Elections Office: Make Your Mailbox Your Ballot Box
May 7, 2012
With a little more than 100 days to go before the August primary election, now is the time for voters to prepare, according to Escambia Supervisor of Elections David Stafford.
Stafford said one way to get ready is to request a mail ballot, which allows voters to avoid the lines on Election Day and vote from the convenience of their home.
Escambia County voters will be receiving a post card from Stafford with instructions on how to request to vote by mail for the August primary and November general elections.
Voters have several ways to make their request:
1. Visit EscambiaVotes.com and click Absentee Voting in the upper right hand corner. Follow the instructions for completing the online request form.
2. Send an email to absentee@escambiavotes.com. Voters must include their address and date of birth with their e-mail request.
3. Contact the Supervisor of Elections office by phone (850-595-3900), or in person.
4. Send a request through the mail or via fax to (850) 595-3914. Written requests must include the voter’s address, date of birth, and signature.
Absentee voters may track the status of their ballot by clicking Track My Ballot at EscambiaVotes.com. And by clicking Am I Registered? on the home page, a voter can verify their registration status, check their precinct number and location, party affiliation, and important future election information.
Absentee ballots can be requested for up to two election cycles. As Florida does not allow for a permanent absentee voter designation, voters must periodically renew their absentee request so be sure to verify your absentee ballot status. For further information on absentee ballots, early voting, or precincts and polling locations, call (850) 595-3900, email soe@escambiavotes.com or visit EscambiaVotes.com.
Final Results: GCA & NRA Livestock Show (With Gallery)
May 7, 2012
The 19th annual Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Association annual Spring Livestock Show was held recently at the Langley Bell 4-H Center on 9 Mile Road in Beulah.
The show provides an opportunity for local 4-H and FFA members to show their steers, swine, goats, lambs, heifers, rabbits and poultry. In addition, many of the steers and swine in the program were auctioned off.
For a photo gallery from the steer and swine shows, click here.
For information about grand champions and auction prices, click here for an earlier story.
Complete results were as follows:
YOUTH SWINE SHOW
Grand Champion Swine
- Matthew Smith
Reserve Grand Champion Swine
- Dylan Livingston
Lightweight Swine
- Samantha Cote
- J. Wesley Hardin
- Rachael Coswell
Middleweight Swine
- James Reeves
- Jared Boswell
- Allie Warren
Light Heavyweight Swine
- Petra Miller
- Jake Scott
- Jessica Baldwin
Heavyweight Swine
- Matthew Smith
- Dylan Livingston
- Eva Miller
Junior Showmanship
- Eva Miller
- Davis Warren
- Jayme Smith
Intermediate Showmanship
- Petra Miller
- Matthew Smith
- J. Wesley Hardin
Senior Showmanship
- Mallory Smith
- Austin Pfeiffer
- Thomas Aliff
RABBIT SHOW
Grand Champion Rabbit
- Kerrigan Scott
Reserve Grand Champion Rabbit
- Virginia Montgomery
Clover Bud Rabbit
- Elizabeth Tourney
Junior Rabbit
- Ami Rodgers
- James Gruenwald
- Ami Rodgers
Intermediate Rabbit
- Kerrigan Scott
- Jonathon Rodgers
- Donnie Dixon
Senior Rabbit
- Virginia Montgomery
- Elli Ellard
POULTRY SHOW
Grand Champion Poultry
- Joshua McLamb
Reserve Champion Poultry
- Klaire Ann Ellard
Junior Poultry
- Klaire Ann Ellard
- Klaire Ann Ellard
- Klaire Ann Ellard
Intermediate Poultry
- Andrew Fendley
- Jonathan Rodgers
- Wyatt Oliver
Senior Poultry
- Joshua McLamb
- Jereme Johnson
BEEF BREEDING
Registered Angus Class I
- Ashley Cunningham
Registered Angus Class II
- Austin Cunningham
- Willow Foxworth
- Donald Cunningham
Registered Angus Class III
- Tyler Simmons
Grand Champion Registered
- Ashley Cunningham
Reserve Champion Registered
- Austin Cunningham
Commercial Heifer
- Ashley Cunningham
Supreme Champion Beef Breeding
- Ashley Cunningham
Reserve Champion Beef Breeding
- Austin Cunningham
Junior Showmanship
- Tyler Simmons
Intermediate Showmanship
- Willow Foxworth
Senior Showmanship
- Donald Cunningham
- Ashley Cunningham
- Austin Cunningham
MARKET STEERS
Lightweight Steers
- Ethan Cunningham
- Kyle Livingston
- Brant Worley
Middleweight Steers
- Donald Cunningham
- Parker Cunningham
- Austin Cunningham
Heavyweight Steers
- Ashley Cunningham
- Tyler Vines
- Luke Nunley
Grand Champion Steer
- Donald Cunningham
Reserve Grand Champion Steer
- Ashley Cunningham
.
Junior Showmanship
- Brant Worley
- Ethan Cunningham
Intermediate Showmanship
- Blake Worley
Senior Showmanship
- Donald Cunningham
- Tyler Vines
- Luke Nunley
Prospect Steer
- Donnie Dixon
GOAT AND LAMB
Prospect Market Goat
- Donnie Dixon
- Donnie Dixon
- Ethan Thorne
Meet Breeding (3-5 months)
- Izzy Kent
- Madison Fendley
- Hanna Thorne
Meet Breeding (6-8 months)
- Carly High
- Donnie Dixon
Meet Breeding (9-12 months)
- Jereme Johnson
- Ebony Morgan
- Maronica Grier
Meet Breeding (12-14 months)
- Donnie Dixon
Grand Champion Meet Breeding
- Izzy Kent
Reserve Grand Champion Meeting Breeding
- Jereme Johnson
Breeding Lamb
- Jessica Baldwin
Junior Goat and Lamb Showmanship
- Izzy Kent
- Madison Fendley
- Jamie Gruenwald, Hanna Thorne, Ethan Thorne
Intermediate Goat and Lamb Showmanship
- Donnie Dixon
Senior Goat and Lamb Showmanship
- Jessica Baldwin
- Jereme Johnson
- Amber Reeves
Update: Driver Charged After Hitting Her Mobile Home
May 7, 2012
A Cantonment woman has been charged with careless driving for hitting her own mobile home.
On April 30 at about 6:07 p.m., Jennifer Nicole Walker pulled into her residence on Madrid Road. About 40 feet from the roadway, the front of her 2003 Chevrolet Blazer collided with the mobile home, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
There were no injuries.
Editor’s note: This is an update to a May 1 NorthEscambia.com story. The driver’s name and charges were released Sunday night, May 6 by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured: A Chevrolet Blazer struck a mobile home on Madrid Road on April 30. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Century’s Brooks On Escambia Mass Transit Committee
May 7, 2012
Century Town Council President Ann Brooks will be reappointed to the Escambia County Mass Transit Advisory Committee.
She is expected to be approved Thursday by the Escambia County Commission as Century Mayor Freddie McCall’s representative on MTAC, one of 13 members of the committee. Her term expires at the end of McCall’s term as mayor — January 2016.
Brooks in a certified public accountant and has served on the Century Town Council since 2008.
Miller: Say Thanks During National Military Appreciation Month
May 7, 2012
In his latest newsletter, U.S. Rep Jeff Miller discusses saying “thanks” during National Military Appreciation Month.
The following was submitted by Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla for NorthEscambia.com:
I hope to use this newsletter to draw attention to a little-known, but important commemoration: National Military Appreciation Month. The United States Senate first designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999. In 2004, I joined many of my colleagues in the House and Senate in passing H.Con.Res.328—a more comprehensive concurrent resolution that urges the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the American people to recognize May as a special month, and to commemorate it with appropriate ceremonies and events. During the Month of May we celebrate Loyalty Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Victory in Europe Day, Armed Forces Day, and Memorial Day. Each of these days is sacred in its own way, but all too often, we fail to stop and observe the sacrifices made by our veterans and their families. Federal holidays like Memorial Day are often treated as nothing more than three-day weekends, with little or no thought given to those we should be honoring on those days.
Think about where we would be without the service and sacrifice of our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coastguardsmen. Think about where we would be without the service of those who fought for our fragile democracy in the years after our forefathers declared our independence. Think about the men and women who answered the call to serve each and every time our Nation faced an enemy determined to impose his will upon our way of life. And, think of the families who endure months and years without their loved ones, dutifully accepting the burden of service, and keeping watch over the homefront. We would not be who we are as a Nation were it not for their sacrifices.
In addition to participating in commemorative events honoring our brave warriors and their families, I will be working this May to ensure our Armed Forces are equipped to fight and win the wars we charge them to prosecute. There can be no better way to show our appreciation for these men and women than by giving them all they need to win and return home safely. This week, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will participate in the markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Among the most important pieces of legislation considered each year, this bill authorizes defense spending and programs. This will be the 51st consecutive year in which such a bill has passed, and it will be the 12th such bill to which I have had the opportunity to help pass. It is my promise to you to continue to devote my time and energy to shielding our Armed Forces from damaging cuts beyond those they’ve already sustained.
Beyond supporting our active duty servicemembers, as Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am also committed to supporting these men and women when they return home. Throughout the 112th Congress, our Committee has been successful in passing several bills that have been signed into law to improve veteran health and benefit programs, including legislation to reduce veteran unemployment and improve the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
One area on which our committee has been extremely focused is improving the mental health services provided to our veterans as they transition out of the military. Scores of men and women are returning from deployment suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the VA has not done enough to recognize and treat these medical issues. By the VA’s own estimates, a veteran dies by suicide every 80 minutes, and former service members represent one out of every five suicides in the United States. This is a major issue our country needs to address. On Tuesday, our committee will hold a hearing on ensuring the right quality and quantity of mental health professionals at the VA. This will be the third such hearing in the last year directly related to improving mental health care for those veterans suffering from PTS, TBI, or other mental health diseases. Simply put, we must continue to address the needs of those returning from battle by improving the mental health treatment, counseling, and services that our veterans deserve.
During this National Military Appreciation Month, I implore you to find your own way to say thank you to those who defend our Nation. There are countless organizations around the country and right here in Northwest Florida who, day in and day out, devote themselves to serving our veterans and their families. Get involved. Find the organization that touches you the most and volunteer an afternoon, a weekend, or as much time as you can afford. If you are a business owner or manager, I urge you to seek out the resident talent in our population of dedicated, disciplined, and devoted military veterans. These men and women deserve the very best from those they defend here at home.
Gunter Signs Holmes Softball Scholarship
May 7, 2012
Pine Forest High School senior Sara Grace Gunter signed a softball scholarship to Holmes Community College in Goodman, Miss., on Friday. Gunter is the granddaughter of Dot Gunter of McDavid and has numerous relatives in the North Escambia area. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Open Mississippi Series With Win
May 7, 2012
It took 13 innings for the Blue Wahoos to claim a series opening 4-3 win over the Mississippi Braves on Sunday night in Pearl, Miss. Didi Gregorius scored from second on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Joel Guzman that resulted in a throwing error at third base by the Braves first baseman.
The Blue Wahoos got going offensively with a solo home run by Cody Puckett in the top of the second inning. Mississippi, countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame off Blue Wahoos starter Tim Gustafson. Ian Gac came home with the first run on a force out at second base which tied the game. A batter later, the pitcher, Zeke Spruill singled up the middle to drive home Keenan Wiley to put the Braves in front.
Puckett would strike again to drive home his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly to centerfield which plated Josh Fellhauer from third and tied the game at two. Pensacola would move in front when Mark Fleury scored on a fielding error by the Braves second baseman on a ball hit by Gregorius that would have ended the inning.
Wiley homered with two outs in the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings before Pensacola scored the winning run on another error in the top of the 13th.
Henry Rodriguez extended his hit streak to 14 games with a 4-for-5 game at the plate. Gregorius and Fellhauer each added three hit games for the Blue Wahoos. Gustafson didn’t record a decision despite his longest start of the season. The right-hander went six innings and allowed just two runs on six hits while striking out six. Wirfin Obispo (1-0) pitched a scoreless 11th inning to earn the win. Justin Freeman (S, 1) earned the save by getting the final batter of the game to ground out. Andy Russell (2-1) was tagged with the loss by allowing the winning run to score, despite it being unearned. It was the only run he allowed in his one inning.
The series continues on Monday when the Blue Wahoos send right hander Mark Serrano (2-0, 3.68) to the mound against Mississippi lefty Jose Lugo (2-0, 0.90). First pitch is set for 7:00 at Trustmark Park.
Century Sawmill Day Car Show Winners Announced
May 7, 2012
Winner of the 2012 Sawmill Day Car Show have been announced.
The Best of Show Award was presented to Betty Tharp of Century and her 1967 Chevrolet Camaro.
Top Ten awards were presented to:
- Donnie Carlisle, Lillian, AL – 1967 Mustang GTA Coupe
- Gerald Dubose, Jay- 1940 Chevrolet Coupe
- Dauphin Gohagin, Atmore – 1955 Chevrolet BelAir
- Mike Killam, Baker – 1930 Ford Pickup
- Wilma Runinger, Pensacola – 1964 Ford Thundebird
- Joshua Scott, Walnut Hill – 1975 Chevrolet Corvette
- Louis Tharp, Century – 1965 Chevrolet Corvette
- Betty Tharp, Century – 1966 Chevrolet Corvette
- Diane Van Leer, Pace – 1955 Chevrolet BelAir
- Ron Wadkins, Pensacola – 1957 Chevrolet BelAir
For more about Saturday’s Sawmill Day and Car Show in Century, including a photo gallery, click here.
Missing Man Located
May 6, 2012
A missing Escambia County man has been located.
Escambia Search and Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office were searching earlier Sunday for William Kupper, 67, who was last seen in the region of Blount and W streets.
He is susceptible to short term memory loss due to a head trauma in 2008. He is described as being very educated and may speak seven different languages.
This is an update to an earlier story.
Two Injured In Early AM Molino Crash
May 6, 2012
Two people were injured in an early morning accident in Molino.
The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 95A and Bet Raines Road just after 4:00 a.m. It appeared the driver of a Ford F150 pickup pulled from a stop sign on Bet Raines Road into the path of a Chevrolet Tahoe traveling on Highway 95A. Two people in the pickup were transported by ambulance to a Pensacola hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while two people in the Tahoe refused treatment.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released.
The Molino and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
