Warmer, Rainy Night; Some Storms Could Be Severe
December 8, 2009
There is still a good chance of overnight rain in North Escambia and surrounding areas, and there is chance that there could be some severe storms.
Here is your official North Escambia weather forecast:
- Tonight: Periods of showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could be severe. Low around 59. Southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. West wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers before noon. Partly cloudy, with a high near 55. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Northeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 52. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms. Low around 44. East wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
- Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.
- Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
- Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 48.
- Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64.
Basketball: Northview, Jay, Flomaton, Escambia Academy Scores
December 8, 2009
Here’s a roundup of basketball action from around the North Escambia area:
Flomaton 49 Northview 44
The Flomaton Hurricanes beat the Northview Chiefs in basketball action 49-44 at Flomaton.
Flomaton led Northview the first two periods. The Chief rallied to take a 37-35 lead by the end of the third quarter, but the ‘Canes outscored the Chiefs in the fourth for the win. Flomaton’s Tata Ellis was the leading scorer with 19 points.
Northview (1-4) — Lance Bushaw 17, Ladarion White 10, Aaron Bellamy 10, Austin Arrington 3, Dabney Longhorne 4.
Flomaton (5-4) — Shay Gipson 5, Phillip Lloyd 3, Austin Patterson 16, Ryheem Dixon 3, Tee Mitchell 3, Tata Ellis 19.
Northview 7 13 17 7—44 Flomaton 16 11 8 14—49
Jay 49 PCA 14
Jay defeated Pensacola Christian 49-14 in girl’s basketball action at Jay. The Royal’s Becca Calloway was the leading scorer with 13.
Pensacola Christian Academy — L. Weidert 4, Hawkins 2, Brauneis 6, Balentine 2, J. Weidert 0.
Jay (4-2) — Ginger Jennings 4, Courtney Hammac 1, Tessa Hendricks 8, Danielle Skaggs 6, Candace Mulford 8, Shelby Thomas 4, Amber Steadham 5, Becca Calloway 13.
PCA 2 2 2 8—14 Jay 20 19 6 4—49
Meadowview 60 Escambia Academy 48
The Escambia Academy Cougars lost to Meadowview Monday 60-48. The Cougars were led by Michael Hippan and Nate Smith with 10 points each.
Escambia Academy — Michael Hippa 10, Nate Smith 10, James White 5, Keaton Maher 6, Jarett Hadley 3, Jalen Henry 2, Tanner Boatwright 3, Robert Whatley 2.
Escambia Academy 45 Meadowview 31
The Escambia Academy girls beat Meadowview Monday 45-31. Amber Huskey was the leading scorer for the Cougars with 15.
Escambia Academy Escambia Academy — Amber Huskey 15, Jordan Jaye 9, Kayleigh Miller 6, Grayson Emmons 5, Kristin Matthews 4.
Century Buys Hams; $495 Newspaper Holiday Greeting Ads
December 8, 2009
At their regular Monday night meeting, the Century Town Council voted to buy about $750 worth of hams, and $495 in holiday greeting ads.
The town will purchase 24 hams for employees and council members, plus one extra ham to be served at town hall just prior to Christmas. The hams are a holiday tradition; they are purchased each year as Christmas gifts for the town’s employees and council members. The total estimated cost will be $750 for the hams.
The council also voted to spend $495 for Christmas and New Year’s greeting ads in the Tri-City Ledger. The council will run a half page ad Christmas Eve ad with a photo of the council for $330 and an additional New Year’s Eve half page ad for $165. The council was presented with other advertising options by the weekly newspaper, including a quarter page ad for $165, a 3-column by 5-inch ad for $75 or a 2-column by 5-inch ad for $50.
NWEtonight
December 8, 2009
The regular monthly meeting for Northwest Escambia Baseball will be held at 6:30 tonight at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
The public is invited to attend.
Zoo Sold, Should Reopen In 2010
December 8, 2009
The Zoo Northwest Florida has been sold, and it is expected to open later this winter or early in the Spring.
The zoo was sold last Friday to Eric Mogenson who owns the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge, Va. The Virginia park is a “a 180-acre adventure, offering ‘up close and personal’ experiences with free-roaming herds of animals from six continents, including camels, llamas, bison, elk, zebras, antelopes, ostriches, deer, and giraffes”. Visitors drive-thru the park, which has been open since 2000, with an opportunity to interact with many of the animals.
“The experience of having a huge bull elk or bison only inches away, feeding from your bucket, is virtually impossible to describe. This unique animal encounter park appeals to all ages and has become one of the region’s top attractions,” the park’s web site states.
The Zoo Northwest Florida closed in August after 25 years. The Zoo attempted to obtained funding from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in order to remain open. Zoo officials said the facility, owned by Animal Park, Inc., was $4.5 million in debt, much of it from Hurricane Ivan and Dennis damage.
The financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.
H1N1 Vaccine Available To All Over Six Months Old; Clinic Saturday In Century
December 8, 2009
The H1N1 vaccine is now available in Escambia County to anyone over six months old at any of several locations, including at a vaccination clinic to be held Saturday in Century.
The Escambia County Health Department announced Monday that their H1N1 Vaccination Clinic this Saturday in Century is now open to all individuals six months and older who would like the H1N1 vaccine. In addition, the clinic will offer seasonal flu vaccine in the nasal mist format to healthy 2-49 year old as long as they have not had the H1N1 vaccine in nasal mist format in the past 28 days. Both vaccines are offered at no charge.
The H1H1 vaccination clinic will be held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the former Carver/Century School gym at 700 East Hecker Road.
In addition to the Century clinic, Escambia residents can also obtain the H1N1 vaccination by:
- calling their local retail pharmacy or physician’s office.
- visiting the Escambia County Health Department’s Flu Fast Track Clinic, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 1295 W. Fairfield Drive, Pensacola. Walk-ins only.
To fill out the consent forms in advance for the Century clinic (this step is optional; you will have time to do this at the clinic):
First, read the appropriate Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS). Healthy individual ages 2 through 49 years old, will be offered the nasal mist format of the vaccine and should read the Vaccine Information Sheet labeled “Live Attenuated”.
H1N1 Influenza Vaccine (Live, Attenuated)-VIS (36.8kb; pdf)
H1N1 Influenza Vaccine (Inactive)-VIS (36.4kb; pdf)
Second, after reading the Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS), print, fill out, sign and the following consent form. Each person being vaccinated needs their own consent form.
H1N1 Vaccine Consent Form (1.4mb; pdf) (This consent form is ONLY for the Century vaccination clinic on December 12. Do not take this form to the health department’s main location or your doctor’s office or pharmacy.)
Code Enforcement Cases Headed To Court; Resident Claims Racial Bias
December 8, 2009
Five code enforcement cases in Century are headed for either abatement or a special magistrate, the first such cases since code enforcement returned to Century on March 4. And at least one resident says that code enforcement’s actions are racial motivated.
Two property owners will be headed to a special magistrate where they could face fines and fees for failing to bring their property up to code, and three are headed for summary abatement. An abatement involves the county using a contractor to clean the property and then placing a lien against the property for the costs.
The property owners have had ample time to correct their code violations, Mayor Freddie McCall said. “They (code enforcement) have been contacting them for months.”
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to support Escambia County Code Enforcement taking further action on the properties. Prior to the action, one resident told the council that he is concerned that code enforcement officers are racial biased.
“Code enforcement is going around primarily in black areas,” Alphonzie Cottrell said. “They are really in the black areas. I watch them; I know.”
“We are more than 50-percent black in Century,” Council President Ann Brooks said.
Councilman Henry Hawkins, who said he has ridden with code enforcement officers twice, did not indicate that had noticed any racial profiling on the part of code officers.
“When I went with them, they took an area and went,” Hawkins said.
Prior to Escambia County Code Enforcement’s return to Century, Sandra Slay, code enforcement director, told the council that her agency would target the entire town, one area at a time. She told the council that her officers would seek out violators regardless of who they might be.
Cottrell also expressed concerns at Monday night’s council meeting that the list of five violators presented to the council did not contain names, but only addresses.
Brooks said the names are irrelevant to the council’s actions. “The decision we make shouldn’t matter if it was you or me, or who it was,” she told Cottrell.
According to Slay and McCall, the following properties are slated for the action listed:
- 15 block Ramar Street, abatement hearing
- 8001 Alger Road, abatement hearing
- 9441 North Century Blvd, special magistrate hearing
- 13 George Street, abatement hearing
- 8850 Blackmon Street, special magistrate hearing
The list of properties was provided to McCall in an email from Slay last Friday. The email did not contain any property owner’s names.
Pictured top: The owners of this property at 9441 North Century Boulevard will likely be headed to code enforcement special magistrate hearing. The building had been occupied by Royal Pizza until the building burned in the early morning hours of July 6, 2008. The building has been vacant since the fire. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Relay For Life Team Captain Party Tonight
December 8, 2009
A Century Relay for Life Team Captain Party will be held at 7:00 tonight at the Ag Building at the corner of West Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard in Century. It will be a chance for Relay volunteers to talk about next year’s relay and work on the all important planning for the Relay.
The theme of this month’s party is ‘More Birthdays and Christmases”, and teams are invited to decorate their table and dress for the party. There will be a table decorating contest and bonus spirit points for team members that are dressed in the party theme. Each team should provide one snack or treat for the group. There will be refreshments, information, entertainment and door prizes.
Anyone interested in forming a team for the Century Relay for Life is invited to attend the meeting. Teams are welcome from Century, Walnut Hill, Bratt, McDavid, Flomaton and surrounding areas — not just Century.
The 2010 Century Relay for Life will be the fourth in North Escambia supporting the American Cancer Society.
For more information visit, www.CenturyRelay.com or call 256-3842.
Tonight’s meeting was originally planned for December 14 but was rescheduled.
Pictured above: Last year’s Century Relay for Life gets underway. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park Bridge Could Reopen Within A Week
December 8, 2009
After almost two months, Barrineau Park Road near Jacks Branch Road should be open again soon.
“Bridge repairs on Jack’s Branch Road should be completed within about a week,” Sonya Daniel. Escambia County spokesperson, said Monday.
Barrineau Park Road from Jacks Branch Road to Barrineau Park School Road was closed October 16 so that repairs could be made to the Penasula Creek Bridge which is located north of the intersection of Barrineau Park Road and Jacks Branch Road.
The only detours around the closure are Chestnut Road or Highway 29 between Barrineau Park Road and Molino Road.
The closed bridge is marked with the green icon on the map below.
FHP Checkpoints Planned
December 8, 2009
The Florida Highway Patrol says they may be conducting drivers license and vehicle safety checkpoints this week in the North Escambia area.
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.
Checkpoints planned this week in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties include:
Escambia County
Fannie Road north of Old Flomaton Road
Muskogee Road west of Cantonment
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
Santa Rosa County
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