Two Escambia County Fires Add Red Bulbs To Fire Safety Wreath
January 1, 2025
Escambia County Fire Rescue has placed red bulbs numbers 13 and 14 on the wreath during “Keep the Wreath Green” following structure fires off Ely Road and Crabtree Church Road.
On Thursday, Dec. 26 at approximately 3:40 p.m., Escambia County Fire Rescue units including a hazmat team responded to a commercial structure fire with hazardous materials at Pall Membrane Technologies, located on the 8700 block of Ely Road. Upon arrival, crews found a working fire in a storage building containing nitrocellulose in isopropyl alcohol. Since foam and dry chemical agents would have caused an adverse reaction with the materials involved and therefore could not be used, crews established a water supply using two fire hydrants and boosted water pressure from ECUA. The fire was extinguished at approximately 5 p.m. Fortunately, the facility was evacuated and no injuries were reported. The shed and materials were destroyed. The Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives is investigating the incident.
At 1:46 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29, Escambia County Fire Rescue units from Cantonment, Molino, Beula and McDavid responded to a residential structure fire at the 3200 block of Crabtree Church Road. Smoke was showing upon arrival at the two-story home with all occupants and pets outside. A fire was discovered in the truss loft between the first and second floors. ECFR applied water to the flames and brought the situation under control by 2:16 a.m. However, the occupants have been displaced due to the damages. There were no injuries or fatalities. ECFR determined a lightning strike caused the fire.
The “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign is a collaborative initiative with the City of Pensacola to promote fire safety during the month of December. During the month-long campaign. Five-foot wreaths are on display at locations that included 21 county fire stations. Each time firefighters respond to a residential or commercial structure fire with damage, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential and commercial buildings.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FPL Plans To Seek Nearly $2.5 Billion In Rate Increases Due To Customer Demands, Inflation
December 31, 2024
Florida Power & Light plans to seek new rate increases in 2025.
In a letter to the Public Service Commission, FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel said FPL plans to ask 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. 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”.
Pimentel said the utility plans to seek 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 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.
“We know the bill our customers pay is important to them, which is why we work tirelessly to provide reliable power while keeping bills as low as possible. Even with the proposed increase, FPL bills will remain significantly below the national average and below many other Florida electric utilities,” Pimentel wrote in his letter to the PSC.
“While we know there is never a good time to request a rate increase, we need to continue to make smart investments in the grid and in new generation resources so we can continue to deliver reliable electricity, enhanced resiliency and diversify our generation mix to power our fast-growing state,” Pimentel said. “That is our never-ending commitment to our customers and that’s what this balanced plan does.”
Pictured: The Florida Power and Light First City Solar Energy Center near McDavid, online since 2023. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Here’s The New Year’s Closure And Trash Schedule You Need To Know
December 31, 2024
Escambia County
In observance of New Year’s, Escambia County offices will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 31 and Wednesday, Jan. 1::
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners (all departments)
- West Florida Public Libraries (all locations)
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Tax Collector
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
- Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare
- Escambia County Extension Office
- Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller
- Waste Services Administration and Perdido Landfill
- Escambia County Area Transit Administration
The Perdido Landfill will close at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Regular hours will resume Thursday, Jan. 2.
The Clerk’s Official Records, Finance, Treasury and Clerk to the Board offices will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 31. Clerk offices located at the MC Blanchard Judicial Building, Theodore Bruno Juvenile Justice Building, Public Records Center, and the Century Courthouse will be open. All Clerk offices will be closed Wednesday, Jan. 1
ECAT Bus Schedule:
ECAT buses will run a modified schedule Tuesday, Dec. 31. The last bus will depart from ECAT at 5:30 p.m., and commuter route 60 will depart at 6 p.m. Service will not run Wednesday, Jan. 1. Regular service will resume Thursday, Jan. 2.
The UWF Express Trolley will resume service Saturday, Jan. 4, and the campus trolleys will resume service Monday, Jan. 6.
ECUA
Residential and commercial for New Year’s – Wednesday, Jan 1: Collection will be made on Thursday, Jan 2. Thursday’s collections will be on Friday, and Friday’s collections will be on Saturday. ECUA offices will be closed Jan 1. The customer service and walk-in payment areas only will also be closed on Dec. 31. All other ECUA officers and the drive-thru window will be open on Dec. 31.
Century
The Century Town Hall will be closed Wednesday, Jan 1. The regular Wednesday trash pick up will be delayed to Thursday, Jan 2.
Body Discovered At Former Dodge’s Store On Nine Mile Road
December 31, 2024
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a body was discovered Monday afternoon at a closed convenience store on Nine Mile Road.
ECSO said the body was found near the dumpsters at the former Dodge’s Southern Style convenience store on East Nine Mile Road.
Morgan Lewis, ECSO public information officer, said the body appeared to be that of a homeless individual. She said foul play was not suspected in the death.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Pedestrian Struck And Killed By Train In Cantonment
December 31, 2024
A male was struck and killed by a train Monday afternoon in Gonzalez.
The southbound train struck a pedestrian between Archer and Old Chemstrand roads about 4:20 p.m.
The train blocked the Old Chemstrand crossing after at came to a stop, causing traffic problems in the area.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and has not released further details.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
AAA ‘Tow to Go’ Active in Florida
December 31, 2024
AAA will work to help stranded motorists while also keeping impaired drivers off the road through its Tow to Go program in Florida.
“If you’re faced with the decision of driving impaired, put down those keys and pick up the phone to call Tow to Go,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “AAA will then send a truck to take you and your vehicle to a safe location within a 10-mile radius.”
AAA encourages drivers to plan ahead for a safe ride home by identifying a designated driver or ride sharing service before the party.
- Tow to Go is active through 6 a.m. in Thursday, January 2.
- For service, call (855) 2-TOW-2-GO or (855) 286-9246.
- Available in Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado (Denver), North Carolina (Charlotte), Indiana (Fort Wayne/South Bend).
‘Tow to Go’ Guidelines
- Free and available to AAA members and non-members.
- Confidential local ride for one person and their vehicle to a safe location within a 10-mile radius.
- Appointments cannot be scheduled in advance to use Tow to Go. It is designed as a safety net for those that did not plan ahead. AAA says always choose a designated driver before celebrating.
- In some situations, AAA may need to make other arrangements to get an impaired individual a safe ride home.
- Tow to Go may not be available in rural areas or during severe weather conditions.
Here’s The College Football Playoff, Bowl TV Schedule
December 31, 2024
Here is the college football bowl and playoff schedule.
Tuesday, Dec. 31
- No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan (ReliaQuest Bowl) | 11 a.m. | ESPN
- Louisville vs. Washington (Sun Bowl) | 1 p.m. | CBS
- No. 15 South Carolina vs. No. 20 Illinois (Citrus Bowl) | 2 p.m. | ABC
- LSU vs. Baylor (Texas Bowl) | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 9 Boise State (College Football Playoff quarterfinals — Fiesta Bowl) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Wednesday, Jan. 1
- No. 3 Texas vs. No. 12 Arizona State (College Football Playoff quarterfinals — Peach Bowl) | 12 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 6 Ohio State (College Football Playoff quarterfinals — Rose Bowl) | 4 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 5 Notre Dame (College Football Playoff quarterfinals — Sugar Bowl) | 7:45 p.m. | ESPN
Thursday, Jan. 2
- No. 14 Ole Miss vs. Duke (Gator Bowl) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Friday, Jan. 3
- North Texas vs. Texas State (First Responder Bowl) | 3 p.m. | ESPN
- Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech (Duke’s Mayo Bowl) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Saturday, Jan. 4
- Liberty vs. Buffalo (Bahamas Bowl) | 10 a.m. | ESPN2
Sunday, Jan. 5
- North Central (IL) vs. Mount Union (Stagg Bowl for the DIII championship game in Houston) | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Monday, Jan. 6
- Montana State vs. North Dakota State (FCS championship game in Frisco, Texas) | 6 p.m. | ESPN
Thursday, Jan. 9
- TBD vs. TBD (College Football Playoff Semifinal Game — Orange Bowl) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Friday, Jan. 10
- TBD vs. TBD (College Football Playoff Semifinal Game — Cotton Bowl) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Monday, Jan. 20
- TBD vs. TBD (College Football Playoff National Championship Game — in Atlanta) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Warning Light Leads To Navy Helicopter Landing At Molino Tom Thumb
December 31, 2024
A Navy helicopter made an unscheduled landing about 2:20 Monday afternoon in Molino due to a warning light.
There were no injuries when the TH-73A helicopter landed in an open grassy area behind the Tom Thumb at Highway 29 and Highway 97.
“It was a warning light and a precautionary landing,” Whiting Field’s Jamie Coffey said.
There was no damage to the aircraft.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County EMS and Escambia County Fire Rescue responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Another Hire Backs Out Of Century Town Clerk Job
December 30, 2024
Another person hired to be Century town clerk has declined the position before starting the job.
Earlier this month, the town council voted to approve a recommendation from Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. to hire Jennifer Tien, the current treasurer of the City of the Village of Douglas in Douglas, Michigan. The town now confirms that she has declined the position, but did not provide any further information.
In September, Century voted to hire the current town clerk of Flomaton, but she later changed her mind and withdrew from consideration.
The position has been vacant since Leslie Howington took a leave of absence in mid-April 2024 before resigning in May for medical reasons.
For Tien, the council approved annual starting salary of $86,000 with three weeks annual vacation instead of the usual two for new hires. The council did not consider any relocation expenses. The vote authorized Gomez to finalize the hiring process with Tien.
Tien sat quietly in the council chamber, unannounced by Gomez until after the vote.
“I spoke with Ms. Tien; she’s in the building,” Gomez said. “I told her upon approval of the council, I would give her a minute to address herself, and any other questions of concerns that you may have.” No council member asked any direct questions, other than asking Tien if she would like to speak; she did not address the council.
There’s no word yet on how Century will move forward with the search for another town clerk. A salary range for the position was set back in May of $71,000 to $91,000.
Pictured: Century Mayor Louis Gomez, Jr. congratulates Jennifer Tien of Michigan after the Century Town Council voted December 17 to hire her as town clerk. Pictured inset: Tien said quietly in the audience prior to the council’s vote. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Community Health Northwest Florida Reopen Monday Following Cyberattack
December 30, 2024
Community Health Northwest Florida is reopening all locations Monday following a cyberattack last week.
All 17 locations will be open on Monday. Due to a cyberattack last week, most facilities will have limited communications, and patients may experience longer than usual wait times.
CEO Chandra Smiley said that CHNWFL made the decision to open all locations to ensure that patients who need care receive it during the holiday season. “We’re here to serve every patient who walks through our doors, and we intend to do that, even if it means we have to go back to paper charts and prescriptions.”
CHNWFL is asking patients with questions to call (850) 384-4701 and leave a message. A team of operators will check messages throughout the day and respond within 24 hours.
Community Health provided the following patient tips:
All sites will be open for business, with limited connectivity. Plan to keep your appointments, but patients may experience longer wait times.
New prescriptions can be filled at the 2315 W. Jackson St location, but only with a printed prescription.
Depending on internet connectivity at 2315 W. Jackson Street, online prescription refills may be available by Monday afternoon.
Any patients with questions should call the CHNWFL hotline at (850) 384-4701.
In the event of a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
The 17 Community Health locations include adult, family care and pediatrics locations in Century, pediatrics in Cantonment and multiple sites in Pensacola.
Pictured: Community Health Northwest Florida’s location in Century. NorthEsambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
