Tuesday Is Deadline For Emergency BP Claims
November 23, 2010
Businesses and individuals affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill face a Tuesday deadline to file emergency claims from the overseer of the $20 billion compensation fund. After that, the burden of proof will ratchet up for coastal and inland residents seeking to collect economic damages for the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Ken Feinberg, who is spearheading efforts to pay claims on behalf of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, has given recipients more time to decide whether they want to settle with the company by accepting payment and signing a waiver not to sue. But Feinberg has refused to extend the deadline for emergency payments, which require relatively less documentation to receive.
“By accepting these Emergency Advance Payments, employers and employees are not relinquishing their right to sue BP or others responsible for the oil spill occurring off the Louisiana Coast over seven months ago,” said Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “FRLA encourages its members, and non-members, to file an application not only for Emergency Advance Payments, but also for the general loss of economic dollars for oil and the perception of oil washing ashore Florida’s beaches and coastline.”
Turkey Time: Extension Service Offers Thawing Tips
November 23, 2010
It’’s Thanksgiving, time for family and friends to gather and give thanks. And time for cooks to ponder the correct way to prepare their turkey.
Today, we are taking a look how to make sure your turkey is properly thawed with tips from Dorthy Lee, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for the Escambia County Extension Office. Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at the proper way to cook your turkey.
Following four simple food-handling practices—clean, separate, cook, chill—will ensure a delicious and safe meal.
Frozen turkeys should be thawed—at a safe temperature— prior to cooking. There are three safe ways to thaw a turkey — in the refrigerator at 40°F or less; in cold water; and in the microwave.
Frozen Turkeys
Allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
Keep frozen until you’re ready to thaw it.
Turkeys kept frozen in the freezer should be cooked within one year for best quality.
Thawing Your Turkey
In the Refrigerator (40°F or below)
Keep the turkey in its original wrapper. Place it on a tray or in a pan to catch any juices that may leak. A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. If necessary, a turkey that has been properly thawed in the refrigerator may be refrozen. When thawing in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey.
4 to 12 pounds = 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds = 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds = 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds = 5 to 6 days
In Cold Water
When thawing in cold water, allow 30 minutes per pound and change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Wrap your turkey securely, making sure the water is not able to leak through the wrapping. Submerge your wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed. Do not refreeze. Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound.
4 to 12 pounds = 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds = 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds = 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds = 10 to 12 hours
In the Microwave
When thawing in the microwave, follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and plan to cook the turkey immediately after thawing because some areas of the turkey may become warm and begin to cook during microwave thawing.
For more information, call the Escambia County Extension office, (850) 475-5230.
Alert Jail Employee Catches Attempted Robbery Suspect
November 23, 2010
An off-duty Escambia County Sheriff’s Office employee assigned to the jail came to the aid of a robbery victim over the weekend and held the suspect until deputies arrived to take him to the jail.
The jail employee, Ronnie Whiddon, was walking into the Tom Thumb at 4805 Mobile Highway around 6:30 Saturday morning when he witnessed an altercation between a taxi cab driver and his passenger. Whiddon immediately recognized it was a robbery attempt and came to the aid of Darrel Vincent, 46, of Pensacola, who was driving the taxi. The passenger and suspect was later identified as Melvin Tyrone Dixon, 44, of Pensacola.
Dixon (pictured) had called Yellow Cab and was picked up by Vincent near Fairfield Drive and South Dakota Drive. When Dixon entered the taxi he pulled a knife on Vincent and demanded money and Vincent’s ATM card, according to the Sheriff’s Office. When Vincent told Dixon that he didn’t have cash on him, Dixon ordered him to drive to Regions Bank.
Vincent told deputies that as he passed the Tom Thumb he noticed a group of people standing in the parking lot. Vincent quickly turned into the lot where he was able to unarm Dixon and throw the knife out the window of the taxi. Whiddon hurriedly went to the aid of Vincent and held Dixon until patrol deputies arrived.
Dixon was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping-false imprisonment and robbery. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail and was being held on a $25,000 bond.
School Citrus Sale Underway
November 23, 2010
The Northview High School FFA Fruit Sale is underway with delivery just in time for Christmas.
The NHS FFA is selling citrus in attractive 2/5 or 4/5 bushel boxes perfect for gift wrapping. The Florida citrus is from RiverBrite in Vero Beach.
Orders must be made by Wednesday, December 1. The delivery date is Tuesday, December 14.
For an order form click here. Order forms and payment can be returned to Northview by mail (the address is on the order form), or dropped off at the school office. Fruits available include red apples, grapefruit, navel oranges, tangelos and Hamlin oranges. Mixed trio half bushels are also available.
For more information, call (850) 327-6681, ext. 248.
Dense Fog Advisory Overnight
November 22, 2010
A dense fog advisory has been issued for the North Escambia area for 1 a.m. until 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1am. Patchy dense fog after 10pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Areas of dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thanksgiving Day: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Thursday Night: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Friday: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. North wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. North wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 64.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
- Sunday Night: Scattered showers. Cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Monday: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Another Copper Theft Discovered At A Molino Communications Tower
November 22, 2010
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a copper theft was discovered Monday morning at a Molino communications tower, the second such theft in about two months.
Just before 10:30 a.m., technicians discovered hundreds of dollars in copper grounding wire missing from the privately owned communications tower adjacent to the Molino Ballpark on Crabtree Church Road. The wiring was part of the tower’s electrical grounding system.
There were no reports that any of the services on the tower were disrupted. At least one cellular telephone company serves the Molino area from the tower, but technicians were unable to provide further details.
On October 11, copper wiring valued at over $3,000 was reported stolen from a county-owned communications tower behind the Escambia County Health Department on Highway 29. (Read more…)
Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured top: A copper theft is under investigation at a Molino communications tower. Pictured inset: A sign on the fence surrounding the facility warns that video surveillance is in use. Pictured below: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician searches for clues at the base of the tower. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FHSAA 1A Rural Division Approved, To Include Northview And Jay
November 22, 2010
The Florida High School Athletic Association’s new rural school division to include Northview and Jay high schools was approved Monday.
The new 1A Rural division includes 36 schools for football — 47 for other sports — with among rural schools with a student populations of 44 to 600.
“When the FHSAA originally went up to six classifications in team sports in 1999, we had 517 member schools, with 480 of those playing team sports. Now that we have 670 member schools and 650 of those in team sports, the number of teams in individual districts is too large,” said FHSAA Executive Director Roger Dearing. “Moving to eight classifications allows for fewer teams in each district, which allows for more flexibility in scheduling for the season.”
District 1-1A Rural includes Jay, Baker, Freeport and Northview, plus Central and Laurel Hills for volleyball only. For boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball, Northview and Jay joins Baker, Freeport, Holmes County and Vernon in District 3-1A.
With 549 students, Northview is the largest school in the two districts. Jay has a student population of 286.
The FHSAA plan approved Monday also includes an Urban Division 1A composed of the state’s small schools in larger cities across Florida.
Dearing recommended the approval of the new classifications for the 2011-2013 school years, allowing for schools to appeal between November and January with the final classifications to be approved in January, 2011. Every two years, the classifications would be restructured based upon student enrollment.
The invitation deadline for the new classification was September 15 for schools with students populations under 600 and located in areas designate rural by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development.
Pictured above and below: Action from Northview’s 34-0 defeat of Jay earlier this season. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fall Break This Week For Public School Students
November 22, 2010
This week is fall and Thanksgiving breaks for public school students.
Students in Santa Rosa County are out of class all week, while students in Escambia County will be out of school on Wednesday for a one day Fall Break and out of class Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Escambia County students will be in class Monday and Tuesday.
Students in Escambia County, Alabama, will also be out of class all week.
Students across the area will return to class on Monday, November 29.
Rain In Thanksgiving Week Forecast
November 22, 2010
Here is your official North Escambia area Thanksgiving week forecast:
- Today: Chance of rain, then partly sunny, with a high near 77. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tonight: Patchy dense fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph.
- Thanksgiving Day: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind between 5 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Thursday Night: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Friday: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. North wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 64.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Century Council To Talk Trash Today
November 22, 2010
The Town of Century will hold a special called council meeting Monday morning.
At the 10:30 a.m. meeting, the council will review the town’s contract with Allied Waste. The meeting will take place at the Century City Hall and will be open to the public.