Museum Dedicates Nixon’s Marine One (With Gallery)
September 23, 2011
National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola official dedicated the “Marine One” helicopter Thursday that was used to transport Presidents Nixon and Ford. The helicopter has been on display in the “Hanger Bay One” building at the museum and now it’s official open to the public.
The aircraft is one of just three or four used to transport Nixon and Ford, including Nixon’s famous goodbye from the lawn of the White House after his resignation in August 1974.
Pictured: Marine One at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview JV Chomps Baker
September 23, 2011
The junior varsity Northview Chiefs picked up a win Thursday night on the road against as they chomped the Baker Gators, 22-15.
The JV Chiefs, now 2-1 on the season, will play their first home game of their five-game season next Monday, September 26, against Escambia County High School of Atmore. Northview will be looking for revenge — they lost a tight game 8-0 to the ECHS Blue Devils back on September 12.
The final game of the season for the JV Chiefs will be October 13 against West Florida.
NWE Football In Action Saturday
September 23, 2011
The Northwest Escambia Eagles will travel to Bellview this Saturday, coming off games against Perdido Bay on the road last weekend.
Last Saturday, Northwest Escambia Mites beat Perdido Bay 33-6, and the NWE Midgets beat the Buccaneers 31-6. Perdido Bay defeated the NWE Mini-Mites 22-6.
Northwest Escambia will play Bellview Gold on Saturday, with the mini-mites at 9:30, the mites at 12:30 and the midgets at 3:30.
Pictured: The Northwest Escambia Mini-Mites. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Sheriff’s Office ‘Clean Sweep’ Celebrates One Year; Century Is Next
September 23, 2011
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office marked the first anniversary of the its “Operation Clean Sweep” program Thursday, and the next one will be in Century.
Thursday’s anniversary was marked with a sweep of the Mayfair neighborhood in the program with the goal to rid an area of crime, criminals and trash.
In the past year, Operation Clean Sweep has result in 66 arrests, the removal of 364 tons of debris, and 33 code violations with $1,600 in fines.
The next Operation Clean Sweep is scheduled for Monday, October 17 in Century. In the North Escambia area, previous sweeps have taken place in Cottage Hill last March (read more) and Cantonment last April (read more).
Pictured top: U.S. Marines, accompanied by the Sheriff’s Office Mounted United, during an Operation Clean Sweep last March in Cottage Hill. Pictured inset: Deputy Randy Frye writes a ticket during the Cottage Hill Clean Sweep. Pictured below: During a Cantonment Clean Sweep, Youth from the Greater First Baptist Church pick up trash from along Booker Street. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Students, Parents Swap Clothes
September 23, 2011
The Molino Park Elementary School PTA held a clothing swap Thursday, giving PTA members the chance to swap their unwanted clothing for free clothing from other parents. Organizers said it was a chance for the PTA to serve the community. Pictured: Tables of clothing ready for a free swap at Molino Park Elementary. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
McDavid Postmaster Enters Diversion Program In Sexual Battery Case
September 22, 2011
The McDavid postmaster arrested in April on attempted sexual battery and false imprisonment charges has entered a pretrial diversion program.
James Bruce Lee, 51, was arrested March 2 on two outstanding state warrants served by the United States Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Until the pretrial intervention program, Lee was rescheduled to appear in court September 14, 2012. If he successfully completes the program, the charges against him will be dismissed at that time.
According to Postal Inspector Michael Mulder, the charges stemmed from a January 15 incident that allegedly took place inside the McDavid Post Office. A female mail carrier alleged that Lee attempted to sexually assault her inside the Main Street building.
According to the arrest warrant, the woman alleged Lee approached her from behind while she was sorting mail and began touching her all over her body. She told him to stop, at which time he complied. Later in the day, after the other carriers had left the building, Lee once again approached the carrier holding her by her hands while pulling his pants down, the carrier told investigators, before stopping when he heard a vehicle in the post office parking lot.
Lee provided a sworn written statement and interview to postal investigators; however, his statements were not released by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Lee, who served as McDavid postmaster since January 2005, was placed on administrative leave at the time of his arrest. As of Wednesday, Lee “remains in a non-pay status pending a determination of the disposition of the criminal charges filed against him,” according to Stephen A. Seewoester, spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service.
Diamond Named Northwest Florida Agricultural Innovator of the Year
September 22, 2011
Farmer Mickey Diamond has been recognized as the “Northwest Florida Agricultural Innovator of the Year”. Diamond was chosen from a select group of nine County Ag Innovators across Northwest Florida who have contributed to the efforts of the Extension Service and have made a difference to agriculture in the region, and to their community.
Diamond is a third generation farmer who began farming with his father in 1984. The Diamond farm near Jay has grown from 125 acres in its first year to well over 1,700 acres today. The family’s major crops are cotton and peanuts but they also produce wheat, hay, timber, and soybeans.
Family members and neighbors help sustain the farm. Diamond’s wife Lisa, a full-time nurse, assists whenever she can. During the fall harvest season, she operates the cotton module builder, hauls peanut wagons and drives a tractor. His 17-year old daughter Lauren helps out after school. A key component of his approach to farming involves sharing work with fellow growers with whom he performs custom planting and harvesting to pool equipment and labor.
According to the Extension Service, Diamond is a progressive businessman who looks for better ways of doing things. He quickly analyzes and adopts the latest technology that will be profitable for his farming operation. He is committed to protecting the environment through the use of conservation and best management practices. In 1995, he was one of the first farmers in the county to try strip-tillage. Other farmers were impressed with how his soil held moisture during dry weather. They also liked the benefits gained from less wind and water erosion, while reducing costs. As a result, Santa Rosa County growers have led the state for many years in the adoption of conservation tillage.
In 1995, Diamond was one of the first farmers in the state to plant a demonstration plot of BT cottonseed. That season bollworms caused severe crop loss throughout the county but damage was minimal in his test field. Within two years over 85 percent of cotton in the county was planted to BT varieties and insecticide applications for bollworms decreased from an average of 10 to 15 per season to less than two.
Diamond was also one of the first farmers in the area to incorporate precision agriculture technology into his operation. He began with grid soil sampling and variable-rate lime application in 1998. That first year he saved 29 tons of lime on a 56-acre field. The next year he only needed to apply lime to 40 acres out of 750. Because of the results on his farm, others quickly adopted the technology and today many growers in the county employ precision technologies such as variable-rate lime and fertilizer application, field mapping, and GPS equipment guidance for field operations.
Diamond has worked closely with the IFAS Extension and Research faculty for many years. He currently serves on both the Santa Rosa County Extension Agricultural Advisory and the WFREC Advisory Committees. He served over 20 years as a board member and officer of the Santa Rosa Pest Management Association, Inc. to offer pest management scouting services to local farmers.
He has offered his farm as the site for numerous Extension demonstrations. Since 1990 he has annually participated in large-plot cotton variety demonstrations. Others have included those involving cotton nematicides, insecticides, plant growth regulators, peanut varieties and fungicides, and conservation tillage methods.
Diamond was one of the first local growers to adopt “on-farm peanut pod blasting” for determining peanut maturity. In 2008, he hosted a grower demonstration at his farm. As a result, many area growers now use the procedure. He is often the “go to Extension cooperator” in the county because of his progressive attitude; desire to serve the community, and meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of his operation.
Each year he has hosted several tours of his farm for various groups including growers, industry personnel, chamber of commerce members, school classes, and 4-H youth. He has also helped with the Annual Santa Rosa County Farm Tour for many years with tour stops, grower panels, by serving refreshments, or in whatever capacity needed. During the 1995 Farm Tour he received the Outstanding Farm Family of the Year award.
Diamond, according to the Extension Service, has invested his time, talents, and resources to improve and promote agriculture. He has been a spokesman for farmers at the local, state, and national levels. Through his involvement with Farm Bureau he has made numerous trips to Washington and Tallahassee to talk with elected officials about agricultural concerns and issues. He has made a difference to agriculture and his community in many other ways, especially through his service to various organizations and boards.
Pictured top: (L-R) Lisa, Mickey and Lauren Diamond. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pharmacy Burglary, Walmart Theft Suspect Back In Jail
September 22, 2011
Michael Dunlavy is back in the Escambia County Jail. He’s the man busted earlier this month allegedly trying to steal items from Walmart just out of jail on bond after being caught red-handed burglarizing a pharmacy.
Judge Nicolas Geeker granted a State Attorney’s Office request to revoke Dunlavy’s bond and return him to jail.
Dunlavy was arrested September 9 after deputies found him inside Kim’s Pharmacy in Cantonment about 1:30 a.m. . He was released from jail on $11,000 bond. A short time later, he was arrested at Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard after a loss prevention officer allegedly saw him take a knife and place it in his pocket before placing a large television set and a scanner in a shopping cart and head out of the store. The incident was also caught on the store’s security camera.
Dunlavy is scheduled to appear in court September 30 for an arraignment hearing.
After the pharmacy arrest, Dunlavy gave deputies an address on Highway 164 in McDavid. When arrested at Walmart, he told deputies he had a new address on Forehand Lane in Cantonment.
Northview Falls To No. 5 After Loss To Chipley
September 22, 2011
The Northview Chiefs (1-1) have fallen to No. 5 in the state in Class 1A football after a 34-27 non-district loss last Friday night to the Chipley Tigers.
With the win, Chipley (3-0) moved up to No. 2 in the state in the latest Associated Press Poll. Union County (2-0) moved into the top spot.
Chipley and Northview are in separate regions in the new Florida High School Athletic Association Rural Division. If they should meet again in the state playoffs, it would not be until the state semifinal game.
Northview will travel to South Walton Friday night in non-district game.
Lake Stone Pavilion Will Get A/C
September 22, 2011
The pavilion at Lake Stone will soon be a much “cooler” place for events; air conditioning will be added to the pavilion in the next few weeks..
The pavilion is located at the Lake Stone Campground, a 100-acre campground and boat ramp facility on Highway 4 west of Century. The campground has 77 campsites available for rent on the shores of the freshwater lake.
The Lake Stone pavilion or campsites can be reserved by calling the Lake Stone campground manager at (850) 256-5555 or Escambia County Parks and Recreation at (850) 475-5220.
Pictured above: The pavilion at Lake Stone will soon air conditioned. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.