Flomaton Raises Money For Kelsie Padgett As She Battles Brain Cancer
October 14, 2018
The Flomaton community came together Saturday to raise money for Flomaton High School student Kelsie Padgett, 17, as she battles brain cancer.
The fundraiser included food, a car wash and dunking booth.
“Today was a true testament of love and compassion for a child”, Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said. “Thank you for everyone who made this possible.”
The fundraiser was sponsored by the Flomaton Fire Department and MedStar Ambulance.
Pictured top: Flomaton High cheerleaders lead a cheer for Kelsie Padgett. Pictured below: The event included a car wash. Pictured bottom: MedStar’s Donnie Brown cooks up burgers for the fundraiser Saturday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EREC, Southern Pine Crews Helping With Power Restoration
October 14, 2018
Escambia River Electric Cooperative in Jay sent line crews to sister cooperative Gulf Coast Electric Co-op in Wewahitchka, Florida. Gulf Coast EC’s entire power system is down following Hurricane Michael.
“These power restoration efforts hit close to home,” says Clay Campbell, general manager/CEO. “Cooperatives within our generation and transmission power group were hit hard by this hurricane. These co-ops are an extension of our cooperative family, and we want to do all we can to help them get back on their feet.”
EREC will assist Gulf Coast with power restoration after Hurricane Michael’s devastation. EREC has also sent supplies such as bunk trailers, cots and ice to assist Gulf Coast EC as the rebuilding of their communities gets underway.
Southern Pine Electric Cooperative
Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, based in Brewton, sent several linemen and employees to Wiregrass Electric Cooperative in Hartford, AL, to help restore power on that system.
Pictured above: EREC crewmen (L-R) Kevin Macht, Ken Blair, Mark LeFlore, Doug Stewart, David Deese and Matthew Reynolds. Pictured inset: The EREC crews depart Jay. Pictured below: Southern Pine crewmen (front,L-R) Phillip Norsworthy, Christian Bodiford and Josh Lowery, (back ) Chad Morris, Nathan McCrory, Jake Salter, Tracy Emmons, Jimmy Wilson and Raymond Wiggins. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NWE Chiefs Wrap Up Regular Season At Poarch
October 14, 2018
The NWE Chiefs wrapped up their regular season Saturday at Poarch with the NWE Sophomores remaining undefeated.
Scores:
Freshmen
NWE (6-1) 30, Poarch 21
Sophomores
NWE (7-0) 42, Poarch 6
Juniors
Poarch 28, NWE (3-4) 6
Seniors
Poarch 39, NWE (4-3) 6
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
One Person Injured In Highway 4 Crash
October 13, 2018
One person was injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday morning in Bratt.
The accident happened just before 8 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 4 and Bratt Road, just east of the Bratt First Baptist Church. The 21-year old driver of a Ford Escort was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening. The driver of a Chevrolet Cruze was not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FHP Seeks Highway 95A Hit And Run Driver
October 13, 2018
Authorities were on the lookout for a hit and run vehicle after an early morning crash in Cantonment.
A large green or dark-colored GMC Yukon or similar SUV collided with the right-rear of a Buck Roadmaster on Highway 95 near Cedartree Lane shortly before 1 a.m before fleeing the scene. The hit and run driver left evidence behind, including the GMC emblem from their vehicle.
The SUV should have significant front-end damage, authorities said.
The driver of the car was not seriously injured.
The crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Anyone with information is asked to call the FHP at *FHP or (850) 484-5000.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Woman Facing Additional Drug Charges
October 13, 2018
A Walnut Hill woman free on bond after a drug arrest in August is back behind bars on October drug charges.
Helen Joann Whitman, 51, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. She remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $6,000.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy watched a vehicle pull into the driveway and behind a vacant home in the 5000 block of Pine Forest Road, just west of Highway 97. Whitman was in the passenger seat of the vehicle, according to an arrest report.
When deputies searched the vehicle, they reporting finding a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine and two glass pipes with a residue, and a liquid substance believed to be a narcotic inside plastic container. All of the items were in the passenger seat or floorboard.
In August, deputies discovered methamphetamine and glass smoking pipes in Whitman’s purse at the Circle K on South Highway 29 in Cantonment, according to a Sheriffs Office Report. She was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released the day after the August arrest on a $3,000 bond.
Escambia County Shelter Accepts Dogs, Cats Impacted By Hurricane
October 13, 2018
The Escambia County Animal Shelter is operating as a transport hub for animal shelters and welfare organizations in the Panhandle impacted by Hurricane Michael.
The shelter began the process of transferring local animals to other shelters this morning to make room for animals arriving from impacted areas, and accepted the first animals from Bay County this evening. The first group of Escambia County Animal Shelter dogs was loaded onto a transport van around noon and transported to the Michigan Humane Society, where they will be made available for adoption.
Matt Pepper, President and CEO of the Michigan Humane Society, said his team is eager to lend a hand to the communities along the Florida Panhandle.
“Any time you have a national disaster, or something like a hurricane of this magnitude, the boundaries don’t matter anymore. What matters is where can we help, and where can our resources and our expertise work to save lives?” Pepper said. “Any role we can play to relieve the pressure on the sheltering systems right there in the Panhandle will allow local communities to be a greater resource to their immediate communities in the days and months after the event.”
Once animals arrive from impacted counties, shelter staff will prepare the animals for transport by examining them and preparing a health certificate so the animals can be safely transported to partner shelters where they will be available for adoption.
Animal Services Manager John Robinson said using the Escambia County Animal Shelter as a transport hub will allow smaller trucks to transport animals out of impacted areas and let larger transport vehicles pick up at one location.
“Next time it could be us, and I think it’s just as important as anything else to be a good neighbor,” Robinson said. “Our team is really fantastic, and I’m really proud of what we’re doing here.”
Escambia County is collaborating with the Humane Society of the United States, the Pensacola Humane Society, the Michigan Humane Society, University of Florida Disaster Response and Greater Good to coordinate this effort.
Tate Falls To Escambia
October 13, 2018
The Escambia Gators defeated the Tate Aggies 37-32 Friday night in a District 1-6A game at Tate’s Pete Gindl Stadium.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The first quarter ended at 7-7, with Escambia adding two touchdowns in the second quarter for a 21-7 lead at the half.
The Gators added another TD with 8:16 to go in the third for a three-touchdown lead, 28-7. The Aggies added a field goal to round out the third behind 28-10.
After battling to 31-18, Tate scored on a 74-yarder from quarterback Hunter Riggan to Patrick Palmer with 7:44 to go in the third to make it 31-25. Escambia answered with another TD about a minute later, 37-18.
With about four minutes remaining, Timothy Pryer was in to cut Escambia’s lead to 37-32. But at under a minute in the ballgame, a Riggan pass intended for Spencer Ruiz was intercepted by Escambia to seal their victory.
With the win, the Gators improved to 6-1, 1-1.
The Tate Aggies (2-5, 1-1) will host Pace (4-3, 0-2) next Friday night.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Michael Forces Hospital, Nursing Home Evacuations; Many To Pensacola
October 13, 2018
More than 30 health-care facilities had to be evacuated as Hurricane Michael damaged buildings and knocked out electricity in the Panhandle, state emergency management officials said Friday. Many of the patients were evacuated to facilities in Pensacola, including over 70 to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior told The News Service of Florida that several small critical-care access hospitals were evacuated before Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday in Mexico Beach, between Panama City and Apalachicola. The powerful Category 4 storm caused widespread damage as it tore through parts of the Panhandle and Big Bend.
Health-care facilities, including the 323-bed Bay Medical Sacred Heart hospital in Panama City, were still in the process of evacuation Friday morning.
Also, an estimated 1,600 residents had been evacuated or were in the process of being evacuated from 14 nursing homes, according to the Florida Health Care Association, a statewide nursing-home group. Ten nursing homes were evacuated before Michael hit, while evacuations began after the storm at the other four facilities.
Senior said all the patients in the intensive care unit at Bay Medical Sacred Heart had been evacuated and moved to other hospitals with the assistance of ambulances. Senior said as of Friday morning that there were “more staff than patients” still at the hospital.
“They were hoping to ride it out,” Senior said of the hospital. “It’s very localized, the damage. I don’t know if it was the storm itself or a tornado.”
Bay Medical Sacred Heart’s website featured a large message Friday morning saying, “For families wishing to locate patients who have been transferred to other hospitals, please call: 1-888-727-4568.”
During a stop Thursday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who lives in Panama City, lamented the damage caused to health-care facilities in the area.
“The way the storm hit, we’re going to have approximately 10 hospitals that are going to have to be evacuated,” Patronis said. “Gulf Coast (Regional) Medical Center where my kids were born, Bay Medical Center where I was born, they’re empty, because they can’t support their mission.”
Senior said Friday the state will shift its focus from helping transfer patients to ensuring that facilities that were evacuated are safe to reopen.
“People think of us as having doctors and nurses,” he said. “But we have architects and engineers and we need to make sure we make the reopening process as smooth as possible and as safe as possible.”
Senior did not immediately know the numbers of patients who were transferred but said the majority involved nursing home residents.
State and local officials have sought to avoid a repeat of problems last year that authorities say led to the deaths of Broward County nursing-home residents after Hurricane Irma. The deaths came after The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills lost its air-conditioning system in Irma.
Overall, thousands of people had been reported missing because of the storm. But the numbers encapsulate all the phone calls that have been made to state and local-law enforcement officials as well as groups such as the American Red Cross.
Crews began search-and-rescue missions Wednesday night in hard-hit areas.
Alan Harris, Seminole County director of emergency management, it’s unlikely the state will have to open a temporary morgue to handle mass casualties.
“We are ready to open up a temporary morgue if necessary, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be needed so that’s an amazing thing,” said Harris, who was working at the State Emergency Operations Center. “We are very, very happy about that.”
Pictured: A patient arrives at Sacred Heart Hospital In Pensacola
Northview Falls To Pensacola Catholic
October 13, 2018
The Northview High School Chiefs played up in class and lost to Pensacola Catholic 41-22 Friday night.
The 1-A Chiefs were coming of a big 30-20 homecoming win last week over Jay, but fell behind early against the 3-A Crusaders. Catholic held a 21-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter, but were held scoreless by the Northview defense in the second quarter. The Chiefs battled back in the last half with 22 of their own — including touchdowns from Seth Killam and Jayden Jackson – in the second half, but they were outpaced by Catholic.
Northview (4-3, 1-0) will head east on Highway 4 next Friday night to face 1-A power Baker. The Gators aren’t just 7-0 on the season, the are riding a 27-game regular season winning streak. Baker’s game Friday night at Chipley was postponed because of Hurricane Michael and no electric power at Chipley.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.