AAA Predicts Thanksgiving Travel Rebound Near Pre-Pandemic Levels
November 26, 2021
AAA is forecasting a strong rebound in Thanksgiving holiday travelers through this weekend.
The Auto Club Group predicts 53.4 million Americans will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, up 13% from 2020. That will bring travel volumes within 5% of pre-pandemic levels for the 2019 holiday.
The gap is closing even faster in Florida, as total travel figures are only 2% below pre-pandemic levels. AAA predicts nearly 2.9 million Floridians will travel for Thanksgiving, a 13% rebound from the total number of travelers during the 2020 holiday.
With 6.4 million more Americans traveling this Thanksgiving (321,000 more Floridians), AAA expects roads and airports to be noticeably more crowded than last year’s holiday. AAA predicts road travel to increase 8%. Yet the most notable improvement this year’s holiday is domestic air travel, which has almost completely recovered from its dramatic drop-off during the pandemic and is up 80% from last year.
Miracle League Holds Annual Turkey Fry (With Photo Gallery)
November 25, 2021
The Miracle League of Pensacola held their annual turkey fry fundraiser Wednesday at their park on East Nine Mile Road.
Volunteers with the Miracle League spent their day frying about 300 turkeys for a minimum $35 donation, with all of the proceeds going to benefit the Miracle League.
A small army of volunteers worked to deep fry the turkeys to perfection, rows of timers keeping track of the cooking time at a command center of sorts. Cadets from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also volunteered to make sure the turkeys were ready to enjoy for Thanksgiving.
The Miracle League provides physically and mentally challenged children a safe and spirited program in which they can hit, run, and catch on a baseball field – just like other kids. MLP offers a unique and memorable opportunity these children would not otherwise have. It is a place where every player plays, every player hits, every player gets on base, every player scores, and every player wins – every inning.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Beulah Family Without A Home After Fire
November 25, 2021
A family was left without a home after a fire early Wednesday morning in a Beulah.
The fire was reported at 5:16 a.m in the 9800 block of Mobile Highway. Firefighters arrived minutes later to find the mobile home full engulfed in flames. The home was a total loss, and two adjacent mobile homes were also damaged by fire.
There were no injuries reported.
The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The Beulah, Ensley, Cantonment, Bellview, Brent and Osceola stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded, along with Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Charged With 600 Counts Of Sexual Battery Of A Minor; 600 Counts Of Incest
November 25, 2021
An Escambia County man is charged with 1,200 total counts of sexually assault and incest charged involving a minor.
Robert Cota, 31, is charged with 600 counts of sexual assault on a victim age 12 to 18, and 600 counts of incest for incidents that reportedly took place over the last six years. His bond was set at $3 million.
An arrest report states a local pastor told deputies that Cota approached him last Sunday and said he “had issues with one of the beliefs” in the church guideline book. He then specifically pointed to the word “incest”.
As the conversation continued, the pastor told Cota that what he was doing was not right, and that he needed to report himself to the authorities. The pastor later provided Cota’s information to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The report states the victim said the sexual encounters with Cota had been happening since she was 7-years old. She added Cota told her these acts were how to show affection.
When Cota was arrested on unrelated charges last September, the report states the mother said she recently learned of Cota and the victim having a sexual relationship. According to the report, Cota became angry and pointed a gun at the victim multiple times. Cota was arrested for aggravated assault domestic violence as authorities began investigating the sexual assault and incest allegations.
The report states that during the September incident, the victim and Cota both told the mother of the sexual relationship before taking back their statements.
According to the report, when deputies went to arrest Cota for sexual assault and incest, he said he was not surprised of the accusations.
Molino Park Students Donate Over 3,000 Food Items To Their Community
November 25, 2021
Molino Park Elementary School students stepped up to help fight hunger in the Molino community in a very big way this year.
The school collected over 3,000 food drive items; it was their most successful food drive in over five years.
The top three classes donating the most food items were:
- 1st Place – Miss Warren’s first grade class (with 341 items)
- 2nd place – Miss Tourney’s pre-k class
- 3rd place – Mrs. Gilmore’s third grade class
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol helped transport the items to the food pantry at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino.
For more photos, click or tap here.
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Happy Thanksgiving! Cold Front Brings Chance Of Rain Overnight
November 25, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving! Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Light and variable wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 63. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 66.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 68.
Cantonment Rotary Provides Thanksgiving Meals For About 1,500 People (With Photo Gallery)
November 25, 2021
About 1,500 people can enjoy a complete Thanksgiving meal this year thanks to the members and friends of the Cantonment Rotary Club.
Wednesday, the club distributed everything for a turkey meal to 343 families in the North Escambia area, including Quintette and Carver Park. The recipients were chosen with the help of local school guidance counselors who helped identify families that might need a little help this time of year.
The Tate High School cheerleaders volunteered Wednesday at St. Luke United Methodist Church to help package the meals for delivery. The Cantonment Improvement Committee and Quintette Community Center joined the distribution effort, and the Cantonment Winn Dixie helped with the food.
The club fed just six families during their first event nine years ago. Two years ago, that number was at 260, and last year it was 325 families. To date, Cantonment Rotary estimates the project has delivered meals to 1,800 families, feeding 6,000 people.
For a photo gallery, click to enlarge.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO Locates Suspects Caught On Camera Stealing From Local Farmer; Corn And Peanuts Recovered
November 24, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has located three people suspected of stealing from a Walnut Hill farmer that was selling his products on the honor system.
Three people were caught on camera early last Friday morning stealing 27 bags of deer corn, peanuts and ear corn being sold at the farmer’s roadside bin and barn on South Highway 99 in Walnut Hill. They can be seen on surveillance video loading up the bags into a van that was later determined to be yellow. Part of that video, first posted by NorthEscambia.com on Monday, is below.
By Tuesday, investigators had tracked down the three suspects. According to Wesley Eicher of Eicher Farms, deputies recovered about two dozen bags of corn and peanuts that were returned to him Tuesday night.
“They brought the bags back to me tonight,” Eicher told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday night. “I’m glad the deputies found them and appreciate their work.”
The ECSO is expected to seek arrest warrants for the trio; their names have not yet been released because they have yet been formally charged with any crime.
We will keep you updated on the progress of this case.
Images and video for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
15-Year Old Driver Critically Injures Pedestrian In Escambia County
November 24, 2021
A pedestrian was struck by a SUV drivn by a 15-year old Tuesday afternoon in Escambia County.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the teen was traveling north on Mobile Highway near Lynch Street at 4:23 p.m. when a pedestiran jumped over a guardrail and into the roadway. The teen began braking and turned toward the shoulder of the road, striking the pedestrian. The SUV continued into the guardrain on the east side of the road, traveled across all lanes and struck the guardrail on the west side of Mobile Highway.
The 31-year old female pedestrian was transported to an area hospital with life threatening injuries, while the teen was transported with minor injuries.
Troopers said charges are pending the completion of the investigation, according to FHP. There were no adults in the vehicle with the 15-year, according to a FHP report.
File photo.
A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Is Costing More This Year, Farm Bureau Says
November 24, 2021
Thanksgiving dinner, on average, is costing more this year. But the bottom line really depends on when, and if, turkey was purchased for the menu.
Farm Bureau’s 36th annual survey indicates the average cost of this year’s classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 is $53.31, or less than $6 per person. This is a $6.41 or 14% increase from last year’s average of $46.90.
The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – costs more than last year, at $23.99 for a 16-pound bird. That’s roughly $1.50 per pound, up 24% from last year, but there are several mitigating factors.
Farm Bureau “volunteer shoppers” checked prices Oct. 26 to Nov. 8, about two weeks before most grocery store chains began featuring whole frozen turkeys at sharply lower prices. Although the survey timeline is consistent with past AFBF Thanksgiving surveys, 2021 brought some unique differences. According to USDA Agricultural Marketing Service data, grocery stores began advertising lower feature prices later than usual this year. Also, the average per-pound feature price for whole frozen turkeys was $1.07 the week of Nov. 5-11 and 88 cents the week of Nov. 12-18, a decline of 18% in just one week. This means consumers who have not yet purchased a turkey should be able to find one at a lower cost than the Farm Bureau average.
“Several factors contributed to the increase in average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner,” said AFBF Senior Economist Veronica Nigh. “These include dramatic disruptions to the U.S. economy and supply chains over the last 20 months; inflationary pressure throughout the economy; difficulty in predicting demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and high global demand for food, particularly meat. The trend of consumers cooking and eating at home more often due to the pandemic led to increased supermarket demand and higher retail food prices in 2020 and 2021, compared to pre-pandemic prices in 2019.”
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.
“Taking turkey out of the basket of foods reveals a 6.6% price increase compared to last year, which tracks closely with the Consumer Price Index for food and general inflation across the economy,” said Nigh.
In recognition of changes in Thanksgiving dinner traditions, the Farm Bureau price survey also includes ham, Russet potatoes and frozen green beans, in an expanded holiday menu. Adding these foods to the classic Thanksgiving menu increased the overall cost by $15.41, to $68.72. This updated basket of foods also increased in price (up 14%) compared to 2020.
This year’s national average cost was calculated using 218 surveys completed with pricing data from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers checked prices in person and online using grocery store apps and websites. They looked for the best possible prices without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals.
The AFBF Thanksgiving dinner survey was first conducted in 1986. The informal survey provides a record of comparative holiday meal costs over the years. Farm Bureau’s classic survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons.
Individual Prices From The Suvey
16-pound turkey: $23.99 or approximately $1.50 per pound (up 24%)
2 frozen pie crusts: $2.91 (up 20%)
30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix: $3.64 (up 7%)
Half pint of whipping cream: $1.78 (up 2%)
1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.05 (up 15%)
12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries: $2.98 (up 11%)
1 gallon of whole milk: $3.30 (up 7%)
1 pound of frozen peas: $1.54 (up 6%)
3 pounds of sweet potatoes: $3.56 (up 4%)
1-pound veggie tray (carrots & celery): 82 cents (up 12%)
Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $3.45 (up 12%)
14-ounce bag of cubed stuffing mix: $2.29 (down 19%)