Tate And Jay Fall In Softball Regionals
May 9, 2018
Both the Tate Aggies and the Jay Royals lost Tuesday night in regional softball play.
Niceville downed Tate 9-1 in the 7A regional seminfinals in Cantonment, and Wewahitchka beat Jay 2-0 in Jay.
Pictured: Action from the Tate game above, Jay below. Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Beats Niceville In Regional Quarterfinals
May 9, 2018
The Tate Aggies beat Niceville 16-11 in the 7A regional quarterfinals Tuesday night in Niceville.
Blake Anderson and Raymond Lafleur homered in the sixth inning for the Aggies.
Lafleur earned the win for the Tate Aggies, allowing seven hits and eight runs while striking out three in three and a third innings. Reid Halfacre and Cole Fryman pitched relief.
Reid Halfacre went 4-4 for Tate with three doubles and a triple. Also for the Aggies: Jesse Sherrill 1-4, 2R; Mason Land 3-5, 2B, 3R, 3 RBI; Blake Anderson 3-4, 3R, 4 RBI; Raymond Lafleur 3-4, R, 2RBI; Darrien McDowell 1-2, 2RBI; Ethan Bloodworth 1-2, 2B, R, 2RBI; Ryan Green, R; Michael Potts, R.
Image courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino 8U Earns Tournament Win
May 9, 2018
Molino’s 8U team recently earned their third tournament win of the season. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Drop Second Straight To The Birmingham Barons
May 9, 2018
The Birmingham Barons came out of the gate slugging on Tuesday night at Regions Field. They got back-to-back home runs from Eloy Jimenez and Seby Zavala and they never looked back on their way to a 5-2 win.
The Barons went up 3-0 before Pensacola first got on the board with a home run from Aristides Aquino. It was a solo shot to left field and his second hit of the game.
The Blue Wahoos cut the deficit to one after C.J. McElroy’s leadoff triple in the sixth inning. He scored a batter later on a Shed Long ground out. Birmingham was quick to answer with a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Zavala and Trey Michalczewski both scored on a bases-loaded single from Ryan Brett.
That was it for the scoring and Blue Wahoos starter Keury Mella (L, 3-1). He took the loss after allowing a season-high five runs over six innings. He struck out and walked two in his first loss of the season.
On the other side, Spencer Adams (W, 2-3) turned in his best start of the year. He surrendered just two runs over six innings on just four hits to earn the win. Ian Hamilton (S, 6) struck out three over the final five outs of the game to earn the save.
Pensacola looks to get back in the win column with Wednesday morning game.
Tearful Century Council Member Announces He Won’t Seek Re-election
May 8, 2018
After 20 years, Century council member Gary Riley made the tearful announcement Monday night that he will not see re-election due to a health issue.
“I want to thank the town for having me here for as long as I have been. I enjoyed every day,” Riley said. “But when you get to the point where you can’t do the job the way the job is suppose to be done, I think it is time to leave. We pray that whoever qualifies for the seat will do the job well.”
“You have a good council here right now. I hope that ones that come in and join the ones that are here will help make this town a better town,” he said.
Riley was first elected to the Century Town Council in 1998.
Riley’s seat is one of three that will be on the ballot this year. The other seats up for election are currently held by Sandra McMurray Jackson and Ben Boutwell. The qualifying period for the seats is noon June 18 until noon June 22. If there are only two candidates for a seat, they will be on the ballot in the general election on November 6. If there are three or more candidate for a seat, they will be on the August 28 primary ballot with a runoff in November if no candidate receives one vote more than 50 percent.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Manhunt For Wanted Man Near McDavid Turns Up Empty
May 8, 2018
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.
A manhunt near McDavid for a wanted individual turned up empty Monday night.
According to reports, the man made contact with a resident in the area of Highway 29 and Bogia Road Monday afternoon asking for water. The resident called the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to report a suspicious person.
When deputies arrived about 4 p.m., the man had already fled. Deputies were were able to determine the man’s identity and that he had an outstanding warrant from Tuscaloosa, according to Sgt. Jacob Holloway, a spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The manhunt was called off before 8 p.m.
Holloway said the man’s name, physical description and warrant information were not available for release Monday night.
A K-9 team from the Century Correctional Institution assisted in the search.
File photo.
Tate’s Adam Norre Wins Florida School Resource Officers’ Scholarship
May 8, 2018
The Florida Association of School Resource Officers (FASRO) awarded Tate High School student Adam Norre with a $1,000 scholarship to college of his choice. Noore plans to attend the University of West Florida Florida and major in pre-med. The schoarship was presented to Norre by Tate SRO Deputy Pamela Whitlock and Principal Rick Shackle. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wildfire Burns 70 Acres; Dry Conditions Mean Greater Fire Risk
May 8, 2018
About 70 acres near Gulf Beach Highway in Escambia County burned Monday, and forestry officials say the danger of wildfires is increasing county-wide due to dry conditions.
The Florida Forest Service battled the fire with six tractor/plow units and a helicopter dropping 300 gallons of water at a time. Numerous units from Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
The fire neared several residences, but there were no reports of fire damage.
For additional photos, click here.
The fire was mostly contained by 6:30 p.m. The cause of the fire was not known.
The longer the area goes without rain, the greater the risk of wildfires, according to the Blackwater Forestry Service. High winds, continued drying and low humidity are contributing the danger across Escambia County.
Photos by for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Additional photo gallery photos by Kristi Barbour and others for NorthEscambia.com.
Photo Gallery: Northview Garnet And Gold Football Game
May 8, 2018
The Northview Chiefs played an intrasquad Garnet and Gold game Monday afternoon. The Gold team won.
For a photo gallery, click here. Gallery includes football action, cheerleaders and band.
The Chiefs will host Escambia County High School of Atmore in spring game on May 18.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ruling Could Aid Defendants In ‘Stand Your Ground’ Cases
May 8, 2018
In a decision that could have broad implications, an appeals court has sided with a defendant who argued that a controversial 2017 change to Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law should apply to his case.
The ruling, issued Friday by a panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal, stemmed from a change that shifted a key burden of proof in “stand your ground” cases from defendants to prosecutors.
The appeals court said the change should apply retroactively to the Hillsborough County case of Tymothy Ray Martin, who was convicted of felony battery in a 2016 altercation involving his girlfriend. Martin had sought to use the “stand your ground” law to be shielded from prosecution, but a judge denied his request in a pre-trial hearing.
Martin appealed his conviction, and the appeal was pending when the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott changed the “stand your ground” law to shift the burden of proof. In ruling Friday that the change should apply retroactively to Martin, the appeals court overturned his conviction and ordered that he receive a new “stand your ground” hearing under the 2017 law.
“If, after the conclusion of that hearing, the circuit court concludes that Mr. Martin is entitled to statutory immunity, it shall enter an order to that effect and dismiss the information (charge) with prejudice,” said the ruling, written by appeals-court Judge Matthew Lucas and joined by judges Darryl Casanueva and Daniel Sleet. “If, on the other hand, the circuit court determines that Mr. Martin is not entitled to immunity, the court shall enter an order reflecting its findings and reinstate Mr. Martin’s conviction.”
The appeals court noted the potential implications of retroactively applying the burden-of-proof change to cases pending in the court system at the time the 2017 law passed, saying it “could impact a significant number of criminal proceedings.” Also, the appeals court asked the Florida Supreme Court to take up the retroactivity issue, a move known as certifying “a question of great public importance” to justices.
The underlying “stand your ground” law says people are justified in using deadly force and do not have a “duty to retreat” if they believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm. When the defense is successfully raised in pre-trial hearings, defendants are granted immunity from prosecution.
The change approved last year by the Legislature and Scott was rooted in a 2015 Florida Supreme Court decision that said defendants had the burden of proof in the pre-trial hearings to show they should be shielded from prosecution. With backing from groups such as the National Rifle Association, the 2017 law shifted the burden from defendants to prosecutors to prove whether a self-defense claim is justified.
In Martin’s original pre-trial hearing, he had the burden of proving that he should not be prosecuted because he acted in self-defense. After Friday’s ruling, the burden will shift to prosecutors to show that he is not entitled to “stand your ground” immunity.
“Thus, as it now stands, the state (prosecution) bears the burden of disproving, by clear and convincing evidence, a facially sufficient claim of self-defense immunity in a criminal prosecution,” Friday’s ruling said. “On appeal, Mr. Martin argues that this amendment is retroactive in its application, that it applies to his case, and that he is entitled to a new immunity hearing. We agree.”
The burden-of-proof change sparked heavy debate in the Legislature. It also has drawn legal challenges, which last year led to a Miami-Dade County circuit judge declaring it unconstitutional.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida