Afternoon Showers And Storms, Otherwise Hot
July 25, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 10 to 15 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light southeast in the evening.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
More Scattered Showers For Sunday
July 24, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. East wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east after midnight.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.
Hot, Scattered Thunderstorms
July 23, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
Gaetz Continues To Mull Bid For UWF Presidency
July 23, 2016
As the University of West Florida searches for a new president — and the Aug. 15 application deadline approaches — former state Senate President Don Gaetz says he’ll likely wait until then to decide whether to pursue the top job at the Pensacola school.
“I am taking counsel with people I respect,” said Gaetz, a Niceville Republican who cannot run again for the Senate this year because of term limits. “But I expect I’ll make a decision by mid-August.”
University of West Florida President Judith Bense is retiring at the end of the year, and the university’s board of trustees will vote on her successor Sept. 15.
If Gaetz pursues the job, he could follow in the footsteps of another powerful political figure, former House Speaker John Thrasher, who became president of Florida State University after a contentious process in 2014.
But by waiting, Gaetz also could avoid the controversy that surrounded Thrasher’s bid for the Florida State presidency. That controversy included the Florida State search committee pausing the process to interview only Thrasher. Committee members said Thrasher’s desire for the job had kept other potential candidates from applying.
At the University of West Florida, however, where the search committee met Friday, 60 candidates have already submitted applications, with more expected — including that of Provost Martha Saunders, who told the Pensacola News Journal this month that she intended to apply.
What’s more, said former Florida House Speaker Allan Bense, a longtime ally of both Gaetz and Thrasher, the latter’s performance as Florida State president could smooth Gaetz’s path to the top job at the University of West Florida.
“With (Thrasher’s) success, I think it makes it a bit easier for Don Gaetz, if in fact the search committee and the trustees select him,” said Bense, who is Judith Bense’s brother and was chairman of Florida State’s Board of Trustees when it tapped Thrasher for the top job. “It makes his ride a little smoother than John’s was.”
University of West Florida Board of Trustees Chairman Lewis Bear, Jr., said the school has an open selection process, with emphasis placed on advancing its 10-year goal of achieving what’s known as “emerging preeminence” status within the state system. That would require hitting six of 12 benchmarks dealing with research and other aspects of faculty and student achievement. It also would garner additional state funding.
“It’s a pretty far reach for us, but the administration was willing to work towards it,” Bear said. “So I think that anybody who applies for this position needs to understand that we’re very serious about changing our — what’s considered a small-town university — into a major university in the state of Florida.”
Given that Gaetz authored the “emerging preeminence” legislation that passed in 2016, “he probably has a better understanding of what that means in Florida” than an out-of-state candidate, Bear said. “But creating the law that establishes something does not, I don’t think, give you a leg up in meeting the challenge.”
Gaetz — who as Senate president appointed Bear to the Enterprise Florida board of directors in 2013 — said it’s up to the university to decide “whether they need to continue with an inside focus and an inside candidate or whether they need to broaden the leadership base.”
He acknowledged he did not have experience in higher education but added that he went into other jobs in the past without experience in the fields. That included his former role as superintendent of the Okaloosa County schools.
“I am sort of the quintessential non-traditional candidate for every job I’ve ever had,” he said. “What I’ve tried to do is build teams and manage teams that could exceed expectations.”
Allan Bense also pointed out — as have members of the search committee — that Gaetz would likely find a ready ear at the state Capitol.
As to the question of hiring another powerful politician to steer a state university, Jennifer Proffitt, president of the United Faculty of Florida, said the union simply wanted the process to be open and transparent.
“My concern during the whole FSU search process — and what I said in front of the board (of trustees) many times — was that the search was not open and transparent,” said Proffitt, who was president of the union’s Florida State chapter when Thrasher was selected. “I think that is critical. … Higher education folks care about process.”
Bense, who said the Florida State search committee ultimately heard many hours of public testimony, agreed.
“If I were the (UWF) selection committee, I’d keep my eyes wide open and take a look at all of the applicants — all of them,” he said.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
No Injuries In Molino Rollover Crash
July 22, 2016
There were no injuries in a midday single vehicle rollover accident on Highway 29 in Molino.
The driver lost control while northbound on Highway 29 just north of Barrineau Park Road and ran off the roadway into a low area filled with brush. Both people in the vehicle refused medical treatment.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS were dispatched to the call.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Same Old Summer Weather Pattern
July 22, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. West wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind around 5 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Heat, Afternoon Boomers Forecast
July 21, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 105. North wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. West wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Family Fights Parole To Keep Murderers Behind Bars
July 20, 2016
PAROLE DENIED. Click here for an update.
Several North Escambia residents are hoping to help stop the parole of two Nokomis men behind bars for the 1993 murder of a woman and 12-year old girl.
Shannon Dean Barlow, 38, and Franklin Lee Barlow, Jr., 42, are both serving life sentences with the possibility of parole for the murders of Kathy Victor Hall Barlow and Angel Marie Hall.
On October 10, 1993, the Barlow brothers went out with Albert Ganoe “Rocky” Beasley, consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana. They then went to the home of Kathy Barlow in Perdido, Ala., shooting her in the head with a .410-gauge shotgun when she opened the door. According to testimony, he then went to the room of Angel Hall, 12, raped her and shot her in the face.
“The reason why Shannon and Frankie Barlow doesn’t deserve parole is because they viciously murdered my aunt and cousin. They blew my aunt’s head off with a shotgun. They raped, stabbed, strangled, and beat my cousin till her body finally died. There should be no reason in the world why they should be let out. They possess a spirit inside of them that society cannot handle,” Masha Maher of Century said.
Shannon Barlow was sentenced to three consecutive life terms, and Franklin Barlow was sentenced to two life sentences. Both are now eligible for parole from the Limestone Correction Facility in Alabama. Beasley remains behind bars, sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
“Another five years and here we are again. It is so sad that victims have to re-live a horrible nightmare over and over again. They should not even have the right for a parole hearing. Their past speaks for itself. They did this horrible crime and pled guilty to murder. They should stay there the rest of their lives. So please pray with us for justice. Kathy and Angel, we will fight these parole hearings for the rest of our lives and theirs. They do not deserve the right to walk the streets anymore. They are a threat to us and society,” said Barlow’s sister, Janie Criswell of McDavid.
The Barlows will have a parole hearing on August 2. Family of the victims is encouraging the public to speak out against parole for the Barlow brothers. Personal protests can be emailed to debra.bonds@paroles.alabama.gov and petitions can be faxed to (334) 353-7701. An online petition can be signed here.
Pictured: This undated photograph shows murder victims Kathy Barlow and 12-year old Angel Hall. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Heat Index Up To 107, Some Thunderstorms Today
July 20, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 107. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 107. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Powerball Jackpot Grows To $361 Million
July 20, 2016
The Powerball has climbed to an estimated $361 million for Wednesday night’s drawing. The Powerball jackpot has rolled over 20 times since the May 11 drawing.
Jackpot prizes are paid in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days after the draw to receive the cash option of an estimated $250.3 million. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize.
The Powerball drawing will be held at 9:59 tonight; tickets must be purchased by 9 p.m. to be eligible.