Century Council Honors Late Member Annie Savage, Discusses Replacement
November 8, 2016
The Century Town Council paused Monday night to remember Council Member Annie Savage, who passed away recently at age 75.
A black ribbon marked Savage’s place at the council table Monday night, the first meeting since her death. The council paused for a moment of silence in her honor.
The council also discussed a temporary appointment to the seat. The council decided that council members will accept names of those interested in serving and discuss a replacement at their November 21 meeting. A special election will also be scheduled for a permanent appointee to fill Savages unexpired term of just over four years.
Pictured top and bottom: A black ribbon marked the place of late council member Annie Savage Monday night in Century. Pictured inset: A file photo of Savage. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FHP: 96-Year Old Causes Beulah Four-Vehicle Crash
November 8, 2016
An elderly woman was cited after causing a four-vehicle crash Monday evening on Nine Mile Road at Heritage Oaks.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 96-year old Chelton Wilson of Mobile was eastbound on Highway 90 in Mercury Sable when she rear-ended a Nissan Sentra driven by 29-year old Megan Schaff of Pensacola. That vehicle was pushed into a 2015 Ford F150 driven by 48-year old Steven Pinette of Pensacola, which was pushed into a 2007 Ford Escape driven by 44-year old Vasheta Rogers of Pensacola.
Wilson’s vehicle then traveled down an embankment on the shoulder of the roadway.
All injuries in the crash were minor.
Wilson was cited for careless driving by the FHP.
FDLE Agent Accused Of Abusing Third Young Boy
November 8, 2016
A third victim has surfaced in the case of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agent accused of child sex crimes.
Charles “Chuck” Calvin McMullen was arrested on an additional charge of lewd and lascivious behavior and held without bond in the Santa Rosa County Jail.
He was first arrested on two counts of sexual battery on a victim under 12 and two counts of lewd lascivious behavior victim less than 12 years old.
The mother of the third victim contacted the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office after reading about McMullen’s first arrest. She became concerned because her child spent “almost every other weekend” at McMullen’s home, and she questioned her son.
The son told his mother and investigators that McMullen touched him in and inappropriate sexual manner.
McMullen investigated similar cases during his five year employment with the FDLE. He previously worked as Chief of the Cybercrimes Unit for then-Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and for the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office.
For more information about his previous arrest, click here.
Pictured top: Charles Calvin McMullen. Courtesy WEAR 3.
Ransom Middle Academic Tigers Move on to Nationals
November 8, 2016
Students from Ransom Middle School have once again qualified to compete at the national level at the Middle School National Championship Academic Tournament.
The members of the Ransom Academic Team participated in the Second Annual Lewis Falcons Middle School Academic Tournament in Valparaiso on November 5. They competed against 28 middle school teams from across the Florida Panhandle.
The matches in the tournament challenged team members to work together to answer complex academic questions more accurately than an opposing team. To gain an advantage each team tried to answer more quickly than the other team.
Clarissa Brown and Lucinda Bateman coached the teams for Ransom Middle and explained that the tournament questions are so much more than quick “trivia” questions.
“They have a pyramidal structure, where the questions begin with more difficult clues, slowly progressing to more familiar information. It rewards the more knowledgeable students for their ability to answer quickly while only using less, and more difficult, high-level information,” Brown explained.
Members of Ransom Middle’s teams were: Ransom Team A – Captain Maggie Brown, Carter Pitts, Abby Gryskiewicz, and Maggie Shaffer. Ransom Team B – Captain Lili Rollins, Ian DeLay, Owen Painter, and Saahil Soni.
Ransom’s Team A finished fifth overall, qualifying them for the 2017 Middle School National Championship Tournament. Brown ranked #8 overall out of 124 players.
“We are so proud of their outstanding and enthusiastic effort, and how well they continue to represent Ransom Middle School and Escambia County Schools,” Bateman said.
The 2017 Middle School National Championship Academic Tournament will be held May 12-14 in Dallas.
Pictured top: Ransom Academic Team members (front, L-R) Carter Pitts, Owen Painter, Saahil Soni, Ian DeLay, (back, L-R) Maggie Shaffer, Abby Gryskiewicz, Lili Rollins, Maggie Brown. Pictured below: Team A ready to complete (L-R) Gryskiewicz, Shaffer, Brown and Pitts. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Residents Can Report Election Violations To U.S. Attorney’s Office
November 8, 2016
Voters can report any elections violations to the U.S. Attorney’s Office today.
United States Attorney Christopher P. Canova will lead the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for today’s general elections. As the United States Attorney and District Election Officer, United States Attorney Canova is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact for the public to report election violations while the polls are open on Election Day. This program deters election fraud and discrimination by increasing the Department’s ability to prosecute these offenses when they occur.
Canova said, “The ability to exercise the right to vote is the centerpiece of American democracy. The Department of Justice will act aggressively to ensure that those who are entitled to vote may do so and that those who seek to corrupt the integrity of the process are brought to justice. It is imperative that anyone with specific information about voting abuses or election fraud share the information with my office, the FBI, or the Department of Justice, so that we may ensure an open and fair election process.”
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also protects voters from intimidation and harassment. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
To respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights today and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, District Election Officer Christopher P. Canova will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached at (850) 942-8430.
Pollution Notification Plan Continues To Draw Objections
November 8, 2016
Despite some changes to reassure the business community, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection continued to hear objections Monday to a pollution-notification rule proposed in the wake of high-profile incidents in Pinellas and Polk counties that raised questions about state environmental regulations.
The proposed rule, ordered by Gov. Rick Scott, would require any business, county or city government responsible for a pollution incident to notify the public within 24 hours. It was developed after a major St. Petersburg sewage spill and after a sinkhole at a phosphate plant south of Lakeland sent toxins into the Floridan Aquifer and threatened drinking water.
Some revisions to the rule were released Friday after members of the public — primarily advocates for utility companies — testified at a series of workshops about concerns the proposal would saddle them with undue regulatory burdens and substantial new compliance costs.
Within 24 hours after the initial public notification, according to the revised language released Friday, the responsible parties would have another day to release specifics of the pollution’s likely effects.
The revisions also specify exactly how the news media would have to be notified: at least one local newspaper, by email or hand-delivered notice, and at least one local network television station, also by email or written correspondence.
The department also released a statement of economic impact to the affected industries.
The proposal “will not have a direct or indirect adverse impact on economic growth, private-sector job creation or employment, or private-sector investment of $1 million” over five years, according to the department.
But that prediction did not quell the worries of industry groups, which said business or local government in-house press shops were ill-equipped to handle the public notification aspect of the new rule.
“This is, I think, an undue burden on these companies. … We feel like notifying DEP and letting DEP notify the local governments would be the best course of action,” said Tisha Keller of the Florida Trucking Association.
David Childs, representing the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Water Environment Association Utility Council, stressed that the department should notify the public, as it has “toxicologists, biologists and communications staff, as well as the bully pulpit of the executive branch of state government,” unlike businesses and small local governments that might not have the resources to provide the notice.
Another consistent complaint from municipal and industry interests was that the rule had simply moved too quickly. Scott ordered the rule’s drafting in September.
Despite the ongoing concerns, the department has indicated it will continue according to its plan to begin finalizing the rule immediately after 5 p.m. Wednesday, when a public comment period formally ends.
“We certainly will take the comments that were previously provided, as well as those today, and the department will make a final decision on what the final rule will look like,” said Robert Williams, chief deputy general counsel at the department.
Pictured: The Town of Century had 500 gallon sewage spill into this ditch near the Century Woods Apartment on West highway 4 on October 20. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Driver Cited After Electrifying Crash
November 8, 2016
A Cantonment driver was cited after hitting a utility pole Monday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 35-year old Timothy M. Wickam was westbound on 9 1/2 Mile Road at 2 p.m. when his 1994 Nissan left the roadway and struck a traffic sign and a power pole, causing multiple lines to fall and spark a grass fire. His vehicle then continued into an AT&T warning pole and multiple large bushes.
Wickham was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. He was also ticketed by the FHP for failure to maintain lane.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Krist Barbour, click to enlarge.
Sewage Leak Reported At Century Woods Apartments
November 7, 2016
The Town of Century has cleaned up a sewer leaking into an apartment complex driveway.
A lift station stopped pumping and filled sewer lines, which caused about 25 gallons of sewage to leak from a manhole onto the driveway pavement of the Century Woods Apartments on West Highway 4. The leak was reported by apartment management about 9 a.m. The lift station alarm was working property but due to the time of the day, no one reported the alarm. The “tenants were at work,” according to a public notice.
The lift station was repaired and the area was disinfected. “There is no potential risk to the public health, safety or welfare,” the town said.
Shots Fired At Escambia Deputies In Cantonment; Sheriff Issues Warning For Suspect
November 7, 2016
There was a massive manhunt today in Cantonment after shots were fired at Escambia County deputies. There were no deputies hit or injured.
The deputies were working to serve a felony warrant in the 900 block of Booker Street area when someone in a silver Dodge Charger or a black Chevrolet Impala drove by and shot at them, according to Amber Southard, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have reason to believe that someone attempted to ambush our deputies in Cantonment,” Escambia County Deputy Sheriff David Morgan said.
Deputies were attempting to serve warrants on Jeffrey Jermaine Purifoy (pictured left) for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill and aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony at the time the shots were fired.
“Mr. Purifoy, I am looking for you. I request that you turn yourself in. This is Escambia County, FL. Unlike other places in the United States of America, when shot at, we shoot back. Or especially when we have cowards who attempt to ambush our officers. You entered into a very deadly game young man,” Morgan said. I recommend that you turn yourself in.”
Morgan requested that the citizens of Cantonment provide any information on Purifoy’s whereabouts. “Do it now, before someone gets hurt,” Morgan said.
Anyone with information on Purifoy’s whereabouts should call (850) 436-9620 or 911.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Century Awarded $1.3 Million In Housing, Tornado Recovery Grants
November 7, 2016
The Town of Century has been awarded $1.3 million in state grants for tornado recovery and other housing assistance.
“I’m excited about this,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. “This is going hand and hand with what we need right now for long term recovery.”
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity made $600,483 in emergency funding available for recovery efforts following the February 15 EF-3 tornado. The application process for Century was basically a formality…the state announced that Century is the only local government eligible to apply for the funds.
Century was also awarded $700,000 small cities Community Development Block Grant for housing rehabilitation and replacement that can be used for tornado recovery but it not limited to such.
“I am going to keep my eye on these grants and work to make sure they benefit our people in Century as much as possible,” McCall said.
Pictured: Century Mayor Freddie McCall. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.