Bowman Avenue To Remain Closed Until Friday
July 31, 2018
The Bowman Avenue closure and detour that began on Wednesday, July 18 has been extended until Friday, August 3.
Bowman Avenue South between West Nine Mile Road and Fretz Street will remain closed to through traffic. Traffic is being detoured along Ashland Avenue South, Cove Avenue South and Bush Street. Crews are installing sanitary sewers and new manholes as part of utility upgrades.
Firefighters Rescue ‘Lucky’ Kitten From Storm Drain
July 30, 2018
A sweet little kitten was rescued from a storm drain recently by Escambia Fire Rescue.
Someone heard the kitten crying out for help and called for asssistance. When the firefighters of Engine 6 arrive from the Ensley Fire Station, they could hear the little guy still meowing away.
The crew jumped into action and removed the closest storm drain cover, monitored the air for safety and entered the drain to safely remove the kitten.
The caller was able to keep the kitten and will be taking it to the vet for a checkup. Firefighters named him “Lucky” — because he was such a lucky little guy.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Councilwoman Says Century Is Not Following Purchasing Rules, Needs To Cut Health Insurance Costs
July 30, 2018
Century’s council president said the town is not following proper purchasing procedures, and she also said the town needs to cut back on employee insurance costs.
“Until we develop and adopt a procurement policy, we need to follow our charter,” Ann Brooks said.
The town charter states:
“The council shall request and receive bids and award contracts involving expenditures of Five-Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or more. Except in emergencies, the council must approve the expenditure of amounts greater than One Hundred Ninety-Nine Dollars($199.00) and less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), prior to the expenditure.”
Brook said the council needs to request and receive bids and vote on contracts. “We are not allowed delegate this responsibility to anyone else according to our charter. We have not been following our charter regarding purchases, but we need to start doing so.”
She questioned the planned purchase of two pickup trucks. At a recent council meeting, Mayor Henry Hawkins presented price quotes from a Pensacola dealership totaling $80,655 for the trucks without receiving bids. Almost two weeks ago, NorthEscambia.com made a public record’s request for the town’s specifications used to obtain the bids, but the information has not been received.
Brooks obtained a price quote for what she believed to be two similar trucks at $57,498 from Hub City Ford in Crestview because they are the closest dealership on the state bid list. However, town officials said the vehicles quoted by the Crestview dealership were not adequate for their intended work purpose.
“We must start trimming our budget,” the council president said as she took aim at the health insurance benefits offered to town employees.
“We have to stop being so generous. We provide the Cadillac of health insurance plans for our employees, and we are paying 99 percent of the employees’ insurance cost and 78 percent of the families’ cost. We cannot afford to continue to do this, or we are going to…result in that future financial emergency that the auditors warned us about,” Brooks said.
Today Is Voter Registration And Party Change Deadline
July 30, 2018
Today is the deadline to register to vote in the August 28 primary elections, and the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office will hold extended hours to allow voters to register or change their party affiliation
Florida law mandates that registration books close 29 days before an election. New registrations and party changes must be completed and received or postmarked no later than July 30 for them to be effective for the August 28 election. Address changes can be made after the books close. If you are unsure of your registration status, visit EscambiaVotes.com and click Am I Registered? to check.
For more information on how to register to vote, or change party affiliations, in Escambia County, click here.
Florida holds closed primary elections. In partisan primary elections, you are only eligible to vote in primary contests for the party in which you are registered, unless it is a universal primary or nonpartisan contest.
FDOT Weekly Traffic Alerts: Highway 29 And More
July 30, 2018
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road) – Drivers traveling U.S. 29 and Nine Mile Road will encounter traffic pattern changes from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Saturday, Aug. 4.
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 overpass: North and southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new center bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations. U.S. 29 lane restrictions are Monday through Saturday.
- Northbound traffic has been shifted onto the newly constructed bridge section as demolition efforts continue.
· U.S. 29 Resurfacing between U.S. 90 and Muscogee Road – Paving operations continue between Muscogee Road and West 9 ½ Mile Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Thursday, Aug. 2.
· I-10 / U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I – The following traffic impacts are planned on I-10 and U.S. 29 near the interchange (Exits 10) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Thursday, Aug.2.
o Alternating east and westbound I-10 and north and southbound U.S. 29 lane closures.
o The U.S. 29 on-ramps to I-10 eastbound will be intermittently closed. Traffic will be detoured on U.S. 29 to access I-10 eastbound.
o Alternating lane closures on the I-10 westbound exit ramp to U.S. 29 north and south (Exit 10).
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Sunday, Aug. 5 as crews perform construction activities.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from Perdido Bay Bridge to Dogtrack Road– Alternating lane closures east and westbound U.S. 98 from Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Thursday, Aug. 3 as crews perform paving operations.
- State Road (S.R.) 750 (Airport Boulevard) from S.R. 291 (Davis Highway) to S.R. 289 (9th Avenue) – Intermittent lane closures on Airport Boulevard east and westbound, between Davis Highway and 9th Avenue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Thursday, Aug. 3 as crews perform construction activities.
- S.R. 296 (W. Michigan Avenue) Routine Maintenance between Sun Valley Drive and Mobile Highway- The east and westbound, outside lane will be closed between Sun Valley Drive and Mobile Highway from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1 through Saturday, Aug. 4 as crews trim tree limbs around utility lines.
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22) – Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of Avalon Boulevard, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Friday, Aug. 3 as crews work to widen the roadway. In addition, alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange, will also be encountered as crews reconstruct the travel lanes.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, July 29 through Sunday, Aug. 5 as crews perform construction activities.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to Hickory Hammock Road – The following construction related traffic impacts are planned for S.R. 87 the week of Monday, July 30:
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- All four lanes between Eglin Air Force Base boundary and two miles south of the Yellow River will be opened to traffic.
- Intermittent north and southbound lane closures, between the Eglin Air Force Base boundary and two miles south of the Yellow River, as crews perform construction activities.
- Traffic between Hickory Hammock Road and the Eglin AFB boundary will continue to be restricted to loads less than 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place until the project is completed.
- S.R. 87 Landscape between U.S. 98 and River Road – Drivers can expect intermittent turn lane restrictions between U.S. 98 and River Road 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday as crews install landscape and irrigation.
Molino Man Charged With Failing To Remit State Sales Tax
July 30, 2018
A Molino man has been charged with felony theft of state funds for failure to remit sales tax.
Eddie Lamar Craig, Sr., age 57, collected $11,421.10 in state sales tax that was not remitted to the Florida Department of Revenue, according to an arrest affidavit signed by a FDOR financial investigator.
Craig collected the sales tax through the now closed Eddie Craig’s Express Automotive and filed tax returns with the state, the arrest affidavit states. No payments were made with multiple returns during the February 2014 to March 2016 time period.
Revenue specialists made 45 contacts with Craig in an effort to resolve the delinquencies and secure voluntary compliance, the report states. Tax warrants totaling $16,955.37 were filed with the Escambia County Clerk of the Court.
Craig entered into a payment agreement with the Florida Department of Revenue, but the agency said he subsequently defaulted. The FDOR said the business’ bank account statements were subpoenaed and show the company had sufficient funds in the account to pay the taxes due.
Craig was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
July 30, 2018
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings for the week of July 30-August 3
Monday, July 30
Emergency Medical Services Specialist Interviews – 9 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
Escambia County Local Mitigation Strategy Board – 2 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 115
Tuesday, July 31
Emergency Medical Services Specialist Interviews – 9 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
Environmental Code Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
Wednesday, August 1
Emergency Medical Services Specialist Interviews – 9 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Thursday, August 2
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Review Session – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Public Forum – 4:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Regular Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
Friday, August 3
Emergency Medical Services Specialist Interviews – 9 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
Century Fire Softball Tourney Raises Money For Fire Victims
July 30, 2018
The First Annual Century Firefighter’s Coed Charity Softball Tournament was held Saturday at Showalter Park in Century. Proceeds will benefit fire victims in the Century and Byrneville areas. “Who’s Next” won the tourney, that also included (below, descending order), “The Red Team”, “Southern Hitters” and “Beulah Chapel”. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Not As Hot This Week, But More Rain
July 30, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 88. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Calm wind.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Pictured: Sunday’s sunset in North Escambia. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Scott, Wife Disclose Details On Personal Finances
July 30, 2018
Rick Scott, the wealthiest governor in Florida history, filed a financial disclosure Friday as part of his campaign for the U.S. Senate that revealed new details on his elaborate finances, including hundreds of investments controlled by his wife.
Last month, Scott, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, filed his annual state disclosure that showed a December 2017 net worth of $232 million. But the details were scant, including the shielded investments in a $215 million blind trust, which rose by more than $80 million from the previous year and produced $120 million in income.
Scott said he had placed his finances in a blind trust, which is allowed under state law, to distance any of his decisions as governor from personal investments. Details of the blind trust do not have to be reported under state law.
“When Gov. Scott was elected, he put all of his assets in a blind trust, which is managed by an independent third party to shield his investments from his direct control and to avoid any potential conflicts of interest,” Scott’s campaign said in a statement. “As such, the governor has no control of what is bought or sold in the blind trust.”
But the lack of details changed Friday when Scott filed a new disclosure under federal law as a Senate candidate. It required much more detail, including information about all the assets held in the blind trust, as well as the assets held by the governor’s wife, Ann Scott.
Scott’s campaign said his wife’s assets were not previously reported because it was not required under state law.
“First Lady Ann Scott is not an elected official,” the campaign said. “The full investments are being released today to comply with all rules and requirements for running for federal office.”
The federal disclosure records show details of more than 550 items included in three trust funds and a family partnership controlled by Ann Scott.
The records showed investments in companies such as tech giants Alphabet — Google’s parent — and Microsoft Corp., each of which generated up to $2 million in dividends or capital gains last year. Rick Scott’s trust also earned up to the same amount after selling off his Microsoft shares, the records show.
Ann Scott also has investments in at least 10 hedge funds, including Hong Kong-based Overlook Partners, which earned her up to $1 million last year, according to the report.
The federal disclosure showed Scott and his wife own more than $350,000 in stock of NextEra Energy Partners, which is an arm of Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy. Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest electric utility, also is part of NextEra Energy. Scott appoints all the members of the state Public Service Commission, which decides rate cases and other issues for utilities.
An issue addressed Friday by Scott’s campaign was the $825 million sale in 2017 to a Japanese company of a Michigan-based plastics-components firm in which the Scott family had a major ownership interest. Scott’s state disclosure provided no details on that transaction.
Scott’s campaign said the governor, under the blind trust arrangement, was “not aware of the sale and had no role in the sale.” The campaign also said a Scott economic mission to Japan in 2013 played no role in the sale.
“The blind trust is managed by an independent financial professional who decides what assets are bought, sold or changed,” Scott’s campaign said. “The rules of the blind trust prevent any specific assets or the value of those assets within the trust from being disclosed to the governor, and those requirements have always been followed.”
Scott’s state financial disclosures and the use of the blind trust are part of a lawsuit s pending at the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. A lawyer and Democratic fundraiser filed the lawsuit, arguing Scott needs to disclose more of his assets. Scott’s lawyers have argued that the governor is complying with all state disclosure laws.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida