Officials Commit To Improving Big Highway 95A, Jim Allen Elementary Car Rider Line Problem
August 25, 2022
There’s a really big traffic problem on Highway 95A at Jim Allen Elementary School around drop-off and dismissal times, and officials committed Wednesday to start discussions on how to make the situation better.
During car rider times, vehicles line the side of the roadway waiting to turn into the school, and vehicles travel on the shoulder to get around a backed up turn lane.
Wednesday, even a school bus became stuck off the road in the mud. Other photos submitted by readers show dump trucks stuck in the mud, long lines of traffic, drivers on the shoulder and vehicles traveling into oncoming traffic.
“The county has offered to pave some areas for the traffic to be able to pull to get out of the road while they are dealing with the children” Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said last week at a town hall meeting in Walnut Hill. “That’s not what the school thought was the best idea.”
Barry said that previous leadership was not interested in new lanes but with a new principal in place, he’s hopeful the county can work toward solving the problem.
“If doing some work to allow traffic to get out of the way of 95A will help, then we can certainly do that,” he said.
Numerous parents, community members and other Highway 95A drivers have reached out to NorthEscambia.com for help, including Brianne Freund, local resident and a Jim Allen parent who said her vehicle was nearly hit while she waited to turn onto Eden Lane.
“The biggest concern is the afternoon traffic. It is an absolute nightmare,” she said. “Understand that something has to be done about this sooner rather than later. There is a major safety issue with this line in the afternoons.”
“If travelers decide to go around the line, they run the risk of being ticketed, getting stuck in wet earth, damaging property, or causing accidents,” Freund added.
Wednesday afternoon, NorthEscambia.com reached back out to Barry, and we contacted Bill Slayton, District 5 Escambia County School Board member.
“The school board doesn’t have the money or the ability to widen the road,” Slayton said, adding that he would seek a meeting with Barry after our discussion.
“I’m very familiar with the car rider line; it’s gotten longer and bigger each year,” Slayton said. “Highway 95A was never built for an elementary school that large or a car rider line with that many people. It’s a school of 600. and more and more parents are deciding that they wan to pick up their kids or drive their kids to school.”
Barry told us he is more than open to meeting with Slayton and school officials in the search for the best solution as soon as practical.
“Whatever we need to do there, we will make it happen,” Barry said.
The Escambia County Commission recently approved $2.12 million for the milling and resurfacing of Highway 95A from the northern intersection with Highway 29 in Molino (just north of Highway 97), over nine miles to the southern intersection with Highway 29 near Morris Avenue. That project does not include any improvements other than resurfacing near Jim Allen Elementary. Barry said that the county may be able to make improvements near the school independently or as an addition to the overall resurfacing project.
As for that school bus that became stuck off-road in the mud, Slayton said it was a substitute driver that should have made a better decision. He said the bus became stuck in a muddy rut created earlier by a dump truck that also became stuck in the same location.
Have photos of the Jim Allen Elementary car rider line to share? Email news@northescambia.com.
Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rigby Road Bridge In Bratt Closed For Repairs
August 25, 2022
The bridge on Rigby Road over Beaver Dam Creek is closed.
The bridge is about a half mile south of West Highway 4 in Bratt (map at bottom of story). Traffic is detoured on Still Road to Rigby Road.
An Escambia County spokesperson said the bridge was closed to enable a contractor to make repairs, but more information was not available.
The 75-foot long wood piling bridge was constructed in 1965.
In June 2021, the bridge was closed after the roadway collapsed during heavy rains from Tropical Storm Claudette. The bridge was also closed in February 2020 due to obvious support deterioration and a jack was used to support the middle of the bridge.
Pictured: the Rigby Road bridge of Beaver Dam Creek on Wednesday afternoon, August 24, 2022. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Library Youth Program Fed Over 3,700 During Summer Meal Program
August 25, 2022
The numbers are in from the summer “Meals for Youth” program at the West Florida Public Libraries.
From May 25 until August 9, the libraries distributed 3,719 meals at seven locations.
The number of meals distributed at each location was as follows:
- Molino: 521
- Century: 226
- Tryon: 1,142
- Genealogy: 209
- Pensacola: 821
- Southwest: 422
- Westside: 378
The “Meals for Youths” program from Feeding the Gulf Coast provided the free lunch for Escambia County residents ages 18 and younger. Disabled individuals 19 years of age and older who participate in a public or private non-profit school program during the school year were also eligible to receive meals.
Local Moonshiner’s New TV Show ‘Alabama Shine’ Premieres
August 25, 2022
A couple of years ago, a Flomaton man competed on national TV with his old McDavid moonshine recipe, and now he’s back on television co-starring in his own show.
Johnny Griffis competed on Moonshiners: Master Distiller on the Discovery Channel in 2020. In the end, his “old school corn liquor moonshine” took second place.
“Since the show aired I have had much success,” Griffis told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday.
His new television series “Alabama Shine” premiered Thursday night exclusively on The Country Network (TCN). It showcased Griffis in Flomaton and Jimbo Bray in Carbon Hill, Alabama. Bray won the very first episode of Master Distiller on Discovery.
“I had an old timer from McDavid that had many years experience in moonshine teach me how to do it,” Griffis said said. “He gave me his old school family recipe.”
“The show is about moonshine and music,” he said. We will have a special musical guests each week.”
On the premiere episode, guests were country rocker Jelly Roll, singer and songwriter Steve Oliver, and Nikki Nelson from the group Highway 101.
Jelly Roll has been at No. 1 n the Billboard Emerging Artists chart for the past two weeks and recently performed his song “Son of a Sinner” on Jimmie Kimmel Live.
Watch “Alabama Shine” Thursdays at 7 p.m. or on demand later at tcntoday.com.
Woman Accused Of Embezzling $165K From Church, Bible College
August 25, 2022
A church secretary is facing charges for allegedly taking over $160,000 from her employer.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents arrested Lisa Michelle Hively, 55, on one count of organized scheme to defraud and one count of grand theft, both first-degree felonies. She was secretary at Faith Baptist Church and Faith Bible College from 2008 to 2021 where her husband was an assistant pastor, according to court documents.
The investigation began in February 2022 when FDLE agents looked into allegations of potential embezzlement by employees of a local church. Investigators conducted forensic audits of the church’s finances and interviewed Hively.
According to FDLE, Hively embezzled approximately $164,716 from her employer between 2015 and 2021.
The investigation showed that Hively, whose duties included writing checks to pay church bills, would write checks from the church or Bible college and deposit them into her personal bank account. FDLE said approximately 232 checks were made out to Lisa Hively or her husband, Christopher Hively. Investigators say that she then altered the church’s financial ledger to disguise the checks as payments for services rendered to the church.
Hively surrendered at the Escambia County Jail and was released on a $30,000 bond.
Blue Wahoos, Biscuits Rained Out in Pensacola
August 25, 2022
Rain forced the postponement of Wednesday’s game between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Montgomery Biscuits at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The contest will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Thursday, August 25, with first pitch of game one beginning at 4:05. Both games will be seven innings, and gates will open to all fans at 3:30.
Fans with tickets to Wednesday’s game may exchange them at the Blue Wahoos box office for tickets to a future 2022 Blue Wahoos regular season home game, subject to availability.
Fire Sparked By Clothes Dryer Damages Cantonment Townhome
August 24, 2022
An early morning fire damaged a townhome in Cantonment.
The fire was reported at 3:44 a.m. at the Pine Forest Oaks Townhomes in the 3300 block of Pine Forest Road. Firefighters arrived to find light smoke coming from the roof of one of the quadplexes and entered to find a fire in the laundry room of one unit.
The fire caused extensive damage in the laundry room and adjacent hallway. The fire caused a water pipe to burst, causing additional damage to an adjacent townhome. The occupants of both townhomes were displaced by the damage and are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
Escambia County Fire Rescue said the fire was caused by the clothes dryer.
There were no injuries reported.
The Ensley, Cantonment, Bellview, Osceola and Brent Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded, along with Escambia County EMS.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Salzman Easily Defeats Hill In House District 1 Republican Race
August 24, 2022
Incumbent Michelle Salzman easily defeated challenger Mike Hill in the Florida House District 1 Republican primary on Tuesday. She will now face Democrat Franscine Mathis in the November general election.
Salzman received 65% of the vote to Hill’s 35%, or a margin of about 6,200 votes.
“It was a great victory for Northwest Florida,” Salzman told NorthEscambia.com from her victory party Tuesday night. “All across the board, the right people won. We are going to pick up the pieces and head toward November and continue the momentum.”
Salzman defeated Hill in the 2020 GOP primary by about 1,000 votes — five percentage points. In her campaign, Salzman highlighted the fact that Hill failed to get any bill that he sponsored passed or any appropriation approved during his previous time in the Florida Legislature.
Sheriff Chip Simmons Addresses Molino Neighborhood Watch Group
August 24, 2022
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons spoke to the Molino Mid-County Neighborhood Watch about fighting crime in their neighborhood Monday evening.
The Molino Mid-County Neighborhood Watch group is scheduled to meet again on September 26 at the Molino Community Center on Highway 95A.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Primary Election Recap: Here’s Who Won The Primary Election, Local Results
August 24, 2022
Florida Governor
Democrat Charlie Crist defeated challenger Nikki Fried to face Republican incumbent Ron DeSantis in November.
U.S. House 1st Congressional District
Republic incumbent Matt Gaetz defeated challengers Mark Lombardo and Greg Merk. He will face Democrat Rebekah Jones in November. Jones defeated Peggy Schiller in the primary Tuesday.
State Senate District 1
Republican incumbent Doug Broxson received 76% of the vote Tuesday to win the primary over John Mills. He will face Democrat Charlie Nichols in November.
Florida House District 1
Incumbent Michelle Salzman won the Republican primary with 65% of the vote over Mike Hill with 35% of the ballots cast. Salzman will face Democratic Franscine Mathis in the general election in November.
Florida House District 2
Republican incumbent Alex Andrade beat Greg Litton Jordan Karr. Andrade will be up against Democrat Carollyn Rabeca Taylor on November 8.
Escambia County Judge Group 1
Scott Richie was elected as Escambia County judge Tuesday with 64.5% of the vote to 35.5% for Paul Hamlin.
Escambia County Commission District 2
Mike Kohler, a retired Navy captain, defeated Kevin Brown and Chance Walsh for the Escambia County Commission District 2 seat. Incumbent Doug Underhill did not seek reelection.
Escambia County Commission District 4
Incumbent Escambia County District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender garnered 78.6% of the vote, beating Stan McDaniels. He will face Democrat Myra Van Hoose in the general election.
Escambia County School Board District 1
With nearly 72% of the vote, Escambia County School Board Chairman Kevin Adams retained his seat with a landslide victory over his challenger, Connor Mann.
Escambia County School Board District 2
Paul Fetsko, with 45.6% of the vote, and Ray Guillory, with 35.4%, will be in a November runoff. A third candidate, Kells Hetherington, received 18% of Tuesday’s vote.
Escambia County School Board District 3
Incumbent Laura Edler was defeated by former Pensacola High School principal David Williams.
Pensacola Mayor
D.C. Reeves was elected as Pensacola’s next mayor with 51.44% of the vote, defeating Jewel Cannada-Wynn (19.67%), Steve Sharp (16.06%) and Sherri Myers (12.83%).
Pensacola City Council District 2
Charles Bare (41.19%) and Char Powell (26.05%) will be in a runoff in November.
Pensacola City Council District 6
Allison Patton (42.70%) and Ann Hill (35.27% will be in a runoff in November.