Escambia County Offers Fireworks Safety Tips; Fireworks Blamed For Multiple Residential Fires
December 29, 2023
As Escambia County prepares for New Year’s Eve festivities, Escambia County Fire Rescue encourages residents who choose to purchase and display their own fireworks to utilize extra precautions and safety measures during the holiday.
As numerous Floridians choose to purchase their own fireworks, the number of residential structure fires has increased during holidays that are celebrated with fireworks.
Between 2017 and 2023, Escambia County experienced nine residential structure fires caused by fireworks. Seven of those fires were caused by fireworks that were improperly disposed of after their use.
Residents are also encouraged to use caution while using sparklers. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries. For children under five years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.
ECSO: Molino Man Attacked His Girlfriend With A Sword And Hammer On Christmas Eve
December 28, 2023
A Molino man allegedly attacked his girlfriend with a sword and hammer on Christmas Eve.
Dawain Bryant Baxter II, 46, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and battery by strangulation, both domestic violence related.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that she invited Baxter, her boyfriend of four months, to come over for Christmas. He began to threaten and told her he would “bash your head in so you never wake up”, according to an arrest report.
Baxter then hit the woman in the forehead with a hammer, struck her across the chest with a sword and choked her until she passed out, the report continues. Deputies noted that she had injuries consistent with her allegations.
ECSO deputies later located Baxter at a convenience store on Highway 29 in Cantonment and found him with the sword.
Baxter said the woman had hit him in the stomach with a hammer. A deputy stated in his report that he only had a small scratch that did not appear to be caused by a hammer.
Baxter remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
Escambia Man Gets 23 Years For Beating 5 Kids With Belts, Cords
December 28, 2023
An Escambia County man has been convicted and sentenced to 23 years in state prison for child abuse.
Eric Suggs was convicted of aggravated child abuse and multiple additional child abuse charges.
On November 9, 2022, officers responded to a call regarding child abuse of five children between the ages of 13 months and 11 years. Subsequent investigation revealed that all the children had injuries from abuse with the 13-month old’s being the most extensive. According to the other children the 13-month-old was maliciously punished by being beaten with belts and charging cords to make the child walk.
Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
December 28, 2023
Jim Allen Elementary School has named third graders Aubrey Dorris and Januelle Soriano as Students of the Month for November. Also pictured below is October Student of the Month, fourth grader Sarah Simpson, who was absent when the award was presented the previous month. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Retired Longtime Century Town Clerk Lawson Passes Away
December 28, 2023
A former longtime Century town clerk has passed away.
Willie Ray Lawson, 83, passed away Saturday, December 23 in Pensacola.
A Century native, Lawson served as town clerk in Century for over 30 years before his retirement.
Lawson is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gloria Jean Lawson, and numerous other relatives.
Funeral services were held Wednesday at Poplar Dell Cemetery. For the complete obituary, click here.
Escambia Tax Collector To Offer Saturday Hours To Issue New Auburn University License Plate
December 28, 2023
Scott Lunsford, Escambia County Tax Collector, will host an event to issue the new Auburn University license plate on Saturday, January 6 from 8- 1:00 am. The event will be held at the Marcus Pointe office located at 6451 North W Street, Pensacola. Appointments are required for this event and may be made at EscambiaTaxCollector.com/auburn.
The Auburn University license plate is the second license plate to be authorized in Florida for an out-of-state university. Universities must sell 3,000 pre-sale vouchers before a license plate may be manufactured and sold to the public. The University of Georgia became the first to achieve this goal earlier this year. The University of Alabama is working to become the third but needs to sell an additional 800 pre-sale vouchers before the license plate may be issued and made available. An Alabama license plate pre-sale voucher may be purchased by visiting EscambiaTaxCollector.com and using the menu to select “Purchase a License Plate Pre-Sale Voucher.” Proceeds from these license plates benefit local schools.
Lipscomb Elementary School Teacher of the Year Is Rionna Wages
December 28, 2023
Rionna Wages was named the Limpscomb Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
NorthEscambia.com is wrapping up 2023 by honoring the Teachers of the Year from North Escambia schools over the next several days. Escambia County’s overall Teacher of the Year will be named in February; Wages is a finalist.
Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign Exceeds Goal, Collecting $160K Locally
December 28, 2023
The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettle Campaign raised $160,765.62 in the local area, exceeding the local goal of $148,000.
The Red Kettle Campaign is The Salvation Army’s primary fundraising initiative, providing life-changing programs and services throughout the year, including food assistance programs, emergency financial assistance, youth programs, and disaster response.
The Red Kettle campaign ended December 23, with kettles in 19 locations in both Santa Rosa and Escambia counties.
“The Salvation Army has an unwavering commitment to helping people in times of need, and the Red Kettle campaign is a critical source of funding that helps us meet that commitment,” said Captain Stephan Wildish of The Salvation Army of Pensacola. “The funds the community generously gives to the Red Kettle ensures families do not have to make agonizing choices between basic needs like housing, food, and medical care.”
The Salvation Army relies on the money raised through the Red Kettle campaign to provide Christmas to local families and safeguard the well-being of people in need through year-round programming and social services.
Late-Game Misfortune Before Big Crowd Sinks Ice Flyers In First Home Loss
December 27, 2023
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers.Com Correspondent
A quick breakdown and bad ricochet off the boards led into the Ice Flyers first home ice loss.
First-place Birmingham seized upon a mistake, had center Brendan Soucie pounce on a bounce for a go-ahead goal with 6:23 remaining and the Bulls thwarted any space for a tying opportunity in their 3-2 win Tuesday night against the Ice Flyers.
On the night after Christmas, a crowd of 5,418 filled the lower bowl of the Pensacola Bay Center on Youth Jersey Night. They watched the Ice Flyers twice rally with game-tying goals, but the final minutes proved elusive for another shot at a comeback win.
“We do a great job of climbing back in the game and we had a couple back to back shifts of doing stuff that we don’t want to be doing, which is going backwards and it allowed them to get up on us and get momentum and wear our (defense) down,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham, whose team had won its first nine home games.
“We had this lapse for about three minutes and it killed us,” Graham said. “The worst thing was we couldn’t find our game when we needed it the most. When you get a good crowd like that it is always frustrating to lose the game in that fashion.
For a game action photo gallery, click or tap here.
“But you create your bounces and Birmingham was working hard with the forecheck and they got a bounce and they capatilize.”
The Bulls (15-4, 3 OT losses, 33 points) took over first place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings with the win, The Ice Flyers (13-9, 26 points). dropped into fourth place with the loss.
The teams will play again on Friday at the Pelham Civic Center outside of Birmingham, then return to the Bay Center for the final game of this week’s series on Saturday night.
The first 1,000 children ages 12-under through the arena doors Tuesday received an Ice Flyers replica jersey courtesy. This night followed a crowd of 6,000-plus that watched the Ice Flyers win Saturday against Macon that kept the home streak going.
Tuesday’s crowd filled with kids led to enthusiastic, hopeful setting that responded when the Ice Flyers tied the game 1-1 in the final minute of the second period, then had Taylor Egan rifle a tying goal with 9:01 left to create more energy.
“First (home) loss in nine games, so it’s tough to do that in front of your hometown crowd,” Egan said. “You always want to pull off a win for them. (Crowd turnout) was amazing People could be spending that time at home with their families and they choose to come here and support us. It was great.”
The Ice Flyers gave up a power play goal, after nearly killing off what started as a 5-on-3 disadvantage midway in the third period. But the Bulls 2-1 lead on Egan’s wrist shot from inside the blue line two minutes later.
On the player, teammate Dallas Comeau created a screen and Egan’s shot went into the side pocket of the net.
“It seemed like they were pretty tight on their coverage in the d-zone (defensive zone) all game,” Egan said. “Mitch Atkins made a nice play, realizing he had time and space (for a pass). I was in the slot, Dallas put a good screen there and I realized the pressure was in front of the net down low and I took advantage of that.”
That momentum, however, was answered by Birmingham when Soucie wound up with an unassisted goal that he flicked in off the bounce past Ice Flyers goaltender Stephen Mundinger.
In the final 90 seconds, the Bulls kept the Ice Flyers from getting Mundinger off the ice for an extra attacker until 14.9 seconds left. The last chance was a faceoff with 5.6 seconds left, won by the Bulls to seal the game.
“I couldn’t get my goalie pulled which was frustrating,” Graham said.
The Bulls win evened their season record (3-3) against the Ice Flyers.
After a scoreless first period in which the teams combined for just nine shots on goal, the game was tied 1-1 after two periods. The Ice Flyers scored on their 18th shot in the game when Brett Mecrones pounced on a center ice turnover, got a breakaway with a trailing teammate and flicked a wrist shot into the net with 49.6 seconds left in the period.
The Ice Flyers killed a pair of penalties in the second period, including a four-minute high sticking infraction whistled against Malik Johnson with 8:42 left and it became a big moment in the game.
Birmingham scored the game’s first goal five minutes earlier when Scott Donahue poked in a loose puck that had fallen off Mundinger’s chest amid a player scramble in the crease area.
“For them, (Bulls) keep the puck away from the dangerous areas in their d-zone,” Egan said. “They keep it off the wall. They make simple plays which is good hockey and it’s frustrating for teams to play against. But obviously it’s proven successful for them.”
For a game action photo gallery, click or tap here.
Following the game, the players met with fans for an autograph session on the second-level concourse.
UP NEXT
WHO: Birmingham Bulls vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
FWC Charges Bratt Felon For Hunting With A Rifle
December 27, 2023
State authorities have filed multiple charges against a Bratt man allegedly caught in the woods hunting with a rifle.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy watched Clemmons get out of a vehicle and pull a rifle before walking into a wooded area.
Donald David Clemmons, 61, was charged by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with possession of a firearm, marijuana possession and violating a domestic violence injunction.
The information was passed along to a FWC officer who arrived at the scene on Highway 4 near C.W. Caraway Road in Bratt and verified that Clemmons was a convicted felon with an active domestic violence injunction. Officers made contact with Clemmons who admitted he was hunting and left the firearm in the woods, according to an arrest report.
The firearm was recovered and identified as a Savage Axis XP 6.5 Creedmoor Bolt Action rifle, the report continues. Clemmons also admitted to having two joints in his cigarette pack, the report states.
Clemmons remained in the Escambia County Jail Wednesday morning without bond.