Election Day Live Blog
August 14, 2012
This is an archive of our Live Election Blog from today. No further updates will be posted to this story.
7:15 p.m. — Results posted here…
7:00 p.m. — Polls are now closed. Live Election Results Coming Up Soon on NorthEscambia.com!
5:20 p.m — Weather has become a factor in voting in North Escambia this afternoon with strong storms slowing the lines at the polls. We are now in what is typically the busiest two hours of voting of the afternoon on an election day. Candidates and supporters and continuing to stand outside polling locations making a last minute push, like sheriff candidate John Powell (pictured) at Precinct 110 at Pensacola Christian College. (Do you have photos to share? Email them to news@northescambia.com.)
4:35 p.m. – Special weather statement issued for strong storms moving into Escambia County. Polls remain open until 7 p.m.
4:05 p.m. — Strong storms are developing north and west of Escambia County around Atmore and Mobile. The storms are moving toward the east; if they hold together expect rain at the polls. But you can beat the rain, and the late after rush, by heading out now.
3:15 p.m. — Don’t forget that a photo and signature ID is required for all voters – if you do not present an approved form of ID, you may vote a provisional ballot. A driver’s license is safe bet. Many precincts still reporting a light turnout so far.
2:00 p.m. – Five hours until the polls close at 7:00. Things usually get busy after about 4:30. Candidates and supporters are out waving signs at polling places, like Ernest Ward student Mitchell Singleton (pictured top) showing his support for District Escambia County Commission candidate Jim Taylor at the precinct at Barrineau Park Community Center.
1:25 p.m. – A quick lunch…the number of voters increased during the lunch hour at many precincts in District 5. That’s a usual occurrence on election day as people vote during their lunch break or when they are back with their spouse around lunch. Voter turnout around the area is still being reported as low to moderate. Surprising, considering that we are voting on a commissioner and sheriff. Those offices usually bring people out to the polls.
12:10 p.m. — Turnout is reported to be generally light around the area…easy in, easy out at most precincts. Still have an absentee ballot that you did not cast? You can return it unvoted to your precinct, have it cancelled and vote there. If it’s a voted ballot, it can’t be returned at the precinct…it must be returned to the Elections Office downtown by 7 p.m.
11:35 a.m. — Coming up on the llunch hour. Voting usually picks up during this time . No major problems reported at any of the area precincts. A few showers reported in the Gonzalez and East Nine Mile Road area.
11:00 a.m. — In Escambia County, 6,685 voters had already cast their ballot before today. More than 1 million primary votes were cast in early voting or turned in by absentee ballots this year across Florida, state officials said Tuesday as Election Day primary voting got underway. The total is up 350,000 over 2008, despite five fewer days of early voting. With just one statewide race on the ballot – the U.S. Senate seat – turnout was expected to be low across the state, as it typically is in primaries. The primary in 2010 drew 22 percent of voters and 2008 brought out just 18 percent.
10:35 a.m. — Don’t forget NorthEscambia.com is the place to be tonight to get all of the election results from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. As soon as the results are in after 7 p.m., they will be posted here on NorthEscambia.com. This is the place to be tonight for all the election results.
9:15 a.m. – Big races on the District 5 ballot — county commissioner, sheriff and more — are not translating to big turnout in the North Escambia area, according to reports from a few precincts with no line, no waiting.
8:45 a.m. – Don’t forget…your voting precinct and polling place may have changed (especially for folks in the 9 Mile Road area due to redistricting!). Check her sample ballot, voter info car, EscambiaVotes.com or call (850) 595-3900 to make sure you head to the right place to vote.
8:05 a.m. — Turnout was reported to be slow but steady at polling locations in North Escambia during the first hour of voting. Today is not just a Republican primary. All registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, are eligible to vote in certain contests on the ballot, while other contests are restricted to voters in a specific political party or district — check your sample ballot to view the contests in which you can vote.
7:25 a.m. – The polls are open in Florida until 7 p.m. tonight. There is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms by this afternoon. Get out and vote this morning if you want to avoid the possibility of rain later.
First Train, $6.5 Million In Crude Oil Rolls Into Walnut Hill Transfer Station
August 14, 2012
Monday afternoon, a train loaded with about $6.5 million worth of crude oil rolled into a new crude oil transfer station in Walnut Hill, the largest such facility in the United States.
Genesis Rail Systems, LLC has complete phase one of the facility on 20 acres that fronts Corley Road near Arthur Brown Road. The property was chosen because it is at the intersection of an existing crude oil pipeline and the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway. From the location, crude will flow primarily to a Shell facility near Saraland, Ala., and potentially to other refineries along the Gulf Coast.
By about 2:00 Monday afternoon, final adjustments were underway on the facility in anticipation of the first train — and 69,000 barrels of oil in 104 tanker cars. As the arrival time neared, workers stood around with excitement.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“I hear the train a comin’, It’s rollin’ ’round the bend.” -one worker sang those lines from a classic 1955 Johnny Cash song out loud as he waited. Then a quick cheer erupted when the locomotive horn blasted as the BNSF train approached the nearby Arthur Brown Road crossing.
It will take about 15 employees 36 hours to unload the first train. Tanker cars are positioned on two side tracks over 3,700 feet of 16-inch underground pipe. The area is covered with a thick liner to catch any spill. During the process, flexible pipes are first hooked to tanker cars, and then a pumping system offloads the crude.
A crude oil pipeline from Jay rises to the surface at the facility. The flow from oilfields in the Jay area is cut, and the crude from the Walnut Hill train is injected into the pipeline.
The process is simple enough, but it is controlled by a sophisticated computer system that monitors the operation and allows for an instant stop in the event of any problem.
Presently, the facility can inject 2,500 barrels per hour into the pipeline. That capacity will increase to about 5,000 barrels — almost a half million dollars worth — of crude oil per hour by January 2013 once a 100,000 barrel storage tank is completed.
“It’s a very safe process,” Terminal Manager Travis Baggett said Monday afternoon. “There are a lot of safety checks in place.”
Workers are required to wear fire suits and hydrogen sulfide alarms. Small amounts of hydrogen sulfide — a colorless and very poisonous gas — occur natural in crude oil and could be released from a tanker car. But any such release would be very small and would quickly dissipate into the atmosphere and pose no danger to those around the Walnut Hill Transfer Station, Baggett said.
Those around the plant will not be bother by noise or even light pollution as the facility runs 24/7. The offload process is almost silent from outside the facility, Baggett said. The pumps can’t be heard from outside the transfer station, but residents might here “little popping noises” from the springs on the rail tanker cars as crude oil is removed and the cars rise. At night, a modern LED lighting system ensure that bright lights won’t disturb neighboring homes.
The crude oil offloaded in Walnut Hill begins its four-day rail journey in North Dakota. The facility will eventually receive about one train of up to 118 tanker cars per day.
Back in June, an estimated 800 people stood in line for hours at the Walnut Hill Community Center in hopes of being hired for the oil transfer station. About 15 were hired, with the payroll expected to increase to about 30 people. The positions pay from $16 to $20 per hour.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Workers watch as the first train load of crude oil arrives at a new transfer station in Walnut Hill Monday afternoon. Pictured top inset: The facility can process up to 118 tanker cars at a time. Pictured middle inset: Individual offload stations. The taller white pipes are used to bleed off any air in the system. Pictured bottom inset: The system is computer controlled. Pictured below: Pumps that offload crude oil from a train before it is injected into a pipeline. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Busting Through Window, Attacking Sleeping Man
August 14, 2012
A Walnut Hill man was arrested after allegedly breaking into a home near Bratt and attacking a sleeping man.
Dalton Justice, 22, was charged with felony burglary with assault and battery and criminal mischief property damage. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $50,500 bond.
About 3:30 a.m., Justice allegedly busted an outside window on a home in the 4000 block of Rigby Road. He entered the house and attacked a man sleeping in the room, an arrest report states. Justice had left the residence by the time Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived.
The victim had physical injuries but refused medical treatment. The victim told deputies that he is currently dating Justice’s former girlfriend, and he believed that to be the reason for the attack.
Escambia County Could Regulate Chickens, Farm Animals
August 14, 2012
The morning crow of a rooster could one day be a thing of the past in some parts of Escambia County.
Monday, Escambia County commissioners discussed the potential of an ordinance that would regulate chickens and other farm animals in some residential areas, including “dairy animals”, poultry, and livestock such as cattle, goats,horses, sheep,and swine.
“Would a rooster trip the noise ordinance machine,” Commissioner Wilson Robertson jokingly asked during a commission meeting.
“It would depend, I think, on how close to the property line he’s standing,” Lloyd Kerr, director of county planning and zoning, replied.
Commissioners decided to not change the county’s animal ordinance for at least six to 12 months to see how a new ordinance in the city of Pensacola works.
Pensacola’s new ordinance requires coops, pens or enclosures with provisions for free range animals. Farm animals are not allowed with 30 feet of an adjacent dwelling, church, hospital, school, public building or park. The ordinance prohibits all roosters or more than eight chickens at a single residence.
Any farm animal ordinance would not likely not apply in agricultural and other rural zones.
Scott Appears With Romney At Florida Rally
August 14, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott joined Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at a campaign stop Monday morning in St. Augustine. While he continued to talk up Florida’s economy, he said his job would be easier if Romney were in the White House.
“We cannot afford another four years of Barack Obama, his policies have failed us,” Scott said in introducing Romney. “Our economy nationally is struggling … here in Florida, even though we have a president that is making it much, much more difficult to do well, in Florida our econ is getting better. Our unemployment has dropped faster than any state but one in the past 18 months, 127,000 private sector jobs. Just think if we had a president … and a vice president that knew that you build business, government doesn’t build businesses. Think what this state could do then, if we had the right president.”
Romney’s newly announced running mate Paul Ryan made his first solo campaign appearance at the Iowa State Fair.
“President Obama has given us four years of trillion dollar – plus deficits,” said Ryan. “He is making matters worse, and he is spending our children into a diminished future. We don’t have to stand for that; we’re not going to stand for that. And on November 6, we’re going to change that.”
President Barack Obama also campaigned in Iowa Monday, taking a jab at Ryan.
“Governor Romney’s new running mate, Paul Ryan, might be around Iowa the next few days,” said President Obama. “He is one of the leaders of Congress standing in the way. So if you happen to see Congressman Ryan, tell him how important this farm bill is to Iowa and our rural communities. We have got to put politics aside when it comes to doing the right thing for rural America and for Iowa.”
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Gas Prices Take Huge Leap
August 14, 2012
Gas prices have shot up about 33 cents during the last month in the North Escambia area. In the Pensacola metro, the average stood at $3.52 Monday, up from $3.19 one month ago. The increase is being blamed partially on the partial loss of production at a refinery in California.
Pictured: A recent gas deliver at a station in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Candidate Responds To Claim That He Failed To Pay Property Taxes
August 14, 2012
A District 5 Escambia County Commission candidate says that claims he has not paid his property taxes from last year are true, but the non-payment was just an oversight.
In a published newspaper ad on Sunday, District 5 Commission candidate Jim Taylor claimed that one of his opponents, candidate Sam Archer, did not pay his property taxes.
The Escambia County Tax Collector’s Office confirmed Monday that Archer has not paid 2011 taxes on seven properties, including his primary residence, and has not paid a 2011 tangible personal property tax bill. The taxes, fees and interest total $8,128.46.
“I did not realize that until today,” Archer said Monday evening. ” I have a CPA that takes care of that, or my wife takes care of that. Evidently in the hustle and bustle of campaigning every day, I overlooked that they had not been paid. I’ve been out there all day, every day on the campaign.”
“I probably have not written a check for taxes in over a decade; someone else like the CPA takes care of that. But the taxes will be paid.”
Archer said that he has refrained from attacking other candidates in the District 5 commission race, avoiding “mud slinging”. He said he was happy to respond to the claims about his taxes.
Tax certificates were sold on seven properties owned by Archer, according to the Escambia County Tax Collector Office.
“An investor or bidder buys the tax certificate so the county gets paid,” Tax Collector Janet Holly said. “A tax certificate in Florida is a vehicle that allows the taxing authority to get their money.” Additional fees and interest are added to the late tax account to be paid by the property owner when their property tax is paid, allowing the certificate owner to make a small profit. The property owner has a period of two years from the date the tax became delinquent to redeem the tax certificate.
Alabama Man Arrested For Shooting Outside Cantonment Grocery Store
August 13, 2012
A Robertsdale man has been arrested in connection with a shooting in the parking lot of the Grocery Advantage on Highway 29 in Cantonment Sunday evening.
Coy Carter, 33, remains jailed without bond. Deputies say he met his estranged wife in the parking lot to return his children to their mother. During the exchange, a fight broke out between Carter and victim Robert Slay. Slay is currently dating Carter’s estranged wife, according to Deputy Matt Baxter, spokesman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Carter was also transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained during the fight. Deputies said he was not shot.
After being released from the hospital, Carter was arrested and charged with battery, aggravated battery, discharge firearm in public, and child abuse without great harm (domestic violence).
Pictured: One man was shot in the parking lot of the Grocery Advantage in Cantonment just before 6 p.m. Sunday. The photo at top and immediately below were taken just minutes after the shooting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Faces Sexual Battery Charge After Massage Session In A Barn
August 13, 2012
A Century man has been charged with sexual assault for alleged improper conduct while performing a massage on a female in his barn.
William Haynes Gandy, age 68 of Gandyville Road, was charged with sexual battery 12 years of age or older with special conditions, according to an arrest report. The victim was a legal age adult at the time of the alleged incident, according to Deputy Matt Baxter, spokesman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Gandy was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
The victim told deputies that she met Gandy about a year ago because “he is a well known certified massage therapist”, and she had gone through massage therapy school and was told Gandy might be able to help her find a job. The victim later stopped pursuing a job, but Gandy did give her a few free massages associated with her pregnancy, the arrest report states.
After giving birth to her child, the victim told deputies that she began to ignore Gandy’s phone calls until he told her to come over, bring her resume and get a free massage and “see what he could do about getting her a job”, the report states.
The victim said Gandy took her to a barn outside his home where he keeps his massage table and equipment. She was partially unclothed and covered by a sheet, the report states, when Gandy began to touch her inappropriately and against her will.
The victim told deputies that when she tried to leave the barn, Gandy held the door shut with his hands and would not let her exit until she accepted his apology.
Gandy told deputies that he is a registered massage therapist and tries to help out friends by giving them free massages to relieve stress. Gandy, according to the arrest report, stated that he did invite the victim over to give her a free massage to relieve stress and possibly help her find a job. He told deputies that the victim did ask him to stop when he was appropriately massaging her inner thigh, and she left. Gandy stated that he did not know exactly why she was upset.
Gandy told deputies that at no time did he inappropriately touch the victim.
Over 11,000 Vote Early In Escambia, Santa Rosa Counties
August 13, 2012
Primary election day may not be until Tuesday, but over 11,000 Escambia and Santa Rosa County voters have already cast their ballot.
During the eight-day early voting period that ended Saturday, 6,685 voters cast their ballots in Escambia County, while over 5,000 took advantage of early voting in Santa Rosa County.
The busiest early voting day in Escambia County was Saturday, when 1,313 headed to one of four early voting locations.
Here’s a breakdown of early votes cast in Escambia County:
