Escambia County Surpasses 20,000 Total Positive COVID-19 Cases
December 20, 2020
THIS IS ARCHIVE STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST UPDATE.
Escambia County has now surpassed 20,000 total positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to data released Saturday by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 20,027 (+265)
Non-Florida residents: 2,186
Total deaths: 341
Long-term care facility deaths : 156
Current hospitalizations: 154 (+18)
Number of tests last day: 1,522
Percent positive last day: 14.2%
Percent positive last week: 13.4%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 14,609 (+204)
Cantonment: 1,632 (+69)
Century: 990 (+2)
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 256 (+3)
McDavid: 121 (+2)
Walnut Hill: 39
Bellview: 30
Perdido Key: 17 (+1)
Gonzalez: 9
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 9,602 (+139)
Non-Florida residents: 116
Total deaths: 115
Long-term care facility deaths: 24
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 501*
Number of tests last day: 513
Percent positive last day: 20.7%
Santa Rosa County cases by location:
Milton: 4,838 (+61)
Navarre: 1,801 (+26)
Gulf Breeze: 1,655 (+32)
Pace: 749 (+9)
Jay: 247 (+6)
Bagdad: 23 (+1)
Florida cases:
Total cases: 1,193,165
Florida residents: 1,173,409
Deaths: 20,473
Hospitalizations: 59,851*
*“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. Most of these people are longer be 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.
*The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Escambia Schools Implementing New Student COVID-19 Quarantine Procedures In January
December 19, 2020
The Escambia County School District has announced new COVID-19 quarantine procedures will go into effect when students return to school next year.
Beginning January 5, students will be able to return to school on the 11th day following an exposure, provided they have no symptoms of COVID-19. Students may return as early as the eighth day after an exposure, if they are having no symptoms and have obtained a negative PCR Molecular COVID-19 test administered on the sixth day (or later) following exposure.
However, students will need to observe the full 14 days of quarantine from extracurricular activities and athletics, according to Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith. He said there may be additional school situations which require students to observe the full 14 days of quarantine from school.
As of Friday, December 18 there were 87 COVID-19 positive students reported in Escambia County. There were 1,337 total students in quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test, awaiting test results or who have come in close contact with a positive case.
The school district said the changes are to align the school system with the Florida Department of Health an recent COVID-19 quarantine information released by the CDC.
Old Chemstrand Road Area Boil Water Notice Has Been Lifted
December 19, 2020
Gonzales Utilities has rescinded a boil water notice that was issued Monday following a water main break on Old Chemstrand Road.
The utility said bacteriological sampling showed that the water is safe to drink.
The notice was in effect for residents on 2nd through 7th Avenues and 1415 to 1693 Old Chemstrand Road.
The water main break had closed Old Chemstrand Road on Monday, leading to detours.
Escambia County Names Interim Public Safety Director, Interim EMS Manager
December 19, 2020
Escambia County has announced top level public safety department changes.
Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore (pictured left) will become interim public safety director on December 24. He is taking on the position previously held by Jason Rogers, who announced his resignation recently due to family medical issues.
EMS Manager Jimmy Maddrey has announced he is stepping down to become an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy. He will be replaced by Billy Shipp, current Escambia County EMS operation manager. Shipp will become interim EMS manager effective January 4.
“I am proud to serve as interim public safety director for Escambia County,” Gilmore said. “I understand Jason Rogers needs to tend to his family.”
“In addition, while we are sad to see Jimmy leave our public safety department, he really stepped up as a leader during a difficult time for EMS. He will follow in his father’s footsteps by serving in law enforcement, and we are glad he is staying within our community.”
Shipp has more than 29 years paramedic experience.
“I feel confident in Billy’s abilities to lead the EMS department in the direction it needs to go,” Gilmore added.
Florida House Committee Assignments Are Out. Here’s How Local Reps Were Assigned.
December 19, 2020
Florida House committee assignments were announced on Friday.
Northwest Florida representatives were assigned to committees as follows.
District 1 – Michelle Salzman
- Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee
- Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee
- Judiciary Committee
- Local Administration & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee
- Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee
District 2 – Alex Andrade
- Education & Employment Committee Republican - Committee Whip
- Post-Secondary Education & Lifelong Learning Subcommittee
- PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee
- Professions & Public Health Subcommittee
- Secondary Education & Career Development Subcommittee
District 3 – Jayer Williamson
- Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee - Chair
- Appropriations Committee
- Finance & Facilities Subcommittee
- Joint Committee on Public Council Oversight
- Joint Legislative Budget Commission
- Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee
- Rules Committee
- Tourism, Infrastructure & Energy Subcommittee
Tate High Vegetable Evaluation Team Places At State Contest
December 19, 2020
The Tate High School Vegetable Evaluation Team placed 20 out of 58 teams at the state contest.
Team members include athan O’Neal, Maliya Porter, Piper Pfeuffer-Ferguson and Jiana Dortch.
The Vegetable Evaluation CDE is designed to test skills and knowledge of students in the area of vegetable production and management. Event Highlights include evaluating classes of vegetables, identifying kinds and varieties of vegetables, insects, diseases, weeds, and seeds.
The team coach is Kristi Wise.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Increasing Clouds, Rain By Late Saturday Night
December 19, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers, mainly after 9pm. Low around 48. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 61. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. West wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 63. North wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Christmas Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
Officials Report Three Additional COVID-19 Deaths, 287 New Cases in Escambia County
December 19, 2020
THIS IS ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
On Friday, the Florida Department of Health reported three additional COVID-19 deaths and 287 new cases in Escambia County.
Here is the latest data:
Total cases: 19,762 (+287)
Non-Florida residents: 2,165
Total deaths: 341 (+3)
Long-term care facility deaths : 156
Current hospitalizations: 136 (+2)
Number of tests last day: 1,730
Percent positive last day: 10.5%
Percent positive last week: 13.4%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 14,405 (+222)
Cantonment: 1,637 (+37)
Century: 988 (+5)
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 253 (+1)
McDavid: 119 (+1)
Walnut Hill: 39
Bellview: 30
Perdido Key: 16
Gonzalez: 9
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 9,463 (+193)
Non-Florida residents: 113
Total deaths: 115 (+1)
Long-term care facility deaths: 24
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 493*
Number of tests last day: 596
Percent positive last day: 24.7%
Santa Rosa County cases by location:
Milton: 4,777 (+95)
Navarre: 1,775 (+35)
Gulf Breeze: 1,623 (+53)
Pace: 740 (+9)
Jay: 241 (+2)
Bagdad: 22
Florida cases:
Total cases: 1,181,483
Florida residents: 1,161,953
Deaths: 20,401
Hospitalizations: 59,302*
*“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. Most of these people are longer be 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.
*The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Stealing Newly Purchased Pickup From Couple
December 18, 2020
A Cantonment woman is charged with allegedly stealing a newly purchased used pickup truck from a local couple.
Kristi Nicole Mitchell, 43 was charged with felony grand theft of a vehicle, felony grand theft and criminal mischief.
The victim was out with friends when she told Mitchell that she would give her a ride to work, but the victim needed to stop by her house first, according to an arrest report. Shortly after arriving on Cottage Hill Road, the victim and her husband discovered that the 2002 two-tone Ford F150 pickup truck they had just bought was missing.
The truck, valued at $2,500, also contained $1,456 worth of personal property including a phone, two jackets, makeup and nail polish, sunglasses and a fire pit, the report states.
The phone was tracked, eventually leading to the discovery of the truck behind a residence on Cedartown Road in Molino. The resident stated that it had been dropped off for repairs, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report said. The truck had $1,550 worth of damage, including a dent in the rear bumper and damage to the passenger’s side mirror. In addition, the entire exhaust system was missing.
The stolen items that were in the pickup truck have not been recovered.
Mitchell remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday morning with bond set at $7,500.
Rain Chance By Saturday Night
December 18, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 34. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. East wind around 5 mph becoming north in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 60. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. West wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 64.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 67.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.