Let The Miracle League Fry Your Turkey
November 25, 2013
Want a fried turkey but afraid to try it yourself? Volunteers from the Miracle League of Pensacola will fry your turkey for you on Wednesday, November 27, saving you the time and trouble while benefiting the charity. And there is still time to make an appointment.
Completely thaw your turkey, removing all of the inside packaging and giblets. Write down exactly how much your turkey weighs so it is fried perfectly and take it to the Miracle League Park at 555 East Nine Mile Road from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday. For a monetary donation to Miracle League, the volunteers will fry your turkey to perfection. A minimum of $20 per turkey is necessary to help cover costs.
Appointments are encouraged. Call (850) 476-1650 to schedule your time.
Rain Moving In, Turning Colder
November 25, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Rain. Temperature rising to around 61 by 3am. East wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then rain after noon. Temperature falling to around 55 by 5pm. East wind around 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Tuesday Night: Rain likely, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 48. Breezy, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 25. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 51. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 27. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph after midnight.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 58. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 63.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
- Monday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
Jesse Eugene Wamsley
November 25, 2013
Jesse Eugene Wamsley, 68, of Flomaton, went Home to the Angels on Saturday, November 23, 2013.
Mr. Wamsley was born November 6, 1946, in Maysville, Kentucky and was raised by his grandparents, Ida and Jesse Wamsley on their sawmill. He was a Vietnam veteran and served in the Army as a truck driver for four years. He was member of the VFW and he was a truck driver.
Mr. Wamsley is survived by his loving wife of 19 years, Betty Wamsley; stepchildren, Wanda Copeland and Anthony Bingham, both of Pensacola; grandchildren, Tommy & Robyn Bingham, Johnny Hockett, Chris Bingham, Valerie Bingham and Alan Bingham; great-grandchildren, Mollie Hockett, Ava and Christian Bingham, Aleena Grozsanoff, Nicholas Simmons, Zachariah Ponder and Eric Mathis. He is also survived by his sister, Debbie Nichols and two daughters, April Wamsley and Andra Large all of Ohio; several nieces and nephews.
We would like to give a special thanks to the ladies of Flomaton Pharmacy and Tom Thumb Store at 113.
Graveside services will be Wednesday, November 27, 2013, at 1:15 p.m. at the Barrancas National Cemetery with Chaplin Ken Griffin officiating.
Burial will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 26, 2013, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Anthony Bingham, Thomas Bingham, Chris Bingham, Dereck Lowery, Wayne Copeland, Lonnie Barnes, Eric Mathis and Nicholas Simmons.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Michael Wayne Jordan
November 25, 2013
Mr. Michael Wayne Jordan, 41, passed away on Saturday, November 23, 2013, in Mobile.
Mr. Jordan was a native of Atmore and has resided in Midland City, AL most of his life. He is preceded in death by Cecil Jordan and grandparents, Jenkins Montgomery Jordan, Oanzy Warren Jordan and Evins Robert Hadley.
Mr. Jordan is survived by his mother, Tonya Hadley of Dothan and Atmore; one brother, Tony (Jessica) Burt of Bay Minette; grandmother, Cathy Baker of Cottonwood, AL and special friends, Shirley Jordan Turner, Tonya Jordan, Anthony Jordan, Misty Barber and Jackie Harrison all of Atmore and Ricky Hatton of Dothan, AL.
Funeral services will be held at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 26, 2013, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Wendell Hadley officiating.
Burial will follow at the Godwin Cemetery.
Visitation will be Tuesday, November 26, 2013, from 1 p.m. until service time at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Search Warrant Uncovers ‘One Pot’ Meth Lab
November 24, 2013
Investigators located a “one pot” meth lab when they executed a search warrant Thursday night at home just south of 10 Mile Road.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Unit executed the search warrant in the 1000 block of Cobblestone Drive, off Guidy Lane. Deputies reported finding a “one pot” meth lab, marijuana, pills and a long list of items commonly used and associated with meth labs.
A resident of the home, 37-year old Alex Thomas Johnson, was charged three counts of possession of a listed chemical, producing methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and driving while license suspended. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $25,000.
The Escambia County Rapid Response United responded to clear the home of hazardous materials.
At least one additional arrest is expected in the case, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.
FSA Advises Producers To Anticipate Payment Reductions
November 24, 2013
USDA’s Farm Service Agency is reminding farmers and ranchers who participate in FSA programs to plan accordingly in FY2014 for automatic spending reductions known as sequestration. The Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) mandates that federal agencies implement automatic, annual reductions to discretionary and mandatory spending limits. For mandatory programs, the sequestration rate for FY2014 is 7.2%.
Accordingly, FSA is implementing sequestration for the following programs:
- Dairy Indemnity Payment Program;
- Marketing Assistance Loans;
- Loan Deficiency Payments;
- Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program;
- Tobacco Transition Payment Program;
- 2013 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payments;
- 2013 Average Crop Revenue Election Program;
- 2011 and 2012 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program;
- Storage, handling; and
- Economic Adjustment Assistance for Upland Cotton.
Conservation Reserve Program payments are specifically exempt by statute from sequestration, so these payments will not be reduced.
“These sequester percentages reflect current law estimates; however with the continuing budget uncertainty, Congress still may adjust the exact percentage reduction. Today’s announcement intends to help producers plan for the impact of sequestration cuts in FY2014,” said FSA Administrator Juan M. Garcia. “At this time, FSA is required to implement the sequester reductions. Due to the expiration of the Farm Bill on September 30, FSA does not have the flexibility to cover these payment reductions in the same manner as in FY13. FSA will provide notification as early as practicable on the specific payment reductions. ”
For information about FSA programs, visit your county USDA Service Center or go to www.fsa.usda.gov.
Tate’s Showband Of The South To Perform in 2014 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade
November 24, 2013
The Tate High School Showband of the South has been selected to perform in the 2014 Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. Aired on WPVI TV in Philadelphia, the parade is also seen nationally on ABC’s Good Morning America. The parade is billed as the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States.
Plans call for the Tate Showband to spend time in both Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. when they make the trip next year.
Pictured: The 2013-2014 Tate High Showband of the South. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cooler Weather This Week
November 24, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. North wind around 15 mph.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday: A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Rain. Low around 51. Northeast wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
- Tuesday: Rain. High near 59. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Tuesday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 42. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 32. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
- Thanksgiving Day: Sunny, with a high near 54.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
Brothers In Communications
November 24, 2013
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” This William Shakespeare quote is literally true for two sets of brothers in Escambia County’s 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion.
Brothers Spc. Micaiah Glover and 1st Lt. Elijah Glover; and Sgt. Brandon Corey McAlpin and Sgt. Richard Kyle McAlpin provide communication and signal support for the 31st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Brigade, of Alabama and the 4th Military Police Brigade, of Michigan for Vibrant Response 13-2. Vibrant Response, a major field training exercise, is conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.
Approximately 5,700 service members and civilians from the military and other federal and state agencies are training to respond to a catastrophic domestic incident. As a component of U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Army North, coordinates timely federal military response to disasters in the homeland to help the American people in time of need.
Elijah Glover, the unit’s executive officer and acting commander at Vibrant Response, treats his twin brother in a professional manner. Micaiah addresses Elijah as sir, and Elijah addresses Micaiah as Glover. Elijah leaves it up to the non-commissioned officer to counsel his brother if it is needed.
Micaiah said if he needs something for the field, he uses his chain of command like any other soldier in the unit would. He doesn’t go directly to his brother.
“We still joke around and talk about family matters every once in while if we have time during lunch or before formation,” said Micaiah, a 25B — an information technology specialist. Adding they focus on the mission while on duty.
Micaiah installs, operates and performs unit maintenance on multi-functional/multi-user information processing systems and peripheral equipment and auxiliary devices. He’s mostly in charge of the internet networks inside a building.
Elijah said it takes people a while to figure out that he and Micaiah are brothers because of their professionalism.
The other set of brothers are a little different.
Unlike the Glovers, they are not twins. And they call each other by their middle names — Corey and Kyle.
“NCOs are allowed to call each other by their first name if they know each other and are the same rank,” Elijah said.
“We work off each other’s strengths,” said Kyle. “There’s some stuff I know better, and there’s some stuff he knows better. We work really well as a team.”
Corey, a 25S — satellite communication systems operator-maintainer, is responsible for lines of communication. He works mostly with line-of-site communications. It’s a truck that has an external wire that connects to a 15- to 30-foot antenna. The line-of-site communications is mostly there in case the satellite goes out, but also to help clear disruption in communication.
Kyle, a 25Q — multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer, works directly on equipment that communicate through more than one channel. He mostly works with the Satellite Transport Terminal. As a civilian mechanic, Kyle also is able to fix some of the unit’s equipment when it goes down — like the generator.
“Soldiers describe Corey as the ‘City Mouse’ and Kyle as the ‘Country Mouse’,” said Elijah. “You’ll be able to decipher the monikers in quick conversation. Kyle has a distinct Southern accent and parables life in well-drawn tales. While Corey prefers the tall silent persona.”
Elijah, describing the McAlpin brothers, said “The Brothers Mac work well on and off the proverbial grid; with one another, their leaders and fellow NCOs and with their subordinates. These gentlemen command a respect due any professional of their caliber.”
Elijah added one final thought to describe the two sets of brothers: “During duty hours professionalism with a mission focus is the personal creed of all members of the 146th ESB family and the standard holds no exceptions for those of blood relation.”
Story by Spc. Alfonso Corral, 318th Public Affairs Operations Center
Pictured top: Spc. Micaiah Glover and his brother 1st Lt. Elijah Glover; and Sgt. Brandon Corey McAlpin and his brother Sgt. Richard Kyle McAlpin, all members of the 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion from Pensacola, provide a Satellite Transportable Terminal for use during U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) led Exercise Vibrant Response 13-2. Spc. Micaiah Glover and Sgt. Brandon Corey McAlpin of the 146th Expeditionary Signal Battalion of Escambia County troubleshoot internet problems and perform maintenance on a Satellite Transportable Terminal during the exercise. Photos by Sgt. Alfonso Corral, 318 Press Camp, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Holiday Cooking: Good For The Soul; Bad For The Environment
November 24, 2013
It’s that time of year again. The holidays mean special times with family and friends, and lots of delicious food: turkey, gravy, buttery homemade desserts and yes, the potential for sanitary sewer overflows.
It’s true; the holiday season comes with an increased possibility of pollution from costly sewer backups and overflows. During the holidays, when more cooks are preparing higher-fat-content foods such as deep-fried turkeys, the amount of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) entering into the ECUA sewer system increases, as does the potential for problems.
When turkey fat and gravy are washed down the drain during cleanup of pots, pans and fryers, the fats and greasy scraps harden, and stick to the inside of sewer lines. This build up increases over time, especially in cold weather, and can cause clogs and potential overflows. Who wants that problem at a holiday gathering?
Fortunately, there are ways we can all make sure our kitchens don’t contribute to potential pollution, and avoid sewage backups in our homes and neighborhoods. Cooks should refrain from disposing of fatty substances such as lards/shortening, butter/margarine, food scraps, dairy products, batter and icing, salad dressings and sauces into a sink or drain.
If You’re Frying a Turkey this Year:
Deep-frying a turkey often leaves behind three to five gallons of used cooking oil. ECUA recommends the following steps be taken to safely dispose of used cooking oil:
- Let the oil cool completely. Pour it into its original container or another leak-proof container and label “Used Cooking Oil.”
- Take the used cooking oil to an ECUA Cooking Oil Disposal Station or call the ECUA for a free Residential Household Hazardous Waste collection.
- For smaller volumes allow the oil to cool and solidify. Scrape it into the trash. Hint: add kitty litter to the oil. The litter will absorb the oil and form clumps for easy garbage disposal. Avoid scented or disinfectant types of kitty litter as they can react with the oil and cause a fire.
Please don’t dispose of FOG by dumping it in the yard. This action is harmful to the environment when rain washes FOG residue into the storm drain, reaching local waterways without treatment.
Here are tips for a friendly FOG cleanup:
- Pour cooled FOG into a can with a lid and preferably recycle at an ECUA drop off site.
- If you can’t recycle your FOG, please dispose of it in your garbage can. Wipe down greasy pots, pans and dishes with a paper towel before washing.
- Dispose of the paper towel in the garbage, not in your recycling can.
- Don’t use hot water or the garbage disposal to wash fats down the drain. Water cools through the pipes, causing fats to harden into clogs further along in the sewer system.
- Drop off used cooking oil at following ECUA Disposal Stations:
Clean & Green
3303 North Davis Highway
Baskerville Donovan Engineering
449 West Main Street
ECUA at Ellyson Industrial Park
9255 Sturdevant Street
ECUA Sanitation Department
3050 Godwin Lane
ECUA Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility
3050 Fayal Drive
Pensacola Beach on Via de Luna Drive
Between Pensacola Beach Elementary School and Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church
NAS Pensacola (Military and Base Personnel ONLY)
Andrew Jackson Court
Fort Santa Maria de Galve Hase Road
Slemmer Avenue
Abb Street across from the Naval Survival Training Institute
Murray Street and Billingsley Street
Corry Field Housing at NAS Corry Station
For additional information visit the ECUA website www.ecua.fl.gov or call 476-0480.