Pleasant Hill Baptist Celebrates 152 Years
August 26, 2008
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Bluff Springs observed its 152nd anniversary on Sunday.
The turnout for the anniversary event was small due to the threatening weekend weather from Tropical Storm Fay. The scheduled guest preacher did not attend due to the weather forecast, but lay leader Robbie McCann filled in.
The church was founded in 1856 by Rev. James Lazrus Bryars. Early family members were Crarys, Pritchetts, Sturdivants, Bratchers, and Fillingims. Rev. Bryars pastored the church for more than fifty years, until his death in 1907.
The church is no stranger to weather problems. In 2005, a large tree crashed into the church sanctuary in Hurricane Dennis.
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church is located at 4600 North Century Boulevard.
Larry Walker contributed to this article.
Flash Flood Watch Canceled
August 25, 2008
The remains of Tropical Depression Fay are finally moving away from the area. The National Weather Service has canceled a flash flood watch that was in effect for today.
There is still a 50 percent chance of rain for Primary Election Day Tuesday. Tonight’s rain chance drops to 20 percent, and the chance of rain is 40 percent by Wednesday. By the weekend, expect sunny skies and just a slight chance of rain.
Pictured above: The latest National Weather Service radar.
School As Usual On Monday
August 25, 2008
There will be school on Monday in Escambia County.
The Escambia County School District decided Sunday morning that all public schools in the county will be open on Monday. Byrneville Elementary, the only charter school in the area, will also be open on Monday.
School District officials monitored the rain situation and forecast for chances of flooding before making a final determination for school as usual Monday.
District 5 Commissioners Respond To NorthEscambia.com Questions
August 25, 2008
NorthEscambia.com sent a brief questionnaire to all six District 5 candidates for the Escambia County Commission. We played a little unfair just to see if they would respond…we sent one email and only one email to the email addresses that we had for each. We sent that email late Thursday afternoon and gave them until noon Saturday to respond, knowing that each would be busy preparing for Tuesday’s primary election, and that each might be dealing with the approaching tropical storm.
Why did we do it that way? We are of the opinion that if you email your commissioner, it must be important, and you want an answer soon, no matter how busy they might be.
We were pleased that all six took the time to respond in detail to our questions. Be an informed voter on Tuesday. Take the time to read their responses by clicking their names below. These are responses that you will read only on NorthEscambia.com.
Republicans:
Democrats:
Ethics Case Heard Against Former Century Mayor
August 25, 2008
The state Commission On Ethics held a two day hearing last week in the case of a former Century mayor accused of abusing that office.
An administrative hearing was held Thursday and Friday into allegations against Evelyn Hammond, a one-term mayor of Century.
Last year, the Ethics Commission found probable cause to believe that Hammond, during her term as mayor of the Town of Century, misused her office by allowing her son to continue to receive utility services when his account was delinquent or by directing that late fees be dropped from his account.
The Commission also found probable cause to believe that she misused her position to retaliate against Century Little League for her son’s special benefit. Charges that she misused her office to give a raise to her son and charges that she promoted, advanced, or advocated the promotion or advancement of her relatives were dismissed.
Kerrie J. Stillman, spokesperson for the Commission on Ethics, told NorthEscambia that might be several weeks before the judge in the case issues a ruling in the matter.
The ethics complaint alleged that Hammond’s son, Eddie Hammond, did not pay his utility bills for four years while working as a supervisor for the town’s utilities department. The complaint charged that when the bills were found, Evelyn Hammond waived $200 in late charges and fines and paid the remaining $1,700.
The ethic’s complaint also charges that Hammond took over concessions at the Little League Park concession stand and hired someone from Alabama to run it. The concessions stand had previous raised funds for the Little League ball teams.
A complaint had also been filed that Hammond used her position has mayor to obtain a raise for her son, but the Ethics Commission did not find probable cause in that case.
The ethics complaints were filed by Ann Brooks, Nolan Wilson and Annie Savage.
Hammond was defeated 341 votes to 241 votes in her bid for reelection by now Mayor Freddie McCall. The race received a lot of media attention after Hammond alleged that McCall and new council member Nadine McCaw attempted to buy votes with money and watermelons, allegations that they both denied.
Pictured above: Evelyn Hammond, former Century Mayor, at the ribbon cutting of the Camp Fire USA Childcare facility in Century in January 2007. File photo.
Man Hurt In Molino ATV Accident
August 25, 2008
A 40 year old man was hurt in an ATV accident Sunday evening in Molino and transported to a Pensacola hospital by LifeFlight.
The Molino Volunteer Fire Department responded just before 6:30 p.m.. to a mobile home park located down a dirt lane in the 6000 block of Highway 95A between Nancy Lane and Marge Lane. That is near the Highland Baptist Church. He was transported by LifeFlight from the church parking lot about 6:55.
The man was reportedly injured when he flipped over the ATV he was riding. The accident is under investigation.
Scenes From A Storm
August 25, 2008
Here are some scenes from North Escambia Saturday and Sunday as Tropical Storm Fay crossed the area. Scroll down in the story to see all of the pictures. NorthEscambia photos.
Pictured above: Sandbags were placed at Cooper’s Grocery in Bratt Saturday afternoon in anticipation of heavy rains to come and water running off Highway 4.
Pictured above: Dirt remained at the old Molino Elementary School Sunday, one of the sandbag distribution sites in Escambia County on Saturday.
Pictured above: Highway 29 in Century appeared almost abandoned Saturday afternoon as most people stayed home waiting for the storm to arrive.
Pictured above: It was a wet afternoon for the Century Volunteer Fire Department on Salter’s Lake Road were two trailers were destroyed by a falling tree Saturday afternoon. Read that story and see a photo by clicking here.
Pictured above: The Escambia River near Molino Sunday afternoon. As Fay approached, the river was forecast to have flood, but it did not because the storm never dumped the projected foot or more of rain in the area.
Pictured above: He’s ready for the rain. This duck, presumably from nearby Stone Lake, was walking in a quiet Highway 4 Saturday afternoon.
Pictured above: The flag blows in a light wind Saturday afternoon at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse.
Pictured above: This flag at a home on Highway 97 in Dogwood Park did not fare well in the wind.
Pictured above: Sunday afternoon was peaceful and sometimes sunny on the Escambia River, a great improvement over the original weather forecast for the day.
NorthEscambia.com Questions Escambia School Board District 5 Candidates
August 25, 2008
Three of four candidate for the District 5 seat on the Escambia County School Board responded to a NorthEscambia.com questionnaire that was emailed to each candidate last week.
The questions were emailed Thursday afternoon to the email addresses we had for each candidate. Robert Tegenkamp did not respond to the questions we emailed to the email address he listed with the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
To read a candidate’s detailed responses to questions about the Escambia School District, the new bus and walk policies, North Escambia Schools and the closure of Carver/Century K-8 School, click the candidate’s name below.
Century To Hold Two Public Meetings Monday
August 25, 2008
The Century Town Council will hold two public meetings back to back Monday morning.
The Century Town Council will hold a public hearing Monday 8:50 a.m. at Century Town Hall. The council will be discussing a Community Development Block Grant application workshop to be held in Tallahassee on August 26 and 27.
Afterwards, the Century Town Council will hold a budget workshop at 9:00 Monday morning at Century Tow Hall. The council members and the department supervisors will be meeting with Robert Hudson, the town’s accountant, to discuss the budget for each of their departments.
Both meetings will be open to the public.
District 5 Commission, Republican: Kevin White
August 25, 2008
NAME: Kevin White
PARTY: Republican
OCCUPATION: County Commissioner/Auto Repair Shop Owner
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN YOUR EXPERIENCE AS IT RELATES TO THE DISTRICT 5 COMMISSION SEAT YOU ARE SEEKING:
I have had 4 years experience as a commissioner. I have completed commissioner certification, served as chair of the FLA/AL TPO, chaired on the Escambia BOCC, and I am current chair of the Value Adjustment Board. I have been able to bring an additional 18 million dollars to District 5 in my first term.
WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING ESCAMBIA COUNTY (THE ENTIRE COUNTY) IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS:
The three most important issues facing the entire county is economic development, transportation, and maintaining a quality level of service for the citizen. We need to get our state leaders to realize that tourism is not going to pay the bills. Our state leaders need to provide local government with the tools to recruit businesses. Companies want cash incentives to locate in your area. Mobile gave Northrup Gruman 70 million dollars up front in cash and incentives to locate there. We also need the state to start taking care of the state roadways instead of trying to put it on the backs of local government with no funding. With shrinking revenues, we are going to have to get very creative to maintain a quality level of service for the service that we provide.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING NORTH ESCAMBIA (MOLINO NORTH), AND HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES?
The biggest issues facing North Escambia County is going to be provide the infrastructure needed for the growth that will eventually be coming our way. We need to have the infrastructure in place to handle it before it comes so we won’t have to deal with correcting the problem that we now have on the south end because there was a lack of planning. We as a board have already taken many steps to do this. We have the Sector Plan going on right now which takes an area that is undeveloped then put in the infrastructure, roads, schools, fire stations and then develop it out. Only five of these have been done on the state. If ours is successful then we will use it as a template and carry it further north. And the best thing about the sector plan is that the developers pay the majority of all costs associated with the new infrastructures.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD NORTH ESCAMBIA VOTERS KNOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR PLANS FOR DISTRICT 5?
I would like the citizens of District 5 to know that I have worked very hard for them. When I took office four years ago, there was only 6 million dollars allocated to District 5 projects. That number today is 23 million. I am still committed to lowering the cost of government so in turn that puts more money back in the taxpayers’ pockets. In 2004 when I took office, the total county budget was 540 million dollars. If we approve the current budget it will be 402 million. That is almost a 140 million dollar reduction in four years.
Also, I am a husband, father, and small business owner. I deal with the same issues as every citizen does. Just because I am an elected official I still deal with the same issues that you do. Have I got it right every time since I have been in office? No I haven’t, but no one except the Lord will get it right every time. But I have worked hard and I did bring back honesty and integrity to the District 5 office. There have been no grand jury investigations or indictments during my term in office, and I feel that is great progress considering what happened in the four years previous to my term. I would appreciate a chance for a second term to continue to make progress in our district and the county as a whole.
YOUR WEB ADDRESS: www.VoteKevinWhite.com
PHONE NUMBER(S): (850) 587-4095 (home)
EMAIL: kevinwhitefor2008@yahoo.com