Tate To State After Regional Final Win
May 2, 2015
For the second year in a row, the Tate Lady Aggies are headed to the State Final Four.
The Lady Aggies beat Atlantic Coast High School in Jacksonville 2-1 Friday night to claim the Region 1-7A championship.
Tate was led by pitcher Tori Perkins on the mound. In seven innings, she allowed five hits while striking out five. Hitting for Tate were Lauren Brennan 1-2, 2 RBI; Casey McCrackin 1-3, 2 R; Elizabeth Werdann 1-3; Hayden Lindsay 1-3; Savannah Rowell 1-2.
The Aggies will travel to Vero Beach to take on the Bartow Yellow Jackets Wednesday at Historic Dogertown in the Class 7A state semifinals.
Pictured: The Tate Lady Aggies celebrate their regional championship win Friday night in Jacksonville. Photo by Mike Brennan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sawmill Day And Car Show Today In Century
May 2, 2015
The annual Sawmill Day and Car Show will be held today in Century.
The day features entertainment, music, dancers, free museum tours, Old 100 locomotive from 1913, crafts and displays, food and much more.
The event is taking place in the Historical Park at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Fourth Street in Century. Admission is free.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Jackson Generals Beat Wahoos
May 2, 2015
The Jackson Generals wasted little time in jumping on Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Robert Stephenson at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Jackson defeated Pensacola, 8-3, by scoring six runs in the first inning off of Stephenson, who has been rated as the Cincinnati Reds top prospect the past two seasons.
Stephenson loaded the bases in the first inning by walking the first two batters and then allowing a single. Jackson’s D.J. Peterson then doubled in two runs on a sharp line drive to left field for a, 2-0, General lead.
With men on second and third with none out, Pensacola pitching coach Jeff Fassero visited the mound to calm his young flamethrower.
Stephenson got the first out of the inning on a long fly ball by Gabby Guerrero, but it scored Darrio Pizzano to put Jackson up, 3-0. Stephenson then walked Jordy Lara before giving up his third home run in three games, this one to Daniel Paolini, who smashed a three-run homer to left center field to put Jackson ahead, 6-0.
Stephenson then struck out the next batter before walking the No. 9 hitter and being replaced by reliever Tim Adleman. In all, Jackson sent 10 batters to the plate in the first.
In 0.2 innings, one of Stephenson’s shortest outings in his minor league career, he gave up six earned runs on three hits, four walks and one strikeout. He saw his ERA jump from 5.40 to 8.31.
Marquez Smith is 4-7 against Jackson in two games including his first RBI of the season Friday, when he knocked in Ryan Wright on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Last year, he led the Reds organization with 131 RBIs between High-A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola.
Waldrop, the Reds No. 14 prospect, singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to six games and is now 8-24 (.333).
Jay Wins Regional Title; Headed To State
May 2, 2015
The Jay Lady Royals won the Region 2-1A championship Friday night with a 2-1 win over the Chipley Tigers. It will be the third trip to state in the last four years for the Lady Royals
Destiny Herring pitched seven innings for Jay, allowing just two hits and striking out six. At the plate, Herring as 1-3 with a run, while Samantha Steadham wen 1-3 with a double. It was Coach Brian Watson’s 200th win.
The Jay Lady Royals will travel to Vero Beach for a Wednesday morning game against Sneads at Historic Dodgertown in the state semifinals.
Pictured: The Jay Lady Royals after their regional win Friday night. Photo By Diann Tagert for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tracey Angela Gray
May 2, 2015
Tracey Angela Gray, age 40, of Atmore, passed away on April 28, 2015. She was a loving daughter, mother, sister, aunt and friend to many.
She was preceded in death by her father, Andrew Thomas Gray; grandparents, Elmer and Ester Gray; and grandfather, Melvin Ivey.
Tracey is survived by her son, Noah Gray of Mobile; mother and step-father, Shelia (Joe) Fuller; brothers, Terry (Kellie) Gray of Evergreen and Lance Fuller of Beaumont, TX and Josh Gray of Evergreen; grandmother, Ernestine Ivey of Huntsville, AL; aunt, Debra (Ben) Floyd; and uncle, Ross (Tammy) Ivey; six nieces and three nephews.
A private family graveside service was held on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at Weaver Cemetery in Brewton, Alabama with Pastor Chris Pruitt officiating services.
Pallbearers were Ben Floyd, Danny Booth, Colton Kelly, and her brothers, Terry Gray, Josh Gray and Lance Fuller.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Two West Florida Seniors Sign
May 2, 2015
Two West Florida High School seniors signed letters of intent Friday. Keandre Prim signed to play football with Faulkner University, while Teandre Jones signed a basketball scholarship with Shelton State. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
70’s Today, 40’s Tonight
May 1, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 77. North wind around 10 mph.
Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 48. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 57. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Bond Revoked For Century Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill Deputies
May 1, 2015
An Escambia County judge has revoked the bond of a Century man allegedly threatened to kill multiple Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies along with every officer he saw.
Aaron Tyrone Madison, Jr., 31, was taken into custody this week after Judge Joyce Williams ordered him held without bond until his trial for the August 2014 incident. He is charged with possession of a concealed weapon by a convicted felon, criminal mischief with property damage, fleeing and eluding and resisting arrest without violence. A charge of assaulting an officer was dropped.
On August 27, 2014, an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy observed a four wheeler traveling north on Highway 29 carrying a passenger. The driver cut across Highway 29 onto Highway 4A. The deputy caught up with the four wheeler after it stalled in the 4000 block of Highway 4A.
The driver of the four wheeler, identified as Madison, immediately took “an aggressive posture by balling his fists and taking a fighting stance, then started cursing, and threatened to shoot me and every cop he sees,” an arrest report states.
Madison told the deputy that he was upset because “the police were shooting [expletive] in the street,” according to the arrest report. The deputy reported that Madison continued to be aggressive, verbally abusive and continued to threaten to kill him while holding an aggressive stance with his fists balled up. Madison was detained after he pleaded with the deputy to shoot him.
A loaded .22 caliber semi-automatic Ruger pistol was found concealed under the driver’s seat of the four wheeler, with one bullet in the chamber and the weapon ready to fire, according to the report. Madison claimed ownership of the gun, saying “he wanted to shoot some police”.
The passenger on the four wheeler was released and not charged.
While being transported to the jail, Madison slipped his handcuffs to the front and attempted to break the plexiglass partition in the deputy’s vehicle as he yelled for the deputy to stop the vehicle or he would climb up front and kill him. The deputy stopped his vehicle near the Camp O’ The Pines in McDavid where additional deputies arrived and assisted in placing Madison in leg restraints and reposition his handcuffs. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at less than $200.
Madison made several more death threats to each deputy and stated several times that he wanted deputies to shoot him, the arrest report states.
Several corrections officers were needed to removed Madison from the deputy’s vehicle.
The deputy’s in-car video and audio were active during the incident.
Adoption ‘Conscience Protection’ Bill Appears To Be Dead
May 1, 2015
A controversial bill that would allow private adoption agencies to refuse to place children with same-sex couples appears ready to die Friday with the end of the regular legislative session. House members passed the so-called “conscience protection” bill (HB 7111), but it did not reach the Senate floor.
The 60-day session will end Friday, though it has already effectively shut down after the House adjourned Tuesday. The bill was primarily designed for adoption agencies with religious affiliations whose beliefs prevent them from placing children with gay and lesbian prospective parents.
But opponents said it could lead to discrimination against gay and lesbian people, as well as other groups.
The House moved forward with the bill after an outcry from social conservatives about another adoption bill. The other bill (HB 7013), approved by the House and Senate, focuses on providing incentives for state workers to adopt foster children. But it also includes a provision repealing a decades-old legal ban on gay adoption in Florida. The ban essentially ended in 2010, when an appeals court ruled against it, but it has remained in law.
by The News Service of Florida
Errors Lead Citizens Insurance To Offer Credit Monitoring
May 1, 2015
Nearly 20,000 policyholders of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will be offered a year of free credit monitoring because some of their information was sent to a wrong address.
The Citizens Board of Governors, in a teleconference Thursday, approved up to $640,000 in emergency funding to cover the cost of providing credit oversight from the information-services company Experian.
The final cost will depend on how many policyholders take advantage of the offer.
The data release does not meet the definition of a security breach under Florida law. However, Citizens Chief Legal Officer Dan Sumner told the board the offer is “prudent.”
From December through March, some policyholder “declaration” pages were mailed to incorrect addresses. Most went to an incorrect mortgage company, while others were mailed to a pair of policyholders.
Citizens spokesman Michael Peltier said the two policyholders “returned the declaration packages unopened,” but the documents received by a mortgage company have yet to be retrieved and some may have already been destroyed.
Declaration pages contain policyholders’ names, addresses, telephone numbers, policy numbers, premium amounts, coverage limits and property mortgage loan numbers.
The pages do not include Social Security numbers, credit-card or payment information or passwords and usernames for online accounts.
Kelly Booten, Citizens chief systems and operations officer, said as a security precaution the company has reduced the number of people who can access the data-entry changes that were tied to the errors.
Impacted policyholders have until July 31 to sign up for the service, according to information Citizens President and Chief Executive Officer Barry Gilway provided to the board.
However, Peltier said the deadline will vary depending upon when customers receive the notification letter, which will be sent in several bulk mailings.
The state-backed insurer will only have to pay the credit-monitoring service for each policyholder who takes advantage of the offer.
The emergency funding request comes to $32.02 per affected policyholder, according to Citizens records.
The agenda item for the emergency funding noted that historically the redemption rate for such offers is 12 percent, which would put a final price tag around $77,000.
During the teleconference, the board also approved a $3.9 billion risk-transfer package for the 2015 hurricane season. The package is expected to bolster Citizens’ surplus and eliminate the risk of potential assessments on Florida policyholders if a “1-in-100 year storm” hits Florida.
The package includes $1.855 billion for traditional reinsurance — insurance for insurers — and $2.05 billion in capital-market catastrophe bonds.
The total is a $636.5 million increase from the coverage Citizens secured for the 2014 hurricane season.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida