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James Alfred Cooke

Mr. James Alfred Cooke, 67, of Cantonment, passed away January 3, 2014.

Visitation or funeral services have not been scheduled.

Faith Chapel Funeral Home and Crematory  is in charge of arrangements.

Escambia Schools Are Open On Tuesday

THIS IS AN ARCHIVE ARTICLE FROM JAN 6 2014. THIS ARTICLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SNOW EVENT ON JAN 28.

All Escambia County, FL, students will return to class on Tuesday.

Parents are encouraged to minimize student’s exposure to cold weather while waiting for the school bus, according to a school district news release. School buses will maintain their usual on-time schedule.

The school district will have maintenance staff readily available to deal with any heating or plumbing issues as they arise due to weather conditions.

Escambia County, AL

All Escambia County, AL, schools will all  be open as usual on Tuesday.

Santa Rosa  County

All Santa Rosa County schools will all  be open as usual on Tuesday.

Free Bus Ride Available To Cold Weather Shelters; Shelter Opening In Century

For the homeless or those with inadequate heat for tonight’s bitter cold, there are options   being offered for North Escambia residents.

The Escarosa Coalition on the Homeless is offering a free bus voucher to the Waterfront Rescue Mission or the Salvation Army.

North Escambia residents unable to pay the bus fare to one of the shelters can mention the Esacrosa Coaliton on the Homeless voucher program to the bus driver.

The only bus remaining today from the North Escambia area  picks up as follows:

• Century Courthouse – 7:05 p.m.
• Hwy 29/Hwy 95A , Molino – 7:17 p.m.
• Hwy 29/Hwy 95A, Cantonment – 7:26 p.m.
• Hwy 29/Nine Mile — 7:35 p.m.
• ECAT Transfer Center – 7:55 p.m.

The Town of Century, in conjunction with BRACE, will open the Ag Building/Community Center on West Highway 4 by the Century Care Center upon request for cold weather shelter Monday and Tuesday.

To request cold weather shelter in Century, contact DeAnna Poland-Stemock at (850) 596-4613. Cots and blankets will be provided on a first come first served basis.

51 Arrests Made in Prostitution Sweep (With Mugshots)

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrested over 50 people during a prostitution sweep.

The four-phase operation targeted street level prostitution and escort prostitution.

During a three day period beginning December 3, street level prostitution was targeted, with 17 female and one male prostitute arrested.  On December 12, escorts advertising on the internet were targeted with eight prostitutes arrested. There were two additional arrests made for narcotics related crimes.

On December 18, the operation targeted persons soliciting prostitutes at the street level.   Six men were arrested on soliciting charges and two additional arrests were made on unrelated charges.  And during the fourth phase of the operation on January 3, males responding to internet based advertisements were targeted with 15 men arrested.

The following was provided by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Arrested December 3-6:

Arrested December 12:

Arrested December 18:

Arrested January 3:

Two Armed Robberies Under Investigation; One Clerk Injured (Updated)

More details have been released on two armed robberies Sunday night in the North Escambia area — including one that left a store clerk with minor injuries.

The first robbery was reported about 8:13 p.m. at the Liquor Cabinet at the corner of Highway 29 and Old Chemstand Road in the Gonzalez area. According to the clerk, a black male about 5-foot, 8-inches wearing a bright blue hoodie and camouflage mask entered the store armed with a handgun.  The suspect fled the area on foot. An unsuccessful  manhunt with a K-9 followed in the area around the store.

The second armed robbery was reported about 15 minutes later. at the Family Dollar store on Highway 97 in Davisville,  just south of the Alabama state line. Two black males armed with a handgun and baseball bat entered the store demanding money. One of the suspects struck a store clerk in the legs with the baseball bat. The clerk was evaluated on scene and refused medical treatment for minor injuries. Both suspects fled the store in an unknown direction.

There is no indication that the robberies were related; the two businesses are located about 33 miles apart.

Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.

Pictured top and inset: The scene of an armed robbery Sunday night at the Family Dollar on Highway 97 in Davisville. Pictured below: Photos from the robbery scenes at the Family Dollar in Davisville and the Liquor Cabinet on Highway 29 in Gonzalez. Pictured bottom. EMS  arrives on scene to evaluate the clerk at the Family Dollar. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Dangerous Artic Blast: Low Of 13 Tonight

There is hard freeze warning and wind chill advisory in effect. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Helpful Hints To Prevent Frozen Pipes

The following recommendations, from ECUA, are a few simple measures residents can take to ready their home’s plumbing for our potentially record breaking freezing cold.

External, exposed pipes are naturally the most vulnerable to freezing. Homeowners may:

Insulate Pipes or Faucets in Unheated Areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.

Disconnect And Drain Outdoor Hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This will prevent the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.

Run a Trickle of Water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run thin trickles of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water, but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to that of repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.

Remember the Backflow Preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water lines are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.

Cold Weather Safety Tips

With our historic winter weather foercast, Escambia County urges residents to take safety precautions while trying to stay warm, specifically when using space heaters. Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the winter months.

Actions should be taken to prepare for this and future cold weather events. Remember the “5 Ps” of cold weather preparedness:

• Protect People
• Protect Plants
• Protect Pets
• Protect Exposed Pipes
• Practice Fire Safety

Heating Equipment Safety Tips:

• Properly inspect all heating equipment for frayed cords or exposed elements before use.
• Space heaters need space. Keep heaters at least three feet away from all furniture, drapes, clothing and other combustibles.
• Use only heaters designed for use in the home. Never use cooking appliances, such as ovens, or any heaters designed for outdoor usage indoors.
• Only use heaters with safety features such as cut-off switches that turn them off if they accidentally tip over and those units with heater element guards that prevent combustible materials from contacting the heating element.
• Never leave space heaters unattended. Turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed.
• Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
• Keep heaters and their cords along with extension cords away from high traffic areas.
• When buying a new space heater, make sure it carries the mark of an independent testing laboratory.
• Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and outside every bedroom. Test the batteries every month and change them at least once a year.
• If you have gas appliances, install a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.

Alternative Heating Fire Safety Life-Saving Tips

• Allow your heater to cool before refueling and only refuel outdoors.
• Fill your heater with only crystal clear, K-1 kerosene, not gasoline or camp stove fuel as both explode easily.
• Keep the fire in the fireplace with a screen large enough to catch flying sparks and rolling logs.
• Carefully follow manufacturers’ installation and maintenance instructions.
• Remember it’s always safer to add more blankets on your bed than to use a space heater while sleeping.
• Electric blankets can be a serious fire hazard if defected or used improperly. Check your electric blanket for any damage from fraying, creasing or general wear and tear. Electric blankets that are more than 10 years old should be replaced, and never use a wet blanket.
• In case of a fire, stay low to the ground, beneath the smoke, and crawl to an exit using your escape plan.

Hwy 29/I-10 Interchange Construction Project Begins Today

Construction will begin today on a $2.5 million resurfacing project on I-10 from west of Highway 29 to east of Palafox Street in Escambia County.

The project also includes the milling and resurfacing of all ramps and ramp shoulders associated with the U.S. 29/I-10 interchange, shoulder widening, guardrail upgrades, crash cushion replacement, removal of portable traffic monitoring sites (PTMS), installation of new signs, pavement markings, and sodding. The entire project is slated for completion summer 2014.

During construction drivers will encounter overnight lane restrictions on both I-10 and the U.S. 29/ I-10 interchange. Lane closures on I-10 and intermittent closures or restrictions on the interchange will be limited to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

All planned construction activities are weather dependent and may be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.

Governors Scott, Bentley Wager On Florida State, Auburn Game

Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced that he has agreed to a friendly wager with Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley on the outcome of Monday’s Florida State Seminole and Auburn Tiger BCS National Championship Game. If Florida State wins, Bentley will send a gallon of Toomer’s Lemonade to Scott, and if Auburn wins, Governor Rick Scott will send a fresh Florida Key Lime Pie, from Kermit’s in Key West, to Montgomery.

“Florida is the nation’s premier state for football. Florida State has had a great undefeated season, and I look forward to an exciting game and some ice cold lemonade from Toomer’s. Go Noles,” said Scott.

“I am pleased to join my good friend Gov. Rick Scott in this friendly football wager,”  Bentley said. “I am looking forward to a great game between the Auburn Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles in the national championship. Both teams have worked hard all year and deserve to play for the national title. The crystal trophy has been in the State of Alabama for the last four years, and I expect it will remain in Alabama.  I hope to enjoy a slice of Gov. Scott’s key lime pie to celebrate Auburn’s national championship win.”

Pictured: Key lime pie from Kermit’s in Key West. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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