Man Accused Of Stealing Items While A Deputy Was Present At Wife’s House
September 9, 2019
An Atmore man has been charged with allegedly stealing internet and security equipment from his estranged wife’s house in Davisville while an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy was present.
Tommy Dewayne Colbert, 55, was charged with felony grand theft.
A deputy responded to the 10600 block of Highway 97 to stand by while Colbert removed items from the residence after he was served an a domestic violence injunction by his wife. The deputy watched as he removed a TV, clothing and other personal items and place them in his small car, according to arrest report. The wife was not at home at the time.
Later the same day, the wife reported that Colbert took her wifi router and cloud link modem for her security system valued at a total of $520. The security company recorded that their system disconnected from the internet during the time Colbert at the deputy at the residence, the report states. The wife stated the items were not communal property because she purchased them on her own after the injunction was served.
The deputy noted on his report that he saw the router on a table, but did not actually witness Colbert take it.
A few weeks prior, Colbert was charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly pushing his wife to the ground. A judge revoked Colbert’s bond the battery case after the theft arrest, and he remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
All Traffic Now Flowing On The New Pensacola Bay Bridge
September 9, 2019
The first half of the new Pensacola Bay Bridge is now official open with traffic flowing both directions.
Highway 98 westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) was transitioned to the new bridge on Sunday.
The temporary configuration for the new bridge will provide two lanes of east and two lanes of westbound traffic, along with a center-lane reserved for emergency vehicles. A multiuse path for pedestrians and bicyclists is expected to be operational near the end of 2019.
With all traffic shifted to the new bridge, construction crews will demolish the current bridge, complete the new westbound structure, and reconstruct the 17th Avenue interchange. All work is currently estimated for completion in mid-2021.
Century Man Faces Drug Charges After No Tag Light Traffic Stop In Flomaton
September 9, 2019
Flomaton Police arrested a Century man on drug charges after a traffic stop over the weekend.
Driver Brandon Joshua Mathis, 27, was pulled over in a Flomaton for no tag light, and Flomaton Police reported finding “spice” in his vehicle.
Mathis was charged with possession of a controlled substance synthetic cannabinoid and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton.
Gas Prices Slip A Penny Or Two
September 9, 2019
Florida gas prices slipped lower by two cents during the past week. Florida drivers are now paying an average of $2.43 per gallon at the pump. Sunday’s state average is 5 cents less than a week ago.
The average price per gallon in Escambia County was $2.38 Sunday night, down a penny from a week ago and a quarter from a month ago. At least two stations in Cantonment were at $2.26 per gallon Sunday night.
Escambia County’s gas prices were among the lowest in the state.
“Declining gas prices are a common sight as we enter the fall driving season,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “With students back in school, families will take fewer extended road trips, compared to the summer. Also, refineries will soon begin the switch to winter gasoline, which is cheaper to produce than summer fuel. The combination of lower demand and cheaper gas normally leads to downward pressure on prices at the pump.”
Refineries will begin the switch to winter gasoline on September 16. Summer gasoline is more expensive to produce because the EPA requires more additives to reduce smog.
BOCC Funding Approved For Community Events In Cantonment, Barrineau Park
September 9, 2019
The Escambia County Commission has approved funding for community events in Barrineau Park and Cantonment.
The commission approved $3,000 from the District 5 Discretionary Fund for the annual Barrineau Park Annual Community Gathering Event on September 14. The Barrineau Park Historical Society event attracts about 400 people each year. In addition, the historical society supports education by partnering with Northview and Molino Park, offering scholarships to graduating seniors, supplies and other educational activities.
The commission also approved $500 is discretionary funds for the Cantonment Improvement Committee’s Community United Fellowship event on September 7 at Carver Park. The event will allow the community to come together for encouragement, celebration, and community fellowship, according to organizers.
Each Escambia County Commissioner receives $50,000 in discretionary funds for the fiscal year.
Pictured: A recent back to school event sponsored by the Cantonment Improvement Committee at Carver Park. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall In Playoff Finale Against The Shuckers
September 9, 2019
The Blue Wahoos went the distance in their divisional playoff series against the Biloxi Shuckers.
But that didn’t make the heartache any easier to take.
The Blue Wahoos took their third lead in Sunday’s deciding game on an 8th inning homer from catcher Ryan Jeffers, only to have the bullpen give up a deluge in the bottom half of that inning, as the Shuckers rolled to an 8-4 win to take the Southern League South Division championship at MGM Park.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t stop the bleeding,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego. “When you take a lead in a game like that, you are looking for pitching. You are trying to shut them down.”
“The game was right there. When you get to that point, you are looking for the pitching.”
In winning Sunday’s decisive fifth game, the Shuckers advance to the Southern League championship series against the defending champion Jackson Generals. Biloxi will seek to win the league title for the first time.
This became the third time in five years the Blue Wahoos were knocked out of the playoffs by their Gulf Coast neighboring rival. The Blue Wahoos had advanced to post-season for a fifth consecutive year, the first as a Minnesota Twins affiliate, which tied Pensacola with the Mobile BayBears for the second longest playoff streak in the 55-year history of the Southern League.
The Shuckers, however, have proven to be a playoff nemesis. But unlike the past two playoff losses – one in three games, the other in four – this one had opportunities for the Blue Wahoos to produce a different outcome.
They rallied with five runs in the ninth in Game 1 to stun the crowd and take a lead. But again the bullpen wasn’t able to hold on, yielding a tying run in the ninth, then a walkoff homer in the 10th for an 11-10 loss.
Trailing 0-2 in the series, after a 4-1 loss in the second game, the Blue Wahoos beat the Shuckers 3-2 Friday in their only game in Pensacola as the wild card team, then scored five times in the ninth to win 10-5 and force a deciding game.
With the pitching staff taxed, the Blue Wahoos activated lefthander Bryan Sammons, who had been sent down to Fort Myers, as the Game 5 starter. He produced a solid outing, working 4.2 innings. The only damage was a pair of solo home runs, but he struck out five and walked only one.
“He gave us what we needed,” Borrego said. “It was good to see. That was exactly what we wanted.”
He left in the fifth with a 3-2 lead. Jeffers, who went 3-for-4 in the game, started a two-run rally in the fourth with a double. He later scored on Mark Contreras ground out. Caleb Hamilton hit a two-out double to score Jose Miranda, who had walked.
In the sixth inning, Travis Blankenhorn narrowly missed a home run to the deepest part of MGM Park, but Shuckers centerfielder Dillon Thomas tracked the ball down at the base of the wall. With two runners on, Hamilton was then robbed of a sure RBI hit by Shuckers shortstop Luis Aviles Jr.
The Shuckers then tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.
In the eighth, Jeffers broke the 3-3 tie with his opposite field home run into the right field berm.
The Blue Wahoos called upon left-hander Stephen Gonsalves, who had pitched in games last year with the Twins. But from the outset, he was off in the bottom of the eighth inning.
“When you take a one-run lead with six outs away, we got to pitch, we got to execute,” Borrego said. “That was the difference.
Gonsalves gave up a leadoff single, walked the next batter, then created a scary situation when his pitch struck Thomas in the face as he squared around to bunt.
“The first batter he was wild, and you can see that, and then that pitch slipped right from his hand,” Borrego said. “That was scary. I hope that kid (Thomas) is doing good. That was unbelievable. I never expected it.
“It put us in a tough situation, but it’s the game some time… I know he is a better pitcher than that.”
With the bases now loaded, Borrego summoned Alex Phillips, who immediately gave up a sacrifice fly for one out and the tying run. He then gave up a couple more hits and suddenly the Shuckers had a commanding lead.
“We just couldn’t get the pitching,” Borrego said.
But the season provided plenty of memories. The Blue Wahoos played much of the second half with a trio of the Twins’ last three No. 1 draft picks – Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis and Trevor Larnach.
Lewis went 3-for-3 in first three at-bats and nearly had a fourth when a scorched ball was turned into a inning-ending double play in the seventh by third baseman Jake Gatewood.
Kirilloff, who homered in each of the first four playoff games and batted .381 in the series, was 1-for-4 Sunday and kept alive the ninth inning with his broken bat single. With two on, two out, Lewis struck out to end the game.
Larnach went 0-for-4 and struggled in the series, but had many big hits during the second half of the season.
“That was really special to see those guys together and for the fans,” Borrego said. “We won’t have that again, but we have good players who will be here (Pensacola) next year.”
ECAT Receives $180K Grant For Cantonment, Molino, Century Bus Route
September 8, 2019
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) has received a grant to offset the cost of existing bus service to Cantonment, Molino and Century.
The $180,271 grant is from the State of Florida Department of Transportation Public Transportation Grant Agreement is for fiscal year 2019-2020, which begins October 1.
The program provides dollars to eligible recipients who operate public transportation service in rural areas. The “Route 60″ bus to North Escambia is the only eligible rural bus route operated in Escambia County.
The grant requires a 50% match from Escambia County, which is included in the upcoming fiscal year budget. The grant will not create any additional costs for Escambia County.
Pictured: The ECAT Route 60 bus makes a stop in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
PSC Moves Forward: Second Area Code Coming For The 850
September 8, 2019
The Florida Public Service Commission on Friday heard a plan to add a new area code for Northwest Florida.
The current 850 area code is running out of available phone numbers, and an additional area code would be added under the plan.
The North American Numbering Plan Administrator, which oversees area code planning across the nation, said the 850 area code will run out of available photo numbers in the first quarter of 2022. They have petitioned the Florida Public Service Commission for a new area code that will overlay the existing 850 area code.
An additional area code would be expected to provide enough available phone numbers until 2049.
If approved the new area code would cover the same area as the current 850 area code, which includes Escambia County to Tallahassee.
The new area code would go into service in 2021, with a transition period before the 850 runs out of numbers. The addition will require 10-digit dialing in all of Northwest Florida .
All existing customers will retain the 850 area code and would not have to change their telephone numbers, according to the PSC.
The PSC will consider final approval in November, and we should learn what the new area code number will be at that time.
Winning $107K Fantasy Five Ticket Sold On Nine Mile Road
September 8, 2019
Someone is over $107,000 richer this morning after purchasing a winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket at a Nine Mile Road grocery store.
The ticket sold at the Publix, 2180 West Nine Mile Road, was one of two winning tickets sold for Saturday night’s drawing and is worth $107,018.35. The second winning ticket was sold in Titusville.
The 341 tickets matching four numbers won $101 each. Another 10,527 tickets matching three numbers are worth $9 each, and 99,932 ticket holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
Saturday’s winning numbers were 5-7-16-21-33.
Volunteer Sought for the Escambia County Planning Board
September 8, 2019
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking an Escambia County resident interested in volunteering to be considered for an at-large appointment to the Escambia County Planning Board.
At-large members serve a two-year term of office and attend one meeting per month (generally the first Tuesday of the month). Meetings are generally from 8:30 a.m. to no later than noon; however, occasionally may go beyond noon depending upon the agenda. No travel is involved unless the Planning Board members decide to view a particular property for informational purposes. Financial disclosure is required.
Resumes submitted to a BCC agenda for consideration will become part of the official minutes and are subject to public records requests.
Escambia County residents interested in being considered for a possible appointment to the Escambia County Planning Board to begin serving in September are asked to submit a resume and letter indicating their desire to serve by close of business on Wednesday, September 11. Letters and resumes should be submitted to Kayla Meador; 3363 West Park Place; Pensacola, FL 32505; or emailed to krmeador@myescambia.com.