One Charged With Ensley Murder
October 30, 2021
A 20-year old Escambia County man was arrested Friday for a fatal shooting earlier in the week.
Gerald Battle, Jr. was charged with homicide and booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond. The shooting took place October 27 in the 8600 block of Figland Avenue, a couple of blocks from Untreiner Avenue in Ensley.
The victim was shot multiple times while inside a vehicle. He was later pronounced deceased at a local hospital.
Top Ranked Niceville Tops Tate 35-0 (With Photo Gallery)
October 30, 2021
Niceville, the third-ranked 7A team in the state, defeated the Tate Aggies 35-0 on Senior Night Friday night at Pete Gindl Stadium.
The Aggies held the Eagles scoreless in the first and fourth quarters, but Niceville ran away with 28 in the second quarter and added another 7 in the third.
The Niceville Eagles improved to 9-1, 4-0 and hold first place in District 1-7A.
The Tate Aggies are 1-8 overall, 0-4 in the district. The Aggies will end their season next Friday night at 6A Pine Forest (6-1, 3-0).
For a game action photo gallery, click or tap here. (Look for the band, cheerleaders and band in a photo gallery by Monday.)
NorthEscambia.com photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Friday Night High School Football Finals
October 30, 2021
Here are Friday night’s North Escambia area football high school football scores:
FLORIDA
- Niceville 35, Tate 0 [Story, photos...]
- Northview 39, Bay 35
- Jay 24, J.U. Blacksher 0
- Pine Forest 49, Washington 15
- Wakulla 37, Pensacola High 13
- West Florida 30, Pensacola Catholic 7
- Escambia 21, Gulf Breeze 14
- Navarre 29, Crestview 22
- Milton 35, Pace 28
ALABAMA
- Escambia Academy 64, Bessemer Academy 0
- Flomaton 42, Escambia County (Atmore) 0
- T.R. Miller 40, W.S. Neal 16
Pictured: Niceville defeated Tate Friday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
NAS Pensacola Building 633 Reopens, Honoring Those Killed During 2019 Terrorist Attack
October 30, 2021
Building 633 at Naval Air Station Pensacola reopened Friday.
On December 6, 2019, it was the site of the terrorist attack that took the lives of three sailors and wounded eight military and civilian personnel.
An Area of Remembrance was officially unveiled during a ceremony Friday.
Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) is resuming training in Building 633.
NASC provides an educational foundation in technical training, character development, and professional leadership to prepare Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and partner nation officers and enlisted students to be combat quality aviation professionals. Students consist of enlisted and officer personnel enrolled in aircrew, aviator, survival, or prospective commanding officer training programs.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Photos: Joshua Cox/NAS Pensacola and others for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Reports 149 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week
October 30, 2021
There were 149 new COVID-19 cases reported Escambia County over the last week by the Florida Department of Health.
Baptist, Ascension Sacred Heart and West Florida hospitals reported a combined 48 COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Friday.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 53,639 (+149)
Positivity rate last week: 4.9%
Current total hospitalizations: 42
Over age 18 and over hospitalizations:39
Under age 18 hospitalized: 3
Total deaths reported last 7 days: 24 (CDC data)
Escambia County Vaccinations
People vaccinated: 154,269 (+790)
Total Population of Escambia County Partially Vaccinated: 55.9%
Total Population of Escambia County Fully Vaccinated: 48.1%
*These numbers are the percent of total Escambia County population vaccinated. Not the percentage of hospitalized individuals.
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 32,381 (+84)
Positivity rate last week: 3.8%
People vaccinated: 89,913 (+494)
Partial vaccination rate (age 12+): 56%
Total deaths last 7 days: less than 10 (CDC data)
Statewide cases:
Florida resident cases: 3,647,2776 (+12,880)
Case positivity rate: 3.0%
Deaths: 59,670 (+56)
FDOH has moved from daily to weekly reports and removed the COVID-19 dashboard. The state is now releasing a weekly report with local data limited only to number of cases and positivity rate The number of deaths by county or cases by local cities and communities is no longer provided by FDOH.
Century Man Charged With Capital Child Sexual Battery; He Was One Of Four Accused Of Child Neglect Last Week
October 29, 2021
One of the four people arrested last week on child neglect charges for living in squalor with several children is now accused of the sexual battery of a minor child over nearly a two-year period.
Michael Tracy Tedder, 29, was arrested Thursday on three counts of capital sexual battery of a victim under 12 by a person in familial custody. He remains in jail without bond.
The victim disclosed at school that she had been raped by Tedder, according to an arrest report. She stated that it hurt, and about the time she healed, he would do it again, the report continues. The alleged abuse occurred between January 1, 2020, and October 20, 2021.
Much of the arrest report is redacted under Florida law, but it states “several (others) divulged sexual abuse by Michael Tedder. The incidents they described were similar to the sexual abuse disclosed, adding credibility to her statement.” An Escambia County Sherriff’s Office spokesperson said Friday the investigation is ongoing.
If convicted as charged, Tedder faces up to life in prison.
When the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office went to Tedder’s home on October 20 to investigate the sexual battery allegations, deputies found Tedder and three others living in squalor with six children in two campers.
They found Michael Tedder and his wife 28-year old Elizabeth Mae Dennis, along with 55-year old Norman Tracy Tedder and his wife 50-year old Tabitha Rolin Tedder. All four were charged with felony child neglect. Only Michael Tedder is accused of a sex crime; the other three have not been charged with any other crime or named as suspects.
The Department of Children and Families temporarily removed the children and transported them to the Gulf Coast Kids House.
For more information on the child neglect allegations, click or tap here for an earlier story.
Quintette Road Crossing Blocked For Hours By Stopped Train
October 29, 2021
There’s no word why a train blocked the crossing on Quintette Road for hours Friday morning.
The crossing was blocked by the stopped train sometime before 5 a.m., according to individuals arriving at work in the area. By 9:30 a.m., the train had moved, and the crossing was open.
One end of the train was near William Ditch Road, about a mile and a half away to the south.
Quintette Road is common morning commuter route. It is one of just two routes north of Nine Mile Road across the Escambia River between Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. (The other is Highway 4 in Century.)
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Witness Tampering In Homicide Case
October 29, 2021
A Cantonment man is accused by prosecutors of witness tampering in a June homicide case.
Ceasar Augustus Harris, 21, was charged with first degree felony tampering with a witness. His bond on the charge was set at a half million dollars.
Ceasar Harris’ brother, 18-year old Axtavian Harris, and 21-year old Jaylen Wright were both charged with the June shooting death of 18-year-old Kuanterion Rivers at the Oakwood Terrace Apartments.
Ceasar Harris allegedly sent social media messages to a witness threatening to harm them and offering $10,000 to anyone who harms them, according to the State Attorney’s Office and a warrant affidavit.
Kitty Kitty Got In A Tangle Because Of Lightning. Escambia Deputies Rescued Her From A Van In Bratt.
October 29, 2021
Kitty Kitty is afraid of lightning — very, very afraid.
And rightfully so. Her pet parents, Steve and Theresa Hanks of Bratt, said Kitty Kitty was struck by lightning when she was just a kitten.
When an unexpected storm recently moved through Bratt, Kitty Kitty ran for the first safe place she could find. She climbed into the engine compartment of a van, getting all tangled up in some wiring underneath. She was stuck in a bad sort of way.
The Hanks knew they needed a little help from the “PAW Patrol”, so they made the call. Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies Ty Brewton and Eric Anderson responded to Bratt. The dynamic duo helped safely rescue the one-eared cat.
“(We) can’t say thank you enough to these two great guys and the whole team at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. They are truly the best, second to none,” the Hanks wrote in a thank-you note to the ECSO. “I also might need to pay for dry cleaning for (deputy Brewton); he got quite dirty getting Kitty Kitty free from my work van.”
“Don’t worry Mr. Hanks, no dry cleaning is needed! We are just happy Kitty Kitty is safe,” the Sheriff’s Office responded.
“I wanted (Sheriff) Chip Simmons to know how much we appreciated his team,” Steve Hanks told NorthEscambia.com.
Kitty Kitty, whose proper name is Callie, is doing just fine, back to doing all those great things the cats do. And probably staying away from that van.
Pictured above: Kitty Kitty. Pictured below: Deputies Anderson (left) and Brewton. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Charged With May Homicide
October 29, 2021
An Escambia County man has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting in May.
Kerrick Teamer, 21, was arrested Thursday and charged with homicide that took place on May 28, 2021, at the intersection of Green Street and Jackson Street. The victim was shot in the head and arm while sitting in his vehicle.
He was also charged in connection with shooting a second person in the leg.