Cats Scratch Pensacola Pelicans
May 28, 2010
The Cats (6-7) grinded out 18 hits off Pelicans pitching to propell them to a resounding 11-5 win over the Pelicans (5-9) Thursday night.
The Cats struck first blood in the 1st inning against Aaron Jackson, when John Allen hit a high bouncing ball up the middle into center to bring in Brian Fryer to make it 1-0 Cats. The Cats woulkdn’t stop there as Seth Fortebberry hammered a double down the right field line which scored Allen to make it 2-0. The scoring didn’t stop there as Kelley Gulledge hit a bouncing ball that snuck through the right side of the infield to bring home Fortenberry for a 3-0 lead. One batter later, Brenan Herrera laced a single to left center to score Gulledge to cap the scoring in the inning at 4-0.
The Cats would tack on three more runs in the 3rd with RBI singles from Herrera, Fryer, and McCoola which busted the game open early for the Cats with the score at 7-0.
The Pels wouldn’t go down quietly and got back in the game in the 4th inning. With runners on first and second with nobody out, John Alonso hit a boomingt ball off the left center field fence to score Javier Brito and Marcos Rodgriguez to cute the deficit to five 7-2.
Lou Palmisano walked following Alonso’s hit. Chase Porch would bunt the runners over and Dallas Christison would bring home Alonso on an RBI groundout to short to make it 7-3 Cats.
The Cats would get a run back on a wild pitch from Pelican Aaron starter which would score Rob Recuenco to increase the lead back to 8-3.
The Pels would get that run right back with one out and nobody on, Antoin Gray hit a towering homerun to left for his first homerun of the 2010 campaign to make it 8-4.
The Cats would add a run in the 6th on an RBI single from Gulledge to get the lead back up to 9-4.
Leading off the bottom of the 6th, Adolfo Gonzalez hit a bomb to left field for his 2nd homerun of the season to make it 9-5.
The Cats would add on to their run total as Herrera hit a blooping single over Gray’s out-stretched glove to score Gulledge to make it 10-5. Jeremy Sauceda would follow with a RBI double down the left field line to give the Cats an 11-5 lead.
Tim Bittner (1-2) gets the win as he pitched 6 innings and gave up 4 runs off 7 hits.
The loss goes to Aaron Jackson (0-2) as he was tagged for 9 runs off 13 hits while striking out 5.
The Pelicans finish the homestand at 3-4 and will be back on the road starting Saturday night against the Shreveport-Bossier Captains. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm with the pregame show at 6:55pm on pensacolapelicans.com.
Hurricane Season Could Be Worst Ever
May 28, 2010
An “active to extremely active” hurricane season is expected for the Atlantic Basin this year according to the seasonal outlook issued Thursday by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service.
Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is projecting a 70 percent probability of the following ranges:
- 14 to 23 Named Storms (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including:
- 8 to 14 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which:
- 3 to 7 could be Major Hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph)
“If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “The greater likelihood of storms brings an increased risk of a landfall. In short, we urge everyone to be prepared.”
The outlook ranges exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. Expected factors supporting this outlook are:
- Upper atmospheric winds conducive for storms. Wind shear, which can tear apart storms, will be weaker since El Niño in the eastern Pacific has dissipated. Strong wind shear helped suppress storm development during the 2009 hurricane season.
- Warm Atlantic Ocean water. Sea surface temperatures are expected to remain above average where storms often develop and move across the Atlantic. Record warm temperatures – up to four degrees Fahrenheit above average – are now present in this region.
- High activity era continues. Since 1995, the tropical multi-decadal signal has brought favorable ocean and atmospheric conditions in sync, leading to more active hurricane seasons. Eight of the last 15 seasons rank in the top ten for the most named storms with 2005 in first place with 28 named storms.
“The main uncertainty in this outlook is how much above normal the season will be. Whether or not we approach the high end of the predicted ranges depends partly on whether or not La Niña develops this summer,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “At present we are in a neutral state, but conditions are becoming increasingly favorable for La Niña to develop.”
“FEMA is working across the administration and with our state and local partners to ensure we’re prepared for hurricane season,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “But we can only be as prepared as the public, so it’s important that families and businesses in coastal communities take steps now to be ready. These include developing a communications plan, putting together a kit, and staying informed of the latest forecasts and local emergency plans. You can’t control when a hurricane or other emergency may happen, but you can make sure you’re ready.”
The president recently designated May 23-29, 2010, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. NOAA and FEMA encourage those living in hurricane-prone states to use this time to review their overall preparedness. More information on individual and family preparedness can be found at www.Ready.gov and www.hurricanes.gov/prepare.
NOAA scientists will continue to monitor evolving conditions in the tropics and will issue an updated hurricane outlook in early August, just prior to what is historically the peak period for hurricane activity.
Log Truck Flips, Driver Injured In North Santa Rosa Crash
May 28, 2010
A Pensacola man was injured in a log truck accident south of Jay Thursday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Mark L. Elliott, 49, was traveling south on Annie Penton Road in a 1992 Freightliner when his right tires drifted off the roadway near Howell Pitt Road. The truck overturned, with the logs from the truck’s trailer striking the cab and injuring Elliot.
Elliot was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by LifeFlight where he was listed in serious condition.
The FHP said charges are pending in the crash.
Firemen Respond To Walnut Hill Home, 2nd Time In About 2 Months
May 27, 2010
For the second time in about two months, firefighters responded to a home in the 6000 block of Arthur Brown Road near Juniper Street Thursday afternoon.
Area fire stations were dispatched to the home about 3:45 p.m. When they arrived, they found the home filling with smoke, apparently from a pot left on the stove. There was no major damage and no injuries reported.
On March23, firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at the same home. There was some smoke damage throughout the brick house in that fire.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid, Century and Molino Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to Thursday afternoon’s fire.
Pictured above: A kitchen fire was reported Thursday afternoon in the 6000 block of Arthur Brown Road. Pictured below: Firefighters responded to the same house about two months ago. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Headed to Ernest Ward This Morning?
May 27, 2010
If you are headed to Ernest Ward Middle School this morning, leave early.
Highway 97 is one lane at the school, creating traffic problems as road construction continues.
Pelicans Beat The Cats 7-2
May 27, 2010
The Pelicans (5-8) got a solid pitching performance from Jared Gothreaux and 2 RBI’s each from Javier Brito and Dallas Christison to lead the way in a 7-2 victory over the Cats (5-7) Wednesday night
The Pelicans offense stuck in the 1st inning when they had runners on first and second with one out and Javier Brito at the plate. Brito hit a high bouncer down the 3rd base line for a 2-run RBI double to give the Pels an early 2-0 lead. Marcos Rodriguez walked following Brito’s hit, then Alonso hit a chopper to Brenan Herrera at third which took a high hop off his glove and rolled in left field which scored Brito to make it 3-0.
In the 2nd inning, the Pels struck again as Adolfo Gonzalez drove a ball off the left field wall to score Dallas Christison to jump out to a 4-0 lead.
The Cats would get on the board in the 6th inning when John Allen would flip a single to right to score Rob Recuenco to make it a 4-1 game. Fort Worth would add a run on Seth Fortenberry hitting into a double play which scored Brian Fryer to cut the lead in half for the Pels 4-2. There was no RBI recorded for Fortenberry on the play.
In the 7th inning, Pensacola would open up the lead a bit more when newcomer Chase Porch would beat out a grounder with the bases loaded to give himself his first professional baseball RBI and give the Pels a 5-2 lead. Dallas Christison would follow with a sharp grounder down the left field line to bring home Rodriguez and Porch to bust the game open 7-2.
Adolfo Gonzalez went 4 for 5 with a run batted in for the night.
Jared Gothreaux (2-1) got the win as pitched 6 solid innings only giving up 2 runs off 8 hits. Pelicans reliever Ron Hill followed Gothreaux with pitching a scoreless 7th and 8th inning.
Pelicans hurler Nick Slack gave up a run in the 9th on an RBI single from Jaremy Sauceda and got Rob Recuenco to fly out to center to end the ballgame for a 7-3 win for Pensacola.
Jason Fernandez (0-2) takes the loss as he gives 4 runs-3 earned off 8 hits and struck out five.
Dollar General Store To Be Built In Molino
May 27, 2010
A new Dollar General store is on the way to Molino, and it will be larger than a normal store.
The building permit for the store was issued Tuesday, according to Escambia County building permit records, and the Dollar General corporate office confirmed the new store on Wednesday. The store will be located at 6511 North Highway 29, near the the old Grocery Advantage store at the Molino Road intersection.
“We are building a store in Molino,” Emily Weiss, Dollar General spokesperson, told NorthEscambia.com on Wednesday. “Molino was just a great match for us. We believe we can deliver a great shopping experience to the Molino area.”
The Molino Dollar General will be just over 12,000 square feet; the company’s average store is about 7,100 square feet, Weiss said.
“We will be able to offer a full selection of brand name and private label products, including food, home decor, household items, basic clothing, seasonal items and more,” she said.
The Molino store location was chosen by the Dollar General corporation based upon demographic trends, traffic patterns and customer needs, Weiss added.
There is currently no projected opening date for the store; the first day of business will be dependent on the construction progress at the store. The general contractor for the store is Cassida Construction Company in Pace.
In the North Escambia area, there are currently Dollar General stores in Century, Cantonment, Flomaton, Jay,and Atmore.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECUA Introduces New Sanitation and Recycling Programs
May 27, 2010
Enhancements are coming Tuesday, June 1 to the recycling and sanitation services offered by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.
The first change is the introduction of a bulk item collection to the recycling program. This service will allow existing recycling customers the ability to call-in and request a bulk pick-up of recyclable items once per month.
The pick-up will be made on the next recycling day following the request. It will include the pick-up of items such as tires, propane tanks, household electronics, appliances, batteries and large amounts of cardboard.
The second enhancement will be the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) curbside collection program. This service will allow all ECUA residential sanitation customers to call-in and request a pick-up of HHW items once-per-month.
The collection will be made on the first Saturday of the month and will include the pick-up of HHW items such as pool chemicals, household chemicals, paints, used cooking grease, lawn and garden chemicals, and used oil, to name just a few. These materials will be collected by ECUA crews at the customer’s doorstep and transported to an ECUA collection site.
The ECUA Recycling Program debuted the week of January 5, 2009, as part of the regular residential sanitation service. This program is being utilized by 38,000 households — about 52 percent of ECUA customers.
For more information on the ECUA Recycling and Sanitation Programs, or to sign-up for the recycling program, visit the ECUA website at www.ecua.org or contact their customer service center at (850) 476-0480.
Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Returning In August
May 27, 2010
Florida’s back-to-School sales tax holiday is returning this August.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signed the legislative measure Wednesday, setting this year’s sales tax holiday from August 13 through August 15 on school supplies, books, clothing and footwear. During the sales tax holiday, shoppers will not have to pay sales tax on certain clothing items under $50 as well as school supplies that cost $10 or less.
Officials estimate the tax holiday will save families about $26 million.
“This tax break will enable Florida families to buy school supplies and clothing for the school year without the additional cost burden of state and local taxes,” said Florida Retail Federation lobbyist Sally West. “The tax holiday will also provide a much needed boost to Florida’s economy.
Family Of Veterans: Flags To Be Placed On Graves Saturday
May 27, 2010
Members of the American Legion Post 90 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7016 will be placing small American flags on graves of local veterans Saturday for Memorial Day.
The memorial salute encompasses most cemeteries in the Walnut Hill, Bratt, Atmore and Perdido area. Volunteers and other organizations are invited to help with this special event.
“Family members of deceased veterans are especially welcome as not all veteran graves are marked; the American Legion and VFW do not have a ‘list’ of area veterans for this annual tribute and we do not want to inadvertently miss placing a flag on a veterans grave,” said René Bunch. “Sometimes the only way we know a veteran is buried in a local cemetery is from information received from a family member.”
To ensure that a deceased veteran family members receives this flag tribute, call Bunch at (251) 359-4039 to verify that a particular cometary is covered during the annual outing.
