Former NBA Coach To Lead Bratt Basketball Camp This Week
July 11, 2017
The First Baptist Church of Bratt will host a basketball camp this week with a former NBA, college and high school coach.
The camp for children ages 8-14 will be held July 12-14 from 9 a.m. until noon at the church. Coach Roger Dutremble of Global Sports Outreach will teach kids the fundamentals of basketball and Biblical awareness.
Dutremble is a a retired coach and member of the International Basketball Hall of Fame. He career includes coaching at every level from high school to the NBA, and into international arenas, with a lifetime coaching record of 687-117 and seven national championships. He was selected “Coach of the Year” six times, and served as national team head coach to Belgium, Scotland, and Jordan. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, serving under Paul Westhead and Pat Riley, from 1979-83 and helping the team to three NBA championships with players like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The cost is $45 per student with a limited number of scholarships available. The funds are used exclusively to purchase shoes and basketballs for needy children in other countries where Dutremble conducts camps.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt is located on Highway 4 just west of Northview High School.
Pictured: Students that participated in a previous basketball camp at the First Baptist Church of Bratt. Inset: Coach Roger Dutremble of Global Sports Outreach. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Register Now For Tate Youth Football Camp
July 11, 2017
A Tate Youth Football Camp will be held 5-8 p.m. July 17-19 at Pete Gindl Stadium.
The camp will be directed by Tate football coaching staff with assistance from Tate football players. It is an opportunity for youth to work on fundamentals, practice agility, run through drills and learn about being part of a team. No football equipment will be needed. Cleats are recommended, but not required.
The camp fee is $65 preregister online at tatehighfootball.com or $75 first day of camp (checks made payable to Tate Quarterback Club). Each camper will receive a camp t-shirt, daily snack and drink and a pizza party at the end of camp.
To download a camp brochure and registration form, click here (pdf).
Settlement Reached On Services For Florida Disabled Inmates
July 11, 2017
In a move that could affect thousands of Florida inmates, attorneys representing disabled prisoners and the Department of Corrections have settled a lawsuit accusing the state of discriminating against prisoners who are deaf, blind or confined to wheelchairs.
The lawsuit, filed by Disability Rights Florida and alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, also accused corrections officials of discriminating against disabled inmates by refusing to allow them to participate in services and programs available to other prisoners.
Under the 328-page settlement finalized Friday, the state has agreed, among other things, to provide sign-language interpreters for deaf prisoners and to remove architectural barriers for inmates who use wheelchairs.
The state will have four years to comply with federal laws protecting disabled individuals, under the agreement.
Lawyer Randall Berg, executive director of the Florida Justice Institute, called the settlement “a huge decision” for incarcerated people with disabilities. Berg’s organization, along with the Morgan & Morgan law firm, represented more than 30 inmates in the lawsuit filed last year.
“It will be a game changer for them,” Berg said during a telephone interview Monday when asked about the impact on disabled prisoners.
Americans with Disabilities Act violations caused prisoners “to suffer from the humiliation, indignity, and difficulties that accompany such exclusion” and violated prisoners’ constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process, Berg and the other lawyers wrote in a 123-page complaint filed last year.
Florida Department of Corrections officials on Monday also hailed the settlement.
“We are glad that we have reached an agreement. FDC (the Department of Corrections) will continue to ensure that all in our custody receive proper care and treatment,” spokeswoman Michelle Glady said in an email.
Glady also noted that the agency is “continually working on ensuring our facilities are within federal ADA compliance.”
The agency has a “designated ADA coordinator” and “has already begun to work on many of the identified issues within existing funding,” Glady said.
The lawsuit detailed the plights of more than two dozen inmates who are deaf, blind or need wheelchairs or prosthetic devices but who were repeatedly denied services or assistance and who were threatened with retaliation for complaining. Some inmates were also excluded from jobs because of their disabilities, according to the complaint.
The complaint laid out a plethora of woes encountered by deaf inmates. In some instances, deaf prisoners waited years for their hearing aids to be repaired or replaced and were not provided American Sign Language interpreters for critical events such as medical appointments. Some deaf inmates were forced to serve as interpreters for other prisoners during doctors’ visits, possibly violating federal privacy laws. Special telephones for the hearing-impaired were often broken or unavailable, the lawyers wrote, and deaf prisoners couldn’t hear announcements, causing them to miss “critical events” such as meals.
For example, inmate David Stanley, who is deaf, had his hearing aid sent out for repair in 2009 and “has been without one for much of the time since then,” the lawyers wrote in last year’s complaint.
Corrections officials also failed to provide or maintain wheelchairs to other inmates, who are thus “denied the minimal necessities of civilized life,” the lawsuit alleged. Prison officials also failed to assign other inmates — known as “pushers” — to wheelchair-bound prisoners, who were often unable to navigate the prison grounds on their own because the facilities were not ADA compliant.
The settlement agreement came after five months of mediation between representatives of the inmates and the state, according to lawyers involved in the case.
Under the settlement, corrections officials agreed to house disabled inmates in about 20 prisons that are ADA compliant.
Inmates who need services will have to be evaluated when they enter the corrections system and be reevaluated annually.
The agreement also should provide disabled inmates “with some modicum of ability to take courses, do programs, and get religious services on the same level as persons who do not have any disabilities,” Berg said.
by The News Service of Florida
Escambia Commissioners Begin Review of $455.6 Million Budget
July 11, 2017
The Escambia County Commission began a series of workshops today to review a proposed budget for next year.
The proposed $455.6 million budget for fiscal year 2017-2018 is now available online on the Budget Information and Related Documents page. Outside funding requests and a budget calendar are also included under the “Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Proposed Budget Documents” heading.
Additional budget workshops will take place the board chambers, located on the first floor of the Escambia County Central Office Complex at 221 Palafox Place. Workshops are scheduled for:
- Wednesday, July 12 at 1 p.m.
- Thursday, July 13 following the regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole Meeting (as needed)
The workshops offer the commissioners an opportunity to discuss the proposed budget with other constitutional officers and county staff. The commission is slated to adopt a final budget on Tuesday, Sept. 26 following a two-part public hearing process. Escambia County’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30.
The Noiseguy Is Coming To Your Local Library This Week
July 11, 2017
Charlie Williams, “The Noiseguy” will be featured during the summer reading program this week at West Florida Library locations.
Williams is the Noiseguy, lord of the microphone. He adds a sonic character to reading, stories and animation. His sounds have been used for radio ads, TV commercials, cartoons and video games. He speaks fluent onomatopoeia and teaches kids to read out loud.
The Noiseguy will appear as follows:
- Wednesday, July 12, 11 a.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, July 12, 3 p.m. – Pensacola Library
- Thursday, July 13, 11 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
- Thursday, July 13, 3 p.m. – Tryon Branch Library
- Friday, July 14, 11 a.m. – Southwest Branch Library (program at Big Lagoon Amphitheater)
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Top Chattanooga
July 11, 2017
In his fourth game with Pensacola, Nick Longhi knocked a high, deep game-winning three-run home run in the sixth inning that gave the Pensacola Blue Wahoos a, 3-2, victory Monday over the Chattanooga Lookouts in front of 3,689 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Te first baseman was happy to beat the Blue Wahoos nemesis. Pensacola, the first half South Division champions, are now 2-10 against Chattanooga, the first half North Division champions.
“I thought if it doesn’t get out, something’s wrong,” Longhi said. “I’m pretty excited about it. It feels great to do that in a new environment.”
Longhi came over from the Red Sox Double-A affiliate the Portland Sea Dogs where he had six homers, 33 RBIs and was hitting .262. He was ranked as the Red Sox’s ninth best prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. For Double-A Pensacola, he has one home run six RBIs and is batting .273.
Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly is excited about the Reds picking up Longhi, who he said is fitting in. Longhi admitted, too, that his new teammates have welcomed him. Kelly said he knew Longhi would be a good addition, after hearing about him play in high school in Venice.
“Nick is athletic enough he can play both left or right field,” Kelly said. “What a beautiful swing he’s got. He has always been a really good hitter.”
Besides Longhi’s clutch homer, Pensacola’s bullpen came through Monday. Blue Wahoos relievers Robert Stock, Carlos Gonzalez and Zack Weiss combined for five scoreless innings and didn’t allow a hit to Chattanooga, putting just two Lookouts on base on walks. The trio struck out five.
Stock pitched three innings, allowing one walk and striking out four, and improved to 5-1 with a 2.79 ERA this season for Pensacola.
“To me the key to the game was Robert Stock,” Kelly said, who also credited Gonzalez and Weiss. “That’s a nice one-two punch.”
Chattanooga threatened to tie the game in the eighth when shortstop Ryan Walker earned a leadoff walk, stole second base and reached third on a wild pitch with two outs. But Gonzalez struck out Andy Wilkins for his second K of the inning.
Pensacola started Rookie Davis, who made his second start for the Blue Wahoos after injuring his back and not playing for 47 days. The 24-year-old right hander, who started the season in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation, didn’t allow a hit to Chattanooga through the first three innings.
However, Lookouts first baseman Andy Wilkins ripped a line drive to right field for a double to lead off the fourth inning. Chattanooga third baseman T.J. White came up next and ended a 4-30 slump with a long home run to left center, his fifth of the year, giving the Lookouts a 2-0 lead.
Davis worked four innings, gave up two runs on two hits, walked three and struck out two, and threw 71 pitches. He is 0-0 with a 5.00 ERA for Pensacola.
“I thought he struggled a little bit,” Kelly said of Davis, who is limited to 75 pitches by the organization. “He was battling himself which is part of the process of coming back.”
Davis admitted he was happy to be back playing in Pensacola, but was more critical of his performance than Kelly.
“I felt like I was fighting myself the whole game,” he said. “I know it’s only my second game back and I have to be patient with myself. I’m more critical on myself than I should be but to get back to where I want to be, I have to be hard on myself.”
For the Reds, Davis posted a 1-2 record with a 7.58 ERA in five starts and was sent down to the Triple-A Louisville Bats where he made two more starts before getting injured.
Amir Garrett, Sal Romano, Jackson Stephenson and Davis have all made their Major League debuts with the Reds this year after they all pitched in the Blue Wahoos starting rotation last year.
That comes as no surprise to Davis, who reported the 2016 Blue Wahoos rotation, including Nick Travieso, are good friends.
“It wasn’t surprising at all,” Davis said. “We knew it was just a matter of who would get there first. It was something we all knew was going to happen. A few of us thought it would happen last year. All camp, we were determined to make the club.”
Meanwhile, Chattanooga starting pitcher Dereck Rodriguez earned his first loss in five starts in Double-A, falling to 3-1 on the year with a 3.77 ERA. Rodriguez is the son of former Major League catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who was elected to the Hall of Fame this year.
Pensacola improved to 9-9 in the second half in the South Division and 49-39 overall. The Lookouts fell to 14-4 in the second half in the North Division and 56-32 on the season.
With 97 Percent Of Funding From Escambia County, Century Chamber Watching Budget Cuts
July 10, 2017
When 97 percent of your operating income is on the line, talk of Escambia County Commission budget cuts can be worrisome.
For months, board members of the Century Area Chamber of Commerce have pondered how to increase chamber income — for instance, gaining more paid memberships — and how they might react in the event their funding from the Escambia County Commission should be cut.
During the current fiscal year that ends September 30, the county provided a $55,000 allocation to the chamber, up from $40,000. The chamber anticipated just under $3,000 in additional income this year for a total budget income of $56,585.02, according to county documents. That’s just over 97 percent of funding from the county and just less than three percent otherwise.
With word from commissioners that outside agencies may be on the budget chopping block, there’s obvious concern at the Century Chamber.
So what exactly did tax payers get for their $55,000 this year? According to the chamber, their accomplishments included:
- 6-7 new chamber memberships
- Annual employment increased from 39 to 45 percent
- 4-10 business inquired about startups
- Graduation levels were increases 9 percent
- A 10 percent increase in the previous year’s 35 Century Welcome Center visitors.
- There were five job openings last year, until the announcement of 20 part-time jobs at a new bingo hall.
- There were four housing starts, until the EF-3 tornado destroyed a large number of homes, leasing to over 50 new housing starts
Last year’s $55,000 from Escambia County was used by the Century Chamber for an economic development coordinator, an office coordinator and attendance at economic development symposiums. The balance of the current fiscal year’s funds will used for marketing, website management and other professional services.
If funded again for the next fiscal year, the chamber plans to continue using the money for economic development and coordination efforts, to expand the attraction and retention of small businesses, enhance training opportunities and work with other economic development organizations to develop partnerships and opportunities.
The Century Chamber is planning a two-day, seven hour workshop weekend later this month to discuss how to grow the chamber and its future direction.
The Escambia County Commission will begin budget hearings on Tuesday, including a look at outside agencies.
Work To Begin Soon On Highway 168 Bridge Closed After Failed Inspection
July 10, 2017
Work should begin soon on a Highway 168 bridge that was closed in May 18 after failing an inspection.
Gulf Marine was the successful bidder on the project at $101,677. Once project paperwork is completed, work will likely start and completed in about 60 days. But a specific schedule from the contractor won’t be set until a purchase order is complete.
Meanwhile, the bridge over Reedy Creek on Highway 168 near Wawbeek Road remains closed. Drivers are detoured on Highway 4 via Raines Road to the east and North Highway 99 to the west.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Master Gardeners Assist Local Programs
July 10, 2017
The UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County Master Gardeners recently donated 435 plants totaling $2,175 to the local ARC Gateway Nursery Program. The Escambia County Master Gardener program is a volunteer-staffed, educational outreach of the Escambia County/University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. The program, specializing in home horticulture, supports local community development through educational presentations, demonstrations and clinics.
This donation will help the ARC Gateway Nursery provide quality plants while reducing a portion of its overall expenses. Both organizations share a common element to their respective missions, to improve the quality of life for those that they serve. The ARC Gateway Nursery provides life skills and independence training to disabled adults.
For more information on the Master Gardener program, or to request information on arranging a speaking engagement or demonstration garden tour, contact the Extension Center Master Gardener office at 850-475-5230.
Cantonment Cowboys Football Registration Each Monday Evening
July 10, 2017
Cantonment Cowboys football is holding registration every Monday at the Cantonment Ballpark, 651 Well Line Road, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. The registration fee is $135 for ages 5-14. For more information, contact the Cantonment Cowboys on Facebook. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.