Meth Suspect Arrested In Stolen Car
March 16, 2013
A Santa Rosa County man was arrested Friday after Escambia County deputies found him in a stolen car with materials commonly used to make meth.
Deputies responded to a suspicious vehicle call at a Walgreens on North 9th Avenue. When they arrived, they found 32-year old Jason Claude Ward in the vehicle. Deputies soon determined that the car had been reported stolen on March 9.
As deputies were removing Ward’s belongings from the stolen vehicle, they discovered a bag containing items which are commonly used to make methamphetamine.
Ward was charged with possession of a listed chemical with the intent to manufacture a controlled substance, producing methamphetamine and trafficking in methamphetamine over 14 grams. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $65,000.
Ward’s involvement in the vehicle theft remains under investigation.
Hospital Employee Named A ‘Legend’
March 16, 2013
An Atmore Community Hospital employee has been named a Baptist Health Care Legend, the organization’s highest honor.
When a recurring transfusion patient returned to live in the more rural area of Atmore, he was no longer able to drive. He lives alone with no family members nearby. Often, he paid for the services of public transportation to bring him to the hospital for blood draws and transfusions.
Patrice Smith noticed that the man needed a helping hand, so she offered to help. She used her own resources to make sure he made it to his health care appointments.
Recently, he was admitted to another facility for a temporary rehabilitation, and on her day off, Patrice drove him from the hospital to the facility. She also helped him complete admission paperwork. She checked on him often and visited him during his stay.
Patrice’s kindness didn’t stop there. She recognized that he could benefit from the Meals on Wheels program and contacted the program coordinators to expedite the enrollment process.
Patrice continues to check on the patient often and drives him to his physician appointments and other places where he needs to go
NHS Boys Take 1st, Girls Take 2nd At Baker Track Meet
March 16, 2013
The Northview High School Boys Track Team took first place at a meet in Baker this week, defeating last year’s 1A district champs Baker along with Central, Rocky Bayou, Freeport, and W.S. Neal. The Northview Girls Trace Team took second place overall.
Complete results from the meet are below.
BOYS RESULTS
4×800m Relay
1. Baker
2. Central
3. Northview
110m Hurdles
1. Moore (Freeport) – 16.04
2. Wadsworth (Baker) – 16.75
3. White (Northview) – 19.75
4. Creamer (Northview) – 21.02
100m
1. Moore (Northview) – 11.06 = SCHOOL RECORD
2. Robinson (Northview) – 11.34
3. Cole (Freeport) – 11.37
1600m
1. Scott (Baker) – 4:49
2. Givens (Central) – 5:44
3. Boyett (Central) – 5:46
4. Gafford (Northview) – 5:49
4×100m Relay
1. Northview – 45.87 = SCHOOL RECORD
2. Baker – 48.18
3. Neal – 58.63
400m
1. Moore (Freeport) – 52.27
2. Strength (Central) – 56.24
3. Newsome (Northview) – 56.43 = SCHOOL RECORD
4. Oglesby (Baker) – 58.48
5. Grissett (Northview) – 59.02
300m Hurdles
1. Wadsworth (Baker) – 44.87
2. Creamer (Northview) – 49.36
3. Engler (Baker) – 49.95
4. White (Northview) – 52.71
5. Bushaw (Northview) – 53.02
800m
1. Regehr (Neal) – 2:21
2. Steele (Baker) – 2:27
3. Dasinger (Neal) – 2:30
200m
1. Nettles (Neal) – 23.32
2. Robinson (Northview) – 23.65 = SCHOOL RECORD
3. Moore (Northview) – 24.36
3200m
1. Scott (Baker) – 10:35
2. Borelli (Northview) – 14:04
3. Calloway (Northview) – 14:24
4. Ates (Northview) – 14:53
4×400m Relay
1. Northview – 3:53
2. Freeport – 3:54
3. Baker – 4:09
High Jump
1. Moore (Freeport) – 6′6″
2. Newsome (Northview) – 5′8″ = SCHOOL RECORD
3. Beck (Baker) – 5′6″
4. Southwell (Neal) – 5′6″
Long Jump
1. Likely (Neal) – 19′4″
2. Shaw (Baker) – 19′2″
3. Sherouse (Northview) – 18′1″
4. Beck (Baker) – 18′0″
Triple Jump
1. Shaw (Baker) – 40′0″
2. Likely (Neal) – 39′4″
3. Myles (Northview) – 38′8″
4. Beck (Baker) – 37′5″
Shot Put
1. Moore (Freeport) – 42′4″
2. Nash (Northview) – 40′5″
3. Cole (Freeport) – 38′8″
4. Grice (Northview) – 35′5″
Discus
1. Wright (Central) – 103′
2. Nash (Northview) – 101′2″
3. Craig (Freeport) – 98′
4. Whitehead (Northview) – 84′4″
BOYS TEAM SCORES
1. Northview – 160 points
2. Baker – 129 points
3. Freeport – 76 points
4. Neal – 56 points
5. Central – 36 points
6. Rocky Bayou – 14 points
GIRLS RESULTS
4×800m Relay
1. Central – 11:55
2. Baker – 12:04
3. Northview – 12:46
100m Hurdles
1. Floyd (Northview) – 17.93
2. Havens (Baker) – 18.55
3. Joiner (Northview) – 19.83
100m
1. Anderson (Baker) – 13.41
2. Carter (Northview) – 13.97
3. Fiellin (Northview) – 14.05
1600m
1. Gilliard (Central) – 6:17
2. Slagle (Rocky Bayou) – 6.28
3. Scott (Baker) – 6:28
4×100m Relay
1. Central – 54.24
2. Northview – 54.56 = SCHOOL RECORD
3. Baker – 55.58
400m
1. Anderson (Baker) – 1:04
2. Rispone (Baker) – 1:07
3. Mitry (Freeport) – 1:08
300m Hurdles
1. Amy (Central) – 53.46
2. Jernigan (Central) – 54.40
3. Havens (Baker) – 54.41
4. Bobo (Northview) – 1:01
800m
1. Clark (Central)
2. Waters (Central)
3. Rispone (Baker)
200m
1. Anderson (Baker) – 27.82
2. Miller (Baker) – 29.09
3. Colquittt (Rocky Bayou) – 30.56
3200m
1. Gilliard (Central) – 13:34
2. Brannon (Baker) – 15:05
3. Sagraves (Freeport) – 15:11
4×400m Relay
1. Central – 4:43
2. Baker – 4:47
3. Northview – 4:49
High Jump
1. Herring (Baker) – 5′0″
2. Floyd (Northview) – 4′4″
3. Booker (Baker) – 4′2″
Long Jump
1. Anderson (Baker) – 15′3″
2. Herring (Baker) – 14′11″
3. Amey (Central) – 14′10″
Triple Jump
1. Anderson (Baker) – 32′2″
2. Miller (Baker) – 31′8″
3. Davis (Northview) – 28′5″
4. Floyd (Northview) – 28′3″
5. Joiner (Northview) – 27′2″
Shot Put
1. Brown (Baker) – 32′7″
2. Bates (Northview) – 27′5″
3. Knight (Northview) – 26′6″
Discus
1. McCranie (Baker) – 86′6″
2. Knight (Northview) – 75′1″
3. Bobo (Northview) – 74′0″
4. Bates (Northview) – 67′9″
GIRLS TEAM SCORES
1. Baker – 206 points
2. Northview – 115 points
3. Central – 108 points
4. Rocky Bayou – 27 points
5. Freeport – 16 points
6. WS Neal – 11 points
Pictured top: Northview’s Joshua Borelli competes in the 2-mile Thursday at Baker. Photo by Candy McGahan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Helen C Barnett
March 16, 2013
Helen C Barnett, age 78 of Cantonment, passed away on March 13, 2013.
She was preceded in death by her husband Marvie Barnett, parents Henry and Christian Williams, five sisters and one brother. Helen’s home always smelled of wonderful food and you were held captive until you had some of her good country cooking.
Mrs. Barnett is survived by her two daughters, Connie Barnett and Kim (Andy) Blackman; six grandchildren, Derek, Ethan Lee Edward, Nicholas, Christian, Charity and Noah.
Visitation will be on Saturday, March 16 from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home with the funeral on Sunday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m. also at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Eastern Gate Memorial Gardens.
Wildfire Burns 40 Acres (With Photo Gallery)
March 16, 2013
Firefighters worked for a couple of hours late Friday afternoon to contain a wildfire near Nokomis.
The fire was reported about 4:16 p.m. on Nokomis Road, just east of Jakes Road. The wildfire is believed to have started as a control burn that jumped a fire line. It burned about 40 acres outside of the controlled burn area. There were no structures threatened by the fire.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the fire, and the Florida Service service used a bulldozer to create a line around and contain the fire.
Pictured: A wildfire burned about 40 acres on Nokomis Road near Jakes Road Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Paving Operations Begin Today On Highway 89 Near Jay
March 16, 2013
Paving operations were scheduled to being Saturday on State Road 89 in Santa Rosa County.
Motorists traveling Highway 89 from Bragg Creek south to County Road 178 in Santa Rosa County can expect daytime lane restrictions as crews begin laying the final layer of asphalt on Saturday, March 16. Paving operations are expected to be complete within one week.
There will be no lane closures allowed from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained throughout the construction zone.
Construction activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Motorists are reminded to obey the posted speed limit when traveling through the work zone, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Weekend Gardening: Choosing Heirloom Or Hybrid Tomatoes
March 16, 2013
Tomatoes are a favorite of backyard gardeners. Fresh-grown tomatoes are packed with flavor and nutrition. Due to their popularity, many different types of tomatoes have been developed and selected over time. Choosing the best type for your individual growing situation will increase your chance of enjoying a mouth-watering tomato sandwich on a hot summer day.
Heirloom vegetables are back in vogue. A tomato must meet three criteria to be considered an heirloom variety. The variety must grow “true to type” from seed saved from each fruit, the seed must have been available for more than 50 years and the variety must have a history or folklore of its own. Heirloom vegetables are also called open-pollinated or non-hybrid.
Heirloom tomatoes are known for their full flavor and excellent taste. Gardeners who start their plants from seeds have always had many choices available to them. This year, I was surprised to see some heirloom seedlings in stores including ‘Cherokee Purple.’ This is an heirloom from Tennessee rumored to have come from Cherokee gardeners. Its rich flavor is said to be similar to the much-celebrated Brandywine.
While heirlooms offer better flavor, they do have a downside. Their biggest weakness is that they are not generally disease resistant and therefore more susceptible to devastating and sometimes fatal diseases. Heirloom varieties also experience more fruit defects such as cracking and catfacing.
To overcome the potential disease pitfall of heirloom varieties, many gardeners are now grafting their tomato seedlings. In the case of heirloom tomatoes, grafting involves connecting the shoot of the heirloom variety to the roots of a disease-resistant rootstock. The cut pieces are held together by a grafting clip until the tissues grow together (pictured left).
To learn more about heirloom tomatoes and grafting, read the UF/IFAS publication entitled, “Growing Heirloom Tomato Varieties in Southwest Florida.” It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs174 or by calling your local Extension Office.
Hybrid tomatoes are those that have been breed and selected for their disease resistance and productivity. They are the first-generation cross between two “pure” parental lines.
The simplest way to define an F-1 hybrid is to take an example. Let’s say a plant breeder observes a particularly good growth-habit in a plant, but with poor flower color, and in another plant of the same type they see good color but poor habit. The best plant of each type is taken and self-pollinated (in isolation) each year and, each year, the seed is re-sown. Eventually, every time the seed is sown the same identical plants will appear. This is known as a ‘pure line.’
If the breeder then takes the pure line of each of the two plants they originally selected and cross pollinates the two by hand the result is known as an F-1 hybrid. Plants are grown from seed produced and the result of this cross pollination should have a good habit and good color.
The vigor of hybridization can increase yields, improve pest resistance and impart other desirable characteristics. Some have credited crop hybridization as a prime reason for our country’s ability to feed larger populations with fewer farmers.
A down side of hybridization is that if you collect and save the seed from a hybrid variety, its offspring will show a loss of that hybrid vigor – it will start to revert back to its inbred parents. If you want the vigorous capacity that comes with hybrid varieties; don’t save the seed for replanting. You will have to buy new seed each year.
To learn about tomato varieties recommended for Florida gardens, read the UF/IFAS publication entitled “Tomatoes in the Florida Garden.” It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh028 or by calling your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
HS Baseball, Softball Roundup
March 16, 2013
Here’s a look at a baseball and softball scores from around the area Friday:
BASEBALL
Northview 3, Holmes County 2
Tate 8, Navarre 3
Chipley 7, Jay 6
West Florida 11, Bay 2
Escambia 3, Milton 2
Catholic 12, Davidson 1
Pensacola 8, Washington 0
Pace 5, Pine Forest 1
SOFTBALL
Milton 14, Pine Forest 2
Jay 16, Baker 1 (JV)
Central 4, Paxton 3
West Florida 12, Arnold 5
37 Burglary Cases Solved: Walnut Hill Man, Two Others, Arrested
March 16, 2013
Three men — including one from Walnut Hill — have been arrested in connection with 37 burglary cases that stretched from Beulah to Cantonment to Pace.
Charles Dylan Williams, age 19 of Walnut Hill, Richard Kevin Craig, age 21 of Pensacola, and Kevin Randall Bell, age 26 of Pensacola, were each charged with multiple counts of burglary, larceny, vehicle theft and fraudulent use of credit cards.
The arrests were “due to good investigative work and also with the help of a very conscientious local citizen”, according to Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan.
On January 25, a rash of burglaries were reported in the Indian Lakes subdivision in the Beulah area, including the theft of credit cards and a set of car keys. The suspects later returned to attempt to steal the vehicle. Deputies said they abandoned the vehicle when spotted, but a witness was able to give a good description of the trio.
Evidence against the men include surveillance video of the suspects and the vehicle as they used stolen credit cards at a Red Box video machine. Based on this information, investigators were able to locate the vehicle at a home in the 9000 block of Bridlewood Road.
During a search of the vehicle and home, the suspects confessed to multiple burglaries. According to the suspects they had been using the stolen credit cards for gas, fast food and “Magic” gaming cards at Walmart.
As of Friday afternoon all three men remained in the Escambia County Jail. Bond was set at $292,500 for Craig, $129,500 for Bell and $209,000 for Williams.
Molino Branch Library To Open April 1
March 15, 2013
An April 1 opening date has been set for the new Molino Branch Library.
The new library in the Molino Community Complex will be open 52 hours per week – from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
“This long awaited branch will be a wonderful resource for the citizens of Molino and the surrounding community. We are expecting it will be a highly used facility,” said Darlene Howell, library administrator.
An opening reception will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 1 to give the public an opportunity to meet the library staff, peruse the opening day collection, register for a library card and tour the facility.
The Molino Branch Library is located at 6450 Highway 95A (just south of Molino Road) in the Molino Community Complex, which opened back in October 2012.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.