234,690 Steps: Escambia Extension Team Takes First in State Walking Challenge
July 8, 2023
Out of 65 teams around the state, Escambia Extension’s “Team 9 1/2 Mile Pensacola” won first place in the “Moderate Division” of University of Florida Health’s Spring Walking Challenge. The team racked up a total of 234,690 steps in the span of four weeks in April. Pictured: Team members (L-R) Carrie Stevenson, Khaliah Williams, Wendy Meredith, Gail Lepley, Lydia Purvis, and Haylee Linam. Not picture are Bridget Stice, Libbie Johnson, and Bethany Diamond. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Six-Run Fourth Lifts Blue Wahoos To 10-3 Win Over Shuckers
July 8, 2023
When the big inning ended, its production complete, Troy Johnston and his Blue Wahoos teammate Norel González exchanged a celebratory fist bump near first base.
It was only the fourth inning, but a statement was made.
On a Friday night when the team wore its Pensacola Pok-Ta-Pok uniforms for the third recognition of a season initiative in Minor League Baseball, this one was filled with line-drive ropes and a couple home run pokes in the Blue Wahoos’ 10-3 victory against the Biloxi Shuckers.
Both Johnston and Gonzalez homered in the game. Those blasts were separate from a six-run, fourth inning that changed a 3-2 deficit into a five-run lead.
From that point, Blue Wahoos starter Luis Palacios and three relievers – Eli Villalobos, Cristian Charle, and West Tunnell – spun scoreless innings the rest of the way. Palacios worked on a cliff’s edge, but got out of bases-loaded jam in the third inning after allowing two runs, then overcame two baserunners in the fourth inning. He finished five innings to earn the win.
Eight from Pensacola’s batting lineup scored runs. Five players had multiple hits. Johnston went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI and walked twice. Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a booming homer over the right-center berm.
José Devers had a pair of hits, a pair of RBI and several notable defensive plays at shortstop. He was playing that spot Friday with Nasim Nuñez and pitcher Patrick Monteverde in Seattle for Saturday’s SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
First baseman Bennett Hostetler, catcher Will Banfield and center fielder Dalvy Rosario each collected two hits.
The fourth inning decided the game. Banfield led off with a single. With one out, the next seven Pensacola hitters reached base. Cobie Fletcher-Vance had one of the biggest hits with a 2-run double, and scored on Devers’ two-run single.
It was the Blue Wahoos’ first win in the Pensacola Pok-ta-Pok uniforms, which is part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversion initiative to honor Latin American heritage in the game. Pok-ta-Pok was the first Mesoamerican ball game, played thousands of years ago.
The Blue Wahoos will now try to gain a series edge in Saturday’s fifth game of the homestand against the Shuckers.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Two Pedestrians Struck By Vehicles, Critically Injured Crossing North Century Boulevard
July 7, 2023
Two Brewton women were critically injured when they were struck by vehicles Thursday night in Century.
Both were walking across a North Century Boulevard (Highway 29) construction zone near Rudolph Street, in front of the Vallarta restaurant, about 8:30 p.m.. It is commonplace for restaurant patrons to park across the four-lane highway at an abandoned building and walk across the road.
Both women were airlifted to a Sacred Heart Hospital as “trauma alerts”.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 36-year old Flat Rock, Alabama, man was traveling southbound when he noticed the pedestrians walking across the road. He attempted to swerve and avoid a collision but struck a 34-year old woman from Brewton. The second pedestrian, a 53-year old Brewton woman, attempted to care for the first pedestrian. Troopers said the driver of a Chevrolet Tahoe, a 71-year old Brewton man, failed to see the second pedestrian.
The crash closed all lanes of North Century Boulevard.
Both drivers and three passengers — ages 1, 7 and 35 — in the pickup were not injured.
For more photos, click or tap here.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Flomaton Fire Department, Escambia County EMS, Flomaton MedStar EMS, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Flomaton Police Department, MedStar Air Care helicopter and ShandsCair helicopter responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lightning Ends Thursday’s Blue Angels Practice; Full Shows Planned Friday, Saturday
July 7, 2023
Thursday’s Blue Angels practice show ended early due to lightning, but a full slate of shows are still planned for Friday and Saturday.
For a photo gallery from Thursday’s show, click or tap here.
Friday, July 7, is the Pensacola Beach Air Show dress rehearsal where flight demonstrations and civilian aerobatic performances begin at approximately noon, with the Blue Angels overhead at 2 p.m.
Saturday, July 8, marks the official Pensacola Beach Air Show and follows exactly Friday’s dress rehearsal schedule.
Starting about 11 a.m., prior to the official waivered airspace closure signaling the start of the show on Friday and Saturday, expect to see:
- Pilot Julian MacQueen flying his vintage 1943 Grumman Widgeon seaplane overhead.
- Pilot Gene Valentino flying his ICON A5 Amphibious light sport plane.
- U.S. Coast Guard pilot Lt. Cmdr. Mark Currier, from the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, flying his HC-144 Ocean Sentry large turbopop aircraft.
- Training Squadron Ten (VT-10) from NAS Pensacola in a formation fly-by in their T-6 Texans aircraft.
- VeriJet, a private airline, will fly by in a three-ship formation of Cirrus SF-50 Vision Jets.
- Navy pilot Tanner Matheny will be flying over in his 1946 North American Navion airplane named Olivia.
- U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue (SAR) demonstration from the back of a HH-60J Blackhawk helicopter piloted by Lt. Travis Rhea.
Then, at approximately noon Saturday only, event-goers will be asked to stand as actor and singer Kara Kimmer performs acapella The National Anthem to mark the official start of the Pensacola Beach Air Show.
Next up, look high in the sky as the Red Bull Air Force team will kick things off with a synchronized flag-carrying skydiving formation, landing at the show center next to the Pensacola Beach Pier. New to the air show this year, the Red Bull Air Force team is assembled from the most accomplished aviation experts on the planet who continually push the limits of human flight.
Following that, the Veteran’s Flight team in their bright yellow, vintage World War II-era biplanes, will be making several passes over Casino Beach. Organized by Pensacola attorney and pilot Roy Kinsey, about a dozen Stearman pilots from all over the Southeast are flying in the show to pay tribute to all WWII and Korean War vets.
Next in line, another new addition to this year’s air show is MiG-17F pilot Bill Culberson with Fighterjets Inc. Born the son of an Air Force fighter jet pilot who also joined the Air Force, Culberson has been in love with military aviation as long as he can remember. His classic 1950s-era MiG-17F can maintain 8g turns with a max speed of 715 mph.
Following that, pilots Ken Rieder and Adam Baker with Redline Aerobatic Team take to the skies at approximately 12:45 p.m. in their signature red and black planes to perform opposing stunts, inverted maneuvers and fun formations directly overhead.
Hang onto your hat as pilot Skip Stewart wows the crowds next with his high-skill passes and jaw-dropping maneuvers from his famous red, white and black-checkered bi-plane, Prometheus. Don’t miss his signature inverted ribbon-cutting pass over the Pensacola Beach Pier.
Following Skip Stewart, at approximately 1:05 p.m., there will be a brief 15-minute window for spectators to cool off and take a dip in the Gulf before lifeguards clear the water again.
Then, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the Red Bull Air Force team is back again, creating a visual spectacle like no other. Consisting of helicopter pilot Aaron Fitzgerald, aerobatic pilot Kevin Coleman in his Extra 300 SHP plane, and the Red Bull Air Force jump team – the trio will perform a joint aerial demonstration that will last approximately 25 minutes.
Look to the Gulf horizon at approximately 2 p.m. as the famous C-130J aircraft, affectionately known as Fat Albert, followed by six signature blue and gold F-18 Super Hornets, make their way over Pensacola Beach.
For the next 45 minutes, spectators will get a glimpse of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aeronautic maneuvers like the Diamond Dirty Loop, the Double Farvel, the Vertical Pitch, the Fleur-de-Lis, the Opposing Knife-Edge pass, and the crowd-favorite Sneak Pass. These are just a few of the mind-blowing displays of choreographed precision flying the Navy’s flight demonstration team, and our hometown heroes, has perfected over the past 77 years.
Pictured: Thursday’s Blue Angels practice show. NorthEscambia.com photos by Perry Doggrell, click to enlarge.
Tate High FFA Receives Honors During State FFA Convention
July 7, 2023
The Tate High School FFA chapter and its members received several honors during the recent Florida FFA State Convention and Expo.
State FFA Degrees
- Kamdon Jones
- Jonathon Levin
Tate FFA Chapter Awards
- 100% Membership
- Premier Chapter
- National Chapter Award – Tate’s application is being sent to the National FFA Organization for judging. The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality FFA Chapter Standards and a Program of Activities that emphasizes growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture.
Career Development Events
- 4th Place – Farm & Agribusiness Management
- Team Members
- Brody Faison
- Ellason Barton
- Anthony Longe
- Tristan Dykes
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Reports Sewage Spill From Pump Used To Bypass Failed Lift Station
July 7, 2023
A problem with a pump led to a sewage spill in Century.
About 200 gallons of raw sewage spilled in about 15 minutes beginning at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Jefferson Avenue and the railroad tracks, across the street from the Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church, according to a Florida Department of Environmental Protection report. The town said a float switch in the pump failed.
According to the report, lime was applied to the biosolids but none of the spill was recovered.
The sewage lift station at the location has been completely down for an extended period of time, and the “temporary” pump is used to bypass the failed equipment.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Johnson’s Strong Start Spoiled In Wahoos 10-4 Defeat
July 7, 2023
The Blue Wahoos had a prime, third-inning opportunity for more runs and a padded lead.
They came up empty.
It became a prelude to a game-ending feeling as well, after the Biloxi Shuckers exploded against Pensacola’s bullpen for a 10-4 win Thursday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Shuckers flipped a 4-2 deficit with a four-run, eighth inning, then tacked on three more runs in the ninth for the blowout win.
All this followed a start that went well for the home team on Mullet Thursday. The players wore new Pensacola Mullets uniforms with a blue-pink design, as part of a second-half changeup for the routine identity change on Thursday games.
The Mullets quickly jumped to a 2-0 lead. Nasim Nuñez led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Troy Johnston and scored when Cody Morissette’s grounder became a run-scoring throwing error on Shuckers starter Tobias Myers.
Will Banfield’s double then drove in Morissette. Pensacola expanded its lead to 3-0 after Johnson’s RBI single in the second inning. In the third, Banfield reached on a wild pitch on a third-strike swing, then advanced to third on José Devers’ double with none out.
But Myers struck out Griffin Conine and Jose Mesa Jr. and got Norel González out on a flyout.
That missed chance was part of six runners left in scoring position in the first seven innings.
Pensacola starter M.D. Johnson had a strong outing, working into the sixth inning, allowing just two runs and three hits. From there, however, three relievers combined to yield eight runs. It started when first reliever Josan Méndez was tagged for a leadoff homer in the seventh from Zavier Warren.
Matt Pushard, who had not allowed a hit or a run in two previous appearances since being elevated to Double-A, had a rough night.
He gave up a leadoff homer in the eighth to the Shuckers’ outfielder Jackson Chourio, the No. 3 rated player in Minor League Baseball, then a single, walk and two-run double by Freddy Zamora that gave the Shuckers their first lead. A run-scoring sacrifice fly provided a three-run lead.
The Shuckers added three more against Brady Puckett in the ninth to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
The series continues on Friday through Sunday.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Century Fails To Provide Complete Public Notices For Six Months, Council President Verbally Attacks Media After Meeting Halted
July 6, 2023
The Century Town Council president continued discussion outside a meeting and verbal attacks on a member of the media Wednesday night after a council meeting was halted due to the town’s failure to provide a proper public notice. The meeting was the latest in an ongoing pattern of failure to provide complete meeting notices as required in Florida, NorthEscambia.com has documented over the last six months.
As almost always occurs, the council meeting opened Wednesday evening with Council President Luis Gomez, Jr. asking if the meeting was properly advertised and Town Clerk Leslie Howington acknowledging that it was.
A standard notice for the entire year, posted on a bulletin board outside town hall and at other locations in Century, provides meeting dates but not times leaving the public in the dark as to when meetings are actually happening.
Beginning with meetings in February 2023, a standard notice for regular meetings and bill review meetings has been posted on a bulletin board outside town hall providing dates but no times. Sometimes an adjacent notice was posted with times, but those notices repeatedly had meeting dates listed as being in 2022, making the notice appear outdated. (A list is further below.)
After a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance Wednesday night, Gomez opened a public forum. NorthEscambia.com Publisher William Reynolds questioned where the meeting was “properly” advertised.
Howington explained it was posted at town hall and on the town’s website. But the posted notice at town hall had no time listed, as has been common for this year.
“We do have our traditions,” Howington said.
But Florida’s attorney general says every meeting, each and every one, must be noticed with date, time and place — “Notice is required even though meetings of the board are “of general knowledge” and are not conducted in a closed door manner”.
The Florida Attorney General’s “2023 Government in the Sunshine Manual” states that:
- “The notice should contain the time and place of the meeting and, if available, an agenda, or if no agenda is available, a statement of the general subject matter to be considered.
- “The notice should be prominently displayed in the area in the agency’s offices set aside for that purpose, e.g., for cities, in city hall, and on the agency’s website, if there is one.”
“So that we are not before the ethics board, we are going to follow the law,” Howington said, advising the council to terminate the meeting. “This is not following the spirit of the Sunshine (Law); this is following the letter of the Sunshine.”
“Well my vote is go on with the meeting because I am here,” Gomez began, with Howington stopping him to again advise that it was her recommendation to not continue.
Gomez replied, “This town’s business has to go on forward. Unfortunately one person that comes to destroy and disrupt. I’m up to my wits end because I’ve got something to say whether we adjourn this meeting or not.”
“No, no, no,” Howington again tried to silence Gomez. “This meeting is not called to order,” she said, saying that the missing time was her mistake.
“At this point, we have a decision to make, whether or not this meeting…,” council vice president Dynette Lewis said, joining the discussion before being stopped by Howington.
“I’m sorry but I’m sick of this,” Gomez said, continuing to speak with the remainder of the council still in the room.
“There’s something got to be done about you,” Gomez said to the NorthEscambia.com publisher. Howington continued to try to silence him from speaking since there was no meeting.
“Mr. Gomez, I just asked us to cancel the fact that this meeting was called to order and bid adieu for the evening,” the town clerk said. “I’m sorry this is my responsibility.”
Gomez responded, “That don’t change nothing.”
“Once again we are not getting anywhere,” Lewis said.
“Meeting adjourned,” Gomez said after a pause. Then he continued comments from his chair at the council table.
“Yeah, thanks William,” Gomez said to the newspaper publisher. “But I guarantee you this one…” The clerk again tried to silence him from speaking outside the meeting.
“I can say what I want to say,” Gomez said. “As long as he sits there in front of me this ain’t got anything to do with anybody else in the room. You don’t do any other town hall the way that you do the Town of Century, and you are going to stop doing Century. Go to Flomaton, go to Jay and sit up in there and disrupt.”
“You don’t pull that stuff nowhere but in here because you figure you can get away with it. But this is going to stop. I am going to shut you down first.”
Gomez was asked if he was making a threat.
“No, I’m not threatening you, but I’m going to shut you down, because it’s what you do…and you do it on purpose. I had something for you anyway tonight….It’s just plain stupid.”
When another council member asked the schedule for the next meeting, Gomez said. “Whenever I feel like (inaudible) because I made it tonight on time. So I’m not going to change to try to appease this idiot. And that’s perfect, I said that out of my mouth.”
Again, the clerk attempted to stop the conversation outside the meeting.
“I’m going because he got what he wanted. It’s not my fault. It’s nobody in this town’s fault but this idiot. This idiot wants to keep something going to make his clicks go up. Click that. Yeah, record and put me on Facebook too. I don’t really care, because that’s all your paper is, is a Facebook blog, Willy….It makes my ass hurt.”
“I ain’t got nothing else to say to you. Talk to your momma…makes my ass hurt,” Gomez continued as he walked out of council chambers.
NorthEscambia.com does not cover the town governments in Flomaton or Jay on a regular basis because they are outside our North Escambia coverage area. We do cover multiple other governmental entities in our coverage area, including Escambia County and its numerous boards, the school board and ECUA.
“The other governmental entities in Escambia County work hard to follow state law, commonly called the Sunshine Law, and it would be a very, very rare occurrence that we would need to represent the public’s interest and call a governmental entity out on a public notice. For over 15 years, we have been committed to our duty as the press to ensure that local government is accountable to the people,” Reynolds said in a statement shortly after the meeting. “Proper notices to ensure citizens can attend public meetings is a most elementary and basic requirement of Florida law.”
In recent years, NorthEscambia.com has found and raised just one Sunshine Law issue with a county board. In April 2021, we questioned a West Florida Public Libraries Board of Governance meeting that was advertised for the library in downtown Pensacola but actually convened in Century. The board continued the meeting for a few minutes after NorthEscambia.com raised the issue.
Escambia County responded by self-reporting a Sunshine Law violation to the State Attorney’s Office, which declined to prosecute what they called “an apparent violation”. Violations of the Sunshine Law in Florida can be criminal offenses. Additionally, the county attorney’s office provided a Sunshine Law refresher for board members.
2023 MEETING NOTICES
NorthEscambia.com has documented over the last six months that the Town of Century posted the following council meeting notices outside the town hall. We found clear meeting times have not been provided since January.
- January 2 & 17 — a notice was published with correct dates and times
- February 7 & 21 - — a single notice indicated meeting dates in 2022
- March 7 — no time given
- March 21 — no time given (there was a notice above that indicated the time on meetings, but it was dated 2022)
- April 4 — no time given (there was a notice above that indicated the time on meetings, but it was dated 2022)
- April 18 no time given (there was a notice above that indicated the time on meetings, but it was dated 2022)
- May 2 — no time given
- May 16 — unknown (our regular reporter did not attend and take a photo of the bulletin board)
- June 6 — no time given
- June 20 — no photo taken, but a notice without times was distributed on paper
- July 5 — no time given
On June 22 an “Amended 2023 Calendar of Meetings” was distributed by email to council members, staff and the media. The notice did not list any meeting times.
Howington told council members as they were leaving town hall that Wednesday night’s meeting time was on the town’s website.
Under a banner (pictured below from Wednesday night) at the top of the town website that provides old notices that the town hall will be closed January 2, 2023, a special election will be held March 28, 2023, and other outdated notices, the website does indicate that a meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, July 5, 2023. It states “Council Meeting – 7:00 p.m….Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month”.
Northview High FFA Receives Honors During State FFA Convention
July 6, 2023
The Northview High School FFA chapter and its members received several honors during the recent Florida FFA State Convention and Expo.
The Northview FFA received second place in the state for the Chapter Advocacy Award. The Northview FFA Alumni was awarded third place Outstanding Alumni Affiliate.
James Gruenwald received his State FFA Degree.
Wyatt Ramsey competed in the Extemporaneous Public Speaking Leadership Development Event representing District 1.
Northview FFA President Cody Pugh was elected District 1 president.
Editor’s note: Other area schools attended the convention, and we will cover their accomplishments in future stories.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Man Is The Boss Of It All At This Week’s Air Show. And He’s Been Doing It 30 Years.
July 6, 2023
A Walnut Hill man is the boss of it all at the Pensacola Beach Air Show.
The air boss.
The air boss controls the schedule for all the aerial acts, mass formations, high-speed jet demonstrations and pyrotechnics at every show.
Air Boss Paul Entrekin has the primary responsibility for coordinating all air show operations within the demonstration area and plays a critical role in ensuring a safe, efficient and entertaining air show every year. All of this while also meeting the latest standard air show regulations.
And he’s been doing it for 30 years.
“This occasionally requires herding cats,” said Roy Kinsey, a Pensacola pilot and attorney who is the founder of the Veterans Flight team that flies World War II Stearman biplanes in the Pensacola Beach Air Show.
“Air Boss is a difficult job. In many ways, the beach show is more challenging than other air shows, as coordination is easier when an entire airport is devoted to the show,” Kinsey continued. “In Paul’s case, the Pensacola Beach Air Show takes place over the Gulf of Mexico, with pilots and aircraft coming from multiple airports.”
A 1976 graduate of Auburn University, Entrekin was commissioned as a U.S. Marine Corps officer in 1977, and designated a Naval Aviator in 1980. During his military career he became carrier qualified, flying both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. He was an instructor pilot until leaving active duty in 1986 and then retained reserve status with the Defense Intelligence Agency as a clandestine operative until retiring after Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991.
No stranger to the air show world nor pushing boundaries, Entrekin soon was nicknamed “The Bandit,” after becoming the first civilian pilot to own and fly a Russian MiG aircraft. He founded Entrekin Aviation as a full-time air show pilot in 1986. He holds multiple U.S. and world airspeed records and is recognized on the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor.
Entrekin also flew for Delta Air Lines for 30 years before his retirement, and over the years has authored a number of books including, “Mighty Hands,” his bestseller “Mr. MiG,” and his most recent children’s book entitled, “Jasper and the Christmas Faeries” set at his Walnut Hill ranch.
Pictured top: Pensacola Beach Air Show Air Boss Paul Entrekin. Pictured below: Paul Entrekin and his wife Lisa discuss their book “Jasper and the Christmas Faeries” with NorthEscambia.com just before Christmas last year. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
