Escambia Graduations Now Open At 100% Capacity, No Tickets Needed
May 15, 2021
Escambia County has opened all graduations with no capacity limits and no tickets needed.
The Pensacola Bay Center has increased arena capacity to 100% for graduations. Seating inside the Pensacola Bay Center arena is first come, first served, and no admission ticket is needed to enter for high school graduations.
CDC guidelines indicate that individuals who are immunized no longer need to wear a face covering. Those individuals who are not immunized are encouraged to wear face coverings, according to the school district.
“We are very grateful not only to our high school administrations for their continued hard work during this process, but we also thank the Pensacola Bay Center for their constant communication and keeping us informed each step of the way. We look forward to celebrating with seniors, families and friends,” Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith said.
The Escambia County School District graduation schedule is below.
The following graduations will be held at 6 p.m. June 3 at Pensacola High School:
- Escambia Virtual Academy
- George Stone Technical Center
- Success Academy
The following graduations will be held at the Pensacola Bay Center:
June 4
- Washington High School 9 a.m.
- Pensacola High School 12:30 p.m.
- Escambia High School 4 p.m.
June 7
- Tate High School, 9 a.m.
- Northview High School, 12:30 p.m.
- West Florida High School, 3:30 p.m.
- Pine Forest High School, 7 p.m.
The following graduations will be held at 6 p.m. June 3 at Pensacola High School:
- Escambia Virtual Academy
- George Stone Technical Center
- Success Academy
Additional graduations will be held:
- District Extended Graduation, June 2, 9:30 a.m., Hall Center Room 160
- Westgate, May 21, 6 p.m. at Booker T. Washington Auditorium
Santa Rosa County has also opened all their graduations with capacity limits. For Santa Rosa County schools will outdoor venues, tickets may be provided in the event graduation must be moved indoors due to weather.
‘Animal’ Beats 71-Year Old Woman With Wooden Club, Sheriff Simmons Says
May 15, 2021
A man Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons called an “animal” is charged with attempted murder after beating a 71-year old woman with a wooden club.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Circle K on the 2700-block of Gulf Beach Highway in reference to an unconscious woman who had been hit with a bat.
“What the surveillance video showed was shocking. You can see 30-year-old Michael Coggeshall enter into the store, take his backpack off and aimlessly walk around. A short time later, the 71-year old victim enters the building and walks up the service counter, minding her own business. The suspect grabs a wooden club from his backpack, walks up behind the victim and viciously attacks her, hitting her in the head with the club,” the ECSO said in a statement.
“I hope this is not a sign of the time,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “Watching this animal pace around behind the victim, contemplating his action is chilling. If you are not angered by this kind of behavior, I question your humanity. Rarely if ever in my law enforcement career I have I seen something so random and something so down right evil. I was disgusted watching the video of the event unfold. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim. We are charging him with attempted murder because that is the most we can charge him with at this time. I hope justice finds Michael Coggeshall and judges him accordingly.”
Deputy Jerimiah Meeks and Investigator Joshua Timo worked the case. Timo was in the area of the Circle K looking for Coggeshall when he spotted him on a bicycle and tried to make an apprehension. The suspect fled and was later apprehended by Deputy Matt Watkins’ K — 9 Bady. Coggeshell was bitten by the K-9 and treated at a local hospital before being to the Escambia County Jail.
The 71-year old woman remains hospitalized.
Picture Perfect Weekend: Sunny Skies, Highs In The 80s
May 15, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday Night: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 56. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Pictured: Gorgeous blue skies over a golden grain field near Walnut Hill Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
ECUA Repairs Pipe After Several Million Gallons Of Sewage Leaks; Health Advisory Remains in Effect
May 15, 2021
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority said Friday night that repairs had been completed to a pipe after several million gallons of sewage leaked, but a health advisor remained in effect.
A 30-inch diameter pipe at the Emerald Coast Utility Authority Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility ruptured Thursday night. Some 20 hours later, the pipe had been replaced and was back in service. About 7:45 p.m. Friday, ECUA said the overflow had ceased and the plant had resume normal operation.
Friday afternoon, the Florida Department of Health issued a health advisory for Perdido Bay south of the Bayou Marcus Creek. The health department advised any water-related activities due to the potential for high bacteria levels.”
The ruptured line runs between the beginning of the plant process and the biological treatment basins.
“Sewage at this point in the process has undergone primary screening and de-gritting. ECUA personnel responded immediately and worked through the night to take the line out of service and redirect the flow,” ECUA spokesperson Nathalie Bowers said. “The full scope of the repair work and the volume of the overflow are still being determined, but the damaged pipe is already being exposed and evaluated.”
The pipe is below the water table, which complicated the repair process, Bowers said.
The facility is located west of the North Blue Angel Parkway and Muldoon Road intersection (maps below).
DeSantis Appoints Three To Northwest Florida Water Management District
May 15, 2021
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Jerome “Jerry” Pate of Pensacola, Anna Upton of Tallahassee and John Alter of Malone to the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board.
The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Jerome “Jerry” Pate
Pate is the owner of Jerry Pate Turf and Irrigation and Jerry Pate Design. He is a former professional golfer with 15 professional wins including the 1976 U.S. Open and the 1982 Players Championship. He was also a member of the winning 1981 United States Ryder Cup Team. Pate currently serves as Vice Chair of the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board and on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Foundation Board of Directors. He earned his bachelor’s degree in administrative science from the University of Alabama.
Anna Upton
Upton is a Managing Member of Anna H. Upton, P.L. and serves as General Counsel to The Everglades Foundation. She has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the areas of business litigation, civil litigation defense, employment and labor law and environmental litigation. A recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award, she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wake Forest University and her juris doctor from Stetson University College of Law.
John Alter
Alter manages a family-run tree farm and is a retired Naval Aviator, earning an honorable discharge from the United States Navy at the rank of Captain. He has previously served on the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board and is also a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and the Optimist Club of Northeast Jackson County. Alter earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and his master’s degree in political science from Villanova University.
Wahoos Beat Birmingham
May 15, 2021
As a later-round draft pick from Illinois State in 2019, pitcher Jeff Lindgren knew he had to prove himself quickly.
A performance like the one he delivered Friday night for the Blue Wahoos certainly helps.
Making his first professional start, Lindgren, 24, a Champagne, Illinois native, produced the longest outing by a Blue Wahoos starter, so far this season, tossing a 2-hitter in seven innings to lead Pensacola’s 3-2 win against the Birmingham Barons.
Lindgren did this in front of the first sellout crowd (5,038) of the opening homestand.
“It’s always playing with a chip on your shoulder,” said Lindgren, chosen in the 24th round by the Miami Marlins as a college senior and signed for a few thousand dollars. “When you have that kind of motivation it helps get to where you want to be in my situation right now.”
On the first night since a mask ban was lifted for fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium, Lindgren got through a rough first inning then found a groove that let him breeze through innings.
He threw 86 pitches, striking out seven and not allowing a walk. He worked five innings and allowed four runs in his first Double-A start a week ago at Mississippi.
“I just continued to follow the game plan that (pitching coach Tim Norton) and (catcher Rick Fortes) put together before the game,” said Lindgren, who made all his prior appearances in relief, including his 2019 rookie season in Jupiter. “It really was working for me in the first game and things just got away from me. I settled back in and ran (Friday).”
When he exited after the seventh, he saw many in the crowd standing.
“It was awesome,” Lindgren said. “Especially after taking so much time off (not playing last year). I didn’t really realize the crowd until the end but my team had my back all day.”
Lindgren got the run support he needed when Demetrius Sims jumped on a first pitch to deliver a 2-run, 2-out single in the sixth inning.
That lead was saved by Anthony Maldonado, who pitched two scoreless, hitless innings. to record his third save.
Lindgren overcame a rocky opening inning. He plunked consecutive batters with one out, then yielded a bloop, 2-run single to Barons’ catcher Carlos Perez.
From this point, Lindgren was sensational.
He retired 16 batters in a row, before Ti’Quan Forbes reached on a two-base throwing error in the seventh inning to move into scoring position. But Lindgren ended the inning by getting Craig Dedlow to fly out to left on the first pitch.
Birmingham starter Konnor Pilkington was equally effective. After the Blue Wahoos got a run back in the first inning on Fortes’ 2-out single, Pilkington retired the next 12 batters he faced.
Nick Lovullo broke the string with a one-out single. It was one of just four hits the Blue Wahoos had in the game. But they made the most of them.
The Blue Wahoos (6-4) evened the series at 2-2 heading into Saturday’s fifth game against the Barons (7-3).
FWC: Wild Hog Hunting Opportunities Await On Wildlife Management Areas
May 15, 2021
During spring and summer, the FWC offers public hunting opportunities for wild hog at 26 wildlife management areas across the state.
A hunting license isn’t needed to hunt wild hogs at a WMA, however, a management area permit is required. And many do not have a quote permit for spring and summer while hog hunting
For information on WMA wild hog hunting opportunities — including at the Escambia River, and Blackwater WMAs, click or tap here.
FDOH Reports Two New COVID-19 Deaths, 37 More Cases In Escambia County
May 15, 2021
THIS AN ARCHIVE STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
There were two additional COVID-19 deaths and another 37 cases reported Friday by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 36,319 (+37)
Non-Florida residents: 3,685
Recovered: 33,792*
Total deaths: 694 (+2)
Long-term care facility deaths: 288 (+2)
Current hospitalizations: 34 (+1)
Number of tests reported last day: 775
Percent positive reported last day: 4.3%
Percent positive reported last week: 5.8%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 27,225 (+29)
Cantonment: 3,260 (+4)
Century: 1,185 (-3 data adjustment)
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 494
McDavid: 213
Bellview: 59
Walnut Hill: 57
Perdido Key: 21
Gonzalez: 13
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 18,323 (+14)
Non-Florida residents: 259
Total deaths: 290
Long-term care facility deaths: 82
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 906*
Number of tests reported last day: 382
Percent positive reported last day: 3.5%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 8,731 (+3)
Navarre: 3,778 (+4)
Gulf Breeze: 3,379 (+4)
Pace: 1,496 (+2)
Jay: 554 (+1)
Bagdad: 32
Florida cases:
Total cases: 2,286,203
Florida residents: 2,243,501
Deaths: 36,000
Hospitalizations: 92,893
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. Most of these people are longer be hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
**On cases by location, the city is based upon zip code and is not always received as part of the initial notification. There may be a delay in reporting locations, and locations will not total the daily case increase as a result.
***The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals. Escambia County is reporting an approximate recovery number defined as the total cases prior to last month, minus deaths. In other words, anyone that tested positive more than a month ago is presumed to have recovered by Escambia County.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Plane Makes Hard Belly Landing At Atmore Airport
May 14, 2021
A single engine plane made a hard belly-landing at the Atmore Municipal Airport Friday afternoon.
The plane slid some 200 feet after a landing gear failure at the Atmore Municipal Airport, according to officials. The pilot walked away from the incident without injuries.
The Atmore Fire Department responded to a reported plane crash at the airport about 4:40 p.m. They reported the pilot was not injured, and there were no fuel leaks or fire.
According to FAA records, the plane is a 1968 Beechcraft Bonanza V35A owned by a Bay Minette man.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Health Advisory Issued After Millions Of Gallons Of Sewage Spilled At ECUA Bayou Marcus Treatment Plant
May 14, 2021
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK OR TAP HERE.
Several million gallons of sewage have been spilled at an Escambia County treatment facility, and the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County has issued a health advisory.
A 30-inch diameter pipe at the Emerald Coast Utility Authority Bayou Marcus Water Reclamation Facility ruptured Thursday night.
Friday afternoon, the health department issued a health advisory for Perdido Bay south of the Bayou Marcus Creek.
“hTe sewage release is ongoing, FDOH-Escambia advises against any water-related activities due to the potential for high bacteria levels,” FDOH-Escambia said
The ruptured line runs between the beginning of the plant process and the biological treatment basins.
“Sewage at this point in the process has undergone primary screening and de-gritting. ECUA personnel responded immediately and worked through the night to take the line out of service and redirect the flow,” ECUA spokesperson Nathalie Bowers said. “The full scope of the repair work and the volume of the overflow are still being determined, but the damaged pipe is already being exposed and evaluated.”
More information will become available once the damaged pipe is fully bypassed and excavated. The pipe is below the water table, which complicates the repair process, Bowers said.
ECUA has notified the State Warning Point, the Escambia County Health Department and the Florida Department of Environmental Management.
The facility is located west of the North Blue Angel Parkway and Muldoon Road intersection (maps below).