Investigation Underway After Shots Fired At Atmore Gas Station
September 1, 2021
Police are investigating after shots were fired at a gas station on South Main Street in Atmore.
The Atmore Police Department responded to the Chevron station at the corner of South Main Street and Lindberg Avenue about 6:40 p.m. after reports of gunfire.
Officer arrived to find a gas pump nozzle on the ground and multiple spent shell casings. Anyone involved in the incident had already fled the scene.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The Atmore Police Department is continuing their investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (251) 368-9141.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
EREC Sends Line Crews, Bunk Trailers And Showers To Help With Louisiana Power Restoration
September 1, 2021
Line crews from Escambia River Electric Cooperative are assisting a fellow cooperative with power restoration following Hurricane Ida.
After landfall of the Category 4 hurricane, there were 84,896 DEMCO customers without power in the Greenwell Springs, Louisiana area.
“Following any storm, our first priority is to safeguard our cooperative and make sure our members have power,” said EREC CEO Ryan Campbell. “As soon as we know our system is intact, then our crews are ready to go help others who were impacted by the storm.”
EREC has also sent five bunk trailers and a shower trailer to Washington — St. Tammany Electric Cooperative in Mandeville, Louisiana, to house cooperative line crews working to restore power there.
One of the biggest challenges facing electric utilities during power restoration after disasters such as hurricanes is lodging. It is difficult to find housing for hundreds or even thousands of workers in an area whose infrastructure has been devastated. EREC acquired trailers and renovated them into bunk housing for this purpose.
EREC’s five bunk trailers will sleep 33 people each, and the shower trailer has 10 showers and sinks. The trailers are self-contained, each equipped with its own generator.
“Rebuilding communities following a storm of this intensity will take time, but we want to do whatever we can to help speed the process,” said Campbell.
Pictured: EREC line crew members Cody Lewis, Philip Gandy, Matthew Reynolds, Thomas Nall and Gary McCaskill. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Coastal Alabama Warhawks Baseball Coach Darrell Blevins Passes Away
September 1, 2021
Coastal Alabama Community College Warhawks head baseball coach Darrell Blevins has passed away. He was 53.
Blevins was entering his 16th season leading the Warhawks at the college’s Brewton campus and spent more than 30 years in organized baseball at the collegiate and high school levels. He also taught microcomputer applications full time as a faculty instructor.
“The three most important things in his life were his relationship with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his family, especially his boys Kyle and Craig, and baseball. He tried to use the game of baseball to teach lifelong skills to young men, that would help them be successful both on and off the field,” said his wife, Denise Blevins
“Darrell was a standup guy and a pillar in our community,” said Dennis Fuqua, director of Coastal Alabama Community College’s Brewton campus. “He was very respected both personally and professionally, and one of his greatest attributes was that he was a man strong in his faith and he was an extremely hard worker.”
As a coach, he helped more than 90 players get the opportunity to play baseball at the next level, including NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA.
Blevins is survived by his wife Denise and their two sons Kyle and Craig. The family attends First Baptist Church of Brewton, where Coach Blevins was a deacon who taught Sunday school classes.
Blue Wahoos Offense Stalls In 6-1 Loss To Montgomery Biscuits
September 1, 2021
Chris Chinea’s solo home run was all the offense the Wahoos could muster as they fell 6-1 to Montgomery on Tuesday night at Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.
Kyle Nicolas (L, 3-1) suffered his worst outing in his short tenure in Double-A. After going three starts without allowing a run, Nicolas surrendered a three-run home run to Ford Proctor in the bottom of the first, which set the Wahoos behind 3-0. He allowed another run in the fourth, after a walk and an RBI double from Niko Hulsizer, which made the score at the time 4-1. He was lifted from the game after four innings, which was the first time Nicolas was unable to pitch more than four innings since July 7th when he was still a member with the Beloit Snappers.
Pensacola had an immediate response from Chinea in the top of the second when he led off the inning with a solo home run against Jack Labosky. Chine finished the night 2-for-4. Despite his homer making it 3-1, Pensacola’s offense had no further response to combat the Biscuits. Pensacola was limited to four hits on the night and struck out 15 times.
Tuesday’s contest was the first game for the Wahoos in the past week. After a 1-0 win over Mississippi on August 24th, the rest of their series was canceled due to positive COVID tests, and a need for contact tracing. The Wahoos and Biscuits were the only Double-A South teams to play on Tuesday, with two series paused to allow for contact tracing, while Birmingham and Chattanooga were postponed due to rain.
With the loss, Pensacola sits three games back of Montgomery for the second and final postseason spot in the 2021 Double-A South Championship Series.
RHP Max Meyer (6-1, 1.97) will start Wednesday’s contest for the Blue Wahoos, and he will be opposed by RHP Jayden Murray (1-2, 2.36). Meyer’s ERA is currently the lowest in all of baseball, just ahead of Los Angeles Dodgers ace Walker Buehler (2.02). Firs
Construction Underway On North Escambia Solar Farm (With Photo Gallery)
August 31, 2021
Gulf Power is now working to install 300,000 solar panels at the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center in North Escambia.
At about 500 acres, the site on Bogia Road will have the capacity to generate 75 megawatts — enough energy to power 15,000 homes and the emissions-free energy generated is the equivalent to removing 14,000 cars from the road annually.
The development is in an area north of West Bogia Road between South Pine Barren Road and Highway 29, just west of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“With every panel installed, we are ushering in a more sustainable future for Florida by delivering cleaner, lower-cost energy while increasing reliability for our customers,” said Mike Spoor, Gulf Power vice president. “With each solar farm we build, we are driving down costs that will ultimately lead to lower bills for our customers. We are also reducing our carbon footprint and providing cleaner air for our region, ensuring we keep Northwest Florida beautiful for generations to come, while also benefiting the local economy with the contribution of hundreds of thousands of additional tax dollars.”
The project has created about 100 construction jobs, according to Gulf Power, that have attracted local skilled installers and laborers, who get the opportunity to work in the innovative renewable energy industry. Some workers travel to the area to work, providing an economic boost through their purchases of goods and services. Gulf Power said the company has many local hires from counties across Northwest Florida working on the project, and the company is also using local vendors where possible for goods and services.
When the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center and Blue Springs Solar Energy Center in Jackson County are completed in early 2022, they will join Gulf Power’s Blue Indigo Solar Energy Center in Jackson County in provided solar power. Cotton Creek will be Gulf Power’s first owned and operated solar energy center in Escambia County.
Gulf Power is in the development phase for the First City Solar Energy Center, also in North Escambia. Similar in size and capacity to power another 15,000 homes, First City will be located off Holland, Cox and Roach roads in McDavid.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Constructions is underway on the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center in Bogia. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flood Warnings For The Perdido And Escambia Rivers
August 31, 2021
Flood warnings are in effect for the Perdido and Escambia rivers.
Perdido River
A flood warning is in effect for the Perdido River near Barrineau Park until early Saturday morning.
Early Tuesday morning, the stage was 14 feet, above flood stage of 13.0 Minor flooding is occurring and moderate flooding is forecast.
The river is forecast to rise to a crest of 19.1 feet by Wednesday evening and fall below flood stage Friday evening.
Escambia River
A flood warning is in effect for the Escambia River near Century from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday evening.
Monday night, the river stage was 10.4 feet; flood stage is 17 feet. Minor flooding is forecast.
The river is expected to rise above flood stage Wednesday afternoon and crest near 17.1 feet by Wednesday evening. The river will fall below flood stage Thursday afternoon.
At 17 feet, there will be considerable flooding of lowlands.
Nine Mile Road Paving Continues (As Weather Permits)
August 31, 2021
Road widening continues for Nine Mile Road between Pine Forest Road and the Highway 29 interchange in Escambia County.
As weather permits, crews are placing the final, friction layer of asphalt on the 6.5 mile stretch of Nine Mile Road. Once the asphalt is placed, a steel drum rolling machine, like the one pictured here, will make multiple slow passes to compact the surface and achieve the required density.
Crews plan to finish paving operations on this stretch of Nine Mile Road in early September.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Surpasses 50% At Least Partially Vaccinated
August 31, 2021
Over half of Escambia County’s residents age 12 or older are now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the CDC.
Data indicated 50.4% of the total population of Escambia County was partially vaccinated as of Monday, while 41.1% of the population was fully vaccinated with either the Johnson & Johnson “one shot” or both shots of the Pfizer or Moderna series.
There were 2,719 people in Escambia County that were vaccinated last week.
Escambia County has recorded 45,904 total COVID-19 cases.
Inmate Accused Of Assaulting Century Correctional Institution Officer
August 31, 2021
Inmate Mario J. Kilpatrick assaulted an officer at Century Correctional Institution by punching them, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
“Staff responded appropriately, and the inmate was subdued,” FDC said.
Hines is serving a 21 year sentence for sexual battery, burglary with assault and robbery out of Wakulla County.
Florida Deploying Resources, Including Search And Rescue Teams, To Help With Hurricane Ida Recovery
August 31, 2021
Florida is deploying resources to assist Louisiana and Mississippi with recovery from Hurricane Ida.
“The state of Florida stands with both our Gulf Coast neighbors as they face the devastation left by Hurricane Ida,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “I am proud that we are able to deploy aid to both Mississippi and Louisiana during their time of need, just as others help Florida when disaster strikes here. We will continue to coordinate with both states to identify needed resources.”
Florida is sent Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Task Forces 1 and 2 in Mississippi and mobilized both USAR Task Force 4 and 50 Florida National Guardsmen to Louisiana.
Florida is deploying its best and brightest to support our neighbors to the west,” said CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis. “These Urban Search & Rescue Teams are the same ones that worked Surfside and they’re going to do a lot of good in getting impacted communities back on their feet. Thank you to Governor DeSantis for providing strong leadership for the recovery efforts following Hurricane Ida. The truth is everybody along the Gulf Coast looks out for each other; it’s no different than when Louisiana sent services following Hurricane Michael.”
The Florida Department of Emergency Management continues to work closely with the states of Louisiana and Mississippi to identify remaining needs. This includes coordinating with food banks in Louisiana that are serving residents displaced by the storm. Partners are on standby to assist Mississippi food banks as necessary.
In Florida, we know how disastrous a Category 4 hurricane can be,” said FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie. “As our partners in Louisiana and Mississippi continue to respond to Ida and begin their initial recovery process, the Division stands ready to deploy requested resources to assist. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gulf Coast residents impacted by Ida during this time, and we will continue to support their storm response.”
FDEM continues to work closely with the states of Louisiana and Mississippi to identify remaining needs. This includes coordinating with food banks in Louisiana that are serving residents displaced by the storm. Partners are on standby to assist Mississippi food banks as necessary.
State of Florida industry partners, including Florida Power, Light and the Florida Municipal Electric Association, Tampa Electric Company and Duke Energy immediately deployed utility restoration personnel and equipment to support Louisiana’s crews. More than 1,100 Florida utility restoration personnel are support these efforts.
FDEM has two Incident Management Teams on standby that are ready to deploy as requested. Incident Management Teams are comprised of state and local experienced emergency management professionals who are prepared to support the responses in Louisiana and Mississippi as necessary.
