DeSantis Announces Escambia County Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Site
September 4, 2021
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced a new monoclonal antibody treatment site in Escambia County.
The site will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bayview Community Center at 2001 East Lloyd Street in Pensacola.
During a Thursday morning Escambia County Commission meeting, the commission asked Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore to make a request to the Florida Department of Emergency Management to open a site in the county, By Thursday night, Gilmore delivered the news that a site was approved by the state.
Monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 can prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death among high-risk individuals.
The key to this is getting it early,” DeSantis said at the Florida Department of Health Escambia County.
Online registration is available at patientportalfl.com.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO, Federal Task Force Arrest 70, Including Four Murder Suspects, During Fugitive Round Up
September 4, 2021
Four homicide suspects were among 70 people arrested in a three day Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and U.S . Marshals Fugitive Task Force round up.
The task force targeted violent felony offenders with warrants ranging from homicide, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, robbery and sex offender violations.
Carlos Antione Holloway, Dewitt Charles Echols, Jaylan Madison Marshall and Tavares Jones were all four picked up on homicide charges.
Holloway and Echols were arrested in Mississippi for a homicide that occurred on August 23 on North Loop Road in Escambia County
Marshall was arrested for an attempted homicide that occurred on October 22 on Seminole Trail. Jones was arrested for a Florida Highway Patrol warrant for a traffic homicide.
Ten firearms were also seized during the operation.
“We appreciate our partnerships with other law enforcement agencies. This reinforces our commitment to bringing violent felons to justice. We are a safer community today,” said Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons.
The task force is made up of officers from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Pensacola Police Department, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, Panama City Police Department and members of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Tate Aggies Fall To Gulf Breeze (With Photo Gallery)
September 4, 2021
The Tate Aggies fell to the Gulf Breeze Dolphins 14-0 Friday night on Carl Madison Field.
The Aggies have not beat the Dolphins since a 42-38 win in the Region 1-6 quarterfinals back in 2016.
Tate was coming off a 9-0 season opening win over Pensacola High last week. The Tate Aggies (1-1) will host the Jaguars of West Florida next Friday night.
For a game action photo gallery, click here. (Look for a band, cheerleader and student life photo gallery by Monday.)
NorthEscambia.com photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park Bridge Is Now Open As Perdido River Falls
September 4, 2021
Barrineau Park Road at the Perdido River has reopened after being closed all week due to flooding of the Perdido River caused by Hurricane Ida.
After cresting at 15.84 feet late Wednesday night, the Perdido River was below flood stage at about 10 feet early Saturday morning and falling.
Flooding that closes the Barrineau Park bridge between Florida and Alabama is commonplace after heavy rainfall.
Friday Night North Escambia Area High School Football Scores
September 4, 2021
Here are Friday night’s high school football scores from across the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
- Gulf Breeze 14, Tate 0 (Photo gallery coming Saturday)
- West Florida 21, Pine Forest 14
- Washington, 21 Pensacola High 3
- Escambia 35, Gulfport (MS) 28
- Milton 32, Pensacola Catholic 30
- Freeport 51, Jay 12
- Northview 43, Lighthouse 28 (Thursday night, click for story, photos)
- Pace – Bye week
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 54, Southern Choctaw 0
- Escambia Academy 34, Patrician Academy 14
- Mobile Christian 34, Escambia County (Atmore) 0
- T.R. Miller 36, Cottage 6
- Vigor 41, W.S. Neal 6
Pictured: The Tate Aggies gain yardage against the Gulf Breeze Dolphins Friday night at Tate. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tractor Trailer Overturns, Closes I-10 To I-110 Ramp
September 4, 2021
A tractor trailer hauling scrap metal overturned on the I-10 to I-110 southbound ramp Friday afternoon.
The trailer flipped onto is side after collided with the barrier wall. The 27-year old male driver from Bonifay was not injured, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured: An overturned truck accident Friday. Photos courtesy FHP and Perry Doggrell (first photo below) for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Reports 2,516 New COVID-19 Cases, 315 Hospitalizations
September 4, 2021
There were 2,516 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 315 COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Friday.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 48,427 (+2,516)
Positivity rate last week: 23.3%
Current total hospitalizations: 315
Over age 18 and over hospitalizations: 308
Under age 18 hospitalized: 7
Escambia County Vaccinations
People vaccinated: 143,011
Total Population of Escambia County Partially Vaccinated: 50.8%
Total Population of Escambia County Fully Vaccinated: 41.5%
*These numbers are the percent of total Escambia County population vaccinated. Not the percentage of hospitalized individuals.
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 28,365 (+2,065)
Positivity rate last week: 27.6%
People vaccinated: 83,237
Partial vaccination rate (age 12+): 52%
Statewide cases:
Florida resident cases: 3,308.916 (+129,240)
Case positivity rate: 15.2%
Deaths: 46,324 (+433)
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.
Blue Wahoos Score Four Late, Evens Series With Biscuits
September 4, 2021
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos scored four runs over the final two innings as they surged past Montgomery to a 5-1 win Friday night at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
With the game tied at 1-1, Kameron Misner led off the eighth inning with a double off Joel Peguero (L, 3-7). For Misner, it was his second double of the game and his third hit of the night. After a productive groundout from Peyton Burdick, Pensacola took the lead on JJ Bleday’s sac fly to center.
The Blue Wahoos added to their lead in the ninth inning, scoring three times of Ivan Pelaez. After Demetrius Sims walked and advanced to second, J.D. Orr grounded a two-out RBI single into right, which made it 3-1 Wahoos. After a single from Misner to set up runners on the corners, Orr scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1. After Burdick walked—still with two outs in the inning—Bleday belted an RBI single to right, which scored Misner and made it 5-1. The former fourth overall pick finished the night with three RBI.
Will Stewart had to grind throughout his outing as the Biscuits had runners in scoring position in each of the first six innings of the game. In the second, Montgomery loaded the bases with nobody out, but after a strikeout, Stewart induced an inning-ending double play from Jake Palomaki to escape the threat.
In third, with one on and two outs, Stewart walked three batters in a row, including a bases-loaded walk to Blake Hunt to give the Biscuits their only run of the night.
In the fourth, Pensacola again escaped danger when with one out, Jim Haley struck out and was called for interference as Navaretto tried to make a throw to second base. That ended the fourth, and in the process Palomaki—who was a runner at third base—was ejected from the game.
Stewart was lifted in the fifth after allowing the first two batters to reach base. He was replaced by Dylan Bice who pitched two scoreless innings, including stranding both runners he inherited. After retiring one batter in the seventh, he was replaced by Andrew McInvale (W, 2-2), who worked 1.2 scoreless innings (his second consecutive scoreless appearance in Montgomery since surrendering the walk-off homer to Chris Betts on July 24th.
With the game clearly in hand, Colton Hock was brought into the game and closed out the ninth once again in scoreless fashion.
The Blue Wahoos will try and take a 3-2 series lead tomorrow night with Jeff Lindgren (4-8, 4.31), who is making his 18th start of the year. Opposing him will be RHP Alex Valverde (2-3, 4.20).
Escambia Commission Censures Doug Underhill For Threats Against County Attorney
September 3, 2021
The Escambia County Commission voted Thursday night to formally censure Commissioner Doug Underhill for his alleged conduct and threats against County Attorney Alison Rogers.
The vote was 4-1, with Underhill against the action. A censure is an official statement of disapproval, condemning a person for misconduct.
The county attorney and the county administrator are the only two employees in the county that work directly for the commission as a whole.
“You are my employer and I have been very lucky for many years to have never felt the need to come to you with an employment problem or complaint. I have certainly had my share of very challenging conversations with my bosses, some of them more challenging than others, but I have never felt the need to come to you with a complaint,” Rogers said after distributing a written letter to the board.
“However, unfortunately, last week, I was threatened in a manner by Commissioner Underhill, which you as (my) employer need to be made aware of. On two occasions, I was threatened that he is going to ‘bash my reputation until the day I resign.’ And he has clearly exhibited the ability to do that and carry it out. The most heartbreaking thing about this is that he’s mad at me for doing my job. He’s mad at me for requesting an advisory opinion from the Commission on Ethics, which is part of my job. I’ve even gotten one for him before. We only made the trip to Tallahassee at the specific request of the executive director and assistant general council to the Commission on Ethics in part because the question was more complex than normal.
“I can assure you, I far would have preferred to have been here, getting my work done,” Rogers said, her voice audibly breaking with emotion.
“If it had been any of the rest of the four of you who had asked me to get an advisory opinion, I would have done the same including from Mr. Underhill. This is not the way an employer should treat their employee and I feel it is egregious I want it memorialized,” Rogers said, asking the commission not to take any specific action other than to place her letter into the minutes of the meeting.
Underhill strongly denied the claims made by Rogers.
“I will say that categorically the words quoted here did not ever escape my lips, nor did they do it twice,” Underhill said. “I did say that it is that the attorney’s conduct has brought shame on this board. And I did state that I think that by the time all of this is said and done, it will be very surprising if you do not escape consequences for those things. That is well within my duties and my responsibilities for the oversight of one of the two full time employees that we have as commissioners.”
“The verbiage is changed a little bit. When I said she states here knows that I have the votes to retain remain my position what I actually said was, you know, you obviously, you are very safe in your position because the displeasure that I have with the attorney for her actions is not something that is mutually agreed upon by this board.”
“Certainly Madam Attorney nothing that I said, was intended to be a threat. Nothing that I was intended to be anything other than my oversight of your job, which is my duty.” Underhill continued. “Certainly there was nothing about bashing a reputation and there was nothing about bashing your reputation. Until the day I resigned, obviously you and I are going to disagree about that. But you know, that is simply the facts as I know them today.”
“I just want to say as another one of Madam Counsel’s employers, the quotes attributed to the colleague are very concerning. I mean, it’s a very concerning…any of us would talk that way to any of our employees. So that’s concerning,” Commissioner Steven Barry said.
“Madam Attorney, not one of us individually has the right to treat you that way,” Commissioner Jeff Bergosh said. “If it was me, if it was any one of us in particular that said anything like that to you, I would simply say…you should have showed that individual the door. This board is your employer and not individual members of the board. If Doug said this to you, he’s way out of bounds by doing it.”
“Doug, I mean, are you saying you didn’t threaten to wreck her reputation until she resigned? Is that what you are saying here?”
“I’m absolutely saying that. Yes, commissioner,” Underhill replied.
Bergosh replied, “you’re saying she put this in writing and lied?”
“Yes, commissioner, that’s what I’m saying” Underhill replied.
“I don’t believe you. I don’t believe you,” Bergosh responded. “I believe her. ”
“You don’t have the right to say anything to her. This board is her boss, not you. You don’t have that right,” Bergosh said. “It’s so upsetting me along with a lot of other crap I’m seeing online from you, I think it’s about time this board took some action. You run us down constantly. Your help from the office runs us down constantly. You are a source of consternation on this board that is unnecessary. And I’m just about fed up with it.”
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Northview Chiefs Beat Lighthouse Academy (With Photo Gallery)
September 3, 2021
The Northview Chiefs won their home opener 43-28 over Lighthouse Private Christian Academy Thursday night in Bratt.
The Chiefs headed into the game with just two days to practice. Hurricane Ida canceled school practices on Monday, leaving just Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for the Thursday night game.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
With Lighthouse up 12-9, Northview’s Travis Nelson picked off a Lighthouse pass to put Chiefs within range. Jamarkus Jefferson was in from 6 yards out to put the Chief back on top 16-12.
On the next possession, Kaden Odom as defensive back picked off another Lighthouse pass. As quarterback, Odom then found Luke Bridges to give the Chiefs a 22-12 advantage.
With a few ticks of the clock to go in the half, Wyatt Scruggs returned a kick 90 yards to give Northview the lead 29-28 headed into the half.
A long Odom run increased Northview’s lead to 36-28 in the third, and Jefferson sealed the win in the fourth with another TD.
The Chiefs were coming off a 38-14 loss to Flomaton last week. Northview’s Jamarkus Jefferson had first half touchdowns of 17 and 3 yards in the first half before the Hurricanes scores 32 unanswered points in the second half. Lighthouse season opened with the Chiefs.
Northview (1-1) hits Pensacola Bay Bridge on September 10 to take on Gulf Breeze.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here. (Look for a photo gallery with the band and cheerleaders to be published over the weekend.)
NorthEscambia.com photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
