Northview Ends Season With Loss To West Florida
November 15, 2008
The Northview Chiefs finished their season with a loss to the West Florida High School Jaguars Friday night, 31-20.
The Jags jumped on the board early in the first quarter, taking a 7-0 lead. Northview answered at 9:27 in the half with a Dustin Yuhasz touchdown. The point after kick was blocked, 7-6.
Click here for a complete photo gallery from the game, the cheerleaders and the band.
West Florida returned the kickoff to the 45 before being taken down by Chiefs Austin Albritton and Austin Reid. On their second down with two to go, Jay Jackson stopped the Jags run. On the next play, Ka ‘Daris Grice and Austin Arrington made the tackle, but West Florida had a first down.
After four poor passing attempt, West Florida picked up little ground and punted the ball to the Chiefs. With 6:35 to go in the first, the Chiefs were once again in control of their home field.
On their first down, the Chiefs fumbled and recovered behind the line to the 20. Second down saw a pass to Yuhasz to the 35, making it first and 10. A Jeremy Jackson carry and a Brandon Sheets pass to Chris Sheets picked up little yardage for the Chiefs. On third down, a Brandon Sheets pass was tipped off, setting up four and eight. The Chiefs punted the ball away.
West Florida took over on the 38, with an eventual march to the endzone for a touchdown with 4.6 seconds in the first quarter. Their kick was good, and West Florida was up 14-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the Chiefs return the kick to the 25. A Jay Jackson run setup first and 10 on the 30 for NHS. A long Sheets to Sheets pass was incomplete on the second down. Another incomplete pass on the third forced the Chiefs to punt on the fourth down.
West Florida took over on the 26 yard line, and had driven to Chiefs’ 20 with just over four minutes in the half. At first and 10 on the 20, the Jags quarterback was taken down behind the line by Jay Jackson and Grice for a loss, setting up second and 16 for WFHS. The Jags continued their drive, scoring again to make it 17-6.
With 45 seconds to go in the half, the Chiefs took over inside their own 10. A Brandon Sheets pass to Jay Jackson, a pass to Yuhasz and another pass to Jay Jackson put the Chiefs on the 37 yard line with a first down. A 73-yard run from Yuhasz added a touchdown for Northview. A two point attempt failed, and West Florida led 17-14 with seconds to go in the half.
The third quarter started on the 20 for the Chiefs and a Brandon Sheets handoff to Grice and a loss on the play. At second and 13, a Sheets to Yuhasz pass was incomplete. Sheets took to the air again on third down, missing a pass to Jackson. The Chiefs punted the ball away again on the fourth down.
West Florida answered with another touchdown with 6:54 to go in the third. Their point after kick was good, and the Jags expanded their lead to 24-14.
With 2:41 in the third, Yuhasz picked up three yards after the Chiefs recovered a Jaguar fumble. A Brandon Sheet to Jay Jackson pass moved Northview to the 45. Four plays later, the Chiefs were punting it away again, following incomplete pass attempts and one loss play.
The Chiefs recovered the ball early in the fourth quarter deep in the Jaguar territory. From first and 10 on the 26, Northview picked up four yards on a Jeremy Jackson run. A Jackson-Sheets pass put the Chiefs at first and goal. Brandon Sheets scored on a quarterback keeper. The point after was no good, cutting West Florida’s lead to 24-20.
With 6:45 to go, the Jags added another TD for the final score of 31-20.
Northview finished the season at 2-8, 1-3 in district play.
Click here for a complete photo gallery from the game, the cheerleaders and the band.
Pictured above: Brandon Sheets scores on a quarterback keeper. Pictured below: Justin Yuhasz gains yardage for the Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Flushed Away: Generators Improving Century’s Sewer System
November 15, 2008
Power outages will soon no longer cause problems with Century’s sewage system. The installation process is now underway for new generators to keep the system running.
The generators are being installed at sewage lift stations around the town, funded by a half million dollar grant. . The grant money was used purchase 17 generators and one transfer switch for $405,198. Another $88,000 went toward administrative and engineering fees, and the remaining $6,000 went toward any cost overruns.
The generators range from 15 to 35 thousand watts. They will be placed on concrete pads next to the lift stations. Sixteen will run off the town’s natural gas system, and one is diesel powered.
The generator bid was awarded to North Florida Construction Company.
Pictured above: Generators are loaded onto a truck at the Century’s garage on Alger Road to be transported to sewage lift stations around the town. Pictured below: One of the generators in place on Highway 4A. Pictured bottom: More of the generators waiting for transport. NorthEscambia.com photos.
November Is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
November 15, 2008
Submitted by Vicki Miller
As we breathe in the crisp fall air, it is a good reminder of how important lung health is—and how we can all play a part in keeping out lungs healthy and cancer free. November is Lung Cancer Awareness month and a great time to make a fresh start for lung health.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. It kills more men and women than any other cancer and will kill more people this year than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney cancers and melanoma combined.
The statistics are startling. Lung cancer is expected to kill 161,840 Americans in 2008. In Florida alone, it is estimated that 17,360 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and 12,490 people will die from the disease in 2008.
Over 85 percent of lung cancer cases are tobacco related—but that does not mean if you use tobacco it is too late to turn your health around. A study last year found quitting smoking reduces your risk of dying from lung cancer by 70 percent. It is not too late to quit smoking and reverse course.
The future of lung cancer research is promising, but we don’t have to wait for the next breakthrough to reduce incidence and death from this disease. Live a tobacco free healthy life, teach your children about the dangers of tobacco, and help keep your home, workplace and public spaces tobacco free. Also include several servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Everyone needs to know the signs of lung cancer, since not all cases are preventable, and there is not a screening method recommended by most medical guidelines for most individuals. Symptoms including persistent cough (the most common symptom); constant chest pain; shortness of breath; recurring pneumonia or bronchitis; coughing up blood; unusual or unexplained fatigue; swelling and redness of the neck or face; or loss of appetite and loss of weight.
Talk with your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, and about your family medical history of lung cancer and all cancers, as well as your history of tobacco use.
If you would like additional information on lung cancer early detection and prevention — or about cancer prevention in general, please contact the Prevent Cancer Foundation at www.preventcancer.org.
Vicki Miller is the spouse of Representative Jeff Miller and is a member of Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program of the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
Gulf Power Gets Second Rate Increase Of The Year
November 14, 2008
For the second time this year, Gulf Power has been granted a rate increase by the Florida Public Service commission.
Gulf Power Company customers will see a nine percent increase in their billed rate beginning in January. That will increase the cost of 1,000 kilowatt hour for residential customers from $113.76 to $124.23. In September 2007, that same 1,000 kilowatt hours would have cost just $70.29.
Residential Gulf Power customers saw an increase of 11.3 percent in September. A single annual increase is usually granted in November to go into effect in January. Overall, that’s about a 21 percent increase this year.
Electric utility customers pay only the actual fuel costs that the company incurs. When fuel prices go up, the additional costs are passed through to customers. And when fuel prices go down, the savings are passed through to customers. Fuel costs have a major impact on electricity bills, accounting for almost 50 percent of the total bill. The base rate has not increased since 2002.
Gulf power says it is paying about 20 percent more for coal this year, and about 24 percent more for natural gas. About 80 percent of Gulf Power’s electricity is generated by coal; the remaining 20 percent from natural gas.
Northview Freshman To Undergo Brain Surgery
November 14, 2008
Nathan Therrell is important part of the Northview High School football team, but you’ve probably never read his name in news story, seen him in a team photo or heard his name on the public address system at the stadium. As the team’s waterboy, Nathan quietly spends Northview’s games doing what waterboys do…serving and helping. Now that football season is coming to a close, Nathan needs your help.
Wednesday, Nathan will undergo brain surgery at the Miami Children’s Hospital to remove something the size of a grain of rice that has caused years of problems for him. It’s called a hypothalamic hamartoma, also called an “HH”. The HH is not a tumor, nor is it a cancer; it is a tissue growth.
The HH causes seizures, a problem Nathan has had for four years. They were originally controlled by medication, but the medicines have failed to work, his mother Tina Therrell said. They’ve tried radiation and laser treatments. None have workeed. That led the family to decide to have the surgery to remove the HH from the middle of the Northview freshman’s brain.
“It’s been very expensive for us,” mom Tina said. “We have insurance, but we’ve made five trips this year to Miami. The expenses from that really add up.”
A barbecue lunch sale was held Friday at the Century Fire Department and a car wash was held Saturday to raise funds for Nathan’s medical expenses.
Pictured above: Nathan Therrill waits on the Northview sidelines, his water ready to go. Pictured below and bottom: Nathan watches last Friday night’s Northview game. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lady Chiefs Pickup Big Preseason Basketball Win
November 14, 2008
The Northview High School varsity girls basketball team picked up a win Thursday night in preseason game.
The Lady Chiefs destroyed Pensacola Christian Academy 57-10 in the Preseason Classic in Pensacola.
Gabe Wesley had a big night, sinking 20 points for the Chiefs. Other scorers for the Northview Chiefs Thursday night were:
Lanecia Gomez 8 pts
Shaniqua Jones 2 pts
Timkea Marshall 7 pts
Shakeria White 4 pts
Brittney Thompson 8 pts
Angela Rodriguez 8 pts
Molino Park Honors Veterans
November 14, 2008
Molino Park Elementary School honored veterans Thursday night with a musical program entitled “United We Stand”.
The fourth grade classes of Mrs. Garrett, Mrs. Kent, Mrs. Madrill, Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Nelson presented the program that included patriotic songs like “You’re a Grand Old Flag”, “My Country ’tis of Thee” and “America the Beautiful”. The program included a salute to veterans and a moving song “American Tears”.
The evening also wrapped up a 10 day canned food drive for the Manna Food Bank that netted over 1,600 cans of food. The first place award for the most food collected went to Ms. Doyle’s class, second to Ms. Greene’s class and third to Ms. Hatch’s class.
For a complete photo gallery from Molino Park’s “United We Stand” program, click here.
Pictured above and below: Scenes from Molino Park Elementary School’s Veterans Program “United We Stand” Thursday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Carver/Century Student Attempt To Help Set Guinness World Record
November 14, 2008
Students at Carver/Century K-8 School took part in a Guinness World Record attempt Thursday in the fast paced sport of cup stacking.
During the day, students stacked cups up and down in pyramids and prescribed patterns at lightning speed. Guinness World Records is billing it as the “World’s Largest
Sport Stacking Event.” with more than 175,000 stackers expected to participate around the world.
Sport stacking has been termed a “track meet for your hands at warp speed.” It is an exciting sport where students up stack and down stack 12 specially designed cups called Speed Stacks in predetermined sequences as fast as they can. Stackers race against the clock and compete in relays.
Last year, an official count of 143,530 stackers participated to break the first STACK UP! record set in 2006. Once again, thousands of stackers are expected to contribute their sport stacking skills from across the United States and around the world in countries such as Germany, Japan, Australia, Singapore and the UK.
According to Mark Lingle, World Sport StackingAssociation Director, the Guinness event is a great platform to bring together sport stackers across the globe. “Sport stacking is an activity enjoyed by all ages and cultures. It promotes handeye coordination, action, teamwork, speed and lots of fun. This is the third year we’ve teamed up with Guinness World Records, and November 13th promises to be our biggest and best event yet.”
It will be several days before the final number of worldwide stackers is available, and it will take time for Guinness to certify the new world record if one was set Thursday.
Pictured above: Alisha Grice stacks cups Thursday at Carver/Century K-8, just a small part of a world record attempt. Pictured below: Jontashia Myles (left) and Tierra Floyd complete to see who can complete a stack fastest is a “Battlestack” game. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Electric Car Company Needs $2.5 Million To Locate In Century
November 13, 2008
It appears more likely that Century will be the site of a new electric vehicle assembly plant, if Escambia County provides $2.5 million in startup money.
LHS EV needs $2.5 million in “capital incentives” to locate and stay in Century, Art Rocker, company spokesman, told commissioners. That money would be in addition to standard tax incentives already approved by the commission.
“We are going to figure out how we can do this and come back with an agreement for the commission to approve,” Larry Newsom, the county’s economic director, told NorthEscambia.com. “They want cash, but we need to figure out how we can do this with something like building or capital improvements. We don’t just hand out cash.”
Commissioner Kevin White said that county staff had been directed to see how the county might provide the $2.5 million in some fashion.
“Present for the county commission an action plan of what you think might be reasonable in terms of county participation in addition to the economic ordinance that’s already on the books,” Commissioner Gene Valentino said.
“I appreciate you bringing this opportunity,” Commissioner Grover Robinson said. “We want to see this happen, but we’ve got to see that we are getting what we are talking about getting together here.
LHS had considered locations in Alabama, including Fort Payne, but commissioners expressed their appreciate that the company has almost settled on Escambia County.
“You have chosen to show your commitment to Escambia County, and I think it is out turn to step up,” Valentino said.”We’ll do our best. We are in tough times, mind you.”
“I applaud the commission for even trying to make this work, and talking and and trying to make this work,” Jay Patel from LHS EV said.
Previous incentives provided to LHS EV, if they should choose Escambia County, include total of $39,000 in rebates for local fees and taxes ranging from $2,250 to $9,750 per year through 2014 and support for state tax breaks. The Town of Century has approved selling or leasing 25 acres of land in the town’s industrial park to the company.
The company says their plant, which will assembly an electric car manufactured overseas, would provided about 250 jobs in the first year, 585 within three years and ultimately up to 1,100 jobs in five years.
Pictured above: Jay Patel (left) and Art Rocker address the Escambia County Commission Wednesday.
Widened Highway 113 Opens Joint Alabama And Florida Project
November 13, 2008
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and a host of dignitaries from both Alabama and Florida dedicated a widened Highway 113 Wednesday, hailing the highway as both an hurricane evacuation route and as a economic shot in the arm.
“This is a great day not only for Florida, this is a great day for Alabama,” Riley said. “It’s going to give us options that did not exist just a few years ago.”
The $22.7 million project, which included funds from the state of Alabama, Flomaton and both Escambia County, Alabama, and Escambia County, Florida, provides 13.5 miles of four-lane divided highway from Highway 29/31 in Flomaton to Exit 69 on I-65.
“We found out after Ivan what it was like to have a four lane coming out of the coast of Florida and coming into Flomaton into a two lane,” Riley said. “We backed up traffic for miles. And that’s when we really did realize we’ve got to do something to get people on up to 65. One of these days, we are going look back and we are going to say that building this road saved hundreds if not thousands of lives because we were able to evacuate people from the Gulf Coast where otherwise it might not ever have happened.”
Riley had nothing but praise for Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant. Bondurant was instrumental in pushing the plan through state government and obtaining funding.
“I’ve never met anyone any better than Dewey,” Riley said. “He came in and not only put together a plan that would work, then…he went out and secured the funds that made this a reality. This would not have happened without the mayor. The mayor’s leadership on this was just exemplary.”
Escambia County, Florida, kicked in $4 million in funds toward the widening, providing a example of how different jurisdictions would work together for a common good.
“This is probably the best example of governments working together that I have seen since I have been in the governor’s office,” Riley said.
Florida will reap benefits from the expanded Alabama roadway, several of the dignitaries at Wednesday’s ribbon cutting said. In addition to the hurricane evacuation route, there are expected economic benefits to Century and the rest of Escambia County, Florida.
“When you have access to a four lane, when you have that type of infrastructure, people begin to look at your community than they would if it were just a two lane road. You are going to look back and see little businesses open all along 113,” Riley said.
“For economic development, it opens it wide open for the town of Century now,” White said. “It’s your major north-south coming into Escambia County (FL) now, so it’s a wonderful thing.”
The 14 mile widening project broke ground on September 11, 2007. Escambia County, Florida, contributed $4 million to the project. Flomaton and Escambia County, Alabama, each contributed $500,000 with the state of Alabama and the federal government picking up of the rest of the nearly $22.7 million tab.
The highway also includes a new four-span, 204 foot bridge to accommodate northbound traffic.
Wednesday’s ribbon cutting was actually over 40 years in the making. Florida and Alabama agreed back in 1967 to four-lane roads on both side of the state line for an evacuation route. Florida finished their part along Highway 29 by 1990, but Alabama did nothing more after acquiring right-of-way back in the 1970’s.
For a complete photo gallery from the Highway 113 ribbon cutting, click here.
Pictured above: Dignitaries including Alabama Governor Bob Riley cut the ribbon on the newly widened Highway 113 in Flomaton Wednesday. Pictured below: Gov. Riley thanks Escambia County Commissioner Kevin White for Florida’s help on the project. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
