Nikki Fried: Individuals Need Help Now Following Hurricane Sally
October 2, 2020
Updated: Individual Assistance was approved Friday morning.
BY NIKKI FRIED,
FLORIDA COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
People often say they’ll “never forget” when a major hurricane comes through their town. I certainly can’t forget Hurricane Andrew as a scared teenager in 1992, when it tore through my Miami hometown. The families of the 1,833 souls lost in Hurricane Katrina need no reminder. And residents of the Florida Panhandle absolutely won’t forget Hurricane Michael roaring ashore in 2018, downing an estimated 550 million trees.
Hurricane Sally is no different. Thousands of North Floridians won’t ever forget it. But our federal government is forgetting them.
As the Category 2 storm dumped up to thirty inches of rain across the region along with 105-mph winds, it became clear that not only homes and businesses would be imperiled, but also hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, drowning millions of crops.
Helping people recover in the immediate aftermath of major disasters like hurricanes is exactly what the federal government is supposed to do, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal partners. They provide not only the blankets and tarps, but the financial assistance needed to help communities get back on their feet.
But this time might be different. For the first time in modern U.S. history, it appears that federal help for individuals might not be coming. It’s completely inexplicable.
When President Trump issued a Major Disaster Declaration a week after the storm on September 23, it was narrowly tailored to send federal aid for debris removal and infrastructure only to local governments, and only in Escambia County. This leaves out not only the dozen other North Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Sally, but also local residents themselves needing help, including farmers facing 100 percent losses.
It defies reason. Local leaders are exasperated. State Senator Doug Broxson called it “very disappointing.” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson noted people “have nowhere else to go” for help with food. Escambia County Commission Chairman Steven Barry said it’s “unfair to our citizenry.” Residents called it “a slap in the face.” They’re all correct.
The very next day I reiterated my request to the President, asking him to expand his Major Disaster Declaration to provide aid not only to all of the region’s affected counties, but to the men and women who live and work here, suffering and needing help. There’s simply no reason why he should turn his back on Americans in their time of need.
Meanwhile, the region’s farms remain drenched, with 100,000 acres each of peanuts, cotton, and hay impacted by the storm, as well as 10,000 acres of corn, 4,000 acres of horse farms, and many other important crops including pecans, walnuts, timber, and aquaculture. Federal aid is critically needed here as well, and fast – but there’s a hold-up.
Federal assistance for farmers can come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through a Secretarial disaster declaration. Under federal law, this must be requested by a Governor, or by the USDA Farm Service Agency’s state director.
I immediately wrote to Governor DeSantis, asking him to request this of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. I asked him again at our meeting of the Florida Cabinet last week. And I wrote to Senators Rubio and Scott, as well as Representatives Dunn, Gaetz, and Lawson, offering our department’s support of additional disaster relief.
Until the Governor properly requests the disaster aid from the USDA, it will be slow in coming, if at all. After waiting two years for Hurricane Michael timber and irrigation grants to be negotiated and bureaucratized, the last thing Panhandle residents and farmers need is another agonizing wait for federal assistance. The scars from those delays remain as real as the 72 million tons of timber felled by that storm.
From floods to hurricanes, North Floridians have been resilient. It’s a testament to their grit and determination. But as leaders, it’s our job to help our people when they need it most. And with agriculture as the Panhandle’s leading industry, the economy won’t recover without timely assistance.
We expect people to be self-reliant, to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. But we pay taxes for a reason. We need the President, the Governor, and the federal government to get to work, get aid to individuals, and get busy helping the Panhandle recover, replant, and rebuild.
We may “never forget” the storm. But neither should we forget what happens next.+
Pictured: Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried talked with local farmers and had a chance to see crop devastation across northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties Sunday, September 20. NorthEscambia.com and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.
Monday Is Voter Registration Deadline For November General Election
October 2, 2020
Monday is the deadline to register to vote in the November 3 general election.
The supervisors of elections in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties stressed that people should not wait until minute during a joint press conference on Thursday.
Each office will have extended hours on Monday for last minute registrations. The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections will hold extended office hours on Monday from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Don’t wait until the last minute. Once we get beyond that deadline, if you come in to (register) on October. 6, you will not be able to vote in this general election,” Escambia Supervisor of Elections David Stafford said.
The three supervisors also encouraged those intending to vote by mail to not wait too late to return their ballots. They recommended that ballots be returned by a week before the November 3 election.
“If you get beyond that, you really want to look at hand delivering that ballot either to an early voting site or to our office to make sure it gets in on time,” Stafford said.
Stafford also said two new early voting locations may be coming to Escambia County — one near the fairgrounds and one in Century. The sites will be announced after they are approved by the state.
Pictured: Supervisors of Elections (L-R) Paul Lux of Okaloosa County, Tappie Villane of Santa Rosa County and David Stafford of Escambia County. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDOT: Six Months To Repair Pensacola Bay Bridge
October 1, 2020
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said Thursday afternoon that it will take about six months to complete repairs to damaged areas of the Pensacola Bay Bridge, if the weather cooperates.
Once repairs are complete, all four lanes will be open with no load restrictions and at the same condition as expected for new construction.
FDOT and its partners have made the reopening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge a top priority with numerous efforts underway. The survey of the piers and topside inspections have been completed along with most of the underwater footings. Demolition is proceeding with a focus on two of the spans to allow for underwater inspection.
Skanska has ordered two additional cranes to replace existing cranes that were damaged or lost to assist in the process. Two additional subcontractors are also on-site, mobilized from as far away as Baton Rouge, to increase on-site resources with additional equipment and 40 additional personnel to expedite demolition.
Three of the Skanska’s barges remain on or under the structure and the removal of those barges will have to be done with great caution. The contractor has prioritized the removal of the barges and will work closely with FDOT to ensure the least amount of additional damage possible to the bridge in this effort. To date, the nine barges have been removed from the area including three from private property, three from the Bayou Texar region, two from Naval Air Station Pensacola and one near the Garcon Point Bridge.
The design is underway for the permanent repairs and reestablishment of four lanes of traffic on the bridge with a focus on substructure repairs which includes the piers. Durability, and ensuring there is absolutely no reduction in the bridge’s strength as a result of the repairs, remains paramount in the design plans, according to FDOT.
FDOT is assessing the final total number of the spans/piers that will ultimately need to be replaced. The contractor has already fabricated 25 beams and the piers needed to begin repairs. Skanska has also begun constructing more replacement beams and piers at its offsite yard and has reached out to other facilities to assist in production. This will allow the installation of these items to commence as soon as demolition of the damaged items are complete.
To date, FDOT divers have inspected 202 underwater footings while top side inspection teams have assessed 105 spans, 202 piers and 525 beams. The number of spans requiring full replacement remains at five and FDOT has identified an additional two that will require partial replacement. FDOT will have to replace a number of beams and is still determining the specific number needing replacement.
Only 59 Students In Escambia Are Isolated Due To COVID-19. That’s Out Of Over 39,000 Students.
October 1, 2020
There are over 39,000 students in the Escambia County School District, and only 59 were isolated due to COVID-19 as of Wednesday.
“For the most part, those 59 aren’t positive; they were identified by contact tracing,” said Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. That means the students were identified by the Florida Department of Health as having close contact with a known positive case.
“It’s you got contract traced; you’ve got to sit out,” said Thomas.
Of the 59 students isolated — not allowed to attend a brick and mortar school until a quarantine period passes, 16 were students at Bellview Middle School, 13 were from Molino Park Elementary and 12 were students at Northview High School, the superintendent said. The 18 others were scattered at schools across the county.
Many times, the isolated students came in contact with a family member, friend or someone else outside a school setting. While they are out of school, the students are often still involved in virtual learning.
“We’ve learned how to separate the kids, so if we have a situation we can minimize the numbers that have to sit out,” he said. “We were prepared.”
Thomas said he is not at all alarmed by the current number of students that were quarantined due to either being exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19.
“If we were tracking and contact tracing the flu, strep or colds, there would be more,” he said.
Monday will mark six weeks since the first day of school in Escambia County.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Applications Open Friday For $7.5 Million To Help Escambia County Businesses Recover From COVID-19 Losses
October 1, 2020
Escambia County will start accepting applications for the Escambia CARES Business Emergency Financial Assistance Grants beginning Friday, October 2, at 8 a.m. Applications will be accepted through Tuesday, October 6, at 8 p.m.
Applications will be accepted online at myescambia.com/CARES and at several physical locations throughout the county.
Those needing assistance or who do not have access to the internet and wish to apply with paper forms instead of online can visit one of the four fully-staffed application assistance centers located throughout the county.
These locations will be staffed for in-person application assistance during the grant application window, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays and noon-5 p.m. on weekends.
- Century Branch Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd.
- Florida SBDC at the University of West Florida, 9999 University Pkwy., Building 8
- Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St., Suite 301
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St.
Businesses wishing to apply for this grant will need to supply:
- Fully completed application, including certifications, affirmations, acknowledgements.
- State of Florida active business registration from SunBiz.org is registered in Escambia County effective October 2019 (will need to confirm still in business as of date of application and is expected to return to full operations after local and state emergency guidelines during COVID‐19 are rescinded). If the business is not registered in SunBiz, a business license or documentation with an Escambia County address will be required.
- Documentation of any PPP funding (must be less than $10,000 to be eligible).
- Copy of owner’s Driver’s License, state ID or passport.
- Entire 2019 tax return.
- IRS Form 941 first quarter 2020.
- A completed and signed IRS W‐9 form.
- Provide attestation that request is valid and truthful.
To qualify for the grant, businesses will need to show proof:
- The business cannot be publicly traded.
- Must be current on ad valorem taxes, if any.
- No current unpaid code enforcement liens or violation of federal, state, or local laws/ordinances.
- Less than 50 full or part-time employees.
- Must have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 after March 1, 2020.
- Received less than $10,000 in Payroll Protection Program loans from Small Business Administration.
Escambia County has allocated more than $7.5 million of CARES Act funding to provide grants of $7,500 for businesses with 0-25 employees and $15,000 for businesses that have 26-50 employees. Escambia CARES Business Emergency Financial Assistance Grants will be dispersed on a first-qualified, first-served basis until funding has been exhausted.
SNAP Recipients Impacted By Hurricane Sally To Receive Additional Benefits
October 1, 2020
The Florida Department of Children and Families’ announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients impacted by Hurricane Sally will receive additional support.
Mass replacements will be issued for SNAP recipients in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties due to the significant loss of power associated with the storm. Fifty percent of each household’s food assistance benefits received between September 1 and September 15 will be automatically replaced, and for those benefits issued between August 16 and August 28, there will be a 25 percent automatic replacement – there is no need to submit a request or attestation.
DCF has also extended the 10-day timeframe for current SNAP recipients to request replacement funds for food items lost during the storm. Through October 6, these households will need to provide a statement attesting to the loss of food purchased with food assistance benefits and documentation that caused the food loss. Replacement benefits cannot exceed the household’s monthly benefit allotment, including additional benefits received for the maximum allotment based on household size.
To request a replacement of food assistance benefits, SNAP recipients should login into their MyACCESS account at https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/ or call 850-300-4323 to speak to a call center agent.
For more information, visit https://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/.
USDA Offers Hurricane Sally Disaster Assistance To Farmers
October 1, 2020
Hurricane Sally’s flooding and high winds impacted agricultural operations in Florida and surrounding states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. As agricultural producers move into recovery mode and assess damages, they should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages.
SDA encourages farmers and ranchers to contact the FSA county office at the local USDA Service Center to learn which documents should be provided to help the local office expedite assistance, such as farm records, receipts and pictures of damages or losses.
Producers and landowners can use the online Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool , answering five questions to identify USDA programs that will help meet disaster recovery needs.
Depending on the operation, FSA offers a number of disaster assistance programs to help offset eligible losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program, Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, Emergency Conservation Program, Emergency Forest Restoration Program, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and Tree Assistance Program. Additionally, producers located in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also offers programs to help in the recovery process. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can help producers plan and implement conservation practices on land impacted by natural disasters. “NRCS can be a very valuable partner to help landowners with their recovery efforts,” said Juan Hernandez, state conservationist for the NRCS in Florida. “Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop approaches that focus on effective recovery of the land.”
Producers with Federal crop insurance coverage should contact their crop insurance agent for assistance. Producers should report crop damage to their agent within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days.
Additional NRCS programs include the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, which provides assistance to local government sponsors with the cost of addressing watershed impairments or hazards such as debris removal and streambank stabilization. Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, conservation districts or any federally recognized Native American tribe or tribal organization. When a watershed impairment occurs due to a natural disaster event, the district conservationist serves as the local facilitator for EWP activities.
Pictured: USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and Congressman Matt Gaetz survey Hurricane Sally damage on Monday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
The Honeybee Highway: Molino Park Student Places Second In National Poetry Contest
October 1, 2020
A Molino Park Elementary School student has won second place in a nationwide poetry contest.
Jordyn Gibbs’ poem “The Honeybee Highway” took second place in the grade 3-5 division of an annual poetry contest for students across America hosted by The America Library of Poetry.
Her poem is reprinted below.
he Honeybee Highway
by Jordyn Gibbs
In my backyard there stands a hive,
a big white box where honey bees thrive.
Busy bees toiling all day long
striving to bring the nectar home.
They pollinate fields, the flowers, and crops
Then carry the pollen back into the box.
The queen bee is happy and dances a jig
Soon honey will be flowing and the yield will be big
Tall jars of honey cut fresh from the combs
Waiting to be devoured by the people at home
Sweet, sweet honey to spread thick on a bun
Thank you, my bees, for the work you have done.
Navy Federal Donates $100K To United Way’s Hurricane Sally Relief Fund
October 1, 2020
Navy Federal Credit Union, Pensacola’s largest private sector employer, on Wednesday announced a $100,000 donation to support United Way of West Florida’s Hurricane Sally Relief Fund.
Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are home for 95 percent of our Greater Pensacola Operations team,” said Keith Hoskins, senior vice president for Navy Federal Credit Union. “The damage caused by Hurricane Sally has made an impact on them as well as our entire community. We have already seen our employees step up to help each other and clean up debris for our friends and neighbors. It’s an honor to continue to provide help in the efforts to rebuild and recover together.”
Donations made to United Way of West Florida’s Hurricane Sally Relief Fund will be used to provide assistance to those impacted by the storm, particularly those community members who do not have insurance or who are underinsured.
“Navy Federal Credit Union has stepped up during these extraordinarily challenging times to provide critical support to a community that is reeling from Hurricane Sally,” said Laura Gilliam, president and CEO of United Way of West Florida. “Their donation of $100,000 to the Hurricane Sally Relief Fund will help our community get back on its feet.”
The credit union has approximately 152,000 members in the area impacted by Hurricane Sally.
“The Pensacola area is where our employees and members are choosing to raise their families, serve our nation and build businesses,” said Hoskins. “We are part of a resilient and caring community. I know we’ll come back better and stronger, together.”
Pictured (L-R) Laura Gilliam, president and CEO United Way of West Florida; Kara Cardona, senior vice president Greater Pensacola Operations Navy Federal Credit Union; Keith Hoskins, senior vice president Greater Pensacola Navy Federal Credit Union. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDLE Arrests Pace Man On 27 Child Porn Counts
September 30, 2020
The FDLE enforcement has charged a Pace man with over two dozen child pornography counts.
Agents with FDLE, along with Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, arrested 56-year old Jeffery Carl Swenson of 5765 Quintette Road on 27 counts of obscene material possession depicting child sexual conduct.
The investigation began after an agent identified images and videos of child pornography being downloaded and shared from a computer at Swenson’s residence. The images and videos depicted female children under the age of 10, according to FDLE.