Driver Serious After Cantonment Crash
August 22, 2016
One person was seriously injured in a single vehicle accident in Cantonment Monday morning.
The accident happened on County Road 97 near Lake Suzanne Driver when the driver of a Jeep lost control, left the roadway and rolled the vehicle upside down into a driveway. The female driver was transported by ambulance to an area hospital.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Additional information has not been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Century Splash Pad Installation Underway
August 22, 2016
Work is finally underway on the installation of a splash pad in Century after months of weather related delays.
Town officials had hoped that the splash pad would be up and running by the start of summer, but they said an EF-3 tornado that struck the town in February delayed the process. Town workers were busy with tornado clean up, leaving no time to install the water and sewer lines for the splash pad.
Installation of the splash pad at Showalter Park should be completed within another two weeks, if the weather cooperates. The splash pad will have hours of operation that are yet to be announced, but will likely follow a schedule along the lines of sunrise to sunset. A motion sensor will allow children to start the water flowing during operational hours.
A $50,000 Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant was awarded to the town last October to fund the splash pad. The competitive grant program provides state funds to develop lands for public outdoor recreational use, such as building or renovating sports facilities or playgrounds. Century was the only recipient of the grant last year in Escambia County.
Pictured: The work site as seen last week where a new splash pad is being installed in Century. Pictured bottom: An artist rendering of the new splash pad. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
August 22, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Widening – The inside lane of I-10 east and westbound, between Davis Highway (State Road (S.R.) 291/Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (U.S. 90/Exit 17), will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the week of Monday, Aug. 22 as crews place barrier wall.
- I-10 / U.S. 29 Interchange – Drivers will experience the following impacts on I-10 and I-110 from 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 until 6 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 26 as crews remove overhead signage.
- The right lane ofnd, I-10 westbou near U.S. 29, will be closed.
- Traffic on I-10 westbound, between Scenic Highway (U.S. 90/Exit 17) and the U.S. 29 interchange, and I-110 northbound drivers, between Fairfield Drive (S.R. 295/Exit 4) and I-10, will be slowed by the Florida Highway Patrol in a pacing operation. Drivers should expect delays while the work is underway.
- In addition, the U.S. 29 north to I-10 eastbound ramp will be intermittently closed Sunday through Thursday nights from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Sunday, Aug. 21. The closure will continue until the end of August as crews work on the shoulder of the roadway. Traffic will be detoured north and make a U-turn at Broad Street to access I-10 eastbound.
- Southbound outside lane restricted between Berkley Drive and Barcia Drive from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 21 through Thursday, Sept. 3 as crews perform underground utility maintenance work.
- Creighton Road (S.R. 742) – Westbound lane restrictions near Lark Avenue from midnight, Wednesday, Aug. 24 to 6 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25 as crews replace a utility pole.
- Texar Drive (S.R. 752) Pedestrian Overpass – Access to the pedestrian bridge is closed for approximately one month. Eastbound ECAT bus stops located at the pedestrian bridge will be temporarily relocated during construction to just west of N Miller Street.
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Widening – - Alternating lane closures, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), Sunday, Aug. 21 through Thursday, Aug. 25 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews continue widening work. In addition, there will be alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange for bridge work will be alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange for bridge work.
- I-10 Resurfacing - Intermittent and alternating lane closures east and westbound between State Road 87 interchange and the Okaloosa county line from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 21 through Thursday, Aug. 25 as crews perform paving operations. Motorists are reminded the speed limited is reduced to 60 MPH within the lane closure.
- U.S. 98 - Intermittent and alternating lane closures and slow moving operations between Bayshore Road and the Okaloosa County line continue from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Wednesday, Aug. 31. as crews perform striping operations.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled 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.
Over 15,000 Vote Early Or By Mail So Far
August 22, 2016
After two days of early voting, 1,578 Escambia County voters had cast their ballots at one of seven available sites by the end of the day Sunday.. Another 14,257 vote by mail ballots had been returned as of Sunday, for a total of 15,835 ballots already cast in Escambia County.
Early voting is available each day through Saturday, August 27 at the following locations:
- Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A North, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Escambia County Extension Office, 3740 Stefani Road, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. 9th Avenue, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Bellview-Saufley, 916 W Michigan Avenue, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Main Library, 239 N. Spring Street, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Early voters cast paper ballots through digital scanners and may choose any one of the seven sites.
Another option for voters is to cast a vote-by-mail ballot, which can be requested through the online form at EscambiaVotes.com, or by e-mail (votebymail@escambiavotes.com), phone (850) 595-3900, mail, or fax (850) 595-3914. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and address, and must be received no later than Wednesday, August 24. Voted ballots must be received in the Elections Office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day and may not be returned to a polling location. The Postal Service recommends voters mail ballots at least one week before the due date. Vote-by-mail participants may track the status of their ballot at EscambiaVotes.com.
The third option for voters is to cast a ballot at their precinct on Election Day, Tuesday, August 30. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Florida is a closed primary state. In a primary election, voters may only vote for candidates in their party of registration unless there is a universal primary contest, a nonpartisan contest, or other issue on the ballot. Voters are reminded to bring their photo and signature ID with them to the polls and are encouraged to visit EscambiaVotes.com for complete voting information or contact the Elections Office by phone or e-mail with any questions.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: This Is A Test
August 22, 2016
Whether it’s the kind given to students in school or the kind that can detect a disease creeping into the state, tests helped drive the week in Florida.
Tests for Zika continued to provide more troublesome headlines for state officials — and for the tourism industry that needs a flow of positive stories — in the form of a second area where the virus is believed to have been transmitted by mosquitoes. That came even as a state economist suggested the fallout from the disease was already likely to take a bite out of state revenues.
Meanwhile, a legal battle continued over whether students should be required to take a standardized test before being allowed to move from third to fourth grade. An effort to draw in the federal courts was knocked away as both sides prepared for a showdown next week.
And the University of West Florida began the process of testing the resumes of potential presidents for the institution, including one who is a familiar face to the region and to those in Tallahassee who follow state government.
“Only a test?” Hardly. This week, tests were what seemed to matter the most.
MIAMI GETS HOTTER
Generally, something being “hot” in South Florida would be a good thing — a reference to the party scene or, well, other kinds of scenery. But when Miami Beach is the second hot spot for Zika, the term becomes something more concerning for public health and the economy.
Officials confirmed Friday that a new location was identified in Miami-Dade County where Zika is originating, and five more people have tested positive for the disease. Perhaps the most worrying number for those looking at the business angle: Three of those who tested positive were tourists.
There have now been 36 confirmed cases of people getting infected in the state, with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanding a travel advisory for pregnant women to include an area in Miami Beach.
Gov. Rick Scott and state health officials had previously said local transmission of the disease was only occurring in Miami’s Wynwood community. But with the virus also now being found in part of Miami Beach, Scott announced Friday he has requested additional resources from the CDC.
“We have a safe state, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Scott said.
Among the people who recently tested positive were visitors from New York, Texas and Taiwan. Scott also held separate conference calls Friday with Miami-Dade elected officials, state university presidents and state college presidents.
The new zone in Miami Beach, where the transmissions are believed to have occurred, is between 8th Street and 28th Street, between the beach and the Intracoastal Waterway.
The announcement followed a drip-drip-drip of new Zika diagnoses throughout the week, some of them travel-related and some of them transmitted locally. Even economists trying to forecast state revenues said the virus was likely to have some impact on their work in the weeks ahead.
Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research, told reporters that Zika will serve as a “black swan” in a proposed, annual three-year outlook for the state budget that lawmakers are required to approve each year. Black swans are generally events that have a low likelihood of occurring but would have a large impact on the state budget if they do.
But the likelihood of some impact from the disease really wasn’t in much doubt.
“It’s not that I don’t think Zika will be a factor. … It’s because we don’t know exactly how it’s going to unfold at this moment in time, and when,” Baker said.
OVER TO YOU
A case about Florida’s rules on whether third-grade students are allowed to move to fourth grade was in federal court for a brief period this week, a timeframe that was essentially just long enough for a judge to knock it back to a Leon County judge.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker told attorneys he was returning the case to the state courts following a decision by parents to drop federal claims in the lawsuit. The Florida Department of Education and six school districts had argued that federal equal-rights and due-process claims in the lawsuit meant that the federal courts were the appropriate place to handle the issue.
But the parents challenging the way the state determines who is held back in third grade dropped the federal counts, and Walker decided to return the dispute to Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers. In turn, Gievers’ office again scheduled a Monday morning hearing that had been put on hold by the federal intervention.
At the center of the case is a battle over whether students can “opt out” of the Florida Standards Assessment for third grade, which is generally used to help decide whether a child can move up to the fourth grade.
Parents who filed the lawsuit believe state law gives them the right to tell their children not to answer questions on the standardized test. But while the law spells out ways to advance that don’t require passing the assessment, the Florida Department of Education and school districts say that doesn’t give students the opportunity to refuse to take it.
Both sides argued that they weren’t “forum shopping,” a legal term about looking for the most favorable court possible, despite the fact that most observers think Gievers sympathizes with the families and not the Department of Education or the districts.
“I don’t think it can be said that there’s forum shopping going on, because it’s not all clear whether one forum is preferable over the other. … What we’re trying to do is keep on the expedited track that’s been set in state court, because this is an issue of children and where they’ll be placed in this school year,” said attorney Andrea Mogensen, who represents the families.
The state and the school districts involved — Broward, Hernando, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Pasco counties — likewise denied that they were trying to delay a ruling by Gievers.
Meanwhile, the school year pushed on, even as some students continued waiting on the courts to decide whether they belong in the third grade or the fourth.
‘MY UNIVERSITY’
There’s nothing new about Florida politicians being in the running to operate state institutions of higher education. Former House Speaker and state Sen. John Thrasher is the top man at Florida State University. The University of North Florida is run by John Delaney, a former mayor of Jacksonville.
Now, outgoing state Sen. Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican and former Senate president, is looking to be the next elected official turned member of academia. The lawmaker, whose vocabulary would likely break the SAT scale, is among 19 candidates who will be invited to the next step in the interview process to become president of the University of West Florida.
Gaetz, a former Okaloosa County schools superintendent, was among 83 people who applied for the position. Also among the 19 candidates is Martha Saunders, who has been the provost and executive vice president at the Pensacola university since 2013. Saunders previously served as president at the University of Southern Mississippi and as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
After controversy about the selection of his former colleague Thrasher at Florida State, Gaetz is trying to make sure the appearances are on the up-and-up. He said he is “not a looking for a job” and has neither lobbied nor asked anyone to nominate him because it would be “unseemly.”
But he made his affection for “my university” clear, and cited his longtime association with the school, which serves about 13,000 students. Over the past 15 years, Gaetz said he has worked closely with faculty, administrators and trustees to create career technical and STEM education programs.
He said he has helped the school secure some $90 million in campus projects, improve its endowment opportunities and create an economic-development fund that has helped generate about 7,000 jobs.
“I’m not on the career path from dean to provost to president. I don’t believe I’m due any reward for past services. And I’m not interested in any other job in education,” Gaetz said.
In an interview last week, state university system Chancellor Marshall Criser III, who came to the academic world after being a corporate executive, cited several characteristics that make a successful university leader.
“They ought to be a dynamic personality who can communicate well with their stakeholders,” he said. “They need to understand how to run and operate a complex organization. And they need to be sensitive as to how an academic enterprise functions and what some of the relationships are that are embedded in academics.”
A University of West Florida presidential search committee will invite the remaining candidates to appear for face-to-face meetings on Aug. 29 and 30. The committee expects to approve a list of three finalists on Sept. 6, and the school’s Board of Trustees will select the replacement for retiring President Judy Bense on Sept. 15.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The spread of Zika continued, this time with a second hot spot being discovered in Miami-Dade County.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “It wasn’t a cemetery. It was a damn dump site.”— Bob Baxter, a Gainesville resident who was at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys from 1950 to 1951, arguing against returning to the Jackson County site the remains of dozens of boys who were victims of beatings and abuse at the school.
Wahoos Capture Series With Braves
August 22, 2016
If the first half champion Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the second half frontrunner Mississippi Braves meet in the Southern League South Division playoffs in 15 days, fans can expect lots of excitement.
The Blue Wahoos won Sunday’s game, 6-3, over Mississippi to capture the final series on the road at Trustmark Park, 3-2.
On the season, Pensacola ended up winning the matchup, 12-8. The teams played seven extra-inning games, with the Blue Wahoos winning four of those contests.
Wait! There’s more. How evenly matched are the possible South Division playoff teams? Of the 20 games this season, 10 were decided by one run and four were decided by two runs.
Sunday’s game was atypical of the clubs’ season-long battles. Scoring only one run on three hits to trail Mississippi, 2-1, after seven innings, Pensacola scored four runs in the eighth inning on five hits, including a double, and a walk and sent eight batters to the plate.
Pensacola went ahead, 5-2 when Blue Wahoos shortstop Zach Vincej singled in the eighth inning to drive in right fielder Sebastian Elizalde with the first run of the inning that tied the game, 2-2. With two outs, Pensacola third baseman Taylor Sparks doubled in center fielder Brandon Dixon and first baseman Eric Jagielo to put the Blue Wahoos on top, 4-2. Pensacola catcher Chad Wallach then hit a line drive single to centerfield to score Sparks giving the Blue Wahoos a 5-2 lead.
Elizalde extended Pensacola’s lead to 6-2 in the top of the ninth when he doubled in second baseman Alex Blandino, who hit a lead-off single.
Mississippi had jumped on top in the second inning when right fielder Stephen Gaylor singled to knock in both catcher Joseph Odom and center fielder Connor Lien to put the Braves ahead, 2-0.
Besides being evenly matched, both teams also boast the top two pitching teams in the Southern League. Mississippi boasts a 3.05 team ERA, while Pensacola has a 3.20 ERA.
That good pitching was on full display again Sunday.
Pensacola right-handed starter Nick Travieso worked six innings, allowing two runs, one earned on eight hits, two walks and he struck out eight.
Meanwhile, Mississippi starter Lucas Smith also lasted six innings, allowing one run on three hits and four walks, while striking out seven.
On offense for Pensacola Sunday, Pensacola’s Dixon led the way, going 3-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Dixon went 10-18 with three doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs in the five-game series. He now has 24 multi-hit games for the Blue Wahoos this season.
Elizalde also was 3-5 Sunday with a double, two runs scored and one RBI. For the series, he was 9-22 and upped his multi-hit games to a team-leading 27.
Heading into the final three series of the season, Pensacola is 28-27 and sits in third place in the Southern League South Division, 5.5 games behind South Division front-runner Mississippi, which is 33-21 in the second half. Overall, Pensacola is 69-56 this season, while Mississippi is 67-56.
Driver Side-Swipes Bridge
August 21, 2016
A driver escaped injury early Sunday morning when they side-swiped the railing on the Quintette Road Bridge over the Escambia River between Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The 4:30 a.m. crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Santa Rosa County EMS were among the first responders.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbout, click to enlarge.
Two Injured In Highway 29 Crash Near Molino
August 21, 2016
Two people were injured in a two vehicle crash near Molino Sunday morning.
The accident happened about 7 a.m. when 23-year old Melanie Keesler pulled away from a stop sign on Barrineau Park Road in her Chrysler Sebring onto Highway 29 and into the path of Toyota Yaris driven by 48-year old Mark Mollere of Cantonment, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Both victims were transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital with serious injuries. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.
The FHP cited Keesler with failure to yield.
The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Tate Showband Of The South Members Working Their Way To Hawaii
August 21, 2016
The Tate High School Showband of the South held car washes in five Cantonment area locations Saturday as they continue to raise money for a very special trip to Hawaii.
The band is headed to Hawaii in December to take part in the 75th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Mass Band. They will join bands from around the United States and Japan in a concert commemorating the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The mass band, including the Tate Showband, will perform on the pier of the U.S.S Battleship Missouri in a worldwide live webcast “Gift of Music” concert on December 7, 2016.
The Tate High Wind Ensemble has taken part in the Pearl Harbor event at Naval Air Station Pensacola for at least 10 years, making the Pearl Harbor trip a natural fit.
The trip was announced more than a year in advance to give the Band Boosters and band members a chance to raise the funds needed for the 215 member band.
In recent years the Tate Showband took part in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade and ventured to Washington, D.C. The band has taken part in many major venues, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Cotton Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl parades and even a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.
Pictured: Tate Showband of the South members washed cars at five different locations in the Cantonment area Saturday to raise money for an upcoming trip to Hawaii.Photos for NorthEscambia.com. Pictured bottom: The Tate Wind Ensemble performs during the Pearl Harbor ceremony aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
A Few More Showers For Sunday
August 21, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. West wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.