WATCH LIVE: NASA and SpaceX Headed To The International Space Station
May 30, 2020
Watch history unfold as NASA and SpaceX launch astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station. This mission marks the first time since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011 that humans will fly to the space station from U.S. soil. The mission’s first launch attempt on Wednesday, May 27 was scrubbed due to weather conditions.
This is live coverage from the launch to arrival at the space station.
The launch was at 2:22 p.m. (North Escambia time) with the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station on Sunday, May 31.
Woman Charged With Manslaughter For Wreck That Killed One, Injured Century Man
May 30, 2020
A Pensacola woman has been charged with vehicular homicide for a January 30 wreck that claimed one life and seriously injured a Century man.
Ava Stoudemire, 36, was charged this week with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving and a probation violation.
Tyrone Deonta Wilkins, 27, was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was a backseat passenger in a Toyota van driven by Stoudemire.
Front seat passenger 34-year old Gregory Matthews of Century was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition after the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Stoudemire was under the influence when she attempted to turn onto Marcus Pointe Boulevard but failed to negotiate the turn and collided with a semi-truck before rotating into a box truck, both of which were traveling south on North W Street.
Burn Bans Are Lifted, But Outdoor Burning Rules Still Apply
May 30, 2020
Burn bans in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have been dropped, but there are still rules that must be followed to burn legally outdoors.
Officials with the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center are reminding residents to make sure they meet the legal requirements before burning.
Rsidents must still follow certain requirements: Burning piles of yard debris less than 8 feet in diameter is allowed if it is 25 feet from and wooded area or combustible structure, 25 feet from your house, 50 feet from a paved public road and 150 feet from other occupied dwellings.
Piles greater than eight feet require a burn authorization from the Florida Forest Service and must meet more stringent standards. For more information about authorizations, call Blackwater Forestry Center headquarters at (850) 957-5701.
Outdoor trash burning is always prohibited in the Pensacola city limits.
Four Additional COVID-19 Deaths Reported In Escambia County
May 30, 2020
Four more COVID-19 deaths were reported Friday in Escambia County along with seven new virus cases reported Saturday, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The deaths were long-term care facility residents — a 94-year old female, a 75-year old male, a 72-year old female, and an 83-year old female.
The number of cases in Escambia County is up by 19 to 810, and Santa Rosa County recorded two additional on Saturday for a total o 242.
Of the 33 deaths in Escambia County, 26 have been long-term care facility residents or staff. There have been eight deaths in Santa Rosa County, seven of those at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility and none in long-term care facilities.
Statewide, there were 55,424 cases including 54,029 Florida residents. There have been 10,113 hospitalizations and 2,447 deaths.
Individual location results below are from Wednesday. The Thursday numbers had not been released at the time of this story.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 810 (+9 since Friday)
- Pensacola — 583
- Cantonment — 49
- Bellview — 6
- Perdido Key — 1
- McDavid/Walnut Hill — 1
- Molino – 11
- Century — 2
- Hospitalizations: 64*
- Deaths — 33
- Male — 273
- Female — 383
- Youngest — 0
- Oldest — 105
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 240 (+3 since Friday)
- Milton — 150
- Navarre — 39
- Gulf Breeze — 29
- Pace — 17
- Jay — 3
- Residents: 129
- Nonresidents — 1
- Hospitalizations — 23*
- Deaths — 9
- Male — 174
- Female — 65
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 94
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 55,424
- Florida residents — 54,029
- Deaths — 2,447
- Hospitalizations — 10,113*
*“Hospitalizations” is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. These people may no longer be hospitalized. This number does not represent the number of COVID-19 positive persons currently hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized.
Courthouses Implement Enhanced COVID-19 Procedures. Temperature Checks And Masks Are Mandatory.
May 30, 2020
Enhanced COVID-19 screen procedures are being implemented for the county courthouses in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
“During the unprecedented circumstances presented by the pandemic, the judges of the First Judicial Circuit have handled hundreds of cases through electronic means, and will continue to do so in many cases. Most face-to-face hearings remain limited at this time,” a statement from the First Judicial Circuit said. “For those cases which must be handled face-to-face, extraordinary measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the public, court staff, and other agency partners within our facilities. Processes will continue to evolve as circumstances warrant.”
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
To help ensure that no person infected with COVID-19 enters the court facilities, temperature scanning devices have been installed at the M.C. Blanchard Building and the Theodore Bruno Building. Effective Monday, June 1, any person attempting to enter either of these facilities will undergo a non-invasive temperature scan by walking through a defined area. The installed devices will automatically record the temperature of each individual. Any individual who registers a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be denied access to the building.
Individuals attempting to enter the courthouse should also expect to be asked a series of questions regarding potential symptoms or prior exposure to COVID-19. Refusal of the temperature screening or refusal to answer screening questions will result in denial of access to the building. At this time, courthouse access remains limited to those persons who are required for court proceedings, or those individuals with other official business within the courthouse facilities. Those entering the facilities will be required to wear a mask at all times while entering and while within the building.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
In Santa Rosa County, persons attempting to enter the courthouse should also expect to undergo a non-invasive temperature check beginning on Monday, June 1. Screening questions regarding potential symptoms or prior exposure to COVID-19 will be asked upon entry.
Refusal of the temperature screening or to answer screening questions will result in denial of access to the building. Signage will be posted regarding the maintenance of proper social distancing, and those entering the courthouse will be required to wear a mask at all times while entering and while within the building. Plastic bins have been removed from the security checkpoint, and each person will be given a clear bag to place personal belongings in for screening. At this time, courthouse access remains limited to those persons who are required for court proceedings, or those individuals with other official business within the courthouse facilities.
ECSO Seeks Person Of Interest After Body Found Near Pensacola Boulevard
May 30, 2020
UPDATE: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday that the individual pictured was located. No further information was provided.
The body of a 40-year old woman was found just off Pensacola Boulevard on May 23, and now the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man seen in surveillance photos.
The ECSO on Friday released photos of person they said is a person of interest in the death of 40-year old Melisa Tody. She was found found dead near the intersection of Pensacola Boulevard and Boone Street, not far from the Motel 6.
Anyone with information on his identity is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Escambia (AL) COVID-19 Cases Are Up Nearly 50% In One Week, Eight New Patients In One Day
May 30, 2020
The total number of Escambia County, Alabama, COVID 19 cases are up by nearly 50% in just one week.
Positive cases surged by eight on Friday, for a total increase of 18 in the past week. The total number of cases in the county is now 57, up from 49 on Thursday and 39 a week ago. There have 1,140 total coronavirus tests administered in the county.
There have also been three fatalities in Escambia County.
As of Friday night, there were 17,031 cases across the Alabama out of 208,687 total tested. There have been 610 COVID-19 deaths in Alabama, with 1,818 cumulative hospitalizations.
The Alabama Department of Health now posts a number of “presumed recoveries”. That number stood at 9,355 Friday night.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Pickup Truck Left Hanging Over Kingsfield Road Bridge In Collision
May 29, 2020
A pickup truck came to rest hanging over a Cantonment bridge Friday afternoon.
The driver of a pickup lost control on the Kingsfield Road bridge over Eleven Mile Creek and collided with the guardrail on the opposite side of the bridge. The driver’s side wheels went over the guardrail.
There were no injuries reported.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Two Facing Charges After Failed Drug, Phone Drop Over Century Prison Fence
May 29, 2020
Two people are facing charges after a failed attempt to deliver drugs and phones over the fence to an inmate at Century Correctional Institution.
Robert Perry Hunt-Wilson, age 31 of Inverness, Florida, and Stephanie Norrell Clayborn, age 33 of Hernando, FL, were charged with felony possession of of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 600 block of Elsie Davis. They located a silver Nissan with Hunt-Wilson getting out of the driver’s seat. He told deputies that he and Clayborn had been walking a trail, and she walked off when they returned.
Inside the car, deputies found two large bundles wrapped in black electrical tape in the floorboard. Inside the first bundle, deputies found what appeared to be a bag of marijuana and five cell phones. Inside the second bundle, they found four phones, a pack of Newport cigarettes and ear buds. There were several clear plastic baggies in the glove compartment, and a smoking pipe and a bag of marijuana in the center console. Deputies also found a pair of night vision goggles in the backseat.
Hunt- Wilson told deputies he was along for the ride with Clayborn in an attempt to make $400 for delivering the bundles. He said he overheard Clayborn on the phone with a Century Correctional Institution inmate named “Bud” about dropping off the phones.
After being located in the woods, Clayborn told deputies they drove from south Florida to make a drop at the Century prison for inmate “Bud Thorn”. She said Hunt-Wilson attempted the drop by got scared when he heard a guard say he was about to do a perimeter check. She said the drop would have involved throwing the two bundles over the fence at a predetermined location.
Both had outstanding warrants in other states that would not extradite them from Florida.
Hunt-Wilson remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $5,500 and Clayborn was jailed with bond set at $6,000.
Former Cantonment Fire Chief Honored
May 29, 2020
A firefighter walked down the long driveway playing bagpipes. He stopped short of a golf cart on the lawn, as firefighters walked over with a white helmet.
They were there to honor Johnell Smith who served with the Cantonment Volunteer Fire Department from 1995 to 2008, including a couple of years as department chief. He was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer a few months ago.
“As a token of appreciation for your years of service and the dedication that you put in for the fire service…we’d like to give you a token of our appreciation,” Molino District Chief Anthony Manning said as he presented a white chief’s hat to Smith. “We thank you for your service, sir. We thank your for all that you have done.”
“Thank you,” a tearful Smith said.
“…Everything that you have done for your community and the time that you have put in,” Manning continued.
The chief’s helmet presentation was made on behalf of the Florida Fire Chief’s Association, Escambia County Chief’s Association, Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners and Escambia Fire Rescue.
Last Sunday, the community threw an early Father’s Day parade for Smith.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour and Haley Smith, click to enlarge.
