Tonight: Byrneville Open House; Relay For Life Rally
September 4, 2008
The Byrneville Elementary PTO will meet this evening at 5:30. An open house for all Byrneville parents will follow at 6:00.
Century Relay for Life is having a Committee Rally on tonight at 7:00 in the Carver/Century K-8 Cafeteria. Anyone interested in helping plan the 2009 Relay for Life event is urged to attend. We will discuss the Relay mission, various committee positions, upcoming events, and this year’s theme. For more information, contact Paula Jernigan at 256-3842 or BJ Davis at the American Cancer Society 475-0850 ext. 2280.
Pictured left: A cancer survivor walks during last year’s Century Relay for Life. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Graphic Photos Of “Sam”
September 3, 2008
Photos of “Sam”, a pit bull dragged along Highway 113 north of Flomaton Tuesday afternoon. Photos provided by the Humane Society of Escambia County, Alabama. Click here to return to the story.
It’s Official: School Is Open Tuesday
September 2, 2008
It’s official…the Escambia County School District has announced that schools in the county will be open on Tuesday.
“School officials monitored local effects of Hurricane Gustav over the weekend and have conducted post-storm evaluations of schools and work sites to ensure safe operations for Tuesday,” Ronnie Arnold, district spokesperson said Monday afternoon.
Schools were closed Monday because of the Labor Day holiday.
Pictured above: For the second weekend in a row, hurricane shutters were up at Ernest Ward Middle School and other schools in North Escambia. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Century To Hold Budget Workshop, Council Meeting Tonight
September 2, 2008
The Century Town Council will hold a public workshop this afternoon prior to a regular council meeting.
Department heads and council members will discuss the town’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The budget workshop will be held at the town hall beginning at 5 p.m. A regular council meeting, moved to today because of yesterday’s Labor Day holiday, will be held at 7 p.m.
The public is invited to both meetings.
Power Outages Scattered
September 1, 2008
(Updated 5:15 p.m.) Gulf Power and Escambia River Electric Cooperative are reporting just scattered power outages across the county
Gulf Power reported as many as 4,600 people without power at one time Monday morning, but that number was down to 494 customers by last Monday afternoon.
EREC reports just scattered outages, with most restored very quickly by EREC crews across northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
To report a power outage:
- Gulf Power: (800) GU-POWER
- EREC: (877) OUT-EREC
Don’t forget…if the power goes out, you can still access NorthEscambia.com on your cellphone at www.northescambia.com.
Tropical Storm Ike Forms
September 1, 2008
Tropical Storm Ike formed Monday afternoon with winds of 50 mph.
The storm is in the Atlantic, about 1400 miles from the Leeward Islands. It is moving west at 16 mph.
Ike is likely to become a hurricane in the next couple of days.
North Escambia Weather Forecast
September 1, 2008
(Updated 4:30 p.m.) North Escambia remains under a tornado watch and a flash flood watch until midnight.
Here is the weather forecast:
Tonight: Cloudy with showers likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 70s. Southeast winds 15 to 20 mph becoming east 5 to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Tuesday: Cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the mid 80s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Hurricane Hanna Forms Monday
September 1, 2008
Hurricane Hanna formed Monday afternoon near the southeastern Bahamas.
Winds were at 75 mph, with additional strengthening forecast over the next several days.
The National Hurricane Center forecast takes the storm toward the Georgia coast on Friday as a Category 1 hurricane.
Schools Prepared For Storm
September 1, 2008
Schools in Escambia County are prepared for Hurricane Gustav and the expected tropical storm conditions in North Escambia.
Hurricane shutters were put up Friday in advance of the storm, and on Saturday school buses were recalled to central locations from the homes of bus drivers.
The district is monitoring the progress of Gustav and conditions in Escambia County.
School District spokesperson Ronnie Arnold said district personnel would be assigned to the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center to monitor the hurricane.
Information about school on Tuesday will be relayed to school district employees by email and to the public via news organizations such as NorthEscambia.com.
School is already out on Monday for the Labor Day holiday. As for now, officials say be prepared for school to be in session on Tuesday.
Pictured above: School buses in Escambia County were recalled Saturday from bus driver homes to central locations, such as this parking lot at Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured below: For the second weekend in a row, hurricane shutters are up at Ernest Ward and other schools across North Escambia. NorthEscambia.com photos.
Gulf Power, EREC Are Prepared For Gustav
September 1, 2008
Gulf Power Company and Escambia River Electric are prepared for whatever Gustav brings to North Escambia.
“We have a storm-tested restoration plan and we’re preparing for widespread power outages,” John Hutchinson, corporate services general manager said. “We’re prepared to activate our emergency operation center and each Gulf Power employee has a specific storm duty to ensure that power is restored quickly and safely.”
“We are watching Gustav closely and all emergency response personnel are ready to respond to whatever the storm may bring our way. Additional co-op crews are on stand-by status to speed the recovery process if needed,” said Clay Campbell, EREC CEO and general manager.
Gulf Power is also checking with neighboring utilities and contractors to put crews on standby in case outside workers are needed. After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Gulf Power brought in more than 4,000 outside workers. The company is also checking its supplies of materials and reviewing storm assignments.
“We will work as fast and as safely as possible,” Hutchinson said. “We ask our customers to please be patient.”
Hutchinson said if the hurricane does effect us in Northwest Florida, Gulf Power crews would more than likely be sent to help neighboring states restore power, something the utility does almost anytime a hurricane strikes in the Southeast.
“We work a hurricane somewhere almost every year,” Hutchinson said. “The good part about that is that our crews are very well tested and have more experience in emergency restoration operations than other utilities across the country.”
EREC is also prepared to help electric cooperatives in neighboring states if there is little damage here.
“As a Touchstone Energy® cooperative, EREC is part of a vast network of member-owned electric co-ops committed to superior service. Assisting fellow cooperatives in times of need is an essential part of the Touchstone Energy® network,” Campbell said.
Gulf Power is able to detect most widespread outages during a storm and customers should wait a reasonable time before calling in an outage report. The number to call for reporting outages is 1-800-GU-POWER (487-6937).
EREC customers should call (8877) OUT-EREC (688-3732) to report a power outage.