Two Injured In Crash With Semi In Century
July 4, 2015
Two people were injured in a traffic crash Friday afternoon after pulling into the path of a semi.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 22-year old Ederlin Pimentel of Century was stopped at the stop sign on Jefferson Avenue at West Highway 4 about 2:35 p.m. Pimentel then accelerated into the intersection, causing 43-year old Chad Cooper of Brewton to swerve his 2013 Volvo semi . The front right of Pimentel’s 2012 Mazda struck a ladder on left side of the semi. The semi’s axle struck the car, causing it to rotate.
Pimentel and passenger Alyssa Moya of Century were transported to Jay Hospital with minor injuries. Cooper was uninjured.
Pimentel was cited with violation of right of way at a stop intersection, according to FHP.
Pictured: Two people in this car were injured Friday afternoon after colliding with a semi truck in Century. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Extension Urges Smart Grilling For Food Safety
July 4, 2015
Safety is an important consideration when operating a grill. Improper use can cause a fire or explosion. Keep the area around a lighted grill clear of combustible materials, and never use a grill in an enclosed area such as a sheltered patio or a garage. Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing that may catch fire. The cooking grids should be cleaned after every cookout. The last thing you want to do is cause someone to become ill due to improper cleaning or unsafe food preparation practices.
Wash your hands with hot soapy water for at least 20 seconds before starting to prepare any foods, and wash your hands again if you do anything else—change a diaper, pet an animal, or blow your nose, for example. Cover any cuts or sores on your hands with a bandage, or use plastic gloves. If you sneeze or cough while preparing foods, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and turn your face away, or cough into your sleeve. Always wash your hands afterwards.
Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature. Most food-borne illness-causing bacteria cannot grow well at temperatures below 40°F or above 140°F. Thaw foods in the refrigerator or in the microwave. Never leave foods out at room temperature.
Keep everything that touches food clean. Bacteria can hitch rides around your kitchen on all sorts of things—plates and cutting boards, dirty utensils, dish rags and sponges, unwashed hands.
Never chop fresh vegetables or salad ingredients on a cutting board that was used for raw meat without properly cleaning it first. If possible, keep a separate cutting board just for the preparation of raw meat, poultry, and fish.
Wash cutting boards thoroughly with hot soapy water, and then sanitize with a solution of household bleach and water.
Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices from coming into contact with other foods during preparation, especially foods that will not be cooked. Wash all utensils and your hands with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat.
Marinate meat, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator in a covered, non-metal container. Throw away any leftover marinade.
Grill food to a safe internal temperature. Use a meat thermometer to assure correct doneness of the food being grilled.
Safe minimum internal temperatures:
- Poultry (whole, ground, and breasts): 165°F
- Hamburgers, beef: 160°F
- Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks, roasts and chops):
- Medium rare: 145°F
- Medium: 160°F.
- All cuts of pork: 160°F.
Hold meat at 140°F until served. Use a clean platter for transferring cooked meat from grill to serving table.
Summer is the time for getting together with friends and family and cooking outdoors. Make your outdoor grilling experience safe and enjoyable.
For further information regarding food safety and other related topics, go to the University of Florida’s Solutions for Your Life website: http://www.solutionsforyourlife.com.
Dorothy C. Lee, CFCS, is an Extension Agent II, Family & Consumer Sciences with the Escambia County Extension Service. Reference: Safe Food Handling Fact Sheet, United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Series.
4th Weekend Recipes: Patriotic Pops, Ice Cream Sandwiches
July 4, 2015
The Fourth of July calls for a carefree party, with good friends, fab food, fun and fireworks – a real star-studded holiday celebration.
Patriotic Pops cut into star shapes definitely say “Happy Fourth of July.” Decorated in red, white and blue icing, red licorice and colored candies, these easy-to-make crispy rice treats are a favorite for both youngsters and the grown-ups. The kids can lend a hand to help decorate by placing the candy pieces on the stars.
Add a taste of nostalgia for the child in all of us with Ice Cream Sandwiches – everybody loves ‘em. Homemade brownies and buttery vanilla cookies, sandwiched with the ice cream flavor of your choice are a cut above ice cream truck offerings. Give them the flair of the Fourth by rolling the edges in patriotic sprinkles and sugars. Or, dip part of the sandwich into melted candy melts and decorate with sprinkles for a fun and festive finish.
(Scroll down to see both recipes.)
Patriotic Pops
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
- 4 cups mini marshmallows
- 6 cups crisp rice cereal
- 24 8-inch Cookie Treat Sticks
- Red, Blue and White Cookie Icing
- Red and blue candy-coated chocolates
- Red licorice
Preparation
- Spray Star Cookie Treat Pan and rubber spatula or wooden spoon with vegetable pan spray.
- In large saucepan, melt butter. Add marshmallows; cook and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add cereal; mix well. Press into prepared pan; insert cookie sticks. When cool to touch, remove from pan. Repeat with remaining cereal mixture. (If mixture becomes hard to work with, microwave at 50% power 30 to 60 seconds to soften.)
- Outline treat as desired with Cookie Icing; add candy and licorice. Let dry at least 1 hour.
Serves
Makes about 2 dozen pops
Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Cookies
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract, orange extract or ground cinnamon (optional)
Preparation
- Brownies: Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray Ice Cream Sandwich Pan with vegetable pan spray.
- In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter with chocolate chips. Whisk in sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture; stir until just combined. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each pan cavity, spreading evenly.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted at an angle toward center comes out clean. Immediately remove to cooling rack; cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Vanilla Cookies: Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray Ice Cream Sandwich Pan with vegetable pan spray.
- In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. Whisk in sugars, eggs, vanilla and, if desired, other extract or cinnamon; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each pan cavity, spreading evenly.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted at an angle toward center comes out clean. Immediately remove to cooling rack; cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
- To Assemble: 1 quart ice cream, any flavor
- Assorted Patriotic Mix Sprinkles and Red and Blue Sugars
- White Candy Melts, melted (optional)
- Scoop about 1/4 cup ice cream onto smooth side of half of the brownies. Top with remaining brownies, pressing gently. If desired, roll edge of sandwiches in sprinkles or sugars. Wrap and freeze immediately.
- Or, dip a portion of the sandwich in melted candy melts; add sprinkles and sugars. Freeze 5 minutes to set, then wrap and freeze until ready to serve.
Serves
Makes about 12 ice cream sandwiches
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville
July 4, 2015
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (4-4, 29-47) took the three-game series and a 7-6 advantage in the season series for the Golden Skillet against the Jacksonville Suns (3-5, 32-45) with a 5-1 victory Friday night.
Wahoos starter Tim Adleman (4-6) had a solid performance on the mound, earning a win with 6.0 innings of work while allowing only one run on eight hits and striking out seven. Suns starter Scott Lyman earned his third loss in four starts.
Manager Pat Kelly on Adleman: “He’s been really steady every time out there. You just know that if you score a couple of runs for him, you’re going to win the game.”
With fireworks scheduled for after the game, veteran infielder Ray Chang blasted some fireworks of his own as he led the team at the plate with yet another stellar performance. He hit his first home run since June 13, 2013 on a solo shot to left field and was 3-4 at the plate. Outfielders Jesse Winker and Sean Buckley each went 2-4 with an RBI apiece.
Chang on the home run: “Obviously as a leadoff guy you want to see as many pitches as possible, try and get his pitch count up. I saw every pitch that he had, and I was just fouling balls off, fouling balls off.
“They’ve been [pitching] in to me a lot this series, knowing I’m a guy that likes to spray the ball the other way. And so I just cheated on one and got lucky and hit one out, first time in two years.”
Adleman got into a bit of trouble in the top of the first as he loaded the bases with only one out. However, he was able to get out of the jam with a pair of impressive strikeouts.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Seth Mejias-Brean singled, stole second and advanced to third on a fly ball. Sean Buckley then drove him home with one out to increase the Wahoo lead to 2-0.
The Suns did a bit of damage in the fifth inning, getting a run on three singles to bring them within a run. Adleman was able to get out of the inning with a two-out strikeout as a man was in scoring position.
Juan Perez led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to the corner in right. He would later score on an error at second following a Juan Duran blooper to make it 3-1.
Kyle Skipworth led off the seventh with a double to the corner in right, the sixth leadoff hit in the first seven innings. After a Mejias-Brean walk on the next at-bat, an error at first would allow Skipworth to score from second base.
Juan Silva and Chang opened the bottom of the eighth with a pair of walks. Jesse Winker would then capitalize for the Wahoos with a ground-rule double to drive in a run and make it 5-1.
Kelly took time to praise the defense after the win: “We’ve played super defense all year, and I thought that was very apparent tonight. We turned a big double play. Mejias-Brean made an outstanding play to his left earlier in the ballgame. With Adleman pitching, you know you’re going to get ground balls, so I think the infielders are ready and it makes a big difference.”
Survey: That July 4th Cookout Costs Less This Year
July 4, 2015
A Fourth of July cookout of Americans’ favorite foods including hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans, lemonade and chocolate milk will cost slightly less this year and still comes in at less than $6 per person, says the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Farm Bureau’s informal survey reveals the average cost for a summer cookout for 10 is $55.84, or $5.58 per person. That’s about a 3-percent decrease compared to a year ago.
“Based on our survey, food prices overall appear to be fairly stable. Prices for beef have continued to increase this year, but prices for other meats are generally declining. Dairy product prices are also quite a bit lower,” said John Anderson, deputy chief economist at AFBF.
“Meat production is starting to increase substantially. Beef prices have started to stabilize but have not declined yet. On the other hand, retail pork prices have been declining all year,” Anderson said.
“Fuel and other energy prices have also generally been lower so far this year compared to last year,” Anderson said. “This helps keep prices down on the more processed items in the basket. Energy is an important component of the final price for these products.
“As a nation, we continue to enjoy a consistent, high-quality supply of meats and poultry at prices that are remarkably affordable for most consumers,” he said.
AFBF’s summer cookout menu for 10 consists of hot dogs and buns, cheeseburgers and buns, pork spare ribs, deli potato salad, baked beans, corn chips, lemonade, chocolate milk, watermelon for dessert, and ketchup and mustard.
A total of 88 Farm Bureau members (volunteer shoppers) in 30 states checked retail prices for summer cookout foods at their local grocery stores for this informal survey.
The summer cookout survey is part of the Farm Bureau marketbasket series which also includes the popular annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey and two “everyday” marketbasket surveys on common food staples Americans use to prepare meals at home. A squad of Farm Bureau members across the nation checks retail prices at local grocery stores for the marketbasket surveys. AFBF published its first marketbasket survey in 1986.
Winn Dixie To Donate Today’s Profits To Wounded Warrior Foundation
July 4, 2015
All profits generated at Winn Dixie stories today, July 4, will be donated in support of Wounded Warrior Project’s Independence Program. The Independence Program is designed to help warriors who need to rely on their families and friends for support due to injuries they have suffered, such as brain injury, spinal-cord injury, or other neurological conditions. Individualized plans are created with goals to provide a future with purpose at no cost to the warriors or their support teams.
“We believe we all have a responsibility to care and contribute to the lives of those who have served and sacrificed for the nation, which is why we are committing every cent of every dollar of profit generated this Independence Day across all of our Winn-Dixie stores to help support the Wounded Warrior Project’s Independence Program,” said Ian McLeod, CEO and president of Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie grocery stores.. “We felt it is the right thing to do, and our associates do, too.”
Simply by shopping at Winn-Dixie on Independence Day, customers will help support those who serve and sacrifice for our nation. Donations can also be made at checkout through July 5.
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville
One Injured In Hwy 29 Crash
July 3, 2015
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash about 9:00 Friday morning on Highway 29 north of Kingsfield Road. A newborn baby in the pictured vehicle was properly restrained and uninjured. Further information has not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Northview’s FFA Named One Of Florida’s Finest; Places Second In Advocacy Program
July 3, 2015
The Northview High School FFA was named as one of Florida’s Finest FFA Chapters, and the chapter’s “Fresh From Florida Advocacy Program” was named the second best program in the state during the FFA state convention this week in Orlando.
The selection of Florida’s Finest FFA Chapters is based upon the completion of the National Chapter Award program application. These chapters have excelled in the areas of student, chapter and community development and have worked hard to fulfill the mission of the FFA. Northview’s FFA chapter will represent Florida at the national level in the National Chapter Award Program later this year in Louisville, KY.
Formerly known the Food for America program, the Fresh from Florida Advocacy Program is designed to encourage FFA members to participate in agricultural literacy and awareness projects on the local level. The annual program, conducted by the Northview FFA in March, gave over 1,000 students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand as they got up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more. The students even had the opportunity to make their own butter and enjoy it on crackers.
In addition to their second place state award this year, the Northview High School FFA “Fresh From Florida” program was previously honored as the best in Florida for three consecutive years.
Pictured above and below: The Fresh from Florida program last March at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Pictured inset: The Fresh from Florida Advocacy Awards at the state FFA convention in Orlando on Thursday.
Four Cantonment Residents Injured In Five-Vehicle Interstate Crash
July 3, 2015
Two Cantonment residents received minor injures in a five-vehicle pileup on I-10 Thursday.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 47-year old Guy Richard Patrick Malonzo of Pensacola was eastbound on I-10 near the Highway 29 exit when he failed to stop his 2005 semi-truck before hitting a 2010 Ford F150 that was slowed for traffic. After Malonzo struck the F150, it caused the multi-vehicle pileup.
The driver of the F150, 41-year old Carol Tyler Allen of Cantonment, and passengers – 10-year old Brady Allen, eight-year old Gavin Gay, and eight-year old Mallory Gay, all of Cantonment – were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with minor injuries. Malzon0 and the persons involved in the crash were uninjured.
Malzono was cited for careless driving. Another driver involved in the crash, 17-year old Perla Ortiz-Cruz, was cited for no driver’s license.
The 9:58 crash closed I-10 for most of an hour, according to the FHP.
Pictured: Traffic cameras partially show a five-vehicle crash and traffic backup Thursday on I-10 at Highway 29. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Slight Friday Night Rain Chance; Increasing Rain Chance For The Fourth
July 3, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Independence Day: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.