Spring Break: Drive Like Your Kids Live Here
March 26, 2018
It’s Spring Break this week in Escambia County, FL. And this sign on Old Flomaton Road in Century offers good advice with kids out playing this week — “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here”. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Area Unemployment Rate Declines
March 26, 2018
The Escambia County area unemployment rate in the latest jobs numbers was 3.8 percent, down just over half a percentage point from a year ago.
“I am proud to announce that Pensacola businesses have created 2,000 new jobs over the year and that the unemployment rate continues to drop. Over the past seven years, we have worked hard to turnaround our economy, and today’s announcement shows Florida is on track to becoming the best place in the world for families and businesses to succeed,” Gov. Rick Scott said.
The industry with the highest growth over the year in Pensacola was leisure and hospitality with 1,200 new jobs. The Escambia County area had 4,717 job openings, including 1,366 openings for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations.
As of February, Florida’s unemployment rate is at 3.9 percent, a drop of 6.9 percentage points since December 2010; this drop is faster than the national decline of 5.2 percentage points.
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.
Richard Stephan Ward
March 26, 2018
Richard Stephen Ward, age 51, of Cantonment, was called home to his Messiah Jesus Christ, Thursday, March 22, 2018. He was born February 17, 1967, at Eglin Air Force Base, FL to the late Julian “Steve” Ward and Joyce Ward. Richard was a beloved husband, father, son, brother and uncle. He studied and taught Hebrew and led a messianic dance team for many years. Richard sang like an angel and taught with compassion. He had a tender heart and a warmth that everyone who knew him was blessed by. Richard’s family was his heart and Israel was his dream. His favorite saying was, “next year in Jerusalem!” We will see you again in the new Jerusalem, Richard.
He was preceded in death by his father; and grandparents, Jimmie and Elsie Kellum, Bertha Knowles and Ibra Ward.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Ruth Ward; son, Nick Ward; mother, Joyce Ward; brothers, Elvis (Dawn) Ward and their children, Ariel and Christian; Mike Ward and his children, Mikayla, Desiree and Jasmyne; father and mother-in-law, Murray and Joan Metzger; brother-in-law, Dave (Lynne) Metzger and their children, Mike Metzger and Cory Lynne Mattern; and the Kellum and Greene Families.
The family gathered for a private viewing and contemplation of his life before he was interred at Cottage Hill Community Cemetery in Cantonment, FL. A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, April 7, 2018, at 2 p.m., at Charity Chapel, 5820 Montgomery Avenue, Pensacola, FL. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Richard’s memory to the burial fund at Charity Chapel.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with the arrangements.
Thousands Attend Blue Jacket Jamboree, Livestock Show, Egg Drop (With Photo Galleries)
March 25, 2018
Thousands of people attended the annual Northview High School FFA Blue Jacket Jamboree and the Gulf Coast Agriculture & Natural Resources Youth Organization Annual Spring Livestock Show Saturday in Molino.
The event included plenty of arts and crafts, a car show, a tractor show and more, including a special visit from the Easter Bunny and an egg drop from a ladder fire truck.
The livestock show included 4-H and FFA youth exhibiting hogs, beef cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, and rabbits from Escambia and neighboring counties. The day ended with youth exhibitors auctioning off their market animals.
Travis Book had the grand champion steer, while Jessica Conti had the reserve steer. (Complete livestock show results will be published in a few days when a list is make available.)
For photos from the livestock show, click here.
For photos from the Blue Jacket Jamboree click here.
For photos from the Blue Jacket Jamboree Egg Drop, click here.
The Blue Jacket Jamboree was sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Nine Mile Walgreens Robbery Suspect Captured In Tennessee
March 25, 2018
The suspect in the robbery of a Nine Mile Walgreens store has been arrested in Dickson, TN.
David Paul Vaughn allegedly walked in the Walgreens at Nine Mile and Pine Forest last Wednesday morning, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded pills before fleeing.
Vaughn was placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Top 10 Most Wanted list before his capture.
Vaughn was wanted by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for aggravated burglary and theft over $1000 from an incident that occurred on January 9. Vaughn is also the suspect of a vehicle theft in Indiana. In addition, he is wanted in connection with a home invasion and an assault on a law enforcement officer from Boone County, KY. Vaughn has an extensive criminal history and has warrants in Wilson County for violation of probation.
Scott Signs Bill To Name Part Of Highway 4 The “Sen. Greg Evers Memorial Highway”
March 25, 2018
Gov. Rick Scott sighed a billed Friday that names a stretch of road in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties as “Senator Greg Evers Memorial Highway.” Evers, 62, died last summer in a single-vehicle accident near his home in Okaloosa County.
The memorial designation is for part of State Road 4 between Munson Highway and State Road 189 in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Evers, a Republican, served nine years in the Florida House before his election to the Senate in 2010. Evers left his Senate seat in 2016 to make a bid for the U.S. House but lost the Republican primary to U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.
New Gulf Power Crew Heads For Puerto Rico As Another Team Returns
March 25, 2018
Gulf Power is sending another storm team to Puerto Rico to help restore electricity and rebuild the country’s electrical infrastructure, six months after back-to-back hurricanes left most of the island in the dark and destroyed a majority of the energy grid.
The 10-member team, comprised of eight lineworkers and two support staff from across Gulf Power’s service area, will replace a team that recently returned from more than 60 days on the island. This is the second team the energy company has sent since December, who typically spend 30-60 days helping restore power and a sense of normalcy to the people of Puerto Rico.
The team is scheduled to be in Puerto Rico for the next 30 days and will help rebuild the remaining part of the energy grid. While many of the members have been deployed restoring power after crippling snowstorms, thunderstorms and hurricanes, this will be a test of their skills and the ability to adapt to the conditions.
“While we’re used to working in hot weather and humidity during the summer months here at home, the temperatures have been a lot cooler, so we will have to adjust our work schedules and habits,” said Josh Rogers, who will lead the team and is the District Engineering supervisor in Panama City. “Along with the weather, the terrain is another safety concern. We’re not used to mountainous terrain and the narrow roadways we’ll encounter across the island. We just have to remember that along with restoring power, safety is our top priority.”
The team from Gulf Power will join forces with other Southern Company crews and a workforce of nearly 3,700 restoration workers and support personnel, including industry mutual assistance crews, and will focus on restoring service to approximately 145,000 customers on the island.
Once they arrive, the team will be assigned to the Barranquitas District of the Caguas Region in the center of the island where the crews will be faced with mountainous conditions. The first Gulf Power team was assigned to the western region of Mayaguez, the same region that has been assigned to the Southern Company incident management team that arrived in December and where Southern Company’s subsidiary, PowerSecure, continues to work.
With nearly 99 percent of customers in the Western region restored, this crew will move into areas where it’s more difficult to gain access to the power infrastructure.
“Our main focus will be to get down there safely, work safely to rebuild the remaining infrastructure that is damaged in some of the hardest-to-reach areas, and get the team back home safely,” said Rogers.
The restoration of the energy grid and getting power to residents is nearly complete. Just last week, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority announced that power had been restored to more than 90 percent of all customers across the island who were impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. According to PREPA, 35 of the island’s 78 municipalities are 95 percent or more energized, while six municipalities have been restored completely.
While Gulf Power will send team members to help finish the remaining restoration, the Pensacola-based energy company has also played a vital role in power restoration not only at home in Florida after Hurricanes Hermine, Matthew and Irma, but also assisting other crews after storms hit in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and New York, deploying nearly 40 times since 2008.
This isn’t the first time many of this team’s members have been deployed on storm restoration duty. Rogers, along with many of the other team members, have helped other Southern Company sister energy companies and municipalities across the Southeast during their time of need in restoring power.
But for Rogers, he knows it’s important to help those who have been without the basic necessities of modern life, such as the ability to flip a switch and have the lights come on or turn the dial on the thermostat and get cool air from the air conditioner.
And he has the support of his family (pictured left).
“I have the best wife anyone could ask for,” said Rogers. “She’s the reason I can deploy so far away for so long. My daughters understand that dad is going to help turn the lights back on for people that have been without power since before Halloween.”
PREPA enlisted the Mutual Assistance Network for aid in accelerating power restoration efforts following Hurricanes Maria and Irma. Edison Electric Institute manages the Mutual Assistance Network, whereby EEI member companies, including Southern Company, may receive and provide assistance in the form of personnel and equipment to aid in restoring power.
Since October, Southern Company has been steadily involved in restoration efforts, including damage assessment; clearing debris; resetting poles; mobilizing equipment; providing temporary emergency power; ensuring adequate generation at power plants; and reinstalling and repairing transmission and distribution lines.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
People Take To The Streets During Ciclovia Event
March 25, 2018
People from across the area got moving Saturday during the second annual Ciclovia event.
Ciclovia (seek-low-via)–Pensacola Open Streets originated in Bogota, Columbia, in the 1970s and took off around the world in the 1990’s. Pensacola joined the movement in 2017 with tje first Ciclovia! This event closeed major streets in downtown Pensacola to motorized traffic and opened them up for people to ride bikes, walk, run, play, or whatever moved them.
The idea is to create a safe space for the entire community to come together participate in physical activity, engage with others and explore downtown Pensacola.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Showers And Warm Today
March 25, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers between 11pm and 2am. Patchy fog after 2am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 8am. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 70. East wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind 10 to 15 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 10 mph.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly clear, with a low around 50.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 73.
Northview’s Kite Wins Regional Weightlifting Championship; Bryan, Bush, Helton Place
March 25, 2018
