Labor Day Gas Prices Predicted To Be The Lowest In Two Years
August 26, 2019
Labor Day is quickly approaching and gas prices for the holiday weekend are lining up to be the lowest in 2-3 years. However, there are still a number of factors could push prices higher before the holiday.
Florida drivers are currently paying an average price of $2.37 at the pump. The state average is 43 cents per gallon less than it was on Labor Day 2018 ($2.80), and 27 cents less than Labor Day 2017 ($2.64).
Escambia County drivers were paying an average of $2.38 a gallon, while several stations in Cantonment were at $2.21 per gallon Sunday night.
“Labor Day travelers continue to benefit from lower oil prices this year as they fill-up for their Labor Day road trip,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Strong US oil production rates are holding oil prices about 15% below last year’s levels, reducing the cost of producing gasoline. Gas prices should remain low heading into the holiday, unless something threatens fuel supplies like geopolitical tension or a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Labor Day marks the end of the busy summer travel season, and the last big surge in gasoline demand before the fall. The expectation of strong demand can promote a slight and temporary bump at the pump before the holiday. However, after Labor Day, refineries begin their seasonal switch to winter-blend gasoline. Summer-blend gasoline is more expensive to produce than winter-blend, because the EPA requires more additives in the warmer months of the year. The combination of both lower demand and fuel production costs typically puts downward pressure on pump prices through the end of the year.
Florida gas prices have declined 37 of the past 39 consecutive days, for a total discount of 33 cents per gallon.
Here Are This Week’s Road Construction Slow Spots
August 26, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities. In observance of the Labor Day holiday weekend, there will be no lane closures on state roads from 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 30 to 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. These lane closure restrictions include both construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 98 from Lillian Highway (State Road/S.R. 298) to West of Blue Angel Parkway (S.R. 173)- There will be intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25 through Thursday, Aug. 29 as crews continue paving the final layer of asphalt.
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A)– Drivers will experience the following impacts to traffic Sunday, Aug. 25 through Thursday, Aug. 29:
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating lane shifts for east and westbound on Nine Mile Road as crews construct the new southbound bridge, end bents, and center pier.
- U.S. 29 between Interstate 10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
- · U.S. 98 (Pensacola Bay Bridge) Replacement- Bridge construction may require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25 through Thursday, Aug. 29.
- · U.S. 29 Resurfacing from south of Muscogee Road (County Road/C.R. 184) to Atmore Highway (S.R. 97) – The northbound, left turn in to the Dollar General, just north of Molino Road, is now permanently closed to traffic. Workers continue clearing trees and shrubs and excavating for roadway widening at the U.S. 29 and Muscogee Road/Beck Lakes Road and U.S. 29/ Molino Road intersections. Drivers may encounter intermittent lane restrictions as crews and heavy equipment enter and exit the roadway.
- · (U.S. 90) Nine Mile Road from Beulah Road (C.R. 99) to Pine Forest Road (S.R. 297) – East and westbound traffic between Leisure Lanes RV Park and Eleven Mile Creek will be transitioned to the newly constructed eastbound roadway the week of Aug. 26. The shift will be in place while crews reconstruct the westbound travel lanes.
- · S.R. 727 (Fairfield Drive) Drainage Improvements from Usher Circle to Hestia Place- All asphalt has been placed and traffic is in the final configuration. The contractor will continue to work on grading, placing sod, and installing pavement markings.
- · C.R. 168 Bridge Replacement over Unnamed Branch in Northwest Century- Crews continue driving production piles. Traffic will remain shifted onto the special detour until the new bridge is constructed and reopened to traffic.
- · Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road continues to be closed near Canoe Creek. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road. The project is anticipated to be complete summer 2019.
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- Intermittent east and westbound lane closures on U.S. 98 from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek - Construction activities continue. The roadway is temporarily closed during construction. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road. The project is anticipated to be complete late 2019.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement Bridge- Bridge construction may require the following lane closures 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25 through Thursday, Aug. 29:
- Intermittent east and westbound lane closures on U.S. 98 from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- I-10 Widening from the Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – Drivers can expect alternating and intermittent lane closures on I-10 from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of Avalon Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25 through Thursday, Aug. 29 as crews finish final work list items.
- S.R. 87 Utility Operations over Yellow River Bridge- Southbound motorists may encounter daytime lane closures Monday, Aug. 26 through Thursday, Aug. 29 across the Yellow River Bridge as utility crews perform adjustments to their facilities.
- S.R. 87 Pavement Markings Replacement- Traffic will encounter alternating and intermittent minor delays between Nicholas Lake Road and Vonnie Tolbert Road from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday until Tuesday, Dec. 31 as crews remove and replace pavement markings in the roadway. Law enforcement will be on site to direct traffic.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Pictured: Recent paving operations on Nine Mile Road at Pine Forest Road. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Northview Senior Night, Band, Cheerleaders And More
August 26, 2019
Friday night was Senior Night for the Northview Chiefs.
For a bonus photo gallery from Senior Night, the cheerleaders, band, NJROTC and more, click here.
For a game action summary and action photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Here’s The Latest On Tropical Storm Dorian
August 26, 2019
Tropical Storm Dorian formed Saturday afternoon. It is expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the central Lesser Antilles on Tuesday.
There is plenty of uncertainty on the future path of Dorian. Any potential impacts in the U.S., if they occur, are still a week or more away.
The latest information on Dorian is in the graphics on this page.
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Work Continues On $1.3 Million Carver Park Area Drainage Project
August 25, 2019
A $1.3 million drainage project in the Carver Park area of Cantonment is well underway.
The new drainage system is being installed in the Washington, Ransom, Booker, Webb, Lincoln and Louis streets areas.
The Carver Park Drainage Improvement Project consists of installing a new stormwater conveyance system with outfall to a new dry stormwater pond located east of Ransom Street. The project will include construction of shallow roadside swales, ditch bottom and curb inlets, approximately 4,900 linear feet of stormwater transmission pipes, and the relocation and installation of approximately 1,900 linear feet of water main lines.
Work started back in November and expected to be completed by the end of September. It is funded by Local Option Sales Tax dollars.
Pictured top: Looking south on Webb Street, adjacent to Carver Park. Pictured below: Looking west on Washington Street from Webb Street. Pictured bottom: Looking east on Washington Street. Photos were taken August 10. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Rain To Begin The Week
August 25, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming southeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 83. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 92.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
97-Year Old WWII Pilot Fulfills Last Wish Of One More Flight
August 25, 2019
Attired in a fighter pilot’s suit, Albert J. Lane, 97. clutched a cold beer in his left hand and a century of life spirit in his heart.
Lane, a U.S. Army fighter pilot in World War II, had just taken one final flight, which included a flyover at Blue Wahoos Stadium, perfectly timed after the National Anthem, as a cheering, sellout crowd waved at the vintage aircraft.
Through Pensacola’s Covenant Care, a Blue Wahoos corporate partner and its “My Wish” program, Lane was able to exit his wheelchair and settle into the co-pilot’s cockpit of a vintage, dual-wing, 1943 Boeing N2S-4 Stearman aircraft and fulfill his own wish.
It was 82 years ago when Lane, a Michigan native, last climbed into an open cockpit plane of that era, training for a future role as a B-17 Bomber in the United States Army. He remembered how to do it again.
“How about that! I got in that plane,” said Lane, excitedly, about an hour after the flight, as young children and admiring adults gathered around him on the stadium concourse.
It created a powerful, emotional scene that made even Jhoan Duran’s no-hit bid into the seventh inning, along with the Blue Wahoos eventual 3-2 win against the Jackson Generals, seem secondary on this memorable night.
“That was really special to see,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego, who stood and cheered from the dugout as Lane was honored on the first base line in the bottom of the sixth inning. “When you see a guy like him who went to World War II and served this country…I was thinking about it and thought, ‘Wow, this guy fought in World War II. He gave everything to his country.’
“And he still had energy. He began to get up from that wheelchair. That was amazing to see. I could think and see this man, say back when he was in his 20’s in that airplane.”
Lane lives in Greenwood, a small town near Marianna in Jackson County, about two hours east from Pensacola. When Covenant Care got involved and arranged a My Wish request, the Blue Wahoos joined to help provide the flyover experience at the stadium.
“It’s such a great tie-in for us,” said Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith. “The wishes Covenant Care grants are local and regional and in our own footprint, so it’s awesome to be part of, and meets our own mission to improve the quality of life in our area. It’s very cool to be part of this.”
The My Wish program began about a year ago and has provided a couple hundred such final wishes, according to Covenant Care president and CEO Jeff Mislevy.
We thought about how do we connect donors to these wishes. And it’s a unique platform,” Mislevy said. “Because an individual donor has an opportunity to entirely support a wish for someone. You make that person to person connection and there is just so much power in that.
“I wanted to be here to see him fly over. It chokes you up in a way. I can’t imagine the emotion that must be pouring through his veins right now. That’s what powers us to do this. And this was unique to him.”
The gold vintage bi-plane that Lane was flown in was provided by Pensacola’s Roy Kinsey, who operates Veterans Flight and annually participates in the Pensacola Beach Air Show.
Kinsey and others at Pensacola Aviation Center helped Lane from his wheelchair. They aided him to climb on a step-stool, hoisted him on the wing and into the open-air co-pilot cockpit of the plane. Kinsey then flew the aircraft.
Lane’s physician, Robin Albritton, who lives in Marianna and works there at Jackson Hospital, was at Blue Wahoos Stadium standing on the concourse, watching the flyover.
“When Covenant Care called me two weeks ago to tell me what they were doing, I put my phone down and cried,” said Albritton, his voice wavering with emotion. “He is a real American hero. He deserves this so much.
“Having taken care of him for the past eight years, I knew he probably got into that plane by himself. That man is sharp as a tack. He first came to me at 90-years-old and gave me the biggest, ol’ hug. I’ve had long conversations with him when he visits. I have done just enough to not get in his way these years. To see this is unbelievable. People like him remind me of why I do this.”
After the plane returned to Pensacola Aviation, Lane and his group traveled to Blue Wahoos Stadium. Covenant Care staff were there waiting to congratulate the World War II veteran.
The smile on his face, the throng of strangers, including so many children, who wanted to meet him and get his autograph, were poignant examples of how meaningful, how special this experience became.
Photos courtesy Pensacola Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 15 Years After Selling Meth To Undercover Informant
August 25, 2019
An Escambia County man is headed to prison after selling meth to an undercover informant.
James Lee Brown was sentenced to a 15 year mandatory minimum state prison for conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine.
On June 26, 2019, Escambia County Narcotics Unit conducted an undercover investigation with Brown as the target. An informant arranged to purchase a kilo of methamphetamine from Brown. Once the confidential informant arrived on scene it was revealed that Brown was in touch with two other individuals who supplied him with the ment.
Once the drug transaction occurred and ECSO narcotics deputies moved in and made the bust.
Stranger Things: Check Out This Cloud
August 25, 2019
Afternoon storms brought an interesting weather feature to the area Saturday.
Teresa Dobson of Jay captures these images a little after 6 p.m. in the area of Chumuckla Highway and Mineral Springs Road southwest of Jay.
According to the National Weather Service in Mobile, it appears to be a shelf cloud associated with a thunderstorm outflow. That’s the cooler air spreading outward from a thunderstorm.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Weekly Meeting Schedule
August 25, 2019
Here are Escambia County meetings scheduled this week:
Monday, August 26
Library Board of Governance – 4 p.m., Century Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
Tuesday, August 27
Fleet Maintenance Technician Interviews – Mosquito Control – 9 a.m., 601 Highway 297A, Cantonment
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Escambia County Health Facilities Authority – 4 p.m., 1019 N. 12th Ave.
Wednesday, August 28
August Coffee with the Commissioner – Jeff Bergosh, District 1 – 6:30 a.m., Denny’s, 4625 Mobile Highway
Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Policy Board – 9:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Visit Pensacola Board of Directors Meeting – 3 p.m., 5049 Corporate Woods Drive
Mass Transit Advisory Committee – 3 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Santa Rosa Island Authority Committee Meeting – 5 p.m., 1 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach
Thursday, August 29
Florida Police Benevolent Association Collective Bargaining Session – 10 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 2nd Floor HR Training Room
NorthEscambia.com photo.