Record LOW Temps Tonight?
August 8, 2008
It won’t exactly feel like fall in the morning, but if the weather forecasters are correct, it’s still going to be pretty refreshing.
Tonight’s overnight low in North Escambia is forecast to be 61 with a light northerly breeze. Cooler, drier air will be moving into the area this afternoon. So dry, in fact, that the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch due to the low humidity and high fire potential.
The high Saturday will be around 90, but with low humidity it will feel much nicer. Saturday night’s low will be 65.
Major Phone Outage Reported In 327, 587 Exchanges; Service Restored
August 6, 2008
(Updated 2:40 p.m.) A major telephone outage was reported this afternoon in the Walnut Hill, Davisville, Bratt, Molino and other communities in the 327 and 587 telephone exchanges.
The outage stemmed from a fiber optic cable cut along Highway 4 in Davisville. The cable was being moved as part of a highway construction project and was accidently cut, according to Karen Miller, a public relations specialist for Frontier Communications.
The telephone service went down about 12:40 Wednesday afternoon. Customers the exchanges could only call other Fronter customers within their local exchange. They were unable to call Atmore or Pensacola numbers, which are also local to the exchange. It was also not possible for customers in the area to reach long distance or toll free numbers. Emergency 911 service was also not available.
Customers calling the exchange were reporting fast busy signals and calls that did not complete.
DSL and other dialup internet connections also went down about 12:40, but DSL was once again available as of 1:50 p.m.
Problems were also reported making calls on Alltel wireless phones, perhaps due to an overload of a local tower as people attempted to make calls on their wireless phones.
More details will be posted when they become available.
Two Churches To Hold Homecoming Services Today; Another Celebrates 100 Years
August 3, 2008
Two area churches will celebrate their annual homecoming services today while another church celebrates 100 years today.
Homecoming services will be held at 10:30 at the Walnut Hill Baptist Church. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Jerry Peebles.
The Faith Bible Baptist Church in Bluff Springs will celebrate its 32nd homecoming today. The day begins with Sunday School at 10 a.m. and worship services at 11. The day will also kick off a revival meeting for the church, with Evangelist Joe Bryant. Revival services will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday.
The Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church on Molino Road will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a special service at 10:30 this morning.
Last Day Of Alabama Sales Tax Holiday
August 3, 2008
A three day sales tax holiday wraps up today in Alabama, but the savings won’t be as great in Escambia County, Alabama, as many other Alabama counties. And it will be even less in Atmore.
The sales tax holiday, which runs through tonight at midnight, exempts many back to school purchases like school supplies and clothing. The state’s holiday removes 4 percent in sales tax from exempt goods. But it does not remove county and city tax, unless that local county or city has agreed to participate.
Unlike most Alabama counties, Escambia County did not approved the tax holiday. A total of 55 of Alabama’s 67 counties are participating.
Atmore did not choose to participate in the sales tax holiday. A total of 189 cities in Alabama are participating.
The towns of Flomaton, Brewton and East Brewton will give their shoppers a break from city tax this weekend on exempt back to school purchases.
In general, the following items are exempt during the Alabama sales tax holiday this weekend:
- Clothing that is priced at $100 or less
- School supplies priced at $50 or less
- Books priced at $30 or less
- Textbooks priced at $30 or less
- Computers and computer equipment priced at $750 or less
For a more complete, click here for a pdf from the Alabama Department of Revenue.
Barrineau Park Music Night Is Tonight, Great Family Fun
August 1, 2008
Two groups will take to the stage for a night of family fun tonight at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
The first group to perform will be the Chestang Family Band (pictured above) from McIntosh, Alabama, playing gospel and bluegrass. With Elroy on the guitar, Tabitha on the bass and Spanky playing everything else, they will inspire everyone, especially when little Autumn comes on stage and belts out a tune or two, according the event organizers.
The second group will be “Down Home” from Robertsdale, Alabama. They play a variety of bluegrass, gospel and country tunes with excellent harmony and instrumentals. They were recently featured as the house band at the Atmore Fiddlers Convention.
Music Night at Barrineau Park is a family friendly event free and open to the public. Alcohol is not allowed, and there is no smoking in or near the building. The event is held in the building’s auditorium, which features a stage, soft chairs and a great sound system. Snacks and drinks will be available from the snack bar. The event begins at 7 p.m. tonight and will continue until after 9 p.m.
Pictured above: The Chestang Family Band will be one of two bands performing tonight at the Barrineau Park Community Center. Submitted photo.
Old Fashioned Political Rally Tonight In District 5
August 1, 2008
There will be an old fashioned political rally tonight at Tate High School.
Countywide, statewide and District 5 candidates will be on hand. The event begins at 5:30. At 6:00, candidates will speak for five minutes each.
Concessions will be available.
The event is sponsored by the Tate Band Boosters. All proceeds benefit the Tate High Showband of the South.
Low Pressure Forms Over Gulf
July 29, 2008
An area of low pressure forming over the Gulf of Mexico is expected to change our weather here in North Escambia over the next few days.
The National Weather Service says the low pressure area just south of Pensacola is not expected to become tropical in nature. But it is suppose to increase our rain chances the next several days.
The rain chance for today is up to 70 percent, with some storms this afternoon producing heavy rainfall. The overnight rain chance drops back to 30 percent; the rain chance for Wednesday will be back up at 70 percent. The chance of rain will remain at 60 percent on Thursday, 50 percent on Friday and 50 percent on Sunday. Overnight rain chances will fall to about 40 percent.
The chance of rain will lower our temperatures just a bit; the high the next several days is forecast to be in the upper 80’s to low 90’s.
Today Is Last Day To Register To Vote In August Primaries
July 28, 2008
Today, is the last day to register to vote or change party affiliation for those who wish to cast a ballot in the August 26 primary election.
Florida law mandates that registration books close 29 days before an election. New registrations and party changes must be completed on or before July 28th in order for them to be effective for the August 26 election, according to Supervisor of Elections David Stafford.. Updates to a voter’s address, name, and signature are permitted after the book closing deadline.
Escambia County citizens have several ways to register or update their record.
Visit www.EscambiaVotes.com and complete, print, and sign the online application. Be sure to include a valid Florida Driver’s License number, a valid Florida ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number in the appropriate space. Mail the completed application no later than July today to: Escambia County Supervisor of Elections, PO Box 12601, Pensacola, FL 32591-2601. Or, take the completed application to the Elections Office at 213 Palafox Place, 2nd Floor, in downtown Pensacola.
You can register in person at the Elections Office at 213 Palafox Place, 2nd Floor, in downtown Pensacola, at any Florida Driver’s License Office, and several other governmental
offices and public assistance centers. Registration forms are also available to pick up at many locations countywide. For a complete list of locations throughout Escambia County, visit www.EscambiaVotes.com or call or e-mail the Elections Office.
Locations that you can register to vote in North Escambia include:
- Public Library, Century Branch – 7991 N Century Blvd.
- Tax Collector Office, Century Courthouse
- Crossroads Service Center – 6470 Highway 29 N Molino
- Mitchells Grocery & Seafood – 8221 N Century Blvd.
- Florida Department of Motor Vehicles – 7500 N. Century Blvd.
The Century Library, while listed as a place to register to vote, is not open on Mondays.
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Continues Sunday
July 27, 2008
The Greater Escambia Council for the Arts performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat continues today and Sunday at Neal High School in Brewton.
Composed in 1976, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a sensory overload. The show is a Biblical story woven with a colorful cacophony of lights, music, and dancing. You can experience the dream as you are taken back to ancient Israel and Egypt in a blaze of color. The one remaining performance is Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the auditorium at Neal High School in Brewton. Tickets are eight dollars for adults, and six dollars for children under 12.
Rehearsals for the production began in early June with a rigorous schedule of dance, blocking, and music practices. A difficult show requires talented actors; fortunately, the Escambia county has always faithfully provided these.
One such talented person is Atmore native Perry Jones, who takes the title role of Joseph. Alongside Jones are Ellen Johnson and Kate Sherrill who narrate the show.
Other notable characters are Pharaoh, played by John Mascara, an ex-off-Broadway actor from Walnut Hill, Fl; Potiphar, played by Rev. Mike McMorris; Mrs. Potiphar, played by Kris Woods; and Jacob, played by Norman Boyd.
The cast also includes the Hon. Steve Billy, the Hon. Dave Jordan, Marnin and Jerry Gehman, Timothy Huber, Daniel and Phil Johnson, Nathan Lindsey, and Joseph Watson as Joseph’s brothers. The chorus also features the talents of Britney and Pam Dees, Delilah Holloway, Sharon Poulsen, Anne and Meg Sherrill, Gilda Stubben, and Kaitlyn Woods. A children’s ensemble will also be prominently featured. The show is directed by Phil Johnson.
For further information about the show, tickets, or the Greater Escambia Council for the Arts, call director Phil Johnson at (251) 368-3899, publicity officer Kate Sherrill at (251) 294-3555, or visit www.gecarts.com.
Submitted story and photos.
Pictured above (L-R): Joseph Watson, Daniel Johnson, Judge Dave Jordan, John Mascara, Timothy Huber, Marvin Gehman, and Jerry Gehman, Phil Johnson, and Nathan Lindsey. Pictured below: The cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Saturday: Free Kid’s Crusade In Century; Water Day In Molino
July 26, 2008
There’s plenty for kids in Century or Molino to do Saturday. A Century church has a day-long water day planned, and a Molino Church has six hours of wet fun planned with a Water Day.
The Abundant Life Assembly of God will be holding a Kid’s Crusade “Operation Freedom” for ages five to 12 Saturday from 8:00 until 5:00. The event is free. To pre-register, call 256-5227. The church is located at 8040 North Century Boulevard.
CrossFaith Church in Molino will hold a Water Day with lots of wet activities for children. The event will be Saturday from 9:00 until 3:00 for children ages five to 12. There is a $5 charge, which includes lunch. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The church is located at 5701 North Highway 29.