Winter Weather Ices Escambia’s Plans To Name New Adminstrator
January 31, 2014
Escambia County’s best laid plans to name an administrator by today were put on ice — very literally — by this week’s winter storm.
The Escambia County Commission was set to hold one-on-one job interviews with each of the five finalists for the county administrator position yesterday. Each finalist was to have met separately with individual commissioners in their offices prior to public interviews with the full board in the afternoon. A second special board meeting was to have been held this morning to pick a new top boss for the county if one had not been named on Thursday.
But the winter weather caused the postponement of the interviews. They will be rescheduled for sometime during February, most likely toward the end of the month.
The five finalists for Escambia County administrator, as recommended by a citizens advisory committee, are:
- Jack Brown — Perry, FL. County Administrator, Taylor County BOCC.
- Ted Lakey — Graceville, FL. County Administrator, Jackson County BOCC.
- Albert Penska — Gettysburg, PA. County Manager, Adams County.
- William Reynolds — Pensacola. Former City Administrator, City of Pensacola.
- John Weaver — Murrells Inlet, SC. Attorney, Thomas & Brittain
The original pool of candidates was compiled by the Waters Consulting Group before being cut to five by the citizens committee.
Gulf Power Completes Power Restoration; EREC Spared By Ice
January 31, 2014
Gulf Power crews braved wintry storm to complete power restoration.
Thursday afternoon, Gulf Power Company restored power to the last pockets of customers impacted by this week’s winter storm.
Since the winter storm began Tuesday afternoon, crews restored power to 47,873 customers. Escambia River Electric Cooperative, the electric provider for 10,000 customers in northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, reported on 10 outages during the ice event.
“It was a monumental effort by the entire Gulf Power team,” said Jeff Rogers, Corporate Communications manager. “We appreciate customers’ patience as our crews worked long hours in the harsh conditions to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible.”
Gulf Power brought in 155 utility workers from other parts of the company to assist line crews and support personnel in the hardest hit areas — Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. In addition, 169 utility workers from sister companies Mississippi Power and Alabama Power, as well as other contract utilities, were brought in as reinforcements.
Extra line crews weren’t the only help the utility received —the Florida Highway Patrol and the Emergency Operations Centers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were invaluable helping crews find passable roads to reach customers who lost power.
“The experience our crews garnered in North Texas restoring power after their December winter storm proved to be a very important factor,” said Rogers. “There’s no doubt that storm trip gave us the edge for faster, safer power restoration.”
• All Gulf Power customer offices are open.
• All collection activities have been suspended through Monday, Feb. 3.
• Representatives in the Customer Care Center are ready to assist customers 24/7. Just call 800-225-5797.
Customers can view an online outage map by computer, smartphone or tablet at MyGulfPower.com and report or check on an outage. They also can check their power usage on MyGulfPower.com by logging into their account. Customers can create an account online or call the Customer Care Center and a representative will help. Customer Care Center: 1-800-225-5797.
For The Kids: Cookies With The Characters
January 31, 2014
The Flomaton High School Drama Club will host “Cookies with the Characters” Saturday afternoon in the school’s auditorium.
Characters scheduled to appear include Cinderella, Bealle, Tinker Bell, Sleeping Beauty, Spiderman, Elvis, Airel, Tom and Jerry, Clifford and Curious George. After a time of refreshments and photo opportunities with the characters, the movie “The Little Mermaid” will be shown in the auditorium.
Admission is $5. The event begins at 1 p.m.
Pictured: Tom and Jerry will make a special appearance Saturday afternoon at Flomaton High School. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Health Alert Issued Following McDavid Train Derailment
January 30, 2014
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County has issued a health alert following a train derailment Tuesday night in McDavid.
Twenty-three cars of a 69-car CSX train derailed about 6:20 p.m. on a north-south track almost behind the McDavid Sawmill . Reports from the scene indicated that a bridge and railroad tracks in the area were totally destroyed by the derailment.
Two tanker cars of phosphoric acid were submerged in Fletcher Creek with other cars landing on top of them. Officials said Wednesday that there was evidence of small leak from one of those cars.
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County advises against contacting, consuming, or otherwise using, water from Fletcher Creek obtained from the immediate vicinity of the train derailment site.
A small number of homes on Cotton Lake Road were evacuated as a precaution, and an emergency shelter was opened by the America Red Cross at the Molino Community Complex. Just one family took advantage of the shelter before officials gave the all-clear for residents to return to the homes.
An Escambia County spokesman said a crash investigation would be conducted by CSX. He said it may take crews several weeks to make repairs to tracks at the bridge at that location.
Photos by Rebecca Brasch for NorthEscambia.com
ALERT – Highway 97 Open, Highway 29 Open
January 30, 2014
[Update 1:30 pm.} Roadways in the North Escambia are once again open.
Highway 97 and Highway 29 are both open. There is some ice remaining on the northbound Canoe Creek Bridge at last report. The Highway 4 bridge between Century and Jay is also open with some ice.
There are no specific openings or closures on the county roads in North Escambia. However, there is ice on some less traveled road and ice on many county road bridges as of 1:30 p.m.
Pictured top: Vehicles that did not make a hill on Highway 97 when it was iced over. The roadway is now thawed and open. The Highway 4 bridge between Century and Jay open this morning, but icy. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
State Of Emergency: Schools, Most Things Closed Through Thursday
January 30, 2014
All public schools will be closed in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida and Escambia County, AL, Escambia Academy and Brewton City for Thursday.
Escambia County (FL) has declared a State of Emergency until midnight Thursday. Escambia County has closed all offices Wednesday and Thursday with only essential personnel reporting to Emergency Operations Center. Travel is not recommended Wednesday or Thursday due to ice accumulations on roadways in Escambia County.
CLOSURE/CANCELLATION LIST:
- All public schools, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Escambia (AL), Baldwin, Mobile, Brewton City
- Thursday night’s National Junor Honor Society induction at Ernest Ward Middle will be rescheduled.
- Pensacola State College – All campuses and centers of PSC will be closed through Thursday.
- University of West Florida — All campuses closed, all activities canceled for Thursday.
- Temple Christian Academy (Atmore) closed Thursday.
- Pensacola Christian Academy will be closed on Thursday
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All Catholic Schools in Escambia County will be closed Thursday.
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Escambia Academy (Canoe, AL) will be closed on Thursday.
- All county offices in Escambia County (FL & AL) closed on Thursday.
- Community Action Program will be closed Wednesday.
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East Hill Christian School closed Thursday.
- Jefferson Davis Community College, Atmore and Brewton, closed Thursday.
- All Florida Department of Health locations are closed and services suspended on Thursday.
- Escambia and Santa Rosa County and Circuit Courts closed on Thursday.
- City of Pensacola, Town of Century, Town of Jay, Town of Flomaton closed Thursday.
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Escambia Christian School will be closed Thursday
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All programs and offices of United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Florida, Capstone Academy Pensacola and Milton, Childrens Services Center and Milton Child Care Center will be closed Thursday. Programs will resume on Thursday, January 30 at their usual times
- West Florida Public Libraries will be closed Thursday
- ARC Gateway, closed Thursday
- Development Review Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday at Central Office Complex at 1 p.m. and has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 5, at 1 p.m.
- The County Administrator interviews scheduled for Thursday, January 30 and the Special Board of County Commission Meeting to discuss County Administrator candidates on Friday, January 31 have been canceled.
- Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP) will continue to restrict access to all but Category 5 personnel on Wednesday January 29. Category 5 personnel are those required to maintain emergency, fire and security services. A decision to resume normal operations on Thursday will be made after effects of weather are evaluated.
- ECUA residential collections for Wednesday will be made on Thursday. Thursday’s collections will be on Friday, and Friday’s collections will be made on Saturday.
NON-PROFIT CLOSURE LIST
Due to weather conditions the following programs and offices will be closed Thursday. They will resume normal operations on Frida at their normal times.
- ARC Gateway
- Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast (seven clubs located in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties)
- Catholic Charities
- Children’s Home Society
- The Community Action Program Head Start and All other Community Action Programs
- The Epilepsy Resource Center (ERC)
- Lutheran Services of North Florida
- Manna Food Pantries
- United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Florida Offices
- UCP’s Capstone Academy Pensacola and Milton
- UCP’s Children’s Services Center and Milton Child Care Center
- USO Northwest Florida
Partial Closures or unique operations are as follows:
- Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) will be represented at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) throughout the current level 2 activation and BRACE LLC staff will be onsite at Heritage Oaks, however, BRACE staff will work from their homes on Tuesday and Wednesday until weather conditions allow for safe travel to and from work.
- Health & Hope Clinics located in Pensacola and Century (9am-11:30a clinics closed). They will make a decision regarding whether or not to open their later clinics at 10am Thursday. (5pm-8pm clinics)
- United Way of Escambia County will suspend opening of the office until 1pm on Thursday the 30. 2-1-1 information and referral agents will be available 24/7
- The YMCA will NOT provide school age childcare on January 30 and currently plan to keep the branches closed until Noon tomorrow.
Please do not email, use the comment form or contact us asking about closures. The latest closure information we have will be listed in this story and updated 24/7.
Scott Outlines Nearly $74.2 Billion Budget
January 30, 2014
Unwrapping a couple of new highlights after a weeks-long rollout, Gov. Rick Scott released a nearly $74.2 billion budget Wednesday that would leave total state spending relatively flat, slash taxes and boost funding for education and child welfare.
Most of the major components of Scott’s proposal — which is expected to be reshaped by the Legislature — had already been revealed in previous events. But the blueprint released Wednesday included at least two notable items: an increase in the exemption from the corporate income tax that would cost the state $21.6 million, and up to $70 million for land conservation efforts.
During remarks to Florida reporters and editors, Scott touted the economic turnaround the state has seen during his tenure and the tax and fee cuts that he placed at the center of his budget plan. That plan includes about $400 million in savings for motorists by rolling back vehicle-registration fee increases approved in 2009.
“My message to the people of Florida is this: It’s your money,” Scott said during an annual Associated Press event at the Capitol. “We want you to keep it in your pockets. Invest in your hopes, invest in your dreams.”
According to Scott’s office, the budget would actually be reduced by 0.1 percent. The increases in spending would be bankrolled or offset by an increase in local property tax revenues; $287 million in savings; and $222 million in trust-fund sweeps.
The full budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 provides some details of Scott’s already-announced proposals. The governor had touted a $542 million increase to education funding earlier in the week, but the spending plan released Wednesday showed that $374.7 million of that money would come from rising local property taxes powered by an increase in property values.
Scott brushed aside criticisms that the increase in the education budget, which would boost per-pupil spending by $168.59, was too small. It would still fall about $177 short of high-water mark for education funding during the 2007-08 school year. Scott pointed to measures that show the state’s students doing better in the classroom.
“We’re heading in the right direction, and we’re investing the right amounts of money,” he said.
The Florida Forever conservation-program increase would include $30 million in funding and the ability to use up to $40 million from the sale of state property for land purchases. But a similar land-sale program approved last year has failed to raise much money, with Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, calling it “a disaster.”
The Florida Forever Coalition, a group of environmental organizations, said the new plan wasn’t adequate.
“Funds from the sale of non-conservation lands is an appropriate but uncertain source for Florida Forever,” the coalition said in a statement. “Florida’s identified conservation needs are much greater than the governor’s proposal.”
Scott would hold $1.7 billion in reserve and plow $1.1 billion into the state’s rainy-day fund. The Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund would sit at $600 million, while $1.7 billion would be held in other trust funds.
Legislative Republicans were largely receptive to the proposal, though they signaled they have ideas of their own. Appearing with House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said they would push for tax cuts that “target low-income and working Floridians.”
Asked if Scott’s proposals to lower a tax on commercial leases and to increase the corporate tax exemption from $50,000 to $75,000 would fit that definition, Gaetz said they would not.
“But what the speaker and I have said is that the one area we have agreed upon is the [reduction in] tag and title fees, which affect every working Floridian and every Floridian who has to drive to school, is going to be the centerpiece of our tax cut package,” Gaetz said. “These other areas, we’re certainly willing to look at, but we think that the centerpiece of the tax cut package has to be broad-based and affect working families.”
The two leaders, though, also threw their weight behind one of Scott’s long-time goals by promising not to increase tuition in the higher education system.
House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, rejected Scott’s characterization of the proposal as “historic,” particularly in terms of education funding.
“Historic disappointment — that’s what’s historic about this governor’s budget,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, suggested that Scott was politically motivated in some of the budget recommendations.
“Four years ago, Rick Scott spent $70 million of his own money to win the election,” Smith said. “This year, he’s preparing to spend $500 million of Floridians’ tax dollars to do the same thing.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Gulf Power: Over 46,000 Lost Power This Week
January 30, 2014
During this week’s winter storm, Gulf Power Company says 46,749 customers lost power at some point.
As of 10:00 Wednesday night, Gulf Power had restored electricity to all but about 430 customers as crews continued to work into the early morning hours. Gulf Power Company crews had help from reinforcements from sister companies Alabama Power and Mississippi Power to help restore electricity in the areas hardest hit by the winter storm.
Many of the remaining outages are scattered across the area, but Gulf Power said they should finish repair efforts on Thursday.
Photos: Hundreds Of Reader Ice, Snow Photos
January 30, 2014
NorthEscambia.com readers submitted literally hundreds of snow and ice storm pictures. We’ve included about 400 of those photos in the galleries below.
For a photo gallery of Wednesday snow/ice storm photos, click here.
For more photos, click here .
For a photo gallery of Tuesday night ice storm and snow photos, click here.
For photos from earlier Tuesday, click here
To submit your photos, visit our NorthEscambia.com Facebook page, or email news@northescambia.com
Pictured top: Welcome to Florida, looking closed for business and nothing like the Sunshine State. Pictured inset: Harley Tagert of Jay plays in the snow. Pictured below: A postcard like scene from Bluff Springs. Reader submitted photos for NorthEsambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview What-A-Night, Ernest Ward Honor Society Canceled
January 30, 2014
Events scheduled for tonight at Ernest Ward Middle School and Northview High School have been canceled.
A National Junior Honor Society Induction planned for tonight at Ernest Ward Middle School will be rescheduled.
A Northview High School band fundraising event planned for tonight at Century’s What-A-Burger restaurant has been canceled and will be rescheduled for a future date.