Sample Ballot; What You Need To Know To Vote Today
November 4, 2008
Here’s what you need to know to vote in today’s General Election in Escambia County:
- Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- The Molino, Cantonment and Walnut Hill precincts moved, click here for more information.
- You must present photo and signature identification. Acceptable forms of identification are: Florida Driver’s License, Florida ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, U.S. Passport, Debit/Credit Card, Military ID, Student ID, Retirement Center ID, Neighborhood Association ID, and Public Assistance ID. If you fail to present proper identification at the polls, you must vote a provisional ballot.
- You are not required to present your voter identification card in order to vote. The card does have helpful information on it, including your precinct number and location.
- To vote on a paper ballot, completely darken the oval to the left of the your choice.
- There is at least one touchscreen machine at each voting location. While primarily intended for persons will disabilities, any voter may choose to vote on the touchscreen. It has an audio ballot feature.
- You may vote if you are still in line at 7:00 p.m.
- You have the right to ask for assistance in voting.
- You can receive up to two replacement ballots if you make a mistake.
- If you registration or identity is questions, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot.
- You have the right to written instructions on how to vote, and, upon request, oral instructions by elections officers or any other person.
Click here for a sample Escambia County District 5 ballot for North Escambia residents. (pdf format)
NorthEscambia.com will have complete, LIVE election results tonight.
Source: Escambia County Voter Guide. Click here to read the entire guide.
Man Goes Fishing; Fire Destroys His Cadillac
November 3, 2008
Fire destroyed a car near a lake on Old Flomaton Road Monday morning.
The vehicle owner says he parked the Cadillac to go fishing in the lake, and the car was on fire when he returned.
Fire officials say the fire most likely was started with the hot catalytic converter came in contact with dry grass. The resulting grass fire likely set the car on fire, they said.
There were no injuries in the fire, which was reported about 10:20 Monday morning.
The Engine 519 from the Century Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call.
Pictured above: Firemen work to extinguish the final flames in the engine compartment of the car. Pictured below: A large saw is used to gain access to the trunk. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Monday Morning Fire Destroys Barn In Molino
November 3, 2008
Fire completely destroyed a barn in the 900 block Nancy Lane behind Highland Baptist Church in Molino about Monday morning.
The fire was reported about 8:15 and was declared under control by 8:30 Monday morning. The barn was located behind a residence; the residence was not damaged in the fire. The homeowners were not at home at the time of the blaze. Fire units were one scene over two hours as they worked to extinguish the smoldering remains of the structure.
The Molino, McDavid and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire-Rescue responded to the call. The Beulah and Ensley stations were also dispatched.
There were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Pictured above: Fire destroyed a barn on Nancy Lane in Molino Monday morning. Pictured below: Firemen continued to work at the scene for over two hours. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Pastors Urge “Yes” Vote On 2 To Define Marriage As Being A Man And Woman
November 3, 2008
Area pastors are urging voters to cast a “yes” vote on Amendment 2 at the polls on Tuesday, and NorthEscambia.com urges you to do the same.
Admendment 2 on the ballot Tuesday in Florida simply defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
“The amendment protects traditional marriage,” Pastor Bryan Calhoun of Highland Baptist Church said. “That is how God created marriage. Where to do we have the right to redefine it?’
Dr. Ted Traylor from Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, one of the largest churches in the area, wholeheartedly supports a “yes” vote on Amendment 2.
“I’m voting yes on Amendment 2, and I encourage everyone else to do the same,” Dr. Traylor told NorthEscambia.com.
“I think that the fabric of our nation rests on a traditional family with a traditional marriage,” Pastor Jeff McKee of Victory Assembly of God in Molino said. “We need that strength for our children.”
Every major daily newspaper in Florida has spoken out against Amendment 2. That includes the Pensacola News Journal, with editorials and endorsements against defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman.
Opponents say the amendment will cause problems for senior citizens that often consider themselves domestic partners even in a male-female relationship, but they never marry in order to keep their social security and other benefits.
“The courts have ruled that this has nothing to do with domestic partnerships,” Dr. Traylor said. “This amendment is needed to protect the sanctity of marriage in our state.”
Dr. Traylor said the amendment will prevent activist judges from legalizing same-sex marriages as has happened in Massachusetts and California. A “yes” vote is especially important, he said, with Gov. Charlie Crist set to possible appoint several new judges to the Florida Supreme Court.
Pastors McKee and Calhoun agree, pointing out that in those states that gay marriage has even become part of the school curriculum.
In Boston, second graders were taught from the book King and King. In that book, the king does not choose a princess as his spouse. Rather, he chooses a prince for a male-male marriage. The teaching of gay marriage in public schools was mandated by the Mass. Supreme Court.
The father of a seven-year-old was arrested for objecting to the book at his child’s elementary school. He was convicted despite $250,000 being spent by several groups for his defense.
In California, first-graders went on a field trip to San Francisco City Hall to see their female teacher marry her female partner.
“Do we want that in our schools in Florida?” McKee asked. “Do we want gay marriage being taught to our children?”
Marriage between a man and a woman. It is concept that, simply put, is Biblical.
In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus himself repeats Genesis 2:24: ““Have you not read, that he who created them from the beginning, made them male and female. And said for this reason a man shall leave his Father and Mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh? Consequently they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.”
But to us here at NorthEscambia.com, it is simple choice, a simple decision. Vote Yes on Amendment 2 to preserve marriage in Florida as the union of one man and one woman.
NorthEscambia.com Celebrates First Birthday
November 3, 2008
NorthEscambia.com is celebrating our first birthday today. We want to offer you a big thanks, and offer a little insight into our little site.
We have been amazed at the response to NorthEscambia.com as it has grown into the area’s mostly widely read news source and one of the top most popular local web sites on the entire Gulf Coast.
With 2.2 million page views per month an independent group tells us that NorthEscambia.com ranks in the top five local web sites in the Mobile-Pensacola area. Think about that…there are way more than four newspapers, radio stations and TV stations on the Gulf Coast. We have more page views per month than all but just a few of them. Wow.
We quietly started NorthEscambia.com November 3 of last year, announcing it at the annual Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry. Over the next weeks, we expanded our coverage into Century and Molino, building a family of loyal readers like you.
It’s a diverse family, about evenly male and female according to a recent survey. From elementary age kids to senior adults, people across North Escambia and in surrounding areas like Atmore, Flomaton, Jay, Cantonment and Pensacola turn to NorthEscambia.com for local news.
Online news like NorthEscambia.com is the future of journalism. Television news ratings are down. Newspaper circulations are down. Online news readers are up.
Minutes after news event occurs, we can post the information you need to know. We now have the technology in place to post live updates from the scene of the news. Taking the recent tragedy where two people were shot and killed at an Atmore store as an example, we were on scene minutes after the shooting posting live updates on NorthEscambia.com. People across North Escambia and in Atmore were able to turn to NorthEscambia.com for the latest information from the scene.
Over the next year, we plan a few changes to improve our service to you. You’ll see more coverage from more stories. You’ll see more videos, maybe even a live video or two. An improved system of delivery for breaking news. More chances for reader participation.
Speaking of reader participation, we added the ability to comment on our stories back in July. Since then, you have expressed your views with nearly 2,000 comments. Thanks for joining in. If you have not yet, we encourage you to start leaving your comments on our stories by using the form at the bottom of each story.
A few more numbers we’d like to share…we’ve posted about 2,500 stories in the past year, with several new stories posted each day. There are over 8,200 photos in our photo galleries for a total of over 10,000 local photos on the entire site.
We’ve laughed with you, and we’ve cried with you over the past year. We’ve shared those happy moments with your children at their school or on their playing field. We’ve been there as communities suffered tragedies.
We’ve been at your church, your school, your club, your business and elsewhere in your community as things have happened in your lives. If it was important you, it was important to us.
Let us know how we can serve you; that’s what we are here for.
Thank you for making our first birthday the first of many to come. We are humbled and feel blessed to be part of your family in this area we call North Escambia. Thank you for welcoming NorthEscambia.com into your family.
First Baptist Church of Bratt Celebrates 100 Years
November 3, 2008
The First Baptist Church of Bratt celebrated its 100th anniversary recently.
About 350 members and visitors attended the anniversary celebration. The celebration included singing from the church’s Worship Choir, Senior Adult Choir (Golden Bratt Choir), FBC Bratt Quartet, Worship Ensemble and the Youth Band.
Between each singing group there were different presentations including a reading of the church history. There was special recognition of the Hanks family; Lindsey G. Hanks donated land and built first church building in 1908. There was also a video presentation, which included photos from Lindsey Hanks, and historical and modern day photos from around the church. A Florida Baptist Historical Society Award was also presented.
Rev. Lawson Jolly gave the Homecoming Message and lunch was served following the morning services.
Sample Ballot For Tuesday
November 3, 2008
Thousands of people across North Escambia will head to the polls on Tuesday.
In addition to the presidential race, several local races are on the ballot. Local races include:
- Sheriff: David Morgan (R) or Larry Scapecchi (D)
- School Superintendent: Malcolm Thomas (R) or Claudia Brown-Curry (D)
- District 5 Commissioner: Kevin White (R) or Jim Barnett (D)
- District 5 School Board Member: Tom Harrell or Bill Slayton
Polls will be open Tuesday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
A Big Weekend: Photo Recap
November 3, 2008
Hundreds of photos from weekend events were posted in NorthEscambia.com. Here’s a recap (click any title to visit the story and photo gallery):
Ernest Ward Middle School Holds Career Day
Ernest Ward Red Ribbon Rally: Pies In The Face
One Thousand Attend Fall Festival In Molino
Walnut Hill Fire Department Honors Retired Chief
Walnut Hill Baptist Holds Fall Festival
Century Care Center Hosts Trick-or-Treaters
Century Hosts Goblins and Ghouls At Roadside Park
Bratt Elementary Names Fall Festival King and Queen
Northview Holds Costume Contest
Hundreds Attend Flomaton Fall Festival
Flomaton Beats Coffeeville: Retires Jersey Of Player That Died In August
Voter Turnout Already At 43 Percent
November 2, 2008
About 44 percent of voters in Escambia County have already cast their ballot, putting the turnout at 43.5 percent, even though the polls don’t open until Tuesday,.
In Escambia County there are 195,193 registered voters. During the early voting period October 20 to November 1, 49,184 people voted early in the county. Another 35,897 have voted absentee so far…those absentee ballots can be turned in all the way to Tuesday.
In Santa Rosa County, there 107,000 registered voters. A total of 26,265 voted early, and 14,338 voted absentee. That is a 37.9 percent turnout.
The polls in both counties will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Walnut Hill Fire Department Honors Retired Chief
November 2, 2008
With tears and a standing ovation, area residents honored retired chief Robert Stewart Saturday at a fish fry benefiting him in his battle against cancer.
Stewart served as chief of the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department for the past 15 years before stepping down to battle cancer.
“With the many years of dedicated service Robert has given this department, we got together and decided to do something special for him,” current Chief Chris Brown said after presenting Stewart with the department’s Officer of the Year award.
Stewart wiped tears from his eyes as he accepted the Officer of the Year award.
All proceeds from Saturday’s record-breaking annual fish fry were for Stewart and his medical expenses. About 750 plates of catfish or grilled chicken were purchased Saturday.
“We wanted to show our appreciation for everything he has done and for the many years that he has dedicated to this department,” Brown said as a frame containing Stewart’s uniform shirt, complete with his badge, was presented.
“Presented to Robert Stewart for many years of dedicated service to the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department, November 1, 2008. You are truly a well respected chief and friend to everyone. We will miss you greatly,” the frame’s plaque read.
Stewart received a standing ovation from the packed firehouse, many people wiping tears from their eyes.
“Everybody in this community is a great community. I’m not just saying Walnut Hill; I’m saying the Walnut Hill fire district. It is a great place to live,” Steward said, choking back tears of his own.
One by one, the firefighters of Station 15 filed past Stewart, giving him a hug and a pat on the back.
The department also honor Phillip Eubanks as Firefighter of the Year and the department’s Community Service award was presented to Ernie Hester.
For a complete photo gallery from the fish fry and awards ceremony, click here.
Pictured above: Retired chief Robert Stewart (left) is presented the framed uniform shirt by current Chief Chris Brown. Pictured below: Stewart receives a hug from his wife and long-time department member Diann Stewart. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
