BOCC Approves Daytime Paid Crew For Beulah Fire Station
March 26, 2021
The Escambia County Commission on Thursday approved a plan to add paid firefighters in Beulah to supplement the volunteer firehouse.
An Escambia Fire Rescue analysis, completed at District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh’s request, estimates the bottom line cost at about $220,000 per year for a three-person fire company in Beulah for nine hours a day, Monday through Friday. The crew would consist of one lieutenant and two firefighters, one of which would be a paramedic to provide Advanced Life Support on medical emergencies.
He said that even with the paid daytime crew, volunteer firefighters would reman a crucial part of the fire service in Beulah. He said that he expects the volunteers ranks to grow at Station 2.
“I look forward to that station being the model of a volunteer firehouse working together, integrated with the support of some paid firefighters to provide the citizens everything that they need,” Bergosh said.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue is staffed much like the new plan for Beulah. Century has a paid firefighter crew on duty from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Volunteers provide coverage nights and weekends.
Large Boat Blocks I-10 For Hours After Escambia Man Loses Control Of Trailer
March 26, 2021
A large boat that was being hauled by an Escambia County man near Crestview blocked I-10 for hours Thursday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 64-year old man was hauling a 38-foot boat with a pickup truck and trailer. As he traveled westbound across the Highway 85 overpass, the boat trailer started swaying violently from side to side. The right side of the boat trailer collided with the guardrail on the west side of the overpass. The resulting collision cause the boat to break loose from the trailer and overturn several times.
The boat came to rest across both westbound lane of I-10.
There were no injuries.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Rotary Donates 1,500 Books To Tate High School Students
March 26, 2021
The Cantonment Rotary Club, in partnership with Dickerson Literacy Initiatives, donated over 1,500 hardback books from Gregory Zuckerman’s Rising Above series students at Tate High School
The series includes motivational stories from some of today’s most successful athletes including Simone Biles, Venus and Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Tim Howard and others.
“Their powerful stories were captured to inspire students to work hard to overcome any obstacles life throws at them and to ‘rise above’ those challenges to be successful adults. Each of our 9th and 10th grade students will receive a free copy of the book and have an opportunity to view a presentation by the author in which he discusses his relationship with these athletes and what motivated him to write the series,” said Tate High School innovation specialist Stefany Tompkins.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
GCA & NRYO Livestock Show Is Friday And Saturday In Molino
March 26, 2021
The 2021 Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization will take place Friday and Saturday in Molino.
Two Tate High School seniors, Jessica Conti (pictured top) and Hannah Thorne (pictured below), have participated in the show for the past 10 years.
Between them they have shown in every category — rabbits, chickens, goats, lambs, pigs, heifers, and steers. Both dedicated Escambia County 4-H members say they have grown substantially from their projects. Both Jessica and Hannah have won the GCA & NRYO Spirit Award and Jessica also won the Bobby Gindl Hog Scholarship.
They have both raised grand champion hogs. Jessica has also raised a grand champion steer and was awarded Steer of the Year for 2019.
Hannah plans to attend Pensacola State College PSC to earn an AA in Agriculture Science and transfer to the University of Florida to pursue a degree in Agriculture Educational and Communication with a minor in Extension Educational and Livestock. Jessica plans to Mississippi State University to earn a degree in Agriculture Communications.
This year’s show will be following very strict guidelines — mandatory masks, the number of in-person spectators may be limited, multiple hand washing and sanitizing stations will be available, and social distancing will be observed. Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs; bleachers will not be available. The in-person event will be held at the Escambia County 4-H property on South Highway 99 near Chalker Road in Molino.
The events will also be live streamed on Facebook.
United Adding Flights From Pensacola To Cleveland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh
March 26, 2021
United Airlines will offer expanded service to Pensacola with four new nonstop destinations beginning in May — Cleveland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.
The added service will begin May 27, 2021 and continues through September 2021. Flights will be operated by the CRJ-550 – the world’s first 50-seater aircraft with two cabins. The CRJ-550 is equipped with 10 first class seats, 20 economy plus seats, and 20 standard economy seat.
“It is wonderful to see United Airlines expanding their service here at PNS with these four new destinations,” Pensacola International Airport Director Matt Coughlin said. “With this expansion, the Midwest now has additional nonstop service to the Gulf Coast, opening amazing opportunities for our community and continuing to strengthen our foothold in the nation’s marketplace.”
With this announcement, by June 2021, Pensacola International Airport will offer nonstop service to 28 destinations through eight airlines. United Airlines currently provides nonstop flights to Denver, Dulles, Houston and Chicago.
FHP Arrests Woman For Shooting At Trooper Tuesday
March 25, 2021
A woman has been arrested for allegedly shooting at a Florida Highway Patrol trooper Tuesday evening.
Sonya M. Womble, age 43 of Chemstrand Road, has been charged with felony aggravated assault on an officer, felony possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon, felony criminal mischief with property damage, felony armed trespassing of a conveyance or structure, and misdemeanor use of a firearm while under the influence.
The incident began to unfold about 6 p.m. as a FHP trooper was conducting a traffic crash investigation in the area of Chemstrand Road and Ten Mile Road. A partially clothed woman approached the trooper and “voiced her concern of overdosing on drugs”, according to FHP Lt. Jason King.
The trooper called for Escambia County EMS to evaluate Womble as she began to walk across the roadway, around a corner and out of sight.
As the trooper approached what appeared to be an unoccupied silver Chevrolet truck, the female subject sat up and presented a rifle, pointing it in the direction of the trooper,” King said. “An exchange of gunfire began as two more troopers and two Escambia County deputies arrived on scene.”
“At least one other trooper became engaged in the gunfire,” King added. There were no injuries.
“We are thankful for the assistance at the scene from Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County EMS,” King said. “we are also grateful that no one was injured during the incident.”
Womble was taken into custody and transported to Baptist Hospital for evaluation.
After an initial criminal investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence arrested Womble. She was booked into the Escambia County Jail Thursday with bond set at $160,000.
Pictured: The scene at Chemstrand Road and 10 Mile Road shortly after a woman reportedly fired a weapon at law enforcement. Photos by Latino Media Gulf Coast and others for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
SWAT Team Standoff Suspect Is Gunman In Shootout With Bikers At Nine Mile Gas Station, ECSO Says
March 25, 2021
The man arrested after a SWAT team standoff Thursday afternoon is the suspect in wild shootout at a Nine Mile Road gas station Sunday afternoon.
Delanie Jamal Battle-Donso, 32, was taken into custody without incident after barricading himself in a home off 10 Mile Road Thursday afternoon.
Battle-Donso is the man last seen driving away from the Circle K at Nine Mile Road and I-10 Sunday afternoon after dozens of shots were fired between him and a group of bikers, according to ECSO Commander Andrew Hobbs.
Battle-Donso is charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor criminal mischief for the shootout. The ECSO said the gunfire erupted after some sort of altercation between the man and the group of bikers.
Dozens of shell casings were scattered across the parking lot of the Circle K on Nine Mile Road at I-10. Evidence markers numbered into the 40s marked shell casings and other evidence across about 175 feet of the parking lot. Most of the markers were next to shell casings, while others marked two $1 bills and a credit card. At least three motorcycles were reported to be damaged.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the gas station shootout, click here.
When the ECSO responded to a disturbance on Shear Street off Chippewa Way Thursday afternoon, deputies discovered Battle-Donso at the scene.
“We received a call for a disturbance,” Hobbs said. “He barricaded himself in a house. SWAT made contact with him and talked him out.”
Further details have not been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Airport Returns To Operation After Bomb Threat
March 25, 2021
The Pensacola International Airport has returned to normal operations after a bomb threat Thursday morning led to evacuations and stopped flights.
A bomb threat was called into the airport’s operations center about 8:30 a.m. The airport was evacuated and flights were held on the runway away from terminals as the threat was investigated.
Flights have since returned to normal, and an investigation is continuing by the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
DeSantis: Age 40+ Eligible For Vaccine Beginning Monday, 18+ Starting April 5
March 25, 2021
The COVID-19 vaccine will be available to those 40 plus next week and everyone over 18 a week after that.
Beginning Monday, March 29, all individuals age 40 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning the following Monday, April 5, all individuals age 18 and older will be eligible to receive the vaccine.
“We’ve now vaccinated over 70% of the roughly 4.4 million seniors living in the state,” DeSantis said in a video posted to Twitter. “We’ve also made great progress on those aged 60 to 64, and on those age 50 and older, and we’re ready to take this step.”
Cantonment Woman Held Knife To Man’s Throat, Threatened To Kill Him, ECSO Says
March 25, 2021
A Cantonment woman is facing charges after allegedly threatening to slice a man’s throat.
Margaret Carrie Evans, 54, was charged with aggravated assault, battery, and kidnapping/false imprisonment. She remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond Thursday morning.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed disturbance at a mobile home in the area of Muscogee Road and McQueen Street about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday — their third response to the home within a matter of hours. The victim told deputies that he was sleeping on the couch when Evans woke him up, grabbed him, and pulled his head back and held a kitchen knife to his throat. She accused him of being a liar and stated, “I should kill your [expletive] now,” according to an arrest report.
She then went to the front door, locked it and blocked him from leaving, the report continues. The victim fled to his bedroom, with Evans barricading the bedroom door with several objects. The victim called 911 and maintained communications with the dispatcher until deputies arrived on scene.
Evans had fled the scene, prompting a search with an ECSO K-9. She was found hiding in the woods west of the trailer and was arrested without incident.
The victim was not physically injured, but deputies noted in their report that appeared fearful and his hands were visibly shaking.
A redacted arrest report did not specify the relationship between Evans and the victim.