Cantonment Man Charged With Burglarizing Three County-Owned Pickup Trucks
December 22, 2021
A Cantonment man is accused of burglarizing three county-owned pickup trucks.
Christopher Brian Gentry, 51, was charged with three counts of felony burglary, two counts of petit theft and criminal mischief with property damage.
Gentry allegedly burglarized three unlocked pickup trucks at the Escambia County Road Department in the 1600 block of East Nine Mile Road. It appeared that all three vehicles had been rummaged through, and the tool boxes on the vehicles were left open, according to an arrest report.
The county reported that a bolt cutter worth $30 and a $20 linesman pliers were missing. In addition, Gentry is accused of breaking off a gate lock valued at $10.
Gentry was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $45,000 bond.
Blue Wahoos Switching To Artificial Turf
December 22, 2021
Construction is underway at Blue Wahoos Stadium to transition the award-winning Minor League stadium to an artificial turf playing surface in 2022.
“The transition to artificial turf is a very important step forward for our stadium,” team President Jonathan Griffith said. “After 10 seasons of use, our natural grass field did not meet Major League Baseball specifications for affiliated stadiums. Putting in turf now ensures that the Blue Wahoos will be compliant with MLB regulations and helps secure the long-term future of affiliated Minor League Baseball in Pensacola. We’re putting in a Major League quality playing surface at our ballpark that mirrors the field our players will play on when they make it to the Major Leagues with the Miami Marlins.”
Beyond meeting Major League Baseball field specifications, the artificial turf field will allow the team to hold additional future community events at the stadium.
“Our mission as an organization is to improve the quality of life in our community, and we see holding family-friendly events at Blue Wahoos Stadium throughout the year as a way to help create a more vibrant downtown,” Griffith said. “With an artificial turf field, we’ll be able to hold events more frequently and hold even larger events at the ballpark during the season and off-season.”
Centrally located in downtown Pensacola, Blue Wahoos Stadium is the home to the Blue Wahoos, University of West Florida Football, and over 200 total events on an annual basis. In its first 10 years, the ballpark has been a frequent award-winner, being named the Double-A South Ballpark of the Year three times and the Ballpark Digest Double-A Ballpark of the Year twice.
“We’re very pleased that the Blue Wahoos are dedicated to continually improving an already-great ballpark,” Geoff DeGroot, Director of Player Development for the Marlins, said. “The transition to artificial turf will enhance our player development and prepare players to play on the same surface when they reach loanDepot park.”
In addition to improving the playing surface, additional upgrades are expected this off-season at Blue Wahoos Stadium to meet new facility requirements including the installation of LED ballpark lighting and the addition of a new batting cage.
Gulf Power Making Customer Transition To Florida Power & Light
December 21, 2021
With the upcoming new year, Gulf Power is making the full transition to Florida Power & Light (FPL).
The transition will begin the evening of December 30. At that time, Gulf Power customers will be unable to manage their accounts, make a payment or report an outage on the website, mobile app or through the automated phone system. Customers can call (800) 487-6937 to report an outage.
Beginning January 3, former Gulf Power customers can manage their account at FPL.com or the FPL app.
NextEra purchased Gulf Power from the Southern Company in January 2019, but the companies were not immediately merged to operate as one. FPL is the largest electric utility in the state with about five million customers. Gulf Power has about 470,000 customers in eight Florida Panhandle counties, including Escambia and Santa Rosa.
FDOT: Nine Mile Road Work Is Almost Done
December 21, 2021
The Florida Department of Transportation said Monday work is almost complete on a $100 million project to widen and improve Nine Mile Road.
The work was along a 6.9 mile segment of Nine Mile Road from Beulah Road to the Highway 29 interchange.
The western segment of the Nine Mile Road project, between Beulah and Pine Forest Roads, included widening Nine Mile from two to four travel lanes, adding bicycle lanes on both sides of the roadway and sidewalks on the south side. Other improvements include a new eastbound bridge over Eleven Mile Creek, new retention ponds, signalization upgrades, drainage enhancements, and new noise walls.
The eastern segment of Nine Mile Road, between Pine Forest Road and Untreiner Avenue, was completed earlier this year.
Work on the project started in 2016.
As for the current construction project on Highway 29, FDOT says work is expected to wrap up in early 2022.
FEMA Reimburses Escambia County 75% Of $18.3 Million Hurricane Sally Debris Removal Costs
December 21, 2021
Escambia County has received a $13,715,504.13 reimbursement payment from FEMA for the federal government’s portion of $18,287,338.83 in total costs for Hurricane Sally debris removal.
FEMA reimburses at 75%, while the county and state are responsible for splitting the remaining 25%. That put the cost to Escambia County at just under $2.3 million for Sally debris removal.
Escambia County utilized contract workers following Hurricane Sally’s arrival on September 16, 2020, until April 30, 2021, to remove and dispose of 689,477 cubic yards of vegetative debris, 201,863 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, 854 hazardous leaning trees, 8,283 hazardous hanging limbs and 1.85 tons of hazardous household waste debris from public rights of way.
“Millions of dollars were spent on debris clean-up from Hurricane Sally,” said Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. “We are grateful for FEMA approving this reimbursement grant. This grant is critical for Public Safety as we continue to recover from Hurricane Sally and prepare for future disasters.”
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Sailor On USS Harry S. Truman Wishing Family A Merry Christmas
December 21, 2021
A Cantonment native serving in the United States Navy will celebrate the holidays with his fellow sailors aboard USS Harry S. Truman.
Haley wants family back home to know they are missed this holiday season.
“Wish I could be home for the holidays,” said Haley. “Miss you everyday and hope you have a great Christmas and start to the new year.”
Haley has a special message for one family member.
“I would like to tell my brother Kody to stay safe out there on the streets patrolling Pensacola, and that I hope you have a great holiday with family.”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Haley, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance.
“Serving in the Navy means everything to me,” added Haley. “From our sacrifice of being away from our families during the holidays to missing special events, it is is worth it to protect the ones we love. I’m having experiences that I will tell stories about for years to come.”
Tate High School Names Students Of The Month
December 21, 2021
Tate High School recently named Students of the Month for November. They are Evan Meyer and Shyla McRoy. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Welfare Fraud
December 21, 2021
A Cantonment woman has been charged with public assistance fraud.
Katherine Adar Golden, 33, was charged with welfare fraud for failing to disclose information.
The charge against Golden was filed directly against Golden by the State Attorney’s Office.
A court document states Golden received food stamp and Medicaid benefits illegally after failing to report the income of another individual between March 4, 2019, and April 2, 2020. Additional details have not been released.
Golden was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
Woman Shot And Killed After Confrontation Over Dead Dog, Another Man Wounded
December 20, 2021
A woman was shot and killed Sunday night and another man wounded in Escambia County after a confrontation over a dog that had been shot dead.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said a man and woman were working on their car while outside their residence in the 3700 block of Lloyd Street in Brownsville. Their dog ran and started barking at three men as they walked down the road, and one of the men shot and killed the dog.
The man and woman got into a vehicle, according to investigators, and went looking for the three men. An argument followed after they found them, and one of the men opened fire on the car. Both the man and woman were struck, and they drove to the 1100 block of T Street to call 911 about 11:25 p.m.
Both victims were transported to the hospital where the woman was pronounced dead.
No names have been released.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Ninth Red Bulb Added To Fire Safety Wreath After Another Residential Blaze
December 20, 2021
A ninth red bulb has been added in Escambia County’s “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign following a Sunday night fire.
A single story home on Omega Court was damaged by the fire about 10:35 p.m., and the occupant is being assisted to temporary arrangements by the American Red Cross. There were no injuries.
The fire was limited to the front part of the home, with smoke damage throughout. Officials says the home is repairable.
Each time in December that Escambia County firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green bulb is replaced with a red one of the “Keep the Wreath” green wreaths on display at county fire stations and other public buildings.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
