Tate Opens With Aggie Classic Win; Miller Tops Northview; Pine Forest Over Baker
March 19, 2019
Tate 6, Nolensville (TN) 3
The Tate Aggies beat Nolensville (TN) Monday 6-3 on day one of the Aggie Classic.
Jordan Jarman earned the victory on the hill for Tate Aggies Varsity. He surrendered no uns on one hit over four innings, striking out three and recording no walks. Sam Shackle opened on the mound for Tate, giving up three run and one hit in two innings.
Mason Land led Tate at 3-4 at bat with two runs and three RBIs. Also for Tate: Hunter McLean 1-3; Raymond Lafleur 2-4; Chase Tolbert 1-3, R: Jadon Fryman 2-3, R; Trevor Norton 1-1, R, RBI.
The Aggies will face Washington (OK) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Tate High School.
In other games Monday (not part of the Aggie Classic):
T.R. Miller 7, Northview 6
T.R. Miller and the Northview Chiefs were tied 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday night when Miller scored on a single for the win.
Jacob Bryant opened the game for the Chiefs, giving up four runs on three hits two innings, striking out two. Nick Venable threw four and a third innings in relief out of the bullpen.
Jackson Moore homered in the seventh inning as he went 1-4 with a run and two RBIs. Venable, Billy Rolin, Adam Aliff, Seth Killam, Bryant and Ben Wilson also had hits for the Chiefs.
Pine Forest 4, Baker 3
The Pine Forest Eagles beat the Baker Gators 4-3 Monday night.
Jared Riddell pitched the win for Pine Forest. He went two innings, allowing no runs on two hits, striking out one and walking none.
Timmy Williams, John Pinette, Nolan Rigby, and Josh Roberts each collected one hit to lead Pine Forest.
Century’s Water, Wastewater Boss Resigns; Council And Mayor Disagree Again Over Hiring Process
March 19, 2019
Century’s mayor and council once again disagreed over their hiring process during a Monday night meeting.
Water and Wastewater Superintendent Alicia Jernigan has resigned her position effective March 22. Mayor Henry Hawkins recommend that assistant Heath Burkett, who holds state certifications, be promoted into the position. He also recommended that a new desk clerk be hired from a recent pool of applicants for a billing clerk position.
But Council President Ann Brooks told the mayor he could not hire anyone without advertising the positions, and the council took no action of the recommendation for Burkett.
The council and mayor were an impasse for several weeks earlier this year over the hiring of a billing clerk. Hawkins wanted to promote from within for the position, but the council deadlocked over the promotion.
The town attorney said the council essentially has veto power to disapprove of the mayor’ choice, but the council could not direct the hiring of a person not recommended by the mayor. The council eventually interviewed the mayor’s choice and hired her as clerk.
Escambia County Selected For New Workforce Initiative
March 19, 2019
FloridaWest today announced that Escambia County is one of five communities joining the Inclusive Development Network (IDN), an ambitious new initiative designed to advance inclusive workforce development within the selected regions through a focus on reaching underserved populations. Cleveland, Ohio; Corpus Christi, Texas; Coweta, Oklahoma; Spokane, Washington; and Pensacola, Florida, were selected from more than 35 applications for the Network’s first cohort of communities.
“Escambia County and Greater Pensacola are looking forward to a great future and we need that prosperity to include all of our citizens, “ said FloridaWest CEO, Scott Luth, “By participating in this innovative network, we can build a greater future for all of us.”
An initiative of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), the Inclusive Development Network will work to identify and implement strategies that reduce equity gaps in local workforce development. Participating communities were selected based on their geography and size, as well as their existing and proposed reach with underserved populations.
FloridaWest EDA will assemble a leadership team in partnership with Achieve Escambia and Careersource Escarosa that includes representatives from business and industry, education, government, and the community. Through a specialized planning process facilitated by CAEL, the leadership teams from the selected communities will hone inclusive workforce development strategies to create education, job and career opportunities for residents of all demographics.
Backed by grants from ECMC Foundation and JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Inclusive Development Network will be supported by partnerships with national experts.
Cleveland, OH; Corpus Christi, TX; Coweta, OK; and Spokane, WA were selected along with Pensacola from more than 35 applications for the Network’s first cohort of communities.
Flames Seen At Highway 95A Propane Facility Are Normal
March 18, 2019
If you see flames coming from a propane facility on Highway 95A just north of West Roberts Road, it’s not a problem. Officials said the company is “flaring” propane from the tank in a controlled environment.
“We are performing required maintenance to our bulk tank to remain compliant to our safety and regulatory standards,” said Samantha Nelson, spokesperson for Blossman Gas. “We are removing the gas from the tank and burning out the vapor.”
Nelson said the process should be completed on Monday.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to at least one call reporting the fire on Sunday, and the flare continued to burn Monday afternoon.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Fire Heavily Damages Cantonment Mobile Home
March 18, 2019
Fire heavily damaged a mobile home in Cantonment Monday afternoon.
The double-wide mobile home fire was reported about 12:20 p.m. in the 900 block of Booker Street.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, and there were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment, Molino, Ensley and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS were among the responding units.
Photos by Kristi Barbour for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three Years After Tornado, Damaged Sawmill Still Looms Over Century Neighborhood
March 18, 2019
Century has mostly recovered from the EF-3 tornado that ripped through the town just over three years ago. But there’s still on giant problem looming over the town.
The destruction of the Alger Sullivan Lumber Mill is easy to spot behind the neat row of houses that have been repaired on the historic Front Street.
It appears the property is owned by a company that ceased to exist a decade ago. Escambia County has piled fines and fees onto the company, with new fines added with each passing day.
The 38-acre abandoned industrial property was heavily damaged and has sat mostly untouched since 150 mph tornado winds the afternoon of February 15, 2016.
The property owner — listed in county records as DMT Holdings LLC in Navarre –was cited years ago by Escambia County Code Enforcement. The limited liability company was dissolved in 2008.
With no response from the owners. a special magistrate for Escambia County issued an order against the property at One Lumber Road on October 4, 2016, giving the owners until November 1, 2016, to clean up the property. The county provides code enforcement services under an interlocal agreement within the town limits of Century.
Failing to comply, the property owners were assessed costs of $1,100, and fines of $50 per day have been accruing ever since. To date, the property owners, if they exist, owe fines of about $45,000.
Escambia County crews entered the property in 2018 and performed some cutting and trimming, cleaned around a concrete ditch, removed four 30-yard dumpsters of debris and replaced 80-feet of chain link fence that was down. The Mosquito Control Division was also on site to inspect and treat any areas that were favorable for mosquito breeding. The cleanup area was concentrated on the portion of the property behind residences on Front Street.
The cleanup cost assessed by the county was $5,450 — $2,589.29 for 150 hours of labor, $2,613.75 in equipment costs and $246.96 in material costs. Certified mail from the county to the listed owners was returned by the post office as invalid with no forwarding address.
Escambia County received three bids for the demolition and cleanup of the mill last year, but the low bid was $800,000 — far in excess of the county’s entire cleanup budget of about $463,425. Property records show entire value of the property was $802,189 before the tornado, but the most recent assessment show what remains is worth $226,535.
Seizing the property under legal channels has also been problematic due to an outstanding mortgage and back taxes. A current tax bill of $19,520.84 is outstanding. Tax certificates have been sold on outstanding taxes for several other years.
The property is located within a Community Development Area established by the Town of Century. Discussions have been held around the Century council table about the sawmill, but no actions have been taken. The town has been powerless with no apparent legal standing to do cleanup or seize the property.
NorthEscambia.com and courtesy file photos, click to enlarge.
Dash And Dot Robot Fun At The Molino Library Tuesday
March 18, 2019
Dash and Dot with STEAM at the Molino Branch Library will be held Tuesday.
Dash and Dot are robots. Children will have the opportunity to learn about coding through hands-on activities and puzzles using Dash and Dot.
The program will be held at 6 p.m.
New ‘Blessing Box’ Offers Food To Those In Need In Flomaton, Century
March 18, 2019
A new community project is lending a help hand to anyone in need of food in the Century and Flomaton area.
A “Blessing Box” filled with non-perishable food was installed Saturday in downtown Flomaton.
“We wanted to do something to help people in our community who need a little extra help putting food on the table. This box is also a way that those same people can give back when they are able,” said Pastor Ricky Hart of Vision Church in Flomaton.
Anyone that needs a little extra help can take food from the box, and anyone is welcome to restock it.
“Jesus commands us to be His hands and feet and this is a small way we can do just that,” Hart said.
The Blessing Box is located near Church Street in Flomaton. It’s located behind the community stage (the public library side of the stage), just west of the Church and Palafox intersection.
Pictured: A new “Blessing Box” was installed Saturday to serve the Flomaton and Century areas. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gas Prices Spike
March 18, 2019
Florida gas prices increased an average of 15 cents per gallon last week. This was the second-largest weekly increase among any other state in the country, behind Kentucky at 16 cents.
Florida drivers are paying an average price of $2.62 per gallon for regular unleaded. The state average is the highest so far this year, and 10 cents per gallon more than this time last year. So far this year, the state average has increased 46 cents per gallon.
The average price per gallon in Escambia County was $2.48, up 8 cents from last week and 30 from one month ago.
“Drivers saw a jump at the pump last week, due to rising demand, reduced refinery output, and lower gasoline supplies,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Although it appears the state average is leveling out for now, the springtime surge may not be over quite yet. The highest prices of the year can arrive anytime between now and Memorial Day weekend.”
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
FDOT Weekly Traffic Alerts – This Week’s State Road Project Slowdowns
March 18, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- · State Road (S.R.) 727 (Fairfield Drive) from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place- Continental Drive will be temporarily closed to traffic from Sunday, March 17 until Sunday, March 24 as crews install a well point system and install drainage across the roadway. Residents may enter and exit the neighborhood via Atlas Street, Montego Drive, and El Dorado Drive. Detour signs are in place to notify motorists and residents of upcoming work.
Drivers traveling north on Fairfield Drive can expect intermittent lane closures from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 17 through Sunday, March 24. Crews will be removing existing asphalt and placing base material for future roadway widening.
- 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 17 until Saturday, March 23.
- Temporary Closure of W. Hood Drive at US 29: W. Hood Drive at US 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 17 until Sunday, March 24:
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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. 90 (Mobile Highway) and County Road (C.R.) 99 (Beulah Road) Intersection – Drivers will encounter intermittent lane restrictions near the intersection the week of Sunday, March 17 as paving operations continue. There will be no lane closures allowed from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road– Drivers may encounter lane restrictions from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road as crews complete paving operations. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. until Sunday, March 17.
- U.S. 98 (E. Chase Street) Resurfacing from N Palafox Street to Bayfront Parkway- Drivers can expect intermittent lane restrictions to occur from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 27 as crews complete construction activities on the project.
- U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) Widening from Beulah to Pine Forest Road- The Nine Mile Road eastbound ramp to Interstate 10 (I-10) eastbound will be restricted to one access ramp location beginning the week of March 25. The western access ramp will be closed and drivers will enter to I-10 eastbound via the second, eastern most on-ramp at this location. The temporary closure is expected to be in place for several weeks as crews complete ramp reconstruction work.
- 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 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 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 17 until Sunday, March 24:
- 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 17:
- 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 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 17 through Friday, March 22 as crews work to widen the roadway.
- Drivers will encounter new traffic pattern(s) on I-10 eastbound as crews reconstruct the inside and outside shoulders. This work will continue through spring 2019.
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.