Thousands Attend Jay Peanut Festival
October 7, 2012
The annual Jay Peanut Festival attracted thousands to the Gabbert Farm Saturday and Sunday.
For more than 20 years, The Jay Peanut Festival at the Gabbert Farm has been a fall tradition on the Gulf Coast, showcasing the history, agriculture, food and fun of Santa Rosa County. What started as a chance for local kids and farmers to show off their best of the season has become an annual event covering 15 acres and drawing about 70,000 people to the Gabbert farm over two days.
The event included tours of the 1930s Farm Museum, food booths, dozens of arts and crafts vendors, pony rides, games and fun. The Jay Peanut Festival was also a chance to try all varieties of peanuts – boiled, green, fried, candied and more.
Jury Convicts Molino Pharmacy ‘Underwear’ Armed Robber
October 6, 2012
A Molino man accused that robbed a local pharmacy in 2010 while wearing underwear on his head was convicted Friday.
The jury trial of Joseph Daniel Flowers, now 58, got underway Wednesday on multiple charges including robbery with a firearm and several drug possession charges for the September 20, 2010, holdup of Scott’s Pharmacy on Highway 29.
Flowers robbed the pharmacy at gunpoint while wearing a blue bathrobe, slippers, yellow kitchen gloves and underwear on his head. He was still recognized by pharmacy employees as a longtime customer.
He will be sentenced in November by Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh.
The getaway car driver in the robbery, Krystal Lynn Collins, was previously found guilty of armed robbery with a firearm and a half dozen felony drug charges. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Pictured top: Joseph Daniel Flowers is detained by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office shortly after the robbery of Scott’s Pharmacy in Molino. Pictured below: Scott’s Pharmacy in Molino was robbed September 20, 2010. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Former Flomaton Police Chiefs Pleads In Century Unauthorized Arrest Case
October 6, 2012
The former Flomaton police chief arrested on a felony kidnapping charge has pleaded no contest to a lesser charge for making an unauthorized arrest across the state line in Century.
Geoffrey Ashley McGraw, 30, entered the no contest plea Thursday to a misdemeanor battery charge. Friday, Judge Michael Allen withheld adjudication again McGraw, and ordered him to pay $625 in court costs and $1,500 in restitution to victim Ronald Adam Barrow.
Prosecutors did not offer a sentence recommendation Friday in Escambia County Circuit Court. Instead, the prosecution pointed out that as a chief law enforcement officer, it was a “serious violation”, according to Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille. The sentence was left to the discretion of the court.
Escambia County (Ala.) District Attorney Steven Billy, Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff Grover Smith and Escambia County (Ala.) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert appeared in the Pensacola courtroom Friday, testifying as character witnesses on behalf of McGraw.
McGraw’s arrest stemmed from a joint operation by the Florida 1st Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE obtained the warrant for McGraw’s arrest for an August 14, 2011, incident in which Barrow was arrested by McGraw at a home on Old Flomaton Road in Century — 0.177 miles from the Alabama state line. The FDLE said McGraw, without jurisdiction,took Barrow into custody in Florida on an outstanding Escambia County (Ala.) failure to appear warrant in a misdemeanor case. Barrow was then transported back across the state line into Alabama.
McGraw was placed on leave by the Flomaton Town Council on February 27, 2012, and subsequently fired on March 12. Prior to being named the Flomaton police chief in January 2011, McGraw was a member of the 21st Judicial Drug Task Force.
McGraw will be able to retain his law enforcement certification under Alabama law.
Chiefs Destroy Jay In 1-1A District Opener (With Gallery)
October 6, 2012
The Northview Chiefs destroyed the Jay Royals 62-14 in the 1-1A district opener for both schools.
“I thought it was big that we were able to get a touchdown right before the half knowing that we would get the football first in the second half,” Northview head coach Sid Wheatley said. “And then the momentum was clearly in our favor.”
For a game action photo gallery, click here.
The Royals opened the scoring Friday night in Bratt with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Tate Upton to Hunter Dillashaw, 7-0 Royals. Northview tied it up with a four-yard touchdown dash from senior LaMikal Kyles, 7-7 headed into quarter two.
With 5:43 to go in the second quarter, Upton found Ashten Dennington with a 35-yard touchdown pass, 14-7 Royals. That was it on scoring from Jay, but the Chiefs were just getting the party started.
Neino Robinson returned the TD kickoff 60-yards, and with a good kick, the game was tied 14-14.
With 3:55 in the second, Kyles was in again with a 44-yard touchdown, 21-14. But that was not good enough for Kyles, who hit the end zone again from one yard out with 32 seconds in the half, 28-14 Northview.
By the third quarter, the Chiefs were on fire. Sophomore Ladarius Thomas scored on a two-yard run with 10:36 on the clock, 35-14. Northview’ Chad Smith recovered a quick off fumble by Jay’s Ricky Cofield setting up another Northview touchdown just 20 seconds later. Kevin Vaughn hit Neino Robinson with a 30-yard TD pass, 49-14.
With the mercy rule, the game went to a running clock, and the Chiefs, ranked fifth in the state, switched mostly to reserves.
Just to round out the third quarter, junior Daulton Tullis completed a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Myles, 56-14 to end the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Thomas rounded out the scoring on a 31-yard touchdown run, 62-14 Chiefs.
“I thought the defense, particularly after the first two touchdowns, played extremely well,” Wheatley said. “And the offense — anytime they put up 62 points with reserves in as well, that’s good.”
The Chiefs (4-2, 1-0) are off next Friday night before traveling to district opponent Freeport on October 19. Freeport defeated Baker 41-34 Friday night, putting the Chiefs and Freeport in the district lead.
“Freeport is always very well coached,” Wheatley said. “Those guys play extremely hard. Some of them play 48 minutes without taking a single play off. We have to go there, and we know it’s always a tough place to win over there. So we’ve got to really prepare and use those two weeks to our benefit.”
The Royals will host Cottondale next Friday night for homecoming.
For a game action photo gallery, click here. A photo gallery will cheerleaders and bands from both schools will be published Sunday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Clinics Receive Medication Linked To Meningitis Outbreak
October 6, 2012
At least two Escambia County clinics received back pain medication linked to a meningitis outbreak, according to state health officials.
The Florida Department of Health is working closely with the CDC, state partners and other states on a meningitis outbreak associated with spinal injections of methylprednisolone for back pain. To date, eight facilities in Florida — including the two in Escambia County — have been identified as having received shipments from one or more of the CDC-identified contaminated lot numbers of the medication.
The facilities receiving the potential contaminated medications in Escambia County are the Interventional Rehab Center in Pensacola and Pain Consultants of West Florida, also in Pensacola.
The health department said that individuals that may have been injected with methylprednisolone acetate from these facilities be evaluated immediately and monitored or treated as necessary.
Chef Emeril Lagasse Filming New Cooking Channel Show In Pensacola
October 6, 2012
Chef Emeril Lagasse was in Pensacola Friday, filming segments for “Emeril’s Florida”, his new show that premieres on the The Cooking Channel in January. On Friday, he filmed segments at Joe Patti’s Seafood and at The Fish House. Additional segments will be filmed Saturday on Pensacola Beach.
“He was very nice; he was in front of me getting some Beignets,” said Felicia Amerson of Walnut Hill, Amerson and her husband Alex bumped into Lagasse at Joe Patti’s. “He turned around, and I said ‘OMG’ I’m your biggest fan, can I have a picture with you. He said sure we gotta hurry cause I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Pictured: Felicia Amerson of Walnut Hill posses with chef Emeril Lagasse Friday at Joe Patti’s Seafood in Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Let The Music Play And Everyone Cheer
October 6, 2012
There is plenty going on under the Friday night lights at a high school football. In addition to the gridiron action, there’s also band performances and cheerleaders leading the crowds.
For a photo gallery from the Northview and Jay high school bands, the Northview dance team, Northview’s NJROTC, NHS mini-majorettes and both Chief and Royal cheerleaders, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Falls To Milton, 40-28
October 6, 2012
The Milton Panthers defeated the Tate Aggies Friday night, 40-28, in a district matchup.
The Aggies (0-5, 0-3) held an early 7-0 lead with a 63-yard touchdown run from Lorenzo Long. The Aggies narrowed their deficit to 34-21 later in the game on a 70-yard drive, a majority of which was from Lorenzo Long. Long had 186 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns.
The Tate Aggies will be at home next Friday night against Pensacola High School.
Pictured: The Tate Aggies host the Milton Panthers Friday night in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Final Show: Farmer’s Opry In Chumuckla Closes
October 6, 2012
After over a decade, Saturday night the final regular show at the Farmer’s Opry in Chumuckla.
Owner Sandy Wyatt has opened the Farmer’s Opry House almost every Friday and Saturday night with good homestyle food and country entertainment for the past 11 years. But now, the Opry will open only for special events, concerts and fundraisers.
Wyatt said he and his wife need a break; they are both reaching retirement age and still work other full time jobs in addition to the Farmer’s Opry House.
Saturday night was the end of 3rd Annual Classic Country Music Festival with the Sawmill Band, Brent Harrison, Candace Welch, Melissa Welch, Chloe Channel and the Million Dollar Band. And there was also one final meal — smokehouse chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas and beans, fried okra, biscuits and Ooie Gooie cake.
Cancer Patient’s Birthday Wish Comes True
October 5, 2012
Halee Boyd, a Tate High School senior battling a rare form of cancer, had the 18th birthday celebration of her dreams Thursday night, meeting her favorite female county star in person.
“She’s got a little cancer, y’all, but she’s the strongest girl I’ve ever met. She’s beautiful. She came here, she’s in her hospital bed rockin’ her [behind] off…there she is,” country star Miranda Lambert said during her concert at The Wharf in Orange Beach. She then led thousands in singing to Halee.
“Happy birthday dear Halee; happy birthday to you,” Lambert, the CMA’s reigning female vocalist of the year, sang. “You’re awesome and beautiful…she’s so cool,” she said.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Halee is fighting Alevola Rhabdomyosarcoma , ARMS for short, a rare cancer of the muscles that are attached to the bones. There are only a few hundred new cases per year in the U.S. The prognosis not usually good.
“A month ago we were in my living room watching ‘How I Met Your Mother’ on Netflix and tonight we are waiting for a blood transfusion,” Halee’s mother Mardi Boyd said last May, shortly after the diagnosis. “No matter how I try, I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around that.”
In April, Halee started having severe headaches, followed by blurry and double vision. Within 10 days her right eye was swollen, and the Boyds headed to a hospital emergency room. On April 29, they learned she had a tumor.
“It is still hard to hear myself say that she has cancer, the words catch in my throat and tears well up in my eyes and my heart stops. It’s not that it’s affected my life so much; it’s that from April 29, 2012, her life changed so drastically in a hallway in an emergency department,” Mardi said.
Earlier this week, Halee’s birthday wish to see Miranda Lambert begin to fall apart. But thanks to Facebook and thanks to some amazing people that stepped up, it became night she’ll never forget.
Tickets that Halee and her mom thought they were going to have did not materialize.
“We tried to get tickets online but there are no more wheelchair tickets available through Ticketmaster. She can go down to the floor but there is no way I can afford that,” a discouraged mother said last Saturday night.
Posts began to appear on Facebook about Halee’s birthday wish to see the concert. A few posts grew into a flood on Lambert’s Facebook page and the Facebook pages of local country radio stations. Within 24 hours, she had her tickets thanks to generous people that saw the Facebook posts.
“Halee was given tickets today from some people in the community who saw the post and got involved. I doubt we will get to meet Miranda,” Mardi said Sunday.
But people in the community were not going to rest until Halee’s birthday wish came true. Hundreds of people, many who have never met Halee Boyd, continued their Facebook campaign for “Meet and Greet” backstage passes. Brent Lane and CatCountry 98.7; Marty White and WXBM; Kristi Smith, a NorthEscambia.com photographer; State Representative Clay Ingram and so many more angels made the phone calls, called in favors and would not rest until Halee’s birthday wish was set. In the end, one of Mardi’s friends in California sealed the deal with the backstage pages.
But the cancer and the chemo were going to throw a curve ball into the best laid plans of thousands. Complications landed Halee in Sacred Heart Hospital.
“We certainly have felt tested and tempted and it is so easy to give in to the pitfalls of dealing with cancer. I was reminded that Halee (and myself) should ‘just keep swimming’, keep the faith and focus on what we know, that God is in control,” Mardi posted on Facebook Thursday morning, awaiting word on if Halee would be able to attend the concert. “I am truly amazed to see Halee’s story shared over and over and people praying in faith not only for her, but for all kids everywhere with cancer. I am blessed.”
And she shared this scripture:
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” -James 1:12 NLT
One of the people that saw the numerous Facebook posts about Halee’s birthday wish was a man from Jay that stepped up and saw a way to help. Greg Odom is a flight nurse on LifeFlight. Along with Lifeguard Ambulance, Odom arranged to transport Halee to Orange Beach.
“I’m overwhelmed with emotion over this precious child. I’m thankful I was able to use my position to help her dream come true. It’s humbling,” Odom said.
By Thursday afternoon, only a fever stood between Halee and Miranda Lambert, but if the fever did not break, the doctors at Sacred Heart would not allow the trip. Hundreds, if not thousands, joined in prayer for Halee Boyd, often posting those prayers publicly on Facebook.
The fever broke just in time, and Halee loaded up in the Lifeguard Ambulance for a trip of a lifetime.
“My stomach is probably going to fall out. I’m probably going to sweat a lot; I’m going to be really, really excited,” Halee said before leaving Sacred Heart.
Once in Orange Beach, Halee had the chance to “hang out” with Miranda Lambert.
“Random strangers are giving me tickets because they just want to see a kid who is struggling happy,” Halee said. “And that makes me really happy.”
“I don’t think I have taken one picture that Miss Halee is not smiling from ear to ear,” Smith said from The Wharf.
“I’d say a dream come true tonight,” Odom said.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Halee’s 18th birthday is this Saturday, October 6. She does not currently have health insurance. Donations are being accepted for Halee through the family’s church, Heritage Baptist Church, 3065 Highway 297A, Cantonment, (850) 478-3316.
Pictured top: Cancer patient and Tate High senior Halee Boyd enjoys a concert by country star Miranda Lambert Thursday night in Orange Beach. Pictured top inset: Halee with Miranda Lambert. Pictured middle inset: Halee reacts during the show. Pictured bottom inset: Miranda Lambert, the CMA female vocalist of the year, sings Happy Birthday to Halee. Pictured below: Lifeguard Ambulance worked to transport Halee to the show. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
