Narcotics Search Finds Drugs, Stolen Gun At Home Next To John R. Jones Park, Four Charged
November 21, 2020
Four people were arrested after a search warrant was executed at a home directly next to the John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Complex on Nine Mile Road.
Tony Darlus Goodwin, 59; Jason Wayne Quick, 31; Michele Vincenzo Aiello, 32; and John Henry Croxdale, 57, were all arrested on narcotics related charges.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit and SWAT team served a search warrant in the 300 block of Holly Street. Inside the home, deputies discovered 92 grams of heroin, 219 grams of methamphetamine, 132 grams of marijuana, 3.5 grams of cocaine, 5.3 grams of psilocybin, a firearm that was reported as stolen in 1989, and more than $6,000 in cash, according to the ECSO.
Vernon Defeats Northview In Regional Semifinals (With Photo Gallery)
November 21, 2020
The Vernon Yellow Jackets defeated the Northview Chiefs 34-19 Friday night in the 1A regional semifinals.
“It was not what we were looking for. We had some chances, and it got kind of close, but we just squandered opportunities,” first year Northview head coach Wes Summerford said. “When you get a team like Vernon close like that….you’ve got to take advantage of that. We just let it slip away.”
The Northview Chiefs finished their pandemic shortened season at 7-2 overall.
Not exactly where Summerford wanted to be on a November night, but he said he would like back at the season knowing his Chiefs learned a little more than football this year.
“What we are trying to instill is the Northview way. We are going to take care of ourselves. I tell them all the time there is a lot more than just football, he said. “That’s what we are trying to build here. I think if we can get that going, that mentality that we are going to do the right thing all the time, the football will take care of itself eventually.”
“We’ll get there. We’ll get there, no doubt.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Highway 29 Paving Delays For Days From Cantonment To Molino
November 21, 2020
Drivers on Highway 29 can expect delays from Cantonment to Molino the next several days as crews lay the final layer of asphalt.
There will be intermittent delays and lane closures between south of Muscogee Road to Highway 97 from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The resurfacing work is weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Escambia Academy Falls Short In AISA State Championship Game
November 21, 2020
The Escambia Academy Cougars came up short Friday night in the AISA Class 2A state championship game at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. The Cougars lost 36-34 to Chambers Academy of LaFayette, Alabama.
Bubba Nettles had five touchdowns for the Cougars and had 222 total rushing yards.
The Escambia Academy Cougars finished their season at 10-2..
Pictured: The Escambia Academy Cougars caeme up short inthe AISA Class 2A state championship game at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Photos by Andrew Garner/The Atmore Advance for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Out Of The Running To Be The Future Home Of U.S. Space Command
November 21, 2020
Pensacola is out of the running to be home to the new headquarters for U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM).
Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County, Florida, will be one of six locations to participate in the next phase of the process. Brevard joins Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska as finalists.
Pensacola was one of Florida’s communities that applied to be home of Space Command Headquarters. Pensacola made it to the evaluation phase, and in August, replied to questionnaires from the Air Force to assess each Pnesacola’s ability to host, employ and sustain the headquarters of USSPACECOM.
In August of 2019, U.S. Space Command was established as the military’s 11th unified combatant command. The Air Force has said that it expects to announce a final site next year, but that it could take up to six years to construct new facilities. During that time, USSPACECOM will remain provisionally headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
Pictured: Downtown Pensacola, with an added U.S. Space Command logo. NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Friday Night High School Football Playoff Scores
November 21, 2020
Here are high school football playoff scores from across the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
1A Region Semifinal
- Story, photos…]
- Baker 34, Freeport 22
3A Region Semifinal
- Florida University HS, 34, Pensacola Catholic 27
5A Quarterfinal
- Tallahassee Rickards 38, West Florida 16
- Pine Forest 21, Suwannee 20
6A Quarterfinal
- St. Augustine 48, Escambia 27
- Pace 23, Jacksonville Lee 21
7A Quarterfinal
- Buchholz 35, Navarre 21
- Niceville 42, Leon 0
ALABAMA
AISA Class 2A Championship
- Chambers Academy 36, Escambia Academy 34 [Story, photos...]
Sunny And Warmer Weekend
November 21, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 71. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Thanksgiving Day: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74.
Escambia Reports Four New COVID-19 Deaths, 148 New Cases
November 21, 2020
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMIBA.COM FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
There were four additional COVID-19 deaths and 148 additional cases reported Friday in Escambia County by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Total cases: 15,732 (+148)
Non-Florida residents: 1,667
Total deaths: 297 (+4)
Long-term care facility deaths : 138
Current hospitalizations: 94 (+7)
Number of tests last day: 1,713
Percent positive last day: 7.3%
Percent positive last week: 9.3%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 11,482 (+117)
Cantonment: 1,162 (+7)
Century: 952
—-including 773 Century prison inmates
Molino: 182 (+1)
McDavid: 92
Bellview: 24
Walnut Hill: 18 (-1 data adjustment)
Perdido Key: 14 (+1)
Gonzalez: 8
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 6,903 (+64)
Non-Florida residents: 86
Total deaths: 97 (+1)
Long-term care facility deaths: 22
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 412*
Number of tests last day: 517
Percent positive last day: 10.9%
Santa Rosa County cases by location:
Milton: 3,309 (+27)
Gulf Breeze: 1,032 (+12)
Navarre: 973 (+17)
Pace: 578 (+3)
Jay: 168
Bagdad: 13
Florida cases:
Total cases: 923,418
Florida residents: 910,065
Deaths: 17,889
Hospitalizations: 53,091*
*“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.
Here’s How Escambia County Has Spent CARES Act Funds So Far; Thousands Of Applications Waiting For Approval
November 20, 2020
The Escambia County Commissioner initially set aside $3.5 million in CARES Act funds to be distributed directly to Escambia County residents in the form of direct payments. The commission later increased the amount of available funds to $16.5 million and the individual grant’s amount from $2,000 to $3,000.
According to Deputy County Administrator Chips Kirschenfeld, more than 4,900 grant applications are in the final approval stages before funding. Once these grants have been funded, an additional 600 will be approved for funding from the remaining applications. Kirschenfeld said that the county would be able to utilize all $16.5 million earmarked for this program.
Clara Long, director of Neighborhood and Human Services Department, said that approvals are continuing and anticipates the completion of the approval process for the Escambia CARES Family Assistance grant by the first week of December.
“We are working feverishly to finalize all of the applications and get the money in the hands of our citizens,” Long said. “We know this is important to those who applied, but we must do our diligence in making sure that these grants are distributed accurately. We ask that the applicants be patient and wait for a response before contacting our office. That will help us process all of the applications and get this money into the hands of our residents faster.”
Assistant County Administrator Debbie Bowers indicated that the Escambia CARES Business Assistance Grant program was continuing, with more than 80 applicants still needing review.
The grant programs are a good portion of the CARES Act funding that the county has at its disposal to assist with additional expenses or hardships related to COVID-19. In all, $18.7 million of $57.2 million is dedicated to county residents or businesses.
Along with the grants, in its continuing efforts to assist the community, Escambia County also agreed to distribute $3.65 million in funding initiatives for its citizens. Nearly $2.4 million is allocated to the Escambia Serves program, and the county has apportioned $1.25 million for rapid testing programs.
The Escambia Serves programs benefit county residents through the Feeding the Gulf Coast. Escambia County has also dedicated monies to establish and boost broadband internet service at its parks and community centers, allowing its residents to access the internet at socially distanced locations throughout the county.
Community Health Northwest Florida and Ascension Sacred Heart will be receiving $1.25 million in funding for rapid testing. Rapid testing is essential because it provides potentially infected individuals access to results much quicker so they can reliably begin the quarantine process much sooner.
The county initially received 25% percent of CARES Act money upfront from the federal government by way of the State of Florida. It has until Dec. 3 to encumber the remaining expenses.
To finalize its expenditure plan to submit to the state, the Board eliminated the FEMA Reimbursement category and reassigned more than $60,000 to the COVID Operations and Oversight category. The Board also increased the total funding for the COVID Operations and Oversight category to $400,000 to account for additional staffing needed to complete the Escambia CARES Family Assistance grant program.
The Board also authorized additional expenses to be paid by CARES Act funding:
- A budget of up to $250,000 for the OpenGov Software Service Agreement, allowing for remote budget management
- Expenses for the medical examiner’s office of $107,195.88 in COVID-19 related costs and $51,454.02 in salary
- The implementation of a Human Resource Information System for the Clerk of Court and the county
- An increase in inmate transportation services by Escambia County Sheriff from $23 to $28 per hour
- Coronavirus relief aid in the amount of $2,204,714.40 for the City of Pensacola
- Increase COVID-19 Operations and Oversight to $400,000
In all, the Board ratified the spending categories for the $57.3 million in CARES Act funding. In total, $30.3 million is allocated to Public Health and Safety, $19.6 million to resident and business grant programs, $3.4 million to Government Response and Compliance, $2.3 million to Escambia Serves programs, $1.25 million to Rapid Testing and $400,000 to COVID-19 Operations and Oversight.
32,000 Pound Food Giveaway Saturday At The Fairgrounds
November 20, 2020
A 32,000 pound food giveaway will be held Saturday at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds.
Jubilee Church and Pensacola Caring Hearts are partnering together for the Farm Share distribution. The drive-thru event will take place on Saturday, November 21 st beginning at 9 a.m. until noon (or while supplies last).
“At Thanksgiving, we are blessed to be able to help approximately 1,000 families who are in need” said Executive Pastor Tim Fox. He added, “our community continues to recover from Hurricane Sally while fighting against COVID-19. This is why we are excited to have this opportunity to love and serve our community.”
Families will pick up their food while staying in their cars. The drive-in, pick-up station will be located in the main parking lot of the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds at 6655 Mobile Hwy. In addition, Jubilee will provide uplifting worship music, and encouraging stories while people wait in their vehicles.
To ensure the safety of everyone involved, a full range of protective measures will be taken and social distancing rules will be followed at all times.