Year In Review North Escambia’s Biggest Stories Of 2010: March, April

December 27, 2010

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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  March and April.

(For January and February, click here.)

MARCH

A fight at Ernest Ward Middle School during afternoon dismissal ended with a bus driver in the hospital and seven students arrested. The fight began between two students on a bus and escalated into an affray in the parking lot involving a small number of students. Several school staff members and bus drivers tried to stop the fight, and several of them were struck by students. (Pictured top)

After 27 years in law enforcement — 22 of those in North Escambia — Byrneville resident Randy Murph retired from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

The Northview Chiefs baseball team finished March with perfect district record.

Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office investigator Heath Jackson announced that he was running for sheriff in Escambia County, Alabama.

Allie Bryan from Northview High School and Leely Trevino from Jay High School were named winners in the Escambia River Electric Cooperative 2010 Youth Tour to Washington contest.

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Two unrelated fires damaged two different homes a mile apart on Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill within about an hour. Both fires were apparently accidental.

Antonio Demetrius Ewing, then 19, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges related to a crime spree in which he robbed the Molino Tom Thumb, stole tires in Century to fix a flat on the getaway car and then escaped from deputies after he was arrested.

March brought Opening Day to the Molino Ballpark and Bradberry Park.

Northview’s Misty Doran had the school’s  first no-hitter in more than a half dozen years as the Lady Chiefs shut out Ponce De Leon 10-0.

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About 600 elementary school students from schools from Byrneville and Bratt to Pensacola Beach attended the annual “Food for America” program  at Northview High School. About 800 people total either attended or worked with the program.

The Escambia County Commission  approved rezoning a piece of property on Highway 97 so that a Molino man can move in a mobile home for his son. Bennie Hassebrock told commissioners that he has tried for four years to get approval for a mobile home on the property, which he said had been in his family for over 60 years.

The Century Town Council voted to not rely on their engineer to prioritize street resurfacing projects. Instead, council members were to create their own list — a process the mayor thinks might be too political.

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It was announced in March that Ernest Ward Middle School would be the home of an electrical academy, the first such program in the nation.

In March, Census forms began arriving in mailboxes in the North Escambia area, and local officials saud it is very important that forms be returned. In Century, the mayor said he was especially hopeful that residents would respond for federal funding for the town.

Over 1,100 food-containing Buckets of Hope were donated by North Escambia area residents to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake at the First Baptist Church of Cantonment as well as the First Baptist Church of Bratt, area schools and other drop-off points.

The State of Florida approved a permit for International Paper in Cantonment  to reroute their wastewater discharge from Eleven Mile Creek to an existing 1,400 acre wetland area owned by IP that includes Tee and Wicker Lakes west of Saufley Field.

Bertha Y. Wright faced a long list of drug charges after being accused of passing fraudulent prescription at a Century pharmacy while deputies found a stash of prescription drugs in her car.

unitedflom22.jpgUnited Bank in Flomaton was robbed by a male and female suspect. There were no injuries.

The Town of Century’s gas consultant told the town council that the town was being a good steward of its gas department, despite claims of faulty equipment leading to abnormally high bills.

APRIL

On April 20, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, with the well free-flowing for three months.

Work was completed at the end of April on a $480,159 drainage project on Highway 29 in Century, and all four lanes of traffic were once again flowing without interruption for the first time in seven months.

The Northview Lady Chiefs ended the best season ever for the Chiefs at the Regional tournament.

Century heritage was celebrated during the annual Sawmill Day.

farm-tour-027.jpgThe 2010 Escambia County Farm Tour took to the roads of North Escambia  as well over 100 county, city and state leaders joined leaders from the agricultural community on a tour of agricultural locations across the area.

Former state Senator and Representative  Thomas “Tom” Tobiassen died at his Cantonment during the month of April.

There was no more waiting for report cards, progress reports or searching book bags for graded tests for parents of students of Ernest Ward Middle School and Northview High School when the schools  joined a pilot program to allow parents to access grades online.

There are new hurricane evacuation zones in Escambia County were announced that reached inland all the way to the North Escambia area.

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Grammy award winner Marty Raybon performed during the first Northview FFA Alumni Bluegrass Festival in Bratt. He was joined by Delta Reign and the Dog River Boys.

The faithful celebrated Easter with Sunrise Services held across the area.

Calling themselves the “SWANS”,  a group of young ladies at Northview High School collected prom dresses that were made available to any Northview girl headed to prom that needed a dress, no questions asked.

Former Northview High School offensive coordinator Mark Heaton was named the new head football coach at Escambia County High School in Atmore.

Area residents mourned the loss of William C. America of Atmore, a man that made history as the first black member elected to the Escambia County (Ala.) Commission. He was 77.

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