FFA Member Turns Project Into Food For The Needy
July 3, 2017
Cora Andrews, a senior member of the the J.M. Tate FFA Chapter, has been showing a market hog in the Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization (GCANRYO) Spring Livestock Show for the past two years.
As the show season approached this year, Andrews started brainstorming about a way she could use this project to help others. Having a heart for those in need, she called Loaves and Fishes and spoke with them about donating her market hog to their organization. Andrews decided on Loaves and Fishes because they serve approximately 4,600 meals to Pensacola’s homeless each month.
Andrews purchased her market swine on January 7th, weighing 70 pounds. Over the next several months, she spent hours caring for and preparing “Wilma” for the Spring Livestock Show.
After the show, the participants are required to send their swine to auction. Leading up to the show this year, Andrews told her family and friends that she really wished that she could somehow donate the pig to people in need. Several people sent donations to help her purchase Wilma in the auction which was enough to make her idea a reality.
When it was all said and done, Andrews was able to donate approximately 125 pounds of pork to Loaves and Fishes. Andrews was thrilled to be able to combine her love for agriculture and her love for helping those in need by completing this endeavor.
Andrews looks forward to participating in the show again next year and hopes to raise enough money to donate her market hog again. She is also considering encouraging other students to come alongside her in helping those in need in our community.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Alabama Sales Tax Increases
July 3, 2017
Shopping in Escambia County, AL, became a bit more expensive this weekend with a countywide one percent sale tax increase.
The new sales tax rate in Atmore, Flomaton in Brewton is 10 percent. The sales tax in East Brewton jumped to 11 cents on a dollar. Just to the south in Escambia County, FL, the sales tax is 7.5 percent, except for groceries and medications that have zero tax.
The 1-cent increase, which was effective at 12:01 a.m. July 1, is expected to boost the county’s annual revenue by over $2.7 million. Without the increase, commissioners have said the county will be facing service cutbacks and possible layoffs due to lower general fund revenue, partially due to a decrease in revenue from oil and gas severance revenue and gas taxes.
Pictured top: The sales tax in Atmore, including at this Winn Dixie store, just increased to 10 percent. A few miles away in Florida, shoppers pay no sales tax on groceries, 7.5 percent on most other items. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Beware Of Credit Card Skimmers At The Pump This Holiday Weekend
July 3, 2017
With projected record-breaking travel this Independence Day holiday period, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam is providing simple tips to help Floridians and visitors avoid credit card skimmers at the gas pump. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has found and removed 276 credit card skimmers from gas pumps so far this year.
“Identity theft is the last thing Floridians and visitors want to deal with while traveling,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “An educated consumer is the best defense, and I encourage travelers to follow these simple tips to avoid skimmers this holiday weekend.”
Travelers can take the following steps to avoid skimmers at gas stations:
- Pay in cash inside the store to ensure credit card information stays safe.
- Check to make sure the gas pump dispenser cabinet is closed and has not been tampered with.
- Use a gas pump closer to the front of the store. Thieves often place skimmers at the gas pumps farther away from the store.
- Use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards have better fraud protection, and the money is not deducted immediately from an account.
- If using a debit card at the pump, choose to run it as a credit card instead of putting a PIN number in. That way, the PIN number is safe.
- Monitor bank accounts regularly to spot any unauthorized charges.
- Consumers who suspect their credit card number has been compromised should report it immediately to authorities and their credit card company.
Putnam worked with the Florida Legislature last year to change Florida law to better protect consumers from identity theft at gas station pumps by:
- Requiring self-service fuel dispensers to use certain security measures to prevent theft of consumer financial information;
- Increasing enforcement authority against those who possess or traffic fraudulent credit cards;
- Reclassifying the crime of unlawful conveyance of fuel, which increases the maximum sentence; and
- Increasing the offense level of the crime, which affects sentencing guidelines.
Consumers who suspect that a gas pump has been tampered with should contact the gas station manager, local law enforcement or the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).
Tate Graduate Carpenter Completes Military Basic Training
July 3, 2017
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Hannah C. Carpenter 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 also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Carpenter is the daughter of Christine and Charles Carpenter of Cantonment.
She is a 2015 graduate of J.M. Tate High School in Cantonment.
Mostly Clear Tonight, Sunny For The Fourth Of July
July 3, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Independence Day: Sunny, with a high near 92. West wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. West wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. West wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88.
Wahoos Beat The Biscuits
July 3, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Austin Ross continued to dominate the Southern League from the mound. The Montgomery Biscuits didn’t get its first hit off him until the fourth inning.
And the Blue Wahoos offense contributed just enough runs to keep his record a perfect 7-0 in a, 3-2, victory over the Biscuits Sunday in front of 4,333 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Cincinnati Reds No. 1 prospect Nick Senzel drew a bases loaded walk on a full count from Montgomery reliever Mike Broadway to score catcher Joe Hudson with the winning run in the seventh inning.
“That was an awesome at bat,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. “He had no fear. He recognized the slider was out of the zone and took it for a walk.”
Pensacola has now beat the Montgomery Biscuits in 13 of the last 16 games at Blue Wahoos Stadium dating back to the 2014 season. It also clinched the six-game series, which it leads 4-1.
The Blue Wahoos evened their record at 5-5 in the second half of the Southern League season and the first half South Division champions are 45-35 overall.
Ross admitted he didn’t have his best stuff Sunday but heading into the sixth inning the 28-year-old hurler, who has spent seven years in the minors, had not allowed a run and given up just one hit. In the top of the sixth Montgomery third baseman Michael Russell leadoff the inning with a home run just inside the left field foul pole. Biscuits second baseman Riley Unroe scored when left fielder Joe McCarthy hit the third straight single off Ross in the inning to tie the game, 2-2.
Ross was making his second start for the Blue Wahoos since returning from the Triple-A Louisville Bats where he made five appearances, four of them starts. He was 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA.
“It was good but not every time you go out there are you going to feel great,” Ross said. “The rule is one third of the time you will feel awful, one-third of the time great and one-third in between. It’s what you make out of the bad ones that count.”
His final line was seven innings pitched, five hits allowed, two earned runs, three walks and 102 pitches in the suffocating 90-degree heat in Pensacola. His ERA on the year is 1.36, which is best in the Southern League.
This is his first year with the Cincinnati Reds organization after spending the previous six with the Milwaukee Brewers, Ross has reached the Triple-A level, one step below the big leagues, the past three seasons.
“The last two years, I’ve had really good years but things didn’t go my way,” said Ross, who reserved 19 tickets Sunday for his landlord and her family and his hunting buddy’s family. “All I can do is strive to get better and prepare for when I do get there.”
Kelly said he likes having Ross back on his rotation. He pointed out that Louisville has six starters on its staff.
“It helps our club,” Kelly said. “He made some good pitches when he had to. If you can compete in the Southern League, you can play at the big-league level.”
Pensacola clinched the win in the ninth inning after Zack Weiss made it “interesting,” Kelly said.
Weiss is returning from an injury to his throwing elbow that kept him from pitching last year. A top Reds pitching prospect after saving 25 games in Pensacola in 2015, he looked healthy Sunday.
Weiss earned his first save for Pensacola this season after loading the bases with two outs on a single and two walks. He struck out two, including the last batter who he caught looking at a wicked 76-mph breaking ball after throwing five straight fastballs. Weiss had also thrown one inning Saturday.
“We wanted to see him go back-to-back in a pressure-filled situation,” Kelly said. “You have to just keep plugging away and get three outs before they score.”
One Seriously Injured In Highway 95A Crash
July 2, 2017
.One person was seriously injured in a single vehicle accident early Sunday morning in the Quintette community.
The accident happened about 1:35 a.m. on Highway 95A near Quintette Road. The driver of a car lost control, left the roadway and struck a utility pole. The driver was transported to an area hospital as a “trauma alert”.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
ECUA Tuesday Trash Pickup Set For Monday
July 2, 2017
If you have ECUA residential sanitation service in the North Escambia area with a Tuesday pickup, you need to plan to place your trash and recycling cans out Sunday night due to the July 4 holiday.
ECUA Escambia County residential sanitation customers will experience a schedule change to their collection during the Independence Day holiday. The collection scheduled for Tuesday, July 4, 2017, will be made on Monday, July 3, 2017. There are no changes to scheduled ECUA collections in Santa Rosa County.
Commercial (dumpster service) collections during the Independence Day holiday, which are scheduled on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, will be made on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
‘Historic’ Travel Predicted For Independence Day Weekend
July 2, 2017
More Americans, including over 2.3 million Floridians, will travel this Independence Day weekend than ever before, according to AAA. At least 100,000 more Floridians are expected to travel this holiday weekend, an increase from last year of nearly 5 percent, the auto club predicted.
Gas prices are also down from one year ago, making the cost of traveling more budget-friendly.
Vicky Evans, assistant vice president of travel sales development for AAA – The Auto Club Group, predicted “historic” travel numbers throughout the country, and in Florida, over the next few days.
“Travel bookings at The Auto Club Group are up more than 15 percent in Florida, compared to this time last year. The biggest factors driving growth are low gas prices, strong employment, rising incomes, and higher consumer confidence; but overall Americans just love to travel, and want to do something fun for this mid-summer tradition,” Evans said in a press release.
The Florida Highway Patrol also plans to be out in extra numbers this weekend, making sure drivers reach their destinations safely. FHP Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan advised drivers to leave early, pack their patience and focus on the road, especially on congested byways.
“We will have distractions in our life that are internal. But with the things that we do have control over, try to limit those and reduce those as much as possible. Eating, drinking, cell phones, and texting while driving — all of these are huge distractions that obviously cause traffic crashes to occur,” Bryan said.
According to FHP statistics, eight people were killed in 897 crashes on Florida roads on July 4, 2016.
by The News Service of Florida
Another Day, Another Chance Of Rain
July 2, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, otherwise partly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Independence Day: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87.