Fog Possible Overnight, Low Around 65
October 14, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers before 8am. Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 74. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 49. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 73. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 73. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Reginald Kenneth Lockridge
October 14, 2021
Reginald Kenneth Lockridge, departed this world on October 12,2021 after a long illness. He was born February 26,I930 to the late Marcus and Edith Lockridge of Croghan, New York.
Over his 91 years he became a soldier, a husband and a father to five children. ln his spare time he was a Boy Scout Leader, a volunteer fire fighter, a volunteer with the Escambia County Sheriff Dept. and a 4th degree Knight with the Knight’s of Columbus. He worked for St. Regis Paper Company (later to become Champion Paper Co.) for thirty-three years and then as a Security Guard for Harvester’s Federal Credit Union for over ten years.
Reginald was preceded in death by his son, Kim Michael and his wife Naureen of 67 years.
He is survived by four children, Cheryl Pilling, Mark Lockridge, Regina Ratliff (Kenny) and Craig Lockridge (Jenny); ten grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.
Funeral Mass will be held at 11AM on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church with Father George Thekku officiating. Burial will follow in Spruell Cemetery. The family will recieve friends at 10AM prior to services.
Local COVID-19 Hospitalizations Fall To Lowest Level Since July
October 14, 2021
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Escambia County have fallen to their lowest level since July 22.
On September 22, there were 158 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist and West Florida hospitals. That compares to 127 two weeks ago and 284 one month ago.
The numbers in the graph indicate daily hospitalizations in Escambia County and are provided daily by Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital. The daily numbers are not cumulative.
Data sources: Escambia County, City of Pensacola, Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist and West Florida hospitals. Graphics: City of Pensacola.
Reminder: District 5 Cottage Hill Neighborhood Cleanup Day Is Friday
October 14, 2021
Residents of Cottage Hill will have the opportunity to dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge Friday, October 15 during a District 5 Neighborhood Cleanup.
During neighborhood cleanups, Escambia County departments team up to bring services to residents in an effort to keep local neighborhoods clean and safe. Participating is easy: Residents in the cleanup area simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies.
All debris must be at the curb directly in front of residences in the area by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. Tires and paint cans should be separate from all other debris. Debris piles should not be placed under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes. All items, including containers, will be collected.
Only residents in the designated cleanup area are able to participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. The collection area is east of Highway 95A, between the side streets north of McKenzie Road to Eden Road and to the east of Williams Ditch Road (see map above).
Items eligible for removal include:
- Household appliances and electronics
- Household junk and debris
- Bicycles and toys
- Old furniture and mattresses
- Barbecue grills
- Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
- Tires (limit 10 per household)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
- Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
- Explosives or ammunition
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Vehicles or vessels
- 55-gallon drums of fluids
The neighborhood cleanup initiative involves an aggressive cleanup effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members and volunteers picking up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture and household items.
Since 2016, more than 3,577 tons (7,154,000 pounds) of debris were collected and disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
The county’s neighborhood cleanup program is hosted by the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program. Local partners include Escambia County Waste Services, Environmental Code Enforcement, Public Works, Animal Services and Road Prison, along with the City of Pensacola Sanitation Department and Keep Pensacola Beautiful. During the cleanups, county staff handle issues such as roaming dogs and cats, unsafe structures, tree trimming, right of way mowing, street sweeping, household hazardous waste recycling and more.
SUV Lands Up In Trees In Highway 29 Wreck
October 13, 2021
A SUV landed literally up in the trees in a crash late Tuesday afternoon just south of Century.
The driver of the SUV was towing a U-Haul trailer on North Century Boulevard near Crary Road when lost control. The vehicle left the roadway and crashed into wood line. One tree was downed under the Honda Pilot. The SUV stopped with its bumper several feet off the ground with only one tire on the ground.
The adult male driver was not injured in the crash. He was able to crawl up and out of the wreckage and was assisted by firefighters as he climbed down a ladder.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The Century and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos. click to enlarge.
Escambia Doctor, Two Family Members Charged With Running ‘Pill Mill’ From Medical Clinic
October 13, 2021
An Escambia County doctor, along with his wife and son, have been arrested for allegedly operating a pill mill, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Dr. William Wilson, 68, and Beverly Wilson, 66, were arrested Tuesday in Norfolk, Virginia, and James Wilson, 48, was arrested in Pensacola.
The investigation began in 2019, based on pharmacist and citizen complaints that Dr. Wilson and the Wilson Family Medical Center on University Parkway was operating as an unlicensed pain management clinic for financial gain and negligently prescribing dangerous narcotic combinations.
On September 11, 2019, agents executed the first of two search warrants and seized significant evidence. Dr. William Wilson also relinquished his DEA registration that allowed him to prescribe controlled substances. The investigation continued and evidence was analyzed. The analysis included file reviews by a certified expert physician with an expertise in interventional pain management, who found that all of the charts he reviewed revealed patients were prescribed controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose.
The investigation found that the Wilson Family Medical Center double-billed clients for cash and insurance, without clinical notes or exams, and clients routinely received controlled substance prescriptions without seeing Dr. Wilson.
Agents provided the expert physician the chart of an 18-year-old male who visited the clinic at least 10 times, receiving controlled substances each visit. There were no notes in his chart indicating the reason for the prescriptions. On April 26, 2018, he received a prescription for oxycodone and was found dead on April 27. The Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as oxycodone toxicity.
The investigation found that the Wilson Family Medical Center fraudulently billed Blue Cross Blue Shield for a total of $1,862,000 and received $500,000.
“As in all professions, the majority of physicians do the right thing,” said Chris Williams, FDLE Pensacola special agent in charge. “From time to time, a physician does not live out the Hippocratic Oath and FDLE appreciates the help of our law enforcement partners and members of our community in working together to stop them from hurting our citizens, and hold them accountable.”
William Wilson, Beverly Wilson and James Wilson were each charged with conspiracy to traffic in oxycodone (100 grams/30 kilograms), unlawful use of a two-way communications device, culpable negligence inflicting actual injury and scheme to defraud. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming, according to FDLE.
James Wilson was booked into the Escambia County Jail Tuesday on $136,000 bond. William and Beverly Wilson are being held pending extradition at the Norfolk (Virginia) City Jail. The Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit, will prosecute the case.
FDLE agents, with the assistance of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Norfolk (Virginia) Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the arrests.
Warm And Dry Now; Cooler For The Weekend
October 13, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. North wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 78.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Investigation Underway After Body Found On Road
October 13, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a man whose body was found on Tuesday as a homicide.
The body of a black male believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s was found on Rambler Drive in the Marcus Pointe area.
Sheriff Chip Simmons said it appears someone shot the man, but so far there are no suspects. He said the body may have been there overnight.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Charter Review Committee Wants To Make Century Mayor A Council Member
October 13, 2021
The Century Charter Review Committee wants to make the elected mayor a member of the town council and delegate most authority for running the municipality to a hired town manager.
The committee voted in July that a charter rewrite would form a town manager-council form of government, making the elected mayor a weak position, perhaps mostly a figurehead. With a show of hands Tuesday afternoon, the committee decided 4-2 that the mayor will serve as a council member and chair of the council. As such, the mayor would not be allowed to discuss town business with other council members away from public meetings under Florida’s Sunshine Law. Contact with council members would be the responsibility of the town manager.
The committee decided to remove an outdated mayoral spending limit from the charter, which currently stands at $500 for emergencies or $200 otherwise.
If the charter review committee completes a rewrite, the changes would go the town council to decide if the recommendation will go on the ballot for a citizen vote.
Tate High School Names Students Of The Month
October 13, 2021
Tate High School recently named their Students of the Month for August. They are Hailey Hartjen and Zavion Simmons. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.