Motorcyclist Seriously Injured In Cantonment Crash
December 19, 2017
A man was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident Tuesday morning in Cantonment.
The man crashed his Triumph motorycle at Jacks Branch Road and Muscogee Road about 8:25 a.m. He was transported by Escambia County EMS as a “trauma alert” to an area hospital.
Exactly how the crash happened was not immediately clear and remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Warm, Humid Weather Continues
December 19, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Areas of dense fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Areas of dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Christmas Day: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Using Stolen Checks To Repay Stolen Money
December 19, 2017
A Cantonment woman was jailed after allegedly using stolen checks to pay back stolen money.
Traneceia Donya Smith, 33, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on felony charges of grand theft, uttering a forged instrument and dealing in stolen property.
The victim told deputies that Smith had previously stolen $15,000 from the victim’s son, but that crime had gone unreported. The victim said Smith agreed to repay the money to her son and provided a promissory note that she claimed was from Smith’s grandmother.
Smith made payments of $1,900 and $900 with checks from her grandmother, according to arrest report, but both checks bounced. The grandmother told deputies that the checks on a closed account had been stolen, and she did not sign them.
Smith remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $45,000.
Molino’s Padgett Appointed To Escambia Extension Council
December 19, 2017
The Escambia County Commission has appointed Sabrena Padgett of Molino to the Escambia County Extension Council.
Padgett is a homemaker that home schools her daughter. She is involved in her daughter’s 4-H club, her church and teaches a cooking class with the home school cooperative. The family has a small farm.
According to Escambia County:
The persons appointed to the Extension Council are to be known to have an interest in and concern for the agricultural, family and consumer sciences (home economics), and youth programs of extension; in developing the rural and urban sections; and in developing the county and its resources.
To ensure that every section of the county is represented, the county is divided into zones and a member is selected from each zone. Members must live in the zone to which he/she is appointed and serve staggered two-year terms. Members may serve for a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms before rotating off and must be off the Council for one two-year term before becoming eligible to serve again.
These individuals, which were nominated by the Nominating Committee selected by the Escambia County Extension Council, reside in the zone for which appointed and are known to have an interest and concern for programs of the Escambia County Extension.
Atmore Police Seek Suspects In Liquor Store Armed Robbery
December 19, 2017
Monday afternoon, the Atmore Police Department asked for the public’s help in locating suspects in the December 12 armed robbery of the ABC liquor store.
Two men with their faces covered entered the ABC Store at 808 North Main Street at 5:49 p.m. and brandished a weapon as they approached the clerk and demanded money. They fled the store on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash from the register. The clerk was not harmed.
The Alabama Department of Corrections, Fountain Prison Tracking Dog Team was contacted and responded. Once on scene, officers deployed the tracking dogs who followed the suspects scent to an area behind the ABC store and then to Peachtree Street where the scent was lost.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call the Atmore Police Department at (251) 368-9141.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Accused Shoplifter Charged With Smuggling Drugs Into Jail
December 19, 2017
A Molino man arrested for shoplifting a $30 item is now facing two felony charges for smuggling drugs into the Escambia County Jail.
Clinton Keith Edmonson was arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for retail petit theft after he allegedly took a knife priced at $29.88 from Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard. Edmonson was asked twice by the arresting deputy if he had anything illegal on his person, which he denied, according to an arrest report.
When Edmonson was searched at the jail, a corrections office reported finding a small bag of marijuana in the coin pocket of Edmonson’s pants, and a bag of methamphetamine fell out of his pants leg.
Edmondson was charged with two felony counts of smuggling contraband into the county jail. His remained in the Escambia County jail with bond set at $5,250.
Photos: Santa Claus Visits Molino Park Elementary
December 19, 2017
Santa Claus visited Molino Park Elementary School last week for Christmas Pajama and Party Day
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
State Irma Losses Top $6.55 Billion; 212 Claims In Escambia County
December 19, 2017
Estimated insured losses from Hurricane Irma have topped $6.55 billion, with the number of claims approaching 866,000, according to information released Monday by the state Office of Insurance Regulation.
The latest report showed that 865,974 claims from the September storm had been filed with insurance companies as of Friday, with 719,512 involving residential properties.
While people have several years to file claims, the numbers indicate a slowing in reported damages, as numbers posted by the state office on Dec. 4 showed 853,356 claims with estimated losses of $6.3 billion.
In Escambia County, 212 claims were filed. Of those, 103 were paid, 71 were closed without payment and 38 remain open.
Lynne McChristian, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, said Irma could have been “much worse” for homeowners and the industry.
“The insurance companies have been well-capitalized,” McChristian said. “They have been waiting for this. There may be some claims that will continue to be filed, but insurance companies know that this is what happens when you are dealing with Florida’s hurricane risk.”
While figures are not available from individual private insurers, state-backed Citizens Property Insurance reported last week it had received 63,500 claims from Irma. Most were in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties.
Citizens anticipated its number of Irma claims will grow to 70,000, with $1.2 billion in damages, over the next year.
Citizens President and CEO Barry Gilway also said Wednesday that he expected the storm to increase Citizens’ policy count from “about 442,000 policies back up to 500,000” in the next year.
In the overall industry, Miami-Dade County has the largest number of Irma-related claims, with 114,078 as of Friday, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation numbers. Other counties with large numbers of claims included Broward, 71,970; Orange, 68,306; Lee, 65,311; Collier, 63,644; and Polk, 50,180.
Irma made landfall Sept. 10 in Monroe and Collier counties, causing widespread destruction and at least 84 deaths in Florida. The insurance industry has closed 48 percent of Irma claims with some payment. Another 31 percent were closed without any payments.
In most cases where money did not change hands, the damages failed to meet policyholders’ deductibles, McChristian said.
To reduce risk in Florida, the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness has received a number of potential housing changes — as part of the more than 140 recommendations — for lawmakers to consider during the 2018 legislative session, which begins in January.
Among the proposals, Rep. Holly Raschein, R-Key Largo, suggested the state identify areas where rebuilding after disasters might be high-risk and to consider options for not rebuilding, including the possible purchase of the properties. The land, she suggested, would be used to create additional open space and natural buffers.
Meanwhile, Sen. Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, and House Minority Leader Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, introduced a proposal (SB 1282 and HB 1011) last week that would require insurance companies to disclose to homeowners when coverage lacks flood insurance.
“I’ve met many constituents who had no idea that their hurricane coverage did not include protections when their homes flooded,” Taddeo said in a prepared statement. “This is especially problematic in South Florida as we face sea level rise and stronger storm surges from climate change.”
by The News Service of Florida with contribution from NorthEscambia.com
FDOT: Expect Lane Closures At New Molino Road Bridge
December 19, 2017
Motorist can expect intermittent daytime lane closures this week at the recently opened Molino Road bridge of Penasula Creek, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. Workers will be completing minor construction activities in the project, weather permitting.
The new bridge opened to traffic last week. It has been closed for reconstruction since January 3.
Detreal Jackson Named Escambia County’s Employee Of The Year
December 19, 2017
Detreal Jackson, senior office support assistant in the Public Safety Division, has been selected as Escambia County’s 2017 Employee of the Year. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
