Escambia Waives Storm Building Fees, Schedules Storm Debris Pickup
January 9, 2017
Escambia County is waiving all fees relating to permitting and inspection for storm damage repairs from the severe weather January 1 and 2, upon submission of the required permit application documentation. Fees for storm damage only will be waived until 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 3.
Residents in unincorporated Escambia County with storm-related debris are asked to move all debris to the right of way no later than Thursday, January 19.
Building permit information can be found online at myescambia.com/our-services/building-services/inspections.
Contractors can easily be checked out by contacting the Escambia County Building Inspections Department at buildinginspections@myescambia.com or 850-595-3509. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation can also verify licenses at www.myfloridalicense.com or 850-487-1395. Escambia County residents should report suspected unlicensed or unpermitted work by emailing buildinginspections@myescambia.com or by calling 850-595-3509.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
January 9, 2017
Drivers will encounter traffic variations on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
· County Road 182 (Molino Road) over Penasula Creek Bridge Replacement- Construction activities begin on County Road 182 (Molino Road) over Penasula Creek, north of Cantonment. Molino Road will be closed to through traffic during construction. Sunshine Hill Road, Crabtree Church Road, and U.S. 29 will be utilized as a detour route. Work is anticipated to be complete fall 2017, weather permitting.
· County Road 97A Boggy Creek Bridge Replacement Project- Construction activities begin on County Road 97A over Boggy Creek, near Enon. Crews will begin clearing trees and shrubs to build a temporary detour (acrow) bridge. Once completed, traffic will be shifted to the acrow bridge as crews construct the new structure. Work is anticipated to be complete in eight months, weather permitting.
· Patricia Driver over Bayou Marcus Creek Bridge Replacement Project- Construction activities will begin the week of January 9 on Patricia Drive. Crews will begin clearing trees and shrubs to build a temporary detour (acrow) bridge to replace the current structure on Patricia Drive over Bayou Marcus Creek. Traffic will be shifted to the temporary detour (acrow) bridge during construction. Work is anticipated to be complete spring 2018, weather permitting.
· U.S. 90 Routine Bridge Maintenance over AL&GC Railroad- East and westbound right lane closed from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9 as crews clean bridge joints.
· U.S. 29 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Canoe Creek- Northbound, right lane closed from midnight Monday, Jan. 9 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10 as crews clean and repair bridge joints.
· Interstate 10 (I-10) Routine Bridge Maintenance over U.S. 90- Westbound lane closure over U.S. 90 from 10 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 as crews clean and repair bridge joints.
· U.S. 90 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Bayou Texar- Alternating lane restrictions from 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 to 5 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 12 as crews clean and repair bridge joints.
· U.S. 29 /State Road (S.R.) 95 Widening from I-10 to 9 Mile Road- Alternating lane closures north and southbound U.S. 29 and east and westbound 9 Mile Road near the U.S. 29/9 Mile Road overpass from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews continue work on barrier wall installation and preparation for the bridge construction.
· 9 Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest to U.S. 29- Alternating lane closures continue on Untreiner Avenue as crews drive temporary sheet pile.
· Fairfield Drive (S.R. 727/295) Resurfacing from Mobile Highway to North Pace Boulevard- Intermittent and alternating lane closures continue between Mobile Highway and North Pace Boulevard between 8:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. as crews perform paving operations.
· I-10/U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I- East and westbound lane closures between I-110 and U.S. 29 (Exits 10A and 10B) from 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 to 8 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 8 as crews perform pipe repairs.
Santa Rosa County:
· I-10 Resurfacing from east of S.R. 87 to the Okaloosa County Line- Due to impending cold weather temperatures crews will not be paving Sunday, Jan. 8 through Thursday, Jan. 12. However, there will be other operations performed which may require shoulder closures.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the construction zone, and to pay attention for workers and equipment entering and exiting the work area. All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Two Vehicles Slam Into Cantonment Man’s Broken Down Vehicle
January 9, 2017
A Cantonment man escaped injury when two other drivers slammed into his broken down vehicle Sunday night on I-10.
The three vehicle crash blocked all eastbound traffic on I-10 at mile marker 16 from 9:05 to 10:40 p.m.. The Florida Highway Patrol said a 2000 Dodge Durango driven by 57-year old Gary Moffett of Cantonment became disabled in the outside lane of I-10 for unknown mechanical reasons.
The FHP said a 2016 Nissan NV2500 van driven by 38-year old Grant Douglas Hofberger III of Pensacola failed to avoid a collision with Moffett. Moffet’s Dodge was then struck by a 2011 Buick Lacross driven by Charles Edward Guarino of Springtown, TX. All three vehicle sustained substantial damage.
No one involved in the crash was injured.
Guarino and Hofberger were both cited with careless driving by the FHP.
Town Hall Meeting to Discuss Concrete Recycling Facility
January 9, 2017
Escambia County will hold a town hall meeting Tuesday, January 10 to gather feedback regarding a proposed concrete recycling facility. The request from J. Miller Construction Inc. is for their property located at 8900 Waring Road. The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the 4-H Multipurpose Room of the Langley Bell 4-H Center, located at 3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment.
Residents from the surrounding area are encouraged to attend and provide feedback. One or more commissioners may attend the meeting.
For more information, contact the Escambia County Development Services Department at (850) 595-3475.
Apartment Fire Claims Young Boy
January 8, 2017
A fire off Blue Angel Parkway Sunday morning has claimed the life of a young boy and sent two other people to the hospital.
The fire was reported shortly before 3 a.m. Sunday by an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy who was responding an incident in the area and spotted the fire at the Stoddert Place Apartment complex.
The boy, Ozzy Goodman, 8, was badly burned. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital for his injuries, where he later died. Two adults were also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
The affected apartment was occupied by two adults and four children, all of whom were sleeping upstairs. The fire is believed to have begun downstairs. The cause is being investigated.
Escambia County Fire Rescue was able to extinguish the fire, which was confined to one apartment in the 8-unit complex. Engine 14 from Pleasant Grove was the first unit on scene, arriving within seven minutes. Approximately 20 units responded to the incident including Escambia County Fire Rescue, Escambia County Emergency Medical Services, Navy Fire and Baldwin County Emergency Medical Services.
The Red Cross was called in to assist 19 residents displaced by the fire. The State Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate.
Editor’s note: This story originally stated four people were injured based upon a written release from Escambia County. The county has since revised the patient count to just three injured.
Boom Heard Saturday Night Was From Exploding Target
January 8, 2017
Numerous residents across a portion of the North Escambia area reported hearing and feeling a strong “explosion” Saturday night that, in some instances, shook their homes.
Residents from Walnut Hill, to Molino and even into Baldwin County reported the explosion.
Through a trusted source familiar with the incident, NorthEscambia.com traced the source of the “boom” to an unknown size Tannerite target that was exploded in the Morgan Road area of Walnut Hill. There were no injuries reported and no word of any property damage.
Tannerite is a system used as a shot indicator during long-distance target practice. Tannerite consists of two powders – ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder – that when mixed together create an explosion triggered by the impact of a high-speed bullet. The product is legally sold over the counter at sporting goods stores.
Bondi Says She’s Happy As AG ‘Right Now’
January 8, 2017
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi has repeated she’s happy in her current job amid renewed speculation that she will soon take a White House post in the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
“I’m very happy being the attorney general of the state of Florida right now,” Bondi said in response to questions during a press conference on human trafficking at Tampa International Airport.
“I am a member of the (Trump) transition team. And I can tell you I talked to the president (elect) last week for half an hour,” Bondi said. “We talk frequently, as well as with members of his family and the transition team on many issues that don’t involve me. But he is committed to fighting human trafficking in our country.”
Bondi declined to discuss if she had been offered a job or who she would recommend as her replacement if she left for Washington.
“You already have me replaced and I’m still here?” Bondi said.
On Thursday, Bloomberg Politics reported that Bondi, an early backer of Trump’s presidential bid, would soon be offered an unspecified White House job. Bondi has been rumored as a possible candidate to head the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position informally known as the drug czar.
Flood Leaves Behind Large Logjam At Barrineau Park Bridge
January 8, 2017
Flooding along the Perdido River at Barrineau Park has subsided, but a much larger than normal logjam against the bridge was left behind. We’re told that Escambia County hauled away over a dozen loads of logs on Friday and will return to the bridge on Monday. These photos were taken Saturday from the Barrineau Park Road Bridge on the Florida/Alabama state line. Reader submitted photos by Brian Hall for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Youth, Volunteers Brave Cold For Livestock Weigh-in
January 8, 2017
Youth and volunteers braved freezing temperatures Saturday morning in Molino as the Gulf Coast Agricultural and Natural Resources Youth Organization held a mandatory weigh-in.
The event at the 4-H facilities on South Highway 99 was a precursor to the 2017 GCA/NRYO Spring Livestock show which will be held on April 1. The day included preliminary swine, market goat and market lamb weigh-ins.
The GCA/NRYO Spring Livestock is open to all FFA and 4-H members in southwest Alabama and Northwest Florida.
For more photos, click to enlarge.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Consumers Tips For New Gym Memberships
January 8, 2017
Many Floridians want to kick-off healthier habits in the new year with memberships to health clubs. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today provided tips to educate consumers on what to look for when signing a new membership.
“January is an extremely popular time for consumers to join gyms, and I encourage Floridians to do their homework to ensure they get the most out of their memberships,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.
Commissioner Putnam urges consumers to consider the following before signing a membership:
· Search the “Business/Complaint Lookup” at FreshFromFlorida.com or call 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) to check if complaints were filed about the studio and how they were resolved.
· Don’t join the first time you visit. Use the gym first to make sure it meets your needs, then take the contract home and read it thoroughly before signing. Be sure to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something.
· It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid long contracts. Shop around to make sure you know what’s included in the membership.
· Service fees, such as registration fees, processing or start-up fees, may be required. However, it must be considered a “reasonable and fair service fee,” meaning no more than 10 percent of the contract price.
· Use a credit card, debit card or check to pay each month. Setting up an automatic withdrawal from checking accounts may result in problems if there is ever a dispute.
· The contract should include a provision for penalty-free cancellation in writing within three days, exclusive of holidays and weekends, of signing a contract.
Under Florida’s Health Studio Act, health studios are required to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and to provide a bond or other financial security to protect consumers’ funds if the gym expectantly moves or closes. Additionally, if a gym closes or moves its facilities more than five miles away, it must provide access to an alternate facility of equal quality within five miles of its original location at no additional cost.
For additional information on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to verify a health studio’s registration status or to file a complaint, contact the department at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352)