Susan Story To Be Named CEO At American Water
December 16, 2013
American Water Works Company Inc. (AWK), the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, has announced that Jeff Sterba will retire from his role as president and chief executive officer of American Water at the Company’s annual meeting, scheduled for May 9, 2014. At that time, American Water’s current senior vice president and chief financial officer Susan N. Story will succeed Sterba as president and CEO. Sterba will stay on as an advisor to Story to ensure a smooth transition until January 1, 2015.
“I am so proud of what the American Water employees have achieved in the past few years,” said Jeff Sterba, president and CEO of American Water. “With a clear and well established vision, we have and will continue to execute our strategy. The leadership team at American Water has created a company where continuous improvement is fully ingrained into our culture, customers are at the center of our actions and increasing shareholder value has and will be the result. While I will miss the committed and dedicated people of American Water, I know I will leave the company in incredibly capable hands, ensuring a pathway for sustainable and profitable growth.”
“The Board is also very pleased that Susan Story will become American Water’s next leader,” said George MacKenzie, Chairman of American Water’s Board of Directors. “Susan has more than 30 years of utility experience and knowledge and we are confident that under her direction, American Water will continue to deliver the solid performance its customers, employees and shareholders have come to expect.”
Story is currently American Water’s senior vice president and chief financial officer. American Water expects to name Story’s CFO successor prior to May 2014.
“American Water is a remarkable company. Our employees are dedicated to providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable water; to the highest levels of customer service; and to the effective stewardship of our environment. Our company is built on integrity and committed to financial fundamentals that serve the best interest of our customers, employees, shareholders and communities,” said Story. “It is an honor and a privilege to be part of this top-notch leadership team and these highly committed employees. We look forward to carrying on the tradition of excellence and outstanding performance that Jeff Sterba established during his time leading this great company.”
Before joining American Water, Story served as executive vice president of Southern Company, one of America’s largest generators of electricity serving both regulated and competitive markets across the southeastern United States. In that role she was also president and CEO of Southern Company Services, providing a wide array of shared services across the company’s geographic footprint.
A seasoned utility executive, Story also served as president and CEO of Gulf Power Company, a Florida subsidiary of Southern Company, and as Southern Company’s executive vice president of Engineering and Construction Services. Story began her career at Southern Company as a nuclear power plant engineer and had increasing executive and leadership responsibilities in both power plant and T&D operations, marketing, customer service, human resources, corporate real estate and supply chain management.
Betty Joyce Knowles
December 16, 2013
Mrs. Betty Joyce Knowles, 77, passed away on Saturday, December 14, 2013, in Bay Minette.
Mrs. Knowles was a native of Uriah and had resided in Atmore for most of her life. Mrs. Knowles was a clerk at the Jr Food Store until it closed, then went to Conoco as a clerk and retired to care for her family. She attended the McCullough Christian Center. Her husband, Paul R. Knowles, precedes her in death.
She is survived by son, Kriss (Teresa) Lambeth of Atmore; one daughter, Kathy (John) Gardner of Lake Mills, Wisconsin; five grandchildren, Chris Lambeth, Kim Walker, Jesse Gardner, Jenny Gardner and Janna Gardner and two great-grandchildren, Alyssa Walker and Austin Walker.
Graveside services will be Friday, December 20, 2013, at 2 p.m. at the Oak Hill Cemetery with Rev. Richard Daniel officiating.
Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, December 19, 2013, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Toyz For Kidz Bike Ride Provides Christmas For Needy Kids
December 15, 2013
Santa had some very special helpers Saturday as the LA Bikers rolled through Bratt, Flomaton and Atmore making sure that nearly 60 needy kids had presents for Christmas this year.
It was the 13th annual toy ride organized by the LA Bikers.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Dozens of children received new bicycles and helmets, clothes, shoes and lots of toys. About 75 bikers took part in the event with stops at Bratt Elementary,the Flomaton Fire Department and Atmore City Hall.
Pictured: Children receive Christmas gifts Saturday morning in Atmore (top), Flomaton (below) and Bratt (bottom). Pictured inset: A parent thanks Santa Claus and the LA Bikers for providing Christmas presents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Record High Tied Saturday, Much Colder For Sunday
December 15, 2013
Saturday, it was officially 77 degrees in Pensacola, tying the old high temperature record set back in 1921. But our Sunday will be much colder.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Today: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 49. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Tonight: Clear, with a low around 30. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 35. Calm wind.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Calm wind.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Calm wind.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Light east wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 72.
- Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
- Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.
Photos: Thousands Attend Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade
December 15, 2013
Thousands attended the annual Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade Saturday night. The parade featured over two dozen lighted floats, twirlers, antique cars, bands, marchers, Santa Claus and more.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: A lighted float in the annual Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade Saturday night. Pictured inset: Santa waves at parade goers. Pictured below: The Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders. Pictured: The theme for the parade was “Under the Sea. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Santa Trades Sleigh For Fire Truck To Visit McDavid Area Children
December 15, 2013
Santa Claus traded in his sleigh Saturday for a big red fire truck as he visited boys and girls across the McDavid Fire Department district. The Jolly Old Elf stopped at children’s homes, visiting with children and listening carefully to those last minute Christmas wishes.
The McDavid Volunteer Fire Department has provided the Santa escorts for over 20 years.
Reader submitted photos by Betty Hasty, Sara Knighten and Tammie Brown for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wreaths Across America Honors Veterans
December 15, 2013
More than 3,500 wreaths were placed on graves at Barrancas National Cemetery on NAS Pensacola on Saturday.
The wreaths were placed as part of the national event “Wreaths Across America”, a tradition that began 20 years ago at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington.
“Freedom is not free,” Rear Adminiral (Ret.) Donald P. Quinn, Commander, Naval Education and Technical Training, said. “Thanks for remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as their families. This is important. ”
Pictured above and below: The Young Marines of Pensacola were among hundreds of volunteers that place more than 3,500 wreaths Saturday at Cemetery on NAS Pensacola. Pictured left inset: Beckie Nelson of Bratt pauses during the Wreaths Across America event. Photos by Karen Sztuckski for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Creative Gardening Gift Ideas
December 15, 2013
Still don’t have a Christmas present for your favorite gardener? Take heart, there is still plenty of time to find, or make, that perfect “green” gift.
Many gardeners don’t think of their landscapes as just plants in the ground. To the knowledgeable landscape designer, the landscape is a series of rooms; rooms that may require decoration.
Garden art can be anything from the whimsical garden gnomes, functional obelisks or metal sculptures.
Garden obelisks can serve many functions. In addition to providing interest during all four seasons, they can act as beautiful focal points in the garden. They can make your garden look as if it was designed by a professional.
In a flower garden, they provide support for plants such as climbing roses, flowering vines and many other climbers and twiners. In the edible garden, many types of fruits and vegetables, such as various types of beans, can be grown on obelisks.
Obelisks come in many different sizes and shapes. Common shapes include tall, rounded or oblong forms, rectangular forms, and pyramids. Most vining plants will take to any shape. Choose the shape that is pleasing to you and blends in with your garden design. Obelisks can be made from a variety of materials including cedar, copper and wrought iron.
Furthermore, if you are an avid recycler, there are plenty of materials just laying around that can be made into a functional obelisk with a minimum amount of skill and time. Take a look on the internet and you will find plenty of help in fashioning a home-made creation.
A “growing” trend is metal garden art. Metal garden art can be fun, playful or even classical. It can be used to create a focal point in the garden or to brighten up a dull spot. From small garden stakes, to colorful wall art, to sculptures small and large, the possibilities are endless. With so many materials to choose from and so many artists working in the field you will be sure to find at least one piece to add color and character to your yard.
Again, if you are an avid recycler, you will be able to find many pieces made from recycled metal. Recycled steel drums or tanks, discarded bicycle or tricycles, old car parts, these all provide the raw materials for the creative eco-artist.
Copper is widely used in metal garden art because it is beautiful, durable and adds elegance to any garden. If allowed to oxidize it will age gracefully to a natural weather worn green patina. It can also be preserved with a clear coating to maintain its bright, shiny look. Copper sculptures, wall art and garden stakes add a touch of class to any decor.
For a classic look add a bronze garden sculpture. Bronze sculptures have been around for thousands of years. They remain popular today because they are classic, timeless and will last for generations.
Whatever your taste, classic, contemporary or just playful, garden art will warm your heart even on the coldest winter day.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Supreme Court Cancels Hearing On Execution Drug
December 15, 2013
The Florida Supreme Court on Friday canceled oral arguments in a case challenging the state’s use of a new three-drug cocktail in executions. The court issued a terse, one-sentence order calling off a hearing scheduled for Wednesday on the issue. It wasn’t immediately clear what the ruling meant, though it did signal the court was likely to issue a decision based on written briefs.
Convicted murderer Askari Abdullah Muhammad, who was set to die Dec. 3, won a temporary reprieve from the justices last month. Muhammad’s attorneys have argued that William Frederick Happ, who was executed in October using the new drug mix, was conscious for an unusually long time while being put to death and moved his head — showing that Muhammad might experience pain while being executed if the new combination is used.
Happ was executed using a combination of chemicals including midazolam hydrochloride — instead of the previously used pentobarbital sodium — as part of the cocktail. The drug, the first of three injections, renders the inmate unconscious.
But Bradford County Circuit Judge Phyllis Rosier, tasked with holding a hearing on the drugs, ruled that there was no evidence that the use of midazolam hydrochloride would violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Muhammad, 62, was slated to be executed for stabbing corrections Officer Richard James Burke to death with a sharpened spoon in October 1980, while Muhammad was already on Death Row. Muhammad, who was known at the time as Thomas Knight, was initially convicted of kidnapping and killing Sydney and Lillian Gans in 1974. He also escaped from the Dade County Jail while awaiting trial and was involved in a liquor store robbery in Cordele, Ga., where two clerks were shot, with one killed.
Birth: Trace Levi Lambeth
December 15, 2013
Jeremy and Kristin (Simmons) Lambeth are proud to announce the birth of their son, Trace Levi Lambeth, born October 17, 2013, at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
Trace Levi weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19 inches long.
Grandparents are Johnny and Monica Lambeth of Brewton, Kenny and Kathy White of Atmore, and the late Henny and Tracey Simmons of Jacksonville. Great grandparents are Ronnie and Nancy Darby, the late Katherine (Kat) and Henderson Simmons, the late Everett and Katherine Welch and the late Thomas and Mildred (Boutwell) Bethea.