Wahoos Drop Second Straight In Extras
July 15, 2018
For the second straight night the Mississippi Braves walked off on the Wahoos in the 10th inning. Just like Friday night, Connor Lien pinch ran at second base as the designated runner and scored the game winner giving the Braves the 2-1 win.
Tyler Neslony scored the game’s first run on a solo home run in the first inning just inside the right field foul pole. The score stayed 1-0 until Pensacola scratched across a run in the eighth. TJ Friedl led the inning off with a pinch-hit double and scored on a throwing error from the shortstop on a Jose Siri infield single.
In extra innings, Chad Sobotka (W, 2-3) struck out all three Blue Wahoos in the top of the 10th, stranding Pensacola’s automatic runner at second base. In the bottom of the inning, Brandon Downes executed a sacrifice bunt to move Lien up to third. With Ray-Patrick Didder batting, Lien drew a back-pick throw to third base that sailed into left field allowing him to dash home with the winning run.
The two starting pitchers were masterful despite neither getting a decision. Daniel Wright’s only mistake was the first inning home run. He pitched seven innings with just five hits allowed with four strikeouts and no walks. Ricardo Sanchez was just as good, if not better. He we seven shut-out innings with just four hits allowed, two walks and six strikeouts for the Braves. Sobotka got the win with two perfect innings and three strikeouts out of the Braves bullpen and Carlos Navas (L, 3-1) suffered the loss pitching the 10th inning for Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos will try to rebound and even the series on Sunday evening with RHP Wyatt Strahan on the mound against M-Braves LHP Bruce Zimmerman.
Go Inside As Agencies Hold Active School Shooter Training (Photo Gallery)
July 14, 2018
“Active shooter at Escambia County Middle School.”
Those are words that no law enforcement officer ever wants to here. But they answered the call Friday morning, converging on the Atmore school for a realistic training exercise.
Smoke from the gunfire filled the hallways as school personnel, playing the part of both students and staff, huddled in classrooms behind barricaded doors. Teams of armed officers entered the building to end the carnage and get the innocent to safety.
“Officer down. All units. We have an officer down,” came across the police radios. An officer fell victim to the school shooter.
Victims were scattered about the hallways as officers cleared the building. Some did not survive.
NorthEscambia.com was the only media inside the active shooter drill. We followed along as officers cleared the building and evacuated the classrooms, and as medics and firemen aided the victims. We can’t reveal exactly what we saw and heard so that tactical details remain secret.
But we can tell you that officers worked to ensure the safety of all involved, and we can take you inside in our photo gallery.
“You can’t learn this in a classroom,” one police officer said. “There’s nothing like being in the middle of it, the shots being fired.”
“When I heard those shots go off, the hair on the back of my neck rose. It kind of gave you sense of what a possible real life situation would be,” Escambia County (AL) Superintendent John Knott said.
Escambia County (AL) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said the training went smoothly, with the realistic scenarios providing a chance to review procedures.
“We identified some weaknesses today that we are going to address and address immediately,” Lambert said.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
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Scattered Showers Today; Rain Likely Sunday
July 14, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 91.
Driver Injured In Highway 29 Rollover
July 14, 2018
One person was injured Friday afternoon in a single vehicle rollover crash on Highway 29.
A pickup truck left the roadway and struck several small trees before overturning on Highway 29 near McDavid. The driver was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Five Questions For AG Hopeful Frank White
July 14, 2018
State Rep. Frank White, a Republican from Pensacola, decided to seek the statewide Cabinet position of attorney general after serving a single term in the Florida Legislature.
White graduated from Southern Methodist University, where he was the 1999-2000 student body president and where he also received his law degree. He is currently the chief financial officer and general counsel for the Sansing Dealer Group, which has stores in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
White is in a primary battle against Ashley Moody, a former Hillsborough County circuit judge, for the Republican nomination. The winner will move on to the November general contest to replace outgoing Attorney General Pam Bondi.
NorthEscambia.com’s state news provider, The News Service, had five questions for Frank White:
Q: What reforms or improvements do you see as needed within the Attorney General’s Office?
WHITE: I think Attorney General Bondi has done a fantastic job. She has done a wonderful job. She’s saved lives, particularly in the opioid crisis. I think there are some areas where we disagree. One I’d point (to) would be the identity of Jane Doe in the NRA’s lawsuit against the state. It’s just a difference of opinion where I think Jane Doe’s identity should remain anonymous. I think it’s really a difference in terms of emphasis. One important part of it (the job) will be government accountability, making sure politicians are held accountable. That’s just one area where I particularly want to focus on immediately.
(Has she not held politicians accountable?)
WHITE: No, that’s just an area of interest, an area that I particularly think is important for us.
Q: What legislation of which you were the primary sponsor, whether it passed or not, are you the most proud, and why?
WHITE: I’ve been in the House for two years and probably passed two or so bills in those two sessions. But one that I’m most proud of is one that didn’t pass. It was attempting to pull public financing of campaigns out of our Constitution. It was an issue that I didn’t know about until I decided to run for attorney general and realized we’ve given millions and millions of dollars to politicians — established politicians — to run political campaigns. I looked at the results of that program and it looked to me like welfare for politicians. It benefited incumbents and established politicians. I filed a bill to try to try to remove it. Pushed it successfully through a couple of committees, getting support of my colleagues. No surprise other politicians killed it. So, I wasn’t able to make it all the way to put it in front of voters. It’s something a majority of voters agree with me, that it’s a scheme. It isn’t right for Florida. In this race it’s relevant, because I’m not taking any taxpayer dollars to run my campaign and my opponent is. She will be financed by several hundred thousand dollars of taxpayer dollars to be spent so much more widely or given back to taxpayers.
Q: How does your work at an auto dealership translate into being attorney general?
WHITE: My career in law started in private practice. So, I had a great foundational training as a young lawyer with a law firm with a diverse practice and then moved into a group of business, a group of car dealerships. We’ve got 600 employees. We’re in three different states. It gave me a real appreciation for the issues facing job creators in the state. … Being part of a business, I realize the risk that small business owners take. I realize the regulatory pressures. The extra costs of compliance with government regulation is massive and excessive. Just the complexity of it, you have to have lawyers and consultants to do just about anything in business. I understand the issues that you face in real time, particularly the cost of change in regulations. Not having a predictable business climate, a predictable market place, it means you’re not going to invest, you’re not going to invest your capital in a way that will create more jobs and create a healthier economy. Also, just working in business, I know what it takes to run a large organization.
Q: Where do you stand on the legality of Gov. Rick Scott’s effort to remove cases from a state attorney who said she would not pursue the death penalty?
WHITE: I absolutely support the governor’s leadership on this issue. It’s a travesty that a state attorney is refusing to pursue the death penalty. I sure wish she had said that to voters during her campaign. They would have been able to weigh in then. So, I support the leadership on the issue.
Q: And finally, the Barbara Walters question. You’ve got to make a meal for three people from anytime in history. Who’s at your dinner table and what are you cooking?
WHITE: Oh wow. My wife is a fantastic cook, so I hope that she is with me in preparing it. If I’m involved, we’re grilling. So, it’s steaks or burgers will be served, with some fantastic sides and desserts, which are her specialty. So, any time in history? I’m going with the big man at (the) top. I’m going with President Trump. I’d love to be able to spend some time and to break bread with him. Next, I would say, Gov. Rick Scott. He’s somebody who has been a fantastic leader in government and public service, somebody with private sector experience who has helped move our state into the future in real positive way. I’d love to hear his experiences, his perspectives. Beyond that, who’d be the third. … I’m a country music fan, I’d pull George Strait. He’s one of my all-time favorites. To be able to meet George Strait. But I don’t know how the conversation would go. I’m trying to mold it to have a good conversation. So, I’m going to take George Strait off. … So I might pull (U.S. Circuit Judge and U.S. Supreme Court nominee) Brett Kavanaugh. He’s somebody who is just an interesting and fascinating legal mind, an intellectual thought leader on the issues of an administrative state, which is a similar intellectual interest, passionate interest, and I’ve had some practical experience of that fourth branch of government that our founders did not intend to govern so much of our lives. So, to be able to talk with him about his judicial philosophy of the administrative state and how it has altered the structure that our founders intended.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Waring Road At Nine Mile To Close Tuesday
July 14, 2018
Waring Road will be closed at Nine Mile Road from 7 a.m. Tuesday through 5 p.m. Friday.
The closure will enable crews to place drainage pipes across the roadway as part of the drainage improvements associated with the Nine Mile Road widening project. Travelers are advised to seek alternative routes.
Detour signs and variable message boards are in place to alert drivers of the temporary road closure and detour routes.
Weekend Gardening: Spots On Your Crape Myrtles Can Be A Problem
July 14, 2018
by UF/IFAS Extension Service
As the heat and humidity increases in Northwest Florida, expect to see some diseases appear in the landscape. One problem that is popping up on crape myrtles is Cercospora leaf spot. While not a deadly problem, it can greatly detract from the beauty of crape myrtles.
The initial symptom on crape myrtles is the appearance of tan to dark brown spots randomly scattered on yellow to red discolored leaves. The spots develop first on the lower leaves and progress upward in the canopy. Spots will continue to develop from mid-summer through fall. The color change is due to the production of a toxin by the fungal pathogen.
Infected leaves will drop prematurely and serve as a source to spread the pathogen causing further disease development. As the summer progresses, many infected trees will have dropped all but the newest leaves.
Older varieties of crape myrtles are more susceptible to this disease than newer varieties. The crape myrtle varieties most tolerant to Cercospora leaf spot are Natchez, Muskogee, Basham’s Party Pink, Sioux and Tonto.
Long term, this disease is not detrimental to a tree, although it will slow down growth on younger plants. Plants growing in conditions that are not ideal will be more affected by the leaf spot disease.
The best control is selecting a planting site with good air circulation so that the foliage will dry quickly. Thinning interior branches will also promote air flow.
The use of fungicides to control this disease has not been very effective because they would have to be applied repeatedly on a regular basis throughout the growing season. If used, fungicide applications should be started in early summer when the spots are first noticed and continued at one to two week intervals when the weather is warm and wet. Consult your local Extension office for fungicide recommendations.
As always, be sure to read and follow all label directions. Fungicides can be classified by how they work on the fungus or how they work on the plant. Products that work in a similar way on fungi have the same mode of action (also referred to as chemical family or class).
Contact fungicides are sprayed onto plants and act as a protective barrier from pathogen infection. They prevent infections from occurring when applied before symptoms are visible, but infections that have already occurred will continue to develop.
Systemic fungicides move into the plant, but movement inside the plant is limited. The vast majority of fungicides only move upward in the plant vasculature, but not down. Some fungicides only move locally into the plant part treated. Some systemic products exhibit curative action, which means the disease is stopped during its development. For managing fungicide resistance, products with different modes of action should be used in rotations.
Since this disease will result in early defoliation or the loss of leaves, it is critical to practice good sanitation. Raking and destroying fallen leaves should be a routine practice in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
Northview Chiefs To Hold Football Camp For Grades K-8
July 14, 2018
The Northview High School football team will be hosting their annual youth camp for players entering kindergarten through 8th grade July 23-26 from 5-7 p.m. each day.
The cost of the camp is $50 for all three days and includes a camp t-shirt.
Parents can preregister by emailing Coach Derek Marshman at dmarshman@escambia.k12.fl.us.
Click here for a registration form.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
July 14, 2018
Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings for the week of July 16-20.
Monday, July 16
International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4131 Collective Bargaining – 10:30 a.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
Escambia County Area Transit Public Workshop – 1 p.m., Sacred Heart Hospital, 5151 N. Ninth Ave.
Tuesday, July 17
CANCELED: Board of Electrical Examiners – 9 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
ECAT Public Workshop – 10:30 a.m., East Pensacola Heights Community Center, 3208 E. Gonzalez St.
Environmental Code Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104 (Agenda)
Joint SRIA-BCC Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, Board Chambers
ECAT Public Workshop – 5:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
Wednesday, July 18
Escambia Soil & Water Conservation District – 8 a.m., 151 Highway 97, Molino
Board of Adjustment – 8:30 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104 (Agenda)
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Escambia County Disability Awareness Committee – 3 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Room 104
ECAT Public Workshop – 4:30 p.m.,Marie Ella Davis Community Center, 16 Raymond St.
Thursday, July 19
Board of County Commissioners Executive Session – Amalgamated Transit Union – 8 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
Community Redevelopment Agency – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Agenda Review Session – 9:15 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Public Forum – 4:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Regular Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place
NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
M-Braves Walk-Off Over Wahoos 3-2 In 10 Innings
July 14, 2018
The Mississippi Braves broke a 2-2 tie on a safety squeeze to best the Blue Wahoos, 3-2, Friday night in 10 innings at Trustmark Park.
The Blue Wahoos got off to a quick start with a pair of first inning runs against M-Braves starter Bryse Wilson. TJ Friedl led the game off with a walk and advanced to third on Shed Long’s one-out double. Both scored when Brian O’Grady doubled into the right-center gap. Those would prove to be the only Pensacola runs on the night.
Wilson dominated from then on. He retired 15 of the final 17 Blue Wahoos he faced before he was lifted after seven innings. The Braves starter matched a season high with nine strikeouts.
Tony Santillan was solid on the mound for the Wahoos in his second double-a start. He held the Braves scoreless through the first four innings until Daniel Lockhart tripled home Carlos Martinez to cut the lead to 2-1. Lockhart scored a batter later on Alejandro Salazar’s sac fly to tie the game. Santillan worked six innings and was charged with two runs on six hits. He struck out seven against just one walk.
That’s how it stayed until Mississippi capitalized on its automatic runner in the bottom of the 10th inning. Connor Lien pinch ran at second base and moved to third on a bunt single by Ray-Patrick Didder. Lockhart rolled a perfect bunt up the first base line on a safety squeeze allowing Lien to dash home ahead of O’Grady’s scoop to catcher Chris Okey for the game winner.
Although the run isn’t charged to Joel Bender (L, 0-1), he is saddled with the loss. He pitched an inning-plus and the game-winning run was the only one he allowed. Corbin Clouse (W, 3-1) got the win for the Braves after pitching three scoreless innings behind Wilson.
Pensacola will look to rebound Saturday night in the middle game of the five-game set. RHP Daniel Wright (4-6, 4.42) will start for the Blue Wahoos against LHP Ricardo Sanchez (1-3, 7.53).