Stuckey Licensed To Preach By Poplar Dell Baptist Church
July 8, 2012
Poplar Dell Baptist Church has publicly licensed church member James Waylon Stuckey of Pineview with the authority to preach. The church acknowledged his ability and desire recently with a ceremony at the church led by Pastor Mitch Herring.
Stuckey is a 2000 graduate of Flomaton High School and is a former Marine, serving four active years beginning in 2001 and four years in the Reserves, stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC, then 3rd Force Reconnaissance in Mobile, Alabama. He is currently a farrier (professional horse shoer) and owner of A & W Farrier Service.
Married to the former Andrea Phillips of Jay, Stuckey and his wife have two children, Brianna and Rein. He is the son of Jimmy and the late Mary Ann Stuckey of Pineview. His only sibling is Melissa Johnson, also of Pineview.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bird With A Wire Cuts Power To Town
July 8, 2012
A bird with a wire cut power to hundreds of people in the Jay area for a couple of hours Saturday afternoon.
The bird build a nest in Escambia River Electric Cooperative’s Jay substation. The bird found a small piece of wire and took it back to the nest, shorting out and blowing a high voltage breaker, according to Nick Jackson, spokesman for EREC.
EREC and PowerSouth crews worked to ensure that there was no additional damage to the substation as part of the power restoration process.
“Thank you for your patience as we work around nature’s adventurous creatures to keep your power flowing,” Jackson said in a post on the company’s Facebook page.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Bulldozer Mishap Claims The Life Of Bratt Man
July 7, 2012
A Bratt man was killed in a bulldozer mishap Saturday in Bratt.
Kale Schneider, 68, was pronounced deceased at the scene in a remote area near the intersection of Bratt and Vaughn roads. The accident site was in a clearing about three-quarters of a mile down a path through a cornfield.
He was apparently operating the bulldozer on a steep embankment when he fell off and was killed. The bulldozer came to rest on its end, several feet away. He was working the area alone; his body was not discovered for a few hours.
The accident is under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the call.
Picture: A Bratt man was killed in a bulldozer mishap Saturday afternoon in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Homeless After Travel Trailer Fire
July 7, 2012
One person was left homeless after a travel trailer fire Saturday morning near Flomaton.
Fire completely destroyed the travel trailer on Christian Road, just north of old Atmore Road about 9:30 a.m.. The adult male occupant was not at home at the time of the blaze.
Fire departments from Flomaton, Friendship, Lambeth and Century responded to the fire, along with the Flomaton Police Department and Escambia County (Fla.) EMS.
There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Deputy, Tate High School Resource Officer Arrested
July 7, 2012
The school resource officer at Tate High School was arrested Friday on a third degree felony charge.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy Lavada Michelle Rivkin, 31, was arrested for eavesdropping – illegal interception of communication.
The State Attorney’s Office began an investigation into Rivkin after being contacted by the Sheriff’s Office, according to Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille. He said Rivkin is accused of secretly recording another deputy during a telephone discussion about a complaint. The call was allegedly recorded without Rivkin asking permission.
Marcille would not comment on whether or not the incident involved Rivkin’s official duties as a school resource officer.
Rivkin turned herself in about 2:35 Friday afternoon on a State Attorney’s Office warrant and was released on her own recognizance.
According to the Sheriffs’ Office, Rivkin is on paid administrative leave pending review by the department.
Weekend Gardening: Tips For July
July 7, 2012
Here are gardening tips for the month of July from the Santa Rosa Extension Service:
Flowers
- Annuals to plant include celosia, coleus, crossandra, impatiens, kalanchoe, nicotiana, ornamental pepper, portulaca, salvia, and vinca.
- Lightly re-fertilize flowering annual and perennial beds in order to retain their vigor and keep them colorful.
- Remove old flowers (deadhead).
- Keep leggy growth pinched back.
Trees and Shrubs
- Remove spent flower heads from crape myrtles so that they will continue to bloom.
- Watch for, and control pests if necessary. Spider mites on shrubs and flowers. Lacebugs on azaleas and pyracantha. Flower thrips on roses, gardenias and other blooming plants. Oleander caterpillars on oleanders
- Do any necessary pruning of hydrangeas as soon as flowering is finished. They must have sufficient time to re-grow before the dormant season.
- Do not heavily prune any of the spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas, camellias or spiraea.
Fruits and Nuts
- Prune blueberry bushes, if needed, as soon as possible after harvest is completed.
Vegetable Garden
- Vegetables that can be planted outdoors include eggplant, lima beans, okra, southern peas, peppers and watermelon.
- Set out new tomato plants by late July in order to have a fall crop. Purchase tomato transplants or root disease free suckers from the spring crop. If possible, obtain one of the “hot set” varieties.
- Watch for and control tomato hornworm and fruitworms
- Remove old tomato plants from the garden once harvesting is complete. Diseased plants should be burned or removed from your property. Do not place known diseased plant parts in the compost pile.
- Establish a compost pile. The high temperatures and frequent showers of summer help to speed up the breakdown process.
Lawns
- Watch for, and control pests if necessary. Sod webworm in lawns, chinch bugs in St. Augustine lawns and spittlebug in centipede
- Keep lawn mower blades sharp. This reduces some disease problems and gives the lawn a neater look when it is cut.
- Phyllanthus (common name chamberbitter or gripeweed), often described as that little “mimosa looking weed”, began germinating in May. Check the lawn and landscape for its presence. Contact your local Extension service if you need help with recommended control measures.
- Time for mole cricket control. Use the soap flush technique to determine if sufficient crickets are present to warrant treatment.
- Lawns will begin experiencing more stress as temperatures rise this summer. Raise the mowing height one-half inch as hot weather approaches. This helps relieve some stress and enables the grass better tolerate summer conditions.
NWE Beats Brewton In 16U All Star Softball
July 7, 2012
The Northwest Escambia 16U All Star girls beat Brewton 11-6 Friday night in Brewton.
NWE will take on Atmore on Saturday as the state playoff series continues, and championship games will be played on Sunday.
Submitted photo by Michelle Thomas for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Shot By Deputy Dies
July 7, 2012
A man shot by at least one Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy Friday afternoon has died.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed disturbance on Ladybird Lane, just northeast of the I-10 and Airport Boulevard interchange. At the home, a man threatening suicide inside reportedly pointed a gun at the deputies.
The man was shot and transported by ambulance to a local hospital in critical condition where he passed away a short time later.
Two deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure in officer involved shootings. The primary investigation will be conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Pictured: The scene of a fatal deputy involved shooting Friday afternoon just off Airport Boulevard. Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Win Sixth Straight Series 5-3 Over Barons
July 7, 2012
The Blue Wahoos capitalized on five Barons errors, with center fielder Ryan LaMarre and Didi Gregorius each scoring twice, while Birmingham center fielder Jared Mitchell launched two homers as Pensacola won their sixth straight series with a 5-3 victory in front of another sellout crowd of 5,038 on Friday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The Fish improved to 10-6 in the second half and remain in a tie for first in the Southern League’s South Division with Montgomery due to a Biscuits victory over Mobile. The Barons fell to 9-7 since the league’s All-Star Break. The capacity crowd was the 29th the club has hosted this season in 42 home openings in their inaugural season.
The two teams combined for three runs in the first, with Mitchell mashing his seventh home run of the year to right to give Birmingham a 1-0 lead in the top of the opening frame. The Blue Wahoos would answer with two tallies of their own in the bottom of the inning, when LaMarre led off with a single, advanced to second on a balk and third when Gregorius reached first before the team executed a double steal. Gregorius took off from first on the pitch, with LaMarre swiping home after Birmingham C Luis Sierra’s throw arrived to second late. Gregorius would eventually score on a wild pitch in the frame to put the Wahoos ahead.
Pensacola then extended their advantage to 3-1 in the fourth thanks to a pair of Barons fielding miscues. LF Bryson Smith reached on an error to begin the frame, stole second and got to third on a sacrifice bunt before coming home on another fielding mistake. Mitchell however, tied the game in the fifth with his second homer of the night, a two-run blast, to make it 3-3.
The Blue Wahoos subsequently grasped the lead for good in the seventh. LaMarre was hit by a pitch to start the inning and then swiped second before he was sent in on Gregorius’ RBI triple down the right field line. Gregorius would then come plateward on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of 2B Brodie Greene to end the scoring at 5-3.
Fish reliever Curtis Partch (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 SO) earned the win after firing two shutout innings in support of starter Tim Crabbe (4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO), while RHP Justin Freeman (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) notched his seventh save of the year by finishing the job in the ninth. Partch has now fired 21.1 consecutive scoreless innings over 14 appearances for Pensacola dating back to May 29.
Birmingham relief pitcher Leroy Hunt (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 0-3 after yielding two earned run on two hits in his three frames, while starter Cameron Bayne (5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) did not factor in the decision after allowing three runs, all unearned on three hits in his five innings of work.
Barons CF Jose Martinez (3-4, 1 2B) led all hitters with three hits in the contest, while Mitchell (2-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 IBB) also collected a multi-hit game with his two roundtrippers and reached base a total of five times. No Blue Wahoos batters recorded two or more hits, though Gregorius’ triple in the seventh extended his hit streak to sevens straight games.
The Blue Wahoos will now host the Mobile BayBears for a three-game series in Pensacola as part of the Bay-to-Bay Series, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm at the bayfront stadium. LHP Tony Cingrani is slated to take the mound for the Fish, while RHP Chase Anderson is expected to toe the rubber for the BayBears.
By Andrew Green
Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott Continues Against Optional Parts Of Health Care Law
July 7, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott continued on Friday to argue against setting up exchanges to help people find health insurance, saying they won’t make health coverage cheaper and may not give people coverage they want.
In response to a question after a speech to newspaper editors, Scott continued to criticize the exchanges, part of the federal health care law, and repeated his position that the state won’t start one.
In the larger scheme that may not matter: the law says the federal government will operate health exchanges in states that don’t design their own.
Florida would have a chance to have some influence on the design of the exchange if it were to do its own, but Scott said Florida would forgo that chance because the whole idea is flawed.
“We’re not going to implement the health care exchanges because it’s not going to drive down the cost of health care, it’s going to raise the cost,” Scott said, while speaking at the Southeastern Press Convention, a meeting near Destin of newspaper editors and publishers from several southeastern states.
A health exchange is envisioned as something like a “store” for buying health coverage, choosing from multiple insurance companies. Health policies that would be available would be pre-chosen by the exchange, which would also seek to standardize what the plans offer to make comparisons on price easier. The exchanges are aimed mainly at people who don’t have coverage through their employer, and are a key part of the effort to reduce the number of uninsured.
In a similar way to how people who are employed typically don’t have a lot of choices about their insurance, people in the exchanges would also have a similar set-up; someone working to link them up with a health plan, with different tiers of coverage based on what they can pay. Insurance bought through exchanges would also be portable, so people wouldn’t lose their coverage based on changing jobs.
While not addressing the lack of choice most people covered by their employer have, Scott said the choice issue is one of the main reasons he’s opposed to exchanges.
“The government will dictate the rules,” Scott said at Friday’s convention appearance. “The problem with the exchanges is the government is going to dictate the type of policies. The policies that will be on there are the kind of policies you might not want to buy.”
Scott’s resistance to the idea comes as lawmakers have started to think about what role, if any, they have in deciding how Florida moves forward in the implementation of the new federal health law, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last week and mostly goes into effect in 2014.
Several Republican legislators said last week that they believed lawmakers would have a role – though Scott has been vocal over the last several days in his insistence that Florida’s mind is already made up on rejecting optional parts of the health care law.
Florida also will be able to opt out of an expansion of Medicaid that is contemplated by the new law as helping get people covered, and Scott has said Florida will do so, and repeated that assertion on Friday.
“We already have a Medicaid program that covers the most vulnerable people in our state,” Scott said. “I don’t know if we have another $500 million, $700 million. I don’t know where it’s going to come from.”
But the Palm Beach Post reported Friday that leaders in the state Senate have been “working on a plan” to implement the exchanges, and also are still considering whether to expand Medicaid.
One of the key questions that has emerged is what power the governor has, versus the power of lawmakers on the issue.
The Legislature determines the state’s Medicaid budget, but the governor has line item veto power. The functional implementation of any Medicaid expansion would be done by the Agency for Health Care Administration, which answers to the governor. Major Medicaid changes are also approved by the federal government.
And, as noted earlier, if Florida doesn’t implement a health care exchange, the federal government has said it would do so for the state. In some other Republican-run states, officials have said now that the health care law has been found constitutional, they want some say over design.
And two elections will play a role in the ultimate outcome in Florida. Republicans are hoping that if they can elect Mitt Romney president this year and elect a GOP majority in both chambers of Congress, they can repeal the Affordable Health Care Act. And with the act scheduled to mostly take effect in 2014, the executive branch part of its implementation in Florida will be up to whoever is elected governor that year, when Scott seeks re-election for the first time.
By The News Service of Florida