Cantonment Man Gets Jail Time For Possessing Meth At Probation Office
January 28, 2019
A Cantonment man has been sentenced to time in the county jail for possessing methamphetamine inside a probation office.
Michael T. Goodwin, 48, was charged with possession of a controlled substance. He received 120 days in jail with credit for 25 days served.
Methamphetamine was discovered inside Goodwin’s wallet at the Probation and Parole Office on Davis Highway.
Man Airlifted After Molino Dirt Bike Accident
January 28, 2019
A man was seriously injured in a dirt bike accident at a home in Molino Sunday afternoon.
The 33-year old man was airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to a Pensacola hospital following the accident about 3:35 p.m. on Crabtree Church Road.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
Additional details have not been released.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview High FBLA Members Place At District Competition
January 28, 2019
The Florida Northview High School FBLA members placed in district competition:
Accounting I 2nd place: Justin Cruce
Advertising 5th place: Gabrielle Kline; 4th place: Hunter Moseley
Business Communication 4th place: Raeleigh Woodfin
Business Law 4th place: Hailie Anderson
Computer Problem Solving 1st place: Rebecca Dunn
Economics 5th place: Keegun Johnston
Healthcare Administration 5th place: Bradi Edwards; 3rd place: Kendall Enfinger
Introduction to Business 5th place: Le’Ariel Thomas
Introduction to Business Communication 4th place: Libby Pugh
Introduction to Business Procedure 3rd place: Rylee Husky
Introduction to FBLA 1st place: Abigail Levins
Journalism 5th place: Hannah Likovetz; 4th place: Kayla McKillion
Outstanding FBLA member and Outstanding Senior: Gabrielle Kline
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Names January Students Of The Month
January 28, 2019
Bratt Elementary School has named their January Students of the Month. They are:
Pre-K
Jasiah Barnes
Kayson Southard
Kindergarten
Brantley Sharpless
Shaleigh Wesley
Benji Burkland
Hayden Batson
1st Grade
Emma Southard
Bentley Alexander
Jadon Long
Landon Lee
Linley Dunn
2nd Grade
Olivia Garrett
Na’kiyah Williams
Shawn Andrews
Sophia Ikner
3rd Grade
Alyssa Barber
Anthony Johnson
Tyler McAnally
Hunter Parker
Kasei Barlow
4th Grade
Mikayla McAnally
Anna Sanspree
Kylar Davis
5th Grade
Bryson Orso
Maggie Stewart
Charlee Weaver
Camden Clark
Music
Max Mason
U.S. Postal Service Stamp Prices Have Increased
January 28, 2019
Mailing a letter and some packages will now cost you a little bit more.
The United States Postal Service has increased rates of not only stamps but also flat rate boxes and envelopes and other mail services.
Postage for a one-ounce letter will increase from 50 cents to 55 cents, but the price of each additional ounce has decreased from 21 to 15 cents. The nickel increase for a first-class stamp is the largest percentage hike since a four cent increase in 1991.
For the complete new USPS price list, click here (75 page pdf).
FDOT Weekly Traffic Alerts – This Week’s State Road Slowdowns
January 28, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
- U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) Widening from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road - Construction work will close Beulah Road south of the Nine Mile Road intersection from 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25 through 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 28 and 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1 through 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4. During the weekend closures, crews will remove the existing section of Beulah Road, build up and widen the lanes, pave, and restripe the roadway. Drivers may utilize Rebel Road, Beulah Church Road, and Beulah Road. Variable message boards and signs are in place to direct traffic.
- U.S. 90 (Mobile Highway) and County Road (C.R.) 99 (Beulah Road) Intersection –Intermittent lane restrictions from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 as crews install mast arms for the new traffic signal. There will be no lane closures allowed from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, Feb.3:
- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 through Saturday, Feb. 2.
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new northbound bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drainage and paving operations continue. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures Monday through Saturday.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road– Paving operations continue from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Feb.3.
- State Road (S.R.) 292 (Pace Boulevard) from Romana street to Garden Street – The northbound outside lane between Romana Street and Garden Street will be closed from 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30 to 5 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 as crews construct a new commercial driveway.
- Crary Road Bridge Replacement- Crary Road is closed between Tedder Road and Byrneville Road as crews construct a bridge culvert. Motorists will be detoured via C.R. 4 and Byrneville Road.
- Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road will continue to be closed near Canoe Creek. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road.
- Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek - Construction activities are scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 4, 2019. The roadway will be temporarily closed during construction. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, Feb. 4:
- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard) Routine Bridge Maintenance over Mulatto Bayou – The southbound, outside lane will be closed over Mulatto Bayou, about one mile north of I-10, from 8 p.m. to 12-mignight Thursday, Jan. 31 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance.
- I-10 Routine Bridge Maintenance over S.R. 87 - The eastbound, outside lane over S.R. 87, 9 1/2 miles east of S.R. 281, will be closed from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. Friday, Feb. 1 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance
- S.R. 4 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Cold Water Creek – Drivers will encounter alternating east and westbound lane restrictions over Cold Water Creek, about three miles east of S.R. 89, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 and Monday, Feb. 4 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) – Drivers may encounter intermittent southbound lane closures at the Yellow River bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28 and Tuesday, Jan. 29.
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.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
January 28, 2019
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Monday, Jan. 28
Northwest Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization Board – 9:30 a.m., Santa Rosa County Visitor Information Center, 8543 Navarre Parkway, Navarre
Library Board of Governance – 4 p.m., 1200 W. Langley Ave.
Escambia County Delegation Public Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Tuesday, Jan. 29
Emergency Medical Specialist Interviews – Emergency Medical Services – 10 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Home How to Workshop for Residents – 5:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Wednesday, Jan. 30
Emergency Medical Specialist Interviews – Emergency Medical Services – 10 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Thursday, Jan. 31
ECAT Proposed Route Recommendation Workshop for Community Transportation Project – 5 p.m., Molino Community Center & Historical Museum, 6450 Highway 95-A, Molino
Friday, Feb. 1
Veterans Services Officer Interviews – 8:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
Saturday, Feb. 2
Pensacola Beach Lifeguards Tryout – 11 a.m., University of West Florida Aquatic Center, 11000 University Parkway, Building 72
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Lawmakers Balk at ‘Bundled’ Ballot Measures
January 28, 2019
“Bundled” constitutional amendments, which led in November to voters casting ballots on proposals that combined seemingly unrelated issues such as vaping and offshore oil drilling, would be a thing of the past under a measure that started moving in the Senate.
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a proposal (SJR 74) that targets the type of bundled ballot proposals that came out of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission last year.
Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican who is sponsoring the proposed change, called his measure a start. But he’s also interested in a separate measure (SJR 362) by Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, that would eliminate the commission, which meets every 20 years and has unique powers to put proposals on the ballot.
“I would be interested in abolishing the CRC. I haven’t made a final decision about whether I’m going to support that bill,” Bradley said after the committee meeting. “What I do know is that if we’re going to have a CRC, they need to stop the bundling.”
Last year the 37-member commission met for months before putting seven proposed amendments on the ballot. Five included more than a single subject. All of those proposals were approved by voters.
Amendment 7, for example, dealt with payment of death benefits for first responders killed while performing official duties and the creation of a governance system for the 28 state and community colleges. Amendment 9 prohibits drilling for gas and oil in state coastal waters and bans vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes in workplaces.
Another measure, Amendment 10, requires all charter-county governments to have elected constitutional officers, including sheriffs. It also set the start of the annual state legislative session in January in even-numbered years, creates the Office of Domestic Security and Counterterrorism within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and deals with the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
In May, Brecht Heuchan, chairman of the commission’s Style and Drafting Committee which put together the final proposals, defended the use of grouping by noting it was done by constitution revision commissions in 1998 and 1978.
“In fact, it was done more prolifically than we did,” Heuchan said. “We grouped less than either of the two earlier CRCs. In fact, at the bedrock of all of this, the Constitution that we are operating under now, which was ratified in 1968 by the voters … at its point of ratification, the entire Constitution was bundled or grouped, depending on the word you want to choose, into three amendments.”
With all of the commission proposals approved in November, Bradley said Floridians apparently have a natural default to vote yes more than no.
“That is not how this is supposed to work,” Bradley said. “Voters should have clear choices presented to them when they’re engaged in amending our fundamental law.”
His proposal would require that any constitutional revision from the commission “must embrace but one subject.”
The Constitution Revision Commission doesn’t meet again until 2037.
Bradley’s proposal, if approved by the Legislature, would go before voters in 2020. The bill must still go before the Ethics and Elections and the Rules committees to reach the Senate floor.
Showing support for Bradley’s proposal, Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, withdrew his own measure (SJR 86), which also targeted bundling. A similar bill (HJR 53) has been filed in the House for consideration during the legislative session that starts March 5.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Carsyn Dortch Named Miss Ernest Ward (With Pageant Photo Gallery)
January 27, 2019
Carsyn Laine Dortch was named Miss Ernest Ward Middle School Saturday night in a “The Greatest Show” themed pageant at the school.
Third runner-up was Jamison Abigail Gilman, second runner-up was McKenna Rae Simmons, and the first runner-up in the annual pageant was Emma Sage Gilmore.
The Personality Award went to McKenna Rae Simmons; Miss Hospitality, the People’s Choice Award and the Physical Fitness Award to Jessica Faith Stabler; the Poise and Appearance Award to Emma Sage Gilmore; and Miss Congeniality to Carsyn Laine Dortch.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the pageant, click here.
Pictured top: Miss Ernest Ward Middle School Carsyn Laine Dortch. Pictured below in descending order: First Runner-up Emma Sage Gilmore, second runner-up McKenna Rae Simmons, and Third Runner-up Jamison Abigail Gilman. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Is Sonny’s BBQ Coming To Molino?
January 27, 2019
A spray painted sign in Molino has created quite the social media stir among local residents.
There may be a Smokey Bear nearby, but don’t get your hopes up for a smoked pork plate just yet.
The sign proclaims “Sonny’s BBQ Coming Soon” at Highway 29 and Highway 196. That’s near the Florida Forest Service fire tower, the local home of Smokey.
A spokesperson for Sonny’s corporate office told NorthEscambia.com Friday that there is no Sonny’s coming to Molino anytime soon. The only new Sonny’s in the near future for Escambia or Santa Rosa counties will be in Pace.
Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.