First Responders Investigate Irritating Odor In Walnut Hill
August 27, 2013
First responders spent over two hours searching for the cause of an irritating odor Monday night in the Walnut Hill area.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office first responded to the area of Arthur Brown Road and Corley Road, at the railroad tracks, about 9:30 p.m.
Residents reported a smell similar to, but different from, leaking natural gas. Some said the strong odor was irritating to their nose and throat. Firefighters were able to smell the odor in several locations around Arthur Brown Road, Juniper Street, Cypress Street, Kansas Road and Smith Lane — but they were unable to pinpoint an exact source.
While the Genesis Rail Services Walnut Hill Station, a train-to-pipeline crude oil transfer station is located in the area, it was not believed to be associated with the smell. The wind was blowing toward the facility, not away from it, in the areas where residents reported the smell, firefighters said.
Pictured: The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS set up a staging area Monday night at Escambia Grain on Arthur Brown Road as they searched for the source of an irritating odor mostly west of the location. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sheriff, Molino Residents Praise Neighborhood Watch Effectiveness
August 27, 2013
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan praised the effectiveness of neighborhood watch groups Monday night during a meeting of the Molino Mid-County Neighborhood Watch,.
“We can’t be everywhere all the time; you are our eyes and ears,” Morgan told the group. “Especially in the rural areas…everybody knows their neighbors.”
Sarah Jenness, president of the two-year old Molino neighborhood watch group agreed. “It’s very effective and it works,” she said.
The number of neighborhood watch groups in Escambia County is up to 114.
For more information on a joining or starting a neighborhood watch in your community, call David Craig at (850) 436-9620. The Molino Mid-County Neighborhood Watch group meets on the fourth Monday night of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Molino Community Complex.
Pictured top: Molino Mid-County Neighborhood Watch President Sarah Jenness (background) listens to Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan speak Monday night in Molino. Pictured below: Molino Mid-County Neighborhood Watch members. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Scott Opens Education Summit
August 27, 2013
Educators, business leaders and advocates gathered Monday in Clearwater for a three-day education summit called by Gov. Rick Scott — but the first day in some ways served to highlight differences between those involved in public schools as the system enters a critical period.
In an early example of the disagreements that could affect the meeting, Joanne McCall, vice president of the Florida Education Association, highlighted teacher concerns with the state’s accountability system, now under siege from several sources.
“I’ve been all over this state as school begins … and they’re frustrated,” she said. “They don’t feel the system has value, and they don’t trust the system.”
But Keith Calloway, with the Professional Educators Network of Florida, said teachers were not uniformly opposed to the state’s system of assessing teachers.
“There are many of us teachers out there right now that like the evaluations,” he said.
The summit comes as Florida faces several ongoing controversies in its accountability system. The State Board of Education recently approved a one-year extension of a policy that prevented each school from dropping more than a letter grade on its state report card after superintendents complained of a likely implosion in scores.
Despite the move, 107 elementary schools, or slightly more than 4 percent, received “F” grades on the report card. In 2012, 40 schools got F grades, amounting to just more than 1.5 percent.
That marked the highest number of schools to get an F at least since the program started including learning gains as part of the report card in 2002.
Meanwhile, legislative leaders have pushed the Department of Education to abandon its plan to use an exam developed by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, a consortium aimed at coming up with tests that will measure students’ achievements under common core. Common core, in turn, is a set of standards agreed to by the overwhelming majority of states.
And the Florida Education Association has filed a lawsuit against a state law tying teacher pay more closely to student performance, arguing that all teachers were not treated fairly by the law.
Meanwhile, the resignation of former Education Commissioner Tony Bennett, after questions about his involvement in school grading policies in Indiana, left Florida looking for its third new education commissioner since Scott took office.
Even efforts to come up with a set of “guiding principles” for the summit caused waves when one of the principles said PARCC “will require an excessive amount of testing time, will be too expensive, and has been marked by overreaches from the federal government into education policy.”
The principle was changed after a lengthy debate when several members objected that it seemed like the decision on the test had already been made.
“I think it’s premature on the first afternoon to have a full discussion of PARCC and other things as one of our guiding principles,” said Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association.
Participants at the summit are set to discuss the state’s education standards and tests on Tuesday, followed by conversations about school grades and teacher evaluations on Wednesday.
by The News Service of Florida
Northview Lady Chiefs Get District Volleyball Win
August 27, 2013
The Northview Lady Chiefs picked up a district win Monday as their regular season opened against Holmes County.
Northview beat Holmes County 25-12, 25-15, 25-5. Kyndall Hall had seven aces, four kills and three assists for the Chiefs, while Lily Townson had four aces, one kill and 16 assists. Lana Clayton added two aces, four kills and one block.
The Lady Chiefs will host Catholic on Tuesday, with the JV playing at 5:00 and the varsity following at 6:00.
Wahoos Beat Barons 6-2
August 27, 2013
Josh Smith shut down a potent Birmingham attack with seven two-hit innings while the offense battered 10 hits in a 6-2 win over the Barons on Monday night in front of the 30th sellout crowd of the year at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Pensacola’s victory combined with a Jacksonville triumph pushed the Blue Wahoos to just three games out of first place with six games remaining.
Smith (W 10-9) battled his command throughout his outing, walking five, but he countered that with five strikeouts to increase his Southern League leading total to 135 on the year. The lone run he gave up came on a Dan Black solo homer leading off the second. With the victory, Smith became the first Blue Wahoos pitcher to record 10 wins in a single season.
Pensacola’s offense quickly responded in support of Smith with a pair of runs in three separate frames. Travis Mattair tied the game at one in the second on an RBI double and came around to score on an RBI groundout from Brandon Short. In the fifth inning, the Wahoos strung together three two-out hits, culminating in a two-run double from Yorman Rodriguez to make it 4-1. Rodriguez had a huge night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and two RBI.
In the seventh inning, Mike Costanzo gave Pensacola some extra breathing room with a two-run, two-out homer off Dan Remenowsky to push the Wahoos in front 6-1. Costanzo was 2-for-4 with his fourth homer of the year, two runs scored and two RBI. Devin Lohman scored on the round tripper and posted a solid line as well, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Spencer Arroyo (L 8-7) got the start for the Barons and allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk in five innings.
Having already assured a series victory, the Wahoos will look to make it nine wins in their last 11 times out in the 2013 home finale on Tuesday night. Reds top pitching prospect Robert Stephenson (0-1, 1.64) will go for Pensacola opposite Birmingham’s Chris Bassitt (4-2, 2.11). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
NWE Eagles Soar In Preseason Action
August 27, 2013
The Northwest Escambia Eagles had a mostly winning day Saturday in preseason youth football jamborees at W.S. Neal in East Brewton.
The NWE Freshmen (ages 4-6) lost 13-7 to Poarch and Beat Baker 27-0. Kaden Dove, Zyonne Wesley, Liam Hatcher and Jackson Simmons all scored. The team had about 170 yards rushing against Baker, and Wesley contributed a 35-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
The NWE Sophomores (ages 7-8) beat host W.S. Neal 16-0. Kaden Odom scores two touchdowns and Nolin Godwin scored a couple of two-point conversions. In their second scrimmage of the day, the NWE’s 7-8 year olds beaet Baker 6-0. Kaden Odom scored the only touchdown for NWE, and the two-point conversion was stopped short.
The Northwest Escambia Juniors (ages 9-10) beat Poarch 16-0. The Eagles defense held Poarch to negative yardage, with NWE touchdowns fromJayden Jackson and Jaheem Durant. Jackson and Durant each scored a two point conversion. The Juniors also beat Baker 16-0. Jackson stripped the ball from Baker and returned it for an Eagles touchdown. Jaheem Durant and Jaden Cunningham also added a TD. Jaden Cunningham completed a pass to Dariontae Richardson for a two-point conversion and Michael Merchant added a two-point conversion on a quarterback sneak.
The Eagles Seniors (ages 11-12) lost to W.S. Neal 6-0. Trent Kite had a touchdown called back against Neal. And the NWE Seniors beat Baker 22-0 with one touchdown from Kite and two TD’s from Seth Killam. Killam was 2-3 on extra point kicks.
During the preseason events at W.S. Neal, each team played two 20 minutes games with running clocks.
NWE will travel to Baker High Saturday, with the Freshmen getting the action started at 2 p.m., followed by the Sophomores at 3:30, Juniors and 5:00 and the Seniors at 7:00.
Pictured top: Michael Merchant (#15) scores for the Juniors. Pictured below: Kaden Dove adds a touchdown for the NWE Freshmen. Pictured inset: The NWE Seniors celebrate their victory over Baker. Pictured bottom: The NWE Sophomore cheerleaders. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Walter “Tom” Hall
August 27, 2013
Mr. Walter “Tom” Hall, 82, passed away on Sunday, August 25, 2013, in Atmore.
Mr. Hall was a native of Bratt and a resident of Atmore since 1988. Mr. Hall attended the Canoe Baptist Church.
Survivors include his daughter, Norma Grace Hall of Atmore; one brother, Allen Clark Hall of Atmore; one sister, Margaret Alice Bailey of Carlsbad, NM; caretaker, Susie Hall of Atmore; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, August 28, 2013, at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Ronald Hall and Rev. Jake Bondurant officiating.
Burial was at the Pine Barren Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Gwen Hendricks, James Scott II, Anthony Lamb, Richard Faircloth, Aaron Hall and Mike Smith.
Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Theresa “GiGi” Stephens Cardwell
August 27, 2013
Theresa Stephens Cardwell, 65, of Pensacola, passed away on Monday, August 26, 2013, with her family by her side.
Theresa was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1947. She was a graduate of Robert E. Lee High Class of 1966. She married Joe Cardwell on June 3, 1967, and relocated to Pensacola shortly thereafter. She was a dedicated employee of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department for 33 years. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who devoted much of her time to her family. She was known as “GiGi” by her loved ones. She was a kind-hearted person and went above and beyond to give to others.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 47 years, Joe S. Cardwell and her parents, Sam and Gussie Stephens.
She is survived by her daughter, Cassandra Allen and husband, Eric of Cantonment and their children, Carley, CariAnn, and Jaxon; brother, Steve Stephens and wife, Jamie of Wetumpka, AL; nephews, Seth Stephens and wife, Nikki and Cameron Stephens of Wetumpka.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to Irene Bowker, Wayne Barber, Linda Brill and Sandra Hofer for their love, care and support. They would also like to thank Dr. Wade, Dr. Erdos and Covenant Hospice staff, Katie, Evelyn, Cathy and Jan.
Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. with the funeral service at 6 p.m.at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North on Thursday, August 29, 2013.
Interment will be at Montgomery Memorial Cemetery on Friday, August 30, 2013, at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Covenant Hospice in Theresa’s memory.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
George Selton Brooks
August 27, 2013
Mr. George Selton Brooks, 59, passed away on Sunday, August 25, 2013, in Foley.
Mr. Brooks was a native of Pensacola, former resident of Bay Minettte and resided in Foley for the past 16 years. His parents, James and Lillian Brooks; two brothers, James Edward Brooks and Riley Sherman Brooks; and two sisters, Laura Jean Johnson and Mattie Sue Johnson precede him in death.
Survivors include his two brothers, Harrel Brooks of Pine Grove, AL and William Brooks of Luverne, AL; four sisters, Lillian Aline Hadley of Perdido, Flora Lee Hadley of Bay Minette, Mary Katherine Hadley of Fish River, AL and Tina Elaine Stringfellow of Pearl, MS.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, August 27, 2013, at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Earl Crook and Rev. Robert Lord officiating.
Burial was held at the Brooks Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Lonnell Hadley, Charlie Synder, Dewayne Hadley, Anthony Hadley, Nickayiah Brooks, David Williams, Turner Brooks and Charles Boatwright.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC, is in charge of all arrangements.
Cantonment Woman Injured In Morning Crash With Tree
August 26, 2013
A Cantonment woman received minor injuries in a single vehicle crash this morning.
About 6 a.m., 33-year old Rebecca Reeves was southbound on Highway 95A near El Camino Drive when she left the roadway and struck a sign and then a tree, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Her 2005 Dodge Dakota came to rest against a tree.
Reeves was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. She was cited by the FHP with careless driving.