NWE Senior Girls Win Sectional Softball Championship
July 11, 2011
The Northwest Escambia senior girls softball teams has claimed the sectional championship, and they are headed to state later this month.
NWE defeated Niceville 11-9 and 9-6 Saturday to claim the sectional title in Florida Section 1 Senior League Softball. They are the first Senior League team from Section 1 to make the state tournament.
Members of the NWE Senior Girls All-Star Team are Penny Banda, Kristen Byrd, Courtney Peebles, Kendal Cobb, Kyndall Hall, Danielle Steadham , Addy Lee, Samantha Bethea, Makayla Flowers and Cheyenne Schoonover. The team is managed by Ronald Peebles and coached by Jarrod Peebles and Danny Hall.
Northwest Escambia 11 Niceville 9
In the first match-up of the double elimination tournament, Northwest Escambia beat Niceville 11-9.
Scoring for NWE: Courtney Peebles and Cheyenne Schoonover each had a double and run; Makayla Flowers had a single and a run; Kristen Byrd added two singles, a double and three runs; Kendal Cobb and Danielle Steadham both had a single and a run; Addy Lee added a double, a triple and two runs; and Penny Banda had a single, two doubles and one run.
Peebles pitched all seven for Northwest Escambia, striking out nine and allowing just three walks.
Northwest Escambia 9 Niceville 6
In the second game, Northest Escambia beat Niceville 9-6.
For NWE, Cheyenne Schoonover had three singles and a run; Courtney Peebles added three singles, a double and a run, Kendal Cobb had two singles and two runs; Danielle Steaham had three singles,a double and three runs; Kyndall Hall contributed one single and one run; and Samantha Bethea had a single and a run.
Hall pitched the full game for NWE, striking out one and walking two.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
BP: Gulf Coast Economy Has Recovered From The Oil Spill
July 11, 2011
After paying more than $4.6 billion to private citizens and businesses since the Deepwater Horizon spill, BP officials have told federal overseers that the Gulf coast economy is mostly back on its feet and therefore the company should not have to pay for most new losses going forward.
In a letter to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which has been set up to reimburse people and businesses for spill related costs, BP says that future claims should be limited to the small minority of applicants whose businesses have not rebounded.
“Multiple lines of evidence show that, to the extent certain portions of the Gulf economy were impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Gulf economy experienced a robust recovery in the fall of 2010, and that economic performance remains strong in 2011,” the company wrote in a letter to the GCCF dated Thursday.
“The current economic data do not suggest that individual and business claimants face a material risk of future loss caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,” the company concludes.
Further, the company says that some of the payments already made go outside the boundaries for which it is required to pay under the federal Oil Pollution Act that governs the industry.
Florida’s cities and counties have collected more than $31 million from BP for efforts to respond to and clean up the worst oil spill in U.S. history, according to the latest figures tracked by the company, which has set aside $20 billion to pay for the damage.
Late Thursday, the company released its latest round of government payouts that indicates it may also be winding up its payments to cities, counties and the state. Thursday’s figures were identical to those released on June 23, and just $1.4 million higher than they were on June 9.
Escambia County led the state with $9.7 million in payments for removal costs, public services expenses and lost revenue. Nearby Bay County has so far collected $9 million from the company for damages incurred. The company has paid for damages as far south as the Keys, with Monroe County, Marathon and Key West combining for $81,075 in costs. Miami-Dade collected $28,000 for costs associated with the spill.
The payments, made by the oil company to reimburse governments for recovery costs and loss of revenue brought on by the April 20, 2010 explosion and fire aboard the rig that led to the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, come in addition to the payments made by the company to private residents and businesses for lost revenue related to the spill.
Private companies are required to go though the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which as of Thursday had distributed more than $4.6 billion on 196,524 claims. Overall, the facility has received 502,177 claims. The private sector payout is running more slowly than the government paybacks, a lag likely caused by the sheer number of claims and the lack, in many cases, of corroborating documentation.
Many Florida Panhandle applicants, for example, have complained that much of their business was done on a cash basis, an informal and often unaudited system for which few records exist. Of the nearly half a million claims, about 47,000 are being handled through attorneys.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will be in Pensacola on Monday as part of hearings held by the U.S Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to get updates a year after the spill.
The discussion will include Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Capt. Bob Zales, president of the National Association of Charterboat Operators and Collier Merrill, chairman of the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Nicholson Drive Paving
July 11, 2011
A paving project on Nicholson Drive in Molino is nearly complete, about six months after the county moved forward with obtaining necessary easements.
In January, the Escambia County Commission voted to move forward to obtain rights of way and easements for the paving and drainage project. Nicholson Drive is a county maintained road that extends north off Molino Road for approximately 4,000 feet. The southern 2,000 feet, between Molino Road and Bet Raines Road, was unpaved.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Pedestrian Injured in Flomaton Hit And Run Crash
July 10, 2011
A pedestrian was injured in a hit and run crash this afternoon in Flomaton.
The 26-year old male was struck near the intersection of Palafox and Poplar streets just after after 1 p.m. He was transported by ambulance to Jay Hospital in stable condition.
Preliminary information indicated that he was struck by the side mirror of an unknown make and model red pickup truck that continued north on Palafox Street toward Highway 31.
The accident remains under investigation by the Flomaton Police Department. Escambia County (Fla.) EMS and the Flomaton Fire Department also responded to the accident.
Pictured above and below: A pedestrian was injured in a hit and run crash in Flomaton Sunday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos by Alisa Hart, click to enlarge.
Escambia Murder, Attempted Suicide Under Investigation
July 10, 2011
Escambia County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a murder and attempted suicide in West Pensacola today.
Deputies responded to an apartment at the Hunters Oaks Apartments, located at 7591 W. Highway 98, at about 9:33 a.m. Sunday following a report of a disturbance involving gunfire.
When deputies arrived they were told that a man and woman were arguing in their apartment and the woman ran away after the man shot at her. The woman was seen running into another nearby apartment, chased by the armed man. When the residents of that apartment fled they heard several gunshots from inside.
“Our patrol deputies were unable to make contact with the suspect or victim inside the apartment, said sheriff’s office spokesman Chris Welborn. “Our SWAT and Hostage Negotiations Teams were then called out.”
SWAT deputies made entry into the apartment at around 11:00 a.m. and they found a 33-year-old Teva Davon Bradley (pictured) suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and a 27-year-old woman also with serious injuries.
Escambia County EMS paramedics were called to the apartment and pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
Bradley was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
The initial investigation found that Bradley killed the woman before shooting himself. The victim’s name has not yet been released, pending notification of the victim’s relatives.
Still Wait And See On Century Lumber Industry, Jobs
July 10, 2011
Things have been pretty quiet around the old Alger Sullivan Lumber Company property in Century since a ribbon cutting back in October 2010 for a group of new businesses including Century Lumber and Land. According to the town’s mayor, financing delays stalled a real opening date.
But there’s still a glimmer of hope that Century Lumber and Land will bring new jobs to the Century area, according to Mayor Freddie McCall, who said he met with the company’s leaders last week.
“It all sounded very encouraging,” McCall said, “but it was nothing I can take to the bank at this time. It’s still wait and see.”
Century Lumber and Land unofficially announced a venture with several other companies at a September 2, 2010, meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce. Century Lumber and Land Manager Jim Craft said at that meeting that the operations would eventually employee 300 to 500 people within a 36 to 42 month period.
A ribbon was cut for the companies in October — before the company actually owned the Alger-Sullivan property.
In early April 2011, Craft told a meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce that “we now own the property”. But as of this week, records indicate that the property was last sold in 2006 to DMT Holdings, Inc. of Navarre and still belongs to that investment group.
As of April, over 3,000 people had already applied for one of just a few hundred jobs expected to be available initially at Century Lumber and Land, according to Catharine Jeter of Workforce Escarosa.
Pictured top: A group hoping to apply for a job gathered during the ribbon cutting for Century Lumber and Land last October. Pictured below: The old Alger Sullivan Lumber Company, and the planned future home of Century Lumber and Land, sits idle. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Forestry Officials: There’s Still A Drought And Burn Ban
July 10, 2011
Officials with Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center are reminding residents of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties that the area still is in the depths of an extreme drought and that both counties are still are under county-issued burn bans.
Even though parts of the district have seen moderate rainfall, 75 percent of the area is between 600 and 700 on a scale of 0-800 the standard drought index scale. Fire danger index ratings for the region have dropped to the “Moderate to High” levels.
“Despite improving conditions, Forest Service crews are maintaining a high level of fire readiness and have been busy recently,” according to Joe Zwierzchowski, information officer for the Blackwater Forestry Center.
Escambia County crews recently responded to a late night wildfire near Sorrento Road and Nighthawk Lane near Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park. The 15-acre fire was sparked by lightning and did not threaten any structures.
In Santa Rosa County, Wildland Firefighters responded to a wildfire in Holley by the Sea subdivision. Three homes were threatened by the three-acre blaze and one outbuilding and a privacy fence were damaged. The fire was started by two young adults, 18 and 19 years old, shooting fireworks in a backyard.
Learn To Preserve Fresh Fruits And Vegetables At Workshop
July 10, 2011
Escambia County Extension and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will present a “Preserving the Essence of Summer Food Preservation Workshop.”
The workshop is Tuesday, July 26th, from 10:00 a.m. until noon, at the Langley Bell 4-H Center, 4810 W. Nine Mile Road.
Organizers say it is easy to preserve your juicy, ripe, fresh fruits and vegetables, and home canning is a wonderful way to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables from your garden or the local farmers’ market.
The workshop will teach the simple ways to save the season’s bountiful harvest and capture the fresh flavors of summer. The cost is only $5, but you must pre-register to
ensure adequate supplies.
To register or get more information, please contact Colethia Lewis, Escambia Extension, at (850) 475-5230 or colethia@ufl.edu.
Escambia Committee Meeting Agendas Now Available Online
July 10, 2011
Agendas for several Escambia County committees are now available online.
The committee agenda page of the county’s website (click here) currently includes meeting agendas for the following:
- ID Inspections Fund Advisory Board
- Board of Adjustment
- Community Redevelopment Agency
- County Investment Advisory Board
- Development Review Committee
- Extension Council
- Marine Advisory Committee
- Planning Board
- Public Safety Coordinating Council
- Contractor Competency Board
Seven more committees will post their agendas online prior to their next meeting. They are:
- T Governance Council (no date set)
- Environmental Enforcement (no date set)
- Tourist Development Council (no date set)
- Animal Services Committee July 19
- Board of Electrical Examiners July 21
- Mass Transit Advisory Committee July 13
All Santa Rosa Libraries Have A New Phone Number
July 10, 2011
Each Santa Rosa County library now has a new phone number.
The new number (850) 981-READ (7323) is the only number residents will need to reach any of the five Santa Rosa County libraries or library administration office. The phone system allows residents to request renewals, account information, and library service information by dialing one number. The new system not only provides enhanced customer service for library customers, but also provides a savings of almost 40 percent per year, according to Santa Rosa County.
Consolidating the six separate systems into one allows staff to transfer calls throughout the system and simplifies the process of changing recorded service messages like holiday closures and special announcements. To help in the transition, the current phone numbers will have a recorded message of the phone number change as well as announcements posted in each library and provided on bookmarks to take home.