Santa Rosa County Soldier Among Nine Killed In Army Helicopter Crash
April 1, 2023
One of the nine 101st Airborne Division Soldiers killed in a helicopter crash near Fort Campbell, Kentucky on Wednesday is from Santa Rosa County.
Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton was among the casualties.
“This is a time of great sadness for the 101st Airborne Division. The loss of these Soldiers will reverberate through our formations for years to come,” said Maj. Gen. JP McGee, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell. “Now is the time for grieving and healing. The whole division and this community stand behind the families and friends of our fallen Soldiers.”
An Army aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Ala. is investigating the accident.
Northview Takes Double Header Over J.U. Blacksher (With Gallery)
April 1, 2023
The Northview Chiefs took both games of a double header over J.U. Blacksher Friday in Bratt.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Northview 4, J.U. Blacksher 0
In the first game of the twin bill, Carson Burkett pitched a complete game shutout as Northview beat Blacksher 4-0.
Burkett had seven strikeouts and walked just one.
Kaden Burkett led the Chiefs going 2-3 at bat. Luke Bridges, Rustin Pope, Jamarkus Jefferson, Josh Landis and Ethan Collier all had a hit for Northview.
Northview 7, J.U. Blacksher 3
In the nightcap, Northview defeated Blacksher 7-3.
Jarmarkus Jefferson went five and a third innings, allowing three hits and three runs while striking out seven. Grayden Sheffield threw one and two thirds innings, allowing no hits and no runs while striking out three.
At the plate, Northview had hits from Jefferson, Kaden Odom, Luke Bridges, Rustin Pope, Josh Landis and Tyler Shaw.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sci-Fi Movie Filmed In Molino, Including Jimmy’s Grill (With Gallery)
March 31, 2023
A new sci-fi thriller filmed recently in Molino and Pensacola may be coming to a big screen, or a streaming platform, soon.
“Serus” was filmed at Panhandle Alarm & Telephone on Industrial Boulevard, Jimmy’s Grill in Molino and a machine shop on Fairground Road in Molino.
In Serus, “two retirement-ready clandestine agents are ordered to find the entity responsible for an ambush on their colleagues. Their colleagues attempted to secure tech that enables stealing all global natural resources, so the agents must lead an operation back to the ambush site.”
The first season, or the trilogy, of a film series, follows black ops assets tasked with discovering who is responsible for the loss of a squadron. After the enemy tracks a survivor back to their base, they learn that the enemies are not part of any government or enemy group. But seismic technologies hang in the balance, and humanity’s global survival is at stake.
For more photos, click or tap here.
A future trilogy or series spinoff will explore an arms race extending into space.
Serus is written, created, and produced by Pensacola native Brad Blanchard and Alton James, owner of a metro Detroit production company.
The idea for Serus arose from a conversation between Blanchard and James, both passionate about the prepper world and storytelling. Together, they saw the opportunity to produce a meaningful story of human unity.
“We just work well together,” James said while filming scenes inside Jimmy’s Grill with Blanchard. The movie is being filmed in 3D and Dolby Atmos sound using two iPhone 14s.
“It’s being done so that it can be released as a film, or broken into episodes for streaming,” he said. “Once it’s done, we will shop it around, and we will be back for local screenings.”
Pictured: Scenes for “Serus” are filmed at Jimmy’s Grill in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Easter Egg Hunts Planned For This Weekend
March 31, 2023
Several Easter egg hunts are scheduled for this weekend:
A community wide Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Travis Nelson Park on Highway 4, just west of the Northview High School.
The annual Beulah Chapel Easter Egg Celebration will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at 2311 Highway 4A with over 1,000 candy and toy filled eggs. There will also be hot dogs, chips, drinks, sack races, egg spoon races, wheelbarrow races, a water balloon toss and more. The egg hunt is for all ages, including adults.
Oak Grove Baptist Church at 2600 North Highway 99 will hold a “Resurrection Egg Drop” at 3 p.m. Sunday. The event will include the egg drop, free food, Easter baskets, popcorn, snowcones and more.
ECUA Conducting Controlled Burn At CWRF Near Gonzalez
March 31, 2023
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) will be conducting prescribed burn operations on their property near the Central Water Reclamation Facility (CWRF), starting on Friday, weather permitting.
Conditions will be evaluated each morning and ECUA’s burn-certified contractor will conduct the burn operations, which are scheduled to begin at approximately 9 a.m. for several days. The burn activities are a part of ECUA’s management plan for the ecological restoration of forest lands at the CWRF site.
The ECUA’s CWRF property is in the Gonzalez community and mostly lies south of Becks Lake Road near the Escambia River. A small amount of ECUA’s property north of Becks Lake Road will be included in the prescribed burn operation. ECUA said every effort will be made to ensure smoke will not affect roadways, drivers should exercise caution in the event smoke does lead to reduced visibility on the area’s roads.
Take Stock in Children Accepting Scholarship Applications Through Area Middle Schools
March 31, 2023
Escambia County middle schools are now accepting requests for applications for Take Stock in Children, a program offering “scholarships, mentors & hope” to qualified students.
Students must be in the sixth or seventh grade, be eligible for free or reduced lunch, a U.S. citizen, and have grades of C or better with good attendance and behavior. Most middle schools have a deadline of early April to request the application and then several weeks for applications to be submitted for consideration.
Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 as a non-profit organization in Florida operating locally under the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation. The program provides a unique opportunity for deserving low-income students to escape the cycle of poverty through education. Students are selected through a need-based application process in middle school, and comprehensive services continue through high school and include the students’ transition into college. Students receive college scholarships, caring volunteer mentors, college readiness skills, and hope for a better life.
Scholarships are funded through a unique public-private fundraising model in which local scholarship donations are matched by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation when scholarships are purchased each year.
Currently, there are 141 students in grades 7-12, over 70 students in college, and there have been 133 college graduates thus far from the program.
For more information, Contact Take Stock in Children Coordinator Sally Lee at (850) 496-5458 or slee@ecsdfl.us.
Slight Chance Of Morning Rain On Saturday
March 31, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 84. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. West wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74. North wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
Stuckey Throws Shutout As Northview Beats Escambia 10-0 (With Gallery)
March 31, 2023
Aubrey Stuckey threw a complete game shutout as the Northview Chiefs beat the Escambia Gators 10-0 in five innings Thursday evening in Bratt.
The Chiefs jumped out to a six-run lead in the first inning.
Jamison Gilman went 2-3 to lead the Chiefs at the plate. Stuckey, Emma Gilmore, Ry Brooks, M Golson, A Flowers and B Hall each added a hit for Northview.
Stuckey allowed two hits and no runs in five innings while walking one.
For more photos, click or tap here.
The Chiefs recorded seven stolen bases Thursday, including two each from Gilman and Chloe Ragsdale.
The Lady Chiefs will travel to Baker on Tuesday.
In junior varsity action, Northview beat Escambia 7-6 Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Forest Tour Near Walnut Hill Focuses On Preparing For Natural Disasters
March 31, 2023
The Florida Forest Service, in partnership with the Florida Land Stewardship Program, recently held a workshop for hurricane preparation and recovery of forested lands.
The program was on the Chris Jones property on Highway 97A in McDavid.
Topics included selecting the right tree species and planting stock, improving the stand to enhance forest health and wildlife habitat, preparing for and recovering from hurricanes and other natural disasters as well as information on the sources of technical and financial assistance available to landowners.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com click to enlarge.
Infant Mason Floyd Lee Rowland
March 31, 2023
Infant Mason Floyd Lee Rowland, precious baby boy of Christopher M. and Eva Currie Rowland passed away on March 25, 2023 in Pensacola, FL surrounded by his loving parents. He is preceded in death by his great grandparents: Floyd and Alice Currie, Carolyn Rowland, and Earl Ray Simmons.
Mason is survived by his parents, Christopher and Eva Rowland; his grandparents, Fritz (Kathy) Currie and Bunkie (Gary) Murph; his great grandparents: Ellis and Billie Mason, Haywood and Shelly Rowland, and Hazel Simmons; his big brother, Jay Braxton Rowland; his uncle and aunt, Ankoo (Deonna) Currie; his cousin, Maggie Currie; his special uncle and aunt, Chris and Tristen Moore and cousin, Gunner Moore.
Private graveside services will be held in Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery with Bro. Tad McMullen officiating. Interment will follow in Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Oak Grove, FL.