Students To Take Part in Choral Gala Tonight
November 8, 2011
The 2011 All-County Choral Gala featuring students from across the Escambia County School District will be held tonight.
Approximately 400 selected elementary, middle, and high school honor choral students will perform a variety of music from the classics to contemporary during the event at 7 p.m. at Olive Baptist Church, 1838 Olive Road.
Gala conductors this year will be Sandy Rosengren, retired music teacher from Bay County, directing the Elementary All-County Honor Chorus; Eric Doney, jazz artist, conducting the Middle School Honor Chorus; and Leo Day, Olive Baptist Church and the University of West Florida, conducting the High School Honor Chorus.
The concert is free and the public is invited to attend.
Changes Coming To Cordova Mall
November 8, 2011
Big changes are on the way to Cordova Mall in Pensacola.
Dillard’s will no longer operate a separate Men’s Store, moving their men’s products into their main 230,000 square foot store. At the same time, Belk will close its University Mall Store and consolidate with the Cordova Mall store located in the two-story Dillard’s Men’s Store. The new Belk store will be in place by fall of 2012.
A new store for the Pensacola area, Dick’s Sporting Goods, will move into current Cordova Belk location by mid-2013.
Evers: Keep Tabs On Teen Drivers For Just $5
November 8, 2011
Parents wanting to know more than their teenage drivers want them to could pay a little to keep tabs on their young motorists under a bill introduce Monday by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker.
The measure would allow parents of under 18-year-old drivers to pay $5 to be electronically notified if junior gets in an accident or gets a ticket. The measure would also inform parents of revocations and suspensions in case their teen “forgets” to let them know.
Political Watch: Blackburn Running For Sheriff; Taylor Collects Petitions For Commission
November 8, 2011
Monday, Rex Blackburn of Cantonment became the fourth candidate to prefile for Escambia County Sheriff in the 2012 general election.
Blackburn, who ran unsuccessful for Escambia County School Board District 5 in 2000, is running with no party affiliation, as is Bill Chavers. Incumbent David Morgan and John Powell are both running as Republicans.
Also Monday, Jim Taylor announced that he became the first candidate to meeting the petition requirement to qualify for August 14, 2012, Republican primary for the District 5 seat on the Escambia County Commission.
Fire Destroys Cotton Picker (With Photo Gallery)
November 7, 2011
Fire destroyed a cotton picker Monday afternoon in Bratt.
The fire was reported in a field south of Hanks Road west of Pine Barren Road just before 3 p.m.; it was declared under control about 3:50 p.m. The John Deere 9970 cotton picker was a total loss.
There were no injuries reported. The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded the blaze.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: A cotton picker burns in a field in Bratt Monday afternoon. Pictured below: Firefighters begin their attack on the blaze. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
18 Hour SWAT Standoff Ends With Arrest
November 7, 2011
Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Richard Howard Jr., 21, of Pensacola, about 7:00 Monday morning following an 18 hour standoff. Howard was taken into custody without incident by members of the Pensacola Police Department SWAT team.
Around 1:00 Sunday afternoon, deputies responded to reports of Howard standing on his roof in his underwear yelling at neighbors and threatening suicide. When deputies arrived, Howard jumped from the roof and barricaded himself inside his residence. The Escambia County SWAT team was then activated to establish a perimeter and negotiations were conducted with Howard.
During the course of the stand-off, SWAT team members entered the residence to find that Howard was in the attic of his home. When Howard saw the deputies, he fired rounds at the deputies, but no one was injured. SWAT team members utilized gas agents as a means to get Howard out of the house, but the gas had no effect on Howard. Due to the extended period of time, Escambia County SWAT team members were relieved by the Pensacola Police SWAT team.
After 18 hours, SWAT team members from the Pensacola Police Department entered the attic of the residence and took Howard into custody without incident. Howard was taken to a local hospital for evaluation prior to being booked into the Escambia County Jail on an aggravated assault charge.
Pictured. Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Rain The Forecast
November 7, 2011
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Calm wind becoming north between 5 and 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. North wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Veterans Day: Sunny, with a high near 68. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Calm wind.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 73.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.
- Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 75.
- Sunday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Monday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Bratt Park To Be Renamed Tuesday For Fallen Marine Lcpl. Travis Nelson
November 7, 2011
The Bratt Community Park will be renamed Tuesday in honor of LCpl. Travis M. Nelson, the local Marine killed in action in Afghanistan on August 18.
An official dedication for the “LCpl Travis M. Nelson Park” and a monument in his honor will be held on Tuesday, November 8 at 2 p.m. at the park on West Highway 4, just west of Northview High School.
The Nelson family requested the county’s permission to place a monument at the park on Highway 4 near Northview High School, just two doors down from where Travis Nelson grew up. The Escambia County Commission later voted to rename the park in the Marine’s honor.
Nelson was the first soldier killed in action from the Walnut Hill or Bratt area since 1969.
Pictured top: Work continues on a memorial in honor of LCpl Travis M. Nelson at the Bratt Community Park, which will be renamed Tuesday in Nelson’s honor. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Driver Hits Concrete Ditch, Airlifted To Hospital
November 7, 2011
A driver was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital after apparently suffering from a medical condition and running into a concrete ditch Sunday afternoon in Cantonment.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 77-year old Rudolph M. Smith of Pensacola was southbound on Highway 29 near Cedar Tree Lane when drifted the roadway and struck a street sign before his 2002 pickup came to rest in a concrete ditch.
Smith was transported by LifeFlight to West Florida Hospital suffering from an unknown medical problem, according to the FHP.
There were no other injuries in the crash.
Molino Man Gets Probation On Drug Charges
November 7, 2011
A Molino man has been sentenced to probation on drug charges.
Adjudication was withheld by Judge Michael Allen as he sentenced 26-year old Thomas Sheffield to 24 months probation on a felony count of marijuana possession with intent to sell and felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations/Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant in July 2011 at Sheffield’s residence in the 9000 block of Gibson Road.
Sheffield told deputies that all of his drugs were on the back porch, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report. That’s were deputies found over 20 grams of marijuana and a 9mm Glock handgun, according to the arrest report. Inside the house, deputies reported finding more marijuana, questionable prescription medication, a .22 caliber handgun, a SKS rifle and $1,725 in cash located on the top of the fireplace.