Escambia Fire Rescue Chief Resigns
April 3, 2019
Escambia County Fire Chief Rusty Nail has submitted his resignation effective June 1. He also served as deputy public safety director.
In an email announcing his resignation Wednesday morning, Nail stated:
Nail began his employment as chief of Escambia Fire Rescue on April 23, 2018.
He joined Escambia Fire Rescue from Palm Bay, FL, were he served as the City of Palm Bay Fire Rescue fire chief and emergency manager and previously served as a battalion chief.
Prior to his tenure at Palm Bay, Nail worked for the City of Orlando Fire Department for more than 20 years, serving as assistant fire chief, assistant chief of planning, district chief and retiring as the deputy chief. Nail’s experience also includes working as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Escambia County Director of Human Resources Eric Kleinert also resigned Wednesday morning. There was no known connection between the two resignations. [Read more...]
Escambia County Set To Award $2.4 Million Contact To Resurface North Highway 99
April 3, 2019
Escambia County is set to approve resurfacing North Highway 99 from Highway 97 in Walnut Hill to the Alabama State line.
Low bidder on the project was Panhandle Grading & Paving at $2.4 million. Other bidders were Roads, Inc. of NWF at $2.6 million and Midsouth Paving at $2.9 million.
The project was planned for 2024-25, but the Escambia County Commission fast tracked the advancement of $1,726,325 available in Local Option Sales Tax to this fiscal year and solicited bids.
The 8.01 mile roadway runs from Highway 97, past Highway 4 in Bratt and continues to the state line. It is a major north-south transportation corridor for the area. In addition to the school buses that serve Bratt Elementary on North Highway 99, buses travel the road twice-daily between Northview High and Ernest Ward Middle schools.
The asphalt is in poor condition due to a high traffic volume, and heavy truck traffic, according to county officials.
The recommended improvements include repair of road base failures, leveling of existing asphalt, installation of a geogrid over widened joints, paving the entire roadway, and re-striping 12-foot travel lanes.
The Escambia County Commission will vote on the contract award on Thursday. Once the contractor begins work, they will have 210 days to complete the project.
Pictured top: North Highway 99 in Bratt near Highway 168. Pictured below: A closer look at asphalt conditions. Pictured below: North Highway 99 at Highway 4 and (bottom) Highway 164. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Lady Chiefs Now 5-0 In District With Big Win Over Baker
April 3, 2019
Northview 18, Baker 4
Baker 4, Northview 2 (JV)
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat Baker 18-4 in four innings Tuesday night.
The Chiefs are 11-3 overall, 5-0 and on top in district play.
Kendall Enfinger earned the win for the Lady Chiefs.
At the plate, Nevaeh Brown went 3-3 with two RBIs. Also for Northview: Heather Knowles 2-4, 3RBI; Aubree Love 2-3, 3RBI; Kailyn Watson 1-2, RBI; Enfinger 1-2, 1RBI; Kaitlin Gafford 1-3, 2RBI; Payton Gilchrist 1-2, RBI.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Accountant: Century Council Needs To Talk About Grand Jury Findings
April 3, 2019
Century’s accountant has advised the town council they need to hold a series of workshops to discuss recent grand jury findings.
“Per discussion with the town’s attorney, multiple workshops need to be set up to discuss a point or two until all points are resolved to the best of the town’s ability,” accountant Robert Hudson said in a report to the council.
The council did not take immediate action to schedule any workshop meetings and has had little or no public discussion of the grand jury report since it was released a month ago.
A grand jury found the Town of Century lost over $1 million in utility accounts in just two years, can’t account for over 40 percent of their natural gas, made loans not revealed on audits for 14 years, improperly borrowed about $3 million from restricted accounts with a 750-year payback plan, and is a state of financial emergency.
The grand jury also recommended that Century sell the assets of its utility services – sanitation, natural gas, and water and sewer – and use the proceeds to repay the amounts borrowed from restricted special revenue funds.
Pictured: Century town council members (L-R) Luis Gomez, Ann Brooks and Ben Boutwell at their regular meeting this week. Council members Sandra McMurry-Jackson and James Smith were absent. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Shuts Out Flomaton
April 3, 2019
Northview 9, Flomaton 0
Northview 6, Flomaton 1 (JV)
The Northview Chiefs shut out Flomaton 9-0 Thursday in Bratt.
Nick Venable led on the pitcher’s mound for Northview. He surrendered no runs and not hits over two and two-thirds innings while walking one and striking out five. Jacob Bryant tossed three innings allowing tow hits and no runs with four strikeouts. Taylor Wilson tossed one and a third innings with one hit and one strikeout.
Evan Tatum led on the mound for Flomaton. He surrendered three runs on six hits over four innings, striking out three and walking zero. Jackson Steele threw two innings out of the bullpen. Steele pitched two innings, allowing five hits and six runs with three strikeouts.
Jackson Moore, Adam Aliff and Tanner Levins led the Chiefs with two hits each.
For a photo gallery, click here.
In junior varsity action, Northview beat Flomaton 6-1.
The Northview Chiefs will host the Baker Gators Thursday in a district matchup.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Denmark Defeats Tate
April 3, 2019
Denmark 11, Tate 2
Denmark (Alpharetta, GA) defeated the Tate Aggies Tuesday night 11-2.
Jordan Jarman started the game for Tate, lasting two innings, allowing four hits and four runs while striking out one. Jace Dunsford, Ethan George, and Brantley Culbertson each contributed in relief.
Raymond Lafleur led the Aggies with three hits. Mason Land and Hunter McLean added two each, and Jadon Fryman had one hit for Tate.
Pictured: Jordan Jarman on the mound for the Tate Aggies Tuesday night. Photo By Crystal Tolbert for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Spanish Tall Ship Sebastian de Elcano Visits Pensacola, Open For Tours
April 3, 2019
UPDATE: Thursday tours were canceled due to weather.
The Spanish Royal Navy training ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano is docked at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola’s Allegheny Pier and open for tours through Thursday.
Tours are available Wednesday from 1:00-6:30 p.m. and Thursday 3:00-6:30 p.m. Visitors must use the back gate to access the base. The gate closes at 5 p.m. during each tour.
The ship’s visit to Pensacola is part of the vessel’s world cruise celebrating the 500th anniversary of Juan de Elcano and Ferdinand Magellan’s historic circumnavigation of the earth. The ship’s last visit to Pensacola was in 2015.
“We’re are excited and honored to have this historic vessel visit Pensacola and pull pierside to Naval Air Station Pensacola,” NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Timothy Kinsella Jr., said. “This air station has deep ties to the Spanish military, including the construction of Ft. San Carlos de Austria in 1698 and Ft. San Carlos de Barrancas in 1797. This magnificent ship is a reminder of our shared maritime and military heritage and it is our privilege to welcome them here as a partner nation in present and future endeavors.”
Juan Sebastian de Elcano Commanding Officer Capt. Ignacio Paz Garcia said Pensacola has been a favorite port visit for the training ship, evidenced by the vessel’s eight previous visits to the city.
“The previous reports from port visits highlighted how the crewmembers and midshipmen enjoyed this port,” he said. “This was because of the amazing and outstanding welcome and support from the people of Pensacola. We are delighted to have the opportunity to enjoy this city.”
The Juan Sebastian de Elcano, named after the Spanish explorer and captain of Magellan’s last exploratory fleet which set sail in 1519, is a 113-meter four-masted topsail vessel, which has travelled more than 2 million nautical miles since its construction in 1927.
The 91-year-old ship serves as a training vessel for future officers of the Spanish Navy. The 70 Midshipmen from the 421st Naval Cadre and the 151st Marines Cadre learn celestial navigation, meteorology and amphibious operations and naval security during the six-month training voyage.
Juan Sebastian de Elcano has visited Puerto Rico, Columbia and Mexico during its current cruise, with stops in Cuba, Portugal, Poland and Germany scheduled later this year.
April Recognized As Child Abuse Prevention Month In Florida
April 3, 2019
Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and named First Lady Casey DeSantis as Chair of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet.
“Florida’s children are the future of our state and there is no greater task than protecting and nurturing them, which is why Child Abuse Prevention Month is so important,” said Governor DeSantis. “I’m honored to appoint Casey as Chair of the Children and Youth Cabinet as I know her commitment to children is unmatched. As a mother, she understands that Florida’s children need our support, love and care and I’m excited about the work that she will do in this new role.”
First Lady Casey DeSantis said, “I’m honored to serve the people of Florida in this new capacity and look forward to working with child advocates across the state to better the lives of some of the most vulnerable citizens of our society. Protecting our children from harm and making sure that every child in Florida has the opportunity to succeed and pursue the American Dream is a top priority of this administration.”
Governor DeSantis proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month to remind Floridians of the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect and in recognition of the annual Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. The annual campaign promotes happy, safe and healthy childhoods for all of Florida’s children.
During Child Abuse Prevention Month, Floridians are urged to take simple actions to make a big impact in the life of a child:
- Offer a helping hand to children and families in distress.
- Give an hour of your time to help children and families in your community.
- Help connect a family in need with resources.
- Talk to new parents about healthy child development.
Volunteers Honored On National Service Recognition Day
April 3, 2019
Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson was joined Tuesday by Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender, Century Mayor Henry Hawkins and WEAR’s Sue Straughn in declaring April 2 as National Service Recognition Day. Volunteers were recognized for their contributions to the community.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hawkins Reimburses Century For Airline Tickets, But Still Won’t Say Who Traveled
April 2, 2019
Century’s mayor has reimbursed the town for airline tickets and hotel rooms, but he still won’t say who traveled to town last October.
Hawkins provided town council members with a copy of a PenAir cashier’s check for $1,751.70, along with a written statement.
“The Town of Century will never move forward as long as we’re stuck on what’s not being doing [sic] with other’s approval. I am repaying the Town for airline tickets and hotel fees for two gentlemen that I brought to the Town to discuss economic development,” Hawkins wrote. “This is not an admission of guilt but a gesture of good faith in moving Century forward. It seems that there are those that do not want our Town to prosper. We grown [sic] when businesses come into the Town and our citizens are given a chance for better paying jobs. When we don’t strive for economic development then we all lose.”
In December, the town council approved payment of $1,751.70 to Expedia and three airlines on a bill list. As part of a public records request on January 8, NorthEscambia.com asked for the “airline invoices or receipts that have been discussed and appeared on the bill list at recent meetings, along with reservation information for such.”
That request was ignored by the town until it was mentioned at a March 4 council meeting when Hawkins told us and council president Ann Brooks that he would provide the receipts, but he would “black them out.” He refused to answer questions about the legal justification for the proposed redactions.
The following day, a town staffer emailed documents to NorthEscambia.com and Brooks. On each page from Expedia, the name of the traveler was redacted, marked out by hand. No justification for the redactions was provided as required by Florida statute.
No explanation was given as to why it took nearly two months to produce the redacted documents. Florida’s Sunshine Law dictates that records must be produced in a reasonable time, and the only delay permitted “is the limited reasonable time allowed the custodian to retrieve the record and delete those portions of the record the custodian asserts are exempt.”
When pressed Monday night as to why the complete public records request as not fulfilled, Hawkins said, “I’ve paid it back, so I’m not obligated.”
The documents included two itineraries and one sheet labeled as a receipt. The “receipt” from Expedia did not indicate the purchaser, but it did show the last four digits of a Visa card used for payment.
In March, the town provided:
- An Expedia itinerary showing a cost of $560.92 for an American Airlines flight departing October 28 from Los Angeles to Pensacola, and a room with double beds for one adult for two nights at the LaQuinta Inn on Davis Highway in Pensacola. The traveler’s name is redacted.
- An Expedia itinerary showing a cost of $689.38 for a Delta flight departing October 29 from Los Angeles to Pensacola, a return flight on Frontier Airlines on October 31, and a room with double beds for one adult for one night at the LaQuinta Inn on Davis Highway in Pensacola. The traveler’s name is redacted.
- An Expedia receipt for $501.40 for a one-way flight from Pensacola to Eugene, Oregon, on October 31. The receipt does not specify the airline, and the traveler’s name is redacted.
The items provided in early March by the town total $1,751.70.
The December town bill list showed payments were made for charges incurred in October as follows:
- American Airlines $501.40
- Delta $366.90
- Expedia $668.50
- Frontier Airlines $214.90
The items total $1,751.70, equal to the itineraries and receipt provided but the payee entries listed differ.
Under the town’s charter, Hawkins is required to seek advance council approval for purchases in excess of $200. The council did not approve the airline ticket purchases.
Hawkins repeatedly contended that Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry promised to reimburse the costs with county economic development, but Barry has denied even communicating with Hawkins about travel expenses. During a public council meeting, Hawkins called Barry “a lie.” ”
