Alabama Attempted Murder Suspect Arrested After Escambia County Traffic Stop
April 18, 2018
A man wanted in connection with shooting his ex-wife near Birmingham was arrested Tuesday in Escambia County.
Dereck Jamaille Walker, 46, faces charges after authorities alleged he shot 45-year-old Habibba Moneque. At last report, the mother of three was on life support. She was reportedly running out of the back door of her home when she was shot twice.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Walker was pulled over in a traffic stop in Escambia County, confessed to the crime and provided the gun used in the crime.
Walker remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond awaiting extradition back to Alabama.
Tate Lady Aggies Beat West Florida In 3-0 Shutout
April 18, 2018
The Tate High School Lady Aggies beat West Florida Tuesday night in a 3-0 shutout.
Hanna Brown tossed the win for the Aggies, allowing no runs on four hits and striking out five. She went 3-3 at the plate.
Also for Tate: Belle Wolfenden 2-4, RBI; Shelby Ullrich R; Sydni Solliday 1-3, RBI; Amber DeCoux 2-3, R; Shelby McLean 1-2; Gabby Locke R.
Pictured top: Sydni Solliday at bat for the Tate Aggies. Pictured below: Shelby McLean bunting for Tate. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lineworkers Keep The Lights On
April 18, 2018
Wednesday is National Lineman Appreciation Day
Don Brown, a 31-year lineworker for Gulf Power, has served on many storm restoration trips over the years, but he knew that the recent trip to assist Puerto Rico with power restoration was going to be different from the first day he arrived on the hurricane-ravaged island.
His crews’ first assignment was to repair a pole and a line that stretched across a gorge that spanned some 1,800 feet wide. They set the new pole, then he had to go down into the gorge to retrieve the wire that was wrapped around some trees below.
“I rappelled down with another lineworker and a chainsaw,” said Brown, who works in the Pine Forest Office in Pensacola.
When they dropped to the trees, they realized what they thought was a tree only six inches in diameter was ended up being much larger, he said. “We had to cut down that tree. We knew right then it wasn’t going to be a cakewalk,” he said.
Brown was part of a Gulf Power team of eight lineworkers and three support personnel who spent 60 days from late January to March restoring power on the island that was devastated by Hurricane Maria last year.
They were joined by other lineworkers from sister companies Alabama Power, Mississippi Power, Georgia Power, as well as Minnesota Power. The power companies’ bucket trucks were ferried by barge from Mobile, Alabama to Puerto Rico in advance of the teams’ arrival.
Brown said one of the trucks ended up being the one he uses here at Gulf Power, but that was about the only thing that was familiar on this storm trip.
They worked in mountainous areas, traversing dangerous roads up and down, repairing poles and wire in densely vegetated areas.
“The line work was not Linework 101,” he said. “They told us when we got there it was something we haven’t done before and that was true. It was totally different.”
They worked 16-hour days, seven days a week for the two months they were in Puerto Rico.
Fortunately for Brown, his rappelling experience when he was in the military helped with going up and down the steep gorges.
“It wasn’t for the weak,” he said. “If you weren’t in shape the first two weeks, you got in shape after that.”
While working away from home and in such dangerous conditions, many lineworkers find the support from their families helps them stay focused on their jobs so they can work safely.
Brown made sure he talked to his wife, Angie, every day. While he was gone, she helped with paying bills and even getting work done on his hot rod vehicles that he races.
And with a laugh, he said: “But she did tell me don’t ever go on a long trip like this again.”
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two In A Row: Wahoos Best Braves 8-4
April 18, 2018
For the second straight night the Blue Wahoos put up a crooked number in the first inning and score eight runs on the night. Pensacola scored five runs in the first on the way to an 8-4 win over the Mississippi Braves on Tuesday night at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss.
The Blue Wahoos took advantage of a costly first inning error by the shortstop Luis Valenzuela on a groundball by Shed Long to start the inning. Four hits and five runs later, Luiz Gohara (L, 0-1) was out of the inning. Gohara got the start as his first appearance of the season on a Major League rehab assignment after getting injured early in Spring Training for the Braves.
Gohara pitched well after that, exiting the game after allowing the five runs, only one earned, over 3.1 innings. The Braves top pitching prospect struck out four and walked three in the losing effort.
Keury Mella (W, 2-0) was brilliant on the mound for the Blue Wahoos. He surrendered one unearned run in the first inning, one of two runs the Braves scattered against him over his six innings. He finished with a season-high seven strikeouts with three walks and five hits allowed in his second win of the season.
At the plate, Josh VanMeter maintained his excellence. He finished 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. He also walked twice more after drawing four free passes in Monday’s series opener. He’s 3-for-3 in the series and has reached safely in nine of his 10 trips to the plate. His only out was a first inning sacrifice fly to the right fielder.
Gabriel Guerrero stayed hot at the plate with a 2-for-5 game. He hit his sixth double of the season and scored twice with another RBI. Taylor Sparks and Luis Gonzalez each collected two hits in the Wahoos win. Sparks is now 4-for-9 in the first two games of the series. Scott Schebler was held hitless in four at bats in his second start in right field for Blue Wahoos as part of his rehab assignment.
The M-Braves loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with one out but Alex Powers (S, 1) shut the door on the threat with a strikeout and a flyout to centerfield to earn the save and secure the win.
Man Dies Days After Being Ejected In Wreck Near Atmore
April 17, 2018
A Freemanville man has passed away from injuries sustained Saturday in a single vehicle accident Saturday near Atmore.
According to Alabama State Troopers, 38-year old Antonio Richardson was a passenger in a 2007 Scion that left the roadway and overturned on Highway 21 near Woods Road. Richardson was transported to the USA Medical Center in Mobile where he died Monday.
The driver, 28-year-old Willie James Hudson and a second passenger, 27-year-old Wade Johnson III, were ejected and transported to Atmore Community Hospital for treatment of their injuries.
None of the vehicle occupants were wearing seatbelts, according to a crash report.
Alabama State Troopers are continuing their investigation.
No Injuries In Highway 95A Collision
April 17, 2018
There were no injuries in a two vehicle collision about 7:40Tuesday morning on Highway 95A at El Camino Drive in Cantonment, near St. Monica’s Episcopal Church. The northbound lane of Highway 95A was blocked by the wreckage. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Two Pickup Crash
April 17, 2018
There were no injuries in collision involving two pickup trucks on Tate Road at Highway 29 Tuesday morning. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Town Of Century Buying AED For The Flomaton Fire Department
April 17, 2018
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to pay for an automated external defibrillator (AED) for the Flomaton Fire Department.
The AED will cost $1,103, according to Century Mayor Henry Hawkins, who made the request on behalf of the fire department.
“We are trying to get several more units,” Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said in a phone interview following the meeting. “They save lives.”
Just last week, a Flomaton High School student fell to the gym floor in cardiac arrest during a basketball game. An AED was used in his resuscitation, and he was back home with his family by Saturday night. [Read more...]
The Flomaton Fire Department provides a mutual aid response in Century.
AED’s are already part of the emergency response in Century — they are carried by deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County EMS ambulances and trucks from Escambia Fire Rescue. The town also purchased AED units for the town hall, the community center on Highway 4 and the town maintenance shop.
Stanton say anyone that wishes to contribute toward the purchase of AED’s should call Flomaton Town Hall at (251) 296-2431.
Pictured: An AED installed in the lobby of the Century Town Hall. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Students Redesign Ascend’s Parking Lot In STEAM Challenge
April 17, 2018
Students from four schools recently took part in the “Parking Lot Challenge” STEAM competition, pitching parking lot capital improvement plans to leaders at Ascend Performance Materials in Cantonment..
Teams of middle and high school students presented their ideas to redesign the primary administrative parking lot at the company.
Detailing plans for budgets, timelines and resources, the students focused on identifying safety and efficiency improvements to one of the large parking lots for the nylon manufacturing site that employs around a thousand workers in Cantonment. A team of Ascend site leaders, including executives and engineers, reviewed the projects and awarded the winning design to the team from Gulf Breeze Middle School.
Following the award, Ascend leaders revealed plans for a pending parking improvement project that incorporated many design elements gleaned from the student plans. Schools represented included Sims Middle School, Gulf Breeze Middle School, Avalon Middle School and Jay High School.
Santa Rosa County Schools has a comprehensive K-12 science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — also known as STEAM — curriculum in their schools.
This year, Santa Rosa County has become the first district in the nation to integrate STEAM learning into every grade level.
STEAM Innovate trains teachers and administrators — also known as innovators — how to better educate students for the world they will face in the future, according to Assistant Superintendent Bill Emerson.
“We partner with Discovery Education to help transform the way students learn and think and the way teachers set up their classrooms and deliver instruction,” Emerson said.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview, Tate FFA Chapters Named Among Florida Finest Chapters
April 17, 2018
The Florida FFA on Monday announced Monday at the Northview and Tate High School FFA chapters have been named among “Florida’s Finest” FFA Chapters.
The selection of these chapters is based upon the completion of the National Chapter Award program application. These chapters have excelled in the areas of growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture and have worked hard to fulfill the mission and vision of the FFA.
One member and one advisor from the Northview and Tate FFA chapters will be recognized in June during the 90th Florida FFA Convention in Orlando.
Pictured: Tate (top) and Northview (below) FFA members and National Degree recipients at the at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN, last November. Both the Tate and Northview FFA chapters were recognized in the 2017 National Chapter Award Program from the National FFA Organization. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
