Driver Passes Away Following Crash Last Week on Chemstrand Road
November 21, 2023
One of the five people injured in a wreck November 13 at the intersection of Chemstrand Road and Crooked Oak Drive has passed away.
Two vehicles were involved in a crash with one vehicle crashing into a ravine. Two passengers were extricated from a pickup truck while an additional 20 minutes was required to extricate the passengers from the vehicle in the ravine. Five patients were transported to area hospitals.
The 43-year old male driver of the vehicle that went into the ravine passed away over the weekend, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The man’s name has not been released.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Marcus Pointe Baptist Holding Community Thanksgiving Service This Evening In Molino
November 21, 2023
Marcus Pointe Baptist Church will host a community Thanksgiving service at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Molino Community Center auditorium on Molino Road (by the library). Everyone is welcome.
Burglary And Vandalism Of Vacant Molino Church Under Investigation
November 21, 2023
The burglary and vandalism of a vacant church in Molino is under investigation.
The owner of the building at 314 Molino Road discovered the burglary Monday.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, someone made entry into the building, discharged fire extinguishers and dumped cleaning chemicals they found inside. An outside flag pole was also broken, but nothing was stolen, according to the ECSO.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Investigators said the building is vacant, not abandoned, and was recently purchased.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
William Haywood Rowland
November 21, 2023
Mr. William Haywood Rowland, age 82 of Wagon Wheel Road in Flomaton, passed away Monday November 20, 2023, at his Flomaton residence. He was a native of Jay, Florida and a former resident of Wewahitchka, Florida before moving to Flomaton in 1978. Mr. Rowland owned and operated Rowland’s Tires in Flomaton from 1978-2006. He was a graduate of Jay High School Class of 1959 and was a member of Jay First Baptist Church. Mr. Rowland was a lifelong member of “The Romeo’s” (Real Old Men Eat Out) Motorcycle Club, Avid Alabama Crimson Tide Football Fan, and enjoyed NASCAR Racing.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Burnice Milburn Rowland and Mary Lois Batchelor Rowland, brothers, Harold and Joe Max Rowland, great-grandson, Mason Rowland.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Shelly Rowland of Flomaton; son, Jon Malett (Julie) Rowland of Atmore; daughter, Ginya “Bunkie” (Gary) Murph of Flomaton; 3 stepsons, Jamie (Sonya) Barnes of Bluff Springs, Jeremy (Lisa) Barnes of Bluff Springs, Joshua Barnes of Lisbon, North Dakota; 15 grandchildren, Christopher (Eva) Rowland of Atmore, Jordan (Melanie) Rowland of Brewton, Devon Johnson of Opp, Savannah Fullerton of Atmore, Addison White of Atmore, Brayson White of Atmore, Cody Barnes of Mobile, Hunter Barnes of Bogia, River Barnes of Brewton, Charlie Jo Barnes of Brewton, Carson Ikner of Excel, Gracie Ikner of Excel, Keylon Ikner of Excel, Noah Ikner of Excel, Zack Ikner of Brewton; 7 great grandchildren and a special German Shepard name Rip.
Kindly omit flowers and make contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105.
There Is Still Time To Make Your Appointment To Let The Miracle League Fry Your Thanksgiving Turkey
November 20, 2023
Now is the time to reserve your spot to have the Miracle League of Pensacola fry your Thanksgiving turkey.
A minimum of $30 per turkey or turkey breast is necessary to help cover costs, and any additional donation will benefit the Miracle League of Pensacola.
Call (850) 631-0203 with questions or to schedule your appointment (leave a message if no answer). Walk-ups are welcome, but reservations should be made early as the number of time slots is limited and appointments take priority.
There are a few things to remember after scheduling an appointment. Completely thaw your turkey, removing all of the inside packaging and giblets. Write down exactly how much your turkey weighs so it is fried perfectly and take it to the Miracle League Park at 555 East Nine Mile Road at your appointment time between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22. And be on time for your appointment.
Individuals interested in volunteering should also call (850) 631-0203.
Herrmann’s Dramatic Game Winner Provides Ice Flyers Thrilling OT Win On Star Wars Night
November 20, 2023
by Bill Vilona
The Ice Flyers had the force with them for most of Star Wars Night.
Finally, as time waned in overtime, they got the fortune, too.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Defenseman Zac Herrmann made a nifty deke move on a Macon player, then lifted a backhand shot into the net with 1:58 left in the extra period as the Ice Flyers gained a hard-earned 3-2 win Saturday night against the Macon Mayhem.
The deciding moment came in a game where the Ice Flyers outshot Macon 53-18 in one of the biggest shot differentials imaginable.
“I kinda lost (puck) a bit and got lucky, pulled it through and I knew the goalie was fighting to get across (the crease) so I had to go up with it,” said Herrmann, who scored his fourth goal this season. “I did a quick look and he was still kind of moving side to side, so it’s just an instinct thing.
“It was one of those games where we were fighting our sticks a little bit and not burying our chances.”
The win completed another festive night with 5,520 delighted fans at the Pensacola Bay Center and kept the Ice Flyers (7-4) unbeaten (5-0) on home ice through the first month of the season. The Ice Flyers will have their next home game on Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving Day.
After Brett Mecrones flicked a wrist shot into the net with 13:23 remaining to give the Ice Flyers a 2-1 lead, the game continued to be played in Macon’s defensive zone
But just as Macon pulled goaltender Josh Boyko, who had been brilliant the entire game, for an extra attacker, the Mayhem’s Tommy Munichiello tied the game with 1:19 left. The arena when from excited to deflated.
“I’ve been on both sides of it and when you are on this side of it, when you are really outplaying the other team, out-chancing them, they are very challenging game to coach,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “Because that team was just waiting for a break. They started getting behind us and hoping for an opportunity.”
In the overtime, Ice Flyers goaltender Stephen Mundinger stopped a breakaway chance for Macon, which then triggered the Ice Flyers’ rush the other way. Herrmann got the puck, made the move and won the game.
“That was kind of the epitome of three on three (overtime hockey),” Herrmann said. “I gotta a little lucky, I think I made a bad read on that and ‘Dinger (Mundinger) bailed us out and obviously the puck went the other way and made nice play and scored.”
“Zach’s move… if you know how bad the ice is in overtime… to be able to pull that to his backhand on that ice and tuck it up underneath the bar is an extremely difficult thing to do. He is playing some outstanding hockey for us right now.”
After dropping Friday night’s game at Birmingham 5-3, Graham was anxious to see how his team would respond in a quick turnaround with a different opponent.
Macon scored just 1:18 into the game. The Ice Flyers had numerous changes in the ensuing minutes to tie the game and it finally happened with 2:36 left before intermission when Dallas Comeau took a pass from Garrett Millan between the faceoff circles and produced the goal.
“It was close,” Graham said.
But that is how the game stayed until the third period.
“We did a lot better job of getting to the goalie and making it uncomfortable,” Graham said. “You have to tip your hat to (Boyko). He played spectacular. He was out of this world. He really gave them a chance and that’s what you need some nights when you’re not at your best.
“I thought it was a good hockey game for the fans, because we played extremely hard. And after a loss, I think that is what you want to see from your group. Every time we have lost a game this year, we’ve had a response.”
The night began with Star Wars characters in costumes from the 501st Legion greeting fans outside the Bay Center, then inside the arena on the concourse level
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Birmingham Bulls vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
Escambia County Receives New Offer For OLF-8
November 20, 2023
Escambia County has received a new offer for a portion of the OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road.
The Letter of Intent (LOI) was received from Beulah Town Center, LLC.
“This invitation to negotiate is with the desire to develop a portion of this unique county asset following the design principles approved by the (Escambia) Board of County Commissioners in the DPZ Master plan for OLF8,” the letter stated. Beulah Town Center Manager Fred Hemmer said the offer was for about 375 acres of mixed use residential, retail, green space, and infrastructure property.
The offer letter includes $20 million for the 375 acres with additional options totaling up to an additional $12 million.
According to a blog post from District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh, the offer follows the spirit of the Master Plan and includes no single-family housing.
Bells Will be Ringing: Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign Kicks Off
November 20, 2023
The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettle Campaign is back on in the Pensacola area, ushering in the festive spirit of Christmas. The Red Kettle Campaign is The Salvation Army’s primary fundraising initiative, providing life-changing programs and services throughout the year, including food assistance programs, emergency financial assistance, youth programs, and disaster response.
The 2023 Red Kettle campaign goal is $148,000. The Red Kettle campaign ends December 23, and kettles are in 19 locations in both Santa Rosa and Escambia counties.
The Salvation Army has an unwavering commitment to helping people in times of need, and the Red Kettle campaign is a critical source of funding that helps us meet that commitment,” said Captain Stephan Wildish of The Salvation Army of Pensacola. “The funds the community generously gives to the Red Kettle ensures families do not have to make agonizing choices between basic needs like housing, food, and medical care.”
The Salvation Army relies on the money raised through the Red Kettle campaign to provide Christmas to local families and safeguard the well-being of people in need through year-round programming and social services.
Volunteering as a bell ringer is an excellent opportunity to give back to the community while spreading the season’s joy. To become a volunteer bell ringer, please visit RegisterToRing.com and follow the prompts or contact Captain Stephan Wildish at (850) 432-1501 or email Stephan.Wildish@uss.salvationarmy.org .
Florida Gas Prices Sink to New 2023 Lows
November 20, 2023
As nearly 2.8 million Floridians prepare to take a Thanksgiving road trip, Florida gas prices have fallen to new 2023 lows. Sunday’s average price of $3.04 per gallon is 15 cents less than a week ago and the lowest daily average price since late December 2022. It’s also 37 cents less than what drivers paid last Thanksgiving ($3.41).
“More than half of Florida gas stations now have gasoline priced below $3 a gallon,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “While there could be some fluctuations in the coming weeks, AAA expects gas prices to remain low through the holidays, unless oil prices suddenly spike.”
Flroida’s chepaast metro market at $2.88. In North Escambia, a low of $2.76 was available at a station on Highway 20 in cantonment.
The plummeting price of oil has been a big contributor to the recent plunge at the pump. Crude oil fell from $93 a barrel in late September to $72/b last week. During that same time, the state average dropped from $3.69 per gallon to $3.04/g.
Chance Of Severe Storms Into Tuesday Morning
November 20, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. High near 73. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. North wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thanksgiving Day: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61.