A Brush With Kindness: Pensacola Habitat, Church Paint Cantonment Homes
November 18, 2019
Volunteers from Habitat from Pensacola Habitat for Humanity and the Life Changing Experience Worship Center took part in A Brush With Kindness project this past weekend to paint two houses in the Carver Park area of Cantonment.
Volunteers from the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition also volunteered with Habitat to frame new construction Beland Road, just off Chemstrand Road.
For more information on how to volunteer with Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, visit pensacolahabitat.org or call (850) 434-5456 .
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two houses in the Carver Park community were painted over the weekend through the Brush with Kindness program.
Pensacola Habitat for Humanity
Woman Charged With DUI After Crashing Into FHP Patrol Vehicle
November 18, 2019
An Escambia County woman was charged with driving under the influence after hitting a Florida Highway Patrol patrol vehicle on I-110 Saturday night.
The FHP trooper was blocking an outside lane of the interstate with traffic cones and his Dodge Charger with emergency lights activated at 10:50 p.m.
Stacy M. Paros, 45, failed to move over veered into the lane, striking a traffic cone and the left front of the patrol vehicle, according to a FHP report. She was charged with a DUI and a violation of the move over law. She was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $500 bond.
There were no injuries in the crash.
This was the second crash involving a FHP trooper in which a driver was charged with DUI during the weekend in Escambia County. For details on the first crash, click here.
Florida Gas Prices Drift Downward Over The Past Week
November 18, 2019
Florida gas prices drifted down a few cents over the last week, according to AAA.
The average price per gallon across the state was $2.37, down three cents from a week ago.
In Escambia County, the average price was $2.36. Sunday night, one Cantonment station was at $2.28.
“On average, Florida drivers are now paying the lowest price for gasoline since February,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Strong gains in fuel supplies and flat crude prices are contributing to the downturn in prices at the pump. Drivers are now paying 43 cents per gallon less than this year’s highest daily price – set back in April. Thanksgiving Day gas prices are poised to be the lowest for the holiday in three years, so long as the state average remains below $2.45 per gallon.”
Where To Expect Road Construction Delays This Week
November 18, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities. In observance of Thanksgiving holidays, there will be no lane closures on state roads from 7 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1. These lane closure restrictions include both construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- State Road (S.R.) 10/U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) Widening from S.R. 297 (Pine Forest Road) to U.S. 29 – Ashland Avenue will be closed at the intersection of Nine Mile Road through Wednesday, Nov. 20. The closure will enable crews to place drainage pipes across the roadway Traffic will be detoured to Stefani and 9 1/2 Mile roads.
- U.S. 29 Resurfacing from south of Muscogee Road (County Road/C.R. 184) to Atmore Highway (S.R. 97) – Northbound motorists may encounter nighttime lane closures on U.S. 29 as crews continue paving operations. Also, both northbound and southbound traffic may encounter intermittent daytime lane restrictions as crews perform median work. Motorists are reminded to watch for crews and heavy equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A)– Drivers will experience the following impacts to traffic the week of Sunday, Nov. 17.
o Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating east and westbound lane shifts as crews construct the new southbound bridge.
o U.S. 29 traffic between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
- U.S. 98 (Pensacola Bay Bridge) Replacement- Bridge construction may require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the week of Sunday, Nov. 17.
- Intermittent lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000 feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- · I-110 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Brent Lane- There will be intermittent and alternating northbound lane restrictions over Brent Lane from 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18 to 4 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19 as crews perform bridge joint repairs.
- · S.R. 298 (Lillian Highway) Shoulder Widening between Blue Angel Highway and Fairfield Drive- Lillian Highway will be closed between Blue Angel Highway and Fairfield Drive from 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19 as crews widen the existing shoulder.
- · I-110 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Texar Drive- There will be intermittent and alternating northbound lane restrictions over Texar Drive from 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19 to 4 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 as crews perform bridge joint repairs.
- · C.R. 168 Bridge Replacement over Unnamed Branch in Northwest Century- All piles have been driven and pile caps poured for the new bridge. Crews are currently working on placing rebar reinforcement for the bridge deck in preparation of pouring the deck slab. Traffic will remain shifted on the temporary diversion until construction of the new bridge has been completed.
- · Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek- Construction activities continue. The roadway is temporarily closed. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, are detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road. The project is anticipated to be complete late 2019.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Safety Improvement from Villa Woods Circle to Ortega Park Drive- Construction activities continue near Villa Woods. Motorists may encounter lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
- U.S. 98 (Pensacola Bay Bridge) Replacement- Bridge construction may require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the week of Sunday, Nov. 17.
o Intermittent lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000 feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
o Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- · S.R. 4 Resurfacing and Drainage Improvements from the Escambia River Bridge to C.R. 87A (Market Road) in Jay- Motorists may encounter daytime lane restrictions near Jay as utility crews perform operations in the area.
- S.R. 87 Bridge Rehabilitation and Repair Over Yellow River- Motorists may encounter southbound intermittent lane closures as crews begin expansion joint work. Vessel traffic will be maintained along the Yellow River during construction. There will be signage and buoy-type channelization devices directing boaters through the work zone.
- S.R. 87 Turn lane and Median Modifications at South Lynn Road- Northbound left turn lane and median modifications work begins week of Monday, Nov. 18. Operations will begin in the median area of the roadway. Motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane closures.
- S.R. 87 Pavement Markings Replacement- Traffic will encounter alternating and intermittent minor delays between Nicholas Lake Road and Vonnie Tolbert Road from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday until Tuesday, Dec. 31 as crews remove and replace pavement markings in the roadway. Law enforcement will be on site to direct traffic.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Escambia County Meetings This Week
November 18, 2019
Monday, November 18
Executive Session – 8 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Board of County Commissioners Public Forum – 8:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
BCC Regular Meeting – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers (Agenda)
Executive Session – 10:30 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Tuesday, November 19
Board of Electrical Examiners – 9 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Health Facilities Authority – 4 p.m., 1019 N. 12th Ave.
Wednesday, November 20
Board of Adjustment – 8:30 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Visit Pensacola Board of Directors Meeting – 3 p.m., 1144 Airport Blvd.
Santa Rosa Island Authority Committee Meeting – 5 p.m., 1 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach
Thursday, November 21
Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District – 9 a.m., 151 Highway 97, Molino
Friday, November 22
Value Adjustment Board Hearings – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
Escambia County Widening, Paving Haupert Lane In Molino
November 17, 2019
Escambia County is widening and paving Haupert Lane in Molino. It’s part of the county’s ongoing dirt road paving projects.
Haupert Lane is about a half mile long, running west off South Highway 99 north of Molino Road.
Pictured: Work on Haupert Lane in Molino earlier this month. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Driver Charged With DUI After Striking FHP Trooper’s Vehicle
November 17, 2019
A Gulf Breeze man was charged with driving under the influence Saturday after crashing into a Florida Highway Patrol trooper in Escambia County.
The FHP said Trooper Chad Lynch was attempting a traffic stop with his emergency lights activated on Beverly Parkway when a Ford Explorer driven by 18-year old John McCleod III struck the left side of the patrol car.
McLeod was subsequently charged with DUI, possession of narcotics and failure to maintain a single lane.
There were no injuries in the crash.
Tate’s Ryleigh Cawby Signs With Southern Miss Softball
November 17, 2019
Tate High School softball senior Ryleigh Cawby signed with Southern Miss softball Friday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Volleyball Presents Awards During Annual Banquet
November 17, 2019
The Northview Chiefs Volleyball team held their annual banquet recently.
The following varsity awards were presented:
Best Defensive Player: Heather Knowles
Best Offensive Player: Karelis Morales
Best Server: Payton Gilchrist
Most Improved Player: Hailie Anderson
Most Valuable Player: Nevaeh Brown
Coach’s Award: Teriana Redmond and Payton Jackson
Receiving varsity letters were: Mia Starns, Abigail Levins, Taylor Levins, Makayla Ramsey, Cassie Davis and Abigail Mascaro.
The following junior varsity awards were presented:
Best Defensive: Mia Starns
Best Offensive: Abigail Levins
Most Improved: McKenna Simmons
Best Server: Taylor Levins
Most Valuable Player: Taylor Levins
Coach’s Award: Mia Starns
Pictured top and first three photos below: Northview varsity volleyball. Pictured bottom two photos: Northview junior varsity. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Ends 8-Win Regular Season 48-37 Over UWA
November 17, 2019
They honored a senior class before kickoff Saturday which had guided the University of West Florida football team from infancy to national relevance.
And then, redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Reed produced an unforgettable performance to ensure a fitting sendoff and post-season, playoff berth.
Reed’s brilliance included completing his first seven passes, then throwing for 443 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, as the Argos won a 48-37 shootout against West Alabama at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“It’s just such a good group of seniors and they have all been such leaders since the moment I stepped on campus,” said Reed, who remembered his previous career high passing was 375 yards at St. Augustine High. “To have those seniors and be able to step up, it’s just blessing.
“I can’t say anything, but thank God. It’s just a blessing, 100 percent.”
On this crystal-clear afternoon, amid a crowd of 5,619 which will put UWF again among the top tier in NCAA Division II attendance, Reed’s performance was also essential.
It assured the Argos (8-2) will advance into the NCAA Division II playoffs for the second time in the program’s four-year history, another first-time feat in NCAA history. The Argos reached the national title game in 2017, completing a breakthrough where no prior college football program at any level had gone from start-up to title game in two years.
The win was also UWF’s first regular-season win against West Alabama, one of its Gulf South Conference rivals. The Argos, however, won at West Alabama in a region championship game in 2017 en route to reaching the championship game.
UWF will learn its first-round matchup in the 2019 playoffs during a selection show on NCAA.com at 4 p.m. Sunday. The Argos won’t have a home-field edge, which goes only for the top four seeds, but they are definitely part of the 28-team field.
“No (young) program has had that opportunity,” said UWF coach Pete Shinnick. “When we built this team we had to find the right fit and right team for Pensacola. I think what we have done the last three years… and be within seven points (last week at Valdosta State) of the Gulf South Conference championship, I couldn’t be prouder of what our guys have been able to accomplish.”
UWF and West Alabama combined for 1,191 yards total offense. This included 788 passing yards and 62 first downs. West Alabama never punted. UWF punted twice.
So, that kind of track meet.
“For us, it was just fun,” Reed said. “Especially as an offense, we love to put together a game like that and really help our defense out. Really all year they have been so strong. For us to get in the one game where they needed help and go out and do it was special.”
Shinnick later joked, ”Fun for me is 50 to nothing.”
Instead, Saturday was back and forth, featuring plenty of stars.
UWF senior receiver Quentin Randolph, a Navarre High grad, led the receiver corps with 171 yards and three touchdowns. His 50-yard TD catch with 12:26 remaining broke a tie and put UWF ahead 41-34.
Running back Anthony Johnson, a Pace High graduate, then finished a game-sealing, eight-play, 75-yard drive with his nine-yard touchdown with 1:24 remaining. Johnson finished with a team-high 13 carries for 44 yards.
Randolph produced the second-best receiving performance in UWF’s four-year history.
“It’s probably the best football game I have had in my 18 years playing football. It was phenomenal,” Randolph said. “On senior night and magnitude like this on win or go home. This game meant a lot to me.
“After how we performed last week at Valdosta, it was pretty awesome to see us explode like this. I think this is the only game the defense hasn’t carried us. To be able to flip the script was pretty awesome.”
While the defense did surrender its most points all season, the Argos twice stopped West Alabama inside the 10 to force field goals and UWF defensive tackle Daryl Wilson recovered a third-quarter fumble at the 1 to thwart a touchdown.
Wilson finished with four tackles. Teammate and linebacker Chanler Ferguson, who forced that fumble, led UWF’s defense with 10 tackles.
“We always practice red zone (defense). We had to bow our neck and give everything we got,” Wilson said. “You want to make a big play out there. Offense had it done for us. We knew they were going to put up points and we just had to get a couple stops.”
Randolph was among seven UWF players with two or more catches. Tate Lehtio, a senior and UWF’s leading receiver had five catches for 62 yards. He was vital on several conversion down catches and on UWF’s first possession of the game, which ended with Randolph’s 27-yard touchdown.
Lehtio said the game’s back-and-forth flow helped the offense bear down.
“I think it’s good pressure to have actually,” he said. “You are sitting there and you are not complacent. I think that pressure helped us to succeed on offense.
“We have been in a playoff mode these last couple weeks.”
Lehtio was part of a group of seniors who took leaps of faith to attend UWF when football had no history.
“The vision is coming true,” he said. “We always talked about what it could be and what it had potential to do. To see it happen is just incredible.”
In addition to Randolph’s three touchdowns, receivers Kenneth Channelle and Rodney Coates each had a score, and offensive tackle Samuel Antoine fell on a fumble in the end zone, after a Reed run, for the Argos second touchdown.
It was part of a day where everything Reed did turned out well.
“It’s kind of like euphoria you kind of get into,” he said. “You’re feeling everything. You know what the defense is doing, how your receivers are getting open. I get into this zone. The minute I see it, it clicks.”
When asked where Reed’s performance ranked with him, Randolph said. “Don’t tell him I said this… but number one. Nineteen years old and a redshirt freshman…. for him to have the game he had. I am really proud of that kid.”