Volunteer Florida Awards $150K In Grants
May 5, 2015
Volunteer Florida announced $150,000 in grant funding for 15 nonprofits and service organizations in Florida, including two in Escambia County.
The Volunteer Generation Fund program will help local nonprofits recruit, manage, and support approximately 2,200 skills-based volunteers throughout the state. The volunteers will serve Florida students and job-seekers, work to make Florida families healthier, restore and protect Florida’s natural resources, and support critical emergency management efforts.
“Volunteers significantly improve the quality of life in our communities, and helping local agencies more effectively use volunteers to serve more Floridians is a smart investment,” said Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman. “As Florida continues to become a global destination for jobs, we are making communities from Pensacola to the Keys better places to live, work, and raise a family.”
The 2015 Volunteer Florida VGF sub-grantees in Escambia County are:
Community Organizations Active in Disaster (BRACE), Escambia County
Projected Impact: Recruit 150 skills based volunteers, provide 1200 hours of service
BRACE is a community based disaster coalition that works with families before, during, and after disasters to prevent homelessness.
Pensacola Promise (Chain Reaction), Escambia County
Projected Impact: Recruit 150 skills based volunteers, provide 1200 hours of service
Chain Reaction is a character education program that is teen-directed, teen-driven and teen-organized using volunteerism as its teaching tool. Since 2003, Chain Reaction has provided local teens ages 13 to 18 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with safe, meaningful and educational volunteer activities.
Letter Carriers Plan Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
May 5, 2015
On Saturday, letter carriers will join forces to help Stamp Out Hunger in our community. In its 23rd year, the annual food drive has grown to be the largest national single-day effort that benefits millions of Americans who struggle to put food on the table.
Residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag of non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior to their regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 9. Escambia and Santa Rosa letter carriers will collect food donations for local food banks including the Bay Area Food Bank and Manna Food Pantries. Last year, organizations received a total of 159,625 pounds of food from the community during the food drive.
“This is a critical food drive because it comes at a time when donations are typically low and the need has increased,” said DeDe Flounlacker, Manna Food Pantries’ executive director. “During the school year, many children get a healthy meal through the free or reduced breakfast and lunch programs. During the summer, those programs aren’t available. The generous donations from the community allow us to provide nutritious food to hungry families and children throughout the summer months.”
Tate’s Simmons Signs With Alabama State
May 5, 2015
Tate High School senior Regine Simmons has signed a volleyball scholarship with Alabama State University. Simmons is pictured being congratulated by Tate High Principal Rick Shackle. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fallen Florida Law Officers Honored
May 5, 2015
Bagpipes played “Amazing Grace” at the state Capitol on Monday as hundreds of law-enforcement officers from across the state attended an annual memorial ceremony for fallen officers. The names of six officers were read aloud, and surviving family members each put a red rose on a map of Florida in memory of their loved ones.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, who had one of his deputies killed in the line of duty in 2014, said police have taken undue criticism in recent months from isolated incidents between law enforcement and citizens across the country.
“We have to be careful not to create an environment in this nation in which officers fail to act out of fear of criticism, when they should act,” Demings said. “That hesitation might cost them their life.”
Also Monday, the Florida Sheriffs Association held a ceremony that included adding three names of fallen officers to a memorial wall. Those three, who died in 2014, were Orange County Deputy Jonathan Scott Pine, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer Mark H. Larson and Leon County Deputy Christopher Smith.
by The News Service of Florida
Pictured top: A capitol ceremony Monday in Tallahasee to honor fallen law officers. Photo by Tom Urban, NSF, for NorthEscambia.com. Pictured below: Bagpipers play “Amazing Grace” in honor of fallen Florida law enforcement officers. Pictured inset: Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tickets Still Available For ‘Hairspray’ Musical
May 5, 2015
Tickets are still available for the Northview High School Theatre Department presentation of the Broadway musical “Hairspray” this weekend.
It’s 1962, and pleasantly plump Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire – to dance on the popular “Corny Collins Show.” When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. It is a show that’s great for the entire family.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. in the Northview Theatre on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. Advance tickets are available in the Northview front office.
Tate To State: Lady Aggies Hit The Road
May 5, 2015
The Tate Lady Aggies hit the road Monday for Vero Beach and the state semifinals. The Lady Aggies will face the Bartow High School Yellow Jackets in the Class 7A state semifinals Wednesday afternoon. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jackson Tops The Pcola Blue Wahoos 15-4
May 5, 2015
For the third time in the five-game series, the Jackson Generals hung six runs in an inning Monday on the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
After five innings, Jackson led the game, 14-1, on two three-run home runs by designated hitter Jabari Blash and third baseman Jody Lara on the way to winning the rubber match in the five-game series, 15-4, from Pensacola at The Ballpark in Jackson.
It was the most runs in a game the Generals have scored this season, going down in order in just two of eight innings. That included the eighth when Pensacola infielder Ray Chang made his third career relief appearance and first since July 7, 2009, and preserved his 0.00 ERA.
Despite the loss, a few Blue Wahoos did perform well. Right fielder Kyle Waldrop went 1-3, hitting a 320-foot, three-run blast to right field in the sixth inning. He scored a run and had four RBIs total. In his last nine games, Waldrop is batting .364 (12-33) with four doubles, a homer, eight RBIs, and three runs. For the season, he has three homers, batted-in 14 runners, and hit .259.
In addition, Pensacola first baseman Marquez Smith, who had two singles Monday, had a good series against Jackson. Smith hit .429 (9-21) in five games, including four multi-hit games to raise his batting average from .182 to .246 on the season.
Pensacola second baseman Ryan Wright, who went 2-4 with two runs, has hits in nine of his last 10 games. He’s batting .333 (11-33) since April 26.
Meanwhile, Blue Wahoos shortstop Juan Perez’s leadoff double in the sixth inning against the Generals Monday pushed his hitting streak to six games. He’s hitting .346 (9-26) during the streak and now leads Pensacola with a .308 average and is second in on-base percentage at .366.
But Monday was really all about the Generals, who had four hits, including a two-out, three-run blast by Blash, two walks and an error to go up, 6-0, after two innings. In all, Jackson sent nine batters to the plate.
Jackson tacked on three more runs to go up, 9-0, in the next inning, thanks to catcher Steve Baron. He smashed a double to left that scored two runs in the third. Baron then stole third and scored on Blue Wahoos catcher Chris Berset’s throwing error to second.
Finally, Jackson took a, 14-1, lead when Lara crushed a three-run blast in a five-run fifth inning.
Semi Trailer Cut In Half In Train Collision
May 5, 2015
The trailer of a semi-truck hauling auto parts was literally cut in half in a collision with a train Monday afternoon in Brewton. There were no injuries in the 4 p.m. crash at the Highway 31 and Highway 41 intersection. Photo by Alisa Hart for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Beat Jackson
May 4, 2015
Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Josh Smith picked up his second win of the season by throwing seven scoreless innings against the Jackson Generals on Sunday.
Smith, who last pitched for the Blue Wahoos in 2013, is now 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA after giving up six hits and striking out eight in Pensacola’s, 5-1, victory at The Ballpark in Jackson. The win ended a two-game losing streak to the Generals, who wrap up its five-game series Monday with Pensacola.
Smith wasn’t the only star for Pensacola on Sunday. Designated hitter Kyle Waldrop went 3-5 with a double, scored a run and drove in two more. Marquez Smith also had a 3-5 day and scored.
Pensacola scored first in the third inning. They took a 1-0 lead when Juan Silva tripled for the first time this season on a soft line drive to right field and Beau Amaral knocked him in with a single on a line drive to left field.
Marquez Smith then singled sharply to left field and Waldrop doubled on a fly ball to center field that drove in Smith to put Pensacola up, 2-0. Waldrop moved to third base on a Seth Mejias-Brean ground out to shortstop. Chris Berset drove Waldrop in on a sacrifice fly to center field for a 3-0 Pensacola lead.
Pensacola made it 4-0 when Jesse Winker reached first on a fielder’s choice and two out. Smith followed with a single to right field and Winker took third on a fielding error by Jackson right fielder Jabari Blash. Waldrop then drove in Winker with a two-out single to center field.
The Blue Wahoos added an insurance run in the ninth when Juan Perez singled on a ground ball to the second baseman and reached third on a wild pitch by Jackson’s Trevor Miller. Ryan Wright then drove Perez in on a sacrifice fly to go ahead, 5-0.
Perez went 2-5 and has now hit in six straight games and 15 of the last 16 games. He’s leading Pensacola with a .311 batting average.
Cantonment Motorcyclist Charged With Fleeing From Deputies
May 4, 2015
A Cantonment man has been charged with running from deputies on his motorcycle.
An Escambia County deputy reported that he observed a Honda motorcycle at the intersection of Nine Mile and Pine Forest roads. He said the driver, later identified as 21-year old Brian Paul Watkins, turned around and looked directly at him. The deputy later activated his lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop because the motorcycle’s tag was expired. The deputy reported Watkins continued at a normal speed before taking off at a high rate of speed and passing through two red lights. The deputy reported that he turned off his lights and sirens, discontinuing the traffic stop, as Watkins continued at a high rate of speed on Pine Forest Road “with no regards to other vehicles that were in his path of travel”.
A warrant was prepared for his arrest.
Watkins was charged with felony fleeing and eluding while lights and siren activated and cited for resiting an officer and operating a motorcycle without a license. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Monday with bond set at $52,000.