Tate High Names Faircloth, Stonewall As Students Of The Month
March 17, 2016
Tate High School has named students of the month for February. They are David Faircloth and Demiyah Stonewall, pictured with Principal Rich Shackle. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Officials Canvas Neighborhoods Hardest Hit By Tornado
March 17, 2016
Representatives from the Town of Century went door to door Wednesday in the areas that were hardest hit by the EF-3 tornado that struck the town on February 15.
They were canvassing residents to find out what recovery needs residents may have remaining and if they had insurance.
The survey was in advance of opening applications for Century’s share of of $2,058,028 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP, disaster funds for the two tornadoes that struck Escambia County in February. Funds will be appropriated to assist with owner occupied housing rehabilitation, replacement, and disaster mitigation as outlined in the county’s Local Housing Assistance Plan. H
Century Town Planner Debbie Nickles aid the $2.1 million split between Escambia County, Pensacola and Century won’t go very far, restoring housing for just a small number of those that lost homes during the tornadoes.
Century alone suffered $3.9 million in damage, plus another $18 million in Pensacola, she said. There were over 100 homes in Century that were destroyed or suffered major damage. About 75 percent of the structures were uninsured.
“There are going to be so many applicants,” she said. “How do we decide who gets their house rebuilt and who doesn’t,” she said. Ultimately, it will be up to the Century Town Council to decide the formula for funds distribution in Century.
Century won’t be able to to take applicants for housing assistance until April — the funds will first be dispersed to Escambia County and an interlocal agreement between the county and the town must be amended to cover the new funding.
Once available, funding may only be utilized for households directly impacted by one of the two storms and income restrictions will apply, see chart below. Household members seeking repair assistance will be required to provide proof of homestead exemption, income, assets, mortgage (if present), and insurance (if present) to certify eligibility.
For more information on disaster-related owner occupant housing repair or home replacement assistance:
- Unincorporated areas of Escambia County – County Neighborhood Enterprise Division at (850) 595-0022.
- City of Pensacola – City Housing Office at (850) 858-0350
- Town of Century – SHIP applications are expected to be accepted in April, for more information call (850) 256-3208
Rubio’s Future Sure To Fuel Speculation
March 17, 2016
The end of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s bid for the presidency, cut off by a crushing loss Tuesday in the Florida GOP primary, raises intriguing questions about what the onetime rising star in the Republican Party might do next.
For essentially the first time since he won a city commission seat in 1998, Rubio will soon be without a government office and without a campaign. After his term in the Florida House wrapped up in 2008, Rubio took some time off, but decided in relatively short order to run for the U.S. Senate seat he now holds.
It was a lopsided loss for Rubio on Tuesday night. Real-estate mogul Donald Trump carried almost 46 percent of the vote, to 27 percent for Rubio, according to unofficial returns.
“He has some thinking to do,” said J.M. “Mac” Stipanovich, a Republican lobbyist and strategist who initially backed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the Republican race. “He was badly beaten in his home state. … That one will hurt for a while, and it could take quite a while to walk off the sting.”
Democrats argued that the beating would take its toll on Rubio’s reputation.
“Floridians will not forget that Rubio cowardly placed partisan politics ahead of doing what was right when it came to immigration reform and dealing with Donald Trump. … While it remains to be seen if Rubio will attempt to salvage the wreckage of his political career, no amount of spin can distract from the clear lesson of this campaign: ‘Little Marco’ just can’t deliver,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a statement Tuesday, using a nickname Trump had adopted for Rubio.
But Rubio is only 44 years old and is one of the most prominent Hispanic voices in a Republican Party that badly needs to make inroads with Latinos. And many of his supporters say they hope that he takes another shot at elected office in the future.
“If you know Marco, you know this is a guy who is young and still wants to be a meaningful force and positive force in American political life,” said Rick Wilson, a Republican political consultant who worked for independent efforts backing Rubio.
State Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, said he didn’t see Rubio leaving the national scene despite the loss in the presidential race. Many Rubio supporters and the candidate himself have suggested that his message was the right one — just wrong for the current political mood.
“I think it will be a disservice to the conservative movement if he just backs away from it,” Garcia said.
What office Rubio seeks, though, isn’t clear. It would be difficult for Rubio to renege on his promise not to run for Senate this year after several candidates — including Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, a friend — have already lined up to succeed him.
And Wilson dismissed persistent speculation that Rubio might run for governor in 2018 as “Tallahassee insider, Governor’s Club, three-beer gossip.”
Running against U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, in two years also seems far-fetched given the disdain Rubio expressed for the Senate in a partisan era. Rubio was hammered by opponents during the presidential campaign for missing votes on Capitol Hill, and he responded by essentially saying his run for the White House was more important.
“He basically said he didn’t like serving in the Senate, and he didn’t serve,” Stipanovich said.
Even if Rubio were to run for one of the two marquee offices in 2018, he would likely face resistance. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is widely viewed as the front-runner for the Republican nomination for governor, while Gov. Rick Scott is rumored to be gearing up to take on Nelson.
The most likely outcome for Rubio might be another run at the presidency. As he conceded the race Tuesday, Rubio seemed to offer a hint that he had not entirely given up on the idea of winning the White House.
“While it is not God’s plan that I be president in 2016 — or maybe ever — and while today my campaign is suspended, the fact that I’ve even come this far is evidence of how special America truly is and all the reason more why we must do all we can to ensure that this nation remains a special place,” Rubio said.
That could happen as soon as 2020, and would play to the idea that Rubio was simply running in the wrong environment — a year dominated by anger harnessed by Trump’s insurgency against the Republican establishment.
“I think in the absence of the phenomenon we call Trump, this might have had a different outcome,” said state Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood.
Running again also depends on what happens in the next four years. If Trump were to win the White House in November and enjoy a successful first term, Rubio couldn’t run before 2024. And by then, if Trump’s brand of Republicanism has taken hold, Rubio could still find himself out of step with the party.
“Losing to someone who loses is not as bad as losing to someone who ultimately wins,” said Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida.
All of those considerations are a ways off, though, for someone just finish a grueling race for the presidency. Former state Rep. Adam Hasner, one of the Florida co-chairs of Rubio’s campaign, said in a text message Wednesday that Rubio “is an extremely talented individual who will find ways to engage and make an impact in future.”
“It’s way too soon to speculate what is in his future, but for now let him enjoy being with his family and loved ones,” Hasner wrote.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Camp Fire Kids Hold Annual Easter Egg Hunt
March 17, 2016
Students from the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center visited the Century Health And Rehabilitation Center Wednesday for their annual Easter Egg Hunt. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Students Attend Model UN Conference
March 17, 2016
The Northview High School Model United Nations Team recently took part in the 37th annual Florida High Schools Model United Nations conference in Orlando.
The high school conference was modeled after real debate and United Nations actions and programs.
Northview Model UN team members were Jessica Amerson, Madison Weber, Moriah McGahan, Carly Ward, David Thorpe, Hadley Woodfin, Zach Sheldon, Ellie Amerson, Alayna Brown, Sarah Perritt, Triston Long and Catie Clayton. The group is sponsored by teacher Anna Barry.
This year, two nations were represented by the Northview team: The Republic of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Belgium. There were a total of 298 delegates and the conference and 24 different high schools, including one from Turkey.
The NHS team consisted of 12 delegates who were involved in the following committees: Security Council, UN Office of Drugs and Crime, World Health Organization, Ad Hoc, UN Women, General Assembly Third, and the European Union. All of the delegates worked diligently to draft resolutions to world problems.
Two years ago, Northview became the first Escambia County public school to participate in a Florida High Schools Model United Nations conference.
Pictured: The Northview high School Model United Nations Team. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Splits Softball Double Header At Chipley
March 17, 2016
The Northview Chiefs went 1-1 away at Chipley in a double header Wednesday.
In the first game, the visiting Chiefs lost to the Fighting Tigers 2-0 on 3 defensive errors. Neither team recorded a hit in the game. Tori Herrington pitched 7 innings striking out 8, allowing no hits, 1 walk, 2 runs and 0 earned runs.
The Chiefs won the second contest 4-3 over the Fighting Tigers. Tori Herrington pitched 7 innings striking out 7, allowing 7 hits, 0 walks, 3 runs and 2 earned runs. Batting for the Chiefs were Kendall Enfinger: 3-4 with 2 singles, a double and a run. Tori Herrington: 2-3 with 2 singles, a walk and 2 RBI’s. Aubree Love: 1-4 with a single. Laurie Purdy: 1-3 with a single. Jamia Newton: 1-3 with a single and 2 runs. Lydia Smith: 1-3 with a single. Alana Brown: 1-3 with a single. Brittany McLemore: 0-3 with a run.
The Chiefs will be home on Monday, March 28 for a division game against South Walton at 5:00.
Tate Remains Undefeated In Aggie Classic
March 17, 2016
Tate 8, El Reno (OK) 1
The Tate High School Aggies remained undefeated in the Aggie Classic Wednesday with an 8-1 win over El Reno, OK.
Tate hitters – Branden Fryman 3-4, 2 runs; Reid Halfacre 1-1, triple, 2 runs; Cole Halfacre 3-3; Hunter NeSmith 1-2, 2 RBIs, run; Logan Blackmon 1-2; Josh Kea 1-2. WP – Jake Davis (4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 4 K, 3 BB).
Other Wednesday Scores
Stillwater (OK) vs. Leon, n
Edmond North (OK) 7, Maryville (TN) 2
West Florida 10, Coweta (OK) 0
Muskogee (OK) 6, Emery/Weiner (TX) 5
Milton 9, Shawnee (OK) 2
Jenks (OK) 6, Christ Presbyterian (TN) 0
Morris (OK) vs. Gulf Breeze, n
Second Baptist (TX) 7, Pryor (OK) 4
Washington (OK) vs. Escambia, n
Next Level Baseball (AL) 5, Piedmont (OK) 2
Union (OK) vs. Chiles, n
Thursday, March 17
At Tate High School
4 p.m. – Gulf Breeze vs. Stillwater
7 p.m. – Tate vs. Milton
At Milton High School
4 p.m. – Washington vs. Second Baptist
7 p.m. – Next Level vs. Jenks
At Gulf Breeze
4 p.m. – Edmond North vs. Chiles
7 p.m. – Maryville vs. Muskogee
At Escambia
4 p.m. – Christ Presby. vs. Union
7 p.m. – Escambia vs. Shawnee
At West Florida High
4 p.m. – El Reno vs. Coweta
7 p.m. – West Florida vs. Piedmont
At Woodham Middle
4 p.m. – Leon vs. Pryor
7 p.m. – Morris vs. Emery
FEMA Denies Public Assistance For Tornado Recovery
March 16, 2016
Escambia County received notification that FEMA has denied the state’s request for an emergency declaration as a result of the February 2016 tornadoes and severe weather. FEMA determined that the damage did not meet the severity to receive supplemental federal assistance for public assistance, or aid to local governments.
“Based upon our review of all of the information available, it has been determined that the damage was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments and voluntary agencies,” Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator, wrote.
No response has yet been received for the request for individual assistance and SBA assistance. Governor Scott’s office has indicated they will be contacting President Obama about the original request for federal assistance for Escambia County residents. If individual assistance is approved, disaster assistance like low interest loans, grants, and temporary housing assistance may be offered.
Trump, Clinton Tops In Escambia County
March 16, 2016
Escambia County voters chose Donald Trump in the Republican primary on Tuesday, while Hillary Clinton was the choice of the Democrats.
Here’s the breakdown with the unofficial totals, with all precincts reporting:
Slight Chance Of Rain Wednesday, Rain For Thursday, Friday
March 16, 2016
Here is your official NorthEscambia area forecast:
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. West wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. West wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 76. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 56. West wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 63.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 66.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 44.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 70.