Jay Christmas Parade Is Saturday
November 23, 2012
The first area Christmas parade of the season is this Saturday in Jay.
The parade will lineup at the Bray-Hendricks Park behind city hall at 9 a.m. The parade will roll through downtown Jay at 10 a.m.
The Jay Historical Society will also sponsor the first annual Cotton Festival Saturday with over 40 vendors, children’s activities, entertainment and an antique car show. The Jay Historical Society’s museum will also be open, featuring crafts made from cotton.
Much Colder Temps Coming
November 22, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 42. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Light northwest wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 60. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 27. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 71.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 63.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 66.
Cut Cable Leaves Some Walnut Hill Residents Without Phone, Internet
November 21, 2012
A few hundred Frontier Communications customers lost phone and internet service this afternoon due to a cable cut in Walnut Hill. The cable was reportedly cut by a contractor digging for the installation of new utility poles along Arthur Brown Road near Kansas Road. The outage includes areas along Arthur Brown Road, Juniper Street, Cypress Street and Pine Forest Road. Service is expected to be restored by this evening. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Thanksgiving Week Forecast
November 19, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 44. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 72. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Calm wind.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
County Considers Gas Tax Hike Monday; Century Says It’s Unfair To All North Escambia
November 18, 2012
The Town of Century is calling for the Escambia County Commission to reject a four-cent gas tax increase because it would be unfair to North Escambia residents.
The commission will consider the gas tax hike at a special meeting Monday in order to fund the ECAT bus system.
In a letter to commissioners, Century Town Council President Ann Brooks said “the proposed gasoline tax would adversely affect the Town of Century”. Brooks, who also represents the town on county’s Mass Transit Advisory Committee, said service stations are Century’s largest class of businesses. She said gas is typically cheaper in nearby Alabama, due in part to 27 cents in lower taxes than Florida.
“The gas tax in Florida is 53.4 cents while in Alabama it is only 26.4 cents per gallon. If the taxes on gas are increased by four cents a gallon, these service stations in close proximity to Alabama will likely go out of business,” Brooks wrote.
She said that while the entire county would suffer through a gas tax hike for public transportation, North Escambia residents would not benefit. ECAT provides limited service to Century, Cantonment and Molino — with one bus making stops in the mornings as early as 6:15, midday and nights as late at 7:05.
“The residents of Walnut Hill, Davisville, Bratt, Byrneville, and McDavid have to find transportation to Century or Molino to be able to take advantage of ECAT. The options for public transportation for the north end of Escambia County are few and not good ones,” she said.
If approved, the increased gas tax is expected to net the county about $4 million when it takes effect no earlier than January 2014. It currently costs the county about $3.2 million to fund the Escambia County Area Transit System, plus about $3.7 million from grants from the state and federal governments.
Escambia County currently collects 10-cents in tax per gallon — a direct seven-cent levy plus a three-cent levy collected by the state and returned to the county.
The public hearing on the proposed gas tax increase is set for Monday, November 19 at 10:30 a.m.
A Few Clouds Forecast
November 18, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 5 mph.
- Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 44. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 72. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
Weekend: Sunny And Cool
November 17, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 66. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. North wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. North wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.
- Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Saturday: Art On The Farm, Gift And Craft Fairs
November 16, 2012
Three Saturday events will offer local residents a chance to get an early jump on Christmas shopping with unique items.
Art at the Farm
The annual Art at the Farm will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 8600 Rease Seales Road in Walnut Hill. Ceramics, pottery, water colors, acrylics, wood cuts, jewelry, glass blower, pony rides, live music and more. Kid friendly event. For more info or directions, visit www.artatthefarm.blogspot.com
Holiday Craft Fair
Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church will host an indoor Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon with local farmers and crafters offering unique and original gift ideas at 699 South Highway 95A in Cantonment. Available items will include goat milk bath and body products, olive wood prayer crosses from Bethlehem, homemade jams and jellies, sun catchers, pop-top bracelets, handmade hair bows, fresh baked goods and much more. A second Holiday Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, December 1.
Holiday Gift and Craft Show
The 3rd Annual Holiday Gift and Craft Show at Plainview Baptist Church, 1101 West Nile Mile Road, will held Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Items include jewelry, candy apples, home decor, scarves, purses, homemade jelly, cosmetics, chocolates, soap, lamps, paintings, candles and much more.
Florida EBT System Working Again
November 16, 2012
The state’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card system is currently active and processing transactions after a national outage of JPMorgan services left clients of federal assistance in Florida and several other states unable to use their cards to purchase items.
Earlier today EBT card holders were not able to use their cards for normal processing at grocery, convenience and other stores that accept EBT cards.
EBT cards are used by recipients of cash and food assistance for purchases in approved stores.
Florida Won’t Meet Friday Obamacare Deadline
November 16, 2012
Florida will not meet a Friday deadline to determine what course it will take to implement a key part of the 2010 federal health overhaul, the Legislature’s incoming leaders wrote in a letter Thursday to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Incoming Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said in a joint statement that the state won’t meet the deadline for mapping out a general plan to establish insurance exchanges.
That won’t happen until after lawmakers meet in March, the leaders said. In the meantime, lawmakers need more information on the program.
“Two factors prevent immediate state action on the establishment of an exchange,” the letter said.”First, the Legislature has not authorized the governor or any state agency or other entity to develop and operate an exchange, and no such authority can be established until the Legislature convenes in March. Second, the state lacks sufficient information to fully evaluate the potential impact of choosing one exchange model over another. The first issue will be addressed through the debate and decisions expected to occur during the 2013 legislative session. However, resolution of the second issue depends on the ability of your agency to provide answers to numerous critical questions.”
Hoping for repeal of the federal law, the Republican-led Legislature has waited until after the 2012 presidential election to begin the process of implementing what has come to be known as ObamaCare. With the re-election of President Barack Obama and a continued Democratic majority in the Senate, repeal efforts have been dashed, at least for the next four years.
By The News Service of Florida