Photos: Trunk Or Treat At The Quintette Community Center
October 30, 2019
Rain may have forced Tuesday night’s Trunk or Treat indoors at the Quintette Community Center, but it did not stop kids from having a great time.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Photos: Donuts With Mom At Molino Park Elementary
October 30, 2019
Molino Park Elementary School held Donuts With Mom Tuesday morning. It was a chance for students and their moms to enjoy a doughnut served by dads that stepped up so moms could take a break.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Improve To No. 2 In Region, No. 7 In State
October 30, 2019
The Northview Chiefs moved up a spot this week to to No. 2 in the region and are ranked No. 7 in the state in the latest 1A rankings released Tuesday by the Florida High School Athletic Association.
In Region 1-1A, the Chiefs are ranked behind Baker, ranked No. 1 in the state.
Region 1-1A rankings are as follows (listed as school, RPI, record):
- Baker 0.682 (9-0)
- Northview 0.619 (6-2)
- Vernon 0.607 (6-3)
- Freeport 0.576 (6-3)
- Graceville 0.545 (6-3)
- Jay 0.514 (4-5)
- Holmes County 0.475 (4-5)
- Cottondale 0.414 (2-7)
- Chipley 0.408 (1-8)
Teams are ranked based upon a RPI formula. RPI stands for Ratings Percentage Index. In short, it is a way to measure a team’s strength relative to other teams, based largely on the strength of their schedules.
Northview will face Jay this Friday night in Jay, while Baker will face No. 3 Blountstown in Panama City in a battle of the undefeateds.
Teams are ranked based upon a RPI formula. RPI stands for Ratings Percentage Index. In short, it is a way to measure a team’s strength relative to other teams, based largely on the strength of their schedules.
Pictured: The Baker Gators got past Northview in a close 14-12 game September 13 in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Bense Inducted Into Florida Women’s Hall of Fame
October 30, 2019
University of West Florida President Emeritus Dr. Judith Bense is a new member of the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. The Florida Commission on the Status of Women inducted Bense during a ceremony on Oct. 28, 2019, in Orlando.
Gov. Ron DeSantis selected Bense and two others among recommendations presented by the commission. The Florida Women’s Hall of Fame honors up to three women each year who have made significant contributions to the improvement of life for women and all Florida citizens. Bense is the first inductee from Northwest Florida and joins an impressive list of women who have received the accolade since the recognition began in 1982.
“Being selected to enter the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame is an honor and a privilege,” Bense said. “I have been asked to join a very special group of incredibly accomplished women who exemplify the very highest of achievements in business, politics, civil rights, the military and athletics. As an archaeologist, I never thought I would be considered for the Hall of Fame, but I have been very lucky to have had the freedom to explore, discover and share Florida’s rich heritage with students and colleagues and the general public.”
This year’s ceremony included an evening of celebration with speeches from Florida state officials, and was attended by the family and friends of Dr. Bense and other inductees. Her new membership was celebrated with a commemorative video, and remarks about the legacy of accomplishments and the contributions she made to the lives of people across Florida.
As the University of West Florida’s first female president, Bense raised the University’s profile, oversaw the construction of modern academic and residence halls, increased enrollment and established the football program. She has committed her life to the historic preservation of Northwest Florida, establishing the Archaeology Institute, UWF Department of Anthropology and the state-wide Florida Public Archaeology Network. The author of five books and 17 chapters in books and professional journals, Bense has been awarded over 75 grants and contracts totaling more than $6 million.
Recently, she was named the 2019 recipient of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Evelyn Fortune Bartlett Award. The award is named in honor of Evelyn Fortune Bartlett, the patron of Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale, which was bequeathed to the public for historic preservation. The award honors individuals who exemplify the guardianship of Florida’s historic properties through philosophy and actions. She has also received the J. C. Harrington Medal, which is the highest honor of the Society for Historical Archaeology for lifetime achievement, and is among the few selected by the alumni of Florida State University in the “Grad Made Good” wall of honor.
“I have picked rather big goals and tend to think big and that inspires others,” Bense said. “Starting the Anthropology/Archaeology program at UWF from scratch and figuring out to build it into a large and respected national level program has been my greatest accomplishment, and I think I have inspired others to build other such programs. We were among the pioneers in public archaeology and there are now similar state-wide programs in the country, but being asked to serve as President of UWF was the ultimate honor of my career.”
Currently, Bense is President Emeritus and professor of anthropology and archaeology at UWF. She is in the process of writing the largest research book of her career, pulling together the results of discoveries by the team of UWF archaeologists and students in West Florida during the Early Spanish period between 1698-1763. Prior to their findings, insight into that period was minimal, but now, along with her team, Bense will synthesize the information for the academic and professional arenas.
This year’s inductees will join current members on the walls of the Florida Capitol.
Century Woman Dies After Interstate Rollover Crash
October 29, 2019
A Century woman died in a rollover crash Tuesday afternoon at the I-10 and I-110 interchange in Pensacola.
Katherine Susanne Lee, 35, was traveling east on an I-10 exit ramp to I-110 when she failed to negotiate a curve and lost control of her 1996 Chevrolet Caprice at 12:21 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The vehicle began to rotate, left the roadway and struck a traffic sign. The vehicle came to rest on its roof on the grassy shoulder.
Lee was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital where she died from her injuries at 1:19 p.m., troopers said. She was the only occupant of the vehicle.
Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Charter Committee Tackles City Manager, Spending Issues
October 29, 2019
The Century Charter Review Committee (CRC) held their first discussion meeting Monday evening.
Much of the discussion, led by Interim City Manager Buz Eddy, centered around what, if any, duties a city manager should have in the scope of Century government. Eddy suggested the city manager position should be made more permanent. Under the current charter, all of the affairs of the town are to be managed by the elected part time mayor, but he said that’s just not practical.
For regular office hours, “you need to have a city manager,” he said, adding the mayor and council would then have someone to work for them full time.
CRC member Evelyn Hammond, a former town mayor, said a city manager would bring a level of experience to town government.
“Sometimes I think the city council has too much power,” Hammond said. “This is a small town. Sometimes we get qualified people to fill these positions, sometimes we don’t.”
“This mayor’s position is not a part-time job,” Mayor Henry Hawkins said. “That’s why we want a city manager, because they can handle more.”
Eddy and Hawkins, who do not serve on the committee, also took aim at a $500 spending limit set for the mayor by the charter.
“That really just hamstrings the needs of the city,” Eddy said, adding that the exact dollar amount could be set by the council with the right charter wording.
“Our attorney has said down over the years that needs to be change,” Hawkins said. “That’s really handcuffing the town.”
The most important thing of all is when we have made the changes you follow them,” CRC member Mary Bourgeois said ” It’s following the charter, not doing things you own way.”
Any recommendations approved by the CRC would first go to the town council to approve placing on an upcoming ballot for voter approval. The charter is the master document that establishes the town and how it operates.
Pictured top: Century Charter Review Committee member Evelyn Hammond, a former mayor, addresses the group Monday evening. Pictured inset above: Mary Bourgeois. Pictured below: Most of the meeting was conducted by Interim City Manager Buz Eddy. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Jordan Chase Torrez Drops Battle On ‘The Voice’
October 29, 2019
Tate High School graduate Jordan Chase Torrez’s run on “The Voice” on NBC has come to an end.
Using the name “Jordan Chase” on air, he performed “Makin’ Me Look Good Again,” by Drake White and garnered chair turns from judges Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani during his first appearance.
In the last battle for Team Blake during Monday night’s show, Jordan and Rick Braddy sang “Rumor” by Lee Brice, with Braddy winning. Only a few seconds of the battle aired on television.
“I have to try to envision when we get into the lives who is going to handle this kind of situation the best,” Blake Shelton said. “I am going to go with somebody that has the experience and confidence. Ricky, you are the winner of the battle.”
Pictured above and below: Tate High School graduate Jordan Chase Torrez during a brief appearance on “The Voice” Monday Night. Images courtesy NBC.
Order Indian River Fruit From Tate Showband Of The South
October 29, 2019
Time is running out to order fresh Indian River citrus from the Tate High School Showband of the South.
To view items and order now, click here.
Products available include varieties of oranges, grapefruit, apples and more.
The deadline is Friday November 1.
Three County Chase Ends In Atmore When Suspect Crashes Into Police Vehicle
October 29, 2019
A pursuit through three counties ended when a suspect crashed into a police vehicle Monday night in Atmore.
The chase started in Mobile County with Saraland and Prichard Police and continued into Baldwin County where the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office joined in about 7:30 p.m.
The pursuit of a stolen Jeep Cherokee ended with wreck on Highway 21 just south of I-65 in Atmore when the suspect collided with a Poarch Creek Police Department unit.
Two people were taken into custody, but their identities were not immediately released. No information on an injuries was made available by authorities.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Assistant Coach Gets Head Shaved After Losing Touchdown Bet
October 29, 2019
Northview Assistant Coach Tyler Reeves made a bet with players Trent Peebles and Jayden Jackson that one or both of them could not score three touchdowns last Friday night against Chipley or he would shave his head.
He lost.
Jackson scored not three but four touchdowns.
And Reeves is now sporting a new style.
Jackson, a Boston College recruit, had nine carries, 160 yards for two touchdowns; one catch for 44 yards and a touchdown; and he was 2-2 passing for 23 yards and a touchdown.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.