Century Girl’s ATV Hit By Drunk Driver
November 26, 2010
A 12-year old Century girl continues to recover after her ATV was hit by an alleged drunk driver’s pickup last weekend.
Beverly Blackmon was transported by LifeFlight to a Pensacola hospital following the weekend accident on Smallwood Lane north of Brewton, Ala.
The driver of the pickup fled the accident scene. He was later identified as Archie Lee Tanner, Jr. 38. He was charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and booked into the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center. Tanner was not injured in the crash.
Black Friday Sales
November 26, 2010
The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday — the crazy-hour traditional start to the holiday shopping season. Pictured above: These teens were camped out for a flat screen Friday morning at the Walmart in Brewton. Submitted photo by Eric Hare. Pictured left: The checkout line circles the store twice at Target in Pensacola. Submitted photo by Janalyn Pomeroy. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Ending, Cold
November 26, 2010
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast for the remainder of the long Thanksgiving weekend:
- Tonight…Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Chance of rain in the evening. Lows in the mid 30s. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
- Saturday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday Night…Clear. Lows in the mid 30s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.
- Sunday…Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Sunday Night…Not as cool. Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. East winds around 5 mph becoming 5 to 10 mph after midnight.
- Monday…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers through the day. Isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
- Monday Night…Warmer. Mostly cloudy. Scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
- Tuesday…Cloudy. Scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
- Tuesday Night…Colder. Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain in the evening…then chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows in the upper 30s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
- Wednesday…Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
- Wednesday Night…Colder…clear. Lows in the upper 20s.
- Thursday…Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
- Thursday Night…Clear. Lows in the mid 30s.
- Friday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
Greg Evers Named To 5 Senate Committees
November 26, 2010
Republican Greg Evers, the Florida senator representing the North Escambia area, was named to several Florida Senate committees Tuesday by Senate President Mike Haridopolos.
Evers was named to the following committees:
- Criminal Justice, chair
- Transportation, vice chair
- Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities
- Subcommittee on Ethics and Elections
- Reapportionment
Most of the committees named Tueday have overwhelming Republican majorities, reflective of the body as a whole, though there are a few that are close.
The Agriculture Committee, which is one of two committees chaired by a Democrat, Gary Siplin, has a slim 4-3 Republican majority, and the high profile Education Pre-K-12 Committee has just three Republicans and two Democrats. Similarly, Children, Families and Elder Affairs has a 3-2 GOP majority, as does Criminal Justice. Military Affairs has a 4-3 GOP majority. In contrast, probably the most politically charged committee, Reapportionment, is the most lopsided, with 16 Republicans and 7 Democrats.
“We are all elected representatives of the citizens of this great state so I believe we should all have the opportunity to serve on committees that interest each of us and best serve the voters,” said Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, in a memo to members. “It is clear that the selections are a reflection of what your constituents are interested in and as well as what each of you individually can bring in the way of insight, experience and in many cases real world expertise.”
A Bank Divided By The Iron Bowl
November 26, 2010
The rivalry of the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn literally divided an area bank. At the FNB&Trust main office in Atmore, employees decorated one end of the bank’s lobby for Auburn, the other for Alabama. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Keep The Wreath Green Campaign Kicks Off Next Week In Escambia
November 26, 2010
Escambia County Fire-Rescue and the City of Pensacola Fire Department are participating in “Keep the Wreath Green,” a holiday safety program designed to promote fire safety during the month of December. With this program, officials hope to reduce the number of fires during a time of serious fire danger with simple, life saving tips.
This year, the seventh year of the campaign, five-foot wreaths will be on display at 30 different locations throughout the holiday season. These sites are the Old Escambia County Courthouse on Palafox Place, the Public Safety Building on W Street, the Central Office Complex on West Park Place, all 18 primary county fire stations, seven stations within the City of Pensacola, Cordova Mall and one mobile display. Every time firefighters respond to a residential fire a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by holiday decorations.
To help citizens stay safe and “keep the wreath green,” officials are providing a holiday safety tip for each day of the month; visit www.keepthewreathgreen.com for a complete list.
A kick-off event for the campaign will be held on Tuesday.
Pictured above: The wreath at the Century fire station. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Thankful: Officers Save Woman
November 25, 2010
This Thanksgiving, Escambia resident Helen Clark, 55, has a lot to be thankful for, and she’s thanking local law enforcement officers for the gift of life.
About 7:30 Tuesday evening, Deputies Jason Comans and Ryan Robinson joined Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Josh Tucker and Corporal Michael Tucker for a meal break at Smokey’s Restaurant located on Pensacola Blvd.
Their meal was quickly interrupted when they noticed a female, later identified as Clark, pass out and fall to the floor.
As the deputies and troopers rushed over to administer first aid, they noticed that Clark was not breathing and didn’t have a pulse. Deputy Comans and Trooper Tucker immediately began CPR while Deputy Robinson rushed out to his patrol vehicle and retrieved an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
An AED is a small, lightweight device used to assess a person’s heart rhythm. If necessary, it administers an electric shock to restore a normal rhythm in victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Built-in computers assess the patient’s heart rhythm, judge whether defibrillation is needed, and administer an appropriate level of shock. Audible and/or visual prompts guide the user through the process.
Deputy Robinson applied the AED to Clark’s chest and was prompted to continue CPR. Deputy Robinson gave Clark rescue breaths while Trooper Tucker performed chest compressions. A shock was then administered by the AED. The officers continued CPR and by the time Escambia County EMS arrived, Clark had a pulse and was breathing on her own.
Clark, now conscious and alert, was able to thank these officers before being transported to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment.
“Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies are trained yearly in First Aid, CPR and the use of AED’s. The time and expense it takes to train all our deputies paid off,” said Chris Welborn, public information officer for the ECSO. “Sheriff (David) Morgan is very proud of the deputies involved in this incident and hopes Helen Clark fully recovers and enjoys this holiday season with her family and friends.”
Updated Weather: Rain Then Cold
November 25, 2010
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers through the night. Slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows around 60. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
- Friday…Periods of rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 60s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
- Friday Night…Much colder. Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday Night…Clear. Lows in the mid 30s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.
- Sunday…Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s.
- Sunday Night…Warmer. Partly cloudy. Lows around 50.
- Monday…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of showers 30 percent.
- Monday Night…Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows around 60. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
- Tuesday…Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs around 70. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
- Tuesday Night…Colder. Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers. Lows in the lower 40s. Chance of showers 40 percent.
- Wednesday…Cooler. Mostly sunny. Slight chance of rain showers in the morning. Highs in the upper 50s. Chance of showers 20 percent.
- Wednesday Night…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 30s.
- Thursday…Sunny. Highs around 60.
Trip To Grandma’s Was A Little More Expensive This Year
November 25, 2010
That Thanksgiving trip to grandma’s house was a little more this expensive year, with gas prices up about 20 cents over last year.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the Pensacola metro was $2.79 headed into the Thanksgiving weekend, up from $2.60 last year and just $1.78 two years ago.
Around the North Escambia area, that gallon of gas ranged from $2.72 to $2.84 in an informal survey. The lowest Escambia County price was $2.71 at the Navy Mall and a Murphy Express on Navy Boulevard.
AAA today projected the number of Americans traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday will increase 11.4 percent from 2009, with approximately 42.2 million travelers taking a trip at least 50 miles away from home. Last year, 37.9 million Americans traveled during the Thanksgiving holiday. The 2010 Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, November 24 to Sunday, November 28.
“While Americans remain cautious with household budgets and discretionary spending amidst high levels of unemployment, many are in a better financial position this Thanksgiving than a year ago,” said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “This improvement, along with a strong desire to spend time with friends and family, is expected to propel a significant increase in Thanksgiving travel.”
The forecasted double-digit increase in Thanksgiving holiday travel would signify an important upturn in travel volume for the holiday after a year of negligible growth in 2009 (0.2 percent) and two years after a historic 25.2 percent decline in travel in 2008. While the forecast for an 11.4 percent increase in Thanksgiving travel is significant, the increase in the number of travelers by 4.3 million is less than half of the volume lost from 2007 through 2009. Moreover, this year’s expected 42.2 million travelers remain almost 30 percent below the 2005 peak of 58.6 million travelers.
This year’s projected increase in holiday travel appears to be the result of modestly improved economic conditions since last year, including an increase in gross domestic product, real disposable personal income and household net worth combined with a decrease in consumer debt. While job growth has been minimal and unemployment remains high, the unemployment rate has remained stable, which is an improvement from 2008 and 2009 when job losses were mounting each quarter.
Pictured: A gallon of regular unleaded gas was at $2.75 in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Our Facebook Fans: Are You Shopping On Black Friday?
November 25, 2010
It’s Black Friday — the crazy-hour traditional start to the holiday shopping season. We asked our Facebook fans about their Black Friday plans. A few responses are below.
(You can become one of our Facebook fans at www.facebook.com/northescambia)
- “I love Black Friday shopping!” Janalyn Pomeroy.
- “Get up at 2 a.m. to go stand in line for three hours to fight over the three TV’s that they discounted by $25? Forget it; I’ll pay the extra 25 bucks.” — Andy Maddox.
- “Yes, I’m one of those crazy people who get up at three to be at Walmart. Not just to get bargains, its a time I spend with my daughter and friends year after year.” Jackie Garrett Thomas.
- “Oh no…gotta watch the Iron Bowl.” — Deana Coker.
- “Will actually be working for the mighty Wal-Mart as crowd control and help with one of the hot items.” Bryan Coburn.
- “Nope…going to Tuscaloosa to watch the Tide beat Cam.” William Earl McKenzie.
- “I don’t have any money to shop. I’ve never been on Black Friday, so I’m staying home and watching football. Roll Tide, Roll Baby!” — Angela Richardson.
- “I’m going. I go every year with my mom, aunt and friends. We get up at three a.m. and go to the mall. Walmart and Target, and then go out for breakfast. Then home for a nap.” — Amanda Colbert.
- “No way, especially if it is raining. That is like punishment. I don’t need anything that bad. And, my wants won’t hurt me.” — Marie Duncan