Lower Rain Chances, But Popup Storms Will Still Be Around
July 11, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Pictured: A storm cloud approaching Walnut Hill Tuesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Edge Past BayBears 3-2
July 11, 2018
Pensacola halted a late-game comeback to defeat the BayBears, 3-2, Tuesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Wahoos got off to a quick start in the game. With TJ Friedl on base, Shed Long smashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning that gave the Wahoos an early 2-1 lead. In the bottom of the second inning, Aristides Aquino belted his 10th home run of the season on a fly ball to left field to increase the lead to 3-1.
Wahoos starter Wyatt Strahan (W, 6-8) had a solid outing. Strahan pitched six innings and allowed one walk, seven hits, and three strikeouts. His only blemish of the game came from a Brennon Lund sac fly to center field that scored Luis Rengifo in the first inning that gave the BayBears the early lead in the game at 1-0.
The BayBears would make Alejandro Chacin (S, 5) and the Wahoos sweat as he earned the save in suspenseful fashion. With bases loaded, Rengifo grounded into a force out at second base to score Jose Rojas, cutting down the BayBears deficit to 3-2. Rengifo would then steal second base, and Chacin walked Jahmai Jones to load up the bases again. With Mobile threatening to tie or take the lead with only one out, Chacin struck out Brennon Lund, and got Jared Walsh on a groundout to third, ending the game.
Pensacola has a chance to tie a franchise record with its seventh straight series win in Wednesday night’s series finale. Southpaw Seth Varner (4-0, 2.43) will start for the Wahoos against RHP Joe Gatto (2-3, 8.13).
Hundreds Of Central Water Works Customers Lose Water, Low Pressure Continues; Boil Water Notice Issued
July 10, 2018
About half of all Central Water Works customers lost water service for hours Tuesday afternoon, and many were still without water Tuesday night as crews worked to determine what happened. In the meantime, the utility has issued a precautionary boil water notice.
About 4 p.m., water pressure dropped “quickly and drastically” for about 425 Central Water Works customers in Byrneville, McDavid and Century, before water service was completely lost for about four hours. By about 9 p.m., water supplies were rerouted from other parts of the system to restore some water service to customers in the affected areas. Crews were still working to find the cause of the problem.
Water system officials said Tuesday night many customers still had very low water pressure.
The water system said that for all affected customers, all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes be boiled. A rolling boil of one minute is sufficient. As an alternative, bottled water may be used. Residents are also advised to take precautions when bathing, especially immunocompromised individuals, infants or the elderly.
Once the water system is repaired, samples will be collected for testing. The boil water notice remains in effect until that process is completed. The utility anticipated the boil water notice will be in effect until Friday afternoon. Residents will be notified by phone or if they cannot be reached by phone, in writing at their residence.
The area included in the boil water notice is as follows:
Barnes Road, Black Road, Bluff Springs Road, East Bogia Road, West Bogia Road, Brown Road, Byrneville Road from 30 to 860, Commalander Road, Cotton Creek Road, Cox Road, Crary Road, Dawson Road, Driver Road, Elsie Davis Road, Goose Creek Trail, Glover Road, Gunner Road, Highway 164 from 11 to 975, Holland Road, Lambert Bridge Road from 1770 to 1890, Main Street, McClammy Road, Milstead Road, Mystic Springs Road, Pine Barren Road from 241 to 3300, Post Office Road, East Roach Road, West Roach Road, Rodeo Lane, Tedder Road, Thompson Road, Hhighway 29 from Tedder Road to West Bogia Road, Welch Road, Whirlpool Road, and Worley Road.
For more information, call (850) 256-3849 or email centralwaterworks@gmail.com
Walnut Hill Double Shooting Suspect Indicted For First Degree Murder
July 10, 2018
An Escambia County grand jury on Tuesday returned premeditated murder indictments against a Walnut Hill man for a fatal double shooting in Walnut Hill after which the victims were dumped at an Alabama creek.
Christopher Alan Stacey, 37, was indicted for first degree premeditated murder and attempted first degree premeditated murder for the shooting on Highway 164. If convicted, he faces the death penalty or life without parole.
Three others have been charged in the case. Stacey’s ex-wife, 30-year old Jessica Nichole Thomas, was charged with accessory after the fact to homicide and accessory after the fact to attempted homicide. His son Christopher James Logan Stacey, 18, and Alexis Ileene Shiffner Cain, 21, were each charged with accessory to homicide and accessory to attempted homicide. Both Staceys remain in jail without bond. Shiffner-Cain is being held with bond at $151,000; Thomas is being held on a $500,000 bond.
Their arrests came after two men were found shot in the head near Atmore June 2.
Dalton Davis was found dead in a truck in Brushy Creek on Deere Creek Road, and Troy Boutwell was found near the road after crawling from the truck, according to an arrest report. He was transported to Atmore Community Hospital and then airlifted to the USA Medical Center in Mobile in critical condition.
Alabama detectives learned that Boutwelll had been at his friend’s house in the 5900 block of Highway 164, just east of Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. Deputies responded to find the three suspects and another individual in the home.
An Escambia County, FL, investigator was contacted by Atmore Police to relay information on the shooting location. He instructed deputies to respond to the home where they found a couch burning in the backyard (photo below). Deputies extinguished the fire. Victim Boutwell later said he was shot on the couch in the home’s living room of the home, which is about nine miles from where the men were found with the truck.
According to the report, an AR-15 was found in one of the bedrooms and a 12 gauge shotgun was found in another bedroom. The report does not specify if either was the murder weapon. A bullet hole was found in an interior wall.
Christopher Alan Stacey was seated on a bucket across the road from the residence watching as investigators processed the crime scene, while his son sat a wooden chair in front of a neighboring home (both pictured below). Cain and Jessica Thomas were placed in the back of ECSO patrol vehicles as investigators worked.
Florida investigators also responded to the truck at Brushy Creek on Deere Creek Road in Alabama to process that crime scene with Alabama agencies. The straight-line location of the truck was about 1,000 feet north of Alabama-Florida State line.
Christopher Alan Stacey, resides with Thomas her at the home on Highway 164. Boutwell told law enforcement that he was shot because of an argument with her ex-husband. The son, Christopher James Logan Stacey, also resides in the home, the report states.
Christopher Allen Stacey and Christopher James Logan Stacey are being held without bond. Cain remains jailed with bond set at $151,000.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Above: Suspects Christopher James Logan Stacey (left) and Christopher Alan Stacey (right) watch as investigators process a murder scene in Walnut Hill Sunday.
Above: A deputy questions Jessica Thomas as she sits inside a patrol vehicle in Walnut Hill.
Above: Deputies found a burning couch in the backyard of the Walnut Hill home.
Above: Florida investigators arrive at the scene on Deere Creek Road in Alabama.
Former FDLE Agent Sentenced To Life For Abusing Young Boys
July 10, 2018
A former Florida Department of Law Enforcement supervisor is headed to prison for the rest of his life for child sexual abuse.
Tuesday, Charles McMullen was sentenced to eight consecutive life terms and an additional 15 years to run concurrent to the life sentences.
McMullen was charged with one count of sexual battery of a child under 12, seven counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 12 and one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child.
McMullen was first arrested in November 2016 after an 8-year boy told investigators that McMullen had been touching him inappropriately on a frequent basis, followed by another 8-year old boy that made similar allegations and also claimed he was forced to touch McMullen.
Two additional victims came forward after seeing McMullen in the news.
McMullen investigated similar cases during his five year employment with the FDLE. He previously worked as Chief of the Cybercrimes Unit for then-Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and for the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office.
Pictured top: Charles Calvin McMullen (courtesy WEAR 3). Pictured below: McMullen chats online as a teenage girl during a Florida Attorney General demonstration in 2007. File photos.
Mediacom Reports ‘Massive’ Internet Outage
July 10, 2018
UPDATE: This outage has been resolved.
Previous story:
Mediacom is reporting a “massive” outage across several states, including Alabama and Florida. The outage reportedly includes cable television, phone and internet services.
So far, there is no estimated time for services to be restored.
“There’s currently a massive outage that our techs are working on as we speak. We have no ETA, but they’ll keep working on this until the issue is resolved,” the company said on Twitter.
Fire Reported Early Tuesday Morning At Ascend Performance Materials
July 10, 2018
Units from Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a fire at Ascend Performance Materials in Cantonment early this morning.
The fire was reportedly in a “vapor stack” and was quickly extinguished. Escambia Fire Rescue responded, dispatching two ladder trucks to the scene.
There were no evacuations and no warnings for residents in the area. There were no reported injuries.
File photo.
Running On A Shoestring Budget: Century Council Candidates File Finance Reports
July 10, 2018
In Escambia County, candidates for commission and other county offices often receive donations amounting to many tens of thousands of dollars, with some campaign war chests topping well over $100,000. But in Century, candidates run their grassroots campaigns on just a few donations usually amounting to just a few hundred dollars.
The first round of financial reports filed by candidates for the Century town council generally show small donation totals. The $360 raised so far by incumbent Ben Boutwell is the largest Century council campaign budget since 2011.
The total contributions to date to candidates are listed below. Each candidate has paid the $51.07 qualifying fee out of their campaign funds; otherwise no one had expended any other funds.
Seat 3
- Benjamin Boutwell received $360 in donations – including a personal donation of $40 to his own campaign and $20 from his wife.
- Amanuel Dubose loaned $60 to his campaign.
Incumbent Boutwell will face challenger Dubose on the general election ballot on November 6.
Seat 4
- Mary Bourgeois received $130 in donations including $100 from former mayor Freddie McCall.
- John Johnston donated $85 to his campaign.
- James Smith donated $76.07 to his campaign.
Bourgeois, Johnston and Smith will be on the August 28 primary ballot with a runoff in November if no candidate receives one vote more than 50 percent.
Seat 5
- Sandra Jackson, who is running unopposed, loaned $77 to her campaign.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Escambia County Begins Talks On $479.9 Million Budget
July 10, 2018
The Escambia County Commission will hold budget meetings beginning today to consider a $474.9 million budget, up from about $456 million last fiscal year.
The meetings are scheduled for today and Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m.
Meetings will take place in the board chambers of the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, found on the first floor of 221 Palafox Place.
Forecast: Daily Thunderstorms
July 10, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.