ECUA Now Offering ‘Bloom’ Compost
May 19, 2016
Several Bratt residents are giving “Emerald Coast Bloom” compost a try…a new product from the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.
ECUA is now creating the nutrient-rich compost at the Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment using a combination of yard waste — such as leaves, grass and pine straw — and biosolids –treated sewage sludge that meets high standards.
“It does not smell. That’s always the first question” ECUA Sanitation Supervisor James Courson said as he delivered the sample bags to a group in Bratt Wednesday morning. “It’s a good quality compost, and there’s no smell even when it is wet.”
“Samples have been sent to a national compost-grading agency, and ECUA’s ‘Bloom’ compost has been certified by this agency as meriting its highest rating,” ECUA District 5 Board Member Larry Walker said.
“He (Walker) wants me to try it with my tomatoes,” Bratt resident Howard Hanks said, “planting half of them with the ECUA compost and half without.”
Some of the compost is being sold to smaller landscaping companies for their use and resale to the public. In Escambia County, Woerner Landscape offers the product to the public, including small “by the bag” quantities.
ECUA hopes to soon find a single buyer for all of the compost that they produce, according to Amanda Handrahan, ECUA recycling coordinator.
For more information, call (850) 969-6606.
Pictured top: Bratt resident Howard Hanks receives a sample of ECUA Bloom compost from Sanitation Supervisor James Courson Wednesday morning. Pictured below: Courson loads compost for James Payne. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Rainy Friday
May 19, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 80. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Ernest Ward Middle School Goes Solar For Flagpole Light
May 19, 2016
A new solar power flag light now sits atop the flagpole at Ernest Ward Middle School. The light was donated as project of the school’s Teens For Christ organization. Escambia River Electric Cooperative donated the use of a bucket truck and the labor to install the light. EREC is an Ernest Ward Middle School Partner in Education. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NC Company Finds Utility Savings For The Town Of Century
May 19, 2016
The Town of Century recently contracted with a North Carolina company to audit the town’s electric bills and look for potential savings.
The company, Utility Management Services, recently reporting finding a rate saving of $1,478 per year. Under their contract, the town will pay one-half the annual savings — $739 — to the company for their services.
The savings were calculated “using a metric of measure kilowatt demand, total usage, load factor percentage and on peak usage,” according to the town.
Crawfish Company Donates $5K To Tate Showband’s Hawaii Trip
May 19, 2016
Cordova Crawfish Company presented a $5,000 donation to the Tate High School Showband of the South. The donation came after the boosters and students helped volunteer for CCC during their inaugural year as vendors at the 2016 Crawfish Festival. The Tate Showband is raising funds to perform in Hawaii in a mass band to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 2016. Pictured are Showband Director Mike Philley, along with Chad Bonner and Shelby Phillips from Cordova Crawfish Company. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Students Named Florida State FFA Degree Candidates
May 19, 2016
The Florida FFA has announced the names of students who have been selected as candidates to receive the coveted State FFA Degree. The State FFA Degree is highest honor bestowed upon any regular member of the Florida FFA Assocation.
Each candidate will be recognized and will receive their degree on the main stage during 88th Florida FFA Convention on Friday, June 17 in Orlando.
2016 State FFA Degree candidates from Escambia County Schools are:
Northview High School: Kaitlyn Nicole Kleinatland, Bethany Cheyenne Reynolds, Haylee Alease Weaver, Courtney Bryce Weekly.
Tate High School: Owen Phillip Carter, Rachel Joy Grammer, Heath Haydon Herndon, Bricen Trace Iannone, Victoria Lynnne Kent, Patra Nicole Miller, Michael Austin Rising
West Florida High School: Miranda Marie Vidak
State To Study End Of ‘No-Fault’ Insurance
May 19, 2016
The state plans to undertake a study that would determine what would happen if Florida’s no-fault auto insurance program is scrapped.
According to a request for proposals posted by the Office of Insurance Regulation, the study is expected to find “the potential impact to Floridians if the personal injury protection coverage requirements were repealed and replaced with varying levels of bodily injury coverage, or if the current requirements to purchase auto insurance were completely repealed.”
The no-fault system is commonly referred to as “PIP,” which is shorthand for personal-injury protection coverage.
The objective of the study, which was first reported by The Palm Beach Post, is also to determine the effect of a 2012 law intended to reduce fraud in the no-fault system. An actuarial consulting firm is expected to be awarded the contract for the study on May 27, with the study expected to cost up to $125,000. A draft of the study’s findings is expected to be completed by Aug. 26, with a final report presented to Gov. Rick Scott, the Senate president and House speaker on Sept. 2.
Under the decades-old no-fault system, motorists are required to carry personal-injury protection coverage that includes $10,000 in medical benefits.
by The News Service of Florida
Alexander Cutts
May 19, 2016
Alexander Cutts, 89, of Pensacola, FL, passed away May 14, 2016. He was World War II Veteran. He later retired after 60 years of baking.
Alexander was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, one daughter, and one son-in- law.
He is survived by his wife, Ester Cutts; sister, Mag Hughes; two daughters, Evelyn (Joe) Lord, Charlotte Huff; one son, Giovanni Cutts; seven grandchildren, Micheal (Danielle) Lord, Timothy (Sarah) Lord, Vivian Huff, Chris (Bridget) Burkett, Wayne Burkett, Brianna and Brayden Cutts; 14 great-grandchildren, and many well-loved nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Wednesday, May 18, 2016, from 5:00pm-8:00pm at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North. Funeral services will be Thursday, May 19, 2016, at 12:00 noon at the funeral home. Reverend Johnny Edwards will be officiating and interment will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Micheal Lord, Timothy Lord, Chris Burkett, Wayne Burkett, Mike Janes and David Rowland.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Hwy 29 South, Cantonment, is in charge of arrangements.
Escambia Holds Exercise To Prep For Hurricanes
May 19, 2016
Category Hurricane Kimo slammed into Escambia County Wednesday with winds of 150 mph — in a drill. The Escambia County Emergency Operations Center was activated for the annual exercise as dozens of agencies came together to sharpen their response and recovery skills. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win With Three-Run Rally In Eighth
May 19, 2016
Kyle Parker hit a blooper that landed between the second baseman and right fielder for a double to snap an 0-19 slump and drive in the go-ahead run.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos first baseman then ultimately scored the winning run when second baseman Brandon Dixon hit a sharp liner to right field, as the Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate pulled out a come-from-behind victory, 3-2, over the Mississippi Braves Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola has now won all four series at home this season, taking three of five games from Mississippi. They are 24-16 and in second place in the Southern League South Division.
The 26-year-old Parker, who has 64 games of Major League experience with the Colorado Rockies, said he remained positive throughout his slump the past six games.
“You can’t let what happens in the past dictate what happens,” Parker said. “You just have to kind of forget about your failures and hope for something good to happen. It was nice to get lucky.”
Parker was at bat when Pensacola’s Alex Blandino, who earned a two-out walk to start the rally, scored from third on a wild pitch in the eighth to tie the game, 1-1. Parker then hit his blooper that scored center fielder Phillip Ervin to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 2-1. Parker was 1-4 with an RBI and run scored.
However, the game was not over. Pensacola called on its closer Alejandro Chacin to pitch the ninth. He gave up three singles and a walk and got one out but also gave up his second run of the season when second baseman Johan Camargo singled to score Jacob Schrader and pull Mississippi within one run, 3-2.
Chacin then walked pinch hitter Levi Hyams to load the bases with one out. The righty then got lead-off hitter Matt Lipka to pop out weekly to first base for the second out. He then faced shortstop Dansby Swanson, the overall No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, who had blistered the Southern League’s best pitching staff all series, going 7-20 or .350 with one game-winning homer and three RBIs. But Chacin got Swanson to line out to right field to end the game and leave the bases loaded.
It was the fourth one-run game in the five-game series between the two evenly matched teams.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly praised his closer for coming through to get his team-leading seventh save of the year.
“He showed no fear,” Kelly said. “He might have been the only one in the ballpark who wasn’t afraid.”
Kelly also said “grit” was a good word to describe the Blue Wahoos team that seems to never give up. In six of the eight innings, they got at least one runner on base and couldn’t bring them around to home until the two-out, three-run rally in the eighth.
“They are very determined,” Kelly said. “They’re going to find a way. Grit is a great word to describe them.”
Dating back to his first win of his Double-A career on April 25, Garrett has pitched 29.2 innings in his last five starts and allowed only four earned runs for a 1.21 ERA, while striking out 31. He got a no-decision Wednesday. In his three wins this season, Pensacola has scored 20 runs but in this three losses the team has scored only three runs. They were shutout when he left the game after working six innings, allowing four hits, giving up one earned run, walking three and striking out six.
Kelly said he liked Garrett’s effort Thursday. During the series that matched the two best pitching staffs in the Southern League, Mississippi hit just .191 against the Blue Wahoos’ pitchers, who have a 3.06 team ERA. Meanwhile, Pensacola hit .217 off the Braves pitching staff that boasts a 3.24 ERA.
“I don’t know that (Garrett) was 100 percent today,” Kelly said. “But to go six innings and give up one run is fantastic. We saw two really good starting pitchers today.”