Escambia County Holds Hurricane Prep Exercise
May 9, 2019
Escambia County took part in a statewide hurricane exercise Wednesday, practicing Florida’s emergency plans and procedures for a potential hurricane making landfall in the state in preparation for the upcoming Atlantic Hurricane Season. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Signs Bill To Arm Teachers; Escambia Hiring Armed Security Officers Instead
May 9, 2019
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that would allow Florida school districts to arm teachers.
The measure is an extension of the guardian program that created after the Parkland massacre in 2018. Some employees, but not teachers, were allowed to carry guns on school property after receiving proper training.
The new law signed Wednesday will allow classroom teachers to also carry weapons but only with approval by local school boards.
Escambia County Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has said he has no intent to arm teachers. Instead, the Escambia County School District is hiring its own force of campus security officers (CSO) to protect elementary school beginning with the next school years. Middle and high schools will continue to have school resource officers, which are Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
“The district will be working with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to ensure high quality individuals with the appropriate skills, temperament and abilities are selected,” Thomas said when the program was announced.
The CSOs will have no law enforcement authority, except to the extent necessary to prevent or abate an active assailant incident”, according to the district. The district has tried using off-duty law enforcement officers in elementary schools this school year, but that has proved difficult to provide full coverage.
“We are hoping retired military and retired law enforcement officers, who have maintained their weapons’ permits and skills, will see this opportunity as a new way to continue to serve our community and protect our students,” said Thomas.
Funding for ongoing salary of the CSOs will come from dedicated “Safe Schools Categorical” funding which is separate from instructional or teacher salary funding. The district will not hire more CSOs than it can afford under this separate funding mechanism.
The CSOs will not be placed charter schools such as Byrneville Elementary School or the Beulah Academy of Science at the district’s expense. However, the CSOs will be made available to charter schools if they choose to pay for them.
Campus Security Officers will be required to also complete the fingerprinting and drug screening requirement that ECSD requires of all school district employees prior to being placed in a school. Those selected will have a starting salary at $30,600, plus benefits, for a 10 month position.
Highway 29 Lane Restrictions Planned From 9 1/2 Mile To I-10
May 9, 2019
Northbound Highway 29 traffic between I-10 and 9 1/2 mile Road may have intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday, May 9 through Saturday, May 11 as crews prepare to shift traffic to the newly constructed northbound lanes. This will allow crews to begin new construction of the future southbound roadway.
Construction activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Tate Lady Aggies Top Navarre By One In Regional Semifinals
May 9, 2019
The Tate Lady Aggies beat Navarre 1-0 Wednesday night in Region 1-7A semifinals.
The only score of the game came in the sixth inning when Shelby McLean was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Gabby Locke.
Avery Beauchanie allowed two hits and no runs while striking out two in seven innings for the Lady Aggies.
Libby Locke and Gabby Locke were both 2-3 at the plate to lead Tate.
The Lady Aggies advance to face Niceville next Tuesday night in Niceville.
Pictured: Shelby McLean was hit by a pitch Wednesday night to score Tate’s only run Wednesday night. Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High Aggie Cheerleaders Receive State Championship Rings
May 9, 2019
The Tate High School varsity cheerleaders received their state championship rings Wednesday.
The Aggie cheerleaders won the Florida High School Athletic Association Region Small Coed Championship in late January. They went on took take fifth place in the nation in their division Sunday night at UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando.
The Tate Aggie state championship cheerleaders are Kyndell Ammons, Morgan Austin, Jonah Cass, Bailey Carter, Shelby Fleming, Isabella Floyd, Kensley Foley Hagyn Helton, Payton Herring, Madeline Hughes, Erin Johnson, Elena Lucci, Abi Manoso, Keaden Martin, Kyndal Milsted, Ashlyn NeSmith, Madelyn Ray, Emma Romero, Payton Simmons, Ariyana Wyatt, Krysanne Hagen – co-captain, Emilee Potter – co-captain, and Kennedy Bellard – captain. This year’s head coach is Morgan White and the assistant coach is Annie Wiggins.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pine Forest Tops Tate 6-0 In District Semifinal
May 9, 2019
The Pine Forest Eagles defeated the Tate Aggies 6-0 Wednesday night in the District 1-7A baseball semifinals.
Tekoah Roby earned the win for Pine Forest allowing two hits and no runs while striking out 11 over seven innings.
Christian Munoz went 3-3 at the plate and Keith Robbins went 2-2 to lead the Eagles.
Cole Fryman allowed six hits and three hits over three innings while striking out five for the Aggies. Brantley Culbertson entered the game to pitch two innings and Jace Dunsford threw one.
Hunter McClean and Raymond Lafleur had one hit each for Tate.
Also Wednesday, Escambia beat Pace 5-2.
Escambia and Pine Forest will face off at 7 p.m. Thursday at Washington High School for the district championship.
NorthEscambia.com file photo by Crystal Tolbert, click to enlarge.
No Injuries When Pickup Hits Guardrail In Enon
May 8, 2019
There were injuries when a pickup crash into a guardrail in Enon Wednesday afternoon.
The driver of a GMC 1500 pickup lost control in a curve on Highway 97A near Dan Hall Road and struck the guardrail. Everyone in the vehicle refused transport to the hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Walnut Hill and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jay Teen Shot At Community Center In Century Tuesday Night
May 8, 2019
A Jay teen was reportedly shot outside a community center in Century late Tuesday night.
A 17-year old victim arrived a Jay Hospital suffering from non-life threatening injuries. He said the shooting occurred at the basketball courts at the Carver Community Center on Jefferson Avenue, according to Maj. Andrew Hobbs of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The teen told deputies he was at a party when multiple black males wearing masks came out of a nearby wooded area and shot him. But Hobbs said the teen was not being cooperative and gave deputies inconsistent accounts of how exactly the shooting occurred.
“His story about how he got shot has changed, but the location has not,” Hobbs said late Tuesday night. He said multiple shell casings were located at the community center in a manner consistent with the teen’s story.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was continuing their investigation into the early morning hours of Wednesday.
Anyone with information on the incidentis asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured: The Carver Community Center of Jefferson Avenue in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
There Could Finally An End In Sight To Stopped Trains Blocking Cottage Hill Neighborhoods
May 8, 2019
By next week, there could finally be a real solution to trains blocking local roads for extended periods of time and cutting off a Cantonment neighborhood, according to an Escambia County commissioner.
Tuesday was an important state testing day for students, but several elementary students didn’t make it to school on time due to a CSX train.
As has been an ongoing issue, the students and their families were isolated due to train blocking a Cottage Hill neighborhood and blocked Quintette Road.
Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said schools are working with students that were late for testing, and Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry says that CSX has a new solution that might finally solve problems.
“When students can’t get to school on time for a reason like this, we don’t penalize the students,” Thomas said. The students, most from Jim Allen and Kingsfield elementaries, took the test in an afternoon session or will be allowed to test in an upcoming session…We could not have them arrive late and push them into something like that,” Thomas said. “That would be bad for the students and for the schools.”
Commissioner Steven Barry said he reached out to CSX Tuesday and learned a big change is coming after Friday. He said the trains will be shorter, likely leaving a way in and out of Cantonment neighborhoods east of Highway 29.
“Based on conversations with multiple company personnel over the last couple of days, I do have great news. The overall volume of rail traffic will be greatly reduced by next week. Only the local customers who are being served by the north-south rail will continue to be served, as the non local rail cars are going to be diverted to a different route,” Barry said. “The removal of the non local rail cars will also result in much shorter lengths of the trains that do continue to run.”
“Even with this very good news, I am still working diligently with multiple businesses and property owners to increase the connectivity of the entire affected area. Unfortunately, the first dozen ideas have not been successful for a myriad of different reasons, but I promise that we will arrive at solutions in the near future for our neighbors and businesses in the area. I want to personally thank Senator Doug Broxson, FDOT, and CSX for all their help and cooperation addressing this very important issue,” Barry continued.
The blocked neighborhoods have created no only an inconvenience and delay for students and adults alike, but also a public safety issue by delaying the response of emergency services, Barry has said on numerous occasions.
Pictured top: Traffic was backed up Tuesday morning on Quintette Road due to a train stopped across Quintette Road. Below: A blocked crossed in Cottage Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour and file photo.
Molino Woman Facing Animal Cruelty Charges
May 8, 2019
A Molino woman has been charged with animal cruelty.
Virginia Jerlean Smith, 45, was charged with three counts of unlawful confinement or abandonment of animals.
Smith allegedly had several animals including horses, dogs, a cow, a pig and a cat on her property on Chestnut Road that were not properly fed. An Escambia County animal control report notes an emaciated horse and a cow with no food or water, and horses being kept in large dirt pit with no grass, only a few weeds that provided no nutritional value for the animals.
Numerous animals were signed over to the custody of Escambia County.
Smith was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $3,000 bond. A judge also ordered that Smith not have care or custody of any animals.