Flomaton PD Wants To Purchase A Much Needed K-9, And They’re Accepting Donations
March 12, 2020
The Flomaton Police Department is accepting donations to assist in the purchase of a trained K-9 for the department.
The K-9 purchased out of donated funds will be trained for non-bite tracking such as missing children and persona, and fleeing fugitives; along with drug apprehension and detection.
“The K-9 will be a great tool for the Flomaton Police Department to continue to ensure the safety of our citizens and visitors, with also being a great PR tool for children of our community,” Flomaton Police Chief Chance Thompson said. “This project is a great investment in our town and community.”
Donations to the K-9 fund can be made to the town clerk at the Flomaton Municipal Complex at 2125 Ringold Street. Donations can also be made by mail to: Town of Flomaton, P.O. Box 632, Flomaton, AL 36441.
Gulf Power Begins Using Drones To Inspect Equipment Along Local Power Lines
March 12, 2020
Gulf Power is embracing technology by using drones to perform equipment assessments on overhead power lines .
Drones are being used in Escambia County to take photos of equipment along power lines in neighborhoods to proactively identify potential areas of concern before an outage occurs.
“Using drones to patrol our power lines will provide additional visibility into potential issues that may be undetectable to the naked eye, allowing our team to identify issues and make repairs before an outage occurs,” said Mike Spoor, vice president of power delivery for Gulf Power. “Taking advantage of this technology will help Gulf Power improve reliability for our customers in a less intrusive and more efficient manner.”
Drones are ideally suited for inspecting equipment because they can safely and quickly deliver high-quality photos and videos of our power lines in a way that can minimize environmental impact and inconvenience for customers along power line routes. Drones can also collect thermal images using infrared technology and assess vegetation encroachment.
Following a severe weather event, drones will also help us assess damage in areas that are flooded or impassable due to fallen trees and debris. The ability to gather damage assessments from areas that are otherwise inaccessible will help Gulf Power restore power safely and as quickly as possible.
Gulf Power’s program is taking lessons learned from a similar program employed by Florida Power & Light Company, Gulf Power’s sister company. The drones will survey power lines throughout Gulf Power’s service area, from Pensacola to Fort Walton Beach to Panama City, in advance of storm hardening and reliability improvement projects. Gulf Power will be using Federal Aviation Administration approved drone pilots, who follow all FAA privacy and flight regulations.
The contractors will patrol power lines during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday), will wear Gulf Power safety equipment and will display signs in the neighborhood where they are working. In addition, customers will be notified by a call to the phone number on file with Gulf Power with an automated voice recording days before the assessment takes place.
Pictured top: The drone will be able to view equipment on Gulf Power lines closer to determine if there are any issues. In this photo, a woodpecker hole is near the top of the pole. Pictured inset: This is an example of the infrared camera showing an issue with a piece of equipment on the power line. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Takes Additional Precautions To Keep Public Facilities Sanitized Against Coronavirus
March 12, 2020
Escambia County is taking additional preventative action to ensure public facilities such as community centers, libraries and public buildings are sanitized. Staff and contractors are increasing the disinfecting of restrooms, customer service areas, exterior entrances, door knobs, hard surfaces and other high-traffic areas. Escambia County staff continue to follow the general cleaning and precautionary guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health organizations. The contracted custodial provider has been informed of CDC recommendations and ensures their process is in line with those recommendations.
“We are doing everything possible to keep our community healthy when they walk through our doors,” said District 3 Commissioner Lumon May. “County employees have ramped up cleaning efforts quickly as a precaution. The best action we can take right now are preventative steps to protect against the spread of influenza, coronavirus or similar diseases. I have asked the county administrator to ensure that ECAT buses, community centers and libraries are closely monitored and sanitized.”
Commercial hospital-grade disinfectant is being used with each cleaning following the manufacturers recommendation for dwell time. Sanitizer dispensers have been placed throughout various high-traffic buildings such as the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building. Additional sanitizer dispensers have been ordered for high-volume buildings like community centers and the ECAT facility. CDC signage has been placed in bathrooms in county facilities.
The library will continue to offer hand sanitizer at all help desks and Lysol wipes to wipe down computers. Library staff will continue to use Lysol wipes on all computers before the library opens each day, and they have increased wiping down work surfaces throughout the day. Library staff sprays door knobs with Lysol multiple times per day as an additional precaution.
ECAT’s fleet maintenance team is constantly working to make sure vehicles and facilities are continuously sanitized. All revenue service vehicles are disinfected daily. Commercial grade disinfectant is currently being used every night by ECAT bus cleaners, which was added as part of the enhanced comprehensive bus cleaning process. The county has communicated with the contracted paratransit provider to relay CDC information and has ensured the steps they are taking are sufficient.
The Florida Department of Health call center is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (866) 779-6121 or you can email your questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
Man Gets Four Life Sentences For Kidnapping, Raping Woman In Escambia County
March 12, 2020
Joshua James Edwards has been sentenced to four consecutive life terms as a prison releasee reoffender for kidnapping and raping a woman.
Joshua Edwards was convicted last month of sexual battery, kidnapping and two counts of carjacking. He is a member of a the “Aryan Brotherhood Gang”, a white supremacist prison gang, leading law enforcement to believe the crimes against an African American woman were racially motivated.
The victim was kidnapped from a Circle K at the intersection of New Warrington Road and Jackson Street in March 2019. He forced the woman at gunpoint to drive into Lillian, Alabama, where he raped her. They returned to Escambia County where the woman intentionally crashed the vehicle into trees. Edwards raped her again on benches at Bill Dickson Park on Fenceline Road.
Edwards stole another car from a nearby home and was later spotted at the Walmart on Blue Angel Parkway. He was taken into custody in a wooded area behind a nearby Verizon store.
Edwards had been released from state prison on November 29, 2018, after serving three and a half years for burglary and theft related offenses. Because he committed the rape and carjacking within three years of his release, he was sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender, which requires the maximum statutory sentence be imposed.
There is no parole in Florida and he will be required to actually serve the remainder of his life in prison.
Escambia Precinct 25 Polling Location In District 5 Has Been Moved
March 12, 2020
There has been an emergency polling change in Escambia County’s District 5 for those that vote in Precinct 25.
For the Presidential Preference Primary election, Precinct 25 has been changed from the Azalea Trace retirement community to the University of West Florida Conference Center, Main Ballroom at 11000 University Parkway, Building 22.
The elections office was informed on Tuesday, March 10 that Azalea Trace would not be available as a polling place. An alternative location was secured and letters to voters were mailed later the same day. All voters impacted by this precinct change were mailed a letter and a map to the new polling location.
For more information, call the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office at (850) 535-3900 or email soe@escambiavotes.com.
IMPACT 100 Announces $1.1 Million In Grants To Be Awarded To Community Groups
March 12, 2020
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a local women’s philanthropic organization, announced Wednesday that its 2020 Membership Driveconcluded with a total of 1,166 members. IMPACT 100 will give back $1,166,000 by awarding 11 transformative project grants of $106,000 each to nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties on October 11.
This is the 17th anniversary year of IMPACT 100 awarding grants to local nonprofits. After awarding the 2020 grants, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area will have funded 120 grants, totaling $12,830,000.
“The tremendous generosity displayed by the women in our area never ceases to amaze me! It is what has continued to make IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area the largest Impact organization in the world, but more importantly the one that has given back the most to our community. The philanthropy of our members and the power of collective giving allows us to continue to fund transformative projects of nonprofit organizations that serve our area and make a positive difference for us all. Reviewing the new project ideas submitted is always exciting and we look forward to the opportunity to help bring many of these to fruition,” said Brigette Brooks, President of IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area
Two grants will be awarded in each of five focus areas: arts and culture; education; environment, recreation and preservation; family; and health and wellness. Due to the overwhelming response to the membership drive, one additional grant will be awarded in one of the five focus areas for a total of eleven transformative grants.
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area is hosting a free nonprofit workshop on Thursday, April 16 at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 West De Soto Street Registration is at 8:30 a.m. with the workshop held from 9 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Guest speaker Cathy Brown, associate director of education at The Fund-Raising School, Lily Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, will present “Building Blocks for Sustainable Success”. All nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are invited to attend and learn about the grant process, get tips for writing a successful grant and be inspired to create a winning project for the 17th year of giving.
The Century Town Council Has Canceled Their Next Meeting. Here’s Why.
March 12, 2020
The Town of Century has canceled the next regular meeting of the town council.
The meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 16 – the day before the Presidential Preference Primary. The Supervisor of Elections Office will move voting equipment into the room on Monday.
“The voting equipment will be in the council chambers Monday and they must be secured,” Mayor Henry Hawkins said.
“We indicated the equipment needed to be secured, even if in an adjoining office,” Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford said.
The canceled council meeting has not been rescheduled. The council generally meets on the first and third Mondays of each month.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
McAnally Tosses Complete Game Shutout As Tate Freshmen Blank Navarre
March 12, 2020
Ethan McAnally threw a complete game shutout as the freshmen Tate Aggies blanked Navarre 12-0 Wednesday.
McAnally allowed three hits with no runs and no walks in four innings, striking about two.
McAnally, Jackson Perryclear, Dayton Powell and Jamil Sardar had two hits each for the Aggies. James Davis, Cade Kelley, Rilee Lowery and Michael Sadar had one hit each for Tate.
State Will No Longer Seek Death Penalty In Naomi Jones Murder
March 11, 2020
The state is no longer seeking the death penalty in the case Robert Howard, the man accused of kidnapping and murdering 12-year old Naomi Jones in 2017.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said Wednesday afternoon “that additional witness information and evidence has developed in the Robert Letroy Howard case. As a result of those developments and evidence, it is no longer appropriate to seek the death penalty in this case. The mother of the victim was consulted and is in agreement with this decision.”
Eddins did not provide further information because the case is still pending. Jury selection in the case begins Monday in Escambia County.
Prosecutors say Howard kidnapped, murdered and dumped the body of 12-year old Naomi Jones.
Authorities say Howard was living with his girlfriend in the same apartment complex in which Jones lived in the 1400 block of East Johnson Avenue. He lived in a nearly adjacent apartment to Jones. She was last seen May 31 in that apartment complex.
Jones likely died within 24 to 36 hours after her May 31 disappearance, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said. Her body was then later dumped into Eight Mile Creek, some 4-5 miles away, where it was found days later by two men looking for a fishing location.
According to court documents, Howard admitted to being at the apartment complex the day Jones went missing and having contact with her at his apartment. He became extremely angry and committed “a violent act” against Jones causing her death. He then placed her body in the backseat of his Nissan Altima and traveled to multiple locations, including Brewton, AL, before returning to Pensacola and throwing Jones’ body into the creek.
Howard is convicted sex offender. He was convicted in 1999 on two counts of first degree rape to two adult females in Escambia County, AL. One of the victims was 19-years old at the time. He served 15 years.
UWF Students Won’t Return For Two Weeks After Spring Break, Moving To Online Classes Due To Coronavirus
March 11, 2020
University of West Florida students won’t return to campus for at least two weeks after spring break conclude this week and will move to online-only classes on Monday due to coronavirus.
“The Florida State University System has mandated all universities transition to remote instruction, effective immediately. Face-to-face instruction is currently set to resume on March 30, 2020. If this date changes, the University will notify the campus community,” UWF said in an email to students Wednesday afternoon. There are no identified cases of COVID-19 at UWF.
Students are urged to remain off campus during the period that ends March 30, but housing and student dining services will remain open. Essential services such as counseling and the library will remain available.
UWF already had “courses shells” available for online delivery of all courses, and face-to-face remote instruction will begin March 16.
UWF is making the transition in response to a directive issued by the State University System of Florida and the Florida Board of Governors.
” Effective immediately, all universities will make plans to transition to remote instruction as soon as possible,” a press release from the Board said.
“All universities will continue to provide essential services, such as dining, counseling, health services, library services, etc., potentially on a limited basis or remotely. Each university with clinical and other non-classroom based programs will communicate directly with those students.”