‘Human Power And The Wind’ – North Escambia Man Revisits America’s Tall Ship
June 4, 2022
Walking the deck of America’s Tall Ship was a step back in time Friday for one North Escambia man.
The USCGC Barque Eagle, is moored at Plaza De Luna in downtown Pensacola through Sunday morning.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy David Bashore served six years in the Coast Guard, including sailing on the Eagle to Europe for the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy.
In 1994, he was assigned as part of the permanent crew working the sails on the Eagle.
“It was old fashioned sailing,” he said. “Going up in the rigging, setting and furling the sails.”
The ship sailed the Atlantic to Rouen, France, for the Normandy 50th anniversary.
“What sticks with me is the powerful feeling standing in the cemeteries in Normandy and the sacrifice of the soldiers,” he said. “I was honored to be able to honor those guys.”
The Eagle represents the lost art of seamanship, Bayshore said.
“It’s amazing that a ship like that still sails today. It’s an honor for Coast Guard cadets to be able to learn sextants and know how to sail the way they did in the past. It’s a lost art now.” A sextant is a navigation instrument used to measure the distance between two visible objects, mostly between a star and the horizon. It’s how ships were sailed before modern GPS.
Bashore toured the ship with Escambia County Sheriff Chip W. Simmons and Chief Deputy Tommi Lyter Friday, giving them an insider’s look at the tall ship.
“Look in the mast, look up in the riggings and see the crosstrees,” Bashore suggested. “These kids are going up there sailing the ship. There’s not a machine sailing the ship. It’s just human power and the wind.”
To maneuver Eagle under sail, the crew must handle more than 22,000 square feet of sail and five miles of rigging. Built during the twilight era of sail, the design and construction of Eagle embody centuries of development in the shipbuilder’s art. A permanent crew of eight officers and 50 enlisted personnel maintain the ship year-round and provide a strong base of knowledge and seamanship for the training of up to 150 cadets or officer candidates at a time, gaining experience in leadership and teamwork for the furtherment of their careers.
The Eagle is the seventh U.S. Coast Guard cutter to bear the name in a proud line dating back to one of the original Revenue Cutters built in 1792. The square-rigged barque was built by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as Horst Wessel in 1936. The steel-hulled ship was taken as a war reparation after World War II, and a U.S. Coast Guard crew – aided by the German crew still on board – sailed the tall ship from Bremerhaven to New London.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Accused Of Shooting Two Teens, Including His Child
June 4, 2022
An Escambia County man was charged with shooting two teenagers Friday afternoon, including his own child.
Christopher Alexander Sidener, 36, was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, two 15-year-olds got into a verbal argument on V Street before Sidener arrived with a gun and fired multiple times. Deputies said he is the father of one of the teens that was shot.
Sidener was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $20,000.
The teens’ injuries were not considered life threatening.
Splash Pads Open For The Summer In Century, Atmore
June 4, 2022
Splash pads are now open in both Century and Atmore.
The Town of Century splash pad is open daily from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. It is located in Showalter Park on Kelly Field Road.
The Atmore splash pad is open daily from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. It is located near the intersection of West Craig Street and South Trammell Street. That’s at the back of Heritage Park on South Main Street.
Pictured: The splash pad in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Century, Santa Rosa Prison Leaders Meet With State Officials
June 4, 2022
Florida Department of Corrections leaders from Century, Santa Rosa, Walton and Okaloosa correctional institutions recently met with state leaders.
The FDC leaders met with Florida Sen. Doug Broxson, Rep. Michelle Salzman, Rep. Patt Maney and the Florida Sheriffs Association.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bluff Springs, Cotton Lake and Williams Lake Recreation Sites Have Reopened
June 4, 2022
The Northwest Florida Water Management District reopened three recreation sites in the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area that had been closed due to flooding.
The Bluff Springs, Cotton Lake and Williams Lake sites are now open.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Get Walk-off 9-8 Win Over Biloxi
June 4, 2022
Troy Johnston stayed red-hot at the plate, hitting a game-tying homer in the seventh and a walk-off single in the ninth to lead the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to a 9-8 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night.
Johnston went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in, raising his average to .545 (24-for-44) through the first ten games of Pensacola’s homestand. He now has multi-hit efforts in 8 of his last 9 games.
Biloxi jumped ahead early with four first-inning runs against Bryan Mitchell, who was making his Blue Wahoos debut. A two-run double from Jakson Reetz and RBI single from Thomas Dillard highlighted the frame, which came to an abrupt end when center fielder Victor Victor Mesa threw out Tristen Lutz at the plate for the third out of the inning.
Pensacola chipped away at the deficit in the third against Victor Castañeda, as Griffin Conine hit an RBI single and Luis Aviles Jr. hit an RBI double. Mitchell also settled down, pitching hitless baseball through his final three innings to keep the game within reach.
Aviles doubled again in the fifth to shrink Biloxi’s lead to 4-3, but the Shuckers answered back in the sixth with a Cam Devanney homer against Josh Simpson. Johnston’s game-tying two-run homer in the seventh was just the start of a five-run frame that saw the Blue Wahoos take an 8-5 lead, as Conine doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly and J.D. Osborne launched a two-run homer of his own.
Dylan Bice worked a pair of scoreless innings in relief, but the Shuckers ambushed Eli Villalobos (W, 2-1) in the ninth. After a single and a hit batsman, Villalobos allowed a three-run homer to Lutz to tie the game 8-8.
Against J.T. Hintzen (L, 3-3) in the ninth, the Blue Wahoos coaxed back-to-back walks before Johnston lined a single into right center to score the winning run. It was Pensacola’s third walk-off of the season, and their second of the series after a 10-inning win on Tuesday.
With the win, Pensacola’s lead in the South Division has grown to 1.5 games over the Shuckers with 20 to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their homestand against the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday.
written by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Update: Silver Alert Canceled; Missing Escambia Man Found Safe
June 3, 2022
UPDATE: This Silver Alert has been canceled. Jimmie Louis King, 78, has been safely located.
Previous story:
Jimmie Louis King, 78, was last seen about 6:30 p.m. Friday in the 8300 block of Russell Avenue. King was wearing gray sweatpants and a blue and gray jacket. He is six-feet tall and 160 pounds.
King may be driving a white, 2002 Chevy Tahoe with Florida tag Z067IR. Authorities said he may be driving to the Frisco City, Alabama, area.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or their local law enforcement agency.
Escambia Won’t Raise Sales Tax To Fund Fire Services This Year, But Will Explore Other Options
June 3, 2022
Escambia County won’t be raising the sales tax this year to fund fire services, but the county commission is still looking at just how they can increase revenue.
Last month, Commissioner Jeff Bergosh floated the idea of asking voters to boost the sales tax rate by a half-penny or three-quarters of a penny. But Thursday, he said that can’t happen this year because it won’t be possible to meet a 180 day notice requirement to place the proposal on the ballot.
“That pretty much kills the sales tax for this year,” Bergosh said. “The next time we would be able to do it would be the general election in 2024.”
Residential property owners in Escambia County pay a MSBU of $125. In May, the county’s budget office presented four options to pay for increased service costs in the form of varying the current fee property tax or a new fire tax based upon property value (MTSU) would make up the difference needed to create at least $6 million in additional revenue to provide necessary funding and reduce subsidies from the general fund.
Bergosh said Thursday that he still believes that ultimately the sales tax is the best route, and he won’t support any property tax increase.
“Everyone uses that service, but it’s the tax paying property owners that have to pay for it,” he said. “People that visit here, wreck their car on the freeway, come to the beach and need assistance — they are not paying. That’s why I really am supportive of the sales tax model.”
County Attorney Alison Rogers said it also too late to implement at MTSU.
“You are really basically out of time. That has to be done and completed by July 1. That has notice requirements,” Rogers told commissioners. But she said increasing the $125 MSBU could be done by a resolution, if the commission votes by it’s next regular meeting on June 16.
“I think it’s more prudent to take at looking at the MSBU, MSTU. That would be done for a short period of time with the intention of look at (the sales tax increase),” Commissioner Steven Barry said, rather than depending on the general fund. “To go back to being more reliant on the general fund, even for a couple of years with an idea of changing that in the future — so sometimes things change on the board and then you end up in a situation where maybe the maybe the current board at that time isn’t receptive to that idea.”
Commissioners decided to explore their options at a workshop meeting on June 9 to decide a direction prior to their June 16 meeting.
NAS Pensacola Open To The Public On Saturday For One Day Only
June 3, 2022
After months of planning and coordination, Naval Air Station Pensacola will allow a one-day public access to the installation on Saturday, June 4.
This one-time access was selected for June 4 to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Midway, a pivotal battle of World War II that occurred from June 4 – 7, 1942.
Public access to NAS Pensacola on June 4 will be available from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. through the West Gate only on Blue Angel Parkway. All guests 18 and older must have a valid picture ID such as driver’s license or passport. Access will be available dependent on available parking at the museum and lighthouse. Once parking is full, public access will be halted until more parking becomes available. Temporary traffic control points will be located on base to prevent public access to other areas of the installation.
While on the installation, the public will be able to visit the Pensacola Lighthouse and the National Naval Aviation Museum. Fort Barrancas will not be accessible to the public. Access to Barrancas National Cemetery is always available to anyone with family in the cemetery through the Visitor Control Center at the main gate.
The following restrictions will apply:
- No weapons (firearms/knives) allowed (to include concealed weapon permit holders)
- No backpacks/coolers allowed (diaper bags or medically required bags are acceptable and subject to search)
- No alcoholic beverages allowed
- No drones allowed (countermeasures will be taken)
- Persons with felony convictions are not authorized base access
- All vehicles and visitors are subject to security searches and background checks
NAS Pensacola has been closed to the public since a terrorist attack on December 6, 2019.
Beulah Middle Teacher, Store Clerk And A Bagpipe Player Honored With Citizen Awards
June 3, 2022
Escambia County Sheriff Chip W. Simmons acknowledged commitment, care for fellow man, and heroism within the community Thursday at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Citizen’s Awards Ceremony. The ceremony honors those whose actions are deemed important or heroic and make the county a better place to live.
“We are here because there are those who act…those who want to make our world a better place,” Simmons said.
The awards were presented to:
Patrick Cornelius is a teacher at Beulah Middle School. In March, Cornelius took action, without hesitation, when he noticed a student was choking on their food in the lunchroom. Due to his actions, the student made a full recovery. Patrick was presented with the Sheriff’s Medal for life-saving.
Sarah Emerich is an employee of the Circle K store on W Street. In March, Emerich was working with her co-worker, Joie Hellmich, when a female entered the store, poured gasoline, and threw lit matches at Hellmich. These lit matches ultimately caught Hellmich on fire. Emerich tried valiantly to distinguish the fire. Emerich was presented with the Sheriff’s Medal for life-saving.
Michael Vazzana has volunteered his unique services playing the bagpipes to the ECSO during our annual Fallen Officer Memorial for many years. He was presented with the Sheriff’s Medal for his service to the memory of fallen heroes.
Pictured: Patrick Cornelius (top), Sarah Emerich (first below) and Michael Vazzana (bottom). Photos for NorthEsambia.com, click to enlarge.
