Hundreds Of Kids Receive Drive-Thru Meals At Schools, Public Libraries. Here’s Where To Get Food.
March 24, 2020
One by one they came as schools and libraries across Escambia County turned into drive-thrus Monday to feed kids during the pandemic.
There were 110 children served at Bratt Elementary School and 214 at Bellview Elementary. All total, 712 kids received meals curbside at five schools. The school district will ramp up efforts next week, expanding Monday-Friday feeding to 33 additional schools that will be announced on Thursday.
“We had a great first day of feeding kids,” said Jaleena Davis, Escambia County School District Food Services director.
A few hundred additional children receive meals at five West Florida Library locations on Monday through at partnership with Feeding the Gulf Coast.
Free meals are available at sites across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties this week for youth under 18. Children must be present to receive meals, which will be distributed curbside at locations listed under the photo below.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Town of Century
The Town of Century will have “grab and go” food available for school age children and senior citizens at the Century Business Center, 150 East Pond Street in Century. The food will be available while supplies last beginning at 10 a.m. each day Monday-Friday. If not consumed quickly, some foods may require refrigeration.
Escambia County Schools
Food will be available Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. until noon the week of March 23 for youth 18 and younger at the following schools:
- Bratt Elementary School, 5721 North Highway 99, Bratt
- Bellview Elementary School, 4425 Bellview Avenue
- Warrington Middle School, 459 South Old Corry Field Road, Pensacola
- C.A. Weis Elementary School, 2701 North Q Street, Pensacola
- Booker T. Washington High School, 6000 College Parkway, Pensacola
There will be 33 additional schools announced later and added to the list on Monday, March 30.
Meals will be distributed in a curbside pick up operation. Cafeterias will not be open – food is to be consumed off-site. Food items will be in to go containers and will consist of ready-to-eat food items that should be consumed when received or should be quickly refrigerated for consumption at a later time. Each child will receive breakfast and lunch in the same visit. Children do not have to be a student at that school in order to pick up meals there. Children must be present.
West Florida Libraries
Escambia County West Florida Public Libraries are partnering with Feeding the Gulf Coast to provide free curbside pickup meals for youth ages 18 and under at all library branch locations, Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
- Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino
- Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St., Pensacola
- Tryon Beach Library, 1200 Langley Ave., Pensacola
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Westside Branch Library, 1301 W. Gregory St., Pensacola
- Century Branch Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
The meals will include lunch and a snack, and meals will be available on a first come, first served basis. Youth must be present to receive meals; food will not be given to adults.
Feeding the Gulf Coast
Feeding the Gulf Coast is providing free meals to children age 18 and younger at multiple locations:
- E Comfort Inc., 2300 N. Pace Blvd, Pensacola
- Cobb Resource Center, 601 E. Mallory St., Pensacola
- Fricker Resource Center, 900 North F St. Pensacola
- Woodland Heights, 111 Berkley Drive, Pensacola
- Gull Point Resource Center, 7000 Spanish Trail, Pensacola
- Bethel AME Church, 511 Woodland Drive, Pensacola
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St., Pensacola
- Bellview Assembly of God, 2920 W. Michigan Ave., Pensacola
- Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino
- West Florida Libraries – Downtown, 239 N. Spring St., Pensacola
- Morris Court, 1401 W. Lloyd St., Pensacola
- Shooting Starz Unlimited, 312 E. Nine Mile Road, Unit 14, Pensacola
- Dixon School of Arts and Science, 1201 H St., Pensacola
- Tryon Beach Library, 1200 Langley Ave., Pensacola
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Westside Branch Library, 1301 W. Gregory St., Pensacola
- Crown Church, 9600 N. Palafox St., Pensacola
- Lillian Square Apartments, 7200 Lillian Highway, Pensacola
- Carver Park Community Center, 208 Webb St., Cantonment
- Magnolia Crossing Apartments, 4312 Magnolia Crossing Circle, Pace
- My Father’s Arrows, Inc., 4025 Highway 178, Jay, (Gate code: 2014)
- Century Branch Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
For distribution days and times, visit https://www.feedingthegulfcoast.org/find-help/find-a-pantry and search by your location.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Breakfast and lunch feeding program school sites with drive-thru service 9:30 until 11 a.m. until further notice at the following locations:
- Milton High School, 5445 Stewart St., Milton
- East Milton Elementary, 5156 Ward Basin Road, Milton
- Bagdad Elementary, 4512 Forsyth St., Milton
- T.R. Jackson Pre-K Center, 4950 Susan St., Milton
- Russell Elementary, 3740 Excalibur Way, Milton
- Berryhill Elementary, 4900 Berryhill Road, Milton
- Jay Elementary, 13833 Alabama St., Jay
- Central School, 6180 Central School Road, Milton
- Pea Ridge Elementary, 4775 School Lane, Pace
- Holly Navarre Primary, 8019 Escola Street, Navarre
Pictured: Meal distribution for kids under 18 Monday at the Century Branch Library. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECUA Closes Walk-In Customer Service, Suspends Non-Payment Disconnects
March 24, 2020
ECUA has closed their walk-in customer service center and Ellyson Industrial Park, and they have suspend disconnects for non-payment.
Customers can take advantage of a variety of bill pay payment options that do not require face-to-face exposure or can be accomplished from home. For information on bill payment options, visit ecua.fl.gov/my-bill.
ECUA has suspended disconnections for non-payment for both residential and commercial accounts during the pandemic period.
Escambia County Parks Are Open. But Don’t Do This.
March 24, 2020
Escambia County’s parks are open, but the county is offering advice on how to stay COVID-19 safe.
The county is asking park visitors to refrain from using playground equipment because the highly-touched surfaces are not disinfected. The county is also encouraging park visitors to bring their own sports equipment.
Many of Escambia County’s parks offer paved walking trails, ball courts and other amenities that can still be enjoyed. Click here to find an Escambia County park. Note that all community centers listed on that page are closed.
Pictured: The playground at the Barrineau Park Community Center. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Animal Shelter Limits Services, Not Accepting Drop-Offs. But You Can Still Adopt.
March 24, 2020
The pandemic is restricting services offered by the Escambia County Animal Shelter.
Animal Services will not accept animals from the public until further notice, and they are asking citizens not to pick-up stray animals or bring them to the shelter.
Adoptions and claiming lost animals can only be done by appointment only. The shelter is asking the citizens to only request an adoption appointment if they are truly interested in adopting any animal because appointment time slots are limited.
To looks for lost pets or see adoptable pets, visit www.petharbor.com.
Escambia County Animal Services will continue to handle non-contact calls and emergencies. For more information or to make an adoption appointment, call (850) 595-3076 or email animalshelter@myescambia.com.
DeSantis Says He Won’t Issue A ‘Shelter In Place’ Order For Florida
March 23, 2020
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday afternoon that he does not intended to issue a “shelter in place” type order for the state, but he does intend to restrict persons arriving by air from New York and New Jersey.
“That would be a very blunt instrument….It’s not really clear to me that doing an entire massive shutdown of the entire state would work,” DeSantis said during a news conference from his Tallahassee office. He said people will be noncompliant has been evident in videos from other states where such orders are in place.
“A governor is not going to start imprisoning people just because they leave their house,” he said.
“This is not a virus that’s impacting every corner of the state. We have 20 counties that have zero cases,” he said.
“It’s not going to be easy in the days and weeks to come but we will get through it and we’ll be there for you,” DeSantis said.
“We’re going to work hard together as a community and we’re going to come out of this on the other side stronger than we are now.”
DeSantis said he will issue an executive order requiring a 14-day self quarantine for travelers arriving by air from COVID-19 hotspots New York and New Jersey. He said there were 190 flights scheduled from the New York area to Florida on Monday, and he would think each one probably had someone positive on the flight.
Two New COVID-19 Testing Options Are Now Open
March 23, 2020
Two new COVID-19 testing centers opened in Escambia County on Monday; they are in addition to a Sacred Heart site that opened last week. Details on all three options are below.
Baptist Health Care
Baptist Health Care now offers a screening center to evaluate people with respiratory illness and COVID-19 symptoms. To better and more safely serve our community members, this Baptist Medical Group location is set up to provide a controlled environment that applies the social distancing guidelines encouraged by the CDC. The center’s focus is to provide a more comprehensive treatment program by screening those who may have COVID-19 and treating people with Flu-A, Flu-B, pneumonia or other respiratory illnesses.
All individuals with respiratory symptoms – such as cough, fever and shortness of breath – can set up an appointment with the screening center. They should contact their Baptist Medical Group primary care provider office.
An appointment is required.
The Baptist Medical Group office will assess a person’s symptoms to determine if a visit to the clinic is needed.
If they meet the criteria, an appointment will be scheduled for them.
They will be given a phone number to call upon their arrival.
Patients will be asked to remain in their vehicles, and a BMG team member will greet them and escort them to the clinic.
Brownsville Community Center
Escambia County, the City of Pensacola, Ascension Sacred Heart and Community Health Northwest Florida have partnered to open a drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Brownsville Community Center.
All patients are required to be screened before arriving at the drive-through testing center by calling the Ascension Sacred Heart COVID-19 Screening Call Center at (850) 746-2684. Those who have not been screened over the phone will not be provided access to the drive-through test center.
Once patients have been pre-screened through the call center for symptoms, they will be sent to the drive-through testing site for a nasal swab test.
The screening call center will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The drive-through clinic will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ascension Sacred Heart
On Monday, March 16, Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart opened the first regional drive-through testing center for COVID-19.
All patients are required to be screened before arriving at the drive-through testing center by calling the Ascension Sacred Heart COVID-19 Screening Call Center at (850) 746-2684.
The screening call center will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
State Troopers Identify Victim In Fatal Flomaton Rollover Wreck
March 23, 2020
Alabama State Troopers have identified the victim in a fatal wreck early Sunday morning in Flomaton.
Samuel Colbert, age 27 of Monroeville, was killed when the 2011 Jeep Cherokee he was driving left the roadway and overturned on Highway 31 near Twin Bridges Road about 1:10 a.m. Colbert, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced deceased on the scene.
His passenger, 26-year old Zachry Alsop of Atlanta, was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by LifeFlight helicopter.
Flomaton Fire, Flomaton Police, Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office and MedStar EMS also responded.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Here’s What We Know About Eight Positive COVID-19 Cases In Escambia, Santa Rosa
March 23, 2020
There are now eight total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Escambia and Santa Rosa County, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The Escambia County cases, four of which were announced on Sunday, are a 51-year old man that traveled to France and had no contact with a known case; a 25-year old female, a 51-year old male and a 48-year old male, and a 33-year old male originally announced incorrect on Sunday as being from Santa Rosa County.
The Santa Rosa County cases are a 71-year old male that died after travel to Egypt, Israel and Jordan; a 48-year old male that traveled to the United Kingdom; and a 17-year old male with no travel history.
RELATED STORY: FDOH: Increased Testing Leads To Additional COVID-19 Cases In Escambia County
Free Meal Sites For Youth Now Open In Escambia, Santa Rosa Counties
March 23, 2020
Free meals are available at sites across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties this week for youth under 18. Children must be present to receive meals, which will be distributed curbside.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Town of Century
The Town of Century will have “grab and go” food available for school age children and senior citizens at the Century Business Center, 150 East Pond Street in Century. The food will be available while supplies last beginning at 10 a.m. each day Monday-Friday. If not consumed quickly, some foods may require refrigeration.
Escambia County Schools
Food will be available Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. until noon the week of March 23 for youth 18 and younger at the following schools:
- Bratt Elementary School, 5721 North Highway 99, Bratt
- Bellview Elementary School, 4425 Bellview Avenue
- Warrington Middle School, 459 South Old Corry Field Road, Pensacola
- C.A. Weis Elementary School, 2701 North Q Street, Pensacola
- Booker T. Washington High School, 6000 College Parkway, Pensacola
There will be 33 additional schools announced later and added to the list on Monday, March 30.
Meals will be distributed in a curbside pick up operation. Cafeterias will not be open – food is to be consumed off-site. Food items will be in to go containers and will consist of ready-to-eat food items that should be consumed when received or should be quickly refrigerated for consumption at a later time. Each child will receive breakfast and lunch in the same visit. Children do not have to be a student at that school in order to pick up meals there. Children must be present.
West Florida Libraries
Escambia County West Florida Public Libraries are partnering with Feeding the Gulf Coast to provide free curbside pickup meals for youth ages 18 and under at all library branch locations, Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
- Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino
- Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St., Pensacola
- Tryon Beach Library, 1200 Langley Ave., Pensacola
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Westside Branch Library, 1301 W. Gregory St., Pensacola
- Century Branch Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
The meals will include lunch and a snack, and meals will be available on a first come, first served basis. Youth must be present to receive meals; food will not be given to adults.
Feeding the Gulf Coast
Feeding the Gulf Coast is providing free meals to children age 18 and younger at multiple locations:
- E Comfort Inc., 2300 N. Pace Blvd, Pensacola
- Cobb Resource Center, 601 E. Mallory St., Pensacola
- Fricker Resource Center, 900 North F St. Pensacola
- Woodland Heights, 111 Berkley Drive, Pensacola
- Gull Point Resource Center, 7000 Spanish Trail, Pensacola
- Bethel AME Church, 511 Woodland Drive, Pensacola
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St., Pensacola
- Bellview Assembly of God, 2920 W. Michigan Ave., Pensacola
- Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino
- West Florida Libraries – Downtown, 239 N. Spring St., Pensacola
- Morris Court, 1401 W. Lloyd St., Pensacola
- Shooting Starz Unlimited, 312 E. Nine Mile Road, Unit 14, Pensacola
- Dixon School of Arts and Science, 1201 H St., Pensacola
- Tryon Beach Library, 1200 Langley Ave., Pensacola
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Westside Branch Library, 1301 W. Gregory St., Pensacola
- Crown Church, 9600 N. Palafox St., Pensacola
- Lillian Square Apartments, 7200 Lillian Highway, Pensacola
- Carver Park Community Center, 208 Webb St., Cantonment
- Magnolia Crossing Apartments, 4312 Magnolia Crossing Circle, Pace
- My Father’s Arrows, Inc., 4025 Highway 178, Jay, (Gate code: 2014)
- Century Branch Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
For distribution days and times, visit https://www.feedingthegulfcoast.org/find-help/find-a-pantry and search by your location.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Breakfast and lunch feeding program school sites with drive-thru service 9:30 until 11 a.m. until further notice at the following locations:
- Milton High School, 5445 Stewart St., Milton
- East Milton Elementary, 5156 Ward Basin Road, Milton
- Bagdad Elementary, 4512 Forsyth St., Milton
- T.R. Jackson Pre-K Center, 4950 Susan St., Milton
- Russell Elementary, 3740 Excalibur Way, Milton
- Berryhill Elementary, 4900 Berryhill Road, Milton
- Jay Elementary, 13833 Alabama St., Jay
- Central School, 6180 Central School Road, Milton
- Pea Ridge Elementary, 4775 School Lane, Pace
- Holly Navarre Primary, 8019 Escola Street, Navarre
WSRE Airing Free “At-Home Learning” Programs During School Closures
March 23, 2020
Beginning this week, WSRE is airing a new daytime schedule of “At-Home Learning” PBS programs suited for students from Pre-K through 12th grade from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. The schedule change is part of a state-wide effort among PBS stations in Florida to support families, educators and students during school closures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Like the digital resources available online through PBS LearningMedia, this new weekday television schedule will provide educational programs that are aligned to state standards for Florida schools and are free and accessible from home.
Click here to download a schedule.
“This special educational programming and the PBS LearningMedia website are extraordinary tools that are free and easy to access from home, and they can play a critical role by providing trusted, aligned education resources for students, parents, teachers and caregivers during these challenging times,” said Jill Hubbs, WSRE general manager.
The new daytime schedule replaces WSRE’s usual lineup of PBS KIDS programming on the main channel, 23.1. This programming for early learners will remain available on the WSRE PBS KIDS channel, 23.4, and streaming online at pbskids.org.
PBS KIDS is for grownups, too. At PBS KIDS for Parents (pbs.org/parents), searches can be filtered by topic and age. For example, select Social Skills for age 3 to find appropriate articles, printable activities, recipes, games and apps. The article, “How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus,” is an example of how PBS KIDS for Parents provides up-to-date information aligned with current events.
Designed for teachers and students, PBS LearningMedia (pbslearningmedia.org) is accessible for everyone. Search by grades Pre-K through High School to find videos, games and activities aligned to state and national school standards.
WSRE’s new daytime television schedule will include specific blocks of time for Pre-K through 12th grade levels and cover English language arts, social studies, science and math.
“PBS stations like WSRE are ideally suited to deliver this content, not only because of the educational quality of our programs, but also because our broadcast signal is available for free to all homes in our coverage area,” said Hubbs. “It is our hope that families will tune in and use these online educational resources to create at-home learning environments for their children.”
Click schedule below to enlarge.
