Cowpen Creek Road, Tumbling Lane Closed In Canoe, Alabama, For Crossing Work
November 29, 2021
Two roads in Canoe, Alabama, will be closed for a few days for railroad crossing maintenance.
Both Cowpen Creek Road and Tumbling Lane are closed, according to Alabama State Troopers. According to troopers, North Canoe Road remains open.
Escambia Academy is located on Cowpen Creek Road. The school can be accessed using North Canoe Road and Myrick Avenue or Randolph Avenue.
NorthEscambia.com graphic, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Battery Of Ex-Girlfriend, Theft Of Her SUV And Child Support Funds
November 29, 2021
A Cantonment man stands accused of the battery of his former girlfriend, and the theft of her SUV and child support funds.
Rajaun Darnell Grandison, 38, was charged with felony aggravated battery, grand theft of a motor vehicle and fraud.
Grandison had been in “dating relationship” with the victim within the last six months, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, before breaking up about a month ago. During an argument, he allegedly choked the victim before taking her keys and driving off with her 2004 Ford Expedition.
Grandison used $53.23 off the victim’s child support debit card, according to an arrest report, mostly at convenience stores.
He remained in the Escambia County Jail Monday with bond set at $4,000.
Keep The Wreath Green Fire Safety Campaign Begins Wednesday
November 29, 2021
The annual “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign begins Wednesday in Escambia County.
Escambia County Fire Rescue, in collaboration with the Pensacola Fire Department, will launch its annual “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign Wednesday, December 1. While a joyous time of year, cold weather, holiday decorations and festivities can create serious fire dangers. Firefighters hope to reduce the number of fires by promoting simple, life-saving holiday safety tips each day in December.
During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths will also be on display at 21 county fire stations and five city fire stations, with wreaths also placed outside Escambia County’s Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building downtown, the Escambia County Public Safety Building and Pensacola City Hall. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential homes. In 2020, 10 bulbs were changed to red on county wreaths.
The first of those fires was December 3 in the North Escambia area, injuring a resident as they rescued their cat from the blaze in the 600 block of East 10 Mile Road.
“With the increase in electrical fires in our county, we want to remind our citizens that overloading power strips and extension cords will cause a fire,” said Escambia County Fire and Life Specialist Ray Melton. “Keep live trees watered daily. It is also recommended that citizens use battery operated candles. If using candles, never leave them unattended. Escambia County has already seen three home fires from the use of candles since Oct. 1.”
If your home does not have a working smoke detector, call Escambia County Fire Rescue at (850) 595-HERO (4376) or (850) 436-5200 for city of Pensacola residents.
Pictured: A resident was injured and a cat was rescued during a mobile home fire December 3, 2020, in the 600 block of East 10 Mile Road. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
New Escambia Westgate Boardwalk Opens, Thanks To Ascend Cares
November 29, 2021
Escambia Westgate School recently held the dedication celebration for the Westgate Nature Trail, a project donated by the Ascend Cares Foundation.
A previous boardwalk had deteriorated due to weather. It was removed and a new wider walkway with rails was installed for hundreds of feet into the wooded area behind the school.
Escambia Westgate School serves children with physical and intellectual disabilities. The boardwalk will allow children in wheelchairs to have access and enjoy the beautiful woodlands behind the school. Around 100 Ascend Cares volunteers worked on the boardwalk, totaling nearly 900 volunteer hours through the summer and fall months.
“First of all a big thanks to Westgate for letting us participate in this program,” said Ascend Performance Materials Pensacola site director Matthew Stewart. “Second, thanks to over 100 Ascend volunteers who contributed nearly 900 hours. This was a five-month project that was a little more work than initially anticipated, but we persisted. We are so proud to support Westgate School and the amazing work they do, and we hope this boardwalk will be enjoyed by students and staff for years to come. It was a labor of love.”
For more photos, click to tap here.
The nature trail is on school property and is not open to the public.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Gets Prison Time For Narcotics Charges, Running From Deputy
November 29, 2021
A Cantonment man has been sentenced to two years in state prison on multiple narcotics charges after running from a deputy during a December 2020 incident.
Roderick Vernell Lewis, 35, pleaded no contest to two counts of possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with evidence.
On June 7, 2019, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Ruberia Avenue where a woman said she found her vehicle and the man that failed to return it.
A deputy observed Lewis standing with a large chain. He followed orders to put down the chain, and then ran from the deputy, according to an arrest report. The deputy chased Lewis through several backyards before finding him lying face down under a bush. Lewis refused commands to show his hands, forcing the deputy to draw his service weapon. After multiple commands, Lewis complied.
According to the ECSO, Lewis was observed removing a plastic bag from his pocket and begin digging in the dirt.
After Lewis was taken into custody, deputies recovered the plastic bag containing multiple types of narcotics that had been buried in the dirt. The narcotics in the bag tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy and heroin.
Deputies determined no charges were warranted in connection with the original complaint involving a car that was not returned.
Bonus Photos: NWE Football Championships, Cheerleader Competitions
November 29, 2021
Northwest Escambia recently won three football championships, and the NWE cheerleaders placed in the Escambia River Conference.
NWE Freshmen 18, Neal 6
NWE Sophomores 26, Flomaton 0
Andalusia 7, NWE Juniors 0
NWE Seniors 8, Brewton 6
For a football action photo gallery, click here.
The NWE sophomore, juniors and senior cheerleaders all captured second place.
For a cheerleader competition photo gallery, click here.
Photos by Shawn Gomez for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Drivers Should See Relief At The Pump, AAA Says
November 29, 2021
Florida drivers could soon find deep discounts at the gas pump, after crude oil prices were slashed on “Black Friday”, according to AAA. The crude price cuts were sparked by concerns about the emergence of a new strain of COVID-19 and the implications it could have on future fuel demand.
Florida drivers could soon find deep discounts at the gas pump, after crude oil prices were slashed on “Black Friday”. The crude price cuts were sparked by concerns about the emergence of a new strain of COVID-19 and the implications it could have on future fuel demand.
Over the weekend, Florida gas prices averaged $3.34 per gallon. In Escambia County, the average price per gallon was $3.25.
A low of $3.09 could be found Sunday night in North Escambia at a gas station on Highway 29 in Cantonment. One Pensacola Boulevard station in Pensacola was at $2.98, while $3.01 could be found at several locations.
“Unless oil prices rebound this week, Florida drivers should begin to see significant relief from the pain at the pump,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “The recent drop in futures prices could result in a discount of around 25 cents per gallon or more. But it’d be unusual for that discount to hit the pumps overnight. Gas prices normally rise like a rocket and fall like a feather. So it could take weeks before gas prices fully adjust.”
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Two Kids Injured, Five Others Uninjured In Highway 97 Wreck Sunday Morning
November 28, 2021
Two minors were transported to the hospital after a wreck involving two vehicles with a total of seven people on Highway 97 in Davisville Sunday morning.
A Saturn Ion and a BMW sideswiped about 10:40 a.m. on Highway 97 just south of Nokomis Road.
The injuries to the two children did not appear to be serious, and five other people refused transport to the hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded. The ECSO was patrolling in the area and nearby at the time of the crash.
Highway 97 was closed for a short time for cleanup.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Former Escambia School Employee Gets 6.5 Years In Prison For Sexual Relationship With Tate High Student
November 28, 2021
A former Escambia County School District employee has been sentenced to state prison for a sexual relationship with a Tate High School student.
Susan Elizabeth Weddle of Cantonment was convicted of felony sexual battery on a victim 16 or 17 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior with a victim 12-16 year old. She was sentenced by Judge Joel Boles to 78 months (6.5 years) on each count, to be served concurrently, followed by five years probation.
Weddle, now 42, was also designated a sexual offender. She was ordered to pay court costs and enter a sexual offender treatment program. Once released, she is prohibited from working or volunteering where children regularly play or congregate, including schools, parks, playgrounds and daycares. She is prohibited from having contact with any children under age 18 without assessment and is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with her children.
On November 22, 2019, a male Tate High School student alleged he was having sex with “forty year old” Susan Weddle, according to an arrest report. The student told a school counselor about the relationship, and said his mother was aware of the allegation and had taken his cell phone away from him because she discovered text messages between him and Weddle.
A witness reported seeing the victim and Weddle kissing at her house, the report states.
When interviewed by authorities, the student confessed to having sex with Weddle “several hundred times” over about a year and half beginning when he was 15-years old at locations that included her house, his house, the beach and her vehicle. The student stated he believed he was in love with Weddle, and the pair routinely shared nude photographs by phone. He stated those phones were destroyed or factory reset. He said the relationship started in October 2018 when he was at her house because he was friends with her son. The Tate student said he became intoxicated and persuaded her to have sex with him, according to an arrest report.
A witness said he saw Weddle and the student kissing in the kitchen during a party at her house, and he said the student admitted to having sex with Weddle after the party. He also told investigators that he saw a video he believed showed the student having sex with Weddle, but no faces could be seen in the video.
The student told investigators that during their relationship, Weddle provided him with an iPhone, necklace and bracelet, but they were gifts, not payment for anything.
Three People Killed In Highway 97 Crash Saturday Afternoon
November 28, 2021
Three people lost their lives in a tragic two vehicle Highway 97 crash Saturday afternoon.
The head-on type collision between a Toyota Corolla and a SUV occurred just before 3 p.m. on Highway 97 about a mile north of Dogwood Park. The engine compartment of SUV caught fire after the crash.
Two people were pronounced deceased at the scene Two others were airlifted to a Pensacola hospital, with one of them passing away later.
The driver of the Toyota Corolla, a 40-year old male from Waverly Hall, Georgia, was one of those pronounced deceased at the scene. The Florida Highway Patrol said he was northbound on Highway 97 and collided with a southbound SUV.
The 39-year old female driver of the SUV and a 18-year old male were killed. A 37-year old male passenger was listed in serious condition. All three were from Memphis, Tennessee.
Highway 97 remained closed into the evening for the Florida Highway Patrol’s crash investigation. FHP no longer releases the names of traffic crash victims.
The Molino, Walnut Hill and McDavid stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
Pictured above and bottom: A tragic triple fatality crash on Highway 97 Saturday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Pictured first below: NorthEscambia.com reader submitted photo shows the scene moments after the crash.
