How Effective Are Our Local Teachers? Find Out In New Report
December 4, 2014
An overwhelming number of teachers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are effective at their jobs, according to data released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Education.
The Florida DOE has posted preliminary results of the 2013-14 district personnel evaluations online. In January, once more complete data are provided by school districts, the Department will post an updated report.
In Escambia County, 93.2 percent of the county’s 2,933 public school teachers were rated as effective or highly effective, while 99.1 percent of Santa Rosa County’s 1,763 teacher received the top ratings.
From the report:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
- Highly effective: 22.8%
- Effective: 70.4%
- Needs improvement: 4.6%
- Three years developing: 1.2%
- Unsatisfactory: 0.9%
- Percent not evaluated: 12.6%
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
- Highly effective: 66.6%
- Effective: 32.5%
- Needs improvement: 0.5%
- Three years developing: 0.0%
- Unsatisfactory: 0.4%
- Not evaluated: 7.1%
Cantonment Improvement Committee Receives ‘No Dumping’ Mini Grant
December 4, 2014
The Escambia County Commission, acting as the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency, has awarded a mini-grant to the Cantonment Improvement Committee to purchase “No Dumping” signs.
The $500 grant will allow the Cantonment Improvement Committee to install the “No Dumping” signs on Taylor and Hicks streets, within the Cantonment Redevelopment District. The grant requires a volunteer mach from the neighborhood.
New Century Economic Development Coordinator Named
December 4, 2014
The University of West Florida Haas Center for Business Research & Economic Development has announced Allison Tyler as economic development coordinator effective November 2014. In her new position, Tyler will oversee implementation of the Town of Century’s economic development strategic plan.
Tyler’s position was created as part of a recent economic development agreement between the Town of Century and the Haas Center.
“We are very happy to have Allison on board to lead the implementation of the Town of Century’s economic development strategy,” said Dr. Brice Harris, co-director of the Haas Center. “There are quite a number of challenges and opportunities besetting Century, and with those comes the need for a seasoned professional to coordinate the various actors who have a role to play in increasing the standards of living for all of Century’s residents. Allison’s background is well-suited for her to lead these efforts, and we look forward to all the good that will come of this partnership between UWF, Escambia County and the town.”
Escambia previously appropriated $40,000 for the chamber’s economic development program under an agreement that did not allow the chamber to subcontract services with the funds without the prior written approval of the county. The chamber requested the county approve a subcontract with the University of West Florida for the services of an economic development coordinator.
The Haas Center recently developed Century’s economic development strategic plan, funding by a $25,000 grant.
Tyler comes to the Haas Center from Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, where she had served as communications associate since 2013. Before that, she worked as community needs director for the United Way of Charlotte County in Port Charlotte, Florida, as part of the AmeriCorps VISTA program. There she oversaw the completion of a comprehensive communitywide needs assessment and participated in initiatives that included a community health improvement plan and a 10-year plan to prevent and end homelessness.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to join the Haas Center staff and look forward to working with the Century community towards implementation of the economic development plan,” Tyler said.
Tyler earned a Master of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
Byrneville Elementary Christmas Carnival Is Saturday
December 4, 2014
Byrneville Elementary School will hold their annual Christmas Festival this Saturday from 11 am. until 2 p.m.
There will be vendors, games, food and a basket auction. Santa will also be available for photos.
Early bird tickets for games are on sale until 2 p.m. Friday at the school, five for $1. On Saturday, game tickets will be four for $1. All profits are returned directly to the school.
Available baskets include:
- Thomas the Train
- Disney Princess
- Holiday Basket
- Doc McStuffin
- Baking
- Disney’s Frozen
- Ninja Turtles
- Sports
- Sofia the First
- Super Heroes
- Pretend Play
- Girls’ Accessories
- Gardening
Food including BBQ sandwiches, hot dogs, corn dogs, nachos and fries will also be available.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Santa To Visit Local Library Branches This Month
December 4, 2014
Santa Claus is planning several upcoming stops at local West Florida Library branches across Escambia County:
An Evening With Santa – Southwest Branch
- Thursday, December 11, 6 p.m. – Santa and Mrs. Claus will sing Jingle Bells, pose for photos and each child will receive a free book.
Pajama Story Time With Santa — Molino Branch
- Monday, December 15, 6 p.m. – Wear your cozy pajamas, bring your blankets and join us for caroling, Christmas stories, milk and cookies and a visit from Santa himself. This will be a great photo opportunity, so parents, be sure to bring your cameras.
Santa Visits Story Time – Southwest Branch
- Tuesday, December 16, 10:30 a.m. –Santa and Mrs. Claus will sing Jingle Bells, pose for photos and greet each child. (recommended for preschool age children)
Little Santa’s Holiday Party – Main Library
- Tuesday, December 16, 6 p.m. – Ever wonder how Santa Claus came to be? Children will decorate a holiday cookie, enjoy carols with the Pensacola Choral Society and learn the backstory of the jolly ol’ elf from the man himself.
Meet Santa and Sing Carols – Tyron Branch
- Thursday, December 18, 4 p.m. –Meet Santa, sing carols and enjoy holiday treats.
Christmas With Santa – Century Branch
- Thursday, December 18, 6 p.m. – Enjoy a story, cookies and a visit with Santa Claus. Each child will receive a gift from Santa.
Florida Gay Marriage Ban Could Be Lifted In January
December 4, 2014
A federal appeals court Wednesday rejected Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request to at least temporarily extend Florida’s ban on gay marriage — possibly setting the stage for same-sex marriages to start in January.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in August ruled that the voter-approved ban was unconstitutional but placed a stay on his decision to allow time for appeals. That stay is scheduled to expire Jan. 5.
Bondi last month asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to keep the stay in place until appeals of Hinkle’s ruling are finished. But a three-judge panel of the court issued a short decision Wednesday turning down Bondi’s request and saying that the stay entered by Hinkle “expires at the end of the day on January 5, 2015.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which has represented a group of plaintiffs challenging the ban, said Wednesday afternoon same-sex marriages will be able to start Jan. 6 if no other attempts at extending the stay are successful. Also on Jan. 6, same-sex marriages from other states would be recognized in Florida, the ACLU said.
“Today, in denying the state’s request to further delay the ruling, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the state’s argument that allowing same-sex couples to marry and have their marriages recognized will cause harm to the state and refused to make these families wait any longer,” ACLU attorney Daniel Tilley said in a prepared statement. “The court effectively ruled that the state does not have a likelihood of succeeding in its appeal.”
A series of federal appeals-court decisions have struck down similar gay-marriage bans in other states, and the U.S. Supreme Court in October declined to take up the issue.
But in asking the appeals court for an extension of the stay, Bondi pointed to a decision in November by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld bans in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.
“This court should extend the stay because, on balance, it is in the public’s best interest to wait for an appellate decision before implementing an order of this significance,” Bondi argued in a document.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Animal Shelter Aims To Find Pet Homes For The Holidays
December 4, 2014
The Escambia County Animal Shelter will host a public animal adoption event “Clear the Kennels” Friday and Saturday from noon until 6 p.m. at the shelter at 200 West Fairfield Drive.
The event aims to find homes for shelter animals before Christmas with manager’s special adoption pricing:
- Dogs, three years and older, $35
- Dogs, under three years, $55
- Cats, three years and older, $20
- Cats, under three years $30
Pricing includes spay or neuter, rabies vaccination and microchipping.
For more information, call (850) 595-3075.
Florida Appeals Court: Welfare Drug Testing Unconstitutional
December 4, 2014
Less than two weeks after hearing arguments in the case, a federal appeals court Wednesday again rejected a Florida law pushed by Gov. Rick Scott requiring welfare applicants to submit to drug tests before they can receive benefits.
The 2011 law “offends the Fourth Amendment” protections from unreasonable searches by the government, a three-judge panel ruled in a 54-page opinion authored by Judge Stanley Marcus.
“We respect the state’s overarching and laudable desire to promote work, protect families, and conserve resources. But, above all else, we must enforce the Constitution and the limits it places on government. If we are to give meaning to the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on blanket government searches, we must — and we do — hold that (the Florida law) crosses the constitutional line,” Marcus wrote.
The ruling, which upheld a final judgment late last year by U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven, is the fourth time courts have sided with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the Florida Justice Institute, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of Luis Lebron, a Navy veteran and single father. The lawsuit was filed shortly after the law went into effect in mid-2011. Scott used mandatory drug tests as an issue in his 2010 campaign.
“This is a resounding affirmation of the values that the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects – that none of us can be forced to submit to invasive and humiliating searches at the whim of the government, and that the Constitution protects the poor and the wealthy alike. The court has once again confirmed what we argued all along: that the state of Florida cannot treat an entire class of people like suspected criminals simply because they’ve asked the state for temporary assistance,” ACLU of Florida associate legal director Maria Kayanan, who argued the case before the court Nov. 20, said in a statement.
Scott can either ask the 11th Circuit for an “en banc” review by the entire court or pursue an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. The Scott administration did not comment Wednesday afternoon on the ruling. Despite repeated court decisions finding that the welfare drug testing law is unconstitutional, Scott and his lawyers have refused to back down from their position that the urine tests are needed to make sure poor children don’t grow up in drug-riddled households.
But the appeals-court judges again rejected the Scott administration’s arguments, saying that the state failed to make its case.
In effect from July 1, 2011, until Oct. 24, 2011, when Scriven issued a preliminary injunction putting it on hold, the law required applicants seeking benefits in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program — emergency cash benefits for “the poorest of the poor,” available to expectant mothers and families with children — to submit to and pay for urine tests, which range from $24 to $45. The money would be reimbursed if the tests were negative, and parents who failed the tests could designate someone else to receive cash benefits on behalf of their children.
During the period in which the law was in effect, 4,406 applicants submitted to drug testing. Only 108 — less than 3 percent — tested positive for drugs. Another 2,306 applicants failed to complete the applications or receive the drug screens.
“Viewing all of the facts in the light most favorable to the state, we agree with the district court that the state has failed to establish a demonstrable or peculiar drug-use problem among TANF applicants. If anything, the evidence extant suggests quite the opposite: that rates of drug use in the TANF population are no greater than for those who receive other government benefits, or even for the general public,” Marcus wrote.
The U.S. Supreme Court has made exceptions for the “closely guarded category” of government searches, Marcus wrote, including for U.S. Customs drug-interdiction agents, government workers whose jobs require that they carry guns and student athletes. But the nation’s highest court refused to sign off on a Georgia law that would have required mandatory drug testing of candidates for statewide office.
Scott is also involved in a separate drawn-out court battle over an executive order demanding that state workers submit to suspicion-less drug tests. The U.S. Supreme Court last year refused to take up that case, but Scott is expected to seek the high court’s review again if lower courts continue to rule against him.
So far, the state, at Scott’s bidding, has spent more than $400,000 on legal battles related to his attempts to require drug testing for state employees and welfare applicants.
Scott’s lawyers argued that the state had a “special need” for an exception to the constitutional protections against government searches and seizures to ensure that TANF participants were prepared to enter the work force, ensure that the TANF program met its child-welfare and family-stability goals and guarantee that public funds are used for their intended purposes.
But Scott did not convince the judges that the “special need” exists.
“Of course, citizens do not abandon all hope of privacy by applying for government assistance. By virtue of poverty, TANF applicants are not stripped of their legitimate expectations of privacy — they are not employees in dangerous vocations or students subject to the (power) of the state,” Marcus wrote.
He added: “Encouraging employability, protecting children, and conserving public funds are general — and unquestionably legitimate — public concerns. But empirical evidence indicates these needs are not specific to or special for TANF applicants, nor is drug testing essential to ensuring the success of the TANF program as a whole.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Billy E. “Gene” Salter
December 4, 2014
Today I say goodbye to the love of my life and our children’s lives.
Gene was born in Pensacola and made a living as an industrial carpenter all of his working life. He was an avid outdoorsman. He loved fishing, hunting, golfing and gardening.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Billie and Mayzel Salter; three brothers, Ronnie, Timmy and Raymond; and a sister, Judy Smith.
Gene is survived by his wife and best friend, Teresa; three daughters, Melissa, Sherry (Jason) Stagg, Amity (Matt) Nowling; and ‘the love of his life,’ our granddaughter, Alyssa Kaye “Bae’ Bae’”; sister, Brenda (Tex) Jefferson; brothers, Kenneth, Terry, Donnie and Mark Salter; and several nieces and nephews.
As we say goodbye to Gene we would love for you to come and celebrate his life with us on Saturday, December 6, 2014, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North. Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. with memorial service starting at 3 p.m.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Sheriff’s Office: Pace High School Bomb Threat Not Credible
December 3, 2014
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office was contacted yesterday in reference to a bomb threat at Pace High School.
A note was discovered inside a text book at Pace High School that generally directed students to not attend school on Thursday, December 4 due to a bomb. After this note was discovered, the school was thoroughly searched with negative results.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has established a plan in coordination with school officials to continue searching the building as well as investigating the source of the note.
“The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office will continue to maintain a proactive presence at our schools,” a press release stated. “We have allocated additional resources and will continue to do so until this investigation is completed. School will continue as normal. At this time, we have not found any indications that this note is credible.”