Century Man Convicted Of Raping 16-Year Old Girl As She Walked To The Library; He Is Facing Up To Life In Prison
March 18, 2021
A Century man is facing up to life in prison after being convicted by a jury of grabbing a 16-year old girl she walked to the library in Century and raping her.
Na’Keetric Devonte Davison was convicted of kidnapping, sexual battery using threats of force or violence, attempted sexual battery, trespassing and criminal mischief. He will be sentenced in late May and designated as a sexual predator.
On August 21, 2019, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Highway 29 and McCurdy Street Wednesday where a teen female exiting the wood line told deputies she had been raped by a man that fled the area on foot.
A passerby called 911 to report a disturbance after seeing a man pull the teen into wooded area. The motorist’s intervention allowed the teenage victim to escape from Davison.
The 16-year old female was obviously hysterical, standing with her jeans unzipped and her hair in disarray. She told deputies she was walking south on the sidewalk to the Century Branch Library when she was approached from behind by a a man that asked her for some change. She stated the man, later identified as Davison, grabbed her and pulled her into a wooded area adjacent to the sidewalk. Davison then grabbed her by the throat, slammed her to the ground and told her not to scream or he would kill her, the report states.
The teen told deputies that Davison then sexually assaulted her before telling her again that he would kill her if she screamed out. He then took her wallet from inside her purse and fled on foot into the woods.
The teen was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
A perimeter was established, and Davison was tracked by deputies and K-9 units from the Escambia County Road Prison and the Century Correctional Institution.
NorthEscambia.com was there as Davison was found inside a small storage building used as a meeting room adjacent to the New Calvary Church at Zion and Jackson streets. He had kicked in the door of the building in order to gain entry, according to an arrest report, and consumed several bottles of water and a bag of chips. He as apprehended wearing only his underwear after hiding his clothes in a refrigerator inside the building. The hidden clothing matched the description provided by the victim. Other evidence was collected at that time that helped corroborate the crime.
For an exclusive NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene and arrest, click here.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Updated: Woman Struck And Killed By Train Near Nine Mile Road
March 18, 2021
A person was struck and killed by a train Wednesday night off Nine Mile Road.
It happened on the railroad tracks south of East Nine Mile Road, near Nims Lane. The 58-year old female was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The ECSO has not released the victim’s name as they work to contact her next of kin and the investigation continued.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Century Council Rejects Two New Hires By The Mayor, Saying He Violated The Town Charter
March 18, 2021
The Century Town Council has rejected two employees hired by the mayor because they say he violated the town’s charter.
After the town received five applications for an entry-level service worker in the street department and 50 applications for a citizen services clerk office position, Mayor Ben Boutwell and staff members made their selections and offered jobs to two people. The service worker was already on the job, and the clerk was set to start late this month.
The service worker the mayor hired has nine years experience as millwright at a lumber mill, five years in maintenance at a chemical plant, and six years in home construction. The office worker selected by Boutwell has almost 20 years experience at an area bank as a bookkeeper, loan assistance, teller and accounts payable clerk, and holds an associate degree from Pensacola Junior College.
But at a recent meeting, town council president Luis Gomez said the two were not hired in accordance with the town charter. The charter states that the mayor will present his employee selections to the town council to be approved or denied. The council can only vote yes or no on the mayor’s choice; the charter does not give the council any authority to hire anyone not recommended by the mayor.
“The council was disregarded, blatant disregard,” Gomez told Boutwell. “We could have waited to tonight, and you could have did the proper protocol and said I recommend A and B for these two jobs. And then it would have been up to the council.”
“I’m not here to preach but I’m here to make sure that everything is done by the books because if we go by this charter, even though it’s 40 years old, it’s outdated we got to go by this charter,” Gomez added. “Right here it says you cannot hire somebody, and my understanding is you’ve already hired two people.”
“My understanding is that in May of 2013 there was some type of council meeting that the council gave the mayor at that time permission (to hire employees),” Boutwell responded.
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“In 2013 they should have amended this; this is the charter. This has not been amended,” Gomez said. “The council cannot even say Mr. Boutwell, Mayor Boutwell, you can do this.”
“We picked out the two that were the most qualified as a team that we felt was the best,” the mayor said. “And so if I should I have brought that person to y’all, then that’s what I should have done. I thought, because they were already a position in the budget, that I could hire them. That was my interpretation.”
“I will admit that I am wrong,” Boutwell stated.
While the positions were properly advertised before Boutwell’s hires, the council voted 3-2 to restart the process and readvertise the jobs. Council members James Smith and Sandra McMurray Jackson voted no.
“I would not want to be put in a position where I have put my resignation in on my previous job for Kim (Kim Godwin, town clerk) to call me in the morning and tell me that I’m sorry, but … I would not want that,” Jackson said.
Pictured top: Century Mayor Ben Boutwell. Pictured below: Luis Gomez, Century Town Council president. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Six Months After Hurricane Sally, $269.2 Million In Federal Assistance Provided
March 18, 2021
Just over six months ago, communities across 14 affected counties in Florida experienced the devastating effects of Hurricane Sally.
Since the hurricane made landfall September 16, 2020, federal assistance for recovery in those counties is approximately $269.2 million. This includes National Flood Insurance Program insurance payments; FEMA grants for temporary rental assistance, basic home repairs, and other needs not covered by insurance; and U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses.
Federal assistance for Hurricane Sally, as of March 16, 2021:
- More than $36.3 million approved in FEMA Individual Assistance:
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- More than $28.4 million approved for housing repair costs, home replacement and rental payments.
- Nearly $7.9 million approved to replace essential household items and for other critical disaster-related costs.
- 8,463 individuals and households were approved for housing assistance and other disaster-related costs such as home repair, rental assistance and replacing essential household items.
- More than 5,400 homeowners and renters displaced by the storm have received rental assistance.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration approved 2,141 low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses for more than $84 million.
- 4,758 claims filed with the National Flood Insurance Program primarily in Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties; $144.5 million paid.
- Flood insurance specialists have contacted more than 360 insurance agents and more than 280 real estate professionals in the Hurricane Sally-affected area with flood-insurance and flood-risk information, claims and marketing support.
- More than $4.4 million in Public Assistance grants approved for Hurricane Sally-related reimbursements to state and local governments, and certain nonprofits.
Northview High School Names Students Of The Month
March 18, 2021
Northview High School has named their February Students of the Month. They are Briar Weaver (pictured left) and Kinzey Powell (pictured right). Also pictured is Northview Principal Michael Sherrill. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Update: Suspect Dead After Officer Involved Shooting On Pensacola Beach
March 17, 2021
A suspect is dead following an officer involved shooting Wednesday night on Pensacola Beach. In an update Thursday morning, law enforcement said the suspect pulled a weapon from his waistband.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed disturbance at the Surf and Sand Hotel on Fort Pickens Road, just across the the Casino Beach parking lot. The caller advised that a male suspect was battering a female, and he was armed with a gun. Deputies arrived on scene and located the suspect and victim inside the hotel room.
“The suspect was armed, refusing all commands to surrender, he then pulled the weapon from his waistband, forcing deputies to shoot the suspect”, according to a statement from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect was struck and was pronounced deceased on scene. There were no deputies injured during the incident.
As is standard procedure, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer involved shooting. Bot deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Pictured: The scene at the Surf and Sand Hotel on Pensacola Beach shortly after an officer involved shooting Wednesday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Family Using App Discovers Missing Man Was Killed In Traffic Crash
March 17, 2021
Family members use a tracking app to find a traffic crash victim Wednesday afternoon, two days after he was reported missing.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 37-year old man lost control on the I-110 ramp to I-10 westbound, and was ejected after he struck a concrete guardrail and overturned into the trees. Troopers are not sure exactly when the crash happened.
FHP said the vehicle and the victim were in area that was not visible to passing drivers, and there were no immediate signs of a collision in plain view.
His body and vehicle were located by his family using a family locator tracking app he had on his phone.
The man’s name has not been released.
Parents Concerned About Access To Their Students’ Private Data In School District’s Computer System After Homecoming Queen Hack Arrests
March 17, 2021
Following the arrest of a Tate High School homecoming queen and her assistant principal mother for alleged improper use of an Escambia County School District computer system, parents are concerned about the safety and security of their students’ personal information and why they were not notified.
Laura Rose Carroll, 50, and her 17-year old daughter, Emily Rose Grover, were charged by state law enforcement with multiple computer crimes. Grover and Carroll, a now-suspended assistant principal at Bellview Elementary School, allegedly accessed hundreds of student accounts to cast fraudulent votes for Grover, enabling her to win the homecoming queen crown.
NorthEscambia.com took the parental concerns about student data to Escambia County School Superintendent Dr. Timothy Smith.
“An assistant principal and a principal have a lot of access in order to do their job,” Smith said. “There is a lot of information there.”
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County School District FOCUS program contains grades, medical history, test scores, attendance, disciplinary actions, personnel information, emergency contacts, schedules, exceptional student education (ESE) information, student picture and student identification number. Teachers and staff members are able to view student profiles or more depending on access level.
An assistant principal, Smith said, would have district level inquiry access to the system.
Arrest affidavits obtained by NorthEscambia.com show the school district became aware in 2020 of the alleged improper use of the FOCUS system by Grover and Carroll.
Smith said the district will investigate.
“That’s something we will have to work with the state on and the steps they would have to take,” he said.
While no accusations have been made that the duo changed any grades, we asked Smith if that possibility would be investigated.
“We’ll have to see once FDLE is done what they have for us,” the superintendent said.
Nine students and one teacher provided statements to FDLE that said Grover spoke about accessing Carroll’s FOCUS account or they have seen her access it for almost four years.
“I have known that Emily Grover logs into her moms school account in order to access grades and test scores since freshman year when we became friends,” one student said in a statement to FDLE. “She has looked up [redacted] student ID before to [redacted]. She also knows that if she logs into her moms account at Tate it will ping that Laura Grover signed in at Tate High School. She looks up all of our group of friends grades and makes comments about how she can find out our test scores all of the time.”
“When Emily Grover was a sophomore [redacted] class, I recall times that she logged onto her moms focus account and openly shared information, grades, schedules, etc. with others. She did not seem like logging in was a big deal and was very comfortable with doing so,” another statement written by a witness said.
Carroll, and Grover where charged by FDLE with one count each of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices (a third degree felony), unlawful use of a two-way communications device (a third degree felony), criminal use of personally identifiable information (a third degree felony) and conspiracy to commit these offenses (a first degree misdemeanor).
The investigation started in November 2020 when the Escambia County School District contacted FDLE to report unauthorized access into hundreds of student accounts. The investigation found that Carroll and Grover had accessed student FOCUS accounts. FOCUS users are required to change their password every 45 days and Carroll’s annual training for the “Staff Responsible Use of Guidelines for Technology” was up to date.
In October 2020, hundreds of votes for Tate High School’s Homecoming Court voting were flagged as fraudulent, with 117 votes originating from the same IP address within a short period of time. Agents uncovered evidence of unauthorized access to FOCUS linked to Carroll’s cellphone as well as computers associated with their residence, with a total of 246 votes cast for the homecoming court. Multiple students reported that the Grover described using her mother’s FOCUS account to cast votes. The investigation also found that beginning August 2019, Carroll’s FOCUS account accessed 372 high school records and 339 of those were of Tate High School students.
Grover was expelled from Tate High School.
Pictured above and below: Laura Rose Carroll, Bellview Elementary Facebook and Escambia County Jail; Emily Rose Grover, Tate High School’s 2020 homecoming queen, NorthEscambia.com photo.
Update: ‘One-Shot’ COVID-19 Clinics Thursday In Cantonment And Century
March 17, 2021
Community Health Northwest Florida has vaccination clinics scheduled for Thursday in Cantonment and Century.
Details on each are below:
CANTONMENT
Community Health Northwest Florida will hold a Johnson & Johnson “One Shot” COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, March 18 from a 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Langley Bell 4-H Center at 3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment.
The clinic is open to all Florida residents who qualify to receive the vaccine (see below for requirements). An appointment is required; call (850) 439-3358 to schedule an appointment.
CENTURY AREA
Community Health Northwest Florida will hold a special Johnson & Johnson “One Shot” COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, March 18th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Century Century Community Center at the corner of West Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard in Century.
Appointments are required. Eligible persons who wish to be scheduled for this special Johnson & Johnson vaccination event should call the Community Health COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at (850) 439-3358 or Community Health Adult Primary Care at (850) 724-4064 to make an appointment.
This clinic is open to all residents of Century and surrounding communities who qualify (see qualifications below).
Eligibility Criteria for Vaccines
- Persons 60 years of age and older
- Adults 18 and older deemed medically vulnerable by a physician. One of the following is required:
- Patients may have their doctor fill out a State of Florida “COVID Vulnerability Determination” form or
- Bring a doctor’s note/prescription stating the condition that qualifies the patient or current prescription bottles of the medication that treats the pre-existing condition.
- All K-12 school employees, all ages; must show a badge from their school. (Current Executive Order does not include educators beyond K-12).
- Daycare workers; badge or paystub required as proof of employment in daycare setting
- Long-term care facility residents and staff
- Healthcare personnel with direct patient contact
- Sworn law enforcement officers 50 years of age and older
- Firefighters 50 years of age and older
IMPORTANT:
- All participants will be required to show photo ID as well as proof of eligibility at time of appointment.
- Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days or have had symptoms of illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath) in the past 14 days should not receive the vaccine.
Jim Allen Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
March 17, 2021
Jim Allen Elementary School has named their February Students of the Month. They are Rhett Norton (pictured left) and Sarah Simpson. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.