Error Free: Northview Lady Chiefs Beat Freeport
March 17, 2012
A 100-mile road trip paid off for the Northview Lady Chiefs Friday with two big wins over the Freeport Bulldogs.
Northview 11 — Freeport 0
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat the Freeport Bulldogs 11-0 in girl’s softball action Friday. The Lady Chiefs were error-free in their big district win.
After an 11-day spring break, the NHS Lady Chiefs will be back in action on March 27 across the river at the Jay Royals. The junior varsity will play at 4:00 with varsity to follow at 6:00.
Northview 7 — Freeport 4 (JV)
In junior varsity softball action, the Northview Lady Chiefs beat Freeport 7-4.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Choosing Heirloom Or Hybrid Tomatoes
March 17, 2012
Tomatoes are a favorite of backyard gardeners. Fresh-grown tomatoes are packed with flavor and nutrition. Due to their popularity, many different types of tomatoes have been developed and selected over time. Choosing the best type for your individual growing situation will increase your chance of enjoying a mouth-watering tomato sandwich on a hot summer day.
Heirloom vegetables are back in vogue. A tomato must meet three criteria to be considered an heirloom variety. The variety must grow “true to type” from seed saved from each fruit, the seed must have been available for more than 50 years and the variety must have a history or folklore of its own. Heirloom vegetables are also called open-pollinated or non-hybrid.
Heirloom tomatoes are known for their full flavor and excellent taste. Gardeners who start their plants from seeds have always had many choices available to them. This year, I was surprised to see some heirloom seedlings in stores including ‘Cherokee Purple.’ This is an heirloom from Tennessee rumored to have come from Cherokee gardeners. Its rich flavor is said to be similar to the much-celebrated Brandywine.
While heirlooms offer better flavor, they do have a downside. Their biggest weakness is that they are not generally disease resistant and therefore more susceptible to devastating and sometimes fatal diseases. Heirloom varieties also experience more fruit defects such as cracking and catfacing.
To overcome the potential disease pitfall of heirloom varieties, many gardeners are now grafting their tomato seedlings. In the case of heirloom tomatoes, grafting involves connecting the shoot of the heirloom variety to the roots of a disease-resistant rootstock. The cut pieces are held together by a grafting clip until the tissues grow together (pictured left).
To learn more about heirloom tomatoes and grafting, read the UF/IFAS publication entitled, “Growing Heirloom Tomato Varieties in Southwest Florida.” It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs174 or by calling your local Extension Office.
Hybrid tomatoes are those that have been breed and selected for their disease resistance and productivity. They are the first-generation cross between two “pure” parental lines.
The simplest way to define an F-1 hybrid is to take an example. Let’s say a plant breeder observes a particularly good growth-habit in a plant, but with poor flower color, and in another plant of the same type they see good color but poor habit. The best plant of each type is taken and self-pollinated (in isolation) each year and, each year, the seed is re-sown. Eventually, every time the seed is sown the same identical plants will appear. This is known as a ‘pure line.’
If the breeder then takes the pure line of each of the two plants they originally selected and cross pollinates the two by hand the result is known as an F-1 hybrid. Plants are grown from seed produced and the result of this cross pollination should have a good habit and good color.
The vigor of hybridization can increase yields, improve pest resistance and impart other desirable characteristics. Some have credited crop hybridization as a prime reason for our country’s ability to feed larger populations with fewer farmers.
A down side of hybridization is that if you collect and save the seed from a hybrid variety, its offspring will show a loss of that hybrid vigor – it will start to revert back to its inbred parents. If you want the vigorous capacity that comes with hybrid varieties; don’t save the seed for replanting. You will have to buy new seed each year.
To learn about tomato varieties recommended for Florida gardens, read the UF/IFAS publication entitled “Tomatoes in the Florida Garden.” It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh028 or by calling your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
HS Baseball: Tate Aggies Just Keep On Winning
March 17, 2012
The wins just keep on coming for Coach Greg Blackmon and his Tate High School Aggies. The Aggies beat Gulf Shores 4-1 Friday night to improve to 8-0 on the season.
David Moorehead was 2-3 at the plate for the Aggies with an RBI and a run; Maverick Champion was 1-2 with an RBI and a run. On the mound, Cody Palmer allowed one run, walked one and had two strikeouts, while J.T. Granat pitched two, striking out four allowing one hit.
In varsity baseball action, the Tate Aggies will host Glenwood (Ala.) High School at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Photo Gallery: Travis Tritt At Beulahfest
March 17, 2012
Friday night, Grammy Award winning country singer Travis Tritt was the the headliner at Beulahfest, entertaining thousands with songs like his number one hit “Help Me Hold On.”
For a photo gallery from Friday night, click here.
The festival Friday and Saturday featured not only great music, but plenty of fun, rides, and of course those delicious sausages. Beulahfest attracts thousands each year, with proceeds benefiting the Beulah Volunteer Fire Department and other local charities.
Pictured: Grammy Award winning country star Travis Tritt performs Friday night at Beulahfest. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Burglary
March 17, 2012
An Atmore man was arrested Friday in connection with a March 10 burglary.
Toney M. Keith is charged with second degree burglary, second degree theft of property and fraudulent use of a credit card in connection with a burglary in the 400 block of Poplar Street.
Keith was taken into custody Friday morning by the Atmore Police Department without incident on Peachtree Street. He was booked into the Atmore City Jail and then transferred to the Escambia County (Ala) Detention Center in Brewton.
Atmore Christian Gets Road Win Over Calvary
March 17, 2012
Atmore Christian School defeated Calvary Christian School in Destin Friday afternoon 17-2. Atmore Christian will host Calvary Christian Tuesday afternoon at home in Atmore. Submitted photo by Alisa Hart for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Gets 20 Years For Murder At Century Correctional Institution
March 16, 2012
A Century Correctional Institution inmate was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for the 2010 murder of another inmate at the facility. He was sentenced as a habitual offender.
In January, John Scaife was convicted of manslaughter and battery upon a prison detainee by an Escambia County Jury.
On December 22, 2010, Scaife engaged in a brief verbal argument with fellow Century Correctional Institution inmate Donald Bart. Scaife then struck Bart once in the face, causing Bart to fall backwards and hit his head on the concrete floor. Three days later, Bart became unresponsive and subsequently died on December 26 due to bleeding within his brain and swelling of his brain. It was determined that Donald Bart had several nasal fractures as well as a fracture to the lower rear portion of his skull, and that these injuries were all a result of Scaife’s actions on December 22, according to testimony.
Scaife was serving a 12 year sentence from Polk County for a 2001 conviction on charges of burglary, grand theft auto and fleeing/eluding law enforcement. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, he has been in and out of prison since 1979 for a list of offenses that include burglary, robbery, aggravated battery, sexual battery and petty theft.
Bart was sentenced in 2009 in St. Lucie County to eight years for arson, torturing animals and burglary, and a five year sentence for a 2008 St. Lucie County conviction on marijuana charges.
Northview Sweeps Track Meet
March 16, 2012
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
- Northview 84
- Blacksher 53
- Escambia County (Atmore) 20
Boys Overall Results
- Northview 71
- Blacksher 63
- Escambia County (Atmore) 24
Northview Girls Results:
- 100 High Hurdles
- Tierra Floyd 1st
- Ashley Joiner 2nd
- 100 meter
- Tierra Floyd 2nd
- 200 meter
- Angelique Brown 3rd
- 300 Hurdles
- Zaccara Davis 2nd
- Annie Bobo 3rd
- 400 meter
- Zaccara Davis 4th
- 800 meter
- Lakelynn Parker 1st
- Julia thorpe 3rd
- 1600 meter
- Lakelynn Parker 1st
- Julia Thorpe 2nd
- Ashley Cunningham 3rd
- 3200 meter
- Jazzlynn Franklin 1st
- Charleigh McPherson 2nd
- Mason Solchenberger 3rd
- High Jump
- Tierra Floyd 1st
- Triple Jump
- Tierra Floyd 1st
- Ashley Joiner 2nd
- Zacarra Davis 3rd
- Angelique Brown 4th
- Long Jump
- Angelique Brown 2nd
- Zaccarra Davis 3rd
- Hannah Fiellin 4th
- Discus
- TeAndreia Knight 3rd
- Annie Bobo 4th
- Shot Put
- Elayzha Bates 2nd
- TeAndreia Knight 4th
- 4X100 Relay -1st
- Lakelynn, Ashley J., Angelique, & Hannah
- 4X800-2nd
- Charleigh, Jazzlyn, Ashley C., & Julia
- 4X400 -3rd
- Mason, Elayzh, Ashley C., & Cheyanne
- Jeffrey Taylor — 300 hurdles, 47.99
- Jeffrey Taylor — high jump, 5′4
- LaMikeal Banks – triple jump, 37′7
- Lamikeal Banks — long jump, 18′9
- Stetson Nash — shot put, 42′4.5
- Cameron Newsome — 400 meter, 1:01
Northview boys also took first place in two relays: 4×100 and 4×400.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured above and below: Northview swept a track meet held in Bratt Thursday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Recycling Site Available In Cantonment
March 16, 2012
A new recycling drop-off site is now available at the Cantonment Fire Department.
Items eligible for recycling are aluminum cans, steel cans, glass food and beverage containers, plastics, cardboard, junk mail, paper, magazines and newspapers, according to the Escambia County Department of Solid Waste Management.
There are drop-off recycling locations in or near each of the larger communities in North Escambia. North of Nine Mile Road, recycling bins are located at:
- Ashton Brosnaham Park, 10370 Ashton Brosnaham Drive
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 North Century Blvd., Century
- Cantonment Fire Department, 2 Woodland Drive, Cantonment
- Escambia County Extension Service, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- John R. Jones Athletic Park, 555 E. Nine Mile Road
- Molino Fire Department, 1459 Molino Road (behind fire station)
- Oak Grove Citizen’s Convenience Center, 745 North Highway 99
- Perdido Landfill, 13009 Beulah Road, Cantonment
- UWF, John Martin Hall, 11000 University
- UWF, ParkwayParking Lot #10, Campus Dr.
For more information on drop-off recycling in North Escambia, visit EscambiaRecycles.com.
Pictured: An Escambia County drop-off recycling site. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Bonifay Beats Northview (With Photo Gallery); Time Change For Saturday
March 16, 2012
Holmes County (Bonifay) defeated the Northview Chiefs in varsity baseball action Thursday, 8-1.
The Chiefs will host a double header against T.R. Miller on Saturday. The first game is at 11 a.m. with the second game to follow. (This is one hour earlier than previously scheduled.)
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured: Action as Northview takes on Bonifay Thursday in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
