Lookouts Edge The Wahoos In A Pitching Showdown
June 12, 2021
Lookouts win 1-0 on Robinson’s solo home run
In a highly anticipated pitching showdown between two of baseball’s top prospects, the Lookouts edged past the Wahoos 1-0 on Friday night at AT&T Field.
Hunter Greene (W, 5-0), the league leader in wins and strikeouts (60) took the mound for the hosts against Wahoos ace Max Meyer. It was matchup that featured a second overall pick in 2017 (Greene) and a third overall pick (Meyer) in 2020.
The pitching matchup lived up the hype, as evidenced by the final score.
Meyer lasted only five innings on a night where his command at times tried to betray him. During his outing, Meyer yielded four walks and only struck out three, but escaped peril numerous times throughout his start.
In the bottom of the first, the Lookouts loaded the bases with only out. Meyer fell behind Brian Rey 3-0; however, Rey hit into an inning ending double play on a 3-0 fastball to end the threat. In the second inning the Lookouts had runners on first and second with two outs before Meyer induced a groundout to end the inning. Meyer ran into the same issue in the fourth, but stranded two more base runners when Leonardo Rivas ended the inning with a groundout Lazaro Alonso.
Despite the nine strikeouts from Greene, the Wahoos had chances to score against the Reds top pitching prospect.
In the top of the first inning, Jerar Encarnacion doubled to right and Nick Fortes walked to set up first and second with two outs. The inning came to an end when Greene struck out Alonso with a 101 mph fastball. In the fourth, the Wahoos opened the inning with back-to-back walks against Greene. Unfortunately for the Wahoos, the rally would go no further as the right-hander retired the next three Wahoos in a row to end the inning.
The only offense in the game came after Meyer departed the contest. Zach Wolf (L, 0-2) surrendered a solo home run to Chuck Robinson to put the Lookouts 1-0. That was the only hit the Wahoos bullpen allowed on Friday.
In the top of the ninth inning against another former first round pick, Pensacola got the tying run in scoring position against Nick Howard S, 3). After a walk to Riley Mahan, the Wahoos used Jhon Nunez as a pinch runner, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. The game came to end after Howard struck out Peyton Burdick to end the game.
Saturday night will feature another star-studded pitching matchup at AT&T Field. LHP Jake Eder (1-1, 0.61) will face LHP Nick Lodolo (2-0, 1.01). Eder has the second-lowest ERA in all of MiLB, and Lodolo was the seventh overall pick in 2019 out of TCU.
by Chris Garagiola, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
File photo.
FDOH Moves To Weekly COVID-19 Reports; 68 Additional Cases In Escambia County
June 12, 2021
There were 68 new COVID-19 cases reported Escambia County over the last week by the Florida Department of Health.
FDOH released its first COVID-19 report Friday since the state moved from daily to weekly reports and removed the COVID-19 dashboard. The state is now releasing a weekly report that no longer contains any data on out of state residents that tested positive or died in Florida. Local data is limited only to number of cases and positivity rate; the number of deaths by county or cases by local cities and communities has been removed.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 33,028 (+68)
Positivity Rate Last Week: 2.9%
Current Hospitalizations: 15 (-2)
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 18,423 (+84)
Positivity Rate Last Week: 2.3%
Statewide cases:
Florida resident cases: 2,300,786 (+12,157)
Case positivity rate: 3.4%
Deaths: 37,265 (+40)
Woman That Drove Truck Into Lake Facing Unrelated Grand Theft Auto, Burglary Charges, ECSO Says
June 11, 2021
The woman the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office says drove a truck into a lake near Century evening has been arrested on unrelated charges for allegedly stealing a Jeep.
Tammy Sue Amerson, 50, was arrested Wednesday on charges of grand theft auto, burglary of an unoccupied vehicle and trespassing after a warning for two earlier incidents. She is not currently facing any charges for the lake incident.
Amerson allegedly took a Jeep Patriot from a residence on Briggs Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue in Century. The owner said he heard his dog bark about 10:30 p.m. the night of June 1, and he found his Jeep Patriot missing the following morning. The vehicle owner said the keys were in the unlocked Jeep, but he had not give anyone permission to use it.
Later that night, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Amerson’s residence in Bratt after she reportedly told a relative that she stole a vehicle and hid it in her garage, according to an arrest report.
Deputies located the vehicle hidden in a garage at the back of he property, the report states, and Amerson spontaneously stated that she borrowed the vehicle from the victim on Briggs Boulevard after talking to him.
Amerson was also charged in connection with a trespassing incident on May 31 at a relative’s home. Amerson was previously trespassed warned from the property by the ECSO but was discovered covered with a blanket asleep on the woman’s front porch swing, according to the arrest report. The victim stated Amerson was “talking and acting crazy,” the report states, and she fled into a wooded area.
Tuesday evening, June 8, Amerson drove a pickup truck into a gravel lake on Bluff Springs Road just west of the Escambia River in the Bluff Springs Recreation Area. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office dive team responded and by late Tuesday night had determined that no one was inside the truck. Authorities don’t know why she drove into the lake, the ECSO said.
In May, Amerson was charged with felony grand theft after allegedly selling a boat motor online but never delivering it to the buyer. [Read more...]
Amerson remained in the Escambia County Jail Friday morning with bond set at $15,500.
‘There’s So Much Good’ — Beulah Middle FFA Provides Summer Food For Students In Need
June 11, 2021
The Beulah Middle School FFA worked to make sure students in need would have food this summer.
For a little over a year, The Beulah FFA has held food drives before every extended break, including Christmas, spring and fall breaks. This year, they decided to give summer break a shot.
People donated food, money and backpacks. In the past, they used grocery bags to distribute the food, but it was decided that backpacks would be much more discrete.
The last week of school, 53 backpacks full of food were distributed. Each one contain a laminated card with a QR code; students can simply scan to send an alert that they need more food.
“Yes, there is no shortage of negativity and downright awfulness if we choose to see it. But, if we choose to turn our sights to the positive, the positivity is also endless,” Beulah FFA sponsor Leanne Jenkins said. “This picture was snapped by one of the guidance counselors. She sent me the picture the last day of school and told me stories about families who cried as they picked up their food.”
“There is so much good,” Jenkins said. “Let’s choose to see it. Let’s choose to be it.”
Century Charter Review Discusses Duties Of Mayor, Gender Neutral Pronouns And More
June 11, 2021
With just four of eight members present, the Century Charter Review Committee dove headfirst into a section by section review of the town’s charter Thursday evening. The committee is tasked with updating the charter — the document that legally establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate.
During their review, committee members discussed how council members could be removed from office, and how they might be penalized for missing too many meetings, including the possible forfeiture of some portion of their salary.
Member Kathryn Fleming suggested that the document be updated to use gender neutral pronouns; it currently contains numerous male pronouns.
The charter review committee briefly discussed the duties of the town’s mayor and the possibility of moving most of them to a city manager.
The Century Charter Review Committee will continue their work on July 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Century Community Center on West Highway 4 at Industrial Boulevard.
Committee members Brenda Spencer, Shelisa Abraham, Leslie Howington and Helen Mincy were absent from the meeting Thursday.
Pictured top: Century Charter Review Committee members (L-R) Michelle Cunningham, Kathryn Fleming and Evelyn Hammond listen to discussion Thursday night. Pictured below: Committee Chair Mary Bourgeois and consultant Buz Eddy. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Nine Mile, I-10 Traffic Light Going To Flash Mode Next Week, Active June 22
June 11, 2021
The new traffic signal at Nine Mile Road and I-10 will be placed in flash mode on Tuesday, June 15.
Drivers exiting I-10 eastbound to Nine Mile Road will encounter a flashing red light indicating they are to stop, then proceed once traffic is clear. Drivers on Nine Mile Road, east and westbound, will encounter a yellow flashing signal, meaning they should slow down and proceed through the intersection with caution.
On Tuesday, June 22 the traffic signal will be fully activated with standard red, yellow and green lights.
Spirit Airlines Brings Nonstop Flights To Seven Destinations From Pensacola
June 11, 2021
Spirit Airlines has officially landed at the Pensacola International Airport with nonstop flights to seven destinations.
The new flights are:
Pictured: The first Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth arrived Thursday at the Pensacola International Airport. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Drowns At Pensacola Beach Thursday Afternoon
June 10, 2021
An adult male drowned at Pensacola Beach Thursday afternoon, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The man was pulled from the water by lifeguards around 1:20 p.m. in the 500 block of Ft. Pickens Road, near the White Sands Condominiums about a mile west of the fishing pier. Officials said he was pronounced deceased.
His name has not been released.
Yellow flags were flying at Pensacola Beach at the time of the incident. Under a yellow flag, swimmers can expect moderate surf or currents and can enter the water using extra caution.
Expect Nightly Lane Closures On The Pensacola Bay Bridge
June 10, 2021
Nightly lane restrictions will be in place on the Pensacola Bay Bridge as work continues to restore four lanes of traffic for the length of the structure.
From Thursday, June 10 until Friday, June 18, drivers will encounter lane closures and lane shifts each night from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Drivers should anticipate congestion during the time work is underway.
Construction crews are working to complete repairs on the bridge. The Pensacola Bay Bridge reopened Friday, May 28 to four lanes of traffic (two in each direction), with the exception of an an approximately one-half-mile segment of two travel lanes (one lane in each direction) on the Pensacola side of the bridge arch.
No date has been announced for completing repairs and restoring all four lanes of traffic, though the Florida Department of Transportation said indications are it could be within “weeks as opposed to months” Also not determined at this time is an estimate for completing repairs to the bridge’s multiuse path that accommodates bicyclists and pedestrians.
The speed limit on the Pensacola Bay Bridge is 35 mph, and law enforcement personnel are patrolling the structure around the clock to enforce the limit. Tolls on the Garcon Point Bridge remain suspended through Tuesday, July 6.
Motorcyclist Seriously Injured After Crashing Into A Turkey In Walnut Hill
June 10, 2021
A motorcyclist was seriously injured after crashing into a turkey Wednesday evening in Walnut Hill.
The adult male was headed east on Rockaway Creek Road about a mile from Pine Forest Road when he collided with the wild turkey about 6:50 p.m. He lost control of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and slid about 150 feet along the pavement with the bike.
He was airlifted by MedStar Air Care 2 to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment. The turkey did not survive.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. Escambia County EMS and the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
