Ice Flyers Fall 4-2 To Bulls (With Gallery)
March 23, 2025
Despite a late third-period rally led by Ice Flyers forward Lukas Jirousek, the Bulls secured another victory 4-2 Saturday night.
Bulls forward Kolten Olynek opened the scoring early in the first period, and forward Filimon Ledziankou extended the Bulls’ lead to two before the first intermission.
Midway through the second period, Jirousek and the Bulls’ Kyler Mathews dropped the gloves in a fight. Later, Andrew Bellant scored to extend the Bulls’ lead to three.
After a tripping penalty against Nikita Kozyrev of the Bulls, Jirousek capitalized with a power play goal. Minutes later, when the Bulls received a holding penalty, Jirousek struck again, narrowing the score to 3-2.
Ice Flyers’ Matt Wiesner received a game misconduct and major penalty for elbowing, putting the Bulls on a power play for most of the remaining third period. The Bulls capitalized with Kolten Olynek’s second goal of the game, making the score 4-2.
Fans can bid on autographed goal pucks from this weekend on Dash.
The Ice Flyers play their final home game of the season on Sunday, March 23.
Scoring Summary
First Period
BHM 1, PEN 0
2:12 Kolten Olynek (17) – Nikita Kozyrev, Andrew Bellant
BHM 2, PEN 0
16:09 Filimon Ledziankous (12) – Arkhip Ledziankou, Carson Rose
Shots on goal: BHM 9, PEN 0
Second Period
BHM 3, PEN 0
18:04 Andrew Bellant (4) – Nikita Kozyrev, Kolten Olynek
Shots on goal: BHM 9, PEN 6
Third Period
BHM 3, PEN 1
4:39 Lukas Jirousek (3) – Jake Hamilton
BHM 3, PEN 2
6:03 Lukas Jirousek (4) – Matthew Gilbert
BHM 4, PEN 2
15:09 Kolton Olynek (18) – Unassisted
Shots on goal: BHM 14 PEN 9
Total Shots: BHM 32, PEN 23
At Least Two Injured In Highway 29 Cantonment Crash
March 22, 2025
At least two people were injured in a T-bone type crash Friday night on Highway 29 at Tree Street near International Paper in Cantonment.
Two pickup trucks collided about 8:10 p.m. An update on the conditions of those involved was not available.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the cras.
NorthEscambai.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Early Voting Begins Today For 1st Congressional District Election
March 22, 2025
Early voting opens today for the April 1 special general election to fill the 1st Congressional District seat that was left vacant by the resignation of Matt Gaetz.
Early voting will be available from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 daily through March 29 at 10 locations in Escambia County:
- Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A, Molino
- Escambia County Extension Services, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Billy G. Ward Century Courthouse, 7500 N Century Blvd, Century
- UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola
- Bellview Library, 6425 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
- Tryon Library, 1200 Langley Avenue, Pensacola
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, Pensacola
- Main Library, 239 Spring Street, Pensacola
- Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W De Soto Street, Pensacola
Polls will be open on election day, Tuesday, April 1 rom 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Brush Fire Burns In Bratt; Officials Warn It’s The Peak Of Wildfire Season
March 22, 2025
A brush fire quickly burned through about two acres in Bratt late Friday afternoon, and officials are urging caution as we enter the peak of Florida’s wildfire season.
The fire, with flames that reached the treetops, was in a wooded area north of West Highway 4 near Dortch Road. There were no injuries, and no structural damage reported.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
The Walnut Hill, Century and Molino Stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue, Atmore Fire Department and the Florida Forest Service battled the fire.
“The middle of March is typically the peak of Florida fire season, according to Joe Zwierzchowski, wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Forest Services Blackwater Forestry Center.
He said the growing vegetation in the spring is soaking up rainfall, drying the surface. Add a windy day, and “it’s off to the races”.
“You think of wildfires, and you think all the dead brown vegetation. But Florida burns when it’s green. It’s kind of an anomaly but this is the peak of our wildfire season,” Zwierzchowski added.
He said Northwest Florida residents should hold off on any outdoor burning for another four to six weeks.
NorthEscambai.com photo, click to enlarge.
ECCO: Man Posing At Deputy Arrested For Bail Bond Scam
March 22, 2025
A man accused of posing as a law enforcement officer to scam a woman out of $10,000 was arrested on March 20, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
Deputies responded to a fraud complaint at a bondsman’s office on Pace Boulevard on March 17 after the victim reported receiving a call from a man claiming to be with the ECSO. The caller falsely told her she had a warrant for her arrest and needed to bring $10,000 in cash to the bail bondsman.
The victim met the suspect in the parking lot but grew suspicious when he failed to provide proper identification. He fled on foot before deputies arrived.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Christopher Michael Roof, 47, and charged him with grand theft, scheme to defraud, and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
Roof remained in the Escambia County Friday without having made his own $10,000 bond.
FHP Investigating Scenic Hills North Hit And Run Involving A Child On A Bicycle
March 22, 2025
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a possible hit and run involving a pickup truck and a bicycle in the Scenic Hills North area.
On March 18, at approximately 5:15 p.m. an 8-year-old boy riding a bicycle on Spalding Circle at Tam O Shanter Road was involved in a hit-and-run incident after colliding with a silver or gray pickup truck. FHP said the incident occurred when the child, riding improperly in the roadway, failed to yield to oncoming traffic and ran a stop sign before making a left turn in front of the vehicle. The front of the bike struck the right side of the truck, causing the boy to fall to his right side.
According to witnesses, the pickup truck immediately left the scene. A bystander reported seeing a white male in his twenties operating the vehicle.
The child sustained minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital.
Investigators found no debris from the pickup truck and no visible damage on the bicycle indicating a direct collision. Troopers said the bike’s damage was limited to the right handlebar and was consistent with the fall. Authorities have identified the silver or grey pickup truck as a vehicle of interest in the case.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is asking for any information related to this incident. Witnesses are encouraged to contact *FHP and reference this case.
File photo.
Some Charges Dropped Against Former Ernest Ward Middle Bookkeeper Charged With Grand Theft Over $50,000
March 21, 2025
Some of the charges have been dropped against a former Ernest Ward Middle School bookkeeper that was charged last year with embezzling over $50,000 in cash from the school and its organizations.
Lindsey Dawn Kelley of McDavid, now age 41, was arrested in October 2024 charged with grand theft, scheme to defraud and false entry in books of business. This week, the scheme to defraud and false entry in books of business charges were dismissed by prosecutors, according to court records. The reason for the dismissal was not noted in immediately available court documents.
According to investigators, she stole cash collected by school organizations over a 13-month period.
Kelley quit her bookkeeping job at the school in Walnut Hill before the first week of the 2024 school year following her arrest on unrelated credit card fraud and grand theft charges in which a relative was the alleged victim. That prompted Principal Tyvanna Boulanger to request that the Escambia County School District complete an internal audit of the school’s bookkeeping and financial records.
Both cases are still pending, with Kelley due back in court in June.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Kelly collected $52,278.98 in cash from various organizations that was stolen between July 1, 2023, and August 30, 2024:
- Change Fund-$300
- FFA-$4,047.50
- Honor Society – $310
- Shop- $650
- Volleyball/basketball – $4,001.65
- Cheer – $28,192.34
- SGA/track – $850
- Football – $200
- Band – $1,840
- Library/yearbook/drama – $4,670.49
- Culinary-$865
- 6th grade- $1,786
- 8th grade – $2,756
- 7th grade- $1,810
“It should be noted that this amount does not reflect any money stolen from Earnest Ward Middle School prior to July 1, 2023,” the arrest report states.
The report states that in the school year before Kelley was hired as a bookkeeper at EWMS, the school deposited $82,475.24 in cash for school organizations. The report notes after Kelly was hired as school finance specialist in August 2020, cash deposits were as follow:
- 2019-2020 – $46,736.28 cash deposited
- 2020-2021 – $23,270.08 cash deposited
- 2021-2022 – $29,782.46 cash deposited
- 2022-2023 – $18,733.64 cash deposited
- 2023-2024 -No Cash Deposited
The school district told investigators that Kelley was audited in the 2022-2023 school year and the audit noted Kelley had a “lack of organization led to several issues, the most severe of which was the inability to locate entire records for deposits and receipts.” Kelley has not been charged with any school related crime that occurred prior to July 1, 2023.
Kelley was interviewed by ECSO investigators on October 23, 2024.
“One at a time, we spoke with teachers/sponsors of the different school organizations who had given cash to Kelley during the previous school year for their organizations,” a investigator reported. “There was zero cash deposited to the school’s bank account during the 2023-2024 school year so all cash that was given to Kelley is now missing.”
“Immediately upon beginning the interview, Kelley stated that she took the money. Kelley didn’t know the amount of money that she had taken because she had taken it over time and didn’t keep track of it,” the ECSO report states. Deputies said the money was deposited in her credit union account or added to a GreenDot account.
“I advised Kelley of the amounts stolen from each team/organization and that the total amount stolen for the 2023-2024 school year adds up to $52,278.98,” the investigator wrote in his report. “While surprised, Kelley did not disagree with that amount and advised that if that was the amount that had been determined, then that was the amount that she had stolen. When asked about the balance statements for the teams/organizations, she admitted to editing them on an Adobe program so that they wouldn’t discover the low balances of the accounts. At the conclusion of the interview, Kelley advised that she was remorseful and would never do something like this again.”
In addition, school administration alleged that all documents such as purchase orders, money collected forms, along with receiving invoices and documents were missing.
Applications Close Next Week For HERricane: Escambia 2025 For Girls Grades 7-9
March 21, 2025
Escambia County Emergency Management is inviting girls entering the 7th,, 8th, and 9th grades to apply for the HERricane: Escambia 2025 Program. Applications close next wee.
The four-day-long camp will be held June 10-13 at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center.
HERricane is a girls’ summer camp to help rethink and improve outreach and engagement around emergency preparedness. The HERricane program was launched in Arlington, Va. in 2017 and has expanded throughout the United States since then. HERricane empowers women to pursue careers and leadership roles in emergency management through a week-long “camp,” and includes long-term professional development opportunities. Its mission is to develop and elevate women as leaders in emergency management and related careers while expanding the image of these professions as a positive force for improving public safety and government.
For an application, click here.
The HERricane Escambia Advisory Board will select up to 20 girls to participate in the 2025 program. The camp is FREE for students to participate. Applications will be accepted until Friday, March 28. HERricane may be rescheduled or canceled in the event of severe weather, natural disasters or real-life emergencies.
This program is open to young girls living in Escambia County who will be entering grades 7-9 for the 2025-2026 school year.
Applications for HERricane must be filled out by hand using a blue or black ink pen and should not be completed by a parent/guardian. To submit your application, please mail or drop off applications at the Escambia County Public Safety building, located at 6575 N. “W” St., Pensacola, FL 32505. Office hours are Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Applicants may also scan the completed application and email it to HERricane@MyEscambia.com.
Deputy Crista Pope Named ECSO Employee Of The Month
March 21, 2025
Deputy Crista Pope was named the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Employee of the Month for March. Pope is assigned to the Century Precinct. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Traffic Stop Leads To Drug Arrest
March 21, 2025
A routine traffic stop in Century led to the arrest of a passenger for possession of marijuana greater than 20 grams.
Deputies stopped a gray Chrysler Town and Country near the Century Food Mart on North Century Boulevard due to a partially detached license plate. The driver, who did not have a valid license, stated he was operating the vehicle because the owner was too intoxicated to drive.
During the stop, deputies observed an open container of vodka in the back seat and conducted a probable cause search. A clear plastic bag containing approximately 42 grams of marijuana was found under the front passenger seat, where 23-year-old Cheyenne Brooke Philyaw was sitting, according to an arrest report.
Philyaw denied ownership of the drugs, claiming the driver threw the bag under her seat upon arrival at the store. However, she was taken into custody and transported to the Escambia County Jail on a charge of possession of marijuana over 20 grams. She was later released on a $2,500 bond.
The driver told deputies that he did not throw the marijuana under the seat, and he did not know there was marijuana in the vehicle The driver was cited for driving with a suspended license and given a court date in April.