Escambia County Man Charged With Second Degree Murder
April 9, 2022
An Escambia County man is charged with fatally shooting a woman Friday morning.
David Allan Ohlson, 18, is being held without bond on a charged of second degree murder.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Princeton Drive for an “accidental shooting”, but they discovered it was actually a domestic incident.
The victim was found with a shotgun wound to her abdomen. She was transported to an area hospital where she later died.
Ohlson’s father told deputies he received a call from the woman around 12:30 a.m. saying Ohlson was acting out and “made mention of a gun,” according to an arrest report. The father said he arrived at the home a short time later and found Ohlson sitting cross-legged on the floor with a shotgun.
According to the report, Ohlson raised the gun and pointed it at the father before pointing it at the woman. The father said Ohlson then pulled the trigger and dropped the gun. The father picked it up, “secured it inside of his truck” and called 911.
Tate Aggies Tennis Ends Regular Season With Wins Over Navarre
April 9, 2022
Tate High School Aggies Tennis end their regular season with a boys 4-3 and girls 7-0 win over Navarre. Next up for the Aggies is the district tournament at Gulf Breeze next Tuesday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunny, Upper 60s Today; Chilly Upper 30s Tonight
April 9, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Light south wind increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Tate Gets Central Florida Road Trip Win Over Wiregrass Ranch
April 9, 2022
The Tate High Aggies earned a big 11-4 road trip win Friday night against Wiregrass Ranch of Wesley Chapel, Florida (near Tampa).
Rilee Lowery earned the win for Tate, allowing five hits and four runs over four and two-thirds innings while striking out five. Dalton Biggs and Ethan McAnally closed in relief.
Madox Land, Jackson Penton and Bray Touchstone had two hits each to lead the Aggies at the plate.
File photo by Laura Glodfelter for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall Just Short In Season Opening Extra Innings Thriller
April 9, 2022
On an Opening Night that began with the Double-A debut of 18-year-old Eury Pérez, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos came just shy of a dramatic victory in an 11-inning, 13-11 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night.
After squandering a pair of early leads, the Blue Wahoos rallied to tie the game in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings before Victor Victor Mesa’s bid for a walk-off grand slam in the 11th was caught at the left-center wall to end the back-and-forth affair.
Pensacola jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second against Biloxi starter Justin Bullock, with back-to-back homers from Griffin Conine and Paul McIntosh followed by an RBI double from Luis Aviles Jr. Conine, who was second in all of Minor League Baseball with 36 home runs in 2021, picked up right where he left off with a 396-foot blast that one-hopped into Pensacola Bay. McIntosh’s homer came in his first Double-A at-bat, and began a 3-for-4 night that finished just a triple shy of the cycle.
Pérez impressed with 5 strikeouts over 4.1 innings, leaving with two runners on base and a 4-1 lead after throwing 78 pitches. The Shuckers scored both inherited runners as Will Stewart struggled with his command, forcing home a run on a bases-loaded walk and tying the game 4-4 on a Joey Wiemer two-run single.
The Blue Wahoos briefly reclaimed the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Ray-Patrick Didder, but Biloxi tied things up again in the sixth on a Tristan Lutz solo home run. Freddy Zamora hit a three-run double against Stewart in the seventh to give the Shuckers their first lead, and scored on a Robert Garcia wild pitch to stretch the Biloxi advantage to 9-5.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Wahoos charged back with Aviles’ second RBI double of the night and a game-tying three-run home run from Hayden Cantrelle. Acquired from the Brewers via trade just a day earlier, Cantrelle finished his Marlins organizational debut 3-for-6 with four RBI.
Biloxi once again claimed a lead in the ninth against Colton Hock, turning an Ashton McGee leadoff double into a 10-9 advantage thanks to a sacrifice fly from Lutz. Once again, the Blue Wahoos managed to tie the game 10-10 in the ninth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Cobie Fletcher-Vance and force extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, Anthony Maldonado (L, 0-1) allowed Biloxi’s placed runner to score on a Garrett Mitchell RBI single. Trailing 11-10, the Blue Wahoos got another clutch hit from Cantrelle as the second baseman laced an RBI double down the right field line to tie the game 11-11. With the potential winning run on second base, Biloxi reliever Arnaldo Hernandez (W, 1-0) struck out Jerar Encarnacion and Conine to preserve the tie and send the game to the 11th.
In the 11th, Maldonado allowed a two-run home run to Felix Valerio that proved to be the difference in the ballgame. Pensacola loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning thanks to a pair of walks from Hernandez, but Aviles Jr. struck out swinging and Mesa’s would-be walk-off grand slam settled into Lutz’s glove on the warning track for the final out.
The Blue Wahoos and Shuckers return to action on Saturday night as they continue their three-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
by Daniel Venn, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Motorcyclist Killed In Beulah Crash
April 8, 2022
A 38-year old man was killed in a single vehicle motorcycle crash late Thursday night in Beulah.
The man was traveling south on Highway 90 approaching Ferlon Avenue when he failed to negotiate a curve, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The motorcycle traveled off the roadway and struck and embankment, went airborne and struck a utility pole, causing the pole to snap in half.
The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased as the scene.
DeSantis Awards $3.255 Million Grant To Century For Two Community Center Renovations
April 8, 2022
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $3.255 million to the Town of Century Friday for economic development.
The Small Cities Community Development Block Grant will be used to renovate two community centers.
“This is a huge win for our community,” Rep. Michelle Salzman Said. “It is a testament to the mayor working with all levels of the government to get big projects like this across the finish line.”
$1.985 million will be used for the historic Carver Community Center at 7040 West Jefferson Avenue to bring it up to code, renovate the kitchen and bathroom, install HVAC and air purification systems, install a new roof, pave the parking lot and for other building renovations. The former school building was constructed in 1945 [Photo gallery...]
$850,000 will go to the Century Community Center (also known as the Ag Building) at the corner of West Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard to bring it up to current building code, renovate the kitchen and bathrooms, install a new HVAC and air purification system, install outside lighting and pave the parking lot. The metal building, constructed in 1992 is about 5,000 square feet.
The remainder of the grant will be used for engineering, architectural and administrative costs.
The grant is a significant amount for Century, close to their entire yearly budget minus other grants.
All total, DeSantis awarded $23 million Friday in Northwest Florida for infrastructure improvements and economic development. The $3.255 million for Century was the largest grant awarded.
The Town of Jay also received $300,000 to help with the renovation of the Bray-Hendricks Sports Complex.
Pictured top: Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis (left) looks on as Gov. Ron DeSantis presents a $3.255 million check for economic development to Century Mayor Ben Boutwell. Pictured below: Rep. Michelle Salzman, DeSantis and Boutwell pose during the event at the Indian Pass Raw Bar in Port St. Joe on Friday. Pictured second below: Salzman, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Dane Eagle and Boutwell. Pictured bottom two photos: The Carver Community Center. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Takes Next Step Toward Broadband Internet Network
April 8, 2022
Escambia County has taken the next big step toward a fiber network to provide true high speed broadband internet north of Ten Mile Road.
Thursday night, the county commission voted to accept a county broadband study by Magellan Advisors and ask them to present their findings next week. The vote also divided the county broadband project into two areas — north and south of 10 Mile Road — and committed $10 million to the northern portion from a $22 million American Rescue Plan allocation. The vote also called for a company to provide fiber internet to homes, rather than wireless as outlined in the Magellan study.
The comprehensive motion passed 4-1, with commissioner Doug Underhill against.
Escambia County will contribute $10 million, plus expected grant funds of about $5 million, for the fiber backbone network across the area north of 10 Mile Road. The $12 million remaining will go toward the area south of 10 Mile Road in the future.
The county won’t provide internet all the way to the home. Instead, they will issue a request for proposals from companies to be the internet service provider to the end user.
“‘It’s one time money,” said Commissioner Steven Barry, who has spearheaded the effort over the last couple of years. “Which is why I want to try to mitigate the risk where we are putting in a fixed amount of money that does not end up a (future) burden to our taxpayers. Once we put the dollars in, our responsibility financially is gone, and we’re not putting more at risk.”
Barry said he has meet directly with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity about grants, and having the Magellan study completed will put the county ahead of the curve in seeking state and federal dollars.
The study called for the final delivery of the internet to the end user from the fiber installation through wireless towers. Barry said based upon conversations with companies that may bid on the project, he does not want wireless to the home. Instead, he wants direct fiber homes because wireless has a limited range and decreasing speeds away from towers.
“We share your desire to bring quality high speed broadband service to the unserved and underserved areas of northern Escambia County,” David Deliman, market vice president for Cox Gulf Coast, told the commission Thursday night. He said rather than building out a fiber network that essentially would duplicate the fiber connections to various government offices, the funds should be redirected to help bring broadband to the rural areas of Escambia County where access “is limited at best”.
Deliman said Cox is already partnering on statewide grant opportunities and would be happy to work with the county. That would make the private sector responsible for ongoing maintenance, repairs, upgrades and customer service issues.
“This will ensure much less ongoing risk to the county,” he continued. He said most Escambia County residents south of 10 Mile Road have access to Cox and about 30% of them qualify for free or reduced cost service thanks to several programs.
During the meeting, commissioners said multiple companies have expressed interest in becoming an internet service provider north of 10 Mile Road using the county backbone, which will also provide fiber internet to county facilities.
South of 10 Mile Road, the county is exploring a fiber internet buildout partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT plans a traffic operations center at Escambia County Public Safety on W Street and a fiber-based advanced traffic management system south of 10 Mile. The partnership is expected to save the county millions, including $3 million by sharing conduit across the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
The Magellan study found that almost all residents in the more northern parts of Escambia County do not have any access to the internet at the federally defined minimum broadband speed of 25/3 Mbps.
Magellan Advisors of Denver, Colorado, was selected from five submitted. The company has done similar work in Florida for 25 governmental clients including Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Seminole County.
Weekend Events: Barrineau Park Spring Gathering, Scout Yard Sale, Flomaton Spring Bazaar, Egg Hunts
April 8, 2022
Here are some Saturday events planned in the North Escambia area this weekend:
Scout Yard Sale
Troop 430, Pack 430 Scout yard sale, April 8 & 9 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 6915 Highway 29, Molino. Toys, clothing, decor, furniture, antiques, tools and much more.
Farm Share Food Distribution In Century
Farm Share food distribution, Saturday, April 9 at 8:30 a.m. at 440 East Hecker Road in Century. Walk-up and drive-thru; vehicles can begin lining up at 7:30 a.m. No eligibility requirements. Sponsored by Rep. Michelle Salzman, Century Mayor Ben Boutwell, Commissioner Steven Barry, ECUA board member Kevin Stephens and other community partners.
Barrineau Park Historical Society Spring Gathering
Barrineau Park Historical Society Spring Gathering at the Barrineau Park Community Center on Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Live music, crafts, car show, bouncy house and more. Free. Spaghetti lunches will be available for purchase. (850) 587-2829.
Flomaton Spring Bazaar
The Town of Flomaton Spring Bazaar will be April 9 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Hurricane Park, 21001 Highway 31. Food, kiddie train, bouncy houses, music and more. Easter Egg Dash with Easter Bunny at 10 a.m.
Maritime Park Easter Egg Hunt
Four Easter egg hunts will be held on April 9 at Community Maritime Park in Pensacola. 10 a.m. – Sensory-friendly Egg Hunt, ages 3-10. 11 a.m. – ages 3-4; 11:30 a.m. – ages 5-7; Noon – ages 8-10. Admission is free, but participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable items for Manna.
Have a community announcement? Email news@NorthEscambia.com with the details.
No Outside Burning: Red Flag Warning, Wind Advisory This Afternoon; Low Tonight Upper 30s
April 8, 2022
There is red flag warning in effect due to low humidity values and windy conditions. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
According to the National Weather Service, any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
A wind advisory is also in effect.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 68. West wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 42. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 76. South wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 60%.