Winning $105K Fantasy Five Ticket Sold In North Escambia
October 29, 2016
Someone is over $105,000 richer this morning after purchasing a winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket in Cantonment.
The ticket sold at the Winn Dixie, 1550 South Highway 29, was one of two winning tickets sold for Friday night’s drawing worth $105,937.07 each. Another winning ticket matching all five numbers was sold in Miami.
The 358 tickets matching four numbers won $95 each. Another 11,219 tickets matching three numbers are worth $8.50 each, and 10,735 tickets holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
Friday’s winning numbers were 07-08-10-16-25.
Ground Broken On New Airport Facility, 400 Jobs
October 29, 2016
Friday, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward, Governor Rick Scott, state and local officials broke ground at the planned major aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Pensacola International Airport that will create 400 new jobs.
VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering (VT MAE) plans to build the 173,000 square foot facility which will sit on approximately 19 acres of property at the airport.
”Today’s groundbreaking marks a major milestone in this collaborative project,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “With this project and the 400 jobs that come with it, we are solidifying Pensacola International Airport’s role as an economic driver of the city for decades to come,” Hayward said. “This project will secure a foothold for Pensacola in the aerospace industry and will spark the development of an aviation cluster in Northwest Florida.”
Design and construction of the $46 million dollar project is being made possible through a combination of funds from the State of Florida/Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the City of Pensacola, Escambia County, VT MAE, and the Industry Recruitment, Retention and Expansion Fund.
Governor Rick Scott said, “Florida’s international airports help welcome millions of visitors each year and attract major job creators like VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering to our state. Last week, I announced that the Pensacola area added more than 3,000 private-sector jobs over the year, and today, it’s exciting to announce the creation of 400 maintenance and engineering job opportunities for local families. We will continue working with state and local partners to cut taxes, grow our economy and make Florida first for jobs.”
General (Ret.) John G. Coburn, Chairman and CEO of VT Systems, said, “This has been a project long in the making and we are excited to finally break ground on such an important milestone. We look forward to the opportunities that this facility will bring, both to VT MAE and the city of Pensacola.”
The maintenance facility will accommodate two Boeing 777’s, or four Boeing 757’s, or six Airbus A-320 sized aircraft. Bringing a new industry to the area, VT MAE will hire skilled personnel including Master Airplane Technicians, Aircraft Inspectors, Master Structures Technicians, Sheet Metal Mechanics, and Avionics Technicians. Local economic development agencies, local educational institutions, and VT MAE have worked together to implement training programs to create a sustainable workforce.
After groundbreaking, construction will last approximately 16 months, with the facility opening for operation in early 2018.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Friday Night Football Finals
October 29, 2016
Here are final scores from Friday night’s high school football games around the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
Baker 38, Northview 0
Tate 28, Pine Forest 23
West Florida 35, PHS 0
Gulf Breeze 31, Navarre 28
Escambia 36, Washington 10
Pace 35, Milton 34 OT
OFF — Jay, Catholic
ALABAMA
T.R. Miller 35, W.S. Neal 6
Luverne 29, Flomaton 28
Faith Academy 44, Escambia County (Atmore) 28
Bessemer Academy 21, Escambia Academy 14
Free Beans And Rice Giveaway Saturday In Cantonment
October 28, 2016
Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church will be distributing free dried pinto beans and uncooked rice beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at the church for those in need. There are no guidelines, and there is no paperwork required. Distribution will continue until 11 a.m.
The church is located at 699 South Highway 95A in Cantonment. For more information, call 850-937-0001 or visit www.st-monicas.org.
Woman Charged With Cashing Fake Checks At Local Grocery Stores
October 28, 2016
An Atmore woman has been charged with cashing counterfeited checks at two North Escambia grocery stores.
Jana Michelle Bartley, 37, is facing two felony counts of fraud uttering a false instrument. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
Bartley allegedly cashed fake payroll checks for $647.04 each at the Food Giant on North Century Boulevard in Century and the Piggly Wiggly on Highway 97 in Davisville. The checks were faked using the account information of a restaurant payroll company, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
ECSO: Have You Seen This Diamond Ring?
October 28, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the owner of a diamond ring.
A burglary suspect arrested after being caught red-handed Thursday morning on Highway 168 outside Century was wearing the ring at the time of his arrest. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the ring may have been stolen during a previous burglary, and they are looking for the ring’s owner.
Anyone with information on the ring is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
For more information on the burglary and arrest, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
$90K In Grants For Excellence Presented To 20 Escambia Schools
October 28, 2016
Grant checks totaling over $90,000 were presented to 20 Escambia County public schools during the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation’s Grants for Excellence reception Thursday evening at the Pensacola Yacht Club.
“The purpose of the Foundation’s Grants for Excellence Program is to promote collaboration across grade levels between teachers, principals and the schools’ leadership teams,” said Denise Rosenbloum, chair of the Grants for Excellence Committee. “These innovative classroom grants are unique projects designed by teachers to make a meaningful impact in the areas of STEM and Literacy,” she said.
The 20 grants range from $2,375 to $5,000 each and will impact 10,344 students and 490 teachers at the following schools: A.K. Suter Elementary, Ensley Elementary, Escambia High, Ferry Pass Elementary, Ferry Pass Middle, Hellen Caro Elementary, Holm Elementary, Jim C. Bailey Middle, Longleaf Elementary, Myrtle Grove Elementary, N. B. Cook Elementary, Northview High, Oakcrest Elementary, R.C. Lipscomb Elementary, Roy Hyatt Environmental Center, Sherwood Elementary, Tate High, Washington High Marine Science Academy, West Florida High, and Workman Middle.
The Foundation’s Grants for Excellence program encourages classroom projects that actively engage students in exciting hands-on learning experiences. The Foundation secures dollar-for-dollar matching funds for the Grants for Excellence program from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations through the Florida Legislature’s School District Education Foundation Matching Grants Program.
Pictured top: Northview High School with project “The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster”. Pictured below: Tate High School with project “Tax Lab 3D Printing and Design Innovation Station”.
Continue to scroll down for more photos.
Pictured: Lipscomb Elementary with project “eBooks for Everyone”.
Pictured: Roy Hyatt Environmental Center with project “Catch The STEM Bug”.
Photos by Kim Stefansson, Escambia County School District, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECAT Unveils New Website, Online Trip Planner
October 28, 2016
ECAT unveiled a new website and online trip planner during a Thursday event.
With the new trip planner, users can enter their starting and ending destinations and receive detailed directions, including nearest bus stop location, route transfer information and total estimated time of travel. The new website and online trip planner are mobile-friendly, making planning routes from smart phones while on-the-go convenient.
The online trip planner, available on the ECAT homepage, will benefit those already familiar with ECAT’s routes and schedules as well as potential riders and visitors to the area. Because the trip planner is integrated with Google and Bing Maps, users can simply enter the name of a location, eliminating the need for a specific street address.
“We are so thrilled to introduce the online trip planner on the brand new ECAT website as the next phase of the ECAT technology upgrades,” said Tonya Ellis, Director of Marketing and Community Relations for ECAT. “We are dedicated to constantly improving customer experience, and the new site and online trip planner are the perfect complement to our current real-time bus locator app.”
Thousands Attend Flomaton Fall Festival; Clown Costumes Banned
October 28, 2016
The population of Flomaton roughly doubled Thursday night for the town’s Harvest Festival and Trick-or-Treat Around the Block.
An estimated 3,000 people attended the annual event, many in costumes. But there were no clown costumes to be found among the princesses, superheroes, ghosts, goblins and at least one “unreal” Donald Trump. The town banned clown costumes due to a September evil clown scare that had schools on lockdown and led to arrests.
A 22-year old Flomaton woman was charged with making a terrorist threat in connection with “Flomo Klown” Facebook pages that prompted the lockdown of multiple schools in Escambia County (AL) in September. Several juveniles were also implicated.
The clown costumes were banned “due to security purposes”, according to a public post by the Flomaton Police Department.
Flomaton Police said Thursday night’s event was successful with just a few minor incidents. Three children lost their parents in the excitement and crowds, and there was a medical call. All children were safely returned to their parents.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Mom Catches Burglar In Her Home; Two Arrested After Manhunt
October 27, 2016
Two suspects are in custody after a North Escambia woman came home to find a burglar inside her residence Thursday morning.
When the woman returned from running errands about 8:20 a.m., she entered her home to find a burglar inside. The incident happened at a home on Highway 168 near Wawbeek Road in the Wawbeek community west of Century.
“I noticed some things were out of place, and then there he was, standing in the hallway looking at me,” the victim said. She said she returned quickly to her toddler, who was outside in a vehicle. The burglar ran outside with the woman giving chase in her vehicle until he entered a nearby wooded area.
A K-9 team from Century Correctional Institution was able to track the suspect down and take him into custody near Wawbeek Road, just south of the Alabama/Florida state line. Vernon Lambeth of Front Street in Century was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and larceny. Lambeth is being held in the Escambia County (FL) Jail with bond set at $100,000.
His alleged accomplice, later identified as 51-year old Curtis Matthew Capers, was seen leaving in the area in an older model green SUV with bullet holes. The vehicle was located in Alabama just north of the state line on Sam Jones Road, about two miles from the burglary. Capers was arrested by the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office and taken to the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton.
Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said Capers (pictured left) is facing a narcotics charge for items found in the vehicle. Lambert said items that may be been taken during other burglaries were also found in the SUV, possibly leading to more charges. Capers is expected to be extradited back to Florida to face additional charges.
An additional K-9 team from Century Correctional was called to Highway 168 to search a wooded area for items that were taken during the burglary.
More details will be posted as they become available.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge
