Think It’s Rained A Lot?
August 20, 2012
If you think it’s been wet lately, you would be correct, according to the National Weather Service in Mobile. The area has seen quite a bit of rainfall over the past 90 days, seen on the graphic above.
Over the last 90 days, there has been 15-20 inches of rainfall across northern Escambia County, 20-25 inches in the central part of the county, and from 30 to 40 inches across the southern part of the county.
The higher rainfall totals seen on the map across northern Florida were due to Tropical Storm Debby.
NorthEscambia.com graphic, click to enlarge.
Mary Nell “Missie” Roach Peacock
August 20, 2012
Mary Nell “Missie” Roach Peacock, age 67 of Byrneville, passed away Sunday, August 19, 2012, in Century. She was born November 29, 1944, in Bratt to the late Perry and Laura Grimes Roach. She is preceded in death by her husband, Hollis L. Peacock, and is survived by her son Jeff Peacock and daughter-in-law Jodi Peacock of Atmore.
Missie died as she lived, with strength and quiet dignity. She was a dedicated wife and mother that spent her entire life seeing to the needs of others. Heaven is a lot brighter today
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, August 22, 2012, at 10 a.m. from the Atmore Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with graveside services following at Beulah Assembly of God Church Cemetery in Byrneville with Pastor Jim Thorpe officiating.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 21 from 6-8 p.m. at Atmore Memorial Chapel Funeral Home at 1400 East Nashville Avenue in Atmore.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home and Atmore Memorial Chapel are in charge of all arrangements.
$456 Ticket? Slow Down In School Zones
August 20, 2012
Zoom through the Ernest Ward Middle or Molino Park Elementary school zone at 45 mph and it will cost you … $456 to be exact. Make it 50 miles an hour, and you’ll be talking to a judge.
It’s back to school week in Escambia County, and that means slowing down in school zones. And whether it is Ernest Ward, Molino Park or one of dozens of other schools, law enforcement will be out in force enforcing school zone speed limits. Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS will also be in several school zones in an attempt to slow drivers down.
If you are caught speeding in a school zone, be prepared for a big hit on your wallet, not mention your vehicle insurance rates.
Here is a list of fines if motorists are caught speeding in school zones in Escambia County:
- 1 – 9 mph over the speed limit: $156.
- 10 – 14 mph over the speed limit: $306.
- 15 to 19 mph over the speed limit: $406.
- 20 – 29 mph over the speed limit: $456.
- 30 plus mph over the speed limit: Mandatory court appearance.
And if you fail to stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading students, that a $271 fine.
Pictured: An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy makes a traffic stop near Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill after the driver was clocked speeding in the school zone. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Beat Biscuits 9-2 To Open Series
August 20, 2012
Pensacola first baseman Beau Mills mashed a homer in his third straight game, while third baseman David Vidal also left the yard and right fielder Josh Fellhauer drove home three, as the Blue Wahoos topped the Montgomery Biscuits 9-2 on Sunday evening at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The win pushes Pensacola to a 29-27 record in the second half and to within two games of the Biscuits for two games of first place in the South Division. Montgomery fell to a 31-25 mark since the midpoint of the season.
After both teams were held scoreless through the first four frames, both teams combined for the 11 tallies in the final five. Montgomery got the scoring started in the fifth when C Mayo Acosta led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, coming being sent home on 2B Derek Dietrich’s RBI double to left.
The Blue Wahoos would then answer with two tallies in the bottom half of the inning. C Mark Fleury and 2B Miguel Rojas each reached on consecutive walks prior to SS Billy Hamilton’s single, which loaded the bases for Fellhauer. The right fielder drove home both Fleury and Rojas with his single to right, putting Pensacola up 2-1.
Montgomery then countered in the sixth to tie the game at 2-2. DH Kyeong Kang was hit by a pitch, before he was driven home on 1B Michael Sheridan’s run-scoring double to center.
Pensacola however, would then plate seven unanswered scores over the next two frames to pull away. SS Billy Hamilton sent in Rojas following his base-on-balls, while the Fish put up a six-spot in the following inning. Mills and Vidal each homered, while Hamilton and Fellhauer each drew bases loaded free passes to add to their RBI totals. Mills’ blast was his third in as many games for the Fish and is tied for the team lead this season with Vidal with ten homers.
Hamilton (2-3, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and Fellhauer (2-3, 3 RBI, 2 BB) each tallied two hits for Pensacola, and reached base four times while Dietrich (2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI) and Sheridan (2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI) also collected multi-hit efforts. Hamilton did not steal a base in the contest and remains at 143 thefts this season, putting him two away from tying Vince Coleman’s single-season record and three from setting a new mark.
Blue Wahoos reliever Wilkin De La Rosa (1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) earned the victory to improve to 1-1 after firing 1.1 scoreless innings, while Biscuits reliever Marquis Fleming (2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) suffered the loss. Pensacola starter Wirfin Obispo (5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 SO) did not factor in the decision despite yielding only a lone earned run on just three hits while fanning seven in his five solid innings.
The two teams are scheduled to square off again Monday night, with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. from the bayfront stadium. The Fish are expected to send RHP Chad Rogers to the mound, while Montgomery is slated to give the nod to LHP Kyle Lobstein.
By Andrew Green
Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Chances Remain High For Back To School Monday
August 19, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms. Low around 70. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. North wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
- Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
- Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90.
- Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
- Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Health And Hope Clinics Provide $1.7 Million In Free Medical Care
August 19, 2012
The Health and Hope Clinics in Pensacola and Century have provided well over a million and half dollars worth of free medical care to local residents during the past year.
During the last year, the two clinics had 2,000 patient visits and provided $1 million in free medications. The grand total of all services provided to economically disadvantaged and uninsured residents was $1.7 million.
The Health and Hope Clinic quietly opened in October in the old Escambia County Health Department building at 501 Church Street in Century. It is the second location for the clinic, which was first established in Pensacola back in 2003 by the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association to meet the needs of uninsured and medically underserved in Escambia County. The clinic is entirely volunteer and donor supported.
To become a patient of Health and Hope Clinic, you must:
- be completely uninsured
- be ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or VA medical benefits
- meet financial eligibility requirements as determined annually by the State of Florida
To schedule a new patient screening appointment, call (850) 479-4456. Only a limited number of new patients are accepted each month. To volunteer, call (850) 256-6200 or (850) 479-4456. For more information on the Health and Hope Clinic and services, visit www.healthandhopeclinic.org.
Cantonment Man Charged With Burglary
August 19, 2012
A Cantonment man has been charged with burglarizing a home on Neal Road.
Joshua Dylan Leavell, 20, was arrested this week on an outstanding warrant for burglary, criminal mischief and petit theft. He remained in the Escambia County Jail early Sunday with bond set at $11,000.
On September 25, 2011, a resident reported a burglary in the 200 block of Neal Road. The victim reported that someone broke in through a bedroom window and stole Lortab from her bedroom. Fingerprints at the scene were from Leavell, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Leavell told deputies that he had opened the bedroom window, but another man had actually entered the house. The man fingered by Leavell had an alibi, according to deputies.
Century To Hold Housing Grant Public Hearing
August 19, 2012
The Town of Century will hold a public hearing Monday night as they begin the application process for $650,000 in grants to rehabilitate private homes in town.
The town is applying for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to rehabilitate or replace homes that are currently occupied by persons of low or moderate income.
The public hearing will be held in conjunction with a regular council meeting at 7 p.m. at the Century Town Hall.
The town received a similar $650,000 during the last fiscal year; it was used to rehabilitate about a dozen private homes.
Citizens Insurance Reverses Course On Inspection Program
August 19, 2012
With customers complaining about getting hit with higher premiums, leaders of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. said Friday they will revise an inspection program aimed at helping prevent wind damage to homes.
The program is supposed to give homeowners a discount on their premiums for doing construction upgrades such as improving roofs or better protecting doors and windows. But it has faced criticism recently because many customers have lost previous discounts — known in the insurance industry as “mitigation credits” — when Citizens has done reinspections of the homes.
Citizens Chairman Carlos Lacasa and President Barry Gilway held a news conference Friday to announce changes to the program, such as offering free follow-up inspections if homeowners disagree with the findings of inspectors. Also, Citizens will provide more information to consumers about a dispute-resolution process.
Gilway said the changes will put the “onus” on the state-backed Citizens to validate whether homeowners should receive the credits. State officials have long said strengthening homes against hurricane damage is critical to the property-insurance system and that credits can serve as an incentive for customers to spend thousands of dollars on improvements.
“We want to get the credits to them,” Gilway said. “That’s what ultimately reduces our exposure.”
The Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post have recently reported that reinspections have increased Citizens premiums by more than $130 million. Gilway said Friday that Citizens has completed about 255,000 reinspections and has 88,000 more to go. Citizens is the largest property insurer in the state, with 1.45 million policies as of July 31.
Lacasa, a former Miami-Dade County lawmaker, said one of the problems facing homeowners is that standards for receiving the credits have changed in recent years. The newer standards are more stringent, which has led to people losing credits during reinspections.
Gilway said, for example, standards have changed for how much of a roof surface can be flat and still qualify for credits.
Another frequent issue stems from inspectors being unable to gain access to attics to check structural issues. Under the changes announced Friday, Citizens will provide free follow-up inspections for people whose credits have been removed because of a lack of access to attics.
South Florida insurance agent Larry Willis, who phoned into the news conference, said disputes have even arisen from situations such as inspectors needing to go through clothing-filled closets to climb into attics. He said some inspectors won’t move clothing that blocks access.
Gilway said he will provide recommendations to the Citizens board next month about credit-related issues, possibly including whether the changes should apply retroactively to customers who have already lost credits. He said, however, Citizens will not retroactively return premium dollars.
By The News Service of Florida
Special Section: Back To School Info You Need To Know
August 19, 2012
School started Monday in Escambia County, and we have the last minute information you need to know, including start times, school supply lists, lunch prices, bus routes, and information on free and reduced price lunches.
Click a link to visit that story.