Gov. Rick Scott Makes Senate Campaign Stop In Escambia County
April 25, 2018
Gov. Rick Scott hosted a campaign roundtable Tuesday with Escambia County business leaders in one of the recently announced low tax Opportunity Zones as stablished in the federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017, encourage long-term investment and job creation in targeted communities by reducing taxes for many job creators.
Low Tax Opportunity Zones enhance local communities’ ability to attract businesses, developers and financial institutions to invest in targeted areas by allowing investors to defer capital gains taxes through investments in federally established Opportunity Funds.
Seven Census tracts in Escambia County, including Century and the immediate surrounding area.
Over the past week, the Governor has hosted multiple roundtables with Florida business leaders to discuss the Opportunity Zones, cutting taxes and his desire to service in Washington to fight for these priorities on behalf of Florida’s families and job creators.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Vol. Fire Honors Longtime Firefighter Earl Greene As He Retires
April 25, 2018
Earl Greene was recognized Tuesday as he retire from active service with the Jay Volunteer Fire Department. Greene served Jay and the surrounding communities as chaplain and as a firefighter for over 43 years. Pictured: Jay Fire Chief Tony Simmons (left) with Earl Greene. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Animal Shelter Changes Hours Of Operation
April 25, 2018
The Escambia County Animal Shelter will change its hours of operation effective Tuesday, May 1. The shelter will now offer pet adoptions on Mondays, providing adoption services to the public six days a week instead of five. Currently the shelter is open Mondays for animal intakes only.
The new shelter hours will be:
- Monday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (no change)
The changes will increase the number of days the shelter is open for adoptions, alleviate staffing issues and improve customer service by increasing the number of employees available during the hours the shelter is open to the public. This will also eliminate confusion regarding Monday services, with the shelter offering all services Monday through Friday, instead of limited services on Monday only.
For more information, please contact the Escambia County Animal Shelter directly at (850) 595-3075. The shelter is located at 200 West Fairfield Drive.
Private Investigator Murder Suspect Will Remain Free On Bond
April 24, 2018
Ashley Britt McArthur, charged with the murder of a private investigator, will remain free on bond.
McArthur, 40, was back in court Monday before Judge Jan Shackelford after the state filed a motion to revoke her bond. When she was released on a $400,000 bond shortly after her arrest, she was ordered to to wear a GPS tracking device, live with her mother in Gulf Breeze, and stay within Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
While she spent most nights with her mother, it was reported that she spent the night on multiple occasions with her husband in Escambia County.
Shackleford ruled that McArthur must spend every night with her mother and that she will remain free on the original $400,000 bond posted on February 5.
McArthur is facing a first degree murder charge for the death of 33-year old Taylor Wright, a private investigator and former police officer. Wright’s body was found last September off Britt Road, just west of County Road 97 near Muscogee Road in Cantonment. She allegedly stole $34,000 from Wright.
McArthur operated Pensacola Automatic Amusement (PAA) on Pace Boulevard. She was charged in November 2017 with felony grand theft and fraud for the alleged theft of $13,301.04 from the Azalea Cocktail Lounge, which represented funds reported missing between July 10, 2015, and September 14, 2017. According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, lounge customers pay for games or the jukebox using cash, credit card or a mobile phone app. The payments were to be split 50-50 between the Azalea Lounge and another company. It was alleged that McArthur was splitting only the cash proceeds with lounge while keeping the proceeds from the credit card and mobile app payments.
In early April, McArthur was charged with arson and racketeering after she set fire to PAA in June 2017, according to court documents. The state alleges she started the fire to avoid a scheduled meeting with representatives of Azalea Lounge.
Rain For Thursday
April 24, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south after midnight.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm. Cloudy, then gradual clearing during the afternoon, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 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.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 80. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Tate FFA Provides 25,920 Meals Of Hope
April 24, 2018
The Tate High School FFA recently worked to help to fight hunger by sponsoring a Meals Of Hope event.
With help from the community and other school organizations, Tate FFA raised over $5,000 – enough money to assemble 25,920 meals. During the event, 170 students, volunteers and teachers assembled in the gym to package meals. The assembled meals will stay in the Gulf Coast area and will be distributed to the needy.
“The members of the Tate FFA were thrilled to be able to help our community in such an impactful way,” Leanne Jenkins, Tate FFA advisor, said.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NWS: Molino Tornado Was EF-0 (With Path Map)
April 24, 2018
The National Weather Service has officially determined that it was an EF-0 tornado with winds peaking at 85 mph that caused damage in Molino Sunday afternoon.
The EF-0 tornado traveled in a southerly direction 0.13 miles across Crabtree Church Road over a one minute period — from 1:02 to 1:03 p.m. The tornado’s path was 25 yards wide. (See approximate map below.)
According to the National Weather Service, one home suffered shingle damage and a broken window and a mobile home was shift on its foundation (both pictured below). There were also several uprooted small trees and numerous large branches broken.
The map below shows the starting and end point of the EF-0 tornado in Molino. The highlighted area depicts the maximum width of the tornado path, according to the National Weather Service. Damage was not necessarily confined to the area inside this path.
For earlier stories click here and click here.
For a photo gallery, click here.
For two videos of the tornado, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos and graphic, click to enlarge.
Possible Settlement? Commission To Hold Meetings To Discuss Sheriff’s Budget Appeal
April 24, 2018
The Escambia County Commission will hold another closed-door meeting with its attorneys Thursday morning to discuss the Sheriff David Morgan’s pending budget appeal to Gov. Rick Scott. The meeting is expected to last about an hour.
After the private meeting, a special commission meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m.
Such private meetings to discuss pending litigation are allowable under Florida law, and a court reporter’s record become public upon conclusion of the litigation. A similar closed-door meeting was held about two weeks ago.
The county and the Sheriff’s Office have been battling it out over funding for most of the last year, with the parties signing a mediation agreement on March 9. After the mediation agreement was announced, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan announced a few days later that the agreement was unsuccessful, citing issue over workers compensation, unemployment compensation, retirement and health care issues.
Barrineau Park Community Clean Up On Saturday
April 24, 2018
The 10th Annual Barrineau Park Community Clean Up will be held Saturday.
Volunteers are asked to arrive at the Barrineau Park Community Center by 8:30 for for a briefing and sign in. Trash pickup will be from 9-11 a.m. Bags, gloves and water will be provided. Anyone that can’t make it to the community center is asked to just clean up around their home.
Lunch will be served back at the community center for all participants following the pick up.
The event is sponsored by the Barrineau Park Historical Society and and the Honeysuckle Garden Club.
Pictured: Last year’s Barrineau Park Community Clean Up. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDOT: Highway 29 Lane Closures 9 1/2 Mile To Muscogee
April 24, 2018
The Florida Department of Transportation says drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on Highway 29 north and southbound, from Muscogee Road to West 9 1⁄2 Mile Road, from 8 p.m. to 6 through Thursday as crews pave the roadway.