Mesa’s Four Hits Not Enough In Mississippi’s 7-6 Defeat Of The Blue Wahoos
July 10, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell victim to another late Mississippi Braves rally on Saturday night, dropping their third in a row in dramatic fashion by a score of 7-6.
Victor Victor Mesa went 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple for the Blue Wahoos, but his performance was overshadowed by a game-winning two-run double from Mississippi’s C.J. Alexander with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
Pensacola starter Zach King allowed an early two-run homer to Drew Lugbauer in the first inning, but looked much sharper in his second Double-A start. The lefty allowed three runs on four hits over 5.0 innings with five strikeouts.
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth, the Blue Wahoos started a rally against Braves starter Tanner Gordon with a leadoff double from Norel González. RBI singles from J.D. Orr and Cobie Fletcher-Vance followed, and an RBI groundout from Bubba Hollins in the fifth tied the game 3-3.
The Blue Wahoos took their first lead in the sixth on a Ray-Patrick Didder RBI single, and run-scoring sacrifice flies from Griffin Conine and Paul McIntosh stretched the lead to 6-3. Mississippi got a run back in the sixth with a solo homer from Jalen Miller, but the Pensacola lead stayed 6-4 going to the final two innings.
Braves reliever Indigo Diaz (W, 1-4) worked around a Mesa triple with one out in the top of the eighth inning to set the stage for Alexander’s heroics against Eli Villalobos (L, 3-2) in the bottom of the frame. Tyler Ferguson (S, 3) worked a spotless ninth to earn the save for Mississippi.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the M-Braves on Sunday afternoon.
by Erik Bremmer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
William Donald “Don” McCrory, Jr.
July 10, 2022
William Donald “Don” McCrory, Jr. born in Pensacola, FL on November 1, 1968 left this world on June 24, 2022 in Birmingham AL at the age of 53.
Don was preceded in death by his grandparents: John & Helen Brinkman and William & Mildred McCrory; two aunts: Della Brinkman Railey and Bonnie McCrory Stacey; two uncles: John Brinkman Jr. and Benny McCrory; and countless other family members.
He is survived by his parents Eileen McCrory Tucker and William Donald McCrory, Sr.; brother Todd McCrory; son, Jon Vige, and granddaughter Blaire Vige; a very special friend, Susan Roldan; and many other family members.
A memorial service will be held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North on July 13 at 4 p.m. Visitation will be held prior to the service at 3 p.m
Two Charged With Attempted Armed Carjacking Of Woman At Highway 29 McDonald’s In Gonzalez
July 9, 2022
Two men have been arrested for trying to carjack a woman at the McDonalds in Gonzalez.
Kevon Lametris Keys, 19, and Diamond Kaneil Slack, 26, are charged with attempted carjacking with a weapon. Slack (pictured left) is also charged with aggravated assault.
The victim had just gone through the drive-thru at the McDonalds on Highway 29 near Old Chemstrand Road. She was in the waiting area of the drive-thru when she was approached by two males that pulled a gun and demanded that she exit her vehicle, according to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons.
“For some reason, they decide to change their mind, made a comment something about ‘you seem like a nice lady’, and they take off and run,” Simmons said.
Keys was jailed with bond set at $50,000, and bond was set at $55,000 for Slack.
Escambia Honors Firefighter And Paramedic Bill Halfacre As He Retires After 41 Years
July 9, 2022
This week, Escambia County Fire Rescue honored Willis “Bill” Halfacre as he retired with 41 years of dedicated service as a firefighter and paramedic.
“Well, I made it,” Halfacre said during the ceremony. “I appreciate everyone for being here today, and I am so thankful to Escambia County for everything they have done for me. They will always be remembered.”
Halfacre began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter with Ensley Volunteer Fire Department in January 1981. In 1989, Halfacre went to work part-time with Escambia County EMS as an EMT and eventually become a paramedic in May 1994.
He joined ECFR full-time in January 2000. Throughout his career, FF Halfacre received his HAZMAT certification, Fire Officer II certification, live fire training Instructor certification, pump operator certification and his AAS degree in fire science from Pensacola State College.
Family, friends, colleagues, local elected officials, local law enforcement and fire partners from nearby communities gathered to honor Halfacre. Escambia County District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender presented him with an official proclamation from the board thanking him for his service, and he also received a certificate of recognition from the office of Rep. Michelle Salzman.
Halfacre has been married to his wife Cassandra since 2005.
Missing, Endangered Flomaton Man Found Safe After 12 Hours In Creek
July 9, 2022
A missing and endangered Flomaton man was located early Saturday morning after over 12 hours in the waters of the Big Escambia Creek.
Gerry Don Thompson was last seen about 6 p.m. Friday in the area of the Flomaton Boat Landing on Big Escambia Creek, just off Highway 31 and the Skippy White Bridge. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, he is a 33-year old that lives with a condition that may impair his judgment.
“This was a great outcome with various different hands assisting. He is now back with his family,” Flomaton Police Chief Chance Thompson said.
“If you could have heard the excitement in the boat I was in with the other responders…it was truly amazing to hear him talk back to us,” the chief added.
The Flomaton Police Department was assisted by the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, Flomaton Fire Department, D.W. McMcMillan EMS, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s aviation unit and troopers, Alabama Department of Corrections, and several Good Samaritans.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
July 9, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 1am and 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10am. High near 87. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Sunday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 82. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 85. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Here Is The Schedule For Today’s Blue Angels Air Show
July 9, 2022
Here is the schedule for Saturday’s annual Pensacola Beach Air Show:
Julian MacQueen will lead off the civilian acts portion of the air show in his big, flying seaplane, a vintage 1943 Grumman Widgeon starting around 11 a.m.
Next up the Veteran’s Flight team will be over the Gulf. Organized by Pensacola attorney and pilot Roy Kinsey, about a dozen vintage Stearman bi-plane pilots from all over the Southeast will be flying World War II and Korean War veterans over Pensacola Beach on Saturday as a way to pay tribute to them, and give the tens of thousands of beach spectators a glimpse at aviation history.
Next, a U.S. Coast Guard Air Sea Rescue demonstration will take place near the beach pier from an MH-65D Dolphin medevac helicopter. The SAR aircrew consists of two pilots, one flight mechanic and a rescue swimmer. Depending on the nature of distress, the rescue swimmer deploys via freefall or hoist to provide assistance.
Following that, watch solo pilot Kevin Coleman push the limits of his bright yellow Extra 300 SHP stunt plane to create a visual spectacle like no other over Pensacola Beach.
Next up, pilots Ken Rieder and Adam Baker with Redline Aerobatic Team take to the skies in their signature red and black stunt planes to perform opposing stunts and inverted maneuvers and formations.
Stunt pilot Skip Stewart will then wow the crowds with high-skill passes and jaw-dropping maneuvers in his famous red, white and black-checkered bi-plane, Prometheus.
New to the show this year, Patty Wagstaff, the first woman to win the title of U.S. National Aerobatic champion and a six-time member of the U.S. Aerobatic Team, will take the sky over Pensacola Beach. Her breathtaking performances give air show spectators a front-row seat view of the precision and complexity of hard-core aerobatics.
Closing out the civilian acts, solo pilot Gary Ward will zip overhead in his green and purple MX2 aircraft, showcasing an aerobatic act packed with breathtaking maneuvers that range from zero speed hovers to dives in excess of 250 mph.
Following the civilian stunt pilot performances, there will be about a 35-minute window for spectators to cool off and take a dip in the Gulf before lifeguards clear the water again in anticipation of the start of the Blue Angels show.
At 2 p.m., look to the Gulf horizon as a famous C-130J aircraft, affectionately known as Fat Albert, followed by six signature blue and gold F-18 Super Hornets, make their way over Pensacola Beach. For the next 50 minutes, spectators will get a glimpse of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels aeronautic maneuvers like the Diamond Dirty Loop, the Double Farvel, the Vertical Pitch, the Fleur-de-Lis, the Opposing Knife-Edge pass, and the crowd-favorite Sneak Pass. These are just a few of the mind-blowing displays of choreographed precision flying the Navy’s flight demonstration team has perfected over the past 75 years.
NorthEscambia.com file photos by Perry Doggrell, click to enlarge.
Blue Angels Show: Here’s How To Get Around The Beach Today On The Trolley
July 9, 2022
To help alleviate traffic congestion for the Pensacola Beach Air Show, the Santa Rosa Island Authority is adding extra buses to the schedule on Saturday
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., the SRIA will have seven buses in addition to the three open-air trolleys running and will extend their service area to Park East until 6 p.m. Following that, the three open-air trolleys will resume normal operations until midnight.
Buses and trolleys will service passengers from Park East and Park West to Casino Beach throughout the day. Post-show, trolleys servicing Portofino Resort/Park East will be staged on Via de Luna directly across from Santa Rosa Island Authority (facing east). Trolleys servicing Park West will be staged on Ft. Pickens Road adjacent to The Sandshaker (facing west).
Due to extreme traffic and congestion buildup Saturday, trolley service to the access road stops (Grand Marlin, Radical Rides/Laguna’s, Quietwater Beach and the Boardwalk) will be temporarily suspended until 6 p.m.
The SRIA wants to remind all passengers that they will only be picked up and dropped off at designated trolley stops.
Passengers who wish to get back to their vehicles as soon as the air show ends need to be on the first fleet of buses leaving Casino Beach post show. Due to the gridlock that occurs immediately following the air show, riders should expect to wait as long as 90 minutes for the trolleys or buses to return to Casino Beach if they are not on the first trip out.
Thomas L. Silcox
July 9, 2022
, 88, of Pensacola, Florida passed away Monday, July 4, 2022 after a long battle with chronic kidney disease.
Tommy was born April 2, 1934 in Seminole, AL to Annie Givens and Henry Davis Silcox. He was one of eight children and is survived by two sisters, Alyce Emmons, and Margaret McLarin. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Tommy graduated from J.M. Tate High School and joined the Air Force right after. He served during the Korean War and spent time deployed in Japan. After his military service, the majority of his career was with International Paper, where he met the love of his life, Max Blackwell. They married in 1964, had three daughters, and were blissfully married for 43 years until her passing in 2007.
Tommy was an all-around outdoorsman and loved to hunt, fish, and camp.
He is survived by his daughters; Tina Conner (Ryan), Anita Day, and Donna Hastings (Scott); and 5 grandchildren; Taylor Rogers (Nate), Shelby Day, Payton Conner, Jaylon Conner, and Sydney Day.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, July 9, 2022 at Faith Chapel North at 11 a.m. with visitation at 10 a.m.
Eunice McGhee Presley-Pierce
July 9, 2022
, 85 years young, was surrounded by family in her home as she was made whole at 10am on July 1, 2022 and went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She was born September 10, 1936 to Farrish McGhee and Pearl Barnhill-McGhee in the Alyssa community near Uriah, Alabama. As a child, her family moved to Walnut Hill, Florida. A few years later, she moved with her family to their 88 acre McGhee Homestead and farm located in Huxford, Alabama.
She shared many stories of her childhood. To earn money for school clothes, she would pick as many oranges as she ate until her skin would turn orange or rise early to pick cotton before going to school. Her Mother baked potatoes that she would put in her pockets to keep her hands warm on the way to school, which also made a great school lunch. Growing up on a farm she learned the art of planting, harvesting and putting up the freshest veggies straight from the field. And oh, what an incredible banquet spread she could prepare. Never afraid of hard work, she acquired a car from her sister, Daisy, at the age of 13 and began a career at Vanity Fair sewing…no license and under age.
She was close to all her siblings. You could catch her visiting with Daisy, running the roads with Aubrey, or going on a shopping spree with Eloise (who we affectionately called, Thelma & Louise). Dating consisted of sitting together at Huxford Pentecostal Church then Mother and Daddy following closely in the car behind on the way home. It was there that she met the dashingly handsome Fred Lee Presley. After marrying, they moved to Pensacola. It was there they lived and raised their three girls (Hayes Street…Hwy 29 Cantonment, Mississippi Circle and back to Hwy 29 home in Cantonment they had built together). Eunice & Fred were married 24 years. As a young adult, Eunice worked as a car hop on skates at a popular local ice cream and burger drive-in at the circle on the corner of Mobile Hwy and Warrington Road. She finally settled into her career as a school bus driver from which she retired, May 24, 2002 with 30 years of service. She often said that she wanted her house to be paid off by the last time she pulled her bus into the drive. She worked hard to fulfill that dream.
On March 15, 1977, Eunice married the wonderful E.D. “Bob” Pierce on his birthday. Oh, how they loved one another! They lived in Pensacola on B street until they designed and built a home together on Rebel Road. She wanted to start a petition to change the road name because she was anything but a rebel. They were married for 37 years. Her favorite hobby was fishing. Put a fishing pole in her hand and she would fish the hours away whether the fish were biting or not. Eunice was passionate about showing the love of Christ through her actions and the talent God had given her. Her face would light up and tears come to her eyes when she spoke of God using her through singing, testifying and playing the piano as she traveled and ministered with the Southern Gospel singing groups, “Faith Trio” (Eunice, Rosetta and Annie Mae) and the Gospel Harmonairs” (family group for over 40 years in ministry). She was so touched when people came to the altar to give their hearts to the Lord as she felt God using her to make a difference in the lives of others. She also enjoyed ministering and singing with her cousin Linda (who was more like a sister to her) and friend Barbara for several years. She fiercely loved her family! It didn’t stop there… You could say that she SIMPLY, UNCONDITIONALLY LOVED WELL! To know her was to know you were loved! Her biggest prayer request she had even written and put in her Bible was that her family would be saved. When asked what she would do when she saw Jesus, she said, “I just want to hug Him”. There are no words that can come close to sharing the legacy of faith and love she leaves behind. She was the example and glue that taught us how to to live, forgive and love well.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Farrish and Pearl McGhee; Husband, E.D. Bob Pierce; Sister, Daisy (Wes) Long); Brother-n-law, Jasper Stewart; Sister-n law, Shirley McGhee.
She is survived by: Anita Carol Presley (daughter), Judy Marie Presley (daughter), Reverend ReGina Gayle Presley (Robert) Bryan (daughter), James Aubrey McGhee (brother), Eloise Stewart (Sister), Four Grandchildren: Brian (Kellie) Malone, Taylor Edwards, Christina Bryan, David Bryan. Seven Great-Grand Children: Garrett, Michael, Kayleb & Jordan Malone; Mariah, Taylee & Avery Edwards. We acknowledge Kristy McRae & John Hawkins and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who will miss her greatly. Special thanks to Ace Jones, Faye Blue, our Poarch Creek Indian family, Ensley UMC Church family, Dr. Shepherd, Regency Hospice, Synergy Caregivers, Shannon, Grace, Eunice, Addie and especially Shay and niece, Patsy, who along with the family, ministered special loving care in times of need.
Rev. Timothy Nail and Rev. Gina Bryan will be officiating her Celebration of Life service Monday, July 11th. Visitation 9:30am, Service 10:30am @ Faith Chapel North (1000 S Hwy 29, Cantonment, FL) followed by a 12-noon graveside internment at Pensacola Memorial Gardens (7433 Pine Forest Road, Pensacola, Florida).