Northview Volleyball Ends Regular Season With A Win
October 24, 2008
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat Central High School in a five game volleyball set Thursday evening.
Northview beat Central 25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 25-27, 15-4.
The Lady Chiefs varsity team ended the regular season at 13-10 overall, 3-3 in the district.
Stats:
Shawna Montgomery: Kills-7, Aces-7, Blocks-1
Brittney Thompson: Aces-2, Kills-13, Digs-2, Blocks-2
Caitlin Hall: Assists-24, Aces-3, Digs-2
Angela Rodriguez: Kills- 5, Aces-7, Digs-2
The district varsity volleyball tournament begins next Tuesday at Catholic High School.
BBQ Lunches Available Today At Northview
October 24, 2008
The Northview High School Quarterback Club is selling sack lunches today.
The lunches include a barbecue sandwich, chips and a dessert for $5.
Lunches can be picked up at the school from 10:00 until noon at the football field concession stand.
Fair Changes Midnight Madness Tonight
October 24, 2008
The Pensacola Interstate Fair is changing the way it handles Midnight Madness ticket prices with the introduction of a new “Pay-One-Price” option for fair goers beginning at 8:00 tonight.
Patrons may purchase a $30 Pay-One-Price Midnight Madness ticket beginning at 8 p.m., which includes admission and a ride handstamp. If you do not wish to ride, a $12 walkaround ticket is available for everyone ages four and up. Children three and under are admitted free. The Fair closes at 2 a.m.
Regular admission and handstamp prices apply from 4–8 p.m. Handstamps purchased during this time will be accepted on the rides for the rest of the evening.
Family Fun Packs will also be accepted for Midnight Madness. For each person, one Family Fun Pack admission ticket will be needed to get in the Fair, then one Family Fun Pack handstamp ticket will be needed to obtain a ride handstamp.
Family Fun Packs will not be sold after 8 p.m. Admission, handstamp and parking coupons from previously purchased Family Fun Packs will be accepted throughout the evening.
For more information, contact the Pensacola Interstate Fair at (850) 944-4500.
NorthEscambia.com Readers Lead Town To Tear Down Building
October 23, 2008
Comments from NorthEscambia.com readers led the Century Town Council to take action on an abandoned building owned by the town.
The town council has voted to have Mayor Freddie McCall explore tearing down the town owned building on Mayo Street, or if there is any chance of repairing the structure.
The white, mostly brick building at 7601 Mayo Street housed doctors offices and even a pharmacy and soda fountain years ago. It has been abandoned for several years and is in an obvious state of disrepair with roof and structural problems.
“The town of Century itself needs to do some enforcing of their own property before the town council deems others in town to be a disgrace. I was visiting the pharmacy on Mayo street and noticed that the town of Century has let the “old” pharmacy building go into total disrepair,” a NorthEscambia.com reader commented on a September 26 NorthEscambia.com story about Century discussing code enforcement options with Escambia County.”The town must set the example don’t you think? Just as parents do their children.”
“I’m sure you’ve read on NorthEscambia.com that people think we need to clean up our own,” Council member Ann Brooks told the council.
The building is located across from the Century Family Practice. The walls of the building are cracked, the roof is damaged, window are busted out and a small tree or bush is growing from the roof.
Pictured above: Comments posted by readers of NorthEscambia.com led the Century Town Council to vote to either make repairs to tear down this building owned by the town at 7601 Mayo Street. Pictured below: The interior of the building just inside the front door. Picture below, middle, an obvious crack in a wall inside the building. Picture bottom: The deteriorating roof on the building is host to a weed. NorthEscambia.com photos.
LHS EV Reveals Some Electric Car Details
October 23, 2008
The people behind the electric car manufacturing company looking to possible locate their plant in Century or Flomaton have released a little more information about their “Project Green Leaf”.
Art Rocker, excutive vice president for the LHS EV Company behind the project, told Century officials that plans to potentially locate the electric car company in Century have been underway since 2007. That’s when Rocker and civil rights activist Rev. H.K. Matthews requested the governor’s office take a look at Century’s poor economic plight. Matthews now serves on the advisory board of LHS EV.
“What brought us here was the disparity study,” Rocker said.
As for the vehicle itself, Rocker said it “will fit America” and Project Green Leaf’s plans include two parts…the EV (electric vehicle) itself and a charging unit.
Click here to see screenshot pictures of the LHS EV presentation on Project Green Leaf.
A Look At The EV
The LHS EV says their Project Green Leaf eletric vehicle, which resembles a World War II Jeep, has a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The four wheel drive vehicle has a range of about 60 miles on one charge.
“The vehicle can go up to 75 miles per hour, but we can control the speed,” he said, adding that the 50 mph top speed would reduce speeding violations in the U.S. and led to lower insurance rates.
The EV Plug
The EV Plug is essentially a charging station for the Project Green Leaf vehicle and vehicles produced by other manufacturers. In the company’s business model, the charging stations will be sold under the “Plug & Stay”, “Plug & Eat” and “Plug & Shop” model. Under those plans, the charging stations will allow people to charge their electric vehicles while spending the night at a hotel, eating at a restaurant or shopping.
The EV Plug will have a touch screen where customers can check the amber alerts, local weather, traffic conditions, maps and more.
If an EV were to be stolen, owners could locate the vehicle by checking on its location from an EV Plug.
The EV Jobs
Jobs at the Project Green Leaf EV plant will have a starting salary averaging $38,400 a year. The company plans 245 jobs in the first year, another 177 in the second year, and an additional 163 in the third year of operation. That would be 585 jobs by the end of year three. By the end of their fifth year, the company plans to employ about 1,100 people.
As for the skill or education level required for those Century jobs, Rocker said the company will provide training. A major requirement will be the simple ability to “use small tools”.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a tough job for people who can turn a screw,” Rocker said.
At the LHS EV corporate headquarters in Pensacola, the average starting salary will be $50,000 a year with benefits. The company anticipates hiring about 65 people for the home office.
More Exclusive Information
NorthEscambia.com has obtained more information about Project Green Leaf’s vehicle. We published exclusive photos of the vehicle on October 17. Click here to see those photos.
Flomaton Bridge Accident Injures One Wednesday
October 23, 2008
One person was injured in a two vehicle accident on a Flomaton bridge Wednesday afternoon.
The accident happened on the Highway 31 bridge over Brushy Creek, between Palafox Street and Martin Luther King Drive, about 3:45. The driver of a car was transported by ambulance to the hospital following the accident.
Authorities say the driver of the car rear-ended a full size pickup truck while both vehicles were in motion crossing the bridge.
The accident is under investigation.
Pictured above and below: One person was injured in this two vehicle accident in Flomaton Wednesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Rotary Learns About Relay For Life
October 23, 2008
Century’s Relay for Life is about six months away, and preparations are underway now for the annual fund raising event for the American Cancer Society.
B.J. Davis (pictured left) and Jessica James from the American Cancer Society told the Tri-City Rotary Club Wednesday afternoon that teams are forming now, and there is still plenty of time for anyone to become involved in this year’s relay in Century.
“You don’t have to have a lot of people to form a team,” Lisa Moretz, Century’s team development chairperson, said. She said Century’s top fund raising team last year was as small employer.
Teams can register for Century’s Relay online at www.CenturyRelay.com by filling out a few simple forms and paying a $100 commitment fee.
Century’s Relay for Life will be April 25-26, 2009. Further details are available at the www.CenturyRelay.com web site.
One local team has an eye-catching fund raiser underway for Relay. The Relay for Life team at Byrneville Elementary School is selling Glamour Magic Photos. Call the school at 256-6350 for details. The date for the photos will be announced.
Fire Destroys Car On Highway 29
October 23, 2008
A car was destroyed by fire on Highway 29 north of Molino Wednesday night.
Reports indicate that a Chrysler 300 sedan was destroyed. Firefighters from the Molino Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue reported the car was fully involved when they arrived at the scene during the 7:00 hour.
The vehicle fire located was on Highway 29 near the intersection of Barth Road. Highway 29 was closed temporarly as firemen extinguished the blaze.
There were no injuries reported.
Last Day To Register To Win Tickets To Pensacola Fair
October 23, 2008
Today is your last day to register to win tickets to the Pensacola Interstate Fair from NorthEscambia.com.
If you would like the chance to win a pair of admission tickets, you have to enter each day. To enter to win fair tickets from NorthEscambia.com, click here before noon today.
On Wednesday, we picked two winners of two admission tickets each. They were: Robin McCall of Walnut Hill and Kelly Sims of Flomaton.
Other winners this week have been:
- Shelby Bryan of Bratt (Tuesday)
- Jacob Garrison of Dogwood Park (Monday)
- Deni Deron of Molino (Sunday)
- Tonya Long of Christian Home (Saturday)
This year, admission is $10 for everyone 12 and older. Children four to 11 are $5, and children three and under are admitted free. Parking is $5, but parking passes can be purchased at the main ticket booth for $4.
The fair offers “Family Fun Packs” this year, offering a discounted package including admission, parking and ride handstamps. There are also several discounted admission days. All entertainment is free with fair admission.
For more information on the fair, including complete pricing and schedule information, click here.
To enter to win fair tickets from NorthEscambia.com, click here by noon today.
Alabama Sugarcane Biofuel Could Mean Profits For North Escambia, Power At Your Home
October 22, 2008
A project that could eventually turn thousands of acres of sugarcane into jet fuel for the Air Force officially got underway Tuesday in Atmore, and that project could one day have a significant impact here in North Escambia with everything from jobs, income for farmers and electricity for your home.
The 100 acre test field near Atmore’s Holman Prison will determine if sugarcane can be grown in this area in a quantity and quality sufficient for the Amyris Company to one day construct a $500 million plant somewhere near Atmore, Amyris CEO John Milo said.
That would, of course, have great impact on the Atmore area, with benefits likely to spill over into Florida.
“I think this is something we have there that could benefit both states,” Alabama Governor Bob Riley told NorthEscambia.com in an exclusive interview. “We just don’t know for sure how this is going to go, but we feel like this is going to be big. What will work here in this field in Atmore will work for farmers in Northwest Florida.”
Milo tells us that if all goes well the first year with the 100 acre test field, we can expect to see about 1,000 acres planted in two years and 10,000 acres of sugarcane in three years. By the time year three ends, Amyris will have invested a half billion dollars in a biofuel plant in the Atmore area.
Farmers within 25 miles of that plant would be able to sell sugarcane to the company. Why the 25 mile limit? Sugarcane juice begins to ferment on its own shortly after being harvest, so it must quickly reach the plant.
“If that 25 miles includes Florida, you will see thousands of acres planted in Florida,” Milo said. “The whole idea is to first start here in Alabama, and then perhaps build another plant in Louisiana and one in the Florida Panhandle.”
“I look forward to seeing how this might impact agriculture in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties,” said Libbie Johnson from the Escambia County (FL) Extension Office. “We are always looking for ways to keep agriculture a viable industry in our farm communities in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.”
Seth Hammett, Alabama’s speaker of the house and board member for PowerSouth, said that rising fuel costs are making it easy for PowerSouth to look for alternative fuels. He said that if the sugarcane biofuel plant becomes a reality in South Alabama, PowerSouth and Amyris are already talking.
Hammett said PowerSouth is looking at purchasing the pulp byproduct from the sugarcane to fuel electric turbines for providing power to member electric cooperatives. PowerSouth supplies electricity to cooperatives including Escambia River Electric Cooperative that serves customers in portions of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The biggest problem North Escambia farmers would have with growing sugarcane, Johnson said, would be the investment in all new equipment. None of their existing tractor implements or harvesters would work for planting or gathering the cane.
Sugarcane is planted in fields with “beds” that are six feet wide. A furrow (a long straight hole) is dug, and stalks are laid out end to end. The plants sprout from the “joints” in each piece of cane. The plants sprout in the fall, grow slowly during the winter, and then reach up to 20 feet by the following fall before being cut for harvest. Without specialized equipment, Johnson said it is a very labor intensive process.
Pictured above: A small sugarcane field in North Escambia behind the Davisville Community Church. This cane was planted about a year ago. Pictured above left: Riley will the first official Alabama sugarcane sprout that could one day become jet fuel. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.