Woman Charged With Allegedly Stealing Items Valued At $8,000 From Barn
February 25, 2022
An Atmore woman is accused of stealing items from a barn in Escambia County, Florida.
Kelsey Alanna Taylor, 25, was charged with felony burglary of an unoccupied structure and felony grand theft.
Taylor and another suspect allegedly took a 54-inch Grasshopper zero turn mower, air compressor, shop fan and a string trimmer from an Escambia County barn. The total value of the items was placed at $8,000. The second suspect’s name was redacted from the arrest report because their arrest was pending at the time.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that at no time did anyone have permission to remove items from the barn.
Taylor and the second suspect told deputies that they were given permission to remove items from the barn to replace items they already had stored in the barn that were damaged by water. Both admitted to taking the fan, string trimmer and air compressor with permission, but denied that they removed the lawnmower, according to an arrest report. At last report, the mower had not been recovered.
Taylor and the second suspect sold the air compressor and shop fan for $200, the report states.
Taylor was arrested in Escambia County, Alabama, and later extradited to Florida to face the charges against her. She was later released from the Escambia County (FL) jail on a $10,000 bond.
Annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Farm Auction Is This Saturday
February 25, 2022
The 47th Annual Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Farm Equipment Auction will be held this Saturday, February 26, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The auction includes not only farm equipment, but also household items like tools and small equipment, lawn and garden items, antiques and more.
The sale takes place at the Walnut Hill Community Center, 7850 Highway 97, just north of Ernest Ward Middle School. The deadline for adding lots is 8:00 the morning of the auction.
This is an open, no reserve sale. Ten percent of the price will be assessed to the buyer for all lots sold, with a $500 maximum. There is a $5 minimum fee per lot, and sellers must be present to “no sale” a lot. Settlement must be made the day of the sale with cash, check, cashier’s check or credit card. All sellers will be paid by a check in the mail.
For more information or consignments, call (850) 294-0395 or (850) 380-9973.
Tri-City Children’s Choir Rehearsals Begin Next Week; Still Time To Register Your Child
February 25, 2022
Rehearsals begin next week for the Tri-City Children’s Choir (TCCC), a regional initiative of the Pensacola Children’s Chorus, and there’s still time to register.
TCCC will welcome young singers in grades 2-6 who reside in the Century, Flomaton, Jay and surrounding area.
The choir will be under the direction of Holley Driver, a Century-based music teacher.
Singers will meet weekly on Thursdays, with the spring session March 3-May 12 from 4:30 until 5:15 p.m. at Century First United Methodist Church, 530 Church Street. TCCC is a tuition-based program and costs $5-$15 per week. Families may choose the weekly amount that works best for their household finances, and scholarships are also available.
For more information on joining the choir, or make a contribution, visit www.tricitychoir.org.
Driver taught music in the Escambia County School District for over 15 years, served as the choral director at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino for nine years, and teaches in her own studio.
Tate Shuts Out Crestview, Northview’s Landis Throws Shutout Over West Florida
February 25, 2022
Tate 10, Crestview 0
Two Tate Aggie pitchers combined Thursday night to shut out the Crestview Bulldogs 10-0 in six innings.
Josiah Glodfelter went five innings for Tate, allowing no runs, two hits, walking one and striking out six. Dalton Biggs was on the mound for one inning, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out three.
Jay Davis had two hits and three RBIs on two at bats for the Aggies. Frankie Randall went 2-3 for Tate. Drew Reaves, Madox Land and Cade Kelly each added an Aggie hit.
Click here for more photos from Tate varsity and JV.
Tate 8, Crestview 4 (JV)
The junior varsity Tate High Aggies beat the Crestview Bulldogs JV 5-4 Thursday night.
Neal Croom got the win for Tate, going two innings and allowing two hits, no runs and striking out four.
Connor Baer, Hayden St. Amant, and Tristin Lynn also worked the mound for the win, allowing a combined five hits and four runs while striking out four.
Northview 12, West Florida 0
Josh Landis threw a shutout Thursday night as the Northview Chiefs beat West Florida 12-0.
Landis allowed no runs on two hits while striking out two.
Rustin Pope led the Chiefs at the plate, going 3-4 with four RBIs. Landis, Luke Bridges,, Ethan Collier, Kaden Odom, and Cason Burkett also had hits for Northview.
Pictured: Tate Aggies varsity and junior varsity defeated Crestview Thursday night. NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward FFA Presents ‘Golden Cow Dung Award’ To Teacher Robin McCall
February 25, 2022
Ernest Ward Middle School teacher Robin McCall received the annual “Golden Cow Dung Award” from members of the Ernest Ward FFA Thursday morning. The award features a large piece of cow dung, painted a golden color and mounted on a board painted in school colors.
McCall received the award during National FFA Week as a “thank you” for supporting FFA.
(Cow dung, in case you didn’t know for sure, is what you are probably thinking it is. It’s that natural byproduct that cows drop in the field. The award is 100% real dung spray painted a golden color. The golden piece is actually the original award piece created and painted in 2009.)
The Ernest Ward FFA students also held an appreciation breakfast for teachers and other staff members.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Missing, Endangered Man Last Seen Near Beulah Today
February 25, 2022
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a missing and endangered adult male last seen Thursday near Beulah.
James Monroe Hadley, 47, was last seen in the area of Nine Mile Road and I-10 wearing dark khaki shorts and a white t-shirt.
He is described as being 6-foot, 2-inche tall, 230 pounds with short blonde hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament Coming To Ashton Brosnaham Park
February 24, 2022
The Southeastern Conference has entered into an agreement with Pensacola Sports that will bring the SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament to the North Escambia area.
The tournament will be played at Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park off East 10 Mile Road through 2024 under the agreement, with an option to extend the agreement to 2026.
“I’m so excited to think about the premier conference in the country, the SEC, crowning their Women’s Soccer champion in Escambia County at Ashton Brosnaham Park beginning this fall,” said Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry. “Specifically, I want to thank Ray Palmer, with the Pensacola Sports Association, and Michael Rhodes, Escambia County Parks and Recreation director, for their advocacy and diligent work over the last eight months to deliver such a high level fantastic soccer championship to our community.”
“We are thankful to the City of Pensacola and Pensacola Sports for providing a tremendous venue to conduct our SEC Soccer Championship,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “Their commitment to this event promises to provide lasting memories for our student-athletes and an outstanding experience for SEC soccer fans from across the region.”
Over the last 11 years, the SEC has earned 75 NCAA Tournament bids – an average of nearly seven per year – with all 14 member institutions making at least one appearance during that span. Eight different SEC teams have advanced to the Round of 16 since 2013 and the league has placed teams in the NCAA quarterfinals in each of the last eight seasons.
SEC soccer has been very popular with the fans as the league led the nation in regular-season attendance with 114,057 fans. Five teams ranked in the top 25 in average attendance on the season: No. 3 Texas A&M (2,329 per game), No. 6 South Carolina (1,556 per game), No. 7 Arkansas (1,537 per game), No. 13 LSU (1,334 per game) and No. 25 Tennessee (912 per game).
Local Farmers Expect Worldwide Market, Increased Profits With Opening Of New Peanut Plant In Atmore
February 24, 2022
A grand opening was held Wednesday for Coastal Growers, an $90 million peanut processing facility in Atmore with a worldwide market.
Coastal Growers is owned by a cooperative of 195 farmers who live mostly in Alabama and Florida.
For a photo gallery and photo tour, click or tap here.
“The growers don’t have to truck their peanuts to other places with this, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said. “It’s localized to give you an opportunity hopefully to make more money because you don’t have to pay that transportation costs. That’s what it’s all about. Peanuts are making a huge run in the south and I hope it continues to get better, products get better.”
The 400,000 square foot facility sits on 60 acres in the Atmore Industrial Park that used to be a cotton field. There are currently 64 employees, and they expect to hire 100 total within a year.
Coastal Growers is already shipping food grade Alabama and Florida peanuts to 11 counties on three continents.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Escambia County farmers and farmers in our general area to increase overall what they can earn in the peanut industry,” Libbie Johnson, UF/IFAS Escambia County (FL) Extension agriculture agent, said. “Its another outlet for them and direct line to the consumers.”
“This means for local farmers that we can see our crop go through the process, and we can see the end result,” said Santa Rosa County farmer Mickey Diamond. “It just means a little more money for us for our peanuts. We’re going to see it through to the end user instead of just selling it and it being gone.”
“I know it’s already been going, but from this day on, we’ll all keep an eye on what’s going on here. There’s no telling how much bigger this will get as time goes,” Tuberville said.
For a photo gallery and photo tour, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 35 Years On Trafficking, Other Drug Charges
February 24, 2022
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to 35 years in state prison on trafficking and other drug charges.
Charles Earl Johnson, Jr. was convicted of trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in hydrocodone, trafficking in cocaine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a controlled substance (alprazolam), possession of a controlled substance (more than 20 grams of cannabis), and possession of drug paraphernalia.
During a traffic stop, a K-9 alerted on Johnson’s vehicle, and a subsequent search found a large quantity of cash, narcotics, and three firearms.
Johnson had previous convictions for cocaine trafficking among other felony charges.
Former Detectives Revisiting Six Escambia County Cold Case Homicides
February 24, 2022
Former detectives are working to solve six cold cases in Escambia County.
One Wednesday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office launched a “Cold Case Symposium” that will concentrate on cold case homicide investigations while enlisting the expertise of retired certified law enforcement detectives in the area. Information on each cold case in the graphics below.
A cold case is one where all available leads have been exhausted and probable cause has not been established to make an arrest.
The investigators will have the following objectives as they work to solve the cases:
- Complete re-examination of all evidence
- Integrate time-tested investigative techniques with modern forensic technology
- Participants will provide a fresh look at the evidence and an objective viewpoint
- Using extra manpower to conduct follow-up interviews and generate new leads
- Identify items that could now produce DNA results due to technological advancements
Anyone with information on any cold case can call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
