Pensacola’s Offense Sputters; Lookouts Even Series With 5-1 Win Over The Wahoos
July 15, 2021
Chattanooga scored twice in the second and never trailed as they beat the Wahoos 5-1 Wednesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Will Stewart (L, 3-5) made his 12th start of the year for Pensacola and came just short of his third quality start in a row. The lefty ran into trouble in the second when the Lookouts opened the frame with three consecutive base hits. With runners at first and second and the Lookouts up 1-0, Errol Robinson laced an RBI single to left; however, the Wahoos executed defensively and the cutoff man, Connor Justus, cut Peyton Burdick’s throw and trapped Chuckie Robinson in a rundown between second and third. The next batter struck out, limiting Chattanooga to a two-run lead.
Pensacola had a response in the third inning when they scored their only run of the night. After a leadoff walk, Galli Cribbs Jr. dropped a drag bunt down for a base hit. Chattanooga starter Connor Curlis (W, 4-4) tried to make a glove flip to first and instead tossed the ball towards the dugout for his second of the year.
With runners at second and third, J.D. Orr ripped a one-out single to score Justus and cut the deficit down to 2-1. After Orr stole second, Burdick and JJ Bleday struck out to end the inning.
That was the best chance for the Wahoos who were held off the board for the rest of the night. Pensacola was limited to three hits after their 11-run, 10-hit performance on Tuesday.
Curlis turned in his best outing of the year as the southpaw pitched 6.2 innings (season-high) and allowed just one unearned run while walking two and striking out nine.
Stewart took the hill in the seventh, but failed to retire a batter. After loading the bases, Pensacola brought in Alexander Guillen; however, Chattanooga brought home all three runs to put them up 5-1.
The series continues tomorrow evening at Blue Wahoos Stadium. RHP Max Meyer (4-1, 1.67) takes the hill for Pensacola and he will be opposed by RHP Ricky Salinas (3-3, 4.50).
Mr. Gregory Allen Hunter,
July 15, 2021
Mr. Gregory Allen Hunter, age 58, passed away on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 in Pensacola, FL.
Mr. Hunter was a lifelong resident of Century, FL. He enjoyed playing golf, pool, fishing and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. He is preceded in death by his mother, Winifred Hunter, wife, Sunji Hunter and brother Dallas Edwards
He is survived by his father, Clyde (Dottie) Robert Hunter Sr of Valparaiso, FL; one son, Brett Allen (Jessica) Hunter of Corinth, MS; one daughter, Natasha (Steve) Cundy of Radcliff, KY; four brothers, Clyde R. Hunter Jr of Arizona, George R. Hunter of Century, FL; Christopher Lynn Hunter of Pensacola, FL; and John Joseph Hunter of Brewton, AL; one sister, Melsia Hunter of Baker, FL.one grandchild, many nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be held at a later date
State Awards Almost $1.4 Million In Grants To Century And Jay
July 14, 2021
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced $1.375 in grants for the towns of Century and Jay.
Through the Florida Small Cities CDBG program, Century was awarded $700,000 to upgrade a sewage treatment plant serving three low- and moderate-income service areas. All three areas will benefit from the installation of new pumps, electrical and plumbing, and a new monitoring system and infiltration controls. Specifically, the grant will be used for a wastewater treatment plant sludge press and to rebuild sewage lift stations that serve the Pilgrim Lodge and Industrial Boulevard areas.
Century also received $35,000 through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Competitive Florida Partnership program for a workforce development initiative.
Jay received a $600,000 Florida Small Cities CDBG grant to resurface multiple streets located in four low- and moderate-income service areas.
A Community Planning Technical Assistance was grant of $40,000 awarded to Jay to update land development regulations based on Florida state statutes and Santa Rosa County restrictions.
DeSantis announced grants totaling more than $30 million to improve infrastructure, community redevelopment and job creation in small and rural Florida communities.
“Florida’s rural communities are vital to the well-being and prosperity of our state, and my administration is committed to helping them thrive,” said DeSantis. “The more than $30 million we are awarding today will help ensure that our small and rural communities have the infrastructure and funding they need to create jobs and strengthen their economic resiliency.
Pictured: The Century Wastewater Treatment Plant. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa Administrator Dan Schebler Resigns; Brad Baker Named Acting Assistant Administrator
July 14, 2021
Santa Rosa County Administrator Dan Schebler resigned Tuesday, and Brad Baker has been named the acting assistant county administrator effective Monday, July 19.
Baker is currently the Santa Rosa County Public Safety director.
“Brad is an exceptional public servant and a valued and respected team member,” said Schebler. “I know he will continue his commitment to excellence as the acting assistant county administrator.”
After over four years of service to Santa Rosa County, Schebler submitted a letter Tuesday to “voluntarily terminate his employment agreement” with Santa Rosa County in 90 days.
Baker started working for the county in 1988 and comes with over 25 years of service to Santa Rosa County in public safety and many more in the emergency services field. Baker is also actively involved in his community serving as the fire chief of Allentown Volunteer Fire Department.
“It has been my honor and pleasure to serve the board, the citizens and dedicated staff of Santa Rosa County as their administrator,” said Schebler. “I appreciate the trust and confidence the board gave me and am truly humbled to have had the opportunity to work with so many dedicated public servants, engaged citizens and community groups that are committed to excellence in service to our county.”
The Santa Rosa County commissioners will discuss next steps at a future meeting.
Pictured: Santa Rosa County Administrator Dan Schebler (left) and Brad Baker, newly named acting assistant county administrator. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Just Peachy! Cantonment Couple Named Airbnb’s Most Hospitable Hosts In Florida
July 14, 2021
A Cantonment couple has been named the most hospitable Airbnb hosts in the entire state of Florida.
Kim and Richard Davis have two listings on Airbnb — Quiet Delight! and Just Peachy! A Vintage Airstream. They have over 300 combined reviews on their listings without ever getting less than a 5-star review in the hospitality and safety categories, according to Airbnb. There were only seven hosts in Florida that achieved this standard, but Kim and Richard received the number one ranking across the state with the most reviews.
“We are excited,” Kim Davis told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday afternoon as she walked around their quiet neighborhood near Tate High School. “We were pretty blown away when you consider all of the Airbnbs in the state. Our listings are not something like you think of when you think Florida with all the beaches.”
“Just Peachy! A Vintage Airstream” is a “cool and charming” retro 1973 Airstream Argosy. “Quiet Delight!” is a guest apartment on the same property, and it was their first Airbnb.
The apartment had been used by one of their parents who moved into a facility.
“Our son asked what we were going to do with the apartment, and he said we could do an Airbnb,” Kim said. “My response was an air what-n-what?”
Kim said she and husband Richard thought they would be lucky to book their listings 10 nights a year. Now, they are book most nights and enjoy working together as Airbnb hosts.
‘We are a team. He does the cleaning, and I do the setup. I work hard to make our guests feel like they are special and nobody has ever stayed there.”
She said in the warmer months, most of their guests are looking for a place to stay that does not make a big dent in their vacation budget. The rest of the year, they in town for family events, graduations, or simply traveling through the area looking for a place to stay.
Kim said there most memorable guest was in face their second ever.
“She was a lovely woman and her husband; they were Irish and stayed four nights,” she said. “I was a nervous wreck, afraid something would go wrong. There was an Irish apron in my kitchen, and that really broke the ice. She left the nicest review about the birds singing every morning and how she liked to walk in our nice, safe neighborhood.”
“Some people just want a place to stay. Some come as guests and leave as friends.”
Pictured above and first below: “Just Peachy! A Vintage Airstream”. Pictured bottom two photos: “Quiet Delight!”. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Navy Federal Ranks Highest Ever On Computerworld’s Best Places To Work In IT List
July 14, 2021
Navy Federal Credit Union ranks No. 7 among large organizations on IDG’s Insider Pro and Computerworld 2021 Best Places to Work in IT list. Remaining the only credit union on the list, this year marks Navy Federal’s highest ever spot in the Top 10 and seventh consecutive year to be recognized.
“Given what our team members have been through over the past year, this makes our ranking extra special,” said Tony Gallardy, Navy Federal’s chief information officer. “When we had to shift the majority of our workforce to working from home, our Information Services Department (ISD) and each of our business areas rallied together to make sure every team member had the technology they needed to safely do their job and continue to provide exceptional service to our members.”
In pre-pandemic times, Navy Federal’s workforce of more than 20,000 team members served military service members and their families through the credit union’s 24/7 operations campuses and network of more than 346 branches worldwide. When COVID-19 hit, the credit union’s focus on member service remained the same but team members’ home base shifted. In just two weeks, the ISD team moved most of its workforce to teleworking. This all happened while the credit union was also amid a five-year transformation strategy focused on evolving member-centric and employee-powered principles while remaining scalable and flexible with technology.
“We’ve seen such progress with our digital transformation this year,” said Gallardy. “The pandemic put pressure on us all, but our team’s efforts have been so agile and flexible through many unexpected challenges along the way — their adaptability is what has always gotten the job done.”
Computerworld, in partnership with IDG’s Insider Pro, compiles its Best Places to Work in IT list based on a comprehensive questionnaire of company offerings such as benefits, career development opportunity, training options and employee retention. IT professionals within the competing organizations are surveyed and their responses come into play heavily when determining the rankings.
Justin Halteman Named Administrator Of Atmore Christian School
July 14, 2021
The Atmore Christian School Board of Directors has named Justin Halteman as the school’s new administrator.
He is currently a high school teacher at the school, a ministry of Mennonite Christian Fellowship.
Halteman is a graduate of Northview High School and is currently a member of Mennonite Christian Fellowship in Atmore.
Scattered Storms, Otherwise Partly Sunny
July 14, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Pedestrian Struck And Killed While Walking In Middle Of Highway 90
July 14, 2021
A pedestrian was struck and killed on Highway 90 in Santa Rosa County early Tuesday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a vehicle driven by a 32-year old Pace man was traveling west on Highway 90 toward Scenic Highway at 3:25 a.m. as the pedestrian was walking the same direction in the middle of the road.
The vehicle collided with the pedestrian, who later died at Sacred Heart Hospital.
No other information was released by the FHP.
Nine-Run Second Inning Leads Wahoos To Blowout Win Over Lookouts
July 14, 2021
Pensacola scored nine times in the bottom of the second to runaway with Tuesday’s series opener 11-3 against the Lookouts at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
On the hill for Chattanooga, Graham Ashcraft (L, 3-1)—who struck out the side in the first—failed to record an out in the second as the Wahoos sent 15 men to the plate. Remarkably, nine consecutive Blue Wahoos batters reached safely to open the inning, using five hits and four walks to bat around before the first out. After Nick Fortes and Riley Mahan each walked to lead off the inning, Chris Chinea, Connor Justus, Galli Cribbs Jr., Devin Hairston, and J.D. Orr each knocked hits in succession to open a 6-0 lead for the Blue Wahoos. Two walks and two fielding errors later, the Wahoos led by nine.
The inning was highlighted by Devin Hairston’s bases-clearing double that put the Wahoos. Later in the inning with the bases loaded and Pensacola up by 9, Hairston came up to the plate and flew out to deep left to end the inning—just shy of a grand slam.
With the Wahoos up 9-0, starter Jeff Lindgren (W, 3-5) eased his way to a win, throwing five innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. He was lifted in the sixth for Andrew McInvale, who allowed one run across two innings of work. Zack Leban finished the final two innings in shutout fashion, giving up three hits and striking out one along the way.
After being no-hit on Saturday, the Wahoos have scored 21 runs in their last 18 innings. They have also created more separation between themselves and third-place Chattanooga for the second and final playoff spot in the Double-A South.
LHP Will Stewart (3-4, 4.20) will try to make it three wins in a row for the Wahoos when he takes the mound for his 12th start of the year tomorrow. He will be opposed by LHP Connor Curlis (3-4, 4.80).
