FDOH Reports 24 More COVID-19 Cases Escambia County, No New Deaths
March 18, 2021
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
There were 24 more COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths reported Wednesday in Escambia County by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 34,465 (+24)
Non-Florida residents: 3,569
Recovered: 33,201*
Total deaths: 654
Long-term care facility deaths: 274
Current hospitalizations: 31
Number of tests reported last day: 975
Percent positive reported last day: 2.0%
Percent positive reported last week: 4.0%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 25,676 (+16)
Cantonment: 3,112 (+3)
Century: 1,170
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 483
McDavid: 207
Bellview: 57
Walnut Hill: 53
Perdido Key: 21
Gonzalez: 13
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 17,508 (+23)
Non-Florida residents: 220
Total deaths: 276
Long-term care facility deaths: 80
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 833*
Number of tests reported last day: 357
Percent positive reported last day: 7.0%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 8,349 (+17)
Navarre: 3,609 (+5)
Gulf Breeze: 3,256 (+2)
Pace: 1,397
Jay: 544
Bagdad: 32
Florida cases:
Total cases: 1,989,024
Florida residents: 1,952,321
Deaths: 32,504
Hospitalizations: 82,786*
*“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.
Cooler Weather Returns, Low In The 40s For Thursday Night
March 18, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74.
Thomas Leo Odom
March 18, 2021
Mr. Thomas Leo Odom, age 82, passed away on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 in Crestview, Florida.
Mr. Odom was a native of Brewton, AL, former resident of Lake Wales, FL and had resided in Atmore, AL for the past 56 years. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He enjoyed fishing, camping, traveling and was a member of the Grace Fellowship Community Church. He was owner-operator of Odom’s Service Center of Perdido and served as Sergeant at arm with the Atmore American Legion Post #90.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Shirley Smith Odom of Atmore, AL; four sons: Frankie (John) Morgan of Jacksonville, FL, Richard (Robin) Morgan of Canoe, AL, Tony Odom of Atmore, AL and Kenneth (Ceola) Odom of Pace, FL; one daughter, Rhonda (Barry) Middleton of Bay Minette, AL; one brother, Rual (Jackie) Odom of Lakeland, FL; one sister, Charlotte (Billy Ray) Williams of Davisville, FL; seven grandchildren; nine great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Graveside services will be held Friday, March 19, 2021 at11:00 AM at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery with Bro. Earl Harrison officiating.
Visitation will be held Friday, March 19, 2021 from 9:00 AM until 10:00 AM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be the American Legion.
In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to the Grace Fellowship Community Church Missionary Fund.
Update: Suspect Dead After Officer Involved Shooting On Pensacola Beach
March 17, 2021
A suspect is dead following an officer involved shooting Wednesday night on Pensacola Beach. In an update Thursday morning, law enforcement said the suspect pulled a weapon from his waistband.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed disturbance at the Surf and Sand Hotel on Fort Pickens Road, just across the the Casino Beach parking lot. The caller advised that a male suspect was battering a female, and he was armed with a gun. Deputies arrived on scene and located the suspect and victim inside the hotel room.
“The suspect was armed, refusing all commands to surrender, he then pulled the weapon from his waistband, forcing deputies to shoot the suspect”, according to a statement from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect was struck and was pronounced deceased on scene. There were no deputies injured during the incident.
As is standard procedure, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer involved shooting. Bot deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Pictured: The scene at the Surf and Sand Hotel on Pensacola Beach shortly after an officer involved shooting Wednesday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Family Using App Discovers Missing Man Was Killed In Traffic Crash
March 17, 2021
Family members use a tracking app to find a traffic crash victim Wednesday afternoon, two days after he was reported missing.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 37-year old man lost control on the I-110 ramp to I-10 westbound, and was ejected after he struck a concrete guardrail and overturned into the trees. Troopers are not sure exactly when the crash happened.
FHP said the vehicle and the victim were in area that was not visible to passing drivers, and there were no immediate signs of a collision in plain view.
His body and vehicle were located by his family using a family locator tracking app he had on his phone.
The man’s name has not been released.
Parents Concerned About Access To Their Students’ Private Data In School District’s Computer System After Homecoming Queen Hack Arrests
March 17, 2021
Following the arrest of a Tate High School homecoming queen and her assistant principal mother for alleged improper use of an Escambia County School District computer system, parents are concerned about the safety and security of their students’ personal information and why they were not notified.
Laura Rose Carroll, 50, and her 17-year old daughter, Emily Rose Grover, were charged by state law enforcement with multiple computer crimes. Grover and Carroll, a now-suspended assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School, allegedly accessed hundreds of student accounts to cast fraudulent votes for Grover, enabling her to win the homecoming queen crown.
NorthEscambia.com took the parental concerns about student data to Escambia County School Superintendent Dr. Timothy Smith.
“An assistant principal and a principal have a lot of access in order to do their job,” Smith said. “There is a lot of information there.”
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County School District FOCUS program contains grades, medical history, test scores, attendance, disciplinary actions, personnel information, emergency contacts, schedules, exceptional student education (ESE) information, student picture and student identification number. Teachers and staff members are able to view student profiles or more depending on access level.
An assistant principal, Smith said, would have district level inquiry access to the system.
Arrest affidavits obtained by NorthEscambia.com show the school district became aware in 2020 of the alleged improper use of the FOCUS system by Grover and Carroll.
Smith said the district will investigate.
“That’s something we will have to work with the state on and the steps they would have to take,” he said.
While no accusations have been made that the duo changed any grades, we asked Smith if that possibility would be investigated.
“We’ll have to see once FDLE is done what they have for us,” the superintendent said.
Nine students and one teacher provided statements to FDLE that said Grover spoke about accessing Carroll’s FOCUS account or they have seen her access it for almost four years.
“I have known that Emily Grover logs into her moms school account in order to access grades and test scores since freshman year when we became friends,” one student said in a statement to FDLE. “She has looked up [redacted] student ID before to [redacted]. She also knows that if she logs into her moms account at Tate it will ping that Laura Grover signed in at Tate High School. She looks up all of our group of friends grades and makes comments about how she can find out our test scores all of the time.”
“When Emily Grover was a sophomore [redacted] class, I recall times that she logged onto her moms focus account and openly shared information, grades, schedules, etc. with others. She did not seem like logging in was a big deal and was very comfortable with doing so,” another statement written by a witness said.
Carroll, and Grover where charged by FDLE with one count each of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices (a third degree felony), unlawful use of a two-way communications device (a third degree felony), criminal use of personally identifiable information (a third degree felony) and conspiracy to commit these offenses (a first degree misdemeanor).
The investigation started in November 2020 when the Escambia County School District contacted FDLE to report unauthorized access into hundreds of student accounts. The investigation found that Carroll and Grover had accessed student FOCUS accounts. FOCUS users are required to change their password every 45 days and Carroll’s annual training for the “Staff Responsible Use of Guidelines for Technology” was up to date.
In October 2020, hundreds of votes for Tate High School’s Homecoming Court voting were flagged as fraudulent, with 117 votes originating from the same IP address within a short period of time. Agents uncovered evidence of unauthorized access to FOCUS linked to Carroll’s cellphone as well as computers associated with their residence, with a total of 246 votes cast for the homecoming court. Multiple students reported that the Grover described using her mother’s FOCUS account to cast votes. The investigation also found that beginning August 2019, Carroll’s FOCUS account accessed 372 high school records and 339 of those were of Tate High School students.
Grover was expelled from Tate High School.
Pictured above and below: Laura Rose Carroll, Bellview Elementary Facebook and Escambia County Jail; Emily Rose Grover, Tate High School’s 2020 homecoming queen, NorthEscambia.com photo.
Update: ‘One-Shot’ COVID-19 Clinics Thursday In Cantonment And Century
March 17, 2021
Community Health Northwest Florida has vaccination clinics scheduled for Thursday in Cantonment and Century.
Details on each are below:
CANTONMENT
Community Health Northwest Florida will hold a Johnson & Johnson “One Shot” COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, March 18 from a 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Langley Bell 4-H Center at 3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment.
The clinic is open to all Florida residents who qualify to receive the vaccine (see below for requirements). An appointment is required; call (850) 439-3358 to schedule an appointment.
CENTURY AREA
Community Health Northwest Florida will hold a special Johnson & Johnson “One Shot” COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, March 18th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Century Century Community Center at the corner of West Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard in Century.
Appointments are required. Eligible persons who wish to be scheduled for this special Johnson & Johnson vaccination event should call the Community Health COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at (850) 439-3358 or Community Health Adult Primary Care at (850) 724-4064 to make an appointment.
This clinic is open to all residents of Century and surrounding communities who qualify (see qualifications below).
Eligibility Criteria for Vaccines
- Persons 60 years of age and older
- Adults 18 and older deemed medically vulnerable by a physician. One of the following is required:
- Patients may have their doctor fill out a State of Florida “COVID Vulnerability Determination” form or
- Bring a doctor’s note/prescription stating the condition that qualifies the patient or current prescription bottles of the medication that treats the pre-existing condition.
- All K-12 school employees, all ages; must show a badge from their school. (Current Executive Order does not include educators beyond K-12).
- Daycare workers; badge or paystub required as proof of employment in daycare setting
- Long-term care facility residents and staff
- Healthcare personnel with direct patient contact
- Sworn law enforcement officers 50 years of age and older
- Firefighters 50 years of age and older
IMPORTANT:
- All participants will be required to show photo ID as well as proof of eligibility at time of appointment.
- Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days or have had symptoms of illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath) in the past 14 days should not receive the vaccine.
Jim Allen Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
March 17, 2021
Jim Allen Elementary School has named their February Students of the Month. They are Rhett Norton (pictured left) and Sarah Simpson. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tornado Watch In Effect Until 6 A.M.
March 17, 2021
A tornado watch is in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10pm. Some of the storms could be severe. Low around 61. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday: Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 68. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 72.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
Century Gets Just One Applicant For Charter Review Committee, But They Are Trying Again
March 17, 2021
A month-long effort to find volunteers to help rewrite Century’s charter only produced one applicant, but the town isn’t giving up.
The Century Town Council appointed an 11-member Century Charter Review Committee in August 2019 to explore the town charter — the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
The previous committee lost five members along the way, with just six people remaining. During an application period that ended March 4, just one person applied.
Leslie Howington, who served as Century town clerk from 2010-2018, submitted her application on deadline day. Howington is a certified municipal clerk and anticipates a fall 2021 graduation with BA degree in public administration.
This week, the town council voted to accept additional applications from residents for another month.
The committee held their first meeting in October 2019, two months after it was established. The early meetings were spent learning about the Sunshine Law, orderly meetings and background information. Most of the discussion at the committee’s sporadic meetings then centered around one central topic — the form of government and the possible addition of a permanent city manager.
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed regular meetings for the charter committee and any chance of moving forward in 2020, preventing any charter change from making the ballot.
To download an application, click or tap here. Applications are also available at the Century Town Hall.
NorthEscambia.com photo.