Thomas Celebrates ‘Tremendous Academic Success’ Reflected In School Grades
July 16, 2019
In an email to Escambia County School District employees Monday, Superintendent Malcolm Thomas celebrated the “tremendous academic success” reflected in the recently released school grades from the Florida Department of Education.
The district maintained its B grade for the second consecutive year.
Thomas said 92% of the county’s school are now rated a C or higher, and there are no longer any F schools in the county. Eight schools maintained an ‘A’ from 2018 while 18 schools improved their school grade by one letter or more.
READ: School Grades Are Out: How Did Your Child’s School Score?
“In celebrating this success, it is important to recognize that this is a shared accomplishment. Congratulations to the students, teachers, administrators, and parents and also to the many other stakeholders that make a positive impact on student success every day,” Thomas wrote in his email to district employees.
“So many participate in the success of our students. From the bus driver who is often the first school related adult that a student interacts with, to the custodians, cafeteria workers, teacher aides, school nurses, front office staff and the list goes on and on, they all play an important role. Additionally, it is important to recognize the contributions of external stakeholders including but not limited to parents, mentors, school volunteers, PTA’s/PTO’s, local businesses & the community at-large,” he continued.
ECSO Patrol Vehicle Strikes 13-Year Old Boy
July 16, 2019
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle struck a 13-year old boy Monday afternoon in Escambia County.
The deputy, who was not named in a Florida Highway Patrol report, was making left turn onto L Street from Fairfield Drive as the boy entered the road on foot.
The FHP said the juvenile ran into the deputy’s lane of travel and was hit by the Chevrolet Tahoe about 4:40 p.m. The boy was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries.
No charges were filed in incident.
File photo.
Driver’s License Service, Vehicle Registration Event Returns To Century Next Month
July 16, 2019
Mobile driver’s license and vehicle registration services will return to Century on Tuesday, August 6 for a single day event.
Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford has partnered with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to bring the Florida Licensing On Wheels (FLOW) mobile office to Century from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Billy G. Ward Century Courthouse at 7500 North Century Boulevard.
FLOW is a stand-alone mobile office with technology to provide most motorists’ needs. The mobile unit provides a convenient method to renew a driver’s license, obtain a replacement driver’s license, conversion/reciprocation of out-of-state license, change a name or address on a current driver’s license or identification card, and get a first-time identification card. In addition to licensing services, the mobile unit also provides an opportunity to renew or replace a vehicle registration and apply, renew or replace disabled parking placards. Written and driving tests are not available from the FLOW unit.
Citizens can renew vehicle registrations up to three months and driver’s licenses up to 18 months in advance of expiration.
Citizens using the FLOW services are encouraged to visit EscambiaTaxCollector.com and click the “What Do I Bring” button for information on what is needed for these services. Staff from the tax collector’s office will be on hand to answer all FLOW service questions and questions concerning all other tax collector services such as property tax, business tax receipts, concealed weapons licensing, etc. Citizens also can drop off property tax payments (checks only).
Pictured: The Florida Licensing on Wheels mobile office in Century earlier this year. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sunshine, Humidity And Heat
July 16, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Barrineau Park Elementary School Reunion Set For Saturday
July 16, 2019
The Fourth Annual Barrineau Park Elementary School Reunion is coming up Saturday from 11 am. until 2 p.m. at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
The reunion is for anyone that attended the school from its origin in 1938 until its closure in 2003. Attendees should bring a covered dish for a potluck lunch — fried chicken will be provided along with ice and drinks.
There will be music (if you play an instrument, bring it), fellowship and fun.
RSVP will the number attended to (850) 587-5389.
Person Killed By Train In Cantonment
July 15, 2019
An adult woman was killed when she tried to crawl through a train Monday evening in Cantonment.
Witnesses said the train was stopped when she attempted to crawl under a train car, according to Deb Henley, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The train began to move, running over the woman.
The victim came to rest east of the intersection of Carver and Webb streets after the 7:30 p.m. incident.
Further details have not been released as the investigation continues.
Editor’s note: An Escambia County spokesperson initially identified the victim as an adult male Monday night. Tuesday morning, the ECSO released the the victim was an adult female, and this story was updated.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barber.
ECSO: Prison Escapee Carjacked Minivan In North Escambia While Armed With Machete
July 15, 2019
An Alabama prison escapee that remains on the run is accused of of an armed carjacking in Nokomis, NorthEscambia.com has learned.
Travis Wyatt Dawson, 41, was allegedly armed with a machete when he took a minivan from a relative on Miller Road just off Rockaway Creek Road early Sunday morning. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Mobile. No one was injured in the incident.
He eluded authorities in a manhunt led by U.S. Marshals in the area on Friday.
Dawson escaped from Loxley Work Release at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 10.
Authorities believe he was in the area of a relative’s home last Friday morning on Miller Road near the Florida community of Nokomis. A manhunt in the area later shifted focus early Friday afternoon north along Rockaway Creek Road into Atmore, Alabama. By late afternoon, authorities closed Highway 31 west of Atmore after a reported sighting.
Dawson was sentenced to 20 years in 2013 on a possession of a controlled substance conviction in Escambia County, Alabama.
Officials said he has previous local ties to the North Escambia and Atmore areas. He reportedly attended Ernest Ward High School. In 2003, he was sentenced in Escambia County, Florida, to one year in state prison for possession on drug paraphernalia and trespassing. Once released, he told the Florida Department of Corrections he was living on Washington Avenue in Atmore, according to state records. Information on his Alabama criminal history was not available.
Anyone with information on Dawson’s whereabouts is asked to call the Alabama Department of Corrections at (800) 831-8825 or 911.
Agencies involved in the manhunts Friday included the U.S. Marshals, the Alabama Department of Corrections, Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County (FL) Road Prison K-9 units, Atmore Police Department.
Pictured top: Officers from the Alabama Department of Corrections speak to an Escambia County (FL) deputy and a citizen a roadblock on Miller Road in Florida midday Friday. Dawson allegedly carjacked a minivan just a few yards from this location on Sunday. Pictured below: An Escambia County (FL) Road Prison K-9 team searches near a Rockaway Creek Road bridge that spans the Alabama-Florida state line Friday afternoon. Pictured bottom: An Escambia County (FL) deputy helps maintain a perimeter around a neighborhood along Rockaway Creek Road at Grubbs Street in Atmore Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Home Damaged By Fire
July 15, 2019
Fire damaged a Cantonment home Monday morning.
Firefighters responded to the home on Mintz Lane just north of Muscogee Road about 9:45 a.m. No one was at home at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries reported.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Live In This Part Of Cantonment? There’s A Free Neighborhood Cleanup This Week
July 15, 2019
Residents in part of the Cantonment area will have the opportunity to dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge Wednesday, July 17 during the Cantonment Neighborhood Cleanup in District 5. Only residents in the designated cleanup area are able to participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. The general cleanup area is south of Well Line Road, north of Heaton Road, east of Highway 95 and Vircent, and West of Nowak Street. (Click map above to enlarge.)
During neighborhood cleanups, Escambia County departments team up to bring services to residents in an effort to keep local neighborhoods clean and safe. Participating is easy; residents in the cleanup area simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies.
All debris must be at the curb directly in front of your residence by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. Please keep tires and paint cans separate from all other debris. Do not place piles under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes.
Items eligible for removal include:
Household appliances and electronics
Yard waste
Household junk and debris
Bicycles and toys
Old furniture and mattresses
Barbecue grills
Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
Tires (limit 10 per household)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
Explosives or ammunition
Auto parts
Dirt or sod
Vehicles or vessels
55-gallon drums of fluids
The neighborhood cleanup initiative involves an aggressive clean-up effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members and volunteers picking up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture and household items.
Since 2016, more than 1,885 tons (3,771,120 pounds) of debris were collected and disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
Click map above to enlarge.
FWC Hunter Safety Courses Offered In Molino And Jay
July 15, 2019
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering free hunter safety courses in Molino and Jay.
Hunter safety courses are designed to help students become safe, responsible and knowledgeable hunters and learn about conservation.
Students who have taken the online course and wish to complete the classroom portion must bring the online-completion report with them.
All firearms, ammunition and materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil and paper. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have ahunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
Courses will be held:
Escambia County
July 31 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) & Aug. 31 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Molino Community Center
6450 Highway 95A in Molino
Santa Rosa County
July 17 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) & Aug. 3 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Jay Community Center
5259 Booker Lane in Jay
July 24 (6 to 10 p.m. CDT) & Aug. 3 (7 to 10 a.m. CDT)
Santa Rosa County Extension Services
6263 Dogwood Drive in Milton
Those interested in attending a course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at 850-265-3676.