Firefighters Battle Brush Fires In Bratt And Nokomis
January 19, 2018
.Firefighters responded to two simultaneous brush fires Friday afternoon in North Escambia.
A pasture fire burned about five acres in the 7000 block of Nokomis Road, near Jakes Road, and an unrelated fire about 10 miles away burned over an acre in a sod field on North Highway 99 near the Florida/Alabama state line in Bratt.
Both fire were quickly extinguished with no injuries and no damage to structures.
The Walnut Hill, Century and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Atmore Fire Department responded to the fires. There was no word on the cause of either fire.
Pictured: Firefighters battle a fire in a sod field on North Highway 99 near the Florida/Alabama state line in Bratt Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Commission Delays Decision On ECUA Request To Take Property For Sewage Lift Station
January 19, 2018
The Escambia County Commission has decided to delay action on an Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) request to exercise its power of eminent domain to acquire property on Well Line Road in Cantonment for a sewage lift station.
During a Thursday meeting, commissioners instead expressed grave concerns about the use of eminent domain while expressing the desire to find an alternative solution.
ECUA said it has been unable to reach an agreement with Robert Ross, the owner of 1.2 acres of unimproved land at 400 Well Line Road. The utility said the property is needed to replace and upgrade ECUA’s “Lift Station 143″. In order to take the property under eminent domain, ECUA must first obtain the approval of the Escambia County Commission.
The ECUA lift station on Well Line Road near Watson Avenue is outdated and deteriorated, in need of replacement and upgrades, according to ECUA. Plans call for it to potentially become a regional lift station. ECUA said the property is not large enough to accommodate a regional lift station and emergency storage tanks which may also be placed next to it.
A letter from ECUA Board Chair Lois Benson to the commission states that ECUA has been unsuccessful in negotiations to acquire the property.
Ross said he received a letter on four separate occasions wanting the property, beginning with a half acre and finally the entire 1.2 acres with an offer of $2,000. He said he just “threw a number out there” of $40-50,000 in response.
“I know I am not the only one; our entire board takes eminent domain issues very seriously,”District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said, adding that in five years on the county commission, there has only other been one other eminent domain consideration. That was for a property in the Wedgewood area related to a landfill. He said commissioners are typically able to work with property owners to find a solution or find an alternative piece of property to make a project successful without using eminent domain proceedings.
Barry said he has seen little evidence of much real negotiation or communication between ECUA and Ross…not even a response to his $40,000 request.
“I do believe there is a willingness to negotiate, possibly. I don’t think it was his intent when he responded with the 40 or 50 thousand figure that it would be the last that he heard of it. He thought that they would say ‘well that is ridiculous but we think it is worth this’ and some back and forth would happen,” Barry said. “But that does not necessarily seem to have taken place.”
Barry said the county owns several parcels of land in the Well Line Road area, and the county could possible donate one or two acres to ECUA to use for their lift station.
ECUA attorney Bradley Odom said ECUA does not take the use of eminent domain lightly and will work to increase the line of communication with Ross.
“ECUA takes it seriously; ECUA wants to do right,” Odom said. “We look at it (eminent domain) as a last resort, and we want to consier the options that are available.”
Commissioner Doug Underhill said he wants to make sure all avenues are explored before he would consider the use of eminent domain.
The commission decided to table further action on the eminent domain request as other options are explored.
Under eminent domain, Florida law allows a governmental entity such as ECUA to seize property for the public good and provide full compensation to the owner. ECUA is a public utility, established as a government agency by an act of the Florida legislature.
Proposals To Restore Felons’ Rights Move Forward
January 19, 2018
Two proposals that would automatically restore voting rights to felons who have served their sentences were approved Thursday by a Florida Constitution Revision Commission panel.
In a 6-2 vote, the commission’s Ethics and Elections Committee approved a measure (Proposal 7), sponsored by former Sen. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale, that would automatically restore voting rights to felons who have served their prison time and completed any probation or parole requirements. Felons convicted of murder or sexual offenses would be excluded.
In another 6-2 vote, the panel endorsed a measure (Proposal 21), sponsored by Sen. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, that would also automatically restore felons’ voting rights after sentences are completed.
But Rouson’s proposal would exclude a larger group of felons from automatic restoration. It lists more than a dozen types of felonies that would prevent automatic restoration, including such things as carjacking and burglary.
Smith’s proposal is identical to a constitutional initiative launched by Floridians for a Fair Democracy, a group that is trying to place the proposal on the November ballot by submitting petition signatures.
The group, which has already won approval from the state Supreme Court for the wording of its proposal, is close to reaching the ballot. It had submitted 750,723 valid petition signatures to the state as of late Thursday afternoon, just under the 766,200 ballot threshold.
Smith, who is sponsoring his measure along with former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner of Tampa, said he expects Floridians for a Fair Democracy to meet a Feb. 1 deadline for submitting the needed signatures and that the group has actually collected close to 1 million signatures. He said he would drop his Constitution Revision Commission proposal if the group is successful.
“No pride in the authorship, I would defer to the almost 1 million Floridians who have signed the petition at that point,” Smith said. “If the signatures are good, this gets withdrawn the next day.”
Smith said he wanted to keep his proposal, along with Rouson’s proposal, moving forward in case a last-minute problem occurs with the petition drive.
Rouson said it was “his inclination at this time” to withdraw his proposal if the voter petition drive is successful in reaching the November ballot.
He said he offered his proposal with a broader list of felonies as “a pragmatic compromise,” saying it could offset some of the opposition he expects the other amendments to attract if they get on the ballot.
Rouson also said he did not want to “confuse” voters by having two amendments on the same ballot. “But we want something on the ballot that’s significant and substantial to a number of citizens in this state,” he said.
Under the commission’s analysis, Smith’s proposal could open the opportunity for as many as 1.5 million felons to regain the right to vote, to run for office or to serve on juries. Rouson’s version would offer that automatic restoration path to an estimated 859,000 Floridians.
Advocates for voting-rights restoration argue that Florida has become an outlier among states by having so many felons blocked from voting, with their only chance to regain those rights through a cumbersome process that can take years and has resulted in an average of less than 500 restorations per year.
Some have underscored the impact on African-American residents, although Rouson said the current system is impacting all demographic groups.
“This is not a black issue,” Rouson said. “This is a human rights issue, and it affects all groups of citizens in the state.”
The proposals next head to the commission’s Declaration of Rights Committee.
Each measure would eventually need to win support from at least 22 members of the 37-member commission to win a spot on the 2018 ballot. Any constitutional measure on the ballot will need support from at least 60 percent of voters to be enacted.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Becoming Warmer
January 19, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Calm wind.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 62. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 64.
Bratt Elementary Wins $1,000 Wellness Challenge For Third Year
January 19, 2018
For the third consecutive year, Bratt Elementary School has been named the winner of Escambia Superintendent Malcolm Thomas’ Choose Wellness Challenge. The school was presented a $1,000 prize at Tuesday’s meeting of the Escambia County School Board.
The challenge was to see which school or major department could achieve the highest level of participation in the challenge by the end of the school year. Participants completed four steps to promote health and wellness, potentially reducing the district’s health care and lost work time costs.
Thomas said he expected the winner to come from a school that was located near the district’s health and wellness center. But he was wrong…again.
“This year’s winner, for the third straight year, is a school that’s actually located further away from the Wellness Center than the majority of our schools, making it quite evident that mileage and inconvenience was absolutely, not a factor,” Thomas said off Bratt Elementary.
“When we started this, we made a plaque and we thought that each year we would put the winner on the plaque.” Thomas explained. “So far, we have three years and we only have one school on it. So, my challenge to the other schools and departments is – Is there anybody out there that’s willing to take on Bratt Elementary to see if you can be next year’s winner?”
The $1,000 prize is expected to be used in some manner to promote wellness among the school’s staff. All of the funds were from private donations; no taxpayer dollars were used.
The Exceptional Student Education department received a $500 prize for increase participation of about 30 percent.
Pictured: Bratt Elementary accepts their $1,000 Wellness Challenge award during a Tuesday meeting of the Escambia County School Board. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Arbor Day Tree Giveaway Saturday In Barrineau Park
January 19, 2018
The annual Arbor Day tree giveaway is coming up Saturday at in Barrineau Park.
Florida Arbor Day is observed the third Friday in January to recognize the benefits of trees, and to encourage planting and care. The Florida Forest Service and Escambia County UF-IFAS Extension will hold the Barrineau Park event with additional support from Escambia County Department of Natural Resource Management, Resource Management Services and the Northview High School FFA club.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Barrineau Park Community Center, located at 6055 Barrineau Park School Road.
Trees in one-gallon containers will be given away. Species include tulip poplar, Chickasaw plum, Shumard oak and fringetree. Special edition Arbor Day water bottles featuring the winning design from last year’s art contest also will be given away. A tree will be planted for the community center and as a demonstration of proper planting.
Pictured: Last year’s Arbor Day Tree Giveaway was held in Davisville. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen’s Robinson Named Cat Country’s Coach Of The Week
January 19, 2018
Our NorthEscambia.com media partners at Cat Country 98.7 named Jim Allen Elementary School P.E. teacher Will Robinson as their “Cat Country Coach of the Week”. The award was presented to Robinson on Thursday. He is pictured below with the Cat and Gabby Johnson, one of the students who nominated him for the Coach of the Week award. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Baker Outpaces Northview (With Gallery), Tate Tops Milton
January 19, 2018
Baker 71, Northview 60
The Northview Chiefs lost to the Baker Gators 71-60 Thursday afternoon in Bratt.
The Gators only outscored the Chiefs by two to hold an 18-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Baker outpaced Northview in the second to take a 40-27 by the half. Baker scored a basket more than Northview in the third, while Northview outscored Baker by four in the fourth.
Up next, the Northview Chiefs varsity will host Pensacola Christian Academy at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday and Freeport next Thursday at 6:15 p.m. The JV boys will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and 5 p.m. Thursday.
Tate 68, Milton 54
The Tate Aggies beat the Milton Panthers 68-54 Thursday in Cantonment.
The Aggies to a 15-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and were up 33-26 by halftime. Tate outscored Milton by seven in the third, while both teams scored 23 points each in the fourth.
The Tate Aggies (10-6, 4-0) were led by Love Bettis with 21 points.
The Tate Aggies will travel to Fort Walton to take on Choctawhatchee High School at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Pictured: Baker at Northview Thursday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Group Wants More Local Residents To Achieve A College Degree
January 19, 2018
A local group wants to increase the number of Escambia County residents with a college degree by 20 percent by 2025.
Achieve Escambia has received a $20,000 planning grant from the Florida College Access Network to support a new effort dedicated to supporting pathways to postsecondary education and employment in Escambia County.
Currently, Escambia County’s postsecondary attainment rate is 40.1%. The Florida College Access Network’s goal is to increase that achievement rate to 60% by 2025.
To reach this goal, Achieve Escambia will create a Local College Access Network. The group will include leaders representing a variety of sectors to build a culture that supports postsecondary opportunity in Escambia County. The partnership will focus not only on increasing college readiness, access and completion, but also on supporting collaborative initiatives that can raise attainment rates in tangible ways.
“We are the first local network in the Panhandle to connect with a broader statewide strategy designed to provide all high school graduates with clear paths to postsecondary success,” said Kimberly Krupa, director of Achieve Escambia.
“We know that moving the needle on something as big as postsecondary attainment is not the responsibility of one individual or organization,” said Debbie Calder, executive vice president of Navy Federal Credit Union and chair of the Achieve Escambia Leadership Council. “This is all about bringing people together across many sectors to seriously focus on what we need to do to improve education and workforce outcomes.”
Laurie Meggesin, executive director of the Florida College Access Network, said local college access networks like Achieve Escambia are in the best position to close gaps that exist between the skills of local workers and the needs of current and future employers.
Robert K. Goforth
January 19, 2018
Robert K. Goforth, Lt. Col. USMC (Ret) of Walnut Hill, FL, passed away on January 15, 2018.
He was born in Snow, OK in 1936 and lived in Clayton, OK until he attended Oklahoma State University. He joined the USMC in 1956 as an Aviation Cadet. He served in Vietnam from 1966-1967, he served as Air Operations Officer on the USS Guam, he was Squadron commander of HMM 264, and he also worked at Headquarters Marines before retiring from NTC Orlando in 1978. He received many awards and commendations, including the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star.
Upon retiring he worked as an independent consultant before joining Southwest Research Institute as a project manager before retiring in 2003. He was an active member of his community; he enjoyed mentoring, canning, cooking, hunting and the great outdoors. Fall, he said was his favorite time of year and he could not wait to go into the woods. He was an active member of Trinity Episcopal where he served as Senior Warden.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 54 years, Marguerite “Maggie” Newton Goforth; his parents, Guy Charles and Eura Bell Goforth and his brother, USAF Capt. Oscar L. Goforth.
He is survived by his son, Brian L. Goforth of Pensacola, FL; daughter, Mary M. Goforth Shontz and son-in-law, Ed Shontz; granddaughter, Mariah C. Shontz of Pensacola, FL; brother and sister-in-law, Arlie and Marilyn Goforth of Perry, OK; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.
Visitation will be held 4-6pm Friday, January 19, 2018 at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. A reception will be held in the church parish hall from 11:00am until the Celebration of Life Service at 12:00noon Saturday, January 20, 2018 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Atmore, AL with The Rev. John Phillips officiating. Burial will follow at 2:00pm at Berryhill, Milton Historic Cemetery with full military honors.
Pallbearers will be: Bill Jones, Jerry Sansom, Officer Candidate USN Bryson Goforth, Edward Newbill, Offie Macks and Devin Altenhofen.
Honorary Pallbearers will be: Brian Goforth, Ed Shontz and James Shontz.