Volleyball: Northview Takes On Pensacola Christian (With Gallery)

August 26, 2016

Pensacola Christian Academy defeated Northview High School 3-2 in high school volleyball action Thursday evening in Bratt.

The varsity Chiefs won the first set 25-15, lost the second and third sets 19-25 and 23-25, and bounced back 25-14 in the fourth set. The Chiefs lost the final set 9-15.

In junior varsity action. Northview beat Pensacola Christian in two straight, 26-24, 25-16.

Up next, the Northview Chiefs will host Pensacola High School on Monday before traveling to Central on Tuesday.

For more photos from the JV game, click here.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Northview High Seeks School Advisory Council Members

August 26, 2016

Northview High School is seeking volunteers for their 2016-2017 School Advisory Council. The council meets four times each year after school. Any interested parents and community members are asked to call (850) 327-6681 ext. 221 and let the school know of your interest to serve.

FWC Bowhunting Course Offered In Escambia County

August 26, 2016

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free bowhunting course in Escambia County.

All classroom materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil, paper and all bowhunting equipment they have. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies bowhunter safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.

The Escambia County class will be held August 27 from 8 a.m. until noon at 7201 Sparshott Drive in Pensacola.

Those interested in attending this course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at 850-265-3676.

Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Mostly Sunny Through The Weekend, Only Slight Rain Chances

August 26, 2016

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 94. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. East wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.

Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.

Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.

BayBears Top Wahoos 5-3

August 26, 2016

Pensacola Blue Wahoos reliever Abel De Los Santos is human after all.

The Mobile BayBears scored three runs on three hits in the eighth inning off of De Los Santos, who had not allowed an earned run since joining the Blue Wahoos on July 13. The inning allowed the BayBears to pull out a 5-3 victory Thursday over Pensacola in front of 4,278 fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The Mobile win also tied the series, 2-2, with the final game of the five-game series scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The come-from-behind win also pulled Mobile within three games of South Division-leading Mississippi, which fell to 33-25 on the season. The BayBears are 30-28, while Pensacola dropped to third at 30-29.

De Los Santos, who was making his third appearance this series, hadn’t given up an earned run in 17 innings over 13 appearances but Mobile shortstop Dawel Lugo tripled in third baseman Travis Denker and left fielder Rudy Flores and Lugo scored when center fielder Gabriel Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly to left field. It gave Mobile a two-run lead that they clung to.

“Lugo kept fighting off the breaking balls until he got a pitch he liked and drove it to left field,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. “It came down to executing some pitches.”

Pensacola had led before the Mobile rally. Blue Wahoos right fielder Sebastian Elizalde extended his hit streak to 11 games when he drilled a three-run homer into the Hill Kelly Dodge Hill area in the fourth inning to give Pensacola a 3-1 lead.

Elizalde’s fifth homer of the season and 46 RBIs came after Blue Wahoos center fielder Jeff Gelalich hit a leadoff single down the first base line to break up Mobile starter Edgar Garcia’s perfect game to that point. Pensacola left fielder Phillip Ervin followed Gelalich in the order with a walk — giving him 58 on the season which ties him for fourth in the Southern League.

Elizalde is now hitting 21-48 or .438 during his hit streak, going 1-4 Thursday. His career-high hitting streak is 14 games at High-A Daytona Tortugas last season between April 22 and May 6. He had 20 hits and batted .345 then.

“We weren’t really doing much with Garcia,” Kelly said. “He was pitching well with three days rest. Elizalde smoked that ball to right field. You don’t see a lot of home runs to right field here.”

Also leading Pensacola at the plate was second baseman Brandon Dixon. Hehas hit in 12 of his last 13 games, going 21-49 or .429 with nine RBIs, six doubles, six runs scored and six multi-hit games. He was 3-4 with his 25th multi-hit game on the year.

Meanwhile, Blue Wahoos starter Sal Romano turned in his second strong performance throwing 91 pitches in six innings, scattering seven hits and a walk, giving up two earned runs and striking out seven. The flame-throwing Romano increased his strikeouts to 134 this season, which is second in the Southern League.

The righty, who is the Cincinnati Reds No. 17 prospect, entered the game coming off of his longest outing of the season, going eight scoreless innings, giving up four hits and striking out eight. In his last three games, he has thrown 20.1 innings, giving up four runs and striking out 18 for a 1.77 ERA.

“He fought his way through and turned it over to the bullpen,” Kelly said. “The biggest difference in the second half is he has been able to control his emotions. He realizes he has good enough stuff to get out of a lot of jams.”

Garcia was a last minute fill in for scheduled starting pitcher Vincente Campos, who was called up to the Arizona Diamondbacks. A spot starter for Mobile, Garcia has pitched five innings in each of his last three starts, giving up 21 hits, seven runs, five walks and 17 Ks for a 4.20 ERA.

However, he left the game after the fourth inning when Pensacola took the lead, allowing three hits, one walk and striking out four.

Florida Sending Crews To Fight Wildfires In Washington

August 26, 2016

Twenty Florida firefighters are heading to Washington as part of continued efforts to help the western state battle ongoing blazes.

The announcement Thursday from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services, which includes the Florida Forest Service, came as 40 other firefighters returned from western assignments.

“Thanks to sustained low fire activity in Florida, we are able to share our skilled firefighters with our western partners while continuing to provide for the safety of Florida’s residents and visitors,” Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said in a news release.

The state has said that by assisting other regions, Florida wildland firefighters build their expertise.

Florida, on average, experiences about 4,000 wildfires a year.

In addition to the latest deployment, there are 74 other Florida Forest Service employees helping with firefighting efforts in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

by The News Service of Florida

FWC Offering Hunter Safety Courses In Molino, Milton And Jay

August 25, 2016

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering free hunter safety courses Saturday in Molino, Milton and Jay.

Students who have taken the online course and wish to complete the classroom portion must bring the online-completion report with them. Traditional course students must complete the entire course in person.

All firearms, ammunition and materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil and paper. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.

Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.

The locations and times are:

Escambia County

Aug. 27 (7 to 10 a.m.)
Molino Community Center
6450 Highway 95A N. in Molino

Santa Rosa County

Aug. 27 (7 to 10 a.m.)
Avalon Middle School
5445 King Arthurs Way in Milton

Those interested in attending a course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at 850-265-3676.

Aug. 27 (7 to 10 a.m.)
Jay Community Center
5259 Booker Lane in Jay

Two Teens Sentenced For Burglaries That Led To Shots Fired, Fiery Molino Wreck

August 25, 2016

Two of three juveniles have been sentenced on multiple charges for their part in burglaries and a shots fired incident that led to a fiery two vehicle crash in Molino in late 2015.

Tracy Deshawn Lett, Jr. of Pensacola, Mariachi  Jerrell Chambers of Cantonment, both age 17, were sentenced as youthful offenders by Circuit Judge Scott Duncan to 42 months in state prison to be followed by 18 months of probation. Lett and Chambers previously entered a plea in July 2016 to three counts of burglary of a conveyance, grand theft, and criminal mischief.

Co-defendant Vashawn Brown of Molino was charged with attempted third degree felony murder, three counts of armed burglary of a conveyance, criminal mischief, grand theft auto and petit theft. He is scheduled for his next court appearance next week.

(Article continues below photo)

About 4:50 a.m. on November 28, 2015, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the area of Highway 29 and Barth Road for a burglary of a vehicle in progress. In the meantime, the burglary victim told dispatchers that he was following the suspects south on Highway 29, and then he advised the suspects were shooting at him and his vehicle.

When the suspects reached Barth Road in Molino, they veered into oncoming traffic and struck a pickup truck, according to multiple witnesses. The driver of the pickup, Randall Enfinger, and his 15-year old granddaughter, Abbigail Barninger, were critically injured.

A deputy that arrived on scene a short time later reported finding the suspects’ crumpled vehicle with the engine compartment on fire. He observed the driver, later identified as Chambers, being removed from the driver’s seat by a passerby and Lett trapped with his legs pinned under the dash of the burning vehicle. The deputy and passersby were unable to free him, and the deputy tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire using a fire extinguisher.  The deputy and bystanders then used dirt to smother the engine compartment fire and before pulling Lett from the vehicle.

The deputy then reportedly noticed that across the intersection one of the burglary victims was attempting to detain Brown. The deputy handcuffed and detained Brown.

The burglary victim told deputies that he was at his residence in the 500 block of Highway 164 when he heard his dogs barking and walking outside on his porch to see two males breaking into his 2006 Pontiac sedan. He said they ran away after he yelled at them. The burglary victim said his brother heard the suspects get into a vehicle and his brother followed the dark colored vehicle down Highway 29.

The burglary victim’s brother said he got into his pickup truck and followed the suspects down Highway 29. He said he tried to get around in front of them, according to court documents, but they came around his vehicle and shot at him five or six times. His pickup was hit at least three times. After observing the wreck, the victim’s brother said he chased one of the suspects, later identified as Brown, into the tree line and brought him back to the corner of the intersection.

An Escambia County EMS employee told deputies that Brown said he was walking home when he was chased and hit by a truck, dragged into the woods and hit several times. He told the EMS employee that he had found a gun on the side of the road and kept it for personal protection.

An investigation determined that the wrecked vehicle had been stolen earlier from a residence in the 9000 block of Barth Road where it was unlocked with a spare key in the trunk.

A debit or credit card belonging to the vehicle’s owner was recovered from Brown’s pocket, as was an empty magazine for a semi-automatic handgun that was recovered from the area were Brown was stopped, according to an arrest report.

The entire incident was investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the scene but not process the traffic accident or make a report, according to court documents.

Brown and Lett were among five defendants charged in 2014 for their role in an August 2013 burglary at Molino Park Elementary School. Most the stolen items  — including computers and iPads– were burned by the suspects. They were placed on juvenile probation under the supervision of the Department of Juvenile Justice through age 19. Each was ordered to undergo counseling, and follow a curfew of 7 p.m. Sunday though Thursday nights and 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. It was not clear if that probation was still in effect at the time of the November 2015 burglary and traffic crash.

Pictured top and inset: Three people were injured when this vehicle crashed and burst into flames on Highway 29 at Barth Road November 8. Pictured below: The vehicle collided with this pickup, in which two people were trapped. Pictured bottom two photos: Bullet holes in a pickup that was reportedly following the car down Highway 29 after an attempted burglar in McDavid. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.

Afternoon Showers, Otherwise Sunny

August 25, 2016

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. East wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 93. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 94. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. East wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.

Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.

Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.

Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88.

Man Gets 40 Years For 2014 Beulah Murder

August 25, 2016

An Escambia County man has been sentenced to four decades in prison for a 2014 murder in Beulah.

Terrance Soles was by Circuit Judge John Miller to 40 years in state prison with 25 years as a minimum mandatory sentence to be served day for day. On June 3, Soles was convicted by an Escambia County jury of second degree murder for the killing of Skky Shine.

On November 10, 2014, Soles was driving a white Toyota Avalon with the victim Skky Shine in the front passenger seat. Soles made a 911 phone call at approximately 1:30 a.m., and in that phone call Soles can be heard telling the victim, Shine to put his hands on the dash and not to move. Before the call ends, victim Shine can be heard saying “don’t shoot me.” Within minutes, Soles calls 911 back requesting law enforcement to his mother’s home and eventually says on that 911 call “we were going through it here in the car and I shot him.”

Sheriff’s  deputies responded to Soles’ mother’s home where Soles drove up flashing his lights and was found to have a 9mm pistol in his lap. The victim, Shine was in the passenger seat with a single gunshot wound to the head.

In the Toyota Avalon, crime scene technicians found one spent 9mm casing and one projectile. FDLE confirmed that the casing was fired from the weapon that the defendant had in his lap. FDLE was also able to identify Shine’se DNA on the 9mm pistol and casing. It was later determined that  Soles purchased the 9mm pistol in 2012 from a dealer in Louisiana. During the autopsy, the Medical Examiner determined that the gun was fired from a close range of two inches or less by the presence and location of gunpowder particles on the victim.

« Previous PageNext Page »