Escambia Residents Can Apply For COVID-19 Death Funeral Assistance
October 13, 2021
Escambia County residents who require funeral assistance due to COVID-19 can apply for FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program. There is currently no deadline to apply.
To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet the following conditions:
- Must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses on or after Jan. 20, 2020.
- For deaths that occurred after May 16, 2020, the death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
- For deaths that occurred from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020, any death certificate that does not attribute the cause of death to COVID-19 must be accompanied by a signed statement listing COVID-19 as a cause or contributing cause of death.
- The signed statement must be provided by the original certifier of the death certificate or the local medical examiner or coroner from the jurisdiction in which the death occurred.
- The statement must provide an additional explanation, or causal pathway, linking the cause of death listed on the death certificate to COVID-19.
- If the death certificate was issued May 17, 2020 or later, the death certificate must attribute the death directly or indirectly to COVID-19.
- FEMA encourages you to keep the official death certificate that shows the death occurred in the United States, including District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.
To apply for COVID-19 Funeral Assistance, call the helpline at 844-684-6333. The helpline is available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Central time. Online applications are not accepted.
Escambia Schools Relax COVID-19 Restrictions; Volunteers, Visitors And Some Field Trips Return
October 12, 2021
The Escambia County School District has relaxed some of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions at local schools.
Effective Tuesday, on-campus visitors will be allowed, including volunteers, mentors and college recruiters. Field trips will also be allowed to resume on a limited basis with district-level approval.
Any precautionary protocols issued by the state will remain in place, and any large student gatherings on campus during the school day will remain limited.
The Escambia County School District reported 10 positive students and six positive staff members as of Monday. There were 92 more students in quarantine, along with two staff members.
Parole Denied For Murderer Found By NorthEscambia.com After He Returned To The Scene
October 12, 2021
Parole has been denied for a murderer spotted by NorthEscambia.com after he returned to the scene of the crime.
In 2010, Clarence Luker was sentenced to 20 years in prison under a plea agreement for the murder of Kenneth Porter, 32, in September 2009. His parole was recently denied by the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles.
Porter was shot after a dispute at a trailer park on Nathan Road in Nokomis, Ala. He died about two hours later at a Mobile hospital. Luker and co-defendant Lorraine Gray fled the scene in a late model 1980s two-tone Ford Econoline van. Law enforcement agencies from Alabama and Florida were on the lookout for the van.
When NorthEscambia.com arrived at the murder scene about to take photographs of the trailers where the incident occurred, all law enforcement personnel had been gone from the scene for a short period of time. After our photos were taken, NorthEscambia.com spotted the alleged getaway vehicle around the corner from the murder location, headed back toward the murder scene.
When deputies arrived back on Nathan Road about 10 minutes later, they found Gray in the van parked at the murder scene. Deputies said she exited the van with her hands up and said “I’m the one you are looking for”. Authorities later learned Gray had no prior knowledge of the crime. She pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and was sentenced to three years probation.
Tracking dogs from Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore and the Century Correctional Institution were called to the scene to search for Luker. As the dogs began their search of the area, Luker was taken into custody near the intersection of Nathan and James Roads. His clothes were splattered with blood. Luker also admitted to deputies that he was the shooter.
Luker, now 50-years old, is eligible for a parole hearing again in September 2026; otherwise he will be in prison until September 2029. He is currently being held at Fountain Correctional.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive file photos, click to enlarge.
FDC Announces $1,000 Hiring Bonus At Century And Santa Rosa Correctional Institutions
October 12, 2021
The Florida Department of Corrections has announced $1,000 hiring bonuses for Century Correctional Institution, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and other facilities across the state.
The $1,000 hiring bonus is for newly certified correctional officers.
No experience is necessary to apply, and all training is provided. During training and academy, noncertified officers receive a competitive starting salary and benefits, including health insurance, on day one of their new career in public safety.
Upon successful completion of the basic training academy, newly certified officers at qualifying institutions will receive the bonus. Additional benefits such as a biannual uniform allowance, state college tuition waivers and criminal justice incentive pay become available after certification.
To qualify, interested applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years of age (no maximum age restriction)
- Be a United States Citizen
- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Pass a drug test and physical examination
- Pass a background investigation and fingerprinting, which includes but is not limited to; no felony convictions; no misdemeanor involving perjury or false statement; no misdemeanor conviction of domestic violence.
- Must demonstrate good moral character as determined by a thorough background investigation.
For more information, visit FLDOCjobs.com
Escambia Firefighter Suffers Severe Medical Emergency During Training Exercise
October 12, 2021
An Escambia County firefighter suffered a serious medical emergency during a training exercise Monday afternoon.
The firefighter was taking part in a search training exercise at a former shopping center a the corner of Pace Boulevard and Fairfield Drive just after 3 p.m. Fellow firefighters immediately came to his aid, and he was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS.
Fog machines were used during the day’s training scenarios, but there was no live fire or smoke.
An Escambia Fire Rescue training exercise scheduled for Tuesday at the same location has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date.
Bonus Gallery: Tate Homecoming Parade, Alumni Cheerleaders
October 12, 2021
Tate High School celebrated Homecoming 2021 Friday night.
For a new bonus photo gallery from the parade and alumni cheerleaders, click or tap here.
For the homecoming queen, king and their courts, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Warm, Sunny And Dry Weather Continues
October 12, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 75.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 77.
Santa Rosa Breaks Ground On New K-8 School At Wallace Lake, Chumuckla Highway
October 12, 2021
The Santa Rosa County School District officially broke ground Monday for a new K-8 School in Pace.
The new school on Wallace Lake Road at Chumuckla Highway is expected be complete and open in late 2023. It is about six miles from the Escambia County line.
“We are delighted to begin construction on a new school in the Pace community serving students from kindergarten through eighth grade,” said Dr. Karen Barber, superintendent for Santa Rosa County District Schools. “This will be our second K-8 and its modern layout and thoughtful design will provide new opportunities and innovative strategies to our children.”
“Currently the schools in Pace, which include S.S. Dixon Primary, S. S. Dixon Intermediate and Sims Middle, are at or above capacity,” said Joey Harrell, assistant superintendent for administrative services. “The Wallace Lake K-8 is in the ideal location to help alleviate this issue as well as accommodate future growth.”
- Located on a 33-acre site, the two-story school will include 25 primary classrooms, 20 intermediate classrooms and a covered physical education building.
- At capacity, the school will serve 1182 students.
- Construction costs of approximately $39.4 million are funded by about $26.4 million in local option sales tax revenue, $15 million om certificates of participation funding and $450,000 from millage (property tax).
Photos/image for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Shed, Spreads To Nearby Home: Cat Found Hours Later
October 11, 2021
Fire destroyed a small storage shed and spread to a nearby home Monday afternoon south of Century.
Arriving firefighters found the shed had burned to the ground and the blaze had spread to the back of the wood frame residence. Firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire in the home in the 100 block of Whirlpool Road, just east of Highway 29.
There was reportedly no one at home at the time of the 1:15 p.m. fire, and there were no injuries. We are told a family cat missing after the fire was found hiding inside about 6:30 p.m.
The Century, McDavid and Walnut Hill stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to the fire, along with the Flomaton Fire Department. There was no word on the cause of the fire.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Danielle Bell Has Been Missing From North Escambia For 20 Years
October 11, 2021
A Tate High School student has now been missing for over 20 years.
Danielle Arion Bell was last seen at age 14 at a September 2001 party the 500 block of Cedar Tree Lane, between Highway 29 and Highway 95A in Cantonment.
Witnesses told authorities that Bell left a party with a man that was in his mid-20s at the time. Escambia County deputies later questioned that man and searched his home, but he was never charged in connection with the case.
During the summer of 2007, Alfredo Gomez Sanchez, Jr. was charged with providing law enforcement with false information about his whereabouts at the time Bell disappeared. He was not implicated in her disappearance.
In October 2010, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit served a search warrant at the home.
As part of that search warrant, a septic tank behind the residence was pumped out, and dogs from Escambia County Search and Rescue were also used to search the area. Investigators said nothing was found, and they would not say what new information might have led to the search.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Danielle has a scar on her right forearm and blue eyes. She had brown hair at the time of her disappearance. Danielle, whose nickname was “Dani”, was a member of the Tate Aggies cheerleading squad. The popular teen enjoyed dancing and drawing.
Anyone with information about Bell is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (850) 436-9580 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured first below: Investigators pumped and searched a septic tank at this home on Cedar Tree Lane in Cantonment in October 2010 in the case of missing teen Danielle Arion Bell. Pictured below: A search and rescue K-9 team was also on site. Pictured bottom: A septic tank company employee prepares to pump a septic tank at the home. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
