Century Council Backs Off City Manager Job Review, Opts To Extend The Process
June 24, 2021
The Century Town Council this week declined to conduct a performance review as scheduled for their interim city manager, instead opting to table it for a future date after a workshop and individual meetings.
The council was set to review the performance of Interim Town Manager Vernon Prather, but backed out of the schedule agenda item. Council members were to have submitted written evaluation forms to he town clerk, but all five failed to do so.
“I don’t see it as fair to him or the council tonight,” Council President Luis Gomez said, adding that he though the generic evaluation form was inappropriate for a city manager position.
“If we jump the gun and start having discussions tonight, it wouldn’t be fair to Mr. Prather because there’s issues in the contract that need to be discussed further. There’s some language still in the contract that should have been changed in December of last year,” Gomez said. He said the contract language is not a “big problem”, but offered no specifics.
Instead, Gomez proposed a council workshop to discuss the “future endeavors of the city manager”, but he said he did not want Prather at the meeting.
“Then each council member, that night, if they have any gripes or any praises, put it in writing or any expectations of the position of city manager, but his record is going to all be on the table,” Gomez continued. He said council members could individually meet with Prather, and those written reviews would be presented to the mayor and Prather before a another council meeting for public review.
The council has not set a date for a workshop meeting to begin the process.
Prather was hired in December 2019, and his contract was extended for a year in December 2020. He is paid $1,200 a week ($40 per hour) to work 30 hours on a schedule of his choosing. He is also paid a $600 per month vehicle allowance, but receives no other benefits.
His contract specifies that the mayor and town council will meet with him “at least every three months for the purpose of defining goals and performance objective”.
Pictured: Century Interim Town Manager Vernon Prather. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Walk-off Homer Deflates Blue Wahoos, Birmingham Barons Win 7-6
June 24, 2021
After picking up three walk-off wins last week, Pensacola falls 7-6 to Birmingham in walk-off fashion on Wednesday night.
With the game tied a 6-6, Micker Adolfo launched a 0-2 fastball into the right field bullpen to give the Barons a 7-6 win at Regions Field on Wednesday.
Alberto Guerrero (L, 1-1) was brought into the ninth inning after the Wahoos tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. After inducing a flout from Zack Granite, Guerrero tried to throw an 0-2 heater above the zone that unfortunately found the heart of the plate before Adolfo turned it into a game winning homer. Adolfo is now tied for the league-lead in homers with 11 this season.
For the Wahoos it was a game that slipped away earlier than the ninth. Pensacola led 5-0 after two innings having scored thrice in the first and twice more in the second. After Jerar Encarnacion was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the first, Lazaro Alonso line a two-run single to make it 3-0.
In the second inning, the Wahoos had runners at second and third with two outs before JJ Bleday lined a two run single to left center to make it 5-0.
In the early going, that offense seemed to be plenty for Max Meyer, who cruised through three innings to begin the game. However, the righty ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning when the Barons strung together four, two-out hits before the inning ended. After Jameson Fisher hit a two-run triple to get the Barons on the board, Laz Rivers hit a two-run homer to make it 5-4.
The Wahoos saw their lead disappear in the bottom of the seventh after a defensive miscue. With the bases loaded and one out, Zack Leban forced Carlos Perez to hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play ball. However, after the flip to second was successful for the forecourt, Riley Mahan’s throw to first sailed over the head of Alonso, which brought home two runs.
Pensacola would tied the game in the bottom of the eight after stringing together three consecutive singles of their own, capped off by Devin Hairston’s RBI single to center.
Blake Battenfield did not factor in the decision for the Barons, despite having one of his shortest outings of the season. Prior to the bottom of the ninth, Andrew Perez (W, 2-0) retired the Wahoos in order to setup the Barons in the bottom of the ninth.
The series between Birmingham and Pensacola continues on Thursday. The Blue Wahoos will send RHP Edward Cabrera (0-0, 2.08) to the mound for his second start with the Wahoos while the Barons will send LHP John Parke (1-2, 4.20) to oppose him.
by Chris Garagiola, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
One Injured In Crash Near Tate High School
June 23, 2021
One person was injured in a crash Wednesday afternoon near Tate High School.
The vehicle came to rest in a ditch on Tate Road at East Kingsfield Road following the crash about 3:10 p.m. The injured person was transported to the hospital by Escambia County EMS.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Seven People Injured In Crash Involving ECAT Bus
June 23, 2021
Seven people were injured in a multiple vehicle crash involving an Escambia County Area Transit bus Wednesday morning.
The crash about 8:40 a.m. in the area of on East Fairfield Drive near Davis Highway, near the Pensacola Village Apartments. The wreck also involved a passenger van.
No one on the bus was injured, but seven people from other vehicles were transported to area hospital with minor injuries, according to Escambia County.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation.
Photos courtesy Al Showers/WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Woman Gets 20 Years For Sexual Activity With Young Teens
June 23, 2021
An Escambia County woman has been sentenced to state prison for sexual activity with two young teens.
Circuit Judge Jan Shackelford sentenced Leigh Ann Rhodes, 34, to 20 years. She previously entered no contest pleas to three counts of lewd or lascivious battery and one count of transmission of harmful materials to a minor. She was sentenced to serve five years of sexual offender probation upon release from prison, and was also designated as a sexual offender.
The charges stemmed from an arrest made in August of 2020 after the Department of Children and Families received a hotline tip that Rhodes was engaged in sexual behavior with two young teenagers. Rhodes was interviewed by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators and admitted to engaging in a sexual relationship with the minors. Both minors were interviewed by members of the Child Protection Team at the Gulf Coast Kid’s House and detailed the sexual abuse. Cellphone evidence also corroborated the sexual activity, according to prosecutors.
New Nine Mile, I-10 Traffic Light Is Now Active
June 23, 2021
The new traffic signal at Nine Mile Road at the I-10 eastbound ramps was activated on Tuesday by the Florida Department of Transportation. It had been in flash mode to alert drivers for a week. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Council Moves Meetings Back To Town Hall After COVID-19 Decline
June 23, 2021
Now that COVID-19 numbers have declined, the Century Town Council has voted to move their meetings from a large community center venue back to their relatively small council chambers.
After holding meetings via Zoom for much of 2020 due to COVID-19, the council returned to in-person meetings at the Century Community Center back in January to allow room for more social distancing.
Beginning with their next meeting on July 6, the Century Town Council now will meet at the town hall at 7995 North Century Boulevard.
A bill list review will be held at 6:45 p.m. to be followed by a regular council meeting at 7 p.m. on the following dates:
- July 6 and 19
- August 2 and 16
- September 7 and 20
- October 4 and 18
- November 1 and 15
- December 20
Pictured top: A panoramic view of a recent Century Town Council meeting at the Century Community Center. Pictured below: The community center allowed for more social distancing. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Register Now For Tate Softball’s Summer Camp
June 23, 2021
The Tate Lady Aggies will host their annual softball camp the evening of July 1
The camp is for anyone age six to eighth grade. Pre-register at this link or register at the field on the day of the camp. The cost is $50 which includes a camp t-shirt (sizes are limited).
Burdick Homers, Wahoos Win Again
June 23, 2021
Peyton Burdick clubbed his team-leading 10th home run of the season and Will Stewart W, 3-3) nearly turned in a quality start as the Wahoos took the series opener, 4-3 on Tuesday at Regions Field.
The fireworks began in the second inning for Pensacola, where after a leadoff walk to Riley Mahan, Burdick belted a two-out, two-run home run off Konnor Pilkington (L, 1-3) to put the Wahoos ahead.
However, the Barons had a swift response for the Wahoos. Joel Booker took Stewart deep in the bottom half of the inning to put the Barons within a run.
In the fourth, the Wahoos used small ball to get that run right back. After a walk and hit-by-pitch, the Wahoos used a pair of groundouts to score, which made it a 3-1 game.
The only remaining offense the Barons had left came from Micker Adolofo. He hit a pair of solo homers deep to center, that each time cut the Wahoo lead down to one. In the sixth he led off the inning with a solo blast off Stewart, and in the eighth he took Dylan Bice deep to cut down Pensacola’s lead to 4-3.
However in the bottom of the ninth, Colton Hock worked around a two-out single and struck out Zack Granite to end the ball game. Hock finished with a pair of strikeouts and now has a league-leading 10 saves this season.
The series continues Wednesday night when Max Meyer (3-1, 1.42) gets the start for the Wahoos while he will be opposed by Blake Battenfield (5-1, 3.76), who has already beaten the Wahoos twice this season.
by Chris Garagiola, Blue Wahoos
One Seriously Injured In Jacks Branch Road Rollover Wreck
June 22, 2021
One person was seriously injured in a wreck Tuesday morning on Jacks Branch Road.
The driver lost control, ran off the roadway and overturned on Jacks Branch Road near River Annex Road. She was airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to a Pensacola hospital after being extricated from her vehicle.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released further details. Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
