First Responders Collect Donations For Manna During ‘Donut Strike’
June 23, 2023
Local first responders collected food and monetary donations for Manna to help fight hunger.
They were on a “Donut Strike”, stationed at grocery stores across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to collect food and monetary donations.
For photos from the Winn Dixie in Cantonment Thursday, click here.
Pictured: Donations were collected Thursday afternoon from Manna at the Winn Dixie on Highway 29 in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
TSA Pauses Upgrades At Pensacola Airport Due To High Traffic
June 23, 2023
The Transportation Security Administration has agreed to pause their ongoing security checkpoint replacement at Pensacola International Airport, due to record-breaking traveler traffic and concerns expressed to TSA by City of Pensacola and airport officials.
This summer has seen unprecedented growth in travelers flying through Pensacola International Airport, with record numbers resulting in long lines at the TSA checkpoint. To add to this challenge, TSA is in the midst of a pre-planned and previously scheduled modernization program that includes replacing its screening equipment.
The remainder of the project is tentatively scheduled to be phased in two parts, with the first resuming after the July 4th holiday and concluding before the Labor Day weekend. The remaining phase will take place after the Labor Day weekend. Airport officials will continue to partner with TSA leadership to minimize any further impacts resulting from their equipment upgrades.
Pensacola International Airport travelers are encouraged to continue arriving at least two hours early to go through the TSA checkpoint.
TSA is replacing the current screening equipment with state-of-the-art CT scanner technology that will improve the accuracy of scans, reduce the number of bags diverted for manual screening, and improve passenger throughput. The project schedule was determined by TSA based on the availability of the equipment and contractor.
Poarch Creek CFO’s Wife Passes Away, The Fourth Fatality From Sunday Wreck
June 23, 2023
A fourth victim has passed away due to a wreck caused by a man allegedly driving under the influence Sunday in Baldwin County.
Jeanna Speegle, wife of Poarch Creek CFO Tim Speegle, passed away after being critically injured in the crash She is the wife of Poarch Band of Creek Indians CFO Tim Speegle, who was pronounced deceased deceased Sunday. Christie Lowe, 47, and her daughter Margaret, 19, were also killed in the wreck on the Baldwin Beach Express in Robertsdale, according to authorities.
David Colburn, 60, was booked into the Baldwin County Jail on a count of driving under the influence and three counts of manslaughter.
Monteverde Leads Blue Wahoos To 4-2 Win Over Tennessee
June 23, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won the first game of their scheduled doubleheader 4-2 over the Tennessee Smokies on Thursday before rain forced the postponement of game two.
The second game will be made up as part of another doubleheader Saturday beginning at 4:30 CT.
Patrick Monteverde (W, 7-1) earned his league-leading seventh win, allowing only one earned run over 5.2 innings to lower his league-leading ERA to 2.13.
The Smokies jumped out to an early lead, as Pete Crow-Armstrong led off the first inning with a bunt single and circled the bases thanks to a pair of throwing errors. The Blue Wahoos answered back in the second with a two-run homer from Norel González, but Tennessee’s Nelson Maldonado tied the game 2-2 with a solo homer in the second.
Monteverde and Smokies starter Walker Powell (L, 3-4) traded zeroes until the top of the sixth, when José Devers led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a lineout. Troy Johnston drew a walk before the Smokies brought in reliever Luke Little to face Will Banfield. The Pensacola catcher came through with an RBI double to give the Blue Wahoos a 4-2 lead.
Monteverde got into trouble in the sixth, but Austin Roberts (S, 2) escaped the jam and returned to work a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
First pitch Friday from Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
written by Erik Bremer
Two Atmore Men Arrested In Monday Murder Of Man Driving Near Pace
June 22, 2023
Two Atmore men have been arrested for a fatal shooting Monday evening in Pace.
Joseph Liebe, 24, was in the area of Wallace Lake Road off Quintette Road and was shot while driving away. His vehicle crashed into a nearby wooded area.
James Jacobey Quartise, 20, is charged with first degree murder, and Marcus Terel Dickinson, 29, is charged with second degree murder. They are being held in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton awaiting extradition back to Santa Rosa County. SRSO investigators have traveled to Brewton to interview the suspects.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said Thursday morning that a definite motive is not known, but investigators believe it was a robbery. Johnson said there was no evidence of any drug activity, but it is believed the suspects had some sort of contact with Liebe earlier in the day and knew he might be been carrying money.
Shortly after the murder, deputies received a basic description of the suspect vehicle as a maroon Tahoe. That vehicle was later traced to Atmore, where search warrants were served on the vehicle and at the residences of both suspects.
Johnson said that social media rumors that this was some sort of gang activity are not true.
“There is no gang activity,” the sheriff said. “We don’t have any evidence to link this to gang activity.”
Johnson thanked the Atmore Police Department and the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, including Sheriff Heath Jackson, for their assistance.
Molino Man Wins $1 Million Lottery Prize – For The Second Time
June 22, 2023
Scottie Grant of Molino is a lucky man. He has won $1 million on a lottery scratch-off ticket for the second time in six months.
“I’m back!” Grant said, smiling broadly after claiming a second $1 million prize from the 500x The Cash game at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000.
His other $1 million win came in December 2022 when also chose the one-time $820,000 payout.
With $648K From The State, Century To Begin $1.3 Million Water Well Replacement
June 22, 2023
The Town of Century does not yet know where half the money will come from as they move forward to replace a water well that exclusively serves Century Correctional Institution.
Florida’s budget, signed last week by Gov. Ron DeSantis, included $628,500 to replace the failed “Well No. 3″, half of the $1.297 million that was requested.
Town council members agreed this week that the well must be replaced, and they will look at the funding source for the balance — possibly American Rescue Plan funds, Local Options Sales Tax or the water fund.
The council voted to approve the first expenditure of $143,400 to Municipal Engineering Services for project management, design and permitting.
After multiple problems, the well suffered a catastrophic failure during the summer of 2022 and no longer provided water to the prison for staff and inmates. A shaft shattered into a dozen or more pieces and fell to the bottom of the well.
Water service was restored through a permanent interconnect from Central Water Works to the Century water system that was completed in late May 2020 to provide a dependable water supply to the prison. The interconnect was installed after the town’s water well that was the sole water supply for the prison suffered a repairable failure in early May 2020. That forced the town to use two-inch fire hoses from a Central Water Works fire hydrant on the south side of Tedder Road to the prison on the north side of the road until a permanent solution was in place and the well was repaired.
A temporary pump provides some water, but it must be supplemented by water from the two wells that supply the town’s citizens or from the Center Water Works interconnect. “Operation of these additional supplies is manually controlled and subject to interruptions,” according to Rep. Michelle Salzman’s funding request.
School Board Approves Contract With Interim Superintendent Keith Leonard
June 22, 2023
The Escambia County School Board has unanimously approved a contract with interim Superintendent Keith Leonard.
Leonard took over June 1 after the board voted 3-2 in May to terminate former Superintendent Tim Smith. Leonard, previously the assistant superintendent of human resources, was the runner-up in the selection process with Smith was hired in 2020.
In the contract, he will be paid $160,000 per year plus $500 per month for automobile expenses and $200 a month for business expenses. He can also receive $3,000 to $7,500 in incentives based upon his performance evaluation.
The contract ends June 30, 2024, at which time the board can extend or modify the agreement if a permanent superintendent has not been found.
Like Smith, Leonard can be terminated by the board without cause. He can resign with a 90 day notice.
NorthEscambia.com image, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 45 Years After High Speed Chase, Assaulting Trooper
June 22, 2023
An Escambia County man with a long criminal history has been sentenced to state prison after leading state troopers on a high speed chase.
Gregory Bernard Henderson, Jr. was sentenced to 45 years by Judge John Simon for aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer and fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer with lights and sirens activated at high speed. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding him guilty as charged on all counts.
On the afternoon of June 21, 2022, a state trooper located a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited driven by Gregory Bernard Henderson in the parking lot of a Whataburger on Pensacola Boulevard, and the trooper attempted to make a traffic stop, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. As another Trooper responded as a backup unit and entered the parking lot directly in front of the stolen vehicle, Henderson drove into the right side of the trooper’s patrol car.
Henderson drove out of the Whataburger parking lot and traveled north on Highway 29 at a high rate of speed. As a FHP supervisor arrived on scene, Henderson then drove recklessly across the median and into the Tom Thumb parking lot at Highway 29 and Airport Boulevard. He then drove west on Airport where he disregarded the red light at the intersection of North W Street and at Marcus Pointe Boulevard. Additional troopers arrived on scene and attempted the PIT maneuver and were able to surround the vehicle at the intersection of Highway 29 and W Street.
Henderson refused multiple commands to exit the vehicle, and access was gained through a broken window. With the assistance of Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies, troopers were able to arrest Henderson “after a brief moment of resistance”, according to FHP.
Henderson has over a dozen previous felony convictions including four fleeing to eludes, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, resisting arrest with violence, and grand theft. He had been released from prison less than a year. Based on the defendant’s criminal record, he was sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender and a habitual felony offender.
The first 15 years of the sentence must be served day for day as a statutory minimum mandatory for aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer followed by 30 years for fleeing or attempting to elude.
“The defendant has shown he is a risk to the safety of the citizens of Escambia County, Law Enforcement, and anyone who is unfortunate enough to share the road with him,” prosecuting attorney Christopher Patterson argued at sentencing.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour and others, click to enlarge.
Local First Responders On Donut Strike For Manna; Here’s Where To Donate
June 22, 2023
Local first responders are on strike — teaming up again to fight hunger.
The brave men and women are going on strike against doughnuts through Friday to encourage the community to fight local hunger by supporting Manna. They won’t give in until truckloads of nutritious food has been donated to the cause.
Each day of the Donut Strike, first responders will be stationed at grocery stores across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties from 3 to 6 p.m. to collect food and monetary donations.
Locations are as follows:
THURSDAY
- Winn-Dixie — 1550 South Highway 29, Cantonment
- Walmart Neighborhood Market — 334 Gulf Breeze Pkwy.
- Winn-Dixie — 4751 Bayou Blvd.
- Winn-Dixie — 4224 Hwy. 90
- Publix– 5055 N. 9th Ave.
- Winn-Dixie — 3319 Gulf Breeze Pkwy.
- Publix — 5998 Mobile Hwy.
- Walmart – 3767 Gulf Breeze Pkwy.
FRIDAY
- Winn-Dixie — 1550 South Highway 29, Cantonment
- Publix — 8684 Beulah Rd.
- Walmart — 2650 Creighton Rd.
- Winn-Dixie — 4224 Hwy. 90
- Sam’s Club — 1250 Airport Blvd.
- Winn-Dixie — 3319 Gulf Breeze Pkwy.
- Walmart — 3767 Gulf Breeze Pkwy.
- Publix — 1430 Tiger Park Ln.
- Publix — 852 Gulf Breeze Pkwy.