Chiefs Celebrate State Championship
December 16, 2012
Northview fans gathered at the school Saturday night to celebrate the Northview Chiefs Class 1A state football championship.
Numerous local businesses and organizations were presented with certificates of appreciation for their roles in helping the Chiefs get to Orlando for the state championship game. And the Chiefs were presented with several accolades, including a copy of the Congressional Record where the Chiefs were honored on the floor of the U.S. House and a flag that flew over the White House in their honors. The Chiefs were also treated to a steak dinner.
Fans were given a chance to tour the school and see signs and posters honoring the Chiefs, and team members autographed state championship t-shirts for supporters.
The event ended with a full replay of the state championship game on a giant inflatable screen in the school gym.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Molino Holds Annual Christmas Parade
December 16, 2012
The annual Molino Christmas Parade was held Saturday afternoon on Crabtree Church Road. After the parade, Santa Claus met with lots of good boys and girls at the Molino Ballpark.
Sponsored by the Molino Recreation Association, proceeds from the parade are used to benefit needy children in the Molino area during the Christmas season.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: The annual Molino Christmas Parade Saturday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two ‘New’ Grocery Chains Offer Local Shoppers A Choice
December 16, 2012
Grocery shoppers have two new choices in the local market with the opening of The Fresh Market and the rebranding of local Food World stores as Belle Foods.
The Fresh Market opened Wednesday at 1650 Airport Boulevard in the former Kmart location at Airport and Ninth Avenue. The company bills itself as a neighborhood market that has built a reputation as a food destination store.
With the opening of the Pensacola store, the specialty grocer now operates 129 stores in the Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast and West Coast, with plans for continued expansion across the country.
The Food World in Atmore, four Food World stores in Pensacola and the Piggly Wiggly in Brewton are among 57 stores undergoing the name change to Belle Foods within the next year. A ll of the stores are owned by Southern Family Markets of Birmingham, now renamed Belle Foods, LLC.
With the slogan “Refreshing Simple”, the company plans to develop the brand, focusing on customer service, simplicity and savings.
Pictured top: The Food World in Atmore, rebranded last week as a Belle Foods store. Pictured inset: The Fresh Market layout. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Driver Destroys Portion Of High School’s Fence
December 16, 2012
A driver lost control and destroyed a portion of a chain link fence at Northview High School Saturday evening.
The Ford F250 was eastbound on Highway 4 when the driver lost control, left the roadway and struck a highway sign before hitting the fence and Northview’s “FFA Drive” sign. The elderly driver was not injured.
Volunteers worked Saturday night to make temporary repairs to the fence to keep the school FFA’s cattle contained.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wreaths Across America
December 16, 2012
More than 2,000 wreaths were placed on graves at Barrancas National Cemetery on NAS Pensacola on Satuday.
The wreaths were placed as part of the national even “Wreaths Across America”, a tradition that began 20 years ago at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. Northview High School students Alison Bardin and Ashton Gibbs had the honor of singing during the event.
Pictured: A wreath was placed at every grave at Barrancas National Cemetery Saturday as part of the “Wreaths Across America” event. Photo courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gates, Fountain To Wed
December 16, 2012
Chad and Alison Fournier of Atmore proudly announce the engagement of their daughter, Jordan Alexandria Gates, to Lee Brandon Fountain, also of Atmore.
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Billy and Linda Gates of Atmore and Roger and Debbie Boutwell, also of Atmore.
The prospective groom is the son of Dudley and Sheila Fountain of Atmore. He is the grandson of Myrtle Ellison and the late Earl Ellison of Clanton, Ala., and Vivian Fountain and the late Robert Fountain of Atmore.
Miss Gates is a 2008 Honors graduate of Escambia County High School and is currently enrolled as a full time student at the University of South Alabama pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy with a concentration in either Pediatrics or Athletics.
Mr. Fountain is a 2003 graduate of Escambia County High School and a 2007 graduate of Troy University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He hopes to pursue his Masters Degree in Criminal Justice in the Fall of 2013. He is presently employed with the Poarch Creek Indian Tribal Police Department as a Law Enforcement Officer.
The couple will exchange vows November 2, 2013 in Atmore.
The couple will reside in Daphne, Ala., until Miss Gates completes her education.
Pen Air FCU Contributes Toys to Toys for Tots to Help 7,500 Children
December 16, 2012
Pen Air Federal Credit Union teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corps and Department of Defense to provide toys to underprivileged children in the community for the holidays. Each Pen Air FCU branch served as a drop-off location for donations, accumulating toys and other donations to help make the holidays of 7,500 children a little bit brighter.
A team of local Marines collected the toys from the Pen Air FCU branch aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola recently. The toys, for children of all ages, will be taken to a warehouse to be separated by intended age group and gender. From there, they will be distributed in the community before Christmas.
“There has been a significant increase of families who applied to receive toys this year,” said Lt. Matt Nole of the Marine Corps who assisted in picking up the toys from Pen Air FCU. “Thankfully, the donations have also grown to meet these needs.”
Pictured: Pen Air FCU employees and Lt. Matt Nole pose with some of the toys donated to Toys for Tots through Pen Air branches. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pen Air FCU President and CEO, Stewart Ramsey, said, “I am filled with pride over the donations collected from our members and employees. I hope these toys will make this a very merry Christmas to many local families.”
One Injured In Highway 29, Highway 97 Crash
December 15, 2012
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino.
A Toyota car and a Ford F150 pickup collided in the intersection about 12:25 p.m. The F-150 came to rest on Highway 29, while the car continued into a nearby field. The driver of a the car was transported to a Pensacola hospital by ambulance.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Early Morning Crash Near Walnut Hill
December 15, 2012
There were no injuries in a single vehicle crash near Walnut Hill early Saturday morning.
The driver of a car was eastbound on Highway 99A about 2:30 a.m. when he failed to stop at a stop sign, crossed over North Highway 99, went airborne into a ditch a struck a power pole. The driver and his passenger refused medical treatment at the scene.
The accident was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol. Atmore Ambulance, the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the wreck.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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Our Worst Nightmare: Escambia Schools Have Shooting, Lockdown Plans In Place
December 15, 2012
“Our worst nightmare” — that’s how Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas described the elementary school shooting Friday in Connecticut that took the lives of 20 children, a school principal and five other adults.
“To think that some deranged person can take aware the future, the lives of elementary school students just rips your heart out,” he said Friday afternoon. “It’s a very sad day for all of us.”
All Escambia County schools have lockdown and emergency plans in place to deal swiftly with any security threat. During lockdowns, the schools are physically locked and isolated from the outside world — no one goes in, no one goes out except for law enforcement. That includes parents, Thomas said, “because perhaps the person you let in is the very threat you are trying to keep out”.
“You do everything reasonable to protect the schools and the children,” he said. The scenario in Connecticut has some aspects that are pretty frightening to me, despite all of the plans, all the of the technology in place to protect the children.”
“He (the Connecticut gunman) had probably gone to that school before since his mother taught there. The people at the school likely knew him, so they may not have viewed him as a threat. They might have let him in because they knew him, like happens many times a day in schools everywhere with parents, volunteers and others known to the school staff. That is frightening.”
For obvious reasons, Thomas declined to discuss the specifics of security plans in Escambia County schools. But he did mention technology plays a role, such as new security doors installed before this school year at Bratt Elementary. Before an individual can enter the school, they must be “buzzed” through the locked doors. Similar security doors are also in place at most schools in the county.
Each school practices lockdown and evacuation procedures with students and staff, and sometimes they get experience with real lockdowns.
Following the November shooting death of a store clerk during the robbery of the State Line O’Yes Lotto in Davisville, Ernest Ward Middle, Bratt Elementary and Northview High schools were placed on lockdown within minutes as a precaution as law enforcement searched the for armed suspects.
On-duty, armed Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies are on the campuses of Escambia County’s middle and high schools.
Pictured: Extra deputies remained the Ernest Ward Middle School campus after a lockdown ended following the murder of a store clerk in November. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.