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Escambia Students Of The Month Named

• Bratt Elementary — Keaton A. Brown, third grade; Taviana A. Parker, second grade
• Jim Allen Elementary — Shelby R. Ainsworth, second grade; Hailey A. Riggan, second grade
• Ernest Ward: Shila D. Floyd, sixth grade; Tristan T. Brown, eighth grade.
• Northview: Anna E. Donald, ninth grade; James T. Garrett, 12th grade.
• Tate: Jessica L. Mack, 12th grade; Dillon M. Aiken, 12th grade

Escambia County Offers Cold Weather Safety Tips

With our winter weather, 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

Photo: Beam Of Light

Sunday evening’s sunset provided an interesting display across the North Escambia area with a fiery red beam shooting straight up. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Nell Yearwood Staff

Mrs. Nell Yearwood Staff, 99, passed away on Saturday, December 25, 2010, at a local hospital.

Mrs. Staff was a native of Mt. Aria, GA and a resident of Atmore since 1933. She was a Pink Lady at Atmore Community Hospital and attended the St. Roberts Catholic Church. She was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Eddie Staff, Sr.; a son, Eddie Staff, Jr.;  a granddaughter, Suzie Nell Staff and a grandson, Adam Staff.

Survivors include three sons, William T. Staff, James R. Staff and Theodore Y. “Chipper” Staff, all of Atmore; two daughters, Susan Calvert of Haleyville, AL and Catherine Tims of Atmore; 24 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services weree held Monday, December 27, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Roberts Catholic Church with the Rev. Father Gordon Milsted officiating.

Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Visitation was held Monday, December 27, 2010,  at Bolen Hall.

Pallbearers were Eddie Staff, III, Steve Staff, David Staff, Bill Staff, Jr., Speer Staff, Michael Thead, John Calvert, Jr., and Byron Tims.

Your Forecast: Cold

Snow was reported Sunday  the Molino, Nokomis, Beulah, Atmore and Flomaton areas.  Tonight, lows will dip into the lower 20’s, while temps will bottom out in the upper teens for Monday night.

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

• Tonight…Mostly cloudy early in the evening then clearing. Lows in the lower 20s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
• Monday…Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
• Monday Night…Clear. Lows around 19. Northwest winds around 5 mph in the evening becoming light.
• Tuesday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. North winds around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
• Tuesday Night…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s. Light winds becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
• Wednesday…Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 60s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
• Wednesday Night…Not as cool. Mostly cloudy. Scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 40s. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
• Thursday…Mostly cloudy. Scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
• Thursday Night…Mostly cloudy. Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
• Friday…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s.
• Friday Night…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain. Lows in the upper 40s. Chance of rain 20 percent.
• New Years Day…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
• Saturday Night…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain. Lows in the upper 40s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
• Sunday…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60s. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Pictured: The white specks are snowflakes just before they hit a tarp and melt ed this morning in Century. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com by Jim Stanton.

Helpful Hints To Prevent Frozen Pipes

The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is offering helpful tips to prevent the expense of frozen pipes — especially external, exposed pipes that are naturally the most vulnerable to freezing.

Short Term:

Run a Trickle of Water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run thin trickles of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water, but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to that of repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.

Long Term:

The Backflow Preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water lines are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.

Insulate Pipes or Faucets in Unheated Areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.

Disconnect And Drain Outdoor Hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This will prevent the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.

For more information visit the ECUA web site @ www.ecua.org, or call Customer Service at (850) 476-0480.

Year In Review North Escambia’s Biggest Stories Of 2010: January, February

NorthEscambia.com is looking back at 2010 with our “Year in Review” series. Each day this week, we will review the biggest stories of 2010. Today, we take a look at the biggest stories of January and February.

JANUARY

A fire along the Alabama-Florida line claimed the life of Verda Mae Gandy Abrams, 91. Abrams was unable to escape the blaze at her home on Tulip Street.

Two campers cut off by a rising Escambia River near Molino were rescued at the end of the month — a week after they were stranded.

North Escambia resident Elmira Gandy Crapps turned 103, with congratulations pouring in from friends, family and political leaders.

Thoughts of Spring were in the air as ball registration ended for Century Little League, the Molino Recreation Association and Northwest Escambia Little League.

The battle over consolidation for Escambia County, the City of Pensacola and the City of Century continued, with Pensacola voicing opposition in late January and words flying between opposing groups. The plan was presented to the public — a 45-page, 14,426 word document.

Two Jay High School teachers entered no contest pleas to charges that they had inappropriate sexual relationships with underage students at the school.

History came alive through the eyes of students at Ernest Ward Middle School as they displayed weeks of work on projects for National History Day.

A rabies alert that had been in effect for North Escambia for  five months expired in January. The alert was issued after several people came into contact with rabid animals.

Angel Mitchell was crowned Miss Northview High School for 2010  in front of a sellout crowd in the school’s theater. First Runner-Up was junior Caitlyn Brown, and Second Runner-Up was Sarah Killam, a junior.

The director of the West Florida Library asked the public to push our local legislative delegation to work to fund a new library in Molino.

January brought good new for Alabama Power customers — rates were headed down. But not for Gulf Power customers — rates were headed up.

Hail, flooding and a few power outages were reported as strong storms moved across the North Escambia area.

The State Attorney’s Office launched a review into the county commission’s rebid process and a meeting between a contractor and Commissioner Gene Valentino. It stemmed from a rebid of a Maplewoods drainage project  and meetings around Roads, Inc, the second place bidder.

About 200 health kits were on their way from Molino to Haiti, thanks to the hard work of Aldersgate United Methodist Church and generosity of the North Escambia community.

North Escambia residents were applying in January for Census jobs that paid up to $15 per hour.

Many of Escambia County’s 128 bridges are wooden or have wooden supports, and many are 50 to 70 years old. Eleven are classified as “structurally deficient” and seven are classified as “functionally obsolete”. In January, Escambia County began to look for $96.6 million to replace 103 of those bridges — including 50 bridges in North Escambia — within the next 10 years.

Lows dipped into the teens in January, with local utilities like Escambia River Electric Cooperative setting all-time records for energy demands. Hundreds of families were left in the dark when the high demand caused electric failures.

The No. 1 ranked Alabama football team beat No. 2 Texas in the BCS National Championship game, played in the Rose Bowl, 37-21, winning the 13th national title in school history and first since 1992. With the win, head coach Nick Saban became the fifth coach to bring a national championship to the Capstone.

The Town of Century decided that roads in the town were in terrible shape, and they started worked to develop a priority list for resurfacing some of those streets.

FEBRUARY

Snow! From just a dusting to several inches, February brought record snowfall to the area. NorthEscambia.com published hundreds of reader submitted snow pictures, including this snowman family.

Robert Franklin Floyd, 21, of Jay, was charged with an open count of murder and three counts of attempted murder for the shooting and killing Getyron Lopez Benjamin, 18, of Brewton at a home outside Jay.

Work began in February on a project to resurface 22 miles of Highway 97 between Molino and the Alabama state line, while construction continued on Highway 29 in Century.

Governmental consolidation in Escambia County was pronounced dead.  The local legislative delegation failed  to send the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission plan toward a referendum or delay action until 2012. That effectively killed consolidation.

The Minority Culture Club at Northview High School celebrated Black History Month during the program “Striving to Help Those In Need”. The students reflected upon the devastation from the earthquake in Haiti, and encouraged Northview students to donate toward the relief effort.

Hundreds of people attended the annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Farm Equipment auction. The auction included not only farm equipment, but household items like tools and small equipment, lawn and garden items and more

Two volunteer firefighters from Cantonment were called heroes after jumping into the cold waters of Jacks Branch to save a woman from a submerged vehicle.

Liberty Counsel announced that it planned to sue the Santa Rosa County School District to allow prayer in the county’s schools. The announcement came a day after a federal judge barred the Christian organization from seeking to overturn a consent decree requiring school officials in Santa Rosa County to stop promoting their personal religious beliefs in public schools.

One Century council member said that  faulty equipment was to blame for citizens receiving high gas bills in February, while the town’s mayor says the problem was simple — two weeks of sub-freezing overnight lows in January.

The Town of Century’s dreams of resurfacing every street in town were brought back down to an expensive reality in February with a cost estimate from the town’s engineer — $4.5 million.

The Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders were named the third best in the nation in their division in the Universal Cheerleaders Association national championships in Orlando in February.The Northview High School Competition Cheerleaders placed eighth in their division.

An elderly Cantonment man was found safe, about 21 hours after he was reported missing following a funeral in Alabama. Clyde Rufus Carroll, 78, was located at about  north of Butler Street in Escambia County, Alabama, about 20 miles from Wallace where he was last seen.

Dylan Barnhill, 4, died as the result of a house fire in Atmore.

Jody Posey of Bratt was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing a five-year old North Escambia girl.

A Cantonment church spearheaded a countywide project to provide hope to the families of Haiti, one white 5-gallon bucket of food at a time. It was called “Buckets of Hope”, a program of the Florida Baptist Convention’s Florida Disaster Relief program. The concept was simple — fill a clean 5-gallon bucket with beans, rice, sugar, flour, cooking oil and other essentials to help earthquake victims.

Over 5,000 pieces of 80-foot long steel pipe were unloaded from railroad cars in Walnut Hill and transported through Atmore and surrounding communities by truck, part of a $2.46 billion Florida Gas Transmission Company project to expand its natural gas pipe system to meet the growing energy needs of the Gulf Coast and Florida.

Local 4-H Member Receives State’s Top Honor

Northview sophomore Devin Bell achieved the highest state honor attainable by a 4-H member in recognition of significant accomplishments in the Florida 4-H Youth Development Program when he was named a delegate to the 89th National 4-H Conference in Atlanta.

Bell, a member of the Northview 4-H Club, recently received the honor after a preliminary application process that highlights the achievements, leadership, and involvement of the applicant in the 4-H Youth Development Program and community, followed by an interview with a 4-H State Interview Committee.

“To be accepted as a 4-H National Congress Delegate is an honor, and the Northview 4-H Club is extremely proud to have another 4-H member to add to this prestigious list. Northveiw 4-H Club now has a total of four 4-H youth that have been selected as National 4-H Congress delegates over the past four years,” said Kay Brown, Escambia County 4-H leader.

Bell, who is from Century, is very active in public speaking, livestock, swine, mechanical science, leadership and citizenship projects. He presented speeches at County, District, and State 4-H contests. Devin was very active at the Pensacola Fair with the Steer Show and club and individual exhibits. He serves as the Vice President for the County 4-H Council and District 4-H Council, and he has been active at State 4-H Legislature and State 4-H Congress. Bell recently received the Escambia County 4-H top two most prestigious awards, the Langley Bell 4-H Award and the Senior 4-H’er of the Year Award.

The National 4-H Congress provided an opportunity for 4-H delegates from all across the country to gather and learn about community involvement, culture diversity, and service to others. During the 4-H Congress experience, Devin Bell, along with Extension educators, 4-H adult volunteers, and 4-H youth explored current youth issues and determined the most effective ways to address them. These 4-H youth participated in educational, recreational, and networking opportunities and learned from the nation’s most outstanding community leaders, speakers, and educators who presented or facilitated plenary sessions, seminars, discussions groups, and service learning opportunities.

“Accept the Challenge,” this year’s conference theme, brought together more than 1,000 outstanding 4-H members, adult 4-H volunteer leaders and 4-H Youth Development Educators from throughout the country and territories. These teens were challenged by motivational speakers from across the nation, including Miss America 2009, Katie Stam of Indiana. Through workshops, hands-on seminars, cultural programs, team building and field trips, 4-H members had an opportunity to expand their horizons and further develop their leadership skills.

Florida’s Budget Hole Now At Least $3.5 Billion

Florida’s budget shortfall hit at least $3.5 billion last week as analysts dialed-back the state’s revenue forecast, saying sluggish tax collections and a still-faltering economy are complicating the balancing act facing Gov.-elect Rick Scott and legislators.

This year’s collections shrunk by $585.7 million, while next year’s forecast was trimmed by $612.2 million, with sales-tax and corporate income tax declines leading the retreat. Reserves are available to patch this year’s reduction, although once they do, the state’s rainy day fund will dwindle to a meager $249 million at mid-budget year.

Amy Baker, executive director of the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research, and part of the four-member panel that made Tuesday’s forecast, blamed the scale-back on a slower-than-expected economic recovery for Florida.

“Long-term I don’t think our view has changed, I think we’re all optimistic, but over the next 18 months, things are quite a bit slower…than we anticipated,” Baker said.

In its summer meeting, the same Revenue Estimating Conference warned state lawmakers that tax dollars were pointing to a likely $2.5 billion budget shortfall. But the latest findings deepen that hole by at least another $1 billion, Baker said.

Sales taxes – which amount to almost three-quarters of Florida’s tax collections – have been falling short of expectations, forcing economists to reduce forecasts by more than $800 million this year and next. Corporate income tax, which Scott wants to eliminate over the next seven years – also has failed to meet expectations – resulting in a combined $234 million forecast reduction this year and in 2011.

Compounding the budget woes: Costs are going up.

“Today’s revenue numbers didn’t make legislators’ jobs any easier,” said David Bishop, a spokesman for Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island. “But everything, with the exception of raising taxes, is on the table.”

Medicaid expenses – already in line to climb by $2 billion over this year – will likely tick upwards another $300 million as more Floridians lose jobs and health benefits because of the state’s faltering economy, analysts said earlier this month. Declining property values have prompted a $150 million drop in anticipated school tax collections even as forecasters reported this week that enrollment is on track to hit a six-year high in 2011-12.

Reaction from those faced with crafting a budget next year was swift – but sketchy.

House budget chief Denise Grimsley, R-Lake Placid, said, “we will take a close look at Florida’s budget to determine how to best allocate our limited resources. Each year we face difficult choices as we move through the appropriations process.”

A spokesman for Scott also said that the drop in available dollars also didn’t shake the incoming governor’s push to cut $1.4 billion in property taxes and eliminating the corporate income tax.

“He’s looking at all options,” said Trey Stapleton of Scott’s transition office. “But if you make a commitment in the campaign, you stand by it.”

Analysts late last month signaled the bad news when they revamped their forecast for the state’s overall economy. But their generally tepid evaluation of such state drivers as housing and unemployment did include some glimmers of hope.

While Scott during his campaign promised to add 700,000 jobs to Florida’s economy, forecasters actually said that should be relatively easy to achieve – predicting an additional 1 million jobs likely over the next seven years, partially fueled by the draw of rising state population.

Unemployment, though, now close to 12 percent, is expected to remain in double digits until the second quarter of 2012, analysts said.

Analysts Tuesday said the downsized tax collections also will endure. Revenue levels are not anticipated to exceed those of 2005 – the height of the state’s housing boom – until 2013.

By John Kennedy, The News Service Florida

Featured Recipe: Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pork

This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is a “Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pork”, a simple toss it all into the Crock-pot and forget it for five hours perfect pork.

To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.

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