Countdown To Friday Night Lights: Northview Holds ‘Meet The Chiefs’ (With Gallery)
August 15, 2025
As football season draws near, Northview High School held their annual Meet the Chiefs on Thursday evening.
During the event, moved indoors due to weather, fans had a chance to meet the Northview Chiefs, cheerleaders, and Tribal Beat band. They were also introduced to players and cheerleaders from Ernest Ward Middle School and area youth teams.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Interstate Circle Bridge Over Eight Mile Creek Has Reopened
August 15, 2025
Interstate Circle Bridge over Eight Mile Creek has reopened to traffic, restoring connection for local residents and daily commuters.
This bridge reconstruction project addressed aging infrastructure to increase safety and mobility in the region. The original bridge was constructed in 1970 and considered functionally obsolete.
The newly reconstructed bridge features two 10-foot travel lanes (one in each direction), 5-foot paved shoulders and new traffic railing that meets current standards.
Although the bridge is open to traffic, additional construction activities may continue until the project is fully complete. Temporary single-lane closures may occur on Interstate Circle Monday through Friday, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., as crews finalize stormwater management and other site improvements
The $3.2 million project is currently estimated for completion in late 2025.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Bullied By Barons In 9-0 Defeat
August 15, 2025
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos entered this week knowing their matchup against the Birmingham Barons, the Southern League’s best-record team, would be a tall order.
It’s proven so far to be mountainous.
The Barons (68-43 overall, 30-12 second half) continued their onslaught Thursday in a 9-0 victory at Blue Wahoos Stadium, extending their season win streak in this ballpark to nine consecutive games.
They pounded out 12 hits, giving them 48 in three games, along with scoring a combined 31 runs against Blue Wahoos pitchers in jumping to a 3-0 lead in the series. Back in May, the Barons became the first team to sweep a six-game series against the Blue Wahoos in this stadium since the format began in 2021.
Despite the loss, the Blue Wahoos actually expanded their first-place lead in the Southern League South Division. The Chattanooga Lookouts swept a double-header against the Montgomery Biscuits to give the Blue Wahoos a 2.0-game lead atop the division.
An American flag image brought more cheers at the end of the show. It’s the second year the Blue Wahoos arranged this event.
Hours earlier, the game began for the Blue Wahoos with some good vibes on the field.
After starter Dax Fulton pitched out of two-on, one-out jam in the first inning by striking out the next two Barons’ batters, the Blue Wahoos loaded the bases with two out in the bottom half of the inning.
Shortstop Payton Green hit a chopper to third, fielded cleanly by the Barons’ Jason Matthews for the third out.
From this point, the next Blue Wahoos batter to reach base didn’t happen until the eighth inning. It was a string of 18 consecutive hitters retired in order by the Barons’ pitching staff. The Blue Wahoos were held to just three hits.
Fulton ran into trouble in the second inning when he walked the first two batters. William Bergolla followed with a two-run single.
Braden Montgomery, the No. 1 rated prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization, continued with his hot bat in this series with a run-scoring hit for a 3-0 lead. Montgomery went 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The Barons expanded to a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning against Fulton when a two-out walk was followed by Caden Connor’s triple, then a double by D.J. Gladney.
Blue Wahoos newcomer Yiddi Cappe, who joined the team last week, ended the team’s baserunner drought by reaching on a walk in the eighth inning.
The series continues Friday, a Giveaway Friday with a blue floral Hawaiian shirt for the first 1,000 fans ages 21-older. The Blue Wahoos will have Orlando Oritz-Mayr on the mound against Birmingham Riley Gowens.
The Barons have now won 25 of their last 30 games in a streak that began on July 8 and included 12 consecutive wins.
GAME NOTABLES
— The loss dropped the Blue Wahoos to 3-12 this season against the Barons, who won the Southern League title last season and have a team stacked with players ranked among the organization’s top 30 prospects.
— Reliever Luarbert Arias, who began the season with the Miami Marlins, returned to Blue Wahoos Stadium and pitched a scoreless ninth inning as he begins a comeback to past form.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Birmingham Barons vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Friday and Saturday night games will start at 6:05 p.m. Sunday’s game starts at 4:05 p.m.
Local PBS Station WSRE Hosting Station Tours On Saturday
August 15, 2025
The local public television station, WSRE Channel 23, will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the WSRE studios in the Kugelman Center for Telecommunications at Pensacola State College. It is part of WSRE’s August pledge drive for viewer support.
The free event will include production studio tours and PBS KIDS activities for children, including meet-and-greets with Clifford the Big Red Dog.
“This open house will provide an opportunity for the community to get a behind-the-scenes look at our operations and to learn about our programming and productions, as well as our educational services and public media mission,” said WSRE General Manager Jill Hubbs.
“The station also invites the public to participate in its “I Love WSRE: viewer support campaign, designed to increase awareness about the breadth of station services and its value to the community. Station supporters are encouraged to share their own WSRE stories by submitting video or written testimonials about why they support public television at wsre.org/value.
Video testimonials will also be filmed during the open house event, which is free and open to the public. Ample parking is available on campus near the Jean & Paul Amos Studio entrance. WSRE is located at the corner of College Boulevard and 12th Avenue.
Pictured: A previous WSRE staton tour day. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Gets Prison Time For Trafficking Spice Near Child Center On Chemstrand Road
August 14, 2025
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to state prison on drug distribution and trafficking charges.
Kyle Joseph St. Pierre, age 39 of Chemstrand Road, was sentenced on Tuesday to a minimum mandatory seven years in prison for trafficking in synthetic cannabinoids (spice) 30 kilograms or greater, three counts of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a child care facility, school, or park, and keeping a public nuisance structure for drug activity.
According to court documents, St. Pierre was selling spice out of a mobile home behind a business at 10121 Chemstrand Road. Court documents show the mobile home is located about 550 feet from the Little Spuds Early Learning Center and about 900 feet away from the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association.
He admitted to deputies that he had been selling spice for five to six years to support his own addiction.
St. Pierre will be on probation for five years following his release and will be responsible for fines and costs, as well as completing 100 hours of community service. He will also be required to seek or maintain a fulltime job.
Bratt First Baptist Makes Donation To Bratt Elementary
August 14, 2025
The First Baptist Church of Bratt recently donated headphones to Bratt Elementary School.
The new headphones will be used by students and teachers when they are working on computer programs.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Mid-County Historical Society Presents Scholarships
August 14, 2025
The Molino Mid-County Historical Society presented four scholarships for graduating 2025 seniors.
The scholarships were presented to:
- Nicholas Maum, $1,000
- Katie-John Crow, $1,000
- Kara Wine $500
- Jaylen Wright $500
Pictured top: Kara Wine (left) and Katie-John Crow. Pictured below: Nicholas Maum and Jaylen Wright. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Details Emerge In Molino Shooting That Landed Homeowner And Suspect To Jail
August 14, 2025
More details are emerging about an incident early Tuesday morning in Molino that led to two arrests, including a homeowner.
The homeowner, 45-year-old Edward Hamid Lewis, Sr. of Molino, was charged with felony possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was later released on a $10,000 bond. Records show he was convicted of felony cocaine possession in August 1998.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:20 a.m. after a woman and a man, who she identified as her cousin, drove from Atmore to the home on Cedartown Road. The man allegedly provided deputies with a fake name but was later identified as 36-year-old Aundray Reshard Butler of Mobile Highway in Pensacola. He was arrested during an unrelated incident later on Tuesday and charged with giving a false name and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. Records show he had outstanding warrants for aggravated battery when offender knew or should have known the victim was pregnant, simple assault, burglary with assault or battery, and witness tampering. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
According to an ECSO report obtained by NorthEscambia.com, Lewis told deputies he was sleeping when he heard the front door being kicked in. He stated that his girlfriend got out of bed to confront the intruder and began to fight with her. After hearing the intruder call for her cousin to get out of the car, Lewis grabbed a shotgun he stated he keeps readily accessible, according to the arrest report.
Lewis said that while standing in a hallway by the front door, he fired two shots through the glass door, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He stated he saw the male coming toward the house in an effort to enter when he fired.
The girlfriend provided similar statements, telling deputies that she “then heard shots and ducked out of the way,” according to an arrest report. She was treated on the scene for a toe that was cut on the broken glass.
Deputies noted broken glass on the front porch and that the glass portion of the door appeared to be missing after being shot.
After Lewis consented to a search, deputies recovered the firearm and sandals that reportedly belonged to the woman who entered the home.
The woman said she was invited to the home, and deputies located evidence on her phone indicating she spoke to Lewis at about 2 a.m. She told deputies “that she was banging on the door and it suddenly opened. She advised that her intention was not to damage the door.”
The ECSO said that after Lewis admitted to using the firearm to protect his home, he was charged, and a Savage Arms 12-gauge shotgun, which had not been reported as stolen, was taken into evidence.
Due to conflicting statements about the altercation in the doorway, the Sheriff’s Office said no arrest was made at the time for burglary with battery or simple battery.
The woman who said she drove from Atmore and Butler were later stopped by deputies on Highway 29 north of Archer Road, and Butler was transported to the hospital by Escambia County EMS.
Pictured: The scene of an early morning shooting in Molino. Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Give Final Approval For Florida Black Bear Hunt (But Not In Escambia, Santa Rosa)
August 14, 2025
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has given final approval for black bear hunting in Florida.
The new rules establish Bear Hunting Zones (BHZ) within four of the seven existing Bear Management Units. FWC said 187 total permits will be issued through a random drawing across the east Panhandle, North, Central and South BMUs, and each permit will allow the harvest of one bear within the assigned BHZ.
The nearest county to North Escambia to be included in the bear hunt is Bay County. Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties are not included.
“I am proud that Florida is joining the majority of states that manage black bears with regulated hunting,” said Rodney Barreto, Chairman of the FWC. “The components of the hunt are conservative and prioritize conservation, with a limited number of permits only being issued in the areas of the state with the largest bear populations.”
Many groups have opposed the hunt, include the Sierra Club of Florida.
“Today’s vote is a disgrace to Florida’s wildlife legacy. Our black bears are a vital part of our natural heritage, and killing them is not science-based management – it’s a politically driven step backward,” said Susanna Rudolph, Sierra Club Florida director. “Let’s be clear: Governor DeSantis can stop this hunt. On behalf of Sierra Club’s members and supporters across Florida, we urge him to do so before it endangers an already threatened species and opens the door to further destruction of critical wilderness habitat. Thousands of Floridians have rallied, written, called, and emailed to protect our bears. It’s time for our leadership to step up and listen to their constituents.
Wahoos Fall To Barons On Brook’s Big Night
August 14, 2025
written by Willie Phaler
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped their third in a row with a 7-5 loss to the Birmingham Barons on Wednesday night.
In his third Double-A start, Blue Wahoos right-hander Jake Brooks (L, 0-2) tossed 7.0 innings to tie his professional career high. Brooks scattered five runs while punching out five Barons in the outing.
Birmingham picked up the first run of the night in the second inning on a solo home run to left by left fielder DJ Gladney.
The Barons added two more in the third with two RBI singles in the frame. Sam Antonacci drove in Jacob Burke on a softly hit single, and came around to score on a single from Wilfred Veras after stealing second base.
The Blue Wahoos offense made some noise in the fourth as they pushed two runs across against Birmingham starter Hagen Smith to draw the deficit to 3-2. Matthew Etzel knocked in the first run of the night for Pensacola, finishing a triple down the right field line by avoiding the tag of third baseman Mario Camilletti. Ryan Ignoffo then drove Etzel in to score with a double down the left field line.
Gladney added to the Barons’ lead in the sixth with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Caden Connor and Braden Montgomery on the play for a 5-2 advantage.
Dub Gleed brought the Blue Wahoos within a run in the seventh, picking up his first Double-A hit and home run in the same swing with a two-run shot out to left against righty Adisyn Coffey.
The Barons gained two important insurance runs in the top of the ninth thanks to RBI singles from Connor and Montgomery. The Blue Wahoos got out of the ninth after a soft, humpback line drive was turned into a rare 3-2-6 double play and Ignoffo threw out his third would-be base stealer of the night.
Ignoffo hit his second Double-A home run of the year out to left-center for a solo home run against Birmingham’s closer, Garret Schoenle (S, 6), but it proved to be too little as the lefty sat down the next three Pensacola hitters to end the ball game.
After 4.0 innings from the starter Smith, Birmingham’s relief combination of Dalton Roach (W, 3-0), Coffey and Schoenle held the Blue Wahoos to three runs to hold on for the win.
With the loss tonight and a postponement for the second-place Montgomery Biscuits, the Blue Wahoos’ South Division lead has been cut to 2.0 games.
The Blue Wahoos will square off with the Barons for their third matchup of the week tomorrow night. Southpaw Dax Fulton (5-8, 4.77 ERA) will make his 18th start of the year for Pensacola, while right-hander Connor McCullough (0-0, 2.25 ERA) is slated to take the mound for Birmingham. Following the conclusion of Thursday’s game, a drone show will take place over Blue Wahoos Stadium.
GAME NOTABLES
— Prior to the game, the Blue Wahoos added reliever Luarbert Arias to the roster. Arias, 24, began the season with the Miami Marlins. He pitched for the Blue Wahoos during the 2023 season, making 14 appearances for a 1.69 ERA.
— Second baseman Yiddi Cappe made his home debut Wednesday night for the Blue Wahoos. Cappe, 22, born in Havana, Cuba, was last year ranked the Marlins’ #7 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Cappe joined the Blue Wahoos a week ago, on August 5, in Montgomery. He played in 53 games for the Beloit Sky Carp, the Marlins’ High-A affiliate, batting .278 with four homers.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Birmingham Barons vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Games on Thursday through Saturday night will start at 6:05 p.m. Sunday’s game starts at 4:05 p.m.