Frontier Internet Fails Again; Company Plans Big Fix
September 2, 2011
Officials with Frontier Communications said late Thursday that they are taking steps to prevent hundreds of North Escambia area residents from losing their internet service for hours at a time.
During the summer, Frontier high speed DSL and dialup internet customers in Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino and Atmore have lost their internet connection for as long as 12 hours at a time. The company has experienced at least six major outages since June, including an almost eight hour period on Thursday.
The company said most of the outages were not their fault, blaming the downtime on AT&T, which provides Frontier’s internet connections. Karen Miller, spokesperson for Frontier, said Thursday’s outage was the result of an AT&T fiber line cut near Bay Minette, interrupting the connection between Atmore and Atlanta.
“We have no control over that AT&T cable,” Miller said. “It’s not our fiber; it’s not our network.”
All of the Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino and Atmore DSL and dialup services provided by Frontier are connected to the rest of the internet by a single fiber optic line between Atmore and Atlanta. When that line goes down, there is currently no backup, Miller said.
But she said Frontier is working to install a second independent route to the internet from Atmore, preventing a single fiber cut like happened Thursday from cutting the North Escambia area off from the internet.
“We are close to finishing an engineering study to get a second route to get traffic from Atmore to Atlanta,” Miller said. “It won’t be that long before it happens.”
Once that second connection is installed, Miller said, it will provide a backup to keep internet traffic flowing from the area.
Kidnapping Suspect Gets 35 Years
September 2, 2011
An Escambia County man received 35 years in prison for kidnapping a woman.
Curtis Sanders Brown was sentenced by Judge W. Joel Boles to 30 years in state prison for kidnapping to inflict bodily harm upon or to terrorize the victim and five years for felony battery. Each sentence is consecutive to the other for a total sentence of 35 years in state prison, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins.
On July 25, 2009, the victim was at a closed business when Brown forced her into his vehicle and took her almost to the Alabama line before she jumped out of the vehicle. Two witnesses observed her jump out of the vehicle and called for law enforcement and medical assistance.
Jay Man Misses Appointment To Fish And Wildlife Commission
September 2, 2011
A Jay businessman hoping for a seat on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has missed out; Gov. Rick Scott appointed a Tallahassee man to the post Thursday.
Jack Floyd, a 42-year old Jay native, began to lobby for a seat on the FWC after Commissioner Rodney Barreto of Miami announced that he was not seeking re-appointment.
Scott announced Thursday that he did not choose Floyd for the non-compensated position, instead naming Charles “Chuck” Roberts to the FWC.
Roberts, 58, of Tallahassee, has been the president of C.W. Roberts Contracting Inc. since 1976. He succeeds Barreto and was appointed for a term beginning September 1, 2011, and ending August 1, 2016.
Roberts served on the governing board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District from 1989 to 2001. He also was director of the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association for 20 years and chairman from 1996 to 1997, as well as the director of the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida for 10 years. He was appointed to serve on the Liberty County School Board for one year in 1978.
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Pictured: Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott (left) appointed Charles “Chuck” Roberts (left) to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Photo for NorthEcscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Our View: Honor A Bratt Hero, LCpl. Travis Nelson, By Renaming Park
September 2, 2011
NorthEscambia.com is calling on our communities and the Escambia County Commission to step up and honor LCpl. Travis Nelson, the little boy from Bratt that dreamed of becoming a Marine.
LCpl. Nelson lived his dream, making it from Highway 4 in Bratt to the front lines in Afghanistan where he lost his life at just 19 to defend the freedom of his family, friends and all Americans back home. He was the first service member from the Bratt or Walnut Hill area killed in action since 1969.
His parents, Beckie and Scott Nelson, have established a scholarship fund that will benefit local young men and women that are in the ROTC at Northview or Pace high school, or in the Young Marines of Pensacola. We call upon you to do your part to ensure the success of this scholarship program. Make your donation today, whether it be a handful of change or a fistful of dollars that can make a difference in a local student’s future. Click here to read more about the scholarship and how to donate.
The Nelson family is also asking Escambia County permission to place a monument at the Bratt Community Park on Highway 4, just two doors down from where Travis Nelson grew up. While we are sure that Escambia County will approve the request, we are asking for more.
Since it was completed over a year ago, there has never been a formal dedication or even naming of the Bratt Community Park, other than a sign erected by the county.
NorthEscambia.com is calling upon the Escambia County Commission to officially dedicate the park as “The Travis M. Nelson Bratt Community Park” in honor of our local hero. It’s a fitting way to honor the Marine from Bratt who went to his grave fighting for his country. It’s also a fitting example to the young people of our communities that a little boy (or girl) from Bratt can follow their dreams, no matter where it takes them, and make a real difference in the lives of Americans everywhere.
Pictured: Parents Scott and Beckie Nelson of Bratt remember their son, Marine LCpl. Travis Nelson, shortly after learning that he had been killed in action in Afghanistan. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Restoring Power In Maryland
September 2, 2011
A Gulf Power storm restoration team of 65 employees is now working in the Baltimore area, helping restore power lost in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. The team is now helping Baltimore Gas & Electric, which had more than 700,000 customers without power at the height of the storm. Pepco released the Gulf Power crews after power was restored in its territory near Washington, D.C. The storm team drove to Baltimore to begin work today. Gulf Power has 48 line personnel and 17 support staff members working in the area. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Set To Approve New Code Enforcement Agreement With Century
September 1, 2011
Escambia County is expected to approve an amended agreement allowing for expanded code enforcement operations in Century — an amendment that the town says will allow them to shut down a business operating illegally in a residential neighborhood.
Century’s current interlocal agreement with Escambia County enacted in 2009 does not allow for enforcement of zoning issues. Under the new agreement, county code enforcement will enforce zoning issues at Century’s expense. Nuisance violation enforcement will continue at no cost to Century, covered by a Community Development Block Grant.
We have a severe zoning issue in the town,” Century Mayor McCall said at a recent town council meeting. “You’ve got one house that is in the residential area that has junk piled up. He’s running a business…in a residential place.”
George W. Philyaw says what he does behind his privacy fence at 120 front street is recycling, while the town says he is operating a junkyard on property that is zoned residential. Over a year ago, the Century Town Council cited regulations against “spot zoning” and denied Philyaw’s request to rezone the property for a recycling business.
At issue with 120 Front Street, according to the town, is whether or not Philyaw is operating a business on property that is zoned residential — not if the alleged business is a junkyard or recycling operation February of this year, the town council instructed Mayor Freddie McCall to contact Escambia County’s Code Enforcement and seek a cease and desist order against Philyaw and the alleged business he operates.
But Sandra Slay, director of Escambia County Code Enforcement, said at that time that the current interlocal agreement between Century and Escambia County does not allow for the enforcement of issues like zoning, solid waste violations and stormwater.
The new agreement with Escambia County does not change any of the laws on the books, McCall said; it just gives Escambia County Code Enforcement the right to enforce the current laws.
McCall makes no secret that Philyaw is the current target of the town’s new interlocal agreement with Escambia County, but he said the agreement would allow the town to use code enforcement to pursue any future zoning violators.
“That is the only issue we have at this time,” McCall said.
The Escambia County Commission will consider the amended code enforcement with Century at their regular September 1 meeting. To read the amended agreement, click here.
Court Tosses Life Sentence For Bratt Child Molester
September 1, 2011
A state appeals court has tossed out a life sentence handed down to a 73-year old Bratt man convicted of molesting a five-year old North Escambia girl.
Jody Posey received the life sentence in early 2010 from Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Williams after being convicted by an Escambia County jury on charges of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12.
The Florida First District Court of Appeals found that the life sentence handed down by Judge Williams was improper and sent the case back to Escambia County Circuit Court for resentencing before a different judge. In quashing the life sentence, the District Court of Appeals found it violated the precedent set forth by another case in which the judge erred by appearing to punish the defendant for failure to show remorse for a crime in which he denied involvement.
Posey’s conviction stands; he will appear before Judge Michael Allen for resentencing on September 9.
He was arrested March 5, 2009, for fondling a five-year old girl at his residence at 7100 North Pine Road in Bratt between November 2007 and January 2009.
The child victim took the witness stand and testified about Posey touching her underneath her clothes as she sat on his lap. The most recent molestation reported by the five-year old was January 9, 2009. The girl told officials that Posey said she would go to jail if she told anyone about the incidents.
Posey was also convicted of molesting another girl at his home between 2001 and 2006. He was sentenced to five years in state prison on those charges. His appeal on that conviction was dismissed by the appellate court.
Posey is being held in the Escambia County Jail awaiting his resentencing.
Search Suspended For Former Jay Resident Missing in Gulf
September 1, 2011
The Coast Guard has called off their search for a former Jay resident missing since last weekend in the Gulf of Mexico.
About 8:30 Sunday morning, family reported 41-year old Lee Kent, now a resident of Gulf Breeze, missing after he did not return from a fishing trip south of Pensacola Pass aboard a 37-foot boat named Monkey Bar II.
The Coast Guard said they found no signs of Kent or his boat after searching an area larger than Maryland since Sunday.
Pictured: A HC-144A Ocean Sentry from the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile and the Guard Cutter Seahawk, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Carrabelle, Florida, were used to search for Lee Kent, missing in the Gulf since Sunday. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets Life For Tom Thumb Robbery
September 1, 2011
A Tom Thumb robbery is sending an Escambia County man to prison for life.
Marcus Tyrone Broadnax was sentenced by Judge Paul Rasmussen to life in prison as a prison releasee reoffender for robbery armed with a firearm wearing a mask, and five years concurrent for aggravated assault with a firearm.
On June 26, 2010, Broadnax and his codefendant, both wearing masks, entered a W Street Tom Thumb. Broadnax was armed with a firearm and held one of the clerks at gunpoint, demanding money and tobacco products, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins. Both defendants fled the scene and were shortly thereafter apprehended by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Escambia Considering New Animal Control Regulations
September 1, 2011
Escambia County is considering new animal control laws, and animal control activists are lobbying against one portion of the new rules.
Under the county’s current law, no animal over six months old can be tied, chained or otherwise tethered outdoors unless the owner is located outdoors with the animal. But the new ordinance, if approved by the county commission, would allow an animal to be tethered if it is “a location on the property within the visual range of the primary structure”.
The ordinance also removes the requirement that the tethered animal be provided food, leaving language that it must have water, shelter and dry ground.
“A ‘primary structure’ can not monitor a chained dog. An unattended chained dog is at risk for the tether becoming tangled thus prohibiting the dog from reaching water, shelter or food; strangulation by the tether; attacks by roaming animals or abusive humans; attacks by biting insects, or subjected to dangerous weather conditions,” said animal rights activist Laura Catterton of Cantonment.
She helped draft the current ordinance that the county commission may amend . As a volunteer for the Junior Humane Society and Escambia County Animal Services, she has spent a lot of time over the past five years photographing and documenting animal tethering abuse in Escambia County. Here photos were also viewed by the commissioners prior to their vote on the current ordinance bay in April 2010.
“The only safe way for a dog to be tethered is if a human is in visual range at all times to monitor the dog. Any chained dog left unattended is at risk for injury or death,” Catterton said.
To read the complete proposed animal control ordinance, click here. A public hearing on the ordinance will be held at 5:32 p.m. today in the Escambia County commission chambers. A public forum will also be held at 4:30 p.m.
Pictured: An example of animal tethering in Escambia County in a photo by Laura Catterton of Cantonment. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.