Photos: Seniors Return For Jim Allen Elementary “Jaguar Walk”
May 22, 2024
Jim Allen Elementary School held a “Jaguar Walk” Tuesday, inviting back graduating high school seniors and former Jim Allen students to walk the halls one final time.
“Many tears and many hugs filled our halls this morning! It warms our hearts to see our Jaguars excelling in life! Congratulations seniors! May you continue to soar and roar,” the school said.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High’s Labron Baldwin Signs Football Scholarship With Mississippi College
May 22, 2024
Tate High School’s Labron Baldwin recently signed a football scholarship with Mississippi College
Baldwin played football (offensive line) all four years at Tate High School while also competing in weightlifting and track and field. An honors student, Baldwin was a member of Student Council and will graduate with a 3.3 GPA
He plans to study computer science.
Photos by Tate High School Yearbook for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Continue Hitting Struggles, Fall To Smokies In Series Opener
May 22, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos spent the past week in Montgomery unable to find steady production at the plate.
Their return home Tuesday didn’t bring good fortune, either.
Five pitchers combined on a shutout as the Tennessee Smokies took a 3-0 victory Tuesday night, thus keeping a crowd of 3,845 with few moments of cheer.
The game on a “Doggone Tuesday” began a six-game homestand against the Smokies, the Chicago Cubs affiliate, making their only appearance this season at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The crowd included a group of 287 mothers and their sons from Elberta (Ala.) Elementary School who attended the game on a “Mother-Sons Date Night.”
It was also a night where ticket holders could bring their beloved dogs to attend the game.
The Blue Wahoos (22-18) had six hits, four of those singles. They were only able to get the leadoff batter on base twice in the game. The second time occurred when Jacob Berry led off the ninth with a line-drive single. But Smokies reliever Frankie Scalzo Jr, their fourth used in the game, retired the final three batters in order to gain his fifth save.
The Smokies (23-17) boast 12 of the Chicago Cubs’ Top 30 prospects, including three of the top four batters in their lineup Tuesday night.
This game also marked a return of both teams’ last meeting in Pensacola when the Smokies clinched the Southern League title to end a drought of 45 years without an outright championship. The Blue Wahoos won the league title at Tennessee in 2022 in their 10th anniversary season.
Just as they struggled in Montgomery, scoring only 13 runs in the six-game series against the Biscuits, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t generate base runners for a big inning.
Nathan Martorella had a first-inning double with one out and Joe Mack drew a two-out walk, but that became the only time Smokies starter Chris Kachmar allowed two baserunners until the sixth inning. Bennett Hostetler led off that inning with a single and Jacob Marsee followed with a one-out, perfectly-placed, bunt single.
But reliever Blake Weiman entered and induced a pair of ground balls to end the threat. Trey Supak followed with two scoreless innings to earn his first win.
The teams will play the second game of the series on Wednesday – the first mid-week Fireworks Wednesday – with area schools now out for the summer.
GAME NOTABLES
— The group from Elberta Elementary followed the school’s participation in one of the Blue Wahoos’ two Education Day games.
“We had a connection with the school and they mentioned they do a mother-son event every year at their school or somewhere else,” said Steven Unser, a Blue Wahoos group sales executive. “Their assistant principal reached out and said they would like to do that event here.”
“They originally planned to buy 150 tickets, because they said that is usually the show rate for this kind of event. But the day they had the cutoff, 285 tickets were sold. Because of it being one price day on Tuesday, they also were able to each receive a hot dog, chips and a drink.”
— The Foley (Ala.) High School Choir performed the National Anthem.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Tennessee Smokies vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Wednesday, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Man Convicted Of 2022 Murder At Cantonment Gas Station
May 21, 2024
An Escambia County man has been convicted in a 2022 shooting death at a Cantonment convenience store.
Charles Tyree Moore was convicted by an Escambia County jury of second-degree murder for the shooting death of 35-year-old Durrell Dupree Palmer at the Circle K on Highway 29 at West Roberts Road in May 2022 in an argument over the victim’s wife.
The homicide occurred at the Circle K convenience store located at the corner of Highway 29 and West Roberts Road in Cantonment at 7:30 am on Monday, May 23, 2022. At the time of the murder, the two men were engaged in a heated conversation over an argument that had begun on social media.
Video of the encounter was captured by the store’s surveillance cameras. The video showed Palmer stop at the gas pump to initiate contact with Moore, and then, after more than five minutes of intense discussion, Moore
suddenly pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Palmer four times in the torso at close range.
The shooting was witnessed by several customers.
Moore then fled the scene in his vehicle before calling 911 to turn himself in.
Deputies took him into custody within minutes on Palafox Street at Nine Mile Road (pictured below).
During the 911 call, Moore claimed he blacked out and didn’t know what happened. Investigation revealed that at the time of the shooting Palmer had a pistol located in the center console of his vehicle but that his firearm was not involved in the exchange between the two men.
Moore testified and claimed self-defense at his trial, but the jury found him guilty as charged. He will be sentenced on July 11.
Moore had no criminal history and held a concealed weapons permit.
Pictured above and below: A man was shot and killed at the Circle K at the corner of Highway 29 and West Roberts Road about 7:30 Monday morning. Pictured first below: The suspect was taken into custody minutes later on Palafox Street at Nine Mile Road. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Updated: Ernest Ward Middle Placed On Brief Lockdown After Alarm System Malfunction
May 21, 2024
Ernest Ward Middle School was placed into a lockdown today out of an “abundance of caution” after an alarm system malfunctioned and a “code red” alert was activated.
Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to a fire alarm that originated in the school gym Tuesday after a ball struck a pull station. According to Davis Wood, county public safety public information officer, the fire department determined that there was no smoke or fire.
The alarm system sounded additional times a bit later. During repair of the alarm system, the “code red” alert was inadvertently activated.
“It’s a malfunction of the automated alarm system, but law enforcement is searching the school in an abundance of caution,” Cody Strother, Escambia County Public School spokesman said during the “code red” lockdown.
By 1:10 p.m., the all-clear was given and the school returned to a normal day.
Tate High School Names 2024 Valedictorian, Salutatorian And Top 10% Graduates
May 21, 2024
Tate High School has named their Class of 2024 valedictorian, salutatorian and Top 10% graduates.
They are valedictorian Hannah Michelle Williams (pictured left) and Caroline Elizabeth Armstrong salutatorian.
The Top 10% graduates, in order of rank, are:
- Hannah Michelle Williams
- Caroline Elizabeth Armstrong
- Tin Nhut Tran
- Synoma Grace Perea
- Alyssa Le Moodie
- Riley Peyton Robbins
- Lauren Elizabeth Durham
- Ashlyn Elizabeth Greeson
- Chloe Brianne Biggs
- Eva Elizabeth Grissom
- Megan Anh-Phuong Truong
- Allison Kaye Russo
- Tyler Scott Byrd
- Lillianne Elise DeLay
- Aidan Caleb McLellan
- Alyssa Nicole Nunez
- Olivia Rose Kontek
- Seth Thomas Ray
- Benjamin Francis Cherry
- Sidney Chase Gray
- Addison Sarah Mary Miller
- Damian Kane Cullen
- Abigail Grace Arnette
- Lauren Elizabeth Bryan
- Brayden Jackson Touchstone
- Addyson Nicole Chinchar
- Brianna Jade Kaizer
- Madison Renee Lassitter
- Payton Layne Garrett
- Ian Alexander Swanson
- Anna Grace McKee
- Andrew James Walker
- Magdalin Pearl Zipparo
- Madison Michelle Alcott
- Benjamin Allen Kendrick
- Abiola Opeyemil Adigun
- Emery Jane Hay
- Makenzie Leighann Cummings
- Ryan Jacob Grace
- Cora Gail Helmig
- Kallan Lydea Powell
- Anessa Gallegos
- Carter Wells Killingsworth
- Hanbing Wu
- Courtney Ann Ellsworth
- Alyssa Layne Roye
- Alex-Marie Novena Tartarilla
- Shepard Lee Turner
- Nathan Russell Lyons
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
This Is Who Claimed A $66K Fantasy 5 Ticket Sold In Davisville
May 21, 2024
We now know who had a winning $104,000 Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket worth over $66,000 sold in Davisville in February
The quick pick ticket sold at the State Line Gift Shop next to the Piggly Wiggly on Highway 97 was one of two winning tickets in the February 24 evening drawing and is worth $66,372.08. The other winning ticket was sold in Clearwater.
According to the Florida Lottery, the cash option on the winning ticket was claimed by Sylvester Lee Carpenter of Columbus, Georgia.
The winning numbers were 3-6-22-26-28.
FDC: For The Second Time, Inmate Assaults Officer At Century Correctional
May 21, 2024
An inmate is accused of assaulting officers at Century Correctional Institution twice in a month.
FDC said inmate Daurell Dorsett assaulted a correctional officer in an incident captured on camera.
A few days prior, Dorsett also assault a correctional officer by pushing the officer, the Department of Corrections said. The incident was also captured on camera.
Dorsett was serving a 25-year sentence following a Miami-Dade conviction for robbery with a deadly weapon, attempted felony murder, burglary of an occupied dwelling, armed burglary along with additional burglary and attempted murder charges. He remains incarcerated at Century Correctional Institution.
Area’s Jobless Rate Drops To 3.3%
May 21, 2024
The Escambia County unemployment rate fell last month, according to newly released data from FloridaCommerce.
The unemployment rate in Escambia County was 3.3% in April, down from 3.6% in March. That represented 5,162 people out of work out of a county workforce of 154,274. One year ago, Escambia County’s unemployment rate was 2.4%, or 3,742 people.
The Pensacola metro area labor force increased by 2,475, a 1.0 percent increase over the year in April 2024. The area’s private sector employment increased by 1.6 percent (+2,700 jobs). The Pensacola area’s unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in April 2024, a 0.8 percentage point increase from the April 2023 rate of 2.4 percent.
The industry gaining the most jobs over the year was education and health services, increasing by 1,100 jobs.
Tate High’s Ward O’Brien Commits To University Of Memphis Track And Field
May 21, 2024
Tate High Schools’ Ward O’Brien has committed to University of Memphis Track And Field. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.