Bittersweet Christmas ‘Gift Of A Lifetime’ For Fallen Marine Travis Nelson’s Mom
December 23, 2019
It was a gift that meant the world to a Gold Star mom.
Beckie Nelson’s son, Travis Nelson, was shot and killed while conducting combat operations in in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 18, 2011.
Last week, she was sitting at her desk at work when a UPS package arrived.
“Not recognizing the return label I opened the package,” Beckie Nelson said, “…at my desk thinking it was another Etsy Christmas gift that I just forgot about.”
But it wasn’t just another gift. It was the hat, the Marine cover, her son had last worn over eight years ago. It was a gift that immediately brought back a flood of emotions and memories.
“One of Travs senior Marines contacted me a while back and told me he had something of ‘Nelsons’ that he wanted me to have….Truly a ‘gift’ that had my heart spinning and the tears overflowing. Eight years later and I immediately saw my handsome eighteen year old son smiling that unforgettable smile right before me! More than okay, the most memorable, bittersweet gift of a lifetime,” she said.
Travis Nelson grew up in Bratt, where the local park bears his name. He attended Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
See Santa On A Fire Truck In Century Tuesday Morning
December 23, 2019
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue will escort Santa through Century, Byrneville and Poplar Dell Christmas Eve morning on “Ladder 5″.
Here’s the complete itinerary, as provided by Century Fire and Santa (click here for a map):
- We will leave Century Fire Station on Tedder Road at 08:00 AM.
- From there we will head down Hwy 29 and make a quick pass by the new Century Park Apartments then West Hwy 4 to the Century Care Center.
- We will leave Century Care Center heading back to Hwy 29.
- Then we will travel Hwy 29 to East Pond Street and make the first right onto Jefferson Ave.
- Zooming down Jefferson Ave. and making left on Front St.
- Going down Front St. and turning right onto Mayo St.
- Then Santa will go down Mayo St. and make a right onto Church St.
- Will travel Church St. and make a left on Jefferson Ave. and fly down Jefferson St to make a left onto Mayo Ln.
- Going down Mayo Ln. and making a right onto Mayo St. then a right on Hecker Rd.
- Mr. and Mrs. Claus will then travel along Hecker Rd. and will be making a left onto Jefferson Ave.
- We will turn down Freedom Rd. and make a loop through Camellia Garden Apartments, then on to East Hwy 4.
- Flying down East Hwy 4 and making a right onto Old Flomaton Rd.
- You can catch them along Old Flomaton Rd as they zoom by and turn left onto East Cottage St. then making a right onto Ivey St.
- Santa and his elveswill stop for a short period at the vacant lot beside Napa Auto Parts for kids that want a closer look! Pictures can be taken here but the kids will have to stand by the truck, Mr. Claus and Mrs. Claus can’t climb down!
- Then we will head out West Stateline Rd and zoom around Shady Lane Apartments, then Byrneville area here he comes!
- We will be traveling down West Stateline Rd/Hwy 4A and make left onto Killam Rd after a quick pass through Poplar Dell Church parking lot.
- Travelling down Killam Rd. we will make a right onto West Hwy 4.
- We will travel West Hwy 4 and Santa and his elves will stop for another short break at Byrneville Community Center! Bring the kids here to catch another closer look! Again pictures can be taken with kids standing by the truck but Mr. and Mrs. Claus can’t climb down!
- Leaving Byrneville Community Center, you can catch a view of them zooming down Byrneville Rd all the way to Hwy 29.
- Then the sleigh will be headed down Hwy 29 back to the Century Fire House on Tedder Rd so Mr. Claus and Mrs. Claus and the reindeer can get back to the North Pole to finish getting ready for Christmas Eve night!
Click map below to enlarge. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Dedria’s Gift Provides Christmas Presents For Nursing Home Residents
December 23, 2019
Dedria’s Gift visited two area nursing homes recently to provide gifts to the residents. They visited Century Health and Rehab in Century (pictured above) and West Gate Village in Brewton (pictured below). The gifts were distributed in memory of Dedria Robinson, who was killed in 2005 in an automobile accident at age 11. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gas Prices Slip A Few Cents. But They Are Still Higher Than Last Christmas.
December 23, 2019
Florida gas prices are declining slightly as an estimated 5.5 million Floridians hit the road for the year-end holidays. The state average has declined the past 16 consecutive days for a total discount of 12 cents per gallon.
Florida drivers are now paying an average price of $2.42 per gallon. Although the state average is 4 cents less than a week ago, gas prices remain 5 cents more than last month and 18 cents more than this time last year. During the past few years, Florida gas prices on Christmas Day averaged $2.21 in 2018, $2.35 in 2017, and $2.32 in 2016.
The average price per gallon Sunday night in Escambia County was $2.38, 18 cents more than one year ago. Three Cantonment stations were a dime below the local average at $2.28 per gallon.
“Elevated oil prices and issues at a massive Gulf Coast refinery are preventing prices at the pump from falling as fast as they did this time last year,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “As a result, year-end holiday gas prices are poised to be the most expensive in five years. But that’s unlikely to slow travelers down, because current prices are around the same level as a month ago – when most travel plans were finalized.”
Pictured: Regular unleaded was $2.49 per gallon Saturday in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Here’s The Holiday Trash Schedule You Need To Know
December 23, 2019
Here is the holiday trash schedule for ECUA in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, the Town of Century and the City of Pensacola.
ECUA ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Garbage, Yard Trash & Recycling Services: All Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday collections during the two weeks will be made one day later than normally scheduled. All other collections will be on their regularly scheduled days.
ECUA SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Garbage, Yard Trash & Recycling Services: Tuesday, December 24: No garbage or yard trash collection. Tuesday recycling collection will be made on Saturday (12/28/19). There are no other changes to sanitation collections on the Christmas or New Year’s holiday weeks. All collections will be made on their regularly scheduled days. There are no changes to commercial dumpster service.
ECUA OFFICE/BILL PAYMENT
ECUA offices will be closed December 24 and 25 in observance of the Christmas holiday, and on January 1, 2020, in observance of the New Year’s holiday. The customer service office and walk-in payment areas only will be closed on December 31. All other ECUA offices and the drive-thru window will be open on this day.
TOWN OF CENTURY GARBAGE
Town of Century garbage pick up will be one day later that normal during the holiday period. Collections will be on Thursday, December 26 instead of December 25, and Thursday, January 2 instead of January 1.
CITY OF PENSACOLA
There will be no pickup changes for City of Pensacola Sanitation customers due to the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Cloudy Today, Warming By Christmas
December 23, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Cloudy, with a high near 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Christmas Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.
Cantonment Man Struck And Killed As He Walked On Highway 90
December 22, 2019
A Cantonment man was struck and killed in Santa Rosa County Saturday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported 35-year old Casey Scott Hess was walking in a travel lane of Highway 90 near Whitsett Lane when he was struck by a 2008 Toyota 4Runner drive by 54-year old Steven Enzer of Fort Walton Beach. Hess was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Enzer and the three passengers in his vehicle were not injured.
No charges were immediately filed. FHP said it was dark and raining at the time Hess was walking in the roadway.
UWF Argos Win National Championship (With Photo Gallery)
December 22, 2019
Redshirt freshman Austin Reed had a record-setting performance and senior Quentin Randolph saved his best for last as 20th-ranked UWF defeated fourth-ranked Minnesota State, 48-40, for the program’s first Division II National Championship at McKinney ISD Stadium Saturday.
UWF (13-2) completed one of the most remarkable postseason runs in NCAA history, defeating three number one seeds and four-consecutive undefeated teams for the first time ever en route to the University’s 10th team national championship.
Reed finished with a school and NCAA Championship single-game record 523 passing yards and tied both organization marks with six passing touchdowns. He was 33-of-54 on the day with his completions tying the finals mark and his attempts setting a new top effort. He had 399 yards by halftime to break the previous yardage mark of 361 which had stood since 2002.
With all that passing, Randolph and Lehtio were the beneficiaries. Randolph had 10 receptions for a school-record 254 yards and tied the championship game mark with three touchdowns. Lehtio set the title game record with 13 catches for 139 yards and a score.
But for all the fireworks the Argonauts were putting up, MSU was keeping pace. UWF scored first and the teams traded touchdowns for the first five possessions of the game. That’s when the Argos forced the first of their three turnovers.
UWF converted a Nate Gunn fumble into an Austin Williams 31-yard field goal to go up 24-14. The teams again traded touchdowns before the Argos got a fourth down stop at the 1-yard line with 56 seconds left. Rather than run the ball and accept a 10-point lead, head coach Pete Shinnick dialed up a 37-yard strike to Ka’Ron Ashley, a 14-yard route to Lehtio before Randolph ran down a 48-yarder in the end zone to go up 38-21 at the break.
The Mavericks came out and drove inside the UWF five before Myles Meyer forced another Gunn fumble that the Argos recovered. But after a 3-and-out, they were forced to punt. Dawson Hamlin boomed a 55-yarder as he stood back deep in his own end zone and the third MSU fumble followed as Justin Arnold muffed the punt, giving the Argos possession at the MSU 40.
Seven plays later, Reed hit Lehtio on a slant from the eight to put UWF up 45-21 midway through the third.
MSU scored on a special teams miscue by the Argos a few minutes later and got within 45-29 after a 2-point conversion. UWF got three points back on a 30-yard Williams field goal at the start of the fourth for a 48-29 lead.
The Mavericks got a field goal of their own with 9:52 left and then pulled to within 48-40 on a Shane Zylstra touchdown with 4:03 to play.
UWf ran 1:51 off the clock on its next possession before MSU got the ball at he 20 following a Hamlin 59-yard touchback. The Mavericks drove down to the UWF red zone in less than a minute before the Argos defense made the key stop. After a 2-yard run, Andre Duncombe, Jr. hurried Ryan Schlichte into an incompletion and followed it with a sack to set up fourth down. Schlichte went to the All-American Zylstra but Marcus Clayton was there for the break-up to clinch the title for the Argos. It was his fourth break-up of the game to go along with six tackles. UWF ended the game with five sacks and seven tackles for loss.
MSU (14-1) finished with 562 yards of total offense – one more than UWF.
UWF was playing in it’s second NCAA Championship Game in four seasons of football. The team improved to 35-17 all-time after starting in 2016. The Argonauts are 9-1 in NCAA postseason games and now own the highest winning percentage in D2 history among teams who have played a minimum of 10 playoff games.
The road to the title featured wins over No. 16 Wingate (38-17), No. 1 and defending national champion Valdosta State (38-35), No. 6 Lenoir-Rhyne (43-38) and No. 2 Ferris State (28-14). The wins over the Blazers, Bears and Bulldogs ended the three longest home field winning streaks in Division 2 and those victories, along with Saturday’s were all over teams that entered the game undefeated..
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos Morgan Givens/ UWF Athletics for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Beulah Master Plan, Century Wastewater Plant, Other RESTORE Projects In Public Comment Period
December 22, 2019
A master plan for Beulah and wastewater treatment facility improvements for Century are two of eight new projects added to Escambia County’s RESTORE Act funding requests. The plan has been released for a 45 day public comment period that ends Thursday, February 6.
Escambia County will receive approximately $70 million through 2031 in RESTORE Act Direct Component (Pot 1) funds as a result of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The RESTORE Act requires a Multi-Year Implementation Plan (MYIP) be approved by the Treasury Department prior to submittal of individual project Grant Applications and dispersal of funds.
The county also removed a funding request for an OLF8 Master plan, replacing the funding ask with a campus expansion at the Pensacola International Airport.
Public comment can be submitted as follows:
- Online public comment form
- In person: MYIP Amendment 1 Public Comment Meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m., Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
- By email to RESTORE@myescambia.com
- Postal mail: Attention – Escambia County Natural Resources Management-RESTORE, 221 Palafox Place, Pensacola, FL 32502
Beulah Master Plan
$300,000 to develop a master plan for the Beulah area
Escambia County will procure the services of an urban/land-use planning firm to develop a master plan for approximately 30,000 acres in the Beulah community of Escambia County. The master plan will be based on the University of West Florida HAAS Center Citizen Survey, an existing conditions analysis, technical analysis, and on stakeholder engagement and community participation.
The Beulah Master Plan will establish a vision for allowing for the continued growth in the area while preserving the quality of life and sense of place enjoyed by the current residents. The final deliverable will be a master plan and/or zoning overlay district and implementation plan, dependent on the technical guidance provided by the procured consultant and concurrence provided by Escambia County Developmental Services staff.
The Beulah community has experienced extensive growth resulting from improved economic conditions and the expansion of Navy Federal Credit Union’s Beulah campus, which is expected to employ over 10,000 people by 2022. Subdivision development orders in Beulah have increased exponentially, with 7,000 residences permitted for development since 2010. Beulah does not currently have a master plan nor zoning overlay district to effectively plan or manage growth. Development of the Beulah Master Plan will balance the highest and best land uses of the subject area with the needs of the County, region, and the Beulah community in creating a plan for sustaining growth while preserving the character of the community.
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Town of Century Wastewater Improvements
$500,000 to design and permit repairs to Century’s failing wastewater treatment facility
The wastewater treatment and collection system has fallen into disrepair as the town has struggled financially for the last decade to keep pace with maintenance and replacement activities.
Direct Component funds will be utilized to fund planning, design, and permitting associated with wastewater treatment and collection system improvements, including lift station, treatment plant, and piping repairs and replacements.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has strict requirements for the proper operation and maintenance of the utility system, and Century is responsible for meeting these requirements. Funding design and permitting of wastewater treatment and collection system improvements will allow the town to work with FDEP to secure funding to implement the improvements from the State’s Revolving Loan Fund as a rural, disadvantaged community.
OTHER PROJECTS:
Pensacola International Airport Campus Extension — $1.524 million, replaces OLF8 Master Plan on funding request
Perdido Bay Boat Ramp — $2.5 million for the construction of a boat ramp
Brownsville Community Center Renovation — $300,000 to renovate the interior and exterior, add incubator retail space
CRA Community Center – $500,000 for a community center in a yet to be determined CRA but likely in the Palafox CRA
CRA Economic Development Program -- $1.5 million to institute the complete streets program in CRAs
Little Sabine Bay Restoration Program – $2 million for a multi-tiered restoration effort
Pictured top: The Century Wastewater Treatment Facility, NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. Pictured below: The Navy Federal campus in Beulah.
Rain Ending Sunday Night
December 22, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 47. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Cloudy, with a high near 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Christmas Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.