2013 In Photos: March
December 31, 2013
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2013. Today, we are featuring photos from March.
LifeFlight prepares to transport a Century stabbing victim.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District intended to burn about 338 acres within the Perdido River Water Management Area.
The Florida Special Olympics Torch Run began in Century during March.
Sodbuster radish grows in a field near Highway 97 and Highway 29 in Molino.
The Escambia County Equestrian Center was dedicated as the “James C. Robinson Escambia County Equestrian Center”.
The Bigfoot monster truck visited Alto Products in Atmore.
A track meet at Northview High School.
The Chiefs beat Jay 2-1 during a March game.
Firefighters responded to the smell of smoke in the Molino Fire Station.
Marty “Margaret” White of WXBM with Confederate Railroad at Beulahfest.
Greg Litton, former major league player for the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox. tossed the first pitch of the year for the Cantonment baseball program.
March also brought Opening Day for NWE in Walnut Hill.
Food for America from the Northview High FFA introduced over 1,100 local students to agriculture.
Two time Super Bowl champ Anthony Pleasant addresses the Northview Chiefs during their annual football banquet.
Volunteer firefighters underwent hands 0n LifeFlight training in Walnut Hill.
Northview beat Jay in softball.
Firefighters battle a garage fire in Cantonment.
A 53-year old Century driver hit the local post office.
Hundreds of people attended the annual Blue Jacket Jamboree sponsored by the Northview FFA Alumni.
A woman survived after flipping her vehicle of a bridge near Atmore into a creek below.
The track and field portion of the Escambia County Specials Olympics was held at Tate High School.
The Tate Lady Aggies went 3-14 in the North Florida Classic in Tallahassee.
Century Correctional Institution Officer Tony deGraaf (in hat) and Assistant Warden Robert Flores read to a kindergarten class at Jay Elementary School as part of Read Across America Day.
The Blue Angels practiced for their upcoming season in March, unsure of their future due to budget cuts.
A dance group performs during the annual talent show at Northview High School.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team conducted a training exercise with an Escambia County school bus.
A wildfire destroyed a house in Byrneville.
This bridge on Highway 164 between Walnut Hill and McDavid was closed for repairs.
Nine tons of free food was distributed in Century.
The Poarch Creek Indians donated to four Escambia County, FL, schools.
Pictured top inset: Melinda Wall McGhee’s mother Ouida and her sister, Lisa Wooten, sit quietly behind pictures of McGhee during a press conference marking the 10th anniversary of her disappearance.
2013’s Most Irritating: ‘Do Not Call’ Violations
December 31, 2013
Gripes about violations of the state’s “Do Not Call” list easily dominated the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ top complaints for 2013.
The state agency reported Monday that 18,862, or nearly 40 percent, of the 47,226 complaints lodged between Jan. 1 and Dec. 20 involved telemarketers and other telephone sales operators dialing numbers on the “Do Not Call” list.
In second place were 3,626 complaints about telemarketers in general.
The complete list:
- Do Not Call – 18,862
- Telemarketing – 3,626
- Fuel – 2,708
- Communications – 2,339
- Landlord/Tenant – 1,719
- Real Estate Broker/Salesperson – 1,572
- Cable – 1,483
- Credit/Banking – 1,482
- Motor Vehicle Sales/Accessories – 1,466
- Travel/Vacation Plans – 1436
Complaints about violators of Do Not Call has topped the list for four consecutive years. The increase in complaints is consistent with the increase in subscribers to the Florida Do Not Call List.
For complaints filed against businesses regulated by the department, trained staff work to resolve the dispute through mediation and evaluate the business for compliance with statutory provisions. As a result of the department’s efforts, more than $3,477,000 was recovered on behalf of Florida consumers this year.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. The consumer assistance center is staffed with trained analysts who are able to file complaints on behalf of the consumer, respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview, provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency.
The department’s consumer assistance center answered nearly 200,000 calls and more than 7,300 emails in 2013. In addition, the consumer assistance center analysts responded to nearly 7,000 online chats through the department’s online chat option available at www.freshfromflorida.com.
Consumers who believe fraud has taken place can contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).
Cantonment Shooting Under Investigation
December 31, 2013
A shooting Monday afternoon in Cantonment is under investigation.
The incident happened about 3:30 p.m. on Sheppard Street, just off Booker Street. The male victim reported that he had been shot in the upper thigh. His injury was believed to be non-life threatening.
Further details have not yet been released as the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office continues their investigation.
Jay Man Killed In Wreck Near Alabama/Florida Line
December 30, 2013
A Jay man was killed in an accident near the Alabama/Florida line in Santa Rosa County Sunday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 39-year old Shannon M. Williams was northbound on Highway 87 northeast of Jay near Pogue Thompson Road…near where Highway 87 crosses into Alabama and becomes Highway 41 south of Brewton. For unknown reasons, he drifted off the paved portion of the roadway onto the shoulder. His 1999 Toyota truck then struck a culvert, overturned several times and struck a utility pole.
Williams, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected. There were no passengers in the vehicle.
Almost $1.4 Million: Escambia County To Pave Shoulders Along Crabtree Church Road
December 30, 2013
Escambia County has received almost $1.4 million in state funds to construct and inspect paved shoulders along Crabtree Church Road in Molino from Highway 97 to Sunshine Hill Road.
The county will enter into an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for Transportation Enhancement Program funding of up to $1,388,244. The county was previously awarded $138,824 to design the paved shoulders back in 2011.
The paved shoulders will extend the highway by an additional five feet from the center line on both sides of the 2.5 mile segment of roadway.
Pictured top: The Molino Christmas parade travels down Crabtree Church Road. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
New Year’s Holiday Closures, Trash Pickup Changes
December 30, 2013
Here are New Year’s holiday closures in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Closed December 31 and January 1:
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
- West Florida Public Library System
Closed January 1:
- Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
- Escambia County Tax Collector
Closed January 1:
- The Perdido Landfill
ECUA
- Residential: Tuesday pickups on Tuesday. Wednesday pickups will be on Thursday; Thursday pickups will be on Friday and Friday pickups will be on Saturday. Commercial (dumpsters): No change.
- ECUA offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 24, Wednesday, December 25 and Wednesday, January 1.
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) Schedule Changes:
- ECAT busses will not run January 1
- UWF Trolleys will resume service January 5
CENTURY, JAY AND PENSACOLA
All city offices in Century, Jay and Pensacola will be closed January 1.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Closed January 1
- Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, including the library system, animal shelter and landfill
- Santa Rosa County Clerk of the Court
- Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser
- Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections
- Santa Rosa County Tax Collector
2013 In Photos: January And February
December 30, 2013
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2013. Today, we are featuring photos from January and February.
Thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen or damaged during a burglary at a Century-owned industrial building.
A new playground was installed at the Molino Community Complex.
Ariel Holland (center) was crowned Miss Northview High School for 2013. First Runner-Up was Ashley Cunningham (right), and Second Runner-Up was Kendal Cobb.
New “Welcome to Century” signs constructed with inmate labor from Century Correctional Institution were dedicated.
A country music video for Dusty Sanderson’s single “Chuggin’ Along” was filmed in Bluff Springs.
A small army of volunteers organized by Americorps worked on the National Day of Service to paint the Carver Community Center.
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was honored during a MLK Day program in Century.
Atmore honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a parade.
High, thin cirrus clouds led to a halo around the moon one late January night.
The Cove Landfill in Ensley burned for days, causing problems for Ensley residents and area schools.
Students at Byrneville Elementary School celebrated National Literacy Week.
A January sunset as seen in a rear view mirror traveling along Highway 4 near Canoe Creek.
Hundreds of free trees were given away at the Walnut Hill Community Center for Arbor Day.
Major upgrades to the electrical system were made in the Walnut Hill area, including new lines and a new substation.
A wind-driven fire rages through a Bratt field.
The Ernest Ward Middle School FFA presented their Golden Cow Dung Award to faculty member Betty Coon.
An early morning fire destroyed a mobile home on Brickton Road in Molino.
A cool February 2013 sunset.
Hundreds of people attended the annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Farm Equipment Auction.
A missing student was located by a K-9 team in Walnut Hill, about three hours after she ran away from a school campus.
Four people were left homeless after a Century house fire.
The Northview Lady Chiefs opened their season with a win over Pensacola Catholic.
LifeFlight lifts off during the early morning hours in Bratt following a wreck.
A February rainbow over Atmore.
Northview High School’s NJROTC Annual Inspection was held with cadets undergoing face to face scrutiny.
Miss Ernest Ward Middle School winners: First Runner-up Nikoal Creamer, Miss EWMS 2013 Alyssa Borelli, and Second Runner-up Morgan Myrick.
Escambia County Peanuts: Enough For 252 Million PB&J Sandwiches
December 30, 2013
The final 2013 numbers are not in yet, but in 2012 farmers in Escambia County grew peanuts on 8,414.50 acres. That’s enough for 252 million peanut butter and jelly sandwiches growing in mostly North Escambia fields, like the one pictured above on Bratt Road.
So unless you have Archibutyrophobia (the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth), read on for some more fun peanut facts from the National Peanut Board:
By the Numbers
- It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
- There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.
- By law, any product labeled “peanut butter” in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanuts.
- The world’s largest peanut butter factory churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.
- Four of the top 10 candy bars manufactured in the USA contain peanuts or peanut butter.
- Peanuts account for two-thirds of all snack nuts consumed in the USA.
- Peanuts contribute more than $4 billion to the USA economy each year.
- Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter.
- The average peanut farm is 100 acres.
- Peanut butter/peanut paste is the leading use of peanuts produced in the U.S. (1/2); followed by snack nuts and in-shells (1/4); and, candy and confections (1/4).
- Peanuts are the #1 snack nut consumed in the U.S., accounting for two-thirds of the snack nut market.
Consumption Facts
- The average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year.
- The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before he/she graduates high school.
- Americans consume on average over 1.5 billion pounds of peanut butter and peanut products each year.
- Peanut butter is consumed in 90 percent of USA households.
- Americans eat enough peanut butter in a year to make more than 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
- The amount of peanut butter eaten in a year could wrap the earth in a ribbon of 18-ounce peanut butter jars one and one-third times.
Peanuts Made Famous
- Two peanut farmers have been elected president of the USA – Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.
- Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon. Read about peanuts bringing good luck to NASA.
- Peanut butter was the secret behind “Mr. Ed,” TV’s talking horse. Spreading peanut butter inside the horse’s mouth created a natural talking movement every time the animal moved his sticky jaws.
- Baseball Hall of Fame’s, Jim “Catfish” Hunter and Gaylord Perry are peanut farmers from North Carolina (Hunter from Hertford and Perry from Williamston).
- Former President Bill Clinton confessed that one of his favorite sandwiches is peanut butter and banana; also reported to have been the favorite of Elvis “the King” Presley.
- In Barbara Mandrell’s hit song “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” she sings about putting peanuts in her bottle of Coke. (This method of enjoying peanuts was developed by southern farm workers as a practical snack solution in the interest of time and cleanliness, plus it’s flavorful.)
- There are six cities in the U.S. named Peanut: Peanut, California; Lower Peanut, Pennsylvania; Upper Peanut, Pennsylvania; Peanut, Pennsylvania, Peanut, Tennessee; and Peanut West Virginia.
World Records
- Grand Saline, TX holds the title for the world’s largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich weighing in at 1,342 pounds. Grand Saline outweighed Oklahoma City’s 900 pounds peanut butter and jelly sandwich in November 2010. Oklahoma City, OK had been the reigning champ since September 7, 2002.
- Adrian Finch of Australia holds the Guinness World Record for peanut throwing, launching the lovable legume 111 feet and 10 inches in 1999 to claim the record.
- In August 1976, Tom Miller, a University of Colorado student, pushed a peanut to the top of Pike’s Peak with his nose(14,100 feet!). It took him 4 days, 23 hours,47 minutes and 3 seconds.
- The Guiness Book of World Records reports that on April 3, 1973, Chris Ambrose, Clerkenwell, London, ate 100 peanuts singly in 59.2 seconds!
- According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Earl Adkins, Enfield, North Carolina holds the record for growing the largest peanut – 4 inches long! (The average length of a peanut is about one inch.)
How do you like your peanuts?
- Women and children prefer creamy, while most men opt for chunky. Click here for a creamy peanut butter smoothie recipe.
- People living on the East Coast prefer creamy peanut butter, while those on the West Coast prefer the crunchy style.
- Sixty percent of consumers prefer creamy peanut butter over crunchy.
- Peanut butter is the leading use of peanuts in the USA.
- “Boiled peanuts” are considered a delicacy in the peanut growing areas of the South. Freshly harvested peanuts are boiled in supersaturated salt water until they are of a soft bean like texture. They are most frequently enjoyed at the end of the day with a favorite beverage.
Nutrition Facts
- Peanuts have more protein, niacin, folate and phytosterols than any nut.
- Peanuts and peanut butter contain over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients.
- Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free.
- Rumor says that there’s enough mental stimulation in one peanut to produce 30 minutes of serious thinking. That may or may not be true, but peanuts are a good source of protein and the B vitamins, nutrients that help prevent “brain fatigue”
- Peanut oil is valued as premium cooking oil by cooks and chefs worldwide. Tasteless and odorless, peanut oil doesn’t transfer food flavors, has a very high smoke point (440 to 470† F.) and is high in the desirable mono-unsaturated fatty acids.
- Specially processed defatted peanuts may be ground into a flour for use in making high protein foods and beverages-, may be granulated and added to breakfast or diet bars to raise the protein levels; or may be flavored to taste like other foods.
- One of the many great advantages of peanuts and peanut butter is long shelf life. If held at average ambient temperature without great change in heat or humidity, peanuts and peanut butter can be safely stored for several months.
- Peanuts contain no cholesterol. Recent studies show that the combination of monounsaturates and polyunsaturates such as are found in peanuts may be helpful in reducing cholesterol levels in the body.
In our Language
- Goober—a nickname for peanuts—comes from “nguba”, the Congo language name for peanut.
- “Peanut Gallery” became popular in the late 19th century and referred to the rear or uppermost seats in a theater, which were also the cheapest seats. People seated in such a gallery were able to throw peanuts, a common food at theaters, at those seated below them. It also applied to the first row of seats in a movie theater, for the occupants of those seats could throw peanuts at the stage, stating their displeasure with the performance.
Pictured top: Peanuts are harvest just before Christmas on Bratt Road. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Two Children Killed In I-65 Crash
December 30, 2013
A fiery accident that claimed the lives of two children just south of Atmore on I-65 closed the interstate highway overnight.
The first in a series of accidents was reported about 9:45 p.m. about three miles south of Exit 54 – the Poarch, Jack Springs Road exit. A 2000 Freightliner semi-truck driven by 57-year old Terry Allen Wyatt of Andalusia, AL, rear-ended a 2010 Dodge Challenger. The car then burst into flames, according to reports.
Nadir Gillis, 9, and Naziya Gillis, 7, both of Camp Lejeune, N.C., were pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of the Dodge, 28-year-old Isom Hodges, and another passenger, 30-year old Labrica Hodges, both of Camp LeJeune were transported to area hospitals. The driver a third vehicle in the crash, 42-year old William C. Rousey of Lexington, KY, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. Their conditions were not available.
A second accident, reportedly involving three vehicles, occurred north of the original accident scene.
Traffic was rerouted off the interstate at Exit 54 for several hours.
Further details have not been released by Alabama State Troopers. No charges have been filed in the crash.
Year-End Expert Tax Tips
December 30, 2013
There are a couple of days left in 2013, but according to tax expert Marshall Mennenga, there are some steps people can take before 2014 arrives to not only lower their tax bills, but to help others at the same time. He suggested contributions to charitable organizations.
“Maybe you need to clean out some closets and give some clothes to Goodwill…or many of the other organizations out there that are nonprofit organizations, that will accept your goods, your household furniture, clothes, and things like that,” he advised. “Of course, the fair market value of those items is deductible.”
Another suggestion is cash contributions, but Mennenga said to make sure to get receipts documenting the amounts. He noted there are very few tax-law changes from last year to be aware of. Every year, the Internal Revenue Service puts out a guide for tax preparation called Publication 17.
“Last year, it was like February 10th before it was available for distribution,” he recalled. “For right now, here in late December, it’s already available, so there’s no major changes coming.”
Another tip is not to jump the gun and try to fill in your tax return before you have everything you need, such as your 1099 forms for interest and dividends.
“Wait before your do your tax return to make sure you have everything. Use your previous year’s tax return as a guideline,” he said. “Check off each one of the places you received interest from or you received dividends from. Or, if you’re a small business, make sure you have good, accurate record-keeping; make sure you deduct everything that you’re entitled to.”
Mennenga said keeping good records of deductible expenses all year long is the best way to prepare for filling out the annual tax return. Many people just throw all their receipts in a shoebox or file drawer, and then have to spend hours sorting it all out at tax time.
by the Public News Service – FL