Arc Gateway: Donate Your Mardi Gras Beads For Recycling
February 26, 2019
The Arc Gateway is asking for Mardi Gras bead donations.
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities sort and prepackage beads that are donated after parades. By collecting and selling bundles of beads, The Arc Gateway supports community efforts to recycle and reuse materials instead of generating waste. The program also generates revenues that help sustain Arc programs while providing vocational training and job opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.
Drop-off locations for beads are:
The Arc Gateway
Administration Office – 3932 N. 10th Ave.
Pollak Training Center – 1000 E. Fairfield Dr.
Pearl Nelson Center – 916 E. Fairfield Dr.
Pollak Industries – 2313 Truman Ave.
Downtown Pensacola
Head Hunters Hair Styling – 205 S. Baylen
Bodacious Olive – 407 S. Palafox
Pensacola Area
St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church – 3200 N. 12th Ave.
Dove Gift Shop at West Florida Hospital- 8383 N. Davis Hwy.
Ever’Man Cooperative Grocery and Cafe – 315 W. Garden St.
Gents Formal Wear – 1340 E. Nine Mile Rd.
Broussards Bayou Grill and Cajun Market – 690 E. Heinberg St.
Gulf Breeze/Pensacola Beach
Beach Community Bank – 60 Northcliff Dr.
Pen Air Federal Credit Union – 3591 Gulf Breeze Pkwy., Tiger Point
GoFundMe Established For Late Northview Football Player’s Family
February 26, 2019
The Northview Quarterback Club has organized a GoFundMe for the family of Darionte Richardson, the player who passed away earlier this month.
Richardson suffered a heart attack hours after the Chiefs’ Northview first round playoff win over Graceville November 9. The Chiefs’ #10 passed away on February 4 at a Birmingham hospital. He made several key plays for Northview in their win against Graceville but was not injured in the game.
The morning after the game, the 16-year old was found at home not breathing. His mother performed CPR until an ambulance arrived. He was transported to Atmore Community Hospital and airlifted to a Mobile hospital.
As the Chiefs advanced to route two of the playoffs against Baker, they dedicated the game to Richardson.
To donate, click here.
Pictured: Dariontae Richardson (#10) during the Northview Chiefs first round playoff win over Graceville November 9, 2018. He suffered a heart attack a few hours later. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
BP Money To Help With Hurricane Michael Recovery
February 26, 2019
Money from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill will help governments in four storm-battered Northwest Florida counties with anticipated property-tax losses caused by Hurricane Michael.
The Triumph Gulf Coast Board agreed Monday to use $15 million for losses believed incurred by local governments in Bay, Franklin, Gulf and Wakulla counties. Triumph Gulf Coast, a non-profit created by the Legislature, will provide the money from the state’s $2 billion BP settlement stemming from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
The board initially proposed setting aside the money through bridge loans to the local governments. Instead, it agreed to ask the four counties to each submit a list of projected property-tax losses from the storm that will be incurred by the counties, municipalities and school districts.
Commissioner Allan Bense of Panama City called the change a “fair balance” in providing the region with assistance and for members of the Legislature who have questioned the use of Triumph money for the disaster.
“We have a fine line too,” Bense, a former House speaker, said. “I also don’t want for the rest of Florida to think Triumph is going to take care of Michael, because that’s not our mission.”
Triumph Gulf Coast is responsible for distributing to Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla and Walton counties three-quarters of the money the state will get over the next 12 years through the BP settlement.
As part of its charge from the Legislature, Triumph is expected to direct money to regional economic projects that have wide impacts rather than directly to individual businesses.
Triumph Executive Director Susan Skelton said by providing property-tax relief — covering up to 50 percent of any projected losses — the money could be distributed by the end of April.
“These funds are not meant to solve the problems of the world,” Skelton said. “These funds are an emergency relief opportunity to get cash-advance ad valorem money into the local entities that need the money now, to begin doing projects that are reimbursable by FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) at a later date.”
Triumph Chairman Don Gaetz, a former Senate president from Niceville, said he doesn’t anticipate the funding will reach the 50 percent ceiling in any of the four counties because of the amount of storm damage across the region.
The board anticipates a new state budget, which will be put together during the legislative session that begins March 5, will include a bridge-loan program that exceeds $15 million, Skelton said.
The availability of the Triumph money comes as state lawmakers continue to submit legislation — totaling more than $600 million in the House — that seeks aid for the region, which continues to wait for additional federal assistance after Congress did not pass a disaster-relief package last week.
Florida has spent $1.13 billion responding to Hurricane Michael, a figure that could more than double and already tops Hurricane Irma, which caused damage to a wider area of the state in 2017, according to Senate President Bill Galvano.
Hurricane Michael made landfall Oct. 10 in Mexico Beach as a Category 4 storm and caused massive damage as it moved north into Georgia.
Galvano said Friday the state is awaiting “guidance” from the local communities about rebuilding.
“There may be some new opportunities now for better infrastructure in those areas, but we need guidance because I feel like you have some portion of the population that may not come back there,” the Bradenton Republican said. “In all silos, from education to health care, you have hospital issues, you have schools that literally have holes in them. Hopefully, with the right planning we’ll rebuild and rebuild with an eye towards preparation as well.”
Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who represents parts of the eastern Panhandle, has filed a bill (SB 376) that would designate $50 million a year from the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund to help with Hurricane Michael recovery.
In the House, Northwest Florida lawmakers from both parties had asked for at least $603 million as of Monday morning to fund more than 100 different storm-related issues, from government operations and school repairs to flood management and shelters.
Rep. Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, has asked for at least $400 million. His requests include four bills directed at Mexico Beach, for stormwater repairs and beach renourishment, that combine to seek $63.8 million.
Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, has recently filed 15 storm-related bills that, if they all made it through the budget process, would bring $95 million to the region.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Supreme Court Impanels Grand Jury On School Safety
February 26, 2019
Granting a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Supreme Court on Monday impaneled a statewide grand jury to investigate whether school districts are complying with mandatory safety requirements following last February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
On Feb. 13, the eve of the one-year anniversary of the state’s deadliest school shooting, DeSantis asked the court to impanel the grand jury to “make recommendations about what some of the various school districts could do better.”
Seventeen students and staff members were killed in the Parkland shooting, which DeSantis called “one of the worst days that we’ve had in the history of Florida.” Seventeen other people were injured. The massacre sparked at least three statewide investigations, and the Legislature hurriedly passed a sweeping school-safety law aimed at preventing similar tragedies.
In Monday’s order, justices unanimously decided DeSantis “has shown good and sufficient reason exists and that it is in the public interest to empanel a statewide grand jury,” which will have jurisdiction throughout Florida.
Chief Judge Jack Tuter, of the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, will preside over the panel, which will meet for one year and will be comprised of jurors drawn from Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, according to the order.
The grand jury will “investigate crime, return indictments, make presentments, and otherwise perform all functions of a grand jury” with regard to a host of possible offenses outlined in Monday’s order, which mirrors the request by DeSantis.
In a statement issued Monday, DeSantis said he was “pleased” with the court’s decision.
“This grand jury will work to investigate practices, identify failures and recommend solutions to keep students, teachers and staff safe in our schools,” he said.
The legislation passed last year included creation of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which spent months studying the Parkland shooting and school-safety issues. The commission last month released a 458-page report that addressed issues such as a breakdown in communications and security procedures.
At the governor’s behest, the grand-jury probe will include whether “refusal or failure to follow the mandates of school-related safety laws, such as the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act, results in unnecessary and unavoidable risk to students across the state.”
The inquiry will also focus on “whether public entities committed — and continue to commit — fraud and deceit by accepting state funds conditioned on implementation of certain safety measures while knowingly failing to act.”
And the grand jury will explore “whether school officials committed — and continue to commit — fraud and deceit by mismanaging, failing to use, and diverting funds from multimillion-dollar bonds specifically solicited for school safety initiatives.”
The panel will also investigate whether school officials violated state law “by systemically underreporting incidents of criminal activity to the Department of Education.”
Shortly after he took office in January, DeSantis suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, whose office was fiercely criticized for its handling of the Parkland massacre. Israel, a Democrat, has appealed his suspension to the Florida Senate.
Last month’s report by the state commission also found shortcomings in how Broward County schools dealt with confessed killer Nikolas Cruz, a former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High student. But DeSantis said he lacks the authority to remove the county’s appointed school superintendent, Robert Runcie, and instead asked the Supreme Court to launch the statewide investigation.
A statewide grand jury is “something real,” DeSantis, flanked by victims’ family members, said at a Feb. 13 press conference in Fort Lauderdale.
“This is something that is very serious,” the governor said. “Whatever recommendations they have for us, we’re going to heed that.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Local Elementary Schools Place In Science Olympiad
February 26, 2019
The Escambia County School District Science Olympiad was held Saturday at Washington High School. Results were as follows:
Overall Results
1st place: A.K. Suter
2nd place: Pleasant Grove
3rd place: Hellen Caro
4th place: N.B. Cook
5th place: Lipscomb
Robotics
1st place: Molino Park
2nd place: Pine Meadow
3rd place: Lipscomb
4th place: Jim Allen
5th place: N.B. Cook
Pentathlon
1st place: A.K. Suter
2nd place: Beulah
3rd place: Bratt
4th place: Kingsfield
5th place: Hellen Caro
Straw Egg Drop
1st place: Oakcrest
2nd place: Pleasant Grove
3rd place: Ferry Pass
4th place: Cordova Park
5th place: N.B. Cook
Tower Challenge
1st place: C.A.Weis
2nd place: A.K. Suter
3rd place: Pine Meadow
4th place: Pleasant Grove
5th place: Montclair
Science Bowl
1st place: Lipscomb
2nd place: Pleasant Grove
3rd place: Hellen Caro
4th place: Kingsfield
5th place: N.B. Cook
Mystery Powders
1st place: McArthur
2nd place: Hellen Caro
3rd place: N.B. Cook
4th place: A.K. Suter
5th place: Kingsfield
Picture This (Three way tie)
1st place: A.K. Suter
1st place: Hellen Caro
1st place: Pleasant Grove
4th place: Scenic Heights
5th place: Kingsfield
Tennis Ball Catapult
1st place: A.K. Suter
2nd place: Scenic Heights
3rd place: Pleasant Grove
4th place: N.B. Cook
5th place: Warrington
Pictured top: Molino Park Elementary. Pictured below: Additional North Escambia area schools (each photo is labeled). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary
Jim Allen Elementary
Kingsfield Elementary
Beulah Elementary
Pine Meadow Elementary
McArthur Elementary
Lipscomb Elementary
Wetter Weather Ahead
February 26, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Scattered showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 74. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 57.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 68. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 46. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 57.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Hiring Event In Century For Health Care Aides, Caregivers
February 26, 2019
CareerSource EscaRosa is hold a hiring event in Century on Wednesday for part time health care aides and caregivers.
The jobs are with Golden Arc Homecare Services for clients in Century, Cantonment and Pensacola.
The event will be held at the CareerSource Escarosa Century Office at 8120 North Century Boulevard from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
Click image to enlarge for details.
Register By Today For Beef Cattle and Forage Boot Camp In Molino
February 26, 2019
Escambia County Extension will host a Beef Cattle and Forage Boot Camp Saturday, March 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Escambia County 4-H Livestock Facility, 5701 Highway 99, Molino. The event is a hands-on learning opportunity for cattle producers and youth livestock exhibitors. Industry representatives will be on hand to answer questions about products and services. Topics include:
- Evaluation of Beef Carcass Quality and Management Goals for Improving Yield and Quality Grade, Amanda Engle
- Winter Forage Demonstrations and Transitional Grazing Options 35, plus Winter Annual Forage Demonstration Plots with Extension Services and industry professionals, Libbie Johnson and Jose Dubeux
- Livestock Identification and Traceability Demonstration, Utilizing Proper Livestock Branding and Identification to Improve Traceability, Nick Simmons
- Sponsor and Industry Updates
- Florida Cattle Policy Changes, Florida Cattlemen’s Association
Registration fees are $10 per person, $15 per couple and free for 4-H and FFA youth. Please RSVP by Tuesday, February 27 by calling the Escambia County Extension Office at (850) 475-5230. Registration fees may be paid by cash or check the day of the event.
Pictured: Last year’s Beef Cattle and Forage Boot Camp in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Rebuilt Historic Century Church Dedicated Three Years After Tornado
February 25, 2019
“The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.”
That was the first song from the congregation Sunday afternoon during a dedication service was for a Century church that was damaged beyond repair by a powerful EF-3 tornado in February 2016.
For a photo gallery from the dedication service and a photo tour of the church, click here.
The February 15, 2016, EF-3 tornado that struck Century dealt a blow from which the building of the Century United Methodist Church could not be recovered, literally knocking the building off its foundation.
But the foundation of the church, the members, stood strong after the storm as they worked through the three-year rebuilding process, all while continuing to hold services in a house across the street that served as a church annex.
The Century United Methodist Church was built in 1902, just after Century was established by The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company. It was constructed of virgin long leaf pine, with interior detail and finish that created a reverent place for worship.
The sanctuary of the new church building occupies the same square footage as the old. It features items salvaged from the historic church, including stained glass windows, pews, light fixtures and large curly pine panels.
The walkway to the front door is constructed of bricks from the original foundation. A verse from Psalm 100:4 is inscribed on a granite stone — “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
For a photo gallery from the dedication service and a photo tour of the church, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Child Abuse
February 25, 2019
UPDATE: CHARGES IN THIS CASE WERE DROPPED AS UNFOUNDED. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.
A Cantonment woman has been charged with felony child abuse.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy was in his vehicle outside the Raceway on Highway 29 at Muscogee Road and observed Marshall Gage Gilley, 34, grab the child and pull him out of the gas station, according to arrest report. The incident was captured on the deputy’s in-car camera.
The child said Gilley was taking him to meet his mother. He told deputies that Gilley slammed on brakes several times between his residence and the gas station in an attempt to make him hit his head on dash, and Gilley grabbed him by the shirt and head-butted him in the upper lip, the report states. Deputies noted the child had a swollen upper lip with dried blood.
About a half hour before the Raceway incident, deputies responded to a residence in reference to a disturbance between Gilley and the child over the child not taking his medication. The deputy stated the child did not have the lip injury at the residence.
The Raceway clerk told officers that she witnessed Gilley yelling and pulling the boy, and the clerk told them to leave the store due to causing a disturbance.
Gilley was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $1,000 bond.