Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr. (With Photo Gallery)
January 20, 2020
A crowd headed out on a cold Monday in Century to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Century-Flomaton Improvement Association (CFIA) held their annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration at the Century Ag Building Monday.
The program and celebration featured guest speaker Pastor Karen Shuford of Wesley Chapel Church in Century and special music. It followed a motorcade around Century.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECAT Applying For Matching Grant For Cantonment, Century, Molino Bus Route
January 20, 2020
Escambia County is applying for a 50 percent match grant to help fund the current Escambia County Area Transit bus route that serves Cantonment, Molino and Century.
The Non-Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program provides federal operating or capital assistance for the operation of public transportation service in non-urbanized areas through the Florida Department of Transportation.
ECAT’s route that qualifies as rural is Route 60, and it typically costs 3% of the overall operating budget. FDOT will reimburse 50% of those costs, up to the maximum awarded. Applications are submitted and are reviewed on a competitive basis, so the amount of the award, if any, is not yet known.
In previous years, ECAT has been awarded enough to offset a full 50% of the Route 60 costs.
The schedule for the Route 60 bus is below.
Pictured: ECAT’s Route 60 bus stop at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Fire Damages Cantonment Home
January 20, 2020
Fire damaged a home in Cantonment Sunday afternoon.
The fire at Booker Avenue and Booker Street was reported about 2:20 p.m. The blaze, which reportedly began in the kitchen of the small wood frame home, was quickly extinguished by firefighters. There were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the fire.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Freezing Weather — Protecting Pets, Plants, Pipes And Other Tips
January 20, 2020
With freezing weather, it is time to take necessary precautions to protect pipes, pets and plants, and check on elderly friends and neighbors.
Here are ways to stay safe during cold temperatures, courtesy of the American Red Cross:
- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing body heat.
- Know the signs of hypothermia — confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. If someone has these symptoms, they should get immediate medical attention.
- Watch for symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy feeling skin.
- Bring the pets indoors. If that’s not possible, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
- Avoid frozen pipes — run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent them from freezing. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night to help avoid freezing pipes.
- Do not use a stove or oven to heat the home.
- Space heaters should sit on a level, hard surface and anything flammable should be kept at least three feet away.
- If using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
- Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
And here are a few extra details and tips from ECUA on protecting pipes against the freeze:
- Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This action guards against the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
- Run a trickle of water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run a thin trickle of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.
- Remember the backflow preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water line are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.
Fatal Shooting Sunday Night In Escambia County Under Investigation
January 20, 2020
A man was found shot to death inside a residence in Escambia County Sunday night.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was called to a home on Marie Avenue off Burgess Road just before 8 p.m. The victim’s roommate arrived home to find the front door open and the victim dead on the floor suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The victim’s identity has not yet been released, and no suspect has been named.
Further details were not released as the investigation continues.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Freezing Temps Overnight
January 20, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 27. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 47. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 27. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
Thursday: Showers likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 56. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers. Low around 48. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. East wind around 5 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
Escambia River Expected To Fall Below Flood Stage By Tuesday Afternoon
January 20, 2020
The Escambia River at Century is expected to fall below flood stage on Tuesday
Sunday night, the river state was 17.9 feet with minor lowland flooding was occuring. The river is expected to fall to flood stage of 17.0 feet by midday Tuesday. A river flood warning will continue until that time.
Escambia County 4-H Meat Judging Team Places Fourth In Western National Roundup In Colorado
January 20, 2020
The Escambia County 4-H Meat Judging Team placed fourth at the Western National Roundup 4-H Meat Judging Contest recently at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Team members were Jessica Conti, Hannah Schnupp, Ethan Thorne, and Hannah Thorne. Participants had to identify 30 retail cuts, place six retail, wholesale, and carcass classes, and give three sets of oral reasons.
“Through the competition process, the team has developed life skills through activities to understand the processing of beef, pork, and lamb, including retail identification, factors relating to meat quality, and cookery,” according to Brian Estevez, UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County 4-H/Youth Development Agent.
“Meat judging participants acquire knowledge and skills in meat identification and grading techniques and then apply those basic skills to the selection process. Participants then develop an understanding and appreciation of the basic scientific principles involved in eating and cooking quality, nutritional value, and consumer appeal of meat. 4-H members on the team also learn life skills such as decision making, problem solving, and goal setting,” he said.”
During the trip to the national contest, the meat judging team participated in a mock contest at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. The team also toured Colorado State University and visited with Dr. Katie Abrams, assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication. The Western National Roundup 4-H Meat Judging Contest was held in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show in Denver.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Pickup In Connection With Fatal Shooting Last Week
January 20, 2020
Deputies are searching for a truck that may be connected to a fatal shooting in Escambia County.
Images were captured on video at Glass Drive and Michigan Avenue just minutes after a shooting about 7 p.m. January 13 at the intersection of Pipeline Road and Boswell Road that left 25-year old Julio Jacinto dead. He found inside a white sedan.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said witnesses saw a dark or gray Dodge pickup driving along Pineline Road at the time of the shooting. It was described as having a black toolbox in the bed with chrome handles, aftermarket HID lights and a loud dual exhaust.
Anyone with information about the shooting, the truck or the driver is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
January 20, 2020
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Tuesday, January 21
Board of Electrical Examiners – 9 a.m., 3363 W. Park Place
Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission – 10 a.m., 418 W. Garden St.
FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance Board of Directors – 1 p.m., 418 W. Garden St.
Youth Commission – 4:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
Wednesday, January 22
Coffee with the Commissioner – Jeff Bergosh, District 1 – 6:30 a.m., Hardee’s Restaurant, 2500 Wilde Lake Blvd.
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 W. Park Place
Medical Examiners Search Committee – 2 p.m., M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building, 190 W. Government St.
Florida First Sites Round II Kick Off Meeting – 2:30 p.m., 1000 College Blvd.
Mass Transit Advisory Committee – 3 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 W. Park Place
Santa Rosa Island Authority Committee Meeting – 5 p.m., 1 Via de Luna
Thursday, January 23
BCC Public Forum – 8:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, BCC Meeting Room, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Regular Meeting – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, BCC Meeting Room, 221 Palafox Place