Escambia Issues New Info On Housing Grants Application Process, New Locations
September 2, 2020
As applications opened Tuesday for rent, mortgage and utility assistance for local residents, Escambia County released more guidance on the program and added additional application locations.
Approximately $813,451 was being made available Tuesday by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to assist eligible applicants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the current application period eligible expenses must occur between March 1 and December 30, 2020. Maximum assistance will be $3,000 per household and will be paid directly to the landlord, mortgage, or utility company.
Applications will be accepted though Monday, September 14 or until funds have been committed. Applications are available online at myescambia.com/CARES. For further information, contact Meredith Reeves at (850) 595-1642 or EscambiaCaresRentandMortgage@myescambia.com.
Paper applications are available for pickup at the following locations starting Tuesday, Sept. 1 for citizens who do not have online access:
- Escambia County Extension Services, 3740 Stefani Road. (Wednesday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division, 221 Palafox Place, Suite 200 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St. (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Carver Park Resource Center, 208 Webb St. (Tuesday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Century City Hall, 7995 N Century Blvd. (starting Thursday during normal business hours)
- Ebonwood Community Center, 3511 West Scott St. (Tuesday and Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Marie K. Young-Wedgewood Community Center, 6405 Wagner Road. (Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
- EREC/Walnut Hill Post Office, 4950 Highway 99A, Walnut Hill (Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- All West Florida Public Libraries
Completed paper applications with attachments should be emailed to EscambiaCaresRentandMortgage@myescambia.com, faxed to 850-595-0342, or dropped off at the Brownsville Community Center or Neighborhood Enterprise Division. Please make sure all attachments are clear and legible. Applicants needing assistance with completing applications should call 850-595-1642 for further guidance.
New information and guidance for applicants is below the income requirements in the following image.
Please provide the public the eligibility requirements as required by the State of Florida:
A.1. Is your combined annual household income below the 120% area median income level? (see chart below)
A.2. Are you delinquent on your rent, mortgage and/or utility payments? (utilities include electric, natural gas, propane, water, sewer, and trash). Please note – Documented evidence required.
A.3. Are you a resident living in Escambia County?
A.4. Do you have proof of loss of employment income or reduction of employment income due to COVID-19 impacts on or after March 1, 2020?
IF YOU ANSWERED “NO” TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ESCAMBIA COUNTY CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND RENT, MORTGAGE, AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
Rent and Mortgage Assistance Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions including:
Q: I need assistance with utilities only. Can you provide assistance?
A: The funding is intended for foreclosure and eviction prevention. Utility assistance can only be provided in conjunction with mortgage or rent assistance. Utility assistance can be provided if your lease specifically requires maintenance of utilities and could be a cause for eviction. If you need utility assistance ONLY, please call 2-1-1 for referrals for utility assistance.
Q: How will I know the county has successfully received my application?
A: You will receive a confirmation number on your screen once you have completely submitted your successful application online. You will not receive an e-mail with this confirmation. Please make a note of your confirmation number for future reference.
Florida Dumps Quest Diagnostics As Testing Company After Quest Dumps Months Old COVID-19 Test Data
September 1, 2020
Tuesday, at the direction of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) will be severing all ties with Quest Diagnostics after Quest’s failure to follow Florida law and report all COVID-19 results in a timely manner. Quest’s failure to report nearly 75,000 results dating back to April means most of the data in today’s upload – while it will have historical significance – will have little impact on the status of the pandemic today.
Per Quest, all individuals that tested positive were notified of their results. Therefore, while significant, this unacceptable dump of test results is a data issue and does not impact the health of individuals or the spread of COVID-19 in Florida. Quest Diagnostics is a large, nationwide lab that provides testing at private sites, as well as performing limited testing through the state.
Upon announcing this action, Governor DeSantis said, “The law requires all COVID-19 results to be reported to DOH in a timely manner. To drop this much unusable and stale data is irresponsible. I believe that Quest has abdicated their ability to perform a testing function in Florida that the people can be confident in. As such I am directing all executive agencies to sever their COVID-19 testing relationships with Quest effective immediately.”
Monday night, August 31, the Governor’s office was informed that nearly 75,000 tests, dating as far back as April, were to be entered into the DOH COVID-19 monitoring system. While the data, for the most part were over two weeks old – with some being almost five months old – the state incorporated information that would be useful and included the rest in the interest of transparency.
Without the backlog of Quest results, the positivity rate for new cases on August 31, 2020 is 5.9%. With the Quest data dump, Tuesday’s number reflected 7,643 total new cases with a 6.8% positivity rate.
Apply Now For Escambia Rent, Mortgage, Utility Assistance; Another $16 Million In CARES Assistance Coming Soon
September 1, 2020
Escambia County residents can apply for a rent, mortgage and utility assistance beginning Tuesday. And Escambia County will also begin taking applications for over $16 million in assistance in a couple of weeks.
Approximately $813,451 was being made available Tuesday by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to assist eligible applicants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m excited to begin to distribute the first of the CARES dollars to our citizens who are hurting and in need. Also, while this includes the first $ 800,000 dollars of available CARES funds, we should begin taking applications for the larger allocations exceeding $16 million dollars to be distributed to our individual citizens and our businesses within two weeks,” Escambia County Commission Chairman Steven Barry said.
Barry, who represents District 5, pointed out that residents can apply online or get in-person assistance at libraries including Century and Molino. He said more locations will be made available when the $16 million in funding is released.
“When that application period begins we are going to have county personnel in multiple locations in District 5 to help our citizens and businesses complete their applications successfully. It’s extremely important to me that we get these dollars into the people’s hands who are in need and especially those who have missed out on other forms of help earlier this year.”
During the current application period eligible expenses must occur between March 1 and December 30, 2020. Maximum assistance will be $3,000 per household and will be paid directly to the landlord, mortgage, or utility company.
General eligibility requirements:
- Escambia County resident (including City of Pensacola and Town of Century)
- Income adversely impacted by COVID-19
- Total household income cannot exceed 120% Area Median Income
- This program is for past due rent, mortgage and utilities ONLY
Income requirements are as follows:
Applications will be accepted beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020 through Monday, September 14, 2020 or until funds have been committed. Applications are available online at myescambia.com/CARES. For further information, contact Meredith Reeves at (850) 595-1642 or EscambiaCaresRentandMortgage@myescambia.com.
Paper applications will be available at the following locations starting Tuesday, Sept. 1 for citizens who do not have online access:
- Escambia County Neighborhood Enterprise Division, 221 Palafox Place, Suite 200 (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St. (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- West Florida Public Libraries (including Century and Molino)
Completed paper applications with attachments should be emailed to EscambiaCaresRentandMortgage@myescambia.com, faxed to (850) 595-0342, or dropped off at the Brownsville Community Center or Neighborhood Enterprise Division. Please make sure all attachments are clear and legible. Applicants needing assistance with completing applications should call (850) 595-1642 for further guidance.
Meet Shorty, The Beagle K-9 That Tracked Down Suspect That Shot At Deputies
September 1, 2020
When an Escambia County man opened fired and became involved in a gun battle with deputies last Friday it was ultimately a cute little beagle named Shorty that tracked him down in the woods near the Perdido River.
“So here he is! After helping the ECSO apprehend an armed suspect in the woods last Friday, K9 shorty was able to take a quick break from crime fighting for a picture with Chief Deputy Chip Simmons and Lt. Simms from the Escambia County Road Camp,” the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office wrote on social media.
While Shortly ultimately found the suspect, the manhunt included the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Pensacola Police Department, Santa Rosa County Sheriffs’ Office, FWC, Escambia County Corrections, Escambia County EMS, Florida Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals and other agencies.
Pictured: Shorty with Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chip Simmons and Lt. Simms from the Escambia County Road Camp. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
State Inmate In Atmore Dies After Testing Positive COVID-19 In Local Hospital
September 1, 2020
A 33-year prison inmate died positive for COVID-19 has died at an Atmore hospital.
Jonathan Mallory, a 33-year-old inmate who was serving a 20-year sentence for first-degree assault and a 25-year sentence for first-degree robbery out of Calhoun County at Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore passed away on Thursday, the Alabama Department Corrections acknowledged late Monday afternoon.
Mallory was admitted to a local hospital for treatment of an unrelated medical condition on July 10. He tested negative for COVID-19 upon admission. He was retested for COVID-19 on July 16 and returned a positive result. He remained under the care of the hospital until his passing, ADOC said. An official cause of the death has not yet been released.
A total of 18 inmates and 24 employees at Fountain have tested positive. At nearby Holman Prison, 13 inmates and 18 employees have also tested positive.
Century Seeks Public Input As They Consider Applying For Up To $2.2 Million In Grants
September 1, 2020
The Town of Century is seeking public input at an upcoming meeting as they consider applying for up to $2.2 million in state grants.
The town is considering applying to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for a Fiscal Year 2019 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The Town is eligible to apply for up to $700,000 in the Neighborhood Revitalization, Commercial Revitalization and Housing Rehabilitation categories and up to $1.5 million in the Economic Development category.
Construction activities funded through the CDBG program must meet one of the following national objectives:
- To provide benefit to low and moderate income persons;
- Prevent or eliminate or elimination or slums or blight conditions;
- To meet a need of recent origin having a particular urgency.
The categories for which these funds may be used are in the areas of housing or neighborhood revitalization, commercial revitalization, and economic development.
For each activity that is proposed, at least 70% of the funds must benefit low and moderate income persons.
The public hearing will be held on September 8. Click here for more information (pdf).
Man Catches New State Record 69.9 Pound Flathead Catfish In Santa Rosa County
September 1, 2020
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has certified a new state record flathead catfish caught in Santa Rosa County.
The fish weighed in at 69.9 pounds, measured 48.5 inches long and had a girth of 38.25. Angler Lavon Nowling caught the fish on a rod and reel using live bait in the Yellow River.
“I’ve caught some good ones before this fish, but none of them were more than 54 pounds,” said Nowling. “I’ve been fishing since I was old enough to hold a pole and have been fishing on Yellow River as long as I can remember.”
Nowling brought his catch to the FWC’s Blackwater Hatchery near Holt, where biologists weighed it on a certified scale. The last state record flathead catfish was caught in 2019 on the same river. That fish was caught by Marvin Griffin and weighed 69.3 pounds.
“I’ve been deep sea fishing to creek fishing and I never expected to catch a state record fish,” said Nowling. “That day I was fishing for channel catfish and can’t believe I caught a huge flathead. I was in the right place at the right time.”
Flathead catfish are a nonnative fish found in many northwest Florida Panhandle river systems. Flatheads prefer long, slow flowing, moderately turbid rivers. Their solitary lifestyle makes them more difficult to catch than other catfish. Adult flathead catfish feed primarily on live fish, crawfish, freshwater clams and mussels.
“A state record catch is a once in a lifetime achievement for an angler,” said Jon Fury, FWC’s Director for the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management. “We are pleased to award this state record to Mr. Nowling.”
To properly certify a new freshwater Florida state record, an FWC employee must witness its weighing on a certified scale and a biologist must identify the species.
ECSO Poll: The Name ‘Sadie’ Was Tops For New K-9 Cop Bloodhound
September 1, 2020
The name Sadie was the top name in an online poll to pick the name for a new Escambia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit puppy.
The pup is nine months old and is the agency’s first bloodhound. She will be assigned to Sergeant Biggs, and her main job will be to conduct searches for missing people or suspects.
The ECSO had narrowed her name down to three choices: Sadie, Izzy or Stella.
When voting closed Monday afternoon, Sadie was tops with 44.1% of the vote. Stella was a close second at 40%, and Izzy was far less popular with 15.9% of the vote.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Reliance Arrives Onboard NAS Pensacola
September 1, 2020
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Reliance arrived at their new homeport onboard NAS Pensacola Monday, after a nearly month-long patrol of the Windward Pass between Cuba, the Bahamas and Haiti.
The Reliance joins the Coast Guard Cutters Diligence, Decisive, Dauntless and Cypress onboard NAS Pensacola.
“It’s very exciting to be on the pier as we welcome the Coast Guard Cutter Reliance to NAS Pensacola — the fourth of the Coast Guard cutters that will be stationed here,” said Capt. Tim Kinsella, commanding officer, NAS Pensacola. “It’s especially exciting to have the Reliance here — being the namesake for this class of the cutters.”
Reliance departed her former homeport at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine on July 6, sailing for the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland to effect repairs to the propulsion shafts.
Reliance sailed from the Coast Guard Yard to begin her patrol of the Windward Pass, August 5. While patrolling the Caribbean, the Reliance operated alongside interagency and international partners to prevent dangerous, illegal maritime migration. The patrol included the repatriation of 16 Haitian migrants, participation in a search for survivors of a capsized Haitian vessel, shipboard training and storm avoidance.
“Reliance’s departure from Kittery, Maine, brings an end to 31 years of faithful service in the North Atlantic,” said Cmdr. Robert Hill, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Reliance. “The crew has performed exceptionally during our patrol amidst the challenges faced by COVID-19 and multiple tropical storms that arose. I could not be prouder of this crew and know that we are ready to continue our service in Pensacola, where the Coast Guard has strategically clustered part of its 210′ cutter fleet for logistical support and proximity to our mission area of responsibility.”
The homeport shift to Pensacola marks the second time Reliance has been homeported in Florida; Reliance was homeported in Port Canaveral from 1982 until 1987.
“It’s definitely a different environment for the crew,” Hill said. “Reliance, typically in the North Atlantic, was doing a lot of fisheries enforcement boarding, so our missions down here are a change of pace, but the crew is excited to be here. We are looking forward to it.”
Kinsella met Hill following the cutter’s arrival and welcomed Reliance and her crew to the NAS Pensacola family.
“We look forward to working with them throughout their time here, and helping them to do their mission wherever they deploy — whether it be to the Eastern Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico or even the Atlantic,” Kinsella said. “We are very happy to be partnering with them to help them continue their mission.”
Reliance (WMEC-615) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. It is the first of the 210′ Medium Endurance Cutter Fleet and the fourth Revenue Cutter/Coast Guard Cutter to bear the name Reliance. The cutter’s primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Photos: Joshua Cox for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
18-Year Killed When He Fell Out Of Moving Pickup Truck Near Atmore
August 31, 2020
An 18-year old was killed when he fell from a moving pickup truck northwest of Atmore.
Alabama State Troopers said Garrett D. Phillips of Robertsdale fell from the moving truck shortly after midnight Sunday. The 2002 Toyota Tacoma was being driven by 19-year old William D. Ray of Robertsdale on Kent Road in western Escambia County, between Jack Springs Road and Lottie Road.
Further information has not been released as troopers continue their investigation.