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Free Classifieds | Obituaries |

Blue Wahoos, Barons Rained Out In Birmingham

Saturday’s game between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Birmingham Barons at Regions Field was postponed due to rain.

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday, June 16. The first pitch of game one will begin at 2:00 p.m. CT, with another game to follow approximately 30 minutes after the first game ends. Both contests will be seven innings.

The Blue Wahoos return home Tuesday for a six-game series against the Chattanooga Lookouts, Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

Gomez, Cunningham, Lewis Elected By Default, No One Else Qualifies For Century Mayor, Council

Century’s mayor and two council members will keep their seats for another four years after no one else qualified to run for the offices.

Luis Gomez, Jr. will remain mayor, while Dynette Lewis (seat 1) and Henry Cunningham (seat 2) were the only candidates to qualify for the offices by Friday’s deadline. With no other candidates, they were elected by default, and the races will not appear on the 2024 ballot.

The salary for mayor is $10,131.96 annually, and the annual salary is $3,714.96 for the council seats.

The four-year terms for the mayor and both council seats will begin on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Gomez was appointed interim mayor after the resignation of Ben Boutwell, and Cunningham was appointed on an interim basis to the council seat vacated by Gomez. Both won the seats by default in 2023 when no one else ran in 2023. Lewis, who currently serves as council president, was elected in 2020 after defeating Ann Brooks.

Pictured top: Luis Gomez, Jr. (left) and Henry Cunningham. Pictured inset: Dynette Lewis. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Escambia Man Gets Second Life Sentence After Second Murder Conviction

A 25-year old Escambia County man already serving a life sentence for murder received another life sentence this week after being convicted of a second murder.

A jury convicted Ellis Miguel Clark of first degree murder for the shooting death of Andrew Howard in 2020. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison.

The new life sentence will be served consecutively to another life sentence for the June 2023 murder of 20-year-old Marcus Atienza on Rawls Avenue in Ensley.

About 11 p.m. on December 27, Clark attempted to rob Howard, 24, at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Northwoods Apartments off 9th Avenue. Howard fought with Clark, sustaining numerous non-fatal injuries.

When Howard managed to break free Clark and began to run away toward his nearby apartment, Clark fired two shots at him with a handgun. One shot grazed Howard’s left hip. The other shot struck Andrew Howard in his back, causing a perforating wound which passed through his heart. Howard passed away on the outside patio of his apartment.

The evidence at trial established that Clark had conspired with co-defendant Nicholas Wells to rob Howard of a substantial amount of cash. Additionally, the evidence proved that after the homicide, Clark burned his vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence. He also reported to law enforcement that his vehicle had been stolen. The burned vehicle was located by a county worker the day after the homicide.

FHP Releases Details: Teen Charged After Highway 196, Highway 29 Crash

The Florida Highway Patrol has released their results of their investigation into a traffic crash Tuesday evening near Molino.

Friday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol released details of the crash near the intersection of Highway 196 and Highway 29.

FHP said in a 17-year-old male in a 2002 Honda sedan was traveling east on Highway 196 at a high rate of speed when he failed to stop at a stop sign at Highway 29. His car continued across Highway 29 a struck a 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by a 50-year-old man on Highway 196 that was waiting to make a left turn into a Dollar General parking lot.

The Honda sedan came to a stop after striking a street sign at the corner of Highway 196 and Country Squire Drive. The pickup overturned and came to rest on its side just off the roadway.

Family members tell us the driver of the pickup and his 33-year-old female passenger are recovering and appear to be fine. An update on the teen’s condition was not available.

The 17-year-old was charged with reckless driving and cited for running a stop sign.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

The 2024 Ballot Is Set. Here’s Who Is Running, and Who Has Already Won.

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons was reelected Friday after no challenger qualified to oppose him.

Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones chose not to run again. Deputy Property Appraiser Gary “Bubba” Peters, a Republican, earned the seat as the candidate to qualify by Friday.

No one qualified to run against incumbent Republican Pam Childers for Clerk of the Court. Republican Tax Collector Scott Luncsford has no challengers and was automatically reelected.

Republican Robert Bender, running for the first time after being appointed Escambia County Supervisor of Elections, will face Republican challenger Bruce Childers.

Ashlee Hofberger, Buck Mitchell and Walker Wilson qualified as Republicans to seek the District 4 Escambia County Commission seat that has been vacant since Bender’s appointment by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the elections post. The Republican winner will face Democrat Ron Helms in November.

Republican District 1 Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh will face Republican challengers Jesse Casey and Steven Stroberger. Tyler Aulger and Justin Smith qualified as write-in candidates.

In Escambia Commission District 5, incumbent Republican Steven Barry drew one challenger — NPS candidate Joshua Roberson. Three other candidates that pre-qualified did not finalize their qualifications — James HIlburn, Rafael Lopez and John Taylor, jr.

Longtime incumbent District 5 Escambia County School Board member Bill Slayton did not seek reelection. Thomas Harrell, Joshua Matthew Luther and Jim “Andy” Taylor all qualified to run.

Here is the complete list of Escambia County candidates:

Escambia County Clerk of the Court

• Pam Childers – Republican

ECUA District 5

• Kevin Stephens – Republican

Beulah Middle FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team Wins First Place In Florida

The Beulah Middle School FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team won first place in the state Friday at the Florida FFA State Convention & Expo in Orlando. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Blue Wahoos Fall 6-3 To Barons

written by Erik Bremer

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos slipped out of first place on Friday night, dropping game four of their series 6-3 to the Birmingham Barons.

After a 14-3 Montgomery Biscuits win over the Chattanooga Lookouts, the Blue Wahoos trail the Biscuits by 0.5 games in the first half South Division race with eight games to play.

M.D. Johnson (L, 2-4) allowed a season-high six runs over 5.0 innings, starting with a two-run homer to slugger Edgar Quero in the first inning. The Barons added four more in the third, highlighted by a two-run double from Tim Elko, to take an early 6-0 lead.

Birmingham starter Mason Adams (W, 5-3) stayed out of trouble until the fifth, when Cody Morissette hit a two-run homer and Paul McIntosh added an RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-3.

The Blue Wahoos loaded the bases in the sixth, but reliever Jake Palisch retired Harrison Spohn on a groundout as the potential go-ahead run to end the threat. Eric Adler (S, 3) served up loud contact in the ninth, but locked down the save to even up the six-game series at two games apiece.

The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Saturday. First pitch from Regions Field is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

New Safety Lighting Installed At Highway 29, Highway 196 Intersection

New safety lighting was installed Thursday at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 196 in Molino, the site of 66 traffic crashes in the past decade.

Of the 66 wrecks, three were fatal and three more left individuals with incapacitating injuries.. FHP said alcohol contributed to three of the wrecks.

Following a serious crash Tuesday that injured two people, Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry told NorthEscambia.com that he was coordinating the installation of additional lighting with Florida Power & Light. The lights were previously set to be installed in July but were fast-tracked to Thursday.

On January 26 of this year, 17-year-old Tate High School student Bradley Ellertson died when a semi-truck and a Kia Soul collided at the intersection. FHP said the driver of the Kia Soul, a 16-year-old female from Pensacola, was traveling eastbound on Highway 196 when she ran the stop sign at Highway 29 and collided with the oncoming semi-truck.

Overall control of safety measures at the intersection falls with the Florida Department of Transportation due to Highway 29. However, Highway 196 is a county road.

Barry said the January crash that killed Ellertson prompted him and the county to ask FDOT to evaluate the intersection for any safety improvements, including any need for a traffic light. He said previous state studies have shown a traffic light was not appropriate.

In the meantime, Barry said the county will install flashing LED lights on the Highway 196 stop signs to improve driver attention.

Pictured: New street lighting was installed Thursday at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 196 in Molino. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday Ends Today

The first of Florida’s two 14-day Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays end today, June 14. A second two-week disaster sales tax holiday will take place August 24 through September 6.

This year, Floridians are expected to save millions on vital disaster preparedness supplies such as pet supplies, tarps, batteries, generators and flashlights, which are all included in the list of items eligible to be purchased tax-free.

Below is a list of all qualifying items:

Selling for $10 or less

• Wet dog or cat food if sold individually or the equivalent if sold in a box or case

Selling for $15 or less

• Manual can openers
• Collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls for pets
• Cat litter pans
• Pet waste disposal bags
• Hamster or rabbit substrate

Selling for $20 or less

• Reusable ice packs
• Leashes, collars, and muzzles for pets
• Pet pads

Selling for $25 or less

• Cat litter weighing 25 or fewer pounds

Selling for $40 or less

• Candles
• Flashlights
• Lanterns
• Pet beds

Selling for $50 or less

• Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios, or weather-band radios
• Gas or diesel fuel tanks
• Batteries, including rechargeable batteries, listed sizes only – a AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, 9-volt

Selling for $60 or less

• Nonelectric food storage coolers
• Portable power banks

Selling for $70 or less

• Smoke detectors or smoke alarms
• Fire extinguishers
• Carbon monoxide detectors

Selling for $100 or less

• Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting
• Ground anchor systems
• Portable pet kennels and carriers
• Ratchet straps
• Tie-down kits
• Dry dog or cat food weighing less than 50 pounds

Selling for $3,000 or less

• Portable generators used to provide light or communications or to preserve food in a power outage

All-Star Softball, Baseball Games Are Tonight. See Who Made The Teams.

The Pensacola Sports High School All-Star Series baseball and softball games are tonight.

West teams are comprised of just-graduated seniors from Escambia County. East teams are players from Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties

Softball begins at 6 p.m. and baseball at 6:30 p.m. on June 14 at Pensacola State College. For each game, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students from GoFan.

West Baseball
Head Coach: Johnathan Kent, Pensacola High School
Pine Forest — Colton Swiers SS/P
Pine Forest — Connor Baer LF/P
Catholic — Chris Rembert 2B/P
Catholic — Jackson Kohr P
Catholic — Brock Clayton C/OF
Catholic — Scott Sanderson 3B/P
Catholic — Carter Kerr OF
Pensacola — Julio Guzman P/SS/C
Pensacola — Terrance Bowens 3B/OF
Escambia — Isaac Bates P
Escambia — Ethan Pardue 3B/2B
Escambia — Jordan Luckie CF
Escambia — Caleb Lipscomb P
Escambia — Anthony Hall OF/P
Washington — Davis Sherman 3B/OF
Washington — Ricky Bucco OF/3B
West Florida — Jaxson Cramer SS/P
West Florida — Connor Powers 2B
West Florida — Jake Lawrence P
Tate — Clif Quiggins 3B/SS/OF
Tate — Bray Touchstone C
Tate — Conner Hassell OF
Tate — Neal Croom P
Tate — Ketch King OF/C
Northview — Wyatt Scruggs OF
Northview — Robbie Bodiford C

East Baseball
Head Coach: Justin Bruce, Niceville High School
Pace — Tanner Sauls P/OF/1B
Pace — Nate Caston P/OF
Navarre — Cole Crocker P/3B
Navarre — Ace Demotts P/3B/1B
Navarre — Ashton Sieg CF/P
Navarre — Ryan Ragan SS/OF
Baker — Judah Morse CF/P
Gulf Breeze — Jacob Thorn P/1B
Gulf Breeze — Gavin Quenneville OF
Crestview — Anthony St. Vincent P/3B
Crestview — Jaden Appleby OF
Central — Justin Smarr P/3B
Central — Dylen Houk SS/P
Central — Gavin Schmidt P/1B
Jay — Ethan McDonald OF/P
Jay — Wyatt Peaden 3B
Milton — Matt Simmons 3B/2B
Fort Walton Beach — Hunter Kidd SS/P
Fort Walton Beach — Avery Warren C/OF
Niceville — Jeremiah Blair C/P
Niceville — Evan Root P/1B
Laurel Hill — Benny Hudson INF
Laurel Hill — Omerion Hill P/C
Rocky Bayou — AJ Morgan SS/OF
Rocky Bayou — Chase Johnson 2B/P

East Softball
Head Coach: Ronald Sprague, Washington High School
Northview — Chloe Ragsdale C/1B/OF
Northview — Makayla Golson OF
West Florida — Sydney Scapin P
West Florida — Brea Holley C/3B
West Florida — Maddie Laubach 2B
West Florida — Lauren Allen 1B/3B
Pine Forest — Sarah Rudd Utility
Pine Forest — Alexzandria Holston 3B/INF
Pine Forest — Tiara Hall OF/INF
Pine Forest — LaToya Hall LF/1B
Escambia — Laney Moss 3B
Escambia — Halina Bell C/1B
Escambia — Olivia Bourgeois OF/P
Escambia — Kaylee Parker 2B/P
Catholic — Isabelle Little- Anoai 1B/P
Catholic — Titera Dukes Utility
Tate — Kate Balagbagan 2B/P
Tate — Olivea Latner OF
Tate — Kylea Gibbs OF
Tate — Elizabeth McVay OF
Washington — Ja’Kia Hollis CF
Washington — Cassidy Bardin INF/P
Washington — Brogan Dougherty 2B/P
Pensacola — Sydney Jernigan C/OF

West Softball
Head Coach: Dune Farrone, Rocky Bayou Head Coach: Dune Farrone, Rocky Bayou
Laurel Hill — Raelee McDonald C/1B
Gulf Breeze — Kenna King CF/OF
Gulf Breeze — Ava Chapman OF/1B
Gulf Breeze — Presley Hall C
Choctaw — Ellie Long P/OF
Fort Walton Beach — Ava Smith P/1B
Pace — Shelby Crooks Utility
Pace — Juliana Henderson LF/2B
Milton — Hallie Ueberroth 2B/SS
Milton — Gracie Bonds P
Milton — Kayla Willis 1B/P
Niceville — Mckenzi Toth 2B
Niceville — Kamryn Neely C/3B
Central — Brianna Martin LF/CF
Central — Gracie Jernigan RF/1B
Jay — Ella Nelson SS
Jay — Brooklyn Sorrells 2B
Baker — Carlie Hopps CF/SS
Baker — Hannah Twitty P
Rocky Bayou — Erica Losinger 2B/SS
Crestview — Mayson Feller OF
Crestview — Paige Deitz 3B/2B
Navarre — Calyn Rounsaville C

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