Jay Shuts Out Northview; Navarre Tops Tate 8-3
April 7, 2023
Jay 10, Northview 0
Jay senior Jenna Toups pitched a complete game 10-0 shutout of the Northview Chiefs Thursday night in Bratt.
Toups allowed three hits and recorded four strikeouts.
For Northview, Emma Gilmore allowed no hits and one run walking one in two-thirds of an inning. Jamison Gilman threw six and a third innings, allowing 12 hits. nine runs and one walk while striking out three.
Caitlyn Gavin was 3-3 for Jay at the plate, Kassidy Nevels was 2-3, and Brett Watson was 2-5.
Makayla Golson was 2-3 for Northview at bat, and Chloe Ragsdale was 1-2.
Next Tuesday, Northview will travel to Baker and Jay will host Gulf Breeze.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Navarre 8, Tate 3
Navarre defeated the Tate Aggies 8-3 Thursday night.
Jordan Smith took the loss for the Lady Aggies, going four and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits and three runs while striking out three. Kate Balagbagan threw two and third innings, giving up five hits, five runs and striking out three.
Kara Wine, Amburleigh Laird and Peyton Womack each had one hit for Tate.
The Tate Lady Aggies will host Meade County of Brandenburg, Kentucky, Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Pictured: The Jay Royals shut out the Northview Chiefs Thursday night in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Easter Egg Hunts, Festivals Planned For Saturday. Here’s A List.
April 7, 2023
Multiple egg hunts and Easter festivals are planned for Saturday:
Molino Community Easter Festival
An Easter Festival will be held in Molino on Saturday, April 8 from 4 until 6:30 p.m. at the Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A. Hosted by Highland Baptist Church, the event will have fun for the entire family. Bounce house, egg hunt, carnival games, hot dogs and more. The Parking Latte will also be there with coffees, teas and pastries.
Dogwood Park Baptist
Dogwood Park Baptist Church at 3301 Highway 97 will host an Easter Egg hunt and games on Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. until noon. Bring a basket and join the fun.
Community Easter Egg Hunt – Bratt
Shiloh FWB Church at 5400 North Highway 99 in Bratt will host a Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8 at 11 a.m. Food, fun and an egg hunt.
Beulah Dash – Escambia County Equestrian Center
The annual Beulah Dash hosted by Marcus Pointe Baptist Church – Beulah is Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. The egg hunt begins at 11 a.m. for children fifth grade and under, along with a special needs hunt. Food trucks, inflatables and more.
Marine Corps League Egg Hunt — Pensacola
The Cpl. J.R. Spears Detachment of the Marine Corps League will hold its inaugural Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8 at 10 a.m. at Admiral Mason Park, 200 South 9th Avenue, Pensacola. The event is free, and all children will receive entry to the egg hunt. Different local veterans and active duty resources will be available to connect the community. Snacks and water will be available for purchase. Over 2,000 prize eggs will be placed in cordoned off sections for children to find.
Egga-Wahooza — Community Maritime Park
Egga-Wahooza will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Community Maritime Park. Marcus Pointe Baptist will host the annual hunt with over 50,000 eggs. There will be multiple age categories from ages 0 to fifth grade, and a special needs hunt. There will also be food trucks on site.
Hadji Shrine Temple
Hadji Shrine Temple at 800 West Nine Mile Road will hold their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8. The event opens at 10 a.m., brunch is at 10:30 and the Easter egg hunt is at 11 a.m. The Easter bunny will arrive at 11:30 a.m. with games and goodies. This event is open to the public.
Flag Football: Northview, Pine Forest, PHS, Tate (With Gallery)
April 7, 2023
Here are high school girls flag football scores from Thursday:
- Pace 52, Tate 6
- Pine Forest 30, Pensacola High 0
- Pensacola high 6, Northview 0
- Pine Forest 28, Northview 7
For a photo gallery with Northview, Pine Forest and PHS, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Good Friday Holiday, Weekend Closures And Trash Info
April 7, 2023
The following closures have been announced for Good Friday and the Easter weekend.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Escambia County offices will be closed Friday, April 7:
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners – all departments including:
- West Florida Public Libraries (all locations)
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Tax Collector
- Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
- Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
- Escambia County Extension Office
- Waste Services Administration
- ECAT administrative offices
Escambia County notes/exceptions:
- The Perdido Landfill will be open with regular hours Friday, April 7.
- ECAT buses will operate regular service Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8. ECAT buses and UWF trolleys will not run service on Easter Sunday, April 9. Regular service will resume Monday, April 10.
- The Department of Animal Welfare will resume regular hours Saturday, April 8
- West Florida Public Libraries will remain closed Saturday, April 8. All locations will resume regular hours Monday, April 10.
ECUA
- The ECUA Customer Service office will be closed on Friday, April 7, in observance of Good Friday. However, the drive-thru payment area and all ECUA business offices will be open. All residential and commercial sanitation collections for ECUA will be unaffected by the holiday and will be carried out as usual.
TOWN OF CENTURY
- Town of Century offices will be closed for Good Friday. However, Town Hall will open at 5:30 p.m. for a council swearing in ceremony at 6 p.m.
Barbara Dianne Monroe
April 7, 2023
Barbara Dianne Monroe, age 77, of Oak Grove, FL passed away on April 6, 2023. She was born on October 10, 1945 in Pensacola, FL to the late Clifford Shelby and Lydia Anne Rigby Gideons. She was employed with Vanity Fair Corporation until her retirement. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Howard L. Monroe; her son, William Randall Rowell and her brother, Charles Edward Gideons, Sr.
She is survived by her daughter, Angela Powell (Andrew) Pipkin of Forest Home, AL; her two cousins, Margaret Anne Perry and William Lee Rigby, Jr.; her special caretaker niece, Ondrea Gideons and special caretaker, Joseph Feliciano; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren along with her nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. James Boyd officiating. Interment will follow in Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Oak Grove, FL.
Visitation will be held Saturday, April 8, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. until service time at 11 a.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in Atmore, AL.
Although Behind Schedule, Officials Say Manufacturing Company Is Still Locating In Century
April 6, 2023
The startup date for a new industry in Century is running a little behind a previously announced schedule, but officials say the company is still committed to operations in the town’s industrial park.
In January, the 50-year old foreign company agreed to lease a building in the Century Industrial Park. The company will set up their first domestic manufacturing and warehouse distribution facility serving the oil and gas industry in what is commonly known as the Helicopter Technology Building.
“They are still working to establish their U.S. presence and we are being patient while they are moving forward,” FloridaWest Business Development Officer Danita Andrews said Wednesday. “We can confirm that they are moving forward and are still committed to Century.”
In January, officials said the company could begin warehouse operations by the end of February with a forthcoming expansion into manufacturing.
The company is working to establish their legal presence in the United States in order to execute a lease with the town, Mayor Ben Boutwell said.
The company has agreed to pay the appraised value of the building — $7.833.33 a month, totaling $188,000 the first two years. The lease will continue for five years with a 3% annual increase beginning in the third year. The company will accept the building “as-is” and pay all utilities, maintenance, insurance and taxes.
The town re-acquired the industrial building at public auction for less than $1 out of pocket back in August 2009, following the town’s foreclosure judgment against the now defunct Helicopter Technology company. The building has sat empty since then.
According to FloridaWest, the company plans to hire five people initially, with a goal of 10 employees by the end of the year with an average salary of $46,570 — the average wage in the Pensacola area.
The FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance is the economic development organization for Escambia County. Most details about the new company and their plans remain confidential during discussions, as is allowed and is standard in economic development in Florida.
Mostly Cloudy Today, High In The Mid 80s; Rain Chance Increases Friday
April 6, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 72. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 80.
Century’s $10 Million Application For Gym, Shelter Project Hits Another Snag
April 6, 2023
Century’s plans to seek a $10 million grant to turn the old Century High School gym into a multipurpose facility that could also serve as a hurricane or other disaster shelter has hit another snag.
The town does not own the old gym, which was constructed in 1960; it belongs to Pensacola State College.
The town council voted this week to continue with the grant application, contingent upon PSC giving transferring the building and property to the town. A long term lease, Council President Luiz Gomez said, is not an option.
As we previously reported, town consultant Robin Phillips, who is managing the grant submissions, said the gym is laden with asbestos and lead. It has been essentially abandoned for years, and is in poor condition. For those reasons, Phillips said an architect is recommending that the building be demolished and rebuilt.
A few weeks ago, the council considered PSC as a co-applicant for the grant, but that plan is off the table.
Phillips said she will write the grant as being contingent upon the ownership transfer. Otherwise, the town will withdraw the application.
Mayor Ben Boutwell said he spoke to the college president, but their board must approve the transfer. The PSC board’s next meeting is not until just after the April 14 grant application deadline.
The council discussed seeking the $10 million to build the multipurpose building and shelter elsewhere on town-owned property, including the industrial park. Phillips said there was not enough time before the deadline for a required public notice and comment period in order to change the location.
Century is also seeking a seperate $2,862,137 grant to replace a failed bridge on Freedom Road that has been closed for three years, and make drainage improvements to two other bridges that suffered embankment erosion during Hurricane Sally. The bridge and drainage grant will not be impacted by the continuation or withdrawal of the gym application.
The grant, if awarded, would be from Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Small Cities Hurricane Sally Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding through the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program.
Former Navy Federal Employee Charged In $357K Theft, Fraud Case
April 6, 2023
A former Navy Federal Credit Union employee has been arrested for grand theft and fraud in connection with over $350,000 in fraud from account holders.
Johnathan Toriana Coleman Jr., 28, of Delray Beach, was charged with one felony count each of bank fraud, grand theft and organized fraud.
The investigation showed that Coleman used his position while employed in Pensacola to supply customer account information to a third party, who would pose as the member and initiate unauthorized transfers of funds to mule accounts at the credit union.
Agents discovered that Coleman helped defraud 38 account holders out of a total of $357,491, and that, within three days of each illegal transfer made by the third party, Coleman received payments from the third party totaling nearly $30,000.
All of the affected account holders have since been notified by the credit union.
Agents with FDLE’s Miami Regional Operations Center, with assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Coleman. Coleman was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on $115,000 bond. He will be extradited to Escambia County
Motorcycle Crash On Pensacola Beach Kills Driver, Critically Injures Passenger
April 6, 2023
One person from Escambia County was killed and another was airlifted to the hospital following in motorcycle crash Wednesday evening on Pensacola Beach.
The 23-year old male driver lost control of his motorcycle in a curve and struck a curb on Fort Pickens Road near the Margaritaville Beach Hotel about 6:11 p.m. The Florida Highway Patrol said he was pronounced deceased at the scene. His 21-year old female passenger from Pensacola was flown to the hospital in critical condition.
FHP is continuing their investigation.