Santa Rosa County Sets Official Graduation Dates. Here’s The Schedule.
June 5, 2020
The Santa Rosa County School District has approved graduation dates.
They are as follows:
Thursday, June 18
- Milton High School at the Milton High School Stadium, 8:20 p.m.
- (Milton chose 8:20 p.m. because it is 20:20 in military time)
Friday, June 19
- Pace High School at the Pensacola Bay Center, 9 a.m.
- Gulf Breeze High School at the Pensacola Bay Center, 2 p.m.
- Navarre High School at the Pensacola Bay Center, 7 p.m.
Monday, June 22
- Blended Academy at the Milton High School Stadium, 5 p.m.
- Santa Rosa High School at the Milton High School Stadium, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23
- Central School on the activity field, 5 p.m.
- Jay High School at the Jay High School Stadium, 7 p.m.
RAIN DATES
In the event of inclement weather for any of the above outdoor ceremonies, rain dates will be as follows:
Saturday, June 22 (rain date)
- Milton High School at the Milton High School Stadium, 8:20 p.m.
Thursday, June 25 (rain date)
- Santa Rosa High School at the Milton High School Stadium, 7 p.m.
Friday, June 26 (rain date)
- Central School on the activity field, 5 p.m.
- Jay High School at the Jay High School Stadium, 7 p.m.
UWF Cancels Spring Commencement That Was Planned For August, Working On ‘Alternative Plans’
June 5, 2020
The University of West Florida has official announced that its spring commencement ceremonies that were planned for August have now been canceled due to the pandemic.
In a message sent to students Thursday morning, UWF President Martha Saunders said the Florida Board of Governors announced a directive to all Florida institutions to postpone all summer commencement ceremonies, including the spring ceremonies that were rescheduled.
“While I agree with the decision to put the safety and health of our UWF community first, I am sad for our graduates. I can assure you that we will find a way to celebrate you. We are already working on alternative plans,” Saunders said.
“We will keep you updated in the coming weeks on the new plan to celebrate you. In the meantime, stay well and know that your fellow Argos are cheering you on from afar,” she concluded.
Tate Aggies Name Maum As New Quarterback Coach
June 5, 2020
The Tate High School Aggies have named Garrett Maum as the team’s new quarterback coach.
For the past five seasons, Maum has been the QB/WR coach at Donaldsonville High School in Louisiana. He was also the head baseball coach at Donaldsonville for the past three years. His team was previously ranked No. 8 in the state of Louisiana 3-A before the coronavirus lockdown. G
Maum is from Baton Rouge and is a graduate of LSU. His wife, Kristin will be teaching English at Tate High School. She was selected Ascension Parrish School Board High School Teacher of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year.
Tropical Storm Warning In Effect, Including Escambia And Santa Rosa
June 5, 2020
A tropical storm warning has been issued from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton county line in Florida, including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within the next 36 hours.
Tropical Storm Cristobal is moving north through the Gulf of Mexico. In Escambia County, there will be high risk of dangerous rip currents at the coast. Heavy rainfall of 3-6 inches in possible.
The latest on Cristobal is in the graphics on this page, click any image to enlarge. Don’t pay attention to just the path in the graphics; Cristobal has a large wind field to the east of center.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. East wind 5 to 10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 71. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 82. East wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 72. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 84. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. High near 86. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Click any graphic to enlarge for additional information.
Escambia (AL) Man Gets Federal Prison Time For Failing To Register As A Convicted Sex Offender
June 5, 2020
An Escambia County (AL) man was sentenced Thursday on a federal charge of failure to register as a convicted sex offender.
Timonthy Felder, 47, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison and a 10-year supervised release when he is released. He will also be required to underdo sexual offender treatment, register as a sex offender, and pay a $1,000 special assessment.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Felder had previously been convicted of incest in Fulton County, Georgia. As a result of that conviction, hewas required to register as a sex offender for life and he was initially compliant.
On April 4, 2019, Felder requested permission to work for an amusement company that was temporarily set up in Atmore. That request was denied by an Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s detective. Felder was scheduled to report for address verification in June 2019 but did not report. Escambia County Sheriff’s detectives went to Felder’s address. Residents there told detectives that Felder had not lived there for approximately two months, and that he had told them he was leaving to work for the traveling amusement company.
Felder was eventually located and arrested by members of the U.S. Marshal’s Service in Miltonon September 25, 2019. An employee of the amusement company reported that Felder hadd been working with them since March 2019 and had traveled to locations in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Felder did not register in any of those jurisdictions. Felder was interviewed and admitted to traveling out of state, failing to register in those states, failing to get permission to travel, and failing to attend registration appointments.
Escambia County COVID-19 Deaths Up To 36, Cases Up By Five
June 4, 2020
The death toll from COVID-19 increased by one to 36 in Escambia County on Friday, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The fatality was a 90-year old long-term care facility resident.
The number of cases in Escambia County is up by five to 871, and Santa Rosa County is up one to 266.
Of the 36 deaths in Escambia County, 28 have been long-term care facility residents or staff. There have been eight deaths in Santa Rosa County, seven of those at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility and none in long-term care facilities.
Statewide, there were 61,488 cases including 59,993 Florida residents. There have been 10,794 hospitalizations* and 2,660 deaths. The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 871 (+5 since Thursday)
- Pensacola — 619
- Cantonment — 53
- Bellview — 6
- Perdido Key — 1
- McDavid/Walnut Hill — 1
- Molino – 11
- Century — 2
- Hospitalizations: 65*
- Deaths — 36
- Male — 293
- Female — 404
- Youngest — 0
- Oldest — 105
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 256 (+1 since Thursday)
- Milton — 158
- Navarre — 40
- Gulf Breeze — 30
- Pace — 17
- Jay — 4
- Residents: 129
- Nonresidents — 1
- Hospitalizations — 23*
- Deaths — 9
- Male — 180
- Female — 72
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 94
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 61,488
- Florida residents — 59,993
- Deaths — 2,660
- Hospitalizations — 10,794*
*“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.
Atmore Man Charged With Murder. Victim Was Both Shot And Stabbed.
June 4, 2020
An Atmore man has been charged with an April murder at a local apartment complex.
Antonio Albert Crenshaw, 38, was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center on a charge of murder. He also facing charges of receiving stolen property second degree and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
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 were responding to a reported assault when they found his body.
Dirden was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Police Chief Brooks said the arrest came after an extensive investigation by the Atmore Police Department.
File photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Today’s The Last Day Of The Disaster Prep Sales Tax Holiday. Here’s What You Can Buy Tax Free.
June 4, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED. THE TAX HOLIDAY ENDED JUNE 4.
Floridians can purchase qualifying disaster preparedness supplies exempt from tax during the 2020 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday. Passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the sales tax holiday begins ends Thursday, June 4.
The following items are tax free until midnight:
For the complete, detailed information from the Florida Department of Revenue, click or tap here.
Mayor Wanted To Hire New Century Utilities Boss At $50K A Year. Council Says Not Without Seeing A Resume.
June 4, 2020
Century Mayor Henry Hawkins wanted to hire a new gas and water superintendent this week for nearly $50,000 a year, but town council members put the brakes on his request because they were not provided with enough information.
Hawkins told the council that the man is from the local area, was qualified for the job and has worked for another utility system for the past six months. The mayor verbally asked for approval to hire the man at $24 an hour, but did not provide the council with a resume or any other written information.
His salary would have mostly been covered by budgeted funds that became available the departure of longtime Century employee Joe Brown.
Council members deferred a vote to hire the new employee until they received a resume and additional information. They also questioned when the position was actually advertised.
Wednesday afternoon, Interim City Manager Vernon Prather said the man has withdrawn his application.
A similar position was advertised once on March 12 in the weekly Tri-City Ledger newspaper at a cost of $214.50, according to documents provided by the town. The application closing date was April 9. There was only the one applicant, Hawkins told the council.
The employment ad was not submitted to NorthEscambia.com for publication. NorthEscambia.com publishes public notices and employment ads at no cost to the Town of Century, and the council voted several years ago to submit all ads and public notices NorthEscambia.com in addition to any other publications.
Editor’s note: It should be noted that Hawkins named the individual during the meeting, as his application is public record. Since the individual has withdrawn his application and is employed elsewhere, NorthEscambia.com has chosen not to name him because we don’t know if he told his current employer he was seeking another position. We do not wish endanger the man’s current job. We did receive a copy of the resume.
Highland Baptist Set Aside Three Hours To Give Away Free Produce. It Was Gone In 45 Minutes.
June 4, 2020
Highland Baptist Church in Molino had set aside three hours to distribute free boxes of produce Wednesday afternoon. It only took about 45 minutes due to the overwhelming demand.
At a rate of over two boxes per minute, the church distributed 100 produce boxes in conjunction with the USDA and Gulf Coast Produce.
The boxes contained a variety of fresh produce, including apples, potatoes, lemons, oranges, onions and carrots.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
