EREC’s Fiber Network Completed In Escambia County; First Santa Rosa County Customer Connected
January 25, 2024
After completing a fiber buildout in Escambia County, Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) and ConexonConnect, have connected their first customer in Santa Rosa County to gigabit-speed fiber internet.
EREC and ConexonConnect announced their fiber-to-the-home project in February 2023, with plans to launch and deploy a 1,500-mile fiber network providing high-speed internet access to homes and businesses starting in Escambia County before moving to Santa Rosa County.
The first Escambia County member* went live on the fiber network in Bratt on August 13, 2023.
All EREC members in Escambia County now have the availability to access gigabit-speed internet, and member connections are currently being scheduled and completed.
There were several periods of unanticipated downtime during the first few months of service in Escambia County, but now “Multiple sources in Escambia County are in place to help prevent any downtime issues and the same will be done in Santa Rosa County,” EREC said this week.
“I’m very proud of all the hard work and long days everyone involved put into the completion of the Escambia County fiber-to-the-home project. A special thank you to our members for your patience as we constructed our fiber system and we look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our community,” EREC CEO Ryan Campbell said.
“I could not be happier knowing nearly 5,000 households in north Escambia county now have access to affordable high speed internet. A few short years ago it was only a dream, but it’s now a reality,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “As with most successful public service projects, it still would not be possible without tremendous partners like EREC and Conexon. Also, I want to specifically recognize Ryan Campbell, EREC CEO, for his diligence and persistence getting the project across the finish line.”
Chumuckla resident Lynne McDonald was connected to fiber broadband in Santa Rosa County this week, as rural EREC members now have access to 2 Gbps service internet that is among the fastest and most robust in the nation.
“Bringing fiber internet to Santa Rosa County is going to be a game changer for EREC members and our community. From a teacher’s perspective, it means enhancing connectivity and access to a wealth of educational resources for ourselves and our students. Utilizing online tools more efficiently, conducting virtual classes, and engaging students in innovative ways that will increase learning outcomes and involvement,” McDonald said. ““As an EREC member for over 35 years, the arrival of fiber internet signifies a huge step towards progress and opens up a world of endless possibilities for local businesses to compete on a more global scale. I truly feel that fiber internet is going to lay the foundation for economic growth and prosperity in my community by empowering EREC members, schools and businesses. Paving the way for a brighter future for everyone.”
“EREC members were being left behind in the digital age,” Campbell added. “Now, thanks to the vision of our Trustees and the hard work of our employees who have taken on the mission of closing the digital divide, EREC members are gaining access to world-class internet service. This opens the doors for new opportunities such as online education for all ages, expanded employment options, and streaming and smart device use in the home that many in other areas take for granted.”
The Town of Jay is very proud of the work EREC has done with the State’s Rural Broadband Initiative,” says Eric Seib, Manager of the Town of Jay.” We are thankful to have a forward thinking team at EREC making tomorrow better for all of us.”
*Full disclosure: The first Escambia County EREC member to receive EREC fiber at their home was NorthEscambia.com Publisher William Reynolds. Editor’s note: NorthEscambia.com operates in the cloud; it does not operate on the Conexon service. For over 15 years, it has been hosted by a major provider elsewhere in the U.S.
Pictured top: Chumuckla resident Lynne McDonald was connected to fiber broadband in Santa Rosa County his week, photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured inset and below: Escambia County’s first customer was connected in August, 2023. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friends Of The Library Big Winter Book Sale Is This Weekend
January 25, 2024
The Friends of West Florida Public Library’s Big Winter Book Sale will be this Friday though Sunday at the downtown library on Spring Street.
Thousands of hardcover, paperback and collectible books will be available for purchase, plus a variety of DVDs, CDs, puzzles and other items. Books will be sorted into different genre categories to make it easier to find favorites. Proceeds are used to fund programs and enhancements at West Florida Public Library (WFPL) branches.
Admission is $5 Friday from 3-7 p.m. or free for Friends of the Library members. Saturday is half-off day from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday, admission is free for the popular $7 bag sale from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. As much as will fit into a provided brown paper bag will be just $7.
Credit cards, cash and checks are all welcome as payment. Carts will be available to assist in carrying bags.
Book Sale items include thousands of generous donations from the public and some library books retired from circulation, many of them now out-of-print. Novels and mysteries are sorted by author or into genres like Science Fiction and Westerns. Other book categories include arts and entertainment, children’s, cookbooks, history, holidays, home and hobbies, literature, foreign language, military, modern living, nature and gardening, religion, science, sports, technical, and travel. There are also recorded books, magazines and other media for sale.
The Collector’s Corner will feature an assortment of signed books, pre-1950s books, books by local and Florida authors and other special books that are great for gifts. These items are priced as marked and must be checked out separately, so shoppers paying by check should bring at least two of them.
Highway 29 Resurfacing Project Beginning North Of Highway 97
January 25, 2024
Work is beginning on a $6.2 million Florida Department of Transportation Project to resurface Highway 29 from Highway 97 to north of Champion Drive.
Improvements in the project include the milling and resurfacing, drainage improvements, auxiliary lane and shoulder widening, signalization, and signing and pavement marking improvements.
Drivers can expect lane closures, but lane closures are prohibited from 6:30 – 8:00 a.m. and from 1 – 3:00 p.m. on school days.
According to FDOT, the 4.58 miles of te project is set to be completed in the Fall of 2024, weather permitting.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Woman Fired More Than A Dozen Shots Into Nine Mile Road Apartment, ECSO Says
January 25, 2024
An Escambia County woman has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing multiple gunshots into an apartment on Nine Mile Road Tuesday afternoon.
Nykeria Chernel White, 23, was charged with attempted murder, firing a deadly missile into a building, discharging a firearm in public and criminal mischief. She remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $40,000.
White arrived at the Jasmine Creek Apartments across from Target about noon Tuesday. She approached an apartment of someone she knew, according to an arrest report, but they would not open the door. She then allegedly fired over a dozen shots into the apartment before leaving, the report states.
Two people inside the apartment were not injured.
Century Man Is Third Person Charged In Alabama Murder Of Century Resident
January 25, 2024
A Monroe County (Alabama) grand jury has indicted a Century man for the December 2022 murder of another Century man in Frisco City.
Jayden Constantine Jackson, 21, was the third person charged in the December 15 shooting death of Lavor Chante Johnson.
Devon Jenkins, 20, of Frisco City, and Akeem Paul Anthony Davis, Jr., 24, also of Frisco City, were previously indicted for murder.
Escambia Approves RESTORE Funding Spends, Including Cantonment Community Center, O.C. Phillips Bridge
January 24, 2024
Tuesday, the Escambia County Commission approved Escambia County’s RESTORE Act Draft Multi-Year Implementation Plan Amendment 3, including funding for a Cantonment Community Center and the replacement of a bridge on O.C. Phillips Road near Walnut Hill.
In addition to 2 million for the O.C. Phillips Bridge Replacement and $1.1 million for the construction of a Cantonment Community Center, other projects include:
- 550,000 for Bayou Grande Watershed Management Plan;
- $264,843 for Carpenter Creek Headwaters – CCWMP Site 16;
- $1.1 million for Palafox Complete Street Construction;
- $2.75 million for Pensacola Beach Bob Sikes Fishing Pier Rehabilitation;
- $3.6 million for Perdido Key Beach Public Access Property Acquisition and Construction;
- $550,000 for South Navy Boulevard Improvements.
Reminder: Get Free Reblended Paint From Escambia County On Thursdays
January 24, 2024
Escambia County offers free reblended paint in five gallon buckets.
The paint is available every Thursday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Perdido Landfill on Beulah Road. It is offered to the public for free in exchange for a new five gallon bucket with a lid (available at local hardware stores). Available colors may include beige, black, blue, brown, green, gray, orange, pink, purple, red, yellow and white.
Citizens can also dispose of up to 20 gallons of latex and oil-based paint at a time at the landfill at no charge. Latex paint is screened twice, reblended and put into new five-gallon buckets.
Call (850) 937-2160 for additional information and color availability.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Registration Underway For Tri-City Children’s Choir
January 24, 2024
Registration is underway for the Tri-City Children’s Choir (TCCC), a program of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus.
TCCC welcomes young singers in grades 1-6 who reside in Century and the communities in Florida and Alabama.
The choir will once again be under the direction of Holley Driver, a Century-based music teacher.
Singers will meet weekly beginning February 1 at Century First United Methodist Church, 530 Church Street. TCCC is a tuition-based program and costs from $15 to $65 per month. Families may choose the weekly amount that works best for their household finances, and scholarships are also available. Parents can apply during the registration process and pay as little as $1 a month.
For more information on joining the choir, or make a contribution, visit www.tricitychoir.org.
Driver taught music in the Escambia County School District for over 15 years, served as the choral director at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino for nine years, and teaches in her own studio.
If you need more information, call or text Driver at (850) 324-6182.
Pictured: A 2022 performance by the Tri-City Children’s Choir. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Accused Of Acting As Contractor Without A License
January 24, 2024
A Cantonment man has been accused of acting as a contractor without being certified or registered.
Logan Michael Martin, 24, was charged with fraud, falsely identifying self as a contractor and as an unregistered electric contractor, both first degree misdemeanors. He was released on a $4,000 bond.
According to a complaint filed by a property owner, Martin was hired to “demo and build out my property (in the 2000 block) of Desert Street into a quadraplex”, but did not complete the work after starting or respond to text messages, emails or phone calls.
When a complaint was filed with Escambia County, it was discovered that Martin did not pull permits and was not licensed. The complaint indicates he was paid a total of $40,000.
FDEP: Century Missed Required Water Sampling For ‘DBPs’ For An Entire Quarter
January 24, 2024
The Town of Century failed to test their water system over a full quarter last year for what’s known as Drinking Water Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs).
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in many cases, drinking water must be disinfected to treat microbial pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites). However, disinfectants can also react with naturally-occurring materials in the water to form disinfectant byproducts (DBPs). Byproducts, if consumed in excess of the EPA’s maximum contaminant level over many years, may increase health risks.
According to a warning letter from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr., stated Century “did not monitor for disinfection byproducts, including total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids (HAA5), during the third quarter (July-September 2023).”
The town was required to mail or directly deliver a letter to each person served by the water system and publish a notice in a local newspaper.
The town responded in December that the missed sampling was just an “oversight” and that processes have been put in place by Gomez to make sure deadlines are met in the future.