New Year’s Eve Brush Fires
January 1, 2009
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to two brush fires early New Year’s Eve evening.
The first was reported on Ashcraft Road near Highway 99 about 6:45 Wednesday night. The second was reported on Breastworks Road near Hall Road about 8 p.m.
The Breastworks Road fire was reportedly started by a downed power line.
Walnut Hill was also dispatched to another brush fire before 5 a.m. Thursday on Highway 97 in the area of Highway 164, but that fire turned out to be remnants of an earlier control burn.
There were no injuries in either incident.
2008 Person Of The Year: Paula Jernigan, Those Touched By Cancer
January 1, 2009
Paula Jernigan of Bogia has been named one of our NorthEscambia.com Persons of the Year. Along with Paula, we honor all those that are cancer survivors or have been touched by cancer in the lives of someone they know.
Each day through Monday, NorthEscambia.com will name another person as a NorthEscambia.com Person of the Year.
As curriculum coordinator at Carver/Century K-8 School, Paula is one of those folks that always has a smile on her face. Speaking to the children that she passes in the hallways and breezeways, she always has a kind word, a word of encouragement for each and every one.
In 2009, Paula will coordinate Century’s third annual Relay for Life. She’s a cancer survivor, working in the fight to cure cancer.
“Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer,” Jernigan said. “No one ever told me about the American Cancer Society and what they would have provided for me.”
“I don’t what that to happen to anyone else in the north end of the county,” she said.
Cancer is ugly disease that has touched most every family in North Escambia. We honor those touched by the disease, and all of those that have walked or will walk in Relay for Life, whether it be in Century or another community.
At a Century Relay for Life meeting at Carver/Century K-8 School, the lights in the cafeteria were cut and about a dozen Luminaria bags were lit as some in attendance reflected on why they walk in Relay for Life.
“I walk for my son who died from cancer,” one person said.
“I relay with the hope that no mother will every have to hear that her child has cancer,” said another.
“I relay because my father died from brain cancer,” one woman tearfully said.
“I relay because by husband died from cancer three years ago. I walk because my mother died from cancer a month ago,” another woman said.
Paula Jernigan walks for all of us, for all of our friends, neighbors and families touch by cancer. For that, we name her a NorthEscambia.com 2008 Person of the Year.
Each day through Monday, NorthEscambia.com will name another person as a NorthEscambia.com Person of the Year.
Pictured top: Paula Jernigan (far right) walks the Victory Lap as a cancer survivor at last year’s Century Relay for Life. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.