became more controversial among conservative critics.
Greer had maintained that it was that discontent on the right and his ties to Crist, rather than any concerns about his fundraising, that precipitated his resignation from the party in early 2010.
But for whatever reason, and with whomever to blame, Greer decided Monday not to take that battle to its last stage.
By The News Service of Florida
New Computers For Tate High
February 12, 2013
Over five dozen new computers are set to be purchased for Tate High School.
The news Dell computers include two basic staff desktops, 11 basic student desktops, two laptop carts and 50 Latitude 2120 netbook computers with Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2013 software. All of the computers will have a three year warranty.
The total cost for the new technology is $44,850.87. The Escambia County School Board is expected to approve the purchase at their February 19 meeting.
Cantonment Woman Arrested Following January Wreck
February 12, 2013
A Cantonment woman was recently arrested on a drug charge following a single vehicle wreck in January in McDavid.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 24-year old Jessica Nicole Godwin was northbound on Highway 29 near Brown Road about 9:20 p.m. on January 10 when she lost control, ran off the roadway and hit a culvert. Her 2001 Kia Sephia then became airborne, overturned and landed on its roof in a ditch.
Firefighters were forced to use the Jaws of Life to free Godwin from the vehicle. She was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
Godwin, of Louis Street, Cantonment, was arrested February 5 on an outstanding warrant from the Florida Highway Patrol for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, a third degree felony.
Pictured: One Cantonment woman was seriously injured in this single vehicle crash on Highway 29 near Brown Road in McDavid. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Arrested On Child Porn Charges
February 11, 2013
An Escambia County man wanted on outstanding warrants for possession of child pornography has been arrested.
Brent E. Hooper, 37, of East Maxwell Street, turned himself in at the Escambia County Jail just before 10 p.m. Sunday. He was charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and seven counts of distribution of obscene communications.
Investigators determined Hooper had downloaded sexually explicit images involving children onto his laptop computer and also transmitted those images to other computer users.
Agents with the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force initiated a search warrant February 4 at Hooper’s residence after he was identified via the internet as obtaining and distributing child pornography.
Task force members who assisted the Pensacola Police Department with this investigation included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Homeland Security and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.