Wahoos Beat The Biscuits
July 3, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Austin Ross continued to dominate the Southern League from the mound. The Montgomery Biscuits didn’t get its first hit off him until the fourth inning.
And the Blue Wahoos offense contributed just enough runs to keep his record a perfect 7-0 in a, 3-2, victory over the Biscuits Sunday in front of 4,333 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Cincinnati Reds No. 1 prospect Nick Senzel drew a bases loaded walk on a full count from Montgomery reliever Mike Broadway to score catcher Joe Hudson with the winning run in the seventh inning.
“That was an awesome at bat,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. “He had no fear. He recognized the slider was out of the zone and took it for a walk.”
Pensacola has now beat the Montgomery Biscuits in 13 of the last 16 games at Blue Wahoos Stadium dating back to the 2014 season. It also clinched the six-game series, which it leads 4-1.
The Blue Wahoos evened their record at 5-5 in the second half of the Southern League season and the first half South Division champions are 45-35 overall.
Ross admitted he didn’t have his best stuff Sunday but heading into the sixth inning the 28-year-old hurler, who has spent seven years in the minors, had not allowed a run and given up just one hit. In the top of the sixth Montgomery third baseman Michael Russell leadoff the inning with a home run just inside the left field foul pole. Biscuits second baseman Riley Unroe scored when left fielder Joe McCarthy hit the third straight single off Ross in the inning to tie the game, 2-2.
Ross was making his second start for the Blue Wahoos since returning from the Triple-A Louisville Bats where he made five appearances, four of them starts. He was 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA.
“It was good but not every time you go out there are you going to feel great,” Ross said. “The rule is one third of the time you will feel awful, one-third of the time great and one-third in between. It’s what you make out of the bad ones that count.”
His final line was seven innings pitched, five hits allowed, two earned runs, three walks and 102 pitches in the suffocating 90-degree heat in Pensacola. His ERA on the year is 1.36, which is best in the Southern League.
This is his first year with the Cincinnati Reds organization after spending the previous six with the Milwaukee Brewers, Ross has reached the Triple-A level, one step below the big leagues, the past three seasons.
“The last two years, I’ve had really good years but things didn’t go my way,” said Ross, who reserved 19 tickets Sunday for his landlord and her family and his hunting buddy’s family. “All I can do is strive to get better and prepare for when I do get there.”
Kelly said he likes having Ross back on his rotation. He pointed out that Louisville has six starters on its staff.
“It helps our club,” Kelly said. “He made some good pitches when he had to. If you can compete in the Southern League, you can play at the big-league level.”
Pensacola clinched the win in the ninth inning after Zack Weiss made it “interesting,” Kelly said.
Weiss is returning from an injury to his throwing elbow that kept him from pitching last year. A top Reds pitching prospect after saving 25 games in Pensacola in 2015, he looked healthy Sunday.
Weiss earned his first save for Pensacola this season after loading the bases with two outs on a single and two walks. He struck out two, including the last batter who he caught looking at a wicked 76-mph breaking ball after throwing five straight fastballs. Weiss had also thrown one inning Saturday.
“We wanted to see him go back-to-back in a pressure-filled situation,” Kelly said. “You have to just keep plugging away and get three outs before they score.”
One Seriously Injured In Highway 95A Crash
July 2, 2017
.One person was seriously injured in a single vehicle accident early Sunday morning in the Quintette community.
The accident happened about 1:35 a.m. on Highway 95A near Quintette Road. The driver of a car lost control, left the roadway and struck a utility pole. The driver was transported to an area hospital as a “trauma alert”.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
ECUA Tuesday Trash Pickup Set For Monday
July 2, 2017
If you have ECUA residential sanitation service in the North Escambia area with a Tuesday pickup, you need to plan to place your trash and recycling cans out Sunday night due to the July 4 holiday.
ECUA Escambia County residential sanitation customers will experience a schedule change to their collection during the Independence Day holiday. The collection scheduled for Tuesday, July 4, 2017, will be made on Monday, July 3, 2017. There are no changes to scheduled ECUA collections in Santa Rosa County.
Commercial (dumpster service) collections during the Independence Day holiday, which are scheduled on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, will be made on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
‘Historic’ Travel Predicted For Independence Day Weekend
July 2, 2017
More Americans, including over 2.3 million Floridians, will travel this Independence Day weekend than ever before, according to AAA. At least 100,000 more Floridians are expected to travel this holiday weekend, an increase from last year of nearly 5 percent, the auto club predicted.
Gas prices are also down from one year ago, making the cost of traveling more budget-friendly.
Vicky Evans, assistant vice president of travel sales development for AAA – The Auto Club Group, predicted “historic” travel numbers throughout the country, and in Florida, over the next few days.
“Travel bookings at The Auto Club Group are up more than 15 percent in Florida, compared to this time last year. The biggest factors driving growth are low gas prices, strong employment, rising incomes, and higher consumer confidence; but overall Americans just love to travel, and want to do something fun for this mid-summer tradition,” Evans said in a press release.
The Florida Highway Patrol also plans to be out in extra numbers this weekend, making sure drivers reach their destinations safely. FHP Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan advised drivers to leave early, pack their patience and focus on the road, especially on congested byways.
“We will have distractions in our life that are internal. But with the things that we do have control over, try to limit those and reduce those as much as possible. Eating, drinking, cell phones, and texting while driving — all of these are huge distractions that obviously cause traffic crashes to occur,” Bryan said.
According to FHP statistics, eight people were killed in 897 crashes on Florida roads on July 4, 2016.
by The News Service of Florida
Another Day, Another Chance Of Rain
July 2, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, otherwise partly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Independence Day: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. West wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Summer Bummer?
July 2, 2017
Aside from the occasional hurricane, there are few elements of drama in most Tallahassee summers. The Legislature is out of town. Many of the statewide elected officers spend a lot of time elsewhere. The population drops precipitously as university students take their break.
Summer seemed to officially begin this week, as Gov. Rick Scott drained the last drops of suspense from the legislative session and its aftermath. He signed almost 30 bills and vetoed a few. And he named Jimmy Patronis, a former public service commissioner and onetime state representative, as the state’s new chief financial officer, filling the spot being vacated by Jeff Atwater.
One bit of controversy that emerged during the spring has yet to be hammered out, as the Florida Supreme Court weighs whether Scott overstepped his bounds by taking death-penalty cases away from a state attorney who said she would not pursue capital punishment. But even there, the questions from justices seemed to leave little doubt about which way the final ruling would go.
Summer has come.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Atwater’s decision to leave office more than a year early so he could take a position at Florida Atlantic University gave Scott a rare opportunity to fill a seat on the Florida Cabinet, whose approval Scott needs for some of the actions he’d like to take.
And the appointment of Patronis — a loyal ally with a mix of political and business experience — was in many ways vintage Scott. The governor had already named Patronis to the Constitution Revision Commission and, before that, to the utility-regulating Public Service Commission — a job Patronis had to give up to take the CFO post.
Patronis, who served in the House for eight years, was one of the first lawmakers to endorse Scott in 2010. At the time, most GOP legislators were backing then-Attorney General Bill McCollum for the party’s gubernatorial nomination.
“He’s got a breadth of knowledge about a lot of things,” Scott said during an appearance at Patronis’ family-owned Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant in Panama City.
Unsurprisingly, the Florida Democratic Party was not as taken with the choice. They slammed the elevation of Patronis as “cronyism.”
“Floridians are facing rising insurance rates and stagnant wages, but Rick Scott is propping up yet another yes-man rather than prioritizing the needs of working Floridians,” Democratic spokeswoman Johanna Cervone said in a prepared statement. “This governor has stacked nearly every appointment with special interest lackeys rather than the most qualified candidates.”
Even some Republicans questioned the pick. Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, a frequent Scott critic who served in the Legislature with Patronis, tweeted Monday: “Let’s not forget Florida’s new CFO approved higher utility rates on millions of Duke Energy & Florida Power & Light customers.”
Breadth of knowledge or not, Patronis conceded to reporters later in the week that he has some catching up to do.
Personal-injury auto protection, insurance-related assignment of benefits and even the future of those now working for him are all matters Patronis said he hopes to learn about over the next month — or at least before his first Cabinet meeting on Aug. 16.
“You have to remember I came from the restaurant business, so everybody is a customer,” Patrons said Friday morning after being sworn in to the statewide Cabinet post by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga during a brief ceremony in Scott’s office. “I look forward to learning as much as I can from other stakeholders in this office. And don’t worry, CFO Atwater’s phone is programmed in my phone and I will be using it frequently.”
VENI VIDI VETO
Outside of using his line-item veto to strike items from the state budget, Scott has often gone easy on deploying his red pen against the Legislature. But this year, he used it on legislation 11 times — including five times this week, as he wrapped up his work on the bills approved by lawmakers.
In axing one of those measures, he pointed to a high-rise fire in London that killed dozens of residents as a reason to reject easing fire-protection requirements for older condominium buildings in Florida.
The bill (HB 653), which passed the Legislature with only one dissenting vote, dealt with requirements for retrofitting high-rise condominium buildings with fire sprinklers and other types of safety systems. The bill would have pushed back deadlines for the work and provided an avenue for condominium residents to vote to opt out of retrofitting.
Supporters pointed to potentially high costs for condominium residents, but the state fire marshal’s office and fire-protection groups asked Scott to veto the measure.
In his veto message, Scott cited the June 14 fire at Grenfell Tower in London that killed dozens of people.
“Decisions regarding safety issues are critically important, as they can be the difference between life and death. Fire sprinklers and enhanced life safety systems are particularly effective in improving the safety of occupants in high-rise buildings and ensure the greatest protection to the emergency responders who bravely conduct firefighting and rescue operations,” Scott wrote. “While I am particularly sensitive to regulations that increase the cost of living, the recent London high-rise fire, which tragically took at least 79 lives, illustrates the importance of life safety protections.”
Among the other would-be laws that Scott turned away was a bill (HB 937) that would have required the Florida Lottery to post warnings about the addictive nature of lottery games.
“This bill imposes burdensome regulations on the Lottery and its retail partners, and many of the notice provisions are duplicative of current Lottery initiatives,” Scott wrote in his veto message.
But the governor did sign 29 other pieces of legislation Monday, including measures boosting spending on education, tourism marketing and economic development that were approved in a special session in June.
The bills Scott approved included perhaps one of the hardest-fought wins of his time as governor: a measure (HB 1A) that provided $76 million for the tourism-marketing agency Visit Florida; established an $85 million fund to pay for infrastructure improvements and job training to help draw businesses; and set aside $50 million in repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike along Lake Okeechobee.
“With this legislation, we can promote public infrastructure projects and job training projects to continue to grow jobs for families in every community of our state,” Scott said in a statement issued by his office. “We know that for Florida to be competitive in domestic and international markets, we need as many tools as possible to attract growing businesses to our state.”
Scott also signed another bill from the special session (HB 3A) boosting per-student spending in the state’s main formula for funding public education by $100.
In all, Scott signed 230 of the bills passed during this year’s regular session, which ended in June, and all four of those approved in the special session.
BYE BYE AYALA?
Reading the tea leaves of judges’ questions is always a tricky practice for courtroom observers. But things certainly looked good for Scott, and grim for 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Aramis Ayala after arguments Wednesday at the Florida Supreme Court.
Even the court’s more liberal justices — who might be the most open to Ayala’s stand against seeking the death penalty in capital cases — grilled her lawyer during the arguments.
Scott decided earlier this year to strip Ayala, the state’s first black elected state attorney, of two dozen cases from her circuit, which covers Orange and Osceola counties.
Ayala says that move usurped her authority on the prosecutions, including a high-profile case involving accused cop-killer Markeith Loyd. Scott reassigned the cases to Ocala-area State Attorney Brad King, a veteran prosecutor and outspoken defender of the death penalty who is also a defendant in Ayala’s lawsuit.
Justice R. Fred Lewis, who consistently sides with the liberal-leaning majority in high court opinions, hammered Roy Austin, a lawyer representing Ayala, over how much discretion Ayala and other state attorneys have.
“To my mind, discretion is when you make a decision on a case-by-case basis,” Lewis said. “But this was just the uniform — or am I mistaken — was there not a statement that, ‘I am not going to follow Florida law,’ essentially?”
But Austin, a Washington, D.C., lawyer, argued that “there’s nothing in the law that says discretion has to be on a case-by-case basis.”
He also disputed harsh questioning by some of the court’s more conservative members, including Justices Charles Canady and Alan Lawson, who asked whether Ayala’s position could allow prosecutors to refuse to charge drug dealers with crimes if the state attorneys disagreed with the Legislature’s views on drug policy.
Florida Solicitor General Amit Agarwal, representing Scott, said that no one — including Ayala — has the right to ignore Florida law.
“No one individual, in our society, has the right to say ‘I’ve taken a hard look at this. I’ve considered all of the available evidence. I’ve figured out this issue, and I am going to make a policy judgment that is blanket, across the board.’ That has the practical effect of effectively nullifying it,” Agarwal said.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Scott named Public Service Commissioner Jimmy Patronis, a political ally, to be the state’s next Chief Financial Officer.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “You are going to have a situation where, in the state of Florida, you are going to have one circuit with the death penalty and another without it, all over the place. How is that proper? Why do we need the Legislature, if we have that?”— Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, questioning a state attorney’s decision not to seek the death penalty.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Volunteers Needed For Escambia Health Facilities Authority
July 2, 2017
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is seeking Escambia County residents interested in volunteering to be considered for a possible appointment to the Escambia County Health Facilities Authority. Appointees serve without compensation.
The Escambia County Health Facilities Authority was established in accordance with Florida statutes. The authority’s duties are to assist health facilities in acquisition, construction, financing and refinancing of projects. Knowledge of finance and/or health care administration required. Authority members serve a four-year term of office. Financial disclosure required.
Escambia residents interested in serving on the Escambia County Health Facilities Authority are asked to submit a resume indicating their desire to serve by the close of business on Friday, July 14. Resumes should be submitted to Judy Witterstaeter, Program Coordinator, Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box 1591, Pensacola, FL 32502 or emailed to jhwitter@myescambia.com.
Resumes submitted to a BCC agenda for consideration will become part of the official minutes and are subject to public records requests.
Requirements:
An authority board member must be a resident of Escambia County. An appointee must be able to attend monthly board meetings during regular business hours and to travel out of town. This requires the board member to have an employer and/or occupation which provides flexibility to engage in volunteer community service activities.
Under its current annual meeting schedule, the authority meets once a month on the third Tuesday at 4 p.m., except for the months of April and September when the board and staff attend educational conferences related to current topics in tax exempt capital financing for healthcare organizations. Monthly time commitments generally range from three to five hours per month, depending on business matters under consideration. For educational conferences, the board members are out of town for up to four days, twice a year.
Board members must have reasonable computer skills and access to a computer running Windows 7 or higher, with the current version of Adobe Reader, Microsoft Word and Excel, and with high-speed internet access to receive email with attachments and download large PDF files containing meeting agendas and backup materials. A new board member will spend three to five hours for the initial orientation and training on authority operations.
Board members must be able and willing to learn about (1) tax exempt bond financing and federal regulations related to municipal bond financing; (2) rules and regulations for municipal bond issuers; (3) current capital financing options and techniques for nonprofit healthcare organizations; and (4) Florida laws related to local government operations and finance.
Blue Wahoos Drop Slugfest To Biscuits 10-8
July 2, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Montgomery Biscuits in 12 of the last 14 games at Blue Wahoos Stadium dating back to the 2014 season.
However, Montgomery finally got a W on the Blue Wahoos home field Saturday, 10-8, in a seesaw slugfest in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038. Pensacola had won the first three games of the six-game series.
Has Pensacola manager Pat Kelly seen a game with that much offense in the Southern League?
“Not in this league,” Kelly said. “That was a Pacific Coast League game right there.”
Blue Wahoos right fielder Aristides Aquino doubled to start the fifth inning and scored when catcher Chad Tromp hit a sizzling grounder down the line into right field, putting Pensacola ahead, 7-6. Left fielder Tyler Goeddel then hit a line drive off the left field wall on one hop for the third double of the inning, which scored Tromp for an, 8-6, lead.
However, Montgomery came right back in the sixth inning with two runs to tie it, 8-8, when second baseman Riley Unroe hit a line drive single into right field to drive in catcher Nick Ciuffo. Biscuits third baseman Grant Kaye then clobbered a single to center field to drive in shortstop Andrew Valezquez.
Montgomery first baseman Dalton Kelly then scored what would be the game-winning run in the seventh inning when he reached first base on a perfect bunt down the third base line and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by DH Mac James that put the Biscuits on top, 9-8.
Kelly is playing in his first Double-A series after being called up Tuesday from High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs where he was hitting .305. The 22-year-old was 5-5 Saturday with his first Double-A home run, a two-run shot that he crushed to left field. He also had two doubles and scored three times.
Kelly has torn up Pensacola pitching, so far, going 10-17 (.588) with four doubles, four runs scored, one home run and four RBIs.
The game had four lead changes, a combined 18 runs and 28 hits, including 11 extra-base hits and five home runs. The teams have identical 4-5 records in the second half of the Southern League season.
Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero led the hit parade for the Blue Wahoos, going 3-6 with a run scored. This season, the 23-year-old has had 25 multi-hit games, including five three-hit games.
Despite the loss, Guerrero said he has enjoyed seeing the Pensacola lineup produce 22 runs over the past three games. Defense and pitching were the keys to the Blue Wahoos first half crown in the South Division, as the team hit a paltry .228.
“It’s fun with everybody hitting,” Guerrero said. “That’s good. Hopefully, we will win more games.”
Aquino, the Cincinnati Reds No. 6 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, was 2-4 with two runs scored, a double and hit his ninth homer of the season to lead the ball club. Second baseman Josh VanMeter blasted his second homer in two games and now has three on the season.
Blue Wahoos fans also got to see the return of reliever Zack Weiss, who saved 25 games for the club in 2015. However, one of the Reds top pitching prospects missed the entire 2016 season with a pitching elbow injury that he finally had surgery on earlier this year.
Weiss pitched one inning, allowed one run on two hits and struck out one. Previously, he made 10 appearances for the High-A Daytona Tortugas where he was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA and allowed opponents a .178 batting average.
“It’s nice to see him back,” Kelly said. “He had a great season here two years ago.”
Ammonia Leak Reported, Residents Shelter In Place
July 1, 2017
An ammonia leak at a Pensacola grocery distributor was contained early Sunday morning. Earlier versions of this story are below.
[UPDATE 12:10 a.m.] Escambia County Emergency Crews have found the source of the anhydrous ammonia leak and it has been secured. The precautionary shelter in place notice is now lifted. Residents in the area may resume normal household activities and no additional safety measures are needed. Crews are in the process of turning the facility back over to the company and their contractors for repairs.
[UPDATE 11:20 p.m.] Hazmat crews are in the process of pinpointing the anhydrous ammonia leak within MDV Nash Finch Company located at 4150 W Blount St. in Pensacola.
The impact is now believed to be onsite only, but as a precautionary measure residents within a 2,500 feet radius of the facility are asked to continue to shelter in place. This is expected to be lifted shortly.
To shelter in place:
- Turn off their air conditioners and fans that may circulate outside air into the home
- Close all windows and doors
- Close any fireplace dampers
- Bring in all pets
- Stay indoors and monitor local media until the all clear is given
Only one minor injury of a first responder, who treated and released on scene, was reported.
A call was received my Escambia County Emergency Commutations at 8:39 p.m. reporting a strong odor. Escambia County Emergency Management, Fire Rescue, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is on scene.
MDV Nash Finch is a wholesale grocery distributing company. The impacted area is just east of Mobile Highway and New Warrington Road.
Rising From The Winds And Ashes: Wesley Chapel Church Breaks Ground
July 1, 2017
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday for a new building for the Wesley Chapel Church on Jefferson Avenue in Century.
The church building suffered significant damage when it was shifted off its foundation during the EF-3 tornado that hit Century in February 2016. The congregation continued to meet in an alternative location each Sunday. They made plans to dismantle the old building board by board, hoping to salvage and use as much of the wood as possible from the 1934 structure in a new church building.
But then the building was reduced to ashes and rubble after an arsonist set fire to it on an early Sunday morning in October.
Now the church is moving forward with plans to rebuild after holding fundraisers and taking donations. There’s no firm construction timetable in place.
Pictured above and below: Groundbreaking ceremony at Wesley Chapel in Century on Friday. Pictured three up from the bottom: Wesley Chapel shortly after an EF-3 tornado in February 2016. Pictuered bottom two photos. The remains of the building were destroyed by an arsonist in October 2016. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
