Just Peachy! Cantonment Couple Named Airbnb’s Most Hospitable Hosts In Florida
July 14, 2021
A Cantonment couple has been named the most hospitable Airbnb hosts in the entire state of Florida.
Kim and Richard Davis have two listings on Airbnb — Quiet Delight! and Just Peachy! A Vintage Airstream. They have over 300 combined reviews on their listings without ever getting less than a 5-star review in the hospitality and safety categories, according to Airbnb. There were only seven hosts in Florida that achieved this standard, but Kim and Richard received the number one ranking across the state with the most reviews.
“We are excited,” Kim Davis told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday afternoon as she walked around their quiet neighborhood near Tate High School. “We were pretty blown away when you consider all of the Airbnbs in the state. Our listings are not something like you think of when you think Florida with all the beaches.”
“Just Peachy! A Vintage Airstream” is a “cool and charming” retro 1973 Airstream Argosy. “Quiet Delight!” is a guest apartment on the same property, and it was their first Airbnb.
The apartment had been used by one of their parents who moved into a facility.
“Our son asked what we were going to do with the apartment, and he said we could do an Airbnb,” Kim said. “My response was an air what-n-what?”
Kim said she and husband Richard thought they would be lucky to book their listings 10 nights a year. Now, they are book most nights and enjoy working together as Airbnb hosts.
‘We are a team. He does the cleaning, and I do the setup. I work hard to make our guests feel like they are special and nobody has ever stayed there.”
She said in the warmer months, most of their guests are looking for a place to stay that does not make a big dent in their vacation budget. The rest of the year, they in town for family events, graduations, or simply traveling through the area looking for a place to stay.
Kim said there most memorable guest was in face their second ever.
“She was a lovely woman and her husband; they were Irish and stayed four nights,” she said. “I was a nervous wreck, afraid something would go wrong. There was an Irish apron in my kitchen, and that really broke the ice. She left the nicest review about the birds singing every morning and how she liked to walk in our nice, safe neighborhood.”
“Some people just want a place to stay. Some come as guests and leave as friends.”
Pictured above and first below: “Just Peachy! A Vintage Airstream”. Pictured bottom two photos: “Quiet Delight!”. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Navy Federal Ranks Highest Ever On Computerworld’s Best Places To Work In IT List
July 14, 2021
Navy Federal Credit Union ranks No. 7 among large organizations on IDG’s Insider Pro and Computerworld 2021 Best Places to Work in IT list. Remaining the only credit union on the list, this year marks Navy Federal’s highest ever spot in the Top 10 and seventh consecutive year to be recognized.
“Given what our team members have been through over the past year, this makes our ranking extra special,” said Tony Gallardy, Navy Federal’s chief information officer. “When we had to shift the majority of our workforce to working from home, our Information Services Department (ISD) and each of our business areas rallied together to make sure every team member had the technology they needed to safely do their job and continue to provide exceptional service to our members.”
In pre-pandemic times, Navy Federal’s workforce of more than 20,000 team members served military service members and their families through the credit union’s 24/7 operations campuses and network of more than 346 branches worldwide. When COVID-19 hit, the credit union’s focus on member service remained the same but team members’ home base shifted. In just two weeks, the ISD team moved most of its workforce to teleworking. This all happened while the credit union was also amid a five-year transformation strategy focused on evolving member-centric and employee-powered principles while remaining scalable and flexible with technology.
“We’ve seen such progress with our digital transformation this year,” said Gallardy. “The pandemic put pressure on us all, but our team’s efforts have been so agile and flexible through many unexpected challenges along the way — their adaptability is what has always gotten the job done.”
Computerworld, in partnership with IDG’s Insider Pro, compiles its Best Places to Work in IT list based on a comprehensive questionnaire of company offerings such as benefits, career development opportunity, training options and employee retention. IT professionals within the competing organizations are surveyed and their responses come into play heavily when determining the rankings.
Justin Halteman Named Administrator Of Atmore Christian School
July 14, 2021
The Atmore Christian School Board of Directors has named Justin Halteman as the school’s new administrator.
He is currently a high school teacher at the school, a ministry of Mennonite Christian Fellowship.
Halteman is a graduate of Northview High School and is currently a member of Mennonite Christian Fellowship in Atmore.
Pedestrian Struck And Killed While Walking In Middle Of Highway 90
July 14, 2021
A pedestrian was struck and killed on Highway 90 in Santa Rosa County early Tuesday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a vehicle driven by a 32-year old Pace man was traveling west on Highway 90 toward Scenic Highway at 3:25 a.m. as the pedestrian was walking the same direction in the middle of the road.
The vehicle collided with the pedestrian, who later died at Sacred Heart Hospital.
No other information was released by the FHP.
Nine-Run Second Inning Leads Wahoos To Blowout Win Over Lookouts
July 14, 2021
Pensacola scored nine times in the bottom of the second to runaway with Tuesday’s series opener 11-3 against the Lookouts at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
On the hill for Chattanooga, Graham Ashcraft (L, 3-1)—who struck out the side in the first—failed to record an out in the second as the Wahoos sent 15 men to the plate. Remarkably, nine consecutive Blue Wahoos batters reached safely to open the inning, using five hits and four walks to bat around before the first out. After Nick Fortes and Riley Mahan each walked to lead off the inning, Chris Chinea, Connor Justus, Galli Cribbs Jr., Devin Hairston, and J.D. Orr each knocked hits in succession to open a 6-0 lead for the Blue Wahoos. Two walks and two fielding errors later, the Wahoos led by nine.
The inning was highlighted by Devin Hairston’s bases-clearing double that put the Wahoos. Later in the inning with the bases loaded and Pensacola up by 9, Hairston came up to the plate and flew out to deep left to end the inning—just shy of a grand slam.
With the Wahoos up 9-0, starter Jeff Lindgren (W, 3-5) eased his way to a win, throwing five innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. He was lifted in the sixth for Andrew McInvale, who allowed one run across two innings of work. Zack Leban finished the final two innings in shutout fashion, giving up three hits and striking out one along the way.
After being no-hit on Saturday, the Wahoos have scored 21 runs in their last 18 innings. They have also created more separation between themselves and third-place Chattanooga for the second and final playoff spot in the Double-A South.
LHP Will Stewart (3-4, 4.20) will try to make it three wins in a row for the Wahoos when he takes the mound for his 12th start of the year tomorrow. He will be opposed by LHP Connor Curlis (3-4, 4.80).
Escambia County Takes Next Step Toward Broadband Internet Network; Thousands Could Get True High Speed Access
July 13, 2021
Escambia County is moving forward with plans toward a countywide broadband network following a study that found the county has large high speed internet gaps.
A late 2020 assessment by Magellan Advisors found that almost all residents in the more northern parts of Escambia County do not have any access to the internet at speeds defined as broadband by the Federal Communications Commission.
The Escambia County Commission recently voted unanimously enter into a contract with Magellan for $645,000 in CARES Act funding for design engineering, detailed business and financial planning, along with grant services and applications in a major step toward a county broadband network. It essentially will create a plan for moving forward if commissioners later determine the network is financially feasible.
“I want to thank my colleagues for continuing to support the expansion of broadband internet into the unserved, as well as the underserved areas of Escambia County,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “Even though the franchising and licensing of cable and internet companies is not an Escambia County government right or responsibility, I have thousands of constituents whose quality of life, work and education is negatively impacted by the quality of their internet connection, so it is a huge priority of mine.
The earlier study identified about 3,000 underserved or unserved residents without access to true broadband in North Escambia. After the planning, the next step in the project outlined by Magellan Advisors would be a fiber based wireless network in North Escambia in areas from Molino north (pictured above). That move would take additional action by the commission in coming months.
The Wi-Fi type network would immediately offer high speed internet to 3,000 underserved North Escambia residents Costs have been initially estimated at $79 per month for a speed of 150/50 Mbps. Additional fiber connections up to a symmetrical (same upload and download speed) 1 Gigabit would also become available.
None of those North Escambia residents currently have access to the federally defined minimum broadband speed of 25/3 Mbps.
“While I do not know exactly what the solution looks like yet, I am confident that we are going to put something together that will work well for all of Escambia County, especially District 5,” Barry told NorthEscambia.com. “It is the type of project which can truly change people’s lives forever.”
Magellan Advisors of Denver, Colorado, was selected from five submitted. The company has done similar work in Florida for 25 governmental clients including Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Seminole County.
The company estimates it will take about five months to deliver a final design and road map, including a business plan, engineering design and deployment road map.
Tri-County 8-10 Softball All-Stars Win Florida State Championship
July 13, 2021
The Tri-County 8-10 Softball All-Star Team won the Florida little league state championship Monday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Felony Burglary With Battery Against Mother Of His Child
July 13, 2021
A Cantonment man was charged after allegedly reaching into a vehicle occupied by the mother of his child and hitting her on two different occasions.
Alondo Sherrod Thompkins, 25, was charged with two counts of first degree felony burglary with battery.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office she was a passenger in a vehicle stopped at the traffic light at Davis Highway and Brent Lane when Thompkins suddenly arrived in his own vehicle. He got out of his car, reached through the open windows of the vehicle in which the victim was a passenger and struck her in the face, according to arrest report.
When they arrived at their destination in the 500 block of Fairfield Drive, Thompkins had followed them. He rant out of his car again, reached through the still open window and struck the victim several more times in the side and face, the report states.
Thompkins told deputies he reached into the car toward the victim, but he was actually trying to reclaim a set of keys that belonged to him, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Escambia County’s Vaccination Rate Lagging Behind State Average
July 13, 2021
Escambia County’s coronavirus vaccination rate is lagging behind the state average, according to recently released data from the Florida Department of Health
Statewide, 58% of Floridians have received at least one dose.
In Escambia County 117,425 people, or 42% of the population over age 12, have received at least one dose. There were just 833 people vaccinated in Escambia County last week.
IP Accepting Applications For $80,000 In Foundation Grants Through July 26
July 13, 2021
The International Paper Pensacola Mill will award $80,000 in foundation grants to non-profit organizations in 2021, in honor of the mill’s 80th anniversary.
Grant applications will be accepted at www.ipgiving.com through Monday, July 26.
The International Paper Foundation makes sustainable investments to address critical needs in the communities where its employees live and work.
Signature Causes include:
- Education – Programs focused on helping children succeed via a comprehensive approach to education. Priority is given to literacy programs from birth through 3rd grade.
- Hunger – Programs dedicated to improving food security throughout our communities.
- Health & Wellness – Programs that promote healthy living habits.
- Disaster Relief – Programs that help communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
Funding also is available to address environmental initiatives (forests, water and air), employee involvement grants and other critical community needs.
Applicants must be a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization or qualifying federal entity to apply for a grant. To be considered, organizations must have a program that addresses critical community needs and have measureable objectives to demonstrate impact. Details on grant eligibility, guidelines and restrictions are available on the website.
An eligible non-profit organization with a program in an area that the foundation supports must apply online by visiting http://www.ipgiving.com. Applications are routed to the local IP facility and must be completed in its entirety to be considered.
For more information about the grant guidelines or process, contact Whitney Fike, communications manager at whitney.fike@ipaper.com or (850) 968-3076.