Town Of Century, Health And Hope Clinic Receive Power Of Service Awards
March 12, 2015
Gulf Power recognized four community service organizations — two of which serve the North Escambia area — at its fourth annual Power of Service awards ceremony for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The organizations honored during a reception at the Pace Community Center included the Health and Hope Clinic, with a location in Century; the Town of Century’s GED Scholarship Fund, Men in Action and Santa Rosa Bridges. The recipients received an award and a $2,500 grant from Gulf Power at the ceremony.
Gulf Power started the Power of Service awards in 2012 as a way to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service and recognizes organizations that are dedicated to improving the lives of others.
“When selecting Power of Service recipients we look for organizations that may fly under the radar screen and aren’t as well-known as many others in the community,” said Gulf Power President and CEO Stan Connally. “The recipients this year provide services that are specifically tailored to the needs of our communities, and we want to not only recognize and celebrate this, but help them further enhance their programs.”
The 2015 Power of Service Award recipients were:
Town of Century/GED Scholarship Fund
Thirty-five percent of Century residents do not have their high school diploma or equivalent education. Because of this, Mayor Freddie W. McCall is working to raise funds for a GED Scholarship Fund. Mayor McCall’s goal is to increase the number of Century residents who have a high school equivalent education to ensure its residents are prepared to be an active part of the workforce.
The fund was established through a generous donation from Quint Studer in recognition of Buck Showalter’s successful baseball career and his early upbringing in Century.
Health and Hope Clinic
Health and Hope Clinic was established by the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association to help meet the needs of the uninsured and medically underserved in Escambia County.
With two locations serving Pensacola and Century, Health and Hope Clinic is an entirely volunteer- and donor-driven clinic and relies on the generosity of contributors and volunteers to accomplish their mission of “providing health and hope to the hurting.” The clinic has been one of the only health care providers available to the community since the Century location opened in 2011. With the Pensacola clinic opening in 2003, the two locations have provided more than $15 million in healthcare services and 18,000 patient/provider visits.
Health and Hope Clinic offers a wide variety of services to those in need, including primary medical care, dental services, preventative care, specialty care, prescription assistance, full laboratory services and more.
Santa Rosa Bridges
The mission of Santa Rosa Bridges is to enhance lives in Santa Rosa County by building bridges to prosperity. Established in 2012, the non-profit organization is comprised of citizens representing K-12 public education, post-secondary education, health care, faith-based groups, business, government, criminal justice and service providers.
Men In Action
Men In Action is a non-profit organization providing mentoring and enrichment programs for middle and high school youth in Santa Rosa County and surrounding areas. Their mission is to improve the academic achievement, self-esteem, social competence and avoidance of high-risk behavior in at-risk youth.
Pictured top: Town of Century Mayor Freddie McCall (center) accepts the Power of Service award from Gary Sammons (left), Gulf Power district general manager and Tiffany Bates, district representative to Congressman Jeff Miller. Pictured below: Jessica Simpson (center), executive director of the Health and Hope Clinic, accepts a Power of Service Award. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pedestrian Killed In Escambia County
March 12, 2015
Escambia County has recorded another pedestrian fatality.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 57-year old James Glenn Braddock of Pensacola was attempting to cross New Warrington Road when he stepped into the northbound lane, directly into the path of a Volvo driven by 24-year Matthew Charles Murray of Easton, PA.
Murray was unable to avoid a collision and struck Braddock with the right front of his vehicle, the FHP said. Braddock was transported to Baptist Hospital by Escambia County EMS where he was pronounced deceased upon arrival.
No charges have been filed in the crash.
CSX Crossing Closures Continue In Escambia County
March 12, 2015
Click here for an updated story.
CSX is currently conducting work throughout Escambia County as part of its network-wide crossing maintenance program. This phase of the program began March 9 and covers road crossings from East Oakfield Road through Eden Lane. CSX engineering crews will be laying new rail ties, resurfacing crossings and repaving them with asphalt. The work is expected to be completed within two weeks.
The following schedule has been provided by CSX:
- Olive Road, Johnson Road, Ensley Street – opened Thursday morning
- Roberts Road, Kingsfield Road — closed today, reopen late Friday
- Chemstrand Road, Archer Road — closing Monday, reopening Tuesday
- El Camino Road — closed Tuesday, back Wednesday, March 18
- Country Lane, out Tuesday, temporarily in Tuesday, out Wednesday, March 18, for surfacing & paving;
- Woodbury Road, out Tuesday, temporarily in Tuesday, out Wednesday, March 18, for surfacing & paving
- Becks Lake Road, out Wednesday, March 18, temporarily in Wednesday, March 18, out Thursday, March 19, back on Thursday, March 19
- Eden Lane, out Wednesday, March 18, back Thursday, March 19
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.
No Injuries In Deputy Involved Crash
March 12, 2015
There were no injuries in a traffic crash involving an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy Wednesday afternoon.
The accident happened about 4:55 p.m. on Pine Forest Road south of Highway 297A. The Florida Highway Patrol said Deputy Caleb Odom, 29, was in marked Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chevrolet Tahoe traveling north in the center turn lane on Pine Forest Road as 45-year old Michelle Andrews exited the Publix shopping center in a 2000 Dodge Neon. Northbound traffic on Pine Forest Road was backed up due to a red traffic signal. As Andrews made a left turn in front of the stopped traffic, the left front of the Tahoe collided with the left front of the Neon.
Any charges in the crash are pending, according to the FHP.
Youth Livestock Grooming Clinic Saturday At New Molino 4-H Property
March 12, 2015
The new 4-H facility in Molino is ready to hosts its first event.
The Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization will be holding their annual Grooming Clinic on Saturday from 9 a.m. until lunch at the new 4-H property at 5701 Highway 99 in Molino.
The youth will be instructed on how to feed, groom and show their animals in preparation for the upcoming GCA and NRA Livestock Show.
The 4-H and FFA Youth will receive guidance on swine from Chris George, Eclectic AL; the Cattle Clinic will be run by Spencer Williamson, Brewton AL; and the Goat Clinic will be presented by Lori Kent, Baldwin County. The exhibitors will be able to gather valuable information from each of these experts.
The GCA and NRA Livestock show will bee held Saturday April 18 beginning at 8 a.m. Youth ages 8-18 will exhibit rabbits, poultry, swine and cattle followed by a live auction.
For more information contact GCAandNRA@gmail.com.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Ernest Ward Middle To Hold Registration Night, Dinner
March 12, 2015
A registration night will be held Thursday, March 26 from 4:30 until 6 p.m. at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Students and parents will have the chance to meet teachers, explore course offerings for the next school years and complete the registration card. A catered dinner will be served to go. To receive dinner for one child and one parent on registration night, parents must RSVP by March 13 to Mrs. Murphy at (850) 327-4283 ext. 305, or email wmurphy@escambia.k12.fl.us.
West Florida Gin Upgrading With $725K Baling Press
March 12, 2015
The West Florida Gin is expanding its capabilities with an upgraded press. The gin recently signed an agreement for an Continental Eagle press for $725,000.
The press is used to bale cotton.
“This has been a necessary addition to our gin to keep up with the continued support from our cotton growing community. We are grateful for their support over the years, enabling us to upgrade each year, improving our services as a cotton ginning facility,” said Manager Robert Earl Godwin.
Godwin (pictured second from left) was joined for the signing by (L-R) David Mrozinski, Lav Bajaj and John Kolasky of Bajaj Steel Industries, LLC, manufacturers of the Continental press.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Later Presidential Primary Sails Through House
March 12, 2015
A bill delaying next year’s presidential primary elections in Florida continued its fast-track movement through the Legislature on Wednesday, getting unanimous support from the House.
Lawmakers voted 114-0 to move the state’s primary to the third Tuesday in March, which would be March 15 next year. The bill (HB 7035), which pushes the vote back by two weeks, would allow the Republican Party of Florida to make its primary winner-take-all under the national GOP’s rules.
As a sign of how quickly the legislation is moving, the Senate Rules Committee is set to take up the upper chamber’s version of the bill (SB 7036) on Thursday morning. If that panel signs off, the legislation would be headed to the Senate floor.
The Republican National Committee’s rules for party primaries call for states that vote before March 15 in 2016 to allocate their delegates proportionally. States that wait until that date can award all of their delegates to the winning candidate — a treasure trove in a large state like Florida that could particularly come in handy for former Gov. Jeb Bush or U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, both of whom are considering bids for the White House.
The Republican Party of Florida would ultimately choose whether to go with a winner-take-all system or award delegates proportionally.
Legislative leaders have brushed off suggestions that the move is being made to benefit Bush or Rubio in a potential fight for the GOP nomination, instead casting it as something that would draw the spotlight to Florida, the nation’s largest swing state in general elections.
“I think it’s a bill about Florida being relevant, and that’s really what it comes down to,” said House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island.
Democratic delegates are rewarded proportionally regardless of when a state’s primary is held. Aside from some carping that the idea was originally offered by a Democratic sponsor in 2009 and 2013 — after early primaries led the national parties to take away some of Florida’s delegates — the minority party didn’t argue the changes.
“We didn’t hear any indication from our party in Florida or the DNC (Democratic National Committee) that it would have any impact,” House Minority Leader Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, told reporters.
State Republican Chairman Blaise Ingoglia, a state House member from Spring Hill, has signaled that he would like the state to give all of its delegates to the winning candidate.
Moving the primary back is the opposite direction of where lawmakers have tended to go in Florida. The state previously tried to move up in the order, scrambling efforts by both the Republican and Democratic parties to protect the traditional early votes in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Tate Aggies Remains Undfeated With 4-2 Win Over West Florida
March 12, 2015
Tate 4, West Florida 2 (Varsity – 8 innings)
Tate 10, West Florida 6 (JV)
Tate 8, West Florida 6 (9th)
The Tate High School Aggies beat West Florida in eight innings Wednesday night 4-2. The Aggies remain undefeated at 9-0 overall, 4-0 in the district. Michael Sherrill (2-0) took the win in relief, striking out five and only giving up three hits. Trace Penton went 3-4 with a double, while Hunter Worley was 2-3 with two RBI’s. Brandon Fryman went 2-4.
The Aggies will host Crestview on Friday with the varsity at 7:00, junior varsity at 4:30, It’s a Blackout night, with all students entering the district game for $1 with $1 hot dogs for students and door prizes each inning.
Cantonment’s TaylorMade 14U Wins Battle On The Bay
March 12, 2015
The TaylorMade 14U team from Cantonment won the recent Battle on the Bay tournament in Gulf Beeze. TaylorMade went 5-0 beating Spanish Fort for the championship. The team is currently 15-1 with two tournament wins and a second place tourney finish.
Pictured: Taylormade team members (bottom, L-R) Hunter Mclean , Gavin Coles , Dawson Kuba , Hunter Riggan, Brandon Sprout, Jalen Whitfield, (top, L-R) Head Coach Ralph Story, Jace Dunsford, Trey Lefleur, Mason Land, Hunter Rayburn, Nolan Rigby, Pat Palmer, Mack Hamrick, and Coach Rodney Story. Photo for NorthEscambia.com,, click to enlarge.