One Injured In Molino Rollover Wreck
October 15, 2012
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover accident this afternoon in Molino.
The accident happened just before 4 pm. in the 1100 block of Barth Road, about a mile east of Highway 29. The female driver of the vehicle reportedly suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Escambia County Unveils Redesigned Website
October 15, 2012
Escambia County has launched a new version of the MyEscambia.com website.
The website is divided into four main areas: Community, Business, Visitors and Government with each area categorized into topics.
The Community area contains information targeted to all citizens who work and live in Escambia County. The Business section provides economic development information for businesses looking to relocate or expand, as well as information on how to do business with the county. The Visitors section contains information on the amenities offered to anyone looking to enjoy our beautiful area. The Government section provides information on the Board of County Commissioners, its departments and other governmental topics.
To visit the new MyEscambia.com, click here.
Dept. Of Corrections Announces Century, Santa Rosa Promotions, Transfer
October 15, 2012
The Florida Department of Corrections has announced promotions and lateral transfers at correctional institutions statewide, including Century Correctional Institute and Santa Rosa Correctional Institute.
The promotions and transfers included:
- James (Scott) White was promoted from major at Century CI to colonel at Santa Rosa CI.
- James Peters was promoted from colonel at Santa Rosa City to assistant warden at Gulf CI.
- Major Ronnie Segars was transferred from Gulf Annex to Century CI.
A total of 37 people were moved as part of the DOC’s leadership succession plan.
2012-2013 Florida Hunting Seasons Begin
October 15, 2012
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has announced 2012-2013 hunting season dates.
The statewide hunting season for gray squirrel on private lands has been extended. From now on, it will open the second Saturday in October and close the first Sunday in March. This season, the dates will be October 13 – March 3.
The chart below shows 2012-2013 hunting season dates for “Zone D”, which includes all of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, except for wildlife management areas. For complete information, including bag limits, see the FWC website.
Impact 100 Names Seven $104,000 Grant Winners
October 15, 2012
Seven community organizations were awarded $104,000 grants each Sunday by Pensacola Bay Impact 100.
The winners were chosen by vote of the 728 members of Impact 100. The group is comprised of women who contribute $1,000 each per year for membership. All of the membership fees are awarded in the form of grants each year to community groups. Since 2003, the group has contributed over $4.3 million.
Grant winners announced Sunday were:
Arts and Culture
- Friends of the Saenger, Inc. – Project: The Great Saenger Pipe Organ – Restoring the Heartbeat of Lady Saenger
Education
- Milk and Honey Outreach Ministries, Inc. – Project: “Going Places” Transportation Initiative
Environment, Recreation and Preservation
- Pensacola Lighthouse Association, Inc. – Project: Restoration of the Pensacola Lighthouse
Family
- Autism Pensacola, Inc. – Project: Parent Empowerment Pensacola (PEP)
- Manna Food Bank, Inc., dba Manna Food Pantries – Project: A Chilling Impact on Food Security
Health and Wellness
- Appetite for Life, Inc., dba Appetite 4 Life – Project: Equipped 4 Success
- Escambia Search and Rescue, Inc. – Project: The Advancement for Search, Rescue and Recovery for Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties
Pictured: Manna Food Bank Executive Director DeDe Flounlacker (center) receives a $104,000 check from Impact 100 Sunday. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
School Ends Racial Criteria For Homecoming Court (With Photo Gallery)
October 15, 2012
A longstanding tradition of electing two homecoming queens — one African-American and one not — came to an end Friday night at Escambia County High School under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Jazmine McGinnis was named as the lone homecoming queen Friday night at the Atmore school.
For a photo gallery from the homecoming court and parade, click here.
Prior to this year, ECHS had used raced-based selection criteria to elect two homecoming queens and two homecoming attendants from each class.
To resolve the U.S. Justice Department’s concerns over these practices, the Escambia County (Ala.) Board of Education voluntarily adopted a district-wide non-discrimination policy for extracurricular activities. The policy ended the use of race-based election and selection criteria in all student activities. The agreement requires the district to fully implement and enforce its new non-discrimination policy, to notify parents and students of changes to student election practices and to provide compliance reports to the department for at least one year.
“It is time for the once common practice of segregating students by race in school activities to come to an end,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez said after the agreement was reached.
Escambia County’s agreement with the DOJ also means the end of a similar practice at W.S. Neal High School of using race-based criteria for election of students to its Valentine’s Day courts.
Pictured top: Escambia County High School’s 2012 Homecoming Queen Jazmine McGinnis with ECHS Principal Zickeyous Byrd (left) and her father, Charles McGinnis (right). Photos by Marcella Wilson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
A Little Extra: Absentee Ballot Return Postage is 65¢
October 15, 2012
Absentee ballots have been mailed to more than 30,000 Escambia County voters, and officials are cautioning that return postage is more than just a regular first class stamp.
The postage required to return the ballot is 65 cents because the ballot is two sheets rather than one. Absentee ballots must be received by the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office no later than 7 p.m. on November 6.
Suffering From Allergies? Don’t Blame The Goldenrod
October 15, 2012
The bright yellow flowers of the goldenrod are everywhere in the North Escambia area, taking the blame from allergy sufferers. But one of fall’s most colorful plants actually gets a bad rap, according to the University of Florida Extension Service.
The true culprit for all those sneezes and sniffles is ragweed, according to Environmental Horticulture Agent Alicia Lamborn.
Goldenrod plants are bright and showy, producing large, heavy pollen grains that are carried off by bees, butterflies and other pollinators rather than by the wind. Ragweed bares greenish yellow flowers in small heads which produce copious amounts of pollen, carried by the wind rather than insects.
Ragweed flowers are not showy which means these plants are often easier to recognize by their stems and leaves. Ragweed has branching purplish stems that are rough and hairy, and leaves which are smooth, but deeply divided into lobed portions.
Pictured: Goldenrods bloom alongside a dirt road in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Teen Shot And Killed By Stepfather
October 14, 2012
A teen is dead and his stepfather jailed following a fatal shooting Saturday night in Escambia County, Ala.
Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence on Pleasant View Drive near Nokomis, Ala., where they found 17-year old William Ray deceased on the floor.
Authorities said the suspect, 54-year old James Allen Bethea, was still inside the residence. Deputies called for backup from the Atmore Police Department, Poarch Creek Tribal Police and other agencies. Bethea exited the residence unarmed and was taken into custody without incident.
Investigators said the incident began as a domestic incident between Bethea, his wife and Ray. Bethea remains in the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton without bond on a charge of murder.
Further details, including the circumstances surrounding the incident, have not been released by the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office.
Escambia County Reports First Meningitis Case From Tainted Steriod
October 14, 2012
The first case of fungal meningitis associated with contaminated steroid injections has been confirmed in Escambia County.
A 47-year old man who received treatment from Pain Consultants of West Florida in Pensacola was injected with one of the contaminated lots, the Florida Department of Health said Saturday.
The man was one of more than 600 patients to receive a potentially tainted injection at the Escambia County clinic.
“We continue to urge those who may have received steroid injections from any of the six facilities in the state to consult a health care professional,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong. “This situation remains unfortunate, and although this fungal meningitis is not contagious, we do anticipate more patients will be affected as our investigation continues.”
Nationwide, there have been 185 cases of meningitis reported, including 14 deaths across 12 state. Florida has two confirmed fatalities as of Saturday. The fungal meningitis from the contaminated steroid injections is not contagious and cannot be passed from person to person, state health officials said.
The Escambia County Health Department has notified most patients of Pain Consultants of West Florida that received the contaminated injections; the health department is continuing to work to notify the last of the patients.
The contaminated medication may have been used in spinal and in joint injections given by Pain Consultants of West Florida between July 8, 2012, and September 28, 2012.
Persons having received spinal or joint injections of a steroid medication from Pain Consultants of West Florida between July 8 and September 28, 2012, should advise their primary care physician. Persons experiencing signs or symptoms of joint infection or meningitis should seek immediate medical evaluation by their physician or their local hospital emergency department. Symptoms of fungal meningitis may be milder than those normally associated with meningitis. Symptoms of fungal joint infections or meningitis can include:
Worsening of inflammatory symptoms in the treated joint including increased redness, warmth, swelling or pain, fever, new or worsening headache, nausea, and/or new symptoms consistent with a stroke.
Persons at risk of infection should call their physician to ensure that their physician is aware of their risk. More information can be obtained from the Escambia County Health Department at (850) 595-6651 or from your local health department. For individuals outside Escambia County, the Florida Department of Health has set up a toll-free hotline at (866) 523-7339.