County Takes First Small Steps Toward Cleanup Of Tornado Damaged Sawmill
April 9, 2018
For the first time in over two years since an EF-3 tornado ravaged part of Century, there has been a step, a small step, toward cleanup of the old Alger-Sullivan mill property. The 38-acre industrial property was heavily damaged and sat untouched since 150 mph tornado winds the afternoon of February 15, 2016.
Last week, Escambia County crews entered the property and performed some cutting and trimming, cleaned around a concrete ditch, removed four 30-yard dumpsters of debris and replaced a piece of fence that was down. The Mosquito Control Division was also on site to inspect and treat any areas that were favorable for mosquito breeding.
The work was performed on the north side of the property, behind the houses on Front Street.
Escambia County will bill property owners $5,450 for the work.
The cleanup was a minor step toward progress.
“Unfortunately, without either a change in behavior of the current owners, or a change in ownership through a completely private method, there is not a quick way to cleanup and abate the sawmill property. Escambia County has begun the process of being able to take the lead on a cleanup, but it will not be a swift process,” County Attorney Alison Rogers said.
Front Street is directly adjacent to the former Alger-Sullivan Lumber Mill — a sprawling property encompassing 330,200 square feet in eight buildings on 38 acres. Damage included the collapse of the rear portion of the largest building. Portions of the buildings blew into, and in some cases through, houses along Front Street. Since the tornado, residents have pushed the Town of Century and Escambia County to clean up the property.
The property owners — listed in county records as DMT Holdings LLC in Navarre and DMT Holdings LLC in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada — were cited by Escambia County Code Enforcement. The county provides code enforcement services under contract within the town limits of Century.
With no response from the owners. a special magistrate for Escambia County issued an order against the property at One Lumber Road on October 4, 2016, giving the owners until November 1, 2016, to clean up the property. Failing to comply, the property owners were assessed costs of $1,100, and fines of $50 per day have been accruing ever since. To date, the property owners have accrued fines in excess of $27,500.
Escambia County received three bids for the demolition and cleanup of the mill, but the low bid was $800,000 — far in excess of the county’s entire cleanup budget. Last fiscal year, Escambia County spent $435,000 abate properties. This fiscal year, the budget is up to $463,425. Property records show the entire property is assessed at a value of $802,189.
Seizing the property under legal channels has also been problematic due to an outstanding mortgage and back taxes.
‘They owe more than it’s worth,” Century Mayor Henry Hawkins said at a recent council meeting after the town turned to town attorney Matt Dannheisser for assistance. Hawkins has told the council that there is still over $900,00 owed on the mortgage and $300,000 in back taxes – amounts the town could be responsible for paying if they were to seize the property under eminent domain. But he also said Danneheisser may have found a way to “trump the bank” in their interest in the property.
NorthEscambia.com and courtesy file photos, click to enlarge.
Governor Signs Law Pushed By Escambia Making It Illegal To Trespass On School Bus
April 9, 2018
Gov. Rick Scott has signed a bill that includes a provision make it illegal to trespass on a school bus.
The Escambia County School District initiated the effort to close the loophole in the law that excluded school buses from the school trespassing statute.
“I was illegal to trespass in a school building, but the loophole was on a bus,” Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said. “Prior to this law, if someone would not get off a bus, law enforcement could not charge them with trespassing.”
The new law includes school buses within the definition of a the term “school” in the state’s school trespass statues. The law applies to both public and nonpublic schools.
“In today’s world, law enforcement needs the ability to enforce violations where they occur,” Thomas said. He also offered his thanks to Rep. Frank White.
“Rep. Frank White was a great champion for this,’ the superintendent said. “Without Frank White staying on this, this would not have passed this year.”
The Escambia County School District pushed unsuccessfully for a such a law in previous legislative sessions.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
April 9, 2018
Jim Allen Elementary School has name students of the month. They are Macey Echols and Carson Jordan. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Commission To Hold Closed Door Meeting To Discuss Sheriff’s Budget Appeal
April 9, 2018
The Escambia County Commission will hold a closed-door meeting with its attorneys Thursday to discuss the Sheriff David Morgan’s pending budget appeal to Gov. Rick Scott.
Such private meetings to discuss pending litigation are allowable under Florida law, and a court reporter’s record become public upon conclusion of the litigation..
The county and the Sheriff’s Office have been battling it out over funding for most of the last year, with the parties signing a mediation agreement on March 9. After the mediation agreement was announced, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan announced a few days later that the agreement was unsuccessful, citing issue over workers compensation, unemployment compensation, retirement and health care issues.
BayBears Sweep Blue Wahoos In Sunday Doubleheaders
April 9, 2018
The Blue Wahoos dropped the opening series of the season after getting swept in Sunday’s doubleheader in Mobile.
Pensacola played well enough to win game two, but their late-game rally fell just short.
Shed Long turned in a monster 2-for-4 performance with all hits going for doubles. He would’ve been 3-for-4, except after hitting what seemed like a first inning double, was instead ruled an out after Long did not touch first base.
Blue Wahoos starter Jesus Reyes (L, 0-1) ran into trouble in the third inning when the BayBears sent nine men to the plate. Taylor Ward had a two-out, two-RBI double that made it 3-2 before Wade Wass’s single made it 4-2.
Pensacola rallied in the fifth when CJ McElroy reached on an error and then scored on Long’s would-be third double of the game to make 4-3.
In the sixth, Nick Longi led off the inning with a single off Greg Mahle (W, 1-0), but with Aristides Auino at the dish, Longhi was picked off by the lefty’s deceptive move to first. Aquino then singled, but the rally never came to fruition.
Jake Jewell (S,1) pitched a perfect seventh inning to seal the sweep.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, the Blue Wahoos again fell victim to a big inning.
In the fourth inning, starter Vladimir Gutierrez (L, 0-1) began to struggle with his command. Hutton Moyer led off the inning with a four-pitch walk and promptly stole second base. After a Michael Bearish single, Connor Justus walked and Moyer scored on a wild pitch to put Mobile up 2-0. Gutierrez then induced Jose Rojas to hit into a double-play.
With two outs the inning it appeared Gutierrez worked out of trouble when Brendon Sanger grounded out to the pitcher; however, Chad Tromp was dinged for catcher’s interference and that error allowed the inning to continue.
Carlos Navas replaced Gutierrez with the bases loaded and promptly surrendered a bases-clearing double to Matt Thaiss, which broke the game open at 6-0. Moyer capped the scoring with a two-run homer in his second at-bat of the inning to make it 9-0. By the time inning came to a close the BayBears sent 11 men to the plate and scored eight runs in an inning for the first time since May of 2014.
BayBears starter Jose Rodriguez (W, 1-0) was excellent in his Double-A debut earning the win by holding Pensacola to a pair of hits over five innings.
Longhi has a nine-game hitting streak (.423, 11-for-26) dating back to last season and has a hit in every game of his Pensacola career except his Blue Wahoos debut on July 7 (10 games).
The Blue Wahoos bullpen has already pitched 15.2 innings in relief and have held the BayBears to a total of five runs (2.87 ERA).
Had Shed Long not been ruled out for not stepping on first base it would have been the first time in his career that he had three doubles in a game.
The Blue Wahoos will close out the series tomorrow night when Double-A newcomer Wyatt Strahan goes head-to-head with Mobile’s Dylan Unsworth.
Highway 29 And Nine Mile Closure Canceled
April 9, 2018
This closure has been canceled. No further information is available.
Highway 29 and Nine Mile Road will be closed at the Highway 29 overpass from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday as crews pour the center portion of the new bridge deck. Traffic control officers will be on site to help direct traffic.
- Highway 29 north and southbound will be reduced to one lane and detoured onto the Nine Mile Road on and off-ramps.
- Eastbound Nine Mile Road traffic will be reduced to one lane, detoured to Highway 29 southbound, and U-turn at West Hood Drive to return to Nine Mile Road. Westbound traffic will perform the same operation at West 9 1/2 Mile Road.
- Highway 29 traffic between Interstate 10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
Construction activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers should use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the work zone, and watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway, according to FDOT.
Man Ejected In I-10 Rollover Crash
April 8, 2018
A 19-year old Pensacola man is recovering after being ejected in an early morning crash on I-10.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Christopher Gallardoabreu was traveling east in the inside lane on I-10 east of Nine Mile Road in a 2007 Nissan Altima. Tyler Goodwin, 33, of Pensacola, was also eastbound but in the outside lane. Gallardoabreu entered Goodwin’s lane and struck his Dodge Caravan about 1:40 a.m.
Gallardoabreu’s Altima overturned, ejecting him as the vehicle came to rest upside down on I-10. One lane of I-10 was closed for about 30 minutes until a wrecker could remove the vehicle. There was no traffic back up during the lane restriction.
Gallardoabreu suffered only minor injuries and was cited for careless driving and no seat belt by the FHP. Goodwin was not injured.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Traffic Signal, Other Improvements Coming To Highway 297A, Kingsfield Intersection
April 8, 2018
A traffic signal and other improvements are coming to the intersection of Highway 297A and Kingsfield Road in Cantonment.
The project will include roadway improvements, including the addition of left and right turn lanes on each approach, a traffic signal, signage and pavement markings, pedestrian safety enhancements, drainage modifications and storm water management.
The Escambia County Commission has awarded a $1,010,138 contract to low bidder Roads, Inc. of Northwest Florida for the work. Other bidders were Midsouth Paving, Inc. at $1,398,721 and Gulf Atlantic Constructors, Inc. at $1,432,224.
Pictured: One person was airlifted following a serious four vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 297A and Kingsfield Road in 2016. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Diamond Divas Take Second In Backing The Blue Tournament
April 8, 2018
The Northwest Escambia Diamond Divas softball team recently took second in the Backing the Blue tournament. Proceeds from the second annual tournament benefited the family of Officer Justin Billa of the Mobile Police Department was killed in the line of duty. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunday Alcohol Sales Now Legal In Atmore
April 8, 2018
Sunday alcohol sales are now legal in Atmore.
In January, the Atmore City Council unanimously approved a resolution to allow Sunday alcohol sales after 10 a.m. After the resolution passed, the Alabama Legislature approved a bill to allow the Sunday sales in Atmore, and it went into effect March 25.
Across the state line in Florida, Sunday retail alcohol sales begin at 1 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.