Must Be Santa: Bratt Elementary Students Present Christmas Musical
December 22, 2023
Bratt Elementary School students presented their Christmas Musical — Must Be Santa – this week.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, clikc to enlarge.
‘Shop With A Cop’ Brings Holiday Cheer to Local Children
December 22, 2023
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Shop with a Cop provided Christmas for over 50 children.
ECSO partnered with the Escambia County Sheriff Foundation and Walmart to bring holiday cheer.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
ECSO deputies shopped for these kids based on a special list they each submitted. The kids then visited the ECSO special winter wonderland party, where they received all of their gifts.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Boil Water Notice Rescinded For Cottage Hill Water Works Customers Near Highway 29, Hazzard Lane
December 21, 2023
This boil water notice was rescinded late Saturday morning.
A precautionary boil water notice has been issued for Cottage Hill Water Works customers following a water main break on Highway 29 and Hazzard Lane.
The boil water notice was issued for customers on Carrington Lakes Boulevard, and West Quintette – west to Highway 29 and south to Hazzard Lane.
The utility is advising, as a precaution, that all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes be boiled. A rolling boil of one minute is sufficient. As an alternative bottled water may be used.
This precautionary boil water notice will remain in effect until the problem has been corrected and a bacteriological survey shows that the water is safe to drink.
Escambia Children’s Trust Names Lindsey Cannon As New Executive Director
December 21, 2023
The Escambia County Children’s Trust voted 6-3 Monday night to hire Lindsey Cannon as the new executive director of the ECT.
Cannon and Walker Wilson were named the two finalists for the position earlier this month, and both spoke to the board during Wednesday’s special meeting.
Cannon is currently the executive director for the Children’s Home Society of Florida for the western and Emerald Coast region.
Wilson is the executive director of the Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board.
The first executive director of the taxpayer funded ECT, Tammy Greer, resigned unexpectedly back in August.
ECT board members Lumon May, David Peaden, and David Williams voted for Wilson.
Pictured: Lindsey Cannon addresses the Escambia County Children’s Trust board Wednesday night.
Pensacola Fitness Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty To Murder
December 21, 2023
An Escambia County man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a May 2022 murder inside Pensacola Fitness on 9th Avenue.
Kennon Farrow will be sentenced to a mandatory life sentence for first degree premeditated murder charge. He also pleaded guilty to violation of an injunction against domestic violence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
He will be sentenced on January 25.
He entered the plea two days after Judge John Simon ruled he was competent to stand trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
Williams, 48, was an associate professor and former basketball player at Pensacola State College.
Last Minute Gift Idea: Florida Hunting And Fishing Licenses, Park Passes Are 50% Off
December 21, 2023
Florida is offering a 50% discount on annual state park passes and FWC Gold Sportsman hunting and fishing licenses under the “Great Outdoors Initiative” under an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis. These savings will continue to be available through the holiday season until Jan. 13, 2024.
“Florida has award-winning recreation lands, and I’m proud to see Floridians exploring our great outdoors,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “A lifetime hunting and fishing license or annual park pass at a large discount makes a great Christmas gift for the whole family. Excitement for the great outdoors has been passed on through generations of Floridians and I am proud to continue supporting these family traditions.”
Tthe Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will discount the annual resident Gold Sportsman license, five-year Gold Sportsman license and Lifetime Sportsman license by 50%. Also, the Department of Environmental Protection will offer a 50% discount on annual state park passes.
The following FWC Gold Sportsman licenses, which include the saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, and hunting privileges and all associated permits, are discounted by 50% and will be available at the following rates, plus applicable fees:
- Annual Gold Sportsman – $50.75.
- 5-year Gold Sportsman – $247.75.
- Lifetime Sportsman’s License
- Age 4 or younger – $201.50.
- Ages 5-12 – $351.50.
- Ages 13 and older – $501.50.
Florida State Parks Annual Passes will have a 50% discount and are available tat the following rates:
- Family Annual Pass – $60, plus tax.
- Individual Annual Pass – $30, plus tax.
To buy a pass or to find a park near you, visit: www.floridastateparks.org/.
To find more information on fishing and hunting licenses in Florida, visit: myfwc.com/license/recreational/ and to purchase a license, visit: License.GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
New Cell Tower Erected On Highway 95A In Cottage Hill (With Photo Gallery)
December 21, 2023
Last year, we reported about a new cell tower proposed on commercial property in the Cottage Hill area.
Wednesday, the tower was erected.
For more photos showing the construction step by step, click here.
Parallel Towers III, LLC, held the permits for a 195-foot high, self-supporting tower on part of a 12.4 acre parcel. There will also be a 114 square foot building next to the tower located on a parcel with the current Arnett’s Grading and Landscaping at 2222 Highway 95A, just north of McKenzie Road.
The application did not specify which cellular company plans to use the tower, and it is typically several weeks before service goes “live” on a new tower.
Photos for NortEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ice Flyers Seek To Reverse Road Fortune As Schedule Hits Holiday Peak
December 21, 2023
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
The schedule allowed the Ice Flyers to have an extended break before the holiday portion of their season.
Now, the quest is to make the most from it.
After losing consecutive games for the first time last weekend at Quad City, the Ice Flyers had a full week to recharge and get a pair of practices before Saturday’s game in Huntsville, Ala. against the Huntsville Havoc. A shorter break then ensues before the Ice Flyers play five games in eight days, including three at the Pensacola Bay Center as part of a Christmas-New Year’s flurry of contests.
“It’s not sitting well with our group right now and we have to figure some stuff out,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham, prior to his team leaving Friday for a practice in Birmingham, before the game at Huntsville. “Our road game has just not been good this year. You can’t hide from it.
“We had some hard conversations after (last) Friday night’s game. You have to have an attitude when you go on the road and we have to find it somehow.”
The Ice Flyers are 3-7 on the road and have been outscored 41-21 in those games. But their unbeaten home record (8-0) has buoyed them into a second-place tie with the Birmingham Bulls (22 points) as the Ice Flyers near the one-third point of their 56-game schedule in the Southern Professional Hockey League.
Following the losses on back-to-back nights against Quad City in Moline, Illinois, several Ice Flyers players traveled to visit with their families who they won’t see at Christmas. Graham traveled back to Fort Wayne, Indiana to be with his wife and family for a few days.
He took a side trip to Chicago last Sunday, then began refocusing on the schedule ahead Monday and throughout this week.
“I talked to (Ice Flyers owner) Greg (Harris) about a month ago about this and seeing the schedule, and the fact we didn’t have a Thanksgiving break and we don’t have a Christmas or New Year’s break, we decided to do it,” Graham said. “Typically, in the past, the teams I have coached, I try to look at the calendar for the whole year and see if there’s a little bit of time where you can give a break.
“It was a rare thing in our schedule where we only had the one Saturday game and it made sense for us to try and a have a break. It’s cool if guys can see families, but it’s really more about a recharge, a little extra rest for the body.
“It stinks that we didn’t play well (last week). You never want to go into a break not playing good hockey. It probably weighs more on the head coach than it does the players.”
The Ice Flyers will follow Saturday’s game at Huntsville with another road game, this one Dec. 22 in Macon, Ga. against the Macon Mayhem. They will faceoff against Macon the following night in Pensacola in the first home game in three weeks.
The Ice Flyers then will play home games Dec. 26 and Dec. 30 against the Birmingham Bulls and play in Birmingham on Dec. 29. It will be a quick turnaround each time between games.
“We are going to start getting into the thick part of the season when games are going to start coming at you in a hurry,” Graham said. “With our group, it has taken a little longer to figure out the road thing and I am starting to get a little impatient. Because my job is to find solutions.
“For us on the road, we have to be more patient. We have to understand that it’s okay for us to win a low scoring ugly game on the road. We don’t have to entertain our fans. It can be an ugly win, we just need the points. Just getting the message across to the group is very important.”
Another evaluation will occur Saturday in Huntsville as Graham looks at his roster and players he can count upon for the rest of the season.
The Havoc (8-8, 2 OT losses) have 18 points and reside in sixth place right now. This is a team Graham knows will present the same kind of challenges as the first two meetings.
“They have good goaltending and they play the game the right way… they don’t beat themselves,” he said. “They work hard away from the puck. The two times we played them, they were very stingy defensively both nights. They are a hard-working team.
“Overall team defense and special teams are always huge on the road and we haven’t been good at either one of those lately. We have to change that right away.”
WANT TO FOLLOW?
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Huntsville Havoc
WHERE: Propst Arena, Huntsville, Ala.
WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.
NEXT HOME GAME: Dec. 23 vs. Macon Mayhem at 7:05 p.m.
Cantonment Lodge Donates Meals For Needy Jim Allen Elementary Families
December 21, 2023
Cantonment Masonic Lodge #322 donated holiday meals for 16 needy families of Jim Allen Elementary School students. Not only did they donate food, but they also provided meal preparation tips as well. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Gets Life In Prison For Escambia County Home Depot Murder
December 20, 2023
A man has been convicted in an Escambia County Home Depot murder trial and sentenced to life in prison.
Keith Agee, was convicted by a jury of premeditated first degree murder for shooting 18-year-old Brooklyn Sims at the Davis Highway store back in August. She was the mother of his 2-year old daughter and was working at the store as a contract employee.
On Tuesday, Agee took the stand and confessed to the murder, saying it was his intent. He said he tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease after becoming intimate with Sims. He testified that he was angry, hurt and felt betrayed. In reality, prosecutors said she did not have a STD.
Agee’s mother Sheila is also facing a first degree premeditated murder charge because, according to authorities, she knew of Agee’s plan and aided him. She will go to trial in February