Police: Overhead Copper Phone Lines Stolen Near State Line
January 21, 2024
Police are investigating after someone stole overhead copper phone lines from a pole near the Alabama-Florida state line last week.
The AT&T phone lines were stolen on Tulip Street, just feet from the state line, according to the Flomaton Police Department. Police said there have been other similar thefts recently.
Anyone with information is asked to call Flomaton Police Investigator Smith at (251) 296-5811.
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Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program Helps Residents Maintain Independence
January 21, 2024
For 80-year-old Hoza Turner and his wife, JoAnn, getting in and out of their home has become a struggle. JoAnn receives dialysis treatment several times a week, and each time she has to leave the house, Hoza carefully helps her up and down their porch steps and in and out of her wheelchair.
But thanks to a brand-new wheelchair ramp recently installed through the Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program, getting in and out of their house just got much easier – and much safer.
“It will be a lot of help,” Hoza Turner said. “I don’t have to worry about trying to pick the wheelchair up and set it out there. I can roll it up and roll it right to the door.”
Turner said he’s especially glad to have the new wheelchair ramp after his wife recently fell when returning home from a dialysis appointment, and it was difficult for him to help her up.
The new ramp will provide Hoza and JoAnn Turner with safer, more direct access to their front porch, eliminating the need to transfer from the wheelchair and use the front steps.
Through the Wheelchair Ramp Program, eligible Escambia County residents can have a wheelchair ramp constructed for their home at no cost to them. The goal of the Wheelchair Ramp Program is to help Escambia County residents maintain independence and eliminate physical barriers by providing accessibility to their homes.
“Providing assistance to residents is at the core of our mission, so we’re proud to offer this program and help individuals regain safe access to their homes,” Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division Manager Garett Griffin said. “We hope to continue to expand this program and help even more residents maintain their independence through improved accessibility.”
“I’m very excited that we were able to help Mr. and Mrs. Turner access their home safely and more easily with their new wheelchair ramp,” District 3 Commissioner Lumon May said. “I hope this new addition improves their quality of life every day, and I look forward to continuing to assist residents of District 3 and throughout Escambia County through this great program.”
Escambia County resident Charlotte Swearingen, age 77, also received assistance through the Wheelchair Ramp Program recently, with a new ramp and side porch constructed at her home.
After being hospitalized last year due to heart issues, Swearingen’s doctors recommended that she make some improvements to her house to help minimize any potential fall risk, because even a minor fall could become a serious issue.
“Before I left the hospital, the heart doctors told me, ‘You’ve got to get steps, you’ve got to get railings on your house so you have easy access, because of the way your heart is,’” Swearingen said. “They wanted me to be safe going out on my porch and exiting the porch.”
Swearingen recalled that Escambia County had previously helped her and a neighbor with the removal of two dead trees that were a safety hazard, so she reached out to the county’s Neighborhood Enterprise Division and District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender’s Office to inquire about any other programs that may be available to help her restore safe access to her home.
“The Neighborhood Enterprise staff just kind of took over from there and told me what to do, and they had people reach out to me,” Swearingen said of county staff. “It’s been an amazing experience, how helpful everybody’s been. I’m very impressed, and everybody is so great to work with.”
“It is always rewarding anytime we are able to help a citizen who calls our office needing assistance, and this is a perfect example of connecting a citizen with exactly what they needed,” District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender said. “Through the hard work and follow-through by county staff, I’m thrilled that we were able to provide Ms. Swearingen better access to her home and help her maintain independence through the Wheelchair Ramp Program.”
Ever since Hurricane Sally damaged her front porch beyond repair, Swearingen had been using her side porch to enter and exit her home, which had stairs with only one handrail instead of two. As someone who has always been very independent, Swearingen said she’s struggled with having to slow down and focus on something as simple as going up and down a few stairs.
Swearingen said the new and improved access to her home was already necessary due to her heart issues; however, it also came at a perfect time because she is scheduled for hip replacement surgery later this month.
“These porches are going to be so important for me, because physically, all of the energy I had five years ago, I don’t have now,” she said. “I am so grateful to be able to have these new and attractive porches. Additionally, I would like to thank the State of Florida, Escambia County, my County Commissioner Bender, and the wonderful people I met from the Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Program. They were professional, dedicated, nice, and worked tirelessly to make my home safe. Thank you so much.”
The Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program is funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership, or SHIP. Limited funding is available, but income-eligible Escambia County residents in need of assistance are encouraged to apply.
To learn more about the Escambia County Wheelchair Ramp Program, including eligibility requirements and application information, contact the Neighborhood Enterprise Division at ned@myescambia.com or 850-595-1642.
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ECFR Responds To Reported Structure Fire In Cottage Hill
January 21, 2024
Escambia County Fire Rescue (ECFR) responded to a reported structure fire in Cottage Hill late Saturday night.
ECFR arrived at the small wood frame home in the 600 block of Williams Ditch Road about 11 p.m. to find smoke coming from the attic.
There were no injuries reported and no word on the cause of the fire.
The main fire was reported to be knocked down by about 11:20 p.m.
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ECSO: Stabbing Death Investigated As Self Defense
January 21, 2024
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office says a Friday night stabbing death appears to be self defense.
Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance on 66th Avenue about 9:30 p.m.
They arrived to find a female with a stab wound to her arm. Inside the residence, a male was located deceased from a stab wound.
Further details were not released.
Tate Cheerleaders Sweep Gulf Breeze High School Cheer Competition
January 21, 2024
It was a clean sweep Saturday for the Tate High School Cheerleaders at the Gulf Breeze High School Cheer Competition.
- 1st place gameday
- 1st place traditional
- Best pyramid
- GAMEDAY GRAND CHAMPION
- 1st place gameday
That was the last competition for The Tate JV and Freshmen cheer teams. The Varsity will head to the the FHSAA Regionals next Friday.
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Ice Flyers Have Another Special Saturday Crowd On Mardi Gras Night, But Fall In OT Against Macon
January 21, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
For so much of Saturday night, the good times rolled and reverberated through all levels of the building on the annual Mardi Gras Night.
Unfortunately for the Ice Flyers and their loyal fans, there was silence at the end.
In another gut-punch to a team struggling for a turnaround, the Macon Mayhem got a tying goal with less than four minutes left in regulation play, thwarted an Ice Flyers power play late in overtime, then won the shootout for a 3-2 victory before a crowd of 7,032 at the Pensacola Bay Center.
“I feel bad for the boys, they deserved a better outcome,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “We put a lot of effort out there and can’t find a way of winning games. We keep finding ways of losing games. Again, we dominated the play, dominated the scoring chances, we were disciplined, won the special teams battle.
“You do everything you are supposed to do to win hockey games.”
Right now, it just hasn’t happened. The Ice Flyers sustained their ninth loss in the past 10 games. Macon (8-18, 5 OT losses), battling to get out of last place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings, rebounded after a 7-3 home loss Saturday against Roanoke – the team the Ice Flyers will face next week on the road.
But the element which has continued to shine all season for Pensacola is the crowd support at the Bay Center. This was the third consecutive Saturday home game where the Ice Flyers have drawn crowds of 7,000-plus fans for a non-discounted game. It has never happened before in the 15-year history of the franchise.
It began with the 7,159 on Dec. 30, then a new franchise record of 7,243 a week ago.
“It has been great,” Graham said. “The thing is, we went on that record streak here (9-0 start at home) early on in the year, and now we can’t get the job done, which is disappointing. We spoiled the fans a little early on, and now we’re not coming through, so it’s always disappointing when the crowds are great, and you want to play great in front of them.
“I do think our team has played good these last couple games. We’ve played hard. For three straight (home games), I feel like the guys have really given the effort and I hope the fans recognize that.”
Once again, the Ice Flyers had to battle from early adversity.
Macon scored just 19 seconds into the game and before much of the crowd had even settled into seats. The Mayhem’s Michael McChesney deked his way past an Ice Flyers defenseman and wristed a shot past goaltender Kaden Fulcher, who was playing his first game back for the Ice Flyers since November when he was called up to the higher level ECHL.
At one point in the opening period, the Ice Flyers had an 11-1 edge in shots on goal and finished the period with a 14-6 advantage without a goal.
That changed with 12:45 remaining in the second period when Lucas Herrmann got a terrific pass from Reggie Millette and got the shot past Macon goaltender Jimmy Poreda, who wound up stopping 34 of 36 shots, along with all five attempts in the overtime shootout.
“He came up big for them,” said Herrmann. “I thought we had a lot of good chances on him. This week we just have to work on bearing down and getting more stuff to the net.
“Coach (Graham) was preaching that after the game that we needed to start funneling more pucks and crashing the net harder when we’re on a skid like this. We have to create our own luck.”
Midway through the third period, Herrmann’s older brother, Zac, gave the Ice Flyers a 2-1 lead and sent an explosive roar through the crowd when his slap shot from inside the blue line on a power play chance went through a screen in front of Poreda and into the net.
“Our power play has been moving around really well lately, and it was nice to see one finally go in there,” said Lucas Herrmann.
But Macon tied the game with 3:54 left in regulation play when Mayhem newcomer Lane King scored his first goal for the team after a shot block bounced his way.
“Their tying goal was a tough break for us,” Lucas Herrmann said. “We had a really good shot block there and just an unlucky bounce. But I thought we did a lot of good things tonight and we do appreciate the crowd. I wish we could have pulled that out for them.”
The Ice Flyers were in position to pull it out when Macon’s Billy Jerry was whistled for a holding penalty with 1:14 left in the overtime. The Ice Flyers had several good looks, several hard shots, but Poreda made the stops.
And then in the five-player shootout, Macon’s Alex Laplante, the team’s first shooter, wristed a shot through Fulcher’s pads. All five Ice Flyers shooters were thwarted to end the game.
“Guys are here to do a job. If you’re paid to be offensive, you put those guys out there on the ice… and we have some guys with dry spells right now,” Graham said. “We’ve got to try and change some things up and maybe move some lines around.
“I hate doing that, but at this point as a coach, you have to entertain all things to get the team going in the right direction.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
WHEN: Friday-Saturday (Jan. 26-27), both games at 6:05 p.m. CST.
WHERE: Berglund Center, Roanoke, Va
More Sun For Sunday; Wet Weather Week Begins Tuesday
January 21, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Wind chill values between 20 and 25. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. East wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. East wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 66. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 71. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 71. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Thursday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 60. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
Man Revived, Then Arrested With Fentanyl At Flomaton McDonald’s
January 20, 2024
A man was revived, then arrested with a quantity of fentanyl at the Flomaton McDonald’s.
Friday morning, the Flomaton Police Department responded to McDonald’s in reference to a subject who appeared to be having a medical emergency.
“Life saving measures were performed and the subject was successfully brought to consciousness,” police said.
FPD said the man, identified as 28-year old Dillon K. Hollis of Panama City was under the influence of narcotics and was found in possession of a loaded syringe of fentanyl, along with three grams of pure powder fentanyl, 4 Xanax pills, and 14.3 grams of methamphetamine.
Hollis was medically cleared and then booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center.
Honeysuckle Garden Club Joins Statewide Arbor Day Celebration With Tree Planting In Barrineau Park
January 20, 2024
Honeysuckle Garden Club in Molino joined garden clubs across Florida on Friday to plant a Styrax americana native tree to celebrate Florida Arbor Day and the 100th anniversary of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC). More than 150 garden clubs from Molino to Miami simultaneously planted trees on Friday.
After a brief ceremony, Honeysuckle Garden Club planted the native tree at the Barrineau Park Community Center. Craig Exner, the “unofficial” mayor of Barrineau Park presented a proclamation and the history of Florida Arbor Day was read.
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Century Asks Rep. Matt Gaetz To Support Federal Funding For Water, Wastewater Improvements At State Prison
January 20, 2024
The Town of Century has turned to the federal government seeking funds to make needed water well and wastewater improvements to town infrastructure serving the state’s Century Correctional Institution.
Florida’s last budget approved by the state Legislature included $628,500 to replace the Town of Century’s Well No. 3, which exclusively serves Century Correctional Institution, half of the $1.297 million that was requested. After multiple problems, the well suffered a catastrophic failure and no longer provided water to the prison for staff and inmates. A shaft shattered into a dozen or more pieces and fell to the bottom of the well.
Late, service was restored through a permanent interconnect from Central Water Works to the Century water system that was completed in late May 2020 to provide a dependable water supply to the prison. The interconnect was installed after the town’s water well that was the sole water supply for the prison suffered a irrepairable failure. That forced the town to use two-inch fire hoses from a Central Water Works fire hydrant on the south side of Tedder Road to the prison on the north side of the road until a permanent solution was in place and the well was repaired.
A temporary pump provided some water, but it must be supplemented by water from the two wells that supply the town’s citizens or from the Central Water Works interconnect. “Operation of these additional supplies is manually controlled and subject to interruptions,” according to Rep. Michelle Salzman’s funding request.
This week, Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. sent an email to two staffers in the office of U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz seeking “$1,408,500 to replace several deep injection wells, which are crucial for our wastewater management and environmental sustainability” and seeking support for an application for fiscal year 2024 federal Community Project Funding.
“This project is a wise investment of taxpayer funds, aimed at ensuring long-term sustainability and public health, “Gomez wrote.
The mayor also requested a 30-minute meeting or a facility tour with Gaetz to discuss the funding and “the urgent need for water and wastewater improvements at Century Prison.”
Last October, Gomez addressed members of the Escambia County Legislative Delegation – Sen. Doug Broxson, State Rep. Alex Andrade and State Rep. Michelle Salzman, but he did not ask for any additional state funding.