Photos: Halloween Fun At The Century Branch Library (With Gallery)
October 28, 2017
A Haunted Halloween was held Thursday night at the Century Branch Library. Superheroes, goblins and other costumed characters enjoyed arts and crafts, treats and a spooky lights-out Halloween story.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Veterinarian Joins Escambia County Animal Shelter
October 28, 2017
Escambia County Animal Services is welcoming a new veterinarian to the animal shelter staff, who will be responsible for the care of animals and ensuring they are spayed, neutered, healthy and ready for adoption.
Dr. Johnna Lee joins the Escambia County Animal Shelter from Hartselle, Alabama, where she most recently worked as the chief of staff at Banfield Pet Hospital in Decatur, Alabama. Lee graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor’s Degree in poultry science and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctorate’s Degree in veterinary medicine before completing her clinical rotations at Auburn University.
At Banfield Pet Hospital, Lee managed the hospital, provided veterinary care and trained new veterinarians. While working at Banfield, Lee also served as the veterinarian for the Decatur Police Department’s K-9 unit, ensuring the canine officers’ health and well-being.
Lee started with the county on Sept. 12, beginning her first experience working at an animal shelter. Although the job is still new, Lee said she’s already loving it and looks forward to coming to work every day.
“I think at any job, you need to have a purpose, you need to feel like you’re making a difference,” Lee said. “Even though I’ve been here a short time, I already feel like I’m making a difference…Honestly, I think it’s the people here. The people that work here, they’ve got it right. They really do care, and they really do have the best interest of all of these animals at heart.”
Escambia County Animal Services Director John Robinson said he and his staff are excited to have an in-house veterinarian again, which the shelter has been without for nearly a year.
“I’m even more thrilled that it’s a great vet,” Robinson said. “One of the challenges is that I wasn’t out there just to find a vet, but to find the right vet. I think that’s the best part is that Dr. Lee is amazing.”
While the shelter was without a veterinarian, Robinson said they had the support of local veterinarians and Pensacola State College to help with spay and neuter surgeries, medical issues and medical profiles for cruelty cases.
To aid in finding good homes for as many animals as possible, the Escambia County Animal Shelter transferred dogs to other shelters in the north, such as Providence Animal Center and Michigan Humane Society, who had space to take animals in for adoption. The shelter’s ongoing partnership with the nonprofit group Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter helped coordinate this transport effort.
Several local and non-local rescue groups along with the Pensacola Humane Society also helped by pulling animals from the shelter to adopt out from their respective organizations. Robinson said it has been a group effort to keep animals healthy and get them adopted during the search for a veterinarian, and the community was a huge help.
“That is the great thing about the animal welfare community – they will always come to your aid in a time of need,” Robinson said. “We are happy to return the favor when we can.”
Although the outside support was much appreciated, Robinson said having a permanent veterinarian on staff is ideal since Lee will become more familiar with the animals and their needs. With an in-house veterinarian, animals will also be able to get spayed and neutered more quickly so they can be ready for adoption.
Along with general care of the animals at the shelter, Robinson said Lee’s job responsibilities include educating staff and the community.
“The only the way the shelter succeeds and reaches the goals it wants to is if we help our community understand how to better care for their animals,” Robinson said.
Lee said her goals while at the shelter include keeping the animal population as healthy as possible so they can find good homes. While it’s always a work in progress, she said it’s already rewarding to see animals getting adopted more frequently.
“It’s something we strive really hard for every day,” Lee said. “Every day, and every week I come in, and there’s more empty kennels – and that’s awesome.”
For more information about the Escambia County Animal Shelter, including how to adopt a pet, click here.
Friday Night Finals
October 27, 2017
Here are Friday night football finals from around the area:
FLORIDA
Baker 42, Northview 25 [Read more...]
Tate 34, Pine Forest 27 [Read more...]
Jay 40, Freeport 21
West Florida 33, Pensacola High 0
Escambia 48, Washington 7
Navarre 29, Gulf Breeze 23
Milton 25, Pace 19
Open: Catholic
ALABAMA
Escambia Academy, 34, Bessemer Academy 28
W.S. Neal 27, Escambia County 8
Bayside Academy 22, Flomaton 0
Clarke County 27, T.R. Miller 17
Pictured: Northview’s coaching staff celebrate as the Chiefs take the lead over Baker Friday night in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Motorcyclist Dies In Beulah Crash
October 27, 2017
A Milton man died in motorcycle crash late Friday morning in Beulah.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 73-year old James Elliott of Loxley was driving a 2016 Hyundai Sonata stopped at stop sign on Bridlewood Road facing south toward Nine Mile Road when he pulled into the intersection and collided with a 2005 Honda motorcycle driven by 23-year old Josef Martens of Milton.
Martens will pronounced deceased at the scene of the 11:58 a.m. crash. Elliot was not injured.
Any charges in the accident are pending the outcome of a FHP traffic homicide investigation.
Escambia County Deputy Involved Shooting Under Investigation
October 27, 2017
A deputy involved shooting this morning in Escambia County is under investigation.
A male entered Warrington Bank on Barrancas Avenue and told the employees “you better call the police or an employee is going to get hurt”, according to Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chip Simmons.
The suspect then left the bank and walked a short distance to the south, Simmons said, where three deputies arrived and confronted him near the Redeemer Lutheran Church and School at 333 Commerce Street.
“He claimed to have a gun; he then pulled out a gun and began firing,” the chief deputy said. “The deputies returned fire.”
The unidentified male suspect was taken to a local hospital. One of the deputies received a minor injury but was not hospitalized.
The shooting is now under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as is standard procedure.
Pictured above: The scene of a deputy involved shooting Friday morning on Commerce Street in Escambia County. Pictured below: Chief Deputy Chip Simmons explains the events as they unfolded. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Amends Floodplain Management Ordinance
October 27, 2017
The Town of Century has approved revisions to their Floodplain management ordinance requiring a minimum construction height in certain areas.
Last month, the town approved the submission of a draft interlocal agreement with Escambia County asking the county floodplain administrator provide additional review of all development permits for construction within the town’s special flood hazard areas.
To maintain consistency between the town and the county, the county floodplain administrator recommended a “freeboard requirement” under which all development in a flood hazard area be construction at least three feet above the the designated FEMA Base Flood Elevation.
Man Charged With Armed Robbery of Three Atmore Convenience Stores
October 27, 2017
An Atmore man is charged with three early morning convenience store armed robberies.
James Ronald Marshall, Jr. was jailed on three counts of first degree armed robbery and first degree theft of property. He was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton.
About 2:18 Wednesday morning, Atmore Police responded to the Circle K convenience store at 325 North Main Street after a suspicious male was seen entering the store wearing a Halloween mask.
The clerk told officers while standing outside the store, a male subject walked up wearing a blue hoodie sweatshirt, blue jeans, boots, and a halloween style mask. The clerk said the male suspect walked into the store but she remained outside because she was scared. The clerk said the male suspect stayed in the store for a few seconds and then walked outside. The clerk told the male suspect that she was calling the police and he shouted an expletive at her as he fled on foot.
While officers were searching for the suspect in the North Main Street area, they were called to another Circle K convenience store at 901 West Nashville Avenue, at approximately 2:35 a.m. in response to an armed robbery. The store clerk said a black male, matching the description of the first robbery suspect, entered store armed with a handgun and demanded cash. The clerk told officers the suspect fled the store after receiving an undisclosed amount of cash.
Then about 4:16 a.m. Atmore Police were notified that an armed robbery had just occurred at the Shell Station located at 1204 East Nashville Avenue. Officers responded and discovered the suspect responsible was the same person from the other stores. According to the clerk, the suspect entered the store armed with a gun and demanded money. The clerk said after receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect fled the store traveling in a silver truck.
While officers was working the scene at the Shell Station, Atmore Police received a phone call stating a subject driving a silver truck and matching the clothing description given by the clerks had crashed on Sardis Church Road. Officers responded to the crash scene and made contact Marshall.
Police learned at the traffic crash the truck Marshall was driving had been stolen from a residence on Beacon Lane. Marshall was the only occupant in the single vehicle crash. Officers recovered cash, firearms, and some electronics at the scene.
Fire Destroys John Deere Tractor
October 27, 2017
Fire destroyed a John Deere tractor Thursday afternoon on South Highway 99 near Eicher Road, in Walnut Hill. The tractor fire also sparked a small grass fire. There were no injuries reported. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Rejects One-Way Traffic For Evacuations
October 27, 2017
Opening road shoulders to traffic when hurricanes or other disasters threaten Florida will continue to be the primary way to speed evacuations rather than converting all traffic lanes to the same direction.
Michael Dew, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation, told members of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness on Thursday that too many safety impediments remain to making highways one-way for evacuees, a process known as “contraflow,” which is used in coastal areas of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
Instead, Florida will continue to use paved shoulders as extra lanes, a process used on northbound Interstate 75 between Wildwood and the Georgia state line and along westbound Interstate 4 from Tampa to Orlando as Irma approached.
“Let me be very clear this morning,” Dew said. “If our research, modeling or traffic-operations data showed that contraflow or one-way operations on highway corridors were safe and effective, we would take whatever actions were necessary to implement such plans.”
An estimated 6.5 million people left their homes as Hurricane Irma approached in early September, a situation that Dew said put “unprecedented” pressure on the state highway system.
Dew said the state looked at different evacuation options after Hurricane Matthew put a strain on the east-west Interstate 10 last year.
“Our research on this issue has shown that one-way operations come with a number of challenges, drawbacks and unintended consequences,” Dew said.
Reversing the direction of half of a highway would require at least two law-enforcement officers at each interchange. It also can only be done during daylight hours and would limit the ability of relief operations and fuel trucks to travel into impacted areas. In addition, it would limit the options for motorists on reversed lanes to exit for fuel, food and lodging due to closed ramps, and would lead to backups where lanes merge as the contraflow comes to an end.
David Casto, the emergency management director in Sumter County, which includes Wildwood, said the use of shoulders by evacuees works but needs some improvements, including public awareness.
“I don’t think the public knew about that plan,” Casto said. “The public didn’t understand when they saw that barrier saying, `Go left, get on this shoulder.’ And then they hit those rumble strips, psychologically something happened. And some of those issues have to be worked on.”
Dew said his department’s future design standards for highways will include emergency shoulder use.
The Department of Transportation estimated that the law-enforcement needs for emergency shoulder use on I-75 would require two officers, while contraflow on the road would take 120 officers from other pre-storm work. Along I-4, the projections are similar.
by Jim Turner, The News Service Florida
Pictured: Alabama officials practice hurricane traffic contraflow at Exit 54 near Poarch. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
WOW Radio Hopes To Return To Air Soon
October 27, 2017
Local Christian radio station WOW 90.9’s main broadcast has been off the air since Sunday night’s storms.
The station had hoped a crew could climb their tower and access the damage today, but they have been delayed by rain until possibly Sunday.
WOW Radio is still on the air in the Pensacola area on 101.1 FM, and is available to listen online at wowradio.org.
WOW 90.9 is a non-commercial radio station that has served South Alabama and Northwest Florida since December 2009.