School Bus Safety And Traffic Laws
August 10, 2017
It’s the first day of school in Escambia County, with more than 40,000 students making their way to and from school. About 25,000 of them will be on board 300 school buses across the county.
Parents are reminded to instruct their children to be at the bus stop at least five minutes before scheduled bus arrival time, stay off of the roadway, observe and stay clear of traffic, stay out of the bus blind spots, don’t chase after the bus once it leaves the bus stop, and buckle seat belts as soon as they board.
Motorists are reminded to give themselves plenty of time to get where they’re going and to be patient in traffic. They should watch out for school buses, comply with bus-passing laws, and stay off of those cell phones.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, drivers must follow these school and school bus safety rules:
- Adhere to the posted speed limit in designated school zones.
- When approaching an intersection where a crossing guard is present in the crosswalk with the stop sign raised, do not cross – or turn – into the crosswalk until the guard has completely left the crosswalk.
- Never stop a vehicle in a manner that blocks a crosswalk.
- When you approach a stopped school bus (from behind) with lights flashing and the stop arm extended, you must stop.
- When you approach a stopped school bus (from front) with lights flashing and the stop arm extended, you also must stop, unless:
- you are on a divided highway and the roadways are separated by an unpaved space at least five feet in width, or
- you are on a divided highway and the roadways are separated by a physical barrier.
- You are required to stop at least 10 feet away from the school bus.
- You must not resume driving until the school bus turns its lights off and withdraws its stop sign.
- Be certain all exiting children have reached a safe place before proceeding.
Dovie Woods Stanley
August 10, 2017
Mrs. Dovie Woods Stanley, 84, passed away on Thursday, August 10, 2017, in Atmore, Alabama.
Mrs. Stanley was a native of Semirah Springs, AL and had resided in Atmore, AL most of her life. She was a member of Brooks Memorial Baptist Church. She is preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Louiza Woods and husband of 64 years Cecil Stanley.
She is survived by her three sons, Cecil Gary (Kaye Derrington) Stanley of Tampa, FL, Greg (Wanda) Stanley of Stapleton, AL and Richard K. (Phyllis) Stanley of Brewton, AL; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Sunday, August 13, 2017, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Bro. Robert Heard and Bro. Dave Taylor officiating.
Visitation will be Saturday, August 12, 2017, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Jacob Salter, Wade Barnes, Chris Stanley, David Huggins, Charles Woods and James “Chief” Peters.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
All Students At Many Escambia Schools To Receive Free Lunch, Breakfast
August 10, 2017
On this first day of school, here’s a reminder that all students at many North Escambia schools will receive free breakfast and lunch this year, thanks to the expansion of a two-year old Escambia County School District program.
Bratt, Byrneville, Molino Park, Ernest Ward and Northview are among the 17 new schools added through the district’s participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).
Free breakfast and lunch will begin on the first day of school at the following locations in Escambia County (new schools are in bold):
Elementary Schools: Bellview Elementary, Bratt Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, C.A. Weis Elementary, Ensley Elementary, Ferry Pass Elementary, Global Learning Academy, Holm Elementary, Jim Allen Elementary, Lincoln Park Elementary, Lipscomb Elementary, Longleaf Elementary, McArthur Elementary, Molino Park Elementary, Montclair Elementary, Myrtle Grove Elementary, Navy Point Elementary, Oakcrest Elementary, Pine Meadow Elementary, Pleasant Grove Elementary, Scenic Heights Elementary, O.J. Semmes Elementary, Sherwood Elementary, Warrington Elementary, and West Pensacola Elementary
Middle Schools: Bellview Middle, Ernest Ward Middle, Ferry Pass Middle, Jim Bailey Middle, Warrington Middle, Woodham Middle, and Workman Middle
High Schools: Escambia High School, Northview High School, Pensacola High School, Pine Forest High School, Booker T. Washington High School
Special Centers: Camelot, Lakeview Center, Judy Andrews, McMillian PreK Center, and Escambia Westgate Center
Alternative Education/Charters: Byrneville Charter, Capstone, Escambia Charter, and Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy
Vocational School: George Stone Technical (Phoenix Initiative Program)
Parents of the students at these schools are not required to submit an application for the free and reduced Lunch program at that school — all meals are free.
Families with students attending other ECSD schools are encouraged to apply for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Applications will be sent home or parents and guardians to complete and return to their student’s school.
Pictured top: Sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and crackers on the lunch menu at Jim Allen Elementary School. Pictured below: Lunch at Bratt Elementary and Ransom Middle School. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Suspicious White Powder Found Inside Escambia Business
August 9, 2017
Emergency personnel responded to a report of a suspicious white powder inside an Escambia County business this afternoon, but they have since given the all-clear.
The white powder was reportedly found inside CHCS Services Inc. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Rapid Response Team, Escambia County EMS and Escambia County Fire Rescue responded and evaluated the substance.
They determined there was no threat from the white powder. Officials have not said exactly what the substance was.
The company was evacuated as a precaution.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mayor: There’s A Buyer For The Former Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company Property, New Jobs Promised
August 9, 2017
The sale of the former Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company property in Century is in the works, with the buyer set to bring new jobs to town, according to Mayor Henry Hawkins.
The property includes 330,200 square feet in eight buildings on 38 acres that is zoned industrial. The largest building is 128,000 square feet, the smallest 10,400. It has been listed in recent years for as much as $2.75 million, but is currently listed on real estate websites for $1.5 million. Property records show it is currently owned by a holding company in Navarre.
The property was heavily damaged in Century’s February 2016 EF-3, including a collapse of the rear portion of the largest building. Portions of the buildings blew into, and in some cases through, houses along Front Street. Since the tornado, residents have pushed the town and Escambia County to clean up the property. Estimates for a cleanup have topped three-quarters of a million dollars.
But the new buyer, according to the mayor, will look to repair some of facility for their business. As negotiations are ongoing, Hawkins has declined to name the potential purchaser.
Hawkins said there are numerous county liens against the property that will reduce the selling price, and he plans to work with the county attorney’s office to determine the exact amount owed to Escambia County.
“It’s a pretty significant lien,” County Attorney Alison Rogers said Tuesday. “We are willing to work with the Town of Century…if they were to present a request in writing to reduce or forgive some of those liens for economic development, the board (Board of County Commissioners) would certainly consider that request.”
Hawkins said the sale of the property could close as early as next week.
Pictured top: A ground level view of the back of the main building at the former Alger Sullivan Lumber Company in Century in February 2016. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
More Showers And Thunderstorms
August 9, 2017
Numerous showers and storms will continues to develop across the area through Wednesday. Stronger storms will produce torrential downpours across the area. This heavy rain may lead to minor flooding for areas along and north of I-10.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: A 20 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 88.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87.
New Adult Health Care Practice Opens In Century
August 9, 2017
A new adult health care practice is now open in Century.
Wednesday was opening day as Escambia Community Clinics opens its ECC Century Adult Primary Care medical practice to serve the health care needs of adults from Century and surrounding areas. The new office is located at 6021 Industrial Boulevard inside the Century Clinic of Lakeview Center. The new medical office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Family nurse practitioner Mamie “Paula” Kennedy, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C, is the provider for this new office, which serves adults ages 18 and up. ECC Century Adult Primary Care offers a wide range of heath care services for adults, including annual well visits, screenings, treatment of minor illnesses and injuries and management of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma. Patients may also access a network of support services that are offered at ECC’s other 12 locations, such as pharmacy assistance and healthcare for the homeless.
The office is now accepting calls for appointments Monday through Friday during business hours at (850) 724-4064. Same day appointments may be available. This is ECC’s second location in Century. ECC opened their Century Pediatrics and Pediatric Dental Clinic at 501 Church Street in Century earlier this year.
“We are excited to be able to bring adult primary health care services to our neighbors in Northern Escambia County. Locating this new practice in Lakeview Center’s Century clinic is a great partnership designed to improve the health and quality of life of the residents of the communities we serve,” said Chandra Smiley, executive director of Escambia Community Clinics.
ECC is a Florida Medicaid, Humana and Molina managed care provider, and accepts Alabama Medicaid and many private health insurances. ECC offers a sliding fee scale program for those individuals who do not have insurance coverage.
Payment plans are available for those persons who do not qualify or choose not to qualify for the sliding fee program. Payment plans are designed to meet each individual’s income level.
Escambia County Considers Two Proposals For New Escambia County Jail
August 9, 2017
The Escambia County Commission looked heard two presentations Tuesday for a new Escambia County Jail.
Whitesell-Green/Caddell Joint Venture made the first presentation (design pictured above). The venture is a partnership of Whitesell-Green of Pensacola and Caddell Construction of Montgomery, AL. The companies bid $128.6 million on the project.
The second presentation was from W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. of Philadelphia, MS (design pictured below). The company’s base bid was $129.8 million.
Both bids are negotiable after a final selection is made. The total cost with other preparation work is expected to be about $145 million.
The new jail will be constructed at the site of the McDonald Shopping Center on the southeast corner of Fairfield Drive and Pace Boulevard.
The Escambia County Commission will continue discussions of the design-build service request for proposals for the new correctional facility at the Thursday Committee of the Whole Meeting at 9 a.m.
Pictured top: Whitesell-Green/Caddell Joint Venture’s conceptional design for a new Escambia County Jail. Pictured below: W.G. Yates Construction’s design for a new Escambia County Jail. Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Lawmakers Take Aim At Opioids
August 9, 2017
Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala held a roundtable discussion Tuesday in Palm Beach County with lawmakers, local leaders and public-safety officials to address Florida’s opioid crisis.
Palm Beach County is one of the epicenters of the epidemic. From January through May of this year, the county had 311 opioid overdoses, compared to 258 over the same period in 2016, according to numbers from Latvala’s office. The county totaled 592 opioid-related deaths in 2016.
“This is obviously an issue that is on all of our minds,” Latvala, R-Clearwater, said during the discussion at Palm Beach State College’s Lake Worth Campus. “Everybody can make proclamations and declarations, but it’s when rubber hits road, that’s when things get going. I am here to listen and learn about this crisis.”
Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the country, with 52,404 fatal overdoses reported in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Opioid addiction drove the epidemic with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers and 12,990 deaths related to heroin.
Palm Beach County has taken $1 million out of reserves to address the epidemic on a local level. During this spring’s legislative session, state lawmakers passed bills to address what are known as “sober homes” — a major issue in Palm Beach County — and to crack down on people who traffic in fentanyl, a deadly painkiller sometimes mixed with heroin.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Melissa McKinlay presented statistics about the opioid crisis and said the county had spent more than $200,000 on Narcan, an opiate antidote used in emergency situations.
“The epidemic is impacting the manufacturing industry and business communities,” McKinlay said. “People cannot pass drug tests because of this. The bigger picture is that addiction is a disease. We want to break the stigma of addicts because nobody wakes up one day and chooses to become an addict.”
Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, CEO of St. Mary’s Medical Center, described newborns being treated in hospitals for drug withdrawal. The newborns experience the same symptoms that an addict would experience, including tremors, fever, seizures and pain.
“This is concerning for our community,” Finley-Hazle said. “What will happen when these babies are older? We need prevention programs to help addictive moms, treat patients for detox and for educating children.”
Emilio Benitez, president and CEO of ChildNet, a community-based care agency that contracts with the state, said the opioid crisis also is having an impact on the child-welfare system. Benitez said 45 percent of Palm Beach County children removed from their homes since January were a result of parents abusing opioids. The number was 31 percent in Broward County.
Solutions proposed during Tuesday’s discussion included more beds and centers for treatment and recovery, funding for medical and emergency personnel, education programs and counseling programs to assist families of addicts.
Among the participants in the meeting was Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican whose district includes part of Palm Beach County. Negron and Latvala, the Senate’s chief budget writer who is widely expected to run for governor in 2018, are two of the most-influential political figures in the state.
“The purpose of this discussion was for President Negron and Senator Latvala to provide resources to use,” McKinlay said. “It’s for them to hear the problem to create ideas and projects for local action plans.”
by Nathalie Sczublewski, The News Service of Florida
Tractor Trailer Driver Injured In McDavid Crash
August 9, 2017
One person was injured in a single vehicle crash involving an 18-wheeler Tuesday night in McDavid.
The driver of the 18-wheeler lost control for an unknown reason and ran off the roadway, with the truck coming to rest in a wooded area.
The 29-year old male driver was transported by Santa Rosa County ambulance to a Pensacola area hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
