New Pier At Lake Stone
March 17, 2011
A new pier has been added at the Lake Stone Campground. It is located next to the boat ramp, on the eastern side of the lake where there is no admission charge. Lake Stone Campground is a 100-acre campground and boat ramp facility located on West Highway 4 just outside Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Local Flood Photos Featured In National Weather Service Booklet
March 16, 2011
A new National Weather Service publication about the dangers of weather includes a couple of local area photos.
The “Alabama All Hazards Awareness Book” includes three NorthEscambia.com photos of flooding in downtown Atmore on December 14, 2009, to illustrate the dangers of nighttime flooding. “Be especially cautious at night, when it is harder to recognize flood dangers,” the publication warns.
The publication is an educational publication provided free of charge to citizens throughout the state to enhance natural hazards disaster preparedness, according to Tara Golden of the National Weather Service in Birmingham. The booklet was a joint project of the National Weather Service, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, and the Alabama SKYWARN Foundation.
To view the complete booklet, click here to visit the National Weather Service Forecast Office Birmingham website.
Pictured top: A portion of page from the new “Alabama All Hazards Awareness Book” featuring flooding photos from Atmore. Pictured inset and below: Two of the flood photos used in the booklet; NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
One Man’s Trash, Another Man’s Blessing
March 13, 2011
One man’s trash is another man’s blessing a new Molino Thrift Store.
The Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store is a little different that many other thrift stores. Not only are the prices lower than some thrift stores (clothes begin at just 29 cents, and no used clothing is over $3), the business has a mission of reaching out to those in need and returning their profits directly to the community.
According to Manager Jason Lee, a Baptist pastor, the store returns 10 percent to churches in the community. The 10 percent figure was no accident; it was chosen because of the 10 percent tithe from the Bible.
“We reach out to the community by pricing the items as low as possible so that the person buying it receives a blessing,” Lee said. “When people are hurting, they will go to the church in their neighborhood, and we provide vouchers to churches in the area so that someone truly in need can receive they help they need in purchasing items.”
“We’ve had people come in when it was cold an ask if the could work for a few hours to earn a coat,” he said. “That’s a blessing to them.”
When an individual donates items to the Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store, the items’ price tags are marked with a code for the church of their choice. At the end of the month, each church receives 10 percent of sales with their code. The process has worked well, Lee said, with many dollars being returned to churches in Molino, Cantonment, Walnut Hill, McDavid, Flomaton, Century and surrounding areas.
Lee, who is pastor at the Oak Haven Baptist Church in Pensacola, sees the store as a mission field — an opportunity for his role as pastor to reach those that walk through the doors, and as another opportunity for local churches to reach the community.
The Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store is located on Highway 29 at Molino Road, in the former Grocery Advantage building. The store is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., except for Wednesdays when they close at 5 p.m. The store is also open 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and it is closed on Sundays.
Donations are accepted during business hours. For donations outside business hours, for more information, or to volunteer at the store, contact Lee at (850) 791-8357.
Pictured top: Pastor Jason Lee prices toys recently at the Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store. Pictured inset: The store occupies the former Grocery Advantage building on Highway 29 at Molino Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Owens Named Washington Youth Tour Winner
March 13, 2011
Meredith Owens of Jay has been named the winner of the Youth Tour to Washington contest for co-op employee’s children.
Meredith is the daughter of Rick and Sabrina Owens. Sabrina is employed by Escambia River Electric Cooperative, and children of employees are not eligible for EREC’s Youth Tour competition.
Meredith competed against other electric cooperative employees’ children across the state of Florida by writing an essay entitled “America’s Energy Future” and was selected by a panel of judges to represent the Florida Electric Cooperative Association on the tour.
Meredith will travel by plane to Washington, D. C. June 10-16 and visit the historic sites of our nation’s capitol along with approximately 1,500 other Youth Tour delegates from all across the country. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about our nation’s government, rural electrification and will make many new friends.
Two non-EREC employee children also headed on the Washington Youth Tour. Click here for an earlier story.
Pictured: Meredith Owens. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Featured Recipe: Crispy Hot Wings
March 13, 2011
This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is Crispy Sticky Hot Wings. They are close to famous restaurant hot wings. Add more hot sauce for an extra kick.
To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
Byrneville Elementary Students Create Sawmill Pageant Posters
March 11, 2011
Three Byrneville Elementary School students were awarded for taking part in a poster contest to promote the 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant sponsored by the Century Lions Club.
Students in grades 3-5 took part in the contest. The school winners were Lea Nall, first place; Kayla Galvan, second place; and Madicyn Bell, third place. Nall was awarded a $25 cash prize for her winning poster.
The 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant sponsored by the Century Lions Club will be held Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. at the former Carver/Century School. Registration will be held Saturday, March 12 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Southern Treasures Gift Shop at 8341 North Century Boulevard (across from Whataburger). For an entry form and more registration details, click here.
Pictured: 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant poster contest winners from Byrneville Elementary School (L-R) Madicyn Bell, third place; Kayla Galvan, second place; Lea Nall, first place; and Don Sales from the Century Lions Club. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: ‘The Sky Was Boiling’
March 10, 2011
Professional storm chaser Jim Edds of Pensacola captured these unique images of Wednesday’s storms as they moved across Pensacola Bay.
“The sky was boiling,” is how Edds described what he saw.
Edds’ storm chasing footage has been aired on the National Geographic Channel, The Weather Channel, the Travel Channel and more. For more photos of the Pensacola storm, click here.
Pictured above and below: A line of storms moves across Pensacola Bay Wednesday morning. Photos by Jim Edds for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch As Possible Tornado Begins To Form
March 10, 2011
NorthEscambia.com shot video of storm clouds swirling and rotating Wednesday morning in Walnut Hill. The video was shot on Highway 97 near, and almost directly over, Ernest Ward Middle School. Moments later, an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy reported a funnel cloud on the ground near North Highway 99 and Mayhaw Road, about one mile away.
Within minutes, the storm with an unconfirmed tornado had damaged or destroyed several homes near McDavid.
If you do not see the video at the top of the page, it is because your home, work or school firewall is blocking external YouTube videos.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive video.
Let The Good Times Roll — Century Care Celebrates Mardi Gras
March 9, 2011
Residents at the Century Care Center celebrated Mardi Gras Tuesday in grand style with both a parade and a party.
The parade, held Tuesday morning, featured lots of throws, including Mardi Gras beads and other trinkets. Residents in Mardi Gras costumes paraded and rolled through the hallways in their wheelchairs to the delight of other residents watching the parade.
Pictured: Mardi Gras fun Tuesday at the Century Care Center. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Historic Marker Honors Regional Contribution Of Methodist Church
March 9, 2011
A historic marker was dedicated Sunday at the Pollard (Ala.) Methodist Church, commemorating the church’s long history and role in the area.
According to the historic marker, dedicated by the Escambia County (Ala.) Historical Society:
“A pre Civil War structure, this is the oldest church building remaining in Escambia County, Alabama. Confederate veterans related stories that mules and horses where sheltered inside during harsh winter months. Circuit riders served the church in the early days and in 1869 Robert F. Mountain was pastor. The bell was a gift from a riverboat captain named Kelley in gratitude for the aid church members gave his crew and passengers when his vessel wrecked and burned on the nearby Conecuh River. Methodists were in this area as early as 1830. In 1984 Pollard hosted the Methodist bicentennial celebration for Brewton, East Brewton, Cedar Hill, Zion AME, Flomaton and Century, Florida.”
Pollard, Alabama, is located just east of Flomaton near the Alabama/Florida state line.
Pictured top: (L-R) Rev. Doug Chandler Pastor of Pollard United Methodist Church, Robin Brewton, vice president of the Escambia County Alabama Historical Society, Sally Finlay Pollard, church historian; Hugh White, Pollard UMC Administrative Board chairman. Pictured below: The historic marker. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
