‘Keep The Wreath Green’ Fire Safety Campaign Begins
December 1, 2017
Escambia County Fire Rescue, in collaboration with the Pensacola Fire Department, has launched its annual “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign to run through December 31. The campaign is designed to promote fire safety during the month of December, with both departments hoping to reduce the number of fires during this time.
During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths will be on display at 18 county fire stations and five city fire stations, with wreaths also placed outside Escambia County’s Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building downtown, the Escambia County Public Safety Building, Pensacola City Hall and Cordova Mall near the food court entrance. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential home.
In 2016, 12 bulbs were changed to red on county wreaths. Five of those fires were in the North Escambia area. Details and photos of each are below:
On December 26, 2016, fire destroyed a wood frame home on West Pond Street in Century.
Five people — three adults and two children. were displaced by a fire December 22, 2016, on Rawlings Drive at Greenbriar Boulvard. A clothes dryer in the laundry room was confirmed as the source of the fire, with flames spreading to the kitchen and smoke damage throughout the home. Damage was estimated at $50,000.
A fire on Luth Road in Molino on December 29, 2016, displaced a family. Crews arrived on scene to find an active fire in the attic, with light smoke showing from the 2 ½ story residential structure. Preliminary reports indicated the fire started from a fireplace chimney in the 5,500 square foot structure.
Fire destroyed a two story home in the 1200 block of West 9 ½ Mile Road on December 30, 2016. The fire was reported about 5:30 am. with heavy flames through the roof when firefighters arrived. Initial reports indicated the fire may have originated in the garage of the home. Two adults and two teenagers were displaced from the home.
A December 11, 2016, fire in the 8900 block of Mobile Highway in Beulah left four people without a home. One firefighter was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in stable condition for fatigue. T
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Florida Lawmakers Want To Make Soft Drinks Off Limits For Food Stamps
December 1, 2017
Two Republican state lawmakers this week filed proposals that call for barring the use of food stamps to buy soft drinks. Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, filed proposals (SM 1016 and HM 847) that would urge Congress to make soft drinks off limits in the aid program formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The proposals, which will be considered during the 2018 legislative session, are non-binding “memorials” to Congress.
The proposals, in part, say soft drinks are “nutrient poor but rich in calories and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and health disorders including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.”
They said state and local governments have sought federal permission in the past to prevent SNAP benefits from being used to pay for soft drinks but have been rejected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As a result, the memorials would ask Congress to take action on the issue.
by The News Service of Flroida