FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
January 24, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
S.R. 4 over Escambia River, Escambia County – Lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25 and Tuesday, Jan. 26 over Escambia River, 1.5 miles east of U.S. 29, as crews perform a routine bridge inspection.
S.R. 742 (Creighton Road), Escambia County – Eastbound outside lane closed near intersection of 9th Avenue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Jan. 25 through Thursday, Jan. 28 as crews perform construction activities.
S.R. 4 over Wilson Branch and East Relief, Santa Rosa County – Eastbound lane closure from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. over Wilson Branch, 2.7 miles east of U.S. 29 and East Relief located 3.1 miles east of U.S. 29, Monday, Jan. 25 as crews perform routine bridge inspections.
U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway) at the intersection of Scenic Highway Circle, Escambia County – Emergency repair work will resume Monday, Jan. 25. New stormwater pipe will be installed beneath Scenic Highway. Traffic flaggers will be on site to assist with traffic control as construction vehicles enter and exit the work area. The repair work will take about two months to complete.
I-10 Widening, Escambia County – Alternating east and westbound lane closures near U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway/Exit 17) from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Mon, Jan. 25 through Thursday Jan. 28 as crews perform bridge deck work for the new Scenic Highway overpass. Drivers are reminded that the speed limit on I-10, between Davis Highway and Scenic Highway, is reduced to 60 mph.
S.R. 289 (9th Avenue), Escambia County – Crews continue paving operations between Bayou Boulevard and Creighton Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Between Bayou Boulevard and Cervantes Street, motorists will also encounter intermittent and alternating daytime lane closures as crews adjust manholes and valves.
I-10 over Eleven Mile Creek Bridge, Escambia County – East and westbound traffic reduced to one lane at the bridge near exit 5 ( U.S. 90 ALT/ 9 Mile Road) as crews reconstruct the bridge approaches.
U.S. 29, Escambia County – Intermittent and alternating lane closures within the town of Century and from Champion Drive north continue.
I-10 Widening, Santa Rosa County – Alternating lane closures on I-10 between the Escambia Bay Bridge and State Road (S.R.) 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22) from 8 p.m. to 6 Sunday, Jan. 24 through Thursday, Jan. 28 as crews perform construction activities.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
January 24, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending January 21 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Over the last couple of weeks, Officer Livesay has been working a site in Perdido River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that was baited with sweet potatoes. This week, he made contact with the hunter who he suspected put the bait out. The hunter admitted to putting the bait out and deer hunting at the baited site. Officer Livesay issued the subject a notice to appear criminal citation for placing bait in a WMA.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson received a phone call late at night from a Santa Rosa County Deputy who had stopped a truck in the Munson Seed Orchard within the Blackwater WMA. The deputy observed two subjects in the bed of the truck and found a shotgun they tried to hide from view. Officer Hutchinson arrived on scene and interviewed the three juveniles. All three eventually admitted to trying to kill a deer and explained their plans to the officers. The juveniles’ parents were contacted and all three were given notices to appear for attempting to take deer at night with a gun and light.
Officer Hutchinson received information that a subject had two tree stands in his yard and had supposedly stolen them from a closed section of Blackwater WMA. While discussing it with his squad mates, Officer Hutchinson was informed by Officer Lewis that some stands and blinds were stolen from a section of Blackwater where the Florida Forest Service holds their Annual Wounded Warrior Hunt. The wounded veterans who had hunted there over the last few days went in to hunt and found their stands missing. Officers Lewis and Hutchinson went to the suspect’s home and observed a tree stand that fit the description of the stolen property. After interviewing the suspect, two additional suspects were identified, as well as another subject who bought one of the stands. After several interviews, the officers determined that the three suspects went hunting in the Emachamee closed area in Blackwater and stole two tree stands, a ground blind and more blind material. Two of the three suspects broke a lock off of a gate to enter the property. Charges of grand theft and criminal mischief were filed with the court and warrants were issued for the three suspects.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Peighton Dortch Named Miss NHS 2016 (With Photo Gallery)
January 24, 2016
Peighton Dortch was crowned Miss NHS 2016 Saturday night at Northview High School.
Maddi Weber was named first runner-up, while Jadlyn Agerton was named second runner-up from among 18 contestants.
Other awards were presented as follows:
Miss Congeniality – Amber Freeman
Miss Hospitality – Maddi Weber
Miss Physical Fitness – Peighton Dortch
Miss Poise and Appearance – Jadelyn Agerton
For a pageant photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: First Runner-up Maddi Weber, Miss NHS 2016 Peighton Dortch and Second Runner-up Jadlyn Agerton. Pictured inset; Miss NHS 2016 Peighton Dortch.
Unemployment Rate Declining In Escambia, Santa Rosa
January 23, 2016
The latest job numbers released Friday show the unemployment level decreasing in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, but on the rise in Escambia County in Alabama
Escambia County’s unemployment rate fell slightly from 5.0 percent in November to 4.9 percent in December. There were 6,713 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 5.6 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment decreased from 4.4 to 4.3 percent from November to December. Santa Rosa County had a total of 3,130 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 4.6 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment increased from 6.6 percent in November to 6.9 percent in December. That represented 985 people unemployed in the county during the month. One year ago, the unemployment rate in Escambia County, Alabama, was 6.8 percent.
Florida’s unemployment rate stood at 5 percent as 2015 came to a close. The December number is down from a revised 5.1 percent in November, according to figures released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The state had initially listed the November mark at 5 percent, which is where the national figure has been for two consecutive months.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.2 percent in December, was up from November’s rate of 6.0 percent and was also up from the year-ago rate of 6.1 percent.
The jobless numbers released by Florida and Alabama do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Jacks Branch Rezoning Case Withdrawn
January 23, 2016
Escambia County Planning and Zoning announced Friday that the applicants in case Z-2015-19 (1700 block of Jacks Branch) have requested that the case be withdrawn until further notice.
The adoption hearing for the case, which falls within the Escambia County Sector Plan, was scheduled to take place during the February 2 Board of County Commissioners meeting.
Residents of surrounding properties are asked to disregard the mailing they received regarding this case.
Escambia Man Gets 23 Years For Burglaries
January 23, 2016
An Escambia County man on trail on for burglary pleaded guilty to nearly a dozen burglaries.
Michael Collins’ was tried before Circuit Judge Jennie Kinsey. Collins was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft and criminal mischief.
This trial pertained to one of the 11 homes that Michael Collins burglarized in Escambia County during June and July 2014. Prosecutors said Collins would break into the homes during the daytime while the home owners were absent and primarily steal jewelry.
After the state presented their case, Collins pleaded guilty to that case as well as 10 additional burglary cases.
Kinsey sentenced Collins to 23 years in state prison as a prison releasee reoffender and habitual felony offender. He was also ordered to pay $121,034 in restitution.
Gulf Power Crews Head Toward Winter Storm
January 23, 2016
While much of the East Coast deals with the impact of Winter Storm Jonas, Gulf Power storm crews deployed to North Carolina to prepare for possible widespread outages due to the storm that is expected to dump anywhere from 18-24 inches of snow from Virginia to Washington D.C.
Crews and support staff from Gulf Power left Friday to help Duke Energy should their customers experience outages due to ice and heavy snow. The crews headed out from various locations about noon Friday including Pine Forest, Milton, Crestview and Panama City.
“This is a monster storm with power crews along the Mid-Atlantic states already preparing for ice by cutting limbs down over power lines,” said Rick DelaHaya, Gulf Power spokesperson. “Our crews are very experienced at storm restoration and we are always happy to help other utilities in the face of a major storm. While we don’t train in the cold weather and snow, our customers benefit as our crews are able to hone their skills should anything happen back here at home. This is what we do — restore power and hope, whether right here at home or for our neighbors.”
The last time Gulf Power storm crews deployed was in July 2015 to help sister company Alabama Power after severe storms swept through the area leaving more than 35,000 customers without power in the state, including 23,000 in the Birmingham metro area.
Florida DOT Has Snow Plows On The Ready
January 23, 2016
A few very light snow flurries fell in portions of the North Escambia area Friday night…with no accumulation. But if the snow had accumulated, the Florida Department of Transportation would have been ready.
Back in 2014, FDOT purchased snow plows, salt and spreaders for use in Northwest Florida The purchases came on the heels of a freak ice storm in January 2014 that paralyzed the area.
The DOT spent $22,000 for five snow plows that will attach to the front of current DOT vehicles, $12,400 for 42 tons of salt, $26,400 for 10 salt spreaders to attach to dump trucks and $26,400 for 4,400 gallons of the ice-melting chemical potassium acetate.
The equipment can be used in mutual aid effort in other areas, and the snow plows can be used to remove beach sand from the roads after strong storms and hurricanes.
“FDOT is ready for winter weather,” the department posted on Twitter on Friday.
Pictured above: One of FDOT’s snow plows. Pictured inset: Two jack-knifed 18-wheelers on an icy Highway 29 south of Century and (below) an impassable Highway 97 near Davisville in January 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Ball Registration Info: Cantonment, Century, Molino, NWE
January 23, 2016
Registration is underway, or beginning soon, at area ballparks:
Cantonment — Registration is underway for baseball and softball at the Cantonment Sportsplex. In-person registration dates will be every Saturday in January and the first two Saturdays in February from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Teams will be available for ages 3-14. The registration fee will be $85. Online registration is available at www.cantonmentbaseball.org/Register. Donations of new and gently-used equipment will be accepted on registration Saturdays. The Sportsplex is located at 681 Well Line Road in Cantonment.
Century — Little League registration will be held Saturday, February 6 from 9-11:30 a.m.; Thursday, February 11 from 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, February 13 from 9-11 a.m.; and Saturday, February 20 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Showalter Park in Century. Registration fee is $50 for the first child, $45 for each additional sibling. Birth certificate needed at registration. Teams available for ages 3 and up. For more information, contact Terry Levins (251) 656-6044, Nathan Brown (850) 377-0962, Brandy Carter (850) 619-4915 or Charity Miller (850) 501-9663.
Molino — Molino Ballpark registrations will be held Saturday January 23, January 30 and February 6 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Don Sutton ballpark. Registration is $60 for the first child, $55 for the second and $50 for the third. Birth certification needed at registration. Ages 3-17. For more info, call Luman at (850) 698-4396 about t-ball; Karen at (850) 281-4748 about softball; of Tommy at (850) 449-7578 about baseball.
Northwest Escambia – Registration will be Saturday January 30, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m; Friday, February 5, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m and Saturday, February 6, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Teams will be available for ages 4-18. Registration cost for ages 7 years and older is $100 for first child, $85 for second child and $75 for third child. For 5-6 year olds, (T-Ball), registration cost will be $95 for first child; $80 for second child and $70 for third child. Price includes registration fee, $30 for Jersey and hat and $25 concession stand fee. Payment options are available. Bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate to registration. For more information, contact Brad Sullivan at (850) 324-5692 or Sara Knighton at (850) 572-5000.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Teens Arrested In Vehicle Burglary Ring
January 23, 2016
Five teenage suspects have been arrested in Escambia County in connection with numerous vehicle burglaries and vehicle thefts.
DKelvin Dwayne Craft 17, Maurice Jones Jr., 17, Detravious Ontario Morrell, 17, Deontrerrious Palmore, 17, and Noah Simms, 18, were all charged with burglary of a vehicle, criminal mischief, grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, petty theft and fraud.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators said they were part of a vehicle burglary ring that targeted subdivisions from Perdido Key to Beulah. All of the vehicles that were burglarized were unlocked, according to deputies, and all of the stolen vehicles were taken using the owner’s keys that were left inside the unlocked vehicles or inside another vehicle parked in the same driveway.
All total, 60 arrest warrants were served on the five suspects. Authorities said more arrests are expected.