Quarter Horse Show This Weekend
September 27, 2012
The Northwest Florida Quarter Horse Association is hosting a three day horse show this weekend at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. Starting Friday, September 28, through Sunday, September 30, this special show features futurity and palomino classes along with the regular show schedule.
The competition starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Spectators are welcome with free admission. For a list of classes or for more information on the event, visit nwfqha.com.
Molino Park Students Learn Fire Safety (With Gallery)
September 27, 2012
Molino Park Elementary School students learned all about fire safety this week. The crew of Engine 1819 from the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue was at the school as part of the Molino Park’s annual “Fire Safety Days”.
Pictured: First graders at Molino Park Elementary learn about fire safety Wednesday. Submitted photo by Sara Calhoun for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mosquito Spraying Planned Tonight In North Escambia Area
September 26, 2012
The Escambia County Mosquito Control Division plans to spray in an area in the North Escambia area tonight from 6:30 until 10:00.
Spraying will occur in areas, bounded by:
Area 41
- North Boundary — Kingsfield Road
- South Boundary — Nine Mile Road
- East Boundary — Pine Forest Road
- West Boundary –Misty Pines
Area 42
- North Boundary — Winners Circle
- South Boundary — Nine Mile Road
- East Boundary — Highway 29
- West Boundary — Pine Forest Road
Area 43
- North Boundary — Kingsfield Road
- South Boundary — Nine Mile Road
- East Boundary — Chemstrand Road
- West Boundary — Highway 29
Area 44
- North Boundary — Waterford Drive
- South Boundary — Nine Mile Road
- East Boundary — Brewster Street
- West Boundary — Chemstrand Road
Area 50
- North Boundary — Barrineau Park Road
- South Boundary — Muscogee Road
- East Boundary — River Annex Road
- West Boundary — Highway 29
The following information was released by the Escambia County Mosquito Control Division:
Mosquito control administration and operations teams have directed surveillance activity, identified target mosquito species and determined that today’s justified actions are warranted. Methods used to determine necessary fogging mission activity include dry ice-baited light traps, landing rate counts and receiving focally located service requests from the public.
Fogging mission hours vary by start and conclusion times, but generally adult mosquito pesticides are applied in the early evening hours. We ask residents to keep travel in these areas to a minimum during spray times.
For additional information or to request service, please contact the Mosquito Control Division during normal business hours at 937-2188.
Perdido Man Dies In Flomaton Industrial Accident
September 26, 2012
A Perdido man was killed in an industrial accident this morning in Flomaton.
Authorities said 55-year old Joseph Wayne Odom was crushed by a piece of equipment while working at Advanced Recycling Center in the 27400 block of Highway 31 in Flomaton. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County (Fla.) EMS.
The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office said Odom was working on a skid steer loader when hydraulic lines lost pressure causing the bucket to fall, pinning him underneath.
Odom was reportedly a longtime employee of the company.
The accident remains under investigation by the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Th Friendship Volunteer Fire Department, Flomaton Fire Department and the Flomaton Police Department also responded.
Hundreds Of Students Gather To Pray At The Pole (With Photo Gallery)
September 26, 2012
Hundreds of students gathered to pray at their schools in across the area Wednesday morning during the annual See You at the Pole event.
“The students at Northview come from every type of household, whether it’s high or low income, high or low morals, high or low beliefs in God,” said Northview student Ashton Gibbs. “Even if God used this day to save one person, it’s worth all the trouble and effort to put it together. If students were to just let go and let God on this day, we could see a change in the entire county.”
Students gathered as school began to pray in the non-denominational event. See You at the Pole is a student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. Students prayed for their school, friends, teachers, government and the nation.
“I think See You at the Pole is a very important and profound day of prayer nationwide. Students gather around their school’s flagpole, hand in hand, and simply worship, pray, and cry out to Jesus whether it be outwardly or inside their heart,” Northview student Alison Bardin said. “What Christians need to realize is that they do not need to just pray on that set day, they need to pray daily, for God is always listening and wanting to help those that cry out to Him.”
“Having that reputation and personal relationship with God is the only thing I feel good about myself at the end of the day, because God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. I’d love to see a change in this school, and it’s only a matter of giving up yourself before God and you’ll see a change. It’s that simple,” Gibbs said.
“Its important to pray for our leaders to allow God to lead them in the right direction,” said Taylor Brook, another Northview student. “Also, its an important time to pray for students who are uprising leaders in this community.”
Pictured: See You at the Pole gatherings this morning at Ernest Ward Middle School (top), Northview High School (inset), and West Florida High (below). NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Students Won’t Make Up Missed Isaac Days
September 26, 2012
Escambia County students will not be required to make up three days missed in August due to Hurricane Isaac.
Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said Tuesday it would not be necessary to make up the days since the August 27-29 closure dates were so early in the school year. However, Thomas said any additional closure dates that might occur during the first semester would require make up days.
Century Man Charged With Shooting At Car In Local Street
September 26, 2012
A Century man is jailed on charges he shot at a vehicle in a local street.
Roosevelt Lamont Dixon, 25, was booked into the Escambia County jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm in public, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and smuggling contraband into a detention facility. He remained jailed Tuesday night with bond set at $44,500.
In June, Dixon allegedly fired a handgun at a vehicle occupied by two people in the 6800 block of Jefferson Avenue. The victims told deputies that they were forced to stop in the roadway in order to avoid hitting Dixon’s vehicle as he pulled out of a driveway. Dixon then allegedly got out of his vehicle, confronted the victims and pulled out a handgun. The victims sped away, at which time Dixon fired the weapon in their direction, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Deputies reported finding one 9mm round in the area at the location of the alleged incident.
Dixon was named the suspect in the incident after he was identified by the victims from photo lineups. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
When Dixon was arrested and booked into the Escambia County Jail this week on the outstanding warrant, a detention deputy reported finding two methadone pills and a hydrocodone pill in his front shorts pocket.
Library Cuts Due To Budget Draws Criticism; Hours Slashed For Century, Molino
September 26, 2012
The West Florida Library will cut library hours next month — including drastic cuts for Century and the soon to open Molino branches — due to budget cutbacks. And the move is drawing sharp criticism from Escambia County officials.
“Libraries are the heart and soul of our community. With budget cuts and a higher cost of doing business, the Library Board of Trustees felt it was important to keep all of our locations open and available.” said Darlene Howell, acting library administrator. “Keeping our libraries open is important and we wanted to make choices that had the least impact on the people we serve.”
Planned library reductions include cutting operational hours by one-third, reducing part-time employees by 30 percent, subscriptions by 15 percent and book purchases by 85 percent. The new Molino Branch, set to open this fall, will be staffed by personnel from the Century Library, while the Century Library will see hours cut by 40 percent. The library system hopes to stock the shelves at the Molino Branch with duplicates from within the system and donated items.
With the passage of a fiscal year 2012-2013 budget Tuesday night, Escambia County cut their library contribution by five percent or $165,000 from the previous year. No additional funds were provided by Escambia County for the new Molino Branch Library, but the county will pick up the tab for utilities and upkeep for fiscal year 2012-13.
“The threatened 30% across the board cut by the library is garbage and solely intended to be an alarmist tactic,” Escambia County Administrator Randy Oliver said Tuesday. ” The library needs to act responsibly like the county has and live within their means.”
Oliver said the library has increased expenses almost 12 percent in a year. By comparison, he said Escambia County has eliminated about 150 positions and cut expenses by 8.6 percent from 2012 and almost 16 percent since 2009.
“The library needs to control expenses like the county has done and, in my opinion, use more volunteers,” Oliver said. “Volunteers are a great source of resources for libraries.”
Escambia County provides 70 percent of the West Florida Library’s funding but has no say into the day to day operations of the agency.
“Our funding is dependent on formula of usage. If unincorporated usage goes down, our funding goes down. Next year we should be required to pay less due to usage. This may allow us to reduce our expenditure significantly the next year,” Escambia Commissioner Grover Robinson said. “Either way this just demonstrates the severe flaw in a system that forces one group to pay so much of the bill and have no say in the system.”
New West Florida Library hours by location, beginning October 1, will be:
MAIN LIBRARY — 200 W. Gregory Street
- Sunday 12pm – 4pm
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 10am – 8pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
TRYON BRANCH LIBRARY -- 1200 Langley Avenue
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 12pm – 8pm
- Thursday 10am – 6pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
SOUTHWEST BRANCH LIBRARY – 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 12pm – 8pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 10am – 6pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 2pm
WESTSIDE BRANCH LIBRARY — 1580 W. Cervantes Street
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 12pm – 8pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 12pm – 8pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
CENTURY BRANCH LIBRARY – 7991 N. Century Boulevard
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday CLOSED
- Tuesday 9am – 5pm
- Wednesday CLOSED
- Thursday 12pm – 8pm
- Friday CLOSED
- Saturday 9am – 5pm
MOLINO BRANCH LIBRARY — 6450 Highway 95A
- (Opening Fall 2012)
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday CLOSED
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday CLOSED
- Friday 10am – 6pm
- Saturday CLOSED
WFPL BOOKMOBILE
- New Schedule: TBA
Fire Damages Century Home
September 26, 2012
Fire damaged a Century home Tuesday night.
The bedroom fire was reported just before 10 p.m. on Hatties Boulevard, just west of North Century Boulevard. Firefighter were quickly able to extinguish the fire.
There were no injuries reported.
The Century, McDavid and Walnut Hill Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department and Escambia County EMS responded to the call.
Commission Approves $356 Million Budget, Denies Request To Save Six Sheriff’s Office Jobs
September 26, 2012
The Escambia County Commission approved a $356 million fiscal year 2012-2013 budget Tuesday night after denying last minute pleas from the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies.
As the final vote approached on the budget, the commission heard a request from Escambia County Chief Deputy Larry Aiken for an additional $353,000 in funding. Without the money, Aiken said, the department would be forced to cut six positions. The money was to be above and beyond the sheriff’s $75.8 million budget, unchanged from this year.
The commission denied the requested on a 2-3 vote, with Commissioners Grover Robinson, Marie Young and Gene Valentino against the request.
The commission also shot down a request from Bette Hooton, president of the Friends of the Library, to restore funds for the West Florida Library System. [Read more about the library funding here.]
With a 3-2 vote, the commission voted to move $1.2 million in unexpected savings from Medicaid payment adjustments into a reserve account rather than funding last minute requests. Robinson and Wilson Robertson voted against the reserve fund move.