Coody Appointed As U.S. Attorney For The Northern District Of Florida
January 5, 2022
Attorney General Merrick Garland has tapped Jason R. Coody to the be the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Coody was appointed acting United States Attorney in March 2021, after the resignation of then U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe. Prior to the appointment, he served as Acting U.S. Attorney under the Vacancies Reform Act.
“It is an honor to serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida and work every day to keep our communities safe,” Coody said. “I am privileged to serve with an incredibly talented team of professionals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and exceptional local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, who are all dedicated to the mission of justice.”
Coody’s primary office will be in Tallahassee. The Northern District of Florida.
West Florida High Cheer Captain Jazmine Olsen Commits To Western Kentucky University
January 5, 2022
West Florida High School varsity cheerleading captain Jazmine Olsen has committed to cheer for Western Kentucky University in the fall. The WKU cheer team was the 2021 D1A All Girl UCA national championship team.
Olsen is also a competitive all star cheerleader for the Cheer Athletics Worlds team.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jessica Phelps Is Kingsfield Elementary’s Teacher Of The Year
January 5, 2022
Jessica Phelps was selected as the Kingsfield Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She is a third grade teacher at Kingsfield. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Frosty Morning: How Cold Was It Near You? Find Out From This List.
January 4, 2022
Low temperatures were below freezing across most of Escambia County north of I-10 Tuesday morning. There was also a heavy frost across the North Escambia area.
Here are the low temperatures at select locations across Escambia County, with the coldest listed first:
- Beulah Fire Station, 27
- Northview High School (Bratt), 28
- Century Fire Station, 28
- Walnut Hill Fire Station, 28
- Tate High School, 27
- Escambia High School, 30
- Washington High School, 31
- University of West Florida, 31
- Pensacola High School, 32
- Pensacola Airport, 33
- Pensacola Beach, 35
It will be above freezing across Northwest Florida Tuesday night. Click here for the forecast.
Pictured: A heavy frost at sunrise Tuesday morning at the Century Fire Station, where the overnight low was 28 degrees.
Fire Causes Extensive Damage Inside Cantonment Advance Auto Parts
January 4, 2022
Fire caused extensive damage to the interior of the Cantonment Advance Auto Parts store early Tuesday morning.
About 4:15 a.m., the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglar alarm at the 2440 South Highway 29 business and found smoke coming from the building.
Merchandise and fixtures inside the store suffered extensive damage. The rest of the building suffered fire and smoke damage. There were no injuries reported.
The Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson & Explosives is investigating the cause of the fire.
The Ensley, Cantonment, Bellview. Ferry Pass and Bellview stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Pace Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded.
The auto parts store remains closed.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Attacking Woman With Machete
January 4, 2022
A Cantonment man has been charged with attacking a woman with a machete after she refused to give him money.
Lorenzo McNeal, 47, was charged with aggravated battery and robbery. He remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $350,000.
McNeal allegedly hit the woman several times with a machete and took $500 in cash, debit cards and two cellphones. The victim told deputies that she knew McNeal and was visiting him the morning of December 3. McNeal began asking about money she received in a lawsuit and his need to pay rent.
She went to a neighbor’s house. McNeal later arrived, threatening her life and to burn the house down if she did not go to the bank and give him money. He then pulled the machete from behind his back and attacked her with the dull side of the blade, the report states.
A deputy interviewing the victim saw smoke rising from the home where the alleged assault took place. The home burned and was found to be arson.
To date, McNeal has not been charged or named as a suspect in the arson.
Pictured above: Flames rage above a structure in Cantonment before the arrival of firefighters the morning of December 3. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
FPL Completes Gulf Power Integration; Customers To See Bill Increase
January 4, 2022
Florida Power & Light Company and Gulf Power Company have integrated and are now doing business as Florida Power & Light Company in Northwest Florida.
Former Gulf Power customers will see an increase of nearly $7 per month on their bills in January due to the increasing cost of natural gas.
Panhandle customers will see a near-term rate increase, but a reduction in the long term. The rate plan will directly support the largest solar buildout in the United States, including 16 million solar panels across more than 50 new sites. The company said that is enough to power one million homes.
The total increase in 2022 for the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month will be about $15 per month.
Former Gulf Power customers will now use the FPL.com website and log in with their existing username and password to manage their account. The FPL app will also be available for download to provide customers with instant, secure access to their accounts. In addition, customers will be able to report an outage through the website and app.
FPL will also rebrand Gulf Power office buildings, trucks and uniforms with the FPL logo over the coming months. During this transition period, customers may see employee uniforms and vehicles with either the FPL logo or Gulf Power logo.
Cantonment Homicide Victim Found With Dog Leashes Around Her Neck, Man Charged
January 4, 2022
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK OR TAP HERE.
Cantonment Homicide Suspect Dies Days After Hanging Himself In The County Jail
The investigation continues into the homicide of an elderly woman in Cantonment.
Lukas Mackenzie Snelson, 24, was charged with second degree homicide, grand theft of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.
Last Thursday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the end of Candy Lane in Cantonment for a death investigation. The victim was found deceased, seated in a recliner with two dog leashes wrapped around her neck, according to an arrest report obtained Monday. Her name and exact cause of death have not been released.
It was determined her 2018 Hyundai SUV was missing from the driveway. A family member told Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators that they were in contact with Snelson, who was claiming that he was currently with the victim in her vehicle, the report states. The family knew his claim was false because she was found deceased inside her home.
ECOS investigators located the vehicle and observed Snelson entering and exiting the vehicle in the parking lot of the Talecris Plasma Center at the intersection of Barrancas Avenue and Kincaid Street. Snelson was detained after a brief struggle in which he tried to pull away and run.
Snelson remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Low In The 30s Tonight
January 4, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 37. South wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 68. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 52. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 50.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
Escambia Relaunches Dashboard To Track Local COVID-19 Hospitalizations
January 4, 2022
Due to a rising number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, Escambia County has relaunched a COVID-19 dashboard.
On Monday, there were 104 people hospitalized in Escambia County due to coronavirus, two of which were under age 18. By Tuesday, there were 114 adults and no children hospitalized for COVID-19 in the county.
“As we mentioned previously, we will reimplement the COVID-19 dashboard if local hospitalizations reach 50 or higher,” said Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. “Unfortunately, we have reached over 100 hospitalizations in a quick time frame. We are going to continue to monitor the local hospitalizations daily, as well as provide weekly updates to the death count provided by the CDC. Our hope is that we see this number drop below 50 again very soon.”