Burdick Homers, Wahoos Win Again
June 23, 2021
Peyton Burdick clubbed his team-leading 10th home run of the season and Will Stewart W, 3-3) nearly turned in a quality start as the Wahoos took the series opener, 4-3 on Tuesday at Regions Field.
The fireworks began in the second inning for Pensacola, where after a leadoff walk to Riley Mahan, Burdick belted a two-out, two-run home run off Konnor Pilkington (L, 1-3) to put the Wahoos ahead.
However, the Barons had a swift response for the Wahoos. Joel Booker took Stewart deep in the bottom half of the inning to put the Barons within a run.
In the fourth, the Wahoos used small ball to get that run right back. After a walk and hit-by-pitch, the Wahoos used a pair of groundouts to score, which made it a 3-1 game.
The only remaining offense the Barons had left came from Micker Adolofo. He hit a pair of solo homers deep to center, that each time cut the Wahoo lead down to one. In the sixth he led off the inning with a solo blast off Stewart, and in the eighth he took Dylan Bice deep to cut down Pensacola’s lead to 4-3.
However in the bottom of the ninth, Colton Hock worked around a two-out single and struck out Zack Granite to end the ball game. Hock finished with a pair of strikeouts and now has a league-leading 10 saves this season.
The series continues Wednesday night when Max Meyer (3-1, 1.42) gets the start for the Wahoos while he will be opposed by Blake Battenfield (5-1, 3.76), who has already beaten the Wahoos twice this season.
by Chris Garagiola, Blue Wahoos
One Seriously Injured In Jacks Branch Road Rollover Wreck
June 22, 2021
One person was seriously injured in a wreck Tuesday morning on Jacks Branch Road.
The driver lost control, ran off the roadway and overturned on Jacks Branch Road near River Annex Road. She was airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to a Pensacola hospital after being extricated from her vehicle.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released further details. Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Annual Century/Flomaton Fireworks Show Canceled
June 22, 2021
The annual Century/Flomaton joint fireworks show has been canceled for this year.
Century Mayor Ben Boutwell said Monday night that the fireworks company was unavailable due to a scheduling conflict.
The show alternates between Century and Flomaton each year and is jointly funded. This year, it was set to be in Flomaton. In 2020, the Century/Flomaton fireworks show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pictured: The 2018 Century/Flomaton fireworks show. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Overall Crime Rate Dropped In Escambia County, But Violent Crimes Were Up In 2020
June 22, 2021
The overall crime index in Escambia County dropped 6.2% during 2020 compared to the previous year, but violent crimes were up according to new data released Monday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The total number of burglaries and larcenies decreased, but there were increases in murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults and meter vehicle thefts.
The countywide report covers crimes investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department and other agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol, University of West Florida Police Department, and Pensacola State Police Department.
The number of reported murders during the year increased in Escambia County from 27 to 32, rapes from 186 to 225, robberies from 337 to 376, aggravated assaults from 1,227 to 1,306 and motor vehicle thefts from 650 to 732. The number of burglaries decreased from 1,828 to 1,588 and larcenies dipped from 6,724 to 6,039.
In 2020, there were 27 murders in the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office’s jurisdiction and five in the city of Pensacola.
During 2020, 32.6% of crimes in Escambia County were cleared, compare to 32.5% in 2019.
Cantonment Man Charged With Battery, Felony Child Abuse
June 22, 2021
A Cantonment man is facing charges after allegedly throwing a child across a room and hitting a woman.
Jacky Ray Mills, 45, was charged felony child abuse and misdemeanor battery.
Mills became angry after the victim played a practical joke on his son. Mills pinned the child against the wall before picking him up and throwing him across the room, according to an arrest report.
The adult victim stated she slapped Mills in defending the child, prompting Mills to grab her around the neck and push her down a hallway before hitting her.
The age of the child was redacted from the report, but he was old enough to be questioned by deputies. The nature of the practical joke was not specified in the report.
Mills was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $6,500 bond.
Escambia County Unemployment Rate Decreases
June 22, 2021
The unemployment rate in Escambia County decreased last month, according to data recently released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
The unemployment rate in Escambia County was 4.7% in May, down from 4.9% in April. That represents 7,090 people out of work out of a county workforce of 151,713. One year ago, Escambia County’s unemployment rate was 11.3%, or 16,181 people.
The area’s private sector employment increased by 9,100 jobs over the year, an increase of 6.1 percent. The industries gaining the most jobs over the year were leisure and hospitality, increasing by 2,800 jobs, and professional and business services, increasing by 2,300 jobs.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in May 2021, up 0.1 percentage point from the April 2021 rate, and down 9.3 percentage points from a year ago. There were 503,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,314,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in May.
Fire Damages Home On Washington Street In Cantonment
June 21, 2021
Fire damaged a home in Cantonment early Monday morning.
The fire was reported about 5:30 a.m. on Washington Street at a home that appeared to be unoccupied or abandoned.
There were no injuries reported and no word on the cause of the fire.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park Bridge Open As Perdido River Falls; Escambia River Still Rising
June 21, 2021
The Perdido River is falling, and the Escambia River is still rising following heavy rain from Tropical Storm Claudette.
The Barrineau Park Bridge has been reopened. After reaching a crest of 14.15 feet, above flood stage of 13 feet, the Perdido River at the bridge is falling. At noon Monday, the river was at 10.58 feet.
The Escambia River at Century was at 14.89 feet at noon Monday and is expected to crest at 15.2 feet late Wednesday early other Thursday. Action stage is 12 feet; flood stage is 17 feet.
Picture above and first below: The Barrineau Park Bridge over the Perdido River Monday morning. Pictured bottom: The bridge flooded on Saturday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ascend Park Probably Won’t Open This Summer; Playground Equipment To Be Replaced
June 21, 2021
The Ascend Park in Cantonment likely won’t be open this summer, and it has nothing to do with COVID-19.
The park was closed last year due to the pandemic, and Ascend officials say it is need of extensive renovations before it reopens.
“The playground equipment at Ascend park is nearing 20 years of use. Due to safety concerns, many deteriorating wooden sections are in need of replacement,” Tony Ferguson, senior communications specialist for Ascend Performance Materials, told NorthEscambia.com.
“We value our community and want to continue to provide children a safe place to play, so a plan is underway to replace the playground with new structures made from recycled plastics for better durability. The park will be closed until this process is complete,” Ferguson said. “At this time, we do not anticipate the park will be open this summer.”
NorthEscambia.com will keep you updated.
Pictured: A portion of the Ascend Park on Old Chemstrand Road. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Florida Chamber Grades Local Legislators
June 21, 2021
The Florida Chamber of Commerce has released its official 2021 Florida Chamber Legislative Report Card, showcasing grades earned by all 160 legislators in the Florida House and Senate based on their votes during the 2021 legislative session.
Sen. Doug Broxson earned 100% “A” with all of his votes matching chamber positions.
Newcomer Rep. Michelle Salzman earned a grade of 86% for a “B,” voting in favor of a bill not supported by the chamber. HB 651 would have authorized parents of adult children to recover damages for mental pain and suffering in medical negligence suits.
Rep. Alex Andrade earned a 94% for an A, losing points because he also voted for HB 651.
Salzman lost more points than Andrade because she cast more votes favor of HB 651 as a member of committees that considered the bill before a floor vote.
“The Florida Chamber’s 2021 Legislative Report Card is an annual opportunity to recognize members of the Florida Legislature who placed making Florida more competitive through private-sector job creation above special interests and attempts to protect the status quo,” the chamber said.
“Florida’s economy won with the Florida Chamber-backed, pro-jobs policy passed during the 2021 Legislative Session,” said Florida Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Wilson. “The actions taken by Gov. DeSantis and Florida’s lawmakers will go a long way in continuing to build momentum towards creating the more than 2 million jobs necessary to take Florida from the 17th largest economy in the world to the 10th largest by 2030 and securing Florida’s future.”