Driver Injured In Crash At Lake Stone Campground
October 10, 2017
One person was injured in a single vehicle crash at Lake Stone near Century Tuesday morning.
The driver of A Nissan Xterra was traveling on West Highway 4 when they ran off the roadway, ran through a wooden fence around the Lake Stone campground and struck a pine tree just inside the park.
Minor extrication was needed to free the driver from the vehicle. They were transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital with non -life threatening injuries.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
County Cuts Direct Century Chamber Funding
October 10, 2017
Escambia County has signed off on an interlocal agreement with the the Town of Century that drastically changes how economic development dollars are allocated in Century,
During the previous fiscal year that ended September 30, the county provided a $55,000 allocation to the Century Area Chamber, up from $40,000 in previous years. That amounted to 97 percent of the chamber’s total funding and provided a $40,00o per year salary for an economic development coordinator, according to documents submitted by the chamber to the county.
With final budget approval, Escambia County has still allocated $55,000 in funding for economic development in the Century area, not just within town limits. Ideas and funding requests will be submitted by the Century Chamber of Commerce, the Century Town Council and any other group to District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry. The requests will be heard by the entire commission for approval.
No more than 10 percent of the funds can be used for daily operational expenses, and none of the county money can be used for salaries, benefits or administrative costs.
Instead. the funds can be used to cover the costs associated with implementing economic development initiatives, and programs and services to attract and recruit new businesses to the area.
The Century Town Council must still approve the interlocal agreement.
Couple Seeks Return Of Stolen Cameras With Baby Videos
October 10, 2017
An Escambia County couple is hoping a thief will have a change of heart and return cameras — or at least memory cards — that contain irreplaceable family videos.
Sunday night or early Monday morning, someone stole both a Canon EOS Rebel T3i camera with a “stock” Canon 18-55mm lens (example above) and a Canon Vixia video camera from a vehicle on Chicago Avenue, not far from Pine Forest High School. Both cameras were in the same bag as their chargers.
The video camera contained videos taken since the birth of the couple’s youngest child.
“While we would love to catch whoever did it, we really would just love to have our memory cards back. We can replace the cameras, but we can’t replace my baby’s first Christmas, first birthday party, first steps,” the woman said. “I think the guy has no heart… but if he does, he can even just leave them on our sidewalk or porch if he wants.”
Anyone with additional information can also call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
October 10, 2017
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings for the week of October 9-13:
Tuesday, Oct. 10
TPO Technical Coordinating Committee – 8:30 a.m., 222 W. Main St. (Agenda)
TPO Citizens’ Advisory Committee – 10:30 a.m., 222 W. Main St. (Agenda)
CANCELED: Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate
Merit System Protection Board – 5 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor Training Room
Escambia County Housing Finance Authority – 5 p.m., 700 S. Palafox St.
District 1 Town Hall – 6 p.m., Myrtle Grove Elementary School, 615 Lillian Highway
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Contractor Competency Board – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers, 1st Floor (Agenda)
Transportation Planning Organization – 9 a.m., 1320 Tiger Park Lane, Gulf Breeze (Agenda)
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place (Agenda)
Thursday, Oct. 12
Committee of the Whole – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers, 1st Floor
Sick Leave Pool Committee – 11 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Human Resources Department, 2nd Floor
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Entries Still Being Accepted For Friday’s Northview Homecoming Parade
October 10, 2017
Entries are still being accepted for the Northview High School Homecoming Parade this Friday, October 13.
The parade will line up at 12:30 p.m. and travel from Bratt Elementary School to Northview High. Entries are being accepted now; there is no cost to enter. For a printable entry form, click here. Entries are due by October 10.
Contact Perry Byars at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 or email pbyars@escambia.k12.fl.us for more information.
The Northview Homecoming Meal to benefit the Tommy Weaver Memorial Scholarship Fund will be a BBQ plate with a pulled pork sandwich, chips, cookies and a drink for $7. The meal will be available beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at the football stadium concession stand.. Served by the Northview High School FFA Alumni.
The Northview Chief’s homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 13 against the Catholic Crusaders.
Pictured: The 2016 Northview High Homecoming Parade in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
“Bump Stock’ Ban Proposed In Florida After Vegas Shootings
October 10, 2017
Little more than a week after a massacre in Las Vegas, a Florida state senator Monday proposed banning devices — known as “bump stocks” — that can be used to increase the rate of firing bullets from semi-automatic weapons.
Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, filed the bill for consideration during the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January.
Bump stocks have drawn widespread attention since Stephen Paddock fired guns Oct. 1 from a window at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds of others who had gathered for a country-music concert.
Paddock, who also killed himself, had modified weapons to make them fire more rapidly.
Stewart’s bill would ban the possession and sale of bump stocks in Florida.
by The News Service of Florida.
Stock photo.
BOCC Approves New Street ‘Mossy Oak Drive’ In Molino
October 10, 2017
The Escambia County Commission recently approved a new street name for a private road in Molino.
They approved the street name “Mossy Oak Drive,” for a private road running east off of the 5500 block of North Highway 29 and 140 feet south of Chance Road. Otto Wallace, the only property owner impacted, signed a petition requesting the street name.
The road naming will cost the county $446.90 for a new street sign.
Lawmakers Seek To Streamline Kidcare
October 10, 2017
A Florida Senate committee approved a bill Monday that would streamline a state children’s health insurance program, even though Congress has yet to reauthorize funding for the program.
The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee unanimously approved the proposal (SB 108), which would create a 12-member task force in in the Florida Department of Health and charge it with making legislative recommendations by Dec. 31, 2018, on how to streamline and improve the Florida KidCare program.
The “point of this bill is to simplify the program for families and to streamline the administration and make it more efficient and save tax dollars,” bill sponsor Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, told members of the committee.
Longtime social-services advocate Karen Woodall for years has advocated streamlining KidCare, which is administered by a combination of state agencies, from the Department of Children and Families, which determines Medicaid eligibility, to the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, which receives all KidCare applications and determines eligibility for the children’s health- insurance program.
“Oftentimes, when you have multiple agencies, no matter how good you are, you lose kids between the programs,” Woodall told committee members as she testified in support of the bill, which cleared the committee unanimously.
The committee took up the bill during its first meeting in preparation for the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January. The measure would need to clear two more committees before it could go to the full Senate.
The Legislature created the KidCare Program in response to the federal enactment of the Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997. That program, commonly known as CHIP, provides subsidized health insurance to uninsured children who do not qualify for Medicaid but who have family incomes under 200 percent of the federal poverty level and meet other eligibility criteria.
CHIP is currently authorized through 2019, but funding for the program expired Sept. 30.
Florida’s CHIP allocation in fiscal year 2017-18 is $422.7 million, of which $16.9 million is state funds.
Children covered under the program could be at risk if Congress doesn’t agree to additional funding. Woodall, though, is optimistic that won’t happen.
“I believe there is an awful lot of bipartisan support for this,” she said.
Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Chairman Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, said he is going to write a letter this week to members of Congress urging them to continue funding for the program.
by Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida
Volleyball: Northview Chiefs Fall To The Milton Panthers
October 10, 2017
The Milton Panthers defeated the Northview Chiefs in three sets Monday in Bratt — 25-9, 25-12, 25-14.
Teriana Redmond led the Chiefs with three kills, eight blocks and 17 digs. Olivia Porter (pictured above) recorded nine serving aces.
The junior varsity Chiefs lost to Milton 29-27, 25-14.
Up next, the Chiefs travel to Flomaton on Tuesday. The JV plays at 5:00, followed by the varsity at 6 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Deputy Responding To Call Slams Into House
October 10, 2017
An Escambia County deputy responding to an emergency call Sunday night lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a house.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 28-year old Deputy George D. Lloyd was responding in emergency mode to a burglary in progress call about 8:43 p.m. when he lost control and hit a house in the 3300 block of North “W” Street. The front of the marked vehicle went through the wall of the house.
Lloyd was not injured, and there were no injuries inside the residence.
No charges were filed in the incident.
Photo courtesy FHP for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.