Sunny Skies, About 70
April 2, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area foreast:
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 70. Light west wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82.
Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82.
Escambia County Celebrates NOLF-8 Land Exchange
April 2, 2019
Escambia County marked the land transfer and future of Naval Outlying Landing Field Site 8 with a ceremony on Monday in Beulah.
County residents received approximately 635 acres of prime property to utilize for improvements in the heart of the growing Beulah community while the Navy received a new training field in Santa Rosa County.
The National Defense Authorization Act in 2015 that authorize the land exchange. In 2016, the land exchange agreement was formalized with the intention to transfer the property at NOLF Site 8 to Escambia County, in exchange for a suitable replacement.
Escambia County purchased land in Santa Rosa County and began construction in 2016 on what is now called OLF-X. Naval Facilities Southeast Region in Jacksonville, Navy Installations Command and Whiting Field coordinated with Escambia County to ensure requirements for the training mission at NAS Whiting Field were met for the new outlying field. On January 29, the deeds were exchanged, finalizing the transfer. NAS Whiting Field opened Naval Outlying Landing Field-X for flight training operations on January 30.
NOLF Site 8 was originally constructed in 1940 as an auxiliary airfield for Pensacola NAS. At approximately 635 acres, Site 8, along with NOLFs Spencer and Pace, was one of the oldest NOLFs still in use until the land transfer with Escambia County in 2019.
Site 8 was initially used as a fixed wing training field. The field had undergone several changes and was temporarily closed in the mid to late 1950s. In 1964, the NOLF was brought back into service as an NOLF to support NAS Whiting Field’s rotary-pilot training mission. The NOLF was used as a primary tactical training asset by TRAWING 5. The field provided facilities to support training in rotary tactics, confined area landings, platform landings, external loads missions, hot refueling and was tentatively studied to support night vision training.
Northview Softball Sweeps Excel; Tate Freshmen Baseball Beats Gulf Breeze
April 2, 2019
SOFTBALL
Northview 10, Excel 5
Northview 12, Excel 0 (JV)
The Northview Chiefs swept two from Excel, AL, Monday in Bratt.
The varsity Chiefs defeated Excel 10-5.
Tori Herrington earned the win with 10 strikeouts.
At the plate for Northview: Ashley Ragsdale 2-2, RBI; Heather Knowles 1-2, 3B; Aubree Love 3-4, 2RBI; 2B; Kailyn Watson 1-3, Kendall Enfinger 1-4; Lydia Smith 1-1; Payton Gilchrist 1-3, RBI; Kaitlyn Gafford 1-2, RBI; Rylee Huskey 1-1.
In junior varsity action, the Northview Chiefs beat Excel 12-0 after an explosive second inning.
For a photo gallery from Northview vs. Excel junior varsity play, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
BASEBALL
Tate 11, Gulf Breeze 1 (Freshmen)
The freshmen Tate Aggies beat Gulf Breeze 11-1 Monday.
Conner Wright pitched the win on the mound for the Aggies. He lasted four innings, allowing one hit and one run while striking out four and walking one. Chase Lombardo threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Paul Whitson and Kirk Mosley went 2-2 at the plate for the freshmen Aggies. Warren Henke, Dagan Guy, Jaxson Stafford, Brent Vinson, Josiah Glodfelter, Tucker Griffin and Wiley Griffin all had one hit each for Tate.
Pictured: Northview’s junior varsity defeated Excel Tuesday afternoon in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sacred Heart Celebrates New $85 Million Children’s Hospital
April 2, 2019
Sacred Heart marked 50 years as Northwest Florida’s only children’s hospital by hosting a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony Monday for its new four-story, $85 million facility. With 126 beds, the Studer Family Children’s Hospital will increase access to specialized pediatric care and put multiple services in one location on Sacred Heart’s Pensacola campus. Patient care at the facility is scheduled to begin in May.
The new children’s hospital includes a pediatric emergency department, 72-bed neonatal intensive care unit, medical/surgical beds, observation beds, a pediatric imaging department, pharmacy, inpatient rehabilitation gym, child life playrooms, outpatient lab services and a new family-friendly dining venue. The facility encompasses more than 150,000 square feet, with an additional 28,000 square feet of shell space to allow for future expansion.
The children’s hospital also includes a Ronald McDonald Family Room that offers a shower room, laundry room, full kitchen, dining room, and large and open living room. Three bedrooms will provide overnight accommodations in emergency situations when families need to be seconds away from children in critical condition. Ascension Sacred Heart’s Pensacola campus also is home to a Ronald McDonald House, where families can stay while their children are hospitalized.
“Ascension Sacred Heart has spent the past 50 years building our expertise in the care of children, thanks to our innovative founders, our dedicated care team and the support of our community,” said Henry Stovall, president and CEO of Ascension Sacred Heart Health System. “Today, just like the children and families we serve, the Studer Family Children’s Hospital continues to grow to meet the needs of Northwest Florida families. This new phase of our journey is going to help bring the caliber of each child’s hospital experience to an exceptional level.”
The new children’s hospital is the single largest investment Sacred Heart has made in its 104-year history and the largest community-funded capital campaign of any healthcare organization in Pensacola. The faith-based health system committed $55 million toward the project. The project has received significant community support as well, with $29 million raised to date of the $30 million goal from local community members and organizations.
“This is an extraordinarily exciting day for Ascension Sacred Heart Health System and for our statewide health ministry of Ascension Florida. The new Studer Family Children’s Hospital gives us the opportunity to provide an even more sophisticated, clinically advanced level of care to the children and families of this community in an environment of care and healing that’s exclusively designed with the unique needs of children and families in mind,” said Tom VanOsdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida. “Generations of families have entrusted Sacred Heart with their care, especially with the specialized and personalized care of their children, and our new, state-of-the-art facility will ensure that Sacred Heart continues to be the best choice for all they care they need, right here at home.”
“Ascension is privileged to serve Northwest Florida with the region’s only hospital solely dedicated to the care of babies and children,” said Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA, president and chief operating officer of Ascension. “This care reflects our Mission, calling us to care for all, especially those most in need. The new children’s hospital will offer a wide range of services under one roof – all available regardless of a parent’s ability to pay.”
Monday’s ribbon-cutting coincided with the children’s hospital’s 50th anniversary. At the time of the hospital’s founding, no single local facility had all the specialized equipment or nursing personnel needed to care for children. A group of local pediatricians agreed that children’s care should be centralized in one location to enable the investment in pediatric equipment and specialized nurses. The doctors approached Sacred Heart with a proposal to convert a dormitory for the old Sacred Heart nursing school into a children’s hospital. After only two weeks’ deliberation, the Daughters of Charity announced plans to create the area’s first facility dedicated solely to the care of infants and children. Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital opened on April 1, 1969.
Pictured top: The new Studer Family Children’s Hospital. Pictured below: Tom VanOsdol, president and CEO of Ascension Florida, speaking at the dedication of the hospital. Pictured bottom: Bishop Bill Wack of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, who blessed the new Children’s Hospital with holy water. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Names UF Doctor, Pensacola Pediatric Chair As Surgeon General
April 2, 2019
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has named a University of Florida doctor and professor that is pediatric chair at a Pensacola hospital as the state’s next surgeon general.
Monday, DeSantis announced the appointment Dr. Scott A. Rivkees as Florida surgeon General and secretary of the Florida Department of Health.
A practicing pediatric endocrinologist,Rivkees is a professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine and physician-in-chief of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, part of UF Health, the university’s academic health center. He also serves as academic chair of pediatrics at Orlando Health and pediatric chair at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. During his distinguished career, Dr. Rivkees has served as associate chair of pediatrics for research at the Yale University School of Medicine and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Rivkees as Florida Surgeon General, one of the most important appointments of my administration,” said DeSantis. “Dr. Rivkees brings a wealth of experience and excellent credentials that fit glove-in-hand with Florida’s needs. I look forward to working with Dr. Rivkees, whose leadership will be indispensable in addressing the opioid crisis facing our state and responsible implementation of medical marijuana now that a legislative solution is in place, among other important issues.”
“I am deeply honored to accept the appointment of Florida Surgeon General, a position that has the responsibility to ensure Florida’s 21 million citizens have access to affordable, safe and quality healthcare,” said Rivkees. “It is the duty of the Department of Health to ensure the health and prosperity of our citizens and visitors, young and old, healthy and infirmed. Medication safety, the opioid crisis, and the rising cost of prescription drugs are demanding issues facing Florida today and I am confident that under the leadership of Governor DeSantis and Lt. Governor Nuñez, Florida will lead the nation in innovative medical and healthcare solutions.”
Police Chase Ends With Four Fatalities
April 1, 2019
I-10 westbound was closed in Baldwin County Monday between the Beach Express and Loxley due to a traffic crash with four fatalities.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office says the crash resulted from a wrong-way driver being chased by deputies. According to a statement released by the Baldwin Sheriff’s Office:
A Baldwin County deputy attempted to stop a newer model sedan eastbound on I-10 near the 49 mile marker after the deputy witnessed a moving violation. The suspect accelerated in an attempt to outrun the deputy. The vehicle exited I-10 at the Wilcox exit and re-entered the interstate westbound.
The vehicle then exited the interstate and went southbound on the Baldwin Beach Express. The vehicle did a U-turn on the Baldwin Beach Express and reentered the interstate westbound.
The deputy continued to try and stop the vehicle as it continued westbound. The suspect’s vehicle did a U-turn on the interstate and drove eastbound in the westbound lane at a high rate of speed. The deputy lost sight of the suspect’s vehicle as it continued to drive into oncoming traffic. The suspect impacted a vehicle head on that was traveling westbound. The impact killed a passenger and severely injured the driver of the westbound vehicle.
The suspect vehicle rolled over the guard rail and caught fire in the outside median of the interstate. Three subjects inside the fleeing vehicle were also killed.
The driver of the west bound vehicle was airlifted to University Hospital in Mobile. The driver’s condition is unknown.
The identities of all those involved are unknown at this time. Alabama State Troopers are working the case as a traffic homicide.
No Serious Injuries In Highway 29 Crash At Paper Mill
April 1, 2019
There were no serious injuries reported in a two-vehicle crash Monday afternoon on Highway 29 at Tree Street in Cantonment, in front of International Paper. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Amended Complaint Filed In Apartment Developer’s Lawsuit Against Century Over Water, Sewer Fees
April 1, 2019
A lawsuit filed against the Town Century by an apartment developer over the amount they were charged to connect water and sewer service remains active.
In October 2018 Century filed a motion to dismiss the suit by The Paces Foundation and Century Park Apartments, and the plaintiffs recently filed an amended complaint.
In February 2018, Paces submitted a $165,180 check to the town for water and wastewater tap fees along with a protest letter from attorney William J. Dunaway of the Clark Partington law firm in Pensacola. The letter informed the town that the payment was made in full, but the amount remained in dispute.
In their amended complaint, Paces is seeking a declaration that they owed the town $63,750 for full payment and an additional $101,430 deposit charged was invalid, and “any further appropriate supplemental relief.” The plaintiffs have withdrawn a request for “unjust enrichment.”
The lower fee of $63,750, according to Paces, was decided upon during a 2015 meeting with then-Mayor Freddie McCall and Town Planner Debbie Nickles. The only written agreement to come out of that meeting was a handwritten page showing calculations that Paces said were based upon the 2015 rates as published online in the town’s municipal code. The handwritten document also included a proposed fee for natural gas; however, the developer later opted to go all-electric.
In 2017, the town council passed two resolutions increasing the water and sewer tap fees and charged Paces based upon 50 connections. The apartment complex, according to the lawsuit, has only one master meter that serves all 50 units.
Paces contends they relied upon the lower payment quote in determining their financial options with the apartment development. They contend they were forced to submit the higher fee in order to obtain utility services and obtain a certificate of occupancy for the apartments.
McCall and Nickles did not deny the meeting, nor did they deny the agreement or the approximate $63,000 tap fee. “The town made a commitment to them. To me, they should do the right thing and honor that commitment,” Nickles said during a March town council meeting also attended by McCall.
“Paces responded to the Town of Century’s request that they come in and invest in the Community with an affordable housing plan. Paces relied on the word of Mayor Freddie McCall and the Town Planner, Debbie Nickles, when they negotiated the impact fee for water and sewer for the $10 Million dollar apartment complex. It was wrong for the new Mayor not to honor the deal made with Mayor McCall and Paces believes that the Court will agree,” Dunaway, the attorney for Paces, told NorthEscambia.com shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
The town claimed they are immune to the lawsuit under sovereign immunity.
The town claims that Florida law does not allow a party to attempt to enforce an oral agreement against a governmental entity such as Century. Citing a 1984 Florida Supreme Court case, the town says there is not written agreement with Paces; therefore, they have no claim.
The town also asserts that alleged agreement is unenforceable because it is not written or signed.
The town’s motion to dismiss is pending and has not yet been set for a hearing.
On October 15, 2018, Mayor Henry Hawkins told the town council that Century’s response to the lawsuit would be “getting them on technicalities” [read previous story ...]. He said subpoenas were incorrectly served on Town Clerk Kim Godwin but still listed a former town clerk’s name. Hawkins said that he should have been served as the “highest ranking person” in town government, and “if they are going to serve anybody else, they have to serve them between 11 a.m. and noon.”
None of the issues raised by Hawkins were in the motion to dismiss filed in Escambia County Circuit Court.
Pictured top: Century Park Apartments. Pictured top inset: A check submitted under protest to the town by the Paces Foundation. Pictured bottom inset: The handwritten document Paces contends demonstrated a lower water and sewer tap fee as authorized by town code. Pictured below: Century’s justification for the $165,180 tap fee charged to the developer. NorthEscambia.com photo and images, click to enlarge.
A/C Unit Stolen From The Miracle League
April 1, 2019
Authorities are searching for a thief that stole an air conditioning unit from the Miracle League of Pensacola at the John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Complex on Nine Mile Road.
The full-size unit was taken sometime last week from a fenced area, according to the league. It provided air conditioning for the main Miracle League Building which houses a concession stand, restrooms and a storage area.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers (850) 433-STOP.
The nonprofit Miracle League of Pensacola provides physically and mentally challenged children and adults an opportunity to play baseball, softball and t-ball just like anyone else, all in a spirited and secure environment.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Escambia School Board Hires Consultant To Guide Search For New Superintendent
April 1, 2019
The Escambia County School Board will hire a consulting company to assist in the process to hire an appointed superintendent.
The board vote unanimously to hire the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) for $25,000. FSBA is a nonprofit corporation representing the elected school boards in Florida.
According to the agreement with the school district, “FSBA will provide consulting services to the School Board for the purpose of selecting an effective Superintendent who will collaborate with the School Board as to the future direction and priorities of the School District. FSBA will guide and assist the School Board through pre-search activities identifying District criteria and priorities in relation to the needs of the district and the qualities desired in a Superintendent; assist the School Board with development of recruitment materials, application procedures, and an advertisement plan; develop a plan for receiving applications and how they will be processed; conduct reference checks and determine a process for selecting candidates for the interview phase; and assist the Board as applicable with any other tasks that lead to the selection of a final candidate for Superintendent.”
Voters in Escambia County approved a local referendum in 2018 to move to an appointed superintendent. The appointed superintendent would begin work as current superintendent Malcolm Thomas retires in November 2020.