Facing The Inability To Pay Some Bills On Time, Century Shuffles Fund Balances
June 2, 2020
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to move funds between accounts in order to pay bills before they become past due.
The council voted to move Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) dollars in the amount of $78,880.92 to the water fund to pay bills that are generally due by mid-June. The bills are for materials or labor related to a water interconnect and water well repair at Century Correctional Institution after a well failure in early May.
Interim Town Manager Vernon Prather said the water fund had a bank balance just under $11,000 as of last week, and the Florida Department of Corrections currently owes the town $36,742.
LOST provides discretionary funding for local governments in Escambia County for infrastructure projects that have a lifespan greater than five years.
Prather also asked for the transfer of LOST funds to cover a $36,057 water fund truck purchase in 2018 and $57,969 to cover current year capital outlay projects. The council tabled action on the request until they see a LOST fund balance sheet. The fund has a balance that is somewhere about the $900,000 and receives sale tax funds monthly.
The council also voted Monday night to:
- Make a monthly $5,000 transfer from the garbage fund to the gas fund through September 2020;
- Close an old tornado relief fund and transfer $11,583.46 from an insurance payment not used for relief to the general fund;
- Request a $7.200 payment for a September 2019 audit from a consultant. The money will go into the general fund.
Prather wrote in a memo that the recommended transfers would enable the town to “sustain payroll and current bill thus helping any cash crunch that may arise”. He wrote that if need, the town could transfer up to $31,829.86 from an account that receives rent for town facilities and $50,35.81 in water fund reserve funds.
Escambia County (AL) Covid 19 Cases Jump By 34 In Two Weeks
June 2, 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Escambia County, Alabama, has suddenly jumped.
There are now 73 cases in the county, up by 34 in the past two weeks. There have been 314 tests administered in the county in the last 14 days.
There have been three COVID-19 cases in the county.
As of Monday night, there were 18,246 cases across the state of Alabama out of 224,892 total tested. There have been 644 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Alabama, with 1,876 cumulative hospitalizations.
The Alabama Department of Health now posts a number of “presumed recoveries”. That number stood at 9,355 Monday night.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Century Council Votes 3-1 To Reopen The Town’s Parks
June 2, 2020
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to reopen the town’s parks, departing from the advice given by Mayor Henry Hawkins. The Century parks are about the last, if not the last, recreation area in Escambia County to be reopened after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hawkins told the council that the parks remained closed because the town does not have the personnel to monitor them for proper social distancing like Escambia County and the City of Pensacola.
The county and city never closed their parks and never instituted any formal monitoring programs.
Councilmen Ben Boutwell and James Smith both expressed that some point people must have personal accountability for the their actions such as proper social distancing the in the parks.
“People can do what they want to do,” Councilman Luis Gomez said. “I’m not trying to stop it, but I’m trying to say if the people start getting sick and people start overwhelming the park, are we going to be willing to close it back?”
The council voted 3-1 to reopen the parks and reinstall the basketball rims that were removed from Marie McMurray Park. Gomez cast the dissenting vote, and council member Sandra McMurray-Jackson did not vote after apparently being disconnected from the telephone meeting.
“I’ll go no with this one,” Gomez said about his vote. “It ain’t going to be on my conscience.”
When Century closed their parks in early April due to COVID-19, they also removed the basketball from the Carver Community Center’s basketball courts on Jefferson Avenue. Monday night, the council voted 4-0 to return the rims to the community group that owns the courts because they are not town property.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
EREC Reopens Lobbies For Member Services
June 2, 2020
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has reopened their business lobbies in Walnut Hill and Jay with recommendations to follow CDC social distancing guidelines.
In response to COVID-19, the lobbies were closed in March and contract post office services were scaled back in Walnut Hill.
EREC is still encouraging members to utilize remote options to do business with the cooperative. EREC accept payments by mail, online, by phone or using a night depository drop. Services such as opening or closing an electric, water or internet account; making changes to services; balance inquiries and service orders can be accomplished b phone or email. Contact memberservices@erec.com or call (850) 675-4521 or (800) 235-3848 for assistance.
Pictured: The Walnut Hill post office. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northview High Names Valedictorian, Salutatorian
June 2, 2020
Northview High School has named the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2020.
Valedictorian is Keaton Brown, and salutatorian is Kayla McKillion.
A graduation ceremony for the Northview High School Class of 2020 will held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24 at the Pensacola Bay Center. Seating will be limited.
Click or tap here for more information on planned graduation ceremonies in Escambia County.
UWF COVID-19 Testing Site Reopened Tuesday, One Day After It Was Closed By The State
June 1, 2020
The mobile testing site at the University of West Florida will reopen to the public, Tuesday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After Tuesday, it will be open to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
The drive-through test site is located at the SP2 parking lot, which is on the east side of campus, near the East Sports Complex. Individuals are asked to remain in their vehicles, and pre-screening is not required.
On Monday, the state announced the testing site was closed after the National Guard was activated.
The site was first opened to the public May 2 at the request of the Governor’s Office under the direction of the Florida Department of Health in conjunction with both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and assistance from the Florida National Guard.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Highway 29, Highway 97 Rear-End Collision
June 1, 2020
One person was injured in a rear-end type collision at Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino Monday afternoon.
The crash happened 1:45 p.m. when the driver of passenger car rear-ended a Toyota 4Runner. One person was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hurricane Season Begins Today. Going To A Shelter Should Be A Last Resort Due To COVID-19.
June 1, 2020
Monday is the first day of hurricane season, and COVID-19 concerns are a bigpart of this year’s local planning.
Shelters will open in the event a named storm threatens Escambia County, but county officials say public shelters might not be the best first choice.
“This year with COVID-19, we really want to stress that residents have a plan rather than go to a shelter,” said Escambia County Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore. “The county will provide shelters and will do everything possible to sanitize them, but we know that the likelihood of COVID-19 spreading increases when people are in close living conditions.”
“A shelter should be a last resort. We are asking residents to know their evacuation zone, and if they aren’t in an evacuation zone, it may be safer to stay at home and prepare accordingly. Better yet, please reach out to family and friends now to develop a plan to stay somewhere safe if you need to evacuate,” Gilmore said.
While June 1 marks the official start to the hurricane season, there have already been two named storms. And forecasters are calling for an above normal season.
Pictured: Hurricane Michael makes landfall in 2019.
Second Arrest Made In Robbery Of Jay Convenience Store
June 1, 2020
A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the robbery of a convenience store in Jay last October.
Bradon Demarcus Brazile, 19, was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail late last week on a charge of robbery without a firearm. A second suspect, 21-year old Demarcus Trey Brown (pictured right), was arrested for robbery without a firearm and obstructing justice on April 1.
The Exprezit Exxon Station in the 3800 block of Highway 4 was robbed the night of October 11. The clerk told the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office that two people completely covered by clothing entered the store. One of them jumped the counter and demanded that she empty the register as the second suspect walked around the counter. They emptied the money into a bag and ran out of the store, according to an arrest report.
Both remained in the Santa Rosa County Jail.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Airlifted After Crashing On Dirt Road At Lake Stone
June 1, 2020
An adult male was seriously injured when his vehicle overturned at Lake Stone near Century Sunday afternoon..
The man lost control of a Ford Explorer on a dirt road adjacent to the lake and overturned into a tree about a quarter mile from the boat ramp. He was airlifted by Med Star Air Care helicopter to an area hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol investigated. The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
