These Are This Week’s Road Construction Trouble Spots
July 21, 2024
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- Scenic Highway (U.S. 90) Resurfacing, from south of Interstate 10 (I-10) to south of Hyde Park Road – Scenic Highway is closed just north of Manolete Street through Thursday, Aug. 1 as crews reconstruct a portion of the roadway. Signage is in place to detour drivers around the work zone using Langley Avenue, Spanish Trail and Summit Boulevard.
- Interstate Circle Bridge Over Eight Mile Creek – Interstate Circle is closed at the bridge over Eight Mile Creek through mid-2025 as crews replace the Eight Mile Creek bridge. Signage is in place to direct drivers around the work zone using Pine Forest Road, Longleaf Drive and Wymart Road.
- I-10 at U.S. 29 Interchange (Exit 10) – Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures on I-10 near the U.S. 29 interchange Monday, July 22 through Thursday, July 25 between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Crews will be placing concrete barrier wall.
- I-10 at Nine Mile Road Interchange (Exit 5) – Drivers will encounter the following traffic impacts as crews perform paving operations, barrier wall installation and bridge demolition activities:
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- Inside lane closures on I-10 near Exit 5, Monday, July 22 through Thursday, July 25 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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- Inside lane closures on Nine Mile Road between the I-10 ramps, Monday, July 22 through Thursday, July 25, from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
- U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) Resurfacing between Henry Street and Cottage Street in Century – Traffic on U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) will be shifted to the southbound travel lanes, between Rudolph Street and Green Street, beginning Thursday, July 25. One travel lane in each direction will be open as crews reconstruct the adjacent northbound lanes. The traffic shift is expected to remain in place through the summer. Signage is in place to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
- County Road (C.R.) 4 over Canoe Creek Bridge – C.R. 4, between Byrneville and Bratt, will be closed through late 2024 as crews replace the Canoe Creek bridge. Traffic is directed through a 5.6-mile detour using Bratt Road to Pine Barren Road, then back to C.R. 4.
- State Road (S.R.) 289 (North 9th Avenue) Routine Utility Maintenance from East LaRua Street to East Jackson Street – Motorists may encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, July 22 through Friday, July 26 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for manhole repairs.
- S.R. 289 (North 9th Avenue) Routine Utility Maintenance from East Desoto Street to East Strong Street – Motorists may encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, July 22 through Friday, July 26 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for manhole repairs.
- S.R. 289 (North 9th Avenue) Routine Utility Maintenance from East Jordan Street to East Moreno Street – Motorists may encounter intermittent lane closures Tuesday, July 23 through Wednesday, July 31 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for manhole repairs.
- S.R. 291 (North Davis Street) Routine Utility Maintenance from East Cervantes Street to East La Rua Street – Motorists may encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, July 22 through Friday, July 26 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for manhole repairs.
Santa Rosa County:
- S.R. 89 Resurfacing, from north of S.R. 87 to C.R. 178 – Drivers will encounter intermittent daytime lane closures, between S.R .87 and C.R. 178, Monday, July 22 through Friday, July 26 as crews perform paving operations.
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts:
- Median and turn-lane closures from Bayshore Road to Tiger Lake Drive.
- Intermittent lane closures and additional median closures between Bayshore Road and Tiger Lake Drive Sunday, July 21, through Friday, July 26, from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for stormwater drainage improvements and paving operations.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Drone Show Wows Sellout Crowd in 5-1 Wahoos Loss
July 21, 2024
by Bill Vilona
The game itself evolved with the Blue Wahoos limited to few opportunities in a 5-1 loss against the Mississippi Braves.
But Saturday night’s sellout crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium remained in their seats to become wowed by a Sky Elements Drone Show, one of the few of its kind shown at a Minor League Baseball stadium nationwide and the first in this region of the country.
Blue Wahoos owners Quint and Rishy Studer became enamored with the idea of bringing such an experience to Pensacola, along with the Beloit Sky Carp’s ABC Supply Stadium in Wisconsin, which hosted a show July 10.
The Studers wanted to provide both communities a drone show event that has primarily occurred, so far, only at Major League Baseball ballparks.
They made it happen two weeks apart.
After the Sky Elements company performed a show Friday in Orlando, the company’s production team stopped in Pensacola on its way back to its Fort Worth, Texas headquarters to produce Saturday’s show at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The 15-minute display featured an outline of a Blue Angels plane, which drew a loud cheer, and an outline of Florida with a baseball stopping at Pensacola’s location.
It became another unique event for the ballpark, featuring approximately 100 drones staged on the grass fronting the amphitheater located behind right field on the bayfront.
The show followed a game where M-Braves starter Lucas Braun held the Blue Wahoos to one hit and four walks in his six innings of work to record his second win. Braun was the Atlanta Braves’ sixth round draft pick in 2023 out of Cal State-Northridge.
Braun’s teammates gave him a 2-0 lead. Justin Dean scored an unearned run in the fourth inning after reaching on an infield error and scoring on a sacrifice fly.
Dean scored again in the sixth inning when he singled, stole second and scored on Keshawn Ogans’ single off Blue Wahoos starter Patrick Monteverde.
It was a hard-luck loss for Monteverde (1-1, 4.76 ERA), who allowed no walks, struck out five and was effective in his six innings, but received no run support.
The M-Braves broke open the game in the ninth inning by scoring three runs against Blue Wahoos reliever Woo-Suk Go, a 25-year old from South Korea, pitching for the first time in Pensacola. He was among the four prospects sent to the Miami Marlins from the San Diego Padres in exchange for MLB star and former Blue Wahoos player (2019) Luis Arraez, who has won the American League and National League batting titles.
The Blue Wahoos got a run in the ninth on Cody Morissette’s double that scored Zach Zubia.
The win enabled the M-Braves (42-46 overall, 11-9 in second half) to win the weekend series against the Blue Wahoos (49-39, 11-9) heading into Sunday’s series finale.
GAME NOTABLES
— The crowd Saturday broke into loud cheers for 6-year-old Abraham (Bram) Cook, who circled the bases on his “Home Run For Life” to celebrate being cancer-free after being diagnosed with stage 3 Burkitt Lymphoma, an aggressive form of lymphoma which affects white blood cells.
After four rounds of treatment at the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart, which occurred last December, Cook returned home on Christmas Eve after showing good progress. In March, Bram rang the bell, surrounded by family and friends, to celebrate the end of his treatment. He is now in remission and was even able to return to school to finish Kindergarten with his classmates.
With his mother, Ashley, and father Aaron hugging and coaxing him into rounding the bases, Cook began running as players from both teams lined the baselines to high-five and congratulate him. It was a special moment at the end of the fifth inning.
— The Freeport Little League Association had a group outing of 100 people, including team members who were part of the on-field pregame events and ran out with players.
— Pensacola Christian College led a wide variety of faith organizations attending Saturday’s game with a 100-member group. Five church organizations were also in attendance.
— The sellout crowd of 5,038 was Pensacola’s 22nd capacity crowd in 43 home games.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Mississippi Braves vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Bennie Melvin Malone
July 20, 2024
Bennie Melvin Malone, age 92, passed away on July 18, 2024. He graduated from Century High School and worked at Saint Regis for over 40 years. He was a devoted Christian who loved fishing, gardening, and traveling.
He is preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Joyce Mitchell Malone; parents, James Malone and Della Cofield Malone; and his siblings, Gene (Ann) Malone, John Henry Malone, Grady Malone, and Jennie Malone.
Bennie is survived by his daughters, Brenda Mihalik and Kaye Ashby; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; brothers, “L.B.” (Alice) Malone and Jimmy (Hilda) Malone; and sister, Betty Jo (Clark) Childress.
Funeral Services will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 South Highway 29, Cantonment, is entrusted with arrangements.
Costco Nine Mile Road Plans Set For Development Review Meeting
July 20, 2024
Plans for a new Costco on Nine Mile Road are now set for their first public approval meeting.
NorthEscambia.com was first to report in June that preliminary plans were filed Monday for a new Costco on Nine Mile Road.
Now, the plans are set for a pre-application meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, before the Escambia County Development Review Committee.
The plans filed with Escambia County show the 161,780 square foot Costco retail store with a gas station and 885 parking spaces at 235 East Nine Mile Road, at the corner of East Nine Mile Road and Chemstrand Road. That’s the site of a current Planet Fitness and a former Kmart store.
The plans show the current buildings being demolished for the new Costco on seven parcels totaling just under 22 acres.
The outlying parcels with Well Fargo Bank, Sam’s Seafood Restaurant and Dairy Queen will remain with the Costco gas station between Sam’s Seafood and Well Fargo.
Thomas Engineering Group of Tampa filed the plans with Escambia County.
The development must go through numerous other steps before a building permit is issued.
NorthEscambia.com graphics, click to enlarge.
Applications Still Open For Pine Beetle Assistance And Prevention Program
July 20, 2024
Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program for non-industrial, private forest landowners. The program runs through July 26 and includes 44 northern Florida counties – the southern pine beetle’s known range.
“Pine forests are vital to Florida’s economy and our natural environment, and the southern pine beetle is one of the most economically devastating forest pests in the southeast” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “This program protects our important timber resources by assisting the small, private landowners who manage almost half of our state’s forest lands.”
First offered in 2005, the Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program has been implemented on more than 210,000 acres and helped thousands of Florida landowners.
“Active and preventative forest management programs like this are the most effective way to prevent losses and outbreaks,” said Rick Dolan, Director of the Florida Forest Service. “These same management practices also benefit timber growth, wildfire prevention, and wildlife habitat.”
Previous outbreaks have destroyed thousands of acres of timber. Florida’s last major southern pine beetle outbreak caused an estimated $59 million in timber losses on over 24,000 acres between 1999 and 2002.
The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, supported through a grant by the U.S. Forest Service, provides incentive payments for landowners who have overstocked pine stands and need to conduct a first thinning. In addition, it offers partial cost reimbursement for activities that can mitigate southern pine beetle activity, such as prescribed burning, mechanical underbrush treatments, and the planting of longleaf or slash pine rather than loblolly pine, the beetle’s preferred species. All qualifying applications received during the submission period will be evaluated and ranked for approval.
To obtain an application or to learn more about the Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, visit: FDACS.gov/SPBPrevention.
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms Likely Saturday And Sunday
July 20, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10am, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 86. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 85. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Here Are The 2024 Escambia County School Supply Lists
July 20, 2024
The Escambia County Public School on Friday released this year’s school supply list for elementary schools in the county.
Middle and high school students are typically informed of needed supplies during the first week of school or at orientations. However, we have middle school lists for Ernest Ward and Ransom below.
A master supply list for all Escambia County Public School elementary schools is below. Also below, there is separate list for Byrneville Elementary School, which is a charter school and has different items listed.
For any specific questions about your school’s supply lists, contact the school. It’s also a good idea to check the school’s website and/or their social media pages for any deviations from the master list.
- For printable supply list pdf for Escambia County Elementary Schools, click here.
- For a printable supply list pdf for Byrneville Elementary School, click here.
- For a printable supply list pdf for Ernest Ward Middle School, click here.
- For a printable supply list pdf for Ransom Middle School, click here.
Tate Holds Lil Aggies Summer 2024 Cheer Camp
July 20, 2024
The Tate High School cheerleaders held their Lil Aggies Summer 2024 Cheer Camp this week.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The three-day camp was held in the Tate High School Fryman Gym. Lil Aggies learned proper stretch techniques, jump techniques, stunts, tumbling, sideline cheers, extreme routine, motion placements, and much more. A parent showcase was also held.
This year’s camp was full to capacity and had three theme days — neon day, outer space day, and Aggie spirit day.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Injured In Five Vehicle I-10 Crash In Escambia County
July 20, 2024
Two people were injured in a five-vehicle crash Friday afternoon on I-10 in Escambia County.
The crash happened about 1:30 p.m. on I-10 westbound near the Florida Welcome Station.
Five vehicles occupied by seven people were involved, according to Escambia County officials. Two of the people were transported to the hospital by Escambia County EMS.
Both east and westbound traffic were slowed by the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Deborah ‘Debbie’ Hedgepeth
July 20, 2024
Deborah “Debbie” Hedgepeth, 56, of Molino, Florida beloved mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, July 15, 2024. She dedicated her whole life to taking care of her family. Her children and grandchildren were her pride and joy. Debbie was happiest when surrounded by her family and friends. She was a mother figure and a confidant to many and will forever be remembered for her unconditional love and huge heart.
She is preceded in death by her father, Wayne Carnley; her stepmother, Robin Carnley; her brother, Nathan Carnley.
Debbie is survived by her former husband, Joe Hedgepeth; their children, Shawna Carnley, Jessica (Wes) Navarre, Hannah Hedgepeth, and Kayden Hedgepeth; and the children of her heart, Andrew Hedgepeth, Skye Bullington, and CJ Bullington. She left her mother, Judie (Dan) Holt; sisters, Tina Green, Christine Carnley, and Kayla (Jason) Stone; and brother, Michael Carnley. She had 8 grandchildren.
The visitation will be held at Faith Chapel North on Monday, July 22, 2024, at 9:15 am for family and 10:00 am for friends.