New School Board Members Take Office
November 21, 2018
Two new member and one re-elected member took the oath of office Tuesday for the Escambia County School Board.
District Two’s new school board member is Paul Fetsko, and District Three’s new school board member is Laura Dortch Edler. District One’s school board member Kevin Adams was re-elected
Pictured top: Escambia County School Board members Bill Slayton, Patty Hightower, Laura Dortch Edler, Paul Fetsko and Kevin Adams; School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. Pictured below: The oath of office taken by (descending order) Paul Fetsko, Laura Dortch Elder and Kevin Adams. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Farm City Week Thanksgiving Meals Distributed To 800 Families
November 21, 2018
About 800 Thanksgiving meals were distributed to Escambia and Santa Rosa County residents Tuesday as part of Farm City Week.
The meals were distributed to pre-registered applicants at the Waterfront Rescue Missing in Pensacola and the Guy Thompson Community Center in Milton.
Students from Tate High School, Northview High School, Jay High School, Central School, Beulah Middle School, Barrineau Park 4-H and the Boy Scout worked to harvest fresh items for the meals Monday [click here for story]. They harvested produce including greens, sorted sweet potatoes and bagged freshly ground corn meal and grits.
The produce was paired with a ham or chicken and all of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal from Feeding the Gulf Coast.
National Farm to City Week is a national effort to bring about a better understanding between rural and urban people by increasing knowledge and appreciation for agriculture.
Pictured: Thanksgiving meal distribution Tuesday at the Waterfront Rescue Mission. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Winner Claims $88K Prize For Nine Mile Road Lottery Ticket
November 21, 2018
We now know who purchased a winning Fantasy Five ticket on Nine Mile Road last week.
The Florida Lottery says the November 11 ticket worth $88,562.50 was sold to Lenard Lewis, Sr. of Mobile who purchased the “quick pick” ticket at the Tom Thumb at the corner of Nine Mile Road and Beulah Road. A second winning ticket was sold in Trenton.
The 345 tickets matching four numbers won $82.50 each. Another 8,955 tickets matching three numbers are worth $8.50 each, and 79,949 ticket holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
The winning Fantasy 5 numbers were 6-9-13-19-29.
Farm Bureau Survey: Thanksgiving Dinner Price Down Slightly This Year
November 21, 2018
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 33rd annual survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $48.90, or less than $5.00 per person. This is a 22-cent decrease from last year’s average of $49.12.
“Since 2015, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner has declined steadily and is now at the lowest level since 2010,” said AFBF Chief Economist Dr. John Newton.
The featured food on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – cost slightly less than last year, coming in at $21.71 for a 16-pound bird. That’s roughly $1.36 per pound, down 3 percent from last year. The survey results show that retail turkey prices are the lowest since 2014.
“Thanks to an ample supply, turkey remains affordable for consumers, which helps keep the overall cost of the dinner reasonably priced as well,” Newton said.
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.
Foods showing the largest decreases this year in addition to turkey were a gallon of milk, $2.92; a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes, $3.39; a 1-pound bag of green peas, $1.47; and a dozen rolls, $2.25.
Several items saw modest price increases this year including cranberries, pumpkin pie mix and stuffing. A 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries was $2.65; a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix was $3.33; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing was $2.87; two nine-inch pie shells came in at $2.47 and a 1-pound veggie tray was $.75. A group of miscellaneous items including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour) was also up slightly, to $3.01.
There was no change in price for a half-pint of whipping cream at $2.08.
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.
Foods showing the largest decreases this year in addition to turkey were a gallon of milk, $2.92; a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes, $3.39; a 1-pound bag of green peas, $1.47; and a dozen rolls, $2.25.
Several items saw modest price increases this year including cranberries, pumpkin pie mix and stuffing. A 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries was $2.65; a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix was $3.33; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing was $2.87; two nine-inch pie shells came in at $2.47 and a 1-pound veggie tray was $.75. A group of miscellaneous items including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour) was also up slightly, to $3.01.
There was no change in price for a half-pint of whipping cream at $2.08.
Volunteer shoppers checked prices at grocery stores in 37 states for this year’s survey. Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals, such as spending $50 and receiving a free turkey. Shoppers with an eye for bargains in all areas of the country should be able to purchase individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages.
Farm Bureau also surveyed the price of a traditional Thanksgiving meal available from popular food delivery services. This revealed that the convenience of food delivery does have a larger price tag. A 16-pound turkey was nearly 50 percent more expensive at nearly $2 per pound when purchased from a food delivery service. Nearly every individual item was more expensive compared to the Farm Bureau average and the total cost of the dinner was about 60 percent higher at about $8 per person.
Pedestrian Critical After Being Hit By Car On Highway 29
November 21, 2018
A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle Tuesday night on Highway 29 at W Street.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 60-year old Thomas James Budlove of Panama City failed to yield the right of way to a Chevrolet Malibu driven by 64-year old Doris Sell of Pensacola. Budlove crossed the road directly in the path of Sell’s vehicle.
Budlove was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. Sell was not injured.
Fire Breaks Out At West Frasier Sawmill
November 20, 2018
A fire broke out early Tuesday morning at the West Fraiser sawmill on Champion Drive in McDavid.
The 1:45 a.m. fire was contained to one area of the mill.
There was no immediate word of any injuries.
The McDavid, Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded, along with Escambia EMS.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Century Council President Warns of Possible Sunshine Law Violations
November 20, 2018
The president of the Century Town Council is warning that someone could go to jail for violating the state’s Sunshine Law requiring the “prompt” production of meeting minutes.
Monday night, the Century Council approved minutes from an August 3rd budget meeting — over three months after the meeting. Council president Ann Brooks said the council has yet to see minutes from two meetings in September, one in October and one in November.
According to the 2018 Government in the Sunshine Manual, Florida law “requires that minutes of a meeting of a public board or commission be promptly recorded and open to public inspection”. But the law does not define just how long the process should take.
“Because the term ‘promptly’ is not defined in the statute, it ’should be construed in its plain and ordinary sense,’ the Sunshine Manual states. An informal advisory opinion notes that “Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (2003) defines ‘prompt’ as done, performed, delivered, etc., at once or without delay.”
Brooks asked Town Clerk Kim Godwin when the minutes would be complete, and Godwin stated that she was working on them.
Pictured: Century Town Clerk Kim Godwin reviews a document during a Monday night council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Bicyclist Allegedly Steals Car From Century Home
November 20, 2018
A bicyclist allegedly stole a car in Century Monday evening.
The incident happened on Mayo Lane about 5:15 p.m.
Family member say a slender black male riding a bright red bicycle stopped and stole a 2007 Toyota Camry. The victim’s purse and phone were inside the car.
The vehicle was later spotted by citizens at in the drive-thru at Odom’s Bar and at the Southern Pit Stop, both on North Century Boulevard, according to family.
Early Tuesday morning, the vehicle was recovered on Pleasant Hill Road just off West Highway 4. There was no immediate word of any arrests.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 433-STOP or Crime Stoppers at (850) 436-9620.
Farm To The City: A Thanksgiving Bounty For The Needy (With Gallery)
November 20, 2018
Students from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties worked in fields near Jay Monday to harvest vegetables that will help feed about 800 needy families this week for Thanksgiving.
The event at the University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center was part of Farm-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 Tate High School, Northview High School, Jay High School, Central School, Beulah Middle School, Barrineau Park 4-H and the Boy Scouts. They harvested produce including greens, sorted sweet potatoes and bagged freshly ground corn meal and grits.
The produce will be distributed to 400 families in Escambia County and 400 in Santa Rosa County along with a turkey, ham or chicken and all of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal from Feeding the Gulf Coast. (Families were preregistered for the food distributions.)
National Farm to City Week is a national effort to bring about a better understanding between rural and urban people by increasing knowledge and appreciation for agriculture.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Man Wearing ‘Homemade Knife Necklace’ Threatens Man, Kids
November 20, 2018
An Escambia County man was arrested after allegedly threatening a man and two children with knives.
John Stephen Bulla, 64, was charged with aggravated assault and two counts of felony child cruelty. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $30,000.
The victim reported that he heard a commotion outside, and when he went outside to investigate he found a man wearing a “homemade knife necklace” and holding a knife in each hand. The victim’s children had also followed him outside onto his porch.
When the victim threatened to call deputies, Bulla stated, “If you call the cops, I’ll kill you,” according to an arrest report, and then ran toward the man with a knife over his head. The victim then pushed his children inside and and locked his door as Bulla continued to yell.
When Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived, Bella initially refused to step outside. Deputies located the knife necklace and other weapons inside the home.