Motorcyclist Critically Injured On Highway 97 After Swerving To Avoid A Deer
September 23, 2023
A motorcyclist was critically injured in an early morning crash on Highway 97 south of Walnut Hill.
A 49-year old Atmore man was northbound on Highway 97 south of Tungoil Road when he swerved to avoid a deer in the roadway, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. His motorcycle left the roadway, overturned and collided with a tree. The man was ejected from the motorcycle and landed about 60 feet away, troopers said.
The man was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition.
One person was killed in an unrelated fiery crash on Highway 97 early Saturday. Click here for more.
File photo.
One Person Shot Outside Deluna Lanes On Nine Mile Road
September 23, 2023
One person was shot early Saturday morning outside Deluna Lanes on Nine Mile Road.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded just before 1 a.m. Saturday. after a shot was fired inside a car parked outside the bowling alley.
The victim was reportedly driven to the Target parking lot on Nine Mile Road before being transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital.
Additional details were not provided. Anyone with information is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Century Cuts Special Election Qualifications Down To Just Three Days
September 23, 2023
The Town of Century has cut the qualification period to just three days next week for candidates that wish to seek the office of mayor or a town council seat in an upcoming special election.
ELECTION DATES
Ben Boutwell resigned as mayor on August 22. Then on August 28, Luis Gomez, Jr. resigned from his seat after being appointed interim mayor.
The special primary election will be held on Tuesday, October 17 in a contest with three or more candidates. If that necessitates a runoff, it will be held during the general election.
The general election in a contest with only two candidates will be held on Wednesday, November 1 (along with any necessary runoff).
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATION
Candidates may qualify from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Supervisor of Elections Office at 213 Palafox Place in Pensacola on Monday, September 25 through Wednesday, September 27 and at Century Town Hall from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Monday, September 25. The qualification period in recent years has been a full week.
An registered voter in the Town of Century can qualify. A candidate for mayor must have resided in the town for six months prior to qualification date, but there is no previous residency requirement for council. The qualification fee for town council is $50; the qualification fee for mayor is $126.32.
The office of mayor pays $10,131.98 annually, while a council member is paid $3,714.92 each year.
The oath of office will be held on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11 at 10 a.m.
VOTER REGISTRATION
It’s already too late for a resident of Century to qualify to vote in the October 17 primary. The deadline was September 18, one day before the town council voted to approve the election date.
For the November 1 general election, voter registration will close on Tuesday, October 3.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Passerby Discovers Pickup Wrecked In Walnut Hill Woods
September 23, 2023
A passerby discovered a wrecked truck well off the road in a thick wooded area in Walnut Hill Friday evening.
The Ford F250 was found about 6:30 p.m. some 50 or more feet in the woods off Pine Forest Road just north of Arthur Brown Road.
There was reportedly no one around the pickup, and a search of the nearby wooded area did not locate any victims.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
The Tent Is Up In Cantonment. When Will The Pumpkins Arrive?
September 23, 2023
The tent is up on Highway 29 in Cantonment. But when will the pumpkins arrive?
The Allen Memorial Methodist Men Pumpkin Patch is a longstanding North Escambia fall tradition with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes for sale each year.
If all goes as planned, the pumpkins will arrive on Thursday, and they will be open for business on Friday, September 29.
And there may be those smoked turkey legs on sale on Saturday, September 30.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Attempted Murder For Shooting Outside Middle School
September 23, 2023
Pensacola Police have made an arrest in the shooting of a man that occurred near Workman Middle School last Tuesday night.
Keondre Tomorris Wright, 24, is charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm on school property. He was released from jail on a $75,000 bond.
About 8:30 p.m. shots were fired from a vehicle on Langley Avenue outside of Workman Middle School.
“Officers who were inside the school during a basketball game were alerted to the shooting and went outside to investigate. They located one adult male with gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby hospital and is currently in stable condition,” Pensacola Police Department Officer Mike Wood said Tuesday night. “The school was placed in lockdown until officers could determine that it was safe for those inside to leave.”
Pensacola Police investigators developed information in the case that led to Wright being named as suspect. An arrest warrant was issued for Wright Thursday, and he turned himself in at the Escambia County Jail Friday afternoon.
Escambia Man Claims $1 Million Scratch-off Lottery Ticket Sold At Publix
September 23, 2023
An Escambia County man has claimed a $1 million scratch-off lottery prize for a ticket purchased at a local Publix.
Christopher Banks, 52, claimed his million at the Florida Lottery Pensacola District Office. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000.
Grant purchased his winning ticket from Publix, located at 9251 University Parkway at Nine Mile Road. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket.
The $50 game, 500X THE CASH, features a top prize of $25 million.
High School Football Scoreboard
September 23, 2023
Here are Friday night’s North Escambia area football scores
FLORIDA
- West Florida 26, Pine Forest 23
- Escambia 37, Milton 0
- Gulf Breeze 35, Pensacola High 0
- Prince Avenue Christian 56, Pensacola Catholic 20
- Destin, 42, Lighthouse Private Christian Academy 0
- Navarre 49, Carroll (Ala.) 28
- BYES: Northview, Tate, Jay, Pace
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 27, Excel 20
- Canceled: St. Stanislaus (Bay St. Louis, MS) at Escambia Academy
- Escambia County (Atmore) 41, Wilcox Central 20 (called 2Q)
- T.R. Miller 27, Orange Beach 14
- W.S. Neal 22, Hillcrest (Evergreen) 3
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Man Charged With Murder Of Driver Beaten Following Fatal Pedestrian Crash In Atmore
September 22, 2023
An Atmore man was arrested Friday morning for murder in connection with the beating death of a driver following a fatal pedestrian crash in Atmore last August.
Kendrell Madison, 39, was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center following a traffic stop in Atmore about 5:40 a.m. Friday.
Alabama State Troopers said Kenneth Elbert Harrison of Silverhill, Alabama, was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe that struck 24-year old Hannah Annette Martin on Highway 31 at The Tavern of Atmore about 11:50 p.m. on August 5. The Atmore Police Department said they arrived to find Martin with severe injuries. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
Harrison stopped his vehicle in the Tavern parking lot.
Police originally said Harrison was beaten by an angry mob, but now says Madison was solely responsible for the murder.
“While on the scene, the responding officers discovered Harrison laying on his stomach in the parking lot of the Tavern unconscious. When the officers rolled him over, they discovered that Harrison had severe injuries to his face that disfigured his facial features. Due to his extensive injuries the officers thought at the time that Harrison may have been assaulted by one or more people,” Atmore Police Sgt. Darrell McMann said Friday morning.
Harrison was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital and then airlifted to a Mobile hospital where he later died.
Police said the assault was not caught on nearby security cameras, but “valuable” audio recordings were captured.
“The investigation revealed that Harrison sustained the injuries when he was forcefully driven into the pavement and the impact caused the injuries. The assault occurred as everyone’s attention was focused on Martin. Harrison was not assaulted with a weapon nor was he assaulted by more than one person. Investigators developed a person of interest but continued to seek witnesses and await the results of search warrants that had been obtained during the investigation which led to the delay in making an arrest,” McMann said.
Atmore Police said the decision to charge Madison with murder was made in consultation with the Escambia County (AL) District Attorney’s Office.
Former Flomaton Cop Arrested Gets 10 Years For Trafficking Meth
September 22, 2023
A former Flomaton Police Department lieutenant has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking after an investigation involving law enforcement from two states and the DEA culminated in Molino.
Lopez entered a straight up plea to Judge Coleman Robison to one count of trafficking in methamphetamine 28 to 200 grams and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
Lopez faced a maximum of 30 years in state prison, plus fines totaling $105,000.
Lopez arranged a narcotics deal for methamphetamine from an Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office investigator by phone and text messages. An arrest report states he arrived on December 7, 2020, at a predetermined location near the ECSO precinct in Molino and accepted the two ounces of methamphetamine from the undercover officer. He was then taken into custody by deputies and the SWAT team.
The cellphone used by Lopez to arrange the meth deal belonged to the Town of Flomaton, according to Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Health Jackson. As a result, Lopez was charged in Alabama for felony use of official position or office for personal gain.
Lopez was terminated from the Flomaton Police Department.