Dedria’s Gift Provides Christmas Presents For Nursing Home Residents
December 25, 2016
The Century organization “Dedria’s Gift” recently visited three area nursing homes and assisted living facilities, providing Christmas presents for less fortunate residents. The gifts were provided at the Century Health and Rehabilitation Center (pictured top), the Atmore Nursing Care Center (pictured below) and the Westgate Village in Brewton.
Dedria’s Gift honors the memory of Dedria Robinson who was killed 2005 in an automobile accident at age 11. The group annual provides school supplies for hundreds of children the Century area.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Auburn Woman Dies In Crash Outside Brewton
December 24, 2016
An Auburn woman was killed in a single vehicle accident between Brewton and Flomaton Saturday morning.
Jessica Michelle Norwood, 29, was pronounced deceased at the scene of the 5:45 a.m. crash near the intersection of Highway 31 and Old Highway 31, about two miles south of Georgia Pacific.
According to Alabama State Troopers, Norwood was driving a 2009 Toyota Camry that left the roadway and overturned into some trees. The vehicle came to rest on its side against several trees.
She was not wearing a seat belt.
The crash remains under investigation by Alabama State Troopers.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Band Members Honor Pearl Harbor Veterans On Hawaii Trip
December 24, 2016
The Tate High School Showband of the South joined in a special performance in Hawaii on December 7 to mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Peal Harbor.
There were 115 Tate band members that made the trip, joining the bands of schools from across the country invited to perform at the USS Missouri on December 7.
“It was definitely very somber and an experience that none of us will forget,” said Kim Franklin, who served as one of 31 chaperones and staff for the Tate band. Each band member had to raise $2,400 to make the trip.
The group left in three buses for Atlanta on December 1, then flew to Hawaii and returned on December 10. Their trip included a tour of the USS Arizona Memorial.
Franklin, mother of the trumpet player J.D. Franklin, said as they were touring the memorial, one of the Pearl Harbor survivors arrived, which made it even more memorable.
The Arizona was hit four times by Japanese planes and sunk quickly. The bombs and explosions killed 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen, which was about half of the total lives lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
“To see the wall of names and to think all those men are entombed there and how many families were impacted is very sombering,” Franklin said. “I told J.D. that you could go back to Hawaii but you wouldn’t be able to participate in the 75th anniversary. To be there was special.”
Greg Gomez, had the privilege of diving the USS Arizona on December 7 as part of the U.S. Marine Corps 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company.
It was part of the Division Dive Training Package for the 4th Marine Division, where they conducted dive operations in accordance with a training manual. Semiannually, Division Dive Packages are offered all over the world to establish Standard Operating Procedures for the Combatant Diver to employ in real world scenarios.
Gomez, who is a sergeant in the Marines, took video while he was on the dive.
“Diving the USS Arizona on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor was a surreal feeling,” he said. “I still can’t wrap my head around the fact I was looking at the graveyard of thousands of men who perished during the attack and their bodies are still trapped inside.”
The Tate band members took tours of different areas in Hawaii. On Dec. 7, they performed several songs at the USS Missouri during the program, including America the Beautiful, the Navy hymn, Fanfare for the Common Man, Summon the Heroes and the Armed Forces salute.
The band had a 3-hour practice on the day before the event and another 3-hour practice on the day of the event. They also had a separate performance on Waikiki Beach.
Tina Stojak traveled as a parent to take in the commemoration.
“It was very impressive, much more than I ever expected,” she said. “Seeing so many Pearl Harbor survivors; it was neat to meet them and hear their stories.
“Evan declared it the greatest week of his life,” Stojak said. “He was so into it and was in awe. He was very somber. It was a huge honor.”
Man Charged With Robbing Business Employee At Gunpoint
December 24, 2016
A man wanted for robbing an employee of a Pensacola business at gunpoint on Tuesday has been arrested.
Marsarius Savontae Evans, aka “T.T.”, 26, no permanent address, was arrested Friday afternoon at a residence in the 2400 block of North F Street. He was charged with armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and aggravated assault.
The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Smart Fill, 4306 N. Davis Highway.
The suspect entered the store, grabbed a 27-year-old female clerk by the arm, showed a gun, and demanded money. When the suspect couldn’t open the cash register, he took the employee’s wallet and left the store.
FDOT Suspends Road Construction For Christmas, New Year’s Holidays
December 24, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has suspended highway construction projects on major roadways across Northwest Florida for the holidays. There will be no lane closures or other activities that impede traffic on state roads through Monday, January 2, 2017. All major roads will be open to normal traffic.
Although no construction closures are scheduled over the holiday, existing state highway work zones will remain in effect and drivers may encounter construction workers and reduced speed limits. Motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through work zones around barricades and equipment.
FDOT is encouraging drivers to allow extra travel time and to use extra caution in existing work zones along state highways. Drivers are urged to make sure they buckle up, along with their passengers. FDOT and other safety agencies also ask drivers to obey speed limits, get adequate rest before traveling, avoid distractions and never drink and drive.
Drivers also are urged to be prepared for unscheduled highway closures due to accidents, disabled vehicles or other events. Motorists should be alert to changing weather conditions while traveling.
Santa Visits Camp Fire Kids
December 24, 2016
Santa Claus recently paid a very special visit to the Camp Fire USA Learning Center in Century to take some last minute Christmas wishes. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UF/IFAS: Baking Blunders To Avoid
December 24, 2016
The way people get cooking advice has changed a lot over the years, due in no small part to the Internet, said Heidi Copeland, family and consumer sciences agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.
“Before the Internet, people often took to calling their local Extension office for culinary advice, especially during the frenzy of holiday cooking,” Copeland said. “Fortunately, people still come to family and consumer sciences agents like myself to get answers to their culinary questions.”
“Folks are frequently concerned about baking,” Copeland said. “Many often wonder why their product isn’t turning out.”
Copeland has these tips for avoiding common baking blunders:
1. Take care with substitutions. “Baking isn’t as forgiving as cooking. Using the right ingredients is important because they strongly affect the taste and texture of baked goods,” Copeland explained. “For example, if a recipe calls for butter, don’t substitute a spread. Typical butter is 80 percent fat and 20 percent water, whereas a spread can be as little as 60 percent fat and 40 percent water,” Copeland said. “That bit of extra liquid in something like a pie crust could mean the difference between something deliciously flakey and a soggy mess.”
2. Measure it right. “Your measuring tools —cups and spoons— and how you measure can impact the final product,” Copeland said. “Flour, for instance, should be fluffed up a little with a spoon, swooped into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife or other straight-edged utensil—not packed and pounded into a cup. Brown sugar, on the other hand, should be packed into a measuring cup.”
3. Know your dimensions. “A recipe will tell you which pan size to use. Keep in mind that the recipe is design to fill pans of particular dimensions. For examples, the volume of a nine-inch cake pan is six cups, but that of a 10-inch baking pan is 11 cups,” said Copeland.
4. Get the right flour. “Which flour is best? It depends on what you’re making,” Copeland said. “Whole grain flours are higher in dietary fiber and overall nutrient content than white flour, but whole grain flours are not the norm for most traditional holiday recipes, nor is self-rising flour, which already has baking powder and salt added. All-purpose flour is the key to most basic recipes.”
5. When it comes to eggs, go large. “Unless otherwise noted, assume a recipe with eggs is calling for large chicken eggs at room temperature,” Copeland advised. “If a cookie recipe calls for two large eggs (about four ounces) and two jumbo eggs (about five ounces) are used, the cookies may turn out softer than desired.”
Jay Art Dept. Presents The Elf Shop Painting Party
December 24, 2016
The Jay High School Art Department recently hosted their first-ever “The Elf Shop Painting Party”.
Nearly 30 adults were assisted by Jay art students throughout the event. The students decorated, prepped canvases and all supplies, creating the culinary art refreshments, and assisted the participants. The Royal Outfitter Store, owned and operated by Jay Art Department, created a goody jar for each participant with their personalized vinyl initial.
The Jay Art Department is planning another painting party called “Spring Into Art 2017“, with two sessions available on March 4 and March 11, 2017. For more information, contact Teresa Dobson, Jay Art Department, at (850) 675-4507 in early January.
For more photos from “The Elf Shop Painting Party”, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Displaces Five From Their Home, Adds Red Bulb To Safety Wreath
December 23, 2016
Five people — three adults and two children — were left without their home following Thursday night fire.
The fire was reported just after 7 p.m. on Rawlings Drive at Greenbriar Boulevard. The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes. A clothes dryer in the laundry room was confirmed as the source of the fire, with flames spreading to the kitchen and smoke damage throughout the home. Damage was estimated at $50,000.
The American Red Cross was providing temporary assistance to the displaced residents.
The fire represented the eighth red bulb on the “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign wreath.
A seventh red bulb was added after a structure fire with entrapment on Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. on Horn Street. Crews arrived on scene to find a working fire of a 10 x 10 foot shed that was utilized as a home. The fire was called under control at 9:48 p.m., with the shed a total loss and the resident sustaining critical injuries requiring transport to Scared Heart. The State Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
The “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign is a collaborative initiative with the city of Pensacola to promote fire safety during the month of December.
During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths are on display at 18 county fire stations and five city fire stations, with wreaths also placed outside Escambia County’s Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building downtown, the Escambia County Public Safety Building, Pensacola City Hall and Cordova Mall near the food court entrance. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential home.
Photos by Kristi Barbour for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECUA Christmas Trash Pickup Schedule
December 23, 2016
ECUA offices will be closed Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26, in observance of the Christmas holiday, and on Monday, January 2, 2017, in observance of the New Year’s holiday.
There are no changes to the ECUA sanitation collection schedules in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties (garbage, recycling and yard trash).
Customers may place real wreaths and Christmas trees, free of stands and decorations, at the curb for pick-up with regular yard waste collection. Call ECUA customer service at (850) 476-0480 for additional information.