Byrneville Elementary Releases Second Nine Weeks Honor Roll
February 12, 2014
The following students were named to the second nine weeks honor roll at Byrneville Elementary School:
Mrs. Barberree, Kindergarten
All Satisfactory
Emily Adams
Savannah Barrow
Allie Bradley
Elizabeth Coleman
Luke Godwin
Sawyer Jackson
Katherine Johnson
Ryder Lee
Makenzie Levins
Mrs. Golson, Kindergarten
All Satisfactory
Mary-Clayton Dawson
Logan Jordan
Hanah Lambeth
Easten Odom
Andrew Plant
Brynlie Shaw
Layla Sims
Evelyn Smith
Christian Velazquez
Mrs. Dawson, First Grade
All A’s:
Raymie Brechin
Ashton Covan
Addisen Miller
Layla Brown
A’s and B’s:
Hunter Johnson
Gage McCormick
Logan Bevins
Zi’don Smith
Luke Diamond
Rhett Madden
Daisy Johnson
Danny Ray Wilson
Madeleine Atallah
Kerrisa Dortch
Blake Shaw
Mrs. Thornton, First Grade
All A’s:
Gavin Beasley
Maddie Mae Driskell
Kelan Jurey
Mia Kornegay
Madison Levins
Riley Long
Evin Matlock
Zack Herndon
Jayden White
Brian Yoder
A’s and B’s:
Ayden Atallah
Destiny Burt
Tyler Gilmore
Jikeem Hall
Jaci Jackson
Allie Odom
Mia Turner-White
Mrs. Gilmore, Second Grade
All A’s:
Riley Dawson
Kaylee Hamilton
Tyson McBride
Tyler Riggs
Aydan Smith
A’s and B’s:
Adrianna Atallah
Mrs. Marshman, Second Grade
All A’s:
Alexa Castro
Meredith Johnston
A’s and B’s:
Tyler Davis
Nolin Godwin
Madalyn Grimes
Takayla Lewis
Leif Waters
Mrs. Dunsford, Third Grade
All A’s:
Drake Allen Driskell
Emily Levins
Kaden Odom
Blake Yoder
A’s and B’s:
Leah Anderson
Josh Diamond
Marina Franklin
Zane Rolin
Dreama Wright
Mrs. Weaver, Third Grade
All A’s:
Aloysia Dortch
Briana Dunsford
Bradley Hamilton
Kayla Johnson
Tiana White
A’s and B’s:
Chase Hampton
Johnnie Howell
Emily Lambeth
Nicholas Martin
Mrs. Gilmore, Fourth Grade
All A’s:
Hunter Borelli
Jace Gifford
A’s and B’s:
Cody Adams
Kaitlin Gafford
Torka Mills
Harley Walker
Mrs. Johnston, Fifth Grade
All A’s:
Maille Kilcrease
A’s and B’s:
Travon Brown
Logan Bryan
Heather Knowles
Justin Lambeth
Dustin Martin
Abigail Levins
Tyler Merchant
Jalexis Robinson
Ty Rolin
New Florida Public Employee Pension Measure Introduced
February 12, 2014
A Senate measure dramatically overhauling the pension plans for many future public employees has been introduced, setting off a highly anticipated election-year fight between unions and Republican legislative leaders.
The bill (SPB 7046), which was filed Monday, would close the Florida Retirement System to most new public employees, instead shifting them to either the state’s existing 401(k)-style investment plan or a new “cash balance plan.” Law-enforcement officials and firefighters would still be allowed to join the traditional pension plan.
Exempting those “special risk” employees appears to be an effort to attract support from renegade Senate Republicans who last year killed an effort to move all new employees into the investment plan. Many of those senators had strong ties to the law-enforcement community.
Overhauling the pension plan is one of the elements of a joint agenda that House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, introduced to reporters last month.
“The proposed committee bills relating to Florida’s retirement system are a common sense approach to ensure that we are able to fully deliver on the benefits that we’ve promised our hard-working state employees for years to come,” said Senate Community Affairs Chairman Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, whose committee sponsored the bill and is scheduled to take it up next Tuesday.
Under a “cash balance plan,” employees would have accounts that can be withdrawn when they retire as either a lump sum or an annuity.
Employees hired by the state on or after July 1, 2015, would be automatically enrolled in the cash balance plan to start. However, if employees didn’t tell the state that they wanted to remain in that plan within eight months, they would be transferred to the investment plan. Special-risk employees would be able to elect to join the pension plan, but would also be moved to the investment plan if they didn’t tell the state about their choice of plans.
Speaking before Florida Chamber of Commerce members on Tuesday, Weatherford said changing the pension system would help the state avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in payments a year to the fund and allow that money to flow elsewhere.
“If you look at the states that are raising taxes,” Weatherford said in reference to New York, Illinois and California, “they’re not raising taxes to put more money into education, they’re not raising taxes to pay for health care, they are raising taxes to bail out a broken pension fund.”
Gaetz, speaking before the same group, indicated he believed the new push would be successful.
“I think we’re going to bring this one over the line,” he said.
But allowing special-risk employees to be part of the traditional pension plan opened the bill up to charges from critics that it was unfair.
“If it’s good for one set of employees, it should be good for all sets of employees,” said Florida Education Association Vice President Joanne McCall in a press conference Tuesday morning.
Opponents of the change also point to studies that have consistently shown Florida has one of the best-funded pension plans in the country.
“Our Florida Retirement System is sound,” said Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, who is expected to play a key role in the pension debate. ” … My question is, why tinker with a very good system that has worked for years?”
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Winning $121K Fantasy 5 Ticket Sold In Century Not Claimed Yet
February 12, 2014
Check those Fantasy 5 tickets you might have around the house…so far no one has claimed a $121,183.96 winning ticket from a drawing a week ago.
Last Wednesday, February 5, a Fantasy 5 ticket sold at Becky’s Mini Mart, 9010 N Century Boulevard, was one of two winning tickets sold for Wednesday’s drawing worth $121,183.96. The second winning ticket matching all five numbers was sold in Boynton Beach.
According to the Florida Lottery, no one had claimed the prize from the Century ticket as of early Wednesday morning.
Last Wednesday’s winning numbers were 11-19-25-30-31.
the road to the crown: Meet The Girls (With Photos)
February 12, 2014
Today, is part one of our annual multi-part series “the road to the crown” as we follow 14 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss NHS 2014″.
Today we introduce you to the first few contestants. Their biographies, as submitted by the girls, are below along with their photos. You can click any photo below to enlarge.
Our series “the road to the crown” will continue tomorrow with biographies and photos of the second set of contestants. The pageant is Saturday night at 7:00, and NorthEscambia.com will have the new Miss Northview High School and all the photos here Sunday morning.
Tickets are available at the Northview High School office.
Kylie Brianne Brook
Kylie is 14-years old and is a freshman at Northview High School. Kylie has been a band member for four years, participated in Alabama State Fine Arts for three years, member of the Ernest Ward Middle school swim team for three years, member of the Ernest Ward Middle school Teens for Christ for three years and a member of the Ernest Ward Middle school book club for three years. Kylie has been a member of the Atmore First Assembly Kingdom Kids staff for two years and a member of the Power House praise and worship team for one year. She has participated in All County Chorus. Kylie has received the band director’s award and won first place in photography in the county Reflections Competition.
Her hobbies include reading books, writing poetry and short stories, hosting a web show and playing Minecraft.
Her future plans are to attend college to major in music and animal rescue, and to be a strong woman of God who is very skillful with her vocal and instrumental talents to save souls all over the world.
Anna Elizabeth Fischer
Anna is 17-years old and is a senior at Northview High School. Anna has been a member of the junior varsity cheerleading team for one year and the varsity cheerleading team for three years where she has served as co-captain. She has been a member of the competition cheerleading team for three years. She has been a member of the Northview dance team for three years and has danced with Heather Leonard’s Danceworks for 14 years. She was part of the winning dance team for the 2013 talent show. Anna was Miss NHS first runner-up in 2012 and is the 2013 Homecoming Queen. She is the senior class historian and was voted senior class Who’s Who most school spirit. She has received the Atmore Rotary Academic All-Star award for three years, the FCA spirit of champions award as a senior, best leaps award for 2012-2013 dance team, and squad strength award as a 2011-2012 cheerleader. Anna designed the cover art for Escambia County School District’s first annual fishing rodeo material. In her community she is an active member of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church youth group.
Her hobbies include baking, drawing, photography, dancing and spending time with family and friends.
Her future plans are to attend Florida State University and study to become a nurse practitioner.
Julie Beth Hester
Julie is 16-years old and is a junior at Northview High School. She has been a majorette with the Tribal Beat band for threeyears, serving as captain one year, has twirled with Angie Shelley Twirl Time for six years and was a Twirl Time teacher for one year, member of the Northview concert band for two years and a member of Northview winterguard for one year. Julie has been a member of the beta club for one year, theater for one year, and a member of FCA for one year. In her community she is an active member of First Baptist Church of Bratt and helps with children’s activities, is a member of Team David leadership club and volunteers for vacation bible school. Julie also volunteers during the summer at elementary schools. She has received the Atmore Rotary Academic All-Star award and Northview’s Battle of the Books one year.
Her hobbies include baton twirling, reading books, playing musical instruments, drawing and spending time with family, friends and her youth group.
Her future plans are to attend Troy University to receive a major in psychology and specialize in mental health. She wants to become a part of the Troy band program as well. She also wants to one day open her own baton studio.
Chloe Vanessa Leonard
Chloe is 17-years old and is a senior at Northview High School. She has been a cheerleader for four years, including one year as captain, and has been a member of the competition cheerleading team for one year. She has also been a member of the Northview Dance Team for three years. She has danced at Heather Leonard’s Danceworks for 14 years and has served as a dance teacher for one year. She is senior class reporter, CECF treasurer and was named an Atmore Rotary Academic All-Star. Chloe is involved in the youth group at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church. She has volunteered for the Manna Food Bank, Nothing Lost Outreach and the Ray’s Chapel nursery.
Chloe’s hobbies include dancing, hanging out with friends and always having a good time, shopping, and being adventurous.
Chloe plans to attend the University of West Florida and then transfer to Auburn University to be a part of their dance team, The Tiger Paws.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Appeals Court To Hear Performance Pay Challenge
February 12, 2014
A Tallahassee-based appeals court will hear arguments March 11 in a constitutional challenge to a 2011 law that linked teacher pay and evaluations to student performance. The 1st District Court of Appeal on Friday set the hearing date, according to an online docket.
A Leon County circuit judge in May upheld the law — dubbed the “Student Success Act” — and rejected arguments that it violated constitutionally guaranteed collective-bargaining rights and that lawmakers had given too much decision-making power to the state Board of Education.
A group of teachers, backed by the Florida Education Association, filed the challenge.
The appeal centers on a constitutional separation-of-powers issue about whether lawmakers delegated too much authority to the Board of Education in coming up with a system to measure teacher performance.
“The issue presented in this case is not whether the statutory standards provided are sufficiently specific; the issue is whether it is permissible for a statute to delegate a policy decision to the executive branch with no standards at all,” attorneys for the teachers argued in an October brief.
But the state’s attorneys responded in a December brief that the teachers were asking the appeals court to “disregard well established law to require the Legislature to enact statutes which leave no room for analytical discretion. This is not a requirement under the federal or Florida Constitution.”
by The News Service of Florida
National Junior Honor Society At Ernest Ward Middle Inducts New Members
February 12, 2014
Almost 30 students were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society during a candlelight ceremony Tuesday night at Ernest Ward Middle School.
The NJHS is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle school students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character.
Students must have and maintain a 3.5 GPA for honor society membership.
For a photo gallery, click here.
New National Junior Honor Society members at Ernest Ward are: Lexxi Baggett, Jacob Borelli, Skye Bullington, Logan Calloway, Ashtyn Carnley, Julie Coleman, Jerni Crabtree, Nikoal Creamer, Aaron Dees, Kendall Enfinger, Emma Fennell, Kaylin Glenn, Dalton Hamilton, Taryn Janes, Christopher Johnson, Madison Kemp, Seth Killam, Tanner Levins, Hannah Mascaro, Alex McMinn, Meredith Morgan, Jazmine Norman, Gabbrielle Peebles, Delaney Reynolds, Kyrha Shisk, Austin Smith, Lydia Smith, Aaliyah Tucker and Hayley Walker.
Ernest Ward NJHS officers are: Ellie Amerson, president; Sarah Perritt, vice president; Alayna Brown, secretary; Kayla Galvan, treasurer; Jason Fischer, reporter; Breanna Deloach, parliamentarian; and Celeste North, historian.
Other members are: Anna Belle Barberree, Dawson Brown, Bailee Hinote, Madalyn Lathan, Mallory Lathan, Triston Long, Robin Nahkala, Hannah Nelson, Olivia Reber, Trevor Singleton, Sabra Stewart, Destiny Watson, Jacob White and Tara Windham.
Pictured: Almost 30 students were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society Tuesday night at Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
All In A Day’s Work: Shots Fired, Dangerous Chemicals
February 11, 2014
Shots rang out at Escambia County deputies in Walnut Hill Monday as a hazardous materials team worked to neutralize dangerous chemicals found in a vehicle. It was all a drill, part of a multi-agency exercise designed to train responders prior to a real life incident.
For security reasons, we can’t report the exact location in Walnut Hill, other than to say it was on private property, and we can’t share many photos. But we can tell you that real life scenario training is considered invaluable.
“It gave us an opportunity to train for a real scenario that we might have to go through one day,” said Sgt. Andrew Hobbs of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office was joined by representatives from Escambia Fire Rescue, the Florida Department of Health Escambia County and Escambia County Emergency Management. The exercise ran through an incident command, giving the different agencies a chance to work together in managing a hazardous materials incident.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Rapid Response Unit cleans up and disposes of methamphetamine labs and other hazardous materials for the Sheriff’s Office, saving both valuable time and money as opposed to using an outside agency.
The deputies of the Rapid Response Unit had more than dangerous chemicals to deal with during Monday’s scenario….they also came under fire from an active shooter.
“It’s a very difficult situation to be in a chemical suit with limited visibility and breathing on an air tank while being shot at,” Hobb said. “It’s intense.”
Pictured top: A member of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Rapid Response Unit during training scenario in Walnut Hill Monday. Pictured inset and below: The Rapid Response Unit at work in Century and Bratt. In the photo below, a suspected “one pot” meth lab bursts into flames as it is being neutralized. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Letter To The Editor: Is Agriculture Sustainable?
February 11, 2014
We received this Letter to the Editor today from Debra Gilmore of the Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino in response to a previous Letter to the Editor from Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson.
We just returned from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention in Tennessee. The buzz word for the convention was sustainability and what the definition means to the future of the cattle industry. Farmers comprise two percent of the U.S. population. Twenty one million workers (15% of total U.S. workforce) produce, process, and sell the nation’s food and fiber.
In a letter Grover C. Robinson, IV ECC District 4 stated “The challenges are, while our traditional agriculture is based in the northern two-thirds of this county, the other services provided create benefits to the 80 percent of the population that lives below Nine Mile Road.”
I don’t disagree with Mr. Robinson on the challenges or the percentages. These numbers are very much in line with the percentages of 2% farmers and 15% additional workforce. How do we sustain agriculture for future generations? We need young people to pursue production agriculture in order to be sustainable. We need facilities that can be utilized to teach young people about large animals. The proposed 4-H facility has much to offer our youth, however lacks in all areas for large animals.
4-H lit the fire under me and my husband to become part of the 2% that feed the world. We need facilities that can insure the fire is lit in our youth. We need IFAS to remember the 2% and the future. We need property and facilities in a location suitable for this education.
Debra Gilmore
www.gizmoangus.com
gizmoangus.blogspot.com
Citizens Drops To Lowest Number Of Policies Since 2006
February 11, 2014
The state-backed property insurer has crossed below 1 million policies — standing at 942,321 on Monday — for the first time since August 2006.
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. announced Monday that efforts to allow private companies to take out bunches of policies at a single time contributed to the reduction, and that the start of a new legislatively-approved clearinghouse last month to shop new policies to select carriers will further reduce the number. Citizens went above the 1 million mark after the hurricane-intensive 2004 and 2005 seasons, in which seven named stormed made landfall in Florida. The state hasn’t been hit by named storm the past eight hurricane seasons, a fact not lost on Citizens.
“Following eight years with no major storms, Florida’s financially sound private insurance market has begun to rebound as new investors and companies look to expand and increase their footprint in the Florida marketplace,” the company said in a release Monday.
Reducing the number of polices, and thus the potential exposure to the state, has been a focus of government officials for several years. The number of policies stood at just below 1.5 million in August 2012. In December, Citizens President and CEO Barry Gilway told Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet that the state-backed insurer should be down to 925,000 policies by the start of the 2014 hurricane season, and around 725,000 policies by the end of 2015.
by The News Service of Florida
Bond Revoked For Molino Man, Search Continues For His Brother
February 11, 2014
An Escambia County judge has ordered a young Molino man held without bond until his trial, and deputies are continuing to search for brother in connection with numerous stolen weapons recovered outside a Pensacola motel.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy was in the area of Plantation Road in January when he recognized 20-year old Jeremiah Cooler of Molino as a suspect wanted for burglaries and attempted home invasions in Santa Rosa County. Cooler, according to an arrest report, had been involved in a police pursuit with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office days before, and the vehicle with a matching tag number from the pursuit was outside the motel where Cooler was spotted.
As the deputy detained another individual with an outstanding warrant, witnesses said Jeremiah Cooler ran from the motel, threw a backpack into a dumpster and entered a nearby Waffle House. Surveillance video confirmed Cooler was involved in the sequence of events.
Deputies transported Cooler from the Waffle House back to the motel. Inside the backpack from the dumpster, they found five guns — four of which were reported stolen from Santa Rosa County, numerous rounds of ammunition, an iPad and a Toshiba tablet.
Jeremiah Cooler was charged with dealing in stolen property and destruction of evidence. Judge Terry Terrell ordered his bond revoked in the case and an outstanding marijuana case. He is due in court next month on the drug charge and in May on the stolen property and evidence case.
Deputies said they are also searching for his brother, 19-year old Shawn Cooler, on an active outstanding warrant. Anyone with any information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Crimestoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also said a vehicle matching the description of Cooler’s blue Pontiac Grand Prix was also involved in several residential burglaries in the Perdido Key area. Their investigation is continuing.