Firefighters Extinguish Molino Brush Fire
October 11, 2016
Firefighters responded to a brush fire Tuesday morning off Schaag Road in Molino. The fire near a home on construction on Evers Haven was quickly contained by Escambia Fire Rescue. The Florida Division of Forestry also responded. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
New Pediatric Dental Clinic Now Open In Century
October 11, 2016
A new pediatric dental clinic opened Monday in Century.
Escambia Community Clinics opened their new ECC Century Pediatric Dental Clinic at 501 Church Street, in the former Health and Hope Clinic location. They were able to see nine patients on their first day.
“It was a very successful first day,”Ann Papadelias of ECC said. “It went really well. We are proud to be part of this area.”
The child-friendly clinic will be open in Century every Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; same day appointments may be available. Appointments can be made by calling (850) 724-4054.
The clinic will provide important oral health care services for children 0 to 20 years of age, and will provide dental exams, dental x-rays, dental cleanings/dental hygiene, dental extractions, fillings and tooth restorations, dental sealants and fluoride varnish, and oral health education.
ECC Century Pediatric Dental Clinic accepts children covered by Florida Medicaid ages 0-20, children with DentaQuest dental insurance, children with no insurance (parents must complete ECC financial eligibility paperwork and receive approval for ECC charity/sliding fee program), and the clinic also accepts some private dental insurances.
Pictured: The new ECC Century Pediatric Dental Clinic opened in Century on Monday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Judge Orders Voter Registration Deadline Extended Until Wednesday
October 11, 2016
A federal judge ordered a one-day extension in Florida’s r registration deadline and seemed ready to consider a longer delay against the backdrops of the recovery from Hurricane Matthew and one of the most heated presidential races in decades.
U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said the state should continue accepting voter registration papers through 5 p.m. Wednesday. He also set up a Wednesday morning hearing to consider a request by the Florida Democratic Party to keep registration open until Oct. 18 — a week after the initial deadline was set to pass.
In Escambia County, the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office will remain open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and will accept registrations on Wednesday until 5 p.m.
“It has been suggested that the issue of extending the voter registration deadline is about politics. Poppycock,” Walker wrote in a 16-page ruling. “This case is about the right of aspiring eligible voters to register and to have their votes counted. Nothing could be more fundamental to our democracy.”
Still, politics swirled around the case less than a month before Florida could play a decisive role in the presidential race between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, and Republican Donald Trump. The lawsuit was filed by the Florida Democratic Party after Gov. Rick Scott, who heads a super PAC supporting Trump, said he would not extend the registration deadline in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.
Matthew lashed the state’s eastern coast late last week, prompting tens of thousands of Floridians to evacuate. Local, state and federal officials urged residents to flee, arguing that staying behind could prove fatal. At least half a dozen deaths in Florida have been attributed to the storm and its aftermath.
Throughout his order, Walker indicated he was sympathetic to voters affected by the storm.
“These voters have already had their lives (and, quite possibly, their homes) turned up-side down by Hurricane Matthew,” he wrote. “They deserve a break, especially one that is mandated by the United States Constitution.”
In the initial lawsuit, filed late Sunday, lawyers for the Democratic Party argued it was unfair for Scott to warn residents to follow evacuation orders ahead of the storm while at the same time refusing to give people more time to register after the storm displaced them and forced government offices to close.
The filing also said the effects of the decision not to extend the deadline will hurt some voters more than others. The party argues in its lawsuit that minority voters are more likely to register closer to the election, and that voters in parts of the state untouched by Hurricane Matthew will face fewer obstacles to signing up.
by The News Service of Florida with contribution by NorthEscambia.com
Judge: FWC Must Keep Deer-Dog Hunters Off Private Property
October 11, 2016
A Leon County circuit judge has ordered the state Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to stop deer-dog hunters from going on private property within the borders of a state wildlife management area in the Panhandle.
Judge Karen Gievers found that the state agency’s continued permission of the hunt within the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area in Okaloosa County and Santa Rosa counties is a “nuisance” that has interfered with the property owners’ right to enjoy their land.
The order doesn’t call for a stop to such hunting, and it will be up to the state agency to determine how to keep the hunters from going onto private property.
Fish & Wildlife Commission spokeswoman Susan Smith said the agency is reviewing the judge’s order, issued on Sept. 30. Smith said that, since July 1, the agency requires dogs in that area to be equipped with devices that allow behavior correction in addition to remote tracking.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2014 by retired U.S. Air Force pilot and National Rifle Association member William Daws, Jr., and his wife, Ouida Gershon, who sought to put an end to deer-dog hunting in the portion of the Blackwater area where they have lived since 2005. Twelve of their neighbors joined the suit earlier this year.
David Theriaque, a lawyer who represents the plaintiffs who live within the Blackwater area, said the order will provide relief to those property owners.
“All my folks have wanted for years was just to be able to use their property … without being subject to hunters and deer dogs shooting across their property,” Theriaque said.
Daws and Gershon claimed that, during the 44 days the state allows deer dog hunting, they have been threatened by hunters. Daws and Gershon alleged that their mailbox had been shot and derogatory graffiti was written in the road in front of their home. Dogs chasing deer can scare rescued horses on their property, the couple said.
Theriaque said he believes this is the first case in the country in which a court has ruled an agency must halt deer dog hunters from going on private property.
Deer-dog hunters use canines to trail deer through the woods. The dogs are unleashed when deer tracks are found or when hunters are within areas deer are known to frequent. The hunters typically follow in pickup trucks to where the dogs are expected to round up the deer for shooting.
Gievers found that “the plaintiff’s rights to the quiet enjoyment of their property had been invaded and interfered with” by the deer-dog hunters during the 12.1 percent of the year when the hunting is allowed.
“For now, it is clear that the trespasses onto the plaintiffs’ property and the interference with the plaintiffs’ property rights is a direct result of the FWC’s continued allowance of deer dog hunting in an area known to contain private property,” Gievers wrote in her 42-page order.
A hearing is set for Nov. 7 to determine if the court should proceed with a jury trial regarding damages. Daws and Gershon are asking for at least $15,000 in damages, claiming the state agency’s issuance of permits to deer-dog hunters has deprived them of their constitutional rights as property owners.
According to the lawsuit, the couple sought changes to deer-dog hunting for four years as efforts to protect rescue animals they care for on the property resulted in being “harassed, bullied, and threatened by deer-dog hunters, including deer-dog hunters firing their guns over the heads of the Daws.”
In 2005, the commission shrank the space allowed within the 200,000-acre Blackwater wildlife area for deer-dog hunting from 78,172 acres to 19,589 acres, while also closing a number of roads to the hunters.
Shortly before the lawsuit was filed in 2014, the state commission was advised by staff that closing more areas to hunting with dogs is possible, “however, interest in hunting with dogs remains extremely high.”
The state agency had argued in part that the court would violate Florida’s separation of powers law by issuing any order.
But Gievers disagreed, writing that the amended lawsuit did not seek to change FWC rules or regulations, “nor micromanage the deer hunting program.”
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
October 11, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities this week.
Escambia County:
- 9 Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road - Clearing of trees and shrubs on the 4.8-mile segment has begun. Lane closures are only permitted between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- U.S. 29 (S.R. 95) Widening from I-10 to 9 Mile Road – Crews have begun clearing operations for pond locations. Motorists will see activity in relation to this near the intersection of Ryan Avenue and Detroit Boulevard. Lane closures will only be permitted between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- State Road 292 (Perdido Key Drive) Resurfacing (from Alabama State Line to ICWW Bridge) – Intermittent and alternating daytime lane closures for approximately two weeks as crews mill and place the structural course of asphalt.
- State Road (S.R) 298/Lillian Highway Maintenance Operations- Lane closure between Fairfield Drive and Blue Angel Highway Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon as crews perform routine maintenance on a box culvert.
- Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) Underground Utility Work- Eastbound lane closure from 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 to 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14 as crews perform underground utility work.
Santa Rosa County:
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard- Alternating lane closures, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10 through Thursday, Oct. 13 as crews continue widening work. In addition, there will be alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange for bridge work.
- I-10 Resurfacing from east of S.R. 87 to the Okaloosa County Line – Intermittent and alternating lane closures east and westbound between the S.R. 87 interchange and the Okaloosa County line from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10 through Friday, Oct. 14 as crews perform construction activities. Motorists are reminded the speed limit is reduced to 60 MPH within the lane closure.
- S.R. 87 Widening from two miles south of the Yellow River to Hickory Hammock Road –The Yellow River beneath the S.R. 87 bridge will be temporarily closed Friday, Oct. 14 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. as crews mobilize equipment for construction of the new northbound bridge. Boaters are advised to avoid this area.
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 in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Escambia Jail And Work Release Pass Florida Model Jail Standards Inspections
October 11, 2016
The Escambia County Jail and Work Release Center received notification that they have again passed both the Florida Model Jail Standards and Medical Unit Inspections, with inspectors finding no violations. The Florida Model Jail Standards are minimum standards that jails across Florida must meet to ensure the constitutional rights of those incarcerated are upheld.
These annual inspections are led by outside law enforcement agencies and ensure that the facilities and staff meet or exceed the minimum performance standards to operate a constitutional jail in the state of Florida. They include interviews with inmates and staff and review of daily operations.
The team of inspectors reviewed all areas of operations from staff training, admissions, release, programs, sanitation, housing, food service, health records and security, to how medications are stored and labeled.
The inspections were completed in August and October.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Warm Afternoons, Comfortable Nights
October 11, 2016
Pictured: The Blue Angels fly over Pensacola Beach Monday afternoon. Photo courtesy City of Pensacola for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 51. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Calm wind.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 86.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Family: Missing Teen Located
October 11, 2016
UPDATE: Family members say this missing teen has been found safe.
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Authorities are seeking the public’s help in finding a missing teen.
Kolby Dewayne Wooten, 13, left the 3400 block of Newman Road in Mobile and was last seen on Sandy Ridge Road in Citronelle, AL, on Sunday, October 9. His direction of travel was unknown.
He is described as being 5-foot, 4-inches tall, 108 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
Wooten has close family members in the Atmore and North Escambia areas.
Anyone with information on Wooten’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at (251) 574-8633.
Sheriff Presents Animal Control Officer With Medal Of Commendation
October 10, 2016
Sheriff David Morgan recently awarded Escambia County Animal Control Sergeant Stephanie Nowlin with the ECSO’s Medal of Commendation. Nowlin was presented the award for her service and assistance to the ECSO, particularly with livestock cases in North Escambia.
The award read:
“Sergeant Nowlin’s knowledge and experience in regards animal cruelty cases makes her an asset to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. She has successfully implemented procedures for Escambia County relating to livestock operations.
Sgt. Nowlin will respond to any issues that may arise at any time. She has put numerous hours into training and can handle any situation encountered in animal cruelty investigations. She is the “go to” person for livestock issues in the north end of the county. She provides guidance and assists deputies on a daily basis.
Stephanie investigates and presents animal cruelty cases directly to the state attorney for prosecution. She has developed a working relationship requiring little assistance from the sheriff’s office.
Sgt. Nowlin is passionate about her profession and the well-being of animals. For her assistance to the ECSO, and her service to the citizens of Escambia County, Stephanie Nowlin was awarded the Commendation Medal on this 6th day of October, 2016.”
Wrecked Vehicle Found Abandoned On River Annex Road
October 10, 2016
Firefighters responded to this single vehicle accident about 12:45 a.m. Monday in the 200 block of River Annex Road to find the vehicle empty and abandoned. There was no word on the whereabouts or condition of the driver. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.