Blue Wahoos Run Wild, Begin Mississippi Road Trip With 7-1 Win
May 24, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos stole a season-high five bases, including their first steal of home since 2018, as they started their 12-game road trip with a 7-1 win over the Mississippi Braves on Tuesday night.
Forced into a bullpen game after a late scratch of scheduled starter Patrick Monteverde, the Blue Wahoos patched things together with Zack Leban, Dylan Bice (W, 1-0), Zach Willeman and Josan Méndez to win their second game in a row.
In the third, Cody Morissette swiped home on the back end of a double steal with Nasim Nuñez for only the fifth steal of home in Blue Wahoos history, and the first since Aristedes Aquino achieved the feat on July 19, 2018.
That would be the only run allowed by Braves starter Luis De Avila (L, 1-4), but the Blue Wahoos tacked on three in the sixth and three more in the ninth. All six subsequent runs were unearned, as the Blue Wahoos took advantage of a pair of crucial Mississippi errors.
In the sixth, Victor Mesa Jr. reached on a strikeout when the throw from catcher Tyler Tolve hit him in the baseline. Will Banfield brought home a run with a sacrifice fly before Bennett Hostetler drove in two more with a two-out RBI single. Hostetler finished the night 3-for-4.
In the ninth, an error from second baseman Luke Waddell opened the door for RBI singles from Troy Johnston and Banfield to put the game out of reach.
Mississippi’s lone run came on a solo homer from Drew Lugbauer against Willeman in the seventh.
The Blue Wahoos remain 5.0 games clear of second place Biloxi in the South Division with 29 games to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Wednesday at Trustmark Park.
written by Erik Bremer
Byrneville Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
May 23, 2023
Byrneville Elementary School recently recognized their May Students of the Month.
They are:
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Register Now For The Miracle League of Pensacola Inaugural Sporting Clay Shoot
May 23, 2023
The Miracle League of Pensacola Inaugural Sporting Clay Shoot will be held June 3.
It is $500 per four-person team, and mulligans will be available.
Check in will begin at 7:30 a.m, followed by a safety brief at 8:30 a.m.. The shoot will begin at 9 a.m. at the Santa Rosa Shooting Center at 6950 Quintette Road in Pace.
To register, for sponsorship details or for more information, visit miracleleaguepensacola.org or call (850) 982-8933.
The top shooter will win an annual membership to the Santa Rosa Shooting Center. There will be other top prizes, door prizes and more.
Grant Providing $1.3 Million In Water Meter Upgrades For Century
May 23, 2023
The Town of Century will receive just $1.3 million for new water meters and associated upgrades through a grant awarded to Escambia County.
The $1,301,892 from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Grant will be used to replace all of Century’s approximately 825 existing commercial and residential water meters, moving from a manual read system to a radio reporting system.
The existing meters were installed as a radio read system in 2011, but the system has long since failed and the meters are read manually each month.
The new water meters will be automated, which will allow the town to read them in batches while driving through the water system franchise area. The project will also include the new software, hardware and staff training.
The project will include replacement of all commercial and residential water service lines from the main to the customer connection. This includes connection to the water main, new service lines under the road (if required), and replacement of the meter box and all its contents including a new water meter.
Through an interlocal agreement, the county will use the state grant to reimburse Century for the project.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Alleged Stabbing Over Pot Smoking Dispute
May 23, 2023
A Cantonment man has been charged after allegedly stabbing a man during an argument over smoking marijuana inside a vehicle.
Antoine Maurice Johnson, 37, was charged with first degree aggravated battery domestic violence. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
Johnson allegedly got into an argument with the victim inside a vehicle after the victim tried to smoke marijuana in the car, according to an arrest report. The driver pulled over at a business in the 7000 block of North Davis Highway and called someone to transport Johnson back to Booker Lane in Cantonment.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that he did not immediately realize that he had been stabbed with a pocketknife during the physical altercation.
Deputies responded to Booker Lane in an attempt to locate Johnson, but a relative said Johnson jumped out of his vehicle near the railroad tracks on Muscogee Road. Deputies were searching the tracks when Johnson walked out of the woods and surrendered, the report states.
The ECSO said a pocketknife was found on Johnson’s person.
Tate High School Names The Top Of The Class Of 2023
May 23, 2023
Tate High School has named the top of the Class of 2023.
Valedictorian of the Class of 2023 is Chloe Elizabeth Cole (pictured left). Salutatorian is Rebekah Lynn Kelly.
The Tate High School Class of 2023 graduates at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 25 at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The Top 10 Percent honors graduates are as follows:
- Chloe Elizabeth Cole
- Rebekah Lynn Kelly
- Anthony Eugene MacWhinnie
- Alahna Danielle Erd
- Olivia Kate Sarikaya
- Matthew Allen Josephs
- Aniyjah Breon Hooker
- Annalisa Marion Pusateri
- Casey Ryan Adams
- Adriana Faith Guthrie
- Margaret Elizabeth Shaffer
- Samantha Nichols LeTourneau
- Ian Alexander DeLay
- Caleb William Feliciano Rodriguez
- Angel Noelle Pittman
- Gabriel Allen Josephs
- Anna Riley Jackson
- Kalysta Nicole Brown
- Luke Wesley Lentz
- Stephen Michael Byrd
- Raegan Renee’ Kimbro-Cothron
- Evan Isaiah Graves
- Sandra Lee Guarino
- Krista Brooke Boyington
- Ayden Scott Palmer
- Paige Madison McKinney
- Ashlie Nicole Houdashelt
- Ellee Grace Adams
- Baylor Austin Locke
- Jacob Alexander Bures
- Ryleigh Nicole Maxwell
- Emily Helene Sanders
- Ethan Sanz
- Anthony Andrew Erie
- Callie Michelle Gunter
- Gianni Paolo Carollo
- Karigan Mikel Kowal
- Savannah Grace Guilford
- Tori Riley King
- Michael Chase Moulton
- Taylor Marie Walker
- Ava Elizabeth Mabry
- Isabella Lovisa Borg
Gov. Kay Ivey Awards $34K In Grants To Atmore, Flomaton Police Departments
May 23, 2023
Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $34,000 in grants to the Atmore and Flomaton police departments.
The City of Atmore will use $24,000 to purchase new software for Atmore Police Department vehicle computers to make information sharing between officers easier.
The Town of Flomaton will receive $10,000 to purchase new tactical bullet-proof vests for the Flomaton Police Department.
Ivey awarded grants totaling $147,414 to help seven law enforcement agencies in south Alabama purchase new or update existing equipment.
“Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect and serve our communities every day and having up-to-date equipment helps them be better prepared for what they may face on any given day,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to assist these agencies in their efforts to keep their officers and communities safe.”
The grants are from more than $750,000 in law-enforcement equipment funding allocated by the U.S. Department of Justice and administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Defending State Champion Jay Falls To Branford In 1A Final Four
May 23, 2023
The defending 1A station champion Jay Lady Royals fell 2-1 to Branford Buccaneers Monday in the Final Four in Clermont.
Jenna Toups surrendered two runs and five hits over six innings while walking one and striking out four.
Brett Watson led Jay at the plate, going 2-3. Caitlyn Gavin and Brooklyn Sorrells also added a hit each for the Royals.
Branford (25-4) moves on to the 1A state championship game tomorrow afternoon.. The Royals finished their season at 16-12.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
McDavid Man Now Charged With Murder After Atmore Shooting Victim Dies
May 22, 2023
A McDavid man has now been charged with murder after the woman he allegedly shot last week in Atmore has died.
Luis Trevizo Becerra, 39, remains in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center without bond on the murder charge.
The Atmore Police Department said that the victim, Tara Ann Bryan, died Monday at the hospital.
The Atmore Police Department responded to the Southland Motel on East Louisville Avenue about 11:45 on May 17. They found Bryan suffering from gunshot wounds on the floor of a motel room. She was airlifted to the trauma center at an area hospital.
Once police developed Becerra as a suspect, a statewide alert was issued. Becerra was apprehended by Alabama Law Enforcement Agencies troopers along I-65 near Evergreen.
After Firing Smith, School Board Sets Special Meeting To Discuss Move To An Interim Superintendent
May 22, 2023
The Escambia County School Board has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, May 30 to plan their next steps after voting last week to terminate Superintendent Tim Smith.
The board voted 3-2, with Patty Hightower and Bill Slayton dissenting, to fire Smith with his final day set for May 31. They also named Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Keith Leonard as interim superintendent, presumably beginning June 1.
In the meeting, the board is set to determine how to transition to an interim superintendent and how to start the process of finding a permanent replacement. The details of moving Leonard into the interim role were not discussed last week. Leonard and Smith were two finalists for the position, with Smith chosen for the top spot.
The special meeting will take place at 1 p.m.May 30 at the J.E. Hall Center on Texar Drive.
In November 2018, Escambia County citizens voted to move from an elected to an appointed superintendent.