Mary Jean (Gulsby) Busbee
December 23, 2009
Mary Jean (Gulsby) Busbee went home to be with the Lord on December 22, 2009 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
She was born on July 10, 1937 in Barrineau Park, Fl. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mason and Mary Gulsby; brother, Frank Gulsby, Jr; and son, Buddy Busbee. She is survived by her husband, Truman Busbee; children, Eleanor (Wayne)Myrick of Pensacola, FL, Edward (Shelly) Busbee of Cantonment, FL, and Kenneth (Wendy) Busbee of Wake Forest, N.C.; ten grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great- grandchild; sister, Joyce (Odis) Brill; and a host of other family and friends.
She was retired with 27 ½ years of employment at Barrineau Park School. She was a member of First Assembly of God Church of Pensacola and a charter member of Barrineau Park Historical Society.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at First Assembly of God Church of Pensacola. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services. Rev. Jerry Johnson, Rev. Avon Fowler, and Rev. Ron Carnley will officiate. Burial will follow at Pensacola Memorial Cemetery. T
rahan Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Christmas Recipes: Red Velvet Cake, Holiday Dips
December 23, 2009
The holidays are a time when a lot of people head into the kitchen to cook for family and friends. Over the next few days, NorthEscambia.com will share some submitted holiday favorite recipes.
You just can’t go wrong with a red velvet cake, and we have a great recipe today from Shirley Boone. We also have a couple of dip recipes just in time for your Christmas entertaining — a black bean dip and a hot cream cheese dip.To submit your recipes to share with our readers, email them to news@northescambia.com.
Today’s recipes are from the Molino Homemakers Club.
Red Velvet Cake
by Shirley Boone
CAKE
- 1 ½ cups oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. cocoa
- 1 oz bottle red food coloring
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Mix oil and sugar together. Add eggs and beat well. Add food coloring. Add vinegar to buttermilk and pour into oil mixture. Add vanilla. In small bowl combine cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix with other ingredients until well blended. Pour into 9 inch greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees. Two pans bake for 30-35 minutes, three pans bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and wrap in plastic wrap until cool.
ICING
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 box confectioners sugar
- 1 stick Parkay margarine, softened
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Mix all together until creamed. Spread on cooled cake.
Black Bean Dip
by Mona Brown
- 2 cans black beans, drained
- 2 cans shoe peg corn, drained
- ½ bunch green onions, chopped
- Sprinkle of garlic powder
- Mix ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup apple cider vinegar and ½ cup sugar.
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Marinate for 24 hours. Drain and add 8 ounces of feta cheese. Serve with Scoops.
Hot Cream Cheese Dip
from the Molino Homemakers Club
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon
- 3 stalks green onion diced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Mix all ingredients and pour into a 9×9 glass pan or pie plate. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with Chicken in a Biscuit crackers.
One Year Later: Almost Half Of ECUA Customers Are Recycling
December 23, 2009
Curbside recycling has been available in North Escambia has been available for almost a year, and the program continues to grow.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority introduced curbside recycling throughout Escambia County in January of this year, coinciding with their takeover of the Allied Waste franchise in North Escambia.The latest numbers from ECUA show that about 34,100 households — about 46 percent of all ECUA customers in the county — are enrolled in the recycling program, and that number is growing by about 250 new sign-ups per week.
During the first nine months of the program, ECUA collect 3,682 tons of recyclables, keeping those items out of the Perdido Landfill. The latest average sis 116 tons per week, with a record-setting week of 136 tons of recyclables collected the week of October 9.
About 12.5% of recyclables received by ECUA are “contaminated” — containing incorrect items.
The following items are accepted:
- Newspaper & Inserts
- Magazines & Catalogs
- Junk Mail & Envelopes
- Cardboard
- Office and School Papers (colored paper)
- Boxboard (cereal, cracker boxes)
- Brown Paper Bags
- Aluminum Cans
- Tin and Steel Cans
- Plastic Milk Jugs
- Plastic Bottles with necks only
- Phone Books
The following items are not accepted:
- No Food-Tainted Items
- No Ice Cream Cartons
- No polystyrene foam products (coffee cups, coolers, packaging)
- No Pizza Boxes
- No Aluminum Foil
- No Plastic Cups & Silverware
- No Aerosol Cans
- No Other Plastics (hangers, food trays, etc.)
- No Juice Boxes / Bags
- No Garbage Yard Waste
- No Glass. Glass items are accepted at county drop-off centers.
Plastic bags are not recyclable, but ECUA encourages the use of plastic bags to hold other recyclables such as paper to prevent the items from blowing out of the the recylcing truck.
Storms On The Way For Christmas Eve; Wind Advisory Issued
December 23, 2009
It looks like Christmas Eve may be a stormy one across the North Escambia area with the chance of heavy rainfall and even an isolated tornado.
A Wind Advisory is in effect on Christmas Eve from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for gusty winds.
Here is our official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Thursday: Periods of showers and thunderstorms. High near 65. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before midnight, then isolated showers. Cloudy, with a low around 45. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Christmas Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. West wind around 5 mph.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. West wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. West wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. West wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. North wind around 5 mph.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 58.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
No Flood Assistance For Homeowners, Renters
December 23, 2009
It looks like there will be no flood assistance coming from the government for individual homeowners and renters in Escambia County, Alabama.
Escambia County did not meet the threshold of damages to request individual assistance, Escambia County Emergency Management Director David Adams announced Tuesday.
Damage assessment teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Alabama Emergency Management, local agencies and municipalities have completed their damage assessments. Based upon Escambia County’s population, $5.88 million in damages would have been needed for a federal disaster declaration to get the individual assistance monies flowing. The total damages to public infrastructure — such as roads and bridges — were about a half million below the threshold.
“The assessments will be compiled and merged with the assessments from the other affected counties and then forwarded to Governor (Bob) Riley. Governor Riley will then make the request for federal declaration and FEMA Public Assistance. Public Assistance is assistance to local governments and responder agencies to aid in recovery from damages to facilities and infrastructure and other expenses incurred during the response,” Adams said.
Representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration have complete damage assessments in an effort to provide assistance to businesses, homeowners and renters, Adams said. If SBA assistance is issued, he said, assistance may be available in the form of low interest loans.
Pictured above: An aerial view of the flood in Flomaton. File photo courtesy the Alabama Forestry Commission for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Some Cable Customers May Lose WEAR 3
December 23, 2009
Some cable TV customers — including those in Atmore — may not be able to watch WEAR TV 3 after the end of the year.
Dancing with the Stars, Nightline, Jimmy Kimmel, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Ugly Betty and even the January 7 Texas versus Alabama game may be lost (LOST — that’s another ABC show) for Mediacom cable television customers. WEAR’s local news — Sue Straughn, Bob Solarski, Dan Shugart and Alan Strum — will also be dark on the cable provider.
The current agreement between Sinclair Broadcasting, the parent company of WEAR, and Mediacom is set to expire on New Year’s Eve. The agreement spells out how much Mediacom pays Sinclair for the rights to carry stations like WEAR on their cable system.
A similar impasse in 2007 left about 100,000 Mediacom customers without WEAR — including cable customers in Atmore.
“Although we have tried very hard to reach agreement with Mediacom for a new deal to replace the one that expires at the end of this year, it does not appear that such efforts will be successful,” Terry Cole, general manager of WEAR said in a written statement on the station’s website.
WEAR will continue to be available for free over the air with an antenna, or from DirectTV or Dish Network. “If you are a Mediacom subscriber, we hope you will take advantage of these alternative sources for our programming,” Cole said.
The other cable television companies that serve residents in Flomaton, Jay, Cantonment and most of Pensacola are not planning to drop WEAR.
Photos: Century Care Center Celebrates Christmas
December 23, 2009
The Christmas season has been a busy and exiting time at the Century Care Center.
“We want to express our appreciation for this wonderful community, and all they do for our residents. I thought times would be tough, due to the economy. People were more generous than ever with their time and gifts. A big thank you from staff and residents at Century Care Center to all the generous and caring members of our community,” said Mae Hildreth, Century Care activities director.
Covenant Hospital provided goodies as well as arts and crafts projects during the “Covenant Hospice Social Hour”. Often, Century Care residents will make the crafts as gifts for hospice patients.
The Flomaton High School Beta Club performed Christmas carols and brings gifts for every resident. The Sensational Tones of Joy entertained and uplifted the residents.
There were lots of gifts provided by the community and staff, a visit with Santa Claus and Mary Kay gifts from Goodie Odom.
Century Care Center has also been visited during the Christmas season by many carolers and other visitors with cards and other gifts.
Click here for more pictures from Christmas celebrations and events at Century Care Center.
Pictured top: Celebrating Christmas as the Century Care Center. Pictured below: The Flomaton High School Beta Club at the Century Care Center. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FNB&Trust Earns 5-Star Stability And Strength Rating
December 23, 2009
The First National Bank & Trust in Atmore has been awarded a 5-Star Superior Rating for the sixth consecutive quarter.
The 5-start rating for financial strength and stability is the highest rating from BauerFinancial, Inc., the nation’s bank rating firm for over a quarter century. The rating is based upon the overall financial strength of the bank; the 5-Star rating denotes the First National Bank & Trust as been among the strongest banks in the nations, according to BauerFinancial.
“First National Bank & Trust has passed BauerFinancial’s stringent stress test with flying colors. Not only is it a vital part of its community, it is a prime example of what all community banks should strive for.”” said Karen L. Dorway, president of BaeurFinancial.
First National Bank & Trust was established in 1915 and has been serving the banking needs of Atmore and surrounding areas for 94 years. It operates through four conveniently located offices in Atmore and Excel and can also be found on the internet at www.fnbandt.com. In addition to earning the 5-Star designation for six consective quarters, the bank has received “recommended” status for 82 consecutive quarters.
BauerFinancial is an independent bank and credit union ranking and research firm. Financial institutions do not pay for their ratings.
Flood Price Tag: $5.3 Million
December 22, 2009
Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration were in Escambia County, Alabama, Monday surveying the damage from last week’s floods.
Read an update to this story by clicking here.
Their data will be used to determine if President Barack Obama will declare a federal disaster area.
Preliminary dollar figures are in on last week’s flood damage in Escambia County, Alabama. The numbers show damage to public property as follows:
- Escambia County (Ala.), $3 million
- City of Atmore, $1.25 million
- City of Brewton, $400,000
- Town of Flomaton, $362,000
- Poarch Creek Indians, $250,000
- Escambia (Ala.) Sheriff’s Dept., $38,000
The total amount estimated so far is $5.3 million, a little less than the $5.88 million that would be needed for a federal disaster declaration so that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, can offer assistance. The $5.88 million mark is based upon the county’s population.
Each governmental agency in the county will continue to assess their damage to determine if the county might reach the federal disaster level.
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who toured the area last week, has already declared a state of emergency in Escambia and three other Alabama counties. By declaring a state of emergency, the governor authorized the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to assist communities, make the appropriate assessments of damage and seek state and federal assistance for the affected areas.
Pictured above: Flooding last week in Flomaton. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Some Roads Still Closed; Molino Bridge Repair Delayed
December 22, 2009
A few North Escambia roads remain closed after last weekend’s flooding, and a Molino bridge project has been delayed.
DKE Marine Services, the contracter for the ongoing bridge repairs on Bet Raines Road in Molino, says the rains will extend their completion by a week. The bridge is now scheduled to remain closed until Wednesday, January 6.
The following roads in North Escambia remain closed:
- Bluff Springs Road between Boat Ramp Road and the Escambia River
- North Barth Road between the railroad tracks on the North and South
- Railroad Street
- Mystic Springs Road
The following roads that were closed are now open:
- Occie Phillips between Pineville and Highway 97-A
- Barrineau Park Road between Highway 99 and the Alabama State line
- River Annex Road between Muscogee Road and the bridge
- Daffin Road
- Pineville Road at 3 run bridges
- Highway 29 at the Alabama State line
- Greenland Road between Highway 97 and Hodges
- Arthur Brown Road between Pineville and Highway 97-A
- Fannie Road
- Arthur Brown Road @ Brushy Creek Bridge
- Jakes Road
Pictured top: The road to Fischer Landing in Century remains underwater. Picture below: A logjam at Escambia River Bridge on Highway 4. Submitted photos by Angi Baker for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
