FEMA Set To Pay Escambia County About $10 Million For Flood Damage
September 27, 2014
The numbers are in from the federal government on the April floods and how much they are willing to pay local governments for repairs to public infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
FEMA and the State Division of Emergency Management have been conducting evaluations to determine just how much damage was caused the floodwaters. The Division of Emergency Management issued a report with a preliminary estimate of how much money counties across the panhandle might receive.
Local governments are required to provide a 25 percent match.
The FEMA allocation for Escambia County comes in at $9,965,177.53 with a local match of $3,321,725.84 required. The federal allocation for Santa Rosa County is $2,195,342.63 with a non-federal local match of $765,342.63 required.
NorthEscambia.com reader submitted file photo.
Rain Becoming Likely
September 27, 2014
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Saturday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 85. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a low around 70. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Sunday Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 81. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Sunday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Monday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. North wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Calm wind.
- Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
- Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
- Thursday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
- Thursday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
- Friday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84.
FHP Targeting I-10 This Weekend
September 27, 2014
The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting an intensified enforcement effort through Sunday on I-10 in an effort to bring awareness to the importance of seat belts and keeping the interstate safe and fatality-free.
The FHP will conduct special details on I-10 increasing awareness of seat belt and car seat laws. In 2012, seat belts saved more than 12,000 lives nationwide. In addition, troopers will be checking for distracted driving, aggressive driving, improper lane changes and commercial vehicle safety.
Florida law requires the use of seat belts by motor vehicle drivers, all passengers in the front seat, and all children under the age of 18 riding in a vehicle.
The FHP offers the following safety tips:
- Buckle Up. A seatbelt is your vehicle’s most important safety feature.
- Use a car seat for children age 3 and under for every trip, even if you are just going down the street.
- Make sure all car and booster seats you use are crash-tested and federally approved.
- Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and always follow the installation instructions from the manufacturer and in your vehicle manual.
- Keep children in the back seat, at least through age 12. When used with seat belts, air bags work well to protect teenagers and adults. However, air bags can be very dangerous to children.
- Soon-to-be parents should buy and install their infant car seat before the child is born.
- Replace a car seat if the vehicle has been in a moderate to severe crash to ensure a continued high level of protection.
- Effective January 1, 2015, a booster seat, a car seat, or an integrated child seat will be required for children who are 4 and 5 years of age.
FHP reminds motorists they can report an aggressive or impaired driver, or request roadside assistance at any time by dialing *FHP (*347) from their cell phone.
Tate Bounces Back For OT Win Over Pine Forest (With Photo Gallery)
September 27, 2014
Tate Aggie fans that left Pine Forest High early Friday night really missed out.
Down 26-12 with six minutes to go in the game, the Aggies rallied for a nail-biting 33-32 overtime win over the Pine Forest Eagles.
Running back Alondo Thompkins, a junior, scored a couple of touchdowns — six and five yards — late in the game for the tie. He also earned the OT points for the Aggies, in from 10 yards out. Chase Seibert was 3-3 on the accompanying extra point kicks.
The Aggies overtime win came as Pine Forest scored, went for two and fumbled the snap.
Earlier in the game, Tate scored in the first on a nine-yard pass from Sawyer Smith to Bradley Trambley and a good kick from Seibert for a 7-0 lead. Moments later, the Aggies added a couple on a forced safety.
The Aggies were scoreless in the second and had the only points of the third quarter on a 33-yard field goal from Seibert.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The win over Pine Forest was the second in a row for Tate, which snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Eagles last year.
Tate (4-1) will travel to Niceville next Friday night in their first district game of the season.
Fire Marshal: Lamp Sparked Apartment Fire; Multiple Units Condemned
September 27, 2014
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office says a lamp in an upstairs apartment sparked a blaze Wednesday at the Briarwood Condominiums on East Olive Road.
Now, eight units have been condemned as a result of the blaze, forcing people to find a new place to live. And there are no other available units in the complex.
There were no injuries in the blaze.
Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Falls To Choctaw
September 27, 2014
The 1A Northview Chiefs stepped up multiple classes Friday night to take on the Class 6A Choctaw Indians on the road. And the Chiefs lost again this year by the same 35 point margin as last year.
The Indians topped the Chiefs 42-7 in Fort Walton Beach Friday night after shutting them out 35-0 last year in Bratt.
Choctaw took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Early in second, Northview quarterback Gavin Grant found Nick Lambert for a 54-yard touchdown to make it 13-7. The Northview defense held the Indians scoreless in the second. After an 80-yard drive from their own nine-yard line, the Chiefs’ Chasen Freeman attempted but missed a 28-yard field goal with less than two seconds in the half.
The Indians scored an unanswered 29 points in the second half for the win. Choctaw held Northview to 183 yards, 81 rushing, on the night.
Northview, ranked third in Class 1A, was 3-0 headed into Friday night’s contest. Now 3-1, the Chiefs (3-1) will be back in Bratt next Friday night for Homecoming as they host the Jay Royals (2-2) in the district opener for both teams. Jay is coming off a 54-14 win Friday night over a visiting McIntosh, AL, team.
Weekend Gardening: Now’s The Time To Plant Onions
September 27, 2014
by the Santa Rosa Extension Service
Onions are sold in every grocery store, served at many meal and featured at sporting events across the United States. Onions are everywhere. If you’ve ever wanted to try to grow them, now is the time to plant.
Edible onions have been cultivated for so long that it is difficult to trace their origin. Onions were first introduced to America around the turn of the century when a retired French soldier brought some onion seeds from Corsica to the Walla Walla region of the Pacific Northwest. But it wasn’t until the farmers in Georgia realized what a special thing they had in the Vidalia onion and began spreading the news that the sweet onion finally got the attention it deserves.
Onions have different requirements as to the number of hours of daylight required for bulb formation. The types that require 15 to 16 hours of light daily are referred to as “long day” varieties and not adapted for the South. Types that grow best in Florida are the “short-day” varieties. They must be started in the fall so that bulbing is induced by the short days of winter. However, the subsequent harvest of bulbs follows in the spring or early summer.
Onions are often grouped according to taste (mild and strong flavored), color (white, yellow, and red) and use (storage or freshly eaten). Some suggested bulbing onion varieties for Florida include Excel, Texas Grano, Granex, White Granex and Tropicana Red.
Yellow onions are gardeners’ most popular choices. Granex 33 is the early Texas hybrid grown in Vidalia, Georgia. Texas Grano 1015Y Aggie Sweet produces a large, mild bulb that is very sweet under the right growing and soil conditions. The Texas Grano 502 is well known for large, mild bulbs with fair storage potential.
Onions are grown either from seed, sets (tiny immature bulbs) or transplants. The planting method selected is based on cost, use, availability, and planting ease.
Onions grown from sets do not make the best bulbs, and are rather costly. Specific onion varieties are usually not available. They are sold simply as red, white, or yellow onion sets. Since the variety is unknown, the flavor, use, and keeping quality of onions grown from sets varies considerably. Avoid sets more than an inch in diameter, as they are likely to bolt. Late plantings are more susceptible to cold or freeze injury. Planting too early can result in increased seed stem production.
Growing onions from seed may be the most difficult planting method. However, it is the least expensive and offers the greatest variety. Germination may be sporadic and plant growth can be slow. Be aware that onion seed does not remain viable long, and should not be planted when more than one year old.
In North Florida, onions can be started between mid-September and mid-November. Onion seed can be planted directly in the garden or in flats. Sow eight to 12 seeds per foot of row ½ to one inch deep. If larger bulbs are desired, thin to a final spacing of four to six inches apart.
Set out transplants from late December through February. Plants should be about 6 inches high and about half the thickness of a lead pencil at the time of transplanting. Set plants with the bottom of the plant about 1 to 1½ inch below the surface of the soil. Transplants should be spaced 3 to 4 inches apart in the row.
Onions have a shallow, poorly developed root system, so regular fertilization and watering are essential. Inconsistent watering may lead to splits, doubles and small bulbs. Fertilize the crop monthly with a nitrogen fertilizer. Be sure to keep the fertilizer from contacting the plants directly.
Good weed control is a must. Since young onions are small and grow slowly at first, they can be taken over by weeds that reduce yield. Look out for diseases before they become established. Leaf blight diseases can seriously reduce yields. Monitor for insects twice each week, and use appropriate management techniques. Contact your local Extension Office for the latest information on pest management recommendations.
High School Football Finals
September 27, 2014
Here are high school football finals from around the area Friday night.
FLORIDA
- Choctaw 42, Northview 7
- Tate 33, Pine Forest 32 OT
- Jay 54, McIntosh (AL) 14
- Bay 42, Gulf Breeze 34
- Navarre 42, Milton 7
- Pace 58, Madison County 37
- Jesuit (LA) 49, PHS 17
- Catholic 49, Rutherford 28
- Thursday: Bay 42, Gulf Breeze 34
- Freeport 26, Graceville 26
- OPEN: West Florida, Escambia, Washington, Niceville
ALABAMA
- W.S. Neal 81, Calhoun 13
- T.R. Miller 58, Escambia County (Atmore) 20
- Escambia Academy 41, Hooper Academy 0
- OPEN: Flomaton
Perdido Man Killed In Wreck Near Jay
September 26, 2014
A Perdido man was killed in a single vehicle wreck early Friday morning east of Jay.
Robert Allen Spears, 23, was traveling north on Highway 87 just north of Highway 4 in a 2008 Ford Mustang that left the roadway, hit a utility pole guy wire and then struck a large tree at 4:27 a.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Spears was not wearing a seat belt, the FHP said. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. There were no other passengers in the vehicle.
212 Million Peanut Butter Sandwiches: Escambia Peanut Harvest Underway
September 26, 2014
The peanut harvest is underway in Escambia County.
According to the Farm Service Agency, there were 7,062 acres of peanuts planted this season in Escambia County — about enough to make 212 million peanut butter sandwiches.
The current prices to the farmer is about $425 per ton. “That is not nearly where farmers would like it to be,” said Libbie Johnson, Escambia County extension agent.
Chad Helton, manager of Tri County Peanut near Huxford, AL, said the quality of this year’s crop has been good so far. He said a few peanuts did not grade well due to unfavorable conditions, and yields are variable because some farmers needed more than than they received.
After a dry period, Johnson said farmers a looking forward to some rain this weekend to make it easier to dig their peanuts.
The peanut harvest, along with the upcoming cotton harvest, also means an increase in the amount of large farm machinery on the roadways.
“I’d also like to remind those driving in North Escambia to be ever mindful of our farmers moving equipment on the roads. Please be patient and cautious. Maneuvering farm equipment is no easy feat,” Johnson said.
Pictured: Peanuts being harvested near Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
