Escambia County Takes Additional Precautions To Keep Public Facilities Sanitized Against Coronavirus
March 12, 2020
Escambia County is taking additional preventative action to ensure public facilities such as community centers, libraries and public buildings are sanitized. Staff and contractors are increasing the disinfecting of restrooms, customer service areas, exterior entrances, door knobs, hard surfaces and other high-traffic areas. Escambia County staff continue to follow the general cleaning and precautionary guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health organizations. The contracted custodial provider has been informed of CDC recommendations and ensures their process is in line with those recommendations.
“We are doing everything possible to keep our community healthy when they walk through our doors,” said District 3 Commissioner Lumon May. “County employees have ramped up cleaning efforts quickly as a precaution. The best action we can take right now are preventative steps to protect against the spread of influenza, coronavirus or similar diseases. I have asked the county administrator to ensure that ECAT buses, community centers and libraries are closely monitored and sanitized.”
Commercial hospital-grade disinfectant is being used with each cleaning following the manufacturers recommendation for dwell time. Sanitizer dispensers have been placed throughout various high-traffic buildings such as the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building. Additional sanitizer dispensers have been ordered for high-volume buildings like community centers and the ECAT facility. CDC signage has been placed in bathrooms in county facilities.
The library will continue to offer hand sanitizer at all help desks and Lysol wipes to wipe down computers. Library staff will continue to use Lysol wipes on all computers before the library opens each day, and they have increased wiping down work surfaces throughout the day. Library staff sprays door knobs with Lysol multiple times per day as an additional precaution.
ECAT’s fleet maintenance team is constantly working to make sure vehicles and facilities are continuously sanitized. All revenue service vehicles are disinfected daily. Commercial grade disinfectant is currently being used every night by ECAT bus cleaners, which was added as part of the enhanced comprehensive bus cleaning process. The county has communicated with the contracted paratransit provider to relay CDC information and has ensured the steps they are taking are sufficient.
The Florida Department of Health call center is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (866) 779-6121 or you can email your questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
Man Gets Four Life Sentences For Kidnapping, Raping Woman In Escambia County
March 12, 2020
Joshua James Edwards has been sentenced to four consecutive life terms as a prison releasee reoffender for kidnapping and raping a woman.
Joshua Edwards was convicted last month of sexual battery, kidnapping and two counts of carjacking. He is a member of a the “Aryan Brotherhood Gang”, a white supremacist prison gang, leading law enforcement to believe the crimes against an African American woman were racially motivated.
The victim was kidnapped from a Circle K at the intersection of New Warrington Road and Jackson Street in March 2019. He forced the woman at gunpoint to drive into Lillian, Alabama, where he raped her. They returned to Escambia County where the woman intentionally crashed the vehicle into trees. Edwards raped her again on benches at Bill Dickson Park on Fenceline Road.
Edwards stole another car from a nearby home and was later spotted at the Walmart on Blue Angel Parkway. He was taken into custody in a wooded area behind a nearby Verizon store.
Edwards had been released from state prison on November 29, 2018, after serving three and a half years for burglary and theft related offenses. Because he committed the rape and carjacking within three years of his release, he was sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender, which requires the maximum statutory sentence be imposed.
There is no parole in Florida and he will be required to actually serve the remainder of his life in prison.
Escambia Precinct 25 Polling Location In District 5 Has Been Moved
March 12, 2020
There has been an emergency polling change in Escambia County’s District 5 for those that vote in Precinct 25.
For the Presidential Preference Primary election, Precinct 25 has been changed from the Azalea Trace retirement community to the University of West Florida Conference Center, Main Ballroom at 11000 University Parkway, Building 22.
The elections office was informed on Tuesday, March 10 that Azalea Trace would not be available as a polling place. An alternative location was secured and letters to voters were mailed later the same day. All voters impacted by this precinct change were mailed a letter and a map to the new polling location.
For more information, call the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office at (850) 535-3900 or email soe@escambiavotes.com.
IMPACT 100 Announces $1.1 Million In Grants To Be Awarded To Community Groups
March 12, 2020
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a local women’s philanthropic organization, announced Wednesday that its 2020 Membership Driveconcluded with a total of 1,166 members. IMPACT 100 will give back $1,166,000 by awarding 11 transformative project grants of $106,000 each to nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties on October 11.
This is the 17th anniversary year of IMPACT 100 awarding grants to local nonprofits. After awarding the 2020 grants, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area will have funded 120 grants, totaling $12,830,000.
“The tremendous generosity displayed by the women in our area never ceases to amaze me! It is what has continued to make IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area the largest Impact organization in the world, but more importantly the one that has given back the most to our community. The philanthropy of our members and the power of collective giving allows us to continue to fund transformative projects of nonprofit organizations that serve our area and make a positive difference for us all. Reviewing the new project ideas submitted is always exciting and we look forward to the opportunity to help bring many of these to fruition,” said Brigette Brooks, President of IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area
Two grants will be awarded in each of five focus areas: arts and culture; education; environment, recreation and preservation; family; and health and wellness. Due to the overwhelming response to the membership drive, one additional grant will be awarded in one of the five focus areas for a total of eleven transformative grants.
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area is hosting a free nonprofit workshop on Thursday, April 16 at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 West De Soto Street Registration is at 8:30 a.m. with the workshop held from 9 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Guest speaker Cathy Brown, associate director of education at The Fund-Raising School, Lily Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, will present “Building Blocks for Sustainable Success”. All nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are invited to attend and learn about the grant process, get tips for writing a successful grant and be inspired to create a winning project for the 17th year of giving.
The Century Town Council Has Canceled Their Next Meeting. Here’s Why.
March 12, 2020
The Town of Century has canceled the next regular meeting of the town council.
The meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 16 – the day before the Presidential Preference Primary. The Supervisor of Elections Office will move voting equipment into the room on Monday.
“The voting equipment will be in the council chambers Monday and they must be secured,” Mayor Henry Hawkins said.
“We indicated the equipment needed to be secured, even if in an adjoining office,” Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford said.
The canceled council meeting has not been rescheduled. The council generally meets on the first and third Mondays of each month.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
McAnally Tosses Complete Game Shutout As Tate Freshmen Blank Navarre
March 12, 2020
Ethan McAnally threw a complete game shutout as the freshmen Tate Aggies blanked Navarre 12-0 Wednesday.
McAnally allowed three hits with no runs and no walks in four innings, striking about two.
McAnally, Jackson Perryclear, Dayton Powell and Jamil Sardar had two hits each for the Aggies. James Davis, Cade Kelley, Rilee Lowery and Michael Sadar had one hit each for Tate.
State Will No Longer Seek Death Penalty In Naomi Jones Murder
March 11, 2020
The state is no longer seeking the death penalty in the case Robert Howard, the man accused of kidnapping and murdering 12-year old Naomi Jones in 2017.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said Wednesday afternoon “that additional witness information and evidence has developed in the Robert Letroy Howard case. As a result of those developments and evidence, it is no longer appropriate to seek the death penalty in this case. The mother of the victim was consulted and is in agreement with this decision.”
Eddins did not provide further information because the case is still pending. Jury selection in the case begins Monday in Escambia County.
Prosecutors say Howard kidnapped, murdered and dumped the body of 12-year old Naomi Jones.
Authorities say Howard was living with his girlfriend in the same apartment complex in which Jones lived in the 1400 block of East Johnson Avenue. He lived in a nearly adjacent apartment to Jones. She was last seen May 31 in that apartment complex.
Jones likely died within 24 to 36 hours after her May 31 disappearance, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said. Her body was then later dumped into Eight Mile Creek, some 4-5 miles away, where it was found days later by two men looking for a fishing location.
According to court documents, Howard admitted to being at the apartment complex the day Jones went missing and having contact with her at his apartment. He became extremely angry and committed “a violent act” against Jones causing her death. He then placed her body in the backseat of his Nissan Altima and traveled to multiple locations, including Brewton, AL, before returning to Pensacola and throwing Jones’ body into the creek.
Howard is convicted sex offender. He was convicted in 1999 on two counts of first degree rape to two adult females in Escambia County, AL. One of the victims was 19-years old at the time. He served 15 years.
UWF Students Won’t Return For Two Weeks After Spring Break, Moving To Online Classes Due To Coronavirus
March 11, 2020
University of West Florida students won’t return to campus for at least two weeks after spring break conclude this week and will move to online-only classes on Monday due to coronavirus.
“The Florida State University System has mandated all universities transition to remote instruction, effective immediately. Face-to-face instruction is currently set to resume on March 30, 2020. If this date changes, the University will notify the campus community,” UWF said in an email to students Wednesday afternoon. There are no identified cases of COVID-19 at UWF.
Students are urged to remain off campus during the period that ends March 30, but housing and student dining services will remain open. Essential services such as counseling and the library will remain available.
UWF already had “courses shells” available for online delivery of all courses, and face-to-face remote instruction will begin March 16.
UWF is making the transition in response to a directive issued by the State University System of Florida and the Florida Board of Governors.
” Effective immediately, all universities will make plans to transition to remote instruction as soon as possible,” a press release from the Board said.
“All universities will continue to provide essential services, such as dining, counseling, health services, library services, etc., potentially on a limited basis or remotely. Each university with clinical and other non-classroom based programs will communicate directly with those students.”
Escambia County, Health Department Discuss Coronavirus Preparedness
March 11, 2020
Escambia County Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County held a joint meeting for community partners to discuss the coronavirus (COVID-19) at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center.
During his presentation, Dr. John Lanza, director of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County, addressed preparedness, containment and mitigation strategies for COVID-19. Lanza and Escambia County Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore provided answers to questions from partner organizations.
The media was not invited to the “community partner” meeting; the county provided information for this story and photos to media outlets hours after the meeting concluded.
“We were pleased to see representatives from more than 30 community partner organizations at today’s meeting, and we know these representatives will help disseminate important coronavirus safety information throughout the community,” Gilmore said. “The number one priority is the safety of our community, and we are actively continuing to engage with community partners, media outlets and state and local health officials to ensure proper planning and preventive action is in place.”
Lanza reiterated FDOH’s best method of protection against the virus is to avoid being exposed to this virus, and that it is important for everyone to be play their part in protecting against the spread of influenza, coronavirus, or similar diseases:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve or elbow.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County Coronavirus Call Center is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1 (866) 779-6121 or you can email your questions to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
Pictured top and second below: Dr. John Lanza, director of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County discusses coronavirus preparedness. Pictured first below; Escambia County Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Drunk Driver Backs Into Deputy’s Patrol Vehicle, FHP Says
March 11, 2020
A 60-year old Escambia County man was charged with DUI Tuesday night after crashing into an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Ronald Franklin McGee backed his Ford Fusion into a marked ECSO Tahoe driven by Deputy Kody Haley in the parking lot of the La Casita restaurant and convenience store on Saufley Field Road a little after 6 p.m.
The deputy was outside of his vehicle and speaking to a witness in another incident at the time. The FHP said there were no injuries, and damage was minor.
McGee was booked into the Escambia County Jail on a charge of driving under the influence with property damage.