Construction Begins On McDavid Solar Farm; Second Nearby Solar Site Still In The Works
February 25, 2021
On Wednesday, Gulf Power announced the start of construction on a huge solar farm near McDavid, as plans are still in the works for a second solar facility in the same area.
At 74.2 megawatts, the Cotton Creek Creek Solar Energy Center (graphic above) will generate enough electricity to power 15,000 homes annually, according to Gulf Power. The Escambia County Development Review Committee granted approval for the Cotton Creek solar farm in November 2020.
NorthEscambia.com was first to report in December 2019 that facility was planned for West Bogia Road. Documents show the project to be about 640 acres, only 353.18 acres of which will be disturbed. The development is in an area north of West Bogia Road between South Pine Barren Road and Highway 29, just west of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Gulf Power is also currently seeking the necessary permits for the First City Solar Energy Center off Holland, Cox and Roach roads in McDavid. It will be 74.5 megawatts, also enough to power another 15,000 homes annually.
The First City Solar Center will encompass about 554 acres with about 458 acres to be disturbed for approximately 300,000 solar panels.
Both projects are expected to create 200-250 jobs during peak construction.
Gulf Power has also announced that construction is beginning on the 74.5 megawatt Blue Springs Solar Energy Center in Jackson County.
“As part of FPL, we’re ushering in a more sustainable future for Northwest Florida by delivering cleaner, lower-cost energy and increasing reliability while keeping costs down for our customers,” said Mike Spoor, Gulf Power vice president. “With each solar farm that we build, we’re reducing our carbon footprint and providing cleaner air for our region, ensuring we keep Northwest Florida beautiful for generations to come, while also benefiting the local economy with the contribution of hundreds of thousands of additional tax dollars.”
Pictured top: Plans for the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center. Pictured below: Plans for the First City Solar Energy Center. NorthEscambia.com graphics.
Andrade Files ECUA Term Limit Bill, Days After Salzman Withdraws Her ECUA Bill
February 25, 2021
Florida House District 2 Rep. Alex Andrade on Wednesday filed a new bill to impose term limits for the Emerald Coast Utility Authority board, days after another ECUA bill was withdrawn.
Andrade’s bill states that anyone elected to the ECUA board for three consecutive terms would not be eligible to run for the next succeeding term.
District 1 Rep. Michelle Salzman filed an ECUA term limit bill earlier this year, but withdrew the bill last week. She called for an extensive operational audit of ECUA and other water utilities created by special acts to gain “a clear picture of how we will move forward with legislation.” The bill had received the support of the local Legislative Delegation comprised of Salzman, Andrade and Sen. Doug Broxson.
A 2018 grand jury report, which was not made public until September 2020, recommended term limits for ECUA. The grand jury found that a lack of term limits “has created a sense of complacency and has fostered an overreliance on the executive director and attorneys.”
“The only recommendation from the grand jury report that requires legislative action was term limits. After Rep. Salzman and Sen. Broxson decided to kill the bill without my input, I decided to propose a compromise and focus on the one grand jury recommendation that needed legislative action,” Andrade told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday night.
In order for Andrade’s bill to advance in the legislative process, a local bill certification form must be signed by Broxson stating it has been approved by a majority of the three-member delegation.
“I hope he signs the form saying he supports term limits,” Andrade said. “If we are for our constituents, we are going to support term limits. I have no idea why any representative in Northwest Florida would not support term limits.”
“I made a commitment to my constituents to promote good government whenever possible, and term limits are one of the best ways to inject new ideas and transparency into our system,” he said.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
UWF Planning Modified, In-Person Spring 2021 Commencement
February 25, 2021
The University of West Florida is planning to go ahead with a modified spring commencement ceremony.
The Florida Board of Governors has announced that State University System of Florida institutions are permitted to host modified, in-person commencement ceremonies for Spring 2021 graduates. These ceremonies must meet certain criteria and guidelines as established by the Board of Governors.
The University of West Florida is actively developing a plan for in-person ceremonies, while keeping the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and families in mind, according to the university.
Additional details on the UWF Spring 2021 Commencement are expected to become available in the coming weeks.
Pictured: The University of West Florida is planning a modified, in-person commencement this spring that will look much different from this traditional ceremony in December 2018. NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Event For Veterans Saturday In Pensacola
February 25, 2021
The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System will host a mass COVID-19 vaccination event in Pensacola Saturday for qualifying veterans.
The appointment only event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center at 790 Veterans Way.
Appointments will be available for:
- Veterans 65 and up
- Veterans with a high-risk medical condition
- Veterans who are essential workers
- Eligible high risk veterans: Community living centers and other congregate living settings, homeless veterans, hemodialysis patients, solid organ transplant patients or patients who are listed for transplant, spinal cord injury, and chemotherapy patients (receiving chemotherapy in a clinic/hospital setting)
- Caregivers of a veteran enrolled in the Comprehensive Caregiver Support Program and receiving a monthly allotment from the VA.
Those meeting the vaccine criteria should call (800) 296-8872 (chose Option 2, then Option 1) to schedule an appointment. Veterans that cannot attend Saturday’s event are still encouraged to call for a clinical appointment.
This will not be a drive-thru event, and veterans should limit visitors and pets when possible.
Escambia COVID-19 Hospitalizations Fall Below 100 For The First Time In Months
February 25, 2021
The number of Escambia County COVID-19 daily hospitalizations has fallen to the lowest level since Thanksgiving.
There were 97 people currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Escambia County on Wednesday. That’s coming off a spike of 291 on January 14.
“While this is certainly good progress, it’s important that we continue to work together to bring these numbers down for our community and for our hospitals.,” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said Wednesday.
The numbers in the graph indicate daily hospitalizations in Escambia County and are provided daily by Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital. The daily numbers are not cumulative.
Data source: Escambia County, City of Pensacola. Graphics: City of Pensacola, Escambia County.
One Injured In Two Vehicle Wreck Near Northview High School
February 24, 2021
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon in Bratt.
It happened at the intersection of West Highway 4 and North Pine Barren Road, near Northview High School. The adult female driver of a SUV was transported by Escambia County EMS to Jay Hospital with injuries that were not considered serious. The occupants of a car were not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Children’s Trust Board Can’t Vote Until Governor Appoints Five More Members
February 24, 2021
The current members of Escambia Children’s Trust are unable to vote or make any decisions until the remainder of their board is appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Last November, voters approved the formation of the Children’s Trust to be funded by an increase in ad valorem taxes of up to a maximum of 0.5 mil. The trust will provide early childhood education, safety, developmental, preventative, health, and well-being services, including after school and summer enrichment programs.
Five members were appointed to the board to fill positions as mandated by state law — Escambia County School Board member Patty Hightower, Department of Children and Families Northwest Region Managing Director Walter Sachs, Circuit Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz, Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May and Escambia County School District Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith.
The Escambia County Commission is expected to the names of other nominees for five additional seats to the governor’s office by the end of this week, according to County Administrator Janice Gilley. DeSantis is due to make his selections within 45 days.
The five current members of the Children’s Trust held a public meeting Monday night, but they received legal advice to take no actions without a full 10-member board.
“My personal opinion, not necessarily serving as the counsel to you all, but my personal opinion that I reached was that respectfully (you are) maybe getting a little ahead of yourselves,” Escambia County Attorney Alison Rogers (pictured left) told the board members. “That’s just my personal opinion.”
The board can’t hire its own attorney at this point, since it’s unable to vote, but the Escambia County Commission has offered the use of county staff members.
“The statute itself that sets up the Children’s Services Trust talks about all the things you all have to do as you are talking and working through,” Rogers said. “And they all talk about doing those things immediately after the appointment of ‘the members’, not of some of the members, not a functioning group of members, not of half the members, not of the de facto members. It says the members.”
“So to me, if you put all three of those factors together,” Rogers said, before pausing. “Maybe a better idea might be to wait and see what the governor does.”
“We want to be legal; we want to do it in full sunshine. We want to be as transparent as possible because what we put in place needs to work, and it needs to be a viable process,” said Hightower (pictured top), board chairperson. “We are all anxious to be able to get funds into the hands of our community. We know that there is a lot of need out there, and there are a lot of people that are suffering. We don’t want to do it incorrectly. We want to make sure that what we do is in the best interest of all concerned.”
The Children’s Trust board is facing a time crunch to meet a July 1 deadline to set a millage rate. If that deadline is missed, they won’t be able to collect any tax dollars until 2022.
“Let’s move this forward as quickly as possible, but I’m not going to be politically pushed into a corner by anybody that says well we’ve got to do it ASAP,” said May. “Poverty, delinquency, has existed for the last 30 years. So if it takes another three or four months to get it right, they we ought to get it right.”
“You can’t go back if you don’t start with a solid foundation,” May added.
From Ana To Wanda, Here Are The 2021 Hurricane Season Names
February 24, 2021
The first day of the official hurricane season is just over three months away.
Hurricane season is June 1 to November 30, but tropical cyclones can and do happen outside the period.
Here are the tropical storm and hurricane names for 2021:
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Elsa
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Julian
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda
If there are more than 21 names storms in a season, the names will come from the Greek alphabet. That happened in 2020 with 30 names storms.
ECUA Reports 5,300 Gallon Sewer Overflow In Same Cantonment Location As 19,500 Gallons Last Week
February 24, 2021
For the second time in a week, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority has reported a sewage overflow at 515 West Roberts Road in Cantonment.
In both instances, ECUA attributed the overflow to a broken six-inch force main damaged by a utility contractor.
A leak on Monday, February 22 was estimated at 5,200 gallons, of which 3,500 gallons were recovered by vacuum truck and transported to an ECUA water reclamation facility for proper disposal and treatment. ECUA crews also diverted flows, preventing an additional 6,500 gallons from overflowing. The overflow was contained onsite in a locked and gated stormwater retention pond. Bacteriological sampling was not required.
One Wednesday, February 17, an overflow was estimated at 19,500 gallons, of which 15,000 gallons were recovered by vacuum truck and transported to an ECUA water reclamation facility for proper disposal and treatment. The spill flowed down a ditch that leads to a locked and gated stormwater retention pond.
Two Charged With Atmore Attempted Murder
February 24, 2021
Two Atmore men have been charged with attempted murder of a local resident.
Terry James Burrell, 52, and Maurice White, 49, are both charged with attempted murder. White, who was arrested Tuesday, is also facing a charge of domestic violence first degree.
About 6:45 p.m. Friday, the Atmore Police Department responded an apartment complex on Patterson street. The victim, identified as 58-year old Donald Dewayne Dortch, was found in the street with
with severe lacerations to the face from what appeared to be a gunshot injury, according to Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks.
Dortch was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital and then airlifted to a Pensacola hospital by LifeFlight.
“APD officers learned during the investigation that Dortch was inside an apartment when two male suspects entered the apartment without consent of the owner and began assaulting Dortch. The assailants then fled the scene when police were called,” Brooks said. “One of the suspects was identified as an ex-boyfriend of the female resident of the apartment.”
Burrell and White remained in the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton without bond.