Overnight Storms: House Fire, Power Outages
December 29, 2024
Overnight storms caused power outages and a house fire in Escambia County.
Molino House Fire
Lightning reportedly sparked a residential structure fire early Sunday morning in Molino.
The fire was reported about 1:50 a.m. in a two-story home in the 3000 block of Crabtree Church Road near Solari Farm Road. The fire was declared under control at about 2:35 a.m.
There was no information immediately available on the extent of damage. There were no injuries reported.
Power Outages
The storms caused power outages in the county. The largest outage was reported by Escambia River Electric Cooperative were 456 customers from Walnut Hill to Barrineau Park lost power about 9 p.m., many of them along Highway 99 and Highway 97. Power was restored by 11 p.m. EREC reported other minor isolated outages.
Florida Power & Light reported mostly isolated outages. Off 9 & 1/2 Mile Road, a live power line fell and sparked a small fire on the ground (pictured above).
Pictured: A live power line down off 9 & 1/2 Mile Road. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Christmas With ‘Pipes’ The Kitten Rescued From A Drainage Pipe
December 29, 2024
Christmas was very merry for the little kitten known as Pipes.
Our first story about Pipes was in late November after he was rescued from inside a drainage pipe by Escambia County Animal Welfare. He was later adopted in early December by Lorissa Johnson and family during a Cat Cafe Adoption Event at the Molino Branch Library.
We checked in on Pipes to see how the little feline is doing now.
“He’s doing great and being introduced to his big brother and sister Lila and Rio,” Johnson said.
Big sister Lila, a calico tabby, is six years old and was also adopted as a kitten through Junior Humane Society. She is still hesitant with Pipes and runs away when he tries to play with her.
Big brother Rio (a tuxedo cat) came to the Johnsons as a three-year-old foster, but they decided to keep him when his prior owner said they would not be able to retrieve him as planned. He is now seven years old and seems to find Pipes quite entertaining. They like to chase each other through their house.
“His favorite person in the house is my son, Jonas. Pipes sleeps on Jonas’s bed and follows him around the house,” Johnson said. “His favorite toy is this blue kick stick. He has so much energy it can be hard to get a good picture.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Monday Is Deadline To Register, Change Party For Upcoming Special Primary Election
December 29, 2024
The registration and party change deadline is Monday, December 30 for the upcoming Republican party primary. The special primary election is to fill the U.S. House District 1 seat left vacant following the resignation of Matt Gaetz.
the primary election will be held on January 28, 2025, and the general election will be held on April 1, 2025. The 2025 special primary election is for Republican voters only because there are multiple Republican candidates and only one Democrat.
For more information on how to register to vote, visit the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
McKenzie Estates With 404 Homes Proposed For Cottage Hill
December 29, 2024
A developer is proposing to build just over 400 homes in a new subdivision in Cottage Hill.
D.R. Horton has submitted plans to the Escambia County Development Review Committee for “McKenzie Estates” on the east side of Highway 95A in the 800 block of McKenzie Road. The development, as proposed, would be 404 single family homes on three parcels totaling 197.2 acres. (The largest parcel is 189.38 acres, plus small parcels of 5.87 and 1.94 across.)
The site is currently vacant and wooded with a stream and an estimated 43 acres of wetlands.
D.R. Horton has proposed that McKenzie Estates be constructed in three phases, beginning with 136 lots in phase one, followed by 102 lots in phase two and 166 lots in phase three.
A public hearing on the proposal has not yet been set.
Clearing, Low Around 45 Tonight
December 29, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Gradually becoming clear, with a low around 45. Calm wind.
Monday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 71. West wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 41. North wind around 5 mph.
New Year’s Day: Sunny, with a high near 58. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 57. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
Ed Spainhower Names Escambia County Employee of the Year
December 29, 2024
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners has named Ed Spainhower, human resources specialist in the Employee Relations division of the Human Resources department, as the 2024 Employee of the Year. He has worked with Escambia County for a decade.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens Escambia County and feel privileged to work with and for the outstanding men and women of the county workforce,” Spainhower said. “I feel honored to receive this recognition and am thankful for those folks that support me in my duties. I could not excel at my job without the support of those I work with.”
As a human resources specialist, Spainhower maintains employee records, facilitates training opportunities, oversees all FMLA and ADA processes, and educates county staff on human relations policies and procedures, all while ensuring compliance with employment laws and fostering positive relationships with employees.
Ice Flyers Set A Single-Game Attendance Record In Saturday’s Loss To Peoria
December 29, 2024
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers correspondent
The Ice Flyers didn’t want Peoria jumping to a quick lead, or the Rivermen making the game chippy enough to bring constant retaliation.
Both happened Saturday night as the Rivermen scored three goals on their first five shots, then forced the Ice Flyers into third period full of penalty kills to skate away with a 4-2 win Saturday, before the largest crowd (7,325) for a game without a $5 ticket night in franchise history.
On a Military Appreciation Night, which allowed retired and active military to purchase seats for half-price, plus their family and guests, the massive turnout nearly filled the entire Pensacola Bay Center from floor to ceiling, just under its 8,000 capacity.
The crowd Saturday surpassed a crowd of 7,000-plus last season for a game that did not included the $5 ticket promotion – both of those nights the past several seasons have filled the arena.
They saw Peoria (15-4, 4 OT losses), second place in the current SPHL standings, create just the kind of game the Rivermen wanted.
Playing with only 14 skaters and two goaltenders, the Rivermen didn’t arrive to the Bay Center until nearly 90 minutes before opening faceoff, but their physical, extra-curricular style as the most penalized team in the league, quickly got them into a scrum-fest type of game.
The teams were whistled for a combined 25 penalties for 72 minutes, which included several situations with multiple players from each team in the penalty box.
But the Rivermen jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first 13 minutes, causing Ice Flyers starting goaltender Brody Claeys to be lifted, then answered the Ice Flyers second-period momentum swing with a late goal to cushion their lead at intermission. The third period was when Rivermen goaltender Colby Mulse shined, making 10 saves to seal the win.
Both teams were playing their third game in three nights. The Rivermen had back-to-back games in Birmingham, where they won Friday and lost in overtime Thursday. Three of Ice Flyers past four games had gone into OT, including a shootout loss Friday at Macon.
The Ice Flyers were seeking to flip a script, after Peoria dominated with back-to-back wins (5-0 and 4-1) on Nov. 22-23 in Peoria.
This time, a 3-0 lead became 3-2 less than eight minutes into the second period when the Ice Flyers carried a solid end to the rough first period into Adam Pilotte’s goal at 7:48 into the second period.
But from that point, Peoria shut the door. The Rivermen got a goal from Jordan Ernst, who played for the Ice Flyers during the 2020-21 season and that proved the end of the game’s scoring.
A recap:
FIRST PERIOD
The game began with the Ice Flyers having lopsided edge in shots (20-5) and power play opportunities (7-1) at the first intermission.
But Peoria had a 3-1 lead.
The Rivermen scored goals on three of their first five shots against Ice Flyers goaltender Brody Claeys, including the third one a shorthanded goal. It forced Ice Flyers Head Coach Gary Graham to pull Claeys with 7:20 left in the period, after he endured his worst start of the season.
The Rivermen then did not have another shot on goal the rest of the period, while spending time killing multiple penalties. They racked up 29 minutes on nine penalties. The Ice Flyers had four penalties and three of those shortly followed a Peoria penalty to diminish a power play chance.
The Ice Flyers had three situations of a two-man advantage, the longest one for about a minute, and got their only goal of the period on a power play.
Danny Martin cut into the 3-0 deficit with his first goal as an Ice Flyers player. He was able to get a backhand shot off a rebound in the crease area to score with 5:11 remaining.
Eight more penalties then ensued from that point.
In all, this period took an hour to complete.
SECOND PERIOD
With both teams having a player in the penalty box, Adam Pilotte got the puck from a faceoff in the 4-on-4 situation and rifled a shot into the net from inside the blue line.
This got the packed crowd fully energized. The Ice Flyers had a couple chances for an equalizer in the ensuing minutes. But with 3:06 left before intermission Jordan Ernst was part of group in the crease, got his stick on a loose puck that Ice Flyers goaltender Cody Karpinski couldn’t contain and poked into the net.
That goal seemed to be the most deflating.
THIRD PERIOD
No scoring, but plenty of power plays. The teams combined for eight penalties. The Ice Flyers had five and each one caused them to spend valuable time on a penalty kill, unable to get offense created.
The Ice Flyers pulled Karpinski with 2:20 remaining, following a timeout, and briefly had a two-man advantage that Peoria thwarted to help seal the win.
GAME NOTABLES
The U.S. Marine Corps color guard from Naval Air Station-Whiting Field came onto the ice to present the colors before the National Anthem was sung.
Jackie Biggs, a Pensacola native and senior vice president with Navy Federal, was joined by family for the ceremonial puck drop. She was promoted in March to become Navy Federal’s executive leader for operational campuses.
The Ice Flyers have now drawn 67,409 fans in 11 home games for a 6,128 per-game attendance average. Only the Huntsville Havoc, the league’s first place team, has attracted more fans.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Ice Flyers at Macon Mayhem
WHEN: Tuesday (New Year’s Eve), 5 p.m. (CST)
WHERE: Macon Centreplex, Macon, Georgia.
Community Health Northwest Florida Targeted In Cyberattack
December 28, 2024
Community Health Northwest Florida was targeted in a cyberattack, according to the the health care organization.
Community Health temporarily took its systems offline to safeguard operations and assess the situation.
CEO Chandra Smiley stated that there is no evidence of patient data being compromised and emphasized the organization’s proactive response.
“We immediately shut down our systems to ensure security. While it appears patient records remain secure, we are continuing to evaluate the full scope of the incident,” she said.
The organization said it is working with industry experts to restore systems and maintain essential services. While dental, pharmacy, x-ray, and mammography services are temporarily affected, pediatric and primary care appointments will continue on a limited basis.
“If you have an upcoming pediatric or primary care appointment, please plan to attend as scheduled. Staff will be available to assist,” Smiley assured.
Community Health’s phone, email and email systems are currently down.
Community Health operates adult, family care and pediatrics locations in Century, pediatrics in Cantonment and multiple locations in Pensacola.
Pictured: Community Health Northwest Florida’s location in Century. NorthEsambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Severe Weather Outbreak Expected
December 28, 2024
TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM
SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK
There is enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) for severe weather through early Sunday morning for the extreme northwestern park of Escambia County in Florida (specifically Bratt, Walnut Hill, Davisville and Nokomis) and eastern Escambia County in Alabama (including Flomaton, Atmore, Canoe, Robinsonville, Poarch and Nokomis) and a slight risk (levin 2 of 5) for the rest of Escambia County in Florida and Alabama. The environment supports a notable high impact severe weather threat with the potential of damaging straight line winds and perhaps, strong long track tornadoes focused more in the enhanced outlook areas.
There is also an elevated risk of flooding.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 62. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 72. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 69. West wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 40. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
New Year’s Day: Sunny, with a high near 58. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 54.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 51.
Walnut Hill Convicted Felon Facing Weapons Charge In Atmore
December 28, 2024
A traffic stop in Atmore led to the arrest of convicted felony from Walnut Hill on a weapons charge.
About 10:5 p.m. on December 26, an Atmore Police Department officer stopped a vehicle with an expired tag on Medical Park Dive.
The officer detected the smell of alcohol on the driver, later identified as 47-year-old Deaundra Thames. Police said Thames agreed to field sobriety test, which he failed.
Thames was placed under arrest. During a search of the vehicle officers discovered a firearm that had been reported stolen from out of state. Thames is a convicted felon in Florida and is designated as a person forbidden to possess firearms.
Thames was charged with DUI, receiving stolen property second degree, and certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm. He was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center.