Latest Info: Santa Rosa Flooding Update
June 9, 2012
Here is the latest flood information from Santa Rosa County:
The emergency operations center is currently not activated. However, emergency management, fire department, road department, and law enforcement staff continue to address issues, dispatch resources, and monitor weather conditions and river levels.
Citizens are asked not to drive around looking at the flooding. The motion from the vehicles is pushing water into homes and causing additional property damage.
Weather Storm Information
- Santa Rosa County is under an urban and small stream flood advisory until 6:30 p.m.
- Santa Rosa County remains under a flash flood warning until 8 p.m. Saturday, June 9 and a flash flood watch until Monday morning, June 11.
- The national weather service advises that the rain should decrease in the evening hours, but is expected to redevelop on Sunday, June 9 with a similar amount of rainfall.
- A tornado touch down was reported by a Santa Rosa Sheriff Deputy in the area of Gulf Breeze Flea Market moving north. The deputy on scene advised large amount of debris but no structural damage.
Sand Bags
Sand will be available starting at approximately 6:30 p.m. at the following location:
- Tiger Point Park (sand only)-1370 Tiger Park Lane
- Residents should bring shovels and be prepared to fill and load their own bags. Sandbags can be purchased at local home improvement stores or picked up at no charge at Midway Fire District Station located at 1322 College Pkwy. There is a 25-bag limit per vehicle.
Shelters
- The American Red Cross is on stand by to open a public shelter if needed.
Flooded Areas
- Approximately 40 houses are reported as having some level of flooding.
- Venetian Way- residential flooding threatening
- Harrison Ave.- residential flooding
- Seminole Trail.- residential flooding threatening
- Calvin Dr. – residential flooding
- Adrian Way .- residential flooding threatening
- Ramblewood Ln. – residential flooding
- Circle Dr. – residential flooding.
Traffic Conditions
- Most low lying areas of the county are flooded, though the water is starting to recede in many areas. However, roads that clear overnight may flood with tomorrow’s forecasted additional rain. Standing water creates a serious road hazard, even when only a portion of the roadway is flooded.
- Any closures will be announced as they occur. Dangerous road conditions can be reported to (850) 983-5372.
- Residents are asked to restrict unnecessary driving this evening and Sunday as much as possible.
The following streets are closed:
Milton:
- Jasmine Street
- Andrew Jackson
- Broad Street between Dixon Street and Quinn Street
· The following street are open with hazards
- Milton, Avalon & Pace
- Robinson Rd. at Garcon Point Rd.
- Coachman Rd.
- I-10 at Avalon Blvd.
- Floridatown Rd. near Andrew Jackson
- Robinson Rd. at Garcon Point Rd.
- Dalton Cir.
- Midway:
- Windward Cove Ct.
- Sterling Point Rd.
- Pennsylvania Avenue
- Maplewood Dr.
- Redwood Ln.
- Circle Dr.
- Ramblewood
- Duke Dr.
Latest Update: State Of Emergency, Tate, Molino Park Open As Shelters
June 9, 2012
Here is the latest information from the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center:
· The American Red Cross has opened an additional shelter at Tate High School, 1771 Tate High School Road in Cantonment. Access to Tate is only available through the north entrance.
· The shelter at Ferry Pass Middle School is currently at capacity (239 people). Anyone needing shelter should go to either Molino Park Elementary, 899 Highway 97, or Tate High School. Molino Park is the designated pet shelter. Proof of vaccinations and license is needed for all pets. The shelter at East Brent Baptist Church is now closed.
· Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) is currently transporting approximately 100 residents on three buses from East Brent Baptist Church to Ferry Pass Middle School. The church is now closed as a shelter.
· While the area is currently seeing a lull in the rain fall, forecast models indicate the rain will pick up again after midnight tonight.
· Residents who are seeing high water in their area should evacuate before the next forecast round of rain approaches. Rain is forecast to last until Monday morning.
· Residents are requested to stay home and not travel tonight. Many roads are flooded and impassable.
· If you do have to travel, do not attempt to drive across a flooded road. Turn around, don’t drown.
· Several traffic lights are also out. If you approach a traffic signal that is out it must be treated as a four-way stop. If the signal is flashing the side that is flashing red must yield to traffic.
· At 3 p.m. today, Escambia County declared a local state of emergency
· The Emergency Operations Center is now at Level I, full activation
· The National Weather Service is forecasting an additional 12 to 15 inches of rainfall between now and midnight Sunday night. This makes the total projected rain fall for this event between 20 and 30 inches.
· Residents living in low lying areas and areas prone to flooding are encouraged to evacuate.
· Escambia County Emergency Management has activated its Citizen Information Line. Residents can call (850) 471-6600 for information.
· Residents are requested to stay home and not drive unless absolutely necessary. As night falls it will be more difficult to see flooded roads.
· The American Red Cross has opened a shelter for residents affected by today’s flooding conditions. The shelter is located at East Brent Baptist Church, 4801 North Davis Highway in Pensacola. Residents should bring along their disaster kits, which include clothing, food and water and necessary supplies for any elderly or babies in the family.
Pictured top: Flooding at the Burger King at Brent Lane and Palafox. Pictured inset: A flooded residential area in the area of Highway 98 and Blue Angel. Pictured below: The lighter colors in the graphic below indicate 12-16 inches of rain as of noon. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Images: Latest Rainfall Estimates, Weather Radar
June 9, 2012
The map above shows rainfall estimates as of 3 p.m. this afternoon with as much as 18-20 inches of rain in southwestern Escambia County. An estimated 6-8 inches has fallen in the area o the Pensacola Airport, Nine Mile Road and Davis Highway, and 5-6 inches is estimated in the Ensley, Nine Mile Road area.
In North Escambia, only 1-3 inches of rain has fallen.
List Of Road Closures Escambia And Santa Rosa
June 9, 2012
Here is a partial is of road closures in Escambia County as of 2 p.m., following by road closures information for Santa Rosa county:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
- Gulf Beach and Augusta – Underwater
- 10427 Sorento Rd (Sorento Plaza) – Flooding businesses requesting barricades
- Fairfield & L St
- Fairfield and Pace
- Fairfield and S
- Stafford South of Lillian
- Brent by PCC
- 6511 N 9th
- Hollywood & Moreno
- Airport north of Cordova Mall
- Shoemaker and Mobile – 2 foot
- W St from Truman to Mass
- 34 Patton Dr.
- Sandy Creek subdivision on Fairfield Dr
- Camelford subdivision on Fairfield Dr
- Hwy 98 by PSC
- Jackson/Deluna
- Lillian/ New Warrington
- Sorrento/Segura
- 10500blk of Lillian Hwy
- New Warrington Spur not passable
- Hunter Point Apartments Hwy 98 entrance is not passable
- Navy/ Hwy 98
- Elisaburg
- Gulf Beach/ Wayne
- Navy/Gulf Beach
- Blue Angel/98 light out
- Pace/Fairfield light out
- New Warrington/Flynn
- Mass./ Fennell
- Navy/ W St
- Gulf Beach/Patton
- Hwy 29/ Brent
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
- City of Gulf Breeze:
- Gulf Breeze Parkway is down to one lane each direction throughout most of the city limits due to flooding.
- Minor flooding along residential streets.
- Midway Area:
- Reports of 4-5 feet of water standing on Redwood Dr.
- Circle Dr. reported street flooding with minor residential flooding.
- Ramblewood – Reported street and minor residential flooding.
- Minor Street flooding reported on Maplewood Dr.
- Duke Dr. has reports of water up to cars in driveways.
And The Race Is On – Final List Of Candidate For 2012
June 9, 2012
The races are set for the 2012 General Election in Escambia County.
Noon Friday was the qualification deadline. With no opposition, several candidates will automatically be reelected. They are: David Stafford as supervisor of elections; Patty Hightower, school board District 4; Bill Slayton, school board District 5; Norman Jeffrey DeWeese, Anne B. Bennett and Stephen M. Jones to the Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District; P.C. Wu to the Pensacola City Council; and Thomas Campanella to the Santa Rosa Island Authority.
One prefiled District 5 Escambia County Commission candidate is now out of that race; Dennis H.E. Wiggins (NPA) of Century withdrew from the race. That left a field of five Republicans in the primary — Sam Archer, Glenn Austin, Steven Barry, Pat Burkett, and Jim A. Taylor. They will face off winner takes all style in the Republican Primary, with the top candidate headed to the General Election to face Packy Mitchell (NPA).
In the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office race, the addition of Mindy Lynn Pare as a write-in candidate will force a closed Republican Primary between incumbent David Morgan and challenger John Powell.
Here is the final is of candidates in other races for 2012 General Election in Escambia County:
Clerk of the Circuit Court
- Pam Childers, Rep.
- Ernie Lee Magaha, Rep.
- Henry John Misiak, Write-In
Sheriff
- David Morgan, Rep.
- John R. Powell, Rep.
- Mindy Lynn Pare, Write-in
Property Appraiser
- Charles M. Green IV, Rep.
- Chris Jones, Dem.
Tax Collector
- Mike Whitehead, Rep.
- Janet Holley, Dem.
Superintendent of Schools
- Malcolm Thomas, Rep.
- Claudia Brown-Curry, Dem.
Supervisor of Elections
- David Stafford, Rep.
County Commissioner, Dist 1
- Jesse Casey, Rep.
- Wilson Robertson, Rep.
- Bobby Spencer, NPA
County Commissioner, Dist 3
- Tiffany Washington, Rep.
- Lumon May, Dem.
- Clinton Earl Powell Sr., Dem.
- Annie Thomas Walker, Dem.
- John R. Johnson, NPA
- Hugh G. King, Sr., NPA
- Derek L. Stromas, Write-in
County Commissioner, Dist 5
- Sam Archer, Rep.
- Glenn Austin, Rep.
- Steven Barry, Rep.
- Pat Burkett, Rep.
- Jim A. Taylor, Rep.
- Packy Mitchell, NPA
School Board, Dist 4
- Patty Hightower (Nonpartisan)
School Board, Dist 5
- Bill Slayton (Nonpartisan)
ECUA, Dist 1
- Vicki H. Campbell, Rep.
- Logan Fink, Rep.
- Tom Brame, NPA
- Elizabeth Susan Campbell, NPA
- JImaes Michael Kirland, NPA
ECUA, Dist 3
- Calvin Avant, Dem.
- Benell English, Dem.
- Elvin McCorvey, Dem.
- Clorissti Mitchell, Dem.
ECUA, Dist 5
- Barry B. Tweedie, Rep.
- Larry Walker, Rep.
- Charlou Williams, Rep.
Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District Group 2
- Norman Jeffrey DeWeese (Nonpartisan)
Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District Group 3
- Anne B. Bennett (Nonpartisan)
Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District Group 5
- Stephen M. Jones (Nonpartisan)
State Senator District 2
- Greg Evers, Rep.
- Joshua W. Hartigan, Write-in
State Representative, District 1
- Clay Ingram, Rep.
- Gloria Ann Wiggins, Dem.
State Representative, District 2
- Jeremy M. Bosso, Rep.
- C.V. (Clay) Ford, Rep.
City Council, At-Large B
- Charles L. Bare (Nonpartisan)
- Victor Cross (Nonpartisan)
- Sam Hall (Nonpartisan)
City Council, District 1
- P.C. Wu (Nonpartisan)
City Council, Dist 3
- Maren Laycock DeWeese (Nonpartisan)
- Andy Terhaar (Nonpartisan)
City Council, District 5
- John Jerralds (Nonpartisan)
- Gerald C. Wingate (Nonpartisan)
City Council, District 7
- Jewel Cannada-Wynn (Nonpartisan)
- Robbie Andrews (Nonpartisan)
- Jimmie Perkins (Nonpartisan)
Santa Rosa Island Authority
- Thomas Campanella (Nonpartisan)
Man Facing Attempted Murder Charges After Car Burglary Spree
June 9, 2012
A suspected car burglar is facing attempted murder charges after he allegedly opened fire on people that caught him in the act of breaking into cars in one Escambia County neighborhood.
Jeremiah J. Jones, 18, was charged with three counts of attempted felony murder, about a dozen burglary charges, two counts of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, criminal mischief, five counts of armed burglary, grand theft of a firearm, felony possession of marijuana and six counts of discharging a firearm. He was being held in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $917,750.
Deputies believe Jones was involved in more than 15 vehicle burglaries. During one of the many incidents in the Bellview community early Friday morning, residents heard noises and went outside with flashlights to confront Jones. Jones then fired several shots at the victims before running off, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
“Deputies saturated the area when another call of a burglary in progresses was received,” said Deputy Matt Baxter, “Jones was then taken into custody without further incident. At the time of arrest Jones was still in possession of the firearm.”
Investigators do not believe that Jones is involved in numerous vehicle burglaries reported earlier in the week.
More charges are pending the vehicle burglary cases, Baxter said.
Wet Weekend
June 9, 2012
A wet weekend is in store across the area, according to the National Weather Service.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 85. East wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 88. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph.
- Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 88. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
- Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Weekend Gardening: Expert Tips For The Month Of June
June 9, 2012
Here are gardening tips for the month of June from the Santa Rosa County Extension Service:
Flowers
- Annuals to plant include celosia, coleus, crossandra, hollyhock, impatiens (pictured above), kalanchoe, nicotiana, ornamental pepper, portulaca, salvia, torenia, vinca and zinnia.
- Sow seeds of sunflowers. They are easy to grow if you have a sunny spot. Look for some of the new, dwarf varieties that can also be used as cut flowers.
- Remove old blooms (deadheading) to make flowers bloom longer.
- Allow the foliage on spring bulbs to grow. Do not cut it off until it turns yellow and falls over.
Trees and Shrubs
- Mature palms should receive an application of granular fertilizer. Use a special palm fertilizer that has an 8-2-12 +4Mg (magnesium) with micronutrients formulation. Apply one pound of fertilizer per 100 sq ft of canopy area or landscape area.
- Do any necessary pruning of junipers this month.
- Finish pruning the spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas, camellias, spiraeas, wisteria and forsythia by early June.
- This is the month to reproduce plants by budding.
- Check mulch around ornamental plants to be sure it’s two inches thick. Add mulch as needed to help keep weeds down and conserve water. Keep mulch one to two inches away from trunk or stem.
- Inspect maple trees, especially silver maple for infestations of maple soft scale. Look for a white substance with some black on one end. Individual maple scales are about 1/4 inch in diameter and resemble bird droppings. They occur mostly on leaves and can cause defoliation unless controlled.
- Inspect the undersides of azalea leaves for spider mites and lace bugs. If dry weather conditions exist, these insects can do some serious damage if not controlled.
- Check conifers for signs of bagworms. Call your local Extension Service for control measures.
Fruits and Nuts
- Harvest peaches, nectarines and plums as soon as they mature, before the squirrels and birds get to them
Vegetable Garden
- Side dress vegetable gardens with fertilizer containing nitrogen and potassium. A fertilizer such as a 15-0-15 can be used. Use approximately 2-3 cupfuls (1 to 1 ½ pounds) per 100 feet of row.
- Increase watering frequency and amount as tomatoes load up with fruit.
- Vegetables that can be planted outdoors include eggplant, lima beans, okra, southern peas, peppers and sweet potatoes.
- Sweet potatoes are started from plants or “draws”. Be sure to purchase only certified weevil free sweet potato plants.
- Check for the following pests and control them if necessary: tomato fruitworm, stinkbugs on vegetables and aphids on all new growth
Lawns
- Check for the lawn pests and control them if necessary: Spittlebugs in centipedegrass. They are more attracted to especially lush areas of the yard such as along septic drain fields and in areas where excessive nitrogen fertilizer has been used. Chinch bugs in St. Augustinegrass Sod webworm in all turf
- Start monitoring for mole cricket infestations and prepare for treatment.
Unopposed: Bill Slayton Wins District 5 Seat
June 9, 2012
District 5 Escambia County School Board member Bill Slayton won a second term in office Friday. No other candidate qualified to run for the seat by the Friday noon deadline for the 2012 General Election.
I’ve had 50 years in the Escambia County School District, from a student to an employee to a board member,” Slayton said Friday afternoon. “I’m very pleased with the inroads and successes we are seeing, especially in District 5.”
Recent FCAT and state End of Course exam results often showed a District 5 school from North Escambia at or near the top of the county’s schools in a variety of subjects.
“We have to raise the rest of the county to the level of District 5,” he said.
Slayton is a retired educator, with 36 years experience as an employee in the Escambia School District at Tate High School as a teacher, administrator, assistant principal and principal. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a Masters of Education Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and an administrative certification from the University of West Florida.
He was a political newcomer four years ago when he was first elected to the school board, defeating Tom Harrell by about five percentage points.
Another school board member, District 4’s Patty Hightower is also returning to the board unopposed after no one qualified to run against her by Friday,
Rep. Superintendent Malcolm Thomas does have a challenger. Dem. Claudia Brown-Curry has qualified to run against him.
“We have the potential that the same board and superintendent will be in place for eight years,” Slayton said. “That’s super important. We agree and disagree in the right spirit and get things done.”
Cantonment Cowboy Football Registration Open
June 9, 2012
Registration is now open for the fall football season for the Cantonment Cowboys.
Players can register each Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon through August 4 at the Cantonment Cowboys Football Field at 681 Well Line Road.
For more information, visit www.cantonmentcowboys.org or www.facebook.com/CantonmentCowboys.