Wahoos, Braves Suspended Due To Weather
June 16, 2023
Thursday’s game between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Mississippi Braves was suspended due to rain with the score tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning.
The game will be resumed at 5:05 p.m. Friday with no fans admitted.
Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. for Friday’s regular game scheduled to begin at 6:35 p.m.
Wreck, Vehicle Fire Slow Morning Commute At I-10, Pine Forest
June 15, 2023
A wreck and resulting vehicle fire slowed traffic for commuters Thursday morning.
Escambia County Fire Rescue and EMS responded to a vehicle fire at the on-ramp from Pine Forest Road to I-10 about 7:50 a.m. where they found a car fully engulfed in fire.
“The vehicle on fire appeared to be in a rear-end type of collision,” said Davis Wood, Escambia County Public Safety spokesperson.
Two people were transported to an area hospital for treatment.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.
“At this time, it’s unknown what specifically caused the fire,” Wood said.
Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Update: Man Critical, Boy Serious After Van Rear-Ends Dump Truck On Highway 29
June 15, 2023
Two people were seriously injured in a crash between a passenger van and a dump truck Thursday on Highway 29.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of the northbound van collided with the rear of the dump truck as it was slowing to make a U-turn across the median near a produce stand on Highway 29 just south of Power Boulevard and the Central Commerce Park.
The 29-year old man from Fort Worth, Texas, was extricated from the van and airlifted to a Pensacola hospital in critical condition. His 11-year old male passenger was transported by Escambia County EMS in serious condition. The dump truck driver, a 50-year old woman from Milton, was not injured.
Northbound traffic on Highway 29 was at a complete standstill for over two hours due to the crash.
Escambia County Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Accused Of Stealing Wire; GPS Leads Deputies To His Yard
June 15, 2023
A Cantonment man is accused of stealing wire from a local business before later taking it to his own house — with a GPS unit attached.
Brian Phillip Avirett, 33, was charged with multiple counts including burglary, grand theft and criminal mischief.
On May 18, Avirett allegedly entered a secured fenced area at a business on Stone Boulevard in Cantonment and stole copper and aluminum shielded wiring and bare wire that was stored in crates, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The ECSO said he returned and stole more wire on June 7.
On June 11, the company received a GPS alert from a device that was attached to the wire. The GPS signal led deputies to Avirett’s home on Pace Parkway where they found the wire in a burn barrel with the GPS device still attached, an arrest report states. Deputies said additional wiring and cable was located on the property.
Avirett told deputies that the wire was brought to his home by a person known only as “Heath” who lives in a tent near the Cantonment ballpark. Deputies were unable to located “Heath”.
A tattoo on Avirett’s leg matched the tattoo on surveillance video from the original theft, the ECSO said.
He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $21,000 bond.
Jay Man Accused Of Hanging Dead Coyotes On Billboard, Calling Them ‘Yard Decoration’
June 15, 2023
A Jay man is accused of hanging two dead coyotes from a billboard near his home.
Lonnie Michael Hutchinson, 41, was cited for littering and two second degree misdemeanor deer depredation permit violations.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers launched an investigation after receiving a photograph of two coyotes that were killed and hung up by the legs on a billboard on Highway 89 at Dusty Trail in Allentown. An FWC office arrived to find that the freshly killed coyotes were recently cut down and were in the grass below the billboard with rope still around their feet.
FWC said Hutchinson and his wife approached in a golf cart.
“He asked me if I was entertained yet,” the FWC officer wrote in his report. “I asked if he knew why I was there and he replied ‘for the yard decoration’.”
FWC said Hutchinson made conflicting statements about the coyotes, first saying he did it before suggesting that it might be young kids but he could not provide their names. The billboard is located 544 yards from his property and can clearly be seen from his property, officers noted. The photograph also showed “LH” spray painted on the billboard, which matches Hutchinson’s initials, officers said.
He was charged with littering for “leaving and displaying the dead animals on the billboard off of the right of way”.
During the conversation, Hutchinson mentioned that shoots deer on a local farmer’s property. FWC depredation permits “authorize the lethal take of deer causing damage to crops, where less lethal means of control are either ineffective or not feasible,” according to FWC. The permits come with multiple restrictions and are issued only to landowners or authorized lessees of property with agricultural rights.
FWC officers contacted the farmer who stated that Hutchinson sent him a text message stating that he killed three deer and two coyotes.
According to the FWC report, Hutchinson failed to provide officers with a full copy of the deer depredation permit with written landowner permission and failed to report deer taken under the permit.
Pictured: A reader submitted photo shows two dead coyotes hanging from a billboard on Highway 89 near Jay. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Community Health Dental Services In Century Moves To New Location
June 15, 2023
Community Health Northwest Florida in Century has consolidated all pediatric and adult dental services and is now seeing both adults and children in a single location.
Dental services were moved from 501 Church Street to the Adult & Family Care location at 6021 Industrial Boulevard. CHNWF said the former dental space on Church Street will allow for additional exam rooms to care for more pediatric primary care patients.
“CHNWF at Industrial Boulevard boasts several state-of-the-art dental operatories with newer equipment in the bright, modern facility, which both patients and staff appreciate,” said Sena Maddison, Community Health director of communications. “Although children and adults will be seen on separate days, it will be a one stop (dental) shop for families of Century and surrounding areas.”
To schedule a dental appointment at the Community Health Northwest Florida Adult & Family location, call (850) 724-4064, option 2.
Groundbreaking Set For Escambia County’s Newest Boat Ramp
June 15, 2023
UPDATE – The Friday groundbreaking ceremony has been canceled due to weather.
A groundbreaking will be held Friday for Escambia County’s newest boat ramp, the first large public access to Perdido Bay.
The new 40-acre facility at 10836 Lillian Highway is located on Heron Bayou and will include a two-lane boat ramp, 62 parking spaces for vehicles with trailers, 22 parking spaces for vehicles without trailers, and a stormwater treatment facility. In addition, a new channel measuring at 2,260 feet long by 40 feet wide and a depth of five feet will be dredged from the launch facility to Perdido Bay.
Additional passive recreational opportunities include a landing area along the Perdido paddling trail with two primitive campsites and 11 acres of wetlands placed into conservation.
In 2013, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners funded the acquisition of the Perdido Boat Ramp property for $1.24 million through Local Option Sales Tax III. Project design was paid through a grant from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Vessel Registration Fees. The $4.2 million needed for construction is funded through U.S. Treasury RESTORE Direct Component funds, American Rescue Plan Act funds and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Natural Resource Damage Assessment Coastal Protection Fund.
The groundbreaking will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday.
NEP 10U Gold Wins All-Star Tourney; NEP 10U Blue Takes Second
June 15, 2023
NEP 10U Gold softball took first place and NEP 10U Blue softball finished in second place in the GCGSA All-Star Tournament last weekend.
Kayla Wroblewski was named the 10u Tournament Defensive Player MVP.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win In 10 Over Braves
June 15, 2023
The Blue Wahoos checked off the lone void so far in their stellar season.
They won their first extra-inning game. And did it dramatically, of course.
Catcher Will Banfield worked a full count with the bases loaded, then completed a big night by launching a deep fly to center field for a sacrifice fly that scored Troy Johnson with the winning run in the Blue Wahoos’ 5-4 victory in 10 innings against the Mississippi Braves.
Earlier in the game he blasted a 3-run homer.
The Blue Wahoos had a 4-3 lead in the ninth and were one out and no base runners from finishing the game. But reliever Jefry Yan gave up a walk, a double and single. Griffin Conine, however, made a saving throw from right field to thwart Beau Philip from scoring the go-ahead run.
Yan was then strong in the 10th inning. With a runner placed a second in the extra-inning format, he struck out Jesse Franklin, got a short flyball that J.D. Orr rushed in to grab, then struck on the M-Braves Javier Valdes to end the inning. Yan had the crowd fired up, spinning in a celebratory, emotional dance when he ended the inning.
That lift carried right into the Blue Wahoos at-bat. With Johnston placed at second, Victor Mesa Jr. reached on an infield single. Conine was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Up stepped Banfield, who had a pitch from flamethrowing reliever Kyle Wilcox sail over his head, but bounce right back to prevent Johnston from scoring. Banfield then worked a 3-2 count, fouled off a pitch and connected with the next fastball for a flyball that easily scored Johnston.
With the Biloxi Shuckers rained out Wednesday in Montgomery, the Blue Wahoos (36-22) are now 6.5 games ahead of the Shuckers – the nearest team chasing – in the race for the Southern League first half title.
The M-Braves took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with a pair of solo home runs off Blue Wahoos starter M.D. Johnson.
In the bottom of the second, Mesa Jr. singled and Conine singled, then Banfield blasted for a 3-2 lead. The Blue Wahoos made it 4-2 when Cody Morissette scored on a wild pitch in the third inning.
The Blue Wahoos got strong relief from Austin Roberts and Dylan Bice, who combined for four innings and just one run allowed. That set up the riveting ending.
The Blue Wahoos will have their top pitcher, Patrick Monteverde (6-1, 2.09) on the mound Thursday against the M-Braves’ Scott Blewett (2-3, 4.43).
by Bill Vilona, photo Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos
PSC Approves FPL Rate Decrease Beginning With July Bills
June 14, 2023
Florida Power & Light customers could soon see a rate reduction on their electric bills due to lower than expected natural gas costs.
Tuesday, the Florida Public Service Commission approved an additional $359 million reduction to FPL’s 2023 fuel costs.
A reduction of approximately $256 million will be applied to customer bills from July to December 2023. The remaining $103 million reduction will be applied to FPL’s 2024 fuel cost recovery factors.
Beginning in July, an FPL residential customer bill in Northwest Florida for a typical 1,000 kWh usage will decrease $3.95 from $158.86 to $154.91.
“We are committed to keeping bills as low as possible for our customers,” Armando Pimentel, president and CEO of FPL, said. “With fuel prices moderating, we are pleased to pass along additional savings to our customers. We also encourage our customers to use FPL’s free tools to save energy and make their bills even lower.”
Utilities do not earn a profit on fuel charges. The fuel and capacity cost component of customers’ bills is set for each calendar year, but mid-course corrections are used when a utility’s costs increase or decrease significantly in the interim.