Alabama Kicks Off Statewide ‘Food Day’ In Atmore; Florida Celebrating Today Too (With Video)
October 24, 2014
Today is “Food Day”and officials in Florida and Alabama are encouraging residents and visitors to make positive changes toward healthy eating and active living. Food Day events are being held statewide in both states, championed by local county health departments and community partners, to support residents in attaining and maintaining a healthy weight.
For a video news story, click here.
Alabama kicked off statewide Food Day events Friday morning at the Atmore Farmer’s Market with a state proclamation from Gov. Robert Bentley and Atmore Mayor Jim Staff. Events followed across Alabama.
Food Day events were also planned across Florida.
“Food Day reminds us all to make healthy choices in what we eat,” said Florida State Surgeon General and Florida Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong. “By choosing nutritious foods and beverages, every Floridian can achieve a healthy weight that lowers the risk of future diabetes and heart disease.”
Food Day was created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and is held annually on October 24. The observance is a national celebration of healthy, affordable and sustainably produced food that promotes healthier diets and food education.
For a video news story, click here.
Pictured top: (L-R) Farmer Eddie Mathis; Atmore council members Webb Nall, Chris Walker and Susan Smith; Rigsby-McGhee Farm Foundation founder Amy McGhee; Atmore Mayor Jim Staff; Atmore Chamber President Anne Hetzel; farmer Jimmy Mason; Atmore Chamber Executive Director Sheryl Vickery; and farmer Edward Adams. Pictured inset: Staff reads a proclamation from Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley. Pictured below: The event was held at the Atmore Farmer’s Market. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Veterinarian Gets State Prison For Multiple Drug Convictions
October 24, 2014
A Cantonment veterinarian is headed to prison after being convicted on drug charges that resulted from an investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA.
Michael Bishop Windley, age 67 of Highway 196 Molino, was sentenced Thursday to 20 months in state prison to be followed by 10 years probation after being convicted on four counts of possession, delivery, and manufacture of a controlled substance and four counts of fraud in obtaining prescriptions.
Judge E.P. Nickinson gave Windley until November 19 to turn himself in to begin the prison sentence. Windley was a veterinarian at the Companion Animal Clinic at 470 South Highway 29 (the former Winn Dixie shopping center).
The DEA received a call in August 2013 from a Winn Dixie pharmacist regarding the suspicious prescribing activities of Windley, according to the DEA. During the investigation, the DEA learned that Windley was fraudulently obtaining methadone by writing prescriptions in the name of his ex-wife’s dog and filling the prescriptions at various pharmacies in the Cantonment and Pensacola areas and then providing the drugs to his ex-daughter in law.
According to the DEA, Windley filled 30 prescriptions (for a total of 5,400 tablets) for methadone between December 11, 2012 and February 7, 2014. Two of the prescriptions for methadone were filled at two different pharmacies on the same date.
Windley presented multiple controlled substance prescriptions for 180 methadone tablets each for a dog named Banner under the owner’s name Barbara Ard of the 4600 block of Highway 196 in Molino. Ard, according to the DEA, is Windley’s ex-wife.
During a DEA inspection of the Companion Animal Clinic, Windley first told an investigator that he had researched several medical journals and attended a conference where methadone was used as a pain medication with no side effects in animals. Windley, according to an arrest affidavit, also said he had six dogs, five of which were deceased, that were prescribed methadone. He was unable to produce the medical files of the dogs, telling investigators that the files had been destroyed. The veterinarian then said he wrote the prescriptions for all the dogs under one dog’s name, filled them at area pharmacies and then dispensed it out to the animals’ owners — a wrongful practice, according to the DEA.
Later, Windley voluntarily surrendered his DEA license, the report states, and admitted the pills were for his daughter-in-law.
The daughter-in-law, a Gulf Breeze resident, told investigators that she would clean Windley’s home and take care of his pets. He would leave a bottle of methadone on a table at his home. She told investigators that she was taking up to 20 methadone pills per day, and investigators witnessed her make a call to her primary physicians to make an appointment to receive help.
Local Schools Receive State Five Star School Awards
October 24, 2014
Several local schools have received “Five Star School Award” from the Florida Department of Education.
Escambia County schools honored were Jim Allen, Molino Park, Beulah, Lipscomb, McArthur, Pine Meadow, Bellview, Blue Angels, Hellen Caro, N.B. Cook, Cordova Park, , Longleaf, Pleasant Grove, Scenic Heights and A.K. Suter elementary schools; and Brown Barge Middle School.
The Five Star School Award was created by the Florida Department of Education’s Commissioner’s Community Involvement Council and is presented annually to those schools that have shown evidence of exemplary community involvement.
In order to earn Five Star School recognition, a school must show documentation that it has achieved one hundred percent of the established criteria in the categories of business partnerships, family involvement, volunteerism, student community service and school advisory councils.
Early Voting Continues, About 6,000 Vote So Far
October 24, 2014
Another 1,213 early votes were cast Thursday in Escambia County, for a three-day total of 5,956.
In the North Escambia area, there have been 365 ballots cast at the Molino Community Center, 933 at the Escambia County Extension Service in Cantonment.
Early voting continues at seven locations until Saturday November 1:
- Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A North, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Escambia County Extension Service, 3740 Stefani Road, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. 9th Avenue, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Main Library, 239 N. Spring Street, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Bellview/Saufley Early Vote Site, 4607 Saufley Field Road, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Colorful Clouds Hide Eclipse; Clear Skies Forecast
October 24, 2014
Clouds obscured a solar eclipse Thursday afternoon in the North Escambia area, but led to a colorful sunset. This evening’s sunset was clear, with no clouds in the forecast until Monday night. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Friday Night Clear, with a low around 46. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Saturday Sunny, with a high near 77. Light northwest wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Saturday Night Clear, with a low around 52. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
- Sunday Night Clear, with a low around 54. Calm wind.
- Monday Sunny, with a high near 83. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
- Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
- Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
- Wednesday Night A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
- Thursday A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.
Pictured: Thursday’s sunset as seen from north of Bratt (top) and just off Highway 97 (below) by Charles Crumpton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Extension To Hold Certified Arborist Training
October 24, 2014
On December 12 a workshop will be held at the Escambia County Extension Office for those desiring to become certified arborists. The workshop will cover about 60 percent of the material that is covered on the certification exam. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take the exam on Saturday, December 13.
Becoming a certified arborist shows that the tree care worker or arborist has a basic knowledge of tree care. To maintain certification, arborists must continue their learning by earning continuing education credits (CEU). This helps them keep up to date with the latest information on tree care as well as broadening their knowledge base. This training is recommended for private and public arborists, foresters, professional landscapers, nursery professionals and tree surgeons.
The workshop will be taught by Sam Hand, ISA certified arborist and forestry agent with FAMU Extension; Stan Rosenthal, Leon County Extension forestry agent; Beth Bolles, Escambia County Extension horticulture agent and Cathy Hardin, Escambia County forester with the Florida Forest Service.
Preregistration for this training is required by December 8 by clicking here. The cost is $125.00.
The Friday workshop and the Saturday exam will take place 8:30-5:00 at the Escambia County Extension Office, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment. To register for the exam, click here. Contact Beth Bolles at (850) 475-5230 or bbolles@ufl.edu for more information.
Wards Named Outstanding Farm Family
October 24, 2014
The Ward family, including husband and wife Jimmy and Angela, have been named the Outstanding Farm Family of the Year in Santa Rosa County.
The Wards have a rich agricultural heritage and have been a part of the Allentown community for almost 100 years. In 1917, James B. Ward settled his family and began farming along what is now Hwy. 89. By the late 1950s four of his six sons; Joel, James, Lamar, and Charles were expanding the family farming tradition and grew corn, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, various grains, abundant vegetables, and raised cattle until the early 1990s. The Ward brothers passed on a legacy of hard work, integrity, and generosity to the next generation of family farmers. Jimmy Ward, son of Lamar Ward, is the third generation of Wards farming in Allentown.
Jimmy learned a lot about farming while working with his dad and uncles and continues to farm most of the family’s land. Jimmy and his wife Angela have established their home and raised their three sons on the same land his father and grandfather farmed and raised their families. Family and community have always been important at Ward Farms. Jimmy’s three sons, Jamie, Justin, and Dustin as well as other family and friends in the community are still part of Ward Farms today. It is a great honor to have the Ward family represent Santa Rosa County agriculture in 2014.
The Wards were honored during the recent 48th Annual Santa Rosa County Farm Tour, where Angela Ward accepted the award from County Commissioners Don Salter and Bob Cole. In addition, Tiffany Bates, district representative for Congressman Jeff Miller, presented the family with a Congressional Record proclamation honoring them for their accomplishments. Mary Beth Barrows, special assistant for Senator Marco Rubio, also presented commendations to the family.
Around 200 local officials and area citizens participated in the 48th Annual Santa Rosa County Farm Tour. During the daylong tour they learned firsthand about agriculture and its importance to the local economy. This year’s tour highlighted our county’s important peanut industry where participants saw how peanuts are grown, harvested and delivered for processing. Stops on the tour included the Roy Ward Farm, the UF/IFAS Jay Research Farm, Chumuckla’s Living Truth Church for lunch and presentations, the Mickey Diamond Farm, Golden Peanut Company and Holland Farms.
Pictured top: The Ward family. Pictured below: Farm Tour visitors. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott Opening Up His Wallet To Fund Campaign
October 24, 2014
Governor Rick Scott, who reportedly spent about $73 million of his own money to get elected in 2010, will soon dip into his personal wealth in an effort to retain the Governor’s Mansion. Scott will write a check to the Republican Party of Florida to assist his re-election effort against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, Jackie Schutz, a spokeswoman for Scott’s campaign, confirmed.
The Miami Herald reported earlier that Scott told CBS4 News reporter Jim DeFede that he “will be investing” in the campaign. DeFede’s report is scheduled to air Sunday. Schutz wouldn’t say how much the check would total. But Schutz added in an email that the governor told DeFede that the money is “a small fraction of our total campaign” and will be used to “counteract the smear campaign from Charlie’s radical left-wing guy from California.”
NextGen Climate Action Committee-Florida, founded by California billionaire Tom Steyer, has spent at least $9.44 million on such things as advertising, mail pieces and grassroots efforts that target Scott because of the governor’s views on climate change.
Scott was worth $132.7 million as of Dececember 13, 2013, according to his annual financial disclosure filed with the Department of State. The amount of Scott’s check may not be known until October 31, when the Republican Party is next required to file a finance report.
The Crowley Political Report last week posted that Republican Party sources claimed Scott would put about $20 million into the campaign.
by The News Service of Florida
Mary Lois Killam
October 24, 2014
Mrs. Mary Lois Killam, age 88 of Century, passed away on Wednesday, October 22, 2014, at D.W. Memorial Hospital in Brewton.
Mrs. Killam was born in Little Rock, AL and had been a long time member of the Century community where she was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church of Bratt. Mrs. Killam was preceded in death by her parents, Riley and Annie Childress Glover; husband, Price Killam and her brother, Earl Glover.
She is survived by a son, Joe (Shelia) Fuller of Lottie, AL; daughter, Shelia Killam (Buddy) Trawick of Century; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held at Flomaton Cemetery on Saturday, October 25, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. with Bro. Delbert Reddick and Bro. Chris Pruitt officiating.
Flomaton Funeral Home Directing.
Charles Lindberg ‘Bill’ Crawley
October 24, 2014
Mr. Charles Lindberg ‘Bill’ Crawley, age 87 of Century, passed away on Wednesday, October 22, 2014, at his home.
Mr. Crawley was born in Fish Pond, AL and was a lifetime member of the Century community. During his working years, he worked for St. Regis Paper Company in the wood yard. Mr. Crawley was a veteran, having served in the United States Army and a member of First Baptist Church of Century. He is preceded in death by his parents, J.B. and Dora Irene Findley Crawley, Sr.; brother, J.B. Crawley, Jr.; sisters, Ruby Jewel Yaden and Willene Taylor.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Hazel Bates Crawley of Century; sons, Steve Crawley of Century and Jeffrey (Cathy) Crawley of Byrneville; special nephew, James White; daughters, Charlotte (Glenn) Johnson of Flomaton; Cynthia Crawley (Terry) Owens of Flomaton; sisters, Betty Faye (Orria) Stuckey of Byrneville; 11 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; two great- great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 26, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 27, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Nathan Crawley, Bro. David Boyd and Bro. Peter Crawley officiating.
Interment will follow in Catawba Cemetery in Keego, AL.
Pallbearers will be Daniel Johnson, John Crawley, Peter Crawley, Terrance ‘T.J.’ Owens, Nathan Crawley and Kyle Owens.
Flomaton Funeral Home Directing.