Work Begins In Century On $4.7 Million Highway 29 Reconstruction
January 27, 2023
The first lane closures happened Thursday in Century as part of a $4.7 million safety project to resurface Highway 29.
The Florida Department of Transportation. Project includes a major reconstruction and realignment of Highway 29 from just south of East Highway 4 to the Alabama state line.
FDOT will also upgrade traffic signals, drainage structures, pavement markings, and driveways, while also improving curb ramps and sidewalks to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
During construction, drivers may encounter temporary traffic shifts and daytime and nighttime intermittent lane closures. Access to adjacent businesses and other properties will be maintained at all times.
FDOT estimates the project will be completed in late 2024.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Danielle O’Connor Is Beulah Middle School Teacher Of The Year
January 27, 2023
Danielle O’Connor was named the Beulah Middle School Teacher of the Year.
O’Connor has taught for seven years — five years as a math teacher and two years as a pre-engineering teacher. She also coaches volleyball, sponsors the Robotics Club, and loves to help out with the FFA.
NorthEscambia.com is continuing to spotlight Teachers of the Year from the North Escambia area during January.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Friends Of The Library Big Winter Book Sale Underway Through Sunday
January 27, 2023
The Friends of West Florida Public Library’s Big Winter Book Sale is going on through Sunday at the downtown library on Spring Street.
Thousands of hardcover, paperback and collectible books will be available for purchase, plus a variety of DVDs, CDs, puzzles and other items. Books will be sorted into different genre categories to make it easier to find favorites. Proceeds are used to fund programs and enhancements at West Florida Public Library (WFPL) branches.
On Saturday, the book sale will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. with free admission and half off Friday prices.
Sunday, admission is free for the popular $7 bag sale from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. As much as will fit into a provided brown paper bag will be just $7.
Credit cards, cash and check are all welcome as payment. Carts will be available to assist in carrying bags.
Book Sale items include thousands of generous donations from the public and some library books retired from circulation, many of them now out-of-print. Novels and mysteries are sorted by author or into genres like Science Fiction and Westerns. Other book categories include arts and entertainment, children’s, cookbooks, history, holidays, home and hobbies, literature, foreign language, military, modern living, nature and gardening, religion, science, sports, technical, and travel. There are also recorded books, magazines and other media for sale.
The Collector’s Corner will feature an assortment of signed books, pre-1950s books, books by local and Florida authors and other special books that are great for gifts. These items are priced as marked and must be checked out separately, so shoppers paying by check should bring at least two of them.
DeSantis: Florida Will Remain The ‘Law And Order’ State
January 27, 2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced a “law and order’ legislative proposal that he says will push back against the abolishment of cash bail, increase penalties for drug-related crimes, step up human smuggling interdictions, strengthen the punishment for child rapists, prevent the early release of sex criminals, and make it more feasible to administer ultimate justice to those facing the death penalty.
“Other states endanger their citizens by making it easier to put criminals back on the street. Here in Florida, we will to continue to support and enact policies to protect our communities and keep Floridians safe,” said DeSantis. “Florida will remain the law and order state.”
DeSantis said the legislation will bolster Florida’s blueprint for fighting crime by:
- Reforming Florida’s death penalty statute to ensure that those convicted of the most heinous crimes are punished accordingly. Current law requires a unanimous jury recommendation to impose a death sentence. This proposal reduces the number of jurors required for a recommendation of death from unanimity to a supermajority jury recommendation.
- Addressing the ongoing fentanyl crisis that is plaguing our country by imposing additional penalties on fentanyl and other drug-related crimes when the drug’s appearance resembles a piece of candy, including making it a first degree felony to possess, sell, or manufacture fentanyl and other controlled substances that resemble candy and adding a mandatory life sentence and $1 million penalty for trafficking such substances that target children. Additionally, Governor DeSantis is allocating $20 million in local support funding for law enforcement agencies to increase efforts to interdict and apprehend the illicit sale and trafficking of fentanyl. This builds upon last year’s increase in fentanyl trafficking mandatory minimums and will protect vulnerable children who might be deceived by what has been dubbed “rainbow fentanyl.”
- Strengthening Florida’s bail laws by limiting who is eligible for release prior to first appearance, making sure that a judge is the ultimate decision maker when it comes to detention, and requiring a detention hearing be held prior to trial for dangerous crimes.
- Petitioning the Florida Supreme Court to establish a uniform bond schedule that all state courts must follow.
- Requiring convicted child rapists to serve at least life in prison and exploring options to make them eligible for the death penalty.
- Toughening penalties for sex criminals by expanding the list of crimes ineligible for gain time by adding all inchoate offenses (attempted crimes) of sexual misconduct, such as attempted sexual battery.
- Requiring law enforcement to report missing persons to the National Missing and Unidentified Person’s System. Currently, they are only required to report it to the Florida Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center.
- Dedicating $5 million in the upcoming budget recommendations to continue the successful interdictions by the strike force announced last year. To date, these interdictions have resulted in more than 200 felony charges, nearly 40 human smuggling charges, 66 drug charges, and more than $625,000 worth of illicit drugs seized.
Atmore Police Investigating After Multiple Shots Fired Near Local Park
January 27, 2023
Atmore Police are looking for a suspect after shots were fired near a local park.
About 7:35 Wednesday night, the Atmore Police Department responded to a shots fired call in the area of Westside Park on Wilson Avenue. They arrived on scene to find several spent casings in the street.
While they were working the scene, a bond agent contacted officers stating that he might know who was involved, according to police.
Officers were also notified that a residence on West Nashville Avenue was also struck by gunfire, as was a vehicle.
“Investigators are working to determine who fired the shots,” Sgt. Darrell McMann said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Atmore Police at (251) 368-9141.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Florida Power & Light CEO Silagy Is Retiring
January 27, 2023
Eric Silagy, chairman, president and CEO of Florida Power & Light Company, is retiring after 20 years with the company, including 11 years leading FPL.
Silagy has worked for FPL parent company NextEra Energy for nearly two decades. Prior to his appointment as president of FPL in 2011, he served as senior vice president of regulatory and state governmental affairs and as chief development officer, managing all generation development, including solar, natural gas and nuclear energy projects. Silagy also spent time working for NextEra Energy Resources where he served as vice president and general manager of the southern region, and vice president of business development.
Armando Pimentel, who previously served in several senior executive roles with NextEra Energy, will rejoin the company and is named president and CEO, FPL. John Ketchum, chairman, president and CEO, NextEra Energy, was named chairman, FPL.
“Eric is a passionate advocate for continuous improvement and under his leadership FPL has transformed into the nation’s largest electric utility, providing our customers with the country’s most reliable service with bills significantly lower than the national average,” Ketchum said. “He is commitment to putting customers first was on full display last year during hurricanes Ian and Nicole, where his dedication, commitment and compassion drove the FPL team to restore power in record time and quickly put the state of Florida back on its feet. Eric has been a devoted supporter of the state and his work for a variety of organizations has helped to foster Florida’s economic growth, strengthen the state university system and grow the next generation of Florida leaders. I wish Eric and his family all the best on this next chapter in life.”
“It has been an honor and privilege to lead the FPL team for more than a decade and I couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments we have delivered to our customers and the state of Florida,” said Silagy. “Over the last decade, we have transformed FPL’s generation fleet into one of the cleanest, most reliable and lowest-cost portfolios in the country, delivered award-winning customer service, ensured bills are significantly lower than the national average and provided our customers the best grid reliability in the country.
Pictured top: Eric Silagy, FPL chairman and CEO, during a commissioning ceremony for the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Ceremony in McDavid on March 24, 2022. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Dump Truck Driver Hits Cow On Highway 95A
January 26, 2023
A driver was not injured when his vehicle struck a cow early Thursday morning near the Quintette area.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 59-year old dump truck driver was traveling south on Highway 95A when his vehicle collided with “a cow that was crossing” the road about 5:50 a.m..
Witnesses tell us the cow came to rest in the ditch before later walking away. Troopers said the cow was later rounded up by its owner.
A photograph from the scene showed that more than one cow was loose near the crash scene.
Photo by Sarah Hassebrock for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Driver Killed When His Vehicle Crashes Off Bob Sikes Fishing Pier
January 26, 2023
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 24-year old man was killed when his vehicle plunged off the Bob Sikes Fishing Pier.
FHP said the man from Malvern Arkansas, was traveling north on the pier, when he failed to observe the end of the pier. His vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier and came to rest at the bottom of the water about 11:30 a.m.
The vehicle with the man’s body inside was recovered Thursday afternoon.
No additional details have been released.
Contractor Jesse LaCoste Charged With Fraud, Larceny
January 26, 2023
Local contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste has been arrested on larceny and fraud charges in Escambia County.
According to jail records, LaCoste was charged with two counts of larceny between $20,000 and $100,000, insurance fraud between $20,000 and $100,000, larceny by a contractor failing to refund, and grand theft between $750 and $5,000.
LaCoste, 31, was released on a $130,000 bond within an hour of being booked in the Escambia County Jail.
LaCoste and his contractor brother-in-law Matthew Banks, have had their contractor licenses revoked in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties after multiple accusations that they took payment for work that was never completed or even started. LaCoste was arrested in November on charges in Santa Rosa County for accepting $15,000 for work that was never done.
Earlier this month, LaCoste told the Escambia County Contractor Competency Board that he wants his privilege to pull building permits reinstated so that he can get back to work .
“I’ve been called a lot of things this year,” LaCoste said, adding that he has been a builder for 11 years as of this month. “I had nothing but beautiful relationships all along the Gulf Coast, and was touted as something pretty good to work with for a long time. And had nothing but positive interactions.”
“This year, I’ve had my entire life stripped from me,” an emotional LaCoste said at the January meeting. “I’ve continued to be the same person I am, while being called everything you can imagine, receiving death threats and all of those things.”
The Contractor Competency Board told they him would revisit the reinstatement request in the future after fines and restitution are paid.
Teen Sentenced As Adult For 2021 Armed Store Robbery, Residential Armed Burglary
January 26, 2023
A teen has been sentenced as an adult to 12 years in prison for a 2021 convenience store armed robbery in Davisville and an unrelated residential burglary in Molino.
Tallin Treyton Bishop, now 18, was 17 when he was charged with the December 7, 2021, armed robbery of the Marathon convenience store on Highway 97 in Davisville.
He was charged with armed burglary, aggravated assault by threat with a deadly weapon, and shooting into a dwelling for a burglary the following day off Highway 97 in the Dogwood Park area. Wearing masks and armed, Bishop and two others entered the home through an unlocked door and were confronted by the homeowner, according to an arrest report.
According to court documents, Bishop will receive credit for 284 days served while awaiting trial. He was also ordered to pay costs and restitution.
Two other defendants — Ricky Lee Cooper, Jr. and Samuel Adams — are awaiting trial for their alleged roles in the burglary.
Surveillance images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
