Church Readies For Concert
May 17, 2008
Several membes of the NorthEnd Community Church spent their Saturday getting ready for today’s Crossroads concert at the church.
Tony Schachle and Joan Strickland did some mowing. Taylor Conatser helped clean inside the church and then stepped out to do some trimming. Jane Schachle, Sherry Davis, Alli Davis and Julie Ann Keith polished and cleaned the inside of the church, according to one church member.
Submitted story and photos. Scroll down for more photos.
NorthEnd Church Holds Yard Sale
May 17, 2008
A big indoor and outdoor yard sale was held Saturday in Molino.
The yard sale, held at Fran’s Diner, benefited the building fund for NorthEnd Community Church in Barineau Park.
Church members said they wanted to thank Fran’s for a “cool place” to hold the sale, and thank all those that stopped and shopped.
For more photos from the NorthEnd Community Church yard sale, click here.
Submitted photos by Joan Strickland for NorthEscambia.com
Freedom Road Home Damaged By Fire
May 17, 2008
A Century home was heavily damaged by smoke Saturday afternoon.
The fire was reported at the wood frame home in the 1000 block of Freedom Road about 5:30 Saturday afternoon. When firefighters arrived, smoke was visible from the home.
The fire apparently began with grease on the stove, according to Century Fire Chief Regi Burkett. Firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control when they arrived. The home suffered heavy interior smoke damage. Very little damage was apparent from the outside of the home.
One person was transported by ambulance from the scene to Jay hospital, but it was not believed that she was directly injured in the fire. It was reported that no one was at home at the time of the blaze.
The Century Volunteer Fire Department, McDavid Volunteer Fire Department, Molino Volunteer Fire Department and the Flomaton Fire Department responded to the scene.
Pictured above: The fire apparently started with a pot of grease left on this stove. Pictured below: A fireman enters the home with a thermal imager to check for remaining hot spots.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NWE Downs Chumuckla 13-8
May 17, 2008
The Northwest Escambia Hammer Heads beat Chumuckla on the road Friday night. NWE came out on top 13-8.
Click here for more photos from the game.
Submitted photos by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com
NWE Cheerleading Registration Will Be Each Saturday This Month
May 17, 2008
NWE Cheerleading registration will be held every Saturday in May, including today, from 10:00 until noon at the Ernest Ward/NWE football field.
The registration is $25 for the first child and $20 for siblings.
Registration is being held early this year because new uniforms will be purchased.
Volunteer coaches and assistant coaches are also needed. For more information, or to volunteer, contact Jennifer Peebles at downsouth28@hotmail.com or call 327-3053.
Bratt’s XII Gates Rocks The Block In Flomaton
May 17, 2008
XII Gates “Rocked the Block” Saturday evening in Flomaton.
The band, from the First Baptist Church Bratt, took to the stage for a free outdoor contemporary Christian and Christian rock concert at the First Baptist Church of Flomaton for “Rock the Block”.
The members of XII Gates have grown up together, learned music together and have been playing in the band for about three years.
NorthEscambia.com caught up with the band at a recent practice session for the concert in the “Youth Loft” in the First Baptist Church of Bratt’s Family Life Center.
“The band is a chance for us to glorify God and have fun doing it,” lead guitarist Jeremy Bardin said.
Bassist Mathew Wilson agreed. “We get to rock people and get the Message out,” he said.
XII Gates play Christian music, and other rock songs that have a clean message. But they are not the traditional Sunday night singing Baptist church quarter. They rock. There’s just no other way to say it. And it’s loud, as good rock music should be.
Their list of musical influences is a Christian rock Top 10…Skillet, Red, Toby Mac, Sanctus Real, Kutless, Hawk Nelson, Disciple, Reliant K, Building 429, Casting Crowns and the like.
While many in the Bratt congregation have never heard of those bands and do not listen to Christian rock, they understand that XII Gates is spreading the Gospel to the next generations.
“You can worship how you want, even though there is that generation gap sometimes,” Wilson said. “I enjoy the old hymns just as much as bands like Skillet.”
“I’m thankful for the congregation and their support of XII Gates,” Bratt’s Youth Minister Tim Hawsey said. “We’ve got such a good church, and they understand that they get a little loud for the Lord sometimes.”
Sometimes XII gates goes “unplugged”, taking their contemporary sound and making it “more mellow” for congregational performances.
But for Saturday night’s “Rock the Block” in Flomaton, that was not the case.
“This is a good opportunity for a lot of youth that don’t have an introduction to Christ to come out and find out that we can play loud, have fun, just rock and still say that we are Christian,” drummer Denver Hawsey said.
Besides spreading the word about God, having fun is perhaps the most important part of XII Gates.
“We want all the youth in the area to attend,” Tim Hawsey said, “whether or not they are in church, they will enjoy the music.”
For a complete photo gallery from the Saturday concert in Flomaton, click here.
Pictured above: XII Gates at “Rock the Block” in Flomaton Saturday night. Pictured below, first photo: XII Gates from the First Baptist Church of Bratt performs in Flomaton Saturday night. NorthEscambia.com photos.
Molino Youth In Sectional Pitch, Hit and Run Event Today
May 17, 2008
Ryan Cocker of Molino will be competing in the sectional competition of the Aquafina Pitch, Hit and Run Event at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City today.
Cocker swept the seven and eight year old category in the recent local Aquafina event that was held at the John R. Jones Athletic Park on Nine Mile Road in Pensacola. He was named the Pitch Champion, Hit Champion and Run Champion in the competition’s youngest category.
Thursday McDavid Storm Was Not A Tornado
May 16, 2008
The storm damage Thursday in McDavid was the result of strong straight line winds, not a tornado.
The National Weather Service said preliminary reports indicate that the damage was a result of straight line winds estimated at 80 to 85 mph. Most of the damage that occurred was along North Century Boulevard, where seven structures were damaged with roofs off two homes. Power lines were also down in the area.
Gary Beeler from the National Weather Service office in Mobile surveyed the damage Friday in McDavid.
For another story about the storm with more photos, click here.
Magnitude 3.1 Earthquake Just 70 Miles From North Escambia
May 16, 2008
The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 3.1 earthquake was centered just 70 miles northeast of the North Escambia area Friday afternoon.
The earthquake occurred at 1:39 Friday afternoon near Thomasville, Alabama, in Clark County. That’s about 70 miles northeast of Davisville, FL.
The USGS says the earthquake occurred at a depth of about 3.1 miles below the surface. There were no immediate reports of damage. A 3.1 on the Richter scale is often strong enough to be felt by persons near the earthquake center, and rarely causes any damage.
Proposed School Time Changes Would Not Apply In North Escambia
May 16, 2008
New money saving school start and dismissal times proposed by Escambia School Superintendent Jim Paul would not apply to North Escambia schools.
Paul’s staff presented the proposed time changes at a Thursday School Board workshop, but said the changes would not apply to Bratt Elementary, Carver/Century K-8 School, Molino Park Elementary, Ernest Ward Middle or Northview High School.
For the rest of the county:
- Elementary schools would start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.
- Middle schools would start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.
- High schools would start at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:35 p.m.
But there could be some time change for North Escambia elementary students, Shawn Dennis, assistant superintendent of operations, said. The district is proposing adding an additional 30 minutes per day to the elementary schedule. Northview High students could see a minor time change next year as well, as one period is dropped from the daily schedule.
Paul’s plan would save the district an estimated $1.2 million per year by allowing a more efficient use of school buses.