Poarch Creek Indians Elect New Chairman
June 8, 2014
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians elected their first female chair in history Saturday.
Stephanie Bryan won the position with 782 votes, defeating Robert McGhee with 605. Buford Rolin had held the seat since 2006, and Bryan serves as vice chairman. Incumbents Arthur Mothershed and Garvis Sells were re-elected to their Tribal County seats, defeating several challengers.
Certified results were as follows:
Tribal Chairman
- Stephanie A. Bryan 782
- Robert “Robbie” McGhee 605
- Write -in 1
At Large
- Arthur Mothershed 880
- Garvis E. Sells 803
- Charlotte Meckel 316
- Carolyn M. White 256
- William “Billy” Bailey 242
- Dewitt Carter 173
- Rodney Exum (write-in) 44
- Other write -in 1
There were a total of 1,394 General Council Members who voted in the Tribal Election held Saturday. There were 259 absentee ballots cast, 550 walk-in ballots counted and 585 votes that were cast in person.
Pictured: Certified Poarch Band of Creek Indian election results from Saturday. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Receives $50,000 Grant For New Playground Equipment
June 8, 2014
The Town of Century has received a $50,000 state grant to renovate the existing playground area at Showalter Park.
Last fall, the town followed a recommendation from the Century Recreation Advisory Committee a submitted two Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program applications. In addition to the Showalter renovation grant, the town also applied for a $125,000 grant to install a splash pad at the Anthony Pleasant Sportsplex, but that grant was not approved.
FRDAP is a competitive program which provides grants to local governments for outdoor recreational projects. The grants are administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Pictured: The existing wood playground equipment at Showalter Park in Century. The town has received a $50,000 state grant to purchase new playground equipment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Grad Baldwin Completes Basic Military Training
June 8, 2014
Air Force Airman Henry J. Baldwin graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Baldwin earned distinction as an honor graduate.
He is the grandson of Joy and Henry Baldwin of Pensacola.
The airman is a 2012 graduate of Northview High School.
Monday Is Deadline For Escambia Applications For Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance
June 8, 2014
Residents of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties who were unemployed as a result of the severe storms and flooding have until Monday to apply for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits.
Recovery officials advise storm survivors that these deadlines apply to disaster unemployment only. Other forms of disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency still may be available until July 7. To be eligible for disaster aid, however, storm survivors must register with FEMA by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, via smartphone at m.fema.gov or by phone at 800-621-3362 on Monday. Survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability can call TTY 800-462-7585.
The disaster unemployment assistance program, which is administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, extends coverage to self-employed individuals, part-time workers, farm workers and others who have lost employment as a direct result of the disaster and do not qualify for regular re-employment assistance benefits.
To be eligible for either regular state re-employment assistance or federal disaster unemployment assistance, the applicant must be a legal resident. An individual must not be entitled to regular state re-employment assistance, must have been working in or residing in a county, for which the disaster has been officially designated, or the individual was scheduled to start work and the job no longer exists, or the job became inaccessible as a direct result of the disaster.
State Appeals Court Backs Teen In Abortion Notification Case
June 8, 2014
A state appeals court has approved a request by a 17-year-old high-school honors student to receive an abortion without her parents being notified, overturning a decision of a Hillsborough County circuit judge.
The ruling by the 2nd District Court of Appeal was the second case in a week stemming from a 2004 constitutional amendment that requires parents to be notified before their minor daughters can have abortions.
The voter-approved amendment and subsequent laws created a process for minors to go to court to seek to prevent notification, a process known as receiving a “waiver.” In Tuesday’s decision, the appeals court found that the teen, identified only as Jane Doe, had met her legal burden for receiving a waiver. It said a circuit judge disregarded the teen’s testimony that she had researched the abortion procedure and risks and also apparently discounted her testimony that she had considered alternatives.
“Jane Doe is almost 18-years old and a high school honors student,” said the appeals-court opinion, written by Judge Edward LaRose and joined by Judge Douglas Wallace. “She plans to attend college in the fall. She testified that her current condition would impact adversely her future plans. She also testified that her parents were strict, controlling, and demanding. At times they acted out of spite toward her. She feared that they would disown her if notified of her pregnancy.”
But Judge Anthony Black dissented, arguing that the case should be sent back to another circuit judge. A different panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal last week upheld a circuit judge’s decision to deny a waiver for another pregnant teen.
by The News Service of Florida
Vendors, Entertainers Needed For Twin Cities Watermelon Festival
June 8, 2014
Flomaton and Century are planning the Twin Cities First Annual Watermelon Festival. The event is planned for Saturday, June 28 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Showalter Park in Century.
The festival will include family fun, craft booths, food, entertainment and more.
Vendors and entertainers are needed. Vendors should click here for a booth application. Interested entertainers should call Kim at Century Town Hall at (850) 256-3208 or email kgodwin@centuryflorida.us.
The Twin Cities First Annual Watermelon Festival is sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
Weekend Gardening: Expert Tips For The Month Of June
June 8, 2014
Here are gardening tips for the month of June from the Florida Extension Service:
Flowers
- Annuals to plant include celosia, coleus, crossandra, hollyhock, impatiens (pictured above), kalanchoe, nicotiana, ornamental pepper, portulaca, salvia, torenia, vinca and zinnia.
- Sow seeds of sunflowers. They are easy to grow if you have a sunny spot. Look for some of the new, dwarf varieties that can also be used as cut flowers.
- Remove old blooms (deadheading) to make flowers bloom longer.
- Allow the foliage on spring bulbs to grow. Do not cut it off until it turns yellow and falls over.
Trees and Shrubs
- Mature palms should receive an application of granular fertilizer. Use a special palm fertilizer that has an 8-2-12 +4Mg (magnesium) with micronutrients formulation. Apply one pound of fertilizer per 100 sq ft of canopy area or landscape area.
- Do any necessary pruning of junipers this month.
- Finish pruning the spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas, camellias, spiraeas, wisteria and forsythia by early June.
- This is the month to reproduce plants by budding.
- Check mulch around ornamental plants to be sure it’s two inches thick. Add mulch as needed to help keep weeds down and conserve water. Keep mulch one to two inches away from trunk or stem.
- Inspect maple trees, especially silver maple for infestations of maple soft scale. Look for a white substance with some black on one end. Individual maple scales are about 1/4 inch in diameter and resemble bird droppings. They occur mostly on leaves and can cause defoliation unless controlled.
- Inspect the undersides of azalea leaves for spider mites and lace bugs. If dry weather conditions exist, these insects can do some serious damage if not controlled.
- Check conifers for signs of bagworms. Call your local Extension Service for control measures.
Fruits and Nuts
- Harvest peaches, nectarines and plums as soon as they mature, before the squirrels and birds get to them
Vegetable Garden
- Side dress vegetable gardens with fertilizer containing nitrogen and potassium. A fertilizer such as a 15-0-15 can be used. Use approximately 2-3 cupfuls (1 to 1 ½ pounds) per 100 feet of row.
- Increase watering frequency and amount as tomatoes load up with fruit.
- Vegetables that can be planted outdoors include eggplant, lima beans, okra, southern peas, peppers and sweet potatoes.
- Sweet potatoes are started from plants or “draws”. Be sure to purchase only certified weevil free sweet potato plants.
- Check for the following pests and control them if necessary: tomato fruitworm, stinkbugs on vegetables and aphids on all new growth
Lawns
- Check for the lawn pests and control them if necessary: Spittlebugs in centipedegrass. They are more attracted to especially lush areas of the yard such as along septic drain fields and in areas where excessive nitrogen fertilizer has been used. Chinch bugs in St. Augustinegrass Sod webworm in all turf
- Start monitoring for mole cricket infestations and prepare for treatment.
Hurricane Sales Tax Holiday Ends Today
June 8, 2014
Florida’s nine-day Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday ends at midnight Sunday. Numerous items often purchased to prepare for hurricanes are tax free:
Qualifying Items
Selling for $10 or less:
• Reusable ice (reusable ice packs)
Selling for $20 or less:
• Any portable self-powered light source
• Battery-powered flashlights
• Battery-powered lanterns
• Gas-powered lanterns (including propane, kerosene, lamp oil, or similar fuel)
• Tiki-type torches
• Candles
Selling for $25 or less:
• Any gas or diesel fuel container (including LP gas and kerosene containers)
Selling for $30 or less:
• Batteries, including rechargeable batteries and excluding automobile and boat batteries
(listed sizes only)
• AA-cell
• C-cell
• D-cell
• 6-volt
• 9-volt
• Coolers (food-storage; nonelectrical)
• Ice chests (food-storage; nonelectrical)
• Self-contained first-aid kit (already tax exempt)
Selling for $50 or less:
• Tarpaulins (tarps)
• Visqueen, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths, and other flexible waterproof sheeting
• Ground anchor systems
• Tie-down kits
• Bungee cords
• Ratchet straps
• Radios (self-powered or battery-powered)
• Two-way radios (self-powered or battery-powered)
• Weather band radios (self-powered or battery-powered)
Selling for $750 or less:
• Portable generators that will be used to provide light, communications, or to preserve food in the event of a power outage
Note: Eligible battery-powered or gas-powered light sources and portable self-powered radios qualify for the exemption even though they may have electrical cords.
Bacon And Eggs: Food Prices Up Slightly In Survey
June 8, 2014
Higher retail prices for several food items used to prepare breakfast, including bacon, eggs and bread, among other foods, resulted in a slight increase in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s latest Semi-Annual Marketbasket Survey.
The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $53.27, up $1.73 or about 3.5 percent compared to a survey conducted a year ago. Of the 16 items surveyed, 10 increased, five decreased and one remained the same in average price.
“Several typical breakfast items increased in price, accounting for much of the modest increase in the marketbasket,” said John Anderson, AFBF’s deputy chief economist. “The 3.5 percent increase shown by our survey tracks closely with Agriculture Department’s forecast of 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent food inflation for 2014,” he said.
Items showing retail price increases from a year ago included bacon, up 12 percent to $4.80 per pound; ground chuck, up 10 percent to $4.10 per pound; white bread, up 10 percent to $1.81 for a 20-ounce loaf; sirloin tip roast, up 9 percent to $5.03 per pound; eggs, up 8 percent to $1.98 per dozen; whole milk, up 6 percent to $3.68 per gallon; chicken breasts, up 6 percent to $3.51 per pound; flour, up 5 percent to $2.76 for a 5-pound bag; toasted oat cereal, up less than 1 percent to $2.93 for a 9-ounce box; and Russet potatoes, up less than one-half of 1 percent to $2.70 for a 5-pound bag.
These items showed modest retail price decreases: bagged salad, down 4 percent to $2.61 per pound; deli ham, down 3 percent to $5.21 per pound; apples, down 3 percent to $1.59 per pound;
vegetable oil, down 2 percent to $2.85 for a 32-ounce bottle; and orange juice, down 1 percent to $3.24 per half-gallon.
Shredded cheddar cheese remained the same in price compared to a year ago, at $4.47 per pound.
Price checks of alternative milk and egg choices not included in the overall marketbasket survey average revealed the following: 1/2 gallon regular milk, $2.46; 1/2 gallon rBST-free milk, $3.87; 1/2 gallon organic milk, $3.97; and 1 dozen “cage-free” eggs, $3.33.
The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.
“Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Anderson said.
Using the “food at home and away from home” percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this $53.27 marketbasket would be $8.52.
According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world.
Elizabeth Ann Fisher
June 8, 2014
Elizabeth “Ann” Fisher, 69, of Cantonment passed away on Friday, June 6, 2014. She was known as “Mimi” to her grandchildren. Mrs. Fisher was an office manager for Rocky’s Pest Control where she had worked for over 30 years. She was the heart and soul of her family.
She is preceded in death by her parents, James Melton and Ruby Sapp Charles; brothers, Melton Lavon Charles, William Edward Charles and Raymond Colan Charles; and sister, Mary Frances Charles.
She is survived by her loving husband of 50 years this September, Clark Fisher; children, Jeff Fisher and Lee Fisher; grandchildren, Jacob Fisher (Kellie) and Jessie Lee Fisher; great-grandchild, Kendal Fisher; siblings, Elaine Charles Zayatz (Frank) and Martha Jane Charles Martin (Richard); and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
Memorials may be made to The American Cancer Society or St. Jude’s Children’s Research, Memphis, TN in Ann’s memory.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 10, 2014, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 11, 2014, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Reverend Rusty Branch officiating.
Interment will follow at Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.