Record Crowds Attended Northview Regional Softball Game
May 18, 2024
The numbers are now in. A record, or near record, crowd attended Tuesday’s Region 1-1A final in Bratt Tuesday night.
There were 309 tickets sold for the contest, and fans from both sides filled the bleachers and lined the fence to the outfield.
During the game, the Northview Lady Chiefs fell to Holmes County 7-2.
For a game recap and photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Class of 2024 Holds Senior Breakfast
May 18, 2024
The Tate High School Class of 2024 had their Senior Breakfast Friday morning.
The seniors enjoyed a Whataburger biscuit, viewed a senior class video, and received their caps and gown.
The Tate High School Class of 2024 will graduate at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Photos by Tate High School Yearbook for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Westgate School Class of 2024 Graduates (With Photo Gallery)
May 18, 2024
The Escambia Westgate School Class of 2024 graduated Friday.
Escambia Westgate school serves the needs of pre-K, elementary, middle, and high school students with varying exceptionalities.
“They faced challenging circumstances and overcome. The lessons they have learned his at Westgate will serve them well as they are graduates,” Superintendent Keith Leonard said.
“We could not have achieved this milestone without you,” graduate Ta’Javion Omar Johnson told family, friends, and faculty during the ceremony at the school. “We must continue to believe in ourselves and never give up.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Escambia Westgate Class of 2024 graduates were:
- Garrett Ryan Bass
- Turner Patrick Cudworth
- Erick Maurice Davidson
- Christian Elijah Douglas
- Marcus Ja’berius Drain
- Emily Rose Easter Forbes
- Joseph Alin Greer
- Colton Jeffery Hillebrand
- Ta’Javion Omar Johnson
- Amaya Gabrielle Katumba
- Angel Gabriel Larios
- Austyn Isiah McDowell
- Jeniah Brenae Whittaker
The class also remembered classmate Antwanyia Edwards who passed away in 2024 at age 18.
Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Alabama Proposes Shortening Deer Season By Five Days
May 18, 2024
The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board has proposed reducing the length of the 2024/25 White-Tailed Deer hunting season by 5 days, due to “calendar change.”
This change would apply to all zones in Alabama.
Under the proposal, this year’s gun/stalk season would open on November 23, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. That’s five days later than the 2023 opening date on November 18.
The closing date would remain February 10, 2025.
The advisory board will consider the proposal at an upcoming meeting
Photo: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Escambia Deputies Find Wanted Man Hiding Inside Clothes Dryer
May 18, 2024
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a 31-year-old man Friday after finding him hidden inside a clothes dryer.
David Jerome Jackson had been wanted since March for charges of shooting into a dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, damage to property, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Friday, deputies received a tip that Jackson was inside a home off Edgewater Drive. With the assistance of our warrants unit, deputies entered the home and began to search for Jackson.
“After an extensive search, deputies proceeded to the laundry room, where they finally discovered Jackson, folded, not so neatly inside a remarkably small dryer drum. The look on his face, a combination of guilt, embarrassment, and warm hosiery,” ECSO said. “He was pulled from the dryer one limb at a time, as he clung to his tumble-ready hideout. Outside the dryer, deputies removed three dryer sheets, two mismatched socks, and a crumpled-up tissue from his surprisingly wrinkled Star Wars shirt.”
Jackson was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond at $120,000.
Photos courtesy ECSO for NortEscambai.com, click to enlarge.
Baccalaureate Ceremonies Sunday For Tate And Northview
May 18, 2024
Baccalaureate ceremonies have been schedule for Tate and Northview high schools.
The Tate High School Class of 2024 Baccalaureate Ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19 at Hillcrest Baptist Church at 800 East Nine Mile Road.
The Northview High School Baccalaureate Ceremony will be held Sunday, May 19 at 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Atmore.
Tate Aggies Hold Send-Off For Track And Field Athletes Headed To State
May 18, 2024
Tate High School sent the Aggies Track and Field team to state in style Friday.
Seniors Ward O’Brien (javelin) and Latrell Dukes (400m hurdles) and junior Tina Lett (shot put) are representing Tate at the FHSAA Class 4A Track & Field State Championship on Saturday, May 18th in Jacksonville at the University of North Florida.
Photos by Tate High School Yearbook for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Battered by Biscuits In 18-1 Loss
May 18, 2024
written by Erik Bremmer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lost in lopsided fashion to the Montgomery Biscuits on Friday night, dropping game four of their series 18-1 and falling back into a tie for first place.
The loss tied for the widest margin of defeat in team history, and Montgomery’s 21 hits marked the most allowed by the Blue Wahoos in a single game since the team’s inception in 2012.
After a 39-minute pregame delay to help the field recover from afternoon thunderstorms, the Biscuits jumped ahead immediately. Pensacola starter Evan Fitterer (L, 3-2) saw his scoreless inning streak of 20.1 frames come to an end with a Dominic Keegan sacrifice fly in the first inning. Mason Auer added a two-out, two-run triple to extend the Montgomery lead to 3-0, beginning a 4-for-5 night for the Biscuits center fielder.
Montgomery added another run in the second on a Carson Williams RBI double, and then broke the game open in the fourth with a two-out, two-run single from Bob Seymour. Fitterer allowed a season-high six runs on nine hits over 4.0 innings before turning things over to the Pensacola bullpen.
Fitterer’s mound opponent, Adam Leverett (W, 3-0), turned in a career-high 7.0 innings in the best performance of his career. The righty allowed only two hits while striking out five without walking a batter. The only Pensacola run scored on a Jakob Marsee RBI groundout in the third inning, after which the Blue Wahoos were held hitless.
The Blue Wahoos bullpen struggled as the game got away late, surrendering a run in the fifth, four runs in the sixth, six runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth. The lone bright spot was lefthander Patrick Murphy, who got the final four outs in the blowout to mark his return to the mound after a yearlong stay on the injured list.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Montgomery on Saturday night. First pitch from Riverwalk Stadium is scheduled for 6:05
County Receives Increased BTC Offer Of $25 Million For OLF-8, But There Are Several Potential Sticking Points
May 17, 2024
Beulah TownCenter, LLC (BTC) has increased their purchase offer to $25 million for 290 acres of the county-owned OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road.
After negotiations on the original BTC and partner Fred Hemmer offer of $22 million, they returned with the higher offer and revised contract language.
The county still has an offer on the table for local potential buyers Cliff Mowe, land developer, and Ryan Chavers, owner of a construction company.
“Additionally–I was contacted by representatives of a new interested party. This large development firm based in Alabama will be visiting the Pensacola area next week and I am told they are very interested in the OLF 8 property,” Commissioner Jeff Bergosh wrote on his blog.
“The OLF 8 sale/development issue is once again heating up,” Begosh wrote. “My hope is that we will soon be able to settle in on one of these offers and move this initiative forward. If we are able to sell the 290 acres at $25 Million–this will be an immediate $10 Million Dollar windfall for our LOST fund that will provide monies for badly-needed infrastructure projects district wide.”
Escambia County staff has provided commissioners with a summary of the increased BTC offer, including several possible sticking points.
“Bergosh said the commission will discuss OLF-8, including the latest offer, at their next meeting on Monday.
He wrote, “Folks on BOTH sides of this proposed transaction need to iron every one of these bullet points out prior to Monday so we are not, once again, trying to push a wet noodle up a hill on this. It is time to fish or cut bait–no more Kabuki Theater…..Produce a contract we (the BCC) can make an up or down vote on!”
The county staff provided commissioners with the following bullet points:
- BTC adds back/deletes much of what was deleted/added in the County’s previous draft.
- BTC increases the purchase price from $20,000,000 to $25,000,000.
- BTC increases the deposit from $20,000 to $25,000, with an additional $250,000 deposit upon approval of BTC’s preliminary site plan.
- There is really no situation where BTC will be unable to recover the deposit if the transaction does not close.
- BTC does not commit to build anything or adhere to the master plan prepared by DPZ CoDesign. Instead, it defers that issue to be resolved by a Master Development Agreement and Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions that will be negotiated after the Purchase and Sale agreement.
- BTC requires all development approvals ahead of closing and incorporated in the Master Development Agreement.
- BTC deletes references to the provisions, covenants, and other duties and obligations in the quit claim deed from the USA to the County; the quit claim deed from the USA requires the County to incorporate those references in subsequent transactions.
- The Agreement makes several references to warranties of title; the County cannot provide warranties of title by statute.
- The Agreement requires the County to pay the documentary stamp tax; the County is precluded from paying these by statute.
- The Agreement contains several provisions that require the County to indemnify and hold BTC harmless and pay its attorney’s fees in the event of default, breach, or other dispute.
- BTC requires the remedy of specific performance for breach, default, or otherwise refusing to pursue its obligations in the Agreement.
- The County would be required to pay all BTC’s actual damages (i.e., all out-of- pocket costs) if the County does not close.
- BTC requires the County to record a restriction on the County’s northern remainder of the property to light-industrial uses; the County would not be able to allow the use of the remainder for residential or retail purposes without the written consent of BTC.
- BTC requires a right-of-first refusal for the County’s northern remainder of the property.
- BTC adds back/deletes much of what was deleted/added in the County’s previous draft. BTC increases the purchase price from $20,000,000 to $25,000,000. BTC increases the deposit from $20,000 to $25,000, with an additional $250,000deposit upon approval of BTC’s preliminary site plan. There is really no situation where BTC will be unable to recover the deposit if thetransaction does not close. BTC does not commit to build anything or adhere to the master plan prepared byDPZ CoDesign. Instead, it defers that issue to be resolved by a MasterDevelopment Agreement and Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, andRestrictions that will be negotiated after the Purchase and Sale agreement.
- BTC requires all development approvals ahead of closing and incorporated in theMaster Development Agreement. BTC deletes references to the provisions, covenants, and other duties andobligations in the quit claim deed from the USA to the County; the quit claim deedfrom the USA requires the County to incorporate those references in subsequenttransactions. The Agreement makes several references to warranties of title; the County cannotprovide warranties of title by statute. The Agreement requires the County to pay the documentary stamp tax; the County is precluded from paying these by statute. (Section 10.2) The Agreement contains several provisions that require the County to indemnify andhold BTC harmless and pay its attorney’s fees in the event of default, breach, orother dispute. BTC requires the remedy of specific performance for breach, default, or otherwiserefusing to pursue its obligations in the Agreement. (Section 14) The County would be required to pay all BTC’s actual damages (i.e., all out-of-pocket costs) if the County does not close. BTC requires the County to record a restriction on the County’s northern remainderof the property to light-industrial uses; the County would not be able to allow the useof the remainder for residential or retail purposes without the written consent of BTC.
- BTC requires a right-of-first refusal for the County’s northern remainder of the property.
Bergoh said the commission will discuss OLF-8, including the latest offer, at their next meeting on Monday.
Jay Royals Win 1A State Championship, Their First In 54 Years
May 17, 2024
It’s been 54 long years, but a state baseball championship trophy is on the way back to Jay.
The Jay Royals are FHSAA 1A state champions for the first time since 1970 after a 6-3 win over Bozeman Thursday night in Fort Myers.
Ethan McDonald was 3-4 with a double and two runs at the plate for the Royals. Nick Baxley was 2-3 with a double and three RBIs, and Grayson Shehan was 2-3 with a double and two RBIs. J Lowery, B Godwin, and W Peaden each added a hit.
McDonald went for three and two-thirds innings for Jay, surrendering three hits and two runs while walking four and striking out five. Godwin was on the mound for three and a third innings, giving up three hits and one run, striking out four and walking four.
The Bucks were the No. 1 seed headed into Thursday night’s rain-delayed game and took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning with a double. The Royals recovered by scoring a run in the fourth and three in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
Photos courtesy FHSAA for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
