Top High School Athletes Recognized At Virtual Senior Scholar Banquet
May 28, 2020
Pensacola Sports recently presented 36 awards and over $100,000 in scholarships at their annual Senior Scholar Athlete Banquet, which was held virtually this year.
Kaylie Herring from Gulf Breeze and Nicholas Dimitroff from Catholic High, won the overall female and male scholarships, respectively. The Pensacola Sports Foundation awarded these two individuals each with a $4,000 scholarship. Other awardees were Amanda Langston from Pensacola High and John Pinette from Pine Forest High (Whataburger Books Scholarship), Mia Goodwin from Pace and John Middleton from Catholic High (Super Star Multi-Sport Scholarship), Britton Landrum from Gulf Breeze and Peter Mougey from Catholic (Dr. Alec Kessler Memorial Scholarship), and Skylar Grant from West Florida Tech and Christopher Page from West Florida Tech (UWF Scholarship).
Additionally, Pensacola State College awarded 24 individual sport winners with a scholarship.
The individual sport winners are:
Baseball – Joshua Majors, Jay
Girls Basketball – Janelle Jones, Washington
Boys Basketball – Stephen English, Milton
Cheerleading – Bailey Carter, Tate
Boys Cross Country – Christian Ottley, Pace
Girls Cross Country – Kylie Thomas, Pace
Football – Marlon Courtney, Navarre
Girls Golf – Alexis Grove, Navarre
Boys Golf – Clayton Dobry, Gulf Breeze
Girls Lacrosse – Clarke Haas, Gulf Breeze
Boys Lacrosse – John McDowell, Catholic
Girls Soccer – Kaylee Hodges, Milton
Boys Soccer – Cristian Garcia-Vazquez, Washington
Softball – Allison Gutierrez, Navarre
Girls Swimming – Genna Hoitt, Pensacola
Boys Swimming – James Tracey, Pace
Girls Tennis – Sadie Goyins, Catholic
Boys Tennis – Charles McCullar, Pensacola
Girls Track – Cyla Byrd, Pace
Boys Track – Phillip Gindl, West Florida
Volleyball – Chayton Willis, West Florida
Girls Weightlifting – Diona Murphy, Washington
Boys Weightlifting – Robert Stephens, Navarre
Wrestling – Wyatt Sise, Gulf Breeze
Schools in both Escambia and Santa Rosa nominate their senior athletes for each sport and submit the paperwork to Pensacola Sports. A selection committee made of educators, community leaders, and Pensacola Sports board members reviews the anonymous applications and select the best person’s credentials for each sport. Those are the individual sport winners. Then they select the overall male and female winners from the individual sport winners.
Pictured: Tate High School’s Bailey Carter was the girls cheerleading winner at the Pensacola Sports Senior Scholar Athlete Banquet. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blackwater Prison COVID-19 Cases Hit 115 With Seven Deaths; Still Just One Case At Century Prison
May 28, 2020
The number of positive COVID-19 cases at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Milton has hit 115 while in North Escambia the Century prison remains at one case.
According to the latest data from the Florida Department of Corrections, there are now 101 inmates that have tested positive for coronavirus and 14 positive staff members. The Florida Depeartment of Health said there have been seven COVID-19 inmate deaths at the prison, which is operated by the The GEO Group.
There are currently 1,007 other inmates at Blackwater in medical quarantine. There are 553 inmates with pending tests results and 1,271 that tested negative.
In late March, one staff member at Century Correctional Institution tested positive for COVID-19. There have been no other confirmed cases since that time. Only three inmates have been tested; all were negative.
Wind Creek Announces Reopening Plans
May 28, 2020
Wind Creek Hospitality is reopening in Alabama over the next two weeks.
A soft opening to small groups of invited guests begins Thursday, June 4 followed by a public opening for the “new” full operation on Monday, June 8.
New policies to ensure that guests can enjoy themselves safely include temperature checks for all guests and employees, and masks or face coverings will be required for everyone. Guests are asked to bring their own mask. Players who do not have their own mask will be able to acquire one on property for a small donation supporting local first responders, health care providers, and COVID patient relief funds. Smoking will only be allowed in designated spots separate from the gaming floor, restaurants, and other public areas.
To accommodate social distancing, all of the properties will be limiting the number of guests on the casino floor; this “new” capacity is roughly one-third of normal operations. All locations are employing increased distances between tables in dining venues and clearly marking appropriate distances near hotel check-in, player services, and other areas where lines historically formed.
Upon reopening, the casino floor will be open to the public for four sessions each day and deep cleaning will be conducted between sessions. These deep cleaning efforts are in addition to the cleaning of each machine before and after every guest.
Once Wind Creek properties open for general admission on June 8, special waiting areas will be available for guests at each property if a property is at capacity.
Only Democrat To Prefile For Escambia District 5 Commission Seat Has Withdrawn
May 28, 2020
The only Democrat to prefile so far for the Escambia County Commission District 5 seat has withdrawn from the race.
Barbara Goins prefiled in June 2019 but officially withdrew from the race on Thursday.
Two Republicans, incumbent Steven Barry and Megan Walters, have also prefiled. The final field of candidates for the seat won’t be set until qualifying ends at noon on June 12.
USDA Approves Florida’s School Meals Program. Eligible Families To Receive Benefit In June.
May 28, 2020
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a Florida program to automatically issued benefits to children with no access to free and reduced price meals this summer.
The approval was announced Wednesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida’s Pandemic EBT Program (P-EBT).
Families eligible to receive free or reduced-priced school meals will automatically receive this benefit during the month of June; no further action is needed from recipients at this time.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF), in partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), developed a P-EBT program to automatically issue benefits during the month of June to more than 2.1 million children who have temporarily lost access to free and reduced-price school meals during COVID-19-related school closures.
“I applaud President Trump and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for allowing states to identify gaps in services and develop new and needed programs that will help parents be reassured that their children will continue to receive healthy lunches although the school year is completed,” said DeSantis. “Throughout the public health emergency, Florida has taken a proactive approach to supporting families and ensuring they have access to critical resources and services.”
Cost Rises To Design Replacement Bridge On O.C. Phillips Road
May 28, 2020
It’s going to cost more than anticipated to design a replacement bridge on O.C. Phillips Road over Brushy Creek.
In September 2017, the Escambia County Commission approved a Local Agency Program Agreement for design of the bridge replacement. In March 2020, during the 60% design and permitting phase, it became apparent that a different type permit would be required due to the scope of the wetlands impact.
Additional work includes delineation of jurisdictional wetlands, additional survey; species surveys; submittal of mitigation strategies, and agency verification, according to Escambia County. The cost for the additional work is $79,524 and will be shared 75% by the Florida Department and Transportation and 25% by Escambia County.
FDOT will reimburse the County up to $565,893 for expenses related to the design of the project. The required permit will iincrease FDOT’s share by $59,643, from $506,250 to $565,893. Escambia County’s share will increase by $19,881, from $168,750 to $188,631..
The current bridge on the dirt road was constructed in 1968.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
WATCH LIVE: NASA and SpaceX Launch To Space Scrubbed For Today
May 27, 2020
UPDATE: The launch for Wednesday has been scrubbed due to weather and rescheduled for 2:22 p.m. North Escambia time on Saturday.
Previous story:
Watch history unfold live as NASA and SpaceX launch astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station. This mission from Cape Canaveral in Florida marks the first time since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011 that humans will fly to the space station from U.S. soil.
Targeted launch is set for 3:33 p.m. North Escambia time.
Escambia Records Three More COVID-19 Deaths; Santa Rosa Cases Jump By 28
May 27, 2020
Three more COVID-19 deaths were reported in Escambia County, while Santa Rosa County reported 28 new cases on Wednesday , according to the Florida Department of Health.
The deaths were a 100-year old female and two males both age 78. All three were residents of long-term care facilities.
The number of cases in Escambia County was up seven to 776, and with the 28 new cases Santa Rosa is at 237. At least five of the new Santa Rosa cases were prison inmates.
Of the 29 deaths in Escambia County, 22 have been long-term care facility residents or staff. There have been eight deaths in Santa Rosa County, seven of those at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility and none in long-term care facilities.
Statewide, there were 52,634 cases including 51,283 Florida residents. There have been 9,639 hospitalizations and 2,319 deaths.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 776 (+7 since Tuesday)
- Pensacola — 566
- Cantonment — 48
- Bellview — 6
- Perdido Key — 1
- McDavid/Walnut Hill — 1
- Molino – 6
- Century — 2
- Hospitalizations: 64*
- Deaths — 29
- Male — 262
- Female — 370
- Youngest — 0
- Oldest — 105
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 237 (+28 since Tuesday)
- Milton — 149
- Navarre — 38
- Gulf Breeze — 28
- Pace — 16
- Jay — 2
- Residents: 129
- Nonresidents — 1
- Hospitalizations — 23*
- Deaths — 9
- Male — 171
- Female — 63
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 94
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 52,634
- Florida residents — 51,283
- Deaths — 2,319
- Hospitalizations — 9,639*
*“Hospitalizations” is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. These people may no longer be hospitalized. This number does not represent the number of COVID-19 positive persons currently hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized.
Walnut Hill Man Charged With Aggravated Assault Of Stepfather In Road Rage Incident
May 27, 2020
A Walnut Hill man has been charged with attempting to run into his stepfather in a road rage incident in North Escambia.
Andrew Corey Fanning, 28, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Fanning allegedly tried to run head-on into a Kia Rio driven by his stepfather and his stepfather’s wife on Lambert Bridge Road. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said he then turned around and chased him down Highway 164 and continued his actions as they headed south on Highway 29. The stepfather told deputies that Fanning swerved into his lane and he followed within inches of his bumper, putting him in fear for his life, according to an arrest report.
A woman in the truck with Fanning told deputies that he drove into his stepfather’s lane at a high rate of speed and swerved just inches away from a head-on collision before starting to chase him down Lambert Bridge Road, the report states.
The arrest report states Fanning told deputies that at no time did he try to strike his stepfather’s care, but he admitted he did follow him.
Fanning was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Atmore’s Parks And Splash Pad Now Open
May 27, 2020
Atmore has reopened their city parks, and the splash pad is now open.
Effective Wednesday, May 27, the Atmore splash pad is open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., seven days a week, according to Atmore Mayor Jim Staff.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.