Escambia Sheriff’s Office Resumes Many Functions That Were Suspended Due To COVID-19
May 19, 2020
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has resumed many functions that were suspended in March due to COVID-19.
- Front Lobby: The lobby is re-opened to the public for full services, including fingerprinting, with social distancing limitations to provide for public and employee safety. Each department will respond to the lobby to assist citizens.
- Civil: Civil is open for all service of process that has not been limited by judicial administrative or executive orders.
- Criminal Registration: Criminal and sex offender registrations have resumed. For inquiries regarding registrations, call (850) 436-9494.
- Records/Public Records: Citizens can request records through the lobby. Records may also continue to be requested by telephone or via the records request center on the ECSO website.
- Citizen Complaints: Complaint forms may be filled out at the ECSO lobby or filled out online and dropped off at the ECSO front desk. All complaint forms must be signed and returned to the Sheriff’s Office.
- Patrol: Reports, where there is no immediate threat to life or safety, can be made in the lobby. Citizens can also continue to report crime via the E-Reports section on the ECSO website.
- Victim Services: Face-to-face contact with victim advocates remains suspended; assistance via telephone will continue to be provided until further notice.
- Community Relations: All community events remain suspended.
- Communications: Dispatchers will continue to ask specific questions to identify risk factors for responding deputies.
- Property/Facilities: All deliveries will be accepted without vendors entering the physical building.
- Evidence: Evidence will continue to be released by appointment only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. To request items from the Evidence Unit, call (850) 436-9506 to make an appointment.
All changes were effective on Monday, May 18.
Driver Hits Power Pole On Bogia Road, Days After A Fatal Wreck Near The Same Spot
May 18, 2020
Less than a week after a fatal crash on Bogia Road, a driver crashed Monday morning into a power pole near the same spot.
The driver lost control on Bogia Road just west of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church about 10:45 a.m. Monday. The pole was snapped, cutting power to 123 Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers.
The driver stated he was attempting to a avoid a deer on the stretch of roadway through a wooded area. He was not injured.
On May 13, 33-year old Ernest Brown of Molino was killed when the vehicle in which he was as passenger left Bogia Road and crashed into a tree about 2,000 feet from Monday morning’s crash site.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Rainfall Not Enough To Fully Extinguish Beulah, Santa Rosa Wildfires
May 18, 2020
While most of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties received rainfall, it has not been enough over the fire areas to truly extinguish either the Hurt Hammock or 5 Mile Swamp fires. The nearest weather station to Hurst Hammock is reporting 0.19 inches of rain Monday morning while the closest to 5 Mile Swamp shows less than 0.10. Neither amount is enough to declare these fires out for good. More rain is forecast today and later in the week.
Firefighters monitored the 5 Mile Swamp Fire throughout the night and will continue today as they patrol for any potential smoke issues or hot spots. The 2,215-acre fire is 97% contained and pockets of unburned vegetation remain in the thick swamp north of Interstate 10.
The Hurst Hammock Fire is 1,191 acres and 98% contained and crews are monitoring and patrolling it as well.
Motorists are encouraged to be on the lookout for smoke on the road anytime there’s a wildfire nearby. Drivers should treat the smoke as fog, turn on low-beam headlights and slow down. If conditions worsen, drivers should pull safely off the side of the road and turn on their hazard lights while waiting for visibility to improve.
Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties have enacted burn bans and the Florida Forest Service is not issuing burn authorizations. Residents are asked to call the non-emergency line for their respective area to report violations and 911 for emergency situations only.
FBI Cracks iPhones Belonging to NAS Pensacola Shooter, Finding Evidence Of Al Qaeda Connection
May 18, 2020
The Saudi aviation student that opened fire killing three sailors at NAS Pensacola last December had been in contact with Al Qaeda, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday morning.
Evidence of the previously unknown communications was discovered after the FBI was finally able to unlock the iPhone belonging to Saudi Arabian Air Force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said.
“The FBI finally succeeded in unlocking Alshamrani’s phones. The phones contained information previously unknown to us that definitively establishes Alshamrani’s significant ties to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) — not only before the attack but before he even arrived in the United States,” Barr said. “We now have a clearer understanding of Alshamrani’s associations and activities in the years, months, and days leading up to his attack,” Barr said.
“It was clear at the time that the phones were likely to contain very important information,” Barr said. “Indeed, Alshamrani attempted to destroy both of the phones, even going so far as to disengage from the gunfight long enough to fire a bullet into one of the phones.”
Evidence on the phones showed “that the Pensacola attack was actually the brutal culmination of years of planning and preparation by a longtime AQAP associate”, the attorney general said. He added the phones showed he had contact and started planning with AQAP, an offshoot of Al Qaeda, before he arrived in the United States in 2017.
Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray repeatedly expressed disgust with Apple during a press conference Monday morning. The tech giant had refused to help the government unlock the iPhone despite a federal search warrant.
Wray said no other evidence has been discovered on the phones that hinted of any other planned attacks in the U.S.
Wray recognized partners, including local agencies including the Jacksonville and Pensacola offices of the FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Naval security forces and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, for their response to the shooting.
Sailors Joshua K. Watson, Mohammed S. Haitham and Cameron S. Walters were killed and either others, members of Naval security forces and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, were injured in the attack.
Pictured inset: Photos of one of the iPhones. Pictured below: Side-by-side comparison of Pensacola shooter Mohammed Saeed al-Shamrani’s notes (left side) with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s original claim of responsibility. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man In Wheelchair Struck And Killed On Highway 29
May 18, 2020
A man was struck and killed Sunday night on Highway 29.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 60-year old man in a motorized wheelchair was traveling across Highway 29 near Kenmore Road when he was struck by a car shortly before 10 p.m.
The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene by Escambia County EMS.
The driver of the car, a 24-year female from Pensacola, was not injured.
The FHP no longer releases the names of traffic crash victims.
When Will Nine Mile Road Construction Be Done? FDOT Offers Some Hints
May 18, 2020
Sometime it seems like the road construction on Nine Mile Road will never get finished. Now, the Florida Department of Transportation is offering some hints when major segments will be completed.
FDOT says the Nine Mile Road from Highway 29 to Pine Forest Road will be completed in the fall, and the segment from Pine Forest Road to Beulah Road should be done by mid-2021.
Currently, crews are working in both areas on roadway construction and sidewalks, and they are making drainage improvements.
But there’s a disclaimer.
“Weather and unforeseen issues may affect the construction schedule and completion dates of the project,” FDOT said.
Pictured: Construction on Nine Mile Road just west of Highway 29, as seen from the Highway 29 overpass. Photo for NorthEscambia.com
Food Giveaway Tuesday At St. Luke United Methodist Church On Nine Mile Road
May 18, 2020
St. Luke United Methodist Church on Nine Mile Road will hold a food giveaway on Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m.
The parking lot at 1394 East Nine Mile Road will open at 8 a.m. for pre-registration with proper ID. Distribution of the food from Feeding the Gulf Coast will begin at 10 a.m. and is on a first come, first served basis. Everyone is asked to stay in their vehicle with their windows rolled up.
File photo.
Gyms In Florida Can Open Today But Must Follow These Safety Rules
May 18, 2020
Gyms and fitness centers in Florida can reopen Monday weeks after being forced to closed due to COVID-19.
There are several mandatory safety rules for gyms set by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, along with a few recommended best practices.
Mandatory Safety Measures
- Monitor building occupancy and restrict customer access to no more than 50% of the building’s occupancy.
- Offer readily-available dispensers of a disinfectant and provide patrons with sufficient cleaning materials, including disposable wipes. Instruct patrons to clean touched surfaces upon each use of fitness equipment.
- Thoroughly clean and disinfect all seating, counters, weights, weight bars, mats, machines, and other fitness equipment upon closing the facility each day.
- During daily operation, routinely clean and disinfect surfaces, particularly high-touch surfaces such as faucets, toilets, doorknobs, and light switches.
- Maintain restrooms that remain open with functional toilets, clean and disinfected surfaces, and hand washing supplies, including soap and materials for drying hands or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Employees who appear to have symptoms upon arrival at work or who become sick during the day must immediately be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors, and sent home.
Recommended Best Practices
- Display posters and signs throughout the facility to remind visitors to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the wiping and sanitation of touched surfaces upon each use of fitness equipment.
- Open doors between separate fitness areas or rooms of the facility to reduce surface touching by multiple people. Open windows where feasible to improve ventilation in the facility.
- Remove all unnecessary, frequently touched items like magazines, newspapers, service menus and any other unnecessary paper products and décor from customer waiting areas and locker rooms.
Gas Prices Inch Higher As Florida Reopens
May 18, 2020
Florida gas prices are beginning to inch higher as Florida eases restrictions, causing a growing number of people to hit the road. Gasoline demand is now only 30 percent lower than a year ago, compared to the 50-75 percent deficit seen just weeks ago during the height of Florida’s stay-at-home order.
Gas prices in Florida increased last week – albeit slightly – for the first time in 10 weeks. After sinking to a four year low, the state average rose a penny to $1.77 per gallon. The state average is now a penny more than a week ago, yet five cents less than last month and 89 cents less than this time last year.
The average price per gallon Sunday night in Escambia County was $1.70, up from $1.64 one year ago. The lowest price Sunday night in North Escambia was $1.63 at a Cantonment gas station. A Pensacola wholesale club was at $1.48.
District 5 Commissioner Barry Elected Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization Chairman
May 18, 2020
The Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Board of Directors has elected Escambia County Commission Chairman Steven Barry as the new chairman of the board effective July 1. He will succeed Santa Rosa Commissioner Sam Parker.
Barry, who represents District 5, became a member of the FL-AL TPO Board when he was elected in 2012.
The Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization is the regional, intergovernmental transportation policy board for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida and Orange Beach and the community of Lillian in Alabama. The board is comprised of local government officials who make decisions regarding transportation at a regional level.