Warrant Details Allegations Against Art Teacher Charged With Having Sex With A Student
February 6, 2023
An arrest warrant details the allegations against a Beulah Middle School art teacher arrested on child sex charges involving a student.
Winston Hezekiah Foster, 61, was charged with sexual assault, lewd or lascivious behavior on a victim age 12 to 16, and a sexual offense against a student by an authority figure. He was released on a $60,000 bond shortly after his arrest on Thursday.
In December, the State Attorney’s Office received a complaint from the victim who alleged Foster, her former middle school art teacher, had a sexual relationship with her from October of 2017 when she was 15-years old until September 2019 when she was 17-years old. She said Foster was her art teacher for sixth, seventh and eighth grade while she attended Woodham Middle School.
She told investigators that it was not uncommon for art students to come visit Foster before school. She said Foster “started to be more forward with her and make comments that she thought were ‘weird’ for him to say,” according to an arrest warrant, before inviting her to do things outside of school. She said he invited her for sushi, and they went back to his house to eat. She said he kissed her, but that was it. In 2017, he allegedly took her to see a movie in about October 2017 before taking her to his house and having sex, the warrant obtained by NorthEscambia.com states.
“During the summer months, when Foster was off and his wife was at work, he would pick her up from her home and take her back to his house,” according to the warrant. The victim also alleged they had sex in a supply closet in his classroom at Woodham Middle School in 2017 and then at Beulah Middle School in 2018 and 2019. She also stated they had “virtual sex” through an app while Foster was in Houston visiting his very ill daughter.
According to district documents, Foster was an art teacher at Beulah Middle School and previously at Woodham Middle School.
According to Escambia County Public Schools, Foster was no longer an employee as of last Thursday.
Foster’s mugshot was not made available by the Escambia County Jail, which cited a Florida statute (F.S.S 119.071) that typically protects law enforcement and first responder mugshots and those of their families from public release. The jail did not cite the specific exemption claimed by Foster. Foster is pictured above from his arrest warrant (left) and after winning an art educator award while he was at Beulah Middle School.
19-Year Old Killed When His Vehicle Was Hit By Train In Atmore
February 6, 2023
One person was killed when a train collided with a vehicle at a crossing in Atmore Sunday night.
Koby Wooten, age 19 of Perdido, Alabama, was pronounced deceased on the scene.
The incident happened about 6:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Avenue crossing. According to Atmore Police, Wooten’s SUV was found with severe damage about 120 feet from the point of impact.
The investigation is continuing.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Highway 29 In Century To Be Down To Two Lanes For Three Months
February 6, 2023
A portion of Highway 29 through Century is down to just two lanes and will be for nearly three more months.
The two northbound travel lanes and the center turn lane are closed between Harries Boulevard and East Cottage Street. One northbound and one southbound lane will remain open using the current southbound travel lanes. The closures and traffic shift will be in place through April, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. Traffic may be further reduced to just one lane during the project, most likely at night.
The closure is part of a major reconstruction and realignment of Highway 29 from just south of East Highway 4 to the Alabama state line.
The project will also upgrade traffic signals, drainage structures, pavement markings, and driveways, while also improving curb ramps and sidewalks to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
FDOT said access to adjacent businesses and other properties will be maintained at all times.
It is estimated that the entire project will be completed in late 2024.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Soccer Advances To Regional Quarterfinals
February 6, 2023
The District 1-6A runner-up Tate Aggies are headed to regionals.
No. 8 Tate (10-3-3) will travel to No. 1 Chiles (15-2) on Wednesday, February 8 at 7 p.m. (EST) in the regional quarterfinals.
No. 3 Gulf Breeze, which defeated Tate 1-0 in double overtime for the district title, will host No. 6 Fleming Island on February 8.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Sunny Monday; Rain Chance Arrives By Wednesday Afternoon
February 6, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 70. North wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 47. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Southeast wind around 15 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 63.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 55.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
Contractor Surveying Ahead Of North Escambia Fiber Internet Buildout
February 6, 2023
A contractor is currently surveying across the area ahead of a North Escambia fiber internet buildout.
Last month, the Escambia County Commission selected member-owned Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) with their partner firm Conexon Connect to provide high speed broadband in the area.
EREC contractor ICON Utility Services is currently surveying the utility pole network across the EREC footprint for future fiber optic network installation.
The Connect, powered by Escambia River Electric Cooperative, network will span approximately 600 miles of fiber network in Escambia County reaching over 4,000 electric member locations.
Three basic speed tiers will be available:
- 100 Mbps/100 Mbps — $49.95/month
- 1 Gig/1Gig — $79.95/month
- 2 Gig/2Gig — $99.95/month
Qualifying households can receive a $30 per month discount through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Pictured: A contractor surveys a utility pole at the Travis Nelson Park in Bratt on Saturday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friends Of The Library Winter Book Sale Earns $18K For Programs
February 6, 2023
The Friends of the West Florida Public Library’s Big Winter Book Sale was the best sale ever at the downtown branch. The Friends mad $18,149.25 to support library funding of programs at branches in Molino, Century and Pensacola.
The Friends of the Library Spring Sale will be held April 28-30.
File photo.
Bratt Elementary School Celebrates Students Of The Month
February 6, 2023
Bratt Elementary School celebrated their January Students of the Month recently with a special pizza party and a story time. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gas Prices Decline Over The Last Week
February 6, 2023
Florida gas prices declined 7 cents per gallon last week.
On Sunday, the state average was $3.50 per gallon. That’s 8 cents below the 2023 high and only 3 cents more than this time last year.
The average price per gallon in Escambia County was $3.31. The lowest North Escambia price Sunday night was $3.16 at a Highway 29 station in Cantonment, while Pensacola prices dipped as low as $3.06 at a warehouse club.
“Pump prices are moving lower again after a sharp drop in the oil and gasoline futures markets,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Oil prices are 10% lower than two weeks ago. Meanwhile, wholesale gasoline prices have fallen almost 40 cents. Unless the market suddenly rebounds, drivers could see gas prices drop another 5-15 cents this week.”
The drop is due to a combination of domestic and global factors. On Friday, the European Union agreed to impose a $100/barrel price cap on Russian oil. Additionally, there’s speculation that the strong January jobs report could cause the Federal Reserve to pass additional interest rate hikes, which could potentially lower fuel demand.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Tate Aggie Cheerleaders Take Third In The State, Headed To Nationals
February 5, 2023
The Tate High School Aggies competitive cheerleading team took third in the state Saturday.
At the 2023 Florida High School Competitive Cheerleading State Championships in Gainesville, Tate earned a score of 83.10 for third place behind Durant (Plant City) with 83.70 points and Windermere with 85.4 points
Last year, the Aggies were crowned the 2022 FHSAA Small Varsity competitive cheerleading champions.
Up next, the Tate Aggies cheerleaders will compete at nationals.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.