Three Blue Wahoos Homer In 4-1 Series Opening Win Over Shuckers
May 26, 2021
Max Meyer (W, 2-1) twirled five shutout innings against the Shuckers and three different Wahoos homered en route to a 4-1 series opening win at MGM Park on Tuesday.
Meyer, who dazzled in his previous outing against Rocket City, continued his dominant pitching against a veteran Biloxi team. Meyer scattered two hits across his five scoreless innings, and walked only one while striking out three. Over Meyer’s last two outings, the Marlins #3 prospect has not given up a run over 10.2 innings of work.
Offensively, the team with the fewest home runs in the Double-A South slugged their way to win.
Lazaro Alonso doubled his home run tally in the second when he led off the inning with an opposite-field homer off Bowden Francis (L, 3-1) to put the Wahoos up 1-0. After Bleday doubled the Wahoos lead in the third with an RBI groundout, Nick Fortes launched his first home run of the season to make it 3-0.
The reigning Double-A South hitter of the week, Peyton Burdick, continued his hot streak when he belted his fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning to make it 4-0.
It was a true boom-or-bust night for the Wahoos, who set a new season high for home runs in a game, but also struck out 16 times.
The bullpen was excellent again for the Blue Wahoos. Despite the fact that Zack Leban was touched up for one run in two innings of work, Sean Guenther delivered a scoreless eighth inning and Colton Hock worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to capture his fourth save of the season. Over the bullpen’s last 31.1 innings of work, the pitchers have only allowed seven earned runs (2.01 ERA) and have issued four walks compared to 44 strikeouts.
The series continues tomorrow evening at 6:35 PM CT in Biloxi. LHP Jake Eder (1-1, 0.60) will face LHP Ethan Small (1-1, 5.25).
File photo.
Two Teens Arrested, Third Suspect Wanted For Burglarizing Vehicles At Dealership
May 26, 2021
Two teens were arrested and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a third suspect after vehicles were burglarized at a Car City dealership.
Zacharias Jackson-Holley, 17, and Darrian Jenkins, 17, were both charged with attempted burglary and resisting arrest without violence. Jackson-Holley was also charged with use or display of a firearm during a felony.
Sgt. Tony Godwin spotted three juvenile suspects burglarizing vehicles at the Sandy Sansing Nissan dealership on Pensacola Boulevard. As Godwin approached the suspects they took off running.
Deputy James Morris and K-9 Rocket began tracking the suspects. K-9 Rocket located Jackson-Holley and Jenkins near the retention pond on the west side of the dealership.
A handgun was located on suspect Jackson-Holley, according to the ECSO.
The third suspect is described as a younger black male with dreads, wearing black shorts and a white shirt. Anyone with information about his identity is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Arrest Made In Hit And Run Crash Involving Quint Studer
May 25, 2021
Pensacola Police have made an arrest in the Saturday night hit and run crash involving Pensacola entrepreneur and philanthropist Quint Studer on Bayfront Parkway.
Terrance Juwann Myles, 25, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injury, careless driving, and driving while license is suspended. The vehicle involved in the crash (pictured) was found at Myles’ home, according to police.
Studer was riding his bicycle along Bayfront Parkway near Bartram Park about 9 p.m. May 22 when he was hit. He was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released.
Pictured top: The vehicle allegedly involved in the crash. Pictured inset: Myles in May 2 mug shot.
Fire Destroys Pickup Truck At Highway 97 Gas Station
May 25, 2021
Fire destroyed a pickup truck at a Highway 97 gas station Tuesday afternoon.
The Dodge Ram caught fire at the Korner Kwik Stop at the corner of Highway 97 and Nokomis Road in Davisville. The vehicle was reportedly pushed away from the fuel pumps after the fire started.
There were no injuries reported, and the gas station building did not suffer any apparent damage.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Atmore Fire Department responded.
Pictured: A pickup truck burns at a Davisville gas station before firefighters arrived on scene. Pictured bottom. Firefighters arrived a short time later. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Farm Hill Utilities Plans New Half Million Gallon Water Tank At Highway 297A, Highway 97
May 25, 2021
Farm Hill Utilities is planning to construct a new half million gallon water storage tank.
The above ground water storage tank will be located on the northwest corner of the Highway 297A and Highway 97 intersection. The site is currently 1.94 acres of undeveloped wooded property.
The site will include the storage tank and a water booster pump station. This will be a ground-level tank, not an elevated water tower. It will assist Farm Hill Utilities in providing needed water flow for fire protection in the southern zone of their water system, according to project documents.
The project will go before the Escambia County Development Review Committee for possible approval on Wednesday.
NorthEscambia.com graphics.
ECSO Deploys Speed-Checking Trailers That Use Technology To Battle Speeding
May 25, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has new trailers that alert drivers to their speed while using technology to aid in the fight against speeders.
The trailers went into service after Sheriff Chip Simmons took office. They can be deployed to areas with known or citizen reported speed problems, according to Commander Andrew Hobbs.
Each of the 17 trailers display the speed of passing vehicles, complete with small flashing red and blue LED lights to attract driver attention, very much like similar equipment has done for years. But there’s more.
The units collect anonymous data on vehicle speeds, which Hobbs said allows the ECSO to work smarter.
“We can look at the statistics and average speed to determine what time to do traffic enforcement efforts,” he said.
Pictured: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office speed trailer on North Century Boulevard just south of the state line. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Library Board Meets Again In Century, Gets Sunshine Law Refresher After Violation Last Month
May 25, 2021
West Florida Public Libraries Board of Governance met again in Century Monday, a month after a Sunshine Law violation.
During the meeting a the Century Branch Library,b oard members received a little refresher on the Sunshine Law – Florida’s open meeting laws – from an assistant attorney from the Escambia County Attorney’s Office.
In April, the county self reported a Sunshine Law violation to the State Attorney’s Office after an advertising blunder left the library board meeting in Century without proper public notice. The State Attorney’s office decided the violation was unintentional and accidental.
The April meeting was advertised for the Main Library downtown, not Century. Florida’s Sunshine Law requires that adequate public notice be given for public meetings, including time and the correct location. When NorthEscambia.com notified the board of the discrepancy in the legal notice, the board continued the meeting for a short period of time. And that, according to the State Attorney’s Office, is where they went wrong.
The April meeting, in violation of the Sunshine Law, of the West Florida Libraries Board of Governance at the Century Branch Library.
Pensacola Bay Bridge Now Driveable End To End, Still Expected To Open Next Week
May 25, 2021
The Pensacola Bay Bridge is now drivable from end to end for construction vehicles, and the Florida Department of Transportation says the bridge will open next week.
All decks needed to restore at least two-lanes of traffic are now in place, although there are multiple additional tasks to complete. Construction vehicles and equipment are now able to cross the bridge from end-to-end as crews work to finalize remaining repairs.
On the flyover structure at the intersection of U.S. 98 and 17th Avenue in Pensacola, several layers of asphalt have been placed along with concrete curb on the 17th Avenue ramp.
The initial restoration will temporarily accommodate four-lanes of traffic for approximately two-miles, along with an approximately one-mile, two-lane segment near the Pensacola shore.
All construction, which consists of two three-lane bridges is currently estimated for completion in early 2022.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ATV Crash Claims Life Of 12-Year Old Flomaton Elementary Student
May 24, 2021
An all-terrain vehicle crash claimed the life of a 12-year old boy in Flomaton Sunday afternoon.
Flomaton Elementary Principal George Brown told our news partners at WEAR 3 that the victim is Logan Mitchell, a sixth grade student at the school.
The ATV crash occurred about 5 p.m. on private property in the area of Upper Creek Road west of the Rock Cemetery, about a half mile from Highway 31. He was airlifted by ShandsCair 6 medical helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola where he was pronounced deceased.
“At this time the Flomaton Police Department is conducting a lengthy investigation into the total circumstances surrounding the crash,” Thompson said. The Flomaton Police Department and Escambia County Department of Human Resources are investigating. Flomaton Police Chief Chance Thompson said the case will be presented to the Escambia County District Attorney’s Office for review, but at this time no criminal charges have been filed.
“On behalf of the Flomaton Police Department, we send out high respects to the families of both underaged victims in the crash. Our community lost a previous soul, and we together as one are grieving,” the police chief said.
Mitchell was the third Flomaton Elementary School student death in the past year. An ATV accident on May 28, 2020, claimed the life of 6-year old Trayton Adams, and 11-year old Jaden James, was killed in an October 3, 2020, vehicle crash in Walnut Hill.
Pictured: Logan Mitchell. Photo provided by Flomaton Elementary Principal George Brown via WEAR 3. Click to enlarge.
Florida Ending $300 Weekly Federal Pandemic Unemployment Payments
May 24, 2021
Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity on Monday announced that the state will withdraw from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program effective June 26, ending extra $300 per week payments.
The DEO said there are more than 460,000 online jobs posted online that are available throughout the state for job seekers.
“Florida’s employers are also seeing employment growth, as more Floridians, including some who completely left the workforce, are now eagerly reentering the workforce. Transitioning away from this benefit will help meet the demands of small and large businesses who are ready to hire and expand their workforce,” said Dane Eagle, secretary of the Florida DEO.
Florida businesses and employers are hiring across the state and need unemployed Floridians to return to the workforce, according to Florida DEO.
For the week beginning June 27, 2021, eligible reemployment assistance claimants will no longer receive the supplemental $300 weekly FPUC payment.