AAA Urges Thanksgiving Drivers To Ensure Their Vehicle Is Ready For The Road
November 24, 2021
Nearly 48.3 million Americans will hit the road this Thanksgiving. Yet some may travel in a vehicle that isn’t ready for an extended road trip.
AAA estimates 400,000 Americans will need roadside assistance during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The three most common issues are dead batteries, flat tires, and lock outs.
“Most vehicle problems like these could be prevented with a pre-trip vehicle inspection,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Before you hit the road this Thanksgiving, make sure to check everything from the battery to the tires. That could make the difference between spending Thanksgiving at the table or on the roadside.”
TOP 5 ITEMS ON A VEHICLE CHECKLIST
- Tires
- Battery
- Brakes
- Fluids
- Wiper Blades
TIRES ARE MOST IMPORTANT
If neglected, tires could create serious consequences – ranging from a simple flat to a dangerous blowout on the highway. In 2020, there were 3,069 tire-related crashes in Florida, resulting in 184 serious bodily insures and 61 fatalities, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Check your tires once a month, at minimum, and before taking a long trip.
Inspect all four tires. Since some new vehicles don’t come with a spare tire, know whether you have one and if it’s inflated too. Look for cuts, gouges or sidewall bulges. Drivers should pay special attention to both tire inflation pressure and tire tread depth:
- Check Tire Inflation Pressure – Check tire pressure when the car has been idle and tires are cool. Inflate as needed to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure. You will find it listed in the owner’s manual and on the sticker on the driver side door. Do NOT use the number on the tire sidewall.
- Check Tire Tread Depth – Insert a quarter upside down into the grooves. If you see the top of George Washington’s head, it is time for new tires. Be sure to check in multiple spots across your tire to diagnose any uneven wear patterns.
BATTERIES ARE VULNERABLE TO TEMPERATURE CHANGES
Changes in temperature can take a toll on your car battery. Have a service professional do a battery check to determine remaining capacity.
Symptoms of a dying battery include:
- Car hesitates or slowly cranks when you’re trying to start it
- A grinding, clicking or buzzing sound when you turn the ignition
- Dim headlights, especially when your car is idling
- The battery warning light is illuminated
- Corrosion, cracks or bulges on your battery
OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS IN YOUR VEHICLE CHECKLIST
- Brakes – Listen to and feel the brakes – If you hear a grinding sound or feel a vibration when applying the brakes, take your vehicle to an auto repair shop for a brake inspection.
- Top off engine oil and other fluids – Check that engine oil, coolant, brake, transmission and power steering fluids are at the correct levels for safe vehicle operation. When adding fluids, use products that meet the specifications listed in the owner’s manual.
- Replace wiper blades and replenish windshield cleaner – Rubber wiper blades naturally deteriorate over time. If wipers streak or fail to clear the windshield thoroughly, replace the blades. Fill the windshield washer reservoir with fluid formulated to remove insects and other debris, and test to make sure the nozzles spray adequately.
- Replenish emergency kit supplies – AAA recommends keeping a well-stocked emergency kit in your vehicle. Include a cellphone charger, flashlight and extra fresh batteries, first-aid supplies, drinking water, non-perishable snacks for people and pets, car battery booster cables, emergency flares or reflectors, a rain poncho, a basic tool kit, duct tape, gloves and shop rags or paper towels.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN
- Pull off the road to a safe place
- Turn on emergency flashers to notify other drivers
- Call AAA for roadside assistance
- Stay with your vehicle, unless it is unsafe to do so
Drivers who find themselves stranded can reach AAA by calling or texting “HELP” to 1-800-AAA-HELP
Cantonment Woman Faces Up To Life In Prison For Stabbing Death Of Her Boyfriend
November 23, 2021
A Cantonment woman pleaded no contest Monday for the 2019 stabbing death of her boyfriend.
Ja’Quoia XiaXiana Collins, now 27, entered the plea on a charge of second degree murder with a weapon.
She allegedly stabbed her boyfriend in the chest outside the Wild Oak Farms Apartments in the 800 block of North Highway 29 shortly before midnight on July 6, 2019. Deputies responded to apartments at 11:39 p.m. where they found victim Quartez McShane unresponsive on the ground near the driver’s side door of a blue Mitsubishi Gallant parked in the entrance of the apartment complex. He had been stabbed in the center of his chest with a knife. McShane was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was pronounced deceased less than an hour later.
Collins will be sentenced in December. She faced up to life in prison.
Waterfront Mission Set To Feed 5,000 For Thanksgiving; Started With Cantonment And Quintette Monday
November 23, 2021
Waterfront Rescue Mission is on a mission to provide 5,000 meals this holiday season.
On Monday, the Cantonment Improvement Committee and Pinewood Presbyterian Church joined Waterfront Rescue to distribute hot Thanksgiving meals in Cantonment and Quintette.
Waterfront and its volunteers, supporters and donors will work to distribute more meals to homeless encampments and other key locations in both Pensacola and Mobile on Thursday.
On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, anyone can pick up a traditional Thanksgiving meal at the Ensley First Baptist Church at 50 West Johnson Avenue or the Hollice T. Williams Park at 1601 North Hayne Street in Pensacola.
Pictured: Hot Thanksgiving meals from the Waterfront Rescue Mission were distributed Monday in Cantonment and Quintette by the Cantonment Improvement Committee and Pinewood Presbyterian Church. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Farm To City: A Thanksgiving Bounty For 1,000 Needy Families
November 23, 2021
Students and volunteers from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties worked in fields near Jay Monday to harvest vegetables that will help feed 1,000 needy families this week for Thanksgiving.
The event at the University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center is part of Farm to City Week, bringing the bounty of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences farm to the needy of the city.
The students were from agricultural programs and organizations that included FFA members from Northview High , Tate High, Ernest Ward Middle, Jay High School, Central High and Milton High.
The produce will be distributed to 500 families in Escambia County and 500 in Santa Rosa County along with a turkey or ham and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal from Feeding the Gulf Coast and the Waterfront Rescue Mission.
Drive-thru distribution for the food are taking place on a first come basis from 10 a.m. until noon Thursday at the Waterfront Rescue Mission at 348 Herman Street in Pensacola and the Milton Community Center at 5629 Byrom Street.
FAST FACT: In September, NorthEscamiba.com gave readers a sneak peak at this event as the collards were planted. Click to tap here for that story and photos.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Monoclonal Antibody Site Closed As COVID Cases Decline
November 23, 2021
The monoclonal antibody treatment site in Escambia County has closed as COVID-19 cases decline.
The next nearest Florida Department of Health monoclonal antibody treatment site is at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds in Fort Walton Beach. It is open 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
The Escambia County Center was located at the Bayview Community Center. Any seeking treatment is asked not to enter the building now that the clinic is closed.
COVID-19 cases continue to decline in Escambia County. There were 94 cases reported last week in the county.
Pictured: The Bayview Community Center. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Calls For Months Of Gas Tax Relief
November 23, 2021
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking lawmakers to “zero out” state gas taxes for five or six months next year.
DeSantis said the gas tax holiday will save up to $200 for the average Florida family while cutting more than $1 billion from the state’s revenues.
“Gas prices have been rising due to inflationary pressures from bad federal policies, so we here in Florida need to step up and provide relief to our citizens,” DeSantis said. “Today, I am proposing that during session, the Florida Legislature provide more than $1 billion in gas tax relief for Florida families. This will have a positive impact on millions of Floridians.”
“We’ve always been very strong on tax relief in Florida. We did things like sportsmen’s relief (a sales-tax “holiday” around July 4). We’ve done back-to-school (tax holidays). We’ve done all that stuff. And that’s good. But this is, I think, really, really big,” DeSantis said
Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a state gas tax holiday while speaking at a Buc-ee’s convenience store in Daytona Beach on Monday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Porn Actress Sentenced On Child Porn Possession Charges
November 22, 2021
A woman described by investigators as a nanny, foster care provider and porn actress has been sentenced to six months in jail.
Nicole Lynn Walter, formerly of Foxrun Road, was charged in April 2020 with lewd and lascivious exhibition with a victim under 16, possession of child pornography, battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.
Walker, now 28, was sentenced on two counts of possession of child pornography to 180 days in the county jail to be followed by four years of sex offender probatuib. She was designated as a sex offender and will be required to submit to a mental health evaluation. The other charges against her were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
According to court documents, Walter made videos of herself masturbating in public locations, including Pensacola pediatrician’s office and a car dealership.. Children could be heard talking in the videos, but not seen. She told investigators that she was alone when the videos were recorded, and prerecorded sounds of the children talking were played during the filming.
Then sheriff David Morgan said a search warrant found child pornography in her home, and he said she previously worked as a nanny and was a licensed foster parent.
Bonus Gallery: Northview Band, Fans And Cheerleaders At Baker
November 22, 2021
The Northview Chiefs football season came to an end with a tough 46-35 loss to defending station champion Baker Friday night in the Class 1A regional semifinals.
For a photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.
For a game action photo gallery, click here.
For a game action story, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Lodge Hosts First Responders Breakfast
November 22, 2021
Cantonment Masonic Lodge #322 hosted a free breakfast for first responders Saturday morning, serving about 75 active and retired first responders Saturday. They plan to hold breakfast events in the future for other community groups. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Honor: Thieves Caught On Camera Stealing From Local Farmer
November 22, 2021
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK OR TAP HERE.
Three people were caught on camera stealing 27 bags of deer corn, peanuts and ear corn being sold on the honor system by a Walnut Hill farmer.
About 3:50 last Friday morning, the three men stopped at the farmer’s roadside bin and barn on South Highway 99. They can be seen on surveillance video loading up the bags into a white or light color panel van. It appeared as if the back doors of the van would not completely close, and it may have had a cracked windshield.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Images and video for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
