Jay Winterguard Places At Guard Championships
April 7, 2011
The Jay High School Winterguard participated in the Gulf Coast Guard and Percussion 2011 Circuit Championships at Tate High School recently.
The Jay guard unit placed first in the Scholastic AA division as well as well as the Sweepstakes Award for their division. The unit is under the direction of Rachael Belveal and is assisted by Britny Bruner and Rebecca Belveal.
Pictured top: Guard participants (L-R, bottom row) Micah Herring, Jami Wessel, Leely Travino, Courtney Penton, (middle row) Megan McGee, Hannah Barnes, Mikayla Paul, Dallas Bellinger, (top row) Tori Raught, Cara Cassady, and Laura Wessel. Pictured below: The Jay High School Winterguard performs. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pigs Bring Traffic To A Standstill
April 7, 2011
Pigs along the roadside in rural North Escambia might not be that big of a deal. But in Walton County, pigs literally brought traffic to a standstill and created quite the spectacle on Highway 98 between Destin and Panama City.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office responded to an area adjacent to Highway 98 after receiving reports of several stopped motorists.
“Upon arrival, deputies discovered the motorists had inadvertently stopped traffic to take photographs of two large pigs and their 14 babies,” said Mike Morrison, public information officer for the Walton Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies remained at the scene to minimize the possibility of traffic accidents until the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission arrived.
“No injuries have been reported by motorists or animals,” Morrison said.
Pictured: Pigs alongside Highway 98 in Walton County brought traffic to a standstill Wednesday afternoons. Photos courtesy Walton County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Manson Maloye Ferguson
April 7, 2011
Manson Maloye Ferguson, 76, of Cantonment, FL passed away on Monday, April 4, 2011. Born in Kelly, Louisiana, Mr. Ferguson resided in the Pensacola area for 52 years.
He was a veteran of the US Army and devoted 35 years to Champion Paper Company.
Upon retirement, he loved spending time woodworking, reading, and league bowling at DeLuna Lanes. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, but above all, he cherished the time he spent with his family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, McD and Maggilee Ferguson; son, Charles Hardy; grandson, Jeff Simmons; sisters, Johnnye Martin and Alla Mac Jordan ; and brother Freddy Ferguson.
Surviving him is his wife of 50 years, Francis Montez Ferguson; brother, Wallace (Polly); brother-in-law, Charlie; sons, Gene Hardy (Judy), Steve Ferguson (Stefanie), and James Ferguson (Kelly); daughters, Wanda Hanna (Terry) and Diane Simmons (Carvel); 14 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 7, 2011, from 6-8 p.m. at Pensacola Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home. Services will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 8, 2011, at the funeral home.
Interment will follow at Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Serving as pallbearers will be Adam Hardy, Jason Comans, Keith Comans, Tristan Ferguson, Zachary Ferguson and Kyle Simmons
Gov. Scott’s Approval Rating Slips
April 6, 2011
With nearly half of respondents saying budget cuts sought by the governor go too far, Gov. Rick Scott’s disapproval rating among Florida voters has ballooned, a new poll released this morning has found.
The number of voters who say they disapprove of the job Scott is doing three months into his term has doubled, the Quinnipiac University poll showed, although those who have said they approve generally still do.
More than half of respondents also said state budget cutting proposals are unfair to them.
“While his approval rating is unchanged, Gov. Rick Scott’s disapproval rating has jumped from 22 percent to 48 percent, perhaps not surprising given the magnitude of the changes he is proposing,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement accompanying the poll. “Today, Scott is a four-letter word to many Florida voters, but political popularity can change with time. The experience of Scott’s predecessor, Charlie Crist, who had 70 percent approval ratings at this point in his tenure, shows how fickle public opinion can be.”
There were two good things for Scott about the poll. It found that 65 percent of respondents agree with Scott that the state shouldn’t raise taxes but balance the budget only through spending cuts. And nearly 8 in 10 voters say Scott’s order that newly-hired state government workers undergo drug testing and that those already on the job be spot-checked is a good idea. The state may be less anti-union than some think, though, the poll found.
A proposal in the Legislature that would prohibit government offices from allowing automatic union dues paycheck deductions is a bad idea according to 47 percent of respondents, while 43 percent say it’s a good idea. Three out of four, however, say the unions should have to get members’ approval before the dues can be used for political purposes.
The poll also asked about the teacher merit pay bill Scott signed into law.Voters disapprove 57-39 percent of linking teachers’ pay to students’ performance, but are evenly split on ending teacher tenure, the poll found.
Molino Bridge Reopening Delayed Until Next Week
April 6, 2011
The reopening of a bridge over Alligator Creek on Crabtree Church Road in Molino has been delayed until April 13. The bridge was expected to open Friday.
Additional work is being done on the bridge deck and guardrail, according to Sonya Daniel, public information manager for Escambia County.
The initial closure took place on March 24, when advanced decay was found in one of the pilings during a routine inspection. DKE Marine is handling the repairs under an emergency work order.
The bridge on Crabtree Church Road is about halfway between Sunshine Hill Road and Highway 99. The recommended east/west detour is Molino Road between Highway 99 and Sunshine Hill Road.
Century’s Ordinances Now Online In Searchable Format
April 6, 2011
Do you want to know what a law in Century says? You can now find out instantly as the town’s municipal codes are now posted online in a searchable format.
To access Century’s ordinances online, visit TownOfCentury.com.
The town is spending $1,418 for the Municipal Code Corporation to publish seven copies of a printed supplement containing updates to the town’s ordinances. The town is also investing $500 per year for Municode.com to publish those ordinances online in a searchable format for the public. The yearly fee will includes updates each time a new ordinance is approved.
The Municipal Code Corporation is one of the nation’s largest municipal code publication companies. The company currently provides code services for hundreds of governments, including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and Pensacola.
Cantonment Man Dies After Being Crushed In Garbage Truck
April 6, 2011
A Cantonment man is dead after being trapped in a garbage truck early Tuesday morning in Escambia County.
Officials believe Phillip Wayne Murphy, Jr., 36, took shelter from the cold or storms in a dumpster before it was dumped into a Waste Management garbage truck. Murphy was discovered in compacted trash in the truck on West Hood Drive off Highway 29, near Wal-mart just before 5 a.m.
After emergency crews freed him from the garbage truck, Murphy was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital where he later died.
Pictured top: Emergency crews free a man from garbage truck early Tuesday morning. Courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lady Royals Set New Records At Panhandle Championship
April 6, 2011
Robin Blackman and Leely Trevino led the Jay Royals to an impressive finish at the Panhandle Championships held this past Friday at Washington High School.
Sixteen high schools across three counties gathered for one of the area’s largest meets on the area’s newest track.
Blackman and Trevino, both seniors, are Florida Elite Runners in cross country and are the top two scorers for the Royals. Robin has scored 223 points, and Leely has scored 173 points for the season.
On Friday, Robin broke the school record in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:26.75. Trista Talbot previously set the record in 2009.
Leely was the overall female champion in the 1600-meter run with a personal record time of 5:37.09.
Other impressive finishes came in the 4×800 relay where the Royals relay team of Blackman, Trevino, Jessica Thornton and Caristyn Golden placed fourth with their tri-season best time of 10:20.81 — only five seconds off the school record that was set in 2005.
The 4×400 relay team of Blackman, Trevino, Golden and Katelyn Warrick managed an 8th place with a time of 4:30.98. T
In the discus Samantha Cerqueria placed sixth with a throw of 88’ 9”.
Blackman, who also holds the 400-meter dash record, signed earlier in the season to run track and cross country with the Troy Trojans next fall.
The Royals will host the annual Quarterback Club Invitational on Thursday at JHS beginning at 12:30 pm.
Pictured top: Robin Blackman of Jay (in blue) in the lead at the Panhandle Championships at Washington High School. Pictured inset: Leely Trevino with a first place medal. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Double Murder Trial Of Cantonment Man Delayed
April 6, 2011
Trial has been delayed for the man accused of the stabbing death of a pregnant Cantonment woman and her baby.
Phillip Arnold, 65, of Cantonment, is facing two first degree premeditated murder charges for the stabbing deaths of Angela Castella Brown and her newborn child on July 5 in Cantonment.
Judge Jan Shackelford has granted a motion for continuance filed by Arnold’s public defender; Arnold’s trial is now set for June. The court has also denied a motion to dismiss charges against Arnold for the death of the newborn.
Brown, who was six months pregnant, underwent an emergency C-section after she was stabbed. The newborn, later named Angela Chambers, died just over seven hours after being delivered.
Arnold, 65, of 349 South Chipper Road, fatally stabbed Brown in the chest, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Arnold and Brown were neighbors, and that was their only known connection, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched to the stabbing at a mobile home at 349 South Chipper Road about 8:35 p.m on July 5. When they arrived, witnesses told deputies that Arnold fled into a nearby wooded area. As deputies were arriving in the area, EMS personnel advised they had seen a black male running down the railroad tracks on South Chipper Road.
Witnesses at the scene reported observing a black male known to them as Arnold running from the scene moments before they discovered the victim, according to the Sheriff’s Office. K-9 officers attempting to track Arnold discovered a knife that was believed to be the murder weapon. As deputies were surrounding the area to search for Arnold, he called sheriff’s dispatchers about 9:10 p.m. Arnold said he was at a home at 2473 Stacey Road and that he wanted to turn himself in. He was taken into custody without incident.
Brown was the mother of seven other children.
Miller BP Fine Bill Would Aid Local Economy
April 6, 2011
Congressmen Jeff Miller and Steve Southerland, II introduced legislation Tuesday that would require a portion of the fines paid by BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be used for economic development along the affected shores of the Gulf Coast.
The Gulf Coast Economic and Tourism Restoration Act, or H.R. 1333, would distribute 40 percent of the BP fines to the local communities and states directly impacted by the oil spill for use in economic restoration and tourism promotion.
“The Gulf Coast continues to feel the economic impacts of the Gulf oil spill, and BP must be held accountable,” Miller said. “Florida businesses are struggling, the real estate market has slowed, and individuals are still looking for work. My bill would ensure the fines paid by BP for their mistake would be returned to our area and promote the economies of the local communities still reeling from last year’s disaster.”
Under the Clean Water Act, BP is expected to pay between $5 billion and $21 billion in fines, based on estimates of the flow of oil from the Macondo well. Miller’s and Southerland’s bill would distribute 40 percent of these fines to the five Gulf states affected by the spill and further require each governor to send 75 percent of their allocation to the local communities directly impacted. A key component of the legislation is its focus on the economy, requiring that any funds spent be used specifically for economic development or tourism.
“North and Northwest Florida’s economy is heavily dependent upon Gulf Coast wildlife, fisheries, tourism, and real estate,” Southerland said. “This legislation is a critical step forward in ensuring that coastal families and small businesses receive the support they so desperately need to recover from the Deepwater Horizon spill.”