A Little Overnight Fog, Lots Of Sunshine Sunday
April 28, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 59. South wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 64. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southeast wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Cub Scouts Holding Molino Yard Sale; Friends Of The Library Book Sale This Weekend
April 27, 2012
Looking for a bargain, or a book at a bargain? A local cub scout pack will host a big yard sale this weekend, and it’s also time for the annual Friends of the Library book sale to benefit local libraries.
Cub Scout Yard Sale
Cub Scout Pack 430 will hold their second annual yard sale on Saturday from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. The sale will will take place rain or shine indoors at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 6915 Highway 29 North in Molino.
The sale will feature all the clothes that can be stuffed in a plastic grocery type bag for $5 or a garbage bag full of clothes for $10.
Saturday, there will be hamburgers and hot dogs for sale by Aldersgate Men’s Ministry.
Friends of the Library Book Sale
It’s time to stock up on summer reading material, and the Friends of the Pensacola Public Library Spring Book Sale is the place to do so at a reasonable price.
The Book Sale will be through Sunday at First United Methodist Church Wright Place, 80 E. Wright St., and will offer thousands of gently used hardcover and paperback books, CDs and DVDs. Most range in price from 25 cents to $3. It also will feature a “Collectors’ Corner” and silent auction to showcase the more valuable books, Chairwoman Meredith McCarthy said.
On Saturday, hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday hours are noon to 3 p.m. Admission is free. On Sunday, a bag of books can be purchased for $5.
All proceeds from the sale go to support the West Florida Public Library system.
Pictured top: Members of Cub Scout Pack 430 unload items for today’s yard sale at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Follow Congressman Jeff Miller Live All Day On Twitter
April 27, 2012
Florida Congressman Jeff Miller will live-tweet his day, and he’s inviting local residents to join in the conversation.
Miller said he will tweet his day on Twitter, giving constituents a chance to find out what a day in Congress is like.
To follow Miller on Twitter, click here.
Weapons Investigation Turned Over To Federal ATF; Guns Seized
April 26, 2012
[Updated 2:15 p.m.] The vehicle stopped yesterday in Flomaton, Ala., with an arsenal of weapons was stopped again Wednesday morning on New Warrington Road, about a mile from Warrington Middle School — the destination two men in the vehicle gave officers late Wednesday afternoon. But this time, the men drove away without their weapons.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office stopped the Chevrolet Suburban this morning before 9 a.m. Once weapons were located in the vehicle, the investigation was turned over to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), according to Sgt. Mike Ward, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
ATF reportedly seized all of the weapons from the two men, including multiple firearms and ammunition. No charges were filed against the men; they were release by ATF.
For more on Wednesday’s traffic stop in Flomaton, click here.
Pictured: A white Chevrolet Suburban found to have an cache of weapons and ammunition stopped yesterday in Flomaton, Ala., was stopped this morning on New Warrington Road by the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office and the investigation turned over to the ATF. Photos by Joe Douglas, WEAR, for NorthEscambia.com click to enlarge.
Thomas: Schools Are Safe, On Alert After Traffic Stop With Weapons Cache
April 26, 2012
Escambia Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said Thursday morning that all Escambia County Schools will be on the alert today following a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon at the Alabama/Florida line in Flomaton. Two men were found with a cache of weapons and $8,400 cash, telling police that they were headed to Warrington Middle School Thursday morning to tutor students.
“There are no assemblies, no activities involving these individuals and no tutoring planned at Warrington Middle School or any other school today. It’s still FCAT testing,” Thomas said. “We will be stepping up our security and our awareness today to make sure today is a safe day in Escambia County Schools.”
The two men – found in possession multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing and hoodies — told officers from two states that they worked for a New Jersey educational tutoring company. The men were not charged with any crime.
For the complete story on the traffic stop and a photo gallery, click here.
When NorthEscambia.com provided the name of that tutoring company to Thomas, he said the company is not contracted with the Escambia County School District to provide any services whatsoever.
“I know nothing about it,” he said. “You don’t just walk into school building and tutor students. There are complete background checks for anyone working on a school campus. And, of course, there are no firearms allowed on a school campus.”
Thomas said he believes the men may have mentioned Warrington Middle School when question by officers only because they had heard of the school before or knew someone that attends. “They might have just pulled it out of the hat,” he said.
“It will be a safe day in the Escambia County School District,” Thomas repeated.
Pictured top: Weapons and cash found during a traffic stop in Flomaton, Ala., Wednesday afternoon. Pictured below: Officers from Alabama and Florida spent about two hours on their investigation. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Prescription Drug Round-up Saturday In Florida, Alabama
April 26, 2012
A prescription drug round-up is scheduled for Saturday in Escambia County, Fla., and in Flomaton, Ala., in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Flomaton round-up event will accept prescriptions drugs from both Alabama and Florida residents.
Pharmaceuticals are being discovered in our nation’s waterways at very low concentrations. While the sources of these pharmaceuticals may be numerous, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been studying unused pharmaceutical disposal practices. This study was prompted by the concern that potentially large amounts of pharmaceuticals are being flushed or improperly disposed of down the drain, ultimately ending up in our rivers, streams and coastal waters, according to ECUA.
Escambia County, Fla.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA), Pensacola Police Department, and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Community Drug and Alcohol Council will conduct the round-up in Escambia County, Florida, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
On October 29, 2011, the most recent “Prescription Drug Round-Up” collected over 927 pounds of unused and unwanted prescription drugs. The Saturday, April 28, 2012 event will feature 7 locations with deputies and officers from the Pensacola Police Department and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office participating in the effort.
In Escambia County, Florida, round-up locations will be at:
- CVS Pharmacy, 13430 Innerarity Point Road
- CVS Pharmacy, 8150 North Davis Highway
- CVS Pharmacy, 3880 North 9th Avenue
- CVS Pharmacy, 2100 West Cervantes Street
- Pensacola Police Dept., 711 North Hayne Street
- Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, 1700 West Leonard Street
- Escambia SO Pensacola Beach Substation
Flomaton, Ala.
The prescription round-up event in Flomaton will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Flomaton High School gym.
“Anyone is welcome to participate, including residents of Century and the rest of Escambia County, Florida,” said Flomaton Police Chief Daniel Thompson.
Citizens Insurance Board Weighs Higher Rates
April 26, 2012
Homeowners who join the state-backed insurance pool after January 1 could see rates more than 10 percent higher than current premiums under a proposal up for debate Thursday by Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s governing board.
Existing Citizens policyholders are protected from large rate bumps by a statutory 10 percent cap on premium increases – and will continue to be. Under the proposal to be considered Thursday, new policyholders could be charged initial rates far more than similar customers who have already been in the pool.
Going forward, however, all customers would be protected by the 10 percent limit in effect for the company’s nearly 1.5 million current policies.
Struggling with actuarially unsound rates and political pressure to winnow its number of policy holders to bolster private competition, Citizens’ board members say new policies aren’t subject to the 10 percent limit on increasing premiums precisely because they’re new policies. Since new customers have no current premium, they aren’t protected by a limit on premium increases.
The limit on increases was meant to protect policyholders in the pool, which insures some of the riskiest properties in the state, from making insurance unaffordable.
The recommendation to remove the cap on new policies has already come under fire from consumer groups and a leading Senate critic of attempts to raise Citizens premiums. Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said the company’s board of governors is trying to circumvent the Legislature, which has said it does not want Citizens’ policyholders to see their rates skyrocket. It was the Legislature that put the 10 percent cap on premium increases in the first place.
“It’s not only a sneaky move, it is deceitful. It is a travesty,” Fasano said. “I tell you, they are clueless in Tallahassee as to the impact this will have.”
But a key Senate committee chairman says higher rates, though painful, are needed to reduce the exposure of Florida taxpayers who would be on the financial hook if a major storm hit and Citizens could not pay its claims.
Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples and chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, has been a long-time advocate of boosting Citizens premiums to bring them in line with the private market.
As long as Citizens has below market rates, Richter said private companies will not return and Florida taxpayers will continue to be on the hook in the event of a catastrophic storm.
“I believe that it is in the state of Florida’s interest to have Citizens rates that are adequate to pay claims,” Richter said. ”
Lawmakers in 2006 froze Citizens rates following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, which prompted a surge in claims and led some companies to leave the state, pushing more customers into Citizens. Lawmakers in 2010, under the leadership of Senate President Jeff Atwater, agreed to cap premium hikes at 10 percent, a level far below what industry officials said was necessary to bring the rates up to private competitors.
Atwater, who supported the cap, on Wednesday urged Citizens to keep premiums on new policies low as well.
“While I understand and support the efforts to facilitate the depopulation of Citizens and a return to a competitive private marketplace for Floridians, the removal of the cap for new business is beyond the scope of legislative intent,” Atwater wrote Citizens’ chairman Carlos Lacasa in a letter Wednesday.
Lawmakers earlier this year rejected major changes to Citizens, including a controversial provision to automatically shift policyholders to surplus lines companies (they could opt back into Citizens at any time.) Fasano, who led the charge against the surplus lines bill, said the board is continuing its efforts to de-populate the pool.
“This is just another way to get people out of Citizens,” Fasano said of the recommendation.
The Office of Insurance Regulation, which would have to approve any premium increase, has not received any formal filing so has not carefully considered the issue, OIR spokeswoman Amy Bogner told the News Service Wednesday.
“However, we do understand the argument that is being made regarding this situation,” Bogner said. “Our actuaries and lawyers will need to look at the specifics of any proposed rate change and also review the issue of essentially having two sets of rates — one for new policies and another for renewals.”
By The News Service of Florida
BREAKING NEWS: 4-H Kids Vote To Sell Langley Bell
April 23, 2012
The children and teens on the Escambia County 4-H Council have voted to 21-16 sell the Langley Bell 4-H Center by approving a memorandum of understanding.
The vote results were announced tonight by Supervisor of Elections David Stafford at the Escambia County Extension Service office before a group of 4-H supporters.
Navy Federal will pay $3.6 million for the 240 acre property.
Complete reaction and details later on NorthEscambia.com.
Potential Record Cold And Patchy Frost Tonight
April 23, 2012
Cold air flowing into the region will begin potentially record-breaking low temperatures for Monday night. Patchy frost will be possible across the northern part of the North Escambia area.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Patchy frost after 4am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 37. Northwest wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Tuesday: Patchy frost before 7am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 76. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Southwest wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
- Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Educational Roundtable To Be Held Today
April 23, 2012
Parents, community members and educators are invited to an educational roundtable discussion with the representatives from the Florida Department of Education this evening at Washington High School.
Stuart Greenburg, director of Just Read, Florida!, and Fred Heid, bureau chief with the Office of School Improvement, will be providing information on recent educational changes in policy, rules, and statutes leading to higher standards of achievement for Florida’s students. A question and answer session will follow.
“The Escambia County School District knows that the significance of providing valuable information on educational issues is by keeping parents and school staff duly informed,” said Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. “This Roundtable is the perfect opportunity for everyone to come together to hear the latest changes on education and to speak with representatives from the Department of Education.”
Parents, students and school staff and the community are encouraged to attend the event from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. in Washington High School’s auditorium.