Yet Another Wreck Involving A School Bus In North Escambia Area
September 15, 2011
There was yet another wreck involving a school bus in the North Escambia area on Wednesday. None of the accidents have been the fault of the bus driver, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The FHP says 18-year old Alexander Groshong of Pensacola caused the accident on Kingsfield Road at North Palafox about 3:15 p.m. A 2000 Ford Mustang driven by Andrew Prevatte, 16, and a 2004 school bus driven by Marilyn Brooks, 63, of Cantonment were stopped at a railroad crossing when Groshong slammed into the rear of the Mustang, pushing it into the school bus.
There were eight passengers on schools bus. None of the persons involved in the wreck were injured.
Groshong was charged with careless driving, according to the FHP.
There have been three other wrecks involving schools buses this school year in North Escambia:
On September 12, a 16-year old was charged after pulling into the path of a bus near Northview High School. On September 2, an Atmore man was charged after sideswiping a bus on South Highway 99 near Walnut Hill. And the night of September 8, a driver suffering a medical condition slammed into an empty bus parked at a private residence on Highway 4 in Bratt.
Read more and see photos:
Driver Charged After Walnut Hill School Bus Wreck
One Injured After Slamming Into Parked School Bus
No Injuries In Morning School Bus Wreck
Pictured: One person was injured after sideswiping this bus on Highway 99 near Walnut Hill on September 2. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
School Bus Driver Finds Toddler Wandering Alone In Highway
September 14, 2011
An Escambia County School District bus driver found a two-year old child wandering alone in the middle of a highway this morning in Walnut Hill. The child was not harmed.
Bus driver Tonia Allen found the child “on the yellow line” near the intersection of South Highway 99 and Morgan Road about 8:20 a.m.
“She was there in the middle road with two dogs,” Allen said. “I said to myself, ‘Oh my God, that’s a baby’.”
Allen alerted the school district’s bus dispatch and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. She kept the child on the bus until deputies arrived, and they determined that the toddler had wandered out of a residence in the 1500 block of South Highway 99 — which is where she was found.
Allen said she sounded the bus horn multiple times in an attempt to get the attention of the people inside the house with no response.
“Anything could have happened in that highway,” she said. “I was scared. I just have a heart for babies.”
After law enforcement knocked at the door of the residence about an hour later, the mother retrieved the child from the bus and said she did not know how her front door became unlocked.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has referred the case to the Department of Children and Families for investigation.
Pictured top: Bus driver Tonia Allen found this little girl wandering alone in South Highway 99 near Walnut Hill Wednesday morning. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Indicted On First Degree Murder Charge
September 14, 2011
An Escambia County man has been indicted in connection with an August murder.
A grand jury returned a first degree indictment charging 18-year old Sergio Depree Moorer with first degree murder for the death of John Daniel Hall. Hall was found on August 21 in a wooded area near the Marcus Pointe apartment complex. Last seen alive the day before, Hall had been beaten and burned beyond recognition.
Hall’s vehicle was located four days later by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in the Oakstead Mobile Home Park on Massachusetts Avenue. Moorer was inside the vehicle and fled on foot as deputies arrived. After a short foot chase, he was taken into custody.
Moorer remains jailed without bond and is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on Thursday.
Lambert Bridge Road Closed; New Weight Limit For Hanks Road Bridge
September 14, 2011
A bridge on Lambert Bridge Road near Walnut Hill will be closed today, and the weight limit on a bridge on Hanks Road in Bratt has been dramatically decreased.
For more about the state of wooden bridges in Escambia County, click here.
Lambert Bridge Road
The bridge on Lambert Bridge Road near Walnut Hill will be closed beginning today from Velor Road to North Pine Barren Road.
“An inspection today revealed decay in two of the supporting piles with a third pile showing evidence of advanced decay,” Sonya Daniel, public information officer for Escambia County, said Monday.
The detour is Highway 164 and North Pine Barren Road. Bridge closure signs will be placed at Lambert Bridge Road and Velor Road, and barricades will be placed at the bridge. Repairs make take up to six weeks to complete.
The bridge on Lambert Bridge Road over Little Pine Barren Creek was constructed in 1968.
Hanks Road
The Hanks Road bridge over Breastworks Creek had a posted weight limit of 20 tons about a week ago; now that weight limit is just three tons, preventing most traffic except for passenger cars and trucks from passing over it. Due to the weight limit, the bridge is now off limits to many vehicles, including school buses, fire trucks and farm equipment.
“At the last inspection, it is was determined that the weight limit be lowered and it will be inspected again in six months,” said Daniel. “It is ’safe’ at this weight limit. We are working on a timetable so repairs can be made and it can return to the original weight limits.”
Daniel said additional signage will be posted on Hanks Road to warn of the weight restricted bridge before drivers approach the structure.
The Hanks Road bridge, located just west of North Pine Barren Road, was constructed in 1968. The average daily traffic on the bridge, according to the Florida Department of Transportation, is 80 vehicles per day. The last inspection on the bridge prior to this month was September 22, 2010.
Pictured top: The bridge on Lambert Bridge Road will be closed up to six weeks for repair. Pictured inset: The weight limit on this bridge on Hanks Road was lowered from 20 to just 3 tons. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
In Depth: Most North Escambia Bridges Are Wooden; 50 Need Replacing
September 14, 2011
Think the days of wooden bridges are long gone? Think again. Odds are if you travel an Escambia County road, you will travel over a bridge that has wooden supports under the concrete or asphalt that you see.
Many of Escambia County’s 128 bridges have wooden structures and/or wooden supports, and many are 50 to 70 years old. Eleven are classified as “structurally deficient” and seven are classified as “functionally obsolete”, according to a 2010 report.
Related: Escambia closes Lambert Bridge Road bridge, reduces weight limit on Hanks Road bridge. Read more…
Escambia County says it would take $96.6 million to replace 103 of those bridges — including 50 bridges in North Escambia — within the next 10 years.
The number one bridge on the county’s 2010 wooden substructure bridge priority list is on Fannie Road at Dead Lake, just outside Century. Built in 1960, the 121 foot bridge has a 10 ton weight limit. The estimated price tag to replace the bridge is $1.48 million.
Bridges like the one on Fannie Road are not dangerous, according to county officials, but they are aging and in need of replacement before they become dangerous. While drivers see asphalt on the surface of the bridge, what they don’t see is the wood structure underneath.
Most of Escambia County’s bridges — all but 13 — are inspected at least every two years by the Florida Department of Transportation. The other 13, all bridges less than 20 feet wide, are inspected by a contractor hired by the county.
Other North Escambia wooden substructure bridges that are considered structurally deficient, with date of construction and replacement cost, are:
- Beck’s Lake Road across an unnamed branch, 1968, $640,000
- Pineville Road at Long Hollow Creek, 1968, $610,000
- Tungoil Road at McDavid Creek 1969, $860,000
- Lambert Bridge Road at Pine Barren Creek, 1967, $2.24 million
- Brickyard Road at an unnamed branch, 1960, $640,000
- Bet Raines Road at Jack’s Branch, 1967, $610,000
- Occie Phillips Road at Brushy Creek, 1968, $1 million
The county needs a total of $11.8 million to replace the bridges classified as structurally deficient and an additional $7.3 million to replace the ones that are classified as being functionally obsolete.
Other North Escambia wooden substructure bridges on the county’s priority replacement wish list, with date of construction and replacement cost, are:
- Highway 99A at Boggy Creek, 1969, $770,000
- Highway 97A at Boggy Creek, 1968, $1.48 million
- Highway 164 at Pine Barren Creek, 1958, $2.01 million
- Highway 99A at Little Pine Barren Creek, 1970, $1 million
- Highway 168 at an unnamed branch, 1968, $610,000
- Highway 168 at Reedy Creek, 1968,$730,000
- Highway 168 at Hobbs Branch, 1965, $1 million
- Nokomis Road at Brushy Creek, 1967, $1.33 million
- Molino Road at Alligator Creek, 1959, $860,000
- Schagg Road at Jack’s Branch, 1965, $890,000
- Molino Road at Penasula Creek, 1958, $610,000
- Gibson Road at Alligator Creek, 1959, $1.02 million
- Rigby Road at Beaver Creek Road, 1965, $1 million
- Chestnut Road at unnamed branch, 1967, $740,0000
- Pineville Road at Reedy Branch, 1964, $620,000
- Pine Barren Road at unnamed branch, 1964, $730,000
- McKenzie Road, 1961, $620,000
- Hanks Road at Breastworks Creek, 1968, $730,000
- Highway 99A at Freeman Springs Branch, 1968, $610,000
- Schagg Road at branch of Jack’s Branch, 1965, $620,000
- Sandy Hollow Road at Sandy Hollow Creek, 1959, $730,000
- Sunshine Hill Road at unnamed branch, unknown age, $470,000
- Stacy Road at unnamed branch, unknown age, $490,000
- Pine Top Lane at unnamed branch, unknown age, $480,000
- Chestnut Road at unnamed branch, unknown age, $480,000
- Breastworks Road at Hall’s Branch, unknown age, $490,000
Fourteen of 16 concrete or steel bridges and culverts classified as “priority two” for replacement, are in North Escambia:
- Highway 4 at Alligator Creek, 1949, $1.6 million
- Highway 196 at Jack’s Branch, 1949, $1.35 million
- Highway 4 at Canoe Creek, 1942, $2.59 million
- Highway 99 at Pine Barren Creek, 1955, $2.34 million
- Highway 196 at Penasula Creek, 1949, $1.5 million
- Highway 4 at Reedy Creek, 1942, $1.38 million
- Highway 99 at McDavid Creek, 1951, $2.1 million
- Highway 99 at Little Pine Barren Creek, 1955, $2.1 million
- County Road 4 at Beaver Creek Dam, 1940, $840,000
- Quintette Road at unnamed ditch, 1956, $580,000
- Greenland Road at Pine Barren Creek, 1955, $620,000
- Molino Road at Dry Creek, 1959, $780,000
- Highway 196 at unnamed branch, 1959, $550,000
- Highway 4 at Little Pine Creek, 1942, $640,000
There are additional concrete or steel bridges and culverts in North Escambia on a “priority three” replacement list, including:
- County Road 97 at Jack’s Branch, 1960, $1.96 million
- Highway 196 at Cowdevil Creek, 1961, $680,000
- Highway 168 at unnamed branch, 1967, $980,000
Pictured top and inset: The Highway 4 bridge at Canoe Creek was constructed in 1942. Replacing the bridge would cost the county an estimated $2.59 million. Pictured below: The wood structure of the bridge on Lambert Bridge Road near Walnut Hill. Replacing the bridge would cost an estimated $2.24 million. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Resident Critical After I-10 Crash
September 14, 2011
A rush hour accident involving a Cantonment resident shut down I-10 in Pensacola Tuesday afternoon
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 19-year old Tyrel Dice of Cantonment was eastbound on I-10 about 2.5 miles from the Alabama state line. At about 5:35 p.m., he traveled into the median for an unknown reason, over-corrected and flipped his 1998 Ford Explorer.
Dice was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where he was listed in critical condition.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Blackman Running For Troy Trojans
September 14, 2011
Robin Blackman, a 2011 Jay High graduate, is continuing her running career at Troy University.
During her first two meets for Troy, Blackman has scored first. Last weekend, she competed in the Auburn Invitational held at Auburn University and finished fourth for the Trojans. She also ran number five for the Trojans at the Troy Invitational and places 29th among a field of 58.
The Trojans will travel this next Saturday to compete at Georgia State University.
Pictured: Robin Blackman of Jay runs for the Troy University Trojans. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Income Down, Poverty Up
September 14, 2011
After getting slammed by the economic recession, Floridians are grappling with lower incomes and a higher poverty rate, according to a U.S. Census report released Tuesday.
Florida had a median household income of $44,243 in 2010, down from $45,631 a year earlier. The drop is even greater when the 2009 figures are adjusted to reflect the effects of inflation.
The report also said Florida had a two-year average poverty rate of 15.3 percent when calculated for 2009 and 2010. That compares with a 12.8 percent rate for 2007 and 2008.
Florida also continued to have one of the highest uninsured rates in the country, with 24.6 percent of people under age 65 lacking health coverage and 20.8 percent for the entire population. Those percentages were lower than in 2009, though the Census Bureau changed the way it calculated health-insurance figures.
Along with the high uninsured rate, Florida also had a lower median household income and a higher poverty rate than the overall country. As examples, the national median household income in 2010 was $49,445, and the uninsured rate for the total population was 16.3 percent.
By The News Service Florida
Escambia County Approves Fire Tax Increase
September 14, 2011
The Escambia County Commission gave final approval Tuesday night to higher fire fees. Without the increase, North Escambia fire stations might have lost all paid firefighters that currently staff three stations during the weekdays.
The commission vote was 3-2, with commissioners Kevin White and Wilson Robertson voting against the increase.
The Municipal Services Benefit Unit will increase on property tax bills by $5 per year for the next two years for county residents outside Pensacola and Santa Rosa Island. That will increase the current $75 fee to $80 for 2011 tax assessments and $85 for 2012. The commercial fee will rise from $.034 per square foot to $.037 per square foot, with a minimum of $80 for 2011 and up to $.040 per square foot with a minimum of $85 for 2012.
In 2009, the county hired 12 paid firefighters under a federal SAFER –Staffing Adequate Fire and Emergency Response- grant. The grant provided funding that decreases each year to fund the firefighter positions — $441,990 the first year, $385,413 the second, $245,701 the third and $150,369 for the fourth year. In the final year, 2014, Escambia County must fully fund $631,503 for the dozen firefighters.
The fee increase — an estimated $1.34 million over two years — will be used to replace the SAFER funds and maintain the current level of fire services.
According to a presentation to the commission in June by Escambia Fire Chief Daniel Spillman, a failure to adopt the fire fee increase would lead to the elimination of paid weekday firefighters that staff four stations — Century, Molino, Cantonment and Myrtle Grove. If that happened, North Escambia’s fire stations would have relied solely upon volunteers with no paid firefighters.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Missing Child, Father Found
September 14, 2011
An Endangered Child Alert has been canceled for a missing Tennessee teen abducted by her father. Authorities said Tuesday night that Leeann Weaver could be in danger and that the pair could be headed to Atmore.
Both were located in Tenneseee Wednesday.
The alert was issued for 13-year old Leeann Weaver was found in Tennessee with her 61-year-old father, Lee Weaver.
Weaver assaulted Leeann’s mother and fled with the child. Authorities first said they believed they could be headed to the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation in Atmore.