No Serious Injuries In 9 1/2 Mile, Pine Forest Rollover
May 30, 2022
There were no serious injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident in Cantonment Sunday evening.
The crash happened about 6:20 p.m. near Pine Forest Road and West 9 1/2 Mile Road. A SUV came to rest upside down in a ditch
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Drop Fourth Consecutive Game, Drop From First Place
May 30, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell 7-2 to the Mississippi Braves in their series finale on Sunday afternoon, dropping their fourth game in a row and relinquishing control of first place in the South Division.
Griffin Conine homered for the second consecutive game and the seventh time this season, but his two-run blast was not nearly enough against Alan Rangel (W, 2-1) and the red-hot Braves.
Mississippi used three singles in the second inning to take the early 1-0 lead against Jeff Lindgren (L, 0-1), as Trey Harris brought home CJ Alexander with a two-out base hit. Conine’s homer in the bottom of the second gave the Blue Wahoos a brief 2-1 lead, but the M-Braves quickly evened things up in the third on a run-scoring double play off the bat of Yariel Gonzalez.
Jalen Miller’s RBI double in the fourth inning put Mississippi ahead 3-2, and two Lindgren walks in the fifth turned into a pair of insurance runs as Drew Lugbauer delivered an RBI single and Alexander lifted a sacrifice fly.
Josh Simpson struggled with his command in relief of Lindgren, issuing a walk, hit batsman and a pair of wild pitches before allowing a two-run double to Andrew Moritz in the sixth. That was more than enough support for Rangel and the M-Braves bullpen, who did not allow a hit after the fifth inning.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos have fallen 0.5 games behind Mississippi in the South Division with 24 to play in the first half.
After an off day on Monday, the Blue Wahoos continue their homestand against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
New WeatherStem Station Installed In Molino, Part Of County Network
May 29, 2022
Escambia County has added a new WeatherStem station in Molino, joining a network of automated weather stations across the county.
A Florida Division of Emergency Management grant paid for the recent installation of the Molino weather station at the Molino Fire Station along with one at the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce. Other Escambia County WeatherStem stations are at fire stations in Beulah, Century, Pensacola Beach and Walnut Hill.
FDEM will pay for the maintenance of the new WeatherSTEM stations for the next three years.
The weather stations an be accessed using the links below:
- Molino Fire Station
- Beulah Fire Station
- Century Fire Station
- Pensacola Beach Fire Station
- Walnut Hill Fire Station
- Perdido Key
“We are excited to bring two more WeatherSTEM stations to Escambia County,” said Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. “These devices serve an important function for not only Emergency Management, but also for the citizens. This will allow us to accurately track weather activity throughout several locations in Escambia County.”
Pictured: The new WeatherStem station at the Molino Fire Station. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
About Those Throwback Navy Uniforms On The Blue Wahoos
May 29, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos have partnered with Naval Air Station Pensacola to honor the legacy of the Navy in the Pensacola community and the history of Navy baseball by wearing accurate replicas of World War II-era Navy baseball uniforms on Memorial Day weekend and Independence Day weekend.
The Navy baseball uniforms worn by the team are modeled after uniforms worn by the Navy’s baseball team during World War II. During the war, over 500 major league baseball players served in the military including Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio. Williams famously was stationed in Pensacola, playing for the Bronson Field baseball team while training to become a fighter pilot.
“We are very excited to share the history of Navy baseball in Pensacola with the Blue Wahoos and look forward to seeing Navy Baseball uniforms take the field,” Jason Boortz, Public Affairs Officer at Naval Air Station Pensacola, said. “We’re grateful to the community for their constant support of the Navy, the Blue Wahoos for their support of the Navy-Marine Relief Society, and for the opportunity to share the history of Navy Baseball with fans in Pensacola.”
Bortz and NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Terrence Shashaty threw out the first pitches in the Navy uniforms on Saturday.
The Navy baseball jerseys will be worn again on-field by the Blue Wahoos on Sunday and on July 2. Following the July 2 game, the uniforms will be auctioned to benefit the Navy-Marine Relief Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides financial assistance and additional programs and services to members of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and their families.
Additionally, the team will be installing a Navy baseball display at Blue Wahoos Stadium, helping share the story of Navy baseball and Pensacola’s Bronson Field team with fans at the ballpark.
The Wahoos lost 9-1 to the Mississippi Braves Saturday night.
Ernest Ward Student Winners Named In ‘Why I Love America’ Essay Contest
May 29, 2022
Cantonment Masonic Lodge #322 recently sponsored a “Why I Love America” essay contest at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Christian Caraway, Lexi Smallwood, Felix Soileau and Dawson Portwood were the essay contest winners and presented with certificates.
Pictured above: (L-R) \Felix Soileau, Dawson Portwood, Lexi Smallwood and Christian Caraway. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Central’s Mathews Signs With USA Track, Marking First D1 Signing For CHS
May 29, 2022
Morgan Mathews of Central School has signed to continue running hurdles and track and field at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. This marks the first time a Central School athlete has ever signed a letter of intent to continue a sport at a D1 level. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
AAA Predicting Busy Travel Weekend In Florida Despite Gas Prices
May 29, 2022
Memorial Day weekend is expected to be the busiest in three years, building on a travel resurgence that began earlier this spring. This year’s forecast from AAA marks the second highest single-year increase in travelers since 2010 (2021 was the highest), bringing volumes almost in line with pre-pandemic levels.
“By the looks of this Memorial Day travel forecast, the summer travel season is off to a sizzlin’ start,” said Debbie Haas, Vice President of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “People are more comfortable traveling now than any other time in the past two years, and travel bookings are a reflection of that. Reservations for flights, hotels, and cruises for Memorial Day weekend are twice as strong as last year’s holiday and that momentum will likely carry into the summer.”
AAA predicts nearly 2.2 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend. That’s an 8.3% increase over 2021, bringing travel volumes almost in line with those from 2017.
Nationally, it’s a similar story. More than 39.2 million Americans will travel for the holiday weekend. The 8.3% increase from 2021 puts travel volumes in line with 2017 figures.
Despite historically high gas prices, 90% of Memorial Day travelers plan to travel by car. Nearly 2 million Floridians are forecast to take a holiday road trip. That’s 5.4% more than last year’s holiday weekend.
Mira Awards Honor Creative High School Students
May 29, 2022
Escambia County Public Schools Foundation recently recognized local high school seniors for their creative and artistic talents through the annual Mira Awards.
Mira, meaning “brightest star,” was conceived by a group of teachers at Tate High School in 1987. Since then, the Mira Awards have been expanded to all Escambia County high schools. Students receive a custom medallion to wear with their cap and gown at graduation.
Beth Partington, who has chaired the Mira Awards ceremony for the past eight years, believes, “It is so important to honor students who excel in the arts. Their creativity, dedication, and talents are often overlooked, yet their contributions add a great deal to everyone’s lives and the high school experience. The Foundation enjoys celebrating these exceptional high school seniors each year.”
This year, the following 74 local high school seniors received Mira Awards:
Escambia High School
Jasmine Collings, Kadence Vanlandingham (Band), Ty Jones (Chorus), Sara Jones (Drama), Charlotte Paolini (Orchestra), Selma Millan (Visual Arts)
Northview High
Adrianne Shanks (Band), Addison White (Creative Writing), Kinzey Powell (Culinary Arts), Hunter Borelli (Graphic Arts), Dallon Rackard (Graphic Design), Jesse Hughes (Journalism), Mia Starns (Photography), Benjamin Rowinsky (Video Design), Madison Watson (Visual Arts), Paige Ross (Visual Design), Anna Adams, Shelby Cotita (Yearbook)
Pensacola High School
Christian McClung (Chorus), Miyauna Copeland (Culinary Arts), Scott Grove, Vitus Larrieu, Steven Rhodes (Drama), Aniya Knight (Graphic Arts), Ezra Baker, Gracie Collins, Abigail Prettyman (Instrumental Music), Isabel Green (Orchestra), Wren Harwell (Photography), Colin Gold (Yearbook)
Pine Forest High School
Kiaeante Hill (Band), Emmie Sasser (Chorus), Thomas Welch (Culinary Arts), Karriema Jones (Design Services Academy), Daniel Jennings (Digital Media), Hailee Hatcher (Photography), Nina Burt (Visual Arts), Dontreal Hines (Yearbook)
Tate High School
Holly Phillips, Carter Pitts, Melissa Schauer (Band), Rose Geinert, Emily Payne (Chorus), Hunter Brumfield, Elias Ray (Drama), Gabrielle Gryskiewicz, Jordan Rinker (Orchestra), Vanessa Lopez, Megan Morris (Visual Arts), Dylainie Charlery (Yearbook)
Washington High School
Kaleb Aymond, Adrianna Blackmon, Michaela Hartley (Band), Alexia Ben, Minh Nguyen, Caitlin Sanderson (Chorus), Samuel Brown, Jovaney Sutherland (Orchestra), Kaitlyn Roe (Theatre), Michaela Luescher (Theatre and Visual Arts), Cassady Hawkins, Yu’miya Walker (Visual Arts)
West Florida High School
Kyla Barrett, Grace Coleman (Band), Arjerne Arrington (Drama-Performance Excellence), William Rabon, Mia Zareck (Multimedia-Graphic Design), Chloe Rabin (Orchestra-Exceptional Leadership), Thien-Loc Uc (Orchestra-Performance Leadership), Mason Mott (Photographic Journalism), Teana Henderson (Theatre-Exceptional Leadership), Fariha Fairooz, Braxton Wickersham (Visual Arts), Micayla Jesse (Yearbook-Graphic Design)
Teen Shot And Killed Man In Jay Saturday, SRSO Says
May 28, 2022
A man was shot and killed by a teen Saturday afternoon in Jay.
Jaden Simmons, 16, shot and killed 43-year old Jonathan Simmons, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies have not revealed any relationship between the two.
Deputies responded to the shooting at 3487 Highway 4 in Jay about 12:20 p.m.
Jaden Simmons has been charged with second degree murder.
“These charges are preliminary and will be reviewed by the State Attorney’s Office. This is an ongoing investigation more information will be released as it becomes available,” Jillian Durkin, SRSO assistant public information officer, said.
Jaden Simmons’ mugshot was not immediately available due to the holiday weekend.
Atmore Man Charged With Nine Counts Of Attempted Murder After Saturday Shooting
May 28, 2022
A man was charged with nine counts of attempted murder after a shooting in Atmore Saturday morning.
The Atmore Police Department responded to a shots fired call on Ann Street, about a block off North Main Street, about 8:40 Saturday morning. They found that three people had been hit with shotgun pellets among at least nine people that were present.
Kelvin Bernard Cooper, 45, had become involved in a dispute with another male and left. He returned in his vehicle and stated that he was “going to come back and kill everyone”, according to Atmore Police Sgt. Darrell McMann.
“Cooper returned a few minutes later and yelled, ‘All of you are about to die’ and shot several times from his open window in his vehicle,” McMann continued. Three people were struck.
He fled, but was spotted less than a half mile away by an officer. Police said that as he was taken into custody, he also threatened to kill the officer.
Cooper was charged with nine counts of attempted murder, nine counts of reckless endangerment, 10 counts of terroristic threats, one counts of certain person forbidden to possess a gun, and one count of possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine).
He was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton without bond.