COVID-19 Cases In Escambia Schools: FDOH, School District Report Very Different Numbers
October 22, 2020
An Escambia County School District report shows over three times as many COVID-19 positive students, teachers and staff members than indicated by a report from the Florida Department of Health.
For the weekly period ending October 17, the Florida Department reported five COVID-19 positive cases at schools in the Escambia County School District.
According to the state report, there was one positive COVID-19 student at Bellview Middle School and one teacher each at Oakcrest Elementary and Washington High School. An “unknown” role COVID-19 case was reported at both West Florida High School and Cordova Park Elementary.
But according to an Escambia County School District reported obtained by NorthEscambia.com, there were 17 positive cases in the Escambia County School District on Friday, October 16. There were 11 positive students and six positive staff members, the report states. The district report says the 17 had a positive COVID-19 test confirmed by the Florida Department of Health or other lab test result.
The ECSD report does not specify which schools had the positive cases.
The school district also reported 301 students were excluded from school on October 16. Those are students identified by contract tracing as having potential contact with a known case, whether it be at school, among family or in the community. There were 23 staff member excluded from work for the same reason.
The FDOH report also shows one positive student the week ending October 17 at Aletheia Christian School in Escambia County, which is not a public school in the Escambia County School District.
Escambia Voters Receive Threatening Emails; Federals Officials Say The Emails Are Spoofed
October 22, 2020
Several Escambia County voters have received a threatening email, according to the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office.
“We are aware of an email threatening Florida voters, including some in Escambia County. We have been working with federal, state and local law enforcement on the matter. Voter intimidation is both a federal and state crime,” the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections said on Twitter.
“You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you,” stated the threatening emails that have been received be registered Democrats across Florida and Alaska. “Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply. We will know which candidate you voted for. I would take this seriously if I were you.”
The email falsely appeared to come from a now defunct website affiliated with the far-right Proud Boys. The emails address the recipient by name and conclude with the voter’s postal mail address — all information that in Florida is public record and freely available.
Wednesday night, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said Iran and Russia are working to influence the 2020 elections and have obtained voter registration information.
“This data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will cause confusion, sow chaos, and undermine your confidence in American democracy,” he said. ”To that end, we have already seen Iran sending spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage President Trump. You may have seen some reporting on this in the last 24 hours or you may have even been one of the recipients of those emails.”
Any voter that receives threatening emails can contact local law enforcement and forward the email to SOE@EscambiaVotes.com.
The Century Council Voted In February To Replace Bridge Near Collapse. Nothing Has Been Done.
October 22, 2020
A Century town council member is questioning the repair status of a local bridge that was closed over eight months ago after it was discovered to be near the point of collapse.
On January 29, the town suddenly closed the bridge on Freedom Road, just east of Jefferson Avenue. Photos obtained by NorthEscambia.com a few days later showed the dangerous conditions that led to the emergency closure.
Several pilings under the wooden bridge were no longer properly supporting the structure, and some of the pilings were split or have extreme deterioration.
At this week’s town council meeting, council member James Smith questioned why nothing has been done to repair the bridge. The closure has turned Freedom Road into a cul-de-sac with one way in and one way out for residents, including the Camellia Gardens apartment complex.
Interim City Manager Vernon Prather said the town had received no complaints from area residents.
In early February, the Century Town Council voted to move forward with replacing the bridge. Town staff was to determine how to pay the estimated $300,000 price tag. The council voted for the replacement over an estimated $75,000 to $100,000 for repairs that might last a decade, according to Interim City Manager Vernon Prather.
A final determination of a funding option was to come at un upcoming meeting. As of October, that never happened.
In January Mott McDonald engineers conducted a limited inspection of the bridge and found the following problems:
- A backwall has deflected toward the water, pushing piles toward the water and causing them to rotate, split and no longer bear weight.
- One bridge piling has a split at the top of the pile, but it is providing some support.
- A second pile has been pushed completely out and no longer supports the bridge.
- A third pile has split, and only half the pile is providing support.
- A fourth pile has deterioration with only a three-inch diameter section remaining about six feet below the bridge. The outer pile section has broken.
- There is soil loss behind a backwall.
- There is a large void underneath the roadway on the east side the bridge
“We cannot predict when the…backwall lateral loads will complete fail…causing the bridge the collapse,” engineer Bart Hendricks wrote in his report. “We also cannot predict when the roadway over the void on the southeast corner will collapse”
The age of the bridge was not provided to the engineer, but he determined the timber pilings may be at or beyond the typical life of 30 years. “A better long-term financial decision may be to replace this structure rather than perform repairs,” Hendricks wrote.
Mott McDonald engineers also recommended that the town perform bridge inspections for all bridges that are not inspected by the Florida Department of Transportation. Those inspections are required every two years for longer bridges by the Federal Highway Administration. The town has not moved forward with the inspections.
Photos/graphics for and by NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia CARES Mortgage/Rent And Business Grants: Here’s Who Received Checks So Far
October 22, 2020
Escambia County has made check registers available online for the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance Grant Program and the Escambia CARES Business Assistance Grant Program.
The Escambia CARES Business Assistance Grants are currently being distributed, with most recipients receiving the $7,500 amount. More than 490 applications were received and are in the process of being reviewed with those approved for funding being notified via email. Applications will be funded with the $2.8 million that is allocated for this grant program. The check register is available here.
The Escambia CARES Family Assistance Program received more than 9,000 applications, and county workers are racing to approve applicants for this grant. This check register is expected to go live next week when the first check run is completed. Approved applicants will be notified by Friday, Nov. 6. Checks in the amount of $3,000 will be sent following the email notification of approval. In all, the county has allocated $16.5 million to its residents in this grant program. The check register is available here.
“We are working as quickly as possible to vet the grant applications and disperse funds to those in need due to COVID-19,” said Clara Long, director of Neighborhood and Human Services. “I’d like to kindly ask the public to refrain from emailing or calling to check on the status of their application so we can focus on processing applications. Applicants should keep a close eye on their email that was supplied on the application. Applications that were completed correctly and met the criteria are being processed first, and then we will reach out to those who may need further assistance. We thank you for your patience.”
Florida Housing funded the Escambia CARES Rent and Mortgage Assistance, with the application requirements supplied by the state. Currently, 79 applicants have been approved with more than $220,000 allocated to grant recipients. Grants to bring applicants out of the arrears on rent, mortgage or utilities have been issued in the amount as low as $34.52 to as high as $7,500. In total, the state allocated $813,451 to this grant program.
The Escambia CARES Grant Programs are part of a larger federal economic recovery program, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities Act. Escambia County is expected to receive up to $58.2 million in funds to aid the citizens of the county affected by COVID-19 and programs to help the county navigate the challenges of the pandemic.
Sunshine Today, Showers And Storms For Friday
October 22, 2020
A burn ban remains in effect for Escambia County.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 83. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
47 New COVID-19 Cases, No New Deaths Reported In Escambia, Santa Rosa
October 22, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST UPDATE.
There were 47 new positive COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths reported Wednesday in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 13,060 (+30)
Non-Florida residents: 1,286
Total deaths: 269
Long-term care facility deaths : 125
Current hospitalizations: 47 (+5)
Number of tests last day: 653
Percent positive last day: 4.3%
Percent positive last week: 4.5%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 9,526 (+16)
Cantonment: 962 (+2)
Century: 935
—-including 773 Century prison inmates
Molino: 153 (+1)
McDavid: 74 (-1 data adjustment)
Bellview: 19
Walnut Hill: 18
Perdido Key: 9
Gonzalez: 7
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 5,756 (+17)
Non-Florida residents: 63
Total deaths: 86
Long-term care facility deaths: 19
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 347*
Number of tests last day: 163
Percent positive last day: 9.0%
Santa County cases by location:
Milton: 2,947 (+11)
Gulf Breeze: 827 (+2)
Navarre: 748 (+1)
Pace: 484
Jay: 159
Bagdad: 12
Florida cases:
Total cases: 762,534
Florida residents: 752,845
Deaths: 16,210
Hospitalizations: 47,628*
*“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.
They Know A Really Good Steak When They See One. The Escambia 4-H Meat Judging Team Just Placed Second Nationally.
October 22, 2020
They know a really good steak when they see one. And they have the award to prove it.
The Escambia County 4-H Meat Judging Team placed second in the nation this week.
The state champion team took second overall at t the National 4-H Meat Judging Contest at Kansas State University. Team members are Jessica Conti, Hannah Thorne and Ethan Thorne.
Conti also place first as the high point individua in the nation.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
David R. Sharp
October 22, 2020
David R. Sharp, 79, of Cantonment, Florida passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2020. David was born on October 31, 1940, in Oxford, England to parents, Dennis and Daisy (Gardner) Sharp.
He is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Vicki Sharp; children, Kathy Sharp Donohue of Dallas, GA, David D. Sharp of Santa Clara, CA and Christine (Wilson) Nieves of Boyton Beach, FL; grandchildren, Jeff Donohue, Kelly Donohue, Kristen Donohue, Bianca Nieves and Enzo Nieves.
David was an avid guitar player, car enthusiast, member of the Masonic Lodge and was an animal lover. He worked for Standadyne, Sundstrand and consulted for PPM. He was also a very spiritual man and played his guitar at many church services.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in David’s name to Hotel for Dogs and Cats, 4110 Creighton Road, Pensacola FL 32504 (h4dc.org).
A memorial service will be announced and held at a later date.
Escambia County Spraying For Mosquitoes Tonight In District 1, 3 And 5
October 21, 2020
Escambia County plans to spray for mosquitoes Wednesday evening in Districts 1, 4 and 5.
The spray areas will generally be in the following areas between 6-9:30 p.m.
- Quintette Road north to North Barth Road east of Highway 29
- Mobile Highway and West Nine Mile road north to I-10 an east to Beulah Road
- East Johnson Avenue north of East Nine Road east of University Parkway
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Ascend Cares: Making A Difference In Local People’s Lives And Local Communities
October 21, 2020
“When we ask……..Ascend Cares! When we don’t ask…..Ascend Cares!”
That’s how Escambia Westgate School Principal Jobenna Sellers describes the Ascend Cares Foundation.
Ascend Cares has played an integral role in supporting Escambia Westgate, along with other schools and community causes in Escambia County.
“Ascend’s involvement on our school’s SAC (school advisory council) is only one example of how this wonderful company has invested time, as well as, other resources to improve services to students with the most significant disabilities in our area,’ Sellers said. “Ascend is a part of the decision making as a community stakeholder and is truly a part of our Westgate Wildcat family.”
The foundation recently donated approximately 250 gift bags to teachers at Escambia Westgate School, Jim Allen Elementary School, and Warrington Middle School. The bags contained candy and a gift card to help teachers purchase supplies for their classrooms.
“The project was part of our Ascend Cares Global Day of Caring, when volunteers from Ascend sites around the world work together on a single day to make a positive difference in our communities,” Tony Ferguson, senior communications specialist for Ascend Performance Materials. “Due to the pandemic and Hurricane Sally, our Pensacola Day of Caring projects have been delayed and scattered around the calendar a bit, but we are thankful to still contribute.”
Other recent projects included the donations of 150 pairs of athletic shoes to students at Jim Allen and Warrington Middle and delivering 200 bags of supplies to local homeless shelters. The bags contained a blanket, socks, gloves and other personal supplies.
Ascend Cares volunteers also helped distribute 25,000 pounds of food at the Reimagine Cantonment community event on Saturday.
Ascend Cares was founded in 2011 after a tornado outbreak impacted Ascend’s team members and their families near their Decatur, Alabama, facility.
The Ascend Cares Foundation is about making a difference in the lives of others. It is led by Ascend employees and supports Ascend families in their time of need, provides inspiring opportunities for community engagement and facilitates community leadership. Funded entirely by donations and company match, every dollar donated to the non-profit foundation supports the work of the foundation.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Pictured top: Volunteers from Ascend Performance Materials and Ascend Cares pack supplies for the homeless. Pictured top inset: Ascend Cares donated about 250 gifts bags to schools including Jim Allen Elementary and Escambia Westgate. Pictured bottom inset and below: Ascend Cares volunteers help distribute food last Saturday at Reimagine Cantonment. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
