Ray’s Chapel Donates School Supplies To Byrneville Elementary School
July 25, 2021
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church recently donated school supplies for students at Byrneville Elementary School. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County’s Mobile Command Center Back From Condo Collapse
July 25, 2021
Escambia County’s mobile command center is back from the Surfside, Florida, condo collapse near Miami.
The command center, nicknamed “THOR” was requested by the state in late June to use as a command post during the search and recovery efforts.
The THOR command post trailer expands to offer 1,000 square feet of interior working space. It is equipped with a 44-kilowatt generator with 72 hours of fuel onboard, and has dual 5-ton air conditioning units.
It allows for wireless communications, including cellular, satellite, VOIP phones and radio equipment. It has a 52-foot mast with antennas an high resolutions cameras, a video distribution system for off-air television, satellite television and computer system. There is a four-position communication room and office space with printers, scanners, office supplies, mini-fridge, microwave and a coffee maker.
Pictured: Escambia County’s mobile command center “THOR” in use at the the Surfside condo collapse. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Search And Rescue Celebrates 60 Years Of Volunteer Service
July 25, 2021
The volunteers of Escambia Search and Rescue celebrated 60 years of service with an open house event Saturday.
Nearly 100 volunteers were honored for their commitment to ESAR, one of the oldest all-volunteer search and rescue groups in the country. ESAR provides search and rescue support to multiple agencies, including the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia Fire Rescue, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other to find missing people or assist stranded individuals.
“It takes a special person to join into the volunteer ranks of search and rescue,” ESAR Director Clint Retherford said. “We have built so much on the team we established in 1961.”
ESAR uses their training and technology to find people in a variety of circumstances including lost children and adults, missing hunters, drowning victims, overdue boats, and natural disaster victims.
ESAR also takes part in Project Lifesaver, a locating technology for those who are prone to wandering, becoming lost, and not likely to be able to find their way back to safety on their own. Persons with alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, traumatic brain injury, or other related cognitive conditions are eligible for Project Lifesaver.
Project Lifesaver uses a small radio transmitter about the size of a watch that can be worn on the wrist or ankle. It emits a radio signal with a unique frequency for each transmitter. Escambia Search And Rescue has trained search volunteers and receiving equipment ready to respond to assist in locating these individuals, sometimes in as little as 15-30 minutes.
For more information on Project Lifesaver, email ddirector@ESAR.com.
Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Here Are This Week’s Road Construction Delay Spots
July 25, 2021
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County
- Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) Replacement - The Pensacola Bay Bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction from the bridge approach in Gulf Breeze extending for approximately 3,500-feet from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, and Thursday, July 29 as crews pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure under construction. In addition, eastbound drivers may encounter right lane closures 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 27 through Saturday, July 31 as workers paint barrier wall and repair lighting.
-
- 17th Avenue Interchange construction – 17th Avenue southbound remains closed at Bayfront Parkway. Access to the Pensacola Visitor’s Center and boat launch remains open from 17th Avenue.
- North Ninth Avenue (State Road (S.R.) 289) Carpenters Creek Bridge Replacement- All travel lanes are temporarily shifted to the northbound side of the bridge as crews work to replace the southbound portion of the structure.
-
- Brief, intermittent lane closures are anticipated to continue through the end of the year as crews mobilize materials and equipment.
- Pile driving operations are underway and will take place during daytime hours. Nearby residents and commercial property owners may experience noise and vibration.
- U.S. 29 from South of Muscogee Road (County Road (C.R.) 184) to Atmore Hwy (S.R. 97) – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures Sunday, July 25 through Friday, July 30 as crews perform striping operations and signal work.
- West Cervantes (U.S. 90) Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project – Drivers will encounter inside lane closures between North Pace Boulevard and J Street to perform median improvement work. Short term intermittent closures may also occur at other locations between Dominguez Street and Place Boulevard to allow installation of landscape irrigation lines Drivers are reminded that the speed limit on West Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) between Dominguez Street and A Street has been permanently reduced to 30 mph.
- Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Widening from Pine Forest (S.R. 297) to U.S. 29 – Drivers will encounter intermittent east and westbound traffic shifts between Pine Forest Road and U.S. 29 as crews lay the final layer of asphalt.
- U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road) Widening from Beulah Road to S.R. 297 (Pine Forest Road) – Drivers will encounter alternating and intermittent east and westbound lane closures and traffic shifts between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. the week of Monday, July 26, as crews perform paving operations.
- Sorrento Road (S.R. 292) Intersection Improvements at the Innerarity Point (C.R. 292A)–
Motorists can expect daytime shoulder closures the week of Monday, July 26 as crews perform drainage work. - U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) – Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures and shifts from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the week of Monday, July 26 as crews perform paving operations.
- Interstate 110 (I-110) Maintenance Work on the Eastbound Flyover Ramp onto I-10 – Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures on the eastbound flyover ramp on to I-10, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 28 through Thursday, July 29 as crews make repairs to the ramp.
- I-110 Routine Sign Maintenance – Motorists can expect southbound intermittent lane closures on I-110 the following dates and locations as crews perform routine sign maintenance:
-
- Sunday, July 25 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. 0.2 miles north of Creighton Road (S.R. 742).
- Sunday, July 25 10:30 p.m. to midnight one-half mile south of I-10.
- Monday, July 16 12:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. one-half mile south of Brent Lane.
Santa Rosa County
- Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) Replacement - The Pensacola Bay Bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction from the bridge approach in Gulf Breeze extending for approximately 3,500-feet from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, July 26, and Thursday, July 29 as crews pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure under construction. In addition, eastbound drivers may encounter right lane closures 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 27 through Saturday, July 31 as workers paint barrier wall and repair lighting.
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Crews continue utility relocations, clearing, excavation, drainage improvements, and pond construction. There are no traffic impacts currently.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Homers From Bleday, Conine Not Enough As Wahoos Lose 6-5 To Biscuits
July 25, 2021
Down by two in the bottom of the ninth, Chris Betts smacked a three-run, walk-off home run against Andrew McInvale (L, 1-2) to give the Biscuits an unexpected 6-5 win Saturday night at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
Leading 5-3, McInvale was brought into the ninth to try and secure his first save of the year. Instead, it was evident the right-hander was struggling to find command of his fastball. After back-to-back walks, he fell behind Betts 3-0 before eventually surrendering an opposite field homer, giving the Biscuits their ninth win in 10 games.
For Pensacola, it was arguably their best performance of the series. Jeff Lindgren was excellent in his five innings of work. He allowed just one run on three hits while walking only two. He also snapped a streak of eight consecutive starts in which he allowed at least one home run.
Offensively, after a dormant showing in the series, the Wahoos managed to attack Biscuit starter Peyton Battenfield and take the lead early. After Nick Fortes laced a two-out double in the bottom of the fourth, Griffin Conine belted an opposite field homer—his 24th on the season—for his first career Double-A home run.
After Montgomery scored in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead down to 2-1, Pensacola tacked on two more runs in the sixth. With the bases loaded and newly acquired reliever Calvin Faucher on the mound for Montgomery, J.D. Osborne blooped a two-run single to left to score Peyton Burdick and JJ Bleday. Faucher was part of the Nelson Cruz trade earlier in the week.
The Biscuits rallied in the bottom of the seventh for a pair of runs against Dylan Bice. With runners on first and second and two outs, Ford Proctor singled sharply to right. Niko Hulsizer blew past the stop sign from his manager, but still scored because Conine’s throw from right sailed over Fortes and Bice backing up the play. Cal Stevenson also tried to score on the play and was initially ruled out; however, but later called safe due to interference from third baseman Connor Justus. Once the dust settled, Montgomery trailed 4-3.
The Wahoos got one run back thanks to Bleday’s solo blast off Ivan Pelaez (W, 6-5) in the top of the eighth. For Bleday it was his eighth homer of the season and his second in four days. Unfortunately for the Wahoos, the two-run lead was not enough as the Biscuits collected their sixth walk-off win of the season.
The series concludes afternoon.
Escambia Inks Agreement For Medical Helicopters With A Goal Of The Fastest Response
July 24, 2021
Escambia County has entered into a “first call agreement” for medical helicopter service that is designed to make sure the closest helicopter is dispatched to a scene.
The no cost agreement between Escambia County and Med-Trans Corporation, which operates ShandsCair, will allow the county to contact ShandsCair first as its preferred medical helicopter transport. ShandsCair will then dispatch the closest medical helicopter, whether it be ShandsCair from Milton, LifeFlight from Pensacola, or Air Care from Atmore.
“We’ve been doing it for a year and a half, and it’s been working very well,” interim Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said. “And we have been getting the closest helo to the site.” Since October 2020, LifeFlight has been responded 379 times to calls in Escambia County, ShandsCair 113 times and AirCare 16 times under the plan without the formal contract in place.
Zachary Nicholson, the regional development manager for ShandsCair, said when Escambia County calls for a medical helicopter, it goes to ShandsCair’’s dispatch center in Gainesville.
“One (dispatcher) is calling and checking with the other company as far as who is the closest, while the other is checking with the other three aircraft that we have in our assets. So it actually is streamlining and taking that workload off Escambia County dispatchers,” Nicholson said. “We are actually saving time and that’s where our citizens benefit. Every second counts.”
But LifeFlight’s parent company Air Methods is concerned their helicopter might not always be called when appropriate.
“The terms of the agreement is not at all how it is being portrayed to the local media and to commissioners,” said Tony Fleming on behalf of LifeFlight “This agreement is not a dispatch agreement with Shands or the University of Florida. The contract is with Med-Trans, which is also a private company that is a vendor of ShandsCair. The agreement is not dispatch at all. The agreement provides for Med-Trans aircraft to be dispatched first, and other aircraft only when suitable.”
“We are concerned about this because if this is enacted in present form, Baptist LifeFlight legally doesn’t have to be dispatched even if we are the closest, most appropriate aircraft. That is a disservice to the citizens of this county who find themselves in a medical emergency,” Fleming said. “The worst part is patients will never know if they suffer a negative outcome due to a delay in dispatch, according to what is legally allowable under the terms of this contract agreement as currently written.”
“I can put fear in anybody and tell you it is going to be bad if we don’t do this or we don’t do that,” Gilmore said in response. “The bottom line is we are trying to get the right helicopter, the closest helicopter to the scene.”
“I’ve been on the scene in the north of this county waiting for LifeFlight to come to the scene 22 minutes when I’ve got a helicopter in Atmore, Alabama, four minutes away,” he said. “Since we’ve done first call, my north end crews have to hustle to get to the scene to get ready to land the bird because it is coming at a (faster) rate that LifeFlight.”
“At the end of the day I just want the closest helicopter,” he said.
Commissioner Doug Underhill said he and his wife Wendy just bought a farm in Escambia County, Florida, just south of Atmore.
“If I am working on that farm and get injured, I want a helo coming out of Atmore,” Underhill said. “I don’t want to wait for one to fly up from here (Pensacola). It’s personal for me because it is there.”
The Escambia County Commission unanimously approved the first call agreement. It will be scrutinized at least quarterly to make sure it is working as intended.
Pictured top: ShandsCair responds to a wreck near Northview High School in Bratt. Pictured inset above: LifeFlight lands at a Highway 29 traffic crash south of Century. Pictured below: MedStar Air Care 2 from Atmore, Alabama, responds to a traffic accident on Rockaway Creek Road in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Crash Claims One Life; FHP Says Charges Are Pending
July 24, 2021
A head-on crash Friday afternoon on Perdido Key claimed one life, and the Florida Highway Patrol says charges are pending.
A white sedan driven by a 20-year old Pensacola man was traveling west on Perdido Key Drive when it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a white truck driven by a 37-year old Georgia man.
A male passenger in the sedan was pronounced deceased at Baptist Hospital. The driver of the sedan was transported to Baptist Hospital with serious injuries, while the driver of the truck suffered minor injuries.
FHP is continuing their investigation, but troopers said charges are pending. They have not provided any additional information.
Escambia Reports 757 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week
July 24, 2021
There were 757 new COVID-19 cases reported Escambia County over the last week by the Florida Department of Health. That’s compared to 390 new positives reported in the week prior.
FDOH has moved from daily to weekly reports and removed the COVID-19 dashboard. The state is now releasing a weekly report with local data limited only to number of cases and positivity rate; the number of deaths by county or cases by local cities and communities has been removed.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 34,610 (+757)
Positivity Rate Last Week: 19.9%
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 19436 (+441)
Positivity Rate Last Week: 23.2%
Statewide cases:
Florida resident cases: 2,479,975 (+73,199)
Case positivity rate: 17.3%
Deaths: 38,670 (+78)
Escambia County 2021 Youth Employment Participants Recognized
July 24, 2021
Escambia County’s Youth Employment Program participants were recognized Friday.
The Youth Employment Program gave approximately 100 youth the opportunity to get paid work experience in various county departments, including Animal Services, Building Services, Engineering/Traffic, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety and more.
“The goal of this program is to give hope and opportunity to young people,” said District 3 Commissioner Lumon May. “This program provides such a great opportunity for the young people in our community to get real world, hands-on job experience, so that in the future, these young people will be able to use their knowledge and expertise to give back to their community. We’ve had a great time this year, and I would like to thank all of our directors who made it possible for young people to come and work.”
Through the program, youth worked up to 30 hours a week, gaining valuable experience all summer while learning workforce etiquette such as professional dress, timeliness and respect. Youth Employment Program participants also received job readiness training and post-employment briefings, which provided them feedback about their job performance.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 11 Years In Federal Prison For Child Exploitation Charges
July 24, 2021
An Escambia County man has been sentence to more than a decade in federal prison for child exploitation crimes.
David Edward Merry, 60, sentenced to eleven years in prison on federal charges related to his receipt of child pornography following his guilty plea.
Court documents reflect, in February 2019, officers with the Pensacola Police Department received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a particular online account with Google maintained child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations and the Pensacola Police Department were able to geo-locate the criminal activity of Merry to Pensacola.
The Pensacola Police Department, through a records check, confirmed that Merry was a suspect in two prior child exploitation investigations in 2016 and 2017. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Merry’s Google account, identifying the child pornography he maintained in the cloud. Law enforcement then obtained and executed a search warrant at Merry’s residence, resulting in the seizure of multiple electronic devices. A forensic review of the seized items revealed thousands of images of child pornography. Merry was arrested and released on bond conditions. While on release, probation officers suspected that Merry continued his illicit activity, and federal agents were able to seize his newly obtained cellular telephone and search it pursuant to a warrant. Additional images of child pornography were located, and Merry was taken into custody without bond. He has been in custody awaiting sentencing since that time.
During the sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers considered a prior offense in which Merry was identified as having sexually exploited a minor female.
“The abuse committed by this child predator has come to an end as a result of the vigilant efforts of our law enforcement partners,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Coody. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in such heinous conduct will be held accountable for their actions.”
“Merry will now face accountability for his continued delight in the disgusting images of children being exploited,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Sibley, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Northern Florida. “Every time one of these images is shared or viewed it revictimizes an innocent person.”
“This sentence is an example of the great partnership between Pensacola Police and the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall. This team is determined to hold those fully accountable who seek to do harm to our children.”
Following his 11-year term of imprisonment, Merry will be supervised by the United States Probation Office for the rest of his life.
The case was investigated by United States Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Meredith L. Steer.