Tate High School Names Students Of The Month
April 16, 2023
Tate High School recently named their students of the month for February. They are Erica Langton and Kamran Stackpole. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
County Seeking Applications for Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
April 16, 2023
The Board of County Commissioners is soliciting applications for persons interested to serve as representative to the Escambia-Pensacola Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) for the term June 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024. The committee was established per F.S. 420.9076 for the purpose of reviewing affordable housing incentives available within the county and to make recommendations concerning those incentives to the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners and Pensacola City Council. The committee will also help in the development of the Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program.
The Board is seeking to fill seven slots with citizens actively involved from he following categories:
- residential home building industry in connection with affordable housing.
- banking or mortgage banking industry in connection with affordable housing.
- representative of those areas of labor actively engaged in home building in connection with affordable housing.
- advocate for low-income persons in connection with affordable housing.
- for-profit provider of affordable housing.
- not-for-profit provider of affordable housing.
- real estate professional in connection with affordable housing.
- local planning agency pursuant to Florida Statutes, Sec. 163.3174.
- resides within the jurisdiction of the local governing body making the appointments.
- represents employers within the jurisdiction.
- represents essential services personnel, as defined in the local housing assistance plan.
The AHAC must have at least eight and no more than 11 members representing at least six categories identified in the statute.
The committee will meet monthly during review and development of the affordable housing incentives and the new LHAP and at least quarterly thereafter. Members will serve three-year terms unless a position is filled mid three-year cycle. Positions will be recommended to the board for approval in May.
Citizens interested in serving should complete an application available online here, or request a form via email at NED@myescambia.com. Completed applications should be forwarded to:
Escambia County Neighborhood & Human Services Department
Neighborhood Enterprise Division/AHAC
Attn: Timothy H. Evans
221 Palafox Place, Suite 200
Pensacola, FL. 32502.
All applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on April 28, 2023, for consideration.
Drake Driskell, Elisabeth Stowers Named EREC Scholarship Winners
April 16, 2023
Drake Driskell from Escambia County and Elisabeth Stowers of Santa Rosa County have named as the winners of Escambia River Electric Cooperative’s 2023 Herman D. Johnson Scholarship Awards
Drake Driskell is a senior at Northview High School and is the son of Allen and Michelle Driskell. He would like to study anesthesiology. Driskell is the academic commander and command master chief of Northview’s NJROTC, class treasurer, and is involved in several sports including baseball, cross country and track. Driskell is the Beta Club president and participates in Math Club and Phi Theta Kappa and an Atmore Rotary Club scholar. Drake was an EREC delegate for the 2022 Tallahassee and Washington youth tours.
“This scholarship would allow me to dive deeper into my studies and focus on my education,” Driskell said. “Thank you to EREC for investing in me.”
Elisabeth Stowers is a senior at Central School and is the daughter of Myra Cole Robinson. Elisabeth plans to use this scholarship to pursue a nursing degree. She is the senior Beta Club president and National Honor Society officer. She participates in the Spanish Club and the Debate Club. Stowers has many hours volunteering for New Life Baptist and at events in her community.
“The Herman D. Johnson Scholarship will definitely benefit me,” said Stowers. “It will help me achieve my goals of becoming a nurse and helping children with cancer. I want them to feel loved and safe through their toughest time.”
“These scholarships are going to two very deserving students, and we are excited to watch them as they follow their dreams,” says Ryan Campbell, CEO of EREC. “EREC has such a rich history of helping our youth, and we are proud to be able to give them a head start on their college careers.”
Elisabeth and Drake will receive $1,000 each for four years providing they continue to meet the scholarship criteria.
In the past, capital credits issued by EREC that were unclaimed had to be turned over to the state. But state legislation now allows such funds to be deposited into a qualified, educational charity fund. The EREC membership voted to use these funds in the form of scholarships.
Becoming Clear And Cool Tonight
April 16, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Gradually becoming clear, with a low around 45. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 48. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 5 to 15 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Beulah Middle School FFA Aquaculture Team Places 2nd In Florida
April 16, 2023
The Beulah Middle School FFA Aquaculture Team placed second in the state during competition last week. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Traffic Alert: This Week’s List Of Construction Slow Down Spots
April 16, 2023
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on the Pensacola Bay Bridge Sunday, April 16 through Saturday, April 22 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews perform paving operations. On Tuesday, April 18, U.S. 98 westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) will have lane closures beginning at 10 p.m. due to Bands on the Beach.
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Escambia County Welcome Center – The truck parking lot at the Escambia County Interstate 10 Welcome Center, located at mile marker four, will be temporarily closed until summer when the Welcome Center improvements are complete. The front and middle car parking lots are open.
- East Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90A) Roadway Improvements from Chemstrand Road to East of Baldridge Drive – The bicycle lanes are temporarily closed to allow crews to widen the turn lanes and construct new five-foot bicycle lanes. In addition, the speed limit on this section of East Nine Mile Road has been reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph as vehicles and bicycles will share the roadway. The closure and speed limit reduction will be in place until the project is complete next summer.
- · Pensacola Boulevard (U.S. 29) Resurfacing from Brent Lane (State Road (S.R.) 296) to North of I-10 – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures Sunday, April 16 through Thursday, April 20 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews pave the roadway.
- Lillian Highway (S.R. 298) Resurfacing from North of U.S. 98 to East of Fairfield Drive (S.R. 727) and Lillian Highway at Blue Angel Parkway (S.R. 173) – Drivers will encounter shoulder closures and daytime lane closures on Lillian Highway, between U.S. 98 to Blue Angel Parkway, Monday, April 17 through Friday, April 21 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Crews will be performing drainage and shoulder construction.
- Navy Boulevard (S.R. 295) Resurfacing from North of the Bayou Grande Bridge to Gulf Beach Highway/Barrancas Avenue (S.R. 292) – Drivers will encounter outside lane closures on Navy Boulevard southbound, from Barrancas Avenue to the Bayou Grande Bridge, Monday, April 17 through Friday, April 21 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Crews will be working on curb, gutters and sidewalks.
- U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) Resurfacing between Henry Street and Cottage Street in Century - Drivers on U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) will encounter a lane shift and lane closures through April. The two U.S. 29 northbound travel lanes and the center turn lane will be closed between Hatties Boulevard and East Cottage Street. During the closure, one northbound and one southbound lane will remain open using the current southbound travel lanes. Signage will be in place to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on the Pensacola Bay Bridge Sunday, April 16 through Saturday, April 22 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews perform paving operations. On Tuesday, April 18, U.S. 98 westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) will have lane closures beginning at 10 p.m. due to Bands on the Beach.
- U.S. 90 Bridge Replacement over Simpson River – Drivers will encounter intermittent nightly lane closures on U.S. 90 beginning Monday, April 17 between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. as crews prepare to open the westbound bridge to four lanes of traffic. Currently, the westbound bridge is accommodating one eastbound and two westbound lanes.
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts:
- Median and turn-lane closures from Bayshore Road to Tiger Point Drive.
- Intermittent lane closures and additional median closures between S.R. 281 and Bayshore Road Sunday, April 16, through Friday, April 21, from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for stormwater drainage improvements and paving operations.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Blue Wahoos One-Hit Shuckers In 7-1 Win
April 16, 2023
Patrick Monteverde backed up a dominant 2023 debut with an even more impressive performance on Saturday night, firing the first seven innings of a one-hitter in a 7-1 Blue Wahoos win over the Biloxi Shuckers.
Monteverde (W, 1-0), who allowed only a hit over 6.0 innings last Sunday against Montgomery, repeated his performance over 7.0 scoreless frames against the Shuckers while adding eight strikeouts. Biloxi’s only hit, a Tyler Black single in the fourth, was immediately erased on a pickoff.
Patrick Murphy and Jefry Yan got the final six outs to complete the 12th one-hitter in Blue Wahoos history, and the first since Zach King and Justin Evans combined for a one-hit effort in a 2-1 loss to the Mississippi Braves on August 17, 2022. Eury Pérez and three relievers also one-hit the Shuckers at MGM Park last April 29.
Pensacola opened up the scoring in the third against Carlos Rodriguez (L, 0-1) as J.D. Orr laced a triple into the right field corner and scored on a José Devers single. Paul McIntosh and Joe Rizzo each hit two-run homers in the late innings, padding out the lead against the Biloxi bullpen.
The Shuckers scored an unearned run against Yan thanks to an error and three walks, but the lefty finished off the performance with a popout just as the Biloxi crowd was coming to life.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday at MGM Park.
by Erik Bremer
Barth Residents Seek County Improvements. Streetlights, A Clean Up, And Perhaps A Park Are Coming.
April 15, 2023
There’s Barth Road, Barth Heights, Barth Lane and north Barth Road — all in Barth.
Barth is a quiet little community between Highway 29 to the west and the Escambia River to the east, a couple of miles north of the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection.
The houses are spread out, but the community is close.
And the residents are looking to Escambia County for some improvements.
Some of the roads are dirt. And it’s dark, with no street lighting.. There’s no bus stop, no community center, and no playground. Children play basketball in the street with a goal next to Barth Lane.
“This is a small community, but we are still people. And we need the same concern and consideration,” resident Mary Nory recently said. She was born in Barth, moved away, and returned home about a decade ago. “No one seems to help Barth. They pass over Barth. They go to everywhere but Barth, and there is a whole community here.”
Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry, who represents District 5 including Barth, said he is looking at ways to help the area, including their first ever community cleanup event.
“I don’t know if you have been out in Barth and seen some of the areas, but a lot of people is kind of concerned about, when I say that they yard is like really, really, really high and they don’t even know how they going to get it cleaned,” Franscine Mathis told Barry during a town hall meeting this week. He explained that county resources could not be used on private property, but perhaps some community groups could help. During the upcoming community cleanup event, residents will be able to put debris on the right of way for free disposal by the county.
“I just don’t want them to be fined. That’s what I am worried about,” she said. “When they do the clean sweep, and maybe code enforcement may see something or come out there to see something, and I just don’t want nobody to get fined.”
Barry reassured Mathis that fines are not the focus of a community cleanup event; he said the code enforcement system is generally complaint driven.
Chris Phillips, Escambia County assistant engineer, said the county has identified several locations around Barth for streetlights. Those are Highway 29 and Barth Road, Highway 29 and North Barth Road, Barth Road and Barth Heights, and Barth Road and Barth Lane.
“I’m comfortable looking at something similar to what we did in the Walnut Hill community, a small community park that’s walking distance for a lot of residents that may not have transportation,” Barry said. He said a park in Barth could be located on any small parcels owned by the county. The Katie Mae Marshall Memorial Park open in July 2021 on North Cypress Street in Walnut Hill with a playground on a small parcel that escheated to the county..
Mathis said she had has contact with a Barth landowner with “a lot of land” that has expressed interest in allowing a park on their property. Barry said that was doable, if they donate the land or lease it to the county for $1 a year.
Pictured top: The White Lilly Baptist Church on Barth Road was built in 1970. Pictured inset: Franscine Mathis address District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry during a town hall meeting this week. Pictured bottom inset: The Katie Mae Marshall Memorial Park open in July 2021 on a piece of property that escheated to Escambia County on North Cypress Street in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Showband Holding Car Washes At Five Locations On Saturday
April 15, 2023
The Tate High School Showband of the South is holding car washes at five locations Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The locations are:
- Advance Auto Parts, 2440 South Highway 29
- Express Oil, Nine Mile Road
- O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, 2050 South Highway 29
- O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, 4165 Pine Forest Road
- Tractor Supply, Nine Mile Road
Fleet and business vehicles are welcome.
Lady Aggies Celebrate Senior Night With 11-1 Run-Ruled Win Over Escambia
April 15, 2023
The Tate Lady Aggies run-ruled the Escambia Gators with a big senior night 11-1 Friday night in five innings.
Before shutting down the Gators, the Tate Aggies honored seniors Charlie Vinson and MacKenzie Cook.
Jordan Smith pitched a complete game for the Aggies, allowing two hits and one run while striking out five.
Kate Balagbagan led the Aggies at the plate going 3-3. Amburleigh Laird went 2-2, and K Wine was 2-3. Cook, Lacy Wilson, Tristen Showalter, Olivia Latner, Peyton Womack, and Kylea Gibbs each added one hit.
The Aggies will host Gulf Breeze on Tuesday and travel to West Florida on Thursday.