One Injured In 10 Mile, Palafox Crash
July 28, 2013
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Sunday afternoon at 10 Mile Road and Palafox Street.
The injured driver was trapped briefly in their overturned vehicle before being extricated by firefighters. The person was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by Escambia County EMS with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the second vehicle was not injured in the 3:55 p.m. crash.
The Ensley, Cantonment and Ferry Pass stations of Escambia Fire Rescueresponded to the crash, along with the Florida Highway Patrol and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The accident remains under investigation by the FHP; further details have not been released.
Pictured: One person was injured in this two vehicle crash Sunday afternoon at 10 Mile Road and Palafox Street. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
More Rain For Sunday, Maybe Some Sun
July 28, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 69. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Monday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph after midnight.
- Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
- Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
- Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
- Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
- Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
School Board Adopts Tentative Millage Rate, Budget
July 28, 2013
A millage rate and tentative budget for the 2013-2014 school year have been approved by the Escambia County School Board.
The millage rate was set at 7.557, which equates to about $755 in taxes per $100,000 in taxable property value. That is a slight decrease from last year’s 7.758 millage rate. The board also approved a tentative operating budget that totaled $553 million.
Possibly Stolen BMW Found Torched At Century Boat Landing
July 28, 2013
A possibly stolen BMW was found torched in Century Saturday morning.
The 2012 BMW was already destroyed by fire when it was discovered about 6:00 a.m. Saturday at Fischer’s Landing near the West Highway 4 bridge over the Escambia River. Preliminary information indicated that the possibly stolen car had been set on fire; the arson is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshals Office.
The driver of the vehicle had fled the scene prior to the arrival of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the fire department.
The incident is also under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the blaze.
Further details have not yet been released.
Pictured: A stolen BMW was found burnt out at Fischer’s Landing in Century early Saturday morning. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Iraqi Educator Learns About American Farming In Walnut Hill
July 28, 2013
A few farming tips from Walnut Hill may be put to use in Iraq soon.
Walnut Hill farmer Mike Koehn and UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County Extension Agent Libbie Johnson recently hosted Bashar Hwaidi from the Qadisiyah province of Iraq on a short farm tour. Bashar was in Escambia County with a larger delegation of teenage visitors from the Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council.
During his trip to Walnut Hill, Hwaidi wanted to learn more about American agriculture and take the knowledge back to Iraq where he serves as an educator at the Small Business Development Center in Diwanyah City.
Hwaidi learned about cotton and peanut production, GPS navigation, financing and marketing systems for row crop farmers.
Ben Koehn of Walnut Hill also demonstrated “hands off” tractor driving in which GPS navigation is used to steer a tractor over an exact path in a field.
Hwaidi explained that precision agriculture is not the norm in Iraq and that he was very interested to see how different production practices are between Walnut Hill and Iraq.
Pictured top and inset: Walnut Hill farmer Mike Koehn explain American farming practices to an Iraqi educator. Pictured below: Bashar Hwaidi from Iraq watches a GPS is used to self-steer a John Deere tractor through a Walnut Hill field. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Broxson, FWC To Hold Black Bear Workshop After Jump In Sightings
July 28, 2013
Due a recent rise in bear encounters, especially in Santa Rosa County, Rep. Doug Broxson and the Wildlife Conservation Commission are hosting a public workshop for area residents to learn how to protect their home and property from bear intrusion.
After dwindling to as few as 300 bears in the 1970s, the Florida black bear population has rebounded to more than 3,000 bears today. The FWC has reported a dramatic increase in bear reports from Santa Rosa County. In 2002, there were 10 bear reports, and in 2012 that number jumped to 386 calls.
“As Santa Rosa County’s population has increased over the last decade, so has the bear population. As a result, the presence of bears in residential areas is higher than ever. We must address the property damage and safety concerns of residents,” Broxson said.
Officials from the FWC will answer questions and discuss preventative measures homeowners can take to reduce the likelihood of a bear encounter.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 31 at 6 p.m. at the Pensacola State College – South Santa Rosa Center at 5075 Gulf Breeze Parkway in Gulf Breeze.
Retailers Tout Electronics In Back To School Tax Holiday
July 28, 2013
Retailers expect an even bigger year from savvy discount shoppers as some high-tech gear has been added to the state’s upcoming three-day break from sales taxes on back-to-school items.
Certain clothes, shoes, wallets, bags, and backpacks costing $75 or less and school supplies costing $15 or less will be included in the “sales tax holiday,” which lawmakers approved for Aug. 2 through Aug. 4. And for the first time, personal computers, digital readers, tablets and select accessories costing $750 or less, as long as they’re not used for commercial purposes, are also covered.
The Florida Retail Federation expects additional hiring by some businesses and says electronics companies have already started lowering the prices on laptops and tablets to fit under the $750 benchmark to be sales-tax free.
“What it looks like is the retailers are preparing for the demand, and they’re marking down some computers so they can slide in under the $750 limit,” said John Fleming, spokesman for the statewide trade association.
The retail federation also expects businesses will start to include sales inserts in newspapers starting this Sunday.
The shopping period isn’t on the hype level of Black Friday, which is considered the unofficial kick-off of the Christmas shopping period. But its popularity continues to grow, said retail federation President and CEO Rick McAllister during a conference call Thursday.
Part of the popularity with brick-and-mortar businesses is that the tax break briefly creates a level playing field with out-of-state companies that year-round skirt the collection of state sales taxes through online sales, he said.
“It’s one of those times Main Street can compete with those who don’t tax,” McAllister said.
The state Revenue Estimating Conference has estimated the tax break will cost Florida $28.3 million in revenue this year, with local governments out $6.4 million. The statewide projection is up from a $25.9 million estimate from the 2012 back-to-school period that was also three days.
McAllister said retailers and state officials have also long supported the shopping incentive because the money lost on marked-down school supplies — to fit within the sales break guidelines — is made up as more people go shopping for discounts and decide to eat out.
Still, not everyone is juiced about the pending tax-savings period.
The Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank, in a report posted Wednesday, noted that the holidays —- offered by 17 states primarily in the southeast — don’t promote economic growth, as most shoppers simply shift the timing of purchases. Also, it said the holidays allow politicians to distract from permanent tax relief and benefit the wealthy.
“While sales taxes are somewhat regressive, this is often exaggerated to sell the idea that sales-tax holidays are an effective way of providing relief to the poor,” the Tax Foundation said in outlining the report. “To give a small amount of tax savings to low-income individuals, holidays give a large amount to others.”
The foundation also claimed that some retailers may also raise prices during the holiday, reducing the eventual consumer savings.
The tax break, as has been in the case in previous years, doesn’t apply in theme parks or at airports or hotel gift shops.
By The News Service of Florida
Camp Quarternote Presents ‘Sermon on the Mound’
July 28, 2013
Dozens of local kids spent the past week learning an entire play during Highland Baptist Church’s Camp Quarternote. They performed the “Sermon on the Mound” musical Sunday night at the church.
Pictured: Highland Baptist Church’s Camp Quarternote musical “Sermon on the Mound”. Submitted photos for Northescambia.com, click to enlarge.
Shooting Involving Two Deputies Injures One Suspect
July 28, 2013
A shooting involving two Escambia County deputies left one person injured early this morning.
At 2:42 a.m., deputies responded to an address in the 200 block of Shadow Lawn Lane of West Navy Boulevard in reference to a possible vehicle burglary.
Neighbors said deputies had followed the man home perhaps thinking the car was stolen, but the car belonged to the victim’s mother and he had permission to drive it. The man was reportedly bent over into the car in his own driveway looking for a cigarette when deputies arrived and approached.
During the incident two deputies discharged their handguns striking the subject, who was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office are investigating. The two deputies will be placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is under investigation, which is standard procedure.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, in a written statement, said no further information will be released this weekend.
Dorian No Longer A Tropical Storm
July 28, 2013
Tropical Storm Dorian has degenerated into a remnant tropical wave. The last advisory is in the graphic above.