Century Water Rates Increase; Audits To Look At System
August 6, 2013
Water rates inched upwards at the first of the month for Century residents, and Monday night, the town council voted for a few studies to make sure the system is in good financial shape.
In January, the council voted to raise water rates by 10 percent, split into a 5 percent increase on February 1 and an additional 5 percent increase on August 1.
As of August 1, the current water rate in Century is $9.90 including the first 1,500 gallons and $2.50 for each additional 1,000 gallons. Sewer rates remained the same at $13 for the first 6,000 gallons of water used plus $3.95 per additional 1,000 gallons with no limit.
The previous rate was covering the operation of the system plus an additional $68,464. Income for wastewater currently exceeds the cost of the service by $228,087 annually.
The town council voted unanimously for free audits from the Florida Rural Water Association that make sure the system is financially strong and able to fund capital costs, repairs, replacements and contingencies from a reserve fund. The audits will also look the amount of groundwater and stormwater entering the sewage system and look at the water loss rate. The loss rate currently stands at 12 percent or about $81,000 a year, down from a previous rate of 19 percent.
Pictured: The Century Town Council met Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
2013 ECAT Ridership Up
August 6, 2013
ECAT announced Monday that ridership numbers for the first half of 2013 are up 3.5 percent over the same period in 2012. From January to June of 2013, ECAT has provided 739,646 rides, an increase of nearly 25,000 when compared to the previous year.
“For us, this year-to-date snapshot only confirms that the community is continuing to drive the demand for public transportation services here locally,” said Herold Humphreys, general manager of ECAT. “These are exciting times, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to provide dependable service to a growing number of riders each and every month.”
Contributing to the increase was the June 20 “Dump the Pump” ridership promotion. ECAT, along with more than 100 other transit systems and agencies nationwide, encouraged everyone to try transit for a day. ECAT reported 4,692 rides on this single day – an increase of 10.8 percent when compared to the event in 2012.
“These ridership increases come at a time when we’re utilizing more tools than ever before to communicate with current and potential riders,” said Vikki Garret, staff to the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization and a West Florida Regional Planning Council planner. “Specifically, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are allowing us to reach untapped markets and provide enhanced customer service across the board.”
Fallen Marine’s 21st Birthday Quietly Marked
August 6, 2013
LCpl. Travis M. Nelson would have celebrated his 21st birthday Monday. A wreath was quietly placed on the monument in the park that bears his name in Bratt on Monday to mark the occasion.
The wreath was in a fishing theme; friends and family said fishing was Nelson’s favorite pastime. It contained a fish sign with his name, a “Happy 21st Birthday” sign, and a small fishing rod, lures and the number “21″ painted in a fishing theme.
Nelson was just 19 when he was shot and killed in August 2011 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The Bratt Community Park on West Highway 4 was renamed the “LCpl Travis M. Nelson Memorial Park” in his honor.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Forest Service Firefighters Deployed To Battle Oregon Wildfires
August 6, 2013
Three local Blackwater District Florida Forest Service members are among about two dozen being deployed to battle blazes in Oregon this week.
“The Florida Forest Service has some of the best and most skilled firefighters in the country,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam, “Thanks to Florida’s persistent rainfall and current low wildfire danger, we are able to offer our talented personnel to support the protection of people, structures and natural resources in other states.”
Today, an Initial Attack Hand Crew of 20 Florida Forest Service firefighters will deploy to Oregon for two weeks alongside four additional crews from Florida, Georgia and Alabama. These firefighters will assist with front-line firefighting operations by using shovels, axes and rakes to manually create a fire break or fire line around the wildfire. Hand crews are critical to wildfire suppression in the western United States.
Four additional Florida Forest Service fire personnel will assist in a variety of other wildfire-related positions throughout Oregon. To date, the Florida Forest Service has also provided wildfire assistance to Colorado, Arizona, Alaska and Nevada.
Two additional Florida Forest Service employees are also serving as support staff for the Salmon River Complex of wildfires on California’s Klamath National Forest.
Pictured: The “Douglas Complex” fire tops a hill, part of over 10,000 acres burned in the Oregon wildfire. Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Highway 97A Traffic Moved To Temporary Bridge
August 6, 2013
After weather-related delays, traffic on Highway 97A over Boggy Creek near Enon was shifted to a temporary bridge mid-morning Monday.
This will allow for demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new structure and approaches. The $1.5 million project is scheduled for completion winter 2014. Motorists may encounter minor delays as crews move traffic to the temporary bridge.
The speed limit will be reduced to 30 mph through the work zone and drivers are advised to use caution while traveling through the area and to be aware that speeding violations will be doubled when workers are present. Construction work could be delayed or rescheduled due to inclement weather.
Pictured: A temporary bridge over Boggy Creek on Highway 97A opened Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bennett’s Chief Of Staff Also Leaving Dept. Of Ed
August 6, 2013
The chief of staff for former Education Commissioner Tony Bennett is resigning after Bennett’s decision to step down.
Dale Chu submitted his resignation Friday in a terse, two-sentence letter to interim Commissioner Pam Stewart. He did not give a reason for leaving.
“Based upon our agreement, I will remain on Annual Leave effective immediately through September 3, 2013,” Chu wrote.
Chu’s decision is not a surprise; he followed Bennett from Indiana after the commissioner was hired in Florida late last year. He will officially step down next month.
Bennett resigned shortly after stories emerged that changes to the grading system in Indiana while Bennett was the elected superintendent of public instruction boosted the marks of a school founded by a political contributor.
ECSO, Pensacola Police To Host Night Out Against Crime
August 6, 2013
The 30thAnnual “America’s Night Out Against Crime” celebration will be held Tuesday 6-8 p.m. at Magee Field at 2500 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Pensacola.
The National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anti-crime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
Neighborhoods throughout Escambia County are being invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the “30thAnnual National Night Out” crime and drug prevention event. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Community Drug and Alcohol Council, Pensacola Police Department, Northwest Florida Prevention Coalition and Target encourage residents to join in this family event.
Target will provide free school supplies and hot dogs while supplies last.
Florida Killer Executed
August 6, 2013
John Errol Ferguson, who was convicted of murdering eight people in the 1970s but whose lawyers argued that he wasn’t sane enough to be put to death, was executed by lethal injection Monday at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Ferguson, 65, was sentenced to death for the 1977 murders of six Carol City residents who were killed execution style following a drug-related robbery. Six months later, Ferguson abducted and killed a pair of high-school students in Hialeah.
The execution was set by Gov. Rick Scott on July 23 after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay that had been issued last year because of questions about Ferguson’s sanity.
Attorneys argued that Ferguson’s execution would violate the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, contending that an individual must have a rational understanding of why he is being put to death.
Neiko Robinson Reports To Penn State Football Camp
August 6, 2013
Northview High School graduate Neiko Robinson was at Penn State Monday as the Nittany Lions opened their first day of camp.
The cornerback was due to be on campus in June with the rest of his class, but was not. PennLive.com reported Robinson was not enrolled in classes at Penn State due to “confusion” with his Northview High School transcript, forcing him to stay back home and finish a class.
But a spokesman for Penn State confirmed that the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Robinson was on the Penn State practice field.
Robinson will wear number 20 for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State opens their season Saturday, August 31 at 3:30 ET against Syracuse in a game scheduled to be televised on ABC/ESPN2.
Pictured top: Neiko Robinson receives his diploma from Northview High School principal Gayle Weaver on June 1. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
LaMarre’s Inside The Park Homerun Sparks 6-2 Wahoos Win Over B’ham
August 6, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos were led by Ryan LaMarre’s inside the park home run in the third inning in their 6-2 win over the Birmingham Barons on Monday night at Regions Field. Pensacola has won three out of the first four in the five-game set, securing a series win over the Barons. It’s just the third time the Barons have lost a series in their new home.
Already leading 3-2, Pensacola opened up their lead with three runs in the eighth. An error by the shortstop allowed Devin Lohman to reach to open the inning and the door for the Wahoos’ late rally. Travis Mattair delivered the big blow with a two-out two-run double, and scored a batter later on Tucker Barnhart’s double.
LaMarre got the scoring started in the in the first inning, he scored on a sacrifice fly from Mike Costanzo after he doubled to start the game. In the third, LaMarre hit an inside the park home run with a line drive down the third base line.
The Barrons got a pair of solo home runs from Cody Puckett and Trayce Thompson in the third and fourth innings respectively, but that’s all they got while the Blue Wahoos scored four unanswered. Pensacola went up for good when Barnhart scored on a bases loaded ground out by Lohman.
Birmingham’s solo home runs were the only blemishes on the line for Blue Wahoos starter Josh Smith (W, 9-8). He was finished after 6.2 innings and struck out seven against just one walk to earn the win. Barons starter Chris Bassitt (L, 2-2) took the loss after giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits over seven innings.
The Blue Wahoos will look to make it four out of five in the series finale on Tuesday. The Blue Wahoos will turn to RHP Carlos Contreras (1-1, 2.87) against LHP Scott Snodgress (11-7, 3.70). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. from Regions Field in Birmingham.
Story by Tommy Thrall