Week After Win Over Northview, Trinity Christian Wins State Title
December 11, 2010
The Trinity Christian Conquerors — the school that beat the Northview Chiefs last week — won the Class 1A state title Friday night at the Citrus Bowl.
Andrew Buie had 31 carries for 242 yards as the Conquerors beat Delray Beach American Heritage 27-10. It was the third state championship in the past eight years for Trinity Christian (12-2), which ended their year with an 11-game winning streak.
The Northview Chiefs’ state championship dreams were crushed a week ago by the Conquerors of Trinity Christian in Jacksonville, 49-14, in the Class 1A State Semifinals. It was first ever Semifinal appearance for Northview (11-2). In 1979, the Eagles of Ernest Ward High School last brought the only modern time Class A football championship back to the area Ernest Ward would later merge with the Century Blackcats to create Northview.
Pictured top: Trinity gains yardage against Northview December 3 in Jacksonville. NorthEscambia.com photo by Will Dickey, the Florida Times Union, click to enlarge.
NHS Girls Weightlifting Team Competes In Ft. Walton
December 11, 2010
Friday, Northview’s Girls Weightlifting Team participated in the Emerald Coast Invitational at Choctawhatchee High School in Ft. Walton. There were 10 teams, with Northview placing eight overall.
The following girls placed in the top 10 in their weight class:
- Ariel Holland- 7th
- Laneicia Gomez-3rd
- Sarah Killiam -10th
- Audra Martin-9th
- Naomi Cooler-7th
Pictured top: The Northview’s Girls Weightlifting Team participated in the Emerald Coast Invitational at Choctawhatchee High School in Ft. Walton Friday afternoon. Pictured below: Laneicia Gomez (center) placed third in her weight category. Submitted photos for NorthEsambia.com, click to enlarge.
Congressman Jeff Miller Discusses House Veterans Affair Chair Post
December 11, 2010
In his latest newsletter, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller discusses his appointment as chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The following was submitted by Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla for NorthEscambia.com:
Just over a month ago, we all heard the American people speak out loud and clear about their desire for our nation to head in a new direction away from the course it had been on over the last several years. With the new majority in the House comes many significant changes and a new charge from the voters to eliminate wasteful spending and restore the federal government to its proper role. Included in those changes were the decisions on which members would lead the committees in the House.
This week, I was elected to serve as the Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for the 112th Congress. To have this unique opportunity is a great honor, and I look forward to ensuring the best care and services are delivered to our nation’s veterans. I have served on this important committee since first being elected to Congress and have worked hard for our veterans during that time. We have seen in Northwest Florida some tremendous examples of success from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) co-sharing resources with the Department of Defense, and I look forward to leading that success across the country, including making further progress on a lifetime electronic record for our soldiers.
We have also seen in the past- both inside and outside VA- the failures of simply throwing money at a problem with the hopes that it would go away. Significant increases in VA funding to specifically address, and eventually eliminate, the claims backlog clearly did not do what was needed, and I intend to push a more efficient approach that addresses the claims system from top to bottom so that a veteran can more easily and accurately file a claim and at the same time receive a more timely response. Time is long overdue to eliminate the adversarial feeling that many of these veterans have toward VA and make it a more user-friendly system.
The committee must also ensure strict oversight at VA, especially in the areas of information security and patient safety. Just one stolen laptop with veterans’ personal information is one too many, and rigorous procedures must be put in place throughout the department to ensure such an incident does not occur in the future. So, too, must patients at VA facilities know that stringent procedures are being followed by workers in those facilities and that they are always receiving the highest quality of care.
I also hope to have a cooperative atmosphere guiding the committee’s actions where members on both sides of the aisle work together with VA, the veterans service organizations (VSOs), and individual veterans to see that VA can fulfill its mission to the best of its ability. We all have a common goal of ensuring the best care and benefits for those who bravely served this nation, and the time is over for letting disagreement on how to best achieve that goal impede our progress.
I am humbled by the privilege of not only representing over 110,000 veterans in Northwest Florida, but also serving our nation’s heroes across the country as the new Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee. There is no doubt of the significant workload ahead of us, but I and my fellow committee members will fight to meet the needs of those veterans, just as they fought to protect our liberty.
Friday: Decorate For The Holidays With Potted Plants
December 11, 2010
With Christmas approaching, homes are being decorated with lights and trees and other festive adornments. While the chiller weather discourages the use of decorating with potted plants outside, the indoors can come alive with festive potted plants.
Poinsettia
Very few plants are as closely associated with a holiday as poinsettias are with Christmas. The poinsettia, native to South America, was given the botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima, which literally means “very beautiful.”
The showy portions of the poinsettia, which most people think of as the flower, are actually colorful leaves called bracts.
In addition to the traditional red, bracts can be pink, white, orange, and even purple. Poinsettia plants come in many sizes and their bracts come in a wide range of shapes.
Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous, although some people are sensitive to the sap, which contains latex.
With proper care, your poinsettia may stay colorful for months after the holidays. Because they are tropical plants, keep them in a bright light and away from chilly drafts. To learn more about how to care for your poinsettia, read the UF/IFAS publications titled “Poinsettias at a Glance”. It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep349 or by calling your local Extension Office.
Amaryllis
Potted amaryllises excel as small but stellar holiday gifts. These easy to grow winter bloomers produce surprisingly exotic flowers, yet are still unknown to many people. The bulb is large, the flowers are huge. They grow and bloom for weeks on end – indoors in the middle of winter.
If you purchase a bulb, plant it in a pot with well-drained potting soil. Place the pot in a sunny window and keep the soil evenly moist. When the flower stalks begin to emerge, rotate the pot every few days so the stalks will grow straight. If you provide your amaryllis with too little light, the flower stalk will grow excessively tall and may even fall over.
Each stalk will produce several flowers. As each bloom fades, snip it off. When all the blooms on a stalk have faded, cut off the entire stalk about an inch from its base. Don’t assume the show is over after the first flowers fade. Your bulb will probably produce a second stalk with more flowers. Sometimes a third one pops up.
For more information on how to grow and care for amaryllis, read the UF/IFAS publication titled “Amaryllis.” It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep060.
Rosemary
To add the fragrance of the holiday season to your home, include a rosemary plant. Available in many stores in a Christmas tree shape, rosemary is an easy herb to grow.
When a rosemary Christmas tree is purchased it is usually a large plant in a small container. That means that there is probably a pretty good size root mass with not much soil to hold onto the water. The more soil a container holds, the longer the plant can go between watering. One of the tricks to growing rosemary is to allow it to dry out between watering.
One of the first things you can do to improve its ability to survive is to replant it using well-drained potting soil. Using a terra cotta pot will help keep this somewhat top-heavy plant from being easily tipped over. Since rosemary likes it on the dry side, terra cotta pots are an especially good choice. After a good initial watering, keep the soil moderately dry. Also provide plenty of light with a south or west exposure. Low light will produce leggy growth.
Enjoy the holiday season by adding Christmas plants to your décor.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Body Found In Backyard Was Homicide
December 10, 2010
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office now says the death of Connie Annette Slaughter, 43, was a homicide.
A family member found Slaughter dead in the backyard of her home in the 400 block of East Ten Mile Road at around 7:25 am Friday morning. Investigators are working with the medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death, and are awaiting autopsy results.
“Our investigators have launched a homicide investigation into the death of Connie Slaughter, and they do not believe robbery is a motive,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deputy Chris Welborn.
The Sheriff’s Office is not releasing any further information concerning the case at this time.
Deputies Seek Suspect In Murder Off Hwy. 29 In Ensley
December 10, 2010
Deputies are looking for a man in connection with a murder Thursday night off Highway 29 in the Ensley area.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Kangaroo Convenience Store, located at 7950 Pensacola Blvd. for a reported shooting victim about 11:30 p.m.. They identified the victim as Martel Caron Miley, 28, of Pensacola.
According to a witness, Miley was shot while in the area of Tower Terrace and Tower Road, not far from the convenience store. After being shot he was driven to the convenience store by the witness, according to Chris Welborn, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.
Escambia County EMS responded to the scene and transported Miley to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Sheriff’s investigators have developed several leads and are looking for a person of interest in this case, identified as Jerome Devin Ruffins, 22, of Pensacola. Anyone with information about the whereabout of Ruffis (pictured) should call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Authorities Investigating Escambia, Alabama Murder
December 10, 2010
The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office is investigating a murder that occurred Thursday night in the Damascus community outside Brewton.
At about 9 p.m., deputies responded to 805 McGowin Hill Road where they found the body of 46-year old Angela Susan Fleming. Her son, John Brian Fleming, was taken into custody and charged with an open count of her murder.
John Bryan Fleming is being held in the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton without bond.
The investigation into the homicide is continuing, and authorities have not released further details.
No Injuries In School Bus Crash; Second Crash For Same Bus In A Month
December 10, 2010
There were no injuries in an accident involving an Escambia County School bus with 15 students on board Friday morning in Century – the second accident in about month for bus 28-06.
The Florida Highway Patrol a SUV driven by Marlena J. Dunsford of Century pulled out of private driveway onto Glover Road into the path of the bus driven by Stephanie Morgan, 36, of Century. The bus was transporting students to Ernest Ward Middle and Northview High schools.
Dunsford and her four-year old passenger were not injured. Dunsford, the driver of the SUV, was charged with driving while license suspended, violation of right of way and no proof of insurance. The bus driver, Morgan, was not charged.
Bus 28-06 was involved in another crash that injured one student last month in Bratt. Morgan, the bus driver, was charged with careless driving in connection with that accident. For more on that accident, click here.
NorthEscambia photos, click to enlarge.
Father And Son Charged With Shooting Into Family’s Home
December 10, 2010
A father and son were arrested Thursday night for firing into house occupied by a family in Pollard, Alabama.
The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fired call at 8:04 p.m. at 2600 Old Highway 31. Deputies responded to find the homeowner, Melvin McBride, Jr, and his family members unharmed, but they stated that Johnnie Mark Brittingham and another unknown subject came to their residence and fired shots into the occupied residence.
Deputies located the suspects’ vehicle pulling back into Brittingham’s residence on Pineview Cemetary Road in the Pineview community. Johnnie Mark Brittingham, 42, and his father, Cecil Rufus Brittingham, 70, were taken into custody and charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling, a felony.
Both subjects remain at the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton awaiting a bond hearing.
Pollard, Alabama, is located just east of Flomaton and about two miles north of the Florida state line.
Escambia County School District Considers Random Student Drug Testing
December 10, 2010
The Escambia County School District is considering random student drug testing for the next school year.
Under the proposed policy presented to the school board Thursday, students that participate in athletics, extracurricular activities or park on campus would be subject to the random urine tests. A signed parental consent form would be valid during the entire school year, not just for the duration of the athletic season or extracurricular activity period.
Students whose parents do not consent to the tests would not be allowed to participate in the activities — including any practice, tryout, rehearsal or even sit with the team, club or organization at a game or pep rally.
The drug tests will be conducted by the school health nurse or technician under the plan. If there is a positive result, the student would be required to take a follow-up drug test at a District-approved licensed laboratory within 24 hours. Failure to take the follow-up test would be considered a positive result, according to the proposed plan.
If a student refuses to participate in a random drug test, it will be considered a positive result.
A positive result would result in the student being removed from all extracurricular and athletic activities, including practices, for at least 30 days and would be suspended from driving on the school campus. The student would be referred to a District-approved drug assessment and rehabilitation program.
A student with a positive drug test result would be required to pass a second drug test before participation in future activities at the expense of their parents. They would be subject to additional random drug tests, and they would remain on probation for the rest of their school years in the Escambia County School District. The student would not be allowed to return to any leadership position — such as captain of a squad, club officer or class officer — for the remainder of the school year.
A second positive result would prohibit a student from participation in all athletics and extracurricular activities and from driving on campus for one full calendar year.
Before the random drug testing plan is implemented for the 2011-2012 school year, it must first be approved by the Escambia County School Board.