Fire Destroys Large Home On Chemstrand Road (With Gallery)
April 26, 2021
Fire destroyed a large home on Chemstrand Road midday Monday.
The fire was reported shortly before noon in the 1300 block of Chemstrand Road, near the railroad crossing.
The 2,700 square foot home was heavily involved in fire when firefighters arrived on scene. Flames were shooting high into the air on both ends of the 83-year old wood frame home.
There were no injuries reported and no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
For a photo gallery, click here.
#BREAKING – Fire destroyed a home in the 1300 block of Chemstrand Road midday Monday. There was no immediate word of any injuries. Chemstrand Road is currently closed in the 1300 block, around the area of the railroad crossing. pic.twitter.com/h0rOvdlhix
— NorthEscambia.com (@northescambia) April 26, 2021
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour and photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Working To Force People Out Of This Century Home
April 26, 2021
Escambia County working for force people out of a home in Century.
The property a 511 Hecker Road escheated to the county in January, becoming county property after taxes were not paid for seven years.
The total amount owed as of January was $22,516.71, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford. The taxes were owed by joint property owners Shawanda Newton, Latoya Redmond, Lalita Simpson, Earwin Newton and Amber Redmond, according to the tax deed.
Lunsford said no one ever purchased a tax certificate on the property to give them claim to the property, so it escheated to Escambia County. That zeroed out the taxes due.
According to Escambia County Code Enforcement, unidentified persons have continued to live in the home even though it has been county property for nearly four months.
The Escambia County Commission has now voted to authorize the County Attorney’s Office to take necessary action for the removal of the occupants and any abandoned property or vehicles.
County Attorney Alison Rogers said the process would begin with letters and could eventually move to a court proceeding to eject (similar to evicting) the occupants. Rogers said the county is seldom required to eject people from a home.
Escambia County will likely sell the property at public action once the occupants are removed.
Spring Practice Begins Today For Florida High School Football Teams
April 26, 2021
The Northview Chiefs, Tate Aggies and other teams in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are gearing up the 2021 football season beginning today.
Monday is the first spring practice date for high school football in Florida.
May 1 is the first day the Florida High School Athletic Association will allow contact at practice.
Last season, the Northview Chiefs lost to the Vernon Yellow Jackets in the 1A regional semifinals.
Pictured: 2020 season action with the Northview Chiefs and Tate Aggies. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Local Farmers Learn About Cover Crops Project. And You Can Watch It Grow All Summer.
April 26, 2021
Local farmers recently attended a Cover Crops and Soil Moisture Field Day in Oak Grove.
Cover crops are part of a sustainable agricultural system to help protect soil erosion, keep nutrients in place and build valuable organic matter.
Cover crops are plants that help to protect the soil from wind, rainfall, and sunlight. Cover crops provide improvement of the soil composition, soil structure and organic matter content, water infiltration, root penetration, and nutrient recycling. Additional benefits include reducing erosion, water runoff, and nutrient leaching. Cover crops enhance soil fertility via improved nutrient retention, organic matter, and cycling, while leguminous cover crops add nitrogen from the atmosphere.
Sam and Scott Walker started a 10-month long cover crop and soil moisture project at their farm back in November. The field was planted with “Florida 401″ rye grass. Six soil moisture probes were places in the field to monitor soil moisture through the winter season. Individuals driving by the field, just south of the Oak Grove Baptist Church, may have noticed the probes and flags.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Last week, about two dozen producers gathered in the field to learn about the project and see the latest machinery and hear updates from industry expects. They watched as new equipment was used to flatten the rye grass field, preparing it for planting.
The probes will be returned to the field once it is planted in cotton. Passersby will be able to see the progress at the northeast corner of North Highway 99 and Melvin Road in Oak Grove.
“This dryland field will be managed as the Walkers see fit. The probes will give a longer term view of soil moisture in the plots, and each plot will be harvested to determine yield,” said Libbie Johnson from UF/IFAS Extension Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Pictured: A Cover Crops and Soil Moisture Field Day on North Highway 99 in Oak Grove. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Compete In Pensacola Beach Firefighter’s Challenge
April 26, 2021
Firefighters from across the Southeast, including Escambia Fire Rescue, took part in the Pensacola Beach Firefighters Challenge this past weekend at Pensacola Beach.
Firefighters competed for the best times, in the sand, in several obstacles including forced entry, charged hose pull, kaiser sled, dummy draga and hose hoist. During each challenger, each participant was required to wear full structural firefighting gear including boots, gloves, air packs (breathing on air), helmets and masks.
Baton Rouge took first place, followed by Mobile Fire Rescue in second and Team Unleashed from Saraland in third.
Complete results are below.
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION
1:35:49 — Michael Greene
1:40:32 — Brent Manley
1:47:67 — Shane Hernandez
1:53:12 — Jake Morgan
1:54:85 — Caleb Dixon
1:55:43 — Nathan Perkins
1:55:55 — Miles Greenblatt
2:02:49 — Andrew Sanders
2:07:26 — Antwan Washington
2:08:88 — Michael Saunders
2:10:43 — Garrett Mcclain
2:12:73 — James Riley
2:13:68 — Zac Forester
2:17:74 — Adam Beeson
2:22:52 — Corry Bailey
2:30:40 — Haiden Goodwin
2:30:78 — Hayden Bell
2:34:69 — Robert Held
2:42:00 — Chad Hooper
2:56:69 — Ed Griffin
2:57:91 — Bakari Beard
3:09:37 — Taylor Kendrick
3:24:69 — Donny Leonard Sr.
3:26:24 — Carl Day
3:38:89 — Brady Lee
3:48:62 — Derek Barksdale
4:17:25 — Lance Card
4:23:81 — Luciano Guerrero
4:32:53 — Greg Vaughan
4:40:18 — David Clark
4:48:68 — Brad Brewer
5:20:75 — Derek Kirkwood
5:51:99 — Austin Smith
6:16:29 — Christopher Hoglind
7:00:00 — David Gonzales
7:00:00 — Nick Spanides
7:00:00 — Trent Rogillio
7:00:00 — Melody Fernandez
7:00:00 — Jennifer Nelson
7:00:00 — Jacob Freeland
7:00:00 — David Bennet Jr
TEAM COMPETITION
Top 3 – Final
1:05:52 — Baton Rouge FD
1:19:56 — Mobile Fire
1:19:75 — Team Unleashed Saraland
First Run Times
1:29:31 — WCFR Bugles
1:40:81 — Dudley’s Angels
1:47:87 — Ocean City Wright
1:49:20 — Destin Five
1:49:88 — Crestview Fire Team 1
1:52:02 — Hose Jockeys
1:54:03 — Midway Fire District
1:55:03 — ESCVFD
1:57:18 — Lynn Haven
2:01:63 — Fire Wolves Team Bravo
2:02:79 — That Other Navy Fire Team
2:08:00 — Eufaula Fire
2:09:66 — Ocean Springs Fire Dept
2:16:97 — Navy Fire 34
2:18:74 — Henderson Fire
2:23:29 — East Jackson County Fire
2:23:45 — County Fire Tactics 3
2:25:52 — Sheffield Fire
2:30:85 — BFD
2:32:46 — CFT Team 1
2:33:68 — Beulaha’s Night Crew
3:00:47 — Fire Wolves Team Alpha
The event is sponsored by Pensacola Sports.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gas Prices At Seven-Week Low
April 26, 2021
Florida gas prices declined again last week to a seven-week low, according to AAA.
Florida drivers are paying an average price of $2.79 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline. That’s 12 cents less than what drivers paid in late March.
Florida drivers are now paying 4 cents less than a week ago, and 11 cents less than this time last month. Current prices are similar to what drivers paid in April 2019, when conditions were more typical (before the pandemic). The price on April 25, 2019 was $2.73 per gallon. Last year at this time, Florida pump prices averaged an unseasonable $1.80 per gallon; caused by the pandemic’s crippling effect on fuel demand.
The lowest gas price in North Escambia Sunday night was $2.65 at two stations in Cantonment. The lowest price in Pensacola was $2.59 at the warehouse clubs.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Jay Pro Rodeo Draws Largest Crowds In 20 Year History
April 26, 2021
The largest crowds in event history turned out Friday and Saturday night for the 20th Annual Jay Pro Rodeo.
The event returns 100 percent of proceeds back to the community, including the Jay High School Student Government Association.
The annual event at the Ted May Arena in Jay featured rodeo action including pro bull riding, saddle broncs, calf and team roping, steer wrestling, and women’s breakaway and barrel racing. For the little ones, there was the calf scramble, bounce houses, face painting and more.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EREC Holds Virtual Annual Meeting
April 25, 2021
For decades, the member owners of Escambia River Electric Cooperative have attended the utility’s annual meeting.
There’s also been the business end of the meeting — the election of trustees and voting on cooperative business. But the membership meetings have also been a chance for community members from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to come together with food and entertainment.
But in 2019, the membership meeting was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 annual meeting was held virtually Saturday via streaming video.
RELATED STORY: Libby Pugh, Andrea Moorer Named EREC Scholarship Winners
In 1937, the first meeting was held to organize Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Inc. at the Oak Grove Community House. By lamplight, several prominent community leaders laid out the blueprints for the formation and operation of EREC.
After Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which made loans available for the establishment of rural electric cooperatives, widespread rural electrification began. The formation of cooperatives in other parts of the country stimulated the interest of local leaders such as C. R. Walker, E. H. Lundy, J. L. Robbins and County Agent J. G. Hudson. They continued to move forward with their plans even though they were often met with opposition and skepticism.
On March 10, 1939, Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Inc. was born when the incorporators met at the American National Bank building in Pensacola to pass the bylaws, which would establish the cooperative and make their dream a reality. The cooperative’s first month of operation brought them 88 members. Since that time, the cooperative has grown to serve over 10,000 members in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with over 1,800 miles of energized line.
Here are the trustee election results and membership vote results from Saturday:
2021 ELECTION RESULTS
Escambia County
- James Earl Hall (incumbent)
- Ernie Hester (incumbent)
Santa Rosa County
- Ed Kelley (incumbent)
Solar Recovery Charges Proposed Bylaw: Approved
2019 EREC Annual Meeting Minutes: Approved
2020 ELECTION RESULTS
Escambia County
- J. D. Powell (incumbent)
Santa Rosa County
- Mickey Diamond (incumbent)
- Radford Locklin Jr. (incumbent)
Pictured above: Trustees during the virtual 2021 Escambia River Electric Cooperative annual meeting. Pictured below: The 80th annual EREC meeting in 2019 at Jay High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Libby Pugh, Andrea Moorer Named EREC Scholarship Winners
April 25, 2021
Saturday, Escambia River Electric Cooperative awarded two $4,000 scholarships to local high school seniors.
The Escambia County winner was Libby Pugh from Northview High School (pictured left), and the Santa Rosa County winner was Andrea Moorer from Central High School. The Herman D. Johnson Scholarship Award is offered to graduating seniors with a parent or guardian that is a member of the cooperative..
In the past, capital credits issued by EREC that were unclaimed had to be turned over to the state. But state legislation now allows such funds to be deposited into a qualified, educational charity fund. The EREC membership voted to use these funds in the form of scholarships.
Both students will receive $1,000 for each of four years provided they continue to meet the scholarship criteria.
Pictured above: EREC scholarship winners Libby Pugh (left) from Northview High School and Andrea Moorer from Central High School. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Storms Leave Thousands Without Power, Cause Minor Damage In North Escambia
April 25, 2021
Some North Escambia residents were without power for over 12 hours Saturday after storms moved through the area, and some minor damage was reported.
At daybreak Saturday, over 3,700 Escambia River Electric customers were without power in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties; that’s about one-third of the entire EREC customer base.
Minor damage was reported across North Escambia — mostly downed trees and power lines, some minor damage to structures and lots of tossed lawn furniture and outdoor items.
Outside of North Escambia, more significant structural damage was reported in Huxford, Alabama, north of Atmore, and damage was reported in other areas including Brewton and Jay. There were no reports of any injuries.
Pictured above: An oak tree and power lines down on Highway 4 near Rigby Road in Bratt. Pictured below: It appeared a time roof was blow from a small shed into the front of this home on Highway 4 just east of the Bratt crossroads. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
