Local Unemployment Falls Slightly
August 21, 2017
The latest job numbers show the employment rate falling slightly in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County’s seasonably adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.3 percent in July, down slightly from 4.4 percent in June. There were 6,195 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 5.2 percent.
“Over the last year, more than 3,000 jobs were created for Pensacola families, which is great news. Our commitment to keeping taxes low has played a major role in turning around our economy and we will continue to fight to cut additional taxes and keep taxes low for generations to come,” Gov. Rick Scott said Friday.
The industries with the highest growth over the year in Pensacola were leisure and hospitality with 1,500 new jobs and professional and business services with 1,000 new jobs. The Pensacola area had 5,195 job openings in July, including 1,712 openings for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations.
Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate was at 4.2 percent in July, down from 4.2 percent in June. Santa Rosa County had a total of 3,281 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 4.9 percent.
Florida’s unemployment rate remained unchanged from June to July, holding at 4.1 percent, as the state reported a slight decline in the number of people working. The latest estimates, released by the state Department of Economic Opportunity, reflected about 411,000 Floridians out of work in July from a workforce of 10.1 million.
The state unemployment rate remains below the national rate of 4.3 percent. The state agency estimated a drop of 24,000 people in the overall workforce from June to July, while the number of people out of work fell by 9,000. Gov. Rick Scott used the monthly data release to say the state has created 1.4 million jobs since he took office, doubling a pledge from his 2010 campaign.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Davis Highway Crash Claims Life Of Motorcyclist
August 20, 2017
A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Davis Highway early Saturday evening..
The Florida Highway Patrol said 57-year old Tony Isaac of Pensacola was traveling east on Davis Highway approaching Smiths Fish Camp Road on a 2014 Harley. That’s when a 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by 27-year Jacquina McCall of Pensacola changed lanes into his path.
Isaac took evasive action, swerving into a turn lane. He collided with a 2013 Dodge Avenger driven by 60-year old Deborah Brown of Pensacola. Isaac was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Brown and McCall were not injured.
Any charges are pending the outcome of a FHP investigation.
Cantonment’s Historic Champion Golf Course Closes
August 20, 2017
The historic Champion Golf Course in Cantonment has closed, but the owners hope for a reopening.
The 9-hole public course at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road is owned by International Paper and was leased to an independent operator that requested to end his lease, according to Whitney Fike, spokesperson for IP.
“The company intends to find another operator to reopen the golf course. Since this could take some time, we ask for your patience on this matter. International Paper is committed to being a great neighbor in the communities where we live and work,” Fike said.
The facility includes a practice range, putting green and practice bunker.
The course was listed in the Florida Department of State’s “Florida Heritage Trail” series. According to the Panhandle Historic Preservation Alliance, the Champion Golf Course opened in 1941, the same year the paper mill then known as the Pensacola Mill opened. The Pensacola Mill became a wholly owned subsidiary of the St. Regis Paper Company in 1946 and merged with St. Regis in 1949. Champion International Corporation and St. Regis merged in 1984, and International Paper acquired Champion in 2000.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Partly Sunny, Afternoon Rain Chance
August 20, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: 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.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Eclipse Will Impact Gulf Power Solar Generation, But No Service Disruptions
August 20, 2017
Gulf Power says customers can enjoy viewing a partial eclipse without worrying about any disruption in service caused by the eclipse.
“Even though our solar arrays are online, there will be no impact in service to customers from the solar eclipse because of our balanced energy mix that includes renewables like wind and solar, but also 24/7 energy sources like natural gas and low-cost, cleaner-than-ever coal,” said Rick DelaHaya, Gulf Power spokesperson.
There will be minimum impact, according to DelaHaya, from the loss of solar generation at the new Gulf Coast Solar Center thanks to the adequate reserves of other generation fuels on hand to handle the temporary darkness.
“Gulf Power customers will not experience any energy problems because of the eclipse,” added DelaHaya “We will have plenty of 24/7 clean, low-cost reliable energy on hand to handle the demands of our customers.”
The Gulf Coast Solar Center is part of Gulf Power’s robust energy mix, and spans 940 acres across three Navy and Air Force sites in Northwest Florida, generating 120 megawatts of electricity from 1.5 million photovoltaic solar panels, enough energy to power nearly 18,000 homes each year across Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
“With the energy needs of our customers covered, we encourage everyone to take advantage of this rare opportunity to witness the first solar eclipse to travel coast-to-coast in almost 100 years,” added DelaHaya. “This is a rare event that won’t happen again until 2045.”
In the Gulf Power service footprint, the partial eclipse begins around noon and reaches maximum coverage of 82 percent between 1:37 p.m. in Pensacola and 1:39 p.m. in Panama City. It ends at 3:03 p.m. in Pensacola and 3:05 p.m. in Panama City.
Pictured Gulf Power employees James Craven and Rick DeleHaya are ready for Monday’s solar eclipse with their ISO 12312-2 standard viewing glasses. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Powerball Winner, Jackpot Jumps to $650 Million For Wednesday
August 20, 2017
There were no winner’s in Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. The jackpot for next Wednesday’s drawing is currently estimated at $650 million.
A winner who opts for a cash payout will receive $411.7 million, minus taxes.
Saturday’s winning numbers were 17-19-39-43-68, a Powerball of 13 and Power Play of 4.
In the Saturday night drawing, there were $2 million winners in South Carolina and Tennessee and $1 million winners in California, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The odds of winning a Powerball drawng are 1 in 292.2 million. The game is played i 44 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Hundreds Attend Library Eclipse Program, Viewing Event On Monday
August 20, 2017
About 600 people attended solar eclipse educational programs Saturday at the main branch West Florida Library in preparation of a viewing event on Monday.
Special guest speaker, Dr. Wayne Wooten from Pensacola State College, presented the hows and whys of the upcoming solar eclipse during Saturday’s program.
Beginning Monday at noon, the main library at 239 Spring Street will host a viewing event. The library’s solar eclipse telescope will be set up (weather permitting) to allow patrons to have a safe viewing of the total solar eclipse. West Florida Public Libraries will give away free solar viewing glasses provided by the National Science Foundation while supplies last.
Pictured: Hundreds attended a solar eclipse educational event Saturday at the Pensacola library. Photo for NorthEscambia.com
Want To See More Of The Eclipse? Visit Century Or Hit I-65
August 20, 2017
Want to see more of Monday’s solar eclipse? Then get out of Pensacola and head to North Escambia, in particular Century where about 2 percent more of the sun will be covered.
It’s really just a small difference, but assuming the same sky conditions in both locations, it will mean Century will be 2 percent darker than downtown Pensacola.
In downtown Pensacola, a maximum of 81.42 percent of the sun will be obscured at 1:35:35 p.m. In Century, 83.42 percent of the sun will be obscured by the moon.
If you’d like to drive a little bit, head north on I-65 where the moon will cover 90 percent of the sun in Montgomery, 93 percent in Birmingham, 97 percent in Huntsville and 100 percent in Nashville.
Pictured: A representation of the eclipse coverage in Century. Courtesy timeanddate.com.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
August 20, 2017
Drivers will encounter traffic variations on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County
· Gregory Street to I-110 northbound on ramp Bridge Painting– The shoulder of the Gregory Street to I-110 northbound on ramp will be restricted from 8 p.m.to 5 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 20 through Friday, Sept. 1 as crews perform painting operations.
· Interstate 10 (I-10)/U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I- Drivers will encounter the following traffic impacts on I-10 near the U.S. 29 interchange (Exits 10A and 10B) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 20 through Thursday, Aug. 24.
· Alternating east and westbound lane closures on I-10 and north and southbound on U.S. 29.
· Intermittent closure of the U.S. 29 south to I-10 eastbound ramp and the U.S. 29 north to I-10 eastbound ramp. Traffic will be detoured on U.S. 29 to access I-10 eastbound.
· Intermittent closure of the I-10 westbound to U.S. 29 south ramp (Exit 10A). Traffic will be detoured to Exit 10B.
· Alternating lane closures on I-10 westbound to U.S. 29 north ramp (Exit 10B).
· Beginning Monday, Aug. 21 commercial truck traffic will be allowed to use the right lane of I-10 eastbound near U.S. 29.
· I-10 Widening from Davis Highway to the Escambia Bay Bridge- Alternating lane closures on I-10, between Davis Highway (Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (Exit 17), and on Scenic Highway near the I-10 interchange from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 20 through Thursday, Aug. 24 as crews perform construction activities.
· I-110 Routine Maintenance- Intermittent and alternating lane restrictions on I-110 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21 and Tuesday, Aug. 22 as crews replace overhead and sign lights in the median.
· U.S. 29 Widening from I-10 to Nine Mile Road- Drivers traveling U.S. 29 and Nine Mile Road will encounter traffic pattern changes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews perform drainage and bridge operations as follows:
· Northbound U.S. 29: Sunday, Aug. 20 and Monday, Aug. 21 northbound U.S. 29 south of the Nine Mile Road overpass will be reduced to one lane and detoured to the Nine Mile Road off ramp as crews install drainage. Traffic control officers will be located at the Nine Mile Road intersection to direct traffic.
· Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 overpass: Eastbound traffic will be shifted to the westbound, inside travel lane as crews prepare the area for construction of the support column for the new center bridge deck.
· U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Alternating lane closures continue as crews perform drainage operations.
· State Road (S.R.) 30 (U.S. 98) Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement- Alternating east and westbound lane closures on U.S. 98 (Bayfront Parkway) between 14th Avenue and the bridge from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21 through Saturday, Aug. 26. Tuesday, Aug. 22 lane closures will be from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Crews will be clearing vegetation and removing curb, sidewalk, and traffic separators.
· S.R. 4 Underground Utilities between CSX Railroad Crossing and Old Flomaton Road- Westbound lane restriction from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22 as crews perform underground utility work.
· I-10 Routine Maintenance from east of U.S. 29 (Exit 10) and Davis Highway (Exit 13)- Intermittent and alternating east and westbound lane restrictions between U.S. 29 and Davis Highway from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23 and Thursday, Aug. 24 as crews repair overhead lights and signs.
· S.R. 742 (Creighton Road) Construction Improvement Project from east of Davis Highway to Scenic Highway– Intermittent and alternating lane closures between Davis Highway and Scenic Highway from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. continue as crews perform sidewalk repairs and Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades.
· Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29- Alternating lane closures continue on Untreiner Avenue as crews perform jack and bore operations.
Santa Rosa County
· I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (Exit 22)- Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 20 through Thursday, Aug. 24 as crews work to widen the roadway. In addition, alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange as crews reconstruct the Avalon Boulevard overpass.
· U.S. 90 over Simpson River Bridge near Pace Pavement Coring Operations- Intermittent east and westbound lane restrictions from 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23 as crews take roadway samples for testing.
· S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB Boundary to Hickory Hammock Road – Traffic between County Road 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) and the Eglin AFB boundary is restricted to loads under 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place through the completion of the project.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the construction zone, and to pay attention for workers and equipment entering and exiting the work area. All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Turbulent Times
August 20, 2017
It’s been more than 150 years since Florida Gov. John Milton killed himself, a week before Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered in one of the final battles of the Civil War.
Suicide was a better option than joining a nation in which the North and the South were united, Milton decided.
“Death would be preferable to reunion,” Milton reportedly said before taking his own life in 1865.
The Florida governor’s reaction to the end of the Civil War is a stark representation of multi-generation divisions in the Sunshine State, which sanctioned slavery in 1822. Less than three decades later, slaves comprised an estimated 44 percent of Florida’s population.
While the Civil War ended slavery, Florida operated under Jim Crow laws and other racially divisive measures until the 1960s.
How the nation — and the state — copes with its at-times shameful history has dominated the week’s news.
The burgeoning civil war over the Civil War and its icons is deepening the schism between the right and the left in what could be one of modern history’s most divided political eras.
But the Florida history lesson provides some context for the ongoing clashes over Confederate monuments, as well as for the right to talk about the underlying racial and ethnic tensions still roiling the nation.
In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu centuries ago laid down some advice that might be useful in today’s Twitter-dominated times.
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists,” the philosopher advised. “Of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, `We did this ourselves.’ “
SPEECH ON TRIAL
White nationalists denied the opportunity to speak at the University of Florida are pledging to sue.
Citing “serious concerns” about safety in the aftermath of a deadly weekend clash in Charlottesville, Va., university officials nixed a speech by white nationalist leader Richard Spencer, who wanted to appear on the Gainesville campus next month.
In a message to staff Wednesday morning, university President Kent Fuchs said the decision to deny the National Policy Institute’s request to rent space on campus came “after assessing potential risks” with campus, state, local and federal law enforcement officials.
Continued calls “online and in social media for similar violence in Gainesville such as those decreeing: `The Next Battlefield is Florida’ ” also played a role in the decision, Fuchs said.
But Cameron Padgett, a Georgia resident coordinating the event with Spencer, told The News Service of Florida they are working with attorneys and plan to file a lawsuit challenging Fuchs’ decision.
Spencer is a leader in the “alt-right” movement, blamed for a deadly outburst following a “Unite the Right” rally Saturday in Charlottesville. One person died when a car plowed into a group of counter-protesters, and two Virginia state troopers died in a helicopter crash while monitoring the situation.
“I find the racist rhetoric of Richard Spencer and white nationalism repugnant and counter to everything the university and this nation stands for,” Fuchs wrote. “That said, the University of Florida remains unwaveringly dedicated to free speech and the spirit of public discourse. However, the First Amendment does not require a public institution to risk imminent violence to students and others. The likelihood of violence and potential injury — not the words or ideas — has caused us to take this action.”
DECRYING RACISM, PUNTING ON TRUMP
Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi, both strong supporters of President Donald Trump, decried racism and groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis this week but tap-danced away from criticizing the president as reverberations mounted following the deadly weekend in Virginia.
“I served in the Navy. My dad served in the Second World War,” Scott said. “I didn’t serve to defend neo-Nazis.”
Bondi, meanwhile, expressed support for the University of Florida president’s decision to ban Spencer from appearing on campus.
“Of course, we all believe in the First Amendment, but his priority as president of the University of Florida is to protect the students that go to that school,” Bondi said. “That’s why I think that’s very important.”
Scott and Bondi, however, kept their distance from a controversy about statements Trump made after white nationalists rallied in Charlottesville, leading to clashes with counter-protesters.
The governor said he was disgusted by what took place in Charlottesville and said a white supremacist “murdered” a woman by driving a car into a crowd of counter-protesters. Scott noted that the woman, Heather Heyer, 32, was about the same age as one of his daughters.
“There is no place in our country for racism, bigotry, the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists,” Scott said. He added: “There is no moral equivalence between the two sides.”
But Scott did not directly criticize Trump who has said “both sides” were to blame for the weekend violence in Virginia.
“You can ask President Trump what he said. I’ve been clear,” Scott told reporters in Tallahassee.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE
Scott on Thursday had lunch with Trump at a New Jersey golf resort, even as the president continued to draw criticism for comments about the white nationalist rally.
Scott’s lunch with the president at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., was scheduled at the request of Trump last week, according to the governor’s aides, who were quick to provide context for the meeting.
“Gov. Scott was solely there to promote Florida,” John Tupps, a spokesman for Scott, said in a statement. “They discussed a wide range of topics including the president’s commitment to partner with Florida on needed repairs to the federally operated Herbert Hoover Dike at Lake Okeechobee.”
Tupps said Scott “wants to do all he can to protect Florida’s environment and President Trump is very supportive to help.”
“Additionally, they discussed the terror attack (Thursday) in Barcelona and the efforts President Trump is taking to keep America safe,” Tupps said.
But with Trump embroiled in controversy about the Charlottesville comments, the lunch meeting drew criticism from Democrats.
“Instead of condemning President Trump’s heinous remarks, Rick Scott did what he always does: put his own political ambitions and self-interest ahead of what’s right for Florida,” said David Bergstein, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Instead of sitting down to eat with President Trump, Scott should have stood up to him.”
GOING OLD SCHOOL
With a cavorting dolphin as an eye-popping prop, state Sen. Jack Latvala made a pitch to hometown supporters Wednesday as an “old-school Republican” with the blend of government and private-sector experience that makes him the right fit to be the state’s next governor.
Latvala, a blunt-speaking legislator called a “cheerful curmudgeon” by one supporter, highlighted his strengths and his weaknesses during a gubernatorial campaign kickoff event held in sweltering heat at the waterfront Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
“I may not be the best-looking candidate for governor. I may not be the most physically fit candidate for governor. I may not even be the smartest candidate,” he said, drawing groans from the crowd.
“But you can depend on me to do what I’ve always done, and that is (a), tell you the truth, (b), do what I say I’m going to do, and (c), work as hard as I can every single day for you,” he concluded, receiving cheers.
Latvala, who opened a campaign account last week, joined state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in what could be a crowded GOP primary in the race to replace the term-limited Scott. House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Congressman Ron DeSantis also are considering bids for the governor’s mansion.
STORY OF THE WEEK: University of Florida officials rejected a request from white nationalist leader Richard Spencer to speak on campus next month. Organizers say they intend to sue the university over the decision.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Just don’t be Trump’s mini-me, a simple rule,” Republican strategist Rick Wilson, a leading critic of President Donald Trump, offering advice to GOP candidates during an appearance at the Capital Tiger Bay Club.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida