What Is Your Church Doing For Easter?
March 28, 2010
What is your church doing for Easter?
NorthEscambia.com will provide free advertising for churches in North Escambia or North Santa Rosa counties in Florida, or Atmore or Flomaton in Alabama. If your church is having a special Good Friday and/or Easter service, or any other special service or event, let us know!
We will share your information with thousands of readers across the area. We will list the services on our Events page free of charge. Please try to keep your announcement for our events page to 100 words or less. Please send your event listing as far in advance of your service(s) as possible.
Send your announcement to news@northescambia.com or click here for our contact page. We will also be happy to publish photos after your event; email them to news@northescambia.com.
Bratt Assembly of God recently held an early Easter egg hunt and picnic. For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
All advertising and announcements are subject to our editorial standards.
Pictured: The Bratt Assembly of God recently held an Easter egg hunt and picnic. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Play Ball! Opening Day For Molino Ballpark
March 28, 2010
Saturday was Opening Day for Molino Recreation Associations and the Molino Ballpark.
For photos from an Opening Day tee ball game, click here.
Don’t forget — we’ll be happy to run your youth sports photos here on NorthEscambia.com. Just email them as soon as possible after the game to news@northescambia.com.
Pictured top: Opening Day ceremony at Molino Ballpark. Also pictured: Opening Day tee ball action. Submitted photos by Tina Pendleton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Students Spend Friday In Lockdown, No Problems Reported
March 27, 2010
Instead of a planned outdoor fun Field Day, students at Ernest Ward Middle spent Friday in lockdown mode following a Thursday dismissal time fight that sent a bus driver to the hospital and seven Ernest Ward and Northview students to jail.
Three of the students remained in jail Friday morning. All have been suspended and banned from campus until they receive hearings from the school district.
There were no security problems during the day, according to Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry. And, she said, the fight did not impact attendance on Friday. There were 25 students absent, a normal number for the school of 540 students on the day before Spring Break.
“Parents did not keep their children at home,” Perry said. “They had the confidence that they were safe and that we would take care of them.”
Upon arrival at the school, students were escorted from their bus to their classrooms by staff. After a morning exam, students remained in their classrooms all day and escorted to lunch. When they went to the bathroom, they were escorted by an employee that remained at the bathroom door.
Extra security and several district officials were on hand to make sure the day went smoothly, Perry said.
During the day, Perry told students that she hated to follow the lockdown procedures and punish the majority for the actions of a few students, but she said the school’s Field Day will be held sometime after Spring Break.
On NorthEscambia.com, parent and student reaction to the lockdown and the canceled Field Day were mixed, but most voiced support for Perry’s decisions.
“I totally get why Mrs. Perry kept in our classrooms today and that was for our safety,” one student wrote on NorthEscambia.com.
“Oh & I have to admit, today was like prison. but you can’t blame Mrs. Perry. She was just making sure we were safe and nothing was said or done that was related to the fight yesterday. I’m sure after spring break, people will be cool and we can be back on regular schedule,” another student said.
“What’s that saying ‘a few bad apples ruin the bunch’. Its true, a few bad students have ruined their field day. I do understand though, Mrs. Perry needs to contain the students as much as possible, to keep things from escalating the day after,” a parent stated.
“As a parent of two students of EWMS, I have 100% total confidence in Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry and her excellent staff. Amazing school,” a Molino parent said.
“I feel that all the children were being punished for someone else’s bad behavior and it just isn’t fair. Who wants to sit in one classroom all day and practically do nothing,” another parent wrote on NorthEscambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Man Wanted For Kidnapping, Choking, Beating Pregnant Woman Arrested In Jay
March 27, 2010
A man accused of kidnapping, choking and beating a pregnant woman was arrested Thursday in Jay by U.S. Marshals and Santa Rosa County deputies.
Jonathan Lynn Simmons, 31, of Pace is charged with battery/strangulation, aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, kidnapping, fleeing with disregard of safety and resisting an officer without violence.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a Circle K in Milton after a store clerk reported seeing a woman in a truck with Simmons mouth the words “Help me, please”.
When officers arrived about 3:30 Wednesday morning, the bloodied woman ran into the store, and Simmons took off and led deputies on a high-speed chase. He ran from the truck and escaped in a Milton neighborhood.
The pregnant woman told deputies that Simmons attempted to drug her, and he threatened to kill her.
A tip led U.S. Marshals and deputies to Simmons at a home in Jay. He was arrested without incident.
Simmons is being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.
ECAT Announces Route Changes Including Decreased Service For North Escambia
March 27, 2010
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) has posted proposed route changes to their web site on Friday. As NorthEscambia.com first reported earlier this month, the ECAT route that serves North Escambia will be cut back if proposed changes in the county’s public transportation routes are made.
The Saturday transit bus that serves Century, Molino and Cantonment would be eliminated due to low ridership if the plan presented to the Escambia County by ECAT is approved. The route would also no longer service the “Park-n-Ride” lot at the old Winn Dixie in Cantonment.
The “Route 60″ bus makes three weekday trips with stops between Century and the ECAT transfer center where it allows riders to connect to the rest of the ECAT network. It currently makes the run twice on Saturdays.
Most of the proposed changes across the county are simple route changes or service additions, with just a few routes seeking service cuts. For information on all route changes, click here.
According to an ECAT memo from General Manager Kenneth Gordon, the route changes in the county are designed to improve safety, improve on-time performance, improve connectivity between routes, provide service to under-served areas, reduce complaints and improve operating efficiencies.
ECAT is required to present proposed route changes to the Board of County Commissioners for discussion and public input. After the board discusses the plans on March 11, a 30 day period for public comment will be allowed and then then plan will go back to the commission.
The North Escambia to Pensacola Route 60 bus in the most expensive bus per hour in the entire public transportation system in the county.
The bus costs $11.15 per passenger to operate, according to ECAT numbers from the last fiscal year — a decrease from $16.27 the previous year. That’s the most expensive cost per passenger by far over any other bus in the system, with every other route falling below $8 per person (except for a free tourist route). The next most expensive route per person is a crosstown/airport route that costs ECAT $7.82 per person. The Century and Molino to Pensacola bus is also the most expensive per hour to operate in the ECAT system, at $60.67, down from $78.29 per hour the previous year.
A total of 9 ,430 riders took the Route 60 bus over a one year period, up from 7,819 the previous year. That compares to 162,403 on a Davis Highway area bus.
Pictured above: The “Route 60″ Century and Molino to Pensacola ECAT route map. Pictured below: A timetable for the bus. Click to enlarge.
Spring Lawn And Garden Tips From Escambia Extension Service
March 27, 2010
Now that spring is here and the outdoors are turning green again, it is time to begin thinking about working in your outdoor areas in North Escambia and surrounding areas. From flowers, to tree and shrubs to lawns, the Escambia County Extension Service offers some great tips for the late March through April time period:
Flowers
- Begin planting colorful annual flowers such as ageratum, alyssum, amaranthus, asters, baby’s breath, begonia, calendula, celosia, cosmos, dahlia, dusty miller, gaillardia, geranium, hollyhock, impatiens, marigold, nicotiana, ornamental pepper, pentas, phlox, rudbeckia, salvia, sweet Williams, torenia, verbena, vinca and zinnia.
- Caladium bulbs are extremely sensitive to cold soil so there is no advantage to planting early. Purchase caladiums while there is a good selection, but wait until late March or April before planting them in shady beds.
- Begin watching roses for black spot fungus disease (small black spots on the leaves that quickly worsen). Control it by spraying every seven to ten days with a fungicide. Call your local Extension Office for recommended products.
Trees and Shrubs
- Finish pruning summer flowering shrubs such as althea, hibiscus, abelia, oakleaf hydrangea and oleander.
- Delay pruning azaleas, camellias, spiraeas, gardenias and other spring flowering shrubs until after flowering is complete.
- Prune any cold weather-damaged plants only after new growth appears.
- If needed, fertilize shrubs and small trees with a slow release fertilizer. A good general-purpose landscape fertilizer is a 15-0-15.
- Mature palms should receive an application of granular fertilizer. Use a special palm fertilizer that has an 8-2-12 +4Mg (magnesium) with micronutrients formulation. Apply one pound of fertilizer per 100 sq ft of canopy area or landscape area.
- Pick up all fallen camellia blossoms and remove them from your property. This practice helps to prevent petal blight next season.
- Prune ornamental grasses. For more information visit the online publication, “Considerations for Selection and Use of Ornamental Grasses,” at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP233 or call you local Extension Office for a copy.
- Evergreen and semi-evergreen trees such as live oak and laurel oak shed most of their leaves during March and early April. Make plans to recycle these leaves on your
property by composting or using them as mulch in vegetable, flower and shrub beds.
Vegetable Garden
- In mid-March, plant vegetables such as bush beans, pole beans, lima beans, cantaloupes, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, southern peas, peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes and watermelon.
- Sweet potato plants (slips/draws) can be set out April through June.
Lawns
- Removing excessive accumulation of leaves from the lawn will increase the effectiveness of fertilizer and pesticide applications.
- If a pre-emergence lawn herbicide is needed to control summer weeds, it should be applied in early March or when day temperatures reach 65 to 70 degrees F for 4 to 5 consecutive days. Make certain to choose one that is safe on your type of grass. Call your local Extension Office for a recommendation.
- Wait until early April to fertilize lawns. If fertilized too early, they often respond with yellow spots of iron chlorosis. Use a slow release nitrogen product with a 3-1-3 ratio
(like a 16-2-16) or a 1:0:1 ratio such as a 15-0-15. - Service the lawn mower by sharpening the blade and adjusting the cutting height for your type of grass.
- Anyone considering establishment of centipede grass from seed should hold off until the soil warms up and stabilizes above 70°F.
- Spring dead spots may be present. Before treating these areas, get a diagnosis. Treat, if necessary, and then patch these areas before weeds invade the bare spots. Sodding, plugging or sprigging helps them to fill in quicker.
It’s Time For Spring Break
March 27, 2010
Next week is spring break for students in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Students in Escambia County will return on Monday, April 5. Students in Santa Rosa County will return to school on Tuesday, April 6. Teachers in Santa Rosa County will work Monday, April 5 as a planning day.
Misty Doran Throws No Hitter As Northview Beats Ponce De Leon
March 27, 2010
Misty Doran had the first no-hitter for Northview in more than a half dozen years Friday as the Lady Chiefs shut out Ponce De Leon 10-0.
Doran pitched five innings, striking out nine.
The Lady Chiefs are in first place in District 1-2A with the win. Hitters for Northview included Doran, Aimee Clark, Shawna Montgomery, Candace Greenwell and Haley Simpson.
More Details Released: Rumors Predicted Ernest Ward Fight
March 26, 2010
There were rumors of an impending fight at Ernest Ward Middle School Thursday before a dismissal time confrontation that landed seven Ernest Ward and Northview High School students in jail, according to an incident report released Friday morning by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Three students were charged with felonies.
“Upon my arrival, I made contact with Glenn Dumas, the school’s dean, who advised me that earlier in the day, he had interview several students and warned them not to be involved in a fight because there was a rumor going around campus of an impending fight,” Deputy James Moretz wrote in his report.
The report states that a bus driver tried to stop a fight that started between two juvenile students. The bus driver ended up on the ground on top of a student, and several other students joined the altercation.
While the bus driver was on the ground, he was kicked several times by a 17-year old female Northview student. A 16-year Northview student was also identified as having punched or kicked the bus driver.
A 16-year old Ernest Ward student was charged after he “was throwing punches and shoved off…the school’s principal, who was trying to hold him back and prevent him from entering the affray”.
One of the seven students, a 12-year old that attends Ernest Ward, was not charged in connection with the actual fight. He was charged with resisting without violence and obstructing justice after allegedly tried to grab a deputy’s handcuffs as he attempted to place a female into custody.
Seven Students Arrested Following Fight At Ernest Ward; Bus Driver Injured
March 26, 2010
Seven students were arrested following a fight on the campus of Ernest Ward Middle School that put a bus driver in the hospital Thursday afternoon.
Four of the students were released from jail Thursday night, while three remained in custody overnight.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies said the fight started about 3:50 p.m. as school was dismissed. The fight began between two students on a bus and escalated into an affray in the parking lot involving a small number of students. Several school staff members and bus drivers tried to stop the fight, and several of them were struck by students. One bus driver was transported to the hospital by ambulance. He was reportedly released from the hospital Thursday night. An unknown number of students and staff members were evaluated on scene by medical personnel but were not transported to the hospital.
The fight involved students from both Ernest Ward Middle School and Northview High School; Northview and Ernest Ward students are on the same buses each afternoon. There were no weapons involved in the fight. Deputies said they did not know why the fight started.
Four of the students arrested were Ernest Ward students; three were Northview students. The students arrested are facing a variety of charges, including battery and taking part in an affray or riot. One of the seven students, a 12-year old that attends Ernest Ward, was not charged in connection with the actual fight. He was charged with resisting without violence and obstructing justice after allegedly tried to grab a deputy’s handcuffs as he attempted to place a female into custody.
All of the students involved has been temporarily banned from the campuses of Ernest Ward or Northview. Deputies said Thursday night that there could be more arrests forthcoming in the case.
The afternoon fight was the second time deputies had been dispatched to Ernest Ward for a fight on Thursday. The Sheriff’s Office said the earlier fight between two students was not related in any way to the afternoon incident. The students in the morning fight were not taken into custody.
There was no school resource officer at Ernest Ward on Thursday; he had been assigned to work another school. Over a half dozen deputies responded to the school after the fight was reported. By the time deputies arrived a few minutes after the school called for help, the fight was over. Several students were placed in handcuffs and taken to the administration building of the school.
Several parents gathered outside the administration building as the students were questioned inside and deputies gathered witness statements from school employees. Hours later, the arrested students sat handcuffed in the hallway and school office as deputies continued their investigation. They were transported from the school about 7 p.m.
All school buses were held on the scene as emergency personnel worked. Most were released about an hour later; some were held on campus as long as an hour and a half.
Two ambulances were called to the scene, along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Walnut Hill station of Escambia Fire Rescue.
More details will be posted as they become available.
Pictured top: One of the first deputies to arrive at Ernest Ward Middle School Thursday afternoon. Pictured top inset: Emergency workers on scene at EWMS. Pictured bottom inset: Deputy Scott Mashburn takes an unidentified juvenile into custody. Pictured below: The first ambulance arrives at Ernest Ward Middle School following an affray Thursday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
