Rising Gas Prices Impact Century’s Budget
April 10, 2012
Local governments are not immune to rising gas prices.
The latest financial reports for the town of Century show the town had budgeted $18,800 for fuel costs for town operated vehicles. But, the town’s fuel expenditures were actually $21,400 — an increase of $2,600.
The increase did not have an extremely adverse impact on the town’s budget bottom line, with February numbers showing the town actually came in about $28,000 under budget.
Heating System Upgrades At Northview High Complete, Over Budget
April 10, 2012
Repairs are complete on a heating piping system for the gym at Northview High School. Work began last year on a project that was awarded to low bidder Comfort Systems USA Southeast for $58,253.
The project came in over-budget at $69,344, according to school district documents. Next week, the Escambia County School Board is expected to approve the final payment to Comfort Systems for the work.
The repairs were necessary due to deterioration of old piping between the main school building and the gym.
Pictured: Repairs on a heating water piping system for the gym at Northview High School as seen late last November. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Want To Raise Chickens? This Program Is For You
April 10, 2012
Are you interested in having fresh eggs on your table and raising chickens on your property? Then an upcoming class has the information you need to know.
A “Small Flock Egg Production and Management” meeting will be held Monday, April 16 in Molino and Tuesday, April 17 in Jay.
The event will include information on local laws and resources, important facts to know about feeding chickens, housing, egg production, breed selection, health management and food safety. Guest speakers will be Dr. Gary Butcher and Dr. Richard Miles, both UF IFAS poultry specialists.
Cost for the event is $5. The class will be presented Monday, April 16 from 6-8 p.m. at Highland Baptist Church in Molino and Tuesday, April 17 from 6-8 p.m. at the Jay Community Center.
To register, call Escambia County Extension at (850) 475-5230 or the Santa Rosa County Extension at (850) 675-3701.
Flomaton Wins No. 20 In A Row, Two-Run Homer For Watson
April 10, 2012
The No.4 ranked Flomaton Hurricanes defeated W.S. Neal on the road Monday night 5-4 for their 20th straight win. The Hurricanes improved their record to 21-3 with the win.
Joseph Parker (6-1) got the start and the win, and Brian Settles took the lose for the Eagles. The bats were hot for the Hurricanes including Zack Watson with at two run homer and a double, and James Dean and Hunter Bonds each with two singles.
Zack Watson closed the game and got the save for the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes will travel to Cottage Hill Thursday and play the last two area games of the year, first at 4:00 and second at 6:00.
Batting:
Andrew Cash 0-1 RBI, R
Hunter Bonds 2-4 2 1B, SB, R
James Dean 2-4 2 1B, RBI, SB, R
Zack Watson 2-4 2B, HR, 2RBI, R
Trey Weeks 2-3 2 1B
Jacob Newton 1-4 1B, R
Cody Nolan 1-2 1B
Pitching:
Joseph Parker 2IP 1W, 2 hits allowed 0ER W
Tyler Harris 2IP 3K 0 hits allowed 0ER ND
Zack Watson 3IP 8K 1W 0 hits allowed 0ER S
Pensacola Tops Biscuits 6-5
April 10, 2012
Blue Wahoos first baseman Mike Costanzo hit a third-inning grand slam off the right field video board, while right fielder Josh Fellhauer hit an eighth inning RBI single to give Pensacola a 6-5 victory over the Montgomery Biscuits in front of a capacity crowd of 5,038 on Monday night at Pensacola’s bay-front stadium. The crowd was the fifth straight sell-out to start the season.
The win gave the Blue Wahoos a 4-1 series win over the Biscuits to cap the opening homestand of their inaugural season.
With the game tied at 5-5 in the eighth, left fielder Cody Puckett singled to left with two outs and then stole second to set the stage for Fellhauer. The 23-year-old lined a 3-1 pitch into left to bring home Puckett for what turned out to be the difference.
After Pensacola center fielder Ryan LaMarre led off the third with a walk, shortstop Didi Rodriguez and designated hitter Joel Guzman singled to load the bases for Costanzo, who launched a 1-0 pitch in the right field scoreboard to make it 4-1. It was the first home run of the year for Costanzo and his first grand slam since April 11, 2011, when he did so for the Carolina Mudcats against the Mobile BayBears.
Montgomery made things interesting with a pair of solo home runs from right fielder Henry Wrigley, while designated hitter Cole Figueroa blasted his second roundtripper of the year in the sixth. It was Wrigley’s first multi-homer game since July 7, 2010, when he launched two longballs for the Biscuits versus Mobile.
Blue Wahoos reliever Justin Freeman (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 SO) earned the victory in relief after allowing an earned run on two hits in his two frames, while Biscuits RHP Jim Paduch (2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 SO) suffered the loss after giving up a run on two hits in the final 2.1 innings. LHP Clayton Tanner (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) finished off the game for Pensacola to notch his first save of the season.
Catcher Mark Fleury (2-4, 1 2B), along with Gregorius (2-4, 1 R), Rodriguez (2-4) and Puckett (2-3, 1 R, 1BB) all tallied multi-hit efforts for the Blue Wahoos, while Figueroa and Wrigley recorded two hits for the Biscuits.
The Blue Wahoos will now travel on the road for the first time this season, with a five-game series with the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, at Hank Aaron Stadium. First pitch for the series opener Tuesday night is set for 7:05 pm, with RHP Pedro Villarreal getting the nod for Pensacola. He is scheduled to be opposed by top prospect RHP Trevor Bauer.
By Andrew Green
Pictured top: Mike Costanzo hit a grand slam for the Wahoos Tuesday. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Ice Flyers Set For SPHL President’s Cup Finals
April 10, 2012
The Penacola Ice Flyers will be taking on the Columbus Cottonmouths in the 2012 SPHL President’s Cup finals.
Game one will be at the Columbus Civic Center on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. EST. Game two will be Saturday night back in Pensacola with the regular 7:05 p.m. CST puck drop. Game three, if necessary, will be played in Columbus on Sunday April 15 at 4:00 p.m. EST.
To advance to the finals, the Ice Flyers defeated the Mississippi Surge in a sweep of the first round and then swept the Knoxville Ice Bears in the semi finals this past weekend. The Cottonmouths swept the Louisiana IceGators in the first round before sweeping the Huntsville Havoc in the semis.
Tickets for Game two in Pensacola are now available at the Pensacola Civic Center Box Office or at any Ticketmaster locations.
Lucky Break For Lotto Store As Tree Falls
April 9, 2012
It was a bit of a lucky break for a lottery store in Davisville this morning as a falling tree barely missed the building.
The tree fell into the parking lot of the State Line O’Yes Lotto on Highway 97 at the Alabama state line about 7:10 a.m., taking down a power line but sparing the pink building. The business was not open at the time.
The obviously rotten and nearly hollow oak tree was damaged by fire on Saturday, with the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Atmore Fire Department extinguishing it. The property owner was notified at that time that the tree posed a danger and should be removed.
Both fire departments responded to the store again Monday morning after the tree fell; initial reports indicated that it had struck the building and there was a fire.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Shot By Ala. Deputies Now In Escambia Jail
April 9, 2012
The Cantonment man shot last week by deputies in Baldwin County is now in the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail.
Robert Lamar Vaughn, Sr., age 43, was booked into jail over the weekend where he remained early Monday morning without bond. He was arrested for a probation violation in a 2010 case in which he pleaded no contest to charges of petit theft, trespassing and criminal mischief.
Vaughn was shot April 3 by Baldwin County Deputy Austin Welch after a high speed chase that ended not far from the state line.
The incident began when the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office alerted Baldwin County authorities that Vaughn was on his way to a church cemetery outside Robertsdale to commit suicide. When a Robertsdale police officer approached a man matching Vaughn’s description at the cemetery, Vaughn jumped into his Toyota Tundra pickup truck and fled east on Highway 90. Four Baldwin County deputies joined Robertsdale police in the chase.
Spike strips were use to flatten tires on the truck, but Vaughn continued almost three miles until he pulled into the parking lot of Uncle Bubba’s Country Store in Seminole, Ala. Vaughn exited the truck and ran inside with a rifle. While inside the store, he pointed the rifle at a deputy through a glass door. The deputy fired a shot striking the Vaughn in the torso, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Vaughn was shot once by Welch with a shotgun. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance.
Pictured: The scene at Uncle Bubba’s Country Store in Seminole, Ala., last Tuesday after a Cantonment man was shot by a Baldwin County deputy. Photo by Anthony Pura, WEAR 3, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gas Prices Plummet In Cantonment, Molino
April 9, 2012
Drivers that decided to fill up in Cantonment or Molino over the weekend enjoyed a bit of a break.
When a new Raceway station opened at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road in Cantonment with a below average price per gallon of $3.59, several other stations also dropped their prices to the same level. According to AAA, the average price per gallon in Escambia County on Sunday was $3.86.
Pictured top: Gas was $3.50 per gallon at several stations in Cantonment and Molino over the weekend. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Search Continues For Convenience Store Armed Robbery Suspect
April 9, 2012
A week after a Century convenience store was robbed at gunpoint, authorities are continuing to search for a suspect.
An armed bandit entered the Southern Pit Stop just south of the Alabama state line in Century about 9:00 last Monday night, April 9. The store clerk told deputies that the robber displayed a small caliber silver-colored handgun during the holdup. He fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one inside the store was injured.
The suspect was described as a heavyset black male about 6-foot 2-inches tall. He was reportedly dressed in almost all black — a black shirt, black pants, a black mask and brown gloves.
A K-9 team from Century Correctional Institution tracked the suspect toward Academy Street behind the store. Authorities believe the suspect fled in an unknown type vehicle.
As of Monday, April 9, no arrest have been reported in the incident. The robbery remains under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information on the holdup is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured top: The Southern Pit Stop convenience store in Century was robbed at gunpoint the night of April 2. Pictured inset: Tracking dogs from Century Correctional Institution begin their search for the suspect. Pictured below: The K-9 unit prepares to search shortly after the armed robbery. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
