Four Critically Injured In High Speed Crash With A Tree On University Parkway
March 26, 2021
Four people were injured when a car traveling at a high rate of speed slammed into a tree early Friday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
It happened about 2:30 a.m. on University Parkway near Governor’s Drive.
The 21-year old male driver and three female passengers — ages 20, 21 and 22 — were transported by Escambia County EMS with critical injuries to Sacred Heart Hospital. Two of the victims were trapped in the vehicle for nearly 10 minutes as firefighters worked to extricate them.
The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing their investigation.
The Ferry Pass, Ensley and Brent stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded, along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Struck And Killed By Truck On South Main Street In Atmore
March 26, 2021
A man was struck and killed by a semi-truck early Friday morning in Atmore.
It happened about 1:20 a.m. in the 1700 block of South Main Street, near David’s Catfish House.
Atmore Police arrived to find 31-year old Clemente Terrance Sims of Iron City, Georgia, under the vehicle’s trailer, according to Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks.
Sims was pronounced deceased on the scene.
Brooks said the APD investigation is continuing.
File photo.
Commission Approves Funding For Body Cameras For Escambia Deputies
March 26, 2021
The Escambia County Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the purchase of body cameras for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
In January, Sheriff Chip Simmons followed through on a campaign pledge and asked commissioners for $912,727 to purchase body cameras for his deputies.
The cameras and their operation will be funded as follows as follows:
- In fiscal year 2021, purchase 268 body worn cameras to equip all patrol officers
- In fiscal year 2022, the Sheriff’s Office operating budget will increase $250,000 per year for four new positions to support administration, monitoring and data storage related to the cameras
- In fiscal year 2023, it is anticipated an additional $50,000 per year will be required for additional storage
CARES Act funds will bee used to purchase the body cameras to equip all patrol officers. The purchase will outfit all deputies, and the equipment will sync will existing vehicle cameras. Warranties and software as needed will also be included in the purchase price.
“I appreciate the fact that we can work together,” he said. “Whether it’s the board of county commissioners or it’s the sheriff — we can look and say, ‘This is important to our community. This is important for evidence. This is important for critique and for training.’ It’s certainly important for transparency.”
The first deputies are expected to have their body cameras in about two months, and all deputies should have them by October.
BOCC Approves Daytime Paid Crew For Beulah Fire Station
March 26, 2021
The Escambia County Commission on Thursday approved a plan to add paid firefighters in Beulah to supplement the volunteer firehouse.
An Escambia Fire Rescue analysis, completed at District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh’s request, estimates the bottom line cost at about $220,000 per year for a three-person fire company in Beulah for nine hours a day, Monday through Friday. The crew would consist of one lieutenant and two firefighters, one of which would be a paramedic to provide Advanced Life Support on medical emergencies.
He said that even with the paid daytime crew, volunteer firefighters would reman a crucial part of the fire service in Beulah. He said that he expects the volunteers ranks to grow at Station 2.
“I look forward to that station being the model of a volunteer firehouse working together, integrated with the support of some paid firefighters to provide the citizens everything that they need,” Bergosh said.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue is staffed much like the new plan for Beulah. Century has a paid firefighter crew on duty from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Volunteers provide coverage nights and weekends.
Large Boat Blocks I-10 For Hours After Escambia Man Loses Control Of Trailer
March 26, 2021
A large boat that was being hauled by an Escambia County man near Crestview blocked I-10 for hours Thursday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 64-year old man was hauling a 38-foot boat with a pickup truck and trailer. As he traveled westbound across the Highway 85 overpass, the boat trailer started swaying violently from side to side. The right side of the boat trailer collided with the guardrail on the west side of the overpass. The resulting collision cause the boat to break loose from the trailer and overturn several times.
The boat came to rest across both westbound lane of I-10.
There were no injuries.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Chances Continue For Friday, Decrease For Saturday
March 26, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast in the morning.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1am. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 75.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 71.
Cantonment Rotary Donates 1,500 Books To Tate High School Students
March 26, 2021
The Cantonment Rotary Club, in partnership with Dickerson Literacy Initiatives, donated over 1,500 hardback books from Gregory Zuckerman’s Rising Above series students at Tate High School
The series includes motivational stories from some of today’s most successful athletes including Simone Biles, Venus and Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Tim Howard and others.
“Their powerful stories were captured to inspire students to work hard to overcome any obstacles life throws at them and to ‘rise above’ those challenges to be successful adults. Each of our 9th and 10th grade students will receive a free copy of the book and have an opportunity to view a presentation by the author in which he discusses his relationship with these athletes and what motivated him to write the series,” said Tate High School innovation specialist Stefany Tompkins.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
GCA & NRYO Livestock Show Is Friday And Saturday In Molino
March 26, 2021
The 2021 Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization will take place Friday and Saturday in Molino.
Two Tate High School seniors, Jessica Conti (pictured top) and Hannah Thorne (pictured below), have participated in the show for the past 10 years.
Between them they have shown in every category — rabbits, chickens, goats, lambs, pigs, heifers, and steers. Both dedicated Escambia County 4-H members say they have grown substantially from their projects. Both Jessica and Hannah have won the GCA & NRYO Spirit Award and Jessica also won the Bobby Gindl Hog Scholarship.
They have both raised grand champion hogs. Jessica has also raised a grand champion steer and was awarded Steer of the Year for 2019.
Hannah plans to attend Pensacola State College PSC to earn an AA in Agriculture Science and transfer to the University of Florida to pursue a degree in Agriculture Educational and Communication with a minor in Extension Educational and Livestock. Jessica plans to Mississippi State University to earn a degree in Agriculture Communications.
This year’s show will be following very strict guidelines — mandatory masks, the number of in-person spectators may be limited, multiple hand washing and sanitizing stations will be available, and social distancing will be observed. Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs; bleachers will not be available. The in-person event will be held at the Escambia County 4-H property on South Highway 99 near Chalker Road in Molino.
The events will also be live streamed on Facebook.
Barbara June Miller Hendrix
March 26, 2021
Barbara June Miller Hendrix, 88, was born in Molino, Florida and lived there her entire life. Born to William Roy and Annie Mae Miller, she had one brother, Donald, all preceding her in death. She attended Molino Junior High School and graduated from J.M. Tate High School in 1950. Barbara married her childhood sweetheart, Charles Hendrix, in 1951. They were married 55 years when he passed away in 2006.
A wife and a homemaker, she and Charles raised 3 children- Chuck, Rusty, and Cheryl. During the time that Charles was drafted, Barbara laughed and cringed at the same time about the “2 days” that she delivered the mail for him. She referred to them as the two scariest days of her life, driving the slippery dirt roads of Molino. Little League baseball games, piano lessons, learning about football while watching the band, yet there was always a meal on the table at “dinner” and “supper” made from recipes of “a little of this” and “a little of that.”!
Barbara was a lifetime member of Highland Baptist Church. She was baptized in Wilders Creek in 1949 and always said, if you were not saved when you went in the creek, you were when you came out! She attended and led the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU), was a member of the Molino Homemakers Club where she led the group in their monthly devotion, and she was a charter member of the Molino Mid County Historical Society. She gained so many friends from these groups, friends that would always check in with her and that loved her dearly.
We that will forever cherish the life we shared with her: Chuck and his wife Peggy; Rusty and his wife Susan; Cheryl and her husband Archie. The light of her eyes, her seven granddaughters, who knew her as “MeMaw” or “MawMaw” depending on which grandchild you were, and the added grandsons: Leslee and her husband Jordan Williams; Meridith and her husband Marshall Caum, Kayla and her husband Keith Meador, Cari Hendrix, Lydia and her husband Justin Purvis, Avery Hendrix, Haylee and her husband Benjamin Linam. Added are her sunshines, her great-grandchildren: Charlee Meador, Landree Williams, Jett Williams, Caroline Caum, and Gunner Meador. Also very dear to her were her many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Serving as pallbearers are her grandsons and Henry Heibert, Brad Johnson and Robert Kennedy. Honorary pallbearers are Charles Barton, Charles Purvis, Jack Gibson, the members of the Molino Homemakers and the Molino Mid County Historical Society.
Services will be on Monday, March 29 th , 2021 at Highland Baptist Church with Bro. Brian Calhoun officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:00pm with the funeral to follow at 3:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Highland Baptist Church Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, that supports North American Missionaries, or the Cemetery Fund.
United Adding Flights From Pensacola To Cleveland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh
March 26, 2021
United Airlines will offer expanded service to Pensacola with four new nonstop destinations beginning in May — Cleveland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.
The added service will begin May 27, 2021 and continues through September 2021. Flights will be operated by the CRJ-550 – the world’s first 50-seater aircraft with two cabins. The CRJ-550 is equipped with 10 first class seats, 20 economy plus seats, and 20 standard economy seat.
“It is wonderful to see United Airlines expanding their service here at PNS with these four new destinations,” Pensacola International Airport Director Matt Coughlin said. “With this expansion, the Midwest now has additional nonstop service to the Gulf Coast, opening amazing opportunities for our community and continuing to strengthen our foothold in the nation’s marketplace.”
With this announcement, by June 2021, Pensacola International Airport will offer nonstop service to 28 destinations through eight airlines. United Airlines currently provides nonstop flights to Denver, Dulles, Houston and Chicago.