Escambia Firefighter Injured In Yonge Street Fire
February 1, 2022
An Escambia County firefighter is recovering after being injured while fighting a fire Tuesday afternoon.
Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to residential fire in the 1100 block of West Yonge Street where a a single-wide trailer and residential structure were fully engulfed in flames.
A firefighter reportedly fell through a rotted floor inside one of the structures. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
The fire was brought under control in about 35 minutes. There were no other injuries.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
West Yonge Street is in the Englewood area, a few blocks from Pensacola High School.
What Was All That Smoke In North Escambia?
February 1, 2022
Very thick smoke blanketed parts of North Escambia Tuesday afternoon.
Joe Zwierzchowski, spokesperson for the Florida Forest Service, told NorthEscambia.com that the smoke was from a 4,000 acre controlled burn on Eglin Air Force Base some 35-40 miles away.
Readers reported heavy smoke, even some falling ash, in McDavid, Bratt, Walnut Hill and into Atmore. Visibilities quickly dropped to under 1,000 feet in some areas.
Motoristswere advised to treat the smoke like fog and exercise caution in areas of reduced visibility.
Pictured above: The sun almost obliterated by heavy smoke about 3:50 Tuesday afternoon in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com graphic/photo.
FHP Seeks Hit And Run Driver That Killed Man On Dark, Lonely Area Of Highway 29
February 1, 2022
The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to seek a hit and run driver that struck and killed a man on Highway 29 early Monday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 42-year-old Pensacola man was killed about 2:45 a.m. on Highway 29 about one mile north of Champion Drive and the West Fraser Sawmill. The man was walking southbound in the inside lane when he was hit by an unknown southbound vehicle that fled the scene.
As of now, troopers don’t know why he was on the dark, lonely stretch of Highway 29. The entire area north of the sawmill is completely dark at night, mostly surrounded by woods. There are no houses in the area.
Late Monday afternoon, FHP told us they are still looking for any witnesses that observed the crash or may have seen the vehicle.
The vehicle is believed to be a large pickup truck or semi truck and may have front end damage, according to troopers.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call *FHP.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
Pictured: The general area where a man was struck and killed on Highway 29 north of Champion Drive as seen Tuesday night. The photo (taken safely by a passenger) shows the roadway illuminated by standard car headlights on high beams. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle Students Celebrate Literacy With Space Station Astronauts, Chat With Future Astronaut
February 1, 2022
Ransom Middle School celebrated Literacy Week in an out of this world fashion last week.
The Escambia County School District’s theme was ” Launch into Literacy: Blast Off into New Worlds”, and Ransom students did just that.
Seventh grade students listened to astronauts on the International Space Station read their favorite stories all week. This included Florida middle school teacher turned Astronaut Joseph Acaba who read the book “Notable Notebooks” to them.
To bring Literacy Week in for a landing, Ransom students met and interviewed potential future Mars astronaut Alyssa Carson via online chat. They posed questions to the 20-year old Florida Tech University astrobiology student about her training at NASA and plans for colonizing the red planet.
“How would you like to see Mars colonized, and what things would you definitely want included in your Martian community?” is the question student Noah Jacobs asked.
The current unit in the students’ seventh grade language arts textbook centers around the question, “Should humanity’s future lie among the stars?” which made Carson the perfect candidate to offer an expert opinion on the subject of future space missions and exploration.
“We learned about Alyssa’s impressive resume this week as we planned our questions for our meeting with her,” seventh grader Kennedi Carter said. “She turned out to be the perfect person to ask. It was amazing to meet someone who has accomplished so much and who is not that much older than us.”
“Before meeting Alyssa Carson today, I never pictured myself going into space at such a young age,” said Addison Fowler who shares Carson’s dream of becoming an astronaut. “But Alyssa explained that we might be the perfect age to be the ones they will need for future colonies in space.”
In describing the exciting day, Landon Miller explained, “Today was one small step for students, and one giant leap for Ransom Middle School.”
After they signed off with Carson, the students posed for pictures with her image on a large screen, signed a card thanking her for such an exciting educational experience, and received “We Are the Mars Generation” bracelets she had mailed to them for the day’s big event.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EREC Warns Members Of Telephone Scam
February 1, 2022
Escambia River Electric Cooperative is warning members of a telephone scam.
The utility said some some customers are receiving calls warning that they must a make a credit card payment over the phone to avoid a power interruption.
EREC said they never ask for credit card information over the phone. Customers can verify their account information online or by calling (850) 675-4521 or (800) 235-3848.
Florida Power & Light (the former Gulf Power) has warned customers of similar scams in the past.
Man Walking On Highway 29 In McDavid Killed In Hit And Run Early Monday Morning
January 31, 2022
A pedestrian walking on Highway 29 was struck and killed in a hit and run crash early Monday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 42-year-old Pensacola man was killed about 2:45 a.m. on Highway 29 about one mile north of Champion Drive and the West Fraser Sawmill. For an unknown reason, the man was walking southbound in the inside lane when he was hit by an unknown southbound vehicle that fled the scene.
“At this time, FHP has no known witnesses to the crash or suspect information. The vehicle is believed to be a large pickup truck or semi truck and may have front end damage,” troopers said.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call *FHP.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
The McDavid Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
State Approves Ascend Air Operating Permits With No Increase In Emissions
January 31, 2022
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has issued, or is in the process of considering new and renewed air operation permits for the Ascend Pensacola Plant.
This facility is renewing its existing operating permit to account for new reporting requirements and rule changes and also working on a concurrent construction permit for maintenance and equipment upgrades. There are no increases in emissions in two of the permits, according to FDEP.
“These permit applications are standard five-year renewals of our existing air operating permits. No changes to air emissions are noted or requested,” an Ascend spokesperson said.
If an application is approved, another permit could result in insignificant dimethyl ester emissions, FDEP said.
The application “would authorize Ascend to upgrade and modernize the Dimethyl Ester (DME) production unit through various instrumentation changes and replacement of outdated equipment. It will also authorize Ascend to implement upgrades to the Hexamethylene Diamine (HMD) production unit and the Low-Pressure Diamine (LPD) unit to improve the effectiveness of these processes. The project is expected to result in an increase in DME production and facility-wide emissions could increase; however, the project will not result in a significant increase in emissions of any Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) pollutant. There will be an opportunity to provide public comment on this project when the department takes action on it,” FDEP told NorthEscambia.com in an email.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Railroad Crossing Closures Set To Begin In North Escambia, Including Quintette Road
January 31, 2022
There will be temporary closures of several CSX railroad crossings beginning today in the North Escambia area.
The temporary closures will be at the railroad crossings as follows:
- Quintette Road (detoured to Highway 90)
- Barth Road
- Brickyard Road
- Cottage Hill
- Fairground Road
- Daffin Road
“The roads above will be temporarily closed at different times throughout the closure period depending on maintenance schedule,” according to a news release from Escambia County. Specific dates and times have not been provided.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate High Girls Weightlifting Team Competes In Districts, Regionals
January 31, 2022
The Tate High School Girls weightlifting team recently attended the FHSAA Class 3A District 1 Championships at Niceville High School and the Class 3A Region 1 Championships at Flagler Palm Coast High School in Saint Augustine.
The following athletes qualified for regionals in snatch:
Ashley Beddell
Addyson Chinchar
Lanie Brown
Sidney Forst
Finley Sheffield
The following athletes qualified for regionals in bench with clean and jerk:
Ashley Beddell
Natiya Williams
Emily Mills
Sydney Eaton
Advancement to the state championships will be announced later this week. The Tate High School Girls weightlifting team is coached by Brittany Dunson.
Pictured top: Tate’s competitors at Flagler Palm Coast High School for Class 3A Region 1 championships (L-R) Emily Mills, Sydney Eaton, Finley Sheffield, Lanie Brown and Ashley Beddell. PIctured below: District competitors at Niceville High School with Coach Brittany Dunson. Pictured bottom: Tate High School Girls weightlifting team. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Man Facing Drug Charges After ECSO Executes Search Warrant
January 31, 2022
A Molino man is facing two felony drug charges after the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant.
Samuel Cooler, Jr., 30, was charged with possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, manufacture or deliver, and possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, manufacture or deliver.
Cooler was in an apartment on East Johnson Road where the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant, according to an arrest report.
According to the ECSO, 12.9 grams of powder cocaine, 8.2 grams of crack cocaine and 634.6 gram of marijuana were found inside the apartment, and an additional 21.1 grams of marijuana was located inside Cooler’s sweatshirt pocket.
Cooler was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.