Frontier Customers Experience Phone, Internet Outage
June 6, 2011
An apparent equipment failure in Atmore left thousands of Frontier Communications customers without phone and internet for a period of time this morning. The outage included Frontier customers in Atmore, Walnut Hill, Bratt and Molino, as well as Monroeville and Camden, Ala.
The outage began at 10:37 a.m. and included voice and data services such as DSL. The outage originally caused “toll isolation”, according to Karen Miller, spokesperson for Frontier — with customers at one point able to only call within their own phone exchange.
It appears that DSL and data services returned for most customers after a short period of time, but many customers continued to experience difficulties with voice calls until just after noon.
Walnut and Molino customers reported that they were able to call the Frontier service area — including Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino and Atmore — but they were unable to call Pensacola, which is ordinarily a local phone call. Some long distance services were also involved in the outage.
A test call from NorthEscambia.com to Escambia County (Fla.) 911 indicated that 911 emergency calls were operable just after 11 a.m.
The outage appeared to be related to an equipment failure in Atmore, according to Miller.
Some Verizon Wireless customers also reported data and voice problems during the first few minutes of the outage, apparently because some of Verizon’s local towers connect to the phone network through Frontier.
Smoke, Ash From An Alabama Fire
June 6, 2011
Residents across Escambia County woke up to the smell of smoke Monday morning from a wildfire near Seminole, Alabama.
The 200 acre fire was contained by firefighters but was not yet under control Monday. Winds pushed the smelly smoke eastward into Florida during the morning hours.
“For individuals with respiratory sensitivities, you may want to stay indoors with windows closed and air conditioning on to prevent breathing difficulties,” Sonya Daniel, Escambia public information manager, said Monday morning.
South Alabama is under burn restrictions. While there are no restrictions, other than the ordinary rules, in place in Florida, area residents are discouraged from outdoor burning.
Bratt Mobile Home Sliced By Falling Tree Limb
June 6, 2011
A falling tree limb heavily damaged a Bratt mobile home over the weekend.
A large oak limb sliced through the home, causing significant damage. The residents of the mobile home in the 5100 block of West Highway 4 reported the incident Sunday afternoon but told first responders that the limb came crashing down Saturday night. There were were no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Rescue responded to the incident, while Escambia River Electric Cooperative was called to disconnect power from the single wide trailer.
The mobile home, located near Rigby Road, was formerly used as a beauty shop. First responders determined the trailer to be structural unsound for occupation.
Pictured: A large oak limb sliced through a Bratt mobile home. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Portions Of Molino Lose Power
June 6, 2011
An unknown number of Molino residents were without power Sunday night after an apparent transformer failure.
The lights went out just after 9 p.m., and some residents reported still being in the dark early Monday morning.
The outage was the second big power failure of the weekend in the Molino area — about 1,500 Gulf Power customers lost power Friday afternoon as a strong thunderstorm moved through the area, downing trees and power lines along the way.
Poplar Dell Baptist Church Celebrates 100th Anniversary, Opens Time Capsule (With Photo Gallery)
June 6, 2011
Poplar Dell Baptist Church in Byrneville celebrated its 100th anniversary Sunday and opened a time capsule that had been hidden away for 50 years.
The church opened its cornerstone, which was placed and secured 50 years ago and found an earlier historical book, a New Testament Bible and coins from 1961. New items were placed back in the cornerstone to be opened in 2061.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Poplar Dell honored Paul Killam, who will turn 90 this Friday. He has been a member of the church for 82 years.
Several former pastors spoke during the event, including Wayne Dorsett, J.B. Wells, Robert Gandy, Patrick Salter, James Copeland, and James Pugh. Current pastor Mitch Herring also spoke and recognized Sheriff David Morgan and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit who joined in the celebration. And The Poplar Dell Puppet Bunch presented their first-ever performance.
The church, established in 1911, also has a new steeple — a stainless steel cross created by community member Stephen Barrows.
A historical book covering the entire 100-year period, complete with photos and documents, is available fromVicki Baggett at vicki@baggettsolutions.com.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Pictured above: The cornerstone is opened Sunday afternoon during a 100 year celebration at Poplar Dell Baptist Church in Byrneville. NorthEscambia.com photo by Vicki Baggett, click to enlarge.
Learn To Do Business With ECUA
June 6, 2011
Would you like to know how to do business with ECUA?
The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) with the UWF Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) Program, will offer a free workshop entitled, “How to do Business with the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority” (ECUA) next week.
The event will be held in Pensacola at 401 East Chase Street, Suite 100, on Wednesday, June 8 from 8-11 a.m.
The informational meeting will educate attendees about the potential of doing business with the ECUA, while increasing participation in obtaining future ECUA contracts. Workshop participants will learn about the bidding process, qualification requirements, future business opportunities, and how the ECUA hiring process is conducted.
ECUA speakers will include; Bill Johnson, director of engineering, Peter Wilkinson, purchasing and store manager, and Rick Anderson, director of human resources and administrative services.
The workshop is free; however, preregistration is recommended. For more information contact Laura Subel, PTAC program manager, lsubel@uwf.edu (850) 473-7806, or register online at clients.floridasbdc.org/center.
Precautionary Boil Water Notice Lifted For Tate Road
June 6, 2011
A precautionary boil water notice for ECUA customers on Tate Road from East Kingsfield Road, including Tate High School has been lifted and is no longer in effect.
If you have any questions contact ECUA Customer Service at (850) 476-0480, or visit the ECUA website at www.ecua.org.
The boil water notice was issued last Friday following a water main break near Tate High School.
Four Area Libraries Holding Summer Reading Programs For Kids
June 6, 2011
Four North Escambia area libraries are inviting children to enjoy reading with summer reading programs. The free events will be held at the Century, Jay, Flomaton and Atmore libraries. Schedules are listed below for each.
Century Branch Library
In addition to the programs below, story time is at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays
June 7 Noon
Skip Cain Magic Guy
Magician Skip Cain wows you with his mix of comedy, awesome magic tricks and audience interaction.
June 14 Noon
Kathleen Gibson Music
Kathleen is an award winning family entertainer, song writer, author, producer and recording artist. She shares her underlying and uplifting message that each person has a special gift that no one else in the world ever had. “YOU can find your gift, and use it to make a difference in the world.”
June 21 Noon
Walkabout Puppets
Australian puppeteer Bob Parsons performs a variety of shows using marionettes. It’s sure to please children of all ages.
June 28 Noon
Pat Nease Stories
Witty and wicked stories from storyteller Pat Neese.
July 12 Noon
Beau Broomall Magic Show
Beau Broomall will show off his special magical talents.
For more information, contact the Century Branch Library at (850) 256-6217.
Jay Library
In addition to the programs for K-5 below, story time is at 11 a.m. for preschoolers.
June 13 1 p.m.
Storyteller Pat Neese
Witty, wiley and wicked stories from the wide, wide world.
June 20 1 p.m.
Magician Beau Broomall
Magic from around the world
June 27 1 p.m.
Musician Melinda Mills
Have a world of fun through music and dance
July 11 1 p.m.
Native American Stories
July 18 1 p.m.
Storyville
Jacksonville State University Children’s Theater
For more information, contact the Jay Library at (850) 575-6293.
Flomaton Library
Around the World with the Flomaton Public Library Summer Reading Program will be held each Thursday, June 30-August 4 from 10-11 a.m.
For more information, contact the Flomaton Library at (251) 296-3552.
Atmore Library
The Summer Reading Program at the Atmore Public Library will be held each Friday through June 24 from 10-11 a.m. for ages 4-12. For more information, call the Atmore Public Library at (251) 368-5234.
Pictured top: Children enjoy a Summer Reading Program at the Century Branch Library last year. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Registration Continues For Free ‘Water Camp’ At Lake Stone
June 6, 2011
Escambia County Extension will offer two free water camps this summer, including one at Lake Stone in Century.
The water camps are for children 8-12 on June 29 and 30. Water Camp has fun, hands-on activities designed to get kids excited about water resources and healthy lifestyles. Although registration runs through June 22, there is a limit of 20 children per session, so early registration is encouraged.
The June 29 camp will be held at Lake Stone, 801 West Highway 4, Century and the June 30 camp will be held at the Langley Bell 4-H camp, 4810 West Nine Mile Road. Both camps start at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m.
There will be sprinklers and a slip-and-slide, so a swimsuit and sunscreen are needed. Lunch will be provided for all attendees. Parents are not required to stay during the session.
Call ahead if assistance is needed with transportation to the Century site.
For more information or to register, contact Carrie Stevenson, ctsteven@ufl.edu or Libbie Johnson, libbiej@ufl.edu or call (850) 475-5230.
Committee Looks To Put America’s Veterans Back To Work
June 6, 2011
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs met recently discuss how to put America’s veterans back to work.
With witnesses from both the private and public sectors, the Committee heard testimony that focused on measuring the effectiveness of current veteran job-training programs, bridging the gap between employers and veterans, and how to improve the system to help veterans find meaningful employment.
“The key to solving this problem is connecting our veterans with opportunities at the local level, in their hometowns. We must find a way to better communicate with our veterans to let them know that there are employers across the nation who want to help,” stated Rep. Jeff Miller of Chumuckla, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “Giving someone a job is not just about receiving a paycheck, a job gives a person dignity and a sense of mission—characteristics inherent in America’s veterans.”
“This month, I plan to introduce comprehensive veterans’ employment legislation that takes into account all facets of this problem so when our veterans return home, they are afforded the same opportunities as their civilian counterparts,” Miller added.
The unemployment rate among all veterans of the Global War on Terror has been reported to be as high as 13.1 percent, despite increased federal funding for job training.
“We have programs to help veterans find jobs spread out across numerous agencies, but due to the increasing number of veterans who are currently unemployed, we must ask ourselves, are these programs working,” questioned Rep. Marlin Stutzman. “It is incumbent on us all to remove the redundancies and barriers that hinder veterans from finding jobs.”