Escambia County, Alabama, COVID-19 Cases Surpass 800
July 26, 2020
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County, Alabama, surpassed 800 on Saturday.
In the past two weeks, 328 of 1,590 tests have been positive, a rate of nearly 21%, compared to about 14% statewide.
Escambia Supervisor of Elections, UWF Partner To Enhance Elections Cybersecurity
July 26, 2020
The University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity provided virtual training for the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections staff on recently in preparation for the 2020 general election.
The election training session included how to report suspicious activity, demystifying the world of hackers and building a cybersecurity culture in which all staff members understand their roles in minimizing vulnerabilities.
“A network is only as strong as its weakest link,” said Center for Cybersecurity Assistant Director Guy Garrett, who led the training session. “Credit to the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections staff for taking this seriously. Voters in the county should take comfort in the fact that the staff increased their preparedness by participating in the training.”
David Stafford, Escambia County supervisor of elections, scheduled the training session as a proactive step to ensure his staff is properly prepared for possible cybersecurity threats during the general election. Stafford underwent similar training for the 2018 midterm elections when the UWF Center for Cybersecurity partnered with the Florida Department of State to enhance cybersecurity resiliency by training supervisors of election and key personnel.
“Election security has never been more important to Florida’s election officials,” Stafford said. “Supervisors of elections from across the state have engaged with state, federal and non-governmental entities to enhance our security posture. UWF’s Center for Cybersecurity has been a key partner in our efforts.”
Florida’s 2018 midterm election concluded without any reported intrusions by hackers, unlike the 2016 general election. At a press conference in 2019, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Russian hackers breached the systems of two county elections systems in Florida during the 2016 general election. DeSantis declined to reveal the two counties, but he said the hackers did not affect any vote tallies and were unsuccessful in tampering with data.
The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee concluded in 2019 that election systems in all 50 states were targeted by Russia in 2016.
With A New Cell Tower On Highway 97, Somebody Will Have Better Service. But Which Company?
July 26, 2020
A new cell tower was recently constructed alongside Highway 97 about halfway between Highway 29 and Ernest Ward Middle. And that prompted dozens of NorthEscabia.com readers to ask us which company will soon be offering better service along a stretch of Highway 97 known for bad service and dropped calls.
It turns out the news may be good for customers of two major cell carriers.
At 305 feet, the self-supporting tower already standing at 4050 Highway 97 will serve AT&T customers, according to Escambia County Development Review documents. There’s no word from AT&T on exactly when service from the tower will be turned on.
But Verizon customers may also be in luck. A development order was recently approved for a 140-foot Verizon Wireless monopole tower at 3571 Highway 97 near Hendricks Lane, about one half mile south of the new AT&T tower. The actual building permits have not been issued, and there’s no guarantee it will ever be built. But the Escambia County development order is valid for 18 months.
Pictured above: A new AT&T cell tower along Highway 97 between Molino and Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Traffic Alert: Here Are This Week’s Construction Slow Spots
July 26, 2020
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and proejcts in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement- Bridge construction may require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the week of Sunday, July 26:
o 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.
o Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90)– Drivers traveling U.S. 29 at the bridge over Nine Mile Road will experience the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the week of Sunday, June 26:
- Sunday, July 26, southbound traffic will be redirected to the off and on-ramps at Nine Mile Road.
- Monday, July 27, northbound traffic will be redirected to the off and on-ramps at Nine Mile Road. Depending on weather, the closures may be extended into Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Also, throughout the week, drivers traveling Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 overpass, and U.S. 29 traffic between I-10 and Nine & Half Mile Road may experience alternating lane shifts or closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
- Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Widening from Pine Forest Road (S.R. 297) to U.S. 29 – Fowler Avenue north of Nine Mile Road will remain closed until 5 p.m. Friday, July 31 for reconstruction activities. Traffic will be detoured to West Nine & Half Mile Road and Cove Avenue.
- I-10 Routine Bridge Maintenance over I-10 Westbound U.S. 29 Ramp– Motorists will encounter eastbound lane closures from 8 p.m. Monday, July 27 to 4 a.m. Tuesday, July 28 as crews perform bridge joint work.
- · U.S. 29 Resurfacing from south of Muscogee Road (County Road 184) to Atmore Highway (S.R. 97)- Motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane restrictions as crews continue construction activities at various locations.
- · Michigan Avenue (S.R. 296) at Mobile Highway and Memphis Avenue- Construction activities have begun. The contractor will be working during daytime hours. Nighttime lane closures are possible.
- · Mobile Highway (U.S. 90) Intersection Improvements at New Warrington Road
(S.R. 295) – Construction activities are underway. Drivers can expect lane closures between 9:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Santa Rosa County:
- Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement –Bridge construction may require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the week of Sunday, July 26:
o 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.
o Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- · U.S. 98 Upgrading of Distribution Lines between Whispering Pines Boulevard and Palo Alto – Motorists will encounter eastbound lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, July 20 through Thursday, July 30 as utility crews upgrade distribution lines.
- S.R. 87 Resurfacing from Clear Creek to S.R. 4- Drivers can expect intermittent daytime lane closures along the 14-mile corridor through fall 2020 as crews perform paving operations.
- U.S. 90 Pavement Marking Operations from Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281) to the Okaloosa County Line-Motorists can expect minor delays Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Thursday, Aug. 27 as slow-moving vehicles are used to perform pavement marking operations.
Scattered Showers And Storms Kind Of Sunday
July 26, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 86. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 84. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Saturday: A 50 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 73.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Sea Turtles Are Hatching On Escambia’s Beaches. Their Odds Of Survival Are Not Good.
July 26, 2020
If you head to the beach, look out for the sea turtles. Their odds of survival are not good; Escambia County says 1 in 1000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood.
Escambia County’s sea turtle nesting season has just passed its halfway mark, with a total of 17 nests located on Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach. Fifteen nests are Loggerhead, the most common turtle to county beaches, and the other two are rare Kemp’s Ridley nests.
Nesting may occur through the late summer; however, the first nests are expected to hatch in early August. Sea turtle hatchlings face many threats on their first trip to the Gulf, both natural and human-caused.
Bright artificial lights from homes, cars and businesses may disorient hatchlings, leading them away from the Gulf and into danger. Furniture, toys, holes and other obstacles on the beach may trap hatchlings or cause serious injury.
Hatchlings that don’t reach the Gulf quickly are easy prey for predators and at risk of dehydration, starvation and death.
If you see a nest hatching or encounter hatchlings turtles on the beach, call Escambia County Marine Resources at 850-426-1257. If you encounter a nesting turtle, turn off all lights and retreat a safe distance away.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Saturday Report: 170 New COVID-19 Cases In Escambia County
July 25, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST.
There were 170 new COVID-19 cases were reported Saturday in Escambia County.
Escambia County cases increased to 6,854. An additional 77 cases brought the Santa Rosa County total to 2,365.
Of the 1,601 tests results returned on Friday in Escambia County, 9% were positive, and 11.8% were positive from 584 tests in Santa Rosa County. Over the past week, the overall average positivity rate for Escambia County is 12.6%.
There were 236 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Escambia County as of Saturday, according to data from the three local hospitals.
Of the 76 deaths in Escambia County, 49 have been long-term care facility residents or staff. There have been 19 deaths in Santa Rosa County, seven of those at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility and two in a long-term care facilities.
Statewide, there were 414,511 cases including 408,585 Florida residents. There have been 23,730 hospitalizations* and 5,777 deaths. The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
Escambia County cases:
Total cases — 6,854 (+170 since Friday)
Non-Florida residents — 761
Pensacola — 5,353 (+144)
Cantonment — 489 (+23)
Molino— 76 (+1)
Century — 49
McDavid — 31
Bellview — 9
Walnut Hill — 8
Perdido Key — 4
Gonzalez — 5
Current hospitalizations: 236 (+6)
Deaths — 76
Male — 2,652
Female — 3,272
Youngest — 0
Oldest — 105
Median Age — 37
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases — 2,365 (+77 since Friday)
Non-Florida residents — 16
Milton — 1,019 (+43)
Gulf Breeze — 437 (+14)
Navarre — 351 (+5)
Pace — 215 (+7)
Jay — 80 (+3)
Bagdad — 3
Cumulative Hospitalizations — 121*
Deaths — 19
Male — 1,151
Female — 1,164
Youngest — 2 months
Oldest — 101
Median Age — 37
Florida cases:
Total cases — 414,511
Florida residents — 409,585
Deaths — 5,777
Hospitalizations — 23,730*
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. These people may no longer be hospitalized. This number does not represent the number of COVID-19 positive persons currently hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
Hanna Becomes First Hurricane of 2020 In The Gulf Of Mexico
July 25, 2020
Hanna became the first hurricane of the 2020 season in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday morning, and Tropical Storm Gonzalo continues to churn in the Atlantic.
Hurricane Hanna is a Category 1 storm, according to forecasters. It’s headed for a Texas landfall. For Northwest Florida, Hanna will mean dangerous Gulf of Mexico rip currents and increased rain chances.
Tropical Storm Gonzalo is moving toward the Windward Islands on Saturday. There’s a reasonable shot that Gonzalo will dissipate by the time it reaches the Caribbean, and it won’t reach the Gulf of Mexico. But that’s not yet a certainty, so we will continue to keep an eye on Gonzalo.
Century Closes Town Hall, Goes Cashless After Two Employees Test Positive For COVID-19
July 25, 2020
The Town of Century has closed their town hall and gone cashless for utility payments after two employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Interim City Manager Vernon Prather said both employees went home on quarantine after notifying the town of their positive results. Both worked in the town hall.
Utility payments can be made in the drop box next to the drive-up window. Only checks or money orders are accepted, no cash.
Credit card payments can be made by phone or the drive-thru window only on July 31 and August 5. from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. These are currently the only dates the drive- thru window will be open and the only dates credit card payments can be made by phone, but additional dates may be added as needed. No cash will be accepted on drive-thru window days.
For more information or further assistance call (850) 256-3208 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. or email kgodwin@centuryflorida.us or hhawkins@centuryflorida.us.
Local Candidates To Appear On WSRE’s RALLY 2020 Candidate Forum
July 25, 2020
WSRE’s “RALLY 2020” candidate forum begins with select primary races in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, airing at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 30–31. Both programs will be simulcast on NewsRadio 92.3 FM & 1620 AM.
Thursday night’s broadcast will cover Escambia County Commission Districts 1, 3 and 5; State Representative Districts 1 and 2; and U.S. Congress District 1.
Friday night’s broadcast will cover Santa Rosa County Commission Districts 1, 3 and 5; Santa Rosa County Superintendent of Schools; Santa Rosa County School Board Districts 2 and 4; Okaloosa County Commission Districts 1, 3 and 5; Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools; Okaloosa County School Board District 2; and State Representative District 4.
“RALLY” is produced as a public service of WSRE in partnership with the Pensacola Bay Area League of Women Voters and the Okaloosa & Walton Counties League of Women Voters. Mollye Barrows is producer and will co-host the programs with WUWF’s Sandra Averhart.
These programs for primary election races will also be available for streaming at wsre.org/rally. “RALLY” broadcast dates for the general election races are to be announced.