Support The Chiefs: Join The Northview Quarterback Club
June 10, 2013
The Northview High School Quarterback Club is gearing up to prepare to support another season of Chiefs football.
The QB club depleted most of its funds helping the Chiefs get to Orlando for their state championship win, and the group is already working hard to get ready for this season. Thousands of dollars were spent on items such as charter buses for the players, pre-game and post-game meals, concession stand operation, spirit items, fireworks, programs and more.
Families can support the Chiefs by joining the Quarterback Club for just $10 per family per year. All of the proceeds go directly to help the school, the football program and the students.
The next meeting of the Northview High School Quarterback Club is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Northview Media Center. Everyone is welcome.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos, Braves Suspended With Wahoos Up 4-0
June 10, 2013
With the Blue Wahoos leading the Mississippi Braves 4-0 in the middle of the fourth inning, the umpires delayed the game for a second time because of rain. Eventually, the game was suspended and will be finished as part of a doubleheader on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Trustmark Park.
Ray Chang got the Blue Wahoos on the board with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning with two outs. Pensacola added another run when Corey Wimberly singled home Brodie Greene from third in the second inning. The game was delayed following that at bat for one hour and 30 minutes. When the game resumed the teams made it through the top of the fourth before getting delayed for a final time.
The two teams will complete the nine-inning resumption of Sunday’s suspended contest and follow it up with a seven inning game approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. RHP Drew Hayes will pitch the completion of Sunday’s game, and Shaun Ellis will start game two for the Blue Wahoos.
The Blue Wahoos are trying to de-rail the Braves’ chance at a first-half division title. After Pensacola’s win over the Braves on Saturday night, Mississippi finds themselves a half-game behind the Mobile BayBears who lost on Sunday night in extra innings to the Tennessee Smokies.
Pictured: Rain suspended the Blue Wahoos game against the Mississippi Braves Sunday night in Pearl, MS. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Serious Injuries Reported In Cantonment Wreck
June 9, 2013
There were no serious injuries reported in a two vehicle crash just after 1:00 Sunday afternoon at Jacks Branch and Muscogee Roads in Cantonment. The wreck did block the highway for a short period.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released. The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.
Pictured: The scene of a wreck Sunday after noon at Jacks Branch and Muscogee Road in Cantonment. Reader submitted photo by Kimberly Blackwell, click to enlarge.
Demolition Set To Begin At Ernest Ward Middle
June 9, 2013
Visible progress toward the construction of a new Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill could come as early as this week.
A few portable buildings will be relocated and the “Ag Building” will be demolished in the coming days to be replaced by temporary portable buildings during the construction process. The new school is expected to open in the fall of 2016.
Once the new campus is complete, the current administration building is slated to become a maintenance facility, while the current gymnasium and football stadium will remain. The remainder of the current main school building will be demolished.
The $16.5 million, 115,202 square foot building is being designed by Sam Marshall Architects of Pensacola, while Greenhut Construction Company of Pensacola will provide “Construction Management at Risk Services” — the overall planning, coordination and control of the project from beginning to completion.
Pictured: The “Ag Building” at Ernest Ward Middle School could be demolished as early as this week as progress is made toward a new $16.5 million campus. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Killed, Two Seriously Injured In Mobile Highway Crash
June 9, 2013
One person was killed in a late Saturday afternoon traffic crash in Escambia County.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 22-year old Daniel E. Howard of Pensacola was traveling westbound in a 1998 Chevrolet SUV on Mobile Highway near the Alabama state line when he attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone. Howard lost control of his vehicle and began to rotate. The driver of an oncoming 2008 Volkswagen attempted to take evasive action, but the two vehicle collided. Howard’s vehicle came to rest off the highway in the edge of a wooded area.
Howard was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Volkswagen, 51-year old Teresa K. Hart of Pensacola, and her passenger, 50-year old Daren Coats of Pensacola, were seriously injured. Both were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Man Shot Twice In Possible Drug Deal Gone Bad
June 9, 2013
An Escambia County man was shot Saturday afternoon in Ensley in what deputies say may have been a drug deal gone bad.
A 41-year old man was shot in the hand after being approached by two black males near the intersection of Vickie Street and Washburn Street, just north of Johnson Avenue. As the victim turned away, he was shot again in the back, according to Sgt. Corey Cephas, spokesman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He was transported to an area hospital with injuries that were serious not considered to be life threatening.
The suspects have been described only as two black males.
Further details, including the identity of the victim, have not yet been released by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Nokomis Man Accidentally Shot, Killed While Cleaning Shotgun
June 9, 2013
A Nokomis man was killed in gun accident Saturday afternoon, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The man was was cleaning a shotgun inside his home when the gun fired, according to Sgt. Corey Cephas, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. The incident happened on Circle Road, just off Rockaway Creek Road near the Alabama state line, about 4:15 p.m.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced deceased on the scene by Atmore Ambulance. The incident is under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, but officials said foul play did not appear to be involved.
Pictured: A Nokomis man was killed when he was accidentally shot while cleaning his gun Saturday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Summer Ball: Gators Over Chiefs; Northview Beats Catholic
June 9, 2013
During the second day of a Catholic High School Summer Ball Tournament Saturday, Northview lost a couple to the Escambia Gators and the Chiefs beat Catholic.
Northview’s Team B lost to the Escambia Gators, 8-2. The Chiefs’ Team A also lost to the Escambia Gators, 5-1. And the Northview Chiefs Team A beat the Catholic Crusaders, 6-5.
Here is a look a scores and the remainder of the tournament schedule for Northview:
A Team
Saturday June 8 — Escambia 5, Northview 1
Saturday June 8 — Northview 6, Catholic 5
Sunday June 9 11:30 Navarre vs Northview @ Catholic
Sunday June 9 2:00 Northview vs Pace @ Catholic
B Team
Friday June 7 — Catholic 14 Northview 3
Saturday June 8 — Escambia 8, Northview 2
Sunday June 9 2:00 Northview vs Mosley @ Escambia
Sunday June 9 4:30 Navarre vs Northview @Escambia
Pictured: Northview High School Summer Ball action from Saturday. Photos by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Big Brother Watching: First Verizon, Now The Internet
June 9, 2013
News accounts and officials said U.S. intelligence agencies have been peering into the servers used by nine major Internet companies and tracking millions of phone calls. Among them are Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Skype and Apple. All of the tech companies have denied any affiliation with PRISM.
They have also been tracking the source and destination of millions of phone calls, though apparently not listening to the conversations.
As all of this information zooms around the Internet on fiber optic cables, officials are using a program called “PRISM” to sort through and analyze data. Officials said they are searching for links to known or suspected terrorists, and seeking patterns that might reveal something about planned attacks.
The Internet companies deny they are voluntarily participating in any government data collection, and say they only give the government what is required by law.
The computer analysis is possible because Internet communications by e-mail, chat, video or file transfer are all converted into a stream of ones and zeros and broken into little packets.
Each of the packets contains the unique computer addresses of the sender and receiver, and the sequential number, so that the message can be reassembled at the destination in the correct order.
The majority of Internet communications actually flows through the United States, because computers do not necessarily use the shortest route between them, but the easiest and cheapest one.
For instance, the optical cables between Europe and North America can transfer many more packets than cables between Europe and Latin America, which makes it easier to move this traffic. It also makes it easier for U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor these communications.
According to an article in The Guardian, U.S. phone communications giant Verizon was ordered to provide the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) ‘metadata’ on all calls going through its network within the United States and with other countries. The collected ‘metadata’ does not contain actual conversations, but can still be useful to investigators.
‘Targeted data mining’
Metadata contains phone numbers, area codes, GPS data, and time and duration of calls. It may also identify phone models and other technical information.
Once in the possession of the NSA, all collected data can be stored in data warehouses – huge memory banks – where it can be analyzed and cross-referenced by sophisticated software which can decipher usage patterns.
The professional term is ‘targeted data mining.’ However, there is no evidence that collecting and analyzing it are effective tools.
In an interview with VOA, Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said the NSA is collecting much more data than it needs.
She said if the government wants to know who the suspected or known terrorist is communicating with, it can do that by getting the telephone records of the individuals it wants to investigate.
Without confirming the story, a senior Obama administration official defended the practice as part of the provisions of the Patriot Act, the law passed by Congress after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
[VOA]
Financial Assistance Available To Conserve Natural Resources
June 9, 2013
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) financial assistance is available for applicants who apply by next Friday, June 14.
The voluntary program allows producers to go the extra mile in conserving natural resources while also maintaining or increasing the productivity of their operations. Tribal, private agricultural producers and non-industrial private forest landowners should meet with their local NRCS staff as soon as possible to discuss eligibility.
“CSP is different than our other financial assistance programs,” said NRCS State Conservationist Russell Morgan. “It offers payments to producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship. It’s about conservation activities on the entire operation, focusing on multiple resource concerns.”
Playing a significant part in conserving and improving our nation’s resources, producers enrolled an additional 12.1 million acres in CSP nationwide last year, bringing the total number of acres to more than 50 million.
Many of the CSP enhancements improve soil quality, which helps land become more resilient to extreme weather. Because of the extreme weather in 2012, more interest and participation in the cover crop enhancements is expected this year, according to NRCS experts. Several other improvements are available for producers, including intensive rotational grazing, intercropping and wildlife friendly fencing.
Although applications are accepted all year, farmers, ranchers and forestland owners interested in CSP should submit applications by June 14 to ensure they are considered for this year’s funding. The deadline was extended from May 31.
A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if the program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold requirements and payment types.
For the checklist and additional information, visit the CSP website http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/csp/ or visit your local USDA NRCS office.