One Injury In Cantonment Wreck Involving A Loaded Church Bus
June 10, 2019
One person was injured in a wreck involving a loaded church bus in Cantonment Monday afternoon.
The injured person was the driver of a Buick Enclave that was apparently rear-ended by the church bus about 12:45 p.m. on Highway 29 near Tree Street, at International Paper. The adult male was transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered serious.
Two adults and about 17 juveniles on the church bus were not injured. The bus was from NorthLife Baptist Church in Wooster, Ohio.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Report: Century Is ‘Teetering On A Financial Cliff’ And Quick Action Is Needed To Rescue It
June 10, 2019
The Town of Century is “teetering on a financial cliff, and quick decisive action is needed to rescue it”, according to a report from an independent financial consultant retained by the Florida League of Cities at no cost to the town.
Bob Inzer has spent nearly 50 years in municipal finance, including 30 years with the City of Tallahassee.
Inzer’s “high level” review highlighted major recommendations that included new utility taxes to increase revenue, a charter review, an additional administrator, contract management or sale of the town’s water and gas systems, and asking for budgeting help from other local governments.
“The town is perilously close, if they do not already qualify, to falling under the State’s Financial Emergency Statute which can limit or take away some of the decision-making authority from the Town’s elected officials and vest it with an appointed oversight board,” Inzer wrote. “It is imperative that the Council and the Mayor quickly clarify their roles and responsibilities and commit to change. Failure of the Council and Mayor to “get on the same page” will greatly undermine trust in both them and the organization and likely make it impossible to address the difficult issues facing the Town. The Town no longer has the option of operating without financial accountability and oversight as it has in the past, and must move quickly to change its operations.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF INZER’S REPORT
Relationship Between Town Officials
“The working relationship between the mayor and council is hampering the town’s ability to respond. In my meetings, this was mentioned routinely and concern was expressed that the Grand Jury was correct that lack of trust and working relationships were a significant factor for staff and consultants. It has been my experience that this type of breakdown undermines the trust and support citizens have in their government. They become wary of any information coming from their government and not sure what to believe. It is critical for the Mayor and Council to get on the same page.”
He mentioned poor communications, the Sunshine Law, and a lack of understanding by the mayor and council in understand their roles and responsibilities, or appreciating those roles. He cited a lack of good staffing on issues brought before the council. Many issues are considered after oral presentations with no written backup or information.
“I believe that the Town would be well served by bringing in a facilitator/trainer experienced in local government operations that could work with the Council and Mayor to better understand each other’s roles and responsibilities and develop ground rules on how the Council and Mayor will interact and communicate in the future.”
Charter Review
The town has not had a charter review in nearly 40 years, and it appears to be a “bare bones” charger addressing a limited number of issues. Inzer recommended that the town “retain the services of an individual or institution familiar with Florida governmental structures to work with the Mayor and Commission in a comprehensive review of the Charter.”
Administrative/Financial Support
“The Grand Jury pointed out that there was a lack of accountability over employees and supervisors. The financial losses in the gas, water and wastewater funds speak directly to a lack of oversight and control. The fact that the Town is in its third year of substantive losses in its gas utility with total losses approaching half a million dollars demonstrates this lack of accountability and oversight.”
“While the Mayor is the chief executive officer responsible for the operation of the utilities, the Council approves the budget, and therefore some level of oversight therefore, both share to some extent, in allowing this problem to continue for this long.”
“The Town needs additional experienced administrative depth with a strong background in management and finance. A strong executive administrator would provide oversight that is lacking today; namely, employee accountability, coordination among department directors, and better staffing of the Council on problems, solutions, implementation schedules and on-going monitoring of Town activities. I do not want to underestimate the difficulty of finding an individual with this experience and skills, particularly given Century’s proximity to any major urban area. Therefore, it may take some time to find the right individual, but is critical to the Town’s future success.”
Gas Utility
“The gas utility appears to have been poorly managed for a long time….Most gas systems operate with losses of around two to three percent. Century’s losses have run as high as 50 percent. The faulty meter at the prison is a major part of the problem but it is not all of the problem. Even before the meter at the prison was broken, losses on the system were running between 10 percent and 14 percent, or three to five times the industry norms. In discussions with the gas superintendent, he indicated that he had run checks on the system and there did not appear to be any significant leakage. Therefore, the unaccounted-for losses most likely relate to customers with dead meters, no meters or meters not properly calibrated. It is also my understanding that since the articles about the gas utility have appeared in the local press, many customers have called the town and self-reported that they are receiving gas and they have not been billed for.”
“Continue to support the operational changes being implemented by the gas superintendent. The Town should pursue all available avenues for collection of the previously unbilled gas. The Town should aggressively consider either selling the system or entering into an operating agreement with a company to manage the system.”
Water and Wastewater Utility
“The Town operates a water and wastewater utility system that serves all of the customers within the Town and certain customers within the franchise area outside of the Town limits. Both of these systems are very small, with the prison being their largest customer. The system lost $312,737 in FY2016 and $221,810 in FY 2017.”
“Audited financials are not available for FY2018 but losses in the prior two years of over $500,000 cannot be sustained. Cash and investments in the system declined from $677,852 to $156,677.”
Inzer also noted that the town may need to spend $1 million over the next several years to rebuild sewage lift stations.
“The Town should aggressively consider all options including sale or contract management of the systems. It is clear that the Town has not operated the system in an efficient manner nor has made the reinvestments in the system to keep in good operating condition. The Town should also examine every connection to see if a bill is being rendered and also see if the meter is properly calibrated.”
Operational Efficiency
“The Council is responsible for determining which services to provide and at what overall service level. The Council does this with input from the Mayor and affirms its decision through the budget process. Every municipality is different in their priorities and how they choose to allocate limited resources. There is no right or wrong answer; it is subjective based upon perception of the needs and wants of the community. Once these decisions are made, the objective should be to provide those services as efficiently as possible. Said another way, the goal is to try to provide the highest level of services at the lowest possible costs.”
“The Town of Century has 1,500 residents and approximately 20 employees. No other city/town in Escambia County or Santa Rosa County operates four utilities. Managing four utilities stretches employee resources very thin and does not allow any depth when an employee leaves or is out of the office. Each of these systems is very small (gas, 509; water, 816; wastewater, 689; and sanitation, 524 estimated). Each of these systems operates under certain state and federal rules and regulations that the Town must know, monitor and comply.
“Each of these systems are very small are not able to enjoy any of the economies of scale that come with larger operations. Secondly, the Council and Mayor may be spending much of their time monitoring and trying to manage systems that take away from providing other general government services. The most efficient way of providing these services may not be through direct ownership or control but under a contract or possible sale of the systems.”
“A prior recommendation was to retain additional administrative/financial expertise. The acquisition of good talent may be able to provide the monitoring and depth currently missing. This individual should be able to provide the oversight but can only make marginal differences in efficiency given the size of the systems. The Town should consider either contract management for some of these functions with a public or private operator or possibly sale of the systems. Contracting all utility operations may eliminate the need for the additional administrative position. However, continued control over all utility operations makes filling this position an imperative.”
Budgeting
“During the past couple of years, the gas system and the water and wastewater systems had expenditures greatly exceeding revenues. Luckily the water and wastewater systems had significant cash balances that allowed the town to get through this very difficult period. The gas system was transferring money in from the sanitation fund and the water fund to cover expenditures. I could find no action during the year, where the Mayor agendaed or the Council acted to amend the budget to keep it balanced.”
“The budget format is not easily understandable. The general government budget is a continuous string of object codes with no breakdowns by departments or divisions. There is no budget message that accompanies the budget that addresses changes in services, why expenditures or revenues are increasing or decreasing, changes in rates for services, and what goals the Council is trying to achieve. The budget document should be one of the primary communication tools with citizens to keep them informed. Citizens should be able to read the budget message and have an understanding of what the Town is trying to accomplish with the financial resources their citizens are providing.”
“Budgets should be a tool for both the management, the Council and the Mayor. Clearly, in the past several years, while the Town has been bleeding red ink, a detailed budget should have been presented at each Council meeting and an in-depth discussion should have taken place about how to stem this flow. I could not find where any regular discussion of the Town’s financial situation took place in the minutes I read.”
“The overall financial health of the institution is the responsibility of both the Mayor and Council. It does not appear that either has adequately assumed that responsibility.”
“The Town should contact the City of Pensacola or Escambia County and ask for assistance in revamping its budget process. Both of these governments are close by and have the resources and sophistication to assist. This should not only include the development of the annual budget, but also a monthly budget review of revenues, expenditure, activity and reserves.”
Policies and Procedures
“The only written policy Century has is its employee handbook and it appears very dated and insufficient to insure the desired employee behavior. There were no financial management policies, procedures or handbooks guiding employees on purchasing, utility billing, bad debt write-offs, discontinuance of service for delinquent accounts, investments, banking, or any other financial activity. While I did not ask, it is my assumption that within the operating departments there are few if any written policies or procedures. Some of the problems the Town has experienced associated with overdrafts, failure to pay taxes timely, unbilled utility accounts, etc., could have been avoided had there been written procedures.”
“I believe the Town will need outside assistance to develop the appropriate policies and procedures for the organization. I believe this should be undertaken after the hiring of the aforementioned professional managerial/financial support recommended in Section 8. Developing policies and procedures without the necessary managerial/administrative oversight to follow up and ensure compliance could result in any adopted policies being put on a shelf and not used.”
Special Revenue Fund Balances
“The Town receives infrastructure half-cent shared sales taxes and gas tax revenues. These funds are restricted by the State as to usage. It appears that the Town has deposited these funds into a special revenue fund for a very long time. Expenditures that would have qualified for usage were recorded in the general fund and an interfund loan created. Over time, this grew to approximately $4 million.”
“The auditors identified this as a problem and in 2017 the Town reviewed expenditures in the prior five years and were able to demonstrate that during this time, approximately $1.4 million was spent on qualifying expenditures. An adjustment was made and the interfund loan reduced to $2.7 million.”
“…The Town also elected in 2019 to adopt a policy that would begin repayment of the interfund loan in the amount of $300 per month.”
“The fact that this activity was allowed to continue without correction for a very long period of time is very concerning. The prior auditors should have brought this to the attention of the Mayor and Council for corrective action many years ago and draws into question the quality of their work. Any cursory review by the Council, Mayor or the Financial Consultant should also have questioned the appropriateness of having an unassigned fund balance of $4.340 million in the general fund.”
“The Town should continue to review past expenditures to determine which qualify for use of these restricted funds and making the appropriate adjustments. The Town Council and Mayor must take a more active role in reviewing the Town’s finances. It is clear that this process began well before the current administration, but it has been allowed to continue. The Town should move quickly to hire a manager/finance person (see section #6) that has the education and training to monitor the Town’s financial statements and advise the Mayor and Council accordingly.”
Diversifying General Government Revenues
The Town’s tax base is extremely weak and the ad valorem tax revenues provides little in the way of resources to fund general government functions. The Town is fortunate to have significant funding from the Capital Trust Agency; however, this revenue stream is volatile and uncontrollable. Transfers from municipally controlled utilities are a source many local governments use to subsidize their general government, but given the deferred maintenance requirements of the utilities, they may not be a source or a number of years. The Town should explore additional revenue sources to provide the resources to repay the Special Revenue Fund, repay any other borrowings from other funds and build up a reserve in the General Fund.”
“The Town should consider the imposition of a utility tax on electric, gas and water services. This is a tax that is levied by almost every City in the State of Florida and is a stable source of revenue to support general government services.”
Audits
“The Town has been late with getting its annual audit completed for at least the last two years. By this time, most local governments are completing their audit and Century has not begun. In discussions with the auditors, they are not sure that they will be engaged this year as they have had so many problems in past years.”
“The Mayor or President of the Council should meet with the auditors as soon as possible and enter into an engagement letter. The audit is the only clear communication of the Town’s financial condition to bondholders, state agencies and the general public. The Grand Jury report has brought into question the continued viability of the Town, and quickly moving forward with the audit, would provide both the Council, Mayor and outside agencies a clearer picture of the Town’s financial condition. There should also be a meeting between the auditor and the financial consultant to review last year’s finding and reach agreement.”
The Century Town Council is set to meet with Inzer at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss his report.
No Injuries In Nine Mile, Pine Forest Road Rollover Crash
June 10, 2019
There were no injuries in a two vehicle crash Sunday night on Nine Mile Road at Pine Forest Road. Three people involved in the 9:12 p.m. wreck refused medical transport to the hospital. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Outbuilding In Cottage Hill
June 10, 2019
Fire destroyed a storage building or barn Sunday evening in Cottage Hill.
The blaze was reported about 7:50 p.m. in the 3000 block of Ashfield Estates Road, off Parker Road.
The outbuilding was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene. There were no injuries reported and no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Kids Enjoy Moon Rocks And Meals At Carver Park
June 10, 2019
Kids at Carver Park in Cantonment has the chance recently to check out real moon rocks and enjoy a free meal.
The West Florida Library presented the special program with the moon rocks and meteorite samples that are on loan from NASA.
Volunteers from the Ascend Cares Foundation helped serve meals in the Summer Breakspot program. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services partners with schools and organizations to provide free meals to kids and teens from low-income areas.
North Escambia BreakSpot sites include:
- West Florida Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd, Century
- Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center, 6031 Industrial, Century
- West Florida Library, 6450 Highway 95A N STE A, Molino
- Quintette Community Park, 2490 Quintette Lane, Cantonment
- Carver Park Resource Center, 208 Webb Street, Cantonment
- Tate High School, 1771 Tate Road, Cantonment
- McArthur Summer Day Camp, 330 E Ten Mile Road, Pensacola
For hours of operation and other locations, click here.
Photos for North Escambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scattered Rain Monday; Sunny And Dry Tuesday
June 10, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms possible. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts; Where To Expect Delays
June 10, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities
Escambia County:
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 9 through Saturday, June 15.
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue removing the old southbound bridge. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drainage and paving operations continue. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures Monday through Saturday.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement Bridge- Bridge construction will require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, June 9 through Sunday, June 12:
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- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- State Road (S.R.) 727 (Fairfield Drive) from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place- Traffic from south of Usher Circle to north of Hestia Place will be shifted from its current alignment to the west Friday, June 7 as crew complete the installation of the box culvert under the roadway. The north entrance to Usher Circle will also be temporarily closed to traffic during the drainage operation. Residents will utilize the south entrance of Usher Circle. The temporary lane shift and road closure is anticipated to take place for approximately three weeks.
- County Road (C.R.) 168 Bridge Replacement over Unnamed Branch- Activities associated with the bridge replacement project on C.R. 168 over Unnamed Branch, Northwest of Century, continue. The project is anticipated to be complete late 2019.
- Crary Road Bridge Replacement over Pritchett Mill Creek- Crary Road is closed between Tedder Road and Byrneville Road as crews continue to construct a bridge culvert. Motorists will be detoured via C.R. 4 and Byrneville Road. The project is anticipated to be complete summer 2019.
- Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road will continue to be closed near Canoe Creek. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road. The project is anticipated to be complete summer 2019.
- Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek - Construction activities continue. The roadway will be temporarily closed during construction. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement Bridge- Bridge construction will require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, June 9 through Sunday, June 12:
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- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- I-10 Widening from the Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) –The following construction related traffic impacts are planned for I-10 and Avalon Boulevard between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. the week of Sunday, June 9:
- Drivers may encounter alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday as crews perform construction activities.
- Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of Avalon Boulevard (Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday as crews work to widen the roadway.
- U. S. 98 Utility Operations between Pala Alto Avenue in Santa Rosa County and Woodland Avenue in Okaloosa County – Drivers will encounter intermittent and alternating lane restrictions on U.S. 98 between Pala Alto Avenue in Santa Rosa County and Woodland Avenue in Okaloosa County from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Thursday, June 20 as Pike Electric complete routine maintenance on power lines. In addition, there will be intermittent daytime shoulder closures.
- S.R. 87 Pavement Markings Replacement- Traffic will encounter alternating and intermittent minor delays at the following locations from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Friday, until Thursday, July 30 as crews remove and replace pavement markings in the roadway. Law enforcement will be on site to direct traffic:
- U.S. 90 to Nicholas Lake Road
- U.S. 98 to Vonnie Tolbert Road
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to Hickory Hammock Road– All north and southbound travel lanes, between Hickory Hammock Road and two miles south of the Yellow River are now open and the speed limit is now 65 mph. Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures as crews complete construction activities and the speed limit is reduced to 45 mph through the active work zones.
- U.S. 98 Safety Improvements at Constitution Drive and Navarre School Road- Drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures as crews complete striping operations. Work will take place at night during off peak hours.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Molino Park Elementary Presents Pre-K To Second Grade Awards
June 10, 2019
Below are end of the year award winners in Pre-K through first grade at Molino Park Elementary School. The remainder of the grades will be published in the coming days.
PRE-K
Stellar Sunny Days-Mrs. Hamric
Peyton Barnes
Rylee Pitts
Emersyn Walker
Super Sunny Days-Mrs. Hamric
Calleb Black
Leah Chaney
Nathan Cutting
Brantley Driver
Azaria McCreary
Makayla Moore
Nadia Piotrowski
Rory Sanderson
Pre-K Special Recognition – Mrs. Hamric
Piper Harrell – Most books read, 232 books
Pre-K Certificate – Mrs. Crites
Paul Arnold
Lylah Brown
Kindsey Davis
Samuel Driver
Jaxon Duffy
McKinley Garvin
Kaestin Gibson
Joseph Hawthorne
Ja’Miracle Jordan
Lilly Kelly
Olivia Little
Phebe Lollie
Jaylynn Mathews
Kenzleigh Minor
Tenley Sapp
Carson Spikes
Addison Yuhasz
Selah Ziglar
Stellar Sunny Days- Mrs. Crites
Lylah Brown
Samuel Driver
Kaestin Gibson
Ja’Miracle Jordan
Lilly Kelly
Olivia Little
Phebe Lollie
Jaylynn Mathews
Kenzleigh Minor
Tenley Sapp
Carson Spikes
Super Sunny Days – Mrs. Crites
Kindsey Davis
Jaxon Duffy
McKinley Garvin
Joseph Hawthorne
Addison Yuhasz
Selah Ziglar
KINDERGARTEN
All S’s
Alexis Barnes
Zaylin Brigman
Logan Brown
Teigan Carnahan
Haydon Carnley
Kaylie Chafin
Isaac Coleman
Alleigh Elliott
Waymon Fulgham
Wyatte Golson
Brantley Hallford
Jaxson Infinger
Akira Kirkland
Jaxton McDaniel
Colton Mason
Meadow McKinlay
Hunter McLaughlin
Ellison Miller
Railyn Moore
Jase O’Donovan
Aiden Pierman
Ariana Pollard
Isabella Ritchie
Ian Robinson
Abigail Rockhill
Kaylee Sanderson
Harper Scully
Ryleigh Scully
Zhy’an Smith
Sophia Spallino
Kali Spinks
Mason Wales
Addilyn White
Good Citizenship
Addistynn Barlow
Easton Barlow
Alexis Barnes
Trinity Brigman
Zaylin Brigman
Logan Brown
Tyson Brown
Jaden Cardwell
Haydon Carnley
Teigan Carnahan
Kaylie Chafin
Mary Cleveland
Isaac Coleman
Owen Duncan
CarraMaria Edmonson
Alleigh Elliott
Jaxon Flowers
Elias Friend
Waymon Fulgham
Miracle Goff
Wyatte Golson
Brantley Hallford
Clara Hart
Jaxson Infinger
Wyatt Jackson
Akira Kirkland
Collin Little
Colton Mason
Jaxton McDaniel
Meadow McKinlay
Hunter McLaughlin
Ellison Miller
Cheyenne Mitchell
Railyn Moore
Alexander “Xander” Mott
Jase O’Donovan
Aiden Pierman
Ariana Pollard
Isabella Ritchie
Journey “Kaisen” Robbins
Ian Robinson
Abigail Rockhill
Jayce Sanderson
Kaylee Sanderson
Harper Scully
Ryleigh Scully
Zhy’an Smith
Sophia Spallino
Colleen Spears
Kali Spinks
Braxton Vaughn
Mason Wales
Braleigh Ward
Addillyn White
Leilani Wiltbank
Perfect Attendance
Lucean Arnold
Miracle Goff
Kindergarten Special Recognition
-Miss Cristofoletti – Largest Leap
Elias Friend
Mary Friend
-Mrs. Miller – Largest Leap
Chason Harris
Jaxson Marmon
-Miss Blackmon – Largest Leap
Trinity Brigman
Journey “Kaisen” Robbins
FIRST GRADE
A Honor Roll
Savannah Borden
Brenton ‘Carter’ Chafin
Lola Chavers
Lela Claxton
Ryleigh Crabtree
Luke Eady
Silas Garrett
Ella Gilmore
Sydney Gilmore
Charina Godwin
Katie Hutchins
Mady Madril
Sydney McLain
Chloe Mitchem
Shylee McElhannon
Aiden Morris
Kase Odom
Estelle Wood
A/B Honor Roll
Damon Andrews
Daniel Andrews
Baylee-Ann Barcinas
Colton Borelli
Evelyn Brooks
Shelby Dekker
Justin Floyd
Parker Gilmore
Emma Hassebrock
Hunter Hallford
Justin Hazucha
Mason Hiatt
Wyatt Jones
Waylon Kent
Evan Killingsworth
Pryor Lane
Mason Lundy
Audrina Miller
Silas Nezovich
Nate Nowlin
Carson Parker
Harleigh Grace Parsons
Devine Papillion
Braden Kerns
Jaxson Parker
Emma Rockhill
Ryan Sasse
Hunter Smith
Jamila Watts
Keaton Walker
Perfect Attendance
Lola Chavers
Parker Gilmore
Katie Hutchins
Good Citizenship
Damon Andrews
Daniel Andrews
Baylee-Ann Barcinas
Jillian Barraclough
Addison Blackburn
Alexis Blackburn
Savannah Borden
Kyler Cayson
Brenton ‘Carter’ Chafin
Lola Chavers
Lela Claxton
Ryleigh Crabtree
Shelby Dekker
Luke Eady
Justin Floyd
Isabella Fuentes
Silas Garrett
Cole Gentry
MaKenzee George
Ella Gilmore
Parker Gilmore
Sydney Gilmore
Charina Godwin
Shyne Hamilton
Emma Hassebrock
Mason Hiatt
Niyanna Hicks
Katie Hutchins
Breanna Johnson
Wyatt Jones
Waylon Kent
Evan Killingsworth
Pryor Lane
Mason Lundy
Mady Madril
Caden Mandel
Lane Marchese
Walker Maughon
Jaidyn McCants
Shylee McElhannon
Sydney McLain
Audrina Miller
Allyson Mitchell
Latrael Mitchell
Chloe Mitchem
Makayla Morales
Aiden Morris
Silas Nezovich
Kase Odom
Devine Papillion
Carson Parker
Jaxson Parker
Harleigh Grace Parsons
Emma Rockhill
Kaley Salmon
Emberly Settle
Hunter Smith
Joshua Spears
Landyn Toombs
Cameron Vaughn
Bella Ann Waldrop
Keaton Walker
Jamila Watts
Mileigh Weldon
Ellysia Wilson
Estelle Wood
Eddie Zurita
1 st Grade Special Recognition
-Mrs. Sims
Most Improved – Christopher Anderson
Outstanding Effort – Taraji Salter
SUNSHINE MATH PARTICIPANTS
Ella Gilmore
Mady Madril
Chloe Mitchem
Nate Nowlin
Blue Wahoos Drop Third Straight Against Shuckers
June 10, 2019
The Blue Wahoos were hoping to reverse course Sunday against Biloxi with an early lead and strong start on the mound.
Just the opposite occurred, however.
The Shuckers produced a four-run, first inning, chased out Blue Wahoos starter Jorge Alcala after three innings, then rolled to an 8-0 victory for Biloxi’s third consecutive win in this pivotal division series at MGM Park in Biloxi, Miss.
In clinching the series win Sunday before a crowd of 1,518, the Shuckers opened a two-game lead in the Southern League South Division first half chase. With two games remaining in Biloxi, seven total games in the first half schedule, the Blue Wahoos seek an immediate turnaround.
The Blue Wahoos were outscored 22-3 during the weekend games. Their pitching staff has yielded 31 hits in the three games.
Despite those numbers, the Blue Wahoos can still pull back even in the standings by winning the final two series games on Monday and Tuesday. The Blue Wahoos then begin a five-game homestand against the Tennessee Smokies, the Chicago Cubs affiliate, on Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
In order to change direction, the Blue Wahoos will need to get their bats going again.
Biloxi’s Trey Supak (8-2), named earlier last week to the Southern League All-Star team, was outstanding Sunday in becoming the league’s first pitcher to win eight games.
He worked seven complete innings, allowing just two hits, no walks and struck out eight Blue Wahoos batters. Reliever Cody Ponce worked the final two innings, allowing four hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
The Blue Wahoos had only four baserunners in scoring position. Two of those happened in the ninth when the Blue Wahoos loaded the bases with one out on a pair of singles and a catcher’s interference call. But Ponce got Joe Cronin to hit into a game-ending double play to preserve the shutout.
No Blue Wahoos player had multiple hits. Jimmy Kerrigan had the team’s only extra-base hit with his first inning double.
Biloxi, meanwhile, got all the runs it needed in the bottom of the first. The Shuckers’ Luis Aviles Jr., one of the top prospects in the Milwaukee Brewers system, led off with a double. He then stole third and scored on Trent Grisham’s ground out.
The next two batters, Jake Gatewood and Patrick Leonard singled. Dillon Thomas followed with a two-out, three-run homer off Alcala (5-3) over the right center fence.
In the third inning, the Shuckers made it 5-0 after Alcala hit a pair of batters, gave up a single to load the bases, then walked Thomas with one out to force in a run.
The Blue Wahoos went to their bullpen to begin the fourth inning. It matched Alcala’s shortest start of the season, going back to April 26 when he worked only three innings against Jacksonville.
Andrew Viscaya worked 1.2 innings as the most effective reliever. The Shuckers got their sixth run off Williams Ramirez, then two more off Zach Weiss, who returned to the Blue Wahoos as a Twins’ organization player, following his prior time in Pensacola as a closer with the Reds organization.
Biloxi’s win continued their first-half surge. Since May 14, the Shuckers have compiled a 20-5 record. The Blue Wahoos have struggled since mid-May, losing four of five series’, including this one against Biloxi.
Sheila Booth Gulsby
June 10, 2019
Sheila Booth Gulsby resident of Cantonment, FL passed away on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at the age of 71.
Ms. Gulsby was born January 1, 1948 to the late Jack Noble Booth and Dorothy Jeanette Booth.
She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter, Shelley Prince and her husband, Michael; her grandchildren, Shelby Prince, Shiloh Prince and Mason Prince; her brothers, Doug Booth and his wife, Louise, Charles Booth and his wife, Cindea, Michael Booth and his wife, Bonnie; her sister, Jackie Stevens and her husband, David; her nephews, Wade and Charles Booth and her nieces, Jordan and Kayla Booth.
Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, 2019 in Jordan Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Doug Booth, Charles Booth, Michael Booth, David Stevens and Michael Prince.