Special Event Today To Remember Fallen Hero J.R. Spears
October 24, 2015
The 10th anniversary of the death of a local hero will be marked with a special event in Molino Saturday afternoon.
Cpl. Jonathan Ross “J.R.” Spears (USMC) was killed in action, Ramadi, Iraq, on October 23, 2005.
Spears, the son of Tim Spears and the late Marie Spears, grew up in Molino. He spent many years playing baseball at Don Sutton Ballpark in Molino. He was a 2002 graduate of Tate High School, where he played football. His number 62 jersey was retired by the school to honor their former lineman.
“He was very determined to be a United States Marine. After losing over 80 poounds and passing boot camp, he did it. The proudest moments of his life were in his dress blues. He wanted nothing more than to protect his country, and he gave his life doing so,” his father Tim said.
The event Saturday will begin at 2 p.m. at Don Sutton Ballpark in Molino. Food and drinks will be provided. There will be a few speakers on behalf of J.R. Spears and the entire Spears family. The event will conclude with a release of balloons to honor Spears, other fallen heroes and those still fighting for freedom.
The event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Donations for Cpl. J.R. Spears Memorial Scholarship Fund will be accepted.
Fall Gardening: Time To Tackle The Chaos And Prepare For Winter
October 24, 2015
by Santa Rosa Extension
Towards the end of the growing season, many landscapes are overgrown and untidy. Allowing plants to tower over others can mean the demise of the smaller plant. It’s time to tackle the chaos and prepare for winter.
First and foremost, take a good look at your landscape. If a plant has outgrown its allotted space, perhaps it was the wrong plant in the wrong place. Avoid these types of problems by becoming familiar with a plant before you plant it. While you can try to control the size of the plant to fit its space, it will never be a happy, stress-free plant.
Information on the mature size of a plant and their site requirements can be found in several Extension publications. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) “Guide to Plant Selection and Landscape Design” is intended for homeowners who want to take the next step and design their own Florida-Friendly landscapes. Included in this book is information on landscape design strategies, a landscape planning worksheet, and the FFL plant list containing many of the UF/IFAS recommended Florida-Friendly plants for each region of the state. It’s available online by clicking here.
Even in a well-planned landscape, though, the gardener’s controlling influence is important. The most useful methods for dealing with especially enthusiastic plants are removing, pruning, supporting or creating barriers to prevent unwanted spreading.
Removing and replacing
Autumn is an excellent time to establish shrubs and trees. Consider removing oversized plants and replacing them with carefully chosen ones that will happily fit within your defined boundaries. Plants that are installed late in the year will develop strong roots systems before hot weather arrives next spring.
Pruning
When it comes to pruning, it’s good to remember that it’s better to prune lightly occasionally as needed, than to allow a plant to get way overgrown and then cut it back severely. A few prudent snips here and there will help keep more vigorous plants from overwhelming their less vigorous neighbors.
Emphasis must be placed on the word “light.” It’s important to remember that late summer pruning may stimulate an additional flush of shoot growth on species which flush several times each year. These shoots could be damaged by an early frost.
Supporting
Another technique to improve the look of an overgrown landscape is staking. Staking or otherwise supporting plants keeps them from leaning or falling over onto others. It helps the tall plant look better, and obviously benefits the plants that would otherwise be covered. The stake should be tall enough to do the job but not be too obvious.
Stakes may simply be placed in such a way that the plant is supported by leaning up against it. On the other hand, it may be necessary to tie the plant to the stake. Typically, twine or plastic ties are used for this purpose. Make sure you tie the lower and upper parts of the plant to the stake to provide proper support.
Other techniques for support include tying twine in a loop all the way around a plant, using a wire cage – this is best done early in the growing season to allow the plant to grow into it – tying a plant to a sturdier, nearby plant or using one of the commercially available support systems.
Barriers
Many perennials and tropical plants spread by underground structures called rhizomes. If growth shows up outside the area you’ve allotted for that plant, promptly dig out the unwanted growth and replant it somewhere else.
Barriers extending at least one foot down into the ground around aggressive spreaders can sometimes help keep them under control. Digging, dividing and replanting clumps of aggressive spreaders annually is another good way to make sure they stay put.
Overgrown shrubs can cause a house to lose its curb appeal. Proper, regular control measures should be employed to keep a landscape looking its best.
Tate Tops Choctaw
October 24, 2015
The Tate Aggies earned another win on the road Friday night as they beat the Indians of Choctaw 35-28.
Tate was first on the scoreboard with a 27-yard pass from Sawyer Smith to Cole Crews, and Choctaw answered with a 3-yard run to tie it up 7-7.
Smith scored again with a 5-yard run for a 13-7 Tate advantage. Alondo Thompkins expanded Tate’s lead to 19-7 with a 76-yard touchdown run. With another touchdown, the Aggies were up 26-7 at the half.
In the second half Choctaw scored on a 1-yard run, followed by a 33-yard Tate field goal from Evan Legassey, and another 1-yard run from the Indians to put the scoreboard at 29-21.
Thompkins added a 18-yard touchdown run and Choctaw scored once more for the 35-28 final.
Next Friday night, the Tate Aggies will host the Pine Forest Eagle for the District 1-6A championship. Both teams are 2-0 in the district.
Pictured: Tate at Choctaw. Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Moving Into Forecast
October 24, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:\
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 74. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 74.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.
FWC: Stay Legal With These Hunting Tips For Bow Season
October 24, 2015
by Tony Young, FWC
Today is the first day of bowhunting season in Northwest Florida.
Hunting with a bow or crossbow is a great way to get a jump on the gun hunters. Bowhunters are allowed in the woods earlier and get that first crack at the deer. During archery season, you can also take antlerless deer, which really increases your chances of putting venison in the freezer.
Maybe that’s why bowhunting continues to be so popular in our state, accounting for more than 10 percent of all deer harvested, 15 percent of harvested does and 25 percent of the deer taken on wildlife management areas. Last year, more than 30,000 people bowhunted in Florida.
And along with hunting the rut, early bow seasons provide a great opportunity to take a trophy whitetail and arguably are among the best times to do so. In northwest Florida, it’s even better because bucks are still hangin’ out in their bachelor groups.
If you’re stealthy enough and have done your pre-season homework, you have a good chance of a nice one coming within shooting range of your bowhunting setup. In the early season, before the deer are under as much hunting pressure, they are more active during daylight hours. When gun season hits, you might not see that big ’un again for the rest of the year, except for maybe a picture of him taken from your trail camera in the middle of the night.
License and permit requirements
But, before you go, you need to make sure your license and required permits are up to date. To hunt during archery season, you’ll need a Florida hunting license and an archery permit. During crossbow season, you’ll need a hunting license and crossbow permit. If you’re a Florida resident, an annual hunting license costs $17. Nonresidents have the choice of paying $46.50 for a 10-day license or $151.50 for 12 months. Archery and crossbow permits are $5 each, and all deer hunters must have the $5 deer permit.
Anyone planning on hunting one of Florida’s many WMAs must purchase a management area permit for $26.50. And don’t forget to pick up the WMA rules and regulations brochure for the area you wish to hunt. You can get brochures at the closest tax collector’s office, or you can print them from MyFWC.com/Hunting under “WMA Brochures.”
You can obtain all the licenses and permits you’ll need at a county tax collector’s office, any retail outlet that sells hunting and fishing supplies, by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA or at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
Legal to take
During archery season and that part of crossbow season that runs concurrent with archery, you can take legal-to-take bucks (as defined by the regulations for the deer management unit in which you’re hunting) and antlerless deer, which are does and bucks with less than 5-inch antlers. You may never take spotted fawns. After archery ends, during the remaining portion of the crossbow season, you may only take legal-to-take bucks according to the specific DMU antler rules. The daily bag limit on deer is two. Bag limits for deer on WMAs can differ, so check the specifics of the area before you hunt.
You can hunt wild hogs on private lands year-round with no bag or size limits. On most WMAs, there’s also no bag or size limits, and hogs are legal to take during most hunting seasons except spring turkey. But on a few WMAs, bag and size limits do apply, so to be certain, check the brochure for the specific area.
In addition to hunting big game, it’s also legal to shoot gobblers and bearded turkeys during archery and crossbow seasons, assuming you have a turkey permit ($10 for residents, $125 for nonresidents). You may take two turkeys in a single day on private lands, but the two-bird fall-season limit still applies, and the daily bag limit for turkeys is still one on WMAs. It’s illegal to shoot turkeys while they’re on the roost, over bait, when you’re within 100 yards of a game-feeding station when bait is present or with the aid of recorded turkey calls. In addition, it’s against the law to hunt turkeys in Holmes County in the fall.
If you’re hunting during the archery season, you may hunt only with a bow and you must have the archery permit. During crossbow season, you may use either a crossbow or bow, but you must have the crossbow permit. On WMAs, only hunters with a disabled crossbow permit are allowed to use crossbows during archery season. All bows must have a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds, and hand-held releases are permitted. For hunting deer, hogs and turkeys, broadheads must have at least two sharpened edges with a minimum width of 7/8 inch.
As far as legal shooting hours go, you’re allowed to let your arrow or bolt fly between a half-hour before sunrise and a half-hour after sunset. Except for turkeys, you’re permitted to take resident game over feeding stations on private property. It’s against the law to use bait on WMAs.
You can’t use dogs to hunt deer or turkeys, but you are allowed to use a dog on a leash to help you trail any wounded game.
Giant Equipment Trailer Travels Through North Escambia; Parked In Century (With Gallery)
October 23, 2015
A giant piece of equipment being moved from the port of Pensacola to the Georgia Pacific mill in Brewton passed through the North Escambia area overnight and is now parked in Century, within sight of the state line.
The generator turbine is on a trailer that is 18-feet wide, almost 25-feet tall and 173.5-feet long. Along the way, utility crews were forced to lift, pull or remove and estimated 400 obstructions such as power and phone lines. Some residents were without power for an hour or two overnight due to the transport, but most the of the power lines were moved “live” without service interruptions.
The trailer left a Highway 29 weigh station in Cantonment about 9 p.m. Thursday. By 4:30 a.m. Friday, the giant generator had passed through the intersection of East Highway 4 and Highway 29, barely clearing a red light being held by a crane. By 5:30 a.m. a decision had been made not to continue into Alabama. The trailer will be parked until at least Sunday night on an empty lot in Century, just south of the state line. At last report, neither state will allow the trailer to move over the weekend, until 9 p.m. Sunday.
Another large generator is still at the Port of Pensacola awaiting transport to Brewton. On a trailer, it will be 18-feet wide, 18.5-feet high and 192.5-feet long when it passes through the area, likely sometime next week, on the same route.
NorthEscambia.com will update the story with any additional schedule details as they become available.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: A giant generator turbine is transported through Century early Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Thefts In Century, Walnut Hill
October 23, 2015
A Century man was jailed on a felony charge after allegedly stealing a TV from a Century garage and a generator from a Walnut Hill home.
A resident of the 100 block of Mincy Court told deputies that William Edward Perry, 55, walked off with a 25-inch TV taken from her garage.
Deputies located Perry hiding behind a privacy fence at a nearby home and the TV on the other side of the fence. He told deputies that he had done yard work for the property owner on Mincy Court and that he thought the TV was junk and no good. He first told deputies that he was going to fix the TV and return it, then he said he was going to remove the transistors and sell them for money.
Perry was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and petit theft first degree.
He was also charged with petit theft for allegedly stealing a generator from a home on Mayhaw Road in Walnut Hill. He later said he sold the generator for $150 to man in the “hood” near Pond and Jefferson streets in Century, according to a witness statement.
Perry remained in the Escambia County Jail early Friday morning with bond set at $32,500.
Sunny And Warm Today
October 23, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.
Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Over $91K In Grants Awarded To 59 Escambia Teachers
October 23, 2015
Almost five dozen Escambia County teachers were awarded an Escambia County Public Schools Foundation Committee classroom grant Thursday. Grants for Excellence is a competitive grant program through which the Foundation awards funding for classroom projects to enhance curriculum and drive student achievement in Escambia County classrooms.
The committee funded 59 projects for a total of $91,284.87. The Foundation receives funding for the Grants for Excellence program from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations, but in order to receive the funding, the board of directors must raise matching dollars from our generous community partners.
The 59 recipients received up to $2,000 each for their innovative classroom projects in the areas of Literacy and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math:
- Derek Akhi, Bellview Middle, “Acting Up, Acting Out”
- Kimberly Andreoli, Bratt Elementary, “Listening through Literacy”
- John Auner, Escambia High, “…To the Moon”
- Edward Bauer, Booker T. Washington High, “Lionfish Prey Selection”
- Bethany Bauer, Jim C. Bailey Middle, “Operation Starry Night”
- Robin Blalock, Tate High, “Couriers of Memory”
- Michael Bloomer, Booker T. Washington High, “Advanced AP Chemistry Lab”
- Angelina Carter, Blue Angels Elementary, “Dash and Dot Makes Learning Fun”
- Brandi Cole, Longleaf Elementary, “SplashMath for Success”
- Laurie Cothran, West Pensacola Elementary, “Drama Drive: A TV Production”
- Tim Deloge, Escambia High, “NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge”
- Diedra Diettel, A.K. Suter Elementary, “Curio ‘city’: A City for the Curious”
- Stephanie Gaffney, Navy Point Elementary, “Discovery Island”
- Krystal Gibson, Beulah Elementary, “Leaders in the ‘Make’ing”
- Jeremy Gibson, West Pensacola Elementary, “Printing: The 3rd Dimension”
- Heather Gillman, Bratt Elementary, “Six Traits to Improve Writing”
- Lisa Hale, West Pensacola Elementary, “Music Makerspace”
- Anna Harageones, A.K. Suter Elementary, “Interested in Informational Texts”
- Melissa Harold, Beulah Elementary, “Literacy Tablet Lab”
- Cristen Hartley, West Pensacola Elementary, “STEM Bowling”
- Catherine Hendren, Pine Meadow Elementary, “Author Study Cross Curricular Project”
- Kelly Hered, Booker T. Washington High, “What Do Fireworks, Lasers, and Neon Signs Have in Common?”
- Pam Hicks, Booker T. Washington High, “Chemistry: How Sweet it Is”
- Blair Husted, O.J. Semmes Elementary, “STEM Out! Club”
- Sarah Ingram, West Florida High, “I Like to Print and I Cannot Lie”
- Elizabeth Isphording, Ransom Middle, “Science Studio”
- Jennifer Kemp, C.A. Weis Elementary, “STEM with Sphero”
- Emma Land, Pine Meadow Elementary, “Ready, Set, Grow”
- Marnie Lowery, West Pensacola Elementary, “The Fabrication Station”
- Dana M. Lupton, Pine Forest High, “All Terrain Robot”
- Peter N. Lupton, Pine Forest High, “A Journey to a Sustainable Tomorrow”
- Matthew MacGregor, Escambia High, “Bringing Back our Bayous”
- Sarah Mason, Blue Angels Elementary, “Makey Makey Eggs and Bakey!”
- Jill Mealy, Ensley Elementary, “Roller Coaster Engineers”
- Cathy S. Melton, C.A. Weis Elementary, “In the Wings”
- Cassie Mense, Myrtle Grove Elementary, “Fourth Grade Engineers”
- Tammy Miller, R.C. Lipscomb Elementary, “Enriching, Creating, and Reaching Others through Technology”
- Angela Mills, NAS Museum, “Understanding Earth’s Atmosphere”
- Molly O’Connor, Roy Hyatt Environmental Center, “Bringing Technology to the Outdoors”
- Jean Odom, N.B. Cook Elementary, “Project Green Screen Video Camp”
- Myra Palmer, Ensley Elementary, “Makerspace Minecraft”
- Dawn Parnell, Pensacola High, “Salty Citizen Scientists”
- Karen Potter, Ransom Middle, “Don’t Judge a Book by its Movie”
- Katherine Powell, Molino Park Elementary, “Getting’ Techie With It”
- Sharon Powers, Longleaf Elementary, “Speaking of Literacy”
- Thomas A. Roberts, Cordova Park Elementary, “Literacy and STEAM – An Unstoppable Combination!”
- Crystal K. Roberts, Ransom Middle, “Makerspace Interface: Literacy and STEAM Powers Unite!”
- Sherry Roughton, Beulah Elementary, “The LEGO Art of Storytelling”
- Milagros Sessions, Workman Middle, “Creating Fertile Spaces”
- Stephanie Phillips, Scenic Heights Elementary, “STEM Discovery with Dash and Dot”
- Tatum Tirado, Booker T. Washington High, “The Math Games”
- Julie Tomlinson, Myrtle Grove Elementary, “Kids Kitchen Conservatory”
- Kevin Turner, Booker T. Washington High, “Measuring Speciation of Tidewater Silversides”
- Rebecca Van Fleet, Bellview Middle, “Fill It Up!”
- Shawn Walker, West Florida High, “Determining Lionfish Prey by using DNA Analysis”
- Casandra Waller, Montclair and C.A. Weis Elementary Schools, “Phys Academy”
- Theresa Ward, Blue Angels Elementary, “Figurative Language?? Go Figure!!”
- Roberta Wetzel, Jim C. Bailey Middle, “Think It and Move It: LEGO Wall in Motion”
- Alisha Wilson, Booker T. Washington High, “Robotic Learning; Where STEM and Literacy Collide”
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Yearbook Receives Top Columbia Scholastic Press Association Award
October 23, 2015
For the second consecutive year, the Northview High School Tribal Spirit yearbook staff has been honored with a Gold Medal from the nationally recognized Columbia Scholastic Press Association, affiliated with Columbia University in New York City and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
The staff earned a total of 908 points out of a possible 1000 for their 2015 Tribal Spirit yearbook. The reference section scored 192 out of a possible 200 points.
“You and your staff worked very hard to produce a very solid outstanding publication. The staff made sure that every activity, sport, club, student life, etc. was covered. Very nice job! It was a pleasure to have been part of your community. Lots of luck for 2016,” a statement from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association to the Northview staff said.
The Tribal Spirit yearbook staff and their adviser, Alison Robinson, attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Convention in New York City in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Pictured: Northview Tribal Spirit Yearbook staff members (front, L-R) Jessica Amerson, Ellie Amerson, Bethany Reynolds, (back, L-R)Celeste North, David Weber, Destiny Watson and Jordan Taylor. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.