Northview JV Falls To Baker
October 3, 2008
The Northview High School JV football team lost to Baker Thursday night in Bratt, 30-0.
The JV Chiefs will be at home next week against West Florida High School.
Pictured above and below: Action from Thursday night’s NHS JV versus Baker game. Submitted photos by Heather Leonard for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Movie With A Message: Locals Fireproof Their Marriages
October 2, 2008
Critics are calling the movie “Fireproof” remarkable, and at least one local pastor is already using the film as a tool in his church, teaching couples to strengthen their marriages.
The action-packed inspirational movie “does have its commendable elements, including that rarest of creatures on the big (or small) screen: characters with a strong, conservative Christian faith who don’t sound crazy,” according a New York Times review.
“For a Christian audience and non-Christians, it is absolutely a movie you should see,” Pastor Ted Bridges of the Walnut Hill Baptist Church said. About 20 adults and 10 youth from the church watched the movie on Saturday, opening weekend. The film opened at number four in the country, despite a limited release on just 839 screens across the U.S.
At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter’s adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules. After seven years of marriage, Caleb and Catherine Holt have drifted so far apart that Catherine wishes she had never married. Neither one understands the pressures the other faces–he as firefighter and she as the public relations director of a hospital.
Regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests have readied them both to move on to something with more sparks. As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb’s father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment he calls “The Love Dare.” Wondering if it’s even worth the effort, Caleb agrees, but more for his father’s sake more than for his marriage.
“The movie is a very good depiction of how the enemy (the devil) works against the sanctity of marriage,” Bridges said. “It speaks to a lot of the pressures of our society like finances, and even things like Internet pornography.” (The pornography, Bridges said, is implied, not shown on screen.)
“A wife can see areas from her side of the marriage and learn; men can walk away with how we can live our lives better in our marriage,” he said. Even the youth from Walnut Hill Baptist that attended the movie walked away having learned things from the movie, he said.
Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron, was produced by Sherwood Pictures and Sherwood Baptist Church in Georgia with an all-volunteer 1,200 member cast and crew. But it’s not a bad production nor a “B movie”, Bridges said.
“It’s not boring; it’s not a bad production,” Bridges said. “There are a lot of fire scenes that are well done and exciting.”
The couples from Walnut Hill Baptist that attended the movie went out to eat following the show, holding a discussion about marriage. Each couple signed a certificate rededicating themselves to their marriage, and the men presented their wives with a single rose.
“It was touching,” Bridges said. “Even the big ole tough fellows were standing around talking about the movie, asking each other if they cried. ‘Yeah, I cried,’ they said.”
The movie is not belittling toward non-Christians, nor does it “preach”, the pastor said. “It’s not Christians on a soapbox,” he said.
Bridges said he hopes to see more Christian movies that are good entertainment coming out of Hollywood.
Fireproof is the third movie from Sherwood Pictures. Their first movie, “Flywheel”, had only a very limited release on DVD in 2003. Their underdog football team movie, “Facing the Giants”, grossed over $10 million despite being produced on a $100,000 budget in 2006.
Fireproof is showing at the Rave Theater at W Street and Highway 29 in Pensacola. For more information about the movie, visit www.fireproofthemovie.com.
Century Whataburger Sold From Franchisee To Whataburger Company
October 2, 2008
The franchise owner of the Century Whataburger has been sold back to the family-owned Whataburger company.
Whataburger acquired its largest franchisee, Barrand, Inc. Barrand is a Texas based company with 47 Whataburger restauarants in the Florida Panhandle and Northeast Texas, including the store in Century that opened in mid-December.
These restaurants were operated by Barrand, Inc.’s owner and longtime Whataburger franchisee, Randal Brown. Whataburger Vice President of Franchise Development Clifton Rutledge will oversee the newly acquired restaurants, 24 in Northeast Texas and 23 in the Florida Panhandle. He will work with approximately 1,700 Barrand, Inc. team members to continue Whataburger’s 58-year burger tradition.
“Randal has been a part of our franchise system for 24 years. His restaurants are known for their friendly service, as community gathering places, and were consistently among the highest volume restaurants in the system.” Preston Atkinson, Whataburger President and COO, said. “This acquisition goes far beyond numbers for Whataburger. It is significant because it means we can ensure that our loyal customers continue to receive the friendly service and fresh, made-to-order food they’ve come to love at Whataburger.”
Brown became a Whataburger franchise operator in 1983, opened his first location in Desoto, Texas and demonstrated steady growth to 47 restaurants.
“I’ve enjoyed being a part of the Whataburger family and seeing this brand grow,” Brown said. “I know our restaurants will continue to be an important part of many Texas and Florida communities for years to come.”
Whataburger will now own 591 of 712 Whataburger restaurants, including 84% percent of all its locations in Florida, strengthening its position in the first state Whataburger expanded to outside of Texas.
Family-owned Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950, when company founder Harmon Dobson opened his first Whataburger restaurant in Corpus Christi. The small, wooden stand sold the enormous burgers for 25 cents each, and before the first week was out, lines stretched down the street.
Today, the company has more than 700 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually.
Pictured above: Whataburger in Century was among 47 stores sold from a franchise owner back to the Whataburger company. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Northview Names NJROTC Officers
October 2, 2008
Northview High School has named NJROTC officers for the 2008-2009 school year.
They are front row, left to right:
- Company CDR, c/LCDR Amanda Sellars
- Weapons Officer, c/SCPO Daniel Jordan
- Operations Officer, c/LTJG Deniece Jordan
- Supply Officer, c/ENS Miranda Scott
- Command Master Chief, c/MCPO Jessica Bloodsworth
- Executive Officer, c/LT Dalton Cummings
Back row, left to right:
- Athletics Officer,c/CPO Katie Mann
- First Lieutenant, c/LTJG Harrison Whitehead
- Admin Officer, c/ENS Clinton Davis
- Public Affairs Officer, c/CPO William Conway
- Chaplin, c/CPO Zachary Lamb
The Northview High NJROTC is under the command of Senior Naval Science Instructor Charlie Code.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Funeral Services Held For Former Trooper, Sheriff’s Dept. Employee
October 2, 2008
Funeral services were held Thursday for a former state trooper and sheriff’s department employee that died in a motor vehicle accident early Sunday morning.
Grover Barnes, Jr., 65, of Century died in the accident at 4:35 Sunday morning on Highway 99 at Frank Reeder Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Funeral services were Thursday afternoon at Olive Baptist Church with Dr. Ted Traylor officiating. Interment followed at Pensacola Memorial Gardens. Serving as pallbearers were members of the Masonic Lodge.
Honorary pallbearers were, Ken Robinson, Sheriff Ron McNesby, Martin Sharron, Skippy Edwards, Ed Emmons, Claude Gibbs, Andy McGovern, Pat Stephens, James and Ellison Carter, Paul Crumpler, Don Clevenger, Therrell Roberts, Danny Groves, members of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and others throughout the U.S. too numerous to mention.
Grover was born on in Pensacola, Florida, on August 26, 1943. He was a graduate of Escambia High School and served in the United States Army.
Grover was a faithful member of Olive Baptist Church. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a member of the Hadji Shrine Temple and Naval 24 Masonic Lodge.
At the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office he was specialist in the fleet maintenance division and made himself available to all other departments and personnel.
Preceding Grover in death were his parents, Grover Barnes, Sr. and Nettye Ruth Martin Barnes, and his granddaughter, Courtney Cobb.
Survivors include his son, Andrew Barnes; daughter, Valerie “Jeanie” Reed (Eric); brother, David Barnes (Katherine); very special friend, Mary Lou Palmer and her children, Jeffrey and Wendy Palmer, who he loved as his own; his grandsons, Corey Cobb and Christopher Reed; his niece, Shannon Pollock; and nephews, Brian Barnes and Michael Wright (Tracy and Grace).
Flomaton Downs Jay 28-0 In JV Ball
October 1, 2008
The Flomaton JV Canes traveled to Jay Tuesday evening to take on the Jay Royals.
The Canes remained undefeated after shutting out the Royals 28-0.
The next game for the JV Canes is October 7 at Excel.
For more photos from the game, click here.
For even more photos, visit www.mikenewtonphotography.zenfolio.com.
Pictured above and below: The JV Flomaton Hurricanes downed Jay Tuesday night, 28-0. Submitted photos by Mike Newton Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No More Alabama Kids Allowed In Florida Schools
October 1, 2008
School boards in Alabama and Florida are putting an end to the long standing practice of allowing Alabama students to cross the state line to attend Florida schools.
Since 1999, a written agreement between the school districts of Escambia County, Alabama, and Escambia County, Florida, has allowed up to 100 students per year from Escambia, Alabama, to attend school in Escambia County, Florida.
At a recent meeting of the Escambia County (Alabama) School Board, the board voted to rescind that agreement effective with the next school year. For the agreement to officially end, Escambia County, Florida, must rescind it as well.
The Escambia County (Florida) School Board will vote on revoking the agreement at a future meeting, district spokesperson Ronnie Arnold told NorthEscambia.com.
Once the agreement is gone, Alabama students currently enrolled in Escambia, Florida, schools will be allowed to finish the highest level offered by the school where they are currently enrolled.
“For example, an Alabama student in the third grade at Bratt Elementary would be allowed to attend school here through the fifth grade,” Arnold said. Once that child finished fifth grade, they would not be allowed to move on to middle school in Florida. A student attending Ernest Ward Middle School under the agreement would be allowed to finish the eighth grade but not be allowed to attend Northview High School.
“By and large, the decision to end this agreement had to do more with the Alabama system losing students to Florida,” Arnold said.
“You had parents that lived in say Atmore that worked in Cantonment that enrolled their students in Florida. It was just more feasible for the families,” he said.
Arnold said it is a complicated decision, because many parents wish to send their children to Florida schools because they feel they have more to offer. But the influx of Alabama students into already crowded Florida schools has created problems with Florida’s class size restrictions.
There is still at least one circumstance where a student that lives in Alabama might still be able to attend school in Florida. The student of divorced parents could live with one parent or guardian during the week in Alabama while their legal custodial parent is in Florida.
Escambia County (Alabama) Superintendent of Education Billy Hines did not return NorthEscambia.com’s phone calls after we left messages Tuesday on his voice mail and with a secretary.
Your comments on this story are welcome below. However, do not mention any child or their parent/guardian by name.
Pictured above: Of the 100 students from Alabama allowed to attend school in Escambia County, Florida, 18 of them attend Ernest Ward Middle School. Once an agreement between the districts in the two states is revoked, they will be allowed to continue at Ernest Ward but not move on to Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Jay, PCA Dominate Cross Country At Northview
October 1, 2008
Jay High School and Pensacola Christian Academy took the top two slots in both boys and girls cross country in a meet held Tuesday afternoon at Northview High School.
For a complete photo gallery from the run, click here.
In the boy’s 5K run, PCA’s team placed first, follow by Jay second, Northview High third, Tate fourth, Escambia Academy fifth, Central High sixth and Pensacola High School seventh.
The top five boys runners were:
- Alan Ash, Escambia Academy, 17:19
- Josh Slaughter, PCA, 18:03
- Justin James, PCA, 18:42
- James Whitehead, Jay, 18:43
- Seth Lassiter, EA, 18:52
The top three boys runners for Northview were Cody Chance, Elliot Ross and Joshua Scott.
In the girl’s 5K run, Jay High School placed first, followed by PCA in second and Pensacola High School Third.
Individual results from the girl’s teams were not available.
Pictured above: The race for the finish during a 5K cross country run Tuesday afternoon at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Northview Beats The Blue Devils On The Court
October 1, 2008
The Northview High School Chiefs beat the Blue Devils of Escambia County High School on the volleyball court in Atmore Tuesday afternoon.
The Chiefs took the set from ECHS 25-22, 25-22, 26-28, 25-16.
Sophomore Shawna Montgomery had two digs, four kills and five aces for the Chiefs. Brittney Thompson, a senior, had one ace, eight kills and a dig.
Ashley Digmon, a sophomore, had five digs, and Catilin Hall, a junior, had 17 assists and four aces.
Northview’s varsity and JV teams will be at home Thursday afternoon against Catholic High School. The JV plays at 4:30 and the varsity plays at 6:00.
Century Approved $3.15 Million Budget 4-1
September 30, 2008
The Town of Century approved a $3.15 million budget Monday afternoon, with one council member voting against it.
“I think that it is not very prudent of us to spend more than we are going to take in,” council President Ann Brooks said, “especially in light of the things that are going on with our economy.”
The balanced $3,154,355 budget does include over $100,000 transferred from a reserve account in order to make it balance.
The budget is just over $191,000 more than last year’s $2.96 million budget.
At Mondays’ final public hearing before approving the budget, just one member of the public spoke.
“If you take it to the people in Century, they will tell you that this budget has gone outrageous,” Leola Robinson told the council, saying that the council spends too much money. “For a little place like Century, I don’t see anything being done.”
The council also voted to keep their property tax millage rate the same at 0.817 mils. That’s equal to $81.17 in tax on a $100,000 piece of property with no exemptions.
The budget takes effect for the next fiscal year, which is October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2009.