From Century To Miami, Task Force Recommends COVID-19 Vaccination Sites For Underserved Communities
February 6, 2021
From Century to Miami, a statewide task force is working to see more COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved minority communities.
The Statewide Coronavirus Vaccination Community Education and Engagement Taskforce, led by Tallahassee Reverend R.B. Holmes of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, has identified 86 proposed vaccination sites they believe with provide more opportunities for underserved communities.
Their list includes one site in Century, six in Pensacola and two in the Milton area. Those proposed sites are:
- Century 1st Stop — Century
- Cobb Community Center — Pensacola
- First Baptist Church Warrington — Pensacola
- First Baptist Church Warrington — Pensacola
- Greater Little Rock Baptist Church — Pensacola
- Marie Young Community Center — Pensacola
- Movement for Change/Woodland Community Center — Pensacola
- Bagdad Recreational Facility — Milton
- T.R. Jackson Elementary — Milton
The task force has sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis looking to partner with the state on vaccinations, but so far the governor’s office has not responded.
Of the 1,894,209 people that have received the COVID vaccine in Florida as of February 4, 1,208,993 are white, and 65,116 are black, according to the Florida Department of Health.
In Escambia County, 26,213 residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. Of those, 11,202 were white and 2,281 were black.
Pictured: Century 1st Stop, located just south of the Century Branch Library on North Century Boulevard, is one of 86 locations recommended for COVID-19 vaccination sites by a statewide task force. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Church Donates Supplies To Help Victims Of Tornado Near Birmingham
February 6, 2021
A Century church is working to help the victims of a tornado near Birmingham last month.
The pastor and deacons of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Century headed north to Birmingham on Friday with supply donations for the tornado victims with the help of church members.
The EF3 tornado struck Fultondale, Alabama on January 25. A 14-year old boy was killed and 30 people were injured along the 9.5 mile path of the tornado.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Soccer Advances To District Final With Win Over Crestview
February 6, 2021
The Tate High School boys soccer team beat Crestview 1-0 in overtime Friday night in a District 1-6A semi-final game.
Both teams went the distance 0-0 after regulation play and continued scoreless after two 10 minute halfs. The match went to penalty kicks with the Tate Aggie scoring four and sealing the deal on two saves by Calen Thompson.
The Tate Aggies advance to the district finals Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Niceville on Tate’s home field at Ashton Brosnaham Park.
Second Escambia County Man Arrested On Charges Related To U.S. Capitol Attack
February 6, 2021
A 25-year old Escambia County man is the second local resident arrested for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol attack.
Tristan Chandler Stevens was taken into custody Friday for his alleged role in the riot and siege at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement assisted with Stevens’ arrest.
“A month has passed, yet our nation remains shocked at the appalling acts of domestic terrorism that took place at the heart of our American democracy. Our office, in close coordination with all other federal law enforcement agencies, will continue to apply every possible resource to identify, prosecute, and punish anyone who participated in this anarchistic criminality,” said Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Stevens is charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building.
Stevens’ case will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
On January 20, Escambia County resident Jesus D. Rivera, 37, was arrested for his alleged participation in the Capitol attack. Click or tap here for more information.
Anyone with information about individuals who incited, promoted, or committed violence of any kind during the siege of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit photos or video to fbi.gov/USCapitol.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida continues to work closely with all federal, state and local partners to identify and prosecute any individuals from this district who participated in unlawful activity during the riot and siege at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Four Teens Indicted In Escambia County For First Degree Felony Murder
February 6, 2021
Four teens have been indicted for the shooting death of a 61-year old man in Escambia County last month.
The shooting happened on January 22 at the Oakstead Mobile Home Park. Samuel Richard Thomley was killed, another victim was injured.
Jesse Leamos Snowden, 15, Calvin Barnard Williams, Jr., age 17, and Cedric Antonio Young. 17, were each indicted on one count of first degree felony murder with a firearm and one count of attempted first degree felony murder with firearm.
Jabarius Cordell Henderson, 14, was indicted on one count of first degree felony murder with a firearm
All four are being held without bond.
According to an arrest report, the shooting happened during a marijuana deal.
Escambia Zoning Change Allows Some Homes On An Acre Or More To Be Sold Away From Farmland
February 5, 2021
The Escambia County Commission voted Thursday night to amend zoning to allow homes to be severed away from larger agricultural parcels and sold, if certain conditions are met.
Agricultural zoning currently allows one dwelling unit per 20 acres. The new zoning amendment allows the sale of residential structures that predate the agricultural zoning designation to remain conforming uses as long as they are sold on a parcel that is at least one acre in size.
“This action doesn’t allow for increased density by what we are doing,” Barry said. “The home would be severed out of the parent parcel. The remaining orphaned parcel doesn’t have an entitlement for a home.”
For example, a farmer might purchase a 20 acre parcel that contains a home. The farmer would be allowed to sell the home on a one acre parcel. Another home could never be constructed on the remaining 19 acres, but that acreage would remain zoned for farming, including timber.
Barry said that when a farmer buys a large tract of property in agriculture areas, there’s often an older home on it. The farmer often has no intended use for the structure. Previously, that forced them to sever out 20 acres to have a conforming use in order to sell the house.
With the zoning change, they can now sell the home with an acre or more and retain the remainder of the land for farming.
“This has a possibility of creating a better protection for the agriculture nature of the north (part of the county) than just about anything we’ve ever seen,” Commissioner Doug Underhill said.
Pictured: The sun sets over a North Escambia cornfield. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
ECSO Seeks Two That Charged Thousands On Credit Cards Stolen From Business
February 5, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for two suspects that allegedly took credit cards from a business.
Investigators said the pictured suspects used stolen credit cards to purchase thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local store on January 21.
The stolen credit cards were taken from an employee at the Farm and Nursery Mart located on Pine Forest Road. The store said the wallet was stolen from inside the manager’s office, and the suspects spent about $13,000.
She was alerted to the theft when her bank called to say someone was using her cards at the Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Flomaton’s Jackson Dullard Signs With Troy University Football
February 5, 2021
Flomaton’s Jackson Dullard signed a letter of intent Thursday to play football at Troy University this fall.
Dullard was a member of Flomaton’s 2018 state championship team, playing offensive and defensive line that year before transitioning to fullback his junior and senior years earning all state honors. He will continue at Troy as a fullback.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Another 800 Should Receive $3,000 Escambia CARES Grant Soon
February 5, 2021
An additional 800 people are on track to receive a $3,000 Escambia County Family CARES grant as county staffers continue to work to contact about 1,000 more.
In January, the Escambia County Commission instructed county staff to reach about again to about 2,500 Family CARES Grant applicants who do not have complete information on their application.
Of those 2,500 applicants, 1,500 have been contacted and 800 of those have responded and provided needed information.
“We’re making good progress. We have seven county staff that are working on this,” Deputy County Administrator Chips Kirschenfeld told commissioners Thursday. “We think those 800 will be good to go. We’ve got about 1,000 more people to contact that have not been easy to contact, but we’re still working on that.”
Kirschenfeld the final total will be about 1,000 additional grants to be awarded to residents that provide the needed documentation.
“We think over the next three or four weeks, we should have all those contacts made,” Kirschenfeld said. Applicants will have two weeks to respond once they are contacted by the county.
Applicants can check their status in an online portal. If the status indicates “Applications Under Review,” the applicant should expect contact from the county.
The Escambia County Family CARES Grant program application and verification process began back on September 25 of last year. As of December 30, the county had approved 5,736 households for the $3,000 grants totaling over $17 million. In its four-day application window, the county received a higher than anticipated volume of applications with 9,558 households submitting information.
During a Thursday meeting, Commissioner Steven Barry thanked county staff for their hard work on the grant program and getting at least 800 more residents approved.
“That’s going to be a huge impact on their household and on their life, and it’s an impact that wouldn’t have taken place if the board had not taken additional actions,” Barry said.
FHP: Cantonment Teen Intentionally Ran In Front Of Pickup Before He Was Hit
February 5, 2021
A teen intentionally ran in front of a vehicle before he was struck Tuesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release Thursday afternoon.
A Ford truck driven by a 46-year old Pensacola man was traveling south on Highway 95A approaching East Kingsfield Road when “a 15 year old juvenile male of Cantonment intentionally ran into the path of the Ford”, the FHP report states.
The 15-year old male was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by Escambia County EMS. FHP said the teen’s injuries were determined to be minor.
The teen was held under Florida’s Baker Act, which provides for temporary detention and emergency mental health services.
The pickup driver was not injured.
File photo.