Driver Arrested Following Highway 97 Accident
November 13, 2015
One driver was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol after a Friday morning accident in Walnut Hill.
Marques Christopher Salter, 36, was taken into custody for driving with a suspended license, and he will be cited for improper passing.
According to witnesses, the driver of a Ford was southbound on Highway 97 and stopping to make a proper turn onto Highway 99A at Ernest Ward Middle School. Salter, also southbound on Highway 97, attempted to pass the driver of the Ford as she began to turn.
Neither driver was injured.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Man Surrenders Morning After Flomaton Manhunt
November 13, 2015
A Century man turned himself in this morning to authorities following a manhunt Thursday night in Flomaton.
Escambia County (AL) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said officers and K-9 units searched Thursday night for 34-year old Michael Maurice McCall of Century. He was last seen in the area of Church’s Chicken near the Highway 31 and Highway 29 intersection.
McCall surrendered himself to Alabama authorities Friday morning. He was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center on charges of distributing a controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and attempting to elude.
Pictured top: A manhunt was underway Thursday night in Flomaton. Pictured inset: A June 2015 photo of McCall. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Jail To Be Rebuilt At Current Location
November 13, 2015
The new Escambia County Jail will be built at or near the site of the current jail — not at any of three prospective sites that were under consideration.
Following the April 2014 flooding and explosion at the jail, the county developed a list of potential new jail locations, including locations in Cantonment and Molino. That list was cut to three sites, one of which was set to be chosen at a special meeting Thursday night.
Those sites were at Palafox Street and Airport Boulevard, an area near Brent Lane and Palafox and an area known as the Midtown Commerce site, a former Superfund site. The Airport Boulevard and Brent Lane sites were both near schools.
But after listening to speakers against the new locations, most calling for the jail to be rebuilt at its current location, the commission reversed course on the three sites. Numerous people spoke out against the three proposed sites, while several bail bondsmen said moving the jail would destroy their businesses.
After the public comments, Commissioner Luman May made a motion to rebuild the jail at its current location.
Commissioner Grover Robinson said the current jail site will not work for the larger complex envisioned for the new jail; instead it would required more vertical, multi-story construction. Plus, he said, flooding issues exist at the location. In the long run, he said it will cost Escambia County residents.
Robinson cast the lone dissenting vote against keeping the jail at its current location.
Pictured: The Central Booking and Detention Center was damaged beyond repair during a natural gas explosion following flooding on April 30. 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Bought A New Vehicle Recently? Police Say Check For This
November 13, 2015
Have you bought a new vehicle lately? Did you check the owner’s manual for a valet key?
Pensacola Police said if not, please do, and if it’s in there, you might want to consider removing it from the vehicle to inside your residence.
The reason: Vehicle burglars have learned a valet key often is placed in the owner’s manual on newer model cars. If they can get the key, they can steal the vehicle.
Detective Darlene Loftin said over the past few months, she has investigated several vehicle thefts where the valet key was removed from the owner’s manual and used to steal a vehicle.
“We’ll go to a scene and while looking around find the owner’s manual on the ground away from the vehicle,” Loftin said. “That’s because the burglar was looking for the key and didn’t find it…so they threw the book down.”
Or, if the vehicle is missing, they used the key to drive away.
Finally Some Fall Weather: Comfortable Days, Cold Nights
November 13, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 72. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. East wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.
Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Molino Park Elementary Students Participate In All County Chorus
November 13, 2015
The Escambia County School District All County Chorus performed earlier this week at the Saenger Theater in Pensacola. Participants from Molino Park Elementary School included were (pictured L-R) fifth graders Shelby Lashley, Aaron Adams and Alyssa Jackson. Also pictured is Katherine Powell, Molino Park music teacher. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Elementary Students Participate In All County Chorus
Florida Worker’s Comp Rates Reduced
November 13, 2015
Florida employers will see overall workers-compensation insurance rates drop 4.7 percent as of January. 1, according to an order issued Thursday by the state Office of Insurance Regulation.
The National Council on Compensation Insurance, while files proposed rates each year for insurers, initially called for a 1.9 percent decrease. The Office of Insurance Regulation rejected that proposal and said overall rates should go down 5.1 percent. But at the request of the organization known as NCCI, regulators looked again at some factors used in setting rates. That led to Thursday’s order for the 4.7 percent decrease in 2016.
Ransom Academic Teams Compete; One Headed To Nationals
November 13, 2015
Three Ransom Middle School academic teams competed recently in Tallahassee, with one team walking away qualified to move on to the national level.
Ransom Middle School academic teams participated in the Second Annual Fairview Egghead Tournament Tallahassee. There were 10 intense rounds, as they competed against 28 middle school teams from North Florida and South Georgia.
The matches in the tournament paired opposing teams and challenged them to work together to answer complex academic questions.
Clarissa Brown and Lucinda Bateman coached the teams for Ransom Middle and explained that the tournament questions are much more than quick “trivia” questions.
“They have a ‘pyramidal’ structure, where the questions begin with more difficult clues, slowly progressing to more familiar information. It rewards the more knowledgeable students for their ability to answer with less and more difficult, high level information,” Brown said.
Members of the teams were:
Ransom Team A – Captain Elizabeth McConnell, Braden Boutwell, Maggie Brown and Chris Espy
Ransom Team B - Captain Ravyn Brown, Jordan Hay, and Tristin Kayworth
Ransom Team C – Co-Captain Sarah Stringer, Co-Captain Tia Sweet, Natalie Holt, and Tristan Espy
Ransom’s Team A finished third overall and qualified for the 2016 Middle School National Championship Tournament, which will be held the weekend of May 6–8, 2016, in Atlanta.
“Please join us in congratulating Elizabeth, Braden, Maggie and Chris, along with the rest of the teams for their outstanding effort and enthusiasm,” Ransom Principal Brent Brummet said. “We are so proud of how well they represented Ransom Middle School and Escambia County.”
Pictured top: Ransom Academic Team members (front, L-R) Elizabeth McConnell, Tristin Kayworth, Tristan Espy, (middle row) Natalie Holt, Tia Sweet, Maggie Brown, Jordan Hay, (back) Chris Espy, Braden Boutwell, Sarah Stringer, Ravyn Brown and Coach Clarissa Brown. Pictured below: Ransom’s Team A in action. Submitted photos for NorthEscabia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Travels To Navarre In Region 1-6A Quarterfinal
November 13, 2015
The Tate Aggies are on the road tonight against the Navarre Raiders in the first round of the playoffs.
The Raiders are 10-0, while the Aggies are 7-2 headed into the Region 1-6A quarterfinals.
Navarre is coming off the first perfect season in school history, while Tate ended a four-game winning streak with a 47-28 loss to Pine Forest. Tate’s other loss of the year came against Niceville.
It’s been 35 years…since 1980 when Carl Madison’s Aggies won state…since Tate has won a district championship.
Pictured: The Tate Aggies ended their regular season with loss to Pine Forest.
Northview Chiefs Look For Playoff Win On The Road Against Vernon
November 13, 2015
For the third time in three years, the Northview Chiefs will face the Vernon Yellow Jackets in the playoffs tonight.
In 2013, the defending state 1A champion Northview Chiefs were 3-7 when they advanced in the first round of the playoffs with a 22-19 win on the road over a district champion Vernon team.
The story was different in 2014 when the Yellow Jackets beat the Chiefs 36-19 in the Region 1-1A football semifinal to end the Chiefs’ playoff hopes.
Tonight the District 1-1A runner-up Chiefs (2-7) are on the road looking to setting a score with Vernon. The Yellow Jackets (8-2) are District 2-1A champs under the leadership of head coach Willie Spears, former head coach of the Escambia Gators.
The winner of tonight’s Northview at Vernon game will face the winner of tonight’s Baker-Graceville game in the Region 1-1A finals next Friday night.
Pictured top: Northview beat Vernon during the 2013 playoffs. Pictured below: Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley and his Chiefs celebrate the 2013 win. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
