Northview High Teacher Barry Receives Governor’s Shine Award
October 28, 2015
During a meeting of Florida’s Cabinet on Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott presented his Governor’s Shine Awards to four outstanding educators, including Northview High School teacher Anna Barry.
Barry was named the Escambia County Teacher of the Year. She teaches world history and honors world history at Northview. Barry is a product of the Escambia County School systems, from kindergarten at Bratt Elementary School, to Ernest Ward Middle School through gradation from Northview in 2000.
Barry received a bachelor of science degree in health education and went on to become professionally certified in several areas. She has taught for 10 years — two years at Ernest Ward and eight years at Northview. She also works together with other teachers to improve the educational experience of students.
Pictured top: Northview teacher Anna Barry (third from right) and three other teachers were honored Tuesday by the Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
“We are thankful for the commitment of our teachers to help students receive the best education possible in Florida. It is an honor to present four outstanding educators with the Governor’s Shine Award today and I look forward to seeing their continued success in the classroom,” Scott said.
Anti-Gambling Group Wants Florida Voters To Decide About Casinos
October 28, 2015
An anti-gambling group wants to give voters the ability to decide whether Florida should have non-tribal casinos, but the preliminary fate of the proposed constitutional amendment rests in a Supreme Court decision about slot machines at a Gadsden County horse track.
A newly-formed political committee called “Voters in Charge” announced Tuesday it has started a petition-gathering process, with an eye on getting a proposal on the 2018 ballot. If approved, the “Voter Control of Gambling” constitutional amendment would require future statewide votes to authorize casino-style games including blackjack, craps and roulette.
The amendment would take away the Legislature’s ability to approve casinos in Florida but would not affect tribal operations, which are regulated by federal law.
The committee is aiming to collect the requisite 68,314 signatures to trigger a Florida Supreme Court review by the end of the year. But whether or not Voters in Charge intends to pursue a ballot initiative ultimately rests with the court’s decision in another case, according to committee chairman John Sowinski.
“We view this as an insurance policy, frankly,” Sowinski said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The Supreme Court has been asked to decide whether a horse track in the Gadsden County community of Gretna, which originally received its pari-mutuel license for rodeo-style barrel racing, can have slot machines.
The case centers on a 2009 law establishing eligibility for slot machines at pari-mutuels, an expansion of a 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment that authorized slots at seven existing horse and dog tracks and jai-alai frontons in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The 2009 change allowed a Hialeah track, which wasn’t operating at the time the amendment was approved, to also operate the lucrative one-armed bandits.
The 2009 law also expanded eligibility for slots to include facilities in “any other county … pursuant to a statutory or constitutional authorization after the effective date of this section in the respective county.” The law went into effect July 1, 2010.
The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled earlier this month that Gretna Racing, operated by the Poarch Creek Indians of Atmore, cannot have slots without legislative approval.
The case has implications for several other counties — Brevard, Lee, Hamilton, Palm Beach, and Washington — where voters have approved referendums authorizing slots at local pari-mutuels. A nearly identical case is pending in the 4th District Court of Appeal, where the Palm Beach Kennel Club is also challenging the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s denial of its application for slot machines.
In the Gadsden County case, the Supreme Court could allow Gretna to operate slots without legislative approval or decide that the Legislature must approve the slots. Or the court could rule that the expansion of slots at pari-mutuels outside of Broward and Miami-Dade counties requires another constitutional change.
Sowinski said his group wants “to have a ready weapon” with the ballot proposal in case the Supreme Court decides that no constitutional action is necessary for pari-mutuels outside of the two South Florida counties to add slots.
“We want to be positioned and ready so if there is a court decision that does not affirm that the people have the final say on this, that they’ve got an amendment that makes it abundantly clear on the ballot,” Sowinski said.
The ballot initiative comes after lawmakers have repeatedly failed to sign off on “destination resorts” pushed by out-of-state casinos. Gambling giant Las Vegas Sands recently abandoned its efforts in Florida.
Voters In Charge is backed by No Casinos, a group supported by Disney World, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and a variety of tourism-related groups. Sowinski is also the president of No Casinos.
The ballot initiative could also be viewed as a shot across the bow as negotiations over a deal with the Seminole Tribe heat up.
Gov. Rick Scott’s chief lawyer, Tim Cerio, is working with Republican House and Senate leaders to craft a new agreement with the Seminoles. A deal expired earlier this summer that gave the tribe exclusive rights to operate banked card games like blackjack at most of its casinos.
According to sources close to the talks, the new pact would allow the tribe to have craps and roulette and also would permit the Palm Beach County greyhound track to add slots. That would be banned without statewide approval under the proposal floated by Voters in Charge.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Three Jail Locations Discussed At Escambia Town Hall Meeting
October 28, 2015
Escambia County held a special town hall meeting Tuesday to present three proposed sites for a new jail to the public and answer questions.
The county is considered three sites for the new Escambia County Jail: the Palafox and Airport Boulevard site, the Brent Lane site, and the Mid-town Commerce site.
The Board of County Commissioners is expected to vote on the jail site on Thursday, November 12, at 5 p.m., during a specially-called Board meeting.
Pictured: A town hall meeting was held Tuesday night in Pensacola to discuss three potential sites for a new Escambia County Jail. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gas Prices Drop Below $2 In North Escambia
October 28, 2015
Gas prices have finally fallen below $2 a gallon in North Escambia, with several Cantonment stations at $1.99 or even $1.98 on Tuesday. Across the Escambia County area, gas prices in the area are dipping again and should fall further by the end of the year, according to AAA.
Gas prices had inched up in recent weeks, partly because routine maintenance at refineries shrunk supplies. Normal production resumed last week at many refineries.
On Monday, the price of regular unleaded in Escambia County averaged $2.08 per gallon, down 11 cents from a week earlier. It was 86 cents cheaper than a year ago.
The national average currently sits at $2.20 per gallon, the lowest price since February.
Picturd: A gallon of regular unleaded was down to $1.99 Tuesday on Highway 29 in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Road Closures
October 28, 2015
Road closures are planned this week as follows:
Pine Forest Road in Walnut Hill is set to be closed through Thursday, November 4 at 4:30 p.m. for railroad crossing repairs. Drivers may detour on Rockaway Creek and Pelt Roads.
Highway 168 will experience single lane closures on the Hobbs Branch Bridge (between Pine Barren Road and Wiggins Road) through Wednesday, November 25. Lane closures will be from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
North Pineville Road work has been canceled.
Work may be rescheduled or prolonged due to inclement weather. Any updates will be posted on NorthEscambia.com.
Molino Park Elementary Heads Back To The 50’s (Photo Gallery)
October 28, 2015
Students at Molino Park Elementary School went back to the 50’s Tuesday to celebrate the 50th day of the school year.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fog, Chance Of Rain Move Back Into Forecast
October 28, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers between 10am and 4pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 56. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph after midnight.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 78. North wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a low around 70. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 78.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
Santa Rosa Deputies Pay Special Visit To Jay Elementary
October 28, 2015
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office paid a special visit to Jay Elementary School Tuesday to teach students about bullying and stranger danger. Major Bob Johnson also took the time to read to students. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Win Free Tickets, VIP Passes For Marshall Tucker Band Concert
October 28, 2015
The Marshall Tucker Band will perform on Thursday night at the Pensacola Blue Wahoo Stadium.
For your chance win free tickets and VIP passes from NorthEscambia.com, click here to like and share a Facebook post.
The Marshall Tucker Band is one of the major Southern rack bands of the ‘70s with a music style combined of rock, country, and jazz. From their beginnings in the early ’70s, their sound took plenty of changes musically — swinging, grooving, jamming and going country — and always stretched the boundaries. Their hits included “Heard It in a Love Song” and “Can’t You See”.
Tickets will be available for purchase to see the Marshall Tucker Band for $15 at http://bit.ly/1W2UoVc. Tickets are available online and at the Pensacola Blue Wahoo Box Office.
Kathleen Bracken Becker
October 28, 2015
Kathleen B. Becker, 93 of Cantonment, passed away on Monday, October 26, 2015. She was born on May 11, 1922, in Appleton, AL to the late Edgar and Lily Craigmile. Kathleen retired from Monsanto with over 25 years of service. She was a loving mother, housewife, sister, and avid gardener. She was involved in her local community helping in churches, and education with Public Broadcasting Station (PBS).
Kathleen was preceded in death by her husbands, Ralph E. Bracken and Claus Becker; and her parents.
She is survived by her children, Ty (Glenda) Bracken, Ralphene Bracken Eshleman, Beverly Bracken (Terry) Williams, and Roy L. Bracken; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2015, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Mark Dees officiating.
Burial will follow in Weaver Cemetery in Brewton.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, October 29, 2015, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.
Shane Fleming, Garry Cain, and Russell Bracken will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.