Man Gets 20 Years For Robbery Outside Walmart
February 25, 2012
An Escambia County man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for robbing two women outside a Pensacola Walmart.
Karl Junior Hill pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery with a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Hill approached two women in broad daylight outside Walmart on Creighton Road in July 2011. He pulled a handgun, forced two women to the ground and robbed them of their purses and cell phones.
Hill was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit by police. When he was arrested, Hill still had the property from the two women. Police were unsuccessful in recovering the firearm.
Today: 38th Annual Ruritan Farm Equipment Auction
February 25, 2012
The 38th Annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Farm Equipment Auction will be held Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The auction includes not only farm equipment, but also a second simultaneous auction with household items like tools and small equipment, lawn and garden items, antiques and more.
Concessions will be available all day from the Ruritan Club.
The sale will be located at the Walnut Hill Community Center on Highway 97 just north of Ernest Ward Middle School.
Pictured: Hundreds attended the annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Club farm equipment auction last year in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Early Flowering Trees Are Ushering In Spring
February 25, 2012
Warmer temperatures have raised the spirits of gardeners in Northwest Florida. Although we know from experience that we still have a good chance of another cold snap or two, nicer weather is always a welcomed foray into spring.
Warmer weather also means that some trees and shrubs burst into bloom producing flowers that brighten otherwise drab winter landscapes. Several members of the rose family are currently in bloom in Northwest Florida and sure to grab your attention.
Flowering Quince
During Colonial times a quince tree was a rarity in the gardens of wealthy Americans, but was found in nearly every middle class garden. The fruit—always cooked—was an important source of pectin for food preservation, and a fragrant addition to jams, juices, pies, and candies. However, by the early twentieth century quince production declined as the value of apples and pears increased. Its popularity has plummeted and it is now a rarity in contemporary landscapes.
Quince has been cultivated in the Middle East for centuries, and may have even been the fruit of temptation in the story of the Garden of Eden. The ancient Biblical name for quince translates as “Golden Apple.” In ancient Mesopotamia, now Iraq, cultivation of quince predates the cultivation of apples.
This small, thorny, deciduous tree is one of the first to bloom in late winter. It is a member of the rose family and explodes with typical rose-type flowers in February each year. The single, white flowers are 1½ to 2 inches across and grow on current season growth.
The fruit is a fragrant, many-seeded pome about three inches in diameter. The fruit’s shape ranges from round to pear-like and the flesh is yellow. Several references refer to it as “hard and rather unpalatable.”
If you would rather not deal with the fruit, non-fruiting cultivars exist. Since most quince cultivars are not well-adapted to Florida because of their high chilling requirement, choose your cultivar carefully.
Apples
Another pome-type fruit that embellishes our landscapes in late winter is the apple tree. Along with the quince, it too is a member of the rose family. It is older in cultivation than the rose and is sometimes referred to as the prince of the rose family.
Relatively few cultivars of apples (Malus domestica L.) can be grown successfully in Florida.
Most apples have a high chilling requirement. Chilling requirement is defined as the number of hours less than or equal to 45 degrees F during the winter. Apple cultivars suitable for North Florida have a chilling requirement of less than 600 hours.
Only a few cultivars meet Florida’s low-chill requirement. Recommended cultivars include ‘Anna’, ‘Dorsett Golden’ and ‘TropicSweet’. ‘Anna’ and ‘Dorsett Golden’ originated in Israel and the Bahamas, respectively. ‘TropicSweet’ is a patented cultivar from the University of Florida. These cultivars each have a chilling requirement of 250 to 300 hours.
For more information on low-chill apples, review the University of Florida/IFAS online publication at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg368.
Flowering Cherry
While we may not be able to produce beautiful, delicious cherries in Northwest Florida, we can enjoy a few ornamental, flowering cherry trees.
One species that does well in Northwest Florida is Prunus campanulata or the Taiwan cherry. The Taiwan cherry grows to 20 to 25 feet and spreads nearly as wide as it matures. Single, drooping rose-type flowers appear in late winter and will last for about ten days.
For other recommendations on flowering trees to add to your landscape, contact your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County. The use of trade names, if used in this article, is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. It is not a guarantee, warranty, or endorsement of the product name(s) and does not signify that they are approved to the exclusion of others.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
‘Golden Cow Dung Award’ Presented To Kenneth Hicks
February 25, 2012
Ernest Ward Middle School history teacher Kenneth Hicks received the fourth annual “Golden Cow Dung Award” from members of the Ernest Ward FFA. The award presented Friday afternoon featured a large piece of cow dung, painted a golden color.
(Cow dung, in case you did not know, is what you are probably thinking it is. It’s that natural byproduct that cows drop in the field. The award is 100 percent real dung spray painted a golden color. The golden piece presented Friday is actually the first award piece created three years ago.)
Hicks received the award from the school’s FFA members as a “thank you” for supporting FFA. The same Golden Cow Dung Award was presented last year to teacher’s assistant Lindsey Kelley, the previous year to Family & Consumer Science teacher Kathy Ellis and three years ago to Principal Nancy Perry.
More than half a million members around the nation participated in National FFA Week activities at the local and state levels this week.
Pictured: Ernest Ward Middle School FFA Golden Cow Dung Award presentation to teacher Kenneth Hicks Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Smoke Reported At Ernest Ward In Two Buildings; Students Evacuated
February 24, 2012
Multiple stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to Ernest Ward Middle School today as smoke was reported in both the gym and administrative buildings.
Firefighters determined that one phase of the three phase power feed from Escambia River Electric Cooperative had failed. The exact cause of the smoke was not determined. Firefighters remained on scene for over an hour, using a thermal imaging camera to check for hot spots in both buildings and waiting for EREC to restore the power. A light smokey haze could be seen inside at times.
Students were evacuated from the gym, administrative and agricultural buildings during the incident and moved into the main building of the complex.
There was no damage reported and no injuries.
The Walnut Hill and McDavid Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the call.
Pictured above and below: Fire units on scene at Ernest Ward Middle School Friday morning. Pictured inset: A firefighter uses a thermal imaging camera to check for hot spots in the administrative building at Ernest Ward Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Hwy 97 Crash
February 24, 2012
One person was injured in a single vehicle crash Friday morning on Highway 97 north of Molino.
The driver of a pickup control lost control about 5 a.m., ran off the road and overturned near White Ash Road. The male was transported to a Pensacola hospital by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.
Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.
Jay Man Killed In High Speed Century Crash Thursday Night
February 24, 2012
A Jay man died in a single vehicle crash in Century Thursday night.
Jeffery Leonard Jackson, 47, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 6 p.m. crash on Old Flomaton Road north of Campbell Road.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Jackson was northbound on Old Flomaton Road at an extremely high rate of speed. His 1994 Nissan left the roadway, at which time Jackson applied the brakes and skidded along the grass and dirt shoulder. The front of the vehicle then struck a large oak tree and came to an abrupt stop.
Jackson, according to the FHP, was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Flomaton Volunteer Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
For more photos from the scene, click here.
Pictured above and below: A Jay man died in this single vehicle crash Thursday night in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Colder Tonight
February 24, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind between 10 and 15 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. North wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a high near 76.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 75.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.
School Board Proclaims It’s National FFA Week
February 24, 2012
The Escambia County School Board has declared this week as National FFA Week. At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, FFA members from Tate and Northview high schools were on hand as the board issued a proclamation.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Beat Washingon 4-3; Tate’s JV Falls
February 24, 2012
The varsity Tate Aggies beat Washington High School Thursday night 4-3, while Washington got past Tate 4-3 in junior varsity play.
Tate 4 Washington 3 (Varsity)
The Aggies came from behind again for the second game in a row on David Moorhead’s two run double in the top of the seventh inning. Riley Hodge threw a complete game allowing three
unearned runs on three hits while striking out six. Mac Seibert 2-4 RBI. JT Granat 1-3 HR RBI. Austin Quina 1-2 2B. Andrew Mack 2B.
Tate’s varsity with host Escambia High’s Gators Friday night at 7:00 in another district matchup.
Washington 4 Tate 3 (JV)
The junior varsity Tate Aggies fell to 3-2 on the season with a 4-3 loss to Washington Thurday afternoon. The JV Aggies will host Escambia at 4:30 Friday afternoon.