Nine Mile Westbound Traffic Shifting To New Roadway East Of I-10
January 25, 2021
Nine Mile Road westbound between Klondike Road (near I-10) and Surrey Drive will be shifted to the newly construct westbound roadway this week.
The traffic shift will allow crews to construct the new inside travel lanes, median, and turn lanes, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The work is part of a $46 million effort to widen and improve Nine Mile Road from Beulah Road to Highway 29. An estimated 19,000 drivers travel the roadway daily.
All construction activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
ECAT Returns To Charging Regular Fares As Of Today
January 25, 2021
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) has resumed regular fares as of today and is continuing to require face masks.
Regular fares have been suspended since March 23.
Free face masks have been provided to ECAT riders since June 1 and will continue to be available. Face have been required on ECAT buses since Monday, December 21. If a passenger meets one of the Florida Department of Health requirements that prevents mask wearing, the passenger can notify the bus operator. Social distancing will still be encouraged on all ECAT vehicles.
Century Correctional Institution Officer Assaulted By Inmate
January 25, 2021
A correctional officer in Century was recently assaulted by an inmate.
Inmate Danny Tucker assaulted an officer at Century Correctional Institution by head-butting them, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Medical staff examined the officer and noted injuries.
Tucker, 32, is serving a three-year sentence out of Hillsborough County for aggravated assault with a weapon.
Florida Gas Prices Up About A Dime In The Past Week
January 25, 2021
Florida gas prices jumped another dime last week, reaching an average price of $2.40 per gallon. Sunday’s state average is up 20 cents from the start of the year, and the highest daily average price since February 2020. Despite the recent hike, Florida drivers are paying seven cents less than this time last year.
The average price per gallon was $2.34 in Escambia County, with lows of $2.29 in Cantonment Sunday night. In Pensacola, a low price of $2.22 was available.
“Gas prices have been dragged higher by crude oil prices which remain at 11-month highs,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA — The Auto Club Group. “The gas price hike has likely hit its ceiling for now, as oil prices seemed to plateau last week. Despite optimism for the Covid-19 vaccine, crude prices slipped last week due to rising cases of coronavirus in two of the largest fuel consumers in the world: the United States and China.”
Escambia Sheriff’s Office Molino Precinct To Reopen Next Month
January 24, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office will reopen their Molino Precinct next month.
The public will be invited to the opening with Sheriff Chip Simmons on Saturday, February 20 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served.
Following his swearing in on January 5, Simmons told NorthEscambia.com that he would reopen the precincts in Molino and Perdido.
The reopening ceremony for the Perdido Precinct has been set for Saturday, February 6 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. with Simmons. Hamburgers and hot dogs will also be served.
Pictured: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Discount Available Through January 31 On Escambia County Real Estate, Tangible Taxes
January 24, 2021
An available two percent discount on the payment of real estate and tangible personal property taxes ends Sunday, January 31, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford
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To receive the two percent discount, payments must be:
- made online by midnight, February 1, 2021, at EscambiaTaxCollector.com;
- mailed with a January postmark; or
- left in a drop box available at all locations by close of business, February 1, 2021.
Since all offices are closed on January 31, customers who make their payment in person at any tax collector office on Monday, February 1, 2021. will receive the two percent discount.
Taxpayers are encouraged to visit our virtual office at EscambiaTaxCollector.com to pay online 24 hours a day. Our online services allow customers to pay their taxes, search records, print receipts, renew vehicle and vessel registrations and many other services.
Customers who decide to visit one of our four convenient offices can join the line online at EscambiaTaxCollector.com and manage their time their way. Citizens select an office location and type of service, receive a message with approximate service time and then continue their regular activities until the service time approaches.
To check the status of your taxes, pay online or print a receipt, visit our payment center at EscambiaTaxCollector.com. Taxpayers are encouraged to contact the tax collector’s office by email ectc@EscambiaTaxCollector.com or by phone with any questions.
Pictured: The Escambia County Tax Collector office in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Pensacola MESS Hall Distributing Science Kits To Schools Thanks To IP Foundation, Ascend Cares
January 24, 2021
The Pensacola MESS Hall is distributing free Kits for Classrooms to provide elementary teachers with engaging, hands on science lessons for their students, thanks to help from two local organizations.
Two different kits, one focused on the science of light and the other focused on the science of water, target learners in 3rd and 4th grade. Both kits will be provided for free to twenty-five local high need schools thanks to generous support from Ascend Cares Community Impact Grant and International Paper Foundation.
Each kit contains the instructions and materials for fifty or more students to explore and discover. The kits are designed to be used for many years to come.
In a typical year, thousands of young learners would visit the MESS Hall on school field trips, including many who might never have the chance to visit the MESS Hall otherwise. With the loss of field trips from the pandemic, the MESS Hall is eager to inspire curiosity about science by delivering these kits to teachers. As teachers have had to adjust their lessons to accommodate social distancing, providing materials for all students becomes even more important.
Schools interested in receiving one of the limited sponsored kits or purchasing one for their students should contact the MESS Hall at info@pensacolamesshall.org or by calling 877-YES-MESS (937-6377).
Pictured: Volunteers sort materials for Pensacola MESS Hall Kits for Classrooms. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Voters Approved The Escambia Children’s Trust. Member Volunteers Are Needed Now.
January 24, 2021
Escambia County is seeking applications from county residents to serve on the Children’s Services Council (CSC).
In November, voters approved the creation of the Children Services Council to be funded by an increase in ad valorem taxes of up to a maximum of 0.5 mil. The Children’s Trust of Escambia County will provide early childhood education, safety, developmental, preventative, health, and well-being services, including after school and summer enrichment programs.
Once members are appointed to the CSC, the newly formed government body is responsible for assessing the needs of the children in the county and developing a strategic plan for addressing unmet needs which must then be submitted to the Escambia County Commission. The CSC, like the county, must also go through the process of adopting a millage rate and budget in accordance with Florida’s Truth In Millage (TRIM) Act, and the CSC must submit an annual report to the board as required by Florida law.
To be considered for the CSC, Florida Statute criteria include the requirement that nominees have been residents of Escambia County for the previous 24-month period and are willing to submit an annual statement of financial interests form. Florida law also requests that gubernatorial appointments are representative of the demographic diversity of the county’s population.
After the application deadline of Jan. 30 has past, the eligible applications will be compiled for the BOCC’s consideration during the Feb. 18 meeting. In order to narrow down the pool of applicants to the 15 nominations that will be submitted to the governor, each commissioner will nominate two applicants and the full board nominates five additional applicants.
The governor will have 45 days to make a selection or request a new list of candidates.
Resumes and both applications may also be submitted via email to boardapply@myescambia.com or by mail to:
Shamara Jernigan, Program Coordinator
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
P.O. Box 1591
Pensacola, FL 32502
Escambia County Unemployment Rate Improves Slightly
January 24, 2021
The unemployment rate in Escambia County decreased slightly in December, according to data released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
The unemployment rate in Escambia County was 5.4% in December, down from 5.6% in November. That represents 7,823 people out of work out of a county workforce of 144,460. One year ago, Escambia County’s unemployment rate was just 2.8%, or 4,028 people.
Two major industries in the Escambia County area gained jobs over the year in December 2020: professional and business services (+500 jobs); and construction (+400 jobs). Th Escambia County area private-sector employment decreased by 4,600 jobs (-2.9 percent) over the year. The industry losing the most jobs in the area over the year was leisure and hospitality, decreasing by 3,500 jobs.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in December 2020, down 0.2 percentage point from the revised November 2020 rate, and up 3.2 percentage points from a year ago. There were 614,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,143,000.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in December.
Gulf Power Plant Crist Gets New Name With Conversion To Natural Gas
January 23, 2021
Gulf Power’s Plant Crist, which was recently converted from coal to natural gas, has been renamed Gulf Clean Energy Center.
“Plant Crist has been a powerful force in our region for 75 years, generating power that has supported our communities and sustained economic growth across the Panhandle,” said Marlene Santos, Gulf Power president. “We’re honored to be able to continue that legacy by modernizing the plant to be able to continue to serve Northwest Florida as Gulf Clean Energy Center, delivering greater reliability, lower operating costs and cleaner emissions as we meet the ever-increasing energy needs of our customers well into the future.”
Gulf Power constructed a 39-mile long natural gas pipeline through North Escambia from Century to the plant.
Converting the coal-burning units to run on natural gas is a major piece of the modernization underway at the plant, along with the addition of four new, highly efficient combustion turbines to provide greater reliability and efficiency for the energy grid. By eliminating the use of coal, Gulf Clean Energy Center carbon emission rates will be reduced by 40% — the equivalent to taking an estimated 297,000 cars off the road annually — and reduce operating costs for customers, according to Gulf Power.
North Escambia plays a key role in Gulf Power’s plans to rely more on solar energy with two solar farms on about 1,200 acres in McDavid, as first reported by NorthEscambia.com.
Construction will begin in the spring on the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center in the area of Bogia Road. At 74.2 megawatts, Cotton Creek will generate enough electricity to power 15,000 homes annually, according to Gulf Power.
Gulf Power is now seeking the necessary permits for the First City Solar Energy Center in the area of Cox and Roach Roads. It will be 74.5 megawatts, also enough to power another 15,000 homes annually.
“As part of FPL, the largest generator of solar in Florida and one of the largest in the nation, we are continuing the company’s clean energy legacy by transforming the way that we generate power for Northwest Florida,” Santos said.
