Volleyball: Northview Loses Season Openers To Freeport
September 2, 2009
The Northview Chiefs lost there regular season opening varsity and junior varsity volleyball matches on the road Tuesday night.
The varsity Chiefs lost three of four to Freeport, 23-25, 25-14, 15-25, 20-25.
Against Freeport, junior Shawna Montgomery had five kills, a couple of assists, one ace, five digs and seven blocks. Kara Hardin, also a junior, had a block, an aces and a pair of digs. Senior setter Caitlin Hall finished the night with seven assists, eight blocks and two aces. Senior Angela Rodriguez had a pair of aces and a pair of kills for the Chiefs.
Freeport swept two from the JV Chiefs, 16-25, 22-25.
Tresine Dean, a junior, had two assists, one block and an ace for Northview. Jordan Satterwhite, a freshman, had two digs and an ace. Sophomore Josie Doucette,picked up two blocks and junior Brittanie Poston had two kills.
Deputies Seek Mailbox Vandals
September 2, 2009
Escambia County deputies are looking for the person or persons that destroyed about half dozen mailboxes from Walnut Hill to Enon.
The mailboxes and their supports were apparently hit by a vehicle along Highway 97A sometime late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Destroying a mailbox can actually be a federal felony offense.
Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 433-STOP or the Escambia Sheriff’s Office at 436-9620.
Pictured above: One of the mailboxes destroyed on Highway 97A near Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Pelicans Shutout Cats in Game One; Three Pelicans Go Deep in 7-0 Win
September 2, 2009
The Pelicans blanked the Cats 7-0 to claim game one of the best-of-five South Division Championship Series. Pensacola was supported by another strong Aaron Jackson outing, earning the win after seven scoreless innings of work. Tyler Wilson and Bubba Nelson paired up to retire the final six Cats in order, and three Pelicans hit home runs in the Pensacola victory.
Pensacola took an early 1-0 lead by scoring Francisco Leandro in the top of the first. The Pelicans’ leadoff hitter knocked a groundball that hit third base to give Leandro an infield single. Kevin Reynolds dropped down a beautiful bunt that Reynolds beat out to give the Pelicans runners at first and second and nobody out. Antoin Gray recorded RBI number 85 by hitting a single, and the Pelicans were up early.
The Pelicans added another run in the top of the second, when Dallas Christison led off with a solo shot over the left field fence. The blast was Christison’s second of the year, and the Pelicans’ second run of the night.
Kevin Reynolds started the third inning with a single, and moved to third when Gray hit his second base knock of the night. Marshall McDougall skied a ball to the centerfielder, and the sacrifice fly plated Reynolds to give the Pelicans a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth inning, Marcos Rodriguez connected for a single, and Dallas Christison had a bunt single as well. Lou Palmisano placed a sacrifice bunt down the third base line, and both runners moved up a bag. With two outs, Leandro walked to load the bases, and Kevin Reynolds made his third hit of the night a big one: a ground-rule double that bounced over the right field fence and forced home Rodriguez and Christison, the Pelicans fourth and fifth runs of the night.
Marshall McDougall started the fifth inning by crushing his first homer in a Pelicans uniform, and Antoin Gray added a little extra in the top of the ninth with a leadoff homer of his own, Gray’s fifteenth long-ball of the year.
The Pelicans’ 7-0 lead would hold up under seven solid innings by Aaron Jackson in which he scattered five hits, did not allow a walk, and struck out two. Tyler Wilson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, striking out one, and Bubba Nelson retired the Cats in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the Pelicans’ shutout. The ninth Pelicans’ shutout was also their second against Fort Worth.
At the plate, Kevin Reynolds led all Pelicans going 3-4, with the two-RBI ground-rule double. Antoin Gray went 3-5 with a solo homer and two RBI. Francisco Leandro and Marcos Rodriguez went 2-4, and Dallas Christison went 2-5 with a homer and two runs batted in. Marshall McDougall hit his first round-tripper as a Pelican to drive in one of his two RBI.
Pensacola and Fort Worth will play game two of the South Division Championship Series on Wednesday in Texas, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The battle of southpaws will feature Pensacola’s Randy Beam, against Fort Worth’s Joel Kirsten. Fans can hear all the action on NewsRadio 1620, and online via SportsJuice.com.
Tropical Storm Erika Forms
September 1, 2009
Tropical Storm Erika formed Tuesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
The center of Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 17.2 north, longitude 57.3 west or about 390 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. Erika is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph. This general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. On this track the center of Erika is expected to remain to the northeast of the Leeward Islands.
Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days. Forecasters currently do not believe Ericka will move into the Gulf of Mexico. However, the forecast cone for the storm is very wide, and the storm could threaten Florida in a few days. Most forecast models are predicting that the storm will miss the United States altogether.
Firefighters Respond To Cottage Hill Home Early Tuesday
September 1, 2009
Fire stations from across the area were dispatched to a home in the 800 block of McKenzie Road in Cottage Hill early Tuesday morning.
About 1:00 a.m., the resident of the home reported the smell of burning plastic coming from an air conditioning unit. The first fire units on scene did not report a fire, and other responders were canceled.
The Cantonment, Molino and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were originally dispatched to the call. There were no injuries and no major damage reported.
County Looks To Increase Fees For Little League Ball, Lake Stone, Traffic Tickets
September 1, 2009
Playing little league ball, camping at Lake Stone, using some parks, or getting a traffic ticket may cost you more in the future — the Escambia County Commission will consider an increase in several fees and fines to help the county’s ailing budget.
Currently, athletic associations that use county-owned parks for little league sports do not pay for the use of the parks. Instead, the athletic associations maintain and manage the parks in exchange for their use. But under a proposal to be considered by the Escambia County Commission Thursday night, athletic associations would be assessed a fee of $10 per child, per sport after October 1.
The cost to rent softball and soccer fields for touranment play would increase from $25 to $35, plus tax, under the plan, and building fees — for buildings like press boxes and concession stands — would increase from $25 to $35. Also, there would be a $50 charge for day games and a $75 charge for night games for local high schools to use the Brosnaham Park Soccer Complex.
The rental for park pavilions will increase under the proposal from $25 to $30, plus tax.
If the measure is approved, camping at Lake Stone near Century would also get more expensive. Escambia County residents would pay $16 per night instead of $13, and out of county residents would see the cost jump from $15 to $18. Senior citizens rates would also increase by $3.
Sandy Jennings, bureau chief for the county’s Neighborhoods/Community Services Bureau, estimates that the new fees would add another $74,580 per year to the county’s bottom line.
Another proposal to be considered by the commission will make non-criminal traffic tickets more expensive. The play would increase the surcharge accessed on the tickets from $15 to $30. The increase would net an estimated $450,000 per year for the county. The funds would be used to offset general fund dollars currently used for the maintenance and upkeep of facilities used by the state court system.
The Escambia County Commission will consider the proposals at their meeting Thursday night.
Hundreds Wait In Long Lines To Avoid Fee Increases
September 1, 2009
People stood in line for hours Monday to renew their tags or driver’s licenses on the last day to save some green. The fees for vehicle registrations, renewals, titles and driver licenses have all increased — some more than double — effective today.
So many people tried to avoid the fee increase on Friday that Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles computer systems crashed. On Monday, hundreds of people lined up at Escambia County Tax Collector offices. Some waited well over two hours. In Cantonment and on W Street in Pensacola, drive-through windows were closed because traffic backed up into the highways.
Thousands of people across the state turned to the Internet to renew their tags and licenses, but that was not a time-saver for most. The state’s gorenew.com was down for most of the day, returned nothing or error messages.
“It’s almost like they did it on purpose to make us pay more,” one NorthEscambia.com wrote in an email. “They are doing anything they can to make us pay more. People can’t afford this right now; we should be able to at least pay online.”
Tax Collector Janet Holley’s office issued rain checks Friday and Monday to those unable to renew in person due to the computer problems. The rain checks are good for the current lower fees until September 10.
The New Fees Effective September 1
The initial registration fee – the fee paid for a vehicle registration on an additional vehicle not replacing a current vehicle — jumped from $100 to $225.
Tag and registration fees went up as much as 66 percent; the exact amount depends on the weight of the vehicle. Transfer fees for titles more than doubled from $29.75 to $75.75. Motorcycle registrations also increased, from $24.60 to $41.65.
Reinstating a suspended driver license increased, late payment fees on driver license renewals went up 15-fold, from $1 to $15, and the cost of the original driver license went from $32.25 to $54.25. Renewing a driver license went from $25.25 to $54.25.
Holley stressed that the increases were mandated by the state legislature for all Florida residents; the increases are not specific to Escambia County. For more information, contact Holley’s office at (850) 438-6500 ext. 252.
Parents, Volunteers Can Learn More About 4-H
September 1, 2009
The Escambia County Extension Service will present “4-H Just for the Fun of It” to give parents and volunteers to learn more about the 4-H Youth and Volunteer Program in Escambia County.
This program is open to the public to learn about 4-H topics including: youth programs/activities, how to start a 4-H club in your community or school, volunteer roles in 4-H, school enrichment programs, and volunteer training opportunities.
Escambia County Extension Agents will present many areas of interest for 4-H youth, clubs, and volunteers , including areas in Gardening, Horticulture, Environmental Education, Wildlife, Recycling, Food and Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyles, Consumer Science, Marine Science, Agriculture, Teen Leadership and Citizenship, Public Speaking, and Science and Technology. 4-H Clubs can sign up for special programs at this time.
The “4-H Just for the Fun of it” parent and volunteer information program will be September 8 from 6-8 p.m. at the Langley Bell 4-H Center on West Nine Mile Road. Refreshments will be served.
Registration required; call the Escambia County Extension Office 850-475-5230.
Founded in 1902 nationally, 4-H is now the largest youth organization in the world. Nationwide, 4-H has over 9 million members, including 234,000 in Florida. A total of 6226 youth are enrolled in the Escambia County 4-H Youth Program. 4-H offers youth, ages 5 – 18, diverse project topics available through 4-H clubs, 4-H school enrichment, workshops, clinics, day camps and summer camp programs. Florida 4-H is the youth development program of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service (CES), headquartered in Gainesville within UF’s IFAS and the Escambia County Extension Service. The CES is funded by a partnership between federal, state and county government agencies.
FHP Plans Checkpoints
September 1, 2009
The Florida Highway Patrol will be conducting drivers license and vehicle safety checkpoints in North Escambia and northern Santa Rosa County. According to the FHP, checkpoints will take place in Escambia County anytime through September 10 on Fannie Road north of Old Flomaton Road and Muscogee Road west of Cantonment. In north Santa Rosa County, checkpoints will be held on Quintette Road and State Road 4.
The FHP says troopers will concentrate on vehicles being operated with defects such as bad brakes, worn tires and defective lighting. Troopers will also be looking for drivers in violation of the state’s drivers license laws.
Additional checkpoints will be held at various locations in the Pensacola area this week:
- Pipeline Road south of Rambler Drive
- Kemp Road west of Rolling Hills Road
- Citrus Street north of Jackson Street
- Avery Street west of “W” Street
- Hancock Road east of Old Palafox Highway
- Patton Drive north of Gulf Beach Highway
- Hollywood Blvd. north of Fairfield Drive
- Jernigan Road south of 9 Mile Road
- Millview Road south of Mobile Highway
Additional checkpoints held in Santa Rosa County include:
- Quintette Road west of County Road 197
- Bagdad Highway south of Milton
- Hamilton Bridge Road east of Bridge
- County Road 197 north of Guernsey Road
- State Road 4 northern Santa Rosa County
- State Road 399 west of State Road 87
School Prayer: Students Gather Without Coaches; Legal Defense Fund Grows
September 1, 2009
Dozens of athletes prayed after a Friday night ballgame without their coaches, and the criminal defense fund for Frank Lay and Robert Freemen continues to grow.
After last Friday night’s Pace High versus Navarre High School game, football players and cheerleaders from both schools gathered together on the field for prayer. Noticeably absent were the coaches and adult leaders from both schools.
In meantime to the legal defense fund for Lay and Freeman has grown to nearly $38,000. Lay, the Pace High School principal, and Freeman, Pace athletic director, face federal criminal charges for praying before a meal at a field house dedication despite an order against prayer in Santa Rosa County Schools issued in response to an ACLU lawsuit.
Started on Monday, August 3, the fund was at $5,220 by Thursday, August 6. By Monday, the fund balance was at $38,818.57. The funds will be used to pay the legal expenses for Lay and Freeman, and fund organizers say that if there are any funds leftover after all legal fees are paid, they will be donated to the Liberty Counsel. The non-profit Liberty Counsel provides legal services and actively fights the ACLU. The Liberty Counsel was actively involved in the defense of Michelle Winkler, recently by a federal judge on charges she violated the no-prayer order. (Read more here.)
The Farmer’s Opry in Chumuckla will hold a benefit concert and supper on September 10 from 5:30 until. The Saw Mill Band, the Hendersons and Crossroads will perform. The event, which includes a hamburger, french fry and baked bean supper, will begin at 5:30.
A web site set up for the two men, layfreemandefense.com, asks supporters to make donations to the Lay and Freeman Defense Fund at any First National Bank of Florida. The site is also selling t-shirts for $10 and lists other events in support of the fund.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court almost a year ago against the Santa Rosa School District, Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and then-Santa Rosa Superintendent John Rogers. The suit alleged that Santa Rosa County Schools “persistently and persuasively promote their personal religious beliefs in the public schools and at school events”.
A federal court order earlier this year prohibited, among other things, any prayer in schools, “reading from a sacred text”, “calling upon a deity to offer guidance, assistance or a blessing” and religious services such as baccalaureate services. There are circumstances were student-led prayers are permissible, but school employees are prohibited to participate in the prayer, even prohibited from “a posture or manner that is likely to be perceived as an endorsement of prayer, e.g. bowing their heads, kneeling or folding their hands”.
The ACLU has requested documents from Escambia County Schools, prompting the district to err on the side of caution when it comes to prayer at organized school events.
Pictured top: Athletes from Pace High School (in blue) and Navarre High School (in white) gather for prayer after a kickoff classic football game last Friday night at Pace High School. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.