Boil Water Notice Issued For Cottage Hill Water Works Customers On Parker Road
May 22, 2024
THIS BOIL WATER NOTICE HAS BEEN RESCINDED.
A precautionary boil water notice has been issued for Cottage Hill Water Works customers following a water main break Wednesday in the 1500 block of Parker Road.
“The section of Parker Road south of Williams Ditch Road may experience a disruption of service. Our crews are on site and working as quickly as possible to restore service,” CHWW said in a statement about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
The utility is advising, as a precaution, that all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes be boiled. A rolling boil of one minute is sufficient. As an alternative bottled water may be used.
This precautionary boil water notice will remain in effect until the problem has been corrected and a bacteriological survey shows that the water is safe to drink.
This story will be updated with the boil water notice is rescinded.
Century Town Clerk Leslie Howington Resigns; Town To Hire Interim Clerk
May 22, 2024
Century Town Clerk Leslie Howington has resigned.
In mid-April, Howington took a temporary leave of absence.
She told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday that she submitted her resignation due to medical reasons.
“This was a blow to the town,” Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. said. “We wish her well.”
Howington was Century town clerk from 2010-2018 before resigning for another position. She was rehired in 2021.
Tuesday night, the Century Town Council voted to authorize Gomez to negotiate with Lakisha Burch (pictured left) for interim town clerk services.
Gomez said Burch has extensive experience in municipal government administration. She has proposed a rate of $26 per hour for up to 30 hours per week, with additional hours billed at $40 per hour. She will work remotely.
According to her Linkedin profile, Burch served as town clerk for the Town of Loxahatchee Groves for just over five years and was the Florida Association of City Clerks Clerk of the Year in 2022. She holds a master municipal clerk designation.
The council also approved a job description in order to begin the search for a permanent replacement for Howington. The salary range for the position will be $71,000 to $91,000, more than Howington was paid.
Pictured: Century Town Clerk Leslie Howington uses her phone to find information for council members during a Century Town Council meeting. NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Brett McCullough Named New Tate Aggies Baseball Head Coach
May 22, 2024
The Tate Aggies have named Brett McCullough as their new head baseball coach.
McCullough is a Class of 2002 Tate High School graduate. He has six years of head coaching experience. He also has seven years experience as an assistant coach for the Aggies.
McCullough compiled a 79-53 record at Pine Forest High School from 2018-2022. He was an all-state first team pitcher at Tate before pitching for Lipscomb University, Alabama Southern and the University of West Florida.
It’s an honor and absolutely privilege! Excited to get to work,” McCullough said in a social media post Tuesday night. ‘I’m extremely lucky because alot of people call their profession a job, I get to call mine home! Aggie nation it’s time to get to work!”
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Schedule, Video Links: High School Graduations Thursday And Friday
May 22, 2024
Escambia County Public Schools will hold graduation ceremonies Thursday and Friday at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The schedule is below; each school name has a clickable link to a live YouTube stream. The videos will be archived for future viewing.
Thursday, May 23
9:00 a.m. — West Florida High School
12:15 p.m. –Pine Forest High School
2:30 p.m. – Northview High School
5:30 p.m. — Tate High School
Friday, May 24
9:00 a.m. — Pensacola High School
12:15 p.m. — Escambia High School
2:30 p.m.– EVA/Success Academy/George Stone/Acceleration Academy/Achieve Academy
5:30 pm. — Washington High School
For Pensacola Bay Center security procedures, click here.
The Escambia Westgate graduation was held May 17 [read more...]. The District extended program graduation is at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22 at the Hall Center.
Arrest Made In Caught On Camera Theft From Local Small Business
May 22, 2024
A Cantonment man has been arrested in connection with the theft of over $800 worth of outdoor items from a local small business.
Kyle Aaron Walden, 34, was arrested Tuesday for grand theft and burglary, both felony charges. His bond was set at $5,000, but he has an outstanding warrant from Santa Rosa County, according to jail records.
The theft occurred about 7 a.m. May 16 at Antiques Marketplace at 10100 Pensacola Boulevard, just south of 10 Mile Road. Surveillance images shows the man taking items from outside the business and placing them into the backseat of a small car.
Walden’s arrest came just four days after surveillance images were posted on NorthEscambia.com.
Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Seniors Return For Jim Allen Elementary “Jaguar Walk”
May 22, 2024
Jim Allen Elementary School held a “Jaguar Walk” Tuesday, inviting back graduating high school seniors and former Jim Allen students to walk the halls one final time.
“Many tears and many hugs filled our halls this morning! It warms our hearts to see our Jaguars excelling in life! Congratulations seniors! May you continue to soar and roar,” the school said.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High’s Labron Baldwin Signs Football Scholarship With Mississippi College
May 22, 2024
Tate High School’s Labron Baldwin recently signed a football scholarship with Mississippi College
Baldwin played football (offensive line) all four years at Tate High School while also competing in weightlifting and track and field. An honors student, Baldwin was a member of Student Council and will graduate with a 3.3 GPA
He plans to study computer science.
Photos by Tate High School Yearbook for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Continue Hitting Struggles, Fall To Smokies In Series Opener
May 22, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos spent the past week in Montgomery unable to find steady production at the plate.
Their return home Tuesday didn’t bring good fortune, either.
Five pitchers combined on a shutout as the Tennessee Smokies took a 3-0 victory Tuesday night, thus keeping a crowd of 3,845 with few moments of cheer.
The game on a “Doggone Tuesday” began a six-game homestand against the Smokies, the Chicago Cubs affiliate, making their only appearance this season at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The crowd included a group of 287 mothers and their sons from Elberta (Ala.) Elementary School who attended the game on a “Mother-Sons Date Night.”
It was also a night where ticket holders could bring their beloved dogs to attend the game.
The Blue Wahoos (22-18) had six hits, four of those singles. They were only able to get the leadoff batter on base twice in the game. The second time occurred when Jacob Berry led off the ninth with a line-drive single. But Smokies reliever Frankie Scalzo Jr, their fourth used in the game, retired the final three batters in order to gain his fifth save.
The Smokies (23-17) boast 12 of the Chicago Cubs’ Top 30 prospects, including three of the top four batters in their lineup Tuesday night.
This game also marked a return of both teams’ last meeting in Pensacola when the Smokies clinched the Southern League title to end a drought of 45 years without an outright championship. The Blue Wahoos won the league title at Tennessee in 2022 in their 10th anniversary season.
Just as they struggled in Montgomery, scoring only 13 runs in the six-game series against the Biscuits, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t generate base runners for a big inning.
Nathan Martorella had a first-inning double with one out and Joe Mack drew a two-out walk, but that became the only time Smokies starter Chris Kachmar allowed two baserunners until the sixth inning. Bennett Hostetler led off that inning with a single and Jacob Marsee followed with a one-out, perfectly-placed, bunt single.
But reliever Blake Weiman entered and induced a pair of ground balls to end the threat. Trey Supak followed with two scoreless innings to earn his first win.
The teams will play the second game of the series on Wednesday – the first mid-week Fireworks Wednesday – with area schools now out for the summer.
GAME NOTABLES
— The group from Elberta Elementary followed the school’s participation in one of the Blue Wahoos’ two Education Day games.
“We had a connection with the school and they mentioned they do a mother-son event every year at their school or somewhere else,” said Steven Unser, a Blue Wahoos group sales executive. “Their assistant principal reached out and said they would like to do that event here.”
“They originally planned to buy 150 tickets, because they said that is usually the show rate for this kind of event. But the day they had the cutoff, 285 tickets were sold. Because of it being one price day on Tuesday, they also were able to each receive a hot dog, chips and a drink.”
— The Foley (Ala.) High School Choir performed the National Anthem.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Tennessee Smokies vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Wednesday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Man Convicted Of 2022 Murder At Cantonment Gas Station
May 21, 2024
An Escambia County man has been convicted in a 2022 shooting death at a Cantonment convenience store.
Charles Tyree Moore was convicted by an Escambia County jury of second-degree murder for the shooting death of 35-year-old Durrell Dupree Palmer at the Circle K on Highway 29 at West Roberts Road in May 2022 in an argument over the victim’s wife.
The homicide occurred at the Circle K convenience store located at the corner of Highway 29 and West Roberts Road in Cantonment at 7:30 am on Monday, May 23, 2022. At the time of the murder, the two men were engaged in a heated conversation over an argument that had begun on social media.
Video of the encounter was captured by the store’s surveillance cameras. The video showed Palmer stop at the gas pump to initiate contact with Moore, and then, after more than five minutes of intense discussion, Moore
suddenly pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Palmer four times in the torso at close range.
The shooting was witnessed by several customers.
Moore then fled the scene in his vehicle before calling 911 to turn himself in.
Deputies took him into custody within minutes on Palafox Street at Nine Mile Road (pictured below).
During the 911 call, Moore claimed he blacked out and didn’t know what happened. Investigation revealed that at the time of the shooting Palmer had a pistol located in the center console of his vehicle but that his firearm was not involved in the exchange between the two men.
Moore testified and claimed self-defense at his trial, but the jury found him guilty as charged. He will be sentenced on July 11.
Moore had no criminal history and held a concealed weapons permit.
Pictured above and below: A man was shot and killed at the Circle K at the corner of Highway 29 and West Roberts Road about 7:30 Monday morning. Pictured first below: The suspect was taken into custody minutes later on Palafox Street at Nine Mile Road. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Updated: Ernest Ward Middle Placed On Brief Lockdown After Alarm System Malfunction
May 21, 2024
Ernest Ward Middle School was placed into a lockdown today out of an “abundance of caution” after an alarm system malfunctioned and a “code red” alert was activated.
Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to a fire alarm that originated in the school gym Tuesday after a ball struck a pull station. According to Davis Wood, county public safety public information officer, the fire department determined that there was no smoke or fire.
The alarm system sounded additional times a bit later. During repair of the alarm system, the “code red” alert was inadvertently activated.
“It’s a malfunction of the automated alarm system, but law enforcement is searching the school in an abundance of caution,” Cody Strother, Escambia County Public School spokesman said during the “code red” lockdown.
By 1:10 p.m., the all-clear was given and the school returned to a normal day.