EREC Plans Power Outage Beginning Late Tuesday Night For 2,000 Members

March 18, 2024

Escambia River Electric Cooperative has another planned power outage beginning late Tuesday night for about 2,000 members.

The scheduled outage will begin at 11 p.m. Tuesday and last for up to four hours in the following areas :Oak Grove, Walnut Hill, Davisville, Enon, McKinnon, Bogia, Barrineau Park, parts of Bratt, and parts of Molino. The outage will allow  PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, EREC’s electricy suppier, to complete the installation of a new switch along their transmission line to the Oak Grove Substaion on Highway 99A.  This outage will complete the work project that began with a previous planned outage back on February 26.

EREC planned to notify members about 2 p.m. Monday with phone calls and text messages to members with registered mobile numbers.

NorthEscambia.com graphic.

Century Asked For Nothing, Received Nothing In New State Budget. Last Year, It Was $1.885 Million.

March 18, 2024

During the 2023 session, the Florida Legislature appropriated nearly $2 million in funding for two major requests by the Town of Century. But the $117 billion 2024-25 state budget includes nothing specifically for the town after the mayor asked for nothing.

Last fall, local governments presented their state funding requests to the Escambia County Legislative Delegation — Sen. Doug Broxson, State Rep. Alex Andrade and State Rep. Michelle Salzman.

In October 2023, Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. addressed the delegation, thanking them for millions in state funding that has gone to projects in Century, including a bridge replacement, wastewater treatment plant repairs and repairs to a failed water well serving the state prison.

Gomez did not ask for any additional funding in the 2024 state budget. Instead, Broxson told Gomez that the town may need to be unchartered and taken over by Escambia County due to an ongoing problem of low tax base and needs that are “very great”.

Broxson said he had been dealing with Century during 14 years in the legislature, and the town’s tax base is low while needs are “very great”.

$1.885 Million Last Year

The town and then-mayor Ben Boutwell asked the local legislative delegation to fund two projects, one of which was fully approved and the other half-funded.

The 2023-24 state budget included $1.885 million for replacement of the Freedom Road Bridge in Century and half the money needed to replace a failed town water well serving the Century Correctional Institution.

The funding included $1,257,000 to replace a Town of Century bridge on Freedom Road with no required local matching funds.

On January 29, 2020, the town suddenly closed the bridge on Freedom Road, just east of Jefferson Avenue. Photos obtained by NorthEscambia.com a few days later showed the dangerous conditions that led to the emergency closure. Several pilings under the wooden bridge were no longer properly supporting the structure, and some of the pilings were split or had extreme deterioration.

The closure turned Freedom Road into a cul-de-sac with one way in and one way out for residents, including the Camellia Gardens apartment complex.

The 2023-24 budget included $628,500 to replace the Town of Century’s Well No. 3, which exclusively serves Century Correctional Institution, half of the $1.297 million that was requested.

After multiple problems, the well suffered a catastrophic failure during the summer of 2022 and no longer provided water to the prison for staff and inmates. A shaft shattered into a dozen or more pieces and fell to the bottom of the well.

Neither of the projects have been completed.

Patchy Frost Possible Tonight; Temps Near Freezing

March 18, 2024

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Tonight: Patchy frost after 5am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 32. North wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday: Patchy frost before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 60. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.

Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. North wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 72.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 46.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 75.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.