Grant Plants Trees At Quintette Park, Other Parks And Roadways
May 17, 2011
Thanks to funding assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service through the Florida Division of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant, Escambia County Water Quality and Land Management Division recently completed the planting of over 200 native canopy trees throughout the county. These trees have been added along county roadways and parks including Lexington Terrace, Chimes Way, Beulah and Quintette.
Canopy trees have been proven to provide many economic and environmental benefits, including reducing stormwater runoff, improving air quality and cooling the ambient air temperature. Part of the $20,000 grant funding was also used for a CITY Green Urban Canopy Study and tree giveaways at Arbor Day and tree care workshops.
Second Escambia Shopping Center Shooting In Less Than A Week
May 17, 2011
For the second time in less than a week, a shopping center in Escambia County has left a person injured and landed someone behind bars — both of the incidents over a female.
About 2:20 Saturday afternoon, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in a shopping center on Chiefs Way in Warrington where Kenneth Andrews, 27, had been shot in the shoulder. He was transported to a Pensacola hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Payton L Roberts, 22, fled the scene of the shooting, according to deputies, and was later found hiding in the closet of a home on Chestnut Street. The weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was found in the water tank of a toilet. Roberts was charged with aggravated battery, discharging a firearm in public and firing a public missile into an occupied dwelling for the shooting. He was also charged with armed burglary, trespassing and resisting arrest for the incident on Chestnut Street.
One of the shots fire by Roberts shattered a window at the St Vincent De Paul Thrift Store with people inside, but no one was injured.
On Sunday, May 8, Gary Winston Smith, 57, of Rockaway Creek Road, Atmore, was arrested at Piggly Wiggly in Davisville and charged with aggravated battery in connection with the shooting of Garland Rodney Johnson, 45, of the 2400 block of West Highway 4. Smith fired a single round at Johnson as he approached in the store parking lot.
Pictured top: A North Escambia man was shot just outside the Piggly Wiggly on Highway 97 in Davisville on May 8. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Local Man Wins College Rodeo Championship
May 17, 2011
Colter Prescott was recently awarded the title of Team Roping Heeler Champion of the Ozark Region for College Rodeo.
Prescott, formerly of Jay, is a recent graduate for Southern Arkansas University where he received his degree in agriculture business. He will represent his college at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, WY, in June 2011.
Prescott also excelled in other events this year at the college rodeos with thrid place All-Around Cowboy, fourth place Tie-Down Calf Roping and sixth place in the Steer Wrestling event. He is the son of Jeff and Marsha Prescott of Jay.
Pictured: Colter Prescott with his Ozark Region Champion Saddle and Team Roping Heeler Championship Belt Buckle. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Health Department Pushing More Fruits, Vegetables For Preschoolers
May 17, 2011
The Escambia County Health Department Nutrition Division and the Early Learning Coalition are piloting a nutrition education program for 3- and 4- year olds in 15 local child care centers, which will result in increased fruit and vegetable consumption among preschoolers.
The nutrition education program aims to teach healthy food choices and lifestyle habits to preschoolers in order to prevent and reduce the incidence of obesity in the upcoming generation.
Child care centers are the target for the program because the development of food habits and preferences occurs between ages 2 and 5, making exposure to healthy foods during this time important. The opportunity to try new foods provides an immediate health benefit and builds healthy food habits for the future.
“Prevention and early intervention are major weapons in the battle against obesity,” said Versilla Turner, Nutrition and WIC director at the Escambia County Health Department. “When a child is overweight, it’s not just baby fat. Childhood obesity often persists and the longer a child is obese, the more likely he or she is to have weight problems as an adult.”
Escambia County Health Department’s nutrition educators conducted a survey six months after the preschoolers’ participation in the program. Results indicated that participating families, on average, began consuming one additional serving of fruit and one additional serving of vegetables daily.
In the nutrition education program, a nutrition educator teaches lessons on fruits and vegetables, breakfast, water and physical activity. The program uses puppets, movies, music and dancing, and touching, feeling and tasting real food to help children associate healthy eating with fun. Additionally, OrganWise Guys, a curriculum based on a cast of characters named Hardy Heart, the Kidney Brothers, Pepto the Stomach and Sir Rebrum, the brain, is incorporated into the program to allow children to become familiar with different organs in the body.
At the end of the daily lessons, the preschoolers take their lessons home. The nutrition educators’ goal is that children will initiate conversations with parents about healthy habits and increase their consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Man Charged With ‘Stealing’ Century Church
May 16, 2011
A Pensacola man is facing a felony grand theft charge for allegedly stealing a Century church.
John D. Young, 72, was arrested for signing a Century church property over to a Flomaton woman when he was not authorized to do so. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on $2,500 bond.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report, Young signed the property over to Taryn Wright with a quit-claim deed on the small, 1,500 square foot church located at 401 Hecker Road in Century. Young signed the documents while acting as the bishop of the Northwest Florida Jurisdiction of God In Christ, Inc., but investigators said Young knew he was no longer the organization’s bishop and could not act on their behalf.
Young was appointed bishop of the Northwest Florida Jurisdiction of God in Christ, Inc,. in 1996 and resigned in 2008, according to the arrest report. In February 2009, a letter was sent to Young confirming the unanimous acceptance of his resignation by the church board. In July 2009, Young was removed from the corporations records with the Florida Department of State. He signed the property over to Wright as “Bishop Young of Northwest Florida Jurisdiction of God In Christ, Inc.” in May 2010.
Willie Green, the current bishop of the church, told Sheriff’s investigators that he tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue with Young. Green said he then tried to rent the church to Wright but failed and then asked her to vacate the property. According to the Sheriff’s Office report, Wright has not vacated the church.
According to Escambia County Property Appraiser records, the church property is valued at $14,253.
Suspect Arrested After Foot Chase, Brief Manhunt
May 16, 2011
A domestic violence suspect was arrested Sunday afternoon after a brief foot chase and manhunt.
Clark Gable Burt of Century was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of domestic violence battery by strangulation and resisting an officer.
Burt, 38, fled from an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy in the area of West Highway 4 near North Century Boulevard about 5:15 Sunday afternoon. The officer gave chase on foot, but lost the suspect. Deputies worked to create a perimeter around the area, requesting assistance from the Flomaton Police Department and a K-9 unit from Century Correctional Institution.
About 10 minutes later, Burt was spotted by another deputy in a wooded area near Century Woods and taken into custody without incident. He remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond early Monday morning.
Northview DCT Employers, Students Recognized
May 16, 2011
Northview High School recently held their DCT Employer Appreciation Banquet to show appreciation to local businesses that employ the school’s DCT students.
“Without their support the program would not possible,” said Tommy Weaver, DCT coordinator.
Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the following businesses that employee Northview DCT students:
- Whataburger#890, Cantonment
- Food World#193, Atmore
- Alabama Wing House, Atmore
- Escambia Lawn & Equipment, Atmore
- Winn Dixie# 498, Cantonment
- Pizza Hut#2240, Ensley
- Diamond B Feed & Hay, Oak Grove
- Ron’s Sporting Goods, Atmore
- Subway, Cantonment
- Piggly Wiggly, Davisville
- Southern Panhandle Cafe, Century
- Winn Dixie#512, Atmore
- Power Printing, Atmore
- Radio Shack, Century
- Rowland’s Tires, Flomaton
- Lee Veterinary Clinic, Canoe
- Robertsdale Livestock, Robertsdale
- Curtis Cole’s Mowers and More, McDavid
- Northview High School, Bratt
- Northview High Cafeteria, Bratt
- Ernest Ward Middle School Cafeteria, Walnut Hill
Special thanks was given to each employer, along with a special thanks to Ron Peebles and Bill Spear of Radio Shack for their many years of support to the probgram.
“Students in the program were also recognized for being not only working students but football, baseball, softball, basketball, track,and weightlifting players. There were also cheerleaders, band,color guard, honor students, members of the senior play, and the prom king and queen in this year’s class,” Weaver said. “They were a very diversified group of young people.”
The Northview DCT program was also responsible for coordination the school’s 2nd Annual NHS Homecoming parade last fall.
A special thanks was also given at the program to NorthEscambia.com for coverage of the parade and other Northview High School events.
Subway All Star Softball, Baseball To Feature Local Players
May 16, 2011
The Subway High School All-Star Baseball and Softball Game Presented by Andrews Institute is scheduled for Thursday, May 26, 2011 at the University of West Florida.
Softball begins at 6:30, while baseball’s first pitch will be at 7:00 p.m. The games will be between the West team from Escambia County and the East team from Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.
Tickets are $7, or $6 with a canned food donation at the gate for the Manna Food Bank.
The softball team will feature players from the North Escambia area. Shawna Montgomery, Ashley Digmon and Miranda Burkett from Northview; and Shelby Myers and Maleah McCombs from Tate will play for the West, while Alicia Ashworth from Jay will play for the East.
The West baseball team will feature Tate players Alex Stevens, Tyler Howell, Cody Griffith, Hunter Manning, Dustin Sanders and Will Schreiber; and Northview players Dabney Langhorne, Colton Simms and Austin Arrington. Hunter Brown from Jay will play for the East.
Complete rosters are below; click to enlarge.
Weekend In 360 Photos
May 16, 2011
From two big Relay for Life events, to a Fairy Tale dance recital, to Art Day and FFA honors, our NorthEscambia.com cameras were there this weekend with over 360 photos from across the area.
Click any of the items below to read more and see the photo galleries.
Regular Business Tonight For Century Council
May 16, 2011
Tonight’s regular meeting of the Century Town Council will include normal business items.
The town is expected to approve two resolutions to allow the town to continue to apply for Community Development Block Grants. The the council will also hear an update on code enforcement issues from Sandra Slay of Escambia County.
For the complete council agenda, click here.