Pedestrian Struck And Killed On I-10; Troopers Seeking Tractor Trailer Truck
February 4, 2020
A pedestrian was struck and kill on I-10 in Escambia County Monday night, and the Florida Highway Patrol is search for a tractor trailer that may have hit him.
It happened about 8:45 p.m. on I-10 eastbound just east of Highway 29.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 23-year old Cory Reddick of Pensacola was walking in between the center and far right lane of I-10. Troopers said 21-year old Amber Jones of Milton saw Reddick in the roadway and attempted to swerve, but her 2013 Kia Soul collided with him.
“Through the course of our investigation we have determined that the pedestrian in last night’s fatal crash was also struck by a tractor-trailer after the initial collision,” Lt. Robert Cannon, FHP public affairs office, said. “We have no description of the tractor-trailer but there will be physical evidence on the semi from the collision. We are asking for assistance from the public in helping us to locate and identify the tractor-trailer.”
Anyone having information can contact the Florida Highway Patrol at (850) 484-5000, or by dialing *FHP (347) from a cell phone.
The investigation is continuing.
Photos Show Just How Close A Century Bridge May Be To Collapse. And It’s Going To Take $300K To Replace It.
February 4, 2020
Photos obtained by NorthEscambia.com show the dangerous conditions that led to the emergency closure of a bridge on Freedom Road in Century last week.
Several pilings under the wooden bridge are no longer properly supporting the structure, and some of the pilings are split or have extreme deterioration.
Monday night, the Century Town Council voted to move forward with replacing the bridge. The first step will be for town staff to determine how to pay the estimated $300,000 price tag. The council voted for the replacement over an estimated $75,000 to $100,000 for repairs that might last a decade, according to Interim City Manager Vernon Prather.
The council may use Local Option Sales Tax revenue for the new bridge, but a final determination of a funding option will come at un upcoming meeting.
Last week, Mott McDonald engineers conducted a limited inspection of the bridge and found the following problems:
- A backwall has deflected toward the water, pushing piles toward the water and causing them to rotate, split and no longer bear weight.
- One bridge piling has a split at the top of the pile, but it is providing some support.
- A second pile has been pushed completely out and no longer supports the bridge.
- A third pile has split, and only half the pile is providing support.
- A fourth pile has deterioration with only a three-inch diameter section remaining about six feet below the bridge. The outer pile section has broken.
- There is soil loss behind a backwall.
- There is a large void underneath the roadway on the east side the bridge
“We cannot predict when the…backwall lateral loads will complete fail…causing the bridge the collapse,” engineer Bart Hendricks wrote in his report. “We also cannot predict when the roadway over the void on the southeast corner will collapse”
The age of the bridge was not provided to the engineer, but he determined the timber pilings may be at or beyond the typical life of 30 years. “A better long-term financial decision may be to replace this structure rather than perform repairs,” Hendricks wrote.
Mott McDonald engineers also recommended that the town perform bridge inspections for all bridges that are not inspected by the Florida Department of Transportation. Those inspections are required every two years for longer bridges by the Federal Highway Administration.
Century Mayor Henry Hawkins Has Been Hospitalized For Nearly Two Weeks
February 4, 2020
Century Mayor Henry Hawkins has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks.
Hawkins was admitted to West Florida Hospital on January 22 and spent time in intensive care with flu symptoms along with blood sugar and kidney problems.
Century City Manager Vernon Prather reported Monday night that Hawkins remains in the hospital, but his condition has greatly improved. He has been moved to a regular room at West Florida Hospital and is allowed to have visitors.
ECSO: Man Steals 23 Guns And $40K In Jewelry From Pawn Shop
February 4, 2020
An Escambia County man has been charged with stealing 23 guns and about $40,000 worth of jewelry from a local pawn shop.
Terry Cook,42, allegedly used a sledgehammer to break into a pawn shop on Pensacola Boulevard about 3 a.m. on January 31.
During the investigation surveillance video was used to identify Cook. A search of his residence in the 8500-block of Ryan Avenue revealed 13 guns and some of the stolen jewelry, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Cook was charged with possession of a weapon by convicted felon, felony criminal mischief, burglary of a structure (armed), grand theft, grand theft of a firearm and dealing in stolen property.
Deputies served another search warrant in the 600 block of Caro Street were five more firearms were located. The ECSO said charges in the search are pending.
Investigators are still looking to recover five more firearms and additional jewelry. If you have any information about this incident, call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Tip: If You Are Going To Traffic Drugs, Don’t Use A Bag Labeled ‘Bag Full Of Drugs’
February 4, 2020
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is offering a little tip for anyone trafficking illegal drugs….don’t keep them in a bag labeled “Bag Full of Drugs”.
The SRSO recently assisted the Florida Highway Patrol with a traffic stop on I-10 in which a large amount of narcotics were discovered.
“Note to self- do not traffic your illegal narcotics in bags labeled ‘Bag Full Of Drugs’. Our K-9’s can read,” the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office posted Monday night on social media.
On February 1, FHP Trooper Marlon Boggan stopped a Kia clocked at 95 mph. The vehicle occupants were identified as driver Ian Christian Simmons and passenger Joshua Michael Reinhardt, both age 34 and both from Orlando.
The SRSO assisted in the search of the vehicle, with K-9 Prince alerting to contraband in the Kia. A search of the vehicle found approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, 1.36 kilograms of GHB, one gram of cocaine, 3.6 grams of fentanyl, 15 MDMA tablets and drug paraphernalia.
Simmons and Reinhart were both booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on multiple felony drug charges.
Megan Walters Prefiles For Escambia Commission District 5
February 4, 2020
Megan Walters prefiled Monday as a Republican for the Escambia County Commission District 5 seat. Incumbent Republican Steven Barry and Democrat Barbara Goins have also prefiled for the office.
Walters submitted the the following statement to NorthEscambia.com:
Megan Walters is a fourth generation and lifelong North Escambia resident. She was raised riding bikes and horseback riding the roads and woods of Cottage Hill and surrounding areas. She has been married for nearly 18 years and is the proud mother of four boys. She currently works part time as a merchandiser servicing stores along the Gulf Coast.
Walters worked for 10 years in the public safety arena as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, 911 dispatcher for Escambia County, Pensacola Fire Department, and Baptist LifeFlight. She left the public safety arena to be a mother and manage a home of a family of six.
Since 2008, she has been an active volunteer of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Young Marines, as well as volunteering at Molino Park Elementary, oftentimes wearing multiple hats. Additionally, she has served on MPE School Advisory Council for two terms and was voted to the position by her peers. She currently is an active volunteer with the Tate Quarterback club, as well as holding a board position. Since 2015, She has served on the Mass Transit Advisory Council to which she was appointed by a county commissioner, and held the chair position for several years. She volunteered for a few years with the Northwest Florida Guardian Ad Litem, as well as holding a board position during her time there.
She worked on the 2010 Census and thoroughly enjoyed meeting and talking to the neighbors of North Escambia, so much so, that she will be working on the 2020 Census coming up. Megan was a blocker with Pensacola Roller Gurlz until she had to retire due to an injury. Her hobby is scouring yard sales and thrift stores for anything that is unique, funky, or strikes her fancy.
Megan loves Pensacola from the beaches and city to the rural and rivers. She is running for county commissioner because she believes she can help make a difference and make our home an even better place to live.
NorthEscambia.com allows candidates for offices in North Escambia to submit a statement of around 300 words or less at the time they pre-file.
Bridge On Lambert Bridge Road Closed For About Two Weeks
February 4, 2020
The bridge on Lambert Bridge Road over Pine Barren Creek will be closed effective Tuesday for repairs. It is expected to remain closed for about 15 days.
Eastbound traffic will be detoured from Lambert Bridge Road onto Velor Road, to Highway 164, to North Pine Barren Road. Westbound traffic will be detoured onto North Pine Barren Road to Highway 16464, to Velor Road, back to Lambert Bridge Road.
The contractor anticipates reopening the bridge on or before Wednesday, February 19.
Olive Baptist Ministry Village Bargain Center Holds Nine Mile Road Ribbon Cutting
February 4, 2020
The Olive Baptist Ministry Village Bargain Center held a grand opening Monday at the their new location at 92 East Nine Mile Road.
The Bargain Center first opened in June 2013 in its original location on North Davis Highway near Fairfield Drive. The new location on 9 Mile Road not only provides access to the booming population growth in that area – both for ease of donations and accessibility of shoppers – but it also provides a better store layout for the merchandise as well as the addition of The Market. The Market at Ministry Village opened in December 2019, providing vendor booth space which allowed the Bargain Center to expand into a unique, boutique-style shopping experience. Vendors at The Market offer a variety of local, handmade, unique and custom items ranging from local honey and jewelry to handmade wreaths and crosses.
“We are very excited to be in the 9 Mile Road area,” says Julie Paden, manager of the Ministry Village Bargain Center. “This building was recently renovated so it truly helps us provide the boutique experience we wanted to be able to offer to our customers.”
While the Bargain Center offers discount shopping and thrifty finds to bargain-loving shoppers, its primary mission is to fund the various programs of Ministry Village at Olive – the Tender Hearts Caring Hands food pantry and benevolence program; Most Excellent Way’s addiction support groups; and the Charis House, a ladies faith-based residential recovery program for women suffering from addiction.
The Ministry Village Bargain Center’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Donations are accepted from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three Injured In Highway 29, Tate School Road Crash
February 3, 2020
Three people were injured in a two vehicle wreck Monday morning on Highway 29 at Tate School Road.
The T-bone type collision happened about 8:30 a.m. Both vehicles came to rest off the roadway in the edge of the woodline.
Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate the victims before they were transported to the hospital by Escambia County EMS. None of the injuries were considered life threatening.
Southbound Highway 29 traffic was diverted onto Old Chemstrand Road as first responders worked.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Cantonment, Ensley and Brent stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Gas Prices Decline Over The Last Week
February 3, 2020
Florida gas prices continue to decline, with an average drop of 7 cents at the pump last week.
The current state average is $2.37 per gallon, down from a high in January of $2.56 per gallon. The state average has since dropped a total of 18 cents per gallon in the past 17 days.
The average price in Escambia County was $2.29, while two Cantonment stations had the lowest price in North Escambia Sunday night at $2.19 per gallon.
“The state average should trend even lower this week, as strong gasoline supplies continue to outpace low winter fuel demand,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “In addition to those seasonal factors, it now appears that the coronavirus is heaping even more downward pressure on fuel prices. Marketwatchers are concerned that the mysterious virus could lead to even less global fuel demand. The growing concerns led to lower crude prices last week, which lowers the cost of producing gasoline. If current wholesale gasoline prices hold, the state average could approach $2.30 per gallon by the end of the week.”