Flomaton Beats Cottage Hill
March 24, 2012
The Flomaton Hurricanes beat the Cottage Hill Warriors 1-0 Friday night in area play.
Zack Watson threw a complete game 7-inning shutout only allowing 5 hits and striking out 11.
Andrew Cash hit in the winning run (Tyler Dove) in the third inning. Watson improved his record 5-1, and Lee Cockrell took the loss for the Warriors. The Flomaton Hurricanes’ record is now 12-3 in the midst of an 11 game winning streak.
The Hurricanes will play Excel on Monday. The JV begins at 4:00, and the varsity plays at 6:30.
Andrew Cash 1-3 1B RBI; James Dean 1-3 1B; Zack Watson1-3 2B; Trey Weeks 1-2 1B; Tyler Dove 1R. Pitching: Zack Watson 7IP 11K 4W 5 hits allowed.
Atmore Company Improves Monster Truck Performance
March 24, 2012
Bigfoot, a legend in the monster truck world, paid a visit to sponsor Alto Products in Atmore on Thursday.
Today, the in second part of our series, we are taking a closer look at the dozen-year relationship between the Atmore company and the monster truck industry. (For part one of this series, click here.)
According to Robbie Ferguson, vice present of the High Performance Division at Alto:
- Bigfoot has been using Alto Red Eagle clutches for 12 years.
- Bigfoot was the first monster truck to start using Alto Red Eagle clutches.
- When the relationship began, Bigfoot was using a competitor’s clutch plates and they could not make it through one weekend of racing without burning up the clutch plates in their transmissions.
- After Alto developed several new products specifically for Bigfoot, their Ford C6 transmissions started lasting six to eight weekends before needing attention.
- After Ford dropped all of their sponsorships at the beginning of 2009, Bigfoot changed to GM 2-speed transmissions and with Alto Red Eagle clutch plates installed their transmissions now last upwards of 6 months.
- Alto now supplies their Red Eagle racing clutches to over a dozen monster truck teams including Gravedigger, Black Stallion and Big Dawg.
- The Bigfoot trucks average about 1,500 horsepower and the “freestyle” portion of their shows are what cause the most damage to their trucks.
- This is the second time that Bigfoot has visited Alto – they did an appearance at a company picnic in Century back in 2002.
Pictured top: Monster truck Bigfoot at Alto Products in Atmore. Pictured below: Alto Products COO Bill Bush is dwarfed by Bigfoot as he points to the Alto logo sponsorship sticker. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Women Charged With Repeatedly Tasing Man
March 23, 2012
A woman and her friend were arrested for allegedly kicking and repeatedly tasing a man in armed disturbance in Walnut Hill.
Windy Hall Hudson, age 28 of Century, and Wanda R. McGhee, age 44 of Atmore, were both charged with felony aggravated battery using a deadly weapon after the incident.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed disturbance on Rigby Road where the victim said he was sitting on the porch with his girlfriend and the homeowner. He told deputies that McGhee, who is his estranged wife, along with Hudson and a man he knew only as “Slick” pulled up in the driveway. He said “Slick” headed toward him in an agitated state and punched him in the face and then grabbed him around the neck in a chokehold, according to an arrest report.
While the victim was down on the ground in the chokehold, a witness told deputies that McGhee began to use a taser to tase the victim repeatedly while Hudson kicked him. The witness said Hudson grabbed the taser and also tased the victim. “Slick” and the two women then left the residence.
Deputies later made contact with the women at the Grey Goose Lounge on Highway 97. Hudson refused to answer questions, while McGhee told deputies that her estranged husband had swung at the unnamed male first, starting the fight.
Both women refused to provide the identity of the man known as “Slick”, according to their arrest reports. But the Sheriff’s Office was able to determine the man’s possible identity and are seeking a warrant for his arrest.
Hall was released from the Escambia County Jail on $10,000 bond, while McGhee was released on a $5,000 bond.
Boy, 13, Charged With Attacking Girl, 12, In Her Apartment
March 23, 2012
A 13-year old Century boy is facing charges after allegedly entering an apartment and assaulting a 12-year old girl.
He was arrested for felony lewd and lascivious behavior by a person less than 18 and misdemeanor battery. He was released into the custody of his mother.
The boy, who is not being identified due to his age, allegedly entered a neighbor’s apartment at Century Woods without knocking. He walked to the kitchen table where the victim was playing a board game with her mother and friend. The suspect allegedly hugged the mom and friend, but the victim did not allow him to hug her.
When the mother left the room to do laundry, the victim said the suspect picked her up, slammed her into the couch and punched her in the chest. He then allegedly followed the victim to her bedroom where he allegedly touched her in an inappropriate manner for about 20 seconds, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Report. The victim them allegedly fled to the living room where the suspect punched her again.
The victim claimed the boy had also been continuously bothering her at school.
The mother told deputies that when she exited the bathroom, she observed the suspect and victim grabbing at each other, and she told them to stop because she thought they were just playing. The mother called deputies after the daughter told her the complete story.
The suspect denied the allegations, claiming that he had not inappropriately touch the girl.
Senate Approves New District Maps, Challenges Ahead
March 23, 2012
The Senate approved its second-chance redistricting map by a wide margin Thursday, leaving lawmakers and would-be candidates waiting to see if the House and the Florida Supreme Court will sign off on the change.
The new draft of the boundaries for the upper chamber (SJR 2-B) sailed through on a 31-6 vote, with five Democrats joining all 26 Republicans present in approving the plan.
The plan creates a new District 1 for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties that also encompasses a portion of northern Okaloosa County — including Baker, the home of Sen. Greg Evers.
Senate leaders rebuked by the court for their first draft, which paired no incumbents, praised the new plan for following the anti-gerrymandering Fair Districts amendments approved by voters in a November 2010 referendum.
“There are Republicans pitted against Republicans, there are Republicans pitted against Democrats, and when this Senate convenes again, there will be more minorities on this floor than ever before in Florida history,” said Senate Reapportionment Chairman Don Gaetz, R-Niceville.
But Democrats still slammed the map, saying it ignored the Supreme Court’s 5-2 opinion striking down the first map and still appeared aimed at securing a GOP majority and shielding incumbents. That was particularly galling, Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich said, given that the court spelled out in the first ruling exactly how lawmakers should interpret the new standards.
“We may have had an excuse the first time, but for this go-around there simply is none,” said Rich, D-Weston. “The plans we are voting on I believe seem to ignore much of what the court opinion told us.”
The overall plan still faces potential hurdles before taking effect. The Supreme Court will eventually review the new map, with opponents gearing up to vigorously challenge it in arguments before the justices.
“It has become abundantly clear that the GOP-controlled Legislature lacks the leadership to draw maps that comply with Fair Districts,” Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith said. “As expected, we now turn to the courts to enforce the people’s will.”
There are rumblings that, even before that, some House lawmakers could try to amend the plan to add a fourth majority-Hispanic seat in Miami-Dade County.
Even though the House plan was approved by the court, Gaetz made it clear he still expects House Redistricting Chairman Will Weatherford, a Wesley Chapel Republican set to become speaker in November, to follow the deal.
“My understanding with the speaker-designate is not that he will take bad work, but that he will take good work and that he will defer to the Senate,” Gaetz said.
House lawmakers return to Tallahassee next week to consider the plan.
By The News Service of Florida
North Escambia Fans Turn Out For ‘The Hunger Games’
March 23, 2012
Many North Escambia residents were at the midnight premiere of the movie “The Hunger Games” last night.
While most were at a Pensacola theater with comfy chairs and high definition screens and sound for the midnight showing, Brittney Peebles of Bratt was at camp and decided to “rough it” at the Our Place Youth Center and Family Theater in Monroeville, Ala.
“Since the Rave is over two hours away from the camp we came to a make shift one in Monroeville! The tickets? Yeah, they are rocking the construction paper, the actual theater is a tin building and the chairs are actual chairs! Insane? I think it’s safe to say I really wanted to see this movie,” she said, about a half hour before the film began.
For a photo gallery of some of North Escambia’s “Hunger Games” fans, click here.
Pictured top: (L-R) Megan Ryan, Kolbi Cobb, Kendal Cobb and Mallory Ryan await the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games in Pensacola. Pictured inset: Kara Hardin (left) and Haley Simpson with their tickets. Pictured below: (L-R) Charleigh McPherson, Lauren McCall and Taylor Rigby at a pre-screening party. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Little Named New Escambia (Ala.) School Boss
March 23, 2012
The Escambia County (Ala.) School System named Randall Little as their new superintendent Thursday.
Little’s appointment was approved by the school board 6-1, with Chairman William Grissett voting no.
Little has serve as interim superintendent since former Superintendent Billy Hines retired late last year. He previously served the school system as an assistant superintendent.
There was only one other applicant for the position — Zickeyous Byrd, principal at Escambia County High School in Atmore.
Tate Beats Hueytown In 10
March 23, 2012
The Tate Aggies beat Hueytown (Ala.) High School in the Acentria Aggie Classic Thursday night.
With the 2-1 win in 10 innings, the Aggies improved to 12-1 on the season.
The Tate Aggies will be in action again next Tuesday with a short road trip to Pensacola High School. Game time is 7:00.
True Giant: Bigfoot Visits Area; Driver Climbing The Ladder
March 23, 2012
Bigfoot — one of the true giants in the monster truck world — made a stop at sponsor Alto Products in Atmore Thursday afternoon.
Bigfoot #10 is a 4-wheel drive behemoth that achieves its superior power from Atmore-made Alto Products transmission clutch plates. It is a methanol-fueled fiberglass truck sitting on eight custom nitrogen charged shocks with 66-inch Firestone tires. Over 700 hours of computer design work went into Bigfoot #10.
COMING SATURDAY: Coming up Saturday morning on NorthEscambia.com, we’ll learn more about the role Atmore’s Alto Products plays in Team Bigfoot and the rest of the monster truck industry.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The truck’s driver is JR Adams, a 32-year old Madison, Indiana, resident and father of one. Adams (pictured left) arrived at the Bigfoot team in February of 2011 as a bit of an unknown variable. He had, for a short while, been a driver for the Paul Shafer Motorsports team out of Portage, Indiana. A handful of former PSM drivers have gravitated to the Bigfoot organization (including current star driver Larry Swim) to take a shot at working towards one of the most desirable positions in the monster truck industry: driving for Team Bigfoot.
This had become the case for Adams as well. His time spent away from the monster truck industry had only fueled his drive to get back on the road, and when he heard through the grapevine that Team BIGFOOT was in need of a new display truck driver for their Firestone Bigfoot #8 display program, Adams made a call to St. Louis.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking being the new guy at a place that’s as well respected as Bigfoot,” said Adams. “This place has a heck of a professional reputation, so you’re thinking to yourself ‘Wow, I better bring my A-game’.”
Adams started off his career at Bigfoot assisting some of the team’s drivers at first-quarter indoor events, before transitioning to the role as the driver of the BIGFOOT #8 display truck, one of the team’s most vital positions.
As Bigfoot VP of Sponsorships & Business Development Bob Trent explained, “Our Firestone display program is the cornerstone of our business, and has been for some time. We depend on our display drivers as much as our race drivers to represent our team and our sponsors all across North America. It’s not a job to be taken lightly!”
Adams’ performance operating Bigfoot #8 continually met the team’s expectations, in addition to pleasing the scores of Firestone retailers that he and the truck visited throughout 2011. As the year began to draw down, a realignment in the team’s race driver roster set the stage for an early opening during the first quarter of 2012. Adams made sure he was in place to make the next great leap forward in his career, particularly as the normal route calls for two or three years of display and car crush experience first.
“When I found out that I might have the opportunity to step into one of the team’s race trucks already, I wanted to be sure I was ready. I finally got to do my first car crush performance (in Bigfoot #10) at a Firestone retailer in San Marcos, Texas, in November. It was a great time, and the truck felt amazing – and I knew I definitely wanted to get back into the driving seat.”
Now in the driver’s seat of Bigfoot #10, Adams is now climbing the driving ladder which typically consists of several months of exhibition car crushing and freestyle performances, a path that numerous championship Bigfoot drivers have traveled. Needless to say, Adams is excited about the opportunity.
“I feel like I’ve worked hard to get here, and it is incredibly exciting to have this opportunity in front of me,” Adams said. “I owe a huge thanks to everyone at Bigfoot for giving me a chance and helping me learn and grow and get to the point I’m at now. I’m enjoying every minute of this, but it’s still kind of hard for me to believe that I’m already here.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Bigfoot #10 paid a visit to sponsor Alto Products in Atmore on Thursday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
State Worker Drug Tests To Wait Until Legal Fight Ends
March 23, 2012
After Gov. Rick Scott signed a controversial law that would allow state-worker drug testing, his administration said it will hold off on starting the tests until a legal battle is resolved.
Jesse Panuccio, Scott’s acting general counsel, sent a memo Tuesday to agency heads and lawyers citing a federal lawsuit that opponents filed last year after the governor tried to impose drug tests by executive order.
That lawsuit, which remains pending, led to Scott suspending the tests in June 2010 except for the Department of Corrections. It remains unclear when a judge in Miami will rule on the constitutionality of the tests, but the ruling also would have implications for the new law.
“Because the legal case remains unresolved, the practical and logistical issues involved with implementing drug testing across all agencies remain the same,” Panuccio said in the memo, which was sent to reporters after 6 p.m.
The memo said Scott remains confident in the constitutionality of drug tests and that once “the lawsuit is resolved in the state’s favor, the governor will direct agencies to implement” the executive order and the new law (HB 1205).
Earlier Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida blasted Scott for signing the law. The ACLU has helped lead the challenge to the executive order and made it clear during the recently completed legislative session that the new law also would be challenged.
“(When) this matter lands in the courts, we expect they will make it clear once again that government cannot subject people to suspicionless searches just because it wants to,” ACLU Executive Director Howard Simon said in the statement. “People do not lose their constitutional rights just because they work for the state of Florida.”
The new law, which was overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature, would allow agencies to conduct random testing every three months. Agencies would use a computer system to choose employees to be tested, with the total not exceeding 10 percent of the agency workforce.
Lawmakers did not require drug screening and also would make agencies pay for the tests out of their overall budgets. But Scott made clear Tuesday that agencies under his control would conduct the tests.
“I think it’s the right thing to do for the state,” he said. “Just like a private company, we want to have a productive workforce.”
The law doesn’t take effect until July 1. But Panuccio’s memo said Scott is prepared to defend the executive order and the law at the appellate level, which could signal the possibility of a lengthy fight.\
By The News Service of Florida