Make Your Appointment Now To Let The Miracle League Fry Your Thanksgiving Turkey
November 17, 2024
Now is the time to reserve your spot to have the Miracle League of Pensacola fry your Thanksgiving turkey.
A minimum of $30 per turkey or turkey breast is necessary to help cover costs, and any additional donation will benefit the Miracle League of Pensacola.
Call (850) 380-4994 with questions or to schedule your appointment (leave a message if no answer). Walk-ups are welcome, but reservations should be made early as the number of time slots is limited and appointments take priority.
There are a few things to remember after scheduling an appointment. Completely thaw your turkey, removing all of the inside packaging and giblets. Write down exactly how much your turkey weighs so it is fried perfectly and take it to the Miracle League Park at 555 East Nine Mile Road at your appointment time between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27. And be on time for your appointment.
Individuals interested in volunteering should also call (850) 380-4994.
File photo.
Four Takeaways From Tate’s 6A Quarterfinal Game At Nease (And 40 Photos)
November 17, 2024
The Tate Aggies fell 42-14 to Nease Friday night in a Region 1-6A quarterfinal game Friday night on the road near Jacksonville.
Here are five key takeaways:
- Tate scored on a 12-yard passing touchdown from Taite Davis to Elijah West (pictured top). Tate fought to the very end. The last Aggie touchdown came with just seconds remaining in the game on a Davis quarterback keeper.
- Tate entered the game at No. 8 in the region, while Nease was No 1. Nease was also ranked No. 1 statewide.
- Tate’s season ended at 7-4, making their first playoff appearance since 2020.
- The 2024 season for the Tate Aggie was their first winning season since they also went 7-4 in 2017.
For more photos from Friday night, click here.
Pictured: Tate took on No 1. Nease Friday night near Jacksonville. NorthEscamia.com photos by James Vernacotola, click to enlarge.
Here Are Road Construction Spots To Watch This Week
November 17, 2024
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 98 (Gregory Street) Resurfacing from North Palafox Street to east of 14th Avenue – Drivers may encounter westbound inside lane closures on Gregory Street, from 14th Avenue to 11th Avenue Sunday, Nov. 17 through Thursday, Nov. 21, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., while crews perform concrete work.
- North Palafox Street (U.S. 29) Resurfacing from Cervantes Street to Brent Lane (State Road (S.R.) 296) – The week of Nov. 17, drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures on North Palafox Street, from Cervantes Street to Brent Lane, between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., for paving operations, traffic signalization and concrete work.
- Interstate Circle Bridge Over Eight Mile Creek Construction – Interstate Circle is closed at the Eight Mile Creek Bridge through mid-2025 while crews replace the bridge. Signage is in place to detour drivers around the work zone using Pine Forest Road, Longleaf Drive and Wymart Road.
- Interstate 10 (I-10) at Nine Mile Road Interchange (Exit 5) Construction – Drivers may encounter traffic disruptions at the following locations as crews construct a temporary traffic shift and perform stormwater drainage work:
- Inside lane closures on I-10 near Exit 5, Monday, Nov. 18 through Thursday, Nov. 21, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Outside lane closures on Nine Mile Road between the I-10 ramps, Wednesday, Nov. 20 and Thursday, Nov. 21, from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
- I-10 at U.S. 29 Interchange (Exit 10) Construction – Drivers will encounter the following construction-related traffic disruptions the week of Sunday, Nov. 17:
- I-10, between U.S. 29 and I-110, is reduced to two travel lanes in each direction.
- Sunday, Nov. 17 through Thursday, Nov. 21, the left lane of I-10 Eastbound will be closed intermittently near U.S. 29 between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. as crews perform guardrail and asphalt work.
- The U.S. 29 northbound ramp to I-10 eastbound is closed. U.S. 29 northbound drivers are being detoured to make a U-turn at Broad Street onto U.S. 29 southbound to access I-10 eastbound.
- A new, temporary on-ramp for U.S. 29 southbound drivers accessing I-10 eastbound is now open. Detouring traffic to the temporary ramp will allow crews to continue work to reconstruct the I-10/U.S. 29 interchange.
- U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) Resurfacing between Henry Street and Cottage Street in Century – Drivers on North Century Boulevard, between S.R. 4 and the Alabama State Line, may encounter intermittent lane closures for paving operations. Signage will be in place to direct drivers safely through the work zone.
- I-10 Routine Bridge Inspection over Blackwater River – Motorists may encounter intermittent lane closures west of S.R. 87 Sunday, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for routine bridge inspection.
- U.S. 98 (West Garden Street) Routine Underground Maintenance from A Street to B Street – Motorists may encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, Nov. 18 and Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., for routine underground maintenance.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 90 Resurfacing from west of Avalon Boulevard to east of Stewart Street – Drivers may encounter intermittent U.S. 90 lane closures, between Avalon Boulevard and Stewart Street, Sunday, Nov. 17 through Thursday, Nov. 21, from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., for milling and paving operations.
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts:
-
- Median and turn-lane closures from Bayshore Road to Tiger Lake Drive.
- Intermittent lane closures and additional median closures between Bayshore Road and Tiger Lake Drive Sunday, Nov. 17, through Friday, Nov. 22, from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for stormwater drainage improvements and paving operations.
- Beginning Sunday, November 17, motorists will encounter a new traffic configuration as U.S. 98 eastbound lanes from Villa Woods Circle to Oriole Beach Road will be shifted south. This is necessary for crews to complete median construction operations. (release attached).
- U.S. 98 Striping Operations at Bergren Road – Motorists may encounter intermittent inside eastbound lane closures Monday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for striping operations.
- U.S. 90 Bridge Replacement over Simpson River – Drivers may encounter an eastbound lane closure on the Simpson River Bridge Monday, Nov. 18 from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., as crews perform construction activities for the new bridge. Drivers are reminded that the speed limit is 35 mph throughout the work zone.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Deputies Investigating Saturday Night Shooting
November 17, 2024
Update: The ECSO said Sunday that the shooting victim has died.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Saturday night shooting and trying to sort out the details.
Deputies responded to a reported shooting in the 6600 block of Hampton Road about 6 p.m. Meanwhile, Escambia County EMS transported a black male with a gunshot wound from a nearby Raceway station on Pensacola Boulevard.
According to a spokesperson, witnesses were only providing vague information and were being uncooperative with investigators. Deputies were not immediately able to speak to the victim due to his injuries.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
UWF Argos Close Out Season In GSC Title Game Loss To No. 1 Valdosta
November 17, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Argos correspondent
A season of promising expectations for the UWF football team ended Saturday night with a final roadblock.
Unbeaten, top-ranked Valdosta State jumped to a 21-0 lead in the third quarter and cruised its way to a 28-7 victory against the No. 16-ranked Argos to clinch the Gulf South Conference title and No. 1 region seed for the NCAA Division II playoffs.
After six consecutive wins that followed a 1-2 start, the Argos (7-3) will likely miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
UWF hoped it could recapture some road magic at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium where the Argos beat the Blazers in 2022 to help seal a playoff berth, then in 2019 in post-season on way to UWF’s historic national championship run.
But after a scoreless first quarter, the Blazers (10-0) seized control on their senior night. They scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the second quarter for a 14-0 halftime lead. They added a third TD midway through the third quarter to further solidify a grip on the game.
“Didn’t play well,” said UWF coach Kaleb Nobles, who returned to his alma mater for the first time as a head coach. “We just didn’t do enough. I take full responsibility. I didn’t do enough, personally. Our guys gave everything they had. We have to find ways to keep getting better.”
The Argos gained a brief surge of hope when quarterback Marcus Stokes broke free on a 31-yard touchdown run with 4:53 left in the third quarter.
After UWF’s defense forced a stop, the Argos drove near midfield and faced 4th-and-5 from the 48. But on the conversion attempt, running back T.J. Lane was stuffed two yards shy of the first down.
VSU then methodically drove nine plays, 50 yards and ate up 5:18 on the clock to score on Alfonso Franklin’s 1-yard run to put the game away. The drive was part of the Blazers’ 204 yards rushing, led by Blake Hester who had 118 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown.
“They ran the ball pretty well, did stuff in the run game that I don’t think they’ve done all year and we didn’t answer the call,” said Nobles, a 2015 Valdosta State graduate, who then used his post-grad year in 2016 to be the Argos quarterback in their inaugural season.
The Blazers produced 358 yards total offense in the game. UWF’s defense entered ranked No. 2 nationally in Division II, yielding just 205.9 total offense yards per-game.
VSU senior quarterback Sammy Edwards completed 14 of 20 passes for 154 yards and two scores. Neither team had a turnover Saturday.
Edwards was one of 30 seniors that VSU honored before the game.
“I’ll give (VSU) offensive line credit. They’re a good team and do a lot of things well,” Nobles said. “This one definitely hurts.”
Meanwhile, the UWF offense struggled the entire night. Stokes completed 11 of 24 passes for 129 yards. He was sacked twice.
Javon Swinton was UWF’s leading receiver with three catches for 47 yards, including the longest pass play for UWF on a 33-yard reception.
Stokes became the Argos leading rusher with 57 yards on nine attempts. The Blazers held the Argos’ tailback tandem of TJ Lane (33 yards) and Jay Sharp (16 yards) in check.
“We didn’t win some down-field throws and had a couple missed blocks on our offensive line that really affected us,” Nobles said. “When you do those things against a good team, those things get exposed. We know we can’t do that against a good team like Valdosta State.”
The Argos returned home following the game Saturday and will have post-season meetings beginning Monday as they now plan for the 2025 season.
UWF was seeking its first outright GSC title Saturday. The Argos would have won the tiebreaker with a win.
The Blazers celebrated their 12th outright GSC title and first since getting back-to-back conference championships in 2018 and 2019 seasons. The win elevated VSU to its fifth undefeated regular season in school history.
UWF ends with its seven consecutive winning season in the program’s eight-year history. The Argos have won seven or more games in six of those years.
“The message is, I’m just proud of them,” Nobles said. “Everybody wrote us off and didn’t think we had a chance to do anything after we lost to Grand Valley State (on September 28). I told the team I’m proud of them for how they responded, giving themselves to be in this game. I told the seniors how proud I am of them, and how excited I am to be their head coach.”
Photo: Emily Miller/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Star Wars Night: Ice Flyers Fall To Huntsville Havoc
November 17, 2024
The Pensacola Ice Flyers faced off against the Huntsville Havoc on Saturday night to finish off their weekend series. The Ice Flyers started strong, with Natan Vertes energizing the crowd of 6,341 by scoring just four minutes into the first period. The momentum continued when Matt Wiesner scored a short-handed goal, his fifth of the season, giving the Ice Flyers a 2-0 lead.
However, the Havoc responded. Huntsville’s Austin Alger found the back of the net with 1:19 left in the first period, narrowing the gap to 2-1. The second period saw Cayden Cahill extend the Ice Flyers’ lead with his second goal of the season. The period ended with some tension as Tim Faulkner and Giovanni Procopio engaged in a heated exchange.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The third period proved to be the Ice Flyers’ undoing. Despite physical efforts from Sam Dabrowski, the Havoc seized control of the game. They capitalized on two power-play opportunities, with Austin Alger scoring his second goal to tie the game. Giovanni Procopio then gave Huntsville the lead with just 2:44 left in the game.
In a last-ditch effort, the Ice Flyers pulled their goalie, but the Havoc took advantage. With 58 seconds remaining, they sealed their victory with an empty-net goal, silencing the once-jubilant crowd.
Despite the loss, the night had its highlights. Fans were also treated to entertaining blindfolded light-saber battles, adding a lighthearted touch to the evening.
The Ice Flyers will now set their sights on their upcoming weekend series in Peoria.
What’s Next?
Next Game: Friday, November 22 at Peoria
Next Home Game: Wednesday, November 27
EREC Members See Small Monthly Fee Added, But Rates May Drop In December
November 17, 2024
Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) has implemented rate adjustment in the form of a small monthly fee but expects overall electric rates to drop by even more on December.
EREC added a flat increase of $3 per month on the facility service charge portion for electricity and water and a $10 flat increase for commercial electric members beginning immediately.
“While prices have been on the rise, Escambia River Electric Cooperative has worked to minimize controllable expenses to keep up with inflation instead of raising rates for members. Unfortunately, the time has come when we are not able to cut controllable costs and keep up with the rising costs. We need to make a modest adjustment to address the rising costs of delivering reliable electric service,” EREC CEO Ryan Campbell said. “After an extensive analysis of our financials, we determined that rising costs are outpacing our revenue projections. Therefore, this adjustment became imperative to continue fulfilling our mission of providing reliable and resilient energy to all our members.”
“After an extensive analysis of our financials, we determined that rising costs are outpacing our revenue projections. Therefore, this adjustment became imperative to continue fulfilling our mission of providing reliable and resilient energy to all our members,” he added. “Our not-for-profit business model prioritizes the interests of members over profits for shareholders. We exist to provide a service, not to generate profits. In other words, we are solely focused on the needs of those who use our service.”
But Campbell said the member owned cooperative expects the average member’s bill to go down by more than the monthly fee.
The decrease is because the EREC system peak usage in January 2024 (when temperatures fell into the teens). caused the next 11 months’ bills to be higher because of the cost of generation during that peak. EREC and its members will benefit from the decrease, as long as there is not another really cold period.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Homeowner Reportedly Opens Fire On Known Attackers In Bratt Assault
November 16, 2024
An investigation is continuing after shots were fired during a reported disturbance in Bratt.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s responded to a reported assault the 3400 block of West Highway near C.W. Caraway Road Thursday night where the homeowner told deputies that he had been attacked and severely beaten in his home by two individuals that he has personally known for many years.
“The victim stated that he defended himself by shooting his firearm at the men and that he may have struck one of the suspects with one of the rounds he fired in self-defense,” ECSO Sgt. Melony Peterson said.
She said deputies located several spent shell casings and a firearm but were unable to locate the suspects. Area hospitals were contacted, but none had treated a gunshot victim.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
FPL Seeks To Raise Bills For All Of 2025 To Cover Hurricane Costs; Here’s How Much
November 16, 2024
Florida Power & Light customers could soon see higher bills to cover the utility’s hurricane restoration costs.
FPL has asked the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve a temporary surcharge on customer bills in 2025 to recover restoration costs after four hurricanes battered Florida in less than 14 months.
For FPL customers in Northwest Florida, the a typical bill for residential customers using 1,000 kwh would increase $8.07 from $135.38 to $143.45 each month of 2025 for a total of $96.84 . For FPL customers in the rest of Florida, that typical bill would increase $12.02 to $133.99.
The petition filed with the PSC seeks to recover restoration expenses for Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, which ripped through Florida this year. It also seeks $150 million to replenish the company’s storm reserve, which was primarily depleted by Hurricane Idalia last year and then wiped out after Hurricane Debby in August. If approved by the PSC, the temporary surcharge would reimburse FPL about $1.2 billion.
Category 3 Idalia struck Florida in August 2023. This year, Category 1 Debby hit Florida in August, then Category 4 Helene and Category 3 Milton pounded the state less than two weeks apart in September and October. The four hurricanes caused more than 3 million combined outages to FPL customers with damaging winds, storm surge and – in the case of Milton – dozens of powerful, long-track tornadoes.
“FPL worked relentlessly to quickly restore power to our customers in the aftermath of each of these hurricanes,” FPL President and CEO Armando Pimentel said. “We’re mindful that customers pay these restoration costs, which is why we continue to invest in storm hardening and smart grid technology. This avoids many outages, speeds restoration and reduces restoration costs while helping customers bounce back faster, from getting kids back to school to getting Florida’s economy back up and running.”
Capt. Chandra Newman Assumes Command Of NAS Pensacola
November 16, 2024
Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chandra “Mamasan” Newman assumed command of the “Cradle of Naval Aviation” from Capt. Terrence “Village” Shashaty Friday during an official ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) onboard the installation.
Shashaty retired after the ceremony, completing a 26-year U.S. Navy career.
Shashaty, a native of Brooklyn, New York, earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1998 from the U.S. Naval Academy. He was selected as one of four U.S. officers to enroll in the Naval Staff College, the U.S. Naval War College’s program for mid-grade international naval officers representing 39 countries from across the globe, where he earned a Master of Arts in
National Security and Strategic Studies.
Designated a Naval Aviator in October 2000, Shashaty completed four operational carrier deployments flying the EA-6B Prowler and oversaw the transition to the the Indo-Pacific area.
Newman, a native of Inverness, Florida, received her wings of gold in August 2004, serving with Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons. She most recently served as the Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) Leadership, Education, Growth, Advocacy, Culture, and Youth Outreach (LEGACY) director.
NAS Pensacola, referred to as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center (NATTC); Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC); the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT); Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and serves as the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).
U.S. Navy photo by Garrett Dipuma for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
