Northview Chiefs Fall In Regional Semifinals
February 18, 2015
The Northview High School basketball team’s dreams of a championship trophy came to an end Tuesday night, just three games shy of a 1A state title.
On the road in Quincy, the Northview Chiefs lost to West Gadsden 74-44 in the regional semifinals. West Gadsden will advance to the regional finals against Chipley; the Chipley Tigers defeated Franklin County of Eastpoint 85-46 Tuesday.
Century Fire Contained To Home’s Chimney
February 18, 2015
Firefighters from multiple stations responded to a reported house fire near Century Tuesday night.
The fire was reportedly extinguished quickly and contained to a chimney of the 2300 square foot brick veneer home in the 600 block of Tedder Road, near Elsie Davis Road. There were no injuries reported.
The Century, McDavid and Walnut Hill stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Flomaton Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the incident.
Hit And Run Crashes On The Increase
February 18, 2015
Florida has experienced an alarming increase in the number of fatal hit and run crashes during the last two years, and law enforcement agencies are teaming up to spread the word that fleeing the scene of an accident can result in tougher penalties.
“There were more than 80,000 hit and run crashes in Florida last year, a seven percent increase from 2013. Leaving the scene makes the situation worse, not only for those who flee, but even more so for the victims left behind,” said DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes. “It is crucial that all individuals involved in a crash, including witnesses to a crash, contact 911 and remain at the scene until help arrives. Every life matters and every second counts.”
There were 4,848 hit and run crashes in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties during a three year period with 14 resulting fatalities. During 2015, there have been two fatal hit and run crashes involving pedestrians in Escambia County.
What to do after a crash, according to FHP:
- CALL law enforcement.
- REMAIN calm.
- ATTAIN vehicle, witness and driver information.
- SKETCH the scene, showing vehicle crash locations.
- HELP the injured.
A few hit and run facts for Florida:
- Hit and run crashes involving fatalities increased 23 percent from 2013 to 2014.
- Forty-six counties saw an increase in hit and runs from 2013 to 2014.
- The number of hit and run crashes statewide has increased seven percent from 2013 to 2014.
- Nearly half of the hit and run fatalities in 2014 were pedestrians, a 17 percent increase from 2013.
- Twenty-five percent of all crashes are hit and run crashes.
What does Florida law say?
As of July 2014, with the enactment of the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, consequences of leaving the scene of a crash have been enhanced. The Act:
- Punishes leaving the scene of a crash resulting in serious bodily injury to a person as a second degree felony, rather than a third degree felony.
- Imposes a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of four years for a driver convicted of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in the death of a person.
- Increases the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment from two to four years for a driver convicted of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in the death of a person while driving under the influence (DUI).
- Imposes a minimum driver license revocation period of at least three years, and driver education requirements for leaving the scene of a crash.
- Ranks offenses for leaving the scene of a crash one level higher than specified in the Criminal Punishment Code if the victim of the offense was a “vulnerable road user” (such as a pedestrian, a bicyclist or a motorcyclist).
James Thomas “Morris” Luker
February 18, 2015
James Thomas “Morris” Luker 96, born and raised around Atmore, passed away Monday, February 16, 2015, in Aberdeen, MS. He was born on June 1, 1918.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Arcola Luker; and siblings, Perry,Robert, Gladys, O’Neal, George, Melvin, Freddie, and Lillian.
He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be Thursday, February 19, 2015, at 1 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. C.L. Langford officiating.
Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
His nephews will be pallbearers.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Northview, West Florida Cancel Softball Games Due To Weather
February 17, 2015
Northview and West Florida high schools have canceled softball games scheduled for tonight due to inclement weather.
Today’s Catholic at Northview High softball game has been canceled.
Today’s West Florida softball game against Navarre has been canceled and will be rescheduled. Thursday’s West Florida softball game versus Catholic has been rescheduled for March 2
A Century That Lasts Forever — Century Approves New Slogan
February 17, 2015
The Town of Century has settled on a new slogan — “A Century that lasts forever”.
The new slogan is part of a rebranding process recommended by the University of West Florida’s Haas Center along with a new strategic plan for the town.
The town council voted earlier this year to remove “Welcome to Century” signs that greets visitors to Century from the north and south on Highway 29. The signs, dedicated two years ago, were built by Century Correctional Institution and feature a giant saw blade with the town’s most recent slogan “The Dawn of a New Century”.
The sawmill signs were a throwback to the town’s history and the Alger Sullivan Lumber Company, which has been closed for over 50 years. The signs will be donated to the local Alger Sullivan Historical Society for use in their museum.
The town received 45 slogan entries in an informal contest promoted on NorthEscambia.com, with the winning “A Century that lasts forever” submitted by Josie Leonard of Milton. Mayor Freddie McCall offered to provide a $50 prize for the winning slogan from his own pocket.
All entries in the slogan contest are listed below, with those making a “final” list following a preliminary council vote listed in bold:
- Come take a small step into Century and make a huge leap toward progress.
- Century: Gateway to the Gulf
- Century- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
- Century – Florida’s Gateway
- Century– Florida’s First Place Town
- Century – Florida’s Welcome Center
- Century- More Than You Imagined
- Century- Let Us Surprise You
- The Next Century
- Century- Small Town, Big Heart
- Century- Town of Tomorrow
- Century- Southern Hospitality, Florida Fun
- Century – Florida’s Front Door
- Century- Florida’s First Stop
- Century- Tomorrow’s Town
- The Next Century Awaits
- Century- Florida’s First Choice Town
- Century -This is where Florida begins
- Century- Florida Proud
- Century -A City of Progress, Pride and Possibilities
- Century- Building on the Past, Preparing for the Future
- Century – A Community (or City) Working for a Brighter Future
- Century – A Community (or City) with a Vision of a Brighter Future
- Century – A City in Motion
- Welcome to Century – Trust the Journey!
- Century- Building on the past with the challenges of today. Keeping hope alive as we work, care and play.
- Welcome to Century. Florida’s 1st Horizon
- Century -If you Can’t Stop- Wave
- Century- Small Town, Big Heart
- A Century that lasts forever.
- Century- (On) the Cutting Edge of Florida
- Century – Cutting Edge of the Florida Panhandle
- Century- Escambia’s Quiet Little Town
- Century- The Little Town That Can
- Century- Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow at the Edge of Florida
- Century – No Other Place Like It
- Welcome to the Town of Century, a place to plant a memory.
- The world is open to possibilities, looking for persons of capabilities.
- Stamped with tradition and integrity, with hearts of goodwill and charity. Welcome to Century the gateway to and from the Panhandle of Florida.
- Welcome to Century – Gateway to Florida
- Welcome to Century – Gateway to the Sunshine State
- Welcome to Century – City of Hope
- Gateway to the Gulf Coast
- Century- A Place to Call Home
- A “Teaspoon” of Love- for a “Century” of Honor
Ernest Ward Middle School Shows Off New Facility (With Photo Gallery)
February 17, 2015
An Open House was held Monday at the new Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill. Students have been at class in the new state-of-the-art facility for the past couple of weeks.
Monday, students eagerly led friends and family through the new school, pointing out features like smart boards and a cafeteria that dwarfs the one in the old school, portions of which was built in the 1940’s.
Asbestos removal from the old school building is on tap, with the old buildings set to be demolished in the coming weeks.
Pictured top: A science lab in the new Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured inset: The school entrance off the main lobby pay tribute to the design outside the old Ernst Ward. Pictured below: The school’s new library, featuring ceilings and windows that are up to nearly 40 feet high.NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Evers’ Prison Overhaul Bill Gains Traction In Florida Senate
February 17, 2015
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee gave a preliminary nod to a corrections overhaul that would make it easier for inmates to file complaints, create new penalties for rogue guards who abuse prisoners and establish a governor-appointed commission to oversee prisons and investigate wrongdoing.
The proposal (SPB 7020), sponsored by committee Chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker, would also allow inmates’ families or lawyers to pay for an independent medical evaluation and would expand opportunities for old or sick inmates to get out of prison early.
And the measure would require each prison to track use of force incidents and the Department of Corrections to post an annual report documenting those incidents on its website.
Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones called the measure, which still has several committee stops before heading to the floor and so far lacks a House companion, a “work in progress” but said she is “cautiously optimistic” so far.
“Sen. Evers has taken a bold approach to trying to fix the problems that he sees,” Jones said after appearing before the panel on Monday.
The embattled corrections agency is grappling with state probes of questionable inmate deaths, lawsuits from investigators who claim they were retaliated against after exposing a cover-up of the death of an inmate who died at a Panhandle prison after being gassed by noxious chemicals, and complaints about dangerously low staffing levels at dozens of state-run facilities.
Jones, who took over the agency last month as the fourth secretary in as many years, is also scrutinizing contracts with private vendors who took over health care services for the state’s 100,000 inmates last year.
“We look forward to reinventing this agency,” Jones told the committee before Monday’s vote.
Evers, whose North Florida district includes three prisons and numerous work camps, has made surprise visits to several institutions and, on Monday, peppered Jones with questions about a 1996 report that found that low pay and understaffing were the top reasons for turnover in the department.
Jones identified those issues as among the top concerns of prison staff based on surveys she is now conducting nearly 20 years later.
“What was amazing about this is in 1996 in virtue we had the same problems we have today,” Evers said.
Jones told the committee she is establishing “issues teams” made up of rank-and-file workers who will be tasked with coming up with solutions to the concerns expressed in the surveys.
“Things come in waves. You fix a problem and it comes back up again if you don’t attend to it over time. I think that’s what’s happened. The difference between what the chairman talked about in 1996 and what we’re doing today are those issue teams,” Jones told The News Service of Florida later. “You can survey employees all day long and take the information and when you put it in a report and put on the shelf, you haven’t done anything with it. We are going to do good things with everything that our employees are telling us and to the best of our ability implement new ideas and change processes.”
One of the first items the “issue teams” will address is uniforms, Jones said in the interview.
“They hate the uniforms. The quality. How well they wear in the summer. They’re not equipped for outside posts in the winter time. The uniform piece is a quality-of-life issue. You will find that all of our teams are going to be related to mission, values and culture,” she said.
Evers included the oversight commission in his bill at the request of Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican and former prosecutor. The commission — made up of a sheriff, a state attorney, a public defender, a clergy member, a community leader and a business leader — would have subpoena powers and be able to open investigations.
The commission’s primary purpose is “to ensure the safe and effective operation of our prison system,” Bradley said.
“Real reform in this area will only be achieved if we finally change the accountability system that’s in place for corrections,” he said.
Jones, however, told The News Service she is more interested in a commission that would offer recommendations but not have as much power as what was included in the bill on Monday.
“I’m very interested in a commission that’s going to look at sentencing reforming and delve into who comes into prison to begin with. That’s going to be very valuable to me. I’m hoping that the commission morphs a little bit in its charge” to include prison reforms known as Smart Justice, Jones said.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Cold, Windy Day; Freeze Tonight
February 17, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 52. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 23. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 43. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 20. North wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Saturday
A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. South wind 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Sunday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 68.
Sunday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56.
Highland Baptist Kids Share Messages Of Love
February 17, 2015
Children from Highland Baptist Church recently visited with residents of the Health Care Center of Pensacola. The children delivered handmade Valentine’s cards with a special message.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
