Almost 1600 Customers Lose Power In Cantonment
April 11, 2013
A large number of Gulf Power business and residential customers lost power in Cantonment Thursday morning due to a fallen tree.
The tree fell onto the line at 809 Highway 95A just after 8 a.m., causing 1,593 Gulf Power customers to lose power, according to Jeff Rogers, spokesman for Gulf Power. Repair crews were almost immediately dispatched to the area to make repairs.
The outage included Jim Allen Elementary School, and the power outage caused traffic problems due to non-function traffic signals at several intersections on Highway 29.
Two Injured In Hwy 95A Wreck That Trapped Driver
April 11, 2013
Two people were seriously injured in Wednesday night accident that left a man trapped in his vehicle for an extended period of time.
The accident happened about 9:10 p.m. on Highway 95A near Quintette Road. The Florida Highway Patrol said 52-year old Rex Hassell of Evergreen, AL, was northbound on Highway 95A in a 2005 Ford F150 when he attempted to pass another vehicle in a curve. James Tipton, 32, of Cantonment, swerved to onto the shoulder in an attempt to avoid a collision, but Hassell also swerved, causing the front of his pickup to collide with the side of Tipton’s truck on the shoulder.
Tipton was trapped for over 20 minutes as firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free him. He was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. His passenger, 8-year old Jamie Tipton of Cantonment, was taken to Sacred Heart with minor injuries.
Charges against pending in the crash, according to FHP.
The Cantonment, Molino and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: Two people were injured in this crash on Highway 95A near Quintette Road Wednesday night. Pictured inset: Firefighters use the Jaws of Life to free one driver from his vehicle. Pictured below: The accident scene. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bill Would Allow Escambia To Use School Construction Funds For New Buses
April 11, 2013
Escambia County and other school districts would be allowed to shift sales tax money voters have approved for school construction towards the purchase of new school buses, under a bill moving in the House.
The Finance and Tax Subcommittee backed a proposal on Wednesday that would allow school districts to use the School Capital Outlay Surtax, also known as the “school half-cent sales tax,” to purchase new buses. Currently, Escambia, Santa Rosa and 13 other districts use the voter approved sales tax that is expected to generate $351 million this school year.
Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, said the intent of his proposal is to have the new school buses run on alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas rather than the more expensive diesel. But the bill doesn’t specify the fuel requirement for the new buses.
There are 18,574 school buses in use by Florida’s public schools, of which nearly one-third are 11 years or older. An average 65-passenger bus cost $93,400 a year ago, according to a state staff analysis.
While the House effort must still go before the Appropriations Committee, the Senate companion bill) has yet to reach its first of three scheduled committee stops.
Escambia County currently has two major half-cent sales tax construction projects in the works — a new $16.5 million Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill and a newly rebuilt A.K. Suter Elementary in Pensacola for $21.5 million .
Ernest Ward Names March Students Of The Month
April 11, 2013
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for March. They are (left to right) Desmone Knight, 8th grade; Sierra Slay, 6th grade; Hannah Godwin, 7th grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
WXBM Auctions Beulahfest Autographed Guitar For Autism
April 11, 2013
A guitar signed by the major artists at last month’s Beulahfest was auctioned off Wednesday morning, netting $1,000 for local autistic children.
The guitar — signed by country stars Randy Houser, The Kentucky Headhunters, John Anderson and Confederate Railroad — was auction on 102.7 by morning shows hosts Marty White and Lindsey Marie. Within an hour, the wining bid was submitted by Allen Moore.
The autographs were obtained by Steve Grant, organizer of April Nicole’s Ride For Autism, with all of the proceeds set to be used locally.
“This money will buy aids such as iPads and apps for iPads to help autistic children communicate better, but they aren’t cheap. When Steve approached us, we were more than glad to help”, said White. “That’s what we have always done at WXBM. When there is a need, and there is always a need, we do what we can to help and our listeners always come through.”
The April Nichole Ride for Autism will begin at 9 a.m. this Saturday at Ollie’s Neighborhood Grill in Milton. For more info, call Steve Grant at (850) 324-0295.
Century Man Charged For Possessing Drugs That Led To Hwy 164 Shooting
April 11, 2013
A Century man is accused of tossing drugs out the window of a vehicle, leading to an incident in which shots were fired at a couple picking up cans along Highway 164.
Montaio Dearies Mitchell, 20, was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Mitchell had hydrocodone and over five grams of cocaine in a shaving kit bag. Deputies said Mitchell was driving east on Highway 164 on January 29 when he saw a marked police car turn around near the area of Pine Barren Creek and Highway 164. Mitchell accelerated and continued east on Highway 164 where he discarded the bag by throwing it out of the his vehicle’s window along Highway 164 near Pine Barren Road, according to an arrest report.
The deputy caught up with Mitchell and conducted a traffic stop on Century Boulevard and Brown Road, about fives miles away from where the bag was discovered.
Mitchell, according to an arrest report, later told deputies that he did posses the shaving kit bag and threw it out because it belonged to his cousin, Akino Jama Jackson. Mitchell said he did not know what was in the bag.
Jackson was charged with opening fire near an older couple on Highway 164 a few hours after the traffic stop involving Mitchell.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators said a husband and wife were picking up cans from the shoulder of Highway 164 on January 29 when a vehicle stopped and Jackson (pictured left) confronted the couple, reportedly demanding that they return his property — the drugs that were allegedly tossed at the location earlier in the day. Jackson then fired the rifle “into the ground several times in the vicinity of the victims” before fleeing in the vehicle, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. No one was struck by the gunfire, and there were no injuries.
The couple then drove about six miles to their home before calling for help. Deputies recovered multiple shell casings alongside Highway 164, consistent with the couple’s story. Jackson was positively identified by one of the victims.
Jackson was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, firing a weapon in public, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $30,000 bond.
Pictured top: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigator January 29 at the scene of a shots fired incident along Highway 164 near Pine Barren Road. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
New Peanut Processing Plant Coming To Flomaton
April 11, 2013
An Alabama peanut processor is set to expand with the construction of new processing plant near Flomaton.
The Brooks Peanut Company of Samson, Ala., will build the $6-7 million plant on Highway 113. The company, operating at Escambia Peanut, LLC, expects to hire under a half dozen full time employees for year-round jobs. But during peanut season, the plant is expected to operate 24/7 with over two dozen employees.
The regional peanut processing plant is expected to be operational in time for this year’s harvest.
The Brooks Peanut Company’s largest customer is M&M/Mars for the company’s peanut M&M’s. Brooks also sells peanuts for peanut butter to Smuckers and Conagra Foods.
Pictured: The Brook Peanut Company plant in Samson, Ala. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
BayBears Beat The Wahoos
April 11, 2013
The Mobile BayBears scored in four of their first five at-bats en route to a dominating 10-2 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Wednesday night at Hank Aaron Stadium.
Mobile roughed up Pensacola starter Josh Smith (0-2) for six runs in two innings. Five of the first six batters reached for the BayBears in the first inning with RBI’s coming from Jon Griffin and Brent Clevlen and another run scoring on an error. It was a similar script an inning later as, again, five of the first six reached and Mobile scored three more runs. Griffin and Clevlen provided RBI’s in the frame and ended up driving in a pair apiece.
The BayBears added a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to salt the game away. Eight of the nine starters for Mobile recorded at least one base knock in the 16-hit onslaught.
Pensacola’s two runs came on a fourth-inning two-run homer from Brodie Greene, his first of the season. Greene extended his hitting streak to nine games dating back to last season in the process.
The Wahoos had great chances to get back into the game in the third and fourth frames. In the third, Pensacola loaded the bases with two outs, but Travis Mattair grounded into a fielder’s choice. In the next inning, the Wahoos had the bags packed for Donald Lutz, but he struck out swinging to end the threat.
Alexis Lara (1-0) picked up the victory in relief of starter David Holmberg for Mobile. Lara entered in the fifth inning and retired all nine batters he faced. Holmberg was limited to four innings due to a high pitch count and gave up two runs on six hits, walking three and striking out a trio of Wahoos.
The series continues on Thursday with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch from Hank Aaron Stadium. Tim Crabbe (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will get the start for Pensacola against Mobile’s Zeke Spruill (0-1, 3.00).
Story by Kevin Burke
Pictured top: Brodie Greene extended his hitting streak to nine games with a fourth-inning home run. Christopher Nelson photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Soft Opening Held For New Airport Hyatt; Joint Project With Poarch Creeks
April 11, 2013
A soft opening was held Wednesday for a new Hyatt Place Hotel at the Pensacola International Airport, a partnership between the Poarch Creek Indians of Atmore and Innisfree Hotels.
Construction on the $24 million development started back in January 2012. The 127-room hotel is projected to generate over $420,000 annually in non-airline revenue for the airport through lease fees, and $100,000 in local option sales taxes for the City of Pensacola. It will also create over $4 million in payroll revenues through the addition of about 235 new jobs to the local economy.
The land for the development is being leased from the City of Pensacola.
Innisfree currently owns and operates six other full service hotels and resorts in the Gulf Coast region of Florida and Alabama as well as four focused service properties in the southeast United States. In addition to the Windcreek Casino in Atmore, the Poarch Creek Indians operate several other properties, including the Pensacola Dog Track and Poker Room.
Pictured: A soft opening was held Wednesday for a new Hyatt Place Hotel at the Pensacola International Airport. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Senate Approves Budget Unanimously As House Readies For Debate
April 11, 2013
The Senate unanimously approved a $74.3 billion spending plan for the coming fiscal year on Wednesday even as House Democrats signaled that their chamber could face a more divisive debate set to begin Thursday.
Senate leaders hoped the rare, 40-0 vote in favor of the upper chamber’s plan (SB 1500) would strengthen their hand in negotiations with the House over the final contours of the budget for the year that begins July 1.
“I do think that Chair Negron and his sub-chairs have strong hands in going into conference with the House of Representatives,” said Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. “They know that the entire Senate is behind them.”
The chamber also approved a number of conforming bills dealing with everything from education to health insurance for state employees, often by lopsided margins.
The basic outlines of the Senate proposal remained essentially the same, including the centerpiece: a $1.2 billion increase in spending for public education, including a 5.8 percent boost in per-student funding. That includes $480 million for teacher pay raises, though the upper chamber would require any increases in salary to be based on performance.
It would change health-care reimbursements for hospitals, give state employees a raise and save $2.9 billion in reserves as a recovering state economy still faces potential speed bumps.
Senators also approved a number of amendments taking care of local issues or other concerns for individual members.
One friction point emerged over pay increases for corrections officers, who were omitted from a list of law enforcement employees who would get a tiered pay increase. Supporters of the amendment urged the Senate to come up with the $30 million, but relented after Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and other leaders pledged to work on the issue in conference.
“Let’s find the money,” pleaded Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness.
The House is set to begin debate on its version of the budget (HB 5001) on Thursday, but that spending plan appears to face a rockier road. House Democrats said Wednesday that they would oppose the budget because it doesn’t include a plan for drawing down billions of dollars in Medicaid funding to expand health care for low-income Floridians.
House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, brushed away Republican arguments that votes on the budget shouldn’t be cast over differences in policy.
“The budget is a reflection of our policy. … All budgets are a function of your priorities. This is a priority for us,” Thurston said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, told The Tampa Bay Times-Miami Herald Tallahassee bureau that the House would detail an alternative to Medicaid expansion on Thursday. Corcoran, who chairs the House committee looking into the federal health care law wouldn’t elaborate, though.
Once the House does approve a budget, Negron said he hoped that negotiations would go relatively quickly. In recent years, legislative leaders have struggled to come to quick agreements on the framework for negotiations as they struggled with dwindling tax revenues.
This year, the state’s financial outlook is relatively strong, and lawmakers have extra money to spend.
“When I look at the two budgets side by side, these are issues that can easily be resolved with good faith discussion between the House and the Senate,” Negron said.
By The News Service of Florida