Amos The Labradoodle Helping Pensacola Sailors Cope During Pandemic
August 7, 2020
With COVID-19 still affecting the world, Sailors have been more restricted in an effort to maintain control of the virus and keep Sailors safe. With new accession students attached to Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station, that has meant less socializing, with restrictions to fitness, spiritual services and liberty onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station, Pensacola, Florida.
However, there are still ways that Sailors can receive in-person counseling with a chaplain. In these unique times of anxiety, loneliness and stress, the chaplains at Corry Station have incorporated a therapy dog in training to help the student population.
Animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic intervention that incorporates animals, such as horses, dogs, cats, pigs, and birds, into the treatment plan. It is used to enhance and complement the benefits of traditional therapy. The chaplains’ therapy dog is a Labradoodle named Amos.
While under these restrictions, it is more likely for Sailors to become more reclusive and suffer from things such as loneliness, depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts. Studies have shown that social interaction, and counseling is a good way to combat these things, offered U.S. Navy Chaplain Cmdr. John Ismach-Eastman.
“I think with everything going on, with all the services and other ways to cope with stress limited due to COVID-19; Amos is a wonderful option for healing,” said Ismach-Eastman. “Although we offer in-person counseling, there is a major trend for most counseling to be virtual. While that option can certainly help, it only helps to an extent, especially since we were designed as social beings. The chaplains know all too well that touching screens more than hearts plays a detrimental toll on our mental and spiritual health. Amos meanwhile can offer something we can’t–namely a physical touch, a hug and the love and affection therapy dogs are known for.”
For some students onboard Corry Station, Amos has already contributed to their well-being. Information Systems Technician Seaman Apprentice Kyara West is one of those Sailors.
“It was nice and helpful being with Amos,” said West. “I have a lot of anxiety talking to people, especially people I don’t know that well. It was definitely calming to be with him while I was in the chapel; just being able to pet Amos and have him around helps me focus. The dog is so loving and being able to feel that helps me be more comfortable.”
No doubt, aside from being an alternative form of therapy, Amos does indeed provide a much needed social interaction benefit. Sailors and other military members can see him and interact with him, having a companion to be around them which is a limited availability among COVID-19 safety procedures. Amos also helps these Sailors in training, and he is learning to pick up on saddened or depressed service members while providing them with the companionship they may need.
West, having a background with dogs already, said that animals have always been a good stress relief for her, and military members can benefit greatly from the use of therapy animals. She hopes that Amos being onboard Corry Station leads to more opportunities to utilize him and that it leads to more awareness of getting help for service members.
“I think therapy animals are something Sailors and other military members would greatly benefit from being around,” added West. “Animals in general are already great, but having these animals that are specifically trained to notice when someone is down, or might just need some extra love, is super helpful. Maybe what we’re doing here will lead to more things, like forming a club, or getting other bases to start doing the same thing.”
Amos is available by appointment, and service members do not have to be referred. Contact the Chapel at (850) 452-6376 for counseling or a therapy session with Amos.
IWTC Corry Station is a part of the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT). With four schoolhouse commands, a detachment, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT trains over 20,000 students every year, delivering trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.
Pictured: Sailors attending courses at Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station Pensacola, Pensacola, Florida, pet Amos, the in-training therapy dog, during a visit. Photo By Seaman Neo Greene for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Forms Task Force To Explore ‘Safe And Limited’ Reopening Of Long-term Care Facilities
August 7, 2020
Floridians have been unable to visit their relatives in long-term care facilities for months, but Gov. Ron DeSantis said it’s time for that to change.
Thursday, the governor announced the formation of Florida’s Task Force on the Safe and Limited Re-Opening of Long-Term Care Facilities. Members of the task force will work together to develop guidelines on how to safely allow family members to visit their loved ones in Florida’s long-term care facilities where visitation has been prohibited since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The last four and a half months have been difficult for all Floridians, especially our residents in long-term care facilities and their families,” said DeSantis. “In an effort to protect our most vulnerable, we made the difficult decision in March to prohibit visitation to these facilities. While these measures were necessary, it has taken an emotional toll on our families. I look forward to the ideas that arise from this task force on how we can continue our mission to protect the vulnerable while allowing for the much-needed human connection of spending time with family and friends.”
Members of the Task Force on the Safe and Limited Re-Opening of Long-Term Care Facilities are below:
- Mary Daniel, Caregiver
- Mary Mayhew, Secretary, Agency for Health Care Administration
- Richard Prudom, Secretary, Florida Department of Elder Affairs
- Dr. Scott Rivkees, State Surgeon General, Florida Department of Health
- Gail Matillo, President and CEO, Florida Senior Living Association
- Emmett Reed, Executive Director, Florida Health Care Association
- Michelle Branham, Vice President of Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association
Friday Rapid COVID-19 Testing Reaches Capacity In An Hour
August 7, 2020
The State of Florida’s rapid COVID-19 testing site at the Escambia County Equestrian Center closed after reaching capacity within about an hour Friday morning.
The walk-up test site was available on a first come, first serve basis with 200 tests available for Florida residents with or without symptoms. On Thursday, the mobile testing lab reached their maximum number of in about two hours.
The mobile rapid testing bus will move to Santa Rosa County this weekend. It will be at the Milton Community Center at 5629 Byrom Street in Milton from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sunday. Adults should bring a Florida identification.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County, Alabama, Tops 1,000 COVID-19 Cases
August 7, 2020
Escambia County, Alabama, has now topped 1,000 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, and one additional death was reported Thursday.
As of Thursday night, there were 1,044 confirmed positives in county, with 95 additional probable results. The number of deaths in Escambia County, Alabama, is now at 16.
ECUA Yard Waste Collections For North Santa Rosa County Rescheduled To Saturday
August 7, 2020
Due to a staffing shortage on Santa Rosa County routes, yard waste collections scheduled for Thursday and Friday for ECUA customers in north Santa Rosa County have been rescheduled to Saturday, August 8. All other collections remain on their regularly scheduled days. File photo.
Bratt Couple Charged With Child Abuse After Young Girl Suffers Numerous Broken Bones
August 6, 2020
A Bratt couple is facing felony child abuse charges after an infant girl was airlifted to the hospital with numerous broken bones and injuries.
Shannon Anthony Barnhill, 28, was charged with first degree felony aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm. Brittany Paige Barnhill, 24, was charged with second degree felony child neglect with great bodily harm for failing to make a reasonable effort to protect the child from abuse.
The young victim was airlifted to the University of South Alabama Children’s and Women’s Hospital with head trauma. She suffered a skull fracture, a fractured collarbone, a fractured leg, a fractured arm, and was hemorrhaging, according to an arrest report. The child also had healing rib fractures on both sides and a healing left arm fracture from previous injuries.
A Florida Department of Children and Families investigator stated that a witness said Shannon Barnhill hit the child in the head two times. The report noted that the child is not capable of rolling over, crawling or standing due to her young age, according to an arrest report.
The DCF investigator stated Brittany Barnhill provided several different stories to explain the extensive injuries, but none of the reasons were plausible and did not explain the injuries. Her stories included the child was delivered with forceps, she was hit with a toy, she fell out of her bassinet three to four weeks ago and she has seizures, according to DCF.
Most of Shannon Barnhill’s statements were redacted from his arrest report. The arrest report states he told the investigator that the child fell and then said she fell “a while back”. The DCF investigator also said Shannon Barnhill told him “I didn’t hit the kid” without being prompted.
During the recorded 911 call, Shannon Barnhill never told the operator that the child fell. Instead, he said she was screaming and then became unresponsive like she was having a stroke.
Two of Brittany Barnhill’s relatives told DCF that they saw the child on the day of the incident, and the child appeared to be uninjured and slept most of the time.
This was not the first time DCF had contact with the Barnhill family.
In 2015, DEF was alerted to household violence that threatened a child, but the case was closed with no indicators of child abuse. The investigator noted verbal aggression by Brittany (Mize) Barnhill.
In 2017, another child of the Barnhills was taken to the hospital because he favored his right leg. A scan revealed the growth of new bone around the child’s leg and a small healing bruise on the child’s buttocks consistent with the size and shape of a finger, according to the arrest report. The case was closed with notations that the parents’ reactions were abnormal considering the circumstances. An arrest report states the parents immediately told the investigator that they did not injure the child and that their 1-year old daughter could have been the perpetrator.
In late July, the DCF Child Protection Team examined three other siblings in the home that indicated abuse, the arrest report states. DCF said all three had marks and bruises in various places that included the buttocks, back, legs and shoulders. One child had marks from what appeared to be a belt. DCF noted that all three children were delayed and could not be fully interviewed.
Shannon Barnhill was released from the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $100,000, while Brittany Barnhill remained in jail Thursday with bond set at $50,000.
Slight Downward Trend In Local COVID-19 Hospitalizations
August 6, 2020
The latest daily COVID-19 local hospitalization numbers show a decrease over the last few days.
The data in the chart above, compiled by the City of Pensacola, reflects the current combined number of patients hospitalized on the listed date at Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital.
“We have seen hospitalizations decrease for the past four days, but this does not mean we are out of the woods,” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said. “Please keep taking preventative actions, including wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands often.”
Saturday Is The Deadline To Request A Vote By Mail Ballot
August 6, 2020
The deadline to request a mail ballot is 5 p.m. Saturday.
Voters may vote by mail using a vote-by-mail ballot, which can be requested through the online form at EscambiaVotes.gov, or by contacting the Supervisor of Elections by mail, phone (850) 595-3900, e-mail (votebymail@escambiavotes.com), or fax (850) 595-3914.
Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and the address.. Voted ballots must be received in the Elections Office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day and may not be returned to a polling location on Election Day. Voters may now drop-off a vote-by-mail ballot during Early Voting hours at any of the nine area locations.
Early voting will be available Saturday, August 8 through Saturday, August 15 at the following locations and times:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
- Main Library, 239 Spring Street (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 B, 9th Avenue (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto Street (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- University of West Florida Conference Center, Building 22, University Parkway (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Gulf Power Crews Head To Northeast To Help Restore Power After Hurricane Isaias
August 6, 2020
Wednesday, Gulf Power crews and other resources are headed to the Northeast, where Hurricane Isaias has knocked out power to millions of customers from North Carolina to Maine. Nearly 120 Gulf Power employees and contractors left early Wednesday morning to assist with restoration efforts in the New Jersey area. Gulf Power joins its sister company, Florida Power & Light, that is supporting the same restoration effort with more than 600 employees and contractors.
“These communities need our help to get their lights back on safely and as quickly as possible, and we are honored to be able to assist – just as so many have stepped up to help us in the past,” said Marlene Santos, president of Gulf Power. “We are in unprecedented times as together utilities across the country work to restore power while also facing a global pandemic. We will continue to take every precaution to keep both our crews and the communities we will be working in safe.”
On Monday, a crew of nearly 70 Gulf Power lineworkers and support personnel returned from the West Palm Beach area where they assisted sister company FPL in restoring power to approximately 40,000 customers as the storm brushed the eastern coastline of Florida.
The crews will follow COVID-19 safety guidelines to keep everyone safe, including social distancing, increased sanitation measures and wearing masks where appropriate. In addition, the crews are planning to be self-sufficient to limit contact with other teams. Signs on trucks remind the public to honor the six feet social distancing requirements that help keep the crews safe while they work.
Groundbreaking Held In Milton For Helicopter Company, 50 New Jobs
August 6, 2020
A groundbreaking was held Wednesday for a new hanger facility in Milton that is expected to bring 50 new, high-paying jobs to the area.
The new hangar facility at Peter Prince Airport will serve as the temporary home of Leonardo Helicopters, a Philadelphia-based aviation company. In April, county commissioners gave the go-ahead for design and engineering of the hangar, warehouse, and modular office complex. Construction on the new facility is expected to begin later this month.
“Leonardo Helicopters is exactly the kind of company we had in mind when we worked with the Navy to establish the Whiting Aviation Park,” said Commissioner Don Salter. “The company is not only bringing great jobs to the area, it’s also supporting the US military’s mission, and helping fulfill our vision to become a major aviation and aerospace hub in the Southeast.”
“Today’s groundbreaking is an important milestone in our shared commitment to providing the US Navy with both the best aircraft and the best, most immediate customer support for its critical training mission,” said William Hunt, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters – US. “Together in partnership with Santa Rosa County, the new hangar at Peter Prince Airport allows us to immediately begin maintaining the fleet locally as the first aircraft are delivered from our production line and while the permanent facility at Whiting Aviation Park is under construction.”
Leonardo is under contract with the Navy to deliver and maintain up to 130 new training helicopters that will be used at NAS Whiting Field. When infrastructure funding from Triumph Gulf Coast becomes available, the company will become the first tenant of the new Whiting Aviation Park and construct a larger facility there. The interim hangar at Peter Prince Airport will then be used to incentivize other, similar companies to locate operations here.
“Santa Rosa County is central to the highest concentration of military and private-sector aviation assets you’ll find anywhere,” said Erica Grancagnolo, Santa Rosa’s associate director of economic development. “With the Whiting Aviation park coming online, we will soon have the best aviation industrial site located in the heart of the nation’s most active military flight hub.”
Grancagnolo added that Leonardo’s experience is a model for how the county intends to pursue future aviation park tenants.
“We couldn’t ask for a better proof-of-concept than to have a company like Leonardo ready to move into Whiting Aviation Park before it’s even ready for tenants,” she said. “Our elected leaders acted swiftly to approve this interim facility, which helped us land this high-paying prospect and will continue to help us close more deals in the years to come.”
Whiting Aviation Park was created in partnership with the US Navy and shares space with NAS Whiting Field, a major rotary and fixed-wing training facility. An agreement between Navy and the County allows civilian companies in the park access to both the runways and towers on the airfield. County officials are working with Triumph Gulf Coast to fund infrastructure that support the operations of multiple companies on the site.