FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
October 11, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities this week.
Escambia County:
- 9 Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road - Clearing of trees and shrubs on the 4.8-mile segment has begun. Lane closures are only permitted between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- U.S. 29 (S.R. 95) Widening from I-10 to 9 Mile Road – Crews have begun clearing operations for pond locations. Motorists will see activity in relation to this near the intersection of Ryan Avenue and Detroit Boulevard. Lane closures will only be permitted between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- State Road 292 (Perdido Key Drive) Resurfacing (from Alabama State Line to ICWW Bridge) – Intermittent and alternating daytime lane closures for approximately two weeks as crews mill and place the structural course of asphalt.
- State Road (S.R) 298/Lillian Highway Maintenance Operations- Lane closure between Fairfield Drive and Blue Angel Highway Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon as crews perform routine maintenance on a box culvert.
- Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) Underground Utility Work- Eastbound lane closure from 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 to 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14 as crews perform underground utility work.
Santa Rosa County:
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard- Alternating lane closures, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10 through Thursday, Oct. 13 as crews continue widening work. In addition, there will be alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange for bridge work.
- I-10 Resurfacing from east of S.R. 87 to the Okaloosa County Line – Intermittent and alternating lane closures east and westbound between the S.R. 87 interchange and the Okaloosa County line from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10 through Friday, Oct. 14 as crews perform construction activities. Motorists are reminded the speed limit is reduced to 60 MPH within the lane closure.
- S.R. 87 Widening from two miles south of the Yellow River to Hickory Hammock Road –The Yellow River beneath the S.R. 87 bridge will be temporarily closed Friday, Oct. 14 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. as crews mobilize equipment for construction of the new northbound bridge. Boaters are advised to avoid this area.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Escambia Jail And Work Release Pass Florida Model Jail Standards Inspections
October 11, 2016
The Escambia County Jail and Work Release Center received notification that they have again passed both the Florida Model Jail Standards and Medical Unit Inspections, with inspectors finding no violations. The Florida Model Jail Standards are minimum standards that jails across Florida must meet to ensure the constitutional rights of those incarcerated are upheld.
These annual inspections are led by outside law enforcement agencies and ensure that the facilities and staff meet or exceed the minimum performance standards to operate a constitutional jail in the state of Florida. They include interviews with inmates and staff and review of daily operations.
The team of inspectors reviewed all areas of operations from staff training, admissions, release, programs, sanitation, housing, food service, health records and security, to how medications are stored and labeled.
The inspections were completed in August and October.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Warm Afternoons, Comfortable Nights
October 11, 2016
Pictured: The Blue Angels fly over Pensacola Beach Monday afternoon. Photo courtesy City of Pensacola for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 51. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Calm wind.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 86.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Family: Missing Teen Located
October 11, 2016
UPDATE: Family members say this missing teen has been found safe.
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Authorities are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing teen.
Kolby Dewayne Wooten, 13, left the 3400 block of Newman Road in Mobile and was last seen on Sandy Ridge Road in Citronelle, AL, on Sunday, October 9. His direction of travel was unknown.
He is described as being 5-foot, 4-inches tall, 108 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Wooten has close family members in the Atmore and North Escambia areas.
Anyone with information on Wooten’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at (251) 574-8633.
Sheriff Presents Animal Control Officer With Medal Of Commendation
October 10, 2016
Sheriff David Morgan recently awarded Escambia County Animal Control Sergeant Stephanie Nowlin with the ECSO’s Medal of Commendation. Nowlin was presented the award for her service and assistance to the ECSO, particularly with livestock cases in North Escambia.
The award read:
“Sergeant Nowlin’s knowledge and experience in regards animal cruelty cases makes her an asset to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. She has successfully implemented procedures for Escambia County relating to livestock operations.
Sgt. Nowlin will respond to any issues that may arise at any time. She has put numerous hours into training and can handle any situation encountered in animal cruelty investigations. She is the “go to” person for livestock issues in the north end of the county. She provides guidance and assists deputies on a daily basis.
Stephanie investigates and presents animal cruelty cases directly to the state attorney for prosecution. She has developed a working relationship requiring little assistance from the sheriff’s office.
Sgt. Nowlin is passionate about her profession and the well-being of animals. For her assistance to the ECSO, and her service to the citizens of Escambia County, Stephanie Nowlin was awarded the Commendation Medal on this 6th day of October, 2016.”
Wrecked Vehicle Found Abandoned On River Annex Road
October 10, 2016
Firefighters responded to this single vehicle accident about 12:45 a.m. Monday in the 200 block of River Annex Road to find the vehicle empty and abandoned. There was no word on the whereabouts or condition of the driver. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Florida Mops Up After Hurricane Matthew
October 10, 2016
President Barack Obama has made Florida eligible for disaster aid in eight counties as the state continues to recover from the impact of Hurricane Matthew.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved aid to the state and local governments for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Brevard, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Nassau, St. Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia counties. A request for additional federal disaster aid for individuals and businesses and federal aid to repair roads and other public structures is pending.
“While we are blessed that Hurricane Matthew did not make landfall in Florida, there has been significant damage all across Florida’s east coast,” Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement Sunday.
Scott, who viewed storm damage in Jacksonville Beach on Sunday, said he has been traveling Florida’s east coast, from Brevard County to the Florida-Georgia state line, for the past three days. The governor said he has “seen homes wiped out, severe beach erosion, flood damage and down trees and power lines.”
“While the state is helping our communities any way we can, I am going to continue to fight for every available resource from the federal government so our families and businesses can rebuild and get back to normal,” Scott said. “We are going to continue to submit requests to the federal government until they fulfill our entire disaster declaration.”
The lingering impact of Hurricane Matthew has resulted in public school closings in seven districts on Monday, meaning approximately 360,000 students will be delayed in returning to their K-12 classrooms. The Monday closures include Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Clay and Brevard counties.
Volusia and Flagler County officials reported they expect their schools to remain closed through Tuesday.
“Although district and school staff have already deep cleaned schools that were used as shelters and are removing fallen trees from pickup and drop-off areas, over a dozen schools remain without power,” said a statement from the Duval school system, which has 128,000 K-12 students.
“We also have street lights near schools that are not working with downed power lines. Additionally, we have heard from a number of our employees and families regarding the challenges of returning to their homes after the evacuation, including ongoing power outages,” the school system said.
Scott said he spoke Sunday morning with school superintendents in the counties impacted by the storm, asking them “to make sure all schools are able to quickly reopen.”
“We have to do all we can to get every school to reopen because we have to keep our students learning,” Scott said.
The governor said he has offered “the full resources of the state,” including help from members of the Florida National Guard if requested, to make sure the schools open immediately.
Students in many districts missed school days last week as the storm approached Florida, and students in seven districts will miss at least one day in the coming week. The students will have to make up the lost academic time.
For instance, Orange County has announced students will make up two lost days from last week on Oct. 28 and April 28.
Another lingering impact from Matthew are power outages, with the governor’s office reporting some 374,000 homes and businesses remained without power as of mid-afternoon on Sunday.
The highest number of outages was in Duval County, where 120,000 homes and businesses lacked electricity, and Volusia County, with 112,000. The power outages were the most widespread in Flagler County, where 62 percent of the county — about 36,500 customers — was without power.
But progress has been made since the peak of the storm’s impact Friday, when some 1.2 million Florida homes and businesses were without power, with the current outage figure meaning about two-thirds of those outages have been restored.
Scott talked to utility companies late Sunday afternoon for an update on their efforts to restore power, according to his schedule.
It also became clear on Sunday that Florida would avoid a “double whammy” from Matthew, as the latest projections from the National Hurricane Center show the storm will be well northeast of Bermuda by Monday night, heading out into the North Atlantic Ocean.
Scott and other officials had fretted about earlier projections showing the storm could turn south and potentially impact Florida a second time.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Manhunt Underway For Escaped State Inmate From Atmore Prison
October 10, 2016
A manhunt is underway for a state prisoner that escaped from an Atmore facility Monday evening.
Jerry Lynn Hilburn, 40, escaped from the J. O. Davis Correctional Center, an annex facility of Fountain Correctional Facility, about 5:30 p.m.
Hilburn is described as a white male that is 6-foot, 2-inches tall, 214 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing his state-issued white prison uniform.
He was three years into a 20 year sentence out of Mobile for possession of controlled substance. He was a minimum in-custody inmate, not work release.
Anyone with information on Hilburn’s whereabouts is asked to call their local law enforcement agency or 911.
Attempted Murder Suspect Arrested
October 10, 2016
A man wanted on an attempted murder charge in in connection with a shooting that occurred Saturday has been arrested.
Ray Charles Bullard, 24, of Pensacola was taken into custody around Monday in the 500 block of East Fairfield Drive. He also was charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. October 8. An officer found the victim lying on the ground on the southwest side of a home in the 400 block of East Scott Street.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment and remains in critical condition. A motive remains under investigation.
The victim’s name is not yet being released because of the on-going investigation.
Anyone having information on his location or the incident is asked to contact Detective Gilbert Galloway at (850) 435- 1974 or the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.
Matthew: EREC Provides Bunk Trailer Housing For Utility Crews
October 10, 2016
EREC has sent five bunk trailers and a shower trailer to Okefenokee Rural Electric Cooperative in Nahunta, GA, one of the co-ops in Hurricane Matthew’s path, to be used by electric co-op crewmen during power restoration.
One of the biggest challenges facing electric utilities during power restoration after disasters such as hurricanes is lodging.
“It is difficult at best to find housing for hundreds or even thousands of workers in an area whose infrastructure has been devastated. For this purpose, EREC acquired trailers and renovated them into bunk housing,” said Clay Campbell, EREC general manager/CEO.
EREC has five trailers which will sleep 33 people each and a shower trailer with 10 showers and sinks. The trailers are self-contained, each equipped with its own generator. The sleeper trailers have central heat/air and individual lockers for each occupant. Each bunk has overhead lighting and electrical outlets for cell phone charging. The bottom row of bunks has nighttime floor lighting as well.
Pictured top: EREC crewmen Mark LeFlore, Philip Gandy, Jordan Jackson and Ken Blair will set up the bunk trailers and shower trailer for use by restoration line crews. Wesley Clark and Danny Duncan are also delivering bunk trailers for use by Okefenokee Rural EC but were unavailable of the time of the photo. Pictured inset: Bunk trailer. Pictured below: Each bunk trailer will sleep 33 people. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
