Man Injured In Rear-End Crash With School Bus; Students OK
April 23, 2019
The driver of a passenger car and one student were injured when a school bus was rear-ended Tuesday morning on Pine Forest Road.
Justin D. Patterson, 29, was northbound on Pine Forest Road just south of West Roberts Road about 7:07 a.m. when he failed to stop and collided with the Escambia County School District bus driven by 59-year old James Edward Roetter, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Patterson was transported with minor injuries to Sacred Heart Hospital by Escambia County EMS.
There were about 33 Pine Meadow Elementary School students on the bus. All were evaluated by Escambia County EMS, and one student was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.
The FHP cited Patterson with careless driving, failure to provide insurance and driving on a suspended license.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Family Remembers Boy Hit And Killed By A Car In Century; Vigil Planned
April 23, 2019
The family of Ka’Merius Dortch will hold a memorial vigil Wednesday to remember the the life of the 4-year old.
The memorial will be held at 6 p.m. at the Carver Community Center on Jefferson Avenue. That’s where he was struck and killed by a vehicle last week.
Those attending are encouraged to bring a blue or white balloon, stuffed animals, candles, or dress in his favorite color of blue. Ka’Merious also loved firetrucks and dreamed of becoming a firefighter.
Funeral services are set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Pilgrim Lodge Missionary Baptist Church at 7000 Jefferson Avenue.
The Florida Highway said 66-year old Alberta Knight of Century was in the parking lot of the community center April 17 when she pulled her Ford SUV forward and struck the child about 6:20 p.m. No charges were filed. The vehicle was on the community center grounds between the building and basketball courts. A basketball could be seen under the vehicle. [Previous story...]
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Allstate Agent Scott Richards Presents $2,000 Donation To Tate QB Club
April 23, 2019
Cantonment Allstate agent Scott Richards (pictured right), presented a $2,000 donation Monday night to the Tate High School Quarterback Club. Accepting the donation is Aggie head coach Jay Lindsey. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Man Caught With Drugs, Counterfeit Cash At Ensley Walmart
April 23, 2019
An Atmore man is accused of possessing counterfeit money and drugs at an Ensley store.
Bobby Allen Hartley, 34, was charged with possession of counterfeit bills and possession of methamphetamine.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Walmart in Ensley. That’s where Hartley told deputies they were called on him because he is crazy and due to his race, according to an arrest report. Deputies noted that Hartley appeared to be under the influence of narcotics, was sweating profusely and did “not make any sense as to what he was saying”.
Hartley provided consent to be searched. Deputies reported finding methamphetamine and four counterfeit $100 bills, all with the same serial number.
He remained in the Escambia County Jail Tuesday morning with bond set at $11,000.
Jim Allen Elementary Raises $2,284.70 During ‘Pennies For Popsicles’ For Childhood Cancer
April 23, 2019
‘Pennies for Popsicles’ at Jim Allen Elementary School raised $2,284.70 for childhood cancer research.
The following classes won the grade level competition and will get an extra recess with school principals and popsicles:
Pre-K: Mims
Kindergarten: Metcalf
1st: Sigler
2nd: Missy
3rd: West
4th Jernigan
5th: J. Smith
Pictured top: Pennies for Popsicles at Jim Allen Elementary School. Pictured below: Students count the pennies and other change. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local High Schools Begin Spring Football Practice
April 23, 2019
Spring football practice opened Monday for high schools in Florida. It was the first day of preparations for spring jamborees and the path to the first game of fall.
The Tate Aggies will hold their annual Crimson and Gray game and a fish fry on May 10 and will host the Escambia Gators in a spring game on May 17. The 2019 season for the Tate Aggies begins with a Kickoff Classic at Pace on August 16 and the first game of the regular season will be at home against Pensacola High on August 23.
The Northview Chiefs will hold their Garnet and Gold Game on May 11 and spring game on Friday, May 17 at Escambia County High School in Atmore. The fall season begins August 16 with a Kickoff Classic at Baker, and the Chiefs will host Lighthouse Christian for the first game of the regular season on August 23.
Pictured: The first day of spring practice for the Northview Chiefs Monday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Gets Senior Night Win Over Paxton (With Gallery)
April 23, 2019
Northview 2, Paxton 0
The Northview Chiefs defeated the Paxton Lady Cats 2-0 during a Monday Senior Night game in Bratt.
The only two runs in the game came in the bottom of the third for the Chiefs.
Tori Herrington faced 22 batters, striking out five. She was 1-3 with one RBI. Kailyn Watson went 1-3, and Valen Shelly was 1-2 with one RBI.
Before the game, the Lady Chiefs honor seniors Kendall Enfinger, Tori Herrington, Mikayla Jeneske, Aubree Love, Valen Shelly and Lydia Smith.
For a photo gallery, including Senior Night activities, click here.
Paxton 5, Northview 3 (JV)
Paxton defeated the Northview Lady Chiefs 5-3 Monday afternoon.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs beat Paxton 2-0 Monday in Bratt. Pictured below: Northview Lady Chiefs senior Kendall Enfinger, Makayla Jeneske, Aubree Love, Tori Herrington, Valen Shelly and Lydia Smith. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
DeSantis Asks Trumps For Increase In Hurricane Michael Recovery Aid
April 23, 2019
Gov. Ron DeSantis is requesting an increased federal cost share for Hurricane Michael recovery.
DeSantis sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting an increase in the federal cost share from 75 percent to 90 percent for the remainder of Hurricane Michael recovery. This request follows NOAA’s announcement that Hurricane Michael has been upgraded to a category 5 hurricane – only the fourth category 5 storm to ever impact the United States and the first to impact Florida as a category 5 since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
“I am officially requesting an increase in federal funding for Hurricane Michael recovery from 75 to 90 percent,” said DeSantis. “Since my first full day in office when I visited Northwest Florida, it was clear that the efforts to rebuild and recover were far from over. An increase in the federal share will help Northwest Florida tremendously and I thank President Trump for his previous commitment to fully fund the first 45 days of recovery from this storm. I look forward to continuing to work with the President to ensure Northwest Florida completely recovers.”
“At the Division of Emergency Management, we recognized the devastation this storm caused and took action in January by putting in place new processes and procedures to get funding out as quickly as possible,” said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz. “I applaud Governor DeSantis for providing leadership and requesting 90 percent federal funding on the same day that Hurricane Michael was upgraded to a Category 5. This increase in federal funding will provide critical savings to Panhandle communities during their recovery.”
Trump has the authority to issue a waiver and increase the federal cost share for hurricane recovery from the standard 75 percent to 90 percent prior to costs reaching the 90 percent threshold. With the recent upgrade of Hurricane Michael to a Category 5, as well as the tremendous amount of debris removal performed since the storm’s impact, the state estimates that this threshold will be met in the future. This change in the federal cost share would save the state and Northwest Florida communities hundreds of millions of dollars.
Escambia Man Gets Life In Prison For Home Invasion Robbery
April 23, 2019
An Escambia County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for a home invasion robbery last year.
Damon Jermaine Forehand, Jr., was sentenced by Circuit Judge W. Joel Boles for home invasion robbery with a firearm and five years state prison for aggravated assault with a firearm as a prison releasee reoffender. There is no parole in Florida so he will actually serve the remainder of his life in prison.
On June 9, 2018, just after midnight, the victim was asleep in his bed with his wife. His newborn son was also in their room. Two other sons were asleep in their own bedroom. Two of the wife’s minor sisters were in the living room. The oldest sister saw three men approaching the house via a security system. Before she could get to her sister’s bedroom, the three men burst through the front door; all three were wearing masks and gloves and carrying a gun. Forehand was one of those men.
Forehand stayed in the living room with the girls. He also told another intruder to go to the dining room and get a box; the second intruder went into the dining room and eventually left the house with the box. The third intruder went to the victim’s bedroom and immediately shot him twice. He then hit the victim in the head with the gun then kicked him in the neck, all while asking, “Where’s it at?” The second intruder came to the bedroom, whispered something into the shooter’s ear, and then walked away. The shooter starting counting down. Before he got to one, he shot the victim several more times, as he was backing away from the room.
The victim later realized the box, which contained approximately four ounces of marijuana, was missing after the intruders left. He also recognized the defendant’s voice during the robbery. The defendant is his nephew. He was one of very few people who had been in the victim’s home since the victim moved in only a few months before the robbery. He was also the only person, other than the victim, who knew where the box was and what was in it.
Forehand has nine prior felony convictions. He is due in court next month in a separate home invasion robbery case.
Wahoos Come Back For 7-4 Win Over Mobile
April 23, 2019
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos overcame a rare deficit in a 7-4 win over the Mobile BayBears on Monday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Brian Schales led the team both offensively and defensively, going 3-4 with a triple, double, single, run batted in, and run scored as well as a collection of impressive defensive plays at third base.
The Blue Wahoos scored first for the 15th time in 18 games this season, using a lead off single by Luis Arraez and subsequent triple by Schales to go up 1-0.
The lead held until the fourth inning behind Twins top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol. The 20-year-old righty struggled with his control early, walking the first two batters of the game, but he responded with a pair of strikeouts and a pick off to get out of the first.
Graterol added two more strikeouts in the second, flashing 100 miles-per-hour on the radar gun multiple times. After a 1-2-3 third inning, he ran into trouble in the fourth. A one out walk was followed by singles by Bo Way and Roberto Pena and a home run by Brendan Sanger to make it 4-1 in Mobile’s favor.
The Pensacola offense wasted no time responding. In the home half of the inning, Caleb Hamilton dropped a double into centerfield and advanced to third on a single by Tanner English. Taylor Grzelakowski poked a single into left to score Hamilton and make it 4-2. After a walk to Jordan Gore, Arraez single home two to tie the game.
Graterol threw a scoreless fifth, finishing his day with a line of 5.0 innings pitched, four hits, four earned runs, four walks, and six strikeouts on 81 pitches.
The Wahoos put Graterol in line for the win by pushing a run across in the fifth. Schales led off the inning with a double and a Jaylin Davis singled moved him to third. Hamilton then brought him home with a single into right to give Pensacola the 5-4 lead.
Sam Clay entered in the sixth in relief of Graterol and worked himself into and out of jams in both the sixth and seventh inning, allowing two base runners in each frame, but keeping the BayBears from scoring both times.
He ceded to Ryan Mason in the eighth, who struck out a pair in the inning. In the home half of the eighth, the Wahoos added a pair of insurance runs, using a single by English, fielding error, sac bunt, Gore sacrifice fly, and wild pitch to go up 7-4.
Mobile threatened in the ninth, as the first two batters in the inning singled, but Mason induced a double play and a strike out to end the game, preserved the victory, and earn his third save.
Graterol was the winning pitcher for the Wahoos, who improve to a league-best 13-5 on the season. Clay was credited with a hold and Mason got the save. Zac Kelly took the loss for Mobile, allowing three runs (one earned) in four innings of relief of starter Jose Rodriguez (4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 K).
Mobile and Pensacola will continue their five-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium Tuesday.
