Teams Needed For Cade Allen Benefit Softball Tournament
January 26, 2017
A two-day Cade’s Benefit Softball Tournament will be held February 3-4 at the Don Sutton Ballpark in Molino.
There will be 12 teams maximum, with at least 10 people on each team. Teams must have three females on the field with at least four females on the team.
$15 per person with funds due to Friday, January 27 to Amy Holland in Northview High School’s front office. For more information, Call Amanda Pritchett at (850) 418-2502.
Northview student Cade Allen had surgery in Orlando during Christmas break and suffered severe complications that have kept him unconscious and in ICU.
Molino Park Students Dress As 100-Year Olds
January 26, 2017
Molino Park Elementary School students celebrated the 100th day of the school year this week by dressing up like 100-year olds.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
No Serious Injuries In Highway 97 Two Vehicle Crash
January 26, 2017
There were no serious injuries in a two vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon on Highway 97 at at Pilgrim Trail. The Florida Highway Patrol has not released details on the 4:#0 p.m. accident. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Tate High Wrestling Places At Gator Brawl
January 26, 2017
Tate High School’s wrestling team recently traveled to Wewahitchka High School for the Gator Brawl. Nine Aggies placed in the top ten, while six received medals.
Jacob Cochran — 1st, 106 pounds
Lee Pedicord — 12th, 106 pounds
Noah Kryfka — 3rd, 113 pounds
Alex Porter — 1st, 120 pounds
Matthew Blalock — 3rd, 126 pounds
Derek Cannon — 9th, 126 pounds
Alex Ludgate — 8th, 132 pounds
Kendall Townley — 1st, 138 pounds
Juan Alvarez — 3rd, 152 pounds
Alex Young — 10th, 170 pounds
The Tate Aggies placed fifth overall, with five wrestlers not able to attend.
Pictured: (Front, L-R) Coach Reggie Allen, Matthew Blalock, Kendall Townley, Juan Alvarez, Jacob Cochran, Derek Cannon, (back) Noah Kryfka, Lee Pedicord, Alex Porter, Alex Young and Alex Ludgate. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
IP Explosion: Goal Is To Reopen Mill, Get Employees Back To Work
January 25, 2017
The International Paper mill in Cantonment sat idle Tuesday afternoon, an unfamiliar sight to locals with no steam rising from the plant. There is no production underway, with most of its hundreds of employees not at work. But Mill Manager Bretton Dejong said Tuesday that the company plans to put employees back to work as soon as possible.
“The company is committed to reestablishing operations at this facility,” Dejong said. “Exactly how long that will take is yet to be determined. We have staff coming from all over the company…experts that can help us step through this process safely and get our folks back to work where they need to be.”
“Our immediate goal is to get folks back to work, recognizing the work may be a little different than where they were before we started this incident,” he said. “We have a lot of needs as you can imagine tying to get the facility back into some semblance of cleanup, remediation on site, following up with the processes we need to put in place to reestablish safe operation.”
“With the expertise of our team members here, we couldn’t hire anyone better to help us do that. they know the place,” the mill manager continued. “They are going to be the ones to help us get our feet back under us.”
Dejong did not provide any timetable for bringing employees back to work or returning the mill to operation.
International Paper has set up a hotline for residents. Individuals with questions or concerns pertaining to Sunday night’s incident can contact the information hotline at (850) 968-4208. The number is available 24 hours a day until further notice.
Pictured top: The International Paper mill in Cantonment sits idle Tuesday afternoon, following a Sunday night explosion (below). NorthEcambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Boy Scouts Learn About First Responders
January 25, 2017
Boy Scout Troop 430 of Molino visited the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue Tuesday night to learn what it is like to be a first responder. They also learned about fire trucks and scene safety. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Candidate Field Set For Century Special Election
January 25, 2017
The candidates are set for a special election in the Town of Century.
Qualified Candidates Council Seat 2:
- Luis Gomez, Jr.
- Kevin Stead
Qualified Candidate Council Seat 3:
- Benjamin D. Boutwell
Based on the number of candidates who have qualified, there will only be one election on February 28. Since there is only one candidate in the Council Seat 3 contest, the ballot will only have the Council Seat 2 race on the ballot.
Registration book closing for the February 28 election will be on January 30. New voter registration applications need to be postmarked or submitted to a voter registration agency by close of business on January 30.
Anyone who wishes to request a vote-by-mail ballot should visit EscambiaVotes.com and click “Vote by Mail”, or contact the Supervisor of Elections Office at 595-3900. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the election is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22. To track your vote-by-mail ballot, visit EscambiaVotes.com and click “Track My Ballot.”
Lawmakers Push For Fracking Ban In Florida
January 25, 2017
Trying to end a debate about the possibility of fracking in Florida, a bipartisan group of lawmakers Tuesday backed a proposed ban on the controversial method of drilling for oil and natural gas.
“This bill is concise and straightforward: It bans fracking of all types in Florida,” said Sen. Dana Young, a Tampa Republican who filed the proposal (SB 442) on Tuesday.
The bill, which will be considered during the legislative session that starts March 7, comes after heavy debate during the 2016 session about a measure that would have created a regulatory framework for fracking in the state. The House passed the measure, which died in the Senate amid widespread opposition from environmentalists who argued it could open the door to fracking.
Young appeared at a news conference Tuesday with a coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, and House Minority Leader Janet Cruz, D-Tampa. The group did not include top House Republican leaders.
Florida Petroleum Council Executive Director David Mica released a statement that said the proposed ban is out of step with consumers who see benefits from domestic energy production.
“The United States is the leading producer of oil, natural gas and refined product in the world, and the decades-old technique of hydraulic fracturing has led to lower energy costs for consumers and improvements in the environment,” Mica said in the statement. “Sen. Dana Young’s proposed ban could undermine the benefits that Florida families and consumers are seeing today.”
Oil and natural-gas drilling has taken place in parts of Northwest Florida and Southwest Florida for decades. But the possibility that drilling could involve fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, has spurred the legislative debate — similar to debates in other parts of the country where the method has become commonly used.
The method, in part, involves injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to create fractures in rock formations, allowing natural gas and oil to be released. While supporters say fracking increases production and holds down energy costs, opponents argue it threatens water supplies and can cause environmental damage.
During the news conference Tuesday, Young pointed to limestone formations in Florida and said fracking in the state “makes no sense.”
“Sometimes technology gets ahead of Mother Nature in a bad way,” said Sen. Gary Farmer, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat who also took part in the news conference. “I think this is an example.”
Fracking became a key issue is some legislative campaigns last year, including in Young’s race for a Hillsborough County Senate seat and in Sen. Keith Perry’s race in a North Florida district. Perry, R-Gainesville, is co-introducing Young’s proposed ban. Both served in the House last year and voted for the regulatory bill.
Young and Latvala, who helped kill the 2016 bill, said lawmakers had differences of opinion about the potential effects of last year’s measure. But the lawmakers at Tuesday’s news conference said they want to end the debate about fracking with an outright ban.
“What we do today is not for us, but for the next generation,” Perry said. “This kind of legislation that’s protecting the natural environment that we all enjoy, and need to save for future generations, should be one of our top priorities as we go forward in this session.”
But Mica said Florida shouldn’t “move backwards when the gains of energy security are important for Florida families.”
“The technology has been proven safe, and Florida is realizing the economic and environmental benefits of its use,” he said.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Northview Football Players Read To Byrneville Elementary Students
January 25, 2017
Several senior Northview High School football players read to students at Byrneville Elementary School on Tuesday for National Literacy week. Players reading to students were Luke Ward (#1), Devin Stabler (#11), Dustin Bethea (#52), Alston Wiggins (#54), Hunter Cofield (#55) and Dillon Clary (#60).
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle Teacher Imhof Honored By Gov. Rick Scott
January 25, 2017
Escambia County Teacher of the Year Kristi Imhof was one of eight educators honored Tuesday with Governor Rick Scott’s Shine Award during a meeting of the Florida Cabinet in Tallahassee.
The Shine Award is presented to teachers and administrators in Florida who make significant contributions to the field of education.
Scott said, “I am proud to present these eight educators with the Governor’s Shine Award today. These outstanding teachers go above and beyond to educate students in our state. I applaud these educators for their dedication to helping our students learn and ensure they are prepared for higher education and careers.”
Imhof is a seventh grade language arts teacher at Ransom Middle School.
Pictured: Ransom Middle School teacher Kristi Imhof (fourth from right) was one of eight educators honored Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.