Help For Haiti: North Escambia Residents Donate Health Kits
January 19, 2010
About 200 health kits are on their way from Molino to Haiti, thanks to the hard work of a local church and generosity of the North Escambia community.
The idea started with Allie Vidak (pictured left), a youth member at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and her mom Rikki. Allie saw a need following the massive earthquake in the island nation, and they settled on preparing the health kits and sending them to Haiti via UMCOR — the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
With items like washcloths, combs and soap, the health kits provide for basic needs among the quake victims, Rikki Vidak said.
Monday morning, a small group of volunteers gathered at the church to assemble to kits.
“We have had a lot of donated items. This is our first day of putting the kits together. We have a lot of wonderful volunteers helping make the kits. We’ve had about 100 kits donated already put together and have put together about another 100 today,” she said. “”We are out of nail clippers, hand towels and combs. Anyone who still wants to help out can donate for about a month. We were going to accept donations for about a week, but have decided to extend the time period for donations for a month.”
A box for donations will be located outside the church office. Aldersgate is located on Highway 29 just south of Highway 97.
Persons wishing to help can donate any of the items listed below, or assemble complete kits as instructed.
Haiti Health Kits
Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.
* 1 hand towel (15” x 25” up to 17” x 27”, no kitchen towels)
* 1 washcloth
* 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
* 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
* 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
* 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)
* 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
(NOTE: UMCOR is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before it is sent. Please include $1 for each kit you send toward the purchase of toothpaste.)
Important Kit Assembly Information
All items included in kits must be NEW items.
All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Since strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested items—nothing more.
Do NOT include any personal notes, money or additional materials in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment.
Pictured: Volunteers assemble health kits Monday morning for earthquake victims in Haiti. NorthEscambia.com and submitted photos, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Home Depot Armed Robbery Suspect
January 19, 2010
Authorities are still searching for the person responsible for the weekend armed robbery of the Home Depot on Nine Mile Road.
At about 6:40 Sunday night, about 20 minutes before the store would normally close, a store employee said a masked man with a gun forced him into the manager’s office and ordered him to open the store’s vault. The employee was unable to open the vault.
When a manager entered the office, the gunman forced him to open the vault. The robber fled the store with an undisclosed amount of money. The store manager and the employee were left behind in the manager’s office, their hands bound with zip ties.
The gunman was described as being about 6 feet tall, about 160 pounds and in his early 40’s. He was wearing a dark gray jacket, gray Dickies band pants, black gloves with “mechanic” written on them, and gray shoes with blue stripes. He had a thin mustache.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Deputy Knocked Down By Teen, Manhunt Follows
January 19, 2010
Deputies surrounded a Cantonment neighborhood Monday afternoon after an Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy was knocked down by a young teen suspect.
The problems started a little after 12:30 Monday when deputies responded to the area of Wegner Avenue where a couple of teens were reported to be threatening other kids with a gun. One of the teens was taken into custody without incident, but the second pushed a deputy and fled on foot.
Deputies created a perimeter around the neighborhood, a short distance from Allen Memorial United Methodist Church. A sheriff’s K-9 unit was called to the area to assist in the hunt for the teenage suspect.
He was captured a short time later by a homeowner when he tried to break into a neighborhood home. The homeowner held the teen until officers could take him into custody.
Further details were not immediately available.
Make Up To $15 An Hour: Census Is Hiring Now In North Escambia
January 19, 2010
The U.S. Census Bureau will hold testing events this week in North Escambia for persons interested in census jobs that pay up to $15 per hour.
The Census Bureau is currently hiring temporary employees to assist with this year’s census. Jobs will include census takers, crew leaders, crew leader assistant and census clerks.
Pay generally begins at $12.50 an hour, and can range up to $15 an hour, for up to a 40 hour week.
A valid driver’s license is required for most positions. Additionally, the potential Census Bureau employee must be 18 or older, pass a background check, be a U.S. citizen, pass a written test of basic skills and have a valid social security number.
Census Bureau hires locally because local residents are knowledgeable about their neighborhood and familiar with the community, its residents, and its local customs, according to their web site.
Persons taking one of the North Escambia census tests must have their valid driver’s license and social security card. Census tests will be given in North Escambia as follows:
- Thursday, January 21, 5 p.m.: Walnut Hill Community Center
- Saturday, January 23, 10 a.m.: Walnut Hill Community Center
- Monday, January 25, 7 p.m.: Aldersgate United Methodist Church (Molino)
- Monday, February 8, 7 p.m.: Aldersgate United Methodist Church
For more information on census jobs, click here or call Tebyl Presley at (251) 253-0622. Churches or other organization that would like to host a census job testing site should call the same number.
Residents Can Watch WKRG Again
January 19, 2010
Tower work that left many North Escambia residents unable to watch WKRG Channel 5 for about a week has been completed.
WKRG has completed a tower upgrade, moving their antenna to a 2,000 foot tower for a stronger signal.
“WKRG’s signal is now better and stronger than ever before,” according to a statement on the station’s web site.
During the antenna move, the station was forced to broadcast on lower power, making it almost impossible watch over the air in the North Escambia area. According to a statement from WKRG, it may be necessary to do a “rescan” if you use a digital converter box to watch WKRG.
The tower upgrade had no impact on WKRG viewers with DirecTV, Dish Network or cable television.
Remembering The Dream: Residents Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 19, 2010
Residents across the area gathered Monday to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with parades, motorcades and uplifting programs.
“Dream the dream,” Corma Eleise Robinson Gaines told those gathered to remember Dr. King in Century. “It’s in you to be great…God has placed something in you to bring that dream to fruition”.
Gaines told the gathering sponsored by the Century-Flomaton Improvement Association that Dr. King was a man that laid down his life for racial equality and for his people.
“It took a lot…don’t fool yourselves,” she said. “God’s going to raise somebody else up…look at Barrack Obama; he dreamed a dream.”
Gaines told the young people at Monday’s event that they too must live “the dream”.
“Don’t let anybody tell you what you can’t do,” she said. “Dare to dream in a troublesome land, in troublesome times.”
Similar events, parades and motorcades were held across the area Monday, including Century, Flomaton, Atmore, Pensacola and Cantonment.
Pictured top and bottom: Residents gathered in Century Monday morning to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pictured inset: Corma Eleise Robinson Gaines, guest speaker at the annual event sponsored by the Century-Flomaton Improvement Association. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
the road to the crown: Miss Northview High 2010 Contestants
January 19, 2010
Join NorthEscambia.com today through Saturday for a five part series “the road to the crown”, brought to you by Tammie’s Cuttin’ Loose and Mike Newton Photography.
We will follow 30 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2010. We’ll introduce you to each girl and go behind the scenes for a look at a Northview High School pageant.
A new installment of “the road to the crown” will be posted each morning beginning today and continuing until Saturday. Then, on Sunday morning, we’ll introduce you to the new Miss Northview High School.
The annual Miss Northview High School Pageant will be held on Saturday, January 23 at 6:30 in the school auditorium.
The pageant is sponsored by the Northview High Varsity Cheerleaders.
Today, we begin with a group photo of all the young ladies participating. Scroll down below the photo for their names. Click the photograph to enlarge.
“the road to the crown” is brought to you by Mike Newton Photography and Tammie’s Cuttin’ Loose Salon in Atmore.
Front row: Caitlyn Brown, Lindsey Holderfield, Ariel Holland, Ashley Cunningham, Tori Reid, Lauren McCall, Charleigh McPherson. Second row: Sarah Killam, Brittany Thompson, Amber McMillan, Angel Mitchell, Haley Knapp, Tiffany Sutton, Lauren Cloud. Third row: Allie Bryan, Tabitha Steege, Abigail Odom, Charla Stark, Felicia Settle, Kolbi Cobb, Candice Greenwell. Fourth row: Hayley Simpson, Morgan Smith, Allison Spence, Autumn Bobo, Miranda Burkett, Heather Ward, Caroline Prater, Elizabeth Wright. Seated: Miss NHS 2009 Amber Holland. Not pictured: Brooke Tullis. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Baldwin Deputy Dies In Hunting Accident
January 18, 2010
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is in mourning following the death of one of their own.
Deputy Mike Malone, 33, was killed late Sunday afternoon in a hunting accident near Eutaw in Greene County, Alabama. According to the Baldwin Sheriff’s Office, Malone was hunting on or near a train track and was struck and killed instantly by a train. He was survived by his wife, Amy.
Deputy Malone has worked for the Baldwin Sheriff’s Office since 2002. He worked inthe criminal patrol division of the sheriff’s office until 2008 when he was transferred to his current position as an investigator in the criminal investigations division. Deputy Malone was also a member on the sheriff’s office Emergency Response Team.
“The Sheriff’s Office would ask that you and the people of Baldwin County pray for the Malone family and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office,” the Baldwin SO said in a news release.
Fire Destroys Century Mobile Home
January 18, 2010
Fire destroyed a Century mobile home Monday morning.
The fire in 100 block of Zion Street was reported about 11:30. When firefighters arrived, they reported heavy smoke from the older, single wide trailer. The fire was reported to be under control with 10 minutes. There were no injuries reported.
The home suffered heavy smoke and water damage, in addition to heavy fire damage in the front area. Firefighters able to keep the blaze from spreading to another nearby mobile home.
Engine 519, the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the fire.
Pictured above: Firefighters make entry into a burning mobile home in Century Monday morning. Pictured inset: A fireman throws destroyed furniture out of the home after the blaze. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Stuck In A Tight Spot
January 18, 2010
A lost tractor trailer driver caused traffic on West Highway 4 to be shut down for a brief period around noon today.
The driver for Fresenius Manufacturing, Inc., apparently got lost on West Highway 4 and attempted to turn around. In the process, he jackknifed the truck and became struck.
Members of the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue returning from a call were able to use their fire engine to pull the truck free.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.