Escambia Firefighters Charity To Open House For Families Displaced By Fire
January 2, 2018
The Escambia County Professional Firefighters Charity is planning to open a house to provide temporary refuge for families displaced by residential fires in Escambia County.
The charity plans to provide a comfortable, safe, and supportive place of temporary refuge for families that lose their home to fire.
“We are proud and excited to be the first to provide this level of assistance to displaced families in our area,” Ian Sumner, Escambia County Professional Firefighters Charity coordinator said. “Being displaced from your home due to a fire and sometimes losing everything is a very devastating event. While there are many charities in the area that step up and help these families, we hope to bring it all together and make the devastation sting a little less. We plan to do this by offering a temporary home along with assistance with walking through the process of connecting with all available resources and getting their life back together. Families will hopefully feel a little more relaxed and be able to mentally heal a little quicker.”
The firefighters charity plans to release more details Friday on the house and how the community can help.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Byrneville Ice Show
January 2, 2018
Lon and Alice Malone decided to create a little ice show in their yard on Highway 168 in Byrneville. This is how it looked Monday morning. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Road Construction Delays Return Wednesday, Lane Closures on Highway 29
January 2, 2018
The road construction lane closure reprieve over the holidays ends at midnight Tuesday in Florida. Then it’s back to work as usual.
Drainage operations are scheduled to resume Wednesday on Highway 29 in Escambia County Drivers traveling Highway 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Saturday, January 6.
Pictured: Work before Christmas on Highway 29 at Nine Mile Road. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Highway 90 Closed By Overturned Lumber Truck
January 1, 2018
An overturned lumber truck closed Highway 90 in Beulah Monday night.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 27-year old Jesse Lee Coyle of Robertsdale was driving the truck eastbound just east of the AL/FL line about 6:37 p.m. The semi truck had a mechanical issue when caused the driver to lose control, with the vehicle rolling over into the wood line.
Coyle was transported by ambulance to a Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
No charges were filed in the accident.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Vehicles Collide On Narrow Highway 97 Bridge Set For Replacement
January 1, 2018
Sunday afternoon, two vehicles side-swiped on a narrow Highway 97 bridge, just days before construction is set to begin to replace the bridge with a wider structure.
The cars collided just after 4 p.m. on the Highway 97 bridge over Sandy Hollow Creek, about a mile south of Highway 4. One vehicle remained on the bridge, while the second came to rest about 100 yards away off the roadway in a ditch. The driver of the vehicle that remained on the bridge was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital. The driver and occupant of the second vehicle refused treatment at the scene.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released.
Work is scheduled to begin this week, weather permitting, to replace the bridge. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the bridge was deemed functional obsolete, partially due to its narrow width.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Minimum Wage Workers Get A Pay Raise Today
January 1, 2018
Florida’s minimum wage increased to $8.25 an hour Monday, 15 cents higher than the previous rate.
Under a state constitutional amendment, passed by voters in 2004, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity adjusts the wage each year based on changes in a federal consumer price index. The wage applies to all Florida workers who are covered by the federal minimum wage, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.
Since the passage of the amendment and the enactment of Florida’s minimum wage law in 2005, the state minimum wage has risen $2.10 an hour, or 34 percent, since the original wage was set at $6.15 in 2005.
The 15-cent increase for 2018 is the largest hourly increase since 2012, when the wage rose by 36 cents an hour, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.
One Seriously Injured In New Year’s Eve I-10 Crash
January 1, 2018
[Updated 1/1 11 pm] At least one person was serious injured in a multiple vehicle accident involving a semi-truck on I-10 east of Davis Highway Sunday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 63-year old Cassandra Hutchinson of Palatka, FL, was eastbound on I-10 when her 2017 Toyota Camry crossed into another lane and collided with a Chevrolet Impala. Hutchinson’s vehicle then struck a semi-truck parked on the shoulder with emergency flasher activated due to mechanical problems. The Toyota then continued under the trailer.
It took extensive extrication efforts by firefighters to free Hutchinson from her vehicle. She was cited for failure to maintain a single lane.
There were only minor injuries reported.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
How To Protect People, Pets, Pipes, Plants During Freezing Weather
January 1, 2018
With temperatures expected to drop to near 20 tonight, Escambia County residents should prepare their family, pets and home for the extreme cold. Considerable attention should be provided to people performing outdoor activities to make sure they have the appropriate layered clothing on to protect themselves from the near zero degree wind chill.
Escambia County offers the following cold weather safety tips:
Protecting People
- Stay indoors, dress warmly and use safe heating sources.
- Guard against wind chill – One of the gravest dangers of winter weather is wind chill. The wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin by combined effects of wind and cold. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at an accelerated rate, driving down the body temperature. Animals are also effected by wind chill.
Pets
- Do not leave pets out in the cold.
- Bring all pets indoors and make sure they have a warm blanket to lie on, as well as plenty of food and water.
- If pets must stay outdoors, provide a pet house or other type of shelter and line the bottom with plenty of blankets or hay along with extra food and water. Try installing a light bulb flood light in the pet house at a safe distance away from the pet to avoid burns. The heat from the bulb will help keep them warm. However, do not use light bulbs when bedding with hay.
Pipes
Water expands when it freezes and can shatter pipe seals or the pipes themselves, sending water pouring through your house if ice forms. You can avoid thousands of dollars of damage to your home by taking a few simple measures to protect your home:
- Use faucet covers, wrap rags, paper, trash bags or plastic foam around faucets and outdoor pipes.
- Cover any vents around your home´s foundation.
- Protect outdoor electrical pumps and bring water hoses indoors.
- Open the cabinets under the sinks in your kitchen and bathrooms to allow heated indoor air to circulate around water pipes.
- Insulate your outdoor water meter box and be sure its lid is secure.
- If you have a swimming pool, either drain the circulation system or keep the pump motor running. Run the pump motor only in a short freeze. Running the motor for long periods could cause damage.
- Let faucets drip, but do not run a big stream of water.
- If you leave town, consider turning off your water at the shut-off valve while faucets are running to drain your pipes. Make sure the faucets are turned off before you turn the shut-off valve back on.
- If you drain your pipes, contact your electric or gas utility for instructions on protecting your water heater.
If Pipes Freeze
- Turn off the water at the shut-off valve and call a plumber for help.
- Do not use lamps or electrical appliances to thaw frozen pipes. Leaking water from thawing pipes could cause a short and you can be electrocuted.
- If you try to thaw your own pipes, apply heat slowly, and move the heat toward the coldest spot on the pipe. Never concentrate heat in one spot – cracking ice can shatter a pipe.
Practice Fire Safety
- Use extra care with supplemental heating units.
- Make sure that all-combustible materials such as drapes or chairs are at least three feet away from any heating unit.
- Avoid using flammable liquids to start fireplaces and do not leave a fireplace unattended.
- Most importantly, check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are working properly.
Plants
- Water your plants thoroughly. The water will act as an insulator. Dry plants are more susceptible to freezing.
- After watering, cover plants with a breathable material, such as fabric not plastic.
- Place mulch at the base of your plants and do not prune prior to a freeze. Pruning encourages soft growth, which is susceptible to freezing. Spraying the leaves of plants with liquid seaweed will also toughen them against cold.
Concealed Weapons Licenses Now Available In Molino
January 1, 2018
Residents can now submit original applications and renewals of concealed weapon licenses in the Escambia County Tax Collector’s Office in Molino.
While renewal licenses will be printed in the office, new applications still will be submitted to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for final approval. The statutory turnaround time for this process is within 90 days.
The Escambia County Tax Collector Molino Office is located at 6440 Highay 95-A North, Suite A, in the Molino Community Complex.
In addition to the regular license fees, the Escambia County Tax Collector will add a convenience fee of $22 for new applications or $12 for renewals as allowed by state statute. (Click here for a fee schedule.)
Appointments for concealed weapon license applications and renewals can be made here or by visiting EscambiaTaxCollector.com.
For additional information on concealed weapon licenses, please click here.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Do Not Call: Florida’s Top 10 Consumer Complaints Of 2017
December 31, 2017
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services released today the top 10 consumer complaints filed with the department in 2017. Complaints about violations of the state’s Do Not Call list were the most common, followed by complaints related to landlord/ tenant issues, fuel and gasoline, and motor vehicle repair.
In 2017, the department received 40,855 complaints and responded to 215,870 calls, 16,247 emails and 11,464 online chats from consumers. The top 10 complaints were:
1. Do Not Call –19,112
2. Landlord/Tenant – 2,164
3. Fuel/Petroleum – 1,555
4. Motor Vehicle Repair – 1,386
5 .Medical Billing – 1,253
6. Communications – 1,160
7. ther/Miscellaneous – 1,105
8. Travel/Vacation Plans – 1,028
9. Motor Vehicle/Sales Accessories – 1,021
10. Construction – 973
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, protection and information. The call center is staffed with trained analysts who can respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview and provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency.