Rain Likely Friday Night Into Saturday Morning
January 26, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 3am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3am. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 61. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between noon and 3pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 70. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 63.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
Pensacola Fitness Shooting Suspect Gets Life In Prison For Murder
January 26, 2024
An Escambia County man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for a May 2022 murder of murder of Carla Williams inside Pensacola Fitness on 9th Avenue
Kennon Farrow pleaded guilty in December and received a mandatory life sentence on a first degree premeditated murder charge. He also pleaded guilty to violation of an injunction against domestic violence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Farrow entered the plea two days after Judge John Simon ruled he was competent to stand trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
Williams, 48, was an associate professor and former basketball player at Pensacola State College.
Photos: Local Officials Read To Lipscomb Elementary Students
January 26, 2024
First responders, elected officials, school district personnel and community partners read to students to help Lipscomb Elementary School celebrate Literacy Week Thursday morning.
Deputy Superintendent Shenna Payne, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons, Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall, Commissioner Steven Barry and several others dazzled and entertained students with lively readings of children’s classics.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Escambia Felon Shot Dog After It Bit His Lip
January 26, 2024
An Escambia County man is accused of shooting his dog after it bit his lip.
Nathaniel Bradley, 36, was charged with animal cruelty, using a firearm during a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
A witness told deputies that he was in his room with Bradley’s dog when Bradley walked in, appearing to be intoxicated.
Bradley started “to get in the dog’s face” before the man warned him the dog would bite him, according to an arrest report. The dog then bit Bradley on the lip.
Bradley then exited the room threatening the dog that was following him, the report continues.
Deputes found the dog with a gunshot wound to the left leg in a kennel on the front porch. The gun was located in Bradley’s room. Deputies noted in the report that Bradley appeared “extremely intoxicated.”
The dog was transported by Escambia County Animal Control for treatment.
Century Correctonal Inmate Assaulted Officer, FDC Says
January 26, 2024
A Century Correctional Institution inmate assaulted a correctional officer recently, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Inmate Tiyari Hogan assaulted a correctional officer by pushing the officer, and the incident was captured on camera, according to FDC.
Cotney was serving a five-year sentence on drug charges out of Walton County.
EREC’s Fiber Network Completed In Escambia County; First Santa Rosa County Customer Connected
January 25, 2024
After completing a fiber buildout in Escambia County, Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) and ConexonConnect, have connected their first customer in Santa Rosa County to gigabit-speed fiber internet.
EREC and ConexonConnect announced their fiber-to-the-home project in February 2023, with plans to launch and deploy a 1,500-mile fiber network providing high-speed internet access to homes and businesses starting in Escambia County before moving to Santa Rosa County.
The first Escambia County member* went live on the fiber network in Bratt on August 13, 2023.
All EREC members in Escambia County now have the availability to access gigabit-speed internet, and member connections are currently being scheduled and completed.
There were several periods of unanticipated downtime during the first few months of service in Escambia County, but now “Multiple sources in Escambia County are in place to help prevent any downtime issues and the same will be done in Santa Rosa County,” EREC said this week.
“I’m very proud of all the hard work and long days everyone involved put into the completion of the Escambia County fiber-to-the-home project. A special thank you to our members for your patience as we constructed our fiber system and we look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our community,” EREC CEO Ryan Campbell said.
“I could not be happier knowing nearly 5,000 households in north Escambia county now have access to affordable high speed internet. A few short years ago it was only a dream, but it’s now a reality,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “As with most successful public service projects, it still would not be possible without tremendous partners like EREC and Conexon. Also, I want to specifically recognize Ryan Campbell, EREC CEO, for his diligence and persistence getting the project across the finish line.”
Chumuckla resident Lynne McDonald was connected to fiber broadband in Santa Rosa County this week, as rural EREC members now have access to 2 Gbps service internet that is among the fastest and most robust in the nation.
“Bringing fiber internet to Santa Rosa County is going to be a game changer for EREC members and our community. From a teacher’s perspective, it means enhancing connectivity and access to a wealth of educational resources for ourselves and our students. Utilizing online tools more efficiently, conducting virtual classes, and engaging students in innovative ways that will increase learning outcomes and involvement,” McDonald said. ““As an EREC member for over 35 years, the arrival of fiber internet signifies a huge step towards progress and opens up a world of endless possibilities for local businesses to compete on a more global scale. I truly feel that fiber internet is going to lay the foundation for economic growth and prosperity in my community by empowering EREC members, schools and businesses. Paving the way for a brighter future for everyone.”
“EREC members were being left behind in the digital age,” Campbell added. “Now, thanks to the vision of our Trustees and the hard work of our employees who have taken on the mission of closing the digital divide, EREC members are gaining access to world-class internet service. This opens the doors for new opportunities such as online education for all ages, expanded employment options, and streaming and smart device use in the home that many in other areas take for granted.”
The Town of Jay is very proud of the work EREC has done with the State’s Rural Broadband Initiative,” says Eric Seib, Manager of the Town of Jay.” We are thankful to have a forward thinking team at EREC making tomorrow better for all of us.”
*Full disclosure: The first Escambia County EREC member to receive EREC fiber at their home was NorthEscambia.com Publisher William Reynolds. Editor’s note: NorthEscambia.com operates in the cloud; it does not operate on the Conexon service. For over 15 years, it has been hosted by a major provider elsewhere in the U.S.
Pictured top: Chumuckla resident Lynne McDonald was connected to fiber broadband in Santa Rosa County his week, photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured inset and below: Escambia County’s first customer was connected in August, 2023. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friends Of The Library Big Winter Book Sale Is This Weekend
January 25, 2024
The Friends of West Florida Public Library’s Big Winter Book Sale will be this Friday though Sunday at the downtown library on Spring Street.
Thousands of hardcover, paperback and collectible books will be available for purchase, plus a variety of DVDs, CDs, puzzles and other items. Books will be sorted into different genre categories to make it easier to find favorites. Proceeds are used to fund programs and enhancements at West Florida Public Library (WFPL) branches.
Admission is $5 Friday from 3-7 p.m. or free for Friends of the Library members. Saturday is half-off day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday, admission is free for the popular $7 bag sale from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. As much as will fit into a provided brown paper bag will be just $7.
Credit cards, cash and checks are all welcome as payment. Carts will be available to assist in carrying bags.
Book Sale items include thousands of generous donations from the public and some library books retired from circulation, many of them now out-of-print. Novels and mysteries are sorted by author or into genres like Science Fiction and Westerns. Other book categories include arts and entertainment, children’s, cookbooks, history, holidays, home and hobbies, literature, foreign language, military, modern living, nature and gardening, religion, science, sports, technical, and travel. There are also recorded books, magazines and other media for sale.
The Collector’s Corner will feature an assortment of signed books, pre-1950s books, books by local and Florida authors and other special books that are great for gifts. These items are priced as marked and must be checked out separately, so shoppers paying by check should bring at least two of them.
Highway 29 Resurfacing Project Beginning North Of Highway 97
January 25, 2024
Work is beginning on a $6.2 million Florida Department of Transportation Project to resurface Highway 29 from Highway 97 to north of Champion Drive.
Improvements in the project include the milling and resurfacing, drainage improvements, auxiliary lane and shoulder widening, signalization, and signing and pavement marking improvements.
Drivers can expect lane closures, but lane closures are prohibited from 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. and from 1 – 3:00 p.m. on school days.
According to FDOT, the 4.58 miles of te project is set to be completed in the Fall of 2024, weather permitting.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Woman Fired More Than A Dozen Shots Into Nine Mile Road Apartment, ECSO Says
January 25, 2024
An Escambia County woman has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing multiple gunshots into an apartment on Nine Mile Road Tuesday afternoon.
Nykeria Chernel White, 23, was charged with attempted murder, firing a deadly missile into a building, discharging a firearm in public and criminal mischief. She remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $40,000.
White arrived at the Jasmine Creek Apartments across from Target about noon Tuesday. She approached an apartment of someone she knew, according to an arrest report, but they would not open the door. She then allegedly fired over a dozen shots into the apartment before leaving, the report states.
Two people inside the apartment were not injured.
Century Man Is Third Person Charged In Alabama Murder Of Century Resident
January 25, 2024
A Monroe County (Alabama) grand jury has indicted a Century man for the December 2022 murder of another Century man in Frisco City.
Jayden Constantine Jackson, 21, was the third person charged in the December 15 shooting death of Lavor Chante Johnson.
Devon Jenkins, 20, of Frisco City, and Akeem Paul Anthony Davis, Jr., 24, also of Frisco City, were previously indicted for murder.