2022 Jay Peanut Festival Has Been Canceled
July 31, 2022
The 2022 Jay Peanut Festival has been canceled due to the death of Eugene Gabbert and the lack of workers to repair storm damage.
The Jay Peanut Festival dates back to 1990 when Eugene and Brenda Gabbert started the event in memory of their daughter, Melissa, a 19-year-old who died earlier that year from cancer.
The Jay Peanut Festival at the Gabbert Farm was a fall tradition on the Gulf Coast, showcasing the history, agriculture, food and fun of Santa Rosa County. What started as a chance for local kids and farmers to show off their best of the season grew into an annual event covering 15 acres and drawing about 70,000 people to the Gabbert farm.
“We had a lot of damage to our farm, house and buildings from the last hurricane, more than we realized at the time. Our roof was not replaced with a new one until the end of March 2021, and nothing else was repaired,” Brenda Gabbert wrote in an announcement.
Eugene Gabbert passed away on November 16, 2021, months after a tragic medical emergency in May 2021.
She said many family members also suffered from COVID-19.
“My husband was our electrician, mechanic, carpenter, and handyman,” Brenda said. “This year, 2022, I cannot get enough help to even hire workers to repair my farm damages that are needed to have the Peanut Festival. I have not finished all things concerning my husband’s death.”
Vendors owed a refund will be contacted, she said.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
“I have not given up on having another Peanut Festival, but not this year,” Brenda said.
Christmas In July Toy Giveaway Held In Walnut Hill
July 31, 2022
A Christmas in July Toy Giveaway was held Saturday at the Walnut Hill Community Center.
Children ages 2-17 received early Christmas gifts during the toy giveaway sponsored by Youth and Family Community Outreach, Good 360, Toys for Tots, and Renovot.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Conine Homer Lifts Blue Wahoos To 6-4 Win Over Mississippi
July 31, 2022
With an assist from center fielder Justin Dean, Griffin Conine hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning to lead the Pensacola Blue Wahoos over the Mississippi Braves by a score of 6-4 on Saturday night.
In front of a sellout crowd on Pensacola Pelicans reunion night and Latin American Heritage Night, Conine’s blast bounced off the glove of Dean and over the wall to give the Blue Wahoos their first lead of the night.
Pensacola starter Eury Pérez was touched for an RBI double from Dean in the first inning, and served up a home run to Jalen Miller in the second before allowing a wild pitch in the fifth for Mississippi’s third run. The righty fanned seven, but departed after 4.2 innings trailing 3-1.
Mississippi’s Alan Rangel struck out seven batters of his own, allowing only a José Devers RBI single over 5.0 solid innings. Devers finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
Trailing 3-1 in the sixth, the Blue Wahoos took a brief 4-3 lead thanks to RBI singles from Conine and Cobie Fletcher-Vance, followed by a go-ahead RBI double from J.D. Orr. Mississippi evened the score in the seventh against reliever Robinson Martínez (W, 1-0) in his Double-A debut, but the righty stranded a runner in scoring position to preserve a 4-4 tie.
Conine’s two-run homer against Braves closer Justin Maese (L, 1-5) set the stage for Dylan Bice (S, 1), who earned his first save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the M-Braves on Sunday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
ECFR Responds To Reported Structure Fire In Cantonment
July 31, 2022
Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to a report of structure fire Saturday evening in Cantonment.
They arrived at the home in the 700 block of Robinson Street to find a small trash fire against or near an outside wall about 6:40 p.m. The fire was quickly extinguished without spreading to the interior of the home.
The Cantonment, Ensley, Molino, McDavid, Beulah and Bellview stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were dispatched to the fire, but most units were quickly canceled after the first fire truck arrived on scene.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Man Tased, Charged With Biting ECSO Deputy At Century Post Office, Indecent Exposure
July 30, 2022
A man was tased after allegedly biting an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy at the Century Post Office Friday afternoon.
Isaac Levon Mitchell, 38, was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, resisting arrest without violence, and indecent exposure. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Saturday morning with bond set at $40,000.
According to the ECSO, Mitchell was acting erratically and exposing himself at the post office on North Century Boulevard.
Deputies attempted to take him into custody, but he was non-compliant with their orders and began to fight with deputies. During the fight, he bit one deputy, according to ECSO spokesperson Morgan Lewis. The deputy was taken to the hospital for examination, but Morgan said the injury was not severe.
Once in custody, Mitchell was transported to an area medical facility for evaluation and booked into jail late Friday night.
Pictured: A man was transported by Escambia County EMS after biting a deputy and getting tased Friday afternoon at the Century Post Office. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Two Century Residents Jailed On Drug Charges After Atmore Shoplifting Report
July 30, 2022
A shoplifting call at the Atmore Walmart ended with a man and woman from Century facing drug charges.
The Atmore Police Department responded to a report of two women shoplifting at the store. As officers were enroute, they learned the women ran to a vehicle at a nearby pizza restaurant, jumped into a blue vehicle with a Florida tag that fled southbound on North Main Street.
Walmart loss prevention advised Atmore Police that one of the women was 38-year old Shana Oneida Killam of Century who they had been previously trespass warned from the store after a prior theft.
A few minutes later, officers spotted the vehicle at the Diamond Station of Highway 31 and noticed a female slumped over in the back seat in an apparent attempt to hide from officers.
After receiving consent to search the vehicle, officers reported finding a syringe containing methamphetamine, several clear plastic bags of methamphetamine, several Suboxone pills, a small amount of marijuana and a glass pipe with residue.
Killam was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Haden Brock Howard, 27, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana second degree and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both remained in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center without bond.
A third person, a 37-year old woman from Flomaton, was issued a trespass warning to stay away from the Walmart. She was not charged.
14-Time Convicted Felon That Escaped From Work Release Gets 20 Years For Burglary
July 30, 2022
A man with a long criminal history that recently escaped from an Escambia County work detail is headed to prison for two decades for a burglary last year.
Circuit Court Judge Amy Broderson sentenced Matthew David Shelters to 20 year on state prison as a habitual felony offender for burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. He has a 15-years minimum mandatory as a prison releasee reoffender. He was previously released from prison on October 5, 2020.
On December 7, 2021, the victims found Shelters in their home rummaging through their belongings.
Shelters was previously convicted on 14 felony and 18 misdemeanor charges, according to Assistant State Attorney Elisibeth Davenport.
“Mr. Shelters has repeatedly shown that he is a danger to the community,” Davenport said.
Shelters has additional charges pending related to an escape from the Escambia County Work Camp on July 12. He will be arraigned on those charges on August 5.
Third Escambia Triple Shooting Suspect Is Now In Jail
July 30, 2022
A third suspect in an Escambia County triple shooting is now jailed.
Traekese Devon Calhoun., 19, is charged with three counts of attempted homicide in connection with a shooting May 4 on Besma Drive. His bond was set at $300,000.
Two other people were previously charged in the shooting.
Jayshawn Jackson, 18, was charged in May with three counts of attempted homicide, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, carrying a concealed firearm and other charges. Adrianna Jackson, 19, was charged in early July with three counts of principal to attempted homicide.
Wahoos Fall 3-2 To Mississippi
July 30, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell 3-2 to the Mississippi Braves Friday night in a game that saw 19 hits, all of them singles.
It was a seventh-inning RBI single from Justyn-Henry Malloy that proved to be the difference, giving the Braves their third and final run of the evening. Darius Vines (W, 6-4) outdueled Zach McCambley (L, 5-6) in a battle of two dominant starters.
Pensacola struck first in the third inning, loading the bases with three singles and bringing home a run on a Victor Victor Mesa sacrifice fly. They couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity any further, and the Braves countered in the fifth with a bases-loaded walk and Vaughn Grissom RBI single to take a 2-1 lead. Grissom finished 4-for-5 on the night, raising his batting average to .418 in his first month at Double-A.
Malloy’s RBI single in the seventh against rehabbing major leaguer Anthony Bender extended the Mississippi lead to 3-1. Bender faced four men without recording an out, but Eli Villalobos picked up the slack with 3.0 scoreless innings of relief to keep the game within reach.
A José Devers RBI single in the seventh drew the Blue Wahoos within a run at 3-2, but Justin Yeager (S, 2) worked a perfect ninth to help Mississippi even the series at two games apiece.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the M-Braves on Saturday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Man Being Charged With Sexual Assault In Case Of Missing 11-Year Old Walnut Hill Girl
July 29, 2022
The former Walnut Hill farm worker that was first named as a suspect in an Amber Alert on Thursday is being charged with sexual assault on a victim under the age of 12.
Brijido Manriquez-Ortiz, 43, is currently detained in Laredo, Texas, and will be extradited back to Escambia County to face charges. Sheriff Chip Simmons said he was an undocumented farm worker.
Thursday, an 11-year old girl was discovered missing from a home in Walnut Hill. Simmons said she was first believed to be in the company of Manriquez-Ortiz based on a note that was left behind and his relationship with her.
Simmons said the girl and Brijido-Ortez were working on a farm in Walnut Hill where her father, Carlos Fernandez, discovered a “building or grooming” relationship between the 11-year old and the 42-year old. Two weeks ago, “the father was concerned because he saw them in a kissing situation, and he immediately thought that’ s inappropriate, and he was right, and he fired him, and he actually drove him to Atlanta,” Simmons said.
Thursday morning, the father found a screen cut on their Walnut Hill home, and the girl was missing. She left a note behind indicating that she would be with Brijido-Ortez.
An Amber Alert was issued, fearing the 11-year-old was in danger.
Later in the day, the 11-year-old was safely located in Foley, Alabama, in a vehicle stolen from a Walnut Hill farm. Authorities do not believe that Ortiz was physically present for her disappearance.
“Manriquez-Ortiz is charged with having a wildly inappropriate and illegal relationship with the 11-year-old,” the ECSO said Friday.
When the relationship was first discovered, Fernandez “beat up” Manriquez-Ortiz, ECSO has now revealed.
“When we first found that he was trying to mess with her, we fired him,” Fernandez told NorthEscambia.com. “He don’t have no way to go nowhere. Our boss, he take him to Atlanta to a cousin’s place.”
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI are continuing their investigation.
“We were very concerned about her well-being yesterday morning. We are glad she is safe. This suspect is a danger to the victim and a danger to the community. He will return and face judgment for his pathetic and criminal actions,” Simmons said.