Molino Lineworker Finds Money In Street, Seeks Out Owner
February 11, 2019
When Jeremy Davey of Molino found some money in the street, his first thought wasn’t to keep it. It was to find the owner.
The 17-year Gulf Power service technician out of the Pine Forest office had completed a trouble ticket in a north Pensacola neighborhood recently and was pulling away when he noticed something in the road.
“I thought, ‘That looks like a bank envelope.’”
Jeremy hopped out of his truck and picked up the envelope. It was sealed, but he could tell there was money in it. He opened it and found $150.88.
“I could tell it had been run over a few times, but what got me was that it was sealed,” he said. “It was almost like someone’s check was cashed.”
He knocked on the door of the home closest to where he found the money, but the owner said it wasn’t his. So he stuck the envelope in his pocket and went back to the office.
He told Brad Butler, general manager – distribution, about his discovery and Brad told him to see if there was a bank nearby and check there.
So the next day Jeremy went to the bank, told the employees his story and they began checking their transactions. When he told them what street he found it, they found a customer who lived there and had cashed a check for $150.88 the day before.
They called the customer who confirmed she had lost the envelope and talked to Jeremy, thanking him profusely.
The woman, who asked that her name not be used, said she had just moved to Pensacola from another state about a month ago and she’s amazed by the friendliness here.
“I was so flabbergasted when I talked to (Jeremy),” she said. “Most people would have just taken the money. For him to show honesty and integrity was huge and he deserves recognition.”
Vice President-Power Delivery Mike Spoor called Jeremy to congratulate him and his supervisor, Toggy Pace, presented him with a recognition item from Brad, as well as Patrick Davidson, leader central maintenance and construction – distribution.
“Jeremy certainly did the right thing, which is one of our NextEra Energy values,” Brad said. “He’s always shown that kind of great customer service.”
Jeremy said it really wasn’t that big of a deal. He was just happy he was able to find the owner.
“If it had been me, I hope someone would have done the same thing,” he said.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Nine Mile Road Traffic Shifts At Pine Forest On Tuesday
February 11, 2019
All lanes on Nine Mile Road between Pine Forest Road and the entrance to Walmart will be shifted to the north at 6 a.m. Tuesday, February 12 as workers begin construction of the new eastbound roadway. The temporary shift will remain in effect for several months.
The dedicated bike lanes will be closed throughout the shift area. Bicyclists and motorists will share the travel way.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded by the Florida Department of Transportation to obey the 35-mph speed limit and to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the work zone. Motorists should also watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
NorthEscambia.com photo. Click images to enlarge.
Driver Injured After Crashing Into Utility Pole In Century
February 11, 2019
One person was injured in a single vehicle crash in Century Sunday night that left part of a neighborhood in the dark.
A 33-year old female was westbound on State Line Road just west of Highway 29 when she lost control, ran off the roadway and struck a utility pole. The Dodge Dart rotated after the crash and came to rest facing east in the roadway.
The driver was transported by Lifeguard Ambulance to Jay Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The force of the collision cause a power line to snap, leaving less than a dozen Gulf Power customer without power for several hours.
The wreck is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Additional details were not released.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
February 11, 2019
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Monday, Feb. 11
Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization Technical Coordinating Committee – 8:30 a.m., 222 W. Main St.
Escambia County Area Transit Public Workshop – North Escambia Transportation Service Pilot Project – 5 p.m., Walnut Hill Community Center, 7850 Highway 97
Escambia County Marine Advisory Committee – 5:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Tuesday, Feb. 12
Co:Lab Pensacola Policy Board Meeting – 11 a.m., 418 W. Garden St.
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program Director Shortlisting Committee – 2:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor Training Room
Affordable Housing Advisory Committee – 5 p.m., 420 W. Chase St.
Merit System Protection Board – 5 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor Training Room
Escambia County Housing Finance Authority – 5 p.m., 700 S. Palafox St., Suite 310
District 5 Town Hall Meeting with Commissioner Steven Barry – 5:30 p.m., Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95-A North
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Ensley South Neighborhood Cleanup – 7 a.m.
Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization Board – 9 a.m., Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St.
Development Review Committee -1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Santa Rosa Island Authority Board – 5 p.m., 1 Via De Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach
Thursday, Feb. 14
Committee of the Whole – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Inmate Health Costs Drive Up Florida Prison Budget
February 11, 2019
Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to fund the Florida Department of Corrections next year at $2.7 billion, a spending plan that has some criminal-justice reform advocates pointing to struggles facing Florida’s prison system as a result of increased health-care costs.
Following litigation, the state needs to meet court mandates requiring it to provide better treatment for inmates with Hepatitis C, mental illnesses and disabilities. Those issues, mixed with an aging prison population that is driving up health costs, has led DeSantis to propose a $120 million increase to cover inmates’ health care.
“The story this budget tells is that we are simply funding the mandated costs of court orders and trying to keep the lights on in the prison system,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who chairs the Senate panel that oversees prison funding.
The blueprint of DeSantis’ spending plan for the Department of Corrections, roughly 3 percent of the entire budget, includes $14 million for increased costs of pharmaceuticals, $37 million to better treat inmates with Hepatitis C and $86 million to enhance contracted inmate health services. While those issues total $137 million, the overall increase would be about $120 million because the budget proposal also would cut some spending included in the current year’s budget.
While the state deals with increased pharmaceutical costs, DeSantis has directed Corrections Secretary Mark Inch to explore various strategies to drive those expenses down, including further negotiations with pharmaceutical companies and bulk purchases, according to language in the proposed budget.
A lot of those costs stem from litigation brought by attorneys for the Florida Justice Institute. A federal judge found that the Department of Corrections had failed to treat prisoners with Hepatitis C despite the fact that medications had been available. The court also found the lack of treatment was due to financial issues.
With the 2019 legislative session starting March 5, Brandes has been sounding the alarm about the prison system being in “crisis” as a result of a prison guard shortage, increased contraband in prisons and a rise in officer-on-inmate violence.
“Right now, the corrections system is largely a health care provider that houses inmates,” Brandes said. “There’s a lack of education and transition programs because of the enormity of money we are spending on health care.”
DeSantis proposed an overall $91.3 billion budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Lawmakers will use the governor’s proposal as they negotiate a final spending plan this spring.
Other parts of the criminal justice system that are funded by the state include the Department of Juvenile Justice, which DeSantis wants to fund at $602 million next year, about $437,000 less than the current year.
DeSantis has appointed Simone Marstiller to head the juvenile justice department. In the past, Marstiller has been a vocal proponent of putting more focus on rehabilitation instead of incarceration, as well as giving discretion to judges to depart from mandatory minimums in sentencing.
Christian Minor, executive director for the Florida Juvenile Justice Association, was pleased to see the level of funding DeSantis proposed for prevention, intervention and residential services in the upcoming budget.
by Ana Ceballos, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: Inmate medical facilities inside the Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Cantonment Man Facing Battery, Child Abuse Charges
February 10, 2019
An Cantonment man was charged with child abuse and domestic violence charges.
Gregory Fountain, 50, was charged with cruelty toward a child and domestic battery by strangulation.
Fountain allegedly struck the child in the face multiple times, pushed them into a wall and placed them in a choke hold, according to a police report. The victim was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment. The age and gender of the child were redacted.
Fountain was highly intoxicated and told Pensacola Police officers that he was “tussling” with the victim, an arrest report states.
He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Escambia County Receives $1.1 Million Offer For 15 Acres Of OLF-8
February 10, 2019
Escambia County has received another offer to purchase part of the Navy Outlying Field 8 (OLF -8) property on Nine Mile Road, directly west of the Navy Federal Credit Union.
Black Water Development Company of Birmingham has offered $1.1 million for 15 acres with frontage on Nine Mile Road to construct a commercial center with a mix of retail, small offices and restaurants.
Last month, Hemmer Consulting of Pensacola, 68 Ventures of Spanish Fort, AL, and their affiliated companies offered $18 million for approximately 530 acres. Navy Federal has offered to purchase the other 100 acres of OLF-8 for $4.2 million.
Escambia County acquired OLF-8 in a land swap with the U.S. Navy for property in Santa Rosa County.
If the county decides to sell the property, it is legally obligated to declare the acreage surplus and sell to the highest bidder.
Molino Library Continues Mountain Dulcimer Classes
February 10, 2019
The Molino Branch Library is continuing weekly classes were you can learn to play the mountain dulcimer.
The “Molino Melodies” class is held at 6 p.m. each Tuesday at the library. The class is free, and no experience or materials are required. Dulcimers are provided for the class.
Pictured: A January mountain dulcimer class at the Molino Branch Library. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bus With 31 Children On Board Crashes Into Car
February 10, 2019
There were no injuries reported when a school bus with 31 children on board crashed into a car just off Nine Mile Road Friday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said bus driver Christine Sanjurjo, age 64 of Pensacola, was traveling westbound on Jo Jo Road about 4:30 p.m. when she failed to yield to a Toyota Corolla driven by Alireza Taghi, age 23 of Pensacola. The front right of the bus collided with the rear of the Toyota.
Sanjurjo was cited for failing to yield while entering an intersection, according to FHP.
This Week’s Traffic Delays
February 10, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and state projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
- · U.S. 98 (Chase Street) Resurfacing from North Palafox Street to State Road (S.R.) 196 (Bayfront Parkway)- Weather permitting paving operations from I-110 to Bayfront Parkway will continue the week of Sunday, Feb. 10. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
- · Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29 – All lanes of Nine Mile Road between Pine Forest Road and the entrance to Walmart will shift northward at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12. The shift will enable workers to construct new eastbound lanes. The dedicated bike lanes will be closed throughout the shift area. Bicyclists and motorist will share the travel way. The shift will remain in effect for several months until traffic is shifted onto the new lanes.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Sunday, Feb. 10 to Sunday, Feb. 17:
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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. 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. from Sunday, Feb. 10 to Saturday, Feb. 16.
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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.
- S.R. 727 (Fairfield Drive) from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place- The northbound lane on Fairfield Drive from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place will be closed from 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. from Sunday, Feb. 10 to Sunday, Feb. 24 as crews remove the existing asphalt to prepare for roadway widening.
- 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 on the project. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. until Sunday, Feb. 10.
- U.S. 90 (Mobile Highway) and County Road 99 (Beulah Road) Intersection - A new traffic signal on U.S. 90 (Mobile Highway) at Beulah Road will become operational Tuesday, Feb. 12 at approximately 10 a.m. Drivers are encouraged to use caution when approaching the intersection.
- 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 County Road (C.R.) 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road.
Santa Rosa County:
- S.R. 87 Pavement Markings Replacement- Traffic on S.R. 87 will encounter alternating and intermittent minor delays at the following locations from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday 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
- I-10 from Black Water 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, from Sunday, Feb. 10 to Thursday, March 28 as crews remove and replace pavement markings. Law enforcement will be on site to assist with traffic control.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Sunday, Feb. 10 to Sunday, Feb. 17:
- 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).
- Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – The following construction related traffic impacts are planned for Interstate 10 and Avalon Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the week of Sunday, Feb. 10:
- Drivers may encounter alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange, 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, Sunday, Feb. 10 through Friday, Feb. 15 as crews work to widen the roadway.
- Drivers will encounter new traffic pattern(s) on I-10 east and westbound as crews reconstruct the inside and outside shoulders. This work will continue through spring 2019.
- U.S. 98 Safety Improvements at Constitution Drive and Navarre School Road- There will be intermittent eastbound lane closures near Thresher Drive from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday as crews construct a right turn lane.
- Drainage work is underway at Newport Street and Thresher Drive.
- Construction activities continue from Sunrise Drive to east of Cotton Bay Lane. Lane Closures will be in effect Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. as crews performconcrete operations in the median.
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.