Year In Review North Escambia’s Biggest Stories Of 2009: July

January 2, 2010

NorthEscambia.com is looking back at 2009 with our “Year in Review” series. Each day, we will review the biggest stories of 2009. Today, we take a look at the biggest stories of July 2009.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were found dead in their Beulah home, setting off a series of arrests that captivated the nation. NorthEscambia.com was the first media in the nation to report that one of the suspects, Donnie Stallworth of Brewton, was in the military. As a result, NorthEscambia.com was mentioned on CNN, Fox and by United Press International (UPI), and we were linked to by Anderson Cooper and CNN, the New York Times, Huffington Post and MSNBC.

morgan10.jpgAbout two weeks after the Billings murders, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan sat down with just one media outlet — NorthEscambia.com — to talk about what life was like for him personally behind the scenes of the investigation.

The Town of Century’s foreclosure against Helicopter Technology became final on a $740,999.43 judgment.

“Don’t take for granted that you will see your kids grown”  was the powerful message from Marty Green of Bratt in story about her battle with stage IV lung cancer. She passed away about a month later.

highland-vbs-13.jpgSeveral churches held Vacation Bible School, including Highland Baptist Church where over 200 children enjoyed a 50 foot long banana split.

Deputies in Escambia County, Alabama, uncovered about $300,000 in goods stolen from homes and businesses in North Escambia, Santa Rosa County and across south Alabama.

Paul Edward Black, 42, of Century, entered a guilty plea to federal child pornography charges.

The Tri-County and Northwest Escambia girls softball teams made the state tournament, but both fell short of a state title.

Florida Tax Watch issued a report critical of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department, recommending that the agency cut millions from its budget. But Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan spoke out against the findings, calling the data “flawed”.

The final items were moved the last week of the month from the closed Carver/Century K-8 to Ernest Ward Middle and Bratt Elementary schools.

codehouse.jpgAn interim report from Escambia County Code Enforcement showed that 160 violators had been cited since code enforcement returned to Century.

Archaeologists from the University of West Florida working in Molino discovered what they believe may the first evidence of a Spanish mission settlement dating back to the 1750’s.

Northview High School Head Football Coach Cody Keene resigned. Sid Wheatley was named the new interim football coach at Northview High School.

After reading a headline on NorthEscambia.com “Wish List: $1.4 Million For Atmore, Nothing For Flomaton”, Flomaton’s mayor said that in the last 16 years, Flomaton had not received any extra funding from Congress because the town had not actually applied.

A federal grand jury  indicted Chad Floyd Jeter of Canoe for robbery of the First National Bank & Trust in Atmore.

The Escambia County Commission granted final approval to the county’s first pet-friendly hurricane evacuation shelter to be located at Molino Park Elementary School.

The Escambia Sheriff’s Office substation in Walnut Hill reopened for the first time since Hurricane Ivan.

band12.jpgScott Slay was named the new director of the Northview High School Tribal Beat band.

NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

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