Tuesday Morning Crash Claims One Life In Escambia County
March 4, 2025
A Tuesday morning crash in Escambia County claimed one life.
The crash occurred on Barrancas Avenue near Nimitz Court. The Florida Highway Patrol said an El Camino driven by a 73-year-old Pensacola man pulled out of an auto collision center directly into the path of a Dodge Ram driven by a 29-year-old Pensacola man.
Troopers said the driver of the Dodge ram tried unsuccessfully to avoid a collision. The 73-year-ol was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County EMS. The 29-year-old was transported to an area hospital in serious condition.
Woman Charged With Reckless Murder After 2-Year-Old Passes Away Following Atmore Crash
March 4, 2025
A two-vehicle crash that occurred Tuesday night has claimed the life of a child, and the driver has now been charged with reckless murder.
The driver of a Cadillac, 31-year-old Sarah E. Janes of Atmore, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. She was arrested upon her release from the hospital and booked into the Escambia County (FL) Jail before being extradited to Escambia County, Alabama.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has charged with reckless murder and two counts of assault in the first degree. She is being held in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center without bond. According to jail records, the assault charges are DUI related.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said a 2-year-old was critically injured when the 2015 Cadillac SRX in which the juvenile was a passenger in collided head-on with the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica driven by 38-year-old Brittany N. Colley of Mobile
The 2-year-old passed away Saturday, according to state troopers.
A 4-year-old passenger of the Cadillac was transported to an area hospital.
The driver of the Pacifica was transported to USA Hospital in Mobile. Other passengers in the Pacifica, ages 15, 12, 9, and 6 were transported to an area hospital.
The crash happened on Highway 31 near the Atmore Country Club about 9:10 p.m.
FPL Seeks Billions In Rate Increases
March 4, 2025
Florida Power & Light is seeking rate increases that will total billions over the next few years.
FPL is asking for rate increases of about $1.55 billion in 2026 and $930 million in 2027 due to “significant growth in our customer base over the last few years” with a quarter million new accounts, according to President and CEO Armando Pimentel. He said the growth has required “significant capital to meet the needs of these additional customers by building transmission and distribution infrastructure, including poles, wires, transformers, substations and other components”.
In addition the utility is seeking unspecified increases in 2028 and 2029 “to allow FPL to recover the costs of building and operating additional cost-effective solar and battery projects”.
The rate increase request was filed Friday with the Florida Public Service Commission.
“The last four years were unlike any in our recent history. Over this period, we experienced meaningful and unanticipated increases in inflation and interest rates, which rose by 21% and over 180%, respectively,” Pimentel said in the letter. “This, combined with significant migration to Florida, presented new challenges for FPL to navigate.”
FPL estimates that its proposal, along with projections for fuel and other costs, will grow a typical residential customer bill by an average annual rate of approximately 2.5% from January 2025 through 2029.
What does this mean for your bill?
An FPL customers in Northwest Florida using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month (many use more), the rate increases are expected to be:
• Current bill: $143.60
• 2026 bill: $147.10
• 2027 bill: $148.29
• 2028 bill: $149.93
• 2029 bill: $151.99
Beginning in 2027, FPL customers in peninsular and Northwest Florida will pay the same rates.
What’s next?
The rate increase filing begins an extensive public review process. The PSC will set hearings and provide other opportunities for input from customers prior to a decision by state regulators.
What does FPL say?
In a statement Monday, FPL said the propose rate plan will benefit customers:
- Delivering reliable service: FPL’s plan supports continued investments in the critical infrastructure and technologies that have helped make FPL’s distribution service reliability 59% better than the national average and the best among major utilities in Florida. FPL’s technology investments have benefitted customers, with smart-grid devices helping speed restoration and avoid 2.7 million customer outages in 2024 alone. This includes more than 800,000 avoided outages during Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton last year.
- Diversifying the ways FPL generates electricity: To continue to meet customer growth and increasing demand, FPL will make investments in low-cost solar and battery storage technology to complement its existing power plant fleet, which includes one of the nation’s largest natural gas fleets and safe, reliable nuclear power. Continuing to diversify the power generation fleet helps protect FPL customers from fuel price volatility.
- Keeping bills as low as possible: FPL continuously leverages the latest technology and relentlessly drives down costs to improve efficiency. Modernizing FPL’s power plant fleet has saved customers more than $16 billion in fuel costs, including $1.1 billion through investments in low-cost solar energy centers. FPL’s non-fuel operations and maintenance costs per customer are the lowest among peer utilities, saving customers about $2.9 billion per year compared to an average-performing utility – or more than $24 per month on a typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill.
- New infrastructure for growth: FPL has added about 275,000 customers since 2021 and expects to add about 335,000 more through the end of 2029, which will require significant new generating capacity and distribution infrastructure to meet demand in one of America’s fastest-growing states. FPL works hard to diversify its supply chain and control costs for customers. Still, FPL is not immune to inflation. For example, since FPL last filed to adjust base rates in 2021, the cost of labor has increased by nearly 16%, wires and cables 30%, utility poles 49% and transformers 101% on average.
What about FPL shareholders?
The PSC allows a “range of return on equity” (ROE), a measure of business profitability for power companies in the state with set a midpoint. FPL’s current rate plan that expires at the end of 2025 includes a midpoint of 10.6%. FPL is requesting a midpoint return of 11.9%, which Pimentel said “reflects appreciably higher interest rate and other capital market factors expected during the term of the proposed four-year rate plan.”
Pictured: The Florida Power and Light First City Solar Energy Center near McDavid, online since 2023. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
World Gym Proposes New Cantonment Location
March 4, 2025
World Gym is proposing to construct a facility in Cantonment.
Developers have proposed a 30,000-square-foot commercial building on an undeveloped 18.8 acre site. The building at 1275 North Highway 29 will house World Gym’s heath and fitness building along with two other spaces that will be leased with 103 parking spaces. The facility’s parking lot with 103 spaces will be accessible from both Neal Road and Highway 29.
The proposal was filed with Escambia County last week and has not yet been scheduled for a Development Review Committee public meeting.
World Gym currently operates a 6,583 square foot gym in a building constructed in 1945 at 110 South Highway 29, at the railroad cross and across from International Paper. The company has not announced if that location will close if the new facility is constructed. There is a second Escambia County location of the international brand on North Ninth Avenue.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Driver Leaves Scene After Pine Forest Road Rollover
March 4, 2025
A driver left the scene after a rollover crash on Pine Forest Road in Walnut Hill Monday afternoon.
A passerby discovered an overturned F-150 about a mile southwest of Highway 97 just before 5 p.m. with both the driver’s and passenger side door windows broken out and the radio still playing.
The vehicle had left the roadway for an unknown reason and drove along an embankment before overturning.
Law enforcement located the driver and the vehicle owner at a residence about 1.5 miles away. The driver was not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Band Holds MPA Preview Concert (With Gallery)
March 4, 2025
The Northview High School’s Tribal Beat band held an MPA Preview Concert Monday evening in the school theater.
The concert was a preview of the band’s Concert Music Performance Assessment (MPA) coming up on Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Borrow Pit Proposed For Rocky Branch Road Near Gun Club
March 4, 2025
A 127-acre borrow pit is being proposed on Rocky Branch Road, adjacent to the Escambia River Gun Club.
The proposal for the HHH Borrow PIt was filed with Escambia County last week by Hammond Engineering. The owner, according to the proposal, is HHH Construction of Bella Pine Lane in Pensacola.
The proposal was filed with Escambia County last week and has not yet been scheduled for a Development Review Committee public meeting.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
New Charges Filed Against Man Charged In Century Hit And Run That Injured Five
March 3, 2025
New charges have been filed against a Panama City man for a hit and run crash February 1 in Century that injured five people, including children.
Following the crash, Dexter Ivey Smith, 35, was charged by the Florida Highway Patrol with felony hit and run for failure to stop or remain on scene at a crash with injury, along with misdemeanor battery and driving with a revoked license. According to court records, Escambia County Judge Kristiana Lightel found that no probable cause existed, the charges were dropped, and Smith was released from custody.
Last week, Smith was charged multiple updated charges. He was charged with five counts of felony hit and run for failure to stop or remain on scene at a crash with injury, driving with a revoked license, and misdemeanor battery. Court records show a careless driving citation against Smith is also still pending.
The crash happened just before 8 p.m. February 1 on Highway 29 near the southern town limits.
The driver of a northbound pickup truck was struck by a northbound SUV driven by Smith approached at a high rate of speed, according to troopers. The pickup truck overturned multiple times, coming to rest on the shoulder just north of Salter’s Lake Road. Smith’s SUV rotated into the paved median of Highway 29.
The 38-year-old female driver of the pickup truck and her passengers — a 45-year-old male, 18-year-old male, 13-year-old male and a 6-year-old female — all sustained minor injuries and were transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS.
A witness told troopers that a white male in his mid-thirties with short black hair and a long nose fled from the scene. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office later received a report of a man matching the description outside a nearby home. The witness identified Smith as the driver that fled the scene of the crash.
FHP said Smith was charged with battery for throwing a flashlight at the passenger of the second vehicle.
He is due back in court in June.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tesla Dealership Under Construction On Nine Mile Road
March 3, 2025
A new Tesla sales and service center is in the works on NIne Mile Road.
The business is located in the former Virginia College, adjacent to Ollie’s a new Aldi that will open next week.
[RELATED STORY: Grand Opening Date Set For Nine Mile Aldi Store]
According to documents filed with Escambia County, the Drake Service and Sales facility will be 42,208 square feet, with a majority of the building will be used for servicing, preparing, and selling new and used vehicles. The building will have a small showroom and lounge for potential customers to inspect vehicles and speak with salespeople regarding electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries.
Documents state that there will be no body work or paint conducted on the property, and no batteries will be stores on site.
An opening date for the dealership has not been announced.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century To Consider Creating Town Administrator Position
March 3, 2025
This week, the Town of Century will consider hiring town administrator.
According to a council agenda, the town administrator “would serve as the sole professional administrative officer assisting the mayor with municipal operations, personnel management, and financial oversight”. The position’s duties would also include the financial oversight responsibilities typically assigned to a financial services director—”ensuring budget preparation, fiscal accountability, grant management, and procurement compliance”.
The town administrator would report directly to the mayor, but also provide regular updates to the town council while taking direction from the council and mayor. The person, according to a proposed ordinance creating the new position, could be a contract employee, a regular employee or a company.
A salary for position, if approved, has not yet been discussed by the town council, which will discuss creating the position at their regular council meeting Tuesday evening.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.