Century Man Took Off From Traffic Stop, ECSO Says
May 30, 2023
A Century man allegedly took off in his vehicle after being stopped by an Escambia County deputy.
Drake Isaiah White, 24, was charged with felony with fleeing and eluding, and with misdemeanor obstructing an officer.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a Chevrolet Aveo on Highway 29 with no license plate late and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle at the intersection of HIghway 29 and Detroit Boulevard. A records check revealed White has never had a Florida’s driver’s license and his identification card was expired.
Upon smelling “raw marijuana” from the vehicle, the deputy ordered White out of the vehicle White ignored the order, placed the vehicle in drive and fled eastbound on Detroit Boulevard, according to an arret report. Due to just having traffic charges on White, the deputy did not pursue and an arrest warrant was issued.
White was also cited operating a motor vehicle without a license, and for never having a license. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $9,000 bond.
Two Arrested After Beulah Traffic Stop, One On Drug Charges
May 30, 2023
Two people were arrested after a traffic stop Monday in Beulah.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said narcotics were discovered after they stopped a 2022 Dodge Ram at Beulah Road and Mobile Highway.
Kyle Matthew Smith, 32, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $11,000.
Naomi Hope Williford, 23, was also taken into custody on an outstanding warrant for fleeing and eluding. She was released on a $5,000 bond.
The Sheriff’s Office said the Dodge pickup was seized.
Escambia County Partnered With Northview FFA To Build Wetland Wood Duck Boxes
May 30, 2023
The Escambia County Natural Resource Conservation Division recently partnered with the Northview High School FFA Chapter to build wood duck boxes for wetland habitats across the county.
The division said wood duck boxes provide suitable nesting sites for wood ducks in urbanized areas and can help attract ducks to local wetlands. This first round will be placed at Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve, with more to come in the near future.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gas Prices Up Slightly Over Last Week, AAA Says
May 30, 2023
Florida gas prices increased slightly last week as an estimated 2.1 million Floridians were forecast to take a road trip for Memorial Day weekend.
The Florida average price on Memorial Day was $3.41 per gallon. That was the seventh-highest Memorial Day gas price in 20 years but $1.16 per gallon less than last year’s holiday.
The average Monday night in Escambia County was $3.31 per gallon. A North Escambia low of $3.19 could be found at two stations in Cantonment. In Pensacola, the low price was $2.95 at the warehouse clubs.
“Florida gas prices dipped down to $3.38 per gallon last week, but rebounded a few pennies per gallon by the holiday weekend,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Pump prices are likely to fluctuate like this throughout the summer travel season. However, we may have already seen the highest prices of this year, unless a major hurricane affects refinery operations along the gulf coast.”
One Dead, One Injured In Atmore Double Shooting
May 29, 2023
A man is dead and another person was seriously injured in a double shooting early Monday morning in Atmore.
It happened about 2:15 a.m. in the area of Carver Avenue and King Street. The Atmore Police Department responded to a shots fired complaint and found the victims.
Both were transported to an area hospital. One of the victims died from his injuries, and the other remains in serious condition, according to Atmore Police.
The motive remained under investigation as investigators worked to notify family members.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Two Charged Hours After Bratt Shooting
May 29, 2023
For an update to this story, click here.
Two people have been arrested into connection with a shooting Sunday morning in Bratt.
Tiana Brooke Chick, 20, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, burglary with battery, battery, and criminal mischief. She was booked into the Escambia County Jail Sunday night with bond set at $202,000. Kendrell Devon Kyles, 18, was also booked into jail Sunday night, charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, burglary with battery, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, battery and criminal mischief. His bond was set at $251,000.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Chick and Kyles went to a mobile home on Oakshade Road, behind Northview High School. Inside the residence, the victim and his current girlfriend were asleep, according to deputies.
“The two suspects entered the home. Both victims were battered,” Sgt. Melony Peterson said. “At some point male victim was shot in the arm by male suspect who was armed with a handgun.”
The injuries were not considered life threatening. Both suspects fled the scene.
Deputies said Chick and the male victim were previously in a relationship.
For more photos from the scene, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
‘I Didn’t Get To Come Home…I Died Doing Something Meaningful’
May 29, 2023
For Memorial Day, we share the story of the death of local Marine LCpl. Travis M. Nelson, who gave his life in Afghanistan on August 18, 2011.
Gold Star Mom Beckie Nelson spoke with NorthEscambia.com a decade after Nelson’s death and her son’s ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan.
I Died Doing Something Meaningful.
And she shared with us a short, simple note LCpl Travis Nelson left behind in his field book just in case he did not return.
“Dear friends & family, If your reading this it seems I didn’t get to come home. I love each and every one of you and I want you to know I have no regrets. I died doing something meaningful.”
He died a few short weeks after writing that note.
Beckie Nelson clings to those words that provided her peace and understanding.
“We received Travis’ belongings weeks after the funeral. The emotions we felt as we opened the trunk are unexplainable. Still in disbelief, our hearts still in pieces, it was gut wrenching to say the least. When I saw this page I closed the book, laid down on his bed with it in my arms and I actually slept for the first time in weeks.”
Growing Up With A Promise To His Mother
A young Travis Nelson grew up in Bratt, just two doors down from the modern day Travis M. Nelson Park that was named in his memory about a year after its 2010 opening.
He would play on those very grounds, shooting his BB gun and riding his go cart. His first love in his young life was fishing. At four years old, he would spend hours with relatives fishing on the Escambia River. No matter how old he got, he never gave up the love for a fishing pole and hook. He also loved playing baseball at Northwest Escambia’s Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
On Sept., 11, 2001, Travis Nelson was nine years old when America was attacked. He was not playing; he was fixated on the news.
And he made a promise that day. The kind of promise to a mother that a young man will do anything to uphold.
“I’ll never forget him saying ‘Momma, I will protect you. I will be a soldier’,” Beckie Nelson said.
The family last saw Travis on July 13, 2011, as he deployed for Afghanistan. Their last phone conversation was Monday, August, 15, 2011, as he requested items for a care package.
That care package was still sitting by the front door three days later. It never made it to the mail.
August 18, 2011.
It was about noon on Thursday, August 18, 2011, at the Nelson home in Bratt.
An American flag fluttered in the breeze on the porch.
And three men in military uniforms stood at the door. Beckie Nelson knew what that meant.
“I just screamed and said no,” she said. “I just went to my knees and said don’t let them come in. I knew right away that he was gone.”
My Biggest Fear
The next day, Beckie Nelson sat in the middle of her bed with a laptop, reading the scores of reader comments on a NorthEscambia.com story about Travis Nelson’s death.
“He really was our hero,” she said, clutching a 5×7 photo of her son.
“I didn’t think I could see past that day. I felt like it would always be that day. I didn’t imagine that I could ever talk about it,” she said. “But I can, and it has to do with the support groups, the military support groups, and the community support.”
She was remarkably strong as she talked about the heart wrenching pain of that day.
But during our interview, her voice broke.
“My biggest fear,” she said before pausing. “My biggest fear was that Travis would be forgotten. I was scared I was going to forget.”
A Fallen Marine Returns.
LCpl. Travis M. Nelson was never forgotten.
The rain poured down at Pensacola Naval Air Station August 24, 2011, as Nelson’s body arrived on the final leg of his journey home.
Outside the main gate of Pensacola NAS, people gathered to pay their respects to the young soldier. The rain did not send them running; they stood silently — many holding American flags — as the hearse carrying an American hero departed on a 55-mile journey to Atmore.
Along the way, some of Pensacola’s busiest roadways came to a complete standstill as the motorcade passed. Many motorists stood outside their vehicles and paid their respects.
In Walnut Hill, just a few miles from Nelson’s boyhood home in Bratt, the motorcade slowed as it approached Ernest Ward Middle School. Nelson was a Golden Eagle, attending Ernest Ward in the sixth and seventh grades.
Hundreds of Ernest Ward Middle School students and teachers dressed in red, white and blue lined Highway 97, American flags in hand, waiting for the arrival of the motorcade.
Several of Nelson’s middle school teachers were among the crowd that suddenly grew silent as the first sirens could be heard. As the procession passed, the students stood with their hands over their hearts, waving Old Glory. The thunder of 127 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders vibrated the ground and echoed across the country fields near the school.
Six Florida Highway Patrol trooper vehicles led the hearse past the school. Many students and teachers broke down in tears at the sight of a flag draped coffin. Others cried as they made eye contact with Nelson’s parents and their daughter — who was a sixth grader at Ernest Ward at the time.
“I look back at those pictures now,” Beckie Nelson said. “Those pictures from the middle school. It meant so much. Those kids are now fathers, mothers, some are now serving in the military.”
My Travis.
“Travis knew at nine years old that nothing was going to hold him back. That was his heart’s desire,” Beckie Nelson said 10 years later. “That’s what he wanted to do with his life.”
“God had a greater plan for my Travis.”
Above: NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Santa Rosa County Homicide
May 29, 2023
A Santa Rosa County man has been charged with a homicide reported Saturday in Pace.
Jeffery Todd Stahler, 61, was charged with second degree homicide murder dangerous depraved without premeditation, felony assault, aggravated assault on an officer, and resisting arrest.
About 4 p.m. Saturday, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a body had been discovered in the 4100 block of Diamond Street and determined that a homicide had occurred.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Stahler attempted to flee but was taken into custody, according to deputies.
Stahler was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.
Traffic Alert: This Week’s List Of Construction Slow Down Spots
May 29, 2023
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Due to the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, there will be no lane closures or other activities that impede traffic on state roads beginning ending at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, May 30.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Grand Fiesta 2023 – Drivers will encounter a road closure between A Street and Tarragona Street Friday, June 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the Pensacola Grand Fiesta.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on the Pensacola Bay Bridge Tuesday, May 30 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and from Wednesday, May 31 through Saturday, June 3 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews perform striping work.
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Escambia County Welcome Center – The Welcome Center located at mile marker four will be closed for construction from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 4 through Thursday, June 8. In addition, the outside lane of I-10 eastbound near the Welcome Center and the on- and off-ramps to the Welcome Center will be closed. Drivers may use the I-10 eastbound rest area at mile marker 29 during these times. The Welcome Center, along with the front and middle parking lots, will remain open daily from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., but the truck parking area will remain closed until work concludes this summer.
- East Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90A) Roadway Improvements from Chemstrand Road to East of Baldridge Drive – The bicycle lanes are temporarily closed to allow crews to widen the turn lanes and construct new five-foot bicycle lanes. In addition, the speed limit on this section of East Nine Mile Road has been reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph as vehicles and bicycles will share the roadway. The closure and speed limit reduction will be in place until the project is complete next summer.
- · Pensacola Boulevard (U.S. 29) Resurfacing from Brent Lane (State Road (S.R.) 296) to North of I-10 – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures and intermittent turn lane closures Tuesday, May 30 through Thursday, June 1 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews place thermoplastic pavement markings on the roadway and perform final work list items.
- Lillian Highway (S.R. 298) Resurfacing from North of U.S. 98 to East of Fairfield Drive (S.R. 727) and Lillian Highway at Blue Angel Parkway (S.R. 173) – Drivers will encounter shoulder and lane closures on Lillian Highway, between U.S. 98 and Blue Angel Parkway, Tuesday, May 30 through Friday, June 2 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Crews will be performing drainage and shoulder construction.
- Navy Boulevard (S.R. 295) Resurfacing from North of the Bayou Grande Bridge to Gulf Beach Highway/Barrancas Avenue (S.R. 292) – Drivers may encounter alternating nighttime lane closures, from Barrancas Avenue to the Bayou Grande Bridge, Tuesday, May 30 through Thursday, June 1 between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. as crews mill and resurface the roadway and perform striping work.
- U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) Resurfacing between Henry Street and Cottage Street in Century – Drivers on U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) will encounter a lane shift and lane closures through June. The two U.S. 29 northbound travel lanes and the center turn lane will be closed between Hatties Boulevard and East Cottage Street. During the closure, one northbound and one southbound lane will remain open using the current southbound travel lanes. Signage will be in place to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
- S.R. 295 (West Fairfield Drive) Routine Maintenance from North P Street to North L Street – Motorists will encounter alternating lane closures Tuesday, May 30 through Friday, June 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for storm hardening operations.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 (S.R. 30/Gulf Breeze Parkway/Navarre Parkway) Resurfacing of select areas from Abercrombie Road to Calle De Palencia Street - Drivers on U.S. 98 (Navarre Parkway), between S.R. 87 and Calle De Palencia Street, may encounter intermittent nightly lane closures beginning Tuesday, May 30 from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. as crews perform construction activities.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on the Pensacola Bay Bridge Tuesday, May 30 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and from Wednesday, May 31 through Saturday, June 3 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews perform striping work.
- U.S. 90 Bridge Replacement over Simpson River – Drivers may encounter nighttime lane closures on U.S. 90 eastbound near the Simpson River Bridge Tuesday, May 30 through Friday, June 2 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews perform asphalt work. Drivers are reminded that the speed limit is 35 mph throughout the work zone.
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts:
- Median and turn-lane closures from Bayshore Road to Tiger Point Drive.
- Intermittent lane closures and additional median closures between S.R. 281 and Bayshore Road Tuesday, May 30, through Friday, June 2, from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for stormwater drainage improvements and paving operations.
- Beginning the week of Tuesday, May 30, eastbound travelers will encounter a new traffic configuration from west of College Parkway to east of Portside Drive as lanes will be shifted slightly south to allow for widening activities.
- Beginning the week of Tuesday, May 30, westbound travelers will encounter a new traffic configuration from east of Portside Drive to Green Briar Parkway as lanes will be shifted slightly south to allow for widening activities.
- I-10 Resurfacing from S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard) to East of S.R. 87 – Motorists will encounter nighttime east and westbound lane closures Tuesday, May 30 through Friday, June 2 for paving operations.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Thrilling Comeback Falls Short As Blue Wahoos Drop Braves Finale
May 29, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos came agonizingly close to completing a dramatic comeback on Sunday night, but fell 6-5 to the Mississippi Braves in their series finale.
Trailing 6-3 going into the ninth, the Blue Wahoos rallied back as Nasim Nuñez narrowly missed a game-tying three-run homer, instead settling for an RBI single off the right field wall. Nuñez was stranded as the tying run at third as Victor Mesa Jr. lined out to right field to end the game.
In an uncharacteristically shaky outing, Patrick Monteverde (L, 5-1) allowed six runs over 3.0 innings to take his first loss of the season.
The Blue Wahoos took two early leads against Luis De Avila (W, 2-4), as Cody Morissette and José Devers hit RBI singles in the second and third innings, but the Braves answered back against Monteverde each time. Mississippi took the lead for good with a four-run third, capped by an RBI single from Beau Philip.
In a rarity, each team finessed a steal of home on a double steal attempt. Pensacola brought home Mesa from third on a Devers steal in the third inning, marking their second steal of home in a week but just their sixth in team history. The Braves returned the favor in the bottom of the third as Justin Dean came home on a Luke Waddell steal.
With two on and two out in the ninth in a one-run game, the Braves called upon Trey Riley (S, 1) to go after Mesa. The Pensacola center fielder blistered a liner to right-center, where it was caught by Jesse Franklin V to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos remain 5.0 games ahead of second place Biloxi and Montgomery in the South Division with 24 games to play in the first half.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos continue their road trip on Tuesday as they travel to Biloxi to take on the Shuckers.
written by Erik Bremer, photo/Blue Wahoos