State Inmate In Atmore Dies After Testing Positive COVID-19 In Local Hospital
September 1, 2020
A 33-year prison inmate died positive for COVID-19 has died at an Atmore hospital.
Jonathan Mallory, a 33-year-old inmate who was serving a 20-year sentence for first-degree assault and a 25-year sentence for first-degree robbery out of Calhoun County at Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore passed away on Thursday, the Alabama Department Corrections acknowledged late Monday afternoon.
Mallory was admitted to a local hospital for treatment of an unrelated medical condition on July 10. He tested negative for COVID-19 upon admission. He was retested for COVID-19 on July 16 and returned a positive result. He remained under the care of the hospital until his passing, ADOC said. An official cause of the death has not yet been released.
A total of 18 inmates and 24 employees at Fountain have tested positive. At nearby Holman Prison, 13 inmates and 18 employees have also tested positive.
Meet Shorty, The Beagle K-9 That Tracked Down Suspect That Shot At Deputies
September 1, 2020
When an Escambia County man opened fired and became involved in a gun battle with deputies last Friday it was ultimately a cute little beagle named Shorty that tracked him down in the woods near the Perdido River.
“So here he is! After helping the ECSO apprehend an armed suspect in the woods last Friday, K9 shorty was able to take a quick break from crime fighting for a picture with Chief Deputy Chip Simmons and Lt. Simms from the Escambia County Road Camp,” the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office wrote on social media.
While Shortly ultimately found the suspect, the manhunt included the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Pensacola Police Department, Santa Rosa County Sheriffs’ Office, FWC, Escambia County Corrections, Escambia County EMS, Florida Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals and other agencies.
Pictured: Shorty with Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chip Simmons and Lt. Simms from the Escambia County Road Camp. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Seeks Public Input As They Consider Applying For Up To $2.2 Million In Grants
September 1, 2020
The Town of Century is seeking public input at an upcoming meeting as they consider applying for up to $2.2 million in state grants.
The town is considering applying to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) for a Fiscal Year 2019 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The Town is eligible to apply for up to $700,000 in the Neighborhood Revitalization, Commercial Revitalization and Housing Rehabilitation categories and up to $1.5 million in the Economic Development category.
Construction activities funded through the CDBG program must meet one of the following national objectives:
- To provide benefit to low and moderate income persons;
- Prevent or eliminate or elimination or slums or blight conditions;
- To meet a need of recent origin having a particular urgency.
The categories for which these funds may be used are in the areas of housing or neighborhood revitalization, commercial revitalization, and economic development.
For each activity that is proposed, at least 70% of the funds must benefit low and moderate income persons.
The public hearing will be held on September 8. Click here for more information (pdf).
Heat Advisory In Effect: Hot, Humid And More Of Those Afternoon Showers
September 1, 2020
A heat advisory is in effect for the North Escambia area until 6 p.m. due to a heat index reach up to around 110 degrees.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Heat Advisory for a heat index reaching up to 110. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Labor Day: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Man Catches New State Record 69.9 Pound Flathead Catfish In Santa Rosa County
September 1, 2020
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has certified a new state record flathead catfish caught in Santa Rosa County.
The fish weighed in at 69.9 pounds, measured 48.5 inches long and had a girth of 38.25. Angler Lavon Nowling caught the fish on a rod and reel using live bait in the Yellow River.
“I’ve caught some good ones before this fish, but none of them were more than 54 pounds,” said Nowling. “I’ve been fishing since I was old enough to hold a pole and have been fishing on Yellow River as long as I can remember.”
Nowling brought his catch to the FWC’s Blackwater Hatchery near Holt, where biologists weighed it on a certified scale. The last state record flathead catfish was caught in 2019 on the same river. That fish was caught by Marvin Griffin and weighed 69.3 pounds.
“I’ve been deep sea fishing to creek fishing and I never expected to catch a state record fish,” said Nowling. “That day I was fishing for channel catfish and can’t believe I caught a huge flathead. I was in the right place at the right time.”
Flathead catfish are a nonnative fish found in many northwest Florida Panhandle river systems. Flatheads prefer long, slow flowing, moderately turbid rivers. Their solitary lifestyle makes them more difficult to catch than other catfish. Adult flathead catfish feed primarily on live fish, crawfish, freshwater clams and mussels.
“A state record catch is a once in a lifetime achievement for an angler,” said Jon Fury, FWC’s Director for the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management. “We are pleased to award this state record to Mr. Nowling.”
To properly certify a new freshwater Florida state record, an FWC employee must witness its weighing on a certified scale and a biologist must identify the species.
ECSO Poll: The Name ‘Sadie’ Was Tops For New K-9 Cop Bloodhound
September 1, 2020
The name Sadie was the top name in an online poll to pick the name for a new Escambia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit puppy.
The pup is nine months old and is the agency’s first bloodhound. She will be assigned to Sergeant Biggs, and her main job will be to conduct searches for missing people or suspects.
The ECSO had narrowed her name down to three choices: Sadie, Izzy or Stella.
When voting closed Monday afternoon, Sadie was tops with 44.1% of the vote. Stella was a close second at 40%, and Izzy was far less popular with 15.9% of the vote.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Reliance Arrives Onboard NAS Pensacola
September 1, 2020
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Reliance arrived at their new homeport onboard NAS Pensacola Monday, after a nearly month-long patrol of the Windward Pass between Cuba, the Bahamas and Haiti.
The Reliance joins the Coast Guard Cutters Diligence, Decisive, Dauntless and Cypress onboard NAS Pensacola.
“It’s very exciting to be on the pier as we welcome the Coast Guard Cutter Reliance to NAS Pensacola — the fourth of the Coast Guard cutters that will be stationed here,” said Capt. Tim Kinsella, commanding officer, NAS Pensacola. “It’s especially exciting to have the Reliance here — being the namesake for this class of the cutters.”
Reliance departed her former homeport at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine on July 6, sailing for the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland to effect repairs to the propulsion shafts.
Reliance sailed from the Coast Guard Yard to begin her patrol of the Windward Pass, August 5. While patrolling the Caribbean, the Reliance operated alongside interagency and international partners to prevent dangerous, illegal maritime migration. The patrol included the repatriation of 16 Haitian migrants, participation in a search for survivors of a capsized Haitian vessel, shipboard training and storm avoidance.
“Reliance’s departure from Kittery, Maine, brings an end to 31 years of faithful service in the North Atlantic,” said Cmdr. Robert Hill, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Reliance. “The crew has performed exceptionally during our patrol amidst the challenges faced by COVID-19 and multiple tropical storms that arose. I could not be prouder of this crew and know that we are ready to continue our service in Pensacola, where the Coast Guard has strategically clustered part of its 210′ cutter fleet for logistical support and proximity to our mission area of responsibility.”
The homeport shift to Pensacola marks the second time Reliance has been homeported in Florida; Reliance was homeported in Port Canaveral from 1982 until 1987.
“It’s definitely a different environment for the crew,” Hill said. “Reliance, typically in the North Atlantic, was doing a lot of fisheries enforcement boarding, so our missions down here are a change of pace, but the crew is excited to be here. We are looking forward to it.”
Kinsella met Hill following the cutter’s arrival and welcomed Reliance and her crew to the NAS Pensacola family.
“We look forward to working with them throughout their time here, and helping them to do their mission wherever they deploy — whether it be to the Eastern Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico or even the Atlantic,” Kinsella said. “We are very happy to be partnering with them to help them continue their mission.”
Reliance (WMEC-615) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. It is the first of the 210′ Medium Endurance Cutter Fleet and the fourth Revenue Cutter/Coast Guard Cutter to bear the name Reliance. The cutter’s primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Photos: Joshua Cox for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jo Ann (Rawls) Caperton
September 1, 2020
Jo Ann (Rawls) Caperton passed away on August 13, 2020. She had a severe stroke on September 6, 2019, and never really recovered from that condition. Fortunately she remained in her home and was able to spend time with her husband.
Jo Ann was born in Pensacola, FL, on June 17, 1947, to Cleveland and Ola Mae (Barnes) Rawls. Jo Ann attended elementary school in Ensley, FL, middle school in Brentwood, FL, and graduated from Tate High School in Gonzalez, FL. She was in the band at Tate and upon graduation received a scholarship to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, MS. From there she went to Auburn University for a short time and graduated with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Mississippi State University in 1970. After graduation she married Frank Caperton on June 6, 1970, and moved to Shreveport, LA where her husband was employed. She and Frank moved from Shreveport back to Pensacola for a short period of time before moving to Knoxville, TN, in 1972 where they lived for 30 years. In 2003 they moved to Daphne, AL.
Jo Ann was very active in community service for a large part of her life, serving as a Commissioner of the Knox County Ambulance Authority as well as a docent for the Knoxville Zoo and a docent at James White Fort also in Knoxville. She was also active in the Artist community in Knoxville, and attended schooling at Arrowmont Arts and Craft school in Gatlinburg, TN where she learned to do stone carving. This was her true calling. She thrived on stone carving and continued to do it for the rest of her life. Upon moving to AL she became active in the Artist community and not only continued to do stone carving but took up pottery and sculpturing.
Jo Ann was predeceased by her younger brother Jeffery Glen Rawls and her parents. She is survived by her husband Frank and a younger brother Lester Devon Rawls and sister-in-law Wanita (Chandler) Rawls of Molino, FL,. She will be cremated and put to rest near her brother whom she loved dearly. Due to COVID-19 memorial services, in Fairhope, AL and Knoxville, TN will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL.
18-Year Killed When He Fell Out Of Moving Pickup Truck Near Atmore
August 31, 2020
An 18-year old was killed when he fell from a moving pickup truck northwest of Atmore.
Alabama State Troopers said Garrett D. Phillips of Robertsdale fell from the moving truck shortly after midnight Sunday. The 2002 Toyota Tacoma was being driven by 19-year old William D. Ray of Robertsdale on Kent Road in western Escambia County, between Jack Springs Road and Lottie Road.
Further information has not been released as troopers continue their investigation.
Low Number Of COVID-19 Positive Reported On Monday; Number Of Tests Also Down
August 31, 2020
THIS STORY IS OUTDATED. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
There were 32 new COVID-19 positives and no new deaths reported in Escambia County on Monday, according to the Florida Department of Health. While the number of positive results was down, so was the number of tests returned.
Escambia County cases increased to 11,151. An additional 12 cases brought the Santa Rosa County total to 4,671.
Of the 223 tests results returned in Escambia County, 9.4% were positive, and 19.5% were positive from 62 tests in Santa Rosa County. Over the past week, the overall average positivity rate for Escambia County is 5.5%.
There were 117 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Escambia County as of Monday, according to data from the three local hospitals.
Of the 186 deaths in Escambia County, 89 have been long-term care facility residents or staff. There have been 55 deaths in Santa Rosa County, at least seven of those at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility and 10 in a long-term care facilities.
Statewide, there were 623,471 cases including 616,629 Florida residents. There have been 38,495 hospitalizations* and 11,187 deaths. The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
Escambia County cases:
Total cases — 11,183 (+32)
Non-Florida residents — 1,002
Pensacola —8,175 (+24)
Century — 915 (+5)
—-including 768 Century prison inmates
Cantonment — 783 (+1)
Molino— 129 (+1)
McDavid — 63
Walnut Hill — 16
Bellview — 11
Gonzalez — 7
Perdido Key — 6
Current hospitalizations: 117 (-15)
Deaths — 186
Male — 4,939
Female — 5,148
Youngest — 0
Oldest — 105
Median Age — 39
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases — 4,671 (+12)
Non-Florida residents — 42
Milton — 2,534 (+1)
Gulf Breeze — 674
Navarre — 577 (+6)
Pace — 359 (+2)
Jay — 131 (+1)
Bagdad — 9
Cumulative Hospitalizations — 266*
Deaths — 55
Male — 2,601
Female — 2,021
Youngest — 2 months
Oldest — 101
Median Age — 40
Florida cases:
Total cases — 623,471
Florida residents — 616,629
Deaths — 11,187
Hospitalizations — 38,495*
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. These people may no longer be hospitalized. This number does not represent the number of COVID-19 positive persons currently hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.