Lithium-Ion Battery Suspected Of Causing ECUA Recycling Facility Fire
April 24, 2025
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority suspects a lithium-ion battery is to blame for causing a fire on Wednesday afternoon in their Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at the Perdido Landfill.
ECUA said their staff quickly responded to the fire and suppressed it. Escambia County Fire Rescue responded at 1:17 p.m. and declared the fire under control by 1:47 p.m.
Nathalie Bowers, ECUA public information officer, said all recycling operations will continue on Thursday.
There were no injuries reported.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
A Few Pop-up Showers Possible, Otherwise Mostly Sunny Today
April 24, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Slight chance of pop-up showers. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: Patchy dense fog after 10pm. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Areas of dense fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 85.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Indecent Exposure, Drug Possession
April 24, 2025
A Cantonment woman and a Laurel Hill man were charged after allegedly having sex on the beach in public view.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office charged 24-year-old Emily Ann Smith and 26-year-old Corey Shaun Labauve with indecent exposure. Smith was also charged with felony drug possession.
Deputies responded to public complaints about the couple having sexual intercourse under a tent directly behind The Dock on Casino Beach Boardwalk. According to deputies, the act appeared to be ongoing when they arrived.
A witness told deputies that Smith and Labauve were “full on having sex”, and it outraged her sense of public decency.
Smith told deputies that she had been drinking, and she knew it was a bad choice, according to an arrest report. Labauve, the report continues, claimed there was no sexual contact and that Smith was simply “twerking on him”
Deputies located six alprazolam pills along with five partial alprazolam pills inside Smith’s bag, according to the arrest report.
Smith was released from jail on a $3,000 bond. Labauve remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday morning with bond set at $500.
High Schoolers Attend Northwest Florida Construction Career Days
April 24, 2025
Over 1,300 high school students from across the area rolled up their sleeves at the 2025 Northwest Florida Construction Career Days Tuesday and Wednesday at the Santa Rosa County Fairgrounds.
Students had the opportunity to operate heavy equipment and learn about bridge inspections, paving, concrete, traffic control, engineering, and more. Students were also introduced to the large number of career paths available in the transportation, structural, engineering, and building industries, and were able to interact with representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), as well as various engineering firms, and contractors looking to hire in the Northwest Florida area.
High school seniors who attended in-person or virtually are eligible to receive a portion of up to $50,000 in scholarship funds that will be awarded this year.
For more photos, including Northview and Tate high school students at the event, click here.
“FDOT District Three is working diligently to create a pipeline of workforce and economic opportunities for the next generation. Not only does this event give students a unique chance to explore career opportunities that have substantial benefits and add tremendous value to their communities, but it also allows FDOT and its industry partners to connect with young people of all backgrounds and skill levels,” FDOT said.
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Forest Service Arbor Day Tree Giveaway Friday In Century
April 24, 2025
The Florida Forest Service and the Town of Century will hold a tree giveaway this Friday to celebrate National Arbor Day.
The event will being at 10 a.m. Friday at the community center on West Highway 4 at Industrial Boulevard. Trees available will include sycamore, red maple, Chickasaw plum and common persimmon in one gallon containers.
There is a limit of two trees per person while supplies last. Open to all Florida residents; residency in the Town of Century is not required.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Shut Out Fletcher 3-0 In Regional Playoff Opener (With Gallery)
April 24, 2025
The Tate Aggies shut out the Fletcher Senators 3-0 Wednesday night in game one of a best-of-three series in the FHSAA 6A Baseball State Championship regional quarterfinals.
Zane Warrington earned the home win for Tate. In seven innings, he allowed three hits and no runs, walking three and striking out six.
Taite Davis went 3-3 for the Aggies, while Nathan Ozuna and Kaden Posta each had multiple hits for Tate.
For a photo gallery, click here.
In game two, Tate will host Fletcher on Thursday at 7 p.m. If a third game in necessary, Tate will travel to Neptune Beach near Jacksonville to face the Senators on Saturday night.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Lady Aggies Finish Regular Season Strong with 9-2 Win Over Escambia (With Gallery)
April 24, 2025
The Tate Lady Aggies closed their regular season with a solid 9-2 win over the Escambia Gators Tuesday night.
Kara Wine homered to center field to score three runs in the bottom of the fourth for Tate. It was a literal dinger that “dinged” off the scoreboard at Charlene Varnell Field in Cantonment. Wine went for 2-4 at bat for the Aggies. Peyton Womack and Kaylie Mitchell each added two RBIs.
For a game action photo gallery, click here.
For a youth night photo gallery, click here.
Mykamia Padgett earned the win for Tate with three innings of no run, no hit softball as she recorded six strikeouts and no walks. Peyton Womack was in the circle for four innings in relief, surrendering two hits and two runs (one earned) while walking two and striking out four.
Up next for the Tate is the district tournament with a schedule that is to be announced.
Wednesday night was Youth Night for the Lady Aggies as they hosted and recognized area youth softball teams including the Diamond Krushers, Lady Rockies Kids wearing jerseys were admitted at no charge and received a free hot dogs, chips and a drink.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Dozens Of Violations, Arrests And Citations In Joint Traffic Operation
April 24, 2025
Last Friday, the Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and Pensacola Police Department conducted a joint DUI and traffic safety operation in Escambia County.
During the enforcement effort, there were 69 overall violations, 10 DUI arrests, two drug arrests, 31 speed citations and six misdemeanor criminal traffic-related offenses.
This enforcement detail was strategically planned to target high-risk behaviors on area roadways, including impaired driving, aggressive speeding, and other criminal traffic offenses. Officers from all three agencies conducted saturation patrols and mobile enforcement zones at known trouble spots, maximizing visibility and deterrence,” FHP Captain Jason King King said. “This multi-agency effort demonstrates the exceptional synergy achieved when law enforcement partners combine resources and expertise. By working together with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Pensacola Police Department, we’ve taken dangerous drivers off our roads and sent a clear message that impaired and reckless driving will not be tolerated.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Zamora’s Clutch Swing Gives Wahoos Walk-Off Win
April 24, 2025
by Bill Vilona
Josh Zamora guessed right on the first pitch and connected well.
It turned a game that went from deflating an inning earlier for the Blue Wahoos into a walk-off, 10th inning celebration, after Zamora’s run-scoring hit and 4-3 win against the Knoxville Smokies at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Smokies trailed 3-0 and were down to their final out when Pablo Aliendo blasted a game-tying homer deep over the left field wall off reliever Zach McCambley.
But the Blue Wahoos got a terrific relief performance in the 10th inning from Dale Stanavich, who stranded runners in scoring position with one out, by striking out the next two batters to keep the game tied.
“It says a lot,” said Zamora, after being twice doused with ice bucket water moments after his big hit. “Our clubhouse, from top to bottom, the word is resilient.”
The Blue Wahoos rallied with textbook execution to get the run.
In the bottom of the 10th, Mark Coley II was the placement runner on second. Jared Serna was intentionally walked.
Shane Sasaki followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt that forced the only play to first base.
With runners on second and third, Nathan Martorella was intentionally walked and the Smokies chose to bring in an outfielder to have five infielders between bases.
On the first pitch he saw from Smokies reliever AJ Puckett — a fastball — Zamora sent it sailing into left field and the game was over.
“Honestly, I was trying to see a ball up at the plate and put a good swing on it.”
He did. And the Blue Wahoos won a game that seemed headed their way after eight innings.
Starting pitching Robby Snelling was brilliant again in his fourth start. The lefthander pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, struck out nine batters and gave up just one walk.
Snelling, the Blue Wahoos highest-rated prospect, has allowed just one run in three of his four starts and just five runs this season in 21 innings pitched.
But when he exited after throwing 84 pitches, the game was still scoreless.
The Blue Wahoos broke through in the seventh inning. Jake Thompson and Johnny Olmstead hit back-to-back doubles. Thompson had to wait on the ball hit by Olmstead and stayed at third base. With one out, Dalvy Rosario had an RBI single. Coley II hit a grounder that deflected off the third baseman’s glove for an RBI and 2-0 lead.
Sasaki scored after a leadoff walk in the eighth and stolen base, then an errant pickoff attempt to make it 3-0.
But in the top of the ninth, the Smokies got a one-out single, then a walk. McCambley struck out the next batter, Hayden McGeary.
But he left a one-strike pitch against Aliendo, one of the Chicago Cubs top 30 prospects, up in the strike zone and he walloped a no-doubter to tie the game. It was the only mistake McCambley made in three solid innings of relief.
Stanavich’s clutch relief and then Zamora’s heroics produced a good end for the Blue Wahoos to even the series.
GAME NOTABLES
— The Blue Wahoos entered the game as the Southern League leader in stolen bases with 40.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Knoxville Smokies vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Thursday thru Sunday
GAME TIMES: Thursday through Saturday games all start at 6:05 p.m. The game on Sunday starts at 1:05 p.m.
Margaret Rebecca Moring Jeter
April 24, 2025
Margaret Rebecca Moring Jeter, 84, of Atmore, AL., passed away April 18, 2025 in Pensacola, FL.
Margaret was born on August 23, 1940 in Atmore, AL to Henry Moring and Ruby Langham Moring. After high school, Margaret attended Troy University where she received her Master’s Degree. Upon graduation, she became a first grade teacher at Huxford Elementary School where she taught for 25 years. Margaret was also a member at Presley Street Baptist Church.
Margaret is preceded in death by her parents; and her brother; H. Wayne Moring.
Margaret is survived by her husband; Rayford Earl Jeter, her sons; Tom Jeter of Atmore, AL., and Randy (Brenda) Jeter of LaGrange, GA.; her daughters; Diane (Robin) Baggett of Huxford, AL., and Linda (Gary) West of Atmore, AL. Beloved sister-in-law; Marcella Moring, and former daughter-in-law; Leeanna Jeter. Margaret is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Presley Street Baptist Church.
Visitation will be held Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. until service time at 2:00 p.m. at Presley Street Baptist Church.
In Lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made in Margarets memory to the Atmore Public Library and the Atmore Animal Shelter.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.