Cooler Weather: Fall Arrives With Lows In The 50s
September 23, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 53. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 77. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
District 5 Cantonment, Farm Hill Neighborhood Cleanup Day Is Friday.
September 23, 2021
Residents of a portion of Cantonment and Farm Hill can dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge during a District 5 Neighborhood Cleanup this Friday.
The event was postponed from last week due to weather.
During neighborhood cleanups, Escambia County departments team up to bring services to residents in an effort to keep local neighborhoods clean and safe. Participating is easy: Residents in the cleanup area simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies.
All debris must be at the curb directly in front of residences in the area by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. Tires and paint cans should be separate from all other debris. Debris piles should not be placed under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes. All items, including containers, will be collected.
Only residents in the designated cleanup area are able to participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected.
Items eligible for removal include:
- Household appliances and electronics
- Household junk and debris
- Bicycles and toys
- Old furniture and mattresses
- Barbecue grills
- Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
- Tires (limit 10 per household)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
- Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
- Explosives or ammunition
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Vehicles or vessels
- 55-gallon drums of fluids
The neighborhood cleanup initiative involves an aggressive cleanup effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members and volunteers picking up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture and household items.
Since 2016, more than 3,509 tons (7,018,000 pounds) of debris were collected and disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
The county’s neighborhood cleanup program is hosted by the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program. Local partners include Escambia County Waste Services, Environmental Code Enforcement, Public Works, Animal Services and Road Prison, along with the City of Pensacola Sanitation Department and Keep Pensacola Beautiful. During the cleanups, county staff handle issues such as roaming dogs and cats, unsafe structures, tree trimming, right of way mowing, street sweeping, household hazardous waste recycling and more.
ECSO Launches Program To Alert First Responders To Those With Autism
September 23, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has launched a new program to alert all first responders that an autistic person may reside in a home or be an occupant in a vehicle.
“The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is committed to keeping all Escambia County residents safe,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “This includes those with autism and their families.”
The new “Occupant with Autism” program provides decals at no charge that can be placed on the door or front window of a home, or on the rear window of a vehicle. The decal acts as a symbol, allowing first responders to know that they’re may be a person inside with autism. ECSO deputies will then know to approach the situation using their autism training skills.
To participate in the program, click or tap here to fill out a form and the decals will be mailed free of charge. If persons do not want to place the decal on their home or vehicle, their information can still be flagged in the ECSO system.
“The more information deputies have when responding to a call, the better,” Simmons said.
Register By Friday To Participate In Northview Homecoming Parade
September 23, 2021
The Northview High School Homecoming Parade will take place Friday, October 1.
The parade will travel from Bratt Elementary School to Highway 4 to Northview High School. Line up will be at 12:30 p.m., and the parade will roll at 1 p.m.
Entries are being accepted through Friday, September 24; there is no cost to participate. For more information and a registration form, click or tap here.
There are some changes to homecoming parade traditions this year due to COVID-19 restrictions:
- There will be no homecoming pep rally following the parade.
- Only school floats will enter the Northview campus. No one else will be allowed.
- No pork sandwiches/meals or other food/drinks will be sold.
- There will be no Kona Ice
- Students will return to seventh period following the parade
Pictured: The 2019 Northview High School homecoming parade. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Police: Murder Victim’s Body Is Not Under Highway 29 Bridge
September 22, 2021
Authorities have ruled out the underside of a bridge on the state line as the location of the body of a Pensacola murder victim.
Law enforcement and NorthEscambia.com received numerous tips about a putrid smell coming from under the Highway 29 bridge between Century and Flomaton. About a half dozen railroad tracks are under the bridge, headed into a CSX rail yard that sits just inside Alabama.
The smell led members of the public to believe that an accused murderer may have dumped the body of 40-year old Latonya Antionette Baxter under the bridge.
Authorities tell us the area has been checked, and the smell is actually a product recently sprayed on railroad ties to preserve them. NorthEscambia.com reached out to CSX late Tuesday afternoon for more information, but did not immediately hear back.
Pensacola Police Department investigators believe Baxter was murdered by her roommate, 38-year old Giles Curt Jones, who dumped her body somewhere in the Century area on September 11. His gray 2009 Nissan Maxima with Florida tag #45BAFU was spotted on camera headed north at 12:19 p.m. before returning south at 3:09 p.m. During that time, police say he took a photo on his phone of an obviously deceased Baxter.
Jones has been charged with first degree murder.
Monday and Tuesday, multiple agencies were acting on a tip as they searched an area on Highway 168 near Bratt, not far from Northview High School, for the body. Northing was found.
RELATED STORIES AND PHOTO GALLERIES
- Monday, Police Search Area Near Bratt For Body Of Murdered Pensacola Woman
- Tuesday, Searchers Return To Bratt Looking For Body Of Murdered Pensacola Woman
Pictured top: A CSX train in a rail yard in Flomaton, along the Alabama-Florida state line. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Twice Sold Meth To Undercover Deputy, ECSO Says
September 22, 2021
A Cantonment man was charged after allegedly selling methamphetamine to undercover deputies on two different occasions.
Joshua Brennan Totty, 31, was charged with two felony counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, manufacture or deliver.
According to arrest reports, Totty sold methamphetamine to an undercover Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy on two different days. The report states Totty is a “known narcotics dealer”.
He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $20,000 bond.
Early Morning Fire Burns Molino Storage Shed
September 22, 2021
Fire burned through a storage shed at a Molino home early Wednesday morning.
The fire was reported about 12:30 a.m. on Molino Road near Jahaza Road. Firefighters arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the shed.
There were no injuries reported and no word on the cause of the fire.
The Molino, McDavid, Cantonment and Walnut Hill stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to the blaze.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
It’s The First Day Of Fall, And A Cold Front Means Lows In The 50s
September 22, 2021
Today is the first day of fall, both on the calendar and outside as strong cold front brings us cooler weather.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 53. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 77. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Century To Try Again To Approve Tax Increase, Budget For Next Year
September 22, 2021
The Town of Century will redo a meeting to pass a tentative property tax increase and budget for the next fiscal year after botching the process on the first try.
An agenda for the public hearing held last week improperly indicated that property taxes would not increase. Council President Louis Gomez read from agenda, and with a 4-0 vote the council approved no property tax increase. But the resolution required, and signed at the end of the meeting by the council president, set a different millage rate than discussed and actually included a tax increase. The percent of the increase as stated in the resolution was also calculated wrong. The mistakes were caught by NorthEscambia.com and pointed out to town officials after the meeting.
Town Attorney Matt Dannheiser recommended that the council hold another meeting to approve the tentative tax rate and budget before moving on to a final approval.
The special meeting will be held September 28 at 5:30 p.m. The town is proposing a property tax increase with a millage rate of .9204, which is 7.61% greater than the rolled-back rate of .8553 mills. The rolled-back rate is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as approved for the prior year. The town is proposing a $5.7 million budget for fiscal year 2021-2022, up from $4.14 million during the current fiscal year. The increase is mostly due to income from grants.
Pictured: The Town of Century will hold another meeting to correct property tax millage mistakes made in this September 13 meeting. Pictured are Century’s accountant Robert Hudson (foreground, right), and council members (L-R) President Luis Gomez, Jr., Sandra McMurray-Jackson and Dynette Lewis. Pictured below: Other than NorthEscambia.com, no member of the public attended the public hearing. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Your ECUA Bill May Arrive Late
September 22, 2021
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authorities says their third party bill printing and mailing processor is running behind due to a COVID-19 related staffing shortage.
“As a result, some of our customers’ bills are being delivered near or after their due date,” ECUA Public Information Officer Nathalie Bowers said. “Customers’ account standing will not be adversely affected nor be charged a late fee if they received a delayed bill. Customer accounts enrolled in ECUA’s and E-Notification billing programs are not affected by these delays.”
Customers who wish to access their bill online may do so by going to the ECUA website at https://ecua.fl.gov/my-bill and clicking on ‘View Your Bill’ to set up an account. Once on the Click2Gov website, customers may also opt-in to receive an email notification that their bill is ready to be viewed online on the same day that it is generated by the billing system.
Pictured: ECUA’s drive-thru in the Ellyson Industrial Park. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.