Northview Beats PCA; NHS JV Over Escambia Academy
March 6, 2010
Northview 7 Pensacola Christian 1
Northview beat Pensacola Christian 7-1 in a Friday afternoon district game. The win improves the Chiefs’ record to 6-2 on the season, 2-0 in the district.
Leading hitters for the Chiefs were Brad Lowery, 3 for 4 with three runs scored. He also had 2 RBI’s. Dabney Langhorne was 2 for 2 with 2 RBI’s, and a run scored. Austin Reid had a single, and a run scored. Heath Burkett was 2 for 3 with a run scored. Austin Arrington had a single for Northview.
Heath Burkett improved his record to 2-0 on the mound. He worked four innings, giving up no runs, on one hit, walked one, and struck out five hitters. Colton Sims pitched three innings in relief, giving up one run on four hits, he walked no one, and struck out five hitters
Northview 8 Escambia Academy 5 JV
The starting pitcher for the chiefs was Hunter Rigby. He pitched two innings giving up two runs and striking out four batters. Brandon Sheets pitched four innings in relief, giving up two runs and striking out nine batters. Chance Jackson pitched one inning, gave up one run, and struck out one hitter.
Chance Jackson and Ty Randolph produced hits for Northview. The JV Chiefs are now 2-0 on the year.
Helping Haiti: Local Disaster Relief Team Visits Part I
March 6, 2010
Today we begin a three-part series “North Escambia: Helping Haiti”. We will take you to Haiti through the eyes of two area men that just returned from a disaster relief mission. We will hear about their work in Haiti in their own words, and we’ll see the country through their eyes via their photographs. We will also look at how you can be a part of the effort to provide relief in the earthquake ravaged country.
Today, in his own words, Sonny Davis from Hillcrest Baptist Church describes his recent Pensacola Disaster Relief team visit to Haiti. Sunday morning, we will learn more about the trip from Drayton Smith of the First Baptist Church of Cantonment. The photographs that accompany this article were taken by Smith in Haiti.
The Pensacola Disaster Relief team consisted of two chaplains and two assessors — Sonny Davis, Doug Dickerson, and Scott Baisden from Hillcrest Baptist and Drayton Smith from First Baptist Church of Cantonment. Because the Port-au-Prince airport was stilled closed to commercial traffic at the time of our departure, we flew from Pensacola to Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic.
There, we were met by Doug Roberts, IMB missionary. Doug and his wife were our hosts at the mission house in Santa Domingo. When ground transportation could be arranged, we traveled by bus from Santa Domingo to Port-au-Prince. Accommodations were provided at the FL Mission House, which can hold about 55 people. The Mission House receives power from a generator and has running (although not hot) water. The generator is used to pump water from a well to a large cistern on the roof. Water is then available via gravity for showers and toilets. With that many people staying at the house, the cistern could not hold enough water for everyone to take a shower at once. Those arriving back to the mission house later than others would often have to wait at least an hour to repeat the process of filling the rooftop cistern.
Each morning, our team of four would be assigned to a Haitian pastor, an interpreter, a security person and a driver. Each pastor wanted his church building inspected first, then we would move on to members of his congregation, and further into the community. If the church was determined to be safe, it was then a viable location for a future medical clinic to be staffed by DR medical teams.
Maneuvering between houses down narrow lanes was a challenge for even our experienced drivers. Debris littered the streets, and tents were set up in almost any empty space. There are only a few street signs or house markers, so we used portable GPS units to mark the location of each structure that we inspected. Most of the structures that we inspected the first two days were habitable; although almost all needed some sort of repair.
The people have very little money for repairs. For those who did have livable homes, it was more difficult to convince them to sleep inside that it was to do the actual inspection. Each family was pleased that we were there and welcomed the prayers that we offered before moving on to another location. For those of you who have been to third world countries, you are probably familiar with seeing homes constructed primarily of concrete and blocks. No building codes are in effect, and construction materials are inferior; consequently, homes with concrete roofs were more susceptible to destruction than those with tin roofs. There is virtually no glass for windows, almost no running water, and little use of electricity. Many of the homes look like they were built in the 1950s. Some had plumbing fixtures, but they were no longer in use due to the lack of a working water system. Most families had access to a nearby well.
The Haitians buy food and a crude form of charcoal daily and cook on small grills that resemble hibachis. They cook in a small room on the outer edge of the house. Food was being cooked in nearly every home; however, the quantities were always small. Women and girls wear dresses, and men wear long pants. This seems to be a cultural practice, not a religious requirement. The Haitians we visited were clean and had clean clothes, despite having only a kitchen wash pan to bathe and wash their clothes in. None of the families that we visited on the first two days of our adventure had experienced any loss of life in their homes. They all had family members that had been injured or died in the area.
On Sunday, we attended Pastor Joe’s church. His was one of the first churches that we inspected. Even without musical instruments, the church produced a beautiful harmony while singing hymns in Creole. Pastor Joe preached, and an interpreter helped us understand what he said, then Drayton preached and the interpreter helped the congregation understand, and then Pastor Joe preached again. In all, the service lasted almost three hours. Their “pews” were the narrowest, wooden benches that I have sat on. After the service, LA DR volunteers set up a medical clinic and saw close to 300 patients. Most of the patients suffered from respiratory illnesses, high blood pressure, or infections. Many wounds also needed redressing. The people were appreciative and friendly both in the clinic and in the homes we visited. We were surprised by the number of Haitians that spoke some English, but not nearly enough spoke English to allow us to do without the interpreter.
On the last three days of our visit, we traveled with Pastor Pierre for about an hour and a half to the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in the back of a small truck. The truck had been outfitted with wooden benches on both sides of the bed. It also had a raised camper shell with open sides allowing air to flow through, but providing some protection from the elements. Vehicles of this manner are called tap-taps; the Haitian version of a taxi. Our security man always sat on the rear corner of the truck to keep residents from jumping on for a ride. This area had suffered a lot more damage. Very few homes did not suffer significant damage or were totally destroyed. Several families had lost members of their immediate family or close neighbors. It was difficult to tell the people that their home should be torn down.
Our job was to inspect and make notes about needed repairs; it was not to make actual repairs. We assured the people that many Christians in the United States were praying for them. We hoped that others would come to help with repairs, although we could not promise that. Often, our prayers were the only hope or comfort we could offer. While inspecting a house in that area, we led five girls and a boy to the Lord, ages 5 – 13. One lady, however, refused to get saved because she said her clothes weren’t good. The pastor promised to go back and visit with her again.
Later that same day while we were inspecting a church, Drayton led sixteen more people to Christ. The next day, seven additional Haitians were saved. Before agreeing to pray, most of the women would find a scarf or handkerchief to cover their heads. Those with bare arms would put on another shirt or wrap a towel around themselves before praying. What a blessing it was to see people eager to come to know Christ. Isn’t it true that tragedy often prods people, no matter where they live, to re-examine their lives? In total, our team inspected 7 churches and over 50 homes. Although the people we visited welcomed us with open arms, Haiti remains a very dangerous country. Our security guard kept a watchful eye on us constantly. He made sure that he stood between us and any possible confrontation. Only women are allowed to stand in line for food. The government is trying to prevent riots by excluding men from food distribution lines.
The Haitian people are very poor; the work to be done is overwhelming; and the Haitians need help to rebuild their lives and their country. Many relief agencies are visible in the country now, but FL Baptists will remain in Haiti long term. The FL Baptists were there for 15 years prior to the earthquake, and they plan to be there indefinitely. Through the efforts of FL Baptists almost 900 churches in Haiti have been established that are now led by Haitian pastors. Since the earthquake 40,000 people have come to know Christ through DR volunteers, Haitian pastors, and a 3-day call to prayer and fasting. The five year vision of the Haitian pastors is for an additional 1.5 million Haitians to come to know Christ. Through your financial help, your prayers, and your time as a volunteer this is possible.
Photos by Drayton Smith, First Baptist Church of Cantonment, for NorthEscambia..com, click to enlarge.
Sawmill Day Seeks Vendors, Entertainers
March 6, 2010
The Alger-Sullivan Historical Society in Century is preparing for their Sawmill Day April 24.
Any collectors or vendors or who might want free booth space to display or sell their wares or anyone with a musical or entertainment talent and that wishes to perform should contact Jerry Fischer at (850) 256-3980 by April 1.
The date in this story has been updated to the new date of April 24.
Don’t Be In A Hurry To Fertilize Your Lawn
March 6, 2010
Warmer weather is arriving, but don’t be in a hurry to fertilize your lawn — that’s the word from the University of Florida IFAS Extension office.
Even though it is still winter, now is the time of year that local garden centers begin major advertising campaigns to sell lawn fertilizers. It is too early to fertilize your lawn.
Fertilize when the lawn is actively growing
Warm-season lawns, including St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, and centipedegrass go dormant in winter in Northwest Florida. Fertilizing now would be a waste of time and money. Why shouldn’t you fertilize warm-season grasses when they are dormant? First, when grasses are dormant, their roots are not able to absorb or use the nutrients from fertilizers. By the time the grass does begin actively growing, most of the nitrogen you applied will have been lost from the soil. A safe time to apply your first lawn fertilizer is around April 15th.
Don’t feed the weeds
Fertilizing while the grass is dormant actually encourages more winter weeds, because you are fertilizing the weeds instead of the lawn. Without competition from the lawn, these weeds will grow faster and become more prolific as a result of dormant fertilizer applications.
Lastly, fertilizing lawns during their transition into dormancy in the fall or out of dormancy in the spring may encourage lawn growth that is more likely to be injured from winter kill. Bare spots and thinning of the lawn as well as delay in spring green-up may occur when lawns are forced to grow when they should be dormant.
Combo products not the answer
Many of the products available are convenient “weed and feed” products that combine a pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer in one application. Unfortunately, the ideal time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide is very different than the ideal time to apply fertilizer for warm-season lawns.
In northwest Florida, the recommended application window to maximize the effectiveness of preemergent herbicides is typically between February 15 and March 5.
The application timing for these products is critical since they must be applied before summer annual weeds germinate in spring. It’s always better to apply preemergent herbicides a little earlier rather than too late. And don’t forget to activate them by watering them into the lawn.
For St. Augustine grass, centipede grass, and other warm-season grasses, buy fertilizer that is separate from the pre-emergent herbicide. Apply each at their recommended times.
Finding a separate pre-emergent herbicide, not in weed-n-feed form, may be difficult. Some ones to look for include: benefin (Sta-green Crabgrass Preventer, Hi-Yield Crabgrass Preventer), pendimethalin (Pre-M, Pendulum, Turf Weedgrass Control, Halts Crabgrass Preventer), and bensulide (Green Light Betasan Crabgrass Preventer).
Start with a soil test
A soil test is always a good starting point before investing in fertilizer or lime. Your local University of Florida County Extension office can help you get started.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
NHS Lady Chiefs A Pefect 7-0
March 5, 2010
The Northview Lady Chiefs improved their record to a perfect 7-0 with a big win over Pensacola High School Thursday night.
Northview beat PHS 16-1. Emily Vickery had a three run homerun. Ashley Digmon +was 3-3 with four runs scored. Northview will play in the T. R. Miller Tournament Friday night and Saturday as they look to continue their perfect season.
Molino Man Dies When Truck Flips Into Jacks Branch
March 5, 2010
A Molino man was killed early this morning when he crashed his pickup truck through a guardrail and flipped into Jacks Branch near Cantonment.
The Florida Highway Patrol says William P. Merritt, 30, died in the accident about 3:05 a.m. Friday.
The accident happened on the bridge over Jacks Branch on Jacks Branch Road, just north of River Annex Road. The FHP says Merritt was northbound on Jacks Branch Road when he cross over the center line, ran off the road, struck a guardrail and flipped into the branch, about 25 feet below the bridge.
The vehicle landed upside down in the water with tires barely visible when the first rescuers arrived. Firefighters dove into the cold waters of the branch in order to reach Merritt who was trapped in the truck. They used a come-a-long and chains attached to a tree to flip the vehicle onto its side near the shore of the branch to reach him.
Merritt was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency workers were unable to find anyone else in or near the vehicle.
On February 22, a female driver crashed through the guardrail on the same bridge and plummeted into the water below. She was rescued with minor injuries. [Read more...]
The Cantonment, Molino and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, LifeFlight and the Florida Highway Patrol all responded to Friday morning’s accident.
Click here for a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene.
For Mr. Merritt’s obituary, click here.
Pictured above and below: William P. Merritt of Molino died when this pickup truck flipped into Jacks Branch at 3:05 a.m. Friday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Convenience Store Robbed At Gunpoint, Suspect On The Loose
March 5, 2010
A two and a half hour manhunt Thursday night in Century failed to locate an armed robbery suspect.
An armed robbery was reported about 7 p.m. at Moyes State Line Food Mart on North Century Boulevard. The store clerk told deputies that a black male entered the front door of the store, came up to the side of the counter, pointed a handgun at her and a customer, and demanded that she empty the register. The suspect also took money and lottery tickets from the customer, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
The suspect was described as a black male, about six feet tall wearing a black hoodie jacket with a scarf over his mouth.
K-9 units from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Century Correctional Institution joined Escambia County deputies and Flomaton Police Department officers in a lengthy manhunt for the suspect. The manhunt was centered in an area bounded by Highway 29, Old Flomaton Road, Highway 4 and the Alabama state line.
About 8:40 p.m., a resident just south of the convenience store called 911 to report that a black male wearing a dark colored hoodie jackets was standing at her door, covered in mud. The resident also described the man as having lips that were light in color and appeared to be burned.
“‘Don’t you know me? Don’t you remember me? The police are after me’,” the suspect told the woman, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The man reportedly asked the female if he could entire the house, but she refused and called for help. A black jacket was recovered by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician from behind the woman’s residence.
The search was called off just before 10 p.m. with no arrests. Deputies are continuing to look for the suspect.
The convenience store clerk was not injured in the robbery. It was not immediately known how much, if any, cash the suspect was able to take from the store.
Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (850) 436-9620.
Pictured top: A Century Correctional Institution K-9 unit searches for a suspect after a Thursday night armed robbery in Century. Pictured inset: An Escambia Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician processes fingerprints on the front door of the business. Pictured below: Deputies on scene of an armed robbery Thursday night in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward To Get Electrical Academy, First Such Program In The Nation
March 5, 2010
Ernest Ward Middle School will be home to a new IBEW Electrical Academy next school year, the first such program in the nation at the middle school level.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers will work with the school district to create the Electrical Academy. Middle school career academies are small, personalized learning communities within a school in which select students and teachers participate during a two or three-year span. A career academy involves teachers from different subjects working together as an interdisciplinary team.
“The career academy is an exciting thing for Ernest Ward,” Escambia Superintendent of Education Malcom Thomas said. “It will engage students in a relevant way, while preparing them for the workforce and their future.”
In the EWMS Electrical Academy, the students will be introduced to electrical systems, learn the theories of electricity and gain valuable hands-on experience in various projects, according to Carl Leiterman, director of Workforce Education for the Escambia County School District. While students will work with AC (household type) electrical systems, most projects will use DC (battery type) voltage for safety reasons.
“They will take the theory and expand it to the application,” Leiterman said.
One focus of the program will be “green” power — wind and solar generation systems. “It’s one of the fastest growing and most in demand career fields right now,” he said. “The future is in green technology. These kids at Ernest Ward are going to have a tremendous opportunity to get a head start on a very well-paying career.”
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers curriculum will be adapted to meet Florida standards. The program, which will begin with the 2010-2011 school year, will be open to students from across Escambia County in grades seven and eight with at least a 2.0 GPA and few discipline referrals.
By 2012, the current Construction Academy at Northview High School is expected to be expanded to include an Electrical Academy, Leiterman said. After high school, students could transition into the workforce with certifications offered by the George Stone Technical Center or into college program including electrical engineering.
“It is an excellent opportunity for our communities and Ernest Ward,” Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry said. “With it being the first program like this in the nation, it will make Ernest Ward an even better opportunity for our students that we already are.”
There is one final hurdle before the IBEW Electrical Academy will be official — it must be approved by the Escambia County School Board at their April meeting. Thomas said he fully expects the board to grant approval.
Jay Softball Teams Pulls Out Of Brewton Tournament Following Weekend Shooting
March 5, 2010
Jay High School’s softball team has pulled out of a Brewton softball tournament following the weekend shooting of a Brewton teen near Jay.
The Lady Royals were scheduled to play in the tournament this weekend at T.R. Miller High School in Brewton, but the team will no longer take part out of what school officials called “an abundance of caution”.
Robert Franklin Floyd, 21, of Jay, is charged with an open count of murder for the shooting death of Getyron Lopez Benjamin, 18. Floyd is also facing three counts of attempted murder after he allegedly fired a rifle into a vehicle occupied by Benjamin and four other people that were leaving a party in Jay last Saturday morning.
There were allegations that the shooting could have been racially motivated, but many residents of Jay and Brewton say that race is not an issue in their town.
“This insanity has to stop,” one Jay High supporter wrote in an email to NorthEscambia.com “A lot of innocent people are being affected by people who are not and should not be involved in this situation.”
Federal Agents Raid Tax Service Business In Atmore, Other Cities; Search Owner’s House
March 5, 2010
(Updated) Federal agents raided an Atmore tax and check cashing business Thursday morning as well as locations of the business in two other Alabama cities. They also searched the home of the business’ owner.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service served a federal search warrant at the Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC on Ridgely Street in Atmore about 9 a.m. Locations of the business in Monroeville and Thomasville, Alabama, were also included in the search warrant, as was the Monroeville home of Alice Preyear Mobley. According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, Mobley is the owner of the business.
FBI and IRS agents on scene in Atmore were unable to comment about their investigation. They were observed removing items from the business and searching at least one vehicle in the parking lot next to the business. Atmore Police Department officers and the federal agents were seen questioning at least one person from the business.
“I can confirm that we were there on official business,” said Patty Bergstom, an IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent and spokesperson in Atlanta. “I can’t confirm or deny that we are involved in any investigation there.” Bergston confirmed that IRS agents also were also at locations of Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC in Monroeville and Thomasville.
“We were there executing search warrants,” Angela Tobon, a spokesperson in the FBI’s Mobile Division said. She would not confirm any other details due to an ongoing investigation.
No one was arrested during Thursday morning’s operation.
Pictured above: A federal agent enters Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC in Atmore Thursday morning. Pictured inset: Agents search a vehicle at the business. Pictured below: A federal agent and Atmore Police officer talk to an employee of the business during the raid. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
