Georgia Murder Suspect Arrested In Escambia County
April 12, 2015
A suspect in a fatal Georgia grocery store shooting was taken into custody in Escambia County.
Shontavious Devoite Chestnut, 25, was taken into custody by a U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.
Chestnut and an accomplice are accusing of a shooting and killing a construction worker outside of an Atlanta Kroger grocery store in an apparent attempt to steal his truck, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
Chestnut remained in the Escambia County jail without bond awaiting extradition to Georgia. He provided an Escambia County address when arrested.
Jimmy Ray Poarch
April 12, 2015
Jimmy Ray Poarch, 61, of Molino, passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.
Jimmy was born to the late William and Betty Poarch on May 26, 1953, in Greenville, SC.
He is survived by his wife, Geri; children, Debra (Will) Manning of Milton, Garreth Lee Poarch of McCormick, SC, and Anita Poarch of McCormick, SC; grandchildren, Sean Henderson of Molino, Nicole Henderson of Pensacola, Frank Henderson and Albert Roberts both of Milton; his brothers, Jeffrey (Felicia) Poarch of North, SC, Aaron (Sue) Poarch of Portland, OR, and David Poarch of Elgin, SC.
Graveside services will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2015, at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Two Injured In Crash That Partially Closed Hwy 29
April 11, 2015
A two vehicle accident on Highway 29 in Molino sent two people to the hospital and partially closed the roadway Friday night.
The accident happened about 8 p.m. on Highway 29 at Molino Road, closing the northbound lanes for about an hour and a half. Two females were transported by Atmore Ambulance to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola with injuries that were not considered severe.
Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Relay Life Events Today At UWF And Jay
April 11, 2015
Hundreds of cancer survivors, caregivers, volunteers, and teams of walkers from schools, companies, places of worship, and more will come together this weekend for the American Cancer Society at the University of West Florida Relay For Life and Jay Relay for Life events.
The Jay Relay for Life will take place at Bray-Hendrick Park from 4-10 p.m. Saturday. In the event of bad weather, it will be moved inside the community center.
The University of West Florida Relay for Life has been moved insider the Commons Great Hall from 7 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday.
A touching Luminaria Ceremony, where candles are lit in honor and memory of locals who have battled cancer, will happen at 9 p.m. at both locations.
Pictured: Relay for Life last year in Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Remember Your Houseplants When Spring Cleaning
April 11, 2015
by UF/IFAS Santa Rosa Extension
Warmer weather signals that spring is here. After months of being cooped up indoors, it’s finally time for gardeners to go dig in the dirt. It’s also time for cooped up house plants to be revitalized.
Locate a shady area for this work. Even if houseplants are to be left out for a short period, after being shut up all winter, leaf damage can occur with only brief exposure to direct sunlight.
First, give the houseplants a bath. Use a soapy solution made of two teaspoons of mild liquid soap mixed with one gallon of water. Wash the leaves and stems, being certain to clean both upper and lower leaf surfaces. Allow the solution to remain on the plants for a few minutes, but rinse it off thoroughly before it is allowed to dry. This not only cleans plants, making them more attractive, but the soap helps to remove aphids, mealybugs and other insects.
Next, see if your plant needs re-potting. Although some plants require being pot-bound in order to flower eventually all plants outgrow their containers and become root- or pot-bound.
Why repot in the spring? Plant roots grow most actively in the spring, which means the plant will be able to quickly overcome the shock associated with re-potting.
When repotting, start with a clean, appropriately sized pot. If you want the plant to grow larger, then you will need to repot it in a larger pot. If you want it to maintain its present size, you’ll have to prune its roots.
In general, the pot size should be increased by only about two inches per re-potting. Therefore, a plant whose root ball is in a six inch pot is normally transplanted to a pot with an eight inch diameter. For some reason, drastic changes in pot size when re-potting seems to be detrimental to some plants.
Watering the plant several hours prior will help you remove the plant more easily. Invert the pot and gently remove the plant by grasping the main stem. Give it a slight tug, and it should slip out of the pot. If it doesn’t, use a butter knife or other flat-bladed tool to loosen the sides of the pot and try again.
Once the plant is free of the pot, take the time to inspect the root system. Look for large, old circular roots which can strangle the plant and prevent much-needed nourishment. Sever or remove these old roots to allow new feeder roots to establish.
To re-pot, first add enough new soil mixture to the bottom of the pot to return the plant to its original depth. After the plant is replaced, fill in the sides with new potting soil.
Use a quality potting mix when re-potting. Gardeners generally rely on commercially available potting soil mixes for growing most types of houseplants. A lot of brands are out there and not all of them are especially good. In particular, avoid heavy, black potting soils. If the bag feels dense and heavy for its size, put it back.
The best potting mixes include vermiculite, bark and perlite in proportions that create a fairly light, loose mix that water penetrates readily but drains rapidly.
If you don’t want to change pots, there is a way of dealing with a pot-bound plant and keeping it in the same size pot. First, remove the plant from the pot and trim off one-quarter to one-third of the lower part of the root ball. Put a layer of fresh potting mix in the bottom of the original container equal to the amount of the root ball removed. Place the plant back in the pot, adding a little more soil around the sides. Water well, and place the plant in a shady location to recover.
House plants would also benefit from fertilization at this time of year. There are many commercial materials available for fertilizing indoor plants. Most are effective and safe if used as directed.
Putnam: Plan To Travel Smart This Summer
April 11, 2015
Summer is just around the corner, and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam reminds consumers to be careful when making vacation plans.
“Consumers are often targeted with mailings, telephone calls or emails that offer vacation deals, and they should be cautious not to fall for travel-related scams,” said Putnam.
Consumers can protect themselves from vacation scams by following these tips:
- Find out if a travel company is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
- Check to see if the company has any complaints, and if so, how they were resolved.
- Read the entire contract before signing. Ask questions before signing.
- Get a copy of the company’s cancellation and refund policies.
- Use a credit card (not a debit card) when making a purchase. If there are issues with the service provided, credit card charges can be disputed.
- Be skeptical of free vacation offers. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. The call center is staffed with trained analysts who can respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview, provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency.
Northview Music Dept. Presents Annual Spring Concert
April 11, 2015
The Northview High School Music Department presented their annual Spring Concert Friday night at the school, featuring the school’s Concert Band, Guitar Ensemble and Vocal Ensemble. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lady Jags Beat Escambia; Tate Over Fort Walton Beach
April 11, 2015
SOFTBALL
West Florida, 7, Escambia 3
The West Florida Jaguars beat Escambia 7-3 in a rain-shortened game Friday. Jibrasha Moore was 1-3 with homer and 2 RBI; Kristin Gunter was 1-2; Emily Loring 1-2 with a double; Lauren Carnley 1-3 with a double; and Farrah Ncholas was 1-3 with a RBI.
The game was the last of the regular season for the Lady Jags. They travel to Marianna to start district play Tuesday at 6 p.m. against the Marianna Bulldogs.
BASEBALL
Tate 3, Fort Walton Beach 2
The Tate Aggies held on with two runs in the bottom of the seventh Friday to beat Fort Walton Beach 3-2. Branden Fryman was 2-3 with a RBI; Sawyer Smith was 1-3; Jake Davis was 1-2 for the Aggies.
Pictured top: Jabrasha Moore rounds the bases on a homer Friday as West Florida beat Escambia. Pictured below: The Lady Jags won 7-.3. Photos by Gary Carnley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
Mostly Cloudy, Showers Possible
April 11, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Sunday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 76. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Wednesday
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Thursday
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Friday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 78.
Wahoos Fall in Rain Shortened Game Against The Shuckers
April 11, 2015
Biloxi Shuckers pitcher Tyler Wagner proved why he’s ranked the No. 9 prospect by Baseball America in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization.
Before rain canceled Friday’s game in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Shuckers ahead, 7-1, over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Wagner looked in total control through six innings. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up five hits, one unearned run and struck out four.
“Wagner did a nice job,” said Pensacola Manager Pat Kelly. “We’ve seen two really good pitchers and it doesn’t get any easier.”
Meanwhile, after a 1-2-3 first inning, Blue Wahoos Daniel Wright struggled in his Double-A debut. The righty ranked first in wins with 14 and second in strike outs with 141 in A ball for the Reds last year.
Wright gave up three runs in the second inning on a one-out, bases-loaded clearing double down the left field line by Shuckers catcher Adam Weisenburger that put Biloxi ahead, 3-1. He gave up three more runs on three singles and a walk in the third inning before being pulled with two outs and the Wahoos trailing, 6-1.
On the night, Wright lasted 2.2 innings, allowing six earned runs on five hits and four walks with no strikeouts.
“He’s a command guy and he can’t afford to get behind guys,” Kelly said.
Also making his Double-A debut was leftfielder Sean Buckley who posted a double and single in three at bats.
Pensacola, which recorded its 106th sellout in four seasons, is hosting the season opening series with Biloxi.
The third game of the five-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. RHP Tim Adleman takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Shuckers LHP Hobbs Johnson.