One Injured In Highway 97 Rollover Accident
March 17, 2014
One person suffered minor injuries in a rollover accident at a Highway 97 bridge late Monday morning.
The driver of a southbound pickup truck apparently lost control just north of Wiggins Lake Road in Walnut Hill, struck a bridge guardrail and overturned. The pickup came to rest upside down on the center line of Highway 97 just off the bridge.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further information has not been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FDOT, Escambia Continuing With Plans For Traffic Light, Hwy 29, Hwy 97 Redesign
March 17, 2014
Talks between Escambia County and the Florida Department of Transportation are continuing toward a goal of multiple changes at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino — including a red light and redesign of a portion of the intersection.
Escambia County Interim Administrator Larry Newsom met with FDOT officials last week in Chipley to discuss changes and improvements for the intersection to lower the number of traffic crashes.
A full FDOT study of the intersection concluded that a traffic signal should be installed. The study also found that intersection should be redesigned to eliminate the “5-leg intersection configuration” caused by a driveway connection to the Tom Thumb by a combination of strong access control at the driveway connection and a reduction of the existing median opening width.
Last October, the Escambia County Commission affirmed its support for improvements at the intersection and expressed a willingness for the county to pay for the red light at the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection.
Newsom said the state is currently in the design phase for the intersection, and that process is expected to continue for the next three months with input from both FDOT and the county.
“The much needed side street connection of Crabtree Church Road may be addressed on parallel basis with the intersection improvements, or as a secondary project. Escambia County intends to apply for a Community Traffic Safety Team Grant (CTST) to fund construction of this project. However, if we are unsuccessful in that attempt, funds from the voter-approved Local Option Sales Tax will be allocated to facilitate implementation as quickly as possible,” Newsom said.
FDOT will install a traffic signal at the intersection to address safety issues, with the design funded by the state and the constructed funded by Escambia County. A construction scheduled has not yet been established.
“I believe that, with the support of FDOT District III Secretary Tommy Barfield and coordination with the State Secretary Ananth Prasad, we can expect a significant amount of investment to be made in Escambia County in the near future,” Newsom added.
The plans to improve and add a signal at the intersection came after residents of the all residential northern stretch of Highway 95A from Highway 29 to Highway 97 unsuccessful pushed commissioners to enforce a truck ban on that portion of Highway 95A. Trucks currently turn south on Highway 95A at Highway 29 to avoid the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection altogether over safety concerns.
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Clay Ingram, Rep. Doug Broxson, Rep. Mike Hill, Rep. Matt Gaetz and Senate President Don Gaetz have also advocated for FDOT to make safety improvements at the intersection.
Pictured: Traffic crashes at the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Not A Tornado: Winds Destroy Businesses, Damage Homes In Atmore
March 17, 2014
There were no injuries as businesses were destroyed and numerous structures were damaged in storms Sunday morning as they rolled through, leaving a trail of damage from Nokomis, FL, through Atmore and to Canoe, AL.
While a tornado warning was in effect at the time, a National Weather Service survey team determined the damage was not caused by a twister. According to the NWS, the team found evidence consistent with downburst straight-line winds, with the strongest winds blowing from the south-southwest to north-northeast.
The weather service said wind speeds were estimated to range from 86 to 110 mph.
The former Kmart building that housed Burke’s Outlet and Fred’s store in Atmore collapsed. The majority of the damage was on the Burke’s end of the structure, while the windows and doors blew in and the roof was lifted at Fred’s. Both businesses were closed at the time.
The building housing the Burke’s Outlet and Fred’s store in Atmore collapsed this morning. The majority of the damage was on the Burke’s end of the structure, while the windows and doors blew in and the roof was lifted at Fred’s. Both businesses were closed at the time.
“It started raining hard and getting loud,” said Charlene Johnson, who was at worked at a gas station very near the Burke’s store. “I locked the door and seen a dark black mass pass by right in front of me..it shook the store.”
Numerous other structures were damaged in Atmore, many from falling trees. The wind also twisted metal barns, caused other structural damage and downed power lines across the southern part of the city.
In Nokomis, FL, on the state line, several trees were downed — several blocking Rockaway Creek Road and Circle Road until they were removed. A large highway warning sign just north of the state line was toppled, and trees were snapped as the storm moved in a definite line toward Atmore.
After passing through southern Atmore, the storm continued toward the Atmore Aiport east of town, downing trees, destroying barns and causing other damage. Further east, the Canoe Baptist Church was damaged with large pieces of wood driven into the ground like spears.
For damage photos, click here for a photo gallery.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Resident Meeting To Provide Input For Century Economic Development Plan
March 17, 2014
Century is once again turning to its residents for input into the town’s future economic development plan. Town residents are invited to a meeting Monday, March 31, at 6:00 p.m. at the Ag Building on West Highway 4 to offer their input into the plan.
When Century updated its Comprehensive Plan in March 2012, the need for an economic development strategy was identified as one of the critical issues facing the Town.
Last July, Century was awarded a $25,000 a Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The grant provided the town the opportunity to contract with the University of West Florida’s Haas Center to develop the plan.
Meetings with the public, businesses and economic stakeholders were previously held. At the March 31 meeting, residents will have one more opportunity to discuss the plan’s vision, mission, objectives and goals.
Century’s Economic Development Strategic Plan must be submitted to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity by May 30.
Pictured top: Lomonica Shoemo and Dorothy Newton listen during a late January public meeting on Century’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
No Alimony Reform This Year In Florida
March 17, 2014
Backers of an alimony overhaul vetoed last year by Gov. Rick Scott have scrapped their efforts to revive the measure.
Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, told The News Service of Florida on Tuesday she and her House counterpart Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, have given up on their plan to reform the state’s alimony laws.
Last year, the two sponsored a measure that did away with permanent alimony and would have created new legal standards based on the length of marriages. Scott, who is seeking re-election this year, vetoed the measure in part because of concerns that it would have applied retroactively.
The group Family Law Reform, which has been pushing the alimony changes, issued a press release in October saying it was working with Scott and the sponsors to come up with a new plan that would have removed the retroactivity provision. But there won’t be any election-year measure.
“We tried to get a deal,” Stargel said. “We got some language we thought people liked and started vetting it. … I just didn’t want to have a food fight this year so we just said scrap it. We’ll push it another year.”
by The News Service of Florida
ECUA Curbside Recycling: The Proper Way
March 17, 2014
Recycling is one of the best ways to have a positive impact on the community, and recycling is important to the natural environment, according to ECUA.
The ECUA Curbside Recycling Program was launched in January 2009, as part of the regular ECUA residential sanitation service. This simple, voluntary and cost-effective program is being utilized by 65 percent of ECUA customers and continues to grow. A voluntary program assures all participants are willing partners in the recycling process and serves to minimize the contamination of the collected materials, ECUA said.
ECUA’s program uses a convenient single stream recycling system, which means no sorting is required, and commingled recyclables are sorted at a processing facility. Although sorting is not required, it is very important that only recyclable items be placed in the ECUA-provided recycling container to avoid contamination of the recyclables. In some cases, customers will unknowingly introduce unaccepted and/or tainted items into the recycling process. This reduces the value and potential usability of recyclable materials, and jeopardizes the effectiveness of the ECUA Recycling Program.
ECUA Recycling Coordinator Amanda Handrahan offers these tips to successful recycling: “Make sure all items placed in the recycling container are safe, clean and ready for the recycling process. We don’t accept plastic grocery bags, but we do appreciate when you use them to bag small, lightweight items, to keep them contained within the can. Also, it’s important to remove liquids that can damage paper products, and remove leftover food from take-out containers before placing them in the recycling can.” She adds, “This seems basic but in our busy, everyday lives, it’s always good to have a quick reminder of how to best avoid the possibility of contamination.”
Here’s a list of items accepted in the ECUA’s program, and those that are not:
- Glass; any color
- Newspaper & Inserts
- Magazines & Catalogs
- Junk Mail & Envelopes
- Cardboard
- Phone Books
- Office and School Papers (colored paper)
- Brown Paper Bags (grocery)
- Boxboard (cereal, cake & cracker boxes, etc.)
- Pizza Boxes
- Plastic Produce Clamshells
- Plastics No. 1 through 7
- Plastic Milk Jugs; 2-Liters; bottles and containers
- Plastic & Metal Hangers
- Juice Boxes / Bags
- Plastic Cups, Plates, Utensil
- Aluminum Cans & Lids
- Pet Food Cans and Dry Pet Food Bags
- Aluminum Foil Baking Pans
- Balls of Tin Foil; Foil Pie Tins
- Tin and Steel Cans & Lids
- Metal Pots, Pans & Cookie Sheets
- Bubble Wrap
- Cardboard Egg Cartons
Items Not Recyclable Include:
- No Empty Plastic Bags
- No Ice Cream Cartons
- No Waxy/Paper Milk Cartons
- No Styrofoam products
- No Aerosol Cans
- No Garbage or Yard Waste
- No Garden Hoses
- No Window Blinds
Escambia Westgate Holding Run, Walk, Wheel 5K On April 5
March 17, 2014
Escambia Westgate School will host their 2nd Annual Run, Walk, Wheel 5K Fun Run on April 5 at 9 a.m. at the school.
Escambia Westgate School is seeking to raise funds to support the school’s needs, including the goal of building a fully adaptive gymnasium to be used by all of Westgate’s students with severe cognitive and/or physical disabilities. Registration forms are available on the school’s website. To register, please print a form and mail it along with your check to the school.
Registration is $25; $30 the day of race. Breakfast will be provided to all participants. For additional information, please contact Ashley McCombs, (850) 494-5700, extension 231.
Spring Break Gas Prices Cheaper Than Last Year
March 16, 2014
Spring Break travel will be a little easier on the pocketbook this year for those hitting the highway.
The average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded in the Pensacola area is $3.39, down from $3.62 a year ago. Gas prices in the North Escambia area Saturday ranged from $3.36 in Cantonment to $3.44 in Davisville.
The lowest price in the Pensacola area Saturday night was $3.29 at a Circle K on Mobile Highway.
The national average price at the pump is $3.42 per gallon. This price is six cents more expensive than one week ago and 13 cents more than one month ago; however national prices remain 36 cents per gallon less than the same date last year.
Pictured: A gas delivery in Century. Pictured inset: A gallon of regular unleaded was $3.36 Saturday in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ransom Bands, Orchestra Earn Superior Ratings
March 16, 2014
The Ransom Middle School music program has recently earned several superior ratings.
The Ransom Middle School Symphonic and Concert bands received superiors at a band competition last week at Pensacola High School. And the Ransom Middle Orchestra III recently earned an overall superior rating in the annual Music Performance Assessment at Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee.
Wearing Gold: The Blue Angels Return To The Skies
March 16, 2014
The Blue Angels — wearing “throwback” gold flight suits — commence their pre-flight walkdown at the first Blue Angel flight demonstration of the 2014 air show season Saturday at Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif. Throughout the Blue Angels’ history, the gold flight suit has been worn to commemorate special milestones for the Navy and Marine Corps’ premiere flight demonstration squadron. Today, the Blue Angels pilots and officers are wearing the commemorative gold flight suit to celebrate the team’s return to America’s skies. Photo by MC2 Andrea Perez for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.