Friday Night Football Finals
September 29, 2018
Here are North Escambia area high school football scores:
FLORIDA
- Tate 30, Washington 27 [Read more...]
- Baker 35, Jay 0
- Pine Forest 29, Escambia 14
- Pensacola 39, Panama City Bay 7
- American Heritage 34, Pensacola Catholic 30
- Navarre 49, Pace 23
- Gulf Breeze 38, Milton 14
- Northview – OPEN
- West Florida -OPEN
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 28, Escambia County (Atmore) 14
- Bessemer Academy 31, Escambia Academy 7
- T.R. Miller 14, Hillcrest Evergreen 0
Photo by Jennifer Repine for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mary Rice Guilty On All Charges, Including First Degree Murder
September 28, 2018
Mary Rice has been found guilty on all charges against her in her crime spree with Bill Boyette, Jr., including murder and accessory after the fact. She was sentenced to life in prison on a charge of first degree murder, plus consecutive 30 years terms for accessory after the fact in two other homicides.
She was convicted of first degree murder for the death of Kayla Crocker in Beulah and accessory after the fact for the homicides of Alicia Greer and Jacqueline Moore at the Emerald Sands Inn in Santa Rosa County. Crocker, a 2006 Tate High School graduate, was found by her mother on February 6, 2017, with a gunshot wound to her head.
Rice was arrested after surrendering peacefully at Georgia hotel. She was an accomplice of quadruple murder suspect William “Billy” Boyette, who took his own life in Georgia rather than surrendering to authorities.
Rice also faces a capital murder charge from Baldwin County for the murder of Peggy Broz.
Pictured top: Mary Rice in court, courtesy Jason Robbins, WEAR 3. Pictured below: The scene at the home of Kayla Crocker in Beulah shortly after her 2017 murder. NorthEscambia.com photos.
ECUA Raises Water And Sewer Rates; Garbage Rates Are Next
September 28, 2018
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board voted to raise rates for water and sewer customers Thursday, and they took the first step toward a sanitation rate increase.
Water and Sewer Rate Increase
ECUA water and sewer rates will increase by 4 percent effective Monday. That translates to $1.02 per month for the average water customer consuming 6,000 gallons per month. The proposed increase of four percent would equate to an increase of $1.31 per month at the average 4,600 gallons level of sewer usage. The current average ECUA user pays $26.58 for water and $32.93 for sewage.
Sanitation Rate Increase
On a motion by District 5 representative Larry Walker, the ECUA board reversed course on a sanitation rate increase. They voted against such a raise in July, but after learning sanitation reserves are depleted the board voted 3-2 to raise garbage collection rates by 5 percent and add a $1.50 per month capital improvement fee to each customer’s bill. That will raise a residential customer’s sanitation bill by 87 cents, plus the $1.50 fee, for a total monthly cost of $24.75, while the average commercial customers will see a $3.42 increase, plus the $1.50 capital improvement fee.
The capital improvement fee will be used in a plan to replace 10 aging collection trucks per year over the next eight years.
ECUA does offer a reduced senior citizens lifeline rates for garbage collection in a smaller 40-gallon container. The program’s $10.66 monthly cost will increase to $12.50 per month with the rate hike.
The sanitation rate increase will heard back to the board for a public hearing and final vote on October 25.
Both rate increase proposals passed on a 3-2 vote, with Dale Perkins and Vicki Campbell casting the dissenting votes.
Highway 29 Resurfacing Project Is Now Complete
September 28, 2018
A $5.25 million Highway 29 resurfacing project from Cantonment south is now complete.
The improvement included resurfacing a 5.3 mile section of the four-lane roadway southward from Muscogee Road, drainage improvements, traffic signal upgrades at West 10 Mile Road and East Kinsgfield Road, new signage, pavement striping, and reflective pavement markers.
“The newly resurfaced roadway provides maximum benefit to the traveling public by enhancing the safety of the roadway and improving the ride comfort of the road surface,” according to Tanya Branton, public information specialist for the Florida Department of Transportation.
Pictured: Resurfacing work earlier this year on Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Feeds Florence Victims
September 28, 2018
Florida has provided more than 180,000 pounds of fruits, vegetables, meats and grains to victims of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced Thursday.
Putnam’s state Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services’ Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness provided more than 122,000 pounds of fruits, vegetables and juice; nearly 46,000 pounds of meat, poultry and fish; and more than 12,000 pounds of whole grains and pasta, the agency said in a press release Thursday.
Delivery of the food to disaster relief sites and shelters set up for the storm, which made landfall south of Wrightsville Beach on September 14 was coordinated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Putnam’s office. North Carolina officials blame 36 deaths on the storm, which caused catastrophic flooding.
Elections Boss: Be Aware Of Misleading Mailings
September 28, 2018
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford is warning voters to be aware of mailers from third party organizations.
“These unsolicited mailings can prove misleading,” Stafford said. He encouraged voters who wish to verify the status of their voter registration to contact his office directly by visiting EscambiaVotes.com or by calling (850) 595-3900.
Friends Of The Library Big Fall Book Sale Underway
September 28, 2018
It’s time to refresh your bookshelves at the Friends of West Florida Public Library’s Big Fall Book Sale through Sunday at the Main Library on Spring Street.
Thousands of hardcover, paperback, and collectible books will be available for purchase, plus a variety of DVDs, CDs, puzzles and other items. Proceeds are used to fund programs and enhancements at West Florida Public Library (WFPL) branches.
On Saturday, the book sale will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission for all shoppers and reduced prices.
Sunday is the final day of the book sale, with free admission and the popular $5 Bag Sale from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. For just $5, shoppers will get as much as will fit in a provided brown paper grocery bag. Carts will be available to help carry the bags to vehicles.
Book sale items include thousands of donations from the public and some library books retired from circulation, many of them now out-of-print. Novels and mysteries are sorted by author or into genres like science fiction and westerns. Other book categories include arts and entertainment, children’s, cookbooks, history, holidays, home and hobbies, literature, foreign language, military, modern living, nature and gardening, religion, science, sports, technical and travel. There are also recorded books, magazines and other media for sale.
The Collector’s Corner will feature an assortment of signed books, pre-1950s books, books by local and Florida authors, and other special books that are great for gifts. These items are priced as marked and must be checked out separately, so shoppers paying by check should bring at least two checks.
Payment by cash or check is preferred, but credit cards are welcome.
Friends of West Florida Public Library is a non-profit support organization of the West Florida Public Library.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
JV Football: Baker Tops Northview
September 28, 2018
The junior varsity Baker Gators defeated the Northview JV Chiefs Thursday night at Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium in Bratt.
The Gators held a 14-0 lead headed into halftime and a scoreless second half.
The Chiefs drove to a first down on the Gators’ 20-yard line with just 19 seconds to go in the game. The continued drive for the end zone ended on the 3-yard line as time ran out.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Woman Cited For Crash With School Bus
September 27, 2018
A Pensacola woman was cited after colliding with a school bus on Nine Mile Road.
Jennifer Stiles, 39, was traveling west on Nine Mile Road in a no passing zone near Milestone Boulevard Wednesday afternoon. The Florida Highway Patrol reported she attempted to pass a school bus as the bus made a left-hand turn.
One student and one assistant were the only passengers on the bus. There were no injuries reported.
Stiles was ticketed for driving on the left side in a no passing zone.
Driver Charged With DUI Manslaughter In Crash That Killed Two
September 27, 2018
An Escambia County man free on bond on a DUI charge has been charged with the death of two people killed in crash early Thursday morning not far from Walmart in Ensley.
Jamie Ty Hamrick, 28, was charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter and driving with a suspended license in crash resulting in death. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Hamrick of Pensacola was driving south on North Palafox Street at Sharmon Street when his Honda Civic that ran off the road, collided with a ditch, became airborne, hit a fence and overturned into a a tree about 2:50 a.m.
La’Phontae DeWayne Lewis, 25, and Antion Wade Lindsay, 32, were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased. Hamrick was not injured.
According to jail records, Hamrick was arrested on an unrelated DUI charge five days ago and released on a $1,000 bond.