FDOT Studies Widening Nine Mile To Six Lanes, But Four Lanes Aren’t Done. Escambia Commissioner Questions Why.
September 8, 2020
The $46 million four laning of Nine Mile Road won’t be completed until late spring next year, but the Florida Department of Transportation already has a study underway to consider widening it again to six lanes from Pine Forest Road to Mobile Highway.
An Escambia County commissioner wants to know why it’s taken so long to complete four lanes and why six lanes are under consideration.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“Why the hell is the current project so badly over-budget and behind schedule? That is the question residents I represent want to know,” Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh wrote on his blog Monday, saying he plans to address Nine Mile Road during a Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization meeting this week.
“….this project is tracking to be nearly 24 months behind schedule—residents that I represent want to know why this FDOT project is not a 24 hour a day, weekends and nights, priority for completion? I want to know this too, so I will be asking this question SPECIFICALLY at the TPO meeting we will be having this Wednesday,” Bergosh continued.
“So with this as the backdrop—why are we even talking about making 6-lanes on this road NOW?? Who is pushing this? Did an outlandish, expensive ($74 million), and inefficient “special interest” idea get laughed out of a room full of Tallahassee deciders a few months back, and is this the “new” project this special interest group now is pushing? Gosh I hope this is not the new “we gotta have this” project because there are MUCH MORE important projects that need to come first that will have greater impact on the issues out here than talking about 6-Lanes through Beulah,” the District 1 commissioner wrote.
Bergosh said FDOT needs to address other issues before six laning Nine Mile, beginning with fixing I-10 and the Pine Forest Road exit to two lanes now and add a dedicated turn lane on westbound I-10 because vehicles are currently stacking up on the shoulder of the interstate for about a mile.
He said FDOT needs to get to work on the Beulah Interchange project. “If you pull HALF the Beulah traffic off of 9-Mile Road north to Isaacs lane and what will eventually be our interchange there—-this lightens the traffic load on the heavily-congested portion of 9-Mile Road through Beulah on 9-Mile Road in front of NFCU. Hello?!? Duh??”
And there’s one more thing, Bergosh wrote. The capitalization is his…”FDOT, for the love of God, MAKE YOUR CONTRACTOR FINISH THIS CURRENT 4-LANE PROJECT IN BEULAH BETWEEN EXIT 5 AND MOBILE HWY. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH WITH THREE DAY NO WORK WEEKENDS AND LAME EXCUSES WHEN THIS PROJECT IS TRACKING 24 MONTHS BEHIND!!!”
As NorthEscambia.com first reported last week, the Florida Department of Transportation has credited a virtual update on the Nine Mile six lane study. The virtual project update, interactive map, virtual tour and a comment form are available by clicking or tapping here. The deadline to submit comments is October 15.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: A look at the construction on Nine Mile Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
First Day Of Practice, Less Than Two Weeks Before Football Season Opener
September 8, 2020
Labor Day Monday was the first day of high school football practice for the Northview Chiefs and the Tate Aggies– less than two weeks before the start of a pandemic-shortened season.
The first games of an eight contest schedule will be played the night of Friday, September 18.
The 2020 schedules for the Tate High School Aggies and the Northview High School Chiefs are below.
TATE HIGH SCHOOL AGGIES
- Sept. 18 vs. Pine Forest
- Sept. 25 at Washington
- Oct. 2 at Pensacola
- Oct. 9 vs. Pace
- Oct 16 vs. Escambia
- Oct. 23 at West Florida
- Oct. 30 vs. Pensacola Catholic
- Nov. 6 at Gulf Breeze
NORTHVIEW HIGH SCHOOL CHIEFS
- Sept. 18 at Baker
- Sept. 25 vs. Holmes County (*Senior Night)
- Oct. 2 at Escambia Academy (AL)
- Oct. 9 at Walton
- Oct. 16 vs. South Walton
- Oct. 23 at Jay
- Oct. 30 vs. Chipley (*Homecoming)
- Nov. 6 vs. Jay
Pictured: The seniors of the Northview High School Chiefs 2020 football team. Pictured below: The first day of practice for the Chiefs. Photos: Northview QB Club for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gas Prices Reach Six Month Highs
September 8, 2020
Florida gas prices jumped 13 cents early last week. Drivers are now paying the highest price for gasoline since March.
Florida drivers are now feeling the effects of Hurricane Laura, which made landfall in Louisiana nearly two weeks ago,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Wholesale prices shot up, because the storm affected refineries in the region. It took several days, but retailers eventually raised retail prices as a result of the added cost.”
Despite the recent price hike, drivers found the lowest Labor Day gas prices in 16 years. Monday’s state average of $2.19 per gallon is 12 cents more than last week and 5 cents more than last month. Still, pump prices remain 24 cents per gallon less than this time last year.
The lowest price in North Escambia was $2.12 at a station on Muscogee Road Monday night, while a couple of warehouse clubs were at $1.95 in Pensacola.
“Florida gas prices should begin to trickle down this week,” Jenkins continued. “Labor Day traditionally marks the last big travel weekend of the summer, which leads to lower gasoline demand during the fall. However, demand was already unseasonably low this summer, due to the pandemic. While pump prices should remain low, it’s possible that some volatility continues in the coming months.”
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Crews Return After Helping To Restore Power Following Hurricane Laura
September 8, 2020
Gulf Power crews returned home safely Sunday from Louisiana after restoring power to thousands of customers who were left in the dark following Hurricane Laura. Gulf Power sent nearly 80 lineworkers and support personnel, along with 100 contractors, to help Entergy restore electric service and aid in recovery efforts following the storm that knocked out power to thousands of customers in Louisiana.
Crews worked 16-hour days in hot, humid conditions to restore power in the Columbia, La., area, located south of Monroe in the northern part of the state. A smaller leadership team of Gulf Power employees remain in the hard-hit area of Lake Charles in the southern part of the state assisting with restoration. Gulf Power’s sister company, Florida Power & Light, remains in Louisiana to assist Entergy with rebuilding its grid.
“It’s been an incredibly busy season of storm restoration across our country and we understand how difficult it is for customers to be without power – especially in the midst of the pandemic,” said Gulf Power President Marlene Santos. “I am so proud of our men and women for leaving their families to help other communities during a time of need. Our crews have experience in restoring power and so we’re glad to assist others, especially after they helped us following Hurricane Michael.”
Before making the decision to send help, Gulf Power makes sure its customers are taken care of and that no other storms are on the immediate horizon.
Providing mutual assistance after natural disasters is a hallmark of the energy industry. Gulf Power has already made four storm restoration trips this year. In August alone, Gulf Power crews assisted FPL and then traveled to New Jersey to assist a utility there following Hurricane Isaias.
Labor Day By The Numbers: Increasing Unemployment In Escambia County
September 7, 2020
Here’s a look at the latest pandemic employment numbers for Escambia County.
The most recent numbers from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity were released in late August and included employment statistics through the end of July.
The unemployment rate in Escambia County was 9.2% in July, up from 7.9% in June. That represents 13,167 people out of work out of a county workforce of 142,520. One year ago, Escambia County’s unemployment rate was just 3.5%, or 5,126 people.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced the Pensacola area private-sector employment decreased by 7,100 jobs (-4.5%) over the year. The industry losing the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality (-3,100 jobs). Construction was the only major industry that gained jobs over the year in July 2020 (+100 jobs).
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 11.3 percent in July 2020, up 1.0 percentage point from the revised June 2020 rate, and up 8.2 percentage points from a year ago. There were 1,125,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 9,975,000.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 10.2 percent in July.
Applicants Needed For Local Community Ambassador Program
September 7, 2020
United Way of West Florida (UWWF) is inviting in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to apply for the 2020-21 Ambassador Program.
Each year, community-minded employers lend key personnel to UWWF to serve as ambassadors. By volunteering their time each month, these individuals help raise funds to meet critical needs in the community – addressing gaps in health, education, and financial stability. Each Ambassador supports between five and eight companies by planning and implementing successful fundraising campaigns.
The Ambassador Program is designed to help participants gain a better understanding of the needs of our local community while building lasting relationships with Escambia and Santa Rosa counties’ current and future leaders. As an ambassador, participants will strengthen their leadership skills, build strong community connections, and be part of something much larger than any one person or organization.
“Being is an ambassador for UWWF was an eye-opening experience,” said Bradley Sanders of Gulf Coast Kid’s House. “Not only did I volunteer and serve my community in a nontraditional capacity, but I learned so much from this experience and the different areas of need within Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.”
Ambassadors volunteer approximately 10 hours per month from September through December. To become an ambassador, download an application at www.uwwf.org/AP. Applications will be accepted through September 15. For more information, contact Campaign Manager, Blaise Moehl, at blaise.moehl@uwwf.org.
Gulf Power Transmission Projects Underway To Improve Reliability
September 7, 2020
Gulf Power is continuing to strengthen the grid to improve reliability in both good weather and bad with a major project on a transmission power line in Escambia County.
The transmission project kicked off at the beginning of the year by replacing wooden poles with 25 concrete poles over an eight-mile stretch of transmission lines located near Gulf Power’s Plant Crist. This summer, the second phase of the project began, which will increase the capacity of the line as well as replace wooden poles with 70 concrete poles. The new concrete poles are 100 to 140 feet tall / up to four feet wide and are built to withstand winds of up to 140 mph.
“As part of the Florida Power & Light family, we’re committed to improving reliability – which is already the best it has been – in both good weather and bad for our customers,” said Mike Spoor, vice president of power delivery for Gulf Power. “We know how important reliable service is for our customers, especially during this time, and we’re continuing to invest in hardening and other upgrades that will make our electric system stronger and more resilient during hurricane season.”
This project is upgrading a section of transmission line that comes out of Gulf Power’s Plant Crist, which is currently undergoing a modernization to convert from coal as its main fuel source to cleaner, lower-cost natural gas. When complete, the Plant Crist modernization will lower carbon emissions at the site by an estimated 40%.
The transmission upgrade project is part of Gulf Power’s plan to spend approximately $600 million through 2022 in capital investments to improve reliability, bring cleaner energy to Northwest Florida and enhance service for customers.
Gulf Power has already upgraded more than 170 wooden transmission structures to concrete or steel, with more planned for replacement in the coming years. Other storm hardening and reliability improvement projects include regular vegetation management trimming cycles, using drones to inspect lines to detect possible issues before they occur and the installation of automated lateral switches to isolate outages and restore power more quickly.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
September 7, 2020
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings this week:
Monday, September 7
Escambia County Offices Closed for Labor Day
Tuesday, September 8
Technical Coordinating Committee – 8:30 a.m., 222 W. Main St.
Citizens Advisory Committee – 3 p.m., 222 W. Main St.
Merit System Advisory Committee – 5 p.m., 221 Palafox Place, Fourth Floor Training Room
Escambia County Housing Finance Authority – 5 p.m., 700 S. Palafox St., Suite 310
Board of County Commissioners Budget Public Hearing – 5:31 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, BCC Meeting Room
Navy Federal EDATE Ordinance Public Hearing – 5:33 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, BCC Meeting Room
Wednesday, September 9
Transportation Planning Organization – 9 a.m., 5976 Chumuckla Highway, Pace
Developmental Review Committee - 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Santa Rosa Island Authority Board Meeting – 5 p.m., 1 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach
Friday, September 11
Sick Leave Pool Committee Meeting – 11 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, BCC Meeting Room
Escambia County, Alabama, COVID-19 Cases Up By 76 In Two Weeks
September 7, 2020
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County, Alabama increased by 76 in the past two weeks.
There are now 1,247 confirmed cases plus an additional 214 probably cases in the county, according to the Alabama Department of Health. There have been 22 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Escambia County, Alabama.
There were 624 people tested in the last two weeks for a positivity rate of 15.2%
Data released Friday by the Escambia County Healthcare Authority shows 540 of the positive cases were tested at Atmore Community Hospital, and 231 received positive results at D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton. There were 26 pending test results between the two hospitals.
Molino Fire Responds To Grass Fire In Barrineau Park
September 6, 2020
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a grass fire in the area of Barrineau Park Road and Barrineau Park Lane about 2 p.m. Sunday. There were no structures threatened, and no injuries reported. It took about an hour to contain the fire. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
