Gentle Giant: Tate Aggies Mourn Loss Of Coach
March 10, 2013
The Tate Aggies are mourning the loss of one of their own today.
Branden Penegar, 20, passed away Saturday. A 2011 graduate of Tate, he was an assistant coach for the freshman Aggies’ football program and varsity tennis team. He was know to his players as the “Gentle Giant”. Penegar was a member of the Tate High School Student Hall of Fame.
“Coach Penegar, we all love you and words simply can not express how you will be missed,” a tribute on the front page of TateFootball.com read Saturday night. “God’s football team has one heck of a good guy now.”
Penegar was a active member of the Gonzalez United Methodist Church and youth program.
He is survived by Elbert and Tammie Penegar, brother Tyler and numerous other family members and friends.
Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at Faith Chapel North at 1000 South Highway 29 in Cantonment. Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 14 at 12:30 p.m. at the Gonzalez Methodist Church. Burial will follow at the Cottage Hill Baptist Cemetery at 230 Williams Ditch Road in Cantonment.
Lady Aggies Go 3-1 In North Florida Classic
March 10, 2013
The Tate Lady Aggies traveled to Tallahassee this weekend to play in the North Florida Classic hosted by Chiles High School. Tate recorded a record of 3 wins and one loss. Their only loss came on their first game against Wakulla (3-2). The Lady Aggies rallied with 3 wins against Canterbury (St. Petersburg), Fort Walton Beach, and Godby High Schools. Tate will be in action with three district games this week against Navarre, Escambia and Pensacola High.
Game 1, Friday: Wakulla 3, Tate 2
Game 2, Friday: Tate 4, Canterbury 3
Game 3, Saturday: Tate 8, Ft. Walton Beach 7
Game 4, Saturday 15, Godby 0
Pictured: The Tate Lady Aggies Saturday in the North Florida Classic at Chiles High School in Tallahassee. Submitted photos by Laura McCrackin for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: NEP Opening Day
March 10, 2013
Saturday was Opening Day for Northeast Pensacola (NEP) Ballpark.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Does your child play at NEP? Send us photos and scores each week! Email news@northescambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Gaetz Hoping For State Work Pay Raises
March 10, 2013
The Senate president has reiterated that lawmakers will try to give state workers their first raise in six years, though he warned about the unpredictable nature of economic circumstances that could derail the plan.
Speaking at a luncheon of the Capital Tiger Bay Club, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said the move to give state workers more money was bipartisan. Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, is one of its chief backers.
“Bill Montford and I are working together as partners to try to find the money to end the six-year drought and give state employees a raise this year,” Gaetz said.
It’s the first time in several years lawmakers have had enough projected revenue to fund at least the current year budget in the new fiscal year, without having to cut programs.
But Gaetz warned that because the federal sequestration has created a question about the economy, nobody can predict the state’s finances.
Florida’s state employees last got a raise in 2006 when they got a 3 percent increase in pay, though they did receive a one-time lump sum bonus payment of $1,000 in 2007. Their take-home pay, meanwhile, has dropped because of a new requirement since 2011 that 3 percent of their pay go into the state retirement system for their pensions.
The budget proposed by Gov. Rick Scott includes one-time bonuses for non-supervisory state workers. In addition to the $1,200 bonuses for most state workers, the governor also wants additional merit-based bonuses for other senior employees.
A bill (HB 289) filed in the House by Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, and in the Senate (SB 1180) by Sen. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, would give state employees a 7 percent raise. A bill (HB 41) by Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach, in the House and Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa in the Senate (SB 484) would provide a 2 percent raise.
Gaetz didn’t say what amount he had in mind for a state worker pay hike.
By The News Service of Florida
Perlene Z. Simmons
March 10, 2013
Perlene Z. Simmons, 81, of Molino passed away Friday, March 8, 2013.
Mrs. Simmons, a native of Evergreen, AL, resided in the Pensacola area for 59 years. She was a member of the Church of Christ at Milestone and was retired from Monsanto with 38 years of service.
Preceding Mrs. Simmons in death are her parents, Claude and Cloie Zellers, brother, Ervin Zellers, niece, Annette Hawsey, and brother-in-law, David Hawsey.
Survivors include her husband of 45 years, Joseph Simmons; sister, Willie Dean Hawsey; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday, March12, 2013, from 12:30 p.m. till the service time of 2:30 p.m. at Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home with Ken Burleson officiating.
Burial will be in Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Weekend Gardening: Caring For Camellias
March 10, 2013
One of Northwest Florida’s most reliable and rewarding shrubs is the camellia. Providing dark green leaves throughout the year, gardeners are rewarded in late winter or early spring with a variety of beautifully colored and shaped flowers. Camellias tend to thrive in our acidic soil but they do require some routine maintenance.
Pick up the fallen flowers. A fungal disease known as petal blight will rapidly turn entire flowers brown. If a camellia has petal blight, remove and dispose of all blighted flowers both on the plant and on the ground. You may also consider discarding the old mulch around the shrub and apply a layer of fresh mulch. This practice sometimes helps prevent fungal spores from blowing back onto new flowers. One of the best ways to prevent this disease is to pick up and destroy fallen blooms. Flowers will continue to drop for several weeks, so it’s important to pick up blooms several times a week.
Scout for tea scale. One of the most common insect pests of camellia is a scale insect known as tea scale. Check the underside of leaves regularly for this annoying pest. These small, sessile, white, thin, sap-sucking insects can build up large numbers if you do not regularly inspect your plants and take corrective measures when scale is first found. Often your first clue will be spotty yellowing on the upper surface of the leaves. Horticultural oil can be used in the winter time if used before blooming or in spring after blooming. Do not apply horticultural oil when near-freezing temperatures may be expected. Always carefully read and follow pesticide label directions before use.
Expect some leaves to fall in the spring. Camellias are “evergreen” meaning that they have leaves on the shrub year round. However, as individual leaves age, they will fall from the shrub and are replaced with new leaves in the spring. It is not unusual for camellia to drop up to 30 percent of their leaves. As long as new leaves are developing, there is no need for concern.
Camellia can be pruned after they flower. The most important reason for pruning camellias is to improve the overall health of the plant. Many times, camellias that have not been pruned in a few years will develop dead or deteriorating twigs. Removing the dead and dying limbs will minimize the possibility of diseases such as “dieback” and will also allow the plant to re-concentrate its energies. In many instances, camellias that have been neglected for a number of years will become infested with scale insects. Pruning is an effective way to provide for better coverage of chemical sprays and increase air circulation.
Lichens are warning signs. Lichens are gray-green to green mossy growths on the stems of old, neglected camellias. The lichen is a combination of a fungus and an alga that grows symbiotically. They are not parasitic to the camellia. Affected plants usually need fertilizing, watering, and mulching for better growing conditions.
Fertilizer applications help to achieve maximum performance. Apply fertilizer in the spring after blooming but before new growth starts. With many fertilizers, small amounts at frequent intervals are better than heavy applications. Special camellia fertilizers are available at your local stores. One application in early spring after blooming should be followed by a second application in mid June to early July. Scatter the fertilizer evenly on top of the mulch and away from the main stem of the plant. Water the fertilizer into the soil. Do not fertilize after July, so the plants will have a longer time to harden off and avoid freeze damage.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Taking Care Of Business
March 10, 2013
As Gov. Rick Scott helped launch the legislative session Tuesday, his message boiled down to this: “It’s working.”
That likely will be a common refrain through the 2014 gubernatorial election, as Scott touts the addition of jobs, jobs, jobs and casts himself as leading the state out of the economic desert of the Charlie Crist era.
“Two years ago, Florida was losing jobs and many Florida families were losing their dreams. … The short-sighted policies of borrowing on our future had led to disaster,” said Scott, who, not coincidentally, could find himself running for re-election against the Republican-turned-Democrat Crist.
But Scott’s State of the State address Tuesday spurred the Florida Democratic Party to describe the governor as being in a “state of denial.”
“Today, with a carefully crafted and poll-tested message, Gov. Rick Scott delivered his State of the State and tried to remake himself,” Democratic Chairwoman Allison Tant wrote in a fund-raising email. “But Scott is in a State of Denial if he thinks he can run from his record.”
By now, everyone knows that Scott — who got elected in 2010 on a “Let’s Get to Work” theme — will use public appearances to focus on job creation. And Tuesday’s address was no different, with Scott, for example, singling out Northrop Grumman, which had announced it would add 1,000 jobs in the state.
Similarly, Scott used the address to pitch his plan to eliminate the sales tax on manufacturing equipment, a move he says would help the state compete for jobs.
Scott, however, also set aside a good chunk of the address to call for giving $2,500 raises to teachers. That idea has faced skepticism from some Republican legislative leaders, who question the wisdom of giving across-the-board raises.
But Scott said he sees paying teachers more as an investment in the state’s future.
“We don’t want a war on teachers,” Scott said. “We want a war on failure.”
MEDICAID MORASS: While not a major part of the address, Scott reiterated his controversial stance that the state should expand Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act. That stance involves going ahead with the expansion for three years — a period in which Washington is supposed to pay all of the tab — and then revisiting the issue.
“I concluded that for the three years the federal government is committed to paying 100 percent of the cost of new people in Medicaid, I cannot, in good conscience, deny the uninsured access to care,” Scott said.
That stance drew heavy applause from Democrats gathered in the House chamber. But it also came shortly after House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, made clear he wants nothing to do with the expansion, describing the federal approach as destined for failure.
“I believe it forces Florida to expand a broken (Medicaid) system that we have been battling Washington to fix, and I believe it will ultimately drive up the cost of health care,” Weatherford said. “This inflexible plan, thrust upon us by the federal government, is not aimed at strengthening the safety net. It pushes a social ideology at the expense of our future.”
With Weatherford and other House Republicans digging in against the expansion, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said it appeared the House had “shut the lights off” on the issue. But House and Senate Republican leaders also said they were looking for ways to provide a health-care safety net, which could mean that the Medicaid issue will lurk throughout the session.
While House and Senate Democrats are ready to move forward with adding hundreds of thousands of people to Medicaid, Senate Republicans have not publicly tipped their hands about the issue.
Meanwhile, the hospital industry and advocates for Medicaid beneficiaries are continuing to push for the expansion. Hospitals contend, in part, that extending Medicaid coverage to more people would reduce the amounts of uncompensated care they have to provide.
“Governor Scott and the Legislature face very difficult public-policy choices on how to proceed with implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act,” Tony Carvalho, president of the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, said in a prepared statement Tuesday. “We believe that Governor Scott reached a logical conclusion that extends vital health coverage to nearly a million Floridians and assures our citizens get a return on some of the federal tax dollars that they are sending to Washington.”
A Senate select committee is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the Medicaid expansion, which might give a sign about how the Senate will move forward with the issue. The committee likely will hear about new estimates that the Affordable Care Act would cost Florida about $5.2 billion over the next decade, with about $3.5 billion stemming from Florida having to pick up part of the Medicaid expansion costs after the first three years.
PRIORITIES, PRIORITIES: The Medicaid issue might be a huge question mark, but House and Senate leaders made clear on the first day of the session that they want to pass changes to improve ethics and fix problems in the elections system.
The Senate unanimously voted for an ethics package that includes steps such as trying to slow the revolving door between the Legislature and the lobbying industry and trying to prevent lawmakers from using fund-raising vehicles known as “committees of continuous existence” to pay personal expenses.
“A lot of this wouldn’t be necessary if we all conducted ourselves, if everyone that was elected to office in the state of Florida conducted their lives and themselves in office, by just using a little common sense,” said Senate Ethics and Elections Chairman. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater.
A little later Tuesday, the House voted 118-1 to pass a bill that would address some of the controversial voting issues from the 2012 elections. For example, the bill would allow elections supervisors to hold up to 14 days of early voting — an increase from the current eight — and would add to the number of sites that could serve as early-voting locations.
“I think the Legislature has some responsibility for some of the challenges we had in 2012,” Weatherford said. “I readily admit that, and that’s why we passed it on the first day.”
The House and Senate still need to reach agreement on the final details of the ethics and elections bills.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott gave his State of the State address Tuesday to start the 2013 legislative session, pushing for raises for teachers and elimination of the sales tax on manufacturing equipment.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “This is now the third time I have had the opportunity to address you to report on the state of the great state of Florida. And after two years of hard work, this update can be summed up in two words: It’s working.” — Scott during Tuesday’s address.
By The News Service of Florida
Blue Jacket Jamboree Going On Today
March 9, 2013
The Blue Jacket Jamboree is going on today at Northview High School with a variety of vendors, and plenty of great food and entertainment.
This year’s lineup includes musical entertainment from local artists, along with an entire day of car shows, crafts, food, games, and more. The proceeds from this event will fund scholarships for graduating Northview seniors and promote agricultural education and FFA in Northwest Florida. A blood drive will also take place during the event.
Featured music will include Shane Harrell and The Major Moves Band with a mix of Southern rock, classic rock, blues and country; and Denean Workman and her hope-centered music.
Available concession items will include BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, fries, nachos and more.
The event will also include a motorcycle ride, a Cruiser’s Unlimited Car Show, live entertainment, kids activities and games, and much more.
The Blue Jacket Jamboree, sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com, will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. today on the campus of Northview High School, 4100 West Highway 4 in Bratt. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 10 and under.
Today’s entertainment schedule is:
- 10:30-1100 — NHS Glee Club
- 11:15-noon — Candy McGahan, Amber Freeman, Ashton Gibbs
- 12:15 – 1:00 — Denean Workman
- 1:15-4:00 — Shane Harrell and the Major Moves Band
Vendors currently scheduled to attend the event include:
- Batter Queens baked goods
- Caum Country Candles
- Archie’s Handcrafted Woodworking
- Too Many Pies; Wreaths and Embroidery
- Eye Candy Photography
- Handmade Glass Jewelry By Michele
- 31 Gift Ministries
- Scentsy
- Angie’s Teaching Tools To Go
- Origami Owl Jewelry
- Boiled/Roasted Peanuts
- Ernest Ward FFA (Beef Jerky)
- Hope 4 Halee Merchandise
- West Florida High School FFA Wreaths and more
- Pampered Chef
- Advocare Weight Loss
- Velata Consultant
- Grace Adele Consultant
- Magda Fox Perfumes
- First Choice Home Builders
- Hometown Contractors
- Tupperware
- Bobby Langham, Children’s Clothes and Baskets
- Cindy Herrington, Jewelry
- Michelle Ware, recycled items
- Frontier Communications
- Jimmy Dodge bird feeders
- Ray’s Chapel funnel cakes
- John Manley Novelties
- Richard King Kites
- Volata (chocolate fondue)
- Sandy Candy
- Copper Creations
Pictured top: Shane Harrell and The Major Moves Band. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Family Homeless After Fire Destroys Gonzalez Home
March 9, 2013
A single mom and her 13-year old daughter and 18 month old son were able to escape without injuries from a fire that heavily damaged their Gonzalez home Saturday morning.
The fire was reported in the single story brick home about 8:50 a.m. on Mates Circle, north of Kings Way Drive off East Kingsfield Road. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Donations for the family are being accepted. For more information, email laineyschaefer@att.net.
Pictured: Fire heavily damaged this home on Mates Circle in Gozalez Saturday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Four Injured In Morning Crash On Highway 29
March 9, 2013
At least four people were injured in a two vehicle crash Saturday morning on Highway 29 at 9 1/2 Mile Road.
The accident happened about 6 a.m. involving a pickup truck and car. Three people were briefly trapped in the car before being extricated by firefighters.Four people were transported area hospitals, one listed as a “trauma alert”.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released.
The Ensley, Brent and Ferry Pass stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: Four people were injured, one critically, in this crash Saturday morning at Highway 29 at 9 1/2 Mile Road. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
