Hot And Humid, A Few Afternoon Showers
July 13, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Florida Announces ‘Free State of Florida’ Placed on All Welcome Signs
July 13, 2024
Motorists entering the state are now greeted by new “Welcome to the Free State of Florida” signs.
Last week, we told you about “Hurry Back to the Free State of Florida The Sunshine State” signs that drivers see when they travel out of Florida into Alabama or Georgia.
Now, the Florida Department of Transportation has also placed “Free State of Florida” has been placed on all welcome signs offering a welcome to visitors as they enter the on major state roadways.
“The new signage now features messages highlighting Florida’s status as a top tourist destination, including ‘Hurry Back’ signs that pay homage to the historic mid-century welcome centers, FDOT said.
Pictured above and below: “Free State of Florida” signs on Highway 97 at the Florida-Alabama state line in Davisville, just south of Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Public Schools Soliciting Public Input for Wellness Initiatives
July 13, 2024
Escambia County Public Schools is reviewing its wellness initiatives and is looking for input from district staff members along with members of the community.
A wellness policy’s intent is to promote healthy choices, prevent childhood obesity and to combat the challenges children face if they have poor nutritional habits or not enough activity. A federal law requires each school district participating in the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program to maintain a local wellness policy.
“While the input is being gathered by the Food Services Department, we work with a variety of school district specialists to ensure the policy covers all aspects of student wellness while on campus,” said the district’s Jaleena Davis. “We try our best to look at this program from a team perspective.”
The school district also maintains a School Health and Wellness Advisory Committee (SHWAC) chaired by Dr. Maureen Padden, as well as School Wellness Teams.
If an individual would like to be involved at the district level, they should contact Martha Hanna at (850) 469-5456, or by email at mhanna@ecsdfl.us.
If a member of the community wants to get involved on a School Wellness Team, they are asked to call (850) 316-3962 or email csutherland@ecsdfl.us.
Over 21,000 Ballots Mailed For August Primary, Not All Escambia Voters Eligible
July 13, 2024
Over 21,000 ballots for the August 2024 Primary Election were mailed to voters Friday, according to Supervisor of Elections Robert D. Bender. Ballots for military and overseas voters were sent on July 3. With postage increasing on Sunday, July 14, elections staff worked tirelessly over the last week to ensure these ballots would be in the mail this week.
To request a vote-by-mail ballot, visit EscambiaVotes.gov/vote-by-mail or call (850) 595-3900. The request deadline is August 8. Due to a change in Florida law, all vote-by-mail requests were cleared December 31, 2022, and you must renew your vote-by-mail request each election cycle. Visit EscambiaVotes.gov/am-i-registered to see if you have a vote-by-mail request on file or to check your registration status.
All registered Republican and Democratic voters are eligible to vote in at least one contest due to their U.S. Senate primary. As a result of Florida’s closed primary system and Escambia County’s single-member districts, Bender said not all registered voters in Escambia County are eligible to receive a ballot in the 2024 primary election. Voters in County Commission District 2 precincts with no party affiliation or those registered in a minor party are impacted. This means nearly 9,500 of Escambia County’s 206,000 registered voters in the following precincts will not be issued a ballot in precincts
- 1, 3, 15, 24, 32, 54, 61, 67, 71, 75, 77, 80, 82, 83, 99, and 104.
The deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation before the August 20 Primary Election is July 22.
Early Voting will begin on August 10 and run through August 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at 10 area locations. A
Pictured: Vote-by-mail ballots were mailed Friday to over 21,000 Escambia County voters. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Stamp Prices Increase Again This Weekend. This Is How Much First-Class Will Cost.
July 13, 2024
A first-class stamp will increase on Sunday, July 14.
A forever stamp will cost 73 cents as of Sunday, up a nickel over the current 68-cent price.
A forever stamp purchase before Sunday will still be valid “forever” and can be used after the price increase.
It is the second increase of the year. In January 2024, first class stamps increase from 66 cents to 68 cents.
Showstoppers 8U Wins Softball National Championship
July 13, 2024
The Showstoppers 8U softball team went undefeated to win the 2024 USSA National Championship in Gulf Shores this week.
Several players were honored for their outstanding performance:
Offensive Player of the Game: Cami Flynn
Defensive Player of the Game: Hensley Parkerson
MVP Pitcher: Ember Polk
Tournament MVP: Elouise Wade
Tournament scores were as follows:
Game 1: Showstoppers vs. Klutch: 11-1
Game 2: Showstoppers vs. Santa Rosa Schockwave: 18-11
Game 3: Showstoppers vs. River Region Misfits: 17-0
Game 4: Showstoppers vs. Oklahoma Chilis 12-3
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Launch Three Homers, Beat Rocket City For Fifth Straight Win
July 13, 2024
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won their fifth in a row on Friday night, riding three home runs to a 9-5 victory over the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
Nathan Martorella opened the scoring with a second-inning homer, his second in as many games, and Sean Roby and Zach Zubia added blasts of their own in another dominant performance from the Pensacola offense.
Pensacola starter Luis Palacios (W, 6-5) surrendered a pair of homers to the Trash Pandas, but got through 5.0 innings of five-run ball to earn his team-leading sixth win.
The Blue Wahoos took the lead for good in the top of the fourth, when Roby went deep off Rocket City reliever Noah Owen (L, 0-1) in his Double-A debut. Zubia’s homer highlighted a six-run fifth inning, the biggest inning of the season for Pensacola and the turning point that allowed the Blue Wahoos to breathe easy the rest of the night.
Myles Emmerson jolted the Rocket City fans with a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the fifth off Palacios, but that was all the Trash Pandas could muster after Pensacola’s big inning. Justin King, Austin Roberts, Chandler Jozwiak and Raffi Vizcaíno combined to work 4.0 scoreless innings of relief to seal a 9-5 win.
The five-game winning streak ties Pensacola’s longest of the season, set most recently June 6-11.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Trash Pandas on Saturday. First pitch from Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Tate High Assistant Principal Austin Courson Soars With The Blue Angels (With Gallery)
July 12, 2024
Tate High School Assistant Principal Austin Courson had the once in a lifetime opportunity Thursday to fly with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
Courson was chosen following a selection process as a “key influence rider” while he was an agricultural teacher for his involvement in the Tate FFA program. He was recently promoted to his new position as assistant principal at Tate.
He is looking forward to taking the experience back to share with Tate students this fall.
For a photo gallery, click here.
As for the questions every always asks of someone that flies with the Blue Angels:
Yes, he passed out. 7.5 G’s will do that.
And no, he did not get sick. (His secret breakfast before the flight: Bananas and peanut butter just in case because “the assistant superintendent of the school district says it tastes the same as it goes downs as it does as it comes up”.)
Flight day for Courson began with preparation.
“They took us on base, and they took us up into the public relations office with the Blue Angels and the crew chief for number seven,” he said. “They took us through the safety protocols, the procedures, the aircraft, the safety harness and things like that. Then we learned how we going to breathe properly, the blood flow, tensing the muscles and making sure the blood stays in the top part of your body.”
“When you are flying, you are pulling a lot of G’s, and you want to keep blood pumping through all of that where you don’t pass out.”
“I passed out for about a minute, but it wasn’t very long. The pilot said I did a really good job, better than some.”
“We went out over the Gulf of Mexico, and he was showing me how they perform those maneuvers,” he said. “It’s amazing to think that they are doing what they did with me in a show just 12 inches apart. The margin for error is zero.”
Over the Gulf, Courson was able to experience the top performance of the aircraft, approaching the sound barrier, doing a barrel rolls and other parts of the air show.
He said it was an amazing experience to see the men and women of the Blue Angels team with their dedication and commitment to teamwork. And that’s the key points he wants to make to students.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“It was a unique experience that I’m going to be able to take back to the students at Tate High School and out communities because the team, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are the epitome of the example of teamwork and professionalism for our community and our country. It was just amazing to see the culture of excellence that’s a zero-fail mission. They are going to do everything top notch every single time, and it just brings patriotism to my heart. We don’t get to see the war fighting machine many times because it is in faraway places, but to see what our capabilities are as a nation, it’s just absolutely amazing.”
In case you are wondering, there’s no video of Courson’s flight. We are told the Navy’s GoPro malfunctioned and stopped recording.
Photos for NorthEscambai.com by Austin Courson, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, and Visit Pensacola.
New Bradshaw-McNair Fire Station Opens In Beulah
July 12, 2024
The ribbon was cut Thursday on the new Bradshaw-McNair Beulah Fire Station in Beulah.
The state-of-the-art facility has been years in the marking for the fast-growing Beulah community.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The new Station 2, now known as the Bradshaw-McNair Fire Station, pays tribute to two individuals who greatly contributed to fire service in the Beulah area. The late Escambia County Fire Rescue District Chief Dwain Bradshaw, 42, lost his life in the line of duty during the early morning hours of November 6, 2019, while on scene of a fatal crash on the Muscogee Bridge. He was a volunteer district chief at the Bellview Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, volunteer assistant district chief for the Beulah Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and lived a life of public service. Retired ECFR District Chief Steve McNair served the Beulah community as a volunteer firefighter for over 50 years. He helped rebuild the current station after fire destroyed the original Beulah Fire Station in 1977.
“It’s an honor to have this station named after me, and it’s an honor to have Dwain on this building also. Dwain was a special guy,” McNair said during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “”Let’s just keep the service going in this community.”
“Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for another. and that’s the way Dwain felt,” Dwain Bradshaw, Sr. said about his son.
The new station was funded with Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenue.
The new station was designed to be used by a combination paid and volunteer fire department. There are even four pantries and four refrigerators, plus four lockers in each bunk room — one for each of three paid shifts and one for volunteers.
Paid crews will staff the new Bradshaw-McNair Beulah Fire Station 24 hours a day, seven days a week with support from volunteer crews.
The station with a total of 14,503 square feet and four vehicle bays, including one for EMS, also features smart fire station technology.
“I want to say thank you to every man and woman in this community who serves as a first responder, military, law enforcement, it’s a special calling. I’ve never done, but I respect those that do,” Bergosh said. “Anyone that puts their life on the line for us deserves our respect.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
+
FDLE Charges Beulah Man With 20 Child Porn Counts
July 12, 2024
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested a 50-year old Beulah man on 20 felony chld porn counts.
Charles “Billy” Danielson, 50, was charged with 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials and one count of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
FDLE said the investigation began in February after agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a social media user uploading images of child pornography.
On July 10, agents served a search warrant at Danielson’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices for examination. Agents found numerous images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of male and female children, some as young as infants and toddlers.
Danielson remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $210,000.