Area Christmas Parades Begin (With Parade Schedules)
November 30, 2013
The Jay Christmas Parade Saturday morning was the first of many parades in the North Escambia area this Christmas season. Here is a complete look at area parades:
December 7 — Flomaton Christmas Parade
The Flomaton Christmas Parade will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 7 with a route through the downtown area.
December 7 — Molino Christmas Parade
The 11th Annual Molino Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, December 7 at 11 a.m. The parade route starts at the west end of Crabtree Church Road and ends and the Molino Ballpark where Santa Will be waiting to visit with all the good little boys and girls. Donations such as toys and non-perishable food can be dropped off at Fran’s Diner. The parade rain date will be Sunday, December 8 at 2:30 p.m.
December 12 — Century Land To Lake Parade
Century will hold a Land to Lake Lighted Boat Parade on Thursday, December 12 at 5 p.m. The parade will begin on Front Street, travel to Jefferson, Pond Street and West Highway 4, ending at Lake Stone.
December 13 — Poarch Christmas Parade
The Poarch Creek Christmas Parade will be Friday, December 13 at 5:30 p.m. The parade will begin on the Poarch Creek Reservation at the Wellness Center (gym) and end at the PCI Health Department Building.
December 14 – Brewton Christmas Parade
The Brewton Christmas Parade will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 14. The parade will travel from Forrest Avenue in East Brewton, across the Mildred Street Bridge to St. Joseph Street to Belleville Avenue.
December 14 — Atmore Christmas Parade
The Atmore 2013 Twilight Christmas Parade will be held Saturday, December 14 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The parade will follow its traditional route from the Atmore City Hall, down Main Street, to Lindberg Avenue and ending at Escambia County High School. Over two dozen floats are entered, along with several bands and numerous other groups. Parade participants should be at the Atmore City Hall by 4 p.m.
December 14 — Chumuckla Redneck Parade
The Chumuckla Redneck Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 14 at 1 p.m. The parade will begin at the Cotton Gin on Chumuckla Springs Road/Gin Road, cross Chumuckla Highway and end at Salter Road. More than 250 units are expected along the 1.5 mile parade route.
December 14 — Pensacola Christmas Parade
The Pensacola Christmas Parade will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 14 in downtown Pensacola. Featuring local bands. Parade begins at Spring and Garden and travels through downtown.
Pictured top: Santa arrives during the 2012 Atmore Christmas parade. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Prep Playoff Scores
November 30, 2013
Here are high school playoff scores from around Florida Friday night:
Class 1A
State Semifinal
Blountstown 42, Cottondale 0
Trenton 17, Dixie County 14
Class 2A
State Semifinal
Champagnat Catholic 28, Indian Rocks 14
Victory Christian 46, North Florida Christian 41
Class 3A
State Semifinal
Clearwater Central Catholic 7, Westminster Christian 0
Trinity Christian-Jacksonville 20, Tampa Catholic 11
Class 4A
State Semifinal
Bolles School 34, Florida 27
Miami Washington 49, Cocoa 10
Class 5A
Regional Final
Clay 9, Pensacola Catholic 7
Lake Wales 34, Merritt Island 23
Lakewood 27, South Sumter 21
Plantation American Heritage 41, Hardee 7
Class 6A
Region Final
Armwood 41, Springstead 0
Bartram Trail 17, Choctawhatchee 14
Mainland 42, South Fort Myers 7
Class 7A
Regional Final
Dwyer 36, St. Thomas Aquinas 28
East Lake 49, Port Charlotte 15
Kissimmee Osceola 19, Sickles 14
Niceville 38, Fletcher 17
Class 8A
Regional Final
Apopka 42, First Coast 20
Palm Beach Gardens 12, Miramar 10
Plant 17, Fort Pierce Central 7
Friends Of The Library Book Sale Begins December 1
November 30, 2013
In partnership with the West Florida Public Library system, the Friends of the Library will host a book sale from Sunday, December 1, to Saturday, December 7.
Books of all kinds will be available for purchase at 50 percent off and will be held at the book stores within the Tryon Branch, 1200 Langley Avenue, Pensacola, and the Main Library, 239 North Spring Street, Pensacola. All profits will support the West Florida Public Library system, including the Main, Tryon, Century and Molino branches.
For more information about the fundraiser, contact Linda Williams at (850) 494-1326.
Tate’s Heintz Named To All-State Band
November 30, 2013
Tate High School senior Noah Heintz will represent Escambia County in January as the All State Band performs in Tampa. Heintz was the only 11th or 12 grader in Escambia County to make the auditioned band. Heintz is a top academic student at Tate with a 4.85 GPA and was recently named the October Student of the Month. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECUA Sewer Averaging Period Underway
November 30, 2013
The ECUA’s sewer averaging period begins with each residential customer’s first meter reading on or after November 15, (including ECUA sewer customers whose water service is from another water provider such as Peoples Water Co.). The length of each customer’s sewer averaging period is 90 days.
Annual sewer charges are based on the average number of gallons of water used in a household during the sewer averaging period. Conserving water sage during this time helps residential wastewater customers impact their sewer rates for the coming year in a positive way. It is important to check all indoor and outdoor plumbing fixtures for leaks. Leaks will end up affecting your monthly water and sewer charges.
Most leaks are easy to identify, but there are many areas around the home where a plumbing leak can be found. Check common areas such as dishwasher (connections to the sink), sinks (examine pipes for wear and loose connections), bathtubs (check the caulking and seals), and toilets (if you hear a “toilet running” sound, but your toilet isn’t running). Following these simple measures can lower the monthly sewer charge for the next twelve months
For more information on ways to conserve, visit the ECUA website at www.ecua.fl.gov or call Customer Service (850) 476-0480.
Four Homeless After Mobile Home Fire Near Century
November 29, 2013
Four people were left homeless after fire destroyed their home Friday afternoon outside Century.
The four — two adults and two teenagers — were not at home when fire broke out in their mobile home in the 3000 block of Highway 4A just after 3:00. The mobile home was fully involved when firefighters arrived.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office. There were no injuries reported.
The American Red Cross will assist the family with their immediate needs and a place to stay for the next few nights.
The Century and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department, the Jay Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the blaze.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Reaching Out: Georgia Church Provides Free Thanksgiving Meal In Century
November 29, 2013
A Georgia church provided Thanksgiving dinner for Century residents on Thursday. As part of their “Compel Century” outreach event, Rivertown Church of Columbus provided the free meal.
This was the second major outreach to Century for Rivertown Church…earlier this year they were in Century working on improvements at the Carver Community Center.
Pictured top: Rivertown Church volunteers prepare a Thanksgiving turkey Thursday in Century for a free community meal. Pictured inset: Enjoying the meal. Pictured below: A young Century resident reacts to the selection of food. Pictured below: Enjoying the meal. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Saturday Is Last Day For Property Tax Discount
November 29, 2013
Saturday is the last day to receive a four percent discount on real estate and tangible personal property taxes, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley.
Payments will receive the four percent discount if:
- made in person on Monday, December 2
- mailed with a postmark of November 30;
- left in a 24-hour drop box available at any tax collector office by midnight November 30;
- made on www.escambiataxcollector.com by midnight November 30.
Drive thru service and 24-hour drop boxes are available at all locations.
To check the status of your taxes and pay online, visit www.escambiataxcollector.com. For more information, call the tax collector’s office at (850) 438-6500, ext. 3252.
Road Trip To Grandma’s Costs About The Same This Year
November 29, 2013
That Thanksgiving road trip to grandma’s house cost about the same this year as last, with gas prices at about the same mark as one year ago.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the Pensacola metro was $3.34 on Thanksgiving day, up from $3.31 last year. In the North Escambia area Thursday, an informal survey showed gas prices ranging from $3.39 in Century to $3.31 in Cantonment.
After falling to a multi-year low of $3.18 per gallon on November 12, the national average price of gas has now increased for 13 straight days and jumped 10 cents to a current average of $3.28.
AAA projects 43.4 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a decrease of 1.5 percent from the 44 million people who traveled last year. This decrease falls just shy of last Thanksgiving’s four-year peak since the recession-driven declines in 2008-2009 when Thanksgiving travel fell by 25 percent. The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, November 27 to Sunday, December 1.
Impact of gasoline prices on travel plans
AAA estimates that most drivers will pay the cheapest gas prices for the Thanksgiving holiday since 2010. The national average is at the cheapest level of the year and should continue to drop in the weeks ahead. Drivers can find stations selling gas for less than $3.00 per gallon in the vast majority of states. The decreased cost of gas will provide consumers with real savings that could be used for other purposes on the trip.
Automobile travel remains dominant mode of transportation, air travel decreases
Approximately 90 percent of travelers or 38.9 million people plan to travel by automobile this Thanksgiving. This is a 1.6 percent decrease over the 39.5 million people who traveled by auto last year. Air travel is expected to decrease 3.7 percent as 3.14 million holiday travelers will take to the skies.
Those traveling by air will find airfares comparable to last year according to AAA’s Leisure travel Index. For the Thanksgiving holiday the average lowest round-trip rate is $187 for the top 40 U.S. air routes compared to $188 last year. Approximately 1.4 million travelers will choose other modes of transportation, including rail, bus and cruise ship.
Pictured: Traffic was light early Thanksgiving afternoon on Highway 29/North Century Boulevard in Century. Pictured: A gallon of regular unleaded gas was $3.39 Thursday in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Dead In Pensacola Double Murder
November 29, 2013
Two men are are dead in a double homicide after allegedly shooting each other.
The Pensacola Police Department responded to a shots fired call about 11:30 Wednesday night in the 1900 block of Cypress Street in Pensacola. When officers arrived at Cypress Street and Pace Boulevard, they found 23-year old Kristopher Washington dead at the scene with a gunshot wound to the chest. Minutes later, a blue Saturn Vue arrived at Sacred Heart Hospital with a second shooting victim, identified as 18-year old Airvae Hunter. Hunter, who was driven to the hospital by his brother, later died.
It is believed Hunter and Washington exchanged gunfire for an unknown reason inside the Saturn Vue that was driven to the hospital.
Anyone having additional information regarding the incident should call the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.