Sleet, Snow In Tonight’s Forecast
January 7, 2010
There’s a chance of sleet and snow in our forecast for tonight, but the National Weather Service says we can expect little or no snow or sleet accumulation.
If you plan to travel north into Alabama Friday morning — the weather service is forecasting about an inch of snow down to Monroeville and Evergreen.
Here is your official National Weather Service forecast for North Escambia:
- Tonight…Rain and light sleet in the evening…then chance of rain and snow after midnight. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation. Lows in the lower 20s. West winds 5 to 15 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
- Friday…Sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds 10 to 20 mph.
- Friday Night…Partly cloudy. Lows around 16. North winds 5 to 15 mph.
- Saturday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.
- Saturday Night…Clear. Lows around 16. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Sunday…Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.
- Sunday Night…Clear. Lows around 15.
- Monday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.
- Monday Night…Mostly clear. Lows 18 to 23.
- Tuesday…Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
- Tuesday Night…Partly cloudy. Lows 26 to 31.
- Wednesday…Mostly sunny. Highs around 60.
- Wednesday Night…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.
- Thursday…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Highs in the upper 50s. Chance of showers 20 percent.
Pictured top: Ice covered most of an Oak Grove pond Wednesday morning. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
BCS National Championship Tonight — Who Do You Think Will Win?
January 7, 2010
The No. 1 BCS-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, the Southeastern Conference champions, and the No. 2 BCS-ranked Texas Longhorns, champions of the Big 12 Conference, will play in the Citi BCS National Championship Game at 7:38 tonight.
Who do you think will win? Submit your comments on the game below and show your team spirit!
With its win of the Southeastern Conference crown for the 22nd time, Alabama is going to a bowl for the sixth straight season. The Crimson Tide also enters the game with a perfect mark of 13-0 overall, 9-0 in conference. Alabama has been to the eighth most Rose Bowl Games in history (6), behind only: USC, Michigan, Washington, Ohio State, Stanford, UCLA and California; most of any team outside of the Big Ten and Pac-10.
Texas enters the BCS National Championship game after clinching the Big 12 Conference title for the third time (28 conference championships overall) and a record of 13-0 overall, 9-0 in conference. The Longhorns are bowl eligible for the 12th consecutive season and are one of two schools in the nation (Utah) that has won five straight bowl games. This streak includes three straight BCS games (2009 Fiesta Bowl, 2006 BCS National Championship, 2005 Rose Bowl).
Tonight’s game marks Texas and Alabama’s eighth meeting in history; the last time was on January 1, 1982, in Dallas, Texas, at the Cotton Bowl where the Longhorns defeated the Crimson Tide, 14-12.
Pregame festivities for the 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game begin at 7 p.m. and include musical performances by Josh Groban, Audra McDonald and the coin toss by legendary football announcer Keith Jackson. The game is televised nationally on ESPN on ABC with Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit and Lisa Salters calling the action. Locally, the game airs on WEAR 3.
Escambia Road Department Ready For Possible Snow, Ice
January 7, 2010
Escambia County officials are preparing for the possibility of winter weather tonight.
County road crews are ready to roll tonight or early Friday morning in the event ice begins to form on roadways. Crews have sand ready to spread on any icy areas that might develop, according to Sonya Daniel, Escambia County public information manager.
“The Road Department will be watching the roads all night if it looks like there might be a problem,” Daniel said.
Bridges and overpasses often freeze first, she said, adding that drivers need to be careful if as they head out tonight or early Friday morning.
Commission To Consider Time Line To Replace Administrator
January 7, 2010
Today, the Escambia County Commission will consider a plan for hiring an acting county administrator to replace County Administrator Bob McLaughlin.
In December, the commission decided to not renew McLaughlin’s contract when it expires February 6. That decision will officially be considered, and most likely approved, at a commission meeting tonight.
Under a proposal to be presented to the five commissioners this afternoon, the recruitment process for an acting administrator will begin next Monday. Candidates would be interviewed by April 2, and an acting administrator would be hired by April 12.
The time line to be considered by the commission, as prepared by the human resources department, is as follows:
Pre-Posting Activities: January 11, 2010 – January 15, 2010
- Prepare detailed Job Description – duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills
- Determine Required Qualifications
- Determine Recruitment Range and Negotiating Cap
- Develop Supplemental Questions for Job Posting
- Determine Selection Committee (odd number, no more than 5)
- Determine Advertising Budget: $12,500 for 30 Days
- Determine Travel Budget for Candidates: $10,000
Advertise – 30 Calendar Days: January 18, 2010 – February 19, 2010
- Florida Association of Counties
- National Association of Counties
- ICMA
- Pensacola News Journal
- Escambia County Web Site
- Various National News Papers
- (Example: Wall Street Journal – $1,429 (1 day print, 30 days online)
HR conducts Preliminary Candidate Screening: By February 26, 2010
- Application Review
- Prepare matrix
- Establish Referral List of Candidates
- Prepare binders with applications/resumes for committee
1st Panel Review – Selection Committee: By 03/03/2010
- Review Referred Candidates and Matrix
- Develop Questionnaire
- Select candidates to receive questionnaire
HR – Distribute Questionnaire: By 03/05/2010
- Distribute and confirm receipt of questionnaire to candidates
HR – Distribute Questionnaire Replies to committee: By 03/17/2010
- Collect replies
- Prepare binders for distribution to committee
- Board Recommendation for candidate travel reimbursement
2nd Panel Review – Selection Committee: By 03/23/2010
- Review Questionnaires
- Determine candidates for telephone interviews
- Develop Telephone Interview Questions
Telephone Interviews Conducted: By 03/26/2010
- HR coordinates candidates and committee
- Committee selects candidates for Face-to-Face Interviews
- Committee develops Face-to-Face Interview Questions
Face-to-Face Interviews Conducted by 04/02/2010
- HR Coordinates Interviews with Candidates & Selection Committee
- HR Coordinates travel & travel reimbursement
- Interviews Conducted
- Selection made or re-advertise
County Attorney executes contract: By 04/12/2010
- Total Compensation Package Negotiated
- Contract executed
Regret Letters: By 04/16/2010
- To interviewed candidates that were not selected.
Firefighters Respond To Molino Home, Find Heating System Problem
January 7, 2010
Fire stations from across North Escambia were dispatched to a home in 5800 block of Molino Road about 9:45 Wednesday night after a resident reported smoke coming from their attic.
Firefighters determined the source of the problem to be dust in the home’s central heating unit. There was no damage and no injuries.
The Molino, Cantonment, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to the call.
Bookstore Letter Prompts Century Council To Meet With Attorney Over Government Consolidation
January 7, 2010
After receiving a written request from a Pensacola bookstore, the Century Town Council plans to meet with an attorney about the possible governmental consolidation that could combine Century, Pensacola and Escambia County.
The letter dated December 26, 2009 from The Gathering Awareness Book & Gift Center on E Street was addressed to “Local Pastors, Mayor McCall and Century Town Council Members”.
“There are a lot of unclear proposals that will affect all of the citizens,” Georgia Blackmon of the bookstore wrote. “Gerald McKinsey, a local attorney and I would like to set up a meeting with the citizens of Century at a date and time convenient for the residents of Century to discuss some of these proposals and to get your input on whether or not you think this would be beneficial for the Town of Century, prior to casting your vote in the issue.”
According to the Florida Bar’s online database, there is not a Gerald Kinsey eligible to practice law in Florida. There is, however, a Gerald McKenzie in Pensacola listed as “member in good standing” of the Florida Bar. NorthEscambia.com called McKenzie’s office Tuesday afternoon and spoke to a female that did not identify herself. She said she was familiar with the bookstore and that the name on the letter was just a typographical error.
We left messages for McKenzie to learn more about the purpose of the proposed meeting, but our calls were not returned. We also left messages on an answering machine at the number provided on the bookstore letter for Blackmon, but those calls were also not returned.
The Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission is continuing to develop a consolidation plan that could, with voter approval, combine Escambia County, Century and Pensacola into one entity. The committee will meet Friday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 12 . The commission is expected to present and approve their final plan during a meeting on January 14.
A final recommendation from the commission is due to the Escambia County legislative delegation no later than January 15, 2010. The proposal will then be placed on the ballot in 2010 for consideration by voters in Pensacola, Century and the rest of Escambia County.
Pictured: The letter from a Pensacola bookstore to the Century Town Council, click to enlarge.
What Does A Homemaker Do? Power’s Off, 20 Degrees Outside And My Hair Is Wet
January 7, 2010
About 700 Gulf Power customers in Molino lost power early Wednesday morning, leaving many with no heat and none of life’s luxuries like blow dryers and curling irons. So what is the perfect homemaker to do when it’s freezing?
Terri Brown of the Molino Homemakers Club offers the following column…
What does a Homemaker do when it’s 20 degrees outside and the power goes off? You wake up as you hear your middle schooler asking, “ Mom, why is the power going on and off and not coming back on?” I spring out of bed, head for the garage, detach the telephone from the wall, bring it inside and call Gulf Power. Only to find out the power won’t be back on for a couple of hours. I look at the digital thermometer in the house and it reads 55 degrees which is usual for us. Of course it’s time to get the day started with showers, but without all the luxuries we are accustomed to will be a challenge. I grabbed a battery powered lantern from the garage to use in the house. There is no power to plug in the crock pot to heat up the soup I made last night for my Homemakers meeting today. Guess that will have to wait.
It occurs to me to call my husband, have him come home and start the generator. This would surely fix our power problems. He arrives, gets the generator and pulls the rope over and over and over but no luck. Of course it worked every time he tested it before. A fuse must have blown. He says goodbye and heads back to work. We are left with wet heads and it’s still 55 degrees in the house.
The showers were quick as to not use up all the hot water. Make-up was put on in front of a small mirror in the window using sun light. There will be no blow drying hair today using power from the generator. Oh, wait, we can crank the truck, turn on the heater and let it blow through the vents. After getting dressed, that’s what we did.
Just yesterday I was thanking the Lord for a good hot shower on such a cold morning. This morning was no different. The house was exactly 55 degrees according to the battery powered digital thermometer except our power was out.
So how does a homemaker plan for a morning like this? She uses the resources around her and teachers her children to do the same. Make sure you have a phone other than a digital one in case you need to make a call. Use sun light when it’s available. Keep batteries handy for lanterns and flashlights and don’t stress, the power always comes back on.
County Offers Winter Weather Fire Safety Tips
January 7, 2010
With the extremely cold temperatures forecast for the rest of the week, Escambia County urges residents to take safety precautions while trying to stay warm, specifically when using space heaters. Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the winter months, and trails only cooking equipment in home fires year-round.
According to the National Fire Protection Association annual fire department survey, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 64,100 reported home structure fires in the United States in 2006. These fires accounted for 16% of all home fires and were responsible for an estimated 540 deaths, roughly 1,400 injuries and $943 million in direct property damage. With this in mind, Escambia County would like to offer a few safety tips involving heating equipment:
- Properly inspect all heating equipment for frayed cords or exposed elements before use.
- Space heaters need space. Keep heaters at least three feet away from all furniture, drapes, clothing and other combustibles.
- Use only heaters designed for use in the home. Never use cooking appliances, such as ovens, or any heaters designed for outdoor usage indoors.
- Only use heaters with safety features such as cut-off switches that turn them off if they accidentally tip over and those units with heater element guards that prevent combustible materials from contacting the heating element.
- Never leave space heaters unattended. Turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed.
- Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
- Keep heaters and their cords along with extension cords away from high traffic areas.
- When buying a new space heater, make sure it carries the mark of an independent testing laboratory.
- Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and outside every bedroom. Test the batteries every month and change them at least once a year.
- If you have gas appliances, install a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.
Alternative Heating Fire Safety Life-Saving Tips
- Allow your heater to cool before refueling and only refuel outdoors.
- Fill your heater with only crystal clear, K-1 kerosene, not gasoline or camp stove fuel as both explode easily.
- Keep the fire in the fireplace with a screen large enough to catch flying sparks and rolling logs.
- Carefully follow manufacturers’ installation and maintenance instructions.
- Remember it’s always safer to add more blankets on your bed than to use a space heater while sleeping.
- Electric blankets can be a serious fire hazard if defected or used improperly. Check your electric blanket for any damage from fraying, creasing or general wear and tear. Electric blankets that are more than 10 years old should be replaced, and never use a wet blanket.
- In case of a fire, stay low to the ground, beneath the smoke, and crawl to an exit using your escape plan.
Actions should be taken to prepare for this and future cold weather events. Remember the “5 Ps” of cold weather preparedness:
- Protect People
- Protect Plants
- Protect Pets
- Protect Exposed Pipes
- Practice Fire Safety
Escambia County encourages everyone to follow these safety tips. For more information on cold weather hazards click here. If you have additional questions regarding heater safety or other fire safety issues, please contact Lt. Daniel Akerman at (850) 475-5530.
Crimson Tide Ready For National Championship Game Tonight
January 7, 2010
The No. 1-ranked Alabama football team has wrapped up preparations for No. 2 Texas with its last full practice at the Costa Mesa High School Sports Complex. The Crimson Tide practiced for two hours in shells for the second consecutive day under great Southern California weather conditions.
“I think the most important thing is getting our players focused on playing in the game, and there’s obviously a lot of distractions in any Bowl game, especially in a circumstance like this one, and I think we’ve handled that with quite a bit of maturity in terms of the way we’ve been able to focus on practice and doing things right and playing against a very good Texas team,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said.
“At this point it’s almost like getting on a flight; it takes a long time to board and check your bags and all that kind of stuff, but now we’re ready to take off, and you’ve got to go through your checklist and make sure you get it right and do it right and get ready to go out there and play your best game of the year.”
“This is the biggest game we have ever played in. Last year after the SEC Championship game was kind of a letdown and we had people dragging through the Sugar Bowl,” said Mike Johnson, senior left guard. Johnson is a graduate of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola.
“We weren’t really playing for anything other than a Sugar Bowl title. This year we have so much more to play for. It definitely shows in the spirit at practice and the way people have gone about preparing for the game and hopefully we can continue it and stay injury-free and keep the intensity up through the game,” Johnson said.
No. 1 Alabama (13-0, 8-0 SEC) and No. 2 Texas (13-0, 8-0 Big 12) will meet in the BCS National Championship Game tonight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The game will be nationally televised by ABC Sports. Locally, the game airs on WEAR 3.
Alabama conducted a final walk through on Wednesday and headed to the Rose Bowl to get comfortable with the facility which features a new playing surface.
Pictured top: Julio Jones talks to the media in Pasadena. Pictured midde: Mike Johnson, senior left guard, is a graduate of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
700 Lost Power In Molino
January 6, 2010
About 700 Gulf Power customers in Molino lost power this morning.
Gulf Power says the power failure, which occurred at 6:41 a.m., may have been related to high demand on the system due to the cold weather.
Gulf Power had restored all customers by noon.