Flomaton QB Club Raising Money For Championship Rings
December 12, 2018
The Flomaton High School Quarterback Club is raising money to purchase championship rings for the Flomaton Hurricanes.
Last week, the Hurricanes won the 3A state football championship 23-12 over Piedmont in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.. It was the first ever state finals trip, and the first ever championship win, in the 94 year history of the Flomaton football program.
The QB Club has a special account set up at the Escambia County Bank in Flomaton for contributions. Checks should be payable to “FQC 2018 State Championship Rings”.
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FWC Law Enforcement Report: Hunting, Fishing Violations
December 12, 2018
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the period ending November 29 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers participated in a targeted enforcement action organized by Officer Allgood working illegal bait sites within Escambia Wildlife Management Area. Officers Allgood and Hutchison with K-9 Zara located two locations where bait was placed within the management area. Both baited areas were located on the ground near tree stands. After monitoring the baited sites, Officers Allgood and Pettey located a subject hunting over one of the baited sites. The subject admitted to placing bait in the management area to attract hogs. Later that day, Officer Allgood located two subjects hunting at the second bait site. One of the subjects admitted to placing bait on the management area. Resource citations were issued to both parties for placing bait on a management area to attract deer or hogs. Several warnings were issued to both subjects as well.
Lieutenant Lambert was working duck hunting from a concealed location at Salter’s Lake within the Escambia River. He saw a subject arrive at the boat ramp and launch a small boat at sunset. The subject shot at ducks until 25 minutes after sunset. Legal hunting hours for duck hunting ends at sunset. Appropriate citations were issued for the violation.
Officer Clark was on a social media website that was known for local fishing posts. He saw a post that had an individual holding up an undersized bull shark. Officer Clark spoke with the individual and the subject stated that he did catch the shark but gave it away. Officer Clark educated the suspect on the laws of undersized sharks and the definition of harvest. Charges were filed for harvesting a shark with a fork length of less than 54 inches.
Officer Allgood was patrolling Ft. Pickens conducting resource inspections when he saw two subjects carrying a cooler off the beach towards their vehicle. He contacted the subjects and saw a large red drum located in the cooler with the head and tail cut off. The fish appeared to be grossly oversized and was not landed in whole condition. Officer Allgood issued the subject a resource citation for failure to land a red drum in whole condition.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hahr and Lieutenant Clark were patrolling in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area when they heard two shots. Officer Hahr coursed the shots to a location in the management area. He went to that location and saw a subject exiting private property with a rifle. The subject stated that he shot two does. When they checked the deer, they discovered that he had killed three deer, two over the daily bag limit. The subject was cited for taking over the bag limit of antlerless deer. The meat from two deer was seized and donated to a charitable organization.
Officer Hahr was patrolling private property during crossbow season when he heard two rifle shots. He located the area from where the shots came and saw a subject in the process of cleaning a deer. Both deer had bullet wounds and no sign of a broadhead wound. The subject admitted to taking the deer with a rifle. Both illegally harvested deer were seized and donated to a charitable organization. The subject was cited for taking deer with a firearm during crossbow season.
Officer Ramos located an illegal bait site on Eglin Wildlife Management Area. A person planted a non-native seed as an attractant for deer and cut small oak trees down to create a shooting lane from a ladder stand. Later, the suspect also laid corn on the ground near the illegal food plot. Officer Ramos found the man actively hunting on the site and after a brief interview, the suspect admitting to cutting the trees, planting the food plot and spreading the corn. The subject was issued criminal citations for the violations. Additionally, the suspect’s access to the Eglin WMA was revoked for one year by Eglin Range Patrol security forces.
Officer Ramos saw a vehicle leaving Eglin Wildlife Management Area and conducted a traffic stop to check for licenses and permits. During the inspection, the officer learned that the suspect didn’t have a valid driver’s license. Additionally, the subject had dug up and removed several bags of expended ammunition from Eglin property. Range patrol was called, and the subject was issued a Notice of Violation for digging/disturbing ground on the WMA, a violation that all users who access the reservation are made aware of when an entry permit is granted. The subject’s access to Eglin was revoked for one year due to the violation. Officer Ramos also issued the appropriate citation to the suspect for driving with a suspended license.
Officer Cushing was driving across a bridge and saw a canoe drifting in Pensacola Bay. The canoe displayed a dive flag but there wasn’t anybody in or near the vessel which was nearly a half mile from the closest bridge. Officer Cushing proceeded to a local marina to respond by patrol vessel. Officers Ramos and Land responded to assist. Officer Ramos contacted FWC biologists who already had a boat in the water. With the help of the FWC biologist team, Officer Ramos began searching the bridge spans for a possible missing diver while Officer Land used binoculars to direct Officer Cushing to the canoe. Officer Cushing retrieved the canoe out of the water and placed it in his patrol vessel. A brief time later, Officer Ramos and the FWC biologists found three men swimming along the bridge spans heading towards a boat ramp which was about a quarter of a mile away. When the men got out of the water, two of them were borderline hypothermic from cold-water exposure. All three subjects had been spearfishing and had fish on their stringers. Officer Cushing returned the canoe to the subjects at the boat ramp. While the subjects were recovering from the cold water, a resource inspection of their speared fish was conducted. One subject was found to have speared a red drum, which is an illegal method of take. The red drum was also over the legal-size limit. The subject was issued citations for spearing a red drum and fishing without a saltwater license. All three men were issued warnings for other violations but remained grateful for the officers’ response and assistance.
Officer Ramos was on patrol in Eglin Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and discovered fresh ATV tire sign. ATV use is prohibited on the WMA. A vehicle and empty ATV trailer were located on Eglin property and Officer Ramos recorded the vehicle information. Later, he saw the ATV on a Range Road and attempted to catch up to it. The person driving the ATV eluded the officer by cutting through a closed area and doubling back on extremely narrow roads. Officer Ramos contacted Lieutenant Berryman and asked him to stand by with the suspect’s vehicle and trailer. When Lieutenant Berryman arrived at that location, the ATV had already been loaded on the trailer and the suspect was gone. Officer Ramos located the suspect’s vehicle heading south on a highway. The truck was pulling the same trailer with the ATV that fled from Officer Ramos earlier. A traffic stop was conducted, and two subjects were interviewed. The subjects were not truthful at first and denied they had been on Eglin WMA. After further questioning, the subjects admitted they had been riding in the WMA on two separate occasions. The operator of the ATV admitted he knew he was supposed to have an Eglin range permit but did not. Both persons were cited for operating an ATV on a management area along with warnings for other violations.
Officer Ramos was on patrol in Eglin Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and saw a man exit a wooded area with a compound bow and arrows during a period when all hunting was prohibited within Eglin WMA. Officer Ramos interviewed the subject and he admitted that he had been hunting deer from a ladder stand. He was issued a notice to appear for attempting to take game during the closed season.
Officer Hutchinson received a complaint from a landowner about a subject trespassing on their private property. Officer Hutchinson drove to the property and located a vehicle parked on state forest property near the private property. He deployed K9 Zara who tracked from the subject’s vehicle to the private property. While tracking, K9 Zara led Officer Hutchinson to a bag, a bucket and a shovel that were laying in the bushes. The bag and the bucket contained old bottles and other artifacts along with other tools used for digging. K9 Zara continued tracking until Officer Hutchinson heard a vehicle stop on a nearby roadway. He heard two doors shut which were the subjects attempting to get away. He contacted a sheriff’s deputy who was nearby and requested his help in locating the vehicle. A brief time later, the deputy stopped the vehicle and identified the male and female passengers as being the two whose truck was parked near the private property. After being interviewed, both subjects admitted to trespassing on the private property and digging for old bottles. They also admitted to fleeing the property when they heard the K9 team tracking towards them. Officer Hutchinson issued the subjects warnings for trespassing at the landowner’s request. The artifacts taken were given back to the landowner.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
641 Acre Solar Farm Planned For McDavid, Large Enough To Power 14,000 Homes
December 11, 2018
A solar farm large enough to power over 14,000 homes is in the planning stages for West Bogia Road in McDavid.
Florida Renewable Partners (FRP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy, is seeking permits to construct a 74.5 megawatt facility known currently as the “Escambia County Solar Energy Center” on 541 acres along and just north of West Bogia Road, according to documents obtained by NorthEscambia.com.
By comparison, Gulf Power’s largest solar field at Saufley Field is 50 megawatts, enough to power almost 7,400 homes. Gulf Power is not involved in the proposed McDavid project; however NextEra is currently in the process of purchasing Gulf Power as part of a $6.475 billion deal.
“The facility will generate clean, renewable energy by converting sunlight via photovoltaic solar panels into direct current (DC) electricity. The direct current flows from the panels through inverters and is converted into alternating current (AC) used by local electric utilities. Finally, the electricity travels through transformers, and the voltage is boosted for delivery onto the transmission lines so the local electric utility can distribute the zero-emissions electricity to homes and businesses,” according to a document filed with the Escambia County Development Review Committee by FRP.
The development is planned for an area behind and north of existing homes on West Bogia Road between South Pine Barren Road and Highway 29. A small portion of the project area includes land north and south of West Bogia Road, surrounding Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church (map below). There are currently no homes on the project property.
The area, owned by RMS Timberlands, is zoned as agriculture and is currently used for timber growth.
No water or sewer infrastructure will be necessary to serve the development, and no habitable space will be constructed. The facility will be monitored remotely and will not require onsite personnel for day-to-day operation, but personnel will occasionally visit the site to conduct required maintenance activities, according to FRP documents.
The Escambia County Solar Energy Center is entering the pre-application process with Escambia County and faces numerous steps before being permitted.
The project area does not included land purchased by Gulf Power in 2009 for a possible nuclear power plant that was never constructed.
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Photo Gallery: Thousands Attend Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade
December 11, 2018
Thousands of people attended the annual Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade Monday night.
The parade featured lighted floats, twirlers, antique cars, bands, marchers, Santa Claus and more.
The parade was rescheduled from Saturday night due to rain.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle School Names Students Of The Month
December 11, 2018
Ransom Middle School has named Students of the Month for November-December. They are Paige Knight and Anthony Erie. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Overall Juvenile Arrests Decline In Florida, Increase In Escambia
December 11, 2018
Juvenile arrests are declining overall in Florida but overall juvenile arrests were on the upswing in Escambia County, according to numbers released Monday by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
Statewide juvenile felony arrests dropped 10 percent over the last fiscal year and overall juvenile arrests declined eight percent in the same time frame.
In Escambia County, juvenile felony offenses dropped 10 percent with 485 arrests, while overall juvenile arrests increased by five percent to 1,875 since last year.
Company Donates Bicycles To Bratt Elementary Students
December 11, 2018
Instead of a traditional Christmas party, one area telecommunications company decided to give back, building bicycles for over a dozen children at Bratt Elementary School.
“We wanted to give back to the community where our employees reside so instead of a traditional company holiday party we partnered with Build A Bike for a day of employee team building activities and good food,” John Heathcock, senior director of customers service at Impact Telecom in Atmore, said. “At the end of the day we collectively built 14 bikes.”
The company also donated new helmets along with the bicycles as part of the their corporate “give back” project.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
More Florida Students Look To Bright Futures Scholarships
December 11, 2018
More Florida students are taking advantage of beefed-up scholarship programs that help pay for tuition, fees and books at state universities and colleges.
The number of students using Bright Futures scholarships, the state’s main merit-based aid program, is now projected to grow by 5.7 percent this academic year for a total of 99,483 students, according to a report published by the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research. The report is based on a Nov. 30 estimating conference.
More students who have top test scores and grades are qualifying for and using the Bright Futures’ “academic scholars” program, which pays for 100 percent of tuition and fees and provides $300 for books in the fall and spring semesters.
The latest estimate shows a projected 52,179 students will qualify this year as academic scholars, up from 45,295 last year, or a 15 percent increase. That program will grow by another 9.5 percent next budget year for a total of 57,138 students in 2019-2020, the estimate showed.
To qualify for the program, students must have a 3.5 grade point average and score at least a 1290 on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT. They must also complete 100 hours of community service.
The report said the reason for the increase in the Bright Future scholars “cannot be fully explained at this time,” although factors may include more students qualifying through programs like the International Baccalaureate program, changes in qualifications for home-schooled students and higher SAT scores.
Former Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who left office last month, made a priority of expanding Bright Futures, including covering 100 percent of tuition and fees in the academic scholars program.
Participation by students qualifying as Bright Futures “medallion scholars,” who must meet slightly lower standards, will remain relatively flat this year, dropping to 46,216 students from 47,740 last year. However, the program for the first time this year will cover 75 percent of tuition and fees for those students.
Both programs allow Bright Futures students to use their scholarships to cover summer classes.
Bright Futures also includes three smaller scholarship programs, along with the academic and medallion programs.
The popularity of Bright Futures may have an impact on the state budget, with the latest projection showing a total cost of $545 million this year, although lawmakers only approved $520 million in the budget and related legislation. The cost is projected to rise to $583 million in 2019-2020.
Meanwhile, the new estimate showed more than 195,000 students will benefit from the state’s largest need-based aid program, known as “student assistance grants.” The average award this year is projected at $1,378.
About 87 percent of that aid will benefit students attending public universities and colleges, but the remainder will help students at private schools and other post-secondary programs.
Also, more than 39,000 state residents attending private colleges and universities in Florida will benefit from the “Effective Access to Student Education” grants program — which in the past was known as the Florida Resident Access Grant program. The maximum award for those scholarships, which total $137 million, increased from $3,300 to $3,500 this academic year.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Hurricane Michael Losses Near $4.3 Billion
December 11, 2018
Two months after Hurricane Michael roared into Northwest Florida, insured losses continue to climb. As of Friday, 131,562 claims had been filed from the Oct. 10 storm, with estimated insured losses of $4.28 billion, according to numbers posted on the state Office of Insurance Regulation website. About 67 percent of the claims had been closed.
Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Mexico Beach in southeastern Bay County and caused devastating damage in Panama City and areas such as Blountstown and Marianna as it continued north into Georgia.
by The News Service of Florida
Pictured: Hurricane Michael damage in Marianna. Photos by SPC Jeffrey Scott Hagan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘Inattentive’ School Bus Driver Cited After Rear-Ending Vehicle On 10 Mile Road
December 10, 2018
An Escambia County School bus driver was cited for careless driving after rear-ending a vehicle Monday morning on West 10 Mile Road. .
The Florida Highway Patrol said bus driver Joe Wesson, 69, stopped briefly at the railroad tracks on 10 Mile Road near Highway 29, then pulled the school bus forward into the rear of a Dodge Grand Caravan driven by 25-year old Audry Morford of Jay.
The FHP said Wesson was “was inattentive to the traffic in front of him”. Both drivers and 12 students on the bus were not injured.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.