Area Mourns Loss Of Newspaper Founder, Columnist, Educator McGill
March 13, 2019
A man involved in local media and education passed away on Sunday, March 10. Lowell Stephen “Gingerboy” McGill, Sr., was 84.
A native of Perdido, AL, he had resided in Atmore of the last 62 years.
McGill founded The Tri-Ledger in 1971 and operated The Atmore News Journal in the early 1980s. He also wrote a historical column for The Atmore Advance, where he ended with the quote “It always whispers to me…those days of long ago”. He also worked as a DJ at WATM radio in Atmore and was the voice of the Escambia County High School Blue Devils.
McGill taught school in Bratt and Century, and was principal of the school in McCullough.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ouida Troutman McGill and numerous other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held Tuesday at Brooks Memorial Baptist Church in Atmore.
Northview, Jay, Central Students Picked For Washington Youth Tour
March 13, 2019
Keaton Brown of Northview High School, Hannah Morris of Jay High School and Kylie Schwarz of Central High School have been name winners of the Escambia River Electric Cooperative 2019 Youth Tour to Washington contest.
Judges from PowerSouth Energy Cooperative in Andalusia, AL, and Southern Pine Electric Cooperative in Brewton, AL, scored contestants in their interviews based on their knowledge of Escambia River Electric Cooperative and the history of rural electrification. Personal attributes of each candidate such as character, academic ability, personality and leadership skills were also considered.
Brown, Morris and Schwarz will represent EREC on the Washington Youth Tour in June. They will also have the chance to see the sites, learn about the nation’s capital, rural electrification and more.
Tate Aggies Blank PHS; Clary Hits A Grand Slam, Tolbert Homers
March 13, 2019
The Tate High Aggies shut out Pensacola High Tuesday night 19-0 in five innings.
Tate’s Will Clary knocked a grand slam in the fifth inning, and Chase Tolbert hit a two-run homer in the fourth.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Jordan Jarman earned the win for the Aggies. He went four innings with no runs, no walks and striking out five. Ethan George threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Raymond Lafleur, Darrien Mcdowell, Kaden King and Hunter McLean doubled for Tate.
The Aggies will be at Pensacola Catholic on Thursday.
Pictured: Will Clary (top) hit a grand slam for the Tate Aggies Tuesday night against PHS, and Chase Tolbert (below) had a two-run homer. Photos by Crystal Tolbert for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Alabama 10 Cent Gas Tax Increase Signed Into Law
March 13, 2019
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a 10-cent gas tax increase into law Tuesday, about two hours after it received final legislative approval.
A six cent increase will go into effect on September 1. There will be another two cent increase in 2020, and another two cents in 2021.
New revenue generated by the increase will be dispersed between state, county, and municipal governments in Alabama. These funds are to be used for transportation infrastructure improvement, preservation and maintenance projects. A separate portion of the revenues will go to pay a bond to be issued to finance improvements to the ship channel providing access to the facilities of the Alabama State Docks.
Pictured: Regular unleaded gas was $2.25 a gallon Tuesday in Atmore as Gov. Kay Ivey signed an Alabama gas tax increase into law (pictured below). NorthEscambia.com and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Beats Jay; Navarre Tops Tate
March 13, 2019
Northview 3, Jay 1
The Northview Chiefs defeated the Jay Royals 3-1 Tuesday in Jay.
For at Northview at Jay photo gallery, click here.
Tori Herrington earned the win for Northview, allowing two hits, walking one and striking out eight in seven innings.
Valen Shelley led the Chiefs at the plate, going 3-3 with 2 RBIs. Also for Northview: Herrington 2-4; Aubree Love 1-4, R; Ashley Ragsdale 1-4.
The Northview Chiefs will be at Freeport on Thursday.
Navarre 4, Tate 1
The Tate High School Lady Aggies fell behind early and could not recover in a 4-1 loss to Navarre on Tuesday.
Navarre took a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-run homer.
Avery Beauchaine homered in the second inning. Hannah Halfacre and Ryleigh Cawby also had hits for Tate. Beauchaine took the loss for Lady Aggies. She surrendered four runs on six hits over five innings, striking out three and walking zero.
The Aggies will be at Escambia on Thursday afternoon. The junior varsity plays at 4:30, and the varsity takes the field at 6:30.
Pictured: Northvew defeats Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pine Forest Wins 16-3 over defending MS 3A State Champs St Andrews
March 13, 2019
Pine Forest 16, St. Andrews Episcopal (MS)
The Pine Forest Eagles beat defending Mississippi 3A state champion St Andrews Episcopal 16-3 on Tuesday.
Tekoah Roby drive in four on three hits to lead the Eagles. Pine Forest pulled away for good in the second inning with six runs.
Nolan Rigby got the win for Pine Forest Eagles. He lasted three innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out one. Jared Riddell and Timmy Williams entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.
Pine Forest had two home runs in the second. Jason Roberts had a solo homer in the second, and Roby drove in a home run.
Roby, Roberts, Pinette, Rhett Hardy, and Christian Munoz each had multiple hits for Pine Forest Eagles
Work Release Inmate Steals Law Enforcement Vehicle And Escapes; Truck Found Near Jay
March 12, 2019
UPDATE: THE INMATE WAS RECAPTURED WEDNESDAY. CLICK FOR UPDATE.
A manhunt is underway for an escaped work release inmate that stole a sheriff’s office vehicle today near Flomaton.
Herbert Randal Adams, 28, took an Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office pickup truck from a work site on Highway 113 north of Flomaton, according to Sheriff Heath Jackson. He was last seen headed south on Highway 113 toward Flomaton.
The pickup was described as a blue Ford F150 with a sheriff’s star logo on both doors. Officers gave chase in a second vehicle that was on the work release site, but they were unable to catch up with Adams. The truck was later located on Morristown Road in Jay, but Adams was not around the vehicle.
Adams was jailed on a drug charges. Law enforcement agencies from Alabama and Florida were involved in the manhunt.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office at (251) 809-0741 or 911.
No Serious Injuries In East Kingsfield Wreck
March 12, 2019
There were no serious injuries in a crash about 3:20 Tuesday afternoon on East Kingsfield Road at Pompano Street in Cantonment, just west of Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Grand Jury Indicts Two For Murder Of Beulah Convenience Store Clerk
March 12, 2019
A grand jury has indicted two people for the murder of a convenience store in Beulah.
The grand returned indictments of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery against Efidarius Gemeateus Bryant and Keandra Martez Smith.
The indictments stem from the death of Govardhan “Reddy” Kotha, a clerk at the Quick Fill gas station located at 7144 Mobile Highway on February 19. Bryant and Smith are being held on no bond with an arraignment set for Thursday.
A third person, Crystal Clausell, is being charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. Her arraignment is also set for Thursday.
A customer that entered the store the night of February 19 called authorities because he did not see a clerk in the store and the register drawer was open. Deputies arrived to find that Kotha, 50, was shot in the head and chest.
On the surveillance video, deputies watched as Smith entered the store in a gray hoodie. He purchased sunflower seeds and left the store. Then Bryant entered the store wearing mask, brandishing a 9mm semi-automatic automatic handgun at Kotha. A short time later, he lifted the cash register draw and fired two shots at Kotha, hitting him in the upper chest and head, according to a report.
Smith, according to the report, left the store without taking any cash.
By early morning, surveillance images were posted on social media and news media, including NorthEscambia.com. A tipster came forward an identified one of the suspects as Smith to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith was taken into custody and transported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, wearing the same hoodie as in the surveillance video. A police report notes he was distraught and crying hysterically.
At no point did Smith attempt to render first aid to Kotha, contact emergency medical services or reach out to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the report revealed.
Smith provided his DNA to autorities, according to the report.
Clausell and Bryant were dating, the investigation revealed.
Identity Released Of Worker Killed In Bulldozer Accident During ECUA Controlled Burn
March 12, 2019
Authorities have identified a man killed Saturday when he was struck a bulldozer during a controlled burn in Cantonment.
Daryl Bradley Holland, 38, was pronounced deceased on the scene deep in a wooded area south of Becks Lake Road. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Holland was the bulldozer operator.
“He got off in an attempt to remove a tree or large limb lodged in the tracks,” Maj. Andrew Hobbs said Monday afternoon. “The bulldozer wasn’t all the way out of gear. When it was un-jammed, the bulldozer lurched forward.”
Holland was working for HHH Construction of NWF, which was a subcontractor of Munroe Forest & Wildlife Management on the burn, according to Nathalie Bowers, public information officer for the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.
Approximately 900 acres near the ECUA’s Central Water Reclamation Facility were set to be burned in a three day period that ended Saturday as part of ECUA’s management plan for the ecological restoration of forest lands on the property.
Pictured: LifeFlight on standby at a bulldozer accident Saturday in Cantonment. The accident occurred deep in the woods, south of the the pictured location. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
