Rep. Byrne Discusses Rural Hospital Issues During Atmore Visit
May 30, 2018
Alabama Rep. Bradley Byrne visited Atmore Community Hospital Tuesday to discuss challenges facing Alabama’s rural hospitals.
Byrne said at least twelve 12 hospitals have closed in Alabama since 2011, and another dozen are in danger of closing in the next two years.
Byrne said he is working with his Alabama colleagues in Congress to solve problems relating to the Medicare Wage Index, which severely hurts Alabama’s hospitals. Alabama has the lowest Medicare reimbursement rate in the country. He said Alabama hospitals are reimbursed as much as 21 percent below the national average and at rates considerably lower than neighboring states.
“This is a fight I am going to keep up because the issue is so very important,” he said.
Officials from hospitals throughout Southwest Alabama, local elected officials and community leaders joined Byrne in the Atmore meeting.
Byrne also visited a local pharmacy.
“I’m committed to making sure Alabamians have reliable access to necessary medications,” he said.
Community Flea Market Saturday In Cantonment
May 30, 2018
St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Cantonment will host a Community Flea Market on Saturday, June 2 beginning at 8 a.m.
Spaces are available for $25. Those selling new or used wares, vegetable or plant growers, retailers or non-profits, artists and craftsmen are all welcome. Food and beverages will be available on-site.
The church is located at 699 South Highway 95A in Cantonment.
For more information: www.st-monicas.org/flea-market.
Tourism Boost Sought After Alberto
May 30, 2018
As winds and rains let up from Subtropical Storm Alberto, Florida officials Tuesday were quickly spinning ways to draw tourists to areas that may have missed out on Memorial Day crowds.
State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Gov. Rick Scott, during an appearance at the Walton County Emergency Operations Center in DeFuniak Springs, expressed a need for Visit Florida, the state’s public-private tourism arm, to emulate post-Hurricane Irma promotional efforts for the Panhandle and other parts of the state.
“This weekend should have really been the second busiest weekend of the whole year,” said Patronis, whose family runs Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant in Panama City. “We, the restaurant, we did 40 percent of what we should have done.”
Scott said he would call Visit Florida President and CEO Ken Lawson. But before the half-hour appearance at the emergency operations center was complete, Lawson called Patronis, who handed the phone to Scott.
“The Legislature gave us $76 million again this year (for Visit Florida), and part of that money is to work on when we have something like this, to let people know we’re back open for business,” Scott told reporters after the appearance. “A lot of people are very dependent on tourism here. And a lot of people are getting paid just based on how many tourists show that day. They’re tied to tips and things like that. So, we have to get the tourists back.”
Stephen Lawson, a spokesman for Visit Florida who is unrelated to Ken Lawson, said even though there was little on social media from Florida travelers about Alberto, steps are being taken “in an abundance of caution” to show locations across the Panhandle remain unfazed by the storm.
“We’ll be spotlighting the Panhandle across our social channels later this week to show that they are 100 percent open for business,” Lawson said.
A Facebook live event will also be held from Sandestin later in the week.
The promotional effort won’t require a special ad campaign similar to the $5 million spent to highlight the Florida Keys after Irma.
Otherwise, officials called Alberto a good tune-up for the six-month Atlantic hurricane season, which begins Friday.
Few roads were impacted by flooding, with Panhandle officials telling Scott that almost all roads, bridges and beaches were open Tuesday morning. Officials were waiting to see total amounts of rain that Alberto dumps into rivers in Alabama.
The storm also appeared to cause relatively few power outages.
At 3 p.m. Monday, 9,861 electricity customer accounts in the state were without power, according to the Florida State Emergency Response Team. That total indicates 99.91 percent of all power customers had electricity.
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, just over 1,000 accounts had not been restored.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: Pensacola Beach on Saturday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Middle, High School Report Cards Won’t Be Ready For Weeks
May 30, 2018
Middle and high school report cards in Escambia County won’t be mailed to parents for several more weeks.
School districts across the state will not receive final end of course exam scores from the state until late June or early July. Final grade calculations for many courses cannot be complete until the end of course exam scores are received from the state.
Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said the district anticipates middle and high school report cards will be mailed out in early July.
Students grades, minus end of course exams, are available online at the “Focus Parent Portal” (click here).
Search Continues For Baldwin County Man Missing For Two Weeks
May 30, 2018
The search is continuing two weeks after a Baldwin County man was reported missing.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued a Missing Senior Alert for Steve Keszthelyi.
Keszthelyi is a 79-year old white male and may be suffering from a condition that may impair his judgement. He was last seen wearing red shorts , white t-shirt and a red hat at his residence in Elberta, May 16. Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Steve Keszthelyi is asked to contact the Elberta Police Department at (251) 986-5300 or call 911.
The search has included areas in Escambia County, FL.
Motorcyclist Killed In I-110 Crash
May 29, 2018
A motorcyclist was killed Tuesday on I-110 in Escambia County.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 29-year old Michael Del Viscovo, Jr. was traveling north on I-110 on the curved exit ramp to Davis Highway when he ran off the roadway onto the paved shoulder. He was thrown from the motorcycle and into a guardrail fence. He was pronounced deceased following the 10:20 a.m. crash.
Student Arrested After Bomb Threat Made Against Jay High School
May 29, 2018
Jay High School and Jay Elementary School were evacuated Tuesday afternoon due to a a bomb threat against the high school, and a student has been arrested.
About 1 p.m., a Jay High School school resource officer was notified by school staff of a bomb threat, and additional deputies responded to the school.
“A text message was received by another student in which the sender advised of a bomb threat to the school. After a thorough investigation and within 30 minutes, a suspect was in custody,” said Sgt. Rich Aloy, public information officer for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
“The threat was unfounded and the individual who sent the text was discovered to be a student who was supposedly playing a joke,” Aloy said.
The juvenile suspect was arrested on charges of making a false bomb threat and disruption of a school function. The SRSO has not yet released the suspect’s name.
Final CRA Plan Ready To Improve ‘Blighted’ Area Of Century
May 29, 2018
Finals plans for a Century CRA — Community Redevelopment Agency — are complete.
Once the CRA is in place and operating, it will work to improve conditions within the area. As property tax values rise, most of the increase is funneled back into the redevelopment area for further improvements.
The CRA area is 510 acres, bounded by Jefferson Avenue to the south, Jefferson Avenue to the east, East High 4 to the north and the center line of North Century Boulevard to the west. It also extends north on the east side of North Century Boulevard to include commercial properties up to, and including, the former Burger King. Click here for a detailed map (pdf).
The plan is tentatively scheduled to be presented to the Century Town Council on June 18 with adoption vote for the plan ordinance tentatively planned for July 2.
Community Redevelopment Objectives
- Enhance quality of life by partnering with public or private, profit or non-profit organizations to develop and implement facilities, programs and services that are based on and support inclusivity, tolerance, and safety in the Century CRA.
- Promote self-sufficiency and resiliency through partnerships with stakeholders that facilitate instructional opportunities for residents and business owners/entrepreneurs in the Century CRA.
- Initiate economic development opportunities that are customized to the distinctive attributes and possibilities unique to the Century CRA.
- Capitalize on the Century CRA’s historic and natural resources to support the area’s unique identity as well as promote a greater sense of neighborhood pride.
Strategies for CRA
- Invest in public facilities and infrastructure
- Sewer, stormwater management
- Transportation;
- Streetscape and pedestrian features; and
- Public and community areas.
- Expand economic development opportunities
- Improve housing conditions with repair and affordable home ownership opportunities;
- Highlight historic and natural amenities; and
- Identify targeted development sites.
Short Term Implementation Plan
- 2-Year Action Plan (2018-2020)
- Activities and tasks that are smaller, incremental and set the foundation for encouraging long-term private investment in the CRA
- Funding Resources: primarily Town, County, regional agencies, and non-profit organizations
Long-Term Implementation Plan
- •10-year Action Plan (2018-2028)
- Builds upon activities and tasks from the short-term action plan and begins to implement the more costly capital improvements and services that require utilization of revenues to leverage TIF funds
- Funding Resources: primarily regional and state agencies, and large grant organizations
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts: Highway 29 And Other Delays
May 29, 2018
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties this week as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- State Road (S.R.) 750 (Airport Boulevard) from S.R. 291 (Davis Highway) to S.R. 289 (9th Avenue) – Intermittent eastbound lane closure near Davis Highway from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews install guardrail.
- U.S. 29 Widening from I-10 to U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road)- Drivers traveling U.S. 29 and Nine Mile Road will encounter traffic pattern changes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through Saturday, June 2 as follows:
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 overpass: North and southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new center bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drivers may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations. U.S. 29 lane restrictions are Monday through Saturday.
- U.S. 29 Resurfacing between U.S. 90 and Muscogee Road - Alternating lane closures on U.S. 29 north and southbound, from Muscogee Road to West 9 ½ Mile Road, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through Thursday, May 31 as crews pave the roadway.
· I-10 / U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I- The following traffic impacts are planned on I-10 and U.S. 29 near the interchange (Exits 10) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through Friday, June 1:
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- Alternating lane closures on I-10 east and westbound and U.S. 29 north and southbound.
- The U.S. 29 on-ramps to I-10 eastbound will be intermittently closed. Traffic will be detoured on U.S. 29 to access I-10 eastbound.
- Alternating lane closures on the I-10 westbound exit ramp to U.S. 29 north and south (Exit 10).
· U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement- Alternating east and westbound lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through Thursday, May 31 as crews perform construction activities.
· U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from Perdido Bay Bridge to Dogtrack Road – Construction activities are underway. Lane restrictions may take place from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through Thursday, May 31.
· U.S. 90 (Mobile Highway) Intersection improvement at County Road (C.R.) 99 (Beulah Road)- Work to improve the intersection of State Road 10A (Mobile Highway) at Beulah Road in Escambia County is scheduled to begin the week of Monday, May 21. To help minimize traffic impacts, much of the construction work will take place behind a low-profile concrete barrier wall. No lane closures will be allowed Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. In addition, no lane closures will be scheduled during special school events.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Alternating east and westbound lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through Thursday, May 31 as crews perform construction activities.
- U.S. 98 Turn Lane Construction at Joybrook Road in Navarre- Drivers will encounter intermittent and alternating lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through Thursday, May 31 as crews pave turn and travel lanes at the intersection.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to Hickory Hammock Road – Intermittent lane shifts from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the week of Tuesday, May 29 on S.R. 87 north and southbound between Eglin Air Force Base boundary and two miles south of the Yellow River. Crews will be paving in the area. Additionally, traffic between C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) and the Eglin AFB boundary is restricted to loads less than 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place until the project is complete.
- I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 29 through June 1 as crews work to widen the roadway. In addition, alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange, will also be encountered as crews reconstruct the travel lanes.
- U.S. 98 at Sunrise Drive Lane Closure- East and westbound traffic on U.S. 98 at Sunrise Drive will encounter lane restrictions from 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 30 to 5 a.m. Thursday, May 31 as crews install crosswalk pavement markings.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled 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..
Pictured: A look at the Pensacola Bay Bridge construction as seen on Sunday. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Woman Charged With DUI In Highway 97 Crash
May 29, 2018
A woman has been arrested in connection with an early morning crash Monday on Highway 97.
Connie Mae Henderson, 63, was charged with DUI with property damage. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
About 1:10 a.m., Henderson was northbound on Highway 97 just north of Tungoil Road when she ran off the roadway, struck a power pole and continued through a ditch. She refused medical transport after the crash.
The pole was broken off near ground level, downing power lines. Escambia River Electric reported 52 customers lost power following the crash.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded, along with the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured top and bottom: NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
