Escambia County Ends December With 16 Residential Structure Fires
January 4, 2023
Escambia County recorded 16 residential fires during December, represented by 16 red bulbs in the “Keep the Wreath Green” in the annual fire safety campaign.
Three of the fires were in the North Escambia area.
State Investigating Bratt House Fire
The Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson & Explosives Investigations is investigating the cause of a fire that left a family without a home Friday evening in Bratt (pictured top). The fire was reported about 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of Still Road, about 1.5 miles south of West Highway 4. The double-wide mobile home was fully involved when the first firefighters arrived on scene. There were no injuries reported, but two dogs were pronounced deceased at the scene. The fire was the 11th red bulb in the wreath.
Christmas Morning Fire Damages Cantonment Home
About 6:25 on Christmas morning, ECFR responded to a house fire in the 700 block of West Roberts Road in Cantonment. The fire was in the attic, so smoke detectors did not alert the occupants. Due to damage in the attic, the residents were displaced until repairs can be made. There were no injuries. This was the 12th red bulb on the fire safety wreath.
Makeshift Residence Destroyed By Fire In Cottage Hill
Improperly used extension cords are being blamed for a fire that destroyed an makeshift residence in Cottage Hill Tuesday morning. The fire was reported about 8:20 a.m. in the 1900 block of Smyers Road, north of Cottage Hill Road. Firefighters arrived to find what Escambia County Fire Rescue said was a “repurposed camper shell” burning. It was a total loss. ECFR said someone was living in the structure, but they were able to escape without injuries. This was the 13th red bub in the wreath.
NorthEscabia.com photo (top) and photo for NorthEscambia.com (lower) click to enlarge.
County Seeks Applicants For Escambia Children’s Trust
January 4, 2023
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking applications from county residents to serve on the Escambia Children’s Trust.
To be considered, applicants must submit the completed Escambia Children’s Trust application and questionnaire for gubernatorial appointments with an optional resume by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Resumes and both applications should be submitted via email to boardapply@myescambia.com or mailed to:
Jose Gochez, Program Manager
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
221 Palafox Place, Suite 420
Pensacola, FL 32502
The Board of County Commissioners will nominate three applicants per vacancy to be submitted to the governor for review and potential appointment. Following the board’s selection, the county administrator will notify the Governor’s Appointments Office of the selected applicants and additional steps from the nominees may be required.
To be considered for the Escambia Children’s Trust, Florida Statute criteria include the requirement that nominees have been residents of Escambia County for the previous 24 months and are willing to submit an annual Statement of Financial Interests Form. Florida Statutes also require that gubernatorial appointments are representative of the demographic diversity of the County’s population.
Per Section 125.901, Florida Statutes, the Escambia Children’s Trust shall consist of 10 members, including:
- The superintendent of schools;
- A school board member as appointed by the school board;
- The Department of Children and Families district administrator, or his or her designee;
- A judge assigned to juvenile cases as appointed by the chief judge;
- A c0ounty commissioner as appointed by the Board of County Commissioners; and
- Five members appointed by the governor from candidates nominated by the Board of County Commissioners to serve a four-year term.
In November 2020, 61% of participating voters in Escambia County supported the creation of the Children’s Trust to be funded by an increase in ad valorem taxes of up to a maximum of 0.5 mil. The Children’s Trust will provide early childhood education, safety, developmental, preventative, health, and well-being services, including after school and summer enrichment programs.
The ECT is responsible for assessing the needs of the children in the county and developing a strategic plan for addressing unmet needs, which must then be submitted to the Board. The ECT, like the county, must also go through the process of adopting a millage rate and budget in accordance with Florida’s Truth In Millage (TRIM) Act, and the CSC must submit an annual report to the Board as required by Florida law.
DeSantis Sworn In For Second Term, Sets Priorities
January 3, 2023
Governor Ron DeSantis delivered his second inaugural address from the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol in Tallahassee on Tuesday.
According to a statement from his office, DeSantis highlighted the progress that Florida has made to improve the lives of its residents as a result of his administration priorities, including guaranteeing access to high-quality education, creating a robust economy that continues to grow faster than the nation’s, providing access to resources for those recovering from hurricanes, and investing record funding into the Everglades and Florida’s critical water resources.
In concluding his speech, Governor DeSantis reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring our state remains the Free State of Florida and set priorities for his second term in office.
Here is the complete text of his speech as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Chief Justice, members of the Cabinet, and fellow citizens:
From the Space Coast to the Suncoast, from St. Johns to St. Lucie, from the streets of Hialeah to the speedways of Daytona, from the Okeechobee all the way up to Micanopy.
Freedom lives here, in our great Sunshine State of Florida!
It lives in the courage of those who patrol the streets and keep our communities safe, it lives in the industry of those who work long hours to earn a living and raise their families, it lives in the dedication of those who teach our children, it lives in the determination of those who grow our food, it lives in the wisdom of our senior citizens, it lives in the dreams of the historic number of families who have moved from thousands of miles away because they saw Florida as the land of liberty and the land of sanity.
Over the past few years, as so many states in our country grinded their citizens down, we in Florida lifted our people up.
When other states consigned their people’s freedom to the dustbin, Florida stood strongly as freedom’s linchpin.
When the world lost its mind – when common sense suddenly became an uncommon virtue – Florida was a refuge of sanity, a citadel of freedom for our fellow Americans and even for people around the world.
In captaining the ship of state, we choose to navigate the boisterous sea of liberty rather than cower in the calm docks of despotism.
We face attacks, we take hits, but we weather the storms, we stand our ground, and we do what is right.
As the Book of Psalms reminds us, “I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.”
We have refused to use polls and to put our finger in the wind – leaders do not follow, they lead.
We have articulated a vision for a free and prosperous state.
We have, through persistence and hard work, executed on that vision.
We have produced favorable results.
And now we are here today because the people of Florida have validated our efforts in record fashion.
Florida shows that results matter. We lead not by mere words, but by deeds.
Four years ago, we promised to pursue a bold agenda. We did just that and we have produced results:
We said we would ensure that Florida taxed lightly, regulated reasonably, and spent conservatively – and we delivered.
We promised we would enact big education reforms – and we delivered.
We said we would end judicial activism by appointing jurists who understand the proper role of a judge is to apply the law as written, not legislate from the bench – and we delivered.
We promised to usher in a new era of stewardship for Florida’s natural resources by promoting water quality and Everglades restoration efforts – and we delivered.
We said we would stand for law and order and support the men and women of law enforcement – and we delivered.
We promised to remedy deficiencies in Florida’s election administration and to hold wayward officials accountable – and we delivered.
We said we would support the areas in Northwest Florida stricken by Hurricane Michael – and we delivered.
And when Hurricane Ian came last year, the state coordinated a massive mobilization of response personnel, facilitated the fastest power restoration on record, and even quickly rebuilt key bridges that had been wiped out by the storm. We have stood by the people of Southwest Florida and we will continue to do so in the weeks, months and years ahead.
Because of these efforts and others, Florida is leading the nation:
We are #1 in these United States in net in-migration
Florida is the #1 fastest growing state
We are #1 in new business formations
Florida is #1 in tourism
We are #1 in economic freedom
Florida is #1 in education freedom
And we rank #1 in parental involvement in education
Florida also ranks #1 in public higher education
This is a record we can all be proud of.
And we are far from done:
Florida has accumulated a record budget surplus, and we need to enact a record amount of tax relief, particularly for Florida families who are grappling with inflation.
We must ensure school systems are responsive to parents and to students, not partisan interest groups, and we must ensure that our institutions of higher learning are focused on academic excellence and the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of trendy ideology.
Florida must always be a great place to raise a family – we will enact more family-friendly policies to make it easier to raise children and we will defend our children against those who seek to rob them of their innocence.
We will always remain a law-and-order state, we will always support law enforcement, and we will always reject soft-on-crime policies that put our communities at risk.
Florida is now in a golden era for conservation of our treasured natural resources. Our momentum is strong and we will finish what we started – we will leave Florida to God better than we found it!
This much we pledge and so much more.
It is often said that our federalist constitutional system – with fifty states able to pursue their own unique policies – represents a laboratory of democracy.
Well these last few years have witnessed a great test of governing philosophies as many jurisdictions pursued a much different path than we have pursued here in the state of Florida.
The policies pursued by these states have sparked a mass exodus of productive Americans from these jurisdictions – with Florida serving as the most desired destination, a promised land of sanity.
Many of these cities and states have embraced faddish ideology at the expense of enduring principles.
They have harmed public safety by coddling criminals and attacking law enforcement.
They have imposed unreasonable burdens on taxpayers to finance unfathomable levels of public spending.
They have harmed education by subordinating the interests of students and parents to partisan interest groups.
They have imposed medical authoritarianism in the guise of pandemic mandates and restrictions that lack a scientific basis.
This bizarre, but prevalent, ideology that permeates these policy measures purports to act in the name of justice for the marginalized, but it frowns upon American institutions, it rejects merit and achievement, and it advocates identity essentialism.
We reject this woke ideology.
We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy!
We will not allow reality, facts, and truth to become optional.
We will never surrender to the woke mob.
Florida is where woke goes to die!
Now Florida’s success has been made more difficult by the floundering federal establishment in Washington, D.C.
The federal government has gone on an inflationary spending binge that has left our nation weaker and our citizens poorer, it has enacted pandemic restrictions and mandates – based more on ideology and politics than on sound science – and this has eroded freedom and stunted commerce.
It has recklessly facilitated open borders: making a mockery of the rule of law, allowing massive amounts of narcotics to infest our states, importing criminal aliens, and green lighting the flow of millions of illegal aliens into our country, burdening communities and taxpayers throughout the land.
It has imposed an energy policy that has crippled our nation’s domestic production, causing energy to cost more for our citizens and eroding our nation’s energy security, and, in the process, our national security.
It wields its authority through a sprawling, unaccountable and out-of-touch bureaucracy that does not act on behalf of us, but instead looms over us and imposes its will upon us.
The results of this have been predictably dismal.
This has caused many to be pessimistic about the country’s future. Some say that failure is inevitable.
Florida is proof positive that We the People are not destined for failure.
Decline is a choice. Success is attainable. And freedom is worth fighting for.
Now fighting for freedom is not easy because the threats to freedom are more complex and more widespread than in the past – the threats can come from entrenched bureaucrats in D.C., jet-setters in Davos, and corporations wielding public power.
But fight we must.
We embrace our founding creed that our rights are not granted by the courtesy of the State, but are endowed by the hand of the Almighty.
We reject the idea that self-government can be subcontracted out to technocratic elites who reduce human beings to mere data points.
We insist on the restoration of time-tested constitutional principles so that government of, by and for the people shall not perish from this earth.
Florida has led the way in preserving what the father of our country called the “sacred fire of liberty.”
It is the fire that burned in Independence Hall when 56 men pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to establish a new nation conceived in liberty.
It is the fire that burned at a cemetery at Gettysburg when the nation’s first Republican president pledged to this nation a “new birth of freedom.”
It is the fire that burned among the boys who stormed the beaches of Normandy to liberate a continent and to preserve freedom for the world.
It is the fire that infused a young preacher’s dream, relayed at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, that the Declaration of Independence said what it meant and meant what it said: all men are created equal.
It is the fire that led a resolute president to stand in Berlin and declare “tear down this wall,” staring down the communists and winning the Cold War.
It is our responsibility here in Florida to carry this torch.
We do not run from this responsibility; we welcome it.
We will be on our guard.
We will stand firm in the faith.
We will be courageous.
We will be strong!
And we thank God and are proud to be citizens of the great Free State of Florida!
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pace Homicide Suspect Was ‘Smirking’, Provided Info Inconsistent With Crime Scene, Report States
January 3, 2023
An arrest report obtained by NorthEscambia.com states that a Pace murder suspect was “smirking” after the shooting and “what little information” she provided did not match the crime scene.
Chloe Colleen Davidson, 32, is charged with first degree felony homicide and a second degree felony weapons offense.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported shooting in the 3900 block of Deerwood Circle in Pace about 1:40 a.m. Sunday.
According to investigators, Chloe Davidson shot her husband Douglas Davidson. Deputies found him in the kitchen of their home on Deerwood Circle and attempted to render aid until EMS arrived. He was pronounced deceased at 1:56 a.m.
Chloe Davidson made a few statements to deputies that were redacted from an arrest report. She then immediately stated that she wanted a lawyer.
“No visible injuries were observed on Chloe’s neck or other parts of her body. There were no scratches, bruises, cuts, or any other injuries consistent with Chloe’s statement. The crime scene did not match with what little information Chloe provided. There were no signs of any struggle and neither party had any wounds or marks consistent with any type of physical struggle,” the arrest report states.
“Chloe’s demeanor was fairly calm. When detectives left the room after her request for a lawyer, she was smirking,” the report continues.
The SRSO has said there is no evidence that the shooting was self defense.
Davidson was sworn in as an ECSO training deputy on August 5, 2022. According to the ECSO, she failed out of the training program and had not been employed by the department for at least the past 30 days.
Century Appoints Two New Interim Council Members, Elects President And VP
January 3, 2023
The Town of Century started the new year with a holiday meeting Monday night to appoint two new interim members to the town council and swear in a reelected member.
Sandra McMurray Jackson was sworn in for another term after running unopposed. She was first elected to the council in 2010.
Two other council seats were open as of Monday night after no one ran for them during last year’s elections. The town appointed two members that will serve temporarily until a special election is held in about 60 days for permanent members.
Jackson nominated Eddie Hammond for a seat, but that motion died to a lack of second.
The interim seats were then filled on 3-0 votes for Shelisa McCall Abraham for Seat 3 and Alicia Johnson for Seat 4. Abraham was nominated by council member Dynette Lewis, and Johnson was nominated by council member Luis Gomez.
Abraham is currently the president of the Century Area Chamber of Commerce and has spent about 30 years in the financial services industry. Johnson was Century’s water and wastewater superintendent until she resigned in March 2019 after several years with the town.
Abraham was sworn into office Monday night. Johnson was out of town and unable to attend the meeting; she will be sworn into office at the council’s next regular meeting on January 17.
The vote was unanimous as Gomez was named council president, and Lewis was named council vice president for the upcoming year.
The council meeting was held Monday night on a legal holiday because the town charter specifies that council members will be sworn in on the first Monday of January. There is no provision in the charter to reschedule the swearing-in ceremony if it falls on a holiday.
Pictured top: Shelisa Abraham (center) was sworn in Monday night as an interim member of the Century Town Council. Pictured below: Sandra McMurray Jackson (center), who was reelected with no opposition, was sworn in for a four-year term. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Here’s What Alabama And Florida Residents Need To Know: Concealed Carry Permits Not Required In Alabama
January 3, 2023
Concealed carry permits are no longer required in Alabama, but officials say there are some very important need to know points for Alabama residents traveling into Florida, or Florida residents headed into Alabama.
Alabama Residents
With the new year, Alabama residents are not required to obtain a concealed carry permit from their county’s sheriff’s department for a handgun. But the permits, which cost just $20 a year ($15 for senior citizens) are still a good idea, according to Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Heath Jackson.
“If you cross the state line into Florida, their state law says if you carry a pistol without a permit, it’s a felony,” Jackson said. “Not buying a $20 permit is not worth the risk of driving to the grocery store in Century, getting stopped with a (concealed) pistol, and going to jail. That’s not going to work out in your favor.”
“The laws in Alabama do not dictate the State of Florida,” Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office Commander Andrew Hobbs said. “The Escambia (FL) Sheriff’s Office is going to uphold the statutes of the State of Florida.”
Hobbs noted that a permit is required only for concealed carry. Anyone that is allowed to possess a gun can legally have a firearm in their vehicle – securely encased and not readily available.
Florida Residents
Out of state residents, for instance from Florida, must still have a concealed carry permit from their state, Jackson said. Only Alabama residents can concealed carry without a permit.
Probably Not A Problem
Both Jackson and Hobbs said that overall they don’t expect many problems from the new law in Alabama.
“I don’t believe we are going to have a large issue with this,” Hobbs said. “Legal gun owners know the laws and abide by them.
Major Financial Impact For ECSO (AL)
The new law will have a big financial impact on the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Jackson said. His department previously earned about $125,000 a year from the permits. The law that became effective January 1, 2023, was actually passed by Alabama lawmakers in March 2022. At that time, ECSO Alabama’s revenue from sales dropped by about half.
“I think it will drop to about $10,000 to $20,000 a year,” Jackson said. “We are asking people to still purchase the pistol permits so they are good in other states. And that’s money we used to train deputies, buy equipment and for the overall function of the jail.”
Friday Is Deadline In Essay Contest For Students To Be A Florida House Page Or Messenger
January 3, 2023
Friday is the deadline for an essay contest from Rep. Michelle Salzman to select the 2023 page/messenger she will nominate to service in the Florida House program.
Pages and messengers work one week at the Florida Capitol during the 60-day regular legislative session. They assist representatives and their staff during the busy time while observing state government in action.
For essay contest rules and details, click or tap here. The deadline for students in grades 6-12 to enter is 5 p.m. on January 6, 2023.
While performing their duties, pages and messengers have the opportunity to observe lawmakers, lobbyists, staff, and constituents working together in the legislative process. Opportunities will include committee meetings, House sessions in the chamber, and occasionally press conferences with notable people or celebrities.
The page and messenger program is a longstanding tradition in the Florida House of Representatives, date back to 1865. Each student who serves as a page or messenger will have his or her name appear in the Journal of the House. This will be an official record of their time spent in the Florida House to perhaps one day show their children and grandchildren.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Convicted Sex Offender To Face Federal Prosecution For Allegedly Viewing Child Porn At His Business
January 3, 2023
The state has dropped all child porn charges against an Escambia County sex offender as he faces federal charges for allegedly viewing child porn on a smart TV.
Frank Paul Knight, 58, was charged in Escambia County Circuit Court last October with 20 counts of intentionally viewing child pornography. The State Attorney’s Office has dropped all 20 charges in lieu of federal prosecution, according to court documents.
He was on federal probation in a 2009 possession of child pornography case. Last October, probation officers with the U.S. Probation Office conducted a sex offender check on Knight at his place of business in the 300 block of Kenmore Road.
During the check, a smart TV was located hanging on the wall in Knight’s “personal space” inside the business, which consisted of a small living room area and a connected bedroom, according to a report. Officers noticed that several of Knight’s personal belongings were in the rooms.
During a preview of Knight’s TV, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agent supervisor discovered Knight’s Gmail account was associated with the TV setup, and the browsing history revealed that the TV had been used to visit a website with child pornography, the report continues.
Investigators interviewed six of Knight’s employees. All of them stated they knew about Knight’s personal space, but none of them used the space or the television.
Knight remains in the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond on a dealing in stolen property charge.
North Beulah Neighborhood Cleanup Day Is Wednesday
January 3, 2023
Residents of the north Beulah area will have the opportunity to dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge Wednesday, January 4 during a neighborhood cleanup.
During neighborhood cleanups, Escambia County departments team up to bring services to residents in an effort to keep local neighborhoods clean and safe. Participating is easy: Residents in the cleanup area simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies.
All debris must be at the curb directly in front of residences in the area by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. Tires and paint cans should be separate from all other debris. Debris piles should not be placed under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes. All items, including containers, will be collected.
Only residents in the designated cleanup area are able to participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. The collection area us from West Nine Mile Road to just north of Frank Reeder Road, and between Tower Ridge Road and Beulah Road (see map above).
Items eligible for removal include:
- Household appliances and electronics
- Household junk and debris
- Bicycles and toys
- Old furniture and mattresses
- Barbecue grills
- Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
- Tires (limit 10 per household)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
- Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
- Explosives or ammunition
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Vehicles or vessels
- 55-gallon drums of fluids
For more information, contact Development Program Manager Max Rogers at (850) 595-3499 or mprogers@myescambia.com.
The neighborhood cleanup initiative involves an aggressive cleanup effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members and volunteers picking up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture and household items.
Since 2016, more than 5,469 tons (10,938,000 pounds) of debris were collected and disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
Tuesday Begins $4.7 Million Highway 29 Reconstruction Safety Project In Century
January 3, 2023
Tuesday was the official first day of a $4.7 million safety project to resurface Highway 29 in Century.
FDOT plans a major reconstruction and realignment of Highway 29 from just south of East Highway 4 to the Alabama state line.
The project includes reconstructing a 700-foot curved segment of Highway 29 from north of Henry Street to Cottage Street; the curve has been the site of several truck accidents in recent years.
FDOT will also upgrade traffic signals, drainage structures, pavement markings, and driveways, while also improving curb ramps and sidewalks to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
During construction, drivers may encounter temporary traffic shifts and daytime and nighttime intermittent lane closures. Access to adjacent businesses and other properties will be maintained at all times.
FDOT estimates the project will be completed in late 2024.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
The current state budget signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis included $3,278,228 toward the total cost of the project.
Pictured: Looking south into Florida on Highway 29 in Century. Pictured inset: Part of a Highway 29 safety improvement project will include the realignment of this curve. Graphics below show project details. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
