Northview High School Girls Weightlifting Presents Awards
March 8, 2020
The Northview High School Girls Weightlifting team recently held their annual year-end banquet.
MVP (Most Valuable Lifter) award winners were Taylor McMinn, Naudia Carach, De’ Janique Lowery (pictured top)
The Spirit Award went to Maggie Amerson, and the Leadership Award to Reba Rhinehart.
Scroll down for additional award winners listed below each photo.
First year letters: Dakota Gideon, Caitlyn Gibson.
Second year: Shelby Cotita, Miyanna Davidson, Taylor McMinn.
Third year: Ayianna Courtney, Naudia Carach, Maggie Amerson.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Traffic Alert: These Are This Week’s Trouble Spots
March 8, 2020
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:
- 9th Avenue (State Road (S.R.) 289), Martin Luther King/Alcaniz Street/Davis Highway (S.R. 291) and Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) Video Underground Sewer Lines- Drivers may experience intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday until Tuesday, March 31.
- · U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (State Road (S.R.) 10 / U.S. 90A)– The bridge deck pour will take place Sunday, March 8. Traffic on U.S. 29 and
Nine-Mile Road can expect lane restrictions and temporary road closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews pour the deck for the final section of the new bridge.
o Southbound U.S. 29: The outside, southbound lane will be closed.
o Nine Mile Road: All traffic will be directed to the on and off-ramps at the U.S. 29 overpass. Traffic control officers will be on site to help direct motorists. The following detour will be in place:
§ Eastbound Nine Mile Road will be reduced to one lane, directed to U.S. 29 southbound, U-turn at West Hood Drive, and return to Nine Mile Road.
§ Westbound traffic will perform the same operation at West 9 1/2 Mile Road.
Additionally, U.S. 29 traffic between Interstate 10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures the week of Sunday, March 8 as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
- Pensacola Bay (U.S. 98) Bridge Replacement- There will be intermittent lane closures at the following locations from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the week of Sunday, March 8.
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- U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the Graffiti Bridge.
- · I-10 Reflective Pavement Marking Replacement from the Alabama line to the Florida Welcome Center- There will be east and westbound intermittent lane restriction from the Florida/Alabama state line to the Florida Welcome Center from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, March 8 through Tuesday, March 10.
- · Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10 / U.S. 90A) Widening from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road (S.R. 297) – The far-right portion of the I-10 off ramp that connects to Nine Mile Road (Exit 5) westbound remains closed. Drivers can still access Nine Mile Road east and westbound using the other section of the ramp. The partial ramp closure is needed to reconstruct the ramp and will be in place through spring 2020.
- · U.S. 29 Resurfacing from south of Muscogee Road (County Road/C.R. 184) to Atmore Highway (S.R. 97)– Crews continue paving operations and median work. Drivers may encounter intermittent daytime lane restrictions. Motorists are reminded to watch for crews and heavy equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
- · Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek- Construction activities continue. The roadway remains temporarily closed. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, are detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road. The project is anticipated to be complete spring 2020.
- C.R. 168 Bridge Replacement over Unnamed Branch in Northwest Century- Crews continue to work on various items. The project is tentatively scheduled to be completed within the next two weeks, weather dependent.
Santa Rosa County:
- · U.S. 98 (Pensacola Bay Bridge) Replacement- There will be intermittent lane closures at the following locations from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the week of Sunday, March 8.
- · U.S. 90 Corridor (Pace) Management Improvement Project- Crews are currently working on drainage improvements at Sanford Street during daytime hours. Drivers should watch for workers and equipment entering and exiting the work area.
- · U.S. 98 Safety Improvement from Villa Woods Circle to Ortega Park Drive- Crews continuing work at all seven locations within the project limits. No lane closures anticipated.
- · S.R. 4 Resurfacing and Drainage Improvements from the Escambia River Bridge to Market Road (C.R. 87A) in Jay- There will be intermittent lane closures throughout the project limits for roadway and utility work.
- · S.R. 87 Bridge Rehabilitation and Repair Over Yellow River- Motorists may encounter daytime southbound lane closures as crews continue expansion joint work.
- · S.R. 87 Turn Lane and Median Modifications at South Lynn Road- Operations are taking place in the median. Motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane closures.
- · U.S. 98 Mutli-Use Path Paving Operations Between Reagan Road and Serosa Drive in Navarre- The westbound outside lane will be closed Wednesday, March 11 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the Graffiti Bridge.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Firefighters Respond to Reported House Fire In Bratt
March 7, 2020
First responders were dispatched to a reported structure fire in Bratt Saturday morning.
When they arrived in the 5000 block of West Highway 4, just west of Highway 4, they found a small smoldering fire in a heating unit.
There were no injuries and no major damage reported.
The Walnut Hill and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Fire Department and Escambia County EMS responded. Additional fire stations were dispatched and canceled prior to arrival.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Train Carrying Military Equipment Derails At Alabama-Florida State Line
March 7, 2020
About five cars of a CSX train hauling military equipment derailed Saturday morning at the Alabama-Florida state line.
The cars left the track coming out of the railyard in Flomaton, just a few feet north of a street known as Alley 5 in Century. There were no injuries reported.
The entire train was carrying military vehicles and equipment on flatbed railcars. The derailment blocked the railroad crossings at Old Flomaton Road and East Cottage Street in Century.
This was the second train derailment in Flomaton in less than two weeks. On February 26, two empty cars of northbound CSX train derailed at the College Street crossing, not far from Flomaton Elementary School. [Read more...]
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa County Coronavirus Patient Being Treated In Escambia Has Died
March 7, 2020
A previously announced coronavirus patient from Santa Rosa County has died, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The patient was being treated at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. He was 71, had underlying medical conditions and had traveled to the Dominican Republic
The health department will not release the man’s name, nor have they released any information about where he was from in Santa Rosa County, where he has traveled or who he may have come in contact with, because of privacy laws.
Baptist Hospital officials have said that due to their isolation procedures, there is no risk to other hospital patients, staff or visitors.
A new individual in their 70s that tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 in Lee County has also died, following an international trip, the Florida Department of Health said Friday. Three other new presumptive cases — two in Broward County and one in Lee County — have been reported in Florida.
Molino Park Elementary Holds Annual Arts Day (Photo Gallery)
March 7, 2020
Molino Park Elementary School recently held their annual Arts Day with multiple performers.
Musical performers included individuals from the Pensacola Children’s Choir, Kaye’ Music, Schmidt’s Musi, West Florida High School Colorguard, Pensacola Symphony, and The Heavenly Brass Trio. Artists included Sara Bouldin, Dale Cooey, Larry Manning, Ruth Gordon, Robert McBrooms, Henritta Adams and Molino Park’s very own Matt Brabham.
The day concluded with dancers from the Heather Leonard’s Danceworks “Raising the Barre” Performance Team.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Home Off Nine Mile Road Destroyed By Fire
March 7, 2020
Fire destroyed a home Friday afternoon south of Nine Mile Road in Escambia County.
Firefighters arrived at the home in the 1400 block of Camrose Place to find a fire in the attic and breaking through the roof in the rear of the home.
Escambia Fire Rescue personnel attempted an offensive attic, but ultimately personnel were pulled out of the structure for a defensive attack, according to Escambia County. The home was a total loss, but ECFR was able to minimize damage to the adjacent residential structures that were severely threatened.
Smoke alarms did alert the occupants, who were not injured. The American Red Cross is assisting the property owner.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sentenced To Death Twice Before, Escambia Man Will Now Serve Life In Prison For 1998 Nine Mile Popeyes Murder
March 7, 2020
An Escambia County man that has been sentenced to death twice won’t be going back to death row but was instead sentenced to life without parole on Friday.
Timothy Hurst, was sent to death death row for a 1998 murder in Pensacola, has been at the center of major Supreme Court rulings that found Florida’s death-penalty sentencing system unconstitutional.
Hurst was sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of fast-food worker Cynthia Harrison in Pensacola. Harrison, an assistant manager at a Nine Mile Road Popeye’s Fried Chicken restaurant where Hurst worked, was bound, gagged and stabbed more than 60 times. Her body was found in a freezer.
The jury that first convicted him voted 7-5 in favor of death but was later tossed out after the courts ruled a death sentence must be unanimous.
A jury was impaneled for a two-week resentencing hearing, but failed Friday reach a unanimous decision for the death penalty. Hurst was immediately sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Families Of Teens Killed In Cantonment Wreck Filing Suit After Their Bodies Were Allegedly Switched
March 6, 2020
The families of two teens killed in car crash last year in Cantonment are filing suit, claiming their bodies were switched and misidentified from the crash scene to their funeral homes.
The Florida Highway Patrol said following the July 2019 crash that Dalchunique S. Lavender, age 20 of Cantonment, was northbound on Highway 95A at Coweta Road, just south of McKenzie Road, when her 2007 Ford Focus left the roadway and struck a utility pole about 1:20 a.m. The vehicle wrapped around the pole and came to rest between Highway 95A and adjacent railroad tracks.
Two of her passengers, 15-year old Samara Cooks and 18-year old Deleigha T. Gibson, both of Cantonment, were pronounced deceased on the scene. Lavender and passenger Alexandria R. Banks, 18, were critically injured.
The families of Cooks and Gibson are filing suit against the “Florida Highway Patrol, the Pensacola District Commander, Escambia County Coroner, Escambia County Medical Examiner’s Office and the funeral homes who handled the teens’ funeral arrangements after it was revealed that they were misidentified at the crash scene,” according to Ryan Julison of The Cochran Firm.
Julison said in an emailed statement Thursday night:
“According to the complaints, even though Gibson and Cooks were different ages, heights and weights, FHP troopers misidentified their bodies at the scene of the crash which led to Gibson being labeled as Cooks and vice-versa. This switch led to a series of other incidents involving the Coroner, Medical Examiner and funeral homes.
“The complaints allege that when the Medical Examiner received the bodies, it did not properly verify the identity of the bodies and as a result, the bodies remained incorrectly labeled. Despite their attempts, neither family was allowed to view their respective daughters’ bodies at the Medical Examiner’s office with the ME citing it was ‘not their policy’ to allow for the viewing.
“The Medical Examiner then released the wrong bodies to the wrong funeral homes who then embalmed the wrong bodies without authorization and in a way that was unsatisfactory to both families.
“Upon arriving at Faith Chapel, the funeral home hired by the Cooks family to prepare Samara Cooks’ body, they discovered that the body being prepared was actually that of Deleigha Gibson. One of the Cooks’ family members arrived at Tracy Morton Funeral Home, where the Gibson family was waiting, and stated that the funeral home had the wrong body. When the Gibson family overheard this conversation, they demanded to see Deleigha’s body and it was only then that the funeral home confirmed that they actually had the body of Samara Cooks, who was still tagged as Deleigha Gibson.
“To add an unprecedented layer to this horrific tragedy, Deleigha Gibson was an organ donor and because her body was misidentified, Gibson’s body was not properly handled and her organs were not preserved. Conversely, upon information and belief, Samara Cooks, who was not an organ donor, had her organs harvested without parental consent.
“The families of Gibson and Cooks are demanding that Florida Highway Patrol, Pensacola District Commander, Escambia Coroner, and Escambia Medical Examiner change their respective policies and procedures to ensure that this doesn’t happen to another family.”
Attorney Jessica Givens of The Cochran Firm is representing the family of Gibson, and Attorney Artie Shimek of Shimek Law is representing the Cooks family.
Pictured: A tragic wreck claimed two lives and injured two others in Cottage Hill early Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Early Voting Begins Saturday In Escambia County. Here’s Where To Cast Your Ballot.
March 6, 2020
Early voting for the Presidential Preference Primary Election in Escambia County begins Saturday, March 7, and continues through Saturday, March 14 at nine locations throughout the county:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
- Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- University of West Florida, Building 90, Campus Lane (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 B, 9th Avenue (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Main Library, 239 Spring Street (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto Street (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Early voters cast paper ballots through digital scanners and may choose any one of the nine sites. Each location is also equipped with an ExpressVote ballot marking device for use.
Another option for voters is to cast a vote-by-mail ballot, which can be requested through the online form at EscambiaVotes.com, or by e-mail (votebymail@escambiavotes.com), phone (850) 595-3900, mail, or fax (850) 595-3914. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and address, and must be received no later than Saturday, March 7. Voted ballots must be received in the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on election day and may not be returned to a polling location on election eay. Voters may now drop-off a vote-by-mail ballot during early voting hours at any of the nine area locations. The U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail ballots at least one week before the due date. Vote-by-mail participants may track the status of their ballot at EscambiaVotes.com.
The third option for voters is to cast a ballot at their precinct on Election Day, Tuesday, March 17. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Florida holds closed primary elections. The Presidential Preference Primary is open only to registered Democrats and Republicans. Voters registered without party affiliation (NPA) or in a minor political party are ineligible and will not receive a ballot. Voters are reminded to bring their photo and signature ID to vote, and are encouraged to visit EscambiaVotes.com for complete voting information.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.