Highway 97 Collapse Repairs Complete
July 20, 2014
Repairs to a collapsed shoulder on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill are complete.
Back on May 15, the shoulder of Highway 97 about a mile south of Ernest Ward Middle School collapsed in an existing 50-foot deep gully after a drainage pipe separated and undermined the shoulder. About a month later, the situation worsened, with part of the paved shoulder falling into the hole, prompting temporary repairs by the Florida Department of Transportation. Crews used sandbags to shore up the shoulder on temporary basis back on June 13.
Permanent repairs were completed by Scott Bridge, Inc., for a total of $102,577. Since the damage occurred after the flooding event that led to a presidential disaster declaration for Escambia County, repair costs for Highway 97 will not be reimbursed by FEMA.
Pictured top and inset: Repairs complete to Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. Pictured below: A washed out pipe caused the road shoulder to collapse into an existing gully. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Grad Deploys To Afghanistan As Black Hawk Medevac Pilot
July 20, 2014
A Northview High School graduate is among a group of soldiers to be deployed Tuesday from Fort Bragg to Afghanistan.
Casey B. Wilcoxon is a Black Hawk medevac pilot with Company C, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade.
The air ambulance crews and their support personnel, who also go by the nickname All American Dustoff, are deploying for the first time since 2012, when they covered an area in eastern Afghanistan roughly the size of Virginia with their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
Wilcoxon completed the Initial Entry Rotary Wing Aviator Course and was graduated as a pilot from the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, AL, last September. He has been in the Army for seven years, formerly as a UH 60 Black Hawk mechanic, having achieved the rank of Sergeant prior to being commissioned as a Warrant Officer.
This is his third time in Afghanistan, his first as a pilot. His previous deployments were as an enlisted member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). He also had two deployments to Iraq with the 160th before becoming a pilot.
A 2006 graduate of Northview High School, Wilcoxon is the son of the late William B. Wilcoxon of Century and Erbie and Pamela Pritchett, also of Century and is the grandson of the late John Wilcoxon and Grace Wilcoxon of Century and James and Mildred Lambeth of Flomaton.
Editor’s note: The unit was originally set to deploy on Saturday, but the departure was delayed until Tuesday due to weather.
Pictured top: Casey Wilcoxon, right, embraces his wife, Kelley (also a Northview gradudate), and two daughters, Kami and Kali Saturday at Fort Bragg. Photo courtesy Abbi O’Leary/Fayetteville Observer for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured inset: Casey Wilcoxon. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Teachers Union Challenges Bill Expanding School Vouchers
July 20, 2014
The state’s largest teachers union filed a legal challenge contesting how lawmakers “log rolled” a series of education issues — including an expansion of a controversial school vouchers program — into a single bill that passed in the waning hours of the 2014 legislative session.
The Florida Education Association, a longtime opponent of voucher programs, filed a complaint in the 2nd Judicial Circuit in Leon County that challenges the constitutionality of how legislators patched together legislation into a wide-ranging education bill (SB 850). The voucher expansion had appeared dead in the Senate until getting approved in the broader bill.
“This was a sneaky way for the legislative leaders to enact measures that had already failed,” said union Vice President Joanne McCall. “It’s an outrage that the corporate voucher expansion was tacked on to an unrelated bill and slipped into law on the session’s final day.”
The lawsuit, which is filed under the name of East Lee County High School social studies teacher Tom Faasse, was quickly criticized as “shameful” and a “new low” by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which was founded by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
“As a society, we must work to unlock education opportunities for students who need them the most. Senate Bill 850 will help children with Down’s syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities have greater choices and the critical support necessary for successful education outcomes,” foundation Chief Executive Officer Patricia Levesque said in a prepared statement. “There are those who believe families should have options and trust parents in those decisions for their kids. And sadly there are those who find educational choices threatening to their political power.”
Incoming Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, also criticized the lawsuit in a separate statement, saying, “It is unfortunate the hard-earned money our teachers contribute to the FEA is now being spent to fund litigation designed to limit educational opportunities for children across our state.”
McCall said after a news conference that the union had been working towards the lawsuit since the bill was approved May 2 by the Legislature. She added that the lawsuit is unrelated to the union’s endorsement of former Gov. Charlie Crist in this year’s gubernatorial race.
Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill into law June 20. Among other things, the law makes changes in middle-school and career education, along with continuing efforts to reduce hazing and prevent dropouts.
The House initially approved the bill 115-1 on April 30. But lawmakers broke along mostly party lines in the House and Senate as a 140-page amendment was approved on the final day of session.
The amendment included changes to the Tax Credit Scholarship vouchers program and created “personal learning scholarship accounts” that are aimed at helping parents of students with disabilities pay for educational services.
The Florida Education Association is seeking a quick decision in the lawsuit as the “personal learning scholarship accounts” are being introduced this week.
Union attorney Ron Meyer said lawmakers “log rolled” several pieces of unrelated legislation, loosely tied to education, into a single package, which is prohibited the Florida Constitution. The constitution requires each law to embrace a single subject that is “briefly expressed” in the title.
“Log rolling has always happened, and I guess unless someone says you have to follow the constitution, people will continue to go forward not following the constitution,” Meyer said.
The Tax Credit Scholarship Program provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that then pay for children to go to private schools. Changes to the program were a major priority for House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.
Under the new law, a family of four earning up to $62,010 a year will be eligible for at least a partial scholarship, a nearly $20,000 boost from the current $43,568 annual income limit. The value of each individual scholarship also will rise.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
New Pastor Joins Jay United Methodist Church
July 20, 2014
Jay United Methodist Church has recently welcomed Rev. Ebb Hagan and family.
He is serving his first appointment in the Alabama-West Florida area after recently graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. While at Princeton, Hagan was an assistant on the Dead Sea Scrolls project and was awarded an archaeological fellowship to work a dig in Bethsaida, Galilee, Israel and research in Jerusalem.
Hagan grew up in Evergreen, AL, and is the son of the late Larry Hagan and Rebecca Hagan of Troy and Brundidge, AL. After graduating from Washington State University and spending the better part of the last 20 years in Seattle, Hagan is looking forward to being home.
Hagan’s wife, Emily, grew up in Inchelium, WA, which is located in northeastern Washington state. She is also a graduate of Washington State University and is currently progressing through the Master of Divinity program at Asbury Theological Seminary. Upon graduation, she hopes to use her degree to serve as a chaplain or pastoral counselor. She is the daughter of Stefan and Linda Mallory from Inchelium.
They are joined by their three children, Gaston, 10, Mallory, 8, and Stefan, 6.
Submitted photo.
July Gardening Tips
July 20, 2014
The heat, humidity and frequent rains of July are great for tropical plants. Gardeners, however, take a bit of a beating. Remember to keep the sunscreen, insect repellant and iced tea handy as you venture out into your garden to perform some needed summer maintenance.
A midsummer application of fertilizer is usually required, especially on annual flowers, lawns, shrub beds and vegetable gardens. This is a supplemental application, so don’t overdo it. A 15-0-15 slow-release fertilizer is a good general purpose landscape fertilizer for most plants.
Major pruning jobs should have been done earlier, but there is still some maintenance pruning that should be done. Deadhead, or clip old flowers, from summer flowering shrubs as soon as they fade to help insure an extended season of bloom. Crape myrtles, hibiscus, hydrangeas and althea are examples of shrubs that will bloom repeatedly if light, selective pruning is done.
Flowering annuals also respond well to deadheading. Snip off old flowers and flower spikes before they have an opportunity to form seed. Allowing annual flowers to set seed can shorten their blooming season considerably.
Inspect your lawn and shrub plantings frequently in order to identify pest problems as early as possible. The most severe damage from pest insects normally begins in July. Be on the lookout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass; spittlebugs in centipede grass; sod webworm in all lawns-especially new ones; lacebug and caterpillars on azaleas; whiteflies on gardenia and spider mites on lots of different types of shrubs.
Sod webworms often attack lawns in the summer. They eat the grass blades producing areas that look as if they have been mowed too short. Close inspection will reveal that the blades have not been cleanly cut as with a mower blade but have been chewed along their edges and tips. These caterpillars feed at night and rest during the day down among the runners and in the thatch.
Once an insect pest is found, evaluate the damage and determine if control is necessary. If it is, choose the least toxic option. If only a few caterpillars are found, hand picking might be the choice. Aphids and spider mites can often be controlled by spraying with an insecticidal soap solution. Chemical insecticides are sometimes required. Before choosing one be sure that the insect pest has been properly identified and that the insecticide is labeled for that purpose For vegetable gardeners that have problems with nematodes, soil borne diseases and extensive weed problems, July is a great time to try soil solarization.
Prepare the soil as you normally would for a vegetable garden including adding organic matter. Moisten the area and cover with clear plastic, not black plastic. Clear plastic will produce the highest temperatures. Be sure to weigh down the edges of the plastic so that it doesn’t blow up. Allow the soil to bake in the sun for four to six weeks. The sun will raise the soil temperature high enough to kill many soil borne problems.
Tip of the Week: The nice thing about tomatoes is that you have the option of harvesting when the fruit is green if needed. Tomatoes will ripen indoors at room temperature. To ensure even ripening, place the tomato with the stem up. The ideal time to harvest tomatoes is when they are fully colored but still firm.
In general, it is best to harvest vegetables early in the mornings while the moisture content is higher. The overall quality will quickly diminish as vegetables are exposed to hotter temperatures later in the day.
Suns Sink Wahoos 6-2
July 20, 2014
The Jacksonville Suns scored all six of their runs over their final two innings to sink the Wahoos 6-2 and spoil a stellar start by Wahoos right-hander Tim Adleman. The Wahoos starter opened the game with a season-high six shutout innings but didn’t pick up a decision.
With the Wahoos leading 2-0, the Suns took over the lead on a three-run home run from Austin Barnes off reliever James Walczak (L, 2-5) in the seventh inning. Two of the runs were charged to Adleman who allowed a single and a walk to open the inning, and left the game before recording an out. Aldeman was charged with just the 2 R/ER over 6.0 innings. He allowed just six hits with five strikeouts and only one walk.
Pensacola scored both of its runs in the fifth inning on a fielder’s choice and RBI single. Those runs broke up a scoreless tie led by Adleman and Suns starter Justin Nicolino. Both pitchers matched zeros for the first four innings of the game before Pensacola broke through first. Nicolino allowed just the 2 R/0 ER on six hits over 6.0 innings. He added five strikeouts without issuing a walk.
The Suns put the game away with three runs in the eighth inning. Wahoos relievers walked four batters in the inning to ignite the rally. Jacksonville only collected one hit in the inning, a two-run double from Brady Shoemaker.
Walczak took the loss after getting charged with 4 R/ER on two hits with three walks over 1.1 innings. Frankie Reed (W, 1-0) picked up the win out of the Suns bullpen. He worked just one shutout inning for his first win of the year.
For the second straight game Ryan Wright paced the offense for the Blue Wahoos. He finished 2-for-3 with a walk for his second consecutive multi-hit game. Jacksonville locked up the series and the season series with the win over the Blue Wahoos securing the Suns’ possession of the golden skillet traveling trophy.
Pensacola will try to end the road trip on a high note Sunday. RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-4, 2.45) will start for the Blue Wahoos against Suns RHP Jose Urena (7-7, 4.24). First pitch is set for 2:05 p.m. CT.
by Tommy Thrall
Horse Sent Back To Molino After Escaping From City Car Lot, Police Roundup
July 19, 2014
A horse has been “sentenced” to head back to the farm in Molino after a wild Friday morning that included an escape from a car lot, a police roundup and a cab.
Pensacola Police Officer Hank Wells found himself in a one-man rodeo this morning when he tried to find a horse that had escaped from a car lot. The incident was reported to police around 9:20 a.m. after the seven-year-old black gelded horse named “Ziggy” was seen in the 1300 block of North M Street.
“The horse had somehow gotten loose and was just walking around,” said Wells, who found the horse near Q and Brainerd streets about the same time as a passing cab. Wells said the cab driver happened to have a bucketful of hay and a thick rope in his car, which were used to catch the horse. Its owner was identified through bystanders, who told Wells the horse belonged at E-Z Cars Inc., 1501 North Pace Blvd.
Sgt. Stephanie Nowlin with Escambia County Animal Control said the horse left the car lot through an open side gate around 8:30 a.m.Friday; it has not yet been determined how long the horse was at the business.
Irfan Sukhera, owner of the car lot and the horse, was given citations for an animal roaming at large and animal nuisance.
Nowlin said the horse is being transported to Sukhera’s farm in Molino. Panhandle Equine Rescue will be coordinating adoption of the horse.
Nowlin said it is not known how long the horse had been at the car lot. And there was also no reason given as to why the cab driver had rope and hay in his vehicle.
Lane Closure Monday On Highway 29 Near IP
July 19, 2014
There will be a temporary lane closure on Highway 29 south of Muscogee Road on Monday.
The lane closure will be between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to replace a CSX Railroad highway crossing panel near International Paper.
Local Airman Killed In Ft. Bragg Exercise
July 19, 2014
Senior Airman Timothy J. Wright, 20, was fatally injured in a Humvee accident at Ft. Bragg, NC, during a unit readiness training exercise July 17.
Several unit members who witnessed the accident attempted life-saving measures until emergency medical services personnel arrived and transported him to Womack Army Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 11 a.m. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
“Team Pope and the Gryphons of the 43rd Airlift Group are united in support of Senior Airman Wright’s family and friends,” said Col. Daniel Tulley, 43rd Airlift Group commander. “We stand together during this time of mourning. We cherish our memories of him and will continue to honor his service to our nation and the United States Air Force.”
Wright, from Pensacola, was assigned to Pope’s 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron as an aeromedical evacuation technician. He arrived at Pope in May of 2014.
Prior to his arrival at Pope, he served an aerospace medical service technician at Travis Air Force Base, California.
Installation memorial services for Wright will be held at a date to be announced.
Unemployment Rate Increasing In Local Three County Area
July 19, 2014
The latest job numbers released Friday show the unemployment level increasing in the North Escambia area.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate inched upwards from 6.3 percent in May to 6.5 percent in June. There were 9,109 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 7.7 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment also increased, from 5.4 to 5.8 percent from Ma to June. Santa Rosa County had a total of 4,337 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 7.3 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment increased from 8.1 percent in May to 8.9 percent in May. That represented 1,254 people unemployed in the county during the month.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in June 2014, down slightly from the May 2014 rate of 6.3 percent, and down 1.2 percentage points from 7.4 percent a year ago. There were 597,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 9,626,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in June. Prior to June, Florida’s unemployment rate had been less than or equal to the national rate for 13 consecutive months.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, 6.8 percent in June, was unchanged from May’s rate and was above the year-ago rate of 6.5 percent.
The jobless numbers released by Florida and Alabama do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.