Escambia BCC Meeting Schedule
June 19, 2017
Here is the Escambia County BCC weekly meeting schedule for June 19-23:
Monday, June 19
Special BCC Meeting on OLFX Land Swap, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 1:30 p.m. (Agenda)
Tuesday, June 20
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate, Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, 1 p.m. (Agenda)
Wednesday, June 21
Board of Adjustment, Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, 8:30 a.m. (Agenda)
Development Review Committee, Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, 1 p.m.
Thursday, June 22
Community Redevelopment Agency, Ernie Lee Magaha Building, 221 Palafox Place, 9 a.m.
Agenda Review Session at 9:05 a.m., Public Forum at 4:30 p.m. and BCC Regular Meeting at 5:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Building, 221 Palafox Place (Agenda will be posted here)
Century Receives $700K Housing Grant, Accepting Applications
June 19, 2017
The Town of Century is now accepting citizen applications for part of a $700,000 housing grant, bringing the total housing grants received this year to $1.3 million.
The $700,000 Community Development Block Grant is for housing rehabilitation and replacement. Funds can be used to repair or replace housing damaged in the February 2016 EF-3 tornado, but the funds are not limited to storm recovery.
The Department of Economic Opportunity administers the State Program in Florida through the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program. This is a competitive grant program that awards funds to units of local government in small urban and rural areas. The program provides an opportunity for communities to obtain funds for projects that they cannot otherwise afford, including rehabilitation of substandard housing.
Recently the town also received $600,483 in emergency funding from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for tornado recovery. The application period for residents closed on May 3; recipients have not yet been announced.
Information to apply for a portion of the $700,000 in funding is below:
The Town of Century, Florida will begin taking applications for housing rehabilitation assistance for houses within the Town of Century. To qualify for assistance, the home MUST be located INSIDE the city limits of the Town of Century and must have a total household income at or below the following household size specific income criteria:
Applicants whose total “gross” household income exceeds the Income Limits for their size household will not be considered for rehabilitation grant assistance.
Persons interested in being considered for inclusion in this program must call Samella Myles at the Century Town Hall at (850) 256-3208 between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:30 pm and ask that their name be placed on the housing assistance waiting list. Only those who call in to Century Town Hall will be placed on the waiting list. The deadline to be placed on the interested applicant list is Thursday, June 29, 2017.
This is not a first-come, first-served program as the Town has a unit commitment to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity that may necessitate a rating of the applications to determine funding priority; therefore, interested persons wishing to be considered for inclusion in this program should realize that only a limited number of participants with the greatest need will be approved for participation and that very low income households will be given preference. It is important to note that being placed on the list and/or filling out an application does not mean that you will be approved for rehabilitation grant assistance.
Northview Graduate Munro Completes Basic Military Training
June 19, 2017
U.S. Air Force Airman Jacob S. Munro graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Munro is the son of Kimberly D. Munro of Molino.
He is a 2013 graduate of Northview High School in Bratt.
Wahoos Finish First Half At 40-30
June 19, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos finished the first half with three straight losses to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. But more importantly the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds also finished with its fourth consecutive half season title in the Southern League.
The crown matches the Tennessee Smokies, who also won four consecutive halves from 2009 to 2011.
Pensacola fell, 3-2, in the first seven-inning game and, 1-0, in the second game Sunday on a walk-off single with the bases loaded and one out when Jacksonville left fielder Alex Glenn slapped a single to right field to score catcher Austin Nola at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Up until the seventh inning, Pensacola starter Luis Castillo was riding a three-game winning streak. Castillo has pitched 6.1 scoreless innings and given up just two hits before Glenn’s game-winning hit. He dropped to 4-4 with a 2.58 ERA on the season.
Although Pensacola hammered out eight hits, the lineup was 1-8 with runners in scoring position Sunday.
Jacksonville starter Chris Mazza and reliever Andy Beltre combined to shutout Pensacola on eight hits, one walk and five strikeouts over seven innings. It was the Blue Wahoos seventh shutout loss this season with two, 1-0, losses coming in this series with the Jumbo Shrimp.
In the first game, Blue Wahoos second baseman Alex Blandino put Pensacola on the board first, 1-0, when he crushed his sixth homer of the year over the left field fence.
But Jacksonville pushed two runs across in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead, when center fielder Yefri Perez, who leadoff the inning with a double, scored on a bunt by pitcher Omar Bencomo on a throwing error by Pensacola catcher Adrian Nieto. The second run came when Bencomo stored on a sacrifice fly by right fielder John Norwood.
Jacksonville catcher Cam Maron, who played with Pensacola, his a solo shot in the fourth to put the Jumbo Shrimp ahead, 3-1. Pensacola pulled within one run in the top of the seventh, 3-2, when Nieto singled to center to drive in first baseman Eric Jagielo, who leadoff the inning with a walk.
Pensacola starter Deck McGuire lasted four innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits and a walk and striking out two. He picked up the loss and is 6-5 with a 3.50 ERA this year.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville used four pitchers over the seven-inning game, scattering five hits and two walks that led to Pensacola’s two runs, and striking out seven.
Blandino finished the year as one of the hottest hitters in the Pensacola lineup. He earned a hit in 13 of the the last 15 games and three homers, including two against Jacksonville. He batted .367 going 18-49 with 18 RBIs, including two 4-RBI games.
The Cincinnati first round pick in 2014 has 22 doubles in the first half this year, which is just three off his best season when he had 25 in 2015 between High-A Daytona Tortugas and Double-A Pensacola.
Summer Reading Program Events At Your Library
June 19, 2017
Here’s a look at Summer Reading programs this week at you local branch library:
Summer STEAM: Different Ways of Flying
- Tuesday, June 20, 10:30 a.m. – Pensacola Library
- Wednesday, June 21, 10:30 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
- Thursday, June 22, 10:30 a.m. – Southwest Branch Library
- Tuesday, June 27, 2 p.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 28, 10:30 a.m. – Tryon Branch Library
- Thursday, June 29, 2 p.m. – Westside Branch Library
Don’t have wings? Not lighter than air? No worries; there are lots of ways to fly. Come make paper airplanes that don’t come down (as long as the power is on…), balloons that are solar powered (kind of), and other wonky ways of using science, technology, engineering arts and math to wing it!
Pensacola MESS Hall presents “Intro to Engineering”
- Tuesday, June 20, 11 a.m. – Southwest Branch Library (Sign-up is requested due to space limitations.)
- Wednesday, June 21, 11 a.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 21, 3 p.m. – Pensacola Library
- Thursday, June 22, 11 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
- Thursday, June 22, 3 p.m. – Tryon Branch Library
Pensacola MESS Hall will give a 15-minute interactive presentation about engineering principles for young engineers followed by open build time with our imagination playground.
Bank Robbery Suspects Arrested
June 18, 2017
A man wanted for robbing a Pensacola bank on Thursday has been arrested.
Louis Martin Cillo, 60, address unavailable, was taken into custody around 12:50 p.m. today at a residence in the 7900 block of Old Hickory Hammock Road, Milton. He was charged with armed bank robbery.
Sgt. Greg Stone said detectives received a tip early Sunday that Cillo was at the residence. Stone said Cillo was taken into custody without incident. Pensacola Police coordinated with the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement in making the arrest.
Cillo was wanted for the armed robbery of Sun Trust Bank, 6700 N. Davis Highway. The incident occurred around 12:40 p.m. Thursday when the suspect entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash. Detective Ozzy Teeters said the suspect did not display a weapon but indicated he had one. He left the bank in a blue Chevrolet Equinox after getting an undisclosed amount of money.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a blue Chevrolet Equinox that matched a description of the suspect’s vehicle and license tag number around 1 p.m. Saturday on Highway 29 near Walmart. The vehicle was driven by Emil Joseph Bayus, 54, of Lorain, Ohio. Bayus (picturd left) was wanted for an armed bank robbery that occurred June 2 in Lorain.
Stone said Cillo also is a suspect in the bank robbery that occurred in Ohio, and could face charges along with Bayus in that case.
Motorcyclist Seriously Injured In Early Morning Cantonment Crash
June 18, 2017
One person was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident early Sunday morning near Cantonment.
The crash occurred about 12:45 a.m. on Success Drive, just of Highway 29. The motorcyclist left the roadway and apparently collided with a large water pipe connection to an industrial building.
The victim was transported to a Pensacola area hospital.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not yet been released.
Photos by Craig Jernigan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Man Charged With Attack On Girlfriend
June 18, 2017
Update: The charges in this case were dropped in November 2017 because “the victim does not want the case prosecuted further”, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
A Molino man has been charged with grabbing his girlfriend, attempting to hit her with his pickup truck and and dragging her back inside a house.
Dustin James Harvey, 30, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony kidnapping false imprisonment and battery for the incident at the home the couple has shared on Fairground Road for the past five years.
Harvey allegedly took his girlfriends’ wallet, keys and phone, shoved her around, body slammed her and attempted to run over her with his pickup truck. He eventually threw her into the back of the truck and then dragged her inside their home. The victim was able to text a friend to call 911 fo her.
The victim refused treatment from Escambia County EMS, but did suffer obvious injuries, according to an arrest report.
Harvey was later released from the Escambia County Jail on an $11,000 bond.
Florida Department of Corrections Launches Compass 100
June 18, 2017
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) Division of Development: Improvement and Readiness has announced the statewide launch and implementation of “Compass 100″.
Compass 100 is an integrative curriculum for inmates nearing release, allowing them to develop targeted and personalized life skills in combination with their current educational courses and substance abuse treatment.
Secretary Julie Jones said, “I’m incredibly proud of my staff for rethinking the way the Department operates and continuing to expand and enhance the opportunities and programs for inmates nearing release. Through programs such as Compass 100, we are able to take a more personalized approach for each inmate’s education. The more prepared our inmates are for release, the more likely they will gain employment and become contributing members in their local communities.”
Compass 100 incorporates topics such as punctuality, workplace etiquette, interpersonal communication and problem solving into an inmate’s existing programming. Inmates are also required to complete “Thinking for a Change,” a cognitive behavioral and restructuring curriculum specifically designed to assist inmates to change their way of thinking and to provide skills to effectively communicate and solve problems. By the end of their programming, inmates will have also completed a “Readiness Portfolio” which contains well-developed goals, a resume, community resources, scheduled community appointments and program completion certificates.
FDC releases approximately 33,000 inmates each year. Research shows cognitive–behavioral programming, job skills and career placement significantly reduces recidivism. The goal of Compass 100 is to better prepare inmates for a successful career upon release and, ultimately, reduce recidivism and improve safety in Florida’s communities.
Escambia Corrections Officer Passes Away While On Duty
June 18, 2017
An Escambia County Corrections Officer in Cantonment passed away Saturday, June 17 at a local hospital after being transported from his duty site.
Employed with the county since 2009, Officer Joe William Heddy, Jr., 63, was an Escambia County Jail staff member assigned to oversee inmates temporarily housed at the Escambia County Road Prison located in Cantonment.
A call was placed to Escambia County Emergency Communications at 1:13 p.m. requesting assistance for a non-injury related health issue. The first unit arrived on scene at 1:23 p.m. Officer Heddy was transferred to West Florida Hospital via ground.
County Administrator Jack Brown along with corrections staff met with family members at the hospital. He expresses the county’s grief by saying, “All of us, from the commissioners to our jail staff, were incredibly saddened to learn of Officer Heddy’s passing. He was a respected corrections officer, not only his fellow officers, but also the inmates in his care. Officer Heddy was known as being a dedicated professional – strong, yet kind. He will be greatly missed and our hearts go out to his family.”
As is standard protocol, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was called to open an investigation.