34 Scholarships Worth Over $100K Awarded To Pensacola Sports Senior Scholar Athletes
May 13, 2021
Each year, Pensacola Sports brings together the top senior student athletes in each sport from Escambia and Santa Rosa County schools for a scholarship recognition program. The 2021 Senior Scholar Athlete Awards event had 227 senior nominees that were introduced during the event at at Olive Baptist Church.
“This might be our best event we do,” said Pensacola Sports President Ray Palmer. “There are some tremendously smart and talented young adults growing up in our school districts and we get to meet and recognize them at this event. It is a great night for everyone involved.”
Jane “Merrill” Dickerson from Washington High School volleyball and Jordan McCants from Pensacola Catholic High School baseball, won the overall female and male scholarships, respectively. Pensacola Sports awarded these two individuals each with a $4,000 scholarship.
Other awardees were:
Dr. Alec Kessler Memorial Scholarship – named for Dr. Alec Kessler, a standout basketball player at University of Georgia and Miami Heat and later an orthopedic surgeon at the Andrews Institute before he passed away suddenly at the age of 40. This scholarship is awarded to students of good character who excels in academics and sports and involved in the community.
Riley Poggi – Pace
Tailor Ernst – Navarre
Levi Cherek – Pensacola
Timothy Burman – Navarre
Prosser Crow – Tate
University of West Florida Scholarship – Awarded to a student-athlete who is attending UWF in the coming year.
Jillian Thornton – Jay
Super Star Multi-Sport Scholarship – Awarded to two students who excelled in the classroom and in more than one sport their senior year.
Landry Cato – Jay
Chance Outten – Escambia
Additionally, Pensacola State College awarded 24 individual sport winners with a one-year renewable scholarship.
The individual sport winners are:
Baseball — Hunter Pierson, Escambia
Girls Basketball — Kinsey King, Catholic
Boys Basketball — Trenton Moye, Central
Cheerleading — Ashlyn NeSmith, Tate
Boys Cross Country — Christopher Bissell, West Florida Tech
Girls Cross Country — Mira Helms , Gulf Breeze
Football — Brennan Smith, Escambia
Girls Golf — Meredith McGhee, Northview
Boys Golf — Maxwell Page, Catholic
Girls Lacrosse — Lauren Thompson , Gulf Breeze
Boys Lacrosse — Joseph Snider, Gulf Breeze
Girls Soccer — Kendall Blackmon, Tate
Boys Soccer — Jackson Hamrick, Catholic
Softball — Kariana Williams, Escambia
Girls Swimming — Paige Connors, West Florida Tech
Boys Swimming — Jack Rowell, Pace
Girls Tennis — Adele Dorion, Pensacola
Boys Tennis — Kyle Kizilbash, Pensacola
Girls Track — De’Aundra Johnson, Pine Forest
Boys Track — Abe Pasion, West Florida Tech
Volleyball — Willow Sinkus-Blackburn, Pace
Schools in both Escambia and Santa Rosa nominate their senior athletes for each sport. A selection committee made of educators, community leaders, and Pensacola Sports board members reviews the anonymous applications and select the best person’s credentials for each sport. Those are the individual sport winners. Then they select the overall male and female winners from the individual sport winners.
Nearly 1,000 Molino Gulf Power Customers Left Without Power After Truck Snags Lines
May 12, 2021
A truck with an oversized load brought down power lines Wednesday afternoon in Molino, initially leaving nearly 1,000 Gulf Power customers without power. Hundreds remained in the dark for several hours, and cable tv and internet service remained out into Thursday morning.
An oversized equipment load snagged a line and snapped poles. That left power lines, transformers, cable lines, and even street signs on the ground and in the roadway in the area of Molino Road and Settles Road. The truck driver stopped a short distance away; we are told he was not ticketed because the line he hit was hanging too low.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded until Gulf Power arrived on scene.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Fuel Terminal Operating Again, Gas Supply Expected To Continue To Improve
May 12, 2021
Fuel trucks are once again rolling out of the TransMontaigne terminal in Pensacola to area gas stations.
The terminal receives fuel from barges that travel the Gulf of Mexico, and then the fuel is transferred to trucks for delivery across the area. Fuel for Escambia County is not transported by by the Colonial Pipeline that suffered a cyber attack.
It was temporarily closed because it did not have summer blend gasoline on hand by May 1 as required by federal regulations. Late Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a temporary waiver through June 1, allowing the winter blend fuel stockpile to be delivered.
“The EPA has not shut down TransMontaigne’s fuel operations in Pensacola. Except for retailers and wholesale purchaser-consumers, all parties in the gasoline distribution chain throughout the United States must meet low volatility standards on May 1. The federal low volatility standards have been in place for decades and begin on May 1 each year. The TransMontaigne terminal in Pensacola, Florida contacted EPA the evening of April 30 to inform EPA that they would be shutting down their operation at midnight since they did not have gasoline meeting the federal low volatility standard. The EPA understands that the terminal is still exploring options to sell compliant gasoline. Retailers and wholesale purchaser-consumers must meet the low volatility standards on June 1,” the EPA said in a statement to our news partners at NewsRadio 92.3/AM 1620.
The summer blend fuel requirements have been in effect since 1989.
Early Wednesday morning, interim Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said many stations in the area are quickly being resupplied with fuel.
Late Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard as needed due to fuel supply issues. The situation was worsened by panic buying.
Pictured: Drivers line up for gas Monday at the Speed Mart on Highway 29 at Tate School Road (above), the Circle K at Highway and East Kingsfield Road (below), and Murphy Oil at the Ensley Walmart (bottom). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lightning Strikes McDavid Home
May 12, 2021
A house in McDavid was reportedly struck by lightning Wednesday morning.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the home in the 800 block of North Century Boulevard, less than a mile from the McDavid Fire Station, shortly before 6 a.m.
The resident reported a lightning strike and smoke in the home. Firefighters located a burned plug behind the stove; there was no other fire reported. There were no injuries.
According to an advisory from the National Weather Service, strong storms were in the area at the time with frequent cloud to ground lighting.
The McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department and Escambia County EMS were dispatched to the call.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Declares State Of Emergency Over Gasoline Supply Problems
May 12, 2021
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard as needed due to the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline.
“The disruption of Colonial Pipeline operations poses a significant and immediate threat to the continued delivery of such fuel products to the State of Florida,” the governor said in his executive order.
The pipeline does not supply gasoline to Florida, but the outage prompted panic buying across north Florida, including the Escambia County area. The gas situation was worsened locally by the closure of the fuel terminal in Pensacola.
The order loosens size and weight restrictions on trucks hauling fuel in Florida, and it also activates the state’s price gouging hotline at 1-866-NO-SCAM (866-966-7226).
Escambia County Asks Residents Not To Call 911 Unless It’s A True Emergency
May 12, 2021
Escambia County doesn’t want residents to call 911 unless it’s real emergency.
According to the county, nonemergency calls to 911 overloads the 911 system and uses ambulance resources.
According to Escambia County, an emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police, fire department or ambulance, including:
- A fire
- A crime, especially if in progress
- A car crash, especially if someone is injured
- A medical emergency, such as someone who is unconscious, gasping for air or not breathing, experiencing an allergic reaction, having chest pain, having uncontrollable bleeding, or any other symptoms that require immediate medical attention
The county also says that if you are not sure if it is a true emergency, they recommend calling 911 and let them determine if you need emergency help.
“Calling 9-1-1 in an emergency can save lives and bring immediate help by first responders,” said interim Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. “Knowing how and when to make a 9-1-1 call can make all the difference in a critical situation. It’s important that first responders are being used for true emergencies.”
Escambia County said do not call 9-1-1 for nonemergent situations such as:
- Requests for Information: Calls for information, such as directory assistance, driving directions or road closures, should not be made to 911. Call 311 or visit the county website.
- Information about COVID-19: If you have come in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus or have symptoms such as fever or cough, call your health care provider, not 911.
- Non-life threatening medical situations: Minor injuries or medical conditions that do not require immediate medical care do not warrant a 911 call. If you or someone you know has mild food poisoning, a slight fever, nausea, or a minor cut, consider calling a physician or going to urgent care
Northview Baseball, Jay Softball Regional Games Postponed Again To Thursday
May 12, 2021
Both the Northview Chiefs baseball and Jay Lady Royals softball regional games in Bonifay were rained out Tuesday night. They were tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday night, but the games have now been moved to Thursday at 7 p.m.
Here’s another look at background information we first published on Tuesday:
Tickets will be sold at the gate for $7 (per game). We are told that there will not be a capacity limit. [Google map ...]
BASEBALL
The Northview High School baseball team will be at Holmes County in the Region 1-1A finals at 7 p.m. The Holmes County Blue Devils are 19-8, and the Chiefs are 17-6. Northview is averaging nine points per game, while Holmes County is averaging 6.9 points.
The teams did not meet during the regular season.
SOFTBALL
The Jay High School softball team will be at Holmes County in the Region 1-1A finals at 7 p.m. The Holmes County Blue Devils are 16-9, the Lady Royals are 22-5. Jay is averaging nine points per game, whiles Holmes County is averaging about 6.5 points.
The teams met once during the regular season. On March 5, Jay beat Holmes County 7-2.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs (NorthEsambia.com photos) and the Jay Lady Royals (courtesy photo).
Cantonment Improvement Committee Continues Weekly Food Distributions
May 12, 2021
The Cantonment Improvement Committee is continuing their weekly Tuesday food giveaways, providing a helping hand to those in need.
And despite the rain, Tuesday was no different with a food distribution in cooperation with Manna Food Pantries.
The Cantonment community rallied together to help local kids after the start of the pandemic. In March 2020, the Cantonment Improvement Committee (CIC) and countless volunteers began to collect prepackaged food donations from the community, local churches and groups including Ascend Cares and International Paper.
Since May 2020, Manna has shared more than 125,000 pounds of food, the equivalent of over 135,000 meals, with CIC.
The CIC food distributions begin at 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Carver Park and continue while supplies last for anyone in need of food. Participants are asked to line up on Webb Street facing north, and the food is loaded into vehicles. The event takes place rain or shine.
Pictured: Tuesday’s Cantonment Improvement Committee food distribution at Carver Park in Cantonment. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall 6-1 As Baseball Returns To Pensacola
May 12, 2021
Once all the afternoon rain stopped, the skies parted into a postcard sunset. And people filled the seats.
The only missing element was a Blue Wahoos win, after the Birmingham Barons jumped to a big lead in the first three innings en route to a 6-1 victory in the Wahoos long-awaited, home opener Tuesday night.
While the game didn’t evolve to the fans’ desire, the festive atmosphere became the overriding element.
After a 20-month, 600-plus days absence, Pensacola’s team ushered baseball entertainment and new affiliation with the Miami Marlins back into people’s hearts. The result was a good time among the crowd of 3,669 at Blue Wahoos Stadium
Wahoos Life was back. That mattered.
“The atmosphere was great from start to finish,” said Blue Wahoos manager Kevin Randel, who previously managed against Pensacola while with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
“(Fans) were out there, they didn’t miss a beat. I’m sure they were excited to get back out to the stadium and watch some baseball. It was a fun atmosphere. I just wish we could have played a little better for ‘em and had something for (fans) to cheer about, but it was one of those games.”
On the field, the second pro start for Blue Wahoos acclaimed pitcher Max Meyer did not go as well as the first.
After a clean first inning, it got difficult for Meyer, the No. 3 overall player chosen by the Marlins in the 2020 draft. Meyer worked only four innings, giving up eight hits, including a two-run homer by clean-up hitter by cleanup hitter Micker Aldofo in the Barons’ 4-run, third inning.
“He didn’t have great stuff out there (Tuesday), Randel said. “He battled out there, he competed well. His weapon, his slider, was unable to get going. (Barons) did a great job game-planning against him. I think their approach was to just let (slider) go and they were sitting on fastball.
“We are going to get back with him. He’s got some work to do in between starts. We’re going work on some fastball command get that slider in for strikes.”
It was one of five extra-base hits the Barons (6-1) produced against Meyer. The other four were doubles.
In all, he yielded five runs, all earned, two walks, two strikeouts on 71 pitches. It was a contrast to his dominating performance a week ago in the season-opener at Mississippi , where he tossed a 1-hitter against the M-Braves and didn’t yield a run in winning his debut.
But the night still began in a special way.
Without being unable to have traditional first-pitches, the Blue Wahoos (4-3) started a new one: “First Fishes.”
Led by popular WKRG-TV sports personality Robby Baker, who is moving to a new TV job in his home state of Arizona, actual fish were tossed into a waiting net held by Blue Wahoos mascot, Kazoo.
Then, after some microphone issues on the National Anthem, the crowd came to the rescue and sang the words in unison to rescue the moment. The singer and the players both reacted in a good way.
On the field, the second pro start for Blue Wahoos acclaimed pitcher Max Meyer did not go as well as the first.
After a clean first inning, it got difficult for Meyer, the No. 3 overall player chosen by the Marlins in the 2020 draft. Meyer worked only four innings, giving up eight hits, including a two-run homer by clean-up hitter by cleanup hitter Micker Aldofo in the Barons’ 4-run, third inning.
“He didn’t have great stuff out there (Tuesday), Randel said. “He battled out there, he competed well. His weapon, his slider, was unable to get going. (Barons) did a great job game-planning against him. I think their approach was to just let (slider) go and they were sitting on fastball.
“We are going to get back with him. He’s got some work to do in between starts. We’re going work on some fastball command get that slider in for strikes.”
It was one of five extra-base hits the Barons (6-1) produced against Meyer. The other four were doubles.
In all, he yielded five runs, all earned, two walks, two strikeouts on 71 pitches. It was a contrast to his dominating performance a week ago in the season-opener at Mississippi , where he tossed a 1-hitter against the M-Braves and didn’t yield a run in winning his debut.
The Blue Wahoos had their best chance for a big inning in the third inning. They loaded the bases with none out on a trio of singles by Lazaro Alonso, Riley Mahan and Connor Justus.
Birmingham starter Blake Battenfield then got Victor Victor Mesa to hit into double-play that scored the Blue Wahoos lone run of the game. Battenfield then retired JJ Bleday with a ground out to end the inning.
Birmingham racked up 11 hits in the game, but only three off a trio of Blue Wahoos relievers. Blue Wahoos shortstop Demetrius went 2-for-4, leading the way among the team’s five hits.
With so much uncertainty on how in-game activities would evolve, the Blue Wahoos were able to generate some of their most popular contests, including the beloved “Roach Run” after the fifth inning in the outfield. They ran the Military Mascot Races on the concourse after the sixth inning.
The Blue Wahoos also became a pregame site for coronavirus vaccines. Nurses from the Department of Health administered the Johnson & Johnson dose to a group of people in the Cox Clubhouse area on the concourse. Vaccinations will also be available on Saturday and Sunday before the final two games of this full-week series.
The homestand will continue Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. against the Barons.
The Blue Wahoos will play Thursday and Friday games at 6:35 p.m. as well, then have their first Fireworks Saturday game at 6:05 p.m. before closing the 6-game series on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
By Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos Senior Writer
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate, PHS Students Named National Merit $2,500 Scholarship Winners
May 12, 2021
Students from Tate and Pensacola high school have been named National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners.
Michael R. Dixon from Tate High School, and George T. Prettyman, Amy Anqi Zhang and MaxAnthony D. Mateer from Pensacola High School were local scholarship recipients.
The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of some 16,000 outstanding finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. The finalists in each state are judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.