Cantonment Man Violated Restraining Order By Repeatedly Calling Woman From Jail, ECSO Says
September 8, 2023
A Cantonment man is accused of calling a woman multiple times over four days from inside the county jail in violation of a restraining order and leading a deputy on a short low-speed chase.
Curtis Keith Morris, 56, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, fleeing and eluding LEO with lights and siren activated, and violating a domestic violence injunction.
In August, Morris allegedly repeatedly violated the injunction by calling the victim multiple times from the Escambia County Jail after he was booked for previously violating the injunction. According to an arrest report, he made several calls that were missed and also left at least three voicemails.
Recently, a deputy attempted to stop Morris driving a Ford F150 without a tag in the area of Cedar Tree Lane and Highway 95A. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said he fled from the pursuing deputy at about 20 mph before pulling into his driveway on Cedar Point Road.
Deputies located a substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine in the truck.
Morris remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond after his bond was revoked in a previous case.
Pizza And Playtime With The Principal For Byrneville Elementary Students Of The Month
September 8, 2023
The August Students of the Month at Byrneville Elementary School recently enjoyed pizza and playtime with Principal Ashley Trawick.
BES August Students of the Month are:
- Kindergarten: Bailey Rogers and Tatum Boutwell
- 1st Grade: Owen Roberson and Paisley Miller
- 2nd Grade: Kamiah Moore-McKee and Estella Johnson
- 3rd Grade: Paislee Cash and Timothy Dees
- 4th Grade: Lucas Jordan and Marlee McElhaney
- 5th Grade: Wy’Naejah Thomas and Madyson Wiggins
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘Oh Man That Was Fun’ — Tate Aggies Defeat The Northview Chiefs In The ‘Summerford Bowl’
September 8, 2023
The Tate Aggies defeated the Northview Chiefs 42-14 at Tate’s Carl Madison Field in the second annual “Summerford Bowl” that pits head coach Rhett Summerford and his Aggies against brother head coach Wes Summerford and his Chiefs.
“Oh man that was fun,” Rhett Summerford said after the big win over his little brother. “It’s fun seeing him; it’s just a cool moment. They have a good team, and he’s going to get them rolling. After this season, they are going to be there. That’s just the way it is. He’s a great coach. It was fun. I hope he does it again next year.”
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
For a bonus photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.
Officially, it was the FFA Ag Bowl with a cowbell as the big trophy Friday night. Last year, washing the family Thanksgiving dinner dishes was also on the line when Northview topped Tate 34-25.
“We are still getting better,” Rhett Summerford said of his Tate Aggies, who celebrated another big milestone Thursday night with their second win of the season. The Aggies have not won more than one game in a season since 2018.
“We’ll continue to work. Our kids are hungry and It was a big win for our program tonight. That’s just the truth,” the Aggies coach said, seconds before he was dunked with a Gatorade bucket of ice water by players Christian Neptune and Trey Edwards. They had waited patiently for the interview with NorthEscambia.com to end so our camera wasn’t soaked.
“Man they all look a lot better,” Northview’s Wes Summerford said of his brother and the best Tate team in five years. “In that time frame to get those kids like that and believing — he’s just done a great job.”
“I don’t know if I can get away with playing him again,” Wes Summerford said. “We may tuck tail and run, both of us just go separate ways. But it’s been fun, and it’s awesome to play here (at Tate). It’s awesome to bring our team down here and see this facility and everything, and it’s a good experience for them.”
Senior Andre Colston put the Aggies on the board 7-0 with 7:41 in the first on a 20-yard touchdown run. Still in the first, quarterback Taite Davis found Christian Neptune on a 74-yard touchdown play, 14-0. To round out the first, the Aggies did again, this time Davis to Neptune for a 30-yard TD.
In the second quarter, Davis hit Brayden Beck for a 24-yarder and C.J. Autrey was across the goal line for a 27-yard touchdown.
Northview scored their first touchdown just over a minute before the half on a pass from Wyatt Scruggs to Joe Wright from 24-yard out. The Chiefs added their final score on a 7-yard pass to Devin Kelly.
Tate (2-1) will hit the road to take on Navarre on September 15. The Northview Chiefs, off to a rough 0-3 start, will host Lighthouse Private Christian Academy September 15 in Bratt.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
For a bonus photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Blast Rocket City In 11-4 Victory
September 8, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos launched four home runs, including a pair of milestone shots, in an 11-4 victory over the Rocket City Trash Pandas on Thursday night.
Josh Zamora’s three-run blast in the second inning was his first Double-A homer, and Jake Thompson followed suit with a game-breaking grand slam in the eighth for his first home run in a Blue Wahoos uniform.
All 11 runs were scored on long balls, as Victor Mesa Jr. and Bennett Hostetler also went deep in Pensacola’s fourth straight win. They made a winner of Patrick Monteverde (W, 10-4), who allowed four runs in 5.0 innings to become just the fifth pitcher in team history to win ten games in a single season.
Mesa’s two-run homer in the first inning and Zamora’s three-run blast in the second were a rude greeting for Sammy Natera Jr. (L, 0-1), who took the loss for the Trash Pandas in his debut performance. While Rocket City climbed back in the game with homers from Sonny DiChiara and Tyler Payne, Monteverde stranded a pair of runners to end the fifth with a 5-4 lead.
After an effective 2.1 innings of relief from Zach McCambley, Thompson gave the Blue Wahoos breathing room in the eighth with a grand slam, his first homer since arriving in Pensacola last week. Hostetler added an opposite-field blast in the ninth for good measure before Jefry Yan shut the door on an 11-4 victory.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Trash Pandas on Friday night.
written by Erik Bremer
Update: Missing Escambia County Man Located
September 7, 2023
UPDATE: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Thomas Edwin Schermerhorn has been located. Additional information was not provided.
Previous story:
A Florida Silver Alert has been issued from Thomas Schermerhorn from Escambia County.
Schermerhorn was last seen at 6:30 a.m. Thursday when he left the 600 block of Rue Max Street and was driving towards the 30 block of East Nine Mile Road. He was wearing a blue shirt, jeans, velcro-style shoes and a ball cap with the text “Corpsman Up” on it.
He is 5’5”, 135 lbs, has gaey hair and brown eyes. He was driving a white 2017 Hyundai Tucson with Florida handicap tag #Z4YCC. The vehicle also has Navy and Marine stickers on the bumper. He may be in need of medical attention.
His vehicle was last seen at the intersection of Woodbine Road and Hwy 90 in Pace, Florida at approximately 7:00 this morning.
Council Nixes Gomez’s Attempt To Circumvent Charter And Hire Interim Century Town Manager
September 7, 2023
The Century Town Council has put the brakes on newly appointed interim Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. and his immediate efforts to hire an interim town manager while apparently circumventing the requirements of the town’s charter. Last week, Gomez admitted that he was in over his head, and presented the council with his choice to help lead the town.
Tuesday night, the town council approved a two-page scope of work for an interim town manager or consultant to assist the town. The motion specified that the scope would be used in future requests for proposals for the position.
Gomez then immediately asked the council to allow him to enter into negotiations with Robert Thompson to serve in the position for three months. His request noted that $25,000 was available for consulting services in the town budget through September and over $40,000 was budgeted for consultants in the next fiscal year beginning October 1.
“I know that I am in over my head, but I don’t want the town of Century to suffer due to my lack of experience in this position,” Gomez told his town council a few minutes after he was sworn in on August 28. At that meeting, he asked the town council to consider contracting with consultant Thompson of DeFuniak Springs, who he said was recommended by the Florida League of Cities.
“A vote for this guy is a vote for Century,” Gomez said this week.
Council member Alicia Johnson questioned if the town needed to request proposals or accept applications.
Gomez said he was told by the Florida League of Cities and Johnson that a request for proposals or bids from other potentially interested persons was not needed.
“We just trying to get somebody in place interim, you skip all that,” Gomez said.
“No matter what Florida League of Cities says, no matter what Mr Johnson says, Century still has to abide by the charter. If we are required to get three bids, we must get three bids if he is to be interim,” council vice president Shelisa McCall said. “To then forgo our established charter and ignore it, it’s just not fair to everybody else. It’s like we wanted to hold these people to those standards, but now we want to skip them, and I don’t think that’s right.”
McCall said the town’s former interim town manager, Vernon Prather, was hired through an application process and vote, and she remembered reading the applications on NorthEscambia.com.
Then Gomez tried to rationalize that the town’s former interim town manager, Vernon Prather, was hired without a council vote.
“No, the council didn’t vote, council didn’t vote” Gomez interjected. “The order came from downtown Pensacola to the interim city manager that was in place, and they brought their guy and they scrapped five applications. If it’s a lie, then the blog told me. There was five applications that were scrapped. I can show you the article right now on the phone.”
While Gomez said the council did not vote to hire Prather, Gomez voted yes when Prather was hired in December 2019. In fact, Gomez actually made the motion to hire Prather, according to the town’s official meeting minutes (pictured left, click to enlarge).
And NorthEscambia.com never reported anything about any order from downtown Pensacola or that five applications were scrapped to hire Prather (there were only five applications including Prather). We did report that then Century interim city manager Buz Eddy recommended to scrap applications and hire Prather on an interim basis.
“The League (Florida League of Cities) is what we establish most of our rules by,” Gomez said. “I could care less what I look like in anybody’s paper…I’m doing this for Century.”
The Florida League of Cities (FLC) is an advocacy group serving over 400 municipalities in the state, according to their website. The FLC is not a government agency and has no governmental authority. Century’s rules are governed by a charter which established the town.
“If we want this guy, we can get him,” Gomez said. “And we’re not breaking anybody’s law, or stepping on anybody’s toes, or doing anything illegal.”
“If we do it this way, we are going against our charter, plain and simple” McCall interjected.
Town Clerk Leslie Howington clarified that the charter states anything costing over $500 must be bid. She called town attorney Matt Dannheisser and placed him on speakerphone.
“Ms. Howington, I need to talk to you tomorrow about that,” Gomez told her, motioning toward the phone with Dannheisser on the line.
“Five hundred dollars or more, the council is required to request and receive bids,” the attorney said.
The council voted 3-0 to advertise for an interim town manager or consultant through noon on September 19 with the Florida League of Cities, Florida League of Mayors and League of City Managers. The motion did not include advertising locally. The council plans to consider their choice seven hours after the deadline during a regular council meeting.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Charged After Drug Search Warrant Executed In Flomaton
September 7, 2023
The Flomaton Police Department and Alabama Drug Task Force arrested two people after a search warrant was executed Wednesday night.
According to Flomaton Police, the search warrant was executed at 904 Titi Street.
FPD said two people were charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), unlawful possession of paraphernalia, unlaw possession of prescription drugs and theft of services. The names of the individuals were not immediately released.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ray’s Chapel Baptist To Hold Groundbreaking Sunday For New 300 Seat Sanctuary
September 7, 2023
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church will hold a groundbreaking Sunday for an expansion that includes a new sanctuary with seating for over 300 people.
The groundbreaking will follow a 10:30 a.m. service at the church at 140 West Bogia Road in McDavid. The public is invited.
Pictured: A conceptual drawing and plans for new sanctuary at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church. Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
Bonus Photos: Tate Fans, Band And Cheerleaders
September 7, 2023
The Tate Aggies cruised past the Pensacola High Tigers last Friday night.
For a bonus photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.
For a game action story and photos, click here.
The Aggies will host Northview at 7 p.m. Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Animal Rescue Deploys To Help After Hurricane Idalia
September 7, 2023
A disaster response team from the Escambia County Department of Animal welfare and members of the ASPCA deployed last week to Taylor County to assist animals and pen owners that were impacted by Hurricane Hadelia. They primarily worked with Taylor County Animal Shelter and disaster response teams, providing much needed support during the time.
Earlier this year, Escambia County received a $50,000 grant from the ASPCA to fund a disaster response team. Specialized animal search and rescue training with the Escambia County Fire Rescue Special Operations team took place from February to March, covering special skills you need to assist animals and the public following a disaster.
