Florida Gas Prices Moving Lower Again
November 12, 2023
Florida gas prices are moving lower again after rising unexpectedly last week. The state average logged a new 2023 low of $3.16 per gallon on Monday. It then rose 8 cents per gallon by Wednesday. Fortunately, however, that upward trend immediately reversed course, as the state average declined 2-cents a day, through the past three days.
“Last week’s gas price hike didn’t make much sense, considering how oil and gasoline futures prices have steadily fallen through the past few weeks,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Either way, the jump at the pump was short lived and those gains were mostly erased by the weekend. Oil prices are now at multi-month lows, which should help keep gas prices low through the holidays.”
Cantonment prices were as low as $2.89 Sunday night on Highway 29, while Pencacola prices bottomed out at $2.70 on East Nine Mile Road.
The price of crude has been on a 3-week streak of declines, falling 13% ($11) since late October. The price of oil continues to have a direct impact on pump prices, since oil is a key ingredient in gasoline. In late September, oil was trading at above $90 per barrel. Friday’s closing price was $77.17 – a $5 drop from the week before.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Gomez Sworn In As Century Mayor During Veterans Day Saturday Meeting
November 12, 2023
The Century Town Council held a special meeting Saturday morning, Veterans Day, to swear in a new mayor and council member.
Luis Gomez, Jr. was elected as the only candidate to qualify for the office of mayor in a special election and Henry Cunningham was elected for town council without opposition.
The special election was triggered by the resignation of Mayor Ben Boutwell and Gomez’s interim appointment to the seat.
The swearing in was held on the holiday under timeframes specified in the town’s charter.
Cunningham did not attend Saturday’s meeting, having previously announced that he would be out of town. A quorum of council members was not present for the meeting, but it was held regardlesss.
Pictured top: Luis Gomez, Jr. (left) and Henry Cunningham. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Ice Flyers Take On The Ice Bears
November 11, 2023
Friday night, the Pensacola Ice Flyers secured a 5-4 win in the first of two games against the Knoxville Ice Bears on Friday night at the Pensacola Bay Center. In front of 5,225 fans on Adult Jersey Giveaway Night, the Ice Flyers started hot and produced 3 of their 5 goals in the first period. Brett Mecrones continued his hot streak, finding the back of the net twice with Sean Gulka and Dallas Comeau joining in on the fun with crowd pleasing scraps. Kaden Fulcher secured his 2nd win in a row with 27 saves on 31 shots after shutting out the Birmingham Bulls the night before.
The Ice Flyers were set to move on to game two of the weekend series on Saturday night for their Inaugural Blue Angels Night.
Some Clouds For Sunday, Rain Chance Returns Monday
November 11, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 54. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 61. Breezy, with an east wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Low around 55. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 68.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Escambia County Public Schools Offering Programs To Address Skilled Labor Shortage in Construction Trades
November 11, 2023
Escambia County Public Schools are working hard to address the local skilled labor shortage in the construction industry.
Chad Cherry, the Skilled Trades instructor at Northview holds a BA degree and has over 28 years experience in the construction industry, including concrete finishing, framing, drywall hanging and finishing, plumbing as well as building management. His years of experience provide a wealth of knowledge for his students.
Four high schools have construction-related academies or programs. All four programs are offering students the Home Building Institute (HBI) sequence of certifications. The HBI Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) curriculum provides students with hands-on training that takes them from freshman with little-to-no building experience to seniors that are ready to enter the workforce.
The certification sequence starts with the Core which consists of safety, construction math, employability, and tools and materials. The HBI carpentry exam covers safety, measurement, tools & equipment, products & material, rough carpentry and framing, and interior & exterior finishing. Additional HBI certifications include Basic Electrical, Core Green and Building Construction Technology.
The Home Builders Association of West Florida (HBA) Green Construction Trades Academy at Pine Forest High School has been successfully operating for a number of years. However, the two programs that have made a significant impact this past school year have been the Skilled Trades program at Northview High School and the Energy Academy at West Florida High School.
As a first year teacher during the 22-23 school year, Cherry’s students earned 164 certifications.
The second program that is recently having a major impact on providing workforce-ready students is Drew Dittmar’s Energy Academy at West Florida High School. Dittmar has more than 15 years of direct experience in the construction field. Additionally, Dittmar holds an MS degree, has all five of the HBI certifications, has two years of experience in the solar industry, has been a construction project manager and is currently serving on the City of Pensacola Zoning Board of Adjustments.
Dittmar’s students earned an impressive 181 HBI certifications for the 2022-23 school year.
For more information on the Northview Skilled Trades program or the Energy Academy at West Florida High School please contact Dan Busse, Workforce Education Specialist at (850) 469 5309 or dbusse@ecsdfl.us.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa County Burn Ban Allowed To Expire
November 11, 2023
A burn ban in place for Santa Rosa County has been allowed to expire.
Santa Rosa County Public Safety – Emergency Management continues to remind residents to take the following actions to protect their families and homes from fire danger:
- Create at least 30 feet of defensible – clean and green – space around your home.
- Clear trash and dead vegetation from your front and backyards.
- Remove leaves and debris from roof and gutters.
- Use extreme caution when grilling.
- Properly discard of cigarettes.
- Call 9-1-1 if you see fire in your area.
No burn ban was issued for Escambia County.
A UWF Football Senior Day With Substance, Style and Playoff-Clinching Rout
November 11, 2023
The sky had turned dark gray and the steady drizzle made it worse, but Saturday’s home finale for UWF’s football team evolved in a special way.
The Argos easily crushed Chowan University in a 52-6 victory on Senior Day at Pen-Air Field to end the regular-season by sealing another spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs, which begin next weekend.
Go ahead, add another feat to UWF’s brief history in this sport. This makes it four consecutive seasons when football was played – the 2020 season was cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic – that the Argos have made the national field of 28 teams to play for a championship.
“I am enjoying every minute of it,” said senior center Oake Stipe, a veteran starter Saturday, who was a freshman on the 2019 UWF team which captured the D-2 national championship. “I’m thankful that I started off on a hot note and I’m hopeful it will end on a hot note.
“It is really special. But the way we have won makes it that much special. Of all the teams that make it to the playoffs only one finishes with a win. So just enjoy it.”
That enjoyment will continue Sunday afternoon when the UWF football team, support staff and families gathered for the annual end-of-season awards banquet that coincides with the NCAA’s selection show for the D-2 playoff field. The show will happen at 5 p.m. Sunday on www.ncaa.com.
The Argos (7-3), possessing a signature win against Delta State, the Gulf South Conference regular-season champion, were ranked No. 5 in the Super Region II prior to the game and seven teams in four regions will form the 28-team field.
“It will be cool to watch the experience and watch these guys celebrate,” said UWF first-year head coach Kaleb Nobles, who was the quarterback on the Argos’ inaugural 2016 team, then an assistant coach when UWF won the 2019 national title. “The team has earned this and we can celebrate together.”
Think about this: Seven years of a program and five playoff appearances.
“(Former UWF) Coach (Pete) Shinnick set the bar pretty high, playing for the ‘natty’ (national title) in year two (2017) and winning it in year four,” Nobles said. “I don’t know if I would have as much appreciation for that if I wasn’t here and part of it.
“For me it carries a lot of weight. But it is all about these players. It is about the players having a great time.”
After Nobles helped honor 16 seniors in a pregame ceremony, which included a nice touch of a photo with families at midfield, the Argos quickly refocused and gained complete control of the game before half.
UWF finished with 501 yards total offense on 61 plays and had just one turnover. They rushed for 260 yards, passed for 241.
On the opening possession Saturday, UWF needed just six plays to score the first touchdown. Quarterback Peewee Jarrett connected with senior receiver Caden Leggett on a 24-yard score that became the first of Leggett’s three touchdown receptions.
He added two more before halftime with a 36-yard play and 65-yard bomb from Jarrett. Both were on routes where Leggett easily beat one-on-one coverage and Jarrett threw perfect balls that hit Leggett in stride.
“It means a lot to me,” said Leggett, who finished his final game at PenAir Field with five catches for a team-high 127 yards. “A lot of my family is here. All of them have sacrificed so much for me to be in this position. It was awesome to get the win with the guys.
“We put in so much hard work throughout the week and developing on every aspect of the ball. The motto for this year was just to worry about us playing the best football we can, so it was a special night (Saturday) and I’m very blessed.”
At the other wideout spot, transfer senior John Jiles, finished his lone regular-season with the Argos, by setting the school’s single-season receiving record on a catch with 4:00 left in the second quarter. Jiles finished the game with seven catches for 82 yards.
He then caught an 18-yard pass with an over-the-shoulder grab from Jarett’s throw into the end zone corner to give UWF a 31-6 lead with 1:44 left before halftime.
Making the game even more special for Jiles, his mother was in attendance for the first time at UWF and got to watch him set the school receiving record.
“He is a great kid and comes from a great family,” Nobles said. “His mom was here and I think it’s the first time she has seen him play since high school.
“So what a great opportunity for him to play in front of family. An emotional day for him. He’s the last person worried about stats. That guy wants to win.”
But the Argos weren’t done, yet. Their defense forced a turnover and Leggett’s 65-yard bomb occurred on the next play with 52 seconds left.
With backups playing in the second half, Daryel Garcia, a junior from New Jersey, scored on a 4-yard rush and Jakobe Quillen caught a 16-yard pass from Jarrett later in the third quarter.
“Very excited about how our guys played, especially our seniors,” Nobles said. “We tried to give them a chance to push the ball around to guys like Caden Leggett, John Jiles and let them get some big time plays and some records, things like that.
“But I’m excited overall with how our team played. I thought we played well for a good chunk of 60 minutes. We keep getting better at doing that.
“We know whatever the road holds for us moving forward, it’s going to be a tough road and we have to keep doing our job. I’m excited with how we played in all three phases and how we handled the weather.”
Jalen Bussey led UWF’s running attack with 91 yards on just five carries. Jamontez Woods had 86 yards on 10 carries. Senior C.J. Wilson, battling through an injury, was able to play on his senior day and gained 22 yards on four carries.
Jarrett finished completing 13 of 21 passes for 241 yards and five touchdowns.
The Argos’ biggest play, the one that had the crowd of 3,979 Saturday most energized, occurred on Chowan’s first possession. Sophomore Amari Mitchell caught a deflected pass from teammate Collin Shaw and went 62 yards to set up the Argos second touchdown.
“It was good to start fast, start hot,” Nobles said. “We were ready to play. Our guys responded well and came out and played a high level.”
Northview Beats Jay 31-13 In Round One Of The Playoffs
November 11, 2023
The Northview Chiefs defeated the Jay Royals 31-13 Friday night in round one of the state 1R-Region 1 quarterfinals in a steady soaking drizzle in Jay.
Northview was first on the board with a 6-yard rushing touchdown from Joe Wright, 6-0 in the first quarter.
Jay answered with a 5-yard TD from Brock Stout. 7-6 in the second quarter.
Devin Kelly added a 35-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter for the Chiefs to take a 14-7 lead that stood headed into the half.
Joe Wright added another TD in the third quarter from 56-yards out for a 20-7 Northview advantage. Devon Kelley had a 40-yard touchdown in the third, 27-7.
Brandon Ferguson had a 37-yard field goal for Northview with under 30 seconds to go for the 31-13 Chief’s victory.
The No. 5 seed Chiefs (4-7) will travel to face No. 1 seed Bozeman (10-0) in Panama City on Friday, November 17.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Bratt Elementary School Honors Veterans
November 11, 2023
Bratt Elementary School honored veterans this week with a musical program and parade
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Isaiah Helton Named Escambia County’s Newest Emergency Coordinator
November 11, 2023
Escambia Emergency Management has named Isaiah Helton as their newest Emergency Coordinator.
Escambia County Emergency Management is excited to introduce Isaiah Helton as their newest Emergency Coordinator.
Isaiah is no stranger to Emergency Management. He began his time with Escambia County as the very first intern for the newly developed Escambia County Emergency Management intern program in 2022. After completing the program, he was hired as a part-time employee before being promoted to full-time as an Emergency Management Specialist. His dedication, work ethic and performance in his duties led to his current promotion as the newest Emergency Management Coordinator.
“I’m excited to start this new role of Emergency Coordinator,” said Isaiah. “My wife and I love living in Escambia County, and are expecting our first baby. I will do all I can for my community to ensure that Escambia County is ready for any disaster.”
Growing up in a Marine Corps family, Isaiah spent time in Spain, where his family served as Baptist missionaries. Isaiah returned to the United States to attend Pensacola Christian College, where he received his associate’s degree in Criminal Justice and a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Isaiah completed a college internship with Santa Rosa County Emergency Management while attending PCC. He credits this internship as the spark to his interest in Emergency Management.
“Isaiah has proven his dedication to our team through his hard work and perseverance,” said Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins. “I am pleased to announce his promotion and excited by the success of our intern program where Isaiah learned the skills he needed to be successful in Emergency Management.”