Wahoos Hold Off Lookouts, Win Second Straight 5-4
July 26, 2018
The Blue Wahoos held off a ninth inning rally by the Lookouts to hold on for a 5-4 win Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Field in Chattanooga.
The game got off to an eventful start when Wahoos manager Jody Davis was ejected during Jose Siri’s at bat to begin the game. Siri was subsequently ejected a couple pitches later after objecting to a called third strike. Pensacola cashed in on TJ Friedl’s one-out double to claim an early 1-0 lead later in the inning.
With a 1-0 lead, the Wahoos opened up a 4-0 advantage with three runs in the second inning. Luis Gonzalez tripled home Gavin LaValley and Narciso Crook to make it 3-0. Gonzalez scored a batter later on a Cassidy Brown single before the next three batters were retired to end the inning. TJ Friedl reached on an error to start the fifth inning and scored when Shed Long singled him home putting the Wahoos up 5-0.
Tony Santillan (W, 3-0) was strong through five scoreless innings but ran into trouble in the sixth. The Lookouts loaded the bases with nobody out before Jaylin Davis doubled home all three runs to cut the Wahoos lead to 5-3. Santillan retired the next two batters before getting lifted for Joel Bender who finished the inning stranding Davis at third.
The Lookouts rallied again in the ninth inning scoring a run and loading the bases with two outs before Carlos Navas (S, 4) struck out Davis to end the game, securing Pensacola’s second straight win, 5-4.
Despite the early offense, Chattanooga’s pitching retired the final 13 Blue Wahoos hitters. Aristides Aquino was held hitless to snap his hit streak at eight games. Santillan earned his third win in four starts going 5.2 inning with three runs allowed on three walks and three strikeouts. Navas allowed just the one ninth inning run over his two innings out of the bullpen to record the save. Paco Rodriguez (L, 3-1) was the opener for the Lookouts and suffered the loss after he was charged with three runs on two hits with two walks over one-plus inning of work. Taylor Poppen shouldered most of the load for Chattanooga with two runs allowed, one earned, over seven innings.
The series continues Thursday when the Wahoos look to lock up another series win, to keep their series unbeaten streak of nine alive.
Century Council Member Receives $12,000 Loan Refinance From Town
July 25, 2018
The Century Town Council has approved a $12,000 loan refinance for a council member, but details surrounding the loan remain unclear.
At the Monday, July 16 town council meeting, the refinance was approved for council member Sandra McMurray-Jackson, but few details were provided on the loan program. And, over a week later, a public records requests for loan documentation has gone unanswered.
“I have an existing loan in the amount of $12,000, and I am asking the town for a refinance of the loan….at six percent,” Jackson said at the council meeting, requesting a three-year term. No details were provided on the status of the loan being refinanced.
Council member Ben Boutwell questioned the purpose of the loan, with Jackson responding that it was an economic development loan for her funeral home business.
“We had a few (business loans). My business was one like 20 years ago when I built my office. I got the revolving loan,” council President Ann Brooks said. “The funeral home was one, and then one was the flower shop. The only three that we have done through the revolving loan.” The “flower shop”, we are told, has since gone out of business. There was no mention if the loan was or was not repaid (*See update below.)
“That’s the first I’ve ever heard of it,” Boutwell said.
No other council member questioned any details about the loan before it was approved 4-0. Jackson did not cast a vote.
After the meeting, Brooks said she received a $50,000 loan in 1997 and made her final payment in 2011. Brooks was not in office at the time the loan originated. She ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in 2003 and mayor in 2006 before being elected to her current council seat in 2007.
She said she applied for the loan after being informed of its availability by then-mayor Benny Barnes.
On Tuesday, July 17, NorthEscambia.com made a verbal and written request to Town Clerk Kim Godwin for numerous documents that would provide the details on the three loans and the overall program. As of early Wednesday morning, July 25, no documents had not been provided in response to our public records request.
Update: After publication of this article, the town provided a spreadsheet Thursday morning showing a loan history on a $60,000 loan to “Purrfect Creations” that originated in August 1999 was paid off in June 2015. The record does not include payment dates for the first two years of the loan (it does not indicate that payments were late – the dates simply are not listed). It does indicate that payments were late or missing several times. No loan terms, loan agreement, ownership or other documentation was provided.
Two Century Liquor Store Employees Charged With Stealing Using Rewards Program
July 25, 2018
Two employees have been charged with stealing thousands of dollars in cash or product from a liquor store in Century in scheme involving shopper reward points.
Teresa Lachelle Burt, 41, and Latoya Trenise Washington, 31, were each charged with felony grand theft and felony fraud for the thefts from the Fusion liquor store next to the Food Giant on North Century Boulevard.
The store offers a shopper reward point program, awarding points for each dollar spent to a customer’s reward account. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Burt and Washington would fraudulent assign shopper points to accounts and then reconcile daily transactions by taking possession of product or cash equal to the number of points. Customers were unable to notice anything wrong with their reward transactions.
Burt was able to take $2,178 in product or cash from the store using the scheme, while Washington took $923 in product or cash, according to their arrest reports. Investigators were not able to determine from store records if the women took product, cash, or both.
Burt and Washington were released from the Escambia County Jail $7,500 bond each.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Primary Election Ballots Headed To Escambia County Mailboxes
July 25, 2018
The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office delivered more than 27,000 vote-by-mail ballots to the post office Tuesday for the August 28 primary election. This is in addition to the more than 5,600 ballots sent to military and overseas voters earlier this month.
Voters who have requested to vote-by-mail should begin receiving their green or ivory colored ballot packages by the end of the week. Voted ballots must be received in the Supervisor of Elections Office no later than 7 p.m. on election day, August 28 and require a first-class postage stamp if returned by mail. The U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail ballots at least one week before the due date. Ballots may also be returned by hand to the Supervisor of Elections Office.
The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the primary election is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22. To request a vote-by-mail ballot or track the status of your ballot, visit EscambiaVotes.com and click “Vote by Mail”, or contact the Supervisor of Elections Office at (850) 595-3900.
As a reminder, Florida holds closed primary elections. In partisan primary elections, you are only eligible to vote in primary contests for the party in which you are registered, unless it is a universal primary or nonpartisan contest. The deadline to register to vote or to change party affiliation is Monday, July 30.
Pictured: Over n 27,000 vote-by-mail ballot were mailed Tuesday in Escambia County. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Portion Of Cove Avenue To Be Closed About A Week
July 25, 2018
Cove Avenue South between Nine Mile Road and Fretz Street will be closed to through traffic beginning Thursday. Signs will be posted directing traffic to detour along Fowler Avenue and Bowman Avenue. The closure is part of a project upgrading the existing sewer system to improve the sanitary system.
The roadway closure is expected to remain in effect for approximately seven days and every effort will be made to expedite construction efforts to reopen the road before Friday, Aug.3.
If other lane or roadway closures are necessary beyond the anticipated time periods, another notice will be issued.
Woman Doesn’t Get Far After Escaping From Escambia (AL) Jail
July 25, 2018
A woman only made it less than 100 yards away in an escape Monday night from the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton .
Meagan Brooke Dantzler, age 26 of Atmore, escaped about 7 p.m. from the women’s minimum security barracks.
Escambia County Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said Dantzler ran past a corrections officer as the officer entered the facility. He said she was wearing thermal underwear with food stuffed her her bra.
“It appeared she had been planning this,” Lambert said.
Her escape came at the jail’s shift change time, meaning that a larger than normal number of corrections officer were at the jail at the time of the escape. The Brewton Police Department and Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s deputies formed a perimeter around the facility, and a K-9 team from the Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore tracked Dantzler. She was found in a wooded area near the jail.
Dantzler was being held on burglary and theft charges. She will face an additional escape charge.
“She was captured due to the great cooperative effort of the Brewton Police Department and other law enforcement,” Lambert said.
Northview Cross Country Meeting Is Monday
July 25, 2018
There will be a Northview High School cross country meeting Monday, July 30 at 8 a.m. in the Northview library to discuss the upcoming season. Students interested in running cross country and parents are encouraged to attend. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Sparks Lifts Wahoos Past Lookouts, 10-8, In Extras
July 25, 2018
With two outs and a runner at second base in the 10th inning, Taylor Sparks blasted his 10th home run of the season to give the Blue Wahoos a 10-8 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts Tuesday night at AT&T Field.
The Lookouts ambushed Wahoos starter Vladimir Gutierrez with four first inning runs. Brent Rooker started the scoring for the second straight night with a home run, Tuesday’s was a two-run shot. The Lookouts would score two more while sending all nine batters to the plate in the inning.
Trailing 4-0 in the third inning, the Blue Wahoos rallied for six runs to take the lead. Aristides Aquino delivered the big hit with a three-run homer to put the Wahoos in front 6-4. The Blue Wahoos added two more in the fourth. Jose Siri tripled and scored on a TJ Friedl single. Friedl scored later in the inning on a two-out single from Shed Long.
Gutierrez settled down and didn’t allow a run over his final four innings. He was done after five innings with four runs allowed on nine hits with three walks and five strikeouts. It was the most runs he had allowed in a start since June 1.
The Lookouts rallied for four runs to tie the game in the seventh inning against Juan Martinez. With the Wahoos still leading 8-6, Rooker laced a two-run double to tie the game at 8-8. It stayed that way until Sparks belted his home run in the 10th to put the Blue Wahoos up 10-8. Alex Powers (S, 11) worked a scoreless bottom of the 10th to finish off the win. Rafael De Paula (W, 2-3) earned the win out of the bullpen with two scoreless innings in relief. Williams Ramirez (L, 2-6) allowed the two 10th inning runs to take the loss for the Lookouts.
Everybody in the Wahoos starting lineup got at least one hit with five players getting two hits. Sparks led the charge with a double and his home run. Chris Okey also had a pair of extra base hits, both doubles, as part of a 2-for-5 game. Aquino’s homer was his only hit, but it extended his hit streak to eight games.
The Blue Wahoos will continue the series Wednesday morning. RHP Tony Santillan (2-0, 1.50) will start for Pensacola against Lookouts RHP Sean Poppen (3-5, 4.32)
Double Fatal Hit And Run Suspect Markquise Wallace Captured In Philadelphia
July 24, 2018
Double hit and run suspect Markquise Deshawn Wallace of Pensacola has been arrested. He was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon without incident in Philadelphia, PA, by U.S. Marshals.
Wallace, 26, had been staying with a relative for about a month as of the time of his capture. Officials will begin extradition proceedings as soon as possible to have Wallace returned to Pensacola.
Three people were crossing Cervantes Street near M Street when they were hit by a Dodge Charger driven at a high rate of speed by Wallace, according to Pensacola Police. Neariaah Ikerria Williams, age 8 months, and a family friend, 28-year-old Nephateria Monique Williams, died. The child’s mother, 27-year-old Quineka Tyon Baldwin, was injured.
Pictured: Markquise Deshawn Wallace moments after his capture Tuesday afternoon in Philadelphia, PA. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Another Inmate Escapes From Alabama Work Release Center
July 24, 2018
For the second time in two days, there has been an inmate escape from the Loxley Work Release Center in Baldwin County, AL.
Cory Allen Kingery, 37, was last seen wearing state prison whites but may have changed into a blue shirt. Kingery (pictured left) is 5-foot 8-inches tall and 155 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He is serving a two year sentence for theft of property.
Two other inmates, Damon Rashad Dinsmore and Cantorius Alan White, escaped Monday morning from the same Alabama Department of Corrections facility. White was recaptured in Loxley a short time later by local police.
Dinsmore crashed a vehicle into a pole at the Atmore I-65 exit Chevron station about 8 a.m. He fled on foot and and was tracked by K-9 units. He was spotted by a logging crew on Bell Fork Road just after 11 a.m.
Anyone that sees Kingery should call their local law enforcement agency or 911.
Pictured top: The capture of escaped inmate Damon Rashad Dinsmore near Atmore Monday morning. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.