Motorcyclist Seriously Injured In Highway 97 Hit And Run Wreck
April 9, 2013
A 72-year old motorcyclist was seriously injured in a hit and run accident Monday night in Molino.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Bruce Winsor of Pensacola and the pickup that fled the scene were both traveling northbound on Highway 97 near Gibson Road about 7:30 p.m. Winsor was traveling two to three car lengths behind the pickup and one of the witnesses when he changed lanes and attempted to pass the vehicles in front of him. At that time, the pickup slowed and began to turn onto Gibson Road. The front of Winsor’s Honda 1300 motorcycle struck the rear quarter panel of the pickup.
Winsor was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance as a “trauma alert”.
The vehicle that fled the scene was described as a older model, single cab cab pickup that was teal in color, possibly a Ford F150.
Anyone with information on the crash should contact the Florida Highway Patrol or local law enforcement. Charges in the crash are pending, according to FHP.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: A motorcyclist was critically injured in this hit and run accident on Highway 97 in Molino Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Data: 18 Percent Of Escambia Students Are Obese
April 9, 2013
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County Monday released student Body Mass Index (BMI) data. The 2012-2013 data indicates that 64 percent of the students measured fall within a healthy weight range. This number has increased from 61 percent, as measured in 2005-2006. The number of students measured that are classified as obese has decreased from 21 percent in 2005-2006 to 18 percent in 2012-2013. No net change was seen in students classified as either overweight or underweight.
Dr. John Lanza, Director of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County said, “While we’re seeing an impact from these efforts in our schools, we still have a long way to go. Facilitating lasting, generational changes can take ten to twenty years or more. We hope to continue to see a downward trend in the incidence of both overweight and obesity in our students.”
Reducing overweight and obesity requires a community-wide commitment. According to Lanza, “Everyone must do their part to help Escambia County change its culture about nutrition and physical activity. We need a community where good nutrition and regular physical activity are accepted as a normal part of our daily lives. We also need a community environment that enables us to make healthy choices. With 34% of our students overweight or obese, every parent, grandparent, neighbor, and community leader needs to be a role model for good nutrition and regular physical activity.”
Molino Man Claims $1 Million Powerball Prize
April 9, 2013
James Allen, Jr, of Molino has claimed a $1 million Powerball prize from the March 27 drawing, according to Florida Lottery officials.
Allen, 47, purchased his winning ticket from the Tom Thumb at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97. The Tom Thumb received a $1,000 bonus commission for selling the $1 million Powerball ticket.
There have been 94 Florida Powerball millionaires since the Florida Lottery added the game in 2009.
Escambia School District Honored For Transparent Website
April 9, 2013
The Escambia County School District has been honored for having one of the most transparent government websites in the nation. The award was presented by Sunshine Review, national nonprofit organization dedicated to government transparency.
“The Escambia County School District knows the importance of promoting transparency. We are honored to receive a Sunny Award and will continue to empower citizens by providing the necessary information to keep them informed,” said Superintendent Malcolm Thomas.
For the 2012 awards, Editors at Sunshine Review analyzed more than 1,000 government web sites and graded each on a 10-point transparency checklist. Editors looked at content available on government web sites against what should be provided. They sought information on items such as budgets, meetings, lobbying, financial audits, contracts, academic performance, public records and taxes. The winners of the Sunny Award all received an “A” grade during the extensive grading process.
“The Sunny Awards recognizes governments that make transparency a priority. The winners of the Sunny Awards are cities, counties, and school districts that proactively share the public information that empowers citizens and keeps government accountable to the people,” said Michael Barnhart, President of Sunshine Review.
To visit the Escambia County School District website, click here.
Pictured: A screenshot of the Escambia County School District website.
United Way: Florida’s Children Are Struggling
April 9, 2013
It’s Children’s Week at the Capitol, marked by thousands of colorful hand cut-outs hanging down the open floors of the rotunda. The man behind the yearly spectacle – Ted Granger, executive director of the United Way of Florida – is gearing up for a make-or-break week on bills that could help kids.
“Florida’s children today are struggling,” he said. “We’re still coming out of the Great Recession. We’re in a moribund economy.”
By Granger’s figures, the recession lasted twice as long — 20 months — and cost twice as much — 4 percent of GDP — as other U.S. recessions since World War II. Now, although the economy is starting up again for many Floridians, others are still hurting.
One in five Florida families reported there were times last year when they didn’t have money for food. Bottom line: 19.2 percent of adults and 28.4 percent of children are sometimes hungry in Florida, compared to national averages of 16.1 percent for adults and 21.6 percent for children.
The Rev. Pam Cahoon is executive director of CROS (Christians Reaching Out to Society) Ministries, a coalition of about 100 religious groups that runs food pantries and other programs to feed the hungry in Palm Beach County. One is an after-school snack program that CROS took over from a city program that couldn’t afford it anymore.
Cahoon said kids in the free- and reduced-price lunch program often eat their lunches by mid-morning.
“There were just a lot of discipline problems, and so we started getting groups to provide sandwiches for the kids after school — and the discipline problems went away,” Cahoon said. “Those kids were just hungry.”
CROS also started sending backpacks of food home for the weekend, because teachers were seeing students come in hungry on Monday morning. Academic performances improved.
“Principals have identified the children we’re giving the backpacks to,” said Cahoon. “It’s the kids that go around the cafeteria and say, ‘Are you not going to eat that apple? Are you not going to eat that orange — may I have it?’ It’s the child that lays their head on the desk because they’re hungry, and they can’t keep their head up and do their schoolwork.”
POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS
A 2006 report, America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness, ranked Florida 43rd of the 50 states for homeless kids. At the time — during the 2005-2006 school year, before the recession — 49,886 children and youths were homeless in Florida. By 2008-2009, that number had grown to 70,633 — a 42 percent increase in three years.
The economic downturn has led to increases in numbers of homeless children and families. Most of these children are not living on the streets, but with their families in shelters, substandard housing or doubled-up in unhealthy situations.
About 21 percent of Florida children were living below the federal poverty level in 2009, according to
U.S. Census data. A disproportionate number of children were black (38 percent) or Hispanic (25 percent) compared to white children living in poverty (12 percent).
Then there are children who become homeless because the alternative is worse. Last year about 7,500 Florida children fled violent homes with a parent, said Leisa Wiseman of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Florida battered-women’s shelters housed about 15,000 people in the last fiscal year, and 7,484 were children under the age of 18.
“When they’re in shelter, they’re safe,” Wiseman said. “They’re receiving services, with the mom, that they need.”
But again, because of the recession and the lack of affordable housing, Florida’s domestic violence shelters were forced to turn away 3,471 requests for emergency shelter in 2012.
“It’s disruptive, there’s no doubt,” Wiseman said. “They may have to change schools because of safety. The perpetrator may know where to find that child at school.”
Granger said because there hasn’t been a budget surplus since before the recession, lawmakers will have a tough job sorting out everyone’s needs. There are potholes and crumbling infrastructure everywhere you look, he said.
“But from our point of view, the most important infrastructure is the human infrastructure,” he said. “If we don’t have a solid human structure, everything else doesn’t matter.”
Granger, Cahoon and other children’s advocates will visit lawmakers this week with that message.
Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is already on board. He praises programs like Cahoon’s, but is also asking both the Senate and House to boost funding for food banks and homeless programs.
“We want to make sure the money is used properly,” he said. “But I think those are areas where even the most conservative Republican — and I’m a conservative, and I’m a fiscal conservative — that the most vulnerable folks in our society — the disabled, children, and hungry and homeless people — are the very people we ought to be helping.”
By Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Northview Lady Chiefs Claim No. 1 Seed For District Tourney
April 9, 2013
The Northview Lady Chiefs claimed the No. 1 seed in the upcoming district tournament with a win over Bonifay Monday night.
The Lady Chiefs, now 10-1 in the district shut out Bonifay 11-0. Senior Morgan Payne had a home run for the Lady Chiefs.
The district tourney begins Monday in Chipley. The Chiefs will likely start with a bye and then play the winner of a Bonifay and Chipley game.
GOP Candidates Pile Into House District 2 Race
April 9, 2013
Pensacola Republicans Mike Hill and Mark Taylor filed documents Friday to run in a special election to replace the late Rep. Clay Ford, adding to a list of GOP candidates for the seat.
Four other Republicans — Edward Gray III, Scott Craig Miller, John Webb Nobles and David Samuel Radcliffe — filed paperwork previously in House District 2, which includes the southwest Panhandle, according to the state Division of Elections website.
Gov. Rick Scott has scheduled a May 14 special primary election and a June 11 special general election to replace Ford, who died of cancer last month. Filing the paperwork, at least in part, allows candidates to raise money.
No Injuries In Hwy 29 Crash; Driver Cited With Careless Driving
April 9, 2013
There were no serious injuries in a wreck involving two pickup trucks Monday night on Highway 29.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 17-year old Shelby Wenger of Walnut Hill was traveling north on Highway 29 approaching the intersection of Pinoak Lane in Cantonment about 9:12 p.m. in a 2003 Ford F250. He was looking down and failed to see a driver slowed to make a turn onto Pinoak. Wenger rear-ended a 2002 Toyota Tundra driven by 46-year old Richard Dodd of Cantonment. Dodd’s pickup came to rest on its roof in a drainage ditch.
Dodd, Wenger and his passenger, 14-year old Tristan Wenger of Walnut Hill, received only minor injuries and were not transported to the hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Shelby Wenger was charged with careless driving.
Pictured: There were no injuries in this accident Monday night on Highway 29 at Pineoak Lane. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Airbus Groundbreaking Held, Hundreds Of New Jobs
April 9, 2013
Airbus manufacturing in the United States advanced another step closer to reality Monday in Mobile with a groundbreaking to signal the start of construction of the company’s A320 Family Assembly Line.
At a capacity-crowd event attended by approximately 2,000 invitees, area residents and others, the final assembly line’s creation was hailed as a “game-changing” development in Airbus’ relationship with the United States – where it already is the largest export partner for the country’s aerospace industry.
Outlining the new facility’s significance were guest speakers that ranged from the top executives of a major U.S. A320 airline operator and a key avionics supplier for Airbus to a young Mobile student who spoke about opportunities in her community that will be created with the final assembly line.
Victoria Corob, a student at Clark-Shaw Magnet School in Mobile, spoke about the aspirations that many young people in the U.S Gulf Coast region may be able to realize as the result of Airbus’ new A320 facility. “Airbus’ growth here means that, if I keep working hard, I can achieve my dreams and might even be able to look forward to a future with an exciting and rewarding aerospace career…right here in Alabama,” she said.
JetBlue Airways CEO and President David Barger gave his perspective on how Airbus’ $600 million investment in the new Alabama industrial site is viewed by its U.S. customers: “It demonstrates the level of Airbus’ commitment of being close to its important American operator base for A320 aircraft.” He also announced that JetBlue will receive the very first A320 from the Mobile final assembly line – which is targeted for delivery in 2016.
The new Mobile final assembly line not only provides a strategically-located industrial facility in North America and a new aviation center of excellence for the U.S. Gulf Coast region, it also will generate increased work throughout the Airbus production and its worldwide supply chain.
The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce is currently working to grow existing companies in the area, or lure new companies, that will act as suppliers for the Mobile plant.
“Because of the history that all of us along the Gulf Coast share together, we knew that Airbus was exactly the type of partner that we wanted on the Gulf Coast,” Florida Congressman Jeff Miller said. He said everyone will work together to make the plant a success not only for Airbus, but for the entire region.
“It represents the real transformation of Airbus into a truly global company,” said Airbus President and CEO Fabrice Brégier in his concluding remarks at today’s groundbreaking. “While Airbus has deep European roots, we have always seen ourselves as citizens of the world.”
Major construction of the facility will begin this summer. Aircraft assembly is planned to begin in 2015, with first delivery of a Mobile-assembled aircraft in 2016. At full production, the assembly line and associated facilities would produce up to four aircraft a month which directly translates into employing as many as 1,000 high-skilled workers.
Pictured top: The ceremonial groundbreaking for Airbus’ U.S. A320 Family final assembly line Monday in Mobile. Pictured below: EADS CEO Tom Enders speaks at the ceremony. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Clips Tennessee 2-1 To Win Series
April 9, 2013
The Blue Wahoos used a strong start from Daniel Renken and timely hitting to defeat the Tennessee Smokies 2-1 on Monday night in front of 4,328 fans at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. The win gave Pensacola its first series victory of the season.
Renken (1-0) tossed a spectacular seven frames, yielding just a first-inning run on a sac fly from Justin Bour. The right-hander needed only 86 pitches to get through seven innings, retiring the final seven he faced and 13 of the final 15 overall. Logan Ondrusek and Lee Hyde allowed a single but nothing more in their two combined innings of relief. Hyde picked up his first save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Pensacola’s offense was silent through four innings but got on the board in the fifth against Tennessee starter Dae-Eun Rhee and reliever Brian Schlitter. Rhee loaded the bases with one out and was lifted for Schlitter who gave up an RBI single to Devin Lohman, the first batter he faced. Schlitter was able to avoid further damage by inducing a double play from Steve Selsky.
An inning later, Pensacola took the lead off Schlitter. Donald Lutz reached on an error by the second baseman and Travis Mattair drove him home with a double just inside the chalk down the right field line. Mattair’s hit snapped an 0-for-12 skid since a homer in his first at bat of the season on Thursday night.
Brodie Greene continued his hot start for the Wahoos, going 2-for-2 to extend his hitting streak to eight games dating back to the end of last season.
The Wahoos will take the day off on Tuesday before they travel to Mobile on Wednesday night for the first installment of the Bay-to-Bay series with the BayBears. Chad Rogers (1-0, 3.60) will toe the rubber for Pensacola against Mobile southpaw David Holmberg (0-0, 0.00). First pitch from Hank Aaron Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday.
Story by Kevin Burke
Photos by Gary McCraken, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.