OKALOOSA, WALTON, AND SANTA ROSA SCHOOLS AMONG THE BEST IN FLORIDA

Just another reason why Northwest Florida is on the radar screen for people and companies to move to our area. Great weather, Great Beaches, Great Schools, I-10 Corridor. Why wouldn’t you move here.

Local schools shine on FCAT writing
Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa students among best in Florida
By KATIE TAMMEN
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4440 ktammen@nwfdailynews.com  
Local schools once again have excelled on the writing portion of the FCAT despite increasingly rigorous standards. Students in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties performed, on average, at or above statewide levels, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Education. Fourth-, eighth-, and 10th-grade students took the writing exam in March. School officials across the area were pleased with the scores. Santa Rosa County did the best overall, with Okaloosa and Walton counties close behind. “I’m ecstatic,” Walton County Superintendent of Schools Carlene Anderson said of the results. Her district was tied for fifth statewide with Santa Rosa County for fourth-grade writing. Walton students tied for fifth with Okaloosa for eighth-grade writing and tied in sixth with Okaloosa in 10th-grade writing. Two elementary schools, Maude Sanders and Freeport, improved 40 and 42 percentage points, respectively, in the number of students who scored a 4 or higher compared to last year, Anderson said. A score of 4 indicates that students are performing at grade level. “We have done things differently at the schools,” Anderson said. “It’s been some very individualized diagnostic work done with our teachers and children.” In Okaloosa, several schools also saw large percentage jumps. Edge Elementary had 97 percent of its fourth-graders receive a 4 or higher on the exam, said Guyla Hendricks, the school district’s chief officer for quality assurance and curriculum. “We realize that teaching writing is a complex process, but an important skill for future success in careers and college for our students,” Superintendent of Schools Alexis Tibbetts said. Santa Rosa County saw an increase in the number of students who received a 4 or higher at all elementary schools, eight out of nine middle schools and six out of seven high schools. “Obviously, our teachers and students rose to the occasion,” said Bill Emerson, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and assessment. “They impress me more each time I get an opportunity to see how they do.” Students’ test scores should be mailed to school districts by May 12 to send to parents, according to a news release from the Department of Education. The test was scored on a scale of 1 to 6. In a departure from previous years, the DOE is in the process of increasing the minimum score necessary to be considered proficient from a 3.5 to a 4 for the current school year.

EGLIN AFB TO RECEIVE MORE FOLKS (NOT ASSOCIATED WITH BRAC)

They keep coming. In a recent briefing with the Eglin Base Commander, he noted Eglin is in one of the best position to provide cost effectiveness in the delivery of military missions in the future and could see additional growth in the area, which would save the government money. With all of the talk of reducing the federal budget and the strategic location of Eglin, it stands to reason more consolidation at Eglin is in the future. P.S. - I will put by money on Duke Field (Adjacent to Crestview) for the unit. Keep in mind, Dr. Hsu, one of the leaders in Drone Technology, just opened a Aerospace Technology Park at the Crestview Airport.

Eglin to get new reserve squadron
The unit to work with drone aircraft
By MONA MOORE
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4443 mmoore@nwfdailynews.com  

Air Force officials have announced that Eglin Air Force Base will be the home of an Air Force Reserve Command MQ-1 Remote Split-Operations squadron. Officials from the Air Combat Command started evaluating bases last year and determined that Eglin was the only one with scores high enough to indicate the squadron would be a good fit. The evaluation considered factors such as mission requirements, communications infrastructure, reserve component recruiting, facilities, support capacity, timing and cost. “The selection of this candidate is the result of a deliberate, measured and transparent process,” Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary for installations, said in a news release from the Air Force. “The Air Force looks forward to working with the communities surrounding this location to ensure all concerns are addressed.” The Air Force Reserve Command, which is based at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, will send a team late this month to evaluate six possible locations at Eglin, said Maj. Christina Hoggatt, spokeswoman for the command. The list includes Hurlburt Field and Duke Field. The command will submit results of the evaluation to the Air Force secretary and Air Force chief of staff. The preferred alternative will be announced sometime this summer. The squadron then will move from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to Eglin. It will have 140 personnel and associated equipment. The local economic impact depends on how it is staffed and whether members will choose to move to the area. Hoggart said reserve units can be manned in several ways. In addition to having reservists who work one weekend a month, others are temporarily assigned to active duty units or work full time. “Reservists can work 40 hours,” she said. The squadron’s equipment will not include any of the remotely-piloted MQ-1 aircraft. The “M” means the aircraft has multiple roles; “Q” means it is unmanned; and “1” means that the aircraft is the first of the series of remotely piloted aircraft systems. The Air Force has 130 of the $20-million-dollar MQ-1 Predators with active forces and another eight assigned to the Air National Guard. Each unmanned aircraft is operated by two airmen: a (remote) pilot and a sensor operator. The new squadron at Eglin will all be sensor operators who run ground control systems. The Air Force Reserve Command currently operates the 78th Reconnaissance Squadron at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. Creech also is the home of the first MQ-1 training unit (another will soon operate out of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.) and two active-duty operational s q u a d r o n s . T h e A i r National Guard operates four squadrons.

PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURER HAS EYES ON CRESTVIEW AIRPARK

With the Florida A&M Pharmacy Schools coming to Crestview, it only makes sense, a Pharmaceutical manufacturer would follow.

Drug maker considering Crestview plant
By Brian Hughes brianh@crestviewbulletin.com
2011-05-03 09:26:07

It’s not a done deal, but efforts to lure a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s newest plant to Crestview might soon yield results, city and county officials said. If efforts to land the manufacturer are successful, the facility would initially provide about 130 high-paying jobs. Pharmacy South Inc., manufacturer of the respiratory drug Albuterol, has been in discussions with city leaders and county officials for several months. The company is also considering locations in Louisiana and Georgia. On Feb. 25, Mayor David Cadle, city council President Charles Baugh Jr. and Okaloosa County Commissioner Wayne Harris took Pharmacy South officials on a tour of Crestview, including local schools, the North Okaloosa Medical Center and some of the community’s neighborhoods. “We also showed them some land out by Bob Sikes Airport that might be available in the industrial zone for their plant,” Cadle said. The Crestview City Council unanimously approved drafting a letter to Gov. Rick Scott that will accompany a letter from Cadle, both missives encouraging the governor to support the project. Officials are hopeful that Scott’s pro-business record will benefit the local project. “It is a project that takes time,” Cadle said. “There are three communities that have been vying for their attention. We think that all indications are that they really like Crestview.” “Crestview wound up near the top of the pie after the company was courted by other states,” Baugh told the council. “A lot of things have to happen first,” Cadle said. “The resolution that passed the other night, along with a letter from me to ask Gov. Scott for support, will help tremendously.” Area businessmen, including former Destin mayor Craig Barker and his partner, Henry Kelley, have been working to facilitate the move, recognizing the benefits to the entire county should the plant open in Crestview. “Mayor Barker is really excited about the future of Crestview,” Cadle said. In addition to the benefits of locating in the recently expanded Crestview enterprise zone, particularly attractive to Pharmacy South is one of the community’s newest neighbors, the Florida A&M University pharmacy school planned for the downtown Alatex building. Cadle said Dr. Myron Honeywell, acting dean of the school, joined officials during the city tour in February. “The reason Dr. Honeywell was here was because the company and the College of Pharmaceutical Services would form a joint venture in the creation of a research and development center,” Cadle said. “Once introduced, this will act as a catalyst to induce other pharmaceutical companies to cluster here,” Cadle said. “That is why the pharmacy college is so important to us. It has drawing powers for these sorts of companies.” Cadle said the educational component of a FAMU and Pharmacy South partnership could even begin at the high school level, involving the CHOICE professional and technical studies program. “There will be mutual interest between the school system and the company to partner with education curriculums in the schools,” Cadle said. If Pharmacy South decides to open its new 45,000 square-foot plant here, it will be one of the most vigorously inspected construction projects ever built in the area, and one of northwest Florida’s most high-tech factories, Cadle said. Construction could take up to two years to complete. “They have to operate out of an FDA-approved facility,” Cadle said. “That takes a long time to build, because every aspect of the facility has to be approved. Even the concrete has to be inspected by the FDA.” Once the plant is up and running, production is vigorously controlled in a sterile environment. In fact, Cadle said, the first pair of hands to actually touch the Albuterol bottles and capsules will be those of the patient who uses it. “Human hands never touch this product until the consumer opens the box,” he said. The 130 positions that would initially come with the plant could expand to 400 or 500 within a couple years of the plant opening, Cadle said. The first 130 jobs would generate an estimated annual payroll of $6.8 million, with average salaries above $52,000, he said. “That’s 50 percent higher than the average Okaloosa County wage,” Cadle said. “This would expand our local economy away from tourism and the military industrial complex.” Cadle cautioned that Pharmacy South has not yet made a definite decision to open a plant in Crestview, but that city, county and, hopefully, state officials will continue to aggressively court the company. “There are still a lot of hurdles to pass,” Cadle said. “The state has to be involved in this. We want the state to get on board and press for this. We have lost out to border states on previous projects in the past.”

BANKS, DEVELOPERS, & BUILDERS - ARE YOU READY FOR THE 7TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP

READ TODAY’S FRONT PAGE NEWS STORY: The time has come for the 7th Special Forces move and it is my opinion, we are behind the eight-ball. We will need to play catch up for quite some time. However, that is a good problem to have here. What does this mean?
1) The Army is reporting for duty during this time period. It does not mean they have found a home yet. Enough quality homes are not available.
2) What choices do they have?
a. Be a geographical bachelor here until a suitable home is available.
b. Chose to live in a rental.
c. Chose to live in a rental until a home is built.
d. Move in with the In-Law’s until a home is ready. Not a good thing. Been there Done it, NO FUN.
e. Don’t move family from Fort Bragg (Not a good choice).
NOTE:
1) It has been noted, close to 20,000 troops are moving to Fort Bragg and need the 7th Special Forces Group folks to move out to make room.
2) The F-35 Training Squadron is setting up, as well.
3) Eglin Base housing has been reduced from over 2700 homes to about 1000 homes. GOVERNMENT wants out of housing and wants private sector to accommodate.
4) Other indirect group associated with Army, F-35, Vision Airlines also putting strain on housing.

As a Former Military Housing Director, I can share some more thoughts. Basically, BUILD baby BUILD.

THE BIG MOVE
Up to 200 Army Special Forces soldiers will begin arriving weekly
By MONA MOORE
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4443 mmoore@nwfdailynews.com  
Starting this week, soldiers with the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) will start rolling in by the hundreds. As many as 200 will arrive each week until all 1,887 of them arrived in Northwest Florida in September. “This is where the bigger moves will begin,” said Maj. Tony Parilli, the human resource manager who is coordinating the move. “This is really when we really start pushing the main body.” In the near future, a fourth battalion will join the compound south of Crestview. That will bring the total to 2,247 troops and 6,000 dependents in the region. The staggered start was planned to avoid overwhelming the support team in charge of the process. The same Fort Bragg office that will issue the orders and authorize each move will process the soldiers as they arrive. “We were very deliberate in the way we planned this to control the flow out as well as to enable the guys on our team at Eglin (Air Force Base) to process everybody effectively and efficiently,” Parilli said. “We float them in manageable numbers. And then, in the midst of all that, we also have to make sure we have accountability: who is in transit; who’s on leave; who’s at Bragg; and obviously, who is signed in and going through the in-processing phase.” A team of about 40 troops moved to the area last summer to start laying the groundwork for the big move. Since January, that team has swelled to about 160 soldiers to help with coordination efforts, said Maj. Jimmy Brownlee, spokesman for the 7th Special Forces. Those 160 have brought about 375 dependents with them.
Settling in:
Staff Sgt. Samuel Taylor and his family were a part of the second wave. They moved to the area Jan. 1 so he could set up the ranges the soldiers will use. “It’s starting to fill up. There’s a steady flow of people coming in now, and I guess there will be for the next several months,” Taylor said. He and his family settled in Shalimar. Taylor said his three children love going to Eglin Elementary and have had no trouble adapting to the new school. “And they love their new friends. They’ve got a lot of friends in the neighborhood they go to school with,” he said. “It’s really nice for my family because we grew up in Orlando, Fla., so it’s good to be back at the beach.” In his 14 years in the Army, Parilli has had 11 station changes. “My son just turned 3 and this is his fifth move,” he said. “Since he was born in December of ’08, we went from Washington, D.C., to Naples, Italy; from Italy to Alabama; from Alabama to Fort Bragg; and now, from Fort Bragg to Florida.” Because Special Forces soldiers who participate in foreign operations usually have language and cultural skills specific to certain areas of the world, they tend to grow roots in their assigned units. When they reach the Emerald Coast, they will be here for the rest of their careers. As part of the support team, Parilli said he “has a shelf life.” He most likely will continue changing stations every couple of years. He and his family plan to get the most out of the area while they can. The Parillis recently moved into their home in Niceville. Parilli said they chose Niceville because it was centrally located to his job, the beaches and major shopping centers. “I think I’m going to enjoy the good weather and I’m going to enjoy being by the water. And for my boys, being 3 and 2, I think it’ll be a great experience for them to be near the ocean and be able to live in that environment,” he said. “That’s the beauty of the military. You get to go everywhere. But being on the Emerald Coast is really going to be a very nice thing for us.” Parilli said the toughest part of coordinating the Special Forces’ move has been managing the flow of people to ensure that the operational mission is not affected, “yet make this as seamless and as painless for the soldiers and the families.” The single soldiers who plan to live in the dormitories at the compound most likely will wait a few months to begin their move. Brownlee said the dorms are not slated for completion until July. “We’re in it now. It’s time to go and I think people are getting excited and looking forward to their new Northwest Florida home,” Parilli said.
Local preparations
The biggest push will be between June and July, as families with schoolage children move in before the new school year begins in August. Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Tibbetts said local schools have given several tours to Special Forces families but have yet to see a spike in enrollment. “But now that’s not unusual … There are some families that actually will register the day school starts. We discourage that,” Tibbetts said. “We would like for them to start registering just as soon as they get located.” The school district rezoned neighborhoods in anticipation of the influx of new students. However, the district had to assign next year’s teachers according to current enrollment numbers. “That’s a big problem,” Tibbetts said. “We’ll probably be laying off teachers based on the number of students we currently have. Then as students register over the summer we will hire teachers based on the numbers that increase in specific school areas.” Tibbetts said Antioch and Riverside elementary schools in Crestview are expected to see the largest increase. She encouraged families to take advantage of summer schedules to visit schools and meet principals. The school principals work all summer. The parents who already have taken tours have been pleased, Tibbetts said. “You have to realize that these people are moving to a school district that every school in the district is an A or B — and very few B’s,” she said. “There’s nowhere they can move in Okaloosa County that they’re not going to have a high-performing school for their children to attend.” Crestview Mayor David Cadle said his city has seen a spike in utility tap-ons in the last two months. “We’re excited. We’ve been working a long time preparing for these folks to arrive and hopefully, many of them will be living in the city of Crestview or the surrounding areas, and we welcome them heartily,” Cadle said. He believes the impact will reach far beyond an increase in property tax revenue. He said the population spike will affect every aspect of life.
Because Special Forces soldiers usually are “well-paid military folks,” Cadle said he hopes their presence will improve the city’s chances of attracting new businesses. “It’s always been a strong community for active military and I think it will continue,” he said.

VISION AIRLINES TO OFFER FLIGHTS TO LAS VEGAS FROM FORT WALTON BEACH, FL

Vision Airlines is taking off in more ways than one. As I noted earlier, I had the pleasure of having the Vice President of Vision Airlines speak to my Northwest Florida Military Officers Association last month. While sitting next to him his phone was burning up with updates on the projections of Flights leaving and arriving Fort Walton Beach. From what he noted, all their expectations were being exceeded. Great news for us.

Vision Airlines to add five destinations
Dusty Ricketts
2011-04-20 20:46:19
Vision Airlines thinks its next expansion of service from Northwest Florida Regional Airport is a sure bet: The airline will soon offer direct flights to Las Vegas. Vision has announced plans to add five destinations starting the week of June 1. Other flights will be to and from Fort Lauderdale, St. Louis, Memphis, Tenn., and Lafayette, “We see it as a good opportunity for growth,” said Clay Meek, marketing and business development director for Vision Airlines. “It’s increasing our exposure. It gives certainly the people of Northwest Florida many more options. It’s an opportunity to create a lot more reverse traffic.” Meek said Vision’s original business model projected that 90 percent of its business would be from bringing tourists and business people to Northwest Florida. Now, Meek said Vision is trying to give local residents more travel options. Meek said he believes the beaches of Northwest Florida will be a big draw for Las Vegas residents, but that Vegas also will be a popular destination for locals. Mike Stenson, business development manager for Northwest Florida Regional, agreed. He said St. Louis and Memphis are also among the top 10 destinations people travel to from the airport. “There are over 100 people a day that go from the three Northwest Florida airports to Las Vegas, and typically they’ve always had to pay high fares and always had to connect,” Stenson said. “Now they have non-stop service straight to Vegas, which I think is going to be a huge hit for people.” In addition to offering new destinations, Vision Airlines will expand its service to and from Atlanta from four trips a week to daily. While Vision is adding flights, two of its previous destinations are being discontinued. Flights to Miami and Niagara Falls will end May 1. However, the decision to discontinue the Niagara Falls flight is a seasonal one. Vision is in talks with area snowbird associations and is expected to bring back the Niagara Falls flights sometime in November or December. Miami is being discontinued permanently and is being replaced by Fort Lauderdale, which Meek said is much more affordable for Vision.

LOCKHEED MARTIN TO CREATE MORE JOBS FOR THE F-35 PROGRAM NEAR EGLIN AFB

More good news on job creation in the local area. As the F-35 Training Squadron continues to ramp up their training program on Eglin, the supporting cast of defense contractors surrounding the area will begin to expand their support for the program. With a facility costing a couple of hundred million dollars almost completed, you will begin to see a program have the same affect the 7th Special Forces Group, if not more in the upcoming months and years. This program will not only make an impact on the local area, it will also bring a lot of attention from the international community, since approximately 12 other countries will have their pilots trained on the Fifth Generation Fighter.

Lockheed Martin wants to hire 91 locally
By DUSTY RICKETTS
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4448 dricketts@nwfdailynews.com  
FORT WALTON BEACH — Lockheed Martin is preparing to expand its operations at Eglin Air Force Base to prepare for the incoming F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and is looking for employees to meet the demand. Lockheed Martin is teaming up with JobsPlus One-Stop Career Center for a series of job fairs later this week. Lockheed Martin is looking to hire 91 full-time employees in a number of technical positions. “They’re ideally looking for someone who has experience with what they’re calling fourth- or fifthgeneration fighters — that’s F-15s, which is our folks here who used to be in the 33rd Fighter Wing,” said Don Holloway, veteran employment representative at JobsPlus. “Looking back at the data over the last few years, about the time we had the economic downturn and the 33rd Fighter Wing moved out, about 40 percent of the aircraft mechanics in this area lost their job,” Holloway said. “So this takes a big chunk out of that. We’re just overjoyed about it.” The job fair is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday at JobsPlus at 409 Racetrack Road N.E. in Fort Walton Beach. Representatives from Lockheed did not return messages seeking comment on this story. Those who attend the job fair will be able to speak with Lockheed’s hiring managers. Job seekers are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their résumé and be able to start work no later than May 31. All positions will require military clearance. Lockheed Martin has not released salary information for any of the positions yet. According to the Florida Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for similar jobs in this area ranges from about $38,000 to $54,000 a year. Holloway said he expects the Lockheed jobs to pay more than the area average. “All of these people are going to start by the first of June,” Holloway said. “That’s just such good news for our local economy.” For more information and a full list of all positions currently available, go to www.lockheedmartin.com/careers  .

FT BRAGG HAS TREMENDOUS GROWTH - 7TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP NEEDS TO LEAVE FT BRAGG TO MAKE ROOM

FOLKS, if you think we are growing at the seams, Fort Bragg is busting at the seams. Rumor was, the soldiers moving to Eglin might have problems selling their homes. Actually, the truth of the matter is, the incoming folks to Fort Bragg needs homes badly and would probably pack and deliver their fellow Army folks household goods to get them out of town to make room for them. The log jam is us here in Northwest Florida, and the questions is, can we get quality homes built fast enough with the problem of lending to developers and builders. Bragg feeling stress of growth, returning troops By Henry CuninghamMilitary editor PINEHURST - Fort Bragg in recent months has been feeling the stress of growth combined with soldiers returning home from overseas, the garrison commander said Thursday. The redeployment has been "a big wakeup call," Col. Steve Sicinski said. Large-scale troop deployments in recent years tended to obscure the impact of growth, he said. Sicinski, who is in charge of the day-to-day operation of the Army post that stretches 35 miles east to west across the Sandhills, spoke to the Moore County Chamber of Commerce at the National Golf Club. The stress has shown up everywhere from traffic snarls on the roads to more customers in the post exchange to longer lines to get military identification cards. "Everybody knows the pharmacy lines are unsatisfactory," Sicinski said. Fort Bragg's population is about 56,000 military personnel, including soldiers and airmen, since Pope Air Force Base became Fort Bragg's Pope Field in March, he said.Fort Bragg has an estimated economic impact on the surrounding civilian community of $9.5 billion annually or more than $26 million daily, he said. A baby boom "is just beginning" at Fort Bragg's Womack Army Medical Center in the wake of large-scale troop redeployments over the past year, he said. An average of about nine babies are born every day at the military hospital, he said. Fort Bragg and other military installations have experienced increases in births nine months after massive redeployments since troops came home from the first Persian Gulf War in the spring of 1991. The number of generals at Fort Bragg is growing from 19 to 39, he said. Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command are moving to Fort Bragg this summer from Atlanta because of mandates of the 2005 base realignment law. "This is no boutique installation," Sicinski said. He added Fort Bragg is a "working installation" whose main purpose is training troops for combat. The Joint Special Operations Command, which includes members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, is "growing in importance," he said. The Air Force plans to add a brigadier general at Pope Field, he said. The 7th Special Forces Group, which is leaving Fort Bragg, has sent an advance party to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and large numbers will depart in the next two months, he said. The group has about 2,000 soldiers. Its move also is part of base realignment. Military editor Henry Cuningham can be reached at cuninghamh@fayobserver.com or 486-3585