FHP Out In Force
July 4, 2009
The Florida Highway Patrol is out in force this holiday weekend as they take part in Operation C.A.R.E — Combined Accident Reduction Effort.
During the Independence Day weekend, Operation C.A.R.E will focus on speeding, driving under the influence and Florida’s new primary seatbelt law that allows officers to stop drivers for not wearing their seatbelts without first noticing another violation. The operation is part of a national program aimed at reducing the number of traffic crashes on highways during holiday weekends.
“This initiative is part of a series of special enforcement efforts that help ensure the safety and well-being of motorists on Florida’s roadways,” said Col. John Czernis, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Our troopers are here to take enforcement action on those drivers who choose to put themselves and others in danger.”
FHP seeks to maximize its presence on the roadways, conduct DUI checkpoints, and deploy DUI roving teams during the holiday period. All available FHP personnel work Operation C.A.R.E., including Auxiliary and Reserve troopers who volunteer their time to assist regular troopers during the heightened holiday enforcement weekend.
Troopers will use radar, laser speed detection devices, motorcycles, and marked and unmarked patrol vehicles to track speed violators. The FHP also uses aircraft to spot violators from the air and then direct troopers on the ground to pull them over and initiate appropriate enforcement action.
Motorists can dial *FHP (*347) from a cell phone to report an aggressive driver or to request roadside assistance.
Travel Cheaper This Independence Day Weekend
July 4, 2009
It may seem like gas prices are high, but they actually have not been this low on the Fourth of July since 2005.
Escambia County’s average gas price on this Independence Day is $2.64 for a gallon of regular unleaded — that compares to an average price of $4.04 last year on the Fourth. Today’s $2.64 average price does represent a slight increase over a month ago when the average for a gallon of regular unleaded was $2.53.
Our local gas price average is slightly higher than the national average of $2.62.
In Davisville, a gallon of regular unleaded was below the county average at $2.47.
A round trip from North Escambia to Atlanta would cost about $82.70 in fuel in a 2009 Chevrolet Impala this year. Last Fourth of July, that trip would have cost 130.89 — almost $50 more.
In the Pensacola metro area, the cheapest gas Saturday morning was at Sam’s Club on Airport Boulevard at $2.49 for regular unleaded.
Molino Church Ends VBS With 284 And A 50-Foot Banana Split
July 4, 2009
A Molino church wrapped up their Vacation Bible School Friday night in a really big way — a 50-foot long, double row banana split for over 200 kids.
Highland Baptist Church had set a lofty goal of 200 enrolled in their VBS this week. One of the ways they decided to promote their “Boomerang Express” VBS was with signs along several Molino roads. A day after they signs were placed around Molino — included in private yards and on church property — every sign had been stolen. The signs were remade and put out Monday afternoon, only to be stolen again Monday night.
Between word of mouth, news stories and advertisements on NorthEscambia.com about the stolen signs and mentions of the story on WXBM radio, the Highland Baptist finished the week with 284 enrolled in VBS.
“The Lord is so good,” Pastor Brian Calhoun said. “He took the bad and turned it into a really good week for the children.”
The 50-foot banana split was assembled Friday night with military precision. Volunteers sliced 120 bananas, added 20 gallons of ice cream, eight large cans of whipped cream, seven pounds of M&Ms and over a gallon of chocolate syrup.
The total time from 200 plus spoons hitting the banana split to the first mop on the floor to cleanup was just over 10 minutes.
Click here for a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery.
Pictured above and below: Highland Baptist Church in Molino wrapped up their Vacation Bible School Friday night with a 50-foot long banana split. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Area Fireworks Shows, Picnics And More For The Fourth
July 4, 2009
Many North Escambia area communities have big events planned today for the Fourth of July, including fireworks in Jay, Atmore, Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Pace.
The following activities and fireworks shows will take place Saturday:
Molino
Community Picnic at Aldersgate Methodist Church on Highway 29 just south of Highway 97. Fun and games, water balloon horseshoes, volleyball, Frisbee golf and more. Bring a covered dish. Watermelon will be provided. Everyone is invited to this free event. More info…
Jay
Jay will celebrate the Fourth with the 10th annual Jay Celebration Freedom 5K and One Mile Fun Run at 6 p.m. at the Jay City Park on Booker Lane. The patriotic race will begin and end at the city park. Runners will loop around Jay Elementary and Jay High as they pass the neighboring countryside. The last half of the course is on a paved road between cotton and peanut fields. Awards will be presented to top finishers, master runners, grand master runners and senior grand master runners. Day-of-race registration begins at 4:30 p.m., and costs $20. For details, call Matt Dobson at (850) 217-2603 or (850) 675-6474.
A fireworks show will be held in Jay at 9 p.m. at Jay City Park on Booker Lane.
Atmore
The Poarch Band Of Creek Indians 9th Annual Fireworks Show will be held at the Rodeo Arena at 9 p.m., with a live soundtrack broadcast n WNSI 105.9 FM. There will not be a stage show are any entertainment prior to this year’s show. The arena is located on Lynn McGhee Drive in Poarch.
Pensacola
For the 20th year, area Sertoma organizations are once again coordinating and hosting the largest fireworks display on the Gulf Coast over Pensacola Bay on Saturday at 9:00 p.m., synchronized with music broadcast on Cat Country FM 98.7. There will be activities throughout the day, from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. at Seville Square to include a FREE Children’s Area with inflatables and pony rides, Arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and live entertainment on the gazebo stage beginning at 11 a.m. More info…
Pensacola Beach
Live music 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. Fireworks extravaganza 9 p.m. with more than 2,200 aerial shells over Santa Rosa Sound. More info...
Pace
Pace Fire Rescue District and Futbol Club of Santa Rosa are coordinating a free celebration at 9 p.m. that will include a fireworks show at the Santa Rosa Soccer Complex, 3360 Joppa Road in Pace.
Column: Fire It Up and Grill – Safely
July 4, 2009
The Fourth of July means grilling — and a good cookout means proper food safety.
Safety is an important consideration when operating a grill. Improper use can cause a fire or explosion. Keep the area around a lighted grill clear of combustible materials, and never use a grill in an enclosed area such as a sheltered patio or a garage. Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing that may catch fire. The cooking grids should be cleaned after every cookout. The last thing you want to do is cause someone to become ill due to improper cleaning or unsafe food preparation practices.
Wash your hands with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds before starting to prepare any foods, and wash your hands again if you do anything else—change a diaper, pet an animal, or blow your nose, for example. Cover any cuts or sores on your hands with a bandage, or use plastic gloves. If you sneeze or cough while preparing foods, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and turn your face away, or cough into your sleeve. Always wash your hands afterwards.
Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature. Most food-borne illness-causing bacteria cannot grow well at temperatures below 40°F or above 140°F. Thaw foods in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Never leave foods out at room temperature.
Keep everything that touches food clean. Bacteria can hitch rides around your kitchen on all sorts of things—plates and cutting boards, dirty utensils, dish rags and sponges, unwashed hands.
Never chop fresh vegetables or salad ingredients on a cutting board that was used for raw meat without properly cleaning it first. If possible, keep a separate cutting board just for the preparation of raw meat, poultry, and fish.
Wash cutting boards thoroughly with hot soapy water, and then sanitize with a solution of household bleach and water.
Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices from coming into contact with other foods during preparation, especially foods that will not be cooked. Wash all utensils and your hands with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat.
Marinate meat, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator in a covered, non-metal container. Throw away any leftover marinade.
Grill food to a safe internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer to assure correct doneness of the food being grilled.
Safe minimum internal temperatures:
- Poultry (whole, ground, and breasts): 165°F
- Hamburgers, beef: 160°F
- Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks, roasts and chops):
- Medium rare: 145°F
- Medium: 160°F.
- All cuts of pork: 160°F.
Hold meat at 140°F until served. Use a clean platter for transferring cooked meat from grill to serving table.
Summer is the time for getting together with friends and family and cooking outdoors. Make your outdoor grilling experience safe and enjoyable.
For further information regarding food safety and other related topics, go to the University of Florida’s Solutions for Your Life website: http://www.solutionsforyourlife.com.
Dorothy C. Lee, CFCS, is an Extension Agent II, Family & Consumer Sciences with the Escambia County Extension Service. Reference: Safe Food Handling Fact Sheet, United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Series.
Highway 97 Accident Injures One Friday Afternoon
July 3, 2009
A two vehicle accident in Davisville Friday afternoon sent one person to the hospital.
The accident happened on Highway 97 between Highway 4 and Pine Forest Road about 4:50 Friday afternoon when the driver of a pickup apparently collided with the rear of a car. One person was transported to the hospital by Atmore Ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue, Atmore Ambulance and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the crash. The accident is still under investigation by the FHP. No further details were available.
Pictured above: One person was injured with this Dodge Ram apparently struck the rear of a car Friday afternoon on Highway 97 in Davisville. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Gertrude Stephens Lloyd
July 3, 2009
Mrs. Gertrude Stephens Lloyd, 89, passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2009 in Century, FL.
Gertrude was a native of Swainsboro, GA, a resident of Century, FL for the past 25 years, and attended the Baptist church. She was preceded in death by her Parents, Robert and Lizzie Stephens, her Husbands, John Mosley and Jerry David Loque, a Son, John Mosley and two Daughters, Ianthia Ploof and Jerry Kate Wimberly.
Survivors include: two Daughters, Doris Long of Flomaton, AL, and Joyce Letourneau of Vonore, TN; 24 Grandchildren; numerous Great-Grandchildren; and numerous Great-Great-Grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 2:00 P.M. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Dustin Stockstill officiating.
Burial will follow at Flomaton Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Saturday, July 4, 2009 between 6:00 and 8:00 P.M. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Stephen Long, Tony Ploof, David Ploof, Matt Wimberly, Joffrey Tullis, and Daniel Moore.
Honorary pallbearer will be Timothy Mosley.
Several Escambia Post Offices Could Be Closed; Find Out Which Ones
July 3, 2009
Several Escambia County post office locations are among 3,200 that the United States Postal Service will review for possible closure or consolidation over the next 60 days.
The USPS will consider the Pensacola Post Office and the Downtown, Myrtle Grove, Warrington, East Hill and Nobles stations for closure or consolidation. USPS stations are subsidiary locations of a main post office, and they do not have their own postmaster.
North Escambia area posts offices are not on the chopping block at this time. The Century, McDavid, Molino, Cantonment, Jay, Flomaton and Atmore post offices are not being considered for closure or consolidation at this time, according to Joseph Breckenridge, spokesperson for the USPS. The post office in Walnut Hill is a contract station operated by Escambia River Electric Cooperative and is also not on the list.
“In your area, you can pretty much ignore it,” Breckinridge told NorthEscambia.com about the closure study. “We are only looking at main offices, stations and branches in the major population centers.”
“We are not looking at any post offices in the rural areas,” he added. “We are looking at those post offices in cities were they are just a few miles apart, not the post offices where it is miles and miles to next station.”
Congress has actually made it harder to close small post offices like those in rural communities, mandating that small post offices can’t be closed just because they are not generating enough revenue. Small post offices can be closed, however, when their leases expire.
The decisions as to which post offices might close could come soon — with postal officials saying that the decision could be made within 60 days. There would be a 10-day public comment period for affected customers to speak out about the closure of their post office.
Postal customers in rural North Escambia, North Santa Rosa and Escambia County (Ala.) would not see any difference in their mail delivery if several of the Pensacola stations were to close, said Breckinridge.
Faced with losses expected to exceed $6 billion in 2009, the Postal Service is looking to cut costs. Breckinridge said that mail volume fell by 9.5 million pieces last year and is expected to decline another 20 billion pieces this year.
Could Atmore Be The Future Home Of An Electric Car Plant?
July 3, 2009
Another electric vehicle manufacturing company is looking at creating up to 10,000 jobs between several new U.S. facilities — possibly including a manufacturing plant near Atmore.
CT&T Company Ltd., a South Korean car company, plans to establish a North America headquarters, a research and development and several manufacturing facilities to produce and market an entire product line of electric vehicles and batteries. Company officials say they are considering potential sites in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and California.
Sites near Atmore and Bay Minette were reported to be finalists last year when Volkswagen AG picked Chattanooga, Tenn. for a plant location. Officials in Atmore and Baldwin County would not confirm if there had been any discussions with CT&T.
“While we are reviewing a number of locations for our operations, we are committed to having a major presence in the Southeastern and West Coast regions,” CT&T President and CEO Young Gi Lee said. “”We are accelerating our plans to become a major investor in zero emissions vehicle technologies in the U.S. CT&T has become a category leader because of our advanced technology, plus we offer a solution to the primary barrier to consumer adoption of electric vehicles by offering EVs at affordable prices.”
By the fourth quarter of 2009, the company expects to begin selling c-Zone utility EVs for commercial and government applications as well the e-Zone City Drive EVs. Vehicles will range in price from $8,000 to $16,000 fully equipped.
CT&T United recently submitted proposals to work with the Department of Energy to accelerate the implementation of battery, electric motor drive and electric vehicle technologies. DOE is expected to announce their plans regarding these proposals later this summer.
“We have an aggressive market development plan, and our innovative Regional Assembly and Sales (RAS) system will enable us to reach our employment predictions of more than 10,000 people in the U.S. by 2014,” said Lee. The RAS system is characterized by a network of regional joint ventures that will facilitate manufacturing, assembly and sales activities in specific geographic market areas throughout the U.S.
NorthEscambia.com was the first media to report last October that a Pensacola group was considering Century as a location for an EV facility with 1,100 jobs. That plan later fell apart after it was revealed that principal investors had tax problems and the state of Florida rejected a $2.5 million grant application. The Century EV project was not related to the South Korean company that is currently considering an Alabama location.
Freeman C. Corbett
July 3, 2009
Mr. Freeman C. Corbett, 90, passed away on Friday, July 3, 2009 in Atmore, AL.
Freeman was a native of Bradford, PA, a former resident of PA, and a resident of Atmore, AL for the past 2 months. He was a veteran of WWII, an ordained minister, an artist and attended the Church of the Living God. He was preceded in death by a Son, Richard Lee Corbett.
Survivors include: his Daughter, Beverly and A.J. Mathews of Atmore, AL; 2 Grandsons, Dana Mathews of Nashville, TN, and Scott and Denise Mathews of Winston Salem, NC; a Granddaughter, Sandra Mathews of Nashville, TN; 4 Great-Grandchildren, Brandy Michelle Mathews of Jackson, TN, A.J. Mathews of Nashville, TN, Daniel Leeks of Winston Salem, NC, and Christopher Scott Mathews of Winston Salem, NC; his special Grandkids of the home, “Lil Man” and “Baby Girl”; and a Friend, Edith Honda of Atmore, AL.
Graveside services will be held Monday, July 6, 2009 at 2:00 P.M. at the Oak Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Earl Harrison officiating and Petty Funeral Homes, LLC. directing.