Century Council Votes To Close Street For Midget Wrestling At Local Bar
March 6, 2024
The Century Town Council voted Tuesday night to close a town street for a local bar’s midget wrestling event.
The vote was 4-0 with council president Dynette Lewis absent to close Ivey Street from 3-11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.
Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. only told the council that Odom’s Bar made the request to close the street, but he never told the council the nature of the event before their vote.
According to online event posts by the bar and the promoter, Odom’s will host midget wrestling the night of March 23.
The town will charge Odom’s for the overtime call out pay of an employee twice — once to close the street and a second time to remove the barricades. For each callout, the bar will reimburse the town for a two hour minimum for the employee.
NorthEscambia.com graphic/file photo.
Cantonment Rotary Complete Water Safety Book Project Reaching 1,070 Elementary Students
March 6, 2024
The Cantonment Rotary Club recently completed its “Josh the Baby Otter” book project by reading the book to McArthur Elementary kindergarten students.
Club members have read to 1,070 students at 10 North Escambia area elementary schools since the project began last November.
The book “Josh The Baby Otter” teaches kids about water safety and about learning how to float.
“The Cantonment Rotary Club takes great pride in partnering with the local schools to help the kids understand the importance of water safety,” the club said. “The kids were very excited and each received a copy of the book along with a coloring book and stickers.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sponsors Needed For March 22 Tate Softball Strike Out Cancer Game
March 6, 2024
Tate Aggie softball’s annual Strike Out Cancer Game is coming up on March 22, and sponsors are needed now.
The Lady Aggies will host the West Florida Jaguars at 5 p.m. for junior varsity and 6 p.m. on varsity..
Full concessions, fish dinners, egg rolls will be available for purchase. All gate fees, concessions and donations will benefit the local chapter of the American Cancer Society.
Last year, the Lady Aggies presented a $27,755 donation to the American Cancer Society.
For a sponsorship form and more informaiton, click here.
Pictured top: The Tate Lady Aggies Softball team presented their annual Strike Out Cancer donation last year. Pictured below: The Strike Out Cancer game March 31, 2023 at Tate High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECSO Has Solved 1998 Cold Case Murder. Here’s How They Did It.
March 6, 2024
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has solved the 1998 cold case murder of a man in a Winn Dixie parking lot.
Sheriff Chip Simmons announced Tuesday that Donald Holmes II will be charged for the murder.
Holmes, 44, is currently serving a 20 year sentence in a Florida State prison for a 2012 Escambia County home invasion robbery. He had been set for release in 2032.
Steven Davis was in his Yellow Cab (pictured below) leaving the parking lot of the Winn Dixie on Navy Boulevard about 4 a.m. on August 26, 1998, when he shot. He got out of his cab, collapsed in the parking lot and died.
Davis’ cab was later recovered near Navy Boulevard with an open driver’s door and rear passenger doors. The driver’s window was shattered.
New forensic technology was used to examine a bloody fingerprint (pictured below) found at the scene, Simons said Tuesday, leading to the identification of Holmes as the suspect.
“We knew the blood was Steven’s blood, but we couldn’t get the detail we needed from this particular fingerprint, but we tried,” Simmons said. “We tried not once, not twice, but three different times…because we weren’t able to get the details needed to form an adequate identification.”
“We tried one more time with some new training, but also new technology,” Sheriff Simmons added. “…That print put us at this individual right here.”
Photos courtesy Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fog Tonight, Rain By Friday
March 6, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 52. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Friday: A chance of showers between noon and 3pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 66. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 3pm, then a chance of showers after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Girl, Age 6, Dies After Being Hit By Vehicle In Parking Lot Of Pensacola Park
March 5, 2024
A 6-year old girl was killed Tuesday evening when she was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of Pensacola park.
The child was struck about 5:22 p.m.at Hitzman-Optimist Park on Langley Avenue.
The Pensacola Police Department said the girl was taken by private vehicle to Sacred Heart Hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
“There will be no charges in this fatal incident. It was determined to be accidental,” PPD spokesman Mike Wood said.
Additional information was not released as the investigation continued.
File photo.
Escaped Inmate Captured, And He Didn’t Get Very Far
March 5, 2024
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has captured a state inmate that escaped from custody last week, and he didn’t get far.
Florida Department of Corrections inmate Korey Robert Culver, 32, escaped from the Pensacola Community Release Center facility on L Street about 3:48 a.m. Wednesday, February 28.
He was arrested Tuesday afternoon just a few hundred feet from the work release where he initially escaped, the Sheriff’s Office said.
He was wanted for battery on a law enforcement officer and escaping.
FDC records show Culver was serving a year sentence out of Okaloosa County for robbery.
It’s Super Tuesday, But Florida Won’t Vote For Two More Weeks
March 5, 2024
Today is Super Tuesday, when voters in 16 states and one territory will make their voices heard. But Florida won’t vote for two more weeks.
The Florida Presidential Election year starts with a preference primary, where partisan voters in Florida will decide their presidential candidate nominee on March 19.
Florida has a closed primary election. There will only be a Republican primary this year. The Florida Democratic Party has already chosenPresident Joe Biden as their candidate for the November ballot.
Florida’s presidential preference primary is held on the third Tuesday in March. This year, the presidential preference primary is March 19, 2024 with polls open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
For the primary, the deadline to register to vote or to update party affiliation was February 20.
The vote-by-mail ballot request deadline is March 7.
Other big election dates this year in Florida are the primary election on August 20 and the general election on November 5.
Following Manhunt, Century Man Charged With Fleeing From Deputies
March 5, 2024
Following a manhunt, a Century man is charged with fleeing from deputies during a traffic stop.
Cody Edward Comalander, 24, was charged with knowingly operating a vehicle without a license and two counts of resisting arrest without violence.
While stationary in the area of Old Flomaton Road and Cottage Street in Century, an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy reported observing a Honda Pilot northbound with a car hauler with no tag or working lights or brake lights. Deputies were unable to catch up with the vehicle before it turned into an address on Cottage Street. The door opened, and Comalander allegedly ran into the woods, according to an arrest report. Two deputies recognized Comalander based upon previous interactions.
Comalander had active warrants with the Escambia County Sheriff’s offices in both Florida and Alabama and is known to flee from law enforcement, the report states.
A Flomaton Police Department K-9 unit responded as a perimeter was established. A Flomaton officer reportd that he observed Comalander on Old Flomaton Road, but he continued to ignore commands and flee on foot. Deputies were ultimately unable to locate him and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Comalander was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $26,000 bond.
Slight Chance Of Rain Tuesday Night
March 5, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Areas of fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Wednesday: Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 78. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a southeast wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 65. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.