Two Nights Of Record Low Temps Could Be On The Way
June 17, 2008
You may be able to cut off your air conditioner Wednesday and Thursday nights, says the National Weather Service. After the passage of two cold fronts, overnight lows both Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be around 61 degrees across the North Escambia area.
For today, there is a 30 percent chance of rain with a high of 92. Tonight, there is a 40 percent chance of rain with a low of 68. Wednesday, there is a slight 20 percent chance of rain before winds turn to the north with a high of 88.
Firefighters Respond To Wheat Field Fire Monday Night Near Bratt
June 17, 2008
The Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department responded to a brush fire call on Rigby Road at Still Road near Bratt about 9:30 Monday night.
When they arrived, they found a wheat field being burned by a farmer. The approximately 10 acre fire could been seen from four to five miles away, appearing as a huge glowing area in the sky from that distance.
The fire had almost burned itself out by the time firefighters arrived. The farmer had plowed a line around the previously harvested field to prevent the fire from spreading.
Pictured above: Firefighters on the scene of a wheat field Monday night near Bratt. A residence that was not threatened by the fire can be seen. Pictured below: A fire whirl, also known as a fire tornado or fire devil, begins to form in the field. Note the spinning embers rising several feet into the air over the flames. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Room Log Walnut Hill School House Wins Major Historic Preservation Award
June 16, 2008
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation recently honored the restoration project of the old Walnut Hill School House.
During the Trust’s 2008 Preservation Awards ceremony, the Walnut Hill School House project was awarded Outstanding Achievement in the Restoration/Rehabilitation Awards category. The award was accepted by Escambia County and the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club.
The log school, believed to have been built sometime around or just before 1880, was flattened by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. It was restored under the leadership of Quina Grundhoefer Architects in Pensacola with funding from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The restoration used mostly the original logs, reassembling them like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Each year, the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation recognizes significant contributions to the preservation of Florida’s historic resources through the annual Preservation Awards.
According to information posted inside the one room schoolhouse, the exact construction date of the building is unknown because school district records prior to 1880 could not be located. Financial records for the Escambia County School District indicate that William “Uncle Bud” Williams received $40 in April 1880 for “building a new school” and the school received a new heater at the cost of $10 in 1881.
A small shed had been constructed along the railroad about 10 miles north in Alabama several years prior for Williams. The settlement was named Williams Station in honor of Williams in 1866. That community was later renamed Atmore.
The school was originally located near the corner of the present day intersection of Arthur Brown Road and Highway 97. It was moved to its current location on Highway 97 after the construction of the Walnut Hill Community Center, also known as the Walnut Hill Ruritan Building, in the late 1990’s.
When the building was restored, a wheelchair ramp was added in accordance with law. A glassed in area just inside the door will allow visiting school children to view the interior of the building.
The Ruritan Club has placed a period wood burning heater in the building and a single student desk. The club plans to fully restore the interior of the building as a history museum, complete with a teacher’s desk and students desks. There is currently one student desk in the building. The Ruritan Club is in search of more desks like the one pictured at the bottom of the page to complete their collection. If you know where to locate desks like these, email us here at news@northescambia.com and we will put you in touch with the right people.
Pictured above: The exterior of the restored Walnut Hill School House. Pictured below: The interior of the log school house and a period desk. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
NWE All Stars Beat Shalimar 7-3
June 16, 2008
The Northwest Escambia Nine Year Old All Stars team traveled to Niceville Saturday night to take one Shalimar.
NWE defeated Shalimar by a score of 7 to 3. Zach Payne pitched for three innings and allowed no runs.
Center fielder Zachary Maholovich made an awesome catch in the 6th inning for an out.
NWE will travel back to Niceville tonight against Destin.
Ramona Preston story and photos for NorthEscambia.com. Pictured above: The NWE Nine Year Old All Stars, click to enlarge.
Tax Exemption Extended For McDavid Lumber Mill
June 16, 2008
A tax exemption for the West Fraser lumber mill in McDavid was recently extended by the Escambia County Commission.
The commission extended the West Fraser, Inc. Ad Valorem Tax Exemption for the McDavid Lumber Mill until 2010.
The tax exemption exempts the corporation of 100 percent of their ad valorem taxes until the year 2010.
The vote by the commission was unanimous.
Molino Pastor Attends Southern Baptist Convention; Escambia Pastor Nominates New President
June 15, 2008
A local pastor was among the 7,000 gathered at the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, where the man nominated by another Escambia County preacher was named president of the 16 million member group.
Brian Calhoun, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Molino traveled to Indianapolis this past week for both the actual Southern Baptist Convention and the preceding Southern Baptist 2008 Pastor’s Conference.
“The convention itself was great,” Calhoun said. “I enjoyed the spirit of the convention…the spirit of brotherly love and concern.”
Calhoun said he was pleased in the election of Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia, as president of the convention on the first ballot. Hunt was nominated at the convention by Ted Traylor pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.
“Pray for him. He has a big task before him. Our Convention needs renewal. Johnny is just the man to point us in the right direction,” Traylor wrote Friday on his blog.
“I pray that these next two years will be exciting times as we turn the tide and begin once again to grow and to reach our neighbors and our nations for His glory and for the expansion of His glorious Kingdom,” Hunt told messengers the day after his election.
He said, “We’ve been declining as a denomination. You can’t turn something around until you stop the tide in the direction it’s going.”
Statistics show that in 2007 Southern Baptists baptized the fewest number of people in two decades.
At the convention, the North American Mission Board unveiled an ambitious National Evangelism Initiative — named God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS) — with the goal of having “every believer sharing” the Gospel and “every person hearing” by 2020.
“I believe it is a good program,” Calhoun said. “Everything that comes out of the Convention is good, but it is not always something that every church benefits from. What works in Southern California might not work in Molino, and vice versa. But this sounds like a good program.”
“As I have been around the country and around the world, the laypeople I have talked with are ready to get out and do something for Christ,” former SBC President Frank Page said. “And I think given the proper motivation and direction, they’ll do it.”
Growth in the Southern Baptist Convention will come from cooperation among Southern Baptist churches, Traylor said.
“Southern Baptists are not easily understood by those outside our Convention. We are often called a denomination and I understand that. However, in the true sense of the matter we are a Convention of churches coming together to cooperate in Gospel ministry. Only when we trust one another and cooperate does the Convention work,” he said. “When the people of a local church decide to cooperate with people from other churches we are then able to join forces and do more together than we can ever do apart.”
“I am proud to be a part of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is now time to go to work. We have a world to touch in Jesus’ name,” Traylor said.
Pictured top: Brian Calhoun, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. Second picture: New Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt (left) and Pastor Ted Traylor of Olvie Baptist Church in Molino. TedTraylor.com photo, click to enlarge.
Hershey Games: Sweet Fun For Kids
June 15, 2008
Do you have a child that loves to run, jump and throw? Then Escambia County has an event for you.
Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Escambia County Parks and Recreation Department and the City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting the Hershey’s Track and Field Games at the University of West Florida.
Boys and girls, ages nine through 14 are eligible to participate in this free event. Pre-registration is preferred. Registration on the day of the event must be done prior to 9:30 a.m. with the games starting promptly at 10:00 a.m.
Events, which will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m., will include the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 800 meter run, 1600 meter run, 4×100 meter relay, standing long jump and softball throw. Participants can enter three events, either two track and one field or two field and one track.
Participants will compete in boy and girl age groups of 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14, with prizes awarded to the top finishers in each category. Winners have an opportunity to advance to the regional competitions and ultimately qualify for the North American Final Meet on July 31 to August 3 in Hershey, Pa.
Now in its 31st year, the Hershey Youth Program has been hosting Hershey’s Track & Field Games as an exciting and memorable track and field event to promote active lifestyles, sportsmanship and to provide an opportunity for kids to be the best that they can be. Initiated in Charleston, W.V. by Dr. Donald P. Cohen in 1975, the Hershey’s Track & Field Youth Program has become the largest youth sports program of its kind in North America.
For the past 28 years, the mission statement has remained the same: To provide a quality recreation and school program where children have fun and are introduced to physical fitness through basic track and field events such as running, jumping and throwing.
To register for the event or for more information, please contact the Escambia County Parks and Recreation Department at 475-5220.
Pine Barren Baptist To Hold VBS
June 15, 2008
Pine Barren Baptist Church will hold Vacation Bible School this next week, June 16-20, from 6:00 until 8:30 each evening.
For a list of other upcoming Vacation Bible Schools in the North Escambia area, click here for our events page.
If you would like to list your church’s upcoming Vacation Bible School here on NorthEscambia.com, or list any other community event, click here for our contact page or send an email to news@northescambia.com with your information.
Lawn Care Seminar: “My Weeds Look Better Than Your Weeds”
June 14, 2008
Love it or hate it, it’s that time of the year again…time to work on the lawn. If you have ever wanted to know how to improve your lawn, there’s a conference next week in Jay for you.
“Florida Lawn Field Day” will be held next Thursday at the West Florida Research and Education Center in Jay.
The conference will cover a variety of lawn care topics from top experts in the lawn care field.
Speakers and topics will include:
- When do you use a rototiller and when do you use a bulldozer?
- When to conduct an irrigation system audit?
- Slice and dice and poke some holes
- Killing bugs without using pesticides
- My weeds look better than your weeds
- Who would have thought there were rules…
- Mowing Practices: More than just going back and forth
Speakers will include Beth Bolles and Carrie Stevenson from the Escambia County Extension Service; Dr. Jason Dettman-Kruse, Theresa Friday, Dr. J. Bryan Unruh, Ken Rudisell, Phil Moon and Dr. Barry Brecke from the University of Florida; and Dan Mullions from the Santa Rosa County Extension Service.
The registration fee is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. The admission price includes lunch.
The conference will take place at the West Florida Research and Education Center at 4253 Experiment Road in Jay from 8:00 until 3:30.
For more information, contact Robin Vickers, events coordinator, at (850) 983-5216 Ext. 113 or email rvickers@ufl.edu.
Register online at wfrec.ifas.ufl.edu (scroll down and choose the conference under “June 19″).
Teacher Arrested For Shooting Horse, Then Setting Fire To Barn
June 14, 2008
A Flomaton woman, who is also a Florida teacher, has been charged with killing her horse Abby and burning her barn in an attempt to claim $100,000 in insurance money on a horse she reportedly bought for $800.
Brenda Gradia, 41, is also accused of claiming $30,000 in insurance money on another horse that she falsely claimed died of a snakebite back in December.
Gradia admitted to shooting her horse and then setting fire to the barn in the early morning hours of May 23.
She was arrested and charged with arson, cruelty to animals and attempted theft by deception. She is free on a $50,000 bond.
Gradia is a special education teacher at King Middle School in Milton.
Her home, and the barn that was burned, are about a half mile north of the Alabama-Florida state line. The Century Volunteer Fire Department assisted the Flomaton Fire Department with the barn fire in May.