Featured Recipe: Two Hour Turkey Streamlines Thanksgiving
November 20, 2011
Today’s featured recipe, from columnist Janet Tharpe, is a Two-Hour Turkey that quickly roasts the turkey in the oven at a high heat.
Football Playoff Roundup
November 19, 2011
Final playoff football scores from around the area Friday night:
Northview 67, Wewahitchka 14 [Read more, photo galleries...]
Freeport 32 Vernon 18
Northview hosts Freeport next week
Tallahassee Godby 58, West Florida 17 [Read more...]
Elba 33, Flomaton 23
PHS 27, Choctaw 22
Wakulla 33, Gulf Breeze 17
Pace 42, Niceville 41 (3OT)
Northview Chiefs Destroy Wewahitchka In Semifinal Game 67-14
November 19, 2011
The Northview Chiefs destroyed the Wewahitchka Gators 67-14 in round one of 1A playoff action Friday night in Bratt.
It was the biggest win in the history of Northview High School — the 67 points set a new school record for the number of points in a game, thanks to a final touchdown at the buzzer from Andrew Farrow.
The win was so big, it even surprised Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley.
“The plan was to hopefully play a good football game and win,” Wheatley said. “I didn’t expect it to be like this, to be quite honest with you. I’m very proud of the effort tonight.”
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
For a photo gallery with the cheerleaders, band and dance team, click here.
Things were looking really bad for the Wewa Gators very early — just seconds into the second quarter, Northview was already up 35-0.
The Chiefs opened the scoring with a 45-yard pass from Brandon Sheets to sophomore Dalton Daniel with 9:26 to go in the first quarter. A good kick, and the Chiefs were up 7-0. LaMikal Kyles added a 46-yard touchdown run — his first of three. And Sheets hit Kyles with a 45-yard pass to round out the first quarter.
Roderick Woods was in on a 1-yard run for another Chiefs touchdown with 11:09 to go in the second quarter. Wewa scored ona 19-yard pass with 7:54 in the second. Northview answered with a 14-yard TD run from Montaio Mitchell and an 80-yard run from Kyles, who had just over 200 yards total offense on the night.
Daniel returned a fumble for a 50-yard touchdown with 9:12 on the clock in the third for his second touchdown of the night, and Vaughan picked up a 34-yard TD run with 11:10 in the fourth.
“The offense was tremendous. I thought our defense hung in there and battled,” he said. “It was a great night for Northview tonight.”
With the big win over the Wewa Gators, the Chiefs advance to the regional finals next Friday night. They will host Freeport, which defeated Vernon 32-18 Friday night.
“Next week, I just told the kids, it’s only going to get tougher. We’ve got to have a great week of preparation. We’ll enjoy it this weekend, but know that when Monday comes, we’ve got to go back to work. We’ve set some goals for ourselves. We want to keep working and try to reach those,” Wheatley added.
- For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
- For a photo gallery with the cheerleaders, band and dance team, click here.
Pictured top: Junior LaMikal Kyles in for a Chiefs touchdown, one of three touchdowns he made Friday night as Northview beat Wewahitchka in Bratt. Pictured insetd: More action as the Chiefs advance to the regional finals next Friday night. Pictured below: Northview QB Brandon Sheets (#8) passes for the Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Flomaton’s Playoff Hopes Dashed By Elba
November 19, 2011
Top-ranked Elba defeated No. 6 Flomaton Friday night 33-23 in the quarterfinals of the 2A Alabama playoffs.
The Hurricanes scored with a 22-yard field goal from Hunter Bonds and an 18-yard touchdown from Ryheem Dixon in the first quarter. In the third, Dixon hit Neiko Robinson with an 8-yard touchdown pass. Flomaton’s final score cam on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dixon to Bonds.
For Flomaton, it was only the second time in over 80 years that Hurricanes had advanced to the quarterfinals.
Pictured: Flomaton takes on Elba Friday night in Flomaton. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kenny Shivers, click to enlarge.
Occupy Pensacola Protester Now Occupies Jail Cell
November 19, 2011
An Occupy Pensacola protestor has been charged with stealing furniture from his neighbor and using it as the group camped out at Pensacola City Hall.
Jeffrey Lewis Scott, 32, was charged with felony burglary and larceny. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $20,000.
The victim told deputies that he observed property that he had previously reported stolen in Scott’s van parked alongside the curb on Heather Oaks Drive. Scott admitted to deputies that he taken the furniture.
“Yes, I took the furniture. I was going to give it back, but haven’t had the chance to,” Scott told deputies, according to an arrest report, before starting to remove his clothing while walking back toward deputies. Scott was taken into custody, at which time he told the arresting deputy that he had entered his next door neighbor’s house where he took multiple pieces of furniture without permission.
“I am solely guilty of the charges and I accept the responsibility,” Scott told deputies.
Deputies found four chairs, three cushions and four pillows — all stolen — in his residence, along with several sofa cushions in his van. He told deputies that the remaining furniture stolen from his neighbor was outside the Pensacola City Hall at the Occupy Pensacola camp.
Going Nuts: Crowds Attended Fruit And Nut Sale
November 19, 2011
Crowds were waiting in line Saturday morning to shop the annual one-day Dried Fruit and Nuts Sale at Steve’s Farm in Walnut Hill. The sale offered a variety of dried fruits and nuts, direct from California. There were over 50 different kinds of fruits and nuts available.
Submitted photos by Marcella Wilson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tallahassee Godby Beats West Florida In Semis
November 19, 2011
The best season ever for West Florida came to an end Friday night in round one of the playoff as Tallahassee Godby stopped the Jagys 58-17 in Pensacola.
The Jags took an early lead with two touchdowns from Jalen Jones — the first a 4-yard reception and the second a one-yarder rushing. But then the Cougars racked up 24 unanswered points and never looked back.
The West Florida Jags finished their season at 9-2, a vast improvement over the school’s 1-9 record last year.
Ernest Ward FFA Sells Five Tons Of Sweet Potatoes
November 19, 2011
Members of the Ernest Ward Middle School FFA sold over five tons of sweet potatoes as a fund raiser. The 20-pound bags of Baldwin County sweet potatoes were delivered to the students on Friday to deliver to their supporters.
Funds from the Ernest Ward Middle School FFA’s annual sweet potato sale are used to support group activities during the year.
Pictured top: Just some of the five tons of sweet potatoes sold by the Ernest Ward Middle School FFA during their fall sale. Pictured below: The top seller sold 75 bags of red and white sweet potatoes, about three-quarters of a ton. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jobless Rate Falls Across Area
November 19, 2011
The latest job numbers released Friday showed a sharp decrease in unemployment across the three-county North Escambia area.
Escambia County’s unemployment fell half a percentage point from 10.4 percent in September to October’s 9.9 percent. There were 932 jobs gained during the period, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 13,835 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 10.6 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment decreased— from 9.2 percent in September to 8.7 percent in October. Santa Rosa County gained 489 jobs during the period, with a total of 6,183 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 9.5 percent.
Escambia County, Alabama, experienced a sharp drop in unemployment — from 11.3 percent in September to 10.2 percent in October. Escambia, Alabama, gained 182 jobs during the month-long period, with 1,502 people out of work. The year-go unemployment rate was 10.3 percent.
Florida’s unemployment rate in October fell to 10.3 percent, its lowest level in 28 months, continuing a long, slow recovery.
The good news is that job growth continues. Non-agricultural employment grew by 9,500 jobs in October from the previous month, bringing to 93,900 the number of jobs created over the past year, a 1.3 percent increase compared to a national boost of 1.2 percent, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday.
But the jobless rate remains stubbornly in double digits, and above the rest of the nation. A backlog of foreclosure cases and a glut of existing housing stock is hampering recovery in a state that has historically been reliant on the construction sector.
Despite continuing woes in construction, the jobless rate took a 0.3 percentage point dip from September and was more than a point lower than the 11.8 percent posted in October 2010. The national unemployment rate for October was 9 percent.
Friday’s announcement was hailed by Gov. Rick Scott and business leaders as the latest sign that Florida is getting back on its economic feet. Scott said Friday that even though unemployment has continued to remain above 10 percent all year, the state has created more jobs than any other in the nation, and that he thinks the state has been successful in tackling its biggest challenge.
“We’ve had a great year,” Scott said.
Alabama
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped by half of a percentage point to 9.3 percent, down from September’s 9.8 percent. October’s rate represents 201,296 unemployed persons, down from 211,132 last month. This is the fourth consecutive month Alabama’s unemployment rate has decreased.
“The drop in Alabama’s unemployment rate is certainly good news for our state,” said Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley. “While we are still a long way from reaching full employment, October’s decline shows positive momentum for our state as we continue our mission to put Alabamians back to work.”
Escambia Wreck Claims One Life
November 18, 2011
The Florida Highway Patrol said 58-year old Carolyn Jones of Pensacola died in a three vehicle wreck about 8:15 this morning in Escambia County.
Jones was southbound on Lillian Highway near Lazy Acres Street when she cross into the northbound lanes for an unknown reason. She first struck an unknown vehicle that left the scene without stopping. Then, Jones’ 2005 Chevrolet van struck a 2006 Mack dump truck driven by 52-year old Roger Fuller of Pensacola. Fuller, who troopers said swerved and attempted to avoid the crash, received minor injuries.