Flomaton Wins 48-0 Over Calhoun; Atmore Loses To T.R. Miller 27-12
August 29, 2009
The 2009 football season kicked into full gear Friday night in Alabama, with the Flomaton Canes claiming a huge victory and Escambia County falling to a cross-county powerhouse.
Flomaton 48 Calhoun 0
Calhoun was no match at all for the Flomaton Hurricane in their season opener Friday night. The Canes blew past Calhoun 48-0 in Flomaton. Flomaton kept the scorekeeper busy in the first, taking an 27-0 lead heading into the second.
The Canes were led by Niko Robinson with two TD’s, including a 17-yarder on the game’s second play. Robinson had 94 yards on only five carries. He also had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Ryheem Bixon had 83 yards on the night on a half dozen carries — including a five-yard touchdown run.
The Hurricanes will be under the lights at Hurricane Field next Friday night against Red Level.
T.R. Miller 27 Escambia County (Atmore) 12
Alabama football powerhouse T.R. Miller took an early lead Friday night in Brewton, with a 7-0 first quarter lead. Miller expanded their lead to 13-0 in the second. That’s when the Escambia County Blue Devils answered with six and a missed extra point. The Blue Devils managed half a dozen more during the night, but it was no match for Miller. T.R. Miller beat Escambia County 27-12.
Ricky Hartley had a couple of TD’s for the Blue Devils. One was a one-yard pass from Rico Stallworth and the other was a one-yard run. Stallworth had 78 passing yards and 72 rushing Friday night against the T.R. Miller Tigers.
Escambia County will travel to Vigor next Friday night.
Go Chiefs: Girls Of All Ages Learn At NHS Mini-Cheerleading Clinic
August 29, 2009
The annual Northview Mini-Cheerleading Clinic was held Friday evening, giving girls three-years old through the eighth grade the chance to learn cheers from the NHS varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders.
The girls will have the opportunity to cheer at halftime of next Friday night’s Northview Chiefs football game.
Click here for a photo gallery.
Pictured above and below: The Northview Mini-Cheerleading Clinic Friday night at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northwest Escambia Football Starts Today
August 29, 2009
The 2009 season gets underway for Northwest Escambia on Saturday.
NWE will be home at Ernest Ward Middle School’s field against Pace Blue. The Mini-Mites will play at 9 a.m., followed by the Mites at 10:30 and the Midgets at noon.
Northwest Escambia will be off on Saturday, September 5 and back in action on September 12 at Myrtle Grove.
Click here for the 2009 NWE Football schedule (pdf).
Photo Gallery: Byrneville Elementary Ready For Emergencies
August 29, 2009
Byrneville Elementary School held several practice emergency drills Friday morning to prepare for a variety of situations.
Students participated in fire drills, tornado drills, campus evacuations and other drills to get ready for emergencies. Students, teachers and even the principal practiced exiting classroom windows with emergency ladders. Students were even evacuated from the school to the nearby Byrneville Community Center.
Units from Escambia Fire Rescue’s Century Station were at the school to assist in the drills.
“This is a practice and that the activity is being carried out to assure that our students know what to do if a real emergency situation takes place,” Bryneville Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan said.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured left: Practicing a classroom evacuation with an emergency ladder. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. Pictured below: Students evacuated campus to the Byrneville Community Center.
Pelicans Clinch Playoff Spot With 8-3 Win Over the Captains
August 29, 2009
The Pensacola Pelicans are the 2009 Second Half South Division Champions. With an 8-3 victory in front of 2,292 fans in Pensacola, the Pelicans return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The Pelicans will make their first entry into the American Association playoffs with Randy Beam’s tenth victory of the year.
The Captains entered the ballgame with a record of 26-14 when scoring first, and pushed a run across in the first inning. With two outs, Chris Garcia hit a line drive over the left field fence for his fifth home run of the year.
The Pelicans retaliated in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs of their own. Kevin Reynolds reached first on a fielder’s choice. After Antoin Gray walked and Chase Burch drew a base on balls as well, Marcos Rodriguez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. Rodriguez delivered with a single that scored Reynolds and Gray, and the Pelicans took a 2-1 lead.
With a run in the top of the second inning, the Captains pulled even. Jose Torres walked with one out, and scored when Luis Guance followed with a double.
The Pelicans would take the lead again in the bottom of the second and never let it go. Adam Darby was hit by a pitch, Leandro was too, and Kevin Reynolds walked. That was the end for Captains’ starter Ronald Lowe, as Derek Miramontes took over. After a strikeout, Antoin Gray walked to push Darby home, and the Pelicans led 3-2.
Pensacola added three runs of insurance in the fifth inning, as Burch and Rodriguez each singled, and Dallas Christison walked. With the bases loaded Lou Palmisano hit a rocket groundball that ate up the Captains’ second baseman. Burch would score the Pelicans’ winning run on the play, but Adam Darby would follow with a single that plated Rodriguez and Christison. After five innings, the Pelicans were ahead by four.
The Captains scored their final run of the game in the top of the sixth after Ron Hill relieved Randy Beam. With two outs, Jorge Alavarez reached first base on an error by the third baseman. Jose Torres walked, and Luis Guance hit a single to drive in Alvarez. The run was unearned, as Hill would go on to pitch the sixth and seventh innings, allowing just two hits, a walk, and striking out two.
Starter Randy Beam yielded just three hits, walking two and striking out four in his five innings of work. After Hill, Francisco Butto closed out the Captains in the eighth and ninth. He didn’t allow a base runner, striking out two.
The Pelicans put a stamp on the game in their final two innings at the plate. Leandro led off the seventh with a single, and moved to second base on a pitch that escaped the catcher. After Kevin Reynolds singled, Leandro moved to third, and both men moved up a base when a pitch hit the backstop again, scoring Leandro.
The Pelicans iced the cake in the bottom of the eighth. Chase Burch started the frame with a walk, and Marcos Rodriguez doubled to push Burch to third. Dallas Christison hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that brought Burch home, and the 8-3 Pelicans’ lead would stand.
The Pelicans return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005, and will make their first appearance as part of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. First-year manager Talmadge Nunnari will put his Pelicans on a bus to Fort Worth following this weekends’ games in order to face the Cats on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. In the meantime, the Pelicans will close out the regular season with a game on both Saturday and Sunday. Both contests are slated for 6:05 p.m.
One Person Injured In Century Wreck
August 28, 2009
One person received minor injuries in a single vehicle accident early Friday morning in Century.
The driver of a southbound Chevolet Impala left North Century Boulevard and struck a tree near Salters Lake Road just before 6:00. He was transported by ambulance to Jay Hospital. Authorities said a medical condition may have contributed to the crash.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department, Escambia County EMS and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the crash.
The accident is under investigation by the FHP.
Pictured above: One person was injured in this accident early Friday morning in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
North Escambia’s Very Own Road Man: Rigby Retires After 25 Years
August 28, 2009
Sometimes a man can move a mountain.
In the case of Ron Rigby, he has probably moved the equivalent of several mountains during his career. Rigby is retiring from the Escambia County Road Department after 25 years –all but just a few months of those years operating a Gradall excavator, moving tons and tons of dirt across North Escambia.
When Rigby climbed into the operator’s seat of a Gradall Thursday at the road department’s Camp Five near Byrneville, he said it was a part of him he was going to miss. Like a surgeon, turned excavator arm around effortlessly. There was a smile on his face –sometimes a man just enjoys his work. And his coworkers.
“I’ve been with these guys so long,” Rigby said of the others that work out of Camp Five, the county road department’s headquarters for all projects in North Escambia’s District 5. “They are all like family. I’ve really enjoyed working with them. I’m going to miss them all.”
Rigby was hired by the county road department 25 years ago. Within six months, he was assigned to work on a Gradall, digging ditches and moving dirt all over North Escambia.
Over the years, he watched many men hired to haul dirt or bush hog road shoulders as they worked their way up through the ranks to various supervisory positions. But Rigby was always at home behind the controls of his excavator. Many of his coworkers described that excavator as an extension on his arms.
He said that he will always remember being part of constructing various roads around North Escambia. “I ride down Rockaway Creek Road,” he said, mentioning it as just one example, “and I remember when we paved it. It makes you feel good.”
He said he’ll never forget the 12 hour days for weeks at a time after hurricanes Erin, Opal, Ivan and Dennis. “They were a lot of work for everybody,” he said.
Thursday, Rigby’s coworkers gathered at Camp Five for a congratulatory luch — fried fish with all the fixin’s and a retirement cake complete with the Road Runner Looney Tunes character.
They laughed, shared stories of being stuck in muddy ditches and remembered Rigby’s quarter century serving the citizens of North Escambia.
“I’m really go to miss them,” he said.
Rigby said he is looking forward to his retirement and spending more time with is wife Suzanne. He’s also looking forward to some good fishing and hunting time, and perhaps even a little travel.
“You know,” he said, “I am really looking forward to enjoying Susie and the time we can together.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Listen To Billings 911 Tapes
August 28, 2009
The State Attorney’s Office released two 911 tapes from the Billings murders this afternoon. The first tape below was the first 911 call. The second was made by Ashely Markham, the Billings’ daughter.
Portions of the tape were edited out by the State Attorney’s Office. A transcript of both calls is below.
Dispatcher: Whats going on?
Neighbor: The mom and dad, I live next door and the daughter
came over and said the mother and father been shot
and they’re dead……..
Dispatcher: She, She said they been shot?
Neighbor: Yeah.
Dispatcher: Hold on.
Neighbor: I gotta go get the kids, there’s kids in the house.
Dispatcher: Where’s she at?
Neighbor: They’re in the bedroom, ma’am, they’re dead…..Please come.
Dispatcher: Ma’am, I’m trying to get someone there, you said the mother and father both had been shot?
Neighbor: YES!
Dispatcher: O.K., I’m going to get someone there, I’m trying to get some information…..What is your name?
Neighbor: This is……
Dispatcher: I’m sorry? They’re supposed to be signal seven, both of them she is saying. Ma’am whats your last name?
Ma’am, Ma’am, I’ll get somebody on the way, o.k., they’re already on the way I’m just trying to get some
information. Whats your first name?
Neighbor: I gotta go find the kids, the kids are ……
Dispatcher: How old are the kids?……
Neighbor: Ages from four years……
Dispatcher: How many kids are supposed to be in the house?
Neighbor: Please help! Ma’am, I gotta go be with these children, but I don’t know…
Dispatcher: Ma’am, I don’t want you to be in any danger, o.k.?
Neighbor: Ma’am, Ma’am I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Please come.
Dispatcher: Ma’am, Ma’am, I need you to take a deep breathe for me, o.k. You there? Hello?
She hung up on me. She said she’s gonna go in and find the kids.
Neighbor: Ma’am?
Dispatcher: Ma’am, You there?
Neighbor: Yes.
Dispatcher: I thought you hung up. I didn’t know…… O.k. I’ve got several officers on the way to you.
Neighbor: Hurry.
Dispatcher: I need to know how many kids are supposed to be in the house?
Neighbor: It’s nine children.
Dispatcher: It’s how many children? Ma’am your phone’s cutting out. Ma’am?
911 Call #2
Dispatcher: Sherrif’s 911 this is Jeff.
Billings’ Daughter: Hi, I need someone to got out to my parents house, I was on the phone with my sister and trying to get in touch with them
and she said they were on the bathroom floor and there’s nobody there, um, she said they were dead and I don’t know
what she is talking about.
Dispatcher: What’s the address? And what’s your name ma’am? And your phone number? And whats her name?
Billings’ Daughter: Melanie and Bud Billings.
Dispatcher: And you said Billings?
Billings’ Daughter: Billings, B-i-l-l-i-n-g-s.
Dispatcher: O.k., and you said they’re down in the bathroom?
Billings’ Daughter: Yes, that’s what she said, I kept telling her to take her the phone, and she said I can’t, she’s on the floor and she’s dead.
I didn’t know what she’s talking about and we have a neighbor and I told her to over and get the neighbor….
Dispatcher: Can you hold on a second ma’am?
Billings’ Daughter: O.K.
Dispatcher: Three eighty. I’m on the phone with the other part. Ten-four. It’s gonna be a possible thirty two victim.
We have two callers on the phone. …The caller advised that her sister advised her that there were two subjects down
on the bathroom floor, possibly Melanie and Bud, not twenty six on whats going on but were on the phone with another
complaintant.
Billings’ Daughter: Did somebody else call?
Dispatcher: Can you be enroute to back? Ten-four, car seventy twenty six? Ten- four. O.K. Ma’am.
Billings’ Daughter: Uh, huh.
Dispatcher: O.K.
Billings’ Daughter: Did somebody else call?
Dispatcher: Yes Ma’am, were on the phone with somebody else, hold on one second. Ten-four, Car seventy twenty six.
Can somebody else talk to this 911.
Sheriff Wants $2 Million For Employee Raises
August 28, 2009
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan is seeking a three percent raise for his employees, and he has taken his case to the Escambia County Commission.
The commission is considering a $74 million budget for the Sheriff’s Office, but Morgan was to see that number increased to $76 million to fund the raise. Even with the three percent employee raises, Morgan said his department would still have a 3.2 percent lower budget than 2008-2009 — about $2.5 million less.
The starting salary for an Escambia deputy is currently $32,895, below comparable counties, according to Morgan, and he said that needs to be increased because “it is evident that our employees are working with some of the highest crime, highest inmate populations, and a higher percentage of violent crimes”.
Read Morgan’s letter to the county commission by clicking her (pdf).
“The Videos Of The Children Ripped My Heart”: Billings Murder Videos Released
August 28, 2009
Surveillance video from inside home of Byrd and Melanie Billings provides a second by second record of what happened the night the couple was murdered in their Beulah home. The State Attorney’s Office released detailed written information about what was recorded on each of 16 cameras around the home on July 9.
Those surveillance tapes were shown to the media on Thursday, and they will be available for the public to view beginning today. The videos show the red van entering the driveway, masked men forcing their way into the home and Byrd Billings being shot in the leg. The actual murders were not recorded; there were no cameras in the master bedroom.
The videos show at least two of the children and their fear and confusion. One camera shows one child sitting on a coffee table watching Byrd Billings as he is shot in the legs. Another camera shows the fear young girl upstairs. She hears the gunshots and runs back and forth from her room door to her bed, hiding under her covers. She was still hiding under her covers when deputies arrive.
“The videos the children ripped my heart,” Rick Outzen, publisher of the Pensacola Independent News, wrote on his blog after viewing the videos Thursday.
Read Outzen’s “What I Saw…” by clicking here. Outzen also describes the 2,076 crime scene photos here.
Circuit Court Judge Nicholas Geeker ruled that the two thousand crime scene photos and the surveillance video from the Billings home would be made public, but no copies of the video or photographs could be made. He issued his order after a motion to block the visual evidence was filed by Billings family members.
According to the information from the State Attorney’s Office, here is what happened the night of July 9:
- 7:05:42 –Red van is visible entering driveway
- 7:05:58 — Offenders exit van
- 7:06:13 — Two offenders exit wooded area on north side of residence and approach house
- 7:06:16 — Byrd Billings looks toward front door and raises his hands
- 7:06:22 — Byrd Billings is shot in leg, escorted to bedroom; Melanie Billings remains in living room with child and offender
- 7:07:34 — Byrd Billings visible back in living room
- 7:07:42 — Both victims exit living room toward master bedroom area
- 7:07:55 — Offender carrying a bag visible going from back of van toward house
- 7:09:52 — Offenders return to van
- 7:10:16 — Van departs yard
- 7:10:27 — Last view leaving driveway
- 7:26:36 — First deputies arrive on scene
For a detailed account of what was recorded by each camera at the Billings home, click here (pdf).