HS Basketball: PHS Gets Past Tate; Jay Sweeps Northview
January 18, 2019
High school basketball scores from Thursday night:
BOYS
Pensacola High 74, Tate 72
– The game was tied 72 all with just 11 seconds to go Thursday night at Tate High School. Love Bettis led the Tate Aggies with 37 points.
Jay 74, Northview 36
GIRLS
Jay 54, Northview 28
– It was the 17th straight win for Jay’s girls team. Carsyn Seib led the Royals with 18, and Kaitlin Gafford led the Chiefs with 11 points.
EREC Offers Assistance To Furloughed Federal Employees
January 18, 2019
Escambia River Electric Cooperative is offering assistance to federal employees directly affected by the government shutdown.
EREC will not disconnect electric service during the furlough for federal workers that make arrangements with the utility.
Federal employees must submit a copy of their furlough letter in person or by email to memberservices@erec.com to qualify for payment arrangements. For more information, contact EREC members services at (850) 675-4521.
FHP Looking For Pickup Truck Involved In Fatal Pedestrian Crash
January 18, 2019
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.
The Florida Highway Patrol is asking for the public’s help in locating a pickup truck involved in a fatal pedestrian crash Thursday night.
A white Dodge pickup truck was traveling westbound on Fairfield Drive approaching Pace Boulevard as a pedestrian was crossing northbound on Fairfield Drive. Witnesses told troopers that the pickup did not have headlights and was driving in two lanes when the pedestrian was struck.
The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on the scene. His name has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
The suspect vehicle is a white in color Dodge pickup, possibly a dually, with white hub caps. It may have a black color front grill protector.
Anyone with any information about this crash or information about a possible vehicle, is asked to contact FHP Corporal E. Diaz at (850) 484-5000.
Firefighters Respond To Cotton Trash Fire At Gin Company
January 17, 2019
Fire departments from across the area responded to the West Florida Gin on Meadows Road in Davisville about 10:40 Thursday morning.
A fire was smoldering in cotton “trash”, a by-product of the cleaning and ginning process. The fires happen usually happen each year, and sometimes take several hours to extinguish.
There was no immediate reports to damage to the structures in the facility and no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Atmore Fire Department and the Nokomis (AL) Volunteer Fire Department were among those dispatched to the cotton gin.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Ceremony Marks Start Of Demolition Of Old Jail Damaged In Explosion
January 17, 2019
Demolition is now on the former jail building that was heavily damaged in an explosion in 2014.
Escambia County hosted a ceremony this morning to mark the demolition of the former Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Facility.
The brief program included the history of the building, plans for the site, and a moment of silence and prayers for the approximately 600 inmates and staff who were in the building when an explosion in the basement laundry room occurred during the April 2014 flooding event.
The explosion killed two and injured 184.
Robert Earl Simmons, age 54 of Railroad Street in McDavid, was arrested on multiple felony animal cruelty charges three months before the jail explosion. He was being held without bond due to an alleged probation violation in a 2012 grand theft and trespassing case. He was due for a probation violation hearing to determine his possible bond eligibility.
David Paul Weinstein, age 45, was arrested February 28, 2014, for fraud providing false owner information a pawned item, dealing in stolen property and grand theft. His bond was set at $12,500, but he was placed under a “hold” by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office where he had an outstanding warrant. His trial in Escambia County was set for mid-July 2014.
Both men were found dead surrounded by debris in the same part of the jail.
About 600 inmates were inside when the explosion caused by a natural gas leak ripped through the Escambia County Central Booking and Detention Facility on West Leonard Street.
People as far away as Molino and Gulf Breeze reported feeling or hearing the blast.
Tate QB Club Raising Funds To Assist Banks, McCoy Family
January 17, 2019
The Tate High School Quarterback Club is accepting donations to help the family of Sean Banks and Antoinette McCoy, the siblings killed last weekend in a traffic crash.
“The Banks family was experiencing extreme financial hardship to fund flights for immediate family members to travel from Virginia to Pensacola for the services and burial. Based upon time constraints related to booking and arranging flights, the Tate QB Club paid for these airline tickets in full,” the Quarterback Club said in a news release.
The cost of the airline tickets was $2,787. Any funds received in excess of that amount will be provided to the Banks family to offset other expenses association with the funeral expenses.
Checks should be made payable to the Tate QB Club, noting “Banks Airline Tickets” in the memo line. Mail checks to: Tate QB Club, P.O. Box 303, Gonzalez, FL 32560.
Online donations can be made in $5 increments at www.tatehighfootball.com/shop (change the item quantity to increase the donation amount).
“Thanks so much for your kindness and support of this family during this time of extreme grief,” the Quarterback Club said. The Tate Quarterback is a 501(c)(3) organization.
For information on funeral services, click here.
Click the image to read the entire letter from the Tate Quarterback Club.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Firefighter Named VFW’s Fire Rescue Person of The Year
January 17, 2019
VFW Post 706 named Escambia Fire Rescue Lt. Bryan Caro as Fire Rescue Person of the Year Wednesday night.
He was honored for pulling a woman from a burning home on Portobella Place, just south of East Kingsfield Road, on November 2, 2018. The home was heavily damaged by fire.
Caro serves at the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue.
Pictured above: Escambia Fire Rescue Chief Rusty Nail, Lt. Bryan Caro and ECFR Deputy Chief Paul Williams. Pictured below: Caro was honored for pulling a woman from this burning home on Portobella Place last November. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Funeral Services Set For Sean Banks, Antoinette McCoy
January 17, 2019
Funeral services will be Saturday for a brother and sister killed in a tragic crash on East Kingsfield Road.
Sean Banks, a 15-year old sophomore scholar three-sport athlete at Tate High School, and sister Antoinette McCoy were killed in a tragic car crash early Saturday morning when their vehicle was hit by an alleged DUI driver on East Kingsfield Road. It was just hours after Banks’ last basketball game for Tate, and only about a month since McCoy graduated from college.
Visitation will be held Friday from 2-8 p.m. at Tracy Morton Memorial Chapel at 55 Coast Road. The funeral service will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at Hillcrest Baptist Church at 900 East 9 Mile Road.
No Spell Check Needed! Middle School Spelling Bee Winners Named
January 17, 2019
Middle School winners in the 43rd Annual Sandy Sansing Spelling Bee were:
Middle School Overall
- 1st- Jayson Tran – Sims Middle
- 2nd- Maverick Marley – Sherwood Elementary
- 3rd- Shelby Lewis- Ranson Middle
8th Grade
- 1st- Jayson Tran- Sims Middle
- 2nd- Shelby Lewis- Ransom Middle
- 3rd- Carey Vinson- Workman Middle
7th Grade
- 1st- Trustin Canada- Holley Navarre Middle
- 2nd- Jackson Burkette- Sims Middle
- 3rd- Ashlyn Dionne- Bailey Middle
6th Grade
- 1st-Caleb Parnell- Sims Middle
- 2nd- Mateo Soto- Holley Navarre Middle
- 3rd- Charlie Hall- Pensacola Christian
Pictured top: Eighth grade winners. Below: Seventh grade winners. Bottom: Sixth grade winners. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Heat Beats The Pelicans In Atmore
January 17, 2019
The Century Heat youth basketball team defeated the Pelicans in Atmore 9-6.
Jakel Phifer, Milkavion White, Keyunta Ewing, Marquise Banks, and TyCoren Burt lead the Century Heat in the win.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.