Clear, About 70 Monday Night
September 7, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71. Calm wind.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
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 87.
84 New COVID-19 Cases, No Additional Deaths Reported In Area Sunday
September 7, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST.
There were 84 new COVID-19 confirmed positives and no additional deaths reported in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties Sunday, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Escambia County cases increased by 39 to 11,521. An additional 45 cases brought the Santa Rosa County total to 4,936..
Of the 924 tests results returned in Escambia County, 4.3% were positive, and 10.5% were positive from 382 tests in Santa Rosa County. Over the past week, the overall average positivity rate for Escambia County is 5.4%.
There were 87 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Escambia County as of Sunday, according to data from the three local hospitals.
Of the 193 deaths in Escambia County, 92 have been long-term care facility residents or staff. There have been 58 deaths in Santa Rosa County, at least seven of those at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility and 12 in a long-term care facilities.
Statewide, there were 646,431 cases including 639,166 Florida residents. There have been 40,024 hospitalizations* and 11,849 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 — 11,521 (+39)
Non-Florida residents — 1,022
Pensacola —8,426 (+27)
Century — 920
—-including 771 Century prison inmates
Cantonment — 830 (+11)
Molino— 135
McDavid — 66
Walnut Hill — 16
Bellview — 12
Gonzalez — 7
Perdido Key — 7
Current hospitalizations: 87 (-13)
Deaths — 193
Male — 5,086
Female — 5,315
Youngest — 0
Oldest — 105
Median Age — 39
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases — 4,936 (+45)
Non-Florida residents — 43
Milton — 2,635 (+20)
Gulf Breeze — 714 (+2)
Navarre — 617 (+4)
Pace — 390 (+7)
Jay — 139 (+2)
Bagdad — 9
Cumulative Hospitalizations — 281*
Deaths — 59
Male — 2,716
Female — 2,164
Youngest — 2 months
Oldest — 101
Median Age — 40
Florida cases:
Total cases — 646,431
Florida residents — 639,166
Deaths — 11,849
Hospitalizations — 40,024*
*“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.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Gulf Power Transmission Projects Underway To Improve Reliability
September 7, 2020
Gulf Power is continuing to strengthen the grid to improve reliability in both good weather and bad with a major project on a transmission power line in Escambia County.
The transmission project kicked off at the beginning of the year by replacing wooden poles with 25 concrete poles over an eight-mile stretch of transmission lines located near Gulf Power’s Plant Crist. This summer, the second phase of the project began, which will increase the capacity of the line as well as replace wooden poles with 70 concrete poles. The new concrete poles are 100 to 140 feet tall / up to four feet wide and are built to withstand winds of up to 140 mph.
“As part of the Florida Power & Light family, we’re committed to improving reliability – which is already the best it has been – in both good weather and bad for our customers,” said Mike Spoor, vice president of power delivery for Gulf Power. “We know how important reliable service is for our customers, especially during this time, and we’re continuing to invest in hardening and other upgrades that will make our electric system stronger and more resilient during hurricane season.”
This project is upgrading a section of transmission line that comes out of Gulf Power’s Plant Crist, which is currently undergoing a modernization to convert from coal as its main fuel source to cleaner, lower-cost natural gas. When complete, the Plant Crist modernization will lower carbon emissions at the site by an estimated 40%.
The transmission upgrade project is part of Gulf Power’s plan to spend approximately $600 million through 2022 in capital investments to improve reliability, bring cleaner energy to Northwest Florida and enhance service for customers.
Gulf Power has already upgraded more than 170 wooden transmission structures to concrete or steel, with more planned for replacement in the coming years. Other storm hardening and reliability improvement projects include regular vegetation management trimming cycles, using drones to inspect lines to detect possible issues before they occur and the installation of automated lateral switches to isolate outages and restore power more quickly.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
September 7, 2020
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Monday, September 7
Escambia County Offices Closed for Labor Day
Tuesday, September 8
Technical Coordinating Committee – 8:30 a.m., 222 W. Main St.
Citizens Advisory Committee – 3 p.m., 222 W. Main St.
Merit System Advisory Committee – 5 p.m., 221 Palafox Place, Fourth Floor Training Room
Escambia County Housing Finance Authority – 5 p.m., 700 S. Palafox St., Suite 310
Board of County Commissioners Budget Public Hearing – 5:31 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, BCC Meeting Room
Navy Federal EDATE Ordinance Public Hearing – 5:33 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, BCC Meeting Room
Wednesday, September 9
Transportation Planning Organization – 9 a.m., 5976 Chumuckla Highway, Pace
Developmental Review Committee - 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Santa Rosa Island Authority Board Meeting – 5 p.m., 1 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach
Friday, September 11
Sick Leave Pool Committee Meeting – 11 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, BCC Meeting Room
Escambia County, Alabama, COVID-19 Cases Up By 76 In Two Weeks
September 7, 2020
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County, Alabama increased by 76 in the past two weeks.
There are now 1,247 confirmed cases plus an additional 214 probably cases in the county, according to the Alabama Department of Health. There have been 22 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Escambia County, Alabama.
There were 624 people tested in the last two weeks for a positivity rate of 15.2%
Data released Friday by the Escambia County Healthcare Authority shows 540 of the positive cases were tested at Atmore Community Hospital, and 231 received positive results at D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton. There were 26 pending test results between the two hospitals.
James Hilton Hall
September 7, 2020
Mr. James Hilton Hall, Sr. of Atmore, Alabama left his earthly body to be present with the Lord in the early morning hours September 5, 2020. He was born June 26, 1931 to John Robert Hall and Clydie Brewer Hall. He was born in Freemanville, Alabama and lived all his life on a farm in the area surrounding Atmore. He married Naomi Stewart on September 5, 1950, and they were blessed with two children, Gayle Hanks (Michael) and James Hilton Hall, Jr. (Alice), four grandchildren, Tabitha Frazier (Mason), Cory Hanks (Courtney), Shannon Chisler (Nick), and Justin Hall (Ashley), and several great-grandchildren.
Throughout his years of work Hilton was employed by A & P, Teledyne Continental, and Hendrix Tractor Company. He loved farming and mechanic work, and he enjoyed helping others. He loved to tell many stories about his childhood, his children, and his grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Naomi Stewart Hall, his wife, Pat James Hall, his sisters, Elizabeth Reid, Ila Fuller, Nola Wise, Jimmie Johnson, and Jean Miller and his brothers, Earl Hall, Ray Hall, Gwinn Hall, and Gary Hall.
He is survived by his sister, Joyce Hollingsworth, daughter and son-in-law, Gayle and Michael Hanks of Atmore, his son and daughter-in-law James Hilton Hall, Jr. and Alice Hall of Atmore, his grandchildren, Tabitha Frazier (Mason) of Birmingham and their children, Olivia, Anna Beth, and Barrett, and Cory Hanks (Courtney) of Auburn and their children Naomi, Miriam, Olivia, and Taylor; Shannon Chisler (Nick) and children, Logan and Lorelei, and Justin (Ashley) and son, Stanley. He loved and was loved by many nieces, nephews, and friends.
He made a profession of faith in Christ Jesus in his early 20’s. He loved his church congregation, and he was an active member until recent months when his health prevented him attending. His family members are comforted to know that he is rejoicing with his family and friends who have gone on before him.
Those who are honoring the life of Mr. Hall by serving as pallbearers are his grandsons, Cory Hanks and Justin Hall, his grandsons-in-law, Mason Frazier and Nick Chisler, and friends, Ross Parham and Jerry Poulsen.
Funeral services will be held Monday, September 7, 2020 at 10:30 at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral with Rev. James Hill officiating.
Burial will follow at the Nokomis Baptist Church Cemetery.
Warren Edward Morgan
September 7, 2020
Mr. Warren Edward Morgan, age 54, lost his battle with cancer on Thursday, September 3, 2020 in Century, FL; where he was staying with friends during his illness.
He is survived by special friends and care givers; Kimberly, William and Josiah Carter of Century, FL and all the dear friends who loved him as a brother, uncle, as well as several other friends that he shared his love, quick wit and sense of humor, as well as kindness during his lifetime.
Warren had a passion for restoring older model Oldsmobile’s, mostly 442’s. However, he was an expert on anything mechanical. He was the type of person who whenever others were in need, was always there. He seldom said no to anyone who needed his help. Warren was a very private person, but made friends easily with his easy going way and entertaining sense of humor. If he called you friend, you were truly blessed. He will be greatly missed and remembered fondly.
Thank you to D.W. McMillian Hospital and Emerald Coast Hospice for your kindness and compassion while he was in your care. Warren spoke several times about how sweet everyone was to him.
John 14: 1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’shouse are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am , there ye may be also.
Graveside services will be held Saturday, September 5, 2020, 10:30 AM at Ray’s Chapel Cemetery with Bro. Jim Stickle officiating.
Pallbearers will be William Carter, Josiah Carter, and Keith Stedman.
Molino Fire Responds To Grass Fire In Barrineau Park
September 6, 2020
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a grass fire in the area of Barrineau Park Road and Barrineau Park Lane about 2 p.m. Sunday. There were no structures threatened, and no injuries reported. It took about an hour to contain the fire. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
USGS: There Were Actually Two Earthquakes Last Week Near Century
September 6, 2020
The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed Saturday that there were actually two earthquakes last Thursday near the Florida/Alabama state line.
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake at 10:07 a.m. was centered just south of Old Highway 31 near Pollard, Alabama, or about 4 miles northeast of Century. The quake was felt across a wide area.
NorthEscambia.com received hundreds of reports of the ground shaking and even motion of walls and other objects inside buildings from across the area. Most of the reports were in the areas of Century, Flomaton and Jay, but extended outward to Pensacola, Cantonment and Brewton.
A weaker magnitude 2.0 earthquake occurred about three hours later at 1:17 p.m. Thursday.
The USGS said Saturday their data shows it was located in Escambia County, Florida, about a mile northeast of Fischer Landing in Century between Oil Company Road and the Escambia River.
There was no damage reported from either earthquake.
There was a series of earthquakes in the vicinity from March 6 to April 17 in 2019 ranging from magnitude 1.8 to magnitude 2.8. In 1997, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred in the area.
United Way Seeks Volunteers To Make Face Masks For Adults And Children
September 6, 2020
If you can sew and have time volunteer, the United Way of West Florida could use your help.
The United Way is collecting fabric masks for children and adults for the YMCA of Northwest Florida, Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County, Every Child a Reader in Escambia, and the Fricker Community Center.
If you are interested or for more information, contact Jackie Dale at jackie.dale@uwwf.org.