Free Clothing Available Today In Jay
September 5, 2009
The Community Clothes Closet will be open today from 9 until noon at the Jay Community Center.
Everything is free for those in need. For more information, contact Wendy at (850) 686-6124
Northview Football Preview
September 4, 2009
First-year Northview High School Head Football Coach Sid Wheatley has been looking forward to this day, and he’s confident that it will be good one.
The Chiefs open their football season tonight against Graceville, and Wheatley is ready.
“You always start the year a little nervous,” he said Thursday night. “But I feel like we have worked hard, and we are in great shape. We are ready.”
He has worked as an assistant coach at Northview for the past four years, so he knows the young men that will suit up in the garnet and gold, and they know him. It was a good, ready to work relationship when Wheatley took over as head coach just three weeks before the season’s first game.
Friday night’s final score, Wheatley said, will depend on just a few factors.
“It’s a matter of execution,” he said. “We just need to limit our mistakes, play smart and play hard.”
The Chiefs, who were 2-8 last season, will have one really big challenge tonight against Graceville, 8-3 last year. His name is Leron Hoover, a 230 pound running back that had 1,200 yards last year as Graceville advanced all the way to regionals.
Perhaps the Chief’s big strong point is 20 seniors in this year’s lineup, and Wheatley said those seniors have been instrumental in providing leadership and motivation for the entire team. Seniors to watch this season include John Sellars, Anthony Pierce, Brian Knight and Austin Cooper.
Chris Sheets is expected to be a standout this year at defensive back/wide receiver. Sheets had 36 tackles, one interception and 564 yards receiving last season. His brother Brandon Sheets, a sophomore, will be snapping the ball as quarterback for the Chiefs. Senior Brad Lowery will also have the QB job this year.
Austin Arrington, Shakel Holmes, Ka’Daris Grice and Aaron Chancery, Sameul Cooler, Tarus Thomas, and Montaio Mitchell will be other names likely to heard a lot on the stadium’s public address system.
The Chiefs are a classification lower this year, meaning more district games. Northview is now Class 2A District 1 with Jay, Baker, Vernon, Sneeds, Freeport, Holmes County, South Walton and Bozeman.
“We are excited about the new class; it will bring a lot of excitement,” Wheatley said. “It is going to be a very competitive district. We are going to work and put ourselves were we want to be.”
A big highlight of the new district will be the mid-season October 23 game at Jay. The Royals are an old rival, but the two teams have not met since 2004. Jay won that game 27-7.
Northview’s first district game is a week away on September 11 at home against South Walton.
Pictured above: The seniors for the Chiefs: (front row, L-R) Phillip Coon, Casey Hare, Steven Long, Sam Cooler, Coach Sid Wheatley, Austin Cooper, Lance Yuhasz, Shakel Holmes, Chris Sheets, Dayton Porter; (back row, L-R) James Shook, Devin Moorer, Ka’Daris Grice, Aaron Chancery, Wesley Morris, Anthony Pierce, Brian Knight, John Sellars, Seth Leonard, Jeremy Jackson, Brad Lowery. Submitted photo by Lisa Chancery for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured inset: Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley Thursday at night at the annual Meet the Chiefs event. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Are You Going To A Football Game Tonight? Take Your Camera!
September 4, 2009
If you are going to a football game tonight — we want you to take your camera and send us pictures.
Whether you will be going to the Northview, Flomaton, Escambia Academy or Escambia County High School game, NorthEscambia.com wants your pictures. (Jay is off this week — but we will be looking for Royals fan photos next week.)
Email your photos to news@northescambia.com and you just might see them in a photo gallery here Saturday or Sunday morning. Game action, cheerleaders, bands, fans in the stands or just you and your friends cheering on your team…we want all kinds of photos.
And don’t forget the scores and stats — we want those too.
It’s your chance to join the NorthEscambia.com Sports Team.
(And, if you are interesting in being a real sports reporter or photographer, send us an email. We want talk to you; email us.)
Bull Bash Ticket Winners Named
September 4, 2009
Four lucky people are headed to Saturday night’s Bull Bash Blowout in Flomaton, courtesy of NorthEscambia.com and the Tri-Cities Rotary Club.
Tri Cities Rotary Club, MK Farm and Rafter L Farm will present the second annual Bull Bash Blowout Saturday with a live concert from Middle Ground. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m., entertainment starts at 7:00 and the bull riding starts at 8 p.m. at Highway 31 and Highway 113 in Flomaton. Adult tickets are $12, student tickets are $7 and kids under five will be admitted free. Some seating will be provided, but spectators are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
Bull Bash ticket winners are:
- Tracy James, Jay
- Cassie Cufr, Century
- Kristina Wood, Flomaton
- Tiffany Johnson, Flomaton
Some of the top bull riders from the Southeast will be on hand Saturday night to ride some of the meanest bulls the South has to offer, according to event organizers.
Concessions including hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ and all the fixings will be available. For football fans, there will also be a big screen TV and satellite to watch the college games.
For more information, call (251) 363-9805, (251) 446-7472 or (251) 236-1100.
Vendors are also welcome. Call (251) 236-1100 for more information. Vendors must furnish their own electricity.
The Tri-City Rotary Club’s membership area includes Flomaton, Century and Jay.
Winners release NorthEscambia.com of all liability associated with entering or winning this contest. Email addresses will be used only to notify winners. Winners receive one adult ticket each.
Monthly Barrineau Park Music Night Is Tonight
September 4, 2009
There’s some good entertainment on stage tonight in Barrineau Park — and it’s free.
The monthly Barrineau Park Music Night will be tonight at the Barrineau Park Community Center. The featured groups tonight are “Joyful Sound” and “TruGrass”.
The singing starts at 7 p.m. and is free. Food and refreshments will also be available beginning at 6 p.m.
The event is family-friendly — no alcohol is permitted on the property, and no smoking is allowed in or near the building.
For more information, call (850) 587-5575.
The Barrineau Park Community Center is located on Barrineau Park School road, about three miles west of Molino.
Pictured: TruGrass (top) and Joyful Sounds (below) will perform at the monthly Barrineau Park Music Night tonight. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Ernest Ward Football Tonight
September 3, 2009
A reminder — tonight’s football season opener for the Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles against Perdido was been canceled.
School officials said Perdido canceled the game because the school did not have enough players for a team.
The Eagles will open their season Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. on the road in Excel.
$10 Youth Sports Fee Won’t Pass Commission
September 3, 2009
Escambia commissioners Kevin White and Wilson Robertson both say they will not vote to support a $10 per child, per youth sport fee. With only four commissioners expected at tonight’s commission meeting, the so-called “kiddie-tax” is expected to fail.
Commissioner Gene Valentino is not expected to be at tonight’s commission meeting due to a death in his family. With two of four commissioners voting against the plan, it will fail. Commissioners Marie Young and Grover Robinson did not indicate how they plan to vote at tonight’s meeting.
Both commissioners made their comments against the $10 youth sports fee at this morning’s Escambia County Commission agenda review session.
For more on the proposal, click here for a Tuesday NorthEscambia.com story.
For a NorthEscambia.com blog where we spoke out against the proposal, click here.
Erika Weakens To Depression Status
September 3, 2009
(Updated 4 p.m.) Erika has weakened to a a tropical depression, and the storm is not expected to regain tropical storm strength during the next five days.
The center of Tropical Depression Erika was located near latitude 16.7 north, longitude 65.3 west or about 130 miles south-southeast of San Juan Puerto Rico and about 325 miles east-southeast of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph. A turn toward the west-northwest is expected tonight, and this motion is expected to continue until dissipation. On the forecast track, Erika or its remnants are expected to pass south of Puerto Rico tonight and be near or over Hispaniola on Friday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Some weakening is forecast in the next 24 hours and Erika is expected to become a remnant low on Friday. Erika could also degenerate into a tropical wave at any time.
Make Some Noise: Meet The Chiefs Tonight
September 3, 2009
The Northview High School Quarterback Club will sponsor the annual “Meet the Chiefs” tonight at the NHS stadium.
Planned festivities for the night include performances by the Northview Chiefs Tribal Beat Marching Band, the Northview High School cheerleaders and the introduction of the 2009 Northview varsity and junior varsity Chiefs.
As a fundraiser for the football team, each player is currently selling $6 tickets for a hot dog dinner with two hot dogs, chips and a drink. The Quarterback Club will also be selling a variety of items such as t-shirts, cowbells, gold shakers, business signs, magnets and the new 2009 football program.
The gates will open at 6 p.m. and the hot dog dinners will be available at 6:30. All festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m.
The concession stand will only be serving the hot dog dinner platters and individual drinks. Meal tickets will be available at the gate. The meal tickets will be required to receive the hot dog platter. The concession stand will close at 7:25 so that parents who are working will be able to enjoy the program.
The Quarterback Club encourages everyone to join them for “Meet the Chiefs” night and be ready to “Make…Some…Noise!”.
Tropical Storm Erika Forms
September 1, 2009
Tropical Storm Erika formed Tuesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
The center of Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 17.2 north, longitude 57.3 west or about 390 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. Erika is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph. This general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. On this track the center of Erika is expected to remain to the northeast of the Leeward Islands.
Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days. Forecasters currently do not believe Ericka will move into the Gulf of Mexico. However, the forecast cone for the storm is very wide, and the storm could threaten Florida in a few days. Most forecast models are predicting that the storm will miss the United States altogether.