Early Voting Hours Changed By Zeta; Over 100,000 Ballots Cast So Far In Escambia County
October 28, 2020
Over 100,000 votes have been cast so far in Escambia County. Early voting will continue through Saturday, but hours will be abbreviated due to Hurricane Zeta.
Due to the storm, the 10 early voting locations in Escambia County will close at 3 p.m. Wednesday and reopen at 11 a.m. on Thursday, according to Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford.
As of Tuesday night, a total of 101,913 ballots have been cast in Escambia County, a 43.88% voter turnout one week before the election. The total was almost evenly split between vote by mail with 51.111 ballots received and early voting with 50,768 ballots cast since October 19.
The 10 early voting sites in Escambia County are:
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 N Century Blvd, Century
- Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino
- Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Mobile Hwy/Pine Forest Rd Early Voting Center, 6675 Pine Forest Rd, Suite 11
- UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, University Parkway
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 B, 9th Avenue
- Main Library, 239 Spring Street
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto Street
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
Regular 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. early voting hours will resume on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31.
Pictured: The early voting location at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century is one of 10 in Escambia County. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Skanska: Yes, We Are Securing Our Barges
October 28, 2020
Skanska said the company is securing their barges and other equipment in advance of Zeta.
The company released the following statement:
“As the Gulf Coast prepares for inclement weather, we are closely monitoring Hurricane Zeta’s path in conjunction with our partners with the goal of ensuring the safety of the community and our workers. Skanska is in the process of making necessary storm preparations, including securing barges and cranes, and mobilizing equipment into safe harbor.
“To date, we have recovered 18 of the 23 barges that ran aground as a results of Hurricane Sally, including all of those barges that impacted private property. Three barges that were under the Pensacola Bay Bridge have been retrieved with a fourth ballasted and anchored under the bridge. The remaining barges that have yet to be retrieved are being reinforced and secured in place in anticipation of possible storm impacts.”
Pictured: Skanska barges along Bayfront Parkway in downtown Pensacola, not far from the Pensacola Bay Bridge. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Cantonment Wreck
October 28, 2020
One person was injured in a crash Tuesday night in Cantonment.
The vehicles collided on Highway 95A at Archer Road. One person was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS, and four other people refused transport. Three of the people involved were reportedly minors.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
65 New COVID-19 Cases, One Additional Death Reported In Two County Area
October 28, 2020
There were 65 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties by the Florida Department of Health.
The death of a long-term care facility resident was also reported in Santa Rosa County.
Here is the latest data:
Total cases: 13,375 (+47)
Non-Florida residents: 1,325
Total deaths: 269
Long-term care facility deaths : 125
Current hospitalizations: 45 (+1)
Number of tests last day: 794
Percent positive last day: 5.5%
Percent positive last week: 4.4%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 9,756 (+37)
Cantonment: 983 (+6)
Century: 940 (+1)
—-including 773 Century prison inmates
Molino: 155
McDavid: 74
Bellview: 19
Walnut Hill: 18
Perdido Key: 9
Gonzalez: 7
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 5,894 (+18)
Non-Florida residents: 66
Total deaths: 87 (+1)
Long-term care facility deaths: 20
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 357*
Number of tests last day: 217
Percent positive last day: 8.1%
Santa County cases by location:
Milton: 2,987 (+6)
Gulf Breeze: 858 (+5)
Navarre: 776 (-1 data adjustment)
Pace: 498 (+5)
Jay: 159
Bagdad: 15 (+1)
Florida cases:
Total cases: 786,311
Florida residents: 776,215
Deaths: 16,505
Hospitalizations: 48,512*
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. Most of these people are longer be hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
*The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
No Injuries In East Kingsfield Road Rollover
October 27, 2020
There were no injuries in a single vehicle rollover Tuesday afternoon on East Kingsfield Road.
The Kia Soul came to rest on its side in the roadway just off the bridge over Eleven Mile Creek, about a half mile east of Highway 297A.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the wreck.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
One Person Dies In Fire At University Parkway Business
October 27, 2020
One person died Monday night in a commercial fire at an Escambia County business.
Firefighters responded to the MedPro Solutions at 8201 University Parkway about 7:30 p.m., arriving at the three-alarm blaze to find flames showing from the roof of the office building.
One person that was trapped inside the building was found deceased. Their identity has not yet been released.
The Florida State Fire Marshal is investigating. Firefighters from Escambia Fire Rescue, Santa Rosa County and the U.S. Navy responded.
MedPro Solutions is located between Olive Branch Health and Rehabilitation Center and Olive Baptist Church, near West Florida Hospital.
Pictured: A commercial building fire on University Boulevard Monday night, prior to the arrival of firefighters. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Charter Review Committee Fails To Produce Recommendation, Fails At Attempt At Open Public Meeting Access
October 27, 2020
The Century Charter Review Committee failed to deliver a recommendation to the Century Town Council in time to make the November ballot this year, and Monday night they failed at an attempt to hold a meeting that was completely accessible to the the public.
The Century Town Council appointed the committee in August 2019 to explore the town charter – the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
The committee held their first meeting in October 2019, two months after it was established. The early meetings were spent learning about the Sunshine Law, orderly meetings and background information. Most of the discussion at the committee’s sporadic meetings since have centered around one central topic — the form of government and the possible addition of a permanent city manager.
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed regular meetings for the charter committee and any chance of moving forward this year, preventing any charter change from making the ballot.
Monday night, the Century Charter Review Committee held another meeting. The number of members that attended the socially-distanced meeting in person was not immediately clear.
Public notices indicated that the meeting would be accessible over the phone (using the Zoom platform). At least two members of the committee — Shelisa McCall (who is also a candidate for the town council) and Evelyn Hammond — called into the meeting. NorthEscambia.com joined the meeting via both a phone call and only by Zoom.
Very, very little of the meeting was audible remotely as publicly noticed. McCall and Hammond were clearly audible on Zoom, complaining repeatedly that they could not hear or understand what was being said at the in-person meeting.
NorthEscambia.com was not able to hear or understand hardly any of the meeting. We were able to establish that Chairperson Mary Hudson Bourgeois and former interim town manager Buz Eddy were present. Eddy has acted as consultant for the committee.
Under an order from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, governmental bodies are legally allowed to hold meetings by electronic means thought the close of business on October 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective November 1, governments must return to in-person meetings.
Pictured top: Century Charter Review Committee Chairperson Mary Hudson Bourgeois (right) and member Evelyn Hammond at a 2019 meeting. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Escambia Fire Rescue, ‘Famous’ TV Dog Share Fire Safety Message In Century
October 27, 2020
Escambia County Fire Rescue and a very special and famous guest visited the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center to spread the important message of fire safety. The crew of Century’s Engine 5 were joined by Marshall, one of the hero fire dogs from the hit Nickelodeon TV series PAW Patrol. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Crews Begin Removing Confederate Monument In Downtown Pensacola
October 27, 2020
Monday, crews began to remove the Confederate monument in downtown Pensacola.
The Pensacola City Council voted in July to remove the 129-year old monument. The council also voted to revert the name Lee Square back to its original name of Florida Square. Old maps show Florida Square was the original name of the parcel on North Palafox Street one block south of East Cervantes.
The soldier statue on top of the monument was lowered to a truck on Monday. It and the remainder of the monument will be taken to the Port of Pensacola for storage until a museum or some other group takes possession.
The contractor has 30 days for removal of the monument, but work is expected to wrap up this week, weather permitting..
In September, A lawsuit to stop the removal was tossed by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers found the lawsuit seeking to stop the removal lacked legal standing. The lawsuit was filed by The Ladies Memorial Association, the Stephen Mallory Camp 1315 Sons of Confederate Veterans, Veterans Monuments of America and Save Our Southern Heritage Florida Chapter.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Blue Wahoos Press Box Dedicated To John Appleyard
October 27, 2020
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos have dedicated the press box at Blue Wahoos Stadium in memory of John Appleyard.
Appleyard, a longtime long historian, died last week at age 97. He was an author of more than 120 books and monographs that included mystery stories, family histories and novels. His histories included in-depth accounts of all phases of local government.
He served as a radio broadcaster for the Blue Wahoos from 2016-2020, signing a lifetime contract with the team in 2018. At the conclusion of the 2019 season, he received the team’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the growth of Minor League baseball in Pensacola and the sport across the area.
“When you look back at the history of Pensacola, the best parts have John Appleyard in them,” Blue Wahoos owner
Quint Studer said. “His legacy will continue across the city and no one who knew him will forget his impact.”
A public memorial for Appleyard was held Monday afternoon at the Blue Wahoos stadium.
