Brewton Teen Enters Manslaughter Plea In Deadly Hit And Run
September 13, 2017
An Alabama teen accused of hitting a middle school student with her vehicle, then leaving the scene, entered a plea in court Monday.
Monday, Donnavia Zandra Williams entered a blind plea to manslaughter, throwing herself at the mercy of the court. She could face two to 20 years in prison.
Williams was 17 in February of 2016, when the deadly crash occurred. She told police her windshield was icy, and she’d thought she hit a mailbox.
Devon Spencer, 12, and a friend were walking on Williamson Street, traveling from an apartment complex to W.S. Neal Middle School. The friend was not seriously injured, but Devon died a few days later at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Her sentencing is set for November 2017.
Pictured top: Devon Spencer.
Scott, Tebow Huddle Over Irma
September 13, 2017
A New York Mets minor leaguer with a Heisman Trophy from his time in The Swamp brought some star power to Gov. Rick Scott’s Hurricane Irma relief efforts Tuesday.
After visiting a special-needs shelter together Monday night in Jacksonville, Scott teamed with former University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow on Tuesday to thank volunteers and workers at the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee and then left to do the same in Lee County.
“In the midst of a really tough time, you know I think so many people that were hurting have something to hold on to because there were so many volunteers … and they knew there were people in it with them,” Tebow said during the Tallahassee stop. “It doesn’t take away their pain, and it doesn’t take away their fear and doubt of the unknown, but it does give them a little comfort to know that there are people battling with them and loving and supporting them.”
Tebow, who grew up in the Jacksonville area and stopped by a number of Northeast Florida evacuation shelters, had worked with Scott to rally people to volunteer at shelters and in relief efforts before Irma made landfall Sunday in the Florida Keys and Southwest Florida.
“It’s not like you can make everything better at once, but you can know that people are praying for you and they love you and they are here with you walking this journey with you,” Tebow said.
Also, before Scott took part Monday in an aerial survey of damage in the Keys, the governor talked about Hurricane Irma’s storm impacts with Tebow, college football’s 2007 Heisman Trophy winner. Tebow played minor-league baseball this year in the New York Mets system.
Scott told reporters that people staying and working in hurricane-evacuation shelters have appreciated Tebow’s appearances and efforts.
On Friday, Scott retweeted a message from Tebow that said, “@FLGovScott is asking for more volunteers. LET’S RALLY, Florida! Go here: volunteerflorida.org.”
Scott last week also retweeted a message from Miami rapper Pitbull, a former paid ambassador for the state’s tourism industry, who said, “Florida residents & visitors, please be diligent. Evacuate where needed. Be safe. We will be back bigger, better, stronger.”
The storm work by Tebow won’t get him a “Great Floridian” honor — Scott’s already given him that designation.
Tebow was part of the 2013 class of “Great Floridians” that included former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, the late Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, golfer Bubba Watson, and 16th Century Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, each recognized for making significant contributions to the progress and welfare of Florida.
Tebow, who is also a college-football analyst for ESPN, has a charity intended to help children in need. He’s also said he can envision a future career in politics.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida with contribution from Tom Urban, NSF.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EREC Sends Line Crew To Assist With Irma Recovery
September 13, 2017
Escambia River Electric Cooperative line crews will assist Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Madison, FL, with hurricane recovery. Tri-County Electric is one of the cooperatives who suffered severe damage during Irma. Over 90% of Tri-County’s service area was without power as of Tuesday afternoon. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Troopers: Keep It On The Backroads, Stay Off I-10 If Possible
September 13, 2017
Keep it on the backroads — that’s the word from the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers are encouraging local residents to stay off I-10, especially eastbound I-10, as Hurricane Irma evacuees head back home. Pictured: Eastbound traffic on I-10 in Pensacola Tuesday. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Closures Planned Today On Nokomis And Meadows Roads
September 13, 2017
Road closures are scheduled for today on both Nokomis Road and Meadows Road near Davisville.
Nokomis Road
Nokomis Road at the railroad tracks, just west of Highway 97, near Davisville will be closed to all traffic Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. while construction on the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway railroad crossing is being performed.
Every effort will be made to expedite construction efforts to reopen the road before 3 p.m.
Meadows Road
Meadows Road at the railroad tracks near Davisville will be closed to all traffic Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. while construction on the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway railroad crossing is being performed.
Every effort will be made to expedite construction efforts to reopen the road before 6 p.m.
Both road closures are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. If it is rescheduled, another notice will be published on NorthEscambia.com.
Pictured top: The Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway crossing on Pine Forest Road near Davisville was closed for repairs Tuesday. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ramon Rydzowski
September 13, 2017
Mr. Ramon “Ray” Rydzowski, 86, passed away Friday, September 8, 2017, in Pensacola, Florida.
Mr. Rydzowski was a native of Auburn, NY, former resident of Century, FL (from 1953 to 1994), and had resided in Flomaton, AL since 1994. He was a great husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, strong and hardworking (33 years at Jefferson Smurfit-Container Corp.), was able to do anything, except farm, he instilled the same work ethic in his sons, “Hard work Self-Reliance”. He was a long time Stock Car (Nascar) fan, carried mom to car race day after marriage and Paul and I to Five Flags and Talladega, loved times with his friends, James Powell, Herbert McCurdy and Fred Salter and always helped a stranger. He loved to travel, college baseball, boating, beach, camping and playing cards. He loved the holidays, Christmas and Halloween (the most, he would dress up on Halloween) and Thanksgiving, he enjoyed good food and family. He was a member of the Flomaton United Methodist Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Rydzowski, three brothers and one sister.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Gloria Rydzowski of Flomaton, AL; three sons, Steve R. (Donna Carol) Rydzowski of McDavid, FL, Paul F. (Karen) Rydzowski of Wing, AL and Robert C. (Ann T.) Rydzowski of Flomaton, AL; six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, September 12, 2017, at the Flomaton United Methodist Church with Rev. Cathy McKinley and Rev. Dr. Pete Dunn officiating.
Burial was at the Flomaton Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Ray Lee, Eric Rydzowski, Ben Murrell, Steven “Little Man” Rydzowski, Dewayne Higdon and Willie Wilson.
Honorary pallbearers were Bobby Maddox, Larry Jones and Joe Brantley.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Florida’s Irma Focus Turns To Recovery
September 13, 2017
More than 5.5 million homes and businesses in Florida remained without power at midday Tuesday after Hurricane Irma plowed through the state.
Food, water and gas deliveries were starting to return in Central and South Florida as the demand swells from returning evacuees. Airports started to provide limited operations. And the process of allowing people to return to homes was underway in most areas outside the storm-ravaged lower Florida Keys.
Irma is expected to cost the state and federal government billions of dollars.
Meanwhile, Florida Power & Light spokesman Rob Gould asked customers on Tuesday to be patient as they wait for restoration of electricity.
“We understand what it means to be in the dark. We understand what it means to be hot and without air conditioning,” Gould said. “We are out there 24-7. This will not be just a daylight operation. We will be restoring power day and night.”
The company, with more than 20,000 restoration workers, anticipates getting power back by the end of the weekend to most of its customers in eastern parts of Florida.
A deadline of Sept. 22 has been set for restoring power to customers in the company’s western counties, which include all or parts of Manatee, Hardee, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, Collier and Monroe.
The timelines don’t include homes and areas that were completely destroyed by the storm, Gould noted.
Juno Beach-based FPL reported 2.8 million of its nearly 5 million homes and businesses were still without power on Tuesday.
St. Petersburg-based Duke Energy Florida had 1.27 million of its 1.8 million accounts in the dark on Tuesday. And Tampa Electric still had to reconnect 300,000 of its 750,000 accounts on Tuesday.
“Restoration will take days — but, thankfully, not weeks,” Tampa Electric President and CEO Gordon Gillette, said in a prepared statement.
Tampa Electric said power had already been restored to about 20 percent of its customers who had been impacted.
Statewide, electricity has been restored to more than 1 million homes and businesses as the broader recovery process got underway from Irma, which hit the Keys and Southwest Florida on Sunday and traveled up the state before exiting North Florida on Monday.
“What you’re going to see today all around the state, is you’re going to see more resources,” Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday morning while at Jacksonville International Airport. “This impacted the whole state, so it’s hard to pre-position all the assets you’d want to position if the storm just came from one coast or the other. But even with that, I think the number is over 30,000 individuals from out of state are helping us get our power on.”
Scott had earlier in the day taken an aerial tour of Jacksonville with the Florida National Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard had provided Scott with a similar view of Key West on Monday.
Damage assessment continues in the Florida Keys, where engineers are determining if bridges can handle the weight of returning vehicles. Water and sanitation also remain issues, Scott said.
Problems in Jacksonville stem from flash flooding from the St. Johns River. The U.S. Coast Guard reported rescuing more than 100 people Monday in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, who put the number that needed rescuing from floodwaters at around 300 on Tuesday, expressed some frustration about people not heeding evacuation warnings.
“It would have been nice if there weren’t people in the areas that were affected by the surge, but the first responders just stepped right up and did their jobs,” Curry said.
Curry said he would have evacuated if he wasn’t the city’s mayor.
“We’re not trying to be difficult. We’re not trying to make people’s lives inconvenient,” Curry added. “I think the governor said it best leading up to this, evacuations are not about convenience, they’re about safety.”
Search and rescue operations continued in the Keys and Southwest Florida. Among other developments Tuesday:
— More than 94,000 people remained in about 400 shelters still in use across Florida.
— The Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee remained safe, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
— The Florida Highway Patrol was escorting 44 tractor-trailers with relief supplies and 600 utility trucks into Southwest Florida.
— Port Tampa, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral reopened for fuel trucks.
— Florida reopened 20 state parks in the Panhandle, but 147 others throughout the peninsula remained closed Tuesday morning.
— Lakeland-based Publix reported 22 of its 776 stores in Florida remained closed on Tuesday.
by The News Service of Florida
House Fire Claims Life Of Elderly Atmore Woman
September 12, 2017
A house fire claimed the life on an elderly woman in Atmore early Tuesday morning.
The fire was reported at 3:42 a.m. in the 200 block of Carver Avenue. The home was full involved when firefighters arrived on scene. They found the woman, who was in her 70’s, inside the home.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by the Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to Atmore Fire Chief Ronald Peebles.
Neighbors said electricity was out in the neighborhood at the time of the fire, some speculating that the woman may have been using candles or a lantern.
Peebles said that power was out in the area due to a motor vehicle accident in which a vehicle hit a power pole and downed power lines, but said the cause of the fire would be determined by the Fire Marshal.
A trailer fire Monday night on Old Ship Circle in Atmore was caused by candles during the power outage. Click here to read more.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fire Near Jay Claims One Life
September 12, 2017
A fire claimed one life late Monday night near Jay.
The fire was reported about 11:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of Mart Jernigan Road, about a mile and half of north of Jay. Firefighters arrived to find the trailer full involved and burned nearly to the ground.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released.
The fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Jay, Berrydale and Allentown fire department responded to the blaze.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Seeks $4.9 Million In Oil Spill Money For Five Town Projects
September 12, 2017
The Town of Century has approved five projects totaling $4.9 million to be submitted for possible funding with oil spill money.
The projects, which are detailed below as submitted, were discussed in a recent joint workshop with the Century Area Chamber of Commerce. The projects will now be submitted to the Escambia County Commission for possible funding through Triumph Gulf Coast.
The Gulf Coast Economic Corridor Act signed by Gov. Rick Scott on June 2 directs $1.5 billion to be spent over a 15 year period in eight counties in Northwest Florida that were impacted by the oil spill. The act directs Escambia and other seven other counties to seek proposals from other local governing boards withing their county.
Activities eligible for funding include ad valorem tax rate reductions, workforce skill development, local funding match requirements, public infrastructure projects, equipment and personnel for local disaster action plans, promotion of tourism and workforce and educational career development programs.
The town council Monday night chose the five project from a field of six, rejecting a Welcome Center project as be to related to tourism, which town consultant Debbie Nickels said would not score well with Triumph.
The five projects are:
Century Workforce Development and Readiness Program — $750,000
This project will consist of a collaboration between PSC, CareerSource EscaRosa, the Century Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Century. Funds will be utilized to expand and develop Workforce Education programs available in the areas of manufacturing, information, logistics, technology and skilled trades. Tuition assistance for ABE/GED classes and testing as well as employment readiness, financial literacy and soft skills training will be provided. It will expand the poverty reduction initiatives already in place through “Century Area Getting Ahead” and establishing a Bridges out of Poverty/ Bridges to a Sustainable Community development team.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements – $338,897
This project includes numerous improvements to the Town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant is aging and a number of its critical systems are beginning to fail. The improvements include the following: Clarifier repairs; return activated sludge pump replacement; effluent pump replacement; sidestream wastewater return pump replacement; gas chemical feed equipment replacement; grit removal from plant tankage; equalization basin repairs; and, filter repairs.
Century Grown — $30,000
This project will establish a “Century Grown” community partnership market-garden-kitchen which will establish sustainable food source through gardening, food and nutrition education and culinary arts. A project of this nature could be a strong catalyst to facilitate spin-off business as well as a farmers market. Added benefits would also establish stronger community bonds through partnerships. To build the concept, the Town will reach out to the American Community Gardening Association, USDA and the UF Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences for technical expertise. Partnership opportu nities exist within the community to involve organizations such as the Century Chamber, Churches, educational institutions, individual residents as well as local restaurants and farmers.
Town of Century Sewage Lift Station Repair — $1,291,568
This project includes the replacement of twelve vacuum-type sewage pumps with new submersible sewage pumps. The existing vacuum-type sewage pumps have outlived their useful lifespan and Town staff are having problems finding parts to service the stations. Submersible pumps are more efficient, easier to maintain and less like to be vandalized. Supervisory Control and Date Acquisition (SCADA) systems are proposed for each station as well as further improve reliability and troubleshoot problems quickly and efficiently.
Century Community Recreation and Youth Development — $2.5 million
The former Century High School/Carver Middle School Gymnasium, currently owned by Pensacola State College, has not been used since 2003. Vandalism, lack of use/maintenance and tornado damage has made it in dire need of renovation in order to make it available for after-school and summer youth activities, recreational, fitness, and college readiness programs for the community at large. A youth development organization such as Boys and Girls Club would be funded to manage the activities that would support K-20 educational programming, violence/drug use prevention, career exploration and youth leadership.
REJECTED PROJECT
Welcome to the Northern Gate of Escambia County — $500,000
This project is to construct a walking park around the large retention pond located at the comer of West Cottage Street and U.S. Highway 29 in Century and to purchase a one-acre parcel (the former town hall) directly adjacent to the retention pond in order to construct a Welcome Station, construct a parking area, install landscaping, move the Welcome to Florida sign to this site and create a photo-op area. Currently, hundreds of travelers annually pull over near the Welcome to Florida sign at the end of the Alabama-Florida overpass and risk injury to cross the road and walk up the embankment for a photo-op.
Construction of a new Welcome Station in conjunction with moving the Welcome to Florida sign would eliminate safety concerns for visitors. A kiosk for brochures about Escambia County, Pensacola, the beaches, Naval Air Museum, etc., could be provided. In addition, benches and picnic tables could be installed around and/or near the walking trail. These improvements would encourage travelers to stop, take pictures, enjoy the facilities, eat and/or make purchases at local businesses.
Pictured: The properties that were considered for a half million dollar “Welcome to the Northern Gate of Escambia County” Triumph Gulf Coast project. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
