Escambia County Results: Bender, Fetsko, EDATE And Other Local Winners
November 9, 2022
Here are local elections results from Escambia County.
Board of County Commissioners District 4
- Robert Bender (REP) 63.57% / 16,989
- Myra J. Van Hoose (DEM) 36.43% / 9,735
School Board Member District 2
- Paul Fetsko (NON) 59.49% / 9,701
- Ray Guillory (NON) 40.51% / 6,605
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority District 2
- Lois Benson (REP) 67.84% / 12,212
- Chase Anderson “Andy” Romagnano (DEM) 32.16% / 5,788
EDATE County Referendum
- Yes – For authority to grant exemption 54.66% / 58,322
- No – Against authority to grant 45.34% / 48,375
Pensacola City Council District 2
- Charles L. Bare (NON) 62.60% / 1,649
- Char Powell (NON) 37.40% / 985
Pensacola City Council District 6
- Ann Hill (NON) 45.46% / 1,642
- Allison D. Patton (NON) 54.54% / 1,970
Santa Rosa Island Authority
- Thomas A. Campanella (NON) 47.97% / 850
- Jeremy Johnson (NON) 52.03% / 922
State, Federal Office Winners: Gaetz, Rubio, Salzman, Andrade, Broxson (With Complete List)
November 9, 2022
Here are state and federal office winners from the local districts and statewide offices:
United States Senator
- Marco Rubio REP 4,456,536 — 57.79%
- Val Demings DEM 3,174,416 – 41.16%
U.S. Representative, District 1
- Matt Gaetz REP 196,494 – 67.83%
- Rebekah Jones DEM 93,178 – 32.17%
State Representative, District 1
- Michelle Salzman REP 42,992 — 69.27%
- Franscine C. Mathis DEM 19,075 — 30.73%
State Representative, District 2
- Alex Andrade REP 44,423 — 63.62%
- Carollyn Rabeca Taylor DEM 25,403 — 36.38%
State Senator, District 1
- Doug Broxson REP 144,299 – 71.15%
- Charlie Nichols DEM 58,521 – 28.85%
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
- DeSantis / Nuñez REP 4,594,698 — 59.48%
- Crist / Hernandez DEM 3,080,201 — 39.87%
Attorney General
- Ashley Moody REP 4,631,503 — 60.69%
- Aramis Ayala DEM 3,000,462 — 39.31%
Chief Financial Officer
- Jimmy Patronis REP 4,509,798 — 59.58%
- Adam Hattersley DEM 3,059,996 — 40.42%
Commissioner of Agriculture
- Wilton Simpson REP 4,491,681 — 59.4%
- Naomi Esther Blemur DEM 3,070,018 — 40.6%
Atmore Police Catch Escaped State Prisoner Selling Cell Phones At Apartment Complex
November 9, 2022
The Atmore Police Department captured an escaped state prisoner after they found him selling cell phones without a license.
Lamar Laddell Vanhuse, 46, was selling the phones without a required City of Atmore business license outside the Bragg Street Apartments, according to police.
A records check found that Vanhuse had escaped from the Alabama Department of Corrections and had a warrant for escape second degree.
Vanhuse was serving a 20 year sentence on multiple 2012 property crime convictions from Montgomery County.
He was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center awaiting transfer back to the Department of Corrections.
FDOT Making Safety Improvements On Highway 97 South Of Walnut Hill
November 9, 2022
A safety project is will be underway the next two weeks on Highway 97 south of Walnut Hill.
The Florida Department of Transportation told NorthEscambia.com that crews will be improving signage and pavement markings, along with extending the endwall off drainage pipes.
Motorists should expect single lane closures on Highway 97 from Tungoil Road to south of Mason Road Monday-Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. through about November 22. Flaggers will be on site to direct motorists through the work area, according to FDOT.
Fire Burns Wooded Area, Pickup Truck Near Davisville
November 9, 2022
Firefighters from multiple departments battled a fire that burned a wooded area and a pickup truck Tuesday afternoon near Davisville.
The fire was reported about 2:30 p.m. in the 6000 block of West Highway 4, just east of Highway 97.
Responding firefighters from the Walnut Hill, Century and McDavid stations of Escambia County Rescue, and the Nokomis (AL) Volunteer Fire Department knocked down about two to three acres of the woods fire. The Florida Division of Forestry plowed a line around the remaining fire and contained about three-quarters of an acre.
The pickup truck was a complete loss.
The cause of the fire was under investigation. The fire did not threaten any structures, and there were no injuries reported.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Horse Found Shot And Killed In Molino Pasture; ECSO Investigating
November 8, 2022
An investigation is underway after a horse was shot and killed in a pasture behind a Molino home.
The horse was found dead Sunday in a pasture behind a home near the Don Sutton Ballpark on Crabtree Church Road.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s, the horse had suffered two gunshot wounds to the head.
The 27-year old horse had been seen the night before by the homeowner, who was boarding the horse for the owner.
“He has been with me almost my whole life so I could not believe when I heard it,” the owner, who wished to remain anonymous, told NorthEscambia.com.
The ECSO said their crime scene unit was called to investigate, and Escambia County Animal Control also responded Sunday afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 433-STOP or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured: This horse was found shot twice Sunday in a Molino pasture on Crabtree Church Road. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
SEC Soccer Tournament Sets Attendance Records, Provides Local Economic Boost
November 8, 2022
The SEC Soccer Tournament held at Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Park had far exceeded expectations by the time South Carolina upset the No. 1 seed Alabama Crimson Tide Sunday afternoon.
The bleachers were full of fans, aisles in the bleachers were full of fans and the areas around fences were standing room only. It was absolutely packed inside the stadium off 10 Mile Road, as were the parking lots.
According to the SEC, there were 3,025 in attendance — the largest crowd for a game in the 37 years of SEC women’s soccer. The overall tournament also set a SEC record with 10,450 total fans.
By Monday, Escambia County Parks and Recreation Director Michael Rhodes was meeting with his staff to determine how to handle larger crowds next year; Escambia County will host the SEC Soccer Tournament through 2024,
And officials were taking stocking of what are expected to be long-range economic benefits for Escambia County and Pensacola for the tournament that aired live on the SEC Network.
“The heads and beads is absolutely invaluable; we’ll be able to put a price tag on what kind of economic impact that brings,” Rhodes said. “But sometimes what you can’t put a price tag on is the nine games of live coverage on the SEC Network…showcasing Pensacola and Escambia County.”
“I think the opportunity for Pensacola and Northwest Florida to be showcased on the SEC Network as a partner with ESPN is huge for our community,” Pensacola Sports CEO Ray Palmer said. “We hope this gives us the opportunity to show people Pensacola and give them a reason to come back for something else, like world class beaches, history and downtown.”
And there’s another benefit from the tournament, the parks director said. Now that the tournament is packed up and gone for a year, upgrades to the facilities at Ashton Brosnaham remain to benefit local residents. There’s new turf on the stadium field, enhancements on the practice field, new fencing around the perimeter of the field along with other improvements.
“We made a lot of enhancements to brighten the facility. The SEC is here one week out of the year, but for 365 days a year our job is to serve the residents and the soccer community, Rhodes said. “We know they (local players) are going to be proud, and they’ll always be able to say that they’re playing at the venue that the SEC Soccer Tournament was held at.”
RELATED:
- South Carolina Upsets No. 1 Seed Alabama For SEC Tournament Title (With Photo Gallery)
- Ole Miss Shuts Out LSU; Mississippi State Tops Texas A&M. And Escambia County Wins In SEC Tourney Day One
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Paradigm Parachute & Defense To Double Local Operations With New Jobs
November 8, 2022
Paradigm Parachute & Defense, a disabled-veteran-owned small business, is expanding their manufacturing operations in Escambia County, according to the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance.
The military parachute manufacturer received a grant through the Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund (IRDF) under a partnership between FloridaWest and the University of West Florida. The fund was established by the Florida Legislature, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and UWF to help Northwest Florida businesses grow, innovate and thrive.
Aaron Nazaruk, CEO of Paradigm, says the project is expected to create and sustain at least 28 new manufacturing and technical jobs over the next five years.
“The leadership from the FloridaWest team and UWF was invaluable to the success of being awarded this grant, which means we’ll be able to serve even more important endeavors around the world,” said Nazaruk. “Their hard work will allow us to effectively double our operations here in Pensacola.”
The FloridaWest team has been working with Paradigm on this grant since 2020.
“Paradigm’s mission critical products are deployed around the globe in the service of commercial, military, humanitarian, government and space operations,” said Scott Luth, FloridaWest CEO. “It will be rewarding to see this partnership lead to the growth of this amazing company.”
Paradigm is located on Ashland Avenue just north of West Nine Mile Road.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘Walnut Hill General Store’ In The Works On Highway 97 By Ernest Ward Middle
November 8, 2022
Plans are in the works for a new general store in Walnut Hill.
Aptly named, the Walnut Hill General Store would be located in an existing building on approximately 0.85 acres at the corner of Highway 97 and Highway 99A, next to Ernest Ward Middle School.
The building was constructed in 1940 as the former Bryan’s Grocery and Hardware and has been closed for several years.
A pre-application plan has been filed with the Escambia County Development Review Committee by Sandy Creverling.
In early 2021, a development company filed plans to construct a Dollar General store on the corner, razing the current block building and including the neighboring parcels. After minor public backlash against the Dollar General there due to the location in a curve on Highway 97 and its proximity to the middle school, the store did not move forward as Dollar General eventually constructed a new store that just opened about a mile away.
The Walnut Hill General Store is in pre-application status before the Escambia Development Review Committee, which meets next on November 9. Multiple additional steps in the review and permitting process will be required, and the applicant could choose to never complete the project.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Click the site plan drawing below to enlarge.
Bonus Photos: Northview Cheerleaders, Mini Cheerleaders, Band And More
November 8, 2022
Here’s a bonus photo gallery from Northview’s win over Bay last Friday night with the cheerleaders, mini cheerleaders, NJROTC, band and fans.
For the bonus photo gallery, click here.
For game action photos and details, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
