Baker Tops Northview; Niceville Gets Past Tate
April 12, 2023
Baker 7, Northview 6
The Baker Gators defeated Northview 7-6 Tuesday night in Baker.
Aubrey Stuckey opened for Northview, allowing seven hits and six runs in four innings with five strikeouts. Jamison Gilman went for three and two-thirds innings
Stuckey had a dinger in the second inning, one of two hits for the night. Chloe Ragsdale, Mary-Clayton Dawson, Rylee Brooks, Makayla Golson and Allison Flowers also each had two hits for Northview.
Northview will host Gulf Breeze Thursday at 6 p.m.
Niceville 8, Tate 6
The Tate Lady Aggies fell on the road to Niceville 8-6 Tuesday.
K Balagbagan went four innings in the circle for Tate, allowing five hits and seven runs with three strikeouts. J Smith went for two, surrendering three hits and one run.
Latner led the Aggies at bat, going 2-3. Balagbagan, B Campbell, A Laird and T Showalter added one hit each.
On Thursday, Tate will travel to Crestview.
Pictured: Aubrey Stuckey for the Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Wahoos Foiled By Shuckers In 10 Innings
April 12, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos had the makings of a memorable win on Tuesday night in Biloxi, twice overcoming a deficit to take a 6-5 lead to the bottom of the 10th in the opener of their road series against the Shuckers.
Instead, Jackson Chourio showed why he is currently ranked the top prospect in Minor League Baseball. After hitting his first career Double-A homer in the fifth, the 19-year-old outfielder launched a walk-off two-run blast to send the Blue Wahoos to a 7-6 defeat.
The contest was a pitchers’ duel early, as Justin Jarvis took a perfect game into the fifth for Biloxi and M.D. Johnson fanned eight over 4.0 solid innings for Pensacola in his Double-A debut.
The Shuckers took a 4-0 lead on Chourio’s first homer in the fifth inning, but the Blue Wahoos jumped on the Biloxi bullpen in the seventh to tie the game. Paul McIntosh got Pensacola on the board with a solo homer before Griffin Conine brought home a pair with a two-run triple. José Devers tied the game when he reached on a throwing error, scoring Conine from third.
Biloxi reclaimed the lead in the seventh with an Isaac Collins RBI single, handing T.J. Shook (W, 1-0) a 5-4 lead going to the ninth. Down to their final strike with the bases loaded, the Blue Wahoos got a game-tying RBI single from Joe Rizzo before Devers was thrown out trying to score from second.
After a scoreless bottom of the ninth inning from Cristian Charle (L, 0-1) in his Double-A debut, the Blue Wahoos took their first lead in the 10th when Troy Johnston brought home Rizzo from third on a sacrifice fly. Charle got the first out of the 10th before Chourio blasted the walk-off homer beyond the center field wall.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Shuckers on Wednesday
written by Bill Vilona
Rebuild Florida Voluntary Home Buyout Grant Public Meetings This Week
April 12, 2023
Escambia County will hold two public meetings this week to discuss the county’s participation in the Hurricane Sally Voluntary Home Buyout Grants process. The meetings will be held April 12 at 3 p.m. and April 13 at 10 a.m. Both meetings will take place at the Central Office Complex, 3363 W. Park Place, Room 104. The public is welcome to attend both meetings.
The Rebuild Florida Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Voluntary Home Buyout Program is designed to address needs that remain after all other assistance has been exhausted. This plan details how funds will be allocated to address remaining unmet need in disaster-impacted areas in Northwest Florida and reduce vulnerability through acquisitions and buyouts. This program will primarily benefit low-to-moderate income households with properties that are in a special flood hazard area and in high-risk flood areas to help reduce the impact of future disasters.
The first option is to leverage CDBG-DR funding as match for projects that are also eligible for the Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs. The second option is to work directly with the county on projects located in LMI areas to buyout residential areas in support of permanent open space supporting green infrastructure or other floodplain management systems.
The county will prioritize home buyout projects that focus on the acquisition of concentrations of residential areas that meet LMI area requirements.
Full project descriptions are available at MyEscambia.com/sallyrecoverygrant. Public comments can be emailed to sallyrecoverygrant@myescambia.com.
Escambia County Commission Cancels COW Meeting
April 12, 2023
The Escambia County Commission has canceled Thursday’s planned Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting.
The COW is a workshop type meeting held for commission discussion, but no votes are taken.
Man Charged With Cantonment Stabbing Around The Corner From Active Crime Scene
April 11, 2023
A Cantonment man has been charged with a Thursday night stabbing that occurred literally just around the corner from where a large Escambia County Sheriff’s Office presence was investigating a drive-by shooting.
Tommie Lee Bonner, Jr., 52, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was released on a $10,000 bond.
Deputies were on scene of the shooting off Shepherd Street when they received a call of a cutting victim in the 100 block of Calloway Street. Deputies arrived to find the victim in the ground saying he was stabbed, pointing toward Lewis Street. Bonner was located at the corner of Calloway and Lewis Streets and taken into custody. A folding knife was located nearby, according to an arrest report.
The victim suffered injuries to his thigh and chest that were consistent with being cut with a knife, the report states.
According to the report, a witness said he saw Bonner and the victim fighting near the street. The victim tried to get away, but Bonner followed. The witness said he then saw Bonner on top of the victim making stabbing motions.
According to the ECSO, Bonner and the victim are nextdoor neighbors.
The ECSO said the stabbing was unrelated to the shooting.
Escambia (AL) Deputy Fired, Charged With Have Sexual Contact With Inmate
April 11, 2023
An Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s deputy was fired and arrested after allegedly having sexual contact with an inmate.
Eric Glenn Lambeth, Jr. was charged with custodial sexual abuse and a felony ethics violation. He was released from jail on a $45,000 bond.
Sheriff Heath Jackson said his office received a complaint that Lambeth had sexual contact with an inmate who was being transported to jail.
“Lambeth was terminated from his position and transported to the Escambia County Detention Center,” Jackson said.
The sheriff said Lambeth previously worked at the jail and was transferred to patrol after attending the law enforcement academy in 2022.
Investigation Continues Into Cantonment Drive-by Shooting
April 11, 2023
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate a drive-by shooting Thursday night in Cantonment.
The woman was in her vehicle outside a home on Sheppard Street near Lincoln Street about 9 p.m. Thursday when she was shot in the face during the drive-by, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. She was transported by Escambia County EMS to a Pensacola hospital as a “trauma alert”. An update on her condition was not available.
According to the ECSO, she had just pulled up to her residence when multiple vehicles were struck by gunfire.
As of late Monday, there had been no arrests in the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
A man has been arrested for a stabbing that occurred in the same neighborhood about an hour later, but deputies said it was not related. Read more…
Pictured: The scene in Cantonment Thursday night after a woman was shot in the face during a drive-by shooting and one person was stabbed. Photos contest WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
District 5 Town Hall Discussion Dominated By Roads, Traffic And Growth
April 11, 2023
Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry held a District 5 town hall meeting Monday evening in Cantonment.
Most of the questions and comments centered around infrastructure issues — roads, traffic and development.
One citizen told Barry that he knows growth in the county is moving northward, but he was “just asking, please, just take common sense and dot it properly with a lot of infrastructure that is still not in place”.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Pictured: Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry held a town hall Monday evening at the Langley Bell 4-H Center in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man With 48 Prior Convictions Gets 30 Years On Firearm Charge
April 11, 2023
A career criminal that opened fire after becoming angry about a car that cut in front of him at a lounge and opened fire has been sentenced to state prison.
Christopher Alexander Sidener was sentenced to 30 years for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Jude Linda Nobles found that Sidener qualified as a habitual felony offender and imposed the maximum 30 year sentence. Nobles cited Sidener’s 48 previous criminal convictions and the clear danger that he posed to the community.
In March of 2022, Sidener became angry and opened fire while in the drive through lane at Chaser’s Lounge and Liquor Store, because a car cut in front of him, according to the State Attorney’s Office and law enforcement.
Escambia Fire Lt. Steve Bode Retires After 32 Years
April 11, 2023
Escambia County Fire Rescue Lt. Richard “Steve” Bode has retired after 32 years of service to Escambia County.
Bode began his career with Escambia County in November of 1989 as a part-time EMS paramedic and went full-time on March 5, 1990. Bode transitioned to Escambia County Fire Rescue in 2000 as a Fire Lieutenant, where he served most of his tenure. During his time with ECFR, he remained a part-time paramedic for EMS for an additional 15 years.
Throughout his public safety career, Bode has worked during multiple emergency activations, including mutual aides, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, ice storms, floods, the COVID-19 pandemic and several other local disasters affecting the citizens of Escambia County.
He attained his fire officer certification and has served as an alternate or acting battalion chief. He has spent many years mentoring and training fire personnel in basic and advanced life-saving emergency medical care and certifying paramedics in advance airway and critical care.
During his career, Bode responded to cardiac arrest events and other complicated medical emergencies. During one of those calls, he is credited with saving the life of a Navy pilot that was struck by a vehicle on Perdido Beach. The pilot remains in contact with Bode.
“Lt. Bode has had an amazing career stretching beyond his time as a career firefighter,” said Deputy Fire Chief Paul Williams. “Beyond being hired by ECFR, Steve was a volunteer firefighter at our Pensacola Beach fire station. In addition to the lives he’s saved, he has numerous surf rescues as well. Steve was also known for his abilities as a paramedic, having saved numerous lives in that capacity. His many, many years of service and talent will leave a void in the organization. We wish Steve the best in his well-deserved retirement.”