Nearly 20,000 Boxes And Pallets Turned Into Mulch At McDavid Solar Energy Site
January 9, 2022
There were nearly 10,000 refrigerator-sized boxes and the same number of wooden pallets that needed disposal after solar panels were installed off Bogia Road in Escambia County.
The solar panels were installed at Florida Power & Light’s large-scale Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center in McDavid.
Always on the hunt for solutions, FPL Senior Project Manager Matt McCord came up with an environmentally friendly, cost-saving way to deal with the mountain of refuse by repurposing it and returning the materials back to the Earth.
After some 200,000 to 250,000 solar panels were bolted into their frames at Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center, a large grinder chewed up the wooden pallets and cardboard boxes, spitting out the nails into a container. A steady spray of finely chewed-up cardboard and wood spewed out of a conveyor belt, creating a mound of ready-to-spread mulch that is said to be perfect for supporting the growth of grass and wildflower seeds.
“The mulch is a great stabilizer and promotes the grass to grow, which causes the mulch to decompose even faster,” he said. “The wildflowers and other vegetation are planted to transform the solar energy sites into stewardship sites that support wildlife and pollinators.”
Mulching replaces the costlier and less eco-friendly methods of discarding the tons of packaging into landfills and legally burning the wooden pallets. That, McCord said, would have cost about $180,000 for the McDavid site.
“All of that takes manpower and trucks,” McCord remarked. “The new method costs about $50,000 per solar site. Plus, we’re not burning or sending this material to the landfill. We’re working to reduce our carbon footprint through our 30-by-30 solar plan and the retirement of coal. By the time we’ve completed the 30-by-30 plan, you’re talking in the ballpark of $10 million in savings. This is good for the environment and saves our customers money.”
The 30-by-30 plan calls for the installation of 30 million solar panels statewide by 2030 to reduce carbon emissions and create a more sustainable energy future while meeting the growing electricity needs of customers.
Initially, McCord looked into different options – composting offsite and selling the compost and composting on the solar sites and hauling waste off.
“That’s when I thought, what if we mulch it on-site and never move it?” he said. “Let it compost and go back to nature. All we have to do is spread the mulch out. And in a few days, we put seed down and we have grass growing, and we have a very cheap and environmentally friendly solution. After a year’s time, you can’t see the mulch anymore because it goes back to nature.”
FPL’s environmental team vetted and advised on the process based on federal and state regulations. McCord said all boxes and pallets verified to be free of paint and chemicals in accordance with the US Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program regulations can be mulched.
FPL says the same mulching process will be used later this year at the First City Solar Energy Center, a second solar site to build in North Escambia off Holland, Cox and Roach roads in McDavid.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Stream Escambia Middle School Symposium Monday Night
January 9, 2022
The Escambia County School District will host a Middle School Symposium on Monday, January 10.
This symposium will be held at Booker T. Washington High School in the Theodore B.D. Bennett Auditorium from 6-8 p.m. All middle schools in the county will be represented.
“As a district, we realize the transition to middle school can be stressful to families,” said ECSD Director of Middle School Education Dr. Michael Roberts. “Our goal, through hosting this symposium, is to provide information and answer questions in order to help our local community get the most possible out of the middle school experience.”
The symposium will be an opportunity for parents to hear important information about various topics related to local middle schools.
The in-person panel will consist of all county middle school administrators. In addition, school board members, local county and city officials, elementary and middle school PTSA officers, and school advisory council members have been invited to attend in person.
The public is invited to join a live stream via the Escambia County School District Facebook page.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Shooting In Perdido, Alabama
January 9, 2022
One person was shot in Perdido, Alabama, Saturday, and a relative of the victim has been charged.
The shooting happened on Lonnie Hadley Road off Lottie Road, about 3.5 miles northwest of the Florida state line. The victim was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital, and an update on their condition was not available.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man described as a “family member” of the victim. Dillon Kirk Johnson, age 24 of Lonnie Hadley Road in Perdido, was booked into the Baldwin County Corrections Center in Bay Minette without bond.
Sheriff’s Office Warns About Scam Phone Calls
January 9, 2022
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning on Saturday about a scam.
Someone called a potential victim claiming to be a member of the ECSO administration. The scammer claimed the person had a current warrant but could choose to make a payment instead of being arrested, according to ECSO.
“The ECSO will never contact you to collect money,” the agency said in a release. “The recipient became suspicious and contacted the ECSO – which is exactly what they should have done.”
Deputies said there are multiple versions of the scam currently where fraudsters claim to be sworn law enforcement officers or other employees of the sheriff’s office.
The ECSO offered the following safety tips:
- Always be suspicious of any threatening calls claiming to be from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
- A legitimate business will not resort to threats as a first response to a late or missed payment.
- Always be suspicious when asked to send an electronic payment, Green Dot card payment, or wire transfer.
- Trust your instinct. If you feel that something “just isn’t right”, don’t give any personal or banking information to anyone over the phone. Hang up and contact your local law enforcement agency and report it.
“It is much easier to prevent fraud in the first place than to recover your money after the fact,” ECSO said.
West Florida High School Named Laura Rainey As Teacher Of The Year
January 9, 2022
West Florida High School named Laura Rainey as their teacher of the year. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia and Santa Rosa Private Applicator Training Coming To Jay
January 9, 2022
Santa Rosa Extension is welcoming anyone interested in obtaining a Private or Ag Row Crop license to attend a pesticide safety training.
The training will be Friday, January 21 at 9 a.m. at the Linda Carden (Jay) Community Center at 5259 Booker Lane in Jay. Training should be completed by mid-afternoon, which will allow time for exam completion.
Attendees will learn the basics of applying pesticides correctly and will be able to take the exams (private applicator and core) necessary to become certified private applicators by FDACS.
Anyone using or supervising the use of restricted use pesticides on agricultural or related sites in Florida needs a restricted use pesticide license. Agricultural and related sites include, but are not limited to the following areas: farms, plant nurseries, livestock operations, forests, ornamental and turf not associated with structures. A “private applicator” is an individual who has reached the age of maturity (generally 18 years old) and is licensed by FDACS to use or supervise the use of any restricted use pesticide for purposes of producing any agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by the licensed person or that person’s employer. This license is for farm, ranch, grove, nursery, sod farm applications, etc.
CEUS offered at this training include 2 Core, 2 Aerial, 2 Ag Row Crop, and 2 Private Applicator. The core points will be available in the morning part of the class while the category training will take place after lunch.
The cost per person is $15, which includes lunch. Advanced registration is required to ensure adequate preparations are made for lunch, materials and exams. To register please contact: Bethany Caraway at (850) 857-2313 or by email at bethanydiamond@ufl.edu.
Here Are Next Week’s Road Construction Slow Zones
January 8, 2022
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures and lane shifts on the Pensacola Bay Bridge from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9 through Saturday, Jan. 15. Crews will be using lanes on the current bridge as a platform to pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure.
- West Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) Pedestrian Safety Improvement – Drivers will encounter inside lane closures between A and N streets as crews perform median improvements and install poles for pedestrian traffic signals.
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) – Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures and shifts from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9 through Wednesday, Jan. 12 between I-10 and Nine and Half Mile Road, and on Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 interchange to allow crews to place the thermoplastic striping and to perform worklist items.
- Sorrento Road (State Road (S.R.) 292) Intersection Improvements at Innerarity Point (County Road 292A) – Motorists can expect intermittent daytime shoulder closures Monday, Jan. 10 through Friday, Jan. 14, as crews place a water main.
- Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Widening from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road (S.R. 297) –Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, Jan. 10 through Friday, Jan. 14 as crews place final striping and complete final work items.
- North Ninth Avenue (S.R. 289) Carpenters Creek Bridge Replacement- All travel lanes are temporarily shifted to the northbound side of the bridge as crews replace the southbound portion of the structure. Additionally, drivers may encounter intermittent temporary lane closures from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday as crews mobilize materials and equipment.
- S.R. 173 (Blue Angel Parkway) Routine Maintenance near Sorrento Road – Motorists will encounter north and southbound lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9 through Friday, Jan. 14 as crews perform paving operations.
Santa Rosa County
- Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures and lane shifts on the Pensacola Bay Bridge from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 9 through Saturday, Jan. 15. Crews will be using lanes on the current bridge as a platform to pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure.
- I-10 Resurfacing East of S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard) to East of S.R. 87 – The eastbound lane will remain reduced to one lane at the County Road 191 Overpass Bridge (Exit 26) until work associated with bridge approach construction is complete. Motorists can also expect intermittent lane closures from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. the week of Monday, Jan. 10 as crews perform construction activities.
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Major roadway construction activities are currently underway. Improvements include widening the roadway from four to a six-lanes with a raised median, safety, and drainage upgrades, resurfacing Avalon Boulevard from U.S. 98 to Garcon Point Bridge, extending the existing shared-use path on the south side of U.S. 98 from Gondolier Boulevard, and new signage and pavement markings.
- U.S. 90 Routine Utility Maintenance at Woodbine Road Intersection – Westbound Motorists will encounter turn lane closures at Woodbine Road from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Jan.10 through Friday, Jan 14 as crews replace utility poles and overhead lines. The merge lane on Woodbine Road at U.S. 90 westbound to Pensacola will also be closed intermittently during nighttime hours as crews perform utility maintenance operations.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Lindsey Jeremiah Selected As McArthur Elementary Teacher Of The Year
January 8, 2022
Lindsey Jeremiah has been selected as the McArthur Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She is a first grade teacher at the school. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Reschedules Three Council, Charter Review Meetings For January
January 8, 2022
The Town of Century has shuffled the schedule for three public meetings during the month of January.
The Century Town Council will meet at 7 p.m. following a 6:45 p.m. bill list review on Tuesday, January 11 and Tuesday, January 18 in council chambers at town hall. The first meeting was moved from January 3 to January 11 due to a council scheduling conflict, and the second meeting was delayed a day due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
A Century Charter Review Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 18 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the community center on West Highway 4. The change was to avoid a conflict with a rescheduled council meeting.
Pictured: Century council president Luis Gomez, Jr. discusses an agenda item during the council’s last meeting on December 20, 2021. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
By The Numbers: Escambia Had 3,701 New COVID-19 Cases Last Week
January 8, 2022
There were 3,701 new COVID-19 cases reported last week in Escambia County, according to a Florida Department of Health report. That compares to 2,417 in the previous week.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 60,828 (+3,701)
Positivity rate last week: 42.93%
Case Rate per 100k: 1,162.68
People vaccinated: 165,865 (+929)
Fully vaccinated rate: 52.2%
Partially vaccinated rate: 60.6%
Current hospitalizations: 144
Total deaths last 7 days: <10 (CDC data)
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 34,032 (+1,919)
Positivity rate last week: 27.0%
Case Rate per 100k: 1,040.08
People vaccinated: 96,424 (+503)
Vaccination rate (age 5+): 51.2%
New hospital admissions: 18
Total deaths last 7 days: 0 (CDC data)
Statewide cases:
Florida resident cases: 4,562,954 (+397,114)
Case positivity rate: 31.2
Deaths: 62,688 (+44)