2023 Begins With Sunny 70s, But Rain Moves In This Week
January 1, 2023
Happy New Year!
New Year’s Day: Gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Patchy fog. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 56. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could be severe. High near 74. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Tuesday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog. Low around 61. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 53.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 58.
IT Network Coordinator Tutten Is Escambia County Employee Of The Year
January 1, 2023
Mark “Andrew” Tutten is Escambia County’s Employee of the Year for 2022.
He was previously selected as the August Employee of the Month.
He serves as network coordinator in the Information Technology department.
He began his career with Escambia County on February 25, 2020, and has been continually recognized for his hard work and dedication to the department and Escambia County.
In his role as network coordinator, he is responsible for designing, installing and troubleshooting network systems to meet the functional objectives of the Escambia BCC. This includes monitoring all network routers, switches, firewalls and wireless access points that securely connect employees to their files and applications to the internet.
Tutten led a project to update the BCC’s data network infrastructure, requiring him to re-engineer each county-operated facility. As part of the project, Andrew and his team installed public Wi-Fi in 40 county parks and community centers, including the addition of a firewall management platform Panorama. These changes allow IT to manage over 50 firewalls across Escambia County.
Tutten will be formally recognized as Employee of the Year with a proclamation during a BOCC meeting on January 5.
$2.4 Million Chemstrand Road Pedestrian Safety Project Is Now Complete
January 1, 2023
A two year project to enhance pedestrian safety on Chemstrand Road has been completed.
The Chemstrand Road Pedestrian Improvement Project spanned 617 days between Nine Mile Road and Ten Mile Road.
Crews have worked to create 5,464 linear feet of sidewalk, repaved approximately 3,986 feet of asphalt, and installed reinforced concrete drainage pipes along the northbound and southbound directions of Chemstrand Road.
The total cost of the project was $2,446,577.21.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Want To Be A Firefighter? The Physical Abilities Test Is January 7
January 1, 2023
Escambia County Fire Rescue will hold a physical abilities test Saturday, January 7.
The test will take place at Pensacola Fire Department Station 4, at 1 North “Q” Street at 8 a.m. and is open to anyone interested in joining Escambia County Fire Rescue.
Certified firefighters with a certificate of completion must sign up for the certified test. Those without any fire certifications must sign up for the cadet test. The certified test is also open to volunteer firefighters needing a physical abilities test.
Click here to register for the certified test.
Click here to register for the cadet test.
In order to become an Escambia County Firefighter, participants must pass the test. Interviews for those who pass the test will take place the following day.
The certified test consists of:
- 1 3/4″ charged hose pull in 27 seconds
- Keiser sled in 60 seconds
- Tower evolution in six minutes
The cadet test consists of:
- 25 push-ups in two minutes
- 40 sit-ups in two minutes
- Run 1.5 miles in 15 minutes
- 1 3/4″ charged hose pull in 27 seconds
- Keiser sled in 60 seconds
- Tower evolution in six minutes
Certified Escambia County Firefighters receive a starting pay of $41,698 and numerous benefits including a $2,000 sign-on bonus, competitive pay and health benefits, a 48/96 schedule, 14 paid holidays, special teams’ incentive pay, and more.
New 2023 Florida Toll Relief Program Begins Today
January 1, 2023
Beginning today, there is a new toll relief program in Florida, providing credits to frequent commuters using toll roads across the state.
The program will automatically give Floridians with 35 or more toll transactions per month a 50 percent credit to their account. This program, proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and enacted by the Florida Legislature, will run through December 31, 2023. In Northwest Florida, the program includes the Bob Sikes Toll Bridge to Pensacola Beach, Garcon Point Bridge, and the Mid-Bay Bridge.
Under the Toll Relief Program, drivers of two-axle vehicles who use toll transponders, such as SunPass or other Florida-based transponders, and have accounts in good standing with 35 or more qualifying toll transactions per month will receive a 50 percent credit to their account. There is no need to apply for the toll relief as credits will be applied automatically to each qualifying account.