Northview’s Stadium Prepped For Football Season With Help From EREC, Century Correctional
July 21, 2019
Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium at Northview High School got a good cleaning Saturday in preparation for the upcoming football season.
The Northview Quarterback Club had help from Escambia River Electric Cooperative and inmates from the Century Correctional Institution (no students were on campus at the time).
The Chiefs hit the road August 16 for a kickoff classic game at Baker. They will be at home to open the regular season on August 23 against Lighthouse Christian.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fourth Annual Barrineau Park Elementary Reunion Held (With Gallery)
July 21, 2019
The Fourth Annual Barrineau Park Elementary School Reunion was held Saturday at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
The reunion was for anyone that attended the school from its origin in 1938 until its closure in 2003. Attendees enjoyed lunch, live entertainment and plenty of fellowship.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Barry Nominates Peters To Santa Rosa Island Authority
July 21, 2019
The Escambia County Commission has approved District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry’s nomination of Gary “Bubba” Peters of Cantonment to the Santa Rosa Island Authority.
Peters has worked in the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office for the past 16 years, rising through the ranks from a student position to chief deputy.
He holds an MBA in Business Administration from the University of West Florida,
DeSantis, Pence Mark 50th Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Mission
July 21, 2019
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined Vice President Mike Pence and NASA officials Saturday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that launched from Florida at the Kennedy Space Center in Meritt Island.
The governor and vice President were joined by former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana, Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and distinguished members of Congress.
Speaking before the crowd at the Neil Armstrong Operational Building, Governor DeSantis highlighted Florida’s legacy and prominent role in the aerospace industry:
“It’s a pleasure to be here with Vice President Pence and welcome so many esteemed representatives of the space industry from across the private and public sector to commemorate such a historic event,” said DeSantis. “Since the launch of the historic Apollo 11 mission 50 years ago, Florida has used its talents, resources, and manpower to establish and uphold our role as a global leader in space exploration and commerce. Florida will continue to be on the cutting edge of space technology for years to come.”
Earlier this week, the Governor issued a proclamation observing July 16-20, 2019, as Florida’s Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Monday Deadline To Register To Tate Men’s Soccer Camp
July 21, 2019
Monday is the deadline to register for the 2019 Tate High School Men’s Soccer Camp in order to receive a camp t-shirt.
The camp is for all returning Tate players and all aspiring players for the 2019-2020 varsity and junior varsity teams. Camp will be held July 26-28 from 8 a.m. until noon as Ashton Brosnaham Park. The cost is $100.
For a registration form, click here.
No Arrests After Man Shot In Cantonment By His Wife’s Ex-Husband
July 21, 2019
UPDATE: Saturday night, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said there have been no arrests in this case. The ECSO incorrectly released information earlier in the day that a suspect had been arrested. The ECSO later retracted that statement and said a man was questioned, but he was not charged.
One man was shot in Cantonment Saturday afternoon, and another man was taken into custody.
The shooting happened about 12:45 p.m. in the 600 block of Hanley Downs Drive, just off West Kingsfield Road.
According to Sgt. Melanie Peterson of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, a man arrived at the home of his ex-wife and shot her current husband. Peterson said the the victim’s wounds were not considered life threatening.
Further details will be posted when available.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
County Bans Big Trucks On Stefani, Pine Forest Roads
July 20, 2019
The Escambia County Commission has voted to restrict truck traffic on Stefani Road and West Ten Mile Road.
District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry brought the recommendation to the board. He said the prohibition will serve to keep truck traffic in the area on Pine Forest and Nine Mile Roads.
The prohibition is on vehicles over 10,500 pounds gross weight.
In February 2018, the commissioner imposed the truck prohibition on several other roadways in the Cantonment and Ensley areas:
- River Annex Road, from Muscogee Road To Jacks Branch Road
- Nine and One Half Mile Road, from Pine Forest Road to US Highway 29
- Ten Mile Road, from Edendale Lane to Stefani Road
- Edendale Lane, from Ten Mile Road to Nine and One Half Mile Road
- Ashland Avenue, from Ten Mile Road to Nine Mile Road
- Bowman Avenue, from Ten Mile Road to Nine Mile Road
- Cove Avenue, from Ten Mile Road to Nine Mile Road
- Fowler Avenue, from Nine and One Half Mile Road to Nine Mile Road
The truck ban does not include trucks servicing or having business within the area.
Number Of Unemployed Increases In Escambia, Santa Rosa
July 20, 2019
The latest job numbers released by the state Friday show an increase in the unemployment rate in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County’s unemployment increased from 3.0 percent in May to 3.5 percent in June. There were 5,214 people were reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 3.8 percent.
Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate increased from 2.8 percent in May to 3.4 percent in June. Santa Rosa County had a total of 2,748 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 3.6 percent.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.4 percent in June 2019, unchanged from the May 2019 rate, and down 0.2 percentage point from a year ago. The national unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in June.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
Weekend Gardening: July Tips
July 20, 2019
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.
Town Of Century Sets Budget Workshops
July 20, 2019
The Town of Century has set dates for budget workshops.
Those workshops will be held each Thursday at 3 p.m. for four weeks beginning August 1.
Century’s new fiscal year begins October 1.