Report: 160,000 Acres Of Local Farmland Are Foreign Owned
August 9, 2010
That all-American farm in your area may not be as American as you think.
According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, tens of thousands of acres of farmland — almost 160,000 in all — in the North Escambia area are owned by foreigners.
In Escambia County, there are 56,994 acres of farmland that are foreign-owned — 55,681 of the acres are forestland, 249 acres are classified as other-agricultural uses, and 1,064 are non-ag. Most is owned by interests in the Netherlands (56,745 acres) and Germany (249 acres).
In Santa Rosa County, there are 58,626 acres of farmland that are foreign-owned — 57,414 of the acres are forestland and 1,263 acres are classified as other-agricultural uses.Most is owned by interests in the Netherlands (57,363 acres) and other countries (1,263 acres) not listed in the report.
In Escambia County, Alabama, there are 44,156 acres of farmland that are foreign-owned — 43,191 of the acres are forestland, 947 acres are classified as other-agricultural uses and 18 acres are cropland.Most is owned by interests in the Netherlands (44,138 acres) and Canada (18 acres) not listed in the report.
In Florida, foreigners own 201,213 acres of cropland, 144,353 acres of pasture, 567,825 acres of forest. Over 1,056,681 total acres of farmland are foreign-owned in Florida.
In Alabama, foreigners own of 4,162 cropland, 3,169 acres of pasture, 1,441,911 acres of forest. There are 1,481,520 total acres of farmland that are foreign-owned in Alabama.
Foreign persons held an interest in 22.2 million ares of U.S. agricultural land in the U.S. That represents 1.7 percent of all privately held agricultural land and just under 1 percent of all land in the United States, according to the USDA report.
Pictured top: An American-owned field is cultivated in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
First Day Of School In Alabama; Two Weeks To Go In Florida
August 9, 2010
Monday was the first day of school for students in Escambia County, Alabama, while students in Escambia County, Florida, and Santa Rosa County will return to class on August 23 — just two weeks away.
Click the name of your child’s school district below for a printable calendar.
Century’s Showalter 5-1
August 9, 2010
Around Baltimore, they are all calling the boy that grew up on the little league fields of Century a “comeback kid”.
Century’s Buck Showalter’s record as the new Baltimore Orioles manager stands at 5-1 after a disappointed weekend loss.
Showalter, Nat as the locals like to call him, was handed his first loss Saturday night at Camden Yards as his Baltimore Orioles lost to the White Sox 4-2. But Showalter’s O’s surged Sunday as Baltimore beat the White Sox 4-3.
As the Orioles head into Monday’s finale of a seven-game homestand, the pitching rotation is at a 1.94 ERA.
“We pitch like this with our starting pitching,” Showalter said. “We’ll play with anybody or any club.”
Learn About Candidates In WSRE Series
August 9, 2010
WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, will present “Rally 2010,” a primary and general election television candidate forum beginning Monday night.
The first installment of “Rally 2010” will air on WSRE Monday, August 9 through Wednesday, August 11 at 7 p.m. nightly and will focus on the August 24 primary election featuring local candidates from races in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties, as well as candidates for State Senate and House seats.
The program will be moderated by Dee Dee Sharp, journalist and on-air host of WSRE and Pensacola State College’s “AWARE”; Lloyd Patterson, on-air host of WSRE’s “Connecting the Community”; and Sandra Averhart, WUWF News Director. The second installment featuring candidates for the general election will take place October 18 and 19.
The primary races covered in “Rally 2010” are scheduled to include the following races/candidates:
Monday, August 9
- Senate District 2 – Greg Evers, Mike Hill
- House District 1 – Greg Brown, Douglas Broxson, Ricky Perritt, Ferd Salomon
- House District 2 – Clay Ingram, David Karasek
- Esc. Co. Commissioners Dist. 2 – Dave Murzin, Karen Sindel, George Touart, Gene Valentino
- Esc. Co. Commissioners Dist. 4 – Dennis Green, Grover Robinson
Tuesday, August 10
- Esc. Co. School Board Dist. 1 – Jeff Bergosh, Luke Keller
- Esc. Co. School Board Dist. 2 – Gerald Boone, Virginia White
- Esc. Co. School Board Dist. 3 – Linda Moultrie, Charlie Nichols
- ECUA Dist. 2 – Lois Benson, Stephen Burand, James William Kirkland
- ECUA Dist. 4 – Stuart Brown, Ryan Fendt, Dale Perkins, Ronald Ward
- SR Co. Commissioners Dist. 2 – Bob Cole, Claude Duvall, Ronald Scott, Clifton Wheeler
- SR Co. Commissioners Dist. 4 – Ruth Esser, Mark Goode, Gordon Goodin, Jim Melvin
- SR Co. School Board Dist. 1 – Dale Anderson, Sheperd Iverson, Diane Scott
- SR Co. School Board Dist. 3 – Carol Boston, Mary Diane Coleman
- SR Co. School Board Dist. 5 – Scott Peden, Thomas Naile
Wednesday, August 11
- Okaloosa Co. Sheriff’s Office – Larry Ashley, William Rick Hord, Ronald Livingston, Steven Menchel, William Patterson, Tony Taylor, Robert Thacker, Brian Sparling
- Okaloosa Co. Commissioners Dist. 2 – David Parisot, Elaine Tucker
- Okaloosa Co. Commissioners Dist. 4 – Don Amunds
- Okaloosa Co. School Board Dist. 3 – Paul Wendel Brock, Rodney Walker
- Okaloosa Co. School Board Dist. 5 – Howard Hill, Melissa Thrush
“Rally 2010” is co-sponsored by WSRE and the League of Women Voters of the Pensacola Bay Area and Okaloosa County. The purpose of “Rally 2010” is to give citizens an unbiased look at the candidates vying to represent them and learn where they stand on the important issues that affect them. WSRE provides the program as a public service and encourages all citizens to participate in exercising their constitutional right to vote.
Alzheimer’s Support Group To Meet Wednesday
August 9, 2010
Alzheimer’s Family Services provides monthly support groups for family members or friends coping with a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.
A support group meeting will take place Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at Century United Methodist Church at 530 Church Street. The support group is free but registration is required to attend, and respite care is available in most locations.
Support Groups are a means for caregivers and others interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s disease to exchange ideas, gather information and discuss their concerns with others who are dealing or have dealt with the same issues. To register for this support group or for additional information, call (850) 478-7790 or visit www.AlzFamServ.org.
Alzheimer’s Family Services is a not-for-profit organization serving individuals and families in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties in Florida as well as Escambia County in Alabama.. Our mission is to provide education and emotional support through a variety of services including: memory screens, support groups, tracking devices for wandering patients, respite, and counseling. AFS is an affiliate of Covenant Hospice.
In Depth: Area School Grades
August 9, 2010
Bratt Elementary, Byrneville Elementary and Jim Allen Elementary all fell from A-rated schools. Molino Park Elementary remained at a B. Ernest Ward Middle and Ransom Middle each remained at an A-rating for the fifth consecutive year.
In Escambia County, there were 23 schools that had declining scores, with 18 remaining the same.
[For a story about school grades from Saturday, click here.]
The school letter grades include a point system. The point total for every North Escambia area school declined, even for those schools that did not drop a letter grade. The total points for each area school are shown below.
BRATT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2009-2010: 510
2008-2009: 600
2007-2008: 637
BYRNEVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, INC.
2009-2010: 490
2008-2009: 528
2007-2008: 526
ERNEST WARD MIDDLE SCHOOL
2009-2010: 578
2008-2009: 606
2007-2008: 565
JAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2009-2010: 520
2008-2009: 540
2007-2008: 530
JIM ALLEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2009-2010: 501
2008-2009: 565
2007-2008: 572
MOLINO PARK ELEMENTARY
2009-2010: 557
2008-2009: 576
2007-2008: 532
RANSOM MIDDLE SCHOOL
2009-2010: 549
2008-2009: 592
2007-2008: 579
Another Hot Day With Afternoon Rain
August 9, 2010
Another day, another normal Gulf Coast summer day with hot, humid afternoon with a chance of afternoon storms.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Today: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly cloudy, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 106. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south.
- Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. North wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Heat index values as high as 106. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 96. East wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Wednesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 95. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Thursday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 96. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Friday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Saturday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 96. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Saturday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 95. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
$57,770 Lottery Prize Claimed By North Escambia Woman
August 9, 2010
A Cantonment woman is $57,770.12 richer from a Fantasy Five Quick Pick lottery ticket she purchased a local convenience store.
Patricia A. Smillie of Cantonment had one of four tickets sold with the numbers 6-15-19-24-33. Smillie’s purchased her ticket at the Bindu Food Mart #1 at 1239 Muscogee Road.
The other three winning tickets, also worth $57,770.12 each, were sold in West Palm Beach, Pinellas Park and Tampa. There were 368 tickets matching four of five numbers worth $101 each. Anther 9,994 tickets matched three numbers for $10 each, and 99,300 matched two numbers for a free Quick Pick ticket.
Stormy Saturday Night: Lightning Hits House; Sets Off Alarms At School, Nursing Home, 2,000 Lose Power
August 8, 2010
A strong area of thunderstorms moved slowly through the North Escambia area early Saturday evening, with one resident reporting a lightning strike at their home. The storm also left over 2,000 homes and business in the dark in North Escambia.
The resident reported the lightning strike just before 7 p.m. at their home in the 800 block of North Century Boulevard in McDavid, about a mile north of Highway 164. The resident told emergency operators that they smelled smoke.
The McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the home. Electrical fixtures in the home’s bathroom sustained minor damage.
A short time later, a fire alarm, possible related to lightning, was reported at Byrneville Elementary School. Fire units also responded to a fire alarm at Century Care Center. No fire or damage was reported at either structure.
The storm caused power outages for almost 1,600 Gulf Power customers in Cantonment and 400 in Molino. Many of those customer were still without power as midnight approached Saturday. An unknown number Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers were also left without power by the storms.
Heavy rains were reported in many parts of the area, while other locations received little or no rain. There were no weather warnings issued.
Pictured: The local radar just before 7 p.m.
Santa Rosa To Take Another Look At $30 Million Biofuel Plant For Jay
August 8, 2010
The Santa Rosa County Commission will take another look Monday at a $30 million biofuel plant that an Orlando company wants to build near Jay after issuing revenue bonds using the county’s name.
The Integrated Energy Partners (IEP), Inc. facility near Jay would use agricultural products to create biodiesel fuel, kerosene, propane and electricity. The plant would provide about 30 jobs and eventually employee about 50 people in five years.
Since the county’s name would be used to obtain financing for the company, Commissioner Chairman Gordon Goodwin told a company official at a July meeting that he wanted more information before making a decision about a project using the county’s name.
According to documents from IEP that the commission will consider Monday, Santa Rosa County will not be liable for the Industrial Development Bond, either for repayment, default or legal costs. The company said it is in negotiations with three companies to purchase the bonds. The company has declined to identify the companies or release financial projections.
According to documentation provided by Integrated Energy Partners, the company would use seeds from the Camelina plant in the winter and other traditional year-round crops, including cotton seed, to produce their biofuels. In addition, municipal and other waste products would be used as fuel.
The company said it has secured purchase agreements with farmers involving about 10,000 acres in the Florida Panhandle and has an “in principle” agreement with a municipality for their waste.
The company is not dependent on local farmers; instead, “IEP can exist in any industrial park that has adequate and infrastructure,” according to the company. IEP emphasizes the word “offering” in their presentation to the commission about a potential relationship with local farmers by offering a market for their production under a U.S Department of Agriculture.
According to documentation presented to the commission, “…it is by no means necessary for IEP to buy its feedstock(s) here in a Santa Rosa Count…All of the feedstock(s) are readily available on the open market.”
The company also said that there will not be any permitting problems in locating the plant in Jay because they will not need an air discharge, wastewater discharge or wastewater treatment system permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
At startup, the IEP plans to have a 5-12 megawatt electricity generation capacity. They would be able to produce, according to documents provided to the commission, a yearly output of 3 million gallons of biodiesel, 9 million gallons of kerosene, 353 thousand gallons of cellulosic alcohol, 437 thousand gallons of propane and 47.8 MWH of electricity.
IEP states in documents presented to the Santa Rosa commission that federal law stipulates that a local utility must purchase electricity offered by an independent power producer. The company states that a local utility is “ready to purchase all of our power production”. IEP is also in negotiations to sell their liquid fuel to wholesalers.