Century In The Midst of $30 Million In Grant Funded Projects
January 22, 2024
The Town of Century is currently in the midst of nearly $30 million in projects funded by grants.
The largest grant, just over $10 million, will be used to demolish the old Century High School gym on Hecker Road and build a shelter that can double as a multi-purpose facility. There is funding to replace the failed Freedom Road bridge that has been closed for years, and several projects related to potable water and wastewater.
Most of the projects are in the early stages, and most have not seen much physical work begin, accoriding to a document distributed to the town council
Last October, Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. addressed members of the Escambia County Legislative Delegation – Sen. Doug Broxson, State Rep. Alex Andrade and State Rep. Michelle Salzman, but he did not ask for any additional state funding.
Broxson suggested at the time that Century might eventually give up its charter and let Escambia County take over.
“We know you are in tough circumstances. I would hope that at some point if things continue where it’s a challenge to meet your budget, that you would consider de-chartering Century so you could come under the umbrella of Escambia County and let them take their resources and help you with some of your major problems. I’ve watched it, “I know you’ve tried, but we really need a bigger hand to help you get to where you need to be,” the state senator said.
“Your tax base is very low, and your needs are very great,” Broxson told Gomez.
In-progress grant projects include:
Miscellaneous Wastewater Improvements – Phase I $1,042,036.99 CDBG,DEO and Escambia County
Lift station start-up at Industrial Park and some final electrical work is all that remains. Completion date 1-30- 2024.
Miscellaneous Wastewater Improvements – Phase II $8,862,336.00 FDEP
$21,305.00 spent to date, $8,841,031.00 remaining — Targeting bidding the project in the first quarter of 2024. will bill as two separate projects – WWTP work and lift Station work.
Well Rehabilitation (Well No. 1, 2, & 3) $468,453.00 State Legislature via FDEP
$77,226.25 spent to date, $77,226.25 — Permits submitted, bid opening planned for mid- January
Water Meter and Service Replacement $1,301,892.00 State Legislature via FDEP
$21,250.00 spent to date, $1,280,642 — Design underway, targeting bidding second quarter of 2024 as two projects, service line replacement and meter replacement
Carver Community Center and Century Ag Building $3,255,000 CDBG
Grant was to renovate the Carver Community Center and Century Ag Building. However, no work is being completed on the Century Community Center.
Freedom Road Bridge $1,297,000 State Legislature via FDOT
Grant received October 30, 2023. Survey and Geotechnical Investigation are underway. Wetland flagging has been completed.
Well #3 Replacement at Prison $626,000 State Legislature via FDEP
Survey and preliminary design completed.
Freedom Road Bridge, Jefferson Avenue Culvert, & Alger Road Bridge $2,869,637.00 CDBG Hurricane Sally Funds
Administrative and engineering consultants have been selected and contracts are being prepared. Once the state approves the contracts, work will begin.
Gym/Hurricane Shelter $10,022,500 CDBG Hurricane Sally Funds
Administrative and engineering consultants have been selected and contracts are being prepared. Once the state approves the contracts, work will begin.
Notes: CDGB = Community Development Block Grant. FDEP = Florida Department of Environmental Protection. FDOT=Florida Department of Transportation. DEO= Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
60 Lot Subdivision Planned For 14.5 Acres On West Roberts Road
January 22, 2024
A new 60-lot subdivision named “Makaira West’ is planned for West Roberts Road in Cantonment.
The 60 lots would be located on 14.5 acres between Twisted Oak Drive and Camellia Drive.
The project is currently before the Escambia County Development Review committee. It is set for a public meeting on Wednesday, January 24 at 1 p.m. at the Escambia County Central Complex Building at 363 West Park Place.
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.
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