ECSO Presents Service Awards To Deputies, Other Employees
April 1, 2021
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons and Chief Tommi Lyter presented awards to the following Escambia County Sheriff’s Office employees and deputies recently:
Marcus Faulkner was awarded the Civilian Service Medal for meeting the challenges COVID-19 and Hurricane Sally presented during the year 2020. Faulkner was also the recipient of the Law Enforcement Employee of the Quarter.
Crime Scene Supervisor Lacey Oden was awarded the Achievement Medal for receiving a Master of Science degree in Forensic Science from Oklahoma State University.
Sergeant Vincent Odenbrett was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and Cole Chancellor was awarded the Civilian Service Medal for exceptional professionalism and meeting the complex task of keeping the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in compliance and accredited.
Master Deputy Michael Moulton and Deputy 1st Class Thomas Garrett were awarded the Life Saving Medal for saving the life of Ronnie Golloher, who was in cardiac arrest during Hurricane Sally.
Senior Deputy Samuel Shelley and Deputy 1st Class Jeremiah Meeks were awarded the Legion of Merit Medal for being recognized every year (2016 – 2020) by MADD for outstanding achievement in relation to DUI arrests. Shelley was also the recipient of the Achievement Medal for becoming a Certified Drug Recognition Expert.
The Medal of Courage was presented to Master Deputy Matt Watkins, Deputy Trenton Hershberger, and Deputy Daniel Weller, who were engaged in a lengthy exchange of gunfire with a violent suspect who was wanted for aggravated assault and battery on a law enforcement officer. Watkins, Hershberger, and Weller showed extreme bravery in the face of danger by staying in the gunfight and assisting with apprehending the armed and dangerous suspect.
The Medal of Valor was presented to Senior Deputy Douglas Shoemaker. Shoemaker was also the recipient of the Purple Heart and Law Enforcement Officer of the Quarter. Senior Deputy Douglas Shoemaker responded to a suicidal threats call, and upon his arrival, he was met with open gunfire. Shoemaker was struck several times, and despite being wounded, Shoemaker was able to maintain his composure while returning fire.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County COVID-19 Hospitalizations Remain At Lowest Level In Nine Months
April 1, 2021
The number of Escambia County COVID-19 daily hospitalizations is remaining at or near the lowest levels since last June.
The number of people hospitalized due to the virus on Wednesday was 23, after a low of 22 in recent days. In mid-January, the number reached a high of 291.
“We continue to be in the 20s range for COVID-19 hospitalizations between the three local hospital systems. We are glad to see these numbers coming down for our community and for our hospitals,” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said. “Please continue to take preventive actions, including wearing a mask, washing your hands often, and staying home if you are sick.”
The numbers in the graph indicate daily hospitalizations in Escambia County and are provided daily by Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital. The daily numbers are not cumulative.
Data sources: Escambia County, City of Pensacola, Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist and West Florida hospitals. Graphics: City of Pensacola, Escambia County.
Oklahoma Police Detective Guilty Of Murdering His Chief At Pensacola Beach Hotel
April 1, 2021
A former small town Oklahoma police detective has been convicted in Escambia County of killing his police chief during a law enforcement conference on Pensacola Beach in 2019.
Michael Patrick Nealey, 50, was found guilty of second degree murder for the death of Mannford Police Chief Lucky Miller.
It took a jury about two hours Wednesday to return the guilty verdict. Nealey will be sentenced on April 29.
Prosecutors said the murder was the result of an alcohol-fueled night. Prosecutors say the medical examiner determined Miller was beaten and strangled or suffocated to death.
Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
15-Year Old Teen Seriously Injured In Hit And Run On Ten Mile Road; FHP Searching For Driver
March 31, 2021
The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for a hit and run driver that struck a 15-year old early Wednesday morning on Ten Mile Road.
The teen was walking west in the travel lane of of 10 Mile Road toward Chemstrand Road about 12:30 a.m as a vehicle was also traveling west.
The driver of the vehicle, described as possibly being a small dark-colored sedan, slammed on brakes and attempted to swerve to avoid the pedestrian, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The car hit the boy, throwing him to the right side of the vehicle and onto the roadway.
The driver failed to stop and was last seen traveling west towards Chemstrand Road. The car will have damage on the front bumper and hood, near the passenger side headlight.
The teen was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Anyone with information is asked to contact FHP Trooper Knowles at *FHP from a cell phone or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
File photo.
Questions Raised About Residency Of ECUA District 5 Board Member Kevin Stephens
March 31, 2021
Questions have been raised about the residency of Emerald Coast Utilities Authority board member Kevin Stephens after recent comments he made at a Pensacola City Council meeting and a check of property records. But Stephens says he is, and remains, a longtime resident of Barth, a small community in the Molino area.
The political newcomer was elected to ECUA last year as the representative for District 5, an area essentially from Nine Mile Road north in Escambia County.
Last week, Stephens stepped to the microphone at Pensacola council meeting and made statements that some interpreted as indicating that he actually lives in the city.
“Good evening, my name is Kevin Stephens, 607 Crown Cove,” he said. He also identified himself as vice president of the homeowners association for the Crown Cove subdivision. Crown Cove is in Pensacola very near Veterans Memorial Park on Bayfront Parkway. The U.S. Navy veteran addressed the council in favor of the installation of bathrooms at the park.
“My 10-year old son and I jog down there frequently, three days a week when here ” Stephens told the council.
Speaking at the reopening of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Molino Precinct in February, Stephens referred to his neighbors in the area and driving by the precinct daily on his way home.
“From District 5 to my neighbors here in Molino and Barth, I can’t be more excited about having this substation opened up. I pass it to and from home each day and look at it,” he told a large crowd in Molino.
Public records show Stephens and his wife have claimed a homestead exemption on their Crown Cove property for the past two years. He said that a homestead exemption does not indicate residency.
“I have lived in Molino for over 16 years,” Stephens told NorthEscambia.com late Tuesday afternoon. “I live in District 5 and represent the people of District 5.”
Tuesday, Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford agreed. He said that the residency requirement for the ECUA board is the same as defined by law for the Escambia County Commission.
“They must be a resident of the district on the day of election by statute,” Stafford said. Florida residency is defined as where a person spends most of their time and is not defined by homestead exemptions.
Stephens explained that he and his wife do spend time at their Crown Cove home in Pensacola, and that time increased right after Hurricane Sally which downed trees and caused significant damage their Barth Road home.
“We do still live in Molino. In fact we’ll be celebrating Easter their this weekend. Anyone that doubts we live there can stop by and hunt Easter eggs with us,” he said.
Pictured top: ECUA District 5 board member Kevin Stephens speaks about his neighbors during the reopening of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Molino Precinct. Picture below: Stephens, far right, looks on as the ribbon is cut on the precinct. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Had Over 100 Images Showing Child Sex Abuse, ECSO Says
March 31, 2021
An Escambia County man was charged after investigators found over 100 images depicting child sexual abuse in his possession, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
On Tuesday a search warrant was executed in the 8500 block of Alvarado Calzada off Gulf Beach Highway by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit and SWAT team, along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations. The search warrant revealed that the target of the investigation, Andrew Alexander Thompson, was in possession of image files on his electronic devices which depicted over 100 children being sexually abused, the ECSO said in a statement.
The victims were between the ages of 2 and 12, according to an arrest report.
ECSO lead investigator Jeremy Horn arrested Thompson on 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $300,000.
Your Local Pizza Hut Has A New Owner In Massive Franchise Deal
March 31, 2021
Your local Pizza Hut has a new owner.
Flynn Restaurant Group has acquired 937 Pizza Hut locations across the United States from NPC International. NPC declared bankruptcy in 2020.
The deal includes the Pizza Hut restaurants in Cantonment, Pensacola, Milton, Pace, Atmore, Flomaton and Brewton, a Flynn Restaurant Group spokesperson told NorthEscambia.com.
Flynn, which describes itself as the largest restaurant franchise operator in the country, including Applebee’s, Panera Bread, Taco Bell and Arby’s. With the purchase, Flynn will nearly double its restaurant count as a result of this acquisition, now owning and operating a combined total of 2,355 quick-service, fast casual and casual dining restaurants, generating $3.5 billion in sales and employing 73,000 people in 44 states.
Pictured: The Pizza Hut location in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Splits Games With Pine Forest
March 31, 2021
Pine Forest 3, Tate 1
The Pine Forest Eagles topped the Tate Aggies Tuesday night 3-1.
Tanner Rouchon allowed two hits and one run in two innings for the Aggies. Tucker Griffin pitched one inning, allowing one hit and sitting down one.. Ethan McAnally allowed two runs on one hit striking out one; and Jackson Penton pitched two innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.
Drew Reaves was 2-4 for Tate. Jadon Fryman was 1-3 with a run; Penton went 1-1 with a RBI.
Tate 4, Pine Forest 1 (JV)
The Tate High School junior varsity defeated Pine Forest 4-1 Tuesday.
Caleb Murph started on the mound for Tate, going three innings while allowing no hits, no runs and striking out four. Saxon Hill pitched two and a third innings allowing one hit, one run and striking out five.
Hill led Tate at bat, going 3-4 with two RBIs. Javin Floyd, Colton Swiers, Allan Beasley, Michael Sardar and Jamil Sarder each added a hit.
Pictured: Tate High School’s junior varsity defeated Pine Forest 4-1 Tuesday. Photos by Laura Glodfelter for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Girls Continue Winning Streak With Defeat Of Washington
March 31, 2021
The Tate High School Aggies girls tennis team continued their winning streak Tuesday with a 4-3 win over Washington.
Ana Sanchez Morales and Kingsley Cline maintain their momentum at the #1 doubles with a 9-7 victory and the #2 doubles of Gwen Ward and Kayley Foshee securing the overall with their 8-5 win.
Next up, the Aggies will be at Milton on Thursday.
File photo.
Ribbon Cut On New $142 Million Escambia County Correctional Facility
March 30, 2021
A ribbon cutting was held Monday for the new Escambia County Correctional Facility as the county officially took possession of the $142 million building.
The 840-bed facility on Pace Boulevard replaces the Central Booking and Detention facility that was destroyed by a natural gas explosion during the April 2014 flood that claimed the lives of two inmates and injured about 180 others.
For a NorthEscambia photo tour of the jail, click here.
“It’s very important that we’re taking a step to help those that are in our custody and try to make sure that they come out a better person than they came in. I say we’re also leading the way,” Escambia County Commission Chairman Robert Bender said. “We’re showing by example having impervious surfaces for our asphalt. This is as much of a drainage project as it is a corrections project. Trying to help the drainage in this area, containing flooding so that we don’t have to deal with the same issues that we saw in 2014. We are very excited that we are able to address all these with just one project.”
The county will now move into the new building over the next month or so before inmates are housed in the building.
The new four story building will not replace the current jail, which was constructed in the 1980s. The two buildings are connected by an enclosed corridor. Inmates will be divided between the two buildings based up on their security classification. Main services such as food and laundry will be in the new building.
The facility is designed with separate wings to house and provide services for juveniles, keeping juveniles out of normal sight and sound of adult inmates.
“The best thing that I see is the opportunity not just for the inmate population to be in a better, secure and safer environment. It’s a safe and secure environment for our staff to operate in,” Escambia County Corrections Chief Rick Powell said. “The biggest advantage is the size of this building of over 300,000 square feet. It is designed so it’s not tight, and it can be managed better. In the last two and half years in preparation for this building, we have been rewriting policies looking at old policies, restructuring how we conduct business and bringing policies into a modern era. Every area has a medical unit and educational area. Inmates have the essential needs to not come back. We try to introduce skill sets so they make better choices.”
There are 15 housing units, known as “pods” for the inmates. Four dorms are centered around a central multipurpose room that includes a station for corrections officers. Inmates will spend their time inside the pods, with services such as medical treatment, food and video visitation coming to them. There are televisions in the multipurpose rooms, and there access to an attached recreation area with a basketball goal. The rec area has high windows that open to the outside to allow in natural light and fresh air.
The corrections facility is operated by Escambia County, not the sheriff’s office.
“What you see here is near and dear to my heart because every step of the way the partners that we chose, that the Board of County Commissioners chose, we had that partnership with one goal in mind — to make it the very best,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office will continue in this partnership and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
For a NorthEscambia photo tour of the jail, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
