Slight Rain Chance Overnight
August 13, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east after midnight.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86.
Wahoos Sweep Doubleheader With Tennessee
August 13, 2016
Pensacola second baseman Alex Blandino slid head first into home and appeared to be out easily. But Blandino lifted his left arm over the tag by the catcher and slapped home plate to give the Blue Wahoos another walk-off win in the first game of a doubleheader.
With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Pensacola right fielder Sebastian Elizalde slapped a line drive into short right field. It scored center fielder Brandon Dixon with the tying run and Blandino with the winning run to give Pensacola a 4-3 victory over the Tennessee Smokies. Elizalde’s hit extended the Blue Wahoos franchise record to 10 walk-offs this season.
Elizalde said he didn’t know what pitch was thrown to him on his walk-off single. He went 4-9 in the doubleheader and his season batting average has rebounded to .263.
“I was ready to hit the ball,” Elizalde said. “Everything over the plate, I’m going to swing.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly was happy to see Elizalde getting the clutch hit after batting .172 last month—his lowest average for a month this season.
“He had a tough month of July,” Kelly said. “He’s been one of our better hitters all year. It’s nice to see him back on track.”
In the second game at Blue Wahoos Stadium, Pensacola jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when shortstop Zach Vincej rounded the bases on a deep fly ball in the right center gap that Tennessee right fielder Ian Happ chased down but then dropped while on the run. Happ compounded his drop with a throwing error that allowed Blandino, left fielder Phillip Ervin and Vincej to all score on the play.
Pensacola catcher Kyle Skipworth added a two-run homer to left field and the Blue Wahoos ended up sweeping Friday’s doubleheader with an 8-0 victory over Tennessee.
The Blue Wahoos are now 23-24 in the second half, while the Smokies are 19-27.
Meanwhile, in the first game Tennessee went back on top, 3-2, in the sixth inning when first baseman Victor Caratini hit a two-run rocket into the Hill Kelly Dodge berm in right field that also scored second baseman Happ.
The Smokies left two runners on base in the fifth through eighth innings and stranded pinch hitter Daniel Lockhart on second base after he hit a leadoff double in the ninth inning.
Pensacola picked up where the game ended Thursday with two on and two outs in the bottom of the second inning before rain drowned out the opener of the five-game series. Pitcher Tyler Mahle, who pitched two perfect innings, had just bounced a groundball down the first base line into right field for his second RBI of the season when Vincej came around to score and give Pensacola a 1-0 lead.
When the game resumed Friday the Blue Wahoos lead was short lived. Tennessee left fielder Kelly Dugan smashed a first pitch fastball from Pensacola reliever Barrett Astin just left of dead center to tie the game, 1-1, in the top of the third inning.
Pensacola’s Astin made up for allowing the homer with a single past the shortstop, who was playing on the grass, to drive in Ervin from third to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was Astin’s first career hit and RBI.
Blue Wahoos reliever Kyle McMyne pitched two scoreless innings to improve his record to 4-3 this season. McMyne has pitched 9.1 scoreless innings in his last seven relief appearances.
“That guy was our closer last year,” Kelly said. “He has had his struggles early on. But that 94 mph sinker is a really good pitch.”
In the second game, Pensacola starting pitcher Jackson Stephens continued to look like a Southern League All-Star. He worked his first complete game shutout, although it was seven innings because of the doubleheader. Stephens also set a new career-high with 10 strikeouts and is now third in the Southern League with 115 strikeouts on the season. He improved his record to 8-10 and lowering his ERA to 3.01.
Stephens has thrown seven innings in each of his past three starts allowing just two runs on 15 hits, two walks, while striking out 22. His last out Friday was a strikeout of Tennessee’s second baseman Lockhart.
“It was like icing on the cake when I got that out,” Stephens said. “I felt like he was the last batter I would face. I didn’t care if it was a strikeout, fly out or ground out. I just wanted to get him out.”
Suicide Inside Escambia Administrative Building
August 12, 2016
One person, reportedly an Escambia County employee, died Friday afternoon from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the Escambia County Administrative Complex 221 Palafox Place in downtown Pensacola.
The incident happened just before 2:30 p.m. A local woman told NorthEscambia.com that she was entering the main floor of the building when alarms sound and officers went running. She said the building was evacuated, and she was escorted out of the building.
The Pensacola Police Department said that foul play is not suspected in the man’s death. Police were dispatched after receiving a call that at least one gun shot was heard from an office on the second floor where the man’s body was found.
The building is secure, with all visitors required to pass through security and weapons check. But employees reportedly enter the building through a garage and do not pass through a daily search.
The Pensacola Police Department is heading up the investigation and is expected to release more information. Additional updates will be published as they become available.
No Injuries In Highway 97 Crash In Walnut Hill
August 12, 2016
There were no serious injuries in a two vehicle crash Friday morning at the intersection of Highway 97 and Arthur Brown Road, near Ernest Ward Middle School.
Both drivers refused ambulance transport to the hospital. A small dog in one vehicle was also uninjured.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details were not released.
Atmore Ambulance and the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Aerial Views: Work Continues On Hwy 29, I-10 Interchange Improvements
August 12, 2016
Work is continuing on the Highway 29, I-10 interchange.
Pictured above is the I-10 eastbound bridge over the ramp from Highway 29 north to the I-10 westbound where crews are driving concrete piles that will support the wider overpass. The widening at this location will create a through travel lane for the U.S. 29 south to I-10 eastbound on-ramp. Once the widening work is completed, traffic from U.S. 29 south will no longer have a left-side merge onto I-10 eastbound.
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Pictured above is an aerial view of I-10 eastbound, near exit 10B, where pile driving is underway. In addition, construction teams are excavating for a new stormwater retention pond (left of photo). A new pond will be constructed to comply with drainage requirements.
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Above is a wider view of I-10 east and westbound looking east. Palafox Street and the CSX railroad overpass are seen crossing over I-10 at the top of this picture. The construction team has shifted I-10 westbound traffic to the outside in advance of widening the interstate for the new ramp configuration. When the interchange improvements are completed, I-10 westbound traffic destined for U.S. 29 north and south will exit the former exit 10B. Exit 10A (I-10 westbound to U.S. 29 south) will be removed and the new ramp will be designated “Exit 10″.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Evers, Hill Oppose Shifting Money Away From Protecting Local Waters
August 12, 2016
Two Panhandle lawmakers and a county commissioner objected Thursday to a $2.4 billion proposal by incoming Senate President Joe Negron to buy 60,000 acres of farmland south of Lake Okeechobee to help reduce toxic algae blooms in Southeast Florida waterways.
In a joint release, state Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, state Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola Beach, and Santa Rosa County Commissioner Bob Cole announced plans to build a coalition against what they see as a potential shift of money away from protecting waters in North Florida.
“Water issues are critical to Florida’s future,” Evers said in a prepared statement. “We need plans that address our entire state’s water issue and not just one area. Sen. Negron’s proposal is shortsighted; it will cost billions of dollars, take decades, and still not fix South Florida’s problem. It will, however, put the rest of the state’s conservation dollars at risk.”
Evers, who will not be in the Senate next year, is running for Congress. Hill is seeking to replace him in the Senate.
In the announcement, they called on “all elected officials and business leaders in North Florida to stand up for North Florida’s water and North Florida taxpayers.”
The proposal, announced Tuesday by Negron, R-Stuart, would buy sugar-industry land as part of an effort to store and clean water and reduce releases from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.
The plan would require a 50-50 funding match between the state and federal government to buy the land, with the state’s portion involving the bonding of $100 million annually from documentary-stamp tax revenue in the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2014 to set aside money in the trust fund for 20 years to finance the purchase and preservation of state lands.
The proposal is intended to reduce the toxic algae blooms that have appeared in waterways in Negron’s East Coast district as a result of the releases from the lake.
In making his announcement, Negron acknowledged that the money would have to come from other parts of the state budget.
Florida Crystals Corp., which is the largest land owner in the parcels targeted by Negron, along with the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, said in a release they are reviewing the proposal.
A concern for the growers is that more than 100,000 acres have already been removed from farming during the past two decades.
“Taking another 60,000 acres of productive and sustainable farmland out of the EAA (Everglades Agricultural Area) will without a doubt close down our sugar mill and put us out of business,” Barbara Miedema, vice president of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, said in a release. “Sen. Negron’s plan means losing a thousand or more jobs in the Glades communities, not to mention the impact to businesses in the community that provide services to us.”
by The News Service of Florida
ECSO Seeks Car Burglary Suspect
August 12, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a man caught on camera during a vehicle burglary in the Nine Mile Road area. Investigators say the man stole ammunition, guns and other items Wednesday morning in the 1400 block of Sturbridge Place off Ashland Avenue. Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
August 12, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending August 4 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Allgood was on water patrol near the Big Lagoon State Park conducting fisheries and boating safety inspections when he observed a vessel with no registration numbers displayed on the starboard side of the vessel. While conducting a boating safety inspection, there were several signs that indicated the operator was impaired. Officer Allgood asked the operator if he would consent to performing the standard field alcohol tasks and the operator agreed to do so. After administering these tasks, Officer Allgood developed probable cause to believe that the operator was in fact operating a vessel under the influence, and the subject was arrested for BUI.
Officers Clark and Manning were dispatched to a civil disturbance in the Little Sabine area. FWC Dispatch advised that a female complainant and her children were being threatened while paddle boarding by a male subject. The male subject was making threatening physical and verbal gestures and during the confrontation, then went to a nearby residence and boarded a vessel. The male subject started to return to where the female and children were, but then decided to exit Little Sabine Bay. The female gave a description of the subject and his vessel. Officers Clark and Manning located the vessel matching the description and made contact with the operator, who was intoxicated and showing multiple signs of impairment. The operator refused to perform the field alcohol tasks. Officer Clark arrested the operator for BUI. The subject later refused to submit to a breath test and was transported to the Escambia County Jail. Additional charges are pending upon completion of the investigation.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers Hutchinson and Clark were on land patrol conducting fisheries and license checks in the Yellow River WMA. They made contact with a male subject at the end of Log Lake Road who was standing by the river. There was also a running vehicle with a female asleep in the passenger side. He immediately stated he had not been driving. The officers identified the subjects through FWC Dispatch and both subjects had active warrants out of Santa Rosa County. Both subjects were placed into custody and transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail.
Officers Hutchinson and Clark were on vessel patrol conducting boating safety and fishery checks on Blackwater River. The officers observed a male and female fishing from the bank just south of the Shell Pile Boat Ramp. When the officers made contact, there was a bag of white powder and glass pipe in plain view next to the male. During this time, another male had walked over to the area. When the officers identified both males and female, FWC Dispatch advised the female had an active warrant out of Pasco County and the male subject that was not fishing had an active warrant locally. All three subjects were placed into custody. The male that was fishing was charged with possession of methamphetamine and paraphernalia. The female and male were charged with active warrants.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Flash Flood Watch Today
August 12, 2016
A Flash Flood Watch continues in effect through Friday evening. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 86. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90.
West Florida Public Libraries Announce Summer Reading Club Winners
August 12, 2016
The West Florida Library has drawn the winners for their Summer Reading Club prizes.
Winners are:
Bonus Log Level 1
0-5 years old – Pedal car firetruck – Nicholas Weidner
6-11 years old – Kindle fire – Andres Townsend
12-17 years old – Kindle Fire – Jeremiah Sorrels
Bonus Log Level 2
0-5 years old – Pedal car firetruck – Galen Schwartz
6-11 years old – 20″ Fat tire bike – Cali Zorda
12-17 years old – 26″ Fat tire bike – Maggie Brown
Bonus Log Level 3
0-5 years old – Pedal car firetruck – Evan Hadden
6-11 years old – Recumbent Bike – Amelia Hastings
6-11 years old – Fire truck ride to school (6 winners) – Garrett Wiggin, Elle Houk, Brogan Dougherty, Victoria Coleman, Gavin Bramblett, David Skutt
12-17 years old – Recumbent Bike – Nathan Griffin
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.