Weekend Gardening: Tips For The Month Of May
May 20, 2017
The Escambia County Master Gardeners offer the following May lawn and garden tips:
- Continue planting summer annuals. Try one or two that you’ve never grown and/or one that is not available in stores as transplants.
- Plant heat-resistant summer flowering annuals such as begonias, impatiens, coleus, salvia, marigolds, torenia, verbena, ornamental peppers and gaillardia.
- Bulbs: Caladium, gladiolus.
- Vegetables: Continue planting warm weather seeds and transplants (Shade those transplants!). Use transplants for cherry tomatoes, eggplant and sweet potatoes. Plant seeds of lima beans, okra, southern peas: purple hull, crowder, etc.
- Prune and shape spring flowering shrubs and trees now. Later pruning may destroy next year’s blooms.
- Good cultural practices help maintain a healthy lawn and discourage insects and disease. Mow with a sharp blade. Centipedegrass should be cut to a height of 1½ to 2 inches. St. Augustinegrass normal growth habit cultivars should be cut to a height of 3 to 4 inches.
- Climbing roses are pruned after they finish blooming. Blooms form on one-year-old canes, so any older ones may be removed to make them more tidy. Cut each flowering stem back to the first five leaflet stem to encourage them to bloom again.Spray with horticultural oil or malathion for mites, scale and white flies, if insects are present, before it gets too hot (85 degrees).
- Yellow leaves on azaleas may mean they need iron. Apply iron sulphate or chelated iron.
- Feed citrus plants using special citrus fertilizer. Broadcast under the tree canopy and water in.
- Begin planting palms while the weather is warm and rainy.
- Make cuttings of azaleas, hollies, camellias, and other choice shrubs as new growth becomes half hardened.
- Take soft wood cuttings to root: alyssum, begonia, chrysanthemum, shrimp plant, dianthus, geranium, hibiscus, hydrangea, etc.
- Dig bulbs after foliage turns brown if they need to be divided or the space is needed for other plants. If the space isn’t needed, braid the foliage.
- Cut back the vines of Irish potatoes when they begin to die but leave the tubers in the ground for about two weeks longer to toughen the skin. Handle the potatoes carefully during digging, as skinned or bruised potatoes decay quickly when stored.
- Divide crowded and vigorously growing perennials.
- Promote continued flowering of bedding plants by removing faded blooms.
- Encourage coleus to branch and produce more colorful leaves by pinching off the flower stalks as they form.
- Prune poinsettias when new growth is 10-12 inches high (back to the last four leaves). Prune new growth at the base throughout the summer.
- Stop pruning after Labor Day.
- Keep roses watered, cut out weak spots, feed every six to eight weeks or at every new flush of growth, dust.
- For insect or disease problems in your garden, use the least toxic control possible.
National Technical Honor Society Honors Tate Senior
May 20, 2017
The National Technical Honor Society has selected Tate High School senior Kayla Johnson to receive one of only 225 scholarships they are awarding across the country.
J
ohnson was recently awarded a $1000 scholarship from the National Technical Honor Society. In addition to her involvement with NTHS, Kayla has excelled at HOSA competitions for EMT and Sports Medicine, which took her to the state level competition.
She is an active member of the Tate chorus and she has completed four years of the Biomedical Sciences Academy, including over 200 hours of volunteer service at West Florida Hospital. She also obtained two industry certifications for Patient Care Technician and Medical Administrative Assistant. Her future plans are to become an EMT, while continuing her education to become an RN.
NTHS is the leader in recognizing student achievement in career and technical education. More than 4200 schools and colleges are affiliated with the Society.
Unemployment Rate Dropping
May 20, 2017
The latest job numbers released Friday show the employment rate decreasing in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County’s seasonably adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 4.3 percent in March to 3.9 percent in April. There were 5,643 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 4.7 percent.
“The creation of more than 3,500 jobs by businesses in the Pensacola area is great news for families in Northwest Florida. We have been laser focused on making Florida the most business-friendly state in the nation and we will continue to fight every day to grow our economy and market our state as the best place to create new jobs and opportunities.”
The industries with the largest job gains in Pensacola over the year were leisure and hospitality with 1,500 new jobs and trade, transportation and utilities with 1,200 new jobs. The Pensacola area had 5,089 job openings in April, including 1,440 openings for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations.
Santa Rosa County unemployment rate fell from 4.0 percent in March to 3.7 percent in April. Santa Rosa County had a total of 2,835 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 4.2 percent.
Florida’s jobless rate for April stood at 4.5 percent, down 0.3 percentage points from March, according to the state Department of Economic Opportunity. The figures estimate there were 460,000 jobless Floridians in April — 25,000 fewer than a month earlier — out of a workforce that has grown over the past year by 371,000 to 10.14 million. But while pointing to the private sector growing by 15,000 jobs during the past month, Scott repeated his criticism of legislative decisions to reduce funding for tourism-marketer Visit Florida and to reject spending on business incentives through Enterprise Florida.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Top The Mobile BayBears 3-2
May 20, 2017
Pensacola’s pitching staff has lead the Southern League all season and tonight’s game was no different for the Blue Wahoos. The bullpen held the Mobile BayBears to only one hit in 4.1 innings of work as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos won 3-2 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
After a quiet start of the game from both teams, the Blue Wahoos offense came to life in the bottom of the second. Right fielder Aristides Aquino started the inning with a walk and scored after a double by designated hitter Eric Jagielo.
Mobile’s starting pitcher, Alex Blackford, allowed Jagielo to advance to third on a wild pitch, his first of the year. Shortstop Blake Trahan brought home Jagielo on a single right up the middle to give the Blue Wahoos a 2-0 lead.
With two outs in the inning, catcher Adrian Nieto knocked in a double to right-center to bring home Trahan for the Blue Wahoos final run of the game. The Pensacola bats stayed hitless the reminder of the night as the Pensacola bullpen took control of the last half of the game.
Starter Austin Ross pitched a season low 4.2 innings giving up seven hits and two runs along with four walks and four strikeouts. RHP Domingo Tapia took the mound with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning and forces Mobile’s Alberto Triunfel into a groundout.
Tapia went on to pitch 2.1 hitless innings, walking only one and striking out three to earn his second win of the season.
RHP Jimmy Herget secured his 11th save of the season with 2.0 innings of solid work giving up only one hit and one strikeout.
Inmate Suffers Life Threatening Injuries In Century Correctional Altercation
May 19, 2017
An inmate suffered life threatening injuries during an alteration at Century Correctional Institution Thursday afternoon.
Escambia County EMS initially responded to a call of a victim with multiple “puncture wounds”, according to an Escambia County spokesperson. The inmate was airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to a Pensacola hospital for treatment.
“Yesterday, an inmate was injured as a result of an apparent inmate-on-inmate altercation at Century Correctional Institution,” Ashley Cook, press secretary for the Florida Department of Corrections, said Friday morning. “The incident is currently under investigation by the Department’s Office of the Inspector General. Due to the open and active investigation into this incident, this is all of the information currently available.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Inmate Serving Life For Murder Assaults Three Century Correctional Institution Officers
May 19, 2017
Monday, a close custody inmate serving a life sentence assaulted three correctional officers at Century Correctional Institution, according to information just released by the Florida Department of Corrections.
Inmate Matthew Marshall assaulted the officers at approximately 9:10 a.m. Marshall struck the officers, one on his forearm, a second officer in the face and third on their hand. Staff responded, and the inmate was subdued.
Marshall will receive a disciplinary report for this assault. The FDOC did not release any information about the condition of the three correctional officers condition or need for outside medical care.
Marshall was sentenced in November 2016 to life in prison on a Lee County conviction for second degree murder, abuse of a human corpse and obstructing a criminal investigation.
This inmate on staff assault is not related the to the apparent stabbing of an inmate on Thursday (click here to read more).
Sheriff’s Office ‘Clean Sweeps’ Cottage Hill
May 19, 2017
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office held a Clean Sweep operation Thursday morning in the Cottage Hill area.
The focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” was to work with the Cottage Hill Neighborhood Watch group, residents, churches and business owners to control and prevent the damaging effects of criminal activity, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers also worked throughout the day to clean trash and debris from alongside neighborhoods streets.
Escambia Sheriff’s Office deputies, the ECSO mounted possee, ECUA, Probation and Parole, volunteers from NAS Pensacola and civilian volunteers worked on the sweep all morning.
Six warrants were served, eight arrests were made, 20 code violations were issued by Escambia County Code Enforcement and 13 traffic citations were issued.
The next Clean Sweep will be in the Motley Court neighborhood on June 22 at 8:00 a.m. To request a Clean Sweep, contact Commander Tharp (850) 436-9939 or Sgt. C. Cephas at (850) 554-1202. The next Clean Sweep in the North Escambia area will be October 19 in Century.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Low 90’s Today, Rain Builds Into The Weekend
May 19, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 83. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southwest after midnight.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Ernest Ward Students Learn About ‘The Choice’ To Stay In School, Out Of Prison
May 19, 2017
Students at Ernest Ward Middle School are learning a life lesson about choices this week..
They are touring “The Choice Bus”, sponsored by the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation.
The students enter the school bus and watch a short movie about the choice between staying in school through graduation or dropping out. They learn their lifelong earning potential is much greater with an education, and that their chances of landing in prison are much greater if they drop out. The movie features powerful testimonies from prison inmates that dropped out of the school.
After watching the movie, the television and a curtain are pulled back to reveal a prison cell — the stark reality experienced by many dropouts. The students are able to squeeze into the tiny cell to experience just how uncomfortable it is and learn exactly what it’s like for one’s toilet and sink to be the same fixture.
As students exit the bus, they receive a pledge card and are asked to make a commitment to finish school and make good choices.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Names Students Of The Month
May 19, 2017
The following students (pictured above) were named Students of the Month for May at Bratt Elementary School.
Kendal Ard
Mason Bodiker
Michael Butler
Sarah Classen
Za’mya Clemmons
Talaysha Curry
Carlie Davis
Addison Eicher
Scotty Elliott
Pryce Flowers
Raleigh Gibson (not pictured)
Derek Kinley
Justin Kinley
Keeli Knighten
Trevor Knighten
Mya McCants
Cameron Moore (not pictured)
Cooper Roberts
Landen Robertson
Kaden Seelig (not pictured)
Jackson Sellers
Jacob Spence
Wyatt Spence
Jake Warner
The students pictured below, Keeli Knighten and Mason Bodiker, were chosen to represent Bratt Elementary School as Escambia County Students of the Month for May.
