UWF To Distribute $10 Million In Funding To Businesses Creating Jobs In Northwest Florida
January 26, 2021
The University of West Florida is accepting applications for the Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund, a regional economic development program with the goal to distribute $10 million in funding to businesses seeking to create jobs in Northwest Florida.
“UWF is honored to manage this program and the distribution of State of Florida economic development funds to companies that are investing in the region’s continuing financial growth,” said Dr. Matthew Schwartz, assistant vice president of research administration. “The IRDF program highlights the University’s continuing role in the region’s economic development and recovery from both natural disasters and financial hardships tied to the COVID pandemic.”
In the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the State Legislature established the $30 million program, formerly named the Industry Recruitment, Retention & Expansion Fund Grant Program. Approximately $10 million in funding remains for the program, which focuses on research and development, commercialization of research, economic diversification and job creation. Eligible industries include green technology, life sciences, information technology, aviation and aerospace, homeland security, financial and professional services, defense and manufacturing.
UWF Research Administration and Engagement is coordinating and overseeing the program by working with regional economic development offices. The eligible counties for funding include Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla and Walton. Businesses that commit to creating jobs in one or more of the eight counties are eligible for the funds. The project cap per award is $2 million. Other requirements for recipients include a commitment to capital investment, minimum creation of 10 new jobs and a return on investment of at least $1.50 for every dollar funded.
“There are definitely companies out there interested in pivoting and doing what they haven’t done before to create jobs, diversify the regional economy and make the regional economy more resilient,” said Dr. Donovan Chau, director of research engagement. “Sometimes when there is a crisis or some kind of tragedy, there’s an opportunity for growth, and more than ever what our regional community needs is funds for economic development.”
Previous funding helped companies expand or relocate to Northwest Florida. Those recipients included Navy Federal Credit Union for the creation of 9,144 jobs by 2030 and spurring over $700 million in new capital construction, ST Aerospace for 500 jobs and partial funding for a hangar facility at Pensacola International Airport, and International Paper for the addition of 436 jobs.
For more information about the Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund, visit uwf.edu/irdf.
Pensacon Rescheduled For Late May, Face Masks Required
January 26, 2021
Pensacon has rescheduled its 2021 pop culture convention for May 21-23.
Attendees will be required to wear face coverings while on all Pensacon grounds and within all Pensacon venues, outside of designated, distanced eating spaces. Among other precautions, hand-sanitizing stations will be set up throughout the convention, and social distancing policies, including seating/capacity limitations at some venues, will be employed.
For those who have already purchased tickets for the original February dates, tickets have already rolled over to the new dates, and no further action is needed. For those who are unable to attend in May, unused tickets will be rolled over to Pensacon 2022, which is expected to return to the convention’s usual February time frame.
Tickets are available at pensacon.com. Weekend passes, which include admission for all three days of the convention, are $80. Single-day tickets are available at a cost of $35 for Friday, May 21; $45 for Saturday, May 22; and $40 for Sunday, May 23. VIP Experience weekend passes are $155, and include early admission to the Pensacola Bay Center, preferred seating at panel venues, front-of-line privileges for celebrity autographs and photo ops, and exclusive T-shirt, space-available parking and other perks. Additional taxes and fees apply to all tickets.
Pictured: “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” star Jason David Frank (left), one of the featured celebrity guests for this year’s Pensacon, and CEO Mike Ensley announced the new dates for the pop culture convention. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
That COVID-19 Vaccine Phone Number You Saw On TV? It’s Not Valid In Escambia County. Here’s The Local Plan.
January 26, 2021
That COVID-19 vaccine registration number you may have seen on the local TV news is not valid for Escambia County, the local health department said Monday.
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) currently does not have a COVID-19 vaccination automated scheduling system or call center. Phone numbers published are unique to each county; the number that aired over the weekend on local TV stations is only for some residents of south Florida.
When an automated scheduling system becomes available in Escambia County, more information will be published.
The health department in Escambia County is continuing to work through a list of individuals age 65 and older that previously completed a COVID-19 vaccine online interest form. Registration via the form has since closed.
During the week of January 18, 2021, FDOH-Escambia administered a total of 410 COVID-19 vaccines and distributed approximately 2,450 doses of vaccine through community partners. Those vaccine locations included Molino, Century and Pensacola.
As of Monday, 22,751 Escambia County residents have been vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed as follows this week in Escambia County:
- Ascension Sacred Heart: 600 doses
- Baptist Health Care: 600 doses
- Community Health Northwest Florida: 800 doses
- FDOH-Escambia: 500 doses
- West Florida Hospital: Assessing distribution
FDOH-Escambia and partner organizations are in the process of contacting these individuals to schedule appointments. Please do not contact the providers directly for these appointments.
Jay Second, Northview Third In District Girls Weightlifting Meet
January 26, 2021
Here are results from the District 1-1A weightlifting meet.
- Baker
- Jay
- Northview
- South Walton
- West Florida
- Freeport
The following Northview and Jay athletes qualified for the regional meet:
101 Pound Class
- Holley Gilley, Northview
- Chloe Criswell, Northview
- Heather Flowers, Jay
119 Pound Class
- Alex Pabo, Jay
- Lily Land, Jay
129 Pound Class
- Kaitlyn Fretwell, Jay
- Brianna Dunsford, Jay
139 Pound Class
- Christa Sanders, Jay
- Bentley Glover, Jay
154 Pound Class
- Landry Cato, Jay
- Aaliyah Goolsby, Jay
- Taylor McMinn, Northview
169 Pound Class
- Carlyn Watson, Jay
- Naudia Carach, Northview
- Audrey Geotter, Northview
- Brianna Hart, Jay
183 Pound Class
- Jada Lawry, Jay
- Leah Woods, Northview
- Madison Mathis, Jay
199 Pound Class
- Kelson Cook, Jay
Unlimited Pound Class
- Maggie Amerson, Northview
- Joselynn Helton, Northview
Pictured: Athletes that placed in the 1A District Weightlifting meeting. Pictured next to bottom: Northview High School team members. Pictured bottom: Jay High School team members. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Showers And Thunderstorms For Tuesday Night
January 26, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 59. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 71.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 59.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
Barbara Jean (Steadham) Levins
January 26, 2021
Barbara Jean (Steadham) Levins was born on February 11, 1937, in McCullough Alabama. She was the third oldest of ten children and the second oldest daughter born to Henry Clyde and Lucille (Enfinger) Steadham. Her lifelong mission began at the age of eight, when she stood on a pot in front of the stove to cook for her family the first time. She often spoke of the wonderful childhood she had growing up on a farm in Santa Rosa County with her siblings. She was a member of the 1956 graduating class of Chumuckla High School. She began working for Chemstrand shortly after graduation and worked until her daughter was born in 1963, at which time she took on the name and role she would proudly fill the rest of her life, “Momma” and later “Mamaw”. She married the love of her life, Hubert on December 23, 1960 at Chumuckla Methodist Church. She invested her entire adult life loving, nurturing, and protecting her family. Her main goal in life was to make sure everyone left her home filled with love and a wonderful meal. The greatest joy of her life was to have all of her family especially her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren gathered around her sharing love, laughs, and food. True to her calling, her last moments on earth were filled with concern for her family; she was determined to make sure, before she left, everyone was safe and had everything they needed.
She was a member of United Methodist Church most of her life and actively worked in many volunteer positions well up into her seventies, she was well known and loved by each church she attended.
One January 25, 2021 she went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to meet her eldest son, who was stillborn, for the very first time.
She was preceded in death by her oldest son, both of her parents Henry Clyde (Bub) and Lucille Steadham, a sister Virginia McKelvin, and two brothers Clyde Steadham and Winston Steadham.
She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Hubert Wilson Levins, one daughter Deborah (Thomas) Carmichael, two sons: Douglas (Cheryl) Levins, Donald (Valarie) Levins, nine grandchildren: Caleb (Katie Benford) Levins, Benjamin Carmichael, Joshua (Kristina) Levins, Seth (Brittany) Levins, Jacob (Ahnen) Levins, Mark Carmichael, Chloe Levins, Connor Levins, and Olivia Levins; Siblings, Charles (Myria) Steadham, Carl Steadham, Dorothy (Tommy) Owens, Annie Ruth (Tink) Kelley, Lillian (Roy) Ward, Amelia Steadham as well as three great-grandchildren, and a large number of relatives and friends.
Visitation will take place at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, Tuesday, January 29, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. with funeral services to follow at 11:00 a.m. Pastor Jimmy Cook will serve as officiant.
Interment will take place immediately following at Elizabeth Chapel Cemetery.
Ruth Ellen McCurdy Johnson
January 26, 2021
Ruth Ellen McCurdy Johnson, 86, of Pensacola, Florida passed away Monday, January 25, 2021.
Ruth loved her piano and singing. If she wasn’t singing with the “McCurdy Trio” then she was singing with her band “The Starlettes”. She also liked playing her bingo and was a first-rate bingo pro. She loved her family and friends. Her door was always open to anyone who needed a bite to eat or a place to talk. She always thought about other people and would sacrifice what she needed to help them.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter Leon McCurdy and Bama Lee Linzy McCurdy.
She is survived by her daughters, Sharon B. Belser, Pamela B. LaBerge and Renee Bailey; extended children, Brian Johnson and Doug Johnson; grandchildren, Keerstin Blankenbeck, Jonathan Blankenbeck, Melissa Leal, J.R. Munson, Derenda Carr, Tiffany Duncan, Brianna Bailey and many great grandchildren and a few great great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at Faith Chapel North, 1000 S Hwy 29, Cantonment, FL Friday, January 29, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. with a graveside service to follow at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Jay, Florida at 3:00 p.m.
Dennis Edgar Meadors
January 26, 2021
Dennis Edgar Meadors was born October 5, 1948 in Hamilton, Ohio to Edgar and Eilene Meadors. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1966 and then enlisted in the Navy in October of 1966. He
served with the United States Navy until retirement in March 1997. He retired with the rank of Commander and was the Officer in Charge at NAMTRAGRU in Pensacola from April 1995 until August 1996. Deployments included Vietnam, Korea and the Gulf War. He served aboard the USS JOHN F KENNEDY, USS EISENHOWER, USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT and USS SARATOGA. Upon retirement he enjoyed restoring antique John Deere tractors and spending time at his farm in Kentucky.
He is preceded in death by his sisters Pam Huffer, Connie McIntosh, and Donna Sue Monceaux, along with his mother Eilene Meadors and father Edgar Meadors.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years Jean Meadors, son Daniel Meadors, daughter Barbara Herring (Rick) and six grandchildren. Brant Herring, Xander Meadors, Caitlyn Meadors, Robyn Meadors, Audrey Herring, and Jackson Herring along with his brothers John and Mike Meadors.
Visitation will be Monday, February 1, 2021, from 9:00 to 10:00 AM, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home South. The Funeral Service will follow at 10:00 AM. Interment will be at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, FL.
FDOH Reports 135 New COVID-19 Cases In Escambia County
January 26, 2021
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
Monday, the Florida Department of Health reported 135 additional COVId-19 cases in Escambia County. There were no additional deaths reported on Monday in the county.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 29,363 (+135)
Non-Florida residents: 3,078
Recovered: 23,004*
Total deaths: 488
Long-term care facility deaths : 208
Current hospitalizations: 222 (-11)
Number of tests reported last day: 607
Percent positive reported last day: 17.4%
Percent positive reported last week: 17.5%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 21,754 (+112)
Cantonment: 2,642 (+11)
Century: 1,113 (+1)
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 384 (+3)
McDavid: 176 (+1)
Bellview: 48
Walnut Hill: 47
Perdido Key: 20
Gonzalez: 11
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 14,796 (+85)
Non-Florida residents: 186
Total deaths: 195
Long-term care facility deaths: 59
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 670*
Number of tests reported last day: 346
Percent positive reported last day: 19.5%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 7,139 (+44)
Navarre: 2,967 (+16)
Gulf Breeze: 2,748 (+11)
Pace: 1,183 (+7)
Jay: 457 (+6)
Bagdad: 31
Florida cases:
Total cases: 1,658,169
Florida residents: 1,627,830
Deaths: 25,446
Hospitalizations: 70,346*
*“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.
**On cases by location, the city is based upon zip code and is not always received as part of the initial notification. There may be a delay in reporting locations, and locations will not total the daily case increase as a result.
***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 is reporting an approximate recovery number defined as the total cases prior to last month, minus deaths. In other words, anyone that tested positive more than a month ago is presumed to have recovered by Escambia County.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Four Finalists Named For Escambia County Fire Chief As Selection Nears
January 25, 2021
Four finalists to be the next Escambia County Fire Rescue chief will take part in one-on-one meetings with county officials this week.
The four will meet individually with Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley and the department directors in Public Safety.
“If there is a candidate that really stands out, hopefully it will be a March start date for that person,” county spokesperson Laura Coale said. She said Gilley will make the final decision on a new fire chief, and it will not require the approval of the Escambia County Commission.
Christopher Hatch is the only local candidate on the final four list.
The finalists for Escambia Fire Rescue chief are, in alphabetical order:
- William Beaty, Jr. has served as the fire chief at the Garden City Fire Department in Kansas since December 2019. He previously worked as the program coordinator at Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, Illinois) from 2007 to 2019. He also worked with the Springfield (Illinois) Fire Department from 1996, to 2019, leaving as a captain.
- Roger Burton served in the Ohio Air National Guard from 2010 until 2020, retiring as installation fire chief.
- Clinton Cooke served with the South Monroe County Fire Department in Conroe, Texas, from 2009 to 2020 when he departed as Assistant Fire Chief. On his application he stated he reason for leaving as “agreement between the fire chief and I. Will discuss further in interview”.
- Christopher Hatch has worked with the NAS Pensacola Fire Department since 1986. He was a supervisory firefighter from 1986 to 2005 and has served as assistant fire chief of operations since 2005. He has also volunteered for Escambia Fire Rescue since 1982, serving in positions ranging from volunteer firefighter to assistant district chief and district chief. He is currently district chief of the Bellview Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and serves as president of the Escambia County Volunteer Firefighters Association.
There were 60 people that applied to be the next fire chief.
The job has been open for well over a year. The county’s last fire chief, Rusty Nail, was hired in April 2018 and submitted his resignation about a year later.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.