Four Arrested After Search Warrants Executed In Atmore
October 8, 2015
The 21st Judicial Drug Task Force, assisted by numerous local, state and federal authorities, simultaneously executed numerous search warrants in various locations across Atmore on Wednesday following a lengthy investigation.
Agents found and seized a substantial amount of illegal drugs, including marijuana and methamphetamines, and several firearms.
Four Atmore residents were arrested during the operation:
- Shelton “Chubby” McKenzie, 38, conspiracy to commit controlled substance crime;
- Richard McKenzie, 28, unlawful possession of marijuana first degree, unlawful possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also arrested on outstanding felony warrants from Florida and misdemeanor warrants from Atmore;
- Victor McKenzie, 25, arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant
- Clarence Williams, 24, unlawful possession of marijuana first degree
Officials said more arrests are forthcoming.
The 21st Judicial Drug Task Force was assisted by Atmore Police, Poarch Police, U. S. Marshals, U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection air unit. In K-9 units took part from theEscambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, Thomasville Police Department, Citronelle Police Department and Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office.
Sunny And Warm Weather Continues
October 8, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. West wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Columbus Day: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
State To Test For Carcinogen Levels At Century Sheriff’s Precinct
October 8, 2015
An upcoming environmental site assessment will determine if benzine, a known human carcinogen, exists in dangerous levels at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office substation in Century.
In 1992, two 6,000 gallon underground storage tanks were removed from the property. At the time of the removal, an assessment revealed a concentration of benzene greater than the state’s target cleanup criteria. The property was entered into a program that would allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to conduct cleanup. As part of that program, the property was given a ranking score with cleanup priority is basked on ranking position.
The Sheriff’s Office Century Precinct score is a “26″, with the DEP currently working to cleanup properties with an assessment score of “30″ or higher. The FDEP is reassessing properties with low scores. If the score remains the same or reduces, the department will have the option of removing the property from the cleanup program list.
The Escambia County Commission is set to approve an agreement allowed FDEP to access the property for the assessment.
The single public building on the property, known also as the Billy G. Ward Courthouse, houses both the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Escambia County Clerk of the Courts.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia School Superintendent Candidate Arrested For Fraud, Identity Theft
October 8, 2015
An investigation by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the Tallahassee Police Department resulted in recent identity theft charges against Gerald Howard Washington of Escambia County. Washington pre-filed in September to run for Escambia County School District superintendent in 2016.
Washington, 19, was charged with one count of criminal use of personal identification information (20 or more), a first degree felony, and one count of organized communications fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor, after stealing personal information from multiple job seekers in Tallahassee.
The investigation showed that Washington posted online advertisements claiming to be hiring for 1,100 positions in Tallahassee. He traveled by Greyhound Bus from Pensacola to Tallahassee, set up a temporary office, and personally met with many job seekers who believed he was a valid employer with actual job openings.
The job seekers provided personal information, including social security numbers and bank information, for the application. They also provided urine samples and a $25 fee. The individuals were told they were hired and given a start date, but the jobs did not exist.
“Mr. Washington used the hope of would-be job seekers against them. His victims were Tallahassee citizens seeking to better themselves and their families. Those who seek to commit fraud in Tallahassee will be investigated and prosecuted for their actions,” Tallahassee Police Department Chief Michael DeLeo said.
Homecoming Fall Festival Saturday In Cantonment
October 8, 2015
The Cantonment Improvement Committee will present the Cantonment Homecoming Fall Festival this Saturday, October 10.
The 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. event at Carver Park on Webb Street will feature food, family fun and games for the kids. There will also be musical groups, a ballroom dancing demo and much more.
Free Hunter Safety Class Offered In Molino
October 8, 2015
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety courses in Molino next month.
The class will be held at the Molino Community Center, 6450 Hwy. 95A, Molino. Instruction is from 6 to 10 p.m. October 15. The range portion of the class will be October 17 from 7 to 10 a.m. Directions to the range will be handed out in class.
For the Internet-completion courses, students must complete the Internet course before coming to class and bring a copy of the final report from the online portion of the course. The final report form does not have to be notarized.
An adult must accompany children under the age of 16 at all times. Students should bring a pencil and paper with them to take notes.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
People interested in attending these courses can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling Hunter Safety Coordinator Will Burnett at the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at (850) 265-3676.
Students Learn Fire Safety
October 8, 2015
The Flomaton Fire Department presented a fire prevention program this week at Flomaton Elementary School. Students were able to learn about fire prevention, learn how to escape from a fire and pose for photos with a fire department engine. Photos by Katie Fowler for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Would You Give Your Boss Your Facebook, Social Media Passwords?
October 8, 2015
Most employees and job seekers could refuse to turn over private user names and passwords for social media sites without retribution, under a revived measure approved by a Senate panel.
The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee voted 5-1 to support the measure (SB 186) by Lake Worth Democrat Jeff Clemens. The measure, which is filed for the 2016 legislative session, would prohibit employers from requesting access to private social media accounts.
“People have the right to privacy, and they have a right to not be put under pressure in a job interview to disclose things that maybe they wouldn’t want to disclose and that really has no relation to their ability to do a job,” Clemens said after the meeting.
Clemens said in the past few years, as social media has become more prevalent, about 30 states have adopted similar legislation.
But Clemens’ proposal, which is before lawmakers for the third consecutive year, continues to face opposition from influential business groups, in part, because it would allow employees and prospective hires to sue.
“Employers should have access to any social media platform that employees access during work hours on hardware that they, the employer, actually own,” said Brewster Bevis, senior vice president of Associated Industries of Florida. “We believe the employer can be held legally responsible for information or leaking that is done over that platform.”
Bevis also argued that the measure could block internal investigations into matters such as sexual harassment and bullying.
Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, supported Bevis’ contention about blocking access to internal investigations and provided the lone vote against the measure.
However, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, noted that many companies can block access to social media websites on company equipment and that a business can still investigate cases of harassment as the recipient would have copies of any electronic messages.
“This is the same legislature that in the last two or three years we’ve restricted the use of drones, we’ve attempted … to restrict police officers looking at people’s cell phones and who they’ve called,” Latvala said. “We’ve done a whole lot of things to protect people’s privacy and this is a glaring example of something that I think needs to be done.”
Committee Chairwoman Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said the bill may still need to be amended to focus more on prospective hires.
Clemens said he’s willing to discuss ways that the civil liability issue could be altered, but added that going through an individual’s private social media is similar to going through a person’s private mail.
“I don’t think there is any court in the world that would tell you a business was negligent because they didn’t go through their employee’s mail,” Clemens said.
This bill would prohibit an employer from requesting the user name, password, or any other means of accessing the social media account of an employee or prospective employee, if the social media account’s contents are not available to the general public.
However, people might want to rethink “friending” a boss, as there is nothing in the bill that would prohibit an employer from checking out anything the employee or prospective hire posts that is publicly available.
Also, employers wouldn’t be prohibited from requiring access to a social media account used by the employee for the employer’s business purposes.
The proposal includes some exemptions, such as for employers complying with state or federal laws and for law-enforcement agencies when screening prospective employees or investigating employees.
A similar measure introduced this spring by Clemens failed to get backed by any committees. Two years ago, after a provision was added allowing employers to access employees’ social media information for business-related sites, a proposal was able to clear two of its four scheduled stops.
The new proposal still would need approval from the Senate Judiciary and Rules committees.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Town Of Century Tables Action On $20,000 Website, Marketing Plan
October 7, 2015
The Town of Century has tabled action on a $20,000 website and marketing plan to clarify funding sources and any need to bid the contract.
Century’s current website was developed by an area marketing firm in 2012 for $5,950, part of a $11,450 package that also included a five year comprehensive marketing strategy.
In 2013, the town was awarded a $25,000 technical assistance grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to develop an economic development strategic plan. After hearing proposals from four contenders, the town contracted with the Haas Center (the research and consulting arm of the University of West Florida) to develop the plan at no cost to the town.
The Haas Center’s detailed plan and recommendations included a new website for the town, with suggestions from the Haas Center in late 2014 that the website be created by a volunteer or perhaps UWF marketing interns.
Monday night, Dr. Felicia Morgan from the UWF Marketing Department and Johnathan “Jet” Tisdale of the Pace company White Paper Marketing presented a marketing plan with a one year contract at $1,650 per month cost for a website, an email subscription drive, website and a database management and other marketing resources. Any additional costs, such as advertising purchases, would add to the bottom line.
After questions arose about whether the cost would be the sole responsibility of the town, or if any grants or other funding sources existed, the council tabled any action on accepting the proposal. A question was also raised if the the town should accept bids on the marketing plan.
The council plans to readdress the marking plan costs at their next regular meeting on October 19.
Pictured top: Dr. Felicia Morgan from the UWF Marketing Department and Johnathan “Jet” Tisdale of the Pace company White Paper Marketing address the Century Town Council. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Grand Opening Held For New Ernest Ward Middle School
October 7, 2015
An official grand opening and ribbon cutting was held Tuesday for the newly rebuilt Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill.
The modern $20 million facility, funded by the half-cent sales tax, replaced a a campus that was among the oldest in the district.
“Many Ernest Ward students before you have already established that you should study hard, working to prepare yourself for the next big thing that is going to happen in your life,” School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas told the student body and invited guests. “To help you do that, the school district has presented you with a brand new, state of the art middle school.”
“Everybody deserves the opportunity to go to new once in their life,” District 5 school board member Bill Slayton said. “You are in a great facility.”
Architect Mike Marshall told the nearly 500 Ernest Ward students to make good use of the building. He challenged the students to always do their best, and work to get their photo on NorthEscambia.com for a positive accomplishment.
Tiffany Bates from of the office of Congressman Jeff Miller presented a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of the school’s grand opening.
Students moved into the Ernest Ward back in January so classes continue while the old school was demolished.
The oldest buildings at Ernest Ward, including the main classroom wing, were constructed in 1945 to replace a campus ravaged by fire in 1943. That old school had been constructed to replace an Ernest Ward School that first opened in a log cabin in 1896.
Ernest Ward graduate Billy Ward, who later served as a longtime probate judge in Escambia County, was a special guest at Tuesday’s ribbon cutting. He is the nephew of the Ernest Ward for which the school was named.
Ward remembers the day in 1943 that smoke billowed toward the sky from what was then the campus of Ernest Ward on Arthur Brown Road, near the site of the modern day grain elevator. “I rode my bicycle as hard as I could to get over there and see what happened,” he said. “It just burnt to the ground.”
Classes for the remainder of 1943 and 1944 were held in the school gym, located across Arthur Brown Road and untouched by the fire.
“They divided the gym up and we finished school there,” Ward explained, “before they open the new school here (on Highway 97) in 1945. It was nice back then.”
“But this is something else now,” Ward said Tuesday of the new facility. “It has everything the students need.”
Pictured top and upper inset: The grand opening ribbon cutting at Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill on Tuesday. Pictured bottom inset: Ernest Ward graduate and former probate judge Billy Ward. Pictured below: Ernest Ward students, many wearing pink fore breast cancer awareness, listen to the grand opening ceremony. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
