Flomaton’s Jackson Dullard Signs With Troy University Football
February 5, 2021
Flomaton’s Jackson Dullard signed a letter of intent Thursday to play football at Troy University this fall.
Dullard was a member of Flomaton’s 2018 state championship team, playing offensive and defensive line that year before transitioning to fullback his junior and senior years earning all state honors. He will continue at Troy as a fullback.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Another 800 Should Receive $3,000 Escambia CARES Grant Soon
February 5, 2021
An additional 800 people are on track to receive a $3,000 Escambia County Family CARES grant as county staffers continue to work to contact about 1,000 more.
In January, the Escambia County Commission instructed county staff to reach about again to about 2,500 Family CARES Grant applicants who do not have complete information on their application.
Of those 2,500 applicants, 1,500 have been contacted and 800 of those have responded and provided needed information.
“We’re making good progress. We have seven county staff that are working on this,” Deputy County Administrator Chips Kirschenfeld told commissioners Thursday. “We think those 800 will be good to go. We’ve got about 1,000 more people to contact that have not been easy to contact, but we’re still working on that.”
Kirschenfeld the final total will be about 1,000 additional grants to be awarded to residents that provide the needed documentation.
“We think over the next three or four weeks, we should have all those contacts made,” Kirschenfeld said. Applicants will have two weeks to respond once they are contacted by the county.
Applicants can check their status in an online portal. If the status indicates “Applications Under Review,” the applicant should expect contact from the county.
The Escambia County Family CARES Grant program application and verification process began back on September 25 of last year. As of December 30, the county had approved 5,736 households for the $3,000 grants totaling over $17 million. In its four-day application window, the county received a higher than anticipated volume of applications with 9,558 households submitting information.
During a Thursday meeting, Commissioner Steven Barry thanked county staff for their hard work on the grant program and getting at least 800 more residents approved.
“That’s going to be a huge impact on their household and on their life, and it’s an impact that wouldn’t have taken place if the board had not taken additional actions,” Barry said.
FHP: Cantonment Teen Intentionally Ran In Front Of Pickup Before He Was Hit
February 5, 2021
A teen intentionally ran in front of a vehicle before he was struck Tuesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release Thursday afternoon.
A Ford truck driven by a 46-year old Pensacola man was traveling south on Highway 95A approaching East Kingsfield Road when “a 15 year old juvenile male of Cantonment intentionally ran into the path of the Ford”, the FHP report states.
The 15-year old male was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by Escambia County EMS. FHP said the teen’s injuries were determined to be minor.
The teen was held under Florida’s Baker Act, which provides for temporary detention and emergency mental health services.
The pickup driver was not injured.
File photo.
ECSO Seeks Area Man Wanted On Battery, Weapon Charges
February 4, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday afternoon that they are looking for an area man wanted on multiple active warrants.
Randon Bryan Watson, 36, is wanted for two counts of battery (domestic violence) and one count of improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon. He will have no bond when arrested. There are also three domestic violence injunctions that need to be served on Watson.
The ECSO said Watson is known to stay in the Atmore area.
Anyone that knows Watson’s location is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
UPDATE: Children Taken From Atmore Gas Station Found Safe In Mississippi; Man To Face Child Custody Charges
February 4, 2021
Two children taken from an Atmore gas station Thursday morning have been safely recovered safe and unharmed in Mississippi, and the father of one of the children is now charged in connection with the incident.
About 9:40 a.m., the Atmore Police Department responded to the report of man abducting two children ages 3 and 16 from at a gas station on Jacks Springs Road at I-65.
The mother of the children told police she had traveled from Texas earlier Thursday morning with the intention of moving to Alabama. She said the children were taken by her estranged husband.
According to Atmore Police Chief Brooks, the woman said she pulled into the gas station to refuel her truck, and the children went inside the store. She said that minutes later the children exited the store and got into the husband’s Toyota Camry.
The woman told police that her husband is biological the father of the 3-year old. She said her husband was not the father of the teen and had no parental rights to the child.
“The woman also said she did not feel the children were in danger but wanted the children back in her custody,” Brooks said.
The father, identified as 58-year old Bruice Jyrome Jonson of San Antonio, Texas, was later detained in Gulfport, Mississippi. He will face interference with child custody charges when extradited back to Alabama.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
U.S. Marshals Arrest Century Man On Outstanding Drug Warrants
February 4, 2021
U.S. Marshals arrested a Century man on outstanding drug warrants Thursday morning.
Darren L. Green, 52, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals at a home on Academy Street at the corner of Henry Street in Century.
Green was wanted on outstanding drug warrants from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office for trafficking methamphetamine and marijuana possession, according to SRSO Sgt. Rich Aloy.
Green was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $105,000.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest.
Pictured: U.S. Marshals arrested a man on outstanding drug warrants at this home on Academy Street in Century Thursday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Man Charged With Business Burglary, Resisting Arrest
February 4, 2021
A Walnut Hill man is facing multiple charges after allegedly burglarizing a business and later running from deputies.
Hunter Anthony Chavers, 25, is charged with burglary of a business, grand theft, obstruction of justice and violation of probation.
Chavers allegedly took items worth $9,350 from West Florida Gin on Meadows Road in Davisville. The items reported stolen included a portable welder valued at $8,500 along with miscellaneous hand tools, power tools and other items.
The stolen goods were recovered at Chaver’s residence on Pine Forest Road in Walnut Hill by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, according to an arrest report.
When deputies arrived at Chaver’s residence to serve an arrest warrant, he reportedly ran into a nearby wooded area where he was taken into custody, the ECSO said.
A rifle, pistol and ammunition were seized, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Chavers is not allowed to possess weapons due to the terms of his probation from 2018 conviction on hunting relating charges.
Chavers remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Century’s Gas Department Made A Profit In December. That Has Not Happened In Long Time.
February 4, 2021
For the first time in recent memory, the Town of Century’s gas fund has actually recorded a profit for a month without the need to borrow operating cash from another department.
During the month of December, the gas fund had a $10,621 profit. Most months, including previous winters, the fund loses money and money is transferred in from special revenue, gas and garbage funds to keep the gas department afloat. In October and November, $52,404 was transferred to the gas department from other fund sources to cover losses topping $37,000.
During the four-year period ending in September 2019, Century’s gas department losses topped $1 million. That prompted the town to get to work replacing inaccurate residential and commercial meters and working on inaccurate billing.
In September 2019, the town could not account for 45% of natural gas purchased for resale. It was not leaking; it simply was not be billed due to those inaccurate meters and billing problems. In recent months, about 11% of the gas was missing from the books as the town works toward an even lower number.
“You are going to see those numbers trend downward,” interim City Manager Vernon Prather said.
Escambia County COVID-19 Hospitalizations Continue To Decline
February 4, 2021
Escambia County COVID-19 daily hospitalizations have fallen below 200 this week for the first time since the year began.
There were 180 people currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Escambia County on Wednesday.
“COVID-19 hospitalizations between the three local hospital systems are starting to slowly go down, but we still want to get back to the 50-75 range,” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said. “It’s important that we continue to work together to bring these numbers down for our community and for our hospitals. Please be vigilant and take preventative actions, including wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands often.”
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 source: Escambia County, City of Pensacola. Graphics: City of Pensacola, Escambia County.
Highway 29 Traffic Stop Leads To Drug Arrest When K-9 Finds Ecstasy And Cocaine
February 4, 2021
A Highway 29 traffic stop led to the discover of MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and cocaine Tuesday night.
About 11 p.m., the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office High Intensity Patrol Unit performed a traffic stop near the Regency Hotel on Highway 29.
Deputy Beaty and K-9 Maddox were called to the scene. Inside the car, K-9 Maddox alerted to 46.8 grams of MDMA and 2.7 grams of crack cocaine, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. A gun was also located inside the vehicle.
Anthony Maurice Thomas, 23, was charged with a weapons offense, resisting an officer without violence, possession of cocaine with intent to sell and trafficking phenethylamines. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $131,000.