Regular Daily Thunderstorms
August 16, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89.
FDOT Outlines Plan To Remedy Hwy 29 Truck Rollovers
August 16, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation has taken a another step toward addressing the problem with a North Century Boulevard curve that has seen multiple semi-truck rollovers.
A month after covering signage south of the curve that instructed northbound drivers to remain in the right lane, the Florida Department of Transportation has informed the Town of Century that FDOT has a plan in the works.
FDOT has completed a “geometric analysis” of a two mile stretch of northbound Highway 29 between Front Street and the Alabama state line. As a result, FDOT has developed a plan to install signs that will warn truckers of the tipping hazard on northbound Highway 29 leading into two curves, including the one near Jackson Street that has been of the most concern.
In addition, FDOT plans to restrict trucks to the left lane in the area and install additional signs to communicate that message to truck drivers.
An email from the Florida Department of Transportation acknowledges that new signs and lane restrictions are short term fixes, and the department is working to identify a design and construction project to correct the slope of the roadway.
FDOT’s email did not identify a time frame for the new signage, other than to say “as soon as possible”.
Century and Escambia County have both pressed FDOT to eventually fix the elevation problem with the roadway.
Twice this year, semi-trucks rolled over in a curve on North Century Boulevard at Jackson Street. City and county officials believe the curve is badly designed with a slope in the outer lane that is difficult for semis to negotiate at the posted 35 mph speed limit. The amount of lean on an 18-wheeler in the outer lane is demonstrated in the photo below.
Pictured top: The Florida Department of Transportation has covered a sign on North Century Boulevard that instructed trucks to use the right lane. Pictured below: A tanker truck leans as it negotiates a dangerous curve on North Century Boulevard. Pictured inset: Mayor Freddie McCall and FDOT engineers observe North Century Boulevard traffic. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Reinstates Permit Fees For Tornado Recovery
August 16, 2016
County fees for building and demolition permits related to tornado recovery have been waived since February, but those waivers are ending.
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners agreed to waive the residential permit fees in Century until August 15 and until August 23 in the Northpointe/Ferry Pass area — six months after the respective areas were hit by EF-3 tornadoes.
The county permit fees were reinstated after the close of business on Monday for Century area permits.
However, the Town of Century has voted to waive their permit fees indefinitely for tornado recovery.
Couple Sentenced In Meth Case That Injured Child
August 16, 2016
A couple has been sentenced to prison after a young child consumed acid used in the process of making meth.
Amber Nicole Cooley, 24, and Kyle Joseph Cooley, 27, were sentenced to 10 years in state prison by Circuit Judge Ross Goodman for charges that arose when a 3-year old child ingested ingredients used by the couple to manufacture methamphetamine in their home. The 10 year sentence is a minimum mandatory, requiring that the couple serve the entire sentence without receiving gain time.
The Milton couple entered pleas of no contest to charges of manufacture of methamphetamine in the presence of a child causing great bodily harm, two counts of child neglect causing great bodily harm, unlawful possession of listed chemicals, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia
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On December 9, 2015, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a medical emergency at the Cooley home on Fleetwood Drive in Milton. Upon arrival they found a 3-year old child that had severe burns to the face, neck, mouth, and chest area. Amber Cooley stated that the child had swallowed drain cleaner, which contains a strong acid used in making methamphetamine. The child was taken by Life Flight to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment and has been released but continues to undergo surgeries for injuries that will leave permanent scarring. Deputies found numerous items used formanufacturing methamphetamine inside in the Cooley home. A second child hadchemical burns to the face and was also treated for these injuries.
New Fire Fighter, Criminal Justice Academies Kick Off School Year
August 16, 2016
The Escambia County Fire Fighter Academy at Pine Forest High School and Escambia County Criminal Justice Academy at Escambia High School started classes last week, providing students an opportunity to get a head start on their careers in public safety.
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners helped fund the career academies through a donation of $50,000 to the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation in 2015, supporting the Escambia County School District’s efforts to create immersive learning environments within the high schools that focus on each specific career path. Participating students will develop knowledge in firefighting and criminal justice and have the opportunity to earn relevant industry certifications. To date, 111 students have enrolled in the Fire Fighter Academy, and 68 students have enrolled in the Criminal Justice Academy.
“These academies will offer students a chance to get an early start to their careers in firefighting or criminal justice, and Escambia County is excited to be a part of the future of workforce education,” Assistant County Administrator Chip Simmons said. “With a background in public safety, I would have loved the opportunity to start my training at a younger age. The public safety needs in Escambia County are going to continue to grow, and these programs will lay the foundation for our future fire fighters and law enforcement officers.”
Tate High Class Of 1966 Plans 50th Reunion
August 16, 2016
The Tate High School Class of 1966 is planning a 50th reunion for Saturday, October 8.
The Hilton Garden Inn on Airport Boulevard will be catering a Classic Southern Buffet starting at 7 p.m. Class member Will (Junior) Nowling and his band “Touch of Gray” will play the songs the class enjoyed during high school.
Registration and social time 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m. The cost per person is $60.00 and dress is casual.
There will be a photographer on site to make individual photos, candid shots and a group photo. The cost to purchase a memory book will be $25 and payable at the reunion.
Please make your check payable to either Barbara Partrick or Janice Poolson and mail to an address listed below. Also, include the name of your guest. Deadline for money is Thursday, September 1, 2016. For further information, contact Barbara at bpartrick@bellsouth.net.
Barbara Partrick
478 Turnberry Road
Cantonment, FL 32533
–or–
Janice Poolson
11793 Old Course Road
Cantonment, FL 32533
Don Gaetz Makes Bid To Become UWF President
August 16, 2016
State Sen. Don Gaetz is among more than 70 applicants seeking to become the next president of the University of West Florida.
Gaetz, 68, a Niceville Republican who led the Florida Senate as its president from 2012 to 2014, said Monday that he informed the consulting firm handling the search that he would like to be considered after he was nominated by several people.
A presidential search committee will meet Tuesday at the university’s Pensacola campus to go through the applications and decide which candidates will be asked for formal interviews.
After the interviews are conducted later this month and in September, the search committee is expected to forward three names to the university’s Board of Trustees, which is scheduled to pick the next president at a Sept. 15 meeting.
The overwhelming majority of applicants to replace President Judy Bense, who is retiring at the end of the year, have an academic background and include University of West Florida Provost and Executive Vice President Martha Saunders, who is a former president of the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Gaetz, a former health-care executive, said he is “not a looking for a job.”
“I’m not on the career path from dean to provost to president. I don’t believe I’m due any reward for past services. And I’m not interested in any other job in education,” Gaetz said.
But he said the University of West Florida was “my university,” citing his longtime association with the school, which serves about 13,000 students. Over the past 15 years, Gaetz said he has worked closely with faculty, administrators and trustees to create career technical and STEM education programs.
He said he has helped the school secure some $90 million in campus projects, improve its endowment opportunities and create an economic development fund that has helped generate about 7,000 jobs.
“I even served on a presidential search committee at UWF a couple of presidents ago,” Gaetz said. “I have a long history with the university.”
Gaetz’s bid for the job is not unusual in Florida. The state historically has picked a mix of university presidents that have academic, political or business backgrounds.
Florida State University President John Thrasher is a former state House speaker. University of North Florida President John Delaney is a former Jacksonville mayor.
In an interview last week, state university system Chancellor Marshall Criser III, who came to the academic world after being a corporate executive, cited several characteristics that make a successful university leader.
“They ought to be a dynamic personality who can communicate well with their stakeholders,” he said. “They need to understand how to run and operate a complex organization. And they need to be sensitive as to how an academic enterprise functions and what some of the relationships are that are embedded in academics.”
Although Gaetz knows or has personal relationships with members of the search committee and the school’s board of trustees, including Lewis Bear Jr., the trustees’ chairman, Gaetz said he has neither lobbied nor asked anyone to nominate him, saying it would be “unseemly.”
But Gaetz said people who approached him about the job told him “this university, my university, is poised for a major turn, which could be a turn for greatness.”
The key for improvement, Gaetz said, will be linking the university’s improvement to a series of measures, like student graduation rates and job placement, that will result in more public and private funding.
“What I’m being told is that my background in education, business and government in leading and managing according to performance measurements and doing so somewhat successfully may make me a good fit for the university’s needs now,” he said. “Of course that’s up to the selection committee and the board of trustees.”
Gaetz served six years on the Okaloosa County School Board and then six years as the county’s schools superintendent before getting elected to the Senate. He faces term limits in November but currently chairs the Senate’s budget subcommittee on education, which includes funding for universities, state colleges and public schools.
He sponsored legislation that set performance standards for Florida’s 12 universities as well as creating a category of “emerging pre-eminence” for the schools. Currently, the University of West Florida does not meet any of the pre-eminence standards and was second to last on the performance goals.
“There’s room for growth, room for improvement,” Gaetz said.
With a decade in the state Senate and as one of Florida’s top Republican leaders, Gaetz also has experience as a major fund-raiser, which is an asset for a university president.
“There are many disadvantages to having been in public office,” Gaetz said. “One advantage is that I have been asking people for money for a very long time, not just for political causes but charitable ones as well, including education causes.”
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Northview Quarterback Club Meets Tonight, Seeks Members
August 16, 2016
The Northview High School football season kicks off Friday night, and the NHS Quarterback Club is looking for all football parents, friends and family to come out and support the Chiefs football team. The cost is join the Northview Quarterback Club is just $10 per family.
The next meeting of the Northview QB Club is tonight, August 16, at 6 p.m. in the Northview High School Media Center.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Smokies Snap Blue Wahoos Streak
August 16, 2016
The Tennessee Smokies took four games of frustration out on the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Monday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos were trying to sweep their second five-game series in its five-year history on Monday. Pensacola’s last won all five games when it beat the Montgomery Biscuits in July 2015.
However, Tennessee starter Zach Hedges threw his third straight scoreless game and the Smokies added 15 hits to roll to a 9-4 victory over Pensacola.
In front of 3,518 Blue Wahoos fans Monday, including Walt Jocketty, president of baseball operations, and other Cincinnati Reds executives who watched the entire homestand, Tennessee also snapped Pensacola’s five-game winning streak. It was the Blue Wahoos longest winning streak of the season.
“Every time we had a good count, we hung the pitch and they didn’t miss that’s for sure,” Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said. “The eighth inning got interesting and we definitely had our chances. Better than getting shutout that’s for sure.”
Hedges, who was pitching in his fifth game for the Smokies, has now thrown 19 scoreless innings in the past three games. He is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA.
Tyler Mahle threw two perfect innings in the rain shortened opening game against Tennessee Thursday night, but he struggled coming back to start the fifth game against the Smokies. The 21-year-old gave up five runs on seven hits, one walk and hit one batter in three innings, while striking out four. He got the loss in the game and is now 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA.
Kelly said it was tough for Mahle to come back after three days’ rest.
“I’m sure he hasn’t done that before,” Kelly said. “He just didn’t look comfortable out there.”
It was all Tennessee at the plate with all nine starters getting a base hit, including 23-year-old pitcher Hedges whose first professional hit down the first base line drove in two runs in the fourth inning.
Leading the way for the Smokies was Lane Adams, who was picked up by the Chicago Cubs Aug. 3 after the New York Yankees released him July 28. In his 10th game with Tennessee he got on base four times and smacked his first home run—a two-run shot in the seventh—and knocked in three runs, which were his first RBIs for the Cubs affiliate. Going 3-4 Monday jumped Adams average from .167 entering the game to .225.
Pensacola avoided being shut out by scoring four runs in the eighth inning off of Tennessee relievers Stephen Perakslis and David Garner.
“The biggest thing to me is the way we swung the bats,” Kelly said, reflecting on the series. “We don’t have to score a ton of runs, we just got to get them (Pensacola pitchers) some.”
The first run came when right fielder Sebastian Elizalde stroked a line drive into right field to score pinch hitter Ronald Bueno to make the score 9-1. Blue Wahoos second baseman Brandon Dixon singled up the middle when the second baseman failed to field his ground cleanly, allowing center fielder Jeff Gelalich to score from second base to trail the Smokies, 9-2.
Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej then smacked a high fly ball to left field and Smokies left fielder Kelly Dugan fell down chasing the ball. It was ruled a double—his 23rd of the season—and drove in both Elizalde and Dixon to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 9-4.
Elizalde went 3-4 with an RBI for his 25th multi-hit game and fifth three-hit game. He has two more hits in seven of his last 10 games and is hitting .269 on the season.
The Blue Wahoos, who were the first half champions, fell to 25-25 in the second half. They will start a five-game series at the Mississippi Braves ballpark on Wednesday.
Robert B. “Bobby” Woods, Jr.
August 16, 2016
Mr. Robert B. “Bobby” Woods, Jr., age 73, of Atmore, passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2016 in Atmore. He was a retired Chemical Control Operator and Fire Medic with Monsanto after forty years of service. He was born in Escambia County, AL to the late Robert B. and Vella Greek Woods, Sr.
He was preceded in death by a grandson, Patrick Ryan Burkett.
Mr. Woods is survived by one son, Marshall Robert (Sabrina) Woods of Vernon FL; two daughters, Suzanne (John) Sirmon and Blair (Mark) Burkett, all of Atmore; grandchildren, Daniel, Shaun, Justin, Wesley, Erin, Marshall, Houston, Saylor and Eldon; five great-grandchildren, friends and cousins, Harold Allen and JoAnne Cooper.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Debora bishop officiating. Interment followed in Mothershed Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Wesley Sirmon, Justin Emmons, Marshall Burkett, Shane Cooper, Dennis Biggs and Rodney Biggs.
The family received friends Monday, August 22, 2016, from 6 to 8 p.m.at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home