Motorcyclist Injured In Cantonment Accident
July 4, 2017
A motorcyclist was injured in a crash with a car Monday morning on Highway 29 near A-1 Small Engines in Cantonment. Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FHP Wants You To ‘Arrive Alive’ This Fourth Holiday
July 4, 2017
The Fourth of July is considered one of the busiest travel holidays of the year. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) urges everyone to use caution when traveling on Florida roads this weekend for a safe and enjoyable Independence Day. The DHSMV urges motorists to make sure their vehicle is road-ready, buckle up and never drive impaired.
The DHSMV offers the following driving safety tips for this year’s Fourth of July weekend:
• Always buckle up. A seatbelt is your vehicle’s most important safety feature.
• Designate a sober driver and never drive impaired. Remember, even one drink increases the risk of a crash while driving. Do not let anyone who has been drinking get behind the wheel, including you.
• Check your tires before you take a trip. Properly maintaining and inspecting your tires before a long trip is a key step in keeping your family safe while traveling. Motorists should check to ensure their vehicle has proper tire pressure and inspect tire tread before driving to avoid potentially fatal tire failure and rollover crashes.
• Stay focused on driving and do not drive distracted. Distracted driving is extremely risky behavior and focused attention on driving helps to prevent crashes.
• Travelers should use caution when traveling through an area with low visibility, especially at night.
• Call *FHP (*347) to report drunk drivers, traffic crashes, stranded or disabled motorists or suspicious incidents on the road.
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Wahoos Drop Monday Game To Montgomery, Win Series 4-2
July 4, 2017
After clinching the series the previous evening, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped the series finale to the Montgomery Biscuits, 13-5, in front of a sold-out Blue Wahoos Stadion. It’s the 12th time the team has reached the 5,038 capacity.
The game Monday got so out of hand for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos that they inserted second baseman Angelo Gumbs in as pitcher for the first time in his professional career.
Gumbs, who Pensacola manager Pat Kelly reported threw 96 mph in high school, begged his coach to let him pitch. After abusing his bullpen in the six-game series with the Montgomery Biscuits, Kelly decided to allow him to throw the ninth inning with Pensacola trailing, 13-5.
Gumbs, who threw his fastball in the low 90s Monday, gave up one run on one hit and struck out one batter. He waved his hat in the air as he walked off the mound to the dugout.
“He’s been bugging me all year,” said Kelly, who last allowed a position play to pitch when veteran Ray Chang did against the Mobile BayBears July 5, 2016. “He was really excited about going into the game.”
Montgomery seemingly took out its frustrations of losing 13 of 17 games at Blue Wahoos Stadium dating back to 2014 by scoring 13 runs on 13 hits. Leading the way for the Biscuits was red-hot hitting first baseman Dalton Kelly, who clubbed two home runs — the first Montgomery player to do that this season. The 22-year-old, who was drafted in the 38th round, was called up Tuesday from the High-A Charlotte Snow Crabs.
The left-handed hitting Kelly crushed a two-run home run to left field in the third inning and then belted a solo shot over the 400-foot sign in dead center field. For the series, Kelly was 13-27 (.481) with three home runs and seven RBIs. In 69 games and 236 at bats with Charlotte, Kelly had just two home runs in the Florida State League.
“I told the coaches I thought Kelly would be a pretty good hitter,” said Pensacola’s Kelly, who is no relation. “I guess, I was right. He went to dead center. That’s impressive. There haven’t been a lot. Maybe one or two that I can remember.”
Both teams used five pitchers in the three hour, six minute game. Plus, Pensacola was forced to use relievers Domingo Tapia and Alex Powers as starters in the series, since it lacks a proven fifth starter on its current roster.
Kelly said starter Keury Mella — who has yet to win a game at home — lost his cool in the third inning when he gave up four runs.
The first two runs for Montgomery in the third inning scored when Andrew Velazquez, crossed the plate after Pensacola’s Mella bobbled the bunt by right fielder Nathan Lukes and then threw the ball over Gavin LaValley’s head into right field for two errors on the play.
Lukes then scored the second run for Montgomery on Senzel’s errant throw on a bunt by second baseman Riley Unroe. Mella pitched four innings, allowed seven hits, gave up five runs, one earned, walked two, struck out five and gave up two homers.
Besides Kelly’s two homers, Velazquez and first baseman Joe McCarthy, the Tampa Bay Rays No. 19 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, both launched balls out of the park.
“The third inning was key,” Kelly said. “Mella threw the ball away and he got shook.”
Pensacola benefited from a home run by left fielder Tyler Goeddel to lead off the fourth inning. It was his second this series and his fourth for Pensacola. The Cincinnati Reds top prospect, third baseman Nick Senzel, smashed a two-run homer to left field in the eighth inning. He was 3-4 on the night with three RBIs and is now hitting .306 in the Southern League.
Kelly said that pitcher Rookie Davis, a starter for the Blue Wahoos last year, is scheduled to pitch Wednesday in the five-game series against the Biloxi Shuckers. He was 1-2 in five starts for the Reds before going down with a back injury.
Pensacola dropped to 5-6 in the second half of the Southern League season and the first half South Division champions are 45-36 overall.
FDOT Suspends Construction Activities Through The Fourth
July 3, 2017
To promote safety and reduce congestion over the 4th of July Holiday weekend, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is suspending normal construction activities on all major roads in Northwest Florida. There will be no lane closures on the state road system until after 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 5.
If an emergency situation occurs during the upcoming holiday weekend that requires a lane closure, repairs will continue until that lane is reopened to the traveling public and all safety related issues that impede the traveling public have been addressed.
Although no construction closures are scheduled over the holiday, existing state highway work zones will remain in effect and drivers may encounter construction workers and reduced speed limits. Motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through work zones around barricades and equipment.
FDOT is encouraging drivers to allow extra travel time and to use extra caution in existing work zones along state highways. Drivers are urged to make sure they buckle up, along with their passengers. FDOT and other safety agencies also ask drivers to obey speed limits, get adequate rest before traveling, avoid distractions and never drink and drive.
Drivers also are urged to be prepared for unscheduled highway closures due to accidents, disabled vehicles or other events. Motorists should be alert to changing weather conditions while traveling.
Travelers can access Florida’s 511 service from cell phones, landlines, and online at www.FL511.com to receive updates on travel in the area.
FFA Member Turns Project Into Food For The Needy
July 3, 2017
Cora Andrews, a senior member of the the J.M. Tate FFA Chapter, has been showing a market hog in the Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization (GCANRYO) Spring Livestock Show for the past two years.
As the show season approached this year, Andrews started brainstorming about a way she could use this project to help others. Having a heart for those in need, she called Loaves and Fishes and spoke with them about donating her market hog to their organization. Andrews decided on Loaves and Fishes because they serve approximately 4,600 meals to Pensacola’s homeless each month.
Andrews purchased her market swine on January 7th, weighing 70 pounds. Over the next several months, she spent hours caring for and preparing “Wilma” for the Spring Livestock Show.
After the show, the participants are required to send their swine to auction. Leading up to the show this year, Andrews told her family and friends that she really wished that she could somehow donate the pig to people in need. Several people sent donations to help her purchase Wilma in the auction which was enough to make her idea a reality.
When it was all said and done, Andrews was able to donate approximately 125 pounds of pork to Loaves and Fishes. Andrews was thrilled to be able to combine her love for agriculture and her love for helping those in need by completing this endeavor.
Andrews looks forward to participating in the show again next year and hopes to raise enough money to donate her market hog again. She is also considering encouraging other students to come alongside her in helping those in need in our community.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Alabama Sales Tax Increases
July 3, 2017
Shopping in Escambia County, AL, became a bit more expensive this weekend with a countywide one percent sale tax increase.
The new sales tax rate in Atmore, Flomaton in Brewton is 10 percent. The sales tax in East Brewton jumped to 11 cents on a dollar. Just to the south in Escambia County, FL, the sales tax is 7.5 percent, except for groceries and medications that have zero tax.
The 1-cent increase, which was effective at 12:01 a.m. July 1, is expected to boost the county’s annual revenue by over $2.7 million. Without the increase, commissioners have said the county will be facing service cutbacks and possible layoffs due to lower general fund revenue, partially due to a decrease in revenue from oil and gas severance revenue and gas taxes.
Pictured top: The sales tax in Atmore, including at this Winn Dixie store, just increased to 10 percent. A few miles away in Florida, shoppers pay no sales tax on groceries, 7.5 percent on most other items. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Beware Of Credit Card Skimmers At The Pump This Holiday Weekend
July 3, 2017
With projected record-breaking travel this Independence Day holiday period, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam is providing simple tips to help Floridians and visitors avoid credit card skimmers at the gas pump. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has found and removed 276 credit card skimmers from gas pumps so far this year.
“Identity theft is the last thing Floridians and visitors want to deal with while traveling,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “An educated consumer is the best defense, and I encourage travelers to follow these simple tips to avoid skimmers this holiday weekend.”
Travelers can take the following steps to avoid skimmers at gas stations:
- Pay in cash inside the store to ensure credit card information stays safe.
- Check to make sure the gas pump dispenser cabinet is closed and has not been tampered with.
- Use a gas pump closer to the front of the store. Thieves often place skimmers at the gas pumps farther away from the store.
- Use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards have better fraud protection, and the money is not deducted immediately from an account.
- If using a debit card at the pump, choose to run it as a credit card instead of putting a PIN number in. That way, the PIN number is safe.
- Monitor bank accounts regularly to spot any unauthorized charges.
- Consumers who suspect their credit card number has been compromised should report it immediately to authorities and their credit card company.
Putnam worked with the Florida Legislature last year to change Florida law to better protect consumers from identity theft at gas station pumps by:
- Requiring self-service fuel dispensers to use certain security measures to prevent theft of consumer financial information;
- Increasing enforcement authority against those who possess or traffic fraudulent credit cards;
- Reclassifying the crime of unlawful conveyance of fuel, which increases the maximum sentence; and
- Increasing the offense level of the crime, which affects sentencing guidelines.
Consumers who suspect that a gas pump has been tampered with should contact the gas station manager, local law enforcement or the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).
Tate Graduate Carpenter Completes Military Basic Training
July 3, 2017
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Hannah C. Carpenter graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Carpenter is the daughter of Christine and Charles Carpenter of Cantonment.
She is a 2015 graduate of J.M. Tate High School in Cantonment.
Wahoos Beat The Biscuits
July 3, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos right-hander Austin Ross continued to dominate the Southern League from the mound. The Montgomery Biscuits didn’t get its first hit off him until the fourth inning.
And the Blue Wahoos offense contributed just enough runs to keep his record a perfect 7-0 in a, 3-2, victory over the Biscuits Sunday in front of 4,333 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Cincinnati Reds No. 1 prospect Nick Senzel drew a bases loaded walk on a full count from Montgomery reliever Mike Broadway to score catcher Joe Hudson with the winning run in the seventh inning.
“That was an awesome at bat,” said Pensacola manager Pat Kelly. “He had no fear. He recognized the slider was out of the zone and took it for a walk.”
Pensacola has now beat the Montgomery Biscuits in 13 of the last 16 games at Blue Wahoos Stadium dating back to the 2014 season. It also clinched the six-game series, which it leads 4-1.
The Blue Wahoos evened their record at 5-5 in the second half of the Southern League season and the first half South Division champions are 45-35 overall.
Ross admitted he didn’t have his best stuff Sunday but heading into the sixth inning the 28-year-old hurler, who has spent seven years in the minors, had not allowed a run and given up just one hit. In the top of the sixth Montgomery third baseman Michael Russell leadoff the inning with a home run just inside the left field foul pole. Biscuits second baseman Riley Unroe scored when left fielder Joe McCarthy hit the third straight single off Ross in the inning to tie the game, 2-2.
Ross was making his second start for the Blue Wahoos since returning from the Triple-A Louisville Bats where he made five appearances, four of them starts. He was 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA.
“It was good but not every time you go out there are you going to feel great,” Ross said. “The rule is one third of the time you will feel awful, one-third of the time great and one-third in between. It’s what you make out of the bad ones that count.”
His final line was seven innings pitched, five hits allowed, two earned runs, three walks and 102 pitches in the suffocating 90-degree heat in Pensacola. His ERA on the year is 1.36, which is best in the Southern League.
This is his first year with the Cincinnati Reds organization after spending the previous six with the Milwaukee Brewers, Ross has reached the Triple-A level, one step below the big leagues, the past three seasons.
“The last two years, I’ve had really good years but things didn’t go my way,” said Ross, who reserved 19 tickets Sunday for his landlord and her family and his hunting buddy’s family. “All I can do is strive to get better and prepare for when I do get there.”
Kelly said he likes having Ross back on his rotation. He pointed out that Louisville has six starters on its staff.
“It helps our club,” Kelly said. “He made some good pitches when he had to. If you can compete in the Southern League, you can play at the big-league level.”
Pensacola clinched the win in the ninth inning after Zack Weiss made it “interesting,” Kelly said.
Weiss is returning from an injury to his throwing elbow that kept him from pitching last year. A top Reds pitching prospect after saving 25 games in Pensacola in 2015, he looked healthy Sunday.
Weiss earned his first save for Pensacola this season after loading the bases with two outs on a single and two walks. He struck out two, including the last batter who he caught looking at a wicked 76-mph breaking ball after throwing five straight fastballs. Weiss had also thrown one inning Saturday.
“We wanted to see him go back-to-back in a pressure-filled situation,” Kelly said. “You have to just keep plugging away and get three outs before they score.”
One Seriously Injured In Highway 95A Crash
July 2, 2017
.One person was seriously injured in a single vehicle accident early Sunday morning in the Quintette community.
The accident happened about 1:35 a.m. on Highway 95A near Quintette Road. The driver of a car lost control, left the roadway and struck a utility pole. The driver was transported to an area hospital as a “trauma alert”.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
