Molino Resident Becomes Escambia’s Newest Judge
April 20, 2012
A Molino resident became Escambia County’s newest judge Friday.
Darlene F. Dickey, 41, had served as the general counsel for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office since 2006. Previously, she practiced with Bozeman, Jenkins and Matthews P.A. from 2003 to 2005 after three years as an assistant state attorney with the First Judicial Circuit.
After completing a bachelor’s degree, she served five years as a law enforcement officer, first with the University of West Florida Police Department, and later as a field training officer with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Dickey received a bachelor’s degree from the University of West Florida and a law degree from Florida State University.
“Throughout Darlene’s career, she has gained valuable experience listening to all sides of the issues in order to gain the understanding needed to resolve conflicts, “Gov. Rick Scott said. “Her willingness and ability to apply sound and restrained legal analysis will serve the people of Escambia County well.”
Dickey filled the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge John F. Simon to the First Judicial Circuit.
Escambia Wreck Claims Life Of 26-Year Old
April 20, 2012
A motorcyclist was killed in an early morning crash on a Pensacola interstate.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Preston Lee Wallace, age 26 of Pensacola, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 1:25 a.m. high-speed crash on an eastbound ramp at the I-10 and I-110 intersection.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Escambia Honors Outstanding High School Seniors
April 20, 2012
The Escambia County Public School Foundation hosted the 2012 Senior Academic Awards program Thursday night, honoring 88 of Escambia County’s outstanding high school seniors.
Honorees included the top five students in each graduating class as well as one student from each of the following disciplines: English, Foreign Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Career & Technical. The five National Merit Finalist from Escambia County were also honored.
Recognized Thursday night were:
Northview High School: Top Five – Holly Dickson, Josie Doucette, Amber D. Francis, Joel Wetzel, Elizabeth A. Wright; Subject Areas – Melissa Moretz, English; Chelsea Parham, Foreign Language; Brian Ross, Math; Caleb Leonard, Science; Lauren McCall, Social Studies; Lydia Weaver, Career and Technical.
Tate High School: Top Five – Seth Nathaniel Ammons, Emily Kailyn Creahan, John Wesley Lynn McDaniel, Daniel Pierce, Wendy Stradley; Subject Areas – Cheyenne Ryan, English; Crista Anne King, Foreign Language; Matthew Warren, Math; Breanna Renee Harrison, Science; Antonio D. Odom II, Social Studies; Courtney Graves, Career and Technical.
West Florida High School: Top Five – Nathan Andrews, John William Arnold, Tyler Ray Bryant, Dena Ngoc Le, Robert Mines; Subject Areas – Lauren Cleary, English; Dylan Lopez, Foreign Language; Kathryn Paige Disher, Math; Katie Lynn Nelson, Science; Jeffery Alan Grosso, Jr., Social Studies; Brigitte Beaulieu, Career and Technical.
Escambia High School: Top Five – Megan Beebe, Lauren Ashley Burns, Allison Kane, Kenny Nguyen, Jessica Reid; Subject Areas – Andria Quinlan, English; D.J. Fontenot, Foreign Language; Steven Ray Honeycutt, Math; Alana Lami, Science; Sawyer Cross, Social Studies; Dimitri Baptiste, Career and Technical.
Pensacola High School: Top Five – Sang Choi, Michael Joseph Johnson, Latesa Brielle Jones, An Tu, Yong Zhang; Subject Areas – Deidre Evans, English; Niña Rickka A. de Guzman, Foreign Language; Brandon Phuong Anh Tran, Math; Jin Lin Zheng, Science; Carlos Espinoza, Social Studies; Daniel Robar, Career and Technical.
Pensacola High School IB Program: Top Five – Sami Alsheikh, Wade Ingram, Sophia Liu, Kelly Mamelson, Mary-Grace R. Reeves; Subject Areas – Angelle Notaro, English; Peter Mahaffey, Foreign Language; Benjamin Greydanus, Math; Sarah E. Woods, Science; James Ryan Lengyel, Social Studies; Zachary Decker, Career and Technical.
Pine Forest High School: Top Five – Giselle Collie, Marissa Alana Frangione, Amber Lee Lane, Christina M. Nabity, Anthony M. Schmoll; Subject Areas – Katlyn Fryer, English; Markesha C. Brown, Foreign Language; Kati Mae Andrews, Math; Kalena DeVilla Hammond, Science; Alexañder Edgar Peña, Social Studies; Tyrell I. Jackson, Career and Technical.
Washington High School: Top Five – Haley Anderson, Luke Bosso, Alexa Carter, Tuong-My Nguyen, Patricia Taylor; Subject Areas – Bianca Bari Lurate, English; Colin Mitchell, Foreign Language; Hayden Adams Bell, Math; Ryan Larson, Science; Danielle Robinson-Pierre, Social Studies; Tina Nguyen, Career and Technical.
National Merit Finalists: Sami Alsheikh, Benjamin Greydanus, Samuel Martin Hitt, Sophia Liu, Mary-Grace R. Reeves; all from Pensacola High School IB Program.+
Pictured top: Northview High Senior Academic Award winners Thursday night at New World Landing (front, L-R) Amber Francis, Melissa Moretz, Lauren McCall, Lydia Weaver, NHS Assistant Principal Deborah Ray, (back, L-R) Holly Dickson, Josie Doucette, Joel Wetzel, Elizabeth A. Wright and Caleb Leonard. Not pictured: Chelsea Parham and Brian Ross. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Relay For Life Is Tonight
April 20, 2012
The 2012 Jay Relay for Life will begin at 6:00 tonight at Jay High School. The all-night event will continue until closing ceremonies at 9 a.m. Saturday.
A Luminaria ceremony begins at 9 p.m. as participants remember friends and loved ones that have lost the battle against cancer and to honor those fighting cancer presently. Luminaria bags will be for sale prior to the ceremony.
There will also be plenty of entertainment, food, fun and fellowship all night long, according to Jody Williams, event chairperson. For the children, there will be a supervised activity tent.
Molino Building Inspection Office Won’t Be Closed
April 20, 2012
Escambia County has decided against the recommended closure of the Molino Building Inspection Office.
Lloyd Kerr, Development Services director, had recommend the closure to reduce costs and increase efficiency. But the Escambia County Commission voted unanimously not to close the office, which has been located in the county-owned Escambia County Health Department building at 3470 North Highway 29 since 1989. If the office had closed, services would have been relocated to the Central Office Complex at 3363 West Park Place in Pensacola, about 17 miles away.
Kerr had recommended the closure to save an estimated $100,000 be eliminating two positions, citing an economic downtown that led to a decrease in permitting revenues. The county’s building inspection fund lost about $612,000 in 2011.
Numerous contractors had spoken out against the closure.
“This would be a huge mistake and greatly affect the northern end of our county in the near and distant future,” Paul Mack of Mack Custom Homes in Cantonment said prior to the commission’s decision. “The past few years have been hard on everyone, but when things get better, and they will get better, the only direction our county can grow is north.”
Clean Sweep Targets Cantonment Neighborhood (Updated)
April 20, 2012
[Updated 11:15 a.m.] The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Farm Hill Neighborhood Watch spearheaded an “Operation Clean Sweep” event Thursday morning in the Cantonment area.
From the Farm Hill Baptist Church, law enforcement and volunteers worked to cleanup an area from Muscogee Road to Well Line Road.
During the sweep, one arrest was made, four warrants were served, and 30 new code violation cases were opened. There was also 27 tons of debris collected, including six boats, two camper shells and a hot tub, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” is to work with neighborhood watch groups, residents, churches and business owners to control and prevent the damaging effects of crime.
The operation task force works closely with Escambia County Animal Control, Escambia County Environmental Law Enforcement, the military, Escambia County Roads and Bridges, and neighborhood watch groups to clean up neighborhoods and educate citizens on preventive measures that could be implemented to minimize possible crimes.
Pictured top: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dale Tharp explains the Operation Clean Sweep to volunteers Thursday morning in Farm Hill. Pictured inset and below: Volunteers took part in the event. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lady Royals Claim District Title
April 20, 2012
The Jay Lady Royals won the FHSAA Class 1A District 2 softball championship Thursday night with a 5-1 win over Bonifay.
Pitcher Sydney Lowery (16-3) allowed just six hits, had five strikeouts and hammered in a run during seven innings on the mound for the Lady Royals (18-3)
Jay: Samantha Steadham 2-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB; Becca Calloway 1-1, 2R, 2W; Tessa Hendricks 1-4, 1 3B, 1 R; Lowery 1-2, 1 RBI, Ashlynn Geck 1-3.
The Lady Royals had advanced to Thursday night’s championship game with a 11-6 win over Chipley.
Pictured: The 2012 District Champion Jay Lady Royals celebrate their victory Thursday night. Submitted photo by Kaprena Kelley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Softball, Baseball: Tate, Northview, West Florida (Photo Gallery)
April 20, 2012
Here is a look at baseball and softball action from across the area Thursday night:
Pensacola High 7 — Northview 6
The Pensacola High School Tigers slipped past the Northview Chiefs 7-6 Thursday night at PHS to end the regular season. The district tournament begins next week at Bonifay.
For a photo gallery from Northview at Pensacola High, click here.
Tate 7 — West Florida 3
The Tate Aggies improved to 20-3 on the season with a 7-3 win over West Florida High School Thursday night. The Aggies will host Rutherford at home at 6 p.m. Friday.
SOFTBALL
Jay 5 — Laurel Hill 1
For details and photos from this game, click here.
Tate 3 — Navarre 1
The Tate Lady Aggies beat Navaree 3-1 Thursday night. Marina Cobbs was 2-4, while Rachel Dunsford went 1-4 with a RBI. Other Tate hitters: Bailey Burke RBI; Kat Tucker R, RBI; Heather Schaff 1-4, R.
West Florida 10 — Arnold 3
West Florida High School earned a district title Thursday night with a 10-3 win over Arnold. The Jags will host Live Oak Suwannee Wednesday in the Region 1-5A quarterfinals.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs traveled to Pensacola High School Thursday. NorthEscambia.com photos by Taylor Rigby, click to enlarge.
Molino 16U Green Hornets Take Second In Pace Tourney (With Gallery)
April 20, 2012
The Molino 16U Green Hornets finished second Thursday night in the Mid Season Softball Tourney in Pace.
For a photo gallery with the Molino 16U Green Hornets from earlier in the tournament, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Carnley, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Drop To Jacksonville Before Capacity Crowd
April 20, 2012
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell to the Jacksonville Suns 4-3 Thursday night before a capacity crowd of 5,038 — the seventh full house this year out of 10 home contests.
The large crowd almost certainly guarantees the Blue Wahoos will continue to lead the Southern League in attendance, as they came into tonight’s contest best in that category, averaging 4,799 fans per contest.
Jacksonville won the series 4-1 after winning each of the final four games after dropping the first contest to Pensacola 2-1.
The Suns got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first, but the Blue Wahoos tied it at 2-2 after a sacrifice fly from 3B Henry Rodriguez, while 2B Brodie Greene led off the second with a single and subsequently scored on RF Yordanys Perez’s RBI double. Jacksonville however, made it 4-2 after solo home runs from C Kyle Skipworth and LF Ryan Patterson. The Blue Wahoos narrowed the margin to one from C Mark Fleury brought home Guzman but were held scoreless after that point.
SS Didi Gregorius (2-3, 1 R, 1 SO) extended his hit streak to eight games with his fifth multi-hit effort of the year, while CF Ryan LaMarre (2-4, 1 BB, 1 SO) and 1B Joel Guzman (2-4, 1 R) also collected two hits.
Blue Wahoos starter J.C. Sulbaran (6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO) suffered the loss despite fanning a team season-high 11 batters, allowing three earned runs on six hits in six frames. Suns RHP Omar Poveda (5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) earned the win after giving up three earned runs on eight hits in five innings, while reliever A.J. Ramos (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) notched his first save of the season after allowing a scoreless ninth inning.
Pensacola now heads on the road for a ten-game road trip, with stops in Montgomery and Jacksonville. The Blue Wahoos will begin their five-game series in Montgomery with the Biscuits on Friday night at 7:05 pm, with the Blue Wahoos expected to send RHP Pedro Villarreal to the mound. The Biscuits have yet to announce who will oppose Villarreal in tonight’s contest.