Good News: Gas Prices Continue Downward Spiral
October 29, 2008
Gas prices across North Escambia continue to fall, with the lowest price in each community late Tuesday ranging from $2.59 to a low of $2.41.
The lowest price we could find in North Escambia was at the Tom Thumb in Molino, with a gallon of regular unleaded selling for $2.41 a gallon.
The average price of a gallon of gas has dropped more than $1 in Florida in the past month. The state average is $2.71, down from $3.73 this time last month. Analysts say that with the falling price of crude, now down to less than $65 a barrel, we can expect gas prices to continue to decline. Some analysts are predicting that gas will fall below $2 a gallon by Christmas.
The lowest price in Escambia County late Tuesday was $2.29 at several stations, including Murphy USA at the Creighton Walmart, a Tom Thumb on Pensacola Bldvd., and several stations on Nine Mile Road.
Local Students Perform In All-County Honor Chorus
October 29, 2008
The 2008 All-County Choral Gala was held Tuesday night at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola with two North Escambia elementary schools participating.
Students from Bratt and Molino Park elementary schools were among the dozens of students selected to participate in the program that featured music ranging from classic to contemporary.
Zachary Holland, Libery Peebles and Lori Harrell represented Bratt Elementary; and Moriah Magahan, Jordan Summerlin and Sabrina Wine represented Molino Park Elementary on the Elementary All-County Honor Chorus. Bratt’s students were coached by music teacher Emily Pollard, and Molino Park’s students were coached by music teacher Twinette McDonald.
Pictured above: Bratt Elementary students (L-R) Zachary Holland, Libery Peebles and Lori Harrell represented Bratt Elementary in the All-County Honor Chorus Tuesday night at Olive Baptist Church. Submitted cell phone photo by Wayne Holland for NorthEscambia.com.
Century, Flomaton Trick-Or-Treat Thursday Night; Others Friday Night
October 29, 2008
Trick-or-Treat has officially been moved to Thursday night in both Flomaton and Century.
Trick-or-Treat in Century will be from 5:00 until 8:00 in Century. The town will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters from 6:00 until 8:00 at Roadside Park.
In Flomaton, the town’s annual Fall Festival will be held downtown from 6:00 until 8:00 Thursday night, and trick-or-treat hours will be 5:00 until 8:00.
In the City of Atmore, trick-or-treat will be 5:00 until 8:00 Friday night.
In the rest of Escambia County, Florida, there’s no official trick-or-treat times, but it will be held Friday night.
Walton Downs Northview In District Volleyball Tourney
October 29, 2008
The Northview Chiefs dropped district tournament games to Walton High School Tuesday night in Pensacola.
Walton downed the Chiefs 13-25, 15-25, 26-28.
Northview stats:
Shawna Montgomery: Aces-3 Dig-1
Brittney Thompson: Kills-7, Block-1
Caitlin Hall: Assists-5
Amber McMillan: Aces-3, Digs-7
Northview is 13-11 overall, 3-3 in the district.
Early Voting Extended
October 29, 2008
Early voting hours have been extended at the Escambia County’s four early voting locations. Governor Crist issued an executive order Tuesday mandating the change in schedule throughout the state.
Early voters may cast their ballots today through Saturday, November 1st, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Early voters can choose any one of the four sites:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, second floor.
- Supervisor of Elections branch office, 292 Muscogee Road, Cantonment.
- Lucia M. Tryon Branch Library, 5740 N. Ninth Ave.
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway.
Wednesday is the last day to request an absentee ballot, which can be obtained by contacting the Supervisor of Elections by mail, phone (850-595-3900), e-mail (absentee@escambiavotes.com), fax (850-595-3914), or by using the online form at www.EscambiaVotes.com. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and the address
where the ballot should be mailed. Requests must be received no later than Wednesday, October 29th. Voted ballots must be received in the Elections Office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
The third option for voters is to cast a paper ballot at their precinct on Election Day. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Downed Power Lines On 29 Tie Up Traffic, Leave Bogia Homes In The Dark
October 28, 2008
Traffic was backed up and dozens of homes lost power in the Bogia area Tuesday morning when strong wings brought down a dead tree and caused power lines to fall across Highway 29.
It happened about 11:00 on Highway 29, about a mile south of Bogia Road. The dead tree broke a power pole in half, sending power lines across both lines of Highway 29. One vehicle struck a power line in the southbound lane of Highway 29. The driver was not injured, and there was no damage to the car.
Both the north and south bound lanes of Highway 29 were closed for about 45 minutes while crews from Escambia River Electric Cooperative worked to clear the lines from the roadway.
Highway 29 was open again by about 11:45. It was closed a few more times during the afternoon as power crews pulled new lines across the roadway. Powere was restored to most homes by 2:30.
The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department all responded to the call.
Pictured above: The driver of this car had a minor collision with a downed power line on Highway 29 just south of Bogia Road late Tuesday morning. Pictured below: Traffic backs up as crews work to clear the power lines. Pictured bottom: The downed pole. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Residents Report Ground Shaking; Most Likely Sonic Boom
October 28, 2008
Residents across the area are reporting a “rumble” or a “shaking” about 9:00 this morning.
We’ve received numerous calls and emails from across the area reporting rumbling walls and shaking windows. But it was not an earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No seismic activity was reported within 1,000 miles of North Escambia.
Officials say it was likely a sonic boom…cold temperatures and low humidity can often lead to sonic booms traveling great distances.
From Wheelchair To Saddle 24 Years After Car Accident; Molino Ranch Makes It Possible
October 28, 2008
Debbie Thompson Dawson spent hours riding horses around Barinneau Park. Up and down roads. In the woods. In the river. From sun-up to sundown, she would ride with her friend Patricia Rigel. It was the passion in Debbie’s life.
But in July 1984 that passion to ride her horse hour upon hour came to a crashing end in a major automobile accident. In the blink of an eye, Debbie went from saddle to wheelchair. She could could no longer walk, and she could no longer ride horses around the Barinneau Park countryside.
But recently, Debbie was back in the saddle again for the first time in 24 years, thanks for her friend Patricia and the caring volunteers of The Leaning Post Ranch in Molino.
“I enjoyed being back on the horse,” Debbie said, her speech slow and slurred from a brain injury she suffered in the wreck. But through the speech difficulty, there was a smile in her voice. “It had been a long time. I did not thing I would ever get back on a horse. But I did. It was the best thing that happened to me in a long time. I love being on the horse.”
Twenty-four years after the accident, Debbie now spend her time confined to a wheelchair at her home in Gonzalez, someone assisting her with everyday life. Patricia is now the librarian at the Century Branch Library and a volunteer at The Leaning Post. The Leaning Post brought the two childhood friends back together.
“It felt like we had gone back to being 16 year olds,” Patricia said. “She was back in the saddle, back holding the reigns. That was probably one of the happiest moments in her life.”
“Pat is a good friend,” Debbie said. “We loved to ride horses together.” I love the horse.”
The horse that Debbie rode for the first time after all those years? It was Patricia’s horse Minnie, a registered Appaloosa that she had donated to The Leaning Post.
Debbie’s ride almost two and half decades after her accident was made possible by The Leaning Post, directors Fran and Newman Gersin and a host of volunteers at the Molino’s Leaning Post Ranch, a state-licensed facility and prevention program for developmentally disabled and at-risk young people.
The facility was established in 1992 by Fran and Newman Gersin. They started with one horse, and a dream to use that horse to encourage kids and keep them off drugs.
Now The Leaning Post Ranch has 40 acres, a barn, a new open-air arena, a multipurpose facility, a house, 16 horses and a pony…thanks to generosity of several local organizations. And the Gersins are quick to thank God for what happens at The Leaning Post.
Above all to God by the glory,” Fran Gersin said at a dedication ceremony in May. “There is no way two people could do all of this. Only God could do this.”
Debbie is now scheduled for her third session and her doctor is thrilled and has told her to keep it up. It not only is good for healthy bones but the therapeutic riding helps move all of the muscles in the body, Patricia said.
The Leaning Post is in need of Certified NARHA Instructors (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) and volunteers who can work Monday through Friday.
The Leaning Post Ranch is located at 4150 Cedar Springs Road in Molino. For more information, visit http://www.theleaningpostranch.com.
About 25 Percent Of District 5 Voters Have Already Voted
October 28, 2008
Election Day is a week away, but about 25 percent of registered voters in District 5 have already voted in the November 4 General Election.
As of Monday afternoon, 8,455 District 5voters had cast absentee or early ballots for the General Election. That represents about 21.4% of the district’s 39,538 registered voters.
Broken down by party, 3,557 Democrats, or about 24.4%, of District 5’s 14,545 registered voters have already cast their ballot. On the Republic side, about 25% — 4,898 voters — have already voted.
Early voting continues until Saturday, and absentee ballots can be requested by mail through Wednesday. Click here for a story with more details on those early voting options.
Monday Brush Fire
October 28, 2008
Gusty winds Monday afternoon led to the rapid spread of a fire in a Walnut Hill hayfield.
The fire was reported about 4:00 in a field on Kansas Road, just off Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill. A roll of hay in a hay baler caught fire. The farmer dumped the roll of hay into the field to save the baler, and that set about a half acre of the field on fire.
There were no structures threatened or damaged, and there were no injuries.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue responded to the call. It took about an hour to extinguish the fire.
Pictured above and below: Firefighters from Escambia Fire-Rescue’s Walnut Hill Station fight a brush fire on Kansas Road Monday afternoon.
