Century Targets More Commercial Gas Meter Replacements To Boost Revenue
September 16, 2019
The Town of Century has completed the emergency installation of four commercial gas meters and will soon replace eight more in an attempt to increase their gas department’s troubled bottom line.
In August, the town declared an emergency and approved a no-bid proposal presented by now-interim town manager Buz Eddy for $4,750 to G.P.’s Gas Appliance Repair and Piping, LLC in Baker and $35 an hour to consultant Vernon Prather for the four meter replacements. No quotes or bids were obtained from any other company.
The town replaced the natural gas meters at Century Coin Laundry and Self Storage, the Southern Panhandle Cafe, Food Giant and the Sunrise Donut Shop under the emergency purchase. The four meters were faulty and not properly recording gas usage, according to the town.
Now, town is wrapping up a audit of their natural gas system route books, ensuring that each address with gas service is receiving a bill. Those that are receiving service but not being billed will be required to submit a deposit for service or their gas meter will be locked.
The Century Town Council has also authorized a request for proposals and advertising to find a contractor for eight additional commercial meter replacements.
The contractor will inspect and facilitate gas meter replacements at the following locations:
- Century Health and Rehabilitation, Industrial Boulevard
- The Sandwich Deli, North Century Boulevard
- Hudson’s Grocery, North Century Boulevard
- Century Millworks, Industrial Boulevard
- Campfire USA, Industrial Boulevard
- Escambia County EMS Post, Industrial Boulevard
- Lakeview Center, Industrial Boulevard
- Century Community Center (Ag Building), Industrial Boulevard at West Hwy. 4
The gas meters will be provided to the contractor by the town, with the contractor providing pipe fittings and calibration test ports.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Florida Gas Prices Could Rise 5 To 20 Cents This Week Due To Saudi Oil Attacks
September 16, 2019
Florida drivers could soon see gas prices move higher, as crude oil prices surged after a series of drone attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities during the weekend, according to AAA.
The drone attacks targeted two huge Saudi processing plants, knocking out half the kingdom’s oil capacity, and nearly six percent of what the world consumes every day. Various news reports have suggested other countries would ramp up production to offset the shortage. President Donald Trump authorized the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in effort to balance the market.
“This is a fluid situation which has quickly ignited, but could also flame out – depending on how the market responds over the next couple of days,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “If oil prices hold at current levels, drivers could see gas prices begin to rise anywhere from 5-20 cents by the end of the week.”
Florida drivers are currently paying an average price of $2.40 per gallon. The state average is 3 cents less than a week ago, and 34 cents less than this time last year. The highest daily average price so far this year was $2.80 per gallon; the lowest was $2.12.
Sunday night, Escambia County had among the lowest gas prices in the state. The average price per gallon was $2.36 per gallon, while three stations in Cantonment were at $2.26.
Ransom Middle Names September Students Of The Month
September 16, 2019
Ransom Middle School has named September Students of the Month. They are sixth graders Ellie Nissim and Andrew Norris. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Maybe A Little Shower Tonight
September 16, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71. West wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Escambia County Weekly Meeting Schedule
September 16, 2019
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Monday, September 16
Tourist Development Council – 3 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
District 4 Ferry Pass Town Hall Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Ferry Pass Middle School, 8355 Yancey Lane
Tuesday, September 17
Board of Electrical Examiners – 9 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
FloridaWest Nominating Committee – 9 a.m., 418 W. Garden St.
Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission – 10 a.m., 418 W. Garden St.
FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance Board of Directors – 1 p.m., 418 W. Garden St.
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Youth Commission – 4:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
Wednesday, September 18
Board of Adjustment – 8:30 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place (Agenda)
Inspection Fund Advisory Board – 9 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Public Safety Coordinating Council – 12 p.m., M.C. Blanchard Building, 190 Government Center, Fifth Floor Conference Room
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Medical Examiners Search Committee – 2:30 p.m., M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building, 190 W. Government St.
Escambia County Disability Awareness Committee Working Group – 3 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Human Relations Commission – 4 p.m., Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St.
Thursday, September 19
Board of County Commissioners Public Forum – 8:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
BCC Regular Meeting – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District – 9 a.m., 151 Highway 97, Molino
Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Technical Committee – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Educational Committee – 4:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Science Hour – Genetically Modified Organisms – 6 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Tate Boys Golf Wins Match Over Washington, PHS, Pine Forest; Girls Defeat Escambia
September 16, 2019
The Tate High School boys golf team won a recent match defeating Washington, Pensacola and Pine Forest high schools. The team posted a season low score of 150 for four players over 9 holes.
Individual scores:
Ethan Beaver 34 (even par)
Jackson Penton 38
JT Semple 40
Trent Callahan 38
Jace Anthony 46
The Tate High School girls golf teen recently defeated Escambia High. Individual scores:
Adyson Illian 44
Kayla Tolbert 47
Lindsey Morris 50
Kendall Blackmon 54
Humberto Becomes A Hurricane, Heads Out To Sea
September 16, 2019
Hurricane Humberto strengthened into a hurricane Sunday night as it moves away from the U.S. mainland. There will be no local impacts from Hurricane Humberto.
The very latest details on the storm are in the graphics on this page.
Early Morning Fire Destroys Small Shed
September 15, 2019
Fire destroyed a small shed near Cantonment early Sunday morning.
The fire in the 300 block of Daylily Road off Highway 95A was reported about 12:40 a.m. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the shed and keep it from spreading to other nearby structures.
There’s no official word on the cause of the fire, but a pool pump was suspected. There were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment, Ensley, Molino, Bellview and Ferry Pass stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded to the fire.
Reader submitted and NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Census Workers Knocking Doors In Escambia County Before The 2020 Count
September 15, 2019
The census is not until 2020, but the U.S. Census Bureau may be knocking on your door in the North Escambia area during the next few weeks.
The Census Bureau employees known as “listers” carry laptops and black messenger bags, and there are about 40,000 of them nationwide. They are visiting areas through October in an effort to verify over 50 million addresses, or about one-third of all home addresses in the United States. They will be out mostly in the evenings and on the weekends. There is a map at the bottom of this page, or you can zoom to your address here to see if your address will be visited.
Address canvassing improves and refines the Census Bureau’s address list of households nationwide, which is necessary to deliver invitations to respond to the census. The address list plays a vital role in ensuring a complete and accurate count of everyone living in the United States, according to the Census Bureau.
“The Census Bureau is dedicated to ensuring that we are on track, and ready to accomplish the mission of the 2020 Census,” said Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham. “We have made many improvements and innovations over the past decade, including better technologies for canvassing neighborhoods and developing complete and updated address listings and maps.”
The Census Bureau created new software called the Block Assessment, Research and Classification Application (BARCA). It compares satellite images of the United States over time, allowing Census Bureau employees to spot new housing developments, changes in existing homes and other housing units that did not previously exist. Reviewers also use BARCA to compare the number of housing units in current imagery with the number of addresses on file for each block.
“We were able to verify 65% of addresses using satellite imagery — a massive accomplishment for us,” said Census Bureau Geography Division Chief Deirdre Bishop. “In 2010 we had to hire 150,000 people to verify 100% of the addresses in the field, this decade we will only have to hire about 40,000 employees around the nation to verify the remaining 35% of addresses.”
The listers have started walking through neighborhoods across the country checking addresses not verified using BARCA software. In-field address canvassing will continue through mid-October. They will ask just a few questions to verify the address and any additional living quarters on the property for inclusion in the census.
Employees will introduce themselves as a Census Bureau employee, show their official government ID badge, and explain the purpose of the visit.
The 2020 Census officially starts counting people in January 2020 in remote Toksook Bay, Alaska. Following the count of people in remote Alaska, most households in the country will start receiving invitations to respond online, by phone or by mail in March 2020.
This operation is one of several activities the Census Bureau conducts for an accurate and complete count. The Census Bureau also partners with the U.S. Postal Service and tribal, state and local officials to update the address list.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that a census of the population be conducted once every 10 years. Census data is used to determine the number of seats each state holds in Congress and how more than $675 billion in federal funds are distributed back to states and local communities every year for services and infrastructure, including health care, jobs, schools, roads and businesses.
Check Out These Rides: Cantonment Rotary’s Car Show (Photo Gallery)
September 15, 2019
The Cantonment Rotary Club held their second annual “Hawgs & Hoot Rods car and motorcycle show at Krystal on Nine Mile Road. The event also featured pulled pork sandwich plates. It was all a fundraiser for the Cantonment Rotary Club Foundation to support the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club of America.
For a photo gallery from the car show, click here.
Photos by Perry Doggrell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
