Three Dead After Atmore Wreck
September 5, 2011
Three people died in an early morning accident Monday in Atmore.
The accident happened just after 2 a.m. on Brookwood Road in Atmore. Authorities said 25-year old Jeremy D. McNeil of Atmore, lost control when he struck railroad tracks just east of the Huddle House restaurant at a high rate of speed. The Pontaic G6 left the roadway and traveled over 100 feet before hitting two trees.
Two passengers, 17-year old Ricky Herrera of Bay Minette and 14-year old Coby James Smith of Atmore, were pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger in the vehicle, 18-year old Leonardo Cuenca, Jr. of Atmore, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in critical condition.
Atmore Police said Cuenca was the only occupant wearing a seat belt.
Further details on the crash were not available; it remains under investigation by the Atmore Police Department and Alabama State Troopers.
Arrest Warrant Issued For Missing Boater; Still No Sign Of Lee Kent
September 5, 2011
An arrest warrant has been issued for former Jay resident Alonzo Lee Kent, who went missing following a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico about a week ago. So far, there’s been no sign of Kent, but his boat was found Friday offshore from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
The stalking warrant for Kent’s arrest was signed last Tuesday by an Escambia County judge, the same day the U.S. Coast Guard ended a three-day search for him and his 32-foot Boston Whaler in the Gulf.
Pensacola Police said a 40-year old woman, whose name has not been released, reported that Kent had repeatedly stalked and harassed her for months. The woman claimed he called her over four dozen times, yelled obscenities while banging on her door and sat outside her home for four hours drinking beer.
According to Escambia County Clerk of Courts records, a temporary restraining order was issued against Kent after being filed by a Pensacola woman on August 26.
Kent’s The Monkey Bar II was located near Chuburna, a small town on the Yucatan Peninsula. There was no one aboard the Boston Whaler, according to the Progreso Hoy newspaper website.
The boat was floating with the keys in the console but no one aboard, according to fisherman Yam Chan who found the boat. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed late Friday night that the Monkey Bar II was being held by Mexican authorities pending an investigation.
The newspaper reported that pirates from the Cuban-American mafia sometimes use boats to smuggle undocumented Cubans onto the Yucatan Peninsula.
About 8:30 a.m. on August 28, family reported 41-year old Kent, now a resident of Gulf Breeze, missing after he did not return from a fishing trip south of Pensacola Pass. The Coast Guard called off their search for Kent on Tuesday after searching an area larger than Maryland.
Pictured: The Monkey Bar II, the fishing boat belonging to a former Jay resident missing since a fish trip last week, was found in Chuburna, Mexico. Photo courtesy Progreso Hoy for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Offers New Mobile And Online Outage Reporting Tool
September 5, 2011
Gulf Power customers have a new tool called “Power Out” to report power outages.
Click on the light bulb on the left-hand side of gulfpower.com to report the power out at your home or scan a QR Code pictured on this page with your smartphone for a mobile outage tool that lets you report an outage or check the status of an outage. And, if you want to report a street light out in your neighborhood, you can locate the light that is out on an interactive map and click on it to report the outage.
“Computers and smartphones are changing the way everyone does business, so we saw this as an opportunity to use technology to offer a service to our customers,” Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesman, said. “The ‘Power Out?’ button gives you a one-click way to report or check on an outage, whether for your home, a street light or while you’re out on the go.”
Photos: Our Readers At Work
September 5, 2011
On Labor Day we asked our readers to share photos of themselves, their jobs and their coworkers.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Angela Barron (left), ward clerk; Patricia Reynolds delivers the mail; Keri Bishop, RN; and Dr. Jonah McIntyre at work at the Atmore Nursing Care Center. Pictured left: Escambia County School District bus drivers Barbara Hollingsworth and Vicki Godwin at Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured below: John Jackson of Century at work for CSX Transportation last week in Falls Cut, Pennsylvania. Pictured page bottom: The “office” of Scott Nelson of Bratt, who works heavy civil FDOT road and bridge construction in Tampa. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Learn To Grow A Fall Garden
September 5, 2011
Fall gardening season will soon be here, and Escambia County Extension is offering an educational session to help homeowners grow a productive fall garden. Participants will learn the steps on soil preparation, plant selection and proper harvesting to enjoy a variety of vegetables to supplement their table.
The program will be held on Saturday, September 17, from 9-11 a.m. at the Escambia County Extension Office, 3740 Stefani Road, in Cantonment. The program is $5 per person; Preregistration is required by calling (850) 475-5230 or emailing colethia@ufl.edu. The program is limited to 60 participants.
Labor Day: 24,000 In North Escambia Area Out Of Work
September 5, 2011
On Labor Day, the latest unemployment data showed that 24,094 people are out of work in our three county area — a decrease of over 1,000 since last year.
In Escambia County (Fla.), the latest employment data for shows 10.5 percent of the workforce unemployed, steady from the previous month. That translates to 14,833 unemployed in the county.
In Santa Rosa County, the unemployment rate was at 10.2 percent, up from 9.7 percent the month prior. That equals 7,481 unemployed persons.
In Escambia County (Ala.), 11.9 percent of workers were out of a job, down from 12 the month before. There were 1,780 unemployed in the county.
Pictured top: This graphic shows the unemployment rate over the last 10 years in the three county North Escambia area. Click to enlarge.
School Board Approves North Escambia School Personnel Changes
September 5, 2011
The Escambia County School Board has approved numerous North Escambia teacher and staff transfers, resignations, and rehires at their last regular meeting.
The school board took action on the following teachers and staff at schools across North Escambia:
Instructional/Professional Appointments
- Francisco Alvarez-Pena, Northview High, teacher
- Sherry Howard, Tate High, teacher
- Cynthia R. Murphy, teacher, Tate High,
- Morgan Soutullo, teacher, Tate High
- Jean S. Wiggins, teacher, Tate High
Instructional/Professional Reappointments
- Patricia B. Clements, Jim Allen Elementary
- Rhoda C. Greenwell, Jim Allen Elementary
- Sharon M. Kite, Bratt Elementary
- Kirstin K. Metcalf, Jim Allen Elementary
- Kate O. Sapp, Molino Park Elementary
- Kelsey L. Womack, Ernest Ward Middle
Instructional/Professional Transfers
- Tammy L. Calloway, Bratt Elementary to Northview High
- Ann B. Copenhaver, Ransom Middle to staff development
- Megan D. Driver, Brentwood Elementary to Molino Park Elementary
- Blake G. Garcia, Tate High to Pensacola High
Instructional/Professional Resignations/Retirements/Other
- Francis R. Gindl, Jr., Ernest Ward Middle, teacher
- Joalex Mercado-Diaz, Northview High, teacher
- Heather M. Salon, Jim Allen Elementary, teacher
Instructional/Professional Leaves of Absence
- Maleesa M. Redish, Jim Allen Elementary, teacher
- Mary G. Vickory, Tate High, guidance counselor
Administrative Transfer
- Steven T. Harrell from Ransom Middle dean to specialist, workforce education
Educational Support Personnel Appointments
- Silvia Martines, Tate High, custodial worker
Educational Support Personnel Resignations/Retirements/Other
- Deloise S. Stanton, Tate High, food services assistant
Educational Support Personnel Leave of Absence
- Tamara G. Godwin, Bratt Elementary, food services assistant
Photos: Tropical Storm Lee Pounds Pensacola Beach
September 4, 2011
Tropical Storm Lee pounded Pensacola Beach over the weekend with heavy surf and high winds.
For a photo gallery from Pensacola Beach on Saturday, click here.
Pictured top: Heavy waves pound powered by Tropical Storm Lee pound Pensacola Beach Saturday. Pictured below: A surfer catches a wave. Submitted photos by Amanda Kindley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Northwest Escambia Opens 2011 Football Season
September 4, 2011
Northwest Escambia’s Mini-Mites, Mites and Midgets open their 2011 season Saturday in Walnut Hill against Milton Black. Next Saturday, NWE will travel to Myrtle Grove, with the Mites playing at 11 a.m. and the Midgets at 2 p.m.
For a photo gallery from Saturday’s NWE Mini-Mite game, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Inside Escambia County’s Command Center On Wheels
September 4, 2011
If a major tropical storms or other disaster hits Escambia County, or even during a large event like a Blue Angels air show, Escambia County’s Office of Emergency Management has a mobile communications trailer ready to roll into action.
The emergency command center consists of a Freightliner tractor and 48-foot trailer outfitted to handle an emergency communications. Powered by a 20 KW diesel generator, the trailer has a complete radio system, cellular phone, conventional landline and fax system as well as computer network.
“We can run any scene from this trailer,” John Dosh, Escambia’s emergency management manager said. “It is completely self contained.”
The garage-kept trailer is designed to be deployed to a disaster or emergency, or large scale scene to coordinate communications between fire, EMS, law enforcement and other agencies. It is also used at events like the Blue Angels air show. At events such as the Blue Angels, the trailer is equipped with a 30-foot pneumatic mast with a camera system to allow operators to monitor a crowd.
The trailer has 320 square feet of climate control work space, including a conference room (pictured left), communications center and restroom. The trailer, Dosh said, was used one in emergency situation in North Escambia — after a February 2008 tornado touchdown in Molino.
Pictured top and bottom: Escambia County’s emergency command center. Pictured top inset: Emergency Management Manager John Dosh operates the command center’s video system from a computer control. Pictured bottom inset: The trailer’s conference room. NorthEcambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
