Fireworks Are Terrifying For Pets. Here Are Some Tips To Help.
July 4, 2021
Unlike people, pets don’t associate the noise, flashes and burning smell of fireworks with celebration. As a result, fireworks can cause a great deal of stress for some pets. Unexpected behavior may be displayed by your pet while trying to escape from the loud noises including jumping a fence to find safety, running away or “flight from fright,” destruction of yard or household items and biting. Here are some quick tips:
- Do not take your pet to fireworks displays.
- Do not leave your pet in the car while you watch a fireworks display. In only a matter of minutes, the heat in a car can cause serious health problems or even death. A stressed animal can also cause major damage to the interior of your car.
- Be mindful of hot asphalt and sand. Keeping your dog on hot asphalt or sand even for short periods of time can cause severe burns to the pads of their feet.
- Keep pets indoors. Turn on the TV or radio as a distraction and close the curtains.
- Never leave pets unattended outside, not even in a fenced yard or on a chain, if you are near a fireworks display or if your neighbors are lighting small fireworks. They may try to run away or become tangled up in their chain.
- Provide a pet bed or crate in a quiet place to create a small den-like atmosphere and a sense of security.
- If you must be outside with your pet, keep the pet on a leash or in a carrier at all times.
- Make sure your pet has proper identification tags with current information in case they run away.
- If your pet often becomes stressed during periods of loud noise like thunderstorms, check with your veterinarian to see if a tranquilizer is appropriate for your pet.
Shelters often see an increase in lost pets after fireworks displays. If your pet becomes lost, search for lost pets at the Escambia County Animal Shelter or call (850) 595-3075.
Escambia County’s Mobile Command Center To Remain At Condo Collapse Through July 30
July 4, 2021
Escambia County’s mobile command center will stay at the South Florida condo collapse longer than first anticipated.
The command center, nicknamed “THOR” was set to return from Surfside on Wednesday, but it will now remain through July 30.
The state requested use of the vehicle as a command post to use during the search and recovery efforts.
The THOR command post trailer expands to offer 1,000 square feet of interior working space. It is equipped with a 44-kilowatt generator with 72 hours of fuel onboard, and has dual 5-ton air conditioning units.
It allows for wireless communications, including cellular, satellite, VOIP phones and radio equipment. It has a 52-foot mast with antennas an high resolutions cameras, a video distribution system for off-air television, satellite television and computer system. There is a four-position communication room and office space with printers, scanners, office supplies, mini-fridge, microwave and a coffee maker.
Current plans call for THOR to be moved to the Miami Convention Center until Tropical Storm Elsa clears before it is returned to Surfside.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Who Has The Best Local Fireworks Show? How Will Locals Spend The Fourth? Our Survey Says…
July 4, 2021
How will North Escambia residents celebrate the Fourth of July, and which town has the best local fireworks show?
NorthEscambia.com conducted a survey with four questions for the Fourth. We found the majority of respondents will have a cookout, enjoy family time and attend a public fireworks show. And most won’t be going to the beach or traveling very far from home.
Celebration Plans
Family time (55%)
Cookout (45%)
Fireworks at home (38%)
Fly American flag (30%)
Public fireworks show (18%)
Nothing special (16%)
Bing watch TV (8%)
Beach (1%)
Spending Amount
A majority, 52%, said they’ll be spending under $50 on their celebrations, while 21% said $50-$99 and 18% responded $100-$249. Only 8% plan to spend over $250.
How Far To Travel
Most, 82%, don’t plan on any extra travel, 16% will travel under 100 miles, and 1% will travel 100 to 499 miles. About 1% said they will travel over 500 miles during the holiday period.
Best Local Fireworks Show
Survey participants said the best local fireworks show is:
- Pensacola (Sertoma) 56%
- Pensacola Beach 18%
- Jay 9%
- Atmore (Wind Creek) 7%
- Century/Flomaton 3%
- Milton 2%
Note that the Century/Flomaton show was canceled this year, and Jay’s fireworks show was held Saturday night.
(For a fireworks show schedule, click here.)
This was an informal, non-scientific survey with 8,741 respondents. Percentages in this story may not exactly total 100 due to rounding and exclusion of minor answers.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Food Safety Tips For A Happier Fourth Of July
July 4, 2021
Due to a variety of factors, including warmer temperatures, foodborne illness increases in summer. Stay healthy and safe during warmer months by following these food safety recommendations from the USDA:
When bringing food to a picnic or cookout:
- Use an insulated cooler filled with ice or frozen gel packs. Frozen food can also be used as a cold source.
- Foods that need to be kept cold include raw meat, poultry, and seafood; deli and luncheon meats or sandwiches; summer salads (tuna, chicken, egg, pasta, or seafood); cut up fruit and vegetables; and perishable dairy products.
- A full cooler will maintain its cold temperature longer than a partially filled one. When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter.
- Avoid opening the cooler repeatedly so that your food stays colder longer.
When cooking on the grill:
- Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat and ready-to-eat items like vegetables or bread.
- Keep perishable food cold until it is ready to cook.
- Use a food thermometer to make sure meat and poultry are cooked thoroughly to their safe minimum internal temperatures
- Beef, Pork, Lamb, & Veal (steaks, roasts, and chops): 145 °F with a 3 minute rest time
- Ground meats: 160 °F
- Whole poultry, poultry breasts, & ground poultry: 165 °F
- Always use a fresh, clean plate and tongs for serving cooked food. Never reuse items that touched raw meat or poultry to serve the food once it is cooked.
When serving food outdoors:
- Perishable food should not sit out for more than two hours. In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should NEVER sit out for more than one hour.
- Serve cold food in small portions, and keep the rest in the cooler. After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served – at 140 °F or warmer.
- Keep hot food hot by setting it to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook.
Happy 4th Of July! Our Forecast Calls For More Afternoon Showers And Storms
July 4, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Independence Day: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. High near 85. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86.
Tropical Storm Elsa Continues On A Path Toward Florida; No Serious Local Impacts Expected
July 4, 2021
Tropical Storm Elsa is continuing on a path toward the Gulf of Mexico, but is not expected to have any major impact on Escambia or Santa Rosa counties.
Elsa is forecast to move in a west-northwest to northwestward direction towards the extreme southeast Gulf through early next week, then turn to a northerly direction.
No local impacts are expected through the holiday weekend. Direct local impacts are no expected if Elsa continues on the current forecast path. The main local concern in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will be scattered to numerous storms each day with locally heavy rainfall. An increase in waves are rip currents is possible by Wednesday.
Complete details on Hurricane Elsa are in the updated graphics on this page.
Annie Olivia Sutton
July 4, 2021
Annie Olivia Sutton was born Jan. 10, 1933 in Beatrice, AL to the late Barney, Sr. and Sarah McCants Odom. She departed this life on June 26, 2021. She worked many jobs during her life but retired with the Escambia County School Board. She was a faithful member of the Great First Baptist Church of Cantonment, FL where she served in many ministry positions to include Usher Board, Choir, Missionary Secretary, and in the kitchen. She loved to cook.
Mrs. Sutton was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Solomon Sutton; infant son, Charles Sutton; son, Michael W. Fountain; parents; and sister, Melinda Johns.
She leaves behind nine children to cherish her memories, seven daughters, Hattie (Robert) Gross, Mable Johnson, Gloria (John) Beastey, Alfreda (Matthew) Ewing, a very devoted, Sarah Fountain, all of Cantonment, Valarie (Lawrence) Blankenship and Sandra (Angelo) Debrow, both of Pensacola; two sons, Solomon Jr. (Katha) Sutton and Anthony Sutton both of Pensacola; two granddaughters born into the house, Takelia Sapp Jones and LuTedra Jones; four brothers, Barney (Emma) Odom, Jr of Pensacola, Walter Odom and Brady (Francis) Odom of Flint, Michigan and David (Francis) Odom of Newton, MS; one sister, Sadie Wilson of Bridge City, LA; three sisters-in-law, Maggie Sutton and Ludie Head of Columbia, AL and Jackie Sutton of Akron, Ohio; one Godson, Nick Harrison; and one very special Godson, Curtis Moore of Atlanta, GA. She is also survived by, 45 plus grandchildren; 95 plus great grandchildren; 20 plus great, great, great grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, and church family.
Funeral services will be held at 12noon on Sat., July 9, 2021 at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.
Interment will follow in Bayview Memorial Park Cemetery. Repass will take place at Ashton Brosnaham Park, 10370 Ashton Brosnaham, Pensacola, FL 32534.
Farm Bureau: July 4th Cookout Costs About The Same This Year
July 4, 2021
U.S. consumers will pay just a few cents less for their favorite Independence Day cookout foods compared to last year, including cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, strawberries and ice cream, says the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Farm Bureau analysis reveals the average cost of a summer cookout for 10 people remains affordable at $59.50, or less than $6 per person. The cost for the cookout is down 16 cents (less than 1%) from last year, but 8% higher compared to 2019.
The largest year-to-year price increase was for strawberries. Survey results showed 2 pints of strawberries at $5.30, up 22% from last year, due to strong demand and the effects of several weather events including severe rain, hail and high winds that caused significant setbacks to the harvest early in 2021.
Retail price changes for products in the meat case are a bit more nuanced, according to AFBF Economist Veronica Nigh.
“Beef and pork processing plant disruptions that occurred in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been resolved, leading to lower retail ground beef and pork chop prices in 2021 compared to 2020,” Nigh said. “However, consumers looking a bit farther back to compare prices are seeing higher prices for ground beef, pork chops and chicken breasts compared to pre-pandemic (2019) prices. That’s due to continued strong demand for American-grown beef and pork from both U.S. and international consumers.”
AFBF’s summer cookout menu consists of cheeseburgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, homemade potato salad, pork & beans, strawberries, potato chips and fresh-squeezed lemonade with ice cream and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
Individual Prices, AFBF 2021 Summer Cookout
- 2 pints of strawberries, $5.30 (up 22%)
- 13-ounce bag of chocolate chip cookies, $4.02 (up 11%)
- 8 hamburger buns, $1.66 (up 6%)
- 2.5 pounds of homemade potato salad, $2.75 (up 3%)
- 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, $6.74 (up 1%)
- 32 ounces of pork & beans, $1.90 (down 13%)
- 2 pounds of ground beef, $8.20 (down 8%)
- Half-gallon of vanilla ice cream, $4.69 (down 5%)
- 3 pounds of center cut pork chops, $11.63 (down 2%)
- 2.5 quarts of fresh-squeezed lemonade, $3.65 (down 2%)
- 1 pound of sliced cheese, $4.05 (down 1%)
- 13-ounce bag of potato chips, $4.93 (down 1%)
Burdick’s Blast, Stewart’s Six Shutout Innings Lead Pensacola Past Biloxi
July 4, 2021
Will Stewart turned in a quality start and Peyton Burdick hit a go-ahead home run late as the Wahoos came from behind to win 6-3 against the Biloxi Shuckers Saturday evening at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Trailing 3-1, the Wahoos exploded in the seventh inning, scoring four times and sending all nine batters to the plate. Braden Webb (L, 2-4) was brought into the seventh for Biloxi, but only retired one batter before being lifted from the game. For Pensacola, Devin Hairston started the inning with a ground ball that snuck under the glove of third baseman Gabriel Garcia for a leadoff double. After a foul fly out, Victor Victor Mesa walked to set up runners at first and second with only one out.
That brought Burdick to the plate, who earlier this season hit a go-ahead grand slam off Webb in Biloxi to give the Wahoos an improbable win on May 28th at MGM Park. Like that night, Burdick fell behind 0-2 before turning around a fastball over the centerfield wall for a go-ahead three-run home run to give Pensacola a 5-3 lead and send a sold-out Blue Wahoos Stadium crowd into a frenzy. The home run was Burdick’s 13th of the season, tying him with Birmingham’s Micker Adolfo for the most home runs in the Double-A South.
Pensacola added an insurance run in the eighth when Devin Hairston belted his third homer of the season off Cody Beckman. For Hairston, all three of his homers have now come against his former team.
The late game drama was set up by Will Stewarts brilliant outing. Stewart allowed two hits across six shutout innings while striking out five. For the southpaw, it was his third quality start of the season, and his first since June 4.
Earlier, the Wahoos took the lead in the fourth inning by capitalizing on some sloppy play from the Shuckers. After Galli Cribbs Jr. was hit by a pitch, he advanced to second on a groundout to third. Later in the inning, he stole third base before ultimately scoring on a wild pitch from Shucker starter Noah Zavolas.
Zavolas finished his night with a quality start of his own, tossing six innings and allowing just one run while striking out eight.
Stewart’s chances of a win evaporated in the seventh, when Brent Diaz hit a three-run homer in the top of the seventh to give the Shuckers a 3-1 lead.
After the Wahoos retook the lead, Dylan Bice pitched the final two innings in scoreless fashion to give the right-hander his first career Double-A save.
The series concludes on Sunday with Marlins #3 prospect Max Meyer (4-1, 1.84) making his second start of the series. On Tuesday, Meyer picked up his fourth win of the season after six shutout innings against Biloxi. Just like on Tuesday, Meyer will be opposed by LHP Nick Bennett (1-4, 5.46).
Elsa Weakens Slightly To A Tropical Storm
July 3, 2021
Elsa weakened slightly to a tropical storm Saturday morning and is continuing on a path toward the Gulf of Mexico.
It will approach Jamaica and Cuba over the weekend.
As of the 10 a.m. advisory, Elsa became a tropical storm as winds dropped below 74 mph.
Elsa will continue moving rapidly to the west-northwest through Saturday night, after which a gradual turn to a northward movement is expected.
No local impacts are expected through the long holiday weekend. It is still not certain if any local impacts will occur next week given the uncertainty of the long range forecast.
Complete details on Hurricane Elsa are in the updated graphics on this page.