New National Chain ‘Dutch Bros’ Coffee Shop Proposed For West Nine Mile Road
January 22, 2024
An initial application filed with the Escambia County Development Review Committee shows a new drive-thru coffee shop on an outparcel in front of the Home Depot on Nine Mile Road.
If approved, the Dutch Bros coffee shop will be a 950 square foot building on 0.79 acres at 523 West Nine Mile Road, at the corner of West Nine Road and Untriner Avenue, according to the application.
Dutch Brothers is a publicly held drive-through coffee chain headquartered in Oregon.There are currently about 670 franchise locations, most in the western United States.
The plans are currently in an initial application status with the Escambia County Development Review Committee and were last set for staff internal review.
Gov. Ron DeSantis Suspends Presidential Bid; Endorses Trump
January 22, 2024
Ron DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday while endorsing Donald Trump.
In a video released Sunday on social media, the Republican candidate suspended his campaign, after a distant second place finish in Iowa, an expected even more distant third place in the New Hampshire.
“Now, following our second place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on the way forward. If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory accordingly. I am today suspending my campaign,’ he said.
The exit of DeSantis makes the GOP contest a two-person race between Nikki Haley and Trump.
“Now, it’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance. They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance and they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him.”
“While I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden,” DeSantis said.
“With a few days left until President Donald J. Trump’s victory in New Hampshire, we are honored by the endorsement from Gov. Ron DeSantis and so many other former presidential candidates. It is now time for all Republicans to rally behind President Trump to defeat Crooked Joe Biden and end his disastrous presidency,” Trump’s campaign said in a statement before taking aim at the last viable GOP candidate in the race.
“Nikki Haley is the candidate of the globalists and Democrats who will do everything to stop the America First movement. From higher taxes, to decimating Social Security and Medicare, and to open borders, she represents the views of Democrats more than the views of Republicans.
“I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican Guard of yesteryear: A repackaged form of warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents. The days of putting Americans last of kowtowing to large corporations of caving to woke ideology are over.”
Escambia County Residents Can Receive A Free Tree
January 22, 2024
Update: At last report, this event was “sold out” and no trees were available.
Escambia County residents have the opportunity to pick up one free 3-gallon tree during a UF/IFAS Escambia Extension event on Saturday, February 3 at Ashton Brosnaham Park.
You are able to reserve your one tree per family by:
- Watching a Tree Planting Basics video on Eventbrite.
- Choosing one tree species.
- Registering your one choice with your contact information.
- Your registration will be your ticket to pick up the tree.
Trees available on a first come first served basis include Eagleston Holly, and Tensaw Dahon Holly.
The video, tree selection guide, and registration are all available on Eventbrite by clicking here.
On Average, Florida Gas Prices Are At The Lowest In A Month
January 22, 2024
Florida’s average gas price is below $3 a gallon for the first time this year. The state average was $2.99 per gallon on Sunday. That’s the lowest daily average price since December 20th.
“The state average has plummeted more than 16 cents in the past two weeks,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Plunging temps across the country contributes to lower fuel demand, which normally leads to excess fuel supplies and lower prices. More than 70% of filling stations now have gas prices below $3 a gallon.”
The least expensive metro market in Florida is Pensacola at an average of $2.92. A low of $2.65 a gallon was available Sunday at a station on West Nine Mile Road. In North Escambia, at a station on Highway 29 in Cantonment was at $2.85 Sunday afternoon.
“The state average has plummeted more than 16 cents in the past two weeks,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Plunging temps across the country contributes to lower fuel demand, which normally leads to excess fuel supplies and lower prices. More than 70% of filling stations now have gas prices below $3 a gallon.”
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
10,000 Pound Food Giveaway Tuesday Afternoon In Cantonment
January 22, 2024
Cantonment Improvement Committee will hold a 10,000 pound drive-thru food giveaway next Tuesday afternoon, January 23 at Carver Park on Webb Street.
The food distribution will begin at 3 p.m. and continue while supplies last for anyone in need of food. People should line up their vehicles, single file on Webb Street facing north; food will be loaded into vehicles. Identification is required.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Over 200 Households Lose Power After Highway 97 Wreck Early Sunday Morning
January 21, 2024
A wreck early Sunday morning on Highway 97 near Davisville cut power for a couple of hunrdred households.
The wreck was reported about 12:02 a.m. near Highway 164 and Highway 97 after a vehicle hit a utility pole and downed power lines. The vehicle was reportedly unoccupied when first responders arrived on scene.
According to Escambia River Electric Cooperative, 214 members initially lost power as a result of the crash. Temperatures were below freezing at about 27 degrees at the time.
Police: Overhead Copper Phone Lines Stolen Near State Line
January 21, 2024
Police are investigating after someone stole overhead copper phone lines from a pole near the Alabama-Florida state line last week.
The AT&T phone lines were stolen on Tulip Street, just feet from the state line, according to the Flomaton Police Department. Police said there have been other similar thefts recently.
Anyone with information is asked to call Flomaton Police Investigator Smith at (251) 296-5811.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program Helps Residents Maintain Independence
January 21, 2024
For 80-year-old Hoza Turner and his wife, JoAnn, getting in and out of their home has become a struggle. JoAnn receives dialysis treatment several times a week, and each time she has to leave the house, Hoza carefully helps her up and down their porch steps and in and out of her wheelchair.
But thanks to a brand-new wheelchair ramp recently installed through the Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program, getting in and out of their house just got much easier – and much safer.
“It will be a lot of help,” Hoza Turner said. “I don’t have to worry about trying to pick the wheelchair up and set it out there. I can roll it up and roll it right to the door.”
Turner said he’s especially glad to have the new wheelchair ramp after his wife recently fell when returning home from a dialysis appointment, and it was difficult for him to help her up.
The new ramp will provide Hoza and JoAnn Turner with safer, more direct access to their front porch, eliminating the need to transfer from the wheelchair and use the front steps.
Through the Wheelchair Ramp Program, eligible Escambia County residents can have a wheelchair ramp constructed for their home at no cost to them. The goal of the Wheelchair Ramp Program is to help Escambia County residents maintain independence and eliminate physical barriers by providing accessibility to their homes.
“Providing assistance to residents is at the core of our mission, so we’re proud to offer this program and help individuals regain safe access to their homes,” Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division Manager Garett Griffin said. “We hope to continue to expand this program and help even more residents maintain their independence through improved accessibility.”
“I’m very excited that we were able to help Mr. and Mrs. Turner access their home safely and more easily with their new wheelchair ramp,” District 3 Commissioner Lumon May said. “I hope this new addition improves their quality of life every day, and I look forward to continuing to assist residents of District 3 and throughout Escambia County through this great program.”
Escambia County resident Charlotte Swearingen, age 77, also received assistance through the Wheelchair Ramp Program recently, with a new ramp and side porch constructed at her home.
After being hospitalized last year due to heart issues, Swearingen’s doctors recommended that she make some improvements to her house to help minimize any potential fall risk, because even a minor fall could become a serious issue.
“Before I left the hospital, the heart doctors told me, ‘You’ve got to get steps, you’ve got to get railings on your house so you have easy access, because of the way your heart is,’” Swearingen said. “They wanted me to be safe going out on my porch and exiting the porch.”
Swearingen recalled that Escambia County had previously helped her and a neighbor with the removal of two dead trees that were a safety hazard, so she reached out to the county’s Neighborhood Enterprise Division and District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender’s Office to inquire about any other programs that may be available to help her restore safe access to her home.
“The Neighborhood Enterprise staff just kind of took over from there and told me what to do, and they had people reach out to me,” Swearingen said of county staff. “It’s been an amazing experience, how helpful everybody’s been. I’m very impressed, and everybody is so great to work with.”
“It is always rewarding anytime we are able to help a citizen who calls our office needing assistance, and this is a perfect example of connecting a citizen with exactly what they needed,” District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender said. “Through the hard work and follow-through by county staff, I’m thrilled that we were able to provide Ms. Swearingen better access to her home and help her maintain independence through the Wheelchair Ramp Program.”
Ever since Hurricane Sally damaged her front porch beyond repair, Swearingen had been using her side porch to enter and exit her home, which had stairs with only one handrail instead of two. As someone who has always been very independent, Swearingen said she’s struggled with having to slow down and focus on something as simple as going up and down a few stairs.
Swearingen said the new and improved access to her home was already necessary due to her heart issues; however, it also came at a perfect time because she is scheduled for hip replacement surgery later this month.
“These porches are going to be so important for me, because physically, all of the energy I had five years ago, I don’t have now,” she said. “I am so grateful to be able to have these new and attractive porches. Additionally, I would like to thank the State of Florida, Escambia County, my County Commissioner Bender, and the wonderful people I met from the Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Program. They were professional, dedicated, nice, and worked tirelessly to make my home safe. Thank you so much.”
The Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program is funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP. Limited funding is available, but income-eligible Escambia County residents in need of assistance are encouraged to apply.
To learn more about the Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program, including eligibility requirements and application information, contact the Neighborhood Enterprise Division at ned@myescambia.com or 850-595-1642.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECFR Responds To Reported Structure Fire In Cottage Hill
January 21, 2024
Escambia County Fire Rescue (ECFR) responded to a reported structure fire in Cottage Hill late Saturday night.
ECFR arrived at the small wood frame home in the 600 block of Williams Ditch Road about 11 p.m. to find smoke coming from the attic.
There were no injuries reported and no word on the cause of the fire.
The main fire was reported to be knocked down by about 11:20 p.m.
Photos for NorthEscambambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Stabbing Death Investigated As Self Defense
January 21, 2024
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office says a Friday night stabbing death appears to be self defense.
Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance on 66th Avenue about 9:30 p.m.
They arrived to find a female with a stab wound to her arm. Inside the residence, a male was located deceased from a stab wound.
Further details were not released.