It’s Now Been A Year Since The First COVID-19 Case Was Reported In North Escambia
March 24, 2021
It’s now been a year since the first COVID-19 cases were reported in North Escambia.
On March 24, 2020, three of the nine COVID-19 positives in Escambia County were announced as being from Cantonment, eight days after the first case was reported in Escambia County. A local state of emergency had been declared, and parents had learned during Spring Break that their children would not be going back to in-person class in the Escambia County School District.
It would be about two weeks before additional positive cases were reported across North Escambia.
On April 1, 2020, the first COVID-19 case in Century was reported. There were 96 total cases in Escambia County at the time, including 15 in Cantonment and 66 in Pensacola.
The first Molino case was reported April 5. The first positives in Walnut Hill and McDavid were reported April 6.
Winning $68K Fantasy Five Ticket Sold On Nine Mile Road
March 24, 2021
Someone is over $68,000 richer this morning after purchasing a winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket at a Nine Mile Road convenience store.
The ticket sold at the Nine Mile Raceway near Lowe’s was one of three winning tickets sold for Tuesday night’s drawing and is worth $68,177.06. Other winning tickets were sold in Punta Gorda and Miami.
The 375 tickets matching four numbers won $87.50 each. Another 10,063 tickets matching three numbers are worth $9 each, and 92616 ticket holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
Tuesday’s winning numbers were 11-21-22-23-25.
Flash Flood Watch Continues, Heavy Rain Possible
March 24, 2021
A flash flood watch continues for the entire area. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
This Afternoon: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 71. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Low around 65. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 78. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
DeSantis Says COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Available To All Adult Floridians ‘Way Before’ May 1
March 24, 2021
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday in Pensacola that the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to all adult Floridians “way before” May 1.
Florida residents age 50 and older are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and the President Joe Biden administration wants that expanded to all adults by May.
“I can tell you that in Florida, that’s going to happen way before May 1,” DeSantis said. “So stay tuned on that and we’ll make sure that everyone knows that.”
The governor said over three million seniors in the state have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and the overall pace of the demand among seniors has declined.
“The demand was more intense at the beginning of January than it is right now” DeSantis said. “But if the demand continues to be manageable, we want to lower the age again at the appropriate time. I don’t have an announcement on that yet, but we’re monitoring it.”
“We’re going to get to a point where this is just going to be available to everyone. I think that’s going to happen relatively soon,” DeSantis said.
The governor’s comments came during a press conference at the Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church in Pensacola as he announced 2,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson one shot vaccine were available at the location through Thursday. [Read more ...]
Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis discusses COVID-19 vaccine available in Pensacola on Tuesday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barbara Thompson
March 24, 2021
Last Thursday we said good bye to our precious loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend Barbara (Bobby Ann, Babs) Thompson. She lived on God’s earth for 88 years. She was preceded in death by her parents Arnold B. Cooper and Mary Elizabeth Sirmon Cooper, a sister Mary Gwendolyn Deibler, a brother Johnny Max Cooper.
She has also been preceded in death by her husband James Simmons Thompson who passed away on Thursday, February 3, 2005. They are survived by their children, Robert (Terry) Thompson Eufaula, AL, James Philip Thompson, Pensacola, FL, Shirley (Wayne) Jordan, Cantonment, FL , Cindy (Ray) Smith, Cartersville, GA and Mary Lynn Thompson, Pensacola, FL along with their grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann (Justin) Hall, Joshua Jordan, Justin (Jennifer)Jordan, Jacquelyn (Joe) McCarthy, Jeremiah Jordan, Joyanna Jordan, Webb (Jenny) Smith, Will Smith, Winston Smith and Great Grandchildren (so far) Ethan, Carson, and Addalynne Jordan, Karen, Annabelle, Abigail, and Alex Hall, and Ellie Smith will forever have great memories of being loved wholly and unconditionally.
Barbara is a descendant of Major Thomas Cooper one of the first settler’s in our area and who built the saw mill at Durant’s Bluff which is now known as Molino. Barbara graduated from Tate High School in 1950 where she was the head majorette and cheerleader. She kept her love of football until her last days. But her greatest love was for the Lord. She led a Godly life and in constant prayer for his wisdom, guidance and forgiveness. She loved singing, playing the piano, laughing, learning new things, flowers birds and fresh water fishing. Most of all she enjoyed serving God through Olive Baptist or wherever God led.
Viewing for family and friends will be Monday Evening, March 29th at Faith Chapel North. Funeral and interment will be at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola Tuesday, March 30th at 10 am.
One New COVID-19 Death, 24 New Cases Reported In Escambia County
March 24, 2021
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
The Florida Department of Health reported one new death and 24 additional COVID-19 cases in Escambia County on Tuesday.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 34,590 (+24)
Non-Florida residents: 3,583
Recovered: 33,204*
Total deaths: 658 (+1)
Long-term care facility deaths: 277
Current hospitalizations: 23
Number of tests reported last day: 629
Percent positive reported last day: 3.5%
Percent positive reported last week: 2.7%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 25,780 (+24)
Cantonment: 3,117
Century: 1,171
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 484
McDavid: 207
Bellview: 57
Walnut Hill: 53
Perdido Key: 21
Gonzalez: 13
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 17,616 (+24)
Non-Florida residents: 220
Total deaths: 276
Long-term care facility deaths: 80
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 841*
Number of tests reported last day: 401
Percent positive reported last day: 5.9%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 8,394 (+8)
Navarre: 3,639 (+8)
Gulf Breeze: 3,272 (+5)
Pace: 1,412 (+3)
Jay: 545
Bagdad: 32
Florida cases:
Total cases: 2,016,513
Florida residents: 1,979,240
Deaths: 32,820
Hospitalizations: 83,804
*“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.
DeSantis: 2,000 Doses Of J&J Vaccine Available At Pensacola Church
March 23, 2021
An additional 2,000 doses of the one shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are now available in Pensacola.
The walk-in vaccine distribution site for adults age 50 and over is at the Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church at 201 West Leonard Street (just west of North Palafox Street).
Speaking Tuesday morning at the church, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the one shot vaccine will be available over a three-day period.
“The great thing about this site,” DeSantis said. “People go through, they get the shot, you don’t have to worry about it after that. You don’t have to come back.”
Adults 50 years and older can walk-in without an appointment, or schedule an appointment for Wednesday, March 24 or Thursday, March 25 at myvaccine.fl.gov.
Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church in Pensacola on Tuesday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Commission To Consider Body Camera Purchase For ECSO, Funding Plan
March 23, 2021
The Escambia County Commission is considering the purchase of body cameras for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and a funding plan has been developed to cover the costs for the next three years.
In January, Sheriff Chip Simmons followed through on a campaign pledge and asked commissioners for $912,727 to purchase body cameras for his deputies.
“Every day that we do not have body cameras, there’s one thing that could take place that could come up and embarrass the Sheriff’s Office, could embarrass the county,” Simmons said. “I just think that this is that important — too important for us to delay it.”
Commissioners decided in January to revisit the issue in March, and now there’s a roadmap for the purchase..
The proposed funding schedule is as follows:
- In fiscal year 2021, purchase 268 body worn cameras to equip all patrol officers
- In fiscal year 2022, the Sheriff’s Office operating budget will increase $250,000 per year for four new positions to support administration, monitoring and data storage related to the cameras
- In fiscal year 2023, it is anticipated an additional $50,000 per year will be required for additional storage
CARES Act funds would be used to purchase the body cameras to equip all patrol officers. The purchase will outfit all deputies, and the equipment will sync will existing vehicle cameras. Warranties and software as needed will also be included in the purchase price.
The commission is expected to vote on the plan at a meeting Thursday morning.
Florida Special Olympics Torch Run Begins In Century
March 23, 2021
The 2021 Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Florida Special Olympics began in Century Monday morning and continued through Pensacola.
The torch run started at the Florida/Alabama state line Monday morning. Runners from Century Correctional Institution carried the torch from the state line to the Century Chamber of Commerce. An addition leg of the torch run Monday traveled from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to Bartram Park in Pensacola
Statewide, the participating chiefs, officers, sheriffs, deputies, agents and cadets from virtually every branch of federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement, represent a total of over 300 different agencies. Funds are generated through the sale of the popular Torch Run T-shirts and hats, and through various local fundraising events.
Pictured: The 2021 Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Florida Special Olympics Monday morning in Century and Pensacola. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Fire Rescue Now Hiring For Paid, Entry Level Firefighting Cadet Program
March 23, 2021
Escambia County has created a paid entry level firefighting position for fire cadets. While attending the fire academy, cadets will receive on-the-job training, a salary and a full range of county benefits including health insurance.
Cadets will attend fire academy classes and other formal training programs to prepare them for state certification as a career firefighter. This also includes participating in fire training drills and observing emergency and non-emergency responses.
“There are a lot of great opportunities with ECFR right now,” said Interim Fire Chief Paul Williams. “We’re looking for volunteer and career firefighters. The cadet program provides a path to get training and receive compensation and benefits. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Fire cadets are allotted one year from time of employment to complete minimum standard training and obtain the required Firefighter II certification with the State of Florida. Incumbents promote from cadet to firefighter upon completion of the course and passing the state test.
Applicants must be age 18 or older and possess a valid driver’s license.
The annual salary for the position is $20,800.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.