Escambia County Weekly Traffic Alerts
November 21, 2015
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
- U.S. 98 Resurfacing, Santa Rosa County – U.S. 98 between Live Oaks Village shopping center and the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Santa Rosa County. Alternating lane closures from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20 through Monday, Nov. 23 and Tuesday, Nov. 24 from 7 p.m. to midnight. Crews will be placing the final layer of asphalt on the roadway and completing work list items.
- State Road (S.R.) 281 (Avalon Boulevard), Santa Rosa County- Traffic will be shifted to a new traffic pattern between Moors Oak Drive and San Pablo Street Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. One lane in each direction will be maintained. Traffic flaggers will be on site to assist with traffic control.
- I-10 Six Lane, Escambia County- Alternating lane closures on I-10 between Davis Highway (Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (Exit 17) Sunday, Nov. 22 and Monday, Nov. 23 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Tuesday, Nov. 24 from 8 p.m. to midnight. The speed limit has been reduced to 60 mph.
- I-10 Six Lane, Santa Rosa County – Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 Interchange in Santa Rosa County will encounter alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 and Monday, Nov. 23 and Tuesday, Nov. 24 from 7 p.m. to midnight as crew begin bridge work. I-10 east and westbound between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/ Exit 22) in Santa Rosa County. Alternating lane closures Sunday through Thursday through the end of 2015. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews perform construction activities.
- Nine Mile Road from west of I-10 to Heritage Oaks Drive, Escambia County – Eastbound and westbound lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Sunday, Nov. 22 as crews perform paving operations.
- I-110 Bridge Painting, Escambia County – Drivers may encounter intermittent daytime restrictions on city streets under I-110 between Maxwell and Garden Streets as crews clean the bridges. The $2.6 million rehabilitation project is anticipated to be complete summer 2016.
- S.R. 87 north of U.S. 98, Santa Rosa County – New driveway connection construction at the Navarre RV/Boat Storage facility, through Sunday, Nov. 22. Lane closures in effect 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- State Road 289 (9th Avenue), Escambia County- The week of Dec. 1 crews will perform paving operations at Airport Boulevard and Bayou Boulevard. Work is anticipated to take two to three days. When complete, crews will pave between Bayou Boulevard and Creighton Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for approximately two to three weeks. Motorists traveling between Bayou Boulevard and Cervantes Street will also encounter intermittent and alternating daytime lane closures the week of Dec. 1 as crews adjust manholes and valves.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone.
All planned construction activities are weather dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Tate Beats Pine Forest To Advance In Playoffs (With Photo Gallery)
November 21, 2015
The Tate High School Aggies continued their march to state Friday night with a 31-7 win over the Pine Forest Eagles in the Region 1-6A semifinals.
In the regular season, Pine Forest claimed the District 1-6A crown in a game that was tied up 28-all headed into the fourth only to see the Eagles surge to a 47-28 win.
But the tables were turned Friday night.
“The defense is playing great right now, and on offense we ran the football,” Tate head coach Jay Lindsey said. “Biggest thing is we played a physical football game; that is the thing you want in the playoffs. You want to get better toward the end of the year, and we are playing our best football. We are getting better week to week, and that’s exactly what we want to do.”
The Aggies took a quick 7-0 lead with 5:55 to go in the first quarter with quarterback Sawyer Smith taking it into the end zone. The just over two minutes later, after a 50-yard gain by Smith, Dee Thompson was around the outside for a touchdown and a 14-0 Aggie lead.
Toss in a Tate field goal with 11:05 in the second, and the Tate Aggies were up 17-0.
Then, with 5:25 in the half, Tate increased their lead to 24-0 with a 20-yard touchdown run from Thompson. The game stood at 24-0 headed into the half.
With 2:43 in the third, the Aggies added one more touchdown on a 15-yard run from Aldondo Thompkins, coming off a 44-yard pass to Madison Lockman.
The Tate Aggies (9-2) will travel to Niceville next Friday night.
During the regular season, Niceville beat Tate 31-28. But for Lindsey, the Region 1-6A final next week is not going to be about revenge.
“It’s the playoffs right now; it’s do or die,” Lindsey said. “It has nothing to do with who beat who in the regular season. It’s just one game at the time.
“We are just focused on us and being the best team that Tate High School can possibly be,” he said.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Keith Garrison, click to enlarge.
Latest Jobs Numbers Show Unemployment Decrease
November 21, 2015
The latest job numbers released Friday show the unemployment level decreasing in the three county North Escambia area.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate fell slightly from 5.2 percent in September to 5.0 percent in October. There were 7,024 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 5.8 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment decreased from 4.6 to 4.4 percent from September to October. Santa Rosa County had a total of 3,241 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 4.9 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment decreased from 6.9 percent in September to 6.5 percent in October. That represented 969 people unemployed in the county during the month. One year ago, the unemployment rate in Escambia County, Alabama, was 7.3 percent.
Florida’s unemployment rate inched down from 5.2 percent in September to 5.1 percent in October, according to figures released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. In a news release, Gov. Rick Scott focused on the creation of 36,600 private-sector jobs across the state during the month. Scott called it the “highest month for job growth in 10 years.” The unemployment mark is the lowest for the state since January 2008.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 5.9 percent in October, was down from September’s rate of 6.0 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 6.2 percent.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Molino Park Students Check Out The Moon, Stars
November 21, 2015
Molino Park Elementary School students and their families took part in a stargazing event Friday night at the school.
They were able to use an iPad app to see a virtual sky map as they panned from horizon to horizon, and telescopes were set up for a closer look at stars and planets.
Pictured top: The moon as seen from the stargazing event Friday night in Molino. Pictured inset: Molino Park student Sophia St. Cyr uses an iPad app to locate stars. Reader photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Injuries; Two Drivers Cited After School Bus Wreck
November 21, 2015
Two drivers were cited after a school bus crash on Davis Highway Friday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the school bus, driven by 72-year old Edna Shaw Dohl, was stopped in traffic on Davis Highway when it was rear-ended by a 2014 Toyota Camry driven by 62-year old James Carl Engel of Pensacola. Engel’s Camry was then rear-ended by a Ford 350 pickup driven by 48-year old Jacob Fredrich Hartman of Milton.
There were no injures.
Engel and Hartman was both cited for careless driving by the FHP.
Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: What To Do Before November’s End
November 21, 2015
Here is your November gardening calendar from the University of Florida/IFAS Extension:
What to Plant
- Bedding Plants: Create a display of fall colors with cool season plants. Some to try are pansy, viola, and chrysanthemum.
- Bulbs: Bulbs to plant this month include amaryllis, crinum, and daylily. Plant Lycoris (spider lily) in partial shade. Plants will produce foliage in winter and beautiful red flowers emerge in late summer.
- Herbs: Continue planting herbs from seeds or plants. A wide variety of herbs like cooler, dryer weather, including cilantro, dill, fennel, parsley, sage, and thyme.
- Vegetables: Continue planting cool season crops such as beet, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, kale, and lettuce.
What to Do
- Citrus: If freezing temperatures are predicted, protect small citrus trees by watering well at least a day before the freeze. You may also use covers that extend to the
- ground for protection.
- Scale on ornamental plants: Now that temperatures are lower, use dormant oil sprays to control scale insects on trees and shrubs.
- Irrigation: Plants need less supplemental watering in cooler weather. Turn off systems and water only if needed.
- Flowering Trees: Taiwan cherry is an ornamental cherry suitable for north Florida. Late winter will bring pink buds so consider planting one now.
- Birds: As you prune your plants during the cooler months, make a small brush pile in the back of the yard for birds.
- Camellias: Add some of the new cultivars for bright spots of color in winter. Disbudding, or removing some buds now, will insure larger blooms later.
What to Do Every Month
- Adjust irrigation based on rainfall.
- Deadhead flowers to encourage new blooms.
- Monitor the garden for insects and disease.
- Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials and water until established.
Friday Night Playoff Finals
November 21, 2015
Here are final scores from playoff games around the North Escambia area tonight:
- Tate 31, Pine Forest 7 [Read more, photo gallery...]
- GW Long 35, Flomaton 21
- Hillcrest 25, T.R. Miller 22
- Baker 48. Vernon 20
- Niceville 36, Choctaw 21
File photo.
Senate Weighs ‘Best Interest Of The Child’ In Adoptions
November 21, 2015
Backed by the sometimes-tearful testimony of foster parents, a state Senate panel Thursday approved a bill that would allow judges to place the best interests of children in adoption cases above the wishes of their biological parents.
The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee unanimously passed a measure (SB 590) by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, that she said would resolve a conflict between two laws dealing with children in dependency cases.
Currently, Detert said, a law requiring judges to rule based on “the best interests of the child” is in conflict with a law that allows private adoption agencies to intervene in open adoption cases where parents’ rights have not yet been terminated. In such cases, the adoption agency typically names the person that the biological parent prefers to adopt the child.
“This sounds like a good idea,” Detert said. “But the current law also permits even a parent who has murdered a spouse, committed egregious acts against their children or who wishes to punish a foster parent that has provided a caring home for their child for a lengthy time to choose who their child should be placed with — without requiring the court to consider what is in the best interest of the child, as it would for any other dependency case.”
The bill would create an exception to the part of current law that allows agencies and parents to influence who adopts children. The exception would apply in cases where petitions to terminate parents’ rights have been filed and qualified adoptive parents have been identified.
The measure drew widespread support from foster parents and children’s advocacy groups.
“Virtually all of the judges who are experienced dependency judges have indicated that this has become a serious problem in our courtrooms,” said Judge Daniel Dawson, who handles juvenile cases in the 9th Judicial Circuit, which includes Orange and Osceola counties.
Dawson said that in every such case he has encountered, “there has been spite on behalf of the parent wanting to remove the child from a relative or a foster parent,” or, in some cases, parents arranged for a person to adopt a child “that they knew was going to return the child to their custody.”
The judge also said he has never seen such an intervention early in a dependency proceeding, when the child is typically placed in a foster home. Rather, he said, motions to intervene come when biological parents are about to lose their parental rights — even if a child has been in a stable foster home for years.
Several foster parents who had lost custody of children urged lawmakers to pass the bill.
Amy Wragg, who is from the Palm Beach County community of Tequesta, described the son she’d fostered for a year, from the day she picked him up at a neonatal intensive care unit where he’d been for two months, “going through drug withdrawal because of what his mother had done to him.”
At that point, Wragg said, the biological mother was happy for the baby to be with her family. He’d bonded with Wragg, her husband and their four other children. “He called us Mama and Dadda,” she said.
But the judge made his ruling based on the law allowing the biological mother to intervene. Wragg and her family were given 10 days for the transition, which the baby could not begin to understand.
“He started banging his head on things,” she said. “He stopped laughing. …These are not children without feelings, just because they cannot verbally express what their desires are.”
The current law, she said, allows parents to re-traumatize their children “on a whim.”
Allen Walker, who with his wife Eve has been a South Florida foster parent for eight years, described losing a foster son in the same way. The boy didn’t get to say goodbye to his friends or his extended family when he was forced to leave, Walker said.
“What we’ve been trying to do as foster parents is heal them from the initial trauma of coming into care, because they lose everything,” he said. “No matter what their home life is like, they’re losing their families, their friends, their schools, their pets, their toys. …”
After four years with his family, Walker said, the boy had been healing — and then he was placed with someone who’d shown no interest in the boy before.
Other speakers noted that the current laws allow biological parents with severe mental illness or substance abuse issues to make adoption decisions rather than judges.
“We want to protect parents’ rights,” Detert said. “But the Legislature and the courts and most of the people in the audience, our main focus is the protection of the children in the state of Florida and what’s best for them, because they don’t have anybody other than us.”
The Senate bill faces two more committees. The House companion, HB 673 by Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, has not been heard.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
County Set To Pave Three Byrneville Area Dirt Roads
November 20, 2015
The Escambia County Commission is moving forward with a project that will pave three dirt roads near Byrneville.
The county has inked a design services agreement with Thompson Engineering for Thompson Road from McNeal Road to Highway 29 (1.12 miles), Crary Road from Highway 29 to Byrneville Road (1.07 miles), and McNeal Road from Thompson to Byrneville Road (0.46 miles). The total design cost is $59,870. A contract for paving the roads will be let at a future dates.
After soliciting bids, Baskerville-Donovan was the top-ranked firm for the project, but the company was dropped after two negotiation attempts. It was determined that a negotiated fee could not be achieved with budget.
Thompson Engineering, as the second ranked firm, was then chosen for the project.
Pictured: McNeal Road at the intersection of Byrneville Road. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Seeks Mass Transit Advisory Committee Members
November 20, 2015
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking Escambia County residents interested in volunteering to fill vacancies on the Escambia County Mass Transit Advisory Committee, or MTAC. The Board, in its regular meeting on October 1, 2009, adopted a Resolution establishing the MTAC.
The MTAC meets quarterly, typically on the second Wednesday of the month from 3 to 5 p.m.
The duties of the Committee include the following:
- Establishing a set of benchmarks to periodically evaluate the service and management of existing public mass transit systems operating in Escambia County;
- Setting short range and long range goals for increasing ridership, expanding routes, and instituting new mass transit services;
- Assisting the Board of County of Commissioners, the County Administrator, and ECAT Management in developing partnerships with industry groups and employers to foster economic development; and
- Identifying opportunities for inter-governmental or regional transportation alliances with entities both within Escambia County and outside of Escambia County.
Escambia residents interested in serving on the Escambia County Mass Transit Advisory Committee are asked to submit a resume and letter indicating their desire to serve on the Committee by close of business on Tuesday, December 1, 2015. Resumes should be submitted to Judy Witterstaeter, Program Coordinator, Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box1591, Pensacola, Florida 32502, or emailed to jhwitter@myescambia.com.