Commissioner Almost Loses His Cool With County Fire Chief At Meeting
July 18, 2008
The process of consolidating the county’s volunteer and paid firefighters is continuing, but not without contention between one commissioner and the county’s fire chief.
Escambia County Fire Chief Ken Perkins (pictured left) was giving his monthly report to commissioners on the consolidation process when District 5 Commissioner Kevin White asked about a rumor.
“We have indentified and are going to be reducing some of our excessive resources, mainly in our rolling stock and fleet,” Perkins said. “Reducing our staff vehicles by approximately 30 percent. Also taking some of our older apparatus out of service and pulling some of the others back into a reserve status which will hopefully save us on maintenance cost.”
“Is there any truth to the rumor that it’s going to be two (staff vehicles) per station?” District 5 Commissioner Kevin White asked.
“Two per station.” Perkins responded.
“In every station?” White asked.
“Every station,” Perkins replied.
“I’ll talk to y’all later. I’ve got to go. I’m going to get ticked here in a minute,” White said. “Completely different from what we talked about that day in my office because some stations it wasn’t a one size fit all plan.”
“Correct,” Perkins said.
“But you are going to do it across the board?” White asked.
“That is the starting point. Two at this point. And that could be cut even more as we move along,” Perkins said.
“I’m done,” White (pictured left) said. “I don’t think I could go any farther without losing my cool.”
Other changes moving toward the consolidation identified by Perkins included centralizing vehicle and apparatus maintenance programs, processes for disciplinary action and termination of volunteer firefighters, standardized communications methods, personnel evaluations, standardized record keeping through firehouse software, a new way of doing annual department budgets and standardized mutual aid agreements.
Volunteers will also processed through the county’s human resources department, including background checks, driving records checks and physicals.
“At this point I feel very, very confident we may end up bringing a total package to you earlier than September if we continue at this pace, Perkins said.
School District Rejects County Offer To Purchase Old Molino School, County To Make Another Offer
July 18, 2008
Escambia County’s $2 million offer to purchase the old Molino Elementary School and the old Wedgewood Middle School property in Pensacola was shot down by the school district.
County Administrator Bob McLaughlin told commissioners Thursday that he met with School Superintendent Jim Paul Monday afternoon to formally make the $2 million offer to acquire the two properties.
“With some discussion, Mr. Paul made a counter offer of $3.3 million for the pieces of property,” McLaughlin said.
The $3.3 million was broken down as $2.9 million for the Wedgewood property and $400,000 for the old Molino School property.
McLaughlin said he did not have a current appraisal on the Wedgewood property, so the commission granted him permission to obtain that appraisal so he could return to Paul’s office with another offer.
“Mr. Paul is trying to sell the surplus properties that he has to try to build a high school somewhere on the westside,” said McLaughlin.
The school board’s appraisal of the Molino property is $400,000 to $600,000, and $3.3 million on the Wedgewood property.
“If there’s (county owned) properties somewhere near where he would like to build the new school on the west side, then we may have additional leverage,” McLaughlin. “But he was not able to give a specific location or a general area that I could take a look at and see what we had available.”
Last month, the commission was set to discuss the purchase the old Wedgewood Middle property for a one-stop county facility. The Escambia County School Board’s asking price for the property located off Highway 29 north of W Street was $4 million.The commission decided to offer $2 million for that property and the old Molino Elementary on Highway 95A in Molino. The school board’s asking price for the Molino property was $400,000.
Plans call for the old Molino school to become a community hub, possibly including a 5,000 square foot library, a museum highlighting Molino history, a small health clinic, a business incubator, renovation of the gym and one additional building for community events and private party rental along with other uses.
The Molino school closed in 2003 when the new Molino Park Elementary School consolidated Molino Elementary and Barrineau Park Elementary.
The school, which sits on nine acres along County Road 95A, first opened in 1939.
Natural Gas Fire Rages Near Atmore Grocery Store
July 18, 2008
Flames shot several feet into the air near Winn Dixie in Atmore early Thursday afternoon as a natural gas fire burned from a hole in the street.
A contractor actually went into the hole with the fire to turn a shutoff valve and extinguish the fire.
For the complete story and a photo gallery, visit AtmoreNews.com.
Photo courtesy Atmore News.
Free Movie Tonight: “Facing The Giants”
July 18, 2008
A free community movie night will be held tonight in Century.
The Century Blue Ribbon Committee will present “Facing the Giants” tonight at 6:30 at the New Life Baptist Church in the old Century High School on Hecker Road.
Facing the Giants is an action-packed drama about a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure.
In six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never led his Shiloh Eagles to a winning season. After learning that he and his wife Brooke face infertility, Grant discovers that a group of fathers are secretly organizing to have him dismissed as head coach.
Devastated by his circumstances, he cries out to God in desperation. When Grant receives a message from an unexpected visitor, he searches for a stronger purpose for his football team. He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field.
When faced with unbelievable odds, the Eagles must step up to their greatest test of strength and courage. What transpires is a dynamic story of the fight between faith and fear. Facing the Giants is a powerful experience for the whole family inspiring viewers to live with faith, hope, and love.
The movie “A Walk To Remember” will be shown next Friday night at 6:30.
County Gives First Nod To Pet Friendly Hurricane Shelter
July 18, 2008
The county commission gave a preliminary go-ahead for Escambia County’s first pet-friendly hurricane evacuation shelter Thursday morning.
The pet-friendly shelter of last resort would be located at Molino Park Elementary School.
“I think it is good,” Commissioner Grover Robinson said. “We have got a lot of people that have pets.”
The county is currently conducting a pet-friendly shelter needs survey. So far, 574 pet owners have take the survey. You can take the survey by clicking here.
While there are over 1,500 local hotel and motel rooms that will accept pets, the county has determined the need for a pet-friendly shelter as a last resort for those unable to evacuate their pets elsewhere or simply will not evacuate without their pets.The pets would be housed in the 3,158 square foot area of the school’s gym. The county says that will house between 148 to 350 pets in pet carriers or cages.
“I wish we could do more. Right now, 250 is better than zero,” Robinson said.
The shelter would be for household cats and dogs only, with no other pets or animals allowed. Pet owners would be responsible for providing their own food, water, medicine and cleanup supplies.
Owners would not be allowed to shelter with their pets in the pet area, nor would pets be allowed in the people shelter area of the school.
A contractor will be used to sanitize the school and spray for fleas before students are allowed to return.
Produce Truck Overturns On Highway 29 In Molino; Driver Charged
July 17, 2008
No one was injured when a truck overturned on Highway 29 in Molino this morning, but the driver now faces charges.
The truck was hauling fresh produce for Adams Produce in Birmingham. The driver, Robert T. Cade, 51 of Birmingham, was southbound on Highway 29 in the inside lane when he ran off the road into the median, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The FHP says he then over corrected, ran back across Highway 29 and overturned. The truck landed with the trailer blocking in the outside southbound land of Highway 29 and the truck on the grassy side of the road.
Cade was not injured. He was charged with possession of a narcotic without a prescription and careless driving, according to the crash report from the FHP.
The truck came to rest on its side partially off the highway. One southbound lane was blocked, but traffic continued to flow until being stopped for the wrecker to right the truck.
The accident happened just south of Molino Road just before 8:00. The truck was still blocking traffic at 1:00 Wednesday afternoon..
The Molino Volunteer Fire Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene.
Pictured: This truck hauling produce overturned Wednesday morning in Molino. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Century To Foreclose On Helicopter Technologies, Take Back Lots
July 17, 2008
The Town of Century has decided to begin foreclosure proceedings against Helicopter Technologies.
After Wednesday afternoon meeting with Matt Dannheisser, the town’s attorney, the town council voted to begin the emergency foreclosure proceedings.
The company’s building in the Century Industrial Park was financed by the Town of Century in 1991 for $420,000 according to filed documents. The company currently owes the town $449,000, according to Mayor Freddie McCall.
At the council’s last meeting on July 7, the mayor told the council that Georges Van Nevel of Helicopter Technologies told him that the building would be sold to a Pensacola buyer by July 11. NorthEscambia.com learned on July 10 that the sale was off and the buyer was backing out.
McCall said that a clause in Helicopter Technologies’ contract with the town gave the town the option to “take back” three lots around the building, and he said the town would take possession of those lots.
Before the foreclosure papers are filed in the courts, the mayor said the council had authorized Dannheisser to explore a few other options. One would be an offer by Van Nevel to give the building back to the town in exchange for the town forgiving the amount he owes.
For recent stories:
Click here to read No Sale: Helicopter Technologies Building Buyer Backs Out
Click here to read Helicopter Technologies Building Might Be Sold; Town Considers Filing Emergency Foreclosure
10 Years In The Making: A Solution To Backwoods Water Woes
July 17, 2008
After waiting a decade, the residents of Backwoods Road in Century will finally see a solution to their water woes.
The Century Town Council voted in a special meeting Wednesday afternoon to rework a $1.4 million USDA loan to include water line improvements on Backwoods Road.
Back on May 22, the town received a symbolic $1,755,000 check for a USDA Rural Development Loan to improve water service in the area of Backwoods Road, but the council never voted to finalize the loan.
Since that time, about $300,000 was shaved from the project by decreasing the size of a new elevated storage tank near the intersection of Henry Street and Academy Street. The project was to also include generators for water wells and a new six inch water main from Shady Lane and State Line Road, west along State Line Road to Highway 4A, and then south on Highway 4A past Backwoods Road.
The council had planned to “buy down the loan” by about $300,000, mostly from funds to be received from the state from back billing for gas service at the Century Correctional Institute. With that $300,000, the monthly loan payment would be about $64,000…with that money coming from increased payments of around $90,000 a month from the prison system.
McCall said it would be several months before the loan was finalized, and he said he did not know at this point if the town would be still be able to buy down the loan by the $300,000 with the added expense of improving water service on Backwoods Road.
The next major hurdle, one that has been a problem for years, will be obtaining the right of way agreements necessary to install the new water line next to Backwoods Road.
Bomb Squad Blows Up Highly Explosive Acid Found In Walnut Hill
July 17, 2008
The bomb squad blew up a potentially highly explosive bottle of acid discovered Wednesday afternoon in Walnut Hill with a bang that was heard for miles.
The quart size bottle of picric acid was found in a barn on a farm in the 7800 block of Highway 97, less than a half mile from Ernest Ward Middle School. The bomb squad was called to the scene, and the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department responded about 1:45.
Picric acid was widely used in and prior to World War I as an explosive, having more explosive power than TNT. Once the liquid begins to dry out and crystallize, it’s explosive potential increases dramatically. It can detonate easily if it is bumped or shaken.
The plastic container (pictured left in the bomb technician’s hands) found in Walnut Hill had formed crystals known as “salts”, according to Sgt. John Corley from the Bay County Sheriff’s Department. Corley is commander of the Florida Region I Bomb Squad called to the scene.
Farm workers in the area were evacuated. Then, Corley and Sgt. Adam Buff, also from the Bay County Sheriff’s Department, carefully removed the container and placed it in water. Water decreases the volatility of the chemical.
The picric acid was then carefully and slowly transported away from the barn in a cart on the back of a riding lawnmower (pictured left). Units from the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department slowly followed behind, keeping their distance from the lone bomb squad member on the lawnmower.
The picric acid in the water filled container was lowered into a hole dug at the back corner of a watermelon field across from Ernest Ward Middle School, and it was covered with dirt. The fire department was then allowed into the area where they wet down the surrounding grass and trees to prevent a fire.
Fire units were dispatched to standby along Highway 97 and near Arthur Brown Road. One fire truck was moved about 500 feet away into the watermelon field, upwind from the planned explosion. Firemen were told to stay behind the truck for protection. NorthEscambia.com was with that fire crew in the watermelon field.
Bomb squad members then loaded the hole with explosives. About 3:30, they were then detonated with a loud boom that was heard up to three miles away from the scene. Smoke boiled upward from the explosion, while a water vapor cloud moved away in the wind.
Fire crews were kept back from the explosion site for about 15 minutes until it was determined that any potential picric acid that remained was clear. Firemen then sprayed more water around the scene to further insure that all of the chemical was dissipated.
Internet research indicates that two ounces of picric has the potential explosive power of one stick of dynamite. A quart container, like the one found in Walnut Hill, would hold 32 ounces. That, at least according to the internet research, would have given the container the explosive potential of 16 sticks of dynamite.
“Since it had salted, this was potentially a very dangerous situation,” Corley said, adding that he was not sure how the container’s explosive potential would equate to sticks of dynamite. In his years with the bomb squad, he said he had never dealt with picric. Before removing the container, Corley said his team members consulted with two chemists and a military bomb squad from an area base for advice.
He said that if the picric has been accidently detonated in the barn, it could have caused significant damage to the barn and nearby people.
Corley said he estimated the power of the planned explosion to be equivalent to about eight sticks of dynamite, with that power coming from the explosives used by the bomb squad to create the blast since the picric was neutralized in water.
Besides wartime bomb making, picric was once used diluted as an antiseptic and as a treatment for burns, malaria, herpes and smallpox. It was once also synthesized into a non-explosive insecticide called chloropicrin. Chloropicrin was also used by the Germans and British as a chemical warfare agent during World War II.
It was not known why the picric acid was on the farm. It was discovered by someone in the barn who researched the chemical. Once they discovered that it was potentially explosive, a call was placed for the bomb squad.
Internet research discovered perhaps a couple of dozen incidents around the country were bomb squads had been called to destroy picric. Most of those incidents involved just a few ounces of the acid, and none involved anywhere near the quantity that would be in a quart jar.
Click here for more exclusive photos from the bomb squad incident in Walnut Hill.
Pictured top: The bomb squad blew up a bottle of highly explosive acid in Walnut Hill Wednesday afternoon. Debris from the container and dirt can be seen flying into the air in the picture. Pictured below: Sgt. Adam Buff (left) and Sgt. John Corley from the Region I Bomb Squad prepare the detonation cord used to set off the controlled explosion. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos.
Population of Escambia County and Century declines; Population up in surrounding areas
July 16, 2008
Population estimates release Thursday by the U.S. Census bureau show declines in Escambia County, including Century, with increases in surrounding Florida and Alabama counties.
Escambia County’s population declined by 514 people from 2006 to 2007. The 2007 population was estimated at 306,407, down from 306,621 in 2006.
Santa Rosa County’s population increased over that year, up 1.8% to 147,044. In neighboring Escambia County, Alabama, the population increased from 37,577 to 37,600. And in Baldwin County, Alabama, the population surged 3,536 people, about 2.1 percent, to 171,769.
The population of Century declined by about a third of a percent from the official census in 2000 to 2007 estimates. The estimates released Thursday show Century’s population decreased by an estimated five people from 2006 to 2007, down to 1,923 people. Over the longer term, from 2000 to 2007, the population of Century is estimated to have increased 2.5% from 1,876 in 2000 to the 1,923 people in 2007.
Jay’s population increased about one percent over the seven years, from 675 to 682 people.
Atmore’s population was up from 7,411 in 2006 to 7,727 in 2007. Flomaton’s population from 2006 to 2007 was estimated to have increased by seven people from 1,530 to 1,537.