Blue Wahoos Beat Biscuits 9-2 To Open Series
August 20, 2012
Pensacola first baseman Beau Mills mashed a homer in his third straight game, while third baseman David Vidal also left the yard and right fielder Josh Fellhauer drove home three, as the Blue Wahoos topped the Montgomery Biscuits 9-2 on Sunday evening at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The win pushes Pensacola to a 29-27 record in the second half and to within two games of the Biscuits for two games of first place in the South Division. Montgomery fell to a 31-25 mark since the midpoint of the season.
After both teams were held scoreless through the first four frames, both teams combined for the 11 tallies in the final five. Montgomery got the scoring started in the fifth when C Mayo Acosta led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, coming being sent home on 2B Derek Dietrich’s RBI double to left.
The Blue Wahoos would then answer with two tallies in the bottom half of the inning. C Mark Fleury and 2B Miguel Rojas each reached on consecutive walks prior to SS Billy Hamilton’s single, which loaded the bases for Fellhauer. The right fielder drove home both Fleury and Rojas with his single to right, putting Pensacola up 2-1.
Montgomery then countered in the sixth to tie the game at 2-2. DH Kyeong Kang was hit by a pitch, before he was driven home on 1B Michael Sheridan’s run-scoring double to center.
Pensacola however, would then plate seven unanswered scores over the next two frames to pull away. SS Billy Hamilton sent in Rojas following his base-on-balls, while the Fish put up a six-spot in the following inning. Mills and Vidal each homered, while Hamilton and Fellhauer each drew bases loaded free passes to add to their RBI totals. Mills’ blast was his third in as many games for the Fish and is tied for the team lead this season with Vidal with ten homers.
Hamilton (2-3, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB) and Fellhauer (2-3, 3 RBI, 2 BB) each tallied two hits for Pensacola, and reached base four times while Dietrich (2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI) and Sheridan (2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI) also collected multi-hit efforts. Hamilton did not steal a base in the contest and remains at 143 thefts this season, putting him two away from tying Vince Coleman’s single-season record and three from setting a new mark.
Blue Wahoos reliever Wilkin De La Rosa (1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) earned the victory to improve to 1-1 after firing 1.1 scoreless innings, while Biscuits reliever Marquis Fleming (2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) suffered the loss. Pensacola starter Wirfin Obispo (5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 SO) did not factor in the decision despite yielding only a lone earned run on just three hits while fanning seven in his five solid innings.
The two teams are scheduled to square off again Monday night, with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. from the bayfront stadium. The Fish are expected to send RHP Chad Rogers to the mound, while Montgomery is slated to give the nod to LHP Kyle Lobstein.
By Andrew Green
Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Health And Hope Clinics Provide $1.7 Million In Free Medical Care
August 19, 2012
The Health and Hope Clinics in Pensacola and Century have provided well over a million and half dollars worth of free medical care to local residents during the past year.
During the last year, the two clinics had 2,000 patient visits and provided $1 million in free medications. The grand total of all services provided to economically disadvantaged and uninsured residents was $1.7 million.
The Health and Hope Clinic quietly opened in October in the old Escambia County Health Department building at 501 Church Street in Century. It is the second location for the clinic, which was first established in Pensacola back in 2003 by the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association to meet the needs of uninsured and medically underserved in Escambia County. The clinic is entirely volunteer and donor supported.
To become a patient of Health and Hope Clinic, you must:
- be completely uninsured
- be ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or VA medical benefits
- meet financial eligibility requirements as determined annually by the State of Florida
To schedule a new patient screening appointment, call (850) 479-4456. Only a limited number of new patients are accepted each month. To volunteer, call (850) 256-6200 or (850) 479-4456. For more information on the Health and Hope Clinic and services, visit www.healthandhopeclinic.org.
Cantonment Man Charged With Burglary
August 19, 2012
A Cantonment man has been charged with burglarizing a home on Neal Road.
Joshua Dylan Leavell, 20, was arrested this week on an outstanding warrant for burglary, criminal mischief and petit theft. He remained in the Escambia County Jail early Sunday with bond set at $11,000.
On September 25, 2011, a resident reported a burglary in the 200 block of Neal Road. The victim reported that someone broke in through a bedroom window and stole Lortab from her bedroom. Fingerprints at the scene were from Leavell, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Leavell told deputies that he had opened the bedroom window, but another man had actually entered the house. The man fingered by Leavell had an alibi, according to deputies.
Century To Hold Housing Grant Public Hearing
August 19, 2012
The Town of Century will hold a public hearing Monday night as they begin the application process for $650,000 in grants to rehabilitate private homes in town.
The town is applying for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to rehabilitate or replace homes that are currently occupied by persons of low or moderate income.
The public hearing will be held in conjunction with a regular council meeting at 7 p.m. at the Century Town Hall.
The town received a similar $650,000 during the last fiscal year; it was used to rehabilitate about a dozen private homes.
Citizens Insurance Reverses Course On Inspection Program
August 19, 2012
With customers complaining about getting hit with higher premiums, leaders of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. said Friday they will revise an inspection program aimed at helping prevent wind damage to homes.
The program is supposed to give homeowners a discount on their premiums for doing construction upgrades such as improving roofs or better protecting doors and windows. But it has faced criticism recently because many customers have lost previous discounts — known in the insurance industry as “mitigation credits” — when Citizens has done reinspections of the homes.
Citizens Chairman Carlos Lacasa and President Barry Gilway held a news conference Friday to announce changes to the program, such as offering free follow-up inspections if homeowners disagree with the findings of inspectors. Also, Citizens will provide more information to consumers about a dispute-resolution process.
Gilway said the changes will put the “onus” on the state-backed Citizens to validate whether homeowners should receive the credits. State officials have long said strengthening homes against hurricane damage is critical to the property-insurance system and that credits can serve as an incentive for customers to spend thousands of dollars on improvements.
“We want to get the credits to them,” Gilway said. “That’s what ultimately reduces our exposure.”
The Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post have recently reported that reinspections have increased Citizens premiums by more than $130 million. Gilway said Friday that Citizens has completed about 255,000 reinspections and has 88,000 more to go. Citizens is the largest property insurer in the state, with 1.45 million policies as of July 31.
Lacasa, a former Miami-Dade County lawmaker, said one of the problems facing homeowners is that standards for receiving the credits have changed in recent years. The newer standards are more stringent, which has led to people losing credits during reinspections.
Gilway said, for example, standards have changed for how much of a roof surface can be flat and still qualify for credits.
Another frequent issue stems from inspectors being unable to gain access to attics to check structural issues. Under the changes announced Friday, Citizens will provide free follow-up inspections for people whose credits have been removed because of a lack of access to attics.
South Florida insurance agent Larry Willis, who phoned into the news conference, said disputes have even arisen from situations such as inspectors needing to go through clothing-filled closets to climb into attics. He said some inspectors won’t move clothing that blocks access.
Gilway said he will provide recommendations to the Citizens board next month about credit-related issues, possibly including whether the changes should apply retroactively to customers who have already lost credits. He said, however, Citizens will not retroactively return premium dollars.
By The News Service of Florida
Special Section: Back To School Info You Need To Know
August 19, 2012
School started Monday in Escambia County, and we have the last minute information you need to know, including start times, school supply lists, lunch prices, bus routes, and information on free and reduced price lunches.
Click a link to visit that story.
- School Start Times
- School Lunch Prices
- Free And Reduced Lunch Guidelines
- School Lunch Menus
- School Supply Lists
- School Bus Routes
Mobile Tops Pensacola 5-2 In Series Finale
August 19, 2012
BayBears starter Chase Anderson held the Blue Wahoos to just five hits and struck out seven in six scoreless innings of work, while left fielder Brent Clevlen blasted a three-run homer in the eighth to give Mobile a 5-2 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Saturday evening at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
With their victory Mobile improved their second half record to 23-32 this year, while Pensacola fell to 28-27 since the midpoint of the 2012 season. Despite the defeat, the Blue Wahoos won the first Bay-to-Bay series with a 12-10 record against the BayBears this year.
Anderson (6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO) earned the victory after giving up just five hits, in addition to his seven punchouts in six shutout innings of work, while Pensacola starter Daniel Corcino (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO) suffered a tough loss, allowing only a lone earned run on just two hits in his six frames pitched.
Mobile struck early, plating their first tally in the second to take the 1-0 advantage. Clevlen began the frame with a walk, before eventually scoring on an RBI double off the left field wall by 2B David Nick.
The BayBears would then add four insurance runs in the eighth to pull away. Dan Kaczrowski led off with a double to right, and subsequently scored on a Pensacola fielding error. SS Chris Owings and RF Alfredo Marte followed with base knocks prior to coming home on Clevlen’s homer to left, making it 5-0.
Pensacola ended Mobile’s shutout hopes in the final frame thanks to the longball. CF Bryson Smith singled before being sent in on 1B Beau Mills’ two-run blast to left. It was the ninth homer of the year for Mills, which ties him for the team lead with 3B David Vidal.
2B Brodie Greene & RF Andrew Means were involved in a collision in right field during the eighth. Greene was taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation, while Means was able to walk off the field under his own power. There is no word on the extent of injuries for either player at this time.
Owings (2-3, 1 R, 1 BB) was the lone BayBears batter to record a multi-hit effort, while SS Billy Hamilton (3-4, 1 SB) collected three hits and LF Donald Lutz (2-4) tallied a pair of base knocks. Hamilton stole second in the first inning to increase his season total to 143, which places him two away from tying Vince Coleman’s record and three from setting a new mark.
Pensacola now returns home for a five-game series with the Montgomery Biscuits, the Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, beginning Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. from the bayfront stadium, with RHP Wirfin Obispo expected to get the nod for Blue Wahoos, while Montgomery is slated to give the ball to RHP Merrill Kelly.
Alabama Chief Justice Candidate Roy Moore To Speak Monday Night
August 19, 2012
Roy Moore, conservative Republican candidate for the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, will speak Monday evening in Brewton.
Moore was elected chief justice of Alabama’s highest court back in 2000, but he was removed — and made national news — in 2003 when he refused to follow a federal judge’s order to remove a granite Ten Commandments monument that he had placed in Alabama’s judicial building.
The Alabama Democratic party removed their candidate for chief justice Friday after he made online comments the party deemed to be inappropriate for judicial candidate, according to al.com.
The Democratic State Executive Committee said Harry Lyon’s “increasingly erratic behavior” had “undermined his ability to stand as a candidate for the Democratic Party”.
Lyon made comments “critical of Republican justices, homosexuals and supporters of gay marriage”, The Birmingham News reported. Lyon even said Moore suffered from “dementia” and was a “devil worshiper”.
“It is disappointing that this close to the election process we find ourselves without a candidate for Chief Justice, but are hopeful that we will soon have a truly qualified candidate and future Chief Justice,” said Democratic Chairman Mark Kennedy.
“It only will show Alabama voters what a farce the once powerful Alabama Democratic Party has become,” Bill Armistead, the state Republican Party chairman, said in a statement about the Democratic party’s lack of a candidate. “The Alabama Republican Party will stand shoulder to shoulder with Judge Roy Moore to defeat you and support conservative Alabama values.”
Moore will speak during the August meeting of the Escambia County GOP at 6 p.m. Monday at The Hourglass, 220 St. Joseph Avenue in Brewton.
Man Charged With DUI Manslaughter After Fatal Wreck On Nine Mile Road
August 18, 2012
An Escambia County man has been charged with DUI manslaughter after an early Saturday morning wreck on Nine Mile Road that left one man dead and woman in critical condition.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 28-year old Skylar Clint Davis of Pensacola was traveling east in the westbound lane of Nine Mile Road at Northminster Lane in a 2003 Chevrolet 1500 when he topped the crest of a hill and struck a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier head-on.
The driver of the Cavalier, 57-year old Russell George Sheppard of Pensacola, was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger in his vehicle, 24-year old Kathryn Elizabeth Sheppard of Pensacola was critically injured and transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Davis was transported to West Florida Hospital where he was treated and released into the custody of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Davis was charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI serious bodily injuries and DUI property damage. He was booked into the Escambia County jail with bond set at $115,000.
Shots Fired At Pickup; No Injuries Reported
August 18, 2012
There were no injuries when someone opened fire on a pickup truck Friday night on County Road 97 near Cantonment.
The victim told deputies that someone “came after him” on Jacks Branch Road, according to Melissa Rawson, spokeswoman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The victim continued south until someone fired a gun and shot out his tire on County Road 97 about 8:50 p.m.
The suspect was described as a black male, driving what was believed to be green over metallic-colored extended cab pickup, possible a Ford Ranger.
Rawson said it was not immediately known if the shooting was a road rage incident or if the suspect knew the victim.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.