Early Morning Fire Destroys Large Barn In Molino
October 13, 2020
An early morning fire destroyed a large barn in Molino Tuesday.
The fire was reported about 4:40 a.m. in the 2100 block of Chance Road, just west of Highway 29. The approximately 40 by 40 foot barn was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene minutes later. It was a total loss.
It took about 10 minutes for Escambia Fire Rescue to mostly knock down the fire.
The blaze caused some of the vinyl siding to melt on a nearby home. There were no injuries reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
New Early Voting Site Will Open In Century For General Election. It’s One Of 10 Across Escambia County.
October 13, 2020
There will be a new early voting site in Century for the general election.
There will be a total of 10 early voting sites in Escambia County open from Monday, October 19 until Saturday, October 31, including the Century site at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse on North Century Boulevard.
“Molino was the farthest north location, but folks from the north end had inquired about a site in Century,” Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford said. “We looked at it and made the determination to add a site up there.”
He said the courthouse at 7500 North Century Boulevard was the best location in Century when compared to the other options of city hall and library, both of which have limited space.
The general election early voting locations in Escambia County will be:
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 N Century Blvd, Century
- Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino
- Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Mobile Hwy/Pine Forest Rd Early Voting Center, 6675 Pine Forest Rd, Suite 11
- UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, University Parkway
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 B, 9th Avenue
- Main Library, 239 Spring Street
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto Street
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
Each location will be open form 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., October 19-31.
Voters can also cast their ballot by mail or in person at their precinct on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Pictured: The Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Parents Can Now Switch Their Child’s Traditional Or Remote Learning Option
October 13, 2020
Parents have an opportunity to switch their child’s school option in Escambia County, such as returning to face-to-face traditional school from remote learning.
The current nine weeks grading period ends on October 27.
Parents interested in changing their student’s current instructional learning model from remote or virtual back to traditional model will receive information on how to make that enrollment change when contacted by their child’s school. Those calls are taking place now; there’s no need to make the switch in the parent portal.
Parents that plan to move their child back to traditional school are asked to finalize their selection by Tuesday, October 20.
If no change is being made to the student’s instructional learning model, no parent action is necessary.
If a parent wishes to switch their child from traditional face-to-face instruction to virtual or remove , they should contact their child’s school.
Escambia Considers $200 Stipend To Volunteer Firefighters For Hurricane Sally Service
October 13, 2020
The Escambia County Commission is set to approve an extra stipend payment for volunteer firefighters that worked during Hurricane Sally.
If approved, volunteer firefighters that worked during the declared state of emergency will receive an extra $200 each. Four employees that did not meet the required 72 hours in support of Hurricane Sally but did work 70 hours will also receive the $200 stipend.
The estimated total cost of the stipends is less than $6,000 for Hurricane Sally.
The BOCC will vote on stipend resolution to approve the payments at their next regular meeting on October 15.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
October 13, 2020
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the period ending August 20.
(Editor’s Note: FWC fell behind in issuing reports during the pandemic, and reports have remained delayed.)
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Cushing and Lieutenant B. Lambert were on vessel patrol in Bayou Chico when they observed a 37-foot vessel being operated without working navigational lights. They stopped the vessel for a safety inspection and the operator showed signs of impairment. Field sobriety tasks (SFST) were utilized and the operator was arrested for boating under the influence and transported and booked into the Escambia County Jail.
Senior Officer Specialist Clark and Officer Long were on vessel patrol on Escambia Bay when they were dispatched to a possible boating accident. Once on scene they observed two pontoons slowly operating away from the area of the accident. Officer Clark contacted the operator of the first pontoon, and it was determined there was no accident. The operator showed signs of impairment and standardized field sobriety tasks (SFST) were conducted. The operator was arrested for BUI and transported and booked into the Escambia County Jail.
Senior Officer Specialist Clark and Officer Long were on vessel patrol in Pensacola Bay when they were contacted by dispatch to assist Senior Officer Specialist Cushing with a vessel stop at the Navy Point boat ramp. Once on scene Officer Cushing observed the operator and passengers on the vessel were showing signs of impairment. Officer Cushing conducted standardized field sobriety tasks (SFST) on the operator and he was arrested for boating under the influence. A second impaired operator boarded the vessel and attempted to leave the area. The second operator was arrested for BUI and both were transported to the Escambia County Jail. Both operators were charged accordingly.
Senior Officer Specialist Clark was on foot patrol at Galvez Landing boat ramp when he observed a jet ski intermittently getting up on plane in a posted idle zone. Officer Clark gained the attention of the operator and motioned him to come to the dock. While conducting a safety inspection, Officer Clark observed the operator showing signs of impairment and Standardized Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) were utilized. The operator was arrested for boating under the influence and transported and booked into the Escambia County Jail.
Senior Officer Specialist Clark and Officer Specialist Petty were on water patrol on the ICW near Galvez Landing boat ramp when they observed a vessel violating the idle speed zone. They initiated a vessel stop and instructed the vessel to dock at the nearby boat ramp due to traffic and safety reasons. Officers Clark and Petty contacted the operator and four passengers on the dock. While conducting a safety inspection, Officer Clark observed the operator showing signs of impairment. Standardized Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) were utilized and the operator was arrested for boating under the influence and transported and booked into the Escambia County Jail.
Officer Cushing observed two fishermen returning to a vehicle near the PensacolaPass. Officer Cushing contacted the fishermen and conducted a resource inspection which found two redfish in the cooler. One of the subjects admitted to catching both fish. The appropriate action was taken for the violations. Officers Ramos and Bower were on vessel patrol near the Pensacola Pass and observed a boat kicking up a “rooster tail” as it departed the beach. A safety inspection was performed, and the operator showed multiple signs of impairment during the inspection. Standardized Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) were administered and the operator was arrested for Boating Under the Influence (BUI) and booked into the county
jail.
Officers Ramos and Bower were on patrol and observed a vessel violating an Idle speed zone at night. The operator failed to pay attention to directions and continuously adjusted steering and throttle controls on his boat even though the officers instructed him otherwise. During the safety inspection, the operator showed signs of impairment and was asked to complete Standardized Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST). The operator was arrested for BUI and booked into the county jail.
Officer Allgood and Lieutenant Lambert were on vessel patrol in the Ft. McRee area when they noticed a vessel that was leaving the area nearly collide with other vessels. The vessel was stopped for a safety inspection and the operator showed several signs of impairment. The operator agreed to complete Standard Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST), was arrested for boating under the influence and transported to the Escambia County Jail.
Officers in Escambia County created a detail focused on keeping the waterways safe by taking impaired operators off the water. Five individuals were arrested for boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Lugg observed a small stationary vessel within East Bay during unfavorable sea conditions. Officer Lugg observed the vessel molest a marked commercial blue crab trap line and travel to a marked and clearly posted commercial oyster lease and molest an oyster cage within the posted lease. After the vessel maneuvered out of sight, Officer Lugg attempted to locate the vessel and after canvassing several potential locations, a vehicle and trailer were located that matched the vessel. Officer Lugg contacted Officer Wilkenson to assist in the investigation. Information was received from multiple nearby sources that the individuals who launched from the boat ramp matched the suspects observed within the bay. Contact was made with the vessel upon its arrival and a marine fisheries inspection was performed. Twenty-one undersized red drum (19 over the bag limit, 13 over the allotted vessel limit, seven not whole condition), one undersized spotted seatrout (not whole condition), and one stone crab (whole body, out of season) was located. Both individuals were placed under arrest and transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail.
This report represents some events the FWC handled during the time period; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
County Court Judge Barry Dickson Sworn In
October 13, 2020
County Court Judge Barry Dickson was sworn in by First Judicial Circuit Chief Judge John L. Miller on Monday.
Dickson was appointed to the office by Governor Ron DeSantis on September 23.
Dickson, of Pensacola Beach, has been an assistant public defender for the First Judicial Circuit since 2004.
He currently serves as a reserve Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and his law degree from Florida State University. Dickson fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz to the Circuit Court bench.
Lower Humidity, Even Cooler By Week’s End
October 13, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 53. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 80. North wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 46. North wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 75.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 77.
Two More Deaths, 21 Additional COVID-19 Cases Reported Monday In Escambia, Santa Rosa
October 13, 2020
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
Two new deaths and 21 additional COVID-19 cases were reported in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties Monday by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 12,674 (+14)
Non-Florida residents: 1,200
Total deaths: 262 (+2)
Long-term care facility deaths : 123 (+1)
Current hospitalizations: 47 (+3)
Number of tests last day: 238
Percent positive last day: 4.0%
Percent positive last week: 2.5%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 9,243(+7)
Cantonment: 950 (+2)
Century: 934
—-including 773 Century prison inmates
Molino: 150
McDavid: 74
Walnut Hill: 18
Bellview: 16
Gonzalez: 7
Perdido Key: 8 (+1)
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 5,566 (+7)
Non-Florida residents: 54
Total deaths: 82
Long-term care facility deaths: 18
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 333*
Number of tests last day: 66
Percent positive last day: 9.6%
Santa County cases by location:
Milton: 2,889 (+4)
Gulf Breeze: 799 (+5)
Navarre: 698 (+5)
Pace: 468
Jay: 156
Bagdad: 12
Florida cases:
Total cases: 736,024
Florida residents: 726,934
Deaths: 15,412
Hospitalizations: 45,015*
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. Most of these people are longer be hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
*The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Virtual Meetings To Discuss OLF-8 Development This Week
October 12, 2020
The planning firm for OLF-8 will hold a series of online community meetings Tuesday through Thursday to gather input and ideas on the future development of OLF-8.
The series of meetings, called a “charrette,” allows citizens and stakeholders to participate directly in the planning and design process.
“At the beginning of the charrette, we will present the research and analysis of the site, as well as a few different scenarios for the development of the OLF-8 site. For the next 10 days, we will be asking the citizens to share their feedback, suggestions, and ideas with us as we refine those scenarios,” Marina Khoury of DPZ said. “This allows the community to see their input and feedback implemented and incorporated into the plan, almost in real-time.”
For those who would like to participate in the charrette process, there will be 10 different events that you will be able to check into virtually from Tuesday, October 13 through Thursday, October 15. View a full list of the online public workshops here.
Mosquito Spraying Tonight Parts Of Molino, Barrineau Park and Pensacola Near I-10
October 12, 2020
Escambia County Mosquito Control plans to spray tonight in portions of Molino and Pensacola just north of I-10.
The areas are generally:
- Highway 196 north to Sunshine Hill Road, between Highway 99 and Highway 29 and Highway 97.
- I-10 north to Olive Road between North Davis and North 9th.
Mission hours vary, but typically occur in the evening hours from 6-9:30 p.m.
When possible, pre-application and post-application surveillance is performed to ensure fogging is warranted. Methods used to determine need include dry ice-baited light traps, landing rate counts and service requests received from the public.
To make a request for service or an area to be listed as a no spray area, please call 850-937-2188, submit an online request here or send an email to mosquitocontrol@myescambia.com.
