Century Approves $40,000 For New Christmas Decorations In Late Vote
September 21, 2023
Late Tuesday evening, town of Century approved buying up to $40,000 in Christmas decorations before the end of the month.
The approval came about 9:40 p.m. during the public forum of a meeting that started at 7 p.m. Most of the public had left the meeting by that time, and the item was not on the agenda for consideration.
Superintendent Kevin Merchant asked the council for direction on ordering 48 lighted Christmas decorations for 48 utility poles along North Century Boulevard.
“If you want to spend say $10,000 by the end of the month on Christmas lights, Kevin can do it,” Town Clerk Leslie Howington said. “We have like $300,000 to spend by September 30.” She was referring to American Rescue Plan funds the town has that will otherwise roll over to the next fiscal year on October 1.
“I just don’t want to hang the same crap on the poles this year,” Merchant said. “We get talked about bad out there when we are hanging this stuff up.”
“Right, right, I’m with you,” Town Council President Dynette Lewis replied.
It was suggested that decoration designs be taken to each council member’s home to poll them on their favorites.
Later, interim Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. said, “We can get it to their houses, everybody knows where they live”.
“We can’t get them to make a decision in the shade,” Howington interjected, referring to Sunshine Law requirements that the council make decisions in an open meeting. “We need you to empower somebody to make a decision.”
“Why can’t we say that we trust staff to choose some really nice decorations?”, council member Alicia Johnson asked.
“Listen, we’ve reached out to a thousand people,” Howington responded when asked about the town’s required bid process. When asked for the 1,000 bid requests, Howington replied, “I may need to amend my statement.”
On a motion by Johnson, the council voted 5-0 to spend up to $40,000 on decorations.
The town’s current 24-inch wreath pole decorations were purchased in 2012 for $15,047 along with bows from a local business for $3,918. Another $2,734 was spent to have Gulf Power wire three poles that previously did not have electricity for three of the wreaths.
Previous Discussions
For years, the council has discussed options upgrading aging pole decorations along North Century Boulevard. A December 2021 discussion ended after then-council member James Lewis disagreed.
“It’ll be great to have the city lit up and looking beautiful,” Smith said. “But we don’t need to be spending a lot of money on that. There’s way too much in Century that needs to be fixed up…getting more businesses in the town, and as the town continues to grow, then we can have the finances to make the town look good. What’s the point in making it lit up when there’s not a whole lot around to be seen?”
In December 2022, the town discussed using ARPA funds for Christmas decorations and took no action. In June 2023, the council approved spending up to $1,800 for new garland for a Santa Claus decoration that stands annually in the Nadine McCaw Park. Also in June, they discussed $33,600 for new pole decorations but did not take a vote.
Pictured top: Century’s Christmas light display at Nadine McCaw Park. Pictured top inset and below: The other major decorations in the park are old, donated by the City of Pensacola years ago. Upgrading these decorations was not part of $40,000 approved Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Person Bit By Snake In Molino
September 21, 2023
One person was transported to the hospital after reportedly being bit by a snake in Molino Wednesday afternoon.
It happened about 2:50 p.m. in the 5000 block of Pilgrim Trail, just off Highway 97.
Escambia County EMS transported the individual to a local hospital for further evaluation, according to Escambia County.
There was no word on the type of snake involved, or the person’s condition.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Free Dog And Cat Adoptions At Escambia Animal Shelter Through Saturday
September 21, 2023
The Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare is offering free adoption for all cats and dogs one year or older through September 23.
Puppies are available for $50, and kittens are available for $25. An $11 licensing fee will be applied to all adoptions for Escambia County residents.
“We recently partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to offer free adoptions, but we want to give our community a second chance to participate in the adoption special for the full week,” said John Robinson, Director for the Department of Animal Welfare. “We have over 100 dogs and nearly two dozen cats ready to go home with you today. Adopting is a great way to give a pet a second chance at a new home while also making space at the Animal Welfare and Adoption Center for other animals in need.”
Residents can view a full list of adoptable pets in Escambia County at 24petconnect.com prior to visiting the shelter.
The Escambia County Animal Welfare and Adoption Center is located at 200 W. Fairfield Drive. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 12-5 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
All of the pictured animals were available for adoption this week.
Delta Adds Seasonal Nonstop Flights From Pensacola To New York
September 21, 2023
Delta Air Lines has announced it will begin nonstop service from Pensacola International Airport to LaGuardia Airport with six-day per week service in November and daily service in December.
LaGuardia Airport, located in the Queens borough of New York City, is the third busiest airport in New York. In addition to convenient access to New York City, Delta also offers nonstop connections to 78 destinations from LaGuardia.
Delta’s daily flights are generally scheduled to depart Pensacola at 2:10 p.m. CST and arrive at LaGuardia at 5:41 p.m. EST. Flights depart LaGuardia at 11:15 a.m. EST and arrive in Pensacola at 1:24 p.m. CST. Service will be flown by Delta Connection partner Endeavor Air on Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft in either 70 seat or 76-seat configurations.
“We are excited to provide additional flight options to get to the Northeast this holiday season,” Pensacola International Airport Director Matthew Coughlin said. “We strive to provide as many travel options to as many destinations as possible, and service to New York City is a big win.”
LaGuardia Airport is the second hub city Delta has connected to Pensacola. The airline operates more than 40 flights a week between Pensacola and its hub in Atlanta.
“I am grateful for Delta’s investment in providing daily non-stop service to New York City and I’m excited for our citizens to get this wonderful benefit,” Mayor D.C. Reeves said. “For one of our longtime airline providers to set a new precedent with daily non-stop service from Pensacola to a destination outside Atlanta is a message of community strength and a major complement to the momentum of Pensacola.”
Pensacola International Airport had seasonal service to LaGuardia Airport through American Airlines in the summer of 2021 and 2023.
Registered Sex Offender Gets 20 Years For Distributing Child Porn
September 21, 2023
An Escambia County sex offender has been sentenced to federal prison on child pornography charges.
Nicholas Allen Walker, 30, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography.
“Protecting innocent children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody. “I commend our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who work diligently to identify these predators and bring them to justice so that they can no longer exploit any child again. Due to their efforts, our community is safer, and this repeat offender is exactly where he belongs – back behind bars.”
In early 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received information from a social media company regarding the defendant uploading files of child pornography. On April 8, 2021, investigators with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office interviewed the defendant and obtained a search warrant for his cellular telephone. The search of his phone revealed between December 16, 2020, and April 8, 2021, Walker received and distributed numerous images and videos of child pornography using a social media application and text messages.
Walker is a registered sex offender based on a prior state of Florida conviction relating to the offense of traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
“This sentencing confirms that the FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to protect our children from predators who seek to exploit them,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Jacksonville. “Together, we have ensured one less predator is victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community.”
Walker’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Walker will continue to be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp prosecuted the case.
OSHA Says Safety Failures Led To Death Inside Concrete Mixer At Cantonment Company
September 21, 2023
The U.S. Department of Labor has found that safety failures led to the death of a 19-year old inside a concrete mixer at Foley Products Company in Cantonment last March.
“A Georgia-based concrete pipe manufacturer could have prevented a 19-year-old worker from suffering fatal injuries after a concrete mixer restarted while the teen tried to clean the machine’s inside,” the Labor Department said in a release.
An investigation determined two employees of Foley Products climbed inside the mixer initially to use a hammer and chisel to chip away hardened concrete. As one of the workers left the mixer, the machine restarted with the other inside.
OSHA inspectors cited the company for willfully exposing workers to crushed-by hazards by allowing them to enter the mixer without making sure to first follow energy-control procedures. The agency also found the company exposed workers to confined spaces hazards by not making sure a safe atmosphere existed inside the mixer before the workers entered and by failing to have an attendant ready to retrieve workers safely. OSHA also determined the company did not make certain workers were trained and that they understood the safe application and removal of energy controls before servicing machines.
Foley Products Company received one willful violation and six serious violations. The company faces $245,546 in proposed penalties.
“Foley Products Company’s failure to implement well-known safeguards cost the life of a worker just beginning their adulthood,” said OSHA Area Office Director Jose A. Gonzalez in Mobile, Alabama. “This preventable tragedy should serve as a reminder of the importance of complying with safety and health standards, as required by law.”
Headquartered in Newnan, Georgia, the precast concrete manufacturer had 30 workers at the Florida job site at the time of the incident. The company employs about 500 workers, serving numerous agencies and municipalities in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA – as Foley Products Company has done – or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Pictured: First responders arrive at the scene of an industrial fatality on March 15, 2023, in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Nancy Marie Helman Stafford
September 21, 2023
Nancy Marie Helman Stafford died in Pensacola on Monday, September 18th at age 91. She was the beloved wife of Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Stafford, Jr. and proud mother of William III, Donald, and David.
The only daughter of Donald Emerson Helman and Florene Gift Helman, Nancy was born May 11, 1932, in the village of Marion in south central Pennsylvania. Her parents and three brothers – Crawford Eugene “Ben” Helman, James Edwin “Ed” Helman and Thomas Reed “Tom” Helman – all predeceased her. Nancy was educated in the public schools and graduated from Chambersburg High in 1950. After working for a year to earn money, she was awarded a Pennsylvania state scholarship and enrolled at Penn State, graduating in 1955 with a B.S. in Elementary Education.
Nancy, along with a girlfriend, then headed south to join two high school classmates working in Pensacola. Her first teaching job was at Jim Allen Elementary School in the Cantonment area of Pensacola. Her best friend eloped with a naval officer and persuaded Nancy to move with them to California, where they both found immediate employment. In 1958, she was introduced to Bill Stafford, a fellow officer and shipmate of her girlfriend’s husband. Not only were she and Bill both from Pennsylvania, but soon discovered they had the same birthday, one year apart! The romance continued coast-to-coast when Bill’s ship moved its home port to Norfolk, and were married on July 11, 1959, in her home church in Marion.
Nancy took a sabbatical from her teaching career to raise three sons. Although not in the classroom, she remained active in the community as a member of the Christ Church choir, and as an enthusiastic coach of “The Green Machine” girls softball team in Gulf Breeze.
Bill’s judicial appointment took the family to Tallahassee in 1976. The boys’ schooling and activities were a large part of Nancy’s life. When asked where she lived, her quick response was: “In a blue station wagon!” She also served on the vestry at St. John’s Church and sang in its choir, and was a long-standing member of the Newcomers Club, especially its bowling and bridge activities. Nancy became an enthusiastic Florida State fan, and was a member of the “Renegade Team,” helping to get the Seminole mascot on the field.
As the boys became more self-sufficient, Nancy returned to education, serving as Grants Administrator for the Florida Institute of Government. Nancy loved to travel on Bill’s judicial assignments; one of their earliest adventures took the family to the Panama Canal Zone while the Panama Canal treaty was being debated in the U.S. Senate. Their personal travels took them to many parts of the world; the British Isles, the European continent, Israel, Canada, and Alaska were highlights. Nancy visited all 50 states and never had a bad trip!
As the boys married, Nancy excitedly welcomed her daughters-in-law, and later grandchildren, into the Stafford family. Her eldest grandson began calling her “GIPPY” as he was learning to speak – a name that stuck and has since been adopted by family and friends. Gippy found her greatest joy as a grandmother to her six grandchildren.
She is survived by her devoted husband of 64 years, Bill; children Bill III (Andrea), Don (Jane) and David (Kim); grandchildren David, Jr., Charlie, Kate, Sarah Grace, William, and Nick. She also leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, and other family members, as well as the many friends she made along the way.
Funeral services will be held at Christ Church in Pensacola at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, September 25, 2023. The family will host a reception in the parish hall following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nancy’s memory to Christ Episcopal Church, 18 W. Wright Street, Pensacola, Florida, 32501.
Century Votes To Move Forward Toward 290% Tax Increase, Higher Budget
September 20, 2023
The Century Town Council voted Tuesday to move forward toward a nearly 300% property tax increase and an $8 million budget proposed by interim Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr.
Because the tax increase is so high, the state required approval by a unanimous vote of all four council members. The council was unable to take a vote at their last budget meeting on September 5 due to an absent council member.
On a 4-0 vote Tuesday, the council tentatively approved a property tax increase with a millage rate of .9204, which is 290.66% greater than the rolled-back rate of .2356 mills. The rolled back rate is a computed millage rate that would generate the same amount of ad valorem tax dollars as the prior fiscal year, based on the proposed year’s tax roll, excluding new construction. A millage rate higher than the rolled-back rate is defined by the State of Florida as a tax increase and the law says it must be advertised as such. The .9204 millage rate has been constant for several years.
Property values in Century have increased from approximately $49.5 million to $54.5 million over the last year, according to the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office. Last year, property taxes generated $45,518 for Century; this year is expected to be $50,307.
The $8 million tentative budget is up more than $2 million (39%) over last year’s $5,8 million, mostly due to grant funds.
A second vote for a final millage rate and budget approval will follow at another meeting on September 26.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
One Shot On Old Chemstrand Road
September 20, 2023
One person is recovering after a shooting Tuesday evening on Old Chemstrand Road.
A male suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh, according to Sgt. Melony Peterson with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred in the 2200 block of Old Chemstrand Road, near Longbranch Drive.
Peterson said one person was detained by deputies and was released after questioning. No other suspects were named Tuesday night.
She said details about what led to the shooting were not immediately known. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment following the incident at about 6:20 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Cunningham Appointed Interim Century Council Member
September 20, 2023
Henry Cunningham was sworn in Tuesday night as an interim member of the Century Town Council.
The council was tasked with filling the seat recently vacated by Luis Gomez, Jr. who was appointed interim mayor after the August resignation of Ben Boutwell.
Three people — Cunningham, Calvin Cottrell, Jr., and Eddie Hammond — submitted their names to be considered for the seat.
Council member Sandra Jackson made a motion to appoint Hammond, saying he was the first one to call her. Hammond’s appointment failed on a 2-2 vote — Jackson and Alisha Johnson in favor, Shelisa McCall and Dynette Lewis against.
Jackson then made a motion to appoint Cunningham, saying he was the second one to call her. His appointment passed on a 4-0 vote.
“I’m here to work; I’m ready to work. So let’s go get it,” he said. “Century has been my home. I grew up here; it’s an honor for me to be serving on the town council. I’m proud to be here, and I’m looking forward to working with everybody.”
Cunningham’s time as an interim council member will be brief. An elected council member will take office on November 11 following a special election.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
