Escambia County Sanded Bridges, FDOT Prepped For Ice Potential
December 23, 2022
Escambia Public Works and the Florida Department of Transportation prepped Thursday for potential icy conditions on area roadways on Friday.
County crews sanded bridges across the county. Sand improves traction in the event of ice on a bridge.
The Florida Department of Transportation prepared under their winter weather plan.
FDOT vehicles were on state routes as maintenance and operations staff responded to winter weather conditions. FDOT crews were prepared to deploy various tankers, bridge deck sprayers and other equipment to apply anti-icing products on bridges and overpasses to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement surface. The anti-icing products allow any ice layer to melt more quickly and reduce the amount of time required to restore the roads to a clear, dry state.
Some parts of Escambia County received rainfall Thursday night prior to the arrival of an arctic cold front. Officials feared that black ice might form on bridges and overpasses in Escambia County as a result.
Pictured: Escambia County work crews sand bridges. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Charged After Santa Rosa Shots Fired Incident, High Speed Chase
December 23, 2022
An Escambia County man is charged in connection with a shots fired incident in Navarre.
Grayson Zachary Eagan, 29, was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail late Thursday night. Charges against him included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, firing a weapon into vehicle, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, fleeing and eluding police, criminal mischief with property damage and trafficking methamphetamine.
About 9 a.m. Thursday, an individual in a black BMW shot at another vehicle at the Publix in Navarre. SRSO deputies located the suspect vehicle and a high speed chase ensued.
During the vehicle chase, spike strips were deployed without success. The suspect, later identified as Eagan, proceeded at “an unsafe speed”, and deputies lost sight of the BMW. Deputies later located the vehicle on Molina Street in Navarre.
Eagan remained in the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond Friday morning.
Camp Fire Century Classes Spread Christmas Cheer At Nursing Home
December 23, 2022
The Pre-K and three-year old classes from the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center visited the Century Health and Rehabilitation to spread some Christmas Cheer. The children sang carols for the residents. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ascend Reports 15,535 Gallon Cooling Tower Water Discharge
December 23, 2022
Ascend Performance materials reported the release of over 15,000 gallons of cooling tower water on Thursday.
According to a report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protect, an “upset condition” led to an overflow in two cooling towers and a 15, 535 gallon discharge into a stormwater outfall between 5:55 and 7:20 a.m.
No further details were provided.
ECUA: Protect Your Pipes From Freezing Temperatures
December 23, 2022
There are steps that will protect household pipes from freezing temperatures External, exposed pipes are naturally the most likely to freeze. Here are tips from ECUA:
- Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found at most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
- Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This prevents the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
- Run a trickle of water: When forecasts call for sustained and/or severe freezing temperatures, run a thin trickle of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually, this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.
- Remember the backflow preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found at most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water line are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.
It’s A Girl! Escambia 911 Dispatcher Helps Deliver Baby
December 22, 2022
It’s a girl!
On Saturday, December 17, Escambia County emergency dispatcher Ashley McLellan took a 911 call from a woman in labor.
McLellan calmly provided instructions on how to deliver the baby safely before EMS arrived. After a few minutes, the new mom told McLellan that it was a healthy baby girl.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Highway 29 Crash
December 22, 2022
One person was injured in a single vehicle wreck Wednesday afternoon.
The crash happened on Highway 29 near Archer Road about 3:15 p.m. The vehicle came to rest partially on its side in the edge of a wooded area.
The injured person was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash, and the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ensley Chiefs Cheerleaders Donate Toys To Ronald McDonald House
December 22, 2022
The Ensley Chiefs Cheerleaders recently made a toy donation for the children at the Ronald McDonald House in Pensacola just in time for Christmas. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign Continues Through Christmas Eve
December 22, 2022
It only takes a moment to make a donation to the Salvation Army during their Red Kettle campaign outside retailers in Escambia County. And many of the donation kettle locations even accept donations by phone using Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo or PayPal.
The Red Kettle campaign is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Salvation Army of Pensacola, and at last report, they were behind on their yearly goal.
Pictured: The Salvation Army’s red kettle outside Publix in University Town Center Wednesday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tenth December Residential Fire Reported In Escambia County
December 22, 2022
Escambia County Fire Rescue added three more red bulbs to the wreath on Wednesday, bringing a total of 10 red bulbs during the 2022 “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign.
At 5:40 a.m., Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to a residential structure fire in the 1400 block of Portland Street. Smoke was showing from a single-story family dwelling and fire was discovered in a storage room. Smoke detectors were functioning and alerted the occupant to the fire. The fire was quickly extinguished, and due to numerous closed doors throughout the home, fire and smoke damage was limited. Repairs will be needed, resulting in the eighth red bulb being added to the wreath. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Bureau of Fire and Arson.
At 9:06 a.m., ECFR responded to a residential laundry room fire at the 3100 block of West La Rua Street. The main electrical power feed was damaged, displacing the occupants until repairs can be made. As a result, the ninth red bulb was added to the wreath. The home did not have functioning smoke detectors, so ECFR installed them throughout the home. The cause of the fire was determined to be from a toaster oven located in the laundry room that was too close to combustible items.
At 12:07 p.m., ECFR responded to a reported commercial structure fire in the 2000 block of North Pace Boulevard pictured above). Firefighters arrived to find a RV camper trailer fully engulfed in flames behind the business. The camper trailer was a total loss, and the nearby commercial structure was also damaged. One person was transported to the hospital with injuries. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. Since the camper was being utilized as a residence, this fire counted as the tenth red bulb added to the wreath.
If your home does not have a working smoke detector, please call Escambia County Fire Rescue at 850-595-HERO (4376) or 850-436-5200 for City of Pensacola residents.