Tate Shuts Out Crestview, Northview’s Landis Throws Shutout Over West Florida
February 25, 2022
Tate 10, Crestview 0
Two Tate Aggie pitchers combined Thursday night to shut out the Crestview Bulldogs 10-0 in six innings.
Josiah Glodfelter went five innings for Tate, allowing no runs, two hits, walking one and striking out six. Dalton Biggs was on the mound for one inning, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out three.
Jay Davis had two hits and three RBIs on two at bats for the Aggies. Frankie Randall went 2-3 for Tate. Drew Reaves, Madox Land and Cade Kelly each added an Aggie hit.
Click here for more photos from Tate varsity and JV.
Tate 8, Crestview 4 (JV)
The junior varsity Tate High Aggies beat the Crestview Bulldogs JV 5-4 Thursday night.
Neal Croom got the win for Tate, going two innings and allowing two hits, no runs and striking out four.
Connor Baer, Hayden St. Amant, and Tristin Lynn also worked the mound for the win, allowing a combined five hits and four runs while striking out four.
Northview 12, West Florida 0
Josh Landis threw a shutout Thursday night as the Northview Chiefs beat West Florida 12-0.
Landis allowed no runs on two hits while striking out two.
Rustin Pope led the Chiefs at the plate, going 3-4 with four RBIs. Landis, Luke Bridges,, Ethan Collier, Kaden Odom, and Cason Burkett also had hits for Northview.
Pictured: Tate Aggies varsity and junior varsity defeated Crestview Thursday night. NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward FFA Presents ‘Golden Cow Dung Award’ To Teacher Robin McCall
February 25, 2022
Ernest Ward Middle School teacher Robin McCall received the annual “Golden Cow Dung Award” from members of the Ernest Ward FFA Thursday morning. The award features a large piece of cow dung, painted a golden color and mounted on a board painted in school colors.
McCall received the award during National FFA Week as a “thank you” for supporting FFA.
(Cow dung, in case you didn’t know for sure, is what you are probably thinking it is. It’s that natural byproduct that cows drop in the field. The award is 100% real dung spray painted a golden color. The golden piece is actually the original award piece created and painted in 2009.)
The Ernest Ward FFA students also held an appreciation breakfast for teachers and other staff members.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Missing, Endangered Man Last Seen Near Beulah Today
February 25, 2022
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a missing and endangered adult male last seen Thursday near Beulah.
James Monroe Hadley, 47, was last seen in the area of Nine Mile Road and I-10 wearing dark khaki shorts and a white t-shirt.
He is described as being 6-foot, 2-inche tall, 230 pounds with short blonde hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament Coming To Ashton Brosnaham Park
February 24, 2022
The Southeastern Conference has entered into an agreement with Pensacola Sports that will bring the SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament to the North Escambia area.
The tournament will be played at Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park off East 10 Mile Road through 2024 under the agreement, with an option to extend the agreement to 2026.
“I’m so excited to think about the premier conference in the country, the SEC, crowning their Women’s Soccer champion in Escambia County at Ashton Brosnaham Park beginning this fall,” said Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry. “Specifically, I want to thank Ray Palmer, with the Pensacola Sports Association, and Michael Rhodes, Escambia County Parks and Recreation director, for their advocacy and diligent work over the last eight months to deliver such a high level fantastic soccer championship to our community.”
“We are thankful to the City of Pensacola and Pensacola Sports for providing a tremendous venue to conduct our SEC Soccer Championship,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “Their commitment to this event promises to provide lasting memories for our student-athletes and an outstanding experience for SEC soccer fans from across the region.”
Over the last 11 years, the SEC has earned 75 NCAA Tournament bids – an average of nearly seven per year – with all 14 member institutions making at least one appearance during that span. Eight different SEC teams have advanced to the Round of 16 since 2013 and the league has placed teams in the NCAA quarterfinals in each of the last eight seasons.
SEC soccer has been very popular with the fans as the league led the nation in regular-season attendance with 114,057 fans. Five teams ranked in the top 25 in average attendance on the season: No. 3 Texas A&M (2,329 per game), No. 6 South Carolina (1,556 per game), No. 7 Arkansas (1,537 per game), No. 13 LSU (1,334 per game) and No. 25 Tennessee (912 per game).
Local Farmers Expect Worldwide Market, Increased Profits With Opening Of New Peanut Plant In Atmore
February 24, 2022
A grand opening was held Wednesday for Coastal Growers, an $90 million peanut processing facility in Atmore with a worldwide market.
Coastal Growers is owned by a cooperative of 195 farmers who live mostly in Alabama and Florida.
For a photo gallery and photo tour, click or tap here.
“The growers don’t have to truck their peanuts to other places with this, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said. “It’s localized to give you an opportunity hopefully to make more money because you don’t have to pay that transportation costs. That’s what it’s all about. Peanuts are making a huge run in the south and I hope it continues to get better, products get better.”
The 400,000 square foot facility sits on 60 acres in the Atmore Industrial Park that used to be a cotton field. There are currently 64 employees, and they expect to hire 100 total within a year.
Coastal Growers is already shipping food grade Alabama and Florida peanuts to 11 counties on three continents.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Escambia County farmers and farmers in our general area to increase overall what they can earn in the peanut industry,” Libbie Johnson, UF/IFAS Escambia County (FL) Extension agriculture agent, said. “Its another outlet for them and direct line to the consumers.”
“This means for local farmers that we can see our crop go through the process, and we can see the end result,” said Santa Rosa County farmer Mickey Diamond. “It just means a little more money for us for our peanuts. We’re going to see it through to the end user instead of just selling it and it being gone.”
“I know it’s already been going, but from this day on, we’ll all keep an eye on what’s going on here. There’s no telling how much bigger this will get as time goes,” Tuberville said.
For a photo gallery and photo tour, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 35 Years On Trafficking, Other Drug Charges
February 24, 2022
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to 35 years in state prison on trafficking and other drug charges.
Charles Earl Johnson, Jr. was convicted of trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in hydrocodone, trafficking in cocaine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a controlled substance (alprazolam), possession of a controlled substance (more than 20 grams of cannabis), and possession of drug paraphernalia.
During a traffic stop, a K-9 alerted on Johnson’s vehicle, and a subsequent search found a large quantity of cash, narcotics, and three firearms.
Johnson had previous convictions for cocaine trafficking among other felony charges.
Former Detectives Revisiting Six Escambia County Cold Case Homicides
February 24, 2022
Former detectives are working to solve six cold cases in Escambia County.
One Wednesday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office launched a “Cold Case Symposium” that will concentrate on cold case homicide investigations while enlisting the expertise of retired certified law enforcement detectives in the area. Information on each cold case in the graphics below.
A cold case is one where all available leads have been exhausted and probable cause has not been established to make an arrest.
The investigators will have the following objectives as they work to solve the cases:
- Complete re-examination of all evidence
- Integrate time-tested investigative techniques with modern forensic technology
- Participants will provide a fresh look at the evidence and an objective viewpoint
- Using extra manpower to conduct follow-up interviews and generate new leads
- Identify items that could now produce DNA results due to technological advancements
Anyone with information on any cold case can call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Olive Baptist To Host ‘Night Of Champions’ And Free Youth Football Camp With Seven NFL Players
February 24, 2022
Olive Baptist Church will host a “Night of Champions” with seven NFL players Friday night, February 25, followed by a youth football camp on Saturday.
At 7 p.m. the seven NFL players will share stories, testimonies and answer questions during the event for all ages. Afterwards, the players will take selfie-style photos with guests and sign autographs. The event is free of charge.
On the Olive Baptist campus, the NFL players will conduct a one-day youth football camp for grades 5-12 from 8:30 a.m. until noon. The youth will rotate through several stations and learn skills from the players. The event is free, but registration is required prior to the event. Register by clicking or tapping here.
The NFL players schedule to present are:
• James Smith-Williams
• Justin Simmons
• Jeremiah Sirles
• Darius Jackson
• Johnathan Abram
• Trent Scott
• Malik Reed
Cantonment Man Accused Of Grand Theft; Someone Tried Make Text Message Deal To Return Items
February 24, 2022
A Cantonment man is accused of stealing a four-wheeler and other items before someone allegedly tried to make a deal for their return by text message.
Michael David Jones, 31, allegedly stole a four-wheeler valued at $1,500, a marine battery valued at $125, a battery maintainer worth $50, and a $50 battery charger. He was charged with felony grand theft, and two counts of misdemeanor petit theft second degree.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that Jones came to his front door and asked for money, and he gave him $5 before asking him to leave. When the victim left for work a few minutes later, he told deputies that he observed Jones nearby. Hours later, he received a phone call and heard Jones’ voice in the background, according to an arrest report.
Text messages offered to tell the victim where to find his four wheeler and attempted to make a deal in exchange for information, and one of the texts provided a location, the report states. The owner found his four-wheeler and other items in the woods across the road from his residence.
A jacket that was allegedly worn by Jones earlier in the day at the victim’s house was found on the four-wheeler, according to deputies.
Jones was released from the Escambia County Jail on an $8,000 bond.
Leaks. Mold. Cell Doors That Don’t Work. Commissioner Describes ‘Unacceptable’ Conditions In Escambia Jail.
February 23, 2022
Unacceptable.
That’s how Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh described what he found during a three hour tour of the Escambia County Jail.
The old jail and annex were built in 1981 and 1984 respectively but still house prisoners in addition to the new jail that opened last year. In the older facilities, Bergosh said he observed mold growing on walls and ceilings, cracked windows, and leaks that have been repaired with tarps that catch water before it is drained away with a hose.
“It just appears to me there has been a tremendous lack of maintenance,” Bergosh told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday afternoon. “Windows shattered, never replaced. Fixtures pulled off the wall, not repaired. A sink running for a year, hot water up to a year, I’ve been told by multiple sources. A ticket has been put in and closed out while the issue hasn’t been solved. They said it’s not a leak, if it’s not leaking out of a sink.”
“There’s a lot of issues that I think are self-inflicting on that facility, and it’s very disappointing to see it. But we are going to see if we can inspire quick movement on it.”
The commissioner noted that most of the areas that have significant flooding in the older jail buildings are no longer occupied. But he said several areas with leaks are occupied by prisoners, and it is leaking in an employee break room.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done over there and we need to make it a top priority. That’s what my intention is, to make it a top priority.”
Bergosh said the problems he found were not limited to the older buildings. One of the three elevators in the new facility has not worked for weeks, he said. Several pods, or housing areas, in the new jail are not open due to staffing issues.
There has been discussion in recent days about returning control of the jail from Escambia County back to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. But first, he said repairs must be made.
“I wouldn’t want to hand him (the sheriff) a lighted stick of dynamite, which is akin to what that would be,” Bergosh stated. “He’s gonna have to deal with the same issues we are. He doesn’t have a facility staff. His facility staff is the county’s facility staff. We maintain his range, his building. So I think that’s a separate question. I think what we’ve got to do is get our own house in order.”
The ultimate solution the commissioner suggested is to hire a firm to determine what areas of the old jail buildings can be salvaged, then demolish the rest.
“Then we’ve got to come up with funding for the expansion of the new jail.”
Bergosh said he will begin holding discussions with staff on Wednesday.
“The blame has to fall on us — the elected commissioners. We have to own it,” Bergosh wrote on his blog.
“Bottom line is, whatever it takes, we’ve got to fix it,” Bergosh told NorthEscambia.com.
Bergosh provided NorthEscambia.com with photographs of multiple pages of maintenance problems posted within the old jail — dozens of leaks, loose bunks, toilets that will not flush, lights that are out. There are even multiple cell doors listed that will not open or close. Because the lists we obtained contain cell numbers and their locations within the jail, NorthEscambia.com has chosen not to publish them to avoid any security concerns.
Contributed photos by Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
