Top Stories Of 2012
January 1, 2013
Here are our picks for the Top 12 Stories of 2012 on NorthEscambia.com:
12. Century’s Nativity
An atheist group attacked the Town of Century’s nativity scene — which had not actually been displayed in years. The town declared the nativity scene surplus property, Baby Jesus and all, and sold it to the highest bidder. With a $5 bid from the Faith Bible Baptist Church, a spot of property from Century Marine, power from Abundant Life Assembly of God and extension wiring from the Tabernacle Baptist Church, the nativity scene found a new home just across the street from the Century Town Hall and was back on display for the Christmas season.
11. Local Elections
The election year brought new faces — Steven Barry and Lumon May — to the Escambia County Commission and the same familiar faces re-elected to the Escambia County School Board. In neighboring Alabama, Dewey Bondurant was back in as Flomaton’s Mayor, while Jim Staff was named Atmore’s mayor, ending about two decades in office for Howard Shell who did not run again.
10. Local Crime
2012 was not without crime in North Escambia — including several high profile cases in the last months of the year. A Century convenience store was robbed at gunpoint, a person was stabbed at a Century bar and Century’s Pen Air Federal Credit Union was held up by a bandit claiming to have a gun. And in Davisville, the longtime owner of a lottery story was shot to death during a robbery attempt. Two were arrested, claiming they intended to rob the store of Spice.
9. Gulf Power Nuclear Plans
The future became uncertain for 2,728 acres of land near McDavid purchased by Gulf Power for a possible nuclear power plant. State regulators ruled in July that Gulf Power could not force customers to pay for the land in advance of plans for a nuclear power plant at the North Escambia site. It became unclear whether Gulf Power will ever build a power plant — nuclear or otherwise on the site – as the utility never took a key first step in the lengthy approval process — a step known as getting a “determination of need.” Also, officials said it would likely take at least a decade to get permits and build a nuclear plant.
8. West Nile
North Escambia residents became increasingly aware of those pesky mosquitoes during the warmer months of the year. A total of 13 people were diagnosed with West Nile Virus in Escambia County during 2012. One case was fatal.
7. New Ernest Ward Middle School
The Escambia County School Board signed off on a new state of the art, $16.5 million Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill. An architect was hired to design the school, which will be built on the school’s existing campus in Walnut Hill. Construction could begin in 2013. Students will be on site during the construction of the new school. Once the new building is complete, most of the current building will be torn down, and portables and modular buildings currently on the campus will be removed.
6. Not So Quiet At the Library
Things were far from quiet at Escambia County’s libraries in 2012. With budget cutbacks at Escambia County and the City of Pensacola, both of which fund the libraries, the West Florida Library system became a very public budget battleground. Hours were slashed at branches in the county, and threats were made to close the Century Branch Library and never open a planned branch in Molino. Library supporters and Escambia County fired back at Pensacola, with the county withholding funds to make sure county branches were open increased hours. In the end, most hours were restored, and the city and county took steps to look at new library funding methods and management in 2013.
5. Highway 29 Resurfacing
A $7.7 million project to resurface about 16 miles of Highway 29 from north of Champion Drive in McDavid to the Alabama state line in Century came to a conclusion in 2012.
4. Oil In Walnut Hill
In August, a train loaded with 69,000 barrels of crude oil worth about $6.5 million rolled into a new crude oil transfer station in Walnut Hill, the largest such facility in the United States. Genesis Rail Systems, LLC has complete phase one of the facility on 20 acres that fronts Corley Road near Arthur Brown Road. The property was chosen because it is at the intersection of an existing crude oil pipeline and the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway. From the location, crude will flow primarily to a Shell facility near Saraland, Ala., and potentially to other refineries along the Gulf Coast. Back in June, an estimated 800 people stood in line for hours at the Walnut Hill Community Center in hopes of being hired for the oil transfer station. About 15 were hired, with the payroll expected to increase to about 30 people. The positions pay from $16 to $20 per hour.
3. Molino Community Complex
The grand opening of the new Molino Community Complex was held in October. The project included the conversion of the old Molino School in to a library, community center and museum. There was also a new 7,000 square foot facility constructed for the tax collector and property appraiser. The project was funded by local option sales tax monies.
2. Navy Federal Buys 4-H Facility
The children and teens on the 4-H County Council voted to sell their 240 acre Langley Bell 4-H Center to Navy Federal Credit Union. Navy Federal will pay $3.6 million for the property next to the credit union’s campus in Beulah, and the Escambia County Commission is constructing the new 4-H Center on Stefani Road with $1.5 million in local option sales tax funds. Navy Federal will use the property for expansions and promised new jobs.
1. All We Do Is Win, Win
The Northview Chiefs made history in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl, winning the first state football championship in the history of the school. It was the first state championship for an Escambia County school since 2009, and the first state championship of the new Class 1A Rural division. Chiefs fan supported their team in huge fashion, with about 1,500 make the 500 mile road trip to Orlando to cheer on their team.
Congress Misses Fiscal Cliff Deadline, Deal Reached in Senate
January 1, 2013
White House and Senate Democratic officials say they have reached a deal with congressional Republicans after two days of marathon negotiations aimed at averting the so-called “fiscal cliff” that would institute tax hikes at the beginning of the year.
Vice President Joe Biden met with Senate Democrats at the Capitol late Monday as the news of a possible deal emerged.
Reports say the deal would delay the fiscal cliff deadline by two months and extend Bush-era tax cuts for households making less than $450,000.
The Senate called a recess late Monday, virtually ensuring no vote before the midnight deadline to avert the fiscal cliff. House members earlier left the Capitol without taking any action. They planned to reconvene at noon Washington time on Tuesday.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said earlier that members of both parties had agreed on all tax issues. At the White House, President Barack Obama said negotiators still had work to do to reach an accord on whether to delay significant, mandated government spending cuts. Analysts say that absent a compromise, the $500 billion in austerity measures eventually could plunge the U.S. economy into another recession.
Lawmakers and analysts say there is plenty of blame to go around for a situation that frustrates ordinary Americans.
Retiring Republican Congressman Steven LaTourette of Ohio said he still believes the U.S. system of government is the best in the world, but he faulted all sides for not trying to find common ground.
“Because no one, from the White House to either house of Congress has the political courage to do what everybody in town knows needs to be done, and that is to come up with a big deal that actually solves the nation’s debt problem, supplies sufficient revenues to operate the government, while at the same time trimming spending,” he said.
Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin said the deal might have looked better to Democrats under the pressure of the midnight deadline than it will look later after taxes automatically go up on everyone. “And so, it may not be such a great deal, if they force us over the cliff. So we will have to wait and see,” she said.
Steve Dennis of Roll Call congressional news agency says tax hikes have been the major stumbling block. “They have had two years to deal with this. I think the reality is that the Republican leadership had to be seen by their members and by Republicans and outside groups as doing absolutely everything they could, up until the end, to block any tax increase,” he said.
New York resident Sarah Cunningham is frustrated by Congress’ repeated inability to tackle problems. “I can’t for the life of me figure out why they can’t make things work. It doesn’t make a benefit to anyone. It seems like a family squabbling within itself rather than getting to the real point,” she said.
Virginia resident Jay Miller believes the legislation will have to be taken up by the new Congress, which will be sworn in January 3.
“There is more interest in having things go over the cliff than not. And with the new Congress being sworn in later this week, it will have to be sorted out then,” he said.
Economists have warned that failure to avert the combination of tax hikes and spending cuts could plunge the U.S. back into recession. But most experts say that if Congress is able to take action quickly, any potential damage would be minimized, especially if it comes before the stock markets reopen after the New Year’s Day holiday.
Rain Possible Tonight, Wednesday
January 1, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 49. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
- Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 56. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind around 5 mph.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 52. North wind around 5 mph.
- Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. North wind around 5 mph.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. North wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 59. North wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
Church Offers Catfish, Cheese Grits And Black-eyed Peas Today
January 1, 2013
Don’t want to cook on this New Year’s Day? A local church has catfish plates available with a traditional New Year’s twist.
The Byrneville United Methodist Church will be selling catfish plates from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. for $7 each. Plates include catfish, black-eyed peas, coleslaw, cheese grits, hush puppies, tea and dessert.
Plates are available for eat-in or pick up at 1351 Byrneville Road. Call (850) 256-3213 for more information.
Hungry At Mercy Of Washington For Farm Bill Action
January 1, 2013
Florida’s anti-hunger advocates are watching Congress warily, fearing lawmakers will cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, by billions of dollars as they wrangle with the fiscal cliff.
The cuts are contained in a federal farm bill that has been held hostage to sparring over automatic spending cuts and tax increases set for Jan. 1.
The farm bill must be reauthorized every five years; it expired at the end of September. But since the price of milk could more than double without congressional action, lawmakers are working on a deal to extend. That would hold SNAP harmless but not for long.
So far House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has rejected a one-year extension, offering 30 days instead. It’s unlikely that any deal will remove the possibility of SNAP cuts in the near future.
Advocates say Florida cannot bear another blow to its food support network. In June, nearly 3.5 million Floridians were getting SNAP benefits. From June 2011 to June 2012, Florida saw the nation’s second-highest increase in SNAP use – a rise of 9.7 percent.
“If SNAP benefits get cut, it scares me to death,” said the Rev. Pam Cahoon, executive director of CROS (Christians Reaching Out to Society) Ministries, a coalition of about 100 religious groups that runs food pantries and other programs to feed the hungry in Palm Beach County.
Last summer both chambers agreed to SNAP cuts, but they’re far apart on numbers. The full Senate passed a bill with $4.5 billion worth of cuts over ten years. The House Agriculture Committee okayed $16 billion in cuts for the same period; that measure hasn’t reached the House floor. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that nearly two million Americans would lose food assistance under the House version.
“Cuts in the food stamp program will have a terrible impact everywhere, but a particularly detrimental impact in Florida,” said Jim Weill, president of the Food Resource and Action Center in Washington, D.C.
The center is lobbying against any cuts. Weill cited polling by Gallup showing Florida with five urban areas in the nation’s top 25 in need for food help last year – Orlando-Kissimmee, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Jacksonville, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater.
Fully 19.2 percent of adults and 28.4 percent of children are “food-insecure” in Florida, compared to the national averages of 16.1 percent for adults and 21.6 percent for children, said Richard English, executive director of Tallahassee’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend. That means at some point within a given month, their families might not be able to afford a meal.
Perry Borman, executive director of the Palm Beach County Food Bank and former Children and Families administrator for Palm Beach and Broward counties from 2008 to 2012, said the region saw a 300 percent increase in the number of residents needing food stamps.
“In a county that people probably think is full of wealth and extremely wealthy people, over 57 percent of all of our children in the Palm Beach County school system are on free and reduced lunch,” Borman said.
Congress, however, is facing immense pressure to cut spending, and the rise in SNAP costs during the recession is a sore point for many lawmakers. High jobless rates and expanded eligibility under President Barack Obama’s 2009 stimulus bill pushed the cost of SNAP to $76 billion a year in 2011, double what it was in 2008. The percentage of SNAP benefits going to households with gross incomes over 130 percent of the poverty line also doubled in that time, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last month.
House Agriculture Committee leaders say they’re trying to preserve the program’s core mission – feeding the hungry – while preventing waste and worse.
Florida Congressman Tom Rooney, chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, supports the House bill. Rooney spokesman Michael Mahaffey has said the bill ensures that SNAP benefits “are there for those who need them. It closes loopholes…The House bill also achieves significant savings by cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Anti-poverty activists say that approach ignores the economic benefits of SNAP.
“When you’re dealing with folks who don’t have savings, and they’re living from month to month, these federal resources go right back into the community,” said Debra Susie, executive director of the anti-poverty group Florida Impact. “And the U.S.D.A. research shows that every five dollars of SNAP benefits generates nearly twice that in local economic activity as a result.”
Besides, say local food bank administrators, it’s rare for people to ask for food who don’t need it.
“It comes down to them getting very, very desperate,” said Paul Clements of Tallahassee’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend. “We’ve seen a lot of prior donors who are now standing in our food pantry lines.” He also said donations are down this year.
“We had a couple of people come into the pantry and then turn around and walk out and come back the next day,” said Cahoon. “They were just so chagrined that they were having to be at a food pantry that they couldn’t even do it the first time they came.”
The main reasons for the greater SNAP participation, Cahoon said, are job loss, housing problems and the higher cost of fuel, “which made everything go up in price, from a loaf of bread to a gallon of milk.” She said people with jobs come to the food pantries because gas and groceries are so high, they can’t afford both.
Among the SNAP provisions marked for elimination: federal bonuses for food stamp payment accuracy. That has particular resonance for Florida, which went from one of the nation’s most error-prone states to one of the best performers. Former Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary Bob Butterworth, who oversaw DCF from early 2007 to mid-2008, plowed the bonus money back into the agency’s ACCESS program, which handles food assistance, just in time for the recession.
“Because of redesigning our ACCESS system over the years to provide online access, more than 95 percent of our applications are completed online,” said DCF spokeswoman Erin Gillespie. “We have (so far) been able to keep up with the ever-increasing demands…For food stamps, we process cases on average in 15 days and the federal standard is 30 days.”
Florida has never been faced with a farm bill’s expiration, said Gillespie; they’ve always been passed or extended.
“There are many current proposals regarding the federal farm bill, so we cannot speculate as to how changes would affect Floridians until something passes,” she said.
Advocates say the high rates of hungry children are especially troublesome, given what that augers for DCF going forward.
“In the state of Florida, we look at the third graders and how they’re doing with reading,” said Cahoon. “If they’re behind in reading, that’s how many beds we plan for our prison system in the future. If kids aren’t eating, then they can’t learn in school…and they’re going to end up in our prison system.”
By Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
2012 In Photos: August
January 1, 2013
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2012. Today, we are featuring photos from August.
Workers watch as the first $6.5 million train load of crude oil arrives at a new transfer station in Walnut Hill in August.
Hurricane Isaac left a calling card on Pensacola Beach.
Northview took on Catholic in high school volleyball.
Authorities removed a suspected meth lab from a mobile home in Escambia County, Ala.
Gov. Rick Scott paid a visit to Escambia County to promote Labor Day activities post-Hurricane Isaac.
A Robertsdale man allegedly opened fire in the parking lot of the Grocery Advantage in Cantonment, causing minor injuries to one person in the domestic violence incident.
Hurricane Isaac pounded Pensacola Beach with high surf.
August meant back to school for students across the area, including Aubree Jordan on her first day of kindergarten at Molino Park Elementary School.
The intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 29 continued to prove problematic for drivers.
Atmore elected Jim Staff (left) as mayor, ended more than two decades in office for Howard Shell (right).
LifeFlight lifts off following a motorcycle crash on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
Eli Miller of Walnut Hill shows his support for Escambia County Commission District 5 candidate Steven Barry at the Walnut Hill precinct during the August primary.
Atmore held a “Market in the Park” event downtown.
An overturned log truck snarled traffic for hours on Highway 29 in Cantonment.
A new Family Dollar store opened in Century.
Mission Molino — a joint group of students from Highland Baptist Church in Molino and Friendship Baptist Church of Cleburne, TX — teamed up to clean up and make an impact across Escambia County.
One person was injured and three horses were killed in this accident on West Highway 4 in Davisville.
The Molino 16U Lady Astros took second in the Southern Nationals.
Thousands turned out to Chick-fil-A restaurants in August, an effort organized by Mike Huckabee to support the Christian owned business.
Texting and driving became illegal in Alabama on August 1.
Make A Resolution To Be More Wildlife Friendly
January 1, 2013
The tradition of the New Year’s Resolutions dates back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was said to have two faces which allowed him to look back on past events and forward to the future.
The beginning of a new year is a great time to reflect on the issues of the past and resolve to do better in the upcoming year. The 2010 Gulf oil spill had a devastating impact on local wildlife. Florida is a state renowned for its diverse and unique ecosystems. But rapid development and environmental disasters, particularly in coastal areas, is continuing to destroy wildlife habitat. Resolve to be more wildlife-friendly in 2012 by following these easy tips from the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program.
Provide food
Select plants with seeds, fruit, foliage, or flowers that butterflies, birds, and other wildlife like to eat. Berries, fleshy fruits, nuts, and acorns are all treats for many animals.
Supply water
Any water you provide will attract wildlife. You could have running water in the form of a natural feature, such as a pond, creek, or other body of fresh water, but a fountain or birdbath will also beckon wildlife. Empty and clean your birdbath every few days. Do not clean it with soap or bleach—just physically scrub all surfaces with a brush or scouring-type sponge. Change the water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding and bacterial contamination.
Leave snags
Leave snags, which are the trunks of dead trees, in place if they do not create a hazard. Many birds use snags for perching, nesting, and feeding. Snags are often removed from yards or land mistakenly thought of as no longer having value. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A tree’s full life cycle at this point, is far from over.
Manage pets
If you permit pets to harass or kill wildlife, you will only hinder any efforts you make toward attracting wildlife. This is especially true for cats allowed outdoors.
Reduce insecticide use
Each time you apply an insecticide to your landscape, you reduce insect populations, which form an important food source for birds. Some chemicals can also poison birds and other animals that feed on affected insects.
Reduce the amount of mowed lawn area
Unmowed areas can contain more plant species than mowed areas, providing more potential food sources and habitat for wildlife. Reduce the mowed area around your house, especially in low-traffic areas, such as corners of the yard.
Increase vertical layering
Plant a variety of plants in different sizes and heights to provide more cover and feeding opportunities for diverse species of wildlife.
By following the simple tips in this chapter, your Florida-Friendly lawn and garden can become a sanctuary for wildlife, as well as part of a migratory passage between one wild space and another. Animals need to move from place to place, just like people. They have trouble traveling in heavily urban and suburban landscapes, but you can help them by joining your Florida-Friendly yard with others in the neighborhood to create a “natural corridor”—a safe, traversable route between woodlands, wetlands, or other wild areas.
For more specific information, visit the University of Florida/IFAS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_landscaping_for_wildlife or call your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Larry “LP” Powell
January 1, 2013
Mr. Larry “LP” Powell, age 68, of Powell Circle, Flomaton, passed away Sunday, December 30, 2012, at his residence after a brief illness. He was a native and life long resident of Flomaton. Mr. Powell was of the protestant faith. He was a 1962 graduate of Flomaton High School, a member of the 1961 Allstate football team, and a U.S. Marine veteran.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Linda Fayette Powell.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Powell of Brewton; two sons, Paul (Kerrie) Powell of Castleberry and Corrie (Annette Massey) Powell of Jay; four daughters, Melinda Powell of Highland Home, Ala., Trisha Powell of Jay, Candice (Jerry) Carnley of Pineview, Ala., Kim (John) Mustin of New York City, NY; three brothers, Mickey Powell of Flomaton, Tony Powell of Pensacola, and Kenny Powell of Flomaton; one sister, Dianne Stafford of Colorado Springs, Colorado; ten grandchildren, Kyle Sebestyen, Morgan Powell, Cody Chance, Marcus Wallace, Jerry Carnley III, Mia Kress, Morgan Mustin, Cooper Carnley, Henry Mustin, and Sinclair Mustin; and one great-grandchild, Carsyn Powell.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 2, 2012, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in Brewton.
Funeral Services will be held Thursday, January 3, 2013, at 11 a.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Tony Richburg and speaker Roy Tatum officiating.
Interment will follow in Catawba Cemetery in Brewton with Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home directing.
Bonnie Lucille (Dyal) Luddusaw
January 1, 2013
Bonnie Lucille (Dyal) Laddusaw, age 65, of Dixonville, went to be with her Lord and Savior on December 29, 2012. Mrs. Laddusaw was a long time resident of Jay. She was a member of Cornerstone Church and a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend to many.
She was preceded in death by her parents Edna and Leamon Dyal Jr.; brother, Michael Hernandez Jr.; and sister, Gloria Annette Dyal.
She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Darrell “Dutch” Laddusaw; daughter, Deanna Hart; son, Darrell Jr. (Jana) Laddusaw; brother, Bobby (Teresa) Dyal; mother-in-law, Gloria Dyal; step-brothers, Greg Fleming and Larry Fleming; grandchildren, Meagan DeAnne (Timothy) Catania, Christina Hart, Christian Hart, Emily Laddusaw, Marybeth Laddusaw and Abigail Laddusaw; nieces, Kristy Dyal Brand and Caitlin Branson; nephew, Buck Branson, brother-in-laws, Ronnie (Carol) Laddusaw, James (Karen) Laddusaw, Doug (Sherry) Laddusaw, Argell Laddusaw, Roland Mau, and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, January 1, 2013, at Cornerstone Christian Church (Formerly Jay Assembly of God Church) in Jay with Rev. Fredrick Barrow and Ernie Calhoun officiating.
Burial was at the Dixonville Community Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Eddie Padget, Charles Carter, Oscar Scarborough, John Strength, Jimmy Calhoun and Rod Phillips. Honorary pallbearer was Phil Calhoun.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.