Part 2: Inside Century Correctional Institution
July 16, 2013
Today, we continue our look inside the Century Correctional Institution with a look at how prisoners are educated and prepared for release. Our series will continue this week inside the medical unit, the chapel, the prison’s most secure housing unit and more.
Inside the prison, a big focus is put on what happens to an inmate once he’s back on the outside with the rest of society. One instructor, Jimmy Rawlinson, heads up Century Correctional’s education programs. (Pictured top are computer work stations in the education department. The inmate computers do not have internet access.)
Over 50 inmates have earned their GED’s this year, and 28 have earned a Florida Ready To Work certification. The Ready to Work program is reserved for inmates that are just a few months away from their release, preparing them to become productive members of society. A English as a Second Language class is also available. and the Mavis Beacon software program is used to teach inmates typing.
A garden has been established withing the perimeter of the prison. Not only does it provide food; it also provides discipline.
Inmates receive time in the garden as a disciplinary action. In the garden, they weed and water by hand.
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During our visit to the prison library, inmates worked quietly, shelving books.
Inside the Century CI Library is a room (pictured above) that offers a glimmer of hope to inmates looking to get out of prison. It’s a complete law library available to inmates wishing to file motions or formulate their appeal. Several inmates serve as trained law clerks, providing assistance to other inmates. Approved inmates can conduct law research on computers, but there is no internet access on the machines.
In the main library, there was bulletin board celebrating America’s 237th birthday. And a large red sign that seemed very ironic in a prison — “Sign Out Here”.
The remainder of library contains thousands of volumes like any ordinary library. Inmates can check out books and return them in a couple of weeks. But at the Century CI library, the books and magazines have been screened with no descriptive material about prison escapes or weapons, and no sexually suggestive images.
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Next to the CCI Library is the Residential Therapeutic Community. There are 14 employees that provide counseling and substance abuse programs to 160 inmates a day, based upon a community participation approach. The entire program takes just over a year to complete.
The program includes 10 classes geared toward re-entry into society after release, education and self-improvement. The participating inmates are segregated from the general population to avoid reinforcement of negative behaviors.
The Residential Therapeutic Community is all about positive re-enforcement. The building’s walls are lined with motivational signs and paintings, all created by the inmates. Several are pictured below.
Our series “Inside Century Correctional Institution” continues this week on NorthEscambia.com.
Relay For Life Seeks Volunteers
July 16, 2013
Relay For Life of Greater Escambia is seeking volunteers – community leaders, cancer survivors, caregivers, and all others – to join the 2014 Steering Committee. Relay Steering Committee members are essential to the planning and implementation of this life-saving fundraising event.
The Steering Committee is made up of local volunteers that want to help the American Cancer Society fight cancer. Committee members have the opportunity to take on a variety of roles, including team or sponsor recruitment, fundraising, survivor and caregiver recognition, publicity, mission education, and more. The Steering Committee meets throughout the Relay season to plan all aspects of the event and coordinate a unique and special community experience.
Greater Escambia’s 2013 event was held at Tate High School on May 3-4 and has raised more than $70,000. Plans for 2014 are underway, and the 2014 committee will hold its first meeting in early September.
Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, with events in more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries. Every year, the Relay For Life movement raises more than $400 million which helps fund groundbreaking research and free information and services for cancer patients and their caregivers.
Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at an athletic track, park or other gathering area. The events are held overnight to honor and symbolize a cancer patient’s journey through treatment. Teams do most of their fundraising before the event and many host entertaining fundraisers during the event. All funds raised through Relay For Life help the American Cancer Society save more lives by helping people stay well, get well, by finding cures and by fighting back.
For more information about joining the fight against cancer with Relay For Life, contact Event Chair Pat Clements at (850) 776-2944 or Ashley Marg with the American Cancer Society at (850) 266-2280.
Pictured top and below: The survivor and caregiver laps kick of the Greater Escambia Relay for Life last May at Tate High School. Pictured inset: Tate senior Halee Boyd, who is battling cancer, addresses the Relay crowd. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Registration Event Scheduled For Danceworks Classes
July 16, 2013
Registration is underway for Heather Leonard’s Danceworks, and a registration event will be held Monday in Byrneville.
The registration will be from5:30 until 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Byrneville Community Center, or students can register by mail.
Ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop classes will be taught by Heather Leonard beginning the week of August 20 for girls ages 3 and up, including classes for teens. Leonard has taught dance to hundreds of girls from North Escambia and surrounding areas. She is also the coach for the Northview High School Dance Team.
For a printable information sheet, schedule and registration form, click here. For further information, contact Heather Leonard at (850) 529-1358 or email hldanceworks@gmail.com.
Pictured: Scenes from the Heather Leonard’s Danceworks recital “Dancing at the Movies” last May at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Christmas In July Angel Tree Project To Benefit Equine Group
July 14, 2013
Angel Trees in several area businesses will benefit a Cantonment equine rescue group and their foster horses.
Panhandle Equine Rescue has set up Angel Trees in various stores that will remain there through the month of July. There are 20 stars on each tree with a photo that represents each of the group’s foster horses with their needs listed on the back of the star. The star also includes a contact number to call and donate the requested items.
The Angel Trees are located at:
- Southern Mill & Supply at 1280 Hwy. 97 in Molino
- John Kiley’s Cycle World at 8500 Pensacola Blvd. in Pensacola
- Companion Animal Clinic at 470 S. Hwy. 29 in Cantonment
- Tractor Supply at 3 W. Nine Mile Rd. in Pensacola
- Tractor Supply at 6531 Caroline St. in Milton
- Aubrey Hill Boarding Facility in Pace
- Farm and Nursery Mart at 7460 Pine Forest Road in Pensacola
- Pine Forest Vet Clinic at 6860 Pine Forest Road in Pensacola
- Pine Forest Saddlery at 7801 Pine Forest Road in Pensacola
Pictured: The Panhandle Equine Rescue Angel Tree at Southern Mill and Supply on Highway 97 in Molino. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Beach Air Show Goes On Without The Blue Angels (Photos)
July 13, 2013
For the first time in over 20 years, the Blue Angels were missing from the Pensacola Beach Air Show on Friday.
The crowds were light for the practice show, a warm up for the big Saturday show with two dozen civilian aircraft. But about the only way the dress rehearsal could have gone better would have been to have the iconic Blue Angels in the air.
Here is a scheduled for Saturday’s show:
- Pre-show: Hotelier Julian MacQueen, Widgeon.
- 1 p.m. show opener: Team Aerodynamix flying the missing man formation to the National Anthem.
- Dual and solo aerobatics, Gary Ward and Skip Stewart.
- Two-plane demonstration, Lima Lima.
- Dog fight, Red Star & The Dragon jets.
- Solo aerobatics, Kevin Coleman.
- Solo, Otto the Helicopter piloted by Roger Buis.
- 2:12 p.m. 20-minute water break for crowd.
- 2:42 p.m. 11-plane formation, Team Aerodynamix.
- Solo aerobatics, Skip Stewart.
- Solo aerobatics, Gary Ward.
- Six-plane formation, Lima Lima.
“We will miss the Blue Angels, but come and show your support of the Blues in a move of solidarity,” Santa Rosa Island Authority Director Buck Lee said. “It should be fun for the entire family.”
Pictured above and below: Friday’s Pensacola Beach Air Show dress rehearsal. Photos by: Perry Doggrell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
July Gardening Tips
July 13, 2013
The heat, humidity and frequent rains of July are great for tropical plants. Gardeners, however, take a bit of a beating. Remember to keep the sunscreen, insect repellant and iced tea handy as you venture out into your garden to perform some needed summer maintenance.
A midsummer application of fertilizer is usually required, especially on annual flowers, lawns, shrub beds and vegetable gardens. This is a supplemental application, so don’t overdo it. A 15-0-15 slow-release fertilizer is a good general purpose landscape fertilizer for most plants.
Major pruning jobs should have been done earlier, but there is still some maintenance pruning that should be done. Deadhead, or clip old flowers, from summer flowering shrubs as soon as they fade to help insure an extended season of bloom. Crape myrtles, hibiscus, hydrangeas and althea are examples of shrubs that will bloom repeatedly if light, selective pruning is done.
Flowering annuals also respond well to deadheading. Snip off old flowers and flower spikes before they have an opportunity to form seed. Allowing annual flowers to set seed can shorten their blooming season considerably.
Inspect your lawn and shrub plantings frequently in order to identify pest problems as early as possible. The most severe damage from pest insects normally begins in July. Be on the lookout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass; spittlebugs in centipede grass; sod webworm in all lawns-especially new ones; lacebug and caterpillars on azaleas; whiteflies on gardenia and spider mites on lots of different types of shrubs.
Sod webworms often attack lawns in the summer. They eat the grass blades producing areas that look as if they have been mowed too short. Close inspection will reveal that the blades have not been cleanly cut as with a mower blade but have been chewed along their edges and tips. These caterpillars feed at night and rest during the day down among the runners and in the thatch.
Once an insect pest is found, evaluate the damage and determine if control is necessary. If it is, choose the least toxic option. If only a few caterpillars are found, hand picking might be the choice. Aphids and spider mites can often be controlled by spraying with an insecticidal soap solution. Chemical insecticides are sometimes required. Before choosing one be sure that the insect pest has been properly identified and that the insecticide is labeled for that purpose For vegetable gardeners that have problems with nematodes, soil borne diseases and extensive weed problems, July is a great time to try soil solarization.
Prepare the soil as you normally would for a vegetable garden including adding organic matter. Moisten the area and cover with clear plastic, not black plastic. Clear plastic will produce the highest temperatures. Be sure to weigh down the edges of the plastic so that it doesn’t blow up. Allow the soil to bake in the sun for four to six weeks. The sun will raise the soil temperature high enough to kill many soil borne problems.
Tip of the Week: The nice thing about tomatoes is that you have the option of harvesting when the fruit is green if needed. Tomatoes will ripen indoors at room temperature. To ensure even ripening, place the tomato with the stem up. The ideal time to harvest tomatoes is when they are fully colored but still firm.
In general, it is best to harvest vegetables early in the mornings while the moisture content is higher. The overall quality will quickly diminish as vegetables are exposed to hotter temperatures later in the day.
Photos: Blue Angels Back In The Skies Over Pensacola
July 11, 2013
The Blue Angels were back in the skies over Pensacola on Wednesday. While the Blue Angels’ 2013 air show season may have been canceled due to budget constraints, the pilots fly proficiency flights to maintain their qualifications in the F/A-18 Hornets.
Scroll down for more photos with captions.
Submitted photos by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Terrence Siren for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Above: The Blue Angels take off from Naval Air Station Pensacola Wednesday for proficiency flights to maintain their qualifications in the F/A-18.
Above: Blue Angels Commanding Officer and Flight Leader Cmdr. Tom Frosch taxis his F/A-18 Hornet down the runway prior to take-off.
The Blue Angels, F/A-18 Hornets go “smoke on” prior to launching a pilot proficiency flight from Naval Air Station Pensacola on Wednesday.
Above: Blue Angels Opposing Solo pilot Lt. Mark Tedrow waves to his crew chiefs prior to the launch.
Above: Crew chief Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class David Schooley of Easton, Pa., runs clear of the Number One jet.
Above: Blue Angels Maintenance and Support Team members run clear of the runway as part of a practice ground performance prior to the launch of a pilot proficiency flight.
Local Girl Going To Vegas On America’s Got Talent (With Video)
July 10, 2013
Chloe Channell of Pace is headed to Las Vegas for the next round of America’s Got Talent.
Chloe, just 11 years old, covered the country song “American Girl” by Carrie Underwood. And she quickly let the judges know that she’s not a girly-girl, but rather a deer hunting country girl at heart.
She told the celebrity judge panel that if she won the show’s top prize of $1 million, she would “get a new hunting camp”. And she had to explain to judges Mel B and Howie Mandel exactly what a hunting camp is.
“It’s like where you get big bucks and you can hang them,” Chloe said.
“The animal?” Mandel questioned.
She told him yes, but explained, “you can’t shoot babies, like Bambi babies. You have to shoot big ole bucks.” Chloe said she has not yet shot her first big buck, but she will.
After wowing the judges with her performance, Chloe receive positive praise — and four yes votes.
“I think it’s about time again, don’t you think?” celebrity judge Heidi Klum said after learning that no child had won American’s Got Talent since the first season. Judge Howard Stern said sometimes child singers start out too young and need time to mature, but not Chloe.
“I thought you were terrific…I can’t believe,” Stern said before being interrupted by applause.
“I believe, you young lady, have a career ahead of you,” Madel told the 11-year old. “You are going to be able to afford guns, and tents…dead animals…all a little girl could ever hope for.”
About Chloe Channell
Chloe Nichole Channell was born December 27, 2001, in Pensacola to Jeff and Kim Channell. Being the only girl in the family, Chloe learned quickly to not only play rough and tough, but also how to wrap even the most hardened of hearts around her tiny finger. Chloe has a way with a person that makes even strangers feel as though they have known her for years.
Chloe took the stage for the first time at the age of six, and she knew right away that it was where she wanted to be. In February of 2009, at the age of seven, Chloe became a full-time member of The Sawmill Band at the Chumuckla Farmer’s Opry.
At the age of eight, Chloe went into Coleman Studios in Navarre with a native Nashville band, to record her first self-titled CD. In addition to her performance schedule, Chloe has had a great year as a student athlete. She recently started guitar lessons, which like her singing, has come naturally to her. With only two months of lessons beneath her belt, she has already begun to perform with her guitar. Her love of music is apparent each time she steps out on stage.
The two artists that have inspired Chloe the most are Loretta Lynn and Martina McBride. She admires Loretta Lynn’s ability to tell a story through her music. With her “small frame and big voice,” Chloe likes to compare herself with her all-time favorite Martina McBride.
Chloe has performed in over 300 shows all across Northwest Florida, Southern Alabama, and Georgia, opening for such stars as: Tracy Bird, Rodney Adkins, Little Big Town, Craig Morgan, Ronnie McDowell, Gene Watson, John Conlee, and the “Queen of Bluegrass” Rhonda Vincent.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Town Of Century Honors Edith Page, Longtime School Secretary
July 9, 2013
The Town of Century has issued a proclamation honoring the life of Edith Joyce Page, a longtime school secretary that passed away on June 30.
Page, a resident of Molino, served as school secretary for Carver High School and Carver Middle School in Century for 43 years. She also served as church secretary for the New Hope Primitive Baptist Church in the Cedartown community near Molino for over 45 years.
The proclamation issued by Century Mayor Freddie McCall honored Page as a “leader and icon” in the community, with a “heart and love for Century and its children”. The proclamation also recognized Page because she was “known to live her role of Christianity….putting the well-being and happiness of others before her own”.
Funeral services for Page, 73, were held Saturday at the New Hope Primitive Baptist Church.
Photos: Jay Celebrates With Fireworks
July 5, 2013
The Town of Jay and the Jay Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated the Fourth of July Thursday night with a fireworks show. Earlier in the day, arts and crafts vendors were on hand at the Bray-Hendricks City Park, along with plenty of food and entertainment. The day started with the Celebrate Freedom 5K Road Race and 1 Mile Fun Run. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
