Some Florida State Parks Reopen Monday With Limited Access
May 2, 2020
Some Florida state parks will reopen with limited access on Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday.
The state will reopen open access to trails, and some day use areas, including some beach access with limited facilities. Visitors will be asked to practice proper social distancing and to limit group size to 10 or less and to stay six feet apart.
“Recreational activity provides important physical and mental health benefits, particularly during these uncertain times. This Phase One plan will allow for the thoughtful, measured re-opening of some of our state’s incredible natural resources for public recreation,” DeSantis said.
The selected reopened state parks will have limited facilities. Reopened beach areas allow visitors access to active recreation only. This includes walking, jogging, swimming and fishing. No sunbathing, chairs, canopies or coolers are allowed in beach areas at this time.
Reopened parks will resume normal operation hours of 8 a.m. to sunset, with the exception of beach areas. Access to beach areas will have reduced daily hours that may vary locally along with reductions in visitor capacity to ensure social distancing. For the latest information for specific parks, visit www.floridastateparks.org.
Atmore Police Still Investigating Murder A Week Ago. The Victim Was Shot And Stabbed.
May 2, 2020
The Atmore Police Department is still continuing to investigate the murder of a man found dead last week.
Desmond Deshun Dirden, 43, was found shot and stabbed about outside an apartment complex on Patterson Street about 1:24 a.m. on Saturday, April 25. Police had responded to a reported assault.
Dirden was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks said Friday afternoon that the case remained under investigation. No suspects have been arrested or named.
Anyone with information on the murder is asked to call the Atmore Police Department at (251) 368-9141.
File photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Libraries In Escambia County Will Reopen Monday With Limited Hours, Services
May 2, 2020
West Florida Libraries in Escambia County will reopen Monday limited general public access and online order pickups as follows:
- Century Branch Library - Tuesday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Molino Branch Library – Monday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Pensacola Library – Monday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Southwest Branch Library - Monday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Tryon Branch Library – Monday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Genealogy Branch Library – Tuesday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Westside Branch Library – Monday – Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Feeding the Gulf Coast meals for youth under 18 will still be available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at all library locations.
Requests for library materials placed prior to arrival will be retrieved and ready for pickup at your vehicle. Designated online order pickup spaces will be marked. Drive-thru services are closed. All returned library materials will be cleaned and isolated for a period of 72 hours.
Public computer and study room access:
- A limited number of computers will be available to insure social distancing.
- Computer access for general use will remain at one hour per day.
- Computer access will have no time limits applied if the person is actively completing unemployment, small business loans, or similar economic benefits applications.
- Limited study space will be available with a one hour per day limit on use.
- eBook, eAudiobook and eMagazine titles will increase in availability and variety available for electronic access.
DeSantis, Gaetz Discuss COVID-19, New Testing Site At UWF
May 2, 2020
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday afternoon in Pensacola that expanded testing is important as Florida advances through the COVID-19 recovery process.
DeSantis and Rep. U.S. Matt Gaetz addressed the media at a state-run drive-thru COVID-19 testing center at the University of West Florida Softball Complex as the Florida National Guard performed tests behind them.
“It is essential that we identify cases as they come up,” DeSantis said. “You have places like Northwest Florida, that’s a lot different than a New York City or Chicago or some of these other places. But if you see a cluster develop, we use testing and then we can go in and isolate people, so they don’t affect other people. So it’s very, very important to do it.”
The testing site at the UWF is a two lane drive-thru operated in partnership with the Florida National Guard, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Escambia County and Santa Rosa County. It will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily for the next two weeks.
“We will offer, to start, 400 tests a day. If there’s more, we’ll do more,” the governor said. The testing is open to anyone, regardless of if they have symptoms.
“It’s meant to cast a broad net, and we want to be able to identify as many cases as we can,” he said.
U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz praised DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus situation in Florida.
“Governor in all the work we’ve done together, I’ve never been prouder than when the [resident acknowledges that our team working effectively to raise these concerns, results in better care for our residents and our constituents,” Gaetz said Friday at the UWF testing site.
“There are a few areas where the governor’s work the president’s work has aligned specifically to meet some needs in Northwest Florida, and I want to highlight those. Because we were able to get draw downs on the front end, I can tell you that we had the CEO of Baptist Hospital able to get tests and swabs early, and he actually drove himself Mark Faulkner did over to Tallahassee, to the emergency operation center, where you would coordinate a testing on the front end that allowed us to be in a good position. I serve on the president’s task force with the head of Ascension Health Care that’s a major provider in our community,” the congressman said.
Gaetz added, “And then I would also suggest that the offense that we’re playing in nursing homes, and in long term care facilities is uniquely important to Northwest Floridians, I can tell you, governor, anytime we’ve had, even the concern, even the whiff of this virus in one of our long term care facilities, your department of health has been there on time on target. I had one facility in the Twin Cities area that had like three and four visits from the Department of Health for triple and quadruple redundancy, to make sure that we were getting accurate test results.”
Gaetz also mentioned short term vacation rentals that remain suspended under an order from the governor, saying that has a big impact on Northwest Florida.
“The Governor and I met briefly before and there are a couple of issues in Northwest Florida that we talked about the first is a vacation rentals in Northwest Florida,” Gaetz said. “We don’t have a 500 key hotel room every thousand feet, because of our density that we have, we’re more reliant on vacation rentals. And I’m confident that in the governor’s evidence-based, measured approach, the same approach he took on the front end of this virus, that as soon as it is safe and appropriate, and we enter new phases that the governor will work with our local communities to open vacation rentals.”
The testing site at UWF is located at the SP2 parking lot, which is on the east side of campus near the East Sports Complex. Individuals are asked to remain in their vehicles. The National Guard will be there to assist.
The site was open Friday for a “test run” with COVID-19 tests for first responders.
Forecast: A Warm And Sunny Spring Weekend
May 2, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light in the evening.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west in the evening.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Many Alabama Businesses Opened Friday As The State Recovers. Others Are Still Forced To Remain Closed.
May 2, 2020
Friday was the first day of the reopening of the Alabama economy under Gov. Kay Ivey’s Safer at Home order.
Retail stores were able to reopen with occupancy limited to 50 percent of the fire marshal’s occupancy load, subject to sanitation and social distancing rules, elective surgeries opened, and beaches opened with proper social distancing rules.
Restaurants, bars and breweries remain limited to take-out, curbside or delivery. Churches remain closed but are encouraged to have online or drive-up services.
Other “higher risk” businesses like casinos, bingo halls an bowling alleys remain closed. Close contact businesses like hair salons, nail salons and spas are also still prohibited from operating.
Pictured: A handmade sign outside Home Style Furniture on Main Street in Atmore proudly proclaims the business as open on Friday. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO Deputy Arrested, Fired For Stealing Money Orders After Traffic Stop
May 1, 2020
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been arrested and terminated after he was accused of stealing money orders from a vehicle after making an arrest.
William Christopher Henley, 37, was charged with burglary, four counts of larceny, dealing in stolen property, fraud, two counts of intent to defraud and destroying evidence. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday afternoon without bond.
A woman contacted the ECSO to report money orders had been stolen from a vehicle driven by her boyfriend. The boyfriend was pulled over and arrested by Henley on outstanding warrants, and the vehicle was left behind. The women contacted Western Union and was provided copies that showed they had been deposited by William Henley. The address on the money orders matched that in Henley’s ECSO employee file, according to an arrest report.
ECSO investigators obtained surveillance photos from Navy Federal that showed Henley in uniform depositing the money orders, the report states. The values of the money order were $200 and $500.
Henley was interviewed on Thursday. His statements were redacted from the arrest report.
He was arrested and booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond Thursday evening. He was also terminated from his position of four years with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Henley’s mugshot is exempt from the release under Florida law due to his law enforcement status. He is pictured in a 2019 photo after received a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) award for making over 100 DUI arrests the previous year. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Two More Local COVID-19 Deaths Reported In Escambia, Santa Rosa; Escambia Cases Up By 26
May 1, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED. CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATE.
Two more people in the Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have died from COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Escambia County cases were up 26 on Friday to 532 with one additional death, an 82-year old female, for a total of 12. Santa Rosa was up four to 158 cases and one additional death, a 64-year old male, for a total of eight.
While the FDOH has not confirmed, the sudden uptick in Escambia County cases is believed to be related to the surge in local nursing home testing.
Statewide, there were 34,728 cases including 33,829 Florida residents. There have been 5,767 hospitalizations and 1,314 deaths.
- Total cases — 532 (+26 since Thursday)
- Pensacola — 402
- Cantonment — 40
- Bellview — 6
- Perdido Key — 1
- McDavid/Walnut Hill — 1
- Molino – 4
- Century — 2
- Hospitalizations: 43*
- Deaths — 12
- Male — 201
- Female — 256
- Youngest — 0
- Oldest — 105
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 158 (+4 since Thursday)
- Milton — 84
- Navarre — 32
- Gulf Breeze — 24
- Pace — 15
- Jay — 2
- Residents: 129
- Nonresidents — 1
- Hospitalizations — 22*
- Deaths — 8
- Male — 105
- Female — 52
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 94
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 34,728
- Florida residents — 33,829
- Deaths — 1.314
- Hospitalizations — 5,767*
*“Hospitalizations” is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. These people may no longer be hospitalized. This number does not represent the number of COVID-19 positive persons currently hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized.
Second COVID-19 Death Reported In Escambia County, Alabama
May 1, 2020
The second COVID-19 death in Escambia County, Alabama, was reported Friday by the Alabama Department of Health.
There are now 28 positive cases with on recorded death. There have been 509 total COVID-19 tests reported to the ADH.
Atmore Community Hospital has tested 288 patients with 22 positives. D.W. McMillan Hospital in Brewton has tested 157 people with three confirmed cases.
The Alabama Department of Health reported 7,085 total positive cases in the state out of 89.997 tests. There have been 279 deaths and 991 hospitalizations reported statewide.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Four Counts Of Welfare Fraud
May 1, 2020
A Cantonment woman is facing welfare fraud charges for failing to report she was actually working while collecting benefits over a four year period.
Ashley Sue Chamberlain was charged with four counts of welfare fraud for failing to report four jobs she held.
Chamberlain worked at the Pensacola School of Massage , Tom Thumb and Truelieve between 2015 and 2019, according to the State Attorney’s Office, without reporting her employment to the Department of Children and Family Services. She fraudulently collection Food Stamp Program and Medicaid Program benefits during the period, a court document states.
She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
