Northview Chiefs Take Two From Escambia Academy’s Cougars

February 16, 2014

The Northview Chiefs took two from Escambia Academy Saturday in Bratt.

In junior varsity action the Chiefs beat the Cougars 8-6, and in varsity action Northview downed EA 10-6.

The varsity Chiefs will host Rocky Bayou on Tuesday at 6:00. Both the varsity and junior varsity will travel to Baker on Thursday for the first district game of the season.

NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.

Dog Show At The Equestrian Center

February 16, 2014

The James C. Robinson Escambia County Equestrian Center will host the Five Flags Dog Training All-Breed Agility Show today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a spectator fee of $3 per person.

Agility demonstrates the dog’s ability to work with the handler over course jumps, tunnels, weave poles and more. For more information on the event, visit www.fiveflagsdogs.com or call (850) 478-3647.

During this show, the Pensacola Dog Fancier’s Association will also be hosting an Earthdog test and Lure Coursing. Earthdog is open to small terriers and dachshunds. The test measures the dog’s natural ability to hunt and will be held in the afternoon and is open to all breeds. If interested in participating in these events, call (850) 287-0603.

This Week’s Forecast

February 16, 2014

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

  • Washington’s Birthday: Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 69. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
  • Monday Night: Areas of fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
  • Tuesday: Areas of fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
  • Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
  • Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
  • Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
  • Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 5 to 15 mph.
  • Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 10 mph.
  • Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
  • Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
  • Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 75.
  • Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
  • Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 68.

Vivian Catherine Bryan

February 16, 2014

Vivian Catherine Bryan, 93 of Walnut Hill, passed away February 15, 2014, in Atmore. She was a homemaker, born in Saluda, South Carolina on October 29, 1920 to the late Louis and Bessie Moye Sample.

Mrs. Bryan was a graduate of Ernest Ward High School, Class of 1941 and a member of Walnut Hill Baptist Church for 55 Years.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Oscar “Monk” Bryan, six sisters and two brothers.

Survivors are her son, Gary “BoBo” (Twyla) Bryan of Walnut Hill; three daughters, Mary Ann (Butch) Chism of Cordova, TN, Delores Parker of Pensacola, and Ginger (Jerry) Cochran of Atmore; one sister, Ruth (Ernie) Graham of Pensacola; seven grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Services will be Tuesday, February 18, 2014, at 11 a.m. from the Walnut Hill Baptist Church with Rev. Ted Bridges officiating.

Interment will follow in Walnut Hill Baptist Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Ricky Crosby, Bert Bryan, Jeremy Chism, Jeff Blackmon, Tyler Kendrick and Beau Bryan.

Family will receive friends, Monday, February 17, 2014, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.

Water Projects Funded For ECUA, Jay; No Money For Century, Cottage Hill, Molino, Gonzalez

February 15, 2014

The Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board has approved nearly $10 million in grant funding to  be used for water supply project across Northwest Florida, including three major projects for ECUA, Jay and Chumuckla.

The board also rejected millions in proposals from various water systems, including Century, Cottage Hill, ECUA, Gonzalez, Molino and Jay.

Approved projects in the North Escambia are included:

ECUA Cantonment Central Water Reclamation Facility Reclaimed Water System Expansion — $522,000 in grant funding to the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) for planning, design and construction of a major reuse extension from the Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment to the University of West Florida’s main campus and Scenic Hills Golf Course.

Town of Jay Asbestos Water Main Replacement – $663,024 in grant funding to the Town of Jay to replace approximately 10,200 linear feet of asbestos-concrete water line, reducing water loss and protecting public and environmental health.

Chumuckla Water System Upgrades – $100,721 to Chumuckla Water System, Inc., to provide improvements to the current system, including upgrades to the well motor controls and computerized control and data system. It will also be used to acquire an excavator, trailer and ground penetrating radar to locate water mains in need of repair or replacement. These improvements will help eliminate lengthy system outages and water loss, and provide an overall increase in system reliability.

Proposed projects in the North Escambia area that were not funded included:

Town of Century — $673,782 to upgrade existing 2-4 inch lines to 6-inch lines over about 1.91 miles for Fannie Road and about 1.41 miles for Campbell Road.

Town of Century — $50,000 to develop accurate map that can be easily referenced for system needs, including isolation for emergency repairs, maintenance, planning for future expansion, and upgrades, and to satisfy FDEP requirements.

Cottage Hill Waterworks — $195,421 to replace aging water lines, primarily along Highway 95A.

Cottage Hill Waterworks – $214,959 to replace aging water lnies, primarily along Phalrose Street and Williams Ditch Road

ECUA Central Water Reclamation Facility — $238,250 toonstruct two test wells and associated monitoring wells; implement hydrologic monitoring plan to assess and characterize any potential impacts to streams and wetlands on the CWRF property; conduct aquifer modeling. Update and application of groundwater model, and develop preliminary wellfield desigm.

Gonzalez Utilities — $78,540 to update chlorine and pH injections systems on two wells, including soft starter systems.

Town of Jay –$286,959 to 550 meters with drive-by meters.

Molino Utilities – $169,200 to construct 9,300 LF of watermain and appurtenances with fire hydrants for fire protection; replacement of concrete asbestos water main from Meherg Road south to Casey Lane.

Last fall, the District launched a grant program to help local governments and utilities within the District’s 16-county area apply for funding for water supply projects. Projects eligible for grant funding included traditional water supply development projects, as well as alternative water supply projects, such as reuse and conservation projects that result in quantifiable water savings.

After careful review and evaluation of the many worthwhile projects submitted, the District identified 24 projects it was able to fund in this grant cycle.

Many of the funded projects include replacements, repairs or upgrades to aging and deteriorating water distribution and treatment systems currently experiencing water loss, a lack of reliability or inadequate fire protection. The majority of the projects awarded serve financially disadvantaged communities which struggle to fund vital projects without infrastructure assistance.

“This grant funding will provide an important contribution to the health and well-being of these communities,” said Jerry Pate, Governing Board Vice-Chair and representative of the Perdido-Escambia River basin.

Combined with match funding from the local governments and other grants, the District’s funding is anticipated to leverage a total of $15.8 million in projects to meet regional water supply challenges.

Weekend Work Scheduled For Nine Mile Road Project

February 15, 2014

Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on Nine Mile Road eastbound at the intersection of Davis Highway in Escambia County both Saturday and Sunda.

Lane closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as crews seal joints in the bridge deck. Drivers are reminded to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the work zone.

House Subcommittee Passes Ingram’s Controlled Substances Bill

February 15, 2014

The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee this week unanimously passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Clay Ingram (R-Pensacola), which bans a set of illicit synthetic drugs and adds three extremely lethal synthetic compounds, commonly found in the street drug “molly,” to the trafficking statute.

“Synthetic drugs are dangerous drugs that are marketed to our youth, and I applaud Representative Ingram and the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee for joining the effort to protect our kids from these substances,” said. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

This legislative proposal would also add six additional substances to Schedule I of controlled substances, making it a third-degree felony for an individual to “sell, manufacture, or deliver, or possess with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver” these dangerous drugs.

A Senate companion bill is sponsored by Senator Rob Bradley.

Woman Injured In Early Morning Molino Accident

February 15, 2014

One person was injured in an early morning ATV or 4-wheeler type accident early Saturday morning in Molino.

A 27-year old female was transported to an area hospital by ambulance following the accident about 12:15 a.m. on Jahaza Road near Cedartown Road in Molino. Her injuries were not considered life threatening.

Details on the accident have not yet been released, but preliminary information indicated she was thrown from an ATV, 4-wheeler or possibly even a go-kart. A male on the vehicle fled the scene following the accident.

The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office were also dispatched to the scene.

Police Seize $150K Spice Lab

February 15, 2014

A routine traffic stop has led to the arrest of two Escambia County residents, recovery of 16 guns, and the discovery of a spice lab.

Timothy C. Edgar, 23, was charged with possession of a weapon/ammunition by a convicted felon and destroying/tampering with evidence. The second suspect – Dante T. Williams, 24 – was charged with resisting without violence.

Just after 11 p.m. Wednesday, Officer Brittany Austin was on routine patrol when she stopped a Toyota Camry driven by Edgar near the intersection of Pace Boulevard and DeSoto Street for not having a license tag attached. Williams was a passenger in the car. Edgar and Williams got out of the car and consented for officers to search them and the vehicle. A live round of ammunition was found in Williams’ right jacket pocket.

While K-9 Officer David Rogers was searching the vehicle, Williams fled the scene on foot but was taken into custody in the area of Hayden Court and Lloyd Street after he voluntarily came out of hiding.

Meanwhile, Edgar stayed with the vehicle while officers pursued Williams. A bystander told police he saw him take something from the passenger side of the car and throw it over a fence. Edgar then sat down in the driver’s seat until Austin arrived back at the vehicle. Escambia Sheriff’s K-9 Deputy Jason Land and K-9 Edo responded to the area to search for the item Edgar threw over the fence and found two loaded firearms.

On Thursday officers served a search warrant at a residence. In addition to seizing guns, a bulletproof vest and stolen laptop computers, officers discovered a spice manufacturing operation, said Sgt. Marvin Miller. Approximately 100 pounds of spice with an estimated street value of about $150,000 were recovered. Spice is synthetic marijuana and it is illegal to sell or possess, Miller said.

An investigation is underway to determine how long the spice manufacture/sales had been occurring. Additional arrests are pending. Officers also are continuing to examine evidence they believe was stolen in burglaries.

Escambia Man Convicted On Two Counts Of Attempted Murder

February 15, 2014

An Escambia County man has been convicted on two counts of attempted murder.

Timothy Jerome Lowe, 29, was convicted by an Escambia County Jury of attempted second degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence.

Circuit Judge Ross Goodman scheduled sentencing for March 25.  Lowe faces a minimum mandatory 25 years to life in prison.

On December 16, 2012, Lowe shot at Melvin Coley in the parking lot of the Travel Inn on Cervantes Street in a dispute over narcotics. Two police officers were in the area and heard the shots. When those officers responded to the scene, Lowe turned his gun on them. The officers fired at Lowe, striking him one time in the leg. The officers were not harmed. After
a short foot pursuit, Lowe was apprehended.

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