Clouds Sunday, Rain Chance Returns Monday Afternoon
January 24, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: Cloudy, with a high near 66. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 60. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. North wind around 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 65.
Escambia County Unemployment Rate Improves Slightly
January 24, 2021
The unemployment rate in Escambia County decreased slightly in December, according to data released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The unemployment rate in Escambia County was 5.4% in December, down from 5.6% in November. That represents 7,823 people out of work out of a county workforce of 144,460. One year ago, Escambia County’s unemployment rate was just 2.8%, or 4,028 people.
Two major industries in the Escambia County area gained jobs over the year in December 2020: professional and business services (+500 jobs); and construction (+400 jobs). Th Escambia County area private-sector employment decreased by 4,600 jobs (-2.9 percent) over the year. The industry losing the most jobs in the area over the year was leisure and hospitality, decreasing by 3,500 jobs.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in December 2020, down 0.2 percentage point from the revised November 2020 rate, and up 3.2 percentage points from a year ago. There were 614,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,143,000.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in December.
Four More COVID-19 Deaths, 288 New Cases Reported In Escambia County
January 24, 2021
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
There were four more COVID-19 deaths and 288 new cases reported Saturday in Escambia County by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 29,045 (+288)
Non-Florida residents: 3,050
Recovered: 22,986*
Total deaths: 487 (+4)
Long-term care facility deaths : 208 (+3)
Current hospitalizations: 233 (-19)
Number of tests reported last day: 1,880
Percent positive reported last day: 12.7%
Percent positive reported last week: 17.4%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 21,503 (+127)
Cantonment: 2,613 (+19)
Century: 1,109 (+6)
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 381 (+9)
McDavid: 175
Bellview: 48
Walnut Hill: 47
Perdido Key: 20
Gonzalez: 11
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 14,611 (+190)
Non-Florida residents: 184
Total deaths: 195
Long-term care facility deaths: 59
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 665*
Number of tests reported last day: 663
Percent positive reported last day: 21.7%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 7.051 (+88)
Navarre: 2,930 (+37)
Gulf Breeze: 2,713 (+43)
Pace: 1,170 (+22)
Jay: 447 (+5)
Bagdad: 31 (+1)
Florida cases:
Total cases: 1,639,914
Florida residents: 1,609,953
Deaths: 25,164
Hospitalizations: 70,002*
*“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.
**On cases by location, the city is based upon zip code and is not always received as part of the initial notification. There may be a delay in reporting locations, and locations will not total the daily case increase as a result.
***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 is reporting an approximate recovery number defined as the total cases prior to last month, minus deaths. In other words, anyone that tested positive more than a month ago is presumed to have recovered by Escambia County.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Howard Wayne (Trace) Penton III
January 24, 2021
Howard Wayne (Trace) Penton III was unexpectedly called home to be with his Heavenly Father on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.
Trace was born in Pensacola, Florida on August 18, 1997 to Howard Wayne Penton, Jr. and Rebecca Elizabeth (Rush) Penton.
Trace was a bright light who added so much joy to the lives of his family, friends and teammates. He graduated from J. M. Tate High School in 2016 and from the University of West Florida in 2019. He recently excelled on the Medical College Admissions Test and was looking forward to pursuing his dream of becoming a doctor.
While at Tate High School, Trace served as President of the Student Body and lettered in football and baseball. He also played two years of baseball for the UWF Argos.
Trace was a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church and was a gentle soul who touched the lives of everybody he encountered. He loved the beach and spending the 4th of July with all his family on Lake Keowee in South Carolina. He was passionate about going to the gym, Marvel Comics, Star Wars, Disney World, fishing, sports of ALL kinds, going to brunch and hanging out with his family and friends. He always strove for perfection and there was not much that he could not do and do well.
Trace was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Howard Wayne Penton and Thornwell Frank Rush. He is survived by his parents Howard and Rebecca, his brother Jackson Rush Penton, his grandmothers, Elaine Connell Penton and Ann Warren Rush, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins who love him dearly.
Visitation will be held at Faith Chapel North on Tuesday, January 26 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 2:30 pm at Hillcrest Baptist Church on Nine Mile Road, with burial following at Bayview Cemetery on Scenic Highway.
Active pallbearers will be Trace’s brother Jackson, his cousins David Jayce Boyd, Matthew Warren Rush, Robert Kemp Wilson IV and friends Benjamin Michael Fulton and Sawyer Bailey Smith. Honorary pallbearers will be his many teammates and friends.
The family greatly appreciates the overwhelming support and generosity they have received from so many in the community over the past few days. We know our loss is being shared by countless others who loved Trace and even some who never had the opportunity to know this extraordinary young man. Trace loved animals, and in lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to the Pensacola Humane Society.
Gulf Power Plant Crist Gets New Name With Conversion To Natural Gas
January 23, 2021
Gulf Power’s Plant Crist, which was recently converted from coal to natural gas, has been renamed Gulf Clean Energy Center.
“Plant Crist has been a powerful force in our region for 75 years, generating power that has supported our communities and sustained economic growth across the Panhandle,” said Marlene Santos, Gulf Power president. “We’re honored to be able to continue that legacy by modernizing the plant to be able to continue to serve Northwest Florida as Gulf Clean Energy Center, delivering greater reliability, lower operating costs and cleaner emissions as we meet the ever-increasing energy needs of our customers well into the future.”
Gulf Power constructed a 39-mile long natural gas pipeline through North Escambia from Century to the plant.
Converting the coal-burning units to run on natural gas is a major piece of the modernization underway at the plant, along with the addition of four new, highly efficient combustion turbines to provide greater reliability and efficiency for the energy grid. By eliminating the use of coal, Gulf Clean Energy Center carbon emission rates will be reduced by 40% — the equivalent to taking an estimated 297,000 cars off the road annually — and reduce operating costs for customers, according to Gulf Power.
North Escambia plays a key role in Gulf Power’s plans to rely more on solar energy with two solar farms on about 1,200 acres in McDavid, as first reported by NorthEscambia.com.
Construction will begin in the spring on the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center in the area of Bogia Road. At 74.2 megawatts, Cotton Creek will generate enough electricity to power 15,000 homes annually, according to Gulf Power.
Gulf Power is now seeking the necessary permits for the First City Solar Energy Center in the area of Cox and Roach Roads. It will be 74.5 megawatts, also enough to power another 15,000 homes annually.
“As part of FPL, the largest generator of solar in Florida and one of the largest in the nation, we are continuing the company’s clean energy legacy by transforming the way that we generate power for Northwest Florida,” Santos said.
Tate Softball’s Madison Holland Signs With Coastal Alabama North
January 23, 2021
Tate High School Softball senior Madison Holland of Molino signed Friday to play with Coastal Alabama North in Monroeville. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Long Detour: Quintette Road Railroad Crossing Closed Next Week, South Chipper Road Too
January 23, 2021
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE: We’ve been told this will not happen Monday, but no further information has been provided to Escambia County by CSX.
Railroad crossings on Quintette and South Chipper roads will be closed for several days next week.
So far, Escambia County officials have not been told by CSX exactly which days the crossings will be closed during the week of January 25. NorthEscambia.com will let you know the details as soon as CSX passes along the information.
The South Chipper Road closure will impact just a few residents, but the Quintette Road closure will impact a large number of people in both Escambia and Santa Road counties. The closest detour route is using Highway 90 across the Escambia River, about 30 miles from one side of the crossing to the other. Detouring across the river on the Highway 4 bridge through Century is some 60 miles.
CSX is conducting a crosstie replacement, and each crossing will be closed from two to three days.
During the week of February 1, the railroad crossings on Pauline Drive and Chemstrand Road will be closed, along with three private crossings.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Facing 19 Child Porn Charges After FDLE K-9 Sniffs Out Hidden Laptop
January 23, 2021
An Escambia County man is facing 19 child pornography counts after a Florida Department of Law Enforcement K-9 sniffed out a laptop hidden in an attic.
Jason Paul Cherry, 45, is behind bars after a three month investigation after Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered child pornography on his computer and a past relationship with an underaged victim. The investigation began in November of 2020 and involved involved the assistance of Homeland Security, FBI and FDLE.
On Friday, a search warrant was executed at Cherry’s home. Investigators said Cherry was in possession of digital files that included child sexual abuse material. Other evidence found in the home revealed he was engaging in sexual activity with a female victim, which began when the victim was 14-years old.
FDLE Special Agent Stephanie Cassidy, and her K-9 Maple, located a laptop in the bedroom attic, concealed under insulation. More charges are expected to come after the completion of a forensic examination of the electronic devices.
ECSO’s lead investigator, Jeremy Horn, arrested Cherry on 19 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Cherry was booked into the Escambia County Jail where he was given no bond.
“This is a disturbing and disgusting act that we cannot, and will not tolerate in our community. I’m proud of the investigative work and time that went into this case, subsequently landing this suspect in the Escambia County Jail,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said.
Partly Sunny Saturday, Rain Returns Monday
January 23, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
This Afternoon: Partly sunny, with a high near 63. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Cloudy, with a high near 66. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 60. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Monday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. West wind around 5 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast after midnight.
Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Florida COVID-19 Vaccines Limited To State Residents Only
January 23, 2021
Florida has issued new guidelines that limits COVID-19 vaccines to only permanent and seasonal residents.
Cutting off out of state residents is meant to curb “vaccine tourism” — people over 65 flying into Florida for vaccine and then flying out.
But it will also prevent, for instance, Flomaton or Atmore residents from cross the state line to get a vaccine in, say, Century.
On Thursday, Community Health Northwest Florida had an allocation of 200 vaccines available at their Century location. During a Century Town Council meeting Monday night, Community Health representatives said the Century clinic, which occurred before the new state order, was open to residents of Escambia counties in both Florida and Alabama.
Out of state residents that have already received their first shot in Florida will be eligible for their second shot in the Sunshine State.
State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees signed a Public Health Advisory on Thursday prioritizing Florida residents for the vaccines.
“We’re only doing (shots) for Florida residents,” DeSantis said Tuesday in Cape Coral. “You’ve got to live here either full-time or at least part-time.”
The order requires proof of residency or proof of being a health care provider directly involved with patients. Residents much be 65 or older to receive the vaccine, and must spend at 31 days a year in Florida and maintain a permanent residence in the state.
“We want to put seniors first, but we obviously want to put people that live here first in line,” DeSantis said during a news conference. ”And that can include people that live here half the year. But it’s not for people that are just visiting.”