Tracy Barberree Is Byrneville Elementary Teacher Of The Year
April 14, 2023
Byrneville Elementary School has named Tracy Barberree as their teacher of the year. Barberree has over 30 years in the classroom — all at Byrneville Elementary School — where she currently teaches kindergarten. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Shut Out Fort Walton 3-0
April 14, 2023
The Tate Aggies shut out Fort Walton 3-0 Thursday evening.
Senior Drew Reaves and junior Bray Touchstone both had home runs for the Aggies. Complete game stats were not available at publication time.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Pictured: Drew Reaves (top) and Bray Touchstone (below) both had homers for the Tate Aggies Thursday evening. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Split Twin Bill In Biloxi
April 14, 2023
After a rainout on Wednesday, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos played their first doubleheader of the 2023 season on Thursday night against the Biloxi Shuckers at MGM Park. A late, disappointing 6-4 loss in game one was avenged by a 6-2 win in the nightcap.
In game one, Nasim Nuñez opened the scoring with an opposite-field solo homer in the first, just the third long ball of his professional career. The Blue Wahoos added runs in the second and fourth thanks to triples from Victor Mesa Jr. and Troy Johnston, and extended their lead to 4-2 with a two-out RBI single from Joe Rizzo in the fifth.
Dax Fulton (L, 0-2) surrendered a two-run homer to Zavier Warren in the fourth, but returned for the sixth inning in good shape with a 4-2 lead intact. With two on and one out, Felix Valerio hit a comebacker to the mound that was nearly turned into an inning-ending double play, but saw Valerio beat a high throw to first to keep the inning alive. Fulton departed after allowing an RBI single to Noah Campbell, and Justin Evans gave up a go-ahead two-run double to Freddy Zamora to give the Shuckers the lead for good.
Darrell Thompson (W, 1-0) pitched effective relief for Biloxi before handing the ball to Abner Uribe (S, 2) for a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
In game two, the Pensacola pitching staff led by starter Zach King allowed eight walks but dodged out of trouble to keep the Shuckers at arm’s length. Wes Clarke gave Biloxi a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI single, but King left the bases loaded to prevent further damage in a sign of things to come.
The Blue Wahoos evened the score 1-1 in the second on a Cobie Fletcher-Vance RBI double, and blew the game open in the fifth against starter Adam Seminaris (L, 0-1) with a four-run frame. Three consecutive RBI singles from Nuñez, José Devers and Joe Rizzo highlighted an effort that saw the Blue Wahoos push out their lead to 5-1.
Josan Méndez (W, 1-0) pitched effective relief, leaving the bases loaded once again in the fourth, before handing the ball for Austin Roberts (S, 1) for a six-out save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Friday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
File photo.
Pickup Trucks Collide Nearly Head-on On Highway 164
April 13, 2023
There were no critical injuries in a near head-on crash Thursday afternoon on Highway 164 outside McDavid.
Both vehicles left the roadway when two pickup trucks collided about 4:25 p.m. on Highway 164 about a mile west of Pine Barren Road and the Christian Home community. One vehicle caught fire following the collision, but the driver was able to escape before the truck became engulfed. The other pickup overturned, coming to rest on its roof.
One driver was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital, and the other driver was transported to Jay Hospital. There injuries were not considered life threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating how the crash occurred.
Highway 164 has been the scene of several near head-on crashes, many of which have been attributed to the narrow roadway.
For more photos, click or tap here.
The McDavid Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Semi Truck Rear-ends Another Semi In Molino
April 13, 2023
There were no injuries reported when two semi trucks collided in Molino on Thursday.
A semi truck and a trailer hauling snack foods apparently rear-ended another truck on Highway 29 southbound just north of Molino Road.
Escambia County Fire Rescue responded due to a reported fuel spill, and the crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Century Rejects Charter Draft Giving Mayor’s Power To Town Manager
April 13, 2023
The Century Town Council sat down with their attorney to review a draft charter this week to discover it was not what a charter review committee recommended.
The Century Charter Review Committee worked about three years, including pandemic delays, to create a new charter that was submitted to the town council to review and possibly place on an upcoming ballot. The committee spent a great deal of their time deciding on a form of government for Century, ultimately settling on a strong mayor – town council as is currently in place. The committee never voted on their draft, but it was submitted to the council by consultant Buz Eddy.
Last October, attorney Matt Dannheisser and consultant Eddy suggested that the council instead look at a charter that has a town manager – town council form of government. A mayor might still be elected, but it would mostly be a ceremonial position held by one of five council members with no real power, they said in October. Unable to take a vote because the meeting was just a workshop, the council reached the consensus that they would give official direction to Dannheisser at a future meeting.
Fast forward to this week.
The council called another workshop meeting with Dannheisser. He returned with a draft charter, he said created at the council’s direction, with a council-manager form of government. There would be a town manager and town clerk responsible for daily operations. One of the five council members would serve as a figurehead mayor — cutting ribbons, making ceremonial appearances and having no special authority as mayor.
“According to the document we created being part of the charter review committee, it doesn’t match. In our document that we submitted in July is as mayor-council form of government,” Shelisa McCall said. She served on the town’s charter review committee prior to her recent election to town council.
“My position as CEO of the town is being dissolved, and it will be five council members,” Mayor Ben Boutwell said.
“We are discussing taking all of the power away from the community,” Council President Luis Gomez, Jr. said, referring to the amount of control that would be taken away from the council, and the elimination of a mayor, in Dannheisser’s draft presented this week based upon instruction from the council last October. “I guess I am just skeptical, it might have an alternative motive at the beginning…that’s just opinion.”
“Personally, I am against getting rid of the mayor,” council member Alicia Johnson added. “I think that’s something that we say, ‘no we don’t agree with that’. We mark through that one and go forward.”
With a general consensus against a town manager — and supporting a strong mayor and council — the council decided to return to the job of reviewing the old charter line by line, along with the charter review committee’s draft, and perhaps some of the draft presented by the attorney.
The council will schedule a series of workshops over the next several months for their work. The attorney won’t take part at first, in order to save money, but he will review the council’s eventual final draft for legality.
The Century town charter is the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
Pictured top: Century town council member Shelisa McCall addresses attorney Matt Dannheisser. Pictured top inset: Dannheisser explains the charter to the town council. Pictured lower inset: Mayor Ben Boutwell. Pictured below: Council member Sandra McMurray-Jackson and council President Luis Gomez, Jr. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Gets Life For 2021 Escambia County Murder
April 13, 2023
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to life in prison for a 2021 murder.
A jury found Nicholas Joseph Wells guilty of first degree murder. In November 2021, Wells was one of two individuals who shot and killed 20-year-old Marcus Atienza as he sat in the driver’s seat of his black Chevrolet Impala on Rawls Avenue. The two were witnessed running away from the shooting on foot before fleeing the scene in a vehicle that had been waiting a short distance away, according to prosecutors.
Co-defendant Ellis Clark’s trial is scheduled to begin June 28.
The Alabama State Trooper Shot Sunday Night Is Now Home
April 13, 2023
The Alabama state trooper shot Sunday in Escambia County, Alabama, has been released from the hospital.
Cpl. Jeremy Alford is currently at home resting with family, Sgt. Jeremy Burkett, public affairs coordinator, said Wednesday night.
“We ask that everyone continue to keep Cpl. Alford and his family in both your thoughts and prayers as he continues to recover,” Burkett added.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said Alford attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation near the 101 mile marker on I-65 in Conecuh County. The driver attempted to elude, and a pursuit followed. The chase continued south on I-65 nearly 25 miles to the Brewton exit and then traveled south on Highway 41.
The suspect vehicle left the roadway where the officer-involved shooting occurred along Highway 41 near Emmons Road, about seven miles south of I-65, or about eight miles north of the Brewton city limits.
Alford was transported to an area hospital for treatment. ALEA said one suspect was killed, and two others were injured and transported to an area hospital.
ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation special agents are investigating the officer involved shooting. ALEA said the investigation is ongoing and the results will be presented to the Escambia County (AL) District Attorney’s Office.
It’s Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Celebrating Those That Answer 911 And More
April 13, 2023
This is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which celebrates the dedication and hard work of the men and women who serve as emergency dispatchers, 911 call takers, radio and phone technicians and other communication experts.
“Emergency communications personnel are out of sight but are an essential component on every emergency event,” Escambia Communications Chief Andrew Hamilton said. “They are the ‘first on scene” and ‘first incident commander’ and provide invaluable support to citizens and first responders alike. They handle daily what most may experience only once in a lifetime. It is very rewarding to make a difference for someone each and every day.”
Escambia County Emergency Communications:
- Answers 77,000 calls to 911 annually
- Dispatches and gives pre-arrival safety instructions on 15,000 fire calls annually
- Dispatches and gives pre-arrival medical instructions 76,000 EMS calls annually
- Provides CPR instructions approximately 16 times per week
- Coordinates multi-engine structure fire responses about eight times per week
“We want to thank our fellow dispatchers at the Escambia Sheriff’s Office and Pensacola Police Department who we work with daily,” Hamilton added. “They do an excellent job and help us coordinate response to many emergency calls.”
Pictured: Escambia County Emergency Communications personnel at work. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Girls Tennis Wins District 1-3A Runner-Up Spot
April 13, 2023
The Tate High Aggies girls tennis team won the District 1-3A runner-up spot on Wednesday. They will head to regionals next Tuesday in Niceville. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
