FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
September 4, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities. There will be no planned lane closures on the state road system through 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, September 6 due to the Labor Day holiday. All major roads will be open to normal traffic. In emergency situations requiring a lane or road closure, repairs will continue until all safety issues related to the traveling public have been addressed and the lane/roadway is reopened.
Escambia County:
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Widening – Intermittent and alternating lane closures on I-10, between State Road (S.R.) 291 (Davis Highway/Exit 13) and U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway/Exit 17), from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Sunday, Sept. 11 as crews place pavement markers.
- I-10 / U.S. 29 Interchange – The U.S. 29 north to I-10 eastbound ramp will be intermittently closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Thursday, Sept. 8 as crews work on the shoulder of the roadway. Traffic will be detoured north to make a U-turn at Broad Street and access I-10 eastbound. The closures will continue Sunday through Thursday nights through September.
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Widening – Alternating lane closures, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Thursday, Sept. 8 as crews continue widening work. In addition, there will be alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange for bridge work.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Pictured: The I-10/U.S. 29 construction team removed overhead interstate signs recently. Removing the signs allows crews to continue widening I-10 westbound near exit 10B. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Alabama Corrections Officer’s Condition Improving After Holman Stabbing
September 4, 2016
A corrections officer is improving after being stabbed last week a at Holman Prison in Atmore.
The officer was listed in critical condition after the stabbing last Thursday, but his condition was improved to serious condition at last report by the Alabama Department of Corrections. The officer’s name has not yet been released.
The stabbing happened at 12:35 p.m. in the facility’s dining hall during the noon meal.
Prison officials report the inmate assaulted and stabbed the officer in retaliation for being denied an extra tray of food. Correctional officers responded to the incident and were able to restrain the inmate and give aid to the injured officer. The officer was airlifted in critical condition to an area hospital.
Inmate Cleveland Cunningham was detained as a suspect in the stabbing. Cunningham is serving a 20-year sentence on a 2013 first-degree robbery conviction from Baldwin County. Cunningham was segregated from general population without further incident.
No other inmates were involved in the stabbing. The facility was placed on lockdown while ADOC officials investigate the incident.
The ADOC is not releasing the name of the officer pending the ongoing investigation.
Pictured top: NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Score Four In Ninth To Top Birmingham
September 4, 2016
Jackson Stephens last start was, well, very un-Jackson Stephens like.
The Jacksonville Suns knocked him out of the game after 0.2 innings, scoring four runs on three hits and three walks. It was the 22-year-old right hander’s shortest start in his five-year minor league career.
He returned to the old Stephens with a quality start, throwing six innings and allowing two runs, one earned on eight hits, a walk and striking out seven.
Birmingham loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. Barons shortstop Trey Michalczewski singled to center, DH Eudy Pina earned an infield single to second base and first baseman Keon Barnum walked.
Birmingham catcher Chris O’Dowd then hit a ground ball to force out Barnum at second base. But Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej committed a throwing error, his fifth error this season. Both Michalczewski and Pina scored on the play to put the Barons ahead, 2-0.
But Pensacola came right back in its next at bat in the top of the seventh to knot the game, 2-2. Blue Wahoos right fielder Sebastian Elizalde singled to center field with the bases loaded and two outs to score both Pensacola first baseman Eric Jagielo and right fielder Ronald Bueno.
In the eighth inning, Pensacola loaded the bases twice. With one out, Blue Wahoos third baseman Taylor Sparks was forced out at home for the second out. Bueno walked to load the bases again but Pensacola second baseman Alex Blandino grounded out to end the inning.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Blue Wahoos busted out with a four-run inning. Vincej singled to center with one out to drive in Elizalde to put Pensacola on top, 3-2. With the bases loaded, two more runs scored when catcher Chad Wallach grounded to Birmingham third baseman Marcus Lemon, who. threw the ball away. Both center fielder Brandon Dixon and Vincej scored to increase the Blue Wahoos lead to 5-2. Pensacola’s Jagielo then singled on a line drive to right field that drove in Sparks. Bueno then lifted a fly ball to Barons right fielder Keenyn Walker and Wallach tried to score but was thrown out at home.
Meanwhile, Evan Mitchell relieved Stephens and shutdown the Birmingham offense. He threw three hitless innings and struck out six. Mitchell, who was recently selected to represent the Cincinnati Reds in the Arizona Fall League, improved to 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA.
Pensacola benefited from the bats of Elizalde, Vincej and Jagielo. Elizalde was 4-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. He has 50 RBIs on the season and is hitting .296 on the year. He now leads the team with 34 multi-hit games.
Vincej also went 4-5 with one run and one RBI. He has 26 multi-hit games and lifted his average to .279.
Meanwhile, Jagielo got a hit in his fifth consecutive game, going 3-4 with a run scored and he drove in one.
The Mississippi Braves won their fifth straight game and remain in first place in the Southern League South Division. The Braves are 1.5 games in front of the Blue Wahoos in the second half of the season and would have to lose their last two games of the season, while Pensacola won their last two for the Blue Wahoos to add the second half title to its first half title.
Mississippi is 39-28 and 73-63 overall. Meanwhile, Pensacola is 38-30 in the second half and 79-59 overall.
Pensacola and Mississippi will play each other in the first round of the Southern League playoffs on Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. In the North Division, the playoffs match the Montgomery Biscuits, second half winners, against the Jackson Generals, first half winners.
Century Ballpark Altercation Lands Woman In Jail
September 3, 2016
An altercation between two women at a Century ballpark landed one of them in jail on felony charges.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Anthony Pleasant Park late Thursday afternoon to find the victim sitting in a car bleeding from her head. The victim told deputies that she was having an ongoing issued with the best friend of her husband’s ex-wife, later identified as Kelsey Lauren Therrell, age 24 of McDavid.
The victim told deputies that when she left her home several miles away, she noticed Therrell following her, and then she pulled alongside the victim “giving her the finger”. When the victim exited her car at Anthony Pleasant Park, she said Therrell attacked her, beating her in the face. Therrell then reportedly fled the area. The story was corroborated by a witness.
When deputies located Therrell at an address on Roberts Road, she stated under oath that she was “not involved in her friend’s drama”, an arrest report states, and that the victim tried to run her and her children off of the roadway.
The victim was treated on the scene and then transported herself to an area hospital for treatment of puncture wounds she believed were caused by keys.
The Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident.
Therrell was arrested for aggravated stalking and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon. She was released from the Escambia County Jail Friday on a $5,000 bond.
Fire Marshal Investigating Salvage Yard Wrecker Fire
September 3, 2016
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a fire that destroyed an auto salvage business’s wrecker late Friday night near Molino. A passerby noticed the wrecker engulfed in fire about 11:10 p.m. at Neese Auto Salvage in the 3300 block of Highway 29. Firefighters were able to contain the fire and prevent damage to a nearby building.
Picture above: A firefighter extinguishes the wrecker fire. Pictured below: Firefighters cut the hood open on the vehicle. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Northview Battles To 21-14 Win Over Escambia Academy (With Gallery)
September 3, 2016
In a game that came down to a fourth quarter battle, the Northview Chiefs defeated the Escambia Academy Cougars 21-14 Friday night at Tommy Weaver Stadium in Bratt.
“It was a battle between two great football teams,” Northview head coach Derek Marshman said. “It was great football game, a fourth quarter football game up and down, back and fourth the entire time. It was a battle. There’s no other way to describe it. It was a battle.”
The Chiefs have now won two of three games this year, both of them second half shutouts.
For a photo gallery, click here
Luke Ward, freshman Jeremiah Woods, Hunter Edwards and Neikel Robinson were the Chiefs’ offensive standouts of the night, Marshman said.
“Jacob Weaver was just huge for us defensively,” he said. Weaver was injured during the game, suffering a shattered arm that will require surgery on Saturday. “He really holds it down for us in the middle. That was a big loss for us.”
Next week, the 1A Chiefs travel to take on the 6A Dolphins of Gulf Breeze.
“Next week it’s going to be the same mentality. They are a good football team; they area big school. But we can’t think of it that way. They will put 11 on the field; we have to put 11 on the field. I’ve heard they have the best quarterback in the area, but I’d argue with that with our guy,” Marshman said. “It’s going to be another battle.
For a photo gallery, click here. (Additional photos later this weekend from the bands, cheerleaders, mini-cheerleaders and more.)
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
EREC Linemen Helping Restore Power Following Florida Hurricane
September 3, 2016
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has sent a crew of linemen to aid the Tri-County Electric Cooperative with the restoration of electric service following Hurricane Hermine. The hurricane caused significant damage to the TCEC power system, with over 10,000 customers without power in Jefferson, Madison and Taylor counties in Florida. EREC linemen Kent Calloway, Jeremiah Daughett, Tony Moody, Jake Moye, Thomas Nall and Matthew Reynolds departed Friday afternoon. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Beats West Florida (With Photo Gallery)
September 3, 2016
For the third consecutive year, the Tate Aggies defeated the West Florida Jaguars Friday night.
West Florida jumped out to a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. In the second, Tate’s Corey Moorer, a senior, scored the first of his three touchdowns with 8:29 to go in the half. Moorer added his second TD with 1:59 in the second to tie it up at 14-14.
The Aggies added another touchdown from Moorer with 39 second to go in the half for a 21-14 lead.
In the second half, the Aggies Ladarryl Paige scored twice in the third quarter for a 35-21 Aggie advantage headed into the fourth. Tate added one more touchdown with a quarterback keeper from Jake Henry with 9:30 to go in the ballgame.
The Tate Aggies will host West Gadsden next Friday night for homecoming.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Rubio, Murphy Agree To Senate Debate
September 3, 2016
Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy have agreed to debate in late October, Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association announced Thursday. Rubio and Murphy, a U.S. House member, easily defeated primary challengers Tuesday in the race for Rubio’s seat. The one-hour debate is scheduled Oct. 26 at Broward College. Florida Public Radio will simulcast the debate, which also is expected to be broadcast on TV stations throughout the state.
by The News Service of Florida
Friday Night Football Scores
September 3, 2016
Here is a look at final scores from tonight’s high school football games across the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
Northview 21 Escambia Academy 14
Tate 42 West Florida 28
Resurrection Catholic 46 Jay 0
Pine Forest 46 Choctaw 10
Navarre 36 Washington 20
Niceville 30, Escambia 6
Pace 36 PHS 19
Gulf Breeze 36, Catholic 21
Milton 26 Lake Area New Tech 25 OT
Baker 21 Blountstown 18
South Walton 12 Walton 6
ALABAMA
Northview 21 Escambia Academy 14
Hillcrest Evergreen 19, Flomaton 13
UMS Wright 54 Escambia County 0
Thomasville 26 W.S. Neal 20
T.R. Miller 55 Cottage Hill Christian 27