New Peanut Processing Plant Coming To Flomaton
April 11, 2013
An Alabama peanut processor is set to expand with the construction of new processing plant near Flomaton.
The Brooks Peanut Company of Samson, Ala., will build the $6-7 million plant on Highway 113. The company, operating at Escambia Peanut, LLC, expects to hire under a half dozen full time employees for year-round jobs. But during peanut season, the plant is expected to operate 24/7 with over two dozen employees.
The regional peanut processing plant is expected to be operational in time for this year’s harvest.
The Brooks Peanut Company’s largest customer is M&M/Mars for the company’s peanut M&M’s. Brooks also sells peanuts for peanut butter to Smuckers and Conagra Foods.
Pictured: The Brook Peanut Company plant in Samson, Ala. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Log-A-Load Bass Tourney To Benefit Children’s Hospital
April 11, 2013
The 17th Annual Charity Log A Load for Kids Bass Tournament and Live Auction will be held this Saturday at Live Oak Landing in Stockton, Ala.
Well over $10,000 in guaranteed prize money will be awarded, including a $3,000 first place prize. The tournament and events will raise funds for Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Log-A-Load is sponsored by the Florida Forestry Association and the Florida Loggers Council.
Preregister by Friday at A-1 Accessories at 700 South Highway 29 in Cantonment, or register day of the event.
For complete details, click here.
BayBears Beat The Wahoos
April 11, 2013
The Mobile BayBears scored in four of their first five at-bats en route to a dominating 10-2 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Wednesday night at Hank Aaron Stadium.
Mobile roughed up Pensacola starter Josh Smith (0-2) for six runs in two innings. Five of the first six batters reached for the BayBears in the first inning with RBI’s coming from Jon Griffin and Brent Clevlen and another run scoring on an error. It was a similar script an inning later as, again, five of the first six reached and Mobile scored three more runs. Griffin and Clevlen provided RBI’s in the frame and ended up driving in a pair apiece.
The BayBears added a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to salt the game away. Eight of the nine starters for Mobile recorded at least one base knock in the 16-hit onslaught.
Pensacola’s two runs came on a fourth-inning two-run homer from Brodie Greene, his first of the season. Greene extended his hitting streak to nine games dating back to last season in the process.
The Wahoos had great chances to get back into the game in the third and fourth frames. In the third, Pensacola loaded the bases with two outs, but Travis Mattair grounded into a fielder’s choice. In the next inning, the Wahoos had the bags packed for Donald Lutz, but he struck out swinging to end the threat.
Alexis Lara (1-0) picked up the victory in relief of starter David Holmberg for Mobile. Lara entered in the fifth inning and retired all nine batters he faced. Holmberg was limited to four innings due to a high pitch count and gave up two runs on six hits, walking three and striking out a trio of Wahoos.
The series continues on Thursday with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch from Hank Aaron Stadium. Tim Crabbe (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will get the start for Pensacola against Mobile’s Zeke Spruill (0-1, 3.00).
Story by Kevin Burke
Pictured top: Brodie Greene extended his hitting streak to nine games with a fourth-inning home run. Christopher Nelson photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Soft Opening Held For New Airport Hyatt; Joint Project With Poarch Creeks
April 11, 2013
A soft opening was held Wednesday for a new Hyatt Place Hotel at the Pensacola International Airport, a partnership between the Poarch Creek Indians of Atmore and Innisfree Hotels.
Construction on the $24 million development started back in January 2012. The 127-room hotel is projected to generate over $420,000 annually in non-airline revenue for the airport through lease fees, and $100,000 in local option sales taxes for the City of Pensacola. It will also create over $4 million in payroll revenues through the addition of about 235 new jobs to the local economy.
The land for the development is being leased from the City of Pensacola.
Innisfree currently owns and operates six other full service hotels and resorts in the Gulf Coast region of Florida and Alabama as well as four focused service properties in the southeast United States. In addition to the Windcreek Casino in Atmore, the Poarch Creek Indians operate several other properties, including the Pensacola Dog Track and Poker Room.
Pictured: A soft opening was held Wednesday for a new Hyatt Place Hotel at the Pensacola International Airport. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Senate Approves Budget Unanimously As House Readies For Debate
April 11, 2013
The Senate unanimously approved a $74.3 billion spending plan for the coming fiscal year on Wednesday even as House Democrats signaled that their chamber could face a more divisive debate set to begin Thursday.
Senate leaders hoped the rare, 40-0 vote in favor of the upper chamber’s plan (SB 1500) would strengthen their hand in negotiations with the House over the final contours of the budget for the year that begins July 1.
“I do think that Chair Negron and his sub-chairs have strong hands in going into conference with the House of Representatives,” said Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. “They know that the entire Senate is behind them.”
The chamber also approved a number of conforming bills dealing with everything from education to health insurance for state employees, often by lopsided margins.
The basic outlines of the Senate proposal remained essentially the same, including the centerpiece: a $1.2 billion increase in spending for public education, including a 5.8 percent boost in per-student funding. That includes $480 million for teacher pay raises, though the upper chamber would require any increases in salary to be based on performance.
It would change health-care reimbursements for hospitals, give state employees a raise and save $2.9 billion in reserves as a recovering state economy still faces potential speed bumps.
Senators also approved a number of amendments taking care of local issues or other concerns for individual members.
One friction point emerged over pay increases for corrections officers, who were omitted from a list of law enforcement employees who would get a tiered pay increase. Supporters of the amendment urged the Senate to come up with the $30 million, but relented after Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and other leaders pledged to work on the issue in conference.
“Let’s find the money,” pleaded Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness.
The House is set to begin debate on its version of the budget (HB 5001) on Thursday, but that spending plan appears to face a rockier road. House Democrats said Wednesday that they would oppose the budget because it doesn’t include a plan for drawing down billions of dollars in Medicaid funding to expand health care for low-income Floridians.
House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, brushed away Republican arguments that votes on the budget shouldn’t be cast over differences in policy.
“The budget is a reflection of our policy. … All budgets are a function of your priorities. This is a priority for us,” Thurston said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, told The Tampa Bay Times-Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau that the House would detail an alternative to Medicaid expansion on Thursday. Corcoran, who chairs the House committee looking into the federal health care law wouldn’t elaborate, though.
Once the House does approve a budget, Negron said he hoped that negotiations would go relatively quickly. In recent years, legislative leaders have struggled to come to quick agreements on the framework for negotiations as they struggled with dwindling tax revenues.
This year, the state’s financial outlook is relatively strong, and lawmakers have extra money to spend.
“When I look at the two budgets side by side, these are issues that can easily be resolved with good faith discussion between the House and the Senate,” Negron said.
By The News Service of Florida
Reverend Danny Reese McAlister
April 10, 2013
Reverend Danny Reese McAlister ,71, passed away on April 8, 2013, at his home in Ripley, Mississippi. Rev. Danny McAlister was born on January 25, 1942, to Albert Reese and Bessie Mae Wallis McAlister in New Albany, Mississippi. He had been a minister for over 59 years, Preaching his first sermon at 12 years of age. He pastored churches in Mississippi, Illinois and Florida. He was the pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in the late 1980’s. With his wife and family, he traveled over the United States singing and recording gospel music. For the past 15 years, he had battled numerous health issues.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Shirley Otterson McAlister of Ripley, Mississippi; one son, Danny McAlister, Jr. (Barbara) of Springfield, Missouri; two daughters, Cheryl Jackson (Charles) of Ripley, Mississippi; Lora Minton (J.T.) of Pensacola; two brothers, Jimmy McAlister (Paulette), Larry McAlister (Doris) all of Ripley, Mississippi; three sisters, Nellie Gandy of Memphis, Tennessee, Linda Grisham (Dennis) of Dumas, Mississippi, Shelia South (Sam) of Ripley, Mississippi; nine grandchildren, Rickey Bryant, Jr., Lucas Bryant, Tyler Bryant all of Ripley, Mississippi, Michael Mitchell, Donald Mitchell (Courtney) and Sara Mitchell all of Pensacola, Mandy Wiener (Charles), Heather Loyd (Adam), Dannielle Spaulding (Jacob) all of Memphis, Tennessee and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister,Sarah Ward and one grandson, Jacob Bryant.
Pallbearers will be Charles Jackson, Mike Frazier, Travis Brady, Jimmy McAlister, Rickey Medlin, Rickey Bryant, Jr., Lucas Bryant, Tyler Bryant.
Mom And Son Enter Pleas In Century Drug Case
April 10, 2013
A Century man and his mother have pleaded no contest in connection with a drug raid that landed the mother and two sons behind bars.
The trio was arrested when the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant in February 2012 at a mobile home in the 100 block of West Highway 4, near the Century Care Center nursing home.
Karen Louise Quinley, 44, pleaded no contest to charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and destruction of evidence. Judge Gary Bergosh set an early May sentencing date for Quinley.
Her son, 19-year old Cortez Rasheen Davison, pleaded no contest to possession of drug paraphernalia. He was found guilty by Bergosh and sentenced to 12 months probation.
Last year, 20-year old Nakeetric Devonte Davison pleaded no contest and adjudication was withheld on charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced by Judge Gary Bergosh to 180 days in the county jail, with credit for three days served to be followed by 180 days probation.
Search Warrant Executed
After gaining entry to the mobile home, deputies reported finding Quinley in her bedroom. Quinley told deputies that she had tried to throw crack cocaine out of her bedroom window when she heard them at the door, but she was unable to get a window to open.
Nakeetric Davison told deputies that everything in his bedroom belonged to him, including the marijuana located by deputies. When asked by deputies if he sells marijuana, Nakeetric Davison replied “Yeah, I don’t have a job”, according to an arrest report.
In Nakeetric Davison’s room, narcotics officers reported finding items that included 417.6 grams pre-packaged marijuana under his bed in a Pringles can, a cookie jar and a plastic container, cash and “owe sheets” on the floor.
Cortez Davison, according to his arrest report, identified his bedroom but refused to answer further questions, instead asking for an attorney.
The February 2012 raid was not the first time the Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit targeted alleged drug activity at the trailer. No one was home as officers executed a search warrant at the same mobile home in June 2010, finding a stem of marijuana in a bedroom, crack cocaine on the kitchen table, a razor blade with cocaine residue, a marijuana cigarette and digital scales during their search, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.
Quinley was arrested on multiple charges following the 2010 search, but charges against her were later dropped due to insufficient evidence since she was not at home at the time of the raid.
Pictured above: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit executed a drug-related search warrant at a mobile home in the 100 block of West Highway 4 in Century last February. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Medical Condition Leads To Crash Involving Jay Woman
April 10, 2013
A medical condition led to a Jay woman being seriously injured in a wreck Tuesday afternoon north of Pace.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 32-year old Sarah Layne Hatfield was southbound on Chumuckla Highway when she apparently suffered a seizure or fainting spell. Her 2005 Chevrolet Blazer crossed the center line and collided with a Peterbuilt truck driven by 60-year old Steven B. Lowry of Irvington, Ala., and 2010 Nissan driven by 28-year old
Ryan Daniel Teel of Pace.
Lowry was transported to West Florida Hospital with minor injuries, while Teel was not hospitalized. Hatfield was transported to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola in serious condition.
The FHP said Hatfield was not charged, but she is being recommended for a medical re-evaluation of her driver’s license.
Bratt Elementary Releases Third Nine Weeks Honor Roll
April 10, 2013
The following students were named to the third nine weeks honor roll at Bratt Elementary School:
All A’s
Ke’Azia Washington
Rabekah Abbott
Raegan Abbott
Anna Adams
Erich Amerson
Maggie Amerson
Sarah Bailey
John Bashore
Brody Black
Riley Blackwell
Sarah Branch
Luke Bridges
Aiden Broadhead
Keaton Brown
Abbie Buford
Conner Byrne
Emilee Cabral
Kayla Campbell
Kadence Clavert
Tyler Cloud
Shelby Cotita
Sophie Cotita
Cassie Davis
Wyatt Dillon
Colton Dockens
Savannah Doremus
Carsyn Dortch
Kaden Dove
Ryan Dove
Mayson Edwards
Scotty Elliott
Zykuria Fountain
Breyden Freeman
Caitlyn Gibson
Olivia Gibson
David Gilley
Amber Gilman
J.P. Gilman
Emma Gilmore
Gracie Godwin
Maggie Godwin
Shelby Godwin
Ava Gurganus
Zane Gurganus
Berklee Hall
Bryce Hall
Tucker Hall
Ashlan Harigel
Leah Hetrick
Sarah Margaret Hetrick
Hannah Hughes
Jacob Hughes
April Johnson
Hunter Johnson
Ally Jones
Anna King
Gage Lambert
Kennedy Long
Braeden McGhee
Bailie Merchant
Jaquez Moorer
Colby Morris
Mary Paige Nassar
Taviana Parker
Madison Peterson
Libby Pugh
Kenna Redmond
Angel Schoonover
Carter Sigafoose
McKenna Simmons
Savannah Spence
Mia Starns
Aubrey Stuckey
Bailey Van Pelt
Bentley Van Pelt
Summer Waters
Raycer Watson
Clay Wilson
Lane Wilson
Jonathan Windham
Kendall Wise
Ty Wise
All A’s and B’s
Addison Albritton
Elijah Amerson
Sara Amerson
Leah Berry
Bryuana Bivins
Kyle Blanton
Malachi Bolen
Tanner Boone
Cassidy Boutwell
Allie Brantley
Lexi Broadhead
Anastasia Bryan
Juliana Bryan
Macie Buford
Adrian Buggs
Paris Burt
Anyis Cabral
Cadynce Chason
Landon Chavers
Ashton Cloud
Cameron Cloud
Chloe Criswell
Karlee Criswell
Andrew Davis
Franki Daw
Sheyenne Dillon
Irmani Dixon
Makayla Dove
Tyteana Dubose
Cody Edwards
Jackson Edwards
Gage Eicher
Ahmad Elloitt
Alexis Evans
Jason Fayard
Jamyla Feagin
Jacob Findley
Neionni Findley
Kailey Fisher
Makayla Garrett
Paige Gibbs
Jakob Gibson
Ahzavion Gregory
Tony Hall
Kohle Harigel
Summer Harrell
Tatum Hasting
Kara Hawkins
Joshlynn Helton
Gabe Henderson
Martina Howard
Ji’Keir Hudson
A’laysha Huff
Trent Knighten
Anna Lee
Sarah Long
Houston Lowry
Kaleigh Macks
Tobias Madison
Reid McCall
Megan McGhee
Anija McNeir
Angel Merchant
Michael Merchant
Landon Mooney
Cassie Mullins
Abigail Nelson
Travis Nelson
Chris Nordman
Jaylon North
Audrey Odom
Joseph Parker
Blaize Parrish
Adam Peterson
Caden Peterson
Dallon Rackard
Kinzie Rackard
Teriana Redmond
Mary Grace Rice
Shelby Rice
Savannah Roley
Paige Ross
Kaylee Sawyer
Adrianne Shanks
Madelin Sheedy
Courtney Shramek
Jarvis Skanes
Arquavian Smith
Anna Spence
Alyssa Stabler
Jaimee Taylor
Cordarrius Thomas
John Michael Ward
Da’Mius Wesley
T’ahna Wesley
Addison White
Cassidy White
Autumn Williams
Ben Wilson
Wyatt Windham
Connor Wolfe
Joshua Zisa
Learn About Living With Snakes
April 10, 2013
Snakes are common animals in the North Escambia area, consuming pests that can be expensive for humans to manage while providing a service to home environments.
The Escambia Extension Service will hold a program at three locations to discuss the natural history of snakes, to reduce the chance of a snake encounter and how to properly handle a potential snake encounter.
The programs will be held at:
- Roy Hyatt Environmental Center, 1300 Tobias Road, Cantonment on Thursday, April 11, 6 p.m.
- Agriculture Building on Highway 4, Century, on Tuesday, April 30, 6 p.m.
- Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A, Molino on hursday, May 2, 6 p.m.
For more information, contact Rick O’Conner at (850) 475-5230.