Photos: Williams Station Day
October 24, 2010
Thousands attended the annual Williams Station in Atmore on Saturday.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured above: Crowds at Saturday’s Williams Station Day in Atmore. Pictured below: The reunion of the “Kool Tools” band, a popular local band formed in the 1960’s. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Battle Of The Bench Results
October 24, 2010
The annual “Battle of the Bench” bench press contest was held Saturday at Williams Station Day in Atmore, with two area men bench pressing 415 pounds each.
Results from the event were as follows:
- Alan Bell, first place, 166-181 weight class, 315 bench press
- Robbie Davis, first place, 182-198 weight class, 380 bench press
- Pat Boone, first place, 199-220 weight class, 350 bench press
- Gordon Godwin, 221-242 weight class, 385 bench press
- Brian Richards, 260-275 weight class, 415 bench press
- Carl Ward, 276-308 weight class, 415 bench press
Featured Recipe: Prime Rib – Without The Fear
October 24, 2010
This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is a Simple No Fear Prime Rib. This dish will leave you feeling “gourmet” with tender meat a punch of flavor.
To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
Robots Teach Kids; Tate Takes ‘Blood, Sweat And Duct Tape Award’
October 24, 2010
Cheering fans, blaring instruments, and pounding drums — you may think of a football or soccer game. But this is no sports event. It’s a game of the future.
On Saturday morning the University of West Florida Field House buzzed with activity and the Emerald Coast BEST Robotics competition whirred to a start.
The futuristic competition plays out in an arena setting complete with referees, cheerleaders, mascots and cheering students. A deafening din fills the air as 21 area high schools and middle schools compete with their robots, all a part of an initiative to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology. Gulf Power Company is the major sponsor of BEST — Boosting, Engineering, Science and Technology.
This year’s theme, “Total Recall,” is a word play on quality control. In the competition, students will control their robots to successfully process and package as much “good” product as possible while striving for Six Sigma quality levels on each production line. Some products may be identified as “defective” and will be “recalled.”
It’s all a part of an initiative to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology through participation in a sports-like, science and engineering-based robotics competition each fall. Student teams are judged on robot performance, marketing presentation, team exhibit/interview, project engineering notebook, and spirit and sportsmanship.
Josh King, eleventh grader from Escambia High School, said the competition helped him realize how important science and math are to the real world.
“To get ready for this you have to use the whole engineering design process,” said King. “It starts with brainstorming, then design, then prototype and then final product. We really had fun out there.”
King plans to pursue an Architectural Engineering degree at the University of West Florida.
King’s teacher and lead for the Robotics Club Bob Rainey said BEST helps get the students excited about science and math.
“They have to apply their skills in math and science and engineering,” said Rainey. “This is something really authentic the students can get involved with. BEST Robotics prepares them because everything in life is going to be a project for them, and they’re going to have to overcome problems.”
Max Levesque (pictured left), a sixth grader and part of the team from Workman Middle School that won first place in the robotics competition, said involvement in robotics had given him a greater interest in math.
“This is something different than what I usually do in school,” said Levesque, “I actually kind of like math more now.”
Introduced by two MIT students, BEST — Boosting Engineering Science and Technology — has grown into a nationally recognized competition challenging more than 50,000 participants since its start in 1993.
Area schools have been competing since 2004, when Gulf Power sponsored eight local teams in the regional competition in Mobile. Twenty schools across Northwest Florida participated in the regionals, and the top schools will advance to competition at Auburn University.
Students had six weeks to build their robots and teams were judged on robot performance, oral presentation, table display, project notebook, spirit and sportsmanship.
Four schools in Northwest Florida were among the winners that will advance to the finals at Auburn University on Nov. 18 – 20: Woodlawn Middle School, Bethlehem K-12, Workman Middle and Woodham Middle.
BEST Award
1. Woodham Middle School
2. Woodlawn Beach Middle School
3. Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
Gulf Power- Blood, Sweat and Duct Tape Award
Tate High School
Robotics Award
1. Workman Middle School
2. Bethlehem K-12
3. Milton High School
4. Woodham Middle
Best Team Website
Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
Best T-shirt Design
1. Hobbs Middle School
2. Sims Middle School
3. Woodham Middle School
Founders Award for Creative Design
Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
Most Robust Robot
Workman Middle School
Most Photogenic Robot
Merritt Brown Middle School
Most Elegant Machine
Milton High School
Best Team Exhibit and Interview
1. Holley Navarre Middle School
2. Woodlawn Beach Middle School
3. Merritt Brown Middle School
Best Marketing Presentation
1. Woodham Middle School
2. Holley-Navarre Middle School
3. Woodlawn Beach Middle School
Best Project Engineering Notebook
1. Bethlehem K-12
2. Woodlawn Beach Middle School
3. Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
Best Spirit and Sportsmanship
1. Woodham Middle School
2. Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
3. Sims Middle School
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Video: Northview Vs. Jay
October 24, 2010
Here are video highlights by Keith Garrison from Northview’s win Friday night over Jay.
For game details, click here for the NorthEscambia.com story. For a photo gallery, click here.
Driver Charged After Head-on Molino Wreck (Updated Details, Names)
October 23, 2010
A 19-year old Pensacola woman was charged after a head-on collision Friday night in Molino.
The accident happened about 6:20 at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97.
The Florida Highway patrol said Amy Irby, 19, of Pensacola was traveling north on Highway 29 in a 2009 Ford Focus when she attempted a left turn and traveled into the path of a 2003 Kia SUV driven by Theresa Williams, 32, of Pensacola. The vehicles collided head-on in the intersection.
Williams was seriously injured and transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by LifeFlight. Her passenger, Antwon Smith, 27, of Pensacola was not seriously injured. Irby and her passenger, Muneca Rodriguez, 15, of Pensacola, received minor injuries and were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance.
Irby was charged with violation of right of way by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Molino, Cantonment and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the crash, along with the FHP, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County EMS.
Pictured above and below: A two vehicle head-on accident Friday night in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Drought Gets Worse, Rain Could Come By Sunday
October 23, 2010
Drought conditions continue to worsen across the North Escambia area, but next week’s weather forecast holds a bit of hope for rain.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor map published Thursday, most of the area is in a severe drought, while the western half of Escambia County, Ala. into Baldwin and Mobile counties are experiencing an extreme drought.
There is a chance of some relief beginning Sunday — there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms for late Sunday afternoon and Sunday night, with a 60 percent chance of rain continuing for Monday.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is published by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln using a variety of climatic data.
Prep Football Roundup
October 23, 2010
Here’s a look at football scores from across the area:
Florida
Northview 34, Jay 0
Tate 22, Milton 19
Pine Forest 34 Pace 17
Catholic 24 Walton 19
Choctaw 38 Washington 31
Navarre 51 Escambia 7
Freeport 39 Bozeman 19
Baker 20 Holmes County 12
South Walton 41 Sneads 14
Alabama
Flomaton 48 Choctaw Co. 6
T.R. Miller 48 Catholic 35
Fort Dale 42 Escambia Academy 20
Saraland 27 W.S. Neal 20 (Thursday game)
Escambia County 35 Monroe 14 (Thursday game)
Tate Aggies Get District Win Over Milton
October 23, 2010
The Tate Aggies beat the Milton Panthers 22-19 in a District 1-4A game Friday night at Pete Gindl Stadium.
The Aggies took the lead less than two minutes into the game on a 53-yard run from Tadarryl Carmichael. The two point conversion failed, 6-0. Milton turned the tables with a TD and a good kick for Panthers lead by one, but the Aggies scored again with a 1-yarder from Ladarian Young. Young was in for the two pointer, 14-7 Aggies.
Milton had the only score of the second quarter with a 37-yard pass for a touchdown. The kick failed, and the Aggies held on to a 14-13 halftime lead.
Tate scored again in the third with a 23-yard pass from David Moorhead to Alex Westergreen and good two point conversion by Carmichael. Milton had the only score of the fourth on a 15-yard pass, but they missed their two point attempt for a 22-19 Aggies win.
Chiefs Beat The Royals (With Photo Gallery)
October 23, 2010
The Northview Chiefs shut out the Jay Royals 34-0 Friday night in Bratt.
For a complete game photo gallery, click here.
For Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley, it was a chance to try a few new tricks, including running a spread offense more than usual.
“We did some different things tonight; at times we did it well offensively and times we had some mistakes. We’ve got to come back next week and be better and correct the mistakes that we had,” he said.
“I knew there would be mistakes the first time out, Wheatley said. “We had a couple guys be in the wrong spot, but we are going to get that corrected and be a better football team for it.”
The Chiefs scored early against their rival Royals. With 8:19 to go in the first quarter, Roderick Woods put Northview on the board. A good kick, and NHS was up 7-0. The Chiefs would strike again with 1:19 in the first quarter with a Montaio Mitchell touchdown and a good kick from Lance Bushaw.
The Chiefs took their 14-0 lead into the second quarter when Bushaw had a 40-yard field goal with 8:10 on the clock, 17-0.
Woods added a 72-yard touchdown seconds into the third quarter. A good point after, and the Chiefs lead expanded to 24-0. But Northview was not done, adding a 49-yard touchdown run from Mitchell in the third an another Bushaw field goal in the fourth for their 34-0 win.
For a complete game photo gallery, click here.
The Chiefs (6-1, 5-1) will travel to Sneads next Friday night for another important district matchup. The Jay Royals (0-7, 0-6) will host Bozeman.
With a win at Sneads next week and against Vernon at home, the Chiefs will be in the Class 1A playoffs.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
