Wahoos Even Series With The Montgomery Biscuits
July 23, 2017
Thanks to back-to-back two out hits by right fielder Aristides Aquino and second baseman Shed Long, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos scored three runs in the top of the ninth to overcome the Montgomery Biscuits.
The Blue Wahoos entered the ninth tied, 4-4, Saturday at Riverwalk Stadium but earned the victory, 7-4, when Aquino singled in third baseman Nick Senzel and Long doubled on a line drive to left field that scored both left fielder Josh VanMeter and Aquino.
The five-game series is now tied, 2-2, with the final game scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Sunday. Pensacola improved to 15-14 in the second half and regained first place over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, whose game with the Tennessee Smokies was postponed. The Blue Wahoos are 55-44 overall and won the first half Southern Division title.
Montgomery knotted the game, 4-4, with two runs in the eighth inning off Pensacola reliever Robert Stock, who loaded the bases with no outs. He was replaced by Pensacola closer Zack Weiss, who got the first two Biscuits batters out but then gave up a two-run single to center field by Biscuits DH Cade Cotta, driving in shortstop Jake Cronenworth and second baseman Riley Unroe.
Weiss struck out two batters in the ninth and got the last six outs to earn the win and improve his record to 2-1 with a 0.93 ERA in nine appearances. He has given up five runs but none earned over his last 8.2 innings and struck out 12.
Pensacola starting pitcher Jose Lopez, who has made eight Double-A starts, turned in his fourth straight strong outing. He worked six innings, allowed two runs on four hits and one walk and struck out five.
Montgomery left-handed starter Logan Darnell, who made four starts for the Minnesota Twins in 2014, also worked six innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on nine hits, no walks and struck out 10. The 28-year-old tied his career high that he recorded in 2010 with the Twins rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League.
Pensacola, though, pounded out 13 hits, one of its highest totals in a game this year. Five Blue Wahoo hitters had multi-hit games. Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero was 2-5 with two runs scored for his team-leading 29th multi-hit game this season. Senzel was 3-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. First baseman Gavin Lavalley was 2-5 with a double and two RBIs. Aquino was 2-5 with a run and RBI. Long was 2-5 with a double and two RBIs.
Five People Injured In Cantonment Crash
July 22, 2017
Five people were injured in a three vehicle accident Friday morning in Cantonment.
The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 29 and Muscogee Road. All five were transported by Escambia County EMS ambulance to local hospitals. Two other people refused medical treatment.
Further details have not yet been released by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets Life In Prison For Armed Robbery
July 22, 2017
An Escambia County jury found Demeko Sims Guilty of robbery with a firearm. Immediately following the verdict, Judge Joel
Boles sentenced Sims to life in state prison as a prison releasee re-offender.
On October 17, 2015, Sims entered the Happy 7 Food Store on Lillian Hwy in Pensacola wearing a hooded camouflage jacket and patched jeans. Sims robbed the clerk with a black revolver and fled on foot. Store surveillance captured the robbery and showed that Sims was dropped off another person driving a truck.
The truck was later identified and stopped by Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies on November 2, 2015. Sims was the passenger of the truck.
A camouflage jacket was found in his seat and a black revolver was found in the passenger door pocket. A search warrant was executed at the home Sims was living in which returned the patched jeans. Later, Sims was interviewed by investigators and confessed to the robbery.
Pickup Destroyed By Fire (With Photo Gallery)
July 22, 2017
Fire destroyed a pickup truck Saturday in the 700 block of Jacks Branch Road. There were no injuries reported.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Sentenced For Aggravated Assault Of Deputy
July 22, 2017
An Escambia County Jury found Carlos Lamar Warren, Jr., guilty of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Immediately following the verdict, Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh sentenced Warren to a maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison.
On December 11, 2015, Deputies Craft, Kamau, Melton, and Sgt. Brown were on bike patrol in the area of Massachusetts and Erres Blvd. About 7:40 p.m. Deputy Melton observed a white Nissan sitting in the middle of Erres Blvd. with no headlights activated.
Deputy Melton then observed a hand-to- hand transaction between the driver of the vehicle and an approaching subject. After the transaction, the driver of the Nissan made a U-turn, activated the vehicle lights, and headed in the direction of law enforcement. As law enforcement approached the vehicle, Deputy Melton stopped his bike in the path of the vehicle, illuminated himself and the cabin of the vehicle, thereby signaling to the driver to stop the vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle slowed down as it approached Deputy Melton and the other law enforcement deputies. However, once the vehicle was approximately two feet away from Deputy Melton, it accelerated, struck Deputy Melton's bike, ran a stop sign, and fled the scene. Had Deputy Melton not jumped off of his bike, he would have been struck by the vehicle. Upon viewing a photo of Mr. Warren, each deputy identified Mr. Warren as the driver who struck Deputy Melton's bike and almost struck Deputy Melton.
Elderly Atmore Couple Charged With Sex Trafficking Of Teen
July 22, 2017
An Atmore woman and her elderly boyfriend are accused of sex trafficking.
Mary Lue Daw, 66, and her boyfriend Charles Stacey, 87 are both charged with human trafficking and rape.
Court documents show Daw accepted money from Stacey in exchange for allowing him to have sex with her 13-year-old granddaughter.
Stacey persuaded the 13-year-old girl to come into a back bedroom and have sex with him for money, according to those court documents.
Stacey is also charged with promoting prostitution and enticing a child for immoral purposes
Both remain in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton with bond set at $1 million each.
Wahoos Fall To Biscuits
July 22, 2017
The game was all tied up, 2-2, and then the bottom of the sixth inning happened.
That’s when the Montgomery Biscuits sent 11 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on four hits, including a grand slam to left field by right fielder Justin Williams to beat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 14-3, Friday at Riverwalk Stadium. Montgomery, which got 13 hits, leads the series, 2-1.
The inning started with the Biscuits loading the bases with no outs when left fielder Nathan Lukes doubled in catcher Mac James and third baseman Michael Russell to put Montgomery ahead, 4-2. Second baseman Grant Kay then reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Andrew Velazquez to score from third for a, 5-2, lead. Montgomery first baseman Joe McCarthy then hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Lukes to make the score, 6-2.
The Biscuits loaded the bases again when Williams, the Tampa Bay Rays No. 10 prospect, smacked his grand slam with one out for a 10-2 lead. Williams was 2-4 and now has six homers with 40 RBIs and .294 batting average.
Seven of the runs, six earned were charged to Pensacola reliever Alex Powers, but it was Jake Ehret who gave up the grand slam.
Pensacola starter Deck McGuire struggled in his 19th start, giving up two runs on four hits and five walks and striking out seven in his five innings of work.
Pensacola scored first in the first inning to go up, 1-0, when left fielder Josh VanMeter hit a two-out double to score shortstop Blake Trahan.
Montgomery went ahead, 2-1, in the third inning when DH Dalton Kelly hit a two-run homer off McGuire. It was his seventh homer of the season with four of them coming against Pensacola.
Blue Wahoos second baseman Shed Long hit a solo shot, his third homer for Pensacola, to tie the score at 2. Pensacola third baseman Nick Senzel singled in the seventh inning to score Trahan for the Blue Wahoos third and final run of the game.
Pensacola is 14-14 in the second half and fell into a first-place tie with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Pensacola is 54-44 overall.
Grant Builds Three Pole Barns For Panhandle Equine Rescue
July 21, 2017
Three pole barns were recently constructed at Panhandle Equine Rescue in Cantonment thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Melba Bayers Meyer Charitable Trust through Wells Fargo.
“They will provide much needed additional shelter for the rescue horses. We were able to extend an existing barn and add two new ones. The third barn will serve as a shelter for veterinarians and farriers and will include a stock, scale and wash rack,” said PER President Diane Lowery.
Lowery said donations received from a GoFundMe account were also included to fund the three shelters.
“We are so grateful to our generous donors and to Melba Bayers Meyer Charitable Trust for making it possible to achieve these goals. The horses are enjoying the shade and protection from the rain,” she said.
The only horse rescue in Escambia County, PER was founded by a small group of concerned citizens with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate and provide adoption services for abused, neglected and abandoned equines. PER is authorized by the court system to investigate equine cruelty in Escambia County.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century To Begin Budget Setting Process
July 21, 2017
Century will begin their budget setting process with workshop meetings August 10 and August 24.
In previous years, the town council has held budget workshop meetings much earlier. During the past couple of years, the town has held two budget workshops in June, followed by one or two meetings to complete the process in July.
Both the August 10 and August 24 meetings will be held in the council chambers at the Century Town Hall at 7995 North Century Boulevard. The meetings are open to the public.
The fiscal year 2016-2017 budget in Century was $4.26 million.
NorthEscambia.com photos,click to enlarge.
Governor Appoints Pate, Everett To NW Florida Water Management District
July 21, 2017
Monday, Governor Rick Scott announced the reappointments of Jerry Pate and Ted Everett to the Governing Board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
Pate, 63, of Pensacola, is the owner and chief executive officer of Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation, Inc. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama. Pate is reappointed for a term beginning July 17, 2017, and ending March 1, 2021.
Everett, 57, of Chipley, is the executive director for the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. He received his bachelor’s degree from Augusta State University. Everett is reappointed for a term beginning July 17, 2017 and ending March 1, 2021.
The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District is charged with managing the water resources of the Florida panhandle. The District works to protect and manage the water resources in a sustainable manner that benefits both the people and natural resources across its 16-county region, including Escambia County and the North Escambia area. That includes the Escambia River Water Management Area.