Grand Champions Named In Annual Livestock Show (With Photo Gallery)
April 7, 2013
The 20th annual Gulf Coast Agricultural & Natural Resources Association Livestock Spring Show was held Saturday at the Langley Bell 4-H Center on West Nine Mile Road.
The show provided an opportunity for local 4-H and FFA members to show their steers, swine, goats, lambs, heifers, rabbits and poultry. In addition, many of the steers and swine in the program were auctioned off.
Coming Monday: Saturday’s 20th anniversary livestock show will be the last at the Langley Bell 4-H Center after the property was sold to Navy Federal Credit Union. We’ll update you on the search for a new 4-H facility.
This year’s Grand Champion Steer was exhibited by Donald Cunningham. Donald, age 15, is a member of the Barrineau Park 4-H Club. In addition to showing steers, he enjoys swimming, NJROTC, basketball, football, working and being a Boy Scout. He is the son of Lewe and Beth Cunningham. He attends Pace High School. His Grand Champion Steer sold at auction to Dr. Tom Lampone for $3.50 per pound.
The Reserve Grand Champion was exhibited by Ashley Cunningham, a 17-year old Northview High School Student and member of the Northview FFA. Ashley is the daughter of Andy and Christina Cunningham. She is a Northview High cheerleader and a member of the Northview Dance Teams. Her hobbies include bowling, playing tennis, showing cattle, and volunteering at the Century Care Center.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Other winners Saturday included:
Beef Breeding Registered:
- Grand Champion: Willow Foxworth
- Reserve Grand Champion: Tyler Simmons
Beef Breeding Commercial:
- Grand Champion: Austin Cunningham
Beef Breeding Registered and Commercial
- Supreme Grand Champion: Willow Foxworth
- Reserve Supreme Grand Champion: Tyler Simmons
Swine:
- Grand Champion: Patra Miller
- Reserve Grand Champion: Whitney Patterson
Patra Miller’s Grand Champion Swine sold to Mike Johnson for $5 per pound.
Meat Breeding Goats:
- Grand Champion: Izzy Kent
Dairy Goats
- Grand Champion: Virginia Montgomery
- Reserve: Madison Fendley
Lamb:
- Grand Champion: Jessica Baldwin
Rabbits:
- Best in Show: Donnie Dixon
- Reserve Best in Show: Ethan Thorne
Poultry:
- Best in Show: Joshua McLamb
- Reserve Best in Show: Ami Rodgers
The 20th annual Gulf Coast Agricultural & Natural Resources Association Livestock Spring Show was sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
Complete results were not available Saturday night. NorthEscambia.com anticipates receiving complete results for publication later this week.
Pictured top: Donald Cunningham. Pictured top inset: Ashley Cunningham. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sun Dogs Signal Sunny Skies
April 7, 2013
Pictured: Colorful “sun dogs” appear over Walnut Hill Saturday morning. Reader submitted photo by Sandi Boone for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flag Football Tourney Benefits NWE Football, Cheerleading Programs
April 7, 2013
The Second Annual NWE Adult Flag Football Tournament was held Saturday at Ernest Ward Middle School. Proceeds from the event will benefit Northwest Escambia football and cheerleading this fall.
Pictured: Action Saturday morning at Ernest Ward Middle School during the Second Annual NWE Adult Flag Football Tournament. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Riley, Lee Win Northview Hit-A-Thon (With Gallery)
April 7, 2013
The Northview Chiefs baseball program held a Hit-a-thon Saturday morning.
Each player was allowed 10 hits, with the longest hits belonging to Winston Riley for the varsity at 335 feet and Mark Lee for junior varsity with a 269 foot hit. A silent auction was also held to raise additional funds for the teams.
Pictured top: Northview Hit-a-thon winners Winston Riley and Mark Lee. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Play Ball! Opening Day For Molino Ballpark (With Photo Gallery)
April 7, 2013
Saturday was Opening Day for Molino Recreation Association and the Molino Ballpark.
For photo galleries, click the links below:
Pictured: Opening Day action Saturday at the Molino Ballpark. NorthEscambia.com photos by Bethany Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Lloyd And Annie Savage Renew Wedding Vows
April 7, 2013
Lloyd and Annie Savage of Century recently renewed their wedding vows. The ceremony was held at the First Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, with a reception following at the Century Community Center.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Internet Cafes Unplugged
April 7, 2013
A month ago, Internet cafes were like countless other issues floating around the Capitol. They were important to some people, but hardly a top priority.
Then came raids on Internet cafes across the state, charges of racketeering and illegal gambling and — most jarring — the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll because of her past ties to the industry.
Suddenly, ridding the state of Internet cafes became a big issue. And Thursday, little more than three weeks after the investigation became public, the Senate gave final approval to a bill that likely will shutter hundreds of what critics call “storefront casinos.”
“There is nothing in this bill that is going to close legitimate businesses,” said Senate Rules Chairman John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, who has helped spearhead the issue. “This is about closing down unscrupulous operators who have found loopholes in the statutes.”
The Senate voted 36-4 to pass the measure (HB 155), which came after the House earlier voted 108-7 to approve it. Gov. Rick Scott’s office has already said he will sign the bill.
Internet cafes have opened in strip malls across the state in recent years, raking in money and trying to fend off criticism that they offer computerized versions of slot machines. But until now, lawmakers could not agree on how to deal with the industry, with some seeking to ban the businesses and others pushing for regulation.
The move this year to shut down the cafes happened at relative warp speed — at least in the legislative world. And that played a part in criticism from some lawmakers, who argued that the bill was too broad and would affect arcades that are popular with seniors.
All four senators who voted against the bill — Joe Abruzzo, D-Royal Palm Beach, Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, and Jeremy Ring, D-Margate — represent Palm Beach and Broward counties, where many seniors congregate and play games at such arcades.
“The seniors, as long as they believe they (arcades) could get shut down and they’re worried about it, I can’t support it,” Ring said of the bill.
But supporters of the measure said it is designed to stop illegal gambling and that shutting down Internet cafes will be good for the state.
“For far too long, strip mall casinos have deteriorated Florida’s quality of life,” David Hart, executive vice president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement emailed to reporters after the Senate vote.
BACK TO SCHOOL: While lawmakers rushed to get rid of Internet cafes, most major legislation is a harder slog. And Thursday, the House approved an education bill (HB 867) that has created deep divisions.
The proposal, which has become known as the “parent trigger” bill, would give parents more power to determine what happens with failing public schools. It has drawn fierce opposition from Democrats and groups such as the Florida Education Association, which contend it is designed to help for-profit operators of charter schools.
But the more immediately important question, at least politically, is how Republican lawmakers view the issue. A similar bill died last year in the Senate, amid opposition from some Republicans. And though the House voted 68-51 to approve this year’s version, seven members of the GOP majority crossed party lines to oppose it.
The Senate version (SB 862) cleared its first committee Monday and is expected to go to two more committees before heading to the floor. President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, indicated that changes in the makeup of the Senate and changes in the bill could lead to its passage.
“So the fact that we have 15 new senators and the fact that the bill is not the same means that I think last year’s vote is not necessarily a telltale of how the vote will come out this year,” Gaetz said.
But senators can expect fierce pressure from groups such the Florida Education Association, which released a statement after the House vote saying “every credible parent group in Florida has been outraged by this bill.”
“This doesn’t empower parents, it doesn’t provide better education for students, but will line the pockets of the charter operators,” Andy Ford, president of the statewide teachers union, said in the statement.
But the proposal has influential support from groups such as the Foundation for Florida’s Future, which is chaired by former Gov. Jeb Bush. They say it would empower parents.
Under the proposal, parents would be allowed to petition school districts to consider specific turnaround options for schools that receive “F” grades for two consecutive years. If districts reject parents’ plans in favor of other ideas, the state Board of Education would choose the plans that would be implemented.
“Let’s recognize that while failing schools abandon children, parents never do. … And so, if schools are unwilling to change, we have a moral obligation to force that change,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican and son of the Senate president.
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN (WELL, SORT OF): While lawmakers will have to resolve tough policy issues during the coming weeks, a brightening economic picture should make everybody a little happier.
Sure, the House and Senate have to resolve myriad budget details for the upcoming 2013-14 fiscal year. But a better economy means more tax dollars. And that makes it easier to pump money into popular programs such as education — and avoid painful spending cuts.
“The bottom line is, there’s nothing like having some money,” Thrasher said.
House and Senate appropriations committees Wednesday approved $74 billion budget proposals that will go to the full chambers next week. The Senate committee unanimously approved its spending plan, while the House panel split along party lines because of a disagreement about expanding Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act.
The Medicaid expansion is sort of a budget issue — accepting federal money to expand Medicaid would show up in the budget. But the legislative debate about Medicaid expansion isn’t really about next year’s budget. It’s about Democrats wanting expansion, and Republicans blocking it.
“My main concern is not so much about what’s in the budget, it’s about what’s not in the budget,” House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, said during the appropriations committee.
House Republicans criticized Democrats for voting against a budget that, thanks to the better times, is addressing needs such as more money for education.
“We’re here to pass a budget and this, members, is a good budget,” said Rep. Matt Hudson, a Naples Republican who is chairman of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Florida Senate gave final approval to a bill aimed at permanently turning out the lights at Internet cafes.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “There’s nothing a little prosperity won’t help.” — Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, about the budget.
By The News Service of Florida
Late Smokies Rally Downs Wahoos In 12 Innings
April 7, 2013
The Tennessee Smokies broke up a 1-1 tie with eight runs in the top of the 12th to beat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 9-1 in front of the third straight sellout to start the season at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
A pitchers duel through 11 frames, Tennessee exploded for the eight runs courtesy of five base hits, four walks (one intentional), a hit batter and two Pensacola errors. The first eight men in the inning reached before an out was recorded. Matt Szczur broke the 1-1 tie with a bases-loaded two-run single through the drawn-in infield to make it 3-1. Jae-Hoon Ha added a two-run single to make it 5-1 before a bases loaded hit by pitch against Christian Villanueva made it 6-1. Rafael Lopez, the 10th batter of the frame, drove home two more with a bases loaded double prior to Szczur tallying his second run-scoring base knock of the inning to provide the final margin.
The inning skewed what was a fantastic pitching matchup throughout the contest. Pensacola starter Tim Crabbe was brilliant over five innings, yielding just a solo homer to Rubi Silva in the fifth and a second-inning single to Villanueva. Crabbe struck out five in his first outing of 2013.
Yohan Pino, Drew Hayes, and Curtis Partch combined for five scoreless frames before the 12th. Lee Hyde (0-1) took the loss for Pensacola giving up 7 runs (6 earned) in an inning plus seven batters of work.
Frank Batista (1-0) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief for the Smokies. He had two of Tennessee’s 15 strikeouts as a staff.
Pensacola’s lone run of the contest came in the last of the fourth. With two outs and Ryan LaMarre on second, Steve Selsky sent a line drive into center field to score LaMarre just ahead of the throw from Silva in center. Selsky had the lone multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 performance. The Wahoos struggled on offense yet again, mustering just five singles for the second consecutive night.
The Wahoos look to even the series tomorrow at 4 p.m. behind southpaw Ryan Dennick. Tennessee will counter with righty Kyle Hendricks. It’s the first Family Sunday of the season sponsored by McDonald’s. Kids will have the chance to run the bases after the game and there will be a family toss in the outfield postgame.
Story by Kevin Burke
Pictured top: Tim Crabbe allowed one run on two hits for Pensacola in his first start of the season. Courtesy for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Identity Released Of Bicyclist Struck And Killed On Highway 29
April 6, 2013
A bicyclist was struck by a vehicle and killed this afternoon on Highway 29 in Cantonment.
The accident happened about 3:50 p.m. in the northbound lanes of Highway 29 just south of Archer Road, near Johnson’s Septic Tank. The Florida Highway Patrol said 51-year old Leila K. Pouncey of Pensacola was northbound in a 2012 Ford F150. Robert G. Hemme, age 51 of Pensacola was also northbound on Highway 29 on the paved shoulder on his bicycle when he was struck by Pouncey’s pickup.
Hemme was ejected from his Schwinn bicycle; he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Charges are pending further investigation, according to theFHP.
Pictured: A bicyclist was struck and killed on Highway 29 in Cantonment Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Escambia Health Department: 14 Gastrointestinal Infection Outbreaks
April 6, 2013
Once again, the Escambia County Health Department is reporting an increased number of gastrointestinal (GI) infections. Since early March 2013, the health department has investigated (14) GI outbreaks in the community. These outbreaks have been identified in various settings including one neighborhood and its affiliated elementary school, seven other elementary schools, two childcare centers, and four assisted living/long term care/skilled nursing facilities.
For each setting, specific guidance and education, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) control measures, were implemented. These measures included:
- Keeping or sending students/staff showing symptoms of GI illness home from school or child care centers. Urging all ill persons to stay home until 48 hours after symptoms have resolved.
- Avoiding direct contact with infected persons and discarding or isolating food and personal items that have been contacted by infected persons.
- Reinforcing hygiene and environmental cleaning practices in the settings investigated.
- Monitoring the development of symptoms in teachers, classmates, and residential contacts of infected persons, as appropriate.
- Offering lab sampling of specimens collected from persons showing symptoms of GI illness.
The state lab has confirmed the presence of Norovirus in specimens from three discreet investigation settings. Additional specimens are currently pending at the state lab. The health department remains on alert for GI-related outbreaks, and follow-up with implicated facilities is ongoing at this time.
Norovirus and other GI infections can be highly contagious. They are usually spread through, person-to-person contact with an infected person, contact with contaminated surfaces, or contaminated food or drinking water. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, low to high grade fever, and headache.
“Norovirus is the most common cause of GI illness in the U.S., accounting for over 20 million cases annually. Good hygiene practices and staying home when ill play an important role in preventing the spread of Norovirus and other infectious agents that can cause gastrointestinal illnesses,” said Dr. John Lanza. Escambia Health Department director.
Most gastrointestinal infections can be prevented with proper hygiene practices, staying home when ill, the use of clean drinking water, and safe food preparation. The best way to avoid contracting or spreading these infections is to take the following precautions:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after using the bathroom, handling diapers, and before preparing or eating food.
- Use proper hand washing practices by rubbing soapy water on hands and under fingernails for 15-20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
- If you become ill, stay home. If your child becomes ill, keep him/her out of school or childcare until free from symptoms for 48 hours.
- If you are sick with vomiting or diarrhea, do not prepare food for other people.
- Thoroughly disinfect contaminated surfaces by using a bleach-based household cleaner.
- Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with a virus after an episode of diarrhea or vomiting.
- Cook foods properly and wash fruits and vegetables before serving. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for preparing meats, fish, vegetables, or fruits.
Treatment for gastrointestinal illness includes drinking plenty of fluids and adequate rest. Dehydration may be a concern, especially among elderly adults and young children, so it is important to maintain proper fluid replacement. Persons showing severe symptoms, including bloody stool, vomiting that does not resolve, high fever, or signs of dehydration such as reduced urination, should contact their doctor.