Church Presents ‘Sportsman’s Night Out’
August 3, 2018
Marcus Pointe Baptist Church presented the 2018 Sportsman’s Night Out Thursday evening featuring Shaw Grimsby
Grigsby stands tied at fourth on the active list of B.A.S.S. winners. He is also among a select group to top $2 million in Bassmaster earnings.
For more than two decades, Grigsby has hosted “One More Cast with Shaw Grigsby”, which currently airs on The Sportsman Channel. He was also into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
Photos by Kristi Barbour and courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Free School Supplies Available At Two Local Events
August 3, 2018
Free school supplies will be available this weekend at two North Escambia locations:
Victory Assembly of God Day of Hope
Victory Assembly of God’s annual Day of Hope will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Free backpacks, school supplies, and professional haircuts will be available for pre-K to 12th grade students.
Free groceries will also be distributed to families.
Parents or guardians must have a photo ID, and students must be present to receive supplies. The church is located at on Highway 29, just south of Barrineau Park Road.
Quintette Back to School Bash
The Quintette Community Center will host a Back to School Bash on Sunday, August 5, 2018, at 2 p.m. School supplies will be given away on a first come basis. The child must be present.
There will also be food, prizes and plenty of fun. The community center is located at 2490 Quintette Road in Cantonment.
Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Begins Today
August 3, 2018
The Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday begins today and continues through midnight Sunday.
During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items will be exempt from tax including: certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; and clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item.
For a complete list of eligible items, click here.
Usual Summer Rain Chance Today
August 3, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Molino Library Wraps Up Summer Reading Program
August 3, 2018
A West Florida Library Summer Reading Program Wrap Up Party was held Thursday at the Century Branch Library to celebrate the end of the library’s annual summer program.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Registration Saturday For Cantonment Youth T-Ball Softball, Baseball
August 3, 2018
Registration will be held Saturday, and every Saturday in August, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for the fall season at the Cantonment Ballpark on Well Line Road.
The registration fee is $50 for t-ball, baseball and softball for all ages.
For more information, call (850) 393-5199.
The ballpark is under new management from the Cantonment Youth Sports Association.
Lawmakers File Bill To Crack Down On Online Predators That Target Kids
August 3, 2018
U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) introduced bipartisan legislation to increase criminal penalties for stalkers, including cyberstalkers, who target minors under the age of 18.
The bill – known as the Combat Online Predators Act – would allow federal judges to add up to five additional years of imprisonment to a convicted stalker’s sentence if their victim is under the age of 18.
“We need to do everything we can to better protect our children from these online predators,” Nelson said, “and send a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
In addition to stiffening the criminal penalties for stalking a minor online, the legislation would also require the U.S. Department of Justice to evaluate federal, state and local efforts to enforce stalking laws and determine what can be done to improve the enforcement of those laws.
Cyberstalking, which often involves the sending of harassing emails, text messages, social media posts or even creating websites for the sole purpose of tormenting a victim, was first made a federal crime in 2000 when Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 18.3 million women and nearly 6.5 million men in the U.S. have been victims of stalking during their lifetime. Of those, more than 4.3 million were under the age of 18 when they were first stalked – including 16.3% of female stalking victims and 20.5% of male stalking victims.
The bill is supported by the National Center for Victims of Crime and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. An identical measure was introduced in the House last year by Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and was approved by a vote of 409-2.
Donald Ray Helton
August 3, 2018
Mr. Donald Ray Helton, age 79, passed away on Thursday, August 2, 2018 in Pensacola, Florida.
Mr. Helton was a native of Huxford, AL, former resident of the Atmore area and has resided in Cantonment, FL since 1965. He was a Elder in the Remnant Church of Latter-Day Saints, a 1962 graduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelors Degree in Finance, a 7th grade Science Teacher at Ransom Middle School. His passions were Alabama Football and Fishing.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Patsy Helton of Cantonment, FL; a son Michael and husband Eric O’Briant of Kennesaw, GA; one brother, Gary Helton (Companion Lola Alverson) of Atmore, AL; one sister, Glenda & Alan Rundall of Lillian, AL; niece, Sheron Rundall of Lillian, AL and aunt, Ruth Vickery of Atmore, AL.
Funeral services will be Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 2:00 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Evangelist Les Kelly and Evangelist Dick Dour officiating.
Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be Sunday, August 5, 2018 from 12 Noon until service time at 2:00 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Lamar Wiggins, Rick Wiggins, Curtis Wiggins, Alan Odom, Rick Brooks and Glen Helton.
Escambia Trio Sentenced On Federal Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering Charges
August 3, 2018
Aaron M. Booker, 27, Joseph F. Booker Jr., 29, and Kaishawndra Lyons, 25, all of Escambia County, and Uy Nguyen, 35, of Vallejo, California, have been sentenced for charges arising from a multi-state drug and money laundering conspiracy.
Joseph Booker was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on July 31, and Aaron Booker was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Thursday. Nguyen was sentenced to 84 months in prison on July 2. Lyons was sentenced to four years in federal prison on July 31.
Nguyen and the Booker brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to the money laundering conspiracy, Lyons also pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal agents.
Since 2015, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have been investigating a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in Pensacola, Northern California, and elsewhere. The investigation disclosed that between February 2015, and December 2017, Nguyen shipped packages of cocaine and marijuana from California to the Booker brothers in Pensacola. Nguyen sent his co-conspirators photographs of drug invoices and pictures of packages of cocaine and marijuana that he was shipping from California to Pensacola.
Postal records show that the Booker brothers and Lyons mailed more than two dozen currency-filled packages to Nguyen as payment for the drugs. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted multiple packages of drugs that Nguyen shipped to his co-conspirators. Bank records revealed that the Booker brothers and Lyons laundered drug money by depositing proceeds from the sale of the marijuana and cocaine into bank accounts Nguyen opened in California.
In December 2017, law enforcement officers searched Nguyen’s residence and vehicle in northern California and located multiple kilograms of marijuana and a receipt for a newly mailed parcel heading to Pensacola. This parcel was intercepted by law enforcement officers and contained multiple pounds of marijuana. The search of the Lyons/Booker residence in Pensacola revealed over $300,000 in United States currency as well as over $300,000 in jewelry and high-end clothing.
Based upon the drug invoices, law enforcement officers determined this conspiracy involved 250 kilograms of marijuana and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. The conspirators laundered over $250,000 through bank accounts and jewelry stores between Pensacola, Northern California, and other locations in the United States.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pensacola Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
Wahoos Edge Biscuits 5-4 In Series Opener
August 3, 2018
Pensacola earned their fourth straight win in Thursday’s series opener against the Montgomery Biscuits at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Seth Varner (W, 6-2) enjoyed a nice bounce-back start while earning his sixth win of the year. The southpaw pitched seven innings and punched out six and allowed one walk. His only mistake came in the top of the third inning when Jake Cronenworth hit a three-run homer to give the Biscuits a 3-0 lead.
Pensacola trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning and only had one hit against Montgomery’s starter Brock Burke (L 2-1). He struck out six of the first eight batters he faced. However, the Wahoos would find their luck in the fifth inning. With only one out, Luis Gonzalez hit an RBI ground-rule double to score Gavin LaValley to cut the deficit 3-1. Jose Siri followed with a two-run triple into the left corner that scored Chris Okey and Gonzalez to tie the game 3-3.
The Wahoos took the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Mitch Nay crushed a two-run shot into the water past left field which made it 5-3.
The Biscuits attempted to steal the game in the final inning. With runners on the corner, Thomas Milone grounded out to Alex Powers (S, 13) that scored Dalton Kelly to make the score 5-4. With two outs, Powers struck out Nathan Lukes to get the save and secure the win for the Wahoos.
The series continues Friday night as right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez (8-9, 4.33) takes the mound for Pensacola, and RHP Sam McWilliams (4-6, 4.87) will take the hill for Montgomery.