County Acquires Property For Dirt Road Paving Projects Near Davisville And Century
December 13, 2020
The Escambia County Commission has approved property purchases for two North Escambia paving projects.
The BOCC voted to acquire about one-third of an acre located in the northeast corner of Pine Barren Church Road and West Highway 4 near Davisville and 2.4 acres along Salters Lake Road near Century for a 50 foot easement. The total cost for both properties from Seven States Timberlands, LLC is $10,000.
Pine Barren Church Road runs from West Highway 4 to Highway 97. About 5,300 linear feet is dirt and part of Escambia County’s Dirt Road Paving Program. County crews will prepare the road base, while the paving and striping work will be contracted out. The property acquisition will allow the project to move forward.
The portion of Salters Lake Road between North Century Boulevard and the railroad tracks, about 2,170 feet, is also part of the dirt road paving program. The acquisition is also needed for right of way.
Roadblocks Shut Down Pensacola Traffic On Saturday And Sunday
December 13, 2020
Roadblocks shut down I-10, I-110 and tied up traffic in the surrounding areas Saturday and Sunday
The roadblocks were so Gulf Power Company could pull power lines across the interstate, as seen in the traffic camera photo above.
This Week’s Road Construction Trouble Spots
December 13, 2020
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:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – The intersection of North 17th Avenue and Bayfront Parkway will remain closed until spring 2021 as construction continues for the new 17th Avenue interchange. The Visitor’s Center remains accessible from 17th Avenue. In addition, the ramp from 17th Avenue to East Gregory Street remains open. Eastbound drivers on Bayfront Parkway should use North 14th Avenue and Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) as a detour route.
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90)- Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures and shifts on U.S. 29, between I-10 and Nine and Half Mile Road, and Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the week of Sunday, Dec. 13
- U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road) Widening from Beulah Road to State Road (S.R.) 297 (Pine Forest Road)- Drivers may encounter minor delays between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16 through Friday, Dec. 18 as construction equipment is moved across Beulah Road, on the north side of Nine Mile Road. Additionally, drivers may encounter uneven pavement in this area.
- East Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Safety Project from North Palafox Street to Chemstrand Road – Beginning the week of Monday, Dec. 14 motorists will encounter daytime intermittent right turn closures.
- I-10 Utility Operations at U.S. 29 – Motorists will encounter slow-moving traffic intermittently Sunday, Dec. 11 as crews replace overhead utility lines.
- Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – The bridge is closed until spring 2021.
- S.R. 87 Resurfacing from Clear Creek to S.R. 4- Drivers can expect intermittent daytime lane closures along the 14-mile corridor through fall 2020 as crews perform paving operations.
- I-10 Emergency Improvements at Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/ Exit 22)- Friday, Dec. 11, motorists will encounter nighttime shoulder closures and traffic shifts on the eastbound I-10 exit ramp as crews construct improvements to accommodate additional traffic due to the closure of Pensacola Bay Bridge. Alternating and intermittent lane restrictions will take place on Avalon Boulevard at the I-10 intersection from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. as crews perform widening and turn lane extensions.
Take The Escambia County Broadband Survey About Your Internet Speed
December 12, 2020
Are you satisfied with your broadband internet service?
Escambia County is performing a a broadband feasibility study. As a part of this effort, the county is asking residents and business owners to participate in a survey that will help collect information about broadband internet access availability.
It’s part of the way Escambia County is working to find creative ways to meet the community’s broadband internet needs.
A speed test will be performed during the survey. For that reason, the survey needs to be completed while connected to the home or business network associated with your response. Do not take this survey on a cellular phone.
The survey can be accessed by clicking or tapping here.
Garcon Point Toll Suspension Extended; Pensacola Bay Bridge Repair Targeted For March
December 12, 2020
The Garcon Pointe Bridge toll suspension has been extended until January 12, as the contractors turn to the next step in the repairs to the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
The extension allows the Garcon Point Bridge to continue serving as a temporary detour route while the Pensacola Bay Bridge is being repaired from damage sustained during Hurricane Sally.
With damage inspections complete, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) contractors are focusing on pile driving operations and setting beams for the reconstruction of the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
Large cranes mounted on barges are lifting the concrete piles into position where they are driven into the bay bottom using a 20,000-pound diesel-powered hammer. While there are no direct traffic impacts, persons nearby may detect noise and the possibility of vibration. Pile driving work will occur seven days a week and will not occur during overnight hours. Crews will also set the first set of beams, the horizontal supports for the bridge decks, beginning this week.
Boaters are advised to use caution near the Pensacola Bay Bridge. The U.S. Coast Guard has established a 500-yard buffer zone for all construction activities. Vessels may use only low or idle speeds within the buffer zone. Crossing beneath the bridge should be done only at the navigational channel as it has been inspected and is free of hazards.
The Pensacola Bay Bridge has a targeted re-opening date of March 2021. Once repairs are complete, all four lanes will be open with no load restrictions. As each repair method is developed, FDOT will be conducting reviews to ensure the contractor is hitting all milestones in the established schedule.
The toll suspension on the Garcon Pointe Bridge was set to expire Sunday.
Pensacola Council Keeps Mask Mandate In Place Until Next Year
December 12, 2020
The City of Pensacola’s mask mandate will remain in place a couple of months into 2021.
The city council unanimously approved approved extending the mask ordinance and state of emergency through the end of February.
The current mandate, approved by the city council in late June, requires face coverings by employees and patrons in Pensacola businesses. The ordinance applies only within the city limits of Pensacola, not in unincorporated Escambia County.
The ordinance includes exceptions that include young children, medical conditions and persons that are eating and drinking.
Pensacola can’t enforce the mask ordinance. An executive order issued in September by Gov. Ron DeSantis banning mask mandate enforcement by local governments.
New Urgent Care Center Coming To Atmore
December 12, 2020
A new urgent care center clinic will be built on Highway 21 at I-65 in Atmore.
The Escambia County Healthcare Authority and Atmore Community Hospital announced that construction on the new clinic will begin in the first quarter of 2021, and it is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2021.
“We have spent a great deal of time researching the most successful urgent care and healthcare models across the country, working with our community leaders and developing a plan of action to build the clinic,” said Debbie Rowell, ECHCA board chairwoman.
Care at the new urgent care clinic will feature a lab, X-ray equipment, a pharmacy and wellness care.
The health care authority said the facility will allow increased access care for residents of Atmore and surrounding areas.
Escambia Family Cares Grant Program Closes; About 1,400 Waiting For Checks
December 11, 2020
The Escambia County Family CARES Grant program application and verification process has officially closed, but not all of the approved applicants have a check in hand just yet.
In its four-day application window that began September 25, the county received a higher than anticipated volume of applications with 9,558 households submitting information. The county approved 5,500 of those applicants for the $3,000 grants.
As of Thursday, the Escambia County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office had released over 4,100 of the 5,500 payments. The remainder of the checks will be disbursed by the end of the year.
Applicants may check their the application portal to find their status:
- If the status is listed as “complete,” the application has been summited to the Clerk and Comptroller’s office for final review and payment.
- If the status is listed as “application under review,” and additional federal funding is allocated in the future then these will be reviewed.
- An application listed as “denied” will not receive the grant due to eligibility requirements.
The county has a list of all Family CARES Grant payments made on its website. If checks were returned to the county due to an insufficient address or unable to forward, the county is no longer able to provide further assistance. Residents should allow time for the check to be processed and mailed.
“We are pleased to be completed with the certification process for this grant, which is so helpful to the citizens of our county,” said Clara Long, director of Neighborhood and Human Services Department. “At this time, we’ve approved 5,500 grants, and we have officially closed the application and approval process for the Family CARES Grant Program. Our staff took the time to work with residents who needed assistance in completing the application correctly, and due to federal funding deadlines, we are no longer accepting additional information.”
The Escambia County Family CARES Grant program is part of a larger federally funded stimulus package. In total, there is a $57.3 million allocation for Escambia County, which is required to be spent by the December 30. 2020 deadline.
“Our staff has been working hard to ensure that this money gets in the hands of our citizens quickly, but we also worked diligently to make sure that only the individuals who qualified were on the receiving end of this allocation,” Long added.
Flomaton Police Officer Accused Of Trafficking Meth In Florida Now Charged In Alabama
December 11, 2020
The Flomaton Police Department lieutenant accused of trafficking methamphetamine in Florida is now facing an additional felony charge in Alabama.
On Monday, the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, SWAT team and Patrol Division arrested 36-year old Isaac R. Lopez on charges of trafficking methamphetamine and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
Lopez arranged a narcotics deal for methamphetamine from an Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office investigator by phone and text messages, according to an arrest report. The report states he arrived a predetermined location in Molino and accepted the two ounces of methamphetamine from the undercover officer.
The cellphone used by Lopez to arrange the meth deal belonged to the Town of Flomaton, according to Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Health Jackson. As a result, Lopez was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton for felony use of official position or office for personal gain.
“He used his city cell phone to orchestrate it,” Jackson said. “We believe he was going to come back to Alabama and distribute the meth on this end.”
Lopez has been terminated from the Flomaton Police Department.
For more details on Monday’s arrest, click here.
Editor’s note: The “Inmate” label on Lopez’s mugshot was automatically added by the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center.
Escambia County’s First School Resource Officer Retires From ECSO
December 11, 2020
The first school resource officer in Escambia County has retired.
Commander Dale Tharp retired from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office after 39 years. On Thursday, family members and friends honored him for his nearly four decades of service.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
