Molino Church Ends VBS With 284 And A 50-Foot Banana Split
July 4, 2009
A Molino church wrapped up their Vacation Bible School Friday night in a really big way — a 50-foot long, double row banana split for over 200 kids.
Highland Baptist Church had set a lofty goal of 200 enrolled in their VBS this week. One of the ways they decided to promote their “Boomerang Express” VBS was with signs along several Molino roads. A day after they signs were placed around Molino — included in private yards and on church property — every sign had been stolen. The signs were remade and put out Monday afternoon, only to be stolen again Monday night.
Between word of mouth, news stories and advertisements on NorthEscambia.com about the stolen signs and mentions of the story on WXBM radio, the Highland Baptist finished the week with 284 enrolled in VBS.
“The Lord is so good,” Pastor Brian Calhoun said. “He took the bad and turned it into a really good week for the children.”
The 50-foot banana split was assembled Friday night with military precision. Volunteers sliced 120 bananas, added 20 gallons of ice cream, eight large cans of whipped cream, seven pounds of M&Ms and over a gallon of chocolate syrup.
The total time from 200 plus spoons hitting the banana split to the first mop on the floor to cleanup was just over 10 minutes.
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Pictured above and below: Highland Baptist Church in Molino wrapped up their Vacation Bible School Friday night with a 50-foot long banana split. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Column: Fire It Up and Grill – Safely
July 4, 2009
The Fourth of July means grilling — and a good cookout means proper food safety.
Safety is an important consideration when operating a grill. Improper use can cause a fire or explosion. Keep the area around a lighted grill clear of combustible materials, and never use a grill in an enclosed area such as a sheltered patio or a garage. Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing that may catch fire. The cooking grids should be cleaned after every cookout. The last thing you want to do is cause someone to become ill due to improper cleaning or unsafe food preparation practices.
Wash your hands with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds before starting to prepare any foods, and wash your hands again if you do anything else—change a diaper, pet an animal, or blow your nose, for example. Cover any cuts or sores on your hands with a bandage, or use plastic gloves. If you sneeze or cough while preparing foods, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and turn your face away, or cough into your sleeve. Always wash your hands afterwards.
Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature. Most food-borne illness-causing bacteria cannot grow well at temperatures below 40°F or above 140°F. Thaw foods in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Never leave foods out at room temperature.
Keep everything that touches food clean. Bacteria can hitch rides around your kitchen on all sorts of things—plates and cutting boards, dirty utensils, dish rags and sponges, unwashed hands.
Never chop fresh vegetables or salad ingredients on a cutting board that was used for raw meat without properly cleaning it first. If possible, keep a separate cutting board just for the preparation of raw meat, poultry, and fish.
Wash cutting boards thoroughly with hot soapy water, and then sanitize with a solution of household bleach and water.
Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices from coming into contact with other foods during preparation, especially foods that will not be cooked. Wash all utensils and your hands with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat.
Marinate meat, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator in a covered, non-metal container. Throw away any leftover marinade.
Grill food to a safe internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer to assure correct doneness of the food being grilled.
Safe minimum internal temperatures:
- Poultry (whole, ground, and breasts): 165°F
- Hamburgers, beef: 160°F
- Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks, roasts and chops):
- Medium rare: 145°F
- Medium: 160°F.
- All cuts of pork: 160°F.
Hold meat at 140°F until served. Use a clean platter for transferring cooked meat from grill to serving table.
Summer is the time for getting together with friends and family and cooking outdoors. Make your outdoor grilling experience safe and enjoyable.
For further information regarding food safety and other related topics, go to the University of Florida’s Solutions for Your Life website: http://www.solutionsforyourlife.com.
Dorothy C. Lee, CFCS, is an Extension Agent II, Family & Consumer Sciences with the Escambia County Extension Service. Reference: Safe Food Handling Fact Sheet, United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Series.
Highway 97 Accident Injures One Friday Afternoon
July 3, 2009
A two vehicle accident in Davisville Friday afternoon sent one person to the hospital.
The accident happened on Highway 97 between Highway 4 and Pine Forest Road about 4:50 Friday afternoon when the driver of a pickup apparently collided with the rear of a car. One person was transported to the hospital by Atmore Ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue, Atmore Ambulance and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the crash. The accident is still under investigation by the FHP. No further details were available.
Pictured above: One person was injured with this Dodge Ram apparently struck the rear of a car Friday afternoon on Highway 97 in Davisville. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Several Escambia Post Offices Could Be Closed; Find Out Which Ones
July 3, 2009
Several Escambia County post office locations are among 3,200 that the United States Postal Service will review for possible closure or consolidation over the next 60 days.
The USPS will consider the Pensacola Post Office and the Downtown, Myrtle Grove, Warrington, East Hill and Nobles stations for closure or consolidation. USPS stations are subsidiary locations of a main post office, and they do not have their own postmaster.
North Escambia area posts offices are not on the chopping block at this time. The Century, McDavid, Molino, Cantonment, Jay, Flomaton and Atmore post offices are not being considered for closure or consolidation at this time, according to Joseph Breckenridge, spokesperson for the USPS. The post office in Walnut Hill is a contract station operated by Escambia River Electric Cooperative and is also not on the list.
“In your area, you can pretty much ignore it,” Breckinridge told NorthEscambia.com about the closure study. “We are only looking at main offices, stations and branches in the major population centers.”
“We are not looking at any post offices in the rural areas,” he added. “We are looking at those post offices in cities were they are just a few miles apart, not the post offices where it is miles and miles to next station.”
Congress has actually made it harder to close small post offices like those in rural communities, mandating that small post offices can’t be closed just because they are not generating enough revenue. Small post offices can be closed, however, when their leases expire.
The decisions as to which post offices might close could come soon — with postal officials saying that the decision could be made within 60 days. There would be a 10-day public comment period for affected customers to speak out about the closure of their post office.
Postal customers in rural North Escambia, North Santa Rosa and Escambia County (Ala.) would not see any difference in their mail delivery if several of the Pensacola stations were to close, said Breckinridge.
Faced with losses expected to exceed $6 billion in 2009, the Postal Service is looking to cut costs. Breckinridge said that mail volume fell by 9.5 million pieces last year and is expected to decline another 20 billion pieces this year.
Could Atmore Be The Future Home Of An Electric Car Plant?
July 3, 2009
Another electric vehicle manufacturing company is looking at creating up to 10,000 jobs between several new U.S. facilities — possibly including a manufacturing plant near Atmore.
CT&T Company Ltd., a South Korean car company, plans to establish a North America headquarters, a research and development and several manufacturing facilities to produce and market an entire product line of electric vehicles and batteries. Company officials say they are considering potential sites in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and California.
Sites near Atmore and Bay Minette were reported to be finalists last year when Volkswagen AG picked Chattanooga, Tenn. for a plant location. Officials in Atmore and Baldwin County would not confirm if there had been any discussions with CT&T.
“While we are reviewing a number of locations for our operations, we are committed to having a major presence in the Southeastern and West Coast regions,” CT&T President and CEO Young Gi Lee said. “”We are accelerating our plans to become a major investor in zero emissions vehicle technologies in the U.S. CT&T has become a category leader because of our advanced technology, plus we offer a solution to the primary barrier to consumer adoption of electric vehicles by offering EVs at affordable prices.”
By the fourth quarter of 2009, the company expects to begin selling c-Zone utility EVs for commercial and government applications as well the e-Zone City Drive EVs. Vehicles will range in price from $8,000 to $16,000 fully equipped.
CT&T United recently submitted proposals to work with the Department of Energy to accelerate the implementation of battery, electric motor drive and electric vehicle technologies. DOE is expected to announce their plans regarding these proposals later this summer.
“We have an aggressive market development plan, and our innovative Regional Assembly and Sales (RAS) system will enable us to reach our employment predictions of more than 10,000 people in the U.S. by 2014,” said Lee. The RAS system is characterized by a network of regional joint ventures that will facilitate manufacturing, assembly and sales activities in specific geographic market areas throughout the U.S.
NorthEscambia.com was the first media to report last October that a Pensacola group was considering Century as a location for an EV facility with 1,100 jobs. That plan later fell apart after it was revealed that principal investors had tax problems and the state of Florida rejected a $2.5 million grant application. The Century EV project was not related to the South Korean company that is currently considering an Alabama location.
Thompson Pleads Not Guilty To Killing Cheryl Cain, Dumping Body In Dumpster
July 3, 2009
Scott Joseph Thompson of Jay has entered a plea of not guilty on charges that he murdered Cheryl Cain, the Cantonment woman whose body was found in a Pensacola dumpster back in March.
Thompson will next appear in court for an arraignment hearing in late October. His jury trial is set to begin November 2.
Thompson, 29, has been held without bond since his arrest on June 9. When he was arrested on the murder charges, he was already in the Escambia County Jail for violating probation on 2007 narcotics charges, according to court records, waiting for a bed to become available in a drug treatment facility.
Cain’s body was found in a dumpster behind a Highway 29 gas station in Pensacola on March 25.
DNA evidence from the dumpster and in Cain’s car were used to charge Thompson with murder, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department. Thompson’s DNA was reportedly found in Cain’s vehicle, which was located after the murder at a Pensacola motel.
Cain’s wallet was found under Thompson’s bed, authorities said. Thompson was the roommate of Cain’s ex-boyfriend, according to authorities.
Pictured TOP: Scott Joseph Thompson (standing) appears in court via a video feed from the Escambia County Jail.
Destin Downs Tri-County; Rain Causes Delays In Jay, Destin
July 3, 2009
Tri-County was knocked out of the 11-12 Year Old Baseball All-Star Tournament in Jay with a Thursday night loss to Destin.
The Destin All-Stars defeated Tri-County 15-5 in a game that was delayed by weather. That weather delay in the first game of the night caused the second Thursday night tournament game between Defuniak Springs and Niceville-American to be postponed until a future date to be determined.
Meanwhile, it was a wet and stormy night in Destin too, with a rainout of the Northwest Escambia softball game against Shalimar. It has been rescheduled for Monday night as the 11-12 Year Old All-Star District 1 Tournament continues in Destin.
The Destin area was hit hard by storms Thursday afternoon, with over $1 million in damage done to several planes at the Destin Airport.
Rivkin’s Blood Alcohol was .295 When She Hit, Killed Bicyclist
July 3, 2009
When Christina Rivkin hit and killed a bicyclist on his way to work on June 10, her blood alcohol level was more than three and a half times the legal limit.
Friday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol released its results of Rivkin’s blood tests; The FHP says Rivkin’s blood alcohol levels tested at .297 and .295. The legal limit in Florida is .08.
The FHP said Rivkin was so drunk that she did not know her own name when she hit the bicyclist. She left the scene, and nearly hit a deputy’s cruiser when she returned about an hour later.
Christina Rae Rivkin, 32, is charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI with property damage, DUI and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death in connection with the death of Michael Adam Steele, 25, of Pensacola.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Rivkin was traveling westbound on Nine Mile Road when she crossed the white line near Brewster Street and struck Steele as he was riding his bicycle about 11:15 Wednesday night. Troopers say Steele and his bicycle were dragged under Rivkin’s GMC Yukon for about a quarter of a mile. Rivkin then fled the scene.
A passerby called 911 after discovering the body in the roadway. About an hour later, Rivkin returned to the scene, where she “skidded to an abrupt stop nearly striking the patrol car of Deputy Mark Smith,” the FHP report says. She “appeared extremely intoxicated. She smelled strongly of alcoholic beverage and her speech was slurred. She could not walk without assistance. (She) could not remember her name or say where she was,” the report continues.
Rivkin, according to the FHP, refused to perform a breath test, and a blood sample was taken to determine her blood alcohol level. Those test results are not yet available.
“He jumped out in front of me. What was I suppose to do?” Rivkin told a trooper at the scene.
The FHP says that the front of Rivkin’s vehicle had damage consistent with hitting the bicyclist, and “there appeared to be blood on the front of her vehicle.”
Rivkin had at least two prior DUI arrests and five other moving violations, according to the FHP.
Steele was riding his bicycle to work as part of the stock crew at the Nine Mile Road Winn Dixie when the accident occurred, according to family members. Steele and his wife, Brittney, 20, only owned one car, and family members said he wanted his wife to have the car for her morning commute. He rode the bicycle so that she did not have to drive him to work so that she would be well rested for her job.
Rivkin remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
County Funds Half Of Pensacola Chamber, Gives Century Chamber Nothing
July 2, 2009
Escambia County directly or indirectly provides over 50 percent of the $4.3 million in revenue for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber and exactly nothing for the Century Chamber of Commerce.
Escambia County contracts with the Pensacola Chamber to provide economic development for the county. Commissioner Gene Valentino had pushed a plan that would have brought more economic development control back to the county, but Wednesday that plan failed to gain the approval of the Pensacola-Escambia Economic Development Commission. Instead, the PEDC endorsed a plan presented by the Pensacola Chamber to continue chamber and private economic development efforts. Read more here.
Through various funding sources, the Pensacola Chamber received $2,342,136 in funding from Escambia County during their fiscal year that ended September 20, 2008. That was 54 percent of the Pensacola Chamber’s entire $4,337,642 gross receipts.
During the same year, the Century Chamber of Commerce received no money from Escambia County, according to Margie McCall, the chamber’s treasurer.
The county provides funding for the Pensacola Chamber, not the Century Chamber, because the Pensacola Chamber is the one contracted to do the county’s economic development, McCall said.
Escambia County did contribute funds several years ago to the Century Chamber. They first received $50,000 to purchase their current office location, then another $50,000 to renovate the building, and finally $50,000 for furnishings and to pave the parking lot.
After that, McCall said the county would have continued funding for the Century Chamber — with the restriction that the funds could not be used for marketing or economic development. Since the chamber is in the business of marketing and economic development in Century, McCall said the Century Chamber did not apply for additional county funds.
That has left the Century Chamber with little funding. The chamber receives about $2,500 per year in membership fees from about 50 members. A few businesses provide a few thousand dollars per year in economic support for the chamber. Otherwise, the Century Chamber has little in the budget, McCall said.
‘We are reaching the point that we will have to do something,” she said. “We are strapped for funds. We may have to look at trying some kind of fund raiser in the future.”
As part of its economic development functions for the county, the Pensacola Chamber provides business prospects with information about available industrial sites in the county, including Century. For instance, the Pensacola Chamber web site highlights the Century Industrial Park and the availability of the old Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company building.
Valentino’s Economic Plan Out; Chamber’s Plan In
July 2, 2009
The competition over economic development plans in Escambia County is over, with a plan from the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce winning out over a plan by Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino.
The Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission listened for less than an hour to Valentino and Chamber Chairman Mort O’Sullivan as they detailed their plans. Valentino’s plan would have given the county more control over economic development; the chamber’s plan would leave economic development with the Pensacola Chamber and the private sector.
The PEDC members voted to express a clear preference for the Chamber plan and send it to the Century Town Council, Pensacola City Council and Escambia County Commission for a vote. The PEDC can only offer recommendations to the governmental entities; the group has no authority to actually put the plan in motion.
The PEDC members are Century Mayor Freddie McCall, County commissioners Kevin White and Valentino, Pensacola council members Sam Hall and Martin Deweese and businessmen Blaise Adams, Rhette Anderson, Collier Merrill and O’Sullivan.
The Chamber plan creates the Greater Pensacola Partnership, a new economic development organization. The PEDC recommended that the county and Pensacola use increases in utility franchise fees to fund economic incentives of at least $4 million per year. PEDC voted to ask the Century and Pensacola councils and the county commission to allow the board to recommend how that $4 million is allocated.
To read more about the Pensacola and Century chambers, click here.