Attorney General Activates Price Gouging Hotline During Winter Storm State Of Emergency
January 21, 2025
Attorney General Ashley Moody has activated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline following a state of emergency declaration because of a winter storm.
Florida’s price gouging law applies to items and services essential to getting ready for, or recovering from, a storm within the areas of a declared state of emergency.
During a storm-related declared state of emergency, state law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities, such as equipment, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, and water needed as a direct result of the weather event.
Anyone who suspects price gouging can report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM. For more information on price gouging, access Attorney General Moody’s Scams at a Glance: Price Gouging resource by clicking here.
Extreme Freezing Weather — Protecting Pets, Plants, Pipes And Other Tips
January 21, 2025
With freezing weather, take necessary precautions to protect pipes, pets and plants, and check on elderly friends and neighbors.
The low Tuesday night is forecast to be 15 degrees in North Escambia.
Here are ways to stay safe during cold temperatures, courtesy of the American Red Cross:
- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing body heat.
- Know the signs of hypothermia — confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. If someone has these symptoms, they should get immediate medical attention.
- Watch for symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy feeling skin.
- Bring the pets indoors. If that’s not possible, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
- Avoid frozen pipes — run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent them from freezing. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night to help avoid freezing pipes.
- Do not use a stove or oven to heat the home.
- Space heaters should sit on a level, hard surface and anything flammable should be kept at least three feet away.
- If using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
- Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
And here are a few extra details and tips from ECUA on protecting pipes against the freeze:
- Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This action guards against the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
- Run a trickle of water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run a thin trickle of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.
- Remember the backflow preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water line are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.
FDOT Conducting Winter Weather Operations
January 20, 2025
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) began winter weather operations about 2 p.m. Monday across Northwest Florida in preparation for freezing temperatures and precipitation forecast in the region.
“With winter weather conditions, bridges are known to ice over before roadways do. To help with this, motorists may notice an increased number of FDOT vehicles on state routes as crews deploy various tankers and bridge deck sprayers to apply anti-icing products on bridges and overpasses to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement surface. The anti-icing products allows any potential ice layer to melt more quickly and reduces the amount of time required to restore the roads to a clear, dry state,” Ian Satter, FDOT public information director said.
FDOT will collaborate with state and local law enforcement to evaluate roads for closure if icy conditions make it challenging to maintain a drivable roadway. Coordination also continues with neighboring states to ensure a seamless transportation network.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Markavia Johnson Named MLK Essay Contest Winner
January 20, 2025
Monday, Markavia Johnson was named the winner of the Century-Flomaton Improvement Committee’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest.
Here is her essay, in its entirety:
I am Markavia Johnson. I am 18 years old and a senior at Northview High School. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that African Americans needed to be treated equally. He saw the mistreatment and inequality toward African Americans and decided to take a stand. He decided to be the person to bring national attention to what everybody knew and that was that people of color did not have the same rights as white America. Dr. King organized meetings, marches and protests to discuss how to make the changes. He even went to jail to fight for freedom and justice for minorities. He died.
As I grew up, I heard and read about Dr. King and how people of color used to be treated in America. He wanted us to be included and have the right to participate in whatever we wanted to do.
I had an experience when I was playing volleyball in the gym at my school. As I looked around, I was the only African American in the game. It made me think that Dr. King worked hard and went through a lot. He went to jail and even died so we could have the right to be included and have the same rights as other races of people. I want us to remember that they killed him and all he wanted was for us to have the rights that they had.
Knowing what he did really encouraged me to never give up on my hopes and dreams, even it is hard. It encouraged me to work even harder to accomplish my goals in school, even if it is hard. I finished all of my core classes early and I passed all of my important tests in order to get my diploma. I kept the faith through it all, saying, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
[Related story and photos:Your Brother's Keeper: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr.]
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Your Brother’s Keeper: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr. (With Photo Gallery)
January 20, 2025
The annual Martin Luther King. Jr. ceremony was held Monday in Century.
Guest speaker Elder James Rudolph encouraging attendees to follow the dream.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“He said that his brother and sisters were in trouble,” Rudolph said of King. “So, it came upon his heart; I’ve got to be my brother’s keeper.”
“We need to task ourselves with being our brother’s keeper,” Rudolph told the crowd, referring to a Bible verse from Genesis 4:9.
The Century-Flomaton Improvement Association (CFIA) sponsored the program.
[Related: MLK Essay Contest Winner]
The program also featured special music and other speakers, preceding a lunch and a motorcade.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Area Schools, Colleges Closed Tuesday And Wednesday
January 20, 2025
Here is school closure information for the North Escambia area:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY (FL) SCHOOLS
- Escambia County Public Schools — All schools, district offices, and afterschool activities, including indoor and outdoor athletics, have been canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday night’s board meeting is canceled and will be rescheduled.
- Pensacola State College — PSC has closed all offices and cancelled all on-campus classes and activities on Tuesday and Wednesday. Online classes and synchronous online classes will not be cancelled, and will continue as usual. Essential personnel contacted by their supervisor should report as directed. A further announcement will be made about Wednesday.
- University of West Florida — All UWF locations will close on Tuesday and Wednesday. This includes all classes, events, campus activities and online courses. University officials will continue to monitor and update the campus community about the forecast for Wednesday, January 22.
- Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center — Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY (AL) SCHOOLS
- Escambia County (AL) public schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 21, and Wednesday, January 22. All sports practices, games, and extracurricular activities scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are canceled.
- Escambia Academy will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
- All Santa Rosa County Schools and district offices will be closed on both Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22. All district after school activities for Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22 are cancelled as well.
Check back on this story for any updates.
Escambia County, Century, Pensacola Closures
January 20, 2025
This is a list of school and government closures due to the winter weather for Escambia County, Florida. This list will be updated as new information is received, so reload the page.
(This list does not include holiday closures for Monday.)
ESCAMBIA COUNTY SCHOOLS
- Escambia County Public Schools – All schools, district offices, and afterschool activities, including indoor and outdoor athletics, have been canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday night’s board meeting is canceled and will be rescheduled. Tuesday night’s board meeting is canceled and will be rescheduled.
- Pensacola State College — PSC has closed all offices and cancelled all on-campus classes and activities on Tuesday, January 21. Online classes and synchronous online classes will not be cancelled and will continue as usual. Essential personnel contacted by their supervisor should report as directed. A further announcement will be made about Wednesday.
- University of West Florida — All UWF locations will close on Tuesday and Wednesday. This includes all classes, events, campus activities and online courses. University officials will continue to monitor and update the campus community about the forecast for Wednesday, January 22.
- Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center — Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY OFFICES
Escambia County offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, including:
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners - all departments
- BOCC meeting and public forum have been canceled for Wednesday.
- County Administration offices
- West Florida Public Libraries - all locations
- Escambia County Tax Collector - all offices
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
- Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office
- Waste Services Administration and the Perdido Landfill
- Escambia County Extension Services
- Escambia County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller - all offices
- Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare
- Escambia County Area Transit and Customer Service
ECAT BUS SCHEDULE
- ECAT buses and the UWF trolleys will not run Jan. 21 and 22. Normal bus service is expected to resume Thursday, Jan. 23.
ECUA
- ECUA Sanitation collections will be delayed by one day. Tuesday’s collections will occur on Wednesday, with all subsequent collections running one day later throughout the week. Friday’s collections will be completed on Saturday.
- ECUA offices will be closed on Tuesday, January 21. Additionally, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting scheduled for that day has been canceled.
TOWN OF CENTURY
- Town Hall will be closed on Tuesday. It will likely be closed Wednesday, but will follow Escambia County.
- Tuesday’s town council meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 23 will bill list review at 6:45 and the council meeting at 7:00.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
- All Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (DOH-Escambia) offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Offices will remain closed until further notice.
CITY OF PENSACOLA
- City of Pensacola offices and facilities will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 21, including administrative offices, including city hall, departments and divisions not located at city hall, resource centers.
- Pensacola International Airport will remain open. Please check with airlines about potential flight delays. Pensacola International Airport Administration Offices will be closed.
- Monday and Tuesday sanitation routes will be collected Thursday and Friday, respectively.
COURT SYSTEM
- First Judicial Circuit Courts in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties will be closed Tuesday, January 21.
Cantonment 10,000 Pound Food Distribution Rescheduled
January 20, 2025
A Cantonment Improvement Committee 10,000 pound food distribution scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 28 at Carver Park, 208 Webb Street.
The event will start at 3 p.m. Attendees should like up facing north on Webb Street. Must have an identification to receive food.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
ECUA Trash Pick Up Delayed By Two Days
January 20, 2025
Here is the ECUA sanitation information to know:
ECUA
- ECUA Sanitation collections will be delayed by two days. Tuesday’s collections will occur on Thursday, with all subsequent collections running one day later throughout the week.
- ECUA offices will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Additionally, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting scheduled for that day has been canceled.
Florida (Yes, Florida) Has Snowplows, Salt, Spreaders Ready For Tuesday
January 20, 2025
The Florida Department of Transportation has snowplows, salt and spreaders for use in Northwest Florida.
Motorists may notice an increased number of FDOT vehicles on state routes as FDOT maintenance and operations staff monitor winter weather conditions on bridges and roadways. FDOT crews will deploy various ice and snow removal equipment including snowplows and salt and chemical spreaders throughout the area.
FDOT’s winter weather plan has been developed to keep Florida’s highway system safe and operational in all types of weather conditions.
Road Rangers in northwest Florida will are operating 24/7 patrolling through Wednesday, Jan. 22 or until needed, to assist with monitoring travel conditions and respond quickly to any roadway issues or motorists stranded due to possible winter weather forecast in the area.
If road conditions are hazardous, avoid driving if possible. Wait until road and weather conditions improve before venturing out in your vehicle. It’s harder to control or stop your vehicle on a slick or snow-covered surface. On the road, increase your following distance enough so that you’ll have plenty of time to stop for vehicles ahead of you.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
