Century To Discuss Animal Control Ordinance During Workshop Meeting
November 25, 2013
The Town of Century is continuing to hammer out the details of a controversial new ordinance banning or severely limiting most barnyard animals in the town.
The town council will hold a workshop to discuss the ordinance Tuesday afternoon at 2:00. The workshop will be open to the public; however, no public comments will be heard during the meeting. A public hearing on the ordinance will be held on Monday, December 2 at 7 p.m.
A week ago, the council held a first reading of an ordinance that will make it illegal to keep a horse, mule, donkey, goat, sheep, or cow within the town limits except in areas that are zoned agricultural or rural residential. Hogs are already prohibited in all areas of the town.
The ordinance will also set minimum lot sizes in the agricultural and rural residential areas in order to keep livestock. A minimum lot size of one acre per horse or donkey will be required, and a minimum lot size of one-half acre per goat will also be required. Structures for livestock, such as barns, feed lots and stables, will not be allowed within 200 feet of a dwelling belonging to another individual or within 200 feet of property that is zoned residential. In addition, all barnyard animals and livestock must be kept at least 200 feet from any property line.
During Tuesday’s workshop, the council will consider an amended ordinance that will allow animals currently in the town limits to be grandfathered in. The grandfather exemption would apply to the life of an animal; once the animal dies or is sold, the grandfather provision would no longer apply.
Pictured top: A small group of protestors hold signs against a proposed barnyard animal ordinance during a Century Town Council meeting last Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Rain Moving In, Turning Colder
November 25, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Rain. Temperature rising to around 61 by 3am. East wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then rain after noon. Temperature falling to around 55 by 5pm. East wind around 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Tuesday Night: Rain likely, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 25. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 51. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 27. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph after midnight.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 58. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 63.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
- Monday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
Cooler Weather This Week
November 24, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. North wind around 15 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday: A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Rain. Low around 51. Northeast wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
- Tuesday: Rain. High near 59. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Tuesday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 42. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 32. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
- Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 54.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
Turning Colder Tonight; Sunny Sunday
November 23, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A 20 percent chance of rain before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. North wind around 15 mph.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind around 15 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday: A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Rain. Low around 51. Northeast wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
- Tuesday: Rain. High near 59. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Tuesday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 42. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 32. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
- Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 54.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
Friday Night Playoff Finals
November 23, 2013
Here are final scores from tonight’s playoff action:
Cottondale 34, Northview 28 [Read more...]
Blountstown 34, Port St Joe 0
Catholic 26, West Florida 20
Niceville 38, Lincoln 17
Leeds 24, T.R. Miller 20
Operation Christmas Child Central Continues At FBC Bratt
November 23, 2013
Volunteers are busy at the First Baptist Church of Bratt during “National Collection Week” for Operation Christmas Child. For the 20th year, the simple, gift-filled shoe boxes will bring Christmas joy and evangelistic materials to children in over 130 countries across the world.
National Collection Week for OCC continues through November 25. The First Baptist Church of Bratt will be the official OCC Relay Center for the north end of Escambia County, Florida. The FBC Bratt will also accept boxes from individuals, groups or churches in and Escambia County, Alabama, again this year.3
“This is not about the FBC of Bratt”, says Student Pastor Tim Hawsey, Relay Center coordinator. “This is about being a blessing and bringing God’s love and hope to children in poverty around the world that would not receive it otherwise. We have gone through the intense process of been approved as a church to be a Relay Center to collect the boxes from individuals, families, and churches of our area, document and pack them into special cartons and take them to the next level for Samaritan’s Purse, and we are blessed to do it.”
Collection hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt will be:
- Saturday, Nov. 23: 8 a.m. – noon
- Sunday, Nov. 24: 8 a.m. – noon, 4-6 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 25: 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.
The boxes collected this year at FBC Bratt will go through the Atlanta Processing Center then will be shipped to the countries of Belize, Botswana, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Haiti, Macedonia, Madagascar, Niger, Seychelles, Suriname, Trinidad, Tobago, and the Ukraine.
Operation Christmas Child boxes should be packed in a specific manner, and there are changes this year. For more information, call Hawsey at the First Baptist Church of Bratt at (850) 327-6529, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ, or call (800) 353-5949. Resources are available for churches that wish to participate.
Unemployment Inches Downward
November 23, 2013
The latest job numbers released Friday the unemployment level inching down across entire three-county North Escambia area — as Florida’s unemployment rate also dropped.
Escambia County’s unemployment dropped from 6.5 percent to 6.1 percent from September to October There were 8,582 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 7.8 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment fell from 5.8 to 5.4 percent from September to October. Santa Rosa County had a total of 4,054 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 6.7 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment dropped from 8.3 percent in September to 8.0 percent in October. That represented 1,116 people unemployed in the county during he month.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in October 2013, down 0.1 percentage point over the month, and down 1.5 percentage points from 8.2 percent a year ago. The state’s October rate was the lowest since August 2008 when it also was 6.7 percent.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.5 percent in October, was up from September’s revised rate f 6.4 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 7.1 percent.
Pictured top: Gov. Rick Scott announces the latest Florida unemployment data Friday morning in Lake Mary, FL. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Benefit Events Saturday At Equestrian Center
November 22, 2013
There will be two benefit events this Saturday at the Equestrian Center on Mobile Highway.
The Crazy Acres Ranch Horse Show, benefiting Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, starts at 8 a.m Saturday. The event will include a costume contest, three and four barrel races, a cake walk, and other fun events. For more information, call Rhonda Jones at (850) 206-8113.
Children’s Charitable Services (CCS) Bulls & Barrels includes exhibition barrel racing from 10 a.m. to noon, a 4D barrel race at 1 p.m., and open barrel racing, bull riding, and mutton busting at 7 p.m. The event benefits Isaiah Mainer, Caleb Owens and Wyatt Oglesby. For tickets or other information, call Kim Jones at (850) 525-5334.
Both events will have a full service concession stand for spectators.
Cantonment Highway 29 Wreck Claims One Life
November 22, 2013
For an update to this story, click here.
A wreck involving a semi-truck and a car claimed one life about 10:45 Thursday night at the intersection of Highway 29 and Muscogee Road in Cantonment.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 48-year old Melvin Pryear of Cantonment was traveling north on Highway 29 in a 2004 Chrysler Sebring when he turned into the path of a southbound 2000 Volvo 18-wheeler driven by 60-year old Standford Britts of Medina, OH. The FHP said that according to multiple witnesses, both north and southbound Highway 29 had a green light, but there was no green turn arrow for Pryear.
The front of the 18-wheeler struck the Chrysler, causing it to rotate onto the southbound shoulder at the Raceway gas station. A passenger in the Chrysler, 54-year old Albertina McCarty of Pensacola, was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County EMS.
Pryear was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with serious injuries. Britts was not injured.
Charged in the accident are pending, according to the FHP. The Cantonment, Ensley and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the accident.
Pictured: The semi involved in a fatal crash Thursday night at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Chiefs Aim For Regional Championship Tonight In Cottondale
November 22, 2013
The defending 1A state champion Northview Chiefs will lay it all on the line tonight in Cottondale as they take on the Hornets for the Region 1-1A championship.
Both are teams are coming into the game as district runner-ups. The Chiefs (4-6) are coming off a 22-19 road win against District 2-1A champion Vernon Yellow Jackets. Cottondale (7-4) beat the District 1-1A champion Baker Gators 28-23.
The winner of tonight’s Northview-Cottondale game will face the winner of the Blountstown vs. Port St. Joe in the state semi-finals next week on the road to the state championship game December 6 in Orlando.
Directions To Cottondale’s Stadium (137 miles from Northview):
- Traveling east on Interstate I-10 take exit 130 toward Cottondale/Dothan AL.
- Take 231 N for about 3 miles to the first traffic light (HWY 90).
- Turn right onto HWY 90 East.
- Travel past Cottondale High School, take next right onto Zion St.
- Travel to the 4-way stop, turn left onto Thomas St.
- The football field is on the right.
Map: Click here.
Pictured top: Northview head football Coach Sid Wheatley celebrates victory last Friday night in Vernon. Pictured below: Northview beat Vernon 22-19. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
