Fire Destroys Home; Two Firefighters Injured
July 2, 2016
Fire destroyed a home on Deedra Avenue off 10 Mile Road Saturday morning, and two firefighters were injured.
One firefighter was reportedly transported to the hospital with a possible back injury; another was taken to urgent care for treatment of minor injuries. All of the occupants in the home escaped without injury.
Two adults and three children were left homeless by the fire. Firefighters did save the family pet, a gerbil, from fire.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
SWAT Search Turns Up Empty; Armed, Dangerous Suspect On The Run
July 2, 2016
A suspect remains in the run after a SWAT team search came up empty Friday evening in Escambia County.
Reonoppoliss D. Taylor is considered armed and dangerous.
Authorities received a tip that he was inside one of two residence at a trailer park on Langley Avenue. The Pensacola Police Department, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the SWAT team followed through on the tip, but he was nowhere to be found.
Tayler is wanted on multiple charges in Escambia County, plus charges in Fayette County, GA, of attempting to elude a police officer, vehicle theft and multiple traffic offenses.
Anyone with information on Taylor’s whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Vietnam Vet’s Flag Display Honors Military
July 2, 2016
On this Fourth of July weekend, Floyd Calloway on Bluff Springs Road has a flag display in front of his home supporting our military. Calloway is a retired Marine and a Vietnam veteran. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Car Burglary Suspect Caught On Video
July 2, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for suspects in a string of car burglaries in the Kindsfield Road area.
Multiple burglaries were reported to the ECSO on June 23. An extended cab pickup truck with two to three males inside drove through the Kingsfield area. At least two of the suspects would exit the truck and walk up and down driveways looking for unlocked vehicles.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Flomaton Church’s Closes After Smoke Reported In Building
July 2, 2016
Multiple fire departments from Alabama and Florida were dispatched to a report of smoke inside the Church’s Chicken in Flomaton Friday night.
Firefighters determined that the smoke originated from an air conditioning unit on the roof of the building. The restaurant was closed for the rest of the night following the incident but was expected to be open as usual on Saturday.
Responding fire department included Flomaton, Lambeth, Century and McDavid.
UWF Professor Featured In ‘Shark Week’ Coverage
July 2, 2016
Dr. Toby Daly-Engel, an assistant professor of biology at the University of West Florida, was featured as part of the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” coverage.
Daly-Engel, who researches the evolution of shark reproductive strategies, was interviewed by the Discovery Channel and is expected be part of the online content that accompanies its popular week of shark-centered television programming. Daly-Engel said her interview will be part of a feature on female scientists who study sharks.
“I love Shark Week,” Daly-Engel said. “I grew up watching it just like lots of other folks. So to work with people from the Discovery Channel was exciting. Any time I get to talk about my research, which I’m really passionate about, is a good day.”
There aren’t many women working as principal investigators in shark research, Daly-Engel said. She said she was one of the first in the country doing field work when she was hired at UWF.
“Being a female PI (principal investigator) is rare,” she said. “Having a female-run lab that does field work on sharks is even more rare.”
Part of Daly-Engel’s research revolves around monitoring local shark essential habitats. Her study is part of the Gulf of Mexico Shark Pupping and Nursery project, which the Southeast Fisheries Science Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Panama City laboratory has been conducting since 2003.
The program monitors the distribution and populations of sharks, skates and rays in the Gulf of Mexico in order to define and protect essential fish habitats, which are areas deemed critical to the survival of a species, mostly because they’re used for reproduction.
Daly-Engel also works with the Gills Club, a group dedicated to connecting girls interested in sharks with female scientists working in the field. She was interviewed by the Discovery Channel in her office using Google Hangouts. Among the questions she was asked was how she became interested in sharks and why her research is important.
“Research on shark reproduction is important because many shark populations are at-risk or threatened, and we lack data on most of these in terms of where and how these animals are being born,” Daly-Engel said. “So figuring out what sharks need for healthy reproduction is important for management, and to preserve the ecological health of ocean systems.”
Pictured top: Dr. Toby S. Daly-Engel, an assistant professor of biology at the University of West Florida, is doing research with the Gulf SPAN (Gulf of Mexico States Shark Pupping and Nursery Area) survey/ Pictured inset: Dr. Toby S. Daly-Engel and student examining a shark. Pictured below: UWF graduate students Cody Nash, Maggie McClain, Ariel Egan and Matt Davis with Dr. Toby S. Daly-Engel (center). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Beulah Crash
July 2, 2016
There were no injuries in a two-vehicle crash early Friday evening on Mobile Highway at Thomley Trail, near the Escambia County Equestrian Center. All parties involved in the accident refused medical treatment at the scene. The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Beulah Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hudson Smacks First Double-A Homer As Wahoos Beat TN
July 2, 2016
Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson prides himself in his defense but Friday he came through at the plate, knocking his first Double-A home run over the left field wall at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
He launched a two-out, three-run blast in the fifth inning and Pensacola held on to defeat the Chattanooga Lookouts, 10-8, Friday in front of 4,688 fans at home.
After taking a 10-3 lead, Hudson watched normally reliable Pensacola reliever Carlos Gonzalez let Chattanooga back in the game in the eighth inning. Gonzalez allowed the Lookouts to scored five runs to pull within, 10-8. Gonzalez gave up a two-run homer to left fielder Travis Harrison and got only one out before being lifted for Blue Wahoos closer Alejandro Chacin.
Chacin walked two batters putting the crowd on the edge of its seat after getting the first two outs of the ninth inning. But Chacin earned his Southern League leading 15th save.
Hudson said it felt good to “get the monkey off my back” yanking an inside fastball out of the park.
“I take pride in (my defense) more than anything. Defense come first,” Hudson said. “Offense comes after that and anything I get is a bonus.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly was thankful for Hudson’s home run that sparked the Blue Wahoos offense. Pensacola racked up 12 hits with everyone in the lineup earning a base hit.
“Hudson had a big three-run homer right there,” Kelly said. “Joe has got power we just hadn’t seen it this year.”
Hudson has mostly gotten attention for his defense in his career and this season, throwing out the most runners trying to steal second base in the Southern League. He caught two of four base stealers Friday and has thrown 22 of 50 or 44 percent out in 38 games.
He entered the 2016 season rated the best defensive catcher by Baseball America in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Hudson’s defense has always stood out, becoming a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as the most outstanding catcher in college baseball.
“(Hudson) has a terrific throwing arm and is very accurate,” Kelly said. “He’s great to have behind the plate.”
Kelly didn’t have happy feelings about Gonzalez allowing five runs to get back into the game.
“It was pretty good for about seven innings,” Kelly said jokingly. “But you could tell right away that he wasn’t trusting his fastball. Unfortunately, we had to go to Chacin for the final five outs.”
Against Chacin, Chattanooga had the winning run on first base when he walked Lookouts slugger Daniel Palka.
Hudson said he was fine with Palka, who leads the Southern League with 20 homers and 62 RBIs, getting a free pass.
“Chacin and I have played together every year so far in pro ball,” Hudson said. “He’s the most reliable guy I’ve ever caught. He might be small but he’s not afraid of anyone. He’s made the big pitches all year and if I could have anybody I want in the game, I want Chacin right there.”
The Blue Wahoos sent all nine batters to the plate and scored five runs on five hits in the fourth inning to go ahead, 6-2. The key hit was Pensacola catcher Joe Hudson connecting on his first home run of the season over the left field wall. The two-out, three-run blast put Pensacola up, 5-2.
Pensacola had tied the game, 2-2, earlier in the fourth when left fielder Phillip Ervin smacked a low liner into left field, stole second base and scored when first baseman Ray Chang hit a high fly ball in shallow centerfield that landed in for a double when Chattanooga center fielder Niko Goodrum fell down.
The Blue Wahoos scored its sixth run of the game, 6-2, when center fielder Jeff Gelalich singled to right field to score DH Calten Daal, who got on base with his 15th infield single of the season.
Pensacola added two more runs in the fifth inning to take an, 8-2, lead when Ervin scored on Elizalde’s double to the right-center gap. Elizalde crossed the plate on the third straight hit to start the inning when third baseman Taylor Sparks singled to left field.
But Zach Vincej hit another important homer when he jacked a two-run homer over the left field wall to make it a 10-3 ball game.
Vincej went 2-3 with a home run and triple, driving in three runs and scoring twice. Vincej is hitting 24-73 or .311 in 23 games since the start of June.
Chattanooga had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when first baseman Daniel Palka walked with two outs and then scored on catcher Mitch Garver’s seventh home run of the season for the Lookouts.
It was the first time that Pensacola starting pitcher Jackson Stephens has given up a run in the first inning this season.
But after the shaky start, Stephens settled down and at one point retired 11 in a row. Stephens worked six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out four. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound righty evened his record at 6-6 and now has a 3.28 ERA.
No Injuries In Hwy 97 Crash
July 1, 2016
There were no injuries in a two vehicle crash just after noon Friday on Highway 97 north of Walnut Hill.
Witness said the driver of a northbound white car attempted to make a turn into the driveway of roadside watermelon stand when the driver of a northbound pickup truck attempted to pass a line of traffic. The driver of the pickup was evaluated on scene by Atmore Ambulance but not transported to the hospital. Two people in the car were not injured.
The accident is investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further detail have not been released.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the accident.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Woman Seriously Injured After Hitting School Bus Head On
July 1, 2016
A Cantonment woman was critically injured when drove her car head-on into a school bus Thursday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 72-year old Carolyn Robertson was traveling west on Ten Mile Road at Ashton Brosnaham Road when she drove her 2003 Toyota directly into the front of an Escambia County School District bus that was stopped within a left turn lane.
Robertson was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition. Her 11-year old passenger suffered minor injuries.
The driver of the bus, 48-year old Charmaine Mixon of Pensacola, and two adult passengers were not injured. There were no children on the bus at the time of the crash.
Any charges in the crash are pending the outcome of an ongoing FHP investigation.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
