Schmidt, Johnson To Wed
April 10, 2011
Mr. Chester Schmidt and Ms. Faith Pendleton announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter Missy Hope Schmidt to John Percy Johnson, the son of J.T. and Kay Johnson from Century. The wedding will take place at Grace Baptist Church in McDavid at 2 p.m. on Saturday May 14, 2011. A reception will follow the ceremony.
Weekend Gardening: Catering To Stink Bugs
April 9, 2011
There are some insect pests that simply laugh at insecticides. One such group is the stink bug family. Stink bugs are naturally tolerant of many pesticides; therefore, few insecticides are available to manage these damaging pests.
Several different species of stink bugs occur in Florida including the brown stink bug, the green stink bug, the Southern green stink bug and the omnipresent leaffooted bug. This group alone damages 21 important commodities in the U.S. They are major pests of beans, peas, okra, soybean, cotton, peach, pecan, and tomato.
Stink bugs live through the winter as adults huddled in grass clumps, leaf litter and under tree bark. Adults emerge in the spring just as crops are starting.
Members of the stink bug family have piercing mouthparts. They insert their mouthparts into the plant tissue and ‘suck’ liquids from the plants. Damaged foliage often will turn yellow and eventually brown in color or become malformed in shape.
Curled, distorted okra pods are often the result of stink bug feeding. Tomatoes develop white or yellow, corky spots underneath the skin as a result of stink bug feeding and this damage imparts an off flavor to the fruit. Depending on the size of the seed when attacked, feeding on pea and bean seed may result in complete shriveling of the seed or cause sunken, ‘stung’ spots on the seed. This latter type of damage is often confused with that caused by cowpea curculio. Okra is seldom damaged extensively, but heavy infestations of stink bugs can cause serious damage to tomatoes, beans, and peas. Stink bugs also feed on corn, and can cause death of seedling plants or curled, ‘cowhorned’ ears.
One non-traditional way of dealing with these pests is through the use of “trap crops”. Trap crops are composed of one or more plant species that are grown to attract insects in order to protect the desired crop from the pest. Protection may be achieved either by preventing the pest from reaching the crop or by concentrating the pests in a certain part of the garden where they can be managed. The idea is to lure and cluster the pests by providing them a more desirable food source.
Buckwheat, sunflower, millet and sorghum all serve as host plants for the four major stink bug and leaffooted bugs. Stink bugs are apparently very finicky with respect to plant growth stages and the quality of their food. Therefore, it is better to plant multiple trap crop species in order to maintain a continuously competitive food source to out compete your prized vegetable plants.
There are a couple of methods of planting these trap crops. They can either be planted to encircle the crop or interspersed among the crop plants. Research has shown that stink bugs exhibit a pronounced ‚edge effect‛ while moving through your garden. They tend to congregate their populations in the border rows. Therefore, it is recommended that trap crops be placed between the suspected sources of stink bugs and the planted vegetables to intercept moving stink bugs. With smaller plots, it is probably better to plant the trap crop around the entire garden.
Just remember, once the trap crop attracts the pest stink bugs, it’s best to eliminate them by hand removal or other methods.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County. Photos by Theresa Friday.
Cancer, The Detour: Our View On Allegations That Woman Faked Cancer For Years
April 7, 2011
“How would you feel if you knew Sonja Luker did not have cancer?”
That’s the question an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigator asked us prior to the arrest of Sonja and Chris Luker on fraud charges after she allegedly faked cancer for financial gain. (Read story..)
The answer lies in the photographs and the video you see on this page.
We’ve all been touched by someone with cancer. A friend, a neighbor, a family member. Ourselves. This one hits close to home for all of us. I’m stepping out of the role of publisher and editor to answer that question as one of many touched by someone with cancer.
How did I feel about allegations that a woman I know had faked cancer for her own financial benefit? I fought back the tears until I got back to the office.
Then I cried, thinking of a girl named Ashley.
Meet the young lady on this page. Her name is Ashley. She’s my niece, now a high school senior and soon to be graduate of LaVergne High School outside Nashville. She was a healthy kid, one of those that seemed to have her head on straight. She was a star softball player at her high school with a promising future on a college softball field and a promising future in life. She’s smart and loves to write like her uncle (got to be proud of that one!).
On March 26 of last year, she injured herself playing softball like she loves. Off to the doctor she went, everyone thinking she had a cracked rib. There was a different diagnosis on April 1 — April Fools Day. But it was no joke.
“Stage 4 Ewing’s Sarcoma Cancer” were the words I heard on the phone. I had never heard of it, but Stage 4 sure sounded serious. As my parents talked, I type “Ewing’s Sarcoma” into Google. Malignant. Rare. Less than 2 cases per one million kids around the world.
“Long term survival rate: 10%”
One day you have a healthy niece with a promising life, and the next day you read “Long term survival rate: 10%”. Her life changed in an instant. It was a lot to comprehend. But when reality hit, Ashley, 17, announced that her life was still under construction and this cancer was just a detour along the way.
Ashley was blessed to live in Nashville near some of the nation’s top doctors at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She underwent almost a year of treatments that were literal hell. The tumor was removed, along with ribs and part of her lung. Fourteen rounds of aggressive chemo just ended.
The detour is now over for Ashley. Doctors give her a 98% all clear.
Understand it’s not about my family. It’s about everyone with cancer. There are thousands of Ashleys. A friend, a neighbor, a family member. Maybe you as you read this. This one hits close to home for all of us.
“What they did was a disgrace to the people who died and have fought through the most deadliest thing.” — That was a comment made on our story about the Lukers shortly after it was posted Wednesday night. The person that made the comment chose not to post their real name, and I will respect that need for privacy. But I know that they recently watched a parent stolen from them in just weeks by cancer. This one hits home for all of us.
The allegations that Sonja Luker faked cancer will be a detour for our communities.
It’s more than a woman accused of taking money dishonestly and praying upon the generosity of good people. It will cost more than just the money that’s already alleged to be stolen. The cost and burden will fall upon the legitimate charities like the American Cancer Society that are working to fight the dreadful disease as skeptical people make fewer contributions. Every dollar given to Sonja Luker, if she is guilty of the alleged fraud, was a dollar that could have worked to find a cure for cancer.
Hundreds or thousands of us were victims of this alleged, almost unfathomable fraud to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. It’s no secret that NorthEscambia.com named Sonja Luker as one of our Persons of the Year for 2009. We were among the victims, and we have cooperated fully with law enforcement and their investigation.
Don’t be swayed by the guilt or innocence of Chris or Sonja Luker when it comes to future donations to fight cancer. The courts will decide that one; they are, under our laws, innocent until proven guilty. That’s not the point here.
Cancer continues to sneak into our lives and steal our loved ones away. I ask you to remember the Ashleys and all of the others that are on life’s detour with cancer. Take your anger, your rage, your pain and step up and be heard. Our communities will soon hold Relay for Life events, fully sanctioned and under the watchful eye of the American Cancer Society.
If you did not already, please watch the video at the top of the page and see what research by the American Cancer Society can accomplish.
Donate your time or money to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). You will know that your donation will without a doubt help real cancer victims and will go toward research to one day rid our world of cancer.
Cancer is a detour on the road of life. Do your part to get thousands back on the path.
William Reynolds
Publisher, NorthEscambia.com
Pictured above: Ashley, niece of NorthEscambia.com publisher William Reynolds as she battled cancer. Pictured below: Ashley, declared likely cancer free, back on the pitcher’s mound last Friday at her high school near Nashville. The photo was taken exactly one year after her diagnosis. Photos courtesy Carla Lynn Photography, click to enlarge.
Jay Winterguard Places At Guard Championships
April 7, 2011
The Jay High School Winterguard participated in the Gulf Coast Guard and Percussion 2011 Circuit Championships at Tate High School recently.
The Jay guard unit placed first in the Scholastic AA division as well as well as the Sweepstakes Award for their division. The unit is under the direction of Rachael Belveal and is assisted by Britny Bruner and Rebecca Belveal.
Pictured top: Guard participants (L-R, bottom row) Micah Herring, Jami Wessel, Leely Travino, Courtney Penton, (middle row) Megan McGee, Hannah Barnes, Mikayla Paul, Dallas Bellinger, (top row) Tori Raught, Cara Cassady, and Laura Wessel. Pictured below: The Jay High School Winterguard performs. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
April 4, 2011
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for March. They are (L-R) Yhsyionia McConico,Dakota Dempsey and Ashley Davis. Submitted photo for Northescambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cat Country 98.7 Wins ACM Radio Station Of The Year
April 4, 2011
Cat Country 98.7 received their Academy of Country Music Radio Station of the Year trophies Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas. Accepting the trophies from Sony recording star Sara Evans were Mary and Dave Hoxeng, owners of Cat Country 98.7. The ACM Station of the Year honor was the third for the station. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Featured Recipe: Chicken Enchilada Ring
April 3, 2011
This weekend’s featured recipe is a Chicken Enchilada Ring. It’s a full-flavored blend of ingredients. Adjust the chiles for milder taste.
To print today’s recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
Photo Gallery: Training Wheels Takes Part In St. Judge Trike A Thon
April 2, 2011
The pre-kindergarten class at Training Wheels of Northwest Florida in Jay took part in the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Trike-A-Thon Friday.
Submitted photos by Michele Edwards for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Remember Your Houseplants When Spring Cleaning
April 2, 2011
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.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Two-Day Festival On The Green Attracts Thousands
April 2, 2011
The 11th Annual Festival on the Green wrapped up Saturday on the campus of the University of West Florida.
Thousands of people took part in Friday and Saturday events including a fine arts show, handmade crafts, music, live performances, a book sale, food and a children’s craft festival. This year’s festival also included a Run with the Dogs 5K, a one mile fun run and the grand opening of UWF’s Olympic-size swimming pool.
The two-day Festival on the Green was a free event.
Pictured above and below: Scenes from Saturday’s Festival on the Green on the campus of the University of West Florida. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
