UWF Football Serves Up Meals At Waterfront Rescue Mission
August 8, 2022
The University of West Florida football team spent time recently giving back at the Waterfront Rescue Mission.
Team members washed dishes, helped prepare food, served breakfast and lunch, and spent time fellowshipping with Waterfront clients.
The UWF football season kicks off September 3 as they host Warner.
Photos for NorthEsambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO Personnel To Read Their Favorite Books At The Library Tuesday, National Book Lover’s Day
August 8, 2022
Tuesday is National Book Lover’s Day, and the West Florida Public Libraries are celebrating with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
ECSO representatives will be reading their favorite books to the public at libraries across Escambia County.
Here is schedule:
- Century Library — 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Molino Library — 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Pensacola Library — 10:30 a.m.
- Southwest Library — 10:30 a.m and 2 p.m.
- Tryon Library — 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Westside Library — 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
At the Tryon and Westside libraries, the 10:30 a.m. reading will replace the regular storytime event.
Biscuits Top The Wahoos 7-6 In Series Finale
August 8, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos suffered another late loss to the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday afternoon, falling in their series finale 7-6.
Demetrius Sims had Pensacola’s first five-RBI game of the season, going 3-for-4 with a homer and a double, but the Blue Wahoos surrendered three runs in the bottom of the eighth as they dropped five of six in their weeklong road trip.
Montgomery jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against starter A.J. Ladwig, as Brett Wisely hit a leadoff homer in the first and Jordan Qsar and Roberto Alvarez hit back-to-back RBI triples in the second. Nasim Nuñez countered with an RBI single in the third to put the Blue Wahoos on the board, and Sims blasted a three-run homer in the fourth to put Pensacola in front 4-3.
Erik Ostberg hit a game-tying homer in the fifth to even things up 4-4, but Sims delivered again with an RBI single in the sixth and an RBI double in the eighth to give the Blue Wahoos a 6-4 edge. Effective relief from Josh Simpson after Ladwig’s departure preserved the lead until the bottom of the eighth.
In his second Double-A appearance of the season, Tyler Mitzel (L, 0-1) got the first two outs of the eighth inning without incident. But a walk to Niko Hulsizer was followed by a game-tying home run to Ronny Simon, and Ostberg delivered the go-ahead RBI double three batters later to put Montgomery ahead for good. Alan Strong (W, 1-0) pitched the final two innings for the Biscuits to lock down the win.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos begin a six-game home series against the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Here Are This Week’s Road Construction Delay Spots
August 7, 2022
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Escambia County Welcome Center – The front parking lot is temporarily closed as crews work to resurface the pavement. All other parking areas remain open. Temporary sidewalk modifications are also in place while work is underway.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter the following nighttime traffic impacts on and near the Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. next week.
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- Alternating lane closures and lane shifts Sunday, Aug. 7 through Saturday, Aug. 13 as crews use lanes on the current bridge as a platform to pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure.
- Vehicle pacing operations Tuesday, Aug. 9 through Thursday, Aug. 11 as crews install overhead signage for the new bridge. Vehicle pacing operations, also known as “rolling roadblocks,” are used to create gaps in traffic so that short-duration construction activities can be completed.
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- Bayfront Parkway westbound ramp and the 17th Avenue westbound ramp will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 10 and Thursday, Aug. 11 for the installation of overhead signs. Drivers will be detoured to Gregory Street during this time.
- West Cervantes Street (U.S. 90) Pedestrian Safety Improvement – Drivers may encounter intermittent daytime and nighttime single lane closures and lane shifts, between A Street and Dominguez Street, as crews adjust manholes and pedestrian fencing.
- North Ninth Avenue (State Road (S.R.) 289) Carpenters Creek Bridge Replacement – All travel lanes are temporarily shifted to the southbound side of the bridge as crews construct the northbound portion. Additionally, drivers may encounter intermittent temporary lane closures Monday, Aug. 8 through Friday, Aug. 12 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. as crews mobilize materials and equipment.
- Pace Boulevard from Barrancas Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue – Pedestrians will encounter alternating sidewalk closures on Pace Boulevard, between Barrancas Avenue and North Palafox Street (U.S. 29), as crews perform sidewalk and curb improvements. Pedestrians will be detoured to the signalized intersections to access sidewalks on the opposite side of Pace Boulevard during this time.
- Pensacola Boulevard (U.S. 29) from Brent Lane to North of I-10 – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures Sunday, Aug. 7 through Thursday, Aug. 11 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for paving operations.
- I-10 at the Interstate 110 (I-110) Interchange – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights as crews clean the roadway and place high friction surface treatments on the following ramps:
- Davis Highway ramp to I-110 southbound.
- I-110 northbound ramp to I-10 westbound.
- I-10 eastbound ramp to I-110 southbound.
- Sorrento Road (S.R. 292) Intersection Improvements at Innerarity Point (County Road 292A) – Motorists can expect intermittent daytime shoulder closures Monday, Aug. 8 through Friday, Aug. 12 for placement of a watermain.
- Sorrento Road Resurfacing from the Theo Baars Bridge to Bauer Road – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures Monday, Aug. 8 through Friday, Aug. 12 from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. The closures will allow crews to place base material for construction of new paved shoulders
- I-10 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Escambia Bay – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures just east of U.S. 90 Thursday, Aug. 11 from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. for a routine bridge maintenance.
- I-10 Routine Utility Maintenance Between Exit 5 (U.S. 90) and Exit 22 (Avalon Boulevard) – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, Aug. 8 through Thursday, Aug. 11 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to repair overhead lights.
- I-110 Routine Utility Maintenance from I-10 to Mile Marker 6 – Motorists will encounter intermittent lane closures Monday, Aug. 8 through Thursday, Aug. 11 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to repair overhead lights.
Santa Rosa County:
- Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) Replacement – Drivers will encounter the following nighttime traffic impacts on and near the Pensacola Bay Bridge (U.S. 98) in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. next week.
- Alternating lane closures and lane shifts Sunday, Aug. 7 through Saturday, Aug. 13 as crews will use lanes on the current bridge as a platform to pour concrete decks for the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) structure.
- Vehicle pacing operations Tuesday, Aug. 9 through Thursday, Aug. 11 as crews install overhead signage for the new bridge. Vehicle pacing operations, also known as “rolling roadblocks,” are used to create gaps in traffic so that short-duration construction activities can be completed.
- Bayfront Parkway westbound ramp and the 17th Avenue westbound ramp will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 10 and Thursday, Aug. 11 for the installation of overhead signs. Drivers will be detoured to Gregory Street during this time.
- 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, Sunday, Aug. 7 through Friday, Aug. 12 from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for paving operations.
- Eastbound travelers will encounter a new traffic configuration from Whisper Bay Boulevard to College Parkway as lanes will be shifted slightly south to allow for widening activities in the median.
- Settlers Colony Boulevard remains open. The closure has been postponed until further notice due to material delays.
- I-10 Resurfacing East of S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard) to East of S.R. 87 – Motorists can expect intermittent nighttime lane closures Monday, Aug. 8 through Thursday, Aug. 11 for construction activities.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
FWC Hunter Safety Course Offered At Molino Library
August 7, 2022
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety internet-completion course in Molino on August 10 at 6 p.m.. Hunter safety courses are designed to help students become safe, responsible and knowledgeable hunters and learn about conservation.
Participants must take the online course before attending this class.
All firearms, ammunition and materials are provided free of charge. Students should bring a pen or pencil and paper. An adult must accompany children younger than 16 at all times.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
Those interested in attending a course can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling FWC safety instructor Paul Averill at (850) 982-8070 for more information.
IP Shift Safety Calendar Created By Jim Allen Elementary Students
August 7, 2022
This shift safety calendar being used this year at International Paper in Cantonment was created by students at Jim Allen Elementary School.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our team members, and the shift calendar serves as a reminder for all of us to keep an active safety mindset,” said Whitney Fike, IP communications manager. “We asked the students of Jim Allen Elementary to help us create safety messages for each month of our shift calendar. The students were very creative in their safety messages and drawings and we were excited to be able to have them participate.”
International Paper thanked the students earlier this year with a pizza party and copies of the finished calendar.
For more photos, including each photo in the calendar, click or tap here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
So What’s A Sparkleberry, Besides FPL’s New Molino Solar Farm?
August 7, 2022
So what’s a sparkleberry?
Escambia County recently approved a 75 megawatt Florida Power & Light solar farm named the Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center at the end of Pilgrim Trail in Molino.
But many NorthEscambia.com readers asked us what exactly is a sparkleberry. So we took our question to Lydia Purvis, horticulture specialist for Escambia County Extension.
Here’s what she had to say:
Sparkleberry is a Florida native tree. It is known for being a relative of the blueberry, huckleberry and cranberry. It has delicate flowers with a glossy foliage and shiny berries. Sparkleberry is considered to be wildlife friendly and drought tolerant. Growing from hardiness zones 6-9b, Sparkleberry trees can be seen all over the state of Florida.
Sparkleberry is a perennial shrub or small tree. It has fragrant white flowers that hang down like bells in the spring, then as the summer months approach you see green foliage and bluish black berries in the fall. Spring flowers are a good source of food for pollinators. The berries feed birds and other small wildlife.
Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboretum) berries are also edible to humans. They are not considered as flavorful as their relatives mentioned above. Larger sparkleberries have been incorporated into jams, jellies, and pies historically. Most homeowners leave the berries for the wildlife presently.
Since this shrub is a native to Florida, it has adapted to our hot and humid climate. It can grow in full sun or partial shade. Sparkleberry trees prefer the soil to be sand and dry. Once established, it requires little irrigation.
Sparkleberry is considered a low maintenance tree. The species causes few to no allergens and only requires occasional light pruning.
Here Are The School Supply Lists For Escambia County Schools
August 7, 2022
Here are the school supply lists for Escambia County.
For a printable elementary school supply list, click here (pdf).
For a printable middle school supply list, click here (pdf).
All elementary and middle schools in Escambia County have the same core supply list, including some optional items. High schools do not have a general supply list.
RELATED: Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Ends Sunday
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Kindergarten
- Crayons — 4 (24-count packs)
- Scissors — 1 pair blunt tip
- Glue sticks — 12
- Plastic Duo-Tang folders — 2 (solid colors)
- Plastic school box — 1
- Spiral notebooks — 3 wide ruled
- Dry erase markers — 4
- Copy paper — 2 reams (white)
- Pink erasers — 4
- Yellow wooden pencils — 24 (No. 2, sharpened)
- Headphones (recommended)
- Facial tissue (optional)
- Colored pencils (optional)
- Colored markers (optional)
- Antibacterial wipes (optional)
- Quart or gallon Ziplock bags (optional)
- Hand sanitizer (optional)
First grade
- Crayons — 4 (24-count packs)
- Scissors — 1 pair blunt tip
- Glue sticks — 6
- Glue — 1 bottle (4 ounces)
- Plastic Duo-Tang folders — 2 with pockets and prongs
- Plastic school box — 1
- Spiral notebooks — 3 wide ruled
- Dry erase markers — 4
- Copy paper — 2 reams (white)
- Eraser caps — 1 package
- Pink erasers — 4
- Yellow wooden pencils — 48 No. 2, sharpened
- Headphones (recommended)
- Facial tissue (optional)
- Highlighters (optional)
- Washable markers (optional)
- Antibacterial wipes (optional)
- Hand sanitizer (optional)
Second grade
- Crayons — 3 packs (24-count packs)
- Scissors — 1 pair
- Glue sticks — 6
- Plastic Duo-Tang folders — 4 with pockets and prongs and in solid colors
- Plastic school box — 1
- Spiral notebooks — 3 wide ruled
- Notebook paper — 1 pack wide ruled
- Copy paper — 2 reams (white)
- Pink erasers — 4
- Eraser caps — 2 packages
- Yellow wooden pencils — 48 count No. 2, sharpened
- Headphones (recommended)
- Facial tissue (optional)
- Dry erase markers (optional)
- Hand sanitizer (optional)
- Highlighters (optional)
- Antibacterial wipes (optional)
- Colored pencils (optional)
Third grade
- Crayons — 2 (24-county packs)
- Scissors — 1 pair
- Glue sticks — 6
- Plastic Duo-Tang folders — 5 with pockets and prongs and in solid colors
- Plastic school box or zippered pouch — 1
- Composition notebooks — 2
- Notebook paper — 1 pack wide ruled
- Copy paper — 2 reams white
- Pink erasers — 2
- Eraser caps — 3 packages
- Yellow wooden pencils — 48 No. 2, sharpened
- Headphones (recommended)
- Dry erase markers (optional)
- Highlighters (optional)
- Hand sanitizer (optional)
- Facial tissue (optional)
- Antibacterial wipes (optional)
Fourth grade
- Crayons — 2 (24-count packs)
- Colored pencils — 1 (12-count pack)
- Glue sticks — 4
- Scissors — 1 pair
- Plastic Duo-Tang folders — 1 of each color: yellow, red, blue, green, purple, orange and with pockets and prongs
- Plastic school box or zippered pouch — 1
- Composition notebooks — 4
- Notebook paper — 1 wide ruled
- Cap erasers — 24
- Yellow wooden pencils — 48 No. 2, sharpened
- Multi-colored highlighters — 1 pack
- Headphones (recommended)
- Facial tissue (optional)
- Hand sanitizer (optional)
- Dry erase markers (optional)
- White copy paper (optional)
- Antibacterial wipes (optional)
Fifth grade
- Colored pencils — 1 pack
- Glue — 2 bottles (4 ounces)
- Scissors — 1 pair
- Duo-Tang folders — 2 of each color: yellow, red, blue, green, orange with pockets and prongs
- Zippered pouch — 1 or plastic school box — 1
- Spiral notebooks — 3
- Notebook paper — 1 packs wide ruled
- Cap erasers — 24
- Yellow wooden pencils — 48 No. 2, sharpened
- Multi-colored highlighters — 1 pack
- Headphones (recommended)
- Facial tissue (optional)
- 1½ – 2 inch binder (optional)
- Dry erase markers (variety of colors) (optional)
- Antibacterial wipes (optional)
- Hand sanitizer (optional)
MIDDLE SCHOOL
(All grades)
- No. 2 pencils
- Blue or Black ink pens
- Wide ruled notebook paper
- Pack of multi-colored highlighters
- Zippered binder or 2 inch, 3 ring notebook and set of 10 dividers
- Earbuds
- Texas Instruments TI30X solar powered calculator for Algebra I only
Blue Wahoos Fall 8-7 in 10-Inning Walk-Off Loss To Montgomery
August 7, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos put forward a resilient effort to come back from an early deficit, but dropped their Saturday night game to the Montgomery Biscuits by a score of 8-7 in 10 innings.
After failing to score in the top of the 10th, the Blue Wahoos surrendered a walk-off double to Ronny Simon on the first pitch of the bottom of the inning. The Biscuits have taken four of the first five in this week’s set, clinching a series victory in advance of the Sunday finale.
In his Double-A debut, Patrick Monteverde pitched into the sixth inning but allowed seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits. He allowed single runs in the first and second inning before J.D. Osborne hit a solo homer in the fifth to trim the Pensacola deficit to 2-1. A solo homer from Tyler Frank and a Simon sacrifice fly in the fifth gave the Biscuits some cushion, stretching their lead to 4-1.
In the top of the sixth, a trio of RBI doubles from Pensacola’s Bubba Hollins, Osborne and Thomas Jones briefly tied the game 4-4. Montgomery would waste no time in re-claiming the lead, however, as Blake Hunt blasted a three-run homer off of Monteverde in the bottom of the inning to put the Biscuits ahead 7-4.
The Blue Wahoos scored a pair of unearned runs against reliever Graeme Stinson in the seventh, and Hollins tied the score with a solo homer against Andrew Gross to lead off the eighth. Three innings of hitless relief from Pensacola relievers Eli Villalobos and Sean Reynolds sent the game to the ninth tied 7-7.
Gross stranded a pair of Pensacola runners in a scoreless ninth, but Robinson Martínez (L, 1-1) put up a zero in the bottom of the inning to force extras. Jose Lopez (W, 7-3) pitched a hitless top of the 10th, and Simon blasted the first pitch he saw from Martínez off the top of the right field wall for a game-ending double.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series in Montgomery on Sunday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
ECSO Uses Drones To Search For Missing Persons, Suspects…And A Walnut Hill Wreck Victim
August 6, 2022
A car that rolled over multiple times sat in a cotton field with several windows broken out.
Children’s toys, coloring book pages, slippers and a child’s book bag were scattered across the field.
And there was no one around the vehicle.
That was the scene last week along Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. First responders and volunteers searched the field, walking through the row after row of thick, waist-high cotton looking for the driver, a child…anyone that might have been ejected from the vehicle.
The search had a happy ending, with no one found in the field. The driver had fled the scene.
One of the tools used in the search for a possible victim was a drone operated by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy, one of their certified drone pilots.
The ECSO drone program was one of Sheriff Chip Simmons’ initiatives when he took office, according to Commander Andrew Hobbs.
“We are in the process of building that program with a lot of training,” he said. “We have to understand the statutes and case law about violation of privacy. We are looking at the ways of using technology to best serve the people of Escambia County.”
“We are able to use drones to search for missing persons, suspects in a wooded area…it allows for more availability than other air units and costs are minute compared to a helicopter,” Hobbs added.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Pictured: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy D. Shaw, a certified drone operator, uses a drone to search a cotton field for a possible wreck victim last week in Walnut Hill. Pictured top inset: Coloring book pages, toys and other children’s items were found in the field near an overturned car (bottom inset). Pictured below: The drone over the cotton field. Pictured bottom: Volunteers and first responders also walked through the cotton field. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
