Lightning Causes Minor Damage To Mobile Home, Shed
September 29, 2011
Lightning damaged a Molino home and shed Wednesday afternoon.
The lightning strike about 4:10 p.m. caused minor damage in a mobile home on Blackberry Lane at Highway 99, reportedly blowing out several electrical outlets. The strike also sparked a minor fire in an adjacent shed. There were no injuries reported.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Judge Won’t Lower Rendell’s Bond
September 28, 2011
Judge Nickolas Geeker refused Wednesday afternoon to lower bond for a former Northview High School student accused in the August fatal shooting her adoptive sister.
Elena Janelle Rendell, 17, will remain in the Escambia Jail with bond set at $300,000 for the shooting death of 14-year old Christina Marie Sneary, a former Molino resident. She is charged as an adult with manslaughter by a firearm.
The two girls had recently moved with their mother from Sunset View Lane in Molino to the 7600 block of Kipling Street in the Ferry Pass community.
Rendell told deputies that she began to argue with Sneary over a cell phone. During the argument, Rendell ran into her parent’s bedroom and retrieved her father’s 9 mm handgun from the top of a television shelf that stood about 12-feet high. Rendell then pointed the handgun at her 14-year old sister and fired a single gunshot into the right side of Sneary’s neck. Sneary died a short time later at Sacred Heart Hospital.
For more details about the shooting, click here for an earlier story.
Hundreds Of Students Gather To Pray At The Pole
September 28, 2011
Hundreds of students gathered to pray at their schools in across the area Wednesday morning during the annual See You at the Pole event.
Students gathered as school began to pray in the non-denominational event. See You at the Pole is a student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. Students prayed for their school, friends, teachers, government and the nation.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Do you have See You at the Pole photos from a North Escambia area school? Email them to news@northescambia.com or upload them to your Facebook and message us.
Pictured: Students gather for See You at the Pole at Northview High (top), Ernest Ward Middle (below) and West Florida High School (inset) this morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Atmore Woman Injured In Early Morning Hwy 97 Crash (With Photo Gallery)
September 28, 2011
An Atmore woman was injured in a single vehicle crash early Wednesday morning on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 27-year old Katherine S. Lee was northbound on Highway 97 south of North Highway 99 when she lost control about 1:45 a.m., ran off the road and struck a concrete culvert with her 2001 Ford Mustang.
Firefighters were forced to use the Jaws of Life to free Lee from her vehicle. Lee was airlifted by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
Lee was listed in fair condition Wednesday afternoon at Sacred Heart. She was charged with careless driving by the FHP.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the accident.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured: An Atmore woman was seriously injured in this single vehicle accident early Wednesday morning on Highway 97 in Walnut Hil. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Beats The Baker Gators (With Photo Gallery)
September 28, 2011
The Ernest Ward ’s Eagles defeated the Baker School Gators Tuesday evening in middle school football action in Walnut Hill.
The Eagles held a 16-0 lead at the half, expanding their lead to 24-0 with 6:29 to go in the third with a touchdown run from Warren Suggs and a successful two point conversion from Jacob Dunsford.
The Gators scored with 2:30 to go in the game for the 24-8 final.
Ernest Ward (2-2) will travel for a 6 p.m. game on Tuesday, October 4 at Excel, Alabama.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured: Ernest Ward Middle beat Baker Tuesday night in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Injured In Cantonment Crash (With Photo Gallery)
September 28, 2011
One person was trapped in a two vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon in front of the Cantonment fire station, disrupting rush hour traffic for about an hour.
Firefighters were forced to use the Jaws of Life to extricate one person from their vehicle in the accident on Highway 29 near Woodland Street about 5:30 p.m.. That person and one other were transported to a Pensacola hospital by ambulance. Their conditions were not known.
The Cantonment, Molino,, Ensley and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the crash along with Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured above: First responders use the Jaws of Life to free a person trapped in a Tuesday afternoon crash on Highway 29 in Cantonment. Pictured below: Two people were injured in the two vehicle wreck. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Football Teams Honor Fallen Marine LCpl Travis Nelson
September 28, 2011
Several North Escambia football teams are honoring the memory of fallen Marine LCpl Travis Nelson for the remainder of the season.
The Northview High, Ernest Ward Middle and Northwest Escambia football teams will wear his initials “TN” on the helmets of each player. The football-shaped initial stickers were donated by Ronnie Cloud of the Alabama Wing House in Atmore.
LCpl. Nelson, who grew up in Bratt, was killed in action August 18 in Afghanistan, five weeks after being deployed as an infantry rifleman. His parents, Beckie and Scott Nelson, reside in Bratt. Their daughter is a cheerleader at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Pictured top: Ernest Ward Middle School players wore the initials “TN” on their helmets Tuesday night to honor fallen Marine LCpl Travis Nelson. Northview High and Northwest Escambia players will also wear the initials. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Motorcyclist Dies After Falling 30 Feet From Exit Ramp To Interstate
September 28, 2011
A 55-year old woman died Tuesday afternoon in Escambia County when she was thrown from her motorcycle off an interstate ramp to the highway 30 feet below.
The name of the woman has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
The Florida Highway Patrol says the woman was northbound on I-110 headed for eastbound I-10 at 5:27 p.m. when she failed to negotiate the curve for the ramp and struck a barrier wall. She was ejected over the concrete wall, falling 30 feet to the emergency lane of eastbound I-10.
The woman was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Photo Gallery: Northview Sweeps Two From Laurel Hill
September 28, 2011
Northview beat Laurel Hill twice Tuesday in high school volleyball action in Bratt.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Northview won the first game 25-23, 25-22, 25-16.
In the first game, junior Misty Doran had two aces and two kills for the Lady Chiefs, while Lily Townson added two kills and a half dozen assists. Junor Morgan Payne had three aces, two kills and an assist for Northview, and Shelley Mothershed posted four aces and three assists.
In the second game, Northview beat Laurel Hill in three, 25-9, 25-14 25-14.
Senior Josie Doucette had two aces, two kills and a dig for Northview, as Misty Doran had three aces and two kills. Shelley Mothershed, junior, added five aces, four kills and four assists, while Morgan Payne had three aces, seven kills and three assists.
Northview’s varsity (3-9, 3-3) will host Baldwin County High School at 6 p.m. Thursday. Play will begin with the junior varsity at 5 p.m.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Approves Budget That’s Down $6 Million
September 28, 2011
The Escambia County Commission gave final approval to the county’s 2011-12 budget and property tax rate at a special meeting Tuesday.
Escambia County’s total budget for the next fiscal year is $371.3 million. That’s down $6 million (1.6 percent) from the current 2010-11 budget of $377.3 million. Five years ago, in the 2006-07 fiscal year, Escambia County’s budget was $458.8 million — a budget decrease of $87.5 million (19 percent) in five years.
The millage rates approved are 6.9755 for the county-wide millage rate and .6850 for the Sheriff’s MSTU. Overall, the millage rates for 2011-12 are 3.47 percent below the rolled back rate — the rate that would generate the same amount of ad valorem tax dollars as the prior fiscal year based on the proposed tax roll.