Chance Of Showers To Start The Week
March 25, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 70. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 42. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 72. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 65.
Lake Stone Campground RV Spaces Upgraded With Concrete Pads
March 25, 2019
Escambia County Parks and Recreation is upgrading many of the RV spaces with concrete pads at the Lake Stone Campground in Century. Many of the spaces were also upgraded to accommodate larger RV’s.
There are 77 total campsites for RV’s and tents at Lake Stone.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
This Week’s Traffic Delays
March 25, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities. There will be no highway construction on major roadways along spring break routes across Northwest Florida. There will be no work on state roads requiring lane closures from Friday, March 8 until Sunday, March 24.
Escambia county:
- State Road (S.R.) 727 (Fairfield Drive) from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place- Drivers can expect intermittent lane closures on Fairfield Drive from South of Usher Circle to north of Hestia Place from 8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 24 to 6:30 a.m. Monday, March 25 as crews construct a temporary lane shift to begin construction of a box culvert on the west side of Fairfield Drive.
- · U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, March 24 until Saturday, March 30.
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- Temporary Closure of W. Hood Drive at U.S. 29: W. Hood Drive at U.S. 29 will be closed from 8 p.m. Friday, Mar. 22 through 6 a.m. Monday, Mar. 25 as workers widen the intersection. Motorists may use W. Hannah Street or Nine Mile Road to Palafox Street as an alternate route. Detour signs and Variable Message Boards are in place to alert drivers about the upcoming work and detour.
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- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new northbound bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drainage and paving operations continue. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures Monday through Saturday.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement Bridge- Bridge construction will require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, March 24 until Sunday, March 31:
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- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) Widening from Beulah to Pine Forest Road- The westernmost Nine Mile Road eastbound ramp to Interstate 10 (I-10) eastbound will be temporarily closed beginning the week of Monday, March 25. During the closure, Nine Mile Road eastbound drivers will access I-10 eastbound via the second, or easternmost on-ramp at this location. The temporary closure is expected to be in place for several weeks as the westernmost on-ramp is reconstructed.
- S.R. 292 (Gulf Beach Highway) Intersection Improvements at Fairfield Drive-Westbound Gulf Beach Highway and southbound Fairfield Drive traffic will encounter intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. Monday, March 25 to 6 a.m. Tuesday, March 26 as crews remove a concrete traffic separator. Gulf Beach Highway traffic near Fairfield Drive will encounter a lane shift beginning Tuesday, March 26 as crews begin widening efforts at the intersection.
- U.S. 90 (North Davis Highway) and S.R. 10A (Scenic Highway) Utility Work- Drivers will encounter intermittent lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday, March 25 through Saturday, April 6 on North Davis Highway and Scenic Highway in Pensacola at the following locations as crew’s trim trees around utility lines:
- North Davis Highway: Northbound from south of Scenic Highway to Airport Boulevard
- Scenic Highway: Westbound from I-10 to North Davis Highway
- Crary Road Bridge Replacement over Pritchett Mill Creek- Crary Road is closed between Tedder Road and Byrneville Road as crews construct a bridge culvert. Motorists will be detoured via County Road (C.R.) 4 and Byrneville Road. The project is anticipated to be complete spring 2019.
- Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road will continue to be closed near Canoe Creek. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road. The project is anticipated to be complete summer 2019.
- Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek - Construction activities have begun. The roadway will be temporarily closed during construction. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road.
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Pavement Markings Replacement from Blackwater Bay to East of S.R. 87 (Exit 31)-Traffic may encounter alternating and intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, until Thursday, March 28 as crews remove and replace pavement markings. Law enforcement will be on site to assist with traffic control.
- S.R. 87 Pavement Markings Replacement- Traffic will encounter minor delays at the following locations Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Thursday, April 25 as crews remove and replace pavement markings in the roadway. Law enforcement will be on site to direct traffic:
- U.S. 90 to Nicholas Lake Road
- U.S. 98 to Vonnie Tolbert Road
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Bridge construction will require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, March 24 until Sunday, March 31:
- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – The following construction related traffic impacts are planned for I-10 and Avalon Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the week of Sunday, March 24:
- The new eastbound travel lane on I-10, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and Avalon Boulevard, will open the week of Sunday, March 24.
- Drivers may encounter alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday evenings as crews perform construction activities.
- Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of S.R. 281, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, March 24 through Friday, March 29 as crews work to widen the roadway.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Walnut Hill Man Charged With Felony Theft From A Church
March 24, 2019
A Walnut Hill man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly stealing audio equipment from a church and then pawning it.
Aaron Lucas Davis, 24, was charged with two counts of grand theft and one count of dealing in stolen property.
The Cokesbury United Methodist Church on North 9th Avenue reported two subwoofers, two monitor speakers and an amplifier were taken during two incidents two weeks apart. The total value of the items was about $2,400. Davis, a church employee, was caught on surveillance video removing the equipment, according to a Pensacola Police Department report.
Davis allegedly pawned the five pieces of equipment for $75 each, the report states. He was released from the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $15,000.
No Winner In Powerball Drawing, Prize Now Up To $750 Million
March 24, 2019
The prize is growing even bigger after there was no winner in Saturday’s Powerball drawing.
The next drawing Wednesday is now estimated at $750 million, according to Powerball. The winner can choose a cash option of $465.5 million.
The winning numbers in Saturday night’s drawing were 24, 25, 52, 60, and 66 and the Powerball was 5.
Local Unemployment Rate Drops
March 24, 2019
The latest job numbers released by the state show a decrease in the unemployment rate in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate fell from 4 percent in January to 3.5 percent in February. There were 5,069 people were reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 3.9 percent. The industries with the highest growth over the year in the were leisure and hospitality with 1,100 new jobs and education and health services with 1,000 new jobs. In February, Pensacola had 6,078 job openings and of those, 1,783 were for high-skill, high-wage STEM jobs.
Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate decreased from 3.8 percent in January to 3.2 percent in February. Santa Rosa County had a total of 2,600 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 3.6 percent.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in February 2019, a 0.1 percentage point increase from the January 2019 rate, and down 0.4 percentage point from a year ago. There were 357,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,343,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in February.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
TC Venom Falls To Birmingham In Century Home Opener
March 24, 2019
The T.C. Venom minor league football team opened home play with a hard-fought 35-28 loss to the Birmingham Steel City Raptors Saturday night in Century.
The Venom struck first with 11:26 on the clock in the first to take a 7-0 lead on home turf at Anthony Pleasant Park.
With 9:25 on the clock in the second, the Raptors were up 13-7. But with 2:25 to go in the half, the Venom hit again for 14-13 that quickly reversed to 21-14 lead about a minute later.
In the third, the Venom capitalized on an interception to score on the ensuing drive. With a good two-point conversion, the Venom were back on top 22-21.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, oddly with no time off the clock, the Raptors scored to go back on top 28-22. At the 11:05 mark in the fourth, the Venom tied it up, but the Raptors went back on top for the win with 1:55 to go in the game.
The Venom will home the next two Saturday nights at 7:00, hosting the New Orleans Crescent City Kings on March 30 and the Greater Pensacola Jets on April 6. Admission is $10 for ages 13 and over.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ransom Orchestra Earns Excellent Rating At District MPA
March 24, 2019
The members of Ransom Middle School Orchestra III earned an overall excellent rating at the annual District MPA. In the sight-reading room, the Ransom Orchestra’s work earned them a perfect score. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Forest Service Warns Cool, Dry Weather Increases Fire Risk
March 24, 2019
The Florida Forest Service is warning of an increased wildfire reside due to recent cool, dry weather.
As northwest Florida is starting to reach the peak of its year-round wildfire season, officials with the Florida Forest Service are asking residents to be careful if they choose to burn yard debris.
“This cold front has brought cooler temperatures and lower humidity into the area,” said David Smith, Operations Administrator for the Blackwater Forestry Center. “That combination can dry vegetation out very quickly and allow fire to spread despite the fact we have had rain recently.”
There are no burn bans in effect in our area but residents must still follow certain requirements: Burning piles of yard debris less than 8 feet in diameter is allowed if it is 25 feet from and wooded area or combustible structure, 25 feet from your house, 50 feet from a paved public road and 150 feet from other occupied dwellings. (See graphic at page bottom.)
Piles greater than eight feet require a burn authorization from the Florida Forest Service and must meet more stringent standards. For more information about authorizations, call Blackwater Forestry Center headquarters at (850) 957-5701.
Pictured: A wildfire last May on Highway 29 in McDavid just south of Pine Barren Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Train Hits Vehicle On Kingsfield Road
March 23, 2019
A Cantonment man’s vehicle was struck by a train Friday night on Kingsfield Road.
About 7:30 p.m., 66-year old Hugh Fones was traveling north on Highway 95A when he turned his Toyota Highlander east on Kingsfield Road at the railroad crossing as a northbound CSX approached. The railroad crossing arms were coming down at the time, and the crossing bar came down on the top of the roof of his vehicle as he came to a stop, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The conductor and engineer were unable to slow the train, and the left side of the train collided with the front of the Highlander. The train continued north and came to a controlled stop about one mile north of the collision.
There were no injuries reported.
Fones was cited by the FHP for driving around, under or through a railroad crossing.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
