Tate Softball’s Strike Out Cancer Games Approaches Quarter Million Dollars For Fight Against Cancer
April 6, 2025
Tate Aggie softball’s annual Strike Out Cancer Game is approaching an incredible quarter million dollars raised in the first against cancer.
Friday night’s game was the 15th annual. With $217,000 raised before Friday night, Friday night’s total at over $24,000 and counting early in the game — that’s over $241,000.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Coach Melinda Wyatt will quickly tell you it’s not about her, it’s not about her Tate Aggies, it’s not about the opposing team, and it’s not about anyone.
‘It’s not about y’all,” Wyatt said to the teams Friday night. “We are just providing some entertainment. It’s about all of these survivors that are courageous that have to deal with something that I never want to have to deal with.”
Everything about the game is donated to cancer research. Admission is by donations. There are raffles, concession sales and auctions. Friday night, a chocolate cake topped $200, and a one-of-kind handmade blanket made from 15 years of Aggie Classic t-shirts went for over $1,000. The Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies working the game donate their time.
The umpires not only donate their time — they also bring thousands of dollars in donations.
For several years, the West Florida Jaguars have been the opposing team. But they are always on the same team in the fight against cancer, and Tate is quick to acknowledge that they have been a crucial part of the Aggies’ efforts.
Friday night, the Lady Jags arrived with a check for $8,400.
“That’s why I bring you (WFHS) over here every year is because the other schools around here are cheap,” Wyatt joked.
In previous years, the funds have been donated to the American Cancer Society. Proceeds from Friday night’s game will benefit three local charities — Rally Gulf Coast, the Keeping Abreast Foundation, and the Baptist Healthcare Mammography Program.
“Personally, I believe it’s our obligation. Ours, not just to help one, but all. Not just breast cancer, ovarian cancer. There’re many different types. It’s our obligation,” Wyatt said. “Because cancer is going to find us, whether it’s a friend, neighbor, family member or coworker. Don’t think it’s not going to affect you, because it will.”
As for Friday’s night’s ceremonial opening pitch. It was a “triple” with Tate cancer survivors Kristen Maum, Janice Courson, Sue Hopkins stepping into the circle together.
In game action on Friday night, Tate junior varsity defeated West Florida 8-1, and Tate varsity enjoyed a 5-4 walk-off home run win. [Read more...]
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Industrial Cleaning Company Proposes Warehouse And Office On Hwy. 29 Cantonment
April 6, 2025
An industrial cleaning service is proposing to construct a new office and warehouse facility on Highway 29 in Cantonment.
According to documents filed with the Escambia County Development Review Committee, Smith Industrial Services provides industrial cleaning services to many industrial plants and local municipalities in the area.
They have proposed building an 11,468 square foot office and warehouse facility at 460 South Highway 29, between Companion Animal Clinic and an existing shopping center. The company said the proposed 2.83 acre site will house their local business offices, staging for all of their equipment, and a service facility to maintain their equipment. The lot is currently vacant.
The application states the road frontage portion of the site will be paved with asphalt paving for employee parking. Beyond the rear of the office, the interior portion of the site will be secured by perimeter chain-link fencing with two electronic gates at both driveways. The interior impervious portion of the site is proposed to be crushed stone surfacing. The perimeter of the site will be designed with landscaping buffers.
Site drawings of the proposed facility were not available at time of publication.
In 2023, an engineering firm filed plans prepared for HCA Healthcare, which operates HCA Florida West Hospital, for a 10,860 square foot emergency department on the lot. Those plans never developed.
Pensacola Airport Expansion, Modernization Program Forthcoming
April 6, 2025
A terminal expansion and modernization program is forthcoming at the Pensacola International Airport (PNS).
With 104% growth in passenger traffic over the past decade, Pensacola International Airport is embarking on a multi-phase expansion to accommodate increasing demand, enhance the passenger experience, and position the airport for future success. The Terminal Expansion and Modernization Program will include additional gate capacity, upgraded amenities, advanced security features, and an improved overall airport infrastructure.
The airport has announced the launch of TransformPNS.com, a dedicated and dynamic website providing the latest updates, project details, and community engagement opportunities for the Airport’s Terminal Expansion and Modernization Program.
The website offers visitors an interactive and user-friendly experience, featuring:
- Project Overview – A detailed look at the Terminal Expansion and Modernization Program’s goals, phases, and expected benefits.
- Latest News & Updates – Timely announcements on construction milestones, new features, and project progress.
- Community Engagement – Information on public meetings, feedback opportunities, and ways for the community to be involved in the expansion process.
- Visuals & Renderings – Concept images, blueprints, and video updates showcasing the future of PNS.
Additional real-time updates will be posted as the project progresses.
“Pensacola International Airport continues to grow as a key gateway to the Gulf Coast, and this expansion is critical to ensuring we provide the best possible experience for our travelers,” said Executive Airport Director Matt Coughlin. “TransformPNS.com allows us to keep our passengers and stakeholders engaged, informed, and excited about the future of PNS.”
PNS connects over three million passengers per year and offers over 20 nonstop flights to major cities across the United States. The airport currently has 12 gates and will be expanded to 17 gates.
Escambia Animal Shelter Offering Free Adoptions This Week
April 6, 2025
The Escambia County animal shelter is offering free adoptions for all cats and dogs one year or older through next Saturday, April 12
Puppies will be available for $50, and kittens will be available for $25. A $15 licensing fee will be applied to all adoptions for Escambia County residents.
To see a full list of adoptable pets in Escambia County, visit 24petconnect.com and choose “Escambia County Florida Animal Services” as the specific shelter.
The Escambia County Animal Welfare and Adoption Center is located at 200 West Fairfield Drive. The shelter is open from noon until 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Free Sports Physicals Offered For High School Athletes
April 6, 2025
Free sports physicals will be offered for local high school student athletes ahead of summer sports.
The free physicals will be held April 10 and April 15 from 3-6 p.m. at Grace Care Medical at 4929 Mobile Highway in Pensacola. The physical is for high school athletes that need their FHSAA participation physical evaluation form completed.
To schedule the free physical, call (850) 960-7971.
Alderman’s Grand Slam Powers Blue Wahoos Past Biloxi
April 6, 2025
As the selected player of the game, Kemp Alderman received the customary water bucket dousing by his Blue Wahoos teammates. Two games into this season, it’s the only chill the former Ole Miss star has experienced.
Just as Alderman did in October at the Arizona Fall League, he’s stirred a buzz. After three hits on Friday, he delivered the big hit on Saturday with a grand slam into a forceful wind blowing in from left field off the water, powering the Blue Wahoos to a 7-1 victory against the Biloxi Shuckers before a capacity crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
How fitting, right?
The rapidly played game, completed in 2 hours, 13 minutes, led right into the first post-game fireworks show of the season.
Under these wind conditions, it was going to take a rocket to get a ball out of this ballpark the past two days. On a fastball he saw with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Alderman barreled it just right. The pitch exited at 104 mph – just enough to clear the left-center fence.
The home run turned the game from a 3-0 lead into a far more comfortable zip code. Alderman has now collected four hits, scored three runs, and stolen a base in two games while reaching base five times.
Alderman, 22, a Mississippi native, helped the Ole Miss Rebels to their dramatic triumph in the 2022 College World Series championship series. He was chosen in the second round by the Miami Marlins in the 2023 Draft and has risen to be ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect in the organization.
Once again, the Blue Wahoos’ pitching was the main narrative. Starter Evan Fitterer carried a strong spring training into his first season start. With his breaking pitches on point and his fastball well-located, Fitterer faced just one batter above the minimum in his five innings.
He allowed one hit, one walk, struck out six, and yielded only two fly-ball outs. Of his 64 pitches, 44 were strikes.
The two relievers who followed, Adam Laskey and Tristian Stevens, were sharp as well. Laskey worked three innings, allowing two hits and the lone Biloxi run, but did not allow a walk and struck out three batters. Stevens finished the game in the ninth.
These teams will finish their three-game series Sunday at 1:05 p.m. – the first of four early Sunday starts on the home schedule – with the Blue Wahoos sending Dax Fulton to the mound to make his first start since 2023. He missed last season recovering from elbow surgery.
The Blue Wahoos had runners on base in each of the first five innings. They got a pair of runs in the second inning off Biloxi starter Nate Peterson. Dalvy Rosario doubled with one out. Johnny Olmstead reached on an error. Cody Morissette’s hard groundout enabled Rosario to score. Harrison Spohn then hit a two-out RBI single.
The Blue Wahoos blew open the game in the fifth when Olmstead led off with a single, Morissette followed with a walk, and Spohn singled. Jared Serna’s RBI single made it 3-0. With one out, Alderman connected in a big way for Pensacola’s first home run of the season and first grand slam since last July.
Olmstead then made a season-highlight defensive play in this second game of the year. He made a full-extension leaping dive in the seventh inning to rob Biloxi’s Eric Brown Jr. of a hit with a runner on base. It elicited a standing ovation.
GAME NOTABLES
- Home games have produced a winning tradition in Blue Wahoos history. Last season their home record of 35-34 marked their eighth consecutive season with a winning home record.
- Emerald Coast Okinawa Drum Group, based in Niceville, which promotes Okinawan culture, performed outside the main gate prior to Saturday’s game.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Blue Wahoos Season-Opening Weekend Series
WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
One Injured When RV T-Bones Car In Century
April 5, 2025
One person was injured when a large recreational vehicle T-boned a Kia sedan Friday night in Century.
It happened on North Century Boulevard between West Highway 4 and Hudson Hill Road just before 8 p.m.
According to witnesses, the Kia pulled onto Highway 29 and into the path of the southbound RV. The RV pushed the Kia for several hundred feet before coming to a complete stop.
The driver of the KIA was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
The occupants of the RV — two adults and two children from the Atlanta area — were not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Century Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash, which closed one southbound lane of North Century Boulevard for well over two hours.
NorthEscambia.co photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Showband Members Receive Superiors At State Solo And Ensemble
April 5, 2025
Several members of the Tate High School Showband of the South received a superior rating for their performance at the State Solo and Ensemble last weekend in Tallahassee.
Senior:
- Jax Hardnack
- Brooklyn Summerlin
Junior:
- Carter Hayden
Freshman:
- Mason Soto
- Kendra McDonald
- Gracie Ferlo
- Jaren Ridgon
Not pictured: Jax Hardnack and Brooklyn Summerlin. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Lady Aggies Get Walk-Off Win Over West Florida
April 5, 2025
The Tate Lady Aggies secured a 5-4 walk-off home run win over the West Florida Jaguars Friday night in the annual Strike Out Cancer game at Tate.
(We will have complete coverage and photos of the Strike Out Cancer events and game action coming up on Sunday morning.)
The Lady Aggies were down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Kara Wine slammed a homer to center field to score two runs.
Tate’s scoring also began with a home run — a solo homer from Kaylie Mitchell to center field.
Jordan Smith earned the win for Tate as she surrendered six hits and three runs (two earned) in a complete game eight innings while walking two and striking out four.
Kara Wine recorded two RBIs, and she went 2-3 on the night. Peyton Womack went 2-4.
In junior varsity action, Tate beat West Florida 8-1.
Up next for the Aggies is a home game ast South Warren on Monday and Gulf Breeze on Thursday. First pitch is 6:30 p.m. for both games.
(We will have complete coverage and photos of the Strike Out Cancer portion of the game coming up on Sunday morning.)
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Woman Charged With 20 Counts Of Child Porn Possession
April 5, 2025
A 46-year-old Escambia County woman has been charged with 20 counts of child porn possession.
Danielle Marie Ballard was booked into the Escambia County Jail where she’s being held with bond set $1 million.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigation into Ballard began after a Crime Stoppers tip received in February alleged that she was in possession of child porn files.
Deputies contacted he at her home, and she allowed a deputy to do a preliminary search of her laptop. According to an arrest report, the deputy found about 50 images of child porn, including some images that were of children as young as toddlers.
The porn images were found in a folder on the laptop where it appeared the trash bin had accidentally been moved, according to the ECSO report.
Ballard “became hysterical and repeatedly asked if she was going to jail,” the report states. She then confessed, according to the report, that “she had an interest” in child porn and state that she had been viewing and receiving child porn for five years.