Blue Angels Homecoming Show Returning To NAS Pensacola
September 1, 2022
The Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show is returning to NAS Pensacola on Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12.
This will be first homecoming air show on NAS Pensacola since 2019; the base closed to public access following the December 2019 terrorist attack on the base. It has since reopened only to Department of Defense ID card holders and their guests.
This year’s air show will celebrate the theme: 100 Years of Carrier Aviation. In March of 1922, the USS Jupiter was recommissioned as the USS Langley, the first aircraft carrier, catapulting Naval Aviation to the forefront of Naval operations. This year, planes will be flying in honor of this momentous anniversary. Chief among those flying for this celebration will be the Blue Angels.
The Blue Angels will fly at approximately 2:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There will not be a Night Show this year, but other performers have already committed to the show. A Special Operations Paratrooper team will be parachuting out of Fat Albert, the Blue Angels’ C-130 Hercules.
The show will start at 9:30 a.m. both days, with gates opening at 8:00 a.m. This event is free and open to the public. Reserved seating will be available for an additional fee, but guests are encouraged to bring their own seating
NorthEscambia.com photo by Perry Doggrell, click to enlarge.
A Trial Date Has Been Set For Mom Accused In Tate Homecoming Queen Scandal
September 1, 2022
A trial date has been set for the former school official accused of illegally accessing student information to help her daughter win the Tate High School homecoming queen crown.
Laura Carroll appeared in an Escambia County courtroom Wednesday
Carroll was given eight days to enter into a plea deal. Otherwise, her case is set for trial with jury selection beginning at 8:30 a.m. on September 19.
Carroll, former assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School, and her daughter Emily Rose Grover were charged by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in March 2021 with one count each of felony offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices; felony unlawful use of a two-way communications device, felony criminal use of personally identifiable information, and conspiracy to commit these offenses.
In January, Grover entered a pre-trial diversion program that resulted in the charges against her being dismissed in March 2022.
Kitten That Was Inside Stolen Car Has Been Found; Suspect Arrested In Mississippi
September 1, 2022
A kitten that was inside a car when it was stolen Sunday has been reunited with its owner.
The kitten named Hiefer was returned Wednesday night to Lianna Pugh of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, at the Pensacola Hotel for Dogs and Cats rescue shelter. The kitten was reportedly dumped on the westside and rescued by a good Samaritan.
The man that stole the car shortly after carjacking another vehicle has been arrested in Mississippi.
Pugh left her vehicle running about 10:30 Sunday morning while she went inside to pick up food at The Leisure Club restaurant in the area of 12th Avenue and Office Woods Drive.
According to Pensacola Police, 33-year-old Leif Danenmann stole the vehicle. Hiefer, the kitten, was inside the 2005 Toyota Camry with Pennsylvania license plate number KHG1428.
About 25 minutes earlier, Danenmann carjacked a driver in the area of 1000 West Moreno Street, according to Pensacola Police. The victim was not injured, but the suspect took the victim’s vehicle and left the area. The carjacked vehicle was found near where the second vehicle and kitten were stolen.
Danenmann’s was arrested in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Celebrate 25 Years Of Harry Potter A Your Local Library (With Schedule)
September 1, 2022
West Florida Libraries are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter with programs at each branch.
There will be a versity of games, crafts and other activities. All ages are welcome.
The programs will be held as follows:
- Saturday, Sept. 3, 1-2:30 p.m. – Century Library
- Tuesday, Sept. 6, 3-4:30 p.m. – Westside Library
- Thursday, Sept. 8, 4-5:30 p.m. – Southwest Library
- Tuesday, Sept. 13, 3-4:30 p.m. – Tryon Library
- Thursday, Sept. 15, 3-4:30 p.m. – Molino Library
- Saturday, Sept. 17, 1:30-3:30 p.m. – Bellview Library
- Tuesday, Sept. 20, 3-4:30 p.m. – Genealogy Library
- Thursday, Sept. 29, 3-4:30 p.m. – Pensacola Library
Molino Man Charged With Fleeing Traffic Stop At A High Rate Of Speed
September 1, 2022
A Molino man is facing charges after allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop at a high rate of speed.
Edward Freeman, 62, was charged with fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer with lights and sirens activated, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy watched as Freement exited a parking lot and ran a red light at South Highway 29 and Kingsfield Road. As the deputy caught up with the GMC Envoy, Freeman slowed and drove in the adjacent lane to the deputy. He rolled his window down and yelled “what’s the problem officer?”, according to an arrest report.
The deputy attempted a traffic stop at Highway 29 and Woodbury Circle, but Freeman accelerated away at a high rate of speed. The deputy terminated the attempted traffic stop at Highway 29 and watched as the vehicle sped away northbound on Highway 29 near Quintette Road.
The deputy located the vehicle at Freeman’s residence on Richardson Road in Molino. As the deputy spoke to Freeman, he admitted to driving the vehicle and fleeing, the report states. Freeman became disoriented and began to lose his balance and was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS. He told the deputy that he takes multiple prescription medications for high blood pressure and seizures.
Freeman was later arrested on an outstanding warrant. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday morning with bond set at $26,000.
ECUA Reports 4,250 Gallon Sewage Spill In Cantonment
September 1, 2022
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority has reported a 4,250 gallon sewage spill in Cantonment.
A contractor hit a force main causing the overflow at the end of Connie Way, north of Upland Road. An estimated 4,000 gallons was recovered, the force main was repaired and the area was cleaned up, according to a report from the Florida Department of Environmental Management.
Northview Homecoming Parade Set For September 16. Here’s How To Enter For Free.
September 1, 2022
The Northview High School Homecoming Parade will take place Friday, September 16 with a longer route.
For free entry to participate in the parade, click here for a form (pdf). Registrations are due by September 6.
The parade will line up at noon and roll at noon from Northview High School. It will travel east on Highway 4 before turning on Bratt Road by the Travis Nelson Park, around the park to Ashcraft Road to Highway 99, travel north past Bratt Elementary School, turn back onto Highway 4 and end at Northview. Candy and other throws will not begin until the parade reaches the “Bratt Crossroads” at Highway 99 and Highway 4. (Note that Ashcraft Road has a very narrow shoulder with no place to park.)
In previous years, the parade has lined up at Bratt Elementary, but there is construction on that campus this year.
Here are some other changes to note for this year:
- Only parade participants will be allowed to enter Northview’s campus.
- Northview students will return to seventh period after the parade..
- Parents picking up parade participants from NWE, Ernest Ward, or other youth organizations may park at the NHS baseball field to pick up the child.
- Only parade floats should enter the NHS bus loop following the parade.
Pictured: Scenes from the 2021 Northview High School homecoming parade. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Rally Late For 5-4 Win Over Lookouts
September 1, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos clinched a winning August with a comeback 5-4 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Wednesday night.
Trailing 3-2 in the eighth, the Blue Wahoos strung together three hits and a pivotal error to claim a two-run lead. With the win, the Blue Wahoos ended August with a 13-12 record, their fourth winning month in a row.
For the second straight night, the Blue Wahoos jumped ahead in the first inning. Paul McIntosh doubled to the left field corner and Norel González singled him home to put Pensacola up 1-0.
Starter Cody Mincey worked effectively through three innings, but allowed a game-tying RBI single to Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the fourth and solo homers to Garrett Wolforth and Michael Siani in the fifth to put the Lookouts in front 3-1.
Griffin Conine hit his team-leading 21st home run off the left field foul pole in the sixth, trimming the deficit to 3-2 and putting him just two homers away from tying Pensacola’s single-season franchise record of 23 set by Peyton Burdick in 2021.
Tyler Eckberg (W, 1-0) twirled 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in his Double-A debut to take the game to the eighth, where McIntosh doubled and González singled once again to tie the game 3-3. Cobie Fletcher-Vance hit a sharp grounder that was misplayed by Wolforth at first to score the go-ahead run, and Davis Bradshaw capped the rally with an RBI single to bring the score to 5-3.
An opportunity for a sixth Pensacola run was foiled on a rare “fourth out” play, as Fletcher-Vance was ruled to have left early from third on a tag play that resulted in the end of the inning. Though the third out had already been recorded as Bradshaw was thrown out attempting to advance to second, the Lookouts successfully appealed and Fletcher-Vance’s run was negated.
The Lookouts got a run back in the eighth on a Tyler Mitzel wild pitch, and looked poised to tie the game in the ninth when Allan Cerda hit a leadoff double against Robinson Martínez (S, 1). The reliever coaxed a strikeout and deep flyout before fanning pinch hitter James Free to end the game with the tying run on third base.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Lookouts on Thursday in Chattanooga.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
UPDATE: ECSO Locates Missing, Endangered Girl Last See In Walnut Hill
August 31, 2022
UPDATE: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office says this missing and endangered juvenile has been located.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is search for a missing and endangered 16-year old juvenile last seen Wednesday in Walnut Hill.
Larissa Beth Wenger is 5-feet, 4-inches tall, 150 pounds and has brown hair and green eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Century’s Water Well Supplying Prison Suffers ‘Catastrophic’ Failure
August 31, 2022
The Town of Century water well that serves the Century Correctional Institution has suffered catastrophic failure, according to Mayor Ben Boutwell, focing the town to switch to a backup plan that has water flowing to the facility on Tedder Road.
“It’s just catastrophic. I mean it just failed,” Boutwell said of the town’s well. “But there is water going to the prison.”
The water is flowing through a permanent interconnect from Central Water Works to the Century water system that was completed in late May 2020 to provide a dependable water supply to the prison. The interconnect was installed after the town’s water well that was the sole water supply for the prison suffered a repairable failure in early May 2020. That forced the town to use two-inch fire hoses from a Central Water Works fire hydrant on the south side of Tedder Road to the prison on the north side of the road until a permanent solution was in place and the well was repaired.
The current well failure, according to the town, is much more severe. A shaft reportedly shattered into a dozen or more pieces and fell to the bottom of the well.
The backup water supply from Century Water Works has cost the town $17,000 so far, but the time period for that bill was not immediately known during a council workshop Tuesday night. Because the backup water supply is so expensive, the town is looking at options to restore their own water supply to the prison.
There are two other wells on Century’s water system, but neither can currently supply water to the prison due to elevation. The entire town is currently running off just one of those wells, because one, known as Well No. 2, has been out of service for around two years.
“What we’re doing is we’re bringing Well No. 2 back on, and we’re doing our sampling for it,” he said. The well must first pass bacteriological testing before the water can be used. “We have a booster pump that goes up Tedder Road to the prison. So that’s going to be our new backup. “We have Central until we can get our system up and running like we’re working out tails off to do.”
The mayor said he expects the bacteriological sampling will be done by September 9.
“Then we’ll be good to go until we find out where we are going to find $500,000 for a new well, or we find $60,000 for a new temporary well.”
Century Water Department Supervisor Heath Burkett said Tuesday night that the estimated $60,000 temporary well equipment could be a very short term solution that he’s been told might last anywhere from two months to two years.
Pictured: The Town of Century’s water tower at the Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.