United Way ‘Born Learning Trail’ Opens In Jay. The Next One Will Be In Century.
July 3, 2020
The first of five Born Learning Trails was opened this week in Jay at the newly renovated Bray-Hendricks Park.. The next one will be in Century.
The Jay Born Learning Trail was made possible through a partnership between the early Learning Coalition, International Paper, the Town of Jay and the United Way of West Florida.
The Born Learning Trail, a United Way Worldwide initiative since 2005, is a series of 10 signs with activities painted on a park trail that offer fun, interactive learning activities for young children and their families. It helps parents, caregivers, and communities create quality engagement opportunities when out on a stroll or while playing at a park.
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The next local Born Learning Trail will be installed at Showalter Park in Century, according to Naomi Kjer, market manager for the United Way of West Florida. She said the plans are confirmed and approved. The installation was delayed due to COVID-19, but should happen in near future.
After Century, three more trails will be announced for locations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
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FDLE Arrests Escambia County Man On 20 Child Porn Counts
July 3, 2020
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested an Escambia County man Thursday on multiple child pornography charges.
William Gray, age 44 of Turkey Road, was charged with 20 counts of promotion of child pornography.
FDLE agents, with assistance from Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, served a search warrant at Gray’s home and found numerous digital images and videos of child pornography, according to FDLE.
Gray’s remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $400,000.
Escambia Ballots For Military And Overseas Voters On The Way; Not All Voters Eligible For Primary Ballot
July 3, 2020
The first vote-by-mail ballots for the August 18 primary election were sent to military and overseas voters Thursday. The mailing of civilian ballots will begin next week to those who requested them. Federal and state laws require military and overseas ballots voters to be sent no later than 45 days prior to a federal election. Florida law establishes a window for mailing civilian ballots between 40 and 33 days prior to election day.
However, not all registered voters in Escambia County are eligible to receive a ballot in the primary election, as a result of Florida’s closed primary system and Escambia County’s single-member districts. This impacts nearly 50,000 of Escambia County’s 223,000 registered voters in the primary election.
All registered Republican voters are eligible in at least one contest due to the countywide primary for the U.S. House of Representatives nomination. Registered Democrats, No Party Affiliation voters, and minor party voters in some but not all precincts are eligible, depending on the district in which they are registered.
Registered Democratic voters in the following precincts do not have any contests in which they are eligible to vote in the primary, and as a result will not be issued a ballot:
- 1, 3, 15, 24, 30, 35, 40, 41, 42, 46, 49, 50, 54, 58, 64, 67, 71, 72.1, 77, 82, 83, 94, 97, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110.1
Voters in the following precincts with No Party Affiliation or registered in a minor party do not have any contests in which they are eligible to vote in the primary, and as a result will not be issued a ballot:
- 1, 3, 15, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 58, 60, 63, 64, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 77, 80, 82, 83, 90, 91, 94, 97, 98, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, 113
Any Florida voter can choose to vote by mail. If you have not already made a request and wish to receive your ballot in the mail, visit EscambiaVotes.com/vote-by-mail or call us at (850) 595-3900. The request deadline is August 8.
The deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation before the August 18 Primary Election is July 20. Visit EscambiaVotes.com/register-to-vote for more information. A sample ballot will be mailed to all registered voters prior to the start of early voting and will be posted at EscambiaVotes.com. Voters with questions about their eligibility should call (850) 595-3900 or visit EscambiaVotes.com/am-i-registered for more information.
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2020 Pensacola Beach Air Show Canceled Due To COVID-19 Concerns
July 2, 2020
The 2020 Pensacola Beach Air Show originally scheduled for July 8-11 has been canceled. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels team informed the Santa Rosa Island Authority of their decision to cancel their performance late Thursday afternoon.
“After much discussion and consideration regarding the current rise in COVID cases in our hometown, we have come to the conclusion that canceling our flights during the Pensacola Beach air show is the only way we can ensure the safety of our community we love so much,” the Blue Angels said in a statement.
“Each year we look forward to the opportunity to fly for our friends, family and neighbors here in Pensacola. This was not an easy decision to make. Unfortunately, we are navigating very uncertain and unpredictable times. We felt this was the necessary decision to make in effort to keep our community safe.”
Plans had called for the airshow viewing area to be significantly expanded from Pensacola Beach to Orange Beach.
Next year’s show is scheduled for July 9-10.
Police Arrest Protester Carried Across Pensacola Bay Bridge On SUV’s Hood
July 2, 2020
Pensacola Police have arrested the protester carried three miles across the Pensacola Bay Bridge on the hood of a SUV.
Jason Uphaus of the 800 block of South Highway 29 was charged Thursday with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.
One Jun 6, group of protesters had walked the short distance from the Graffiti Bridge on 17th Avenue to Bayfront Parkway, locking arms and temporarily blocking access to the Pensacola Bay Bridge. The Ford Flex drove at a slow speed through the group, with Uphaus jumping onto the hood of vehicle.
The driver continued slowly, with Uphaus on the hood, three miles across the Pensacola Bay Bridge where the vehicle was stopped by Gulf Breeze Police.
After about 20 minutes, Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson arrived to speak to the group, and they left the roadway a short time later.
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Three Escambia County Jail Inmates, 12 Correctional Officers Test Positive For COVID-19
July 2, 2020
Three Escambia County Jail inmates and 12 correctional officers have tested positive for COVID-19.
Escambia County Corrections Chief Rich Powell said another 13 correctional officers are awaiting results.
The county said over 30 inmates have been tested over the last four months, and these are the first inmates to test positive.
The three inmates are in a medical unit and are not presenting medical concerns, according to the county. The three units where the inmate were housed are being offered testing and will remain in their units collectively pending the results.
“Our priority remains the safety and health of our inmates and employees,” Powell said. “We have procedures in place for infectious disease whereby we have been separating the population who may have had contact with these inmates to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in the jail. These are the first positive cases in the four month span of the pandemic. We ask the public to remain calm and trust that we are following our infectious disease processes to keep inmates and employees as safe as possible.”
The names of the inmates will not be released due to medical privacy laws. Persons with questions about inmates can call (850) 536-9650.
Updated 11:50 a.m. to reflect correctional officer cases not originally revealed by the county.
Tate Graduate And Her Boyfriend, A Couple Of Pastors’ Kids, Win UWF’s Songs Of Impact Contest
July 2, 2020
Unable to fall asleep as the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic weighed on her, University of West Florida senior mathematics major and Tate High School graduate Delaney Beal decided to clear her mind by jotting down a few lyrics. As it turns out, those lyrics resonated with a significant number of voters in the UWF Songs of Impact contest.
Inspired to support their fellow Argonauts amid COVID-19, the UWF community answered the call through Songs of Impact. For three weeks in June, the public voted on their favorite songs and donated to UWF initiatives that help students in need. Beal and her boyfriend Nathan Keeton, a junior management information systems major, placed first with 1,221 votes for their inspirational song, “Home is Where the Heart is.”
“One night I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to write a song, and I thought, well, there’s that Songs of Impact contest, so I’ll try to write an impactful song,” Beal said. “It was right at the start of coronavirus and everything was up in the air. Some friends we’re connected with at UWF and Baptist Collegiate Ministries had to go back home, and UWF is like a second home so that’s what made me think of the song. Home is where your heart is, not necessarily a specific place. I wrote it in about 15 minutes.”
Beal and Keeton, who was homeschooled, share a passion for music rooted in their upbringings as pastors’ kids. Both serve on worship teams at Circle Community Church, where her father is the lead pastor, and Solomon’s Porch, where his father is the lead pastor. As the grand prize winners, the couple earn an opportunity to perform “Home is Where the Heart is” at UWF Homecoming, free studio time at the WUWF recording studio to professionally record their song, the possibility of their song being distributed to WUWF listenership or used in UWF promotional items, and a $300 gift card to the UWF Bookstore.
Tilden Whitfield, a UWF alumnus and program specialist for the Office of Student Retention Initiatives, performed a duet with his wife, Thapelo, to finish second with 689 votes for their song, “We Can Be.” The couple earned a $100 gift card to the UWF Bookstore. Music major Tris Weeks earned a $50 UWF Bookstore gift card for placing third with 671 votes for her cover of “Stick Together” by Staying Apart.
The three prize-winning entries beat out an impressive field of competitors. UWF received more than 50 submissions from faculty, staff, students and alumni after the call to submit songs and lyrics went out in April. After thorough vetting, 25 submissions advanced to the voting phase. The Songs of Impact campaign generated more than 6,300 votes from the public.
“We listened to all the people and saw there were some pretty talented people in the competition that we were intimidated by,” Keeton said. “Everyone we heard back from, though, said they loved our song, which surprised me.”
The winning couple chose the Student Emergency Relief Fund as their cause for the public to support. Other UWF initiatives chosen by those who submitted music included Argo Pantry and scholarship funds.
To learn watch more videos from the entrants, visit uwf.edu/songsofimpact.
Flomaton Municipal Complex Once Again Closed To The Public
July 2, 2020
The Flomaton Municipal Complex has been closed again as a precautionary measure during the spread of COVID-19.
Any court or utility payments can be made in the facility’s drive-thru windows or the town’s online portal.
Anyone needing the Flomaton Police Department should call 911 during an emergency. For non-emergent matters, use the call box by the front entrance or phone (251) 296-5811.
All essential services in the town remain operational at this time.
Final Registration Next Week For Ransom Middle Band, Chorus And Orchestra
July 2, 2020
Next week is the final chance to sign up for music classes at Ransom Middle School.
Final registration will be held July 7 and July 9 from 5-7 p.m. at the Ransom bus ramp for band, chorus and orchestra. Parents and students will remain in their vehicles for proper social distancing.
No music experience is necessary.
For more information, email:
Jwalker2@ecsdfl.us (band)
Ahorne@ecsdfl.us (chorus)
CMcConnell@ecsdfl.us (orchestra)
Cantonment Improvement And Pensacola MESS Hall Team Up For Food, Science Kit Distribution
July 2, 2020
For four months now, the volunteers of the Cantonment Improvement Committee have distributed food weekly to those in need.
Hundreds upon hundreds of families have been served, including last week when 230 cars went through the line as food was distributed to 815 people.
This week, the Pensacola MESS Hall joined in, distributing about 200 takeaway STEM (science, technology, engineer and mathematics) kits. The Mess Hall said it was “like a Happy Meal, but better”.
The CIC accepts food donations each Monday at 3 p.m. for distribution at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Carver Park, 208 Webb Street in Cantonment.
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