Year In Review North Escambia’s Biggest Stories Of 2010: January, February
December 26, 2010
NorthEscambia.com is looking back at 2010 with our “Year in Review” series. Each day this week, we will review the biggest stories of 2010. Today, we take a look at the biggest stories of January and February.
JANUARY
A fire along the Alabama-Florida line claimed the life of Verda Mae Gandy Abrams, 91. Abrams was unable to escape the blaze at her home on Tulip Street.
Two campers cut off by a rising Escambia River near Molino were rescued at the end of the month — a week after they were stranded.
North Escambia resident Elmira Gandy Crapps turned 103, with congratulations pouring in from friends, family and political leaders.
Thoughts of Spring were in the air as ball registration ended for Century Little League, the Molino Recreation Association and Northwest Escambia Little League.
The battle over consolidation for Escambia County, the City of Pensacola and the City of Century continued, with Pensacola voicing opposition in late January and words flying between opposing groups. The plan was presented to the public — a 45-page, 14,426 word document.
Two Jay High School teachers entered no contest pleas to charges that they had inappropriate sexual relationships with underage students at the school.
History came alive through the eyes of students at Ernest Ward Middle School as they displayed weeks of work on projects for National History Day.
A rabies alert that had been in effect for North Escambia for five months expired in January. The alert was issued after several people came into contact with rabid animals.
Angel Mitchell was crowned Miss Northview High School for 2010 in front of a sellout crowd in the school’s theater. First Runner-Up was junior Caitlyn Brown, and Second Runner-Up was Sarah Killam, a junior.
The director of the West Florida Library asked the public to push our local legislative delegation to work to fund a new library in Molino.
January brought good new for Alabama Power customers — rates were headed down. But not for Gulf Power customers — rates were headed up.
Hail, flooding and a few power outages were reported as strong storms moved across the North Escambia area.
The State Attorney’s Office launched a review into the county commission’s rebid process and a meeting between a contractor and Commissioner Gene Valentino. It stemmed from a rebid of a Maplewoods drainage project and meetings around Roads, Inc, the second place bidder.
About 200 health kits were on their way from Molino to Haiti, thanks to the hard work of Aldersgate United Methodist Church and generosity of the North Escambia community.
North Escambia residents were applying in January for Census jobs that paid up to $15 per hour.
Many of Escambia County’s 128 bridges are wooden or have wooden supports, and many are 50 to 70 years old. Eleven are classified as “structurally deficient” and seven are classified as “functionally obsolete”. In January, Escambia County began to look for $96.6 million to replace 103 of those bridges — including 50 bridges in North Escambia — within the next 10 years.
Lows dipped into the teens in January, with local utilities like Escambia River Electric Cooperative setting all-time records for energy demands. Hundreds of families were left in the dark when the high demand caused electric failures.
The No. 1 ranked Alabama football team beat No. 2 Texas in the BCS National Championship game, played in the Rose Bowl, 37-21, winning the 13th national title in school history and first since 1992. With the win, head coach Nick Saban became the fifth coach to bring a national championship to the Capstone.
The Town of Century decided that roads in the town were in terrible shape, and they started worked to develop a priority list for resurfacing some of those streets.
FEBRUARY
Snow! From just a dusting to several inches, February brought record snowfall to the area. NorthEscambia.com published hundreds of reader submitted snow pictures, including this snowman family.
Robert Franklin Floyd, 21, of Jay, was charged with an open count of murder and three counts of attempted murder for the shooting and killing Getyron Lopez Benjamin, 18, of Brewton at a home outside Jay.
Work began in February on a project to resurface 22 miles of Highway 97 between Molino and the Alabama state line, while construction continued on Highway 29 in Century.
Governmental consolidation in Escambia County was pronounced dead. The local legislative delegation failed to send the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission plan toward a referendum or delay action until 2012. That effectively killed consolidation.
The Minority Culture Club at Northview High School celebrated Black History Month during the program “Striving to Help Those In Need”. The students reflected upon the devastation from the earthquake in Haiti, and encouraged Northview students to donate toward the relief effort.
Hundreds of people attended the annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Farm Equipment auction. The auction included not only farm equipment, but household items like tools and small equipment, lawn and garden items and more
Two volunteer firefighters from Cantonment were called heroes after jumping into the cold waters of Jacks Branch to save a woman from a submerged vehicle.
Liberty Counsel announced that it planned to sue the Santa Rosa County School District to allow prayer in the county’s schools. The announcement came a day after a federal judge barred the Christian organization from seeking to overturn a consent decree requiring school officials in Santa Rosa County to stop promoting their personal religious beliefs in public schools.
One Century council member said that faulty equipment was to blame for citizens receiving high gas bills in February, while the town’s mayor says the problem was simple — two weeks of sub-freezing overnight lows in January.
The Town of Century’s dreams of resurfacing every street in town were brought back down to an expensive reality in February with a cost estimate from the town’s engineer — $4.5 million.
The Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders were named the third best in the nation in their division in the Universal Cheerleaders Association national championships in Orlando in February.The Northview High School Competition Cheerleaders placed eighth in their division.
An elderly Cantonment man was found safe, about 21 hours after he was reported missing following a funeral in Alabama. Clyde Rufus Carroll, 78, was located at about north of Butler Street in Escambia County, Alabama, about 20 miles from Wallace where he was last seen.
Dylan Barnhill, 4, died as the result of a house fire in Atmore.
Jody Posey of Bratt was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing a five-year old North Escambia girl.
A Cantonment church spearheaded a countywide project to provide hope to the families of Haiti, one white 5-gallon bucket of food at a time. It was called “Buckets of Hope”, a program of the Florida Baptist Convention’s Florida Disaster Relief program. The concept was simple — fill a clean 5-gallon bucket with beans, rice, sugar, flour, cooking oil and other essentials to help earthquake victims.
Over 5,000 pieces of 80-foot long steel pipe were unloaded from railroad cars in Walnut Hill and transported through Atmore and surrounding communities by truck, part of a $2.46 billion Florida Gas Transmission Company project to expand its natural gas pipe system to meet the growing energy needs of the Gulf Coast and Florida.
Featured Recipe: Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pork
December 26, 2010
This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is a “Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pork”, a simple toss it all into the Crock-pot and forget it for five hours perfect pork.
To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
2010’s Best Photos: January And February
December 26, 2010
All this week, we are looking back at some of our favorite and most interesting photos of 2010. Today, we are featuring photos from January and February.
Our favorite snow picture from February, 2010: Bethel UMC on Highway 21 near I-65.
It was COLD in January. The photo above shows a cup of hot coffee sitting on a frozen pool.
First Runner-Up Caitlyn Brown, Miss Northview High School Angel Mitchell, Second Runner-Up Sarah Killam.
A Pinewood Derby at the First Baptist Church of Bratt.
Second Runner-Up Morgan Ward, First Runner-up Kaitlyn Abbot, Junior Miss EWMS Allison Woodfin and Third Runner-up Mariah Albritton.
Residents gathered in Century to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rachel, Zachary, Austin and Cody in front of an icy scene in Cantonment.
FEBRUARY
The Ernest Ward Middle School FFA presented the second annual “Golden Cow Dung Award” to Family & Consumer Science teacher Kathy Ellis.
A Cantonment driver crashed through the guardrail on this bridge over Jacks Branch, crashing about 25 feet into the water below. She was evaluated on scene by EMS but not transported to the hospital.
February snow in Atmore.
February snow at Little River State Park.
This group, including some North Escambia residents, built “FROSTYKONGZILLA” in Uriah, Alabama.
The driver of this truck was not seriously injured in a collision with a train in Flomaton, Alabama.
Bratt native Candi Pearson-Shelton was among friends, family and fans with a concert and book tour stop in Atmore.
Our photo of a mystery object glowing in the woods of Bluff Springs gained a little national attention. Deputies and firemen unable to identify the object from outside the woods and followed protocol. The object was not an alien probe as some news organizations theorized, but rather a mosquito trap.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Christmas Wishes Really Do Come True
December 25, 2010
Christmas wishes do come true. The Bush family’s Christmas wish last year was simple — a cure for Olivia.
We first introduced you to Olivia Bush, 7, in December 2009 in a story titled “A Christmas Wish: A Cure For Olivia”.
Olivia Bush’s story started July 22, 2003, almost four months before there should have been a first chapter in her life. Born at just 22 weeks, she weighed only one pound six ounces. She stayed in the NICU three and half months, defying doctors and coming home two weeks before her due date. Olivia is the second youngest baby to ever survive at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Now, she is blind, able to see just a little light with her left eye. And she suffered frequent seizures — until a portion of her brain was removed in February of this year at Miami Children’s Hospital. During the surgery, doctors removed a seven centimeter portion of her brain — basically taking out the bad, non-functioning portion and leaving behind the good, healthy tissue.
This Christmas, Olivia has been seizure free for a year.
“What better of a Christmas present could we ask for? It has been such a wonderful year! We have been able to just enjoy Olivia and not worry,” mom Amber Bush said on Olivia’s CaringBridge page. “I am so thankful that God put in our hearts to try Miami and just see if they could offer anything else to us. I am also thankful that God saw fit to take the seizures away!”
To read some of our previous stories about Olivia, click below.
- Miracle Girl, Miracle League (Oct. 18, 2010)
- Olivia’s Story: The Littlest Girl’s Biggest Birthday (July 25, 2010)
- Olivia Heading Home To North Escambia After Brain Surgery (Feb. 13, 2010)
- Olivia’s Super Sunday In Miami (Feb. 7, 2010)
- A Christmas Wish: A Cure for Olivia (Dec. 4, 2009)
Pictured: Olivia Bush’s 2010 Christmas photo.
Have A Holly Jolly – Century Care Residents Celebrate Christmas
December 25, 2010
The Christmas season has been a busy and exiting time at the Century Care Center.
For a Century Care Center Christmas photo gallery, click here.
“We want to express our appreciation for this wonderful community, and all they do for our residents. I thought times would be tough, due to the economy. People were more generous than ever with their time and gifts. A big thank you from staff and residents at Century Care Center to all the generous and caring members of our community,” Mae Hildreth, Century Care activities director, said recently.
There were lots of gifts provided by the community and staff, a visit with Santa Claus and a big Christmas party. Century Care Center has also been visited during the Christmas season by many carolers and other visitors with cards and other gifts.
Pictured above and below: Celebrating Christmas as the Century Care Center. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Christmas Recipes: Rice Krispie Treats, Oatmeal Cookies, Hot Chocolate
December 25, 2010
We are continuing our Christmas recipe series today with some family time favorites.
Today’s recipes include Traditional Oatmeal Cookies, Crockpot Candy and Rice Krispie Treats — perfect recipes for the family to make together. And what would Christmas be without Hot Chocolate? Our quick and easy recipe can easily be increased to make enough for everyone, plus it’s easy to include some extra cocoa powder for a deeper, darker treat.
To submit your recipes to share with our readers, email them to news@northescambia.com.
Crock Pot Candy
submitted by Brooke Mixon
- 16 oz Salted Peanuts
- 16 oz UnSalted Peanuts
- 4 oz German Chocolate Bark
- 1 pkg Almond Chocolate Bark
- 1 pkg Butterscotch Morsels
Put all ingredients into crock pot. Cook on low for 2 hours. Do not stir or open lid. After 2 hours, turn off crock pot, stir candy and drop in clusters onto wax paper. Let cool and enjoy. This recipe will make 70-90 pieces of candy, depending on the size.
Traditional Oatmeal Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 3 cups of Quaker Oats (Quick)
- 1 cup raisins (optional)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Slowly stir in oats. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on sheet, remove to wire rack.
Rice Krispie Treats
- 1/4 cup butter
1 (10 oz., about 40) pkg. regular marshmallows or 3 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows and continue to stir until the marshmallows have completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal coating them well with the melted marshmallow mixture. Using a buttered or silicone spatula, press the mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan which has been buttered or sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with wax paper. Cut into squares when the mixture cools. Makes 24 squares.
MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
Microwave butter with marshmallows on high setting for 2 minutes in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir together when melted. Microwave again on high for 1 additional minute. Stir in cereal, mixing until well coated. Press into pan as above.
Hot Chocolate
- 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
1 c. milk
a bit of vanilla, if desired
Combine cocoa, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it reaches your preferred temperature.
Christmas Recipes: Apples, Sweet Potatoes And A Quick Breakfast Brunch
December 24, 2010
We are continuing our Christmas recipe series today with a couple of desserts and a quick breakfast.
Today’s recipes feature an Apple Caramel Pudding and a Sweet Tater Cheesecake. We also have a Farmer’s Omelet Casserole that’s easy to cook and would provide a hearty Christmas morning breakfast or brunch for everyone.
To submit your recipes to share with our readers, email them to news@northescambia.com.
Farmer’s Omelet Casserole
by Terri Brown
- 3 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
- 1 cup chopped green pepper, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 18 large eggs, beaten
- 2 1/3 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1 1/4 cups chopped tomato, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (coarse grind is best)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Cook potato, 3/4 cup green pepper and onion in oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring constantly, 8 min. or until tender. Cool potatoes if preparing the night before. Combine potato mixture, eggs, ham, 1 cup tomato, salt and black pepper in a large bowl; stir well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 325 for 40 minutes or until golden. Top with remaining 1/4 cup green pepper and 1/4 cup tomato. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake 5 more minutes until cheese melts.
Apple Caramel Pudding
by Janet Smith
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled apples
Combine first five ingredients; then add apples and milk. Blend thoroughly and pour into 8″ square pan.
Combine:
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Mix sugar, boiling water and butter and pour over the batter already in pan. Bake
at 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Seeve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Very simple but rich dessert. Serves 4 to 6
Sweet Tater Cheesecake
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup whipping cream (cool whip will work if no cream handy)
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (NOT CANNED)
Graham Cracker-Pecan Crust
- 2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 425°.
Crust:
Combine crust ingredients thoroughly; press into a 10-inch springform pan.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and eggs until smooth; beat in flour, cinnamon, and ginger. Beat cream and well-mashed sweet potatoes in on medium speed of a hand held mixer just until well-combined. Pour the batter into the prepared crust. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes; lower heat to 275° and bake 1 hour longer. Turn heat off and leave in the oven to cool for several hours, or cool on a wire rack. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or caramel sauce.
Molino Homemakers Turn Egg Cartons Into Ornaments
December 23, 2010
The ladies of the Molino Homemakers Club recently learned how to make Christmas ornaments out of egg cartons from member Frances Cheney.
The patterns were cut from egg cartons, and colorful green and red beads were place on straight pins and inserted into the egg carton pattern that was attached to a Styrofoam ball. Once the ball was covered, a hanger was placed on top.
Completed ornaments were taken home by members.
Submitted photos by Terri Brown for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Christmas Recipes: Red Velvet Cake, Holiday Dips
December 23, 2010
The holidays are a time when a lot of people head into the kitchen to cook for family and friends. Over the next few days, NorthEscambia.com will share some submitted holiday favorite recipes.
You just can’t go wrong with a red velvet cake, and we have a great recipe today from Shirley Boone. We also have a couple of dip recipes just in time for your Christmas entertaining — a black bean dip and a hot cream cheese dip.To submit your recipes to share with our readers, email them to news@northescambia.com.
Today’s recipes are from the Molino Homemakers Club.
Red Velvet Cake
by Shirley Boone
CAKE
- 1 ½ cups oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. cocoa
- 1 oz bottle red food coloring
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Mix oil and sugar together. Add eggs and beat well. Add food coloring. Add vinegar to buttermilk and pour into oil mixture. Add vanilla. In small bowl combine cake flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix with other ingredients until well blended. Pour into 9 inch greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees. Two pans bake for 30-35 minutes, three pans bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and wrap in plastic wrap until cool.
ICING
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 box confectioners sugar
- 1 stick Parkay margarine, softened
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Mix all together until creamed. Spread on cooled cake.
Black Bean Dip
by Mona Brown
- 2 cans black beans, drained
- 2 cans shoe peg corn, drained
- ½ bunch green onions, chopped
- Sprinkle of garlic powder
- Mix ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup apple cider vinegar and ½ cup sugar.
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Marinate for 24 hours. Drain and add 8 ounces of feta cheese. Serve with Scoops.
Hot Cream Cheese Dip
from the Molino Homemakers Club
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon
- 3 stalks green onion diced
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Mix all ingredients and pour into a 9×9 glass pan or pie plate. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with Chicken in a Biscuit crackers.
Christmas Recipes: Sweet Potato Casserole, Cameo Cake
December 22, 2010
The holidays are a time when a lot of people head into the kitchen to cook for family and friends. Over the next few days, NorthEscambia.com will share some submitted holiday favorite recipes.
You can save your marshmallows for S’mores. Today, we are featuring a scrumptious sweet potato casserole with a traditional crunchy pecan topping. We are also featuring a Cameo cake. With white chocolate and plenty of cream cheese, this one is sure to be a family favorite this Christmas.
To submit your recipes to share with our readers, email them to news@northescambia.com.
Today’s recipes are from the Molino Homemakers Club.
Sweet Potato Casserole
by Terri Brown
- 3 cups sweet potatoes
- 1 heaping cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ stick Parkay margarine
- 1 cup milk
Mash potatoes, add remaining ingredients mixing well. Pour into a greased 9 inch square pan.
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup granulated brown sugar
- ½ cup plain flour
- ½ stick melted margarine
Mix ingredients. Sprinkle over potatoes. Bake 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees.
Cameo Cake With White Chocolate Frosting
by Mary Elizabeth Corley
CAKE
- 3-1/2 cups plain flour divided
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
- 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (cut up, no substitutions)
- 3/4 cup water
- 4 ounces white chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch round cake pans: tap out excess flour. Line bottoms with wax paper. Combine 1/2 cup flour and pecans in small bowl. Combine remaining 3 cups flour, granulated sugar, soda and salt in large bowl. Set both aside. Bring butter and water to a boil in medium saucepan, stirring occasionally until butter melts. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until blended. Gradually whisk chocolate mixture into dry ingredients until smooth: Fold in pecan mixture. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Unmold cakes onto racks and cool completely.
WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 4 ounces white chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
- 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 3 ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, cut up
- 3 cups confections sugar, sifted
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans or
- Chopped toasted pecans for garnish
Microwave chocolate in small bowl on high 1-1/2 minutes until almost melted: Stir until smooth. Cool slightly 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese and butter in large mixing bowl on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla: beat scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, until frosting is completely smooth: add pecans, refrigerate 1 hour until frosting is firm and spreadable.
Place cake layer on serving plate and spread with about 3/4 cup frosting: top with second adding frosting then third layer and sides of cake using all frosting. (Optional: Garnish with pecans around edge if desired.) Cover cake loosely and refrigerate overnight. (Can be made ahead. Wrap well and freeze up to 1 month. )