Century Council Meeting Rescheduled
September 2, 2013
The regular first Monday night of the month council meeting tonight in Century has been rescheduled due to the Labor Day holiday.
This month, the Century Town Council will meet Monday, September 9 and Monday, September 16 at 7 p.m. at the Century Town Hall. All meetings are open to the public.
Cantonment Sonic Abruptly Closes
September 2, 2013
There’s no official word yet as to why the Sonic restaurant on Highway 29 in Cantonment abruptly closed this weekend. Customers who drove into the drive-in chain were greeted with missing menu boards and a sign that stated “We Are Now Closed” and directed customers to another Sonic location on Pensacola Boulevard.
The restaurant was constructed in 2007.
Pictured top and inset: Missing menu boards at the now closed Sonic location on Highway 29 in Cantonment. Pictured below: A sign announcing the closure of the Sonic on Highway 29 in Cantonment. Photos by Kristi Smith and Brad Johnson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Week Ahead: Prep Football Schedule
September 2, 2013
Here is a preview of Friday night’s high school football schedule from across the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
- Northview at Marianna, 7 p.m.
- PHS at Tate, 7:30 p.m.
- Milton at West Florida, 7 p.m.
- Pine Forest at Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
- Rocky Bayou Christian at Jay, 7 p.m.
- Escambia at Mosley, 7 p.m.
- Pass Christian (Miss.) at Washington, 7:30 p.m.
- Niceville at Pace, 7:30 p.m.
- Navarre at Wakulla, 7:30 p.m.
- Gulf Breeze at Fort Walton Beach, 7 p.m.
ALABAMA
- Clarke County at Escambia County, 7 p.m.
- Hooper Academy at Escambia Academy, 7 p.m.
- Washington County at Flomaton, 7 p.m.
- T.R. Miller at Opp, 7 p.m.
- Straughn at W.S. Neal, 7 p.m.
Smith Leads Pensacola Wahoos 5-1 Over Mobile BayBears
September 2, 2013
Josh Smith fired seven shutout innings and picked up his first hit of the season as part of a 5-1 Blue Wahoos win over the Mobile BayBears on Sunday evening at Hank Aaron Stadium. The win snapped Pensacola’s four-game losing streak.
Smith (W, 11-9) allowed just four hits during his seven strong innings, only one of which made it through the infield without at least being knocked down. The Southern League leader in strikeouts added four K’s to his ledger to bring his season total to 139. In addition, Smith reached on an infield single in the sixth inning for his first professional hit in 36 at-bats this season.
Pensacola provided plenty of offense for Smith, knocking Mobile starter David Holmberg out after five innings. Holmberg (L 5-8), making his first appearance since his Major League on debut on Tuesday, gave up two runs in the third inning on a Brandon Short single and a Travis Mattair ground out to make it 2-0. Chris Berset added a sac fly in the last of the fifth to make it 3-0. Holmberg gave up the three runs on eight hits with a strikeout and three walks.
Yorman Rodriguez smacked a two-run homer, his fourth of the season in the top of the ninth to provide some extra cushion. Lee Hyde saw his scoreless inning streak come to an end at 39 frames on Dustin Martin’s solo homer in the last of the ninth. Hyde had not given up a run since May 21 and his 31.2 scoreless frames with the Wahoos set a new franchise record.
The two teams will close out the 2013 season with a Labor Day matinee at Hank Aaron Stadium. Robert Stephenson (0-1, 3.45) gets the ball for Pensacola while Mobile will counter with Bo Schultz (5-4, 2.96). First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.
Lightning May Be To Blame For Bratt Fire
September 1, 2013
Lightning may be to blame for a fire inside a Bratt home this afternoon.
The residents of the 2800 block of Breastworks Road reported smoke in their brick home about 4:50 p.m. Firefighters arriving on scene reported light smoke in the structure coming from a burned computer.
There were no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to the incident.
Pictured inset and below: Light smoke pours out of a Breastworks Road home in Bratt Sunday afternoon. Pictured top: The source of the smoke was traced on burned computer equipment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Rain Chances Continue
September 1, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Labor Day: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Labor Day Closings
September 1, 2013
The following will be closed for the Labor Day holiday:
- All county offices in Escambia and Santa Rosa
- All city offices, including Century, Jay and Pensacola
- Schools in Escambia and Santa Rosa
- All public libraries, including Century, Jay and Pensacola
- Florida state offices
- All federal offices
- All post offices
- No bus service from ECAT, except for Pensacola Beach trolleys
- Pensacola State College
- University of West Florida
- The USPS retail windows. No carrier delivery. No mail collected from boxes. Express Mail will be delivered.
Trash Service
There will be no change in ECUA garbage, recycling, bulk or yard waste collections. The Perdido Landfill will be open, but administrative offices will be closed.
Public Hearing Set On Gulf Power Rate Increase Proposal
September 1, 2013
The Florida Public Service Commission has scheduled a customer service hearing in Pensacola to hear about a Gulf Power Company rate increase.
Gulf Power is asking the Florida PSC to approve a two-step price increase to help pay for the largest power grid construction program in the history of the company. The first increase would not take effect until April 2014, and it would increase the total bill for a residential customer buying 1,000-kilowatt hours by $8.94 per month or 7.5 percent — from the current price of $118.88 to $127.82.
The second step of the increase — related to the new environmental requirements — would not occur until 2015 and would raise the monthly bill an additional $1.99.
Anyone wishing to speak for, or against, the rate increase is welcome at the PSC meeting on Tuesday, September 3 at 4 p.m. in the Hagler Auditorium at Pensacola State College. The hearing will continue until everyone wishing to speak is heard.
Gulf Power said over the next three years the company is building and replacing power lines and infrastructure — some more than 70 years old — to keep electricity flowing to its 430,000 customers. In addition, new lines and equipment are needed to comply with new mandatory federal environmental regulations.
Part of the new transmission line construction is to help the company comply with new federal environmental regulations that will change the way the company operates its plants and will require plants to be shut down at regular intervals. The new lines and equipment will be used to ensure voltage stability and reliable power flow while the plants are offline.
Pictured inset: Gulf Power crews making upgrades to a distribution line. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott Pitches $500 Million In Tax Cuts, GOP Embraces Proposal
September 1, 2013
Gov. Rick Scott will ask the Legislature to slice taxes and fees by $500 million, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks Friday to a gathering of conservative activists in Orlando.
Scott said that an influx of new revenue for the state was a call for more tax cuts, even though the governor didn’t specify which taxes and fees he wanted to reduce.
“This year, we are committed to returning even more money to the hard-working Florida families who earn it,” Scott said. “I look forward to working with our friends in the Florida Legislature to make these tax cuts a reality.”
Scott spoke at the “Defending the American Dream Summit” held in Orlando by Americans for Prosperity, a group often associated with the tea party.
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, joined other Republicans in hailing the proposal. “When you announce a tax cut, you can count on a hearty cheer from the Florida House of Representatives,” Weatherford said. “We are supportive of the governor’s bold announcement today, and look forward to working with him next session.”
But House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, was lukewarm on the idea.
“I am sure that many Floridians may cautiously welcome the relief from Republican-proposed tax hikes. … But it is imperative that before promising tax cuts we have assurances our state can adequately fund education, health care, public safety and other priorities of working families and small businesses.”
During the Orlando speech, Scott also took some swipes at former Gov. Charlie Crist, a onetime Republican who appears to be laying the groundwork to run as a Democrat against Scott next year. Scott slammed Crist for taking emergency federal funding to help balance the state budget in the wake of the economic recession.
“My predecessor had made a name for himself by hugging President Obama’s non-stop spending — and even hugging the president,” Scott said in a reference to an embrace between Crist and President Barack Obama during an event pushing the program. “When asked about taking all the stimulus, he said he ‘needed the money.’ … D.C.’s spending addiction had spread to Florida.”
by The News Service of Florida
Photos: NHS Mini-Dance Team, Band, Cheerleaders
September 1, 2013
For a photo gallery with the Northview mini-dance Team, dance team, Tribal Beat Band, NJROTC and cheerleaders from Friday night’s game against Bozeman, click here.
For a game summary and action photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
