Cantonment Man Charged With Felony For Allegedly Throwing Rocks At His Neighbor
September 22, 2023
A Cantonment man was arrested for allegedly throwing rocks at his neighbor.
Justin Thomas Brojanac, 40, was charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor violation of a protection order.
The victim told deputies that she was in her backyard with her kids when something hit the roof of her house and fell down on her head. She said she then watched as Brojanac threw two other rocks at her that missed due to a bush, according to an arrest report.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said the woman suffered a small contusion on her head but did not seek medical attention.
Deputies attempted to make contact with Brojanac, but his wife advised that he only came home for his lunch break, the report states. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.
Brojanac remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $6,000.
Margaret Ann Colbert
September 22, 2023
Margaret Ann Colbert, age 69, of Atmore, AL passed away on September 18, 2023 in Birmingham, AL. She was born on October 9, 1953 in Claiborne, AL to Ed Taylor and Hattie Pritchett Taylor. Margaret was a firm believer in hard work. She had a passion for taking care of others which showed in her forty-year nursing career. She is preceded in death by her parents, and her siblings: Ricky Taylor, Roy Taylor, Jimmy Ray Taylor, Nan Taylor Nelson and Leon Taylor.
She is survived by her daughter, Haley (Dempsey) Rolin of Poarch, AL; her grandchildren, Braxton Cohen Harrison and Bryleigh Grace Rolin; her siblings: Larry (Barbara) Taylor of Hot Springs, AR, Dwaine (Betty) Taylor of Fulton, MS, James E. Taylor of Atmore, AL, Terry (Mary) Taylor of Hearne, TX, Richard (Rene) Taylor of Atmore, AL, Debbie King of Bay Minette, AL, Elizabeth (Jim) Chandler of Daphne, AL, and Delilah (Henry) Haire of Jay, FL. She was loved by her many nieces and nephews, and affectionately known as “Aunt Nancy”.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Sister Helen Stewart officiating. Interment will follow in Old Salem Cemetery in Mexia, AL.
Active pallbearers will be James Wesley “Boolie” Colbert, Cecil Wayne Colbert, Henry Haire, Jay Chandler, Ronald Rolin, and Rodney Stewart.
Visitation will be held Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Judith Ann Meldrim
September 22, 2023
Judith Ann Meldrim, 77, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Judith was born July 10, 1946 in Berea, Ohio to the late Coy and Lila Burchwell. She was a member of Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, and a member of Prime Timers.
Judith is survived by her husband of 57 years, Bob Meldrim; her three children, Jeff Meldrim (Nichelle), Mark Meldrim (Christie), and Jennifer Freckleton (Jeremy); 12 grandchildren, Alexis, Dillon, Libbie, Leann, Victoria, Robert, Eric, Lindsey, Sara, Ashley, Kelcey, and Joseph; her great grandchildren, Lennox, Lucas, and Salem; sisters, Patty Kitching (Stanley), Barbara Salvador (Steve), Susan Sprunger (Dong); and extended family.
The family will receive friends for visitation at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 23, 2023 at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, followed by a memorial service beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 South Highway 29, Cantonment, is entrusted with arrangements.
Man Convicted In Walnut Hill Murder, Attempted Murder; Faces Up To Life In Prison
September 21, 2023
A 2018 Walnut Hill double shooting murder suspect has been convicted.
Christopher Alan Stacey was convicted of lesser charges of second degree murder and attempted second degree murder. He was originally indicted for first degree premeditated murder and attempted first degree premeditated murder. He faces a minimum of 25 years to a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced in January.
After his arrest, Stacey claimed the shootings were self defense. Court motions and denied appeals from the Florida First District Court of Appeals delayed the trial, but all of Stacey’s self defense motions were eventually denied.
In June 2018, Dalton Davis was found dead in a truck in Brushy Creek on Deere Creek Road near Atmore. Troy Dewayne Boutwell was found in critical condition near the road after crawling from the truck but survived his injuries. They were shot nine miles away at a home on Highway 164 near Walnut Hill (pictured bottom), according to investigators.
His ex-wife, Jessica Nicole Thomas, was charged with accessory after the fact to first degree premeditated murder and accessory after the fact to attempted first degree premeditated murder for the shooting at her home on Highway 164. Stacey’s son, Christopher James Logan Stacey, and Alexis Ileene Shiffner Cain were also both charged with accessory after the fact to first degree premeditated murder and accessory after the fact to attempted first degree premeditated murder.
Thomas and Shiffner Cain pleaded guilty while Christopher James Logan Stacey pleaded no contest in 2019. All three are awaiting sentencing and face up to 30 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
Alabama detectives learned that Boutwell had been at his friend’s house in the 5900 block of Highway 164, just east of Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. Deputies responded to find the suspects in the home.
An Escambia County, FL, investigator was contacted by Atmore Police to relay information on the shooting location. He instructed deputies to respond to the home where they found a couch burning in the backyard (photo below). Deputies extinguished the fire. Victim Boutwell later said he was shot on the couch in the living room of the home, which is about nine miles from where the men were found with the truck.
According to the report, an AR-15 was found in one of the bedrooms and a 12 gauge shotgun was found in another bedroom. The report does not specify if either was the murder weapon. A bullet hole was found in an interior wall.
Christopher Alan Stacey was seated on a bucket across the road from the residence watching as investigators processed the crime scene, while his son sat ina wooden chair in front of a neighboring home (both pictured below). Cain and Jessica Thomas were placed in the back of ECSO patrol vehicles as investigators worked.
Florida investigators also responded to the truck at Brushy Creek on Deere Creek Road in Alabama to process that crime scene with Alabama agencies. The straight-line location of the truck was about 1,000 feet north of the Alabama-Florida State line.
Christopher Alan Stacey, resides with Thomas at the home on Highway 164. Boutwell told law enforcement that he was shot because of an argument with her ex-husband. The son, Christopher James Logan Stacey, also resides in the home, the report states.
Boutwell, the victim that survived the July 2018 shooting, was killed in a single vehicle wreck on March 13, 2021, on Highway 4A about three miles west of Century. He was pronounced deceased at the scene; there were no passengers in the vehicle. [Read more...]
Pictured below: Christopher Alan Stacey was seated on a bucket across the road from the residence watching as investigators processed the crime scene, while his son James Logan Stacey sat on a wooden chair in front of a neighboring home. Pictured middle below: A deputy questions Jessica Thomas as she sits inside a patrol vehicle in Walnut Hill. Pictured bottom: Investigators say two men were shot inside this home on Highway 164 in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
D.R. Horton Withdraws Offer For OLF-8 Property
September 21, 2023
Developer D.R. Horton has withdrawn their multi-million dollar offer for the county-owned OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road.
“D.R. Horton has been looking at multiple scenarios in an effort to make this project work, both for the residents of Escambia County and for Horton from a financial perspective. Unfortunately, Horton has come to the conclusion that there are too many obstacles to overcome in the limited amount of time being granted. Horton believes that the engineering, due diligence and governmental approvals necessary to make this project feasible cannot be accomplished within the County’s desired timeframe,” Attorney Chris Gill wrote in an email on behalf of homebuilder D.R. Horton.
“From Horton’s perspective, the current Master Plan that exists for the property does not allow for Horton to pursue a financially viable development. The changes to the Master Plan and other associated approvals and entitlements (both at the local and state levels) that would be necessary to convert this project into something that can be developed for commercial and residential purposes and in an economically viable manner pose more risk and uncertainty than Horton is willing to bear at this time,” Gill wrote.
D.R. Horton had offered $42 million for over 500 acres before dropping that offer in July to 24.1 million for 297 acres because Escambia County is holding back 241 acres for job creation near the Navy Federal Credit Union campus.
D.R. Horton’s proposal included 99 acres for commercial use including restaurants, retail, offices, medical and a town center. Their plan also showed 170 acres with 1,133 residential units, including 360 townhomes and 336 apartments.
Gill said if the county changes their plans, the company might be interested in becoming involved again.
“Horton believes that Escambia County, and especially the Beulah and Cantonment submarkets, are vital to the continued success of Northwest Florida, and the OLF-8 property is by far the most valuable location in this market. If the County were willing to entertain changes to the Master Plan that Horton believes are needed, Horton would very much be interested in participating in the future development of this site,” he wrote.
In August, Escambia County received a $40 million offer for the OLF-8 site from a Tampa real estate firm. The offer would need to be retooled because it was for the full acreage including the 250 acres that the commission now intends to hold back for economic development.
Pictured: The now withdrawn D.R. Horton preliminary design for the OLF-8 property.
Ernest Ward Middle Names Students Of The Month
September 21, 2023
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named their August Students of the Month. They are Brody Hall, eighth grade; Lillyth Dekker, seventh grade; and Nevaeh Tidd, sixth grade. They are pictured with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mid To Upper 60s Tonight
September 21, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 88. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 87.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 87.
Century Approves $40,000 For New Christmas Decorations In Late Vote
September 21, 2023
Late Tuesday evening, town of Century approved buying up to $40,000 in Christmas decorations before the end of the month.
The approval came about 9:40 p.m. during the public forum of a meeting that started at 7 p.m. Most of the public had left the meeting by that time, and the item was not on the agenda for consideration.
Superintendent Kevin Merchant asked the council for direction on ordering 48 lighted Christmas decorations for 48 utility poles along North Century Boulevard.
“If you want to spend say $10,000 by the end of the month on Christmas lights, Kevin can do it,” Town Clerk Leslie Howington said. “We have like $300,000 to spend by September 30.” She was referring to American Rescue Plan funds the town has that will otherwise roll over to the next fiscal year on October 1.
“I just don’t want to hang the same crap on the poles this year,” Merchant said. “We get talked about bad out there when we are hanging this stuff up.”
“Right, right, I’m with you,” Town Council President Dynette Lewis replied.
It was suggested that decoration designs be taken to each council member’s home to poll them on their favorites.
Later, interim Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. said, “We can get it to their houses, everybody knows where they live”.
“We can’t get them to make a decision in the shade,” Howington interjected, referring to Sunshine Law requirements that the council make decisions in an open meeting. “We need you to empower somebody to make a decision.”
“Why can’t we say that we trust staff to choose some really nice decorations?”, council member Alicia Johnson asked.
“Listen, we’ve reached out to a thousand people,” Howington responded when asked about the town’s required bid process. When asked for the 1,000 bid requests, Howington replied, “I may need to amend my statement.”
On a motion by Johnson, the council voted 5-0 to spend up to $40,000 on decorations.
The town’s current 24-inch wreath pole decorations were purchased in 2012 for $15,047 along with bows from a local business for $3,918. Another $2,734 was spent to have Gulf Power wire three poles that previously did not have electricity for three of the wreaths.
Previous Discussions
For years, the council has discussed options upgrading aging pole decorations along North Century Boulevard. A December 2021 discussion ended after then-council member James Lewis disagreed.
“It’ll be great to have the city lit up and looking beautiful,” Smith said. “But we don’t need to be spending a lot of money on that. There’s way too much in Century that needs to be fixed up…getting more businesses in the town, and as the town continues to grow, then we can have the finances to make the town look good. What’s the point in making it lit up when there’s not a whole lot around to be seen?”
In December 2022, the town discussed using ARPA funds for Christmas decorations and took no action. In June 2023, the council approved spending up to $1,800 for new garland for a Santa Claus decoration that stands annually in the Nadine McCaw Park. Also in June, they discussed $33,600 for new pole decorations but did not take a vote.
Pictured top: Century’s Christmas light display at Nadine McCaw Park. Pictured top inset and below: The other major decorations in the park are old, donated by the City of Pensacola years ago. Upgrading these decorations was not part of $40,000 approved Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Person Bit By Snake In Molino
September 21, 2023
One person was transported to the hospital after reportedly being bit by a snake in Molino Wednesday afternoon.
It happened about 2:50 p.m. in the 5000 block of Pilgrim Trail, just off Highway 97.
Escambia County EMS transported the individual to a local hospital for further evaluation, according to Escambia County.
There was no word on the type of snake involved, or the person’s condition.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Free Dog And Cat Adoptions At Escambia Animal Shelter Through Saturday
September 21, 2023
The Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare is offering free adoption for all cats and dogs one year or older through September 23.
Puppies are available for $50, and kittens are available for $25. An $11 licensing fee will be applied to all adoptions for Escambia County residents.
“We recently partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to offer free adoptions, but we want to give our community a second chance to participate in the adoption special for the full week,” said John Robinson, Director for the Department of Animal Welfare. “We have over 100 dogs and nearly two dozen cats ready to go home with you today. Adopting is a great way to give a pet a second chance at a new home while also making space at the Animal Welfare and Adoption Center for other animals in need.”
Residents can view a full list of adoptable pets in Escambia County at 24petconnect.com prior to visiting the shelter.
The Escambia County Animal Welfare and Adoption Center is located at 200 W. Fairfield Drive. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 12-5 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
All of the pictured animals were available for adoption this week.
