Jay Man Involved In Train, Vehicle Crash In Okaloosa County
July 21, 2012
A train driven by a Jay man hit a vehicle on the tracks late Friday night in Okaloosa County.
The Florida Highway Patrol says John C. French of Holt was traveling east on Highway 90 when he attempted to turn north onto Galliver Cutoff. He was traveling too fast for the wet roadway and slid past the intersection and onto nearby train tracks. He was unable to move the vehicle off the tracks and exited the car.
A short time later, French’s 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier was struck by an eastbound train driven by Jack A. Gavin, 44, of Jay. The impact pushed the car 66 feet.
Neither man was injured in the crash.
French was charged with speed too fast for conditions and failure to register the vehicle.
Man Accused Of Indecent Exposure, Leading Police On Chase
July 21, 2012
A Cantonment man is accused of exposing himself to women in Pensacola Friday night before leading police on a chase that ended with a police dog finding him under a house.
Jim Beam Collins, 36, alleged exposed himself from his pickup to pedestrians attending the Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola. Pensacola Police Department officers spotted him a short time later. When he saw the police officers, Collins allegedly almost hit an officer as he sped away. He was chased by Pensacola Police before he ran from his pickup at Belmont and Tarragona streets.
He ran under a house that was quickly surrounded. A police dog was sent under the house, and Collins was reportedly bit. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment before being booked into the Escambia Count Jail on charges that included indecent exposure, fleeing and eluding, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. He remained in jail Saturday morning with bond set at $20,500.
According to Escambia County Clerk of the Court records, Collins was convicted of indecent exposure once in 2008 and twice in 2010.
Local Unemployment Numbers Rise; Florida Holds Steady
July 21, 2012
The latest job numbers released Friday showed a jump in unemployment in the three-county North Escambia area.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate increased from 8.4 percent in May to 8.7 percent in June. There were 653 more reported unemployed during the period, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 12,226 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 10.3 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment increased from 7.6 percent in May to 8.3 percent in June. Santa Rosa County had a total of 6,063 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 9.7 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment jumped from 9.1 percent in May to 10.6 percent in June. That represented 1,589 people unemployed in the county during the month. The year-ago rate was 11.6 percent.
The jobless numbers released by Florida and Alabama do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
Florida’s June jobless rate remained unchanged from May at 8.6 percent but 2.1 percentage points lower than June 2011, the Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 7.8 percent in June, was up from May’s rate of 7.4 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 9.3 percent.
Weekend Weather
July 21, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light southeast after midnight.
- Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 95.
- Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
- Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 95.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
- Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 95.
Local Students Attend 69th Boys State
July 21, 2012
Two upcoming seniors at Northview High School attended the week-long 69th Annual Boys State event at Florida State University recently.
Corry Baggett and Trey Johnson were selected by their counselors, principal, and the Oversight Committee of the American Legion Post 90. Jason Knight of Jay also represented the North Escambia area.
Local Alabama students Blake Clark, Michael Glick and Andrew Sasser from Escambia Academy, and Domineque Hubert from Escambia County High School attended their sessions in Tuscaloosa.
Students learned about city, county and state government throughout their week-long sessions and have the opportunity to earn dual enrollment credit for their efforts.
From Santa Rosa County, Stewart Campbell of Gulf Breeze was awarded a two-year scholarship to Tallahassee Community College followed by a two-year scholarship to Florida State. The Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Aviles scholarship was named for Andrew Aviles who delayed attending FSU in order to join the military and whose life tragically ended as a result at just 18.
Pictured top: Attendees at the 69th Annual Boys State at Florida State University. Pictured inset: Corry Baggett and Trey Johnson represented Northview High School at the event. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
WEAR 3 Parent Company To Buy TV Stations WPMI, WJTC
July 21, 2012
Sinclair Broadcast Group, the owner of WEAR 3 in Pensacola, has announced an agreement to purchase two Mobile stations owned by Newport Television.
Pending FCC approval, Sinclair will purchase NBC affiliate WPMI 15 and independent station WJTC 44.
Over all, Sinclair will purchase six stations in five markets for $412.5 million.
“We are excited to add the stations to our portfolio and look forward to welcoming the Newport employees to the Sinclair family,” Sinclair president and CEO, said Friday.
Sinclair anticipates the closing and funding of the acquisition to occur no earlier than December 2012. Sinclair has entered into an agreement giving Deerfield Media, Inc. the right to buy the license assets of WPMI and WJTC in Mobile/Pensacola after which Sinclair will provide sales and other non-programming services under a shared services and joint sales agreement.
SBA Disaster Loans Available in Escambia, Santa Rosa Due To Drought
July 21, 2012
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced Fridayday that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes located in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa and Walton counties in Florida as a result of drought that began January 1, 2012.
“These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in Alabama. The Small Business Administration recognizes that disasters do not usually stop at county or state lines. For that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties named in the declaration are included,” said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.
“When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to assist eligible entities affected by the same disaster,” Skaggs added.
Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.
Loan amounts can be up to $2 million, with interest rates of 3 percent for non-profit organizations and 4 percent for small businesses. Terms can be up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. The agency sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955.
Market Offers Produce, Other Items; Recycled Treasure Sale Today
July 21, 2012
The Market at St. Monica’s will be open Saturday in Cantonment — rain or shine — with lots of fresh produce and more.
Visitors to the market on the first and third Saturdays of each month have come to expect a wide variety of produce — there’s almost always tomatoes, many kinds of peppers, sweet corn, squash and more. But the market also offers baked goods, free range eggs, arts and crafts and items like soap, shampoo, and shampoo bars from goat’s milk.
There’s also Walnut Hill-made benches, tables and more from sycamore, oak, walnut and cedar.
Concessions are also available, including all-beef hotdogs, sno-cones, popcorn, cold sodas and bottled water.
The Market at Saint Monica’s will be held from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the church, located at 699 South Highway 95A in Cantonment.
Also Saturday, the Recycled Treasure Shop at the church will hold a “Name Your Price” clearance sale. Everything must go to make room for new items, and any reasonable offer will be accepted for items between 9 a.m. and noon.
Pictured: Scenes from the last Market at St. Monica’s on July 7. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Youth Football Registrations Today For NWE, Cantonment, Flomaton
July 21, 2012
Youth football registrations will continue today for Northwest Escambia, Cantonment and Flomaton.
Northwest Escambia Youth Football
Northwest Escambia Youth Football registration will be held this morning at the Ernest Ward football field from 10 a.m. until noon. Registration will continue July 28. For more information, call (850) 281-5146.
Cantonment Youth Football
Cantonment Youth Football registration will be held this morning at the ballpark from 10 a.m. until noon. Registration will continue July 28 and August 11.
Cost is $40 for all ages.
Flomaton Youth Football and Cheerleading
Flomaton Youth Football and Cheerleading sign-ups will be held this morning at Hurricane Park from 9 until 11 a.m.
Signups will continue July 28 and August 4. The fee is $50 for the first child and $45 for each additional sibling.
If the child has never played Flomaton Youth Football before, a birth certificate is required. Birth certificates are not required for cheerleaders.
South Alabama Old Time Fiddler’s Convention Is Today
July 21, 2012
The 32nd annual South Alabama Old Time Fiddler’s Convention will be held Saturday in Atmore.
Registration will be held from 10 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., with no registration fee.
The competition categories are fiddlers, vocal groups (including a cappella), bands, dobro, banjo, guitar and mandolin. Prizes in the Fiddler’s category are $1,000 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third. All other categories have prizes of $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third place.
Admission to the event beginning at 2 p.m. at Escambia County High School is $9, with children under 12 free.
Proceeds from Fiddler’s Convention funds the Atmore Rotary Academic All Star Scholarship program that awards students at Northview High, Escambia High and Escambia Academy that maintain all A’s and B’s all four years.
For a printable flyer with rules and registration information, click here.
For more information, contact Keith Castleberry at (251) 368-2106 or the Atmore Chamber of Commerce at (251) 368-3305.