FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts; Where To Expect Delays
December 3, 2018
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur Sunday, Dec. 2 through Saturday, Dec. 8. Work requiring lane restrictions will take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- 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 – Construction activities continue. Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 9.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road– Paving operations continue from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 9.
- I-10 over the CSX RR Bridge Maintenance- The westbound, outside lane will be closed from 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 to 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 3 as crews perform routine maintenance on the bridge.
- U.S. 29 Bridge Maintenance over Canoe Creek- Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane over Canoe Creek, 13.5 miles north of S.R.97, from 8 a.m. to 12-noon Sunday, Dec. 2 as crews replace bridge joints.
- State Road (S.R.) 10A (Scenic Highway) Routine Maintenance from Manolete Drive to Bohemia Drive- East and westbound traffic will encounter intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 as crews trim vegetation from behind the guardrail.
- · U.S. 98 (East Chase Street) Resurfacing from North Palafox Street to Bayfront Parkway- There will be paving operations from Palafox Street to the I-110 ramps from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 through Thursday, Dec. 6.
- · S.R. 295 (New Warrington Road) Utility Operations at Jackson Street- Tuesday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. northbound drivers on New Warrington Road will encounter a traffic shift at the intersection of Jackson Street as crews adjust a manhole in the turn lane.
- · U.S. 98 Routine Bridge Inspection over Perdido Bay- Crews will perform a routine inspection on the bridge Tuesday, Dec. 4. Eastbound lane closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- · S.R. 750 (Airport Boulevard) Routine Maintenance at I-110- There will be alternating east and westbound lane closures from 8 p.m. to midnight Wednesday, Dec. 5 as crews repair overhead lighting.
- · U.S. 90 Bridge Inspection over Perdido River- Crews will perform a routine inspection on the bridge Wednesday, Dec. 5. Eastbound lane closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- · S.R. 296 (Brent Lane) Routine Maintenance at I-110- There will be alternating east and westbound lane closures from midnight Wednesday, Dec. 5 to 5 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 as crews repair overhead lighting.
- · Crary Road Bridge Replacement- Crary Road will be temporarily 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.
- · Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek- Bratt Road will continue to be closed near Canoe Creek during construction. 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.
- · S.R. 727 (Fairfield Drive) Drainage Improvements from south of Usher Circle to north of Hestia Place- The south entrance to Usher Circle from Fairfield Drive will be closed to traffic from Thursday, Dec. 5 through Tuesday, Dec. 11 as crews install pipe across the roadway. Those seeking access to Usher Circle may utilize the north entrance off Fairfield Drive.
Santa Rosa County:
- · U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Construction activities continue. Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 9.
- I-10 Widening from 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 the week of Sunday, Dec. 2 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.:
- Drivers may encounter alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange from Monday through Thursday.
- 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 through Thursday 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- Crews will begin paving operations From Sunrise Drive to east of Cotton Bay Lane Monday, Dec. 3. Lane restriction will be in effect 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) –Traffic between Hickory Hammock Road and the Eglin AFB boundary will continue to be restricted to loads less than 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place until the project is completed.
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.
Tate Varsity And JV Cheerleaders Tops At Navarre Competition
December 3, 2018
The Tate High School varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders both placed first during a weekend competition in Navarre. The varsity squad was also named Grand Champions. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
West Florida’s Wiley Signs With Faulkner University
December 3, 2018
West Florida High School senior Kenzi Wiley of Cantonment has signed to play softball at Faulkner University, a four year NAIA school in Montgomery. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
December 3, 2018
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Monday, Dec. 3
Northwest District 1 Advisory Committee – 6 p.m., Beulah Middle School Cafeteria, 6001 W. Nine Mile Road
Tuesday, Dec. 4
Planning Board-Rezoning – 8:30 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Planning Board-Regular – 8:35 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
Wednesday, Dec. 5
Contractor Competency Board – 9 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Public Safety Coordinating Meeting – 9 a.m., 190 W. Government St., 5th Floor Conference Room
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Thursday, Dec. 6
Escambia County Area Transit Authority – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Review – 9:15 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
BCC Public Forum – 4:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
BCC Regular Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Friday, Dec. 7
Value Adjustment Board – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1395 Union Negotiations – 9:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor Training Room
Saturday, Dec. 8
Pensacola Beach Lifeguards Tryout – 1 p.m., University of West Florida Aquatic Center, 11000 University Parkway, Building 72
Holiday Youth Extravaganza – 6 p.m., Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. De Soto St.
Inmates Stabbed, One Fatally, At Holman Prison
December 3, 2018
Holman Prison in Atmore is on lockdown today following a fatal stabbing Sunday night.
At approximately 6:15 p.m., prison officials found Vaquerro Kinjuan Armstrong, 29, in a housing area with multiple stab wounds received in an altercation with another inmate. Armstrong was taken to the facility’s infirmary for emergency treatment but died from his injuries at around 6:30 p.m.
At 9:30 p.m., correctional staff reported a second incident in a different housing area where a fight broke out among several inmates. Two inmates who were involved in the fight were treated at the facility’s infirmary for non-threatening injuries. A third inmate received multiple stabs wounds and was airlifted to an area hospital where his condition is listed as critical. The inmate’s name is not being released due to security reasons.
The Alabama Department of Corrections has sent investigators and a Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) to Holman to assist prison officials with their response to the incidents. The prison is currently locked down while the ADOC conducts its investigation. The prison and all housing areas were secure with no additional incidents reported, the department said Monday morning.
Delivery Gone Wrong: Mail Carrier Hits Carport, Backs Across Ditch
December 2, 2018
A mail carrier crashed into a carport in Bratt before putting her vehicle in reverse and backing across a ditch.
The delivery gone wrong happened on West Highway 4 near the First Baptist Church of Bratt. The mail carrier was in a private driveway when she pulled forward, crashing into a freestanding metal carport and an outdoor HVAC condensing unit, according to reports, barely missing the resident’s vehicle and stopping just short of the house.
She then put her car in reverse backed across a ditch, with her vehicle coming to rest in Highway 4.
The mail carrier was evaluated on scene by Escambia County EMS but refused transport to the hospital.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Highway 29 Rollover
December 2, 2018
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover accident Saturday night.
The car came to a stop right-side up on Highway 29 south of Kingsfield Road. The driver’s injuries were not considered life threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Reader submitted photo by David Satterfield, click to enlarge.
Hurricane Season Ends With Memories Of Michael
December 2, 2018
For the third consecutive year, after a decade reprieve, Florida in 2018 was tested by the force of a massive hurricane.
The slightly above-average season, which began June 1 and was ending Friday, began early for Florida. Tropical Storm Alberto brought maximum sustained winds of 45 mph to North Florida in late May.
But for the Sunshine State and parts of the nation’s Southeast, the season will be remembered for the powerful and deadly Hurricane Michael, which made landfall Oct. 10 in the Panhandle and traveled into Southwest Georgia with major hurricane- force winds.
For a NorthEscambia.com Hurricane Michael photo gallery from Mexico Beach, click here.
Michael didn’t affect as large of an area in Florida as Hurricane Matthew, which ran up the East Coast in 2016, or Irma, which traveled the state from the Keys to Jacksonville in 2017.
But Michael’s impacts will be felt long after the restoration is considered complete.
Fifty days after the storm left parts of Northwest Florida in ruins and drew concerns about the fate of Tyndall Air Force Base, major recovery efforts are ongoing, while officials have yet to put final figures to the damages.
“It is still very early in the recovery process, and those numbers are not available yet,” Florida Division of Emergency Management spokesman Andrew Wilber said Thursday.
Here are some of the numbers and issues emerging from Michael and the 2018 season:
DEATHS
The state Division of Emergency Management put the death count from Michael was 43 as of Monday.
The deaths included at least eight attributed to storm surge, floodwaters or trees falling on homes. Also, five people died while clearing trees. There were also four deaths involving utility workers, with three struck in a single incident by a hit-and-run driver who was ultimately arrested on charges including three counts of vehicular homicide and felony DUI manslaughter.
The state’s death count also includes seniors who died in homes without power, a person who was using a generator near a window while sleeping and a Bay County death listed as “looting incident with police.”
INSURANCE CLAIMS
As of Nov. 16 — the latest numbers available — 125,356 insurance claims had been filed because of Michael, with total estimated insured losses at $3.43 billion.
By comparison, Irma resulted in more than 1 million claims and $11 billion in estimated insured losses, while hurricanes Matthew and Hermine in 2016 drew nearly 130,000 claims, with losses projected at $1.3 billion. Matthew did not make landfall in Florida but caused damage as it restored up the East Coast, while Hermine hit the Big Bend region.
Citizens Property Insurance spokesman Mike Peltier said Thursday the state-backed insurer remains strong, even with the impact of hurricanes over the past three seasons.
AGRICULTURE
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has estimated Michael’s crop and cattle damages, along with other agricultural impacts, at $1.49 billion.
The hardest-hit segment was the timber industry, accounting for about $1.3 billion in economic losses, while more than 1 million acres of cotton, nuts and vegetables, along with livestock operations, were damaged across 25 counties.
It remains unknown if a federal relief package will come out of Congress for the agriculture industry.
After Irma caused an estimated $2.5 billion in damages to Florida’s agriculture industry, state and federal lawmakers spent several months pursuing a disaster relief package. When signed by President Donald Trump in February, the package included a $340 million block grant exclusively for the Florida citrus industry,
HISTORICAL DATA
The season included 15 named storms and eight hurricanes, of which two were major hurricanes. It was slightly above average and more active than initially predicted.
Among the statistics of the season.
— Five named storms were recorded in the Atlantic between Sept. 1 and Sept. 12, matching the 1988 season for the most on record between those dates.
— Hurricane Florence dumped a record 35.95 inches in North Carolina, topping the 24.06 inches from Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Florence also dropped 23.63 inches in South Carolina, besting the 1995 mark set by Tropical Storm Jerry.
— Hurricane Michael, with maximums sustained winds of 155 mph, was the first recorded Category 4 storm to land in the Florida Panhandle.
— Michael’s landfall pressure of 919 millibars — a key measurement of intensity — was among the lowest in the continental U.S. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 hit 892 mb as it ran across the Florida Keys and up the state’s West Coast. Hurricane Camille hit Mississippi in 1969 at 900 mb.
LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE
After Irma, the House set up a select committee to focus on crafting new laws and procedures about hurricane preparations, evacuations and recovery.
Heading into the 2019 legislative session, a similar select committee isn’t expected, though Senate President Bill Galvano said this month that Michael will represent a $1 billion-plus challenge “that will impact our budgetary and policy decisions out of the gate.”
House and Senate leaders expect individual committees “will address issues related to the hurricane,” House spokesman Fred Piccolo said Thursday.
Galvano spokeswoman Katie Betta said Michael-related work can be accomplished by the existing committees. Galvano “continues to discuss these issues with the impacted lawmakers, and certainly they will play a key role in the Senate’s review of hurricane-related matters when the Senate resumes its committee work,” Betta said.
Committees will start meeting in December, with the legislative session starting in March.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Atmore YMCA Closes For Good
December 2, 2018
The Atmore YMCA quietly closed for the last time Friday afternoon after serving area residents for the past 23 years. Two full time and nine part-time employees are losing their jobs.
Fundraising and membership efforts were not enough to keep the facility open.
The facility announced a closure in 2014, but an influx of community funding kept the doors open. At last count the Y had over 600 members.
The YMCA will hold an “estate sale” on December 8 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and December 9 from noon until 4 p.m. to sell assets. Funds will be used to pay outstanding debts.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Change Is In The Air
December 2, 2018
As one former high-ranking state official confided not long ago, “You don’t want to be the last can on the shelf.”
So the musical chairs now underway on the plaza level in the Capitol come as no surprise, with the advent of a newly minted governor and two fresh Cabinet members preparing to take office in early January.
While many long-time aides have been jumping ship for months, other current and wannabe staffers are brushing up their curriculum vitae in the hopes of joining the nascent administrations of Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis, incoming Attorney General Ashley Moody or Agriculture Commissioner-to-be Nikki Fried, the only Democrat to win a statewide election this year.
Perhaps those who already work for Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who was appointed last year by Gov. Rick Scott, are breathing a sigh of relief after their boss handily held onto his Cabinet post in the Nov. 6 election.
While the dance known inside the Tallahassee beltway as the “agency-head shuffle” begins, DeSantis this week tapped a face familiar to many capital insiders to serve as his consigliere, as the line encircling the governor’s inner sanctum is drawn.
Meanwhile, one of DeSantis’ first high-profile tasks came under scrutiny, after the panel responsible for choosing Supreme Court nominees didn’t include an African-American in its list of selections to fill three upcoming vacancies. It will result in the first time in more than three decades the state’s highest court won’t include a black justice.
While the governor-elect measures the drapes and the résumés flood in, folks with deep pockets are gearing up for the revelry known as the inauguration. The ceremonial swearing-in will likely be overshadowed by the pomp-and-circumstance surrounding what could be a multi-day affair, capped by balls that provide an opportunity for well-heeled insiders to show off their gems, tuxedos and furs, if Tallahassee weather holds.
Which brings to mind a snippet overheard at former Gov. Jeb Bush’s inaugural festivities, which took place amid a bone-chilling North Florida cold snap in 1999. Bush took office after Republicans had been shut out of 700 North Adams Street for nearly a decade.
“Isn’t it wonderful to see so many furs?” drawled one white-haired doyenne to a friend, as the women left the Bush’s outdoor inaugural ceremony.
Her companion agreed: “It’s great to have Republicans back in power.”
DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE
In the first of his high-profile administration hires, DeSantis kicked off the week by tapping Shane Strum, a Broward County Republican who’s worked for two other governors, to serve as his chief of staff.
Strum, who will begin in the post when DeSantis takes over as governor on Jan. 8, currently is an executive at Hollywood-based Memorial Healthcare System.
“I am very pleased to announce that Shane is returning to public service and bringing his expertise to our administration,” DeSantis said in a statement. “Having spent many years in both the private and public sector, and previously serving two Florida governors, Shane will be a great addition to our team.”
Strum also worked for former Gov. Charlie Crist, capping his tenure as chief of staff during Crist’s final two years as governor. Strum also was an adviser to Scott’s transition team following Scott’s election in 2010.
Heralded by supporters as a competent and loyal strategist, Strum also brings a strength as a relationship-builder to the new governor’s inner circle. DeSantis, a former congressman, was a virtual unknown to most state lawmakers until his primary-election victory over Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in August.
“The first chief of staff for a new governor, or a governor who is coming to Tallahassee with a fresh start or a fresh face, you need somebody who’s a steady hand. You need somebody who’s loyal, who’s going to be driving your agenda. And there’s nobody better for taking the reins of the executive office of the governor and doing it in a way that’s going to have Gov. DeSantis be positioned to succeed,” Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg, who was Strum’s boss and preceded him as Crist’s chief of staff, told The News Service of Florida.
A ‘COMPLETE REVERSAL?’
For the first time in 36 years, the Florida Supreme Court will not have an African-American member when three new justices join the court early next year.
DeSantis will select the new justices from a list of 11 nominees sent to him Tuesday by the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. None of the nine judges and two lawyers on the nominee list is black, although six of the original 59 applicants were African-Americans.
That means when Justice Peggy Quince’s term ends on Jan. 8, it will mark the first time since January 1983, when the late Justice Leander Shaw joined the court, that the Supreme Court will not have a black member.
DeSantis will select the three justices to fill vacancies left by Quince and justices Barbara Pariente and R. Fred Lewis, who are leaving the court because they have reached a mandatory retirement age.
The looming absence of a black justice on the highest court in the nation’s third-largest state, which has more than 3.5 million African-American residents, drew sharp criticism from prominent black lawyers, a former African-American justice, black state lawmakers and the NAACP.
“It’s not a good day for the judiciary of the state of Florida when you’re going to look up there (at the Supreme Court bench) and not see anybody who is black after 36 years,” said former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, a Tampa lawyer and longtime civil- rights leader. “What message are we sending to our kids? That it’s a complete reversal of going back to the days of segregation?”
Joyner, a Democrat, put the blame on Scott, who has appointed all the members of the judicial nominating commissions that develop the appointment lists for state appellate and trial courts. She said Scott has filled the nominating commissions with members who advance judges who are “clones” of the conservative Republican governor.
McKinley Lewis, a spokesman for Scott, said the governor must appoint judges based on the nominees offered by the judicial nominating commissions.
“Our office does not control who applies to become a judge or what applicants are sent to the governor for consideration,” Lewis said.
The DeSantis transition team on Thursday referred to a statement released by the governor-elect on Tuesday when the nominations were announced. DeSantis called the nominees a group of “talented and highly qualified individuals.”
“Gov. Scott leaves behind an outstanding legacy of strong judicial appointments while in office,” DeSantis said in the statement. He said he would rely on Scott’s counsel as he evaluates the nominees and will select three justices who “will respect our Constitution and the rule of law and serve our state with distinction.”
But retired Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry, who was appointed by Crist and served nearly eight years on the court, said a court without a black justice “is an indication of where we are” both as a state and as a country.
“I’m appalled. But not surprised,” Perry, who is black, told The News Service of Florida. “Obviously, we’re retrogressing instead of progressing.”
Perry pointed to anti-immigrant policies such as the proposed construction of a wall along the Mexican-U.S. border, an idea espoused by President Donald Trump, whose strong support of DeSantis helped boost the governor-elect to a Republican primary victory in August.
“We’re talking about building a wall. We need to build a mirror, so we can look in the mirror. The message is clear. There wasn’t even an African-American who made the short list,” Perry said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Florida’s highest court will not have an African-American justice for the first time in 36 years, after a panel responsible for selecting judicial nominees did not include a black nominee in a list of 11 names to succeed three retiring justices.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: — “This does not bode well for Florida, especially with the divisiveness that exists in this country right now.” — Former Sen. Arthenia Joyner, a lawyer and veteran civil rights activist, speaking about the upcoming lack of a black justice on the Florida Supreme Court.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida