Century’s Historic District To Remain; About $1 Million For Tornado Rehab
August 17, 2016
The repair or replacement of about 30 percent of the residential properties in the in the Alger-Sullivan Historical District due to the February tornado will likely not impact the area’s listing on then National Register of Historical Places.
That was the word Tuesday afternoon from Jason Aldridge, deputy state historic preservation officer from the Florida Department of State, Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources.
The historic district includes 45 buildings on about 230 acres, and is roughly bounded by Pinewood Avenue, Front Street, Jefferson Avenue, Church Street and Mayo Street. Numerous structures in the historic district were damaged or destroyed by the EF-3 tornado that struck Century six months ago.
About $800,000 to $1 million in grant and housing funds are expected to be available to make the repairs or replacements for needy homeowners, most of which did not have insurance on their shotgun-style houses that were built as worker housing about 100 years ago by the lumber company.
“You still have a historic core here,” Aldridge said. “We want to rehab these houses as possible, but you won’t lose your status (on the National Register)…generally we don’t like to remove things.”
Pensacola architect Carter Quina will design the replacement homes — historically accurate with modern amenities and compliance for the disabled. Most of the homes will be on Front Street.
“We have photos of all the current houses that will be replaced,” he said. “(In the replacement home) there may be a little image of the original house in there, but less grand old wasted space.” And true to the shotgun houses of the period, each home will have a front porch “for the sitters that like the share the news up and down the street”.
Once funding is approved, it should only take a matter of weeks to obtain permits and four to five months to construct a home after a lot is cleared, Quina said.
Pictured top: A typical tornado damaged shotgun house on Front Street in Century. Pictured inset: Alger Sullivan Historical Society member Jerry Fischer (seated) listens to Jason Aldridge, deputy state historic preservation officer during a meeting Tuesday at the Leach House Museum. Pictured below: Historic district residents review a district map. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Arrested For March Murder
August 17, 2016
An Escambia County man was arrested Tuesday afternoon for a March murder.
William Hurst Peters III, 35, was charged with homicide for the March 11 murder of Cynthia Finney. Escambia County firefighters found Finney’s body inside her burning home.
DNA evidence played a major role in the homicide investigation, leading to Peters’ arrest, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Peters was already serving time in jail on child abuse charges. He has been arrested 21 times previously, including two juvenile felony arrests, deputies said.
He remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $
Child Abuse Charge Upgraded To First Degree Murder
August 17, 2016
An Escambia County man is now charged with murder in connection with a child’s death.
Alonzo Thompkins, 26, has been in the Escambia County Jail since last week on two counts of aggravated child abuse. Now, one count has been upgraded to first degree murder for the death of 2-year old Cornelius Savage who died August 8. The charged was upgraded based upon a preliminary autopsy report that showed the child died in Thompkins’ care.
Police were dispatched to the residence around 9 a.m. August 8 after the child’s mother returned home and found her two-year-old son was not breathing. Thompkins had been left alone with the 2-year-old male, who was the son of Thompkins’ girlfriend.
Thompkins was arrested August 8 after the child died. The second charge was placed on him August 9 after an investigation determined a three-year-old child in the residence had multiple bruises on her body and a broken collar bone.
The investigation is continuing, according to authorities.
Gulf Power To Seek Rate Increase
August 17, 2016
Gulf Power plans this fall to seek an increase in base rates for electricity, saying current rates “do not produce sufficient revenues for us to be able to continue adequately serving our customers and maintain the company’s financial integrity,” according to a filing with the Florida Public Service Commission.
The Pensacola-based utility, which serves larges parts of Northwest Florida, did not provide detailed figures but indicated it likely will seek an increase of $115 million to $125 million. The filing also indicated a full rate proposal will be filed with the Public Service Commission in October.
The regulatory commission later will hold a detailed hearing before deciding whether to approval the proposal, a process that takes months.
“Securing our customers’ energy future requires a balanced energy mix that includes renewables and 24/7 energy sources like natural gas and low-cost coal that’s cleaner than ever,” said Stan Connally, Gulf Power chairman, president & CEO. “Energy security also includes reliability — since 2010, Gulf Power has improved its reliability by 40 percent and we must continue that trend of improvement.”
Gulf Power last requested an increase in 2013. In 2012, the utility’s customers saw the largest price decrease in Gulf Power’s history, a decrease of nearly $10 per month for the typical customer. Again in January 2016, customers received a decrease that lowered the bill $3.71 per month.
“As we continue to secure future energy needs for our customers, we have to make sure our systems are resilient so that we can continue to deliver safe, clean and reliable energy and continue to meet the energy needs of our customers today, tomorrow and into the future,” Connally added.
In a five-page document notifying the commission of its plans, Gulf Power pointed to factors such as investments in its infrastructure and slow sales growth
“As evidenced by our strong levels of customer satisfaction, Gulf continues to provide safe, reliable service to our customers,” said the document, filed Friday. “However, the fact remains that growth in base rate revenues has not kept pace with the cost of providing service to our customers. Adequate rate relief through an increase in base rates is necessary now in order for Gulf to have the capability to continue providing our customers with safe and reliable electric service at reasonable prices.”
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Routine Summer Sun, Summer Showers For Some
August 17, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly 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 92. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
School Board Names New ‘Kingsfield Elementary’ And ‘Beulah Middle’ Schools
August 17, 2016
The Escambia County School Board officially approved names for two new schools.
“Kingsfield Elementary School” will be located at 900 West Kingsfield Road next to Ransom Middle School in Cantonment. The $25 million facility will serve 800 students and help help alleviate overcrowding at Beulah and Pine Meadow elementary schools.
“Beulah Middle School” will be constructed at 6001 West Nine Mile Road on the Coastal Airport property. The $45 to $48 million dollar school will have a capacity 1,100 to 1,300 students. Students will be relocated to the new school from Woodham Midde, while hundreds will be rezoned from the overcrowded Ransom Middle.
Both schools are being funded by Local Option Sales Tax dollars and are scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. The schools were planned in response to population growth in area, much of it spurred by Navy Federal Credit Union.
The school names were recommended to the Escambia County School Board by a naming committee.
Pictured: The Escambia County School Board met Tuesday night at the J.E. Hall Center in Pensacola. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Public Meeting: Highway 29 Six-Laning From I-10 To Nine Mile
August 17, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public information meeting for work beginning soon on Highway 29 from I-10 to north of Nine Mile Road) n Escambia County. The meeting will be held Thursday, August 25 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. CDT at Smyrna Baptist Church, 7000 Pensacola Boulevard.
The $48.9 million project includes widening Highway 29 from I-10 to north of Nine Mile Road from four to six travel lanes. Additional improvements include replacing the bridge over Nine Mile Road, roadway lighting, sidewalks, bike lanes, signalization improvements, and drainage upgrades. FDOT representatives will be available to provide information about planned construction work and potential impacts.
Construction activities are scheduled to begin in September 2016 and will require nighttime lane closures and speed limit reductions on Pensacola Boulevard. Weather permitting, the project is slated for completion summer 2020.
Gaetz, Provost Advance In Search For New UWF President
August 17, 2016
State Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, is among 19 candidates who will be invited to the next step in the interview process to become president of the University of West Florida.
Gaetz, a former Senate president who earlier served six years on the Okaloosa County School Board and six years as the county’s schools superintendent, was among 83 people who applied for the position, including 11 who filed resumes late Monday.
Also among the 19 candidates is Martha Saunders, who has been provost and executive vice president at the university since 2013. Saunders previously served as president at the University of Southern Mississippi and as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
A presidential search committee will invite the remaining candidates to appear for face-to-face meetings on August 29 and 30. The committee expects to approve a list of three finalists on September 6, and the school’s Board of Trustees will select the replacement for retiring President Judy Bense on September 15.
by The News Service of Florida
Fall Baseball, Softball Registration Underway In Cantonment
August 17, 2016
Registration will continue this Saturday for fall baseball and softball from 9-1 at the Cantonment Sportsplex baseball boardroom. Registration is $65 per child with a discount for each additional child. Or register online by clicking here. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
AC Lee
August 17, 2016
AC Lee, age 93, of Robertsdale, AL, was called home on Tuesday, August 16, 2016. He was born September 14, 1922, to the late Vernon and Loney Lee, in Bay Minette, AL. AC shared 64 wonderful years with his late wife Katie. He is known as a devoted family man, who loved farming. AC was a proud U.S. Army veteran and two time former Worshipful Master, at the Cantonment Masonic Lodge. He retired after 41 years from the International Paper Co..
AC is preceded in death by his cherished wife Katie; his son Willis T. Kennedy; his grandson Vernon Corey; his siblings Hazel Manning, Byron Lee, Elva Sassnett, and Lloyd Lee.
He is survived by his children Jackie (Pete Bauer) Corey-Bauer, of Baker, LA, Betty ( the late James) Story, of Palestine, TX, and Craig (Maggie) Lee, of Robertsdale, AL; many beloved grandchildren; great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, and friends.
Visitation will be Friday, August 19, 2016, from 5:00 – 7:00pm at Faith Chapel North in Cantonment. The family will accept friends on Saturday, August 20, 2016 at 9:00am, until the funeral service begins at 10:00am, at the funeral home. Bro. Ken Johnson and Bro. Ed McMillian will officiate. Burial will follow at Clear Springs United Methodist Church cemetery in Clear Springs, AL.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.