Gov. Rick Scott Goes To Work As Park Ranger
July 20, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott spent his 11th “Let’s Get to Work” day working as a park ranger at Hillsborough River State Park Thursday.
His workday started about 7:30 a.m. on landscape maintenance and an archeological dig. Park staff routinely conducts archeological digs when new signs or structures are needed to ensure no cultural resources are damaged in the process.
Scott continued his workday by opening the ranger station and greeting visitors. Later, he checked on campers, ensuring guest safety by monitoring the pool area and working with a concessionaire to serve food and rent equipment to park visitors.
In the afternoon, Governor Scott conducted a tour for park guests of the Fort Foster Historic Site with park rangers. Fort Foster is the only standing replica of a Second Seminole War Fort in the United States. Then, acting as the Chief of Piece, Governor Scott participated in a cannon firing demonstration, giving the command to fire the cannon and assisted with guest safety measures.
“Florida State Parks offer residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy our beautiful surroundings, and our dedicated park employees keep our guests returning year after year,” said Governor Scott. “A healthy environment makes for a healthy economy, and I thank the Florida Park Service for their diligent work to protect and preserve our natural environment while providing excellent opportunities for people to get out and enjoy it.”
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Five Year Plan Includes Millions In North Escambia Road, Bridge Projects
July 19, 2012
A five-year transportation improvement plan includes several new bridge and shoulder widening projects in the North Escambia area.
A recently released Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization report identifies the projects to be completed, project phasing, estimated costs and funding sources. Inclusion in the report does not guarantee that a project will be funded.
North Escambia area projects included in the five-year plan include:
BRIDGES
- County Road 97A, replace bridge over Boggy Creek, 2014/15, $5.2 million.
- Brickyard Road, replace bridge over unnamed branch, 2013/14, $1.98 million.
- Fannie Road, replace bridge, 2013/14, $3 million.
- County Road 97A, replace bridge over west fork of Boggy Creek, 2012/13, $2.3 million.
- South Pineville Road, replace bridge over Brushy Breek, 2013/14, $2.5 million.
- Highway 97, replace bridge over Little Pine Barren Creek, 2014/15, $3.5 million
- Beck’s Lake Road, replace bridge over unnamed branch, 2014/15, $2.1 million
- County Road 99, replace bridge over Pine Barren Creek, 2016/17, $6 million
- Dortch Road, replace bridge over Beaver Dam Creek, 2016/17, $2 million
- County Road 99A, replace bridge over Boggy Creek, 2016/17, $3.3 million
- Sandy Hollow Road, replace bridge over Sandy Hollow Creek, 2016/17, $3 million
ROADWAYS
- Highway 29, right of way for future capacity from I-10 to 9 Mile, 2016/17, $66.4 million
- Crabbtree Church Road, pave shoulders, 2014/15, $1.4 million
- South County Road 99, safety study from Barrineau Park Rd to Hwy 97, 2014/15, $302,500
- South County Road 99, pave shoulders from Barrineau Park Rd to Hwy 97, 2014/15, $5 million
- Jacks Branch Road, pave shoulders from Muscogee to Barrineau Park, 2013/14, $2.6 million
The Florida-Alabama TPO also has a local government “wish list” of project requests during the five year period that includes paved shoulders on County Road 4 from Highway 97 to the Century town limits, a multi-use trail along six miles of Highway 29 in Molino, and paved shoulders on portions of the following: North Highway 99, Arthur Brown Road, Highway 4A, Molino Road, Highway 164, Quintette Road, Barrineau Park Road, Highway 4A, Highway 97A, Pine Barren Road and Cox Road.
The Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization was created by the governors in Alabama and Florida to oversee the transportation planning process in the Florida-Alabama TPO Planning Area.
Pictured top: The Little Pine Barren Creek Bridge on Highway 97 is tentatively set for replacement in fiscal year 2014-2015. Pictured inset: The bridge was constructed in 1941. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Convicted In Traffic Death Case
July 19, 2012
A Cantonment man was convicted Wednesday of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death.
Jacob Thomas Gaulden, age 26 of Turnberry Road, will be sentenced Friday for the December 19, 2010, accident that led to the death of 22-year old Christopher James Holland of Pensacola. Holland was found in the 4300 block of Hollywood Avenue in the early morning hours. He was transported to Baptist Hospital were he later died.
Holland was a passenger in pickup drive by Gaulden on Hollywood Avenue. Holland tried to exit the truck as Gaulden drove off. The two got into a fight, the passenger door opened and Holland fell out of the moving vehicle.
Gaulden, driving the red pickup involved in the incident, was spotted by Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies a few days later near the Walmart on Highway 29 in Ensley. Witnesses said the red truck driven by Gaulden headed north on Old Palafox with another vehicle in pursuit. The chase headed north, crossed onto Highway 29 and ended when deputies stopped the truck on West Roberts Road near Pine Forest Road.
Pictured above: The scene shortly after a December 2010 traffic stop on West Roberts Road near Pine Forest Road that ended with the arrest of Jacob Thomas Gaulden. The red truck in the photo involved in a traffic death just a few days prior to the traffic stop. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Economists: Drop In Unemployment Due To Workers Giving Up Job Search
July 19, 2012
State economists on Tuesday cast a cloud over Florida’s sunny economy recovery picture as they released data showing that nearly 70 percent of the drop in the state’s unemployment rate since December has been due to discouraged workers.
The Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research estimated that Florida’s unemployment rate of 8.6 percent would be 9.5 percent if workers who have stopped looking for jobs were added to the picture.
The rate would still be lower than the 9.9 percent posted in December.
The figures provide some analytical backup to anecdotal information that much of the state and national recovery is due to a smaller labor force and not to job growth.
Florida releases its June unemployment rate on Friday.
By The News Service Florida
Teen Gets Prison For Robbery Outside Walmart
July 19, 2012
An Escambia County teen has been sentenced to state prison for two robberies, including one outside of a Walmart.
Damarius Dewayne Jordan was sentenced by Judge Frank Bell to 20 years state prison, followed by two years community control, to be followed by 10 years probation.
On June 14, Jordan pleaded no contest to burglary of a conveyance while armed with a dangerous weapon and robbery with a weapon. Jordan was 15 years old on the date of the offenses and 16 on the date of sentencing. According to the State Attorney’s Office, he demonstrated an escalating pattern of criminal behavior and had just been released from Department of Juvenile Justice commitment only one and a half months before these offenses.
Jordan, together with his two co-defendants, attempted to rob a Walmart customer as she waited in her car for her friend to exit the store. The defendants were interrupted by another patron attempting to park and fled the parking lot.
They ran a short distance to a residential area and robbed a man getting out of his car. They also made the man get in the trunk of his car and proceeded to beat him. In both cases, Jordan was armed with a handheld pellet gun that looks like a real firearm without an orange tip.
Co-defendant Tracy Newell was previously sentenced as a youthful offender to six years in a state prison with a boot camp recommendation. He had no prior record or arrests and was 16 years old on the date of offense.
Co-defendant Luther Harris is set for sentencing on August 21. He was 18 on the day of the robberies.
Argos 10U Team Wins Nations Elite World Series
July 19, 2012
The Argos, a local 10U travel baseball team, recently won the Nations Elite World Series at NEP ballpark in Pensacola.
The Argo came back from a No. 4 seed to bring home the championship. Due to weather delays, the Argos played and won five straight games on Saturday.
In the championship game, Trevor Norton pitched a no hitter as the Argos outlasted the FB Bulls from Sugar Land, TX, 8-0. From the Argos, John Pinette was named Offensive MVP.
Pictured: The Argos (front, L-R) Trevor Norton, Nathan Brewton, Hunter Smith, John Pinette, Christian Munoz, (middle) Cameron Bailey, Sam Shackle, TJ McCants, Chase Barcus, Jacob Bryant, Cole Mullins, and (top) coaches Torianno McCants, Mike Norton, Levy Bryant and Tim Mullins. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Man Busted Trying To Sell Stolen Copper Wire
July 19, 2012
A man has been arrested in Escambia County, Fla., for trying to sell copper allegedly stolen from ThyssenKrupp near Mobile.
Charles Edward Hawkes, age 33 of Atmore, was charged with felony dealing in stolen property. He was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $7,500 bond.
Hawkes allegedly tried to sell a large amount of industrial grade copper wiring to Wise Recycling on Hope Drive. Employees of the recycling company called the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to verify that the wire was not stolen; they said that industrial grade copper wiring must be sold to them only a licensed electrician.
Hawkes told deputies he was employed by Labor Finders at a Piedmont Mechanical job site at ThyssenKrupp. He said the wiring was scrap that was left for anyone take. A Piedmont Mechanical superintendent verified that Hawkes worked on the job site, but he told deputies that no permission was given to take the wiring. A ThyssenKrupp employee also told deputies that the wiring was not free for the taking.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office will investigate the actual wiring theft that occurred in their county.
South Alabama Old Time Fiddler’s Convention Is Saturday
July 19, 2012
The 32nd annual South Alabama Old Time Fiddler’s Convention will be held Saturday in Atmore.
Registration will be held from 10 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., with no registration fee.
The competition categories are fiddlers, vocal groups (including a cappella), bands, dobro, banjo, guitar and mandolin. Prizes in the Fiddler’s category are $1,000 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third. All other categories have prizes of $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third place.
Admission to the event beginning at 2 p.m. at Escambia County High School is $9, with children under 12 free.
Proceeds from Fiddler’s Convention funds the Atmore Rotary Academic All Star Scholarship program that awards students at Northview High, Escambia High and Escambia Academy that maintain all A’s and B’s all four years.
For a printable flyer with rules and registration information, click here.
For more information, contact Keith Castleberry at (251) 368-2106 or the Atmore Chamber of Commerce at (251) 368-3305.
Flomaton Opens New Canoe Launch
July 19, 2012
The Town of Flomaton has recently completed a new canoe launch on Big Escambia Creek. The entrance is located at the end of the guardrail on Highway 31west of the creek, across from Church’s Chicken.
Big Escambia Creek flows south into Florida and the Escambia River at Century.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Logo, Brand: Welcome To Pensacola, The Upside Of Florida
July 19, 2012
Welcome to the “Upside of Florida”.
Where’s that you say?
It’s the City of Five Flags in the Panhandle — you know, Pensacola.
For many, many years Pensacola was the City of Five Flags due to the five national governments that have been in charge at one time or another: Spain, France, Britain, the Confederacy and the United States.
But Wednesday, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward introduced a new logo and the catchphrase “Pensacola: The Upside of Florida”. There’s a new logo too, with the “O” in Pensacola replace by what is described as an emerald wave.
So what’s the “Upside”? That, apparently, is the new buzzword for “Panhandle”.
“I don’t like that word: the ‘panhandle,’” Hayward told “Ricks Blog“. “You know, we are the ‘upside’ of Florida.”
The new logo will be pasted on the upside, and the backside, of water towers, city vehicles, signs, websites and more.
The logo and branding were developed by the Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee.