County To Enforce ‘No Trucks’ On 95A; Seek Red Light At 29 & 97
October 11, 2013
Escambia County will crack down and enforce “no truck” zones on Crabtree Church Road and the northernmost portion of Highway 95A in Molino. And, in a related move, the county will petition the Florida Department of Transportation to install a red light at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97.
The “No Truck” signs have been in place on both roadways for years, but the county commission never voted to make the truck prohibition official.
On a motion from District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, the Escambia County Commission voted in a committee meeting Thursday afternoon to make the no truck zones official on the length of Crabtree Church Road from Highway 97 to Sunshine Hill Road, and on Highway 95A from Highway 97 north to Highway 29. Once the vote is ratified in a regular commission meeting, the no truck provision will be in place and legally enforceable, Assistant County Administrator Larry Newsom said.
Numerous trucks, despite the “No Truck” signs, use the northern section of Highway 95A to avoid turning from Highway 29 to Highway 97 in order to reach Highway 95A, Newsom said. With the high average vehicle speed through the 29 and 97 intersection, it’s difficult for loaded semi trucks to make the turn, he said, and trucks in the Highway 29 southbound turn lane can make it difficult to see other southbound traffic for drivers headed north.
Newsom said county officials will arrange a meeting with DOT officials to make the red light request for the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection based upon the truck problem and the number of other crashes and injuries that have occurred there.
Except for a few home-based businesses, there are no commercial locations on the northern stretch of Highway 95A. It’s a quiet residential area. Just over two dozen residents recently presented the commission with a petition asking that the posted “No Truck” signs be enforced.
The residents also expressed concern over an exemption issued to one local truck company that allowed their trucks to use the northern part of Highway 95A despite the no truck ban.
On November 4, 2009, Newsom, in the position of division manager for the county’s traffic operations, issued a letter to Kay Campbell granting an exemption to C&C Hauling and American Concrete Supply.
That exemption, Newsom said, will no longer apply to the company once the commission ratifies the no truck prohibition.
Pictured: The driver of dump truck operated by a Milton company ignores a “No Truck” sign on Highway 95A in Molino Thursday afternoon. Pictured inset: The Florida Highway Patrol attributed this August 2012 crash at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97 to a visibility issue caused by a semi truck in the southbound turn lane from Highway 29 to Highway 97. Pictured below: Truck drivers, like this one Thursday afternoon, use Highway 95A as a means to avoid the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Man Held With Bond Set At $1.6 Million For Sexual Abuse Of Juvenile
October 11, 2013
A 61-year old Molino man has been charged with sexually abusing a teenage family member.
Eddie Williams, a resident of Blake Street, was charged with three counts of sexual assault by a custodian with a victim age 12-18, two different counts of lewd and lascivious behavior with a victim age 12-16, and incest. He remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $1.6 million.
During an interview with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the victim said Williams first withheld certain unspecified items from the victim while soliciting her for sex. She eventually had sex with him three to four times.
William admitted in an interview Tuesday with investigators that he had sexual intercourse with the underage victim, according to an arrest report.
Cool Pics: Hummingbird Moth
October 11, 2013
Sheila Bryan first thought hummingbirds were visiting the goldenrods blooming in her backyard, but with a closer look discovered she was actually looking at hummingbird moths. The moth has a hovering behavior and an audible humming noise which makes it look remarkably like a hummingbird while it is feeding on flowers. Submitted photos by Sheila Bryan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Knights Chess Club Hosts Gulf Coast Classic Chess Tournament
October 11, 2013
Escambia County’s only nationally ranked chess club is hosting a Classic & Scholastic Chess Tournament at Ransom Middle School on Saturday, October 19.
The Scholastic tournament is open to all students and schools including public, private, military, and home schools. The Open Section of the tournament is open to all adults who play chess. Entry fees are $40 for the open section and $20 for the scholastic section.
Because the tournament is sanctioned by the United States Chess Federation (USCF), all participants must be USCF members. The tournament is being directed by Caesar Lawrence of Caesar Chess and the Alabama Chess Federation.
The event will take place Saturday, October 19 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Snacks and beverages will be available for sale.
Gas Prices Continue Downward Trend
October 11, 2013
Gas prices are continuing a downward trend, according to the weekly AAA Fuel Gauge Report.
Thursday’s average price for regular unleaded gasoline was $3.35 per gallon. This price is a nickel less expensive than one week ago, 23 cents less than one month ago and 47 cents less than the same day last year.
Florida’s average price was at $3.29, down from $3.35 one week ago. Escambia County’s average price per gallon was $3.23, down three pennies from last week and about 12 cents from last month.
The national average price at the pump has now fallen for 36 straight days and has dropped 25 cents during this span. This marks the longest streak of daily declines since prices tumbled 86 consecutive days September 17-December 12, 2008, when they plummeted a whopping $2.20 per gallon in less than three months.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Man Busted Moments After Burglary At Closed State Line Lotto Store
October 10, 2013
A Century man was arrested Thursday afternoon moments after a burglary was reported at the closed State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97 in Davisville.
At about 12:11 p.m., the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office received a report of a burglary in progress at the pink building, which has been closed since owner Thomas “Tommy” Kroll was shot and killed during a robbery on November 6, 2012.
As Florida deputies arrived, the suspect, later identified as 53-year old Joseph Steve Davis, was attempting to flee the scene in his vehicle. Davis turned north on Highway 97, crossing in Atmore, Ala.
The Atmore Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Davis about six minutes later. He was taken into custody in Atmore on alcohol related charges. Additional charges of burglary of a business are pending with the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office.
Davis reportedly took beer from the closed business. He was booked into the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton.
Pictured: Burglary Joseph Steve Davis as seen in a 2007 file photo. Pictured top: The State Line O’Yes Lotto has been closed since the November 2012 murder of the store’s owner during a robbery. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Two Injured In Truck Versus Tree Crash
October 10, 2013
Two people were injured in a truck versus tree crash late Wednesday night near Bratt.
The driver of a Chevrolet pickup was westbound on Highway 4 at Canoe Creek just after 11 p.m. when he apparently left the roadway just off a bridge at a high rate of speed and ran into a wooded area. The truck overturned, with the pickup bed striking an oak tree. The truck continued a short distance before the tree fell onto the cab of the truck.
Both 21-year old male occupants of the vehicle were able to crawl out of the wreckage. They were transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details including names have not yet been released.
The Walnut Hill and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Atmore Fire Department and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the crash.
Pictured: This pickup came to rest under a tree it knocked down during a Tuesday night wreck near Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Firing Gun Outside Home
October 10, 2013
A Cantonment man is facing multiple charges after opening fire outside a residence.
Jerome Allen, age 58 of Booker Avenue, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony carrying a concealed firearm, a misdemeanor count of a carrying a concealed weapon, a felony weapons offense for using a weapon during a felony, firing a weapon in public, firing a weapon into a dwelling and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Allen remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $27,000.
The victim said the incident began Tuesday night with Allen banging on her door because he believed she had his Xanax pills. After beating the doors and windows, Allen allegedly fired a shot at the residence on Avery Street before fleeing the area.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Allen’s vehicle on Mobile Highway. Inside the vehicle, deputies reported finding two empty .45 shell casings, a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol between the driver’s seat and center console, a baton in the driver’s door compartment and a taser on the front passenger seat. Deputies also found about three dozen Xanax pills in Allen’s back pocket.
According to an arrest report, Allen confessed to deputies that he discharged the firearm at the residence on Avery Street.
Tate Aggies Holding Softball Skills Camp This Saturday
October 10, 2013
The Tate Aggie Softball coaches and players will hold a softball skills camp this Saturday for girls age 7 and up.
Hitting, fielding, base running, pitching and catching will be covered in two session.
A hitting, fielding and base running session will be from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. and cost is $30. The pitching and catching session will be from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. and cost is $20. Both sessions are $50.
Lunch will be served to participants that attend both sessions. The first 30 girls to pre-register will receive a free t-shirt. For more info or to register contact Chris Mason at (850) 698-3720 or cricket.mason@gmail.com. Registration forms also on www.nepball.com website. Walk-up registration will take place Saturday from 8-8:45 a.m.
Florida Vehicle Registration Fee Cut Cruises In Senate
October 10, 2013
The drive to remove about half the unpopular 2009 hike on vehicle-registration fees quickly got a green light in its first Senate committee Wednesday.
The Senate Transportation Committee wasted little time in unanimously backing the proposal (SB 156) by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, to provide an average $12 in savings for each vehicle registration.
“This bill is very simple,” Negron said.
The simplest part is that the bill doesn’t carry the baggage a similar measure had last session that led to its demise.
Rather than the Senate’s earlier plan to pay for the reduction by eliminating a tax break that has been enjoyed by the politically influential insurance industry since the 1980s, the revised proposal now takes the money from general revenue.
Florida Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson said that by not seeking to eliminate the insurance tax credit, which covered about 15 percent of salaries paid to Florida-based employees of insurers, the proposal is a lot more palatable to business.
“Forget that it was insurance, when you tell an entire industry that after you move your jobs here, you can’t use it after they’re all here, we didn’t think it was good policy to change the policy midstream,” Wilson said.
The tax credit has been estimated as providing the insurance industry with $3.34 billion is tax breaks since 1987.
Staff analysis of the bill projects the proposal as collectively saving motorists $182 million during the next budget year, growing to $239 million the following year and $244 million a year later.
Negron said he’s been advised the updated savings should be $233 million a year, starting next year, which is nearly half the $500 million that Gov. Rick Scott wants to reduce in taxes and fees during the 2014 session. The vehicle-registration fees were increased in 2009 to help close a budget shortfall.
“I’m confident that 2014 will be the year we can finally make this tax relief a reality for every Floridian who drives a car,” Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said in a release after the committee meeting. “And I’m hopeful this legislation will be the foundation of a 2014 tax relief package that will benefit hard-working Floridians across our state.”
The proposal still has stops planned in the Appropriations Committee, which Negron chairs, and the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
The House version (HB 61) has been assigned to the Finance and Tax Subcommittee, the Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee and the Appropriations Committee, but it has not been scheduled for consideration.
by The News Service of Florida