Six More Weeks Of Winter? North Escambia Weather Ducks See Shadow
February 2, 2010
On the Groundhog Day, Puxatony Phil, the world famous groundhog, and the NorthEscambia.com Weather Ducks have both predicted six more weeks of winter.
Forklore says that if the groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, it means six more weeks of winter. We did not have a groundhog handy for a photo, but we did have the NorthEscambia.com Weather Ducks (pictured above). And just like their more famous Pennsylvania weather buddy, our weather ducks also saw their shadow this morning here in North Escambia.
Here is your official Groundhog Day forecast:
- Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Northeast wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 42. East wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a high near 58. East wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Thursday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 50. North wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. West wind around 10 mph.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 57.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
- Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
Overturned Log Truck Shuts Down Byrneville Road; Driver Charged
February 1, 2010
An overturned log truck closed Byrneville Road near McBride Road for several hours Mondaymorning.
Billy Page, 56, of Pensacola, was charged with careless driving by the Florida Highway Patrol after he rounded a curve too fast and overturned about 8:10 a.m. His load of logs spilled onto the shoulder of the road.
About 25 gallons of fuel spilled in the crash. There were no injuries reported.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Escambia County Fire Rescue, the Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia County Road Department and the Florida Department of Transportation responded to the accident.
Pictured top: Truck driver Billy Page (left) explains to a Florida Department of Transportation officer how a Monday morning accident in Byrneville occurred. Notice the dirt dam built by road crews to contain the diesel fuel spill. Pictured below: More pictures of the scene. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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Over 5,000 Massive Steel Pipes Being Unloaded In Walnut Hill, Trucked North
February 1, 2010
Over 5,000 pieces of 80-foot long steel pipe are being unloaded from railroad cars in Walnut Hill and transported through Atmore and surrounding communities by truck.
It’s all 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. The current portion of the project involves about 483 miles of pipeline being installed in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida with about 365 miles parallel to existing pipeline.
In the North Escambia area, the pipeline runs from Baldwin County into Escambia County north of Atmore, skirts Flomaton and crosses into a small portion of the very northeastern corner of Escambia County (Fla.) near Century and into the northern part of Santa Rosa County.
“It’s a massive project,” said John P. Barnett, public information director for Florida Gas Transmission Company. “In terms of dollars and scope, it really is big.”
The massive pipes are manufactured at Berg Steel Pipe Corporation in Panama City and transported by train. The pipe is being unloaded from an Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway line near the intersection of Arthur Brown Road and Corley Road in Walnut Hill. From there, it is being trucked north of Atmore by Dun Transportation of Sherman, Texas. As the project progresses, the pipe will be trucked to other portions of the pipeline in the three county area.
The numbers are impressive. Unloaded in Walnut Hill over a six month period will be a total of:
- Over 5,000 sections of 80-foot long, 36-inch diameter pipe
- Over 600 railroad cars
- Over 2,000 truckloads
Barnett said all of the pipe is being installed adjacent to existing pipeline on existing right of ways in Escambia County in Alabama and Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida.
“There will not be any surprises for landowners,” he said. “The pipeline is being installed next to the existing pipeline, and all of the landowners were notified last year.”
Another interesting fact: The machine being used to unload the pipes from the railroad cars to the trucks uses a powerful suction to life the pipe — no ropes, no cables, no magnets.
Pictured above: Over 5,000 80-foot sections of steel natural gas pipeline are being unloaded from over 600 railroad cars in Walnut Hill. Pictured below: Sections of pipe are then transported by truck north through Atmore. NorthEscambia.com and submitted photos, click to enlarge.
Railroad buff Larry Seale of Cantonment contributed some of the photos for this story.
Two Century Correctional Officers Fired
February 1, 2010
Two Century Correctional Institution officers have been terminated for bringing forbidden items into the facility.
One correctional officer was terminated for bringing a Bic lighter to work for the second time, according to Gretl Plessinger, Department of Corrections spokesperson. Another, she said, was terminated for attempting to bring an MP3 player into the facility.
The lighter and MP3 player are among items not allowed on the CCI compound, Plessinger said. It was the second time the officer with the Bic lighter had attempted to bring one into the facility, she said.
Both corrections officers were still within their two year probationary period — the officer with the lighter was hired in late 2009, and the officer with the MP3 player was hired in late 2008.
Neither officer was charged with any crime.
Move Over: Alabama To Enforce New Law
February 1, 2010
Monday, Alabama joined Florida in enforcing a “Move Over” law that requires motorists to move over when approaching emergency vehicles that are stopped on the side of the road with their emergency lights activated.
Alabama’s law formerly applied just to law enforcement vehicles and was dubbed the “Blue Light” law. But now the law has been expanded to include all emergency vehicles with flashing lights, including wreckers.
The law is effective now, and Alabama State Troopers began full enforcement with warning tickets on January 1. Costly traffic citations will be issued on and after February 1.
The law requires drivers to move over one lane on a four lane highway when approaching emergency vehicles. If it is unsafe to move over, drivers should slow at least 15 mph below the speed limit. On a two lane highway, drivers are required to move over as far as possible without leaving their lane and slow down to a speed at least 15 mph below the posted speed limit. If the posted speed limit is 20 mph or less, drivers should slow to 10 mph.
Florida’s move over laws is a little bit different:
- On a two-lane roadway, you are required to slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit.
- If the speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less, you must slow down to five miles per hour.
- If you are driving on an interstate or roadway with multiple lanes of travel in the same direction, and you approach an emergency or law enforcement vehicle parked along the roadway, you must vacate the lane closest to that vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you are not able to safely move over, you must slow down to a speed of 20 MPH below the posted speed limit unless directed otherwise by a law enforcement officer.
Pictured above: An Alabama State Trooper in Dallas County was seriously injured in this crash last year. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Students Of The Month Named
February 1, 2010
Escambia County Students of the Month for January have been named by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education. The awards are presented monthly to two students from participating schools.
The following students were named from North Escambia area schools:
- Bratt Elementary: Devon L. Cohen, second grade; Mallory O. Gibson, fifth grade.
- Jim Allen Elementary: Haleigh V. Dove, first grade; Amanda P. Mills, first grade.
- Molino Park Elementary: Leia M. Grantham, first grade; Nathaniel B. Mickel, first grade.
- Ernest Ward Middle: Penny N. Banda, seventh grade; Cheyenne R. Gray, sixth grade.
- Ransom Middle: Jon W. Walker, eighth grade; Forrest R. Biddle, seventh grade.
- Northview High: Dakota W. Stuckey, 12th grade; Hillary K. Byrd, 11th grade.
- Tate High: Stephanie A. Evans, 12th grade; Eric D. Cook, 11th grade.
Pictured top: Hillary Byrd and Dakota Stuckey, Northview High School’s Students of the Month for January. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lane Closures Begin On Highway 97
February 1, 2010
Lane closures began Monday on Highway 97 as a $5.7 million resurfacing project got underway.
The project will begin with a major clearing of the right of way in select locations, according to Shawn Joseph, project administrator for Panhandle Grading and Paving, Inc. All of the lane closures scheduled for the first week of February will be south of Highway 4 and north of Highway 29.
The next major phase of the project will be guardrail replacements, Joseph said.
Once work begins on the actual highway, work crews will restrict traffic to one lane through the work zone. Weather permitting, the project should be completed in September 2010.
“They will maintain accesses to businesses and residences during the process,” according to Tanya Branton, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation.
During the entire 270 day project, NorthEscambia.com will provide the most current Highway 97 lane closure and construction updates to help you avoid delays.
Pictured above: A sign in Davisville warns of impending lane closures on Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Sunny, Seasonable, Showers
February 1, 2010
Our North Escambia area forecast calls for sunny, seasonable weather through Wednesday, then showers by Thursday and Friday.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 62. North wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 62. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 60. East wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 44. East wind around 15 mph.
- Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 59.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 57.
Escambia, Santa Rosa Declared Disaster Areas
January 31, 2010
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Escambia (Fla.) and Santa Rosa counties as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by Tropical Storm Ida and associated heavy rains that occurred from November 9 through November 10, 2009.
“President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to the area and serious harm to farms in Florida and we want to help,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This action will provide help to hundreds of farmers who suffered significant production losses to a wide variety of crops, including upland cotton, forage grasses, pecans, peanuts, and soybeans.”
Farmers and ranchers in Okaloosa County in Florida and Baldwin and Escambia in Alabama also qualify for natural disaster assistance because the counties are contiguous.
All qualified farm operators in the designated areas are eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.
USDA also has made other programs available to assist farmers and ranchers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), which was approved as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conservation Program; Federal Crop Insurance; and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
Pictured top: Wet cotton sags to the ground in a Walnut Hill field on November 10, 2009, as the rains ended from Tropical Storm Ida. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Ready, Set, Go: Bratt Church Holds Pinewood Derby
January 31, 2010
There was some small-scale, fast-paced racing action Saturday afternoon in Bratt as the First Baptist Church of Bratt held its “nearly annual” Pinewood Derby.
The cars begin with a block of pinewood that is cut and shaped into a car. Add wheels, paint, weights and other personal touches, and it’s a pinewood derby racer as long as it is under five ounces. During workshops on Wednesday nights in January, the participants sanded, weighed, painted and wheeled their cars.
The cars are 1:25 scale. Reaching about 8 mph on the short wood track equates to a full scale speed of about 200 mph.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt “nearly annual” Pinewood Derby race winners were:
Mission Friends
- First (tie): Anna Lee, Luke Amerson “Luke Duke”
- Third (tie): Rachael Sanders “Princess Car”, Lizzie Amerson “Lizzie Dizzie”
Girls In Action
- First: Juliana LaBorde
- Second: Mary Sanders
- Third (tie): Annah Amerson “Hanna Montana”, Victoria Amerson “Dorothy’s Tornado”
Royal Ambassadors
- First: Zachary Holland “Black Hawk”
- Zachery Payne “Alexander the Great”
- Colby Morris “The Gator”
Youth/Adults
- First: Greg Wilson
- Second: Dawn Turner “Hildegard”
- Third: Pete Amerson “First Place”
- Fourth: Sidney Amerson “The Tank”
Grand Finals:
- First (tie): Anna Lee, Zachery Payne “Alexander the Great”
- Third: Zachary Holland “Black Hawk”
- Fourth (tie): Trace Presnall “Thunderbold18″, Juliana LaBorde “The Faithmobile”
Pictured top and bottom: Scenes from the Pinewood Derby at the First Baptist Church of Bratt Saturday afternoon. Pictured inset: Anna Lee was one of the grand champions in Saturday’s racing. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.