Highway 89 South Of Jay To Be Resurfaced
June 1, 2012
A major resurfacing project is getting underway in northern Santa Rosa County.
A 7.5 mile stretch of Highway 89 from the Jay town limits to County Road 178 (Spanish Trail) will be resurfaced. Weather permitting, the project is expected to last about eight months. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained at all times, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Crews from APAC-Mid-South will be placing construction signs to alert motorists of upcoming work and erosion control measures to prepare the work area.
The total project, which includes resurfacing, drainage improvements and the construction of paved shoulders, will cost $3.2 million.
Driver Slams Into Utility Pole, Slides Into Northview High Holding Pond Fence
June 1, 2012
A driver escaped serious injury Thursday evening after slamming into a utility pole and nearly sliding into a holding pond at Northview High School.
The accident happened on West Highway 4 at the school about 6:45 p.m. First responders where leaving the school after a completing a medical call when a firefighter noticed a tire flying through the air. That prompted first responders to look for and find the accident.
The female driver was westbound on Highway 4 when she apparently lost control of her pickup, slammed into a utility pole and rotated multiple times as the truck slid down a steep embankment. The truck came to rest against a fence surrounding a holding pond at Northview High School.
The woman was not seriously injured and refused transport to the hospital.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details have not been released. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the crash.
Pictured: A woman lost control while driving on Highway 4, hit a utility pole and slid into a holding pond fence at Northview High School Thursday evening. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cottage Food Business: Want To Make And Sell Homemade Foods?
June 1, 2012
Escambia County Extension will host a “Starting a Successful Cottage Food Business” program for those that wish to sell food made in their homes.
This program will cover Florida’s new cottage food regulations, marketing, sanitation and time for a question and answer session with staff.
Cottage foods by definition are foods made in the home for resale that do not require refrigeration. These include but are not limited to jams, jellies, preserves, honey, cakes and pies.
The program will be held at the Escambia County Extension office via conference call on Monday, June 4 at 6 p.m. The $5 cost of the program will cover materials and handouts. Pre-registration is required, contact Fran Lainhart at (850) 457-5230 or via email at lainhaf@ufl.edu to register.
Subway High School All-Star Fans Donate 1,200 Pounds Of Food
June 1, 2012
The 2011-12 Subway High School All-Star Series Presented by the Andrews Institute was more than just playing sports, recognizing tremendous athletes, and having fun; it was about helping a great cause and helping feed the hungry. Over the five all-star events – volleyball, football, soccer, basketball, and baseball and softball – fans attending the games donated more than 1,200 pounds of food at the gate to be given to the Manna Food Pantry.
Fans were encouraged to bring canned good items and non-perishable foods to the games to receive a discount off the ticket price. After each all-star game, the Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) delivered the food to the Manna Food Pantry located in downtown Pensacola.
Manna Food Pantry distributes their food in bundles big enough to feed a person for five days. The 1,200 pounds of food is equivalent to feeding up to 40 people for five days.
“The PSA’s slogan is ‘Sports…More Than Just a Game!’,” said PSA’s Executive Director Ray Palmer. “We are proud of the Subway High School All-Star Series, its fans, parents, and supporters to help us further promote our mission and help other organizations and people who are in need.”
The 2012-13 Subway High School All-Star Series will begin in November, 2012 with the all-star volleyball game. Dates and venues of all the all-star events will be announced in the coming weeks.
Despite $3,000 Reward, No Arrests In 2011 Cow Strangulation Case
June 1, 2012
One year later, there have been no arrests in what was called a surprising case of animal cruelty — the dragging and strangulation death of a pregnant cow in Enon on Memorial Day 2011 — despite reward money totaling $3,000.
The owner of the pet Jersey cow found the animal dead in a pasture just behind his house on Highway 97A as he checked on his animals. Thin twine — often called grass string – had been tied several times around the cow’s neck and had apparently strangled the animal as it was dragged through the pasture. The cow was found on its side, with its head upside down and its horns pushed several inches into the dirt.
Authorities suspect the death could have resulted from a prank gone wrong since school was about to end and the cow’s owner was a school bus driver.
“Viciously killing a pregnant cow for an apparent prank is an inexcusably cruel crime and anyone who would do that can be capable of hurting people, too,” said Jennifer Hobgood, Florida state director for The Humane Society of the United States. “We hope our reward helps bring justice in this horrible case.”
The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the cow’s death. The Junior Humane Society is now offering an additional $500 reward.
For more photos, click here. (Warning: Some readers may find the photos disturbing.)
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Frank Way at (850) 256-6196.
Pictured: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene investigator photographs a pregnant cow that was apparently strangled to death in Enon. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo, click to enlarge.
Suspect Sought In Nine Mile Road Tom Thumb Robbery
June 1, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying the man that robbed a Nine Mile Road convenience store.
The white male entered the Tom Thumb at 1405 East Nine Mile Road about 6:22 last Sunday morning. He went to the restroom, then waited in line behind another customer. After the other customer left the store, the suspect produced a handgun and demanded money from the clerk.
The man then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.
Anyone with information on the armed robbery is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP (7867) or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Photos courtesy Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECUA Gets New Natural Gas Garbage Trucks, ESP To Build Fueling Stations
June 1, 2012
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority has taken delivery of the first of 50 new compressed natural gas refuse collection vehicles, and Thursday, Energy Services of Pensacola broke ground on the first of three fast-fill CNG fueling stations.
“Today, as we break ground on this visionary project, we enter a new era for the City of Pensacola, Energy Services of Pensacola, and the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “The natural gas vehicles operated by the city and ECUA will cost less to fuel and maintain, and in this era of tight budgets, every dollar we can save counts.”
ECUA projects an annual savings of about $350,000 in maintenance costs and $900,00 in annual fuel costs. ECUA plans to convert an additional 10-15 vehicles in its water and wastewater fleet during the first year of the agreement, with additional vehicles converted over the next eight years as part of normal vehicle replacement schedules.
Instead of one large 80- gallon diesel tank on each sanitation truck, the new CNG trucks have three 25-gallon compressed natural gas tanks. The tanks are stacked between the cab and body or on the top of the body depending on the type of collection vehicle.
The 50 sanitation trucks will cost ECUA $12,029,000, or an average of $240,580 per truck. ECUA expects a $20,000 per truck fuel savings per year over and 8-10 year lifespan for the vehicles.
“ECUA customers will see a direct benefit. Currently the ECUA bills include a fuel surcharge that is based on the price of diesel fuel. At present market cost, the surcharge is $1.45 per month to a full rate customer. Because the price of CNG is appreciably less than diesel fuel, we expect our customers will realize an immediate savings through a reduced fuel surcharge once the switch to CNG has been implemented,” said Randy Rudd, ECUA director of Shared Services.
The new ECUA fast-fill station on ECUA property near Pine Forest Road is expected to be operational by September. Under the terms of the agreement, ECUA will pay ESP a monthly transportation charge as well as an indexed price per diesel gallon equivalent of CNG fuel used by ECUA vehicles. ESP will operate and maintain the station, which eventually will be open to the public and third-party fleets.
Pictured top: Patrick Zeiter and Winston Silvia of Zeit Energy, ESP Director Don Suarez, Mayor Ashton Hayward, and ECUA Board members Elizabeth Campbell and Larry Walker break ground for a fast-fill CNG station on ECUA property just off Pine Forest Road Thursday afternoon. Pictured top inset: Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward speaks Thursday afternoon during a CNG station groundbreaking. Pictured bottom inset: Three CNG tanks behind the cab of new ECUA waste collection vehicle. Pictured below: A new CNG powered ECUA refuse truck. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos At Jackson Generals Postponed Due To Rain
June 1, 2012
Thursday’s game between the Blue Wahoos and Jackson Generals has been postponed due to rain. The two teams will close out their five-game series with a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 5:05 p.m.
Both games will be seven-inning contests. The second game will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. The pitching matchups for each game have not yet been determined.
The Blue Wahoos will return home following the game to begin their five-game series with the Jacksonville Suns, the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
Man Charged With Fathering 13-Year Old’s Child
May 31, 2012
A Molino man is free on bond this morning after being charged with fathering a child with a 13-year old girl.
Michael Lee King, 26, was charged with three felonies — sexual battery, lewd and lascivious battery, and child abuse. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
According to an arrest report, King first had non-consensual sex in 2010 with the girl when she was 12 years old. Their sexual encounters continued for over a year, she told investigators, until King was arrested on unrelated charges in August.
At age 13, the girl became pregnant, giving birth at age 14, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office obtained a voluntary DNA sample from the 14-year old girl and baby, and obtained a search warrant for a DNA sample from King. According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab report, there was a 99.99 percent probability that King was the father of the child.
King did not provide deputies with a statement prior to his arrest, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.
At the time of his arrest, King listed his address as a trailer park on Barth Road in Molino. He previously resided on Highway 164 in McDavid, according to jail records. The abuse incidents occurred in McDavid, according to the arrest report.
USDA Closure Of Molino Farm Office May Hurt School Groups
May 31, 2012
When the USDA dropped the ax Wednesday and announced the closure of the Molino Farm Services Agency, they may have indirectly created a great hardship for area groups that provide programs for children.
The federal government rents the Molino FSA Office location on Highway 97 in Molino from the Escambia County Farm Bureau for about $16,000 per year.
Walnut Hill agricultural producer Brett Ward, speaking on behalf of the Farm Bureau Board, told state FSA directors in February that the it’s no secret at the Farm Bureau wants to keep the $16,000 in annual rent flowing. He said the money is returned to the community each year through a variety of community organizations — most dealing with children — like the Northview and Ernest Ward FFA chapters, the Escambia County Extension Service for children’s projects, the Molino Park PTA and Bratt Elementary School.
For more on the closure of the Molino FSA Office, click here.
Pictured: Walnut Hill agricultural producer Brett Ward. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.