Betty Jean Caraway Millikan
March 19, 2013
Betty Jean Caraway Millikan, 58 of Loxley, passed away March 17, 2013, in Daphne. She was born July 24, 1954, in Atmore to the late Gene and Sue Taylor Caraway.
She is survived by her daughter, Tara Franklin of Loxley; son, Justin J.T. Franklin of Loxley; brothers, James Caraway of Atmore, Mark Caraway and Scott Caraway, both of Pensacola; grandchildren, Marshall Tre Wall, III, Peyton Allison Franklin, Cameron Franklin and Kendra Franklin.
Funeral Services will be Thursday, March 21, 2013, at 3 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Wesley Enfinger officiating.
Burial will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 20, 2013, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Century Clerk Gonzalez Presented Certified Municipal Clerk Designation
March 19, 2013
Monday night, Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez was presented her official designation of Certified Municipal Clerk from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
Gonzalez began working toward certification in October 2010, shortly after being named Century’s town clerk, at the Florida State University’s Institute of Government. Gonzalez was president of her clerk class of 20 and was the speaker at the graduation ceremony that made her eligible for the certification.
Pictured: (L-R) Freeport Town Clerk Robin Haynes, newly-certified Century Clerk Leslie Gonzalez, Jay Town Clerk Linda Carden and Pensacola City Clerk Ericka Burnett. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Mary Land
March 19, 2013
Mary Land, 97, of Berrydale, went to be with her Lord and Savior on March 18, 2013. Born in Tennessee, she had resided in Berrydale since moving to Florida at age 7. Her father, Francis Kirby Cantrell, died when she was a child. She was raised by her loving stepfather and mother, A.Q. & Ruth Hicks, who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by husband Gordon Land; daughter and son-in-law Lula Mae and Donald Hunter; sister, Mabel Ward; and brother, David Cantrell.
She is survived by her son, Vance Land; grandson, Dexter Hunter (Bonnie); granddaughter, Kaitlin Hunter; dear friend and loving caregiver, Imogene Reeder; compassionate caregiver, Gloria Butler; very special nieces and nephews; a host of grown “children” who considered her a second mother; and numerous friends.
She was a faithful member of Pine Grove Baptist Church and Order of Eastern Star, Jay Chapter. She loved needlework, gardening, cooking, and helping others.
Visitation will be held from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at Jay Funeral Home with OES services at 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 21, 2013, at Pine Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Wayne Brown and Rev. Ladon Hall officiating.
Burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be a few of those she loved as her own children, Russell Reeder, Joe Reeder, Rusty Reeder, Ben West, Don West, and David West.
Honorary pallbearers will be special friend Winnie (Tiny) Copeland, members of Pine Grove adult Sunday school class, and John David Reeder.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pine Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, 4216 Reeder Road, Jay, Florida 32565.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Looking For Lunch In Atmore? How About A BBQ Sandwich Plate?
March 18, 2013
The Atmore Community Hospital Relay for Life team is selling BBQ sandwich lunches today in front of the hospital.
The $5 lunch includes a BBQ Boston butt sandwich, chips, dessert and drink. Drive-up service is available.
Firefighters Respond To Fire At Molino Fire Station
March 18, 2013
Firefighters responded to an electrical fire at their own fire station Monday morning.
The fire alarm went off about 9:15 Monday morning at the Molino Fire Station on Molino Road. There were no firefighters at the station at the time; they were out answering another emergency call.
The first firefighters on scene reported smoke inside the fire station. The fire was determined to be electrical, related to a generator transfer switch. Other than the electrical circuit, there was no major damage.
The Molino, Cantonment, McDavid and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to the call.
Pictured top: The Florida Forest Service was among the units responding to an electrical fire at the Molino Fire Station Monday morning. Pictured inset: The fire was related to a transfer switch inside the building connected to this generator. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Credit Unions Off Limits To Local Governments; Bill Seeks Change
March 18, 2013
There’s only one financial institution in Century, and it’s off limits to the town’s government.
Under current Florida law, public entities in the state – such as towns, cities, counties, sheriff’s and schools – can only use banks, not credit unions, for their banking needs.
As a result, Century can’t even consider using Pen Air Federal Credit Union’s branch on North Century Boulevard. Instead, all of the town’s banking business is conducted at United Bank in Flomaton — allowed because United Bank has locations in Florida.
Senate Bill 918 by Senator Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah) and House Bill 251 by Representative Bill Hager (R-Boca Raton) seek to reverse the mandate that prevents public monies from being deposited in credit unions.
“We would like to have choice in banks,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. “A change would not mean we would change banks, but we would be able to shop around for the best place to bank and the best rates.”
Stewart Ramsey, president and CEO of Pen Air, believes his credit union would be able to offer pubic entities like Century a good choice.
“Municipalities and public offices, just like area residents, should be given depository choice, especially in the more rural areas of the state where the most viable option for them is to establish lines of credit with their local credit union,” said Ramsey. “It is important that Florida lawmakers, especially those representing Northwest Florida residents, recognize the importance of this proposal this year, so that public offices can take advantage of putting their money into local, community-based institutions, whose very member-owners are the same people they seek to serve. They should be entitled to receive better rates of return on their tax dollars, which credit unions provide, and the ability to further give back to their communities.”
“The intent of this legislation is to give municipalities choices in where to deposit their funds,” said Rep. Hager. “While the intent may sound simple, the impact will be tremendous. Putting public funds into local credit unions gives municipalities and local entities the opportunity to keep their funds within their communities, and see their dollars be continuously and locally reinvested via personal or small business loans. This legislation does not give any entity preferential treatment, but rather levels the playing field for credit unions to be able to compete for funds that they should already be entitled to receive.”
Patrick La Pine, president of the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates, said credit unions are required to meet the same public depository requirements as for-profit banks, and they are held to the same standards of accountability and offer the same protections to their members.
The Florida League of Cities has also weighed in on the issue, supporting the bill to allow governmental use of credit unions.
“Expanding public deposit authority to credit unions would greatly spur competition and lead to greater savings and higher earnings for public entities on their deposits,” said Amber Hughes, legislative advocate for the Florida League of Cities. “Municipalities and local offices are already running on stringent budgets, and any dollar saved and earned means another dollar that goes back to the community to serve a crucial purpose.”
Pictured: The Town of Century is not allowed to bank at Pen Air Federal Credit Union on North Century Boulevard, the only financial institution in the town. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Park, Ernest Ward Students Win At County History Fair
March 18, 2013
Students from Molino Park Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School were recently awarded during the Escambia County School District History Fair. Overall, of the 31 Molino Park students that took part in the history fair, 23 received some type of recognition.
Winners from Molino Park and Ernest Ward were as follows:
MOLINO PARK ELEMENTARY
Civil Rights Award
Awarded by the NAACP organization
Winner: “Mary Church Terrell: A Colored Woman in a White World” –
By Lacie Carter (group leader), Micah Calhoun, Jameisha Gross, Emily Boutwell, Jeremiah Morris
Historical Performance Awards
Awarded by the Escambia County School District
Group Winner: 2nd place: “Sacagawea ~ Across the Western Frontier”
By Natalie St. Cyr (group leader), Jacob Hawkins, Kamren Simpkins, Parker Hassebrock
African American Heritage Awards
Awarded by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
1st Place Individual Exhibit: “Frederick Douglass”
By Ariel Ward
1st Place Group Exhibit: “Jim Thorpe: The Greatest Athlete of All Time, ”
By Clay Smith, Logan English
1st Place Group Performance: “Alvin Ailey – Opening the Doors to Dance”
by Jayda Crabtree (group leader), Tanner Davidson, Kayla McKillion, Raeleigh Woodfin, Kyle Simmons
Historical Project Board Exhibit Award
Awarded by the Escambia County School District
1st Place Individual Exhibit Project Board: “Frederick Douglass”
by Ariel Ward
1st Place Group Exhibit Project Board: “The Legacy of 9-11″
by Ronnie Plenkers, Cole Fryman
Best in Show
Awarded by T. T. Wentworth Museum
Group Exhibit: “A Turning Point in the Way the World Communicates”
by Bryce Korinchak, Nathan Danforth
ERNEST WARD MIDDLE
Native American Heritage Award
Mallory Gibson
Group Historical Web Page
Triston Long, Cameron Long
Still A Chance Of Rain Tonight
March 18, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
- Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
- Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. South wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
- Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 53. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
- Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 68.
- Saturday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 59.
Magnolia Branch Honored As Treasure Forest (With Video)
March 18, 2013
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians recently received the Helene Mosley Memorial TREASURE Forest Award for the South Region at the Alabama Natural Resources Council’s Awards Banquet in Auburn.
The event recognized PCI for exemplary dedication to the wise stewardship of natural resources at the Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve. (For more information about Magnolia Branch, see the video at the bottom of the page.)
PCI has earned many honors for their forest stewardship. In June 2010, they received three prestigious awards for forest management activities at MBWR: the Alabama Natural Resources Council’s TREASURE Forest Award and certifications for the Forest Stewardshipand the American Tree Farm Programs. This was the first time a landowner had received all three recognitions at the same time.
Magnolia Branch is mostly timberland and is used as a recreational area for the Tribe and their guests. By working with various state and federal agencies, the Tribe has sustained, protected, and enhanced 6,000 acres of timberland and 50 lakes. PCI partnered with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to secure financial and technical assistance for site preparation on about 800 acres planted to longleaf pine, and to install permanent firebreaks and prescribe burn over 2,000 acres of pine plantation.
“Managing for timber is vital to our long-term forest goals. Seventy percent of our forest land is loblolly and 30 percent has been converted to longleaf pine,” said Billy Smith, PCI Tribal elder and manager of the Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve. “Whenever we clear-cut an area of loblolly, we plant it back to longleaf pine. Right now we have planted about 800,000 longleaf pines on Tribal land.”
Prescribed burning plays an important role in the longleaf pine ecosystem. It helps control disease and reduces competition of undesirable understory. It also provides wildlife habitat benefits by stimulating the growth of native plants for wildlife food.
“We are on a two year burn cycle and try to burn about 2,000 acres each year,” Smith said.
The wildlife accomplishments include planting 37 acres of food plots to cool and warm season forages, building numerous wood duck boxes and bird houses, and thinning 2,000 acres to improve wildlife habitat.
They are attempting to reestablish native grasses. “After clearing the understory through a controlled burn, we are seeing the comeback of native grasses that have been here all along,” said Smith.
Magnolia Branch is located south of I-65 west of Highway 113.
Pictured top: The Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve. Pictured inset: Tim Albritton/ NRCS state forrester; James W. (Billy) Smith, general manager of Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve; and Keith Martin, Poarch Creek Indian Tribal Council member. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggie Classic: 22 Teams Begin Play Today
March 18, 2013
The 20th Annual Aggie Classic Baseball Tournament will begin play today featuring 22 teams — 16 high school teams from as far away as Oklahoma and Tennessee and six local high school teams.
The tournament, hosted by J.M. Tate High School, will be played through Thursday, with the championship game played at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Stadium. Other local locations for the pool play will be Escambia High School, Tate High School, Washington High School, West Florida High School, Woodham Middle School and Pensacola State College.
“I feel that our tournament is one of the best in the country. It takes a lot of people to put an event of this magnitude on and I am truly thankful for everyone’s assistance,” said Greg Blackmon, head coach for Tate High School. “The venues for the games have been improved thanks to Pensacola State College and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Teams are coming from great distances, as well as our local teams, and I’m looking forward to a great week of competition.”
Tickets for each game are $5 for adults and students and will be available at the gate at each location. Games will be played at the six local fields Monday though Wednesday with the Championship Games on Thursday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday games will be played at the Wahoo Stadium and tickets are $6.00 for this event.
Here is the complete schedule for the Aggie Classic:
MONDAY
At Tate High
• Claremore vs. Good Pasture, 4 p.m.
• Tate vs. Overton, 7 p.m.
At Escambia High
• Arlington vs. Pryor, 4 p.m.
• Edmond North vs. Escambia, 7 p.m.
At Washington High
• Greenwood vs. Milton, 4 p.m.
• Washington (OK) vs. Washington, 7 p.m.
At West Florida High
• Grove vs. Hume-Fogg, 4 p.m.
• West Florida vs. Norman North, 7 p.m.
At Pensacola State
• Hueytown vs. Tahlequah, 4 p.m.
• Jay (OK) vs. Navarre, 7 p.m.
At Woodham Middle
• McAdory vs. Westmoore, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY
At Tate High
• Arlington Country Day vs. Westmoore, 4 p.m.
• Tate vs. Washington (OK), 7 p.m.
At Escambia High
• McAdory vs. Claremore, 4 p.m.
• Escambia vs. Hume-Fogg, 7 p.m.
At Washington High
• Overton vs. Tahlequah, 4 p.m.
• Grove vs. Washington, 7 p.m.
At West Florida High
• Edmond North vs. Navarre, 4 p.m.
• West Florida vs. Pryor, 7 p.m.
At Pensacola State
• Hueytown vs. Jay, 4 p.m.
• Good Pasture vs. Milton, 7 p.m.
At Woodham Middle
• Norman North vs. Greenwood, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
At Tate High
• Greenwood vs. Pryor, 4 p.m.
• Tate vs. Grove, 7 p.m.
At Escambia High
• Good Pasture vs. Westmoore, 4 p.m.
• Escambia vs. Tahlequah, 7 p.m.
At Washington High
• Jay vs. Washington, 4 p.m.
• Edmond North vs. Hueytown, 7 p.m.
At West Florida High
• Overton vs. Washington (OK), 4 p.m.
• McAdory vs. West Florida, 7 p.m.
At Pensacola State
• Norman North vs. Milton, 4 p.m.
• Arlington Co. Day vs. Claremore, 7 p.m.
At Woodham Middle
• Hume-Fogg vs. Navarre, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
At Tate High
• Seed 17 vs. Seed 18, 4 p.m.
• Seed 7 vs. Seed 8, 7 p.m.
At Escambia High
• Seed 19 vs. Seed 20, 4 p.m.
• Seed 9 vs. Seed 10, 7 p.m.
At Washington High
• Seed 13 vs. Seed 14, 7 p.m.
At West Florida High
• Seed 21 vs. Seed 22, 4 p.m.
• Seed 11 vs. Seed 12, 7 p.m.
At Pensacola State
• Seed 15 vs. Seed 16, 4 p.m.
• Seed 5 vs. Seed 6, 7 p.m.
At Community Maritime Park
Third-Place Game
• Seed 3 vs. Seed 4, 4 p.m.
Championship
• Seed 1 vs. Seed 2, 7 p.m.