Recycling Is Back Beginning This Week
October 11, 2021
Recycling is back for beginning this week for Escambia County residents.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority’s recycling center is now in operation, and they are once again collecting recyclables from residential customers.
The MRF was damaged in a fire on July 15, requiring significant cleanup and repairs. During the downtime, ECUA collected residential recycling materials, but most everything was sent to the landfill.
Recycling is available to all ECUA customers in Escambia County and City of Pensacola Sanitation customers. The Town of Century does not offer recycling services.
The MRF has also reopened to the cities, counties, and commercial haulers who use the facility to process their recyclables.
Pictured: Fire and water damage at the ECUA recycling center following a July fire. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Beulah Middle Team Headed To BEST Robotics Competition
October 11, 2021
The Beulah Middle School Robotics Team will complete in the BEST Robotics Competition on October 23 in Dothan, Alabama.
The Beulah team has met five times a week for the last six weeks to prepare for this intense competition. Each year, BEST ( Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) comes up with a real-world problem for the students to solve using robots.
The competition’s theme this year is demolition, with the robotics teams tasked to create robots that will safely complete both demolition and cleanup. A solution would allow people to remain at a a safe distance from the demolition and not breathe harmful materials.
Teams like Beulah will compile an engineering notebook, prepare a marketing presentation, show their team exhibit, spirit and sportsmanship, and the robot performance. While preparing for each of these categories, the students learn how to apply science and technology, combat real-world engineering challenges, project management, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, marketing, technical writing and fundraising.
Silas Jackson and Campbell Ross have been on the Beulah Middle robotics team for three years.
“My future career choice is to be an aerospace engineer. Robotics can help me with the career I choose because it can help me develop better collaboration skills, communication skills, and robotics can help me get more experience with technology and brainstorming,” Jackson said.
“My future career is design engineering. This year’s game theme helps my future career because design engineers design the visual look of a robot. Designing the robot helps me know what I want the robot to look like and what parts should go where to have a functional robot,” Ross said. “They have to figure out the proportions for the robot so it isn’t very heavy on one side of the robot, and this year’s game helps me get used to altering proportions and figuring out what makes the robot the most effective. This competition is an opportunity to put my skills to the test and to improve those skills as well.”
Clear, Middle 60s Tonight
October 11, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
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: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
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 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Saturday Night: A 40 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.
District 5 Cottage Hill Neighborhood Cleanup Day Is Friday
October 11, 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.
Here Are This Week’s Road Construction Traffic Trouble Spots
October 11, 2021
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County
- Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) Replacement - Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures and lane shifts on the Pensacola Bay Bridge from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 10 through Saturday, Oct. 16. Crews will be using lanes on the current bridge as a platform to pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure.
- 17th Avenue Interchange construction – 17th Avenue southbound is closed at Gregory Street. Access to the Pensacola Visitor’s Center and the boat launch remains open from 17th Avenue.
- North Ninth Avenue (State Road (S.R.) 289) Carpenters Creek Bridge Replacement- All travel lanes are temporarily shifted to the northbound side of the bridge as crews replace the southbound portion of the structure. Additionally, drivers may encounter intermittent temporary lane closures between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11 through Friday, Oct. 15 to allow crews to mobilize materials and equipment.
- West Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) Pedestrian Safety Improvement – Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures between the following locations as crews perform median improvements and install poles for pedestrian traffic signals.
- H and N Streets
- P and Q Streets
- Y and Shoemaker Streets
- Kirk and R Streets (outside lane closure)
- Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Widening from Pine Forest Road (S.R. 297) to U.S. 29 – Drivers will encounter intermittent east and westbound traffic shifts between Pine Forest Road and U.S. 29 as crews place final asphalt and striping.
- Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Widening from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road (S.R. 297)– Drivers will encounter alternating and intermittent east and westbound lane closures and traffic shifts between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for paving operations and other construction activities.
- Sorrento Road (S.R. 292) Intersection Improvements at Innerarity Point (County Road (C.R.) 292A) – Motorists can expect daytime shoulder closures the week of Monday, Oct. 11 as crews place a watermain.
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) – Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures and shifts from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews perform paving operations.
- Barrancas Avenue (S.R. 292) Lane Restrictions for The Pensacola Half Marathon –The eastbound outside lane will be closed between Weis Lane and Garden Street from 6:30 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct 10 for The Pensacola Half Marathon.
Santa Rosa County
- Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures and lane shifts on the Pensacola Bay Bridge from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 10 through Saturday, Oct. 16. Crews will be using lanes on the current bridge as a platform to pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure. Additional work will include installation of pier lighting.
- I-10 Resurfacing East of S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard) to East of S.R. 87 – Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures on the Blackwater River Bridge from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 10 through Thursday, Oct. 14 as crews perform paving operations.
- Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281) over East Bay (Garcon Point Bridge) Routine Bridge Maintenance– Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 as crews perform a routine bridge inspection.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
File photo.
Crude Oil Price Spike Drags Florida Gas Prices To New 2021 Highs
October 11, 2021
Florida drivers are feeling even more pain at the pump this week, as the ripple effects from the pandemic continue to play out in the crude oil market. The price of crude surged last week, on concerns that what was already a tight global fuel market, could get even tighter this winter. And gas prices are being dragged along for the ride.
Florida gas prices surged 12 cents last week, rising from $3.05 to $3.17 per gallon. Sunday’s state average of $3.17 was the highest daily average since October 2014.
Escambia County’s average price at the pump was $3.12. The lowest price to be found Sunday night in North Escambia was $3.08 at stations on Highway 29 and on Muscogee Road in Cantonment. Pensacola’s lowest price was $2.99 at a Cervantes Street station, with the next lowest at $3.02 on Airport Boulevard.
ECSO Continues The Search For Three Suspects In Ladarius Clardy Murder
October 10, 2021
Two people remain behind bars in connection with the murder of football standout Ladarius Clardy, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is still looking for three more suspects.
Amos Dehontiguan Snowden Jr. and his brother Da’Quavion Snowden, Jr. are both charged with first degree principal to murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Both are in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Authorities are still searching for Kobie Lashun Jenkins, Jr. on charges including first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Timothy Knight Jr., 20, and Terrell Taquez Parker, 23, are wanted for principal first degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and one count of attempted murder.
Clardy, a former standout Pine Forest High School quarterback, was shot and found dead in a vehicle crash. His vehicle was found with over 50 bullet holes in a ravine at Hollywood Avenue and Fairfield Drive about 1 a.m. on July 1.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any suspect is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620, Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP, or 911.
Escambia Fire Rescue Talks Fire Safety With Kids In Century, Walnut Hill (With Gallery)
October 10, 2021
Firefighters from Walnut Hill and Century visited students at the Campfire Century Youth Learning Center and the Walnut Hill Christian School.
The students were able to learn about fire safety during Fire Prevention Week. The students had a look at Walnut Hill’s Engine 15 and Century’s Engine 5, learned about when and how to call for help during an emergency and what a firefighter looks like in full gear. They also learned what to do in the event of a fire and more from Escambia Fire Rescue.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Students Are Out Of School Monday, But Not Due To The Holiday
October 10, 2021
There will be no school Monday for students in Escambia County, Florida, but not due to the federal holiday.
That’s because Monday is a professional development and non-student day. Teachers and most other school employees will be working.
It’s not officially a day out of school because of the federal Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day holiday that also falls on Monday. The holiday is not not observed on the district calendar.
Sunshine, Middle 80s For Your Sunday
October 10, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 65. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Columbus Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.