BBB: Use Caution When Purchasing BCS National Championship Game Tickets
December 27, 2013
For many football fans in Northwest Florida, a ticket to the BCS National Championship might be at the top of their wish list. Between now and the National Championship game on January 6, 2014, thousands of tickets will be listed on classifieds websites, offering buyers little protection from dishonest sellers. The Better Business Bureau serving Northwest Florida is warning consumers to be on the lookout for phony game tickets.
“The reason tickets are expensive is because they’re hard to get and the chances of you getting lucky and finding a deal are slim. If an offer sounds much better than it should, such as someone selling tickets for much less than offered elsewhere, it’s probably not on the level,” says Norman Wright, president and CEO of the BBB serving Northwest Florida.
To help insure that you don’t get ripped off buying event tickets, your BBB recommends the following:
- Be careful buying tickets from someone on the street. When you get to the gate and find out your tickets aren’t real, the seller will be long gone.
- Before buying from an online ticket broker, check out the broker’s BBB Business Review at bbb.org. Make sure the website has a secure payment processing system, usually denoted by “https://” at the start of its website address or URL or a small closed lock icon at the bottom of the screen.
- If you buy tickets through an online auction site, choose a seller with a long history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure the seller has recently sold other tickets.
- Ticket buyers also should be wary of sellers who try to lure buyers from a legitimate site to another site for a “private” transaction. Scammers often want to conduct their business on sites with names that mimic well-known companies but actually are fakes.
- If you are buying tickets through an online classified ad site, never pay the seller by wire transfer. You will have no way to get your money back if the tickets do not arrive or are counterfeit.
Christmas Day Fire Heavily Damages Bratt Home
December 26, 2013
A Christmas afternoon fire heavily damaged a home in Bratt, displacing one adult.
The 1:55 p.m. fire was mostly contained to the attic of the small wood frame home in the 5100 block of West Highway 4, near the Bratt Assembly of God Church. The home suffered heavy smoke and water damage throughout.
Preliminary information pointed to a wood burning heater and a chimney as the cause of the fire. There were no injuries.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance responded to the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting the adult resident of the home.
Pictured: A Christmas Day fire caused heavy smoke and water damage in a Bratt home. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Updated 5 p.m. — Only one adult was displaced by the fire; one adult and two children had recently moved, according to new information provided.
It’s Easy To Recycle Your Wrapping Paper, Boxes In North Escambia
December 26, 2013
You can “go green” with those piles of Christmas wrapping paper and boxes by recycling them at one of several drop-off locations around North Escambia or in your weekly ECUA pickup.
Christmas wrapping paper, along with other household paper, plastics, steel and aluminum can be placed in your recycling container on your normal ECUA pickup day. For complete information on the ECUA recycling program, click here.
The Escambia County Division of Solid Waste Management has drop-off recycling locations in or near each of the larger communities in North Escambia. North of Nine Mile Road, recycling bins are located at:
- Ashton Brosnaham Park, 10370 Ashton Brosnaham Drive
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 North Century Blvd., Century
- Escambia County Extension Service, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- John R. Jones Athletic Park, 555 E. Nine Mile Road
- Molino Fire Department, 1459 Molino Road (behind fire station)
- Oak Grove Citizen’s Convenience Center, 745 North Highway 99
- Perdido Landfill, 13009 Beulah Road, Cantonment
- UWF, John Martin Hall, 11000 University
- UWF, ParkwayParking Lot #10, Campus Dr.
Items eligible for recycling at the drop-off locations are aluminum cans, steel cans, glass food and beverage containers, plastic containers (#1-#7), cardboard, junk mail (including Christmas wrapping paper), paper, magazines, and newspapers.
For more information on drop-off recycling in North Escambia, visit EscambiaRecycles.com.
Saturday Is License Free Fishing Day In Florida
December 26, 2013
This Saturday will be the last freshwater license-free fishing day in Florida for 2013.
Governor Scott said, “With families already together for the holidays, this will be a great opportunity for loved ones to head to Florida’s freshwater bodies and try out those new rod and reels they got during the holiday season. These license free fishing days are a great way to promote the Sunshine State, while supporting our communities that rely on fishing.”
According to the American Sportfishing Association, Florida had 1.2 million non-resident anglers visit the Sunshine State in 2011, the next highest state was Michigan with 347,029 visiting anglers.
Although no fishing license is required, all other fishing and boating rules and regulations still apply.
Beginning in 2014, there will be eight license-free fishing days that will fall on the same weekend days from year to year. This will allow anglers to plan fishing trips in advance and businesses and nonprofit groups to create events around these fishing license holidays.
Nominate North Escambia Persons Of The Year
December 26, 2013
NorthEscambia.com will honor several North Escambia residents as North Escambia Persons of the Year as 2013 comes to a close, and we need your help.
We are asking our readers to nominate individuals that they believe made a difference in North Escambia during 2013. We will choose several of them to be named as a 2013 North Escambia Person of the Year. The awards are our way of saying thanks to those that have worked to improve our lives in the North Escambia area during the past year.
We are not necessarily looking for a person with a long list of accomplishments. We are looking for people that have given of themselves — often quietly — to help others and the communities of North Escambia during the past year.
To nominate someone, please email their name, contact information (if known), and the reason why you believe they should be a Person of the Year. The person must either be a resident of North Escambia, work in North Escambia or otherwise have significantly impacted North Escambia in some way. For the purposes of this award, we will define North Escambia as being Cantonment north to the Alabama line in Escambia County, Florida
Entries should be emailed to news@northescambia.com by Saturday, December 28. We need your email and phone number just in case we have questions, but your name and contact information will not be published.
Please make your nominations by email; do not use the story comment form below.
The 2013 North Escambia Persons of the Year will be named next year.
Stamps Going Up To 49 Cents
December 26, 2013
The Postal Service is raising the price of a first class stamp by 3 cents to 49 cents as of January 26, a move approved Tuesday.
It’s a temporary rate hike, up to two years, aimed at helping the post office recover from decreased mail volume brought on by the economic downturn that began in 2008. The postal service needs to recoup $2.8 billion in losses.
Forever stamps, good for first class postage regardless of the future rate, can be purchased at 46 cents until January 25.
Salvation Army’s Kettles Help Hundreds In Escambia, Santa Rosa
December 26, 2013
The Salvation Army of Pensacola ended the season just a little short in those little red red kettles this year, but they were still able to help hundreds of local families in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Over 400 families received food, clothing and other needs. At last report on Christmas Eve, the Salvation Army of Pensacola was about $20,000 away from their $300,000 goal for the season.
Pictured: A Salvation Army red kettle outside Cordova Mall. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Teen Charged With Murdering His Mother
December 25, 2013
A 17-year old has been arrested in Santa Rosa County for the Christmas Eve murder of his mother.
William Brandon Aydelott is charged with the murder of his mother, Sharon Lynn Aydelott, who was found dead Tuesday night .
Investigators said William Aydelott had been arguing with his mother for some period of time before stabbing her several times with kitchen knives and striking her with a baseball bat. Sharon Aydelott succumbed to her wounds at her Gulf Breeze home.
William Aydelott fled the scene and was located by deputies about three hours later at a nearby residence. Deputies surrounded the home, and he surrendered without incident.
Invesigators said the suspect was taken to the Santa Rosa County Jail where he confessed to the murder. He is being held without bond.
A Look Back: Century Christmas In The 1930’s
December 25, 2013
Here’s a look back at Christmas past for the Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company and what is now Century.
In the top photo, Mr. James H. Jones is seen giving out presents to Alger-Sullivan Lumber Co. employee children in the 1930’s. By the 1940’s, this practice had been discontinued, but Mr. Hauss always sent some families a tin of dates from California. The company always seemed to be interested in keeping families together and satisfied, although when it came to the job, it was hard-nosed about making sure the workers gave a day’s work for a day’s pay.
The picture below depicts a scene in December 1936 from one of the logging camps in the woods where races were mixed on the job, despite the attitude towards segregation. Here you see two of the bosses, Fred Gilmore and Mr. Luke Earl (with glasses), a somewhat beloved woods foreman, and a group of workers and children observing Santa Claus as he holds a little boy at their Christmas gathering. Several of the children are clutching their little bags of goodies, probably candy and some trinkets, that Santa had passed out earlier. It’s not know what purpose the wash pot, if any, played in the festivities.
Photos courtesy the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society (top) and Photo by Fischer (bottom) for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
A Look Back: Ernest Ward High School Christmas Past
December 25, 2013
Here’s a look back at Christmas past at Ernest Ward High School, with a peek into the pages of the 1955, 1971 and 1988 yearbooks. Click any of the images to enlarge.
Below: The 1955 Christmas Pageant at Ernest Ward High School.
Below: “In Celebration of Christmas”, 1988, Ernest Ward High School.
Below: “Christmas Present And Future”, 1988, Ernest Ward High School.
Below: Christmas 1971, Ernest Ward High School.
Special thanks to Sherri Stallworth and Delaney Reynolds, EWMS Yearbook staff, for their research in finding these photos. Photos courtesy Ernest Ward Middle School for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.