Hundreds Attend Outdoor Movie Night In Beulah
May 28, 2022
Hundreds of people attended a free outdoor movie night Friday at the Escambia County Equestrian Center sponsored by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Foundation
Along with the movie “The Secret Life of Pets”, the night featured numerous units and displays from the ECSO and other community groups, free hot dogs and hamburgers and more.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday Underway; New For 2022: Pet Supplies Are Included
May 28, 2022
Florida’s 14-day Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is underway, offering a savings on hurricane supplies.
This year, household pet supplies such as pet food, leashes, collars, beds and portable kennels are also included in the list of items eligible to be purchased tax-free (see the bottom of the list below).
Floridians are expected to save $25.6 million on the purchase of tax-free items such as flashlights, radios, tarps, batteries and fire extinguishers. This is more than double compared to the $10.5 million Floridians saved during the 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday.
The sales tax holiday continues through June 10.
Here is the list of included items:
Selling for $20 or less:
- Reusable ice (ice packs)
Selling for $40 or less:
- Any portable self-powered light source* (powered by battery, solar, hand-crank or gas):
- Flashlights
- Lanterns
- Candles
Selling for $50 or less:
- Any gas or diesel fuel container, including LP gas and kerosene containers
- Batteries, including rechargeable batteries, listed sizes only (excluding automobile and boat batteries):
- AA-cell and AAA-cell
- C-cell
- D-cell
- 6-volt
- 9-volt
- Two-way and weather band radios* (powered by battery, solar, or hand-crank)
* Eligible light sources and radios qualify for the exemption even if electrical cords are included in the purchase.
Selling for $60 or less:
- Nonelectric food storage coolers
- Portable power banks
NEW THIS YEAR: Selling for $70 or less:
- Smoke detectors and smoke alarms
- Fire extinguishers
- Carbon monoxide detectors
Selling for $100 or less:
- Tarpaulins (tarps) or other flexible waterproof sheeting
- Ground anchor systems
- Tie-down kits
- Bungee cords
- Ratchet straps
Selling for $1,000 or less:
Portable generators used to provide light or communications, or to preserve food in the event of a power outage
NEW THIS YEAR: Supplies necessary for the evacuation of household pets, including:
- Cans or pouches of wet pet food selling for $2 or less per can or pouch or the equivalent if
- sold in a box or case
- Collapsible or travel-sized food or water bowls selling for $15 or less per item
- Manual can openers selling for $15 or less per item
- Cat litter pans selling for $15 or less
- Pet waste disposal bags selling for $15 or less per package
- Hamster or rabbit substrate selling for $15 or less per package
- Leashes, collars, and muzzles selling for $20 or less
- Pet pads selling for $20 or less per box or package
- Cat litter weighing 25 or fewer pounds and selling for $25 or less
- Bags of dry pet food weighing 15 or fewer pounds and selling for $30 or less
- Pet beds selling for $40 or less
- Portable kennels or pet carriers selling for $100 or less
Escambia Animal Shelter Offering Adoption Specials
May 28, 2022
The Escambia County animal shelter is offered special adoption rates through the end of June.
All cats and kittens are $10 and dogs and puppies are $25. Adoption fees include spay or neutering services, microchips, heartworm tests and the initial vaccinations including rabies vaccinations. Escambia County residents will be required to purchase a separate $11 license at the time of adoption.
“We have a large number of cats and dogs ready to go to their forever homes,” said Animal Welfare Director John Robinson. “If you can’t adopt right now, we encourage you to become a foster or volunteer. Fosters can help prepare an animal for its future home while helping make way for other animals coming into the shelter. Our volunteers assist with everything from kennel cleaning and washing blankets to playgroup supervision and bottle-feeding kittens.”
The Escambia County animal shelter is located at 200 West Fairfield Drive. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from noon until 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bluff Springs, Cotton Lake and Williams Lake Recreation Sites Closed Due To Flooding
May 28, 2022
The Northwest Florida Water Management District has closed three recreation sites in the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area due to flooding.
The Bluff Springs, Cotton Lake and Williams Lake sites are closed until further notice.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
M-Braves Clobber Six Homers In 19-6 Blowout of Blue Wahoos
May 28, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped back-to-back games for the first time in almost a month, surrendering six home runs and 19 runs to the Mississippi Braves in a 19-6 loss on Friday night.
Troy Johnston extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a 4-for-5 night at the plate, but his output paled in comparison to Mississippi’s effort.
The M-Braves tagged Pensacola starter Cody Mincey (L, 2-2) for a season-high eight runs, seven earned, over 4.2 innings. Luke Waddell hit a two-run double in the second and C.J. Alexander hit the first of his two two-run homers in the third before Yariel Gonzalez and Alexander chased Mincey from the game with homers in the fifth. Dylan Bice fared little better, allowing a two-run double to Michael Harris II in the fifth to extend the Mississippi lead to 10-1. In the sixth, Hendrik Clementina and Drew Lugbauer hit back-to-back homers to stretch the Mississippi lead to 12-1.
Tanner Gordon (W, 2-2) allowed a run in the first inning on a Cobie Fletcher-Vance sacrifice fly, but completed 6.0 innings for the first time in his Double-A career by working scoreless baseball the rest of the way. A Johnston two-run double in the seventh was followed by a Griffin Conine RBI single against reliever Hayden Deal, but by that time the game was well in hand.
Mississippi had one more big inning in them, plating six in the ninth against Josh Simpson and Eli Villalobos. After Simpson allowed a pair of runs and left with the bases loaded, Villalobos allowed a grand slam to Lugbauer to cap the offensive outburst for the Braves.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos’ division lead has fallen to 1.5 games over Mississippi and Biloxi with 26 to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Mississippi Braves on Saturday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Calloway Elected President Of Century Blackcat Youth Football; Registration Saturday
May 27, 2022
Kent Calloway was recently elected president of Century Blackcat Youth Football.
Calloway is a Century native and grew up loving Blackcat football.
“I always loved Blackcat football and I look forward to the upcoming season. This is an opportunity for the community to come together and support Blackcat Youth Football,” he said. “I am really excited about our teams, and I am excited about coming back and playing with friends and neighbors in the Escambia River Conference this year.”
The Escambia River Conference (ERC) includes teams from Century, Baker, Jay, Flomaton, Brewton, Andalusia, Neal, Straughn, Atmore and Excel.
An in-person registration for Blackcat football will be held Saturday, May 28 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Nadine McCaw Park on Highway 29 in Century.
For more information call (850) 861-4337. To register, call Calloway at (850) 554-4708.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Child Abuse After Child Suffers Facial Injuries
May 27, 2022
An Atmore man is facing charges for allegedly causing facial injuries to a child.
Desmond DeQuan Knight, 26, was charged with felony child abuse without great bodily harm.
An investigation was opened after the child was seen at the Perdido Bay Emergency Room on May 22, 2021.
According to an arrest report, the child had significant bruising from near the jaw bone, to his left eye and eyelid and over to his left ear, along with blood in the corner of his left eye. The age of the child and any relationship to Knight was redacted.
The highly redacted 18-page arrest report states that the injuries were inconsistent with Knight’s claims that the bruising was caused when the child fell into a bed rail in May 2021.
During a dependency hearing, Jennifer Frydrychowicz ruled that the photographic evidence of the injuries clearly depicted a handprint from a slap, the report states.
Many of Knight’s statements and testimony were redacted from the report.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Knight could not provide a detailed and consistent account of the incident that occurred while was alone with the child, and it was not possible for the child to leap from a bed while sitting on the edge of a mattress and make contact with the railing below.
Knight was arrested this week for the incident. He was released from the Escambia County Jail at 10:35 Thursday night on a $5,000 bond
P-EBT Benefits Available For Some Families That Lost School Meals Due To COVID-19
May 27, 2022
Families that had children receiving free or reduced lunches may be eligible for benefits if they lost access to school meals due to COVID-19.
Florida has been approved to implement a Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program.
The P-EBT program is a supplemental benefit for households with students who temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to COVID-related absences. Parents and guardians of students who meet the eligibility criteria should apply for P-EBT benefits for the just-ended 2021-2022 school year.
The application for P-EBT benefits can be accessed through the Florida Department of Children and Families website.
Once the application has been completed, parents and guardians will need to print or email the application and the school must confirm the student’s COVID-related absences.
Once the application has been certified through the student’s school, the parent or guardian of the student must submit the certified application through the P-EBT application portal. The Florida Department of Children and Families will review the information and issue the appropriate P-EBT benefits to the parents or guardians.
For more information, call the P-EBT Call Center (833) 311-0321.
Pictured: An Escambia County School District chicken sandwich lunch. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Heavy Rain Washed Away Portion Of Road In McDavid
May 27, 2022
Heavy rains the past few days washed away a portion of a dirt road in McDavid.
The side of Railroad Street collapsed just south of Main Street. It’s a seldom-traveled road between Main Street in McDavid and Mystic Springs Road with just one residence.
Reader photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Sherrill Named All-Sun Belt First Team
May 27, 2022
Georgia Southern’s Jesse Sherrill, a 2018 Tate High School graduate, was named All-Sun Belt First Team at second base.
Sherrill transferred in from Kennesaw State prior to the beginning of the 2022 season and led the Eagles in batting average with .358, good for eighth in the Sun Belt Conference. Sherrill is tied for the lead for the Eagles in HBP with 17, and is second in the SBC in total HBP, just behind Troy’s Jesse Hall. Sherrill also has 33 walks this season, which leads the GS baseball team and rounds out the top 10 in the conference.
At Tate, Sherrill batted .420 with 31 runs and 21 RBIs his senior season.
Images courtesy Georgia Southern for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.