Sheriff’s Office Seeks Missing Woman
January 6, 2016
Update: This individual has been found safe.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a missing woman. Stefanie Bowen was last seen at the Walgreens at the corner of Brent Lane and Pensacola Boulevard on December 23. She was reported missing by family on December 30.Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to cal the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9630 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Cold Night, Low About 30
January 5, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 61. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. East wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. North wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. East wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Sunday: A 10 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Cool Day, Freezing Tonight
January 4, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 5 to 15 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 50. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 60. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 52. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
Near Freezing Tonight
January 3, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 32. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 54. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. North wind 5 to 15 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 50. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 60. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 52. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
Sunny And Cool Weekend
January 2, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 32. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 52. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 54.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.
Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.
Escambia River Floodwaters Begin To Drop
January 2, 2016
The Escambia River is continuing to drop following heavy rains earlier this week.
Early Saturday morning, the Escambia River was at about 20 feet and expected to fall below flood stage of 17 feet by Tuesday.
The Molino Fairgrounds Park remains flooded by the Escambia River (pictured top). A house on Fairground Road in Molino was completely surrounded by water Friday, with the residents forced to come and go on a tractor (pictured below).
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Escambia Commissioners To Hold RESTORE Act Workshop
January 2, 2016
A special Escambia County Board of County Commissioners’ workshop will be held on Monday, January 11 to discuss the RESTORE Act. The workshop will be held at 1 p.m. at the Kugelman Center for Telecommunications, in the Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, at Pensacola State College, located at 1000 College Boulevard., Building 23.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
January 2, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
- State Road (S.R.) 289 (9th Avenue), Escambia County- Crews will resume paving operations Monday, Jan. 4 between Bayou Boulevard and Creighton Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Cervantes Street will also encounter intermittent and alternating daytime lane closures as crews adjust manholes and valves.
- I-10 Widening, Escambia County- Alternating lane closures between Davis Highway and Scenic Highway from 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 4 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5 to allow crews to perform shoulder repairs. The right lane of I-10 east and westbound, near the Scenic Highway overpass at exit 17, will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5 through Friday, Jan. 8. In addition, traffic in the left lane of I-10 east and westbound will be slowed by FHP to escort vehicles during this time. Crews will be setting beams for the new Scenic Highway overpass.
- 9th Avenue (S.R. 289) and Creighton Road (S.R. 742), Escambia County- The southbound outside lane on 9th Avenue and westbound outside lane of Creighton Road will be closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Jan. 4 through Wednesday, Jan. 6 as crews perform construction activities.
- I-10 Widening, Santa Rosa County – Alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Monday, Jan. 4 as crews perform bridge work. Closures will continue Sunday through Thursday night until the end of January. Alternating east and westbound lane closures between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/ Exit 22). Lane restrictions will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday night until the end of January.
- U.S. 98, Santa Rosa County- Alternating lane closures between Live Oaks Village shopping center and the Gulf Breeze Zoo from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. beginning Monday, Jan. 4 as crews complete work list items. Lane closures will continue Sunday through Thursday night until the end of January.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Motorists are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
A Rainy, Cool Start To The New Year
January 1, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of rain before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 56. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 34. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 53. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 64.
Tips From The IRS On Year-End Gifts To Charity
December 31, 2015
The Internal Revenue Service today reminded individuals and businesses making year-end gifts to charity that several important tax law provisions have taken effect in recent years. Some of the changes taxpayers should keep in mind include:
Rules for Charitable Contributions of Clothing and Household Items
Household items include furniture, furnishings, electronics, appliances and linens. Clothing and household items donated to charity generally must be in good used condition or better to be tax-deductible. A clothing or household item for which a taxpayer claims a deduction of over $500 does not have to meet this standard if the taxpayer includes a qualified appraisal of the item with the return.
Donors must get a written acknowledgement from the charity for all gifts worth $250 or more. It must include, among other things, a description of the items contributed.
Guidelines for Monetary Donations
A taxpayer must have a bank record or a written statement from the charity in order to deduct any donation of money, regardless of amount. The record must show the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Bank records include canceled checks, and bank, credit union and credit card statements. Bank or credit union statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the amount paid. Credit card statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the transaction posting date.
Donations of money include those made in cash or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card and payroll deduction. For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity.
These requirements for the deduction of monetary donations do not change the long-standing requirement that a taxpayer obtain an acknowledgment from a charity for each deductible donation (either money or property) of $250 or more. However, one statement containing all of the required information may meet both requirements.
Reminders
The IRS offers the following additional reminders to help taxpayers plan their holiday and year-end gifts to charity:
- Qualified charities. Check that the charity is eligible. Only donations to eligible organizations are tax-deductible. Select Check, a searchable online tool available on IRS.gov, lists most organizations that are eligible to receive deductible contributions. In addition, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and government agencies are eligible to receive deductible donations. That is true even if they are not listed in the tool’s database.
- Year-end gifts. Contributions are deductible in the year made. Thus, donations charged to a credit card before the end of 2015 count for 2015, even if the credit card bill isn’t paid until 2015. Also, checks count for 2015 as long as they are mailed in 2015.
- Itemize deductions. For individuals, only taxpayers who itemize their deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A can claim deductions for charitable contributions. This deduction is not available to individuals who choose the standard deduction. This includes anyone who files a short form (Form 1040A or 1040EZ). A taxpayer will have a tax savings only if the total itemized deductions (mortgage interest, charitable contributions, state and local taxes, etc.) exceed the standard deduction. Use the 2015 Form 1040 Schedule A to determine whether itemizing is better than claiming the standard deduction.
- Record donations. For all donations of property, including clothing and household items, get from the charity, if possible, a receipt that includes the name of the charity, date of the contribution, and a reasonably-detailed description of the donated property. If a donation is left at a charity’s unattended drop site, keep a written record of the donation that includes this information, as well as the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation and the method used to determine that value. Additional rules apply for a contribution of $250 or more.
- Special Rules. The deduction for a car, boat or airplane donated to charity is usually limited to the gross proceeds from its sale. This rule applies if the claimed value is more than $500. Form 1098-C or a similar statement, must be provided to the donor by the organization and attached to the donor’s tax return.
If the amount of a taxpayer’s deduction for all noncash contributions is over $500, a properly-completed Form 8283 must be submitted with the tax return.