Mesa’s Multi-Homer Game Not Enough Wahoos 7-4 Loss
August 4, 2023
One out into the third inning, the Blue Wahoos’ lefthander Luis Palacios was repeating his past two stellar outings.
The next five Biloxi Shuckers batters, however, changed the script and the game.
The top of their order ignited for five runs off Palacios in that sequence, including back-to-back homers, that led to Biloxi’s 7-4 win Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It continued Biloxi’s power brigade that has now produced 146 runs since mid-July’s season resumption – the most scored by any team in Minor League Baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers affiliate is 14-4 during this stretch.
Palacios, who had allowed just one unearned run on six hits in his past two starts, retired seven of the first eight batters he faced Thursday. But a one-out single against No. 9 hitter Felix Valerio was followed by a double, a run-scoring single, then a two-run homer by Isaac Collins and solo shot by Wes Clarke. For Clarke, this was his ninth homer since July 1 and fourth of the series.
The Blue Wahoos took a 2-0 lead in the second when Victor Mesa Jr. led off with the first of his two home runs Thursday. Bennett Hostetler then drove home Griffin Conine with a single.
Mesa repeated the leadoff feat in the sixth inning with his blast over the center field wall, which became the first multi-homer game of his career. He finished 3-for-4 with two RBI. Conine then reached on a hit batter and scored on Hostetler’s second RBI single, cutting Biloxi’s lead to 5-4.
But an errant throw by Hostetler after a seventh-inning strikeout against Shuckers star Jackson Chourio resulted in teammate Lamar Sparks scoring after he was headed for second on the play.
The Blue Wahoos had just one hit in the final three innings.
Pregame activities Thursday included the Jay High marching band, which performed the National Anthem and played outside the stadium before the game. The Jay High cheerleading squads were also part of pregame performances as part of the annual Jay High Spirit Night.
Jay baseball coach Duane Raley threw out a ceremonial first pitch and was among the athletic staff attending the game.
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
‘Unimaginable Tragedy’ — Marine’s Family Members – Ages 33, 6 And 7 – Drown Near NAS Pensacola
August 3, 2023
The bodies of a U.S. Marine’s family have been recovered at NAS Pensacola in an “unimaginable tragedy”.
Wednesday night, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to NAS Pensacola to assist NAS Police. When deputies arrived, they assisted in recovering a 33-year-old female who had washed ashore near Barrancas Beach.
Deputies were advised that two juveniles, ages 6 and 7, were believed to have been in the water with the female. The ECSO, U.S. Navy, and Escambia County Search and Rescue utilized all available search efforts into the morning hours of August 3.
At around 7:00 a.m. Thursday, the two juveniles’ bodies were recovered near the shoreline.
The woman and two children were family members of a U.S. Marine who had an address onboard NAS Pensacola, according to the ECSO.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families during this time,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Breakfast And Lunch Are Free For Every Student At 44 Escambia Schools; Others Must Apply
August 3, 2023
Breakfast and lunch are free for all students, regardless of income, during the upcoming school year at 44 schools in Escambia County. Applications must be submitted for free or reduced price lunches at all other schools.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program means that parents of the students at these schools are not required to submit an application for the Free and Reduced Meal program at that school. However, siblings attending schools not on the CEP list will need to apply for eligibility.
The free meal schools are selected based upon income levels.
Meal applications, or payment, will be required at: Beulah Elementary, Blue Angels Elementary, Cook Elementary, Cordova Park Elementary, Hellen Caro Elementary, Kingsfield Elementary, Suter Elementary, Brown Barge Middle, Ransom Middle, Tate High and West Florida High. Parents at these schools should plan on providing their child with money for their meals until eligibility is established to avoid creating a deficit in their account. Funds can be added to student accounts online at myschoolapps.com.
This program has been in place since 2015 in Escambia County and was not related to the pandemic.
Free meal schools are:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- Bellview Elementary
- Bratt Elementary
- Byrneville Elementary
- Brentwood Elementary
- C.A. Weis Elementary
- Ensley Elementary
- Ferry Pass Elementary
- Global Learning Academy
- Holm Elementary
- Jim Allen Elementary
- Lincoln Park Elementary
- Lipscomb Elementary
- Longleaf Elementary
- McArthur Elementary
- Molino Park Elementary
- Montclair Elementary
- Myrtle Grove Elementary
- Navy Point Elementary
- Oakcrest Elementary
- Pine Meadow Elementary
- Pleasant Grove Elementary
- Scenic Heights Elementary
- O.J. Semmes Elementary
- Sherwood Elementary
- Warrington Elementary
- West Pensacola Elementary
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
- Bailey Middle
- Bellview Middle
- Beulah Middle
- Ernest Ward Middle
- Ferry Pass Middle
- Workman Middle
HIGH SCHOOLS
- Escambia High
- Northview High
- Pensacola High
- Pine Forest High
- Washington High
OTHER SCHOOLS AND CENTERS
- Acceleration Academy
- Achieve Academy
- Capstone
- Escambia Westgate Center
- Hope Horizon
- Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy
- Success Academy
Free/reduced meal applications are available here.
Pictured: An Escambia County School lunch. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Teachers Return To School
August 3, 2023
Teachers in Escambia County returned to school on Wednesday.
Students will head back to class on Thursday, August 10.
Pictured top: The Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders welcomed teachers back Wednesday, Pictured below: Jim Allen Elementary School teachers were among teachers across the county that returned to work on Wednesday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Man Found Incompetent To Stand Trial In Child Neglect Case Now Facing Felony Weapons Charges
August 3, 2023
A Century man found incompetent to stand trial on three counts of felony child neglect in connection with a child sexual abuse case is now facing charges for after allegedly shooting over the head of a man found on his property last week.
Norman Tracy Tedder, 57, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of discharging a firearm in a public or residential area. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday morning with bond set at $18,500.
Tedder returned to his home on Old Flomaton Road in Century and found a pickup truck parked next to his vehicle. He allegedly armed himself with a shotgun and fired warning shots into the air before later firing a warning shot over the head of man.
About and hour and a half later as it was getting dark, he observed an unknown person with a flashlight walking through the edge of the woods and saying “if he’s here, I’ve got something for him in my pocket”, according to arrest report.
Still armed with a shotgun, Tedder ordered the individual to stop where he was.
The man advised that his truck was broke down, and he said he was related to Tedder’s wife Tabitha Tedder, who is now in prison in the child abuse case,. Tedder held the man at gunpoint until he removed a rifle from the truck, the report states.
Tedder told deputies he helped the man fix his truck, and he drove away.
Tedder reported that he found items missing from his vehicle, including the shotgun, a tool box and socket set worth $300, and another socket set valued at $197.
“Tedder was not in present , imminent, and impending peril of death or serious bodily injury, or reasonably believed himself or others to be in such danger,” the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report states. “Tedder had a reasonable alternative to possessing the shotgun which should have been to call 911 from the security of his residence…The trespass of (the man) was not more egregious than the possession of a Firearm by a convicted felon and aggravated assault.”
Tedder previously pleaded guilty and was convicted of dealing in stolen property in 1998. He was sentenced to one year and six months probation.
According to the ECSO, the man who was on Tedder’s property will be charged with armed burglary of a vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, grand theft firearm, and petit theft.
Child Sexual Abuse Case
Tedder’s wife was sentenced in January 2023 to eight years in prison after several children that had been sexually abused were found living in squalor in two campers.
Tabitha Ann Tedder was sentenced to four years concurrently on three counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, and four additional years on a felony charge of failure to report child abuse.
Norman Tedder was found incompetent to stand trial and sent to Lakeview for “competency training”. He was due back in court in November.
In October 2022, Michael Tracy Tedder was sentenced to 30 years in state prison for child sexual battery and designated as a lifetime sexual offender after he pleaded to multiple counts of sexual battery by a person in familian authority and lewd and lascivious exhibition in the presence of a minor.
Michael Tracy Tedder’s wife Elizabeth Mae Dennis was previously convicted of two counts of child neglect and sentenced to 19.5 months in state prison, with credit for 116 days served, to be followed by 18 months probation.
Some readers may find the following details disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
On October 20, 2021, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a local elementary school after a victim disclosed sexual abuse to a school counselor. The victim disclosed at school that she had been raped by Tedder. She stated that it hurt, and about the time she healed, he would do it again. The abuse occurred between January 1, 2020, and October 20, 2021.
During the course of the investigation, it was determined that Michael Tracy Tedder had sexually abused additional victims between January 1, 2020, and October 20, 2021. He was the only family member charged with a sexual offense.
“This defendant preyed on children that should have been able to trust him,” Carrie Gilmer, prosecuting attorney, said.
When the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office went to Michael Tedder’s home to investigate the sexual battery allegations, deputies found him and three others living in squalor with six children in two campers.
One camper was “extremely dirty”, with “raw sewage coming from the back side of the camper and flowing underneath the camper causing an unbearable foul odor”, and “hundreds of roaches”, according to an arrest report. The roaches were in the food cabinet, running over the food, on the stove, on the sink and on the counter.
A deputy further described the camper as having roaches inside the shower and toilet area, pots with old food in them on the kitchen counter, a sink filled with dirty dishes and a refrigerator he called “extremely nasty”. There was one full size bed, a let-down bed with roaches crawling on it, and a baby crib in the camper. Two cats and two dogs were inside, and there were power cords running through the camper and by the kitchen sink, the report states.
“The camper had a foul odor inside and out that was unbearable,” the deputy wrote in his report.
The other camper, described as being “extremely small,” was also roach infested, dirty and piled full of clothes and other items making it impossible to enter, the report states.
According to the ECSO, there was no electrical service on the property; the campers were powered by numerous electrical cords strung together to a nearby home. Some of the cords had bare wires in places and junctions exposed to the weather.
“The parents smelled as if they had not bathed in several days,” a deputy wrote in his report.
The Department of Children and Families removed the children.
Hot In The Middle 90s, Chance Of Afternoon Rain
August 3, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 107. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming southwest after midnight.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 106. West wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 76. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 75.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 91.
New Tate Aggies Video Scoreboard Is Up And Running
August 3, 2023
The new video scoreboard at Tate High School is up and running at Carl Madison Field in Pete Gindl Stadium.
In addition to scores and game information, the board can be used to display hype videos before the games, senior interviews and more.
The Aggies will host Washington in kickoff classic on Thursday, August 17 at 7 p.m.
The video board was privately funded by football boosters.
Pictured: The new Tate Aggies video scoreboard is operational. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty Of Attempted Robbery Of Sports Bar
August 3, 2023
After a three-day trial, a federal jury in Pensacola found Quinton Laterral Pete guilty of attempted robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Just before 4 a.m. on March 9, 2022, two employees at Coyote’s Sports Bar next to Cordova Mall were shot at point blank range by Pete, 34, during an attempted robbery of the business.
The victims were not able to identify the shooter at the time because of their wounds, but they provided a general description to law enforcement. Law enforcement obtained surveillance videos from surrounding businesses and identified a white Jeep Grand Cherokee in the area at the time of the crime.
Pete was apprehended the next day in Dallas driving a matching vehicle registered in his name. Pete was in possession of the firearm that was used in the commission of the robbery, as later identified by ballistics comparison. Pete’s phone location also placed him in the area at the time he committed the crime.
Pete has prior felony convictions for burglary of a dwelling with a firearm, grand theft, and shooting at within or into a dwelling, and was released from prison just seven months before the Coyote’s shooting.
Pete faces a maximum of 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 26.
Local District Is The Deadliest In The State For Opioid Overdoses
August 3, 2023
The Pensacola medical district is now the deadliest in the entire state for opioid-related deaths.
“The national opioid crisis, bolstered by deadly fentanyl from Mexico and China, continues to claim lives in Florida—with the Pensacola Medical Examiner District being hit the hardest on a per capita basis,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said Wednesday at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Pensacola Regional Operations Center. “Today, I joined local law enforcement leaders to urge everyone to never use illicit substances.”
The medical district includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.
In the district, the death rate from opioids is double that per capita of any other district in Florida.
“The opioid epidemic has hit every community in our country. We have been working tirelessly to create a plan of attack to address this deadly substance head-on,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “This plan combines a robust enforcement strategy and a partnership with our public health colleagues and Attorney General Moody in order to fully combat this epidemic. We look to reduce and disrupt the illicit supply chain while working with public health to provide services to those vulnerable to opioid effects.”
The state average per capita opioid-related death rate is 21 deaths per 100,000 residents. In the Pensacola district, the per capita opioid-related death rate is 42 deaths per 100,000. Of the 349 opioid-related deaths in the district, 60% involved fentanyl.
While the Pensacola Medical Examiner District ranks first in per capita opioid-related deaths, it is second only to Daytona Beach District in for fentanyl deaths per capita. Hydrocodone and morphine also pose threats to the Pensacola District with death rates propelling the panhandle counties to the top of those lists.
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said, “I thank Attorney General Moody for her commitment to law enforcement and the safety of our citizens. I’ve been to the Southern border and seen the drugs and crime that comes into our nation firsthand. I’m proud of our FDLE agents and analysts proactively investigating these crimes disrupting drug trafficking organizations and intercepting these drugs.”
Moody encouraged anyone struggling with substance abuse issues should visit DoseOfRealityFL.com, a statewide resource with information combating drug abuse.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Judith Ann Stinson
August 3, 2023
Our precious mother, Judith Ann Stinson, 76, of Pensacola passed away unexpectedly July 31, 2023. She was born in Bristow, OK on November 18, 1946. She was a devoted wife to the love of her life, Chester Winston Stinson, for 47 years.
She was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. Her sweet spirit, selfless nature, sense of humor, and gentle manner endeared her to all. She loved being outdoors; working in her yard or loving on her animals. She enjoyed spending time with friends playing cards, watching college football, and visits from all her kids and grandkids.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Winston Stinson; her mother, Eileen Howard; her father, George Graydon Duddington Sr; and brothers, Bob Duddington, George Duddington, Jr, and Jimmy Duddington.
She is survived by sons, Chris (Linda) Stinson, Doug (Kay) Stinson, Tony (Rachael) Stinson; daughter, Angie (Brad) Endress; seven grandchildren, Landon (Lesleigh) Stinson, Laiken (Chandler) Burgess, Lilly Endress, Jackson Endress, Lane Stinson, Natalie Stinson, and Ty Stinson; three great grandchildren, Hadley Burgess, Wilder Stinson, and Hudson Burgess; three brothers, Tommy (Linda) Duddington, Dick (Linda) Duddington, and Danny Duddington; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other family members.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Chaplain David Gibson officiating. Burial will follow in Elizabeth Chapel Cemetery, Chumuckla, FL.
The family will receive friends at 10:00 a.m. prior to services.
Pallbearers will be: Landon Stinson, Jackson Endress, Lane Stinson, Ty Stinson, Chandler Burgess, Cesar Soriano, and Chuck Padgett.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with arrangements.