Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
April 13, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School has named students of the month for March. They are (L-R) Gabrielle Peebles, eighth grade; Destiny Bradley, sixth grade; and Melissa Sunday, seventh grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Electric Coops Celebrate National Lineman Appreciation Day
April 13, 2015
Monday, Escambia River Electric Cooperative honored the hard working line crews who often work in challenging conditions to keep the power on. America’s electric cooperatives have designated the second Monday of April as National Lineman Appreciation Day.
“EREC linemen can be called to work at any hour of the day or night to restore power to our communities,” said Clay R. Campbell, EREC general manager/CEO. “They are often working in hazardous conditions where a mistake can cost a limb or a life. Our linemen, as well as linemen across the nation, truly deserve this special day of recognition.”
Line crews are “the first responders of the electric cooperative family, getting power back on and making things safe for all after storms and accidents”, according to a resolution adopted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative 
Association.
Senate Gives Nod To Evers Bill Limiting The Civil Liability Of Farmers
April 13, 2015
The Florida Senate voted 38-0 to approve a bill by Sen. Greg. Evers (R-Baker) to give farmers liability protection when they allow people to come onto fields before harvest time. Current Florida law provides a liability exemption when farmers allow a person to enter their land for the purpose of removing farm produce or crops left on the field.
The liability exemption under the proposal does not apply if injury or death directly results from the gross negligence or intentional act of the farmer, of from the farmer’s failure to warn of a dangerous condition that would be obvious to a person entering the property.
Evers represents the North Escambia area.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Rain Cancels Northview Baseball; District Softball Tournament
April 13, 2015
This afternoon’s Rocky Bayou at Northview baseball game has been canceled due to weather.
The 1A district softball tournament games at Freeport today have been canceled due to weather. Holmes County and Baker will play at 2 p.m. Tuesday; Northview will face Freeport Tuesday at noon — weather permitting.
Updated 3:30 p.m. to reflect new game time for Holmes and Baker.
More Showers, Thunderstorms Likely
April 13, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 7pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Low around 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Tuesday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 67. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.
Saturday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Sunday
A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.
Sunday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Monday
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Three-Run Blast Lifts Wahoos Over Biloxi
April 13, 2015
Kyle Waldrop erased three games of Pensacola Blue Wahoos hitting misery with one giant stroke.
The first baseman lofted a high-arching, three-run home run that gave the Wahoos its first lead, 3-0, of the five game series against the Milwaukee Brewers’ new Double-A franchise, the Biloxi Shuckers. The runs in the bottom of the first inning matched what Pensacola had scored in its previous three games.
It was one of only two hits by Pensacola, which snapped its three game losing streak to Biloxi with a rain-shortened 4-0 victory, although the grounds crew worked to keep the field dry throughout the drizzly day.
Waldrop, the Cincinnati Reds No. 14 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, showed an impressive bat in Spring Training with the Reds. In 12 games, the left-hander hit .273 with one homer and five RBIs.
So far this season, he has continued to swing the bat well. He’s hitting .273 with the homer and three runs-batted in. Last year, he came up to Pensacola with a handful of High-A Bakersfield Blaze mid-season and hit .315 with eight homers and 35 RBIs.
Waldrop said in Sunday’s six-inning game, he was just trying to move the runners on first and second up a base.
“It started off pretty fair and then kept slicing down the line,” he said. “I’m glad it stayed fair. It was a good feeling. Hopefully, now our bats will wake up a little bit.”
Manager Pat Kelly said Waldrop’s homer was a key to the game, even taking pressure off of starter Wandy Peralta, who was making his Double-A debut.
“Kyle was one of the few guys who came up from Bakersfield and didn’t miss a beat,” Kelly said. “It was really clutch. It allowed Peralta to relax a little bit.”
In his debut, Peralta threw five scoreless innings, giving up three hits, two walks and striking out three. Last year, Peralta was 7-12 with a 4.82 ERA for High-A Bakersfield.
He knew coming in that Biloxi was leading the Southern League in hitting with a .326 average and 18 runs, including one home run in three games against Pensacola.
“I knew they were having a real good series against us,” Peralta said through translator and starting catcher Yovan Gonzalez. “I just trusted every single pitch I threw. I wanted to just kill it.”
The Biloxi Shuckers, who open the year on a 55-game road trip while they await construction of their stadium, sent a fourth straight top-rated prospect to face the Blue Wahoos lineup Sunday. This time it was right-hander Jorge Lopez, Milwaukee Brewers’ No. 15 prospect according to Baseball America.
But Waldrop jumped on him in the bottom of the first inning and Pensacola capitalized on six walks by Lopez to get its first victory of the season.
The final game of the five-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate Biloxi Shuckers is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Monday. RHP Marcus Walden takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the Shuckers RHP Jacob Barnes.
Winning $80 Million Powerball Ticket Sold In North Escambia
April 12, 2015
Check those lottery tickets….someone who purchased a Powerball ticket in North Escambia for Saturday night’s drawing is the country’s newest mega-millionaire.
The winning ticket in the $80 million Powerball drawing was sold in Davisville. The Quick Pick ticket was the only winner in the nationwide drawing, and was sold at the locally-owned State Line Gift Shop on Highway 97, next to the Piggly Wiggly.
Saturday night’s winning numbers were 01-12-32-42-58 with a Powerball of 12.
It had been a few weeks since someone won the jackpot, with five rollovers no grand prize winner since March 25.
The State Line Gift Shop will receive a bonus of $40,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Powerball tickets are $2 each. This was Florida’s ninth Powerball jackpot winner since the state joined the game in 2009.
Six People, Include Two Pedestrians, Injured In Nine Mile Wreck
April 12, 2015
Six people, including two pedestrians, were injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon on Nine Mile Road at Guidy Lane.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 17-year old Alexus Wickizer of Pensacola was eastbound on Nine Mile Road in the left turn lane in her 1997 Toyota Celica when she failed to yield right of way to a 2012 GMC SUV driven by 83-year old Robert Schmeck of Pensacola. The vehicles collided, with the SUV overturning off the roadway and into two pedestrians that were standing on the corner of Guidy Lane.
The pedestrians - 19-year old Julianne Trundy and 59-year old Cheryl Trundy, both of Pensacola — were seriously injured and transported to area hospital by Escambia County EMS as “trauma alerts”. The women were described by bystanders as preaching and holding signs on the corner prior to the accident. Both were transported to area hospitals by Escambia County EMS as “trauma alerts”.
Wickizer and her passenger, 12-year old Lane Wickizer, received minor injuries. Schmeck was seriously injured, while his passenger, 41-year old James Wade of Pensacola, was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.
Wickizer was charged with turning left in front of approaching traffic, and Schmeck was cited for no seat belt, according to the FHP.
The accident closed Nine Mile Road for about 45 minutes.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Blackman Receives Royal Rangers’ Honor Gold Medal Of Achievement
April 12, 2015
Nicholas Blackman of Cantonment was recently awarded the Royal Rangers’ Honor Gold Medal of Achievement, the group’s highest award.
The Gold Medal of Achievement is awarded upon the completion of the entire Royal Rangers advancement system, representing a full 13 years of work. Recipients of this award must earn the highest award in each age group and meet other criteria.
Commander Ray Carnley presented Nicholas with his Gold Medal of Achievement at Pace Assembly Ministries where Blackman has been a member since birth. Blackman is also a member of Frontiersman Camping Fellowship.
The Royal Rangers program is an activity-based, small group church ministry for boys and young men in grades K-12. The group strives to empowerthe next generation of Christlike men and lifelong servant leaders.
Pictured with Nicholas Blackman are Ray Thompson, district commander; Don Fowler, assistant senior commander; Ray Carnley, advising and recruiting commander; and Terry Bracey, senior commander. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Atwater Won’t Run For U.S. Senate
April 12, 2015
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater surprised the state’s political establishment Saturday, announcing he will not pursue a U.S. Senate seat expected to open up if Sen. Marco Rubio runs for president.
In a statement, Atwater said he had “received a tremendous amount of encouragement” to run for the office.
“While I have certainly taken these words of support under consideration, I will not be a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016,” the Republican said. “I remain committed to only one endeavor and that is to be the best CFO I can be for the people of Florida.”
With his fundraising ability and an operation that has helped him win two statewide races, Atwater would have been the favorite to win an open seat. He won re-election in November with more votes than any other statewide candidate. Before becoming CFO, he served in the Legislature, including a stint as state Senate president.
Rubio is scheduled to announce his plans Monday and is widely expected to say he will run for the Republican presidential nomination. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has already said he’s exploring a White House bid.
Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, former state House Speaker Will Weatherford and several members of Florida’s congressional delegation have also been mentioned as possible GOP candidates for Rubio’s seat. Attorney General Pam Bondi has ruled out a run.
While an open Senate seat is a rare opportunity, some candidates might prefer to wait until 2018. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., would be 74 on Election Day if he runs for re-election then, and voting turnout tends to favor the GOP in midterm elections.
Leading Democrats have coalesced behind two-term Congressman Patrick Murphy, who represents a swing seat in Southeast Florida, as their candidate for Rubio’s seat. But some progressives have complained about the rush to anoint Murphy, and Congressman Alan Grayson, a liberal firebrand from Central Florida, is considering a run.
The state will be closely watched in 2016, as Democrats try to wrest control of the Senate away from Republicans. Florida is far friendlier to Democratic candidates in presidential years, though having Bush or Rubio at the top of the ticket could shake up that calculus.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida