SEC Soccer Tournament Draws Thousands To Escambia County, National TV Coverage
November 7, 2024
The SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament is already drawing thousands of attendees to Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park off 10 Mile Road, with nearly 2,300 fans attending just the first day of the weeklong tournament.
The tournament kicked off last Sunday, November 3 and continues through next Sunday, November 10, starting with 12 SEC soccer teams that will ultimately be narrowed down to the top two teams competing for the SEC Championship title Sunday, November 10 at 1:30 p.m.
Related: Photo gallery Nov 3. LSU vs. Auburn game.
On Thursday, No. 1 Mississippi State will fce No. 4 South Carolina at 3:30 p.m., and No. 2 Arkansas will take on No. 3 Texas as 6 p.m.
This marks the third consecutive year that Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park has served as the location for the tournament, drawing thousands of attendees and generating millions of dollars in local economic impact, according to local officials.
“We are incredibly proud to once again host the SEC tournament, and we hope the teams and fans enjoy their time in Escambia County,” Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “This is an exciting event not only for District 5 and Escambia County, but for all of Northwest Florida. I appreciate the continued partnership with Pensacola Sports and the SEC, along with the countless staff members and volunteers who work behind the scenes to make an event like this possible.”
Several local schools took field trips to Ashton Brosnaham to watch the SEC games on Tuesday,, with students from Beulah Middle School, Lipscomb Elementary School and McArthur Elementary School showing their support for the teams.
SEC Assistant Director of Competition Marcus Bishop said the tournament is off to a great start, highlighting the partnerships that make a tournament like this successful.
“We’ve had lots of help from Pensacola Sports and Escambia County Parks and Recreation – I know we wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” Bishop said. “The field is looking great this year. I think they have continued to up their game with the field over the last two years. The vibe from the community is great, too, just seeing signs all over the city and the beach area too. Our teams have really felt very welcome as they come into Pensacola, and I’m just hoping to continue to provide an event that the community enjoys and wants to be a part of from year to year.”
Escambia County Parks and Recreation has completed significant improvements to continue to make the Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park a first-rate sports complex, including a new multi-use facility that opened just in time for the 2023 SEC Tournament. The new facility serves as additional locker room space for the SEC Soccer Tournament, along with other sporting events including local youth, high school and college soccer. Parks and Recreation staff also repaved the parking lot and completed significant upgrades to the field turf at Ashton Brosnaham.
“It’s an honor to host the SEC for the third year in a row right here at Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park, and our team has been working hard to make this the best tournament yet,” Escambia County Parks and Recreation Director Michael Rhodes said. “We hope all of the players, coaches, and fans have an incredible tournament experience, and we look forward to the opportunity to welcome them back to Escambia County in the future.”
The tournament is also providing national exposure for Escambia County with all games airing on the SEC Network.
Pensacola Sports President and CEO Ray Palmer echoed the importance of the strong partnership between Pensacola Sports, Escambia County Parks and Recreation, and the SEC, also highlighting the positive impact that a tournament like this creates for Escambia County and the greater Pensacola area.
“Every year, we get a little better at it,” Palmer said. “We just keep raising the bar, because we want to show the SEC that we want them here. And for these players, they’re going to be deciding where they live after they graduate, where they may start their families, where they’ll come and go to work or start their own businesses, or where they’ll vacation for years and years. It gives our community a chance to show up and show off. It’s just such a golden opportunity, and the economic impact just the week they’re here is significant.”
For ticket information, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Local Students Attend SEC Soccer Tournament
November 7, 2024
This week, several local schools took field trips to Ashton Brosnaham to watch the SEC Soccer Tournament games, with students from Beulah Middle School, Lipscomb Elementary School and McArthur Elementary School showing their support for the teams.
The tournament continues Thursday with the championship game on Sunday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Steven Barry Keeps Escambia County Commission District 5 Seat For Fourth Term
November 6, 2024
Steven Barry has won a fourth term as the Escambia County District 5 commissioner.
With complete but unofficial results reported Tuesday night, Republican Barry had 21,663 vote (61.78%) to No Party Affiliation (NPA) candidate Joshua Roberson’s 13.404 votes (38.22%).
“I’m truly humbled by the support of my constituents, and for them allowing me the opportunity to continue to serve District 5,” Barry said. “While I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished, I’m even more excited about all the great work we are going to do in the next four years.”
Barry, a certified financial planner, has operated his small business in District 5 for over 20 years. He was first elected to the BOCC in 2012.
Roberson, a retired Navy aircraft mechanic, ran on the theme “Anchored by the People”. The aircraft structural mechanic’s last duty station was NAS Pensacola, and he moved with his family to Barrineau Park/Molino area in 2020.
Pictured top: District 5 Escambia County Commission candidates Joshua Roberson (NPA, second from left) and incumbent Steven Barry (REP, standing on right) wave at voters outside the voting precinct at the Escambia County Extension Services Office. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Amendments: Marijuana and Abortion Rights Fail. Here’s What Passed
November 6, 2024
Here are statewide results for amendments on Tuesday’s general election:
Amendments require 60% to pass.
Amendment 1 – Partisan School Board Members – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 5,476,752 — 54.95%
No for Rejection — 4,490,187 — 45.05%
Amendment 2 – Right to Hunt and Fish – PASSED
Yes for Approval — 6,919,656 — 67.39%
No for Rejection — 3,348,342 — 32.61%
Amendment 3 – Recreational Marijuana – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 5,923,417 — 55.86%
No for Rejection — 4,679,793 — 44.14%
Amendment 4 – Abortion Access – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 6,041,683 — 57.11%
No for Rejection — 4,537,040 — 42.89%
Amendment 5 – Homestead Annual Inflation Adjustment – PASSED
Yes for Approval — 6,664,261 — 66.04%
No for Rejection — 3,426,958 — 33.96%
Amendment 6 – Public Campaign Financing – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 5,016,849 — 50.41%
No for Rejection — 4,934,410 — 49.59%
Voters Renew Half-cent Sales Tax For Escambia Schools
November 6, 2024
Voters in Escambia County approved the renewal of a half-cent sales tax for schools.
With 80 of 80 precincts reporting, 68.91% (105,969) votes were for the referendum, while 31.09% (48,251) voted against.
The current half-cent tax, which was passed a decade ago, expires on December 31, 2027. The 10-year referendum that passed Tuesday will go into effect on January 1, 2028. The sales tax, which amounts to 50 cents for every $100 spent, was first approved in 1997.
The half-cent sales tax funds can pay to construct new school, along with additions and renovations to existing schools. The funds can also acquire or improve land and add or upgrade equipment at schools.
“Over the years, this innovative funding source has become a cornerstone for the school district’s ambitious projects, providing crucial support for the construction of replacement schools such as AK Suter Elementary, Ernest Ward Middle, and Pleasant Grove Elementary, as well as new schools like Global Learning Academy, Kingsfield Elementary, and Beulah Middle,” Escambia County School Superintendent Keith Leonard said recently. “These funds have also supported renovations and additions at existing facilities: West Florida High, OJ Semmes Elementary, Ferry Pass Middle, Pensacola High, and essential advancements in technology.”
Pictured: Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Complete Escambia County Election Results
November 6, 2024
Here are complete, but unofficial, election results from Escambia County.
Click image to enlarge, or zoom.
Steve Stroberger, Who Ousted Jeff Bergosh, Wins District 1 Commission Seat Over Write-In Candidates
November 6, 2024
The candidate that ousted incumbent Jeff Bergosh in the Republican primary for Escambia County Commission District 1 easily won the seat Tuesday against two write-in candidates.
In Tuesday’s general election, Steve Stroberger received 94.82% of the vote against write-in candidates Tyler Aulger and Justin Smith whole collectively received 5.18%.
In a three-way race for the Republican primary in August, Stroberger (pictured left) received 4,793 votes (54%). Bergosh had 3,260 votes (37%), while Jesse Casey received 795 (9%).
Stroberger is a retired Navy officer and Marine. He worked in the private sector primarily in the aerospace and defense industries.
Bergosh has served on the Escambia County Commission since 2016, following 10 years on the Escambia County School Board.
Ashlee Hofberger Wins District 4 Escambia Commission Seat
November 6, 2024
Republican Ashlee Hofberger is the winner of the District 4 Seat on the Escambia County Commission.
With 62.1% of the vote, she defeated Democratic challenger Ron Helms with 37.9%.
The District 4 seat was left vacant after Robert Bender was appointed Supervisor of Elections in January. In mid-October, Hofberger was sworn in to the seat after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Hofberger is owner of The Wash Room laundromat and Bogeys Golf Suites. In 2012, she opened the emergency restoration firm Complete DKI and later sold it to the national company First Onsite in 2021.
Century Voters Approve Two Charter Amendments, Reject Third
November 6, 2024
At the polls Tuesday, Century voters approved two amendments to the town’s charter while rejecting a third.
Maylor Luis Gomez, Jr. had encouraged residents to approve all three questions for “securing a strong future for Century” and for “shaping what is next for our town”.
Question 1 PASS
Yes – 299 (57.83%)
No – 218 (42.17%)
What it says: Amends the charter to remove specific bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditure requirements and procedures from the charter, and provide that town bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditures will be governed by town ordinances, policies, and procedures adopted by the town council.
The issue: One of the big problems for the town has been a hard spending limit in the charter of $200 for the mayor without council approval. The mayor has often been forced to wait weeks for council approval before making purchases deemed necessary.
What happens next: The town council will develop policies and procedures for purchasing, bidding, contracts and related practices. That will include new spending limits for the mayor. The policies and spending limit can be changed in the future by a council vote. A date for the change has not been set but the council is expected to begin the process soon.
Question 2 FAIL
Yes – 196 (37.91%)
No – 321 (62.09%)
What it says: Amends the charter to expand the Mayor’s powers to select, appoint, suspend, and remove town employees and appointive administrative officers, by limiting the requirement for council approval of such actions solely to the selection, appointment, suspension, or removal of the town clerk, town attorney, and town manager.
The issue: The town charter requires the mayor to hire, and fire, employees only after getting approval from the town council. And over recent years, there has been a lot of tension and even a stalemate between the mayor and council over hiring employees. The mayor can’t hire employees without council approval, even down the lowest level employee.
What happens next: Nothing changes since voters rejected the chance. Without council oversight and approval, the mayor cannot hire, terminate, or suspend any employee.
Question 3 PASS
Yes – 372 (72.09%)
No – 144 (27.91%)
What it says: Amends the charter to correct scrivener’s and codification errors, and to conform charter provisions to the requirements of the Florida Election Code.
The issue: Scrivener’s errors, by common definitions, are typographical errors, misspellings, omitted words or other common errors–essentially typos. There are multiple errors in the old charter, including some that don’t agree with current Florida law.
What happens next: The town will go to work to correct the errors in the charter, presumably with guidance of their attorney and approval of the town council.
What’s a charter?
The Century town charter is the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers, and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in over 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
One of the big problems for the town has been a spending limit for the mayor of under $200 without council approval. And over recent years, there has been a lot of tension and even a stalemate between the mayor and council over hiring employees. The mayor can’t hire employees without council approval, even down the lowest level employee.
The charter has other issues with outdated provisions not following changes in current state law.
How did the recommended changes come about?
In recent years, the town sat a charter review committee to create a new draft charter, and the town council set about reviewing those changes. There were several snafus along the way, from the pandemic to wrong documents, which delayed the process.
The volunteer charter review committee spent about three years creating a draft of a completely new charter from beginning to end. The town attorney submitted another draft build around a town manager and no mayor, but the council later shelved that version.
The town council tossed out the full charter review committee recommendations made by the local citizens’ committee, instead opting for three changes of their own, but not a complete re-write.
Vote totals in this story are complete, but unofficial results.
NorthEscambia.com photo and images, click to enlarge.
Don Gaetz Elected To Florida Senate District 1
November 6, 2024
Don Gaetz, father of Republican U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz, was elected to the Florida District 1 seat during Tuesday’s general election.
Gaetz garnered 64.57% of the vote to 35.43% from Democratic candidate Lisa Newell
Gaetz previously served in the state Senate from 2006 to 2016, including leading as president from 2012 to 2014. He also served on the Okaloosa County School Board, and as Okaloosa County school superintendent
Newell, a political newcomer, has been publisher of the Gulf Breeze for over two decades.
The seat was previously held by Rep. Doug Broxson.