ECAT Adjusts Routes Thursday Due to Storm Debris

Escambia County Area Transit will resume normal operating hours Thursday, Oct. 15, but several routes will see modifications due to debris and road conditions left behind from recent weather.

ECAT will run standard service from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with FlexTransit available from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. However, Route 48 will not operate at all Thursday. Routes 45 North and 51 will skip service on Briese Lane and Ensley Street respectively, with riders directed to alternative pickup locations on Johnson Avenue and Cody Road.

The University of West Florida trolleys also will not run Thursday. ECAT warns that delays remain possible across the system due to ongoing debris on roadways, and riders should plan for extra travel time. For specifics on your route, call ECAT at 850-595-3228.

DeSantis Reappoints Clark, Passidomo-Smith to Florida Public Service Commission

Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday the reappointment of Gary Clark and Gabriella Passidomo-Smith to the Florida Public Service Commission, a regulatory body that oversees the state's utility companies.

Clark, of Chipley, has served as a PSC Commissioner since 2017. Before that role, he worked as Deputy Secretary of Land and Recreation for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and served on the Washington County School Board, Chipola College District Board of Trustees, and the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.

Passidomo-Smith, based in Tallahassee, has been a PSC Commissioner since 2021. She previously worked as an attorney in the Regulatory Analysis Section of the PSC's Office of the General Counsel and sits on committees within the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners focused on gas utility regulation and pipeline safety. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Florida and a juris doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law.

Both appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Navarre Beach lifts boil water notice after safety testing

Santa Rosa County has rescinded a boil water notice for all Navarre Beach Utilities customers after bacteriological testing confirmed the water is safe to drink, according to a county announcement Wednesday afternoon.

The notice, which had required customers to boil water before consumption, was lifted following completion of required safety surveys. Santa Rosa County did not specify how long the notice had been in effect or what prompted the initial precaution.

Other water utilities in Santa Rosa County remain under boil water notices, including the City of Milton Water, Town of Jay, Bagdad, and Garcon Point Water. Customers of those systems should continue to boil water until further notice from the county.