Molino Man, 53, Dies In Highway 95A Crash
May 8, 2011
(UPDATED) A Molino man was killed in a wreck near his home sometime early Saturday morning or late Friday night.
Reuben B. Ard, Jr., 53, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which was discovered by a passerby about 6:30 a.m. on Highway 95A at Barrineau Park Road. Authorities said the crash had occurred perhaps several hours before it was discovered. There were no passengers in the vehicle.
Ard lost control in a curve as he traveled north on Highway 95A and ran off the road into a heavily wooded area where he struck several tree..
Pictured: A Molino man died Saturday morning in this crash on Highway 95A near his home. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Century Celebrates Sawmill Day
May 8, 2011
The Sawmill Day heritage festival was held Saturday in Century’s historical park. The event included a variety of entertainment, displays, arts, crafts, food, an antique car show and more.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event and car show, click here.
There were about 40 participants in the car show. Ron Watkins, Jr.’s 1972 Buick GS took Best of Show in the event.
Century Sawmill Day Car Show winners were:
Best of Show
9 – Ron Wadkins, Jr. – 72 Buick GS
Next Ten (alphabetical, not necessarily in finishing order)
12 – Dennis Ard – 80 Pontiac TransAm
18 – Jerry Dawson – 70 Chevelle SS
4 – Gerald DuBose – 40 Chevy Coupe
3 – Joe Linsy – 50 Ford Coupe
32 – Freddie McCall – 40 Ford 2-Door Sedan
33 – Freddie McCall – 34 Ford 3-window Coupe
1 – Betty Tharp – 67 Camaro
10 – Earl Tisdale – 30 Model A
11 – Diane Van Leer – 55 Chevy BelAir
5 – Ron Wadkins, Jr. – 57 Chevy BelAir
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Celebrating Mayfest
May 8, 2011
From beautiful babies, cute dogs, arts and crafts, entertainment and plenty of fun, Mayfest 2011 had a little bit of something for everyone Saturday at Tom Byrne Park in Atmore. Hundreds attended the annual event.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from Mayfest in Atmore, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Cantonment Farmer’s Market Huge Success
May 8, 2011
Organizers said the first Market at Saint Monica’s was a huge success Saturday with 10 vendors selling everything from grass-fed beef to homemade candles.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Participating vendors included, Hastings Grass Fed Beef, Country Baked Goods & Fresh Salsas, C & D Mill, Kelly’s Mayhaw Berries & Jelly, The Farm at Enoch’s Walk, Ladybug Acres Natural Growers, Tracie’s Candles, Shirley’s Creations, Jennifer Kizer Photography, and St. Monica’s Church. Other vendors scheduled to participate in future markets include Steve’s Farm, Bill and Patty Putters, Beck’s Lake Farm and Stephanie’s Raw Honey.
The next Market at Saint Monica’s is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 from 8 am until noon at the church, located at 699 South Highway 95A in Cantonment. Vendor applications are still being accepted at www.st-monicas.org/market.html.
Pictured: Scenes from the first Market at Saint Monica’s Saturday in Cantonment. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gas Prices Still Going Up, But Expected To Drop By Summer
May 8, 2011
As a gallon of regular unleaded gas moves dangerously close to $4 a gallon in the North Escambia area, some analysts are predicting a little relief will arrive by June with a total price drop around 50 cents a gallon.
Crude oil tumbled about 15 percent in the last week, but gas prices did not follow. The average price of a gallon of standard-grade gasoline in Escambia County was $3.91 on Saturday — slightly better than the statewide average of $3.93. That’s an increase of 22 cents per a gallon from the month-ago price of $3.71, according to the daily price survey published by AAA. The same gallon of gas was $2.89 at this time last year.
The current national retail average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is $3.95. This is up nine cents from a week ago, 32 cents from a month ago and $1.07 from a year ago. In the last week, seven states have seen their average price rise to $4 or more for a gallon of regular gasoline, bringing the total to 13 states plus the District of Columbia at or above the $4 mark.
Pictured: A gallon of regular unleaded was $3.89 Saturday at the Tom Thumb in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
600 Students Take On Sunshine Math; Wins For Molino Park, Jim Allen
May 8, 2011
There was lots more than two plus two Saturday at the University of West Florida Field House as about 600 third, fourth and fifth grade students from almost every Escambia County elementary school took part in the annual Sunshine Math Competition.
Students competed both individually and as teams in the event that challenges their math skills. The math whizzes were chosen as the best from each school in their weekly Sunshine Math events.
Among the North Escambia participating schools, the Jim Allen Elementary School “Team 1″ took first place for the fifth grade, and Molino Park Elementary “Team 2″ took finished in third place for the third grade.
In the individual categories, Dalton Brown of Molino Park finished third in the fourth grade division.
For a more photos, click here.
The complete winner’s list was as follows:
Team Competition Winners
Third Grade
1st Place: Hellen Caro, Team 1
2nd Place: Pensacola Beach, Team 1
3rd Place: Molino Park, Team 2
Fourth Grade
1st Place: Hellen Carro, Team 1
2nd Place: Hellen Carro, Team 2
3rd Place: Longleaf, Team 1
Fifth Grade
1st Place: Jim Allen, Team 1
2nd Place: McArthur, Team 2
3rd Place: N.B. Cook, Team 1
Individual Competition Winners
Third Grade
1st Place: Lizzie Davis – Cordova Park
2nd Place: Sophie Faircloth – Pensacola Beach
3rd Place: Nolan Costa – Hellen Caro
Fourth Grade
1st Place: John Dixon – Longleaf
2nd Place: Maxwell Alderman – N.B. Cook
3rd Place: Dalton Brown — Molino Park
Fifth Grade
1st Place: Drake Taylor – Scenic Heights
2nd Place: Kareem Bataineh – Cordova Park
3rd Place: Prescott Morre — Lipscomb
Pictured top: Jim Allen Elementary School “Team 1″ took first place for the fifth grade and (pictured inset) Molino Park Elementary “Team 2″ took third place in the third grade category. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lawmakers Send Unemployment Package To Rick Scott
May 8, 2011
The Legislature on Friday gave final approval to a bill that will cut the duration of state unemployment benefits, linking the time those benefits are available to the strength of the economy.
Following a flurry of last-minute deals, the Florida House approved a measure (HB 7005) in the waning hours of the session that reduces the maximum number of weeks that employees can collect state unemployment benefits and bolsters protections for employers when workers appeal their firings and seek benefits.
Backers say the measure will save business owners about $18 per employee when begins in 2012, though the number would vary depending on the jobless rate.
“It’s a great compromise, a great gift to the business industry,” said Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice. “We don’t create jobs, here but we can create the climate for jobs… This does really help create a very good business climate in the state of Florida.”
The bill would reduce the maximum duration of state benefits from 26 weeks to 23 weeks if the unemployment rate remains above 10.5 percent. If the jobless rate drops below that, the duration of benefits declines gradually, and would max out at 12 weeks if unemployment gets as low as 5 percent. The unemployment rate in Florida in March was 11.1 percent.
The bill does not affect federal unemployment benefits – which can go on for many more weeks – or food stamps. The bill was approved by the Senate on a 27-11 vote. The House followed suit a few hours later, approving the measure 80-38.
Friday’s vote came despite the objections of union representatives who said the changes unfairly target workers during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. They also dismissed the argument that it takes less time for a worker to find a job when the jobless rate is low.
“The business community has convinced the Legislature that they shouldn’t have to pay their taxes,” said Rich Templin, a lobbyist for the labor union AFL-CIO. “The way they’re snaking out of it is to put it on the backs of workers. It’s disgusting. That bill is disgusting.”
The current maximum unemployment benefit dollar amount stays the same under the measure, at $275 a week, which opponents pointed out, is already near the bottom of states. Federal statistics show the state’s average weekly benefit is just over $230.
Employers, who pay into a state trust fund on the first $7,000 of a worker’s wages, have complained that they’ve been hard hit by increases in the tax, which has gone up as unemployment has increased.
Even worse for businesses, the state trust fund has dropped into the red and has had to borrow about $2 billion from the federal government to pay benefits. Interest on that is due, and that payment is being passed on to businesses. Backers including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and others have also focused on the appeals process, which they claim is weighted in favor of employees.
“The big benefits are procedural,” said Tami Perdue, an attorney with Associated Industries of Florida. “We’ve had a lot of employers complaining about when they dismiss an employee for misconduct, the employees are still getting benefits and they shouldn’t. We’re talking egregious stories like theft, drunkenness, stuff like that.”
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Recipes: Great Meals Under $10
May 8, 2011
Today’s recipes — French Onion Burgers and One Dish Chicken And Rice – are all about feeding your family good food on a small budget.
(Make sure your scroll all the way down the page to see all of today’s recipes.)
On your next trip to the store, pick up a few extra items and have them ready for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive on May 14. Our local letter carriers will collect food donations left at the mailboxes of generous North Escambia area residents and deliver them to regional food banks and local hunger relief organizations. The timing is important, because many organizations would otherwise face depleted food stocks during the summer months, which is when demand increases to meet the needs of children no longer being served breakfast and lunch by school programs.
Here are some creative ways to cook a good meal, save money and get the whole family involved.
- Double dinners: If you have time on the weekend, prepare a double batch of the family’s favorite dinner with your kids. It’s a great way for them to learn to cook, and even young ones can help. Set enough aside to serve that night and freeze additional batches for days when dinner has to happen in a hurry. Classics like lasagna and chili are perfect for making and freezing.
- Kids’ night in the kitchen: If your kids are old enough (around 10 or 12), assign them a night for creating the family’s dinner. Simple casseroles or skillets are easy for young chefs to assemble on their own and are inexpensive options.
- Interactive menu ideas: How about a fajita, taco, pasta or baked potato bar for dinner? All the ingredients are inexpensive, but the best part is that everybody has a good time building their own dinners.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s Condensed French Onion Soup
- 4 slices cheese
- 4 Pepperidge Farm Classic Sandwich Buns with Sesame Seeds, split
Preparation
- Shape beef into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) burgers.
- Heat 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add burgers and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove burgers from skillet. Pour off any fat.
- Stir soup into skillet and heat to a boil. Return burgers to skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until burgers are cooked through. Top burgers with cheese and cook until cheese is melted. Serve burgers on buns with soup mixture for dipping.
Serves
Serves 4
Notes, Tips & Suggestions
Serving Suggestion: Serve with romaine salad tossed with fresh basil and Italian salad dressing. For dessert, serve orange slices.
Preparation Time:
5 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Preparation
- Stir soup, water, rice, paprika and black pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with chicken. Season with additional paprika and black pepper. Cover baking dish.
- Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
Serves
Serves 4
Preparation Time:
5 minutes
Bake Time:
45 minutes
Mother’s Day: Meet Several Local Moms
May 8, 2011
Happy Mother’s Day! NorthEscambia.com invited our readers and Facebook fans to submit stories about their mothers. We’ve selected a few and included them below.
If you would like to tell your mom’s story, or just wish her a Happy Mother’s Day, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
“Mama Leigh”
submitted by Samantha Bryant
My mother is special because she is always herself. She is never afraid to be just that. She is my best friend and someone that I can tell anything to. I trust her and I really don’t know what I’d do without her.
On March 22, 2009, we were in a bad car accident and she suffered some major injuries. However, she has yet to let the long term effects of her injuries slow her down. She still works just as hard as she ever has to make sure that the family is happy. She supports me in everything that I do.
She is the mother of four kids — Amanda, Curtis, Jessica and Samantha. Also, she is a mother to many of my friends. Everyone knows her as “Mama Leigh”. She is also a wonderful wife to my dad, David. She is a truly beautiful woman inside and out. This is why she is special to me.
Jeanette Cawthon, Molino
submitted by Chris Cawthon
My husband’s mother is the best mother-in-law ever. Jeanette Cawthon has been a mom to me for 30 years now and, of course, to her son, Jeff, for almost 50.
Jeanette has three children — Doug, Jeff, and Sandy. We all grew up in Molino. Now, however, we all live slightly south of our old hometown. Jeanette has been my cheerleader all the years that I’ve been married to Jeff. She has encouraged me as I raised my own three children and is teaching me how to be an awesome grandma now that I have my first grandchild. Jeanette is a prayer warrior for our family and for that I’ll always be grateful. This year she blessed me for Mother’s Day by accompanying me to the Annual Mother/Daughter Banquet at my church, Heritage Baptist.
Becky Sepulveda, Molino
submitted by Christina Sepulveda
My name is Christina Sepulveda and I would like to share my story of why my mother, Becky Sepulveda, is a very special woman to me.
The Sepulveda family consists of my father, Scott Sepulveda, me, my younger siblings, Michael, Rebekah, and Rachel Sepulveda, and of course our mother. We live in Molino and have now for a little over eight years.
This year is my senior year at Northview High School, but right before my senior year started I found out that I was pregnant. My fiance, Dustin Yuhasz, and I had our beautiful baby girl, Bailey Nicole Yuhasz, on March 11, 2011. Many others have been so helpful the three of us, but my mother has been especially helpful. She has been there for us every single step of the way and helps in whatever way she can.
She supports us, loves us, and is there for us every day. I would like to give her a day of recognition, a day to herself, a day where everyone can see what a wonderful mother, grandmother (Meme), and person she is. She’s amazing in every way and I love her so much. Happy Mother’s Day Mom!
Martha McCann, McDavid
submitted by Tammy McCann
I have the best mother in law in the whole world. She has been the best influence in my life. When my husband and I got married 29 years ago, she took me in as her own child.
She loved me as her own. She is a very special person to me she helps all she can. She helped to show us what was right and what was wrong. She tried to tell us what God would want us to do.
She has 10 grandchildren and six great grandchildren and she loves each and everyone of them. She spends Sundays after church playing with them, and she cooks a Sunday dinner every Sunday for her family not because she has to — it’s out of love. That’s how she is, a very loving and giving person.
Mrs. Moye
submitted by Shaun Moye
Our mother was the best of the best. Though she lived a hard life, if you were to meet her you would have never known it. She lived the last several years of her life confined to a wheelchair. Night after night in pain, but yet you wouldn’t know it.
If it wouldn’t have been for her I would not be what I am today. Her kids and grandkids were her whole world, as long as they were happy, she was. Many times I know she would do without as we were growing up just to make sure we had stuff we wanted or needed. Though I would have liked to keep her around, I know now she is painless and happy as ever in heaven..and she can actually walk again! I love you and miss you with all of my heart Mom. Happy Mothers Day!
Sinde Smith
submitted by Jacke Johnston
June 4, 2010 will be a day I never forget. My mom had been battling a bad pain in her abdomen which we thought was a stomach bug that was going around. My dad had taken her to the doctor a couple of days before and they determined she had a UTI and sent her home, antibiotics in hand. Little did we know that a huge war was waging in her body.
I got the phone call at lunch time from my dad. Mom was still hurting badly and he had taken her to ER at Whiting Field. They did an xray and determined that she had air escaping. Immediately she was being sent to the Pensacola Naval Hospital for surgery. We loaded up and went to the hospital. I will NEVER forget the surgeons faces when they came out. It was worse than what they thought. It would not be just a quick fix. My mom had a ruptured colon that had been leaking waste for days. Her body was so infected that they couldn’t even close her wound. We rode the elevator up to ICU with the doctors telling us that it was touch and go at this point.
I remember begging and pleading to one of the surgeons to save my momma…I couldn’t get the tears to stop. I needed her. My baby girl needed her. I remember praying to God. I remember asking everyone who would listen to pray for my momma. I prayed that my mom would fight. And fight she did. She battled a blood clot, lower lung function, and 3 more additional surgeries….all in two weeks time. We were told it would be a long recovery, and it was. Due to the blood clot, even after she was released from the hospital, mom had to make daily trips to the hospital for blood checks and to have her surgical site (which still wasn’t all the way closed) checked. Not one time did she complain. That’s simply not her nature. As a matter of fact, in true “mom” fashion, all she worried about was us.
As we approach the year mark of this life changing event, I want to tell my mom how much I love her. I am so proud of how she fought and never even thought of giving up. My mom is now back at work, off of her blood thinners, and will be going back in for a final surgery sometime in the near future. Looking at her now, you would never know what she went through. I thank God every day that He gave us more time with her. I thank the people who lifted us up and covered us in prayers during that time. I will be forever grateful.
So, Happy Mother’s Day, Momma. I love you…to the moon and back….with all my soul.
Nadine McCaw, Century
submitted by Felicia McCaw Jones
My mom is such a giver. She has always given freely of herself to others and to the town of Century. I want her to know that Me and the kids all love her with all of our hearts. It is because she chose to have a family that we are all here today. I hope her day is extremely special, as she sure does deserve it! I love you Nadine McCaw!
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I just want to wish my mom Effie Lambeth of Jay a very Happy Mother’s Day. I’m not able to be there with her because I’m in Mexico, but I hope that she knows how much she means to me. She worked hard her whole life to take care of us. It was hard for her because she also took care of my disabled dad until he passed away in 2004. She did a great job! Happy Mother’s Day!
The person that deserves the best Mothers Day is Sharon Freeman. She is my sister but she is the best. My mother past away 21 years ago and is dearly missed. But my sister has stepped in and become my next to best mother. She is the back bone of the family even though her health has declined some what through the years. But she never complains. She is a strong person with a lot of love. She is always there to remember birthdays, and the specials occasions that a mother always remembers. Sharon is the best mother to her four children, seven grandchildren and a great on the way. She is the light at the end of the tunnel, she is the most precious voice to hear at the end of the day. I just want to say I love you and hope you have the best day ever. Love your sister Sherry Caraway
Well, my story isn’t exactly about my mother. But it is about my mom — my grandmother Linda Ward. She is the most amazing woman I know. Without her, my sisters and I would be completely lost. When things turned for the worse, she was the one who took us in and raised us as her own. She’d already dealt with her fair share of teenage angst, raising her own two daughters.
And at 58, she’s doing it again with me, Chelsea, and soon, Emily. She’s put up with a lot from the three of us, me especially. And even though we give her a hard time, she returns the strong emotions in the form of love and understanding. She’s given us the world and more, and given up so much for herself in the process. She’s done her best to give us a normal childhood and has done a dang good job of it. She’s raised us to always be thankful for everything, to help people when we’re capable of it, to say yes ma’am and no ma’am, and how a lady is supposed to sit in a dress. She’s my hero, my role model, and the kind of woman I pray everyday I hope I can be. She’s my Nana, but more than that, she’s my mom. I love you, Nana. And thank you. — Dezarae Turner
Drivers Trapped In Two Different Crashes, One Requires Special Ops Team
May 7, 2011
Drivers were trapped in two different North Escambia wrecks — one requiring a special operations rescue team.
Highway 97 Crash
A Defuniak Springs woman was trapped in her SUV about 40 minutes early Saturday morning after slamming into large pine tree on Highway 97 about 12:20 a.m.. The Florida Highway Patrol said Rosetta Johnson, 52, was southbound on Highway 97 when she lost control at Abromovich Lane near Molino Park Elementary School. She traveled off the west side of the roadway before crossing back over Highway 97 and traveling through a ditch on the opposite side of the highway and into the large pine tree. The vehicle than spun around into a wooded area.
It took first responders about 40 minutes using the Jaws of Life to cut Johnson out of her Toyota SUV. She was transported to a Pensacola hospital by LifeFlight with a serious leg injury.
The Molino, Walnut Hill and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS reponded to the crash. The crash remains under investigation by the FHP.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Kingsfield Road Crash
The driver of a car lost control on East Kingsfield Road between Highway 29 and Highway 297A about 7 p.m. Friday. The vehicle left the roadway into a deep gully, narrowly avoiding entering a creek. An Escambia County Fire Rescue special operations team responded to assist. The driver was airlifted to a local hospital.
Two different wreckers were used over a three hour period to removed in the car from the gully.
The Cantonment, Brent, Ensley and Oceola stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded, along with Escambia County EMS.. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details were not available.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: A Defuniak Springs woman was injured in this early morning wreck on Highway 97 in Molino. Pictured below: Emergency workers used the Jaws of Life to free the 52-year old. Pictured inset (Kristi Smith photo): A vehicle is removed a deep gully after a Friday night crash on East Kingsfield Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
