Greater Pensacola Chamber Honors Community Excellence At 61st Annual PACE Awards
March 4, 2021
The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce held its annual Pensacola Area Commitment to Excellence (PACE) Awards Wednesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The following winners were announced:
Spirit of Pensacola: Dave and Mary Hoxeng, Cat Country 98.7, NewsRadio 92.3, ESPN-94.5, WEBY-99.1
Advocate Leader: Brian Wyer, CEO, Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce
Leader in Education: Shannon Nickinson, Director of Early Learning, Studer Community Institute
Professional Leader: Dr. David Josephs, Clinic Director, Lakeview Center
Business Leader: Norris Ayvazian, Operations Manager, Peaden Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical
Community Leader: Lisa Lyter, Creative Strategist, Red Iron Design House
Emerging Leader: D.C. Reeves, Co-Founder/CEO, Perfect Plain Brewery
“My congratulations go to this year’s PACE Award honorees,” stated Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce President Todd Thomson. “After such a trying year, it is wonderful to come together and celebrate our community’s excellence.”
Pictured: Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Pensacola Area Commitment to Excellence (PACE) Awards winners. Photo Cat Country 98.7 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Baptist Has COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments Available In Pensacola And Jay
March 4, 2021
Baptist Health Care has vaccine appointments available in the communities of Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Jay, Florida while supplies last. Vaccinations will be given by appointment only to those who meet Florida eligibility criteria. Evening and weekend appointments have been added to accommodate work schedules, including those of school employees. Time and location will be provided once the appointment is confirmed.
COVID-19 vaccinations are currently designated for Florida residents who are one of the following:
- Age 65 or over
- Health care worker
- K-12 school employee 50 years of age and older
- Sworn law enforcement officer 50 years of age and older
- Firefighter 50 years of age and older
People who are in one of the allowable workforce groups must present an ID badge or proof of employment at the appointment.
How to Make a Vaccination Appointment
Appointments can be made one of three ways:
- Visit EasySchedule.com. Click “procedure appointment” and complete the registration.
- Email name and contact information to BHCVaccine@bhcpns.org.
- Those without email/internet access can call 850.908.SHOT (7468), Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tate Beats Fort Walton Beach; Escambia Tops Northview
March 4, 2021
Tate 15, Fort Walton Beach 1
With an explosive 10-run fifth inning, the Tate Aggies beat Fort Walton Beach 15-1 Wednesday night.
Jordan Jarman gave up one run on three hits in three innings while striking out two on the mound for Tate. Tucker Griffin and Joseph Pusateri closed out the game in relief.
Jadon Fryman, Frankie Randall, Drew Reaves and Jackson Penton had multiple hits for the Aggies. Fryman went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Tate.
Escambia 7, Northview 5
The Escambia Gators defeated the Northview Chiefs 7-5 Wednesday night in Pensacola.
The Chiefs tied it up at three in the top of the third when an error scored three runs for Northview, but Escambia took the lead for good with a run in the fourth.
Northview’s Clay Allen allowed four hit and four runs over five innings. Kaden Odom and Jamarkus took the mound in relief.
Odom, Bryce Korinchak, and Aron Chavira had one hit each for the Chiefs.
Pictured: The Tate Aggies beat Fort Walton 15-1 Wednesday night. Photos by Laura Glodfelter for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
The Book Fair Is Back At Molino Park Elementary School, And There’s A New Way To Pay.
March 4, 2021
The Scholastic Book Fair is back this year at Molino Park Elementary School, and it’s been extended with a new way for parents to pay.
For over 30 years, those mobile cases of the Scholastic Book Fairs have offered a chance for schools to make a little money while giving students access to affordable books to read.
For cashless shopping, parents or guardians can create a payment wallet online by clicking or tapping here. The digital wallet can be used at the Molino Park book fair or online at a virtual book fair. Cash and checks are also accepted at the school. (Checks should made out to Molino Park Elementary and include a phone number.)
The book fair at Molino Park will continue through Wednesday, March 10.
“All proceeds Molino Park makes will be used for new purchases to update our school library collection,” said MPES Media Specialist Rebecca Hatch.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Holding Patient Hostage At West Florida Hospital, Fighting With Deputies
March 3, 2021
An Alabama man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly holding a patient hostage at West Florida Hospital, fighting staff and deputies and even grabbing a deputy’s gun.
Timothy Rains, 26, of Loxley, Alabama, is charged with multiple counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer or EMT, kidnapping false imprisonment, damaging property, resisting arrest with violence, and obstructing police.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was called to a hostage situation in the Behavior Unit at West Florida Hospital about 2:30 p.m.
An arrest report states Rains was initially taken to the hospital as a voluntary patient for a medical condition. He was placed in the Behavior Unit due to lack of bed space in the regular emergency room.
Security staff said Rains became verbally aggressive when asked to put on hospital clothes and provide a urine sample. He then punched a hole in the wall and pulled the door scanner off the wall.
The report states Rains entered another patient’s room, locked the door and then blocked the door — not allowing the patient to leave or hospital staff to get into the room. Hospital staff asked Rains several times to let the patient out of the room, but he refused.
According to the report, hospital staff broke a window in an attempt to get the patient out of the room. Staff tried to use an aluminum crutch to pry the door open, but Rains grabbed the crutch and began swinging it at hospital staff.
The report states Rains eventually allowed the patient to leave the room, but he kept using the crutch as a weapon against hospital staff before they finally pulled it away from him.
Multiple deputies then tried to detain Rains, but he wouldn’t comply, according to the report. Rains grabbed ahold of a deputy’s gun in his holster, but he was stopped from getting the gun as deputies pinned his hand.
A deputy used a taser on Rains, but it proved ineffective. Rains then grabbed another deputy’s taser, pointed it at the deputy’s chest and pulled the trigger multiple times, according to the arrest report.
According to the report, after more struggles, deputies were eventually able to handcuff Rains and arrest him.
Rains’ bond was set at $155,000.
Missing Kids Found Near Munson, Manhunt Underway For Their Biological Mother
March 3, 2021
Two young boys kidnapped Tuesday in Louisiana were found safe Wednesday afternoon near Munson in Santa Rosa County, but their mother remained on the run.
Kaesyn Heck, age 8, and Jax Matthews, age 4, were kidnapped by their biological mother Shawntel Heck Tuesday afternoon from their father’s home in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, according to Louisiana authorities. The children were in a 2013 Hyundai Elantra stolen from the father’s residence.
Deputies received information about a possible destination for Heck in Santa Rosa County. The two children were recovered about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at an address off Byron Cooley Road, about three miles southwest of the Munson fire station.
The suspect fled from the area and a K-9 search began, according to Sgt. Rich Aloy of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. As of about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, deputies were still searching for the suspect.
Shawntel Heck is a former resident of the Milton area, according to Santa Rosa County Jail records.
Bratt Man Pursues Suspected Burglars Driving Stolen Truck In ‘Wild’ Chase
March 3, 2021
A Bratt man pursued suspected burglars driving a stolen truck in what was described by law enforcement as a wild chase during the early morning hours Tuesday.
It all started when a pickup truck was stolen from outside a business in the 11000 block of Highway 97 in Davisville about 2:30 a.m. By 4:30 a.m., the pickup was outside a home in the area of North Highway 99 and Macks Road in Bratt. The resident heard noises and thought his barn was being burglarized. The resident went outside, got in his vehicle and chased the stolen pickup, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The Bratt man called 911 and was able to provide the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office with the license plate number and description of the stolen truck he was chasing.
“It went behind houses and through yards on McElhaney Road,” ECSO spokesperson Amber Southard told NorthEscambia.com. “The man kept following the stolen truck, and the suspects were driving wildly and attempting to elude him.”
The man told deputies that the suspects tried to hit his vehicle, and he was forced to take action avoid a collision several times.
“At one point, a suspect threw a large piece of PVC pipe out of the truck, striking the victim’s truck and damaging his side mirror,” Southard said. The man eventually lost sight of the stolen truck as it headed toward Alabama.
The Atmore Police Department later located the stolen truck and two suspects in a field in the area of Old Bratt Road and Airport Road. Atmore Police said the men were not immediately arrested, but unspecified charges are now pending. Arrest warrants for the vehicle theft are also expected to be issued in Florida.
File photo.
Design Firm Presents New OLF-8 Hybrid Concept During Virtual Town Hall (With Video)
March 3, 2021
The design firm that is working to create an master plan for the OLF-8 site in Beulah held a virtual town hall Tuesday night to present their latest mixed use concept.
On February 18, DPZ CoDesign first presented the new plan to the Escambia County Commission with a combination of commerce, residential and amenities (pictured bottom). The “Adjusted Hybrid Plan” allocates 271 acres to commerce and industrial; 61 acres to residential including duplexes, townhomes and multifamily; 47 acres to a mixed-use center such as residential over retail and office over retail; and 45 acres to trails and public amenities such as a post office, school, day care and community garden.
DPZ presented the plan to the public during the virtual meeting, allowing residents a chance to ask questions and present feedback. Participants were asked to complete a four questions survey, and those results are below. The number of people that took part in the survey was not announced with the results.
Video of the meeting is below; skip ahead to about 5:30 for the beginning of the nearly three hour town hall.
“We are optimistic this new compromise plan will have the political support to move forward into the next phase of the project,” said Marina Khoury, of DPZ CoDesign. “We value continued public engagement and community input.”
The county commission will discuss OLF-8 again at their next meeting.
Free UF/IFAS Dicamba Stewardship Training Available Online For Farmers
March 3, 2021
The University of Florida’s Pesticide Information Office has launched Florida’s virtual 2021 Dicamba Stewardship Training. The training is free, short (roughly 36 minutes), and is virtual. There is no need to physically come into an Extension office to view the training as in years past. Due to the shorter length of this year’s training, there are no pesticide CEUs are associated with it.
This training is required for all applicators who plan to apply (or want the option of applying) dicamba over the top of cotton or soybean. These crop labeled dicamba products are XtendiMax, Engenia, Tavium, and Fexapan. All applicators using these products are required to have a restricted use pesticide license (no supervision of unlicensed applicators).
For the online training and more information, click or tap here. A completion certificate can be printed online to show proof of training.
Pictured: Traditional cotton with dicamba drift injury row (right) vs healthy (left). Photo by Jay Ferrell, UF/IFAS, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Super Delta: Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds Debut New Joint Flight Formation
March 3, 2021
For the first time ever, the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels flew a F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Super Hornet flight formation known as the “Super Delta” during a joint training Tuesday afternoon over the Imperial Valley in California.
The formation grew out of a series of joint training opportunities held in 2020 and 2021, including joint training over Escambia County.
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds will virtually debut a full flight this Memorial Day weekend during the nationwide broadcast of the National Memorial Day Parade: America Stands Tall that will air on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC affiliate stations nationwide.
Photos top: SSgt Andrew Sarver, Thunderbirds. Photo below: MC2 Cody Hendrix, Blue Angels.
