Escambia Students Head Back To Class
January 5, 2010
It’s back to school day for students in Escambia County, Florida, today following the two-week Christmas break. Teachers in the county returned to work yesterday.
Students in Santa Rosa County returned to class yesterday.
Students in Escambia County, Alabama, returned to school Monday. That was one day earlier than planned — one of two make up days for the days missed due to December’s floods. The second make up day will be March 19.
The University of West Florida begins the spring semester on Wednesday, and the spring semester starts Thursday at Pensacola Junior College.
Here is a look at the school calendars for Escambia (Fla.) and Santa Rosa counties for January:
Escambia County
- Jan. 15: End of grading period
- Jan. 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
- Jan. 19: Teacher planning day (students out of school)
- Jan. 26: Report cards sent home
Santa Rosa County
- Jan. 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
- Jan. 22: Teacher planning day (students out of school).
- Jan. 21: End of grading period
- Jan. 29: Report cards sent home
Winning North Escambia Lottery Ticket Claimed
January 5, 2010
A winning lottery ticket purchased Christmas Day in Century has been claimed by a Montgomery man.
The Fantasy 5 ticket worth $27,843.32 was claimed at the Pensacola Florida Lottery by Wardrick Blackshir of Montgomery, according to lottery officials. The ticket, purchased at Moye’s Stateline Food Mart on North Century Boulevard, was one of six winning tickets in the Christmas Day Fantasy Five game.
Two winning tickets were purchased by Lonnie Richardson of Pensacola at the E-Z Save on Pensacola Boulevard in Pensacola, and other winning tickets were sold in Niceville, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville.
There were 565 tickets with four of five numbers worth $47.50 each, and 11,064 tickets had three matching numbers for $6.50 each. Two of five numbers were correct on 83,653 tickets for a free Quick Pick ticket.
The winning numbers were 3-7-9-15-21.
Century Council Elects President, Vice President
January 5, 2010
The Century Town Council has elected its president and vice president for 2010.
At Monday night’s council meeting, Ann Brooks was re-elected as the council’s president, and Nadine McCaw was elected the council’s vice president. Council member Henry Hawkins served as vice-president last year.
Pictured above: Century Council President Ann Brooks and Vice-president Nadine McCaw at Monday review documents at Monday night’s council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Donate Heaters And Blankets In Century, Cantonment To Help The Elderly
January 5, 2010
The Council on Aging of West Florida is still seeking donations of small electric space heaters, blankets and funds to help the elderly avoid the serious health problems that can result from exposure to the cold.
Heaters and blankets can be dropped off at any location of Council on Aging of West Florida, including 6025 Industrial Boulevard In Century and 132 Mintz Lane in Cantonment. Only new items can be accepted.
Financial donations can be sent to Council on Aging of West Florida, PO Box 17066, Pensacola, FL 32522-7066 or made online at www.coawfla.org.
Seniors in need of a heater, blanket or other assistance should call (850) 432-1475.
Jamie Hall Elected To Farm Services Agency Committee
January 5, 2010
Jamie Hall of Walnut Hill has been elected to the USDA Farm Services Agency County Committee.
Hall is a cattleman, hay producer and forester; his term as the Area 3 representative on the FSA Committee began January 1. He joins James D. Cunningham and Carolyn Morgan on the Escambia County FSA Committee.
County FSA Committee elections are held annually, according to Suzette D. Cooper, county executive director of the Escambia County FSA. Candidates are nominated by local farmers and ranchers, must live in the county or local administrative area they will represent and they must be eligible to vote in the county election.
Duties of the county committee include:
- informing farmers of the purpose and provisions of FSA programs
- keeping the state FSA committee informed of local administrative area conditions
- recommending needed changes in farm programs
- participating in county meetings as necessary
- performing other duties as assigned by the state FSA committee.
The FSA committee members will hold their organizational meeting January 21 at 3 pm. at the local FSA Office at 151 Hwy 97, Molino, FL. Meetings are open to the public. The county committee chairman and vice-chairman will be selected at this meeting.
Escambia’s Chief Deputy Moved To Captain
January 5, 2010
Escambia County’s chief deputy has been reassigned to the Officer In Charge of Traffic, DUI and Neighborhood Task Force.
Sheriff David Morgan gave no reason for the demotion for Bill Chavers; he only thanked the department’s former second in command for his service.
“I personally thank Chiefs Chavers for his support and professionalism during our first year in transition that could have been difficult, but was not due to his attention to detail,” Morgan wrote in a memo distributed Monday. “I believe that I speak for all us in stating that he is ‘a street cop’s, street cop’ and we all look forward to his success in the assignment.” The memo did not offer an explanation for the action.
Chavers was promoted from a patrol division lieutenant to chief deputy after Morgan took office in January 2009.
To read the letter, click click here (pdf).
Pictured above: Bill Chavers conducts a town hall meeting in Century in May 2009. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Offers Money Saving Cold Weather Tips
January 5, 2010
Gulf Power Company is offering some cold weather energy savings tips for everyone, including customers of other utilities.
This week, Northwest Florida will be experiencing very cold temperatures. Gulf Power wants to make sure you stay warm, safe and conserve energy.
Things you can do right now to save money and energy
- Set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower to conserve energy.
- Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans so they rotate clockwise as you look up at them. This will force warm air down from the ceiling.
- During the middle of the day, open blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house. Also, where possible, reduce the traffic in and out of the house.
- Don’t use your oven to heat your home — it’s not efficient and most important, it’s not safe.
- A fireplace is not always an efficient heat source. If not used properly it can actually make the rest of the house cooler because airflow up the chimney removes the heated air. When using the fireplace, close all doors and warm air ducts to the room where the fireplace is located. Glass doors on a fireplace will reduce the outflow of warm air. And a fireplace with a blower system is ever better because it actually blows the warm air around the firebox back into the room.
- An electric blanket is more economical than heating the entire house all night long.
- Use a portable electric heater to heat only a small area. Buy models that are thermostatically controlled. Keep it at least three feet from items that could catch fire like curtains or furniture. Make sure you have working smoke detectors on every floor and in every sleeping room of your house.
- Make sure vents and return air registers are not blocked by furniture, draperies, doors or other obstacles.
- Use “draft stoppers” or towels/blankets to block drafts at foot of door.
- If you should lose power, go to your thermostat and turn off your heating system. Please wait 10 to 15 minutes after power has been restored before turning it back on. This prevents a power surge from shutting down electricity again.
- If you should lose power, please do not connect portable generators to your household electrical wiring. This can cause serious injury to you and to Gulf Power employees who are restoring electricity. Instead, plug appliances into the generator. Never use a generator in enclosed or partially-enclosed spaces because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Things you can do to prepare your home for the whole winter season
Temperature settings
- Heating a house makes up about half of your electricity bill so set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower in the winter. Did you know that you can decrease the amount of energy you buy for heating by three percent or more for every degree below 68 degrees you set your thermostat?
- Programmable thermostats are a good investment, or you can take advantage of Gulf Power’s Energy Select. Energy Select is Gulf Power’s advanced energy management program that offers a lower price for electricity 87 percent of the time. Energy Select features a programmable thermostat and a special rate of four price periods based upon time of day, day of week and season. Installation and meter-based surge protection are both free with Energy Select. Only $4.95 per month.
Heating and cooling equipment
- The system heating the home is extremely important. If it’s an older, less efficient unit, upgrading to a geothermal heating and cooling system — or a high efficiency air-source heat pump may be a wise choice. Contact Gulf Power at 1-877-655-4001 for a free Energy Check-Up.
Routine maintenance
- A well-maintained heating system runs more efficiently. A complete tune-up of the home heating system can cost anywhere from $50 to $100 and more, but this is a very worthwhile investment and can reduce your heating bill from 3 to 10 percent. Some companies offer regular service contracts, which are a convenience if you tend to forget system maintenance. Remember to replace the filter every month.
Ductwork
- Duct leakage can account for 20 percent of the heating and cooling cost. Getting ducts sealed up should be at the top of the list for making your home energy efficient.
Insulation
- Adding insulation to your attic is one of the most cost-effective energy saving measures. Different types of insulation material have different R-values. The recommended level is R-38 in the attic.
Weather-stripping and caulking
- Weather-strip door jambs and caulk any cracks around windows to prevent cool air from entering your home.
Window units
- If you have a window air conditioning unit, remove it for the winter months to prevent heat from escaping through and around the unit. If it can’t be moved, put a cover over it to prevent drafts.
Humidifier
- Use a humidifier to keep your home more comfortable. Adding moisture allows you to reduce the thermostat setting without feeling colder.
Other tips are available on the Energy Tips section at www.gulfpower.com, along with an extensive set of Frequently Asked Questions on energy use in the home.
Customers can get a free Energy Check-Up online or at your home with an appointment. Gulf Power energy experts will analyze your house and electricity use, and look for ways to make the house more energy efficient. Just go to www.gulfpower.com or call 1-877-655-4001.
Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 400,000 customers in 10 counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy to very satisfied customers in strong communities.
Century Manhunt Turns Up Empty; Deputies Still Looking For Suspect
January 4, 2010
A manhunt in Century turned up empty this afternoon, and deputies are asking for your help in locating a man wanted on a felony warrant.
Kevin Lamar Brown, 29, is wanted on a felony warrant after his bond was revoked in a 2008 narcotics case.
Escambia County Deputy David Preston responded to a 911 call in the 9000 block of Old Flomaton Road in Century about 12:20 Monday afternoon. Shortly after he arrived, Preston saw a man that he believed to be Brown run from the back of the residence.
Deputies set up a perimeter around the area and tracking dogs from the Century Correctional Institution were called to assist in the search. The K-9 unit was able to follow a scent from the back of the residence, but they were unable to location Brown. The manhunt was called off about 1:20 p.m.
Brown has allegedly ran from deputies before. On October 26 of last year, deputies spotted him in the 700 block of West Highway 4 and gave chase on foot. Deputies located Brown and arrested him on Hadley Lane for failure to appear in the same narcotics case.
According to Escambia County Circuit Court records, Brown did not appear in court of charges of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana possession with intent to sell, and possession of narcotic equipment charge stemming from his August 25, 2008, arrest. A failure to appear warrant for his arrest was issued July 9 of this year.
On October 13, Brown appeared before Circuit Court Judge Linda Nobles on the failure to appear charge. The judge reinstated Brown’s $31,000 bond, and he was released from jail.
Brown’s bond was revoked by Nobles on December 18 on a motion by the State Attorney’s Office.
Anyone with information about Brown’s whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (850) 436-9620.
Frigid Florida: Frozen Fountain
January 4, 2010
The Nona Hightower Fountain at Century Care Center was partially frozen Monday morning. Submitted photo by Mae Hildreth for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
2009 Persons Of The Year: Charles Williams
January 4, 2010
Charles Williams has been named one of our North Escambia Persons of the Year.
Charles Williams is one of those behind the scenes people that makes the world go round — at least the world of youth sports in Walnut Hill.
From the Ernest Ward Middle School Sports Boosters to Northwest Escambia Football, Williams is always hard at work to make sure the area’s children have the opportunity to take part in sports.
He is sometimes the man on the public address system at NWE and Ernest Ward Middle School football games, but he is always the man behind the scenes. From mowing the grass to working in the concession stand, he’s the model volunteer.
As president of the EWMS Sports Boosters, Williams is quick to point out that the group works to support every boy’s and girl’s sport at the school, not just the county’s only middle school football team. Williams and his army of volunteers make sure that every player of every sport is appreciated, and that every player is fed an appropriate meal or snack before every game.
“I just don’t know what we would do without Charles,” EWMS Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry said at a school sports banquet before presenting Williams with a small token of the school’s appreciation.
Williams accepted the gift quietly and humbly — that’s just the kind of man he is. And hundreds, if not thousands, of youth would tend to agree — he’s just one of those people that influences society quietly, one child a time.
“He’s a true hero,” Perry said.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.