Slow Go: Here Are This Week’s Traffic Delay Spots
June 25, 2018
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road)- Drivers traveling U.S. 29 and Nine Mile Road will encounter traffic pattern changes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 24 through Saturday, June 30 as follows:
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 overpass: North and southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new center bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drivers may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations. U.S. 29 lane restrictions are Monday through Saturday.
- Northbound traffic has been shifted onto the newly constructed bridge section as demolition and reconstruction efforts continue on the northbound span.
- Due to the increased vertical clearance of the new bridge, the on-ramp has been extended up to the entrances of Emerald Cuts Salon and the Unitarian Universalist Church. This temporary shift will affect access to businesses and residences on the east side of U.S. 29 between 9 Mile Road and 9 1/2 Mile Road. For the next 60 days, motorists seeking access to properties on the east side of U.S. 29 will utilize the northbound on-ramp. Only right turns will be permitted for vehicles exiting driveways from these properties between 9 Mile Road and 9 1/2 Mile Road.
- U.S. 29 Resurfacing between U.S. 90 and Muscogee Road – Paving operations continue between Muscogee Road and West 9 ½ Mile Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 24 through Thursday, June 28.
· I-10 / U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I- The following traffic impacts are planned on I-10 and U.S. 29 near the interchange (Exits 10) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 24 through Thursday, June 28:
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- Alternating lane closures on I-10 east and westbound and U.S. 29 north and southbound.
- The U.S. 29 on-ramps to I-10 eastbound will be intermittently closed. Traffic will be detoured on U.S. 29 to access I-10 eastbound.
- Alternating lane closures on the I-10 westbound exit ramp to U.S. 29 north and south (Exit 10).
· U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement-There will be alternating east and westbound lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, June 24 through Thursday, June 28 as crews perform construction activities.
· U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from Perdido Bay Bridge to Dogtrack Road- Crews will perform paving operations the week of Monday, June 25. Alternating lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
· S.R. 10A (Cervantes Street) Crosswalk Maintenance from Palafox Street to B Street – East and westbound alternating lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, June 25 through Thursday, June 28 as crew paint crosswalks.
· U.S. 90 (Mobile Highway) Intersection improvement at County Road (C.R.) 99 (Beulah Road)- Beulah Road will be closed to traffic, just north of Mobile Highway, from 7 p.m. Sunday, June 24 to 5 a.m. Monday, June 25 as crews perform drainage work. A signed detour will be in place. Paving operations will take place Tuesday, June 26 through Friday, June 29 with alternating lane closures in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
· S.R. 292 (Perdido Key Drive) Underground Utility and Paving Operations at Key Largo Boulevard- Traffic will encounter lane closures at Key Largo Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, June 26 and Wednesday, June 27 as crews locate existing utilities and perform paving operations.
· S.R. 296 (Bayou Boulevard) Turn Lane Closure- The westbound, right turn lane on Bayou Boulevard, just east of 9th Avenue, remains partially closed until 3:30 p.m. Friday, July 6 as crews install drainage structures for new private commercial businesses.
Santa Rosa County:
· U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – There will be alternating east and westbound lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, June 24 through Thursday, June 28 as crews perform construction activities.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to Hickory Hammock Road – Crews will be paving the intermittent lane shifts from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. the week of Monday, June 25 between Eglin Air Force Base boundary and two miles south of the Yellow River as crews pave the roadway.
Additionally, traffic between C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) and the Eglin AFB boundary is restricted to loads less than 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place until the project is complete.
- I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of Avalon Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 24 through Friday, June 29 as crews widen the roadway. In addition, southbound traffic on Avalon Boulevard will be shifted to the west near the I-10 interchange the week of Monday, June 25. The temporary configuration will remain in place throughout the summer months as crews reconstruct the northbound lanes of Avalon Boulevard. Two lanes of traffic will remain open in each direction at all times.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Pictured: Nine Mile Road at Untreiner Avenue, just west of Highway 29, Sunday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Make It Two Straight Over Generals
June 25, 2018
The Blue Wahoos won their second straight over the Jackson Generals Sunday night at The Ballpark at Jackson, 4-2. Jose Siri belted his second home run since joining the Wahoos to break a scoreless tie in the third inning, and Pensacola never looked back.
Following Siri’s homer, the Blue Wahoos scored single runs in the next three innings. Taylor Sparks stayed hot with an RBI triple driving home Aristides Aquino in the fourth inning. TJ Friedl led off the fifth with a single and came home on Shed Long’s one-out base hit to make it a 3-0 lead. Luis Gonzalez doubled to start the sixth inning and scored on a Sparks sacrifice fly to put the Blue Wahoos up 4-0.
Vladimir Gutierrez (W, 4-8) was solid on the mound for the Wahoos. He allowed his only run in the sixth. Domingo Leyba was hit by a pitch to start the inning, then scored on an RBI single from Jamie Westbrook. Gutierrez was lifted for Victor Payano with two outs in the inning. Payano got the final out and combined with Robinson Leyer and Alex Powers (S, 6) to preserve the win the rest of the way.
Gutierrez earned the win after allowing just the one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 5.2 innings. The Wahoos did all of their damage against Generals starter Taylor Widener (L, 4-4). He allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings. He struck out five against one walk. Powers pitched a perfect ninth inning for his team-best sixth save.
Harry E. Mason
June 25, 2018
Harry E. Mason went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, June 21, 2018. He was born on Sept. 13, 1941, in Escambia County, Florida to the late Murlen A. Mason and Marquerite Nettles Mason. Harry worked for the United States Postal Service retiring with 35 years of service. He was an avid reader of his Bible and books that pertained to the Life of Christ. He served his country in the United States Army.
Harry is survived by his wife, Betty Mason; daughter, Leslie Mason; son, Daniel Paul Mason; four grandchildren, Ainsley, Alistar, Elizabeth, and Haley; sister, Shirley Forbes; brother, Marshall (Diane) Mason; step-children, Yvette (Ronnie) Pritchett, Sidney (Sharon) Benware III, and Margaret (Marcus) Lewis; step-grandchildren, Marissa (Jimmy) Morgan, Traci (Ryne) Norton, Taylor (Justin) Mertins, R.J. Pritchett, Brooke Lewis, Nolan Benware, and Morgan Benware; and step great-grandchildren, Owen, Ansley and Ace Morgan, and Tori Norton.
Funeral services were held Monday, June 25, 2018, at East Side Assembly of God Church with Pastor Kenneth Johnson officiating.
Burial was in Barrancas National Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be John Edmonson, Sidney Benware, III, R. J. Pritchett, Marcus Lewis, Marshall Mason, and Jimmy Morgan.
Honorary pallbearer will be Nolan Benware.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with arrangements.
Michael Fox
June 25, 2018
Mr. Michael “Mike” Fox, age 53, passed away on Thursday, June 21, 2018, at his home in Crossroads, Alabama.
Mr. Fox was a native of Bay Springs, FL and had resided in Crossroads, AL for the past 19 years. He was of the Protestant faith. He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Frankie and Ruby Lewis and one uncle, Rodger Lewis.
He is survived by his mother and step-father, Elizabeth and Ronnie Faulk of Walnut Hill, FL; one son, Michael R. Fox of Bay Minette, AL; one daughter, Felicia Rolin of Bay Minette, AL; one brother, Jeffrey Fox of Atmore, AL; one sister, Sandy and Chris Brown of Oak Grove, FL; and four grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Sunday, June 24, 2018 at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Mr. Ronnie Faulk officiating.
Burial will follow at the Bay Springs Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Chris Brown, Dale Brown, Dawson Brown, Frankie Nicholson, Jason Nicholson and Kevin Nicholson.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the animal shelters.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Cynthia Ann O’Brien Wheeler
June 25, 2018
Cynthia “Cindy” Ann O’Brien Wheeler, 60, passed away peacefully June 23, 2018, after a long battle with diabetes. Cindy was born May 3, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois. She was a beloved mother, daughter, sister and friend.
She was an active member of Bellview Baptist Church, where she served as Vacation Bible School director for many years. She was also a member of the Northwest Florida Area Team for Operation Christmas Child.
Cindy spent many years working in customer service at Walmart.
She is preceded in death by her father, Roy O’Brien.
She is survived by her four children, Anthony (Megan) Wheeler, Marissa Grant, Brittany Wheeler and Kristin Wheeler; and five grandchildren, Kylee Wheeler, Bella Grant, AJ Wheeler, Tripp Grant, and Braxton Grant. She is also survived by her mother, Emma Jean O’Brien; and three siblings, Sharon (Larry) Marshall, Jeff (Lisa) O’Brien, and Jimmy (Cassie) O’Brien.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.
A memorial service to honor Cindy’s life will take place at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, June 26, 2018, beginning at 11 a.m. Visitation for friends will begin at 10a.m. Pastor Steve Bruce will officiate.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with the arrangements.
Dora Ann Rolin
June 25, 2018
Mrs. Dora Ann Rolin, age 88, passed away on Friday, June 22, 2018, in Century, Florida.
Mrs. Rolin was a native of Grove Hill, AL and lived in Century, FL most of her life. She was a long time resident of Poarch, AL. She was a member of the Poplar Dell Baptist Church. She is preceded in death by her husband, Grady Rolin; two sons, Glenn Rolin and Gilbert Rolin; and one daughter, Gloria Jean Carnley.
She is survived by one son, Gregory (Laura Ann) Rolin of Poarch, AL; two daughters, Glenda Ann Walston of Century, FL and Grace Marie (Bill) Stuckey of Atmore, AL; and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, June 26, 2018 at 10 a.m. at the Poplar Dell Baptist Church with Rev. Bill Stuckey and Rev. Mitch Herring officiating.
Burial will follow at the Judson Creek Indian Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Justin Rolin, Christopher Rolin, James Brazwell, Cody Harmin, Jake Woods and Gregory Rolin.
Honorary pallbearer will be Rowdy Daw.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Two Communications Towers In The Works South Of Century
June 24, 2018
Two new Southern Linc wireless communications towers are in the works on or near Highway 29 south of Century.
Last week, the Escambia County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use request for a 320-foot high tower at 321 Thompson Road. The structure will be located on about a quarter of an acre section of a 39.4 acre parcel that is currently zoned for agricultural use.
In addition to providing coverage for Southern Linc customers, space will be available on the tower for other carriers, according to county documents.
This week, the Escambia County Development Review Committee will consider a proposal for a 350-foot high tower at 2401 South Century Boulevard, south of the Bogia Road intersection. It will occupy about a third of an acre on a 252 acre parcel that is zoned for agricultural use.
Before the towers can be constructed, the proposals must be approved by additional county agencies, the FCC and the FAA.
Pictured: The yellow “X” marks the approximate spot of a potential new 300-foot high communications tower. NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Century To Hold Special Meeting On Audit Action Plan
June 24, 2018
The Century Town Council will hold a special meeting at 4:00 Monday afternoon to discuss a “corrective action plan” detailing how the town can corrective negative audit findings.
The town’s most recent audit, covering the fiscal year ending in September 2016, found deteriorating financial conditions that could result in a future “financial emergency”, $3.83 million in transferred special revenue funds that must be repaid, $1.4 million in expenditures in violation of state statutes, over $5,000 in a bank account that did not appear on the books and other deficiencies.
For more details on the proposed plan, as discussed in a workshop meeting last week, click here.
Century Correctional Officer Assaulted By Inmate Serving Life
June 24, 2018
A correctional officer was recently assaulted at Century Correctional Institution earlier this month, according to information just released by the Florida Department of Corrections.
Inmate Ryan McCullough was subdued followed the assault. The officer suffered a minor injury to his arm.
Medical staff examined the officer and noted injuries. Inmate McCullough will receive a disciplinary report for this assault, account to the Department of Corerctions.
McCullough was serving a life sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Finger Pointing In Full Force
June 24, 2018
First came the haunting image of a wailing toddler in a pink jacket, followed by harrowing photos of children inside chain-link cages huddled on the floor beneath Mylar blankets. And then came even more heart-wrenching audio of sobbing children pleading for their mamas and papís.
The focus on undocumented immigrant children being separated from their parents or guardians at the country’s southern border exploded this week, prompting some of the most hawkish conservatives to chide President Donald Trump and his administration for a practice Democrats and immigrants’ advocates condemned even more loudly.
By midweek, Trump, under pressure from Republican leaders anxious about the impact on the fall elections, reversed course on the policy his administration denied was even a policy. But even after the president issued an executive order, questions continued to swirl, such as how — or if — children and parents held in detention centers thousands of miles apart would be reunited.
And, as so often is the case in national dramas, Florida was a major player: Two Democratic lawmakers were denied access to a Homestead facility that houses dozens of undocumented children who were whisked away from their families out west.
Week’s end brought no sign that the angry rhetoric would dissipate anytime soon, with the finger pointing in full force and the president throwing fuel on the fire.
“We must maintain a Strong Southern Border. We cannot allow our Country to be overrun by illegal immigrants as the Democrats tell their phony stories of sadness and grief, hoping it will help them in the elections. Obama and others had the same pictures, and did nothing about it,” Trump tweeted Friday morning.
Trump’s message to his 53 million Twitter followers was a stark contrast to a message posted two days earlier by Pope Francis.
“A person’s dignity does not depend on them being a citizen, a migrant, or a refugee. Saving the life of someone fleeing war and poverty is an act of humanity #WithRefugees,” the pope (@Pontifex) tweeted.
Two hours before the president posted his viral message Friday morning, Pope Francis offered some disparate advice: “Love for others needs to become the constant factor of our lives.”
BORDER BACKLASH
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, who are battling for the Republican nomination for governor, have spent months trying to hitch themselves to Trump’s coattails.
But like outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Scott, Putnam and DeSantis adopted softer stances this week on the immigration policy.
“It’s important that we enforce our laws in a humane way and families should be kept together. With secure borders, you would have less of this issue. Washington needs to work with President Trump to find a solution,” Putnam said in a statement issued by his campaign Tuesday.
DeSantis, who’s carved out a reputation as an immigration hawk and has nailed down Trump’s endorsement, told supporters in Bradenton that he would “keep the family together and repatriate them back as a family unit.”
Scott, who is trying to oust veteran U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and who is an ally of Trump, also distanced himself from the policy — saying he does “not favor separating families” — while at the same time mirroring the president’s finger-pointing at Congress for the situation.
“What the country is witnessing right now is the byproduct of the many years of bipartisan inaction and failure from our federal government,’’ Scott said in a statement distributed by his Senate campaign.
But while four other governors — including Republicans from Maryland and Massachusetts — are refusing to lend aid to the federal border defense, Scott does not plan to recall three Florida National Guard troops dispatched to support the effort.
Tuesday evening, Scott sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, seeking information about the children housed at the Homestead facility.
“I have been very clear that I absolutely do not agree with the practice of separating children from their families. This practice needs to stop now,” wrote Scott, whose hardline immigration stance was a cornerstone of his 2010 campaign for governor.
The opposition from Scott, Putnam and DeSantis came amid competitive campaigns in a state with a fast-growing number of Hispanics, a voting bloc Republicans and Democrats consider critical to November victories.
Nelson on Tuesday captured national attention after he and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., were barred from entering the privately run federal detention facility in Homestead. Nelson said that, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, 94 of the approximately 1,000 children housed in the facility were taken from their families at the border.
The Democrats accused Trump and his administration of a cover-up.
“They are obviously hiding something,” an irate Nelson told reporters. “This is absolutely ridiculous. I am ashamed of this administration, that they are doing this.”
Nelson plans to visit the facility Saturday.
THE LINE FORMS HERE
In the past, the end of qualifying week created a mad scramble at the state Division of Elections office. But that has abated significantly since the advent of electronic filing.
Nevertheless, with this year’s qualifying period ending at noon Friday, the office still provided a showcase for candidates who wanted to grab the limelight, such as five Democratic gubernatorial wannabes.
Former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and Orlando-area entrepreneur Chris King all filed their forms in person during the past week, as did Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, a late entry into the race.
But, on the other side of the aisle, Putnam and DeSantis took a stealthier approach, submitting the documents without fanfare.
The biggest surprise of the week in statewide races came when Rep. Jay Fant, R-Jacksonville, dropped his bid for attorney general and announced he would apply to become Florida’s top financial regulator.
Fant had been vying with two other Republicans, former Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Ashley Moody and Rep. Frank White of Pensacola, and two Democrats, state Rep. Sean Shaw of Tampa and Hillsborough County lawyer Ryan Torrens, to replace term-limited Attorney General Pam Bondi. But Fant, who raised relatively little campaign cash in recent months, said in a prepared statement he instead wants to become commissioner of the state Office of Financial Regulation.
The post “is the position most in line with my experience in banking, law and policymaking and I will seek that appointment,” Fant said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: President Donald Trump reversed his administration’s policy of separating undocumented immigrant children from their families at the southern U.S. border, a policy that quickly became a political flashpoint in Florida. Dozens of the children are being housed at a facility in Homestead.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “It depends on how it plays out, but it’s certainly not a great general-election issue, for sure.” — Brian Ballard, a Republican lobbyist and fundraiser who has close ties to President Donald Trump and Gov. Rick Scott, referring to the family separation issue.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida