Dortch Road Bridge To Re-Open; Highway 164 Bridge Remains Closed
April 29, 2013
Work is wrapping up on one North Escambia bridge, while a second bridge is set to be closed for about another month.
Highway 164 from Velor Road to Pine Barren Road was closed to traffic March 1 after an inspection revealed structural deficiencies with a 55-year old bridge between Walnut Hill and McDavid. Work is continuing on the bridge, and it is expected to take about another 30 days to complete, depending on weather, according to Escambia County spokesman Bill Pearson.
The Dortch Road Bridge, located off Highway 4 west of Bratt, was closed in late February for repairs. Work is coming to a close on the bridge, and it is expected to re-open to traffic this week. The bridge was first constructed over Beaver Dam Creek in 1965.
Pictured top: This bridge on Highway 164 is expected to remain closed about another month. Pictured below: This bridge on Dortch Road is expected to open this week. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos, Smokies Washed Out – Again
April 29, 2013
As a result of two straight rainy days in Kodak, Tenn., Sunday’s doubleheader between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and the Tennessee Smokies has been postponed. One of the games will be lost on the two teams’ schedules because they do not play each other the rest of the season, but they will play a doubleheader on Monday beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT.
Both games will be seven inning contests. The pitching matchups for Monday’s games have not been announced at the time of the postponement.
After an off day on Tuesday, the Blue Wahoos return home to open a five-game series with Montgomery. Wednesday will be a Blue-Out in honor of the Blue Angels. All fans are encouraged to wear blue as a show of support for the Pensacola-based flight demonstration team.
Student SkillsUSA Competition To Have $3 Million Local Impact
April 29, 2013
Starting Monday, more than 3,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students and 2,500 high-school and college students from throughout the state will be displaying their technical talents and leadership abilities through competitions during the 2013 Florida SkillsUSA State Competition at the Pensacola Bay Center.
SkillsUSA is a national job readiness organization that assists high-school and college students who are preparing for careers in the trade, technical and health industry sectors. With more than 300,000 members nationwide, SkillsUSA serves as a partnership between students, teachers and industry leaders working together to ensure the United States has a skilled workforce.
The event is expect to have more than a $3 million impact on the local economy.
“The Florida SkillsUSA State Competition showcases some of our finest students from around the state,” said Pensacola Chamber President and CEO Jim Hizer, CCE, CEcD. “These talented students are the future of Florida’s workforce, and events like these help to prepare them to be successful in the key industries that will most impact our economy.”
Argos Win Pace Tournament
April 29, 2013
The 11-year old travel ball team the Argos took home first place in the recent Spring Slam in Pace. Pictured are the undefeated Argos (bottom, L-R) Cole Mullins, John Pinette, Nathan Brewton, Christian Munoz, Jacob Bryant, (top, L-R) Trevor Norton, Chase Barcus, TJ McCants, Cameron Bailey and Sam Shackle. Coaches are Mike Norton, Levy Bryant and Matt Faust, all of Cantonment. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
United Way Recognizes Campaign Contributors, Including Northview, Ransom
April 29, 2013
United Way of Escambia County is celebrating the results of this year’s annual workplace campaign, which raised $2,397,518 to impact those in need in the area.
“I never cease to be amazed at our community’s generosity,” says Andrea Krieger, United Way’s President/CEO. “Escambia residents who chose to live united will change the world for many of our community’s most vulnerable citizens.”
Two North Escambia schools — Northview High and Ransom Middle — were among those recognized for their successful United Way campaigns. Northview’s giving was up 52-percent over last year, while Ransom’s giving increased by 60-percent.
Last year’s campaign enabled United Way to partner with 35 agencies and nearly 2,000 volunteers to help serve more than 200,000 people. With increased donations, United Way hopes to serve even more this year.
For their contributions to the 2013 United Way workplace campaign, the following individuals and organizations were recognized:
CAMPAIGN COORDINATORS OF THE YEAR
Agency Division
Margaret Jerauld, Council on Aging
Small Business Division
Leslie Saam, McMahon Hadder Insurance
Education Division
Jennifer McSherdon, Virginia College
Financial Division
Cindy Fell, Hancock Bank
Government Division
Janine Clackley, City of Pensacola
Professional Division
Eric Krause, IMS ExpertServices
Retail Division
Nathan Pooley, Buffalo Rock
Health Care Division
Janet Speranzi-Cannon, Florida Blue
Corporation Division
Krista Ebbert, ExxonMobil
SCHOOL SPIRIT OF GIVING AWARDS
Elementary
Oakcrest Elementary
Middle
Ransom Middle School
High
Northview High School
Department
Professional Learning Department
Center
George Stone Technical Center
BUSINESS RECOGNITION BY COMPANY SIZE
1-39 Employees
Pensacola Shipyard Marine Complex
40-99 Employees
Hatch Mott MacDonald
100-399 Employees
United Parcel Service
400+ Employees
Gulf Power Company
Pictured top: (L-R) United Way Board Chair David Jones, Northview Assistant Principal Gerry Pippins, United Way President/CEO Andrea Krieger, and 2012-2013 Campaign Chair David Peaden. Pictured below: United Way Board Chair David Jones, Ransom Campaign Coordinator John Lowe , United Way President/CEO Andrea Krieger, and 2012-2013 Campaign Chair David Peaden. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Learn About Living With Snakes With Program In Century, Molino
April 29, 2013
Snakes are common animals in the North Escambia area, consuming pests that can be expensive for humans to manage while providing a service to home environments.
The Escambia Extension Service will hold a free program at three locations to discuss the natural history of snakes, to reduce the chance of a snake encounter and how to properly handle a potential snake encounter.
The programs will be held at:
- Agriculture Building on Highway 4, Century, on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
- Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A, Molino on Thursday at 6 p.m.
For more information, contact Rick O’Conner at (850) 475-5230.
Woman Charged With DUI Manslaughter After Deadly Crash On I-10
April 28, 2013
A Milton woman is behind bars, accused of DUI manslaughter in the death of a Pace man early Sunday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 25-year old Brianna Lynn Strum of Milton was charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI serious injury, DUI property damage, leaving the scene of a crash with death and leaving the scene of a crash with serious injury following the 3 a.m. wreck on I-10 near Scenic Highway.
Strum was traveling east on I-10 in a 2007 Honda Odyssey when she failed to see a 2013 Dodge Charger in front of her. She did not slow down or change lanes, but instead rear-ended the Dodge, causing it to enter the grass median and overturn several times, the FHP said.
A passenger in the Dodge Charger, 33-year old Robert Michael Hall Roy of Pace, was ejected and died from the injuries he received in the crash. The driver of the Charger, 30-year old Miguel Antonio Bonet of Whiting Field and front seat passenger Michael J. Edwards of Whiting Field, both received minor injuries. Another passenger, 24-year old Bernard Ulgalde of Milton, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition.
Strum was later arrested by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and transferred to the Escambia County Jail were she was being held on a $605,000 bond.
Pictured: One person died and three others were injured when this Dodge Charger was rear-ended by a woman now charged with DUI. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Operation Blister Pack: Another North Escambia Resident Arrested
April 28, 2013
Another North Escambia resident has been arrested in connection with Operation Blister Pack 2.
Steven Daniel Kite, age 35 of North Hwy. 99, Century, was charged with felony drug possession. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $15,000 bond.
At the time Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan announced the results of Operation Blister Pack 2 at a news conference last week, arrest warrants were still outstanding on about 20 people.
The operation targeted 76 individuals on methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine related charges. Many of those arrested were involved with drug groups dubbed “The Village Group”, centered around “The Village” area of Forrest Street and Lakeview Avenue in Cantonment; and “The Ayers Group”, a group centered around Ayers Street in Molino, according to the Sheriff’s Offfice.
For an earlier story about Operation Blister Pack 2, click here.
Job Fair To Be Held Monday
April 28, 2013
A World of Possibilities Job Fair will be held Monday from 2 until 6 p.m. at the Pensacola Bay Center.
This no-cost public event will take place on the third floor of the arena and will be accessible by Gate 2. Employers representing healthcare, communications, retail, education, transportation, manufacturing, hospitality, correctional, accounting and more will be on-site recruiting talented individuals. Attendees are advised to dress to impress and bring copies of their resume.
Employers scheduled to participate in the job fair include:
1. Florida Fish & Wildlife
2. Express Employment Professionals
3. Spectrum House, Inc.
4. Goldring Gulf Distributing
5. Clear Channel Broadcasting
6. Ingalls Shipbuilding
7. Workforce Escarosa
8. PSC Student Job Services
9. Pep Boys Auto
10. Pensacola State College HR
11. Aerotek
12. Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc.
13. Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
14. Landrum Staffing
15. Domino’s Pizza
16. Payroll Management, Inc.
17. Regions Bank
18. UTC Aerospace Systems
19. United Cerebral Palsy of NWFL
20. Maxim Healthcare Services
21. Camelot Academy
22. Lifeguard Ambulance Services
23. Buckle Stores
24. Lakeview Center, Inc.
25. University of West Florida HR
26. Kelly Services
27. Springhill Suites by Marriott Pensacola
28. Two Men and a Truck
29. Pensacola Metro Treatment Center
30. Global Business Solutions, Inc.
31. Mundy Companies
32. All Risk Insurance, Inc.
33. West Corporation
34. U.S. Navy Officer and Reserve Programs
35. GEO Group—Blackwater River Correctional
36. Mediacom Communications
37. Western & Southern Life
38. Coastal Nursecare of FL
39. Covenant Hospice
40. CEREX Advanced Fabrics, Inc.
41. AGS Installations
42. TLC Caregivers
43. Navy Federal Credit Union
44. Satellites Unlimited, Inc.
45. Gulf Power Company
46. Loomis
47. Waffle House
48. Tom Thumb Food Stores
49. Outokumpu
50. Escambia County
51. Cox Communications
52. Crossmark
53. Emerald Coast Utilities Authority
54. PSA Healthcare
55. West Florida Hospital
56. Priton, LLC
57. Enterprise Rent-A-Car
58. Verizon Wireless
59. American General Life & Accident
60. Kaiser Realty by Wyndham Vacation Rentals
61. H2 Performance Consulting
62. Burger King Restaurants
State Employees Getting A Raise
April 28, 2013
State employees would get a raise of at least $1,000 under a deal struck Saturday by House and Senate negotiators, as the final pieces of the state budget fell into place.
Under the plan agreed to by Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and House Appropriations Chairman Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, employees making up to $40,000 a year would receive a $1,400-a-year raise, though it wouldn’t kick in until Oct. 1. Employees earning more than $40,000 would see their annual salary boosted by $1,000, again beginning Oct. 1.
If signed by Gov. Rick Scott, the pay increase would be the first for state workers in six years. About 35 percent of state employees would also receive a $600 merit bonus.
“I think this is the best day for state employees in almost seven years,” said Doug Martin of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
How to boost compensation for state employees after state revenues were squeezed by the Great Recession has been one of the issues facing lawmakers for weeks. Scott proposed a larger performance-based bonus, but no raise; lawmakers wanted to come up with some way to increase pay and have a merit component.
“Certainly, we would like to have more, but that’s far better quite frankly than what we had anticipated,” said Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee.
The House and Senate also agreed to give state law enforcement officers an additional 3 percent pay raise, with those who have served for five or more years getting 2 percent on top of that. Lawmakers are trying to stem the tide of officers leaving agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol.
“We’ve had an issue, particularly with the FHP but with some other state law enforcement as well, where we spend a lot of money training the troopers, and then they get hired away by local government because they’re in high demand,” Negron said.
The leaders also agreed to pay $5 million to cancel a contract with Xerox to upgrade all of state government’s email systems to one unified platform — $2 million less than the state’s formal settlement with the company. The Senate agreed to a House proposal to take $5 million from state disaster funding to pay Xerox.
“We think that that’s a fair position and fair settlement, and I feel comfortable that will resolve the issue,” McKeel said.
The agreements essentially end a line-by-line examination of the budget spending items. But there is no agreement so far on the budgetary fine print that specifies how certain portions of that funding can be spent.
by The News Service of Florida