Deputies Make Arrest, Recover AR-15 Stolen In Burglary
April 13, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has arrested one person and removed a stolen AR-15 from the streets.
Sunday afternoon, deputies responded to a fight at Oakwood Terrace on Truman Avenue. According to witness reports,a black male with a gun was in the back of the complex attempting to jump the wall. A male matching his description was located carrying a red bag and running along nearby train tracks. Deputies set up a perimeter.
K-9 Drago was deployed in the area and located the red bag which contained anAR-15 rifle which had been stolen in a home burglary on April 9th along with military grade ammunition.
Woman Found Dead After Minor Mobile Home Fire
April 13, 2015
A Cantonment woman was found dead following a minor mobile home fire early Monday morning in Cantonment.
At 1:35 a.m. the Cantonment and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a reported extinguished fire at the mobile home in the 3700 block of Vantage Road. When firefighters arrived, they found a mobile home with some fire damage, but no flames showing.
As they investigated, firefighters found the body of a deceased female. The other resident of the home was at the scene, but did not suffer any injuries, according to a county spokesperson.
The victim has been identified by family members as 44-year old Sherri Powell-Jordan of Cantonment.
The fire was reportedly contained to the kitchen area of the mobile home.
The fire and death are under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Further details have not been released. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, which also responded to the scene, said their agency is not actively investigating incident.
Pictured top: No fire was visible when firefighters arrived at this mobile home on Vantage Road in Cantonment early Monday morning. Pictured below: Firefighters on scene from Cantonment and Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
New Verizon Tower Planned For Highway 97
April 13, 2015
A new Verizon cell phone tower is planned along Highway 97 about halfway between Molino and Walnut Hill.
A Winter Garden, FL, company, Sam Inc, has a final application before the Escambia County Development Review Committee for a 150-foot tall monopole that is described in county documents as being for Verizon Wireless. The tower will be located on property on Highway 97 just south of Hendricks Lane that is owned by Jimmy and Susan Taylor of Cantonment.
Now approved by the Development Review Committee , the project can move forward at the applicant’s discretion into the permitting process.
Marijuana Rule Challenge Tossed Out
April 13, 2015
An administrative law judge Friday dismissed a challenge to a proposed regulatory framework for carrying out a 2014 law that allows limited types of non-euphoric medical marijuana in Florida.
The challenge was filed against the state Department of Health by an attorney for 4-year-old Dahlia Barnhart, who has an inoperable brain tumor, according to documents filed in the case. The challenge argued that the department did not follow the law when drawing up a proposed regulatory rule, in part taking issue with the way the department would select “dispensing organizations” that would grow, process and dispense the cannabis.
Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth McArthur ruled April 1 that the child didn’t have legal standing to challenge the proposed rule, but the ruling gave the girl’s attorney an opportunity to file an amended petition that would address the concerns.
McArthur, however, issued a final order Friday dismissing the case, saying the attorney had not filed an amended petition or other documents.
The department, meanwhile, still faces two other challenges to the proposed rule. Those challenges, which have been consolidated, are scheduled for a hearing April 23. Lawmakers have become frustrated with delays in carrying out the 2014 law. As soon as Tuesday, the full Senate could take up a bill aimed at speeding up the process of getting the non-euphoric cannabis to patients who suffer from conditions such as epilepsy.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
April 13, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School has named students of the month for March. They are (L-R) Gabrielle Peebles, eighth grade; Destiny Bradley, sixth grade; and Melissa Sunday, seventh grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Electric Coops Celebrate National Lineman Appreciation Day
April 13, 2015
Monday, Escambia River Electric Cooperative honored the hard working line crews who often work in challenging conditions to keep the power on. America’s electric cooperatives have designated the second Monday of April as National Lineman Appreciation Day.
“EREC linemen can be called to work at any hour of the day or night to restore power to our communities,” said Clay R. Campbell, EREC general manager/CEO. “They are often working in hazardous conditions where a mistake can cost a limb or a life. Our linemen, as well as linemen across the nation, truly deserve this special day of recognition.”
Line crews are “the first responders of the electric cooperative family, getting power back on and making things safe for all after storms and accidents”, according to a resolution adopted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative 
Association.
Senate Gives Nod To Evers Bill Limiting The Civil Liability Of Farmers
April 13, 2015
The Florida Senate voted 38-0 to approve a bill by Sen. Greg. Evers (R-Baker) to give farmers liability protection when they allow people to come onto fields before harvest time. Current Florida law provides a liability exemption when farmers allow a person to enter their land for the purpose of removing farm produce or crops left on the field.
The liability exemption under the proposal does not apply if injury or death directly results from the gross negligence or intentional act of the farmer, of from the farmer’s failure to warn of a dangerous condition that would be obvious to a person entering the property.
Evers represents the North Escambia area.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Three-Run Blast Lifts Wahoos Over Biloxi
April 13, 2015
Kyle Waldrop erased three games of Pensacola Blue Wahoos hitting misery with one giant stroke.
The first baseman lofted a high-arching, three-run home run that gave the Wahoos its first lead, 3-0, of the five game series against the Milwaukee Brewers’ new Double-A franchise, the Biloxi Shuckers. The runs in the bottom of the first inning matched what Pensacola had scored in its previous three games.
It was one of only two hits by Pensacola, which snapped its three game losing streak to Biloxi with a rain-shortened 4-0 victory, although the grounds crew worked to keep the field dry throughout the drizzly day.
Waldrop, the Cincinnati Reds No. 14 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, showed an impressive bat in Spring Training with the Reds. In 12 games, the left-hander hit .273 with one homer and five RBIs.
So far this season, he has continued to swing the bat well. He’s hitting .273 with the homer and three runs-batted in. Last year, he came up to Pensacola with a handful of High-A Bakersfield Blaze mid-season and hit .315 with eight homers and 35 RBIs.
Waldrop said in Sunday’s six-inning game, he was just trying to move the runners on first and second up a base.
“It started off pretty fair and then kept slicing down the line,” he said. “I’m glad it stayed fair. It was a good feeling. Hopefully, now our bats will wake up a little bit.”
Manager Pat Kelly said Waldrop’s homer was a key to the game, even taking pressure off of starter Wandy Peralta, who was making his Double-A debut.
“Kyle was one of the few guys who came up from Bakersfield and didn’t miss a beat,” Kelly said. “It was really clutch. It allowed Peralta to relax a little bit.”
In his debut, Peralta threw five scoreless innings, giving up three hits, two walks and striking out three. Last year, Peralta was 7-12 with a 4.82 ERA for High-A Bakersfield.
He knew coming in that Biloxi was leading the Southern League in hitting with a .326 average and 18 runs, including one home run in three games against Pensacola.
“I knew they were having a real good series against us,” Peralta said through translator and starting catcher Yovan Gonzalez. “I just trusted every single pitch I threw. I wanted to just kill it.”
The Biloxi Shuckers, who open the year on a 55-game road trip while they await construction of their stadium, sent a fourth straight top-rated prospect to face the Blue Wahoos lineup Sunday. This time it was right-hander Jorge Lopez, Milwaukee Brewers’ No. 15 prospect according to Baseball America.
But Waldrop jumped on him in the bottom of the first inning and Pensacola capitalized on six walks by Lopez to get its first victory of the season.
The final game of the five-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Monday. RHP Marcus Walden takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Shuckers RHP Jacob Barnes.
Winning $80 Million Powerball Ticket Sold In North Escambia
April 12, 2015
Check those lottery tickets….someone who purchased a Powerball ticket in North Escambia for Saturday night’s drawing is the country’s newest mega-millionaire.
The winning ticket in the $80 million Powerball drawing was sold in Davisville. The Quick Pick ticket was the only winner in the nationwide drawing, and was sold at the locally-owned State Line Gift Shop on Highway 97, next to the Piggly Wiggly.
Saturday night’s winning numbers were 01-12-32-42-58 with a Powerball of 12.
It had been a few weeks since someone won the jackpot, with five rollovers no grand prize winner since March 25.
The State Line Gift Shop will receive a bonus of $40,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Powerball tickets are $2 each. This was Florida’s ninth Powerball jackpot winner since the state joined the game in 2009.
Six People, Include Two Pedestrians, Injured In Nine Mile Wreck
April 12, 2015
Six people, including two pedestrians, were injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon on Nine Mile Road at Guidy Lane.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 17-year old Alexus Wickizer of Pensacola was eastbound on Nine Mile Road in the left turn lane in her 1997 Toyota Celica when she failed to yield right of way to a 2012 GMC SUV driven by 83-year old Robert Schmeck of Pensacola. The vehicles collided, with the SUV overturning off the roadway and into two pedestrians that were standing on the corner of Guidy Lane.
The pedestrians - 19-year old Julianne Trundy and 59-year old Cheryl Trundy, both of Pensacola — were seriously injured and transported to area hospital by Escambia County EMS as “trauma alerts”. The women were described by bystanders as preaching and holding signs on the corner prior to the accident. Both were transported to area hospitals by Escambia County EMS as “trauma alerts”.
Wickizer and her passenger, 12-year old Lane Wickizer, received minor injuries. Schmeck was seriously injured, while his passenger, 41-year old James Wade of Pensacola, was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.
Wickizer was charged with turning left in front of approaching traffic, and Schmeck was cited for no seat belt, according to the FHP.
The accident closed Nine Mile Road for about 45 minutes.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
