Chipotle, Panera Bread Restaurants Planned For West Nine Mile Road
May 2, 2023
A new Chipotle and a Panera Bread are planned for West Nine Mile Road just west of Pine Forest Road.
Separate Escambia County Development Review applications have been filed by a Foley, Alabama, engineering firm on behalf of both companies. The new restaurants, if constructed, would be on adjacent parcels.
Chipotle
A pre-application meeting will be held Wednesday for a Chipotle at 2261 West Nine Mile Road. The 2,400 square foot fast casual restaurant would be located on just under an acre that is currently part of an RV park. The parking lot access would be to a private driveway that currently connects Nine Mile Road to the rear of a Walmart Neighborhood Market.
Panera Bread
An initial application has been submitted for a Panera Bread at 2405 West Nine Mile Road. The 3,500 square foot restaurant would be located on 1.2 acres at the corner of West Nine Mile and Surrey Drive. Driveway access would be to Surrey Drive, not Nine Mile Road.
Multiple additional steps in the review and permitting process will be required, and the applicant may choose to never complete the projects.
Flomaton Man Charged With Trafficking Ecstasy In Escambia, Florida
May 2, 2023
A Flomaton man has been charged with drug trafficking in Escambia County, Florida, following a traffic stop.
Clifford Earl Williams, Jr., 36, was charged with first degree felony trafficking in phenethylamines (MDMA) 10 grams or more. MDMA is commonly known as ecstasy.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigator stopped a vehicle driven by Williams at New Warrington Road and Mobile Highway due to passenger seat belt violation and a cracked windshield blocking the driver’s view.
The deputy noted a strong odor of marijuana from the vehicle and noted that Williams was “overly nervous to the point his hands, body and voice were trembling”. He consented to a vehicle search.
Deputies found a bag containing abou 11.3 grams of MDMA and a digital scale with suspected marijuana residue, according to an arrest report, and the passenger stated that he and Williams were smoking marijuana prior to the traffic stop.
Williams remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
6A District 1 Playoffs: Tate Falls To Navarre
May 2, 2023
The No. 3 Tate Lady Aggies fell to No. 2 Navarre 14-4 in the first round of the 6A District 1 tournament on Monday.
Peyton Womack went for three innings for Tate, allowing eight hits and six runs with no strikeouts. Jordan Smith pitched an inning, allowing nine hits and eight runs with no strikeouts.
At the plate for the Lady Aggies, Amburleigh Laird went 3-3, and Kate Balagbagan went 2-2. Lacy Wilson and Kara Wine both added a hit.
The Aggies ended their season at 8-16 overall.
Also Monday night. No. 1 Pace shut out No. 4 Milton 3-0. Pace and Navarre will play for the district championship on Wednesday.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
14 Northview Athletes Competing In 2A Regional Track Meet
May 2, 2023
Fourteen Northview High School track and field team members are competing in the FHSAA Class 2A Regional 1 meet beginning today in Jacksonville.
Those Chiefs are:
GIRLS
- Kendal Beasley
- Jalayah Bright
- Na’kyha Brown
- Amber Irby
- Kamryn Langham
- Sarah Long
- Anna Spence
BOYS
- Malikhi Haynes
- Bayllon Matson
- Braeden McGhee
- Danny Mcgaha
- Jaquez Moorer
- Jacob Spence
- Blake Yoder
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Woman Charged With Negligent Homicide For Deadly Pit Bull Attack
May 1, 2023
An Escambia County woman was arrested Monday for a deadly pit bull attack in February.
Kathleen Ann Taylor, 35, was charged with negligent manslaughter and booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The dog attack happened the night of February 24 on Norris Avenue.
A 63-year old man died at the scene following the attack by three pit bulls belonging to Taylor. “His injuries were horrific” with bites to the head and torso, according to Simmons.
The sheriff said she failed to secure her home, kennels, or other enclosures designed to keep her dogs from running free. He said she has a long history of violations and fines from Escambia County Animal Control for free-roaming dogs.
“Multiple neighbors tell us of these dogs roaming and biting people on bikes, and they told her and advised her how dangerous these dogs were,” Simmons said. “But still no action.”
After the attack that resulted in the man’s death, the sheriff said Taylor took one of her dogs and left rather than rendering aid to the victim.
“She wasn’t concerned about the safety of this individual, she was only concerned about getting her dog,” he said.
One of the dogs was shot at the scene, the second was captured the following day, and Taylor later surrendered the third dog.
Bicyclist Struck And Killed On Highway 95A In Cantonment
May 1, 2023
A bicyclist was struck and killed Sunday night in Cantonment.
It happened on Highway 95A just north of Archer Road. The 59-year old man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Florida Highway Patrol said he was struck by a SUV driven by a 42-year old Cantonment man. The man and his 44-year old female passenger were not injured.
The crash remains under investigation.
Pictured: The scene on Highway 95A at Archer Road following a fatal accident Sunday night. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Contractor Matt Banks Jailed To Await Trial After Bond Revoked
May 1, 2023
Embattled local contractor Matthew Scott Banks is back in the Escambia County Jail, this time without bond to await trial.
Escambia County John Simon ruled that Banks, 39,violated the terms of his pretrial release by committing new offenses of workers compensation fraud and tampering with evidence. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The ruling came in a case involving an August 2022 arrest on a third degree felony charge of contractor fail to refund filed by the Pensacola Police Department. He was released on bond at that time.
Then, in April 2023, a grand jury indicted Banks for racketeering, aggravated white collar crime, organized fraud, and tampering with evidence. The first three counts are first degree felonies and are each punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and the fourth count is punishable by up to five years in prison.
He was released from jail on a $150,000 bond just nine minutes after his arrest. Last week, Judge Simon ruled the additional charges in the indictment violated his terms of release in the 2022 case.
“Matthew Banks, a local contractor, personally and through his business Banks Construction, engaged in a pattern of criminal activity and stole over $5 million in funds, materials and services from more than 150 victims.,” ” State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden said after the indictment.
“The defendant, in this case, has been charged and will be brought to justice for exploiting innocent victims who were trying to improve their lives for his personal gain,” said Madden. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold him accountable for taking advantage of people by stealing their money and robbing them of trust in businesses. This arrest proves he is not representative of our many reputable contractors.”
The second case was investigated by the Office of State Attorney Division of Investigations, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Pensacola Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Agriculture, and the Florida Department of Financial Services Division of Investigative and Forensic Services.
Banks’ next scheduled court appearance is in July.
Florida Gas Prices Move Lower Again
May 1, 2023
Florida gas prices are moving lower again, now that the fuel supplies have largely recovered from the record flooding that caused widespread outages in South Florida.
On Sunday, Florida gas prices averaged $3.65 cents per gallon. That’s 6 cents less than last week and 7 cents less than the 2023 high.
In Escambia County, gas prices average $3.31 a gallon. The low price in North Escambia Sunday night was $3.29 in the 2500 block of Highway 29. In Pensacola, a station in the 1700 block of Nine Mile Road was at $3.04.
“In addition to stabilizing fuel supplies in Florida, the fuel market has cooled off in recent weeks,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Oil prices are on a 2-week streak of declines which should enable gas prices to steadily decline through the week.”
Fire Destroys Hybrid SUV In Cottage Hill
May 1, 2023
A hybrid SUV was destroyed by fire Sunday night in Cottage Hill.
The Cadillac Escalade caught fire on Highway 95A near Eden Lane about 9:40 p.m.
There were no injuries reported, and there was no word on the cause of the fire.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Today: Escambia Schools Parents Can Choose Student Access To School Library Books
May 1, 2023
– Parents can stop their kids from checking out any library books at all
– For unlimited access, no parental action is needed
Beginning today, parents of students in Escambia County Public Schools can fill out a form specifying what type of books their student can check out of the library.
The move comes as about 190 books have been challenged and a handful have been banned from school libraries.
The library access form is available in the school district’s Focus Parent Portal, and it will allow parents to choose their student’s level of access to both library and classroom collections.
If parents decide that unlimited access is best for their child, they need not fill out the form. The default for all students is unlimited, unless a parent makes another choice.
With unlimited access, students will have “full access to check out grade and age appropriate books that are available at their grade (elementary, middle, high) school library to include same grade level inter library loan as well as classroom libraries”.
Other options are:
- Limited: Students may check out books from the library media center, but there is content that a parent would like their student to not have access to in the library media center including the classroom library.
- No Access: Students are not permitted to check books out of the library media center or use classroom library books.
If a parent chooses “limited” on the form, they will be able to specify which type of books they do not want their child to check out.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.