Animal Cruelty Suspect Remains Jailed
February 21, 2012
A Cantonment man remains in jail today after being charged last week with 78 counts of animal cruelty.
Roger Kervin, age 66 of Lawson Lane, was arrested Friday, three days after the first of 90 animals were seized from his property. He was charged with 13 counts of felony cruelty to animals and 65 misdemeanor counts of confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise.
Of 20 dogs seized at the property, 10 were euthanized.
Kervin is being held in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $97,500. He is due to appear in court on March 6.
Before his arrest, Kervin spoke out in his own defense, saying that he had done nothing wrong. Kervin said he keeps the dogs in good shape for wild hog hunting, often using the wild pork to feed people at charity events.
This was not the first time Kervin has faced animal abuse charges. According to court records, he was sentenced to probation in 1992 for using animals to bait or fight other animals.
For more details, click here for an earlier story.
Pictured above and below: Roger Kervin’s property on Lawson Lane. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
East Pond Street Closed
February 21, 2012
A portion of East Pond Street in Century will be closed beginning Tuesday.
East Pond Street, from Ramar Street to Jefferson Avenue is scheduled to be closed from 7 a.m. Tuesday, February 21 to 5 p.m. on Monday, February 27. The road is being closed for work on a Jefferson Avenue and Pond Street area drainage improvement project.
Northview FBLA Wins Awards At District Conference
February 21, 2012
Northview High School’s FBLA received numerous awards during the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) District One District Leadership Conference recently at the University of West Florida.
The Northview High School FBLA received the 2011-2012 Most Active Chapter Award.
Kasie Braun, Elizabeth Wright, and Victoria Wright received the Gloria Cooper Award, which is presented to FBLA members that exemplify the qualities desired in a business leader such as dependability, loyalty and honesty.
Other Northview student winners were:
- Joseph Baldwin , second place in Business Calculations
- Indigo Rodriguez , first place in Business Communication
- Lindsay Hedgepeth , second place in Business Communication
- Deidre Steele , fourth place in Business Communication
- Samantha Sharpless , third place in Business Math
- Elizabeth Wright & Victoria Wright , first place in Business Presentation (team event)
- Rebecca Barnhill , second place in Digital Design & Promotion
- Anna Donald , first place in Digital Video Production
- Tamara Green , first place in FBLA Principles & Procedures
- Taylor Dukes , first place in Future Business Leader
- Casey Godwin , first place in Health Care Administration
- Kasie Braun , first place in Introduction to Business Communication
- Hannah Hinton , second place in Job Interview
- Michael Sepulveda , first place in Networking Concepts
- D. J. Robinson , first place in Technology Concepts
- Christopher Loncar , fifth place in Technology Concepts
Pictured top: Northview High School FBLA members. Pictured below: Northview’s Gloria Cooper Award winners (L-R) Elizabeth Wright, Victoria Wright and Kasie Braun. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Resident Hits The Century Mark With 100th Birthday
February 21, 2012
Della Godwin celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday. The Century Care Center resident celebrated on Friday with a party attended by family and friends. Della danced to the music and enjoyed opening presents to mark the special day.
Della is a longtime resident of the Century area and is the oldest resident at Century Care Center.
Pictured: Della Godwin of Century celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Foreclosure Bill Debuts In Senate
February 21, 2012
A controversial bill backers say would speed up the foreclosure process and help jumpstart the economy made its Senate debut Monday amid concerns that the measure could leave some homeowners unjustly out in the cold.
By a 5-0 vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a measure (SB 1890) which combines the contents of two House proposals, HB 213 and HB 1149, that are traveling in that chamber and supported by banks, builders and other lenders.
Backers of the proposal say they are targeting the 30 percent of foreclosed properties that sit abandoned, reducing neighborhood property values and raising public safety concerns. By reducing the time it takes to get those properties unencumbered and available, supporters say, the state’s housing industry — and the economy — will rebound more quickly.
“This is the underbelly of one of the things that is keeping our economy from recovering,” said Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine.
Critics, however, say the bills as written go much further than reducing the inventory of abandoned homes. Whether intentional or not, the proposals adversely affect homeowners still trying to stay in homes that were purchased in many cased during the pre-recession, white-hot period of easy credit, interest only mortgages and escalating home prices.
“This bill places too much burden of repairing this problem on the backs of consumers and homeowners,” said Alice Vickers, attorney for the Consumer Action Network.
On Monday, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, introduced the Senate version, deferring detailed questions to his House counterparts, specially Rep. Greg Steube, R-Parrish, and a real estate attorney.
For consumers, the bill would reduce the length of time lender can go after a borrower following a foreclosure sale from five years down to one year. Backers say the change will allow homeowners to get on with their lives.
Other provisions, however, are more lender friendly, including relaxing the restrictions on foreclosing on abandoned property and placing limits on the damages in foreclosure cases to monetary damages.
“The best way to help Florida’s economy is to get beyond this foreclosure crisis,” said Anthony DiMarco, senior vice president for the Florida Bankers Associations.
But some committee members said that while it’s important to wipe bad mortgages off the books, consumer protections need to be paramount, citing recent incidents of robo-signing and other examples of mortgage fraud that came to light after the housing crash.
“It should be a long process to take someone’s property,” said Sen. Oscar Braynon, D-Miami Gardens.
The Senate bill now travels to Senate Banking and Insurance and is likely to see substantive changes before it reaches the floor.
By The News Service Florida
Cool Night, Sunny Tuesday
February 20, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming south between 10 and 15 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 75. Breezy, with a south wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to between 15 and 20 mph. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Thursday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 15 mph becoming west. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Friday: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Breezy, with a northwest wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 68.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 41.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.
- Sunday Night: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Monday: Isolated showers. Cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
15-Year Old Found Unharmed
February 20, 2012
A young lady that family said was missing following a Sunday morning wreck in Bratt has been found. Family members said 15-year old Ashley Johnson arrived for school this morning at Northview High School unharmed.
The Florida Highway Patrol responded about 7:30 a.m. Sunday to a wrecked pickup on West Highway 4 near Still Road. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and a K-9 team from the Century Correctional Institution were called to assist in a search for the driver and any passengers, but no one was found after a two hours search.
Troopers and the Sheriff’s Office did not release any other details about the incident, nor did they confirmed that anyone was considered missing following the crash.
Family members told NorthEscambia.com Sunday evening that the driver was Johnson and they were unable to locate her.
A Final Farewell: Last Call Sounds For Veteran Firefighter Joe Huff
February 20, 2012
Escambia Fire Rescue bid a final farewell Sunday to one of their own, Beulah Station Deputy Chief Joe Huff, 64.
Huff passed away last Wednesday after a short battle with cancer. He devoted nearly 50 years of life to volunteer fire service in Escambia County.
Huff’s flag draped coffin was carried open-air on the back of an antique fire truck from his funeral service at Marcus Point Baptist Church to a cemetery on Nine Mile Road. The procession included dozens of fire rescue vehicles from across the area.
His remains entered the cemetery beneath the crossed ladders of two aerial trucks, and his helmet was carried by hand. And Escambia Fire Rescue dispatchers made one final call over the county’s fire radio system.
“Last call for Joe Huff,” the emergency dispatcher called.
There was no response. Just silence.
“There is no response from Joe Huff,” the dispatcher said, her voice resounding across the handheld radios at the service.
The radio silence was broken again, this time by tones used alert firefighters to important information, followed by:
“On behalf of the community and the Beulah Fire Department it is with deep sorrow and sadness to notify you that after 47 years of service, bravery, and heroism, that Joe Huff has completed his last call and has returned home safely to eternity for his final call to watch over his family, friends and fellow firefighters. He will always be in our hearts forever. Escambia Rescue clear.”
Huff’s service to Escambia Fire Rescue included 1967 to 1968 at the Bellview Volunteer Fire Department, 1969 to 1991 at the Ensley Volunteer Fire Department, and 1991 until his death last week at the Beulah Volunteer Fire Department/Escambia County Fire Rescue Station 2 where he currently served as assistant chief.
Huff spent countless hours working on the department’s Beulah Sausage Festival, later renamed Beulahfest. He was a retired security officer with International Paper and worked the pit entrance gate for many years at Five Flags Speedway.
A fund to assist with funeral expenses has been established at Harvester’s Federal Credit Union in Cantonment. Donations should be made to the “Joe Huff Fund”.
For more photos from the services, click here.
Joe Huff is survived by his wife, Charlotte, daughters Vivian Huff , Wendy Wedgwood and Tammy Hester and numerous other family members.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Gas Could Hit $4.25 Before Summer
February 20, 2012
Gas prices continue to rise across the North Escambia area, and some industry analysts say the trend won’t reverse in the near future. The price of a gallon of regular unleaded was about $3.53 Sunday, up about a quarter since the first of the year. Experts are predicting a jump to about $4.25 a gallon by the end of April.
Pictured. Gas was $3.53 a gallon Sunday afternoon on Highway 97 in Davisville. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Man Held As Fugitive From Justice
February 20, 2012
A Century man is being held without bond in the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail as a fugitive from justice and for violating his probation.
Eric James Grimes, 21, is awaiting extradition to Alabama where he is wanted by the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office on one count of second degree receiving stolen property.
Grimes is also being held on an outstanding violation of probation warrant in Escambia County, Fla., issued in connection with a 2009 drug case.