Stars Snap Wahoos Winning Streak
August 23, 2013
Hector Gomez scored on a wild pitch in the last of the seventh inning, boosting the Huntsville Stars to a 2-1 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Thursday night at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville, Ala. The setback ended Pensacola’s five-game winning streak and also put the Wahoos four games behind first place Jacksonville with just 10 games left in the season.
Gomez created the game-winning run on his own in the last of the seventh inning. With the game tied 1-1, Gomez singled off Pensacola reliever Loek Van Mil (L, 0-9), advanced to second on sac bunt, moved to third on a fly out to right field before scampering home on a wild pitch with two outs, which proved to be enough for the Stars.
Huntsville jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning against the Wahoos’ Robert Stephenson. Eric Patterson singled to right and advanced to second on an error by Yorman Rodriguez, who mishandled the ball in right field. Jason Rogers then drove Patterson home with a single to put the Stars on top.
Stephenson battled his control throughout his outing, but bounced back to strike out five of the final six batters he faced in the contest, including three straight with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. The Reds top pitching prospect gave up only an unearned run in five innings, striking out eight and walking three.
Brooks Hall was nearly unhittable for Huntsville, limiting Pensacola to three hits over five frames to along with five strikeouts. He was lifted to start the sixth and the Wahoos immediately took advantage as Ryan LaMarre tripled against Eric Marzec and came around to score on a Mike Costanzo single, knotting the game at one.
Arcenio Leon (W, 2-7) faced one batter in the top of the seventh to pick up the win for the Stars. Casey Medlen (S, 12) pitched a perfect ninth to close the door on Pensacola.
The Wahoos now return home for their final homestand of the season, a five-game set with the Birmingham Barons. Carlos Contreras (2-2, 2.81) gets the ball for Pensacola against Birmingham’s Scott Snodgress (11-9, 4.44) with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Citizens Insurance Moves Forward With Clearinghouse Plan
August 23, 2013
The board of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. approved a contract Thursday for a computerized “clearinghouse” aimed at helping Floridians find private insurance coverage.
Bolt Solutions, Inc., will provide a software platform for the clearinghouse, which lawmakers required Citizens to establish. The contract is for five years, with an option for an additional five years and could total as much as $44.9 million over the decade. The clearinghouse is designed to match up homeowners with insurance companies willing to provide coverage.
Consumers, working with their agents, will submit information, and insurance companies then will be able to make coverage offers. State officials hope the clearinghouse will help move homeowners into the private-insurance market instead of getting coverage from Citizens. The clearinghouse is expected to begin operating January 1.
by The News Service of Florida
Bense Named To Board To Oversee Deepwater Horizon Money
August 23, 2013
Former Florida House Speaker Allan Bense, a Panama City Republican, was tapped Thursday to a board charged with overseeing the use of funds raised from fines and settlements stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster.
Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, announced that he would appoint the former lawmaker to the five-member Board of Trustees of Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., which was established by the Legislature during its spring session.
“Allan Bense is a lifelong champion and passionate steward of the natural and human resources of the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast,” Gaetz said in a news release.
by The News Service of Florida
Alabama Lumber Products Company To Reopen, Hire About 100 People
August 23, 2013
A lumber products company just 40 miles north of Century plans to restart production immediately and hire up to 100 employees through 2014 as production ramps up.
Weyerhaeuser today announced it will begin plans to re-start production on its lines in Evergreen, Ala., effective immediately.
The company will be investing capital in the engineered lumber products facility after a four-year closure due to previously weak wood products demand in North America. It also plans to hire 100 new employees at the facility by the end of 2014.
“Customer demand for engineered wood products has improved over the last year, and our Evergreen facility is the ideal location to add production capacity,” said Jan Marrs, manufacturing manager for Weyerhaeuser Engineered Lumber Products. “With our markets improving and positive support from both the state and local community, we are looking forward to re-starting this facility.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Weyerhaeuser back to Conecuh County. Weyerhaeuser is an excellent company and bringing this plant back on line will have an extraordinarily positive impact on the entire region,” said Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance Chairman Larry Woods.
The Evergreen announcement comes about a month after it was announced that the West Fraser McDavid Mill in North Escambia would reopen, hiring about 80 people. In late 2008, the West Fraser McDavid mill was closed, putting about 75 people out of work. The company also closed a mill in Citronelle in 2008, cutting about 100 jobs.
Cantonment Resident Hits Building While Trying To Park
August 22, 2013
A Cantonment resident accidently hit a building while trying park Thursday morning at the Ensley Pharmacy in the 8800 block of North Palafox Street.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 64-year old Juanita Moore Pettigrew attempted to park just west of the building, but failed to stop in time. That caused her 1999 Dodge Ram to collide with a parking post and the building. The truck came to rest against the building.
Pettigrew and her passenger, 35-year old Kimberly Posey of Cantonment, were not injured in the 11:49 a.m. incident.
The FHP cited Pettigrew with careless driving.
Man Charged With Over 300 Littering, Environmental Violations
August 22, 2013
An Escambia County man is jailed on almost 350 environmental and littering charges in connection with the theft of scrap metal.
Anthony Joseph Green, Sr., 62, is believed to have stolen more than $36,000 in scrap metal from KTTTC Investments, Inc., located in the 2100 block of Longleaf Drive in Pensacola.
The arrest stems from a littering complaint that was under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. During the course of the investigation, Green, who was the former property owner, admitted to recycling metals from the property even after the property was no longer owned by him or his company GFD Construction, according to a press release.
The investigation revealed that approximately 46 recycling loads had been taken to Wise Recycling, LLC between November 9, 2012 and March 29, 2013. Witnesses say Green employed them to deliver the materials and instructed them to have the invoices made out in one of the witnesses’ names. He then paid them out of cash received from the sale.
Green was charged with 173 counts of failure to obtain a DEP permit, one count of a false statement on a DEP document/tampering with device, 173 counts of littering more than 500 pounds, one count of grand theft over $1,000 , and one count of fraudulently obtaining property over $20,000.
He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Century Looks At $1.8 Million In Improvements Over Five Years
August 22, 2013
The Town of Century has approved a five-year schedule of capital improvements totaling over $1.8 million.
For planning purposes and to meet the town’s Comprehensive Plan requirements, the five-year plan is required. The capital improvement plan is more of a potential roadmap; none of the improvements will happen unless funding is approved each year or the town receive required grants.
Planned improvements in Century over the next five years include $1.o9 in natural gas system improvements. Most of those funds will come from a USDA Rural Development loan to replace a natural gas pipe under Highway 29. The pipe is the source of an on-going natural gas leak under Highway 29 within the Century town limits.
About 6,515 feet of 4-inch steel natural gas line was buried beneath the southbound lanes of Highway 29 when the road was widened to four lanes. Now, over 45 years since the almost 1.25 mile long pipe was put into the ground, the town believes the steel is corroding and leaking somewhere between West Highway 4 and McCurdy Street. A new 4-inch pipe will be placed on the west side of Highway 29, while a new 2-inch pipe will be installed on the east side of the highway, eliminating the need to install pipes under the road to service natural gas customers.
Other five-year improvements include $168,000 for splash pad and other upgrades at the Anthony Pleasant Sports Complex, and $83,000 in playground renovations at Showalter Park. Both park upgrades are contingent upon the town receiving a state grant to cover most of the upgrade costs.
The complete five year schedule of capital improvements is below.
Pictured top: Natural gas is leaking somewhere under Highway 29 in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Pictured top:
School Board Honors Northview FFA’s Best In State Program
August 22, 2013
The Northview High School FFA was honored by the Escambia County School Board for having the top Fresh From Florida Food Advocacy Program, formerly known as the Food for America Program, in the entire state.
The Fresh From Florida Advocacy Program is an educational program focusing on agricultural literacy in elementary schools and communities. It is a program developed to assist FFA members and all agricultural education students in leadership skill development as they reach out to youth, peers and their entire communities by sharing the world of agriculture.
Planning began in the fall of 2012 with FFA members setting goals and establishing working committees for the spring 2013 event. Through the efforts of 100 FFA members and community support, approximately 1,000 mostly elementary level students participated in agriculture awareness through hands-on exhibits and activities. Exhibitors included the
Florida Department of Agriculture, Escambia County Extension Agency, Florida Forestry Service and many other outside agencies.
In addition, members of the Northview High School FFA officer team visited several area elementary schools to read agriculture-related books to students.
The Florida FFA Organization has honored Northview High School FFA Food for America program at the state level multiple years.
Pictured: The Northview High School FFA was honored by the Escambia County School Board Tuesday night for having the top “Fresh from Florida” program in the state. Pictured top: Northview FFA President Courtney Solari, 2nd Vice President Haylee Weaver, Vice President Courtney Weekley, Parliamentarian Mitchell Singleton, past-present Jessica Baldwin; Supertindent Malcolm Thomas, NHS FFA sponsor Perry Byars, board member Linda Moultrie, board member Bill Slayton, (back row) board member Jeff Bergosh, board member Gerald Boone and board member Patty Hightower. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Map Shows Where The Power’s Out
August 22, 2013
Gulf Power has a new online map to provide customers with real-time information on power outages.
The new interactive map gives you a quick view of the Northwest Florida area and the ability to zoom down to where you live. Small triangles show where the power’s out and if you hover over them with your cursor, a pop-up window provides more information, like the estimated time of when the power will be restored.
The pop-up window tells you how many customers are affected and whether a Gulf Power crew is on the way, or already on location making repairs.
“Studies across the country show customers want this type of information from their utility,” Natalie Smith, Gulf Power spokesperson, said. “This map, which is also accessible via mobile devices, provides estimated times when customer’s power will be restored. It’s an important tool that offers customers a new way to get information about outages, restoring power and storm information as well.
“Customers can see the outages on the map, but you can also report that your power is out or check on the status of restoring your power,” said Smith.
To view the live online map, customers should visit MyGulfPower.com.
Hurricane Season A Bust? Not So Fast
August 22, 2013
Almost halfway finished, the 2013 hurricane season has been a breeze in Florida.
But Craig Fugate, the federal government’s top emergency manager, looks at things a little differently. His question: “Have we started playing college football yet?”
Fugate and Bryan Koon, director of the state Division of Emergency Management, held a news conference Wednesday to reinforce the message that Florida is just entering the thick of hurricane season in late August and September — which, coincidentally is when college football starts.
The folksy Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, knows what he is talking about. He formerly served as Florida’s top emergency manager, including during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, when seven hurricanes plowed into the state.
Despite the memories of those devastating years, Fugate and Koon expressed concerns that Floridians will not take steps such as heeding evacuation orders if a storm comes.
“I think it’s in our DNA — we go through denial,” said Fugate, who started his career as a fire-rescue worker in Alachua County.
Florida has been spared hurricane damage during the past several years and has not been seriously threatened this year. But the emergency managers said late August and September are considered high points of the hurricane season because of warm water temperatures that help fuel the storms.
Koon noted that Saturday is the 21st anniversary of Hurricane Andrew slamming into Miami-Dade County and said it “only takes one” hurricane to cause massive damage. The hurricane season started June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30.
The emergency managers focused heavily on the need for Floridians to follow evacuation orders. Fugate said the public becomes too fixated on the category of the storm — with Categories 1 through 5 delineating strength — and that much of the worst damage often comes from issues such as storm surge and flooding.
“Don’t focus on the number, focus on the impacts,” Fugate said. “The category of a storm does not tell you all the impacts.”
Koon said evacuations and forecasts are not an “exact science” and that sometimes people will be told to leave areas that, in the end, don’t need to be evacuated. But he said emergency officials are focused on saving lives.
Florida also could face increased damage if a hurricane hits this year because of heavy rains that have already saturated many areas. Koon said that could lead to problems such as increased flooding, more trees falling down and roads washing out.
by The News Service of Florida