One Century Prison Inmate Now In Medical Isolation, 128 Placed In Quarantine
May 13, 2020
An inmate at Century Correctional Institution has been place in medical isolation and 128 inmates are in medical quarantine, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Data released Wednesday afternoon shows that two inmates tested negative for COVID-19 and results are pending for one additional inmate. FDC data does not show any additional inmates have been tested.
Medical quarantine “refers to the number of inmates who have been separated because they may have had close contact with a person who has tested positive or exhibited symptoms of an infectious illness, to determine whether they develop symptoms. All inmates in medical quarantine are monitored by health services staff and receive temperature checks twice a day for signs of fever. If an inmate begins experiencing symptoms indicative of COVID-19, FDC will place the inmate in medical isolation and immediately engage the county health department,” the Department of Corrections said.
Medical isolation “refers to the number of inmates who have been separated because they are suspected or presenting symptoms of an infectious illness. To prevent contact with others and reduce the risk of transmission, these inmates are placed in medical isolation and are tested for COVID-19.”
One staff member at CCI tested positive for COVID-19 in March.
Pictured: Inmate medical facilities inside the Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Tennessee Man Jailed After High Speed Chase On I-10 That Injured Two Florida Troopers
May 13, 2020
A Tennessee man is facing multiple felony charges in connection with a high speed chase Tuesday that sent two Florida Highway Patrol troopers to the hospital after their patrol cars crashed into each other.
John Thomas Puckett, 46, of Dresden, Tennessee, was charged with grand theft auto, felony fleeing and eluding, willful and wanton reckless driving, DUI property damage (drugs), DUI seriously bodily injury (drugs) and battery on an emergency medical care provider. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
It happened near the I-10 COVID-19 checkpoint at the eastbound weigh station just inside Florida. At least one of the troopers had to be extricated from his vehicle by firefighters. Both troopers were seriously injured and transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where they are now listed in stable condition. One of the troopers was released Tuesday and the second was held overnight for observation.
FHP was notified by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency that they where chasing a stolen Chevrolet pickup truck on I-10 and the pursuit was entering Florida. The chase quickly approached the COVID-19 checkpoint at the I-10 weigh station just inside Florida. Traffic at the checkpoint was allowed to proceed without stopping to minimize the risk to civilians the pursuit approached.
As a FHP sergeant attempted to join the chase, he collided with another trooper, FHP Lt. Robert Cannon said.
The stolen pickup continued eastbound and collided into the rear of a tractor-trailer near the Florida Welcome Center on I-10. Puckett attempted to flee on foot but was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment before being released and booked into jail.
The driver of the tractor-trailer truck was not reported to be injured.
Cannon said the FHP pursuit policy takes into account the “totality of the circumstances” including road and traffic conditions as well as the offense. Troopers can pursue for known felonies, reckless driving, and impaired drivers, but they are required to call off the pursuit if conditions outweigh the dangers.
Cannon said Tuesday’s incident met the FHP criteria for an allowable pursuit.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three Local Students Named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship Winners
May 13, 2020
Three Escambia County high school students have been named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners.
They are:
- Anna Huynh of Cantonment is a student at Pensacola High School. She is considering a career in medical research.
- John P. Nusbaum of Pensacola is a student at Pensacola Catholic High School. He is considering a career in biomedical engineering.
- Jett H. Zhang of Pensacola is a student at Pensacola High School and is considering a career in activism.
The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Finalists in each state were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
Escambia County Report Cards Won’t Be Mailed This Year; Grades Will Be Online
May 13, 2020
The Escambia County School District has announced that this year’s report cards will be available online and not mailed automatically.
Students will be completing assignments through the last day of school, Friday, May 22. Parents with Focus portal accounts will be able to view student grades as they are entered during the last week of school, and finalized for each class or subject area. Final report cards will be posted to Focus by June 3.
Parents unable to access final grades and report cards electronically should contact their child’s school and request a printed copy, which can be mailed if necessary.
“Many parents access Focus by having their student sign in. If parents and guardians will establish their own account and password, they can learn about the personalized settings available to them,” explained Escambia School District Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. “The Parent Portal account allows access to their student’s attendance, assignments and grades. Parents can also choose to receive alerts, as well as send secure messages to their student’s instructors.”
The parent portal includes new instructional videos on how to use the site. For more information or to access Focus, click here.
Beulah, Santa Rosa Wildfires Now 95% Contained
May 13, 2020
The Hurst Hammock Fire in Beulah and the 5 Mile Swamp Fire in Santa Rosa County are now both 95% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
The Hurst Hammock fire burned 1,191 acres. It was caused by humans, not a caused by nature.
The 5 Mile Swamp Fire burned through 2,215 acres. It destroyed 27 buildings, including 14 homes, and did an estimated $1.9 million in damage.
Century Increasing This Year’s Budget By Over $300K With Anticipated Grant, Special Revenue Funds
May 13, 2020
The Town of Century is amending their current budget to reflect an increase of more than $300,000.
The town’s budget for the current fiscal year that began October 1 is $3,637,645, and is being updated to $3,946,623, according to accountant Robert Hudson.
The $309,278 increase (nearly 9%) comes from an anticipated grant of about $110,000 for a sewer project, a transfer of $79,783 from special revenue and anticipated savings in a few budget categories.
Four members of the town council took part in a teleconference budget workshop Monday evening to discuss the changes. Councilman James Smith did not attend.
The council must advertise the budget changes and hold public meetings before the changes can be finalized.
Update: Missing 13-Year Old Girl Found Safe
May 12, 2020
****UPDATE – THIS MISSING GIRL HAS BEEN FOUND SAFE***
Previous story:
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is seeing help to locate a missing 13-year old girl.
Christina Elizabeth Chappell was last seen Tuesday about 2:30 p.m. in the 6800 block of White Oak Drive between East Burgess Road and Hancock Lane. She was wearing a dark pink t-shirt and black shorts, and may be riding a white and teal bicycle.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to the call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Woman Found Safe After Getting Lost In The Woods Near Gulf Power’s Plant Crist
May 12, 2020
A woman was found safe after becoming lost in the woods Tuesday morning off Pate Street.
The woman had followed a trail into the woods in the area of Gulf Power’s Plant Crist and lost her way.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded about 10:30 a.m., and the woman was located by noon with the assistance of Gulf Power employees.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Two FHP Troopers Crash Into Each Other During I-10 High Speed Chase; I-10 Now Back Open
May 12, 2020
[Updated 2:45 p.m.] Two Florida Highway Patrol troopers were injured when they crashed into each other during a high speed chase on I-10 Tuesday morning. All lanes of I-10 are now reopened.
It happened near the I-10 COVID-19 checkpoint at the eastbound weigh station just inside Florida. At least one of the troopers had to be extricated from his vehicle by firefighters. Both troopers were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where they are now listed in stable condition. One of the troopers is expected to be released from the hospital on Tuesday.
The police chase started in Alabama after the suspect allegedly stole a vehicle from a car dealership in Mobile. Alabama officers chased the vehicle into Florida where FHP became involved. As a FHP sergeant attempted to join the chase, he collided with another trooper, FHP Lt. Robert Cannon said.
The suspect vehicle, a white Chevrolet pickup truck, crashed into the rear of a semi-truck and a guardrail at the Nine Mile Road exit. The suspect fled on foot into the woods but was apprehended a short time later. His name and complete charges have not been released, but Cannon said he is expected to be charged in connection with the stolen vehicle in Alabama, along with Florida charges to include operating a stolen vehicle, fleeing and attempting to allude.
Cannon also said they were originally notified by Alabama that there were potentially narcotics in the vehicle.
FHP only had a couple of minutes warning at best before the pursuit crossed the state line, Cannon said. The COVID-19 checkpoint at the weigh station was temporarily suspended and traffic was allow to flow to reduce the danger to the public.
He said the FHP pursuit policy takes into account the “totality of the circumstances” including road and traffic conditions as well as the offense. Troopers can pursue for known felonies, reckless driving, and impaired drivers, but they are required to call off the pursuit if conditions outweigh the dangers.
Cannon said Tuesday’s incident met the FHP criteria for an allowable pursuit.
First photos above and below: Images for NorthEscambia.com, click toe enlarge. Pictured lower: Traffic camera images from the area.
In Depth: Century’s Water Supply To Century Prison Failed. Here’s What Happened, What Century Planned And What’s Next.
May 12, 2020
A 30-year old Town of Century water well was the only water supply for the 1,300 or so prisoners at Century Correctional Institution, and there was no backup source for water. The well pump was some 30 years old, estimated to have pumped some two trillion gallons of water to the prison.
Town officials and the town council were aware the pump had not been properly maintained in the past, and last fall the council gave preliminary approval to connecting their water system at the prison to a neighboring water franchise as a backup. That would allow Century’s well to be taken out of service for much needed maintenance. The agreement was finalized in April, and parts were ordered. They arrived just before the pump failed last Thursday, leaving the prison without a water supply.
Friday afternoon, an emergency interconnect using two, two-inch fire hoses was made from Central Water Works fire hydrants on the south side of Tedder Road to the Town of Century’s fire hydrants on the north side of the road. That, according to Century Interim City Manager Vernon Prather was supplying adequate water to the prison.
Inmates were provided with bottled water until it could be determined that the water was safe to drink after flowing through fire hoses.
But the pressure on the Central Water Works system is higher than that of Century’s system. That caused a 10-inch water main on prison property to break, leaving the prison without any water during the repair.
A portable water supply and temporary restroom facilities arrived over the weekend. The temporary portable toilets were not conducive to the state’s security protocols for close supervision inmates, so 190 of those prisoners were transferred out of Century Correctional on Sunday to other unnamed facilities.
The broken water main on prison property was repaired by Monday afternoon, and water service restored from the emergency connection to Central Water Works, according to Florida Senator Doug Broxson. Inmates were still being provided bottle water.
What is happening now?
In a November 2019 memo presented to the town council, Prather said the well at prison “needs major maintenance and should be repaired as soon as possible”, and he stated the well was delivering 320 gallons per minute (GPM). By last week, the well’s output fell from 200 to just 80 gallons per minute before it was taken out of service. Water in the town’s elevated storage tank at the prison continued to supply some water into Friday.
“We believe the original output was 400 GPM when the well was constructed in 1990,” Prather said Monday.
A contractor, Layne Christensen Company, has been working since Thursday to determine the condition of the well and the repair process needed.
The contractor has removed the well pump and a 200-foot discharge pipe from a 350-foot casing. A video inspection on Saturday revealed that screens were completely submerged with sand. A second video inspection is planned for Tuesday.
“This inspection should indicate whether the well is repairable, or if a new well will need to be constructed. A repair would be measured in weeks,” Prather said. The shortest estimate for a repair is two weeks. “A replacement would require several months.”
There was also sand found in the well pump.
Prather estimated that if a well must be totally replaced, it will cost the town between $200,000 and $300,000.
Tedder Road from Highway 29 to the prison is closed due to the fire hoses across the road and construction.
Town Council Planned Ahead. But It Was A Little Too Late.
It was less than a month ago that the Central Town Council gave final approval for a permanent water system interconnect to Central Water Works — an interconnect that would work essentially the same way at the emergency fire hose method currently in effect. The council had conceptually approved the plan back in November but legal fine points had to be negotiated by lawyers for the two entities.
Century currently has no interconnection with any other water system except their own system. The Central Water Works connection would provide the town with a backup for their water supply in the event of an emergency or the need to make a major repair.
Parts and supplies for the interconnection were already ordered and delivered, allowing the construction to begin this week.
The permanent interconnect will be along Tedder Road near the prison. Under the proposed agreement, the town would use Central’s water supply only in the event of an emergency, and the town would be required to submit a service deposit if the interconnect is operated and pay $2.50 per 1,000 gallons used. It would take a representative from both utilities with a key to open the connection.
Century typically would not be able to provide significant amounts of water back to Central due to elevation and pressure issues, according to the town.
The town will pay for the interconnect equipment and meter at an estimated cost of about $60,000 to $70,000, plus engineering work estimated at $22,500.
Central is also proposing to make equipment and personnel available to Century on a non-emergency, as-needed basis to repair or replace water lines, replacing water meters and other services. For instance, Central would charge Century $45 an hour for a licensed water operator, $25 an hour for an assistant, a mini excavator at $85 an hour, a work truck at $15 an hour and other hourly rates for additional equipment.
Central Water Works was founded in 1965 and provides water for about 1,000 members in Byrneville, McDavid and outside the municipal service areas of Century and Flomaton.
The Town of Century’s well at Century Correctional Institution only serves the prison and does not provide water for the town. The prison is located just outside town limits, but it is in Century’s water, sewer and natural gas franchise area.