Poarch Creek Indians Purchase Mississippi Casino Site
March 30, 2016
The Poarch Creek Indians have purchased a site previously approved for a casino in D’Iberville, MS.
The land near I-110 is known as the Royal D’Iberville casino site is one of four sites in the city approved for a casino. A previously planned development with a 60,000 square foot casino and a 400-room hotel on the 7.6 acres never came to fruition, and the property was released from bankruptcy just days before the PCI purchase.
In the event the Poarch Creek Indians should build a casino on the property, it will not be considered part of their reservation and will subject to the same application process and taxes as any other casino, the director of the Mississippi Game Commission, Allen Godfrey, told the Sun Herald newspaper in Gulfport.
“PCI Gaming Authority monitors events throughout the Southeast that represent opportunities for our investment consideration. This particular property was brought to our attention and after evaluation we felt it represented an excellent investment opportunity that, regardless whether we pursue development now, in the future or never, that land will hold its value,” the Poarch Creek Indian Gaming Authority said in released statement. “We continue to evaluate development opportunities and the Mississippi Gulf Coast gaming market is one we may seek to enter at some future time.”
Lady Aggies Claim Top Spot In District; Tate Baseball Beats Escambia
March 30, 2016
Lady Aggies Claim Top Spot In District
Tate 10, Escambia 3
The Tate High School Aggies locked the top spot in the 1-7A tournament that beings April 111 with a 10-3 win Tuesday night over the Escambia Gators. The Aggies (16-22, 8-0) will host Siegel of Murfreesboro, TN, on Wednesday at 6:30.
WP: Savannah Rowell (9-0) (7IP, 9H, 3R, ER, BB, 8K);
Tate hitters – Hadley Starratt 2-2,3R, 2 RBIs; Sydni Solliday 1-2, R, RBI; Madison Nelson 2B; Megan Jones 2-3, 2R.
Tate Baseball Beats Escambia
Tate 8, Escambia 1
The Tate High School Aggies beat Escambia Tuesday 8-1.
Tate scored three runs in the sixth on an RBI double from Josh Kean and an RBI singe from Branden Fryman. Cole Halfacre had two RBIs on two hits for Tate; he tripled in the first inning and had a single in the fifth inning.
Madison Lockman pitched the win for the Tate Aggies with seven innings on the mound, allowing just one run, one walk and four hits while striking out five.
Northview Chiefs Beat Pensacola Christian
March 30, 2016
The Northview Chiefs beat Pensacola Christian Tuesday afternoon, 16-1 in a run-rule shortened five innings.
The Chiefs jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the third.
Zach Payne allowed two hits, no earned run, walked two and struck out five during four innings on the mound. Jacob Dunsford pitched an inning for Northview, allowing one hit, no earned runs, walked one, and struck out one.
Thomas Moore hammered a two-run home run in the third.
Northview hitters included: Seth Killam 2-4, 2R, Thomas Moore 1-2, 2 R, HR; Zach Payne 1-2; Luke Ward 1-2, R; Josh Neeese 1-2, 2R; Jared Aliff 1-1, R: Roman Manning 2-2, 2R, 3RBI; Zach Holland 2-2, R., 2RBI; Devon Stabler 2-2, R; Chandler Lowery 3-4; R, 3RBI.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Walking On Railroad Tracks Killed By Train
March 29, 2016
A man died this morning after being struck by a train while walking on railroad tracks.
Shawn Rhineburger, 21, of 1200 Scenic Highway Pensacola died at the scene of the incident, which occurred just before 8 a.m. on railroad tracks just south of the intersection of Scenic Highway and Bayview Way.
Lt. Kevin Christman said Rhineburger was wearing headphones while walking northbound on the tracks. The CSX train also was northbound. Christman said the conductor sounded the train’s horn and tried unsuccessfully to stop before striking Rhineburger.
Century Logo, Website Still Under Development; Marketing Plan Future Unsure After Tornado
March 29, 2016
The Century Town Council and various stakeholders held a workshop meeting Monday night to discuss the status of their marketing plan, including a new logo and website. The meeting ended with perhaps more questions than answers.
In 2013, the town was awarded a technical assistance grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to develop an economic development strategic plan. After hearing proposals from four contenders, the town contracted with the Haas Center (the research and consulting arm of the University of West Florida) to develop the plan at no cost to the town.
The Haas Center’s detailed plan and recommendations included a new website for the town.
In October, the council decided to pay their consultant to create a request for proposals in order to receive bids to implement the marketing plan, including website maintenance, newsletter production, a recreational guide and formation of a young professional’s group. The town was set to pay for the services using economic development funds.
Advertisements were published in late December seeking a company to implement the plan. Only one proposal was received. That proposal was from the individual that UWF hired using grant funds to develop the logo and website — Johnathan “Jet” Tisdale of White Paper Marketing. The town has yet to evaluate and accept or deny the proposal.
But the logo and website contracted by UWF are not yet complete, Tisdale said, despite his best efforts. He said several meetings with the town’s “design committee” had resulting in dozens and dozens of logo revisions and “50 to 100 hours” of extra, unpaid work in attempt to tweak a logo to satisfy the committee. Without the logo and design element choices, Tisdale said, the website design can’t be completed.
He said numerous emails from his firm to design committee members have gone unanswered and meetings have been canceled. “There has been zero progress (on the logo or website) since December,” Tisdale said Monday night, due to lack of response from the town.
“Is this suppose to be a secret,” council member Ann Brooks asked about the logo design. “Can you show us anything tonight?”
Tisdale said he came unprepared to share the logo with the entire council; instead he wanted to meeting individually with design committee members for logo input so that their ideas would not be influenced by other committee members. A computer was located, and Tisdale presented the logo designs to date, asking the council to avoid public discussion instead asking again for individual meetings outside the council workshop.
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“I ask that we keep ideas and opinions about what we see tonight to ourselves,” the marketer said, adding that the design committee will return a favorite logo candidate back to the council for a vote.
“You mean we just get to vote yes or no on one?” Brooks said. “We are we here?”
Tisdale said he attended the meeting because he thought the council was prepared to announce their decision on the proposals that were solicited back in December, not to attend a meeting about logo design.
Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez said Tisdale had been told that the design committee did not like any of the logo designs and perhaps he should start over with a fresh design.
Century Mayor Freddie McCall, who attended only a short portion of the meeting by telephone, said, “The “logos don’t make sense to me. I’ll just go with whatever the council likes.”
“So much has been going trying to help our citizens; so many got slammed,” council President Ben Boutwell said, referring to the EF-3 tornado that hit Century hard on February 15. That recovery, Boutwell said, will likely take precedence over the marketing plan and the acceptance or denial of the December request for proposals.
The council took no formal action during their Monday night workshop, agreeing that Tisdale will hold individual logo design meetings with design committee members. Since grant money has already paid for the completion of the logo and website, those items are expected to return to the council for a vote and formal completion. It is not yet known what action, if any, the council will take on accepting or rejecting Tisdale’s lone proposal for website maintenance and any further marketing work.
Pictured top: Jet Tisdale of White Paper Marketing presents logo ideas at a Century Council workshop Monday night. Pictured middle and below: Additional logo ideas. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Leaky Tornado Damaged Roof Forces Century Healthy Start Move
March 29, 2016
A leaky roof has forced Century Healthy Start to pack up and move next door.
The roof of the Healthy Start building at 511 Church Street was damaged during the EF-3 tornado that tore through Century on February 15. The county-owned building was cleaned, dried out and temporary tarps were put in place. The tarps were no match for Easter weekend winds and rain, with water once again pouring into the building.
Effective today, Healthy Start will operate from the county-owned building next door at 501 Church Street, a building that Healthy Start had already leased but had not yet been renovated. The building is former location of the Health and Hope Clinic.
Century site manager Laura Nelson said all Healthy Start services, including WIC and patient visits by Jay pediatrician Marian Stewart, will continue at the new location.
Tornado Victim Supplies
Tornado victims can still receive free in-kind goods donated by the community from the United Way in Century.
Items available include baby food, diapers, baby formula, $25 restaurant gift cards, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, drinking water and more from Healthy Start in Century. Their office at 511 Church Street is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. or while supplies last.
The items are available for free with those with verified damage from the February 15 Century tornado, or the February 23 Pensacola tornado.
Pictured top: Century Healthy Start Manager Laura Nelson discusses Century tornado damage with Gov. Rick Scott. Pictured below: County crews were hard at work less than 48 hours after the February 15 tornado, installing temporary traps and working to dry the interior of the building. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate, Northview Band Members Receive Top Ratings At State Event
March 29, 2016
Several local students took part in the Florida Bandmaster Association State Solo and Ensemble MPA this past weekend at Lincoln High School.
Four Tate High School band members were honored at the event:
Jana Burgos – Excellent rating
Tiana Hendricks – Superior rating
Eric Milligan – Superior rating
Nathan Tubbs – Superior rating
Two Northview High School band members also received top ratings:
Brianna Smith – Superior rating, baton solo
David Weber – Superior ratings , snare drum solo and marimba solo
Free Workshop: Learn How To Protect Your Home Against Formosan Termites
March 29, 2016
Formosan termites will soon be swarming, and homeowners can be prepared to protect their homes. A program to help homeowners become educated on Formosan termites and their management is coming to Escambia County.
Annually, Formosan termites cause $1 billion of damage in the United States alone, and the Gulf Coast is a known hot spot for this invasive pest. Join experts from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and University of Florida IFAS Extension for education on this economically important pest.
Specific topics will include:
- Formosan termite biology including simple ways to ID them.
- Available Formosan termite pest control protection for you home.
- Identifying and fixing the weaknesses in and around your home.
DATE: Monday, April 4, 2016
TIME: 6-7:30 p.m. Check in at 5:45 p.m. and program starts promptly at 6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Tryon Library, 1200 Langley Ave., Pensacola, FL 32504
The program is free, but preregister by calling 850-475-5230 or emailing bbolles@ufl.edu. Space is limited.
Special Olympics Torch Run Travels Through Escambia County
March 29, 2016
The 2016 Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Florida Special Olympics began in Century Monday morning.
The torch run started at the Florida/Alabama state lineabout 7:30 a.m. Monday. Employees from Century Correctional Institution and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office escorted the torch down Highway 29 to the Century Town Hall.
On the second leg of the journey for the torch, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Pensacola Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, carried the torch from the Sheriff’s Office Administration Building on West Leonard Street to Bartram Park in Pensacola.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an event to raise awareness and support for the Special Olympics.
Law enforcement officers from over 300 Florida agencies (police departments, sheriff’s offices, Florida Department of Corrections, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs, Air Force Police and Marine Patrol) all participate in the state-wide torch run to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Florida. Each year, over 5,000 officers carry the torch on a 1500-mile relay through 66 counties in Florida.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Stories Of ‘The Way We Worked’ Thursday Night
March 29, 2016
The Molino Mid-County Historical Society, along with the West Florida Public Libraries, will host video stories of Molino’s rich work history on Thursday, March 31, at 6 p.m. at the Molino Community Complex (6450 Highway 95-A North). At one time Molino had a lumber mill, canning factory, brick yard and its own phone company. Watch video interviews of longtime Molino residents who recount memories of growing up and working in North Escambia. Several of the interviewees will be present for a question and answer session after the presentation.
“Molino’s Story” is hosted in concurrence with “The Way We Worked,” a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition, which celebrates the history of our nation’s diverse workers and industries. The exhibit is on display in the Lillian F. King Museum, located in the Molino Community Complex until April 30. Viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekly, closed Sundays, and open during “Molino’s Story” from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Pictured: The original switchboard for the Molino Telephone Company. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.