One Injured In Appliance Fire
July 14, 2016
One person was injured in an appliance fire near Century Wednesday night.
The fire was reported about 8:45 p.m. in the 1100 block of West Highway 4. A resident reported that their stove caught fire and that the stove had been removed from the home. One person reportedly suffered a burned hand during the incident.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded to the incident.
Tate Aggies Holding Youth Football Camp
July 14, 2016
Tate High School will hold a youth football camp next week.
The camp will be held at Pete Gindl Stadium from 5-8 p.m. on July 18-20 for students entered grades 3-8. The camp will be directed by Tate football coaching staff along with assistance from Tate football players.
The camp will present youth with the opportunity to work on fundamentals, practice agility, run through drills and learn about being part of a team.
The youth football camp at Tate High School will be a non-contact setting.
For a registration form and additional information, click here (pdf).
Guest speaker will be Fred Robbins, for Tate High School defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Forest. He also played for the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and St. Louis Rams. While at J. M. Tate High School, Robbins was a letterman in football and baseball.
Gulf Power Adds Texting Option
July 14, 2016
Gulf Power is adding a texting option for customer notifications.
Customers will now be able to take advantage of two new, convenient technologies that will help make it easier for customers to get important information about their energy service on their computer or mobile device.
Customers can now opt-in to subscribe to receive alerts via text message or email about their electricity bill or their home energy management system, Energy Select.
“Mobile devices are now the preferred method for communication for many consumers,” said Rick DelaHaya, Gulf Power spokesperson. “Our new alerts and text messaging services provide customers with a simple and convenient way to receive the most current information about their energy service.”
Customers now have the option to receive text or email alerts for when their bill is ready, when it’s past due and other critical account information.
In addition, Energy Select customers will be able to receive alerts when a critical price period is called and when the price periods change in the summer and winter. There will also be a Do Not Disturb feature in which customers can manage when they receive these alerts.
Alerts can be set up within the My Account area on the Gulf Power website. Under Account Settings, customers will find “My Contact Information” and “My Alerts & Notifications.” Along with billing alerts, customers can also register for power usage and outage alerts online.
This is a free service, but standard text messaging rates may apply.
Commissioner Barry To Hold Town Hall Meeting
July 14, 2016
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry will host a town hall meeting on Monday, July 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Langley Bell 4-H Youth Center, located at 3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment. The open forum meeting will provide residents an opportunity to get updated information about community issues and voice their concerns or questions.
Pictured: Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry during a town hall meeting at the Langley Bell 4-H Youth Center in Cantonment late last year. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Biloxi Tops Pensacola 1-0
July 14, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Nick Travieso and Biloxi Shuckers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff dueled to a standoff for seven innings.
It was Travieso, who blinked first, when Biloxi catcher Jacob Nottingham hit a leadoff single in the eighth inning and came around to score to give the Shuckers a 1-0 victory Wednesday over Pensacola at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Woodruff allowed three hits and tied his career-high by striking out 10 Blue Wahoos batters in seven innings. Meanwhile, Travieso also blanked Biloxi for seven innings and allowed two hits with six strikeouts.
But Travieso had only 75 pitches, the Cincinnati Reds No. 9 prospect according to MLB.com, and took the mound in the eighth. That’s when Nottingham hit a soft liner to get on base, moved to second on a bunt by Biloxi third baseman Gabriel Noriega, took third on a Romano wild pitch and then scored on Shuckers second baseman Javier Betancourt’s hard line drive into left field.
Pensacola had runners get on base to lead off the sixth and eighth innings. But both times Blue Wahoos center fielder Jeff Gelalich was unable to lay a good bunt down, forcing Romano and Ray Chang out at second, respectively.
“We had two opportunities to bunt and we didn’t get the man over,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. “To me that’s the difference in the ball game.”
Despite allowing the run, Travieso felt positive about his performance, becoming the first Blue Wahoos starter to pitch into the eighth inning this season. He credited Pensacola pitching coach Danny Darwin for helping him with his pitching motion.
“Darwin’s been great for me,” said Travieso, who also gotten pitching advice from his dad since he was 8-years-old. “He’s a guy who pitched in the big leagues. I pick his brain and feed off him. Once I find my tempo, I can control the game.”
Kelly said the Blue Wahoo hitters struggled with Woodruff’s fastballs that reached 98 mph Wednesday.
“We haven’t see that kind of velocity from a starter,” Kelly said. “(The hitters) thought they saw the ball good but it was up and down, in and out, it wasn’t constantly in any one spot.”
Woodruff improved to 4-6 on the year with a 4.04 ERA. Travieso earned the loss falling to 4-5 with a 4.07 ERA.
Travieso has completed six innings in three of his last four starts, allowing four runs in 22 innings pitched for a 1.64 earned-run average. In his last start against Mobile, Travieso threw six scoreless innings against Mobile and gave up just two hits.
The Blue Wahoos prospect laden starting pitchers lived up to their billing against Biloxi throughout the series. Each of the five starters at least pitched into the seventh inning. Against Biloxi they totaled 35 innings pitched, 23 hits, five earned runs, two walks, 30 strikeouts and posted a 1.29 ERA, while holding Shuckers hitters to a .185 average.
“If you look at the stats we were dominating hitters,” Travieso said. “We piggy-back off of each other. The bullpen feeds off of it, too. You want to go out there and throw well.”
Pensacola won the series, 3-2, but Kelly is waiting for the team’s hitting to become more consistent. They struck out 18 times earlier in the series and 14 Wednesday.
“We’ve got the pitching. We’ve got the defense,” Kelly said. “We’re just inconsistent with our hitting right now.”
Escambia Woman Claims $1M In Scratch-Off Game
July 14, 2016
Natalya Joens, 44, of Pensacola, claimed a $1 million prize in the $10,000,000 Fortune scratch-off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
Joens chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $792,000. She purchased her winning ticket from the Tom Thumb at 7935 Pine Forest Road, just south of I-10.
The $25 Scratch-Off game, $10,000,000 FORTUNE, launched on February 23, and features more than $623 million in total cash prizes, including 46 prizes of $1 million and four prizes of $10 million. The game’s overall odds of winning are 1-in-2.88.
Plan Drawings Released Of New Pensacola Bay Bridge
July 13, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has issued a notice of intent to award Skanska USA Civil Southeast a design-build contract to replace the Pensacola Bay Bridge. The notice of intent to award allows FDOT and the Skanska project team to work to finalize the requirements of the project.
As part of the $398.5 million project, Skanska will be required to design and construct a new bridge crossing of U.S. 98 (State Road 30) over Pensacola Bay in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The typical section of each new bridge will consist of three 12-foot lanes in one direction with 10-foot inside and outside shoulders. The bridges will include 10-foot wide shared use paths on the outside of each bridge with a concrete barrier separation between the outside roadway shoulder and the path. A 150-foot wide horizontal and 65-foot vertical clearance envelope will be provided for the main channel through the new bridges. The project length is approximately 3.7 miles.
The project is being constructed using a project delivery method known as design-build. Under this method, a single team of contractors and engineers is responsible for designing and constructing the project. This differs from the more traditional “Design-Bid-Build” method where the design is completed first by engineers working for the department and then construction contractors are invited to bid for the opportunity to build the project.
FDOT Takes First Step Toward Dangerous Century Curve Fix
July 13, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation has taken a first step toward addressing the problem with a North Century Boulevard curve that has seen multiple semi-truck rollovers.
FDOT has covered signage south of the curve that instructed northbound drivers to remain in the right lane.
“I feel like we will see more steps in the near future,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. Those steps will likely include a speed limit reduction from 35 to 25 mph for trucks (or perhaps all motorists), signs with to warn motorists and trucks of the tipping hazard, advance warning signage with flashing beacons and perhaps advance warning signage advising trucks to use the inside lane.
Century and Escambia County have both pressed FDOT to eventually fix the elevation problem with the roadway.
Twice last month, semi-trucks rolled over in a curve on North Century Boulevard at Jackson Street. City and county officials believe the curve is badly designed with a slope in the outer lane that is difficult for semis to negotiate at the posted 35 mph speed limit. The amount of lean on an 18-wheeler in the outer lane is demonstrated in the photo below.
Pictured top: The Florida Department of Transportation has covered a sign on North Century Boulevard that instructed trucks to use the right lane. Pictured below: A tanker truck leans as it negotiates a dangerous curve on North Century Boulevard. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Cantonment Burglary Suspect Caught On Camera
July 13, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the man pictured above in connection with a Cantonment burglary. One July 9, he walked up to the front door of a home on Mohegan Circle and rang the doorbell. After no one answered, he entered the residence through the back door of the home. The man was seen wearing camo pants with suspenders and a white t-shirt; he was driving a white SUV. Anyone with information should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850)433-STOP. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Stolen Vehicle Found Submerged In Bayou
July 13, 2016
A stolen SUV was found submerged in an Escambia County bayou Tuesday morning.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and Escambia Fire Rescue worked to search the bayou of Lillian Highway and Dog Track Road to make sure there was not a victim in the water. Members of the dive team were able to get the tag number from the vehicle, and deputies contacted the owner. She had reportedly been trying to sell the vehicle and had left it with a window down and keys in the ignition.
After the vehicle was pulled from the water, the Sheriff’s Office took the incident as an opportunity to remind residents to lock their vehicles to prevent th
For more photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
