Bonus Gallery: Northview, Escambia Academy Cheerleaders And Bands
September 5, 2017
Escambia Academy defeated the Northview Chiefs Friday night in Bratt.
For a bonus photo gallery of the cheerleaders and bands from both schools from Friday night, click here.
For a photo gallery of football action as Escambia Academy beat Northview, click here.
For a game recap story, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Scott Declares State Of Emergency For Entire State Of Florida
September 5, 2017
Gov. Rick Scott on Monday placed all of Florida under a state of emergency as the projected path of Hurricane Irma could take the powerful storm toward the southern tip of the state by the end of the week.
The declaration is intended to give local governments in all 67 counties time to prepare, the governor’s office said.
“Hurricane Irma is a major and life-threatening storm and Florida must be prepared,” Scott said in a statement.
“Today, given these forecasts and the intensity of this storm, I have declared a state of emergency for every county in Florida to make certain that state, federal and local governments are able to work together and make sure resources are dispersed to local communities as we get prepared for this storm,” he added.
Scott has been advising people the past couple of days — through Twitter — to prepare for the storm by visiting the Florida Department of Emergency Management’s disaster page: floridadisaster.org/getaplan/.
“Families should take time today to make sure you have a disaster plan and fully-stocked disaster supply kit,” Scott tweeted on Monday. “I am continuing to coordinate with emergency management officials as we monitor Hurricane Irma.”
As of 5 p.m. on Monday, the storm system, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, was located about 490 miles east of the Leeward Islands, which are about 1,400 miles east of South Florida.
The storm was moving towards the west at 13 mph.
The National Hurricane Center said Monday that while it’s too early to determine where the storm will go, “There is an increasing chance of seeing some impacts from Irma in the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys later this week and this weekend.”
Irma threatens Florida little more than a year after Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Northwest Florida. Hermine was the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade.
The new storm also threatens amid recovery efforts in Texas after the catastrophic Hurricane Harvey.
“In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared,” Scott said in Monday’s statement. “This state of emergency allows our emergency management officials to act swiftly in the best interest of Floridians without the burden of bureaucracy or red tape.”
by The News Service of Florida
OneBlood Urging Donations As Hurricane Irma Looms
September 5, 2017
As all eyes are on Hurricane Irma, OneBlood, the local not-for-profit blood center serving Florida and the majority of the Southeast, says it must begin storm preparations now and is urging all eligible blood donors to donate before Irma potentially impacts its service area.
OneBlood says the current path of Hurricane Irma is too close for comfort and that now is the time to alert the public that an increase in donations is needed. The most critical time for blood donations is prior to any storm in order to sustain the blood supply during and immediately after the event.
Hurricanes can disrupt the blood supply for several days. This scenario unfolded in Texas after Hurricane Harvey devastated the area last week. Blood centers in the Lone Star state were unable to collect and OneBlood stepped in and sent several shipments of blood to help patients until the blood centers in Texas were able to resume operations.
This week, OneBlood has been called upon to assist the blood center in Puerto Rico and has already sent 100 units of blood to the island as they prepare for Irma’s arrival.
In order to ensure a ready blood supply OneBlood is urging all eligible blood donors to donate now. While all blood types are needed, there is an increased need for O Negative and O Positive blood as well as platelet and plasma donations.
OneBlood encourages all eligible donors to make blood donation part of their storm preparations and visit a donor center or Big Red Bus as soon as possible. For a list of OneBlood locations visit www.oneblood.org.
Generally healthy people age 16 or older who weigh at least 110 pounds can donate blood. To learn more about the importance of blood donation and how donors can target the power of their blood type visit oneblood.org.
Bonus Gallery: West Florida Jaguars At Tate Aggies
September 5, 2017
The West Florida Jaguars defeated the Tate Aggies Friday night.
For a bonus photo gallery, click here.
For an earlier photo gallery, click here.
For a game recap story, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Book Fair This Week At Ransom Middle School
September 5, 2017
The Ransom Middle School Book Fair is going on this week through Friday, September 8.
The book fair will also be open during Open House Night on September 7 from 6-7:30 p.m.
For more information, call Ransom Middle School at (850) 937-2220.
Wahoos Overcome Jacksonville Shrimp
September 5, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right fielder Aristides Aquino crushed his team-leading 17th homer of the season to help his ballclub overcome the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 5-1, at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
The victory helped Pensacola — the first half Southern Division title winners — win its third straight game to capture the five-game series, 3-2 over second half champion Jacksonville.
Pensacola went ahead, 3-0, in the first inning when first baseman Gavin LaValley singled to right field with two outs to drive in shortstop Blake Trahan to put the Blue Wahoos up, 1-0. That’s when Aquino launched a two-run homer to left field with LaValley on base to make it a 3-0 game. For the season, Aquino has a team-leading 17 homers and 56 RBIs.
In the fourth inning, Pensacola scored two more to go up, 5-0. LaValley scored the first run when center fielder Jonathan Reynoso hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Hudson then smacked his 15th double of the season to drive in Aquino.
Aquino went 2-for-4 with a homer, his 20th double, scored twice and knocked in two in Monday’s game. LaValley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and his 34th RBI in the second half for Pensacola.
Jacksonville avoided being shutout when third baseman David Vidal scored in the bottom of the fourth inning when catcher Rodrigo Vigil grounded out into a double play to trail Pensacola, 5-1.
Pensacola starting pitcher Jesus Reyes worked five innings allowed one run on eight hits, walked one and struck out one.
The Blue Wahoos starting pitchers Austin Ross, Keury Mella and Reyes allowed three earned runs in 18 innings for a 1.50 ERA in the last three games. Pensacola owns the second-best ERA in the Southern League at 3.14 this season.
Pensacola and Jacksonville have the day off Tuesday and then start the best of five game playoff series for the Southern Division crown scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Pensacola also hosts the second game before heading to Jacksonville.
The Blue Wahoos won a Southern League record four halves in a row this season to tie the Tennessee Smokies, which also won four straight halves between 2009 and 2011.
Pensacola improved to 34-36 in the second half and 74-66 this regular season. Meanwhile, Jacksonville fell to 39-31 and 69-71 to end the year.
Construction Projects Good News For Hudson’s, Other Century Businesses
September 4, 2017
Several Century businesses are celebrating the business growth they are experiencing due to two local construction projects.
When the lunch rush ended Friday at Mama Ruth’s Cafe in Century Friday, there wasn’t a drop of the daily special gumbo left, and there was not a piece of bread left in the restaurant.
“It was a really busy day,” proprietor Mary Hudson Bourgeois said. But it’s not just the locals that have business booming at Hudson’s and several other Century businesses.
She credits the influx of business to the workers on two major projects — the construction of a 50-unit apartment complex behind the nearby Century Courthouse and a natural gas pipeline traversing Century before reaching Pensacola.
“They’ve been really good to support us and very, very kind to us,” Bourgeois said of the construction workers. “They’ve really supported us. And it’s nice to have people in town looking for good food.”
Mama Ruth’s Cafe is located inside Hudson’s Grocery on Highway 29 just south of West Highway 4. The store is not a traditional grocery store, but instead offers Amish Foods, antiques, collectables, gifts and a variety of merchandise and is open Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and serves Sunday dinner at 11.
Pictured top: The traditional lunch crowd at Mama Ruth’s Cafe in Century has now greatly expanded due to a couple of local construction projects. Pictured below: The business is located on Highway 29 just south of West Highway 4. Pictured inset: Mary Hudson Bourgeois. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Highway 29 Crash
September 4, 2017
There were no injuries in a two vehicle crash Sunday night on Highway 29.
The crash happened near Kingsfield Road. All parties involved refused transport to the hospital.
The Ensley Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol responded.
Pictured: There were no injuries in a two vehicle crash Sunday night on Highway 29 near Kingsfield Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Senate Pushes For Higher Education Changes
September 4, 2017
Universities would have to develop block tuition plans by next fall, and expansions in Bright Futures scholarships and need-based aid programs would become permanent under a Senate bill filed recently.
The legislation (SB 4), filed by Senate Higher Education Appropriations Chairman Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, revives major parts of a higher-education bill (SB 374) passed during the 2017 legislative session but vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott.
A key difference is the new bill, which will be considered when the Legislature convenes in January, does not include measures related to state colleges. Those issues will be filed in a separate bill by Senate Education Chairwoman Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange.
Scott vetoed the 2017 bill citing concerns about the impact on the state college system.
Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who has made elevating the state university system a top priority of his presidency, told the system’s Board of Governors that even with Scott’s veto of the policy bill, a major portion of the Senate’s higher-education initiative is already having a positive impact on the 12 state institutions.
Most of the Senate proposals were included in the new $82 billion state budget, including a record expansion of need-based aid and a major boost in Bright Futures scholarships, which are merit-based.
But as part of the annual budget, as opposed to being put into law, the changes are not permanent.
Negron told the Board of Governors, meeting at the University of Florida, that the idea behind the new Senate bill is “to make these tremendous gains permanent and to continue to build this vision” for an elite university system.
One provision in the bill would make permanent the expansion of the Bright Futures scholarships for the highest-performing students, known as “academic scholars,” to cover 100 percent of tuition and fees and to pay $300 per semester for books. Also, it would permanently allow academic scholars to use their Bright Futures awards to cover summer classes.
A new provision in the bill would expand the Bright Futures scholarships for “medallion” scholars to cover 75 percent of their tuition and fees. The scholarships now cover $77 of each credit hour, which average about $215 per hour across the university system.
The new bill also revives a proposed requirement that universities develop block tuition plans, where students pay a flat fee per semester rather than a credit-hour charge, with the new tuition plans taking effect in the fall of 2018.
“I think block tuition makes sense for a school like us,” said Michael Martin, the new president of Florida Gulf Coast University. “For one thing, it would create a reasonably good incentive for a student to carry as big a (class) load as they possibly can.”
Martin said it would help more students graduate quicker, which is one of the key performance standards for schools.
Kent Fuchs, president of the University Florida, said he likes the provisions in the bill that would bring permanency to the expansion of the need-based and merit-based financial aid programs.
“Any kind of aid that is a combination of need aware and based on merit really supports those students who are bright who can go to college anywhere but they can’t afford it, so we support that too,” he said.
Florida State University President John Thrasher, who helped create the original Bright Futures program when he was in the Legislature, said it’s “a great thing for students” to restore the scholarship program to cover full tuition, as it was originally designed.
“I think it should be fully funded,” Thrasher said. “I’m proud of Joe (Negron) for doing that.”
Scott said he has not seen the new Senate bill but supports the permanent expansion of the Bright Futures scholarships.
“I’ve been very supportive of making sure we fully fund Bright Futures,” Scott told reporters in Jacksonville. “I want to make sure that our students have Bright Futures that are covered both in the summer and cover all their costs.”
The new Senate bill also would authorize programs to help schools attract top-level professors and reward high-performing graduate schools. The current budget included $121 million for those programs, but the funding would be in doubt in subsequent years without the legislation.
The bill would also require schools seeking to become “pre-eminent” institutions, which qualifies them for more state funding, to meet a 60 percent four-year graduation rate. But the bill would allow schools, like the University of South Florida, that are expected to reach pre-eminent status in the next year to use the current standard of a 70 percent six-year graduation rate.
The bill would also impose a four-year graduation standard for all schools seeking performance funding. The formula now uses a six-year graduation measure.
Several financial-aid provisions did not survive Scott’s veto of the policy bill but would be renewed with passage of the new Senate bill.
Among them, it would double the state match for scholarships aimed at “first generation” in college students. Currently, it’s a one-to-one match for the funds.
A provision to extend to out-of-state students the Benacquisto scholarships, which pay full tuition for National Merit Scholars, would also be authorized in the new bill. Even without the out-of-state extension, Negron said funding in the budget increased the Benacquisto scholars to 873 this academic year, up from 665 last year.
The bill would also create a new scholarship program for students from farmworker families.
The Senate bill would prohibit university and state college foundations from using public funds to pay for travel. And by 2023, it would prohibit the “direct-support organizations” from using public funds to pay for personnel.
Workshop To Help Landowners Do Battle With Invasive Species
September 4, 2017
The Florida Forest Stewardship Program and the Six Rivers Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area are presenting a workshop September 28, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Florida Extension office on Airport Road in Crestview.
The title of the workshop is Invasive Exotic Species and Control and the topics will include herbicide label, required personal protective equipment, applications techniques, herbicide resistance, modes of action, rotation, terrestrial and aquatic invasive exotic plants and control update, invasive species identification and look-alikes, established and new invasive exotic insects, and working with the Six Rivers CISMA.
Participants can learn about identifying and controlling cogon grass, Japanese climbing fern, privets and other non-native invasive species. Participants can earn pesticide applicator and forestry CEUs. Registration is $10 per person and participants may sign up on line at https://fsp-workshop092817.eventbrite.com or call (850) 689-5850.
Pictured top: Cogon grass. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.