Dry And Warming Through The Weekend
September 22, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 88. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 87.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 87.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Advance To Southern League Championship
September 22, 2023
The explosion of joy, from the Blue Wahoos dugout to the party on the mound, reflected pure exhilaration.
With their fans standing and celebrating, Pensacola did it again, reaching the Southern League Championship Series with a 5-1 victory Thursday night against the Montgomery Biscuits at Blue Wahoos Stadium, clinching the divisional series in a two-game sweep.
For a team that posted so many feats this season, including the best winning percentage in club history, a record 10-game win streak, plus six new batting records, this latest one was the biggest one.
They will now face the Tennessee Smokies for a second time in the Championship Series, beginning Sunday at Tennessee. Game Two and Game Three, if necessary, will be played in Pensacola on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Blue Wahoos won the league title a year ago on the road in Tennessee.
“We have something special in this clubhouse, this group of guys,” said lefthander Patrick Monteverde, who delivered a sensational starting performance, working into the seventh inning without allowing a run. “Everybody on the roster … we are one big family, one big brotherhood.”
The special element began with Monteverde.
In his five previous starts against the Biscuits, all were quality. He was 3-0 with only two earned runs allowed in 31.2 innings. On Thursday, considering the stakes and the pressure, Monteverde was at his best.
He allowed just one hit and two baserunners in the first three innings. In the fourth inning, he worked out of a two-on, two-out situation. He finished working 6.1 innings, allowing five hits, just one walk and striking out eight batters. He threw 103 pitches in a gritty, memorable effort.
“Last year when I got here (to Pensacola) those guys (Biscuits) got me pretty good in my first Double-A outing,” said Monteverde, a Pittsburgh, Pa. native who is rated the No. 16 prospect in the Miami Marlins organization. “I take it personal, and I just didn’t want to have that feeling again against these guys.
“They have a really good offense and I knew I had to be dialed in.”
He worked efficiently with his array of breaking pitches and his fastball. Only once did Montgomery have multiple baserunners against him.
“You could tell right from the start he was on his A-game and he had his stuff and I’m super happy for him,” said Blue Wahoos first baseman Bennett Hostetler.
The Blue Wahoos jumped to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. Will Banfield and Victor Mesa Jr. both walked to start the rally. With runners on first and third, Jake Thompson drove in the first run with a double. Hostetler, the star of the Game 1 win with two homers and three RBI, followed with a clutch two-run single.
The Blue Wahoos made it 4-0 in the fifth inning on Paul McIntosh’s single to score Nasim Nuñez. In the seventh, Cody Morissette blasted a home run into the right field berm for a 5-0 lead.
Every Blue Wahoos hitter reached base. Seven players in the lineup had a hit.
“This is a special group of players and special group of coaches,” Nuñez said. “I believe in every one of them. I wouldn’t want to be out there with anyone else.”
Zach McCambley relieved Monteverde and produced three strikeouts in 1.2 spotless innings. In the ninth, Jefry Yan retired the first two batters and gave up a run on a two-out double before striking out the final batter, Carson Wiliams. He leaped with excitement as the players rushed him on the mound.
The on-field celebration included ice baths and drink dousing in a scene full of happiness as fans stayed and cheered.
“It is a special feeling,” Hostetler said. “Working the whole season, the goal is to get to the playoffs and when you get to the playoffs, the goal is to win.
“We are super happy for each other and super happy for Pensacola to see another Championship Series.”
Before the game, the Blue Wahoos honored 10-year employees from the Studer Family of Companies, which encompasses the Blue Wahoos. Each received a commemorative gift, and had photos taken on the field with players.
In addition, there was a fourth-inning check presentation for $42,000 for the Pensacola chapter of Habitat for Humanity for its season of community partnership with the Blue Wahoos.
This is the Blue Wahoos’ seventh time making the playoffs in the past eight seasons. The Blue Wahoos were co-league champions in 2017 in a playoff round shortened by a hurricane threat. They won their first outright title last year.
Sunday’s game is at 4:30 p.m. at Tennessee. Game 2 on Tuesday is at 6:05 in Pensacola, followed by Game 3 if necessary at 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday in Pensacola.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Here Is Tonight’s High School Football Schedule
September 22, 2023
Here is tonight’s North Escambia area football schedule:
FLORIDA
- Pine Forest at West Florida
- Escambia at Milton
- Pensacola at Gulf Breeze
- Washington at LeFlore (Ala.)
- Prince Avenue Christian at Pensacola Catholic
- Lighthouse Private Christian Academy at Destin
- Navarre at Carroll (Ala.)
- BYES: Northview, Tate, Jay, Pace
ALABAMA
- Flomaton at Excel
- Canceled: St. Stanislaus (Bay St. Louis, MS) at Escambia Academy
- Escambia County (Atmore) at Wilcox Central
- Orange Beach at T.R. Miller
- W.S. Neal at Hillcrest (Evergreen)
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Cantonment Man Charged With Felony For Allegedly Throwing Rocks At His Neighbor
September 22, 2023
A Cantonment man was arrested for allegedly throwing rocks at his neighbor.
Justin Thomas Brojanac, 40, was charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor violation of a protection order.
The victim told deputies that she was in her backyard with her kids when something hit the roof of her house and fell down on her head. She said she then watched as Brojanac threw two other rocks at her that missed due to a bush, according to an arrest report.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said the woman suffered a small contusion on her head but did not seek medical attention.
Deputies attempted to make contact with Brojanac, but his wife advised that he only came home for his lunch break, the report states. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.
Brojanac remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $6,000.
Margaret Ann Colbert
September 22, 2023
Margaret Ann Colbert, age 69, of Atmore, AL passed away on September 18, 2023 in Birmingham, AL. She was born on October 9, 1953 in Claiborne, AL to Ed Taylor and Hattie Pritchett Taylor. Margaret was a firm believer in hard work. She had a passion for taking care of others which showed in her forty-year nursing career. She is preceded in death by her parents, and her siblings: Ricky Taylor, Roy Taylor, Jimmy Ray Taylor, Nan Taylor Nelson and Leon Taylor.
She is survived by her daughter, Haley (Dempsey) Rolin of Poarch, AL; her grandchildren, Braxton Cohen Harrison and Bryleigh Grace Rolin; her siblings: Larry (Barbara) Taylor of Hot Springs, AR, Dwaine (Betty) Taylor of Fulton, MS, James E. Taylor of Atmore, AL, Terry (Mary) Taylor of Hearne, TX, Richard (Rene) Taylor of Atmore, AL, Debbie King of Bay Minette, AL, Elizabeth (Jim) Chandler of Daphne, AL, and Delilah (Henry) Haire of Jay, FL. She was loved by her many nieces and nephews, and affectionately known as “Aunt Nancy”.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Sister Helen Stewart officiating. Interment will follow in Old Salem Cemetery in Mexia, AL.
Active pallbearers will be James Wesley “Boolie” Colbert, Cecil Wayne Colbert, Henry Haire, Jay Chandler, Ronald Rolin, and Rodney Stewart.
Visitation will be held Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Judith Ann Meldrim
September 22, 2023
Judith Ann Meldrim, 77, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Judith was born July 10, 1946 in Berea, Ohio to the late Coy and Lila Burchwell. She was a member of Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, and a member of Prime Timers.
Judith is survived by her husband of 57 years, Bob Meldrim; her three children, Jeff Meldrim (Nichelle), Mark Meldrim (Christie), and Jennifer Freckleton (Jeremy); 12 grandchildren, Alexis, Dillon, Libbie, Leann, Victoria, Robert, Eric, Lindsey, Sara, Ashley, Kelcey, and Joseph; her great grandchildren, Lennox, Lucas, and Salem; sisters, Patty Kitching (Stanley), Barbara Salvador (Steve), Susan Sprunger (Dong); and extended family.
The family will receive friends for visitation at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 23, 2023 at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, followed by a memorial service beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 South Highway 29, Cantonment, is entrusted with arrangements.
Man Convicted In Walnut Hill Murder, Attempted Murder; Faces Up To Life In Prison
September 21, 2023
A 2018 Walnut Hill double shooting murder suspect has been convicted.
Christopher Alan Stacey was convicted of lesser charges of second degree murder and attempted second degree murder. He was originally indicted for first degree premeditated murder and attempted first degree premeditated murder. He faces a minimum of 25 years to a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced in January.
After his arrest, Stacey claimed the shootings were self defense. Court motions and denied appeals from the Florida First District Court of Appeals delayed the trial, but all of Stacey’s self defense motions were eventually denied.
In June 2018, Dalton Davis was found dead in a truck in Brushy Creek on Deere Creek Road near Atmore. Troy Dewayne Boutwell was found in critical condition near the road after crawling from the truck but survived his injuries. They were shot nine miles away at a home on Highway 164 near Walnut Hill (pictured bottom), according to investigators.
His ex-wife, Jessica Nicole Thomas, was charged with accessory after the fact to first degree premeditated murder and accessory after the fact to attempted first degree premeditated murder for the shooting at her home on Highway 164. Stacey’s son, Christopher James Logan Stacey, and Alexis Ileene Shiffner Cain were also both charged with accessory after the fact to first degree premeditated murder and accessory after the fact to attempted first degree premeditated murder.
Thomas and Shiffner Cain pleaded guilty while Christopher James Logan Stacey pleaded no contest in 2019. All three are awaiting sentencing and face up to 30 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
Alabama detectives learned that Boutwell had been at his friend’s house in the 5900 block of Highway 164, just east of Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. Deputies responded to find the suspects in the home.
An Escambia County, FL, investigator was contacted by Atmore Police to relay information on the shooting location. He instructed deputies to respond to the home where they found a couch burning in the backyard (photo below). Deputies extinguished the fire. Victim Boutwell later said he was shot on the couch in the living room of the home, which is about nine miles from where the men were found with the truck.
According to the report, an AR-15 was found in one of the bedrooms and a 12 gauge shotgun was found in another bedroom. The report does not specify if either was the murder weapon. A bullet hole was found in an interior wall.
Christopher Alan Stacey was seated on a bucket across the road from the residence watching as investigators processed the crime scene, while his son sat ina wooden chair in front of a neighboring home (both pictured below). Cain and Jessica Thomas were placed in the back of ECSO patrol vehicles as investigators worked.
Florida investigators also responded to the truck at Brushy Creek on Deere Creek Road in Alabama to process that crime scene with Alabama agencies. The straight-line location of the truck was about 1,000 feet north of the Alabama-Florida State line.
Christopher Alan Stacey, resides with Thomas at the home on Highway 164. Boutwell told law enforcement that he was shot because of an argument with her ex-husband. The son, Christopher James Logan Stacey, also resides in the home, the report states.
Boutwell, the victim that survived the July 2018 shooting, was killed in a single vehicle wreck on March 13, 2021, on Highway 4A about three miles west of Century. He was pronounced deceased at the scene; there were no passengers in the vehicle. [Read more...]
Pictured below: Christopher Alan Stacey was seated on a bucket across the road from the residence watching as investigators processed the crime scene, while his son James Logan Stacey sat on a wooden chair in front of a neighboring home. Pictured middle below: A deputy questions Jessica Thomas as she sits inside a patrol vehicle in Walnut Hill. Pictured bottom: Investigators say two men were shot inside this home on Highway 164 in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
D.R. Horton Withdraws Offer For OLF-8 Property
September 21, 2023
Developer D.R. Horton has withdrawn their multi-million dollar offer for the county-owned OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road.
“D.R. Horton has been looking at multiple scenarios in an effort to make this project work, both for the residents of Escambia County and for Horton from a financial perspective. Unfortunately, Horton has come to the conclusion that there are too many obstacles to overcome in the limited amount of time being granted. Horton believes that the engineering, due diligence and governmental approvals necessary to make this project feasible cannot be accomplished within the County’s desired timeframe,” Attorney Chris Gill wrote in an email on behalf of homebuilder D.R. Horton.
“From Horton’s perspective, the current Master Plan that exists for the property does not allow for Horton to pursue a financially viable development. The changes to the Master Plan and other associated approvals and entitlements (both at the local and state levels) that would be necessary to convert this project into something that can be developed for commercial and residential purposes and in an economically viable manner pose more risk and uncertainty than Horton is willing to bear at this time,” Gill wrote.
D.R. Horton had offered $42 million for over 500 acres before dropping that offer in July to 24.1 million for 297 acres because Escambia County is holding back 241 acres for job creation near the Navy Federal Credit Union campus.
D.R. Horton’s proposal included 99 acres for commercial use including restaurants, retail, offices, medical and a town center. Their plan also showed 170 acres with 1,133 residential units, including 360 townhomes and 336 apartments.
Gill said if the county changes their plans, the company might be interested in becoming involved again.
“Horton believes that Escambia County, and especially the Beulah and Cantonment submarkets, are vital to the continued success of Northwest Florida, and the OLF-8 property is by far the most valuable location in this market. If the County were willing to entertain changes to the Master Plan that Horton believes are needed, Horton would very much be interested in participating in the future development of this site,” he wrote.
In August, Escambia County received a $40 million offer for the OLF-8 site from a Tampa real estate firm. The offer would need to be retooled because it was for the full acreage including the 250 acres that the commission now intends to hold back for economic development.
Pictured: The now withdrawn D.R. Horton preliminary design for the OLF-8 property.
Ernest Ward Middle Names Students Of The Month
September 21, 2023
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named their August Students of the Month. They are Brody Hall, eighth grade; Lillyth Dekker, seventh grade; and Nevaeh Tidd, sixth grade. They are pictured with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mid To Upper 60s Tonight
September 21, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 88. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 87.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 87.