Century Hires Town Clerk Away From Flomaton
September 19, 2024
The Town of Century has hired a new town clerk. And she’s crossing the state line from Flomaton.
The town council voted 5-0 to approve a recommendation from Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. to hire Carrie Moore as Century town clerk. The position has been vacant since Leslie Howington took a leave of absence in mid-April before resigning in May for medical reasons.
Gomez said Moore will start in three weeks.
Moore has served as town clerk in Flomaton, a town of 1,458 residents, for the last three years. Century is a similar size town with a population of 1,736 residents, but Gomez acknowledged that Moore would have a slight learning curve since Florida statutes for municipalities can be different than Alabama. She previously worked with the City of Evergreen beginning in 2017 until her hiring in Flomaton in 2021.
“We have been weighing our options for a few months now,” Gomez said before the affirmative vote. “We had several applications in which I thoroughly vetted them along with my team, and we had one standout. Her name is Carrie Moore.”
“We’ve done a background check to a certain extent,” he added.
The council was told negotiations on Moore’s salary have not finalized, but her compensation was “well within” a salary range set back in May of $71,000 to $91,000, more than Howington was paid.
Council member Shelisa McCall questioned Moore’s employment history. McCall asked, “So when you spoke to her, did you ask about 13 months here, three months here, four months there? There’s an eight-month lapse, seven months here, and now with Flomaton for three years. So why is she leaving?”
“We did have the opportunity to ask her about her interests,” replied Cheryl Harrison-Lee, who works with Howard Brown and his Local Government Consulting Group of West Palm Beach that provides interim town manager consulting services. “She’s looking to expand her skill set, and she thought that moving over to Century would give he ran opportunity to expand her skill set.”
According to Moore’s resume, she worked as assistant CFO for Elgin, Texas, from May to August 2014; STS in Madison, Alabama, from April to August 2015, city clerk for Evergreen, Alabama, from September 2015 to April 201; and town clerk from April 2021 to present.
McCall also questioned if Moore living some 30-45 minutes away from Century would be an issue. According to her resume, she lives in Repton, Alabama.
Pictured: Carrie Moore, Century’s new town clerk. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Cantonment Man Tried To Eat Bag Of Meth After Traffic Stop
September 19, 2024
A Cantonment man was charged after allegedly tried to eat a bag of meth following a traffic stop.
Theodore Reynolds Paige, 29, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, two counts of destruction of evidence and resisting arrest without violence. He was released on a $13,000 bond.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office stopped Paige’s vehicle in the area of Ensley Street and Argo Drier for a seat belt violation.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Paige threw a bag out of the driver’s side window that was later found to contain amphetamine/dextroamphetamine, a schedule 2 controlled substance. Deputies said Paige resisted when being searched, reaching into his pants, and grabbing a bag containing a white powder.
“Paige then grabbed a large bag of a white powdery substance from his groin area and started to rip it open,” the arrest report states. “Paige was then placed on the ground where he was able to grab a bag of powder that had fallen on the ground with his mouth and eat it. He continued to resist and rip another bag open covering himself in the white substance.”
The white substance field tested positive for methamphetamine, according to an arrest report.
Due to allegedly eating the white powder, Paige was transported to Baptist Hospital for evaluation.
“At the hospital, he was forced to take a shower due to the fact he was covered in meth,” the report states. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail after being released from the hospital.
New Images Released Of Man Wanted For Attacking Woman In Flomaton
September 19, 2024
The Flomaton Police Department has released more images of a man they say attacked a woman Tuesday afternoon not far from the Alabama-Florida state line.
Flomaton Police Chief Dereck Lowry said 38-year-old Christopher Moody is wanted for on felony charges of kidnapping, burglary and assault.
The new, undated screenshots (top) were from a video recorded at the Nadine McCaw Park on North Century Boulevard in Century.
Lowry said a female had pulled to the side of the road Tuesday afternoon near a railroad trestle in the area of Railroad Street and Martin Luther King Drive when Moody approached.
“After she stopped, she cracked her door open and he came out of nowhere,” the police chief said. He said Moodey assaulted the woman and attempted to rob her before fleeing. A K-9 team responded for a manhunt, but they were hampered by a sudden downpour.
The area of the alleged crime is about 1,200 feet north of the Alabama-Florida state line. The Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office also took part in the search for Moody.
Moody was described as a being a homeless individual from Mobile.
Anyone with information on Mooday’s whereabouts is asked to call the Flomaton Police Department at (251) 296-5811, their local law enforcement agency, or 911.
FPD previously released an image from a surveillance video of Moody in a Flomaton convenience store on Monday.
Bonus Gallery: Tate Alumni Cheerleaders, Band, Fans, And More
September 19, 2024
The Tate High School Aggies celebrated Homecoming 2024 last Friday night.
- For a Homecoming Parade photo gallery, click here.
- For Homecoming King info and photos, click here.
- For Homecoming Queen and her court, click here.
- For a game action story and photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Volleyball Gets Senior Night Sweep; Tate Edges Choctaw
September 19, 2024
Northview 3, Blacksher 0
The Northview Chiefs volleyball team celebrated senior night with a resounding victory over the Blacksher Bulldogs of Uriah, Alabama.
The Chiefs dominated the home match, winning in straight sets by scores of 25-23, 25-18, and 25-18.
For more photos, click to enlarge.
Prior to the match, the Chiefs honored their two graduating seniors, Madison Levins and Kamryn Langham.
The Northview Chiefs will travel to Laurel Hill on Thursday. Laurel hill is on a five-game losing streak, including a September 12 loss 3-0 to Northview.
In junior varsity action, Northview took Blacksher 2-0 by scores of 26-24, 25-19.
Tate 3, Choctaw 1
The Tate Aggies volleyball team picked up a hard-fought victory over the Choctaw Indians on Wednesday night,
Tate defeated Choctaw by scores of 26-24, 22-25, 25-22, and 25-11.
Tate will next Travel to Niceville Thursday before hosting Escambia on Monday.
Pictured: Northview defeats Blacksher. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Impact 100 Names 15 Finalists For Grants Of $100,670 Each
September 19, 2024
Impact 100 has announced 15 grant finalists for 2024. Of the finalists, 12 will receive a grant of $100,670 each at the group’s annual meeting on October 13.
The fifteen finalists selected by IMPACT 100’s Focus Area Committees are as follows:
The 15 finalists selected by IMPACT 100’s Focus Area Committees are as follows:
- ARTS, CULTURE & HISTORY
- Parent Booster USA, Inc., dba Navarre Band Parent Association, Inc. — Bands are Instrumental
- Pensacola Lighthouse Association, Inc., dba Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum — Reconstruction of Our Historic Boathouse
- West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc., dba UWF Historic Trust — Pensacola Children’s Museum: Our Town: A Space for All
- EDUCATION
- Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Centers, Inc. — Destination Independence
- Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, Inc. — Girl Scouts Community Development Troops
- Pyramid, Inc. — Driving Innovative Opportunities for People with Disabilities
- ENVIRONMENT & RECREATION
- Dixon School of Arts and Sciences, Inc. — IMPACT 100 Natural Wonders Park at Dixon School of Arts and Sciences
- Friends of Pensacola State Parks, Inc.– Inclusive Playground in Big Lagoon Park
- Santa Rosa County Master Gardeners Association — Tractor and Audio/Visual Upgrades for SRC Master Gardeners
- FAMILY
- My Father’s Arrows, Inc. — Rolling On to a Bigger Vision
- Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation, Inc. — Cases for Kids
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Inc. –From Paris to Pensacola “Let us go to the Poor”
- HEALTH & WELLNESS
- Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition, Inc. — Healthy Start Mobile Stork Stock
- Ministry Village at Olive, Inc. — Tender Hearts Caring Hands Building
- Vision of Hope, Inc. — Journeying to Independence
This is the 21st year that Impact 100 will award grants to local nonprofit organizations. Since its inception, Impact 100 Pensacola Bay Area has awarded 153 impactful grants totaling $16,284,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
Century Gives Final Approval — With No Details — To Charter Changes For The November Ballot
September 18, 2024
The Century Town Council Tuesday night gave final approval to three charter amendments for the November 5, 2024, general election ballot.
As we reported early this week, the town submitted the charter questions to be placed on the ballot without a final approval, and the ballots were printed.
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender and Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections Sonya Daniel attended the council meeting Tuesday night and sat quietly in the back of the room.
Bender said they attended the meeting to answer any questions. However, the county’s top two elections officials were never even verbally acknowledged during the meeting by Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. or the town council.
When the town council gave first approval in July to the three ordinances to place the items on the ballot, they contained the ballot language and details on the exact changes to be made if voters approve. By the second approval Tuesday night, details on the charter changes to be made had disappeared from the ordinances.
Bender said following the meeting that he has required signed copies of the approved charter change ordinances for review. He said he expects any decisions regarding the ballot changes to come quickly because vote-by-mail ballots have upcoming statutory deadlines.
The Century town charter is the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town. In recent years, the town sat a charter review committee to create a new draft charter, and the town council set about reviewing those changes. There were several snaps along the way, from the pandemic to wrong documents, which delayed the process.
What are the three chanter questions on the ballot?
The exact ballot questions for voters were not actually approved Tuesday night.
The ballot questions that were submitted without final approval were as follows:
Question 1:
TOWN CHARTER AMENDMENT PROVIDING FOR TOWN PURCHASING TO BE GOVERNED BY COUNCIL-APPROVED PURCHASING POLICIES
Amending the Town of Century Charter to remove specific bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditure requirements and procedures from the Charter, and provide that Town bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditures will be governed by Town ordinances, policies, and procedures adopted by the Town Council. Shall the above-described amendment be adopted?
Question 2:
TOWN CHARTER AMENDMENT CONCERNING MAYOR’S EMPLOYMENT AUTHORITY
Amending the Town of Century Charter to expand the Mayor’s powers to select, appoint, suspend, and remove town employees and appointive administrative officers, by limiting the requirement for Council approval of such actions solely to the selection, appointment, suspension, or removal of the Town Clerk, Town Attorney, and Town Manager. Shall the above-described amendment be adopted?
Question 3:
TOWN CHARTER CLEANUP AMENDMENT
Amending the Town of Century Charter to correct scriveners and codification errors, and to conform charter provisions to the requirements of the Florida Election Code. Shall the above-described amendment be adopted?
NorthEscambia.com will provide more coverage before the election on the specifics of each ballot questions.
Pictured: Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender and Chief Deputy Supervisor of Elections Sonya Daniel sit quietly in the back of the room at a Tuesday night Century Town Council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle School Names Students Of The Month
September 18, 2024
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for August. They are: Sophia Ikner, eighth grade; Riverly Heathcock, seventh grade; and 6th grade Titus Bruley, sixth grade. They are pictured with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
SEC Soccer Tournament Returning To Ashton Brosnaham Park; Tickets Now On Sale
September 18, 2024
Twelve nationally ranked Southeastern Conference soccer teams will be competing for the SEC Championship title from Sunday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 10, at Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex off East 10 Mile Road.
Tickets are now one sale at pensacolasports.org. All-tournament passes are $45. Individual session tickets for the first round, quarterfinals and semifinals are $12 for adults and $7 for students/military. Tickets for the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 10, are $17 for adults and $12 for students/military. Taxes and service fees are included in the listed ticket prices. Kids 12 and under wearing a soccer jersey get in free with a paying adult on Sunday, Nov. 3 and on Tuesday, Nov. 5. A clear bag policy is in effect for this event. Admission is free for children 5 and under at all games.
This is the third year that Pensacola will host the tournament. Pensacola first hosted the tournament in 2022 and set SEC records for attendance.
“I’m so excited to host all of our friends from the SEC again this fall at the beautiful Ashton Brosnaham facility. I ask all sports fans in Escambia County to come to at least one game while the SEC tournament is here and see the elite play from these extremely talented student athletes,” Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said.
“The Pensacola community has embraced and welcomed our staff, the teams and the players over the last two years,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “The SEC Soccer Tournament is an outstanding experience for SEC soccer fans from across the region and will provide our student-athletes with lasting memories.”
On championship game day, Nov. 10, there will be a free Fan Fest from 11:30 a.m. until the start of championship game. There will be music, food trucks and interactive activities for all ages to enjoy.
Over the last seven years, the SEC has earned 52 NCAA Tournament bids – an average of more than seven per year – with all 14 member institutions making at least two appearances during that span. Eight different SEC teams have advanced to the Round of 16 since 2013 and the league has placed teams in the NCAA quarterfinals in nine of the last 10 seasons.
Pictured: The first record-setting SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament at Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in October 2022. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Four Tate Students Achieve Perfect Scores On End-Of-Course Exams
September 18, 2024
Four Tate High School students are being honored for achieving perfect scores on their Spring 2024 End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments.
Sofie Domulot, Estelle Lentini, and Victoria Roberts all earned perfect scores on the Biology 1 EOC, while Emmanuel Hurry excelled with a perfect score on the FAA U.S. History EOC.
“This is an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects their hard work, dedication, and academic excellence. We are incredibly proud of these students and look forward to seeing their continued success,” Tate High Principal Laura Touchstone said.
Pictured: (L-R) Sofie Domulot, Estelle Lentini, Victoria Roberts and Emmanuel Hurry. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.