Funeral Services Announced For Accident Victim
February 13, 2009
Funeral services have been announced for Tad Fredrick Cann, 46, of Walnut Hill.
He died Monday after he struck a deer while riding his motorcycle just after 6 a.m. near the intersection of Molino Road and Sunshine Hill Road.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North in Cantonment.
Funeral services will be held at at 10 Saturday morning, also at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North in Cantonment.
Burial will follow in Bogia.
Updated EWMS Cheerleader National Championship Photos
February 13, 2009
NorthEscambia.com readers followed the Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders all last weekend from their arrival at Disney World to their second place win in the national championship.
We have added more photos from Disney and from the competition to our photo gallery. Click here to see the submitted photos.
Click here for the story about the championship cheerleaders.
Get About $70 Of Groceries, Including Steaks, For $30: No Strings Attached
February 13, 2009
As the cost of food continues to rise, there is a program available at a local church that can save more than half off the cost of groceries. And, perhaps best of all, everyone qualifies, no strings attached .It’s called Angel Food Ministries, a program that provides food relief to more than a half million families a month across the nation.
It’s a simple concept…pay $30 for a box of food worth about $70. There are no applications; everyone qualifies. The process is simple too…just stop by the Allen Memorial United Methodist Church in Cantonment, pay the $30 and return on the designated pickup day to receive the box of food. They even accept food stamps.
And, for seniors, there’s a special box of food for just $28 that includes 10 full cooked, low sodium heat and eat meals.
Allen Memorial United Methodist Church has been the local host for the Angel Food Ministries program since October of 2006, according to their program director Katrina Williamson.
“It’s a great program,” Williamson said. “It can really help people out.”
Orders for February can be placed Saturday, February 14 or Monday, February 16 from 10 until noon at the church at 206 Pace Parkway in Cantonment for a food delivery on February 28. The church accepts cash or food stamps.
The $30 February box of food includes 1.5 pounds of sirloin strip steaks, two pounds of chicken breasts, one pound of boneless pork chops, two pounds of breaded chicken nuggets, a salisbury steak entree, plus other items like french fries, mac ‘n cheese, several vegetables and desserts.
Specials are also available each month with the purchase of a regular box of food. For instance, this month, one special is 1.5 pounds of ribeye steaks, 1.5 pounds of bacon-wrapped lean ground beef patties, two pounds of thick cut pork chops and one pound of mild Italian sausage with mozzarella cheese all for $22.
“Our food is “restaurant grade” meats, frozen vegetables, fruits, dairy products, etc. which we acquire through our involvement with only the best producers/vendors of high quality, “name brand” foods. Never “seconds” or “day old” type products are involved,” according to the Angel Food Ministries web site.
For more information about the program, call Allen Memorial United Methodist Church at 968-6213 or visit www.angelfoodministries.com. To visit the church and place an order…take Highway 20 south into Cantonment. Turn right at the red light onto Muskogee Road. Take the second right onto Pace Parkway.
Other churches in the North Escambia area that might be interested in hosting the Angel Food Ministries program can visit www.angelfoodministries.com for more information.
Click here to download a complete February Angel Food menu (pdf).
‘Fireproof’ Your Marriage For Free — Just In Time For Valentine’s Day
February 13, 2009
On this day before Valentine’s Day, you are invited to a free movie to learn how to Fireproof you marriage.
“Fireproof” is scheduled to be shown at 6:30 tonight at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church, 170 W. Bogia Road in McDavid in their Christian Activities Building. There will also be food and door prizes. The public is invited; everything is free.
The action-packed love story stars Erin Bethea, Ken Bevel, Jason McLeod, and Kirk Cameron, perhaps best known for his role as the lovable teenager, Mike Seaver, on TV’s “Growing Pains.”
The screenplay for “Fireproof” was written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who also authored the book, “The Love Dare,” which is featured in the movie. The book challenges husbands and wives to understand and practice genuine love for 40 days and includes a specific “dare” for each day.
About Fireproof
“At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt (Cameron) lives by the old firefighter’s adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.
“After seven years of marriage and regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests, the Holts have drifted so far apart they are ready to move on without each other. Then, as Caleb and Catherine (Bethea) prepare to start divorce proceedings, Caleb’s father challenges him to commit to the 40- day experiment outlined in ‘The Love Dare.’
“Wondering if it is even worth the effort, Caleb agrees for his father’s sake, more than for his marriage. While trying to stay true to his promise, he becomes frustrated time and again. He finally asks his father, ‘How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?’
“When his father explains that this is the love Christ shows to us, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And with God’s help, he begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife.”
Though the story is told through the eyes of a married couple, the movie is about relationships and touches on universal topics such as friendship, parents, unconditional love, commitment, and forgiveness.
“Fireproof” has been described as “a fun, funny, and moving film, “a life-changing experience,” “a powerful story that is well told,” and “a compelling, must-see film.”
County Survey Shows North Escambia Concerns
February 12, 2009
Escambia County has released a county-wide survey on the quality of life in county and satisfaction with services provided by the county, and several responses showed concerns about North Escambia.
When asked, “how satisfied are you with the overall quality of the job that the County is doing”, 91.6% of the residents responded with a neutral to very satisfied rating. The highest ratings when to fire services, emergency medical services and hurricane preparedness.
The county’s lowest ratings were to questions about the county is responsive to complaints, public transportation and mosquito control.
There were 538 randomly chosen registered voters in the county that took part in the telephone survey. Several of their answers revealed common concerns about the quality of life and the concerns in North Escambia.
Comments related to North Escambia included:
- I am from Molino in the northern part of he county and we have a lot of residential, but we need more economic development to balance it out. Managing growth is very important.
- We live in the north end of the county. We don’t get much in the way of services. We’re like the step-children. Because we live in a rural area, we’re not heard as much as the rest of the county.
- We have a pretty safe neighborhood here and law enforcement does come by here. I don’t think they have enough law enforcement in the north end of the county.
- A hospital in Century, closest one is Pace
- Downsize public bus that runs from Pensacola to Century
- The amount of services where I live in Molino have been cut. There used to be a bus service out here. If someone didn’t have a car, they couldn’t get out of town. — Our
fire service is volunteer.– People are leaving Molino in droves. - I live in a rural area in Molino that is not densely populated. I feel we are neglected & our tax dollars s/b more useful. I was glad to see that recycling has been implemented out here. I live on a dirt road & for 3 to 5 years we have been promised that it would be paved. The last I heard this was in the planning stages, which could take another 5 years.
- On hurricane response: In our area, North of Hwy 29, we always have a slow response. They don’t bring out meals, for example because we’re not in the ‘disaster area’, & I thought that was really stupid!
- I live out in the northern part of the County. During Ivan, the ice ran out. I don’t think they were ready overall, for the devastation of Opal and Erin, at first, but they got better.
- I live in the most northern part of the county, and we’re the last ones to get any kind of service. But I understand that.
- Top 3 things: 1) Growth to move north of 9 mile road 2) Incentives to help improve north end of the county 3) keep police/sheriff offices open for north end
- Top 3 things: 1) road improvements 2) stop closing the schools in the north end 3) more efficient building codes in the north end
- Discontinue: I do not want them to do garbage pickup in the north end of the county. I like Allied Waste much better, and the County should let them compete.
Another 220 North Escambia Area Jobs Being Cut
February 12, 2009
Another 220 jobs in the North Escambia area will be gone by the end of September, with the first employees getting their pink slip in 60 days.
Graphic Packaging says they are closing four U.S. facilities, including their multi-wall bag packaging facility in Cantonment, by September 30. Graphic Packaging employees about 220 people at the their Cantonment facility.
The first layoffs will come by April, with more senior staff remaining at the facility until the final day in September.
“We are continuing to push aggressively in 2009 to integrate assets and streamline operations, as well as achieve a minimum of
The company lost $42 million on $3.03 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2008.
Meeting To Plan Bratt’s New Regional Park Will Be Tonight
February 12, 2009
A new community park for Bratt is a done-deal, and you have the chance to help shape the future of the park by attending a meeting tonight.
Area residents interested in the park are invited to attend a public meeting to be held at 6:30 tonight in the Fellowship Hall at the Shiloh Free Will Baptist Church at 5410 North Highway 99. The new park will be located along Highway 4 between Bratt First Baptist Church and Northview High School.
The Escambia County Commission approved the land swap back in April, and there has been a “coming soon” sign on the property for months. But the deal just became final less than a month ago.
The county traded 57 acres of mostly wetlands that county owned on Hanks Road for 13.19 acres at the corner of West Highway 4 and Bratt Road. The Highway 4 property was owned by Kale and Donna Schneider.
District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said that the new park had been a “long time coming”, with plans having been in the works for about 10 years.
“I think this is a great thing,” White recently told NorthEscambia.com. “A park in that area has been needed for a long time. This has been 10 years in the making.”
The land swap will end up costing the county only about $9,000. That will leave about $141,000 currently budgeted in White’s discretionary Local Option Sales Tax funds to develop that park. In the beginning, that money will pay for land improvements, playground equipment and a walking trail. Softball fields are part of the ultimate plan for the park, White said. The county’s budget crisis will not effect the funding for the park since funds will come from the local sales tax monies.
“It will be a great asset for the community, and we expect the private sector will get involved and help too,” White said. “It provides another park in the north part of the county that the other board members have supported since I have been here.”
Pictured above: The site of a new county-owned park in Bratt is currently an open area with just a few very small trees. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
ECUA Adds Hundreds Of New Customers, Recycling Continues To Grow
February 12, 2009
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority recycling program continues to become more popular, and large numbers of people are signing up for ECUA service for the first time.
ECUA originally had 62,000 residential waste customers before adding 11,000 Allied customers on January 1. Since the first of the year, another 1,300 customers have signed up for ECUA service for the first time.
“Apparently, 1300 households that had refused to do business with Allied have seen fit to sign up with ECUA,” Larry Walker, ECUA District 5 member, said, adding that the number is increasing daily.
About 29 percent of those ECUA customers have signed up to participate in the voluntary curbside recycling program. There have been about 22,000 recycling containers delivered, Walker said.
For more information on ECUA’s services available in North Escambia, click here.
Allied Waste continues to provide residential trash service in the Town of Century.
Still Time To Join Century’s Relay For Life
February 12, 2009
Event organizers want you to know that it is not too late to join Century’s Relay for Life.
Teams are needed now, not just from Century, but from areas like Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino, McDavid and Flomaton.
The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life raises fund for out community that go towards research, prevention, treatment, education, advocacy and patient services.
“This is a way to CELEBRATE those who have fought cancer and won. This is a way to REMEMBER those who have fought cancer and lost. This is a way to FIGHT BACK against a disease that has touched all of us in one way or another,” a Relay for Life release reads.
You can help with Relay by creating a team to raise funds, buy a track marker with your message, purchase a luminaria in honor or memory of someone, or just come out to the event and have fun.
For more information, contact Paula Jernigan, event chair, at 256-3842, or B.J. Davis at 475-0850 ext. 2280. Or, you can visit centuryrelay.com
Century’s Relay for Life will begin April 25.
Flomaton Football Star Tony Ellis Arrested For Sexual Abuse Of 12-Year-Old
February 11, 2009
Flomaton High School football star Tony Ellis has been arrested on multiple sexual abuse charges involving a minor.
Ellis, 18, was arrested Tuesday on charges of sexual abuse, criminal enticement and sodomy. Authorities are not releasing many more details, but the alleged victim was 12 years old.
Ellis was released on a $150,000 bond late Tuesday. If convicted on the charges, Ellis could face to up 10 years behind bars.
He was indicted last week by an Escambia County (Ala.) grand jury, and he was picked up by Escambia County (Ala.) deputies shortly after school ended Tuesday.
His high school career included at least 1,500 rushing yards per year for each of the last three years at Flomaton. Ellis, who is 5-foot-9, had over 5,000 rushing yards in his high school career with the Canes.