Traffic Shifted To Temporary Bridge In $1.98 Million Highway 168 Project
July 19, 2019
Traffic was recently shifted to a temporary bridge on Highway 168 in Bratt as a $1.9 million project continues to replace a bridge between North Highway 99 and Pine Barren Road.
The Florida Department of Transportation is replacing structurally deficient bridge constructed in 1967 over an unnamed branch. The new bridge will consist of two 12-foot travel lanes with 6-foot shoulders and a concrete barrier wall. The project also includes resurfacing the approaches to the bridge, new guardrail, drainage improvements, new pavement markings and enhanced signage.
It is anticipated that the project will be completed late this year.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Dobnak’s Memorable Performance Spoiled In Blue Wahoos’ Loss
July 19, 2019
One of the top pitching performances in club history Thursday night was unfortunately not enough to shake the Blue Wahoos from current doldrums.
Randy Dobnak continued his remarkable season, along with his potential future, by working eight innings, allowing just two hits, one run and matching a career-high with nine strikeouts, but became a hard-luck recipient of the Blue Wahoos 1-0 loss against the Mississippi Braves to start a road series in Pearl, Miss.
In part, the reason was M-Braves lefty starter Tucker Davidson, a Southern League All-Star and No. 18 overall prospect in the Atlanta Braves system, was equally masterful. Davidson also went eight complete innings with nine strikeouts, scattered five hits and did not walk a batter.
This sensational arms race led to a game completed in just one hour, 54 minutes Thursday before a crowd of 2,218 at Trustmark Park. It was the seventh time in Dobnak’s last nine starts that he has allowed just one or zero earned runs.
The loss became the Blue Wahoos’ 11th in the past 13 games. They are now just one game above .500 overall (49-48) and fell to 11-16 in the second half. They will try and reverse the trend beginning Friday in the second game of a four-game weekend series.
Rarely in minor league baseball does a game feature both starting pitchers going eight complete innings. Dobnak (4-2) threw 90 pitches and got 12 ground ball outs. Davidson stayed in the game with 97 pitches, 64 for strikes.
In what has typified the Blue Wahoos’ recent downfall, they had runners in scoring position in each of the final three innings, but couldn’t get a game-tying hit. They finished with seven hits in the game, all singles.
In the ninth inning, former major league infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr. led off with a single against reliever Jordan Harrison. Alex Kirilloff then hit into a force play at second base.
Trevor Larnach, who joined the team Tuesday in promotion from High-A Fort Myers, followed with a one-out single. Lewin Diaz worked a 2-2 count, fouled off a pitch, then hit a hard grounder that shortstop Ray-Patrick Didder converted into a game-ending double play.
In the eighth inning, the Blue Wahoos’ Mark Contreras led off with a single. He moved to second on Brian Navaretto’s sacrifice bunt. But Davidson retired Aaron Whitefield on a fly ball to center, then struck out Jordan Gore to end the threat.
In the seventh, Kirilloff had a one-out single, Larnach hit into a force play, but Diaz followed with a single. Again, Davidson worked out of it by getting Caleb Hamilton to pop out.
Those three innings were the Blue Wahoos’ best scoring opportunities. The other was in the first inning when Kirilloff, who went 2-for-4, hit a one-out single. Larnach followed by hitting into a double play.
The game’s only run was scored in the fifth inning. Greyson Jenista led off with a double against Dobnak. Carlos Martinez followed with a one-out, RBI single, but was erased on the cutoff throw by Diaz to De Jesus at second.
Dobnak, who was pitching in a Michigan-based Independent League two years ago, retired the M-Braves in order the next three innings.
The M-Braves (44-52, 11-16) entered the game with four consecutive series’ losses. They lost four of six games against Jacksonville, a team now just one game back of Biloxi in the second-half division race.
$12.25 Million Grant Awarded To Fund Airport Hangar Expansion For ST Engineering
July 18, 2019
The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded a $12.25 million grant to the City of Pensacola for a hanger expansion project at the ST Aerospace campus at the airport. The grant, to be matched with more than $36 million in state and local investment, is expected to help create 400 jobs.
This project will fund the construction of a 173,000 square-foot airport hangar, along with adjacent taxi ways and related infrastructure, at Pensacola International Airport. Designed to withstand 170 mph winds, the facility will support state-of-the-art maintenance, repair and overhaul operations, and provide a training center for commercial and technological aviation programs.
“The Trump Administration is committed to not only retaining jobs in this country, but also to creating new opportunities for Americans,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The new maintenance training facility being built with the help of this grant will prepare students for careers in the commercial aviation industry while also making the region’s economy more resilient in the face of future natural disasters.”
“As Florida continues on a path of economic growth, it is imperative that we work to strengthen our infrastructure and workforce development programs,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Thanks to the support from President Trump and Secretary Ross, this $12.25 million grant for Pensacola will create new opportunities for our students, boost our economy through job creation and increased investment, and enhance the region’s resiliency to natural disasters.”
Thursday’s announcement at ST Aerospace was made by Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary John C. Fleming.
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Century’s Gas Department Comes Up Short And Can’t Cover Payroll During Multiple Weeks
July 18, 2019
During at least five recent weeks, the Town of Century has not had enough money from their gas department to make payroll and deposit the required payroll taxes.
“It appears five payroll weekly tax deposits have not been made,” Council President Ann Brooks said. “We will owe penalties.”
The town transfers money to a payroll account each week, with funds coming from each department such as water and gas in order to pay the employees in that department. During those five weeks in question, the gas department did not have available funds to cover the department’s paychecks and tax deposits, Town Clerk Kim Godwin said.
“I’m pretty sure that Friday there is not going to be enough from gas (to cover payroll),” Godwin said. The town may have funds in other accounts to cover the gas department’s payroll, but Godwin does not have the authority to make those transfers between funds without town council approval.
For that reason, the town council voted this week to transfer $5,000 per month from the garbage fund to the payroll account to supplement the gas department’s payroll. The transfers will be in place for five months. Otherwise, the council would be required to call an emergency meeting each Friday the gas department was short.
While funds were short of the amount needed to make payroll taxes, each employee did receive their full paycheck on time during the five weeks in question.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Early Morning Fire Destroys Camper Trailer In Century
July 18, 2019
Fire destroyed a camper trailer early Thursday morning in Century.
The fire reportedly started in the kitchen area of the camper, possibly as a cooking-related fire. No injuries were reported.
The blaze in the 800 block of Freedom Road, just off Jefferson Avenue, was reported about 12:25 a.m.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Flomaton Fire Department responded, along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Pictured above and below: Fire destroyed a camper trailer on Freedom Road in Century early Thursday morning. Pictured immediately below: A firefighter turns off the propane supply to the camper. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Does The Sheriff Have Your Goat? ECSO Seeking Owner Of Goat Wrangled After Century Standoff
July 18, 2019
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office took a goat into custody Friday night after a standoff near a Century grocery store, and they are still hoping to return the goat to its rightful owner.
Deputies were called to the area of the Food Giant on North Century Boulevard about 8:45 p.m. due to the goat on the run. A witness said the goat and deputies ended up in a standoff. The ECSO’s livestock officer responded and roped the goat about two hours later.
The Sheriff’s Office describes the animal as a “brown goat with horns and a beard” in a email to NorthEscambia.com. The owner can call (850) 436-9477 to claim the goat.
The goat is not claimed, it will eventually be auction off to a good home at the ECSO Substation on Highway 29 in Molino.
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Deer Hunters: QDMA Escambia Field Day Program Set For Saturday
July 18, 2019
The Quality Deer Management Association Escambia Branch Field Day will be held Saturday, July 20 in Cantonment.
The free event will feature speakers Keith Swilly on 12 Years of Quality Deer Management and Ben Westfall on QDM Coops, research from UF/IFAS and regulation updates from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The event will take place from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Langley Bell 4-H Center at 3730 Stefani Road. Admission is free, and there will be door prizes.
Peterson Receives Florida 4-H Outstanding Volunteer Leadership Award
July 18, 2019
Anne Peterson of Century has received the 2019 Elaine Keir Memorial Outstanding Volunteer Leadership Award at the State 4-H Horse Show in Tampa. Peterson will represent Florida 4-H at the American Youth Horse Council Symposium in Gainesville in March 2020.
Peterson has volunteered in the Escambia County 4-H program for over 40 years.
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John Deere Tractor Ride-on Modified For 4-Year Old With Cerebral Palsy By UWF Engineering Students
July 18, 2019
Four-year old Jack Carroll is ready to ride is his new kid-sized John Deere tractor, thanks to an engineering program at the University of West Florida.
Born prematurely with a form of cerebral palsy, Jack can’t enjoy the electric toy vehicles on the market. But a new program at the University of West Florida helps young children with physical disabilities move around independently.
The first vehicle of its kind in the “Argotots” program, the John Deere tractor was modified and outfitted for Jack. A three-point harness was added to the tractor since he has trouble sitting upright unassisted and the steering wheel was adjusted for easier one-arm operation. The vehicle comes with a remote control so others can control its movement when necessary.
“This is going to be great because he has balance issues and he loves to explore and be outside,” said Danielle Carroll, Jack’s mother.
“Seeing the positive impact of the ‘Go Baby Go’ program, a national program for children with limited mobility, inspired me to start our own program at UWF,” said Dr. Brad Regez, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering. “I realized there was great need and opportunity for a program of this kind in the area.”
Mechanical engineering majors Fred Anderson, Selena Beasley, Isaac Brunet, Phillip Mitchell, Cody Sewell and Shane Smith worked on the project. The design, materials testing and calculations took months of preparations, while the implementation of the design and planned modifications took less than a week. During the fall semester, students documented in detail each step of the build and modification process. They conducted rigorous testing and inspection after each modification and were required to give multiple presentations on their progress or any issues during the build.
“Having the opportunity to apply the engineering knowledge that I’m learning for my degree in a way that can impact a child’s life for the better is very encouraging,” Brunet said. “It has reminded me that engineering is not all about steel beams and bridges, but about making an impact on people’s lives.”
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Molino Man Accused Of Capital Sexual Assault Of Young Girl, Possibly Other Victims
July 17, 2019
A 77-year old Molino man has been accused of sexually molesting a young girl over the course of several years, and prosecutors say there may be additional victims.
Daniel Durwood Edmonson, age 77 of 461 Molino Road, was charged with sexual battery on a victim under 12-years old and lewd and lascivious molestation on a victim under age 12.
“Capital sexual battery carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted,” Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said. “All of the charges are for one victim. As the investigation continues, there may be additional charges filed for that victim or other individuals.”
The female victim told investigators that Edmonson had molested her for nine years at his residence, when she was between the ages of 5 and 12. At times, he would allegedly give the child liquid Benadryl so she would fall asleep early, telling her it was for mosquito bites, before molesting her.
At least two additional victims may have been identified, according to an arrest report, including one that is now married with children of her own.