Florida Average Gas Prices Decline Slightly After Drop In Oil Prices
July 29, 2024
Florida gas prices rose 11 cents early last week reaching $3.55 per gallon. The state average then reversed course, declining 7 cents during the past four days. On Sunday, the state average was $3.40 per gallon. That’s about 3 cents more than a week ago.
“Gas prices could move even lower, after a big drop in oil prices last week,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Recent fuel reports show China’s crude oil imports are declining. This has driven prices lower, on concerns that global fuel demand is softening.”
The average price per gallon in Escambia County was $3.11. Sunday night, a low of $2.89 was available at several Pensacola stations, including on Pine Forest Road, Kenmore Road and Mobile Highway. In North Escambia, Sunday night’s low price was $2.99 at stations on South Highway 29.
In early July, the U.S. price for crude traded at around $83 per barrel. Oil has since declined a total of 8% through the past three weeks. The biggest weekly drop occurred last week. Oil prices fell nearly $3 per barrel (4%). Friday’s closing price was $77.16 a barrel. Oil hasn’t traded this low since the first week of June. During that time, the average gas price in Florida was around $3.30 a gallon.
Blue Wahoos Drop Homestand Finale, Split Series With Shuckers
July 29, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos wrapped up their second longest stretch of home games, which featured some big crowds, breakthrough events and cooperative weather during the nine-game period.
On the field, however, the Blue Wahoos wished for a few more wins.
After taking three of the first four games against the Biloxi Shuckers, the weekend and homestand ended in a glum way in a 6-1 loss Sunday before 3,987 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It earned the Shuckers (47-47 overall, 17-10 in second half) a split in the series, following their 8-4 win Saturday night. Sunday’s win also enabled Biloxi to split the second half matchups (6-6) against the Blue Wahoos (52-43, 14-13) – a tiebreaker the Blue Wahoos missed claiming if the teams tie in a second-half divisional race.
When the Blue Wahoos next return home, it will be mid-August, following a back-to-back set of road trips beginning on Tuesday against the Chattanooga Lookouts, followed by the last-ever trip to Trustmark Park to play the Mississippi Braves. The M-Braves are moving to Columbus, Georgia following this season.
In going 3-6 at home the past two weeks, a familiar theme emerged. The Blue Wahoos lacked big innings and extra-base hits with runners on base.
Sunday, the Blue Wahoos left 11 runners on base and produced just five hits.
Patrick Monteverde delivered a quality start, working six innings and allowing just two earned runs with four strikeouts. He absorbed a hard-luck loss.
Meanwhile, the Shuckers’ Jacob Misiorowski, the Milwaukee Brewers No. 2 rated prospect whose status is rising, made his second start of the week, checking the Blue Wahoos on just one hit with three strikeouts, three walks in 3.2 innings.
The Shuckers took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on a bloop single and a wild pitch.
The Blue Wahoos missed a big chance in the fifth inning when loading the bases with one out. Shuckers reliever Will Childers then got Joe Mack to hit a slow roller back toward the mound for an easy force-out at the plate, and Jacob Berry popped out to end the inning.
Paul McIntosh drove home the Blue Wahoos’ lone run in the seventh with his two-out single that scored Jakob Marsee, who had reached on a walk.
The Shuckers broke open the game with a 4-run rally in the ninth, taking advantage of a fielding error and walk to string together hits against Blue Wahoos reliever Woo Suk-Go, who has struggled since joining the team.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Chattanooga Lookouts
WHEN: Tuesday Thru Sunday (Aug. 4)
WHERE: AT&T Field, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
FOLLOWING WEEK: The Blue Wahoos will then travel to face the Mississippi Braves in Pearl, Miss. from Aug. 6-Aug. 11.
One Person Injured In Crash Near Walnut Hill
July 28, 2024
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover crash Saturday night near Walnut Hill.
The crash happened at about 9:25 p.m. p.m. on O.C. Phillips Road, off Highway 97A, about seven miles from Walnut Hill.
An adult male lost control and collided with a utility pole. The vehicle came to rest on its roof on the paved portion of the roadway.
The man was transported by ambulance to an area hospital following the wreck.
The crash snapped a utility pole and downed powerlines, causing an outage for about 50 Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers on O.C. Phillips and Pineville roads.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue were dispatched, along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Highway 29 Construction Zone Traffic Shift Delayed (Again)
July 28, 2024
An anticipated traffic shift in a Highway 29 construction zone in Century has once again been delayed again.
The Florida Department of Transpiration previously announced the shift would take place on July 15, then July 25. And now, FDOT says the contractor plans to shift traffic to newly constructed lanes on Thursday, August 1.
An unmarked Town of Century water pipe, a damaged water line and weather have all delayed the project.
NorthEscambaia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Chumuckla Highway And Pace Road Lane Closures Begin Monday
July 28, 2024
Lane closures on Chumuckla Highway and Pace Road (at Alyssa’s) in Pace will begin on Monday, July 29 through Wednesday, July 31, to install cross-drains. Installation is part of a project to add turn lanes on Chumuckla Highway and Pace Road. Both lane closures will happen near the roadway intersection.
Detours during installation on Chumuckla Highway include:
- Traffic moving south along Chumuckla Highway will be detoured to Pace Road and Pace Patriot Boulevard.
- Traffic moving north along Chumuckla Highway will be detoured to Rodella Street.
Once installation shifts to Pace Road, detours will include:
- Traffic moving south along Chumuckla Highway will be detoured to Norris Road and Pace Patriot Boulevard.
- Residents of Pace Road will detour to Pace Patriot Boulevard.
- Traffic moving north along Chumuckla Highway will still detour to Rodella Street.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Escambia Man Charged With Repeatedly Abusing Kitten
July 28, 2024
An 18-year-old Escambia County man has been charged with repeatedly abusing a three-week old kitten.
Eli Adrian Lee McIntyre was charged with felony animal cruelty. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $100,000.
McIntyre’s roommate provided the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office with four videos he alleged showed McIntyre abusing the kitten.
The first video reportedly showed McIntyre wrapping a phone charging cord around the neck of the kitten and pulling it up. Another showed the kitten having a seizure on the floor after McIntyre allegedly threw it against a wall. The other videos showed McIntyre grabbing the kitten by the neck and placing it inside a 12-pack box, and taking it in and out of a freezer, according to an arrest report.
The roommate told deputies that these were not the only abuse incidents, and McIntyre became aggressive after attempts to make him stop.
There was no update provided on the kitten’s condition in the arrest report.
Blue Wahoos Fall Behind Early, Drop Saturday’s Game To Shuckers
July 28, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The first three runs the Biloxi Shuckers scored Saturday occurred on a grounder that hit an umpire, a just-missed double play, and a full-swing slow roller that stayed inside the third base line.
That third inning proved an omen of the night for the Blue Wahoos.
The Shuckers ballooned their 3-0 lead into a 8-4 victory, making postgame fireworks the biggest thrill for the usual sellout Saturday crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It was the third time in five games this week against Biloxi with an 8-4 final score. This time, however, the Shuckers stayed on top after taking a 7-1 lead into the seventh inning stretch.
The Blue Wahoos created their one moment of intrigue in that at-bat. They scored runs when Jacob Berry led off with a double. Nathan Martorella walked. Shane Sasaki followed with an RBI double.
A wild pitch scored Martorella. Dalvy Rosario’s sacrifice fly scored Sasaki and suddenly it was a 3-run deficit. The inning ended with Jakob Marsee at third when Zach Zubia struck out.
The Blue Wahoos did not get a baserunner in the final two innings.
But the crowd remained as Blue Wahoos popular emcee “Downtown Dave” Presnell proclaimed, “Blue Wahoos fans, we didn’t win the game, but we’ll win the fireworks.”
The Blue Wahoos (52-42 overall, 14-12 second half) will get a second chance in Sunday’s series finale at 4:05 p.m. to win this homestand series against the Shuckers (46-47, 16-10).
Saturday, besides some unfortunate bounces, they faced a strong outing from Biloxi righthanded starter Logan Henderson, rated the No. 16 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Henderson (5-2, 3.38 ERA), worked six innings, allowing just three hits, one run, and striking out six.
The Blue Wahoos’ lone run off Henderson was Joe Mack’s 16th home run to lead off the fourth inning. It was his 14th homer since May 28.
Blue Wahoos starter Jeff Lindgren, who lasted just four innings, may have gotten out of the third inning without much damage if not for tough luck. With one out, a hard grounder hit by Brock Wilson hit the base umpire’s leg, causing the play to be ruled a single with a run scored.
It could have been a double play. The next batter, Ernesto Martinez Jr., then beat the relay throw to fend off a double play and score another run. Eric Brown Jr. then had a slow grounder stay fair inside the third base line for another RBI hit.
The Shuckers then blew out the game with Xavier Warren’s two-run homer off Lindgren in the fourth inning and Lamar Sparks’ 2-run homer off Anderson Pilar in the fifth.
Sunday’s game will be the Blue Wahoos’ final game this season against Biloxi. The Blue Wahoos have controlled the series with a 15-7 record, but only hold a 6-5 edge in the second half. A win in the finale would give the Blue Wahoos a tie-breaker advantage should the two teams tie for the second half division win and playoff spot.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Tate Showband Of The South Has A New Director
July 27, 2024
The Tate High School Showband of the South has a new director.
Ronald B. Gray Jr. has been named the director of bands at Tate. Within the Tate Department of Fine Arts, his responsibilities include teaching the wind ensemble, concert band, Showband of the South, and jazz band.
Before his tenure at Tate, Gray served as the director of bands at Pine Forest High School for seven years, where he also held the position of Fine and Performing Arts department chair. At Pine Forest, he taught wind ensemble, instrumental techniques, jazz band, and sound engineering.
Under his leadership and with the support of the administrative faculty, staff, and community, the Pine Forest Super Sound Band became a staple in the community and achieved superior ratings for the first time in over a decade.
Gray also served as an adjunct professor in the College of Education at Florida A&M University, where he taught instrumental methods.
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Gray graduated from Stranahan High School before earning a Bachelor of Science in Music from Florida A&M University. During his time at FAMU, he held positions as a student assistant to the director of bands and university band president. He later obtained a master’s degree in music, with a concentration in brass performance, from the University of South Alabama.
Gray is a proud husband and father who loves fishing and “burning chicken on the grill”.
Navy Federal Employees Honored By Manna For Volunteer Efforts
July 27, 2024
Navy Federal Credit Union received the Manna Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award earlier this year for their employees’ volunteer efforts in 2023.
To qualify for the Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award, more than 500 volunteer hours must be given. Last year, Navy Federal Credit Union employees gave more than 1,345 hours – the equivalent of 27,036 healthy meals for neighbors in need in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, according to Mann.
Navy Federal Credit Union employees gave the most volunteer hours out of all Manna volunteer groups in 2023.
Each of the volunteers gave time out of their workweek to help Manna gross and fine sort food items, date- and quality-check food items, pack food bags and boxes, and a variety of other operational activities. The support of Navy Federal Credit Union employees was recognized at the 2024 Manna Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.
“Our team members go above and beyond to champion our communities,” said Jackie Biggs, senior vice president of Greater Pensacola and Contact Center Operations. “We are all in to help each other and aim to leave a positive footprint that is authentically driven by our service and culture of giving back. Our partnership with Manna helps us fight food insecurity in our region, and we’re so grateful for the chance to support our neighbors in need.”
In 2023, a total of 4,295 volunteers gave more than 13,691 hours of service to Manna – the equivalent of 261,229 healthy meals for neighbors in need. Manna hosts volunteer groups Monday through Friday on a scheduled basis throughout the entire year. Volunteer support makes Manna’s work in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties possible.
Pine Meadow’s Cassi McGee Received Florida Outstanding Teacher Leadership Award
July 27, 2024
Escambia County’s teacher of the year, Cassi McGee of Pine Meadow Elementary School has received the 2024 Outstanding Teacher Leadership Award at the Florida Teacher of the Year Gala.
The award is given to a teacher who believes that every student deserves to have a teacher that is better than the best teacher any of us ever had.
McGee has been employed by the district since 2005, when she began as a fifth grade teacher at Scenic Heights Elementary. She stayed in that position until she transferred to Pine Meadow Elementary, where she still teaches today.
McGee’s students have consistently achieved learning gains and met and surpassed state-mandated benchmarks. In 2022-2023, 90% of her students made learning gains in math, with an average rise from a level 2 to 3. She has also been a valuable asset at Pine Meadow as the Math Committee Chair and is active in the Writing and Language Arts committees. Thirteen years ago at Pine Meadow, she started the safety patrol program for fifth-grade students, which is still thriving. She also serves as a coach for Pine Meadow’s award-winning Math and Battle of the Books teams each year.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
