Woman Dies In Hwy. 29 Crash
February 26, 2010
One person was killed in a two vehicle accident on Highway 29 Thursday afternoon.
The accident at the intersection of Highway 29 and 9 1/2 Mile Road claimed the life of Eloise Hall, 76, of Pensacola. Hall was a passenger in a 2006 Scion driven by Charles Gandy, 64, of Lenox, Alabama.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Gandy was northbound on Highway 29 at 12:22 p.m. Thursday when he turned into the median to cross onto 9 1/2 Mile Road. His view of southbound traffic was obstructed by a large truck. The FHP says he pulled into the path of a 1997 Saturn driven by Shawn P. O’Neal, 26 of Pensacola. At that point, neither driver was able to avoid the other, according to the FHP.
Another passenger in Gandy’s vehicle, Karen Gandy, 68, of Lenox, Alabama, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with critical injuries. Charles Gandy was also transported to Sacred Heart with minor injuries. O’Neal was not injured.
Everyone in the accident was wearing seat belts, according to the FHP.
The Florida Highway Patrol says charges are pending in the accident.
Northview Minority Culture Club Celebrates Black History Month
February 26, 2010
The Minority Culture Club at Northview High School celebrated Black History Month during a Thursday program “Striving to Help Those In Need”.
The students reflected upon the devastation from the recent earthquake in Haiti, and encouraged Northview students to donate toward the relief effort.
“One of the lessons that black history can lend to everyone is education,” said guest speaker Aylia McGee (pictured left), a federal defender from Montgomery. “Education will determine where you end up.”
The program also paid tribute to singer Michael Jackson with montages to “Beat It”, “Scream” and “I Want You Back”. The Northview Tribal Beat Jazz Ensemble also performed.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Northview High School Minority Culture Club members are: Kassandra Lett, president; Darwin Robinson, vice president; Laneicia Gomez, secretary; Andrea Jackson, treasurer; Angela Rodriguez, parliamentarian; Kassey Redmond, historian; Brandi Boggan, reporter. Seniors: Ashley Muse, Brittany Pete, Sara Kyles, Jeremy Jackson, Marquitta Marshall, La’Ashia Mixon, Sam Cooler, Shakel Holmes, and Brian Knight. Juniors: T’Kieya Amos, Dominique Nettles, Ashia Brown, Shemere Cohen, Atidze Johnson, Shaniqua Jones, Naomia Cooler, Senetria Brown. Sophomores: Jasmine Marshall and Destiny Showers. Freshman: Taiqueisha Mitchell, Nysha Dunn and Denisha Showers.
Pictured top: Minority Culture Club members perform the human video “Lean On Me” during a Black History Month program at the school Thursday morning. Pictured below: Brandi Boggan and Jordyn Dunsford were Northview High School winners in the Cox Communications “Making A Difference: A Tribute to An African American in History” essay contest. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NHS Students Celebrate “Teach Ag Day”
February 26, 2010
Students in the Agriscience at Northview High School celebrated National Teach Ag Day Thursday by treating their agriculture teacher Perry Byars as a guest speaker and asking questions of him as if they knew little of his career choice.
Th students were able to ask questions of him concerning what agriculture teachers do to prepare for a career in agriculture education, lesson preparation, and daily school duties and after school activities.
“Celebrating Teach Ag Day is important because it allows students to understand the importance of teaching agriculture education as a possible career choice that is fulfilling to the teacher and needed by youth today,” Byars said .”There are many opportunities for students who prepare themselves due to the high demand for qualified teachers in the United States today.”
Agriculture teachers prepare students for high-demand careers in cutting edge industries like biotechnology, renewable energies, engineering, food production, and more. They also teach students how to be leaders and prepare them to take on the challenges of the next generation, he said.
National Teach Ag Day is a day set aside to celebrate agricultural education, and for teachers to share with their students the possibilities of a career in the profession. There is a national shortage of agricultural educators in the United States, and National Teach Ag Day is part of a campaign to raise awareness of the career.
National Teach Ag Day is a part of the National Teach Ag Campaign, an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators. For more information about teaching agriculture, visit www.naae.org/teachag. The National Teach Ag Campaign is sponsored by Campbell Soup and Landmark Nurseries as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
Pictured: Northview ag teacher Perry Byars. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambi.a.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward FFA Holds Breakfast
February 26, 2010
FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School did their part to celebrate National FFA Week with a Thursday morning breakfast for faculty and staff.
This year’s theme was “Lead Out Loud” the theme this year as members pledge to show off what makes them premier leaders in their school and communities.
Students cooked a breakfast of eggs, grits, biscuits, bacon, sausage and more for the EWMS faculty and staff.
Click here for a photo gallery from the breakfast.
Pictured: FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School provide breakfast for the school’s faculty and staff Thursday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Deputy Found Not Guilty Of Aggravated Assault
February 26, 2010
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been found not guilty on two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly pointed a gun at two people in Pensacola in August, 2009. Deputy Joseph Dejoie, a 15 year veteran with the Escambia Sheriff’s Office, was accused of threatening two brothers with a pistol in an alleged road rage incident on Cervantes Street.
The incident began around 3:15 p.m. August 3 in the 800 block of Scenic Highway after Dejoie, who was driving an Infiniti G35, stopped suddenly in the middle of the road, causing the driver of a Jeep Cherokee to slam on its brakes, according to Pensacola Police.The driver of the other vehicle – Dylan Johnson, 21, of Pensacola – honked his horn at Dejoie. This resulted in an exchange of profanities and insults between occupants of both vehicles, which continued westbound on Cervantes Street, according to police reports. Dejoie is accused of pointing a handgun at Johnson and his 15-year-old brother, a passenger in Johnson’s vehicle.
The brothers told police they turned north on 19th Avenue to escape, and called 911 to report the incident. Dejoie also called 911 at about the same time to report that he believed the brothers were armed.
Deputy Dejoie was on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
Arts Council To Present “12 Angry Jurors” Production This Weekend
February 26, 2010
The Greater Escambia Council for the Arts will present 12 Angry Jurors this weekend.
Based on the Emmy-winning 1954 teleplay “Twelve Angry Men” by Reginald Rose, the play follows a diverse group of strangers who must decide the fate of an inner-city teen on trial for the murder of his abusive father.
It looks like an open and shut case until one juror begins questioning the real facts of the case, hoping to create reasonable doubt in the minds of his fellow jurors. Tempers flare as prejudices and personal agendas become evident when the group attempts to reach consensus.
The U.S. judicial system is as much on trial as the defendant when these 12 jurors dramatically wrestle with their civic duty.
12 Angry Jurors will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Greater Escambia Center for the Arts located corner of Trammell Street and Nashville Avenue in Atmore. All seats are $8.
The play is not recommended for children. There is no vulgarity or profanity, but the acting and emotions are intense. Tickets are available at The Barn Owl at 102 West Church Street in Atmore or online at gecarts.com.
Who Has Northview’s Dirtiest Truck?
February 26, 2010
There’s dirty, and then there’s really dirty. And really dirty barely begins to describe several of the pickup trucks at Northview High School Thursday.
As part of FFA week activities at the school, the group held a school-wide “Dirty Truck Contest”. The Dirtiest Truck Award went to Gavin Hinote.
An entry fee was charged, with all proceeds going toward the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.
For more dirty truck photos, click here.
Pictured top: A dirty truck. Pictured below: (L-R) Allie Vidak, Dirty Truck winner Gavin Hinote, Brandon Chambless and Ryan Busbee. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friday Fish Fry To Benefit Flomaton Accident Victim
February 26, 2010
A fish fry benefit for Jason McFadden will be held today at the Flomaton Flower Shop on Highway 31 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
McFadden was severely injured in a recent tree cutting accident and remains in serious condition at Sacred Heart Hospital with a head injury.
Plates are $6 and include two fish fillets, baked beans, potato salad and dessert. The sides for the plates are being prepared by the ladies of the Little Escambia Baptist Church and the First Baptist Church of Flomaton.
Donations will also be accepted. Deliveries are available for large orders, call (251) 238-0799 or (251) 254-1715.
Fire Weather Warning Today; Freezing Cold Tonight
February 25, 2010
We are in for a dry day — complete with a fire weather warning — and overnight lows back in the bottom half of the 20’s.
Low humidity today will mean an increased fire risk; so outdoor burning is discouraged.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Today…Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Tonight…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s. North winds around 5 mph in the evening becoming light.
- Friday…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. Northeast winds around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
- Friday Night…Partly cloudy in the evening becoming mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows in the lower 30s. Southeast winds around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight. Chance of showers 40 percent.
- Saturday…Mostly cloudy in the morning becoming mostly sunny. Slight chance of rain showers in the morning. Highs around 60. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of showers 20 percent.
- Saturday Night…Mostly clear. Lows 29 to 34.
- Sunday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
- Sunday Night…Partly cloudy in the evening becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s.
- Monday…Partly sunny. Chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 60s. Chance of showers 40 percent.
- Monday Night…Partly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Lows 30 to 35. Chance of showers 20 percent.
- Tuesday…Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
- Tuesday Night…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.
- Wednesday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
Florida’s Last Fox Pen, Located In Walnut Hill, Shut Down By State
February 25, 2010
Florida’s last state permitted fox pen — located in Walnut Hill — has been shut down by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The FWC voted last week to temporarily prohibit the chasing of foxes and coyotes in enclosures, while moving forward to draft rules guiding such enclosures in Florida. An executive order prohibiting chasing of foxes and coyotes within an enclosure was issued Wednesday, and it was to be delivered to the Shady Oaks Fox Pen at 4000 South Highway 99 in Walnut Hill, effectively shutting the pen down, according to the FWC.
Shady Oaks operator Dewey Stuckey declined to make any comment for this story. The FWC is not accusing Shady Oaks or its owners of any wrongdoing.
There were as many as six state permitted fox pens in Florida in 2009, but all had closed by the end of the year except for the approximately 200 acre Shady Oaks Fox Pen in Walnut Hill. At one time, there were about 50 fox and coyote pens from the Panhandle to Central Florida.
Before making the decision, Commissioners listened to more than 40 speakers on fox and coyote pens, beginning with Rep. Debbie Boyd, D-High Springs. Boyd urged the Commission to recognize the shortcomings on both sides of the issue, to address those shortcomings and engage stakeholders in the process.
“This issue has been painted with a broad brush,” Boyd said. “I ask the Commission to engage stakeholders and put fox and coyote enclosures into rule rather than through the permit process.”
After listening to emotional appeals from the public, whose comments ranged from calling the practice of hunting foxes and coyotes within enclosures a “heritage” and “a way of life” to making charges of “cruelty” and “mauling” of the animals, Commissioners discussed how to proceed based on staff recommendations and public comment.
“Rep. Boyd said it best,” said Commissioner Kathy Barco. “We need to allow for the process so everybody works together.”
FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said he leaned toward an outright ban of the practice but also felt the process should be given a chance for review.
“I’m not sure I’ll support the draft rules when they come back,” Barreto said. “I don’t see any sport in the animals’ having no escape. I personally don’t agree with the practice.”
Last September, FWC commissioners directed the agency’s law enforcement staff to explore the history behind the enclosures, including a review of the agency’s permitting process and the number of such enclosures in the state. Then-Executive Director Ken Haddad issued an executive order, putting a moratorium on issuing permits for chasing foxes or coyotes in enclosures.
During Wednesday’s meeting at Apalachicola, commissioners received the report, indicating such enclosures have been around since 1988, when the agency began meeting with stakeholders to draw up regulations for permitting them. Previously, fox hunting took place on large land tracts, but fewer tracts were available as Florida’s human population grew.
Enclosure operators also began using more-readily available coyotes captured within Florida. Importing coyotes from other states is illegal.
It is not legal to kill foxes in Florida, but chasing them with dogs has been a long-standing tradition.
In 2007, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources completed an investigation into fox pens in that state, and shared information with the FWC, indicating illegal importation, sale and delivery of foxes or coyotes was taking place among Alabama and six other states.
FWC investigators made similar discoveries during a 10-month undercover operation in 2008. They found some enclosures were ignoring permit provisions. As a result, officers cited 12 suspects for 46 alleged violations.
FWC wildlife veterinarian Mark Cunningham stated in a report that importation of foxes from other states could result in the spread of disease strains and parasites that are not native to Florida, and that poses health risks for humans, native wildlife, pets and livestock.
“This is not a referendum on hunting; we are a pro-hunting commission,” said Commissioner Brian Yablonski. “But we must consider the concept of ‘fair chase,’ and I am not sure chasing coyotes and foxes in an enclosure meets that standard of hunting – a standard that is important to preserving hunting in the future.”
The Commission asked staff to hold workshops and meet with stakeholders to develop draft rules. The draft rules will be brought back for consideration at the June meeting, with the possibility of final rule approval in September.
Pictured: A fence surrounds the Shady Oaks Fox Pen on South Highway 99 near Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.