Byrneville Elementary Reschedules Board Meeting
July 26, 2019
The Byrneville Elementary School board meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday, July 31 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 7 at 3:30 p.m.
As a charter school, Byrneville is directly governed by a board of directors. The meetings are open to the public at the school, 1600 Byrneville Road.
Florida State Parks Set New Record For Land Management With Prescribed Fire
July 26, 2019
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service is celebrating a record year for prescribed fires burned across Florida State Parks. Prescribed fire plays an important role in protecting Florida’s natural communities and provides a safe way to ensure a healthy ecosystem while reducing wildlife risk and protecting public safety.
“I am proud of the hard work of our fire crews and park staff and their dedication to protecting Florida’s precious natural resources. Prescribed burns are crucial for Florida’s environment and reducing the risk and severity of wildfires”, said DEP Secretary Noah Valenstein. ”Our expert fire crews consistently ensure that fires are conducted safely and in a manner that is protective of personnel, the public and the burn areas.”
In fiscal year 2018-19, the Florida Park Service applied prescribed fire to more than 96,000 acres across the state.
Prescribed burns are an important land management tool that benefits many of the 800,000 acres entrusted to the Florida State Park system. Prescribed burns are used to maintain healthy ecosystems, manage wildlife habitat, increase biological diversity, reduce hazardous fuel loads and assist in invasive plant control within these natural areas.
“Fire is a natural process in much of Florida and helps maintain wildlife habitat. The Florida Park Service is a national leader in using prescribed burns to prevent wildfire”, said Florida State Parks Director Eric Draper. “We are proud of the staff and partner organizations who use science and skill to put fire on the ground at the right time and in the right place to benefit nature and people.”
Florida Park Service staff often work with partnering land managers including the Nature Conservancy, Florida Forest Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, water management districts, federal and county agencies, and local fire departments. Prescribed fires are planned, set and managed by specialized staff. The training is rigorous for prescribed burners, who are tested annually for physical fitness and trained in wildfire tactics, ecology, safety protocols, fire behavior and related issues.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Poarch Creeks To Swap Land For New Atmore Hospital
July 26, 2019
The Poarch Creek Indians will enter into a land swap for a new hospital in Atmore.
Mayor Jim Staff said PCI will trade 10 acres near the city’s Rivercane development for the 10 acres currently occupied by the hospital on Medical Park Drive. The new hospital will be located on Highway 21 just south of I-65.
Atmore Community Hospital is owned by the Escambia County Healthcare Authority (ECHA) and currently managed by Infirmary Health. That deal ends next Wednesday, with ECHA assuming management on August 1.
ECHA has approached the Atmore City Council several times seeking a Rivercane land donation, but none of those requests have been approved.
A feasibility study recommended replacement of the aging hospital on Medical Park Drive with new construction including a 10-bed emergency room, 27 patient rooms, ICU, at least one operating room, urgent care and other medical services. One estimate put the cost of the new hospital at $32 million.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
WWE Superstar Wrestler ‘Jimmy Uso’ Arrested On DUI Charge In Cantonment
July 25, 2019
WWE superstar wrestler Jonathan Solofa Fatu of Cantonment, whose ring name is Jimmy Uso, was arrested on a DUI charge on Highway 297A.
An Escambia County deputy parked at Publix and observed a vehicle turn from Pine Forest Road onto Highway 297A, rapidly accelerate, and come very close to another vehicle. The vehicle’s speed was verified by radar at 86 mph in a 45 mph zone.
At 1:53 a.m., the deputy conducted a traffic stop on 33-year old Fatu in the area of Highway 297A and Brockwood Place, just south of Kingsfield Road in Cantonment. Fatu, 33, seemed to be confused, had bloodshot and watery eyes, droopy eyelids, dilated pupils and slow, slurred speech, the deputy noted in his report.
Fatu was booked into the Escambia County Jail and released on a $1,000 bond several hours later.
The WWE issued a short statement saying “Jonathan Fatu is responsible for his own personal actions.”
Collision With A Tree Claims Life Of Atmore Woman
July 25, 2019
A single vehicle crash on July 18 has claimed the life of an Atmore woman.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said 28-year old Victoria Skye DeSilvery was a passenger in a 1997 Ford Mustang that left Booneville Road north of Atmore and struck a tree on July 18. DeSilvery was airlifted to University Hospital in Mobile where she passed away from her injuries on July 23.
The driver, Chad Houston Alverson, 33, of Atmore and an unknown female passenger were uninjured in the crash.
Troopers are continuing their investigation and have not released any additional details.
Cleanup Progress Being Made At Century’s Alger Sullivan Property, And A Buyer May Be Interested
July 25, 2019
Cleanup is underway on the former Alger Sullivan Lumber Mill property in Century, and there’s at least one party possibly interested in acquiring the property.
The 38-acre abandoned industrial site was heavily damaged and, until recently, sat mostly untouched since 150 mph tornado winds the afternoon of February 15, 2016.
Brownfields Grant Cleanup
The current work is being funded with a $400,000 Brownfields grant, half of which is designated for the cleanup of petroleum products.
Environmental testing has been done on the property, including testing around a large above ground storage tank that is believed to have contained diesel fuel, according to Debbie Nickles, the Century town planner. The large tank is leaking, and soil cleanup may be required.
The environmental test results from the tank are expected to be back in a few weeks. There are also two propane tanks on the property that will be removed.
Testing was also done recently for asbestos and lead-based paints. Those results are also still pending.
Much of the property has been mowed (pictured above) and ground penetrating radar will be used next month to see what is lurking below the surface.
Interest In Acquiring The Property
“In addition to those grant funds that are at least going to fund part of the cleanup, there is beginning to be some interest in actually an acquisition, having a private party come and actually acquire the property,” Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry said. “That would be a fantastic outcome, and I’m optimistic that would happen in the future.”
“Three buildings on the site could be rehabilitated,” Nickles said, “but it’s going to take some money.”
While work on the site has been slow until recently, Nickles said progress is being made.
“It’s coming,” she said. “It’s just taking a while to get everything together.”
Code Enforcement
The property owner — listed in county records as DMT Holdings LLC in Navarre –was cited years ago by Escambia County Code Enforcement. The limited liability company appeared to be dissolved in 2008. Back property taxes for 2015-2017 were paid through tax certificate sales, not by the holding company.
With no response from the owners to the code citations, a special magistrate for Escambia County issued an order against the property at One Lumber Road on October 4, 2016, giving the owners until November 1, 2016, to clean up the property. The county provides code enforcement services under an interlocal agreement within the town limits of Century.
Failing to comply, the property owners were assessed costs of $1,100, and fines of $50 per day have been accruing ever since. To date, the property owners, if they exist, owe fines nearing $50,000.
Escambia County crews entered the property in 2018 and performed some cutting and trimming, cleaned around a concrete ditch, removed four 30-yard dumpsters of debris and replaced 80-feet of chain link fence that was down. The cleanup area was concentrated on the portion of the property behind residences on Front Street.
The cleanup cost assessed by the county was $5,450 — $2,589.29 for 150 hours of labor, $2,613.75 in equipment costs and $246.96 in material costs. Certified mail from the county to the listed owners was returned by the post office as invalid with no forwarding address.
Escambia County received three bids for the demolition and cleanup of the mill in 2017, but bids ranged from $800,000 to $3 million — far in excess of the county’s entire cleanup budget of about$463,425 in 2017. Property records show entire value of the property was $802,189 before the tornado, but the most recent assessment show what remains is worth $226,535.
The property is located within a Community Development Area established by the Town of Century, a Nickles said the CRA may play a crucial roll in the future of the site.
Pictured top: The damaged Alger Sullivan mill looms over a front street neighborhood in 2019. Pictured inset above and first photo below: Cleanup is underway on the property. Pictured bottom four photos: Damage to the property as seen in 2016. NorthEscambia.com photos, and photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Man Charged With Trafficking Marijuana After Cantonment Traffic Stop
July 25, 2019
A traffic stop for speeding ended with a Molino man accused of multiple drug offenses.
Devonche XiaXian Brown, 21, was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (THC vape cartridges), possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a valid driver’s license.
Deputies attempted to pull Brown over for driving 79 in a 55 mph zone June 17 on Highway 29 near Well Line Road. The vehicle turned onto Cooley Road and came to a stop on Phalrose Lane, where Brown hit a mailbox.
A male identified as Brown by deputies exited the driver’s seat and ran over several fences. A manhunt followed with a K-9 unit, but Brown could not be immediately located and warrant was issued for his arrest.
In the vehicle, deputies found four sandwich bags of marijuana, 14 boxes of medical marijuana vape cartridges still in their original packaging, a marijuana blunt and digital scales, according to an arrest report. The weight of the marijuana totaled over 100 grams.
The Florida Highway Patrol also investigating due to Brown colliding with a mailbox.
A records check revealed that he holds a Florida ID card, but has never been issued a driver’s license.
Brown was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond on Tuesday.
McDavid Woman Charged With Meth Possession After Being Found With Reported Stolen Truck
July 25, 2019
A McDavid woman allegedly driving a pickup that was reported stolen was arrested on a drug charge.
Katherine Leigh Glass, 38, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).
The owner of a 2002 black GMC pickup contacted the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to report that he had found the truck, which had been reported stolen, at the ‘O’Reilly Auto Parts on Pine Forest Road just north of Nine Mile Road. The truck owner reported that there were two females with the truck, but one of them fled on foot in an unknown direction.
Glass admitted to deputies that she had been driving the truck with a passenger she could only identify as “Lisa”, according to the arrest report. During a search of Glass, deputies reported finding a small plastic baggie containing crystal methamphetamine in her pants pocket.
Deputies circulated in the area but were unable to find “Lisa”.
Further investigation into the truck determined that the vehicle was not stolen but was actually a civil matter between the owner of the vehicle and his son.
Ernest Ward Middle School Has New Phone Number, New Website
July 25, 2019
Ernest Ward Middle School has a new phone and a new website.
The new phone number is (850) 761-6301, and the new website is www.ernestward.net.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Another Nice Day, Lower Humidity, High Near 90
July 25, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.