City Of Pensacola Offices Reopening To The Public After COVID-19 Closures
October 4, 2020
City of Pensacola offices and facilities that were closed due to COVID-19 will reopen to the public on Monday, Oct. 5, with some restrictions still in place to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Per city policy an a city ordinance, face coverings are required to be worn by employees and members of the public inside all city buildings and facilities. Anyone entering a city building or facility may be subject to a temperature check and/or COVID-19 screening questions.
The following city buildings and facilities will reopen Monday, Oct. 5:
- City of Pensacola administrative offices
- City Hall
- Most City of Pensacola community resource centers
Exceptions:
- All City of Pensacola parks remain closed until further notice due to Hurricane Sally.
- Bayview Senior Center and Theophalis May Resource Center will remain closed to the public until further notice. For virtual programming offered by Bayview Senior Center, like and follow Bayview Senior Center on Facebook.
- Roger Scott Tennis Center hard courts have reopened, but clay courts remain closed
FEMA Mobile Registration Centers Now Open Escambia, Santa Rosa
October 4, 2020
FEMA has opened mobile registration centers for Hurricane Sally survivors at multiple locations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The centers, called Mobile Registration Intake Centers (MRICs), are staffed with FEMA personnel who can assist with registration and answer questions about disaster-assistance programs.
The centers are open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. at:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
- Escambia County Extension Service – 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Southwest Branch Library – 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Brownsville Community Center – 3200 W. DeSoto St.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
- Pensacola State College South Santa Rosa Center – 5075 Gulf Breeze Pkwy, Gulf Breeze
The centers operate under COVID-19 protocols to ensure visitors and FEMA personnel are safe. Distancing and face coverings are required. Individuals who come to the centers check in at a registration table, give their name and phone number, and then wait in their cars until they receive a text message to come to the FEMA staff at the MRIC. This process reduces the number of people standing in lines to mitigate against COVID.
It is not necessary to visit a center to register with FEMA. Disaster survivors with uninsured losses can also apply by:
- Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov;
- Downloading the FEMA App; or by
- Calling 800-621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY). Multilingual operators are available. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should provide FEMA with their specific phone number assigned to that service.
The following information is necessary when you register:
- Address of the damaged dwelling where the damage occurred (pre-disaster address)
- Current mailing address
- Current telephone number
- Insurance information
- Total household annual income
- Routing and account number for checking or savings account (this allows FEMA to directly transfer disaster assistance funds into a bank account)
- A description of disaster-caused damage and losses
Pictured: A FEMA center that opened Saturday morning at the Escambia County Extension Office on Stefani Road in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Road Construction: This Week’s Slowdown Spots
October 4, 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:
- · Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – The bridge is closed and expected to remain closed for several months.
- · U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) – Drivers may encounter the following lane closures the week of Sunday, Oct. 4.:
o Motorists traveling Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass and U.S. 29 traffic between I-10 and Nine and a Half Mile Road may experience alternating lane shifts or closures as crews continue drainage and pavement operations.
o Broad Street will be closed west of U.S. 29 to the railroad tracks from 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 to 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5 for road construction. Broad Street between Untreiner Avenue and U.S. 29 will be open to local traffic only.
- · East Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Safety Project from North Palafox Street to Chemstrand Road – Motorists will encounter intermittent nighttime lane closures as crews continue construction activities.
- · West Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90) Construction Activities West of I-10 – Motorists will encounter an intermittent, westbound lane closure from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Friday, Oct. 9 as crews perform curb and gutter work in preparation for paving the new turn lane.
- · U.S. 29 Resurfacing from south of Muscogee Road (County Road 184) to Atmore Highway (State Road (S.R.) 97)- Motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane restrictions as crews continue construction activities at various locations. Motorists may also encounter nighttime lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5 through Thursday, Oct. 8 for the placement of asphalt. Motorists are also advised to look out for debris as cleanup efforts are still underway from Hurricane Sally.
- · Mobile Highway (U.S. 90) Intersection Improvements at New Warrington Road
(S.R. 295) – Construction activities continue. Drivers can expect lane closures between 9:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. - · I-10 Lane Reconstruction West of Sandy Creek Bridge – The eastbound on-ramp and eastbound outside lane will be closed on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 as crews begin lane reconstruction activities.
- · I-10 Light Pole Removal from Escambia Bay Bridge – Motorists will encounter nighttime lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 4 as crews remove light poles from the bridge.
Santa Rosa County:
- Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – For the latest information visit FDOT.gov/PensacolaBay.
- 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.
- · S.R. 87 North Underground Utility Operations from Park Avenue to S.R. 89 – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3 as crews perform underground utility repairs.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Alabama’s Gas Tax Just Increased. And There Are More Increases To Come.
October 4, 2020
Alabama drivers are now paying more taxes at the pump.
The state’s gas tax increased on last week, the second phase of a 10 cent overall increase. That brings Alabama’s total gas tax to 26 per gallon.
The first phase of the 10 cent gas tax increase went into effect on September 1, 2019; it was the first state increase since 1992.
There will be another 2 cent increase on October 1, 2021, and there’s another two penny increase coming on October 1, 2023. After that, there will be an annual adjustment on July 1 based upon the National Highway Construction Cost Index.
Teen Bicyclist Struck By SUV On Old Chemstrand Road
October 3, 2020
A 13-year old boy on a bicycle was struck by a car Saturday afternoon, but was not seriously injured.
It happened about 2:45 p.m. on Old Chemstrand Road near Water Oaks Trail. The side of a SUV and the bicycle collided.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Did You Feel It? Ground Shaking, Loud Sound Reported Across The Area
October 3, 2020
The sounds of an explosion or rattling and shaking were heard or felt across part of Escambia County Saturday afternoon, and so far no one seems to know why.
Beginning about 2 p.m., NorthEscambia.com was flooded with over 600 messages and comments from people reporting the incident, and Escambia County 911 also received numerous calls.
A majority of the comments were concentrated from Molino to the north to Beulah in the south, but other reports were received from across Escambia, Santa Rosa and Baldwin counties.
Escambia Fire Rescue checked the area out and found nothing. And the U.S. Geological Survey did not report a earthquake.
Click here to see a Facebook post with hundreds of reader reports.
Employee Airlifted After Industrial Accident At McDavid Sawmill
October 3, 2020
An employee was critically injured in an industrial accident Friday night at the West Fraser Sawmill in McDavid.
The man in 20s was airlifted by ShandsCair medical helicopter to an area hospital about an hour after the initial call.
Details on the accident were not released.
Multiple Escambia Fire Rescue units, including a special operations team, were dispatched to the sawmill on Highway 29 in McDavid just before 10 p.m. The McDavid, Molino and Osceola stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
FEMA Individual Assistance Is Now Available. Here’s How To Apply.
October 3, 2020
Florida homeowners and renters in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties who had uninsured losses from Hurricane Sally may be eligible for federal disaster assistance from FEMA.
FEMA has programs that provide financial help with temporary housing expenses, basic home repairs and other essential disaster-related needs. FEMA coordinates with the Florida Division of Emergency Management in disaster recovery.
Related story: FEMA Individual Assistance Approved for Northwest Florida
Here’s what FEMA says you need to do:
First, if you haven’t already done so, contact your insurance company and file a claim for the disaster-caused damage. You don’t have to wait to start cleaning up but be sure to take photographs or video of the damage and keep all receipts for repair work.
If you have uninsured or underinsured losses, register with FEMA. Registration is free and doesn’t take long. You can register in several ways:
- Visit DisasterAssistance.gov, enter your location and click on “Apply Online”
- Download the FEMA App for smartphones
- Call 800-621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY). Multilingual operators are available. The toll-free numbers are open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should update FEMA with their specific phone number assigned to that service.
It is helpful to have the following information available when you register:
- Address of the damaged dwelling where the damage occurred (pre-disaster address)
- Current mailing address
- Current telephone number
- Insurance information
- Total household annual income
- Routing and account number for checking or savings account (this allows FEMA to directly transfer disaster assistance funds into a bank account)
- A description of disaster-caused damage and losses
What to Expect After You Register With FEMA
If you reported that you may not be able to live safely in your home, it may be necessary for FEMA to perform an inspection of the damaged dwelling. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, FEMA field inspections are being conducted remotely.
For remote inspections, FEMA inspectors will contact applicants by phone to answer questions about the type and extent of damage sustained. Remote inspections provide an effective way of evaluating damage, comparable to traditional, in-person inspections, and this expedites the delivery of recovery assistance.
Survivors with minimal damage who can live in their homes will not automatically be scheduled for a home inspection when applying to FEMA. However, they may request an inspection if they later find significant disaster-caused damage.
Pictured: A Hurricane Sally damaged home in Escambia County. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia CARES Funding To Support COVID-19 Testing For Symptomatic Residents
October 3, 2020
Beginning Monday, October 5, Escambia County CARES Act funds will be used by Community Health Northwest Florida and Ascension Sacred Heart to offer rapid COVID-19 testing to Escambia County residents with symptoms.
In late August, the County Commission approved allocating CARES funding to create a rapid testing partnership that would allow for tests to be administered by Ascension Sacred Heart and Community Health Northwest Florida. CARES funds will support the purchase of Abbott ID NOW Rapid COVID-19 test kits and human resources to offer rapid testing five days per week at drive-through locations in Escambia County.
The Abbott test is a molecular nasal swab that detects COVID-19 in 15 minutes or less. It is a widely used point-of-care test to allow quick diagnosis so that new COVID-19 cases can be quickly identified and isolated to slow the spread of the disease.
Initially, rapid COVID-19 testing will be available by appointment only to Escambia County residents who are experiencing active COVID-19 symptoms. All patients are required to be pre-screened by calling the Ascension Sacred Heart COVID-19 Call Center at 850-746-2684. A phone pre-screen is required to obtain access to rapid testing at the drive-through test center. Call Center personnel will schedule appointments at the most convenient testing site for the patient.
Rapid COVID-19 testing is open to Escambia County residents who meet the pre-screening criteria, both adults and children three months of age and older. Testing is provided at no cost to patients.
“On behalf of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, we are extremely pleased to announce rapid COVID-19 testing for residents,” said Chairman and District 5 County Commissioner Steven Barry. “The board approved CARES Act funding in the amount of $1.25 million for our partnership with Ascension Sacred Heart and Community Health Northwest Florida to make this important resource available for residents to receive COVID-19 test results quickly. We hope this will assist in slowing community spread of COVID-19, and we would like to remind residents to continue to Mask Up, Escambia.”
Tate Aggies Beat PHS 13-6 (With Photo Gallery)
October 3, 2020
The Tate High School Aggies beat the Pensacola High School Tigers 13-6 Friday night at PHS.
Pensacola High quarter Nate Simmons picked up a 43-yard run before going in from a yard out to put the Tigers up 6-0.
Calen Arnevik hit a couple of a field goals for the Aggies, from 34 and 36 yards.
The Aggies took the lead on a touchdown from junior Warren Henke from a couple of yards out for a 13-6 Tate advantage.
In the final minute, a PHS Simmons pass into the endzone was broken up by Henke to seal the win for the Aggies.
The Tate Aggies (1-1) will host the Pace Patriots (0-2) next Friday night at Pete Gindl Stadium.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
