Escambia 911 Dispatchers Help Deliver Two Baby Girls In Recent Weeks
November 3, 2021
Escambia County 911 emergency dispatchers have helped over the phone to deliver two babies in recent weeks. Both were healthy baby girls.
On October 17, emergency dispatcher Mara Given received a 911 call from a female who went into labor. After Given dispatched EMS, she remained on the line to provide pre-arrival instructions. Given remained on the line as the baby was born.
On October 28, Escambia County 911 dispatcher Abigail Trimpey received a 911 call from a female who was going into labor. After she dispatched EMS, Trimpey remained on the line with the citizen as she began to give birth. The baby was born prior to the arrival of the ambulance.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northwest Florida Lawmakers Seek Public Input On Local Legislation
November 3, 2021
Northwest Florida lawmakers want to hear your thoughts on local legislation.
Members of Escambia County’s state legislative delegation will hold a public hearing next month.
Delegation members Sen. Doug Broxson, Rep. Michelle Salzman and Rep. Alex Andrade will consider local bills, hear presentations from governmental and other entities, and take public testimony on proposals for the 2022 regular session of the Florida Legislature.
Any member of the public is welcomed to attend.
The public hearing will take place on Tuesday, December 7, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. at the Pensacola State College Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio at 1000 College Boulevard in Pensacola.
ECSO Looking For Missing, Endangered Man Last Seen Boarding A Bus
November 3, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a missing and endangered man.
Dwayne Ray DeBerry, 60, was last seen October 28 boarding a Greyhound bus bound for Atlanta. It was scheduled to arrive the next day, October 29, but DeBerry never arrived at his destination.
It’s not known what clothing he was wearing, but he had a lanyard with his name and emergency contact information.
The bus also stopped in Panama City and Tallahassee.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Cantonment Improvement Committee Continues Weekly Food Giveaways
November 3, 2021
When the pandemic forced schools to close last year, it left many families in need of help to feed their children who had relied on school breakfast and lunch.
The Cantonment Improvement Committee (CIC) stepped up with a weekly food giveaway.
CIC is continuing to hold weekly food giveaways with the help of community partners, like Manna, Ascend and many others.
The CIC food distributions begin at 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Carver Park and continue while supplies last for anyone in need of food. Participants are asked to line up on Webb Street facing north, and the food is loaded into vehicles. The giveaway takes place rain or shine.
Pictured: Volunteers from Ascend Performance Materials helped with a Cantonment Improvement Committee food giveaway Tuesday at Carver Park. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Operation Christmas Child Collections Begin November 15 At First Baptist Bratt
November 3, 2021
Volunteers will be busy soon at the First Baptist Church of Bratt during “National Collection Week” for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). For the 28th year, the simple, gift-filled shoe boxes will bring Christmas joy and evangelistic materials to children in over 150 countries across the world.
National Collection Week for OCC is November 17-25. The First Baptist Church of Bratt is the official drop-off location/OCC Relay Center for North Escambia.
Pastor Tim Hawsey, location coordinator, said the shoe boxes are distributed by trained local pastors and volunteers around the world…right where the children live. The children that receive the box are invited to participate in a 12-step bible study called The Greatest Journey translated into their native language and taught by local people the children know.
Collection hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt will be:
- Mon, Nov. 15: 9 a.m. – noon
- Tue, Nov. 16: 9 a.m. – noon
- Wed, Nov. 17: 9 a.m. – noon, 5-8 p.m.
- Thu, Nov. 18: 3-6 p.m.
- Fri, Nov. 19: 9 a.m. – noon
- Sat, Nov. 20: 9 a.m. – noon
- Sun, Nov. 21: 4-7 p.m.
- Mon, Nov. 22: 8-10 a.m.
“This is about being a blessing and bringing God’s love and hope to children in poverty around the world that would not receive it otherwise. We have gone through the intense process of been approved as a church to be a drop off locaton to collect the boxes from individuals, families, and churches of our area, document and pack them into special cartons and take them to the next level for Samaritan’s Purse, and we have been blessed to do it for years now,” Hawsey said.
Operation Christmas Child boxes should be packed in a specific manner. For more information, call Hawsey at the First Baptist Church of Bratt at (850) 327-6529, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ, or call (800) 353-5949. Resources are available for churches that wish to participate.
“If you are not able to pack a box but would like to make a contribution toward a box let me know,” Hawsey said.
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational non-profit organization that has missions opportunities all over the world.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt is located at 4570 West Highway 4, near the Travis. M. Nelson Park.
Century Honors Kristina Wood For 20 Years Of Dedicated Service
November 3, 2021
The Town of Century honored longtime employee Kristina Wood Monday night with a service award.
She was honored “for 20 years of dedicated service”. She first went to work for Century in August 2001 and is currently chief deputy clerk of finance.
Pictured: Century Mayor Ben Boutwell (left) presents a service award to Kristina Wood honoring her for 20 years of employment with the town. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Woman Airlifted After Jacks Branch Rollover Crash; Child In Car Seat Not Injured
November 2, 2021
One person was injured in a rollover crash Tuesday morning in Cantonment, while a child in a car seat was uninjured.
The crash happened about 9:25 a.m. in a sharp curve on Jacks Branch Road just off Muscogee Road. An adult female was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital by LifeFlight. Authorities said a properly restrained young child in a car seat escaped injury
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released further details.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Century Council Votes To Raise Garbage Rates
November 2, 2021
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to raise garbage rates, something that has become a yearly tradition.
The town contracts with Republic Services to collect garbage within the town limits. Republic has a provision in their contract that allows them to increase the rates they charge the town each December to match the Consumer Price Index.
The increase will amount to 3.73%, or 91 cents, per customer with one can. The town traditionally passes the rate increase directly along to residents each year.
Century renewed a five year no-bid contract with Republic Services in July 2020.
Residential sanitation customers in Century will see their rate increase from $24.43 to $25.34 . That’s broken down to $18.68 per residential container picked up by Republic and $6.66 for bimonthly yard waste pickup by the town. Century does not offer recycling services. Republic charges the town $15.49 a month for each residential container, so the town retains $3.19 each. With 533 containers, Century makes $1,700.27 per month that pays the town for providing customer service and billing.
Commercial customers will see a similar 3.73% increase from Republic, but they are not billed by the town.
File photo.
Emergency Rental Assistance Program Still Available For Escambia County Residents
November 2, 2021
Escambia County residents struggling to pay rent and utilities due to COVID-19 can still apply for help from the Escambia County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).
The application portal is now open and available clicking or tapping here. Call (850) 403-6044 to make an appointment for in-person assistance, or see a list of libraries below.
Emergency rental assistance may be provided to eligible low-income Escambia County residents and families who:
- Have been financially impacted by COVID-19;
- Have total household income at or below 80% Area Median Income;
- Are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
- Have not received any other rental assistance for the requested months
Both the renter and the landlord must submit an application through the portal. Reimbursement will be paid directly to the landlord or utility provider. View eligibility requirements and see if you qualify here.
The program can cover up to 12 months of overdue or late rent and utility bills for households in Escambia County. Additional details for rental assistance for landlords and renters can be found at MyEscambia.com/erap.
Escambia County has received the following allocations:
- $9,611,771 from the Consolidated Appropriations Act
- $7,605,344 from the American Rescue Plan
Escambia County ERAP Policies and Procedures are in alignment with the U.S Treasury Department’s guidelines (full policies and procedures).
Email ERAP@myescambia.zendesk.com or call (850) 403-6044 with any questions.
Citizens may use the computers at the following public libraries to complete their application:
- Century Branch Library – 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
- Molino Branch Library – 6450-A Hwy. 95A, Molino
- Tryon Branch Library – 1200 Langley Ave., Pensacola
- Genealogy Branch Library – 5740 N. Ninth Ave., Pensacola
- Pensacola Library – 239 N. Spring St., Pensacola
- Southwest Branch Library – 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Westside Branch Library – 1301 W. Gregory St., Pensacola
Escambia County To Stop Reporting COVID-19 Data
November 2, 2021
Escambia County will no longer report daily COVID-19 data as of the end of this week due to a decline in hospitalization rates.
The number of hospitalizations is the only data on the dashboard that is locally sourced ;the vaccination and death numbers currently on the county’s dashboard are from the CDC.
“We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation with our healthcare partners,” said Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. “As long as the hospitalizations remain under 50, we are going to discontinue the COVID-19 dashboard after Friday, Nov. 5.”
As of Monday, there were 36 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in Escambia County, with one of those people under age 18. The Florida Department of Health releases a weekly report each Friday that includes county data for number of case, positivity rate and vaccination rate. The CDC continues to track per county death data.